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 UNIVERSITY 
 
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 Biographical review ... containing life 
 
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 Cornell University 
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 The original of this book is in 
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 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://archive.org/details/cu31924028818255 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 VOLUME XXX 
 
 CONTAINING LIFE SKETCHES OF LEADING CITIZENS OF 
 
 WORCESTER COUNTY 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS 
 
 Who among men art thou, and thy years how many, good friend ? — Xenophanes. 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 Biographical Review Publishing Company 
 
 1899 
 
ATLANTIC STATES SERIES OF BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEWS. 
 
 The volumes issued in this series up to date are the following : — 
 
 I. Otsego County, New York. XVIII. 
 
 II. Madison County, New York. XIX. 
 
 III. Broome County, New York. 
 
 IV. Columbia County, New York. XX. 
 V. Cayuga County, New York. 
 
 VI. Delaware County, New York. XXI. 
 
 VII. Livingston and Wyoming Counties, 
 
 New York. XXII. 
 
 VIII. Clinton and Essex Counties, New 
 
 York. XXIII. 
 
 IX. Hampden County, Massachusetts. 
 
 X. Franklin County, Massachusetts. XXIV. 
 
 XI. Hampshire County, Massachusetts. XXV. 
 
 XII. Litchfield County, Connecticut. XXVI. 
 
 XIII. York County, Maine. XXVII. 
 
 XIV. Cumberland County, Maine. XXVIII. 
 
 XV. Oxford and Franklin Counties, XXIX. 
 
 Maine. 
 
 XVI. Cumberland County, New Jersey. 
 
 XVII. Rockingham County, New Hampshire. XXX. 
 
 Plymouth County, Massachusetts. 
 Camden and Burlington Counties, 
 
 New Jersey. 
 Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and 
 
 Waldo Counties, Maine. 
 Strafford and Belknap Counties, 
 
 New Hampshire. 
 
 Sullivan and Merrimack Counties, 
 New Hampshire. 
 
 Hillsboro and Cheshire Counties, 
 New Hampshire. 
 
 Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 
 Norfolk County, Massachusetts. 
 New London County, Connecticut. 
 Middlesex County, Massachusetts. 
 Essex County, Massachusetts. 
 Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, 
 
 Washington, and Aroostook 
 
 Counties, Maine. 
 Worcester County, Massachusetts. 
 
 Note. — All the biographical sketches published in this volume were submitted to their respective subjects or to the sub- 
 scribers, from whom the facts were primarily obtained, for their approval or correction before going to press, and a reasonable 
 time was allowed in each case for the return of the typewritten copies. Most of them were returned to us within the time allotted, 
 •or before the work was printed, after being corrected or revised ; and these may therefore be regarded as reasonably accurate. 
 
 A few, however, were not returned to us ; and, as we have no means of knowing whether they contain errors or not, we 
 cannot vouch for their accuracy. In justice to our readers, and to render this work more valuable for reference purposes, we have, 
 indicated all uncorrected sketches by a small asterisk (*), placed immediately after the name of the subject. They will be found 
 printed on the last pages of the book. / . ', 
 
 ' . ' , ' K. R. PUB. CO. 
 
 - / -/' "' , , ,. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 AFTER many months of unremitting toil we take pleasure in presenting to our 
 patrons the long-promised Biographical Review of Worcester County, Massa- 
 chusetts, the thirtieth in our Atlantic States Series of biographical works. In so 
 (ioing we desire to render hearty thanks to all those who have in any way co-operated 
 with us in our labors, realizing the full value of their sympathetic interest and ready 
 assistance in the result obtained. We need at this day make no apology for the 
 publication of such a volume, the success of previous works of a similar nature pub- 
 lished by us having justified in advance the present issue. The real history of a State 
 is the combined history of all its citizens. Popular biography is history intimately 
 written, the dry bones of material facts being clothed with the living tissues of per- 
 sonality and individuality, beneath which beats the pulse of human sympathy. It 
 comprises the lives, not only of those whom genius, talent, or opportunity have 
 brought conspicuously before the eye of the world, but of those also whose modest 
 achievements have won a more local and restricted fame, each one, however, forming 
 an integral portion of the great sum of human endeavor, and worthy of its due meed 
 of praise, encouragement, or remembrance. To the question asked on the title-page 
 of this volume, as it applies to the citizens of Worcester County herein represented, 
 we have endeavored in each case to furnish an adequate reply. In many we have 
 gone beyond the strict scope of personal biography in gathering and presenting gene- 
 alogical data, compiled from hitherto unpublished family records ; and, where possible, 
 we have verified other and similar data by comparison with records previously pub- 
 lished, or accessible in manuscript form in the genealogical libraries of this city 
 (Boston). The propriety and utility of preserving such material and giving it a wider 
 publicity will be generally apparent, and our efforts in doing so, we trust, as generally 
 appreciated. In conclusion, we venture to borrow in part the familiar and oft-quoted 
 words of President Lincoln, and assert that the present volume is emphatically a book 
 "of the people, by the people, and for the people." In the belief that it will be so 
 accepted, we commit it finally to the judgment of our patrons. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
 April, 1899. 
 
M>^o*u^^.^> C^ . /-Jv^iA^tA^, 
 
BIOSRAPHIGAL. 
 
 'ON. WILLIAM FRANKLIN 
 DRAPER, of Hopedale, whose 
 gallant efficiency in the field 
 during the Civil War won for 
 him the brevet of Brigadier- 
 general, now occupies one of 
 the highest posts in the diplo- 
 matic service of the country, 
 that of Ambassador to Italy, 
 to which he was appointed by 
 President McKinley in 1897. 
 General Draper was born in the city of Lowell 
 on April 9, 1842, eldest son of George and 
 Hannah (Thwing) Draper. He is a repre- 
 sentative of the seventh generation of the 
 family founded by James Draper, a native of 
 Heptonstall Parish, Yorkshire, England, who 
 joined the Massachusetts Bay Colony about 
 1650. A glance at the ancestral record shows 
 that his patriotism, his military spirit, his in- 
 ventive genius and business capacity, and the 
 liberality and kindliness which form the basis 
 of his pleasing urbanity of manner are in- 
 herited traits. 
 
 James Draper, the immigrant, was the son 
 of Thomas Draper, a cloth manufacturer of 
 Heptonstall, England. He settled at Rox- 
 bury, and engaged in the manufacture of 
 cloth, owning a number of looms. His son, 
 James Draper, second, was a soldier in King 
 Philip's War. James Draper, third, son of 
 James, second, and his wife, Abigail Whiting, 
 settled at Dedham. He was a manufacturer 
 and a farmer, and was captain of a trainband. 
 He died in 1768. Abijah Draper, the next in 
 this line of descent, born May 10, 1737, son 
 of James, third, and Abigail (Child) Draper, 
 married Alice, daughter of John and Elizabeth 
 Eaton, of Dedham. Abijah Draper was a 
 
 Major of the First Suffolk Militia in the 
 Revolution. 
 
 Ira Draper, General Draper's grandfather, 
 born December 29, 1764, second son of Major 
 Draper, lived to be past eighty years of 
 age. "He was a man of large natural intelli- 
 gence, mechanical ingenuity, and progressive 
 thought." His first wife, Lydia, daughter of 
 Lemuel and Rebecca Richards, died in 1811; 
 and his second wife, her sister, Abigail Rich- 
 ards, died in 1847. ^^ reared nine children. 
 
 George Draper, second son of Ira and Abi- 
 gail (Richards) Draper and the father of Am- 
 bassador Draper, was born in Weston, Mass., 
 August 16, 1817. He died June 7, 1887. 
 Devoting his energies at an early age to the 
 hereditary occupation of manufacturing, in 
 1832 Mr. George Draper was superintendent 
 of a mill at Ware, Mass. In 1842 he became 
 a resident of Hopedale, joining the commu- 
 nity under the leadership of the Rev. Adin 
 Ballou, of which his brother, Ebenezer Dag- 
 gett Draper, was one of the founders. This 
 "joint-stock, practical Christian association, 
 with a united industrial arrangement," was 
 dissolved by common consent in the spring of 
 1856, "property and business" returning "to 
 the customary channels of general society." 
 (For further particulars see History of Mil- 
 ford, by Adin Ballou, to which we are in- 
 debted for much of the foregoing.) 
 
 The successor of the Hopedale community, 
 it may be mentioned, the Hopedale Parish, a 
 liberal Christian society, in which the com- 
 munity was virtually merged, was organized 
 in 1867, the Rev. Adin Ballou of sainted 
 memory continuing his faithful ministry till 
 April, 1880, when his resignation was ac- 
 cepted. A beautiful new church, dedicated 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 on September 15, 1898, was presented to the 
 society by George A. and Eben S. Draper, in 
 memory of their parents, George and Hannah 
 T. Draper. 
 
 George Draper was happily possessed of 
 both inventive skill and excellent business 
 abilities, a rare combination, together with 
 the spirit of enterprise and the quality of 
 persistence. Purchasing the water-power at 
 Hopedale, he entered upon a long and success- 
 ful business career. He was president of 
 several extensive manufacturing firms, among 
 them that of George Draper & Sons, manu- 
 facturers of various improvements in cotton 
 and woollen machinery; the Hopedale Ma- 
 chine Company, manufacturers of patent warp- 
 ers, twisters, spoolers, etc. ; the Dutcher 
 Temple Company, sole manufacturers of 
 Dutcher's patent temples, etc. Many of the 
 improvements in the line of machinery were 
 of his own invention. He was interested in 
 the Shaw Knitting Company, of Lowell; and 
 he was president of the Milford, Franklin & 
 Providence Railroad and of the Milford & 
 Hopkinton Railroad. In politics he was a 
 strong Republican, deeply interested in public 
 affairs. He was the founder and the first 
 president of the Home Market Club. He 
 gave generously of his wealth to public and 
 private charities. 
 
 He married March 6, 1839, Miss Hannah 
 Thwing, daughter of Benjamin and Anna 
 (Mowry) Thwing. She died in 1884, and 
 he married in 1886 Mrs. Blunt, of Milford. 
 Five children, all born of the first marriage, 
 are now living, namely: William Franklin, 
 the special subject of this biography; Frances 
 E. , wife of Charles H. Colburn, of Milford, 
 now deceased; Hannah T., wife of Edward 
 Louis Osgood, of Hopedale; George Albert 
 and Eben Sumner, both of Hopedale. 
 
 William Franklin Draper in his youth ob- 
 tained an education fitting him for Harvard 
 College, and made further preparation for the 
 activities of life by various periods of labor in 
 the machine shop and cotton-mill, the three 
 years directly before the breaking out of the 
 Civil War being devoted to study of the man- 
 ufacture of cotton machinery, with valuable 
 practice as a draughtsman. On September 9, 
 
 1861, he enlisted in the local volunteer com- 
 pany that his father was instrumental in rais- 
 ing. This became Company B of the Twenty- 
 fifth Massachusetts Infantry, and in October 
 he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. 
 Three years of campaigning followed. As 
 signal officer on the staff of General Burnside 
 he went through the battles of Roanoke 
 Island, Newbern, and Fort Macon. In 
 April, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of 
 First Lieutenant, and thereupon rejoined his 
 regiment. In August, 1862, shortly after the 
 battle of South Mountain, he was commis- 
 sioned Captain in the Thirty-sixth Regiment. 
 With this regiment he went through the rest 
 of the Antietam campaign, and after the battle 
 of Fredericksburg was sent to Newport News. 
 Seven months were spent in Kentucky in pur- 
 suing Morgan's cavalry and sundry guerilla 
 troops. He then went, in June, 1863, to join 
 Grant's army at Vicksburg. He was present 
 at the fall of that city, and later was in some 
 hard fighting in the vicinity of Jackson. 
 From June to September, 1863, his regiment 
 was reduced in numbers from six hundred and 
 fifty to one hundred and ninety-eight men. 
 He was now promoted to the rank of Major. 
 Returning from Kentucky in August, 1863, 
 he marched through Cumberland Gap into 
 East Tennessee, where he remained through 
 the winter, taking part in the siege of Knox- 
 ville and the battles of Blue Springs, Camp- 
 bell's Station, and Strawberry Plains. Colo- 
 nel Goodell having been wounded, subsequent 
 to the loth of October Major Draper was in 
 command of the regiment. In the battle of 
 the Wilderness, on the 6th of May, he was 
 shot through the body while leading his regi- 
 ment, a rifle-pit just being captured by his 
 men. He was left on the field as hopelessly 
 wounded, and was captured by the rebels, but 
 was subsequently retaken and sent to the hos- 
 pital at Washington. From this date onward 
 he was Lieutenant Colonel. Upon recovery 
 he rejoined the army, and was present at the 
 siege of Petersburg and at the Weldon Rail- 
 road engagement, where he commanded a bri- 
 gade. A month later, at Poplar Grove Church 
 and Pegram's Farm, his division was severely 
 engaged, and was cut off from the others. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 His regiment, however, was the only one in 
 the brigade that came out as an organization, 
 and they brought back the colors of several 
 other regiments. Having been again wounded 
 in the shoulder by a nearly spent ball, and his 
 wounds proving very troublesome, he accepted 
 a discharge on October 12, 1864. He was 
 brevetted Colonel and Brigadier-general, 
 United States Volunteers, for gallant and 
 meritorious services in the field. 
 
 Both of his commands during the war were 
 fighting regiments, the Twenty-fifth losing 
 seventy per cent, of its number in one engage- 
 ment (Cold Harbor), a record broken but by 
 three others in the whole army; while the 
 Thirty-sixth, in the campaign beginning- with 
 the Wilderness, had every field and line officer, 
 except one, killed or wounded, and three- 
 quarters of its enlisted men. 
 
 Returning to business life. General Draper 
 entered the employ of the firm of E. D. &. G. 
 Draper, manufacturers of cotton machinery. 
 In April, 1868, he purchased the interest of 
 Mr. E. D. Draper in the business, and en- 
 tered into partnership with his father, the firm 
 name being George Draper & Son. General 
 Draper's reputation as a business man has 
 steadily increased, and since his father's 
 death the firm has become widely known as 
 the leading introducers in this country of cot- 
 ton machinery improvements. Besides man- 
 aging his own large transactions, he has been 
 dirtctly connected with many other large man- 
 ufacturing concerns. He is now president and 
 director in more than twenty corporations 
 covering the manufacture of machinery, cotton 
 cloth, shoes, and electrical goods, and gas, 
 water, and insurance companies. He has 
 strong inventive talent, an'd has personally 
 patented over fifty inventions. He is knjown 
 as the first expert in the country on spinning 
 machinery, and he has written standard arti- 
 cles on this and other mechanical subjects. 
 
 General Draper held no elective office ex- 
 cept that of Town School Committee until his 
 election to Congress. He was a member of 
 Governor Long's staff during the three years 
 of his oflScial term, was a delegate to the con- 
 vention that nominated President Hayes, and 
 an elector at large who voted for President 
 
 Harrison. In 1888 he was a candidate for the 
 Republican nomination for Governor, being 
 strongly backed by the soldier vote, but was 
 defeated by Governor Ames. In 1892, when 
 General Draper was nominated for Congress 
 in the Eleventh District, his campaign against 
 George Fred Williams was one of the most 
 brilliantly successful ever made in Massachu- 
 setts. He was on the stump nearly every 
 night, and his speeches won favor for himself 
 and his party wherever he went, although he 
 made no pretensions to oratory. While a 
 member of Congress he was instrumental in 
 pressing through the House the bill to revise 
 patent laws and the bill to protect the copy- 
 right on theatrical and operatic productions. 
 During both terms he was a member of the 
 Foreign Affairs Committee and chairman of 
 the Patent Committee. He is known as a 
 hard student and practical thinker on eco- 
 nomic subjects. The protective tariff has 
 been his special line of research, and he has 
 personally investigated at great length eco- 
 nomic conditions, both in Europe and in this 
 country. His pamphlets and magazine arti- 
 cles on the tariff question have been widely 
 read and discussed. He succeeded his father 
 as president of the Home Market Club, 
 which is the strongest and most influential 
 protective organization in New England, rank- 
 ing nationally with the American Protective 
 Tariff League. He is also a member and an 
 officer of the Arkwright Club. 
 
 Socially, General Draper is well known 
 among a large circle of acquaintances, both 
 at home and abroad. He is a member of 
 the Loyal Legion, of the Grand Army, the 
 Knights Templars, the Sons of the Revolution, 
 the Society of the Colonial Wars, the Union 
 and Algonquin Clubs of Boston, the Hope 
 Club of Providence, and many other frater- 
 nities. 
 
 In 1862, while home on a four days' leave 
 of absence from the army, he married Miss 
 Lydia D. W. Joy, adopted daughter of the 
 Hon. David Joy. Of this union five children 
 survive the mother, who died in 1884. In 
 May, 1890, General Draper married Susan 
 Preston, daughter of the late General William 
 Preston, of Kentucky, who was an officer in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Mexican War, a Major-general in the 
 Confederate army during the Civil War, and 
 United States Minister to Spain under Bu- 
 chanan, also Confederate Envoy to Mexico. 
 Needless to say, this union between the North 
 and the South has been a happy one. 
 
 General Draper's children are: William 
 F., Jr., who resides in New York City; 
 George Otis, a sketch of whom appears on 
 another page; Edith; Arthur Joy, who re- 
 cently earned his commission as Second 
 Lieutenant in the Porto Rico campaign; and 
 Clare Hill Draper, who is a student in Yale 
 University. Edith is the wife of Montgomery 
 Blair, an attorney in Washington, D.C., and 
 son of ex-Postmaster General Blair, who 
 served in Lincoln's cabinet. 
 
 "ON. FRANCIS ALFRED HAR- 
 RINGTON, ex-Mayor of Worcester 
 and one of the city's most influen- 
 tial citizens, was born on the farm 
 where he now resides, on November 17, 1846, 
 son of Daniel and Clarissa (Gray) Harrington. 
 The family is one of the oldest in Worcester, 
 and has produced men of solid worth and in- 
 tegrity. 
 
 The first ancestor in New England of whom 
 there is record was Francis Harrington, who 
 was born in Watertown in 1709, and died in 
 Worcester on this farm in 1793. His son, 
 Nathaniel, was born here in 1742, and died in 
 1 83 1. Nathaniel's wife, whose maiden name 
 was Ruth Stone, was born in 1748, and died 
 in 1817. The original farm of four hundred 
 acres was divided after Nathaniel's death be- 
 tween his two sons, Francis and Jonathan, 
 each receiving about two hundred acres. 
 Francis, who was the grandfather of Francis 
 Alfred Harrington, was born here in 1777, 
 and died on May 3, 1841. He was married 
 in 1 801 to Lydia Perry, daughter of Josiah 
 Perry and grand-daughter of Nathan Perry, of 
 Worcester, who was for twenty-three years, 
 from 1783 to 1806, Deacon of the Old South 
 Church. Mrs. Lydia Perry Harrington was 
 born in 1778, and died in 1808. She was the 
 mother of six children, the eldest of whom 
 was Daniel, above named. 
 
 Daniel Harrington was born at the home- 
 stead on October 4, 1802, and died here on 
 September 11, 1863, leaving a wife and eight 
 children. He was a lifelong farmer and one 
 of the leading business men of the town. He 
 commanded a company of the State militia, 
 and was familiarly known as Captain Daniel 
 Harrington. Warmly interested in public 
 affairs and recognized as a man of sound judg- 
 ment and of unimpeachable integrity, he 
 could have had almost any gift within the 
 offering of his townsmen; but he was content 
 to remain in private life, and, with the excep- 
 tion of serving as a member of the second 
 Common Council and as Alderman in 1848 
 and 1849, declined to have his name used as 
 candidate for public office. He was an active 
 and devoted member of the Old South Church 
 and one of the founders of the Union and 
 Salem churches, which are now consolidated. 
 Daniel Harrington built the house in which 
 his son now resides in 1852 and the fine barn 
 that is on the premises in 1841. He was 
 married on March 27, 1828, to Clarissa Gray, 
 who was born on August 23, 1809, and died 
 on June 6, 1884. She was a grand-daughter 
 of John Dickerman, who is said to have been 
 one of the celebrated "Boston Tea party." 
 Of the nine children born of this marriage 
 eight grew to maturity; namely, Joseph A., 
 Emily A., Charles A., Delia A., Maria A., 
 Francis A., George A., and Daniel A. 
 Henry M. was born on March 20, 1836, and 
 died at the age of a year. Joseph Harrington 
 was born on October 6, 1829, and died on 
 December 4, 1875. Emily, who was born on 
 October 23, 1831, and died in 1883, was mar- 
 ried in 1873 to George Sumner Battelle. 
 Charles, who was born on May 20, 1834, is a 
 member of the firm of Garfield & Harring- 
 ton, coal and ice dealers in this city and one 
 of the old and solid business firms of Worces- 
 ter. He has served in the Common Council. 
 Delia A., who was born on March 21, 1841, 
 was married in 1863 to George B. Andrews, 
 a livery-keeper of Clinton. Maria A., who 
 was born on September 2, 1843, is the widow 
 of Edward W. Wellington, and resides in this 
 city. George A., who was born on July 8, 
 1849, died in 1885, unmarried, Daniel Har- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 13 
 
 rington, born on May 8, 185 1, is the successor 
 of Harrington Brothers in the livery business. 
 He has served two terms on the Board of 
 Aldermen. 
 
 Francis Alfred Harrington was educated in 
 the public schools, and subsequently worked 
 on the home farm until he was twenty-one 
 years of age. He then entered the employ of 
 his brother Charles, and was with him at the 
 Bay State Hotel livery stable, which was 
 opened in 1869. In 187 1 he became a part- 
 ner, and the company was known as Harring- 
 ton Brothers. About five years later the 
 stable was removed to Central Street, where 
 it is now located, and a carriage shop was 
 opened in connection with it. On the retire- 
 ment of his brother Charles in May, 1882, 
 Mr. Harrington took into partnership his 
 brother Daniel, who in October, 5896, be- 
 came full proprietor, and has since conducted 
 the business' with excellent success. Mr. 
 Harrington now gives his attention to farming 
 on the homestead acres, which are among the 
 most valuable farming lands in this section of 
 Massachusetts, having been for many years 
 highly fertilized and carefully tilled. The 
 place was formerly a dairy farm, but more 
 recently the fields have been devoted to grass 
 crops. 
 
 Mr. Harrington is a prominent member of 
 fraternal organizations in Worcester. He 
 belongs to all the orders of Masonry; is Past 
 Master of Athelstone Lodge, F. & A. M. ; 
 and is Past Commander of Worcester County 
 Commandery, K. T., which numbers six hun- 
 dred members, and is the third or fourth 
 largest in the world. He is a member of the 
 Odd Fellows Society; Past Master of Strong 
 Worcester Grange, which consists of over 
 three hundred members; Past Master of the 
 county grange and treasurer of the State 
 grange; also a member of the Royal Arcanum 
 and Past Patron of the Order of the Eastern 
 Star. In politics he is a Republican. He 
 was Alderman from Ward Three from 1887 to 
 1889, being unanimously re-elected; and dur- 
 ing the last year he was president of the 
 board. He served on the Committee on 
 Sewers when the new and improved disposal 
 plan was originated, and during the third year 
 
 of his occupancy of the Mayor's chair had the 
 satisfaction of seeing the plan carried into 
 effect. He was Mayor of the city in 1890, 
 1891, and 1892, during which time also the 
 English High School and the new building 
 of the public library were constructed. Mr. 
 Harrington was one of the organizers of the 
 Ridgely Protective Association in 1894, and 
 has been its president ever since. He is one 
 of the directors of the public library. 
 
 On November 16, 1871, Mr. Harrington 
 was united in marriage with Roxana M. 
 Grout, who was born in Spencer, daughter of 
 Silas and Eliza (Draper) Grout. Her father, 
 who was an able farmer of Spencer and an ac- 
 tive and prominent citizen, was fifty years old 
 when Mrs. Harrington was born to him by 
 his second marriage. He died on March 11, 
 1879. His two wives were sisters. Mrs. 
 Harrington's mother died on October 18, 
 1869, at the age of fifty-eight. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harrington are the parents of 
 three children — Charles Arthur, Frank C, 
 and May E. The first named of these is a 
 graduate of the Polytechnic Institute, and is 
 now a teacher of mathematics in the Worces- 
 ter High School. Frank is now a Senior in 
 the Polytechnic Institute, class of 1898. 
 The only daughter, May, has received a fine 
 musical training, both vocal and instrumental. 
 
 /STeORGE E. HAYWARD, a real 
 \ i> I estate dealer of Fitchburg, was born 
 in South Acton, Mass., October 29, 
 1854. His father, Moses Hay ward, and his 
 ancestors for several generations were natives 
 of South Acton. Moses Hayward, who was 
 a building contractor, and erected several 
 houses for the Fitchburg Railway, represented 
 Acton in the legislature for two terms, and 
 was a member of the Universal ist church. Of 
 his five children, one son and four daughters, 
 George E., the subject of this sketch, was the 
 third-born. 
 
 George E. Hayward attended the common 
 schools of South Acton and Milford and the 
 grammar school in Fitchburg. Having pre- 
 viously served an apprenticeship to the ma- 
 chinist's trade, he was given the charge of 
 
14 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Munroe Brothers' machine shops when he was 
 eighteen years old. Later he turned his at- 
 tention to civil engineering and assisted in 
 laying out the Fitchburg Reservoir. He also 
 worked for the city as assistant with J. Parker 
 Snow for some time. Then he resumed his 
 trade, and followed it for the four ensuing 
 years. In 1882 he and his mother engaged in 
 the hotel business at the old Holly Tree Inn. 
 After they had carried on this house for six or 
 seven years, they bought the property num- 
 bered 339 Main Street, added an extension 
 forty feet long and three stories high, and 
 there opened Hayward's Temperance Hotel in 
 August, 1890. In March, 1891, Mr. Hay- 
 ward sold his interest to his mother, who is 
 still carrying it on. He then purchased the 
 Drury House Dining-room, which he con- 
 ducted until March, 1896, when he sold out. 
 Since then he has been engaged in the real 
 estate business. 
 
 In December, 1890, Mr. Hayward married 
 Lila M. Russell, a daughter of Andrew and 
 Mary Russell, of Townsend, Mass. He has 
 one son and two daughters. In politics he 
 is a Republican. A strong advocate of tem- 
 perance, he vigorously opposes the granting 
 of liquor licenses. He is a member of Mount 
 Rollstone Lodge, No. 98, I. O. O. F. 
 
 "ON. WILLIAM TROWBRIDGE 
 FORBES, Judge of the Courts of 
 Probate and Insolvency for Worces- 
 ter County, was born May 24, 
 1850, at the old Forbes homestead, West 
 Main Street, Westboro, Mass., son of Deacon 
 Ephraim Trowbridge and Catharine (White) 
 Forbes. 
 
 This family is of Scotch origin ; and the name 
 Forbes, still pronounced in Scotland in two 
 syllables, appears in the early town records of 
 New England as Forbes, Farrabas, Farrw- 
 bush, Forbus, Furbush, Furbish, Farebush, 
 and otherwise. In Burke's "Heraldry" it is 
 stated that the surname of Forbes was assumed 
 from the lands of Forbes, County Aberdeen, 
 Scotland, granted by Alexander II. (1249) to 
 the progenitor of this noble family. 
 
 The first ancestor in this country of the 
 
 branch of the family under immediate con- 
 sideration was Daniel Forbes, or, as written 
 by the town clerks in New England after the 
 broad Scotch pronunciation, F"arrabas. From 
 the best information obtainable it is probable 
 that he was born at Kinellar, Scotland, about 
 1620. He was, it is thought, one of the 
 Scotch prisoners taken by Cromwell at the 
 battle of Dunbar, September 3, 1650, eight 
 thousand of whom were sent to the English 
 colonies. He married, according to the Cam- 
 bridge records, March 26 (or 27), 1660, Re- 
 becca Perriman, supposed to have been a 
 sister of Thomas Perriman, of Weymouth, and 
 of Frances Perriman, who married in 1654 
 Isaac Andrew, of Cambridge. Daniel Forbes 
 was in the employ of Edmund Angler, to 
 whom he conveyed land granted to him by the 
 town of Cambridge. His wife, Rebecca, died 
 May 3, 1677; and he married second. May 23, 
 1679, Deborah Rediat, of Concord, born in 
 1652, a daughter of John and Ann Rediat (or 
 Redyate), of Sudbury. Residing successively 
 in Cambridge, Concoi-d, and Marlboro, he 
 died in the last-named town in October, 1687. 
 His widow subsequently married Alexander 
 Stewart. He had eight children — Daniel, 
 Thomas, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Samuel, John, 
 Isaac, and Jonathan. 
 
 Deacon Jonathan Forbes (or Forbush), son 
 of Daniel and Deborah (Rediat) Forbes, was 
 born in Marlboro, March 12, 1684, and died 
 at Westboro, March 24, 1768. He was a 
 prosperous man, owning large tracts of land, 
 besides a good farm and saw-mill. He was 
 active in town affairs, serving as Constable, 
 Moderator of town meetings, and Selectman, 
 and was a Deacon in the church. He mar- 
 ried January 2, 1706, Mrs. Hannah Hayward 
 Farrar Holloway, widow of Adam Holloway, 
 of Marlboro. His children were nine in num- 
 ber—Mary, Dinah, Daniel, Thankful, Jona- 
 than, Abigail, Patience, Phinehas, and Eli. 
 
 Deacon Jonathan Forbes, Jr. , son of Deacon 
 Jonathan and Hannah P'orbes, was born Feb- 
 ruary 3, 1 71 5, in that part of Marlboro subse- 
 quently incorporated as Westboro. He mar- 
 ried in Westboro, November 23, 1738, Joanna 
 Tainter. Their children were: John, Jona- 
 than, Phinehas, Mehitable, Joanna, Joanna 
 
WILLIAM T. FORIiP:S. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 17 
 
 (second), Sarah, and Hannah, the four last 
 named of whom died young. Deacon Forbes, 
 Jr., died in November, 1756. His wife sub- 
 sequently married a second and later a third 
 husband. 
 
 Deacon Jonathan Forbes, third, the next in 
 line of descent, was born March i, 1746, and 
 died June 5, 1805. He married July 2, 1772, 
 Sarah Brigham, who was born April 18, 1751. 
 Their residence was in Westboro, Mass. 
 Their children were: Moses, Jonathan, Hol- 
 land, Ephraim, Sarah, Elias, Nancy, and 
 Achsah, all of whom attained maturity and 
 married. Mrs. Sarah B. Forbes was a daugh- 
 ter of Moses Brigham. At her death, Au- 
 gust 20, 1827, she bequeathed a Bible to each 
 of her grandchildren, forty-five in number. 
 
 Captain Jonathan Forbes, fourth, otherwise 
 called Deacon, son of Jonathan, third, and 
 Sarah (Brigham) Forbes, was born December 
 6, 177s, at the Forbes homestead, West Main 
 Street, in Westboro, Mass., where he always 
 resided, and where he died January 5, 1861. 
 He taught school when a young man. He 
 was a Captain of militia as early as 1813, and 
 in that year he was also elected Deacon of the 
 Evangelical church, holding the latter office 
 forty-eight years. He held most of the town 
 offices, and was a natural leader in church and 
 town affairs. It is said that he was always 
 chairman {de facto) of every committee on 
 which he served. He married January 17, 
 1802, Esther, daughter of Ebenezer and 
 Esther Chamberlin, a niece of Judge Edmund 
 Trowbridge. The following is a brief record 
 of their children: Sarah Brigham, born April 
 16, 1803, married the Rev. Charles Forbush, 
 of Upton, Mass., and died August 22, 185 1, 
 her husband having died in 1838, five years 
 after their marriage; Julia Miranda, born 
 June 25, 1804, married the Rev. John Wilde, 
 who died in Alexandria, Va. , in 1868; Jona- 
 than, born November 26, 1806, died January 
 
 24, 1820; Daniel H., born Septemlaer 13, 
 1809, married Jane Jemima Baker and, sec- 
 ond, Mary Avery White; Esther Louise, born 
 June 22, 1810, died October 3, 1812; Moses, 
 born September 25, 1812, married Eliza L. 
 Southwick; Ephraim Trowbridge, born March 
 
 25, 1815, married Catharine White; Eliza 
 
 Sophia, born January 7, 1821, died un- 
 married August 14, 1881. 
 
 Deacon Ephraim Trowbridge Forbes, the 
 father of the subject of this sketch, received 
 his education in the common schools and at 
 Andover Academy. He taught school in 
 Westboro and Southboro, and for many years 
 was a member of the School Committee. He 
 was active in church work, and was a Deacon 
 of the Evangelical church. In 1842 he mar- 
 ried Catharine White, born July 25, 1815, 
 daughter of William and Nancy (Avery) 
 White, of Westboro, formerly of Roxbury, 
 Mass., and great-great -grand -daughter of Cap- 
 tain Samuel Adams, father of Governor Sam- 
 uel Adams. 
 
 After marriage Deacon Ephraim T. Forbes 
 resided on the farm formerly owned by his 
 father and grandfather at the juncture of West 
 Main Street and the road to North Grafton. 
 His death occurred August 2, 1863. His 
 children were: Catherine Salome, who was 
 born September 12, 1845, married March 12, 
 1867, Charles Brigham Kittredge, and resides 
 at Glyndon, Minn. ; Esther Louise, born June 
 17, 1847, who resides in Westboro, and is un- 
 married; William Trowbridge, whose name 
 appears at the head of this sketch, and whose 
 history follows; Francis White, born May i, 
 1852, who married first Jane A. Nason and 
 second Fannie E. Hooker; and Susan Eliza, 
 born September 20, 1854, who died December 
 30, i860. 
 
 William Trowbridge Forbes, the date of 
 whose nativity has been already given, fitted 
 for college in local schools, the Allen Classi- 
 cal School at West Newton, Mass., and under 
 the instruction of the Rev. James Tufts, of 
 Monson, Mass. At Amherst College, where 
 he was graduated in 1871, he received first 
 prize in mathematics, Sophomore year, and a 
 German scholarship, Junior year. He was 
 class historian, one of the editors of the 
 Amherst Student, and a member of his class 
 crew in the regatta of 1870 on the Connecti- 
 cut River. On leaving college he went to 
 Constantinople, Turkey, and for three years 
 was instructor in mathematics in Robert Col- 
 lege. While there he made a geological sur- 
 vey of the vicinity of Constantinople with Dr. 
 
i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 George Washburn, the president of the col- 
 lege, collecting about two thousand fossils, 
 many of them being new varieties, of which 
 casts were exhibited at the Vienna Expo- 
 sition. 
 
 On his return to America he studied law at 
 Worcester with Bacon, Hopkins & Bacon, and 
 for three years was Standing Justice of the 
 First District Court of Eastern Worcester. 
 He resigned this position in 1879, ^"d prac- 
 tised law in Westboro, Mass., until he was 
 appointed in 1888 Judge of the Courts of Pro- 
 bate and Insolvency for Worcester County. 
 This position he now fills. He has held 
 many of the town offices in his native place. 
 He represented his district in the State legis- 
 lature in 1881-82 and in the Senate in 1886- 
 87. He served on the Committees on Liq- 
 uor Law (being House chairman) and on the 
 Judiciary, Probate and Insolvency, Election 
 Laws, etc. In 1887 he prepared and carried 
 through the legislature laws abolishing taxa- 
 tion for church purposes, and providing for 
 the incorporation of churches without a parish 
 or religious society. He has taken much in- 
 terest in local history, preparing a sketch of 
 the history of Westboro for a county history, 
 and assisting in the work on the town history 
 published in 1891. He is a member of the 
 American Antiquarian Society, and has been 
 president of the Worcester Congregational 
 Club. 
 
 On February 5, 1884, he married, in 
 Worcester, Harriette Merrifield, daughter of 
 William T. and Maria C. (Brigham) Merri- 
 field, of Worcester, Mass. Judge Forbes and 
 his wife are the parents of six children, 
 namely: William Trowbridge Merrifield, born 
 April 23, 1885; Allan White, born June 20, 
 1886; Cornelia Brigham, born July 14, 1888; 
 Katharine Maria, born September 23, 1889; 
 Esther Louise, born June 28, 1891 ; and Mal- 
 colm Stuart, who was born November 22, 
 1892, and died February 4, 1893. 
 
 ALTER HARRIS HOWE, for- 
 merly a well-known and highly re- 
 spected resident of North Brook- 
 field, was born in New Hampshire, May 5, 
 
 1827. His parents, Timothy and Lucretia 
 (Whiton) Howe, removed to Underbill, Vt. , 
 when he was a very young boy. Later his 
 father went to Melrose, and died there in his 
 ninety-second year. Young Howe grew up in 
 Underbill, remaining there until his twenty- 
 first year. His early education was obtained 
 in the common schools of that period. After- 
 ward, becoming fond of books, he was con- 
 sidered unusually well informed on all the 
 leading topics of public interest. In 1848 he 
 came to North Brookfield, and entered the 
 employ of the Batcheller boot and shoe manu- 
 facturing concern. Here his diligence and 
 natural capabilities attracted the attention of 
 his employers, and in course of time he was 
 promoted until he became foreman of the sole 
 leather department. In this position he often 
 had charge of a large force of men, with 
 whom he was very popular. He seemed able 
 to obtain the best work his men were capable 
 of and at the same time to win and retain 
 their good will. Politically, he was a Repub- 
 lican. His wide range of reading awakened 
 his interest in public affairs, and he was one 
 of the most progressive and public-spirited 
 men in the town. He had much natural abil- 
 ity as a musician, like his father, and was for 
 many years a member of the choir in the First 
 Congregational Church, of which, also, he was 
 a communicant. His death occurred on 
 April 25, 1884. 
 
 On November 26, 1851, Mr. Howe was 
 married to Rebecca B. Whiting. Her par- 
 ents, Lewis and Roxana (Parks) Whiting, 
 were natives respectively of Hingham and 
 Lincoln, Mass. Mr. Whiting resided for 
 some years in North Brookfield, was identified 
 with boot and shoe interests, and carried on 
 some farming. His other surviving children 
 are: Phoebe W., who is the widow of the late 
 Henry Deland, of North Brookfield; and 
 Mary F., who is the wife of Thomas H. Reed, 
 of Worcester. Mrs. Howe resides at the 
 Howe homestead. She is a member of the 
 First Congregational Church, and has been 
 active in the social affairs of the town. Be- 
 fore her marriage she was a school teacher, 
 and she taught for four years in this town and 
 for about five months on Cape Cod. ' She was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 19 
 
 the mother of two children, both of whom 
 grew to maturity, but are now deceased. 
 They were: Carrie M., who was the wife of 
 L. H. Tucker, and resided in North Brook- 
 field; and Marion T., who was the wife of 
 H. G. King, and was also a resident of the 
 town. 
 
 BNER SMITH, a venerable and re- 
 spected resident of Spencer, Mass., 
 was born March 27, 18 16, in Mar- 
 low, N.H. A son of John and 
 Mary Smith, both natives of New Hampshire, 
 he comes of English origin. His paternal 
 grandfather, also named Abner, who was born 
 and reared in Lyme, Conn., was a Revolu- 
 tionary soldier. 
 
 Until he was about ten years of age, the 
 present Abner Smith remained in the town 
 where he was born. Then, in the spring of 
 the year, he went to Sutton, Vt. ; and in the 
 following fall his parents became residents 
 there. Returning to Marlow two years after, 
 he made his home with his grandfather for 
 the ensuing three years. At the end of that 
 time he went back to Sutton, and spent the 
 remainder of his minority there. A remark- 
 able incident of his life during that period 
 was the driving by him of fourteen' head of 
 cattle from Sutton to Leominster, N.H., a 
 distance of one hundred and fifteen miles, in 
 four days. At that time, when roads were 
 poor and travelling was difficult, this was con- 
 sidered quite a feat. Shortly after reaching 
 his majority Mr. Smith made a brief visit to 
 Charlestown, N.H. About the year 1840 he 
 came to Massachusetts, and was for a while in 
 the employ of William Stevens, who kept a 
 hotel at East Brookfield. As at that time 
 not less than fourteen stages stopped at 
 Brookfield every day, he saw a great many 
 people, and picked up a large amount of inter- 
 esting information. For a short time after 
 his marriage he resided in Marlow, N.H. 
 Returning eventually to East Brookfield, he 
 engaged in teaming there. Since 185 1 he has 
 resided in Spencer, and for many years of that 
 period he has followed agriculture. When a 
 younger man he used to purchase horses, 
 
 cattle, hogs, and sheep in Canada, and sell 
 them, generally at auction, in Spencer. He 
 now owns about four hundred acres of land, on 
 which he is engaged in general farming. 
 
 Mr. Smith has held some of the minor town 
 offices, and is well known and well liked 
 among his townsmen. A self-made man, the 
 credit of his success in life is entirely his 
 own. In 1841 he married Adeline Stevens, 
 who died on June 30, 1890. She was a de- 
 voted member of the Baptist church. Of her 
 five children, William is deceased. The 
 others are: Frank A., Rosetta, Lucy A., 
 and Emma L. Rosetta is the wife of Her- 
 bert Lovejoy, a prominent manufacturer of 
 women's clothing in Boston. Lucy A. is 
 the wife of Eugene Carpenter. Emma L. is 
 the wife of W. Draper, of Boston. 
 
 ILAS A. GREENWOOD, who 
 conducts a flourishing insurance 
 business in Winchendon, was born 
 in Hubbardston, Mass., December 
 6, 1854, son of Alson J. and Martha G. 
 (Moulton) Greenwood. His great-grand- 
 father, Abijah Greenwood, about the year 
 1770, accompanied by his brothers, Moses 
 and Levi, went from Holden to Hubbardston, 
 and spent the rest of his life upon a farm in 
 that town. Abijah joined the American army 
 at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, 
 and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill. 
 He died January g, 18 14. By his first wife, 
 whose maiden name was Rhoda Pond, and who 
 died July 16, 1782, he became the father of 
 three children. On October 3, 1783, he mar- 
 ried Elizabeth Marean, who bore him two 
 children, and died February 15, 1814. 
 
 Silas Greenwood, the youngest child of 
 Abijah and the grandfather of Silas A., born 
 in Hubbardston, November 19, 1786, was a 
 prosperous farmer throughout the active period 
 of his life, and highly esteemed as a public- 
 spirited citizen. In politics he was a Whig, 
 and he held several town offices. On Decem- 
 ber 8, 181 1, he married Julia Daniels, who 
 made him the father of four sons and four 
 daughters. Of these, Silas Newell, Julia, 
 Hannah, Abbie D., and Alson J. are living. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Silas N. successively married Calista Heald 
 and Susan Browning. His daughter, Eva, 
 born of his second marriage, became the wife 
 of Walter White and the mother of four chil- 
 dren. Julia is the widow of the late Joseph 
 Cheney Murdock, and has five children — 
 Lorey L., Alfred C, John G., William C, 
 and Abbie L. Hannah is the wife of John 
 G. Allen, and has two children — Abbie and 
 Harry. Abbie D. Greenwood married the 
 late John Browning, and has one son, Henry 
 H. Browning. Grandfather Greenwood died 
 March 12, 1857, and his wife on January 9, 
 1864. The latter was a member of the Uni- 
 tarian church. 
 
 Alson J. Greenwood, the youngest of his 
 parents' children, was born in Hubbardston, 
 September 27, 1829. Succeeding to the 
 ownership of the homestead, he has since fol- 
 lowed general farming there successfully. 
 He has also carried on lumbering. In poli- 
 tics he acts with the Democratic party. For 
 twelve consecutive years he was a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen, and he has also 
 served as an Assessor. His wife, Martha, 
 born in Hubbardston, July 9, 1833, is a 
 daughter of Sewall and Polly - (Hunting) 
 Moulton. She became the mother of five 
 children, as follows: Sewall Elliott, on Sep- 
 tember 15, 1853; Silas A., the subject of this 
 sketch; Arthur D., May 23, 1858; Grace, 
 February 3, 1862; and Harrison, August 31, 
 1863. Sewall Elliott married Charlotte 
 Smith, of Grafton, Mass., and has three chil- 
 dren — Lucius, Arthur, and Dorothy. Arthtir 
 D. married Susie E. Kelton, of Hubbards- 
 ton, and has one son, Ashton H, Grace is 
 the wife of Ernest A. Woodward, of Hub- 
 bardston, and the mother of Harold, Sher- 
 man, Helen, Lyman, Alson, and Ernest 
 Woodward, Jr. Harrison married Alice E. 
 Priest, of Gardner, and has two children — 
 Howard P. and Grace. Alson J. Greenwood 
 and his wife are still residing at the home- 
 stead in Hubbardston. 
 
 Silas A. Greenwood was educated in the 
 common schools and in the Wesleyan Acad- 
 emy at Wilbraham, Mass. Afterward for five 
 summer seasons he was employed at the 
 Prospect Hotel in Princeton, for one year as 
 
 clerk in the grocery store of Charles Davis in 
 Hubbardston, and for two years he was in a 
 dry-goods store at East Boston. In 1876 he 
 entered the fire insurance business as a solic- 
 itor in Hubbardston. Coming to Winchendon 
 in the following year, he established an 
 agency which has steadily grown in impor- 
 tance since. He is now transacting an exten- 
 sive business throughout this section. Some 
 time ago he and his brother Harrison opened 
 a ranch agency in Gardner. He has been the 
 treasurer of the Winchendon Co-operative 
 Bank since its establishment, a director of 
 the Westminster National Bank of Gardner, 
 and a leading spirit in all movements for de- 
 veloping the business of the town. 
 
 On November 25, 1879, Mr. Greenwood 
 married Sibyl H. Browning, a daughter of 
 James and Ann W. (Whittemore) Browning, 
 of Hubbardston. Mrs. Greenwood is the 
 mother of one son, Robert B., who was born 
 in Winchendon, May 23, 1884. Mr. Green- 
 wood is an Odd Fellow, and has been an ac- 
 tive member of the local lodge for the past 
 fifteen years. Both he and Mrs. Greenwood 
 are members of the Unitarian church. In 
 politics he is a Republican. 
 
 ll^^OBERT B. WHEELER, who owns 
 1 1^-^ and cultivates one of the most produc- 
 |b\^^ five farms in Berlin, son of Amos 
 and Lydia (Randall) Wheeler, was 
 born where he now resides, March 19, 1835. 
 He is descended from early settlers of the 
 town. His grandfather. Peregrine Wheeler, 
 was a lifelong resident of South Berlin. The 
 father, who was also born here, after conduct- 
 ing a farm in the place for some time, sold 
 that property, and bought the farm where his 
 son now lives, and occupied it for the last 
 twenty-five years of his life. He died at the 
 age of seventy-six. He was elected to sundry 
 town offices, including those of Assessor and 
 Surveyor of Wood. Lydia, his wife, who 
 was a daughter of Reuben Randall, a prosper- 
 ous farmer of Richmond, N.H., became the 
 mother of eleven children, of whom seven 
 sons and two daughters grew up. Three sons 
 still living — Rufus, Oliver S., and 
 
 are 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Robert B. The mother died at the age of 
 forty-seven years. Both parents were 
 Quakers. 
 
 Robert B. Wheeler completed his education 
 at the Friends' School in Bolton. Since his 
 youth he has been engaged in cultivating the 
 home farm, having succeeded to its ownership 
 after his father's death. He has devoted his 
 attention to general farming and the raising 
 of vegetables for the Clinton market. In pol- 
 itics he is a Republican, and he has been a 
 Selectman for nearly twenty years. He has 
 also served upon the Board of Health ; was 
 Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, and Road 
 Commissioner; and has been Cattle Inspector 
 since that office was created. Taking much 
 interest in agricultural questions, he has been 
 the treasurer of the local grange for two years. 
 The family attend the Friends' Meeting. 
 
 In 1861 Mr. Wheeler first married Nancy 
 M., daughter of Thomas W. Wheeler, of Bol- 
 ton. She died in 1890, aged forty-eight 
 years. His present wife, in maidenhood 
 Marion Jeffrey, is a native of Scotland. Of 
 his six children by his first wife, five are liv- 
 ing, namely: Alice, who married farmer 
 George H. Dow, and has two children — 
 Sarah and Ruth; Gilbert H., a farmer in Bol- 
 ton, who married Ida Burnham, and has two 
 children — Leon R. and Bernice; Bertha M., 
 who married Walter Cole, also a farmer of 
 Bolton, and has two children — Raymond and 
 Mabel ; Laura A., who married John Taylor, 
 a railroad employee, and has two children ^ — 
 Harold and Robert; and Amos C. Wheeler. 
 
 (^TTLEXANDER G. WILLIAMS, propri- 
 A^ etor of a large department store in 
 
 Jj\\ Barre, Mass., was born in this 
 ^"~^ town, February 28, 1849, son of 
 Elbridge and Harriet (Randall) Williams. 
 His father was a native of Dana, this county. 
 For some years he was engaged as a hatter 
 and merchant in company with Mr. Oakes in 
 Athol, Mass. Removing to Barre in 1849, he 
 died here in 1852. He was a man of unusual 
 energy and indu.stry, and his untimely death 
 was the cause of general regret. His wife 
 was a native of Petersham, Mass. They were 
 
 the parents of seven children, three of whom 
 grew to maturity, and two are living, namely: 
 Mrs. Jane Brown, of Williamsville; and Alex- 
 ander G. , the subject of this sketch. After 
 the death of Mr. Williams, Mrs. Williams 
 was again married, and, surviving her second 
 husband, died in widowhood. 
 
 Alexander G. Williams had limited oppor- 
 tunities for attending school, as he was 
 obliged to begin work at an early age in 
 order to contribute toward his mother's sup- 
 port. When sixteen years old he was able 
 to manage a farm, and by his labor he paid up 
 about two thousand dollars of debts left by 
 his deceased step-father. At the age of 
 twenty-one he engaged in the clothing busi- 
 ness where John Bartholomew now is. Later 
 removing to Williamsville, he there continued 
 in trade until meeting with reverses; and 
 about the year 1873 he entered the employ of 
 Harding P. Woods, a merchant in Barre, as 
 a clerk. When Mr. Woods retired, Mr. 
 Williams succeeded to the business in com- 
 pany with M. J. Hillman, a fellow-clerk, 
 with whom he was associated until Mr. Hill- 
 man's death in 1886. 
 
 Mr. Williams purchased the land and build- 
 ing of the Woods heirs, and has since con- 
 ducted the business alone. When, in No- 
 vember, 1892, the old store was burned with 
 a large portion of its contents, entailing a 
 heavy loss only partly covered by insurance, 
 Mr. Williams, alert and stirring, a man of ex- 
 cellent executive ability, embraced the op- 
 portunity for a new enterprise, the establish- 
 ment of a large department store. For this 
 purpose he erected the Williams Building, 
 which was completed in 1893, is a model of 
 its kind for convenience, and is an ornament 
 to the town. It is entirely finished in natural 
 woods, and is neat and tasteful. The base- 
 ment has a cemented floor, and is divided into 
 compartments for the storage of the several 
 lines of goods; for instance, there is a room 
 where nothing but kerosene oil is kept. A 
 tank holding some thirty barrels occupies one 
 side of the room, and faucets are conveniently 
 arranged for drawing the oil. There is also a 
 room for the storage of full barrels. Another 
 room is devoted to paint oils, another to fruit, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL -REVIEW 
 
 another to vegetables, while the centre is 
 used for flour and various groceries. In a 
 room directly under the street entrance to the 
 store are located two large boilers, which 
 supply steam and hot air for heating the en- 
 tire building. The cellar extends under the 
 piazza, and this part is used for the storage of 
 coal, which can be conveniently delivered 
 from the street above. Every department of 
 trade is represented by full lines of goods of 
 the best quality, affording the public facili- 
 ties for shopping never before enjoyed at 
 home; and the liberal policy that has charac- 
 terized the establishment from the first has, 
 as was anticipated by the far-sighted proprie- 
 tor, succeeded in winning appreciation and 
 patronage. 
 
 Mr. Williams married Carrie R. Felton, 
 who was born in Hubbardston, Mass., daugh- 
 ter of Nathan H. Felton. Two sons — Ed- 
 ward F. and Robert G. Williams — are the 
 fruit of this union. Mr. and Mrs. Williams 
 are members of the Congregational church. 
 
 In politics Mr. Williams is a Republican. 
 He has frequently been solicited to accept 
 office by his fellow-townsmen, who would 
 gladly avail themselves of his well-known 
 business ability for the public service. 
 While prevented by business pressure from 
 acceding to their wishes, he takes a deep in- 
 terest in the prosperity of the town, and is 
 always ready to aid movements calculated to 
 promote the general welfare. 
 
 IDWIN BAYARD HARVEY, M.D,, 
 one of the leading and best known 
 physicians in Worcester County, has 
 resided in Westboro during the entire period 
 of his professional career. Born in Deerfield, 
 N.H., in 1834, he is a son of Ebenezer and 
 Rozella (Winslow) Harvey. His early educa- 
 tion was acquired in the public schools, the 
 Military Institute in Pembroke, N.H., and 
 the New Hampshire Conference Seminary at 
 Northfield, N.H. Subsequently he entered 
 the Wesleyan University at Middletown, 
 Conn., from which institution he was gradu- 
 ated with honor in 1859. .The year follow- 
 ing he taught in the academy at Poultney, 
 
 Vt., and then became principal of Macedon 
 Academy in Wayne County, New York. He 
 resigned the latter position after two years of 
 successful administration to accept the pro- 
 fessorship of natural science in the Wesleyan 
 Academy at Wilbraham, Mass. He matricu- 
 lated in the medical department of Harvard 
 University in 1864, and received the degree 
 of Doctor of Medicine in 1866, and immedi- 
 ately after located in Westboro. In 1872, 
 with a view to further advancing his profes- 
 sional knowledge, he visited Europe, and 
 studied for nearly a year in the universities at 
 Leipzig and Vienna. He is widely and fav- 
 orably known as a general practitioner and a 
 skilful surgeon, and is frequently called for 
 consultation in critical cases by his profes- 
 sional brethren" in the surrounding towns. He 
 has been a councillor of the Massachusetts 
 Medical Society for twenty-five years, also its 
 anniversary chairman; and in June, 1898, he 
 was elected president of the society. Of the 
 Worcester branch of the society he has served 
 as president, censor, and orator. 
 
 In local affairs Dr. Harvey has been most 
 active and influential, especially in educa- 
 tional matters. From 1868 to 1890 he was 
 constantly a member of the School Board, and 
 during several years he was school superin- 
 tendent. Under his guidance the schools 
 were brought to their present high standard of 
 efficiency. The high school was remodelled, 
 and a curriculum was established that enabled 
 the pupils to complete a preparation for col- 
 lege or to enter upon the work of teaching. 
 For many years he has been chairman of the 
 board of trustees of the public library, a trus- 
 tee of the Westboro Savings Bank, and a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Health. Being a thorough 
 parliamentarian, he has been the unanimous 
 choice of the town as the presiding officer at 
 all its meetings for a decade of years. 
 
 During his busy professional life Dr. Har- 
 vey has found time and opportunity to interest 
 himself in State affairs. Governor Washburn 
 in 1873 appointed him trustee of the State 
 Reform School at Westboro, and three years 
 later he was reappointed by Governor Gaston. 
 He represented his district in the House in 
 1884 and 1885 and in the Senate in 1894 and 
 
EDWIN B. HARVEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 2S 
 
 1895, and is credited with being largely in- 
 strumental in securing the passage of several 
 important acts of legislation. He was the 
 author and promoter of the Free Text-book 
 Bill, so called, which was enacted in the face 
 of persistent and combined opposition from 
 school book agents and influential publishing 
 houses throughout the country. The able ad- 
 vocacy and successful management which se- 
 cured this act of legislation, so important to 
 the educational interests of the Common- 
 wealth, won for him the reputation of a leading 
 and most influential member of the House in 
 1884. After a most exciting and closely con- 
 tested campaign he was elected to the Senate 
 of 1894, and re-elected the following year by 
 a very flattering vote. In both years he was 
 chairman of the Committee on Public Chari- 
 table Institutions and a member of the Com- 
 mittees on Street Railways and Public 
 Health. But the legislative work by which 
 he is best known and most gratefully remem- 
 bered, and in which he naturally feels a par- 
 donable pride, was the enactment in 1894 of 
 the law regulating the practice of medicine 
 and surgery. Here, too, he was opposed most 
 bitterly by the united and thoroughly organ- 
 ized efforts of all classes of uneducated and 
 irregular practitioners and quasi-medical 
 schools. But against such powerful odds he 
 won, and it is said "won nobly." The law thus 
 created ensures a more thorough preparation 
 in the medical school for professional work, a 
 higher standard in the profession itself, and 
 better medical and surgical service for the 
 public in general. In the closing hour of the 
 senatorial session of 1895, at the request of 
 Governor Greenhalge, Dr. Harvey resigned 
 his senatorship to accept the position of exec- 
 utive officer on the Board of Registration in 
 Medicine, which was established by the regis- 
 tration act. In this office his services are 
 regarded by his colleagues on the board as in- 
 valuable, and he is likely to hold it at will. 
 
 Dr. Harvey is a Master Mason and a mem- 
 ber of the Westboro Evangelical Church. In 
 i860 he was united in marriage to Abby Kim- 
 ball Tenney, daughter of Deacon Eldad and 
 Sarah E. (Fellows) Tenney, of Concord, 
 N.H. They have no children. 
 
 OHN W. RAND, superintendent of the 
 Fitchburg fire alarm telegraph system, 
 was born in Rindge, N. H., October 9, 
 1835, son of Jasper and Sarah A. 
 (Pierce) Rand. His paternal grandfather was 
 Ensign Ezekiel Rand, a brother of Colonel 
 Daniel Rand. Ezekiel was born in Shrews- 
 bury, Mass., March 24, 1747, and when a 
 young man he settled in Rindge, N.H. He 
 served at the battle of Bunker Hill as an 
 officer of a company recruited in Rindge, with 
 which he remained during the siege of Bos- 
 ton; and he was an officer in Colonel Enoch 
 Hale's regiment in 1778. He possessed con- 
 siderable natural ability and force of charac- 
 ter, and was one of the most prominent men 
 of Rindge in his day. He died March 17, 
 1826, and his widow died September 23, 
 1833. They had four children — Ezekiel, 
 Jr.; Asaph; Absalom; and Jasper, the father 
 of John W. Rand. 
 
 Jasper Rand was born in Rindge, August 
 II, 1791. He always resided at the home- 
 stead, where he carried on general farming 
 during his active years, and died November 
 14, 1837. He was married April 10, 1833, 
 to Sarah A. Pierce, a daughter of Abraham 
 Pierce, of Rindge. She became the mother 
 of two children: Caroline A.; and John W., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 John W. Rand acquired a common-school 
 education, and while still young he began 
 work in a livery stable in Winchendon, Mass. 
 After remaining in the employ of one concern 
 fourteen years, he engaged in the same busi- 
 ness in company with Eliphalet S. Woods, 
 with whom he continued for over two years. 
 Selling out, he came to Fitchburg, where he 
 entered the employ of Shattuck & Lawrence, 
 proprietors of the Rollstone Stable. Some 
 time previous to the incorporation of Fitch- 
 burg as a city he became associated with the 
 highway department as a teamster and an at- 
 tach6 of the town stables. On February 22, 
 1875, he was appointed superintendent of the 
 fire alarm telegraph system, and he has since 
 been identified with the fire department. In 
 connection with his other duties he acted as 
 driver of Engine No. 2 for the year 1875. 
 
 On February 21, 1861, Mr. Rand married 
 
26 
 
 BIOGRAPHICWL REVIEW 
 
 Nellie L. Woods, daughter of Merrick and 
 Philetta Woods, of Londonderry, Vt. She 
 died December 14, 1896, aged fifty-six years. 
 Mr. Rand is a member of Artisan Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., of Winchendon, Mass.; and of 
 the Firemen's Relief Association. He at- 
 tends the Baptist church at Fitchburg. 
 
 EORGE MANDELL, a successful 
 dairy farmer of Hardwick, is a na- 
 tive of this town. He was born 
 June 8, 1858. A son of Charles and Martha 
 (Stone) Mandell, he is a representative of the 
 fifth generation of his family in Worcester 
 County, and, as we learn from the History of 
 Hardwick, is eighth in line of descent from 
 John Mandell (or Mendall), Sr., who died in 
 Marshfield, Mass., before February, 1720. 
 
 In 1749 Captain Paul Mandell, son of 
 Moses and great-grandson of John Mandell, 
 Sr., settled on the farm in Hardwick which 
 has since been known as the Mandell home- 
 stead, and which remained in the family until 
 the fall of 1895. Moses, second, born De- 
 cember 16, 1 75 1, son of Paul, spent his life 
 on the homestead. He was Aide-de-camp to 
 Major-general Warner prior to December, 
 1782, and was ever after known as Major 
 Mandell. He also took a prominent part in 
 town affairs, serving six years as Selectman 
 between 1785 and 18 17 and as Assessor seven 
 years between 1801 and 1819. He died June 
 18, 1826, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. 
 On May 28, 1777, he married Mary Wheeler. 
 
 Martin Mandell, son of Major Moses and 
 Mary (Wheeler) Mandell, was born here, July 
 20, 1785, and died on September 12, 1855, a 
 little past seventy years of age. He was suc- 
 cessfully engaged in the cultivation of the 
 homestead farm, and was at one time a Cap- 
 tain in the State militia. He served his town 
 as Selectman. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Phila Marsh, died February 14, 1879. 
 
 Charles Mandell was born at the old home- 
 stead, January 7, 18 16. About 1840 or 1845 
 he moved to the farm that his son now owns, 
 and here spent the active years of his life as 
 an agriculturist. He made many of the im- 
 provements, and was a very practical farmer. 
 
 In politics he was a Republican and in relig- 
 ious views a Universalist. He died May 13, 
 1894, and his wife died February 17, 1895. 
 Mrs. Mandell was the daughter of Dr. Joseph 
 Stone, of Hardwick, a native of Shrewsbury. 
 Dr. Stone came here in the spring of 18 14, 
 and for thirty-five years ministered relief 
 to suffering humanity. His fellow-citizens 
 manifested their confidence in him by elect- 
 ing him to various offices of trust and honor. 
 He was Deacon of the Union church. Select- 
 man seven years. Town Clerk twenty years 
 (from 1829 to 1848 inclusive), member of the 
 School Committee eight years, delegate to the 
 Constitutional Convention in 1820, Repre- 
 sentative in 1823, and Senator in 1845 and 
 1846. He died greatly lamented, June 27, 
 1849, aged fifty-nine years. Four children, 
 sons, were born to Charles and Martha (Stone) 
 Mandell. Calvin died at eight years of age; 
 Joseph S. Mandell is a fruit-grower in Fresno, 
 Cal., where he has a grape and raisin vine- 
 yard; and Charles M. Mandell has a trucking 
 business in Boston. 
 
 George Mandell, the youngest son, received 
 his education in the Hardwick schools and at 
 Dean Academy, Franklin, Mass., which he 
 attended a number of terms. He subse- 
 quently spent two years in Boston in the em- 
 ploy of his brother and a short time in 
 Springfield, Mass. Returning to Hardwick, 
 he took charge of the old Mandell homestead, 
 which his father then owned; and later, at the 
 death of his father, he came to this farm, on 
 which his father died, and of which he is now 
 the owner. It contains about one hundred 
 and fifteen acres of good pasture and tillage 
 land. Besides engaging in general farming 
 he keeps a dairy of about forty cows, the milk 
 from which he ships to the Boston market. 
 He has about twenty-five cans per day on an 
 average. 
 
 On September 28, 1882, Mr. Mandell was 
 united in marriage with Anna Howard, who 
 was born in Hardwick, February 28, 1862, 
 daughter of George Carey and Jane (Lawton) 
 Howard. Her father was born in Hardwick, 
 October 3, 1823, and died on December 22, 
 1889. Her mother, who is a native of New 
 Braintree, Mass., born November 14, 1832, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 27 
 
 resides in Hardwick. Mr. and Mrs.- Mandell 
 have two sons, namely : Charles Howard, born 
 March 20, 1884; and Robert Carey, born Feb- 
 ruary 21, 1888. 
 
 In political affiliation Mr. Mandell is a Re- 
 publican. He is the present Town Auditor, 
 in which capacity he has served two years. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Ware Lodge 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
 of Hardwick Grange. 
 
 M 
 
 ANIEL G. HARWOOD, secretary 
 and treasurer of the Barre Cheese 
 Company, of Barre, Mass., was born 
 in this town, February 22, 1826, 
 
 Captain Wilcutt and Sally (Sibley) 
 The family is of English origin, 
 
 son of 
 Harwood. 
 
 and its ancestors were among the early colo- 
 nists of Massachusetts. 
 
 Captain Harwood's father, Daniel Harwood, 
 who was born in 1736, came from Sutton to 
 Barre about the year 1800, and settled upon a 
 part of the Caldwell purchase in the eastern 
 part of the township, where he resided for the 
 rest of his life. He was rugged physically, 
 and, being unusually industrious, acquired 
 prosperity as a farmer. He died February 
 28, 1823, In his religious belief he was a 
 Baptist. On March 28, 1758, he married 
 Lydia Gould. She was born in Sutton, Au- 
 gust 27, 1742, and she died in 18 14. Daniel 
 and Lydia (Gould) Harwood were the parents 
 of ten children, namely: Daniel, born April 
 7, 1759; Mary, born March 21, 1761; Peter, 
 born February 23, 1763; Jesse, born Febru- 
 ary 14, 1765; Simeon, born March 2, 1769; 
 Lydia, born September i, 1773; Abner, born 
 January 8, 1776; Huldah, born January 22, 
 1778; Caleb, born May 13, 1780; Wilcutt, 
 born February 13, 1783. 
 
 Wilcutt Harwood, father of Daniel G., 
 came to Barre with his parents. He assisted 
 them in carrying on the home farm, and cared 
 for them during their last days. Succeeding 
 to the ownership of the property after his 
 father's death, he continued to till the soil 
 for the rest of his active years. He was quite 
 prominent in town affairs, serving as a Se- 
 lectman and Overseer of the Poor. In poli- 
 
 tics he was a Democrat. Sally Sibley Har- 
 wood, his wife, was born in Sutton, January 
 
 18, 1790. Her parents, Samuel and Sarah 
 (Leland) Sibley, natives of Sutton, were mar- 
 ried there, December 10, 1778, settling upon 
 a farm in Barre. They resided here for the 
 rest of their lives. Her father was born 
 April 26, 1756, and died in Barre, June 30, 
 1840. Her mother was born March 23, 1755, 
 and died April 11, 1842. Captain and Mrs. 
 Wilcutt Harwood became the parents of seven 
 children, namely: Hiram S., born December 
 
 1 9, 1806; George, born October 24, 1809; 
 Charlotte, born November 5, 18 14; Samuel, 
 born December 5, 1816; Wilcutt, Jr., born 
 January 29, 1819; Caleb, born February 25, 
 1823; and Daniel G. Harwood. The living 
 are: George; Wilcutt, Jr.; and Daniel G., 
 the subject of this sketch — all of whom re- 
 side in Barre. Charlotte was the wife of J. 
 Addison Merriam. Captain Wilcutt Har- 
 wood died January 15, 1866, having survived 
 his wife, who died September 27, 1859. 
 They were regular attendants and liberal sup- 
 porters of the Universalist church. 
 
 Wilcutt Harwood, the younger, completed 
 his education at the Barre High School, and 
 was employed as a farm assistant from the 
 time of his m.ajority until he was twenty-five 
 years old. After his marriage he carried on 
 the home farm for eleven years, and in 1855 
 he purchased a farm with the money saved 
 from his earnings while working out. He 
 now owns one hundred and fifty acres of ex- 
 cellent land well adapted to general farming 
 and dairying. As an agriculturist he has 
 been successful. He is a stockholder in the 
 First National Bank, was until recently 
 president of the Barre Central Cheese Com- 
 pany, and has for many years been a trus- 
 tee of the Worcester County West Agricul- 
 tural Society. He has served as a Selectman 
 four years. Overseer of the Poor two years, 
 and has held other town offices. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican. On March 28, 
 1844, he married Abigail R. Garfield, 
 born in Royalston, Mass., July 16, 1820, 
 daughter of Moses and Mary (Bliss) Garfield. 
 Her father was born in Warwick, Mass., De- 
 cember 7, 1777, and her mother was a native 
 
28 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Royalston. Moses Garfield was a prosper- 
 ous farmer of Royalston, where he died May 
 7, 1859, his wife having died August 3,. 1836, 
 aged fifty-six years. They were the parents 
 of twelve children, eight of whom grew to ma- 
 turity, and two are living: Abigail R., now 
 Mrs. Harvvood; and Moses Garfield, Jr., of 
 Royalston. Wilcutt and Abigail R. Harwood 
 have two children: Julia M. , born July 28, 
 1850, now the wife of David D. Hilton, of 
 Barre; and Emeline, born May 26, 1854, who 
 married Andrew P. Garfield, of Millbury, 
 Mass. Mr. Wilcutt Harwood has been con- 
 nected with the Patrons of Husbandry for the 
 past twenty years. He and his wife attend 
 the Unitarian church. 
 
 Daniel G. Harwood in his childhood and 
 youth attended the district and high schools 
 of Barre, and completed his studies with a 
 one year's course at the New Salem Academy. 
 He lived at the parental home until twenty- 
 two years old, when he began to work out as a 
 farm laborer, receiving thirteen dollars per 
 month. The first year he was able to save 
 one hundred and one dollars. Placing that 
 amount at interest and adding to it from time 
 to time, he continued to be thus employed 
 until January, 1859. He then bought his 
 present farm, and he began his married life 
 here March 31 of the same year. His prop- 
 erty, which is desirably located and consists 
 of about one hundred acres, is well improved, 
 and contains what is said to be the second 
 frame house built in the town. He conducted 
 a profitable dairy business until 1895. Since 
 that year he has merely attended to the crops, 
 and has devoted much of his time to outside 
 affairs. He is a stockholder in the Barre Na- 
 tional Bank, has been a trustee of the Worces- 
 ter County West Agricultural Society for 
 twenty-five years, was secretary and treasurer 
 of the Barre Cheese Company from 1880 to 
 1897, and is still serving in the last-named 
 capacity. 
 
 On March 31, 1859, Mr. Harwood was 
 united in marriage with Louisa Austin. She 
 was born in Hubbardston, Mass., October 20, 
 1837, daughter of Charles and Miranda (Peck) 
 Austin. Her father was a son of Alexander 
 Hunting, who married Triphena Eager in 
 
 1794, and died September 30, 1823, survived 
 by his wife, who died December 23, 1839. 
 Charles Austin was born in Hubbardston, 
 August 16, 1809. Relinquishing the name 
 of Hunting, he was known as Charles Austin, 
 taking what had been his middle name for his 
 surname. He followed the trades of wheel- 
 wright and carpenter, also owning a farm in 
 Hubbardston, where the greater part of his 
 active period was spent, the last eleven years 
 of his life being passed with his daughter in 
 Barre. He died January 31, 1896. He mar- 
 ried for his first wife Miranda Peck, who was 
 born in Hubbardston, December 10, 18 10, 
 and died September 29, 1852. For his sec- 
 ond wife he married his first wife's sister, 
 Sophina Peck. She was born May 28, 1804, 
 and she died March 28, 1887. He was the 
 father of five children by his first union, 
 namely: Triphena, born October 8, 1835, 
 died July 3, 1863; Louisa, now Mrs. Har- 
 wood; Almena, born March 17, 1840, now 
 the wife of S. E. W. Peck, of Hardwick, 
 Mass.; Elvira, born March 4, 1844, now the 
 widow of Oscar C. Rice, late of Barre; and 
 Harriet S., born February 20, 1847, "ow the 
 wife of Henry W. Harwood, of this town. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel G. Harwood have had 
 one son, Austin. He was born January 22, 
 1864, and died August 12 of the same year. 
 
 Mr. Harwood is actively interested in local 
 public affairs. He has served as a Selectman 
 and Overseer of the Poor, and was a member of 
 the Board of Assessors eleven years. In pol- 
 itics he acts with the Democratic party at na- 
 tional elections. He has long been identified 
 with the progress of the town, and is a mem- 
 ber of the local grange. Patrons of Husbandry. 
 
 OEL E. PROUTY, one of the founders 
 of Prouty Wire Village, in the town of 
 Spencer, son of Liberty and Emily 
 (Bisco) Prouty, was born in Spencer, 
 July 25, 1830. His grandfather, Eli Prouty, 
 who was a soldier in the Revolution, was one 
 of the early settlers of Spencer. Liberty 
 Prouty, who was a native of this town, lived 
 here throughout his life, acquiring consider- 
 able local celebrity as a musician. He started 
 
'' "^Xai 
 
 SAMUEL MAY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 31 
 
 a wire manufactory here, and, after success- 
 fully conducting it for a number of years, he 
 died in the fifties. His wife, Emily, was a 
 native of Spencer. Of their children, Jonas 
 R., Joel E., Mary E., and Henry W. are 
 living. 
 
 Joel E. Prouty obtained his education in 
 the common schools of Spencer, supplemented 
 by one term at Leicester Academy. In his 
 sixteenth year he left the school-room for his 
 father's wire-mill, where he worked as an em- 
 ployee until he was twenty-one years of age. 
 Then he became a partner in the business, 
 under the firm name of L. & J. E. Prouty. 
 Several years after, his brother, Jonas R. 
 Prouty, was received into the firm. Subse- 
 quently the father disposed of his interest, 
 and the firm became J. R. & J. E. Prouty. 
 A successful business was carried on until 
 1876, when the plant was sold to the Spencer 
 Wire Company. Since that time Joel E. 
 Prouty has been engaged in farming and the 
 raising of graded cattle. 
 
 On September 10, 1857, Mr. Prouty was 
 married to Minerva J. Wilson, who was born 
 in Spencer, October 24, 1837. She is a 
 daughter of Horace and Martha (Draper) Wil- 
 son. Her father, who was a soldier in the 
 Civil War, died in the service of typhoid 
 fever. Mr. and Mrs, Prouty have lost one 
 son, Joel L. Their living- children are: 
 Eddie W., Albert B., and Ida E. Ida is the 
 wife of Frederick D. Woods, of Arlington, 
 Mass. In politics Mr. Prouty is a Republi- 
 can.-- He commands the respect and confi- 
 dence of all with whom he associates, and is 
 always glad to help any worthy cause. 
 
 kEV. SAMUEL MAY, of Leicester, 
 veteran philanthropist and reformer. 
 Us V erstwhile friend and coworker with 
 Garrison, Phillips, and Whittier, is 
 now, in his eighty-ninth year, one of the few 
 survivors of the "Old Guard" of freedom. 
 A life of broadest sympathy and of untiring 
 devotion to the higher interests of humankind 
 has well won the generous meed of grati- 
 tude and veneration that flowers his pathway 
 to the sunset land. 
 
 Mr. May was born in Boston, Mass., April 
 II, 1810, being the eldest child of Samuel 
 and Mary (Goddard) May and the third of his 
 name in direct line. His father, the second 
 Samuel, was the youngest son of Samuel, 
 first, and Abigail (Williams) May, and was 
 of the sixth generation in descent from John 
 May, who came from Sussex, England, with 
 two sons, John and Samuel, in 1640, and set- 
 tled in Roxbury, Mass. Samuel May, sec- 
 ond, lived to the age of ninety-three years and 
 three months, dying in 1870. He was for 
 many years in iDusiness as a hardware mer- 
 chant in Boston, and was interested in various 
 manufactures elsewhere. He served as an 
 Overseer of the Poor and as an officer of the 
 Provident Institution for Savings, and he was 
 one of the original proprietors of the Boston 
 Athenaeum. His wife was a daughter of Jo- 
 seph and Mary (Aspinwall) Goddard, of 
 Brookline, and a descendant of William God- 
 dard, who came from London in 1660, and 
 settled at Watertown, Mass., where for some 
 time he was employed as a school teacher, the 
 branches taught by him including Latin. 
 Seven children were born to Samuel and Mary 
 May. Six grew to maturity, and four are 
 now living, namely: Samuel, of Leicester; 
 John Joseph, of Dorchester; Frederick W. G., 
 of Dorchester; and Mary G. , wife of W. L. P. 
 Boardman, of Milton. Edward Augustus, of 
 especial promise, died at the age of twenty- 
 one. 
 
 'Abby W. May, the youngest of the family, 
 who was born in 1829, and died in Boston, 
 November 30, 1888, was a woman of noble 
 character and exceptional abilities, for many 
 years prominent in philanthropic, educational, 
 and religious work. During the war of 
 1861-65 she was secretary of the Massachu- 
 setts branch of the United States Sanitary 
 Commission. Later she was one of the 
 founders of the New England Women's Club, 
 which she long served as its secretary, and 
 for many years was a member of the State 
 Board- of Education, to which she was first ap- 
 pointed by Governor Talbot. 
 
 The mother, Mrs. Mary May, like her hus- 
 band was blessed with unusual length of days 
 below, being at the age of ninety-four years 
 
32 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and three months, when, March 17, 1882, she 
 fell into the gentle sleep that knows no wak- 
 ing to scenes of earth. Of this excellent 
 woman wrote one who knew her well : " Un- 
 compromising rectitude was the conspicuous 
 trait in her character, the animating principle 
 of her life the welfare of her fellow-men. . . . 
 She was an avowed and working abolitionist 
 in the days when the word was a reproach and 
 scoffing. She zealously maintained the prin- 
 ciple of religious freedom, and with her hus- 
 band joined to vindicate it in the persons of 
 both John Pierpont and Theodore Parker. 
 She was a consistent advocate of total absti- 
 nence and a hearty believer in the principle of 
 peace. She earnestly promoted the movement 
 for equal legal and political rights for women. 
 . . . Her domestic were as strong as her phil- 
 anthropic instincts, and preserved the balance 
 of her character. . . . She was sincerely relig- 
 ious, though without formality, and to the last 
 retained her interest in all good works." 
 
 Having been fitted for college at the school 
 of Deacon Sanruel Greele and at the Boston 
 Latin School, Samuel May entered Harvard 
 in 1825, aged fifteen, and received his aca- 
 demic degree in 1829. He was elected class 
 secretary, and still holds the office. The roll 
 of his class includes a long list of distin- 
 guished names, among them, to mention but 
 a few, Oliver Wendell Holmes, who favored 
 the annual class meeting for forty years save 
 one {1851-89 inclusive) with a class poem, 
 such as he knew so well to write; Judge Beh- 
 jamin R. Curtis, of the United States Su- 
 preme Court; the Rev. S. F. Smith, author 
 of "America"; the Rev. William H. Chan- 
 ning; Professor Benjamin Pierce, mathema- 
 tician; Chief Justice George T. Bigelow; and 
 James Freeman Clarke, D.D. The class 
 numbered fifty-nine. There are now living, 
 besides Mr. May, Charles S. Storrow, of Bos- 
 ton, and Edward L. Cunningham, of Newport, 
 R. I., while "all the rest are sleeping." 
 
 The year after leaving college Mr. May 
 spent at Brooklyn, Conn., studying for the 
 ministry with his cousin, the Rev. Samuel J. 
 May, who, soon to become one of the first 
 adherents of Mr. Garrison, and a lifelong 
 abolitionist, at a later period was settled in 
 
 Syracuse, N.Y., where for over twenty-five 
 years he was very active in all educational 
 and philanthropic work, as well as in the 
 anti- slavery movement. Continuing his 
 "studies at the Harvard Divinity School, 
 1830-33, Mr. May was graduated at the end 
 of his course, and in August, 1834, was or- 
 dained as a Unitarian, and settled as minister 
 of the Second Congregational Church at 
 Leicester, where he had taken up his resi- 
 dence in the March previous, and where he 
 has since continuously made his home, one of 
 the best known, most revered, and influential 
 citizens of the town. 
 
 From a biographical sketch written by the 
 Rev. Nathaniel Seaver and published in the 
 Worcester Evening Ga::ette on the Saturday 
 preceding the celebration of his eighty- 
 seventh birthday, we condense the following 
 account of his activities during the busy years 
 following his settlement, which was of twelve 
 years' duration. In 1833 he had begun to 
 feel the nation's responsibility for slavery; 
 and he early identified himself with the small 
 and despised body known as abolitionists — 
 men and women from every sect and party, 
 and of pronounced views in religion, politics, 
 and social philosophy, many of them thought- 
 ful and devoted moral heroes who "recog- 
 nized in slavery the one great curse, disgrace 
 of, and menace to, American institutions, and 
 spared no labor or sacrifice in denouncing and 
 opposing the iniquitous legislation and party 
 bargains which tended to reinforce and extend 
 the evil." Party feeling was intensely bitter, 
 and there was prevalent a very general opinion 
 that a minister should have no decided politi- 
 cal views, or, if he had, should refrain from 
 their expression. On questions of justice 
 and human rights it may safely be assumed 
 Mr. May did not refrain from opening his 
 lips. 
 
 Being in England in 1843, he was instru- 
 mental in calling the attention, especially of 
 British Unitarians, to the American anti- 
 slavery movement, and in enlisting the strong 
 and valuable co-operation of Dr. John B. 
 Est] in and the Rev. George Armstrong. 
 
 Resigning his pastoral charge in 1846, 
 being led to this step by the inevitable logic 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 33 
 
 of events, he thenceforward devoted himself 
 to the great anti-slavery movement, as repre- 
 sented by the American Anti-slavery Society. 
 He became general agent of the Massachu- 
 setts Anti-slavery Society in 1847; and, with 
 the exception of about six months, when his 
 health debarred him from working in the 
 cause, he held the position, doing yeoman's 
 service as a platform speaker and organizer, 
 till 1865, when the mission was accomplished. 
 He was president of the Worcester County 
 South Division Anti-slavery Society several 
 years. After the close of the war he, with 
 other kindred spirits, embarked in the activi- 
 ties of the Freedman's Aid Society, whose 
 beneficent work, enlarged and increasingly 
 honored, continues in the Hampton School, 
 Virginia, the Tuskegee School, Alabama, the 
 Atlanta University, Georgia, and others. 
 
 Being fifty-one years old at the outbreak of 
 the Rebellion and exempt by age and profes- 
 sion from taking arms, with renewed zeal he 
 wielded his pen and raised his voice on be- 
 half of liberty and justice. His sons enlisted 
 in the national service. 
 
 Mr. May's interest in the church at Leices- 
 ter, his former charge, and in the town affairs 
 has never abated. For twenty-one years he 
 served as a member of the School Board, and 
 he is still a trustee of the Leicester Academy. 
 For thirty-four years he was a trustee and the 
 purchasing agent of the Leicester Public Li- 
 brary, whose growth and usefulness he has 
 always had very much at heart. In 1875 he 
 was a member of the House of Representa- 
 tives in the State legislature, and served as 
 chairman of the Committee on Federal Rela- 
 tions, also as a member of the Committee on 
 the Labor Question and of the Committee on 
 Woman's Suffrage, he being a stanch friend 
 of this movement as well as of the temper- 
 ance reform. In politics he is a Republican, 
 but with independent proclivities and advo- 
 cating prohibition. He is a life member of 
 the American Unitarian Association, a mem- 
 ber of the Bostonian Society, and of the 
 Worcester Society of Antiquity. In June, 
 1898, he became the senior alumnus of the 
 Harvard Divinity School. 
 
 Mr. May was married November 11, 1835, 
 
 by the Rev. Charles Lowell, D.D., to Miss 
 Sarah Russell, daughter of Nathaniel P. Rus- 
 sell, sometime treasurer of the Bunker Hill 
 Monument Association and of the Massachu- 
 setts General Hospital. Mrs. May was born 
 January 5, 1813. She died June 13, 1895, 
 after nearly sixty years of wedded life, leav- 
 ing four children: Adeline; Edward, a staff 
 officer in the United States navy; Joseph 
 Russell, of Boston; and Elizabeth Goddard. 
 
 The commodious and comely old mansion 
 in which Mr. May has had his home for sixty 
 years and more is delightfully situated on 
 Leicester Hill, and commands a broad and 
 picturesque view. The whole appearance of 
 the house betokens welcome and hospitality; 
 and here friends and neighbors, near and re- 
 mote, are received with charming old-time 
 grace and courtesy. Many notable visitors 
 have been here entertained, as the life of Mr. 
 May has been singularly rich in friendships 
 with men and women of worth. It was a 
 happy thought of some of the number to make 
 memorable his eighty-fifth birthday by col- 
 lecting and binding together in book form let- 
 ters from such of the anti-slavery and other 
 philanthropic workers as were then living, 
 making a unique and choice volume, contain- 
 ing contributions from Dr. William H. Fur- 
 ness, Dr. C. A. Bartol, Governor John D. 
 Long, Robert Purvis, the Garrison brothers, 
 Susan B. Anthony, Mary A. Livermore, Mary 
 Grew, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mrs. Jose- 
 phine Butler, Dr. James Martineau, Senator 
 George F. Hoar, Dr. S. F. Smith, Peter Ran- 
 dolph (once a slave), Parker Pillsbury, and 
 others. The four-volume biography of Will- 
 iam Lloyd Garrison by his sons, W. P. and 
 F. J. Garrison, is dedicated to Mr. May. 
 
 Mr. May has now passed his eighty-eighth 
 year. His mind is still vigorous, and he 
 takes a keen interest in current events and the 
 prominent issues of the day. His eighty- 
 seventh birthday was especially noticed by 
 the religious society and Sunday-school with 
 which he has been connected for more than 
 sixty years. The sentiment on that occasion 
 voiced by the children to whom he had been 
 giving a series of lessons on the Beatitudes, 
 and \vhp brought hira a gift of Easter lilies, 
 
34 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 may fitly close this brief biography, "Blessed 
 is the man whose life is in accord with the 
 Sermon on the Mount, for him shall all men 
 delight to honor." 
 
 'ERENO AUSTIN CHILDS, for 
 many years a prosperous farmer and 
 real estate dealer of Fitchburg, 
 Worcester County, JMass. , was born 
 in Henniker, Hillsboro County, N.H., Sep- 
 tember 17, 1820, son of Deacon Josiah and 
 Abigail (Ward) Childs. His parents were 
 sturdy and industrious farming people. 
 Deeply interested in religious work, they 
 taught their children to venerate the church 
 and assist in extending its influence. Josiah 
 Childs served as Deacon of the Congrega- 
 tional church at Henniker for fifty years, and 
 was one of the first men in the town to advo- 
 cate the temperance cause. He died at the 
 age of over seventy years, and his wife lived 
 to be eighty-eight. They were the parents of 
 eleven children, three of whom are living. 
 Two of their sons, who were educated for the 
 ministry, died previous to ordination. 
 
 Sereno Austin Childs completed his educa- 
 tion in an academy in his native town. About 
 the year 1848 he came to Fitchburg; and, pur- 
 chasing a farm in the north part of the town, 
 he tilled the soil with unusual energy and 
 success for some eight or nine years. He 
 then turned his attention to the real estate 
 and insurance business, and, establishing an 
 office on Main Street, was identified with the 
 development and sale of city property for the 
 rest of his life. His early Christian training 
 was evident in his every-day life, and charac- 
 terized his business transactions, the sincerity 
 and reliability of which were beyond question. 
 He was a trustee for a number of years of the 
 Fitchburg Savings Bank. He was an active 
 member of the Rollstone Congregational 
 Church and one of the first presidents of the 
 Young Men's Christian Association in this 
 city. Politically, he was a Republican. 
 
 In 1849 Mr. Childs married Mary H. Lowe, 
 daughter of Stephen and Susan (Kinsman) 
 Lowe, both natives of Fitchburg. Mrs. Lowe 
 was a daughter of Jeremiah Kinsman. She 
 
 died at the age of forty-nine. Stephen Lowe 
 was a shoemaker, and followed his trade in 
 connection with farming until his death, 
 which occurred when he was forty-seven years 
 old. He was a zealous church member, and 
 took a deep interest in the moral and religious 
 welfare of the community. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Stephen Lowe had a family of ten children, 
 four of whom are living, three in this city 
 and one in California, Mrs. Childs being the 
 eldest daughter. 
 
 Sereno Austin Childs died in 1892, leaving 
 a widow and an adopted son, Frederick A., 
 who has removed to Leominster, and is there 
 engaged in the carriage business. 
 
 HARLES F. RICE, a prosperous 
 business man of Brookfield, is well 
 known as a successful grain dealer 
 and lumber manufacturer. Born in 
 Brookfield, Mass., September 16, 183 1, he 
 is a son of Columbus Rice and a grandson of 
 William Rice. The latter was one of the 
 early settlers of this town, who for several 
 years prior to his death, at the advanced age 
 of ninety-seven years, drew a pension from 
 the government for his services in the Revolu- 
 tionary War. Columbus Rice spent his en- 
 tire life in Brookfield. One of its active and 
 prominent men, he served for a number of 
 years as Selectman. He was a farmer by oc- 
 cupation, and engaged in the various branches 
 of agriculture until his death, which occurred 
 in October, 1870. By his marriage with 
 Experience Turner, who was born in Salem, 
 Mass., he became the father of several chil- 
 dren. Of these, four survive, namely: Cas- 
 sandana, the wife of William Pike, of this 
 town; William E., a resident of East Brook- 
 field; Charles F., the subject of this biog- 
 raphy; and Benjamin F., also of Brookfield. 
 
 Charles F. Rice grew to maturity on the 
 home farm. Having obtained his elementary 
 education in School No. 4, he was afterward 
 a pupil in a select subscription school for a 
 while. Subsequently he taught school in the 
 winters for several years, spending the rest of 
 each year at the carpenter's trade. In 1855 
 he established himself as a miller, having a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 35 
 
 saw-mill and a grist-mill on Mason's Brook, 
 his present location. In grain grinding, log 
 sawing, and the manufacturing of lumber he 
 has built up a profitable business, one of the 
 largest of the kind in this vicinity. 
 
 While a Republican in politics and true to 
 the interests of his party, Mr. Rice has never 
 been an aspirant to official honors. He is an 
 active member of the Unitarian Congrega- 
 tional church, in which he served several 
 years as Deacon. He was married February 
 24, 1857, to Miss Maria Walsh, a daughter of 
 Michael and Ciliscia Walsh, of Warren, 
 .Mass. His children are: Charles A. and 
 Annie G. Annie is now the wife of Claude 
 H. Laflin, of Brookfield. 
 
 'NSON B. POLAND, who for the past 
 thirty years has served efficiently as 
 Road Commissioner of North 
 Brookfield, Mass., and is now a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen, was born 
 in this town, September 20, 1835, ^ ^^^ of 
 Deacon Barnet and Sarah (Foster) Poland. 
 His paternal grandfather, Joseph Poland, was 
 the first of the Poland family to locate in this 
 section of Worcester County. 
 
 Deacon Barnet Poland, a lifelong resident 
 of North Brookfield, was the owner of a com- 
 fortable homestead farm, which he managed 
 successfully in connection with his trade of a 
 carpenter and contractor. He was a decided 
 Republican in politics and an active member 
 of the First Congregational Church, in which 
 he was a Deacon many years. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Sarah Foster, was a 
 native of Vermont, and was there bred and 
 educated. Of their children five are now 
 living, as follows: Rachel, wife of Luther 
 Woodis, of North Brookfield; Luther F., of 
 Worcester, Mass. ; Anson B., the particular 
 subject of this sketch; Abigail, wife of John 
 Hibbard, of Worcester; and Phebe, who is the 
 widow of the late Albert Knight and resides 
 in Omaha, Neb. 
 
 Anson B. Poland in his boyhood and youth 
 obtained his education in the district schools, 
 and on his father's farm acquired a practical 
 knowledge of the various branches of agricult- 
 
 ure, to which he has devoted his energies 
 since attaining his majority. He has been 
 actively interested in the welfare and prosper- 
 ity of the town, and, in addition to serving as 
 Road Commissioner for three decades, has 
 been Constable for a quarter of a century, and 
 in the spring of 1897 and again in 1898, the 
 present year, was elected Selectman on the 
 Republican ticket, which he uniformly sup- 
 ports. Fraternally, he is a member of the 
 I. O. O. F. and of the North Brookfield 
 Grange, P. of H., of which he was treasurer a 
 number of years. On November 24, 1857, 
 Mr. Poland married Miss Hannah Maria Hill, 
 daughter of Erastus Hill, of this town. They 
 began their married life at the home of Mrs. 
 Poland's father, where they have since resided 
 continuously, the farm having come into their 
 possession at the death of Mr. Hill. Mr. 
 Poland has made various improvements on the 
 place, and in the pursuit of general farming 
 has met with success. The only child born 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Poland, a son, Albert L., 
 died May 10, i860, aged three and one-half 
 months. Mrs. Poland is an active worker in 
 the temperance cause, of which she has always 
 been a warm advocate, and is a member of the 
 North Brookfield W. R. C, the local grange, 
 and the Daughters of Rebekah of this town. 
 
 On the paternal side Mrs. Poland is of Eng- 
 lish origin. The emigrant ancestor, John 
 Hill, who was born in London, England, came 
 to Massachusetts in old Colonial times, and 
 settled in North Brookfield, where he died at 
 the remarkable age of ninety-nine years. The 
 line was continued through his son, Peter 
 Hill,^ Thomas Hill,3 Kittredge Hill,'< to 
 Erastus Hill, father of Mrs. Poland. Erastus 
 Hill was a representative citizen, active and 
 influential, and rendered valuable service to 
 his fellow-townsmen as Selectman and Over- 
 seer of the Poor, offices which he filled many 
 terms. He was a man of honest integrity, 
 respected in the community, and a stanch ad- 
 herent of the Democratic party. He married 
 Hannah Whittier, who was born in Charles- 
 town, Mass., but passed the greater part of 
 her early life in West Amesbury, now Merri- 
 mac, Mass. Her father, Isaac Whittier, died 
 of fever in the War of 181 2. Only two of the 
 
36 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children of Erastus and Hannah W. Hill are 
 now living, namely: Mrs. Poland; and Ada- 
 line, wife of Frank Hamilton, of Spencer, 
 Mass. 
 
 ■AMES PRENDERGAST and his son, 
 WILLIAM J. PRENDERGAST, are 
 widely known as proprietors of the 
 Mount Pleasant House in Holden, 
 which is one of the leading summer hotels in 
 Worcester County and is well patronized 
 throughout the year. 
 
 Mount Pleasant House is beautifully situ- 
 ated in the midst of charming scenery near 
 Jefferson. It has an elevation of about one 
 thousand feet above the sea, and commands a 
 view of the village of Jefferson, Eagle Lake, 
 and a broad expanse of hills and vales. Pub- 
 lic accommodations were first furnished here 
 in the summer of 1889, when ten guests were 
 entertained. From this modest beginning 
 the growth has been rapid and steady. Ex- 
 cellent service is provided, and at any time 
 during the heated season about two hundred 
 guests may be found here. The roads in this 
 vicinity are in good condition, and many 
 beautiful spots are to be seen in driving. 
 
 The present house has been recently built. 
 It is finished in hard pine, and is equipped 
 with every modern convenience for the com- 
 fort of its inmates. It has spacious parlors 
 and hallways, and a dining-room that will seat 
 one hundred and fifty guests. Its sleeping 
 apartments are light and airy, freshly fur- 
 nished, and in every way attractive. The 
 plumbing of the house is perfect, and the 
 commodious bath-rooms are freely supplied 
 with both hot and cold water. Broad ve- 
 randas, three hundred and twenty-five feet in 
 length, extend along the front and side, and 
 furnish a delightful promenade in every kind 
 of weather. Extensive grounds surround the 
 house; and the lawns and avenues are shaded 
 by fine large elms, some of them over a hun- 
 dred years old. Here, under the cool shade, 
 hammocks and swings are hung; while, on the 
 carefully levelled plots adjoining, lawn 
 tennis, croquet, and other games are played. 
 Boating and fishing are to be had in Eagle 
 
 Lake and at Maple Springs Reservoir. The 
 house furnishes boats, also carriages and 
 drivers at reasonable rates. 
 
 A dancing pavilion, seventy-three by thirty 
 feet, bowling alleys, and rooms containing 
 pool and billiard tables, are attached to the 
 main house; and one of the very pleasant 
 weekly events during the summer is the regu- 
 lar Saturday night hop. The vegetables, 
 milk, and cream, daily served in the hotel 
 dining-room, are of the freshest and choicest 
 to be had, and are all obtained from the farm 
 which is run in connection with the hotel. 
 This, the owners justly feel, is one of the 
 strongest attractions of their house for those 
 who desire the choicest of diet. In every re- 
 spect the location is healthful, and even in 
 the hottest weather a cooling breeze is gen- 
 erally prevalent to refresh tired nerves. The 
 hotel is kept open the whole year, and during 
 the winter numerous sleighing parties are en- 
 tertained. For these, hot suppers are pro- 
 vided, cooked and served in first-class fashion. 
 Mount Pleasant House is forty-six miles from 
 Boston, fifty -three from Providence, and only 
 nine miles from Worcester. Sixteen pas- 
 senger trains daily go through Jefferson, con- 
 necting with these cities. The house is sup- 
 plied with a long-distance telephone, No. 
 
 916-5- 
 
 The host, James Prendergast, was born in 
 Kilkenny County, Ireland, on April 3, 1828, 
 his parents being Patrick and Margaret Pren- 
 dergast. He came to America in the spring 
 of 1849, ^"d during the same year found his 
 way to Holden, and began working as assist- 
 ant on a farm. For his first eight months' 
 work in America his wages were thirteen dol- 
 lars a month; He next secured a position in 
 the tannery of Mr. W. G. Warren in Holden, 
 where he worked for seven years. At the 
 end of this time he had saved a small amount 
 of money, and was able to buy a small farm 
 of seven acres, which is in sight of his present 
 home. After farming there for seven years, 
 he bought the estate, comprising about a hun- 
 dred and twenty-five acres, upon which the 
 Mount Pleasant House is now situated. Here 
 he gave his attention to general farming until 
 he started the hotel business. 
 
CHARLES A. DEWEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 39 
 
 He was married in 1852 to Joanna Flem- 
 ming, wiio was born in Ireland in 1831. 
 Three children have been born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Prendergast, namely: Thomas, who died 
 at the age of thirty-two; William J.; and 
 James M. Prendergast. The last named is 
 now the Rev. Father Prendergast, of Mill- 
 bury, this county. He was born in Holden 
 on January 21, 1861, and was educated for the 
 priesthood at Holy Cross College, Worcester. 
 
 William J. Prendergast was born in Holden 
 on June 21, 1857, and received his education 
 in the public schools of the town. His early 
 life was devoted to agriculture; but, since his 
 father started the hotel business, this son has 
 devoted his energy to the work of developing 
 and extending the business. Many of the 
 features that make the Mount Pleasant House 
 so attractive have been due to his suggestion. 
 He has also been active in town affairs, and 
 has served as Selectman three terms, being 
 only twenty-nine years of age when first 
 elected. He has also been Road Commis- 
 sioner for the town, and was Postmaster dur- 
 ing Mr. Cleveland's two administrations. 
 He is a member of Holden Lodge, No. 201, 
 A. O. U. W. ; and of the Knights of Colum- 
 bus at Worcester. In politics he is a Demo- 
 crat. He is unmarried. 
 
 The elder Mr. Prendergast was formerly 
 Superintendent of Roads, holding the office 
 for five years. He is a member of the Cath- 
 olic church at Holden, and has always been 
 one of its most liberal supporters. In poli- 
 tics he is a stanch Democrat. 
 
 'UDGE CHARLES A. DEWEY, of 
 Milford, was born December 29, 1830, 
 in Northampton, Mass., son of Judge 
 Charles Augustus Dewey. His grand- 
 father, Daniel Dewey, also a lawyer of note 
 and for many years a Judge of the Supreme 
 Court of Massachusetts, who was born and 
 bred in Sheffield, Mass., afterward removed to 
 Williamstown, where he was elected a mem- 
 ber of Congress. Daniel married Maria 
 Noble, of Williamstown. 
 
 Charles Augustus Dewey, Sr., was born 
 March 13, 1793, in Williamstown, Mass. 
 
 After his admission to the bar he was District 
 Attorney for a time, and later he served for 
 thirty years as Judge of the Massachusetts 
 Supreme Court. He married Caroline Clin- 
 ton, daughter of General James and Mrs. 
 Mary Gray Clinton and a sister of Governor 
 De Witt Clinton, of New York. General 
 Clinton was an officer in both the French and 
 Indian War and the war of the Revolution. 
 During the latter he served in New York, and 
 was in command of the central division of the 
 army at the battle of Yorktown. Of the 
 eight children born to Judge Dewey, Sr., and 
 his wife, three are living, namely: Charles 
 A., the subject of this biography; Mary Clin- 
 ton, the wife of Judge H. B. Staples, of 
 Worcester; and Maria Noble, who resides in 
 Worcester with Mrs. Staples. Both the 
 Dewey and the Clinton families are descended 
 from early settlers of Massachusetts. Thomas 
 Dewey, the emigrant ancestor of the former, 
 was made a freeman in Dorchester, May 14, 
 1634. Colonel Charles Clinton, the founder 
 of the Clinton family in New England, was a 
 direct descendant of William the Conqueror. 
 He was born in Ireland, whence he came to 
 Cape Cod very early in the seventeenth cen- 
 tury, and from there removed to Orange 
 County, New York. 
 
 Charles A. Dewey was fitted for college at 
 Williston Seminary, and was subsequently 
 graduated from Williams College with saluta- 
 tory honors in the class of 1851. After read- 
 ing law in the office of his brother, Francis 
 H. Dewey, of Worcester, for a time, he took 
 a year's course at the Harvard Law School. 
 Thence he went to New' York City, where in 
 1854 he was admitted to the bar. After 
 studying and practising in New York for the 
 ensuing two years, he went to the West, locat- 
 ing in 1856 at Davenport, la., where he re- 
 mained two years. In 1859 he came to Mil- 
 ford, and during the first two years of his 
 residence here was associated with Hamilton 
 B. Staples, afterward District Attorney and 
 Judge of the Superior Court. In 1861 he was 
 made Trial Justice in Milford; and in 1864, 
 when the Milford police court was established, 
 he was appointed its Judge. He resigned this 
 office in 1872, when the Third District Court 
 
40 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Southern Worcester was organized, and 
 Governor William B. Washburn appointed 
 him Judge thereof, a position which he has 
 since held. 
 
 For twenty-five years Judge Dewey has 
 been a trustee of the Milford Town Library 
 and for much of the time the chairman of the 
 board. Also, for seven years he has been a 
 member of the Milford School Board and its 
 chairman. In politics he is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. He is a member of the Congregational 
 church, in which he is an active and zealous 
 worker. On March 12, 1867, he married 
 Miss Marietta N. Thayer, a daughter of 
 Alexander W. and Marietta (Dustin) Thayer. 
 On the maternal side she is a descendant of 
 Hannah Dustin, who in March, 1697, was car- 
 ried off from her home in Haverhill, Mass., 
 by the Indians, and subsequently escaped 
 from captivity, returning to her family with 
 the scalps of ten redskins whom she had tom- 
 ahawked. Judge and Mrs. Dewey have one 
 child, Maria Thayer, who, born August 8, 
 1872, married Dr. Charles H. Cole, a promi- 
 nent young physician of Milford. 
 
 "ERBERT H. CAPEN, a Selectman 
 and a leading business man of Spen- 
 cer, son of Alfred and Maria E. 
 (Sibley) Capen, was born in the 
 adjoining town of Charlton, July 8, 1856. 
 His father, a farmer by occupation, born in 
 Spencer, died in Charlton in December, 1876. 
 Alfred spent the last thirty years of his life in 
 Charlton, where his widow still resides in her 
 seventy-third year. He was a Republican in 
 politics. His father, Abraham Cooper, who 
 was also a farmer, was a son of James Capen, 
 who was a Captain in the Continental army 
 during the war of the Revolution. 
 
 Herbert H. Capen spent the early years of 
 his life in Charlton, attending the common 
 schools and doing light work on the farm. 
 Subsequently he attended a private school in 
 Worcester for one year, and another, which 
 was conducted by Professor C. C. Foster, for 
 three years; and then he took a course of 
 study in Howe's Commercial School, from 
 which he duly graduated. Coming to Spencer 
 
 in 1875, when about twenty years of age, he 
 entered the employ of his uncle, James Capen, 
 a dealer in grain. After a time he and 
 Robert Forsyth bought out his uncle, and con- 
 tinued the business under the name of Forsyth 
 & Co. At the end of two years the firm was 
 succeeded by that of James & H. H. Capen, 
 which after an equal length of time was suc- 
 ceeded by H. H. Capen. Mr. Capen re- 
 mained the sole proprietor for several years, 
 and then retired. He resumed the business 
 in October, 1895, and has since built up a 
 most successful trade. He carries a heavy 
 and first-class stock, comprising baled hay and 
 straw, oats and corn, grain of every descrip- 
 tion, meal and mill feed, besides the finest 
 brands of flour from the best mills in the 
 country. Having a large storage capacity, he 
 is constantly in a position to fill orders, either 
 large or small, with promptness and at the 
 lowest prices. He employs three assistants, 
 and keeps two teams busy. 
 
 Mr. Capen married Edith M. Parkhurst, of 
 Charlton, who died on August 9, 1895, leav- 
 ing one daughter, Ina F. He is a member of 
 Goodwill Lodge, and the encampment at Spen- 
 cer of the I. O. O. F., and of the Farmers' 
 and Mechanics' Association. In politics he 
 is a Republican, and at the present time is 
 serving on the Republican Town Committee. 
 Since April, 1897, he has been a Selectman. 
 During his twenty-two years of residence in 
 Spencer, Mr. Capen has earned a reputation 
 for fair and honorable dealing, the confidence 
 of the business public, and the friendship of 
 many estimable persons. 
 
 T^TENRIE H. LEACH, the proprietor 
 l-=J of Upland Dairy Farm, North Brook- 
 _Ls I field, son of Addison and Priscilla 
 (Caswell) Leach, was born in 
 Wendell, Franklin County, November 15, 
 1853. He comes of English stock. His 
 grandfather, Artemas Leach, went to Wen- 
 dell from Bridgewater, Mass. Addison 
 Leach, the father, having learned the carpen- 
 ter's trade, followed it in Wendell, his native 
 town, until 1855, when he came to North 
 Brookfield. Here for many years he has 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 41 
 
 followed the business of contractor and 
 builder, in which he acquired a high reputa- 
 tion throughout this section. He is now in 
 his seventy-fifth year. Early in the fifties he 
 represented Wendell in the legislature, and 
 he has served as an Assessor in North Brook- 
 field. In politics he is a Republican. Pris- 
 cilla, his wife, has had several children, two 
 of whom are living, namely: Henrie H., the 
 subject of this sketch; and Lizzie J., the wife 
 of Harrison Crawford, of Worcester, Mass. 
 
 Henrie H. Leach received his education in 
 the common schools of North Brookfield, 
 finishing in the high school. For a short 
 time after he was employed as a clerk in a 
 shoe store in Gardner, Mass. Since 1876 he 
 has resided upon the Upland Dairy Farm, 
 where he owns eighty-two acres of land, in- 
 cluding tilled ground capable of producing 
 large crops. He keeps an average of fifty 
 head of cattle and several horses, employs two 
 assistants the year around, and he has im- 
 proved machinery for the manufacture of but- 
 ter. It is not too much to say that he is one 
 of the most successful dairymen in the town. 
 
 Mr. Leach married Mary Peers, who was 
 born in Brooklyn, N.Y. , daughter of Thomas 
 Peers, late of North Brookfield. Born of the 
 union were fiye children — Bertha, Hazel, 
 Lester C, Eunice, and Roland Leach. In 
 politics Mr. Leach is a Republican, with in- 
 dependent proclivities; and he is highly es- 
 teemed as a public-spirited citizen. He is a 
 member of Woodbine Lodge, L O. O. F. , of 
 this town. 
 
 'AMUEL S. DENNIS, the chair- 
 man of Hardwick's Board of Select- 
 men, son of Adonijah and Julia A. 
 (Collins) Dennis, was born on the 
 farm where he now lives, March 12, 1833. 
 His paternal great-grandfather, also named 
 Samuel, who was a Baptist minister, pur- 
 chased this farm in 1777 of a Mr. Sears, and 
 lived here until his death. The Rev. Mr. 
 Dennis's son, Adonijah (first), who was born 
 in Sutton, Mass., from there went to Peters- 
 ham, and later came to Hardwick, succeeding 
 his father on the farm. Grandfather Dennis 
 
 was a Revolutionary soldier, entering the 
 army when eighteen years old, and partici- 
 pated in the battle of Stillwater. He died 
 here, September 30, 1844. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Eunice Sibley, died on Sep- 
 tember 15, 1842, at the age of eighty-two. 
 
 Adonijah Dennis (second), the father of 
 Samuel S., born on this farm, October 4, 
 1803, died here, March 24, 1881. His life 
 was spent here, industriously occupied in 
 farming. He served the town for one year 
 as a member of the Board of Selectmen, and 
 he also held the office of Assessor. In poli- 
 tics he was a Republican, in religion a mem- 
 ber of the Calvinistic church. His wife, 
 Julia A. Collins before marriage, born in 
 Charlestown, Mass., in 1807, died in 1858, 
 aged fifty-one years. Of their ten children, 
 two died in childhood: Samuel S., aged two; 
 and Charles P., aged three. Five of the num- 
 ber survive, namely: Samuel S., the subject of 
 this biography; Ebenezer, residing in Staf- 
 ford Springs, Conn. ; Lewis H., in Spencer, 
 Mass.; Julius A., in Hardwick; and Frederick 
 C, on Staten Island, N.Y. The others died 
 after reaching maturity. They were: John 
 G., a lawyer; Julia A. ; and Dahliette. 
 
 Samuel S. Dennis grew to manhood in 
 Hardwick. The education he received here 
 was supplemented by a term each at the Warren 
 and New Salem Academies. At first he en- 
 gaged in teaching, which he followed at inter- 
 vals for about eleven years. Since the end of 
 that period he has given his attention prin- 
 cipally to farming. In 1862 he enlisted in 
 Company K, Forty-second Massachusetts 
 Regiment, and was afterward in the pontoon 
 service, detached. He was honorably dis- 
 charged after spending eleven months in the 
 Civil War. Then, returning to his native 
 town, he took charge of the home farm. Hav- 
 ing subsequently become the owner of the 
 property, he has enlarged it by the purchase 
 of adjoining land, so that there is now about 
 five hundred acres. Another farm in the 
 town, near the old furnace, also belongs to 
 him. He conducts the home place as a dairy 
 farm, keeping from thirty-seven to forty cows, 
 and obtaining daily about twenty cans of 
 milk, which he ships to Boston. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 On March 26, 1863, Mr. Dennis was united 
 in marriage with Miss Julia M. Sibley, who 
 was born in Hardwick, July 16, 1842, daugh- 
 ter of Sardius and Mary Stone (Johnson) Sib- 
 ley. Both of her parents were natives of 
 Barre, Mass. Her father, having been a 
 teacher in his early years, was later engaged 
 in farming, and died at the age of forty-two. 
 Mrs. Sibley lived to be sixty-seven. In re- 
 ligion he was a Universalist and she a Con- 
 gregationalist. They had six children, of 
 whom three are living; namely, Betsy, Char- 
 lotte E., and Julia M. The others were: 
 Mary J., Leander S., and Emma L. By a 
 previous marriage, which was contracted with 
 Miss Betsy Johnson, he had two children — 
 Huldah H. and Sardius J., both of whom are 
 living. Mr. and Mrs. Dennis have two chil- 
 dren, who comprise the fifth generation of the 
 Dennis family that has lived on the farm. 
 They are: Jennie M. Dennis, born November 
 9, 1867, now a public-school teacher; and 
 Samuel S. Dennis, Jr., born June 24, 1877, 
 who is a student in the Vermont University at 
 Burlington. Mr. Dennis has been Selectman 
 of Hardwick for thirty-four consecutive years 
 and the chairman of the board for all but one 
 year of the period. He also served in the 
 State legislature of 1866. Fraternally, he is 
 a member of Samuel F. Woods Post, No. 
 179, G. A. R. 
 
 ^AMUEL I. RICE, a prominent cit- 
 izen of Northboro, Mass., by occu- 
 pation a farmer, also for a number 
 of years in early manhood a suc- 
 cessful schoolmaster, is the worthy represent- 
 ative of a family that has been thoroughly 
 identified with the history of this part of 
 Worcester County for several generations. 
 He was born in Northboro, September 11, 
 1 82 1, son of Benjamin Rice, and is a lineal 
 descendant of Edmund Rice, who came from 
 Old England to New England in 1639, and 
 settled in that part of Sudbury, Mass., now 
 widely known as Rice Springs. 
 
 As we learn from the Rice Family History, 
 Edmund Rice, second, son of Samuel and 
 grandson of the first Edmund, married Ruth 
 
 Parker, and was the father of twelve children. 
 Seth Rice, one of his seven sons, became a 
 substantial farmer of Westboro, where from 
 1738 until 1798 he was Deacon of the Ortho- 
 dox church. He died at the venerable age of 
 ninety-one years. Two of Seth's brothers, 
 Timothy and Silas, were captured by the Ind- 
 ians during one of their raids upon the town, 
 and, being carried to Canada, were adopted 
 into the tribe. They married Indian women, 
 and one became chief of the Caughanawanga 
 tribe. Their posterity, it is said, still wield 
 much influence in that country. It is a mat- 
 ter of history, we are told, that the influence 
 of the "Rice boys" was largely instrumental 
 in preventing the savage tribes from sweeping 
 down upon the North during the Revolution 
 and co-operating with the British. 
 
 Deacon Seth Rice, Jr., son of Deacon Seth, 
 Sr. , and Dorothy (Robinson) Rice, was the 
 owner of the largest homestead property in 
 Westboro, the farm now known as the Sim- 
 mons place. By his first wife, Rachel Cool- 
 idge, who died in 1766, he had three chil- 
 dren; and by his second, Sarah Brigham, he 
 had seven. Samuel Rice, second, born in 
 1762, eldest son of Deacon Seth, Jr., and a 
 resident successively of North Westboro, of 
 Grafton, and of Princeton, was also twice 
 married. His first wife was Rizpah Wilson, 
 and his second, Mrs. Cobb, of Princeton, 
 Mass. 
 
 Benjamin Rice, born March 30, 1787, son 
 of Samuel and Rizpah, on attaining his major- 
 ity bought a farm on the side of Sulphur Hill 
 in Northboro, where he tilled the soil and 
 earned a living for himself and family. He 
 married on May 2, 18 16, Lucy Fay, daugh- 
 ter of Nahum and Lucy (Warren) Fay and 
 grand-daughter of Paul and Rebecca (Rice) 
 Fay. Mrs. Lucy F. Rice died in 1824, leav- 
 ing three children, namely: Maria Fay, who 
 became the wife of Columbus Fames, and died 
 in early life, leaving one son, Warren F. ; 
 Rizpah Wilson, now an active woman of 
 seventy-eight years; and Samuel I. Warren 
 F. Fames at the age of nineteen enlisted in 
 the late Civil War as a soldier, and was killed 
 by a rebel bullet at the battle of Ball's Bluff. 
 
 Nahum Fay, Mr. Rice's maternal grand- 
 
SAMUEL I. RICE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 45 
 
 father, was a grandson of Gershom and Mary 
 (Brigham) Fay. Mary Brigham is well 
 known to the student of local history as the 
 heroine of the day during one of the Indian 
 massacres of early Colonial times. She, in 
 company with Mary Goodenow, was gathering 
 herbs outside of the garrison-house that de- 
 fended the town, which was located in the 
 easterly part of Northboro, on what is now 
 the William A. Bartlett farm. Discovering 
 the Indians in ambush, the two girls hastened 
 forward to alarm the slender garrison; and 
 Mary Brigham succeeded in reaching the fort, 
 but her companion, who was lame, was over- 
 taken by the redskins and brutally murdered. 
 A monument recently erected marks the spot 
 on which the deed was committed. Mary 
 Brigham, with true pioneer grit, busied her- 
 self throughout the attack in loading guns for 
 the men in the fort; and the savages were 
 finally driven back. She was a daughter of 
 John Brigham, who, for his services as a sur- 
 veyor, was given a large tract of land in this 
 town, then known as the Coram farm, includ- 
 ing what is now the William's farm, Hastings 
 farm, Lewis Fay farm, the Nahum Fay farm, 
 the Mentzer farm, and most of the farm now 
 owned by Mr. Rice. 
 
 Samuel I. Rice received his advanced edu- 
 cation in academies at Berlin and Monson, 
 and at the age of nineteen years began his 
 career as teacher in the public schools of 
 Lancaster, in that part of the town now in- 
 cluded in Clinton. The following three years 
 he taught in Northboro, having charge in turn 
 of the various district schools. He was later 
 employed in the neighboring towns of Berlin, 
 Shrewsbury, and Boylston, and for one year 
 in the State of New York. 
 
 Few of the teachers of this day, even in re- 
 mote country regions, realize what it meant to 
 undertake the management of a district school 
 of fifty years ago. The eighty or ninety 
 pupils gathered in one small room, ranging in 
 age from five years to twenty-one, equipped 
 with text-books of all descriptions, the one 
 teacher was expected faithfully to instruct in 
 all branches of learning from the alphabet to 
 algebra and philosophy. During the fifteen 
 winters that Mr. Rice was thus engaged, he 
 
 was very successful in his vocation, and, 
 having proved himself an able disciplina- 
 rian, he was called upon to teach schools 
 in which his predecessors had been literally 
 "carried out" by the pupils, a no unusual ex- 
 ploit for the boys of those days. Although 
 their reputation was at stake, it is safe to say 
 that they never undertook to play that game 
 with him, the ringleaders soon finding out 
 that the stalwart young master, six feet in 
 height, could easily manage them without ap- 
 parent effort. 
 
 During the greater part of his career as a 
 teacher Mr. Rice was also engaged in carry- 
 ing on the farm on which he now resides, and 
 to whose improvement and cultivation he has 
 devoted his energies with excellent results. 
 When quite a young man he was elected as a 
 member of the local School Committee, and 
 for about twenty years he rendered the town 
 valuable service in that capacity. He has 
 also served as Assessor and as Selectman, 
 being chairman of the latter board at the same 
 time he was chairman of the School Commit- 
 tee. In 1883 he represented the towns of 
 Northboro, Boylston, and Shrewsbury at the 
 General Court, where he was one of the House 
 Committee on Elections. In his early days 
 he was an anti-slavery man to the backbone 
 and a prominent member of the old Liberty 
 party when it cost something to espouse that 
 cause, when "influential citizens" said, "No 
 young hot-head holding such views shall ever 
 enter a school-house as teacher of our chil- 
 dren." A man of broad and liberal religious' 
 thought, he has been for many years an active 
 member of the Second Congregational Society 
 and one of its trustees. 
 
 On May 29, 1849, Mr. Rice married Eliza 
 A. Brigham, who died a few years later, leav- 
 ing two children, namely: Chandler T., who 
 lives on the home farm; and Samuel Wilson, 
 who died suddenly of heart disease at the age 
 of thirty-four years, leaving five children — 
 Anna Eliza, Carrie Louise, Gertrude Alice, 
 Edith Mabel, and Bessie Wilson. Mr. Rice 
 was married the second time, on June 18, 
 1863, to Sarah Aurora Heath, of Northboro, 
 who died April 7, 1873. Mr. Rice and Miss 
 Julia A. Andrews, of Boylston, were married 
 
46 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 on April 2, 1874. They have one son, Ben- 
 jamin Willard Rice. 
 
 [LEY W. RICE, who was formerly 
 business man of Grafton and a mem- 
 ber of the Massachusetts legislat- 
 ure, is now living in retirement. 
 He was born in Wardsboro, Vt., May 27, 
 1824, son of Ephraim and Betsey (Maynard) 
 Rice. The paternal grandfather, also named 
 Ephraim Rice, moved from Petersham, Mass., 
 to Wardsboro, and died there at the age of 
 ninety-three years. He was a Revolutionary 
 soldier, and witnessed the surrender of Gen- 
 eral Burgoyne. 
 
 Ephraim Rice, the father, was ^prosperous 
 farmer and stock dealer of Wardsboro, and 
 drove cattle to the Brighton market. He 
 served as steward of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church for fifty years, and was an earnest ad- 
 vocate of temperance. At his death he was 
 ninety-one years old. He married Betsey 
 Maynard, who died after a wedded life of 
 sixty-five years. Of her seven children, 
 Seneca, who was a farmer of Wardsboro, died 
 in 1891; Truman died in Geneseo, 111., at 
 the age of forty years; Charles is living in re- 
 tirement in Wardsboro; Emma died in Wards- 
 boro in 1880; and Jeanette B. is the wife of 
 Edward Plympton, the Postmaster of Wards- 
 boro. 
 
 Ashley W. Rice was reared and educated 
 in his native town. Coming to Grafton in 
 1844, he was for the succeeding eleven years 
 engaged in the livery business; and from 1855 
 to the date of his retirement, in 1893, he car- 
 ried on general farming, was an extensive 
 dealer in timber land and a manufacturer of 
 lumber. After relinquishing active business 
 pursuits he sold his farm to his son, and, 
 moving to his present comfortable residence 
 at North Grafton, he is now enjoying a well- 
 earned rest. 
 
 In 1848 Mr. Rice was united in marriage 
 with Caroline Barrett, of Grafton. The chil- 
 dren of this union are: Lilla M., now the 
 widow of Charles L. Ware, an attorney and 
 United States Commissioner, who died at 
 Fort Scott, Kan., in 1887; Lyman M., the 
 
 chairman of the Grafton Board of Assessors 
 and the Moderator at town meetings ; and 
 Earl L. Rice, who is in the straw business 
 in Mansfield, Mass. Lilla M. Ware has one 
 daughter, Carrie A. Ware. Lyman M., who 
 married Mary Church, of Worcester, has three 
 sons — - Bertrand L., a machinist in Worces- 
 ter; Ashley W. ; and Harold W. Rice. Earl 
 L. Rice married Mary Fisher, of Westboro, 
 Mass,, and has one daughter living, Mar- 
 garet E. 
 
 Mr. Rice voted for Martin Van Buren when 
 that statesman was the Free Soil candidate for 
 President, and he has acted with the Republi- 
 can party since its formation. For three 
 years he was a member of the Board of Select- 
 men, an Overseer of the Poor for two years, 
 an Assessor for fifteen years, and he also 
 served for a time on the School Board. In 
 1883 he was a Representative to the State 
 legislature, where he was assigned to the 
 Committee on Labor, whose duty was to in- 
 vestigate and report upon the eight -hour ques- 
 tion, the weekly payment act, and other per- 
 plexing problems. For some years past he 
 has been the vice-president of the Grafton 
 Savings Bank. He attends the Baptist 
 church. His business undertakings were 
 prosecuted with energy, ability, and persever- 
 ance. To these essential qualities, together 
 with a strict integrity, is due the success he 
 has achieved. 
 
 th 
 
 OHN SLADE, a prominent resident 
 and agriculturist of Paxton, the young- 
 est of the five children of John and Lu- 
 cretia (Howard) Slade, was born in 
 town, February 3, 1827. His paternal 
 grandfather, Henry Slade, a Massachusetts 
 man by birth, who came of English ancestry, 
 was one of the early settlers of Paxton. The 
 father, who was a lifelong resident and farmer 
 in Paxton, died here on November 23, 1865. 
 His wife, Lucretia, was born in Holden. 
 Their son Henry, who resided during his 
 whole life in Paxton, was for two years a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen. 
 
 The farm upon which Mr. Slade was born 
 lies about a mile and a half from the village 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 47 
 
 of Paxtbn. He is the only one now living of 
 the family of five that grew up there. His 
 attendance at the district school ended when 
 he was about nineteen years of age. In the 
 summer of each year during the latter part of 
 that period he helped his father on the farm. 
 Since then he has spent his life chiefly in 
 agriculture. At the present time he owns a 
 farm of one hundred and twenty acres, and he 
 carries on general farming. Besides carefully 
 attending to his own business, he has found 
 time to render good service to his townspeo- 
 ple, in the capacities of Selectman and As- 
 sessor of Taxes for three years each. In pol- 
 itics he is a Republican. 
 
 Mr. Slade's marriage took place on Novem- 
 ber 28, 1855. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Jane E. Wheeler, born in South Royals- 
 ton, is a daughter of Colonel Josiah and 
 Martha (Foristall) Wheeler. Colonel 
 Wheeler, of English descent, who was born in 
 South Royalston, was an officer in the militia 
 in his earlier years. His wife, who was a na- 
 tive of Fitzwilliam, N.H., was of Scotch de- 
 scent. Mr. and Mrs. Slade have been the 
 parents of two children, as follows: Edgar 
 O., who is a resident of Orange, Mass. ; and 
 Ada I., who is the wife of Ira Maynard, of 
 Holden. Both of the parents attend the Con- 
 gregational church. With the exception of 
 thirteen years spent in Rutland, they have 
 been constant residents of Paxton, where they 
 are well known and highly esteemed. 
 
 /STeORGE F. CURLEY, M.D., one 
 \ '•) I of the youngest of Milford's physi- 
 cians, and also one of the most popu- 
 lar, was born in the town of Upton on the first 
 day of June, 1872, one of the nine children of 
 Walter and Mary Curley. His father is a 
 well-to-do farmer in that town. The Doctor 
 graduated at Boston University in 1893 and 
 at Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia 
 three years later. His medical course was 
 distinguished by thorough and accurate 
 scholarship and a marked analytical faculty as 
 shown in his logical diagnosis of disease. At 
 graduation he gained the Forbes anatomical 
 prize of one hundred and fifty dollars and 
 
 through a competitive examination the ap- 
 pointment of house surgeon for a year in 
 Elizabeth General Hospital. The man tak- 
 ing second rank below him was a graduate of 
 Columbia College. 
 
 At the expiration of his year's service in 
 the hospital the Doctor opened an office in 
 Milford, much against the advice of his 
 friends and in spite of the fact that Milford 
 already had fifteen established physicians 
 within its borders. Contrary to almost uni- 
 versal experience, the genial, yet dignified, 
 young physician stepped at once into popular 
 favor. So rapidly did his practice increase 
 that he is now kept constantly busy. His 
 skill as a medical practitioner is recognized 
 and acknowledged, not only by the many per- 
 sons who have had occasion to personally test 
 it, but by his fellow-physicians and the com- 
 munity at large. Dr. Curley is a member of 
 the Thurber Medical Society and its librarian. 
 He is examining physician of the Ancient 
 Order of Hibernians. 
 
 <■• •*■>■ 
 
 OHN W. LIVERMORE, Selectman 
 of Brookfield, an undertaker and a 
 dealer in furniture, was born in South 
 Royalston, Mass., on March 23, 1840. 
 His parents, Winthrop and Louisa (Bemis) 
 Livermore, were natives respectively of Leices- 
 ter and Spencer, Mass. The father, a son 
 of David and a grandson of David Livermore, 
 Sr. , was a carpenter and box-maker by trade. 
 Residing for many years in Spencer, he was 
 a Selectman of that town for a number of 
 terms, and he died there in 1876. The 
 mother was a daughter of Jonas Bemis, who 
 was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. 
 
 John W. Livermore obtained his education 
 in the public schools of Spencer, to which his 
 parents took him when he was three years 
 old. Coming to Brookfield in 1867, he 
 formed a partnership with C. H. Giffin, and 
 was subsequently engaged in the livery busi- 
 ness, under the firm name of Giffin & Liver- 
 more, for four years. Then he started in the 
 undertaking and furniture business, which he 
 has since carried on successfully. His goods 
 in stock, which may be inspected at any time, 
 
48 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 will be found exactly as represented — of good 
 workmanship and on sale at reasonable 
 prices. All deliveries are promptly made, 
 and satisfaction is guaranteed. As an under- 
 taker Mr. Livermore's services to the towns- 
 people have been important. His discretion 
 in making arrangements for funeral exercises 
 cannot be overestimated. Nothing needful is 
 left undone by him on such occasions. 
 
 Mr. Livermore married Mary M. Gififin, of 
 Spencer, who has borne him three children. 
 These were: Lucy G., who is now the wife of 
 Walter B. Mellen, of Brookfield; Robert G., 
 who is a student at St. John's Military School 
 at Manlius, N.Y. ; and a child that died in in- 
 fancy. For a number of years Mr. Livermore 
 has been the town sexton, and he is now serv- 
 ing his third term as a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen. He attends the Unitarian 
 Congregational church. Fraternally, he is a 
 member of Hayden Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and 
 of the Royal Arcanum at Brookfield. In 
 Brookfield he has the full confidence of his 
 townsmen, and is valued both as a business 
 man and as a citizen. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE H. FALES, Town Treasurer 
 \ '•) I of West Brookfield, was born here, 
 ^-^ March 7, 1834, son of John M. and 
 Mary S. (Trask) Fales. His grandfather, 
 Daniel Fales, who resided in Shrewsbury, 
 Mass., was approaching his one hundredth 
 birthday at the time of his death. John M. 
 Fales, one of the eight children of Daniel and 
 a native of Shrewsbury, died in his sixty- 
 third year. A shoemaker by trade, he came 
 to West Brookfield early in the thirties. 
 After turning out hand-made work for a time, 
 he engaged in the manufacture of boots and 
 shoes by machinery, building the factory 
 which is now owned by his son. A public- 
 spirited citizen as well as an able business 
 man, he was actively concerned in promoting 
 the general welfare of the community. For 
 two terms he represented his district with 
 ability in the legislature. He was an es- 
 teemed member of the Congregational church. 
 His death occurred in October, 1867. Of 
 his children there are three survivors, namely: 
 
 Eliza, the wife of Dr. Julius Blodgett, of 
 Newtonville, Mass.; Frank T. Fales, of this 
 town; and George H., the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother died in 1887. 
 
 George H. Fales was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of West Brookfield and at the 
 Worcester Academy. Beginning when eigh- 
 teen years old, he was the superintendent of 
 his father's factory, continuing in that capac- 
 ity until the death of the elder Fales. Then 
 he was in partnership with George A. Bar- 
 rett, under the firm name of John M. Fales, 
 Son & Co., for eighteen years. Subsequently 
 he admitted John G. Shackley, retaining the 
 same firm name. In 1892 the concern was 
 dissolved, and he retired. By his marriage 
 with Laurinda Tomblin, a daughter of the 
 late Lucius Tomblin, of West Brookfield, he 
 has four daughters: Mary I., the wife of Sam- 
 uel Wass, of Philadelphia; and Charlotte T., 
 Georgie B. , and Marguerita, who are residing 
 at home. 
 
 In politics Mr. Fales is a Republican. 
 For ten years he has served as Town Treas- 
 urer. Keenly alive to the best interests of 
 the town, his management of the town's 
 funds is regarded as able, judicious, and safe. 
 He is also a trustee of the Merriam Public 
 Library. 
 
 inx AVID BALLARD ROBBINS, who 
 I ^=1 was for many years an esteemed 
 ^~4^y employee of the firm White & 
 Denny, card clothing manufacturers 
 of Leicester, was born in Rindge, N. H., 
 April 2, 1817. He was a son of James and 
 Sallie (White) Robbins, the former of whom 
 was a native of Rindge, and the latter of 
 Royalston, Mass. When a young man he 
 came to Leicester to work for White & Denny, 
 of which firm his maternal uncle, Alonzo 
 White, was a member. He was employed by 
 them for many years, practically spending the 
 active portion of his life in their card cloth- 
 ing manufactory. Though he had only a dis- 
 trict-school education, by making good use of 
 his opportunities he became well informed, 
 and was able to take his place among those 
 who had enjoyed much better advantages. 
 
GEORGE H. FALES. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SI 
 
 While somewhat retiring in disposition, he 
 was, nevertheless, popular with his fellow- 
 townsmen, and had the respect and confi- 
 dence of all with whom he had acquaintance. 
 He died May 26, 1893, aged seventy-six 
 years, and was buried in Pine Grove Ceme- 
 tery, Leicester. In politics he was a Repub- 
 lican. He belonged to Morning Star Lodge 
 of Masons at Worcester. On February 25, 
 1862, Mr. Robbins was married to Susan M. 
 Bellows, who survives him. She was born in 
 Leicester, and is a daughter of Ezekiel and 
 Catherine (Washburn) Bellows. Her father, 
 a native of Paxton, Mass., was for many years 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits in Leicester. 
 He died here, November 4, 1883. Mrs. Bel- 
 lows was born in this town. 
 
 Y^TENRY F. COGGSHALL, treasurer 
 f^\ of the Fitchburg Gas and Electric 
 |l 9 I Light Company, was born in Mans- 
 
 ^-"^ field, Tolland County, Conn., De- 
 cember 23, 1823, son of Peleg Sanford and 
 Evelina (Dimmock) Coggshall. The Coggs- 
 hall family is one of the oldest in New Eng- 
 land, and the name is found frequently on the 
 pages of history. John Coggshall, who came 
 to America from the town of Coggeshall, Eng- 
 land, in 1632, and settled in Boston, was 
 Henry Coggshall 's immigrant ancestor. A 
 well-to-do merchant, he was a prominent cit- 
 izen, and was Representative in the General 
 Court for eight terms. Though a Deacon of 
 the First Church, he was broad-minded and 
 liberal, and was one of the supporters of 
 Anne Hutchinson in her famous controversy. 
 Banished on account of his religious prin- 
 ciples, with twenty-three others, to Rhode 
 Island, the refuge of Roger Williams and 
 Anne Hutchinson, he was one of the com- 
 pany which purchased the island of Newport 
 from the Indians; and he was the first presi- 
 dent of the Provincial Plantation. Two 
 members of the family served in the Ameri- 
 can army during the Revolution — Major 
 Coggshall and a private who fought in the 
 battle of Bunker Hill; and George Coggshall 
 was Captain of a privateer in the War of 
 .1812. John Coggshall, Henry F. Coggshall's 
 
 grandfather, who was born in Newport, R.I. , 
 became a farmer of Mansfield, Conn. He was 
 a member of the Baptist church. He married 
 a Miss Sanford, of Tiverton, R.L, and they 
 reared three daughters and three sons. The 
 last of these to pass away, Nancy Barrows, 
 died in June, 1896, at the age of ninety-one. 
 
 Peleg Sanford Coggshall was born in New- 
 port, R.I. He was engaged for years in the 
 manufacture of combs in Mansfield, Conn., a 
 place noted for comb and silk manufactures. 
 In the latter part of his life he was engaged 
 in shoemaking. Like his father, he was a 
 member of the Baptist church. He died at 
 the age of seventy-three years. His wife, 
 who was a daughter of Jonathan Dimmock, of 
 Mansfield, died at the age of sixty-three. 
 They had a family of three sons and a daugh- 
 ter, of whom Henry F. is the only survivor. 
 
 Henry F. Coggshall acquired his element- 
 ary education in the common schools of 
 Mansfield. When he was fifteen years of age 
 he went to work in a general store in that 
 town, and was there engaged as clerk some 
 three years. He was taught book-keeping by 
 the proprietor of one of the mills at that 
 place, and became so expert that the Stone- 
 ville Manufacturing Company at Auburn, 
 Mass., five miles from Worcester, hearing of 
 his qualifications, wrote him to inquire what 
 salary he would be satisfied with if engaged 
 by them as book-keeper. He agreed to work 
 for one hundred dollars a year and board, and 
 was immediately engaged. On taking charge 
 of their books, he found the affairs of the firm 
 in confusion, and determined to strike a trial 
 balance before proceeding further. This he 
 accomplished after two weeks' hard work, 
 laboring far into the night in order not to 
 neglect his daily duties. He was book-keeper 
 for the Stoneville Company seven years, hav- 
 ing charge of their store and paying the help. 
 Out of his meagre first year's salary he saved 
 fifty dollars; and in three years, before he was 
 twenty-one, he paid off a mortgage of three 
 hundred and fifty dollars on his father's 
 house. In the meantime Mr. Ackley, his em- 
 ployer, leased the stone mill at Fitchburg, 
 and Mr. Coggshall took charge of it in July, 
 1845. He boarded with Lauren Pratt, whose 
 
52 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 house was on the present site of Nichols & 
 Frost's dry-goods store on Main Street. 
 Fitchburg was already a thriving town, con- 
 nected by stage routes with Keene, Brattle- 
 boro, Worcester, and other places. Mr. 
 Coggshall, having by this time saved three 
 hundred dollars, purchased a strip of land 
 from Mr. Pratt, now largely covered by 
 Nichols & Frost's store. Paying three hun- 
 dred dollars down, he agreed to pay the bal- 
 ance in instalments. He later purchased 
 three acres of land on the other side of the 
 river, on a part of which he erected a two- 
 story house, laying out the remainder in 
 building lots. Mr. Coggshall kept books for 
 the Putnam Machine Company one year. 
 Then for twenty-five years he was connected 
 with the Fitchburg & Worcester Railroad and 
 Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg Railroad as 
 general ticket agent, freight and passenger 
 agent and treasurer, successively, holding the 
 last-named position from 1863 to 1871, in 
 which latter year he resigned. In 1853 the 
 Fitchburg Gas Company was organized, and a 
 plant erected by Levi Benedict, of Rochester, 
 N.Y., who was then building the gas works at 
 Jamaica Plain. He then engaged Mr. Coggs- 
 hall to take charge of the building of the gas 
 works here. In December, 1853, Mr. Coggs- 
 hall was chosen manager, and in 1866 he was 
 made treasurer. In a paper which he read at 
 the twenty-seventh annual meeting of the 
 New England Association of Gas Light En- 
 gineers at Young's Hotel, Boston, in Febru- 
 ary, 1897, he graphically depicts the early 
 struggles of the gas company; and, in reply to 
 a remark by one of his audience, he said that 
 he had to do all the work. The following 
 paragraph is taken from his paper: — 
 
 "Now, what do we find has been the prog- 
 ress in these forty-three years of gas manu- 
 facturing? In 1853 three iron retorts to a 
 bench, burning off four hundred and fifty 
 pounds of coal in about five hours, with one 
 man on a shift, producing eleven hundred feet 
 to a charge. In 1897 six retorts to a bench, 
 charging with eighteen hundred pounds of coal, 
 and producing nine thousand feet in four hours, 
 with two men to a shift." Mr. Coggshall has 
 been a trustee of the Fitchburg Savings Bank 
 
 for twenty-two years and a director in the 
 Fitchburg National Bank eighteen years. He 
 was director and treasurer of the Simonds 
 Manufacturing Company for an extended 
 period, was a member of the Rollstone Ma- 
 chine Company with Mr. Charles T. Crocker 
 for ten years, and is a trustee of the Old 
 Ladies' Home in Fitchburg. Politically a 
 Whig and Republican, in 1876 he served as 
 Representative in the State legislature. He 
 was a charter member and Junior Warden of 
 Charles W. Moore Lodge, F. & A. M. ; be- 
 longs to Thomas Royal Arch Chapter, 
 R. A. M.; Hiram Council, R. & S. M., of 
 Worcester; and was a charter member and 
 Captain-general of Jerusalem Commandery, 
 K. T. He is also a member of the Park Club 
 of Fitchburg. For thirty years he has been 
 connected with the Calvinistic Congregational 
 church. 
 
 Mr. Coggshall was married December 10, 
 1846, to Sylvan ia L., daughter of Stephen 
 Carpenter, of Brattleboro, Vt. 
 
 YRUS G. WOOD, for many years 
 one of the most prominent of the 
 woollen manufacturers of Worcester 
 County and an honored citizen of 
 the city of Worcester, was born in Uxbridge, 
 November 16, 1819. He was the son of Reu- 
 ben and Sarah Wood, and belonged to one of 
 the oldest and most respected families in the 
 town. He was a lineal descendant of Will- 
 iam Wood, who came to this country from 
 England in 1638, and settled in Concord, 
 Mass. Both the maternal and paternal grand- 
 fathers of Mr. Wood served in the war of the 
 Revolution. Mr. Wood, being the son of a 
 farmer, spent much of his early life on the 
 farm and at work in the mill, obtaining such 
 education as the country school afforded at 
 the time, a mental training and equipment 
 which prepared him for the duties and needs 
 of his subsequent career. 
 
 On attaining his majority, being possessed* 
 of some savings of his own, he borrowed one 
 hundred dollars in addition, and with this 
 small capital started a country store on his 
 own account. By degrees furniture and other 
 
4l»tfi^ 
 
 .^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 55 
 
 lines were added to his stock, and his success 
 was quite marked. His ambition was not 
 satisfied with the ownership of a country 
 store, and he realized that there was an op- 
 portunity for him to become a manufacturer 
 of woollens, and thus utilize the knowledge 
 he had gained regarding the processes of pro- 
 duction in early life. Accordingly, under 
 the firm name of Wood & Capron, with Mr. 
 Charles C. Capron as a partner, he began the 
 making of shoddy and dealing in wool, 
 woollen waste, etc. Mr. Wood retired from 
 the partnership at the end of three years, and 
 leased a mill in the southern part of Ux- 
 bridge, carrying on the same kind of busi- 
 ness. He not only supplied mills in the 
 vicinity of Uxbridge, but also at various 
 points in Rhode Island. It was during the 
 panic after the Boston fire that Mr. Wood 
 really began to extend his business into larger 
 territory. 
 
 In 1874 with A. W. Ward as partner, under 
 the firm name of Wood & Ward, he began the 
 manufacture of satinets at Quinapoxet, in the 
 town of Holden, Mass. This was a small, 
 three-set mill, and another set was added the 
 following year. The firm was dissolved in 
 1875; and after a year's connection with 
 H. S. Morse the second partnership was dis- 
 solved, and from that time onward Mr. Wood 
 was sole owner. Though he was successful 
 from the beginning, he passed through many 
 struggles before his indomitable will and per- 
 sistence conquered all obstacles. With new 
 buildings and additional machinery, he in- 
 creased his facilities according to the demand. 
 In 1886 he bought the Lovellville mills, con- 
 taining three sets of machinery, to which he 
 added another set. Beginning with the three- 
 set mill in 1874, he had in 1886 twelve sets 
 of machinery in operation, with all the neces- 
 sary belongings and homes for the employees. 
 These mills, with their equipments, the fac- 
 tory houses, and lands, make one of the neat- 
 est villages in the county. From 1882 until 
 his death, March 3, 1898, Mr. Wood served 
 as Postmaster at Quinapoxet. 
 
 Mr. Wood was a true type of the New Eng- 
 land manufacturer — thrifty, hard-working, 
 conscientious, courteous, and kindly; and his 
 
 success in life was the fruit of his own toil. 
 He started in a small way, and succeeded in 
 building up his business by constant dili- 
 gence, close economy, and sagacious business 
 methods. He was not a man to seek or to 
 enjoy public office, but his counsel was often 
 sought when large issues were at stake ; and 
 he- was always firm in his opinions and well 
 able to express them. 
 
 Mr. Wood was an honorary member of the 
 Worcester Light Infantry, and in Uxbridge he 
 was an original member of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, though never promi- 
 nent in that organization. He was for sev- 
 eral years a director of the Citizens' National 
 Bank of Worcester and a member of the 
 Board of Trade, in the success of which he 
 took a zealous interest. The Worcester So- 
 ciety of Antiquity also claimed him as a 
 member. His religious afifiliations were with 
 the Church of the Unity, of which he was one 
 of the strongest members. 
 
 One of the leading citizens of Uxbridge, who 
 had known Mr. Wood for many years, thus 
 wrote of him after his death : — 
 
 Mr. Wood was for many years a prominent 
 citizen of Uxbridge. He was prominent in 
 the large sense. While a successful man of 
 business, his character and spirit of enterprise 
 identified him with whatever tended to ad- 
 vance the best interests of the town. His in- 
 fluence was always on the right side. He 
 was open and generous-hearted. For every 
 good cause he was ever ready to contribute of 
 his means and energy. He had decided opin- 
 ions, but they were intelligently formed and 
 never offensively .expressed. In 1854 Mr. 
 Wood represented the town in the legislature, 
 and during his residence in Uxbridge he held 
 other and various positions of trust. He did 
 not covet office. Integrity was one of his 
 marked characteristics, and it never failed to 
 secure him the confidence of all with whom 
 he was associated in business; while his 
 strong attachments, his love of home, his 
 family, his friends, his church, and his native 
 town and its associations made him highly 
 esteemed in a wide circle of acquaintances. 
 Mr. Wood was a devoted member of the Uni- 
 tarian society in Uxbridge, and upon his re- 
 
56 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 moval to Worcester, eighteen years ago, the 
 society felt it had lost one of its main pillars; 
 and not less did the town feel that it had 
 parted with one of its strongest and best 
 citizens. 
 
 Mr. Wood was married in 1853 to Lucetta, 
 daughter of Joseph Day, Esq. Mrs. Lucetta 
 Wood lived but a short time, and he was mar- 
 ried again in 1858 to Mary U. F., daughter of 
 Jonathan Southwick, Esq., of Uxbridge. 
 Four children were born to them : John 
 Franklin, Ernest Henry, Gertrude Southwick, 
 and Sarah Louise. The two sons, Messrs. 
 John Franklin and Ernest Henry Wood, who 
 were associated in business with their father 
 in his later years, continue to carry it on. 
 
 "ON. RUFUS B. DODGE, who for 
 many years has been a leading man 
 of Charlton, was born in this town, 
 February 9, 1821, son of Gibbs and 
 Mary. (Wakefield) Dodge. He comes of pio- 
 neer ancestry and of Revolutionary stock. 
 His paternal grandfather, Moses Dodge, was 
 a patriot in the Revolution and one of the 
 early settlers of Charlton, whither he removed 
 from the neighboring town of Sutton. Gibbs 
 Dodge, who was born in Charlton, from his 
 earliest years was engaged in farming and 
 stone cutting. He possessed considerable 
 legal ability, and was frequently called upon 
 to settle estates in the neighborhood. He took 
 an active part in the management of local 
 matters, and, besides serving some years as 
 Selectman of Charlton, held other offices of 
 minor importance. He died in 1863. 
 
 Rufus B. Dodge was brought up on a farm, 
 receiving his education in the district school 
 and at Nichols's Academy in Dudley, Mass. 
 In the academy he made a special study of 
 civil engineering, which he has since followed 
 to a great extent in this vicinity, although he 
 has always made farming his chief pursuit. 
 When a young man he taught school for sev- 
 eral winter terms. During his entire life he 
 has kept himself well informed on the general 
 topics of the day. He has been Assessor of 
 Charlton for a number of terms; the chairman 
 of the Board of Selectmen for many years; a 
 
 member of the School Committee for seven 
 years; a Representative to the General Court 
 in 1857; and in 1862 he was a member of the 
 State Senate, in which he served as one of the 
 Committee on Roads and Bridges, being 
 elected on the Republican ticket, which he 
 has uniformly supported. Fie also served the 
 Federal government in the capacity of Post- 
 master of Charlton for several years. 
 
 On April 18, 1847, Mr. Dodge married Au- 
 gusta Morse, daughter of the late Timothy 
 Morse, of Charlton. Their golden wedding, 
 which was celebrated April 18, 1897, was a 
 most joyous occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge 
 have six children, namely: Arthur M., of 
 Charlton; Myra S., the wife of W. W. 
 Greene, of Worcester, Mass. ; Forbes B., of 
 Charlton; Charles S., also of Worcester; 
 Rufus B. Dodge, Jr., now Mayor of Worces- 
 ter; and Harris M., of this town. 
 
 BEN THOMAS HALL, a well-known 
 merchant of West Upton, son of 
 Nahum B. and Betsy (Wood) Hall, 
 was born in the town of Upton, August 16, 
 1865. His first ancestor in this country was 
 William Hall, who came from England and 
 settled on the site of Upton in 1765. Will- 
 iam's son, grandfather of Eben Hall and a 
 prominent anti-slavery man, had a son, T. J. 
 Hall, who was a Selectman of the town for 
 sixteen years, the chairman of the Selectmen 
 for the greater part of that period, and a Rep- 
 resentative in the legislature of 1883. 
 
 Nahum B. Hall, a mill-owner and a con- 
 tractor and builder, was prominent in the 
 affairs of this town. Like his brother, he was 
 for several years on the Board of Selectmen, 
 being first chosen when he was twenty-seven 
 years of age. In 1874 he represented North- 
 bridge and Upton in the legislature. At 
 various times he was called upon by his 
 townsmen to serve as Assessor, Overseer of 
 the Poor, and a member of the School Board. 
 In company with his brother, T. J. Hall, he 
 started here the industry of manufacturing 
 sashes and doors by power. His wife, who 
 was a daughter of Reuben Wood, bore him 
 two sons and four daughters, as follows: 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 57 
 
 Sarah L., now residing in Hudson, who is 
 the wife of F. H. Chamberlin and the 
 mother of one daughter; Milly J., who is now 
 IVIrs. H. L. Patricli, of Hopedale, and the 
 mother of one daughter; William C, now de- 
 ■« ceased; Susan M., who is a resident of Hud- 
 son and the widow of the late A. S. Allen; 
 Myra G., the wife of L. H. Jordan, who is 
 the Postmaster of West Upton ; and Eben 
 Thomas Hall, the subject of this sketch. 
 William, who graduated from Dartmouth Col- 
 lege in the class of 1883, and subsequently 
 followed the profession of civil engineer, died 
 in 1897. He married Bertha Stewart, of 
 Framingham, who bore him three sons and a 
 daughter. 
 
 Eben Thomas Hall was educated in the 
 public schools of Upton. After leaving 
 school he learned the trade of carpenter. 
 Subsequently he worked in a^tore as clerk, 
 and then, in 1889, he purchased of his 
 brother-in-law the store where he is now car- 
 rying on business. In this enterprise he has 
 been very successful. At the present time he 
 employs four assistants. He attends the Uni- 
 tarian church in West Upton, and is a mem- 
 ber of its Board of Trustees, In September, 
 1897, he maried Alice M. Skinner, a daugh- 
 ter of E. P. and Charlotte Skinner, of this 
 place. He worthily sustains the honored 
 name left by the preceding generations of his 
 family, 'and is a valued resident of the town 
 in which his life thus far has been spent. 
 
 HOMAS S. SNOW, the proprietor of 
 the Leicester & Worcester Express 
 Company, and a successful coal dealer 
 at Leicester, was born in the latter town, Oc- 
 tober 21, 1837. His parents, Pliny and Han- 
 nah (Sadler) Snow, were both natives of 
 Worcester County. Pliny Snow followed 
 farming as his principal occupation. He was 
 also engaged in teaming, and conducted a 
 saw-mill. Three of the children born of his 
 marriage with Hannah Sadler are living; 
 namely, John W., Mary A., and Thomas S. 
 Mary is the wife of P. M. Freeman. 
 
 When but fifteen years old, Thomas S. 
 Snow was left fatherless. He then hit 
 
 school, and spent several years engaged in 
 driving team for different parties. In Au- 
 gust, 1-862, he enlisted in Company F, Forty- 
 second Massachusetts Volunteers, and subse- 
 quently served under General Banks in New 
 Orleans. Honorably discharged in August, 
 1863, he returned to Leicester, and, resuming 
 his former occupation of driving team, he fol- 
 lowed it up to- about 1872. Then he and Na- 
 than Lamb, in the firm of Snow & Lamb, em- 
 barked in the express business on the route 
 between Leicester and Worcester. About six 
 years later the partnership was dissolved, 
 since which time Mr. Snow has conducted the 
 business on his own acount. He has also 
 carried on a good business in coal for many 
 years. 
 
 On December 24, 1869, Mr. Snow was 
 united in marriage with Miss Ellen Lynch, 
 of Worcester, Mass. Three children have 
 blessed the union, namely: Mandana E., now 
 the wife of Dr. H. L. Shepard, of Winches- 
 ter, Mass.; Bertha E. , living at home; and 
 Marshall S. Mr. Snow is a Republican 
 voter. He is an esteemed member of George 
 H. Thomas Post, No. 131, G. A. R., which 
 he served as Vice-Commander for one year. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE R. HAMANT, Town Treas- 
 \ '*) I urer of North Brookfield, was born 
 in Brookfield, March 11, 1843, son 
 of Isaac and Louisa (Rice) Hamant. His 
 great-grandfather. Job Hamant, was an early 
 settler in Sturbridge, Mass. ; and Seth Ha- 
 mant, his grandfather, was a native of that 
 town. Isaac Hamant, the father, went from 
 Sturbridge, his native town, to Brookfield, 
 where he followed agriculture in connection 
 with shoemaking for many years, and served 
 the community in the capacity of Selectman. 
 He died in 1878. Louisa, his wife, was a 
 native of Brookfield and a daughter of Will- 
 iam Rice, a Revolutionary soldier. 
 
 At the age of nineteen George R. Hamant, 
 having acquired his education in the public 
 schools of his native town, went to Worces- 
 ter, and apprenticed himself in the drug store 
 of Bush & Co. After serving three years as 
 apprentice and four years as a regular clerk 
 
S8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 with that firm, he was engaged in business 
 for himself at Woonsocket, R.I., for about 
 four years. At the end of that time he 
 opened an apothecary establishment in North 
 Brookfield, and conducted it profitably until 
 1895. Then he sold out to Albert W. Po- 
 land, and has since devoted his time to vari- 
 ous business interests. At present he is the 
 clerk of the Board of Directors of the North 
 Brookfield Railroad Company. After serving 
 for many years as a trustee of the North 
 Brookfield Savings Bank, he was elected its 
 president in 'June, 1894. He has been Town 
 Treasurer since 1876. Under his careful ad- 
 ministration the public finances have been 
 kept in a satisfactory condition. He is also 
 serving as Town Clerk, Cemetery Commis- 
 sioner, and trustee of the Free Library. A 
 Republican in politics, he is a member of the 
 Republican Town Committee. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Hamant was united in marriage 
 with Julia A. Fiske, a daughter of the late 
 Daniel Fiske, of Brookfield. He is con- 
 nected with the Masonic order in Worcester 
 and with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows in this town, and he is a member and 
 the clerk of the First Congregational Society. 
 
 TT^HARLES TAFT ALDRICH, a man- 
 I St-' ufacturer in the village of Millbury, 
 ^U^ was born here, April 12, 1845. A- 
 son of Charles Aldrich, he is a de- 
 scendant of one of seven brothers named Al- 
 drich who emigrated from Old England to 
 New England. Some of the seven went West 
 and some South; but the founder of the fam- 
 ily to which Charles T. Aldrich belongs set- 
 tled in Rhode Island, which was its home for 
 many years. 
 
 Isaac Aldrich, the grandfather of Charles 
 T., born at Burrillville, R.I., in 1777, died 
 in Providence, R. I., in 1867, aged ninety 
 years. Having begun ' the manufacture of 
 woollen goods in Burrillville when a young 
 man, he became one of the most prominent 
 and successful business men of that place, and 
 was one of the pioneer manufacturers of the 
 State. In the Masonic order he attained the 
 thirty-third degree. He fifst married Mary 
 
 Scammell, whose uncle, Alexander Scammell, 
 was a close friend of General Washington, and 
 served in the Revolutionary War as Colonel 
 and Adjutant-general. A brave soldier, he 
 lost his life in a "forlorn hope" attack on 
 Yorktown, when Cornwallis was besieged 
 there. Of the children of Isaac and Mary 
 Aldrich, five reached maturity, three sons and 
 two daughters. The two youngest children, 
 Charles and James, are still living, and James 
 resides in Providence, R.I. After the death 
 of the mother, the father married again. 
 Charles Aldrich, who was born in Blackstone, 
 Mass., in 18 18, is now living retired from ac- 
 tive business in Spencer, Worcester County. 
 During his earlier life he manufactured 
 woollen goods in different towns of this State, 
 including Bellingham, Ashland, and Worces- 
 ter. At Millbury, in 1843, he married Abi- 
 gail Kingsbury Taft, a daughter of Alanson 
 and Mary (Kingsbury) Taft, of Webster, 
 Mass. Of their eight children, two died in 
 childhood. The survivors are: Charles T. , 
 the subject of this sketch; Albert T., a resi- 
 dent of Worcester; and James J., of Spencer. 
 
 Educated in the Uxbridge High School, 
 Charles T. Aldrich was fitted for a college 
 course or a business career. Choosing the 
 latter, he secured employment in a woollen- 
 mill. After acquiring some acquaintance 
 with the business, he became associated with 
 the firm of Aldrich & Cutler, of which his 
 father was the head; and he was with them in 
 Bellingham for four years. In 1868 he went 
 to Southern Kansas, and for four years was 
 there engaged in milling and agricultural pur- 
 suits. Returning then to Massachusetts, he 
 established a factory in Ashland, Middlesex 
 County, where he made woollen goods for 
 eighteen years, employing the average num- 
 ber of seventy-five hands, and having a pros- 
 perous business until he was burned out, Oc- 
 tober 7, 1890. Two months later he bought 
 his present plant in Millbury, where in the 
 manufacture of unions and satinets he em- 
 ploys one hundred hands, and is carrying on a 
 thriving business. Politically, he is a 
 straightforward Republican; and, fraternally, 
 he is a Master Mason and an Odd Fellow. 
 
 On December 24, 1864, Mr. Aldrich mar- 
 
CHARLES T. ALDRICH. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6i 
 
 ried Emma G. Aldrich, of Blackstone, Mass., 
 a distant relative of his and a daughter of 
 William and Olive (Foster) Aldrich. She 
 died in November, 1889, leaving four chil- 
 dren, all of whom are married; namely, 
 Charles, Henry, Louis, and Alice, A second 
 marriage on December 6, 1890, united Mr. 
 Aldrich with Susan H. Freeman, of Cam- 
 bridge, Mass. Mr. Aldrich has been quite 
 an extensive traveller, both in this country 
 and abroad. He visited the Paris Exposition, 
 France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and 
 England, in 1889; and in 1895 he made 
 another trip across the ocean. 
 
 TTXHARLES R. PROUTY, a thorough- 
 I Nr^ going and prosperous agriculturist of 
 ^jHs West Brookfield, son of Homer R. 
 Prouty, was born in North Brook- 
 field, Mass., April 4, 1833. The father was 
 born, bred, and educated in Spencer, Mass. 
 When a young man he taught school for 
 several winters. After his marriage he began 
 farming at Waite's Corners in North Brook- 
 field, where he was successfully engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits and in manufacturing 
 woollen goods for many years. Taking a 
 deep interest in the welfare of the town of his 
 adoption, he was active in the management of 
 local affairs, and served as Assessor for sev- 
 eral years. He died in September, 1877, at 
 a good old age. One of his brothers, Isaac 
 Prouty, was the founder of the extensive shoe 
 manufactory at Spencer known as the Prouty 
 Shoe Shop, supposed to have been at that time 
 the largest plant in the world. Homer R. 
 Prouty married Nancy Allen, of Spencer, 
 Mass., who bore him several children. Of 
 these, three survive, namely: Charles R., the 
 subject of this sketch; Henry M., a resident 
 of Hard wick, Mass. ; and Homer D., a resi- 
 dent of North Brookfield. 
 
 Charles R. Prouty left school while yet of 
 school age, to enter a shoe shop, where he was 
 afterward engaged in pegging shoes until he 
 was about seventeen years old. Since then 
 he has given his attention to agriculture in 
 all its branches. In 1856 he removed to West 
 Brookfield with his newly-won bride. Six 
 
 years after, he purchased his present farm, 
 which compares favorably with any in this 
 vicinity. Since coming here he has been 
 actively identified with all the leading move- 
 ments of special value to the town. He has 
 served wisely as Assessor of West Brookfield 
 for ten years and as Overseer of the Poor for 
 one term. In politics he is a stanch Republi- 
 can. He joined the local Farmers' Club soon 
 after its organization, was its president for 
 one year, and for a long time one of its ex- 
 ecutive committee. He is a member of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 On March 19, 1856, Mr. Prouty married 
 Susan, daughter of Joseph W. and Ann (Shaw) 
 Wood, of West Brookfield. The only child 
 born of the union is Albert S. Prouty, of 
 West Rutland, Mass. He married Emma J. 
 Newton, and they have three children — Leon- 
 ard A., Katie B., and Grace M. Mrs. Prouty 
 and her brother, Charles W. Wood, of this 
 town, are the only survivors of her parents' 
 children. 
 
 OSEPH B. LOMBARD, formerly a 
 representative man of Warren, was 
 born here on November 16, 1817. A 
 son of Elijah and Thirza (Brown) 
 Lombard, he was of English extraction. His 
 immigrant ancestor, who came to the country 
 in 1646, was a settler of Springfield, Mass. 
 The father, who was born in Brimfield, came 
 to Warren in early life, and worked for a 
 time at the blacksmith's trade. Later he be- 
 came a hotel-keeper. His wife, Thirza, was 
 born in what is now known as Warren. He 
 bore the same name as his father, who was a 
 soldier of the Revolution, and died of camp 
 fever. 
 
 Joseph B. Lombard attended the schools of 
 his native town, and also the Westfield and 
 Oxford Academies. Upon reaching his ma- 
 jority he went into a store in Warren as 
 clerk, and during several years subsequent to 
 that time gave his attention entirely to a 
 mercantile business. He then worked at 
 farming for a time. Following that he was 
 for five years in the provision business at 
 Warren village. Later on and until his re- 
 
62 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tirement from business he kept a general 
 merchandise store in West Warren, which 
 was unusually prosperous. Politically, Mr. 
 Lombard was an independent voter. He was 
 warmly interested in everything pertaining to 
 the welfare of his native town, and served his 
 townspeople in many ways. For several years 
 he was Selectman and for a part of the time 
 the chairman of the board. He also served in 
 the capacities of Highway Surveyor, Assessor 
 of Taxes, Moderator of town meetings, Over- 
 seer of the Poor, and Constable. He was a 
 member of the committee appointed to super- 
 vise the erection of the fire-engine house. In 
 1857 and again in 1868 he represented the 
 town in the legislature. A man of great pub- 
 lic spirit, he was a generous contributor to 
 benevolent enterprises and a liberal supporter 
 of the cause of Christianity. 
 
 Early in life Mr. Lombard married Alice 
 A. Chapin, of Warren. Of her four children 
 by him, two are living — Mary C. and Joseph 
 Edward. Mary is now the wife of Marcus 
 Burroughs, of Warren. Joseph Edward Lom- 
 bard, who is a prominent resident of West 
 Warren, has been for twenty years a qualified 
 Justice of the Peace. He is also the organist 
 of the Congregational church in Warren. 
 Mr. Lombard, Sr., died September 17, i8go. 
 
 TTAHARLES WILLIAM CARROLL, a 
 I V^ contracting stone mason of Milford, 
 ^^ ^ son of Richard and Catherine 
 (Davis) Carroll, was born in this 
 town, November 1, 1863. The father, who 
 was born in Ireland, February i, i8i6, son of 
 Michael and Mary (Woods) Carroll, came to 
 Milford when a young man, and at once began 
 to work as a contracting stone-mason, build- 
 ing houses, foundations, etc. One of the 
 pioneers of the granite industry in Milford, 
 he opened a large quarry, which was subse- 
 quently sold to the Milford Granite Company, 
 and from which he took out stone for his own 
 use. Up to the time of his death, which oc- 
 curred on November 15, 1882, he was in ac- 
 tive business. He built both private and 
 public edifices in this and adjoining towns, 
 and he laid the foundations of the Town Hall 
 
 and Washington Block. Partly as a recrea- 
 tion, as he was fond of agriculture, he carried 
 on extensive farming on his farm in Carroll 
 Street, on the northern edge of the village. 
 This street was laid out and named for him. 
 The farm he reclaimed from a rocky, barren 
 waste, and erected upon it the present sub- 
 stantial and spacious house and farm build- 
 ings. His family now reside here. He was 
 active in town affairs, and he is said to have 
 been the first Irishman to serve as a member 
 of Milford's Board of Selectmen, the duties 
 of which office he ably discharged for several 
 years. He also served at various times on 
 the Board of Overseers of the Poor. In 185 1 
 he married Catherine Davis, a daughter of 
 John and Joanna Francis Brennan Davis, born 
 in Ireland, April i, 1826. Of this union the 
 following-named children have been born: 
 Michael Joseph, on June 19, 1852; Joanna 
 Maria, January 14, 1856; Charles William, 
 November i, 1863; Catherine Veronica, Oc- 
 tober 19, 1866; and Richard Davis Carroll, 
 January 14, 1868. The first named of these 
 graduated from Holy Cross College, Worces- 
 ter, in 1876, and subsequently studied for 
 three years and a half in Montreal, after 
 which he was duly ordained a priest. He 
 was for three years a curate in Northampton, 
 Mass., and for the last eleven years he has 
 been the pastor of the Fisherville Catholic 
 Church, having also in his charge the mission 
 at Upton. Joanna Maria resides on the home- 
 stead; Catherine Veronica is the wife of Dr. 
 J. J. Duggan, of this town; and Richard 
 Davis Carroll is associated in business with 
 his brother, Charles W. 
 
 Charles William Carroll was in business 
 with his father until the latter sold his gran- 
 ite quarries. Then he was superintendent for 
 the Milford Granite Company for two years. 
 After this he formed a partnership with Mr. 
 Ryan in the clothing business, which was 
 carried on for the next five years in a Main 
 Street store, and is now conducted by the 
 Globe Clothing Company. Although this 
 venture proved most successful, Mr. Carroll 
 became convinced at the end of five years 
 that life indoors was not entirely beneficial to 
 Consequently, deciding to engage in 
 
 him. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 63 
 
 some more healthful occupation, he sold out 
 his interest, and again engaged in the granite 
 industry. After spending a year in the em- 
 ployment of Timothy Shea as superintendent, 
 he opened the extensive quarries which he is 
 now excavating. Mr. Carroll does a most 
 prosperous business, not only fulfilling large 
 contracts, but furnishing rough and cut stone 
 to other contractors. He ships granite to all 
 parts of New England and to customers in 
 New York, and has furnished it for a number 
 of railroad bridges and embankments. 
 
 For several years Mr. Carroll was the chair- 
 man of the Democratic Town Committee, of 
 which he is still a member. In 1894 and 
 1895 he was sent by the town to represent it 
 in the legislature. During his first term 
 there he was a member of the Committee on 
 Public Service, and during his second he 
 served in the Committee on Railroads. Mr. 
 Carroll is an active member of the Catholic 
 Debating Society and a Deputy Grand 
 Knight of the Valencia Council, K. of C. 
 
 "irXANIEL F. FITZGERALD, the 
 I =1 manager and treasurer of the 
 „ J^J Knights of Labor co-operative store 
 at 94 Front Street, Worcester, son 
 of Daniel and Bridget (Walsh) Fitzgerald, 
 was born in Worcester, February 24, 1863. 
 His father, a native of County Kerry, Ireland, 
 emigrated to America in 1850. The family 
 name is an honored one in Ireland, where it 
 has been known since the time of the Anglo- 
 Norman conquest. Although the Fitzgeralds 
 have intermarried somewhat with the Saxon 
 races, they are to-day, it is claimed, a more 
 pure-blooded Celtic family than any other in 
 Ireland. One of its noted members was Lord 
 Edward Fitzgerald, who was an active leader 
 in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. 
 
 After obtaining a practical education in the 
 public schools of his native city, Daniel F. 
 Fitzgerald learned the trade of iron moulder, 
 and subsequently worked at it as a journeyman 
 for about six years. When only twenty-two 
 years of age he was Master Workman of Iron 
 Moulders' Assembly, No. 7073. At about the 
 same time he was prominent among those who 
 
 were making an effort to organize the Worces- 
 ter Central Labor Union. He has occupied 
 his present position of manager and treasurer 
 of the co-operative store for the past eleven 
 years. Since his retirement from political 
 life in 1897, he has given his full time to his 
 business. For so young a man Mr. Fitzger- 
 ald has received a large share of political 
 honors. At the age of twenty-four he was 
 first elected a member of the Common Coun- 
 cil from Ward Four. In this capacity he 
 served his constituents for eight successive 
 years. During a part of that time he was 
 chairman of the committee then known as the 
 Plighways and Sidewalks Committee, and a 
 member of the Committee on Finance for six 
 years. In 1896 he was chosen Alderman, the 
 election having been the first held under the 
 minority representation clause. He served 
 in the Board of Aldermen for one year, in 
 which the contract was placed for the new city 
 hall building, and during which he was a 
 member of the Education and Military Com- 
 mittees and a trustee of the City Hospital. 
 He was influential in securing an appropria- 
 tion for the construction of the boulevard at 
 the Lake, north of the Causeway. Among 
 the benefits derived from this appropriation 
 was the furnishing of labor to many unem- 
 ployed men during the panic of 1893. Mr. 
 Fitzgerald could always be depended upon to 
 support all measures for the public good, and 
 was a strong advocate for the opening of new 
 streets through the congested parts of the 
 city. His political principles are Demo- 
 cratic, and for several years he was a member 
 of the Democratic City Committee. 
 
 Mr. Fitzgerald served for eight years as a 
 call member of the Worcester Fire Depart- 
 ment, being lieutenant of Protective Hose 
 No. 7 for half of that time. For three years 
 he was a member of the Emmet Guards, while 
 they were an independent company; and at 
 the formation of their veteran corps he was 
 chosen the first president, which position he 
 filled for three years. He is a member of 
 Court City of Worcester, Foresters of Amer- 
 ica, of which he has been the secretary, and 
 was Chief Ranger in 1894 and 1895. Since 
 1891 he has been sent as delegate from the 
 
64 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 court to the Grand Court of the State. The 
 Grand Court also chose him as a represent- 
 ative to the Supreme Court, held in Cleve- 
 land in 189s and in Denver in 1897. At the 
 Cleveland session he served as chairman of 
 the Committee on Unwritten Work, and at the 
 Denver he was the chairman of the Commit- 
 -tee on Mileage and per diem. At the present 
 time he is serving in the highest non-elective 
 oifice of the order in the State, that of 
 Deputy Supreme Chief Ranger. At the last 
 convention of the State Court, held in May, 
 1898, he was elected Grand sub-Chief Ranger 
 of the State. He is also a member of the 
 uniformed Foresters, known as the Knights 
 of Sherwood Forest. For two terms he has 
 served the Worcester Conclave as Commander 
 and the Supreme Conclave as Quartermaster- 
 general. Mr. Fitzgerald is likewise a mem- 
 ber of Division No. i, A. O. H., and of the 
 Knights of Robert Emmet. He attends St. 
 John's Catholic Church, of which he has 
 been a devoted member for many years. 
 
 V, Vs IV 
 
 ARREN ELDREDGE MOORE, a 
 veteran agriculturist of Northboro, 
 Mass., was born December 31, 
 18 17, at Berlin, Mass., in the same county of 
 Worcester, being the son of Warren and Han- 
 nah (Carter) Moore. Warren Moore was an 
 industrious and thrifty farmer. He spent his 
 life in the town of Berlin; and, besides being 
 very active in military affairs, he was promi- 
 nent in religious circles and assisted in build- 
 ing the Orthodox church. Both he and his 
 wife died in 1826, before reaching middle 
 age. 
 
 Warren E. Moore was left an orphan when 
 but nine years old, and subsequently lived 
 with relatives in Berlin until he was six- 
 teen. He then came to Northboro, and for 
 seven years thereafter worked as a farm 
 laborer. At the age of twenty-three he 
 bought the original part of his present home- 
 stead, which was then known as the old Hol- 
 land Maynard place. Industrious, energetic, 
 and progressive, he added to the improvements 
 already made, and as time went on bought ad- 
 joining land. He has now a fine farm of one 
 
 hundred acres in a good state of cultivation, 
 the visible result of a half-century of well- 
 directed toil. 
 
 In politics Mr. Moore was formerly an old- 
 line Whig, and since the formation of the Re- 
 publican party he has been one of its firmest 
 supporters. During the progress of the late 
 Civil War he served as Selectman, and he has 
 also ably filled other town offices. He was 
 for many years president of the Northboro 
 Agricultural Society. He has been a con- 
 sistent and valued member of the Orthodox 
 church ever since he was eighteen years of 
 age, and for twenty years has served as Dea- 
 con. He has also been superintendent of the 
 Sunday-school and its librarian. 
 
 Mr. Moore has been twice married. His 
 first wife, Abbie Cutting, of Princeton, Mass., 
 died in 1867, leaving four children, namely: 
 Mary Susan, a successful school teacher, who 
 died at the age of twenty-eight years; Levi 
 Eldridge, now superintendent of the Grafton 
 & Upton Railway; Josiah Lorenzo, a resident 
 of Northboro; and Hannah, wife of De Witt 
 Farwell, of Fitchburg, Mass. Two other 
 children died in infancy. In 1870 Mr. Moore 
 married Emma Newton, of Newfane, Vt. 
 Levi Eldridge Moore has been twice married, 
 and has two sons and two daughters. His 
 first wife was Marcia Kidder and his second 
 Alice Gordon. Josiah L. Moore is married 
 to Miss Etta Adams, of this town. They 
 have four sons, namely: Harry, who was grad- 
 uated from the Northboro High School, and 
 is now in Bates College, Lewiston, Me. ; and 
 Arthur, Robert, and Ernest, who are all at- 
 tending school. A daughter named Clara was 
 drowned at the age of eleven years. 
 
 
 ARREN A. BLAIR, chairman of 
 the Overseers of the Poor at West 
 Brookfield, has been connected with 
 the management of local affairs for many 
 years, and is among the best known and most 
 respected residents of the place. This town, 
 where he was born February 2, 1822, was also 
 the birthplace of his father, Deacon Reuben 
 Blair. Of Scotch extraction, he comes of 
 pioneer stock. His great-grandfather, Robert 
 
WARREN E. MOORE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 67 
 
 Blair, the founder of the family in Worcester 
 County, was one of the earliest settlers of 
 Warren. 
 
 Reuben Blair, Sr., the grandfather of War- 
 ren A., was born in Warren. Soon after 
 coming of age he removed to West Erookfield, 
 and purchased a tract of timber land. Here, 
 after erecting a small log house, he proceeded 
 to hew out a farm from the woods. A man of 
 resolute courage and thorough patriotism, he 
 fought in the great struggle for national inde- 
 pendence, and in his later years he drew a 
 pension for his services in that war. Deacon 
 Reuben Blair, born and brought up on the 
 homestead, helped to clear and otherwise im- 
 prove the place, and in due time succeeded to 
 its possession. He married Patty Smith, who 
 was born in Pomfret, Conn. A woman of 
 strong personality, possessing marked mental 
 and physical vigor, she outlived him by a long 
 period, attaining the notable age of one hun- 
 dred and two years. She was a member of 
 the Congregational Church of West Brook- 
 field, of which her husband was the Deacon 
 for a length of time. 
 
 Having completed his education at the 
 Monson Academy, Warren A. Blair selected 
 farming as his regular occupation, and contin- 
 ued to reside on the homestead. On the 
 death of his father the place became his 
 property, and he was there engaged in gen- 
 eral farming and lumbering until 1868. 
 Then he removed to the village, having dis- 
 posed of the homestead, which is now used as 
 the Town Farm of West Brookfield. He has 
 been an efficient agent as well as a pleased 
 witness of the progress of the town, which has 
 now reached a high state of prosperity. For 
 twenty-four years he has served as Assessor, 
 was for seven years on the Board of Select- 
 men, and for twelve years he has been an 
 Overseer of the Poor, being the chairman of 
 the Overseers for a large part of that time. 
 In politics he supports the Republican party, 
 and he is an influential member of the West 
 Brookfield Farmers' Club. 
 
 On December 26, 1850, Mr. Blair married 
 Mary F. Burgess, who was born in West 
 Springfield, Mass. Her father, Jeremiah 
 Burgess, a native of Springfield, died in the 
 
 prime of manhood, when Mrs. Blair was but 
 fifteen years old. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Catherine Ashley, was born and 
 educated in West Springfield. After surviv- 
 ing him for some time, she died in 1889 at 
 the advanced age of ninety-five years. Of the 
 three children born to Mr. and Mrs. lilair, 
 Frank W. Blair, of Worcester, is the only sur- 
 vivor. Annie F. and Roderick A. died when 
 young. Mr. and Mrs. Blair are active mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. Mr. 
 Blair for twenty-three years has served on 
 the Parish Committee, and Mrs. Blair is a 
 member of the Home Missionary Society. 
 
 §OSEPH MURDOCK, who was formerly 
 the president of the American Card 
 Clothing Company and a representative 
 man of Leicester, was born here, June 
 15, 1818, son of Joshua and Clarissa (Harts- 
 horn) Murdock. He came of .Scotch origin. 
 His great-grandfather, also named Joshua 
 Murdock, was a Sergeant of volunteers during 
 the war of the Revolution. William Mur- 
 dock, of Westminster, son of Joshua, was his 
 grandfather. The father, who was a native of 
 Westminster, Mass., followed cabinet-making 
 in Leicester for many years. The mother was 
 a native of Medfield, Mass. 
 
 Joseph Murdock attended the common 
 schools and subsequently Leicester Academy. 
 He remained in his native town until he was 
 eighteen years of age. Going then to Macon, 
 Ga., he was there engaged as a clerk in a mer- 
 cantile business for a short time. Subse- 
 quently he became a partner in the firm of 
 Bond & Murdock, which existed until 1847. 
 Returning to Leicester in 1848, he formed 
 a partnership with his brother, Joshua Mur- 
 dock, Jr., the firm being known as J. & J. 
 Murdock. An extensive business in the man- 
 ufacture of card clothing was carried on, and 
 the original firm existed until 1890. In that 
 year the business was absorbed by the Ameri- 
 can Card Clothing Company, for which J. & J. 
 Murdock have since been the agents. Mr. 
 Murdock, as the president of the company, 
 was the most important factor in the develop- 
 ment and successful issue of its business 
 
68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 transactions. His long experience as a man- 
 ufacturer gave him a wide knowledge of com- 
 mercial affairs. As the agent of a company 
 which conducts large transactions he had 
 much experience in financial management. 
 He was a director of the Mechanics' National 
 Bank of Worcester and a trustee of Leicester 
 Academy for a long period of years. 
 
 In 1842 Mr. Murdock was united in mar- 
 riage with Julia Carpenter, of Brookfield. 
 Julius O. Murdock, of Leicester, is their only 
 son. Mrs. Murdock died on October 29, 
 1890. In politics Mr. Murdock was a Repub- 
 lican. For a number of years he was Select- 
 man of the town and for some portion of that 
 time the chairman of the board. His first 
 Presidential vote was cast when General Will- 
 iam Henry Harrison was elected. He was a 
 member of the Congregational church in 
 Leicester, and gave liberally toward the support 
 of its various activities. Mr. Murdock fur- 
 nished a notable illustration of a successful 
 business man who won his place in the com- 
 mercial world by his own energy and perse- 
 verance. He died April 19, 1898, after an 
 illness of six weeks, and was buried in Pine 
 Grove Cemetery, Leicester. 
 
 |LI WARREN BATCHELOR, a well- 
 known business man of West Upton, 
 son of Daniel W. and Maria (War- 
 ren) Batchelor, was born in Upton, June 30, 
 1841. His mother was a grand -daughter of 
 Elijah Warren, one of the early settlers of 
 this town and the founder of the old Warren 
 homestead, which may still be seen about a 
 half-mile from West Upton village. Her 
 father. Major Eli Warren, was one of the 
 foremost men of Upton for a half-century 
 and a pioneer in the boot and shoe manufact- 
 uring business here when all the work was 
 done by hand. His shoe shop was opposite 
 the site on which West Upton Hotel now 
 stands. He also kept a large general store. 
 His title of Major was obtained in the State 
 militia during the old training days. Robust 
 in health and of a muscular physique, he took 
 pride in his physical strength. It is related 
 that when past eighty years of age he could 
 
 go into the field with a scythe, and cut as 
 large a swath as any of his men. A solid, re- 
 liable business man, no one in the town was 
 more respected. A man of strong will power, 
 he always said what he meant and meant what 
 he said. It was said of him that his word 
 was as good as his bond, and his bond was as 
 good as gold. Major Warren built a section 
 of the old Worcester and Hartford turnpike, a 
 part of which is still standing. This section, 
 which crossed the meadows near West Upton, 
 on the night before it was to be accepted by 
 the commissioners sank from view into the 
 mud, so that, when the Major awoke in the 
 morning, he found himself thirty thousand 
 dollars poorer than he was when he went to 
 bed the night before. He was a zealous Uni- 
 tarian, and was one of the principal contribu- 
 tors toward the building of the old Unitarian 
 church, since sold to the Catholic society. 
 At his death he left a fund of four thousand 
 dollars to be used for the benefit of the Uni- 
 tarians. 
 
 Having received his education at the High- 
 land Military School, Eli Warren Batchelor 
 began working in his father's boot and shoe 
 factory, which was carried on under the name 
 of D. W. Batchelor & Son until 1879. Then 
 he took charge of the business, and conducted 
 it for five years. Since that time he has been 
 engaged in the coal business in West Upton, 
 also conducting a large dairy and stock farm. 
 
 Mr. Batchelor was married in 1865 to a 
 daughter of William K. Knowlton, the 
 founder of the well-known firm of William 
 K. Knowlton & Sons. Mr. Knowlton, who 
 was closely identified with the industrial de- 
 velopment of Upton, born in Boston on June 
 29, 1809, died in Upton in July, 1886. His 
 father having died while William was yet 
 young, he was apprenticed to a farmer and 
 cooper. At the age of twenty he purchased 
 his time and went to Northbridge, where he 
 began to learn bottoming shoes. Shortly 
 after he formed a partnership, and engaged in 
 the straw business in Upton. Subsequently 
 he carried on the business alone until he re- 
 ceived into partnership his four sons, who 
 have conducted it since his death. Mr. 
 Knowlton was a Representative in the legis- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 69 
 
 latures of 1869 and 1872, and was State Sena- 
 tor in 1878 and 1879. In 1880 he was sent 
 as delegate to the Republican national con- 
 vention. Warmly interested in educational 
 matters, he took an active part in the forma- 
 tion of the Agricultural School at Amherst, 
 and was afterward a trustee and patron of the 
 institution, as well as a donor to the Worces- 
 ter County Free Institute of Industrial Sci- 
 ence at Worcester. He was an incorporator 
 and a director of the National Bank of Upton. 
 The new Unitarian church at West Upton was 
 practically built by him, and he gave five hun- 
 dred dollars to the Upton Town Library. 
 The maiden name of his wife, the mother of 
 Mrs. Batchelor, was Caroline Taft. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Batchelor had one daughter, Carrie, who 
 died six years ago, at the age of twenty-one 
 years. 
 
 lEV. CHARLES P. BLANCHARD, 
 formerly a prominent and influential 
 Ito V resident of Brookfield, was born in 
 Richmond, Ind., March 13, 1843, 
 son of Albert C. and Abby W. (Hitchcock) 
 Blanchard. The father was a native of Brook- 
 field, which for years was the home of the 
 grandfather, Amasa Blanchard ; and the 
 mother was born in West Brookfield. When 
 a young man, Albert went to Richmond, 
 where he became a successful merchant, and 
 for a number of years was the president of a 
 bank in that city. Having acquired a fortune, 
 he returned to his native town, where his last 
 years were spent in retirement; and he died 
 here in the seventies. He left a family of 
 three children: Albert H., of New York 
 City; Abby F., of Philadelphia; and Charles 
 P., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Having been fitted for college at the 
 Groton (Mass.) Academy, Charles P. Blanch- 
 ard graduated from Yale University with the 
 class of 1865 and from the Union Theologi- 
 cal Seminary, New York City, in 1868. After 
 his ordination to the ministry he selected for 
 his field of labor the State of Kansas, where 
 he was engaged in regular pastoral work for 
 some time. Then, returning to New Eng- 
 land, he located permanently in Brookfield. 
 
 For a number of years he was busily engaged 
 in labor of a religious and philanthropic nat- 
 ure, assisting in the establishment and sup- 
 port of churches, and otherwise seeking, with 
 praiseworthy zeal, to improve the facilities 
 for giving religious instruction. For many 
 years he served upon the School Committee, 
 being the chairman of the board for the greater 
 part of the time. The present excellent sys- 
 tem of public education enjoyed by the town 
 is mainly the result of his efforts. As an 
 advocate of temperance and prohibition, his 
 influence was far-reaching; and his indefatiga- 
 ble labor in behalf of the cause was, unques- 
 tionably, the means of securing a no-license 
 vote in this town. His death on January 2, 
 1895, was regarded as a public loss. 
 
 On May 7, 1873, Mr. Blanchard was united 
 in marriage with Annie E. Brown, of West 
 Brookfield, a daughter of Hammond and Roxa 
 (Bemis) Brown, neither of whom is living. 
 Born of the marriage was one daughter, Abby 
 F. Blanchard, who is a graduate of Wellesley 
 College. 
 
 OUIS E. CHASE, of Sutton, a mem- 
 ber of the D. T. Dudley & Son Com- 
 pany, manufacturers of shuttles and 
 shuttle irons, was born in Saunders- 
 ville, Mass., April 22, 1859, son of Daniel 
 M. and Melissa E. (Simmons) Chase. Mem- 
 bers of the Sutton family were among the 
 early settlers of what is now Millbury, Mass., 
 the portion that was set off from the town of 
 Sutton, and in which the family resided for 
 several generations. Paul Chase, grandfather 
 of Louis E., married Sarah Pierce, of West 
 Millbury. They had eight children, of whom 
 six grew to maturity, four sons and two daugh- 
 ters. George and Lewis died in 1828, aged 
 from ten to twelve years. George L., who is 
 the president of the Hartford Fire Insurance 
 Company, resides in Hartford, Conn. David B. 
 resides in West Winsted, Conn. Hannah is 
 the wife of Perley B. Whipple, and resides in 
 Alton, 111. Paul Chase died in 1870, aged 
 seventy-nine; and his widow died in 1884, 
 aged ninety-four, a remarkably well-preserved 
 woman to the last. Daniel M. Chase, born 
 
7° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 July 25, 1832, on the old farm in Millbury, 
 was a mechanic and in the same line of busi- 
 ness as his son. His wife, Melissa E., was 
 a native of Sutton. 
 
 Louis E. Chase, the only child of his par- 
 ents, is a graduate of the Millbury High 
 School. At the age of twenty he began an 
 apprenticeship with his father at the trade of 
 shuttle-maker, in which he has since been suc- 
 cessfully engaged. Previous to the incorpo- 
 ration of the D. T. Dudley & Son Company in 
 1894, Mr. Chase worked as a skilled mechanic 
 for the firm of D. T. Dudley & Sons. The 
 business was established by D. T. Dudley 
 over half a century ago. He died in 1896, 
 aged seventy-six. Since the incorporation of 
 the present firm, Mr. Chase has been at the 
 head of the iron work department. He is a 
 thoroughly practical man, and his faithful at- 
 tendance to business is the secret of his suc- 
 cess and the prosperity of the company. 
 
 On September 5, 1883, Mr. Chase was 
 united in marriage with Augusta Houghton, 
 a daughter of Joel and Julia (Parker) Hough- 
 ton, of Sutton, both of whom are now de- 
 ceased. The father was a grain dealer and 
 miller. They had six children, three sons 
 and three daughters, of whom two sons and 
 two daughters are living. The union of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Chase has been blessed by the birth 
 of two sons: Daniel Moody, born May 16, 
 1890; and Wellington Houghton, born May 
 24, 1892. The older son is the fifth Daniel 
 in ten generations. The family resides in 
 Wilkinsonville, in the house which Mr. Chase 
 erected in 1893. While Mr. Chase is a Re- 
 publican, he votes for the candidate that in 
 his judgment is best fitted for the office. In 
 religious belief he is an Episcopalian. His 
 father was for many years a warden of the 
 church, and he has been its treasurer since 
 1880. 
 
 OHN MARSH WHITE, proprietor of 
 the Tourtelotte House in Millbury, son 
 of Russell and Lydia (Marsh) White, 
 was born in Oxford, Mass., December 
 17, 1837. This family, which is descended 
 from old English stock, were early settlers 
 
 of Rhode Island, and dwelt there for several 
 generations. Russell White, born in Rhode 
 Island in 1790, was a carpenter by trade, and 
 followed that calling throughout the early 
 years of his life. His last days were spent 
 on his farm of seventy-five acres in Oxford, 
 Mass., where he died in 1854. He was twice 
 married, successively to Hannah Buffum and 
 Lydia Marsh. The latter, born in Dudley, 
 Mass., after surviving him nineteen years, 
 died in 1873, sixty years of age. He had 
 fourteen children, seven by each wife. 
 
 John Marsh White, only son of Russell 
 White by the second wife, was sixteen years 
 old when his father died. He received a dis- 
 trict-school education. When but fourteen 
 years old the responsibility of conducting the 
 farm devolved upon him owing to his father's 
 poor health. After carrying it on until his 
 majority, the property was sold. He began 
 his hotel career as a helper in the Regatta 
 House, Boston, and was next in the Atlantic 
 House, Chelsea Beach, where he was general 
 utility man for four years. Following that 
 he spent eleven years in Worcester, five years 
 as a hack driver and six years in the hack 
 and livery business. About the time of his 
 marriage he became the owner and landlord of 
 the Tourtelotte House, an ancient landmark 
 of Millbury. It has been a tavern for one 
 hundred years, was known for forty-two years 
 of that time as the Tourtelotte House, and 
 for twenty-two years it has been under the 
 able management of Mr. White. Having 
 made a wide reputation as a homelike, com- 
 fortable, and well-kept house, it is a favorite 
 stopping-place for travellers. Mr. White is 
 a model landlord. He has ten horses at the 
 present time, all of them of well-bred stock. 
 He is also very fond of the chase, and keeps 
 eighteen hounds, about half of which are pup- 
 pies, having had as many as thirty-five. The 
 oldest dog, Logan, seven years old, has taken 
 many prizes, including four first and two 
 second prizes at one trial. In the bench 
 show at North Acton, Logan and his puppies 
 took six prizes, four first, one second, and one 
 third. It won the American field cup in the 
 Brunswick field trial, its record being first for 
 speed, first for trailing, first for style, first for 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 73 
 
 barking, second for endurance, and third for 
 hunting. He started and killed his fox in an 
 hour and forty minutes. He has been the 
 fastest fox dog in New England. Mr. White 
 paid one hundred and fifty dollars for him in 
 Kentucky. 
 
 In the winter of 1876 Mr. White was mar- 
 ried to Louisa Tourtelotte, daughter of 
 Charles and Sarah (Woodbury) Tourtelotte. 
 Mr. Tourtelotte purchased this hotel in 1856, 
 and conducted it until his death in 1874. 
 Mrs. Tourtelotte has also passed away. Mrs. 
 White lost her only sister. She has two 
 brothers living, one- in Worcester and the 
 other in Millbury. Mabel White, a young 
 lady of musical ability and the only daughter 
 of Mr. and Mrs. White, lives at home. 
 
 "ON. WILLIAM ROBINSON HILL, 
 late an influential and esteemed citi- 
 zen of Worcester County, a man of 
 rare virtues and graces of character. 
 State Senator in 1862-63, was born February 
 lo, 1815, in Douglas, Mass., and died Novem- 
 ber 19, 1887, at his home in Wilkinsonville, 
 town of Sutton, where for forty-eight years he 
 had been engaged in business as a merchant, 
 and for thirty years had been Postmaster. 
 He was a son of Deacon Micah and Sally 
 (Marsh) Hill, and was of the eighth genera- 
 tion in this country from John Hill, who was 
 a Plymouth Colony settler before 1632, be- 
 came a member of the Boston Artillery Com- 
 pany in 1633, and died in 1664. 
 
 Captain Ephraim Hill, son of Samuel, 
 grandson of John Hill, Jr., and great-grand- 
 son of John Hill, was the first settled inhabi- 
 tant of the town of Douglas, and died there in 
 1795, 't is said at the age of one hundred and 
 seven years, having been born in Sherborn in 
 1688. His son Caleb, a native of Medway, 
 for thirty years a Deacon of the church at 
 Douglas, was father of Lieutenant Moses, 
 who married September 20, 1780, Dinah 
 Robinson. Deacon Micah Hill was a son of 
 this couple. He was born in Douglas, Sep- 
 tember 27, 1787, was married to Sally Marsh, 
 daughter of Aaron and Sarah (Fuller) Marsh, 
 in 1809, and died June 20, 1836, survived by 
 
 his wife and six sons, the third of whom was 
 William R., an account of whose useful and 
 beneficent life is here condensed from a 
 printed memorial volume. 
 
 He began work at the age of twelve years 
 in the store of his uncle, Benjamin Cragin, at 
 East Douglas, where he was employed two 
 years, but with the privilege of attending 
 school during its sessions. In 1829 he was 
 for some months in the store of the Manchaug 
 Manufacturing Company, and after that he 
 held various clerkships at New Worcester, 
 Wilkinsonville, and Uxbridge till 1836, 
 when he took up his abode at Wilkinsonville, 
 being associated in mercantile business with 
 James L. Dudley. His partner dying in 
 1844, Mr. Hill continued to carry on the busi- 
 ness till December, 1884. During the same 
 forty-eight years he was book-keeper and pay- 
 master for the Sutton Manufacturing Com- 
 pany. For the twenty-three years previous to 
 his death he was a director of the Grafton Na- 
 tional Bank and for the last ten years presi- 
 dent of the Millbury Savings Bank. 
 
 A Republican in politics, thoroughly pa- 
 triotic and public-spirited, he served in the 
 leading town offices, was sent to the State 
 legislature in 1861 as a member of the House, 
 and in 1862 and 1863 as a Senator. Abstain- 
 ing from the use of intoxicants and tobacco, 
 he was deeply interested in temperance work, 
 and for several years was president of the 
 Worcester County (South) Temperance Union. 
 He inherited musical talent, which he sedu- 
 lously cultivated, for many years giving in- 
 struction to singing classes, and serving as 
 choir leader and tenor soloist of the West 
 Church in Grafton nearly fifty years. His 
 musical taste, it is said, was excellent, his 
 power of expression unusual. For fourteen 
 years he ably discharged the duties of the 
 president of the Worcester County Musical 
 Association, inaugurating an unprecedented 
 career of progress and prosperity. Descended 
 from a God-fearing ancestry, reared by pious 
 parents, he made a public confession of faith 
 in Christ when seventeen years of age, uniting 
 with the Congregational church at Uxbridge, 
 and ever remained a consistent, prayerful fol- 
 lower of the Master, meekly studying the 
 
74 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 divine word, and liberally devoting his means 
 and powers to noble service, a generous giver 
 to the cause of religion and all Christian 
 benevolence. He was actively interested in 
 Sunday-school work, and at two different 
 periods served as superintendent. Of the 
 Congregational church at Grafton, of which he 
 was a member forty-five years, he was at the 
 time of his death senior officer. He was ever 
 a cordial supporter of home and foreign mis- 
 sions, and it was his delight to assist earnest, 
 promising young men of slender resources, 
 pursuing with difficulty the paths of higher 
 learning. 
 
 His business qualities whereby he gained 
 such honorable distinction in financial circles 
 were even more than equalled by the gentler 
 virtues of the Christian character, whose pos- 
 session he illustrated no less conspicuously in 
 the secular than he did in the religious 
 sphere. His motto was strict integrity in all 
 the relations of life. He was not simply an 
 honest man, he was more. He was as solici- 
 tous for the pecuniary good of those with whom 
 he dealt as he was for his own interests, fre- 
 quently sacrificing, in fact, opportunities for 
 legitimate profit to himself in his unselfish 
 regard for the interests of others. Home was 
 to him the dearest place, and it was in the 
 home circle that the graces of the man shone 
 brightest. His was an active and well-spent 
 life, his energetic spirit leaving no hour un- 
 employed; and by patient, persevering indus- 
 try, prudence, and good judgment he achieved 
 success. Promptness was considered by him 
 as one of the cardinal virtues, and his, pres- 
 ence could always be relied upon at the time 
 appointed. He was very methodical, and al- 
 ways met and faithfully discharged every obli- 
 gation. He was generous to his opponents, 
 considerate of his friends, but in that gener- 
 osity and consideration was never known to 
 countenance questionable public or private 
 action. Willing at all times to counsel with 
 those who sought his advice, he never in- 
 truded his opinions upon others. To those 
 in distress through misfortune he gave gen- 
 erously, never refusing an appeal and often 
 quietly seeking out those in trouble. "He 
 was the soul of honor, his life immaculate in 
 
 its purity, his simple word in commercial cir- 
 cles a bond as good as gold." It has been 
 well said: "The loss of one who so fully 
 realized the ideal of manly worth and Chris- 
 tian character is not to be measured in words. 
 The eulogy that calls for m.ental reservation 
 or abatement does not belong to him. Con- 
 fidently can all who knew him in any degree 
 subscribe to the highest estimate of those who 
 knew him best." 
 
 Mr. Hill was married May 21, 1839, to 
 Miss Emily B. Wheelock, daughter of Captain 
 Francis Wheelock, of Sturbridge. Two of 
 the four daughters born of this union — Laura 
 A. Fiske and Emily Frances — died in child- 
 hood, and two — Caroline Wheelock and Ellen 
 Agnes — with their mother survive. Ellen 
 Agnes is the wife of Albert L. Fisher, of 
 Fisherville, a sketch of whom follows. 
 
 (aJVLBERT LABAN FISHER, Postmas- 
 /-^ ter and leading merchant at Fisher- 
 yj|j,\ ville, his native place, in the town 
 of Grafton, Mass., was born March 
 10, 1846, son of Erastus and Mary F. 
 (Dresser) Fisher. He completed his educa- 
 tion at the high school in Worcester, and at 
 twenty-one years of age became a member of 
 the well-known manufacturing firm of E. 
 Fisher & Sons, and was superintendent of the 
 Fisherville Mills till 1876, when he took 
 charge of the store, of which he subsequently 
 became the owner, having sold his interest in 
 the manufacturing business. As a dealer in 
 general merchandise he keeps a varied and ex- 
 tensive stock, answering to the miscellaneous 
 needs of a large community, and employs sev- 
 eral clerks. 
 
 He was Selectman of the town in 1885 and 
 1886, and was Representative to the General 
 Court in 1888, the district that sent him in- 
 cluding the towns of Northboro, Berlin, 
 Shrewsbury, Westboro, and Grafton. Serv- 
 ing on the committee on Prisons, during his 
 ofificial term he visited every penal institution 
 in the State. Since 1882 he has been Post- 
 master at Fisherville, having received his ap- 
 pointment from President Arthur. He has 
 been a Mason since 1868, and is a member of 
 
ALBERT L. FISHER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 75 
 
 Franklin Lodge of Grafton, Tyrian Royal 
 Arch Chapter of Millbury, and Worcester 
 Commandery, K. T., of Worcester. He is a 
 director of the Grafton National Bank, a trus- 
 tee of the Grafton Savings Bank, and a di- 
 rector and also one of the Security Committee 
 of the Grafton Co-operative Bank, his superior 
 financial ability contributing in large measure 
 to the prosperity and success of these institu- 
 tions. 
 
 He was married November 22, 1871, to 
 Ellen A. Hill, daughter of the late Hon. 
 William R. Hill, of Sutton, whose biography 
 precedes the present sketch. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Fisher have one daughter, Carrie Emily. She 
 was married October 5, 1892, to Walter L. 
 Mellen, of Worcester, a building contractor, 
 in partnership with his father, Henry Mellen. 
 The two children born of this union are: Al- 
 bert Fisher Mellen and his sister, Dorothy 
 Mellen. 
 
 lOBERT HORACE CHAMBER- 
 LAIN, High Sheriff of Worcester 
 County and one of the most re- 
 spected of Worcester's citizens, 
 was born in this city, June 16, 1838. A son 
 o-f Thomas and Hannah (Blair) Chamberlain, 
 he is of the sixth generation descended from 
 William Chamberlain, who was born in 1620, 
 probably in England, and who is known to 
 have resided in Woburn from 1653 until his 
 death, which occurred in 1706, at the age of 
 eighty-six years. This ancestor was one of 
 the first settlers of that place. His son, 
 Jacob, born in Billerica in 1657, was the 
 father of a second Jacob, born in Medford in 
 1691, whose son, a third Jacob, born in New- 
 towne (now Cambridge) on November 28, 
 1719, was the great-grandfather of Sheriff 
 Chamberlain. 
 
 Sheriff Chamberlain's grandfather, John 
 Chamberlain, who was born in Worcester on 
 July 22, 1745, died here in 1813. He mar- 
 ried Mary Curtis, who was born here on Octo- 
 ber 14, 1747, and died in 18 18. She was a 
 daughter of Captain John and Elizabeth Cur- 
 tis. Both she and her husband are buried in 
 Rural Cemetery, Worcester. They were the 
 
 parents of six children — -John, Henry, Levi, 
 Thomas, Dolly, and Mary. The three first 
 named of these were college graduates. John 
 was an able attorney in Albion, N.Y., where 
 he died in 1834, at the age of sixty-two. 
 Henry, also a lawyer, who settled in Mobile, 
 Ala., won distinction on the bench of the Su- 
 preme Court in that State, and died in 1855, 
 leaving one son. Levi settled in Keene, 
 N.H., where he made an enviable name as a 
 lawyer. Dolly, who never married, born in 
 1792, died in 1885 at the age of ninety-three. 
 Mary married Daniel Greenleaf. Thomas 
 Chamberlain, who was born on March 6, 
 1783, was twice married. His first wife, in 
 maidenhood Nancy Woods, was a native of 
 Groton. She died in 1831, having been the 
 mother of eight children, four sons and four 
 daughters, all of whom grew to maturity. His 
 second marriage was contracted in 1833 with 
 Hannah Blair, of Worcester, a daughter of 
 Captain Robert and Elizabeth Blair. The 
 children of this union were: Dolly Curtis 
 Chamberlain, who died in 1872, at the age of 
 thirty-nine; Thomas, born in 1835, who is 
 now in the State National Bank of Boston; 
 and Robert H. Chamberlain, the subject of 
 this biography. 
 
 Robert Horace Chamberlain's education 
 was obtained in the public schools of Worces- 
 ter and at Westfield Academy. In August, 
 1862, he enlisted as a volunteer in Company 
 A of the Fifty-first Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Infantry, under Captain Edwin A. Wood. 
 After a year's active service in the North 
 Carolina campaign he returned to Worces- 
 ter, raised Company F for the Sixtieth 
 Massachusetts Regiment, and went back to 
 the front as its Captain. He was subse- 
 quently in Indianapolis, where there were 
 some five thousand prisoners. After return- 
 ing home he recruited a militia company, of 
 which he was first Captain, then Major at 
 the end of a year, and Colonel at the end of 
 two years. On December 31, 1868, he was 
 made Brigadier-general, which command he 
 held for seven years. Since 1876 he has not 
 been connected with the militia. 
 
 In politics General Chamberlain is a Repub- 
 lican, For two years he occupied a seat in 
 
76 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Common Council, and for eighteen years 
 he was superintendent of the sewer depart- 
 ment. His first election to the office of 
 Sheriff occurred in 1892, and in 1895 he was 
 re-elected for a term of three years. A 
 thirty-second degree Mason, he is a Past 
 Commander of the local Knights Templar, 
 and in 1892 he was Grand Commander of the 
 Knights Templar of Massachusetts and Rhode 
 Island. He is also a member of the Loyal 
 Legion, of the Hancock Social Club, and of 
 the G. A. R. For three years he was the 
 president of the Mechanics' Association. In 
 religious faith he is a Congregationalist, and 
 he is a member and trustee of Union Congre- 
 gational Church in \^''orcester. On January 
 10, 1S65, he was married to Esther Browning, 
 of Hubbardston, Mass. His children are: 
 Flora, the wife of Charles B. Wetherby, of 
 this city; and Mabel Susan, who is a teacher 
 in the public schools of the city. Both 
 daughters are graduates of the Worcester Nor- 
 mal School. 
 
 (s>rLBERT E. SMITH, the chairman of 
 fcliJ Leicester's Board of Selectmen and 
 yJIgV an extensive woollen manufacturer 
 — in Cherry Valley, was born Octo- 
 ber 10, 1844, in Blackstone, Worcester 
 County, son of Channing Smith. Channing 
 Smith, who was a native of Killingly, Conn., 
 learned the trade of a dyer, and spent his 
 active career in the town of Blackstone, 
 Mass., where he was for half a century one of 
 the leading men. A man of superior intelli- 
 gence, he was a warm supporter of Garrison, 
 Phillips, and other opponents of slavery. 
 With his able coadjutor, Caleb Thayer, of 
 Blackstone, the father of the late Judge Adin 
 Thayer, of Worcester, he assisted many a poor 
 slave to a place of safety. He served his 
 town in the various local offices, and in 1863 
 represented his district at the General Court, 
 where he was a supporter of Charles Sumner 
 for United States Senator. He was an expert 
 dyer, especially skilled in the use of indigo 
 blue, having a reputation in that line that ex- 
 tended throughout the United States. He 
 was selected to dye the cloth from which a 
 
 suit of clothes presented to Henry Clay was 
 made. He also dyed the cloth of which were 
 made the clothes worn by William Henry 
 Harrison at his inauguration as President. 
 His death occurred in Blackstone in 1878. 
 He married Eliza Beebe, who was born in 
 Salem, Mass. She was a daughter of William 
 and Grace (Claghorn) Beebe and a grand- 
 daughter of Colonel George Claghorn. The 
 latter served in the Revolution, first as a pri- 
 vate at the battle of Bunker Hill, where he 
 was wounded, and afterward successively as 
 First Lieutenant, Major, and Colonel. In 
 1794, when Congress passed an act to provide 
 a "naval armament," Colonel Claghorn, as 
 naval constructor and contractor, was given 
 the charge of building the frigate "Constitu- 
 tion," the work being done at Ballard & 
 Hart's yard in Boston, under his supervision, 
 with Edmund Hart as master mechanic. 
 
 Albert E. Smith left the district school of 
 Blackstone when a boy of twelve years, to 
 begin work in a woollen-mill. Two years 
 later he went into the dye-house to learn the 
 trade of a dyer. There he manifested such 
 skill in the work that at the age of sixteen 
 he was intrusted with the charge of the dye- 
 ing department of one of the large woollen- 
 mills of his native town. When but eighteen 
 years old he accepted an offer of eighteen hun- 
 dred dollars per annum as superintendent of 
 the dyeing department of the Millville Manu- 
 facturing Company at Millville, Mass., where 
 he remained two years. He subsequently 
 spent a short time in a wool store in New 
 York City, whence in 1865 he came to 
 Cherry Valley as superintendent of the wool- 
 len-mill of G. N. & J. A. Smith, at the same 
 time having an interest in the business. 
 During the eleven years in which he was thus 
 employed, the business increased rapidly. 
 Since 1876, when he bought out the other 
 stockholders, he has continued the original 
 work of manufacturing woollen goods with 
 undisputed success. 
 
 Mr. Smith is one of the leading politicians 
 of Leicester, and exerts" a good influence in 
 town and county affairs. He has given effi- 
 cient service as a member of the School Com- 
 mittee, Overseer of the Poor, and Selectman, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 77 
 
 and has been largely instrumental in having 
 five miles of macadamized State road built 
 in Leicester. In June, 1896, he represented 
 the Third Congressional District of the Bay 
 State in the national Republican convention, 
 and had the honor of being the only Massa- 
 chusetts delegate that voted for the nomina- 
 tion of McKinley as the Presidential candi- 
 date. On September 10, 1867, Mr. Smith 
 married Miss Anjeanette, daughter of John 
 and Adaline (Smith) Kenney, of Douglas, 
 Mass. Their children are: Channing, now 
 the proprietor of the Valley Woollen Mills at 
 Cherry Valley and the treasurer and manager 
 of the Chapell Mills Manufacturing Company 
 in the same place; and Edith K., the wife of 
 Guy C. Whidden, of Worcester, Mass. 
 
 G)s)~rRGEL JACQUES, a successful con- 
 /^\ tractor and builder and one of the 
 VJI , most prominent French Canadian 
 
 citizens of Worcester, was born in 
 Contrecoeur, P. Q., April 28, 1849, son of 
 Colonel Oliver and Mary Emerance (Desma- 
 rais) Jacques. His parents were natives of 
 Canada and descendants of French pioneers. 
 The father, born in August, 1815, who be- 
 came a soldier in the British service and rose 
 to the rank of Colonel, owned and cultivated 
 a farm. The first death in the family, which 
 occupied one house for fifty-two years, was 
 that of the father, who passed away August 
 13, 1897. The mother, although eighty- 
 three years old, is remarkably bright and 
 active. 
 
 Urgel Jacques attended the common schools 
 until he was thirteen years old, and assisted 
 his father in farming until sixteen. He then 
 entered upon his apprenticeship at the carpen- 
 ter's trade, under an agreement by which he 
 was to receive six dollars for his services in 
 the first year, twelve dollars for those of the 
 second, and twenty-four for those of the third. 
 However, at the end of the second year he 
 paid fifty dollars for his release, or eight 
 dollars more than he would have got for 
 the three years. On July 21, 1869, young 
 Jacques arrived in Worcester, where all were 
 strangers to him. For a time he was em- 
 
 ployed here by a man named Johnson, from 
 whom he never received his pay. Then, after 
 travelling about for a year, he worked for 
 Norcross Brothers some two years, and for 
 the succeeding ten years was in the employ 
 of H. W. Eddy, acting as foreman for eight 
 years of that period. In April, 1882, he 
 engaged in business for himself. Having 
 begun on a limited scale, the business now 
 demands the employment of one hundred 
 and twenty-five men. His first contract of 
 importance was the railroad building on Front 
 Street, five stories high. He also built the 
 Swedish Lutheran Church, the Brideside 
 Block on King Street, the Sugden business 
 block in Spencer, the Winslow Skate Manu- 
 factory, the Winslow residence, and several 
 other dwellings, the Nikerson Block at Leo- 
 minster Centre; and he has completed con- 
 tracts in Boston and in the State of New 
 Hampshire. Besides his residence at 4 Wall 
 Street, which he erected in 1884, he owns 
 four houses of three tenements each and a 
 building on Grafton Street containing two 
 stores. 
 
 On February 12, 1872, Mr. Jacques was 
 united in marriage with Mary Eveline Chan- 
 donnet, of St. John, Deschaillon, P.Q. Mrs. 
 Jacques has been the mother of nineteen chil- 
 dren, five of whom are living, namely: 
 L. D. O. Jacques, M.D., now of Brattleboro, 
 Vt., who completed his early education in 
 Ottawa, and pursued his medical studies at 
 the Laval University, Quebec; Mary Evelyn 
 Corrinne, who acquired a convent and busi- 
 ness education, kept her father's books for 
 four years, and is now a member of a religious 
 order, under the name of Sister Mary St. 
 Adrien; Joseph H. U. Jacques, who pursued a 
 commercial course at the Ottawa University, 
 is a good mechanic and architect, and works 
 for his father; Mary Erminie Anna, who was 
 graduated from Hinman's Business College in 
 stenography, typewriting, and book-keeping; 
 and Mary Alexina, who was the sixteenth- 
 born, and is now nine years old. Mr. Jacques 
 is a member of the Board of Trade, and for 
 eight years has been a director of the Equity 
 Co-operative Bank. He is a member and a 
 trustee of the Benevolent Order of Elks, and 
 
78 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 belongs to the Agricultural Society, the Me- 
 chanics' Association, the St. Jean Baptiste 
 Society, the Ward Three French Naturaliza- 
 tion Club, and several other organizations. 
 The family attend St. Joseph's Roman Catho- 
 lic Church. 
 
 Bigelow, 
 scended 
 
 'ILAS H. BIGELOW, a leading 
 farmer of North Brookfield, was 
 born here, November 6, 1821. A 
 son of John and Betsey (Maynard) 
 he is of the fourth generation de- 
 from Deacon Jason Bigelow, who 
 was the founder of the family in this district. 
 His earlier aacestors were English. Deacon 
 Jason came here from Marlboro in 1737, 
 settling on the farm which has ever since 
 been owned in the family. One of the 
 founders and a leading member of the First 
 Congregational Church, he was widely known 
 in the denomination as Deacon Bigelow. 
 His son Jason was born after the family 
 came to North Brookfield. John Bigelow, 
 also born here, was a farmer and a highly re- 
 spected man in the town. He served his fel- 
 low-townsmen as Assessor, was Selectman 
 for two years, and in the early thirties repre- 
 sented the town in the General Court. His 
 death occurred on October 34, 1872. His 
 wife, Betsey, was a native of Hubbardston, 
 Mass. Of the children born to them, three 
 are living, namely: John S., who is in Marl- 
 boro; Silas H., the subject of this sketch; 
 and Sumner S., who resides in North Brook- 
 field. 
 
 Silas H. Bigelow has always made his home 
 in his native town, and has been a lifelong 
 farmer. His estate embraces over a hundred 
 acres of land, all in an excellent state of cul- 
 tivation. For the last quarter of a century he 
 has carried on a milk business, having a milk 
 route in the village. Formerly he dealt in 
 wood, buying the standing timber and cut- 
 ting it for sales. Although he has been 
 warmly interested in town affairs, he has not 
 cared to be an office-holder, preferring a life 
 free from public duties. However, for a num- 
 ber of years he was Assessor for the town. 
 In politics he is a Democrat. While he is 
 
 not a member of any church body, he contrib- 
 utes liberally to the support of religious work. 
 Mr. Bigelow was married in 1845, April 
 29, to Clarissa A. Cole, who was born in 
 Shutesbury, daughter of Reuben and Abigail 
 Cole, of that town. Mrs. Bigelow, who was 
 devoted to her home and family and a most 
 lovable woman, died on June 15, 1897, after 
 more than a half-century of wedded life. Of 
 her eight children, four are living. These 
 are: Mary A., who is the wife of George A. 
 Jenks; Abbie H., the wife of Martin L. 
 Crawford, of Spencer; Jane M. ; and Warren. 
 
 rmc 
 
 EORGE A. BROWN, M.D., super- 
 \ il intendent of the School for Feeble- 
 minded Youth at Barre, Worcester 
 County, Mass., was born in this town, April 
 18, 1858, son of Dr. George and Catherine 
 (Wood) Brown. He is a descendant in the 
 eighth generation of Thomas and Bridget 
 Brown, who arrived from England and settled 
 in Concord, Mass., in 1638. Thomas Brown 
 died November 3, 1688. From him the line 
 continues through Thomas, second, born in 
 Concord in 1651, Ephraim, born April 21, 
 1689, Thomas, third, born December 26, 
 1720, and Jonas, born December 15, 1752, 
 to Ephraim Brown, Dr. Brown's grandfather, 
 born in Temple, N. H., July 13, 1790. 
 
 Ephraim Brown settled in Wilton, N.H., 
 where he followed the carpenter's trade in 
 connection with farming. He had much me- 
 chanical ingenuity, and in 1838 he invented 
 a threshing machine, which much resembles 
 those in use at the present time. He was one 
 of the most prominent men of Wilton in his 
 day, taking an active interest in all matters of 
 public importance. He was a member of the 
 Unitarian church. Politically, he was a 
 Whig. He died in Wilton, December 11, 
 1840. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Sarah King, was born in Wilton, November 
 9, 1797- She died in 1887, aged ninety 
 years. Their children were: Sarah M., who 
 was born November 7, 18 17, and died Decem- 
 ber 2, 1 818; Ephraim, Jr., born October i, 
 1819, now living in Lowell, Mass.; Abigail 
 K., born December 9, 1821, who died Decern- 
 
GEORCK A. ];R0\VN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8i 
 
 ber 29, 1824; Dr. George Brown, above 
 named, who was born in Wilton, N.H., Octo- 
 ber II, 1823, and wlio died at Barre, May 6, 
 1892; Sumner, born September 5, 1825, who 
 died October 30, 1827; Abigail M., born 
 July 28, 1828, died July 17, 1852; Diantha 
 B., born February i, 1831, now residing in 
 Barre; and Erastus, born March 5, 1834, who 
 is no longer living. 
 
 Dr. George Brown, father of the present 
 Dr. Brown of Barre, was fitted for college at 
 Phillips Academy, Andover; was graduated 
 from Burlington College, Vt. ; began the 
 study of medicine with Dr. Norman Smith, of 
 Groton, Mass. ; matriculated at the Jefferson 
 Medical College, Philadelphia; and was grad- 
 uated from the medical department of the 
 University of New York. In 1850 he located 
 himself for practice in Barre, and the follow- 
 ing year became so deeply interested in a pri- 
 vate school for feeble-minded youth, then re- 
 cently established by Dr. Hervey Wilbur, 
 that he decided to take upon himself the pro- 
 prietorship and superintendency, which from 
 that time forward constituted his life work. 
 New quarters were soon provided, a splendid 
 estate of two hundred and fifty acres, situated 
 at an altitude of one thousand feet above sea 
 level, being utilized for the purpose; and by 
 the inauguration of a system of manual and 
 mental training, conceived by the philan- 
 thropic physician and his intellectual wife, 
 who became equally devoted to the cause, this 
 retreat rose from a small beginning to be the 
 largest private institution of its kind in the 
 United States. Aside from the care of the 
 school the Doctor was actively interested in 
 the welfare and prosperity of the town and its 
 public institutions, taking the necessary meas- 
 ures for the planting of trees in the parks, and 
 otherwise beautifying its surroundings. 
 
 He was one of the founders of the library 
 and of the Glen Valley Cemetery Association, 
 being president of the former until his death; 
 and all other movements instigated for the 
 benefit of the general community were sure of 
 receiving his hearty co-operation and support. 
 He was especially devoted to educational mat- 
 ters, and for a number of years rendered valu- 
 able assistance to the town as a member of the 
 
 School Board. He was for years one of the 
 leading members of the Congregational 
 church, and contributed liberally toward its 
 support. Originally a Whig in politics, he 
 joined the ranks of the Republican party at its 
 formation. 
 
 On November i, 1850, he married Catharine 
 Wood, born in Groton, June 13, 1827, daugh- 
 ter of Artemas and Susan (Barber) Wood, 
 Madam Catharine W. Brown, who for the past 
 forty years has labored diligently for the wel- 
 fare of the feeble-minded children under her 
 charge, is a descendant of William Wood, an 
 Englishman, who settled in Concord, Mass., 
 in 1638, and died there in 1671. Her ances- 
 try is traced through William's son Michael, 
 who died in 1674, Michael's son John, who 
 died January 3, 1729, John Wood, second, 
 who was born September 13, 1680, and died 
 July 12, 1746, and his son, Ensign John 
 Wood, born March i, 17 16, who died in 
 Mason, N. H., December 12, 1785, to Colonel 
 James Wood, her grandfather, an officer in the 
 New Hampshire militia, who was born No- 
 vember 4, 1755, and died July 31, 1831. 
 Artemas Wood, Madam Brown's father, was 
 born in Mason, N.H., August 9, 1791. Set- 
 tling in Groton, Mass., he was for many years 
 engaged in mercantile business, and later be- 
 came a trusted official of the Worcester & 
 Nashua Railroad Company, acting as station 
 agent for some time. He married Susan 
 Barber, and became the father of seven chil- 
 dren, namely: Artemas, Jr.; Emily; Eliza- 
 beth; Samuel P.; Catharine, now Madam 
 Brown; Jonathan A.; and Marcella. Mr. 
 Artemas Wood died June 30, 1866. The late 
 Dr. George Brown left one son, George A., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 George A. Brown pursued his preparatory 
 studies at Phillips Academy, Andover, was 
 graduated from Yale in the class of 1880 and 
 from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 
 New York City, in 1883. He has also taken 
 supplementary courses in nervous diseases. 
 Since 1883 he has been closely identified with 
 the School for Feeble-minded, becoming its 
 official head after his father's death. He 
 gives his entire time to its management, earn- 
 estly striving to irnprove the system, which he 
 
82 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 has succeeded in a great measure in accom- 
 plishing. There are at the present time 
 seventy pupils under his charge. Dr. Brown 
 is a member of the State and County Medical 
 Societies, the Brookfield Medical Club, and 
 the New England Psychological Club, and is 
 president of the Association of Superintend- 
 ents of Schools for Feeble-minded Yoiith. 
 He is actively concerned in matters of public 
 interest, being president of the Library Asso- 
 ciation; vice-president and treasurer of the 
 Glen Valley Cemetery Association; president 
 of and the largest stockholder in the Barre 
 Water Works, which he was mainly instru- 
 mental in establishing; and the vice-president 
 of the Village Improvement Society, organ- 
 ized for increasing and maintaining the at- 
 tractiveness of the town. 
 
 On May i8, 1887, Dr. Brown was united in 
 marriage with Susan E. Barnum, born in 
 Bethel, Conn., daughter of Edmund R. and 
 Maria (Durant) Barnum. Dr. and Mrs. 
 Brown have three children living, namely: 
 George P., born April 17, 1888; Catharine 
 D., born September 17, 1889; Donald R., 
 born April 13, 1895. A daughter, Susan, 
 born January 7, 1898, died same day. 
 
 In politics the Doctor is a Republican with 
 independent proclivities. He has been 
 chosen a delegate to several State and county 
 conventions. He has been clerk of the Con- 
 gregational society since 1886, and he and 
 Mrs. Brown are members of that church. 
 
 ^CjDWARD H. TAFT, a representative 
 P farmer and dairyman of Mendon, was 
 '^^ I ^ born in this town, July i, 1830, son 
 of Leonard and Martha (Comstock) Taft. He 
 is a descendant in the eighth generation of 
 Robert Taft, said to have been of ancient 
 Scotch lineage, who, with his wife, Sarah, 
 and several children born in England, settled 
 near Chipmuc Pond, Mendon, in 1679 or 
 1680. The descendants of Robert Taft were 
 prolific, and reared large families. 
 
 Leonard Taft, the father, was a wheelwright 
 by trade, which he followed in connection 
 with farming, and was favorably known 
 throughout this locality. In politics he was 
 
 a Democrat of the Jackson type, and he served 
 as a Selectman, Overseer of the Poor, and in 
 other town offices. He married Martha Com- 
 stock, a native of Rhode Island, who became 
 the mother of seven children, namely: Ebene- 
 zer, who was a farmer of Mendon, and died 
 some years since; Putnam W., who for more 
 than a generation was a well-known school 
 teacher; Hannah, who married Collins Gas- 
 kill, and had two sons — Leonard and Edwin 
 — ■ both of whom served in the Civil War, 
 Edwin having died from wounds received in 
 battle; Enos, who is a graduate of Yale Col- 
 lege and Law School, and has been a lawyer 
 in New York City for many years; Leonard 
 A., who was a school teacher and a theologi- 
 cal student, and died of consumption at an 
 early age; Edward H., the subject of this 
 sketch; and Martha A. Thayer, lately de- 
 ceased, who was a widow in Auburn, Mass., 
 and the mother of two sons, Andrew and Web- 
 ster Thayer. 
 
 Having been educated in the schools of 
 Mendon, Edward H. Taft worked in the 
 shoe factories of this town and Northbridge 
 for a few years. He then turned his atten- 
 tion to agriculture, and later bought the Gibbs 
 Davenport place, on which he has since re- 
 sided. Besides raising the usual crops, he 
 keeps a dairy, from which a large number of 
 regular customers in Milford are supplied 
 with milk. His farm is said to be one of the 
 best equipped in this section. He is also 
 quite extensively engaged in the wood and 
 lumber business. Politically, he has sup- 
 ported the Prohibition party since its organi- 
 zation, and has been its candidate for both the 
 State Senate and House of Representatives. 
 
 Mr. Taft first married Joanna W. Bennett, 
 of Northbridge. She had eight children, 
 namely: Robert B., who died at the age of ten 
 years; Martha, who died aged two years; 
 Mary L., who married Frank Haywood, of 
 Northbridge; George L., who married Annie 
 Woodward, and lives in Mendon; Leonard E., 
 who married Minnie Wilson, of Milford, and 
 has five children; Robert B., second, ' who 
 lives in Rhode Island; Florence, who is the 
 wife of Frank M. Aldrich, of Mendon; and 
 Jomna Grace, who married Freeman Lowell, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 83 
 
 of Mendon. A second marriage in 1891 
 united Mr. Taft with Serena E. Eames, of 
 Upton, who gave birth to Edward Eames Taft 
 on September 5, 1892, and died March 25, 
 1894. On June 28, 1896, he contracted a 
 third marriage with Mrs. Helen E. Deland. 
 Mr. Taft is personally identified with the In- 
 dependent Order of Good Templars; is chap- 
 lain of the Mendon Grange, Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry; is a member of the Historical Fra- 
 ternity, a society of considerable antiquity; 
 and of an organization which has for its aim 
 the detection of horse thieves. He is an 
 active member of the Unitarian church, and 
 has served upon the Parish Committee for 
 many years. 
 
 'ENRY C. BATCHELLER, Town 
 Clerk of Sutton and an ex-member 
 of the Massachusetts legislature, 
 was born here, September 5, 1828, 
 son of Lewis and Sophia (Newton) Batcheller. 
 His immigrant ancestor was Joseph Batchel- 
 ler, who settled in Salem, Mass. ; and the 
 first of the family to locate in Sutton was his 
 great-grandfather, Abraham Batcheller, who 
 marched to Concord as the Corporal of a com- 
 pany of minute-men from this locality. The 
 grandfather, Benjamin Batcheller, who was in 
 early life a school teacher and later a well-to- 
 do farmer, served with ability as a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen and in other town 
 offices. Lewis Batcheller, the father, a life- 
 long resident of Sutton, died a comparatively 
 young man. 
 
 After completing the course of the public 
 schools in his native town, Henry C. Batch- 
 eller attended the academies at Warren and 
 Groton, paying for his tuition in both with 
 funds he had earned by working in a machine 
 shop. When a young man he entered into 
 partnership with his brother for the purpose 
 of engaging in the manufacture of shoes at 
 the time when Sutton was noted for the ex- 
 cellence of its hand-made footwear. For some 
 years H. C. Batcheller & Co. made a specialty 
 of heavy goods, which were placed upon the 
 market through Boston and New York com- 
 mission houses. He subsequently removed to 
 
 Wayland, Mass., and was there in the same 
 business for seven years. In 1862 he and 
 a partner contracted with the authorities of 
 Baltimore, Md., for the labor of the inmates 
 of the House of Refuge in that city, a trans- 
 action that proved so successful as to induce 
 him to remain there for the next ten years. 
 Returning then to Sutton Centre, he engaged 
 in the manufacture of slippers, and has since 
 conducted a profitable business in that line. 
 
 Mr. Batcheller contracted the first of his 
 two marriages with Theresa D. Little, a 
 daughter of Luther and Fanny H. (Dunbar) 
 Little. His children by this union are: 
 William H. Batcheller, a resident of Mill- 
 bury, who is married and has two children — 
 Floyd N. and Caryl L. ; and Alice Theresa, 
 who is the wife of Charles E. Lowe, and re- 
 sides in Wilkinsonville. His second mar- 
 riage was made with Mary A. Holmes. A 
 daughter of Warren and Ann (Gay) Holmes, 
 she is a great-grand-daughter of Deborah Samp- 
 son, who acquired notoriety by assuming male 
 attire, and serving as a soldier in the Ameri- 
 can army during the Revolutionary War. In 
 politics Mr. Batcheller is a Democrat, but 
 not a partisan. He rendered efficient service 
 to the town as a Selectman during the years 
 1884, 1885, and 1886; was a member of the 
 legislative Committee on Labor while serving 
 in the lower house in 1891 ; and of the Agri- 
 cultural Committee in 1892. For the past 
 eight years he has been Town Clerk. He 
 belongs to Maryland Commandery, Knights 
 Templar; and to Sutton Grange, No. 109, 
 Patrons of Husbandry; and he attends the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 Yp)EWIS F. STRATTON, a general mer- 
 IJj chant of Northboro, Mass., was born 
 X jf._ , ^ January 5, 1845, in South Lan- 
 caster, Worcester County, son of 
 George and Lucinda (Bailey) Stratton. The 
 father was a well-known business man of Lan- 
 caster, where he was for many years engaged 
 in the manufacture of copper pumps. 
 
 When he was sixteen years old, L. F. 
 Stratton had obtained in the public schools 
 of Lancaster a practical education that well 
 
84 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 fitted him for his future career in the busi- 
 ness world. On November i6, 1861, he 
 went to Boston to learn the hardware business, 
 and for the ensuing ten years was in the em- 
 ploy of Carter, Stratton & Co. Returning 
 then to the home of his boyhood, he remained 
 a short time, and then bought out a grocery 
 store in Concord, N.H., where he stayed 
 two years. Removing then to Boston, he was 
 engaged for four years in the hardware busi- 
 ness in that city in company with his brother, 
 H. O. Stratton. During that time he was 
 also the manager of his father's pump manu- 
 facturing interests. In 1886 he retired from 
 the hardware trade, and, coming to North- 
 boro, purchased his present store, which is 
 the old Samuel Wood stand. Here by his 
 enterprise and business tact he has built up 
 an extensive and constantly increasing trade 
 in general merchandise, of which he carries 
 a complete stock, employing a force of five 
 men. 
 
 Mr. Stratton is an Independent in politics, 
 voting according to his convictions, regardless 
 of party restrictions. He uniformly declines 
 town office, preferring to devote his time to 
 his business affairs, although he has served 
 four years on the School Committee, and is 
 one of the trustees of the Gale fund. On 
 June 25, 1890, he married Miss Harriet 
 Valentine, daughter of George Valentine, of 
 Northboro. 
 
 Wr 
 
 ILLIAM E. HAYWARD, an en- 
 terprising woollen manufacturer in 
 Uxbridge and an ex-member of the 
 legislature, was born in Mendon, Mass., July 
 19, 1839. A son of Ebenezer W. and Susan 
 H. (Burbeck) Hayward, he is of English 
 origin, his immigrant ancestor having arrived 
 in Massachusetts at an early date. The 
 grandfather, Eben Hayward, who was a native 
 of Braintree, Mass., married Deborah White. 
 Hayward Place in Boston was so named in 
 honor of one of Eben's sons, who was a phy- 
 sician of note in that city. 
 
 Ebenezer \Y. Hayward was born in Brain- 
 tree in 1798. In early life he engaged in the 
 dry-goods business in Boston. Later he be- 
 
 came officially connected with a bank in Men- 
 don. After coming to Uxbridge in 1836 as 
 chief official of what was then a State bank, 
 he continued in that capacity until his death, 
 which occurred in 1875. He was an influen- 
 tial member of the Unitarian church. His 
 wife, Susan H., was a daughter of Thomas 
 Burbeck, of Boston, who served as an oflBcer 
 in the American army during the Revolution- 
 ary War, and a niece of George Henry Bur- 
 beck, who was in command at the fort in 
 New London, Conn., for some time. Eben- 
 ezer and Susan H. Hayward were the parents 
 of six children, four of whom are living, 
 namely: Lucinda, a resident of Uxbridge; 
 Eben B., who resides here, and is engaged in 
 the boot and shoe business in Worcester; 
 Ellen M., who married the Rev. Charles B. 
 Ferry, late of Northampton, Mass., and is 
 now residing in Newton, Mass.; and William 
 E. , the subject of this sketch. 
 
 William E. Hayward was educated in the 
 common schools of Uxbridge, including the 
 high school. At the age of eighteen he en- 
 tered the Blackstone Bank as a clerk, and 
 afterward remained there in that capacity for 
 ten years. He next acquired an interest in 
 the Capron Woollen Mills, which for the suc- 
 ceeding thirteen years were operated by the 
 firm Capron & Hayward, chiefly producing 
 satinet. In 1872 he became interested in an 
 enterprise at Proctorsville, Vt., under the 
 style of Hayward, Taft & Co., who manufact- 
 ured woollen goods for men's wear. This con- 
 nection had lasted about twelve years when 
 he sold out to his partners. In 1881 he pur- 
 chased a mill at East Douglas, Mass., and 
 afterward conducted it in association with 
 Moses Taft until 1890. Then he bought the 
 interests of his partner, and, admitting W. S. 
 Schuster to partnership, formed the present 
 firm W. E. Hayward & Co., which has largely 
 increased the facilities for production. He 
 has been the president of the Blackstone Na- 
 tional Bank since 1892, and he is a director 
 of both the Uxbridge Savings Bank and the 
 Blackstone Valley Co-operative Creamery. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Hayward contracted the first 
 of his three marriages with Susan H. Taft, 
 a daughter of Moses and Sylvia (Wheelockj 
 
WILLIAM E. HAYWARD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Taft. She died in 1878, leaving three chil- 
 dren: Harry T., born in September, 1867, 
 who is now in the woollen manufacturing 
 business at Franklin, Mass.; Sylvia W., born 
 November 18, 1870; and Mary B. , born in 
 February, 1872. His second marriage, per- 
 form.ed in June, 1879, united him with Dora 
 Lovett, a daughter of Samuel P. and Sarah A. 
 Lovett. She died in January, 1883, leaving 
 one son, William Z., born December 25, 
 1882. Mr. Hayward's present wife, whom he 
 married in 1886, was in maidenhood Eliza- 
 beth C. Capen, of Stoughton, Mass. In poli- 
 tics Mr. Hayward is a Republican. He is 
 serving the public on the Sinking Fund Com- 
 mittee. In 1892 he was a member of the 
 House of Representatives, serving in the 
 Committee on Banks and Banking. His busi- 
 ness ability and progressive tendencies are of 
 much value to the town, and he is held in 
 high estimation. He is a member of the 
 Unitarian Society. 
 
 ~ClDWARD THOMAS GILMORE, one 
 ^1 of the Board of Assessors in Westboro, 
 "^^ Worcester County, was born in 
 
 Greenwich, Mass., August 25, 1836, the eld- 
 est son of Thomas Smith Gilmore and grand- 
 son of Robert and Betsey, or Elizabeth, (Fay) 
 Gilmore. On his mother's side he is grand- 
 son of Eber Willard and Elizabeth (Powers) 
 Bailey. 
 
 His father spent the larger half of his life 
 in the town of Greenwich, where he con- 
 ducted extensive farming operations for many 
 years. A man of sound judgment, firm in his 
 decisions, and skilful in business transac- 
 tions, he was often chosen to responsible pub- 
 lic positions, and served in that town on dif- 
 ferent occasions as Selectman, Overseer of the 
 Poor, Highway Surveyor, etc. In 1866 he 
 moved to Westboro, Mass., and here contin- 
 ued the pursuit of agriculture successfully 
 until his death, at the age of seventy-four, 
 March 30, 1883. He married Eliza Adeline 
 Bailey, a descendant of the Powers family, 
 who were among the original settlers of the 
 old town of Greenwich, and they had seven 
 children, as follows: Edward Thomas; Eliza- 
 
 beth Adeline, now living in Florida; Mary 
 Frances, wife of D. Guilford Groundwater, of 
 Cottonwood Falls, Chase County, Kan.; 
 Stephen Albert, an extensive brick manufact- 
 urer of Westboro; Henry Augustine and Her- 
 vey Augustus, twins, the former of whom is 
 an auctioneer and cattle inspector in West- 
 boro and the latter a skilful farmer in this 
 town and also a cattle dealer at the Brighton 
 market; and Myron Walton, owner of a cattle 
 ranch in Elmdale, Kan. 
 
 Edward T. Gilmore received his early train- 
 ing in the common and high schools of his 
 native town, and fitted for the Sophomore year 
 in college at the New Salem Academy. He 
 subsequently taught in village and district 
 schools four years, having on an average sixty 
 pupils each term. As in all schools of those 
 days, he had classes of all grades, ranging 
 from the lowest in the primary department to 
 those in the high school. Going then to 
 Springfield, he was employed during the war 
 in the United States Armory, in the gun- 
 stock turning department. At the close of 
 the Rebellion he, in company with three asso- 
 ciates, engaged in the oyster business, both as 
 a planter and dealer, having two depots in 
 Springfield, one in Westfield, and one, the 
 headquarters for opening and shipping, in 
 Fair Haven, Conn. 
 
 In this industry he carried on an extensive 
 business, employing many vessels in the busi- 
 ness of dredging for oysters in Chesapeake 
 Bay and adjacent waters, and planting them 
 in New Haven Harbor, also employing a 
 large number of hands, and handling many 
 hundred gallons of oysters daily. 
 
 In 1870 the partnership was dissolved, and 
 the ensuing two years Mr. Gilmore was en- 
 gaged as a commission merchant in New York 
 City. Coming to Westboro in 1872, he began 
 the manufacture of spring beds, which he car- 
 ried on with his brothers six years, when he 
 bought out his partners, and to the original 
 business added the manufacture of finish 
 lumber and boxes, which he conducted suc- 
 cessfully eight years. 
 
 " In 1889, at the earnest solicitation of his 
 fellow-citizens, he accepted a position on the 
 Water Board, which he retained five years, 
 
ss 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 three years of this time being superintendent 
 of the water system. He is now serving his 
 third term on the Board of Assessors of West- 
 boro, and since iSgi has been a member of 
 the Republican Town Committee. He is 
 thorough])' conversant with local political 
 affairs, and has served his part)' as a delegate 
 to various senatorial, county, and legislative 
 conventions. 
 
 On January 3, 1865, Mr. Gilmore was mar- 
 ried at Hinsdale, N.H., to Mary Melissa 
 Harris, of Vernon, Vt., the "Gretna Green" 
 of New England. She was born March i, 
 1836, daughter of Austin and Polly (Clark) 
 Harris, grand-daughter of Ziba and Polly 
 (Lee) Harris, and great-grand-daughter of 
 Sylvanus and Mary (Pond) Harris, and on her 
 mother's side grand-daughter of Samuel and 
 Lydia (Hall) Clark. Her great-grandfather 
 Clark fought in the Revolutionary War. She 
 had one brother, Austin Almeran Harris, who 
 was a private in Company F, First Vermont 
 Cavalry, and died in camp at Burlington, Vt. , 
 December i, 1S61. 
 
 Three daughters have been born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Gilmore, namely: Gertrude, born Octo- 
 ber 3, 1865, in Springfield, Mass., who died 
 January 31, 1867; Maude Adeline and Alice 
 Clark, both of whom are successful teachers in 
 the public schools of Westboro, having taught 
 since their graduation from its high school. 
 
 (^AMES C. BE^HS, the agent of the 
 Boston & Albany Railroad at Cold- 
 brook Springs, was born in Paxton, 
 Mass., February 18, 1824, son of Al- 
 pheus and Polly (Prouty) Bemis. The grand- 
 father, Abijah Bemis, was an early settler in 
 Paxton. Alpheus Bemis, who was born in 
 Pa.xton, January 17, 1784, spent the active 
 period of his life in the cultivation of a farm 
 adjoining his father's property, and died Au- 
 gust 28, 1858. He was not a member of any 
 religious denomination, and in politics he 
 acted with the Democratic party. Polly 
 Bemis, his wife, whom he married August 12, 
 1805, was born in Spencer, Mass., December 
 9, 1789. She became the mother of nine 
 children, three of whom are living, namely: 
 
 Hiram P,, born July 10, 181 8, residing in 
 Pa.xton; James C, the subject of this sketch; 
 and Mary R., born August 25, 1826, residing 
 in North Brookfield, Mass. The others were: 
 Delia, born August 14, 1809, who died April 
 4, 1820; Rox)', born October 13, 181 1, who 
 died November 7 of the same )'ear; Roswell, 
 born June 9, 181 3, who died September 4, 
 1893; and Alpheus, born May 6, 182 1, who 
 died December 16, 1895. The mother passed 
 away August 25, 1S66. 
 
 James C. Bemis was educated in the schools 
 of Paxton and Spencer. At the age of sixteen 
 he began to learn the shoemaker's trade, and, 
 locating in the village of Coldbrook Springs 
 in 1841, followed that calling here for about 
 twenty years. Soon after his arrival he also 
 engaged in the hotel business as the proprie- 
 tor of the Coldbrook Springs House, which he 
 carried on successfully until it was destroyed 
 by fire in 1S85. Immediately after the disas- 
 ter he erected the .present hostelry, which is 
 now managed by his son. In December, 
 1873, he entered upon his duties as the local 
 agent of the Boston & Albany Railroad Com- 
 pany, a position that he has efficiently filled 
 up to the present time. 
 
 On April 30, 1846, Mr. Bemis was joined 
 in marriage with Mary B. Washburn, a daugh- 
 ter of Levi and Abigail Washburn, born in 
 Gill, Franklin County, Mass., December 3, 
 1825. She has had five children, namely: 
 Herbert E., born September 25, 1859, who 
 died at the age of seven months; Francene 
 R., now the wife of M. C. Needham, of Cold- 
 brook Springs; Mary J., now residing in 
 Hardwick, Mass.; Ida M., now the wife of 
 C. H. Parker, an enterprising merchant of this 
 village; and James W. Bemis, who is now the 
 proprietor of the Springs House. Mary J., 
 first married Elias F. King, who died January 
 19, 1886. She is now the wife of H. L. 
 Sturtevant, a hotel-keeper in Hardwick. 
 James W. Bemis contracted the first of his 
 two marriages with Alice M. Hatch, who died 
 August 25, 1883. His present wife was 
 formerly Agnes Crossley. Politically, Mr. 
 Bemis, Sr. , is a Democrat. He has served 
 with ability as a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen for several years; has also filled 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the offices of Assessor, Collector, and Treas- 
 urer; and he is a member of Mount Zion 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., of Barre, Mass. 
 
 HOMAS H. JONES, a prominent and 
 public-spirited resident of Warren, son 
 of William Jones, was born February 
 8, 1830, in West Stockbridge, Berkshire 
 County. He is of Welsh extraction, and 
 comes of patriotic Revolutionary stock. His 
 paternal grandfather, Thomas Jones, served as 
 a soldier throughout the entire struggle for 
 independence. 
 
 William Jones, born in New Marlboro, 
 Mass., there grew to a vigorous manhood. 
 Settling then in West Stockbridge, Berk- 
 shire County, he was for more than a quarter 
 of a century one of the leading agriculturists 
 and an influential man in the town and 
 county. He was Selectman of the town for 
 many years, represented Stockbridge in the 
 General Court of Massachusetts for one term, 
 and for a number of years was Deputy Sheriff. 
 In 185s he removed to West Springfield, 
 Mass. From Springfield, in 1861, he came 
 to Warren, where he resided until his death, 
 which occurred in 1875. In his earlier years 
 he was a prominent member of the Whig 
 party, and he became one of the most ardent 
 supporters of the Republican party after its 
 formation. His wife, Melinda (Hubbard) 
 Jones, who was born in Sandisfield, Mass., 
 bore him four children, of whom Thomas H. 
 is the only survivor. 
 
 Thomas H. Jones obtained a practical com- 
 mon-school education in West Stockbridge, 
 where he grew to man's estate. Commencing 
 life for himself as a farmer, he followed that 
 occupation in Berkshire County until 1861, 
 when he came with his family to Warren. 
 Here he purchased a farm, and successfully 
 conducted it for some years. In 1890 he 
 removed to the village, where he is now 
 living. Since his arrival in Warren he has 
 served his townsmen in the several capaci- 
 ties of Superintendent of Streets, member of 
 the local Board of Health, and Cemetery 
 Commissioner. He was also Cattle Inspector 
 in the town for a number of years. In poli- 
 
 tics he is an uncompromising Republican, 
 He is active in fraternal societies, belonging 
 to both the Masons and the Odd Fellows. 
 
 On April 18, 1852, Mr. Jones married 
 Agnes P. Milligan, who was born in Alford, 
 Mass. Her parents, Thomas and Lucy F. 
 (Fletcher) Milligan, were respectively natives 
 of New York State and Vermont. On the 
 mother's side she is of Revolutionary stock, 
 several of her Fletcher relatives having served 
 in the Revolutionary War. Of the children 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Milligan, three are now 
 living, namely: John L., of Alford; Agnes 
 P., now Mrs. Jones; and Mrs. Jennie M. F. 
 Tripp, of Springfield, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Jones have had three children, of whom Ar- 
 thur S. is deceased. The others are: Mary 
 L. and Willie E. Mary L. is the wife of 
 Charles G. Hamblett, who is assistant road- 
 master on the Boston & Albany Railroad be- 
 tween Springfield and Worcester. 
 
 Y^TENRY FRANKLIN ROCKWELL, 
 l-~| one of the most popular Mayors of 
 lU I Fitchburg, was born September 9, 
 
 ^~"^ 1849, in fhe old Spoflord-Garrison 
 house at the north end of the city. He is 
 a son of Henry O. and Sarah C. (Laws) Rock- 
 well. His father's mother's family, the Gib- 
 sons, were among the settlers of New England, 
 in 1628, and some members of it served in the 
 Revolutionary War. Henry O. Rockwell, 
 who was a business man of Fitchburg, held 
 decided views, was highly respected, and died 
 in 1877, aged sixty-two years. His wife, 
 who is still living, is a daughter of the late 
 William Laws, of Westford, Mass. They 
 had one son older than Henry F. , William 
 B., who resides in California. 
 
 Henry Franklin Rockwell was educated in 
 the graded schools and the high school of 
 Fitchburg. In 1864 he entered the employ of 
 Samuel H. Woods, druggist, of Boston, with 
 whom he remained three years. After this he 
 spent nine years in Brooklyn, N.Y. He 
 started in business for himself in Fitchburg 
 in 1877. As a business man he has been 
 very successful. Mr. Rockwell was an origi- 
 nal director in the Fidelity Co-operative 
 
9° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Bank. A prominent member of the Republi- 
 can party, he was chairman of the Republican 
 City Committee for five years.' He was in the 
 Common Council in 1886, 1887, and 1888, serv- 
 ing in the capacity of its president during the 
 last two years; and on the Board of Aldermen 
 for three successive years, serving on the Com- 
 mittees on City Property, Claims, Highways, 
 and Finance. In 1892 and 1893 he was in 
 the legislature, and served during both terms 
 on the Committees on Railroads. He was 
 the Mayor of Fitchburg in 1896 and 1897; 
 and he is now serving his third term in that 
 office, to which he was elected in 1897 by the 
 largest majority ever given a Mayoral candi- 
 date in that city. 
 
 In 1 88 1 Mr. Rockwell was married to 
 Jessie F., daughter of Thomas Lamberson, of 
 Brooklyn, N.Y. They have two children: 
 William M., in the Fitchburg High School; 
 and Jessie K. Mr. Rockwell is a member of 
 Alpine Lodge, No. 35, K. P., Uniform Rank; 
 and of Apollo Lodge, I. O. O. F. He at- 
 tends worship at Christ Episcopal Church. 
 
 'ON. GEORGE KING NICHOLS, 
 of Grafton, Mass., one of the best 
 known citizens in this section of 
 Worcester County and one of the 
 most highly esteemed, was born at Sher- 
 brooke. Lower Canada, now the Province of 
 Quebec, on April 10, 1827, his parents being 
 John Adams and Melinda (King) Nichols, the 
 former a native of Thornton, N.H., and the 
 latter a native of Sutton, Mass. 
 
 His father's grandfather. Colonel Moses 
 Nichols, was a practising physician at Am- 
 herst, N.H., and was an officer in the Ameri- 
 can Revolution. As we learn from the His- 
 tory of Amherst, N.H., this patriotic ances- 
 tor was born in Reading, Mass., in 1740. 
 He was a son of Timothy and Hannah (Per- 
 kins) Nichols and grandson of Captain 
 Thomas, who was a son of Richard Nichols, 
 immigrant, an early settler of Reading. 
 Colonel Nichols fought at the battle of Ben- 
 nington, under General Stark, and opened the 
 engagement with the regiment under his com- 
 mand. 
 
 The first of the family in Sherbrooke was 
 the Colonel's son, Dr. Moses Nichols, Jr., 
 who had studied medicine with his father, 
 and eventually settled there for practice, hav- 
 ing previously lived for a time at Thornton, 
 N.H. John Adams Nichols, above named, 
 son of Dr. Moses Nichols, Jr., engaged in 
 mercantile business in Sherbrooke; but death 
 ended his career when still a young man, and 
 when his son George was only three and a half 
 years old. The family then removed to Graf- 
 ton, and Mrs. Nichols subsequently married 
 Colonel William French, of Kingston, R.I. 
 
 About a year after the death of his father 
 George K. Nichols was adopted into the fam- 
 ily of Colonel Joshua W. Leland, a prominent 
 man of his time and descendant of one of the 
 old and representative families of Grafton. 
 The farm upon which he lived in the southern 
 part of the town was deeded to his ancestors 
 by the Indians, and has since been handed 
 down from father to son in direct line. Colo- 
 nel Leland was one of the most highly hon- 
 ored and most able men in the community in 
 which he lived. His title was gained from 
 his connection with the militia. He repre- 
 sented his district for two terms in the legis- 
 lature. He sent his adopted son to the town 
 schools, to Leicester Academy, and subse- 
 quently to a select school at Manchester-by- 
 the-Sea taught by Master Price. 
 
 At the age of sixteen the young man went 
 to Boston, and there secured employment in 
 a dry-goods store, where he remained until he 
 was of age. He then went to Albany, N.Y., 
 and worked in a similar store for two years. 
 Returning at the end of that time to Boston, 
 he began the study of medicine with Dr. 
 William E. Townsend, and subsequently 
 started on a course of lectures in the Harvard 
 Medical School. This, however, he did not 
 complete, but left Harvard and went to the 
 University of Pennsylvania, from which he 
 received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 
 1855. This was before that university moved 
 to its present magnificently equipped build- 
 ing. Dr. Nichols took up the practice of his 
 profession at Saundersville, Grafton; but at 
 the expiration of two years he resigned it in 
 order to accept an offer presenting very flatter- 
 
GEORGE K. NICHOLS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 93 
 
 ing inducements to go into business in Boston 
 as a partner in the firm of Nichols, Bacon & 
 Co., dealers in dry-goods. 
 
 In i860 he sold out to the other members of 
 the firm and formed a partnership with Sam- 
 uel Harrington, his father-in-law, who was 
 then doing business at the old green store at 
 Grafton, one of the oldest stands in the town. 
 The business at this place was established in 
 1806 by Wheeler & Warren. In 1841 the 
 firm became Harrington & Wheeler, and in 
 1843 Mr. Harrington became sole proprietor. 
 When, in i860, Mr. Nichols became a partner, 
 the firm name was changed to Harrington & 
 Nichols, and continued so until 1877, after 
 which Mr. Nichols carried the business on 
 under his own name. In 1883 Mr. Harring- 
 ton L. Nichols was taken into partnership 
 with his father, and the firm name has since 
 been George K. Nichols & Son. In 1873 the 
 old building was replaced by a fine new struc- 
 ture, the Nichols Block, which contains, be- 
 sides the store, the National and Savings 
 Banks and the G. A. R. Hall. 
 
 Mr. Nichols was for many years a member 
 of the Standing Committee of the Congrega- 
 tional church, and he has been since 1874 one 
 of the Deacons. He is a member of the 
 Worcester Congregational Club, and in 1894 
 and 189s was its vice-president. Greatly in- 
 terested in all things pertaining to the wel- 
 fare of the town, Mr. Nichols has served the 
 public in many important positions. He was 
 one of the Selectmen of Grafton in 1864, 
 1865, and 1866, when to that board fell the 
 by no means easy task of filling the town's 
 quotas for the war and transacting much other 
 business relating to the soldiers and their 
 families. In 1869 he was elected to the leg- 
 islature, and during his term served on the 
 Committee on Prisons. In 1892 and again 
 in 1893 he was elected to the State Senate. 
 His first election was the more notable be- 
 cause his predecessor in the office had been 
 a Democrat, who had gone in with a heavy 
 vote. For his second term he was unani- 
 mously nominated by his party, and was 
 elected by a largely increased majority. In 
 1892 Mr. Nichols was a member of the Sen- 
 ate Committee which, with Governor Russell 
 
 and his staff, represented the State at the 
 opening of the Columbian Exposition in Chi- 
 cago. He had previously, on the floor of the 
 Senate, vigorously opposed keeping the mam- 
 moth exhibit open on Sundays. During both 
 of his Senatorial terms Mr. Nichols was on 
 the Committee on Water Supply, and was 
 chairman of the Committee on Public Health. 
 During the last term he was also on the Com- 
 mittee on Prisons. It was through his efforts 
 as chairman of the Public Health Committee 
 that the Sanitary Plumbing Bill was presented 
 and passed, this being the first plumbing bill 
 ever passed in the Massachusetts legislature. 
 It referred to the licensing of plumbers and to 
 supervision of plumbing, and probably created 
 more opposition than any other bill brought 
 before the Senate that year. Mr. Nichols, 
 always active in debate, ably defended the 
 measure. He was also instrumental in secur- 
 ing the passage of the bill to prevent the 
 using of drug-store licenses for the sale of in- 
 toxicating liquors. 
 
 Mr. Nichols in 1872 became a director in 
 the Grafton National Bank, and since 1882 he 
 has been its president. While in the legis- 
 lature in 1869 he presented a petition for a 
 charter for a savings-bank to be established 
 in Grafton. He was one of the organizers of 
 the bank, from 1877 to 1895 he was president, 
 and he is now on the Board of Trustees. Mr. 
 Nichols was chairman of the committee ap- 
 pointed by the town to arrange for the Centen- 
 nial of 1876. He was chairman of the com- 
 mittee chosen to provide a town house, which 
 resulted in the purchase of the present build- 
 ing and its adaptation to that purpose. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Nichols married Mary L., 
 daughter of Samuel Harrington. She died 
 September, 1893, having been the mother of 
 three sons, namely: Harrington Leland, who 
 is in business with his father; George Perry; 
 and Samuel French Nichols. Harrington L. 
 Nichols, who was born in 1859, is active in 
 the Congregational church and in the work of 
 the town library,, being one of the trustees 
 thereof. He is one of the directors of the 
 National Bank, and in 1895 and 1896 was Se- 
 lectman. He has been for several years a 
 member of the Republican Town Committee. 
 
94 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 He married a daughter of Charles H. Thurber, 
 of Providence, R.I. George Perry and Sam- 
 uel French Nichols are electrical engineers 
 and contractors in Chicago. The former was 
 educated at the Worcester Polytechnic Insti^ 
 tute, and the latter at Amherst College. 
 George Perry Nichols married Miss Mabel I, 
 Nobles, of Aurora, 111., and has two daugh- 
 ters — Margaret Irene and Mary Elizabeth. 
 Samuel French Nichols married Mary J. 
 Forbes, daughter of A. P. Forbes, of St. 
 Louis, Mo. They have one son, George Le- 
 land Nichols. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM P. WOOD, an able farmer 
 and business man of Upton, son of 
 Perry and Caroline (Staples) Wood, 
 was born in Mendon, Mass., May 2, 1838. 
 His great-grandfather, Obadiah Wood, mar- 
 ried a sister of the Rev. Elisha Fish, who 
 was installed as the second settled minister in 
 Upton on June 5, 1750. His grandfather, 
 Obadiah Wood (second), who owned the old 
 homestead in Mendon, was a Quaker. 
 
 Perry Wood, the father, was a prosperous 
 farmer and a bridge-builder of considerable 
 note in his day. He possessed much natural 
 ability, and took an important part in town 
 affairs. By his first marriage, which was 
 contracted with Caroline Staples, there were 
 nine children. His second wife, whose 
 maiden name was Eliza Walker Stoddard, 
 bore him two children. Eight of his children 
 lived to maturity, namely: Joseph, who prac- 
 tised law in Milford, and died in 1890; 
 Henry, who was in the employ of the Swift 
 Dressed Beef Company, and died in Philadel- 
 phia some years since; Obadiah, now an in- 
 valid; Frank, who occupies the old home- 
 stead in Mendon ; Mary, now the wife of Al- 
 bert Shippee, of Holliston, Mass.; Hattie, 
 the wife of Liberty Freeman; Carrie, the wife 
 of Thomas Harper, of Upton; and William 
 P., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 William P. Wood was educated in the 
 schools of his native town. When a young 
 man he bought the Ora Wood place in the 
 southern part of Mendon, where he carried 
 on farming for some years. Later he ran an 
 
 express between Upton and Worcester, was 
 engaged in lumbering and manufacturing, has 
 done stone work, has built roads, and has had 
 charge of the public highways in this section. 
 He is the owner of a desirably located farm 
 in Upton. The milk from his dairy is sold 
 to regular customers in town. 
 
 On November 25, 1863, Mr. Wood was 
 joined in marriage with Adeline S. Walker, 
 daughter of Chester Walker, a prosperous 
 farmer and stone-mason of this town. Mr. 
 Walker was one of the largest land-owners in 
 Upton, did considerable business as a lumber- 
 man, was widely known throughout this local- 
 ity, and was for many years a leading member 
 of the Congregational church. Mrs. Wood is 
 the mother of three sons and one daughter, 
 namely: Perry, a lumber manufacturer, who 
 married Hattie Clark, of Upton, and has two 
 children — William Perry and Ada Malora; 
 Chester Walker Wood, who married Emrae-' 
 ranza Klemmer, of Trenton, N.J., has two 
 children — Frances and Walter Klemmer — 
 and conducts business for Swift & Co. in New 
 Brunswick, that State; Benjamin Claflin 
 Wood, who assists his brother Perry in the 
 lumber business; and Mary Josephine, who 
 resides at home. An energetic and upright 
 business man, Mr. Wood is deservedly popu- 
 lar with his fellow-townsmen, and is held in 
 high estimation by a large circle of friends 
 and acquaintances outside of his own neigh- 
 borhood. He is a Master Mason, having 
 taken his degrees in Blackstone River Lodge. 
 
 ]^AHUM FLAGG, a retired farmer of 
 Worcester, son of John and Sarah 
 
 \s V (Ward) Flagg, was born in a 
 
 house on Millbury Avenue, April 
 27, i8i2. His great-grandparents were Ben- 
 jamin and Abigail Flagg, of Watertown, 
 Mass. The grandfather, Phineas Flagg, who 
 was born in Watertown, October 9, 1751, 
 came to Worcester when a young man, and on 
 May 25, 1775, settled upon the farm which 
 was the birthplace of his grandson, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. He married Rhoda Stone, 
 who was born August 5, 1754. Their chil- 
 dren were: John, born June 11, 1778; Abel, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 95 
 
 bom October 31, 1780, who died August i, 
 1865, leaving seven children; Sarah, born 
 March 5, 1783, who married Sullivan Taft, 
 and resided in Heath, Mass., for the rest of 
 her life; Daniel, born April 17, 1785, who 
 died March 12, 1810; Polly, born December 
 10, 1787, who died March 2, 1805; and Ben- 
 jamin, born June 12, 1790, who carried on 
 a farm at Tatnuck for many years, and spent 
 his last days with his son in Springfield, 
 where he died in 1880, aged ninety years. 
 The father died October i, 1791. The mother, 
 who was again married, left the home farm 
 to her son John. 
 
 John Flagg, who was a lifelong resident of 
 Worcester, spent his active years prosperously 
 engaged in general farming at the homestead, 
 and died March 16, 1861. He was quite 
 prominent in public affairs under the old 
 town government, serving as Selectman, Over- 
 seer of the Poor, and Tax Collector; and he 
 represented the district in the legislature for 
 two terms. His religious belief was the 
 Baptist. Sarah, his wife, whom he married 
 about the year 1800, was born in Ashburn- 
 ham, Mass., June 19, 1775. She gave birth 
 to eight children, namely: Rhoda, on March 
 
 12, 1801, who married Darius Rice; Phineas, 
 September 30, 1802, who died from the effects 
 of a fall, January 20, 1807; Sarah, November 
 
 13, 1804, who married in 1834 and died in 
 1838; Lucy, November 14, 1807, who died 
 May 3, 1 8 10; Mary W., March 26, 18 10, 
 who married Eden Davis, and died, an octo- 
 genarian, in Thompson, Conn. ; Nahum, the 
 subject of this sketch; Hannah, October i, 
 1815, who died January 11, i860; and Charles 
 Flagg, November 3, 1821, who is also de- 
 ceased. The mother died at the homestead 
 April 15, 1843, aged sixty -eight years; and 
 the property was sold to Thomas Yates in 
 1878. 
 
 Nahum Flagg spent his youth in attending 
 school and assisting his father upon the farm. 
 After leaving home at twenty-one, he was 
 for the next ten years employed as a farm as- 
 sistant. Then he engaged in farming upon 
 his own account. In 185 1 he settled upon 
 his present farm of seventy acres, and soon 
 after erected the present residence. He car- 
 
 ried on general farming until 1872, since 
 which time the property has been devoted to 
 dairy purposes. At present the milk of 
 eighteen cows is sold to regular customers 
 in the city. 
 
 On April 13, 1843, Mr. Flagg was united 
 in marriage with Lydia F. Harrington, a 
 daughter of Francis and Lydia (Perry) Har- 
 rington, born in Worcester, December 12, 
 1 8 14. Mr. Harrington, who was a prosper- 
 ous farmer, died October 17, 1841, aged sixty- 
 four years; and his wife, on October 27, 1868, 
 at the age of ninety years, eight months, and 
 seven days. Of their three sons and three 
 daughters, Mrs. Flagg is the only survivor. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Flagg have two children, 
 namely: Albert D., who was born August 22, 
 1844; and Ellen M., who is residing at home. 
 Albert D. Flagg on September 16, 1885, 
 married Mary C. Mullikin, who was born in 
 Jersey City, daughter of William E. Mulli- 
 kin, and who previous to her marriage re- 
 sided in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Albert D. 
 Flagg and Miss Ellen M. Flagg are members 
 of the local grange. Patrons of Husbandry, of 
 which Mr. Nahum Flagg has been the treas- 
 urer for sixteen years, and his sister the sec- 
 retary for the past eighteen years. Nahurh 
 Flagg is one of the best known and most 
 prosperous among Worcester's agriculturists. 
 Mrs. Nahum Flagg is a member of the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 ^A WHITIN DUDLEY, who was for 
 v^ many years a prominent merchant 
 S . of Whitinsville, was born in Am- 
 sterdam, N.Y., on April 3, 1817. 
 His parents, Amasa and Ann (Fletcher) Dud- 
 ley, removed from Whitinsville to New York 
 State, but returned not long after his birth. 
 His childhood was passed in Uxbridge and 
 Whitinsville. After receiving his education 
 in the common schools and at Uxbridge Acad- 
 emy, he was employed in his father's store 
 until he was about thirty years of age. Com- 
 ing then to Whitinsville, he had charge of the 
 store of P. Whitin & Sons until the firm was 
 dissolved in 1864. At that time he formed a 
 partnership with Charles P. Whitin, under the 
 
96 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 firm name of P. W. Dudley & Co., and subse- 
 quently managed the affairs of the concern 
 throughout the rest of his life. He had also 
 an interest in the First National Bank, of 
 which he was a director. 
 
 Mr. Dudley possessed untiring industry, 
 understood his business thoroughly, and was 
 a man of strict integrity. All persons with 
 whom he associated, whether employees or pa- 
 trons, recognized his worth, and appreciated 
 him accordingly. During the troublous years 
 of 1862, 1863, 1864, and 1865, in the ca- 
 pacity of chairman of the Board of Selectmen, 
 he directed the affairs of the town in a man- 
 ner that reflected great credit upon him. 
 After the close of the Civil War he de- 
 clined re-election. His benevolence was 
 shown in the thoughtful care with which he 
 provided for the families of soldiers and aided 
 the worthy poor who applied to him. He 
 was especially interested in the temperance 
 movement, and at the time of his death was 
 the president of the Worcester Southern Tem- 
 perance Union and a member of the State 
 Temperance Alliance. A member of the 
 Congregational church since he came to 
 Whitinsville in 1846, he was one of the Dea- 
 cons of that society dating from January 11, 
 1866, and the superintendent of its Sunday- 
 school for a number of years. 
 
 On October 19, 1842, Mr. Dudley was 
 married to Sarah A. Tobey, of Worcester. 
 The children of this union were: Henry M., 
 Herbert H., Sarah Jane, and Walter Whitin 
 Dudley. The eldest, Henry Dudley, who 
 died in June, 1876, was born in Uxbridge on 
 August 12, 1846. He graduated at Willis- 
 ton Seminary, Easthampton, Mass., in 1865, 
 and from the Sheffield Scientific School of 
 Yale College in 1868. In 1875 he opened a 
 drug store in Whitinsville, and was in busi- 
 ness here for seven years. At the end of that 
 time he removed to Woonsocket, R.I., where 
 he was engaged in the drug business until his 
 death. He was a Sir Knight of Woonsocket 
 Commandery, K. T. ; a member of the Woon- 
 socket Business Men's Association; a mem- 
 ber of Mount Hope Lodge, New England 
 Order of Protection, and the Royal Society 
 of Good Fellows; a charter member of Ames 
 
 Lodge, A. O. U. W. ; and an associate mem- 
 ber of the Sons of Brown, being the first asso- 
 ciate elected in that organization. As a 
 scientist Mr. Dudley had few superiors among 
 the druggists of the State, and he was relied 
 on by many physicians in Northern Rhode 
 Island for chemical and microscopical tests. 
 Herbert Dudley, an enterprising merchant of 
 Whitinsville, has served on the School Com- 
 mittee and the Board of Selectmen, and is 
 now Town Treasurer. Sarah Jane Dudley, 
 who is a graduate of Wheaton Female Semi- 
 nary, is deeply interested in benevolent work, 
 and was the organizer of the Samaritan Asso- 
 ciation of Whitinsville. Walter Dudley, who 
 was educated at Greylock Academy in South 
 William.stown, is in business in Whitinsville 
 with his cousin, Charles V. Dudley. The 
 father, P. Whitin Dudley, died on July i, 
 1872. 
 
 ^-jENJAMIN FRANKLIN PAIGE, a 
 . retired business man of Hardwick, 
 
 "^ J born here, March 24, 1820, is a son 
 of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Webb) 
 Clark Paige, who were also natives of the 
 town. His grandfather, John Paige, likewise 
 born in Hardwick, was a son of John Paige, 
 who was a son of Christopher Paige and an 
 early settler in Hardwick. The father, who 
 was extensively engaged in farming in the 
 region of Muddy Brook, died at the age of 
 fifty-eight years. He left in all about four 
 hundred and twenty-five acres of land, includ- 
 ing a well-stocked farm. His wife, whose 
 first husband was Ezra Clark, bore him five 
 children, of whom two died in infancy. The 
 survivors are: Benjamin F., the subject of 
 this sketch; Mary C, born December 18, 
 1823, who is now the widow of the late Henry 
 Bassett, and resides in Ware, Mass. ; and 
 John W. Paige, born August 15, 1825, who 
 is a resident of this town. The mother died 
 at the age of seventy-three years. She was a 
 member of the Congregational church. 
 
 Benjamin Franklin Paige was educated in 
 the district schools of Hardwick. He was a 
 small boy when his father died. As his 
 mother was left with the care of a large farm, 
 
HAMMOND BROWN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 99 
 
 he assisted in its cultivation until he was 
 twenty-one years old. He then went to Bos- 
 ton, where he kept a victualling establishment 
 for a time. Then, having acquired an aver- 
 sion to the business, he sold out, and, return- 
 ing to his native town, engaged in peddling 
 Yankee notions. In 1843, when twenty- 
 three years old, he settled in the locality 
 known as Furnace; and, entering the palm-leaf 
 business, he followed it successfully until his 
 retirement in 1890. Through energy and 
 business ability he has acquired a comfort- 
 able fortune, which is judiciously invested. 
 In addition to considerable agricultural prop- 
 erty in Hardwick, he owns tenement houses 
 in North Brookfield and Holyoke, Mass. 
 
 On December 31, 1848, Mr. Paige was 
 joined in marriage with Pamelia Danforth, 
 who was born in .this town, September 15, 
 1827. Her parents, Cyrus and Hannah P. 
 (Jenney) Danforth, were natives of Hardwick. 
 His children by her were: Mary, who married 
 James Matthews, and died in her thirty-fifth 
 year; and George D, Paige, who married 
 Lotta Conkey, and resides in Hardwick. 
 Mrs. Matthews left one son, Benjamin P., 
 who was drowned when nine years old. A 
 Republican in politics, Mr. Paige was one of 
 the prime movers in organizing the party in 
 this town. For many years he has been ac- 
 tively engaged in promoting the business in- 
 terests of this locality. Both he and Mrs. 
 Paige are held in high estimation by the en- 
 tire community. 
 
 "AMMOND BROWN was one of the 
 pioneer boot and shoe manufacturers 
 of New England as well as of West 
 Brookfield. A son of Brigham 
 Brown, he was born March 27, 18 10, in 
 Leicester, Worcester County. Reared and 
 educated in Leicester, he there learned and 
 followed for a time the shoemaker's trade. 
 Soon after attaining man's estate he came to 
 the part of Worcester County that is now in- 
 corporated as West Brookfield, and with John 
 M. Fales, in the firm Fales & Brown, began 
 to manufacture boots and shoes. Several 
 years later the partnership was dissolved, 
 
 after which he continued the business alone. 
 For a full half-century he was one of the lead- 
 ing shoe manufacturers of this town, giving 
 employment to a large number, of men. He 
 also invested in land, and for some years of 
 his later life was successfully engaged in gen- 
 eral farming, becoming as well known in agri- 
 cultural circles as he was in manufacturing 
 and political life. Politically, he was an un- 
 compromising Democrat, conscientious in all 
 his convictions. Once his mind was made up 
 as to the proper course for him to pursue, he 
 seldom deviated from that course. He served 
 as Selectman and Treasurer of West Brook- 
 field, and in • 1853 he was a delegate to 
 the State Constitutional Convention. While 
 liberal in his religious belief, he attended 
 the Congregational church, and was a gener- 
 ous contributor toward its support. A man of 
 noble physique, he had corresponding mental 
 and moral attributes. 
 
 Mr. Brown contracted the first of his two 
 marriages in 1834 with Miss Roxy Bemis. 
 Of her children by him, the survivors are: 
 George H. Brown, of West Brookfield; and 
 Mrs. C. P. Blanchard, of Brookfield. His 
 second marriage was made in May, i860, with 
 Mary A. L. Blair, who was born in West 
 Brookfield, Mass. A daughter of Joseph and 
 Mary (Tuffs) Blair, she is a descendant of one 
 of the oldest families of this town and of pio- 
 neers of this part of the county. Mrs. Brown 
 is an active member of the Congregational 
 church, and is highly esteemed in the social 
 circles of the town in which her life has been 
 spent. Mr. Brown died August 21, 1891, in 
 his eighty-second year. 
 
 /®Yo 
 
 EORGE LEWIS DARLING, a pros- 
 V 5T perous farmer of Sutton, was born in 
 ^-"^ this town, March 21, 1844, son of 
 John and Lydia (Fuller) Darling. His pa- 
 ternal great-grandfather was William Darl- 
 ing, who served as a Lieutenant in the Con- 
 tinental army during the Revolutionary War, 
 and who after his discharge from the army 
 carried on a fulling and grist mill in Sutton. 
 John Darling, father of George L. , was born 
 in 1799. The active period of his life was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 devoted to general farming, and he lived to an 
 advanced age. Having in a large degree the 
 respect and confidence of his fellow-towns- 
 men, he was frequently called upon to serve 
 in positions of public trust, and was Select- 
 man in 1859. 
 
 George Lewis Darling was educated in the 
 public schools of his native town. He as- 
 sisted his father in carrying on the home farm 
 until entering upon his apprenticeship to the 
 machinist's trade, which he followed as a jour- 
 neyman for some time. Failing health finally 
 compelled him to abandon it; and, returning 
 to the homestead, he has since given his at- 
 tention to agricultural pursuits. His prop- 
 erty, which is desirably located, contains 
 about two hundred acres of well-improved 
 land, and he has made good use of his oppor- 
 tunities for self-advancement. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Darling was joined in mar- 
 riage with Abby Jane Sheldon, daughter of 
 Ezekiel and Mary (Robbi.ns) Sheldon. Her 
 father served in the First New Hampshire 
 Heavy Artillery during the Civil War, and 
 three of his brothers were also in the Federal 
 army. Mrs. Darling is the mother of three 
 children: John, born in 1874; Florence, born 
 in 1877; and Clara, born in 1879 — ^H of 
 whom reside at home with their parents. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Darling is a Republican. 
 His farm and other property interests have 
 prevented him from taking a very active part 
 in public affairs. He is, however, serving 
 with ability as Road Surveyor of his district; 
 and his assistance in advancing all measures 
 calculated to be of benefit to the community 
 can always be depended upon. In his relig- 
 ious belief he is a Baptist. 
 
 rm^ 
 
 EORGE FREDERICK PARKER 
 \ |:5T DAY, Deputy Collector of Taxes, 
 ^— "^ Fitchburg, was born in this city, 
 February 26, 1849, son of Leonard and Susan 
 B. (Parker) Day. He is a descendant in the 
 eighth generation of Ralph Day (first), an 
 Englishman, who settled in Dedham, Mass., 
 prior to 1640. Records show that this ances- 
 tor was made a freeman in 1645, that he was 
 an Ensign, that he served as a Selectman 
 
 during the years 1661 and 1662, and that he 
 died November 28, 1677. His wife, Susan, a 
 daughter of Jonathan Fairbanks, of Dedham; 
 died July 8, 1659. Ralph Day (second), who 
 was JDorn in Dedham and baptized February 
 II, 1657, was a lifelong resident of that town, 
 and died October 21, 1694. He married 
 Sarah, daughter of Thomas and Hannah 
 (Flower) Fuller, of Dedham; and his son, 
 Jeremiah, the next in line, was born in Ded- 
 ham, September 28, 1692. Jeremiah Day, 
 who settled in Walpole, Mass., and there re- 
 sided for the rest of his life, married Mary, 
 daughter of Andrew Willett, a merchant of 
 Boston. Jeremiah Day (second), born in 
 Dedham, April 25, 1725, died in Walpole, 
 April I, 1752. The maiden name of his 
 wife was Mary Aldrich. Joseph Day, son 
 of Jeremiah (second) and great-grandfather of 
 the subject of this sketch, was born in Wal- 
 pole, December 8, 1750. He resided in Wal- 
 pole and Foxboro, Mass., and in Eddington, 
 Me., and died in Massachusetts in March, 
 1832 or 1833. On November 18, 1773, he 
 married Elizabeth Gay, who was born in Ded- 
 ham, November 27, 1752, daughter of Samuel 
 and Elizabeth Gay. Benjamin Day, G. F. P. 
 Day's grandfather, was born in Foxboro, Sep- 
 tember 12, 1779. The greater part of his life 
 was spent in Orange, Mass; and he died in 
 Fitchburg, Mass., November 20, 1861. He 
 married Martha Bacon, who was born in Ded- 
 ham, November 10, 1782, daughter of Josiah 
 and Abigail (Smith) Bacon, and the ceremony 
 took place in Dover, Mass. She died January 
 3, 1869. A singular fact brought out in 
 tracing the genealogies of the Day and Bacon 
 lines is this: the great-grandfather of Benja- 
 min Day and the great-grandmother of Martha 
 Bacon (who became his wife) were brother 
 and sister, being respectively Jeremiah and 
 Abiell Day, son and daughter of the second 
 Ralph Day, of Dedham. 
 
 Leonard Day, G. F. P. Day's father, was 
 born in Orange, November 8, 1807. He set- 
 tled in Fitchburg, where the major part of his 
 active years was spent, and he died Septem- 
 ber 27, 1864. He was prominently connected 
 with the stage line between Boston and Fitch- 
 burg until the completion of the Fitchburg 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Railroad in 1845, when hs became one of its 
 first conductors, later succeeding Henry F. 
 Kenney as its agent at Fitchburg. His wife, 
 Susan B., born in Brattleboro, Vt., in 18 19, 
 was a daughter of Stephen and Hannah Avery 
 (Paddleford) Parker. Her ancestry on the pa- 
 ternal side is traced to a native of Chelms- 
 ford, England, who sailed from London for 
 New England on board the ship "Susan and 
 Ellen" in 1635. Her grandfather. Captain 
 Parker, was a Revolutionary soldier, whose 
 widow, having removed to Canada, received a 
 pension from the United States so long as she 
 lived. 
 
 George Frederick Parker Day was educated 
 in the common and high schools of Fitchburg, 
 and soon after the completion of his studies 
 he went to California on account of ill health. 
 Upon his recovery he returned to this city, 
 and in 1872 entered the city engineer's office 
 under Thomas C. Lovell, remaining in the 
 department about three years. In 1876 he 
 became connected with the engineering de- 
 partment of the Fitchburg Railroad as first 
 assistant engineer, under E. K. Turner, chief 
 engineer. During the succeeding ten* years 
 he took an active part in the reconstruction of 
 the Vermont and Massachusetts Division be- 
 tween Fitchburg and Greenfield. This work 
 included the building of the large double-arch 
 stone bridge in West Fitchburg, the horse- 
 shoe curve improvement at Ashburnham Junc- 
 tion, supplanting the former switchback, 
 which required the turning of all locomotives 
 and the shunting of trains; the survey and 
 building of a new line between Baldwinsville 
 and Royalston, thereby eliminating four large 
 bridges over the Miller's River; the change 
 of location of the railroad and the cutting of 
 a new channel for the river between Royals- 
 ton and Athol, and also, a mile east of Miller's 
 Falls, improvements that enabled the road to 
 dispense with four more long bridges over the 
 Miller's River; the separation of grades of the 
 Vermont & Massachusetts and New London 
 Northern Railroads west of Miller's Falls; 
 and the building of the new Connecticut 
 River Bridge between Montague and East 
 Deerfield in connection with the double track- 
 ing of the fifty-six miles, In 1886 Mr. Day 
 
 resigned his position on account of his son's 
 health ; and, accompanying the latter to South- 
 ern California, he remained there until 1889. 
 In the spring of 1890 he was appointed by 
 George E. Clifford to his present position of 
 Deputy Collector of Taxes, the duties of 
 which office he has since discharged with 
 ability. 
 
 Mr. Day joined Aurora Lodge, F. & 
 A. M., in July, 1871, and became a junior 
 member of the American Society of Civil En- 
 gineers in 1880. He married in June, 1879, 
 Marion F., daughter of Charles L. and Har- 
 riet E. (Harris) Wilder, of Lancaster, Mass. 
 They have two children: Leonard, born Au- 
 gust 8, 1880; and Alice Wilder, born August 
 21, 1883. 
 
 ILLIAM F. FULLAM, a success- 
 ful builder and lumber dealer of 
 North Brookfield, was born in this 
 town, October i, 1856, son of William and 
 Ann (Bryant) Fullam. The family is of 
 English origin. The grandfather of William 
 F. was Elisha Fullam, a resident of Vermont. 
 Both of his parents were natives of that State. 
 The father, after learning the carpenter's trade 
 in Worcester, Mass., settled in North Brook- 
 field over half a century ago, and there fol- 
 lowed the business of contractor and builder 
 until a short time before his death, which oc- 
 curred on December 20, 1893. In politics he 
 supported the Republican party. As a busi- 
 ness man and a citizen he was widely known, 
 and he had the respect of his fellow-townsmen 
 for his many commendable qualities. He was 
 a member of the Congregational church. 
 Ann Fullam, his wife, who is still living, be- 
 came the mother of several children, of whom 
 the survivors are: Ella, who is now Mrs. 
 J. M. Doane, of Brockton, Mass.; William 
 F., the subject of this sketch; and Frederick 
 L. Fullam, of North Brookfield. 
 
 William F. Fullam received his education 
 in the common schools of his native town, 
 concluding in the high school. After serving 
 an apprenticeship with his father and master- 
 ing every detail of the carpenter's trade, he 
 became associated with the latter in 1879 in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the firm of William Fullam & Co. The part- 
 nership continued until the elder FuUam's re- 
 tirement in March, 1893. Since then Mr. 
 Fullam has been the sole proprietor of the 
 business. He does quite an extensive trade, 
 both as a building contractor and a lumber 
 dealer, and in the busy season he employs 
 from fifty to sixty men. 
 
 By his marriage with Ann M. Kingsbury, 
 of North Brookfield, a daughter of Joel Kings- 
 bury, Mr. Fullam is the father of three sons 
 — William H., Frederick A., and Charles F. 
 Fullam. In politics he is a Republican. He 
 has served with ability as a Selectman for 
 three years, during two of which he was the 
 chairman of the board. In 1897 he was 
 elected a Water Commissioner for three years. 
 He belongs to Woodbine Lodge, I. O. O. F., 
 of North Brookfield; and to the local grange, 
 Patrons of Husbandry. His interest in pub- 
 lic affairs has been proved on several occa- 
 sions, and he is regarded as one of the pro- 
 gressive men of the town. He is an esteemed 
 member of the Congregational church. 
 
 'OHN HOLT, the Postmaster of Man- 
 chaug, town of Sutton, was born in 
 Millbury, Mass., September 22, 1854, 
 son of Lawrence and Mary (Dunkerly) 
 Holt. The grandfather, who was a soldier in 
 the British army, served under the Duke of 
 Wellington at the battle of Waterloo. The 
 family has a claim upon a tract of land one 
 mile square in the city of Manchester, Eng- 
 land, and efforts are still being made to ob- 
 tain possession of the property. Lawrence 
 Holt, who was born in England, after learn- 
 ing the trade of an iron founder, emigrated 
 to the United States, accompanied by his 
 wife and one child. While he located in 
 Millbury, he obtained employment at his 
 calling in New York. Afterward he worked 
 at his trade in Millbury. 
 
 John Holt attended the public schools in 
 Sutton, and studied telegraphy in Boston. 
 His mercantile training was acquired in the 
 store of A. & B. H. Watson, Norfolk Square, 
 Boston. Coming from there to Manchaug, he 
 became a clerk in the company store of B. B, 
 
 & R. Knight, which was then under the man- 
 agement of T. C. Page. He continued in the 
 same capacity under Mr. Page's successor, 
 H. A. Brown; and upon the retirement of the 
 latter in 1885 he was advanced to the posi- 
 tion of manager. The store is one of the 
 largest establishments in this section, em- 
 ploying a force of six clerks, and carrying a 
 stock of general merchandise, which includes 
 a line of nearly every department of trade. 
 In addition to the wide business knowledge 
 and executive ability necessary to successfully 
 conduct the place, the varied character of its 
 patrons, comprising many nationalities, de- 
 mands considerable tact. The display of 
 these qualities, together with a uniform cour- 
 tesy, has enabled the present superintendent 
 to give general satisfaction, both to the pub- 
 lic and his employers. 
 
 In politics Mr. Holt is a Prohibitionist. 
 He served with ability as a Selectman from 
 1886 to 1 891 ; he has been Postmaster for the 
 past ten years; and in 1896 he was chosen a 
 member of the School Committee for three 
 years, in which capacity he is required to pro- 
 vide six schools with teachers and supplies. 
 He married Edna Josephine Manahan, and 
 has a family of four children, namely: Mary 
 Edna, born September 22, 1882; John Law- 
 rence, born May 24, 1884; Vera Lillian, born 
 November 14, 1887; and Mildred, born June 
 21, 1890. Mr. Holt belongs to the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen in East Douglas. 
 He was formerly the treasurer and collector 
 of the Baptist church, and is now acting in 
 the same capacity in the Sunday-school con- 
 nected with that society. 
 
 (gj 
 
 HARLES PARKMAN RICE, who 
 was for many years a successful mer- 
 chant of Westboro, was born here, 
 October 16, 1809. His father, 
 Jesse Rice, son of Ezekiel Rice, was a de- 
 scendant of Edmund Rice, of England, who 
 came to this country, and settled in Sudbury, 
 Mass., in 1638. Ezekiel was a farmer, resid- 
 ing in Framingham, Mass. When Paul 
 Revere rode through the town crying, "To 
 arms! the redcoats are upon us," Ezekiel, who 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 103 
 
 was ploughing in his field, left his horse and 
 plough, took his gun and powder-horn, and 
 started on foot for Concord. He remained 
 in the army throughout the entire Revolu- 
 tionary War, most of the time under General 
 Putnam, for whom he had a great admiration. 
 The maternal grandfather of Mr. Rice, from 
 whom, doubtless, he inherited his marked 
 characteristics, was Barnabas Newton, who 
 was a large real estate owner, both in this 
 town and in others. He was a very public- 
 spirited man and one whose judgment was 
 sought and highly prized by the townsmen. 
 
 Charles Parkman Rice worked on his 
 father's farm until he was twenty-one years of 
 age. He then went to Boston as an employee 
 in a provision establishment. At the expira- 
 tion of two years he was called home by the 
 death of his father, to attend to family affairs. 
 At that time it was thought best to sell the 
 farm, and at the end of a year the family 
 moved. After this he had charge of what was 
 known as the Parkman farm for several years. 
 From there he entered the employment of 
 Lyman Belknap, who was carrying on an ex- 
 tensive business in the meat line, sending out 
 several carts through this and adjoining 
 towns, and employing quite a number of men. 
 Mr. Rice had the general oversight of the men 
 employed. He also had entire charge of a de- 
 partment in which the produce of the farmers 
 in the vicinity, such as butter, cheese, lard, 
 and meats, was collected, and on every Wednes- 
 day sent in a heavy market wagon drawn by 
 two horses to Boston, where it was marketed 
 on Thursday, and its place in the wagon taken 
 by a supply of heavy groceries, such as mo- 
 lasses, oil, and flour, for the return trip, 
 which ended on Friday night. In 1836 
 Luther Chamberlain, an enterprising business 
 man, having bought and fitted up for business 
 purposes the historic church that has been 
 known as "The Arcade Building," urged 
 Messrs. Belknap and Rice to open a market 
 there. They did so, starting with a quarter 
 of beef, a bushel of turnips, and a dozen 
 pumpkins. From this small beginning the 
 market grew rapidly. For some time it was 
 the only one between Framingham and 
 Worcester, and consequently it had customers 
 
 from all the adjoining towns — Upton, South- 
 boro, Hopkinton, Northboro, and Grafton. 
 After a year or two Mr. Belknap withdrew 
 from the firm to engage in the commission 
 business in Boston, and Mr. Rice subse- 
 quently conducted the market at the same 
 stand for a period of forty years. By strict 
 economy, industry, and honorable dealing he 
 acquired a handsome fortune and the esteem 
 and confidence of the people. 
 
 Mr. Rice had a varied experience in the 
 management of the affairs of the town, hav- 
 ing been repeatedly called to high and re- 
 sponsible duties, which he invariably dis- 
 charged with fidelity and marked ability. He 
 represented the town in the legislature in 
 1855. The records of the Town Clerk show 
 that from 1843 to 1878, a period of thirty-five 
 years, he held either the office of Overseer of 
 the Poor or Selectman, and often both to- 
 gether, and that throughout the larger part of 
 the time he was the chairman of both boards. 
 He was Selectman for eleven years, a period 
 exceeded only twice in the history of the 
 town. At the time of the dedication of the 
 soldiers' monument, in June, 1869, he was 
 chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and at 
 the dedicatory exercises, according to the town 
 records, "he made a fitting speech in accept- 
 ance." He served the Agricultural Society 
 both as its president and treasurer, and at the 
 time of his death he was one of the directors 
 of the savings-bank and a member of its Board 
 of Finance. In politics he was identified 
 with the old Whig party. He was an es- 
 teemed and honored member of the Ancient 
 Order of Free Masons. A sympathetic friend 
 and counsellor to the poorer classes, his 
 deeds of charity were dispensed in such an un- 
 ostentatious manner that it could be truthfully 
 said of him, his left hand knew not what his 
 right hand did. His death, which occurred 
 at his home, February 11, 1879, was the re- 
 sult of eleven days' illness with typhoid pneu- 
 monia. 
 
 On October 15, 1838, Mr. Rice married 
 Miss Jane Nourse, of Northboro, Mass. .She 
 is a daughter of Theophilus Nourse, of Berlin, 
 Mass., and a grand-daughter of Dr. Benjamin 
 Nourse, also of Berlin. Three children came 
 
104 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of the union, namely: Charles Amory, born 
 April 26, 1840; and Jennie Maria and Louise 
 Sophia, twins, born June 28, 1847. Charles 
 Amory Rice was for a number of years con- 
 nected with the baggage department of the 
 Boston & Albany Railroad at Boston. Dur- 
 ing the Civil War he enlisted in the Forty- 
 third (Tiger) Regiment of Boston, and served 
 in the Carolinas and Virginia. He first mar- 
 ried on April 6, 1866, Lizzie B. Wakefield, 
 of Lyndon, Vt., who had one son, Charles 
 Pliny, born January i, 1870. This son has 
 been employed for eleven years in the office of 
 J. A. Frye, a boot and shoe manufacturer of 
 Marlboro, Mass. In September, 1876, a sec- 
 ond marriage united Charles A. Rice with 
 Ella J. Cleveland, of Guilford, Vt., who also 
 had one son, Arthur Parkman, born November 
 29, 1879, now a student at the Chelsea High 
 School. Jennie Maria Rice was for fourteen 
 years connected with the Western Union Tel- 
 egraph Company; and Louise Sophia Rice 
 married James A. Kelly, of Boston, Mass., on 
 November 28, 1878. 
 
 ^CdL)/lLLIS J 
 VSV one of 
 V^ Vj Oxford 
 
 MARTIN WELLINGTON, 
 the best known residents of 
 Oxford, was born in this town, 
 March 9, 1844, son of William and Irene 
 (Kidder) Wellington. He is a descendant of 
 Roger Wellington who came from England in 
 1630 and settled at Watertown. His great- 
 grandfather, David Wellington, who lived in 
 Worcester, rendered valuable assistance to the 
 cause of independence during the Revolution- 
 ary War. William Wellington, his grand- 
 father, owned and occupied a farm located 
 upon the road between Oxford and Worcester. 
 The father, who died in 1872, was a railroad 
 contractor for a number of years, and also 
 carried on a farm in this town. 
 
 Willis Martin Wellington graduated from 
 the Oxford High School. In his youth he 
 worked upon the home farm. When a young 
 man he began to assist his father in superin- 
 tending the crews of workmen employed by 
 the latter in building railroads. After the 
 father died, he and his brother continued the 
 business left by their deceased parent. 
 
 Afterward they had been actively engaged in 
 fulfilling contracts for about seventeen years, 
 when Willis M. practically retired from busi- 
 ness. He is interested in the Oxford National 
 Bank, of which he is a director. 
 
 Mr. Wellington married Emma F. Copp, 
 a daughter of Jesse W. Copp, of Oxford. 
 She is a descendant of the Copps for whom 
 Copp's Hill, Boston, was named. Her great- 
 grandfather was David Copp, of Killingly, 
 Conn. Her grandfather, William Copp, 
 settled here in 1832, and was a Deacon of 
 the church. William Otis Wellington, the 
 only son of Mr. and Mrs. Wellington, 
 born on November 18, 1874, graduated 
 from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 
 the class of 1895, and is now a civil engineer 
 in Boston. In politics Mr. Wellington is a 
 Republican. He has served with ability as a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen, was an 
 Assessor for seven consecutive years, and 
 Town Treasurer two years. Appointed Post- 
 master by President Harrison in 1889, he 
 served in that capacity until some time after 
 the election of President Cleveland. He was 
 reappointed by McKinley. Efficient public 
 service was also rendered by him as a mem- 
 ber of the State Board of Agriculture for three 
 years. 
 
 OHN C. GIBBS, a well-known resident 
 of Brookfield, was born in Warner, 
 N.H., January 12, 1826, son of Tyler 
 and Mary E. (Greenleaf) Gibbs. His 
 father and his grandfather, William Gibbs, 
 were natives of Hopkinton, Mass; and his 
 mother was born in Worcester. He accom- 
 panied his parents from Warner to Worcester 
 when six years old, and shortly after he went 
 with them to New London, Conn. His educa- 
 tion was begun in the Quaker village school, 
 near the last named city, and completed at the 
 New London Academy. After leaving the 
 academy he was employed as a grocery clerk 
 in the grocery of C. W. Strickland & Brother, 
 of New London, until he was twenty years old. 
 Then he went to Norwich, where he served his 
 apprenticeship at the machinist's trade with 
 Hugh Wilson & Son. In 1850 for a short 
 
WILLIS M. WELLINGTON. 
 
..___.J 
 
 WILLIAM B. RAMSDELL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 107 
 
 time he was the second engineer of the steam- 
 boat "Jersey Blue," plying between New 
 Haven and New York, after which he resumed 
 his trade in Norwich. Beginning in 1852, he 
 was employed as an engineer by the Heyward 
 Rubber Company of Colchester, Conn., for 
 four years. Moving to Fitchburg, Mass., 
 after this, he spent some time in the employ- 
 ment of the Putnam Machine Company. 
 Coming to Brookfield in i860 as master me- 
 chanic for Kimball & Robinson, shoe manu- 
 facturers, he continued with them and their 
 several successors, the E. Twitchell Shoe 
 Company and George H. Burt, for a number of 
 years. He subsequently became the engineer 
 of a steam mill belonging to John C. Kimball, 
 in which capacity he worked until his retire- 
 ment some time ago. 
 
 On March 31, 1858, Mr. Gibbs was united 
 in marriage with Louisa Smith, of East Had- 
 dam. Conn., a daughter of Abner C. and Hope 
 (Marshall) Smith, both natives of that town. 
 Her grandfather. Captain Jeremiah Smith, was 
 a Revolutionary soldier; her uncle. Captain 
 Azariah Smith, served in the War of 1812; 
 and her brother, Benjamin Smith, was among 
 the defenders of the Union in the Civil War. 
 In politics Mr. Gibbs is a Republican. A 
 public-spirited man, he takes an earnest inter- 
 est in the welfare and prosperity of the town. 
 He is a charter member and was the treasurer 
 for a number of years of Hayden Lodge, F. & 
 A. M., of Brookfield, which was organized in 
 1864. In the Congregational church, with 
 which he and Mrs. Gibbs have been united for 
 many years, he is a Deacon and the treasurer 
 of the society. 
 
 Boar 
 
 ILLIAM B. RAMSDELL, of War- 
 the president of the Warren 
 Board of Trade and the vice-presi- 
 dent of the Warren Savings Bank, was born 
 here, June 2, 1825. A son of Homer and 
 Betsy (Stockbridge) Ramsdell, both of whom 
 were natives of Hanover, Mass., he is a de- 
 scendant of Joseph Ramsdell, in Plymouth, 
 Mass., in 1643. Joseph's son, Samuel, set- 
 tled on the site of the present town of Hanover 
 in Plymouth County. Samuel's son, Joseph, 
 
 who was the father of Homer Ramsdell, 
 bought the farm in Warren, which has since 
 been in the possession of his descendants. 
 Homer, then about nineteen years old, accom- 
 panied by his brother Joseph, came in 1800 
 t6 Warren, which was then called Weston. 
 He was a leading man in town, and for many 
 years was a member of the Board of Select- 
 men. His death happened at Warren in De- 
 cember, 1850. Besides his son William, 
 there is one other living child; namely, Mary 
 E. , who is the wife of Joseph K. Makepeace, 
 of Springfield. Reared on a farm here, Will- 
 iam B. Ramsdell was chiefly occupied in agri- 
 culture until 1864, when he began the manu- 
 facture of boots and shoes. After following 
 this business until 1884, he retired. For a 
 short time he was in company with Mr. B. A. 
 Tripp under the firm name of Ramsdell _& 
 Tripp. His early education was obtained in 
 the common schools of Warren, in a private 
 school, and in the academy of Warren. By 
 careful and systematic reading he has kept 
 himself well informed on all topics of general 
 interest. When a young man he studied civil 
 engineering; and for thirty years, in addition 
 to his other business, he did more or less sur- 
 veying. He has served Warren as Selectman 
 and Assessor. Since the organization of the 
 Board of Trade he has been its president. 
 The savings-bank, of which he was one of the 
 founders, owes much of its prosperity to his 
 good judgment and efficient action. He has 
 been one of the trustees of the institution 
 since its organization, and he is its vice-presi- 
 dent and a member of its Board of Investment. 
 In politics Mr. Ramsdell is a Republican; 
 but he does not feel obliged to indorse every 
 measure of his party, and he often votes an in- 
 dependent ticket. He married Mary A. 
 Makepeace, of West Brookfield, daughter of 
 the late Augustus Makepeace. Of his four 
 children. Homer A. and William B. are de- 
 ceased. The others are: Jennie M., who is 
 the wife of George M. Faulkner, the treasurer 
 of the Slater Engine Company, of Warren ; and 
 Emma A., who is the wife of Joseph D. Hast- 
 ings, a well-known druggist of Warren. Mr. 
 Ramsdell has the respect of all who know 
 him. 
 
io8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 AUL S. 
 
 Postmaster at 
 
 ^A/^ui. c>. LINCOLN, 
 
 ^ ' Southville, town of Southboro, was 
 
 born in Acton, Mass., in 1858. His 
 parents moved to Ashland when lie 
 was four years old. After graduating from 
 the high school in that place, he learned shoe- 
 making. In 1886 he formed a partnership 
 with C. S. Jones for the purpose of engaging 
 in the grocery trade in Southville. The firm 
 conducted a successful business until 1892, 
 when they sold out and dissolved. Mr. 
 Lincoln immediately purchased another store 
 and started again. This he had carried on for 
 about three years, when, in December, 1896, 
 the place was totally destroyed by fire, causing 
 a severe loss, as there was no insurance. 
 After this he re-established himself in busi- 
 ness in connection with the Post-office, having 
 been appointed Postmaster by President Harri- 
 son in 1 891 ; and he still retains the position. 
 Born of his marriage with Clara Hill, of Ash- 
 land, are two children — a daughter, now aged 
 fourteen ; and a son, aged eight years. 
 
 Local public affairs have absorbed a great 
 deal of Mr. Lincoln's attention, as his well- 
 known ability makes him especially eligible 
 to town offices. As a member of the School 
 Board he has rendered good service in behalf 
 of public education, was a Constable for some 
 years, and is an Overseer of the Poor. He is 
 Past Master of St. Bernard Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. , of Southboro; a member of Mayflower 
 Council, No. 58, of Ashland; and of the Pa- 
 trons of Husbandry, of Southboro. 
 
 ;_TEPHEN HALL EAMES, of West 
 Upton, the foreman of the blocking 
 department of the Knowlton Straw 
 Factory, was born in Upton, Febru- 
 ary 16, 1850, son of David F. and Sarah T. 
 (Whitney) Fames. His immigrant ancestor, 
 Thomas Fames, who was a brickmaker and a 
 mason, came to this country in 1634, and three 
 days later fought in the Pequod War. Rec- 
 ords show him to have been in Medford from 
 1652 to 1659, occupying a water privilege on 
 the banks of the Mystic; to have owned a 
 house and eight acres of land in Cambridge in 
 1664 and 1665; and subsequently to have be- 
 
 come an inhabitant of Sherborn, on territory 
 now within the limits of Framingham. In 
 1669 he built a house and barn on the southern 
 slope of Mount Wayte. At one time during 
 King Philip's War, when he was absent from 
 home in Boston, the Indians swooped down 
 upon his defenceless family and set fire to his 
 buildings. His household at that time con- 
 sisted of his wife, eight or nine of his chil- 
 dren and one or two of his wife's children by 
 a former marriage. His wife and five of the 
 children were murdered after a desperate re- 
 sistance, in which the woman used hot soap as 
 a means of defence. The other members of 
 his family were carried into captivity, whence 
 three of them, Margaret, Samuel, and Na- 
 thaniel, subsequently managed to escape. At 
 that time he lost all his worldly possessions 
 with the exception of the two horses that he 
 had taken with him to Boston. He estimated 
 the value of his buildings and other property 
 at three hundred and thirty pounds. As in- 
 demnification for this he received from the 
 General Court a grant of two hundred acres of 
 land, and recovered two hundred acres more 
 from the Indians. This Thomas Fames was a 
 Selectman in 1678 and a member of the com- 
 mittee appointed to build the first meeting- 
 house in Sherborn. He dropped dead on Jan- 
 uary 25, 1680. 
 
 Samuel Eames, born in 1664, who was capt- 
 ured by the Indians, was the direct ancestor of 
 Stephen Hall Eames. After being carried 
 away by the Indians he spent from February 
 until the following May in captivity. He 
 then managed to escape and make his way to a 
 white settlement by looking for the plant 
 called by the Indians English foot and by the 
 whites plantain, now so common in all parts of 
 New England, but which was never found here 
 until the white men came. Samuel was twice 
 married — the first time in 1689 to Mary 
 Death, and the second time in 1698 to 
 Patience Twitchell. His son, Jonathan, who 
 was born in 171 1, married Abigail Goldbing, 
 and settled in Holliston. Jonathan's son, 
 Reuben, lived and died in Holliston. Reu- 
 ben's son Moses, who was born in 1764, was 
 an Ensign in the militia. He settled in 
 Upton, and died here in 1828. Moses, sec- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 109 
 
 ond, son of Moses, first, was born in 1787. In 
 1809 he married Nancy Fay, who bore him 
 thirteen children. 
 
 David F. Fames, son of Moses and Nancy 
 Fames, born in 181 3, was for many years en- 
 gaged in butchering and in the meat business 
 in Upton. Subsequently he forsook these oc- 
 cupations, and, having bought a fruit farm, he 
 engaged in its cultivation, at the same time 
 carrying on a large stone business. He was 
 a member of the farmers' club, and on many 
 occasions he took premiums at the local fairs. 
 Remarkable for his generosity, he was espe- 
 cially liberal to the Congregational church, of 
 which he was a member. His wife, Sarah, 
 came from the same family as Eli Whitney, 
 of cotton-gin fame. She was the mother of 
 the following children: George J., born in 
 1840, who died in infancy; Fmilie W. , born 
 November 11, 1842; Harvey A., born Febru- 
 ary 7, 1845; Herbert L. , born June 13, 1847, 
 who married Grace Nicholson in 1882; 
 Stephen Hall Fames, the subject of this biog- 
 raphy ; and Frank M. Fames, born October 
 22, 1856. Fmilie W. Fames graduated at 
 Mount Holyoke Seminary, and subsequently 
 taught school for a number of years. She 
 married H. B. Harvey, of Meriden, Conn., and 
 died July 18, 1897. Harvey established a 
 straw business in New York, City, and in 1877 
 built at Bay Ridge a large factory, which was 
 struck by lightning in 1890 and burned. He 
 is now in California for his health. 
 
 Stephen Hall Fames was educated in the 
 public schools of Upton and at Wilbraham 
 Academy. He went into the straw factory 
 soon after leaving school, and in time rose to 
 his present position. He has now charge of 
 about ninety operatives, and is looked upon as 
 one of the most valuable men in the employ of 
 the company. He is an active member of the 
 Congregational church, and in politics he is an 
 ardent Republican. On February i, 1872, he 
 was married to Flora E. Rockwood, daughter 
 of James A. and Jane M. Rockwood. His 
 children are: Burton E. and F. Leroy. The 
 former, who was born September 25, 1875, 
 graduated from the town high school at the 
 bead of his class, entered Worcester Polytech- 
 nic Institute, class of 1897, and is now a 
 
 teacher of mathematics and an assistant in 
 physics at that institution. F. Leroy, who 
 was born May 6, 1882, is now pursuing a 
 course of study in the Upton High School. 
 
 The men of the Fames family have been, for 
 the most part, of great size and commanding 
 stature. They have also been distinguished 
 for ability and energy, and have filled posi- 
 tions of usefulness and influence. The family 
 prize very much the crest and coat of arms 
 granted to Sir Henry Fames, K. G. , several 
 centuries ago. 
 
 WARREN NYE, a well-known citi- 
 zen of Milford, now retired from active 
 business life, was born in Montpelier, 
 Vt. , on January 24, 1822, son of Iran 
 and Ores (Willey) Nye. The father owned 
 some six hundred and forty acres in the en- 
 virons of Montpelier, and was engaged in 
 lumbering and stock-raising on an extensive 
 scale. At his death he was ninety years old. 
 He was an active member of the Orthodox 
 church. 
 
 J. Warren Nye spent his early life on his 
 father's farm. When twenty-one years of age 
 he came to Lowell, Mass., and was there en- 
 gaged for some years in making boots and 
 shoes. In 1854 he went to Illinois, where he 
 remained for six years in the general merchan- 
 dise business in company with his brother. 
 Although highly successful in this venture, he 
 eventually sold out and returned to Massachu- 
 setts, locating in Worcester. Here he and 
 George G. Hildreth conducted an undertaking 
 business for five years. At the end of that 
 time he disposed* of his interest, and formed a 
 partnership with John M. Wood for carrying 
 on the same business in Milford. This con- 
 nection lasted until four years ago, when Mr. 
 Nye retired. His quick sympathies especially 
 fitted him to discharge the oftentimes difificult 
 tasks that fell to him. He won many warm 
 friends by his conscientiousness and other 
 sterling qualities of mind and heart. In social 
 life he is a genial and companionable gentle- 
 man. 
 
 Mr. Nye is a Master Mason and a member 
 of Montgomery Lodge in Milford. By his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 marriage with Abilena Perry, a daughter of 
 Dana Perry, he is the father of three children, 
 namely : George Waldo Nye, who is in the 
 railroad business in Chicago; Charles Dana 
 Nye, who is in a book and stationery business 
 in Worcester; and Nellie Mulissa, who was 
 for fifteen years a successful school teacher in 
 Millbury, is unmarried, and resides with her 
 parents. 
 
 t^TON. RODNEY WALLACE, of 
 l-^J Fitchburg, the donor of the Wallace 
 |U I Library and Art Building, was born 
 
 ' in New Ipswich, N.PL, December 
 21, 1823. His parents were David and Rox- 
 anna (Gowen) Wallace. Starting at the age 
 of twelve to make his own way in the world, 
 he hired out to a farmer for forty dollars for 
 the first year, with the privilege of attending 
 school during eight weeks in the winter. 
 This forty dollars was the nucleus of a large 
 fortune; and the eight weeks of schooling was 
 the foundation of a fund of knowledge gleaned 
 here and there, as opportunity offered, that has 
 fitted him for prominent positions of trust and 
 responsibility. At the age of sixteen he 
 began to drive freight teams from Bellows 
 Falls, Vt., and Rindge, N. H., to Boston, re- 
 turning with loads of merchandise. 
 
 In 1843, when he was twenty years old, Mr. 
 Wallace entered the employ of Dr. Stephen 
 Jewett, of Rindge, N. H., the proprietor of 
 Jewett's celebrated medicines, and subse- 
 quently travelled as his agent through five 
 of the New England States. Leaving Dr. 
 Jewett's employ in 1853, Mr. Wallace formed 
 a copartnership with StepBen Shepley in 
 Fitchburg, and engaged in the sale of books, 
 stationery, paper, and cotton waste by whole- 
 sale. The business was at first conducted 
 under the name of Shepley & Wallace and 
 then under the style of R. Wallace & Co. 
 On July I, 1865, the partnership was dissolved 
 and the business divided, Mr. Wallace taking 
 the cotton waste department, which is still 
 under his management, and has since grown to 
 large proportions. He handles waste to the 
 amount of a quarter of a million dollars yearly. 
 On December 31, 1864, he and three partners 
 
 purchased the Lyon paper-mill and Kimball 
 scythe shops at West Fitchburg, and began to 
 manufacture paper under the name of the 
 Fitchburg Paper Company. In January, 1869, 
 he purchased the interest of his partners and 
 became sole owner of the property. Since 
 then he has added largely to the original plant, 
 erected many dwellings for the employees, a 
 depot, and two mills complete, with all the 
 most modern improvements. Four machines 
 are in operation, and the mills produce twenty- 
 five tons of paper daily. This enterprise has 
 been in existence for upward of thirty-three 
 years without change of name. Since 1864 
 Mr. Wallace has been a director and the presi- 
 dent of the Fitchburg Gas Company; and from 
 the same date, with an interim of one year, he 
 has been a director of the Putnam Machine 
 Company. Since 1866 he has been a director 
 of the Fitchburg National Bank, since 1877 
 a partner in the F^itchburg Woollen Mill 
 Company, and since 1878 a trustee of Smith 
 College, Northampton, Mass. He is also a 
 director of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance 
 Company, a trustee of the Fitchburg Savings 
 Bank, a director of the Fitchburg Railroad 
 Company, a director and a large stockholder in 
 the Parkhill Manufacturing Company, and he 
 has been intrusted with the settlement of sev- 
 eral large and important estates. 
 
 On December i, 1853, Mr. Wallace was 
 married to Sophia, daughter of Thomas In- 
 galls, of Rindge, N. H. She died June 20, 
 1871, leaving two sons — Herbert I. and 
 George R., who are associated with their 
 father in the management of his business. 
 On December 28, 1876, a second marriage 
 united him to Mrs. Sophia F. Billings Bailey, 
 of Woodstock, Vt., who died November 9, 
 1895. For politics he has had little ambition, 
 yet he has been elected to several important 
 offices. In 1864, 1865, and 1867 he was Se- 
 lectman of Fitchburg. In 1873 he repre- 
 sented Fitchburg in the General Court; and he 
 was unanimously renominated the following 
 year, but declined re-election on account of 
 his health. He was State Councillor through- 
 out the whole administration of Governor 
 Long, in 1884 he was a delegate to the Na- 
 tional Republican Convention, and in 1889-90 
 
-T^^jC^i, ] 1 ^<^cC<^cO f-^^- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 "3 
 
 he represented the Eleventh Congressional 
 District in the National House of Representa- 
 tives. Mr. Wallace has liberally aided nu- 
 merous undertakings for the benefit of the city. 
 The Wallace Library and Art Building, which 
 was erected by him in 1885 at a cost of 
 eighty-four thousand dollars, and presented to 
 the city of Fitchburg free of all conditions ex- 
 cept that "it should be under the care of the 
 Board of Trustees of the Public Library for the 
 time being, and be used for a free public li- 
 brary, reading-rooms, and art gallery, and for 
 no other purpose," is a monument to his mu- 
 nificence and public spirit. The building is 
 admirably adapted to the use for which it was 
 intended, and is a constant source of profit and 
 pleasure to all classes olf citizens. Mr. Wal- 
 lace also built and gave to the town of Rindge, 
 N. H., the home of his first wife, a brick edi- 
 fice with brownstone trimmings, for a public 
 library, to which use it was dedicated in 1894. 
 
 :ECHARIAH F. young, Clerk of 
 the Board of Assessors, Fitchburg, 
 was born in Athol, Mass., March 
 10, 1 82 1, son of Joseph and Sophia 
 (Field) Young. His paternal grandfather was 
 David Young, who at an early date settled in 
 Athol, where he cultivated a farm during his 
 active years, and reared a family of six sons 
 and five daughters. The sons were : Reuben, 
 James, Moses, David, Joshua, and Joseph. 
 
 Joseph Young, Zechariah F. Young's father, 
 was born in Athol, Mass. In early life he 
 followed the carpenter's trade, which he subse- 
 quently relinquished in order to keep a hotel. 
 His wife, Sophia, who was born in Northfield, 
 Mass., became the mother of four children, 
 one of whom, Joseph, was killed in the battle 
 of the Wilderness. The only one now living 
 is the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Zechariah F. Young was educated in the 
 common schools of his native town and at the 
 academy in New Salem, Mass. In his 
 younger days he was employed as a hotel 
 clerk, being connected at different times with 
 hostelries in Greenfield, Northampton, Am- 
 herst, and Northfield. He was also engaged 
 in farming to some extent. In May, 1847, he 
 
 came to Fitchburg as time-keeper for the en- 
 gineers engaged in building the Vermont & 
 Massachusetts Railroad; and when the line 
 was opened he was appointed to a position in 
 the freight department. Some four years later 
 he was made general freight agent in Fitch- 
 burg, and continued in that capacity until 
 1878. 
 
 On January i, 1850, Mr. Young was united 
 in marriage with Angelia Ballou, daughter of 
 Luther and Clara Ballou, of Royalston, Mass. 
 Mrs. Young died in March, 1891, having been 
 the mother of four children, one of whom, a 
 daughter, is now the wife of Augustine S. 
 Belding, and resides in this city. Mr. Young 
 has been quite active in public affairs. He 
 was a member of the Common Council for one 
 year; was chosen a member of the Massachu- 
 setts legislature for the year 1882 ; was chosen 
 an Assessor in 1888, and with the exception 
 of one year, in which he acted as chairman of 
 the board, he has served as its clerk with 
 marked ability until the present time. He at- 
 tends the Unitarian church. 
 
 ILLIAM E. PATRICK, a well- 
 known resident of Warren, Mass., 
 and the chairman of its present 
 Board of Selectmen, was born in this town. 
 May 2, 1847. A son of William A. and 
 Sophia (Bishop) Patrick, he is a direct de- 
 scendant of John Patrick, who came here when 
 the country was in its primeval wildness, built 
 his log house, and reared his family. John's 
 son, Matthew, the great-grandfather of Will- 
 iam E. Patrick, was a man of prominence 
 among the early pioneers, and served as Se- 
 lectman of the town. The grandfather, Isaac, 
 son of Matthew, was also a Selectman, served 
 in other town offices, and represented Warren 
 in the General Court. William A. Patrick, a 
 lifelong resident of Warren, was engaged in 
 agriculture throughout his active period, and 
 was one of the substantial men of the town. 
 Also active in public life, he served acceptably 
 as Selectman, Assessor, and Overseer of the 
 Poor for a number of years. His wife, 
 Sophia, was born in Brimfield, Mass. 
 
 Having completed his early education at 
 
114 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Eastman's Business College in Poughkeepsie, 
 N. Y., William E. Patrick assisted his father 
 in the management of the home farm for a 
 number of years. Accepting then the posi- 
 tion of agent for C. Brigham & Co., wholesale 
 milk contractors of Boston, he shipped dairy 
 products to that firm from Warren and adjoin- 
 ing towns for fifteen consecutive years. In 
 1885 he settled on his present fine farm, where 
 he has since been prosperously engaged in 
 general farming. Also, as senior partner of 
 the firm W. E. Patrick & Son he has owned 
 and attended an extensive milk route in this 
 locality. He has been a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen for several terms, and for the 
 past six years the efficient chairman of that 
 body. For one year he has been Assessor, 
 and he is also a director of the Warren Public 
 Library and a justice of the Peace. A Repub- 
 lican in politics, he is a member of the Re- 
 publican Town Committee. 
 
 Taking much interest in agricultural ques- 
 tions, Mr. Patrick has performed excellent 
 work for the farmers of the county in the 
 Warren Grange, of which he is now the Mas- 
 ter, and in the West Brookfield Farmers' Club 
 — the largest organization of the kind in the 
 State — of which he has been the president for 
 a number of years. He belongs to Arcturus 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F., and is an active member 
 of the Congregational church. On June 29, 
 1870, he was married to Ella F. , daughter of 
 Sumner Sibley, late of Warren. His chil- 
 dren, all living in Warren, are: Grace M., 
 the wife of Herbert N. Shepard ; William S. ; 
 and Ralph B. 
 
 'AMES QUIGLEY, a prosperous farmer 
 of Mendon, was born in Queens County, 
 Ireland, in November, 1838. His 
 father, Timothy Quigley, was also a 
 farmer. He came to this country in 185 1, 
 then less than fourteen years old, intent on 
 finding his fortune in the New World. After 
 learning the shoemaker's trade, he worked at 
 it industriously for nearly forty years in vari- 
 ous parts of the country, including Philadel- 
 phia, Springfield, Mass., and Hartford, Conn., 
 but chiefly in the factories of Mendon, Hop- 
 
 kinton, and Milford. In 1890, having 
 acquired some means by his industry, persever- 
 ance, and frugality, he purchased what is 
 known as the Davenport farm in Mendon, and 
 there settled down to farming. To-day he is 
 regarded as one of the most prosperous farmers 
 in the tawnship. He has always taken an in- 
 terest in whatever pertained to the welfare of 
 the town in which he lived. An ardent Dem- 
 ocrat, he has been actively identified with his 
 party as delegate to its various State, legisla- 
 tive, and senatorial conventions. He served 
 Mendon for three years as a member of its 
 Board of Assessors. In 1889 he represented 
 his district in the legislature, where he served 
 with credit in the Committee on the Consti- 
 tution. 
 
 Mr. Quigley married Mary Welsh, who has 
 lived in Mendon since her thirteenth year. 
 Of their nine children, six are living, namely : 
 Nellie, who is the wife of William Foley, the 
 Tax Collector of Milford, and has three chil- 
 dren ; Lizzie, who resides with her uncle in 
 Hopkinton ; Annie, who is the wife of John 
 Colbert, of Upton; Alice, who resides in 
 Framingham ; James, who is a machinist at 
 Hopedale; and Rose, who is a student in the 
 Mendon High School. The eldest son, Tim- 
 othy, died in Mendon at the age of thirty. 
 
 B 
 
 ANIEL CURTIS MILES, national 
 bank examiner, is a well - known 
 citizen of Worcester County, resid- 
 ing in Westminster. He was born 
 in the eastern part of this town on June i, 
 1827. Mr. Miles is a son of the late Daniel 
 and Mary (Curtis) Miles, and is the elder 
 brother of Major-general Nelson A. Miles. 
 His first paternal ancestor in America was 
 the Rev. John Myles, a Baptist clergyman, 
 born in Wales in 1621 and educated at Ox- 
 ford, who, being persecuted for non-con- 
 formity, left Wales and came to New England 
 about 1663, and for many years was pastor of 
 a Baptist church founded by him at Swansea, 
 Mass. He died in 1683. His family his- 
 tory, as given in part by different early 
 writers, is incomplete and sometimes contra- 
 dictory. John Myles, Jr., is mentioned at an 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 117 
 
 early date as Town Clerk of Swansea. Samuel 
 Myles, grandson of Elder Myles, was born in 
 1689. 
 
 Daniel Miles, a native of Pomfret, Conn., 
 thought to have been of the fourth generation 
 in descent from the first John Myles, removed 
 to Petersham, Mass., and was the founder of 
 the Worcester County branch of the Elder's 
 posterity. He died in 1777. Both Daniel 
 Miles, and his son Joab, who was born in 
 1742, and died in 1832, aged ninty-one, 
 fought in the Revolution. 
 
 Daniel Miles, son of Joab, came from 
 Petersham to Westminster about 1824, and 
 engaged in farming and lumbering. He w^s 
 a man of energy and executive ability and 
 a public-spirited citizen. He held the office 
 of Selectman, and was a prominent member of 
 the Baptist church. During the latter part of 
 his life he lived on what, was known as the 
 Miles homestead. He died in 1875, at the 
 age of seventy-five; and his wife, whose name 
 before marriage was Mary Curtis, died the 
 same year, aged seventy-three. She was the 
 eldest daughter of Francis and Mary (Gilbert) 
 Curtis and a sister of the father of ex-Mayor 
 Curtis of Boston. Her father was a son of 
 the Rev. Philip Curtis, of Sharon, Mass., 
 Daniel and Mary (Curtis) Miles were the par- 
 ents of four children, namely: Daniel Curtis; 
 Mary Jane, now Mrs. Gardner Merriam, of 
 Leominster; Ann Maria, now Mrs. Samuel 
 H. Sprague, of Westminster; and Nelson 
 Appleton, now General Miles, Commander of 
 the United States army. 
 
 Daniel Curtis Miles, after obtaining his 
 education in the public and in private schools 
 and at Westminster Academy, taught school 
 for sixteen terms in Lancaster, Westminster, 
 and Gardner, one of his pupils at West- 
 minster being his younger brother. Nelson 
 A., when eleven and twelve years of age. 
 Daniel C. Miles began his active business life 
 as a farmer, but gradually enlarged the field 
 of his operations, and became proprietor of a 
 saw and grist mill and of a factory for the 
 production of chair stock. He also dealt 
 largely in lumber. The chair factory and 
 connected buildings at South Westminster 
 were erected largely through his efforts, and 
 
 for three years he was a partner with Messrs. 
 Merriam & Holden. Mr- Miles also owned 
 and operated the Westminster and Winchen- 
 don bakeries for three years. Prospering in 
 these enterprises, he went into partnership 
 with Mr. Lombard for the purpose of manu- 
 facturing cane and ratan chairs. The firm was 
 known under the name of Miles & Lombard, 
 and the plant was located at North Westmin- 
 ster. The name was subsequently changed to 
 that of Miles & Son, and became one of the 
 most important industries in that part of the 
 town, giving employment to seventy-five 
 persons. 
 
 Mr. Miles was the prime mover in estab- 
 lishing the Westminster National Bank, of 
 which he was president from its organization 
 in 1875 until 1895, when he resigned. For 
 some years past he has been interested in real 
 estate, and has operated extensively in land 
 in Southern California and elsewhere; and he 
 now has an interest in a large cattle ranch 
 near Miles City, Mont. This city was 
 founded by his son, George M. Miles, and 
 named in honor of General Miles. 
 
 Mr. Miles enlisted for service in the Civil 
 War; but, his town being called upon to fur- 
 nish only two men, he was not mustered in. 
 He, however, accompanied his younger brother 
 to "the Potomac bridge, which was as far 
 South as he was allowed to go as a citizen; 
 and twice afterward, when his brother was re- 
 ported mortally wounded, he went to the front 
 to help him home. He also went once to the 
 seat of war to bring home the body of his 
 brother-in-law, James Puffer, which he dug 
 from a grave on the field of Gettysburg, put- 
 ting it into a freight car attached to the first 
 train that left Gettysburg after the battle. 
 His only resting place was the box that held 
 the body of the dead soldier, upon which he 
 laid his boots as a pillow. The car held 
 fourteen other boxes, each containing the dead 
 body of a soldier. 
 
 On May 22, 1851, Mr. Miles was married 
 to Lucy Ann, daughter of James and Lucy 
 (Jones) Puffer. Of this union five children 
 were born, namely: Mary Josephine, now wife 
 of M. M. Parker, president of the Univer- 
 sity at Tucson, Ariz.; George M., of Miles 
 
ii8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 City; Herbert J., now with his father; Ar- 
 thur W., of Livingston, Mont. ; and Martha 
 G., deceased. Mrs. Lucy A. Miles, a woman 
 of most excellent qualities of heart and mind, 
 passed to the higher life on February 9, 1869. 
 
 While successfully engaged in business, 
 Mr. Miles has not overlooked the fact that he 
 had responsibilities toward the public and 
 duties as a citizen. He has held the office of 
 Auditor, Selectman, Assessor, and Collector 
 for the town, and has served several years as 
 chairman of the School Board. He has also 
 been president of the Worcester North Agri- 
 cultural Society for two years and trustee ten 
 years, superintendent of the Baptist Sunday- 
 school for twenty years, clerk of the Baptist 
 society for sixteen years, a member fifty-nine 
 years, and president of the Wachusett Bap- 
 tist Association and Justice of the Peace for 
 many years. He is at present, November, 
 1898, national bank examiner for all the 
 banks of the State outside of Boston. 
 
 During the past twenty years Mr. Miles has 
 travelled extensively, and has visited many 
 foreign countries, as well as all the States and 
 Territories and many of the large cities of the 
 United States and the chief'points of interest 
 in California, Wyoming, Oregon, Colorado, 
 and the British Provinces. In Europe he 
 journeyed in Italy, Switzerland, France, and 
 the British Isles. 
 
 [^ELSON APPLETON MILES, Major- 
 general, commanding United States 
 
 |19 V Army. — General Miles was born 
 
 on a farm in Westminster, Mass., 
 August 6, 1839, being the younger son of 
 Daniel and Mary (Curtis) Miles and a repre- 
 sentative of the fourth generation of his fam- 
 ily in Worcester County. 
 
 The immigrant progenitor of this stock was 
 the Rev. John Myles, the pastor of a Baptist 
 church in Wales, who, being forced to give 
 up his charge on account of non-conformity, 
 came to New England with members of his 
 flock in 1662 or 1663, founded a Baptist 
 church at a place in or near Rehoboth, which 
 in 1667 was incorporated as the town of Swan- 
 sea. He was engaged by the town as a school- 
 
 master to teach Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, 
 besides English grammar; and being a man 
 of valor, as well as a learned and pious divine 
 of the more liberal sort for those days, he did 
 good service as commander of the garrison at 
 Swansea in King Philip's War, his own 
 house being fortified. For three or four years 
 after the close of the war, his people being 
 scattered, he lived and preached in Boston, 
 returning then to Swansea. He died in 1683. 
 Samuel Myles, his grandson, was born in 
 1689. Daniel Miles, a descendant of the 
 Rev. John Myles and great-grandfather of 
 General Miles, removed from Pomfret, Conn., 
 to Petersham, Mass., and died there in 1777. 
 Both he and his son Joab fought in the Revo- 
 lution. His grandson, Daniel, born in 1799, 
 son of Joab, removed to Westminster in 1824. 
 From Heywood's History of this town we 
 learn that Mary Curtis, the wife of Daniel 
 Miles, of Westminster, and mother of General 
 Miles, was a daughter of Francis Curtis, a 
 grand-daughter of the Rev. Philip Curtis, of 
 Sharon, and a descendant of William Curtis, 
 who with his wife, Sarah Eliot, came over 
 from England in 1632, and settled at Rox- 
 bury, Mass. Daniel and Mary C. Miles 
 reared four children: Daniel C, a sketch of 
 whom appears on another page of this work; 
 Mary J., now Mrs. Gardner Merriam ; Ann 
 Maria, now Mrs. Samuel H. Sprague; and 
 Nelson Appleton. 
 
 Country-born and country-bred under the 
 best of parental guidance, his father a man of 
 "sterling integrity, resolute will, and the 
 highest sense of honor," his mother gentle, 
 watchful, inspiring him to noble endeavor, 
 Nelson A. Miles acquired his elementary edu- 
 cation in the district school, out of school 
 hours became an expert at skating, hunting, 
 and horseback riding, and completed his 
 course of study at the village academy. 
 While yet in his school days he evinced 
 strong military instincts, it being a favorite 
 occupation of his to line up his school-fel- 
 lows in two bodies, as Indians and whites, 
 and lead them in mimic warfare. From 
 stories of his ancestors told at the family fire- 
 side he learned lessons of patriotism, which 
 doubtless helped to form his character and 
 
NELSON A. MILES. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 influence his purpose in later life. Leaving 
 home at the age of sixteen, he became clerk 
 in a crockery store in Boston. It is doubt- 
 ful if he ever showed any special aptitude for 
 a mercantile career. From what followed it 
 may be gathered that he looked about with 
 his eyes open, and held himself ready for 
 new occasions and new duties. 
 
 With the approach of the Civil War his 
 opportunity came. Taking, with other young 
 men, lessons in drilling of an old French 
 army officer in Boston, he began to prepare 
 himself for action and for a leading part. 
 Largely through his efforts was recruited a 
 company of infantry, which became Company 
 E, Twenty-second Massachusetts Volunteers, 
 and of which he was commissioned Captain, 
 and mustered in as such on September 9, 
 1861. Shortly, however, before leaving camp, 
 at the request of Governor Andrew, he gave 
 up his commission, which was wanted for an 
 older man, and accepted instead that of First 
 Lieutenant. In his book of "Personal Recol- 
 lections" he says, "I therefore began my mil- 
 itary service as a Captain reduced to a First 
 Lieutenant in the Twenty-second Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteers." 
 
 Intent on serving his country, energetic, 
 resolute, daring, and an excellent horseman, 
 he was shortly detailed for staff duty as an 
 Aide-de-camp and afterward as Assistant Ad- 
 jutant-general of a brigade. In May, 1862, 
 on recommendation of Colonel Francis C. 
 Barlow, of the Sixty-first New York Volun- 
 teers (afterward General Barlow), he was ap- 
 pointed Lieutenant Colonel of that regiment; 
 and on September 30, 1862, he was commis- 
 sioned Colonel. He was made Brigadier-gen- 
 eral, United States Volunteers, May 12, 1864; 
 brevetted Major-general of Volunteers in Au- 
 gust following; and promoted to the rank of 
 Major-general, United States Volunteers, in 
 October, 1865. His commission as Colonel 
 in the regular army is dated July 28, 1866. 
 He was brevetted Brigadier-general and 
 Major-general, United States Army, on March 
 2, 1867; transferred to the Fifth United 
 States Infantry in March, 1869; commis- 
 sioned Brigadier-general in December, 1880; 
 commissioned Major-general, April 5, 1890. 
 
 He accepted the office April 14, 1890, and is 
 now, 1898, in command of the United States 
 army. 
 
 The career of General Miles during the 
 Civil War was a brilliant one. His rapid 
 promotions were the just reward of valiant 
 deeds. Before the close of the conflict this 
 citizen soldier had risen to the command of 
 the Second Army Corps, consisting of twenty- 
 seven regiments and two batteries; and for 
 two weeks he commanded the corps of about 
 twenty-five thousand men, having charge also 
 of Fortress Monroe, with Jefferson Davis as 
 a prisoner. He was engaged in nearly all the 
 battles of the Army of the Potomac, particu- 
 larly distinguishing himself at Fair Oaks, at 
 Antietam, at Fredericksburg, and at Chancel- 
 lorsville. He was four times wounded, twice 
 severely and, it was feared, mortally. Im- 
 mediately after the disbanding of the volun- 
 teers he enlisted in the regular army as Colo- 
 nel. In later years, in the conduct of six 
 victorious Indian campaigns, with the result 
 of opening up vast territory in the Far West 
 to the advance of civilization, General Miles 
 gave further proof of his efficiency as a com- 
 mander, in the words of the historian of West- 
 minster, "exhibiting in his dealings with and 
 treatment of the Indian wards of the nation 
 a degree of common sense, practical wisdom, 
 humane feeling, and Christian principle, alike 
 creditable to both his head and his heart." 
 
 In the volume of "Personal Recollections," 
 already alluded to, the reader will find a very 
 interesting account of the aforesaid Indian 
 campaigns and explorations, together with 
 valuable notes and comments on the develop- 
 ment and progress of the great West. 
 
 It is a fact worthy of notice in this connec- 
 tion that Sarah Eliot, wife of William Curtis, 
 from whom General Miles through his mother 
 is a descendant of the seventh generation, was 
 a sister — so the genealogists say — of John 
 Eliot, of revered memory, the apostle to the 
 Indians. 
 
 The part taken by General Miles in the 
 conduct of the Spanish War of 1898 is not so 
 well known to the public now as it will be 
 later, after the writing of the history of the 
 war. His presence and counsel were long 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 needed in Washington. His orders to Gen- 
 eral Shafter were sent in the capacity of com- 
 manding General. Arriving in Cuba with 
 re-enforcements at a critical juncture, he con- 
 ducted to a successful issue the pending ne- 
 gotiations for the surrender of General Toral. 
 The well-planned campaign of Porto Rico, 
 happily victorious without bloodshed, was led 
 by him in person. "The sentiment of the 
 people," it has been said, "was in no sense 
 outraged by the invaders, but on the contrary 
 was successfully propitiated." At Guanica, 
 on July 27, he issued to the inhabitants of the 
 island a proclamation, of which the following 
 is a part : — 
 
 "In the prosecution of the war against the 
 kingdom of Spain by the people of the United 
 States, in the ca:use of liberty, justice, and 
 humanity, its military forces have come to 
 occupy the island of Porto Rico. They come 
 bearing the banners of freedom, inspired by 
 noble purposes. . . . 
 
 "The chief object of the American military 
 forces will be to overthrow the armed author- 
 ity of Spain, and give the people of your 
 beautiful island the largest measure of liberty 
 consistent with this military occupation. . . . 
 
 "They bring protection, not only to your- 
 selves, but to your property. ... It is not 
 their purpose to interfere with the existing 
 laws and customs, which are wholesome and 
 beneficial to the people, so long as they con- 
 form to the rules of the military administra- 
 tion, order, and justice. This is not a war of 
 devastation and dissolution, but one to give 
 all within the control of the military and 
 naval forces the advantages and blessings of 
 enlightened civilization." 
 
 To this proclamation a very friendly re- 
 sponse was made by the municipal officers of 
 the island. 
 
 The order issued by General Miles to the 
 army officers at an early date in the war with 
 Spain shows him to be a man who has a deep 
 sense of responsibility as a military leader: 
 "Every officer, of whatever grade, will, so far 
 as may be in his power, guard and preserve 
 the health and welfare of those under his 
 charge. He must labor diligently and zeal- 
 ously to perfect himself and his subordinates 
 
 in military drill, instruction, and discipline; 
 and, above all, he must constantly endeavor, 
 by precept and example, to maintain the high- 
 est character, to foster and stimulate that 
 soldierly .spirit and patriotic devotion to duty 
 which must characterize an effective army." 
 
 At a banquet recently given in his honor in 
 New York City on November 11, 1898, Gen- 
 eral Miles spoke of the war as having been 
 waged "in the interest of humanity and in be- 
 half of a heroic people, who for many years 
 have been struggling against cruel atrocities, 
 oppression, and despotism of a once powerful 
 nation. " " One great blessing to the country, " 
 he went on to say, "in this brief but de- 
 cisive was, has been to firmly unite in bonds 
 of imperishable union all sections of the 
 United States — North, South, East, and 
 West. Still more, it has given us reason and 
 opportunity to appreciate our obligation to the 
 mother country for the dignified and powerful 
 influence of the British empire in the main- 
 tenance of our principles and right. 
 
 " We are ascending to a clearer atmosphere, 
 up to a higher Mecca, where we should take 
 a stronger position than ever before occupied 
 by our government and people. . . . This 
 much I think is apparent to all, that the grave 
 responsibilities of the nation are too great to 
 be contaminated by personal, partisan, or sec- 
 tional interests. Our interests are national 
 in the highest degree." 
 
 Governor Wolcott, of Massachusetts, speak- 
 ing in behalf of the Commonwealth, said of 
 the distinguished guest of the evening: — 
 
 "He has reversed the order that prevails in 
 Great Britain, where an honored career finds 
 its close in Westminster: General Miles 
 drew his first breath in Westminster, Mass. 
 It was a happy augury ; and yet, when a man 
 has attained lofty heights of achievement in 
 civil or military life, he steps beyond the 
 bounds of his native State, and knows no 
 North, no South, no East, or West. He is, 
 in its broadest sense, an American citizen; 
 and all American citizens unite to do him 
 honor." 
 
 General Miles married Mary Sherman, 
 daughter of Judge Charles Sherman and niece 
 of General William T. Sherman and of John 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 123 
 
 Sherman, former Secretary of State. Of this 
 union two children were born, Mary Cecelia 
 Sherman Miles and Daniel Sherman Miles. 
 
 'ON. LUTHER HILL, one of the fore- 
 most residents of the town of Spen- 
 cer, was born in Hillsville, this 
 town, November 22, 1825. His 
 father was a prosperous merchant. At the age 
 of fourteen years he left the district school to 
 begin the battle of life for himself, and for a 
 year thereafter was employed as a clerk in 
 Worcester, Mass. During the following three 
 years he drove a team from Spencer to Boston. 
 After this he was a clerk in his father's store 
 until he reached his majority. 
 
 Mr. Hill has since then been prominently 
 identified with public affairs. Although he 
 has never had any special advantages for ac- 
 quiring legal knowledge, in the capacity of 
 Trial Justice he has tried more than eight 
 thousand criminal cases. For five years he 
 represented this district in the House of Rep- 
 resentatives, and for one year was State Sena- 
 tor. He has been Deputy Sheriff for three 
 years, Postmaster for eight years, chairman of 
 the Board of Selectmen for twelve years, and 
 for three decades he served as chairman of the 
 annual town meetings. Deeply interested in 
 advancing the welfare of his native town and 
 county, he has been a promoter of the erection 
 of public buildings, and has advocated the im- 
 provement of highways, the construction of 
 railways, and the establishment of the present 
 system of sewers and water-works. 
 
 A man of unusual force of character, inde- 
 pendent and self-reliant, he has splendid 
 friends and warm enemies, the common lot of 
 men with more than one idea. He is temper- 
 ate in habits, generous, and sympathetic. In 
 politics he is a devoted Republican, while his 
 religious creed is quite liberal. 
 
 
 ILLIAM E. ANDERSON, a thriv- 
 ing dairy farmer of New Braintree, 
 son of Charles and Mary (Robinson) 
 Anderson, was born in East Brookfield, Febru- 
 ary 13, 1836. The great-grandfather, Will- 
 
 iam Anderson, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, 
 resided for a time in Ireland, where he either 
 learned the weaver's trade or followed it as a 
 journeyman. Coming to America afterward, 
 he settled in New Braintree as a pioneer, and 
 purchased of one Shaw, who was the first man 
 hanged in Worcester, the farm now owned by 
 William E. Anderson. Wolves were so nu- 
 merous and troublesome then that one of his 
 daughters was chased in broad daylight by a 
 number of them. At the same time salmon in 
 the river were easily shot. William Anderson 
 lived to be over eighty years old, and was 
 buried with the rites of the Masonic order, to 
 which he belonged. 
 
 John Anderson, the grandfather, was born 
 upon this farm, May 13, 1755. Succeeding to 
 the ownership of two-thirds of the original 
 tract bought by his father, he was engaged in 
 farming upon his own account from the time 
 of inheriting the property until his death, 
 which occurred March 4, 1822. He enlisted 
 in the American army, and served in all for fif- 
 teen months in the Revolutionary War. He 
 was a member of the Congregational church, 
 and his opinions in religious matters were very 
 pronounced. He married Phoebe Barr, who, 
 born June 17, 1770, died January 3, 1844. 
 She was the mother of eleven children, of 
 whom nine grew to maturity and none are liv- 
 ing. Charles Anderson, son of John, was 
 born at the homestead June 5, 1804. He pos- 
 sessed considerable mechanical genius, which 
 he applied to operating and repairing mill ma- 
 chinery, being employed at different times in 
 grist-mills, cotton and woollen factories in 
 Ware, Worcester, Spencer, and East Brook- 
 field. Returning to the homestead in 1850, 
 he cultivated his farm for the rest of his life, 
 and was killed by falling from a building. May 
 27, 1869. His wife, Mary, who was born in 
 Richmond, N. H., August 9, 1809, became the 
 mother of seven children, of whom one died in 
 infancy. The others were: William E., Mary 
 E., Phoebe M., Almira F., Mary J., and 
 Abbie E. Of these, Mary E. and Almira F. 
 are no longer living. Phoebe M. resides in 
 Ware; Mary J. resides in North Brookfield; 
 and Abbie E. lives in Hartford, Conn. The 
 mother died April 9, 1890. Excepting one or 
 
124 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 two years, during which she belonged to the 
 church in Warren, she was a member of the 
 East Congregational Church of Ware for sixty- 
 three years. 
 
 William E. Anderson was educated in the 
 schools of Ware and New Braintree. He has 
 resided here since he was fourteen years old, 
 assisting his father until the latter's death. 
 Having then succeeded to the homestead, he is 
 now the owner of two hundred acres of land, 
 constituting one of the oldest farms in town. 
 He keeps twenty cows, and sometimes ships as 
 high as four hundred and fifty cans of milk per 
 month. The present dwelling was built by 
 his grandfather in 1796, and is the second 
 house erected upon the same site. 
 
 At West Brookfield, in 1859, Mr. Anderson 
 contracted his first marriage with Augusta E. 
 Bridges, of that town, who was born in Graf- 
 ton. A second marriage on December 11, 
 1878, united him with Abbie E. Smith, 
 who was born in West Windsor, Vt. , July 
 29, 1850. She has given birth to five chil- 
 dren, namely: Frederick, on October i, 1880; 
 Gertrude V., November 9, 1883; Edna M., 
 March 26, 1885; Grace E. , December 12, 
 1886; and Ethel V., May 8, 1888, who died 
 August 19 of the same year. Politically, 
 Mr. Anderson is a Republican, but he has no 
 aspirations for public office. He is a member 
 of the Congregational church, and Mrs. Ander- 
 son is an attendant with him. 
 
 ■OHAN OTTO EMANUEL TROTZ, 
 a highly respected citizen of Worces- 
 ter, was born in Stockholm, Sweden, 
 March 6, i860, son of Carl Otto and 
 Brones (Lowen) Trotz. The Trotz family is 
 one of distinction in Sweden, its head having 
 been raised to nobility five generations ago 
 under King Charles X. Carl Otto Trotz was 
 a civil officer and a large landholder. The 
 Lowen family has been and now is among the 
 largest holders of entailed estates in Sweden. 
 
 Having duly attended the public schools of 
 Stockholm and graduated at the high school, 
 Johan Otto Emanuel Trotz in 1883 graduated 
 at the Royal School of Mines in Stockholm. 
 
 Consequent upon that event be was engaged 
 for a short time at the Scientific School of 
 Mining. Then he was the superintendent of 
 the Iggessund Iron and Steel Works for two 
 years. Leaving this place, after having gained 
 some valuable experience, he entered the em- 
 ploy of the Surahammar Iron and Steel Works, 
 which is located in the middle part of Sweden. 
 Here he remained for a little over a year, a 
 part of the time being engaged in making geo- 
 logical surveys in the Province of Dalcarlia. 
 The ability and skill he displayed in these two 
 positions now procured for him the coveted 
 privilege of travelling abroad at the expense 
 and under the direction of the government, to 
 study technical and scientific problems as 
 worked out in other lands. Previous to this 
 he had been one of the favored pupils chosen 
 annually from among the graduates of the 
 Royal School of Mines by the Jernkontoret, an 
 association of iron-masters. These students 
 remain under salary, being subject to the call 
 of any member of the association. Needless 
 to say, only young men of unusual promise are 
 selected for this honor. Mr. Trotz's grant per- 
 mitted him to visit both the continent of Europe 
 and the United States. Upon coming to this 
 country he visited Worcester, which offered 
 him such inducements that, contrary to his 
 previous plans, he has remained here ever 
 since. In the latter part of 1887 he engaged 
 with the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing 
 Company as a chemist. At the present time 
 he is metallurgical engineer for this company 
 and the superintendent of steel works. In 
 both these positions he has demonstrated re- 
 markable ability as well as the most thorough 
 and scientific technical training. 
 
 Mr. Trotz was married on June 7, 1890, to 
 Selma P. Ahlstrom. An esteemed Mason, he 
 had received his initiatory degrees before com- 
 ing to America. He is a member of the 
 Mechanical and Mining Engineering Societies 
 of Sweden, of the American Institute of Min- 
 ing Engineers, of the American Chemical 
 Association; and he is the president of the 
 Swedish Mercantile Co-operative Association 
 and vice-president of the Swedish Razor Com- 
 pany of Worcester. Both he and his wife 
 attend the Lutheran church. 
 
JONATHAN P. DANA. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 127 
 
 fONATHAN PRATT DANA, a repre- 
 sentative man of Oxford, son of Will- 
 iam and Harriet (Pratt) Dana, was 
 born in this town, August 30, 181 2. 
 Both parents, the paternal great-grandfather, 
 Phineas, and the paternal grandfather, John, 
 were natives of Oxford. John Dana, born 
 November 18, 1738, was a prosperous farmer, 
 served as Selectman and Town Treasurer, and 
 was a Deacon of the Congregational church 
 for many years. The maiden name of his 
 wife was Hannah Humphrey. William Dana, 
 father of Jonathan P., was born August 16, 
 1785. Beginning when he was a young man, 
 he followed farming until his death, which 
 occurred in i8i8. His wife, who was a 
 daughter of Naham Pratt,, of Oxford, became 
 the mother of four children; namely, Jonathan 
 P., Sarah Howe, Alonzo Humphrey, and 
 Rufus Rosseter Dana. Of these, the only 
 survivor is Jonathan P., the subject of this 
 sketch. The parents attended the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 When seven years old, Jonathan Pratt 
 Dana was bound out to a farmer, who gave 
 him little opportunity for obtaining an edu- 
 cation. Upon reaching his majority he laid 
 aside his farming implements in order to over- 
 come his educational defects. Of the suc- 
 ceeding ten years, which were spent in the 
 school-room, a considerable portion of the 
 period was passed by him in the capacity of 
 teacher. He was particularly successful in 
 managing refractory schools requiring a strict 
 disciplinarian as well as a competent instruc- 
 tor. While pursuing that calling, his spare 
 time was spent in perfecting himself in the 
 higher branches of learning. A too close ap- 
 plication to study, however, proved injurious 
 to his health; and he was at length forced to 
 resume agricultural occupation as a means of 
 recuperating. Hiring a farm, he began its 
 cultivation upon scientific principles. His 
 venture proved so successful that at the end 
 of the first year he concluded to buy the prop- 
 erty. Some twelve years later he sold that 
 farm, and purchased a portion of his present 
 property. Having enlarged this from time to 
 time since then, he now has a large and pro- 
 ductive farm. He also owns several other 
 
 tracts of land, besides a number of tenement 
 houses in Oxford. He was one of the organ- 
 izers and president of the Oxford Agricultural 
 Society. Also, for many years he was a 
 member of the School Committee and of the 
 Board of Assessors; while he refused to be a 
 candidate for any other town office. He is a 
 Justice of the Peace, and has settled many es- 
 tates, having had several upon his hands at 
 one time. Mr. Dana led the choir of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church for a number of 
 years. In religious belief he is a Congre- 
 gationalist. Now eighty-six years old, he 
 shows the vigor and activity of a much younger 
 man. 
 
 2E0NARD FAIRBANKS was for many 
 years an esteemed resident of Milford. 
 ^ Born in Worcester on September 
 II, 1820, he was a son of Leonard 
 and Keziah (Harding) Fairbanks. lie came 
 to Milford in November, 1839, and started in 
 the cabinet-making business here. In connec- 
 tion therewith he soon opened an undertaking 
 establishment, assisted by J. M. Wood, who 
 was employed by him from the start, and who 
 made the first caskets used here. In 1883 his 
 health failed, and he sold out the business to 
 Messrs. Wood and Nye. 
 
 Besides having been a comrade of Post No. 
 22, G. A. R., Mr. Fairbanks was connected 
 with three local bodies of Masons. He was a 
 Past High Priest of Mount Lebanon Chapter 
 and Past Commander of Milford Council. For 
 many years he was a trustee of Vernon Grove 
 Cemetery. The funeral exercises were held 
 under the auspices of the Masons. Mr. Fair- 
 banks was a man of most exemplary habits. 
 His friend and pastor, the Rev. Mr. Wood- 
 bury, remarked: "I could wish for no better 
 character for my son to pattern." Possessing 
 a most companionable disposition, it was said 
 that every child in Milford loved him. At 
 the same time that he was a successful and 
 prosperous business man, he was sympathetic 
 to those less fortunate. The owner of several 
 tenements, it is related that he never asked a 
 tenant for his rent. On one occasion, when 
 asked why he did not take measures to collect 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the amount due by a tenant who was several 
 years in arrear, he replied, " Oh, well, he 
 would pay me if he could." The man did 
 eventually pay the whole amount, and it is 
 further stated that Mr. Fairbanks never lost a 
 dollar of rent by his leniency. 
 
 While a remarkably well-informed man, his 
 tastes were domestic. Yet, although he de- 
 clined public office, he took an active interest 
 in town affairs, was a liberal contributor to 
 every progressive movement in Milford, in- 
 cluding those for the building of Music and 
 Memorial Halls; and he served the town on 
 various committees. On July 19, 1894, after 
 a few days' illness he passed away, regretted 
 by all who knew him. 
 
 Mr. Fairbanks was three times married. 
 On the first occasion he wedded Sarah Cobb, 
 who was a daughter of Elmer and Sylvia John- 
 son Cobb, and had no children. The second 
 wife was Sarah, daughter of Robert and Mary 
 (Franklin) Pendleton, and who was born in 
 Ashford, Conn. The third wife, a native of 
 Unity, N. H., was Amanda, daughter of Robert 
 and Sophia Clark. By this last marriage there 
 was one child, Abbie Augusta, who, born No- 
 vember 16, 1871, died on July i, 1877. 
 
 Tt^ODNEY D. LOOMIS, a retired busi- 
 I ^Y^ ness man of Millbury, son of Roswell 
 |b\ Dennis Loomis, was born in 
 ^"^ Georgia, Vt., May 20, 1832. The 
 grandfather, Roswell Loomis, a native of 
 Ohio, after his marriage removed to Vermont, 
 where he was prosperously engaged as a farmer 
 and cattle drover for many years. He died at 
 St. Albans, that State, in 1852, at the ad- 
 vanced age of fourscore and two years. His 
 wife, Eunice Odell Loomis, who came from 
 Ohio, bore him two sons and two daughters. 
 Lyman, the eldest son, died of small-pox in 
 Montreal, Canada, where he had charge of a 
 drove of his father's cattle. The wife had 
 survived him a number of years, when she died 
 at a venerable age. 
 
 Roswell D. Loomis, who was born in Ver- 
 mont, May 16, 1809, spent a large part of his 
 life at St. Albans, and subsequently died 
 there, March 22, 185 1. For several years he 
 
 served as Colonel in a company of Vermont 
 militia. On June 30, 1831, he married Maria 
 L. Tuller, a daughter of Ornon and Persis 
 (Hyde) Tuller, of St. Albans. They reared 
 six children, namely: Rodney D., the subject 
 of this sketch; Julia K., who died April 2, 
 1870, at Eureka, Wis., the wife of George 
 Rye; Lyman B., born February 2, 1836, who 
 was for some years an engineer on the Cana- 
 dian Pacific Railway, and died in 1872, at the 
 home of his mother in Brasher Falls, N. Y. ; 
 Henry C, born March 20, 1838, now a mill- 
 wright at Massena Springs, N. Y., who is mar- 
 ried and has one daughter and two sons; 
 Hiram H., born in August, 1840, now a loco- 
 motive engineer on the Canadian Pacific Rail- 
 way, who is married and has five children ; and 
 Arthur B., born June 14, 1843, who died at 
 the age of three years. After the death of her 
 husband the mother married Luther Hulbard, 
 and afterward lived at Brasher Falls until her 
 death on January 31, 1876, at the age of sixty- 
 six years. 
 
 Rodney D. Loomis attended the district 
 school at St. Albans until he was thirteen 
 years old, and then studied for three months in 
 an academy at St. Albans Bay. At the age 
 of fifteen years he began a three years' appren- 
 ticeship in the shop of James M. Haynes, of 
 St. Albans Bay. Having learned the trade, 
 he remained with his employer five more years. 
 Then he was in Ottawa, Canada, until the ist 
 of November, 1862, when he located in Mill- 
 bury, and, securing a position with the firm of 
 C. D. Morse & Co., sash and blind makers, 
 continued with them for eighteen months. 
 In December, 1863, he enlisted as a private in 
 Company C, Fifty-seventh Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteer Infantry, which afterward formed a part 
 of the Army of the Potomac. Three months 
 later, in the battle of SpottsyTvania Court- 
 house, he was wourided by a ball sent by a 
 sharpshooter through his left ankle. He was 
 left on the field for a number of hours, and 
 when surgical aid was obtained it was found 
 necessary to amputate the left leg just below 
 the knee, so that now he has to depend upon 
 an artificial leg in walking. As soon as able 
 he returned to Millbury, and, resuming work 
 at his trade, continued until his retirement 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 129 
 
 from active life in 1890. In politics Mr. 
 Loomis is a stanch Republican. A prominent 
 member of the George A. Custer Post, No. 70, 
 G. A. R., he served it as Adjutant for six 
 years, and was the Commander for five years. 
 
 /^^TILES BLODGETT, formerly a promi- 
 Y '•) I nent agriculturist of Warren, was 
 ^-^ born December 27, 1829, in Stafford, 
 Conn. His father. Captain Alden Blodgett, 
 was a descendant on his mother's side from 
 John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden, who came 
 to America in the "Mayflower," and were 
 married in 1623 in Plymouth, Mass. While 
 living in Stafford, Captain Blodgett, who had 
 commanded a company of local militia, mar- 
 ried Elvira Cady, of that town, and subse- 
 quently removed to South Warren, Mass. A 
 short time later he came with his family to 
 Coy's Hill, in Warren, and here settled on the 
 farm property that his son Giles afterward in- 
 herited. A man of ability and influence, he 
 rendered the town excellent service as Select- 
 man and in other capacities. 
 
 Giles Blodgett attended the public schools 
 of Warren. On reaching his majority he 
 caught the gold fever, then raging in all parts 
 of New England, and went to California. 
 During the three years that he remained on 
 the Pacific coast he was fairly successful in 
 his ventures. Subsequently, returning to the 
 paternal homestead, he resumed agriculture, 
 and followed it successfully, omitting one 
 year, for the remainder of his life. The year 
 referred to was spent in the Civil War with 
 Company K of the Forty-second Massachusetts 
 Volunteer Infantry. Under General N. P. 
 Banks he was at New Orleans, and be helped 
 to lay and guard pontoon bridges in that vicin- 
 ity. On his farm of two hundred acres he was 
 engaged extensively in general farming and 
 dairying. His improvements on the property, 
 and his skilful management generally, have 
 rendered it one of the most valuable estates 
 in the district. 
 
 Mr. Blodgett was a firm supporter of the 
 principles of the Republican party. For two 
 years he served most satisfactorily on the 
 Board of Selectmen. He was a member of 
 
 the Masonic Lodge in Warren and of the Clara 
 Barton Post, G. A. R. On April 19, 1865, 
 he married Emily M. Gilbert, of Warren. 
 Born in Enfield, she is a daughter of William 
 S. and Maria (Cummings) Gilbert, natives re- 
 spectively of Enfield and Warren. Three 
 children were born of the union, namely: 
 Emma M., now a teacher in Springfield, 
 Mass. ; and Edith F. and Ralph G., both re-' 
 siding with their mother on the home farm. 
 The father died on the homestead, July 6, 
 1895. Mrs. Blodgett and her children belong 
 to the Congregational church, of which Mr. 
 Blodgett was an active member. 
 
 6 I fToMAS B. ROBINSON, a leading 
 * I farmer of Paxton aiid the present chair- 
 -^ man of the town's Board of Assessors, 
 was born in Oakham, Mass., March 7, 1823, 
 son of William and Jane (Bourne) Robinson. 
 His father, who died in 1837, was a resident 
 of Oakham from his infancy. His mother was 
 a native of Cohasset, Mass. After attending 
 the district schools of Oakham for the usual 
 period, Thomas B. Robinson began to assist 
 his father on the farm, where in time he be- 
 came a good agriculturist. At the age of 
 twenty-nine he left his native town and went 
 to Worcester to take charge of the Rejoice 
 Newton farm. This he managed successfully 
 for sixteen years. In 1868 he came to Paxton, 
 which has since been his home, and where he 
 has since been engaged in general farming. 
 
 On November 26, 1846, Mr. Robinson was 
 married to Mary J. Stone, a native of Oakham. 
 Both of Mrs. Robinson's parents were born in 
 Oakham; and her paternal grandfather, Al- 
 pheus Stone, was an early settler in that town. 
 Her father was a prominent man in Oakham 
 and a progressive farmer. Pie served his town 
 as Selectman and as Assessor of Taxes. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Robinson happily celebrated their 
 golden wedding in 1896. The following 
 named children have been born to them : 
 Fannie M., who is the wife of Charles E. 
 Graton, of Spencer; Charles O. , Albert M., 
 Frank K., and Lurena, all of whom reside in 
 Worcester; and Herbert S. , who is the libra- 
 rian of the Paxton Public Library. The father 
 
13° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 earlier in his life served the town as Assessor 
 for a period of ten consecutive years, and for a 
 part of the time he was the chairman of the 
 board. Also, for several years he was High- 
 way Surveyor, and for two years he was Select- 
 man. In the spring of 1897 he was again 
 elected to the Assessor's office, and upon the 
 organization of the board was chosen chair- 
 man. While a Republican in politics, he 
 favors every movement likely to promote the 
 public welfare. 
 
 ARON H. MARBLE, one of the best 
 known residents of Charlton Depot, 
 was born in this town, August 18, 
 1816, son of Aaron and Sally (Ham- 
 mond) Marble. He comes of Welsh origin. 
 His grandfather, Aaron Marble, first, who 
 came from Sutton, Mass., served as a soldier 
 in the Revolutionary War. Aaron Marble, 
 second, the father, in his younger days was a 
 scythe-maker in Charlton. At a later date 
 he engaged in farming. When he died in 
 1865 he was over seventy-seven years old. He 
 served with ability as a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen, and represented his district in 
 the legislature for two terms. His wife, 
 Sally, was a native of Charlton. 
 
 Having acquired bis elementary education 
 in the common schools of Charlton, Aaron H. 
 Marble attended the Leicester Academy for 
 several terms. Subsequently he taught school 
 in Charlton and Oxford for a number of win- 
 ters. He has, however, devoted his attention 
 chiefly to agriculture, in which he has realized 
 a substantial pecuniary success. He is one of 
 the most prominent of the well-to-do farmers 
 of this town. 
 
 Mr. Marble is unmarried. He was a mem- 
 ber of the lower house of the General Court 
 in 1858, serving upon the Committee on Pub- 
 lic Lands. For three years during the trying 
 times of the Civil War he was a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen. He has also served 
 as an Assessor, and was for a number of terms 
 upon the School Committee. In politics he is 
 a Republican. He is highly esteemed as a 
 public-spirited citizen, who has labored effec- 
 tively for the best interests of the community. 
 
 Mr. Marble is a member of the First Uni- 
 versalist Society and a liberal contributor 
 toward its support. 
 
 (S>rDAMS : 
 t^ ing la 
 
 ^^ty^^pron 
 
 DAMS FRANKLIN BROWN, a lead- 
 lawyer of Westboro, Mass., is 
 prominent in the business, politi- 
 cal, and fraternal circles of this 
 part of Worcester County. He was born Feb- 
 ruary 4, 1857, in Littleton, Middlesex 
 County, Mass., a son of James Madison and 
 Amanda Melvina (Pingry) Brown, his father 
 being a prosperous farmer of that place. Mr. 
 Brown's early years were spent on the home 
 farm, and his elementary education was ob- 
 tained in the district schools. After leaving 
 school he was employed some twelve years in 
 shoe factories in Westboro and Worcester. 
 During the latter part of this time, inspired 
 by a worthy ambition to prepare himself for a 
 professional career, he spent the required ten 
 hours a day in the shoe shop, and devoted six 
 of the remaining hours to the study of law. 
 In 1891, having successfully passed a most 
 rigid examination, he was admitted to the 
 Worcester County bar, and immediately 
 opened an office in Westboro. Soon after- 
 ward he established an office in Worcester 
 also, but the business in his first office in- 
 creased so rapidly and took up so much of his 
 time that he gave up the one in Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Brown is deeply interested in Masonry, 
 and has done much to advance the interests of 
 the various lodges with which he is connected. 
 He joined the ancient craft in 1880 at Siloam 
 Lodge, F, & A. M., of Westboro, and seven 
 years later he was made Worshipful Master of 
 the lodge. He subsequently became a mem- 
 ber of Houghton Chapter, R. A. M., of Marl- 
 boro; of Hiram Council, R. & S. M., of 
 Worcester; Worcester County Command'ery, 
 K. T. ; Worcester Lodge of Perfection; God- 
 dard Council, Princes of Jerusalem ; Lawrence 
 Chapter, Rose Croix, of Worcester; Massa- 
 chusetts Consistory of Boston, in which he 
 took the thirty-second degree; and Aleppo 
 Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of 
 Boston. He was one of the organizers of 
 Bethany Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, 
 
ADAMS F. BROWN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^33 
 
 of Westboro, of which he was third Worthy 
 Patron two years. In 1892 he was made As- 
 sociate Grand Patron of the order in Massa- 
 chusetts, and in 1893 was elected Grand Pa- 
 tron. In 1891 and 1892 he served ably as 
 District Deputy Grand Master of the Twen- 
 tieth Masonic District. He is also prominent 
 in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 being Past Noble Grand of Hockomocko 
 Lodge. He is a member of Westboro Grange, 
 P. of H. ; and an associate member of the 
 A. G. Biscoe Post, G. A. R. 
 
 Mr. Brown is actively interested in public 
 affairs. He is now chairman of the Board of 
 Selectmen of Westboro, and is a member of 
 the Councillor and Congressional District 
 Committees. When thirteen years old he 
 united with the Baptist church, of which he 
 has since been a consistent and faithful mem- 
 ber. On May 8, 1894, he married Miss Ma- 
 halah Annie Adams, of Houlton, Me., a 
 daughter of Daniel and Mahalah Annie 
 (Harris) Adams. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have 
 two sons, Rolf Eric, born March 24, 1896, 
 and Paul Erwin, born November 11, 1898. 
 
 IDWARD AKERS, senior member of the 
 well-known firm of Akers & Taylor, 
 manufacturers of satinet and woollen 
 goods at Charlton City, was born September 
 16, 1829, in Granby, Hampshire County, son 
 of Henry and Achsah (Hunt) Akers. His 
 father, who was a lifelong resident of New 
 England, served in the War of 1812, and 
 afterward located in Granby, where he died at 
 an early age. 
 
 Edward Akers is practically a self-educated 
 man, his schooling having been limited to a 
 few terms in the district schools of Palmer, 
 Mass., while he was but a small boy. Thrown 
 upon his own resources by his father's death, 
 when a lad of nine years he began working in 
 a cotton-mill at Ludlow, Mass. From that 
 place he went to a cotton factory in Thorndike, 
 in the town of Palmer. A few years later he 
 secured a better paying situation in a woollen- 
 mill at Monson, and was afterward employed 
 in a woollen-mill at Stafford Springs, Conn., 
 as foreman of the weaving department. From 
 
 Stafford Springs he went West, but, after 
 spending a year in Illinois and Wisconsin, he 
 returned to Worcester County, Massachusetts, 
 where, in the town of Auburn, he established 
 himself as a manufacturer of satinet. On Jan- 
 uary 10, 1875, Mr. Akers began the manufact- 
 ure of satinets at Charlton City, having as a 
 partner Nathan Norris, who became junior 
 member of the firm of Akers & Norris. After 
 three years the partnership was dissolved, and 
 Mr. Akers carried on the business alone for 
 several years. In 1885 the present firm was 
 formed, with F. S. Taylor as a copartner. 
 Messrs. Akers & Taylor carry on an extensive 
 and lucrative business in the making of sati- 
 nets and woollen goods, the three mills com- 
 prising their plant being all located in Charl- 
 ton. Many men are kept busily employed, the 
 firm's pay-roll averaging one hundred and fifty 
 men. When Mr. Akers came to this city a 
 quarter of a century ago, very little manufact- 
 uring was done here; but through his advice 
 and influence the town's manufacturing inter- 
 ests and resources have been much developed. 
 A man of energy and executive ability and an 
 able financier, he has met with eminent suc- 
 cess in all his undertakings, and is a worthy 
 representative of the self-made men of New 
 England. 
 
 Mr. Akers is a Republican in politics, and 
 is actively interested in all things calculated, 
 to benefit the town and county in which he re- 
 sides. He served as Selectman of Charlton 
 for four years, and he was the chairman of the 
 board for a part of the time. A member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, he has served 
 the society in many official positions. On 
 January i, 1852, he married Melina Parsons, 
 of Alpheus. Of their three children, two are 
 living: Mrs. F. S. Taylor, of Worcester; and 
 Mrs. Harry Grimwade, of Charlton City. 
 
 irXANIEL WEBSTER WIGHT, a 
 1=1 thriving farmer of Sturbridge and 
 ^-X^J a veteran of the Civil War, son 
 of Winthrop and Louisa (Brown) 
 Wight, was born in this town, February 14, 
 1836. His grandparents were Alpheus and 
 Miriam (Belknap) Wight, of Sturbridge. Al- 
 
134 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 pheus operated a grist-mill besides carrying on 
 farming. He was the father of fourteen chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Winthrop Wight, third son of Alpheus, was 
 born at the homestead, November 7, 1807. 
 After succeeding to the farm in 1851, he cul- 
 tivated it industriously until his death, which 
 occurred on August 4, 1873. Originally a 
 Whig in politics, he later became a Republi- 
 can. His wife, Louisa, who was born in 
 Southbridge, February 18, 1806, had six chil- 
 dren, of whom the only survivor is Daniel W. 
 The others were: Caroline L., born January 
 28, 1830, who died January 2, 1851; Delia 
 E., born October 2, 1831, who died March 6, 
 1832; Delia E., second, born August 11, 
 1833, who married a Mr. Hunt, April 17, 
 1858, and died December 21, i860; Mary A., 
 born September 25, 1838, who died July 11, 
 1861 ; and Levins R., born November 24, 
 1842, who married Mary A. Allen, November 
 17, 1869, and died July 24, 1870. The 
 mother died August 10, 1874. Both parents 
 were members of the Congregational church. 
 
 Daniel Webster Wight acquired his educa- 
 tion in the district schools of Sturbridge. He 
 resided at home until twenty-two years old, 
 when he entered upon an apprenticeship to the 
 tinner's trade. Afterward he worked at this 
 trade until August, 1862, when he enlisted in 
 Company F, Fifty-first Regiment, Massachu- 
 setts Volunteers, under Captain Baldwin. 
 While serving in the Civil War he partici- 
 pated in the battles of Kingston and White- 
 hall. After receiving his discharge he 
 worked at his trade in Ware and Worcester, 
 Mass. In 1865 he engaged in business for 
 himself in Lowell, Mass. Four years after 
 he went to Amherst, Mass., where he was a 
 member of the hardware firm of Dickinson & 
 Wight for a time. On October i, 1873, he 
 returned to the homestead in Sturbridge, of 
 which he is now the proprietor. The property 
 contains about eighty acres of excellent land. 
 Various improvements have been made upon it 
 since it came into his hands. 
 
 On October 12, 1865, Mr. Wight married 
 Julia D. Allen, a daughter of Charles G. and 
 Mary (Dunton) Allen. He has two sons: 
 Charles Winthrop, born October 24, 1868; 
 
 and Alpheus E., born June 10, 1871. Charles 
 W. Wight on May 6, 1896, married Agnes 
 Kerr. He now has one son, Everett Allen 
 Wight, born March 11, 1897. On June 22, 
 1898, Alpheus married Edna F. Merrill. Mr. 
 Wight, Sr. , has served as Assessor, Overseer 
 of the Poor, and in other town offices, and con- 
 tinues to take a lively interest in the general 
 welfare of the town. 
 
 The 
 King, 
 1744. 
 
 EORGE P. KING, one of Barre's 
 well-to-do residents, was born in this 
 town, March 29, 1833, son of Will- 
 iam P. and Caroline L. (Morgan) King, 
 paternal great-grandfather, William 
 born in Danvers, Mass., December 29, 
 settled in Barre soon after his marriage, and 
 died here, March 17, 1813. In June, 1775, he 
 married Sarah Clark, who was born in Sher- 
 born, Mass., July 16, 1756. Of their six 
 children, Samuel King, the grandfather of 
 George P., was born in Barre, August 25, 
 1778. He spent the active period of his life 
 upon a farm located about four miles west of 
 the village. Politically, he was a Whig and 
 in religious belief a Universalist. His death 
 occurred March 3, 1836. He married Sophia 
 Clark, who died March 27, 1877, at the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety-three years and seventeen 
 days. William P. King, George P. King's 
 father, was born in Barre, October 24, 1807. 
 In early life he followed the mason's trade. 
 Later he was industriously engaged in agri- 
 culture until his death, which occurred August 
 28, 1888, in his eighty-first year. In politics 
 he was successively a Whig and a Republican, 
 and he attended the Unitarian church. His 
 wife, Caroline, who was born in Brimfield, 
 Mass., May 8, 1807, became the mother of 
 five children, one of whom died in infancy. 
 The surviving children are: George P., the 
 subject of this sketch; Caroline E., the widow 
 of Baxter C. Swan, late of Philadelphia; Ellen 
 L., the widow of Fred Snow, late of Green- 
 wich, Mass. ; and Cora L., the widow of Will- 
 iam Kellogg, late of Barre. The mother died 
 July 13, 1896. 
 
 Having been educated in Barre, George P. 
 King resided at home, assisting on the farm 
 
WILLI.\-A[ H. COOK. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 137 
 
 until»he was twenty-one years old. He then 
 came to the village, and there was afterward 
 employed at various kinds of work until 1862. 
 In this year he went to Fitchburg, and was 
 connected with the firm of Swan & Clark, 
 manufacturers of Shaker hoods, until 1870. 
 Next year he went to Philadelphia, where for 
 the succeeding six or seven years he was in the 
 furniture business as a member of the firm of 
 Swan, Clark & Co. After withdrawing from 
 that firm he returned to the homestead in 
 order to care for his parents during their last 
 days. Thereafter he managed the farm with 
 success until 1890, in which year he moved to 
 the village. Since then he has lived here in 
 retirement. He is financially interested in 
 the Barre Water Works and in the First Na- 
 tional Bank, of which he is a director. 
 
 On September 2, 1866, Mr. King was 
 united in marriage with Mary Eaton. Born in 
 Phillipston, Mass., July 18, 1835, she is a 
 daughter of Avery and Lydia (Brown) Eaton, 
 natives respectively of Phillipston and Lexing- 
 ton. Mr. Eaton, who was a farmer, died at 
 the age of sixty-two years, and Mrs. Eaton 
 at the age of eighty-eight. In politics Mr. 
 King acts with the Republican party. He 
 attends the Unitarian church. 
 
 "ON. WILLIAM HENRY COOK, 
 editor of the Miliord Journal at Mil- 
 US I ford, Worcester County, Mass., was 
 born January 7, 1843, in Benning- 
 ton, Vt., a son of James I. C. Cook and 
 Marion E. Cook. He comes of early Colonial 
 stock, being a lineal descendant of Aaron 
 Cook, who in Dorchester, in May, 1635, was 
 made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay 
 Colony. 
 
 Aaron Cook afterward removed to North- 
 ampton, where he was a pioneer settler. 
 Several generations of his descendants were 
 born and made their hom.e in Hampshire 
 County, and there Coleman Cook, Sr., was a 
 lifelong resident. Coleman Cook, Jr., son of 
 Coleman, Sr., and grandfather of William H., 
 was born in the historic town of Hadley, 
 Mass., January 25, 1785, but moved from 
 there to Vermont when a comparatively young 
 
 man, and died in Chester, that State, Septem- 
 ber 3, 1872. His wife, Eunice Green, was 
 born and reared in what is now a part of 
 Springfield, Mass. 
 
 James I. C. Cook was born October 13, 
 1817, in Bellows Falls, Vt., at the "yellow 
 tavern," of which his father was then "ye 
 landlord." He there attended the district 
 school until about thirteen years old, when he 
 entered the printing ofifice, at Bellows Falls, 
 of his brother, B. G. Cook, senior member of 
 the firm of Cook & Taylor, with whom he 
 served an apprenticeship. In 1835 he worked 
 in the office of the Cheshire Republicaji at 
 Keene, N.H. ; and in August, 1836, he began 
 "sticking type" and "pulling" a hand press 
 in the office of the Daily Whig at Troy, N.Y. , 
 receiving eight dollars per week for all-night 
 labor. In 1841 he secui^ed work at his trade 
 in Bennington, Vt., where the following 
 year he became connected with the publish- 
 ing of the State Banner. In 1859 he took 
 his eldest son, William H., into partnership, 
 and continued the publication until 1870, 
 when the Banner plant was sold. He came 
 with his family to Milford in May, 1872, 
 and with his two sons, William H. and 
 George G. , purchased the Milford Journal 
 newspaper and job printing plant. Here they 
 have since carried on a thriving business, 
 under the firm name of Cook & Sons. In 
 1887 they established the Daily Journal. 
 
 On October 13, 1841, Mr. J. I. C. Cook 
 was married at Putney, Vt. , by the Rev. 
 Amos Foster, to Marion E. Robertson. She 
 was born near Halifax, N.S., of Scotch par- 
 entage, her mother having been born in Edin- 
 burgh, Scotland, and her father in a suburb 
 of that city. The wedding journey of J. I. C. 
 Cook and wife from Putney to Troy, N.Y., 
 was made in a private conveyance across 
 the Green Mountains, and occupied three 
 days. They passed through the town of Strat- 
 ton, where during the campaign of 1840 the 
 Whigs held an immense mass meeting and 
 barbecue, an occasion made memorable by the 
 presence of some of the most noted orators of 
 those days, including among others Daniel 
 Webster. Mrs. Cook died May 8, 1888, leav- 
 ing three children: Ella J., who lives with 
 
138 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 her father; William H.; and George G. The 
 latter was Postmaster of Milford under Presi- 
 dent .Harrison, and was reappointed by Presi- 
 dent McKinley. 
 
 Their other child, James Edwin, died in 
 early life. On October 13, 1897, Mr. James 
 I. C. Cook celebrated the eightieth anniver- 
 sary of his birth in an informal manner, re- 
 ceiving the personal congratulations of many 
 of his friends, and from the employees of the 
 y^Mrwa/ establishment a handsome piece of cut 
 glassware and a bunch of eighty pinks. In 
 politics he has been a stanch Republican 
 since the formation of the party, but previous 
 to that time he was a Whig. From April, 
 1861, until his removal to Milford he was 
 Postmaster at Bennington, Vt., his three com- 
 missions received during that time being 
 signed by Presidents Lincoln, Johnson, and 
 Grant. 
 
 William H. Cook gleaned his early educa- 
 tion in the district school, and when a little 
 fellow of nine years learned the art of typeset- 
 ting in the office of the Vermont State Banner, 
 of which his father was associate proprietor 
 and editor. He was an ambitious boy, brought 
 up to habits of industry and thrift, and, in 
 order to increase his supply of pocket money, 
 used to carry the Banner to the village sub- 
 scribers for the sum of twenty-five cents per 
 week, making his rounds with the papers 
 under his arm in sun, rain, or snow. When 
 sixteen years old he became a partner of his 
 father, and assumed the editorship of the 
 paper, being the youngest editor in the State, 
 if not in all New England. He was present 
 at the organization of the Vermont Press As- 
 sociation, and has since been prominent in 
 the Massachusetts Press Association, of which 
 he was two years president. He was one of 
 the six to organize the Suburban Press Asso- 
 ciation, of which he was the first president, an 
 office that he filled three years, and has been 
 president of the Massachusetts Republican 
 Editorial Association from its inception. 
 
 Mr. Cook is an active worker in the Repub- 
 lican ranks, and has taken a deep interest in 
 public matters from his boyhood. While in 
 Vermont he was frequently a delegate to Re- 
 publican conventions, and soon after becom- 
 
 ing of age was chairman of the Bennington 
 County Republican Committee. In 1876, 
 four years after coming to Massachusetts, and 
 again in 1877, he was elected a Representa- 
 tive, to the Massachusetts legislature. In 
 1896, 1897, and 1898 he was a member of the 
 Massachusetts Senate, and served on impor- 
 tant committees during the three terms, the 
 second year rendering inestimable service to 
 his professional brethren by his influential 
 labors in behalf of the new newspaper libel 
 law then enacted by the General Court. Fra- 
 ternally, he is a Mason, belonging to Mount 
 Anthony Lodge, No. 13, F. & A. M., of Ben- 
 nington. 
 
 On September 20, 1888, Mr. Cook married 
 Mrs. Georgiana Fay, daughter of George 
 Glackmeyer, of New York City. 
 
 TT^HARLES H. HARRIMAN, M.D., 
 I V^ the oldest resident physician of Whit- 
 ^^ ^ insville, and who is well known in 
 the medical fraternity throughout 
 the county, was born in Goffstown, N.H., 
 November 16, 1852, son of Warren and Sarah 
 (Whipple) Harriman. His parents were of 
 old New Hampshire stock. Of his two 
 brothers, Benjamin F. served four years in the 
 war of the Rebellion. The other, Edgar D. 
 Harriman, is now engaged in the shoe business 
 at Exeter, N.H. 
 
 After graduating from the academic depart- 
 ment of the Norwich (Vt.) University, Charles 
 H. Harriman began the study of medicine 
 with Dr. L. B. How, of Manchester, N:H. 
 In 1877 he graduated from the Medical School 
 of Dartmouth College, and for several years 
 following he was engaged in the practice of 
 his profession in Hopkinton, N.H. Coming 
 to Whitinsville in 1882, he settled here, and 
 has since built up an extensive practice. He 
 has won the esteem of all who have been his 
 patients, and his skill is widely recognized by 
 other physicians. He has served for six years 
 on the Northbridge School Board, and in 1891 
 he represented this district in the legislature, 
 to which he was elected by a very flattering 
 vote. He has been the only Democratic Rep- 
 resentative sent to General Court from this 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 39 
 
 district since Northbridge was incorporated. 
 Wiiile there he served on the Committee on 
 Public Health. 
 
 The Doctor is an esteemed member of sev- 
 eral fraternal organizations, namely: Granite 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; St. Elmo Chapter, 
 R. A. M. ; Worcester County Commandery, 
 K. T. ; Aleppo Temple of the Mystic Shrine; 
 the Knights of Pythias, Odd P^ellows, Fores- 
 ters, Red Men, Knights of the Golden Eagle, 
 and Decamus Chapter, Order of the Eastern 
 Star. On October i8, 1877, he married Ser- 
 villa M. Jones, of Goffstown, N. H. She has 
 borne him one son, Willis Warren Harriman. 
 Willis W. Harriman, now a youth of nineteen, 
 who is still a student in the Whitinsville High 
 School, has already exhibited unusual musical 
 ability, and has written a number of musical 
 compositions which promise much for the 
 future. 
 
 IDWARD A. BATCHELLER, of North 
 Brookfield, the chairman, the town's Se- 
 lectman, and an energetic and enter- 
 prising business man, was born in this town, 
 March 31, 1849. A son of Alden Batcheller, 
 he comes of pioneer stock. His paternal 
 grandfather, Ora Batcheller, was an early set- 
 tler in this section of Massachusetts. 
 
 Alden Batcheller, who has spent his 
 seventy-seven years of life in North Brook- 
 field, is known throughout the community as 
 one of its most valued and influential men. 
 For many years he carried on a thriving trade 
 as a lumber manufacturer and dealer, and in 
 former years he had large interests in the lum- 
 ber regions of Michigan. He has been inti- 
 mately connected with the projects most calcu- 
 lated to benefit the town, and was one of the 
 chief promoters of the North Brookfield steam 
 railway and of the North Brookfield water 
 works. In the capacities of Selectman, Water 
 Commissioner, and legislative Representative 
 he has rendered excellent service. His wife, 
 Harriet R. DeVolve Batcheller, died in June, 
 1897, leaving three children, namely: Edward 
 A., the subject of this biography; William 
 H., of New York City; and Frank W., of 
 Hartford, Conn. 
 
 Edward A. Batcheller completed his early 
 education in the North Brookfield High 
 School. At an early age he began life for 
 himself as a coal dealer, and followed it for 
 three years. During the next two years he 
 was engaged as a meat and provision dealer, 
 and in 1872 or soon after he began dealing 
 in ice. Commencing with fifty patrons or 
 thereabouts, he gradually enlarged his ice 
 business, and now sujiplies upward of six 
 hundred persons with ice each season. For a 
 number of years he has also carried on a sub- 
 stantial lumber and wood business, meeting 
 with a corresponding success. 
 
 In politics Mr. Batcheller is a strong Re- 
 publican, and since 1897 he has been one of 
 the Selectmen of the town. An esteemed Odd 
 Fellow, he belongs to Woodbine Lodge of this 
 town ; and he is an active member of the First 
 Congregational Church. He married Miss 
 Ella M. Partridge, daughter of Silas and Ada- 
 line Partridge, of Leicester, Mass. ; and he 
 now has three children — Alice M., Gertrude 
 N., and Mary E. 
 
 WILLIAM H. BAKER, a well-known 
 insurance man of Fitchburg, was 
 born in Lunenburg, this county, 
 March 22, 1849, ^on of William and Olive R. 
 (Boutwell) Baker and a grandson of Jesse and 
 Sophia (Wetherbee) Baker. His great-grand- 
 father, Reuben Baker, who was a Revolution- 
 ary soldier, received a wound at the battle of 
 Bunker Hill. 
 
 Jesse Baker, who was a farmer and had a 
 saw-mill and grist-mill on Baker's Brook, died 
 when his son William was seventeen years old. 
 His wife was a daughter of David Wether- 
 bee. Five generations of Wetherbee descend- 
 ants have lived on the farm in Lunenburg. 
 The first, Paul Wetherbee, who located there 
 in 174s, was a son of Captain Ephraim 
 Wetherbee, who was prominent at the incorpo- 
 ration of the town in 1728. David Wetherbee 
 was a Revolutionary soldier, and served with 
 the army of the Revolution at the siege of 
 Boston. The Wetherbee estate was devoted 
 to general farming until about 1770. In that 
 year the first flour-mill in this county was 
 
140 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 erected there, and it was in operation for more 
 than a hundred years after. Jesse Baker's 
 children were: William, the father of the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Martha A., the widow of 
 Charles F. Rockwood, who was Registrar of 
 Deeds at Fitchburg; Mary L. , who died about 
 thirty years ago, and was the first wife of 
 F. A. Whitney, of Leominster; and Charles, 
 who died before his father. 
 
 William Baker took charge of the farm and 
 the mill after his father's death, which oc- 
 curred in 1838. In 1862 he was appointed 
 Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue under 
 Assessor Amasa Norcross, and he was obliged 
 to devote the most of his time to the duties of 
 his position. In 1872 the office of Assessor 
 was abolished, and he was made Deputy Col- 
 lector of Internal Revenue under B. F. 
 Wallis. When this office was abolished in 
 1878, he declined the offer of a similar ofifice 
 in Worcester, as it would necessitate his re- 
 moval to that city. In 1879 he purchased the 
 fire insurance agency of Silas Holman, and 
 thereafter devoted his attention to that busi- 
 ness. One of the original trustees of the 
 Worcester North Savings Institution, which 
 was incorporated in 1868, he was a member of 
 the board up to the time of his death, and also 
 served for many years on its Board of Invest- 
 ment. He was one of the oldest directors of 
 the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Com- 
 pany, and after the death of Lewis H. Brad- 
 ford, in 1887, was the vice-president and treas- 
 urer for a year, when he found the duties too 
 arduous and resigned. He was Selectman and 
 Overseer of the Poor for several years, and 
 served in other public capacities in Lunen- 
 burg. In the State legislature of 1873 he was 
 one of the Representatives from the district in- 
 cluding Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg, 
 and Westminster. On September 10, 1896, 
 while attending a meeting of the directors of 
 the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Com- 
 pany, he was seized with a fainting fit. Car- 
 ried home, he rallied for a while, but died of 
 heart failure a few days later. Ex-Congress- 
 man Amasa Norcross, the president of the 
 Worcester North Savings Institution and of 
 the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Com- 
 pany, said of him: " He was a valuable man 
 
 for Lunenburg and for this community. He 
 was faithful and trustworthy. My relations 
 with him have been of a very agreeable and 
 confidential character for more than forty 
 years." He was seventy-five years old. On 
 November 11, 1847, he was married to Olive 
 Rebecca, daughter of Sewell Boutwell and 
 sister of ex-Governor George S. Boutwell. 
 The house to which he took his bride, and 
 which was built in 1847, stands near the one 
 in which he was born on the old Wetherbee 
 farm. Mrs. Olive Baker is now seventy-six 
 years old. Her three children are living. 
 These are: William H., the subject of this 
 sketch; Charles F., of the law firm of Nor- 
 cross & Baker; and Edith B., who is a teacher 
 in Gushing Academy at Ashburnham. 
 
 William H. Baker studied civil engineering 
 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 
 graduating in 1869. He was engineer on the 
 Atchison, Topeka & Santa F6 Railroad for 
 nine years, was six years in Montana, one year 
 in Mexico, and five years in Texas as chief en- 
 gineer of railroad construction. Returning 
 to Fitchburg in 1895, he soon became associ- 
 ated with his father in the fire insurance busi- 
 ness, to which he now gives all his time. He 
 has been a member of the American Society of 
 Civil Engineers since 1882. In politics he is 
 a Republican. He joined the Masons and 
 Odd Fellows in New Mexico, and he is an 
 honorary member of the Webster Historical 
 Society. 
 
 THOMAS WEBB, the chairman of 
 the Board of Selectmen of New Brain- 
 tree, was born in Hardwick, September 
 16, 1838, son of Jonathan and Mary 
 (Page) Webb. The Webbs are descendants of 
 the Winslows, who came over in the " May- 
 flower." John Webb, the grandfather of Mr. 
 Webb and a native of Cape Cod, became an 
 early settler in Hardwick. He followed the 
 trades of carpenter and cabinet-maker, in addi- 
 tion to farming, during the active period of 
 his life, which ended when he was eighty-two 
 years old. Patriotic as well as industrious, he 
 served as a soldier in the War of 1812. The 
 Christian name of his wife was Betsey. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 141 
 
 Jonathan Webb, J. Thomas Webb's father, 
 was born in Hardwick, July 29, 1791. In 
 early life he was a school teacher. Later he 
 was engaged in farming at the homestead, 
 where he resided until 1849. Coming to New 
 Braintree in that year, he spent the rest of his 
 life upon the place which is now owned by his 
 son, and known as Sunnyside Farm. He was a 
 Captain in the State militia. In politics he 
 supported the Republican party, and he was a 
 member of the Congregational church. His 
 wife, born in Hardwick, December 13, 1799, 
 who died at the age of sixty-nine years, be- 
 came the mother of eight children, three of 
 whom are living, namely: John, a broker in 
 New York City; Elisha, a manufacturer in 
 West Brookfield ; and J. Thomas, the subject 
 of this sketch. 
 
 J. Thomas Webb was educated in the com- 
 mon schools of Hardwick and New Braintree, 
 and reared to farm life. He continued to as- 
 sist his father until he received entire charge 
 of the farm. Since then he has cultivated it 
 industriously. Taking high rank among the 
 dairymen of the locality, he keeps from fifty to 
 sixty head of Holstein cattle, full bloods and 
 grades; and he ships milk annually to the 
 amount of about ten thousand cans. Sunny- 
 side Farm, containing three hundred and 
 twenty-five acres of desirable land, is regarded 
 as one of the best in the town. The build- 
 ings, spacious, substantial, and in excellent 
 repair, are characteristic of a well-to-do 
 Worcester County agriculturist. On April 
 28, 1873, Mr. Webb was united in marriage 
 with Jennie Bowen. Born in Sturbridge, 
 Mass., February 8, 1852, she is a daughter of 
 Henry and Hannah Bowen. Mr. Bowen, who 
 was a well-known horse dealer, died in Sep- 
 tember, 1897, having survived his wife, who 
 died March 3, 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Webb 
 have had four children, two of whom died in 
 infancy. The living are: Irving T., born 
 June 5, 1881 ; and Grace J., born June 16, 
 1889. Politically, Mr. Webb is a Republi- 
 can. He was formerly a member of the Board 
 of Assessors. A Selectman for the past eigh- 
 teen years, he has been the chairman of the 
 board for about eleven years. Both he and 
 Mrs. Webb are prominent in social circles. 
 
 The latter, an intellectual woman, possessing 
 many admirable traits, is especially esteemed. 
 Both attend the Universalist church. 
 
 ^ELSON LORING, who owns and occu- 
 pies the old Loring farm in Barre, son 
 
 Is V of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Wads- 
 
 worth) Loring, was born where he 
 now resides, January 10, 1821. His paternal 
 grandfather, Israel Loring, a native of Massa- 
 chusetts, who was a maltster in Rice village 
 for some years, in 1792 settled upon the farm 
 that is now his grandson's property; and he 
 built the residence in 1795. Farming was his 
 chief occupation until he was accidentally 
 killed, at the age of sixty-five years. He at- 
 tended the Unitarian church. His wife lived 
 to the advanced age of ninety-six. They were 
 the parents of eight children, none of whom 
 are living. 
 
 Nathaniel Loring, born in Barre, April 15, 
 1785, and a millwright by trade, owned a saw 
 and grist mill in Barre, and manufactured 
 shingles quite extensively. He was also one 
 of the owners of the cotton factories in Peters- 
 ham and Smithville, and for many years 
 figured prominently in the business enterprises 
 of this locality. Succeeding to the homestead 
 farm, he cultivated it until his death, which 
 occurred January 21, 1840, while serving his 
 second term in the legislature. He was a 
 Selectman and an Assessor of the town. In 
 politics he was a Democrat and in religious be- 
 lief a Unitarian. Elizabeth Wadsworth Lor- 
 ing, his wife, whom he married May 12, 1814, 
 was born in Grafton, Mass., March 2, 1790. 
 She became the mother of six children, 
 namely: Joseph F"., born May 10, 181 5, who 
 resides in Dorchester, Mass. ; Caroline M., 
 born September 11, 1818, who died May 5, 
 1891; Nelson, the subject of this sketch; 
 David, born December 19, 1822, who died in 
 January, 1895; Willard, born September 11, 
 1826, who resides in Sa'n Diego, Cal. ; and 
 Eliza Ann, born August 15, 1828, who died 
 September 17, 1897. The mother died on 
 June 2, 1872. 
 
 Educated in the public schools of bis native 
 town, and reared to farming, Nelson Loring, 
 
142 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 with the exception of some six years spent in 
 New York City and State, has spent his 
 mature years in farming. He has carried on 
 the home farm since 1848. The property con- 
 tains two hundred and thirty-five acres of land. 
 While his time is chiefly given to dairying, for 
 which he keeps from twenty-five to thirty head 
 of cattle, mostly Ayrshire stock, he raises ex- 
 cellent crops of the staple products. Keeping 
 up with the times in the way of improvement, 
 he has remodelled his residence, which is one 
 of the oldest in town; and his farm takes high 
 rank among the most valuable estates in this 
 section. 
 
 On March 26, 1850, Mr. Loring was joined 
 in marriage with Maria A. Spooner. Born in 
 Petersham, Mass., February 24, 1825, she was 
 a daughter of Lucius and Nancy (Curtis) 
 Spooner, the former of whom died June 16, 
 ^^73> aged eighty-one, and the latter on Octo- 
 ber 3, 1867, aged seventy-five years. Mrs. 
 Loring gave birth to eight children, namely: 
 Charles W. Loring, on November 16, 1852, 
 who is married and lives in Utah; Henry, 
 September 15, 1855, who resided in Colorado, 
 and died in 1896; Joseph VV. , March 6, 1857, 
 who died September 18, 1895; Adella, August 
 14, 1858, who is the wife of Albert Bradley, 
 of Barre; Lilla, June 25, i860, who is unmar- 
 ried and resides at home; Frank E., June 22, 
 1862, who is married and lives in Vermont; 
 Clarence, June 14, 1864, who is also a resi- 
 dent of Utah; and Jennie H. Loring, October 
 17, 1866, who died November 24, 1891. The 
 mother died September 9, 1896. In politics 
 a Republican, Mr. Loring was a Selectman for 
 about twelve years and a member of the Board 
 of Assessors for some time. He attends the 
 Unitarian church. In Barre he is regarded as 
 one of its successful farmers. 
 
 /®Yo 
 
 EORGE H. THOMPSON, a leading 
 V |ST" farmer of New Braintree, son of 
 Charles B. and Elizabeth D. (Fagan) 
 Thompson, was born on the farm he now occu- 
 pies. May 22, 1863. His first ancestor in this 
 country, James Thompson, who came with his 
 parents from Ireland or Scotland when eight 
 years of age, and settled on the site of the 
 
 present town of Holden, Mass., was one of the 
 earliest settlers of New Braintree. James 
 came to New Braintree on March 30, 1749, 
 and died in June, 1790. He was Captain of 
 the first militia company ever organized in 
 this town. His wife died in 1776. Nathan 
 Thompson, son of James and great-grand- 
 father of George H., born in New Braintree in 
 1741, died here on March 12, 1814. He was 
 a farmer, and for nineteen years he served the 
 community as Town Treasurer. The first of 
 his three marriages was contracted with Mary 
 Hawes, who died in 1790. The maiden name 
 of his second wife was Joanna Nichols; and 
 that of his third wife, the great-grandmother 
 of the subject of this sketch, was Mary, or 
 Polly, Doty. Mary, or Polly, Doty Thomp- 
 son, born in Hardwick on July 10, 1769, who 
 was married on October 5, 1793, died on Oc- 
 tober I, 1854. 
 
 Moses Thompson, son of Nathan and grand- 
 father of George H., and the first of the fam- 
 ily to settle on the estate now known as the 
 Thompson farm, which for four generations 
 previously had been known as the Woods 
 farm, bought the place in 1834. Here he 
 passed the remainder of his life, engaged in 
 general farming; and here he died on May 26, 
 1891, at the age of eighty-two. Born in New 
 Braintree, November 21, 1808, he became 
 known as one of the most progressive farmers 
 in this section. For nineteen years he filled 
 the double ofiflce of Assessor of Taxes and 
 Town Treasurer. In religious faith he was a 
 Congregational ist, and in politics he was 
 successively a Whig and a Republican. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Bush 
 born in North Brookfield on December 4, 
 181 1, died in New Braintree on August 26, 
 1 891. She became the mother of three chil- 
 dren, all still living, namely: Charles B., 
 born September 20, 1834; Nathan, born Au- 
 gust 26, 1837; and Harriet D., born Novem- 
 ber 6 1841. Nathan, who is a clergyman of 
 the Congregational denomination, resides in 
 Cheltenham, Md., where he is the superin- 
 tendent of the Reformatory for Colored Boys. 
 Harriet is the widow of L. K. Harlow, late of 
 Boulder, Col. 
 
 Charles B. Thompson, who was born on the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 143 
 
 farm, lived here until 1892, and, like his an- 
 cestors, carried on general farming. He now 
 owns a farm of forty-six acres in Hardwick, 
 near Gilbertville village, which he purchased 
 when he left New Braintree. Having been 
 one of the leading agriculturalists in this 
 town, his removal was much regretted by his 
 old neighbors and friends. In politics he is a 
 Republican. He served in a number of town 
 offices while here, including that of Town 
 Treasurer for several years. In religion he is 
 a Congregationalist. His education was re- 
 ceived in the public schools and at New Salem 
 Academy. On January 23, 1858, he married 
 Elizabeth, daughter of William and Jane M. 
 Pagan. Mr. Pagan, who died in October, 
 1877, was a farmer by occupation. His 
 widow now resides in Maple City, Mich. 
 They were the parents of nine children, all of 
 whom but one are living. Mrs. Elizabeth 
 Thompson, who was born in New Braintree, 
 February 6, 1837, has had seven children, of 
 whom three are deceased. The survivors are: 
 George H., now of New Braintree; Prancis 
 H., born May 22, 1867; Ethel G., born Sep- 
 tember 22, 1878; and Gertrude E., born Feb- 
 ruary 14, 1884. Anna M. died at the age of 
 eleven years, Harry W. at the age of three 
 years and five months, and Charles M. at the 
 age of nineteen months. 
 
 George H. Thompson grew to manhood in 
 his native town, obtaining his education in the 
 public schools and the academies in the vicin- 
 ity. He now owns the old homestead, whose 
 original one hundred and fifty acres he has in- 
 creased to three hundred. While he does 
 more or less general farming, cutting annually 
 about a hundred tons of hay, he makes a spe- 
 cialty of dairying, and has a fine herd of about 
 sixty cows. On December 10, 1887, he 
 was married to Adelaide Wight, who, born in 
 Dover, Mass., June 28, 1863, is a daughter of 
 Frederick H. and Susan E. (Ware) Wight. 
 Mr. Wight, a market-gardener, resides in 
 Dover, of which place he is a native. His 
 wife is a native of Wrentham, Mass. Mrs. 
 Thompson is a member of the Congregational 
 church. Her children are: Georgia E., Grace 
 W., Charles B., Ruth W., and Anna P. In 
 politics Mr. Thompson is a Republican. He 
 
 is a member of P. of H., No. 170, at New 
 Braintree. As an agriculturist he takes a 
 leading rank in this section of the State, and 
 as a citizen he commands the full confidence 
 and respect of his fellow-townsmen. 
 
 TT^HARLES NELSON DOANE, Town 
 I V^ Treasurer of Dana, Worcester County, 
 ^js ^ Mass., was born in Greenwich, 
 Hampshire County, March 19, 
 1830, son of Isaac and Mary (Stone) Doane. 
 His paternal grandfather was Uriah Doane, 
 who came from Cape Cod to Dana Centre, 
 where he followed farming for the rest of his 
 life. 
 
 Isaac Doane, son of Uriah, was born in 
 Dana, June 29, 1798. In early life he was a 
 seafaring man. Later he resided in Green- 
 wich, and about the year 1830 settled upon a 
 farm located in the southern part of Dana, 
 where he tilled the soil industriously as long 
 as his health would permit. He died Decem- 
 ber 27, 1877, lacking about six months of 
 being eighty years old. In politics he was in 
 his later years a Republican, having previ- 
 ously supported the Whig party; and he served 
 as a Selectman and an Assessor. In his re- 
 ligious belief he was a Methodist. Mary 
 Stone Doane, his wife, was born in Dana, 
 March 29, 1809, daughter of Nathan and 
 Mary Stone, both of whom were natives of 
 this town. Her paternal grandparents lived 
 on what was called "Granny Stone" Hill. 
 Her father died November 26, 1858, aged 
 eighty-three; and her mother died January 16, 
 1864, aged eighty-five. Isaac and Mary S. 
 Doane became the parents of six children, 
 namely: Charles N., the subject of this 
 sketch; Albert H., who was born September 
 29, 1836, and died September 14, 1838; Syl- 
 vanus H., born May 8, 1840, died De- 
 cember 24, 1862, while serving his country 
 in the Civil War; Lucinda V., born October 
 2, 1842, died August 27, 1848; Alfred W., 
 born December 4, 1844, who resides in Dana 
 Centre; and Franklin S., who was born No- 
 vember 4, 1847, and died August 20, 1848. 
 The mother died April 7, 1890. 
 
 Alfred W. Doane, only surviving brother 
 
M + 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of the subject of this sketch, was educated in 
 the district schools and at the New Salem 
 Academy, pursuing a twelve weeks' course at 
 the latter institution, and paying his tuition 
 with money saved from his earnings. He was 
 for some time engaged in the butchering busi- 
 ness. He finally bought the T. S. Johnson 
 farm of one hundred and sixty-five acres at 
 Dana Centre, and for the past twenty years 
 has been engaged in farming and lumbering. 
 He is at the present time the leading lumber- 
 man of this locality, and has been successful 
 in business. He has served as a Selectman, 
 Assessor, and in other town offices. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican. On November 24, 
 1870, he married Susie M. Johnson, who was 
 born in Dana, September 7, 1850, daughter of 
 Joel and Abigail (Richardson) Johnson. Her 
 father was a merchant and hotel-keeper. He 
 died January 25, 1892, aged seventy-six years, 
 five months, and twenty-five days. Her 
 mother, who was born December 8, 1815, was 
 a representative of the well-known Richard- 
 son family of this town. Mr. and Mrs. Al- 
 fred W. Doane have one daughter, Mabel F., 
 who was born August 30, 1876. The family 
 attend the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Charles Nelson Doane acquired his educa- 
 tion in the school located in District No. i. 
 He remained at home until twenty years old, 
 assisting his father upon the farm, and about 
 the year 1852 began work in the pianoforte 
 leg factory, then carried on by Stimpson & 
 Doane, with whom he remained some four 
 years. In 1856 he established himself in the 
 manufacture of piano cases and billiard tables 
 at North Dana; and, after the burning of his 
 factory in the latter part of that year, he re- 
 moved to Orange, Mass., where he engaged in 
 the same business. Selling out his interest 
 in this enterprise some six months later, he 
 was for the succeeding seven years engaged in 
 teaming at North Dana. Then, starting in 
 the butchering business here, he carried on a 
 market from 1856 to April, 1895, when he re- 
 tired in favor of his son. He is the owner of 
 a valuable farm, and devotes his time to its 
 cultivation. 
 
 On August 2, 1854, Mr. Doane was joined 
 in marriage with Frances E. Blackmer, who 
 
 was born in Stockbridge, Mass., in June, 1836. 
 Of this union there is one son, Alfred E. 
 Doane, who was born November 6, i860. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Doane is a Republican. 
 He has served with ability as chairman of the 
 Boards of Selectmen and Assessors for a num- 
 ber of terms, has held other town oflRces, and 
 has been Town Treasurer for the past seven 
 years. 
 
 Alfred E. Doane is an enterprising and 
 alert young business man. He is actively in- 
 terested in local public affairs, having been a 
 Selectman for the past seven years, and unani- 
 mously elected chairman of the board in 1896. 
 He has served as Assessor, Overseer of the 
 Poor, and as a member of the School Board. 
 He is prominently identified with the Repub- 
 lican party here, and is a member of the Town 
 Committee. On February 2, 1886, he mar- 
 ried Hattie M. Sprague, who was born in 
 Westfield, Mass., December 25, 1864. She 
 is the mother of one daughter, Helen F. 
 Doane, who was born, December 5, 1897. 
 
 inxARWIN R. BOYNTON, a well- 
 
 j==| known resident of Paxton, Mass., 
 ^J|Sy for the greater part of his life, is a 
 native of Grafton, Vt. His earli- 
 est ancestors in this country were English. 
 Born March 4, 1818, be is a son of David and 
 Lucy (Johnson) Boynton. David Boynton, 
 son of Ebenezer, a former resident of Paxton, 
 was also born in the town ; and he spent here 
 the most of his life, engaged in farming. His 
 wife, Lucy, was born in Worcester. 
 
 A very young child when he was brought to 
 Paxton by his parents, Darwin R. Boynton 
 was educated in the Paxtop schools; and all 
 the associations of his childhood cluster around 
 the place. At the age of seventeen he began 
 learning the trade of boat-builder, and he 
 worked at it subsequently for a number of 
 years. Then he engaged in painting, and in 
 time became a contractor. For thirty years 
 he pursued this business most successfully, 
 doing much work for people in Paxton and the 
 adjoining towns. 
 
 For many years Mr. Boynton has served his 
 fellow-townsmen as Constable. In discharg- 
 
1 bh A jrJatchi^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 147 
 
 ing the duties of this ofifice he has shown him- 
 self both able and faithful. He is an active 
 worker in the Congregational church, of which 
 he has been a member since 1844, and which 
 he has served for some years on its Executive 
 Committee. The present Mrs. Boynton, for- 
 merly Mrs. Marianna Holmes, whom he mar- 
 ried on New Year's Day, 1894, is a daughter 
 of Joseph H. Penniman, of Paxton. She is 
 also a member of the Congregational church. 
 
 IRENiEUS H. LOW was a well-known 
 and highly respected resident of North- 
 bridge. Born in Steuben County, New 
 York, he was a son of Thomas and Susan 
 (Decker) Low. One of his ancestors, Thomas 
 Doughty, was a physician of note in the early 
 days of New York. Although Dr. Doughty 
 had lost a leg and was obliged to stump around 
 on a wooden substitute, he succeeded in taking 
 care of a large number of patients, and lived 
 to the advanced age of ninety years. Mr. 
 Low's paternal grandfather was the superin- 
 tendent of cotton-mills in Matteawan, N.Y., 
 for many years. His maternal grandfather, 
 David Decker, was a soldier in the war of the 
 Revolution. Thomas Low, a machinist by 
 trade, went to Whitinsville at the age of forty 
 years, and was subsequently a foreman in the 
 machine works until 1895, a period of twenty- 
 nine years. He died in 1896. 
 
 Irenseus H. Low learned the machinist's 
 trade in Holyoke, Mass. He was employed 
 by the Remington Arms Company in Ilion, 
 N. Y., during the Civil War, and later at 
 Chicopee, Mass., by the Ames Plough Com- 
 pany. Following that he worked at his trade 
 in Syracuse, N.Y. In 1866 he went to Whit- 
 insville as master mechanic, having charge of 
 the cylinder work in the Whitin machine shop. 
 The ability with which he filled this position 
 is well attested by the fact that he held it for 
 a period of thirty-one years. For a long time 
 he was an active member of the Republican 
 party. His first Presidential vote was cast for 
 Horace Greeley. He represented this district 
 in the legislature in 1894, and served in the 
 Committee on Printing, which in that year 
 issued the book entitled "Massachusetts in 
 
 the Army and Navy." At the time of 
 Speaker Reed's visit to Whitinsville, Mr. Low 
 was the president of the Whitinsville Republi- 
 can Club. A well-known Mason, he was Mas- 
 ter of Granite Lodge twice and a member of 
 St. Elmo Royal Arch Chapter and of Deka- 
 mus Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. For 
 years he was an active member of the Congre- 
 gational church and a liberal giver toward its 
 many benevolent works. 
 
 By his marriage with Jane A. Grififith, of 
 Ilion, N.Y., Mr. Low became the father of 
 two children. His son, Walter Irenseus, who 
 graduated from Yale University, class of 1890, 
 and in 1897 received the degree of Doctor of 
 Philosophy, is a teacher of history in the Shef- 
 field Scientific School of Yale. Having mar- 
 ried Catherine Young Caskey, Walter has now 
 one daughter, Catherine Caskey Low. His 
 sister, Grace E. , who graduated from Mount 
 Holyoke College, is a teacher in the public 
 high school of her native town. The father 
 died at Whitinsville, May 7, 1898. 
 
 ILAS MANDERVILLE WHEEL- 
 OCK, the treasurer of the Calumet 
 Woollen Company at Uxbridge, 
 was born in Uxbridge, November 
 II, 181 7. A son of Jerry and Sukey (Day) 
 Wheelock, he belongs to the seventh genera- 
 tion descended from the em.igrant ancestor, 
 Ralph Wheelock, who came from Shropshire, 
 England, in 1637, and settled in Dedham., 
 Mass. The paternal grandfather, Simeon 
 Wheelock, who was an officer in the Revolu- 
 tion, was born in Mendon in 1741. He was 
 Town Clerk of Uxbridge from 1773 to 1777. 
 
 Jerry Wheelock, son of Simeon, born in 
 Uxbridge on September 19, 1784, was one of 
 the pioneer builders and operators of woollen 
 machinery here. He early learned the trade 
 of "set workman " and later that of machinery 
 builder. In 1810, when the woollen-mill was 
 built in Uxbridge, he became a member of the 
 firm with his father-in-law, Daniel Day. 
 This connection he severed a few years later, 
 and entered the employ of Artemus Dryden, 
 Jr., of Holden, for whom he was afterward 
 engaged in building woollen machinery for 
 
I4S 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 many years. He also superintended the set- 
 ting up of machinery in new mills. In 1814 
 he was in Falmouth when that town was bom- 
 barded by the British warship "Nimrod." 
 That same year, also, he became a member of 
 the corporation known as the Rivulet Manu- 
 facturing Company, with which he was subse- 
 quently connected for four years. For the 
 next sixteen years he was engaged in the 
 manufacture and repair of woollen machinery. 
 In 1834 he went into the manufacturing busi- 
 ness with his sons, and was associated with 
 them until his retirement in 1846. His death 
 occurred on October 10, 1861. 
 
 Having received his elementary education 
 in the public schools, Silas M. Wheelock at- 
 tended a private school taught by Mr. E. 
 Porter Dyer and later by Mr. C. C. Jewett, 
 who was subsequently the librarian of the 
 Smithsonian Institute. When only nine 
 years of age he commenced work in a 
 woollen-mill. From that time to the present 
 he has been connected with the woollen in- 
 dustry as workman, department superintend- 
 ent, or manager. He was also for some time 
 in a commission house in Boston and in New 
 York City. In 1846 the firm of C. A. & S. M. 
 Wheelock was formed for the purpose of man- 
 ufacturing satinets, linseys, and tweeds, which 
 it did until 1855. Then, after considerably 
 enlarging its factory and adding to its power, 
 it began the manufacture of fancy cassimeres, 
 discontinuing that of all other fabrics. The 
 new departure proved successful, and at the 
 present time cassimere is produced on a large 
 scale. Mr. Wheelock has been the general 
 manager and financier of the firm. In 1870 
 he bought the property of the Harris Woollen 
 Company at Putnam, Conn., comprising a fac- 
 tory containing twelve sets of machinery, a 
 water-power estimated at one-fourth of the 
 Quinnebaug River at that point, and a num- 
 ber of dwellings. This was soon taken in 
 charge by a corporation formed under the 
 laws of Connecticut, bearing the name of 
 the Putnam Woollen Company. In 1880 the 
 capital stock was increased, a second factory 
 was bought, and new machinery and water 
 privilege were added to the former purchase. 
 Mr. Wheelock was chosen treasurer and busi- 
 
 ness manager of the corporation, and he filled 
 the dual office until 1887. Then, on account 
 of other business, he resigned. In 1883 he 
 purchased the Central Mill property in Ux- 
 bridge, including a factory, machinery, power, 
 and houses. The Calumet Woollen Com- 
 pany, a corporation organized under the laws 
 of Massachusetts, took this property, and, 
 after making extensive repairs and additions, 
 began the manufacture of fancy cassimeres, 
 with Mr. Wheelock for treasurer and general 
 manager. The property known as the Ux- 
 bridge Woollen Factory, and which utilized 
 the whole of the Blackstone River water- 
 power, after it was purchased by Mr. Wheel- 
 ock in 1886, became the property of the Calu- 
 met Woollen Company, and is now known as 
 the Hecla Mill. Mr. Wheelock has now 
 charge of the Calumet and Hecla Mills, and 
 is the owner of the Wacautuck Mills, in 
 which are made the goods of C. A. & S. M. 
 Wheelock. From 1867 to 1870 he was inter- 
 ested in a woollen factory at Wilsonville, 
 Conn., which was operated under the firm 
 name of S. M. Wheelock & Co. 
 
 Mr. Wheelock has served his town for sev- 
 eral years as Selectman and on various town 
 com.mittees. In 1888 and 1889 he repre- 
 sented the Second Worcester District in the 
 State Senate, where during both years he 
 was a member of the Committees on Manu- 
 facturing and Parishes and Societies. Politi- 
 cally, he is a Republican. Formerly a Whig, 
 he voted for both William Henry Harrison 
 and Henry Clay. He is a member of the so- 
 ciety of the First Congregational Church, and 
 has always been a generous contributor toward 
 church expenses. For thirty-seven years he 
 has been a director of the Blackstone Bank, 
 which was merged into the Blackstone National 
 Bank. He is also a stockholder in the Elec- 
 tric Light Company. Since 1852 he has 
 been a member of Uxbridge Lodge, No. 120, 
 I. O. O. F., having served in all the offices. 
 In 1841 he was united in marriage with Irene, 
 daughter of Luke and Nancy (Wood) Taft, of 
 Uxbridge. She has been the mother of five 
 children, of whom Arthur and Eugene A. are 
 living. The others were: Ellen, who mar- 
 ried E. B. Haywood, of Uxbridge, and died 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 [49 
 
 in 1871; Alice, who was the wife of H. R. 
 Smith, of Leominster, and died in 1891; and 
 Henry, a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic 
 School and a mill superintendent, who mar- 
 ried Jennie G. Taft, of Uxbridge, and died in 
 1881. 
 
 ^CJUGENE A. WHEELOCK, son of Silas 
 PI M. and brother of Arthur Wheelock, 
 "^^ " born in Uxbridge on February 15, 
 1846, attended the public schools of this town 
 until 1862. In 1863 and 1864 he was a pupil 
 at Williston Seminary, Easthampton, Mass. 
 On leaving the seminary he entered the office 
 of C. A. & S. M. Wheelock. In July, 1867, 
 he took charge of a woollen-mill in Thomp- 
 son, Conn., where he remained until April, 
 1870. Since that time he has been agent of 
 the Putnam Woollen Mills at Putnam, Conn., 
 and since 1886, when his father retired from 
 the position, he has been the treasurer of the 
 company. In politics he is a Republican. 
 He has been a member of the School Board at 
 Putnam for the past two years, and he is con- 
 sidered a most efficient official in that capac- 
 ity. At the present time he is the auditor of 
 the First National Bank of Putnam. On June 
 17, 1868, he married Sarah S. Taft, a daugh- 
 ter of Zadock Taft, of Uxbridge. Two sons 
 and three daughters have been born to him, 
 and are all living. His eldest son, Silas M. 
 Wheelock, second, occupies the position of 
 superintendent of one of the mills. 
 
 (S>r'R'r^UR WHEELOCK, son of Silas 
 p\ M., born in L^xbridge on March 26, 
 yj^\ 1851, was educated in the public 
 ^—^ schools of his native town and at 
 Wilbraham Academy. At the age of seven- 
 teen he entered the office of C. A. & S. M. 
 Wheelock as book-keeper and to assist in 
 buying stock and in selling the goods. He 
 continued in that position until 1883, when, 
 upon the incorporation of the Calumet Mills 
 and the purchase of the Central Mill property, 
 he was made a director and mill manager. 
 Since the purchase of the Uxbridge Mill, in 
 1883, he has been largely interested in their 
 management, as well as in that of the other 
 
 mills of the corporation. He is also a direc- 
 tor of the Blackstone National Bank, the pres- 
 ident of the Uxbridge and Northbridge Elec- 
 tric Company, and a life trustee of the 
 Uxbridge Public Library. For three years 
 he has been a Selectman of the town and a 
 member of the School Board. Taking much 
 interest in the welfare of the town, he has 
 been active in an attempt to introduce a 
 larger and better water supply. In politics 
 he is a Republican. He is a member and 
 Past Grand of Uxbridge Lodge of Odd Fel- 
 lows. For some twenty-five years he has been 
 connected with the Unitarian church and an 
 active worker in its varied benevolences. In 
 1873 he was married to Emogene Atchinson, a 
 daughter of Daniel Atchinson, of Wilbraham. 
 His children are: Stanley H. and Annie A. 
 The former, who was born in July, 1879, is 
 now a Senior student at Phillips Exeter Acad- 
 emy. Annie, who was born in 1886, is at- 
 tending the public schools of Uxbridge. 
 
 ARRISON MOORE, who was a sue. 
 cessful farmer of Worcester, traced 
 his descent to one of the early set- 
 tlers of this section of Worcester 
 County. His ancestors, whose name was orig- 
 inally spelled Mowers, were much respected in 
 the town; and Moore's Hill and Street were 
 named in their honor. His paternal grand- 
 father, John Moore, a farmer and miller, was 
 accidentally drowned at his mill while in the 
 prime of life, and left his widow with two sons 
 — Willard and Joshua. WilJard Moore, his 
 father, was born in Worcester, and here re- 
 ceived such training as was usually given to 
 farmers' sons in his day. Willard subse- 
 quently purchased land bordering on Salis- 
 bury Street, where he carried on mixed hus- 
 bandry. He married Mary Curtis, who bore 
 him six sons and two daughters, of whom 
 Harrison was the youngest child. 
 
 Harrison Moore, born in the part of Worces- 
 ter then called the Red Mill District, became 
 a farmer from choice. When ready to estab- 
 lish himself as a householder, he settled on 
 the fifty-acre farm on Moore's Hill now occu- 
 pied by Mrs. Naomi S. Moore. An enterpris- 
 
15° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing and skilful agriculturist, he was success- 
 ful in his undertakings and made improvements 
 of an excellent character on his homestead, 
 greatly increasing its value. In politics he 
 was a Republican. He served the community 
 as special policeman and grand juryman. 
 
 On May 21, 1846, Mr. Moore married 
 Naomi Slade, who was born in Paxton, Mass. 
 Her father, Samuel Slade, a lifelong and 
 highly respected resident of Paxton, died there 
 in August, 1865, aged seventy-one years. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah 
 Anthony, born in Swansea, Mass., died at her 
 daughter's home in December, 1880, aged 
 eighty-five years, and was buried in Paxton. 
 They had three children,, as follows: Sybil, 
 who died at the age of sixteen years; Mercy, 
 the widow of the late William Gray, and re- 
 siding in Oread Place, Worcester, a bright and 
 active woman of eighty-two years; and Naomi, 
 now Mrs. Moore. The grandparents of Mrs. 
 Moore, Henry and Naomi (Chase) Slade, were 
 well-known members of the farming commu- 
 nity of Paxton, where they died severally in 
 1826 and 1827. They belonged to the Society 
 of Friends, and at their death were laid to rest 
 in the Friends' burial-ground in Leicester, 
 Mass. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. H. Moore had four children, 
 namely: Sarah, now the widow of Lauriston 
 Towne, who died in Enfield, Mass., in Octo- 
 ber, 1889, aged forty-three years; Fanny C, 
 who is the wife of Homer Stearns, of Holden, 
 Mass., and has four children — -Lillian, Ever- 
 ett, Dwight, Edna; Edward H., now conduct- 
 ing the home farm, who married Sybil Morse, 
 and has two children — Harry Moore and 
 Clara Josephine; and Myra A., who is the 
 wife of John Allison, of Worcester, and has 
 three children — William Harrison, Marion, 
 Mildred. Mr. Moore died at his home on 
 Moore's Hill, March 30, 1893. 
 
 (sTtMO] 
 M Be 
 
 MORY S. HAYNES, Town Clerk of 
 Bolton and a Civil War veteran, was 
 born in this town, August 18, 1840, 
 son of Samuel B. and Rebecca 
 (Hosmer) Haynes. His grandfather, Samuel 
 Haynes, who was a native of Sudbury, Mass., 
 
 moved from that town to Bolton in 1798, and 
 settled upon a farm located on the Clinton 
 road, two miles from the village. He died at 
 the age of fifty years. His wife, Rebecca 
 Brown Haynes, a native of Framingham, 
 reared two children. The grandparents were 
 Congregationalists in religion. 
 
 Samuel B. Haynes was born in Bolton, 
 April 21, 1813. Succeeding to the owner- 
 ship of the homestead, he followed, besides 
 farming, the business of a comb manufacturer 
 during his active years. His death occurred 
 in 1897, when he was eighty-four years old. 
 He was actively concerned in local affairs for 
 a number of years, serving as a Selectman and 
 upon the Board of Assessors, and always man- 
 ifesting a deep interest in the general welfare 
 of the community. His wife, Rebecca, was 
 born in Acton, daughter of Nathan Hosmer, a 
 prosperous farmer of that town. She became 
 the mother of two children, namely: Jane D. , 
 who married Levi Wheeler; and Amory S., 
 the subject of this sketch. The mother lived 
 to be seventy-nine years old. Both parents 
 attended the Congregational church. Some 
 of Mr. Haynes's maternal ancestors displayed 
 patriotism as Americans in the war for inde- 
 pendence, Abner Hosmer, his maternal great- 
 uncle, losing his life in the Concord fight, at 
 which his great-grandfather Brown, of Fram- 
 ingham, was present. 
 
 Amory S. Haynes passed his boyhood and 
 youth in attending school and assisting his 
 father upon the farm. He resided at home 
 until September 16, 1862, when he enlisted as 
 a private in Company I, Fifth Regiment of 
 Massachusetts Volunteers, for nine months' 
 service, and was discharged as Corporal after 
 having participated in several battles. July 
 19, 1864, he re-enlisted in the same company 
 and regiment, with which he performed garri- 
 son duty in the forts about the Capitol for one 
 hundred days, being discharged as Sergeant. 
 Upon his return he settled upon his present 
 farm of sixty acres in the village of Bolton, 
 and has since followed general farming with 
 success. He has served upon the Republi- 
 can Town Committee for twenty-five years, 
 was Assessor three years, has acted as a Jus- 
 tice of the Peace twenty-one years, and has 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 151 
 
 attended to the duties of Town Clerk since 
 1885, in all of which offices he has labored 
 faithfully for the best interests of the com- 
 munity. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Haynes was joined in marriage 
 with Mary Wallace, who was born in Mary- 
 land, only daughter of John S. Wallace. He 
 has four children; namely, Elizabeth R., 
 Samuel B., Susan R., and Mary W. Samuel 
 B. is engaged in the envelope business; Susan 
 R. is a book-keeper at the Medfield Asylum; 
 and Mary W. is a stenographer and typewriter 
 in Boston. All of them received a high- 
 school education. Mr. Haynes belongs to the 
 Patrons of Husbandry, is a member of the Ex- 
 ecutive Committee of the Farmers' Club, and 
 was for a number of years Adjutant of Post 
 Warren, No. 172, G. A. R. He attends the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 EEWIS HAYDEN, proprietor of a flour- 
 ishing fire insurance agency in Mil- 
 ^ ford, was born in Saxonville, 
 Mass., March 15, 1849, son of 
 Luther and Elizabeth R. (Rand) Hayden. 
 His father, who was born in Groton, Mass., in 
 1812, was a boot-treer, but relinquished that 
 occupation to become a watchman in a straw 
 factory. He is now living in retirement in 
 Milford, where he has resided since 1852. 
 He married Elizabeth R. Rand, a native of 
 Maine; and Lewis, the subject of this sketch, 
 is the only child of their union. 
 
 Lewis Hayden began his education in Mil- 
 ford, later attending school in Hopedale; and 
 his studies were completed with a business 
 course at French's Commercial College, Bos- 
 ton. At the age of sixteen he began work in 
 the straw factory of B. H. Spaulding, with 
 whom he remained about two years. For the 
 succeeding, three years be was employed at 
 Colburn, Fuller & Co. 's shoe factory. In 
 1872 he found employment in the fire insur- 
 ance and real estate office of the late George 
 G. Parker, with whom he remained for a 
 period of twenty years. On the death of Mr. 
 Parker, which occurred in April, 1892, he suc- 
 ceeded to the business, which he has since 
 conducted alone. He is the local representa- 
 
 tive of some of the most reliable companies, 
 and most of the fire policies now in force in 
 this locality have been written by him. He 
 also acts as trustee, agent, and administrator 
 of estates. 
 
 Mr. Hayden has served as Town Clerk five 
 years. Town Treasurer two years. Assessor 
 three years, declining a renomination, and 
 was a member of the Board of Selectmen for 
 the year 1897. He is a Master Mason, and 
 belongs to Montgomery Lodge, F. & A. M. 
 
 OHN T. COMBS, a prominent agri- 
 culturist of Warren, was born May i, 
 1836. His birthplace, the farm he 
 now occupies and which was practically 
 the lifelong home of his father, the late Levi 
 Combs, has been in possession of the Combs 
 family for several generations. The original 
 owner was Dougal Combs, the first of the 
 name to settle in this section of the county. 
 John Combs, Sr., son of Dougal, was here en- 
 gaged in tilling the soil during his active 
 period. 
 
 John Combs, Jr., the paternal grandfather 
 of John T., having succeeded to the farm, 
 added many improvements to the property. 
 He was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, 
 and for his services during that war drew a 
 pension in his declining years. Levi Combs, 
 the next proprietor of the ancestral acres, 
 spent his period of possession successfully en- 
 gaged in their cultivation. His death oc- 
 curred August 23, 1848. Much interested in 
 the welfare of ^the town, he was one of its Se- 
 lectmen for a time. He married Cynthia 
 Burroughs, of Warren. Their children were: 
 George H. and John T. George, who was a 
 prominent school teacher in New York City 
 for more than twenty years, died at his 
 brother's home on December 13, 1879. 
 
 John T. Combs acquired a practical com- 
 mon-school education. Since early manhood 
 he has had charge of the homestead. Under 
 his management the land, covering one hun- 
 dred and fifty acres, yields bountiful crops. 
 He carries on the various branches of general 
 agriculture, including dairying to some extent. 
 The place is in an excellent condition, bearing 
 
152 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 manifest evidence of the skill and industry of 
 its proprietor. A stanch Republican in poli- 
 tics and a man of much public spirit, he has 
 served as Assessor and as a member of the 
 town School Committee for several years. 
 He is a Mason, having joined the Quaboag 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., of Warren, some years 
 ago. 
 
 On October 13, 1858, Mr. Combs married 
 Miss Mary A., daughter of Charles and Mary 
 (Sibley) Cummings, of Grafton, Mass. Mr. 
 Cummings and his wife were respectively na- 
 tives of Douglas and Sutton, Mass. Mrs. 
 Cummings was a grand -daughter of Gideon 
 Sibley, one of the soldiers of the Revolution- 
 ary War. Of the children she and her hus- 
 band reared, two are living, namely : Mary A., 
 now Mrs. Combs; and Frank Cummings, of 
 Southbridge, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Combs 
 have one child, Charles L. Combs, who lives 
 with his parents. 
 
 20UIS LEMAITRE AUGER, M.D., 
 a skilful physician and surgeon of 
 ^^ Worcester, was born in Louiseville, 
 Canada, April 23, 1859. His 
 great-grandfather emigrated from France. 
 His grandfather. Desire LemaJtre Auger, who 
 was the first merchant in Louiseville, and who 
 acquired wealth and influence in that locality, 
 left three sons, one of whom succeeded him 
 in business. Charles Lemattre Auger, M.D., 
 another son of Desire and the father of the 
 subject of this sketch, was born in Louise- 
 ville in 1 83 1. He took his medical degree 
 at the Victoria University, and is still prac- 
 tising his profession in his native town. 
 
 Louis Lemattre Auger attended Nicolet 
 College, and pursued the study of medicine at 
 Victoria University, from which he was grad- 
 uated one year previous to that of his major- 
 ity. Entering upon the practice of his pro- 
 fession at Great Falls, N.H., in 1880, he 
 resided there for nine years, being for three 
 years of that period the town physician. In 
 1889 he went abroad for further study, visit- 
 ing London, Berlin, and Paris. While in the 
 last-named city he was for some time the first 
 assistant to Dr. Doleris. Upon his return to 
 
 America in 1892 he conducted a private hos- 
 pital in Montreal for a short time. In 
 March, 1893, he came to Worcester, where he 
 has since been located. He has acquired a 
 large practice among the American as well as 
 the French-Canadian population as the result 
 of his professional ability. His specialties 
 are gynaecology and diseases of the throat, 
 nose, and ear, in which he is unusually suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 In 1884, at Joliette, Canada, Dr. Auger was 
 united in marriage with Albina, only daugh- 
 ter of Adolph Magnan, a man of political 
 prominence in that section. Mrs. Auger was 
 educated in a convent in her native town. 
 
 The Doctor is a member of the Obstetrical 
 and Gynaecological Society of Paris, of the 
 Medical and Surgical Society of Montreal, of 
 the Massachusetts Medical Society, the 
 Worcester Medical Society, and other similar 
 organizations. In 1888 he was first vice- 
 president of a convention of French-Canadians 
 held at Nashua, N.H., the largest assembly of 
 the kind ever called together in the United 
 States. He had previously been appointed a 
 delegate to go to Washington for the purpose 
 of inviting President Cleveland to attend. 
 At a similar" gathering held in Manchester, 
 N.H., in 1889, he was the unanimous choice 
 for president. His ofifice and pharmacy are 
 located at the corner of Park and Orange 
 Streets, and he employs a registered pharma- 
 cist to dispense medicine. 
 
 ENJAMIN P. AIKEN, of West 
 > _ . Brookfield, a well-known provision 
 ^t dealer and agriculturist, son of Ben- 
 jamin Aiken, was born February 24, 
 1826, in Prescott, Hampshire County. The 
 father, having spent his youth in Hardwick, 
 Vt., the town of his birth, after attaining his 
 majority, located on a farm in Prescott, Mass., 
 where he was employed in cultivating the soil 
 until his death, in 1837. His wife, Lucinda 
 Paul, born in Massachusetts, was a daughter 
 of a Revolutionary soldier. 
 
 Benjamin P. Aiken was but eleven years 
 old when his father died. He subsequently 
 continued his studies at the district school for 
 
LOUIS L. AUGER, 
 
'44 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of the subject of this sketch, was educated in 
 the district schools and at the New Salem 
 Academy, pursuing a twelve weeks' course at 
 the latter institution, and paying his tuition 
 with money saved from his earnings. He was 
 for some time engaged in the butchering busi- 
 ness. He finally bought the T. S. Johnson 
 farm of one hundred and sixty-five acres at 
 Dana Centre, and for the past twenty years 
 has been engaged in farming and lumbering. 
 He is at the present time the leading lumber- 
 man of this localit}', and has been successful 
 in business. He has served as a Selectman, 
 Assessor, and in other town offices. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican. On November 24, 
 1870, he married Susie M. Johnson, who was 
 born in Dana, September 7, 1850, daughter of 
 Joel and Abigail (Richardson) Johnson. Her 
 father was a merchant and hotel-keeper. He 
 died January 25, 1892, aged seventy-six years, 
 five months, and twenty-five days. Her 
 mother, who was born December 8, 1815, was 
 a representative of the well-known Richard- 
 son family of this town. Mr. and Mrs. Al- 
 fred W. Doane have one daughter, Mabel F., 
 who was born August 30, 1876. The family 
 attend the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Charles Nelson Doane acquired his educa- 
 tion in the school located in District No. i. 
 He remained at home until twenty years old, 
 assisting his father upon the farm, and about 
 the year 1852 began work in the pianoforte 
 leg factory, then carried on by Stimpson & 
 Doane, with whom he remained some four 
 years. In 1856 he established himself in the 
 manufacture of piano cases and billiard tables 
 at North Dana; and, after the burning of his 
 factory in the latter part of that year, he re- 
 moved to Orange, Mass., where he engaged in 
 the same business. Selling out his interest 
 in this enterprise some six months later, he 
 was for the succeeding seven years engaged in 
 teaming at North Dana. Then, starting in 
 the butchering business here, he carried on a 
 market from 1856 to April, 1895, when he re- 
 tired in favor of his son. He is the owner of 
 a valuable farm, and devotes his time to its 
 cultivation. 
 
 On August 2, 1854, Mr. Doane was joined 
 in marriage with Frances E. Blackmer, who 
 
 was born in Stockbridge, Mass., in June, 1836. 
 Of this union there is one son, Alfred E. 
 Doane, who was born November 6, i860. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Doane is a Republican. 
 He has served with ability as chairman of the 
 Boards of Selectmen and Assessors for a num- 
 ber of terms, has held other town offices, and 
 has been Town Treasurer for the past seven 
 years. 
 
 Alfred E. Doane is an enterprising and 
 alert young business man. He is actively in- 
 terested in local public affairs, having been a 
 Selectman for the past seven years, and unani- 
 mously elected chairman of the board in 1896. 
 He has served as Assessor, Overseer of the 
 Poor, and as a member of the School Board. 
 He is prominently identified with the Repub- 
 lican party here, and is a member of the Town 
 Committee. On February 2, 1886, he mar- 
 ried Hattie M. Sprague, who was born in 
 Westfield, Mass., December 25, 1864. She 
 is the mother of one daughter, Helen F. 
 Doane, who was born December 5, 1897. 
 
 B 
 
 ARWIN R. BOYNTON, a well- 
 known resident of Paxton, Mass., 
 for the greater part of his life, is a 
 native of Grafton, Vt. His earli- 
 est ancestors in this country were English. 
 Born March 4, 1818, he is a son of David and 
 Lucy (Johnson) Boynton. David Boynton, 
 son of Ebenezer, a former resident of Paxton, 
 was also born in the town ; and he spent here 
 the most of his life, engaged in farming. His 
 wife, Lucy, was born in Worcester. 
 
 A very young child when he was brought to 
 Paxton by his parents, Darwin R. Boynton 
 was educated in the Paxton schools; and all 
 the associations of his childhood cluster around 
 the place. At the age of seventeen he began 
 learning the trade of boat-builder, and be 
 worked at it subsequently for a number of 
 years. Then he engaged in painting, and in 
 time became a contractor. For thirty years 
 he pursued this business most successfully, 
 doing much work for people in Paxton and the 
 adjoining towns. 
 
 For many years Mr. Boynton has served his 
 fellow-townsmen as Constable. In discharg- 
 
-WJ*""^ 
 
 i;"^ 
 
 => 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 147 
 
 ing the duties of this office he has shown him- 
 self both able and faithful. He is an active 
 worker in the Congregational church, of which 
 he has been a member since 1844, 3"<^ which 
 he has served for some years on its Executive 
 Committee. The present Mrs. Boynton, for- 
 merly Mrs. Marianna Holmes, whom he mar- 
 ried on New Year's Day, 1894, is a daughter 
 of Joseph H. Penniman, of Paxton. She is 
 also a member of the Congregational church. 
 
 (jfri 
 
 'REN^US H. LOW was a well-known 
 hi I and highly respected resident of North- 
 i3JJ_ bridge. Born in Steuben County, New 
 York, he was a son of Thomas and Susan 
 (Decker) Low. One of his ancestors, Thomas 
 Doughty, was a physician of note in the early 
 days of New York. Although Dr. Doughty 
 had lost a leg and was obliged to stump around 
 on a wooden substitute, he succeeded in taking 
 care of a large number of patients, and lived 
 to the advanced age of ninety years. Mr. 
 Low's paternal grandfather was the superin- 
 tendent of cotton-mills in Matteawan, N. Y., 
 for many years. His maternal grandfather, 
 David Decker, was a soldier in the war of the 
 Revolution. Thomas Low, a machinist by 
 trade, went to Whitinsville at the age of forty 
 years, and was subsequently a foreman in the 
 machine works until 1895, a period of twenty- 
 nine years. He died in 1896. 
 
 Irenaeus H. Low learned the machinist's 
 trade in Holyoke, Mass. He was employed 
 by the Remington Arms Company in Ilion, 
 N. Y., during the Civil War, and later at 
 Chicopee, Mass., by the Ames Plough Com- 
 pany. Following that he worked at his trade 
 in Syracuse, N.Y. In 1866 he went to Whit- 
 insville as master mechanic, having charge of 
 the cylinder work in the Whitin machine shop. 
 The ability with which he filled this position 
 is well attested by the fact that he held it for 
 a period of thirty-one years. For a long time 
 he was an active member of the Republican 
 party. His first Presidential vote was cast for 
 Horace Greeley. He represented this district 
 in the legislature in 1894, and served in the 
 Committee on Printing, which in that year 
 issued the book entitled " Massachusetts in 
 
 the Army and Navy." At the time of 
 Speaker Reed's visit to Whitinsville, Mr. Low 
 was the president of the Whitinsville Republi- 
 can Club. A well-known Mason, he was Mas- 
 ter of Granite Lodge twice and a member of 
 St. Elmo Royal Arch Chapter and of Deka- 
 mus Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. P'or 
 years he was an active member of the Congre- 
 gational church and a liberal giver toward its 
 many benevolent works. 
 
 By his marriage with Jane A. Griffith, of 
 Ilion, N.Y., Mr. Low became the father of 
 two children. His son, Walter Irenaeus, who 
 graduated from Yale University, class of 1890, 
 and in 1897 received the degree of Doctor of 
 Philosophy, is a teacher of history in the Shef- 
 field Scientific School of Yale. Having mar- 
 ried Catherine Young Caskey, Walter has now 
 one daughter, Catherine Caskey Low. His 
 sister, Grace E., who graduated from Mount 
 Holyoke College, is a teacher in the public 
 high school of her native town. The father 
 died at Whitinsville, May 7, 1898. 
 
 II, 1817. 
 
 ILAS MANDERVILLE WHEEL- 
 OCK, the treasurer of the Calumet 
 Woollen Company at Uxbridge, 
 was born in Uxbridge, November 
 A son of Jerry and Sukey (Day) 
 Wheelock, he belongs to the seventh genera- 
 tion descended from the em.igrant ancestor, 
 Ralph Wheelock, who came from Shropshire, 
 England, in 1637, and settled in Dedham, 
 Mass. The paternal grandfather, Simeon 
 Wheelock, who was an officer in the Revolu- 
 tion, was born in Mendon in 1741. He was 
 Town Clerk of Uxbridge from 1773 to 1777. 
 
 Jerry Wheelock, son of Simeon, born in 
 Uxbridge on September 19, 1784, was one of 
 the pioneer builders and operators of woollen 
 machinery here. He early learned the trade 
 of "set workman " and later that of machinery 
 builder. In 1810, when the woollen-mill was 
 built in Uxbridge, he became a member of the 
 firm with his father-in-law, Daniel Day. 
 This connection he severed a few years later, 
 and entered the employ of Artemus Dryden, 
 Jr., of Holden, for whom he was afterward 
 engaged in building woollen machinery for 
 
148 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 many years. He also superintended the set- 
 ting up of machinery in new mills. In 1814 
 he was in Falmouth when that town was bom- 
 barded by the British warship "Nimrod." 
 That same year, also, he became a member of 
 the corporation known as the Rivulet Manu- 
 facturing Company, with which he was subse- 
 quently connected for four years. For the 
 next sixteen years he was engaged in the 
 manufacture and repair of woollen machinery. 
 In 1834 he went into the manufacturing busi- 
 ness with his sons, and was associated with 
 them until his retirement in 1846. His death 
 occurred on October 10, 1861. 
 
 Having received his elementary education 
 in the public schools, Silas M. Wheelock at- 
 tended a private school taught by Mr. E. 
 Porter Dyer and later by Mr. C. C. Jewett, 
 who was subsequently the librarian of the 
 Smithsonian Institute. When only nine 
 years of age he commenced work in a 
 woollen-mill. From that time to the present 
 he has been connected with the woollen in- 
 dustry as workman, department superintend- 
 ent, or manager. He was also for some time 
 in a commission house in Boston and in New 
 York City. In 1846 the firm of C. A. & S. M. 
 Wheelock was formed for the purpose of man- 
 ufacturing satinets, linseys, and tweeds, which 
 it did until 1855. Then, after considerably 
 enlarging its factory and adding to its power, 
 it began the manufacture of fancy cassimeres, 
 discontinuing that of all other fabrics. The 
 new departure proved successful, and at the 
 present time cassimere is produced on a large 
 scale. Mr. Wheelock has been the general 
 manager and financier of the firm. In 1870 
 he bought the property of the Harris Woollen 
 Company at Putnam, Conn., comprising a fac- 
 tory containing twelve sets of machinery, a 
 water-power estimated at one-fourth of the 
 Quinnebaug River at that point, and a num- 
 ber of dwellings. This was soon taken in 
 charge by a corporation formed under the 
 laws of Connecticut, bearing the name of 
 the Putnam Woollen Company. In 1880 the 
 capital stock was increased, a second factory 
 was bought, and new machinery and water 
 privilege were added to the former purchase. 
 Mr. Wheelock was chosen treasurer and busi- 
 
 ness manager of the corporation, and he filled 
 the dual office until 1887. Then, on account 
 of other business, he resigned. In 1883 he 
 purchased the Central Mill property in Ux- 
 bridge, including a factory, machinery, power, 
 and houses. The Calumet Woollen Com- 
 pany, a corporation organized under the laws 
 of Massachusetts, took this property, and, 
 after making extensive repairs and additions, 
 began the manufacture of fancy cassimeres, 
 with Mr. Wheelock for treasurer and general 
 manager. The property known as the Ux- 
 bridge Woollen Factory, and which utilized 
 the whole of the Blackstone River water- 
 power, after it was purchased by Mr. Wheel- 
 ock in 1886, became the property of the Calu- 
 met Woollen Company, and is now known as 
 the Hecla Mill. Mr. Wheelock has now 
 charge of the Calumet and Hecla Mills, and 
 is the owner of the Wacautuck Mills, in 
 which are made the goods of C. A. & S. M. 
 Wheelock. From 1867 to 1870 he was inter- 
 ested in a woollen factory at Wilsonville, 
 Conn., which was operated under the firm 
 name of S. M. Wheelock & Co. 
 
 Mr. Wheelock has served his town for sev- 
 eral years as Selectman and on various town 
 com.mittees. In 1888 and 1889 he repre- 
 sented the Second Worcester District in the 
 State Senate, where during both years he 
 was a member of the Committees on Manu- 
 facturing and Parishes and Societies. Politi- 
 cally, he is a Republican. Formerly a Whig, 
 he voted for both William Henry Harrison 
 and Henry Clay. He is a member of the so- 
 ciety of the First Congregational Church, and 
 has always been a generous contributor toward 
 church expenses. For thirty-seven years he 
 has been a director of the Blackstone Bank, 
 which was merged into the Blackstone National 
 Bank. He is also a stockholder in the Elec- 
 tric Light Company. Since 1852 he has 
 been a member of Uxbridge Lodge, No. 120, 
 L O. O. F., having served in all the offices. 
 In 1841 he was united in marriage with Irene, 
 daughter of Luke and Nancy (Wood) Taft, of 
 Uxbridge. She has been the mother of five 
 children, of whom Arthur and Eugene A. are 
 living. The others were: Ellen, who mar- 
 ried E. B. Haywood, of Uxbridge, and died 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 149 
 
 in 1871; Alice, who was the wife of H. R. 
 Smith, of Leominster, and died in 1891; and 
 Henry, a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic 
 School and a mill superintendent, who mar- 
 ried Jennie G. Taft, of Uxbridge, and died in 
 1881. 
 
 ]CrUGENE A. WHEELOCK, son of Silas 
 P M, and brother of Arthur Wheelock, 
 '^•— — ^ born in Uxbridge on February 15, 
 1846, attended the public schools of this town 
 until 1862. In 1863 and 1864 he was a pupil 
 at Williston Seminary, Easthampton, Mass. 
 On leaving the seminary he entered the office 
 of C. A. & S. M. Wheelock. In July, 1867, 
 he took charge of a woollen-mill in Thomp- 
 son, Conn., where he remained until April, 
 1870. Since that time he has been agent of 
 the Putnam Woollen Mills at Putnam, Conn., 
 and since 1886, when his father retired from 
 the position, he has been the treasurer of the 
 company. In politics he is a Republican. 
 He has been a member of the School Board at 
 Putnam for the past two years, and he is con- 
 sidered a most efficient official in that capac- 
 ity. At the present time he is the auditor of 
 the First National Bank of Putnam. On June 
 17, 1868, he married Sarah S. Taft, a daugh- 
 ter of Zadock Taft, of Uxbridge. Two sons 
 and three daughters have been born to him, 
 and are all living. His eldest son, Silas M. 
 Wheelock, second, occupies the position of 
 superintendent of one of the mills. 
 
 (^JY^THUR WHEELOCK, son of Silas 
 p\ M., born in Uxbridge on March 26, 
 /j\\ 1851, was educated in the public 
 ^"^ schools of his native town and at 
 Wilbraham Academy. At the age of seven- 
 teen he entered the office of C. A. & S. M. 
 Wheelock as book-keeper and to assist in 
 buying stock and in selling the goods. He 
 continued in that position until 1883, when, 
 upon the incorporation of the Calumet Mills 
 and the purchase of the Central Mill property, 
 he was made a director and mill manager. 
 Since the purchase of the Uxbridge Mill, in 
 1883, he has been largely interested in their 
 management, as well as in that of the other 
 
 mills of the corporation. He is also a direc- 
 tor of the Blackstone National Bank, the pres- 
 ident of the Uxbridge and Northbridge Elec- 
 tric Company, and a life trustee of the 
 Uxbridge Public Library. For three years 
 he has been a Selectman of the town and a 
 member of the School Board. Taking much 
 interest in the welfare of the town, he has 
 been active in an attempt to introduce a 
 larger and better water supply. In politics 
 he is a Republican. He is a member and 
 Past Grand of Uxbridge Lodge of Odd Fel- 
 lows. For some twenty-five years he has been 
 connected with the Unitarian church and an 
 active worker in its varied benevolences. In 
 1873 he was married to Emogene Atchinson, a 
 daughter of Daniel Atchinson, of Wilbraham. 
 His children are: Stanley H. and Annie A. 
 The former, who was born in July, 1879, is 
 now a Senior student at Phillips Exeter Acad- 
 emy. Annie, who was born in 1886, is at- 
 tending the public schools of Uxbridge. 
 
 County. 
 
 (^"II'ARRISON MOORE, who was a sue. 
 cessful farmer of Worcester, traced 
 his descent to one of the early set- 
 tlers of this section of Worcester 
 His ancestors, whose name was orig- 
 inally spelled Mowers, were much respected in 
 the town; and Moore's Hill and Street were 
 named in their honor. His paternal grand- 
 father, John Moore, a farmer and miller, was 
 accidentally drowned at his mill while in the 
 prime of life, and left his widow with two sons 
 — Willard and Joshua. Willard Moore, his 
 father, was born in Worcester, and here re- 
 ceived such training as was usually given to 
 farmers' sons in his day. Willard subse- 
 quently purchased land bordering on Salis- 
 bury Street, where he carried on mixed hus- 
 bandry. He married Mary Curtis, who bore 
 him six sons and two daughters, of whom 
 Harrison was the youngest child. 
 
 Harrison Moore, born in the part of Worces- 
 ter then called the Red Mill District, became 
 a farmer from choice. When ready to estab- 
 lish himself as a householder, he settled on 
 the fifty-acre farm on Moore's Hill now occu- 
 pied by Mrs. Naomi S, Moore. An enterpris- 
 
15° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing and skilful agriculturist, he was success- 
 ful in his undertakings and made improvements 
 of an excellent character on his homestead, 
 greatly increasing its value. In politics he 
 was a Republican. He served the community 
 as special policeman and grand juryman. 
 
 On May 21, 1846, Mr. Moore married 
 Naomi Slade, who was born in Paxton, Mass. 
 Her father, Samuel Slade, a lifelong and 
 highly respected resident of Paxton, died there 
 in August, 1865, aged seventy-one years. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah 
 Anthony, born in Swansea, Mass., died at her 
 daughter's home in December, 1880, aged 
 eighty-five years, and was buried in Paxton. 
 They had three children,, as follows: Sybil, 
 who died at the age of sixteen years; Mercy, 
 the widow of the late William Gray, and re- 
 siding in Oread Place, Worcester, a bright and 
 active woman of eighty-two years; and Naomi, 
 now Mrs. Moore. The grandparents of Mrs. 
 Moore, Henry and Naomi (Chase) Slade, were 
 well-known members of the farming commu- 
 nity of Paxton, where they died severally in 
 1826 and 1827. They belonged to the Society 
 of Friends, and at their death were laid to rest 
 in the Friends' burial-ground in Leicester, 
 Mass. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. H. Moore had four children, 
 namely: Sarah, now the widow of Lauriston 
 Towne, who died in Enfield, Mass., in Octo- 
 ber, 1889, aged forty-three years; Fanny C, 
 who is the wife of Homer Stearns, of Holden, 
 Mass., and has four children — Lillian, Ever- 
 ett, Dwight, Edna; Edward H., now conduct- 
 ing the home farm, who married Sybil Morse, 
 and has two children — Harry Moore and 
 Clara Josephine; and Myra A., who is the 
 wife of John Allison, of Worcester, and has 
 three children — William Harrison, Marion, 
 Mildred. Mr. Moore died at his home on 
 Moore's Hill, March 30, 1893. 
 
 (sTTMO] 
 
 ■MORY S. HAYNES, Town Clerk of 
 Bolton and a Civil War veteran, was 
 born in this town, August 18, 1840, 
 son of Samuel B. and Rebecca 
 (Hosmer) Haynes. His grandfather, Samuel 
 Haynes, who was a native of Sudbury, Mass., 
 
 moved from that town to Bolton in 1798, and 
 settled upon a farm located on the Clinton 
 road, two miles from the village. He died at 
 the age of fifty years. His wife, Rebecca 
 Brown Haynes, a native of Framingham, 
 reared two children. The grandparents were 
 Congregationalists in religion. 
 
 Samuel B. Haynes was born in Bolton, 
 April 21, 1813. Succeeding to the owner- 
 ship of the homestead, he followed, besides 
 farming, the business of a comb manufacturer 
 during his active years. His death occurred 
 in 1897, when he was eighty-four years old. 
 He was actively concerned in local affairs for 
 a number of years, serving as a Selectman and 
 upon the Board of Assessors, and always man- 
 ifesting a deep interest in the general welfare 
 of the community. His wife, Rebecca, was 
 born in Acton, daughter of Nathan Hosmer, a 
 prosperous farmer of that town. She became 
 the mother of two children, namely: Jane D. , 
 who married Levi Wheeler; and Amory S., 
 the subject of this sketch. The mother lived 
 to be seventy-nine years old. Both parents 
 attended the Congregational church. Some 
 of Mr. Haynes's maternal ancestors displayed 
 patriotism as Americans in the war for inde- 
 pendence, Abner Hosmer, his maternal great- 
 uncle, losing his life in the Concord fight, at 
 which his great-grandfather Brown, of Fram- 
 ingham, was present. 
 
 Amory S. Haynes passed his boyhood and 
 youth in attending school and assisting his 
 father upon the farm. He resided at home 
 until September 16, 1862, when he enlisted as 
 a private in Company I, Fifth Regiment of 
 Massachusetts Volunteers, for nine months' 
 service, and was discharged as Corpofal after 
 having participated in several battles. July 
 19, 1864, he re-enlisted in the same company 
 and regiment, with which he performed garri- 
 son duty in the forts about the Capitol for one 
 hundred days, being discharged as Sergeant. 
 Upon his return he settled upon his present 
 farm of sixty acres in the village of Bolton, 
 and has since followed general farming with 
 success. He has served upon the Republi- 
 can Town Committee for twenty-five years, 
 was Assessor three years, has acted as a Jus- 
 tice of the Peace twenty-one years, and has 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 151 
 
 attended to the duties of Town Clerk since 
 1885, in all of which offices he has labored 
 faithfully for the best interests of the com- 
 munity. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Haynes was joined in marriage 
 with Mary Wallace, who was born in Mary- 
 land, only daughter of John S. Wallace. He 
 has four children; namely, Elizabeth R., 
 Samuel B., Susan R., and Mary W. Samuel 
 B. is engaged in the envelope business; Susan 
 R. is a book-keeper at the Medfield Asylum; 
 and Mary W. is a stenographer and typewriter 
 in Boston. All of them received a high- 
 school education. Mr. Haynes belongs to the 
 Patrons of Husbandry, is a member of the Ex- 
 ecutive Committee of the Farmers' Club, and 
 was for a number of years Adjutant of Post 
 Warren, No. 172, G. A. R. He attends the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 2EWIS HAYDEN, proprietor of a flour- 
 ishing fire insurance agency in Mil- 
 ford, was born in Saxonville, 
 Mass., March 15, 1849, son of 
 Luther and Elizabeth R. (Rand) Hayden. 
 His father, who was born in Groton, Mass., in 
 1812, was a boot-treer, but relinquished that 
 occupation to become a watchman in a straw 
 factory. He is now living in retirement in 
 Milford, where he has resided since 1852. 
 He married Elizabeth R. Rand, a native of 
 Maine; and Lewis, the subject of this sketch, 
 is the only child of their union. 
 
 Lewis Hayden began his education in Mil- 
 ford, later attending school in Hopedale; and 
 his studies were completed with a business 
 course at French's Commercial College, Bos- 
 ton. At the age of sixteen he began work in 
 the straw factory of B. H. Spaulding, with 
 whom he remained about two years. For the 
 succeeding three years he was employed at 
 Colburn, Fuller & Co. 's shoe factory. In 
 1872 he found employment in th© fire insur- 
 ance and real estate office of the late George 
 G. Parker, with whom he remained for a 
 period of twenty years. On the death of Mr. 
 Parker, which occurred in April, 1892, he suc- 
 ceeded to the business, which he has since 
 conducted alone. He is the local representa- 
 
 tive of some of the most reliable companies, 
 and most of the fire policies now in force in 
 this locality have been written by him. He 
 also acts as trustee, agent, and administrator 
 of estates. 
 
 Mr. Hayden has served as Town Clerk five 
 years, Town Treasurer two years, Assessor 
 three years, declining a renomination, and 
 was a member of the Board of Selectmen for 
 the year 1897. He is a Master Mason, and 
 belongs to Montgomery Lodge, F. & A. M. 
 
 ■J^OHN T. COMBS, a prominent agri- 
 culturist of Warren, was born May i, 
 1836. His birthplace, the farm he 
 now occupies and which was practicall)' 
 the lifelong home of his father, the late Levi 
 Combs, has been in possession of the Combs 
 family for several generations. The original 
 owner was Dougal Combs, the first of the 
 name to settle in this section of the county. 
 John Combs, Sr., son of Dougal, was here en- 
 gaged in tilling the soil during his active 
 period. 
 
 John Combs, Jr., the paternal grandfather 
 of John T., having succeeded to the farm, 
 added many improvements to the property. 
 He was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, 
 and for his services during that war drew a 
 pension in his declining years. Levi Combs, 
 the next proprietor of the ancestral acres, 
 spent his period of possession successfully en- 
 gaged in their cultivation. His death oc- 
 curred August 23, 1848. Much interested in 
 the welfare of vthe town, he was one of its Se- 
 lectmen lor a time. He married Cynthia 
 Burroughs, of Warren. Their children were : 
 George H. and John T. George, who was a 
 prominent school teacher in New York City 
 for more than twenty years, died at his 
 brother's home on December 13, 1879. 
 
 John T. Combs acquired a practical com- 
 mon-school education. Since early manhood 
 he has had charge of the homestead. Under 
 his management the land, covering one hun- 
 dred and fifty acres, yields bountiful crops. 
 He carries on the various branches of general 
 agriculture, including dairying to some extent. 
 The place is in an excellent condition, bearing 
 
IS2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 manifest evidence of the skill and industry of 
 its proprietor. A stanch Republican in poli- 
 tics and a man of much public spirit, he has 
 served as Assessor and as a member of the 
 town School Committee for several years. 
 He is a Mason, having joined the Quaboag 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., of Warren, some years 
 ago. 
 
 On October 13, 1858, Mr. Combs married 
 Miss Mary A., daughter of Charles and Mary 
 (Sibley) Cummings, of Grafton, Mass. Mr. 
 Cummings and his wife were respectively na- 
 tives of Douglas and Sutton, Mass. Mrs. 
 Cummings was a grand -daughter of Gideon 
 Sibley, one of the soldiers of the Revolution- 
 ary War. Of the children she and her hus- 
 band reared, two are living, namely: Mary A., 
 now Mrs. Combs; and Frank Cummings, of 
 Southbridge, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Combs 
 have one child, Charles L. Combs, who lives 
 with his parents. 
 
 -Y^OUIS LEMAITRE AUGER, M.D., 
 IjT a skilful physician and surgeon of 
 J. ^ ^ Worcester, was born in Louiseville, 
 Canada, April 23, 1859. His 
 great-grandfather emigrated from France. 
 His grandfather, Desire Lemaitre Auger, who 
 was the first merchant in Louiseville, and who 
 acquired wealth and influence in that locality, 
 left three sons, one of whom succeeded him 
 in business. Charles Lemaitre Auger, M.D., 
 another son of Desire and the father of the 
 subject of this sketch, was born in Louise- 
 ville in 1 83 1. He took his medical degree 
 at the Victoria University, and is still prac- 
 tising his profession in his native town. 
 
 Louis Lemaitre Auger attended Nicolet 
 College, and pursued the study of medicine at 
 Victoria University, from which he was grad- 
 uated one year previous to that of his major- 
 ity. Entering upon the practice of his pro- 
 fession at Great Falls, N.H., in 1880, he 
 resided there for nine years, being for three 
 years of that period the town physician. In 
 1889 he went abroad for further study, visit- 
 ing London, Berlin, and Paris. While in the 
 last-named city he was for some time the first 
 assistant to Dr. Doleris. Upon his return to 
 
 America in 1892 he conducted a private hos- 
 pital in Montreal for a short time. In 
 March, 1893, he came to Worcester, where he 
 has since been located. He has acquired a 
 large practice among the American as well as 
 the French-Canadian population as the result 
 of his professional ability. His specialties 
 are gynaecology and diseases of the throat, 
 nose, and ear, in which he is unusually suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 In 1884, at Joliette, Canada, Dr. Auger was 
 united in marriage with Albina, only daugh- 
 ter of Adolph Magnan, a man of political 
 prominence in that section. Mrs. Auger was 
 educated in a convent in her native town. 
 
 The Doctor is a member of the Obstetrical 
 and Gynaecological Society of Paris, of the 
 Medical and Surgical Society of Montreal, of 
 the Massachusetts Medical Society, the 
 Worcester Medical Society, and other similar 
 organizations. In 1888 he was first vice- 
 president of a convention of French-Canadians 
 held at Nashua, N.H., the largest assembly of 
 the kind ever called together in the United 
 States. He had previously been appointed a 
 delegate to go to Washington for the purpose 
 of inviting President Cleveland to attend. 
 At a similar gathering held in Manchester, 
 N.H., in 1889, he was the unanimous choice 
 for president. His office and pharmacy are 
 located at the corner of Park and Orange 
 Streets, and he employs a registered pharma- 
 cist to dispense medicine. 
 
 ,^-)ENJAMIN P. AIKEN, of West 
 Brookfield, a well-known provision 
 dealer and agriculturist, son of Ben- 
 jamin Aiken, was born February 24, 
 1826, in Prescott, Hampshire County. The 
 father, having spent his youth in Hardwick, 
 Vt., the town of his birth, after attaining his 
 majority, located on a farm in Prescott, Mass., 
 where he was employed in cultivating the soil 
 until his death, in 1837. His wife, Lucinda 
 Paul, born in Massachusetts, was a daughter 
 of a Revolutionary soldier. 
 
 Benjamin P. Aiken was but eleven years 
 old when his father died. He subsequently 
 continued his studies at the district school for 
 
LOUIS L. AUGER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 iSS 
 
 a short time, after which he attended the 
 academy in New Salem for a few terms. As 
 soon as he was old enough he was obliged to 
 assume the management of the homestead, on 
 which his widowed mother had continued her 
 residence. Although he conducted the farm 
 very well, he desired to enter business. In 
 1856 he removed to West Brookfield, where he 
 at once established himself as a dealer in 
 meat of all kinds. A few years later he 
 formed a partnership with F. H. Barnes in 
 the firm of Barnes & Aiken, which for twenty 
 years or more carried on an extensive and 
 lucrative . business in Brookfield. Since re- 
 turning to West Brookfield he has been en- 
 gaged in the retail meat trade, dealt largely 
 in cattle, and been actively occupied in farm- 
 ing. In politics Mr. Aiken is closely identi- 
 fied with the Democratic party. He is a 
 member of the West Brookfield Farmers' 
 Club. A man of sterling integrity and sound 
 judgment in public matters, he has filled im- 
 portant official positions. He was chairman 
 of the local Board of Selectmen for several 
 years. Town Assessor for a number of terms, 
 and for twelve years he was a member of the 
 School Committee. He is also a member of 
 the Congregational society. On November 
 20, 1855, he was married to Frances S. 
 Owen, who was born and bred in Belchertown, 
 Mass. His only child, Fannie O., is the 
 wife of Charles H. Allen, of this town, and 
 the mother of two children — Benjamin P. 
 Allen and Ralph O. Allen. 
 
 SCAR L. MATHEWSON, a meat 
 and provision dealer of Millbury, son 
 of Sterry Mathewson, was born May 
 13, 1837, at Burrillville, R.I. The 
 father, a well-known contractor and builder in 
 Rhode Island, erected many residences and 
 business houses in the vicinity of Woon- 
 socket, where he spent much of his time prior 
 to his death. The latter event occurred in 
 middle life. He married Eliza Steere, who 
 survives him, and is now a bright and active 
 woman, although the frosts of eighty or more 
 winters have whitened her hairs. She has 
 had five children, four of whom reached ma- 
 
 turity. Of the latter, Oscar L. and Edgar 
 A., of Rhode Island, are living. 
 
 After receiving an education designed to fit 
 him for office work, Oscar L. Mathewson was 
 employed as a book-keeper until his health, 
 injured by the close confinement of his occu- 
 pation, forced him to seek a less objectionable 
 employment. Soon after the breaking out of 
 the Civil War he came to Millbury to accept 
 a position as book-keeper in the mill of Jason 
 Emerson. He subsequently enlisted in the 
 Second Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, and 
 was detailed as book-keeper for General Janney. 
 While in Newbern, N.C., he was given a fur- 
 lough; and while at home he was detailed as 
 clerk at the hospital in Readville, Norfolk 
 County. Since the war he has resided on a 
 small farm near the village of Millbury, and 
 has carried on a successful business as a meat 
 dealer. 
 
 On July 24, 1859, Mr. Mathewson married 
 H. Sophia Newton, who was born in Mill- 
 bury, daughter of Elmer M. and Salome B. 
 (Forbush) Newton, both of whom were natives 
 of Westboro, Mass. Mr. Newton, a son of 
 Barnabas Newton, of Westboro, was a man of 
 intellectual attainments and for several years 
 a teacher and book-keeper at Round Hill, 
 Northampton, Mass. He subsequently set- 
 tled in Millbury, where he died of quick con- 
 sum.ption when but thirty-six years old. His 
 wife, who was born in 1804, having survived 
 him many years, died in 1877, on the home- 
 stead now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Mathew- 
 son, and on which she settled soon after the 
 death of her husband. Of her two children, 
 a son died in early life of consumption. The 
 farm was form.erly owned by M. H. Severy, 
 Mrs. Mathewson's uncle by marriage, who was 
 one of the first to erect a house in this part of 
 the town. He was a farmer and also a meat 
 dealer. Mrs. Mathewson was educated in the 
 Millbury Academy, the high school at 
 Worcester, and at a select school for young 
 ladies in the old Salisbury mansion. Of the 
 two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Mathew- 
 son, one daughter, Flora E. , a young girl of 
 rare beauty of character, died at the age of 
 seventeen years, after a sickness of two 
 months. The other daughter, Lottie Belle, 
 
156 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 is the wife of George B. Brigham, of West- 
 boro, Mass., and has three children, two sons 
 and a daughter. 
 
 nnx ANIEL D. COLE, a prosperous 
 I =^ dairyman of Barre and a Civil War 
 ,. JC^J veteran, was born in this town, 
 August 12, 1840, son of Daniel and 
 Louisa (Robinson) Cole. His paternal 
 grandparents were Phineas and Elizabeth 
 Cole. Phineas was an early settler in the 
 western part of Barre, where he followed agri- 
 culture and teaming for the rest of his active 
 period. He reared a family of three sons and 
 four daughters. 
 
 Daniel Cole, son of Phineas, was born in 
 Randolph, Vt., April 24, 1807. He owned a 
 good farm in the immediate vicinity of his 
 son's present residence, and he cultivated it 
 successfully during his active years. He died 
 April II, 1881. In politics he was a Demo- 
 crat. A Congregationalist in religion, he 
 contributed liberally toward the support of 
 the church. Louisa, his wife, whom he mar- 
 ried April 17, 1834, was born September 17, 
 1805. She had five children, namely: Cyrus 
 P., born March 31, 1835, who died July 13, 
 1886; Maria A., born November 27, 1837, 
 who died July 31, 1864; Daniel D., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Henry W., born June 21, 
 1843, who is now a resident of California; 
 and Louisa A. Cole, born May 21, 1845, who 
 died August 8, 1877. The mother died in 
 October, 1892. 
 
 Having acquired his elementary education 
 in the district school, Daniel D. Cole com- 
 pleted his studies at the Barre High School. 
 He enlisted in September, 1861, for service 
 in the Civil War, joining Company E, First 
 Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. 
 Afterward he served in South Carolina and in 
 Virginia with the Army of the Potomac, 
 where he shared some severe fighting. In 
 September, 1864, at the expiration of his 
 term of enlistment, he was honorably dis- 
 charged. He spent the succeeding year at 
 home, caring for his health, which was con- 
 siderably impaired by the hardships of army 
 life. Then he learned the wheelwright's 
 
 trade, and followed it for a year. He has 
 since been engaged in farming. In 1868 he 
 bought a part of his present place, containing 
 ninety-six acres. To this he has added the 
 greater portion of his father's farm, and now 
 owns some two hundred and fifty acres of de- 
 sirable land. Making a specialty of dairy 
 farming, which he conducts on a large scale, 
 keeping an average of forty head of Holstein 
 grade cows,- he is one of the best known dairy- 
 men in this part of the State. 
 
 On April 15, 1867, Mr. Cole was joined in 
 marriage with Hattie N. Sampson. Born in 
 North Brookfield, Mass., January 15, 1844, 
 she is a daughter of Joel and Rachel (Ayers) 
 Sampson, who were natives, respectively, of 
 West and North Brookfield. Mr. Sampson, 
 who was an energetic farmer, died in North 
 Brookfield, July 14, 1858, aged forty-eight; 
 and his wife died August 7, 1891, aged 
 eighty-five years. The children of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Cole are: Edward D., born January 23, 
 1868, who married Florence Harwood, and is 
 engaged in farming in Barre; Ella T., born 
 June 14, 1874, who is the wife of Everett 
 White, of Worcester, Mass. Hattie Isabella, 
 born May 5, 1883; and Bertha R., born No- 
 vember 12, 1885. In politics Mr. Cole is a 
 Republican. He is a comrade of Samuel 
 Woods Post, G. A. R., of Barre, and he at- 
 tends the Congregational church, of which 
 Mrs. Cole is a member. 
 
 p, lELVIN HARVEY WALKER, a 
 prominent shoe manufacturer of 
 Westboro and one of its foremost 
 business men, was born in Barre, 
 Mass., January 23, 1842, a son of Silas 
 Walker, Jr. His great-grandfather, Hezekiah 
 Walker, born at Maiden, Mass., in 1750, 
 when quite young removed to Holden, Worces- 
 ter County, and subsequently became a pros- 
 perous farmer of that town. With his wife, 
 he was a prime mover in establishing a Bap- 
 tist church there, the first one in the county. 
 Two of his brothers were soldiers in the Rev- 
 olutionary War. His son, Silas Walker, Sr., 
 was born in Holden, and later resided in 
 West Boylston and Westboro, dying in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 157 
 
 latter place in December, 1872. He was a 
 Deacon in the Baptist church in the several 
 towns in which he successively resided. 
 
 Silas Walker, Jr., was born in West Boyls- 
 lon, Mass. After reaching maturity he re- 
 moved to a farm at Barre, where he was en- 
 gaged in tilling the soil for a number of years. 
 In the spring of 1843 he came with his family 
 to Westboro, where he resided for twenty-two 
 years, removing in 1865 to Worcester. After 
 living in Worcester four years, he removed in 
 1869 to Grand Rapids, Kent County, Mich., 
 where he remained for the rest of his life, his 
 death occurring in November, 1894. He mar- 
 ried Louisa Everett, of Princeton, and by her 
 had eight children, as follows: Theresa Jean- 
 ette, who was born at West Boylston, Mass., 
 January 29, 1837, and died July 15, 1838; 
 Irving Everett, born at West Boylston, May 
 II, 1839, who died a prisoner of war at Flor- 
 ence, S. C, in December, 1864; Melvin Har- 
 vey, born at Barre, Mass., January 23, 1842, 
 subject of this sketch; Erastus Everett, who 
 was born at Westboro, January 28, 1845, and 
 is now residing at Fitchburg, Mass.; Silas 
 Herbert, who was born at Westboro, November 
 30, 1848, and died in California in Septem- 
 ber, 1890; Emma Louisa, who was born at 
 Westboro, May 11, 1852, and is now Mrs. 
 O. A. Rowland, of Hesperia, Mich. ; Emmons 
 Augustus, who was born at Westboro, May 
 II, 1852, and died in infancy; and Myron 
 Hamilton, born in Westboro, January 17, 
 1855, who is now living in Grand Rapids, 
 Mich. 
 
 Melvin H. Walker was naturally studious 
 in his younger days, and might have taken 
 advantage of the excellent educational oppor- 
 tunities afforded him if it had not been for 
 the breaking out of the Civil War. On April 
 15, 1861, immediately after the firing upon 
 Fort Sumter, he enlisted for three years in 
 what afterward became Company K, Thir- 
 teenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and 
 was at once ordered to Maryland. He was at 
 Harper's Ferry; and, besides many sharp 
 skirmishes, he participated in the battles of 
 Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Spottsyl- 
 vania, North Anna, Petersburg, and Gettys- 
 burg. In the last-mentioned battle, which 
 
 was one of the bloodiest of the war, and which 
 at the same time marked the turn of events in 
 favor of the North, he received a bullet 
 wound, and, being captured by the enemy, 
 was held a prisoner three days. He was then 
 fortunate enough to regain his liberty, and 
 after recovery, four months later, rejoined his 
 regiment, which he found greatly reduced in 
 numbers. At the expiration of his term of 
 enlistment he was mustered out of service as 
 Sergeant before Petersburg, and returned to 
 his home in Westboro in August, 1864. 
 
 During the succeeding four years he was 
 engaged in the manufacture of shoes in com- 
 pany with George B. Brigham, and was after- 
 ward in the same business at Grand Rapids, 
 Mich., until May, 1873. Returning then to 
 Westboro, he became superintendent of 
 George B. Brigham's factory, which position 
 he held for five years. After the new firm 
 of Brigham, Gould & Co., was formed, he 
 remained superintendent until 1880, when he 
 was admitted to membership in the firm, which 
 in 1883 became known as Gould & Walker. 
 This is its present style, notwithstanding that 
 Mr. Gould died some years ago, and Mr. 
 Walker has since taken into partnership Mr. 
 M. V. Dunning, of Boston. This enterpris- 
 ing firm is one of the most prosperous in 
 town, and, with an average force of two hun- 
 dred and fifty hands, is carrying on an exten- 
 sive business. 
 
 Mr. Walker has long been a strong temper- 
 ance man, and for many years was active in 
 the Prohibition party. He has since returned 
 to the Republican ranks, though still retain- 
 ing his temperance principles. He has served 
 efficiently as a member of the School Board 
 six years; has been resident trustee of the 
 Lyman School since 1884, serving as presi- 
 dent of the board for eight years; and he is 
 also vice-president and chairman of the Board 
 of Trustees of the Westboro Savings Bank. 
 He belongs to the Royal Arcanum and to the 
 Westboro Post, G. A. R., of which he is Past 
 Commander. He is also active in religious 
 circles, having been Deacon of the Baptist 
 church in Grand Rapids, Mich., and having 
 since 1883 filled the same official position in 
 the Baptist church of this town. He has 
 
IS8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 likewise served as superintendent of the 
 Sunday-school. He has travelled extensively, 
 both in this country and abroad, having made 
 numerous trips throughout the South and 
 West, accompanied by his wife, with whom 
 he made a tour through the British Isles some 
 time ago, and more recently through Southern 
 Europe and the Holy Land. 
 
 Mr. Walker married May i, 1866, Miss 
 Anamelia Moses, of Westboro, and they have 
 six children, namely: Irving E., a travelling 
 salesman for the firm of Gould & Walker; 
 Gertrude A., wife of Louis H. Bradley, of 
 Hartford, Conn.; Florence L., a student at 
 Wellesley College; Raymond W., who is 
 preparing for college in Providence, R.I. ; 
 Mary E. , in the Dana Hall preparatory school 
 at Wellesley; and Melvin H., Jr., a pupil in 
 the Westboro schools. 
 
 M 
 
 AVID R. DEAN, a manufacturer of 
 lumber in Oakham, son of Elijah 
 and Mary M. (Goodale) Dean, was 
 born in this town, July 27, 1832. 
 Elijah Dean, Sr., his grandfather, who served 
 in the army during his younger days, settled 
 upon a farm in the southern part of Oakham, 
 and resided here for the rest of his life. The 
 maiden name of Grandmother Dean was Both- 
 well. 
 
 Elijah Dean, the father, who was born in 
 Oakham, August 22, 1802, spent the active 
 period of his life at farming in the south- 
 western part of the town, and died March 2, 
 1885. He served as a Selectman for a num- 
 ber of years, and was a member of the Congre- 
 gational church. His wife, Mary, who was 
 born in Oakham, March 9, 1812, became the 
 mother of the following children: David R., 
 the subject of this sketch; Mary L., born 
 June 29, 1834, who died young; Caroline M., 
 born June 18, 1836, who died October 29, 
 1886; Eunice C, born June 12, 1838, who 
 married William S. Crawford, and resides in 
 Oakham; E. W. Dean, of North Brookfield; 
 Mary A., born September 3, 1844, who died 
 April 22, 1869; Emily K., born November 
 19, 1847, who resides in this town; and John 
 A. Dean, born January 31, 1851, who resides 
 
 in Worcester. The mother died February 21, 
 1866. 
 
 David R. Dean acquired his education in 
 the town schools. Since he was a young man 
 he has been engaged in the manufacture of 
 long and short lumber a period of more than 
 forty years. With the exception of Daniel 
 M. Parker, he carries on the largest business 
 in that industry in this locality. His saw- 
 mill, which is driven by water-power, is 
 equipped with modern machinery, and fur- 
 nishes employment to several men for nearly 
 the year around. He also manufactures cider 
 on quite an extensive scale. Besides his 
 well-kept homestead of thirty acres and other 
 land, he owns a good farm in the western part 
 of Oakham. 
 
 On October i, 1855, Mr. Dean married 
 Sarah E. Reed, who was born in Oakham, 
 daughter of Lewis H. Reed. Mrs. Dean is 
 the mother of four children, namely: Addie 
 M., born August 16, 1856, who is now the 
 widow of the late J. F. Robinson, and resides 
 in West Brookiield, Mass.; Walter R., born 
 December 27, 1857, who married Nellie 
 Tracy, and resides in Oakham; Mason S., 
 born May 22, 1859, who married Julia A. 
 Nash, and lives in this town; and Martha I., 
 born December 12, 1862, who married S. C. 
 Cochran, and resides in Worcester. Mr. 
 Dean has been a Selectman for eleven years 
 and a member of the Board of Assessors, of 
 which he is now the chairman, for the past 
 twelve or fourteen years. In politics he is a 
 Republican. 
 
 /^pTEORGE M. STUART, a well-known 
 yST farmer of Sterling, son of Charles F. 
 and Sarah S. (Wright) Stuart, was 
 born on November 9, 1851, at the homestead 
 where he now resides, situated about a mile 
 and a quarter from the village, on the road 
 from Fitchburg to Worcester. This property 
 was purchased by his paternal grandfather, 
 Samuel Stuart, in 1802. 
 
 Samuel Stuart, who was Lieutenant in a 
 cavalry regiment, was born on Rowley Hill, 
 and was a lifelong resident of Sterling. He 
 was by occupation a farmer and a chair-maker. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 '59- 
 
 He died here at the age of fifty-three years. 
 Charles F. Stuart was one of ten children, 
 and was brought up on the farm now occupied 
 by his son George. In the latter part of his 
 life he removed to the farm adjoining, and 
 there died at the age of seventy-nine. He 
 was a highly esteemed citizen. Always fond 
 of music, he early became a skilled performer 
 on the bass-viol, and played for years in the 
 church and for various entertainments and 
 dances. He served the town as Highway 
 Surveyor. His wife, Sarah, was the daughter 
 of Elijah Wright, of Ashby, Mass., and was 
 one of ten children. She died in 1894, at the 
 age of seventy-nine. Mrs. Stuart was a" mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church, and her 
 husband was a member of the Unitarian 
 church. Of the three sons born to them, two 
 — George M. and Joseph C— are now living. 
 The other son, who inherited musical talents 
 and sang in the church choir for several years, 
 died of apoplexy. 
 
 George M. Stuart attended the common 
 schools of the town until he was fifteen years 
 of age, when he began to work out on a farm. 
 Returning to the home of his boyhood at the 
 end of a year, he stayed with his father and 
 mother until he was nineteen. He then went 
 into the, tannery, and was employed there for 
 six years. Subsequently he worked at carpen- 
 tering, and resided for two years on a place 
 he owned in Sterling village. Since then 
 Mr. Stuart has lived on the old farm where he 
 first saw the light of day, and has given his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits. About one 
 hundred acres are devoted to his dairying in- 
 terests. He has built a new barn, which is 
 forty by sixty feet, and he keeps a dairy of 
 twelve cows, selling milk in Boston. 
 
 Mr. Stuart was married in 1895 to Lizzie J. 
 Goss, who was born in Northfield, Vt., and is 
 one of three children of Franklin Goss, a rail- 
 road engineer. 
 
 Mr. Stuart is a Republican in politics. He 
 has been Constable for two years, and in 1893 
 served the town as Overseer of the Poor. He 
 has been a member of Sterling Grange for 
 fourteen years, has been through all the chairs 
 in that body, and is now Past Master. He is 
 a member of the Farmers' Club, and has been 
 
 its president for two years. A life member 
 of the Worcester East Agricultural Society, 
 he was one of its trustees for five years. Be- 
 sides being connected with the above-men- 
 tioned societies, Mr. Stuart has been a mem- 
 ber of Lancaster Lodge, Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows, of Clinton, for twenty-three 
 years, and has been through all the chairs. 
 He is also a member of Clinton Encampment, 
 of the Daughters of Rebecca, and of the 
 American Order of United Workmen of 
 Sterling. 
 
 Mr. Stuart attends the Unitarian church. 
 He has been the leader of the church choir 
 for twenty-five years. At various periods he 
 has been a member of a brass band. 
 
 ELMER GOULD, of West Brook- 
 field, a well-known dealer in coal, 
 grain, and flour, was born September 
 4, 1847, in Holland, Hampden County, son of 
 John B. Gould. His grandfather, Lyman 
 Gould, was a lifelong resident of that town. 
 The father spent the earlier years of his life 
 in Holland, where he was numbered among 
 the leading agriculturists of the place. Re- 
 moving from there with his family to Warren, 
 Mass., he purchased a large grist-mill, and 
 from that time until his death, in 1892, car- 
 ried on an extensive business as a dealer in 
 grain and flour. A man of much force of 
 character, intelligent, progressive, and pub- 
 lic-spirited, he served as Assessor of the town 
 while living in Holland; and in 1890 he rep- 
 resented Warren in the General Court of Mas- 
 sachusetts. He was a valued member of the 
 Universalist church, and during his later days 
 was identified with the Democratic party as 
 one of its strongest adherents. Of his chil- 
 dren by his marriage with Olive M. Moulton, 
 of Wales, Mass., the survivors are: Jerome 
 M., of Brookfield, Mass.; T. Elmer, the sub- 
 ject of this biography; Mary L., the wife of 
 Charles B. Blair, of Warren ; Frank J., also 
 of Warren; Carrie, the wife of William 
 Blake, of Fitchburg, Mass.; and Cora M., of 
 Warren, Mass. 
 
 T. Elmer Gould attended the public schools 
 of Holland until he came to Warren with his 
 
i6o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 parents, being then a boy of thirteen years. 
 He subsequently continued his studies in the 
 Warren High School, which he left at the age 
 of sixteen to begin an apprenticeship in the 
 Knowles Steam Pump works in Warren. At 
 the expiration of two years, the period of his 
 apprenticeship, he remained in the works as a 
 journeyman for the ensuing eleven years, dur- 
 ing which time he became perfectly familiar 
 with the trade of ptimp-making. In 1876 
 Mr. Gould established himself in the grain 
 and coal business at West Brookfield, as 
 senior member of the firm Gould & Burbank, 
 which existed ten years. Buying then the 
 interest of his partner, he has since carried on 
 the business alone with much success. Be- 
 sides coal and grain, his stock now includes 
 feed of all kinds, lime, cement, fertilizers, and 
 other goods. On January i, 1892, he bought 
 his father's mill property in Warren, and now 
 has full control of the business in both 
 places. 
 
 Mr. Gould is a trustee of the Warren Sav- 
 ings Bank, of the Quaboag Building Associa- 
 tion, and of the Olmstead Quaboag Corset 
 Company at West Brookfield. In politics he 
 affiliates with the Republican party, and he is 
 an active member .of the Universalist church 
 at Warren. On September 4, 1871, he mar- 
 ried Lizzie A., daughter of the late Lincoln 
 Lathe, of Southbridge, Mass. They have one 
 daughter. Rose M. Gould. 
 
 TT^HARLES V. COREY, an esteemed 
 I Nt-' resident of Sturbridge, where he has 
 
 ^U^^ conducted a general store for over 
 thirty years, was born in this town, 
 July 8, 1838, son of George Vernon and 
 Martha M. (Griggs) Corey. His paternal 
 grandparents were Jacob and Betsey (Walker) 
 Corey. The former, who lived eighty-three 
 years, was for fifty years engaged in medical 
 practice here in Sturbridge, where travelling 
 was then chiefly done on horseback. He also 
 followed farming with success, and at his 
 death owned a place containing one thousand 
 acres. 
 
 George Vernon Corey, born October 10, 
 1800, learned the printer's trade in Spring- 
 
 field. At the age of twenty-one, in company 
 with Timothy Upham, also of Sturbridge, he 
 started from New York, and walked the entire 
 distance to Pittsburg, Pa. Here he and his 
 companion took a flat boat, and sailed down 
 the Ohio River to New Harmony, in the State 
 of Indiana. Leaving Mr. Upham there, he 
 went on to New Orleans, where he secured 
 work on a paper, the New Orleans Picayune, 
 on which he was employed for nearly two 
 years. During that period he bad many ex- 
 citing experiences. Then, having reached 
 New York on a sailing-vessel, he came direct 
 to Sturbridge. In Sturbridge he soon took up 
 farming on the old homestead, and became one 
 of the leading agriculturists of the town. In 
 1844, while residing in Washington, D. C. , he 
 was correspondent for the Worcester Spy. 
 He represented Sturbridge in the Massachu- 
 setts General Court in or about the year 1850, 
 and was its Town Clerk for a time. When 
 he died, in April, 1887, he was in his eighty- 
 seventh year. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Martha M. Griggs, a native of Brimfield, 
 born in May, 181 3, died in September, 1893, 
 in the eightieth year of her age. They had 
 six children — G. Gordan, Gilbert M., Charles 
 v., Lizzie M., Charlotte L. Foster, and 
 Francis E. G. Gordan was born in 1831 ; 
 Gilbert M., born in 1833, died in 1889; 
 Lizzie M. was born September 9, 1841 ; Char- 
 lotte L. Foster, in April, 1843; and Francis 
 E., in May, 1845. 
 
 Charles V. Corey received his education in 
 the Sturbridge public schools. At the age of 
 eighteen he left home and went to Loda, 111., 
 where he worked on a farm for a few years. 
 Returning home at the end of that time, he 
 assisted his father for a year. Then he went 
 to Philadelphia, and clerked in a shoe store. 
 In 1865 he returned from Philadelphia, and 
 bought out the general store here in Stur- 
 bridge, which he has since conducted. On 
 February 28, 1868, he was married in the 
 town of Upton to Maria A. Gibson, who was 
 born in May, 1847, daughter of Benjamin and 
 Hannah Gibson. Three children have blessed 
 the union, namely: Helena M., born Decem- 
 ber 6, 1870; Henry V., born December 7, 
 1874; and Carl F., born October 6, 1885. 
 
CAMERON CORBIN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 163 
 
 Mr. Corey is a Republican in politics. Ap- 
 pointed Postmaster of Sturbridge in January, 
 1868, under the administration of Ulysses S. 
 Grant, he served in that capacity for twenty- 
 eight years and seven months. He has also 
 been Selectman of the town and a member of 
 the School Committee for three years each, 
 and he is the secretary and treasurer of the 
 Worcester South Agricultural Society. Dur- 
 ing the existence of the Ouinebaug Library 
 Association he was librarian, and he was in- 
 fluential in obtaining for the town the presen- 
 tation of four hundred volumes. In religious 
 belief he is a Unitarian. 
 
 TT^AMERON CORBIN, formerly a pros- 
 I v-^ perous farmer of Barre, was born in 
 \%^^ Steuben County, New York, March 
 17, 1821. His parents, Stephen and 
 Sarah Corbin, were natives of Vermont or New 
 York. The father, who was a farmer, passed 
 his last days in the Green Mountain State. 
 Having been reared and educated in Vermont, 
 Cameron Corbin came when a young man to 
 Barre in 1841, and was engaged in farming 
 until after his marriage. He then went to 
 Boston, where he resided about two years, at 
 the end of which time he returned, and, 
 settling upon the farm owned by his wife's 
 parents, managed the property during their 
 declining years. After their death be contin- 
 ued to carry on general farming for the rest of 
 his life. He died August 17, 1892, aged over 
 seventy-one years. He was a worthy, upright 
 man, and he stood high in the estimation of 
 the community. In politics he was a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 On May 22, 1845, Mr. Corbin was joined in 
 marriage with Phileura Adams, who survives 
 him. Born in Barre, August 31, 1825, she is 
 a daughter of James and Mary (Sibley) 
 Adams, who were natives respectively of New 
 Braintree and Sutton, this State. Her pater- 
 nal grandfather, Luther Adams, was a compar- 
 atively early settler in Barre. Her father in 
 1812 bought the property she now owns. In 
 1825 or 1826, after converting it into a good 
 farm,* he built the present brick house. In 
 politics he acted with the Democratic party. 
 
 At his death he was seventy-five years old, 
 and his wife reached the age of seventy- 
 two. They attended the Baptist church. Of 
 their three daughters, Phileura is the only 
 one living. The others were : Sarah Ade- 
 laide, born October 11, 1813, who married 
 John D. Cooper; and Mary Sibley, born No- 
 vember 22, 1818, who became the wife of 
 John W. Corbin. Mrs. Phileura- Corbin has 
 had one son, born December 20, 1858, who 
 died December 26, 1862. Since the death 
 of her husband she has successfully carried 
 on the farm with the aid of hired assistants. 
 In 1863 she united with the Congregational 
 church, of which her late husband was a mem- 
 ber for many years. 
 
 IMON C. ABBOTT was a highly 
 esteemed resident of Paxton. Born 
 here, February 8, 1828, he was a 
 son of Aaron and Betsy (Howe) 
 Abbott and a grandson of Abijah Abbott, a 
 former resident of Paxton. Both of his par- 
 ents were born here. His father, who lived 
 to be about fifty years of age, and was by oc- 
 cupation a farmer, spent the greater part of 
 his life in Paxton. The family is said to be 
 of English origin. 
 
 Shortly after the death of his father, being 
 then a lad of five or six years, Simon went to 
 live in the family of Horner Chase, where he 
 remained for seven years. He then worked 
 for several years in the employment of David 
 G. Davis, who was a prominent firmer in 
 Paxton. In his eighteenth year he removed 
 to Worcester, and obtained work in a shoe fac- 
 tory. Subsequently for some years be was 
 engaged in treeing boots, both in Worcester 
 and Paxton. Following this he turned his 
 attention to farming and the lumber business. 
 He settled permanently in Paxton in 1853, 
 In August, 1864, he enlisted in Company F. 
 First Battalion, Heavy Artillery, being in 
 Captain Perry's command. Stationed at Fort 
 Warren, Mass., he was on duty there until 
 the close of the war. He was honorably dis- 
 charged on July I, 1865. 
 
 Mr. Abbott's marriage took place on Janu- 
 ary 16, 185 1. His wife, whose maiden name 
 
164 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was Elizabeth C. Chapin, is a native of Ber- 
 nardston, Mass. Her parents, Otis and Betsy 
 (Stevens) Chapin, were born in Bernardston 
 and Gill, Mass., respectively. Of their chil- 
 dren, three others are living, namely: Try- 
 phena, who is the wife of Rodney Park, of 
 Bernardston; Martha, now Mrs. Aldrich, a 
 widow residing in Bernardston; and Albert, 
 who is a resident of Montague, Mass. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Abbott have been the parents of two 
 children — Charles C. and Lizzie — both of 
 whom are deceased. In politics Mr. Abbott 
 was an Independent. True to his convictions 
 in every matter, he commanded the respect of 
 all who knew him. He died April 2, 1898. 
 
 IRA CARLOS DUDLEY, one of the 
 leading farmers of Rutland, was born 
 in Vermont State, at Chittenden, on 
 October 2, 1842. His parents, Julius and 
 Italy (Thompson) Dudley, were natives of 
 Vermont. The father was a farmer by occupa- 
 tion. Of his four children, Sidney and Jonas 
 are deceased. His only daughter, Diantha, 
 is now Mrs. Stoddard, of Emporia, Kan. 
 
 Having received his education in the com- 
 mon schools of Vermont, Era Carlos Dudley, 
 then about sixteen years of age, came to Mas- 
 sachusetts, and was there employed at farm 
 work by the month until his marriage. He 
 then bought a little place in Shrewsbury, con- 
 taining an acre of land, and resided on it for 
 the next three years. At the end of that 
 period he purchased his present fine estate, 
 the Dudley homestead, which is one of the 
 most attractive and desirable properties in 
 the vicinity. To its original purchase of one 
 hundred and seventy-five acres he has added 
 more land, until at the present time the estate 
 comprises about three hundred and fifty acres, 
 making it one of the largest farms in the 
 town. Besides carrying on general farming, 
 he does a large dairy business, keeping about 
 forty head of cattle. 
 
 On September 18, 1865, Mr. Dudley was 
 married to Eleanor Stearns. A native of 
 Holden, she is a daughter of Luther and Jane 
 (Stott) Stearns, who are now the oldest mar- 
 ried couple living in that place. Mr. Stearns 
 
 was born in Holden, February 25, 181 8. His 
 wife, a native of Manchester, England, was 
 born May 6, 1824. They have been the par- 
 ents of nine children, as follows: Ezra ]., 
 born June 24, 1842, who fought in the Civil 
 War with Company C of the Thirty-fourth 
 Massachusetts Regiment; Mrs. Hannah Bal- 
 lon, born September 21, 1844; Mrs. Eleanor 
 Dudley, born July 18, 1846; Mrs. Jane Stone, 
 born August 19, 1848; Luther T., born April 
 9, 1851; Henry E., born November 15, 1853; 
 Alfred A., born October 12, 1855; Hattie L., 
 born January 11, 1861 ; and Mrs. Lydia A. 
 Myrick, born September 23, 1863. Luther, 
 Harriet, and Lydia are now deceased. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Dudley have had seven children, of 
 whom Flora M. died at the age of eleven 
 months, and Ida A. at the age of thirteen 
 months. The living children are: Ira Gor- 
 don, born in Shrewsbury, June 25, 1867; 
 Leon S., born February 22, 1872; Dora I., 
 born November 23, 1876; Cora O., born No- 
 vember 8, 1878; and Enola A., born Novem- 
 ber 21, 1884. Mrs. Dudley is a member of 
 the Church of Christ at Worcester, Mass. 
 She has proved a valuable assistant to her hus- 
 band in all the years of their married life. 
 During the summer months her home is open 
 to boarders, who find here a delightful spot in 
 which to rest. The rooms are large and airy, 
 the rates reasonable. About twenty-five 
 guests are accommodated. There are ample 
 facilities for boating and fishing, and the 
 guests of the house have the use of carriages 
 without extra charge. The farm is about a 
 mile and a quarter distant from the railroad. 
 
 (gYOSEPH M. OLNEY, a well-known 
 ^ I business man of Southbridge and one 
 1,^^ of the survivors of the crew of the 
 United States ship "Cumberland," 
 that was sunk in Hampton Roads by the Con- 
 federate ram "Merrimac" in 1862, was born 
 in Ashford, Conn., July 8, 1844, son of 
 Thomas H. and Mary (Marcy) Olney. The 
 father, son of Jeremiah Olney, of Ashford, 
 was born in Ashford in 1804. He followed 
 the trade of a machinist, and died in South- 
 bridge in 1858. His wife, who was a daugh- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i6s 
 
 ter of Stephen Marcy, of Hartford, Conn., be- 
 came the mother of eight children, six of 
 whom are living, namely: Nellie F., the wife 
 of Thomas Sanders, of the Southbridge Print- 
 ing Company; Abby, who married Albert 
 Kinney, of Union, Conn. ; Martha, who mar- 
 ried Benjamin Warren, and resides at Maple 
 Hill, Kan. ; Susan, the wife of Henry Potter, 
 of Putnam, Conn. ; Marietta, now residing in 
 Brooklyn, who is the widow of Barnard Os- 
 born, late of Windsor, N.Y. ; and Joseph M., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Joseph M. Olney was educated in the com- 
 mon and high schools of Southbridge. While 
 still a youth he shipped as cabin boy on board 
 the merchantman "H. M. Hayes," Captain 
 Loring, bound for the East Indies, and during 
 the voyage visited Bombay, Calcutta, and 
 Hong-Kong. Upon his return he entered the 
 United States navy as an apprentice boy, join- 
 ing the "Cumberland." After the loss of 
 the "Cumberland" and half its crew of three 
 hundred and seventy men he received an 
 honorable discharge. Subsequently he re-en- 
 listed, and was ordered to the "Tioga," an 
 armored yacht that had been built for Presi- 
 dent Lincoln, which now entered the service 
 with a roving commission to capture blockade 
 runners and Confederate cruisers. After 
 spending some time stationed near the mouth 
 of the James River, the "Tioga" cruised for 
 twenty months among the West Indies, capt- 
 uring seventeen prizes. Then the appearance 
 of yellow fever on board compelled her to re- 
 turn North. The yacht was subsequently con- 
 demned. Her crew was transferred to the 
 "Octario," which afterward took part in the 
 battles of Mobile Bay and Hatris Inlet, and 
 was in the Alabama River when the news of 
 Lee's surrender reached her. From there she 
 went to New Orleans and thence to New 
 York, where her crew were honorably dis- 
 charged. Thereupon Mr. Olney returned to 
 Southbridge, and entered the employ of the 
 Hamilton Woollen Company as a machinist 
 and cotton carder, remaining with them until 
 1872. In company with his brother he then 
 bought the grocery business of Thomas Potter 
 & Co., and conducted it under the firm name 
 of M. K. Olney & Co. for a year. At the end 
 
 of that time his brother retired, and the busi- 
 ness was carried on by Olney & Cook. Mr. 
 Olney finally sold his interest in the concern 
 to E. C. Ellis, and, entering the hotel busi- 
 ness, was for a .number of years connected 
 with the Dresser House as clerk and manager. 
 Appointed Deputy Sheriff in 1890, he served 
 in that capacity until 1894. Since then he 
 has devoted his attention to the real estate 
 business and public affairs. He is a stock- 
 holder of the Water Supply, Electric Light, 
 and Street Railway Companies, having been 
 one of the promoters of the last-named enter- 
 prise; and he is a director of the Southbridge, 
 Sturbridge & Brookfield Railway Company 
 and the secretary of the Board of Trade. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Olney was joined in marriage 
 with Abbie Phipps Lyon, a daughter of Lib- 
 erty A. and Abbie (Phipps) Lyon, of South- 
 bridge. The two sons of this union are: 
 William R., born in 1876; and Thomas L., 
 born in 1888. William R. Olne)', who is a 
 graduate of the Southbridge High School and 
 the Worcester Academy, completed his studies 
 with a business course at Bryant & Stratton's 
 Commercial College in Boston, and is now in- 
 voice clerk for the Southbridge Printing Com- 
 pany. Mr. Olney, Sr., was first chosen Se- 
 lectman in 1 891, since which time he has 
 served either as clerk or chairman of the 
 board. He has also been Tax Collector for 
 the same length of time. A Mason of Quin- 
 nebaug Lodge, he belongs to Doric Chapter, 
 Royal Arch Masons; Worcester Commandery, 
 Knights Templar; and Aleppo Temple of the 
 Mystic Shrine, Boston. The other beneficiary 
 organizations of which he is a member in- 
 clude Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
 the Knights of Pythias. He attends the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE C. CHILD, a well-known 
 \ [5!" resident of Oxford and a veteran of 
 ^— -^ the Civil War, was born in Pomfret, 
 Conn., January 27, 1833, son of Elisha and 
 Lora (Davidson) Child. His great-grand- 
 father came from Scotland ; and the grand- 
 father, Charles Child, who was a prosperous 
 farmer of Pomfret, served five years in the 
 
1 66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 American army during the Revolutionary 
 War. Elisha Child, father of George, suc- 
 ceeded to the ownership of the homestead, 
 and his active years were spent in tilling the 
 soil. 
 
 George C. Child acquired his education in 
 the district school, which he attended winters, 
 the rest of his time being occupied in assist- 
 ing his father upon the farm. When a young 
 man he learned the carpenter's trade, at 
 which, prior to the Civil War, he worked as a 
 journeyman in Worcester. In 1862 he en- 
 listed in the Twenty-first Regiment, Con- 
 necticut Volunteers, and served in the ranks 
 about one year, during which time he partici- 
 pated in the battles of Fredericksburg and 
 Suffolk. He was afterward detailed as a car- 
 penter in the Quartermaster's department, 
 where he remained for most of the time until 
 the close of the war. He has a vivid recollec- 
 tion of the broken-down condition of the army 
 wagons and gun carriages surrendered by 
 General Lee at Appomattox; and as that 
 event took place near the corps headquarters, 
 where he was at work, he stood but a short 
 distance from General Grant during the cere- 
 mony. After his discharge he resumed his 
 trade, working in Webster, Mass., from which 
 town he moved to Worcester, where he re- 
 mained for some time. He then purchased a 
 house in Oxford, which soon afterward (a few 
 years ago) he exchanged for a small farm, in 
 the cultivation of which he has since been 
 engaged. 
 
 Mr. Child married Eliza Congdon, daughter 
 of Welcome A. Congdon, of Putnam, Conn. 
 He has three children living, namely: Frank 
 S., born in i860, who married Carrie Gates, 
 of Shrewsbury, and resides in Worcester, hav- 
 ing one daughter, Lora, born in 1891; Mary, 
 born in 1862, who is the wife of Charles 
 Marsh, of Oxford, and has one son, Westley 
 Child Marsh, born in 1892; and George 
 Child, born in 1868, who is unmarried, and 
 resides in Worcester. Mr. Child had four 
 other children, all of whom died in child- 
 hood; namely, Charles, Eva, Lora, and 
 Edwin. 
 
 Mr. Child is a comrade of Charles Devins 
 Post, No. 27, G. A. R. 
 
 LDEN B. SPOONER, an enterprising 
 lumber manufacturer of Hardwick, 
 
 m '' 
 
 yJIsV was born in this town, November 
 ^~^ 12, 1824, son of Bradford and Are- 
 thusa (Earl) Spooner. His paternal grand- 
 father, who was a pioneer of the place, 
 reared four sons; namely, Bradford, Grover, 
 Barnabas, and Charles C. 
 
 Bradford Spooner in early life was engaged 
 in lumbering and brick-making, both of which 
 occupations he followed quite extensively in 
 connection with farming. He lived to be 
 about eighty-four years old. In politics he 
 was successively a Whig and a Republican. 
 His wife, Arethusa, bore him nine children, 
 six of whom are living, namely: Sarah C, 
 who married Charles Woods, and resides upon 
 the old homestead; Alden B., the subject of 
 this sketch; Harmon C. Spooner, of Waltham, 
 Mass.; Carrie E., the widow of George R. 
 Paige, late of Cambridge, Mass. ; Henry A., 
 a lumber manufacturer of Hardwick; and Jane 
 M., who became the wife of A. S. Barr, of 
 Cambridge, and died in 1898. The others 
 were: Albert H., Maria, and John F. R. 
 Spooner. When the mother died she was 
 over seventy years old. Both parents were 
 members of the Congregational church. 
 
 Alden B. Spooner acquired a public-school 
 education in Hardwick. When a young man 
 he engaged in the manufacture of lumber, 
 which he has since followed, in company with 
 his brother, Henry A. Spooner. Their saw- 
 mills, which have been in the possession of 
 the family for many years, and which were 
 three times rebuilt, are well equipped with 
 modern machinery driven by water-power. In 
 them are produced all kinds of long and short 
 lumber, matched boards, and other building 
 material. The Spooner brothers are also 
 large land-owners. Since 1857 they have 
 jointly cultivated a farm of five hundred acres, 
 keeping an average of twenty head of cattle. 
 
 At the age of thirty-three Mr. Spooner con- 
 tracted with Sarah M. Morton the first of his 
 two marriages. His second wife, whose 
 maiden name was Julia Alden, died in March, 
 1894. He has one son, Stephen H. Spooner, 
 who resides in West Boylston, Mass., and is 
 engaged in the manufacture of varnish in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 167 
 
 Worcester. Politically, Mr. Spooner is a Re- 
 publican. He has served acceptably as Over- 
 seer of the Poor and Superintendent of Streets 
 for three years. His aid and influence can al- 
 ways be depended upon to help all measures 
 likely to benefit the town. He attends the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 ^UMNER STOCKWELL, the pro- 
 prietor of Prospect Hill Farm in 
 Hardwick, was born in New Brain- 
 tree, Mass., December 31, 1847, son 
 of Simon and Abiah Sophia (Gage) Stock- 
 well. His grandparents were Simon and 
 Dolly Stockwell. Simon was a nail-maker 
 and a farmer. The greater part of his life 
 was spent in Prescott, where he died in his 
 eighty-fourth year. His wife lived to be 
 eighty-six. 
 
 Simon Stockwell, Jr., who was born in 
 Prescott, Mass., June 24, 181 1, and resided 
 there until 1846, followed the business of a 
 stone-layer in connection with farming. In 
 the fall of 1847 he bought a part of the farm 
 in Hardwick which his son now owns, and 
 took possession April i, 1848. He added 
 more land to the original acreage, and he 
 tilled the soil industriously for the rest of his 
 active period. His death occurred April 23, 
 1897. In politics he was a Democrat. His 
 wife, a native of New Salem, born December 
 25, 1822, whom he married March 11, 1846, 
 had three children, namely : Sumner, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Emma J., born June 8, 
 1858, who is the wife of George H. Vachon, 
 and resides in West Gardner, Mass. ; and Ida 
 J., born July 26, 1863, who died June 22, 
 1879. The mother died at the homestead, 
 May 31, 1898. 
 
 Sumner Stockwell acquired his education 
 in the district schools of Hardwick. He has 
 resided at Prospect Hill Farm for the greater 
 part of his life. Having succeeded to its 
 possession after his father's death, he is the 
 owner of one hundred and fifty acres. The 
 estate is devoted chiefly to dairying, for 
 which from twenty to twenty-five cows are 
 kept.. On June i, 1875, Mr. Stockwell was 
 united in marriage with Imogene Lydia Gage, 
 
 who was born in Sunderland, Mass., March 
 I, 1857, daughter of Amasa W. and Lydia 
 (Carpenter) Gage. Her father was born in 
 New Salem, June 4, 1826; and her mother 
 was born July 30, 1827, in Brattleboro, Vt., 
 where they now reside. Mr. Gage is a pros- 
 perous farmer, and is still attending to his 
 every-day duties. He is the father of two 
 children — Imogene Lydia and Frederick W. 
 The latter, who was born April 26, i860, 
 lives in Brattleboro. In politics Mr. Stock- 
 well is a Republican. A member of the Ma- 
 sonic fraternity, he is the present Worship- 
 ful Master of Mount Zion Lodge in Barre. 
 He has no children. 
 
 PIKE, one of the foremost 
 Paxton and the present 
 chairman of its Board of Selectmen, 
 was born in Spencer, Mass., March 
 14, 1843. His parents were Sylvanus R. and 
 Margaret C. (Sylvester) Pike, the latter of 
 whom was born and bred in Leicester, 
 Worcester County. The father, born in 
 Stark, Coos County, N. H., was a direct de- 
 scendant of Robert Pike, a prominent pioneer 
 of that part of the Granite State. Very early 
 in life he removed to Massachusetts, and 
 thereafter lived at different times in various 
 towns, including North Brookfield, Hopkin- 
 ton, Holden, Spencer, and Leicester. He 
 died in Leicester, April 24, 1880. Of the 
 children born to him and his wife, the follow- 
 ing survive: Maria, the wife of Austin E. 
 Skiff, of Paxton; Henry H., the subject of 
 this sketch; Horace S., a prominent contrac- 
 tor of Worcester, Mass. ; and Ophelia L., the 
 wife of Martin L. Olmstead, of Paxton. 
 
 Henry H. Pike was but a few months old 
 when his parents returned to the town of 
 Stark, N.H., where he spent the first ten 
 years of his life. During the ensuing five 
 years he lived with them in Holden. From 
 there he accompanied them to Leicester, 
 where he resided until he reached his 
 majority. He gleaned his early education in 
 the district schools of these towns. In early 
 manhood he learned the trade of a boot-maker, 
 and subsequently followed it for some time. 
 
i68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 For the past fifteen years he has been suc- 
 cessfully engaged in agriculture at Paxton, 
 where he has a well-improved farm of one 
 hundred acres. He makes a specialty of 
 dairying, and has an extensive lumber busi- 
 ness. He has also been a superintendent and 
 contractor in the construction of State roads. 
 Politically, Mr. Pike is a sound Republi- 
 can. He has served most satisfactorily in 
 the Boards of Selectmen and Overseers of the 
 Poor for several terms, being at present the 
 chairman of each. He was also Tax Collector 
 for five successive years, a Constable for a 
 long time, a Highway Commissioner for 
 a number of terms, a Justice of the Peace for 
 many years, and he was formerly one of the 
 trustees of the public library. On March 3, 
 1864, he married Miss Pauline H. Holmes, of 
 East Boston, Mass. They have four children, 
 namely: Elsie O., the wife of Arthur Thomp- 
 son, of Worcester, Mass. ; Charles S. ; Walter 
 H. ; and Philip A. 
 
 in£ 
 
 ARREN TYLER, M.D., who for 
 learly a half-century was the lead- 
 ig physician and surgeon of North 
 Brookfield and vicinity, was born here, Febru- 
 ary 6, 1819. His parents, David and Nancy 
 (Bartlett) Tyler, both natives of the county, 
 were well-known residents of North Brookfield 
 for many years. The father was one of the 
 prominent farmers of the town. 
 
 The early years of Warren Tyler were spent 
 on his father's farm, and his elementary educa- 
 tion was obtained in the common schools near 
 his home. Later he attended the academies 
 at Leicester and Westfield. When a very 
 youn^ man he practised dentistry for a time, 
 but believing that he could do greater good in 
 the medical profession he began to read medi- 
 cine with Dr. Oramel Martin, the leading 
 physician of North Brookfield in his time. 
 Three years after he entered the Jefferson 
 Medical College at Philadelphia, which was 
 then, as it is to-day, one of the leading pro- 
 fessional schools of the country. His col- 
 lege course was one of self-denial and hard 
 work, as he was obliged to be entirely self- 
 supporting. He did not graduate from the 
 
 Jefferson College, but took his degree from 
 the Pittsfield (Mass.) Medical School, and 
 immediately thereafter began the practice of 
 medicine in North Brookfield. This was in 
 1848, from which date he continued in active 
 practice here up to the time of his death on 
 April 18, 1891. He achieved a wide reputa- 
 tion for skill, both in medicine and in sur- 
 gery, and people came to him from all the 
 adjoining towns for treatment. Although 
 past seventy years of age at the time of his 
 death, he had lost none of the skill that had 
 marked his earlier practice, seeming rather to 
 have gathered wisdom and knowledge with 
 each succeeding year's experience. He was 
 known not only in his own town, but through- 
 out the county. 
 
 On October 22, 1848, the Doctor was 
 united in marriage with Diantha Walker, who 
 was born in Exeter, Otsego County, N.Y. 
 Her parents, John and Laura (Tucker) 
 Walker, were residents of Exeter and natives 
 of Woodstock, Conn. Mrs. Tyler, who sur- 
 vives her husband, is a devoted member of the 
 Union Congregational Church. Dr. Tyler 
 took an active interest in town affairs, and 
 was always ready to help a good cause. For 
 many years he served as Selectman of the 
 town, and he was for several terms a member 
 of the School Board. He also represented the 
 town in the legislature, first during the fif- 
 ties, shortly before the war, and again in the 
 seventies. In politics he was a Republican. 
 He belonged to the Masonic Lodge at North 
 Brookfield. In 1859 he travelled abroad, 
 visiting most of the large hospitals and mak- 
 ing observations concerning their methods of 
 treatment and procedure. This trip was of 
 great advantage to him in many ways, and he 
 showed its helpful influence in his later prac- 
 tice. When the war broke out, the Doctor 
 offered his services as surgeon in the army, 
 and shortly after he was appointed to the 
 Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Regiment. After 
 two years of unremitting effort in behalf of 
 the brave men who were his companions, his 
 health gave out, and he was obliged to return 
 to North Brookfield In later years he was a 
 member of Ezra Batcheller Post, No. SU 
 G. A. R. 
 
"'^ 
 
 t ^^ 
 
 DA\'ID C. ALLEN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 171 
 
 M 
 
 AVID C. ALLEN, a real estate 
 dealer of Leominster, was born in 
 ^J this town, July 31, 1815, son of 
 David and Sarah (Fullum) Allen. 
 His father, who was a carpenter, worked in 
 this vicinity for a number of years. The boy 
 acquired his education in the common schools 
 of Leominster. For the purpose of breaking 
 him of a tendency to run away from home, he 
 was put to work on a farm two summers before 
 he was eight years old. Then he began to 
 learn the carpenter's trade, but he did not go 
 to work in earnest until he was fourteen years 
 of age. He was employed on Deacon Bur- 
 rage's farm and with a Mr. Richardson, both 
 of Leominster, for two years each. As a car- 
 'penter he first worked on a cotton factory at 
 Whalom Pond with his father. He was with 
 his father for two years, then in Leominster 
 Centre for a while, and in Worcester Centre 
 two years. After this he returned to Leo- 
 minster and. started in business for himself. 
 Subsequently he filled contracts for building 
 dwellings, factories, and meeting-houses, em- 
 ploying from thirty to forty men. Thrown by 
 a runaway horse one day, he was so seriously 
 injured that he was obliged to give up his 
 business. 
 
 In the early part of 1849 Mr. Allen was one 
 of a party of forty-six, who, after chartering a 
 steamboat at New York with the intention of 
 going to California around Cape Horn, took 
 the overland route on a prairie schooner drawn 
 by oxen as the more practicable. They 
 were nine months on the way, and suffered 
 untold hardships and privations. Out of 
 twenty yoke of oxen with which they started, 
 two yoke lived to reach the journey's end. 
 The others either died from exhaustion or were 
 killed for food. The animals that were killed 
 were so lean that only the heart and the tongue 
 were fit to eat. Of the forty-six men, only 
 five were in the company that reached Califor- 
 nia. The others had either turned back dis- 
 couraged or joined other parties. Mr. Allen 
 was quite successful in his quest for gold. 
 The first seven hundred dollars' worth that he 
 dug out he sent in its original form to the 
 Fitchburg bank. A similar amount sent by 
 him to the United States mint was coined into 
 
 twenty-dollar gold pieces. Fortune favored 
 him from the very beginning. In the first 
 two half-days in the mines he obtained 
 twenty-five dollars' worth of gold each half- 
 day. Then in the next three days he took 
 out successively forty-eight dollars, fifty-eight 
 dollars, and sixty-four dollars. In all he 
 spent seven months in the mines and three 
 years in California. On his return he en- 
 gaged in building once more. At the time of 
 the war he was engaged to build cavalry bar- 
 racks in Annapolis, Md., and was there about 
 three months. He was then employed on a 
 pontoon train, was at Fortress Monroe for a 
 while and in Yorktown to repair boats and 
 see that they were at the proper stations. 
 While a party of his men were engaged on one 
 bridge, the Confederates attacked them, killing 
 six of their number and wounding twelve. At 
 this time Mr. Allen was executing another 
 order at Ship Point. He had charge of men 
 and boats at Fortress Monroe for* about a year 
 under General McClellan. Now he gives his 
 whole attention to the real estate business. 
 He owns two stores and twenty-one tenements. 
 Though he is eighty-three years old, the spirit 
 of adventure is still fresh within him, and he 
 talks of going to Klondike. 
 
 In 1 841 Mr. Allen was married to Lucy W. 
 Lyon, of Leominster, who died in 1853. A 
 second marriage in 1855 united him with 
 Maria A. Blodgett, of Vermont. Two of his 
 children lived to be but three months of age. 
 George A. Allen, their only surviving son, is 
 a cucumber grower in West Leominster. The 
 father has served on the Leominster Road 
 Committee, was Constable for a number of 
 years, and a member of the fire department for 
 forty years, being for a part of the time an 
 officer and practically giving his services gra- 
 tuitously. He was a member of the artillery 
 for seventeen years. Having helped to organ- 
 ize the New England Association of Forty- 
 niners, he has attended their annual and semi- 
 annual meetings, except one held in Boston, 
 for which he was two days late, having made 
 a mistake in the date. He is the only surviv- 
 ing charter member of Leominster Lodge, No. 
 86, I. O. O. F. , which was organized some 
 fifty years ago. Both he and Mrs. Allen were 
 
172 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in the Raymond excursion party of 1892 that 
 visited California, when he was surprised to 
 note the wonderful growth of the Golden State 
 since 1849. 
 
 lENJAMIN B. NOURSE, Special 
 . , Justice of the Westboro District 
 I K-' V Court for a score of years, was born 
 March 31, 18 16, in Berlin, Worces- 
 ter County, where his paternal grandfather, 
 Benjamin Nourse, was formerly a prominent 
 physician and surgeon. The father. Captain 
 Theophilus Nourse, was a farmer by occupa- 
 tion, and served as an officer in the State mi- 
 litia, having charge of a- company. He was 
 active in local affairs; and prior to his death, 
 at the early age of thirty-seven years, he 
 served as Assessor and in other offices of 
 minor importance. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Lois Brigham, survived him; and 
 her death, at the advanced age of ninety-six 
 years, when she was mentally and physically 
 vigorous, was caused by an accident. Of 
 their children, three are living, as follows: 
 Benjamin B., the subject of this sketch; jane, 
 the widow of Charles P. Rice, late of West- 
 boro; and Catherine, the widow of the late 
 Lyman G. Stephens, of Marlboro. 
 
 Benjamin B. Nourse lived in the family of 
 the late Senator Elmer Brigham at Westboro 
 from the age of nine years to that of fourteen, 
 and then spent two years in Marlboro. Re- 
 turning to Westboro, he served an apprentice- 
 ship of five years at the carpenter's trade with 
 Jonas Longley, his only compensation being 
 his board and clothes. He subsequently 
 worked as a journeyman carpenter until 1843, 
 when he embarked in business for himself as 
 a contractor and builder, confining his atten- 
 tion mostly to fine grades of work. In i860 
 he conceived the idea of manufacturing 
 wooden trellis supports for plants; and, enter- 
 ing extensively into this new industry, he 
 soon acquired a wide reputation for his goods, 
 which found a ready market, and were shipped 
 to nearly every part of the Union. This 
 business, in connection with other lines, he 
 followed successfully for three decades,' or 
 until 1890, when he retired from active pur- 
 
 suits. For ten years Mr. Nourse devoted 
 much time to civil engineering, and he had 
 charge of the construction of the Westboro 
 sewerage system. For more than twenty 
 years he has been Special Justice of the Dis- 
 trict Court ; and during the war and for many 
 years afterward, a period aggregating sixteen 
 years, he was a member of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen and its chairman for several terms. 
 He was also an Assessor many years, and for 
 a long time was one of the Prudential Com- 
 mittee and the Moderator of parish meetings. 
 In politics he is an uncompromising Demo- 
 crat. Formerly very active in the ranks of 
 that organization, he was a member of the 
 Democratic State Committee, the chairman of 
 the Democratic Town Committee, and was 
 seven times his party's candidate for the State 
 legislature. 
 
 On October 19, 1843, Mr. Nourse married 
 Mary Elizabeth Longley, a daughter of Jonas 
 and Susan (Smith) Longley. The golden an- 
 niversary of their union, October 19, 1893, 
 was a very pleasant social event. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Nourse have two children, namely: 
 Walter B., an architect in Worcester and the 
 junior member of the firm of Barker & 
 Nourse; and Emma S., who was formerly a 
 teacher in the public schools, and is a woman 
 of literary tastes and talents, an artist in 
 crayon and oils, and a member of the Library 
 Committee, Walter B. Nourse married Miss 
 Emma L. McClellan; and they have three 
 children — Madeline G., Carlisle, and Clifton. 
 
 OEL L. POWERS, one of the Hard- 
 wick Board of Selectmen and a sub- 
 stantial citizen, was born in Hardwick, 
 November 17, 1844. He is the eldest 
 
 son of the late Lysander and Hannah (Dexter) 
 
 Powers. 
 
 His grandfather, David Powers, was born 
 in Derry, N.H., March 25, 1783. He was 
 married in Langdon, N.H., February 17, 
 1 8 14, to Mary Gleason, who was born in 
 Langdon, April 18, 1791. He died in Hard- 
 wick, December 17, 1866, and she on June 
 29. 1844. About 1 83 1 he came to Hardwick, 
 settled in the south-west part of the town, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 173 
 
 engaged in general farming. Prior to this he 
 was a hotel-keeper. 
 
 Lysander Powers was born in Petersham, 
 Mass., November 28, 1816. He was a farmer 
 and butcher. 'Coming to Hardwick the year 
 before his marriage and while still a young 
 man, he purchased the farm on which his son 
 now resides. It contains about one hundred 
 and sixty-five acres, and he also owns con- 
 siderable other land. Most of the improve- 
 ments were made by him, including the erec- 
 tion of the present house. He was a very 
 stirring, energetic man and a good manager. 
 In politics he was a Republican, in religion 
 he was liberal. His townsmen elected him a 
 member of the Board of Assessors, a position 
 for which he was well qualified, and in which 
 he rendered excellent service. He died De- 
 cember 4, 1891, nearly three years after the 
 death of his wife, Hannah Dexter Powers, 
 which occurred on January 31, 1889. They 
 had three sons, all of whom are living, 
 namely: Joel L., of Hardwick; A. Frank, 
 born August 31, 1846, a hotel-keeper in New 
 York City; and Elmer D., born December 12, 
 1853, a real estate dealer in Springfield, 
 Mass. 
 
 Joel L. Powers was educated in the Hard- 
 wick schools and at Wilbraham Academy, 
 which he attended one term. He remained at 
 home, and for twenty years before his father's 
 death had the management of the farm. In 
 fact, he has practically carried on the farm 
 since he was a boy. In addition to the home- 
 stead property he owns about four hundred 
 acres elsewhere. He formerly conducted a 
 retail business, but now devotes his attention 
 to the wholesale trade, and buys and sells live 
 stock. On the home farm he keeps a dairy of 
 eighteen cows and other stock. He is the 
 manager of the Hardwick Co-operative Cream- 
 ery, of which he was one of the organizers 
 and one of the original stockholders. Besides 
 attending to his own affairs, he has settled 
 many estates, and is still sought for this pur- 
 pose, such is the confidence placed in his abil- 
 ity and integrity. 
 
 Mr. Powers was first married on New 
 Year's Day, 1866, when Jane E. Knight be- 
 came his wife. She was born in Hardwick, 
 
 December 21, 1842, daughter of Albert E. 
 and Electa A. (Phelps) Knight, both of whom 
 have passed away. She died August 4, 1889. 
 On April 10, 1894, Mr. Powers married Mrs. 
 Caroline A. Severance, widow of Levi Sever- 
 ance. He has no children by either marriage. 
 A Republican in political affiliation, Mr. 
 Powers has been chairman of the Republican 
 Town Committee for several years past. He 
 has filled with credit nearly all the offices 
 within the gift of his townsmen. At the 
 present time he is second Selectman, and has 
 iDcen a member of the board for ten successive 
 years with the exception of one year. He is 
 chairman of the Board of Assessors, of which 
 he has been a member twenty-three years and 
 chairman the past twenty. He is serving his 
 fourth year as Tax Collector, and is Superin- 
 tendent of Streets, a position that he has held 
 for fourteen years. Mr. Powers is a member 
 of the Congregational church, and is treasurer 
 of the society, in which capacity he has 
 served for many years. 
 
 bfRAI 
 
 RANKLIN WALLACE EDWARDS, 
 n[_^ M.D., a successful homoeopathic physi- 
 cian of Southbridge, was born in 
 Wheeling, W.Va., December 31, 1856. A 
 son of Dr. Edward W. and Catharine Rosalba 
 (Diffenderffer) Edwards, he represents an old 
 Maryland family of repute, whose estates are 
 located in Kent County, on the eastern shore. 
 Edward W. Edwards, M.D., the father, a na- 
 tive of Maryland, having acquired his profes- 
 sional education in Baltimore, practised as an 
 allopathic physician in Wheeling, Chicago, 
 and other places, until his death, which oc- 
 curred in 1 891. He was a member of the 
 Masonic order. Catharine, his wife, who was 
 a native of Baltimore, became the mother of 
 two children: James A. Edwards, now of the 
 Chicago commission house J. A. Edwards & 
 Co. and a member of the Board of Trade of 
 that city; and Franklin W., the subject of 
 this sketch. 
 
 Franklin Wallace Edwards acquired his 
 early education at private schools in Chicago. 
 Later he pursued a course at Helmuth Col- 
 lege, London, Ont,, and was graduated from 
 
174 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the Rush Medical College in Chicago, class 
 of 1876, with the degree of Doctor of Medi- 
 cine. After a stay of six months at the Cook 
 County Hospital as attending physician, he 
 became associated with his father in Chicago, 
 where he practised as an old school physician 
 for some years. Subsequently he spent a year 
 in Kinsale, Westmoreland County, Virginia. 
 Then he was a Special Examiner in the United 
 States pension office at Washington, D. C, for 
 a period, at the end of which he resigned. 
 After residing in Burlington, Vt., for a time, 
 he went to Meriden, N.H., where he took up 
 the practice of homoeopathy. Since 1891 he 
 has resided in Southbridge, where he has won 
 success as a homoeopathic physician and sur- 
 geon. For a time he was the town physi- 
 cian. He is a member of both the Worcester 
 County and Massachusetts State Homoeo- 
 pathic Medical Societies and of the American 
 Institute of Homoeopathy. The. Medical Rec- 
 ord has had several interesting articles upon 
 surgery from his pen, and he is a frequent 
 correspondent of the medical magazines. 
 
 On January 18, 1882, Dr. Edwards was 
 united in marriage with Helen M. Kingsland, 
 a daughter of A. W. and Helen (Cutting) 
 Kingsland, of Chicago. In politics the Doc- 
 tor is a Democrat. An esteemed Mason, he 
 belongs to Quinnebaug Lodge, F. & A. M. ; 
 Doric Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and 
 Hiram Council, Royal and Select Masters. 
 He has also a fellowship in the Royal Ar- 
 canum, and acts as medical examiner for its 
 local council. In the Baptist church, of 
 which he is an active member, he is the 
 chairman of the Prudential and Building Com- 
 mittees. 
 
 /STTo 
 
 EORGE L. CLEMENCE, a promi- 
 yST nent dairyman of Southbridge and an 
 ex-member of the Massachusetts 
 legislature, was born in Great Barrington, 
 Mass., February 17, 1852, son of Harvey and 
 Maryette (Marsh) Clemence. The paternal 
 grandfather, Luther Clemence, a native of 
 Charlton, Mass., who followed agriculture 
 during the active period of his life, died in 
 i860, aged sixty-two years. He was quite ac- 
 
 tive in public affairs, and served as a member 
 of the Board of Selectmen. The maiden 
 name of his wife was Marcy McKinstry. 
 Harvey Clemence, son of Luther, was born in 
 Southbridge in 18 17. He learned the trade 
 of a dyer, which he followed in connection 
 with farming until his retirement some ten 
 years ago. He is now residing with his son. 
 Maryette, his wife, who was born in Pennsyl- 
 vania, daughter of Perley and Hannah 
 (Gerald) Marsh, came to Massachusetts with 
 her parents when a child. She has had two 
 children: Emily A., born in 1841, who died 
 in 1859; and George L., the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 George L. Clemence has resided in South- 
 bridge since he was three years old. After 
 acquiring his elementary education in the 
 common schools he attended Nichols Acad- 
 emy in Dudley and Dean Academy in Frank- 
 lin, Mass. At the age of twenty years he 
 took charge of the home farm on Clemence 
 Hill, and has since given his attention to the 
 raising of garden truck and dairying. He 
 keeps about thirty cows, and sells his milk to 
 regular customers in Southbridge. In 1894 
 he built a commodious stable, having all 
 the modern improvements and especially de- 
 signed for securing light, ventilation, and 
 sanitary conveniences. He has made the 
 treatment of tuberculosis a special study, is 
 well informed upon all matters relating to the 
 care of a dairy, and uses the standard cooler 
 for aerating his milk. On December 3, 1872, 
 he was joined in marriage with Emily Mc- 
 Kinstry, a daughter of Prebostus and Jane 
 (Carpenter) McKinstry, of Southbridge. 
 Mrs. Clemence is the mother of three chil- 
 dren, namely: Emily J., born September 28, 
 1873, who is now the wife of Everett Carpen- 
 ter, of Southbridge; George H., born July 2, 
 1879, who married Susa Alton, of Dudley, 
 daughter of Erastus Dudley, and resides at 
 home; and Elliot M. Clemence, born October 
 3I1 1885, also at home. 
 
 During the years 1887 and 1888 Mr. Clem- 
 ence was a member of the Board of Select- 
 men, and he has been upon the Board of Sink- 
 ing Fund Commissioners for the past five 
 years. He was elected to the House of Rep- 
 
ABEL S. WOLFE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 177 
 
 resentatives in 1888, and served in the Com- 
 mittee on Agriculture. For nine years he 
 has been a member of the State Board of 
 Agriculture; a member of the Dairy Bureau 
 for seven years; and a member of the Execu- 
 tive Committee of the State Grange, Patrons 
 of Husbandry, for five years. In 1897 he was 
 a pi-ominent candidate at the Republican Sen- 
 atorial Convention. He belongs to Quine- 
 baug Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and Phoenix Coun- 
 cil, Royal Arcanum; and he attends the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 'ON. HARRIS C. HARTWELL in 
 his time was regarded as the lead- 
 ing member of the Fitchburg bar. 
 Born in Groton, Mass., December 
 28, 1847, he was a son of Benjamin F. and 
 Emma (Whitman) Hartwell. His father, 
 also a native of Groton, Mass., was a contrac- 
 tor and builder. 
 
 After fitting for college at Lawrence Acad- 
 emy, Groton, Harris C. Hartwell graduated 
 from Harvard in the class of 1869. In the 
 same year he began to study law in the office 
 of the Hon. Amasa Norcross, of Fitchburg. 
 He was admitted to the bar in 1872, and in 
 1874 he became Mr. Norcross' s partner. He 
 soon established a reputation for honorable 
 and successful practice, became especially 
 strong as a jury lawyer, and he had few equals 
 in Worcester County. His cases were care- 
 fully prepared, and he won the respect of op- 
 posing counsel and the confidence of the court 
 and jury by the fairness with which they were 
 presented. Mr. Hartwell was a favorite with 
 his confreres, and was always ready to encour- 
 age and help a younger brother. As a mem- 
 ber of society, too, he was very popular. 
 With a fund of anecdote and being quick at 
 repartee, he brightened many a dull hour in 
 court, and was the life of many a social 
 gathering. Outside of his legal business he 
 was connected with a number of financial en- 
 terprises. He was vice-president and a trus- 
 tee of the Worcester North Savings Institu- 
 tion, a director of the Fitchburg Shoe Tip 
 Company and of the Fitchburg & Leominster 
 Street Railway Company, and the vice-presi- 
 
 dent and a member of the Board of Managers 
 of the Massachusetts Mutual Aid Society. 
 
 Mr. Hartwell was married in 1877 to Effie 
 M. F., daughter of Daniel Needham, of Gro- 
 ton. Two children blessed their union : Nor- 
 cross Needham, born in Fitchburg, Mass., in 
 1S81; and Harold Hall, born in 1891. Mr. 
 Hartwell was a leading member of the Repub- 
 lican party in this section, and if he had lived 
 he would probably have been the first member 
 of Congress from the new Fourth District. 
 He was a member of the Fitchburg School 
 Board from 187410 1878; was City Solicitor 
 from 1877 to 1887; was a Representative in 
 the State legislature in 1883, 1884, and 1885; 
 and a State Senator in 1887, 1888, and 1889. 
 In 1889 he served with marked ability as 
 president of the Senate. It has been said 
 that "to each of these positions he brought 
 the full measure of earnest, honest effort, and 
 his services were of signal value to the city 
 and the Commonwealth." He attended relig- 
 ious worship at the Unitarian church. His 
 death on December 9, 1891, evoked many 
 tributes to his manly worth and ability. 
 
 BEL STOWEL WOLFE, a leading 
 market-gardener of Auburn, Mass., 
 was born at Saxton's River, Rock- 
 ingham County, Vt. , on the third 
 day of October, 1853, son of Abel and Sarah 
 (Miner) Wolfe. His grandfather, William 
 Wolfe, a native of Germany, who was a farmer, 
 came to this country in early life, and became 
 one of the pioneer settlers of Rockingham 
 County. William's wife was also born in 
 Germany. They had five children, three sons 
 and two daughters. 
 
 Abel Wolfe, who was born in Rockingham 
 County, Vermont, died in Langdon, N.H., at 
 the age of seventy-two. He was a cattle 
 dealer and drover, buying fat cattle for the 
 Boston market and driving them to that city, 
 sometimes every week, sometimes not oftener 
 than once a month. This was before railroad 
 lines were as numerous as they now are. An 
 energetic business man, he was very suc- 
 cessful. During two sessions he occupied a 
 seat in the State legislature. About 1832 he 
 
178 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 married Sarah Miner, of Vermont, who died in 
 1863, at the age of forty-nine, and was buried 
 beside him in Saxton's River cemetery. Of 
 their twelve children, Abel and William died 
 at the ages, respectively, of eight and nine 
 years. The others, all of whom reached ma- 
 turity, were: Byron, now deceased; Sarah, who 
 is the wife of George W. Read, a Kansas 
 farmer; John C. , also deceased, who was a 
 Corporal of infantry in the Civil War, and was 
 slightly wounded in the service; Sophronia, 
 deceased, who married John Marble, of Nashua; 
 Lydia, who is the wife of George W. Ramsey, 
 of Langdon, N. H. ; George W. Wolfe, who re- 
 sides in Texas, on the Gulf coast; Edgar C, 
 formerly a cavalryman in the Civil War, now 
 a resident of Melrose and in business in Bos- 
 ton ; Abel S., subject of this sketch; Eleazer, 
 who resides in Leicester, Mass. ; and Flora, 
 who is the wife of Henry Noyes, of Maiden, 
 Mass. 
 
 Abel Stowel Wolfe received his education 
 in the common schools. In his thirteenth 
 year he was bound out on a farm. At the age 
 of seventeen he bought his time for one hun- 
 dred and fifty dollars, and subsequently hired 
 out to a market-gardener near Boston, working 
 at first by the month and later by the year. 
 For thirteen years he was in the employ of 
 S. R. Payson on the Gushing farm in Bel- 
 mont, the most noted farm of the time in that 
 locality. Three years after his marriage he 
 came to Auburn and bought forty acres of land. 
 To this he has since added fifty acres, and he 
 has now one of the most successful and best 
 appointed market-garden farms in the district. 
 He has immense hot-beds. In all, his green- 
 houses cover thirty-four thousand feet, or 
 three-quarters of an acre, which is claimed to 
 be the largest area under glass owned by an 
 individual in this part of Massachusetts. The 
 principal crops grown under glass are lettuce, 
 cucumbers, and dandelions for midwinter' 
 One greenhouse, two hundred and fifty-six by 
 twenty-two feet, is devoted entirely to dande- 
 lions, while another has seven thousand square 
 feet entirely devoted to lettuce culture. Mr 
 Wolfe's market is chiefly in Worcester; but 
 he also makes shipments to New York City 
 Washington, and Baltimore. The largest 
 
 market-gardener in Auburn, his annual busi- 
 ness amounts to several thousands of dollars. 
 The estate, now situated just outside the city 
 limits, is undoubtedly destined to become a 
 part of Worcester at no very distant day. 
 
 Mr. Wolfe was married on December 15, 
 1876, to Marietta Putnam, a native of Spring- 
 field, Montpelier County, Vt. , and daughter of 
 Joseph and Sarah (Putnam) Putnam. Her 
 parents, although having the same name, were 
 not related. Mr. Putnam, who was a farmer, 
 died on July 9, 1881, aged seventy-five years; 
 and his wife died on March 13, 1877, at the 
 age of sixty-nine. They are. buried in Spring- 
 field, Vt. Their children were: Sarah Ann, 
 Elvira, Morris, Elizabeth, Sylvester, Ben- 
 jamin, Marietta, George Frank, Simon, and 
 Vesty Ann. Elizabeth, who died at the age 
 of twenty-eight, was the wife of Jackson 
 Gould. Sylvester died on November 10, 
 1896, leaving a widow, Ellen Rollins. Ben- 
 jamin died in 1875, leaving four children. 
 George Frank, a resident of Springfield, Vt., 
 married Lois Rice, and is the father of two 
 children. Simon married Laura Gould, and 
 has four children, all of whom reside with him 
 in Springfield, Vt. Vesty Ann, now of 
 Springfield, Vt., is the widow of Bryant Lock- 
 wood, who was a volunteer soldier near the 
 close of the war. Benjamin Putnam served in 
 the Civil War for three years as a member of 
 the Third Regiment of Vermont Infantry, and 
 Sylvester was a nine months' man near the 
 close of the war. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe have 
 been the parents of two sons — Walter Edgar 
 and Harry P. Wolfe. The first of these, who 
 was born on May 6, 1879, in Belmont, assists 
 his father in business, and drives the market 
 wagon. Harry P. was born January 20, 1889. 
 
 Y^EANDER T. KIRBY, a progressive 
 IJT agriculturist of Paxton, widely and 
 -^• ^ _ ^ favorably known as the Town 
 Treasurer, was born in the neigh- 
 boring town of Spencer, February 25, 1841. 
 His parents, John and Mary R. (Brigham) 
 Kirby, both Canadians by birth, came to the 
 States soon after their marriage. After 
 spending several years in various towns in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 179 
 
 Worcester County, they removed to Vermont, 
 where the father afterward died. The mother 
 is now also deceased. 
 
 Leander T. Kirby was but a child when his 
 parents became residents of the town of Ox- 
 ford. Here from the age of nine years until 
 he was sixteen he worked in a cotton factory 
 for a large portion of each year, and attended 
 the common schools of the place during the 
 rest of those years. Then he learned the 
 shoemaker's trade, and had followed it for 
 some time, when the Civil War broke out. 
 Having enlisted on July 12, 1861, he was 
 mustered into Company E, Fifteenth Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteer Infantry, which became a 
 part of the Second Corps of the Army of the 
 Potomac. With his regiment he was in the 
 battles of Ball's Bluff, Fair Oaks, the seven 
 days' battles before Richmond, at Antietam, 
 Fredericksburg, and Bristoe Station, Va. On 
 November 27, 1863, in a skirmish at either 
 Mine Run or Locust Grove, he received a 
 gunshot wound, and was captured by the Con- 
 federates, who held him as a prisoner for five 
 months in a Southern hospital and prison. 
 In March, 1864, he was duly exchanged, and 
 on the I2th of the following July he was mus- 
 tered out of the service. Thereupon he re- 
 turned to Oxford. In 1871 Mr. Kirby estab- 
 lished himself in Paxton as a boot-maker. 
 After carrying on that business for fifteen 
 years, he engaged in farming, which he has 
 since successfully followed. Since coming 
 here he has been prominently identified with 
 the leading interests of the town. For a num- 
 ber of terms he was Selectman, being the 
 chairman of the board for two years. He was 
 Assessor for one year, and he is now serving 
 his seventh consecutive year as Town Treas- 
 urer. While a strong Republican in politics, 
 he is conscientiously devoted to the interests 
 of the town. He is a comrade of the George 
 H. Marshall Post, No. 127, G. A. R., of 
 Rutland, Mass. 
 
 On March 25, 1866, Mr. Kirby married 
 Miss Isabella Lane. Born in New Bruns- 
 wick, she is a daughter of Archibald and Jo- 
 anna (Cowlden) Lane, the former of whom 
 was born and reared in Scotland, and the 
 latter in New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 Kirby have four children, namely: Eva G., 
 the wife of John A. Woodbury, of Worcester, 
 Mass.; Arthur L., also of Worcester; Myrtis 
 I., who graduated from the Worcester Normal 
 School, and is now teaching in the public 
 schools of that city; and Cora K., who is at 
 home. 
 
 lEVI BADGER CHASE, of Stur- 
 bridge, was born in Canterbury, N.H., 
 October 24, 1833, and received 
 his education at the public schools 
 of that town and J. C. Nutting's private 
 school. He married October 24, 1858, Ma- 
 tilda Fiske Plimpton, of Sturbridge, and has 
 since resided there as a farmer. As a de- 
 fender of the Union he served in Company F, 
 Fifty-first Massachusetts Regiment; is a mem- 
 ber of Post No. 173, G. A. R. ; has been Ad- 
 jutant ten years and post historian; has been 
 a member of the Public Library Committee 
 twenty years; and is on the Board of School 
 Committee. He is a life member of the 
 Worcester Society of Antiquity and corre- 
 sponding member of the Medfield Historical 
 Society and the Quabaug Historical Society. 
 He compiled and published "A Genealogy 
 and Historical Notices of the Family of 
 Plimpton or Plympton in America and of 
 Plumpton in England." He wrote the articles 
 on the history of Sturbridge (vol. i.) and 
 Southbridge (vol. ii.) published in J. W. 
 Lewis's History of Worcester County. 
 
 He made a map of the town of Sturbridge 
 by plotting the lots in their relative position, 
 as surveyed and described in the book of rec- 
 ords by the original proprietors of the then 
 unoccupied land. The map made available 
 much historical matter hitherto unknown, the 
 most important being the discovery of the lo- 
 cation of a section of the earliest path between 
 Boston and Springfield. He read a paper 
 ("Tantousque in Nipnet ") before the Worces- 
 ter Society of Antiquity, April 2, 1895, 
 published in the society's proceedings of that 
 year, in which it was argued that this is a re- 
 discovery of a section of the route of the most 
 ancient "Connecticut Path," and that it fol- 
 lowed an important path of the Indians con- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 necting the converging long-distance-paths 
 from points on the sea coast, all the way from 
 Boston to New London, and those paths that 
 diverged to various points in the valley of the 
 Connecticut River. The location of Indian 
 villages along the way was also described. 
 
 Subsequently he found a direct statement of 
 the Rev. John Eliot in 1649 and, in the 
 archives of the State, Woodward and Saffery's 
 map of their route to Connecticut River and 
 return in 1642, that prove clearly that he has 
 discovered precisely a section of the route of 
 all the parties passing and repassing overland 
 between the Connecticut River and the settle- 
 ments on Massachusetts Bay during the period 
 from 1633 to 1648. To bring before the pub- 
 lic the result of the last-mentioned discover- 
 ies, he read a paper upon the subject before 
 the Quabaug Historical Society at Warren, 
 June 9, 1897. This is "The Bay Path" of 
 Dr. J. G. Holland's historical novel bearing 
 that title. 
 
 L. B. Chase had brothers and sisters : 
 Charles, 1809-64, Meredith, N.H. ; the 
 Rev. William P., 1812-74., South Vineland, 
 N.J., Free Baptist denomination; Mary M., 
 1814-53. unmarried; Permelia W., 1818- 
 74, married in 1847 Sylvester F. Sargent; 
 the Rev. Uriah, 1820-88, Waterboro, Me., 
 Free Baptist; Joanna S., 1823-67, married in 
 1850 Rufus Boynton, Canterbury, N.H. ; and 
 Sarah E., 1825-88, married in 1857 Stephen 
 Hadley, Belmont, N.H. 
 
 Son of Levi Chase, of Canterbury, N.H., 
 farmer, born 1782, died 1854 (married in 1808 
 Sarah Page, 1789- 1846, daughter of Reuben 
 Page, 1 763-1 8 1 6, New Sharon, Me., wife 
 Sarah Sanborn, son of John Page, 1729-, 
 of Epping, N.H., wife Lydia Sanborn; son of 
 David Page, 1703-85, of "Pagetown," North 
 Hampton, N.H., wife Ruth Dearborn; son 
 of Christopher Page, 1670-1751, of Hampton, 
 N.H., wife Abigail Tilton; son of Thomas 
 Page, 1639-86, of Hampton, wife Mary 
 Hussey; son of Robert Page, born in Eng- 
 land, 1604-79, settled at Hampton, N.H. ; 
 son of Robert Page, of Ormsby, Norfolk 
 County, England); son of Edward Chase, 
 1754-1814. Canterbury, N.H., married Mary- 
 Moore, enlisted May 30, 1775, in Colonel 
 
 Enoch Poor's New Hampshire regiment, re- 
 enlisted September 23, 1776, in Colonel 
 Thomas Tash's regiment, New Hampshire 
 Continentals (see Revolutionary Rolls, New 
 Hampshire State papers) ; son of Jonathan, 
 1 730-1 808, Loudon, N. H., married Anne 
 Taylor; son of Jonathan, 1707-44, Stratham, 
 N.H., married Lydia Rollins; son of Jonathan, 
 1683-1749, Stratham, married Joanna Palmer; 
 son of Thomas, 1654-1733, Newbury, Mass., 
 married Rebecca Follansbee; son of Aquila, 
 161 8-1670, Newburyport, married Ann 
 Wheeler; son of Aquila, 1580-, Chesham, 
 England, married Martha Jelliman; son of 
 Richard, baptized in 1542, married Joan 
 Bishop; son of Thomas Chase, of Hundrick, 
 parish of Chesham, England. 
 
 ESSE A. TAFT, one of the best known 
 and most respected citizens of Milford, 
 was born in the adjoining town of 
 Mendon, February 8, 1857. A son of 
 Amariah Aulando and Thankful S. (Wilkin- 
 son) Taft, he comes of Scotch lineage. His 
 first ancestors in this country were Robert 
 Taft and his wife, who, with several sons, all 
 born in England, settled in Mendon, near 
 Nipmuck Pond, in 1679 or 1680. The line 
 of descent from Robert is traced through 
 Daniel, Caleb, Jotham, and Amariah to 
 Amariah A. 
 
 Amariah Aulando Taft, generally known as 
 Esquire Taft, was a leading citizen of Mil- 
 ford. In 1887 he was a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen. With his associates of the 
 board, Messrs. C. F. Claflin and E. L. Wires, 
 he started a movement for good government 
 that marked an epoch in the history of the 
 town. He served for three years, during 
 which time the community enjoyed an honest, 
 dignified, and non-partisan administration of 
 Its public affairs. On January 10, 1893, 
 shortly after he had returned from a trip to 
 Boston, he died suddenly of heart failure. 
 He was a man of great energy, activity, and 
 force of character. Although he did a large 
 business in executing mortgages and other 
 legal papers, he never employed a clerk, pre- 
 ferring to perform even the manual part of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 work himself. He was a man generally liked 
 and respected in the community. 
 
 Jesse A. Taft received his general educa- 
 tion in the graded schools and high school of 
 Milford. Subsequently he took a course in 
 the Boston University Law School, and in 
 1883 was admitted to the bar in Worcester 
 County. Shortly after he located in Milford, 
 where he has since been engaged in a general 
 law practice. While well known in the 
 courts, he confines himself largely to office 
 work. For six years he has been Town Solic- 
 itor for Milford and for the same length of 
 time Town Counsel for the town of Hope- 
 dale. He is a director of the Milford Na- 
 tional Bank of Milford, a trustee of the Sav- 
 ings Bank, and he belongs to the Worcester 
 County Bar Association and to the Alumni 
 Association of Boston University. In 1884 
 he married Ida F. Thompson, a daughter of 
 Charles J. Thompson. His only son, Royal 
 C. Taft, was born July 8, 1889. 
 
 8UCIUS O. GIFFIN, the well-known 
 musician of Barre, was born in this 
 _^^ town, September 24, 1836, son of 
 John W, and Achsa (Berry) Gififin. 
 Abner Giffin, the paternal grandfather, came 
 from Hardwick to Barre, where he resided for 
 a time. Then he returned to Hardwick, and 
 died there in 1836, aged nearly sixty-one 
 years. He was twice married. His wife, 
 Polly Stratton Gififin, died in 18 n. She 
 had three children — Lauriston, Samantha, 
 and John W. Giffin. By his second wife, 
 whose maiden name was Mary Wicker, there 
 were five children; namely, Anna, Mary, 
 James, Hosea, and Elbridge. 
 
 John W. Giffin, the father, was born in 
 Hardwick, August 4, 1804. Soon after his 
 marriage he settled in Barre upon a part of 
 his son's present farm, and tilled the soil in- 
 dustriously until his death, which occurred 
 May 20, 1874. In politics he was a Demo- 
 crat. Achsa, his wife, who was born in Pres- 
 cott, Mass., December 29, 181 1, had six chil- 
 dren, of whom five grew to maturity and three 
 are living. The latter are: Lucius O., the 
 subject of this sketch ; Mrs. Martha E. Flagg, 
 
 of West Fitchburg, Mass.; and William H. 
 Giffin, of Greenwich Village. The others 
 were: Lauriston, Mary H., and Julia. The 
 mother died August i, 1882. 
 
 Lucius O. Giffin was educated in the dis- 
 trict schools of Barre. After completing his 
 studies he turned his attention to agricult- 
 ure. Succeeding to the possession of the 
 home farm, he has increased it to one hundred 
 and forty acres, which he devotes to the rais- 
 ing of staple products. He is best known, 
 however, as a violinist. For years he has 
 been the leading musician in this section, 
 playing for dances, concerts, receptions, etc., 
 work that has been remunerative to him, as 
 well as a source of pleasure both to him and 
 the public. In politics he is a Republican. 
 On March 29, 1871, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Rosepha Paige. Born in Spencer, 
 Mass., November 15, 1841, she is a daughter 
 of Abram and Thankful B. (Hawkins) Paige. 
 Mr. Paige was born in Oxford, N.H., in 1815, 
 and his wife in Winchester, N.H., in 1809. 
 In his younger days he was a minister and 
 later an eclectic physician. He died in 1865, 
 aged fifty years. His wife died in March, 
 1889. They were the parents of three chil- 
 dren, of whom Rosepha, now Mrs. Giffin, is 
 the only one living. The others were: Sabra, 
 born November 5, 1840, who died March 22, 
 1841; and Eletta, born July 4, 1844, who 
 died September 11, 1849. Mrs. Giffin re- 
 ceived a good musical education; and, being 
 a fine pianist, she has assisted her husband 
 for many years in his entertainments. She 
 has two children: Charles H., born December 
 21, 1871, who married Bessie Lemon, and re- 
 sides in Barre; and Marion I. Giffin, born 
 December 24, 1882. On religious topics Mr. 
 Giffin's opinions are inclined to be liberal, 
 while Mrs. Giffin is an Episcopalian. 
 
 ir^vAVID BRAINARD WIGHT, who 
 1=1 is closely identified with the agri- 
 .^- JL^^ cultural and industrial resources of 
 Sturbridge, was born in this town, 
 April 4, 1849, son of David and Eunice F. 
 (Drake) Wight. The paternal grandfather, 
 also named David, was born in Sturbridge, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Novembers, 1786. He was a civil engineer 
 and a farmer, and he served as a Representa- 
 tive to the General Court. His death oc- 
 curred on March 28, 1861. He married Lu- 
 cinda Marsh, who, born May 22, 1785, died 
 December 17, i860. 
 
 David Wight, who was born in Sturbridge, 
 September 11, 181 1, completed his education 
 at the Nichols Academy, Dudley, Mass., and 
 afterward for several years was engaged in 
 teaching school. Then, turning his attention 
 to farming, he followed it for the rest of his 
 active period. In 1861 he purchased the old 
 Wight homestead of six hundred acres, situ- 
 ated in the part of Sturbridge that was set off 
 as the town of Southbridge in 18 16. He also 
 carried on an extensive lumber business. In 
 his later years he was a Republican. He 
 served with ability as a Selectman, Assessor, 
 Town Treasurer, and Overseer of the Poor. 
 In religious belief he was a Congregationalist. 
 He died in 1876. His wife, Eunice, a native 
 of Easton, Mass., born February i, 18 10, 
 whom he married on September 14, 1836, 
 gave birth to five children, namely: Emily 
 F., on July 10, 1837, who died August 14, 
 1846; Mary L., September 14, 1839, who 
 died November 8 of the same year; Ellen S., 
 September 27, 1843, who is now Mrs. Witter; 
 Mary A., March 15, 1847, who is now Mrs. 
 Corey; and David B., the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother died May 5, 1875. 
 
 After commencing his education in the 
 public schools, David Brainard Wight gradu- 
 ated from the Nichols Academy. Then for 
 some time he was employed in a sash, door, 
 and blind factory in Millbury, Mass. In 
 1867 he purchased one hundred and twenty- 
 four acres of his present farm, and later added 
 twenty acres. The various improvements he 
 has since made upon the land and buildings 
 have rendered his place one of the best ap- 
 pointed farms in this locality. In 1870 he 
 built a grist-mill and two years later a plan- 
 ing-mill. Besides general farming he con- 
 ducts a thriving lumber business. His pres- 
 ent dwelling occupies the site of the old 
 Wight residence built one hundred years ago, 
 which was moved to a position on the opposite 
 side of the road. The old house is in a good 
 
 state of preservation, and is still used as a 
 dwelling. 
 
 On June i, 1870, Mr. Wight was united in 
 marriage with Emily F. James, a daughter of 
 Lyman and Harriet (Towne) James. Mrs. 
 James was a native of Brimfield, and his wife 
 was born in Southbridge, Mass. Mrs. Wight 
 has had one son, David E., who, born August 
 9, 1873, died August 21, 1878. Mr. Wight 
 has been a Selectman and an Assessor. In 
 1885 he ably represented his district in the 
 legislature. Taking a lively interest in all 
 matters relative to farming, he is vice-presi- 
 dent of the Worcester South Agricultural So- 
 ciety. 
 
 m 
 
 ALTER FREDERICK BROOKS, 
 treasurer of the Worcester Corset 
 Company, was born in this city, 
 January 13, 1859, son of Charles Edwin and 
 Elizabeth Capron (Fanning) Brooks. His 
 father was born in Worcester, August 15, 
 1824, and his mother was a native of Con- 
 necticut and a daughter of Henry Wilson and 
 Sarah (Hale) Fanning. 
 
 Mr. Brooks is a representative of the ninth 
 generation of the family founded by Captain 
 Thomas Brooks, who, with his wife, Grace, 
 came to New England, and settled at Water- 
 town in 163 1. This is the ancestral line: 
 Captain Thomas," Deacon Joshua,^ Ensign 
 Daniel,3 Deacon John," Captain Samuel,' 
 Deacon Samuel,* Deacon Nathaniel, ' Charles 
 Edwin,* Walter Frederick. « 
 
 Captain Thomas Brooks was one of the orig- 
 inal proprietors of Concord, Mass., whither 
 he removed in 1635, and resided there the 
 rest of his life. Deacon Joshua Brooks, who 
 was born about the year 1630, married Han- 
 nah Mason on October 17, 1653, and lived in 
 Concord. Ensign Daniel Brooks, son of Dea- 
 con Joshua, born in Concord, November 15, 
 1663, married Ann Merriam in 1690. His 
 son. Deacon John Brooks, who was born Feb- 
 ruary 12, 1 70 1, married Lydia Barker. Cap- 
 tain Samuel Brooks, son of Deacon John, was 
 born March 16, 1729-30, and was the first of 
 the family to settle in Worcester, coming here 
 about the year 1750. He married Mrs. Han- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 183 
 
 nah Davis Brown. Deacon Samuel Brooks, 
 only son of Captain Samuel, was born in 
 Worcester, Mass., June 10, 1755. He re- 
 moved to Haverhill, N.H., and was Register 
 of Deeds for Grafton County many years. He 
 married Ann Bedel Butler, March 8, 1789. 
 Ann Bedel was a daughter of Colonel Timothy 
 Bedel, of Revolutionary fame, and had pre- 
 viously married Dr. Thaddeus Butler. 
 
 Deacon Nathaniel Brooks, second, the 
 grandfather of Walter Frederick, was a son of 
 Deacon Samuel, and was born in Haverhill, 
 N. H., October 3, 1797. His parents removed 
 from Haverhill with a large family of chil- 
 dren, and settled in Stanstead, Canada, where 
 they died and were buried, leaving descend- 
 ants who have been well and honorably known 
 in public affairs, among them a son Samuel, 
 who was a member of the Canadian Parliament. 
 At the age of twenty-one Nathaniel Brooks 
 settled in Worcester, Mass., the home of his 
 aged grandfather, who had died the previous 
 year, 181 7. He acquired prominence in pub- 
 lic affairs prior to its incorporation as a city, 
 serving as Selectman and in other town 
 offices, and as a member of the General Court 
 for two years. He was a Deacon of the Old 
 South Church, and was highly esteemed for 
 his many excellent qualities as a citizen and 
 neighbor. He died November 3, 1850. His 
 wife, Mary Chadwick, who was a member of 
 the family for which Chadwick Square was 
 named, was born in Worcester, July 3, 1794. 
 She died August 31, 1876. They were mar- 
 ried on April 8, 1822, and they had ten chil- 
 dren. The only one of the family living is 
 Mary Chadwick, who was born November 27, 
 1828, and is now the widow of John Ander- 
 son, formerly of the firm of Anderson, Heath 
 & Co., Boston. 
 
 Charles Edwin Brooks corripleted his educa- 
 tion at the Worcester Academy. When a 
 young man he left the farm to enter mercan- 
 tile life. After a service of four years in the 
 office of the Daily Spy he entered the grocery 
 business as a member of the firm of Brooks & 
 Stearns, whose store was at 8 Front Street. 
 He carried on business there ten or twelve 
 years. During a part of the war of the Re- 
 bellion he served as Commissary at New- 
 
 bern, N.C. Upon his return to this city he 
 became associated with his brother Horace 
 and his brother-in-law, David H. Fanning, in 
 the Worcester Skirt Company, which was 
 afterward changed to the Worcester Corset 
 Company. He was treasurer and librarian of 
 the Worcester County Horticultural Society 
 from 1879 until his death, which occurred 
 December 22, 1890. On December 2, 185 1, 
 he married Elizabeth Capron Fanning, who, 
 with two sons, Arthur Anderson and Walter 
 Frederick, survives him. Nearly seventy- 
 six years of age, Mrs. Brooks is still bright 
 and active. Her father, Henry Wilson Fan- 
 ning, named above, was of the sixth genera- 
 tion in descent from Edmund Fanning, who 
 settled at what is now Groton, Conn., in 
 1653. (For further notice of that family see 
 sketch of David H. Fanning, which appears 
 elsewhere in the Review.) Her mother was 
 of the well-known Hale family, of Connecti- 
 cut. Ella Brooks, only daughter of Charles 
 E. and Elizabeth C. F. Brooks, died at the 
 age of four years. The Rev. Arthur Ander- 
 son Brooks, the elder son, a graduate of Har- 
 vard University, class of 1879, and the Di- 
 vinity School, class of 1884, was ordained 
 and installed in 1885 minister of the Third 
 Congregational (Unitarian) Society, Green- 
 field, Mass. He resigned his charge in 1896, 
 and is now abroad for study and recreation. 
 
 Walter Frederick Brooks, the subject of 
 this sketch, was graduated at the Worcester 
 High School, class of 1877, fitted for college. 
 Preferring, however, a business life, he en- 
 tered the employ of George Crompton, and 
 was in the office of the Loom Works about two 
 years. The succeeding eleven years he was 
 with William H. Morse, banker; and in 1891 
 he, in partnership with J. F. Rock, leased the 
 Worcester Theatre, which they carried on for 
 three years. In January, 1896, he was 
 elected treasurer of the Worcester Corset 
 Company. Needless to say, his qualifications 
 for this responsible position enable him to 
 administer the financial affairs of the concern 
 in a most satisfactory manner. 
 
 In politics Mr. Brooks is a stanch Republi- 
 can. He is a member of the Worcester 
 County Commandery, Knights Templar, Order 
 
184 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Masons; of the Worcester Society of An- 
 tiquity; the New England Historic Genealog- 
 ical Society, Boston ; and several other well- 
 known organizations. He resides at 54 
 Queen Street, Worcester. 
 
 ENJAMIN A. JOURDAN, one of 
 the best known men of Upton, was 
 
 \(^ ) born in Grafton, Mass., in 1832. 
 His father was David Jourdan, who 
 came from Connecticut, and for many years 
 was engaged in the provision business in 
 Grafton. David also dealt quite extensively 
 in cattle and sheep, which he collected in 
 large' droves from various places and resold to 
 farm.ers in other localities. 
 
 While still a boy, Benjamin A. Jourdan 
 became familiar with the meat business.' At 
 the age of twenty-one he went to Upton, and 
 engaged in business for himself. From that 
 time until his retirement in 1895 he dealt 
 largely in meat, which he purchased at Brigh- 
 ton and of the neighboring farmers. Some 
 years ago he embarked in the ice business in 
 Upton, storing his crop in an old school-house 
 until better accommodations could be pro- 
 vided. He now disposes of about nine hun- 
 dred tons per year. Also engaged in agricult- 
 ure, he owns a good farm. In public affairs 
 he has been conspicuous for many years, being 
 a leading supporter of the Republican party in 
 this section. His efforts to forward the best 
 interests of the community are heartily appre- 
 ciated by his fellow-townsmen. He is now 
 serving his fourth year as chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen, and he has been a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Assessors. He was a 
 Representative to the legislature in 1880 and 
 189s, serving in both terms upon the State 
 House Committee, in which he helped to for- 
 mulate the plans for enlarging the building. 
 He has also presided at town meetings. 
 
 Mr. Jourdan first married Ann M. Bellows, 
 formerly a well-to-do resident of Farnums- 
 ville. Her father was for many years a hotel- 
 keeper, and also owned a good deal of land, 
 upon which he built houses for sale. His 
 last days were spent in retirement upon his 
 farm. Mrs. Ann Jourdan was the mother of 
 
 two children, both of whom died young. She 
 died in April, 1893. A second marriage 
 united Mr. Jourdan with Lizzie M. Gould, 
 the adopted daughter of James Gould. Mr. 
 Gould, who had previously been a fisherman at 
 the Cape, followed the shoemaker's trade in 
 Upton and Milford for a time. Subsequently 
 he returned to the Cape, and was following 
 his first occupation again, when his boat upset 
 in a squall, and he, with two- others, was 
 drowned. Mrs. Jourdan was then thirteen 
 years old. Mr. Jourdan has been the presi- 
 dent of the Farmers' Club, and has on vari- 
 ous occasions been marshal. He was made a 
 Mason in Franklin Lodge. 
 
 IpvEACON JAMES S. MONTAGiJE, 
 I =^ formerly a prominent business man 
 ^- Jl^^J °^ Brookfield, son of Joseph and 
 Elizabeth (Sears) Montague, was 
 born in Cambridge, Vt., March 19, 1818. 
 The father, a native of Bennington, Vt., born 
 July 6, 1781, spent the greater part of his life 
 in Cambridge, where he followed the carpen- 
 ter's trade in connection with farming. Serv- 
 ing as a soldier in the War of 18 12, he took 
 part in the battle of Plattsburg; and he was a 
 leading spirit in town affairs. His wife, 
 Elizabeth, who was born in Arlington, Vt., 
 in July, 1783, was at the time of her marriage 
 residing in Sutton, Conn. 
 
 James S. Montague was educated in the 
 common schools of his native town. In his 
 youth, when not occupied with his studies, he 
 assisted his father at the bench and upon the 
 farm. When a young man, having come to 
 North Brookfield, he worked at shoemaking 
 there for some time. In 1843 he located in 
 Brookfield, where he engaged in currying 
 leather. Then he began the manufacture of 
 boots and shoes, which he carried on success- 
 fully for a number of years. In 1873 a pul- 
 monary affection, which eventually proved 
 fatal, compelled him to relinquish active busi- 
 ness and live in the South during the winter 
 for the next few years. Afterward he trans- 
 acted considerable fire and life insurance busi- 
 ness. Upright and honorable, he had the 
 confidence and respect of his fellow-towns- 
 
SULLIVAN G. PROCTOR. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 187 
 
 men. As Selectman, Town Treasurer, and 
 Representative to the legislature he rendered 
 efficient services to the community. In poli- 
 tics during his later years he was a Republi- 
 can, having previously sided with the Free 
 Soil movement and been a zealous abolition- 
 ist. For thirty years in the Congregational 
 church, he acted as a Deacon and led the 
 singing; and he was an earnest advocate of 
 temperance. He died December 15, 1879, in 
 his sixty-second year. 
 
 On June 2, 1843, Mr. Montague married 
 Rhoda B. Potter, of North Erookfield, a 
 daughter of Dr. Cheney and Lucy (Hunter) 
 Potter. Dr. Potter, a native and for some 
 years a Selectman of that town, was a well- 
 known physician, with a large practice in 
 North Brookfield, Spencer, Oakham, and New 
 Braintree. He died in his fifty-fourth year. 
 Of his children, there are three survivors: 
 Rhoda B., who became Mrs. Montague; Laura 
 H. , the wife of William Montague, of North 
 Brookfield; and Lucy H., the wife of James 
 Pickens, of Middleboro, Mass. The late 
 Deacon Montague was the father of three chil- 
 dren, namely: Lucy E., the wife of W. W. 
 Brown, a prominent lumber dealer of Port- 
 land, Me.; Laura E. , who is no longer liv- 
 ing; and William F. Montague, now a resi- 
 dent of Riverside, Cal. Mrs. Montague still 
 occupies the homestead in Brookfield, and is 
 sincerely beloved by a large circle of friends, 
 who deeply appreciate her rare traits of char- 
 acter. She is a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 'ULLIVAN G. PROCTOR, a re- 
 tired business man of Fitchburg, 
 was born in Reading, Vt. , July i, 
 1808. His father, John Proctor, a 
 native of Westford, Mass., was engaged in 
 farming and carpentering during his active 
 period, and lived to be ninety-one years old. 
 John Proctor married Betsy Snow, of Lunen- 
 burg, Mass., and she died at eighty-four. Of 
 her eight children, Sullivan G. is the third 
 and the only one living. 
 
 Sullivan G. Proctor served an apprentice- 
 ship at the blacksmith's trade with his half- 
 
 brother, Daniel Works, in Fitchburg, and 
 later learned the machinist's trade with Martin 
 Newton, a prominent man of the town. While 
 yet a young man he engaged in the machine 
 business on his own account, doing repairing 
 and all kinds of iron work for a number of 
 years. Subsequently he became associated 
 with Luther Howard in the livery business on 
 Oliver Street, under the firm name of Proctor 
 & Howard. Three years later bis partner 
 withdrew, and Mr. Proctor continued the busi- 
 ness alone for three years, when he sold out to 
 his former associate. Afterward, in 'company 
 with Nathan Tolman, he started in the iron 
 business upon the site now occupied by Nicho- 
 las & Frost's store, and continued there until 
 the building of the railroad. Then the firm 
 of Proctor & Tolman erected Rollstone Block, 
 and removed their business to the basement of 
 the new building. Some years later Mr. 
 Proctor sold his interest to his partner, and 
 after the latter's death he bought of the heirs 
 a half-interest in the building. Once more 
 associating himself with Luther Howard, he 
 took a contract that employed him for six 
 years, to prepare the wood used by the loco- 
 motives of the Fitchburg Railway from 
 Charlestown to this city and for the Vermont 
 & Massachusetts Railway from Fitchburg to 
 Brattleboro. About i860, in company with 
 I. C. Wright, he purchased the hardware store 
 carried on up to that time by a Mr. Wallace, 
 and occupying the site of the present Dickin- 
 son Block. Two years later that business was 
 sold to Woodward & Fairbanks, and Mr. Proc- 
 tor engaged in the coal business in company 
 with James F. D. Garfield, under the firm 
 name of Garfield & Proctor. A short time 
 later he withdrew from the concern in favor of 
 his son, George N. Proctor, who is still a 
 member of the firm; and the elder Proctor has 
 since been engaged in attending to his real es- 
 tate interests. 
 
 In 1833 Mr. Proctor married for his first 
 wife Mary Newton, daughter of Martin New- 
 ton, of Fitchburg. She died in January, 
 
 1 881, leaving one son, George Newton Proc- 
 tor, born July 31, 1842. On October 30, 
 
 1882, Mr. Sullivan G. Proctor married for his 
 second wife Sibyl Jaquith, a daughter of John 
 
iS8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S. and Sarah B. Jaquith, well-known people 
 of Ashby, Mass. George N. Proctor married 
 Mary Newton, of Rochester, N. Y. , and has 
 two sons: George N., Jr., born December lo, 
 1882; and James Sullivan Proctor, born No- 
 vember 4, 1884. In politics Mr. Proctor was 
 originally a Whig. Later he became a sup- 
 porter of the Free Soil Party, and he has acted 
 with the Republican party since its formation. 
 He is a member of the Unitarian Parish. His 
 business life has been successful as well as ac- 
 tive, and he is widely known and highly re- 
 spected as one of Fitchburg's representative 
 citizens. Mr. Proctor occupies a pleasantly 
 situated residence on Newton Place, which he 
 erected in 1835. 
 
 man. 
 
 LIVER B. E. CHIPMAN, a retired 
 baker of Southbridge, was born in 
 Mendon, Mass., June 17, 1838, son of 
 Stephen R. and Phoebe (Cass) Chip- 
 The paternal grandfather was Stephen 
 Chipman, a resident of Barre, Mass. The 
 maiden name of his wife, whom he wedded in 
 1796, was Ann Henry. He died on Decem- 
 ber 17, 1827, and she in 1830. 
 
 Stephen R. Chipman, the father, who was 
 born in Barre, July 4, 1798, followed the 
 painter's trade in Mendon during his years of 
 activity, and died in July, 1849. His wife, a 
 daughter of John Cass, was born in that part 
 of Mendon now Blackstone, July i, 1806. 
 Her father, born December 29, 1761, who was 
 a son of Jonathan and Abigail (Salisbury) 
 Cass, and came of English stock on the 
 father's side, died in 1844. He married Jo- 
 anna Hunt, who was born October 28, 1762. 
 They had twelve children, of whom Phcebe 
 was the eleventh-born. Stephen R. and 
 Phoebe Chipman were the parents of three 
 sons: Stephen R., who followed the painter's 
 trade in Uxbridge, Mass., and died there, 
 leaving a widow and two sons — James and 
 Edward Chipman; William H., who is now 
 employed at a spool and bobbin factory in 
 Woonsocket, R.I. ; and Oliver B. E. Chip- 
 man, the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Having attended the public schools of 
 Northbridge, Mass., Oliver B. E, Chipman 
 
 was employed as a farm assistant for several 
 years. Then he came to Southbridge, and 
 opened a bakery in Pellett Block on Main 
 Street in 1866. With the exception of two 
 years he followed that business until 1895. 
 On April 30, 1871, he contracted the first of 
 his two marriages with Ellen M. Macomber, a 
 daughter of William and Mary Macomber, of 
 Sturbridge, Mass. Of that union there were 
 two children: Lillian I., born in May, 1873; 
 and Oliver E., born in May, 1874. Both died 
 in infancy. The mother passed away in 1875. 
 At his second marriage Mr. Chipman wedded 
 Julia A. Sibley, a daughter of Russell and 
 Cyrene (Hall) Sibley, of Spencer, Mass., and 
 a descendant of an old Sutton family. Her 
 great-grandfather and grandfather were both 
 named Paul Sibley; and the maiden name of 
 her grandmother was Livermore. Mrs. Chip- 
 man is the mother of one son, Frank Sibley 
 Chipman, born May 30, 1877, who is a gradu- 
 ate of the Southbridge High School. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Chipman is a Republican. 
 At one time he was chairman of the Board of 
 Selectmen, having been a member of that 
 body from 1893 to 1898. In 1897 he was ap- 
 pointed Superintendent of Streets. As a 
 public official he is laboring diligently for the 
 best interests of the town. He is a Master 
 Mason, and belongs to Quinebaug Lodge. 
 His religious belief is the Universalists' 
 creed. 
 
 Harris, 
 to be a 
 
 EDWIN HARRIS, one of the lead- 
 ing merchants of Milford, was born 
 May 18, 1830, in Marlow, N.H., a 
 son of Almon and Phoebe (Sheldon) 
 He is of Scotch ancestry, and is said 
 descendant of one of three brothers 
 who were impressed into the English army, 
 from which they deserted and came to Amer- 
 ica. One located in Maine, one in Medway, 
 Mass., and one in Rhode Island. The brother 
 who settled in Medway (from whom the sub- 
 ject of this sketch is descended) went thence 
 to Nelson, now Harrisville, when a young 
 man, and there carried on a successful woollen 
 manufactory. An active man, of military 
 temperament, he served as a soldier in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 189 
 
 Indian wars. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Twitchel, was born in Dublin, N.H. 
 They had six sons and three daughters. 
 
 Bethuel Harris, the paternal grandfather of 
 B. Edwin, was a widely known woollen manu- 
 facturer, and resided in Nelson, N. H., which 
 place is now known as Harrisville. His third 
 son, Almon, was born in Nelson in the year 
 1800. He continued his father's business in 
 that town very successfully until 1826, when 
 he married Phoebe Sheldon, and moved to 
 Marlow, N.H., where he carried on a woollen 
 business. In 1847 he moved to Penacook, 
 N.H., and built the Dustin Island Woollen 
 Mills, where he continued in the same busi- 
 ness until his death, September 15, 1876. 
 His wife, Phoebe, bore him three sons, 
 namely: Ezra S. Harris, who was a prosper- 
 ous woollen manufacturer in Penacook until 
 his death in 1892; Almon A., now a retired 
 woollen manufacturer; and B. Edwin, the 
 special subject of this sketch. 
 
 B. Edwin Harris was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of Harrisville. After the removal 
 of the family in 1847 to Penacook (then 
 known as Fisherville) he worked in his 
 father's woollen factory there until attaining 
 his majority. Starting then in life on his 
 own account, he secured a situation with the 
 firm of Sears, Johnson & Putnam, wholesale 
 clothiers in Boston, Mass., with whom he re- 
 mained five years. In 1855 he came to Mil- 
 ford, and embarked in business for himself as 
 junior member of the firm of Woodward & 
 Harris, dealers in clothing. One year later 
 he purchased his partner's interest in the 
 store, which he conducted under the name of 
 B. E. Harris until 1888. In that year he ad- 
 mitted his son, B. Edwin Harris, Jr., as 
 junior partner of the firm of B. E. Harris & 
 Son, under which style the business has since 
 been carried on, notwithstanding the son's 
 death in 1895. Since the latter event Mr. 
 Harris has carried on the business alone, hav- 
 ing one of the most complete gentlemen's fur- 
 nishing and clothing houses in this section of 
 the county. In politics he affiliates with the 
 Republican party. He is known as a man of 
 excellent financial ability, is president of the 
 Home National Bank of Milford, and has been 
 
 treasurer of the Milford Gas Company for over 
 thirty years. 
 
 On October 18, 1865, he married Abbie 
 Mellen Eames, daughter of Charles T. Eames, 
 of Milford. They have had five children, 
 namely: B. Edwin Harris, Jr., who was born 
 November 11, 1866, and died November g, 
 189s ; Amelia Claflin, born April 7, 1868, 
 who was educated in Lasell Seminary at Au- 
 burndale, Mass. ; Frank Sheldon, who was 
 born November 19, 1871, and died July 22, 
 1873; Helen Sophia, born March 14, 1875, 
 and Mary Capen, born November 5, 1877, 
 both of whom are students at Smith College, 
 Northampton. 
 
 WILLIAM G. KEITH, senior mem- 
 ber of the firm Keith & Hiscock, 
 dealers in hardware, stoves, etc., in 
 East Brookfield, was born in Chesterville, 
 Me., December 22, 1855. A son of Joseph 
 and Mercy (Gale) Keith, he is a descendant 
 of a Presbyterian clergyman of distinction 
 who was an early settler in Bridgewater, 
 Mass. His paternal grandfather, Joseph 
 Keith, Sr., was a resident of Chesterville. 
 The father, who spent his lifetime in that 
 town, followed the trade of a wool-carder and 
 cloth-dresser. The mother was a native of 
 Knox County, Maine. 
 
 William G. Keith resided in Chesterville 
 until he was fifteen years old. Then he went 
 to Wilton, Me., where he served an appren- 
 ticeship of seven years to the tinsmith's trade 
 with H. S. Houghton. After some further 
 time spent in Mr. Houghton's employment 
 at journey-work, he came in 1879 to East 
 Brookfield, and started in business on a small 
 scale as a jobber and dealer in stoves, tinware, 
 etc. In 1894 he began the erection of his 
 present building, known as Keith Block; and 
 in January, 1895, the firm of Keith & Hiscock 
 was established in their new store, containing 
 three floors and a basement, all of which are 
 devoted to their business. The concern car- 
 ries a large and varied line of hard and tin 
 ware, including stoves, plumbing supplies, 
 kitchen utensils, furniture, undertakers' 
 goods, and other salable merchandise. One 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 191 
 
 of Doctor of Medicine. Having begun prac- 
 tice in Eastford, he afterward followed his 
 profession there until his death, which oc- 
 curred in May, 1834. He married Esther 
 Burnham, who belonged to an old and well- 
 known New England family. They reared 
 two children, namely: Patrick Henry, who 
 died April 16, 1893; and Charles V., the 
 subject of this biography. 
 
 Charles Victor Carpenter passed his boy- 
 hood in his native town, receiving his educa- 
 tion in the local schools. In 1848 he came 
 to Southbridge, and found employment with 
 Oliver Ammidown, who then had a store in 
 the Comstock Building. He subsequently 
 worked for Captain Luther Ammidown & 
 Sons, whose store was located on the site of 
 the present library building. In 1852 he 
 went to Worcester, Mass., as a clerk for the 
 firm of Chamberlain, Barnard & Co., now the 
 Barnard, Sumner & Putnam Company. There 
 he had as associate clerks the late George 
 Sumner and Otis Putnam of the present 
 house. In 1859 he returned to Southbridge, 
 and entered the employment of John Edwards. 
 Two years later he and Mr. Edwards united 
 in the firm Edwards & Co., and thereafter 
 conducted an extensive dry-goods business 
 until 1872, when the senior partner retired. 
 The firm was succeeded by that of Carpenter, 
 Irwin & Co., of which Stephen P. Irwin, Jr., 
 a former clerk, who was thoroughly familiar 
 with the business, was a member. This part- 
 nership lasted until 1880, when Mr. Carpenter 
 opened a store of his own in the Whitford 
 Building, at the corner of Main and Hamil- 
 ton Streets. Later he formed a copartner- 
 ship with Calvin D. Paige, and for a time 
 carried on business in the Edwards Opera 
 House Block. The firm was subsequently 
 changed to Paige, Carpenter, Colburn & Co., 
 and is now the Paige, Carpenter Company. 
 The corporation's store is the largest one that 
 is entirely devoted to dry goods in the south- 
 ern part of Worcester County. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Carpenter was a Representa- 
 tive to the State legislature, where he served 
 on the Committee on Prisons. He is a trus- 
 tee of the Southbridge Savings Bank and a 
 stockholder of the Southbridge & Sturbridge 
 
 Street Railway Company, of the local gas 
 company, and of the Southbridge Electric 
 Light Company. An active and prominent 
 Mason, he belongs to Quinnebaug Lodge and 
 to Phoenix Council, of which he is Past Re- 
 gent and Past District Deputy. In the South 
 Congregational Church he is a Deacon, hav- 
 ing served the society in many of its commit- 
 tees, including the one that had charge of the 
 erection of the present church edifice. The 
 first of his two marriages was contracted in 
 1854 with Lucy M. Haynes, who was a daugh- 
 ter of Deacon Henry Haynes, of Sturbridge, 
 and who died in 1856. The second marriage 
 was made on June 8, 1858, with Sarah J., 
 daughter of Stephen P. and Sally R. (Rem- 
 ington) Irwin. Of the children born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Carpenter, two are now living, 
 namely: Cora L., the wife of F. W. Boulton, 
 of Spencer, Mass.; and Josephine I., the 
 wife of C. H. Edmunds, of Southbridge. 
 
 James 
 Blair, 
 
 OSEPH BLAIR, one of the most enter- 
 prising and prosperous agriculturists of 
 Warren, was born in this town, Sep- 
 tember 19, 1838. A son of Captain 
 Blair, he is a grandson of James 
 who was the founder of the Blair 
 family in Worcester County. Captain Blair, 
 who spent his eighty-three years of life in 
 Warren, was prominent alike in business, 
 military, and political affairs. For many 
 years he commanded a company of local mili- 
 tia, was an Overseer of the Poor for a number 
 of terms, and during the larger part of his life 
 he was a member of the Congregational 
 church. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Anna M. Hutchins, was born and bred in 
 Killingly, Conn. Of their children, three 
 survive, as follows: Mary A., the widow of 
 A. W. Lincoln, late of Warren ; Henrietta 
 v., the wife of Theodore Bishop, of Verona, 
 N. Y. ; and Joseph, the subject of this biog- 
 raphy. 
 
 Joseph Blair received his early education 
 in the common schools of Warren, finishing 
 in the high school. Trained to agriculture 
 from his youthful days, he has since followed 
 the same occupation. He is now the owner 
 
192 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of a valuable farm of one hundred and fifty- 
 five acres, on which he raises abundant crops 
 and live stock, and keeps a dairy, having some 
 fine specimens of cattle. A strong Republi- 
 can in politics, he is actively interested in ad- 
 vancing the educational and moral interests of 
 the community. Under a former school sys- 
 tem he served as director of his school dis- 
 trict. 
 
 On January 30, 1862, Mr. Blair married 
 Miss Anna M. Dale, who was born in Salem, 
 Mass., a daughter of Joseph Dale. Of their 
 three children, Joseph A. and Mary are de- 
 ceased. Their only living child, James R., 
 is a chemist in Boston. 
 
 OSEPH BUBIER BANCROFT, one of 
 the foremost citizens of Hopedale, for 
 many years connected with the Hope- 
 dale Machine Company, which is now 
 incorporated with the Draper Company, was 
 born in Uxbridge, Mass., October 3, 1821, 
 one of the ten children of Samuel and Mary 
 (Bubier) Bancroft. He is a descendant in the 
 eighth generation of John and Jane Bancroft, 
 who came to America from London in 1632, 
 settling in Lynn. From John Bancroft" the 
 line of descent is traced through Thomas/ 
 Thomas,' Samuel,'' Samuel, 5 Samuel,^ Sam- 
 uel, ' to Joseph B. ^ 
 
 In early manhood Mr. Bancroft learned the 
 trade of machinist, which he followed in 
 Woonsocket, R.I., Putnam, Conn., and in 
 Medway, Slatersville, Uxbridge, Whitins- 
 ville, and Worcester, Mass. Coming to 
 Hopedale in 1846, he joined the "Hopedale 
 community," and was appointed superintend- 
 ent and treasurer of the Hopedale Machine 
 Works, which then employed but three men. 
 This small force was gradually increased until 
 the disbandment of the community, whereupon 
 the business passed into the control of Messrs. 
 Thwing and Bancroft. Subsequently Mr. 
 Bancroft, becoming a partner with Eben and 
 George Draper, took charge of the cotton ma- 
 chinery department, this connection lasting 
 for some years. Shortly after the Civil War, 
 when General William F. Draper became a 
 member of the firm, Mr, Bancroft became gen- 
 
 eral superintendent of the works, which posi- 
 tion he filled until recently. He is now 
 vice-president of the Draper Company. Mr. 
 Bancroft is interested in various other busi- 
 ness enterprises, among them the Milford Gas 
 Light Company, of which he is president. 
 As a useful and public-spirited citizen he has 
 been deservedly honored with responsible 
 official positions. In 1864 he represented the 
 town in the General Court, and served on the 
 Committee on Engrossed Bills. For several 
 years he was chairman of the Selectmen of the 
 town of Milford, of which town Hopedale was 
 then a part. After the division of the towns 
 in 1886, he was chairman of the Selectmen, of 
 the Road Commissioners, and of the Over- 
 seers of the Poor. He has also been delegate 
 to numerous Republican conventions, besides 
 serving on various town committees. In 
 earlier life he was active in Masonry, and he 
 is now a member of Montgomery Lodge, F. & 
 A. M.; Mount Lebanon Chapter, R. A. M. ; 
 and of Milford Commandery, K. T. 
 
 Mr. Bancroft was married September 11, 
 1844, to Sylvia Willard Thwing, who was 
 born in Uxbridge, June 26, 1824, a daughter 
 of Benjamin and Anna (Mowry) Thwing. He 
 has had ten children — Eben Draper, Charles 
 Eugene, Minerva Louisa, William, Walter, 
 Anna Minerva, Mary Gertrude, Charles Fred- 
 erick, Lilla J., and Lura Belle. Minerva L., 
 William, and Walter, who were triplets, died 
 in infancy. Charles Eugene died on March 
 27, 1849. Anna M., who taught for some 
 years successfully in the Fairhaven, Hopkin- 
 ton, and Milford High Schools, is a lady of 
 cultivated literary taste, and belongs to sev- 
 eral educational clubs in Milford, Worcester, 
 and Boston. Mary G. married Walter P. 
 Winsor, of Fairhaven, Mass., cashier of the 
 First National Bank in New Bedford and one 
 of the most prominent and influential citizens 
 of Fairhaven. She has four children — Wal- 
 ter P., Jr., Anna Bancroft, Bancroft, and 
 Allen Pellington. Charles Frederick Ban- 
 croft died September 14, 1868. Lilla J. mar- 
 ried Howard W. Bracken, head draughtsman 
 of the Draper Company. She was educated 
 at Greenfield Academy, and taught in the high 
 school at Hopedale for some years before her 
 
JOSEPH B. BANCROFT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 •9S 
 
 marriage. Lura Belle is the wife of Charles 
 M. Day, who is general superintendent of the 
 Draper Company, secretary of the town Board 
 of Streets and Highways, and one of Hope- 
 dale's most popular citizens. Mrs. Bancroft 
 died April 20, 1898; and Mr. Bancroft is now 
 erecting a very handsome memorial library, 
 which, upon its completion, will be presented 
 to the town of Hopedale. 
 
 BEN DRAPER BANCROFT, the eld- 
 est child and now the only living son 
 of Joseph B. and Sylvia W. 
 (Thwing) Bancroft, was born in Hopedale, 
 Mass., August 27, 1847. He received his 
 education in Hopedale, Milford, and at a pri- 
 vate school in Providence, R.I., where he 
 took a course in civil engineering. Return- 
 ing to Hopedale in October, 1864, he assumed 
 charge of the accounts in the office of what 
 was then the E. D. & G. Draper Company, a 
 few years later becoming the purchasing agent 
 of the firm, which position he still holds. He 
 also has general charge of the offices of the 
 Draper] Company. One of the most capable 
 and thoroughly posted men in the business, his 
 efficient services are appreciated at their true 
 value by the management. He is also treas- 
 urer of the Glasgo Yarn Mills Company, of 
 Glasgo, Conn., and of the Glasgo Thread Mill, 
 of Worcester, Mass., a director in the Mil- 
 ford Water Company, and has been treasurer 
 of the town of Hopedale since its incorpora- 
 tion in 1886. He also for a short period man- 
 aged the American Architect, which is now 
 conducted by the Messrs. Ware. He is treas- 
 urer of the Unitarian parish in Hopedale. 
 Mr. Bancroft is active in politics, and perhaps 
 few men in the State wield a iliore potent 
 local influence than he. He has taken part 
 in Republican conventions since he was 
 twenty-one years old. He was also manager 
 of the two successful campaigns of his noted 
 kinsman. General William F. Draper, now 
 United States Ambassador and Minister Plen- 
 ipotentiary to Italy, in his candidature for the 
 United States Congress. He is a member of 
 the three local organizations of Free Masons, 
 was for two years Commander of Mjlford Com- 
 
 mandery, K. T., and is therefore a member of 
 the Grand Commandery. 
 
 On September 9, 1874, Mr. Bancroft was 
 united in marriage with Lelia Coburn, who 
 was born September 14, 1846, a daughter of 
 Alonzo and Eliza (Curtis) Jones Coburn. 
 He has two children: Alice Coburn, born 
 July 3, 1876; and Joseph Bubier, born Febru- 
 ary 26, 1880, who is now fitting for Harvard 
 College in a private school in New York. 
 
 Y^TERBERT E. CUMMINGS, of North 
 I pi I Brookfield, a general merchant and 
 II 9 I the proprietor of the North Brook- 
 ^~^ field Creamery, was born April 11, 
 1852, in Leverett, Franklin County, Mass. 
 A son of Charles Cummings, he comes of 
 English origin and of Revolutionary stock. 
 His great-grandfather, Gashon Cummings, 
 fought for independence in the Revolution. 
 The father, born and reared in Spencer, 
 Mass., subsequently resided in different Mas- 
 sachusetts towns, and died Feljruary 21, 1895, 
 in North Brookfield. His wife, in maiden- 
 hood Eliza Wadsworth, born in Woodstock, 
 Conn., was a grand-daughter of a Revolution- 
 ary soldier and a direct descendant of Chris- 
 topher Wadsworth, who was one of the orig- 
 inal settlers of Duxbury, Mass., and is said to 
 have come from England in the "Mayflower." 
 The Wadsworth coat of arms is a handsomely 
 ornamented shield, surmounted by a winged 
 globe, on which stands an eagle with wings 
 outspread, with the motto, "Aquila non capit 
 Muscas," on a scroll beneath the shield. 
 
 Having been taken to Spencer by his par- 
 ents when he was four years old, Herbert E. 
 Cummings was practically educated in that 
 town. At the age of fifteen he went with the 
 family to New Braintree, Worcester County, 
 and three years later he came to North Brook- 
 field. Here he was first employed on a farm 
 for a few years. This occupation he gave up 
 to become a clerk in the general store of Dun- 
 can & Delvey, for whom he worked seven 
 years. In 1880 he and Sumner Holmes, in 
 the firm Holmes & Cummings, started a mer- 
 cantile business, and subsequently conducted 
 it for two years. Then the partnership was 
 
196 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dissolved, and Mr. Cummings has since been 
 the sole proprietor of the store. He carries 
 a complete stock of dry goods, boots and 
 shoes, groceries, flour, and provisions of all 
 kinds, including creamery butter, of which he 
 makes a specialty, it being the product of the 
 North Brookfield Creamery, which he has 
 owned since 1893. Fraternally, he belongs 
 to the North Brookfield Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; 
 and to the local grange, P. of H., in which he 
 has served as Overseer. 
 
 On November 15, 1876, Mr. Cummings 
 married Frances A., daughter of George Har- 
 wood, whose death occurred at his late home 
 in North Brookfield, March 5, 1897. Mr. 
 Harwood was a prominent agriculturist of 
 North Brookfield, served in many of the town 
 offices, and for several years was a trustee of 
 the local savings-bank. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Cummings are members of the First Congre- 
 gational Church. 
 
 11" 
 
 kOBERT A. BECKWITH, Postmas- 
 ter of Southbridge, was born on 
 Fisher's Island, N.Y., June 26, 
 1865, son of Wilson and Eunice 
 (Beebe) Beckwith. Both the Beckwiths and 
 Beebes are old Connecticut families. The 
 latter are directly descended from Governor 
 Winthrop. Wilson Beckwith, born in Ches- 
 ter, Conn., in 1812, spent the active period of 
 his life engaged in agriculture. He is now 
 residing in Monson, Mass. By his first wife, 
 whose maiden name was Tiffany, there were 
 two sons — Henry and Samuel. Samuel 
 Beckwith served for one year and three months 
 in the Civil War as a member of Company E, 
 Twenty-second Regiment, Connecticut Volun- 
 teers, and died immediately after his return. 
 Eunice Beebe Beckwith, Wilson Beckwith's 
 second wife, a daughter of Manley Beebe, of 
 Millington, Conn., became the mother of 
 seven children. Of these, our are living, 
 namely: Belle, who married Leonard Rath- 
 bun, and resides in Monson; John F., an en- 
 gineer at the Flint Granite Works in that 
 town; Robert A., the subject of this sketch; 
 and Pearl, the wife of Charles C. Keep, also 
 of Monson. The mother died in 1880. 
 
 Robert A. Beckwith was educated in the 
 public schools of Monson, Mass. After the 
 completion of his studies he worked for one 
 summer as a farm assistant. Coming to 
 Southbridge in 1881, he entered the employ 
 of the American Optical Company. With the 
 exception of one year spent as a clerk in the 
 clothing store of J. A. White & Co., of this 
 town, he remained with the Optical Company 
 sixteen years. Beginning with fifty cents per 
 day, he in the course of time reached a posi- 
 tion commanding a good salary. After spend- 
 ing three years in the gold room, he was trans- 
 ferred to the steel department as assistant 
 foreman. 
 
 For a number of years Mr. Beckwith has 
 been closely identified with local politics, 
 having served as the secretary of the Republi- 
 can Town Committee; and he was appointed 
 Postmaster by President McKinley in 1897. 
 On October 22, 1890, he married Lizzie E. 
 Chamberlain, a daughter of Freeman and Mary 
 A. (Marcy) Chamberlain, of Southbridge. 
 Mrs. Beckwith is the mother of one daughter, 
 Eunice May, who was born in May, 1895. 
 Mr. Beckwith is Past Grand of Southbridge 
 Lodge, No. 47, L O. O. F. ; Past Chancellor 
 of Armor Lodge, No. ^y, K, of P.; and a 
 member of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
 ciation. Some years ago he united with the 
 Central Baptist Church, which he serves in 
 the capacity of assistant superintendent of its 
 Sunday-school. 
 
 UMNER HOLMES, a prosperous 
 merchant of North Brookfield and 
 a veteran of the Civil War, was 
 born in this town, December 27, 
 1833, son of Hartwell and Amanda (Stoddard) 
 Holmes. He comes of the same stock as the 
 late Oliver Wendell Holmes. His grand- 
 father, Hartwell Holmes (first), was a native 
 of Connecticut. The father, born in Wood- 
 stock, Conn., came to North Brookfield about 
 the year 1820, and here followed the, shoe- 
 maker's trade in connection with farming for 
 the rest of his life. Amanda Stoddard 
 Holmes, his wife, was a native of this town. 
 After leaving the public schools Sumner 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 197 
 
 Holmes engaged in shoemaking, and followed 
 it until 1862. Then he enlisted as a private 
 in Company F, Forty-second Regiment, Mas- 
 sachusetts Volunteer Infantry, for nine 
 months. Soon after he was promoted to the 
 rank of Third Sergeant, and he served for one 
 year under General Banks on the Lower Mis- 
 sissippi. Having been honorably discharged 
 in 1863, he returned home, and immediately 
 became the foreman in the bottoming depart- 
 ment of E. & A. H. Batcheller's shoe fac- 
 tory, having charge of an average force of four 
 hundred and fifty men. This position he held 
 until the fall of 1880, when he resigned. In 
 1 88 1 he formed a partnership with H. E. 
 Cummings, under the firm name of Holmes & 
 Cummings, for the purpose of engaging in a 
 general merchandise business. After two 
 years Mr. Holmes became the sole proprietor 
 of the store, and conducted it until 1891, 
 when he adopted his present line of trade. 
 He now carries a large stock of hardware, cut- 
 lery, farming tools, paints, oils, wall papers, 
 mouldings, etc. His business has already 
 reached large proportions, and his popularity 
 is sufficient to insure his future prosperity. 
 
 In politics Mr. Holmes is a Republican, 
 and he was formerly a member of the Repub- 
 lican Town Committee. He has served as 
 Constable and Overseer of the Poor; was Se- 
 lectman for a number of years, being the 
 chairman of the board during the greater part 
 of the time; and he was once a candidate for 
 the legislature from the old Eighteenth Dis- 
 trict. For some years he was the chief en- 
 gineer of the fire department, and the Holmes 
 Engine Company was named in his honor. 
 At present he is a Justice of the Peace. By 
 his marriage with Mercy P. Eaton, of John- 
 son, Vt., he has had three children, namely: 
 Olive A., now the wife of James E. Miller, 
 of Warren, Mass. ; Julia L., the wife of Will- 
 iam B. Gleason, of North Brookfield; and 
 Charles S. Holmes, who is no longer living. 
 
 Mr. Holmes was formerly Worshipful Mas- 
 ter of Hayden Lodge, F. & A. M., of Brook- 
 field, from which he was demitted in order to 
 become a charter member of Meridian Sun 
 Lodge, North Brookfield, of which he is a 
 Past Master. He is also a comrade of Ezra 
 
 Batcheller Post, No. 51, G. A. R. In relig- 
 ious belief he is a Congregationalist, and he 
 attends the Union church. 
 
 KREDERICK S. HUNT, of Rutland, a 
 manufacturer of patent ironclad veneer 
 baskets, roving cans, and lumber, and 
 a dealer in hard and soft wood, was born in 
 Worcester, Mass., on June 7, 1855, son of 
 Frederick S. and Amy (Stockweather) Hunt. 
 His father, a native of Bolton Corner, was a 
 peddler of Yankee notions in early life. 
 Later associated with M. E. Shattuck,- he be- 
 came a manufacturer of cigars in the firm of 
 Shattuck & Hunt. He died in 1864. His 
 wife, who was born in Mansfield, Conn., is 
 still living in Rutland. Their children were: 
 Amy E., Alice S., Frederick S., William J., 
 and George E. 
 
 Frederick S. Hunt, the subject of this 
 sketch, grew to manhood in Rutland, receiv- 
 ing his education in the public schools here 
 and at Worcester. He first began to earn his 
 own living by working at farming. When 
 twenty-one years of age he engaged in the 
 lumber business. He now owns a portable 
 mill, and manufactures both long and short 
 lumber. In 1892, at West Rutland, he 
 started in a small way the making of veneer 
 cans and roving baskets for use in cotton- 
 mills. To-day, so far as is known, his fac- 
 tory is the only one of the kind in the world. 
 Owing to the increase of his business he 
 erected his present premises in 1895. The 
 machinery used is made expressly for this kind 
 of work, and much of it has been invented by 
 Mr. Hunt. The business, which is in a flour- 
 ishing condition, is steadily increasing in its 
 scope, and employs eighteen workmen the 
 year around. Mr. Hunt expects soon to be 
 able to manufacture entirely from raw mate- 
 rial. He devotes his full attention to busi- 
 ness, and all details come under his super- 
 vision. 
 
 At the age of twenty-seven years Mr. Hunt 
 was united in marriage with Abbie G. Wales, 
 who was born in Rutland, daughter of Ivory 
 and Rebecca (Sargent) Wales. ' Of this union 
 seven children have been born ; namely. 
 
tg8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Frederick S., Edson I., Gertrude, Waldo, 
 Bertha, Bernice, and Harold. Mr. Hunt and 
 his wife are members of the Congregational 
 church. In politics Mr. Hunt is a Republi- 
 can. He has served the town as Assessor for 
 a period of eight years. 
 
 OSEPH SAUER, a Civil War veteran, 
 proprietor of the German-American 
 Hotel, Worcester, Mass., was born in 
 Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, January 
 29, 1839. His father, Wendel Sauer, entered 
 the French army as a substitute prior to 18 12, 
 and afterward followed the trade of a shoe- 
 maker. He reared a family of six children, 
 two of whom are living, namely: Jacob, aged 
 seventy-six years, who resides in Germany; 
 and Joseph, the subject of this sketch, who is 
 the youngest, and is the only one that came to 
 America. The father died at the age of sixty- 
 one years, and the mother at fifty-one. 
 
 Joseph Sauer was educated in the common 
 schools. When fifteen years old he came to 
 the United States, landing at New York after 
 a passage of thirty-two days. He was for 
 some time employed in a woollen-mill at 
 Broad Brook, Conn. ; and, coming to Worces- 
 ter in 1859, he found work in the Allen 
 & Wheelock pistol factory. He afterward 
 worked in the Crompton loom shops and still 
 later in the carbine factory of the Ballards, 
 with whom he remained until they moved their 
 business to Newburyport. During the Rebel- 
 lion he enlisted ars a musician in the Fifteenth 
 Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, with 
 which he served one year ; and in connection 
 with his regular duty in the band he nursed 
 the sick and wounded in the hospitals. In 
 1865 he established a German restaurant on 
 Front Street, and he has ever since carried on 
 a thriving business. Twenty-three years ago 
 he built the present German-American Hotel, 
 a four-story brick building, the caf6 and din- 
 ing-room being located on the ground floor, 
 while the three other floors are divided into 
 thirty -four well- ventilated sleeping- rooms. 
 This hostelry enjoys a liberal patronage. Mr. 
 Sauer is one of the best as well as the most 
 experienced German restaurateurs in the city. 
 
 and through energy and an earnest desire to 
 please his patrons has acquired a competency. 
 On August 13, 1864, Mr. Sauer was joined 
 in marriage with Caroline Meyer, who was 
 born in Wittenberg, Germany, April 25, 
 1 841, and came to America with her parents 
 when seven years old. She has one sister 
 living. Her father, Francis Meyer, died at 
 the age of sixty-five, and her mother lived to 
 be seventy-five years old. Mrs. Sauer has 
 had five children, the eldest of whom, a 
 daughter, died when twenty -one months old; 
 and a son also died in infancy. The living 
 are: Carrie, wife of Julius Ehlers, of Hart- 
 ford, Conn., and mother of two sons; Minnie, 
 wife of Herman Klingle, of this city; and 
 Emil, who is a pupil at the high school. 
 
 7TALARENCE H. PARKER, a prosper- 
 I Vt-^ ous merchant of Coldbrook Springs, in 
 ^^U^^ the town of Oakham, and an ex- 
 member of the legislature, was born 
 in this town, October 31, 1849, son of Daniel 
 M. and Mary A. (Brigham) Parker. His 
 grandparents, Moody and Milicent (Moulton) 
 Parker, were natives of Lyman, N.H., of 
 which the parents of each were pioneers. 
 Daniel M. Parker, born in Lyman, November 
 3, 1 8 17, has carried on an extensive lumber 
 manufacturing business in Oakham for many 
 years. His wife, Mary A. Brigham Parker, 
 was born in Rutland, Mass., June 12, 1829. 
 (For a more extended account of the family 
 see the biography of Daniel M. Parker.) 
 
 After acquiring a good public-school edu- 
 cation in his native town, Clarence H. Parker 
 joined with his father in carrying on the 
 mills, a connection that lasted until 1882. 
 Then he withdrew in order to engage in trade. 
 He now conducts the largest general store in 
 this locality. He is also interested with his 
 son in manufacturing Parker's Pure Flavoring 
 Extracts and an excellent cough remedy 
 known as "Pinelene." In October, 1871, he 
 was united in marriage with Ida M. Bemis, of 
 this town, daughter of James C. and Mary B. 
 (Washburn) Bemis. Mr. Bemis, who has 
 been in the employment of the Boston & Al- 
 bany Railroad Company since 1873, and is 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 199 
 
 now its agent at Coldbrook Springs, was born 
 in Paxton, Mass., February 18, 1824. His 
 wife was born in Gill, Mass., December 3, 
 1825. Mrs. Parker is the mother of one son, 
 Harry B. Parker, who, born May 21, 1873, is 
 now associated with his father in business, 
 and is the Postmaster of the town. 
 
 Mr. Parker has been a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen since 1883, and for the past ten 
 years has been the chairman of that body. 
 Since 1882 he has been Constable, was the 
 Postmaster for a number of years, and he ably 
 represented his district* in the legislature in 
 1896. Both he and Mrs. Parker attend the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 -OHN D. PUTNAM, a manufacturer of 
 building materials in Webster, was 
 born in Charlton, Mass., May 31, 
 1840. A son of Russell and Adeline 
 (Buss) Putnam, he belongs to the sixth gen- 
 eration descended from Nathaniel Putnam, 
 who came with his father, John Putnam, 
 from Aston-Abbots, England, and settled in 
 Salem, Mass., about the year 1634. General 
 Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, came 
 of the same stock. 
 
 Russell Putnam, who was born in Sutton, 
 Mass., in 1803, followed shoemaking in con- 
 nection with farming. His wife, Adeline, 
 who was a native of Holden, Mass., became 
 the mother of nine children, namely: Russell, 
 who resides in Webster; Lucian, who lives in 
 Charlton; Silas, of Rockville, Conn.; Leon- 
 ard, who died in 1882; Henry, a resident of 
 Charlton; John D., the subject of this sketch; 
 Hannah, who married Jackson Phelps, and re- 
 sides in Auburn, Mass. ; Mary, the wife of 
 Charles Lamb; and Sarah, the wife of Baxter 
 Davis, both of whom are residents of Charlton. 
 John D. Putnam acquired his education in 
 his native town. He remained at home, as- 
 sisting his father upon the farm, until he was 
 twenty-one years old. Then he went to Rock- 
 ville, Conn., where he learned the mill- 
 wright's trade with his brother Silas. After 
 residing for four years there, he returned to 
 Charlton. Coming to Webster in the same 
 year, he engaged in wood-turning, stair-build- 
 
 ing, and kindred work. Some five years later 
 he bought Palmer & Kent's sash and blind 
 factory. Having combined the two indus- 
 tries, he had carried on a thriving business for 
 two years when his entire plant was destroyed 
 by fire. Starting again immediately after the 
 disaster, he has since been engaged in the 
 manufacture of boxes, builders' finish, etc., 
 which he ships to Providence, Hartford, and 
 other industrial centres. At his present fac- 
 tory on Chase Avenue he now employs an 
 average of twenty-five men the year round. 
 
 In April, 1865, Mr. Putnam married Sarah 
 F. Johnson, a daughter of Veranes and Sarah 
 (Wallace) Johnson. Mrs. Putnam is the 
 mother of two children: Henry, born January 
 15, 1868; and Fred W., born June 28, 1877. 
 Henry, who is in business with his father, 
 married Annie, a daughter of Charles R. 
 Stobbs, of this town. Fred W. is now attend- 
 ing the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 
 In politics Mr. Putnam, Sr., supports the Re- 
 publican party. He is a leading member of 
 the Universalist church, and has served upon 
 the Parish Committee. 
 
 /^^TeORGE S. DUELL, formerly a lead- 
 \ ST ing citizen of 'Brookfield, was born 
 in Enosburg, Vt., in June, 18 17, son 
 of Paul and Mary (Stebbins) Duell. His ed- 
 ucation was acquired in the schools of his na- 
 tive town at a time when public-school in- 
 struction was confined to the simplest branches 
 of knowledge; but, being naturally bright and 
 ambitious, he made up for his limited oppor- 
 tunities by increased personal effort, and 
 eventually became a well-educated man. At 
 about the age of twenty he located in Spencer, 
 Mass., where for several years he was em- 
 ployed in a shoe factory. Subsequently he 
 followed the same business in West Brook- 
 field and later in Brookfield village, where 
 he resided for the rest of his life. While a 
 resident of West Brookfield he served as Dep- 
 uty Sheriff. He was appointed Constable in 
 Brookfield, and afterward received the ap- 
 pointment of Trial Justice, an office which he 
 filled most acceptably and impartially for a 
 period of twenty years. Taking a keen inter- 
 
200 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 est in the general welfare of the community, 
 he was actively concerned in various move- 
 ments for advancing the growth and prosper- 
 ity of the town. In politics he was a Repub- 
 lican. He was a member of the Masonic 
 fraternity, and in his younger days belonged to 
 the Ifidependent Order of Odd Fellows. His 
 death took place November 15, 1891. His 
 first wife was before marriage Elizabeth Hal- 
 lowell, of Spencer. By her he had a daugh- 
 ter, Mary E., who is now the wife of Edwin 
 Wilbur, of West Brookfield. For his second 
 wife Mr. Duell married Mehitable L. Ludden, 
 daughter of Daniel and Mary (Cowen) Lud- 
 den. Her parents, who were for many years 
 residents of Spencer, are no longer living. 
 Mrs. Duell still resides in Brookfield, and oc- 
 cupies a prominent position in social circles. 
 
 ISAAC BOURN, the senior member of the 
 firm Bourn, Hadley & Co., furniture 
 manufacturers of Templeton, was born 
 in Broome County, Canada, November 
 24, 1821, son of Nathan and Clarissa (Pike) 
 Bourn. The father, a native of Vermont, who 
 spent a part of his active life upon a farm in 
 Canada, at a later date moved to Northern New 
 York. His last days" were passed in Temple- 
 ton, where he died at the age of eighty-seven 
 years. In politics he was a Democrat. Cla- 
 rissa, his wife, who was a native of Hampshire 
 County, Massachusetts, was a daughter of 
 John Pike, a Revolutionary soldier, who mi- 
 grated from New England to Canada, where he 
 followed agriculture for the rest of his life, 
 and died at an advanced age. Of Nathan 
 Bourn's fourteen children, all of whom grew to 
 maturity, four sons and four daughters are 
 now living. The mother died at the age of 
 sixty-nine. Both parents were members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Isaac Bourn attended a Canadian district 
 school, which was held in a log house in the 
 neighborhood of his father's farm. When 
 twenty-three years old he came to the States. 
 Settling at Templeton in 1844, he engaged in 
 lumbering, and was in partnership with John 
 Brooks for about thirty years. In 1865 he 
 built a saw-mill, which he operated until 
 
 1890. Then he erected the present factory, 
 and established the firm of Bourn, Hadley & 
 Co., comprising himself, Lucien N. Had- 
 ley, and George W. Bourn. Employing from 
 fifty to sixty men throughout the year, and 
 taking the lumber from the stump, the firm 
 manufactures pine, birch, and ash furniture of 
 an excellent quality, with improved machinery 
 run by steam-power. The enterprise is the 
 leading industry of its kind in the town. Be- 
 sides his interest in the factory, the senior 
 partner owns some twelve hundred acres of 
 timber land in this section. 
 
 Mr. Bourn has been four times married, and 
 has nine children living. Those of his first 
 union are: Nettie B., who is now Mrs. Had- 
 ley; Sarah B., who is now Mrs. Howe; and 
 George W. Bourn. The children of his sec- 
 ond union are: Robert T. and Eudora. His 
 third wife's children are: Willie E. and 
 Ernest N. ; and those of his fourth are: Ed- 
 ward I. and Clara E. Bourn. In politics he 
 acts with the Republican party. He attends 
 the Unitarian church. While giving his per- 
 sonal attention to every detail of the firm's 
 business, making daily visits to the different 
 departments, he is popular with the employees, 
 many of whom have been upon the pay-roll for 
 several years, and for whom he has always a 
 pleasant greeting. 
 
 :AMUEL HYDE, a practical and 
 experienced agriculturist of War- 
 ren, son of Abijah Hyde, was born 
 in Ware, Hampshire County, Au- 
 gust 9, 1 82 1. He is a descendant of gne of 
 the earlier English settlers of New England. 
 His father, born and brought up in Brookfield, 
 removed to Ware, Mass., where he carried on 
 mixed husbandry for some years. Afterward 
 Abijah was similarly occupied in Palmer and 
 Sturbridge, Mass., for some time. His last 
 years were spent in Brookfield, where his 
 death occurred in 1863, at a good old age. 
 He married Sally Moore, a daughter of Ash- 
 bel Moore, who was a soldier in the Revolu- 
 tionary War. Of their children, three are 
 still living, as follows: Samuel, the subject 
 of this biography; Alvin, a resident of Brook- 
 
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 i 
 
 O 
 
 9^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 d 
 
 
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 o 
 
 • 'aaxsaoHOAi 
 aXS QMT Moai 
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 ISAAC BOURN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 203 
 
 field; and Maria, the widow of Alonzo 
 Upliam, late of East Brookfield. 
 
 Samuel Hyde obtained his education by 
 attending school during the winter terms in 
 Ware, Palmer, and Sturbridge. The larger 
 part of his time in boyhood was employed in 
 labor on the home farm, on which he lived 
 until he reached man's estate. Soon after his 
 marriage he purchased a tract of land in 
 Brookfield, where he spent the ensuing quar- 
 ter of a century engaged in general farming 
 and brick-making. Having disposed of that 
 property, he came to Warren in 1876, and he 
 has since been successfully engaged in farm- 
 ing here. His farm of two hundred acres, 
 advantageously located, bears speaking evi- 
 dence of the industry, skill, and thrift of the 
 owner. Beginning the battle of life a poor 
 boy, his sole fcapital being a courageous heart 
 and two strong, willing hands, he toiled early 
 and late to obtain a good living for him- 
 self and family. Prosperity smiled upon his 
 efforts, and each year's labor added a little to 
 his former success, until he had acquired a 
 comfortable property. In politics he affiliates 
 with the Democratic party; and, as a loyal 
 and true citizen, he is actively interested in 
 advancing the welfare of the town and county 
 in which he resides. 
 
 On December 6, 1843, Mr. Hyde married 
 Sarah A. Gay, who was born in Brookfield, 
 Mass., daughter of Phineas and Mary (Chick- 
 ering) Gay. His children are: Juliana, the 
 wife of Joseph Brigham, of Brookfield; and 
 Henry S., who lives on the home farm. 
 Henry S. Hyde married Eva Carter, a native 
 of Holland, Mass., and a daughter of the late 
 Williarp Carter; and he is the father of one 
 son, Robert H. Both he and his wife are 
 active m€mbers of the Brookfield grange, P. 
 of H. His family, which includes his wife's 
 mother, Mrs. Henrietta Converse Carter, re- 
 side with his parents. 
 
 /^TeORGE H. rich, the proprietor of 
 I •>! Wildwood Farm, Worcester, was 
 ^^-^ born in North Brookfield, Mass., 
 June 7, 1837, son of Elkanah and Loretta 
 Maria (Hubbard) Rich. His grandfather, 
 
 Apollos Rich, son of a sea captain, resided 
 upon a farm in Ware, and reared three sons 
 and one daughter. 
 
 Elkanah Rich, born in Ware, Mass., about 
 the year 1807, was reared to farm life. When 
 a young man he learned the currier's trade, 
 which, however, he did not follow for any 
 length of time. In 1837 he moved from 
 North Brookfield to Worcester, settling upon 
 the Newton farm, which was located in the 
 neighborhood of the present Newton Square. 
 He resided there until 1849, when he bought 
 a farm of thirty-five acres in the village of 
 Tatnuck, Worcester, where he was prosper- 
 ously engaged in agriculture for the rest of 
 his active period. At his death, which oc- 
 curred February 25, 1875, he left consider- 
 able property. His wife, Loretta Maria, a 
 native of Barre, Mass., whom he married at 
 New Braintree, Mass., in 1833, was a daugh- 
 ter of Aden Hubbard, of Barre. Of their 
 four children, the first-born, a daughter, died 
 in infancy. The others are: George H., the 
 subject of this sketch; Ellen, who married 
 E. S. Everett, of Westboro, Mass. ; and 
 Henry E. Rich, who occupies the old home- 
 stead at Tatnuck. The mother died in 1881, 
 aged sixty-eight years. Both parents were 
 Congregationalists. 
 
 George H. Rich was reared and educated in 
 Worcester. With the exception of five years 
 spent in a mechanical occupation, he has been 
 engaged in farming since old enough to be 
 useful. He was but eight years old when he 
 began to work at market gardening. In 1872 
 he purchased ten acres of new land located 
 upon Moreland Heights. This property, now 
 called Wildwood Farm, he brought to a high 
 state of cultivation. He was one of the first 
 in this city to engage exclusively in market 
 gardening, and he was also the first to intro- 
 duce a regularly equipped vegetable wagon. 
 
 Mr. Rich contracted the first of his two 
 marriages on March 14, 1859, with Martha C. 
 Manley, of Brandon, Vt. She died in 1867, 
 leaving two sons, namely: Frank E., of 
 Amity, Mo. ; and George Edwin Rich, who 
 resides in Worcester. Both sons are married, 
 and George E. has one child. The father's 
 second marriage in 1871 united him with 
 
204 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Harriet Anna Paddock, a daughter of Charles 
 Paddock, of Holden, Mass. Born of this union 
 was one daughter, Georgia A., who is now the 
 wife of Adelbert Teague. Mr. and Mrs. Rich 
 are now rearing an adopted daughter, Mildred 
 H. Rich, whose present age is seven years. 
 Politically, Mr. Rich is a Republican. He 
 has never aspired to public office. Although 
 not a church member, he is in sympathy with 
 all good works, and contributes liberally 
 toward the support of various religious 
 societies. 
 
 LPHA MORSE CHENEY, formerly 
 a leading business man of South- 
 bridge, was born in this town, De- 
 cember 27, 1834. A son of Dea- 
 con Marvin and Bertha (Morse) Cheney, he was 
 a descendant of Sir John Cheney, a follower 
 of the Duke of Gloucester, afterward Richard 
 HI., King of England. His immigrant an- 
 cestor was an early settler in Roxbury, Mass. 
 Deacon Marvin Cheney, who ranked as Colo- 
 nel in the State militia, was widely and favor- 
 ably known in this locality for his deep 
 interest in the general welfare of the commu- 
 nity and his earnest devotion to the cause of 
 morality and religion. 
 
 Alpha Morse Cheney acquired at home 
 much valuable instruction, as his parents were 
 intellectual and cultured people. After ac- 
 quiring a knowledge of the ordinary branches 
 in the public schools of his native town, he 
 attended Nichols Academy in Dudley, Mass. 
 When seventeen years old he entered the 
 spectacle factory as an apprentice, and event- 
 ually became a master of the trade. After 
 remaining in the employ of R. H. Cole & Co. 
 for a number of years, he acquired an interest 
 in the business. When the American Optical 
 Company was incorporated, he became one of 
 the largest stockholders, and retained his in- 
 terest in that enterprise for the rest of his 
 life. His industry and unusually sound judg- 
 ment in business matters produced ample 
 financial reward, and his wealth was freely 
 used for the benefit of public enterprises. 
 For many years he was a Deacon of the Bap- 
 '""' "'-•—'- ■ and he took a special interest in 
 
 list church : 
 
 the Young Men's Christian Association, to 
 the support of which he subscribed liberally. 
 He died September 7, 1897, leaving a large 
 amount of property, including one of the 
 finest private residences in Southbridge. 
 
 Mr. Cheney's first marriage was with Sarah 
 Cunningham, who died in 1876. In 1882 he 
 wedded Emma Bradford, of Woodstock, Conn. 
 She is a daughter of Stephen and Polly Brad- 
 ford, and a descendant in the eighth genera- 
 tion of the famous Governor Bradford. Her 
 grandmother was Rebecca Marcy, whose two 
 brothers participated in the Revolutionary 
 War, and died from disease contracted while 
 in the army. Mrs. Emma Cheney survives 
 her husband, also one son and three daughters 
 of his first wife. The latter are: Herman 
 S., a graduate of Amherst, class of 1894, and 
 now interested in the American Optical Com- 
 pany; Hannah Beecher, who married Reuben 
 F. Herron, and resides in Southbridge; 
 Mabel, the wife of F. A. "Wilber, of Foxboro; 
 and Carrie N., who married Herbert E. Wells, 
 son of Hiram C. Wells, a large stockholder 
 in the American Optical Company, and re- 
 sides at Newton Highlands. The late Mr. 
 Cheney was a member of Quinebaug Lodge, 
 F. & A. M. ; of Doric Chapter, Hiram Coun- 
 cil; and Worcester Commandery of Knights 
 Templar. He also belongs to Phoenix Coun- 
 cil, No. I, Royal Arcanum. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM D. MULLETT, a retired 
 farmer of Brookfield, was born in 
 New Braintree, Mass., January 15, 
 1 82 1, son of George and Roxana (Makepeace) 
 Mullett. His paternal great-grandfather was 
 one of three brothers who, after arriving in 
 this country, located in Worcester County 
 Abraham Mullett, the paternal grandfather, 
 was an early settler in Oakham. George 
 Mullett, the father, who was born in Oakham, 
 enlisted as a drummer in the War of 1812, 
 and did garrison duty in Boston. He learned 
 the stone-mason's trade, and followed it in 
 New Braintree for a number of years. After 
 residing in Brookfield village for about three 
 years, he removed to East Brookfield, where 
 he spent the rest of his life. He was a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 205 
 
 Deacon of the Baptist church. Roxana, his 
 wife, who was a native of this State, became 
 the mother of several children, four of whom 
 are living, namely: Lorinda, the wife of 
 Emerson Hastings, of Palmer, Mass. ; Will- 
 iam D., the subject of this sketch; Sumner, 
 a resident of North Brookfield ; and Fanny, 
 now Mrs. L. Pellet, of North Brookfield. 
 
 William D. Mullett was educated in the 
 district schools of New Braintree and Brook- 
 field. He was thirteen years old when his 
 parents moved to this town. After leaving 
 school he learned the stone-mason's trade. 
 While yet a young man he worked at farm- 
 ing in New York State for a time, and for 
 over a year he was employed as an attendant 
 at the Insane Asylum in Hartford, Conn. 
 Then, purchasing a farm of seventy acres, he 
 located within a short distance south of East 
 Brookfield, and engaged in farming, and took 
 work at his trade. By adding adjoining land 
 from time to time, he now owns one hundred 
 and ninety acres of excellent land, with good 
 buildings and equipments. Since 1894 he has 
 lived in retirement at Brookfield village. 
 
 In 1843 Mr. Mullett first married Caroline 
 Jones, who bore him four children, namely: 
 Charles F., now a resident of Brookfield; 
 George H., now of Chicago, 111. ; Ella, who 
 is the wife of W. E. Frye, of Worcester, 
 Mass. ; and Albert, who is no longer living. 
 His second marriage was contracted in 1866 
 with Louisa M.. Clark, of Barre, Mass., a 
 daughter of Robert and Maria (Rice) Clark. 
 In politics he is a Republican. He was a 
 Highway Commissioner for a number of years 
 and a member of the Board of Selectmen for 
 one term. In these and other town offices Mr. 
 Mullett xlisplayed rare intelligence and sound 
 judgment together with a determination to 
 protect the general interests of the commu- 
 nity. 
 
 Y^EVI P. BRADISH, a retired machin- 
 Ijl ist of Upton, was born where he now 
 J ^ ^ resides, September i, 1823, son of 
 Jotham and Deborah Bradish. He 
 is of Scotch origin, and belongs to one of the 
 most prominent families in Upton. His 
 
 great-grandfather, James Bradish, who came 
 here from Brighton, Mass., about the year 
 1735 — the year in which the first church was 
 organized — settled as a pioneer upon a part 
 of the present Bradish homestead. James 
 built his house upon the hill, a short distance 
 from where it now stands, and resided there 
 until his death, which occurred February 6, 
 1800. He was a leading spirit in the affairs 
 of the town, and took a prominent part in 
 church matters. Elisha Bradish, one of the 
 many children of James, succeeded to the 
 homestead. By adding adjoining land from 
 time to time, he made his farm one of the 
 largest in the township. He moved the house 
 to its present location, an undertaking which 
 at that time required a force of seventy men, 
 and took three days to accomplish. As Jus- 
 tice of the Peace he transacted a great deal 
 of civil business, and was one of the most able 
 men of the town. In 1770 he married Hannah 
 Taft, who had four children. 
 
 Jotham Bradish, the father, who was in his 
 younger days a schoolmaster, having become 
 the owner of the homestead, carried on farm- 
 ing successfully, giving special attention to 
 dairying. He served as Selectman and As- 
 sessor for many years, acted as administrator 
 of estates, and wrote numerous deeds and 
 wills. Among the wills drawn by him was 
 that of the Rev. Benjamin Wood, the third 
 settled minister in Upton. His hospitable 
 home was the scene of many family gather- 
 ings, which frequently numbered forty or more 
 relatives. He died at the age of sixty-five 
 years. Deborah, his wife, became the mother 
 of six children, namely: Philander, who died 
 at the age of nineteen years; Harvey, who 
 managed the home farm until his death, which 
 occurred in 1890; Hannah, who still lives at 
 the homestead; Nancy, who died at the age 
 of twenty-eight years; Elisha, who has as- 
 sisted in the cultivation of the farm since his 
 youth and is unmarried; and Levi P., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. 
 
 Having previously attended the schools of 
 his native town, Levi P. Bradish completed 
 his education at the Wilbrabam Academy. 
 He resided at home until about the year 185 i, 
 when he went to Milford. Here after some 
 
2o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 time he became the foreman of a machine 
 shop, and retained that position for thirty 
 years. He then retired from active labor, and 
 has since resided on the homestead. The first 
 of his two marriages was contracted with 
 Louisa Forbush, who died a few years after- 
 ward. His second and present wife, who was 
 before marriage Eliza W. Littlefield, has had 
 nine children. Of these, seven attained ma- 
 turity, namely: Ella, who married Thomas B. 
 Keith, of Easton, Mass., and has had two 
 children; Arthur, who married Nellie Burr, 
 and died at the age of thirty-two years, leav- 
 ing a widow and two daughters; Plenry Will- 
 ard, now a printer in Philadelphia; Alfred 
 G., who married Jennie Taft, and resides in 
 Upton; Esther Elizabeth, the wife of Milo P. 
 Warren, of Hopkinton, Mass. ; Elbert A., 
 now a travelling salesman, residing in Lynn, 
 Mas.s. ; and Florence Estelle, who resides 
 with her parents. While residing in Milford, 
 Mr. Bradish was a Deacon of the Congrega- 
 tional church for twenty-seven years and the 
 musical director of the Sunday-school for 
 nearly the same length of time. 
 
 (H' 
 
 ^HARLES DAWSON, of Holden, the 
 founder, president, and treasurer of the 
 Dawson Manufacturing Company, 
 was born in Lancaster County, 
 England, on April 9, 1832. His parents, 
 Henry and Alice (Wolstenholme) Dawson, 
 were natives of Lancaster County. The 
 father, who was a gardener in England, came 
 to America in 1845, and, locating in Millbury, 
 Mass., was employed there in various occupa- 
 tions. PI is last years were spent in Connecti- 
 cut; and he died in Broad Brook, that State, at 
 the age of sixty-nine years. He was Ortho- 
 dox in religious belief, and led a life con- 
 sistent therewith. Of his family of twelve 
 children, nine are now living. 
 
 Charles Dawson was quite a young boy 
 when he came to America. Having previ- 
 ously worked in a cotton-mill in England, he 
 found employment in the mills at Millbury 
 soon after his arrival. His educational oppor- 
 tunities were limited to attendance at the 
 Millbury district school for a short time 
 
 The greater part of his life since he was ten 
 years of age has been spent in mill work. He 
 had worked in various places up to 1866, 
 when, starting in business for himself in 
 Worcester, Mass., he dealt in mill supplies 
 until 1871. He first came to Holden in 1870. 
 In 1872 he established his present plant there. 
 Manufacturing a high grade of woojlen goods, 
 he has since built up a prosperous business. 
 Since 1896, when the firm was incorporated, 
 Mr. Dawson has been the president and treas- 
 urer, and his son, Charles A. Dawson, the 
 vice-president and manager. At the begin- 
 ning only twenty-five hands were employed. 
 Now from sixty-five to seventy are kept con- 
 stantly busy. The most cordial relations 
 exist between the operatives and the manage- 
 ment. Every department is supplied with the 
 latest and most improved appliances. 
 
 In 1852 Mr. Dawson was married to Jane 
 E. Osborne. He now has three children — 
 Alida A., Carrie E., and Charles A. Taking 
 a constant interest in the affairs of the town, 
 he has served in the offices of Assessor and 
 Selectman. In politics he supports the Re- 
 publican party. Liberal in his religious 
 opinions, he does not accept the creed of any 
 particular church organization. An esteemed 
 Mason, he is a member of Athelstan Lodge, 
 of Worcester. By great industry and energy 
 he has worked his way up from the bottom of 
 the ladder, and he can now look back with sat- 
 isfaction upon his past career. Outside his as- 
 sistants and operatives, he has a wide circle of 
 other friends, who find his beautiful home in 
 Holden, near Dawson station, a delightful 
 place to visit. 
 
 (sTrNDREW L. NOURSE, oneofthemost 
 m extensive farmers of Bolton, a former 
 yJIs^^^ member of the State legislature, and 
 -- ,, ^ Civil War veteran, was born in 
 
 Marlboro, Mass., January 24, 1842, son of 
 Luther and Elizabeth (Whitney) Nourse. 
 His great-grandfather, Jonathan Nourse, who 
 was an early settler in Bolton, died at the age 
 Of eighty-three years. The grandfather, also 
 named Jonathan, was a lifelong resident of 
 this town. Luther Nourse, the father of An- 
 
FRANCIS L. CHAPIN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 2og 
 
 drew L., was born and reared in Bolton. 
 When a young man he settled upon a farm in 
 Marlboro, where he resided several years. 
 His last days were spent in his native town, 
 where he died at the age of eighty-three years. 
 His wife, Elizabeth, who was born in Har- 
 vard, Mass., daughter of Jacob Whitney, be- 
 came the mother of two children, of whom 
 Andrew L. is the survivor. The mother died 
 at the age of sixty-three years. Both parents 
 attended the Unitarian church. 
 
 Andrew L. Nourse, who has resided in 
 Bolton since infancy, was educated in the 
 common and high schools of this town.' At 
 the age of twenty years he enlisted as a 
 private in Company I, Fifth Regiment, Mas- 
 sachusetts Volunteers, with which he served 
 nine months, participating in the battles of 
 Kingston, Whitehall, Goldsboro, and Gum 
 Swamp. After his return from the array he 
 taught school for a time. He then bought 
 a farm, which he sold a year later, and for the 
 succeeding ten years was engaged in various 
 business enterprises. In 1873 he purchased 
 his present property of three hundred and 
 eighty-five acres, from which he has cut a 
 large quantity of wood, and where he is now 
 extensively engaged in general farming and 
 dairying. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Nourse was united in mar- 
 riage with Maria A. Newton, daughter of 
 Horatio and Rebecca Newton. Her father 
 was a prosperous farmer, who spent the greater 
 part of his life in this town. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Nourse are the parents of six children ^ — 
 Arthur H., Richard E., Fidelia E., Grace 
 M., Ethel R., and Alice S., all of whom 
 reside with them. 
 
 Politically a Republican, Mr. Nourse has 
 served eflficiently in various town ofifices. For 
 a number of years he has been chairman of 
 the Board of Assessors and of the School 
 Committee. He has been for several years 
 a Selectman and a member of the Board of 
 Health, has served as Road Commissioner 
 and as a trustee of the Public Library, and in 
 1892 he abJy represented this district in the 
 legislature. In all matters relating to agri- 
 culture and its advancement he takes a lively 
 interest. He was the first Master of Bolton 
 
 Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and is now 
 a trustee of the Worcester East Agricultural 
 Society. He also affiliates with the war vet- 
 erans, being a comrade of Post G. K. Warren, 
 No. 172, G. A. R. He attends the Unitarian 
 church, of which he is treasurer, and his fam- 
 ily is connected with the Sunday-school. 
 
 RANCIS LUTHER CHAPIN, one of 
 the most prominent business men and 
 financiers of Southbridge, was born in 
 Enfield, Hampshire County, Mass., April 27, 
 1844, son of Luther and Hannah (Conkey) 
 Chapin. He comes of old Colonial stock 
 planted in Central Massachusetts more than 
 two hundred years ago, being a representative 
 of the family founded by Samuel. Chapin, 
 who, with his wife. Cicely, came to New 
 England between 1635 and 1640, sojourned 
 for a time at Roxbury, Mass., there became a 
 freeman in 1641, and in 1642 removed to 
 Springfield, in the Connecticut valley. 
 
 From Deacon Samuel Chapin, the immi- 
 grant progenitor, to and including Francis 
 Luther, the subject of this sketch, the line of 
 descent is as follows: Samuel,' Josiah,^' Seth,^ 
 Seth, Jr.,'< Josiah,s Stephen,' Luther, ^ Luther,^ 
 Francis Luther.' Josiah Chapin, son of Sam- 
 uel, "inherited," it is said, "superior natural 
 abilities, and added to them valuable acquire- 
 ments for the practical business of life. He 
 was an eminent land surveyor, apt in public 
 affairs, and an enterprising pecuniary econo- 
 mist." He was married three times, and was 
 the father of fifteen children, all but the 
 youngest of whom were born in Braintree, 
 Mass. About 1682 he removed to Mendon, 
 Worcester County. He lived to be ninety- 
 two years of age. 
 
 Seth Chapin, Jr., grandson of the first Jo- 
 siah, born in 1692, son of Seth and Bethiah 
 (Thurston) Chapin, married Abigail Adams, 
 of Braintree, daughter of Joseph Adam,s and a 
 half-sister of Deacon John Adams, father of 
 the elder President Adams. Josiah Chapin, 
 second, son of Seth, Jr., married and settled 
 in Milford. Stephen, his eldest son by his 
 wife, Rachel, born in 1745, married Rachel 
 Rawson, lived in Milford, and had eight chil- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dren. Of these, Luther Chapiii, Sr., the fifth, 
 born March 22, 1777, married March 5, 1796, 
 Mary Wedge, daughter of Jephthah Wedge, 
 of Milford, and settled in Pelham, Hampshire 
 County, Mass., where he was engaged as a 
 general trader for many years. 
 
 Further particulars concerning this branch 
 of the Chapin family may be found in the 
 History of Milford, by the Rev. Adin Ballou, 
 to which we are indebted for most of the fore- 
 going genealogy. Among the numerous de- 
 scendants of Deacon Samuel Chapin, of 
 Springfield, many have distinguished them- 
 selves in professional and in business life and 
 in the military service of the country. One 
 of the foremost pulpit orators for a long period 
 in the middle of the century was the Rev. 
 Edwin H. Chapin, D.D., pastor of the 
 Church of the Divine Paternity, New York 
 City. In Philadelphia, a few years since, 
 died "a wonderful old man, the venerable 
 William Chapin, perhaps the leading educator 
 of the blind in the United States.'" He was 
 for many years the principal of the Pennsyl- 
 vania Institution for the Blind at Philadel- 
 phia. For several years James Gillespie 
 Blaine, then a young man, was employed by 
 him as an instructor. Mr. Chapin continued 
 in active service as principal till the winter 
 before his death, at eighty years of age. 
 
 Luther Chapin, Jr., the father of Francis 
 Luther, was born in Pelham in 1805. He 
 carried on general mercantile business at 
 Enfield, Mass., during the active period of his 
 life, and died in 1882. His business ability 
 and sound judgment made him especially 
 eligible to public office, and he served as Rep- 
 resentative to the legislature in 1844 and 
 1864. He married Hannah Conkey, of Pres- 
 cott, Mass. They had six children, three of 
 whom are living, namely: Sarah E., who 
 completed her education at Mount Holyoke 
 Seminary, and is now a teacher of classics in 
 Easthampton, Mass.; Charles S. Chapin 
 treasurer and general manager of the Wash- 
 burn & Garfield Manufacturing Company, 
 Worcester, Mass. ; and Francis L., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. 
 
 Francis L. Chapin acquired his elementary 
 education in the common schools of Ware, 
 
 Mass., and was fitted for college at the high 
 school in that town. In 1862 he occupied the 
 position of Assistant Postmaster in Ware, and 
 later he entered the employ of the Ware Sav- 
 ings Bank as a clerk. In June, 1864, he en- 
 listed as a private in the Worcester City 
 Guards, under Captain Robert H. Chamber- 
 lain, for one hundred days' service in the 
 Civil War. This company, which was at- 
 tached to the Sixtieth Regiment, Massachu- 
 setts Volunteers, under Colonel Ansel D. 
 Wass, spent the greater part of its stipulated 
 term in guarding Confederate prisoners at 
 Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Ind. Mr. 
 Chapin was made Second Sergeant, and later 
 became Second Lieutenant of an unattached 
 company. After his discharge he resumed 
 his former position in the Ware Savings 
 Bank. In 1865 he was offered a clerkship in 
 the Southbridge Bank, which up to that time 
 had carried on business under the old State 
 system. Accepting the offer, he was In a 
 short time advanced to the position of cashier, 
 and was later appointed general manager. 
 
 Mr. Chapin has rendered valuable aid, both 
 by his means and influence, in developing the 
 business resources of the town and introduc- 
 ing public improvements. He is treasurer of 
 the Southbridge & Sturbridge Street Rail- 
 way Company; he was for a number of years 
 president of the Water Supply Company, 
 whose charter he was instrumental in secur- 
 ing; and he acted as general manager during 
 the construction of the works. He is a trus- 
 tee of the Southbridge Savings Bank, a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Investment, and was chair- 
 man of the committee which superintended 
 the erection of the present bank building. 
 He was also chairman of the committee hav- 
 ing charge of the construction of the Young 
 Men's Christian Association Building and the 
 Congregational church. During his residence 
 in Southbridge he has settled a number of es- 
 tates, and is a trustee of several at the present 
 time. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Chapin was united in marriage 
 with Sarah Bell Lawton, daughter of Joseph 
 R. and Sarah L. (Mallalieu) Lawton. She is 
 a sister of Bishop W. F. Mallalieu of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, who has travelled 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 extensively in Europe and the Far East, and 
 is now a resident of Boston. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Chapin are the parents of six children, 
 namely: Florence E., who was born July 30, 
 1873, and completed her education at Mount 
 Holyoke Seminary; Mary Louise, who was 
 born March 14, 1875, was educated at a private 
 school in Springfield, Mass., and is now the 
 wife of H. H. Morse, of Southbridge, where 
 he is superintendent of the street railway; 
 Mabel E., born on October 15, 1870, who 
 spent some time abroad after completing her 
 education, and is now the wife of H. S. 
 Cheney, of Southbridge, a member of the 
 American Optical Company; Ruth M., born 
 December 11, 1876, who attended Vassar Col- 
 lege, is now Mrs. Frederick W. Parks, of 
 Fitchburg, Mass. ; Sarah C, born on March 
 12, 1880, who is now attending Miss Porter's 
 private school in Springfield; and Edward L. 
 Chapin, born January 25, 1886. 
 
 In politics Mr. Chapin is a Republican. 
 For twenty -four consecutive years he held the 
 office of Town Treasurer, to which he was 
 elected regardless of party lines. As Repre- 
 sentative to the legislature in 1884 he was 
 assigned to the Finance Committee. He is a 
 member of the Congregational church and 
 treasurer of the society, and is a comrade of 
 Malcolm Ammidown Post, No. 168, G. A. R. 
 
 W). 
 
 ALTER P., BENJAMIN E., and 
 ELBRIDGE G. GUY, who, under 
 the firm name of the Guy Furniture 
 Company, carry on an extensive business in 
 three large buildings, 517 to 527 Main Street, 
 Worcester, are natives of Norfolk County, 
 Massachusetts, and sons of Timothy and Eliza- 
 beth Clapp (Perry) Guy. Their father, Tim- 
 othy Guy, who was born in Dover, Mass., Oc- 
 tober 3, 1809, was a son of Benjamin Guy, a 
 native of the same place and a school teacher 
 by occupation. The first American ancestor 
 of the family was Timothy Guy, who came 
 from Bristol, England, and settled in that part 
 of Dedham that was afterward incorporated as 
 the town of Dover. He was a man of power- 
 ful physique, and served as a soldier in the 
 French and Indian War. He was also a mem- 
 
 ber of the famous Boston Tea Party, and gave 
 the war-whoop as the signal to throw the tea 
 overboard. In 1748 he married Martha 
 Plympton, of Medfield, Mass. The paternal 
 great-grandfather of the three brothers whose 
 names begin this sketch, Benjamin Guy (first) 
 married Deborah Morse, a native of Sherborn, 
 Mass., who died in 1835, aged ninety-four 
 years. Their son, Benjamin Guy (second) the 
 next in line of descent, married Sarah Smith, 
 of Medfield, in 1805. 
 
 The Guy Furniture Company is one of the 
 largest establishments of its kind in New Eng- 
 land outside of Boston. It occupies seven- 
 teen floors of a capacious building, which are 
 heavily stocked with parlor, dining-room, 
 chamber, library, kitchen, and miscellaneous 
 furniture, carpets, crockery, and glassware, 
 lamps, ranges, parlor stoves, and bicycles. 
 The concern has branch establishments in 
 Brockton and Springfield. 
 
 ^CrJ)/TLDEl 
 VSV agric 
 ♦^ Vs Nnrt 
 
 ILDER U. BARNES, a leading 
 iculturist and milk producer of 
 North Brookfield, was born in Hard- 
 wick, Mass., February 12, 1840, son of Harvey 
 and Harriet (Gregg) Barnes. Both his great- 
 grandfather, Jesse Barnes, and his grandfather, 
 Asa, belonged to that place. While his 
 mother was a native of Boston, Mass., his ma- 
 ternal ancestors, the Greggs, were of Scotch 
 origin. 
 
 Reared to manhood in his native town, 
 young Barnes attended the common schools 
 there. Like most men of his generation born 
 in the country districts, he had but limited 
 opportunities for acquiring knowledge in his 
 youth. However, such as they were, be used 
 them to good advantage. Fired with patriot- 
 ism and eager to take some part in the great 
 conflict between the North and the South, Mr. 
 Barnes enlisted for the war in September, 
 1862, joining Company K, Forty-second Regi- 
 ment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and 
 remained in service until August of the fol- 
 lowing year. He was with General Banks in 
 the expedition against New Orleans, where his 
 company was detailed to lay a pontoon bridge 
 and guard it. After his discharge from the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 army he returned to Hardwick. In the spring 
 of 1873 he came to North Brookfield, and set- 
 tled on the farm which has since been his 
 home. This farm, comprising one hundred 
 acres of land, is in an excellent state of culti- 
 vation. Much historical interest attaches to 
 it because it was formerly owned by General 
 Rufus Putnam, of Revolutionary fame. In 
 politics Mr. Barnes is a Republican. He is a 
 member of the North Brookfield Grange and 
 of Ezra Batchellor Post, No. 51, G. A. R. 
 At present he is Constable of the town. 
 
 On April 20, 1864, Mr. Barnes was married 
 to Rhoda J. Fay, a native of Hardwick and a 
 daughter of Timothy and Mary (Hammond) 
 Fay. The father, also a native of Hardwick, 
 was a Lieutenant in the State militia, and 
 served on the School Committee. His surviv- 
 ing children are: James P., who resides in 
 Hardwick; Rhoda ]., now Mrs. Barnes; Mrs. 
 Larrissa Ashcroft, now a widow, residing in 
 Springfield; Augusta, the wife of George 
 Woods, of North Brookfield; and Mercy A., 
 now Mrs. Pepper, also a widow, residing in 
 North Brookfield. The mother was born in 
 Worcester County. Mr. Lindsay, a great- 
 grandfather of Mrs. Barnes, was a sea captain 
 at the time the Revolutionary War broke out, 
 and his ship was one of the first fired on by the 
 British. Mrs. Barnes is a member of the 
 Union Congregational Church at North Brook- 
 field. Her children are: Fred W., Jennie 
 M., George H., Herbert W., and Addie L. 
 Jennie is the wife of Frank Holman, and 
 Addie is the wife of Arthur H. Burdick. 
 
 kEV. WILLIAM GARDNER TUT- 
 TLE, who for ten years prior to his 
 death, which occurred August 5, 
 1897, resided in Worcester, Mass., 
 was a man of eminent worth and strong person- 
 ality, whose influence rested like a benedic- 
 tion upon the people and the place. He was 
 born September 25, 1819, in Littleton, Mass., 
 which had been the home of his ancestors for 
 generations. 
 
 The Tuttle family is supposed to be of 
 Welsh origin. The name is derived from 
 "Tuthill," which in former centuries was 
 
 applied to artificial mounds used for pagan 
 worship, and, it is said, was evolved from 
 "Thoth," the Egyptian god of wisdom and 
 the inventor of art, science, speech, and 
 letters. 
 
 John Tuttle, the founder of this branch of 
 the family in New England, came to Massa- 
 chusetts in the good ship "Planter" in 1635, 
 and, settling in Ipswich, was a man of promi- 
 nence in that town, which he represented at 
 the General Court in 1644. The line was 
 continued through his son, Simon Tuttle," 
 Simon, Jr., 3 Samuel, ■♦ William, = Thomas 
 Sparhawk,'' to William Gardner.' Many of 
 the descendants of John Tuttle have won dis- 
 tinction in professional and literary circles, 
 notable among them being Nathan Dane, 
 founder of the Harvard Law School ; the Hon. 
 William Prescott; William Hickling Pres- 
 cott, the historian ; and members of the Hale 
 family. Simon Tuttle, Jr., settled in Little- 
 ton in the early part of the eighteenth century, 
 and on the farm which he reclaimed from the 
 wilderness his descendants for several genera- 
 tions were born and brought up. 
 
 Thomas Sparhawk Tuttle was born on the 
 Littleton homestead in 1796, and in after 
 years succeeded to its ownership. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Mary Butterfield, was 
 a descendant of William Longley, who died in 
 1680. 
 
 William G. Tuttle acquired his early educa- 
 tion in the common schools of Littleton and at 
 the Groton Academy. He subsequently pre- 
 pared for college at Phillips Academy, An- 
 dover, where he was graduated in 1842. He 
 received his Bachelor's degree at Amherst 
 College in 1846, was graduated at the Andover 
 Theological Seminary in 1849, and on April 
 17 of that year he w^s licensed to preach. 
 For several months he filled the pulpit of the 
 Congregational Church of Littleton, in which 
 he had received his first religious teaching 
 outside of the home fireside and with which he 
 had united when young. On June 25, 1851, 
 he was settled at Harrisville, N.H., where he 
 remained until forced to resign on account of 
 ill health in i860. On October 10, 1861, 
 after a long rest, he accepted a call to the 
 First Congregational Church at Ware, Mass., 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ^13 
 
 and during the twenty-six years that followed 
 his labors in that community were abundantly 
 blessed. His health again becoming under- 
 mined, he resigned his pastorate on April 2, 
 1887, much to the regret, not only of his pa- 
 rishioners, but of all the townspeople. Re- 
 siding in Worcester, he preached in Holden, 
 Mass., for nearly a year; and in 1889 he 
 preached fox ten months at Lake View, Tn 
 Worcester, his ministerial work being after- 
 ward confined to supplying temporarily pulpits 
 in or near Worcester. His last service was on 
 March i, 1896, when he administered the 
 communion to his former church in Ware. 
 
 Numerous were the tributes paid to this 
 good man after his departure, and none were 
 more hearty and sincere than those that came 
 from them who had known him the longest and 
 had loved him the best. One who had known 
 him through boyhood, youth, and manhood 
 said, "No one ever touched him without be- 
 coming better, and his briefest visits were an 
 honor and an inspiration." A man of tender, 
 loving spirit and broad sympathy, unselfishly 
 devoted to the higher interests of humanity, 
 he found fellowship with all who sought to 
 build up righteousness. 
 
 On July 31, 1851, Mr. Tuttle married Har- 
 riet Elizabeth Wallace, of Milford, N. H. Of 
 the children born of this union, two are liv- 
 ing, namely: Harriette Wallace, who for sev- 
 eral years was a member of the faculty at 
 Wellesley College; and Edward Gerry, a 
 prominent physician and surgeon of New York 
 City. 
 
 'OHN B. WELLS, a venerable resident 
 ^1 of Rutland, son of Rossiter and Emily 
 \^^ (Butler) Wells, was born at Wethers- 
 field, Conn., December 26, 1817. His 
 maternal grandfather, John Butler, who was 
 by occupation a farmer, and who fought in the 
 war of the Revolution, died at the age of 
 seventy years. Rossiter Wells, born in 
 Wethersfield, was a lifelong farmer in that 
 town, and died there at the age of eighty-eight 
 years. In politics he was successively a 
 Whig and a Republican. His wife, who was 
 born in the same town, lived to be eighty-five 
 
 years old. Both were members of the Congre- 
 gational church. Of their nine children, 
 eight sons and one daughter, the daughter, 
 Rossiter, Stephen, and Albert are deceased. 
 The survivors are: John B., Israel S., Levi 
 W. , Frank, and Isaac N. 
 
 John B. Wells remained in Wethersfield 
 with his parents until about seventeen years 
 of age, when he went away to learn the cabi- 
 net-maker's trade. This he subsequently 
 worked at until the Civil War broke out. In 
 1842 he came to Rutland, locating in New 
 Boston. He lived there for a time, and then 
 moved to another place. He bought his pres- 
 ent homestead in 1848. Here since the Civil 
 War he has carried on general farming. On 
 June 13, 1850, he was married to Emily R. 
 Sawtell, who was born in Phillipston, Mass., 
 May 26, 1823. Her parents, Henry and Re- 
 becca (Farnsworth) Sawtell, were both natives 
 of this county. The father, who was a farmer, 
 died in Petersham at the age of forty-two 
 years. The mother lived to be ninety-four. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wells have one daughter, Mary 
 L., the wife of William H. Maynard, of Rut- 
 land. Mrs. Maynard was born on December 
 29, 1858. Her husband, who is a farmer, was 
 born in Fitchburg, Mass., November 29, 
 1853. Their children are: Louise E., born 
 October 15, 1892; and Frank W., born Au- 
 gust 20, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Wells had a son, 
 who lived only a few months. Both are mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. In poli- 
 tics Mr. Wells is a Prohibitionist. He has 
 served the town for two years as Selectman 
 and for two years on the Board of Overseers of 
 the Poor. Mr. and Mrs. Wells are among the 
 few couples in town who have spent nearly a 
 half-century of wedded life together. Their 
 home has been a most happy one, and they 
 have many friends. 
 
 HARLES N. SHEPARD, a promi- 
 nent agriculturist of Warren, son of 
 the late David Shepard, Jr., was 
 born on the farm he now occupies, 
 August 9, 1836. His homestead was re- 
 claimed from the wilderness by his great- 
 grandfather, William Shepard, who was one of 
 
214 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the original settlers of the town. It has since 
 been owned and occupied by his descendants, 
 including Mabel B. Shepard, of the sixth gen- 
 eration, the little daughter of Herbert N. 
 Shepard, and the grand-daughter of Charles 
 N. William was born March 15, 1725. His 
 wife, Eleanor, was born August 3, 1733. 
 
 David Shepard, Sr. , son of William and the 
 grandfather of Charles N., was born on this 
 farm, and, with the exception of a few years 
 spent in New York State, was here occupied 
 in farming throughout his active life. David 
 Shepard, Jr., born in New York State, was 
 brought up in Warren, and in its public 
 schools received his education. After the 
 death of his father he came into possession of 
 the home farm ; and from that time until his 
 demise, which occurred December 19, 1885, 
 he was actively engaged in farming. He mar- 
 ried Lucinda Woods, of West Brookfield, 
 Mass. Of their children, four are living, 
 namely: David W., of Warren; Charlotte 
 F., the wife of F. W. Keyes, of Warren; 
 Charles N., the subject of this sketch; and 
 William H., of Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
 Having passed through the public schools 
 of Warren, Charles N. Shepard completed his 
 education at the Monson Academy, an institu- 
 tion of some note in his day. Afterward, 
 choosing farming for his life occupation, he 
 assisted his father in the management and 
 improvement of the ancestral homestead, to 
 which he has since succeeded. A man of 
 sound judgment and well-versed in agricult- 
 ure, he has been eminently successful as a 
 general farmer and dairyman. Keeping fine 
 graded cattle, he makes a specialty of produc- 
 ing cream, which he ships to Worcester, 
 :\Iass. In politics he is an adherent of the 
 Republican party. For one year he served his 
 fellow-townsmen as Selectman. He has been 
 a member of the Quaboag Lodge, F. & A. M. 
 of Warren, for about forty years. 
 
 On December 20, 1864, ^Ir. Shepard mar- 
 ried Abby R. Bowen, a native of Ware, Mass., 
 which was also the birthplace of her parents] 
 Sylvester and Nancy (Eaton) Bowen. Mr! 
 Bowen, who belonged to an old family of 
 Ware, served for several years as Selectman 
 and Assessor of his native town. Darius 
 
 Eaton, a maternal ancestor of Mr. Shepard, 
 was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bowen reared several children, 
 of whom the survivors are; Mrs. D. S. Ellis 
 and Ellen M. Bowen, both of Rome, N. Y. , 
 and Sylvester W. Bowen, of Wendell, Mass. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Shepard's only child, Herbert 
 N., resides on the ancestral homestead with 
 his parents. He married Grace M., daughter 
 of W. E. Patrick, the chairman of the Board 
 of Selectmen of Warren, and has one child, 
 Mabel B., born April i, 1896. Mrs. Shepard 
 is an active member of the Congregational 
 church, of the Home Missionary Society, and 
 of the Woman's Auxiliary Society. 
 
 LIVER GOODNOW, a venerable and 
 highly esteemed resident of Paxton, 
 son of Oliver Goodnow, Sr., was born 
 August 4, 1 8 16, in Newfane, Wind- 
 ham County, Vt. He comes of English stock. 
 It is said that his paternal grandfather, John 
 Goodnow, who resided for many years in 
 Needham, ]\Iass., was a soldier in the Revolu- 
 tionary War. The father, who was born in 
 Needham, Mass., after his marriage with 
 Catherine Ball, of South Hadley, Mass., re- 
 moved to Newfane,. Vt., where he was success- 
 fully engaged as a farmer until his death, in 
 the fifty-eighth year of his age. Regarded as 
 a man of ability and good judgment, he was 
 a Selectman in Vermont for several years. 
 
 Oliver Goodnow, the subject of this sketch, 
 received a good education in the public schools 
 of Newfane. At the age of eighteen he went 
 to Boston, and was there employed for a brief 
 time by Dr. Walter Channing, one of the 
 prominent men of that city. Two years later, 
 in 1836, he became a clerk in the store and 
 hotel of Harvey Wilson in Paxton. Subse- 
 quently, after learning the trade of a boot- 
 maker, he worked for thirty-four consecutive 
 years in the employment of Lakin & Bigelow, 
 boot manufacturers in this town. Since that 
 time he has been prosperously engaged in 
 
 A Republican in politics and interested in 
 the welfare of the town, Mr. Goodnow has 
 served for five years as Selectman and Over- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 215 
 
 seer of the Poor and for two years as Assessor. 
 He is an active member of the Congregational 
 church, in which he sang for threescore years, 
 being for about half of the time the leader of 
 the choir. At the United States District 
 Court in Boston in 1883 he was the foreman 
 of the grand jury. He served as Justice 
 of the Peace for two terms of seven years each, 
 and he is a trustee of Worcester County Agri- 
 culture Society. In October, 1838, he was 
 married to Abigail M. Abbott, who was born 
 in Paxton, Mass., daughter of Aaron Abbott, 
 formerly an esteemed resident of this town. 
 
 'ASON B. HILL, a prominent and in- 
 fluential resident of North Brookfield, 
 was born here, December 11, 1820. 
 A son of Kittredge and Sarah (Bigelow) 
 Hill, he is a grandson of Thomas Hill, who 
 in earlier days was a leading resident of 
 North Brookfield. Both of his parents were 
 born here. The father in early life was a 
 teamster. Later he became one of the well- 
 known farmers of this section. He held vari- 
 ous town offices, and also represented the town 
 in the legislature. Of his children, four are 
 living, namely: Kittredge, who resides in the 
 State of Indiana; Nancy E., a resident of 
 North Brookfield; Jason B. ; and Lewis E. 
 
 Jason B. Hill attended the district school 
 of his time, profiting, as far as he was able, by 
 the instruction therein imparted. He also 
 gained during boyhood a knowledge of prac- 
 tical farming that has been of much value to 
 him in more recent years. Upon reaching his 
 majority he went to Boston, where he entered 
 the employ of his brother-in-law, C. P. 
 Adams, as salesman in the produce commis- 
 sion business. Mr. Adams was one of the 
 well-known merchants of Boston, and for a 
 quarter of a century Mr. Hill was his most 
 trusted assistant. At the end of that time the 
 latter returned to North Brookfield and took 
 charge of Mr. Adams's large real estate inter- 
 ests here. Besides this he has carried on gen- 
 eral farming on his own account on his fine 
 farm of one hundred and forty acres, which is 
 situated near North Brookfield village. 
 
 Mr. Hill was married in 1850, June 13, to 
 
 Frances A. Corbett, a daughter of David Cor- 
 bett, of Roxbury, Mass. One son has been 
 born of this union, namely: Edward K. Hill, 
 who is a member of the American Wheelock 
 Engine Company, and resides in Worcester, 
 Mass. He is a skilful and thorough mechani- 
 cal engineer. The company has establish- 
 ments in New York, Chicago, and Worcester; 
 and the noted ship-builders, the Cramps, have 
 an interest in the concern. Mrs. Hill died on 
 June I, 189s, leaving' a void in the lives of 
 her family and friends that can never be filled. 
 Possessed of unusual ability as a musician, she 
 was well known among singers in Boston dur- 
 ing her residence there. She was a promi- 
 nent member of the North Brookfield Grange, 
 and was closely associated with the social and 
 benevolent work of the First Congregational 
 Church. Since her death Mr. Hill has placed 
 a beautiful window in the church as a memo- 
 rial to her. 
 
 Much interested in educational matters, 
 Mr. Hill has served for three years on the 
 School Board of the town. In politics he is a 
 Republican, An active member of the 
 Grange, he has been for some years past its 
 treasurer. He attends the First Congrega- 
 tional Church, and contributes liberally to the 
 support of its varied activities. 
 
 OSHUA W. MORSE, an esteemed 
 resident of Northbridge, was born in 
 Whitingham, Vt., February 4, 1820. 
 He is a son of David and Mary (Whit- 
 ney) Morse and a grandson of Simeon and 
 Azubah (Wheeler) Morse. Simeon Morse, 
 who was a farmer of Sutton, served as a sol- 
 dier in the war of the Revolution, stationed in 
 New York State, and at a later date became 
 a strong supporter of General Jackson. Both 
 he and his wife are buried in the family bury- 
 ing-ground at Sutton. 
 
 David Morse, who was born in Sutton, re- 
 moved to Vermont when a young man, and 
 there married, and subsequently lived for a 
 time. When his son, Joshua, was six years 
 old, he returned to the old homestead in Sut- 
 ton. He resided there until April, 1865, 
 when he bought a farm in Northbridge vil- 
 
2l6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 lage, where he passed the remainder of his 
 life. Taking an active interest in local poli- 
 tics, he was an old-time Whig and an ardent 
 follower of General Jackson. Of his family 
 of ten children, four are living. The latter 
 are: Mrs. Mary Whiting, of Northbridge; 
 Edward Morse, a well-known farmer of this 
 town; Moses Morse, of Spencer; and Joshua 
 W., the subject of this biography. George, 
 who was a grocer in Central Falls, R.I., died 
 in 1893. 
 
 Joshua W. Morse received his education in 
 the schools of Sutton. After leaving school 
 he worked on his father's farm until he was 
 twenty years of age. Having learned the 
 shoemaker's trade, he came to Northbridge 
 Centre, and here engaged in cutting leather. 
 For twenty-five years he had charge of the 
 cutting department. About twenty-five years 
 ago he left the manufacturing business, and 
 has since been engaged in farming, devoting 
 his attention chiefly to raising small fruits. 
 A strong anti-slavery man, he occupied a seat 
 in the State legislature in 1861. He has 
 been Selectman of the town for a number of 
 years. A member of the Congregational 
 church for the past forty years, he has served 
 as Deacon for nine years; and he was the clerk 
 of the society for many years. 
 
 Mr. Morse has been three times married. 
 The respective maiden names of his first and 
 second wives were Deborah C. Brown and 
 Mary S. Day. The latter was a Northbridge 
 lady. The third marriage was contracted with 
 Lydia A. Searles, who is a native of Sutton. 
 A daughter by the first marriage died at the 
 age of one year. A daughter by the second 
 marriage married Frank A. Holbrook, and 
 died in Providence, R.I., in 1897, leaving a 
 daughter aged five years. 
 
 7^ HERBERT De FOSSE, the Sealer 
 V Jl °^ Weights and Measures for the city 
 
 V,_ls_[^ of Worcester, was born in Nicolet 
 County of Nicolet, P.Q.. on Sep'- 
 tember 24, 187 1. A son of Hubert and 
 Agnes (Cloutier) de Fosse, he is a descendant 
 of the old French family, the Savoys, which 
 furnished oflficers to the army of Napoleon I 
 
 and has been widely known as a military 
 race. His paternal great-grandmother was 
 the famous nurse, Marguerite de Laby; and 
 his maternal great-great-grandfather was the 
 Count de Castelet, who belonged to the family 
 of the De Salamons. The maternal grand- 
 father was a noted mill contractor and an in- 
 ventor of mill machinery. Hubei't de Fosse 
 who was an architect in Nicolet, came to 
 Worcester when his son Herbert was a very 
 young child, and was employed by Norcross 
 Brothers on fine wood work. 
 
 Having begun his schooling in this city, C. 
 Herbert de Fosse at the age of fourteen re- 
 turned to Nicolet, and attended college there 
 for a time. Afterward he learned the carpen- 
 ter's trade, working at it for three years. He 
 then entered the employ of the Richardson 
 Manufacturing Company as general mechanic, 
 and remained with them until his appointment 
 to his present position of Sealer of Weights 
 and Measures. Mr. de Fosse was one of the 
 organizers of the Worcester branch' of the 
 Young Men's French Catholic Association 
 and its secretary for several years, also of the 
 Conference Notre Dame of the Society of St. 
 Vincent de Paul, of which he was also the 
 secretary for a long period. 
 
 He is also the vice-president of TUnion 
 Canadien, the secretary of St. Joseph's Liter- 
 ary Association, a director of the Ward Three 
 Naturalization Club, and he is one of the 
 members of the Executive Committee of the 
 Young Men's Republican Club of Worcester, 
 which he helped to organize. For many 
 years he was the chairman of the Board of 
 Auditors for the St. Ann's Total Abstinence 
 Association, and he is one of the county's 
 strong total abstinence workers. He has been 
 the president of the Drum Corps Musical As- 
 sociation, and his reputation as a drum-major 
 is known throughout the State. The Franco- 
 American Club numbers him among its most 
 valued members, and has paid him the compli- 
 ment of electing him its presiding officer. 
 At the present time he is also Chief Ranger of 
 Court Louis Joseph Papinneau, No. 71, F. of 
 A , which is said to be the largest court in 
 Worcester and the richest in the United 
 States; and he is quartermaster of one of the 
 
^^•^r^. 
 
 C. HERBERT DE FOSSE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 219 
 
 American companies of Pontifical Zouaves, 
 and the honorary secretary of the Guard of 
 Honor. 
 
 In politics a Republican, Mr. de Fosse is 
 the present secretary of the Republican City 
 Committee. During the campaign of 1896 he 
 stumped for McKinley, speaking both in 
 French and English in some of the West-ern 
 States, and acquiring quite a reputation as a 
 public speaker. Some years since, when a 
 candidate for the legislature in a Democratic 
 district, he came within four votes of defeat- 
 ing his opponent. He is a vice-president of 
 the Fremont Club of Massachusetts, generally 
 known as the French Republican Club. For 
 some time he has been a Notary Public and 
 Justice of the Peace. Several breezy and in- 
 teresting articles from his pen have appeared 
 in the public press, and he is the author of a 
 number of clever plays. No man of the 
 French population in America is considered a 
 better authority on historical and statistical 
 facts concerning them. He is in frequent de- 
 mand as a lecturer on various topics, both in 
 French and in English. His frequent selection 
 as a presiding officer is due to the recognition 
 of his unusual knowledge of parliamentary 
 rules. Devoted to his family, he has at his 
 own expense educated two sisters and a 
 brother. At the present time one of these is 
 a pupil of Hinman's Business College. Mr. 
 de Fosse attends the Church of Notre Dame. 
 
 lENJAMIN F. BROOKS, Postmaster 
 of Barre and a Civil War veteran, 
 Is^J was born in Petersham, Mass., April 
 4, 1844, son of John F. and Isabella 
 R. (Brown) Brooks. He traces his descent to 
 one of three brothers who arrived from Eng- 
 land in 1631. His grandfather, Austin 
 Brooks, whose birth occurred in Petersham, 
 December 9, 1788, spent the active period of 
 his life prosperously engaged in agriculture, 
 and died in his native town in 1869. Austin 
 Brooks married Martha Bent, who, born No- 
 vember 13, 1794, died in 1866. John F. 
 Brooks, son of Austin, was born in Petersham, 
 September 26, 1814. In his younger days 
 he was a palm-leaf finisher. Later he was 
 
 engaged in the hotel business, and was the 
 proprietor of the old Massasoit House in 
 Barre from 1865 until his death, which oc- 
 curred October 13, 1889. Originally a Whig, 
 he joined the Republican party, by which he 
 was elected to some of the town offices. His 
 wife, Isabella, who was born in Royalston, 
 Mass., May 3, 1818, reared two sons: Benja- 
 min F. , the subject of this sketch; and Ed- 
 ward H., born January 31, 1847, who died 
 March 29, 1892. In religion she is a Congre- 
 gationalist, and she resides in Barre. 
 
 Benjamin F. Brooks was reared and edu- 
 cated in Templeton, Mass. In 1862 he en- 
 listed in Company D, Thirty-sixth Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Serving 
 in the Civil War, he participated in the battles 
 of Fredericksburg, Jackson, the Wilderness, 
 Spottsylvania, North Anna River, and Cold 
 Harbor, and in the sieges of Vicksburg, 
 Knoxville, and Petersburg. Having been 
 honorably discharged from the arrny in 1865, 
 he entered the service of the Adams Express 
 Company as messenger and agent at Danbury, 
 Conn., remaining in their employ until 1873. 
 The succeeding two years were spent in Barre. 
 In 1875 he engaged in the meat and provision 
 business in Boston, where he remained until 
 August, 1876. Then he returned to Barre, 
 and became associated with his father in the 
 management of the Massasoit House. In 
 1890 he sold his interest in the house, and, 
 receiving the appointment of Postmaster, con- 
 ducted the business of that office efficiently for 
 the ensuing four years and one month. In 
 May, 1898, he was reappointed Postmaster, 
 and he has served in that capacity since June i. 
 In politics he is a Republican, and he is now 
 serving his fourth term as a member of the 
 Board of Assessors. 
 
 On May 16, 1868, Mr. Brooks was joined 
 in marriage at Madison, Conn., with Libbie 
 A. Russell, who was born in Portland, Conn., 
 August 28, 1845, daughter of John C. Russell. 
 By this union there is one daughter, Beth I. 
 Brooks, born in Barre, May 8, 1886. Mrs. 
 Brooks died March 15, 1897. She was a 
 member of the Congregational church. Mr. 
 Brooks is a member of Mount Zion Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., and has advanced in the order as 
 
22o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 far as the commandery. He was one of the 
 organizers of Samuel F. Woods Post, No. 179, 
 G. A. R., of which he was Commander for the 
 first six years of its existence, and has been 
 the Commander again since his election at the 
 last annual meeting. 
 
 "REEMAN R. DOANE, a well-known 
 and respected resident of North Brook- 
 field, son of Roland F. Doane, was 
 born in this town, January 27, 1837. His pa- 
 ternal grandfather. Captain Joseph Doane, who 
 was born on Cape Cod, spent his early life in 
 seafaring, and subsequently removed with 
 his family to North Brookfield, where his re- 
 maining years were passed. 
 
 Roland F. Doane, born in one of the towns 
 on the Cape Cod peninsula, accompanied his 
 parents to North Brookfield when a small boy. 
 Besides carrying on mixed farming, he oper- 
 ated a saw-mill for many years, successfully 
 manufacturing lumber. His death occurred 
 in 1891. He married Amanda Shedd, a na- 
 tive of Vermont. Of their children the sur- 
 vivors are: Freeman R., the subject of this 
 biography; Hubbard S., a resident of Brook- 
 field; Edwin, a resident of Worcester, Mass. ; 
 Lydia A., the wife of Daniel Gilbert, of this 
 town; Ellen R., the wife of Ethan Allen Har- 
 wood, of whom a sketch may be found else- 
 where in this work; and Jonas M., of Brock- 
 ton, Mass. 
 
 Freeman R. Doane received a practical 
 common-school education, and on the home 
 farm was thoroughly trained in the art of agri- 
 culture as practised at that day. After com- 
 ing of age he entered the employ of E. & 
 A. H. BatchelJer & Co., boot and shoe manu- 
 facturers, with whom he remained for thirty- 
 five consecutive years, having charge of the 
 shipping department for a large part of the 
 time. In 1894 he severed his connection with 
 that firm, and has since devoted his time to his 
 private interests. Mustered into the service 
 of the Union in 1862, he served in the Civil 
 War for one year as a private in Company F 
 Forty-second Massachusetts Volunteer Infan- 
 try, being for a part of the time on duty in 
 New Orleans, and participating in General 
 
 Banks's expedition. He is now an active 
 member of the Ezra Batcheller Post, No. 51, 
 G. A. R., which he served as Quartermaster 
 for two years; and he also belongs to the 
 North Brookfield Lodge of the L O. O. F. 
 In politics he is a consistent Republican. 
 For three years he was Selectman, at the same 
 time serving as the clerk of the board. At 
 present he is a director of the North Brook- 
 field Railway Company, which controls the 
 branch of the Boston & Albany Railway ex- 
 tending from North Brookfield to East Brook- 
 field. 
 
 On November 24, 1859, Mr. Doane first 
 married Miss Anna M. Harwood, a daughter 
 of George and Angeline (Allen) Harwood, 
 and who bore him four children — George R., 
 Elmer F., Albion H., and Irene R. Elmer 
 and Irene are deceased. The mother passed 
 away November 23, 1868. The present Mrs. 
 Doane was formerly Mrs. Elizabeth Rosson, 
 widow of the late Joseph K. Rosson. 
 
 OHN E. KIMBALL, a retired educator 
 residing in Oxford, a son of William 
 and Mary (Robinson) Seaman Kimball, 
 was born in Webster, July 18, 1833. 
 He is a descendant in the seventh generation 
 of Richard Kimball, his immigrant ancestor, 
 from whom the line of descent comes through 
 Samuel and Ebenezer, second, to his grand- 
 father, Samuel Kimball. The latter enlisted 
 for service in the Revolution, June 6, 1777, at 
 Woodstock, Conn., in Captain William Man- 
 ning's Company, Second Connecticut Regi- 
 ment, commanded by the redoubtable Israel 
 Putnam, and was honorably discharged January 
 9, 1778. On July i, 1780, he re-enlisted in 
 the Fourth Connecticut Regiment, Colonel 
 John Durkee, of Norwich, commanding, from 
 which he was honorably discharged on Decem- 
 ber 10 of the same year. He shared the hard- 
 ships of the winter at Valley Forge, and was 
 with the main army on the Hudson at the time 
 of Benedict Arnold's treachery. 
 
 William Kimball, who was the eighth child 
 of Samuel Kimball, served as a Corporal in 
 the War of 1812. He was a skilful mechanic, 
 and for ten years held the position of superin- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 22t 
 
 tendent of Slater's mill at South Oxford. All 
 of his children have displayed ability in their 
 several walks of life. George R. , who was 
 born July i, 1828, enlisted in the Sixteenth 
 Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, for service 
 in the Civil War; and, having been wounded 
 twice at the battle of Antietam, was trans- 
 ferred to the Veterans' Reserve Corps, from 
 which he was discharged in July, 1865. 
 Thomas D., born December 20, 1838, who 
 studied for one year at Yale College, and com- 
 pleted the medical course at the College of 
 Physicians and Surgeons, New York, entered 
 the Union army as Captain of Company G, 
 Fifty-first Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers, was subsequently transferred to the 
 Second Heavy Artillery, and after the close 
 of the Rebellion settled in St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 John E. Kimball went from the public 
 schools to Dudley Academy, and later at- 
 tended Leicester Academy, where he was a 
 schoolmate of the Hon. Richard Olney, the 
 Secretary of State in President Cleveland's 
 last administration. In his Sophomore year 
 at Yale he took the second prize for English 
 composition, and in the following term he was 
 awarded the third prize for proficiency in the 
 same subject and the first for declamation. 
 During his Junior and Senior years he was 
 the editor of the Yale literary magazine. 
 Statement of Facts, and he was orator for 
 Linonia. Among his classmates were the 
 Hon. William T. Harris, the present Commis- 
 sioner of Education; Dr. William Garrison 
 Brinton, the well-known author; Josiah Will- 
 ard Gibbs, the mathematician ; Arthur Mat- 
 thewson, M. D., the noted oculist; the Rev. 
 Dr. Noble, of Chicago; and Addison Van 
 Name, the libarian at Yale University. 
 After leaving Yale he was the principal of 
 the Oxford High School for a year. Then he 
 went South, and just prior to the breaking 
 out of the Rebellion was teaching a private 
 school near Louisville, Ky. Having caused 
 much excitement here, when, loyal to the 
 Union, he cast the only vote for Lincoln 
 and Hamlin, he went to Chicago, where 
 a few days after his arrival he was ap- 
 pointed principal of the Ogden School. 
 A year later in St. Louis he became first 
 
 principal of the Washington School, and 
 for the succeeding eighteen years was prom- 
 inently identified with public education in 
 that city. After returning to the East in 
 1880, he was local superintendent of public 
 schools in Hartford, Conn., for a year. Then 
 he was elected to the position of superinten- 
 dent in Newton, Mass., which he efficiently 
 filled until he resigned in 1884. He has since 
 resided in Oxford. Having acquired an inter- 
 est in the Oxford National Bank, he was for 
 some years a director of that institution. 
 
 Mr. Kimball is not married. He has been 
 quite active in the public affairs of Oxford 
 since his return. The present chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen, be also served in that 
 capacity in 1886, 1888, and 1897. For twelve 
 consecutive years he has been elected Modera- 
 tor at the annual town meeting. He was for- 
 merly the chairman of the School Board and of 
 the Board of Trustees of the Free Public Li- 
 brary. He also acts as a Justice of the 
 Peace, with authority to issue warrants and 
 accept bail. For three years he was a mem- 
 ber of the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture, 
 and he served upon the committee having 
 charge of the State Agricultural College at 
 Amherst. In 1871 he visited Europe, and 
 was made an associate member of the Philo- 
 sophical Society of Great Britain. His Alma 
 Mater conferred upon him the degree of Master 
 of Arts in 1871. He has been a Deacon of 
 the First Congregational Church since 1888, 
 and is now chairman of the Board of Trustees. 
 
 UGH J. ALLEN, who for many 
 years was a leading farmer and a 
 highly esteemed citizen of Worces- 
 ter, residing at Maple Shade F'arm 
 on Salisbury Street, was born in New Brain- 
 tree, September 12, 1827. His father, Israel 
 Allen, who was a farmer in good circum- 
 stances, died here in 1875, the year following 
 that of his entrance on the farm and the seven- 
 tieth of his age. His mother, Jerusha Thomp- 
 son Allen, who died here in September, 1886, 
 at the age of eighty, bore her husband nine 
 children, of whom eight grew to maturity. 
 Of the latter, six are living, three sons and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 three daughters. One of the daughters, Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Whipple, resides in Hartford, 
 Conn. ; and the other two, Mrs. Sarah E. Rice 
 and Harriet A. Allen, reside in Hudson 
 Street, this city. The sons are: William T. 
 Allen, of Elliot Street; John L., who is in 
 business in Main Street; and Jesse M., who 
 resides in Holden. 
 
 With the exception of three years, during 
 which he was employed in a shoe factory, 
 Hugh F. Allen was a lifelong farmer. After 
 spending two and a half years in New Brain- 
 tree, engaged in farming, he and his wife 
 came to Worcester on May i6, 1863, settling 
 on the farm of eighty-two acres which has 
 since been the family home. In 1873 he 
 erected a dwelling-house on the site of the 
 present house. This was burned in 1895, 
 after which the house now standing was built. 
 Occupying a site on a rise of land, the new 
 building commands a pleasing and somewhat 
 extended view. As a farmer Mr. Allen was 
 progressive and successful. Thoroughly inter- 
 ested in his work, he enjoyed it, and bad excel- 
 lent health until he met with a series of acci- 
 dents. At three different times he broke his 
 ribs, and on another occasion he broke his 
 shoulder. Later by falling from a wagon, the 
 axle-tree of which had broken, he was injured 
 in a manner that proved fatal. The sudden- 
 ness of his death was a sad shock to his family 
 and neighbors. 
 
 Mr. Allen's marriage was contracted on No- 
 vember 18, 1851, with Marion O. Ross, a 
 daughter of William and Lucy B. (Otis) Ross, 
 who were respectively natives of Waltham and 
 Leominster. Mr. Ross, who was a mason by 
 trade, died in 1889, and his wife in December, 
 1876. Mrs. Allen was their only child. 
 Born in Leominster, she grew up in Worces- 
 ter. She is the mother of two children 
 
 Lizzie M. and William I., both at home. 
 The latter, who manages the farm, married 
 Nellie M. Tucker, and has a son six years old. 
 Mr. Allen, Sr., was a member of the Grange, 
 P. of H., No. 22, bad been its Master, and at 
 the time of his death was serving it in another 
 official capacity. In politics he was a stanch 
 and active Republican, but never an aspirant 
 to political honors. Both he and his wife 
 
 were members of the Union Congregational 
 Church. 
 
 HINEHAS BALL, eldest son of Ma- 
 nasseh Sawyer and Clarissa (An- 
 drews) Ball, yfa.s born in Boylston, 
 Mass., January 18, 1824. He came 
 of Puritan stock, being descended on the ma- 
 ternal side from Simon and Anne Bradstreet. 
 His father was the youngest son of Elijah 
 Ball, a soldier of the Revolution who was in 
 General Putnam's retreat on Long Island, and 
 attained in 1779 the rank of First Lieutenant. 
 Elijah Ball had been a well-to-do farmer, but, 
 when in his old age his acres passed to 
 Manasseh, they were fallow and heavily 
 mortgaged. Only by unremitting toil could 
 they gain a livelihood. Manasseh Ball tilled 
 his acres by day and hunted wild game or 
 burned charcoal by night, and the son assisted 
 to the utmost of his strength. But, in spite of 
 the heavy labor required in farming, Mr. Ball 
 found the life of the farmer attractive, and 
 kept throughout his life a lively interest in 
 agriculture. It was this interest, no doubt, 
 that actuated in a measure his strenuous plea 
 for sewage farming as the best method of sew- 
 age disposal. 
 
 Mr. Ball began life with a frail body, and 
 his youth was a continued struggle with ill 
 health. The seasons of close application in 
 study and teaching were followed by severe 
 illnesses that ate up his scanty earnings. Up 
 to his sixteenth year he attended the brief 
 terms of the district school, but in the winter 
 of 1840 he spent some weeks in Woonsocket, 
 R. I., with an uncle, Gardner Smith, who 
 taught him the principles of surveying. 
 About this time he came into possession of an 
 old compass once the property of his great- 
 great-grandfather, Robert Andrews, an early 
 settler of Boylston. Thus equipped, Mr. Ball 
 practised surveying, as opportunities afforded, 
 about the farms in his neighborhood, in West 
 Boylston and Worcester. But up to the time 
 of his employment by the Worcester & 
 Nashua Railroad in 1847 he had seen no sur- 
 veying done by men of experience. 
 
 In the fall of 1841 he went for a term of six 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 223 
 
 weeks to Josiah Bride's English Boarding 
 School in Berlin, and again the next fall he 
 had a like term, which closed his schooling. 
 The bill for these two terms is extant, and 
 shows the expenses were met by the payment 
 of one hundred and fourteen bushels of oak 
 coal, ten bushels of potatoes, two barrels of 
 apples, and forty pounds of dried apple. 
 
 In the winter of 1841-42 Mr. Ball taught 
 school in Southboro, the following winter 
 in Lancaster, and the next in Marlboro. 
 In the fall of 1846 he began the study of 
 draughting in Worcester, but was soon pros- 
 trated with typhoid fever and unable to do 
 anything until the following March, when he 
 again went to Worcester. Work came slowly. 
 In June he was employed to survey the old 
 Worcester aqueduct, and thus enabled to free 
 himself from debt he felt himself fairly 
 started in business. Though in November of 
 that year he records earning but twenty-five 
 . cents during the entire month, still from 
 this time he had a fair amount of business and 
 was able to maintain himself, though for 
 years it required the strictest economy. A 
 debt of the smallest was always to him a 
 thing abhorred, and when he died he had ab- 
 solutely no personal debt of any kind. His 
 early struggles made him meet others in like 
 difficulty with ready sympathy. Indeed, it 
 was never easy for him to say "No" to any 
 one who asked his aid. 
 
 Mr. Ball did not settle easily upon his life 
 work. He had no decided bent. He liked 
 surveying and he liked farming. Theology at- 
 tracted him, and at one time he thought seri- 
 ously of studying for the ministry. . Then, 
 too, he had a turn for mechanics. But en- 
 gineering once settled upon he kept to it as a 
 business; nor did he ever change his resi- 
 dence, though strongly urged to do so by 
 friends who went West. He was conserva- 
 tive in many ways and certainly ill calcu- 
 lated to endure any stress of competition. 
 
 In April, 1849, be became associated with 
 Elbridge Boyden under the firm of Boyden & 
 Ball, architects and engineers, and the part- 
 nership lasted until i860. His field books, 
 covering a period of twenty-five years, show 
 how closely he was identified with the growth 
 
 of the city from its incorporation. With his 
 transit and rod Governor Lincoln's pasture 
 was laid out into streets and building lots, and 
 the same is true of the other old estates that 
 made up the early town. One foundation 
 after another, for buildings, public and pri- 
 vate, was staked out to the number of nearly 
 five hundred. When he came to Worcester, 
 new cesspools were needed in Main Street; 
 and, after they had been built and became a 
 menace to the health of the people, he planned 
 the first sewer. He took whatever work 
 offered, and into all alike- — measuring a com- 
 post heap, staking the foundations of Me- 
 chanics' Hall, or building the water-works — 
 he put the same conscientious work. He al- 
 ways regretted his lack of training. Being 
 self-taught he lacked confidence, but he spared 
 neither time nor strength to make his work the 
 best in his power; and vacations, save those 
 forced by sickness, were unknown. 
 
 While engaged in the general work about 
 the city he was also concerned in the construc- 
 tion of the Taunton Hospital for the Insane 
 and the Fitchburg Jail. 
 
 He became a member of the Worcester 
 County Mechanics' Association in 1853, and 
 served as clerk from 1859-65, and was treas- 
 urer for seven years during that time, and was 
 afterward director, vice-president, and presi- 
 dent for short terms. In 1862 and 1863 he 
 served the city in the Common Council; in 
 1865 was Mayor; from 1863 to 1867 was 
 Water Commissioner; and from 1867 to 1872 
 City Engineer. 
 
 Wijh the Yankee apitude for seeking the 
 better or quicker method, Mr. Ball patented a 
 number of appliances used in connection with 
 the construction of water-works. After work- 
 ing for some years on a water meter he found 
 Mr. Benaiah Fitts had developed a like de- 
 vice, and the two entered into partnership, 
 patented the meter, and in November, 1869, 
 the Union Water Meter Company was formed, 
 with Mr. Ball as president, an office which he 
 held until his death. His connection with 
 this company prevented his holding any offi- 
 cial position in the city after 1872, and in 
 that year he was called as consulting engineer 
 in the abatement of the Miller's River nui- 
 
224 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sance. In 1873-75 he built the Springfield 
 water-works, and at the same time made 
 plans for or reported upon water-works at 
 Nashua, N.H., Amherst, Leominster, Marl- 
 boro, Lawrence, and Westboro, Mass., New 
 Haven and New Britain, Conn., and Portland, 
 Me., and sewers for Keene, Fall River, and 
 New Britain. In 1876 he sustained a griev- 
 ous blow in the breaking of the dam at Lynde 
 Brook Reservoir. It was his first consider- 
 able work, in which he took just pride; and 
 the disaster cut deep in his sensitive soul. 
 He neither sought nor accepted any extenuat- 
 ing circumstance, but put, if possible, added 
 effort in the work that came to him in the re- 
 construction of a broken dam at Clinton. 
 
 In 1879 he began the Brockton water- 
 works, and continued with that city as con- 
 sulting engineer for a number of yekrs, plan- 
 ning the system of sewers. He also planned 
 the sewerage of Amherst, Westboro, and of 
 the Concord and Sherborn Prisons, water- 
 works for Claremont, N. H., Gloucester, 
 Mass., and additional water-works for Lynn, 
 Mass., and New Haven, Conn. Though in 
 the years 1883 to 1885 he suffered so much 
 from asthma that it seemed impossible that he 
 could do any more work, in 1887 he was so 
 far recovered that he yielded to the request of 
 the State Board of Health to plan the drainage 
 of the Mystic Valley, and entered upon the 
 work with his former energy and enthusiasm. 
 But the malarial air of the Saugus marshes 
 aggravated the old trouble, and the next sum- 
 mer he was forced to resign the post. He 
 continued as consulting engineer on the 
 Brockton, Taunton, and Framingham* sewage 
 systems, but was not again able to undertake 
 any arduous professional work. 
 
 Mr. Ball was early interested in the tem- 
 perance and anti-slavery movements. From 
 the Free Soil he passed into the Republican 
 party. Political chicanery filled him with 
 astonishment and disgust, but he never failed 
 to cast his vote. 
 
 For thirty-one years he was Deacon of the 
 First Unitarian Church and for seven years 
 president of the Worcester County Confer- 
 ence of Unitarian Churches. He was thor- 
 oughly liberal in his views, finding good in 
 
 all denominations, and wherever he might be 
 was sure to attend some church unless pre- 
 vented by sickness. He was a member of the 
 Worcester County Society of Engineers, the 
 Boston Society of Engineers, and the Ameri- 
 can Water Works Association, and was also a 
 member of the Worcester Society of Antiquity. 
 His own slender advantages in the way of ed- 
 ucation made him doubly interested in the 
 subject, especially in that of technical educa- 
 tion; and of all the duties that fell to him in 
 his official capacity in 1865, undoubtedly he 
 took most pleasure in those that sprang from 
 his temporary connection with the Board of 
 Trustees of the Worcester County Free Insti- 
 tute of Industrial Science, who were then 
 planning the first buildings of the institute. 
 In company with some members of the board 
 he visited Williarastown, the Rensselaer Poly- 
 technic and the Sheffield School of Science, 
 and was present at the meeting held in Octo- 
 ber of that year to urge forward the work. In 
 February, 1866, he surveyed the lot of land 
 now occupied by the buildings, and at com- 
 mencement in 1873 he served upon the 
 Board of Examiners. For a number of years 
 he took delight in visiting the old laboratory 
 in Boynton Hall, and to the end of his life 
 was interested in all that pertained to the 
 school. 
 
 He was twice married. To his first wife, 
 Sarah Augusta Holyoke, daughter of William 
 Holyoke, he was married at her home in Marl- 
 boro, Mass., December 21, 1848. Two chil- 
 dren were born to them, a son, who died in 
 1857, and a daughter, who survives. Mrs. 
 Ball died January 14, 1864; and he married 
 • November 29, 1865, Mary Jane Otis, daugh- 
 ter of Benjamin B. Otis, of Lancaster. 
 
 Mr. Ball was not a great reader, but what 
 he did read was well digested. For fiction 
 he cared little. Thackerary interested him, 
 but theology and science attracted him more 
 than anything else. When ill health forced 
 him indoors for a season, experimental chem- 
 istry was his resource, and he obtained some 
 results of practical value. Geology always 
 interested him, and he recognized that science 
 as an essential aid in engineering. In the 
 country he was a close observer, knew trees 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 22q 
 
 and plants — ^not by the Latin name — -but the 
 habit of growth and characteristic of root, 
 leaf, and fruit. As he walks to Marlboro the 
 last of November, 1847, he notes the peeping 
 of frogs and the full-blown dandelion by the 
 roadside; and to the end he found keen enjoy- 
 ment in the beauty of river and sky, of rock 
 and woodland. In the pain and restlessness 
 of his last hour he could still observe how 
 " fine " the sky was. 
 
 During the greater part of 1894 he enjoyed 
 better health than for several years; but in 
 November over-exertion developed new com- 
 plications that brought him great suffering, 
 and death came as a release on the 19th of De- 
 cember. 
 
 TUfRANK BABBITT, the proprietor of a 
 p large dairy and stock farm in Barre, 
 was born where he now resides, August 
 9, 1827, son of Dean and Lorania (Babcock) 
 Babbitt. The Babbitt farm was cleared from 
 the wilderness by Frank's grandfather, Bena- 
 jah Babbitt, who came to Barre among the 
 early settlers and spent the rest of his life 
 here. 
 
 Dean Babbitt, the father, was born at the 
 homestead, December 14, 1780. He was a 
 blacksmith, following that trade in connection 
 with farming during the active period of his 
 life; and he always lived upon this farm, 
 which he inherited at his father's death. In 
 politics he was a Democrat and in religious 
 belief a Unitarian. He died July 26, 1866. 
 His wife, whom he married in 1803, was born 
 in New Braintree, Mass., August s, 1783. 
 She had thirteen children, all of whom lived 
 to maturity; namely, Mary, Sophia, Jane, 
 Lorania, Avery, Sewell, James, Susan, 
 Charles, George, Harriet, Julia Ann, and 
 Frank. Frank is the only one now living. 
 The mother died May 11, 1859. 
 
 Frank Babbitt acquired his education in the 
 town schools of Barre. In his youth he 
 learned the blacksmith's trade with his father, 
 for whom he afterward worked until he suc- 
 ceeded to the business. Besides conducting 
 the smithy, he carries on general farming, 
 dairying, and stock breeding, making a spe- 
 
 cialty of raising fine oxen. The homestead, 
 which he has improved by remodelling the 
 buildings, is now considered one of the best 
 farms in town. 
 
 At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Babbitt first 
 married Mercy Ellen Howe, a schoolmate. 
 Born in Barre in 1835, she was a daughter of 
 Eliphalet and Keziah Howe, representatives of 
 a highly reputable family of this town. She 
 died August i, 1885, leaving one daughter, 
 Kezzie E. The latter, born April 27, 1866, 
 died April 25, 1887. Mr. Babbitt married 
 for his second wife Mrs. Maria H. White, his 
 first wife's sister and the widow of E. D. 
 White, by whom she had two daughters — Mrs. 
 Mattie L. Dunbar and Clara M. White. Po- 
 litically, Mr. Babbitt is a Democrat. In re- 
 ligious belief both he and his wife are Unita- 
 rians. In 1893 he went to California to visit 
 a sister, who at that time was the only sur- 
 vivor of the other children of his parents. 
 
 OSEPH W. TEMPLE, the treasurer of 
 the Spencer Savings Bank and an ex- 
 member of the legislature, was born in 
 this town, February 17, 1833, son of 
 Colonel Alonzo and Adeline (Ryder) Temple. 
 The father, a native of Rutland, Mass., after 
 settling in Spencer, followed the business of 
 contractor and builder. Many well-known 
 residences and other buildings have been 
 erected by him. He was actively concerned in 
 public affairs, having served as a Selectman 
 and Assessor, and during the excitement 
 caused by the Free Soil agitation in 1851 he 
 was a member of the legislature. He was 
 also a commissioned officer in the State mili- 
 tia. Colonel Alonzo Temple died in 1884. 
 Of his children, the only one now living is 
 Joseph W., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Joseph W. Temple attended the graded 
 schools and high school of Spencer, and com- 
 pleted his studies with a two years' course at 
 the Leicester Academy. At the age of fifteen 
 he became a clerk in a Spencer store. When 
 nineteen he joined in business with his 
 brother, William H., forming the firm of 
 Temple & Co., which conducted a thriving 
 store for a number of years. Later he was in 
 
226 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 partnership with T. R. Whittemore, and still 
 later he conducted the business alone. He 
 was next engaged in business in Brookfield, 
 under the firm name of Clapp & Temple; and 
 in 1861 he became a member of the firm 
 Shumway, Temple & Co., boot manufacturers 
 of Warren, Mass. Some time afterward that 
 business was moved to Spencer, and was sub- 
 sequently conducted under various firm names. 
 He was also a member of the firm of Bullard, 
 Boyden & Temple, boot manufacturers, for 
 some thirteen years. In 1887 he was ap- 
 pointed treasurer of the Spencer Savings Bank, 
 in which capacity his business ability has 
 since proved of much benefit to that institu- 
 tion. 
 
 Mr. Temple married Sibyl A. Green, of 
 Spencer, a daughter of the late Josiah Green, 
 who was one of the pioneers of the boot 
 manufacturing industry in this town. He has 
 rendered efficient public service as Town 
 Clerk and Assessor, and he was a valuable 
 member of the Committee on Mercantile 
 Affairs while representing this district in the 
 legislature of 1884. A Republican in poli- 
 tics, he has served upon the Republican Town 
 Committee. As an enterprising and progres- 
 sive business man, he is widely known through- 
 out this section of the county. 
 
 'ACOB BOOTH, the president of the 
 Southbridge Printing Company and a 
 highly valued resident of Southbridge, 
 son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Atkin- 
 son) Booth, was born at Woonsocket, R. I., on 
 September 8, 1836. The father, who was 
 born in Yorkshire, England, in 1801, and 
 came to this country in 1834, died in 1857. 
 He was a millman. Helping to start factories 
 in different places, it often became necessary 
 for him to change his residence. Of his nine 
 children, three are living— Isaac, William, 
 and Jacob, all residents of Southbridge! 
 William is in the coal business here. 
 
 Jacob Booth received his education in the 
 schools of Oswego, Onondaga, and Cayuga 
 Counties, New York, to which State the fam- 
 ily removed when he was very young. At the 
 age of eleven he began working in the factory 
 
 of which his' father was then an employee. 
 When thirteen years old he was apprenticed 
 with Messrs. Gale & Eaton, of Syracuse, 
 N. Y., to cabinet-making and piano finishing. 
 During his apprenticeship, which lasted six 
 years, he also learned ornamental painting and 
 graining. Going then to Burrillville, R.L, 
 he was there engaged in the painting and 
 paper-banging business until 1866, when he 
 came to Southbridge. Here for the next 
 twenty years he followed the same line of 
 business, and was very successful. At the 
 same time he was interested in the manufact- 
 ure of furniture. Since 1884 he has been the 
 president of the Southbridge Printing Com- 
 pany, which is engaged in the manufacture of 
 cotton prints, and has for some time been in- 
 corporated. He is also a director of the Na- 
 tional Bank of Southbridge, a member of the 
 Board of Investment of the savings-bank, and 
 a director of the Street Railway Company, the 
 Southbridge Optical Company, and the ' Gas 
 and Electric Light Company. 
 
 Mr. Booth attends the Globe Congregational 
 Church. Pie has served the town on the Board 
 of Health and as an Overseer of the Poor. In 
 politics he is a Republican. Fraternally, he 
 is a member of Phoenix Council, R. A. His 
 first marriage was contracted in 1873 with 
 Miss Julia Vaughn, a daughter of Hubbard 
 and Adeline S. (Pierce) Vaughn, of South- 
 bridge. Born of the union was Carrie E. 
 Booth, who is now the wife of H. R. Harris, 
 and resides in this town. Mr. Booth's second 
 marriage, which took place in 1887, united 
 him with Jossie A., daughter of Henry W. 
 Rice, of Brookfield, Mass. 
 
 E ALLEN DAY, a successful and pro- 
 gressive agriculturist of Coy's Hill, 
 "^ Warren, was born April 4, 1835, on 
 the homestead he now occupies, and on which 
 his father, the late Captain Lyman Day, spent 
 his entire life. His paternal grandfather, Na- 
 than Day, came from Milford, Worcester 
 County to Warren in 1792, and, settling on 
 Coy s Hill, bought the present homestead prop- 
 T^' u^^^^ ™^^ *'^^" heavily timbered. Na- 
 than had cleared a large- portion of the estate, 
 
JACOB BOOTH. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 229 
 
 and had been industriously employed for some 
 time in otherwise improving it, when he died, 
 December 4, 1849. 
 
 Captain Lyman Day received a thorough 
 agricultural training from his father. Having 
 inherited the home farm, he cultivated it suc- 
 cessfully throughout the remainder of his 
 years. Taking a lively interest in military 
 affairs, he commanded a company of local 
 militia for several years. He married Eliza 
 Allen, of Warren. Of their children, three 
 are still living, namely: Elizabeth A., the 
 widow of Dr. Lorenzo Warriner, late of War- 
 ren, Mass. ; Laura A., the wife of Philip 
 Spaulding, of Amherst, Mass. ; and E. Allen, 
 the subject of this sketch. The father died 
 April 14, 1867; and on July 30, 1850, the 
 mother passed away. 
 
 E. Allen Day completed his early studies at 
 the Quaboag Seminary. Under the able tui- 
 tion of his father he became familiar with the 
 various departments of general farming while 
 yet young. Since he took possession of the 
 paternal estate, he has met with merited suc- 
 cess in his undertakings, and has been an in- 
 fluential factor in developing the agricultural 
 and industrial resources of this part of the 
 county. He has served for a number of terms 
 as a member of the School Committee of War- 
 ren. In his political relations he is a straight- 
 forward Republican. He was a charter mem- 
 ber of the Warren Grange, to which he 
 belonged for several years; and he is now a 
 member of the West Brookfield Farmers' Club. 
 On January 22, 1862, Mr. Day married 
 Frances L. Adams, of West Brookfield, a 
 daughter of William and [Martha (Marsh) 
 Adams, both of whom are now deceased. Her 
 paternal grandfather, Ephraim Adams, settled 
 in West Brookfield soon after the close of the 
 Revolutionary War; and her mother's father, 
 Caleb Marsh, bore a Lieutenant's commission 
 in the Revolutionary army. She has one sis- 
 ter living, Susan F., the widow of Lemuel 
 Fullam, late of West Brookfield. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Day have three children — William L., 
 Herbert A., and Alice F. Alice is the wife 
 of Peter Kuntz, of New York City. Both sons 
 reside on Coy's Hill, and are active members 
 of the Warren Grange. William is a Past 
 
 Master of the organization, and Herbert is the 
 present secretary. Both parents are members 
 of the Congregational church. 
 
 lARLTON D. RICHARDSON, a 
 prominent dairyman of West Brook- 
 field, was born in this town, Sep- 
 tember 25, 1865. A son of Du- 
 quesne H. and Julia (Allen) Richardson, he 
 comes of English descent. The father, who 
 was a native of Stockbridge, Vt., came to 
 West Brookfield in 1859. Settling upon the 
 farm where his son now resides, he tilled the 
 soil energetically until his death, which oc- 
 curred in March, 1895. In politics he sup- 
 ported the Republican party. He was an 
 active member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and for many years served it as a stew- 
 ard. Julia, his wife, who was born in Brook- 
 field, became the mother of six children, five 
 of whom are living, namely: Clarence L., 
 who resides in this town; Hattie L., the wife 
 of Edwin M. Hawes, of Worcester; Herbert 
 E. , a school superintendent of Hampden 
 County, Massachusetts; Myron A., who lives 
 in West Brookfield; and Carlton D., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. 
 
 Beginning in the common schools of West 
 Brookfield, Carlton D. Richardson completed 
 his education at the Brimfield High School. 
 Accustomed from his early boyhood to make 
 himself useful about the farm when not in 
 school, he was while still a youth perfectly 
 competent to perform the duties devolving 
 upon an agriculturist. Since he took charge 
 of the homestead property, he has given his 
 principal attention to dairying. He is practi- 
 cal, progressive, and successful in his special 
 line, having availed himself of the most im- 
 proved methods in the treatment of dairy prod- 
 ucts ; and the gratifying results attending his 
 efforts have gained for him a wide reputation 
 as an expert agriculturist and dairyman. 
 
 On November 26, 1889, Mr. Richardson 
 was united in marriage with Amy J. Doane, 
 of North Brookfield, a daughter of Hubbard S. 
 Doane, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in 
 the Review. Mr. Richardson is a member of 
 the Worcester South Agricultural Society, a 
 
230 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 director of the Worcester West and Eastern 
 Hampden Agricultural Societies, a member 
 of the State Board of Agriculture, of the Mas- 
 sachusetts Dairy Bureau, of the West Brook- 
 field Farmers' Club, and of the Farmers' and 
 Mechanics' Association of Spencer. He also 
 belongs to the North Brookfield Grange, Pa- 
 trons of Husbandry, of which he has been 
 Master for two years, is a member of the 
 Executive Committee of Quabaug Pomona 
 Grange, and is now serving his second term 
 as a Deputy of the Massachusetts State Grange. 
 His exhibits at the different fairs have long 
 been noted for their excellence in all respects. 
 In politics Mr. Richardson is a Republican. 
 
 I^AMUEL WHEELER, an enterpris- 
 ing general farmer, market gar- 
 dener, and florist, of South Berlin, 
 was born in this town, November 3, 
 1851, son of Samuel H. and Sarah (Holder) 
 Wheeler. His great-grandfather was an early 
 settler in Berlin; and the grandfather, Levi 
 Wheeler, who was a lifelong resident of the 
 town, followed agriculture here until his 
 death, which occurred at the age of seventy 
 years. Samuel H. Wheeler, the father, was 
 born here, and brought up on the home farm. 
 Besides farming he did considerable teaming 
 during his active years, and also erected a sub- 
 stantial dwelling, which is now occupied by 
 one of his sons. He died at the age of sev- 
 enty-eight. His wife, Sarah, who was a 
 daughter of Joseph Holder, a custom shoe- 
 maker of Bolton, became the mother of eight 
 children, three of whom are living; namely, 
 Mrs. Mary G. Hapgood, Samuel, and Henry 
 A. The mother died at the age of fifty-six. 
 Both parents were members of the Friends' 
 Society. 
 
 Samuel Wheeler, after attending the public 
 schools, supplemented his general studies with 
 a commercial course at a business college in 
 Boston. For some years he worked in the 
 shoe shops winters and spent his summers 
 assisting his father on the farm. After his 
 father's death he came into possession of a 
 part of the property. In company with his 
 brother he engaged in the cultivation of 
 
 flowers, making a specialty of carnation pinks. 
 They built hot-houses covering an area of ten 
 thousand feet, which enabled them to carry on 
 an extensive business. The partnership ex- 
 isted for fifteen years, or until 1895, when it 
 was dissolved; and Mr. Samuel Wheeler has 
 since conducted the business alone. 
 
 In 1872 Mr.- Wheeler was united in mar- 
 riage with Emily G. Bruce, daughter of Will- 
 iam Bruce, a prosperous farmer of Hudson. 
 He has five children; namely, Cora E., Her- 
 bert L. , Edwin E. , Marion G., and Bernice 
 A. Cora E. married Arthur F. Brewer, a 
 farmer of Berlin, and is the mother of one son, 
 Leon. Herbert L. , who assists his father on 
 the farm, married Delia Berry, and has one 
 daughter, Mildred L. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler has been chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen for several years, and has 
 also served as an Overseer of the Poor and as a 
 member of the Board of Health. Connected 
 by membership with the Patrons of Husbandry, 
 he has been Master of the local grange for 
 three years, has served as Chaplain, Overseer, 
 and Treasurer, and was for two years Overseer 
 of the District Grange. He is widely and 
 favorably known throughout this section as an 
 excellent authority on all matters relating to 
 floriculture, and from a small beginning has 
 built for himself a successful business. He is 
 prominently identified with the Society of 
 Friends. 
 
 MMONS E. CHAPIN, Town Treasurer, 
 Selectman, and Assessor of Brook- 
 ' field, son of George and Mary Cha- 
 pin, was born in the town of Milford on Janu- 
 ary 4, 1834. Both of his parents were natives 
 of Milford. His father, who died in 1886, 
 was at one time engaged in the manufacture of 
 boots and shoes in his native town ; and his 
 grandfather, Eli Chapin, resided there for 
 many years. 
 
 Emmons E. Chapin grew to manhood in 
 Milford, and attended the public schools in 
 that town, making the most of the slender op- 
 portunities afforded him. His working life 
 began at the age of sixteen years, when he 
 went to Worcester. After remaining there 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 231 
 
 four years, he came to Brookfield, and entered 
 the employ of Kimball & Robinson, boot and 
 shoe manufacturers. There he continued until 
 July II, 1864, when he enlisted in Company 
 F of the Forty-second Massachusetts Infantry 
 for the hundred days' service, and afterward 
 did guard duty at Alexandria, Va. Upon his 
 return to Brookfield he worked in a boot and 
 shoe shop for a time. Subsequently he be- 
 came a clerk for the firm of Crosby & Davis 
 and still later a member of the firm H. V. 
 Crosby & Co., of Brookfield. The latter con- 
 nection lasted fourteen years. During ten 
 consecutive years of the period he also served 
 as Postmaster of the town. Retiring from 
 the firm in 1881, he engaged in agriculture on 
 his farm of forty acres, situated in Brookfield 
 village. 
 
 For twelve successive years Mr. Chapin has 
 been a member of the Board of Assessors. He 
 has also been a Selectman for several terms, 
 and he is serving his second term as Town 
 Treasurer. A comrade of Dexter Post, No. 
 38, G. A. R., he has been its Quartermaster 
 for several years. He is also a member of 
 Hayden Lodge, F. & A. M., of Brookfield, 
 and for the past twenty years its treasurer. 
 Of his children by his marriage with Lucia A. 
 Crosby, the only survivor is George H. Cha- 
 pin, now the Town Clerk of Brookfield. The 
 services rendered to the town by Mr. Chapin, 
 Sr. , are fully and cordially appreciated, and 
 have won for him the esteem and good will of 
 the entire communitv. 
 
 ILLIAM A. BARR, of Spencer, 
 the founder of the well-known firm 
 of William A. Barr & Son, and son 
 of Hiram and Sallie (Thompson) Barr, was 
 born in New Braintree, Mass., July 15, 1835. 
 His grandfather, John Barr, leaving Braintree, 
 Mass., settled in New Braintree, where his 
 three sons grew up. Hiram was a soldier in 
 the War of 1812. Although he learned the 
 carpenter's trade, after coming to Spencer he 
 engaged in agriculture, and followed it during 
 the remainder of his life. 
 
 William A. Barr was only two years old 
 when his parents came to live in this town, 
 
 and hence his boyhood associations are all 
 connected with Spencer. He spent his school 
 days here, profiting to the extent of his ability 
 by the instruction offered. Wheh eighteen 
 years of age he secured employment in the 
 wire-mill of Myrick & Sugden in Spencer, 
 where he worked for three years. Subse- 
 quently for a short time he was employed in 
 the tannery of Horace Warren, of Leicester. 
 In 1859 he began the manufacture of shoe 
 heels in Spencer. This enterprise, which 
 was started with a very modest equipment, has 
 gradually increased in proportions, so that it 
 is now in a very flourishing condition. Sev- 
 eral years since the building in which the 
 business was begun was burned, after which, 
 on the same site, on Wall Street, the present 
 fine brick factory was erected. For a number 
 of years after the fire Mr. Barr continued to be 
 sole proprietor of the business. Eventually 
 he took his son, Alton H. Barr, into partner- 
 ship, forming the firm of William A. Barr & 
 Son. Although the senior member of the firm 
 retired some time ago, the firm name remains 
 the same. 
 
 The maiden name of Mr. Barr's wife, who 
 is a native of Leicester, Mass., was Leonora 
 Partridge. Of her three children, Alton H. 
 and Anella are living. In politics Mr. Barr 
 is a Republican. For six years he was a Se- 
 lectman of Spencer, and for one year of that 
 period the chairman of the board.' An es- 
 teemed Mason, he is connected with the Ma- 
 sonic lodge at Spencer. He holds the respect 
 of his associates, not only because of his un- 
 tarnished business record, but because of his 
 personal worth and companionable qualities. 
 
 ENRY E. BABCOCK, one of Bolton's 
 most prosperous farmers, son of 
 David and Elizabeth W. (Walcott) 
 Babcock, was born in this town, 
 May 4, 1833. The grandfather, Josiah Bab- 
 cock, a native of Fitchburg, Mass., and a 
 tanner by trade, settled upon a tract of wild 
 land in Bolton, where he cleared a farm, 
 erected a tannery, and followed his trade in 
 connection with farming. He died at the age 
 of eighty years. David Babcock, who was 
 
^32 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 born in Bolton, after learning the shoemaker's 
 trade, was engaged in that calling for many 
 years in Bolton, where he acquired the repu- 
 tation of a 'fine workman. He lived to be 
 eighty-seven years old. His wife, Elizabeth, 
 who was born in Stow, Mass., daughter of 
 Silas Walcott, became the mother of seven 
 children, five of whom are living; namely, 
 Nathan, Henry E., Edward B., David M., and 
 John C. Of these the only one residing in 
 Bolton is Henry E., the subject of this sketch. 
 The mother lived to be eighty-two years old. 
 Both parents were members of the Society of 
 Eriends. 
 
 Henry E. Babcock completed his education 
 at the Friends' Academy in Providence, R.I. 
 After leaving school he learned the trade of a 
 shoemaker, and was subsequently employed in 
 the shoe shops of this locality until he was 
 thirty-five years old. Then he took charge of 
 the homestead propert}', and has since been 
 engaged in dairy farming, shipping milk to 
 the Boston market. He successively married 
 Emily B. Upham, of Amherst, N. H., who 
 died at the age of thirty-two years; Mary 
 Southwick, of Millville, Mass., who died at 
 thirty-six; Mary Searle, of Hollis, N. H. ; 
 and Dorcas H. Aldrich, of Uxbridge, Mass., 
 his present wife. His first wife had one 
 daughter, Sarah E., who married William J. 
 Woodworth, and now has three children — 
 Albert S. , Zella, and Dorothy Woodworth. 
 
 In politics Mr. Babcock is a Republican. 
 He served for many years as chairman of both 
 the Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor, and 
 he was an Assessor for some time. For a 
 number of years he has been officially con- 
 nected with the Patrons of Husbandry, the 
 Farmers' Club, and the Worcester East Agri- 
 cultural Society. He attends the Friends' 
 Meeting, and is at present the treasurer and 
 one of the overseers of the society. 
 
 'REDERICK a. currier, a promi- 
 nent banker of Fitchburg, was born in 
 Worcester, Mass., December 24, 185 1, 
 son of Festus C. and Joanna M. (Allen) Cur- 
 rier. His paternal grandfather, Edward Cur- 
 rier, was a Revolutionary patriot. He joined 
 
 the American army in 1776, and acted as ser- 
 vant to General Washington's staff until old 
 enough to enter the ranks. He became a reg- 
 ular soldier in 1778, and served to the end of 
 the war. 
 
 Festus C. Currier, above named, son of 
 Edward, was born in Holliston, Middlesex 
 County, Mass., October 6, 1825. An able 
 financier, he was for some years the head 
 of the well-known insurance and steamship 
 agency of F. C. Currier & Son, with head- 
 quarters in the Rollstone Bank Block, Fitch- 
 burg, which agency he founded in 1868 on 
 becoming a resident of Fitchburg. Under his 
 able management the business grew to large 
 proportions. In 1875 he was appointed to 
 the State detective force by Governor Gaston, 
 and was placed in special charge of the inspec- 
 tion of manufactories and public buildings, 
 his duties calling him to visit nearly all the 
 factories in the Commonwealth. Upon the 
 expiration of bis term of office, without re- 
 questing a reappointment be returned to the 
 steamship business, which he combined with 
 insurance, his insurance agency being for sev- 
 eral years one of the largest in this part of the 
 State. He has now given up insurance, but 
 retains his interest in the steamship agency, 
 handling railway and steamship tickets, for- 
 eign drafts, and investment securities. He 
 was for eight years or more a director in the 
 Fitchburg Co-operative Bank. In 1891 he 
 was one of the organizers of the Wachusett 
 Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Fitchburg; 
 and he served as vice-president and superin- 
 tendent of its agencies until the business was 
 discontinued in 1896. He was thirteen years 
 secretary of the Massachusetts Mutual Aid 
 Society. For a number of years he was treas- 
 urer of the Worcester North Agricultural So- 
 ciety, and he served as its president in 1888. 
 
 A Democrat in politics, he has been elected 
 to a number of important offices. He served 
 on the Board of Aldermen of Fitchburg in 
 1874, 1875, and 1881; was a candidate for 
 County Commissioner in 1874; and in i88o 
 he polled a large vote as candidate for the leg- 
 islature. In 1884 he ran on the Cleveland 
 ticket as candidate for Presidential elector, and 
 in 1886 he was nominated for Congress. In 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 '-33 
 
 the subsequent election he ran far ahead of his 
 ticket, and reduced the majority of one of the 
 strongest Republican candidates in the State 
 forty per cent. Personally as popular with 
 the Republicans as with those of his own party, 
 he was a dangerous opponent in the political 
 field during the years of his public activity. 
 His wife, Joanna, who was a daughter of 
 Abram Allen, of Belchertown, Mass., died 
 May 2, 1894. They had four children, three 
 of whom died in childhood, the only survivor 
 being Frederick A., the special subject of our 
 sketch. 
 
 Frederick A. Currier was reared in Hollis- 
 ton, and there received his schooling. He has 
 been a resident of Fitchburg since 1869, and 
 may be said to have grown up in the insurance 
 business. For a number of years he was the 
 junior member of the firm of F. C. Currier & 
 Son ; and he is now head of the firm of Cur- 
 rier & Blanchard, with headquarters in the 
 Rollstone Bank Building. He has for four 
 years been president of the Fitchburg and 
 Leominster Board of Underwriters. He was 
 for six years connected with the management 
 of the Fitchburg Opera House, and for five 
 years he was secretary of the VVachusett 
 Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Like his 
 father, he is a Democrat, and is also very pop- 
 ular with the members of the other great party. 
 He was appointed Postmaster in 1887 by Pres- 
 ident Cleveland, serving two years under his 
 administration and retaining the office two 
 years longer under President Harrison, thus 
 filling out a four years' term, from 1887 to 
 1 891. Upon his retirement a petition, bear- 
 ing the names of seven hundred leading Repub- 
 licans, asked for his retention as Postmaster. 
 Mr. Currier was four years secretary of the 
 Worcester North Agricultural Society. He 
 was elected in 1896 secretary of the Fitchburg 
 Co-operative Bank; and he still holds the 
 office, this institution being one of the largest 
 of its kind in the State. He served on the 
 Board of Aldermen in 1896 and 1897. He is 
 a member of Aurora Lodge, F. & A. TVI. , of 
 which he was secretary for twenty years; of 
 Thomas Chapter, R. A. M. ; Jerusalem Com- 
 mandery. Knights Templar; and of Hiram 
 Council of Worcester. He also belongs to 
 
 Mount Rollstone Lodge and King David En- 
 campent, L 0. O. F. He is on the Board of 
 Trustees and is one of the Examining Com- 
 mittee of the Worcester North Savings Insti- 
 tution of Fitchburg. 
 
 Of late Mr. Currier has taken a great inter- 
 est in local historical matters. He was one 
 of the originators and incorporators of the 
 Fitchburg Historical Society, and has contrib- 
 uted several papers to their historical collec- 
 tions. His paper on "Postal Communication, 
 Past and Present," brought out the following 
 in the Fitchburg Z'«?7j' Sentinel: " Mr. Currier 
 received Friday from the Post-office Depart- 
 ment at Washington, through N. M. Brooks, 
 superintendent of foreign mails, a copy of 
 L' Union Postale, the official journal published 
 monthly by the International Bureau of the 
 Postal Union at Berne, Switzerland, dated 
 September i, 1895, the leading article of 
 which is a review, with extended extracts, of 
 a paper on the 'Postal Service,' read before 
 the Historical Society of this city by Mr. 
 Currier." The article, like all others in this 
 publication, appears in French, German, and 
 English, in parallel columns. Mr. Currier 
 also received an autograph letter from the 
 Postmaster-General of the German Empire 
 and one from the Postmaster-General of Spain, 
 complimenting his work. The following is 
 from the Boston Herald: — 
 
 "Mr. Frederick A. Currier is one of the 
 most valued members of the Fitchburg- His- 
 torical Society, which has done and is doing a 
 remarkably interesting and effective work in 
 the lines upon which such organizations are 
 usually active. He has prepared a number of 
 important papers the last two years, which will 
 appear in the regular volume to be published 
 by the society before the holiday. But for 
 private distrilDution he has caused to be 
 printed two papers of especial importance, 
 under the title of 'The Old Taverns and Stage- 
 coach Days.' The longer titles of the papers 
 are 'Tavern Days and the Old Taverns of 
 Fitchburg' and 'Stage-coach Days and Stage- 
 coach Ways. ' The papers make one hundred 
 and eight pages of the usual book size, and are 
 exceedingly interesting and rich in historical 
 data. Mr. Currier has written quite a number 
 
234 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of other valuable historical papers. He has a 
 genuine love for this sort of work, and his 
 papers combine a great deal of unique infor- 
 mation, interesting and pertinent 'color,' all 
 presented in a charming literary style." 
 
 rATIO MOORE, a farmer and 
 airyman of New Braintree, son of 
 Jonathan and Eunice L. (Moore) 
 Moore, was born in Rutland, Mass., 
 May 24, 1834. He comes of English origin. 
 His paternal grandfather, also named Jona- 
 than, who was probably a native of Brookfield, 
 Mass., served as a soldier in the Revolutionary 
 War. This Jonathan was for many years an 
 industrious farmer of Holden, where he died, 
 November 10, 1843, at an advanced age. His 
 farm, which was located in the southern part 
 of the town, is now included within the water 
 system of the city of Worcester. He was 
 three times married, and he became the father 
 of four children. These were: Patty, Jona- 
 than, and Newell, by his second wife; and 
 William, by his third wife. He was a mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church. 
 
 Jonathan Moore (second), who was born in 
 Holden, November 20, 1805, resided in his 
 native town until after his marriage. About 
 the year 1830 he bought a farm in the northern 
 part of the town of Rutland. Five years later 
 he went to the Chamberlain farm in the south- 
 ern part of the town, whence in 1863 he re- 
 moved to what is known as the Bartlett farm, 
 located in the eastern section. In 1870 he 
 removed to Rutland Centre, purchasing a farm 
 of thirty-eight acres, which he occupied for the 
 rest of his life, and on which the large Mus- 
 chopeague Hotel was erected. He died May 
 16, 1878. Originally a Whig, he joined the 
 Republican party at its formation. He was a 
 member of the Congregational church. His 
 wife, Eunice, whom he married May 28, 1828, 
 was born in West Boylston, Mass., November 
 S, 1806. Her children were: Horatio, the 
 subject of this sketch; two girls who died in 
 infancy; and Mary, born July 13, 1841, who 
 died August 22, 1845. The mother died Au- 
 gust 6, 1879. 
 
 Horatio Moore began his education in the 
 
 public schools of his native town, and com- 
 pleted his studies at the Wilbraham Academy. 
 He assisted his father until he was twenty-two 
 years old. Then he bought a farm in Rut- 
 land, where he continued to till the soil for 
 some twenty years. In 1876 he moved to his 
 present farm in New Braintree, containing two 
 hundred and seventy-five acres. Here, engaged 
 in general farming and dairying, he keeps fifty 
 head of cattle, some of which are full-blooded 
 Durham; and he cuts one hundred tons of hay 
 annually. Since he came here he has made 
 various improvements upon the land and 
 buildings. 
 
 Mr. Moore has been three times married. 
 On June 18, 1856, he contracted his first mar- 
 riage with Ann M. Fletcher, who was born in 
 Rutland in 1833, daughter of David W. and 
 Sally (Esterbrook) Fletcher. She died in 
 October, 1868; and on October 6, 1869, he 
 married Lena Lovering, of Woburn, Mass., 
 who died January II, 1874. His present wife, 
 formerly Miss Emma A. Stone, whom he mar- 
 ried March 23, 1876, was born in Rutland, 
 December 13, 185 1, daughter of Stillman and 
 Jeanette A. (Rice) Stone. Her father, a pros- 
 perous farmer in his time, was born in Rut- 
 land, July 14, 1816; and her mother was born 
 in the same town, November 7, 1821. Still- 
 man Stone served the town as Selectman, As- 
 sessor, and Collector. In politics he was a 
 Republican, in religious belief a Congrega- 
 tionalist. He lived to be seventy-four years 
 old. His widow is now residing in Worces- 
 ter. He was the father of five children, 
 namely: Stillman N. and Martha R., both of 
 whom died at the age of thirty-three years; 
 Merrick A., who married Rosamond A. 
 Brooks, of Reading, Mass., on October 6, 
 1875, and now resides in that town; Emma 
 A., who is now Mrs. Moore; and Henrietta 
 M., who is unmarried. Stillman N. Stone 
 married Sarah J. Davis, of Barre, Mass., and 
 left two children— Nelson T. and Pearlie. 
 Martha R. Stone married Darius A. Putnam, 
 and left one daughter — Winifred J. Mr. 
 Moore's first wife bore him three sons, 
 namely: William F., an engineer, born March 
 27, i860, who married Lulu P. Goodnow, of 
 Rutland, and has one daughter, Gladys; Her- 
 
HORATIO MOORE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 237 
 
 vey F. , born November g, 1862, now a mar- 
 ketman in North Brookfield, who married 
 Jennie Wellington, and has two children — 
 Carroll F. and Mildred E. ; and Chester H., 
 who died at the age of eleven months. By 
 his second union he has one daughter, Ida 
 M., born December 25, 1871. Ida married 
 E. L. Havens, of New Braintree, and has two 
 children — Lucy M. and Stanley M. Havens. 
 
 In politics Mr. Moore is a Republican. 
 While residing in Rutland he was a member of 
 the Board of Assessors. Besides serving in 
 the same capacity in New Braintree, he has 
 been a Justice of the Peace for a number of 
 years. For two years he was the president of 
 the Worcester County West Agricultural So- 
 ciety, and he is now a trustee. He is also a 
 trustee of the Worcester Agricultural Society 
 and a vice-president of the Spencer Agricult- 
 ural Society. He is a Past Master of the 
 Rutland Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and 
 Mrs. Moore is a member. Also a member of 
 the Congregational church, he serves it in the 
 capacity of Deacon. 
 
 (3The 
 
 HE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN 
 Jl ASSOCIATION of Southbridge, 
 Mass., was organized December 31, 
 1882. The movement of which that event 
 was the result originated with a meeting of 
 the young men of the Congregational church 
 and their pastor, the Rev. Joseph Danielson, 
 held in the latter part of the preceding No- 
 vember, to organize a society for the benefit of 
 the young of their own denomination. After 
 discussing the project the conclusion was 
 reached that an organization open to the young 
 of all churches was the pre-eminent need, and 
 a proposal to establish a branch of the Young 
 Men's Christian Association was favorably 
 received. With this purpose in view corre- 
 spondence was at once opened with Charles K. 
 Ober, the assistant State secretary. Then fol- 
 lowed a meeting in the vestry of the Baptist 
 church. A short time later, in the vestry of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, another meet- 
 ing was held, at which Mr. Ober was present, 
 and considerable enthusiasm was aroused. On 
 the following Sunday announcement was made 
 
 in the various churches of the town that a 
 meeting would be held that evening in the 
 Baptist church vestry to further consider the 
 proposal. On this occasion the participants 
 expressed great interest in the movement. 
 The outcome was the meeting of December 31, 
 1882, at which the Southbridge Young Men's 
 Christian Association was formally organized 
 by twenty-eight young men, many of whom are 
 now among the representative business men of 
 the town. From this inception the growth of 
 the association has been rapid. It is now one 
 of the finest equipped and most active organi- 
 zations of the kind in New England. 
 
 When organizing, the association adopted the 
 constitution of the International Committee, 
 and elected George W. Wells as president, 
 F. M. Smith vice-president, W. P. Taylor" 
 secretary, and J. E. Clemence treasurer. 
 Subsequently rooms for the use of the asso- 
 ciation were secured in the block containing 
 Edwards Hall. Here at a meeting held Jan- 
 uary 6, 1883, forty-four new members were 
 welcomed by the association. On January 15 
 thirty-five more names were added to the mem- 
 bership roll. The total membership now is 
 three hundred. The growth of the society 
 and the desire to extend its usefulness de- 
 manded better accommodations; and at a 
 meeting held July 28, 1884, it was voted that 
 the profits from a festival, to be given at some 
 future time, should be set aside as the nucleus 
 of a building fund. To the small sum thus 
 acquired were added from time to time such 
 subscriptions as interested persons donated. 
 On July 21, 1885, the association became a 
 corporation under the laws of Massachusetts. 
 Three years later, when the building fund 
 amounted to twenty-five thousand dollars, the 
 association felt warranted in buying the site 
 of the present building, which was then valued 
 at fifteen thousand dollars. Through the lib- 
 erality of the people of Southbridge, a few of 
 whom gave large donations, the treasurer's 
 report at the close of the year 1891 showed 
 the building fund to be forty-one thousand 
 and twenty-one dollars. In the early part of 
 that year a Building Committee, consisting of 
 F. L. Chapin, George W. Wells, and Jacob 
 Booth, had been appointed. Then at the 
 
^38 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 meeting held October 3, 1892, the association 
 voted to authorize this committee to receive 
 plans and specifications for the new building. 
 The erection, which was in charge of H. P. 
 Gumming & Co., of Ware, Mass., was com- 
 pleted in 1893. This beautiful edifice, three 
 stories in height, is an ornament- to the town, 
 a credit to the architects and builders, and the 
 pride of the association. On the first floor of 
 the main building are six stores and the post- 
 ofifice, and in the annex are two stores below 
 and a tenement upstairs. The reading-room, 
 game room, parlors, and two lecture rooms (a 
 large one and a small one) are also on the 
 first floor. The second floor, devoted to the 
 work of the junior department, has five class 
 rooms. In these, under the instruction of 
 competent teachers, various branches are 
 taught, including book-keeping, arithmetic, 
 penmanship, mechanical drawing, English and 
 French, and stenography. On the third floor 
 are the janitor's rooms and dormitories. 
 
 Frederick bryant, a prosperous 
 
 farmer of Petersham and a veteran of 
 the Civil War, was born on the Beaman 
 place, so called, January 30, 183 1. A son of 
 Artemas and Mehitable (Wilson) Bryant, he 
 is descended from Anraham Bryant, who re- 
 sided at Reading, Mass., and was made a 
 freeman in 1673. His great-grandfather, 
 Samuel Bryant, came to Petersham in 1750, 
 and bought fifty-six acres of land in the south- 
 eastern part of the town. Samuel enlisted in 
 Captain John Wheeler's company of minute- 
 men, which belonged to Colonel Ephraim Doo- 
 little's regiment; and he marched with it to 
 Concord on April 19, 1775. After the Revo- 
 lutionary War he purchased a farm which had 
 formerly belonged to Captain Thomas Beaman, 
 a Tory who guided the British troops from 
 Boston to Concord, and whose estate was con- 
 fiscated by the Massachusetts authorities. 
 Joel Bryant, the grandfather, occupied this 
 farm; and Artemas, the father, succeeded to 
 Its ownership. Artemas was an industrious 
 farmer, and also followed the trade of currier 
 His wife, Mehitable, a native of Petersham 
 was a daughter of Major John Wilson. 
 
 Frederick Bryant was educated in the public 
 schools. Afterward he assisted his father in 
 farming, and worked at the currier's trade until 
 the summer of 1862. Then he enlisted in 
 Company F, Fifty-third Regiment, Massachu- 
 setts Volunteers, under Captain Mudge and 
 Colonel John W. Kimball. With the rank of 
 Corporal he served upon the Lower Missis- 
 sippi. When the regiment was ordered to ac- 
 company General Banks on the Red River 
 expedition, he was detailed to guard duty at 
 the camp in Algiers, La. Honorably dis- 
 charged in September, 1863, he returned to 
 the homestead farm. For the past twenty 
 years he has been an Assessor, and the chair- 
 man of the board for sixteen years. He is a 
 comrade of Parker Post, No. 123, G. A. R., 
 of Athol, Mass. 
 
 Mr. Bryant married Mary Hapgood, a native 
 of this town. Her great-grandfather, Asa 
 Hapgood, was a member of the Committee of 
 Safety at Barre, Mass., during the war for 
 independence; and when forty-nine years old 
 he enlisted in Captain Henry's company for 
 service in Rhode Island. Mr. and Mrs. Bry- 
 ant have five children, namely: Walter A., 
 who married Carrie Felton, and has five chil- 
 dren—Harry Felton, N. Agnes, Leroy, Al- 
 bert Ray, and Charles F. ; Nellie W., the 
 wife of Herbert W. Gale, of Gardner, Mass, ; 
 Winifred, who married Frank L. Gates, of 
 that town, and has two children — Inez and 
 Carl L. ; Charles H., a Boston merchant, who 
 married Ada E. Bailey, and has two children 
 — Alice M. and Herbert F. ; and John M. 
 Bryant, who is engaged in business with his 
 brother in Boston. 
 
 T^NIERRE LEONARD COUILLARD, 
 ^^ M.D., who for many years has been 
 }£> the leading medical practitioner of 
 Manchaug, was born February 28, 
 1850, at St. Martine, on the Chateauguay 
 River in Canada, son of Joachim and Cather- 
 ine (Doutre) Couillard. The Couillard fam- 
 ily claims to be the oldest in Canada. Guil- 
 laume Couillard, a French emigrant, was the 
 first white settler to break the soil on the 
 Plains of Abraham. Early in this century 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 239 
 
 Dr. Couillard's grandfather removed from 
 Quebec to St. Martine, and settled on a farm 
 which has since been the home of the family. 
 Joachim and Catherine Co.uillard had several 
 children. Two sons, who are now deceased, 
 were lawyers in Montreal. Besides Dr. 
 Couillard, the only living son is Antoine, who 
 is an agent for the Wilson Manufacturing 
 Company of Montreal. A daughter, Alphon- 
 sine, resides on the old home in St. Martine 
 with the mother. Joseph Doutre, now de- 
 ceased, who was a well-known attorney of 
 Montreal, was a cousin of Dr. Couillard. 
 
 After receiving his preliminary education 
 in the schools of his native town, Pierre 
 Leonard Couillard went to the College of St. 
 Th^r^se. He subsequently became a student 
 in the College of L'Assomption, and gradu- 
 ated at Victoria College, Montreal, as a phy- 
 sician. After receiving his degree he settled 
 at once in Manchaug, where for the past 
 twenty-three years he has watched over the 
 health of the community. Many have been 
 the hours of suffering which his ministrations 
 have rendered less painful, and many the 
 diseases which his skill has vanquished. 
 
 By his marriage with Noemie Provost, 
 daughter of Charles and Julie (Gaucher) Pro- 
 vost, the Doctor became the father of three 
 sons and two daughters. These are : Edouard 
 J., born April 6, 1881 ; Charles A., born Feb- 
 ruary 7, 1885; Bertha Antoinette, born No- 
 vember 20, 1886; Jean Jacques, born Decem- 
 ber 15, 1892; and Noamie Elizabeth, born 
 May 15, 1897. Edouard is now a student at 
 the high school in Northbridge, and Charles 
 is attending the grammar school in Manchaug. 
 Dr. Couillard is a member of the Massachu- 
 setts Medical Society and of the Thurber 
 Medical Society of Milford. He is a Demo- 
 crat in politics, and is now serving as secre- 
 tary of the Democratic Town Committee. 
 
 I LIAS PARTRIDGE MORTON, agent 
 of the Stevens Linen Works of Web- 
 ster, where he is a prominent resi- 
 dent, was born in Augusta, Me., on September 
 7, 1842, son of Cornelius B. and Adaline 
 (Partridge) Morton. He comes from Plym- 
 
 iouth Pilgrim stock, his first ancestor in this 
 country being George Morton, who was born 
 in England in 1585 and came to Plymouth, 
 Mass., in 1623, on the ship "Ann." 
 
 George Morton was married in Leyden, 
 Holland, whither he had gone from England, 
 J to Julianna, daughter of Alexander Carpenter. 
 The line of descent from George Morton to 
 ;the subject of this, sketch is through Ephraim, 
 who was born in 1623 and married Ann 
 Cooper; Eleazer, whose wife's given name 
 was Rebecca; Nathaniel, who was born jn 
 1695, and married Mrs. Rebecca Clark Ellis; 
 Icbabod, who was born in 1726 at Sandwich, 
 Mass., and who married Deborah Morton; 
 and Mordecai, who was born at Middleboro in 
 1773, married Priscilla Bennett, and died at 
 Winthrop, Me., in 1835. Mordecai Morton 
 was the father of Cornelius B. and the grand- 
 father of Elias P. Morton. Ebenezer Ben- 
 ^nett, father of Mordecai's wife, was one of 
 ithe men who answered the alarm call on the 
 ;day of the battle of Lexington, 1775, as was- 
 also Ichabod Morton. 
 
 \ Cornelius B. Morton, son of Mordecai, was 
 :born at Middleboro, Mass., in 1807, and died 
 |in 1852. He was by occupation a shoe mer- 
 ■chant. His first wife, Adaline, whom he 
 married on June 23, 1832, was the daughter 
 ;of Elias and Abagail (Chase) Partridge, of 
 'Paris, Me. Her grandfather, Eleazer, was a 
 Revolutionary soldier. She died on Novem- 
 ber 17, 1842, having been the mother of six 
 children. Of these, Albert is now in South- 
 ern California; Alfred is a retired Captain of 
 the United States Army; and Edward and 
 Frank are in business in San Francisco. 
 Cornelius B Morton married for his second 
 wife Mrs. Eliza Towle, of Augusta, and by 
 this union had two children, namely: Ade- 
 line, who is now the wife of Samuel T. Can- 
 non, and resides in Augusta; and Charles, who 
 also resides in Augusta. 
 
 Elias P. Morton in his boyhood attended 
 the schools at Brownfield, Me., in Oxford 
 County. In 1861 he enlisted in Company A 
 of the Eleventh Maine Infantry, under Cap- 
 tain Pennell and Colonel Caldwell. In 
 Washington, in November of that year, the 
 regiment joined the Army of the Potomac, and 
 
240 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was assigned to the Fourth Corps, General 
 Keyes commanding. Private Morton was pro- 
 moted on January 20, 1862, to be Corporal. 
 At Fair Oaks, Va., on May 31, 1862, he was 
 wounded, but was able to rejoin the army 
 again at Harrison's Landing on the 13th of 
 the following July. On December 19, 1862, 
 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and 
 on May 10, 1864, to that of Sergeant Major. 
 He was mustered out of the service on Novem- 
 ber 18, 1864. From February i, 1865, to 
 December of the same year he was employed 
 as clerk in the Quartermaster's department. 
 Returning to Webster, he assumed the posi- 
 tion of clerk and paymaster for Henry H. 
 Stevens in his linen crash manufactory at 
 Dudley. Subsequently he was book-keeper of 
 the concern until January, 1877, when he was 
 appointed agent of the Stevens Linen Works, 
 which is now a corporation. 
 
 Mr. Morton and Arabella, daughter of 
 Amory and Nancy S. (Lyman) Gamage, of 
 Boston, were united in marriage on September 
 6, 1866. Three children have blessed this 
 union, namely: Maud, who was born on Jan- 
 uary 4, 1872, and died on August 14, 1873; 
 Frank Lyman, who was born on April 4, 
 1875, and died on August 11, 1876; and 
 Charles Edward, who was born on August 6, 
 1877. Charles Edward Morton acquired his 
 elementary education in the schools at Dud- 
 ley, and then attended Phillips Exeter Acad- 
 emy, where he was graduated in the class of 
 1895. He is now a student in the medical 
 department of Columbia College, better known 
 as the New York School of Physicians and 
 Surgeons. 
 
 Mr. Morton is a member of various fraternal 
 organizations, notably of the following: Na- 
 thaniel Lyon Post, No. 61; Webster Lodge, 
 F. & A. M.; Doric Chapter, R. A. M., at 
 Southbridge; Hiram Council, R. S. M., at 
 Worcester; Worcester County Commandery, 
 K. T. ; Maanexit Lodge, I. 0. O. F., at 
 Webster; Wachusett Encampment at Worces- 
 ter; and the Union Veterans' Legion of 
 Worcester. He has held nearly all the offices 
 in the Grand Army Post, and is one of its 
 charter members. He attends the Universal- 
 ist church. In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 He has been Selectman, Town Treasurer, and 
 a member of the School Board of Dudley. 
 He is one of the Investment Committee of 
 Webster Savings Bank and a member of the 
 Textile Club of Boston. 
 
 /T^HAUNCEY L. OLMSTEAD, the 
 I \t>' official head of the Olmstead Quaboag 
 ^lU^ Corset Company of West Brook- 
 field, which has its chief office at 
 S3 Leonard Street, New York City, is actively 
 identified with tjie business interests of this 
 section of Worcester County. A son of 
 Chauncey Olmstead, he was born August 18, 
 1839, in Fairfield County, Connecticut. He 
 comes of Dutch ancestry on his father's side 
 and of Scotch on the mother's side. The 
 father, a Connecticut man by birth, served in 
 the War of 1812, and was afterward exten- 
 sively engaged in the manufacture of coaches 
 at Ridgefield, Conn., of which he was a well- 
 known resident. 
 
 Chauncey L. Olmstead was graduated from 
 the high school at Wilton, Conn. When six- 
 teen years old he entered his father's factory 
 to learn the trade of a coach-maker, at which 
 he served an apprenticeship of five years. In 
 the ensuing year he became foreman of the 
 shop. This position he soon after resigned to 
 take a special course of study in civil engi- 
 neering. Going then to Toledo, Ohio, he be- 
 came the junior member of the firm B. S. & 
 C. L. Olmstead, civil engineers, which for 
 three years did a large business in that por- 
 tion of the Buckeye State. Ill health then 
 forced him to give up that work; and, return- 
 ing to Connecticut, he became a partner in 
 the firm of J. Wilcox & Co., corset manufact- 
 urers at Meriden. He continued with this 
 company as their agent in New York City 
 for eight years, at the end of which time, 
 in 1875, he was admitted to the firm of 
 Waterman & Mayer, corset manufacturers in 
 West Brookfield. When this firm was dis- 
 solved, the Bay State Corset Company was 
 organized, with Mr. Olmstead as its presi- 
 dent, a responsible position, which he held 
 for several years. On December i, 1894, he 
 helped to organize the Olmstead Quaboag 
 
CHAUNCEY L. OLMSTEAD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 243 
 
 Corset Company, one of the largest and most 
 prosperous of the kind in this part of the 
 State, and of which he has since been the 
 general manager. In politics Mr. Olmstead 
 takes an independent course. 
 
 Y^VpVAURICE P. CLARE, Selectman 
 hz I =* and Constable of the town of 
 J ajjs ( Webster, Deputy Sheriff of 
 ^~^ Worcester County, and a member 
 of the firm of M. P. Clare & Co., undertakers, 
 was born in Norwich, Conn., August 26, 1852, 
 his parents being Michael and Ellen (O'Con- 
 nor) Clare. Mr. Clare's ancestors came to 
 this country from Ireland. The Irish family, 
 descended from Norman-French stock, was 
 founded by Richard de Clare, surnamed 
 "Strongbow," who lived during the reign of 
 Edward II., and who, for services rendered 
 the English government, received a land 
 grant located in Cork County. The estate, 
 which has been handed down through succes- 
 sive generations, is still in the possession of 
 the Clare family. 
 
 Michael Clare was born in Ireland on the 
 ancestral place in 1796. When about eigh- 
 teen years of age he came to America, and 
 settled in Saratoga, N.Y. There he worked 
 at railroad contracting for nearly twenty 
 years. He came to Webster in 1867, and 
 died there in 1879. His wife, Ellen, born in 
 County Limerick, Ireland, in 1802, was a 
 daughter of John and Ellen (Donovan) O'Con- 
 nor. She came to this country in 1850, and 
 was married in 185 1. The children of Mi- 
 chael and Ellen Clare are: Maurice P., the 
 subject of this biography; Ellen, who was 
 born in Hadley, Mass., and is now Mrs. 
 Henry King, of Webster; and Michael, now 
 residing in Fitchburg, Mass., who is a fixer of 
 woollen looms. 
 
 Maurice P. Clare left Norwich when very 
 young, and removed to Albany, N.Y. His 
 elementary education was obtained in the pub- 
 lic schools of that city and Troy. Coming to 
 Webster at the age of twelve, he attended 
 school here for the next four years. Then he 
 went to work in Chase's woollen-mill. Here 
 he was employed for twenty-two years, ad- 
 
 vancing to the position of foreman. He left 
 the mill in 1892, and went into the undertak- 
 ing business, which he has since followed. 
 In April of the same year he was elected Se- 
 lectman of the town, which position he has 
 since held through successive re-elections. 
 Since 1893 he has been Constable and since 
 January of the same year Deputy Sheriff of 
 the County. His appointment to the last- 
 named position was received under Sheriff 
 Robert H. Chamberlain. In politics he is a 
 Republican. He is a member of Webster 
 Lodge, No. 58, A. O. U. W., of which he 
 was foreman one term. He is also a member 
 of Division No. 11, A. O. H., of Webster, of 
 which he was twenty-one years president and 
 four years State president; and the Chancellor 
 of Webster Lodge, Knights of Columbus. 
 He attends St. Louis Catholic Church. 
 
 Mr. Clare was married on July i, 1875, to 
 Margaret, daughter of Peter and Mary 
 (Caffery) Henry, of Oxford, Mass. The fol- 
 lowing-named children have been born to him: 
 Nellie, in 1876; John, in 1877; Margaret, in 
 1879; Maurice, in 1882; and Margaret Mary, 
 in 1885. Nellie, who was educated in the 
 parochial schools of Webster, resides with 
 her parents. She is a teacher of instrumen- 
 tal music and the organist of St. Louis 
 Church. Margaret died in infancy. The 
 other children reside with Mr. and Mrs. 
 Clare, the two youngest still attending 
 school. 
 
 ■^ATHAN RICHARD GEORGE, one 
 
 of the best known and most highly 
 \s V respected citizens of Mendon, the 
 
 proprietor of Miscoe Spring, from 
 which is obtained the famous Miscoe Spring 
 Water, was born in this town on November 
 10, 1837, son of Nathan and Caroline (Thayer) 
 George. He received his education in the 
 public schools of Mendon and at Leicester 
 Academy, and subsequently was employed for 
 some years as an accountant in the Aaron 
 Claflin shoe factory in Milford. In 1863 he 
 returned to Mendon, and formed a partnership 
 with his brother, Julius A. George, with 
 whom he was associated for five years in the 
 
244 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 manufacture of boots and shoes. Since 1868 
 he has been engaged to some extent in real 
 estate transactions, and has carried on the 
 homestead farm. In politics Mr. George has 
 always been a stanch Republican. His first 
 Presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lin- 
 coln. 
 
 For a number of years past Mr. George has 
 devoted considerable attention to developing 
 the Miscoe Spring Water, which is now be- 
 coming favorably known, not only in this 
 county, but throughout the State. Miscoe 
 Hill, which is an elevation of about six hun- 
 dred feet above the level of the sea, is situ- 
 ated in the town of Mendon, near the Upton 
 and Northbridge lines. Its name is of Indian 
 origin. From its summit there is no human 
 habitation within a radius of a mile or more, 
 except three small farmhouses. Near the 
 summit and a half-mile distant from any 
 house are several springs coming to the sur- 
 face through a broken granite ledge and from 
 such a depth that the flow and temperature of 
 the water remain nearly the same summer and 
 winter. The one from which the Miscoe 
 water is obtained is on what was once a large 
 farm belonging to Daniel Rawson. This 
 farm, containing sixty-five acres of land, was 
 deeded in 1821 to Richard George, grand- 
 father of the present owner. About 1845 the 
 farm buildings were torn down; and from that 
 time to 1894, or about fifty years, it was used 
 as a pasture for young cattle and horses, and 
 allowed to grow up to wood, until now it is 
 nearly covered. Since 1894 its use as a past- 
 ure has been discontinued. TJie sixty-five- 
 acre tract comprising the original farm is al- 
 most entirely surrounded by wild land and 
 pasturage, making an area of hundreds of 
 acres of uninhabited and uncultivated land. 
 The spring water has been known and. used 
 for at least sixty-five years, always being con- 
 sidered exceptionally good. In the summer 
 of 1892 several people who visited the local- 
 ity many times during the season, to enjoy the 
 exhilarating air and magnificent view to be 
 obtained from the summit of the hill, drank 
 freely of the water of this spring, and, feeling 
 that they received much benefit from it, have 
 continued to use it ever since. The opinion 
 
 being formed that the water had some cura- 
 tive properties, other people became inter- 
 ested in it; and in a short time a local demand 
 sprang up in the neighboring towns of Mil- 
 ford, Hopedale, and Uxbridge, without adver- 
 tising. 
 
 In October, 1894, and again in December, 
 1897, the water was analyzed by Henry Car- 
 raichael, Ph.D., of Boston. While the two 
 analyses are substantially alike, the one of 
 1897 shows that the water has not only re- 
 tained its former purity but has become even 
 purer. The situation of the spring, above and 
 at a great distance from any source of con- 
 tamination; the geological nature of the sur- 
 rounding country; the depth of the spring, 
 shown by the even flow and temperature of the 
 water — all tend to show it an ideal spring. 
 Mr. George believes that by putting this pure 
 and health-giving water within the reach and 
 knowledge of his fellow-men he is doing a 
 public service. He has opened an office in 
 Boston, and Miscoe Spring Water is rapidly 
 taking its place along side of Poland Spring 
 Water, which has for so many years held its 
 own against all other spring waters. Mr. 
 George has been Selectman three years and 
 Town Treasurer six years. 
 
 He married for his first wife a daughter of 
 Genery Taft. By this union there was one 
 child, a daughter named Rosa F. She was 
 educated at the Framingham Normal School 
 and at Wellesley College, and is now the wife 
 of Arthur R. Taft, who is one of the progres- 
 sive citizens of Uxbridge and at the present 
 time Representative to General Court. For 
 his second wife Mr. George married a daugh- 
 ter of Joseph Blanchard, of Uxbridge. She 
 has been the mother of four children; namely, 
 Nancy C, Nathan R., Melissa B., and Her- 
 bert J. Nancy C. George is a graduate of 
 Wellesley College and a successful teacher in 
 music, languages, and other branches. She 
 was for three years superintendent of the pub- 
 lic schools of Mendon. 
 
 Nathan R. George, Jr., was graduated from 
 Harvard College in the class of 1890, receiv- 
 ing his diploma with a magna cum laude, and 
 is now an instructor of mathematics in the 
 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 2 45 
 
 received his master's degree from Harvard in 
 1892. Melissa George completed her art edu- 
 cation with three years' study in Berlin, Ger- 
 many, and was subsequently for two years a 
 teacher at Wellesley College and five years a 
 teacher in Depauw University, Indiana. Her- 
 bert George was educated at Phillips Exeter 
 Academy and at Harvard College, and has 
 been for the last six years in business in Bos- 
 ton. He is now associated with his father in 
 his plan for putting the Miscoe Spring Water 
 on the market, and has charge of the Boston 
 office, which is at 206 Devonshire Street. 
 
 -f^TENRY RUFUS STOWELL, of 
 l-^J Athol, Mass., a successful manufact- 
 \\s I urer, is a native of Petersham, 
 ^—^ another Worcester County town. 
 He was born June 19, 1832, and was the eld- 
 est of three children reared by his parents, 
 Rufus and Anna (Allen) Stowell. His 
 brother, Austin E., a resident of Tully, is in- 
 terested with him in the woodenware busi- 
 ness. Their sister, Mary E. , died at eigh- 
 teen years of age. Rufus Stowell was born 
 in Petersham, and spent his life there as a 
 farmer. He died when but forty-seven years 
 old. 
 
 Henry Rufus Stowell remained on the farm 
 with his parents until sixteen. Then, with a 
 pack on his back, he left home and went to 
 North Amherst, where he let himself on a 
 farm for one season. The following year he 
 did farm work in Deerfield. Later he secured 
 a position as foreman of a mattress factory in 
 Greenfield, which he held till he was twenty 
 years old, when he left the factory. He pos- 
 sessed unusual mechanical ability, and he 
 invented machinery to be used in mattress- 
 making, his observations while foreman hav- 
 ing taught him what was needed in this line. 
 Obtaining an order from a man named Rogers, 
 who agreed to pay him a good price, he built 
 some of these machines in Greenfield, and 
 took them to Lafayette, Ind. Within less 
 than a year Mr. Rogers failed, owing him 
 seven hundred dollars, which he refused to 
 pay. Mr. Stowell had been collecting bills, 
 and, knowing of some nine hundred dollars 
 
 that was due, he proceeded to collect it, hav- 
 ing charged himself with the bills on the 
 books, and then again demanded a settlement. 
 Learning that he already had the money in 
 his pocket, his employer caused him to be ar- 
 rested; but, upon the advice of his attorney 
 and the judge, he finally made the settlement 
 which Mr. Stowell desired. 
 
 Mr. Stowell next went to Quincy, 111., 
 where he was engaged at one hundred dollars 
 per month to erect machinery in a cotton fac- 
 tory. He became a partner in the business, 
 but after two years spent there he was obliged 
 to leave Quincy on account of the malaria. 
 He returned to Massachusetts, and within a 
 short time he opened a grocery store in Green- 
 field. In the m.eantime he had married a 
 niece of Joseph Pierce, who had a woodenware 
 manufactory at Tully ; and he soon took a posi- 
 tion in Mr. Pierce's shop on contract at one 
 dollar per day for two years. In a few years 
 ]he was given an interest in the concern, the 
 firm name then being Pierce & Stowell. Be- 
 ginning without means, he felt that he should 
 jbe happy had he but a thousand dollars. The 
 business of the firm prospered. He had 
 reached the coveted mark, and, passing it, 
 was worth about five thousand, when, in the 
 financial crash of 1857, his savings were all 
 swept away. However, he courageously 
 started again, made money rapidly, and passed 
 the ten thousand mark that he had set before 
 ihim as a coveted goal. 
 
 Unfortunately, through a misconception of 
 [the revenue law, he had placed himself in a 
 position where he was now called upon to 
 make a heavy payment, which involved him in 
 ia debt of fifteen hundred dollars. Nothing 
 daunted, he again returned to the old mill, 
 .bought lumber on time (though he found it 
 hard to obtain credit of old friends, as it was 
 generally reported that he was about to fail), 
 and was soon doing a paying business; for he 
 met his obligations exactly as due, even when 
 forced to borrow money to do so, in this way 
 regaining the confidence of the trade. A 
 third time his property was wholly swept 
 away, this time by fire; but his former con- 
 duct in time of adversity was remembered, 
 and his credit was not impaired. So he found 
 
246 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 it comparatively easy to get started again, 
 and was soon making money. 
 
 On tils fiftieth birthday he removed to his 
 present residence, on the beautiful eminence 
 midway between the two villages of Athol and 
 Athol Centre, and commanding as fine a view 
 as any place in the valley. Here he has ex- 
 pended thousands of dollars in terracing, dec- 
 orating, and general improvement. But he 
 was not to enjoy this home with all its com- 
 forts unmolested, but must suffer an ordeal 
 more severe than any that had preceded. 
 Keeping a safe in his sitting-room, he had in 
 it his valuable papers, notes, and bonds, to 
 the amount of nearly fifty thousand dollars. 
 His house was entered on Thanksgiving night, 
 1889, and the safe broken open, and all these 
 valuables stolen. 
 
 To trace the burglars, secure their convic- 
 tion, and recover his securities, was the work 
 of thirteen months, the most trying period of 
 his eventful life. He entered upon the task 
 with his usual energy and determination. 
 The story is full of incident and intense inter- 
 est, but space precludes a review in detail. 
 After futile efforts in the usual channels he 
 did some searching on his own account, and 
 secured one of the brightest young detectives 
 in the country for an assistant. It was re- 
 ported after some months that one of the 
 notes had been presented to a Boston bank for 
 collection. Clever detective work revealed 
 where it was sent from; and through this the 
 two principals in the breaking were caught, 
 and one is now serving a ten years' sentence 
 in the Charlestown prison. Mr. Stowell re- 
 covered the greater part of the bonds, deeds, 
 and other papers after a negotiation with 
 parties in New York. He still keeps his 
 woodenware factory. For years the firm was 
 Pierce & Stowell, then H. R. Stowell until 
 he came to Athol village, when he received as 
 a partner Frank C. Warrick, under the style 
 of Stowell & Warrick. The latter now has 
 charge of the details of the business. 
 
 In 1862, in response to a call from Presi- 
 dent Lincoln for soldiers, the quota of his 
 town lacking eight, Mr. Stowell, his foreman, 
 and four other men enlisted; and his mill was 
 closed for a year. They went out in Company 
 
 F of the Fifty-second Massachusetts Regi- 
 ment, under Captain Stone, and served in 
 Louisiana. Only four of the six lived to 
 come home. 
 
 Upon his return from the West, Mr. Stowell 
 married Lucina Houghton. She died in less 
 than a year after, while they were visiting at 
 her home in Petersham. He subsequently 
 married Ellen A. Davis, daughter of Jarvis 
 Davis, one of the leading men of Royalston, 
 Mass. Three daughters have been born to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Stowell, namely: Carrie L., wife 
 of W. H. Jewell, an attorney in South Flor- 
 ida, Mass. ; Bertha L., wife of E. C. Gaynor, 
 book-keeper for Stowell & Warrick, living at 
 the parental home; and Delia E., unmarried, 
 also at home. 
 
 Mr. Stowell is a director of the Miller 
 River National Bank and a trustee and vice- 
 president of the Athol Savings Bank and 
 member of its Board of Investment. He is 
 one of the oldest members of Orange Lodge of 
 Masons. 
 
 DWIN A. HARRIS, formerly one of 
 Clinton's most prominent business 
 men, fourth child of Sidney and 
 Sally (Kilburn) Harris, was born May 31, 
 1837, at the Harris homestead in Clinton. 
 His father, who was long and favorably 
 known in this community, started the comb 
 business here in 1823. A man of much force 
 of character, he built up a prosperous busi- 
 ness. 
 
 The boyhood of Edwin, outside of school, 
 was spent in his father's workshops, where he 
 gained a thorough knowledge of the business. 
 When he came to the years of manhood, he 
 was fully prepared to assume the responsibil- 
 ity of directing the establishment. His 
 father practically gave up the management of it 
 some years before his death, on account of his 
 failing health; and it then passed into the 
 hands of Edwin and his younger brother, 
 George S. Harris. Upon the death of the 
 latter, which occurred some years after that of 
 his father, the full management of the busi- 
 ness fell upon Edwin. 
 
 From the start Mr. Harris was remarkably 
 
* 
 
 ■'■ ,f ■' 
 
SAMUEL D. HARDING. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 249 
 
 successful. Under his vigorous efforts the 
 works rapidly increased in size and capacity 
 until they became, it is asserted, the largest 
 comb works in the United States. He be- 
 lieved thoroughly in industry and in all it can 
 do; and, though only a young man, he was 
 able to show what earnestness and persever- 
 ance can accomplish. The admiration of his 
 fellow-citizens was won for him by his excel- 
 lent business traits. His death on May 28, 
 1875, when only thirty-seven years of age, 
 was mourned by all who knew him, particu- 
 larly by the residents of the village that bears 
 his name. The funeral procession that fol- 
 lowed his remains to Woodlawn Cemetery 
 was one of the largest ever seen in this town, 
 and well attested his worth. 
 
 Mr. Harris's religious creed was the Uni- 
 tarian. Movements for reform or progress 
 found him in the vanguard of its promoters. 
 He was one of the projectors of the Agricult- 
 ural Branch Railroad, the opening of which 
 created a new era in the growth of the town, 
 and was on its Board of Directors. He was 
 also a director of the First National Bank of 
 Clinton. In politics he was a Republican. 
 He was a leading member of the Masonic fra- 
 ternity and of the Knights Templar, both of 
 which organizations were officially represented 
 at his obsequies. 
 
 Mr. Harris was united in marriage Decem- 
 ber 28, 1858, with Adeline K. Damon, of 
 Fitchburg, Mass. Their children were : Her- 
 bert Christopher, born April 28, 1862, de- 
 ceased June 24, 1863; and Flora Kate, born 
 July 20, 1865, deceased January 6, 1883. 
 
 'AMUEL D. HARDING; who was 
 for many years prominent among the 
 building contractors of Worcester, 
 was born in New Sharon, Franklin 
 County, Me., November 27, 1806. His par- 
 ents were Jedediah and Lydia (Dyer) Harding, 
 residents of New Sharon. Jedediah Harding, 
 who was captain of a vessel, was lost at sea; 
 His son, Samuel D., was then only four years 
 of age. The lad's educational advantages, 
 therefore, were very limited. When he was 
 fifteen years old he went to sea; but his 
 
 mother feared that he would suffer his father's 
 fate, and in deference to her wishes he gave 
 up the study of navigation and learned the car- 
 penter's trade, serving his apprenticeship in 
 Mercer. The place was so small there was 
 little building to be done; and he took ad- 
 vantage of a chance to go to Leicester, Mass. 
 There he was in the employ of Heman M. 
 Burr, and enlarged his knowledge of the 
 trade, learning iine grades of work. He 
 proved an apt and careful artisan, and worked 
 for Mr. Burr several years before starting in 
 business for himself as a contractor and 
 builder. The first house which he contracted 
 for was in Leicester. The work was well done 
 and other contracts rapidly followed. The 
 city of Worcester offering a larger and better 
 field, he moved thither, and soon established a 
 reputation as a first-class builder. Many of 
 the finest structures of that period were erected 
 by him. He built the First Universalist 
 church, on the corner of Main and Foster 
 Streets, now known as Continental Hall; the 
 old Episcopal church on Pearl Street, which 
 was burned down; and many business blocks 
 and houses in city and country. Some of his 
 money he invested in a large block on Front 
 Street, corner of Trumbull, which stands to- 
 day and is still valuable property. He had 
 contracts for many blocks in the growing parts 
 of the business section of Worcester. Making 
 his money honestly, he invested it wisely, so 
 that it increased handsomely in value. In 
 1880 he retired from business, and devoted 
 the rest of his life to looking after his in- 
 vestments. 
 
 Mr. Harding was a typical self-made man. 
 Starting without capital or education, thrown 
 on his own resources in early boyhood, he 
 worked his own way to influence and affluence, 
 and won the sincere respect of his fellow-men. 
 Broad-minded and a strong supporter of good 
 government, he filled with ability a number of 
 public offices. He was in the Common Coun- 
 cil in 1852 and 1856; was Alderman in 1853 
 -54, 1862, and from 1872 to 1877 inclusive; 
 and he was chairman of the Water Committee 
 which superintended the rebuilding of the 
 Lynde Brook Reservoir after it broke away in 
 1876. He was a member of the First Uni- 
 
250 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 versa] ist Church. Mr. Harding died April 9, 
 1889. 
 
 In 1832 he was married to Eliza Burr, 
 daughter of Heman M. Burr, his old employer. 
 Five children were born of this union. Three 
 died in infancy, and two — Edwin B. and 
 Jennie — ^are now living. Edwin B. married 
 Elmira A. Gould, and has had three children 
 — Frances A. and Wilbur A. (deceased), and 
 Wilton E. Jennie is the wife of Charles 
 Goodwin, of Worcester, and has three children. 
 
 IDWARD WINSLOW LINCOLN, 
 whose efficient services through a long 
 term of years, ending only with his 
 death on December 15, 1896, as chairman of 
 the Parks Commission of Worcester, won for 
 him the title of "Father of the Parks^" was a 
 native of this city, and was here a resident 
 during the greater part of his life. He was 
 born on December 2, 1820, in the old Lincoln 
 mansion, which is now a part of the Lincoln 
 House in Elm Street. A son of Governor 
 Levi and Penelope Winslow (Sever) Lincoln, 
 grandson of the Hon. Levi Lincoln, Sr., and 
 on the maternal side a descendant of the sec- 
 ond Governor of the Plymouth Colony, whose 
 name he legally bore after 1846, he was a 
 scion of good stock; and in his veins flowed 
 some of the best blood of the old Bay State. 
 His name, originally John Waldo Lincoln, 
 the same as that of an uncle, was changed 
 in his twenty-sixth year to avoid confusion 
 of identity. 
 
 His grandfather Lincoln was a descendant 
 in the fifth generation of Samuel Lincoln, 
 weaver, who came over from England and set- 
 tled at Hingham, Mass., about 1637. The 
 line may be thus shown: Samuel,' Samuel,^ 
 Jedediah,3 Enoch, t Levi,s Levi,^ Edward 
 Winslow.'' 
 
 It is interesting to note that President Lin- 
 coln was descended from the same immigrant 
 ancestor, Samuel, of Hingham, weaver, the 
 line being, say the historians: Samuel"; 
 Mordecai'; Mordecai,^ who died in Berks 
 County, Pennsylvania; John,-* who went to 
 Virginia; Abraham,5 who settled in Ken- 
 
 tucky; Thomas,^ who married Nancy Hanks, 
 and was the father of Abraham, ' the Presi- 
 dent. 
 
 Levi Lincoln, Sr., son of Enoch, was grad- 
 uated at Harvard College in 1772. He was 
 Attorney-General in President Jefferson's 
 Cabinet in 1801, later was Lieutenant Gov- 
 ernor, and afterward Acting Governor of 
 Massachusetts; and he was appointed by 
 -President Madison an Associate Justice of 
 the United States Supreme Court, but, owing 
 to failing eyesight, declined to serve. From 
 ; the close of the Revolution he was consid- 
 ered, it is said, the head of the Massachusetts 
 bar. His wife was Martha Waldo. He died 
 in Worcester in 1820. 
 
 His eldest son, the second Levi Lincoln, 
 was graduated at Harvard College in 1802. 
 He was successively Speaker of the Massachu- 
 setts House of Representatives, Lieutenant 
 Governor, a Judge of the Supreme Court. For 
 I nine years, 1825-34, he was Governor of the 
 jCommonwealth and from 1835 till 1841 a 
 member of Congress. His brother, Enoch 
 Lincoln, died in 1829, while Governor of the 
 State of Maine. The Hon. Levi Lincoln, 
 .second, was also the first Mayor of Worcester,' 
 :in 1848. His wife, Penelope Winslow Sever, 
 was a daughter of William Sever, grand- 
 ; daughter of William, Sr., and Sarah (Warren) 
 Sever, and great-grand-daughter of James and 
 Penelope (Winslow) Warren. James Warren 
 was a lineal descendant in the fourth genera- 
 tion of Richard Warren, who came over in 
 the "Mayflower" in 1620; and his wife, Pe- 
 nelope, was a daughter of Isaac Winslow, who 
 was a son of Governor Josiah and Penelope 
 (Pelham) Winslow and grandson of Governor 
 Edward Winslow. There were five sons in 
 Governor Lincoln's family — Levi, William 
 S., D. Waldo, George, and Edward. Levi 
 Lincoln, third, went into the navy, and died 
 after a long illness in 1845. William S. Lin- 
 coln lived in Worcester most of his life, and 
 was a highly honored citizen, serving in the 
 war of the Rebellion, and leaving the army a 
 General. D. Waldo Lincoln, the father of 
 the present Waldo Lincoln, was killed in a 
 railroad accident at New London while watch- 
 ing the Harvard-Yale boat-race. He was at 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 251 
 
 the time president of the Boston & Albany 
 Railroad. George was in the Mexican War, 
 and lost his life while trying to rally a de- 
 moralized regiment at Buena Vista. 
 
 Edward Winslow Lincoln was fitted for col- 
 lege in the Worcester High School, and was 
 graduated from Harvard in 1839 in the class 
 with Edward Everett Hale, D.D., and the late 
 Dr. Samuel Eliot, of Boston. He then went 
 to Alton, 111., and, after studying law in the 
 office of his brother William, was there ad- 
 mitted to the bar, and for a time acted as pros- 
 ecuting attorney for the city. In 1845 he 
 returned to Worcester; but, the outlook not 
 seeming bright to him for a young lawyer, he 
 gradually came to give much of his time to 
 horticulture, of which he was very fond, and to 
 journalism. His most interesting experience 
 with a newspaper was during the Presidential 
 campaign of 1848. A stanch Whig, he 
 bought an interest in the ^gis, and vigor- 
 ously advocated the election of Zachary Tay- 
 lor, fighting a hard battle with the Spy, the 
 Free Soil organ, edited by John Milton Earle. 
 Mr. Lincoln also ran the True Whig, a purely 
 campaign paper. 
 
 Appointed Postmaster of Worcester by 
 President Taylor in 1849, Mr. Lincoln held 
 the office four years. Later he edited the 
 Bay State, at first a daily and then a weekly 
 paper, but not a long-lived one. During the 
 Civil War he was a warm patriot, and in va- 
 rious ways helped the Union cause. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Lincoln was a Democrat 
 after the split in the Whig party, and for 
 most part consistently voted the straight 
 Democratic ticket, on which he was frequently 
 a candidate for office. He ran for Sheriff in 
 i86r, and in 1888 he was a candidate for 
 elector on the Cleveland ticket. He was fre- 
 quently mentioned as a Democratic candidate 
 for Mayor, but would never consent to the use 
 of his name in that connection. In city poli- 
 tics he was always non-partisan, supporting 
 that candidate who he believed would best 
 serve the interests of the city. In i860 he 
 was elected secretary of the Worcester Horti- 
 cultural Society. This office he held contin- 
 uously until his death. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln's most lasting service to his 
 
 native city was his work as a member of the 
 Parks Commission, of which he was the chair- 
 man from its organization in 1870. Elm Park 
 was his own creation; and later on, when 
 Newton Hill was acquired by the city, Mr. 
 Lincoln took its improvement and transition 
 into his own hands, for which not only the 
 people of to-day, but coming generations, may 
 well be grateful. As his work in this capac- 
 ity was entirely without compensation and 
 actuated by the most entire disinterestedness, 
 his suggestions to the city in regard to its 
 park system carried much weight, and were 
 uniformly complied with. Had he not given 
 his time and taste to the city, it would have 
 cost Worcester one hundred thousand dollars 
 to hire a professional landscape gardener. 
 But this item is small compared with what he 
 saved by his success in making a little money 
 go a long way. 
 
 Mr. Lincoln is survived by his second wife 
 and seven children. His first wife was Sarah 
 Rhodes Arnold, of Providence, R.I. She 
 died July i, 1856, having been the mother of 
 four children. Three died in infancy; and 
 one, a son named John Waldo Lincoln, is a 
 civil engineer, and settled on the Pacific 
 coast. The second Mrs. Lincoln was before 
 marriage Katharine Von Weber Marston, of 
 Bristol, R.I. She is a daughter of the late 
 Lieutenant Colonel Ward Marston, of the 
 United States Marine Corps. Of the seven 
 children born of this union, six are living; 
 namely, Annie M., Mrs. Marion Lincoln 
 Bogert, Marston, Adeline Sever, Helen, and 
 Pelham Winslow. The youngest daughter, 
 Miss Katharine Lincoln, died in 1895. 
 
 ILAS WHEELER, a retired busi- 
 ness man of Hubbardston, was born 
 in this town, April 12, 1820, son 
 of James Harvey and Lucy (Wood- 
 ward) Wheeler. His first American ancestor 
 was Thomas Wheeler, born in 1620, who was 
 one of the early settlers of Concord, Mass. 
 Adam Wheeler, great-grandfather of Silas and 
 a native of Concord, came to Hubbardston 
 from Rutland as early as 1766, and engaged 
 here in farming. The records show that he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 held the office of Assessor for the years 1768- 
 69 and 1 77 1, was a Selectman in 1768-69 and 
 1783, and that he served as a Captain in the 
 American army during the war for indepen- 
 dence. He and his wife, Nancy, spent their 
 last days in Hubbardston, and he died August 
 24, 1802. His son, Silas, who was born in 
 Rutland, January 26, 1763, followed agricult- 
 ure during his active years, and died Novem- 
 ber 3, 1826. He married Catherine Morse, 
 who was born in Hubbardston, and died 
 December 11, 1824. 
 
 James Harvey Wheeler, father of the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, was born in Hubbardston, 
 June 21, 1786. He learned the millwright's 
 trade, which he followed for many years, and 
 was also interested in a chair factory in this 
 town. He died February i, 1864. He 
 served as a Selectman for the years 181 7-1 8. 
 His wife, Lucy Woodward Wheeler, who was 
 born in Hubbardston, April 7, 1787, became 
 the mother of six children, of whom Silas is 
 the only one now living. The others were: 
 Betsey, born April 3, 181 1; Lucy, born 
 March 14, 1813; James S., born June 13, 
 1815; Julia, born May 24, 18 17; and Moses 
 C, born February 16, 1825. The mother 
 died December 29, 1862. 
 
 Silas Wheeler acquired his education chiefly 
 in the district schools. When ten years old 
 he went to work for a neighboring farmer, 
 with whom he remained five years, receiving 
 for his services his board and clothing. Sub- 
 sequently returning to the homestead, he as- 
 sisted his father until becoming of age. For 
 some years afterward he was engaged in team- 
 ing between Lexington and Boston, and later 
 carried on a livery business at Barre, Mass., 
 for about six years. Going then to Peters- 
 ham, he followed farming and lumbering for 
 about eighteen years, or until 1873, when he 
 returned to his native town, and has since 
 lived here in retirement. 
 
 On December 25, 1845, Mr. Wheeler was 
 joined in marriage with Amanda Rice, who 
 was born in Hubbardston, November 28, 1821. 
 Of this union there are three sons living, 
 namely: Silas Theodore, born in Lexington, 
 September 28, 1846; William H., also born 
 in Lexington, September 4, 1848; and Elwin 
 
 C, born in Barre, July 25, 1851. Silas 
 Theodore Wheeler, who is a machinist of 
 Worcester, married Mary E. Upton, of Peters- 
 ham, and has one son, Fred E. Wheeler. 
 William H. and Elwin C. Wheeler are carry- 
 ing on mercantile business in Hubbardston 
 under the firm name of Wheeler Brothers. 
 The mother died September 17, 1886. Mr. 
 Wheeler is one of the most highly respected 
 residents of Hubbardston, where his genial 
 manners make him universally popular. He 
 has served with ability as Selectman and 
 Overseer of the Poor for eight consecutive 
 years, and in politics he is a Republican. He 
 attends the Unitarian church. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM MAYO, a respected resi- 
 dent of Westminster, formerly 
 cashier of the Westminster Na- 
 tional Bank, and at one time Representative 
 to the legislature, was born in Orange, Mass., 
 February 20, 1817, son of Stephen and Mary 
 (Cheney) Mayo. His father was a prosperous 
 farmer of Orange, and his mother was a 
 daughter of Levi Cheney, of that town. 
 
 Receiving his education in the public 
 schools, he subsequently learned the carriage- 
 maker's trade, which he followed for some 
 years in Westminster, settling here in 1841. 
 Later he was engaged for a time in painting 
 chairs. On the organization in 1875 of the 
 Westminster National Bank he was appointed 
 cashier, the duties of which responsible po- 
 sition he performed with ability for twelve 
 years, when he resigned. He is one of the 
 trustees of the Worcester North Savings In- 
 stitution of Fitchburg. 
 
 Mr. Mayo married Maria Goddard, daughter 
 of Martin Goddard, of Orange. His children 
 are: Emma, who married Milton S. Creed, of 
 Gardner, and resides in that town ; and Ham- 
 ilton, who married for his second wife Laura 
 Merriam, of Leominster, Mass., is a resident 
 of that town, and has two children : Winthrop, 
 born in 1893; and Esther, born in 1895. 
 Previous to the Civil War Mr. Mayo served as 
 Selectman for several years, was Town Clerk 
 twelve years, and Town Treasurer one year. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 253 
 
 In 1859 he worthily represented the towns of 
 Westminster and Gardner in the General 
 Court. 
 
 /^^TuSTAF C. H. STENMAN, a well- 
 \ [5 I known resident of Worcester, son of 
 Carl and Sophia (Majaux) Stenman, 
 was born in Stockholm, Sweden, November 7, 
 1847. He received his early education in the 
 public schools of Stockholm and at Ystad, in 
 the State 'Of Skene. Subsequently he studied 
 in the island of Rugen and in Stralsund, Ger- 
 many, where he spent three years. At the 
 end of this time he went to sea, and for the 
 following two years was a sailor, visiting in 
 that time the West Indies and South America. 
 After returning to Sweden by way of Ham- 
 burg, he attended an agricultural college. 
 The knowledge gained here enabled him to 
 secure a place as foreman on a large farm in 
 Germany, where he remained until 1871. 
 Then, in October of that year, he sailed for 
 America from Copenhagen in the steamer 
 "Franklin" of the Baltic Lloyd line, hoping 
 for a speedy passage and safe arrival. On the 
 voyage the machinery broke down, and cholera 
 carried off eight passengers, making orphans 
 of twelve children aboard. When, compelled 
 by lack of coal, the vessel put in at Halifax, 
 it was placed in quarantine, and was subse- 
 quently detained so long that not until the 
 early part of December were the passengers 
 and crew allowed to land. 
 
 Coming at once to Worcester, Mr. Stenman 
 entered the employ of Washburn & Moen, and 
 for the three succeeding years remained in 
 their wire factory. In 1874 he went to Bos- 
 ton, where he obtained employment in the 
 printing department of the establishment of 
 James N. Osgood & Co. Three years later, 
 however, he returned to his former position in 
 Worcester. About 1880 he entered the em- 
 ploy of William E. Rice, who had started new 
 wire works, and spent the ensuing three years 
 there. Then he was engaged in a mercantile 
 business here until 1886 and in Manchester, 
 N. H., until i88g, in which year he came back 
 to Worcester. In the beginning of January, 
 1898, he entered the employ of the large es- 
 
 tablishment of Putnam & Sprague as Swedish 
 salesman. It was recognized that his long 
 business experience in Worcester and his 
 many years of residence here gave him large 
 influence and acquaintance among his country- 
 men in the city. 
 
 Mr. Stenman was married in 1872 to Emma 
 Carlson. His only child, Sophia C. Stenman, 
 is now employed in the capacities of stenog- 
 rapher and typewriter operator at the Norton 
 Emery Wheel Works. After attending the 
 high and normal schools in Worcester, she 
 graduated at Becker's Business College. Mr, 
 Stenman is a charter member of Court Gen- 
 eral Stark, F. of A., Manchester, N. H. ; of 
 Court Harmony of the Worcester Order of 
 Foresters of America; of Court Engelbrekt, 
 F. O. A., now numbering over four hundred 
 members, and of which he is Past Chief 
 Ranger; and of the Knights of Sherwood 
 Forest, the uniformed branch of the F. O. A. 
 He also belongs to the Svea Gille, which is a 
 social club composed entirely of Swedish 
 members, and of which he was the presiding 
 officer for two terms, and to the German 
 Singing Society. Both he and his family at- 
 tend the Episcopal church. 
 
 ORMISDAS BELISLE, the manag- 
 partner of the firm E. & H. 
 Belisle, merchants of Manchaug, 
 was born in St. Paul, Abbotsford, 
 Province of Quebec, Canada, his parents being 
 Oliver and Dometile (Sansoncie) Belisle. 
 His grandfather, Michael Belisle, fought in 
 the British army during the War of 181 2, en- 
 listing from St. John Baptist. 
 
 Having obtained his education in the 
 schools of St. Paul, Abbotsford, Hormisdas 
 Belisle came to Manchaug. Here he worked 
 in the mill for six years. At the end of that 
 time he entered the employ of Michel Benoit 
 as clerk in his store. After eight years spent 
 in that position, during which time he gained 
 a thorough knowledge of the general merchan- 
 dise business, he started his present store, in 
 company with his brother Eli. The latter, a 
 contractor and builder in Worcester, is a 
 silent partner in the firm of E. & H. Belisle. 
 
254 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 He married Hermenegile Fifle, and has a fam- 
 ily of two children. The store is one of the 
 largest in the town of Sutton. Three assist- 
 ants are employed, and the concern is in a 
 most prosperous condition. Mr. Belisle has 
 built up an excellent line of trade, and his 
 many patrons have entire confidence in his 
 fair dealing. His aim is to offer the best 
 there is in the market at reasonable prices. 
 ]\Ir. Belisle attends the Roman Catholic 
 church. In politics he is a Democrat. He is 
 unmarried. 
 
 /^JeORGE p. PROUTY, formerly of 
 y '3 I the firm of Isaac Prouty & Co., incor- 
 
 ^— "^ porated, boot and shoe manufacturers 
 of Spencer, was born in the neighboring town 
 of Rutland on September 12, 1831, son of 
 Isaac and Mary A. (Goodell) Prouty. His 
 father, born December 9, 1798, who was a 
 well-known boot manufacturer of his time, 
 founded what is now one of the largest boot 
 and shoe factories in the world. In 1820 
 Isaac Prouty started in the business at North 
 Spencer in a small way. After some years he 
 came to Spencer. For a long time only boots 
 were made by him. The shoe department is a 
 comparatively recent addition to his establish- 
 ment. Since he brought the business into 
 Spencer, it has been conducted under the 
 name of Isaac Prouty & Co., which was incor- 
 porated in 1894, In politics he was succes- 
 sively a Whig and a Republican. A fine ex- 
 ample of the self-made man, the people of 
 Spencer were honored by his citizenship 
 among them. He was a regular attendant of 
 the Congregational church, and gave liberally 
 toward its support. His death occurred on 
 January 26, 1872. 
 
 George P. Prouty resided in Spencer after 
 he was two years of age. He went to school 
 here, and also for two terms attended the 
 Leicester Academy. At the age of ten years 
 he began working in the factory. Having 
 practically served an apprenticeship in all the 
 different departments, he understood thor- 
 oughly every detail of the business, and could 
 detect at a glance any imperfect workmanship. 
 Upon reaching his majority he was taken into 
 
 partnership with his father and his brother, 
 Lewis VV. Prouty, who is also deceased. He 
 retained his interest in the business through- 
 out the remainder of his life. 
 
 Mr. Prouty was married to Mary L. Bemis, 
 of Spencer, and became the father of two chil- 
 dren, John G. and Mabel L. Orthodox in 
 religious belief, he attended the Congrega- 
 tional church in Spencer. Not only did he 
 derive distinction from being the son of his 
 father, but from his personal worth and abil- 
 ity, which were recognized both by his em- 
 ployees and the townspeople at large. His 
 death on May i, 1898, was mourned as the loss 
 of a representative man of the town and a 
 leading factor in its industrial prosperity. 
 
 rgjERBERT LINCOLN RAY, who 
 |-=rj keeps a general store and is the Post- 
 Jjs I _ master at Sutton Centre, was born 
 in this town, January 28, 1868, son 
 of George W. and Eliza (Bennet) Ray. His 
 grandfather, Silas Ray, who was the first of 
 the family to settle in Sutton, was a well-to- 
 do fanner. George W. Ray, a native of this 
 town, acquired considerable prominence in 
 this section as an extensive dealer in hay, 
 which he purchased from the farmers and dis- 
 posed of in Worcester. He won a high repu- 
 tation for integrity, had the sincere esteem of 
 his fellow-townsmen, and was quite pros- 
 perous. 
 
 Herbert Lincoln Ray obtained his educa- 
 tion in the common schools of Sutton, grad- 
 uating from the high school in 1884. For 
 some time after he was in business with his 
 father. In 1890 he bought the store at Sut- 
 ton Centre, which he has since conducted. 
 He carries on a thriving business as a general 
 merchant. His establishment, in which is 
 also located the post-oflBce, is the only depot 
 of general goods in this locality. He was 
 reappointed Postmaster in 1897. 
 
 Mr. Ray married Lucia Hoyle, a daughter 
 of Loren C. and Lois (Mascroft) Hoyle, the 
 former of whom is a prominent citizen of Sut- 
 ton. Mrs. Ray's father enlisted in Company 
 E, Fifteenth Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teer Infantry, which was known as the fight- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 257 
 
 ing regiment, under the command of Captain 
 Charles H. Watson. After serving for a 
 year and a half with the Army of the Potomac, 
 he was discharged on account of physical dis- 
 ability. Upon regaining his health, he again 
 entered the service, and was attached to the 
 commissary department until the close of the 
 war. He is a highly respected citizen and a 
 comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ray are the parents of two 
 daughters: Maud, born in 1890; and Flora 
 E., born in 1893. Mr. Ray belongs to Sutton 
 Grange, No. 109, Patrons of Husbandry, is a 
 leader in all matters of interest to the young 
 people of the community, and attends the 
 First Congregational Church. 
 
 |LEAZER SMITH, a leading agricultu- 
 rist of Spencer, Mass., was born in Sut- 
 ton, Vt., November 22, 183 1, son of 
 John and Mary Smith, both of whom were na- 
 tives of the Granite State. Mr. Smith's early 
 years were spent on his father's farm in Ver- 
 mont. He gained what instruction he could 
 from the common school of his district, and 
 has since increased his stock of knowledge by 
 reading and observation. Like many another 
 substantial and valued citizen, he is, in the 
 main, self-educated. He was married in Ver- 
 mont to Derinda Parker, who was born in the 
 northern part of the State, daughter of Jona- 
 than and Nancy Parker, and who died a quar- 
 ter of a century ago. Her children number 
 four, and are as follows: Charles H., who re- 
 sides in Leominster, Mass. ; Melbern E. and 
 Fred P., who reside in Spencer; and Amelia 
 N., who is the wife of John Green, a well- 
 known resident of Spencer. Mr. Smith's sec- 
 ond wife, in maidenhood Emma M. Dicker- 
 man, was born in Spencer. Her children are: 
 Ada E., wife of Alfred E. Emerson; and 
 Lewis E. Smith. 
 
 Mr. Smith came from Vermont with his 
 first wife early in the fifties, and secured em- 
 ployment in Spencer as a farm laborer, work- 
 ing by the month. Industrious and frugal, in 
 a short time he managed to save sufficient 
 money to rent a farm. Finally, in the six- 
 ties, after some years of successful effort, he 
 
 bought a farm, and since that time has been 
 his own master. Mr. Smith, in addition to 
 general farming, has carried on other lines of 
 industry, and has been very successful. He 
 bought a number of wood lots, from which he 
 has cut and sold wood. For many years it has 
 been his practice. to purchase cattle and horses 
 in Vermont, which he has sold in Spencer. 
 Politically, he is a Republican. He is a 
 member of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Asso- 
 ciation of Spencer. 
 
 LDEN BRADFORD PLIMPTON, a 
 highly esteemed resident of Quinsiga- 
 mond village in the Seventh Ward 
 of Worcester, residing at 27 
 Whipple Street, was born in West Boylston, 
 this county, on January 27, 1824, son of 
 Colonel Simon and Betsy (Brigham) Plimp- 
 ton. The family genealogy is traced back- 
 ward in England through twenty generations 
 who spelled the name Plumpton. 
 
 Sergeant John Plympton, whose English 
 birthplace and parentage are unknown to us, 
 is said to have left his native country secretly 
 on account of the opposition of his kinsfolk 
 to his Puritanism. He became a member of 
 the church at Dedham, Mass., in January, 
 1643, and also joined the Artillery Company 
 in Boston. In 1673 he removed to Deerfield. 
 His son Jonathan was one of the slain at 
 Bloody Brook in September, 1675; and he was 
 himself taken captive by the Indians two years 
 later, and, it is said, was burned at the stake 
 in Canada. Mr. Alden B. Plimpton's grand- 
 father, Jonathan Plimpton, was of the fifth 
 generation in descent from Sergeant John 
 Plympton. 
 
 Colonel Simon Plimpton commanded a 
 cavalry regiment of Massachusetts militia. 
 After his death his widow married a second 
 time, and by this union had one son, William 
 A. Winter by name, who died in Fall River, 
 Mass., on December 24, 1875, where he had 
 been a minor civil officer. He left a son, 
 William F. Winter, who is a teller in Pocas- 
 set Bank, Fall River. Mrs. Winter died in 
 1869, in the sixty-ninth year of her age. Mr. 
 Alden B. Plimpton's own brother, Albert 
 
258 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Brigham Plimpton, is a carpenter of Lowell, 
 a man of considerable education. He has 
 lost his wife and his only son. 
 
 Alden B. Plimpton was educated in the 
 common schools and the academy, and at the 
 age of seventeen he went to work for Jonas 
 Ward, learning the cabinet-maker's trade. 
 After serving an apprenticeship of three 
 years he engaged with Partridge & Tabor, 
 learning the finishing and upholstering busi- 
 ness. The constant confinement indoors be- 
 ginning to tell upon his health, he was obliged 
 to give it up and secure outside carpentering 
 work. Shortly after he associated himself 
 with a Mr. Parker under the firm name of 
 Plimpton & Parker, and engaged in the busi- 
 ness of manufacturing sleighs, which he sub- 
 sequently carried on for two years. One of 
 his sleighs took the first prize in 1848 at the 
 first mechanics' fair ever held in Worcester, 
 and Mr. Plimpton still preserves the diploma 
 awarded him. The same sleigh was afterward 
 sold by him to a Boston man for a hundred 
 dollars in gold. Upon discontinuing his 
 manufacturing business Mr. Plimpton went 
 to work again at carpentering, and was for 
 four years in Whitinsville. Coming then to 
 Worcester, he entered the employ of Ruggles, 
 Nourse & Co., which has since developed into 
 the well-known Ames Plough Company. 
 Shortly after this he settled in his present 
 home; and, as there were no street cars run- 
 ning then, and the distance to his place of 
 business was too far to be reached easily by 
 walking, he took a position at the Washburn 
 & Moen works near his residence. He re- 
 mained there down to 1865, when he returned 
 to the Ames Plough Company's works, in 
 which he has ever since been a trusted em- 
 ployee. 
 
 On April 19, 1848, Mr. Plimpton was 
 united in marriage with Lydia Eliza Pierce, 
 daughter of Josiah G. and Lydia H. Pierce! 
 The mother, who was a woman of great in- 
 genuity and self-reliance, was a relative of the 
 historian Bancroft. Both parents were well- 
 read and intelligent people. They reared six 
 of their seven children, three sons and three 
 daughters. Those now living are: Mrs. 
 Plimpton; Mrs. Fannie B. Gates, of this vil- 
 
 lage, who is now seventy-seven years old ; aijd 
 Lewis Thorp Pierce, who resides in Millbury. 
 The father died at the age of forty-five, and 
 the mother in 1881, at the age of eighty-one 
 years and six months, after thirty years of 
 widowhood. Both are buried in Millbury. 
 Mrs. Plimpton was born in Athol on the last 
 day of October, 1825. When about thirteen 
 years of age she went with her parents to re- 
 side in Worcester, and from there went to 
 Millbury, where she finished her school days 
 at the academy. At seventeen she learned 
 the dressmaking trade, at which she has al- 
 ways worked more or less. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Plimpton have had two children: George 
 Henry, who died aged about eighteen months; 
 and Hattie Maira Brigham, who died aged 
 four months. The loss of their little ones is 
 the only great sorrow that has marred their 
 long and happy wedded life. 
 
 When Mr. Plimpton built his house here, it 
 was the only one on the street, and there were 
 no other dwellings near it. His lot included 
 about twenty thousand feet, and was valued at 
 two hundred dollars. He began work on his 
 house on the first day of August, 1856, and, 
 though he had no assistance, had progressed 
 so well that early in the following October 
 he was able to move in, occupying three 
 rooms, which were in partially completed con- 
 dition. Through that winter he worked at his 
 trade in the shop ten hours a day, and then 
 came home to spend the rest of the day at 
 work on his own house. Twice since it was 
 built the house has been added to. He began 
 without money, paying only a hundred dollars 
 down, and going in debt to a loan association 
 for four hundred dollars. Within eight years 
 he had a full title to his property, and since 
 that he has bought two acres of land adjoin- 
 ing, and from this has sold to advantage sev- 
 eral house lots. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Plimpton have for twenty-five 
 years been members and active workers in 
 Plymouth Church of Worcester, and for a long 
 time have been interested in the mission work 
 here. Both have done much successful per- 
 sonal religious work, and Mr. Plimpton has 
 developed into an excellent public speaker. 
 
 Mr, Plimpton and his wife had a silver 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 259 
 
 wedding in 1873; and they have recently cele- 
 brated in the same home their fiftieth anni- 
 versary, the event being the occasion of warm- 
 est congratulations from their many friends. 
 The Worcester Gazette in speaking of it says: 
 "A better preserved couple of their years than 
 Mr. and Mrs. Plimpton it would be difficult 
 to find. Mr. Plimpton can still do as hard 
 work at the shop as ever, and is absent from 
 his post of duty only on very rare occasions. 
 In nearly forty years he has had but one seri- 
 ous illness, and that kept him from work only 
 ten weeks. His wife also enjoys excellent 
 health, and is able to attend to all her house- 
 hold duties without assistance. Both are 
 great readers, and keep well informed as to 
 the current events of the day. . . . Married 
 life with them has been happy and successful. 
 The way has been rough at times, but in the 
 main smooth and pleasant. They still look 
 upon the sunny side of life, and apparently 
 have many happy and useful days before 
 them." 
 
 TTXHARLES C. DAWLEY, one of the 
 ( y^ proprietors of the Westminster Bak- 
 V Js ^ ery, was born in Willi ngton, 
 Conn., March 8, 1847, son of 
 George S. and Sarah (Leonard) Dawley. 
 His parents were natives of Willington; and 
 his paternal grandfather was James Dawley, a 
 resident of that town. He pursued his ele- 
 mentary studies in the public schools, and his 
 education was enlarged at a boarding-school 
 in South Windham, Conn. Learning the 
 blacksmith's trade in Hampden, Mass., he 
 followed it as a journeyman until opening a 
 shop on his own account in Brimfield, Mass. 
 Later he added carriage building and repairing 
 to his business. In 1870 he moved to South 
 Westminster, where he continued to carry on 
 a shop until 1897. Then, coming to West- 
 minster Centre, he in company with F. H. 
 Battles purchased the Westminster Bakery, 
 which they have since carried on under the 
 firm name of Battles & Dawley. They have 
 already built up a good business, making a 
 specialty of manufacturing crackers; and their 
 factory is equipped with improved machinery. 
 
 Mr. Dawley married for his first wife Emma 
 Dale, of Brimfield, who died in 1890. His 
 present wife was in maidenhood Kate E. Mer- 
 riara. He is the father of three children, all 
 by his first union, namely: Alice, who mar- 
 ried Monroe Towle, and has one son, Law- 
 rence, born in 1897; C. Bertram, born June 
 10, 1877, who is a book-keeper at the bakery; 
 and George L. Dawley, born January 31, 
 1879, who is now employed by the North 
 Packing Company of Boston. Mr. Dawley 
 is a member of William Ellison Lodge, 
 I. O. O. P., of Gardner. 
 
 ASON WATERS was born in Sutton, 
 October 9, 1824, son of Stephen and 
 Matilda (Carpenter) Waters. His ma- 
 ternal grandparents were Simeon Car- 
 penter, formerly of Attleboro, and Sally 
 Blanchard Carpenter, of Sutton. Mr. Waters 
 received education in the public schools of 
 Sutton and at Smithville Seminary. After 
 leaving school he was for several years en- 
 gaged in teaching vocal culture.; and, while 
 preparing for this service in Boston, he inci- 
 dentally fell into the society of the leaders 
 of the anti-slavery movement, whose radical 
 views and bold denunciation of a great evil 
 had, doubtless, a great influence in shaping 
 his subsequent career. From about this time 
 up to the commencement of the war of seces- 
 sion in 1 861 his contributions to the public 
 press on the political questions of the day at- 
 tracted the attention of the thinking public. 
 
 Although not seeking or expecting office, 
 Mr. Waters was elected Representative to the 
 legislature from the district comprising the 
 towns of Millbury, Sutton, and Oxford in the 
 years of 1862-63 and 1863-64. As a legisla- 
 tor he has a record of which his constituency 
 could justly be proud. It would hardly be 
 looked for that measures having an important 
 bearing upon the war would be proposed or 
 championed by a "rural member," but he be- 
 lieved that new members had duties to per- 
 form as well as those who had grown old in 
 the public service. Accordingly, not being 
 a stranger to parliamentary procedure, with 
 characteristic earnestness he advocated those 
 
26o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 measures which, he believed, would best sub- 
 serve the public interest. 
 
 During his first term of service the Military 
 Committee unanimously reported to the House 
 a bill appropriating five hundred thousand 
 dollars, and authorizing Governor Andrew to 
 expend the same in the purchase of small arms 
 of the muzzle-loading pattern. Mr. Waters 
 offered as an amendment that said arms 
 "should be of such pattern as the Governor 
 and Council should deem the best adapted to 
 the service to which they are to be applied." 
 The adoption of this amendment would permit 
 the purchase of breech-loading arms, but 
 otherwise such arms were ruled out of the pur- 
 chase. Strange as it may seem in the light of 
 to-day, the committee, consisting of five of 
 the most talented men of the House, were op- 
 posed to the amendment, and it was lost. 
 The bill then went to the Senate, and in its 
 passage through that body Mr. Waters's 
 amendment was adopted verbatim. It came 
 back to the House for concurrence, and a 
 special assignment was made for its consid- 
 eration. Now came the tug of forensic war. 
 Speaker Bullock gave Mr. Waters permission 
 to exhibit firearms on the floor of the House. 
 Accordingly he obtained from time to time 
 arms of various patterns, including the one to 
 which the committee desired to confine the 
 purchase, and stored them in the various lob- 
 bies about the capitol. 
 
 When the day came for the consideration of 
 the question, the House was packed, many 
 military men being present. The moment 
 the Speaker announced that the appointed hour 
 had arrived, the messengers rushed for the 
 lobbies, and, bringing up the guns stored 
 there, stacked them in the area in front of the 
 Speaker's desk. Mr. Waters moved that the 
 House concur in the amendment, and in an 
 earnest speech proceeded to show why it 
 should do so. In the midst of his speech he 
 walked to the front of the Speaker's desk and 
 challenged the committee to come forward 
 and take a gun which they had recommended 
 as the only arm to purchase, while he would 
 take a breech-loading gun, and exhibit to the 
 House their relative merits. No member of 
 the committee accepted the challenge, and he 
 
 proceeded to show the superiority of the 
 breech - loading over the muzzle - loading 
 weapon. Again and again did he reply to 
 the objections urged by the different members 
 of the committee, reading extracts from letters 
 received from military men.* He stated to 
 the House that he had witnessed the inspec- 
 tion of breech-loading rifles by the inspectors 
 of the British government months before, and 
 that the State of Mississippi, through a New 
 York house, had had breech-loading rifles 
 made at the same armory before the war com- 
 menced. The argumentative battle continued 
 through the entire sitting, and at its close the 
 aye and nay vote was doubted. A standing 
 vote being ordered, it was found that the 
 House had repudiated its former vote and 
 adopted the amendment by an overwhelming 
 majority. 
 
 The Governor immediately appointed a com- 
 mission to examine and test the various kinds 
 of breech-loading rifles, and they selected the 
 Spencer rifle. Just at the time that the 
 papers announced the delivery of the first few 
 thousand, the Union army was hard pressed 
 in the vicinity of Chickamauga, and the Sec- 
 retary of War requested Governor Andrew to 
 turn these rifles over to the United States 
 government to be placed in the hands of troops 
 in the field. This was promptly complied 
 with; and, the guns being sent to the army 
 under General Rosecrans, they rendered such 
 efificient service that the Secretary of War 
 ordered all that the armory could turn out. 
 
 Mr. Waters was returned to the House by 
 his appreciative constituents, and to his sur- 
 prise was placed upon one of the important 
 committees of the legislature, that of Probate 
 and Chancery. Petitions referred to that 
 committee showed that abuses had grown up 
 in the manner of giving notices to those in- 
 terested in the final settlement of estates. 
 After thoroughly investigating the matter he 
 drafted, reported, and carried through a bill 
 making it incumbent upon judges and regis- 
 ters to require of all persons, having estates 
 in their hands, to give prior to final settle- 
 ment, where personal notice was not otherwise 
 
 n^C^^,^'''^^^ "^^ ^°^ ™ ''■^ possession autograph letters from Gen- 
 erals Ihomas, Bumside, Rosecrans, Pleasanton, Hooker, Grant, and others. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 261 
 
 ordered, a written or printed notice enclosed 
 in a proper envelope, and mailed, postage 
 prepaid, directed to each of the heirs, dev- 
 isees, legatees, or their legal representatives, 
 at their last known place of residence. This 
 law saved thousands of dollars to the rightful 
 possessors, who, by failure to get notice of 
 court proceedings, lost their rights by the 
 lapse of time limited by law to close settle- 
 ments, and also saved much expensive litiga- 
 tion. 
 
 Mr. Waters introduced an order, which was 
 passed, directing the Committee on Federal 
 Relations, of which Peter Harvey, of Boston, 
 was chairman, to consider so much of the 
 Governor's message as related to the abroga- 
 tion of the word "white" in the militia laws 
 of the State, and thus render it possible for 
 negroes to be enrolled in the militia. He 
 was the only white person who appeared be- 
 fore the committee to advocate the measure. 
 A bill that was reported striking out the word 
 "white" from the militia laws passed to en- 
 actment. The wisdom of this measure is now 
 a matter of history, and the magnificent mon- 
 ument to the Fifty-fourth regiment opposite 
 the State House is a silent witness of its re- 
 sults. 
 
 Mr. Waters introduced resolutions on the 
 death of the venerable and brave Major- 
 general Sumner, a native of Massachusetts. 
 Upon these resolutions the learned and elo- 
 quent Caleb Gushing made a masterly speech, 
 in which he said: "It is a matter of deep re- 
 gret to myself that I am unable to attend the 
 sittings of the House constantly; and it is for 
 this reason the more gratifying to me to 
 happen to be here this afternoon, while the 
 resolution in honor of the late Major-general 
 Sumner, offered by the gentleman from Sutton 
 [Mr. Waters], is under consideration. I 
 thank him for introducing it. I most cord- 
 ially concur in its object and opinion. It 
 was due to General Sumner as an officer of 
 the army of the United States. It was due to 
 him as a native son of Massachusetts." The 
 resolutions were unanimously passed by a ris- 
 ing vote. 
 
 After the adjournment of the legislature, 
 at the solicitation of the town he went to 
 
 Washington to see what could be done in en- 
 listing freedmen to fill the quota of Sutton 
 under the last call made by the government 
 for troops. On arriving at Washington he 
 found that the Provost Marshal had issued 
 such stringent orders as to effectually bar the 
 enlistment of freedmen. Not to be baffled in 
 his undertaking, he proceeded down the Poto- 
 mac to Camp Corcoran, oirtside the District 
 of Columbia, and filled the quota of Sutton 
 by enlisting a fine body of middle-aged men, 
 whose term of service in the regular army was 
 about to expire. (One of these men was sub- 
 sequently drawn by lot to be the executioner 
 of the conspirators who took the life of Presi- 
 dent Lincoln and attempted the murder of 
 Secretary Seward and others.) For this ser- 
 vice he charged nothing, but the town voted 
 him a small gratuity. Meantime patriotic 
 young men enlisted at home, which more than 
 filled the town's quota. 
 
 Some years after the war Mr. Waters be- 
 came editor of the Fall River Daily Times, 
 and his trenchant editorials in the columns 
 of that paper are yet remembered. He most 
 earnestly defended the course of Governor 
 Bullock in nominating Judge Thomas for a 
 seat on the bench of the Supreme Court, to 
 which there was strong objection in certain 
 quarters. He was the first to call the atten- 
 tion of the citizens of that city to the impor- 
 tance and feasibility of bringing to the city 
 the waters of Wautuppa Lake, a body of 
 spring water miles in extent, lying a short 
 distance from the city. The magnificent sys- 
 tem of water supply now enjoyed by that city 
 attests to the wise foresight of its first advo- 
 cate. 
 
 His health becoming impaired by overwork, 
 Mr. Waters left Fall River, and travelled as 
 agent for several firms and as a correspondent 
 of a prominent New England journal, writing 
 under the uoni de plnvte of "Observer." For 
 three years he was general agent for the intro- 
 duction and sale of the Lunatellus and Helio- 
 tellus, new astronomical apparatus, being 
 located at 17 Park Place, New York City. 
 Subsequently he travelled somewhat exten- 
 sively in the United States and Canada until 
 the business depression became general, when 
 
262 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he returned to his native town, in which he 
 always claimed citizenship, never voting in 
 any other place. Being a believer in purity of 
 politics, he entered with zest into the discus- 
 sion of political questions of the day, striving 
 to suppress what he believed to be wrong 
 and to elevate what he thought to be right. 
 He is now serving the sixth consecutive year 
 upon the School Board, of which he is chair- 
 man. He introduced the novelty of an annual 
 school festival, and is working assiduously to 
 improve the scholarship of the pupils of the 
 schools, in which his experience in his old 
 profession becomes a great help. 
 
 Mr. Waters never married, and, although 
 very social in his nature, never became a 
 member of any secret organization, believing 
 that all men were his brothers, and that human 
 sympathy should go forth to the distressed of 
 every clime. 
 
 TT^HARLES S. COOLIDGE, a success- 
 I Nr' ful farmer of Petersham and a mem- 
 ^^Is^^ ber of the Board of Selectmen, was 
 born in this town, February 27, 
 1857, son of Orasa and Susan C. Coolidge. 
 His paternal great-grandfather, John Coo- 
 lidge, who resided in Natick, Mass., enlisted 
 in the Continental army on April 25, 1775, 
 and served as a Corporal in Captain Benjamin 
 Bullard's company, which belonged to Colo- 
 nel Jonathan Brewer's regiment. Asa Coo- 
 lidge, the grandfather, who removed from Na- 
 tick to New Salem, Mass., was also inter- 
 ested in military affairs, and served as Lieu- 
 tenant in the State militia. Orasa Coolidge, 
 the father, settled in Petersham. 
 
 Charles S. Coolidge acquired his education 
 in the public schools. Soon after the com- 
 pletion of his studies he turned his attention 
 to agriculture, working as a farm assistant in 
 various places. When quite a young man he 
 entered the employ of Walter W. Knight, 
 whose farm he managed with ability for a 
 number of years. At the age of twenty-nine 
 he commenced operations on his own account; 
 and he now owns a farm of one hundred and 
 twenty-five acres, a considerable portion of 
 which is covered with fruit trees, while the 
 
 rest is used for the usual crops grown in this 
 locality. Mr. Coolidge married Dora E. 
 Amidon, daughter of Josiah C. Amidon, of 
 Petersham. He has two sons: Burt C, born 
 in 1877; and Roger E., born in 1885. Mr. 
 Coolidge was formerly Superintendent of 
 Streets. He has been a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen for three years, 1895, 1896, and 
 1898, and has served as Overseer of the Poor 
 for three terms. His public services have 
 been beneficial to the town, and he is both 
 widely known and highly respected. 
 
 (^IVRTEMAS MAYNARD, who owned 
 A^A and cultivated the Maynard farm in 
 Jj\\^ Oakham for more than forty years, 
 ^""^ was born in this town, "February 19, 
 1809. He was the youngest son of Amasa and 
 Mary (Parmenter) Maynard. The farm was 
 cleared from the wilderness by his paternal 
 grandfather, Francis Maynard, who cam.e here 
 from Rutland previous to or about the time 
 that the name of the locality was changed 
 from Rutland West Wing to Oakham. The 
 place acquired its identity as a town in 1762, 
 and the Maynard property has since remained 
 in the family's possession. Francis Maynard 
 was an industrious pioneer, and, as one of the 
 founders of the town, accomplished much 
 toward developing a thriving agricultural 
 community. He married for his first wife a 
 Miss Hubbard, of Rutland; and the maiden 
 name of his second wife was Surviah Wright. 
 He was the father of three sons and three 
 daughters. 
 
 Amasa Maynard, father of Artemas, was the 
 youngest son. He was born at the home- 
 stead, September 16, 1769. His entire life 
 was spent upon this farm; and his active 
 years were devoted to its cultivation, which 
 he pursued diligently and with prosperous re- 
 sults. He died March 26, 1831. Mary Par- 
 menter Maynard, his wife, was born in either 
 Concord or Sudbury, Mass., on January 24, 
 1767. They had six children, namely: 
 Francis W., born October 21, 1794; Abigail, 
 born March 23, 1796; Ruth, born January 18, 
 1798; Samuel, born November 15, 1799! 
 Ezra, born November 23, 1804; and Artemas, 
 
^'!%^> 
 
 FREDERICK W. RUSSELL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 265 
 
 the subject of this sketch. The mother at- 
 tended the Congregational church. She died 
 February 4, 1838. 
 
 Artemas Maynard was educated in the dis- 
 trict schools. The year after he attained his 
 majority, the death of his father placed him 
 in possession of the farm ; and as a result of 
 his energy many notable improvements were 
 made, including the addition of more land 
 and the erection of new buildings, the present 
 residence having been completed about the 
 year 1843. Like his father's, his whole life 
 was passed at the homestead. He ably man- 
 aged the property until his death, which oc- 
 curred December 21, 1877, and was caused by 
 an accident. He was an upright, conscien- 
 tious man and a citizen of much worth to the 
 community. Politically, he acted with the 
 Democratic party. 
 
 On December 26, 1836, Artemas Maynard 
 was united in marriage with Caroline M. 
 Taylor, who was born in Spencer, January 21, 
 1818, daughter of Roswell and Isabella 
 (Hammond) Taylor. Her father was a native 
 of Hadley, Mass., and her mother was born in 
 Oakham. Roswell Taylor was a currier by 
 trade, and followed his calling in various 
 places, principally in Hadley and Northamp- 
 ton. He died in 1867, having survived his 
 wife, who died in 1830. They were the par- 
 ents of five children: Caroline M., now Mrs. 
 Maynard; Isabella; Ann Jane; Elizabeth, 
 who resides in Illinois; and Mary. Mrs. 
 Maynard has had three children, of whom the 
 only one living is Laura Hunt Maynard, who 
 resides with her mother. The others were: 
 John Hammond, the first-born son, who died 
 at the age of two years ; and William Henry, 
 who died May 26, 1891. William Henry 
 Maynard was a successful business man of 
 Worcester, of the firm of Maynard, Gough & 
 Co., publishers and printers, who made a 
 specialty of hotel registers. He married 
 Dora M. Perham. She died August 18, 1891, 
 leaving two children, namely: William 
 Henry, who died December 25, 1891, aged 
 four months; and Marion, who died February 
 25, 1896, aged nearly six years. 
 
 The late Mr. Artemas Maynard left a farm 
 of one hundred and thirty acres, the tillage 
 
 portion of which is in a good state of cultiva- 
 tion; and Mrs. Maynard and her daughter are 
 now managing the property. They are both 
 capable women, and are highly esteemed. 
 They are members of the Congregational 
 church, of which Mr. Maynard was an at- 
 tendant. 
 
 LTrEDERICK WILLIAM RUSSELL, 
 pi M.D., proprietor of the Highlands 
 -^ Hospital, Winchendon, Mass., was 
 born in this town, January 27, 1845, son of 
 Dr. Ira and Rowena (Greenwood) Russell. 
 His father was born in Rindge, N.H., No- 
 vember 9, 1814; and his mother was born in 
 Winchendon, November 28, 1821, daughter of 
 Henry and Sally (Woodbury) Greenwood, also 
 of this town. 
 
 His earliest paternal ancestor in America 
 was William Russell, an Englishman, who 
 settled in Cambridge, Mass., about the year 
 1645. William Russell and his wife, Martha, 
 had a family of nine children. Philip, their 
 fourth son, was born in Cambridge in 1650, 
 and he died February 7, 1730. He was a 
 prominent citizen of that town in his day, 
 serving as a Selectman in 1700 and 1701. 
 He married Joanna Cutter; and she bore him 
 six children, of whom William, second, the 
 next in line, was the fourth son. The second 
 William Russell and his wife, Elizabeth, set- 
 tled in Lexington, and reared two children. 
 Nathaniel, the younger of the two, was born 
 in Lexington, and baptized February 23, 
 1707. He settled at Littleton, Mass., in 
 1728, and died there about the year 1763. 
 He reared three sons, Nathaniel, second, 
 being the eldest. 
 
 Nathaniel Russell, second, Dr. Frederick 
 W. Russell's great-grandfather, was born in 
 Littleton, December 27, 1733. In 1762 he 
 settled in Rindge, N. H., and took an impor- 
 tant part in organizing the town government, 
 serving as a member of its first Board of Se- 
 lectmen and as its first Town Clerk. He was 
 also the first regular schoolmaster there and 
 a member of Captain Hale's company, which 
 marched to Cambridge on April 19, 1775. 
 For his first wife he married Abigail Gold- 
 
266 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 smith, a native of Littleton, Mass. ; and of 
 that union there were nine children. He was 
 married a second time to Anna Worcester 
 Thayer, who was born in Littleton, August 
 16, 1736. She died September 23, 1825, sur- 
 viving her husband, who died January i, 
 1812. They were the parents of five children, 
 and Eliakira was the eldest. 
 
 Eliakim Russell, Dr. Russell's grandfather, 
 was born in Rindge, March i, 1771. The ac- 
 tive period of his life was devoted to agricult- 
 ural pursuits. He married Sarah Converse, 
 who was born in Rindge, March 15, 1776. 
 They became the parents of twelve children, 
 of whom Ira was the tenth-born and the fifth 
 son. Of these the survivors are: Eliakim 
 and Anna W. Grandfather Eliakim Russell 
 lived to be eighty-nine years old, and his wife 
 died at eighty-seven. They were members of 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 Ira Russell, Dr. Russell's father, prepared 
 for his collegiate course at the New Ipswich 
 Academy, and was graduated from Dartmouth 
 College in the class of 1841. His prelimi- 
 nary medical studies were pursued under the 
 direction of Dr. Dixi Crosby, of New Hamp- 
 shire, Dr. Abell, of Rindge, N.H., and Dr. 
 Godding, of Winchendon. He was graduated 
 from the medical department of the Univer- 
 sity of the City of New York in 1844; and, lo- 
 cating in Winchendon, he resided here until 
 1853, when he moved to Natick, Mass., and 
 acquired a large practice. At the personal 
 request of Surgeon -general Dale, he in 1861 
 accepted a commission as surgeon of the 
 Eleventh Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers, and was later advanced in rank to that 
 of surgeon of United States Volunteers. 
 While serving with General Hooker's divi- 
 sion, his executive ability attracted the atten- 
 tion of the department, which ordered him to 
 Baltimore for the purpose of organizing the 
 Stuart Mansion Hospital; and in November, 
 1862, he was sent to St. Louis, Mo., to equip 
 the Lawson Hospital. During the winter of 
 1862-63 he had charge of the wounded at 
 Fayetteville, Ark. In February, 1863, he 
 took charge of the general and post hospitals 
 at Benton Barracks, that city, which under his 
 direction became one of the largest in the ser- 
 
 vice; and, joining the staff of General 
 Thomas in December, 1864, he organized the 
 Wilson General Hospital for colored troops at 
 Nashville, Tenn. He also accomplished a 
 great deal of work in the way of scientific ob- 
 servation, the records of which have secured 
 a permanent place in medical literature, and 
 at the close of the war he was brevetted Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel for long and meritorious ser- 
 vice. Returning to Winchendon in 1867, he 
 continued in regular practice until 1875, 
 when he established the well-known hospital 
 called the Highlands, for the treatment of 
 nervous and mental diseases, and was actively 
 connected with this institution for the rest of 
 his life. 
 
 In politics he was originally a Whig and 
 later a Republican. His professional ability 
 was in many respects far above the average, 
 and he possessed the essential characteristics 
 of an honorable, upright, and whole-souled 
 man. He married Rowena Greenwood, April 
 24, 1844, and she became the mother of three 
 children, two of whom are living: Frederick 
 W., M.D., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Sarah Jane, who is the wife of Erwin H. 
 Walcott, and has one daughter, Mabel. Dr. 
 Ira Russell died December 19, 1888. Mrs. 
 Rowena G. Russell died in Natick, November 
 28, 1875. They were members of the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 Frederick William Russell acquired his 
 early education at the common schools and 
 the high school of Natick. About the year 
 i860 he joined Company H, Fifth Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, being the 
 youngest as well as the least in stature of any 
 member of that body. When the regiment 
 was ordered to the front, he was rejected on 
 account of his youth, but in 1862 he joined 
 the hospital corps, with which he served in 
 Baltimore, Missouri, and Arkansas. After 
 his discharge in 1863 he entered Yale Col- 
 lege, but later went to Harvard University, 
 from which he was graduated in the class of 
 
 1869. His medical studies were completed 
 at the University of the City of New York in 
 
 1870. Commencing the practice of his pro- 
 fession in Winchendon, he in 1882 became 
 assistant to his father, whom he succeeded 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 >67 
 
 as physician in chief and proprietor of the 
 Highlands Hospital in 1888. The high rep- 
 utation gained for this institution by its 
 founder has been maintained by its present 
 proprietor, who displays the requisite medical 
 skill and practical sagacity ior such a respon- 
 sible position. 
 
 On June 11, 1872, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Caroline Marvin, daughter of the 
 Rev. A. P. and Caroline (Holbrook) Marvin, 
 of Winchendon. Dr. and Mrs. Russell have 
 had three children, namely: Rowena M., born 
 February 6, 1881 ; Dorothy M., who was born 
 June 9, 1884, and died December g, 1889; 
 and Walter M., born April 12, 1887. Dr. 
 Russell has evinced much energy and public 
 spirit in various directions. He assisted in 
 securing the Winchendon water-works, and 
 is at the present time serving as a Water 
 Commissioner. He is president of the Elec- 
 tric Light Company, president of the co-oper- 
 ative and a director of the savings bank, the 
 former of which he was instrumental in organ- 
 izing, and he took an active part in establish- 
 ing the Children's Hospital at Baldwinsville, 
 of which he is a trustee. 
 
 Politically, Dr. Russell is a Republican. 
 For several years he served upon the School 
 Committee. He is now chairman of the 
 Board of Health, and has rendered efficient 
 services to the town in a public capacity. He 
 is a member of the Natural History, the Med- 
 ical and Psychological, and the New England 
 Psychological Societies — -all of Boston. He 
 is also a member of the Loyal Legion, the 
 Sons of Veterans, and the Grand Army of the 
 Republic. Dr. and Mrs. Russell are members 
 of the Congregational church. 
 
 V» Vi TOO! 
 
 ILLARD F. LAWRENCE, a well- 
 lown business man of Leominster, 
 was born in this town, June 25, 
 1852, son of George and Eliza (Conant) 
 Lawrence. George Lawrence, who was a me- 
 chanic, was born at Lincoln, Mass., in 1829, 
 and died in 1873. He was during the later 
 years of his life employed in the piano case 
 manufactory owned by J. H. Lockey, of Leom- 
 inster. In politics he was a stanch Re- 
 
 publican and a strong supporter of his party. 
 His wife, Eliza, who was a native of Acton, 
 is still living. Her father, who died at the 
 age of eighty-eight years, served as a drum- 
 mer in the War of 1812. George Grosvenor 
 Lawrence, a brother of Willard F., and three 
 years his junior, married Sarah J. Fletcher, of 
 Leominster. 
 
 Willard F. Lawrence received a practical 
 education in the public schools of his native 
 town. After leaving school he began his 
 working life in the grocery store of Kendall 
 & Lawrence Brothers. He remained with 
 this firm for ten years, after which he became 
 book-keeper in a coal office. In 1887 he went 
 into business for himself as a dealer in coal 
 and hay; and in 1896 the Union Coal Com- 
 pany, a stock concern, was organized, with 
 Mr. Lawrence as the leading partner. The 
 company has a branch office in Fitchburg. 
 Mr. Lawrence is also a director in the Leom- 
 inster Co-operative Bank and a member of 
 the Investment Committee. 
 
 He was married on December 8, 1873, to 
 Ellen N., daughter of J. H. and Abbie Had- 
 ley, of Leominster, and has two sons and a 
 daughter — George Francis, Margery Newton, 
 and Howard Grosvenor — who reside with 
 their parents. Mr. Lawrence is a member of 
 Wachuset Tribe, No. 41, Independent Order 
 of Red Men; and of Monoosnock Council, 
 No. 977, Royal Arcanum. 
 
 T^HARLES G. STEARNS, M.D., a 
 I VX well-known physician and surgeon of 
 ^^ ^ Leicester, is a native of Barre, 
 Mass. He was born April 28, 
 1850, son of Timothy L. and Eliza (Howe) 
 Stearns, the former of whom was a native of 
 Framingham and the latter of Shrewsbury, 
 Mass. 
 
 The early years of his life were spent in 
 Barre. His education was begun in the dis- 
 trict school of that town, and continued at 
 Worcester Academy and the Fitchburg High 
 School, where he was graduated in 1871. In 
 1874 ^^ was graduated with honors at Am- 
 herst College, being one of the first ten of 
 Phi Beta Kappa men. After leaving col- 
 
268 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 lege he taught the West Springfield High 
 School for one year, and was principal of a 
 grammar school in the city of Fitch burg for 
 three years. 
 
 He entered the Harvard Medical School in 
 1878, and, on receiving the degree of Doctor 
 of Medicine in 1881, settled in Brookfield, 
 Mass., having previously, in 1880, served a 
 term as house physician at Carney Hospital in 
 Boston. After four years spent in practice in 
 Brookfield he removed to Leicester, where he 
 has since resided, and where he has built up 
 and continues to enjoy a large and lucrative 
 practice, having established a reputation for 
 professional skill and integrity. He is a 
 member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, 
 in which he now holds the office of Censor for 
 the Worcester District. 
 
 Dr. Stearns was elected trustee of the 
 Leicester Public Library in 1889, and has 
 served continuously since that time, being 
 now chairman of the board. He is also a 
 member and secretary of the Board of Trus- 
 tees of Leicester Academy. He is connected 
 with the First Congregational Church of 
 Leicester. 
 
 Dr. Stearns married in 1881 Miss Carrie 
 Willard, daughter of Joseph Willard, Esq., of 
 Fitchburg, Mass. 
 
 C" 
 
 ^HARLES H. SHEDD, paymaster at 
 the Lancaster Mills, Clinton, was 
 born in this town, July 24, 1853, 
 son of Henry and Mary (Farns- 
 worth) Shedd. His father was a native of the 
 State of New Hampshire, and was the son of 
 a brick manufacturer. His mother was born 
 in Harvard, Mass., daughter of Samuel Farns- 
 worth, of that town. 
 
 Henry Shedd, who was an expert cotton- 
 mill operative, in 1853 moved from Shirley to 
 Clinton, where he became overseer of a de- 
 partment in the Lancaster Mills. He re- 
 mained there until his death, which occurred 
 in 1883, at the age of fifty-seven years. He 
 was a highly esteemed citizen, who took a 
 deep interest in the general welfare of the 
 community. It was his custom to spend 
 much of his leisure time in hunting. In pol- 
 
 itics he acted with the Republican party, and 
 he was a member of the Unitarian church. 
 His wife, Mary, became the mother of three 
 children, of whom Charles H., the subject of 
 this sketch, is the only survivor. One daugh- 
 ter died at the age of eighteen, and another, 
 Ella M., died in 1896, at the age of forty-six. 
 The mother, who is still living, resides with 
 her son. She attends the Second Advent 
 church. 
 
 Charles H. Shedd attended the common and 
 high schools of Clinton; and, after finishing 
 his studies at a private school, he spent three 
 years in the drug business with L. W. Boyn- 
 ton. He then became an assistant in the 
 laboratory of the Lancaster Mills, where he 
 remained two years. At the expiration of 
 that time he entered the office, later became 
 book-keeper, and was subsequently advanced 
 to his present position as paymaster, the 
 duties of which he has ably and faithfully per- 
 formed for the last ten years. As the com- 
 pany has a pay-roll of twenty-three hundred 
 names, the position is a most responsible one, 
 and calls for an accurate accountant. Politi- 
 cally, Mr. Shedd is a Republican. He has 
 been a member of the Board of Town Auditors 
 for several years, was elected a Selectman for 
 three years in 1897, and is clerk of the board. 
 He is always ready to help advance the suc- 
 cess of any worthy public enterprise. He is 
 connected with Lancaster Lodge, No. 89, and 
 is secretary of the Twenty Associates, a se- 
 lect local organization. He is a member of 
 the Unitarian church, of which he is treas- 
 urer, and also a member of the Parish Com- 
 mittee. 
 
 LTREDERICK T. CHASE, formerly a 
 \\ well-known and much esteemed resi- 
 dent of Webster, was born in Pascoag, 
 R.I., November 22, 1844, son of John and 
 Elizabeth (Sales) Chase. His paternal grand- 
 father, Joseph Chase, a native of Cape Cod 
 and a farmer by occupation, married Isabella 
 Thomas, of Newport, R.I., who was a sister of 
 Major-general Thomas, one of the four Major- 
 generals appointed by Washington to com- 
 mands in the Continental army. John, son of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 269 
 
 Joseph, born in Douglas, Mass., in 1804, was 
 engaged in the manufacture of woollens from 
 1835 until his death in 187 1. By his wife, 
 Elizabeth, who was a native of Pascoag, there 
 were three children; namely, Oscar F. , Mari- 
 ette, and Frederick T. 
 
 Having received his education in the public 
 schools of his native town, Frederick T. Chase 
 came to Webster with his parents in i860. 
 Subsequently entering his father's factory in 
 this place, he soon acquired a thorough knowl- 
 edge of the business. After his father's death 
 he became the sole proprietor. In 1879 he 
 found it necessary to enlarge the factory; and 
 he was subsequently obliged to make other 
 additions, until it had attained to three times 
 its original capacity. The product was all 
 sold in American markets. 
 
 A Republican in politics, Mr. Chase served 
 his fellow-townsmen as Selectman, being the 
 chairman of the board for five years. He also 
 represented his district in the legislature of 
 1876, serving as chairman of the Committee 
 on Manufactures. An esteemed Mason, he 
 was a member of Webster Lodge, the Royal 
 Arch Chapter, Worcester Commandery, and 
 a brother of the Scottish Rite. He attended 
 religious services at the Universalist church. 
 Married in 1867 to Miss Jennie S. Alton, of 
 Webster, a daughter of S. and Emby Alton, 
 he became the father of three children — John 
 F., Frederick T., Jr., and Bessie F. His 
 death, which occurred January 16, 1898, was 
 widely regretted as that of a high-minded and 
 public-spirited citizen. 
 
 "ON. NATHANIEL LAFAYETTE 
 JOHNSON, one of the most promi- 
 nent residents of Dana, was born in 
 this town. May 30, 1822, son of 
 Nathaniel and Martha (Joslyn) Johnson. He 
 is a lineal descendant of Solomon Johnson, 
 whose birth took place about the year 16 17, 
 and who in 1639 was residing in Sudbury, 
 Mass. 
 
 Solomon Johnson was one of the original 
 settlers of Marlboro, which was set off from 
 Sudbury in 1660; and he served upon the 
 Board of Selectmen, 1661 to 1666. He was 
 
 the father of five sons, one of whom, born in 
 1640, was the first Nathaniel in the family. 
 John Johnson, son of Nathaniel, first, and one 
 of eight children, was born in 1679. He 
 married Mary Flympton in 1707, and was the 
 father of six children. Nathaniel Johnson, 
 second, son of John, was born in 171 8. In 
 1740 he married Sarah Forbush. Their chil- 
 dren were: Joel, born October 31, 1743; 
 Silas, born April 21, 1745; Sarah, born July 
 26, 1748; Stephen, born June 6, 1751; Cath- 
 erine, born April 25, 1753; Mary, born Oc- 
 tober 15, 1755; Susanna, born July 5, 1758; 
 Persis, born May 2, 1760; Nathaniel, born 
 January 12, 1762; and Aaron, born May 10, 
 1763. 
 
 Stephen Johnson, the third son, grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch, served as a sol- 
 dier in the Revolutionary War; and shortly 
 after the declaration of peace he settled on a 
 farm in that part of Hardwick which in 1801 
 came within the limits of the town of Dana, 
 then incorporated. He was a man of good 
 understanding and of many noble qualities, 
 and was well and favorably known throughout 
 this locality. He served as a Justice of the 
 Peace for many years. He was a Universalist 
 in religion, and was an intimate friend of the 
 Rev. Hosea Ballou, who wrote his obituary. 
 In politics he was a Jacksonian Democrat, and 
 served as Representative to the General Court. 
 He died December 31, 1834, in his eighty- 
 fourth year. His second wife, Elizabeth 
 Mann, died March 20, 1820, aged seventy-one 
 years. Their children were: Stephen, Jona- 
 than, Nathaniel, Joel, John, Susannah, and 
 two others. 
 
 Nathaniel Johnson, third, the Hon. N. L. 
 Johnson's father, was born in Dana, August 
 23> 1787. Inheriting the homestead, he sub- 
 sequently carried on general farming energeti- 
 cally during the rest of his active period; and 
 he and his wife passed their last days with 
 their son in Dana. He served with ability in 
 various town offices, was a member of the 
 legislature in 1835, and was a Justice of the 
 Peace. In politics he passed from the Whig 
 party into the Republican ranks. He was a 
 member of the Congregational church. He 
 married Martha Joslyn, who was born in New 
 
270 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Braintree", Mass., August 14, 1791, daughter 
 of Matthews and Abigail Joslyn. Her mother 
 died September 21, 18 14, aged forty-seven 
 years; and her father died March 19, 1840, 
 aged seventy-three. Mrs. Martha Joslyn 
 Johnson became the mother of four children, 
 namely: Eliza M., who was born January 13, 
 181 7, and died at the age of nineteen; Na- 
 thaniel L., the subject of this sketch; Char- 
 lotte A., born April 12, 1823, who married 
 Sylvester Lincoln, of Greenwich, Mass., and 
 died at the age of thirty-seven; and Theolocia 
 A., born April 20, 1824, who married Henry 
 C. N. Howe, of Enfield, Mass., and died Sep- 
 tember 18, 1898. Nathaniel Johnson, third, 
 died May 15, 1867, and his wife died October 
 24, 1883. 
 
 Nathaniel Lafayette Johnson was educated 
 in the district schools and at the New Salem 
 Academy. In early manhood he taught school 
 for some time, and also studied law. He sub- 
 sequently acquired a practical knowledge of 
 mercantile business by working as a clerk in 
 Dana and in Worcester; and in 1844 he estab- 
 lished himself in trade in his native town, 
 carrying on a general store here for some 
 years. His connection with the palm-leaf 
 business began at about the same time. He 
 followed it steadily until 1890, shipping his 
 goods to the Western cities. His factory in 
 Dana required an average force of eighty 
 hands, and the business furnished employment 
 directly or indirectly to about three or four 
 hundred people. He was one of the organ- 
 izers of the National Bank of Barre in 1863, 
 was then made a director, which position he 
 has held continuously to the present time, and 
 he has been its president since 1883. He 
 also assisted in organizing the savings-bank in 
 Barre in 1869, was then made one of its vice- 
 presidents, and is still a trustee of that insti- 
 tution. For many years he was a director of 
 the Athol National Bank. He is the owner 
 of the old Johnson farm, which he has culti- 
 vated since 1855. He has done considerable 
 probate business, and settled many estates. 
 
 On July I, 1858, Mr. Johnson was united 
 in marriage with Margaretta Harsha, who was 
 born in Argyle, Washington County, N.Y., 
 March 18, 1837, daughter of David and Nancy 
 
 Harsha. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have one son 
 living, John H., who was born December 9, 
 1864, and is now a well-known lawyer of 
 Worcester. Their other child, a son, Charles, 
 born October 4, 1859, died January 4, 1861. 
 John H. Johnson married Flora P. Barnes, of 
 Sterling, Mass., November 19, 1889, and has 
 one daughter, Marion, born March 6, 1897, 
 and a son, Nathaniel L., born May 11, 1898. 
 In politics Mr. Johnson is independent. 
 Besides holding the important town offices, he 
 served in the House of Representatives in 
 1857, i860, and 1871, being chairman of the 
 Committee on Claims in 1871. He was a 
 member of the Senate in 1873 and 1874, being 
 chairman of the Committee on Claims both 
 years; and he was chairman of the Committee 
 on Probate and Chancery in 1874. He served 
 as Postmaster in Dana for seventeen years, was 
 a Trial Justice several years, and for nearly 
 forty years he has served as a trustee of the 
 New Salem Academy. He is a member of 
 the American Bible Society. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Johnson are members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 (sTTLBERT SADLER, the chairman of the 
 fc4 Board of Overseers of the Poor of 
 yj^^^ Upton and the Town Sexton, was 
 born in Upton on February 4, 1825, 
 son of Ira and Sylvia (Wood) Sadler. His 
 ancestors were the first settlers of the town ; 
 and the first town meeting was held at the 
 house of his great-grandfather, John Sadler, 
 in 1735- John Sadler was Selectman of 
 Upton from 1736 to 1745 and from 1748 to 
 1752, Moderator in 1744, 1745, and 1752, and 
 Treasurer in 1736, 1744, 1745, 1746, 1747, 
 and 1750. He cleared the land in the south- 
 ern part of the town, and built the old house 
 in which some of the Sadler family have since 
 lived. Albert Sadler's grandfather, also 
 named John, enlisted in the Continental army 
 in 1778, being one of six soldiers the family 
 furnished for the defence of the colonies. He 
 was Selectman in 1806, 181 5, and 18 16. His 
 son, Ira Sadler, had six children besides the 
 subject of this sketch. These, in the order of 
 their birth, were: Mary A., who married 
 
CHARLES S. TURNER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 273 
 
 Thomas J. Hall; Elbridge, who married An- 
 gelina Rathburne; Edwin, who died in in- 
 fancy; Lucy, who became the wife of James 
 Wiswall; Henry W., who successively mar- 
 ried Caroline Walker and Laura Copeland; 
 and Sarah W., who married Sidney Carpenter. 
 After leaving the public schools of his na- 
 tive town Albert Sadler learned boot-making, 
 and worked at that trade until hand work 
 therein was supplanted by that of machinery. 
 After this he was employed in the straw shop 
 of William Knowlton & Sons until his retire- 
 ment, which occurred about two years ago. 
 He was married in 1850 to Martha A. Pierce. 
 His only daughter died in infancy. He has 
 been many times elected to the Board of Over- 
 seers of the Poor, of which he is now the 
 chairman. The ofiice of Town Sexton has 
 been filled by him since 1887. In politics he 
 is a Republican, and he is a regular attendant 
 of the Congregational church. The Farmers' 
 Club of Upton, of which he is a member, 
 owes much to his wise advice; and he takes a 
 warm interest in the annual fairs held under 
 the auspices of that organization. 
 
 1861. 
 lett) 
 
 ■OHN P. ASHEY, of Leicester, a suc- 
 _JI cessful hardware dealer, plumber, and 
 ^.fJIJ steam-fitter, is a native of Essex, Vt., 
 where his birth occurred, December 23, 
 His parents, Lewis and Ellen (Lavio- 
 Ashey, who were born in Canada, re- 
 moved, when he was an infant, to Swanton, 
 Vt., where they carried on a farm, which was 
 his home until he was fifteen. His education 
 was obtained in the district school. In his 
 sixteenth year he began learning the trade of 
 a plumber, steam-fitter, and tinsmith with 
 W. H. Blake (second), of Swanton, serving a 
 three years' apprenticeship. He subsequently 
 worked at his trade in Springfield, Mass., 
 whence he went to Worcester, where he was 
 employed as a journeyman for seven years by 
 O. S. Kendall & Co. In 1889 he came to 
 Leicester, and started in business for himself. 
 Here he has built up a good trade in stoves, 
 ranges, furnaces, general hardware, plumbing, 
 steam-fitting, tin, sheet iron, and copper work- 
 
 ing. He is a first-class mechanic, honest and 
 conscientious in his dealings, and has a large 
 patronage in the towns in the vicinity of 
 Leicester. 
 
 In 1883 Mr. Ashey was married to Delia 
 Rivers, of Milford, Mass. They have three 
 children; namely, Corinne D,, Harold C. L., 
 and Roy J. W. Ashey. 
 
 Mr. Ashey is a Republican in politics and 
 a member of the Republican Town Commit- 
 tee. He is a member of Morning Star Lodge, 
 F. & A. M.; Blake Lodge, No. 49, K. of P. ; 
 and Council No. 12, Royal Arcanum — all of 
 Worcester. 
 
 HARLES S. TURNER, who was the 
 president and general manager of the 
 Worcester & Nashua Railroad pre- 
 vious to its lease by the Boston & 
 Maine road, was born in Bethlehem, N. H. 
 A son of Timothy P. and PrisciIJa (Bullock) 
 Turner, of that town, he was a descendant of 
 James Turner, one of the earliest settlers of 
 the Granite State. The Turners came origi- 
 nally from Wales about the year 1700. 
 James Turner, who was born in Bernardston, 
 Mass., was the third settler in Bethlehem. 
 Of Timothy Turner's sons, the survivors are: 
 James N., of Bethlehem, N.H. ; and Hiram 
 N. , of St. Johnsbury, Vt. His son Timothy 
 N. died in April, 1898. 
 
 On reaching his majority, Charles S. 
 Turner went to Norwich, Conn., where he be- 
 came employed in the railroad business. 
 After serving some time as station agent, he 
 became general agent of the Worcester & Nor- 
 wich road, his office being in this city. He 
 had spent fifteen years of active and success- 
 ful service in this position when he was made 
 the genera] superintendent of the road. Six- 
 teen years later he was elected president of the 
 consolidated Worcester, Nashua & Rochester 
 road. Having filled this position in the 
 most satisfactory manner for four years, he re- 
 tired from active business. His brother, 
 William H. Turner, succeeded him on the 
 Norwich road as superintendent. That was 
 before the Union Station was built; and the 
 trains came into and went out from the old 
 
= 74 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Foster Street station, which was used until 
 the middle of February, 1877. 
 
 Mr. Turner had lived a retired life since 
 1883, devoting his attention to private affairs 
 and attending to his real estate. For some 
 time he had an office with the Adams Express 
 Company, when that concern was located at 
 375 Main Street. He was warmly interested 
 in the Worcester & Shrewsbury road, also in 
 the line of electric cars running on Foster 
 Street; and he was a director of both corpora- 
 tions. A man of foresight and of unusually 
 sound judgment, his counsel was sought for 
 not only by private people, but by public in- 
 stitutions. He was a trustee of the Worces- 
 ter Mechanics' Savings Bank, and had been an 
 honorary member of the Worcester Continen- 
 tals since 1876. He formerly attended the 
 Salem Street Congregational Church, which 
 has since formed a part of the new Union 
 Church. Later he attended the Church of the 
 Unity. He died at his residence, 13 Elm 
 Street, Worcester, on August 8, 1897. 
 
 Mr. Turner married Sarah Andrews, of Bos- 
 ton, a daughter of John Andrews, of Boston, 
 and sister of P. St. M. Andrews, the superin- 
 tendent of the Norwich road. Mrs. Turner 
 died February 28, 1887, leaving two daughters 
 — Harriet I. and H. Gertrude Turner, both 
 of whom reside at the family home in 
 Worcester. 
 
 A man of striking appearance and agreeable 
 manners, the late Mr. Turner had as many 
 friends as his quiet tastes would allow. 
 While he did not care for society or public 
 life, he was never known to shirk any rightful 
 responsibility. As a railroad man he thor- 
 oughly understood his business, and was com- 
 petent to direct in any department of the 
 road. 
 
 ^-pVTVERRITT N. HORR, of Spencer, 
 1 1 =y Mass., a prominent contractor and 
 ^ eJL (^ builder, was born in the town 
 of Prescott, Hampshire County, 
 Mass., January 6, 1841, son of Nelson and 
 Laura (Lumbard) Horr. Both his parents 
 were natives of Prescott. The father was a 
 farmer, who worked also at shoemaking. Mr. 
 
 Horr grew to manhood in Prescott, where he 
 remained until he reached his majority. He 
 received his education chiefly in the public 
 schools of that town, but also attended for 
 a few terms the academy at New Salem. 
 When about sixteen years old he assisted his 
 father in building a new house, and at that 
 time took such a liking to carpenter work that 
 he decided to follow it thereafter. For sev- 
 eral years he worked at the trade as a journey- 
 man in Prescott and other places, until he 
 understood it thoroughly, and also knew how 
 to figure for estimates. Coming to Spencer 
 over twenty-five years ago, he soon afterward 
 began business for himself as a contractor and 
 builder. He has met with excellent success, 
 and has built many important structures. He 
 keeps employed constantly from four to ten 
 workmen, according to the season or the 
 amount of work on hand. Besides contracting 
 he also operates a lumber yard, in which he 
 carries quite an extensive stock, both for his 
 own use and for sale to customers. 
 
 Mr. Horr married Mary Reed, and is the 
 father of three children — Laura N., Olive S., 
 and Helen M. He is a member of the Con- 
 gregational church. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican. At all times he has the best inter- 
 ests of the town at heart, and may be depended 
 upon to give active support to any movement 
 for the general good. 
 
 TT^HESTER N. JOHNSON, formerly 
 I \^ an enterprising manufacturer of East 
 V ^ ^ Templeton, was born in Templeton, 
 October 16, 1828, son of Steadman 
 and Cynthia (Merritt) Johnson. His paternal 
 grandfather was Enoch Johnson, a prosperous 
 farmer of this town. Steadman Johnson, who 
 was born in Templeton, March 20, 1802, car- 
 ried on general farming for a number of years. 
 He was later engaged in the manufacture of 
 winnowing or fanning mills. 
 
 Chester N. Johnson, after being associated 
 in business with his father for some time, in 
 1858 began the manufacture of toy wagons, 
 wheel-barrows, and similar articles at East 
 Templeton. From a small beginning the 
 business expanded into large proportions. In 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 -7S 
 
 1868 a spacious factory was built, and later 
 additional room was made necessary by the 
 increased demands of an enterprise that had 
 developed into a most profitable industry. 
 Mr. Johnson continued in business until 1891, 
 when he retired. He died January 22, 1893, 
 aged sixty-five years. His business foresight, 
 enterprise, and integrity brought him a fit- 
 ting reward; and his name is held in honor as 
 that of one who did his full share in develop- 
 ing the business resources of the county and 
 in the employment of labor. He was equally 
 respected as a man and citizen, and his many 
 sterling traits of character were recognized 
 and appreciated by a wide circle of friends 
 and acquaintances. Politically, he was a Re- 
 publican. 
 
 Mr. Johnson married Mary A. Peckham, 
 who was born in Petersham, Mass., July 6, 
 1829. She survived her husband but a few 
 months, her death occurring July 14, 1893. 
 She left one daughter, Nellie M., who was 
 born March i, 1864. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Johnson were members of the Baptist church. 
 On May 20, 1882, Nellie M. Johnson married 
 Joshua M. Greenwood, who was born in Bald- 
 winsville. May 20, 1858, son of Levi Green- 
 wood. She has had four children, namely: 
 Lois A., who died at the age of ten years; 
 Blanche J., who was born January 28, 1883; 
 Levi C, who was born October 2, 1887; and 
 Mary E., whose birth occurred August 2, 
 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood reside in 
 West Gardner, Mass. 
 
 C'' 
 
 jUFUS CARTER, a respected citizen 
 of Millbury, Mass., born in this town, 
 November 24, 1823, is living re- 
 tired from active pursuits at the 
 home of his son, Henry W. Carter, who has 
 one of the most extensive and best appointed 
 farms in this locality. Mr. Carter traces his 
 ancestry in the male line back to the Rev. 
 Thomas Carter, the first pastor of the church 
 in Woburn, Mass., of whom he is a descend- 
 ant in the seventh generation. 
 
 The Rev. Thomas Carter, who was born in 
 England in 1610, was graduated at St. John's 
 College, Cambridge, in 1629. Coming over 
 
 to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, he was an 
 inhabitant of Dedham in 1636, later was liv- 
 ing in Watertown, and on November 22, 1642, 
 was ordained and settled over the church in 
 Woburn, where he continued as pastor until 
 his death, September 5, 1684. His widow 
 survived him three years, dying March 28, 
 1687. (Further account of the Carter family 
 may be found in the History of Sutton, of 
 which Millbury was a part until 181 3. See 
 also Sewall's History of Woburn.) 
 
 The line was continued through Thomas 
 Carter,^ and his son Eleazer, ^ who died in 
 Sudbury, Mass., October 3, 1758, Joshua, -^ 
 the founder of the family in Worcester 
 County, and Joshua, s to Rufus Carter, Sr.,"^ 
 father of Rufus, the subject of this sketch. 
 The elder Joshua, son of Eleazer, came from 
 Woburn to Sutton in 1744, and from lands 
 bought of Timothy Carter improved a home- 
 stead, which, however, passed out of the fam- 
 ily upward of sixty years ago. One of his 
 three wives was Miss Elizabeth Lovell. The 
 younger Joshua Carter, son of Joshua and 
 Elizabeth (Lovell) Carter, was born on the 
 Sutton homestead in 1759. He fought in the 
 Revolutionary War, and for several years 
 prior to his death, which occurred in 1848, 
 drew a pension for his services. His first 
 wife, Rachel Putnam, of Worcester, bore him 
 three children, namely: Selma, born Febru- 
 ary 7, 1787; Cimena, born October 19, 1789, 
 who married Oliver Hall; and Rufus, Sr., 
 born February 24, 1791. After the death of 
 his first wife he married her sister, and by 
 that union had four children — Jonathan, 
 Sally, Aaron, and Newman, the latter of 
 whom was born January 18, 18 10. 
 
 Rufus Carter, Sr., who died in early man- 
 hood in 1824, was engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits during his brief active career. On 
 December 13, 18 19, he married Hannah 
 Hall, daughter of Josiah and Mary (Marble) 
 Hall, of Sutton. They had four children, 
 namely: Mary, widow of the late Daniel G. 
 Prentice, of West Millbury; Harriet and 
 Hannah, twins; and Rufus, of Millbury. 
 Hannah, who married Samuel A. Prescott, of 
 Sutton, died at the age of thirty years. Har- 
 riet died when sixteen years old. After the 
 
2/6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 death of her first husband the mother married 
 Cyrus Faulkner; and after his demise, May 2, 
 1866, she spent her last days with her son 
 Rufus. She died in the fall of 1889, at the 
 venerable age of ninety-four years. The Hall 
 family were noted for their longevity, Mrs. 
 Faulkner's mother and also one of her 
 brothers, Oliver Hall, having lived ninety- 
 six years. 
 
 Rufus Carter, son of Rufus, Sr., and Han- 
 nah (Hall) Carter, completed his schooling 
 at the Leicester Academy, and afterward 
 worked on his present farm for his step-father, 
 Cyrus Faulkner, until eighteen years old. 
 Being then afflicted with a lameness of the 
 knee that interfered with his active labors in 
 the field, he secured employment with a shoe- 
 maker at pegging boots, an occupation which 
 he successfully followed twenty-fi^ve years in 
 Millbury and Grafton. From 1866 until 
 1890 he was engaged in agricultural pursuits 
 on the farm on which he spent the greater 
 portion of his early life. He has since re- 
 sided with his son on Elmwood Street, as 
 above mentioned. 
 
 Mr. Carter is a Master Mason. He was 
 formerly a strong anti-slavery man, and is 
 now a stanch Republican. He has held vari- 
 ous town offices, in all of which he has served 
 with credit to himself and to the satisfaction 
 of his constituents. He has been Road Sur- 
 veyor, was a Selectman nine years, and for 
 fifteen years was Tax Collector. 
 
 In the spring of 1850 Mr. Carter married 
 Sarah Ward, daughter of Jonas and Susan 
 (Thurston) Ward. Mrs. Carter died January 
 I, 1889, on the old farm. Her grave is in 
 Central Cemetery, Millbury. She had been 
 the mother of eleven children, eight of whom 
 are now living; namely, Charles Sumner, 
 Henry W., Fannie Ermina, Mary E., Will- 
 iam W., Lewis E., Jennie L., and James Al- 
 lison. Anna Louise, the first-born, passed 
 away at the age of thirteen years; Laura 
 Emma, at nine; and Cyrus F., who was a 
 physician in Boston, died in that city, leaving 
 a widow. Charles Sumner Carter went from 
 Millbury to Chicago, thence to the State of 
 Washington, but is just now in Alaska, his 
 wife being in Tacoma, Wash. Henry W., 
 
 who owns the Sabin farm, formerly Elder 
 Samuel Water's farm, and has a large whole- 
 sale and retail milk trade in the city of 
 Worcester, married Louette G. Griggs, and 
 has four children — Addie Louette, Clara 
 May, Henry Rufus, and Ruth. Fannie Er- 
 mina is a teacher in Wakefield, Mass. Mary 
 E. is the. wife of Charles F. Mansfield, and 
 has two children. William W., with the firm 
 of Cutting & Bardwell in Worcester, is mar- 
 ried. Lewis E., a grocer in Wakefield, 
 Mass., is married and has two sons — Minot 
 Heath and Cyrus F. Jennie L. teaches 
 school in Wakefield. James Allison Carter 
 is in Boston with the firm of Dodge & Co., 
 publishers in the interests of builders and 
 architects and builders' materials. 
 
 EORGE E. BRYANT, Postmaster at 
 •) I Baldwinsville, was born in Temple- 
 ton, March 13, 1851, son of George 
 W. and Althine H. (Day) Bryant. His 
 father was a native of Templeton, Mass., born 
 in 1824; and his mother was born in Win- 
 chendon, Mass., in 1825. Ancestors on both 
 sides served in the Revolutionary War. His 
 paternal great-grandfather, Nathan Bryant, 
 was a pioneer farmer of Templeton. Nathan 
 Bryant (second), the grandfather, who was a 
 lifelong resident of this town, also followed 
 farming. He was prominent among his fel- 
 low-citizens, and for a number of years served 
 as Deputy Sheriff. The farm now owned by 
 the subject of this sketch was originally the 
 property of his grandfather, and was inherited 
 by his father, George W. Bryant, who culti- 
 vated it energetically from the time it came 
 into his hands until his death, at the age of 
 fifty-four years. Politically, the father was a 
 Republican. His wife, Althine, lived to be 
 seventy-three years old. Both parents were 
 members of the Congregational church. 
 
 George E. Bryant, who was the only child 
 of his parents, was educated in the town 
 schools of Templeton. He began business 
 life as clerk in a store, and, becoming propri- 
 etor of a general mercantile business in Bald- 
 winsville at about the age of twenty-one, he 
 has been engaged in trade here for some 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 277 
 
 twenty-five years since. He was appointed 
 Postmaster in 1885, held the position until 
 1889, and was reappointed in 1893. For 
 many years he has acted as a Justice of the 
 Peace and Notary Public. He is also secre- 
 tary and treasurer of the Baldwinsville Co- 
 operative Bank and treasurer of the Hospital 
 Cottages for children. He is a member of the 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen. In re- 
 ligious belief a Congregationalist, he has 
 been clerk and treasurer of that society for the 
 past twenty-five years. His homestead prop- 
 erty has been in the possession of the family 
 for at least three generations, and he owns 
 one of the finest libraries in town. In poli- 
 tics he is a Democrat. 
 
 ^OHN W. LAWRENCE, a prominent 
 agriculturist of Warren, was born in 
 North Brookfield, Mass., March 29, 
 1840, son of David B. and Lucinda 
 (Atwood) Lawrence. The father, who was 
 born in Franklin, Mass., in the year 1800, 
 resided in North Brookfield for a number of 
 years. Moving from that town to Brimfield 
 in 1842, he subsequently remained a resident 
 of that place until his death, which occurred 
 in 1865. His wife, Lucinda, who was a na- 
 tive of North Brookfield, became the mother 
 of eight children, three of whom are living: 
 John W. , the subject of this sketch; Albert 
 B., a hardware and iron merchant of Fitch- 
 burg, Mass. ; and Nettie, wife of B. S. Jordan, 
 of Framingham, Mass. 
 
 John W. Lawrence was educated in the 
 common schools of Brimfield, to which place 
 he accompanied his parents when two years 
 old. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, 
 which he followed in that town some ten 
 years. Subsequently becoming a member of 
 the firm of Thomas Rice & Co., of Shrews- 
 bury, for the succeeding six years he travelled 
 to and from Kansas City, Mo., engaged in the 
 purchase of hides for that concern. Since 
 1879 he has resided upon a farm in Warren 
 near the Brimfield line, where he owns two 
 hundred and seventy-five acres of excellent 
 land, and has carried on general farming ener- 
 getically and successfully. He was a stock- 
 
 holder in the Worcester County Cheese Com- 
 pany, which was absorbed by the Worcester 
 County Creamery, was for a number of years 
 upon the Executive Committee of the last- 
 named concern, and has been its president for 
 the past seventeen years. 
 
 Mr. Lawrence married Demaris Newton, 
 daughter of Cheney Newton, of Brimfield, and 
 has three children: Fred N., a resident of 
 Warren; Nellie M., wife of David Henshaw, 
 of West Brookfield; and John C. Lawrence, 
 who resides at home. In politics Mr. Law- 
 rence is a Prohibitionist. While residing in 
 Brimfield he served as Selectman and Asses- 
 •sor for two years, and he has served on the 
 School Committee and as Overseer of the 
 Poor in Warren. He is regarded as one of 
 the foremost and most public-spirited men of 
 the town, and as a capable, honest, and reli- 
 able citizen he has the respect and confidence 
 of the entire community. 
 
 m 
 
 ARREN J. MERRIAM, a promi- 
 nent attorney, resident in West 
 Boylston and having an office in 
 the Five Cent Savings Bank Building at 314 
 Main Street, Worcester, was born in South 
 Carolina on July 19, 1865, son of John Q. A. 
 and Emeline A. (Hutchinson) Merriam. His 
 grandfather, John G. Merriam, was a planter 
 in South Carolina, and lived in the South 
 until shortly before the Civil War. He then 
 came North, and located in Springfield, where 
 he is still living. John Q. A. Merriam was 
 one of five children. He also came North in 
 i860, and a year later. May 31, 1861, en- 
 listed in Company E of the Tenth Massachu- 
 setts Regiment of Volunteers. He was mus- 
 tered out as a private, July i, 1864. Going 
 to Enfield, Mass., when he was married, .July 
 28, 1864, and afterward to Ware, Mass., he 
 there engaged in the manufacture of woollen 
 goods for several years. His wife, Emeline, 
 who was born in Enfield, was one of the seven 
 children of Zina and Jemima (Gibbs) Hutch- 
 inson. Her mother, Jemima, who was a na- 
 tive of Bennington, Vt., died at the age of 
 seventy-four. On her father's side Mrs. 
 Merriam was of English descent. Both her 
 
278 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 parents were members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 Warren J. Merriam received a common- 
 school education, and at an early age learned 
 the woollen business. Upon coming to Ware 
 he became a student at the high school, where 
 he prepared for college. Entering Amherst 
 College in 1885, he was graduated at that in- 
 stitution on the 3d of July, 1889. The 
 following year he taught at Nichols Academy 
 in Dudley and the year after that in the high 
 school at Sterling. Subsequent to this he 
 came to West Boylston, and was for three 
 years principal of the high school here. Dur- 
 ing this time he began the study of law with 
 Messrs. Sheehan & Cutting, of Worcester. 
 After being admitted to the bar in 1895, he 
 began the practice of his profession, taking an 
 office at 314 Main Street, Worcester. Since 
 beginning the practice of law Mr. Merriam 
 has met with unusual success. He was for a 
 year the local attorney of the Metropolitan 
 Water Board of Boston, which was negotiat- 
 ing with the people of West Boylston for their 
 property, preparatory to constructing the great 
 Wachusett Reservoir. Since severing his 
 connection with the board he has been re- 
 tained by many West Boylston people in the 
 settlement of their claims against the Com- 
 monwealth, resulting from the taking of their 
 property for the reservoir. Mr. Merriam was 
 counsel for Ida W. Briggs, who was indicted 
 for murder of her infant, May 2, 1898. Mrs. 
 Briggs was tried and acquitted at Fitch- 
 burg, August 23, 1898. In politics Mr. 
 Merriam is a Republican, in religious faith a 
 Congregationalist. 
 
 fOHN G. ALLEN, a prosperous dairy 
 farmer of Hubbardston, was born where 
 he now resides, June 19, 1831, son of 
 Breck and Saljy (Derby) Allen. The 
 paternal grandfather, Ephraim Allen, who was 
 a native of Shrewsbury, Mass., and came to 
 this town from Rutland, cleared and improved 
 the Allen homestead. He was a Selectman 
 for the years 1798-99, 1809-10, and 1812-13; 
 and during the last two years he was Repre- 
 sentative in the General Court, In politics he 
 
 acted with the Whig party. He was a Deacon 
 of the Unitarian church. His death occurred 
 in October, 1848. He married Lydia War- 
 ren, who died in 1827. 
 
 Breck Allen, the father, was born at the 
 homestead, April 9, 1798. As a youth he as- 
 sisted his father upon the farm. Afterward he 
 and a brother jointly carried it on until 1836. 
 Then he took the entire management of the 
 property, and tilled the soil successfully for 
 the rest of his life. He died June 28, 1857. 
 Like his father, he took an active part in town 
 affairs, and was one of the first in this town to 
 join the Republican party after its formation. 
 He was a prominent member of the Unitarian 
 church. Sally, his wife, who was born in 
 Lancaster, N.H., in 1797, had six children, of 
 whom the only other survivor besides John G. 
 is Mary, who resides in Chelmsford, Mass. 
 The others were: Lucy, who died at the age 
 of fourteen years; Calvin, who served in Com- 
 pany H, Fifty-third Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Volunteers, during the Civil War, and died 
 August 14, 1863; Sarah, who died in 1895; 
 and Lydia W., who died in 1846. The 
 mother passed away on October 18, 1890. 
 
 Having been educated in the district 
 schools, at the Westminster Academy, and by 
 private instruction, John G. Allen taught 
 school for a short time, and then engaged in 
 lumbering. At the death of his father he 
 took charge of the homestead, where, with the 
 exception of thirteen months, his entire life 
 has been passed. Besides the home farm of 
 one hundred and ninety-six acres, he owns out- 
 lying timber land amounting to one hundred 
 and seventy-two acres. The various improve- 
 ments he has made upon his land and buildings 
 place the Allen farm among the most valuable 
 estates in this locality. He gives his chief 
 attention to the dairy business, keeping from 
 fifteen to twenty head of stock, cuts about 
 thirty-five tons of hay annually, and produces 
 butter of a superior quality. 
 
 On December 16, 1858, Mr. Allen was 
 joined in marriage with Hannah Greenwood, 
 who was born in Hubbardston, August 24, 
 1827. Her parents, Silas and Julia (Daniels) 
 Greenwood, were natives respectively of this 
 town and Hopkinton. Silas Greenwood was a 
 
^ 
 
 JOHN G. ALLEN, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 prominent farmer of Hubbardston in his day 
 and a leading spirit in public affairs, serving 
 as a Selectman for ten years, and representing 
 his district in the legislature of 1835. Late 
 in life he acted with the Republican party in 
 politics. In religious belief he was a Unita- 
 rian. He died March 12, 1857, and his wife 
 died January 9, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Allen 
 are the parents of two children: Abbie G, , 
 born August 17, i860; and J. Harry, born 
 May 27, 1865. Abbie G. married J. C. F. 
 Mirick, of Princeton, in 1881, and her chil- 
 dren are: Edith A., Ethel R., Allen A., 
 Philip C, and Harry L. Mirick. Politically, 
 Mr. Allen is a Republican. Since his major- 
 ity he has taken a lively interest in town 
 affairs. He has served as a Selectman at in- 
 tervals since 1866, and he is now the chairman 
 of the board. For several years he has been an 
 Overseer of the Poor. He has occupied the 
 Master's and Overseer's chairs in the local 
 grange, and is actively concerned in all mat- 
 ters relative to the general welfare of the com- 
 munity. 
 
 ILLIAM H. AND ELWIN C. 
 WHEELER, of Hubbardston, gen- 
 eral merchants, are the sons of 
 Silas and Amanda (Rice) Wheeler and repre- 
 sentatives of a highly reputable family, an 
 account of which will be found in a sketch of 
 Silas Wheeler, which appears elsewhere in the 
 Review. 
 
 The elder brother, William Harvey 
 Wheeler, was born in Lexington, Mass., Sep- 
 tember 4, 1848. His education was acquired 
 in the public schools. In 1875, in partner- 
 ship with his brother, he opened a general 
 store; and the firm has since carried on a 
 thriving trade, dealing in dry goods, grocer- 
 ies, boots, shoes, crockery, hardware, paints, 
 oils, flour, grain, feed, fertilizer, etc. Mr. 
 Wheeler has served his fellow-townsmen in 
 various offices. He was a trustee of the pub- 
 lic library from 1887 to 1897; member of the 
 School Committee one year; Assessor for the 
 years 1884, 1885; Overseer of the Poor in 
 1886-87 and 1888; Selectman from 1886 to 
 1891, being chairman of the board during the 
 
 last three years of that period; and Representa- 
 tive to the legislature in 1894, serving upon 
 the Committee on Finance and Expenditure. 
 He has been Town Clerk and Treasurer since 
 1895, and his ability and capacity are widely 
 appreciated by his fellow-townsmen. He 
 married Eliza S. Morrison, a native of Bos- 
 cawen, N.H., and has had six children, 
 namely: William H., born January 16, 1880, 
 who died June 14, 1893; Katharine A., born 
 January 16, 1882; Bessie, born December 26, 
 1883; Mildred, born August 26, 1885; Silas 
 M. , born April 12, 1888; and Madeline, born 
 May 10, 1890, who died on May 6, 1894. 
 Mr. Wheeler is a member of Hope Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., of Gardner; and of the local 
 lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen. 
 
 Elwin C. Wheeler was born in Barre, 
 Mass., July 28, 185 1. He has been a mem- 
 ber of the firm of Wheeler Brothers since its 
 establishment, and his business ability has 
 aided materially in bringing the concern for- 
 ward to its present position as the leading 
 mercantile house in Hubbardston. 
 
 On May 28, 1877, Mr. Wheeler married 
 for his first wife Etta D. Conant, who died 
 October 10, 1879. March 8, 1893, he mar- 
 ried for his second wife Carrie M. Grimes, 
 who was born in Hubbardston, July 28, 1869. 
 The children of this union are: Guy M., born 
 January 17, 1894; and Dorothy, born July 20, 
 1897. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler is a member of the Public Li- 
 brary Committee. He is a thirty-second de- 
 gree Mason, and is Worshipful Master of 
 Hope Lodge, Gardner. In religious belief 
 he is a Unitarian. Both he and his brother 
 William are Republicans in politics. 
 
 REN WHITE, formerly a prosperous 
 merchant of Clinton, was born in 
 Middlesex, Vt., July i, 1834. His 
 father was Sanford White, a native of 
 New Hampshire, who passed the greater part 
 of his life as a farmer in that State and in 
 Vermont. 
 
 Oren White, after attending the common 
 schools, at the age of eighteen entered the 
 service of the Vermont Central Railroad Com- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 283 
 
 quently he became book-keeper and general 
 superintendent for the firm of David Lefavour 
 & Son, shoe manufacturers of Beverly, which 
 position he retained for a number of years. 
 In 1892 he came to East Brookfield as man- 
 ager and treasurer of the Parmenter Manufact- 
 uring Company. This well-known concern 
 . is engaged in the manufacture of brick, and 
 carries on a large business, employing in the 
 busy season an average of one hundred and 
 twenty-five men. Under Mr. Lefavour' s able 
 management its capacity to fill orders has 
 been fully tested. 
 
 Mr. Lefavour married Mary A. Richards, 
 of Wenham, Mass. He has three children; 
 namely, Howard R., Mary A., and John. 
 Mary A. is the wife of Allen H. Bennett, 
 cashier of the Beverly National Bank. As 
 the official head of the most important indus- 
 try in East Brookfield, Mr. 'Lefavour is one 
 of the chief contributors to the prosperity of 
 the town. Politically, he acts with the Re- 
 publican party, and he has served with ability 
 upon the Town Committee. 
 
 M 
 
 ANIEL W. MITCHELL, Select- 
 man of South boro, who has had 
 charge of the Boston & Albany 
 Railroad property at Cordaville for 
 more than thirty years, was born in Newfield, 
 York County, Me., February 13, 1830. His 
 parents, John and Susan (Davis) Mitchell, had 
 six children. The father settled on wild land 
 in Newfield in 18 12, and established a home- 
 stead there. One of the leading residents of 
 the town, he served on the Board of Selectmen 
 for many years. Thomas, the eldest child, in 
 early life was educated in the public schools 
 and later in the academy at New Market, 
 N.H. He subsequently followed the voca- 
 tion of teaching for many years, and, later 
 settling on the old homestead, has since filled 
 all the important offices in town. He has two 
 sons living: Thomas Edwin, who lives on the 
 old homestead; and John W., who is engaged 
 in mercantile business in Worcester. John, 
 the second son of John and Susan Davis 
 Mitchell, was educated in New Market, N.H., 
 and was actively engaged in the ministry in 
 
 Maine for a number of years. He had one 
 son, Francis A., who graduated at Bowdoin 
 College, Maine, studied medicine with Dr. 
 J. D. Mitchell at Jacksonville, Fla., and later 
 settled at Bridgton, Me., where he had an ex- 
 tensive practice. 
 
 Another son of John and Susan D. Mitchell, 
 Joseph D., a student of Parsonfield Academy, 
 studied for three years with Dr. Jackson, of 
 Boston, and graduated at Harvard Medical 
 College. He had a large practice at Calais, 
 Me., on both sides of the St. Croix River, for 
 three years. Then he received an injury that 
 made him an invalid for a time, and he went 
 to Jacksonville, Fla., for his health'. He was 
 unable to walk when he arrived there, but his 
 health steadily improved, and after a time he 
 resumed practice. Having earned over a 
 thousand dollars in a few months, he decided 
 to remain in Jacksonville. At the time of 
 the war he was worth over a hundred thousand 
 dollars. He was a strong Union man; and 
 General Sherman, when in that part of the 
 South, was his guest. This fact aroused the 
 enmity of the Southern sympathizers ; and, 
 when Sherman retired from the city. Dr. 
 Mitchell's property, like that of others in 
 sympathy with the North, was destroyed, and 
 he was compelled to flee. He had planned to 
 co-operate with General Sherman in an effort 
 to bring Florida back into the Union, but his 
 plan failed. He then came North, obtained 
 an appointment as surgeon in the Eighth 
 Maine Regiment, and served until the close 
 of the war. For some time he was in charge 
 of the Beaufort (S.C.) Hospital. When, the 
 army disbanded he returned to Florida, where 
 he died about five years ago. He had two 
 sons, Neal and Solace, who were educated re- 
 spectively at Amherst and Harvard. Both 
 became medical practitioners, and are among 
 the leading doctors of Jacksonville. Neal is 
 chairman of the Board of Health of that city, 
 which position he held also at the time of the 
 yellow fever epidemic a few years ago. 
 
 Daniel W. Mitchell acquired much of his 
 early education at Parsonfield Academy. He 
 spent one year in New Brunswick with his 
 brother, Dr. J. D. Mitchell, who was practis- 
 ing there; and for ten years he managed the 
 
284 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 homestead farm at Newfield. He taught 
 school for nine winters while in charge of the 
 farm. When he was about thirty years of age 
 he came to Southboro; and for three years he 
 had charge of the Fayville railroad station 
 here, under the old Boston & Worcester Rail- 
 road. He was then appointed station agent at 
 Cordaville, at that time a thriving manufact- 
 uring village; and he has now entered upon 
 his thirty-third year in that office. His real 
 estate interests are extensive. He has spent 
 several winters in Florida at his orange 
 groves, which he bought in 1880. 
 
 Mr. Mitchell was married to Anna S. 
 Davis, a school teacher of Newfield, Me. 
 Their only son, Elmer Lincoln Mitchell, who 
 was educated in the public schools of South- 
 boro and in Worcester Business College, has 
 been connected with the B. & A. Railroad for 
 several years. He has developed a special 
 talent for mechanics and invention, and has 
 obtained patents on several valuable inven- 
 tions, one of which is an electrical railway 
 time signal. He has taken several trips to 
 Southern California and Florida for his health. 
 Though actively interested in town affairs, 
 Mr. Mitchell, Sr. , is quite averse to holding 
 office. While in Newfield he served for six 
 years on the School Board, and he has been 
 for three years on the School Board of South- 
 boro. He has been Selectman of Southboro 
 since 1896. It is now some time since he be- 
 came a member of the Masonic order. 
 
 TAMES E. ANDREWS, superintendent 
 of the J. H. Parker shoe factory at 
 Berlin, was born in this town, Septem- 
 ber 12, 1865, son of George H. and 
 Adeliza J. (Howard) Andrews. His father 
 was a native of Boylston, as was also his 
 grandfather, James Andrews. The latter, 
 previous to his death, at the age of thirty- 
 three years, was engaged in mercantile busi- 
 ness in Worcester. George H. Andrews in 
 early youth resided for a time in Worcester. 
 Learning the shoemaker's trade, he followed 
 it subsequently in Boylston. He enlisted as 
 a private in Company K, Fifty-third Regi- 
 ment, Massachusetts Volunteers, with which 
 
 he served nine months in the Civil War, and 
 was discharged with the rank of Corporal. 
 Upon his return he resumed shoemaking, and 
 has followed that occupation in Berlin most 
 of the time since. For some years he served 
 the town as Constable. His wife, Adeliza J. 
 Andrews, is a daughter of Rufus Howard, 
 formerly a basket mnaufacturer of this town. 
 She has reared a family of three children, of 
 whom two are living: James E., the subject 
 of this sketch; and Nettie. 
 
 James E. Andrews began his education in 
 the common schools of Berlin, and later took 
 a business course of study in Boston. He 
 learned the shoemaker's trade in Berlin, and 
 since 1885 has been superintendent of J. H. 
 Parker's factory, which manufactures rubber 
 boots with leather soles, men's shoes, arctic 
 socks, jackets, and similar articles. 
 
 In 1885 Mr. 'Andrews contracted the first 
 of his two marriages with Flora M. Babcock, 
 daughter of William T. Babcock, of this town. 
 She died at the age of twenty-six years, hav- 
 ing been the mother of one son, William H. 
 Mr. Andrews's present wife was before mar- 
 riage Nettie McFarland, of Jamaica, Vt. 
 
 In politics Mr. Andrews is a Republican. 
 He is now serving his third year as a Select- 
 man, and is also Overseer of the Poor and a 
 member of the Board of Health. He is a 
 member of the Clinton Lodge, No. 199, 
 L O. O. F., of Clinton; is connected with 
 the Order of the Golden Cross; and has been 
 commander of the local camp of the Sons of 
 Veterans. 
 
 W". 
 
 ILLIAM H. MELLEN, chairman 
 of the Board of Selectmen of Athol, 
 was born in Spofford, N.Y., No- 
 vember 9, 1842. When but four years old he 
 came to Orange, Mass., and his education was 
 received in the schools of that place. In 
 1861 he enlisted for three years in Company 
 A of the Twenty-first Massachusetts Regi- 
 ment, and, joining the Ninth Army Corps 
 under General Burnside, was in the battles of 
 Roanoke, Newbern, Camden, and second Bull 
 Run. He was injured in the last-named 
 battle, and afterward did detail service at 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 285 
 
 Portsmouth Grove, R. I., at the Orderly's 
 headquarters until his honorable discharge, 
 May S, 1864. From that time to 1868 he 
 conducted a furniture business, and from 1868 
 to 1894 he carried on a lumber and saw-mill 
 business. He owns a tract of land which he 
 has laid out in building lots, and he has 
 erected several houses. His own dwelling 
 was built twenty years ago. 
 
 During the past three years much of his 
 time has been given to public duties. He 
 has held the offices of Selectman, Assessor, 
 and Highway Surveyor continuously since 
 1894 — four years; he was elected chairman 
 of the Board of Selectmen in 1896, and now 
 holds that office; was an Overseer of the 
 Poor in 1895-96; a member of the Board of 
 Health, 1894-95; and is now a member of the 
 Athol Board of Trade. Many important 
 works have been completed during his term of 
 service as a Selectman. Three grade cross- 
 ings — the School Street, Main Street, and 
 Chestnut Hill — have been abolished; the 
 electric railroad, which is now owned by a 
 home company, has been built; the sewerage 
 system, with its twelve miles of pipe, has been 
 laid; and nearly two miles of State road in 
 Athol connecting with about the same amount 
 in Orange has been built, making a first-class 
 thoroughfare between the two villages. All 
 of these have required much of Mr. Mellen's 
 time and attention, and the work has been 
 done in a thorough and substantial manner. 
 In the spring of 1897 he was elected a com- 
 mittee of one to defend the town in lawsuits. 
 In political principles and affiliation he is 
 a Republican. He is a member of the Re- 
 publican Town Committee, and has attended 
 the different party conventions and served on 
 committees. As a member of the Massachu- 
 setts legislature, session of 1897, he served 
 on the House Committee on Military Affairs. 
 Fraternally, he is a charter member of Corin- 
 thian Lodge, K. of P. ; a member of the Uni- 
 formed Rank, K. of P. ; a member of Poquaig 
 Club; and a member of the H. V. Smith 
 Post, G. A. R., in which he has served two 
 years as Commander. 
 
 On July 7, 1864, Mr. Mellen was married 
 to Miss Gertrude E. Squires, of Herkimer 
 
 County, New York. They have two children, 
 a son and daughter, namely: William D. 
 Mellen, who runs a grocery store at Athol; 
 and Mabel A., wife of Albert E. McReel, an 
 electrician, who is now superintendent of the 
 electric railroad at Exeter, N. H. 
 
 OHN R. BLACK, for a number of 
 years a member of the Board of High- 
 way Commissioners, East Brookfield, 
 was born in Worcester, Mass., October 
 1833, son of Amos R. and Hester E. 
 (Brigham) Black. He is of English origin. 
 James Black, his paternal grandfather, was a 
 prosperous farmer of Barre; and one of his 
 brothers is said to have imported the first 
 smut-faced sheep to this country. Mr. 
 Black's father was a native of Barre, and his 
 mother of Boylston, Mass. The former was 
 an extensive contractor in his day, a member 
 of the firm of Dawson, Black & Co., of 
 Worcester, who did the ballasting and stone 
 work on the construction of the Worcester & 
 Nashua Railway. 
 
 John R. Black was educated in the public 
 schools and at Worcester Academy. When a 
 young man he took contracts for gravel and 
 stone work in Worcester and the vicinity. 
 About 1863 he was appointed Street Commis- 
 sioner of Brighton, Mass., a position which 
 he capably filled for eight years, doing much 
 to improve the highways and thoroughfares of 
 that town. For the succeeding five years he 
 acted as superintendent of the Wellington 
 Stock Farm at Lexington, Mass. Moving 
 subsequently to East Brookfield, he was chair- 
 man of the Board of Highway Commissioners 
 there for three years. He later became super- 
 intendent of the C. P. Blanchard Stock Farm 
 at Brookfield, remaining in that capacity sev- 
 eral years, after which he returned to East 
 Brookfield, and was again elected Highway 
 Commissioner. At the present time he is en- 
 gaged in general farming. 
 
 Mr. Black married for his first wife Abbie 
 E. Clark, who bore him three children, of 
 whom the only survivor is Charles A. Black, 
 of Worcester. His present wife was before 
 marriage Harriet E. Prentice, of Millbury, 
 
286 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mass. Politically, Mr. Black is a Republi- 
 can. Progressive and enterprising, he is in 
 favor of all practical measures for developing 
 the resources of the town. He attends the 
 Baptist church. 
 
 ILLIAM N. FELTON, proprietor 
 of Valley View Farm, Bolton, and 
 chairman of the Board of Select- 
 men, was born in Boston, Mass., December 
 25, 1835. His father, Joel Felton, was a 
 native of Marlboro, Mass., as was also his 
 grandfather, Joel, the latter being an indus- 
 trious farmer. Joel Felton, the father, went 
 to Boston when a young man, and for several 
 years was engaged in the grocery business 
 there. In 1836 he came to Bolton, and, set- 
 tling upon the farm where his son now re- 
 sides, he devoted the rest of his active period 
 to agriculture. He died in 1886, at the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety-four years, having re- 
 tained much of his accustomed vigor until the 
 last. 
 
 William N. Felton began his education in 
 the common schools of Bolton, and was one of 
 the first attendants at the Houghton High 
 School. For several years thereafter he as- 
 sisted in carrying on the home farm, later 
 assuming its entire management, and caring 
 for his parents during their declining years. 
 Valley View Farm consists of one hundred 
 acres of excellent tillage and pasture land, the 
 soil, which is deep and fertile, being well cul- 
 tivated. Hay and grain are its chief prod- 
 ucts, and the splendid pasturage facilities are 
 taken full advantage of by the proprietor, who 
 keeps a large number of cows and supplies a 
 milk route in Hudson. 
 
 In 1 861 Mr. Felton married Sarah M. 
 Blood, who was born in Jamestown, N.Y. 
 Her father, Amos F. Blood, who was formerly 
 a painter and a farmer, is still living, and 
 resides in Sterling, Mass. She is the mother 
 of three children, namely: William H., now 
 a resident of Seattle, Wash. ; Everett M., a 
 prosperous farmer of Hubbardston, Mass. ; and 
 Arthur S. Everett Felton married Gertrude 
 Hodges, and has four children — Earle, Will- 
 iam, Hazel, and Grace. Arthur S. Felton 
 
 has charge of his father's milk business in 
 Hudson. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Felton is a Republican. 
 He was formerly Overseer of the Poor and a 
 member of the Board of Health, and he has 
 been chairman of the Board of Selectmen since 
 1892, a period of seven years. He was for a 
 number of years Master of the local grange. 
 He attends the Baptist church, of which Mrs. 
 Felton is a member. 
 
 ONATHAN COE BRADFORD was 
 
 for many years a valued citizen of Mil- 
 ford. Born in Smithfield, R. I., on 
 Christmas Day, 1828, he was a son of 
 James H. and Sarah (Aldrich) Bradford. He 
 learned the mason's trade in his native place, 
 and in later years employed the man of whom 
 he learned it. Before the Civil War broke 
 out, when the town had about three thousand 
 inhabitants, he came to Milford, and soon had 
 a prosperous business as a contracting mason. 
 He was a capable and energetic business 
 man, as well as a skilled workman. Nearly 
 all the principal business blocks built in Mil- 
 ford up to the time of his death were his 
 handiwork. The handsome brick house in 
 Bow Street, which was his home for fifteen 
 years, and many of the largest Hopedale fac- 
 tories were also erected by him. The work- 
 manship of all these buildings is of the very 
 best. Mr. Bradford had no desire for politi- 
 cal honors, while he earned and easily kept 
 the esteem of his fellow-citizens. His integ- 
 rity throughout his eminently successful busi- 
 ness career gained for him an enviable repu- 
 tation. No man with whom he had dealings 
 had ever occasion to question his statements, 
 and his word was considered as good as his 
 bond. Much interested in the Masonic fra- 
 ternity, he was identified with the three local 
 bodies : Montgomery Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Leb- 
 anon Chapter, R. A. M. ; and Milford Com- 
 mandery, K. T. 
 
 Mr. Bradford was married on Christmas 
 Day, 185s, to Angeline Nelson, who, born 
 March 16, 1829, is a native of Sutton and a 
 daughter of Nathaniel T. and Silence (Kenny) 
 Nelson. The children of the marriage were: 
 
JONATHAN C. BRADFORD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Walter S., Ada N., and Lillian A. The 
 family also included Charles Henry Brad- 
 ford, an adopted child. After the death of 
 Mr. Bradford his widow married Charles 
 Porter Skillings, of Portland, Me., now de- 
 ceased. 
 
 UY W. GARLAND, M.D., chair- 
 man of the Board of Selectmen of 
 Gardner, was born in East Plain- 
 field, N.H., December ii, 1844, son of Na- 
 thaniel and Mary (Elkins) Garland. The fam- 
 ily name, which is of Saxon origin and means 
 "gleaned from the land," has been spelled in 
 various ways, as Garlon, Garlin, Garlen, and 
 Garling. It was common in England in the 
 fifteenth century; and an ancestor of Peter 
 Garland, the founder of the name in New 
 England, located in Wales. Peter Garland, 
 who was a native of Wales and a mariner, em- 
 igrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ac- 
 companied by his wife and several children; 
 and his name is mentioned among the freemen 
 of Charlestown as early as 1637. One of his 
 descendants went to New Hampshire. Na- 
 thaniel Garland, Dr. Garland's grandfather, 
 who resided in Boscawen, N.H., was commis- 
 sioned Second Lieutenant, November 5, 
 177s, in Moses Yeaton's company, of Pierce's 
 Island. Nathaniel Garland, Dr. Garland's 
 father, who resided in East Plainfield, was a 
 wheelwright by trade and a man who stood 
 high in the estimation of his neighbors. His 
 wife, Mary, was a daughter of Richard Elkins, 
 of that town. 
 
 Guy W. Garland acquired his early educa- 
 tion in the public schools of Manchester, 
 N.H., and Lowell, Mass. His medical 
 studies were begun at the Harvard University 
 Medical School and completed at the medical 
 department of the University of Pennsylvania 
 in 1867. Locating in Gardner immediately 
 after receiving his diploma, he built up an 
 extensive practice, enjoying in a high degree 
 the confidence of his patients. He is now 
 prominently identified with local affairs, 
 being chairman of the Board of Selectmen, 
 upon which body he has served for eight 
 years. 
 
 Dr. Garland married Lavinia M. Upton, 
 of Gardner, Mass., a daughter of Nehem'iah 
 Upton. Mrs. Gardner traces the origin of her 
 family to the Norman Conquest, when sur- 
 names first came into use in England. The 
 first to establish the name in America was 
 John Upton, who settled in Salem, Mass., in 
 1658, and was the progenitor of a numerous 
 posterity. Dr. Garland has two children: 
 Frederick E., born in 1875, who is a graduate 
 of Harvard University, class of 1898; and 
 Paul N., born in 1885, who is a student in 
 the public schools. Dr. Garland belongs to 
 Hope Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Ivanhoe Com- 
 mandery, K. T. ; and William Ellerson 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F. 
 
 pjURTON B. MURDOCK, dealer in 
 ^~s. boots, shoes, gentlemen's furnish- 
 "^J ings, and hats, located in Tracy 
 Block, Webster, was born in North- 
 field, Mass., January i, 1840, son of Ben- 
 jamin B. and Eunice (Alexander) Murdock. 
 His father, who was born in Townshend, Vt., 
 was a merchant in Northfield for some years, 
 but in 1884 came to Webster. His mother 
 was a native of Winchester, N.H. Of a fam- 
 ily of six children. Burton B. Murdock is the 
 only survivor. 
 
 Mr. Murdock's early education was received 
 in the public and high schools of Northfield, 
 and at the age of twenty years he went to 
 work in a general merchandise store in that 
 town. After remaining as a clerk for three 
 he started business for himself as a 
 in general merchandise at Erving, 
 where he continued for about four 
 Going then to Royalston, he engaged 
 in the same line of business there, remaining 
 about ten years. In 1875 he came to Webs- 
 ter, and started his present business, in which 
 he has been very successful. His close at- 
 tention to the wants of his customers, his 
 promptness in filling all orders, and the fair 
 dealing that has characterized all his business 
 transactions, have won for him the public 
 esteem and a long list of patrons. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Murdock was united in mar- 
 riage with Abby K., daughter of John Pills- 
 
 years, 
 dealer 
 Mass., 
 years. 
 
290 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bury, of Winchester, Mass. Of this marriage 
 there are two children : Florence Jessie, born 
 in 1875; and Edgar B., born in 1877. Flor- 
 ence J. was educated at Webster, in the com- 
 mon and high schools, and at the Worcester 
 Normal School, from which she graduated in 
 
 1895. She is now a teacher in Worcester. 
 In 1896 she and her brother made a trip to 
 the Pacific coast, visiting San Francisco and 
 other places of interest. Edgar, who is a 
 graduate of the Webster High School, class of 
 
 1896, is now a clerk in his father's store. He 
 has been a director in the Webster National 
 Bank for a number of years, and is also a 
 member of the Investment Board of the Five 
 Cents Savings Bank. 
 
 ISAAC FOLLETT, a retired tanner of 
 Hubbardston, was born in this town, 
 July 25, 1822, son of Isaac and Lucy 
 W. (Rice) Follett. Samuel Follett, 
 the paternal grandfather, who was an early 
 settler in Hubbardston, came from Attleboro, 
 Mass., and, locating upon a farm in the north- 
 westerly part of the town, resided here for the 
 rest of his life. He married first a Miss Met- 
 calf and for his second wife a Miss Smith. 
 
 Isaac Follett, father of the subject of this 
 sketch, was a lifelong resident of Hubbards- 
 ton, and his active years were spent upon a 
 part of the homestead farm which he acquired 
 by inheritance. He was an industrious farmer 
 and a worthy, upright man. In politics 
 he was in early life a Whig and later a Demo- 
 crat. He died at the age of sixty-four years; 
 and his wife, who was a native of Templeton, 
 lived to the remarkable age of one hundred 
 and one years and one month. They were the 
 parents of nine children, all of whom grew to 
 maturity, and three of whom are now living, 
 namely: Charlotte, who resides in Hubbards- 
 ton; Isaac, the subject of this sketch; and 
 Mary Ann, who resides in Gardner, Mass., and 
 is the widow of Moses Wheeler. The others 
 were: Eliza, Lucy, Rusha, Sarah, Jonah, and 
 John. 
 
 Isaac Follett was educated in the district 
 schools. He lived at home with his parents 
 until twenty-one years old, and what money 
 
 he earned previous to his majority he gave to 
 his father. Subsequently he served an ap- 
 prenticeship to the tanner's trade with Wood- 
 ward & Warren, and still later learned the 
 currier's trade in Grafton, Mass. Returning 
 then to Hubbardston, he worked for his for- 
 mer employers as a finisher for some years 
 later going to Monson, Mass., where he was 
 employed as a journeyman until engaging in 
 business as a member of the firm of Warren 
 Tobey & Co. Severing his connection with 
 that concern a year later, he went to East 
 Templeton, where for the succeeding three 
 years he was associated with Warren Simonds. 
 After selling his interest in the business car- 
 ried on by Mr. Simonds, he was for a short 
 time employed as a finisher at Stafford 
 Springs, Conn. From the last-named place 
 he returned to Monson, and continued as a 
 journeyman currier until about 1884, when he 
 retired to his farm in Hubbardston, where he 
 has since resided. 
 
 In 1 861 Mr. Follett was united in marriage 
 with Susan B. Goulding, of Millbury, Mass., 
 who died in 1862, leaving no children. Po- 
 litically, Mr. Follett is a Democrat and in 
 his religious belief a Unitarian. He has a 
 wide circle of acquaintances, and is a highly 
 esteemed citizen. 
 
 EWELL ELLIOTT GREEN- 
 WOOD, M.D., who is successfully 
 engaged in the practice of his pro- 
 fession at Templeton, was born in 
 Hubbardston, Worcester County, Mass., Sep- 
 tember IS, 1853, son of Alson J. and Martha 
 G. (Moulton) Greenwood. His father is a 
 well-known farmer and lumberman of Hub- 
 bardston. Further reference to the family 
 may be found in the sketch of Alson J. Green- 
 wood, which appears on another page of the 
 Review. 
 
 Sewell Elliott Greenwood began his edu- 
 cation in the common schools of Hubbardston, 
 and continued it by a course of study at the 
 Wilbraham Academy. Entering Harvard 
 University Medical School in 1874, he was 
 subsequently graduated with the class of 1877. 
 In the following year he located for practice in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 291 
 
 Templeton, where he has since resided. His 
 practice extends to the adjoining towns, and 
 he has acquired a wide reputation for skill in 
 his chosen calling. In April, 1882, Dr. 
 Greenwood was united in marriage with Char- 
 lotte E. Smith, of Grafton, daughter of Lucius 
 M. Smith. Mrs. Greenwood is the mother of 
 three children: Lucius, born June 15, 1885; 
 Arthur, born December 6, 1887; and Doro- 
 thy, born May 22, 1892. 
 
 Dr. Greenwood is a member of the Massa- 
 chusetts State Medical Society and the Mil- 
 ler's River Medical Society. For a number 
 of years he has been a member of the medical 
 staff of the Cottage Hospital for children. 
 In politics a Republican, he has served upon 
 the School Committee for the past eight years. 
 He is a member of the Unitarian church, 
 which his wife attends. 
 
 KRANK J. KINNEY, of Worcester, 
 one of the leading market gardeners 
 and fruit-growers of the county, was 
 born in the town of Sunderland, Bennington 
 County, Vt., on May 30, 1833, son of Joel 
 and Clarissa (Ford) Kinney. His grand- 
 father, John Kinney, was of Irish birth. He 
 married a Highland Scotch woman, who stood 
 six feet and two inches high, had red hair, and 
 was the equal in strength of almost any man. 
 Their only child, Joel, was born in New 
 Canaan, Conn., in 1793. When he was still 
 an infant they removed to Vermont, going 
 some forty miles through the woods by bridle 
 paths, his mother carrying him on the saddle, 
 together with some apple-trees, which they 
 planted when they reached the place where 
 they were to make their home. Eventually 
 they became the owners of between two and 
 three hundred acres of arable land and four 
 hundred acres of mountain land. Both lived 
 to be eighty years old, and both are buried in 
 Sunderland, where also the mortal remains of 
 Joel Kinney and his wife rest. 
 
 At nineteen years of age Joel Kinney en- 
 listed in the War of 1812. Later he became 
 a farmer and mechanic, having considerable 
 inventive genius. He was Justice of the 
 Peace of his town for fifty-one years, and for 
 
 eleven years held court five miles from his 
 home, walking the distance back and forth. 
 No case tried by him was ever appealed. He 
 inherited the splendid physique of his Scotch 
 mother, standing six feet two inches in 
 height and weighing two hundred and tefi 
 pounds. He wore a number twelve boot, and 
 was a very strong man and a great worker. 
 He was self-educated, being fond of reading. 
 As a mechanic he could build anything, from 
 a church to a clock; and he actually made a 
 large watch. He also constructed a most in- 
 genious clock with platforms, upon which 
 figures of a man and of a cock came out at 
 times to number the hours. His son Frank 
 has his old rifle, which has done skilful execu- 
 tion in its day. Joel's wife was a native of 
 Peru, Mass., and came of a long-lived race on 
 both sides of her family, her father and 
 mother each living to be nearly a hundred 
 years old. Her brother, Roderick Ford, is 
 still living at the age of ninety-three. When 
 eighty-five he walked out to his nephew's 
 house from Worcester. Joel Kinney and 
 Clarissa Ford were married in 1817, the groom 
 being twenty-four years old and the bride 
 thirty-four. They were the parents of the 
 following-named children : Laura D. ; C. M. ; 
 Benjamin H; Elizabeth C; Frank J., who is 
 the youngest; and a daughter that died in in- 
 fancy. Laura, who has never married, lives 
 on the farm in Sunderland, where she was 
 born. C. M. Kinney resides in Northampton, 
 Mass., retired from business. Benjamin H., 
 a stone-cutter by trade, residing in Worcester, 
 became a sculptor of some note. He made a 
 fine statue of Dr. Green. Elizabeth C, who 
 married Lafayette Litchfield, of Roxbury, 
 Mass., died at the age of fifty-four, leaving 
 five children. 
 
 Frank J. Kinney in his youth made the' 
 very most of his educational opportunities, 
 which were only those of the common schools, 
 and at the age of nineteen began teaching 
 school for a winter term. This he continued 
 for eight successive winters, meeting with 
 entire success. He taught three winters in 
 one district where previous teachers had met 
 with the uncomfortable experience of being 
 thrown out by the pupils. During summers 
 
292 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he worked on the farm of Stephen Foster, of 
 Worcester, who with his wife, Abby Kelly, 
 was one of the leading anti-slavery workers in 
 this section. They had a remarkably fine 
 peach orchard; and Mr. Kinney well remem- 
 bers the 19th of April, 1855, when he first 
 walked out from Worcester to view it. The 
 petals had fallen from the trees. Three years 
 later he married Mr. Foster's niece, Ann 
 Foster, of Worcester. For the first six 
 months after his marriage he was at home in 
 Vermont with his parents, and subsequent to 
 that he taught for eight months in New Jer- 
 sey. He then returned to the home of his 
 wife, and built his first dwelling here on a 
 part of his present farm, his father-in-law 
 having given him two and a half acres of land. 
 This was about i860. In 1861 he volun- 
 teered for service in the Northern army, but 
 was rejected; and two years later he was 
 drafted, but was also rejected, being in deli- 
 cate health. The surgeon believing him to 
 be short-lived, thought he ought to remain at 
 home. Mr. Kinney took to horticulture as 
 well as to agriculture, and the third year after 
 he had settled on his farm he made fifteen 
 hundred dollars clear of all expenses. From 
 one strawberry bed, six rods long by a rod in 
 width, he sold three hundred and fifty dollars' 
 worth of berries and fifty dollars' worth of 
 plants. These were the famous Jucunda 
 Knoxes seven hundred berries, of which he 
 had bought a box in New York for forty cents. 
 He sold many of his at a dollar a quart. Mr. 
 Kinney early conceived the plan of raising 
 chickens without the care of the hens, and 
 gave special attention to the brown Leghorn 
 breed, selling trios from one hundred and fifty 
 dollars to three hundred dollars, and sending 
 them to many foreign countries. 
 
 Mr. Kinney's first wife, above named, bore 
 him seven children — Herbert R., Lorenzo 
 F., Henry E., Emma F., Asa S., Clarence 
 W., and Sarah C. Herbert R. Kinney has a 
 wife and two children. A sketch of him is on 
 another page of this volume. Lorenzo, who 
 is a graduate of the Agricultural College at 
 Amherst, is a professor in the Agricultural 
 College at Kingston, R.I. He is married and 
 has three children, and also has a home of his 
 
 own. Henry, who is an artist educated in 
 the Boston Art School and by study- abroad in 
 France and Germany, has a studio in Agri- 
 cultural Hall. Emma is a successful' prof es- 
 sional nurse in the Boston City Hospital, 
 from which she was graduated in 1897. She 
 has charge of the sterilizing department and 
 also of the operating-rooms. Asa, who was 
 graduated from the Massachusetts Agricult- 
 ural College in 1897, is now a professor of 
 science in that institution. He is an inde- 
 pendent investigator, and has already distin- 
 guished himself by the application he has 
 made of electricity as a germinating agency 
 in the propagation of seeds. Clarence W. is 
 a student in his third year in the Worcester 
 Polytechnic Institute. He promises to be as 
 able a man as are his brothers. Sarah C. is a 
 student in the Worcester High School in the 
 class of 1898. The mother of these children 
 died in June, 1891, at the age of fifty-three. 
 Mr. Kinney afterward married Fannie Dodd, 
 daughter of Charles Dodd, and by this union 
 he has three children: Robert F., aged five; 
 Lucinda, aged three; and Frank D., aged two 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Kinney is a Republican, but he has 
 never cared for political honors. His father 
 held the highest Masonic office in the State of 
 Vermont. Twenty-four years ago Mr. Kin- 
 ney organized a farmers' club here, the Tat- 
 nuck Club; and for nineteen years he was its 
 president and secretary. He is one of the 
 oldest members of the Worcester Horticult- 
 ural Society. He has made additions to his 
 original farm, and now owns one hundred 
 acres. 
 
 BBOTT A. JENKINS, a Deputy 
 Sheriff of Worcester County and an 
 esteemed citizen of Milford, was 
 born in West Townsend, Mass., 
 forty-nine years ago. When he was two 
 months old, his father, Augustine A. Jenkins, 
 was killed by an accident; and his young 
 mother, after having been married about eigh- 
 teen months, was left to earn a livelihood for 
 herself and her child. The maiden name of 
 Mrs. Jenkins was Mary Bennett. She re- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 293 
 
 mained a widow, and is still living in Shirley, 
 at the age of seventy-two. _She secured em- 
 ployment, and supported herself and son until 
 the latter was about nine years of age, when 
 she went to work for N. C. Munson, of 
 Shirley. 
 
 A year later Abbott went to work for 
 George Chanler, for whom his father also had 
 worked at the age of ten years. He gained 
 the fullest confidence of his employer, and 
 when only eleven years old was left in charge 
 of the men working on the place, whenever 
 the master was obliged to be absent. Not 
 only was he considered trustworthy in all 
 things, but was thought to be capable of doing 
 a man's work, and was sent into the field to 
 mow with a two-horse mower, and expected 
 to sharpen his own knives. From Mr. Chan- 
 ler's he went to Ashburnham, where he lived 
 two years with an uncle, the second year 
 receiving fifteen dollars a month, and being 
 allowed to attend school during the winter. 
 Then, feeling that he needed more schooling, 
 he secured employment in Leominster, where, 
 in exchange for caring for five cows and a 
 horse, he was given his board and permitted to 
 attend school. This opportunity lasted a year 
 and a half; and at the end of that time he 
 began working in a store at Shirley, where he 
 remained a year. Going from there to Ayer 
 Junction, he was in charge of the post-office. 
 Here he remained for three years, during 
 which time he locked and unlocked every 
 mail that was brought into or carried out of 
 the office. He had no vacation whatever in 
 the three years, and attended no entertainment 
 of any kind. Thus it will be seen that the 
 lessons of his early life were learned in a hard 
 school. All this training and conscientious 
 work, however, were not lost; and in later life 
 they have borne good fruit. 
 
 Mr. Jenkins now set up in business for 
 himself at Ayer Junction as a butcher; but 
 after a time he sold out, and accepted the 
 charge of the books of the Bachellor Chair 
 Company, in whose employ he remained until 
 the firm failed. Returning then to Leomin- 
 ster, he worked in a store with his cousin for 
 two years, and at the end of that time sold out 
 his interest, and embarked in the hotel busi- 
 
 ness, which he subsequently followed for ten 
 years, five years in the town of Harvard and 
 five years in Clinton. 
 
 While in the former place he was appointed 
 Deputy Sheriff by General A. B. R. Sprague; 
 and this position he has filled ever since, with 
 the exception of three years. It may be noted 
 that, besides attending to his duties as officer 
 and landlord, he conducted various stage lines, 
 and also a large livery and boarding stable. 
 In Clinton he was Chief of Police for nearly 
 three years, as well as Deputy Sheriff. In 
 Milford a call was made on the Sheriff to 
 send a competent Deputy here for special 
 work, and Sheriff Sprague delegated Officer 
 Jenkins for that position. That he was active 
 and efficient is evidenced by the fact that at 
 the following term of the Criminal Court Mr. 
 Jenkins brought forward thirty -five cases, 
 which required a full week for settlement, and 
 excluded all other business until the expira- 
 tion of that time. 
 
 Since coming to Milford Mr. Jenkins has 
 been prominently identified with its public 
 interests, having served as chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen on various town commit- 
 tees and for two years as Chief of Police. 
 For a year and a half, also, he was superin- 
 tendent of the Milford Water Works. He 
 has carried on quite an extensive insurance 
 business, and many estates have passed 
 through his hands as trustee or assignee. He 
 had charge of the second case under the 
 "habitual criminal" law tried in Worcester 
 County. As court officer and Deputy Sheriff 
 for twenty years he has probably handled as 
 many cases of hardened criminals as any other 
 man in the county, and it is safe to say that 
 he has a number of enemies in that class. 
 In a corresponding degree, and as he has been 
 instrumental in protecting and conserving the 
 best interests of the community, he has the 
 esteem and gratitude of the citizens in gen- 
 eral. 
 
 Mr. Jenkins is well known in the Masonic 
 organization and in that of the Odd Fellows. 
 He was made a Mason at twenty-one, while 
 in Ayer, and later became a Royal Arch 
 Mason in Marlboro Chapter and a member 
 of Hudson Commandery. He subsequently 
 
294 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 transferred his membership to the Milford 
 Commandery. He became an Odd Fellow in 
 Harvard, and passed through the chairs in that 
 body. He joined the encampment in Fitch- 
 burg, but withdrew from that in order to help 
 form an encampment in Clinton, and on going 
 to Milford joined the Milford Encampment. 
 He is also a member of various other social 
 organizations in Clinton and Milford. While 
 in Harvard he served on the State detective 
 force for a year under Chief Clements. While 
 in Clinton he was a director of the Board of 
 Trade, and he is now a member of the Board 
 of Trade in Milford. 
 
 Mr. Jenkins pays high tribute to the char- 
 acter and moral worth of the men with whom 
 his lot was cast during his early years, and 
 there is no doubt that their precept and ex- 
 ample had much to do with forming and fixing 
 those upright principles which have been his 
 guide to action through all his life. Mr. Jen- 
 kins was married first to Lawrence Shirley. 
 She bore him one son, Arthur A. Jenkins, 
 who was with the Swift's Chicago Beef Com- 
 pany for eight years, and is now with Will- 
 iams Brothers at Milford. Mr. Jenkins's 
 second wife was before her marriage Emma L. 
 Knight, of Ayer, Mass. 
 
 /VjAYRUS gale, a well-known, philan- 
 ( V^ thropic citizen of Worcester County, 
 ^js ^ donor of the Gale Public Library 
 building to the town of Northboro, 
 his native place, where he is still a resident, is 
 a representative of the seventh generation in 
 descent from Richard Gale, who came to Mas- 
 sachusetts — doubtless from England — within 
 twenty years after the landing of the Pilgrim 
 Fathers, and in 1640 bought nine acres of 
 land at Watertown. As we learn from the 
 Gale Family Records, by George Gale, 
 LL.p., published in 1866, search for the 
 origin of the family in the remote past has re- 
 sulted in a bewildering variety of opinions on 
 the subject. Some think it to have been of 
 Welsh and others that it was of Scotch High- 
 land antecedents, whence one form of the 
 name, "Gael " or "Gaell." Burke's "Landed 
 Gentry of England" speaks of "the family of 
 
 Gale" as of importance in Yorkshire early in 
 the sixteenth century. 
 
 Besides Richard, of Watertown, there were 
 other New England settlers of this name, 
 among them Hugh, of Kittery, Me. ; Am- 
 brose, of Marblehead; Bartholomew, of 
 Salem; and Edmond, of Beverly — the last 
 three thought by the author of the Records 
 to have been sons of Edmond, of Cambridge, 
 who died in 1642. 
 
 The will of Richard Gale, of Watertown, 
 dated February 25, 1678, and proved in April, 
 1679, sfter considerately providing that his 
 well-beloved wife shall enjoy his "whole es- 
 tate, both houses and lands and cattle of all 
 sorts and all his household goods, for her 
 comfort and maintenance during her natural 
 life," proceeds to designate the manner in 
 which after her death the property shall be 
 divided among his four children and their 
 heirs, naming his sons, Abraham and John, 
 and his daughters, Sarah Garfield and Mary 
 Flagg. 
 
 Abraham Gale, born in 1643, second child 
 of Richard, occupied the old homestead, situ- 
 ated in what is now Waltham, and was a Se- 
 lectman of Watertown in 1706 and in 1718, 
 the year of his death. His name in his will 
 is spelled "Gael." Sixteen children were 
 born to him and his wife, Sarah, who was a 
 daughter of Nathan Fiske, of Watertown. 
 Nine of these grew to maturity and married. 
 Abraham, Jr., the eldest, born in 1674, mar- 
 ried December 6, 1699, Rachel, daughter of 
 John and Abigail (Garfield) Parkhurst and 
 grand-daughter of George Parkhurst, an early 
 settler in Watertown. 
 
 Abraham Gale, third, the next in line, eld- 
 est son of Abraham, Jr., and Rachel, and one 
 of a family of eight children, born November 
 28, 1700, married Esther Cunningham. He 
 was a blacksmith by trade, and settled in 
 Weston. He had eight sons and one daugh- 
 ter that grew to maturity. Seven of the sons 
 served in the French and Indian wars; and 
 Abraham, the seventh son, died in the winter 
 °f _ 1757-58 from the effects of wounds re- 
 ceived in the service. 
 
 Abijah, the fourth son and representative 
 of the fifth generation in this line, was born 
 
CYRUS GALE, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 297 
 
 July 25, 1727, He was twice married, and 
 had six children by his first wife, Abigail 
 Amsden, and eleven by his second wife, Su- 
 sannah Allen, of Weston. Abijah and his 
 family lived at Westboro. Several of the 
 children died young, and some of those who 
 grew to maturity never married. 
 
 Cyrus, Sr. , tenth child of Abijah and Su- 
 sannah (Allen) Gale and father of the subject 
 of the present sketch, was born October 7, 
 1785. In early manhood he was a grocer and 
 provision dealer, wholesale and retail, in 
 Boston. During the War of 18 12 he was 
 Captain of a company of militia in that city. 
 Removing to Northboro in 18 14, he served as 
 Postmaster about five years, for fifty years 
 was Justice of the Peace, was a member of 
 the State legislature in 1844, and was a mem- 
 ber of Governor Boutwell's Council in 
 1852. He was in mercantile business in 
 Northboro from 1815 until 1843. He spent 
 his last years on his farm. 
 
 The Hon. Cyrus Gale was three times mar- 
 ried. His first wife, Eliza Davis, sister of 
 the Hon. John Davis, United States Senator, 
 died in 1822; his second wife, Sarah Patrick, 
 who was born March 16, 179S, died December 
 4, 1849; ^nd his third wife, Susan G. Hol- 
 brook, died in 1888. He died September 10, 
 1880. His children, three by his first wife 
 and four by the second, were: Frederick W., 
 born June 22, 18 16, who married Mary S. 
 Utley, of Boston; Hannah D., born January 
 14, 1818, who married George Barnes, and 
 died July 15, 1851; Cyrus, born November 
 25, 1821, died February 17, 1822; Cyrus, 
 subject of this sketch, born March 6, 1824; 
 George A., born February 19, 1827, died 
 September 10, 1857; Walter, born November 
 13. 1833; Susan M., born June 16, 1835, 
 died June 22, 1842. 
 
 Walter Gale, the younger of the surviving 
 sons, now a resident of California, when a 
 young man studied law in the ofifice of the 
 Hon. George F. Hoar, of Worcester, now 
 United States Senator. During the Civil 
 War he served as an officer in the Fifteenth 
 Massachusetts Infantry, being commissioned 
 Second Lieutenant in January, 1862; Captain, 
 October 24 of that year; and Major, July 14, 
 
 1864. He was in nineteen engagements and 
 several skirmishes, was slightly wounded at 
 Antietam, and received two bullet wounds 
 at Gettysburg. Cyrus, the elder brother, 
 attended school in Berlin, Mass., and at the 
 age of fifteen, in 1839, entered Amherst 
 Academy. 
 
 In 1844, before he was twenty-one, he went 
 into business as a dealer in general merchan- 
 dise, keeping a store in the village of North- 
 boro. For some years the firm was Gale & 
 Maynard. Later Mr. Gale's brother-in-law, 
 Samuel Wood, became a. partner. Mr. Gale 
 sold out his interest in the concern in 1863, 
 and retired from mercantile pursuits. He 
 has since given his attention to the care of 
 his property, consisting largely of real estate, 
 to forwarding schemes of public improvement, 
 and to unostentatious works of charity. 
 Prompted by a desire to erect an enduring, 
 costly, and attractive monument to the mem- 
 ory of his honored father, and to confer on his 
 native town a lasting benefit, after due delib- 
 eration and consultation he built at the ex- 
 pense of thirty-two thousand dollars, and pre- 
 sented to the town of Northboro in 1894, the 
 beautiful Gale Public Library, a substantial 
 structure of Milford granite, finished in quar- 
 tered oak, a joy and a blessing for the present 
 and for generations yet to be. 
 
 Mr. Gale is the principal stockholder of the 
 Northboro National Bank, of which he has 
 been a director since 1880. In politics he 
 has been an ardent Republican ever since the 
 organization of the party. In religion a Uni- 
 tarian, brought up in the faith under the pul- 
 pit teachings of the late Rev. Dr. Joseph 
 Allen, saintly and revered exponent of liberal 
 Christianity of the Channing type, he has 
 been in all his manhood years a stanch sup- 
 porter of the old First Congregational 
 Church. 
 
 Mr. Gale was married on December 5, 
 1850, to Miss Ellen Maria Hubbard, of Con- 
 cord, Mass., daughter of Cyrus and Susannah 
 (Hartwell) Hubbard and sister of Mrs. Sam- 
 uel Wood, of Northboro. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gale have travelled much in 
 the United States, having made many trips to 
 the Pacific coast. Valuable paintings and 
 
298 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 other works of art, together with natural curi- 
 osities, interesting relics, and well-selected 
 books, including many volumes of the world's 
 best literature, adorn their dwelling, marking 
 it as the abode of refinement and taste. 
 
 / ^ EORGE ALLEN, a prominent citizen 
 V 5T of Brookfield, was born in Hiram, 
 ^-^ Oxford County, Me., September 20, 
 1826, son of Hosea and Dorcas (Blaisdell) 
 Allen. He is of Scotch origin; and his pa- 
 ternal grandfather, Jotham Allen, was a resi- 
 dent of York County, Maine. Mr. Allen's 
 parents, who were both natives of York 
 County, removed to Oxford County in 1825, 
 where the father was engaged in farming 
 until his death, which occurred in 1870. 
 
 George Allen was educated in the public 
 and private schools of Hiram, Me. He as- 
 sisted his father for a time in carrying on the 
 home farm. Later, having learned the car- 
 penter's trade with his brother, Christopher 
 Allen, of Hiram, he followed it in Dover, 
 N. H., and Fitchburg, Mass., for some years. 
 Returning subsequently to Hiram, he fol- 
 lowed carpentering and farming there, and 
 also dealt quite extensively in cattle, until his 
 removal to Fort Fairfield about 1883, where 
 he resided for a short period. In 1885 he 
 came to Brookfield, where he has since occu- 
 pied a farm of fourteen acres, located on the 
 main road to East Brookfield. 
 
 Mr. Allen was first joined in marriage at 
 Dover, N. H., with Cordelia VVentworth, 
 daughter of Stephen Wentworth, formerly a 
 welLknown citizen of that town. He had two 
 children — Jotham and Delia, neither of 
 whom is now living. His wife died at Dover 
 in 1858. Mr. Allen later married Nancie 
 S. Pingree, who was a daughter of Theodore 
 I. Pingree, of Denmark, Me. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Allen is a Democrat. He 
 now holds the office of cattle inspector, the 
 duties of which he is well qualified to fill, and 
 to which he was elected in 1897. Since 
 locating in Brookfield he has interested him- 
 self in the general prosperity of the commu- 
 nity, and has gained the good will of his fel- 
 low-townsmen. He is connected with the 
 
 Patrons of Husbandry, and also belongs to 
 Mount Cutler Grange, of Hiram, Me. 
 
 AMUEL DWIGHT SIMONDS, a 
 prominent business man of West- 
 minster and formerly Representa- 
 tive to the legislature, was born in 
 Athol, Mass., February 4, 1846, son of Albert 
 and Sarah (Woodcock) Simonds. His father 
 was a native of Winchendon, Mass., and his 
 mother of Phillipston, Worcester County. 
 His paternal grandfather was Elder Samuel 
 Simonds, a Baptist minister, who built a 
 church in New Boston (Winchendon), Mass., 
 which is still standing. His maternal great- 
 grandfather served in the Continental army 
 during the Revolutionary War, enlisting at 
 Athol. 
 
 Samuel Dwight Simonds attended the pub- 
 lic schools of Athol, and subsequently fol- 
 lowed a commercial course of study at East- 
 man's Business College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 
 His first employment was as book-keeper for 
 his uncle, a patent-medicine manufacturer in 
 Fitzwilliam, N. H., with whom he remained 
 a year, after which, returning to Athol, he 
 assisted his father for some time. About 
 1868 he came to Westminster as book-keeper 
 for Merriam, Holden & Co., chair manufact- 
 urers, with whom he remained four years. 
 Later for a similar length, of time he was 
 engaged in the retail furniture business in 
 Athol. Returning to Westminster in 1876, 
 he was for over twenty years thereafter in 
 charge of Artemas Merriam's chair factory, 
 which was burned in October, 1897. Since 
 the death of Mr. Merriam, which occurred 
 shortly after the fire, he has been engaged in 
 settling the estate. 
 
 Mr. Simonds married Ida E. Merriam, 
 daughter of the late Artemas Merriam. He 
 is the father of three children, namely: Ralph 
 M., born in 1878, who fitted for college at 
 the Gushing Academy, and is now a student 
 at Yale University; Donald D., born in 1885, 
 who is attending the high school; and Stella 
 S., who was born in 1888. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Simonds was elected a member 
 of the Board of Selectmen, on which body he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 299 
 
 served for four years. During the last year 
 and a half of that period he acted as chairman 
 of the Board of Selectmen and Overseers of 
 the Poor. He was elected to the office of 
 Selectman for three years in 1895, re-elected 
 in 1898 for three years, and is still chairman 
 of the board. Politically a Republican, he 
 was elected in 1888 to represent the towns of 
 Hubbardston, Princeton, Holden, Paxton, and 
 Westminster in the legislature, and was as- 
 signed to the Committee on Labor. For over 
 twenty years he has acted as a Justice of the 
 Peace. 
 
 KRANK E. PROUTY, a leading agri- 
 culturist of Brookfield, was born here, 
 October 5, 1859. A son of John E. 
 and Sarah M. (Hodges) Prouty, who were also 
 natives of Brookfield, he is of the third gener- 
 ation of a family that has been prominently 
 connected with the development of the town. 
 His grandfather, Elliot Prouty, who was a 
 native of Spencer, settled here in 1816, on the 
 farm where Frank E. Prouty now resides. 
 Before coming here Elliot had been engaged 
 in drawing wire in Spencer, being the first 
 person to do that work in that town. This 
 was prior to the War of 18 12. He was very 
 prominent in public affairs, holding all the 
 more important offices at different times. 
 While a resident of Spencer he was a Cap- 
 tain in the State militia. John E. Prouty, 
 born March 3, 1825, who died on April 5, 
 1882, resided during nearly the whole of his 
 life in Brookfield, and was one of the progres- 
 sive farmers of this section. He was a qual- 
 ified Justice of the Peace, and served the town 
 as Assessor, Overseer, and Selectman, and 
 was Highway Commissioner for several years. 
 In politics he was a Republican. His wife, 
 Sarah, was a grand-daughter of Captain War- 
 ren Hamilton, who represented Brookfield in 
 the General Court for a time. Of John E. 
 Prouty's three children, the subject of this 
 sketch is the only one living. 
 
 Frank E. Prouty received his education in 
 the common schools of this town, including 
 the high school. Since early life he has been 
 engaged in agriculture, Like his father he 
 
 has made additions of land to the original 
 homestead, which now has a large acreage. 
 This is under good cultivation, and produces 
 fine crops. Mr. Prouty married Abbie E. 
 Bemis, a daughter of Charles and Helen S. 
 Bemis. Mrs. Bemis is now deceased; while 
 Mr. Bemis is residing at South Bend, Ind. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Prouty have one daughter, Helen 
 S. Prouty. In accordance with the traditions 
 of his family, Mr. Prouty has given much 
 time and thought to the consideration of pub- 
 lic questions and to the public service. For 
 two years he has been a Selectman of Brook- 
 field, a member of the Board of Overseers of 
 the Poor for the same length of time, and for 
 a number of years he was inspector of cattle. 
 He has also served for several years as Auditor 
 of the town. Fraternally, he is a member of 
 the P. of H. Lodge, No. 174, of which at 
 present he is the Master. In politics he is 
 a Republican. 
 
 KRANK R. TOWLE, station agent and 
 Postmaster at Pratt's Junction on the 
 New York, New Haven & Hartford 
 Railroad, was born in Kenduskeag, Penobscot 
 County, Me., June 2, 1866, son of Albert and 
 L. Ellen (Trask) Towle. 
 
 In the History of Hampton, N. H., it is 
 stated that "Philip Towle, the patriarch of 
 the Towle families," came to Hampton as 
 early as 1657. About the year 1770 the 
 progenitor of this branch of the family settled 
 in Greenland, N.H., whence he removed to 
 Gilmanton, N. H. The great-grandfather of 
 the subject of this sketch was born in Gilman- 
 ton, N. H., but eventually made a home in 
 Maine, and spent the latter part of his life 
 there. Both he and his son, Levi F. , were 
 veterans of the War of 181 2. 
 
 Levi F. Towle, born in Monmouth, Kennebec 
 County, Me., spent his active life as a farmer. 
 During his last years his home was in Ken- 
 duskeag, Me., where he died, aged eighty-five 
 years. He married a Miss Mitchell, a native 
 of Maine. She died aged seventy-five years. 
 They had twelve children. Albert Towle was 
 born in Kenduskeag. He received a common- 
 school education, and for a time engaged in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 teaching school. He made his home with his 
 parents on the farm until he was twenty-five, 
 at which time he went into the United States 
 navy. Previous to this he had had a taste of 
 sea life. During his term of service he was 
 on the frigate "Sabine" and the monitor 
 "Nantucket." He was at the siege of 
 Charleston, and went with the "Sabine" to 
 the coast of Africa in pursuit of the rebel war- 
 ship "Alabama. " Subsequently he was with 
 the Seventh Maine Battery until the close of 
 the Civil War, participating in ten fixed 
 battles and serving with distinction. He was 
 a non-commissioned ofificer. Returning home 
 after his discharge, he spent the next fifteen 
 years as a farmer. He then removed to Ban- 
 gor, Me., and went into business as a hay and 
 grain dealer, which he followed up to the 
 time of his death, in 1889, his age being 
 fifty-four years. Mrs. Towle is a daughter of 
 James Trask. She now resides in Kendus- 
 keag. Three of her four children are living, 
 namely: Frank R. ; Harry E., a jeweller in 
 Kenduskeag; and Mabel E. Mrs. Towle is 
 a member of the Baptist church, with which 
 her husband was also identified. 
 
 Frank R. Towle, whose name appears at the 
 head of this sketch, was twelve years old when 
 his parents removed from Kenduskeag to 
 Bangor; and his education was begun in the 
 former place and completed in the latter. On 
 leaving school he entered the employ of his 
 father as clerk, continuing with him until he 
 was nineteen. The following year he was 
 with the New England Telephone Company, 
 and at the age of twenty he came to Massa- 
 chusetts and took a position with the Old 
 Colony Railroad as assistant agent. He has 
 since been in similar positions, such as tele- 
 graph operator, freight clerk, ticket agent at 
 different stations on the line, including Ber- 
 lin, Leominster, and Fitchburg. In 1892 he 
 came to his present position as station agent 
 and Postmaster of Pratt's Junction. 
 
 In 1889 Mr. Towle was joined in marriage 
 with Jennie A. Rice, of Sudbury. She is a 
 daughter of A. W. Rice, formerly station 
 agent of Sudbury. Mr. Rice was born in 
 Boston, of an old family. His father, a na- 
 tive of Sudbury, was one of the forty- 
 
 niners of California. Mr. and Mrs. Towle 
 have had two children, but only one is living 
 — Helene, six years old. 
 
 In politics Mr. Towle is a Republican. 
 He is a member of the Town Committee, and 
 was secretary of the Republican Club during 
 the campaign of 1896. He is a Justice of the 
 Peace. Pie is a Mason of high degree, be- 
 longing to Wilder Lodge, F. & A. M., of 
 Leominster; Thomas Chapter, R. A. M., of 
 Fitchburg; Jerusalem Commandery, Knights 
 Templar, and Aleppo Temple of the Mystic 
 Shrine of Boston. In religious matters he is 
 liberal. 
 
 EUTHER MOORE, a highly respected 
 resident of Worcester, was born in 
 ^^^ April, 1830, on the old Moore farm 
 in this city, then a town. A son 
 of Nathaniel Curtis and Sarah (Childs) Moore, 
 he is of the eighth generation from John 
 Moore, who came over from Ireland about 
 1640. Beginning with the third generation 
 from John Moore, the line of descent is: 
 Nathaniel, 3 Isaac,-* John, s Willard,^ Nathaniel 
 Curtis, 7 and Luther.* 
 
 Nathaniel Moore, 3 grandson of John,' came 
 from Sudbury to Worcester at an early date, 
 and once or twice was driven from his home 
 by the Indians, who were then the principal 
 inhabitants of this region. In 1713 his son 
 Isaac settled on Moore's Hill, which was the 
 birthplace of Isaac's son John, who became 
 a farmer and miller, and who married Esther 
 Bigelow. This John Moore of the fifth gen- 
 eration was drowned at his mill near Latnuck. 
 His children by his wife, Esther, were: Lydia, 
 who married John Snow, of Spencer; Esther, 
 who married David Draper, of Leicester; 
 William, who married and settled in Worth- 
 ington; Tyler, who married, and died in 
 Worcester; Joshua, who married first Deborah 
 Townsend and second Martha Harris, and who 
 settled in Westminister; Willard, who married 
 Mary Curtis and for his second wife Mrs. 
 Mary Maynard. 
 
 Willard Moore, last named, of the sixth 
 generation, was the next in lineal descent. 
 He was born October 12, 1775, and died 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 301 
 
 February 13, 1859. He had nine children; 
 namely. Seraph, Nathaniel Curtis, Peregrine 
 C, John B., Sybil, Alexander, Winthrop, 
 Ephraim, and Harrison. Seraph was the wife 
 of Ithamar Smith. Nathaniel C. was a farmer 
 of Salisbury Street, Worcester, Mass. Pere- 
 grine went to Peoria, 111., and died there 
 unmarried. John B. was a farmer in Holden, 
 He died June 2, 1876. Sybil died, aged 
 eighty-six. Winthrop died February i, 1850, 
 in Worcester. Ephraim, born in 1815, died 
 1831; and Harrison died March 30, 1893. 
 
 Nathaniel Curtis Moore, who was born 
 October 11, 1800, on Moore's Hill, about 
 1826 settled on the old Moore farm in this 
 city, the place now occupied by his son Pliny, 
 having purchased seventy - five acres of the 
 Deacon John Chamberlain farm on Hancock 
 Hill about 1825. He was Captain of a com- 
 pany of cavalry. He was twice married, first 
 to Sarah Childs, by whom he had three sons 
 — Calvin, Luther, and Curtis. Calvin died 
 of fever in Hayti in 1863, at thirty-eight 
 years of age, soon after going there; and his 
 wife died next day. Luther is the special 
 subject of this sketch. Curtis, a retired 
 machinist, resides in Holyoke, Mass. For 
 his second wife, on March 13, 1833, Nathan- 
 iel Curtis Moore married Patty Moore, a sec- 
 ond cousin, who was born in Holden, Mass., 
 December 24, 1803. Her father, Jonathan 
 Moore, was a Revolutionary soldier, and 
 served throughout that memorable struggle. 
 There were seven children by this second 
 union. Two died in infancy, and two sons and 
 three daughters lived to maturity; namely, 
 Sarah, Seraph, Eunice, Pliny, and Baxter. 
 Sarah is the wife of David W. Kimball, of 
 Mitchell, la. Seraph resides with Pliny on' 
 the old farm on Salisbury Street, near Forest 
 Street, in the home of their birth. Eunice is 
 the wife of Nathan Franklin Foster. Baxter 
 Moore is a farmer in Dudley, Mass. Their 
 father died May 30, 1881. 
 
 Luther Moore was married in 1862 to Mary 
 Caroline Reed, of Dummerston, Vt. They 
 have three children — Helen J., Clifford C. , 
 and Elizabeth C. Helen J. is the wife of 
 Ephraim Currier, and has three daughters. 
 Clifford C, a machinist living next door, 
 
 married Angeline M. Damon, and has one 
 son, Lester Nathaniel. Elizabeth is the wife 
 of E. H. Carroll. 
 
 In political views Mr. Moore is a Republi- 
 can. The dwelling-house at 22 Mason Street, 
 which is the home of Mr. Moore and his fam- 
 ily, was built by him in 1869. 
 
 OHN F. SMITH, a prosperous farmer 
 of East Brookfield, was born on Cape 
 Cod, December 24, 1844, son of John 
 R. and Charlotte (Hinckley) Smith. 
 His paternal grandfather, David Smith, also 
 a native of Cape Cod, was a seafaring man. 
 The father, born in Barnstable, Mass., fol- 
 lowed the sea in the West Indies trade for 
 a time, and was later an officer of a sailing- 
 vessel plying between New York and Balti- 
 more. At the age of forty years he retired to 
 a farm in Barnstable. In 1864 he moved to 
 Princeton and later to Brookfield, where he 
 died in 1875. His wife, Charlotte, was a 
 native of Nantucket. 
 
 Having been reared and educated in Barn- 
 stable, John F. Smith when sixteen years 
 old shipped as a sailor on board of the coast- 
 ing-vessel, "Louis Spannier," commanded by 
 Captain Enoch Lewis. He spent three years 
 on this craft, which was engaged principally 
 in carrying supplies to the Federal army in 
 the South, and worked his way forward to the 
 position of first mate. Then, abandoning the 
 sea, he was for the next seven years engaged 
 in farming in Princeton, Mass. Later he 
 became a locomotive engineer. About the 
 year 1876 he came to Brookfield, where he 
 has since given his attention to agriculture, 
 and owns a well-improved farm of one hun- 
 dred acres. 
 
 On November 2, 1880, Mr. Smith was 
 joined in marriage with Elizabeth (Rice) 
 Henshaw, a native of Brookfield. Her par- 
 ents, William and Julia (Walker) Rice, were 
 natives respectively of this town and Stur- 
 bridge, Mass. Her great-grandfather, Benja- 
 min Rice, was a resident of Brookfield; while 
 her grandfather, William Rice, who served as 
 a soldier in the Revolutionary War, was a 
 native of Brookfield. She has one sister, 
 
302 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Laura, who is the wife of Dwight Fisher, of 
 Brookfield. A Republican in politics, Mr. 
 Smith takes a lively interest in local affairs; 
 and he is a member of the Republican Town 
 Committee. He has served as a Selectman 
 for one year, and he has been a member of 
 the Board of Assessors for three years. Both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Smith attend the Union chapel 
 at Podunk. 
 
 kEV. GEORGE A. PUTNAM, for 
 the past twenty-seven years the pastor 
 
 |to\ of the First Congregational Church 
 at Millbury, son of the Rev. John 
 Milton and Arethusa (Brigham) Putnam, 
 was born in Dunbarton, N.H., on May 8, 
 1835. His ancestors several generations back 
 were Englishmen. His grandparents, Reuben 
 and Elizabeth (Mason) Putnam, were farmer 
 folk of Sutton, in moderate circumstances. 
 They had a family of seven children, all 
 sons, the most of whom grew to manhood. 
 
 John Milton Putnam, who was born in Sut- 
 ton in 1794, died on August 18, 1871. He 
 graduated at Brown University, and subse- 
 quently was called to a pastorate in Ashby, 
 Mass., where he preached for five years. 
 From there he went to Epsom, N.H. Pulpit 
 work having strained his voice, he was now 
 obliged to rest from preaching for a time, 
 and for four years occupied an editorial posi- 
 tion. When he was again able to take up 
 his pastoral duties, he was settled at Dunbar- 
 ton, N. H., where for thirty-one years he was 
 actively engaged in ministerial work. This 
 was his longest pastorate. At its close, when 
 his son began preaching, he retired. Hav- 
 ing died at the home of his daughter in 
 Elyria, Ohio, he was buried in that town. 
 His wife had died some ten years previously, 
 on September 19, 1861. Of the eight chil- 
 dren born to them, two sons and one daugh- 
 ter grew to maturity. Antoinette, the daugh- 
 ter, who married Isaac S. Metcalf, died in 
 1875, at the age of forty-seven years, leav- 
 ing nine of her twelve children. The other 
 brother, who had learned the stone-mason's 
 trade, died when nineteen years of age. 
 
 Having attended the district school at Dun- 
 
 barton for the usual period, George A. Putnam 
 fitted for college at Kimball Union Academy 
 in Meriden, N.H. In 1858 he graduated at 
 Union College, receiving the degree of Master 
 of Arts and two years subsequently at the 
 Theological Seminary in Bangor, Me. He 
 occupied his first pastorate, which was at 
 Yarmouth, Me., from i860 to 1870. From 
 there he came to his present charge in Jan- 
 uary, 1 871. He was not, however, installed 
 until April 11, 1872. During his long min- 
 istry here his life has become closely inter- 
 linked with the lives of his parishioners, and 
 ties of strong affection and tenderness have 
 been formed. For many years the church 
 membership has been about two hundred. In 
 1897 the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary 
 of the founding of the church was celebrated, 
 and was an occasion of much interest and im- 
 portance. 
 
 On November 12, i860, Mr. Putnam was 
 united in marriage with Fannie Maria Wells, 
 of Dedham, Me., a daughter of the Rev. James 
 and Jane P. (Webb) Wells, both of whom are 
 now deceased. The Rev. Mr. Wells, a grad- 
 uate of Bangor Theological Seminary and of 
 Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, was a Con- 
 gregational clergyman. He preached as city 
 missionary in Bangor for eight years, and was 
 subsequently settled over parishes at North- 
 bridge, Mass., Dunbarton, N.H., and Halifax 
 and Douglas, Mass. His death occurred at 
 the last-named place in 1892, and he was 
 buried in Douglas. His wife, who died in 
 1884, was laid to rest at North Weymouth, 
 Mass. Their only other child was Joseph S. 
 Wells, of Holyoke. Mrs. Putnam died on 
 August 6, 1879. Mr. Putnam contracted 
 a second marriage on June 23, 1881, with 
 Hannah Louisa Sabin, of Millbury. He has 
 been the father of six children; namely, 
 George H., Jennie L., Grace, Fannie May, 
 Florence A., and Harry W. Grace died in 
 infancy. George H., who is a professor in 
 the Texas School for the Deaf at Austin, 
 studied at the Massachusetts Agricultural 
 College in Amherst and at Lehigh Univer- 
 sity in Bethlehem, Pa. He married a widow, 
 who has one child by her first marriage. 
 Jennie Putnani, who is a graduate of North- 
 
GEORGE A. PUTNAM. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3°S 
 
 field Seniinary, is now a book-keeper and 
 stenographer in the Y. M. C. A. rooms at 
 Worcester, and resides with her father. 
 Fannie and Florence are also graduates of 
 Northfield Seminary. The latter is now pur- 
 suing a course of study in Becker's Business 
 College. Harry is a student at Mount Her- 
 mon School. While in college Mr. George 
 A. Putnam, the father, was a member of the 
 Theological Society, also of the Debating 
 Club and a literary society. In October, 
 187s, he went to Europe, and for a year was 
 engaged in travelling, his parishioners contin- 
 uing his salary during his absence. He vis- 
 ited Glasgow, France, Italy, Egypt, and the 
 Holy Land, and had many delightful experi- 
 ences. Both he and his wife are held in warm 
 regard, not only by the members of the 
 church, but by the townspeople at large. 
 
 rOAB C. WRIGHT, a retired farmer of 
 Hubbardston, was born in this town, 
 January 29, 18 10, son of Charles and 
 Betsey (Clark) Wright. The paternal 
 grandfather, Joseph Wright, who came here 
 from Woburn, Mass., as a pioneer, settled 
 upon land in the eastern part of the town. 
 He was a Revolutionary soldier and one of 
 the leading farmers of Hubbardston in his 
 day. When he died he had attained a good 
 old age. 
 
 Charles Wright was born in Hubbardston, 
 September 24, 1789. When nineteen years 
 old he began to learn the shoemaker's trade, 
 and afterward followed it until his death, 
 which occurred December 8, 1847. He also 
 erected buildings which considerably improved 
 the appearance of the town. Early in life he 
 was a Democrat and later an abolitionist. 
 In his last years he held some of the impor- 
 tant town offices. His religious belief was 
 the Methodist creed. His wife, who was born 
 in Hubbardston, January 29, 1792, had eight 
 children, two of whom are living: Joab C, 
 the subject of this sketch, who was the first- 
 born ; and Reuben, who is residing in San 
 Diego, Cal. The others were: Louisa, 
 Charles J., Lucy, Catharine, Freelove E., and 
 Adelaide. The mother died November 13, 
 
 1880. She was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 Joab C. Wright was educated in the district 
 schools. He learned the shoemaker's trade 
 with his father, of whom he purchased his 
 time some five months prior to his majority 
 for forty dollars. During the succeeding ten 
 years he followed shoemaking upon his own 
 account. He then turned his attention to 
 farming, which became his principal occupa- 
 tion. Having bought his present property in 
 1864 or 1865, he continued to actively super- 
 intend its cultivation until his retirement in 
 1890. He is still strong and active, both 
 physically and mentally, reading and writing 
 without the aid of glasses. 
 
 On April 17, 1832, Mr. Wright married 
 Lucetta Pond, who was born in Hubbardston, 
 April 20, 1812, daughter of Lewis and Polly 
 (Hinds) Pond. She died March 20, 1893. 
 Of the children of this union three are living: 
 Worthington V. B., born December 10, 1832; 
 Julia A., born September 14, 1839; and 
 Charles J., born November 20, 1841. Worth- 
 ington V. B. Wright, who resides in West- 
 boro, Mass., married Phoebe Andrews, and 
 has one daughter living, Harriet L. Julia A. 
 Wright became the wife of George P. Rich- 
 ardson, of Boston, and has seven children — 
 Alice A., George, Efifie H., Mary W., Jose- 
 phine G., Arthur L., and Charles H. Charles 
 J. Wright is unmarried, and resides in Hous- 
 ton, Tex. Mr. Wright, Sr., cast his first 
 Presidential vote for Andrew Jackson in 1832; 
 and he has been a Republican since the for- 
 mation of that party. He is a member of 
 the Unitarian church, and takes an active 
 interest in church work. 
 
 pNHILANDER HOLMES, a prominent 
 ' man of Brookfield, was born in Staf- 
 ford Springs, Conn., January 17, 
 1843. A son of Horatio and Chloe 
 Holmes, respectively natives of 
 Stafford Springs, Conn., and Enfield, Mass, 
 he comes of English stock, and traces his 
 descent to John Holmes, who settled in Wood- 
 stock, Conn., in 1686, and who was also the 
 immigrant ancestor of Oliver Wendell Holmes. 
 
 (Bassett) 
 
3o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 David Holmes, the grandfather of Philander, 
 served in the Revolutionary War; while a 
 David Holmes of the preceding generation 
 fought in the French and Indian War, and was 
 afterward a surgeon in the Revolutionary 
 army. Horatio Holmes, who spent his life 
 at Stafford Springs, for a quarter of a century 
 or more was prosperously engaged in growing 
 nursery stock, an occupation for which his 
 love of floriculture peculiarly adapted him. 
 
 Philander Holmes received a good common- 
 school education in the town of his birth, and 
 while living with his parents obtained a thor- 
 ough knowledge of horticulture and of the art 
 of raising vegetables and small fruits. In 
 1870 he came to Massachusetts, and, settling 
 in the town of Monson, was there engaged for 
 three years in gardening. Coming from there 
 to West Brookfield in 1873, he formed a part- 
 nership with Deaton Barnes, with whom be 
 successfully manufactured boot and shoe heels 
 under the firm name of Barnes & Holmes. 
 After the death of Mr. Barnes's wife in 1875 
 Mr. Holmes bought out his partner's interest 
 in the firm, and subsequently conducted the 
 business alone for seventeen years. In 1892 
 he gave it up, and again took up gardening, 
 which he has since followed. He also deals 
 extensively in wood and lumber. 
 
 Mr. Holmes first married Nellie , Barnes, 
 who died a few years after the union. His 
 second wife, Emma Johnson Holmes, lived 
 but a comparatively short time, also. A third 
 marriage united him with Mary Fairbanks, 
 a daughter of Charles Fairbanks, of West 
 Brookfield. Actively interested from his ear- 
 liest youth in all things pertaining to agri- 
 culture, Mr. Holmes is a valued member of 
 the West Brookfield Farmers' Club. Both he 
 and Mrs. Holmes belong to the West Brook- 
 field Grange, of which she has been Master 
 for the past two years and he the treasurer. 
 He is likewise the secretary and treasurer of 
 the Quaboag Building Association and the 
 treasurer of the Quaboag Historical Society of 
 this town. A stanch Republican in his poli- 
 tics, he has rendered efficient service to his 
 fellow-townsmen during the past ten years as 
 Assessor, being the chairman of the board for 
 the last five years. Also, for ten years he 
 
 has been the treasurer of the Congregational 
 church, to which he belongs, and, as a leading 
 member of the Building Committee, solicited 
 money to erect the present house of worship 
 of that society, and was instrumental in act- 
 ually raising a large proportion of the required 
 funds used in its construction. 
 
 aUTHER RICE FAMES, a retired 
 farmer residing on Rice Street, 
 ^ Worcester, was born in West Boyls- 
 ton, Mass., March 14, 1826, son 
 of Levi and Betsey (Rice) Eames. The 
 paternal grandfather, William Eames, a na- 
 tive of Holliston, Mass., came to Worcester 
 at an early date. It is told of him that, hav- 
 ing chosen a spot in the woods upon which to 
 build a house, he went to the house of a 
 neighboring settler for dinner, leaving his 
 jacket to mark the place. He cleared a farm 
 from the wilderness. His land included the 
 property now owned by his grandson. He 
 married a Miss Jennings, of Natick, Mass., 
 and reared four sons and three daughters, all 
 of whom became the heads of families and 
 lived to a good old age. The name of his 
 youngest son was William. A daughter of 
 the latter, now living in Michigan, is over 
 ninety years old. Grandfather Eames and his 
 wife were buried in Boylston. 
 
 Levi Eames, a native of Boylston, born in 
 1784, was a prosperous farmer. He spent the 
 greater part of his life upon the farm where 
 his son now resides. His first wife, whose 
 maiden name was Hephzibah Winter, had no 
 children. His second wife, Betsey, whom he 
 married in 1819, was a daughter of Luther 
 Rice, whose farm in Worcester is still owned 
 by his descendants. Of her four children, 
 one died young. The others were : John B., 
 who was a farmer in West Boylston, and died 
 in 189s, aged seventy years; Luther R., the 
 subject of this sketch; and Levi Lincoln 
 Eames, the youngest brother, who died in the 
 trenches in front of Petersburg during the 
 Civil War. The father died in 1872. When 
 the mother died, in 1862, she was nearly sev- 
 enty years old. Levi and his brother William 
 married sisters. It is related of Betsey that 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 307 
 
 prior to her marriage she rode on horseback 
 through the woods to Montreal. 
 
 Having worked upon the home farm since 
 he was old enough to be of service, Luther 
 Rice Eames became a proficient gardener. 
 Afterward for six years he was employed upon 
 an estate in North Dorchester, owned by a 
 retired Boston merchant. While there he 
 lived in the house in which Edward Everett 
 was born. With that exception, his active 
 life has been spent where he now resides; and 
 he cultivated the farm successfully until his 
 retirement. He is not a church member, nor 
 has he ever joined any social or fraternal 
 order; but he belongs to the local agricult- 
 ural and horticultural societies. 
 
 On June 3, 1856, Mr. Eames was united in 
 marriage with Mary A. Wadel, a native of 
 Germany. Two of his children died of scarlet 
 fever, one at fifteen and the other at eight 
 years. The others are: Canly, who is resid- 
 ing at home, and who was for ten years a 
 bridge builder on the Northern Pacific Rail- 
 road, and who is married and has an infant 
 son, Kenneth Reid ; Valdo, who is also a 
 bridge builder in the employ of the same 
 company; Ilia, who is the wife of James 
 Murphy, of Greendale, and has three children ; 
 and Estus, an engineer on the Boston & Maine 
 Railroad, residing in Northampton, Mass. 
 Mrs. Eames died from influenza in 1895. 
 Mr. Eames has suffered severely from the 
 same disease for the past four years. 
 
 SAMUEL BURPEE, a thriving farmer 
 and prominent citizen of Sterling, 
 Mass., was born in this town, June 30, 
 1850, son of James and Eunice W. 
 (Goss) Burpee. His paternal grandfather was 
 John Burpee, a native of Sterling, by occupa- 
 tion a tiller of the soil. 
 
 James Burpee, son of John, was born and 
 reared in Sterling; and when a young man he 
 bought a farm located in the vicinity of his 
 son's present residence. He later purchased 
 the Oliver Johnson farm, which he carried on 
 for a number of years; and he then moved to 
 where he now resides. He was formerly a 
 Road Commissioner. Though now eighty- 
 
 one years old he is still healthy and in full 
 possession of his physical and mental powers. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Eunice W. 
 Goss, was a daughter of John Goss, a prosper- 
 ous farmer of Lancaster. She died in 1892, 
 aged seventy - five years, having , been the 
 mother of ten children. Eight of this family 
 are living, namely: William H., foreman of 
 E. W. Pollard's farm, Leominster; Mary, who 
 married Henry S. Sawyer; Fred W. Burpee; 
 J. Samuel, the subject of this sketch; Addie 
 M., for many years a school teacher; Ethel 
 J., wife of Calvin L. Brigham ; Sarah R., 
 who married G. Frank Buttrick, foreman of 
 the Cleverly Farm, Lancaster; and Hattie C. 
 Burpee, who is residing with her father. The 
 parents attended the Congregational church. 
 
 J. Samuel Burpee completed his education 
 at the Allendale Institute, and when a young 
 man he taught school for seven winters. 
 When he was twenty-six years old he and his 
 brother bought a farm in the Redstone dis- 
 trict; and, after cultivating the land together 
 for five years, they divided the property. J. 
 Samuel Burpee has added to his portion by 
 purchasing adjoining land, and now owns 
 about forty-three acres, which he devotes to 
 general farming, making specialties of dairy- 
 ing, fruit and poultry raising, his pens of 
 Bucks County fowls being greatly admired by 
 all observers. He has improved his property 
 by increasing the fertility of the soil, which 
 enables him to raise large crops of hay and 
 feed. In 1897 he kept thirteen cows and 
 three horses. In politics he is a Republican, 
 and has been clerk of the Board of Selectmen 
 since 1894. He is also a member of the 
 Board of Health, and was for eleven years upon 
 the School Committee. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Burpee was joined in marriage 
 with Alice M. White, a native of Worcester, 
 Mass. Her father, Leonard White, who was 
 for many years a well-known marketman in 
 that city, moved to Sterling, where he resided 
 for some time. He died in Clinton at the age 
 of seventy-eight years. The only child born 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Burpee died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Burpee has been Master of Sterling 
 Grange two years, lecturer two years, and 
 treasurer for seven years. He is a charter 
 
3o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 member of the local lodge of Ancient Order 
 of United Workmen, was formerly Receiver 
 and Overseer, and is now its Master Work- 
 man. He was at one time a reporter for the 
 New England Homestead. He was one of the 
 organizer^ of the Worcester East Agricultural 
 Society, and for some years a trustee and has 
 been president of the Farmers' Club. He 
 attends the Congregational church. 
 
 'alter B. MELLEN, a leading 
 agriculturist and retail milk dealer 
 of Brookfield, son of Henry L. and 
 Maria (Merrick) Mellen, was born here, Sep- 
 tember 24, i860. The father, a son of Jere- 
 miah Mellen, born in Pelham, Mass., came 
 with the latter at the age of two years to the 
 farm now occupied by Walter B. Mellen. 
 Here he grew to manhood, and in the school 
 not far distant acquired his early education. 
 Later he was sent to Wilbraham Academy, 
 from which he duly graduated. For a time he 
 taught school. The greater part of his life 
 was devoted to agriculture. He was a member 
 of the First Congregational Unitarian Church 
 of Brookfield. One of the most progressive 
 men of the town, he was active in public 
 affairs. He served on the Board of Assessors, 
 was Overseer of the Poor and Selectmen; and 
 he was also a member of the School Commit- 
 tee, taking a special interest in educational 
 matters. He died on December 25, 1881. 
 His wife, a native of Brimfield, was a daughter 
 of the late Captain Thomas Merrick, of Stur- 
 bridge, an ofificer in the militia and at onetime 
 a Representative in General Court. Of their 
 six children, four are living, namely: Sarah 
 J., who is the wife of E. Harris Howland, of 
 Spencer; George H., an attorney well known 
 in Boston as counsel for the defunct West End 
 Street Railway Company of that city; Frank 
 L., who is a teacher in the Worcester High 
 School;, and Walter B., the subject of this 
 sketch. Albert H. Mellen, who died at 
 Smithville, N.C., in 1876, was a graduate of 
 West Point, and had received his commission 
 as Second Lieutenant in the United States 
 army. The mother died in March, 1865. 
 
 Mr. Mellen's education was obtained in the 
 elementary schools and high school of Brook- 
 field. He has devoted his working life to 
 agriculture, and now owns the farm which was 
 settled maany years ago by one of his great- 
 grandfathers, Moses Hastings. He attends a 
 milk route in the town, and has a large num- 
 ber of customers. In 1883 he was married to 
 Lucy P., daughter of John W. Livermore, of 
 this place, whose biography appears on an- 
 other page of the Review. Like his father, 
 he has been actively connected with the ad- 
 ministration of local affairs, and has given 
 much valuable service to the town. For sev- 
 eral years he was Overseer of the Poor, and 
 he is now the chairman of the Board of High- 
 way Commissioners. Politically, he is a Re- 
 publican. A member of the First Congrega- 
 tional Unitarian Church, he is an active 
 worker in that body and one of its liberal 
 supporters. Fraternally, he is a member of 
 Hayden Lodge, F. & A. M. ; of the Royal 
 Arcanum; and of Brookfield Grange, No. 174, 
 P. of H., of which he has been the Master for 
 three years. Both officially and in his private 
 capacity he commands the respect of his 
 townsmen. 
 
 LIVER B. WYMAN, a prominent 
 agriculturist and a substantial citi- 
 zen of Worcester County, was born 
 September 16, 1826, in the town 
 of Shrewsbury, where he now resides. His 
 parents were Seth, Jr., and Lucy (Baker) 
 Wyman. He owns and occupies the house 
 built by his great-grandfather. Colonel Ross 
 Wyman, a native of Woburn, Mass., who came 
 to Shrewsbury in 1746, one of the early set- 
 tlers of this place. 
 
 Ensign Wyman, of Woburn, father of Ross, 
 greatly distinguished himself by his self-pos- 
 session, fortitude, and valor at Lovewell's 
 fight, so called. Colonel Ross Wyman was 
 a farmer and gunsmith, and in the latter ca- 
 pacity he made muskets for General Ward. 
 As commander of a company of Shrewsbury 
 artillery minute-men, he served gallantly 
 during the Revolutionary War. He was a 
 typical representative of the Wyman family, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 309 
 
 possessing remarkable physical powers. It is 
 said that he could easily pick up a barrel of 
 cider and drink from the bung. An incident 
 of his early life illustrates his strength, agil- 
 ity, and courage. On one occasion, while 
 driving to market with a load of fish, he was 
 overtaken by a press-gang of seven men from 
 a British man-of-war, bent upon forcing him 
 into service. Rather objecting to their 
 method of procedure as well as their errand, 
 he seized a huge fish by the gills with both 
 hands, and laid about him vigorously, until 
 his would-be captors were glad to leave him. 
 He lived to the advanced age of ninety-two 
 years. 
 
 Colonel Seth Wyman, son of Colonel Ross, 
 succeeded his father in the ownership of the 
 homestead property in Shrewsbury. He built 
 the saw-mill and the grist-mill now in opera- 
 tion here, and, in addition to general farming, 
 was extensively engaged in lumbering. Colo- 
 nel Seth Wyman was one of the solid men of 
 the town, and served at various times as Se- 
 lectman. 
 
 Seth Wyman, Jr., son of Colonel Seth, was 
 for some years engaged in mercantile pursuits; 
 but on the death of his father he bought the 
 interest of the other heirs in the ancestral 
 estates, and afterward devoted himself to agri- 
 cultural pursuits. He paid especial attention 
 to dealing in cattle, which he gathered from 
 all sections of the country and drove to the 
 Brighton market. A man of great enterprise, 
 he was vigorous and alert, keeping on the 
 move from early morning until late at night, 
 scarce giving up work until his death, at the 
 age of seventy-seven years. To him and his 
 wife, Lucy Baker, of Shrewsbury, ten children 
 were born, one of whom died in infancy, and 
 the following grew to mature life: John B., 
 Charles, Jane, Anna M., Oliver B., Lucy, 
 Henry Seth, Mary, and Sarah. John B. 
 Wyman superintended the building of the Hli- 
 nois Central Railway. He served several years 
 as Adjutant-general of Illinois. At the break- 
 ing out of the late Civil War he took com- 
 mand of the Thirteenth Illinois Volunteer 
 Infantry, and was Acting Brigadier-general 
 when shot from his horse and killed, while in 
 command of troops at the siege of Vicksburg. 
 
 Anna M. married Augustus Irving, of Hart- 
 ford, Conn., who was for nearly three years, 
 during the administration of President Pierce, 
 Secretary of the American Legation at St. 
 Petersburg. About the close of the year 1855 
 Mr. Irving resigned his position, and left 
 Russia. His wife met him in Paris. They 
 spent several weeks visiting places of interest 
 in France, England, and Scotland, and on 
 January 23, 1856, sailed for New York on 
 the ill-fated steamer "Pacific," which was 
 never again heard from. Charles Wyman, 
 one of the pioneers in construction of tele- 
 graph lines, died some years ago in Minne- 
 sota. Henry S. Wyman was a railroad man. 
 He died in Shrewsbury in 1866. Jane, de- 
 ceased, married Henry Pratt, of this town. 
 Lucy at the time of her death, in 1864, was 
 a teacher in a private school in St. Louis. 
 
 Oliver B. Wyman grew to manhood in 
 Shrewsbury, and received his education in the 
 public schools of the town. He was afterward 
 for a number of years engaged, in company 
 with his brother Charles, in the construction 
 of telegraph lines, having headquarters at 
 Hartford, Conn. In that capacity he built 
 the first telegraph line along the Pitchburg 
 Railroad, the lines from Burlington and from 
 Rutland, Vt., to Boston, the line from New 
 London to Meriden, Conn., and others. In 
 1850 he gave up the telegraph business and 
 came home to Shrewsbury to take charge of 
 the old homestead, which is one of the histori- 
 cal places of the town. In early stage-coach 
 days the house was kept as a tavern. In 185 i 
 Mr. Wyman succumbed to the gold fever, and, 
 going to California, was there engaged in 
 mining for a year and a half, returning then 
 to his home. With the exception of fifteen 
 months' military service, Mr. Wyman has 
 since been extensively engaged in general 
 farming and lumbering, in the latter business 
 buying and clearing wood lots and timber 
 lands, and manufacturing lumber, which he 
 sells to home markets. His farm is one of 
 the best improved in this vicinity, and is 
 largely devoted, and with eminent success, to 
 market gardening and dairying. Mr. Wyman 
 enlisted in 1863 in the Fifty-first Massachu- 
 setts Infantry, and was mustered out in 1864, 
 
310 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 having served fifteen months in North Caro- 
 lina under General Foster. 
 
 In politics Mr. Wyman is a straightforward 
 Republican, prominent in the party, and has 
 served acceptably as chairman of the Republi- 
 can Town Committee. He has filled the vari- 
 ous local offices, from Field Driver to Select- 
 man, and on the latter board has been 
 chairman a number of years. He has also 
 rendered good service as one of the Library 
 Committee; and in 1878 he represented his 
 district in the State legislature, where he 
 served on the Committee on Parishes and 
 Religious Societies. Fraternally, he is a 
 Master Mason, belonging to Montecute 
 Lodge. F. & A. M. ; and he is likewise a 
 member of Shrewsbury Grange, P. of H. 
 
 On January 31, 1852, Mr. Wyman married 
 Miss Hannah L. Carter, a descendant in the 
 eighth generation of the Rev. Thomas Carter, 
 the first ordained and settled minister of Wo- 
 burn, Mass. Their only child is Miss Agnes 
 Wyman. 
 
 ■fgTENRY N. BIGELOW, a retired 
 r=A manufacturer of Clinton and the 
 lis I treasurer of the local gas company, 
 was born in Lancaster (now Clin- 
 ton) on October 6, 1839, son of Horatio N. 
 and Emily (Worcester) Bigelow. His grand- 
 father, Ephraim Bigelow, son of Abel, was 
 a wheelwright and chair-maker by trade, cul- 
 tivated a small farm, and died in 1837. 
 Ephraim's wife, Polly Brigham Bigelow, sur- 
 vived him eighteen years. 
 
 Horatio N. Bigelow early began to be self- 
 supporting. In youth he worked upon his 
 father's farm and in the neighboring mills. 
 When twenty years of age he became the over- 
 seer of a small factory, started by his father 
 on the banks of the Nashua. In 1836 he was 
 called to Shirley as superintendent of a cotton 
 factory there. From that town he came to 
 Clinton in company with his younger brother, 
 Erastus B. Bigelow, and secured possession of 
 the water privileges on South Meadow Brook. 
 In the early part of 1838 the Clinton Carpet 
 Company was duly incorporated, the incorpo- 
 rators being John Wright, H. N. Bigelow 
 
 and Israel Longley. Six years later the Lan- 
 caster Mills Company was incorporated for the 
 purpose of manufacturing ginghams. Mr. 
 Bigelow continued the management of the mill 
 until 1849. In the building of the town he 
 was the master spirit. He was the first Post- 
 master of Clinton, and was its Representative 
 to General Court during the first two years 
 after it was incorporated as a town. On Sep- 
 tember 24, 1834, he was married to Emily 
 Worcester. Of their four children, two died 
 before the father. The two remaining are 
 Henry N. and Charles B., the latter being 
 manufacturing agent of the Bigelow Carpet 
 Company. 
 
 Henry N. Bigelow was educated in the 
 common schools of Clinton and at Easthamp- 
 ton Seminary. After leaving school he went 
 into the Clinton Company's mills, later the 
 Bigelow Carpet Company. After the death of 
 his father he acted as agent until 1882, when 
 he resigned. He has also been a director of 
 the First National Bank and a trustee of the 
 savings-bank, which positions he resigned 
 after some fifteen years of service. Since 
 then he has been connected with the gas com- 
 pany, of which he is now treasurer and man- 
 ager. His home, which is in Clinton, was 
 built in 1867. In 1866 he was united in mar- 
 riage with Clarissa, daughter of Franklin 
 Forbes, who was formerly agent of the Lancas- 
 ter Mills. Of the five children born to him 
 and Mrs. Bigelow, three are living, namely: 
 Henry F., who married a Miss Davis, of 
 Worcester, and is an architect; Horatio N., 
 who is in the gas company referred to; and 
 Charles Willard, who is in business in Boston. 
 Mrs. Clarissa Bigelow died after ten years of 
 married life, being then thirty-five years of 
 age. The present Mrs. Bigelow, in maiden- 
 hood Cornelia W. Lathrop, of Boston, is the 
 mother of Nina and Rosamond L. Bigelow. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bigelow is a Republican. 
 He has been a trustee of the Public Library 
 since it was founded, a member of the Ceme- 
 tery Committee, Road Commissioner, and a 
 member of the School Committee for eight 
 years. A Mason of the thirty-second degree, 
 he belongs to Trinity Lodge, Free and Ac- 
 cepted Masons; to the Council and Chapter of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3" 
 
 Clinton ; to Worcester County Knights Temp- 
 lar; and to the Consistory. He has been a 
 director of the Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg 
 and of the Worcester & Nashua Railroads. 
 He and his family are Episcopalians and mem- 
 bers of the Church of the Good Shepherd, 
 which he serves in the capacity of senior 
 warden. He remembers Clinton when there 
 were only fifteen hundred people in the town, 
 and when his father was its leading man. 
 
 , WIGHT R. SCOTT, City Weigher 
 of Worcester for the last ten years, 
 was born in Worthington, Mass., 
 April 26, 1836, son of Francis Arva 
 and Melinda (DeWolf) Scott. His great- 
 grandfather, Elijah Scott, who came to this 
 country from Scotland, owned an immense 
 tract of land on the shores of Lake Champlain 
 in New York State. There his grandfather, 
 Rufus Scott, was reared. Rufus, a deaf-mute, 
 was educated in the school for deaf-mutes at 
 Hartford, Conn. A man of bright, keen in- 
 tellect, he had a successful business career 
 despite his affliction. He married Melinda 
 Gurrillon, who was of Scotch descent. She 
 was a woman of great size, weighing three 
 hundred pounds. Her death, at the age of 
 fifty-two, resulted from injuries received when 
 she was accidentally thrown from a wagon. 
 She left three sons and three daughters, of 
 whom the sons and a daughter are living. 
 These are: Sophronia, who resides in Gill, 
 her native place, and who is still active and in 
 full possession of her faculties at the advanced 
 age of ninety-two years; Francis A., the 
 father of Dwight R. ; and Zimri and Henry, 
 who live in Gill. Rufus Scott died in 1865, 
 and was buried in the cemetery at Gill, of 
 which he owned a quarter. 
 
 Francis Arva Scott now resides in Willi- 
 mantic, Conn. He and his wife, who was a 
 native of New London, Conn., had thirteen 
 children, of whom the subject of this sketch is 
 the eldest. The others were : Charles, who 
 died at the age of seven years; Eunice, who 
 married a Mr. Summers, and died at the age 
 of twenty-two, leaving two sons; Lewis, a vet- 
 eran of the Civil War, now residing at 9 Rus- 
 
 sell Street, this city; William, who is at 
 Fortress Monroe; Amelia, who died at the 
 age of fifteen ; Emma, who is the wife of 
 D. L. Whittaker, of Willimantic, Conn. ; 
 Charles, who died in February, 1896, leaving 
 four sons; Dexter, who died at the age of 
 seven years; George, who resides in this city; 
 Ella, whose death from diphtheria occurred 
 at the same time as those of Dexter and 
 another of the children; Clarence, who resides 
 in New York City; and a daughter that died 
 in infancy. The father and five sons were in 
 the war at one time. The mother died in 
 1891, at the age of seventy-nine. 
 
 Dwight R. Scott grew to manhood in Gill, 
 where he obtained a common-school education. 
 At the age of sixteen he began learning the 
 pail-maker's trade, at which he worked until 
 his enlistment on September 6, 1861. He 
 had volunteered, together with his father and 
 his brothers Lewis and William, in Company 
 G, Tenth Massachusetts Infantry. All saw 
 gallant fighting, and honorably sustained their 
 part. Lewis, William, and Dwight were 
 wounded. After receiving his discharge Mr. 
 Scott engaged in pail-making. At the end of 
 a year and a half he started a saw-mill busi- 
 ness, and continued it subsequently for fifteen 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Scott was first married on November 
 27, 1857, to Caroline Turner, who bore him 
 two children — Flora and William. Flora is 
 now the wife of Robert Kenniston, of Upton, 
 Mass., and the mother of two children. Mr. 
 Scott's second marriage was contracted on 
 April 13, 1871, with Caroline H. Tisdale, of 
 Dedham. She has borne three children, 
 namely: Warren A. Scott, who is a civil en- 
 gineer; Louise A., who teaches in the public 
 schools of Worcester, the ninth grade; and 
 Eunice, who is a stenographer with the Whit- 
 comb Envelope Company of Worcester. One 
 of the organizers of the Union Veteran 
 Legion, Mr. Scott has always been its Quarter- 
 master. He is a Master Mason, and has been 
 a life-long Democrat. His children are Con- 
 gregationalists and members of the Christian 
 Endeavor Society. The family has resided in 
 its present home at 64 Locust Avenue, Lake 
 View, since 1880. 
 
312 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rAMES RICE, who was, until his retire- 
 ment from active work, a prosperous 
 farmer of Barre, was born in this town, 
 January 27, 1822, son of Lemuel and 
 Hannah (Allen) Rice. His paternal great- 
 grandfather, Jotham Rice, who was born Feb- 
 ruary 17, 1696, came to Barre from Worces- 
 ter previous to 1749, and, settling upon wild 
 land in the northern part of the township, re- 
 sided here for the rest of his life. Jotham 
 married Mary, daughter of Ralph Earl. 
 James Rice, the grandfather, was born on the 
 Jotham Rice farm about the year 1746. Ac- 
 cording to the deed he then received, he 
 bought ten acres of the present Rice home- 
 stead in 1766, and afterward added more land. 
 He served as a volunteer in the Revolutionary 
 War, and took an active part in public affairs, 
 serving as a Selectman. His death occurred 
 July 21, 1832. In 1770 he first married Su- 
 sanna Cutting, who died in 1780, aged thirty- 
 five years. A second marriage, on July 12, 
 1787, wedded him to Ruth White, who died 
 February 12, 1837, aged ninety-one. He at- 
 tended the Unitarian church. 
 
 Lemuel Rice, father of the subject of this 
 sketch, was born December 12, 1772. When 
 a young man he went to Vermont and took up 
 new land. After some time spent there, en- 
 gaged in stock dealing, he returned to the 
 homestead, and died here, September 21, 1846. 
 He married Mrs.' Hannah Allen, a native of 
 Barre and a widow, who died July 23, 1867, 
 aged eighty-eight years. They attended the 
 Unitarian church, of which she was a mem- 
 ber. Their children were: Allen, born Sep- 
 tember 26, 1806, who died in January, 1885; 
 Susan S., born May 7, 1808, who married 
 Luke Hammond, and resides in Boston; Han- 
 nah, born April 22, 181 1, who is the widow 
 of Josiah D. Howe, and now resides in Barre; 
 Harriet, born November 27, 181 3, who is no 
 longer living; Lemuel M., born January 21, 
 i8i7,.who died July 31, 1821; Alice, born 
 January 8, 1819, who died June 18, 1852; 
 James, the subject of this sketch; and Lem- 
 uel P. Rice, born April 29, 1825, who resides 
 in Barre. 
 
 James Rice was educated in the schools of 
 this town and at the Keene (N.H.) Academy. 
 
 His active life has been spent on the home 
 farm, which he cultivated industriously until 
 his retirement. On December 7, 1848, he 
 married Sarah Hawes, who was born in this 
 town in September, 1822. His only son, 
 Warren H., died at the age of two years. 
 Mrs. Rice passed away October 10, 1877. 
 She was a member of the old Unitarian parish. 
 Mr. Rice resides on the farm now owned by 
 his nephew, James A. Rice. In politics he 
 has acted with the Republican party since its 
 formation, and he was Selectman for one year. 
 He is a member of the old Unitarian parish. 
 
 AMES A. RICE, of Barre, who is now 
 carrying on the farm formerly owned 
 by his uncle, James Rice, was born in 
 this town, January 6, 1869, son of 
 Lemuel P. and Lucia (Dunton) Rice. His 
 great-grandfather was James Rice, and his 
 grandparents were Lemuel and Hannah (Nye) 
 Allen Rice, of Barre. (A more detailed ac- 
 count of the family will be found in the biog- 
 raphy of James Rice.) 
 
 Lemuel P. Rice, born April 29, 1825, was 
 educated in the schools of Barre, and reared 
 upon the farm of James Rice. After the 
 death of his father he and his brother James 
 carried on the home farm for a time. At the 
 age of thirty-seven Lemuel sold his interest to 
 his brother, and, moving to Hubbardston, 
 Mass., resided there for a short time. Re- 
 turning to Barre in 1865, he bought his pres- 
 ent farm of one hundred and seventy-six acres, 
 and has since been engaged in its cultivation. 
 He makes a specialty of dairy farming, keep- 
 ing about thirty head of Durham cows. 
 Other land owned by him makes his total es- 
 tate two hundred and sixty-one acres. Politi- 
 cally, he is a Republican, and he has rendered 
 efficient service to the town as a Selectman. 
 He is still strong and active, and his farm 
 and buildings are among the best in his section 
 of the town. His wife, Lucia, born in Hub- 
 bardston, March 2, 1841, and whom he mar- 
 ried in 1863, died September 19, 1879. She 
 left three children, namely: Susie D., who 
 resides at home; James A., the subject of this 
 sketch; and Louise S. Rice, a school teacher 
 
JAMES RICE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3'S 
 
 in Barre. The father attends the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 James A. Rice has been engaged in farm- 
 ing and lumbering since he left school. The 
 old Rice farm, which he is now cultivating, is 
 one of the largest in Barre. It contains five 
 hundred and forty acres of excellent land, well 
 adapted for dairy purposes. His stock aver- 
 ages fifty head of the Durham breed, of which 
 thirty are milch cows. He also raises thor- 
 oughbred horses of a mixed Morgan and Eng- 
 lish strain, having upon his farm specimens of 
 the sixth generation bred on the home farm. 
 From one hundred to one hundred and fifty 
 tons oE hay are cut by him annually. The 
 house, which was built in 1785 and is still in 
 a good state of preservation, contains a fire- 
 place six by four feet, capable of holding a 
 log five feet long and two feet in diameter. 
 The interior is ceiled with white pine boards, 
 thirty-two inches wide; and the old clock and 
 desk, which belonged to the great-grandfather 
 of Mr. Rice, are still a part of the furniture. 
 An old elm-tree standing in front of the 
 house, and which was set out by the original 
 settler, is thought to be about one hundred 
 and twenty-five years old. Mr. Rice is not 
 married. In politics he is a Republican, and 
 he has performed his share of service to the 
 town as an assessor and in other offices. 
 He attends the Congregational church. 
 
 ^HANDLER JACKSON GREENE, 
 a leading dairy farmer of West Au- 
 burn, son of Samuel Chandler and 
 Martha (Jackson) Greene, was born 
 in Rutland, this county, on November 2, 
 1848. His great-grandfather, who was the 
 eldest of nine children, was born on October 
 18, 1745. The grandfather, Jeduthun, born 
 in 1785, who died in 1871, was a farmer by 
 occupation. He was married in 1809 to Betsy 
 Stone Dadmun, who was born on August i, 
 1788, and who bore him nine children, 
 namely: George S., on March 2, 1810; John 
 William, November 10, 181 1; Betsy Jane, 
 September 12, 1813, who is now the widow 
 Whiting, residing in Brookfield ; Harriet Dad- 
 mun, January 24, 18 16, who was the wife of 
 
 Charles King, and died on September 25, 
 1864; Ruth Maria, May i, 1818; Charles 
 Jeduthun, July 9, 1820; Samuel C, Septem- 
 ber 24, 1822 ; James Estabrook, May 28, 1825 ; 
 and James Slayton, April 21, 1834. Of 
 these, Charles, George, John William, Sam- 
 uel C. , and the three daughters grew to matu- 
 rity and had families. Mrs. Whiting is the 
 only surviving daughter. An old rifle, which 
 is one of the cherished heirlooms of the fam- 
 ily, was bought in 1816 by Jeduthun and Betsy 
 Greene. 
 
 Samuel Chandler Greene was a lifelong 
 agriculturist in Rutland, on the farm left by 
 his father. During the Civil War he enlisted 
 for nine months in Company B, Fifty-first 
 Massachusetts Regiment of Infantry. He 
 died in Rutland in 1888. His wife, Martha, 
 born in Vermont on June 28, 1826, was the 
 mother of five children, namely: Chandler J., 
 the subject of this biography; Jane, who died 
 at the age of twelve years; Eliza, who is the 
 wife of Sumner Strout, of Maine; Ada Maria, 
 who died in infancy; and Stella A., who lives 
 in Worcester. 
 
 Chandler Jackson Greene received a public- 
 school education, and subsequently remained 
 at home until he was eighteen years of age. 
 He then began working out for himself at 
 farm labor, and for eight months was on a 
 farm at Lansingburg, N. Y., where he received 
 twenty-five dollars a month. Returning after 
 this to Massachusetts, he drove a team for 
 the next year and a half in Coldbrook and 
 subsequently from Barre to Worcester. Then 
 he was in teaming in Worcester with from 
 one to four teams until May, 1894, when he 
 purchased the Loomis Stone farm of two hun- 
 dred acres, one of the finest in this section, 
 for which he paid twenty thousand dollars. 
 Mr. Greene keeps about fifty head of stock, in- 
 cluding from four to seven horses, and a dairy 
 of from thirty to thirty-six high-grade cows. 
 In 1894 his large barn, one hundred and forty 
 by forty-six feet, with the tower, was built by 
 Darling Brothers. A silo, having a capacity 
 of one hundred and ninety tons, was built in 
 1896. Prior to September, 1897, he had a 
 milk route, but since that time he sells milk 
 at the door, 
 
3'6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In September, 1873, Mr. Greene was 
 married to Mary E. Wheeler, only child of 
 Hiram and Jane (Smith) Wheeler, all of Rut- 
 land. Mr. Wheeler died forty-five years ago, 
 leaving his widow and his year-old daughter. 
 The mother subsequently married Paul 
 Wheeler, a brother of her first husband, by 
 whom she had a son, H. Edward Wheeler, 
 now a farmer in Rutland. She died in Sep- 
 tember, 1 88 1, aged forty-five. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Greene have been the parents of four children, 
 as follows: Paul S., who was born on Novem- 
 ber 2, 1874, and is now a student in the Poly- 
 technic School at Worcester; H. Everett, who 
 was born on April 25, 1881, and is now at- 
 tending school in West Auburn; Harrie L., 
 who wasborn on October 26, 1883, and is now 
 attending the district school; and Ruth E., 
 who was born on April 5, 1891. In politics 
 Mr. Greene is a Republican. He is one of 
 the solid men of this town, and has the confi- 
 dence of the community. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM H. BLOOD, the chairman 
 of the Lancaster Board of Select- 
 men, was born in Groton, Mass., 
 September 21, 1843, son of Thomas F. and 
 Caroline E. (Parker) Blood. His paternal 
 grandfather, Thomas, who was also a native of 
 Groton, served as a Captain in the State mi- 
 litia, and carried on general farming, dying 
 when fifty-nine years old. 
 
 Thomas F. Blood, one of the nine children 
 of Thomas, and likewise a native of Groton, 
 succeeded to the homestead, and resided there 
 until 1845, when he moved to Lancaster. His 
 last days were spent in this town, and he lived 
 to be seventy years old. Caroline E. Blood, 
 his wife, was born in Groton. She had six 
 children; namely, Charles E., William H., 
 Angelo P., Caroline E., Ellen F., and Lucius 
 M. Blood. Her death occurred at the age of 
 fifty years. Both parents were members of 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 William H. Blood has resided in Lancaster 
 since he was two years old. His education 
 was completed in the high school. While yet 
 a young man he turned his attention to agri-. 
 culture, and upon reaching his majority he 
 
 purchased his present farm of twenty-seven 
 acres. Later he bought other real estate, 
 which he still owns. He is one of the most 
 successful general farmers in this locality. 
 F"or a number of years he was connected with 
 the Lancaster Creamery, which produced a 
 large amount of superior butter annually. In 
 politics he supports the Republican party. 
 His public services have been varied, and 
 marked by an earnest desire to keep up with 
 the march of improvement. He served as Tax 
 Collector for the years 1868, 1869, and 1870. 
 He has been Selectman for the greater part of 
 the time since 1879, and he is now its chair- 
 man. For four years he has been a Road 
 Commissioner, and Superintendent of Streets 
 for twelve years. At present he is a member 
 of the Board of Water Commissioners. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Blood was joined in marriage 
 with Mary E. Priest, daughter of Levi Priest, 
 a prosperous farmer of Shirley, Mass. Mrs. 
 Blood has been the mother of eight children, 
 three of whom died in infancy. The survivors 
 are: Alice M. , the wife of Sereno Goodnow, 
 who is in the employ of the Thayers as a farm 
 assistant, and has two children — Edith and 
 Ellen; George H., who married Florence Mc- 
 Cloud, and is in the oil business; Arthur W., 
 who is married and resides in Lancaster; 
 Nellie M. ; and Edgar M. Blood. Edgar is 
 attending school. A member of the Congre- 
 gational church, Mr. Blood is an active worker 
 upon the Parish and Church Committees. 
 The family is identified with the church and 
 its Sunday-school. 
 
 OSEPH COUTU, of the firm Fontaine 
 & Coutu, general merchants of Worces- 
 ter, was born in St. F^lix de Valois, 
 Province of Quebec, June 22, 1858, his 
 parents being Charles and Priscilla (Malihot) 
 Coutu. Six generations ago the Coutus lived 
 in Corbie, Picardy, France. Their first rep- 
 resentative in this country was Francois Cottii 
 de Lavaltrie, who was here in 1680. About 
 1794 the name was changed to Coutu. Mr. 
 Coutu' s great-grandfather, Ardouin Coutu, was 
 a farmer and land-owner, and lived in Canada. 
 Alexis Coutu, the grandfather, who was a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 317 
 
 native of St. Elizabeth, Province of Quebec, 
 born on November 29, 1798, died in 1843. 
 Of his five children, three sons and a daughter 
 reached maturity. His wife was still a young 
 woman when she died, and his death happened 
 five years later. During their minority the 
 children were cared for by an uncle, who was 
 made the administrator of the estate. Three 
 of them subsequently went to other parts of 
 Canada; while Edward, the youngest, came to 
 the States about the year 1852, settling in this 
 county, where he engaged in the poultry busi- 
 ness. Charles Coutu, who was born on April 
 30, 1830, at St. Elizabeth, is still living 
 there, active and in good health. His wife, 
 Priscilla, whom he married on August 19, 
 185 1, has been the mother of twelve children. 
 Of these, seven are living, namely : TrefHe, 
 who is engaged in farming in Canada; John 
 Louis, also in Canada, who has operated a 
 cheese factory with much success; Joseph 
 Coutu, the subject of this sketch ; Alexis, who 
 is a farmer in Canada; Rose Anna, now Sister 
 Mary Priscilla of a convent in Cohoes, N.Y. ; 
 Eugenie, the wife of Charles Frappier, resi- 
 dent in Canada; and Octavia, who married 
 Leo Minville, of Canada. Both parents reside 
 on the homestead farm, leading a somewhat 
 retired life. 
 
 Joseph Coutu attended the convent school 
 for a time and subsequently the Normal 
 School in Montreal. When twenty years of 
 age he came to New England, and began 
 clerking in a grocery store of Woonsocket, 
 R.L, remaining in that position until 1887. 
 Since then he has been in the grocery and 
 provision business in Worcester at 136 Wash- 
 ington Street, in partnership with Mr. Fon- 
 taine. The firm has also a store at 137-1375^ 
 Some Street. Both partners give their full 
 attention to their large and increasing busi- 
 ness, dividing their time between the two 
 stores. They have the full confidence of the 
 buying public, and are looked upon as thor- 
 oughly representative men among the ten or 
 twelve thousand French-Canadians of Worces- 
 ter. The relations of the partners are of the 
 most pleasant character. Both gentlemen and 
 their families are members of St. Joseph's 
 Church. 
 
 In politics Mr. Coutu takes an independent 
 course. On September 22, 1884, he married 
 Louise Remillard, who died here in 1891, 
 leaving no children. He was married again 
 on May 15, 1897, to Emma Bergeron, a daugh- 
 ter of Peter Bergeron, of Woonsocket. Born 
 in Saratoga, N.Y. , she was educated in the 
 public schools of that city. 
 
 tUSTIN HOWARD, Government Claim 
 Agent, Notary Public, and Justice of 
 the Peace, a well-known citizen of 
 **"^ Milford, Mass., is a native of this 
 place, and was born on October 16, 1839, son 
 of Albert and Hannah D. (Howe) Howard. 
 He received his education in a district school 
 in Milford, a private school at Hopedale, and 
 at Chester Academy, Chester, Vt., where he 
 fitted for college. In the spring of 1858 he 
 went to New Bedford, and, shipping for a 
 cruise on a whaling vessel, was gone two 
 years. In April, i86i, on the breaking out of 
 the Rebellion, he enlisted in the Boston 
 Tigers Company, and for six weeks was sta- 
 tioned at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. He 
 then joined Company G, of Milford, which be- 
 came a part of the famous Fortieth New York 
 Regiment, and went to the front in Virginia. 
 On account of physical disability, however, he 
 was discharged on the last day of August, 
 1861. 
 
 Not discouraged, and desirous of serving his 
 country, he made a second effort, and in 
 March, 1862, was enlisted at Boston, Mass., 
 in the navy as an ordinary seaman, and went 
 into duty on the gunboat "Lexington" at 
 Cairo, 111., on the Mississippi River. In 
 September of that year he was promoted to 
 be master's mate. United States navy, and 
 was ordered for duty on the United States 
 gunboat "Signal. " On both boats he was in 
 active warfare, and witnessed many stirring 
 events. He was present at the destruction of 
 the United States gunboat "Mound City," 
 when a hundred and fifty men were scalded to 
 death at the battle of St. Charles, on White 
 River, Arkansas, June 17, 1862; and he took 
 part in the operations which eventually 
 brought about the opening up of the Missis- 
 
3t8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sippi River. His boat was ordered to take 
 torpedoes out of the Yazoo River during the 
 campaign of Vicksburg, which was a task diffi- 
 cult to perform. He was present when the 
 fleet ran the blockade at Vicksburg. He was 
 at the battle of Arkansas Post, or " Fort 
 Hinman," on Arkansas River, where seven 
 thousand rebels were surrendered to Admiral 
 Porter in January, 1863; also on the Yazoo 
 Pass expedition in Mississippi in February, 
 1863, and in several other engagements during 
 the war of the Rebellion. In May, 1863, he 
 was again discharged for disability, and re- 
 turned home; but in February, 1865, having 
 partly recovered his health, he was accepted as 
 a private in Company A of the Second Massa- 
 chusetts Cavalry. He was with that company 
 in the vicinity of Fairfax Court-house, Va., 
 at the time the war closed, and was there dis- 
 charged July 20, 1865. 
 
 Coming home again, he remained here for a 
 year, securing much needed recuperation, and 
 then entered the employ of the Metropolitan 
 Railroad in Boston, where he remained for 
 about five years. He was a conductor on the 
 Harlem Railroad in New York for nearly five 
 years. After that he was engaged as a travel- 
 ling salesman until 1881, being successively 
 employed by the following firms: I. & J. H. 
 Joseph, of New York; Henry Sawyer & Co., 
 of Boston; and Henry Callender& Co., whole- 
 sale grocery house of Boston. In this line of 
 business he was most successful; but in 1881 
 he retired from the road and took up his pres- 
 ent business in Milford as United States Pen- 
 sion, Bounty, and Government Claim Agent, 
 Notary Public, and Justice of the Peace. 
 
 Mr. Howard has a large clientage, and has 
 procured pensions for men in nearly every 
 State in the Union. He was the first Auditor 
 elected in the town of Milford. In politics 
 he has always been an ardent Republican. 
 He is a zealous Grand Army man and a mem- 
 ber of Post No. 22, of which he has been chap- 
 lain and Sergeant Major. He is also a 
 member of Montgomery Lodge, F. & A. M. 
 
 Mr. Howard's first wife was Alice Maria 
 Arnold, of Woonsocket, R.I. He is now liv- 
 ing with his second wife, formerly S. Lovice 
 Griswold, of Milford. Mr. and Mrs, Howard 
 
 are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 ~£lLBRIDGE GERRY WARREN was 
 ^I for many years prosperously engaged in 
 "^^ ■ ' the tanning industry in his native 
 town of Auburn, Mass., where he is. now liv- 
 ing, a venerable octogenarian, retired from 
 business. He resides in the house that has 
 been his home from the day of his birth in the 
 early part of the century, March 27, 18 10. 
 His parents were Samuel and Sally (Gould- 
 ing) Warren. 
 
 The Warren name is one of the oldest in 
 New England, its history in Massachusetts 
 beginning with the arrival of Richard Warren 
 in the "Mayflower" in 1620. Other Warren 
 immigrants followed, whether akin to Richard 
 and to each other or not, we are unable to say. 
 The branch of the family represented by Mr. 
 Elbridge G. Warren is said to be connected 
 with that to which belonged General Joseph 
 Warren of Revolutionary fame, who was a de- 
 scendant of Peter Warren, of Boston, 1659. 
 
 Mr. Elbridge G. Warren's great-grand- 
 father, Ebenezer Warren, who was born in 
 1714, settled in Leicester in 1744, and died 
 there in 1800. His son Jonathan, who was 
 born in Leicester on November 27, 1750, was 
 twice married, and had a family of ten chil- 
 dren. He died about 1825. A fine monu- 
 ment in Greenville Cemetery in Leicester 
 marks his last resting-place. 
 
 Samuel Warren, son of Jonathan by his wife, 
 Martha Bemis, of Spencer, and father of the 
 subject of this sketch, was born in Leicester 
 in 1779. He married young, and was only 
 twenty-one years old when his son Elbridge, 
 who was the second child, was born. His 
 wife, Sally, was born on this farm, daughter of 
 Jonah and Grace (Knowlton) Goulding, the 
 latter a native of Shrewsbury; and she came 
 with her parents to this house when about two 
 years old. Samuel and Sally Warren had 
 seven children, six sons and one daughter, all 
 of whom grew to maturity. Of these, El- 
 bridge G. was the second-born, and is the only 
 survivor. The daughter, Sarah, died at the 
 age of eighteen. The sons all married and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3'9 
 
 reared families, and between sixty and seventy 
 of their descendants gather here annually to 
 hold a reunion. This farm was settled upon 
 in Revolutionary times by Jonah Goulding, 
 Joseph Knowlton settling near by at about the 
 same time. For twenty-five years Grace 
 Knowlton Goulding cooked the meals in the 
 old house still standing a few rods distant, and 
 brought them here. The tannery now oper- 
 ated by Mr. Warren's nephews was purchased 
 by a Goulding of Simeon Southworth. For 
 thirty-nine years prior to 1877 the business 
 was conducted by Elbridge G. Warren and his 
 brother John; and from 1877, when the for- 
 mer retired, to 1891, when the latter died, it 
 was conducted by John Warren & Sons. 
 Since their father's death the sons, J. G., 
 Richard H., and Waterman A., have contin- 
 ued the business. After the original building 
 was burned in 1863, a new building was 
 erected, and that also was burned in 1893. 
 The present tannery, which is situated in 
 West Auburn, about a mile distant from the 
 place where the former buildings stood, was 
 then built. 
 
 Mr. Elbridge G. Warren was married on 
 April 9, 1834, to Lydia E. , daughter of Isaac 
 and Lydia (Brigham) Stone, of Oxford, the 
 mother a native of Grafton. Mrs. Warren 
 died in 1894, at the age of seventy-seven, after 
 having lived almost sixty years of wedded life. 
 She was the mother of eight children, the eld- 
 est two of whom died in childhood. The six 
 living are: Elbridge, Jr., Mary L. , Sherman 
 H., Lydia, Elmira W., and Sally A. The 
 first named of these resides in 13ratt!eboro, 
 Vt. Mary L. is the wife of E. H. Newton, of 
 Auburn, and the mother of three children. 
 Sherman H., also a resident of Brattleboro, 
 has one son. Lydia A. Warren, who is a 
 trained nurse by profession, lives at home with 
 her aged father. Elmira is the widow of 
 Edwin F. Ryder, and is matron of the Worces- 
 ter City Hospital, of which her sister Lydia is 
 a graduate. Mrs. Ryder has one daughter. 
 Sally is the wife of S. W. Edgett, of Brattle- 
 boro, Vt. 
 
 In religious belief Mr. Warren is a Baptist. 
 He is nominally a Republican in politics, but 
 has independent views in regard to many mat- 
 
 ters. He was a Jackson Democrat in former 
 days, and cast his first Presidential vote for 
 Martin Van Buren. He has served in various 
 town ofifices, and in 1862 he was a Representa- 
 tive in the General Court of Massachusetts. 
 He is still, at the age of eighty-eight, compar- 
 atively vigorous in mind and body. 
 
 James 
 
 NELSON BALL, superintendent of 
 the Lancaster Mills of Boylston, 
 Mass., was born in Holden on August 
 18, 1847. He is the only son of 
 E. and Abigail (Howe) Ball. His 
 great-grandfather Ball, whose name was 
 Elijah, was one of the early settlers of 
 Boylston, coming here on to a farm. His 
 grandfather, Jonah Ball, who was born in 
 Boylston, was brought up on the farm and 
 educated in the public schools. In early man- 
 hood he worked for a few years in Provi- 
 dence, R.I. ; but subsequently he returned 
 to Boylston, and died here at the age of sev- 
 enty-two. Jonah Ball's second wife, whose 
 maiden name was Mary Calwell, died when 
 their son James was six years of age. She 
 was the mother of four children, all of whom 
 grew to maturity, James E. being the only 
 one now living. 
 
 James E. Ball was born in Providence, R.I. 
 He passed his boyhood in Dedham, and at- 
 tended the schools of that town. When four- 
 teen years of age he came to Boylston, and re- 
 sided here until his marriage, engaged in tripe 
 making. After his marriage he went to Hol- 
 den, and worked as butcher and marketman ; 
 and from there he went to Vermont, where he 
 remained for a short time. From Vermont he 
 came to Clinton, and was employed in the 
 meat and tripe business for five years. Sub- 
 sequent to this he was on a farm in Sterling 
 for nine years, and then, in 1865, he returned 
 to Boylston. Later he sold his farm there 
 and went to Boylston Centre, where he is now 
 living. Mr. James E. Ball is a public- 
 spirited citizen, and has taken an active inter- 
 est in the affairs of the town. For three 
 years he was Assessor and for a number of 
 years Road Commissioner. In religious views 
 he is a Unitarian, in politics a Democrat. 
 
320 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 His wife, Abigail, is a native of Sterling, 
 where her father, Captain Silas Howe, Jr., 
 was a well-known carpenter and farmer. 
 James and Abigail Ball are the parents of four 
 children, namely: J. Nelson; Hattie; Abbie, 
 now Mrs. John N. Flagg; and Mary, now 
 Mrs. John Keogh. 
 
 J. Nelson Ball received his early education 
 in the common schools of Clinton and Sterling, 
 and subsequently attended Appleton Academy 
 at New Ipswich, N. H. He remained with 
 his parents until twenty-one years of age, and 
 then went into the butchering business in 
 Worcester, where he remained until his mar- 
 riage. Coming to the Lancaster Mills to as- 
 sist in the reconstruction, he began as a day 
 laborer, and from that position worked up to 
 be machinist. After a time he went to West 
 Boylston to the mill of Eli Holbrook as ma- 
 chinist. After three years spent there he re- 
 turned to the Lancaster Mills, and for two 
 years was machinist here. At the end of that 
 time he became overseer, which position he 
 held for six years. Going then to Barre, he 
 assumed the management of J. Edwin Smith's 
 cotton-mill, located in Smithville, which is a 
 part of the town of Barre. Five years later, 
 in 1893, he returned to the Lancaster Mills as 
 superintendent; and he has since filled this 
 important position with ability and to the 
 entire satisfaction of his employers. He has 
 full direction of the one hundred workmen who 
 are employed in the manufacture of yarn. 
 When Mr. Ball first came here the mill con- 
 tained only seven thousand spindles; and 
 to-day there are more than double that num- 
 ber, the other departments having been cor- 
 respondingly enlarged. Mr. Ball's rise from 
 the position of laborer to that of superin- 
 tendent in a large mill is a notable illustra- 
 tion of what may be accomplished by a man 
 of energy and ability who is willing to devote 
 his time and attention faithfully to his busi- 
 ness. 
 
 Mr. Ball was married in 1870 to Julia Wil- 
 son, who was born in Torrington, Conn., the 
 daughter of James Wilson, formerly a shoe- 
 maker in that town. Mr. Wilson came to 
 Boylston when his daughter was a child, and 
 spent the rest of bis life here, engaged in 
 
 farming. He had a family of fourteen chil- 
 dren. Mr. and Mrs. Ball have one child — 
 Grace, who married Harry Parker, a merchant 
 of Coldbrook Springs. 
 
 In politics Mr. Ball is a Republican. He 
 is a public-spirited man, and has served the 
 town in various positions of trust and respon- 
 sibility. For nine years he was Constable, 
 for three years a member of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen. After this first period of service he 
 was again elected Selectman successively in 
 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, and 1898, and during 
 all these five years has been chairman of the 
 board and for the same length of time chair- 
 man of the Board of Overseers of the Poor, 
 also chairman of the Board of Health. Pre- 
 vious to 1896 he served three years as a mem- 
 ber of the School Board, and at the expiration 
 of his first term was reappointed for three years 
 longer, this being until 1899. He is also at 
 the present time Road Commissioner for this 
 district, No. 2, and first fire warden of the 
 town. Fraternally, Mr. Ball is a member of 
 Centennial Lodge, Independent Order of Odd 
 F"ellows, of West Boylston, and was formerly 
 in the Lancaster Lodge of Clinton. He has 
 served in the offices up to that of Vice-Grand, 
 and has refused to accept nominations for the 
 higher offices. He has been a member of the 
 Boylston Grange for a number of years, and 
 has held the office of Overseer in that body. 
 Mr. Ball attends the Orthodox church in 
 Boylston. 
 
 DDISON J. BEMIS, one of the best 
 known blacksmiths in Worcester, was 
 born in Framingham, Mass., Octo- 
 ber 4, 1822, son of Jacob and 
 Eunice (Rice) Bemis. The father, a native 
 of Massachusetts, when a young man was em- 
 ployed in a Boston market. Later he was en- 
 gaged in farming in p-ramingham for some 
 years. From that town he removed to South- 
 boro, Mass., where he became prosperous in 
 the latter part of his life, and served in some 
 of the town offices. By Eunice, his first wife, 
 who was a native of Holden, Mass., there were 
 three sons and four daughters. Born of bis 
 second marriage were two children, of vyhon} 
 
JOHN A. FAYERWEATHER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 323 
 
 one is deceased. The survivor, Augustine, 
 resides in Connecticut. His mother died in 
 that State in 1895, aged ninety-two. She was 
 an excellent woman, who treated her step-chil- 
 dren as her own; and the subject of this sketch 
 visited her frequently in her old age. The 
 father died in 1867, aged seventy-six years. 
 
 At an earjy age Addison J. Bemis began to 
 assist his father in farming. When fifteen 
 years old he commenced an apprenticeship of 
 three and a half years to the blacksmith's trade 
 with Winthrop Arnold, a worthy man, an ex- 
 cellent mechanic, and a good employer. 
 After finishing his apprenticeship he followed 
 general blacksmithing for some years. After- 
 ward he established himself in business in 
 Worcester with borrowed capital amounting 
 to one thousand dollars, which he paid in due 
 time. For the past forty years he has been 
 the leading horseshoer in this city. Like 
 others, he has had his misfortunes, and on one 
 occasion his shop was destroyed by fire, caus- 
 ing a loss of four thousand dollars; but despite 
 these adversities his energy and strength have 
 enabled him to acquire affluence. Mr. Bemis 
 is regarded as one of the most vigorous men of 
 his years in Worcester. For some years past 
 he has been in the habit of making annual 
 visits to Maine, and though not an expert 
 hunter he has secured deer and other game, as 
 well as having an enjoyable time. 
 
 When twenty-five years old Mr. Bemis 
 married Harriet B. Rice, who, like his mother, 
 was born in Holden. Their only son, Arthur 
 A., who became a skilful mechanic and en- 
 gineer, died August 15, 1883, at the age of 
 thirty-six years, leaving a widow, two sons, 
 and a daughter. Politically, Mr. Bemis is a 
 Republican. He belongs to the Order of 
 American Mechanics. In religious belief 
 both he and Mrs. Bemis are Congregation- 
 alists and members of the Union Church. 
 
 OHN APPLETON FAYER- 
 WEATHER, who has been prom- 
 inently identified with the best inter- 
 ests of Westboro since the early part of 
 the present century, was born in this town, 
 March 12, 1808. His parents, John and 
 
 Sarah (Wheelock) Fayerweather, reared four 
 children, of whom John A. was the eldest. 
 The others were: Mrs. Sarah Chamberlain, 
 who died April 6, 1897, eighty-nine years 
 old; George J., who served in the late Civil 
 War, was very active up to the time of his 
 death, and died December 2, 1897, eighty 
 years old; and Thomas H., who lived almost 
 eighty years. George celebrated the seventy- 
 fourth anniversary of his birth by walking 
 from here to Worcester and back, a distance 
 of twenty-five miles. 
 
 John A. Fayerweather was graduated from 
 Brown University in 1826 at the age of eigh- 
 teen years, and has the distinction of being 
 one of the two oldest living alumni of that in- 
 stitution. He was taught the rudiments by a 
 private tutor, and afterward attended a private 
 school kept by the Rev. Mr. Allen. Subse- 
 quently he fitted for college at Providence, 
 R.I., where he was under the instruction of a 
 Mr. Fay until he entered the university in 
 1822. Returning to Westboro after receiving 
 his diploma, Mr. Fayerweather assumed the 
 management of the parental estate (which then 
 included the homestead of F. U. Bartlett), 
 his father having died while he was in col- 
 lege. Later he and a partner opened a store 
 opposite the Congregational church. As his 
 partner was ill most of the time, he had to as- 
 sume all the responsibility, although he had 
 had no previous experience in that line. 
 However, pluck and ability were not want- 
 ing; and during the many years that he was 
 afterward engaged as a merchant, he was espe- 
 cially fortunate in his transactions. One of 
 his first partners was James Leach, of Boston. 
 Mr. Leach was succeeded by George Denny, 
 the store being then located on the site of 
 the present post-office building, in the centre 
 of the village. Mr. Griggs, who afterward 
 opened another store on the opposite side of 
 the street, was for a time in business with 
 Mr. Fayerweather. In 1858 Mr. Fayer- 
 weather sold out his general store, which then 
 included a tin and hardware department ; and 
 in 1859 he went to Boston, and engaged in 
 the wholesale grocery business, under the firm 
 name of F. A. Fogg & Co. A few years 
 later, in company with George O, JBrighatn 
 
3-4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and A. J. Burnap, he erected the present post- 
 office building, of which he is now the sole 
 proprietor, having since purchased the inter- 
 ests of the other two men. In the block, be- 
 sides the post-office, are located the Westboro 
 National and Savings Banks. He was the 
 president of the Westboro National Bank 
 from 1864 until illness compelled his resigna- 
 tion in 1897. He is still a director of the 
 institution and a trustee of the savings-bank, 
 capacities in which he has served for many 
 years. He was made a director of the 
 Worcester Mutual Fire Insurance Company 
 some years ago, and on May i, 1887, he was 
 chosen its president, a responsible office, to 
 which he has been annually re-elected for ten 
 successive 3'ears. 
 
 Mr. Fayerweather has served many terms as 
 the chairman of the Board of Selectmen. He 
 was the president of the Worcester Agricult- 
 ural Society for one year, but declined a re- 
 election. In 1866 he represented his district 
 in the General Court of Massachusetts. 
 Since he united with the Congregational 
 church in early manhood, he has been a faith- 
 ful and valued member of the society. On 
 December 27, 183 1, he married Sarah A., 
 daughter of Dr. John Tyler, of Worcester. 
 They had two children, a son that died in in- 
 fancy and a daughter. The latter, Sarah F., 
 is the widow of the late William R. Gould, 
 who at the time of his death, in 1890, was 
 one of the largest manufacturers and most 
 prominent business men of Westboro. She 
 has one daughter, Gertrude Tyler Gould. 
 Mrs. Fayerweather died April 15, 1875. 
 
 ^OHN M. CLARKE, a dealer in hay, 
 grain, and flour at Webster, son of 
 George W. and Mary A. (Hughes) 
 Clarke, was born in Cambria County, 
 Pennsylvania, March 24, 1841. His grand- 
 parents were W. and Mary A. (Lyon) Clarke. 
 The former was a Pennsylvanian by birth and 
 a hotel-keeper and farmer by occupation. The 
 father, also born in Pennsylvania, was for 
 some time a foreman of a gang of workmen 
 employed on the Northern Turnpike, between 
 Pittsburg and Philadelphia, and later was en- 
 
 gaged in the hotel business. He died in 
 1886. His wife, Mary, also a native of Penn- 
 sylvania, was a grand-daughter of a Revolu- 
 tionary soldier; while her father, Edward 
 Hughes, fought in both the War of 1812 and 
 the Mexican War. 
 
 Having received his early education in the 
 public schools of Indiana and Westmoreland 
 Counties, Pennsylvania, John M. Clarke in 
 i860 went to Illinois, where he found em- 
 ployment on a farm, and worked for a time at 
 carpentering. Subsequently, returning to the 
 farm, he remained there until 1861. In this 
 year he enlisted in Company D of the Twenty- 
 third Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, under 
 Captain S. A. Simison and Colonel James A. 
 JNIulligan. From the Chicago drilling camp 
 he went to St. Louis and thence to Jefferson 
 City, where he remained in Colonel John C. 
 Fremont's command until the battle of Lex- 
 ington, Mo. At that time the entire regiment 
 was captured. Having been paroled on the 
 field of battle, Mr. Clarke was allowed to re- 
 turn to St. Louis; and shortly afterward be 
 was discharged. After spending some time at 
 his home in Illinois he returned to Pennsyl- 
 vania, and for six months worked in West- 
 moreland County. Following this he was 
 employed for another six months in a dry- 
 goods store of Pittsburg. At the end of that 
 time he went to Ottawa, 111., and had charge 
 of a clothing store there for three months. He 
 then went to Odell, Livingston County, 111., 
 and for one year was employed in conducting 
 a general merchandise store in that town. At 
 the end of the year he bought the store, and 
 thereafter carried it on for eighteen months on 
 his own account. Then he sold out and trav- 
 elled as a book agent in the interests ot Ab- 
 bott's History of the War. He subsequently 
 bought a drug and grocery store in Odell, and 
 conducted it for some time. In the spring of 
 1873, having disposed of this store, he went 
 out to Nebraska and started a cattle ranch. 
 Having spent a year there, he came to Webs- 
 ter, and entered the employ of the Webster 
 Box Company as general manager. Upon the 
 failure of the controlling company he bought 
 the stock and fixtures, and continued the busi- 
 ness under his own name. After the factory 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 325 
 
 was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1875 he 
 rebuilt it, and conducted it for some time 
 longer. Then he sold out, removed to Bos- 
 ton, and there for three years ran a grocery 
 store in Eliot Square. In 1880 he again re- 
 turned to Webster, and at that time staited 
 the business in which he is at present engaged. 
 In 1866 Mr. Clarke was married to Lucy 
 D. Williams, a daughter of John E. and 
 Hulda (Shumway) Williams, of Odell, 111., 
 formerly of Thompson, Conn. Three children 
 have blessed the marriage, namely: Bessie M., 
 born in 1867; Reginald W. , born in 1869; 
 and Lewis G., born in 1871. Bessie, who was 
 educated at Odell, 111.,, and in Webster, is 
 now living with her parents. Reginald re- 
 ceived his education in Webster and Boston, 
 and is now in Worcester with the well-known 
 firm of Burnes & Co. Lewis G., who attended 
 school in Webster and Boston, is in the em- 
 ploy of Mr. Burgman, who has a bicycle busi- 
 ness in Webster. In politics Mr. Clarke is a 
 Democrat, He is a member of Nathan Lyon 
 Post, No. 6r, G. A. R., and of Ben Franklin 
 Council, R. A. Y., at Webster. Of the post 
 he has been Commander, and he is now Senior 
 Vice-Commander. He attends the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 jDWIN MOORE, a retired business man 
 of East Douglas and an ex-member of 
 ^"^ the Massachusetts legislature, was 
 born in Douglas, October 19, 1820, son of 
 Israel and Submit (Balcome) Moore. The pa- 
 ternal grandfather, Jonas Moore, who was born 
 in Sudbury, Mass., July 6, 1765, spent the 
 active period of his life in farming. The 
 maiden name of his wife was Alice Wheelock. 
 Israel Moore, born in Sudbury, August i, 
 1793, learned the blacksmith's trade in Marl- 
 boro, Vt. When eighteen years old he re- 
 turned on foot to Massachusetts, settling in 
 Douglas, where be resided for some years. 
 In 1822 he moved to Oxford, Mass., where he 
 bought a homestead, and followed his trade 
 until his death, which occurred September 27, 
 1829. He was a sturdy, industrious man and 
 a useful citizen. His wife, who was born in 
 Douglas, November 19, 1795, gave birth to 
 
 three children: Catherine, who died in in- 
 fancy; Edwin, the subject of this sketch ; and 
 Julia, born January 22, 1823, who died May 
 i"), 1855. The mother died February 28, 
 1847. Both parents were members of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 Edwin Moore began his education in the 
 elementary public schools, and completed his 
 studies at the Oxford High School. At the 
 age of twelve years he went to work upon the 
 farm of the Rev. David Holman. Later he 
 was employed as a store clerk and worked in 
 the axe factory. F"rom 1848 to 1850 he car- 
 ried on business for himself. Then he re- 
 entered the employ of Warren Hunt as book- 
 keeper and paymaster at the axe factory. In 
 1865 he was appointed agent for that estab- 
 lishment, a position which he filled with 
 marked ability until 1880, when he retired 
 from active business. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican. He has rendered excellent service 
 to the town in the several capacities of Select- 
 man, Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, and a 
 member of the School Committee, in that of 
 Town Clerk for nine years, in that of Town 
 Treasurer for three years, and in that of Rep- 
 resentative to the legislature in 1856 and 
 1882. He is a member of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 On September 30, 1841, at Belfast, Me., 
 Mr. Moore was joined in marriage with Eliza 
 P. Palmer, who was born in Lincolnville, Me., 
 August ig, 1822, daughter of Joseph and 
 Sarah Palmer. Mrs. Moore has had five chil- 
 dren, namely: D.wigbt P., born July 10, 1842, 
 who died September 24, 1846; William H., 
 born October 4, 1846, who is married and has 
 one daughter, Helen P., born August 18, 
 1872; Julia S., born November 25, 1848, who 
 is now Mrs. W. H. Kendall; Edwin W., born 
 May 22, 1851, who died October 21, 1859; 
 and Thomas W., born May 30, 1853, who died 
 August 21, 1854. 
 
 RANK S. GROVER, proprietor of the 
 Eagle House in Dana and a prominent 
 official of the town, was born here on 
 January 7, 1855, son of John N. and Elmina 
 (Durkee) Grover. His grandfather, PZlijah 
 
326 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Grover, the greater part of whose life was 
 spent in the town of Montague, the last few 
 years being passed in Dana, was by occupation 
 a farmer. He lived to be an old man. 
 
 John N. Grover, above named, was born in 
 Wendell or Montague. In early life he was a 
 boatman on the Connecticut River; but about 
 1840 he settled in Dana, and during the re- 
 mainder of his life was engaged in farming 
 and teaming here. He did a very large busi- 
 ness in teaming, transporting merchandise be- 
 tween this part of the State and Boston, rail- 
 roads then not being as numerous as they now 
 are. He became widely known and had a host 
 of friends. In politics he was a stanch Dem- 
 ocrat. He died in 1884, at the age of seventy 
 years. His wife, who was born in Montague, 
 died in 1888, at the age of seventy. Of their 
 seven children, Emma and Lewis H. are de- 
 ceased. Those living are: Henry C, who is 
 a lumberman in Petersham; Julia Nye, a resi- 
 dent of Dana; Lucy D. Hawes, of Barre; 
 John C, of Greenwich, a hotel man; and 
 Frank S. 
 
 Frank S. Grover grew to manhood in Dana, 
 and was educated here. He now owns the 
 farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres 
 which was formerly his father's, and other 
 lands in addition, making a total of about 
 three hundred and fifty acres. He is quite 
 extensively engaged in the lumber manufact- 
 ure, making both long and short lumber; and 
 since 1893 he has been proprietor of the Eagle 
 House. As a hotel man he has met with un- 
 usual success, this being due to the excellent 
 accommodations he furnishes'his guests and to 
 his obliging manners. The Eagle House is 
 not a large hotel, but the twenty or more 
 guests that may be accommodated here have 
 never cause to complain on that account. 
 
 Mr. Grover was married in 1877 to Eva 
 Balcom, a native of Hades, Warren County, 
 N. Y. Seven children have been born of this 
 union, namely: Owen, who died at the age of 
 two years; Oakley, who lived only a few days; 
 Emma C. ; Lucy E. ; Clayton L. ; Ruth A. ; 
 and Glenn E. 
 
 Mr. Grover's religious views are liberal. In 
 politics he is a Democrat. Besides attending 
 carefully to his private business interests, he 
 
 has given a large amount of time to the public 
 service. For the last fourteen years he has 
 been a member of the Board of Selectmen of 
 the town and for the greater part of that time 
 chairman of the board. He is at the present 
 time serving as Assessor, Road Commissioner, 
 and Overseer of the Poor. He is also on his 
 third consecutive year as a member of the 
 School Board. He is one of the most ener- 
 getic and progressive men in town, and in the 
 discharge of public duties is as faithful as he 
 is active. 
 
 DWARD L. HILL, attorney - at - law, 
 Baldwinsville, and a Civil War vet- 
 eran, was born in Portsmouth, N.H., 
 October 15, 1832, son of William and Eliz- 
 abeth S. (Wiggin) Hill. The paternal grand- 
 father, Samuel Hill, who was born in Ber- 
 wick, Me., February 12, 1745, became one of 
 the early merchants and ship-owners of Ports- 
 mouth. After acquiring considerable wealth 
 he lost a part of it during the French War. 
 He died in Portsmouth, March 19, 1812. 
 The maiden name of his wife was Mary S. 
 Gooch. William Hill, son of Samuel, was 
 born in Portsmouth, February 11, 1783. En- 
 tering trade when a young man, he continued 
 in business for some years; and he died Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1849, aged sixty-six. By his first 
 wife, whose maiden name was Mary Duncan, 
 there were six children. His second wife, 
 Elizabeth S. Hill, who was born January 17, 
 1804, had five children. Of these, three are 
 living, namely: Edward L., the subject of 
 this sketch; and Frederick A. and Herman 
 H., who are merchants in Chicago. The 
 mother died May 22, 1876. 
 
 Edward L. Hill acquired his early educa- 
 tion in the public schools, at Phillips Acad- 
 emy in Exeter, N. H., and at the Massachu- 
 setts State Normal School in Bridgewater. 
 His legal studies were pursued with John 
 Lowell and Thornton Lothrop, of Boston. 
 After his admission to the Suffolk County bar 
 in i860, he located in Waltham, Mass. Al- 
 though possessing a lucrative practice at the 
 breaking out of the Rebellion, the urgent call 
 for troops caused him to close his office and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 327 
 
 raise a company for the Fifth Regiment. 
 Then he enlisted as a private in Company A, 
 Forty-fourth Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers, which was mustered into service August 
 29, 1862. While fulfilling his nine months' 
 service he acted as correspondent of the 
 Waltham Sentinel. After his discharge he re- 
 sumed his law practice. In 1870 he moved 
 from Waltham to Danvers, Mass., and for the 
 succeeding twenty years practised his profes- 
 sion in Salem and Boston. In April, 1890, 
 he established himself in Baldwinsville, where 
 he has built up a profitable general law busi- 
 ness. Much interested in horticulture, he de- 
 votes a considerable portion of his leisure time 
 to the care of his greenhouse. 
 
 On June 8, 1869, Mr. Hill was united in 
 marriage at Jamaica Plain, Mass., with Ger- 
 trude Manning, a native of Waltham and a 
 daughter of Francis and Sarah M. (Blanchard) 
 Manning. Born of this union there is one 
 daughter, Catharine B. Hill, who is now at 
 the training school for nurses in Waltham. 
 In politics Mr. Hill is a Republican. He is 
 a charter member of the Northern Mutual Re- 
 lief Association; belongs to the Royal Ar- 
 canum; is a comrade of Farragut Post, 
 G. A. R., of Gardner, Mass. ; and is a Past 
 Commander of Post No. 90, G. A. R., of 
 Danvers. Both he and Mrs. Hill attend the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 ^ALVIN MAYNARD, a prosperous 
 jy farmer and dairyman of Lancaster,- 
 'Is ^ was born in Boylston, Mass., No- 
 vember 20, 1846, son of James F. 
 and Dolly (Brigham) Maynard. His grand- 
 father, Calvin Maynard, a native of Worcester 
 County, after residing for many years in Marl- 
 boro, spent his last days in Boylston. 
 
 James F. Maynard was a native of Marlboro. 
 When a young man he engaged in a mercantile 
 business in Boylston. Later he had a busi- 
 ness in Clinton and still later a wholesale trade 
 in State Street, Boston, as a member of the 
 firm of Daniel Allen & Co. His connection 
 with the latter concern lasted seventeen years, 
 during which time he resided in Clinton, 
 where he died at the age of sixty-four years. 
 
 He was the chairman of the Board of Select- 
 men for many years, and was a recruiting 
 ofificer in Clinton during the Civil War. In 
 politics he acted with the Republican party. 
 His religious belief was the Methodist faith, 
 and for a number of years he was officially 
 connected with the church and Sunday-school. 
 He was also a member of Trinity Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. His wife, born in Boylston, a daugh- 
 ter of Samuel Brigham, was a grand-daughter 
 of Samuel Brigham, M.D., who was private 
 secretary to General Washington, and later 
 practised his profession in Boylston. Her 
 father was engaged in agriculture during his 
 active years, and died at the age of eighty-five. 
 Of his several children, Dolly was the only 
 daughter. James E. and Dolly Maynard were 
 the parents of two children: Ellen A., who 
 married William H. Hartshorn; and Calvin, 
 the subject of this sketch. The mother died 
 at the age of sixty. 
 
 Calvin Maynard accompanied his parents to 
 Clinton when he was four years old, and he 
 acquired his education in the elementary 
 schools and high school of that town. He 
 began at an early age to assist his father in the 
 store. Having succeeded to the business, 
 when the latter transferred his interests to 
 Boston, he carried it on for some years. 
 After selling the Clinton store he engaged in 
 the shoe furnishing business in Worcester, 
 later conducting a similar establishment in 
 Marlboro. Retiring from mercantile pursuits 
 in 1883, he purchased a farm of one hundred 
 and forty acres in Lancaster, where he has since 
 resided. He has enhanced the value of his 
 property by remodelling the residence and 
 other buildings and by improving the fertility 
 of the land. He carries on general farming 
 and dairying, keeps twenty excellent cows, 
 and supplies a profitable milk route in Clin- 
 ton. 
 
 In 1878 Mr. Maynard married Mary B. 
 Stickney, of Williamstown, Vt. Her father, 
 Horace Stickney, who was an industrious 
 farmer, died from the effects of injuries to his 
 health received while serving in the Civil 
 War. Mrs. Maynard is the mother of six 
 children; namely, Nellie F., Charles, Nahum, 
 Forest, James, and Stanley. In politics Mr. 
 
328 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Maynard is a Republican, and he has been a 
 member of the Board of Assessors in Lancaster 
 for three years. For two years he served as 
 Master of Lancaster Grange, Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry. He is a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church and of the Parish Committee, 
 while the members of his family are connected 
 with the church and Sunday-school. 
 
 'ILAS A. FORBUSH, the well- 
 known shoe manufacturer of Graf- 
 ton, was born in this town in 1823, 
 son of Silas and Clarissa (Eames) 
 Forbush. He is descended from the old Colo- 
 nial family founded by Daniel Forbush, who, 
 with his wife Deborah, established his home 
 in Marlboro, Mass., about 1681. 
 
 Daniel Forbush (or Ffarrabas, as formerly 
 spelled) married in Cambridge in 1660 Re- 
 becca Perriman, and a year or two after her 
 death, which occurred in 1677, married Deb- 
 orah Rediat. Thomas Forbush, son of 
 Daniel, born in 1667, married Dorcas Rice; 
 Thomas, Jr., son of Thomas, married Hannah 
 Bellows; and their son David, born in 1721, 
 married Annah Whitney, sister of Eli Whit- 
 ney, inventor of the cotton-gin; Silas, Sr. , 
 son of David, born in 1766, married Rhoda 
 Fisk. 
 
 Silas Forbush, son of Silas and Rhoda, and 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was born 
 in Grafton in 1795, and here spent his long 
 life of ninety-two years. He was one of the 
 most industrious and indefatigable of men. 
 He early began the manufacture of shoes on 
 his own account, and he followed it very suc- 
 cessfully for some time. Subsequently he 
 devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. As 
 he was a man of excellent judgment and of un- 
 biassed mind, his advice was much' sought for. 
 Hence he came to be an influential man in 
 the town, and was respected by all who knew 
 him. His son, Jonathan Chester Forbush, 
 now a prominent manufacturer in New York 
 State, was born here, July 14, 1825, and spent 
 his boyhood on his father's farm. After work- 
 ing for some time in his father's shoe shop, 
 being still quite a young man, he began inde- 
 pendently to manufacture shoes in company 
 
 with Nathaniel Brown. After manufacturing 
 for about a year in Grafton, he removed his 
 plant to Buffalo, N. Y., where the business 
 has greatly increased. 
 
 Like his father and brother, Silas A. For- 
 bush early turned his attention to shoemaking. 
 After leaving school he began serving an ap- 
 prenticeship, this being before the days of ma- 
 chinery, and when tho only tools used were 
 the knife, hammer, and needle. After he had 
 thoroughly learned the business, he started for 
 himself as a manufacturer, employing at first 
 only a few workmen. Such was the quality of 
 his goods that he found a ready market for 
 them, and the business has increased to such 
 an extent that the factory has now the largest 
 manufacturing plant in the village, and em- 
 ploys from seventy-five to a hundred men. 
 The output consists of men's shoes of a high 
 grade. Mr. F'orbush still keeps the active 
 management of the business in his own hands, 
 and directs the movements of his agents in 
 Boston and New York. 
 
 Mr. Forbush takes an active part in public 
 affairs, and has served the town as Selectman. 
 In 1892 he was a Representative to the Gen- 
 eral Court. While in the legislature he was 
 on the Committee on Education. Formerly a 
 Free Soiler, he is now an ardent Republican. 
 His first Presidential vote was cast for James 
 K. Polk. He is a valued member of the Uni- 
 tarian society and one of its trustees and as- 
 sessors. Fraternally, he is associated with 
 Franklin Lodge, F. & A. M., and with Tyrian 
 Chapter, R. A. M. He married Julia Bul- 
 lard, of Upton, whose death occurred six years 
 ago. She was the mother of Silas A. For- 
 bush, Jr., and of Ida Virginia Forbush. The 
 former is the agent of the White Breast Fuel 
 Company, in Ottumwa, la. ; and the latter is 
 the wife of F. M. McGarry, of Grafton. 
 
 UKE S. MOORE, the proprietor of 
 Sunnyside Farm, Hubbardston, son of 
 Uriah B. and Amanda (Partridge) 
 Moore, was born in Templeton, 
 Mass., August 18, 1832. He traces his de- 
 scent to an Irishman who came to the country 
 early in the last century, and has reason to be- 
 
SILAS A. FORBUSH. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 33^ 
 
 lieve that some of his ancestors were Revolu- 
 tionary soldiers. 
 
 Uriah Moore, the grandfather of Luke S. 
 Moore, born in Gardner, Mass., December 31, 
 1769, followed agriculture during his active 
 years, and died in that town on January 6, 
 1810. He married Esther Merritt, who, born 
 March 17, 1769, died July 27, 1847. Their 
 children, all now deceased, were born as fol- 
 lows : Lucy, April 21, 1792; Henry, January 
 26, 1794; Francis M., April 24, 1796; Lucy, 
 second, March 13, 1799; Noah M., December 
 24, 1801; Uriah B., September 1, 1805; and 
 Priscilla E., April 24, 1808. Uriah B. 
 Moore, who was a native of Boylston, Mass., 
 spent the greater part of his life upon a farm 
 in Templeton. His last days were passed 
 with his son in Hubbardston, and he died Sep- 
 tember 22, 1884. In his later years he sup- 
 ported the Republican party. He was an ac- 
 tive member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. Amanda, his wife, who was born in 
 Templeton, June 13, 181 1, bore him eight 
 children, of whom Luke S. is the only sur- 
 vivor. The others were: Jane A., Otis P., 
 Henry M., Francis L., Lucy M., Lewis S., 
 and Mary A. Their mother died in Temple- 
 ton, August 26, 1881. 
 
 Luke S. Moore was educated in the common 
 schools of his native town. When eighteen 
 years old he began to learn chair-making, 
 which he subsequently followed as a journey- 
 man for ten years. Since 1861 he has been 
 occupied in dairy farming and fruit-growing 
 in Hubbardston. His property, which is 
 known as Sunnyside Farm, containing fifty- 
 five acres of fertile land, is desirably located 
 upon high- ground, commanding a splendid 
 view of the surrounding country. Keeping 
 an average of eight cows, he annually makes 
 about eighteen hundred pounds of superior 
 butter, which is sold to regular customers. 
 From his apples, which he raises in consider- 
 able quantities, he obtains evaporated apple, 
 cider, and vinegar. On May 21, 1856, Mr. 
 Moore married Cynthia Follett, who was born 
 at Sunnyside Farm, September 28, 1830, 
 daughter of Jonathan M. and Mary (Wheat) 
 Follett. Mrs. Moore died May 8, 1897, leav- 
 ing no children. Politically, Mr. Moore is a 
 
 Republican; and he has served with ability 
 as Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, and Tax 
 Collector. He is a member of Hubbardston 
 Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. In religious 
 belief he is a Congregationalist. Mr. Moore 
 is one of the most energetic men in the town. 
 
 HARLES T. FLETCHER, a well- 
 known landscape gardener of Lancas- 
 ter and an ex-member of the legis- 
 lature, was born in this town, March 
 23, 1826. A son of Joshua and Nabby (War- 
 ren) Fletcher, he belongs to a family that has 
 been identified with Lancaster since 1712. 
 In that year John Fletcher, his great-great- 
 grandfather, who afterward became an exten- 
 sive land-owner and farmer, came here from 
 Chelmsford, Mass. 
 
 Timothy Fletcher, the grandfather, who was 
 born in Lancaster, learned the trade of a shoe- 
 maker, and followed it in connection with 
 farming in different localities, principally in 
 Grafton, Mass. His last days were spent 
 upon a farm in his native town. During the 
 Revolutionary War he made shoes for the pa- 
 triots. It is related that on one occasion he 
 led a team load of footwear from Grafton to 
 Washington's army at Valley Forge. Joshua 
 Fletcher, born in Alstead, N.H., spent the 
 greater part of his life in Lancaster, where he 
 worked at shoemaking until his death, which 
 occurred when he was sixty-one years old. 
 Nabby, his wife, who was a daughter of Moses 
 Warren, of Watertown, died at the age of 
 sixty-five. Of her six children, the survivors 
 are: Eleanor L. and Mrs. Andrew J. Brown, 
 who live in Milford, Mass. ; Julia, who married 
 Thomas J. Carney, and resides in Galesburg, 
 111. ; and Charles T. , the subject of this 
 sketch. Both parents were members of the 
 Universalist church. 
 
 Charles T. Fletcher acquired his education 
 in an academy of his native town. Afterward 
 he learned the shoemaker's trade, and followed 
 it for some time. He was also employed for 
 some time in the construction of the New 
 York & Lake Erie Railway. Upon his return 
 to Lancaster in 1856 he took the position of 
 landscape gardener with Nathaniel Thayer. 
 
332 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 He has since retained liis connection with the 
 family, serving both the grandfather and the 
 lather of the present generation, and has 
 graded and decorated the grounds of each new 
 residence built by the descendants of his orig- 
 inal employer. At the present time he has 
 charge of the old family homestead. 
 
 Mr. Fletcher contracted the first of his two 
 marriages in 1856, with Mrs. Cornelia Jack- 
 man, a daughter of L. D. Maynard, and who 
 died at the age of forty-five years. His sec- 
 ond marriage united him with Isabella Frances 
 Maynard, his first wife's sister, who died in 
 1894, He has an adopted daughter, Gertrude 
 M. Fletcher. Various important town offices 
 have been filled by him, including those of 
 Assessor and Auditor. He was a member of 
 the Library Board of Trustees in 1879, and 
 he ably represented this district in the leg- 
 islature in 1891. Politically, he acts with 
 the Republican party. He erected his present 
 residence in 1869, upon land purchased by 
 his father. The family attend the Unita- 
 rian church. 
 
 ILLIAM ROGERS, the founder of 
 the Clinton Worsted Company, was 
 born in Scotland, February 23, 
 1856, son of John and Clementine (Woods) 
 Rogers. Both his father and paternal grand- 
 father were born and reared in the vicinity 
 of Paisley, Scotland. The latter, William 
 Rogers, who was engaged in the manufacture 
 of Paisley shawls during his active period, 
 lived to be ninety-three years old. John 
 Rogers learned the weaver's trade, which he 
 followed in Scotland until 1866. Then he 
 emigrated to the United States, locating in 
 Schaghticoke, N.Y. , where he was overseer in 
 a woollen-mill for some years. Later in Au- 
 burn, N.Y. , he was similarly employed for a 
 time. Then, after spending a season in his 
 former position at Schaghticoke, he was con- 
 nected with mills in Glendale, Mass., Glen- 
 ville. Conn., Winooski, Vt., and Leominster, 
 Mass. He came to Clinton in 1891, and is 
 now living here in retirement. Clementine, 
 his wife, who is a native of Paisley, Scotland, 
 has been the mother of nine children. Of 
 
 these, seven grew to maturity ; namely, Agnes, 
 William, Clementine, Janet, John, George, 
 and Alexander. Both parents attend the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 William Rogers attended schools in Scot- 
 land and the United States. He first worked 
 for wages in a cotton-mill. Joining his father 
 at Schaghticoke in 1867, he entered the 
 woollen factory and learned the business. 
 While still a youth he was advanced to the po- 
 sition of loom repairer. Later he^ became a 
 designer at the Hawthorn Mills in 'Clenville, 
 Conn. When twenty-one years old he was ap- 
 pointed to a similar position in the Burlington 
 Woollen Mills at Winooski, Vt. Here he re- 
 mained for seven years in all, acting as super- 
 intendent during the last three years. Then 
 he resigned his position in order to accept the 
 superintendency of the Rockwell Woollen 
 Mills at Leominster, Mass., with which he 
 was connected for one year. Later, having al- 
 ready started in business upon his own account 
 with a force of ten hands, he and William H. 
 Chase formed the Leominster Worsted Com- 
 pany and erected a new mill. After a time 
 the increasing demand for their goods necessi- 
 tated the enlargement of their force to one 
 hundred operatives. In 1890 the company 
 was incorporated, with Mr. Rogers as presi- 
 dent. Mr. Rogers withdrew from the enter- 
 prise about six months later; and early in 1891 
 he and his brother, John Rogers, established 
 the Clinton Worsted Company. This firm, 
 which began work with forty hands, now em- 
 ploys two hundred operatives, occupies two 
 large buildings, and daily produces thirteen 
 hundred yards of worsted of different weights. 
 The worsteds, which are sold throughout the 
 United States, were awarded a medal and di- 
 ploma at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. 
 Notwithstanding the present business depres- 
 sion, the factory has continued in active opera- 
 tion ; and the returning prosperity, which is 
 already making itself felt in every branch of 
 business, will no doubt cause a heavier de- 
 mand upon its capacity. 
 
 In 1877 Mr. Rogers married Mary Connell, 
 a native of Ennis, Ireland. Mrs. Rogers is 
 the mother of four children — John Gray, Nora 
 Clementine, William Rogers, Jr., and Arthur 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 333 
 
 H. Rogers. Mr. Rogers is connected with 
 Trinity Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Clinton Cliapter, 
 Royal Arch Masons; with the Comraandery 
 and Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of 
 the Prescott Club. In politics he is a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 HOSMER, the treasurer of the 
 Templeton Savings Bank in Baldwins- 
 ville, was born in Templeton, Feb- 
 ruary 2, 1842. A son of Asa and 
 Lucy P. (Bryant) Hosmer, he comes of one of 
 the oldest families in the town. His great- 
 grandfather, Josiah Hosmer, came to this vi- 
 cinity from Concord, Mass., and settled upon 
 a farm. The grandfather, Asa Hosmer, first, 
 was a prosperous farmer and a lifelong resident 
 of this town. Asa Hosmer, second, the 
 father, who was born in Templeton, March 
 29, 179s, tilled the soil energetically from 
 early manhood until his death, which occurred 
 in 1869. He won the good will of his fellow- 
 townsmen by his many commendable qualities. 
 Politically, he supported the Democratic party. 
 Lucy P. Hosmer, his wife, who was born in 
 Templeton, May 11, 181 8, had seven chil- 
 dren, three of whom are living. These are: 
 Asa, the subject of this sketch; Oscar, a resi- 
 dent of VVenham, Mass., and the financial edi- 
 tor of the Boston Herald; and Frank L. 
 Hosmer, a well-known hot-house gardener of 
 this town. The others were: Geraldine, Na- 
 than, Flora, and James, who died young. The 
 mother is also deceased. After receiving his 
 education in the public schools and at the 
 academy in New Ipswich, N.H., the subject 
 of this biography obtained employment in the 
 chair factory of Sawyer, Thompson & Perley, 
 with whom he remained eight years, having 
 charge of the cane department for the greater 
 part of the time. For the succeeding ten 
 years he was a member of the firm of E. Saw- 
 yer & Co., furniture manufacturers of Bald- 
 winsville. Chosen treasurer of the Temple- 
 ton Savings Bank in 1880, he has ably filled 
 that position up to the present time. Another 
 of his occupations is that of local representa- 
 tive of twelve reliable insurance companies, 
 and in the capacity of Justice of the Peace he 
 
 has been employed to settle many estates. On 
 January 6, 1868, he contracted his first mar- 
 riage with Maria L. Moore, who died in 1888. 
 His second and present wife, whom he wedded 
 August 6, 1889, was formerly Isabella San- 
 ders, of Templeton. She has given birth to 
 two children — -Asa Hosmer, Jr., and Kath- 
 leen S. Hosmer. 
 
 Mr. Hosmer is a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. In politics he is a Republi- 
 can, and he has served upon the School Com- 
 mittee for the past sixteen years. He is a 
 member of Narragansett Lodge, No. 222, 
 I. O. O. F. ; of Star Lodge, No. 20, Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen, of Baldwinsville; 
 of Tribe No. 48, Improved Order of Red Men ; 
 and of Crystal Lodge, No. 1072, Knights and 
 Ladies of Honor, of Gardner, Mass. As a 
 business man he is reliable, alert, and progres- 
 sive; and the present prosperous condition of 
 the savings-bank speaks well for his ability as 
 a financier. 
 
 LSON J. GREENWOOD, one of the 
 most prosperous farmers and promi- 
 nent residents of Hubbardston, was 
 born here, September 27, 1829, son 
 of Silas and Julia (Daniels) Greenwood. The 
 paternal grandfather was Abijah Greenwood, 
 who came from Holden to Hubbardston about 
 the year 1770. Settling in the eastern part of 
 the town, upon the farm where his grandson 
 was born, he resided here until his death, 
 which occurred January 9, 1814, at the age of 
 sixty-five years. He was Town Treasurer 
 from 1800 to 1803 and again in 1809; and he 
 was a Selectman in 1780, 1783, 1787, 1792, 
 and 1794. In politics he acted with the 
 Whig party. He attended the Unitarian 
 church. The maiden name of his first wife, 
 whom he married July 14, 1774, and who died 
 July 16, 1782, was Rhoda Pond. On Octo- 
 ber 3, 1783, he married Elizabeth Marean, 
 who died February 15, 1814. 
 
 Silas Greenwood, who was born in Hub- 
 bardston, November 19, 1786, learned the 
 millwright's trade, and followed it for some 
 time. Eventually he returned to the home- 
 stead for the purpose of caring for his parents 
 
334 
 
 BIOGRAPFilCAL REVIEW 
 
 during their declining years. In 1837 he 
 moved from there to the farm now owned by 
 his son. He held various town office.s, includ- 
 ing that of Selectman, which he occupied for 
 upward of thirteen years; and he was a member 
 of the State legislature in 1835. In politics 
 he voted with the Whig party. He was a 
 member of the Unitarian church. His death 
 occurred March 12, 1857. Julia Greenwood, 
 his wife, who was a native of Hopkinton, 
 Mass., gave birth to nine children, namely: 
 Joseph E., on March 14, 1813, who died Au- 
 gust 31, 1872; Abijah H., December 28, 
 1814, who died January 3, 1864; Silas M., 
 October 21, 1817, who resides in Hubbards- 
 ton ; Harriett, August 12, 1819, who died Au- 
 gust 18 of the same year; Julia, October 27, 
 1820, who lives in Hubbardston; Abigail D., 
 June 12, 1823, who also resides in Hubbards- 
 ton; Harriett, second, April 15, 1825, who is 
 no longer living; Hannah, August 24, 1827, 
 who is a resident of this town; and Alson J,, 
 the subject of this sketch. The mother died 
 January 9, 1864, aged seventy-one years. 
 
 Alson J. Greenwood was educated in the 
 town schools. He assisted in carrying on the 
 farm until nearly twenty-one years old, and 
 what money he earned by doing outside work 
 he gave to his father. Subsequently he 
 learned the shoemaker's trade, and followed it 
 for about five years. At the end of that period 
 he returned to the homestead, and after his 
 father' s death succeeded to the property by 
 purchasing the interest of the other heirs. 
 The farm proper contains one hundred and eight 
 acres of well-improved land. Conjointly with 
 his son, he owns some outlying property amount- 
 ing to about two hundred acres, and is inter- 
 ested in the lumber business. In 1853 Mr. 
 Greenwood was joined in marriage with 
 Martha G. Moulton, who was born in Hub- 
 bardston, July 9, 1833, daughter of Sewell and 
 Polly Moulton. Mrs. Greenwood is the 
 mother of five children, namely: S. Elliott, 
 M.D., who was born September 15, 1853; 
 Silas A., born December 6, 1854; Arthur D., 
 born May 23, 1858; Grace, born Februarys' 
 1862; and Harrison, born August 31, 1863. 
 Arthur D. Greenwood is associated with his 
 father in farming, stock-raising, and lumber- 
 
 ing. In politics Mr. Greenwood is a Demo- 
 crat. He was elected Assessor in 1875 ^nd 
 1878, and he has been a member of the board 
 continuously since 1881. For the greater part 
 of the time from 1872 to 1896 he was a Select- 
 man, being the chairman of that body for three 
 years. He also served as Tax Collector and 
 Overseer of the Poor. In Hubbardston 
 Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, he has occu- 
 pied the Master's and Overseer's chairs, and 
 he takes an active interest in the general wel- 
 fare of the community. He attends the Uni- 
 tarian church, and is a member of the society. 
 
 AMES PERKINS PAINE, of Worces- 
 ter, Mass., was born December 16, 
 1827, on the estate where he now re- 
 sides. He is a son of the late Fred- 
 erick William Paine, a gentleman of means 
 and a useful and highly esteemed citizen, for 
 many years prominent in town affairs; and he 
 is a descendant in the eighth generation of 
 Stephen Paine, Sr., who crossed the Atlantic 
 in the ship "Diligence" in 1638, bringing 
 with him his wife, Ro.se, their three sons, 
 and four servants. 
 
 Stephen Paine, Sr., came from Great 
 Ellingham, near Hingham, Norfolk County, 
 England. He settled at Hingham, in the 
 Province of Massachusetts Bay, where he had a 
 land grant, and in 1639 was made a freeman. 
 In 1641 he was a Deputy to the General Court. 
 In 1643, in company with four of his neigh- 
 bors, he removed to Seekonk, Bristol County, 
 Mass., and, taking up a large tract of land, 
 became one of the leading settlers there, as is 
 proved by the early town records, in which his 
 name appears frequently, and in which it is 
 shown that his estate was in that year valued 
 at five hundred and thirty five pounds sterling. 
 In 1645 he was elected a Deputy to the Plym- 
 outh Court, a position which he held sixteen 
 consecutive years. He survived King Philip's 
 War, and died in January, 1677, soon after the 
 death of two of his sons. 
 
 Another son, Stephen Paine, Jr., born in 
 1629, was but nine years old when be arrived 
 in New England with his parents. He ac- 
 tively participated in King Philip's War, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL RKVIliW 
 
 335 
 
 contributed liberally toward the local expenses 
 incurred at that time. He was an early set- 
 tler of Rehoboth, Mass., where he died in 
 1 7 10, leaving a widow and five sons. Na- 
 thaniel Paine, Sr., one of the five, was born in 
 Rehoboth, October i8, i66i. In his early 
 manhood he became one of the pioneer propri- 
 etors of Bristol, R. I., where he afterward 
 served as Selectman, and in 1710 was ap- 
 pointed one of the Judges of the Court of Com- 
 mon Pleas for Rhode Island. He was also 
 Probate Judge for Bristol County five year.s, 
 and was one of the Council of Massachusetts 
 Bay from 1703 until his death in 1723. He 
 married Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Eben- 
 ezer Williams, and by this union had one 
 child, Nathaniel, Jr., who was born in Bristol, 
 R.L, March 9, 1688. Nathaniel Paine, Jr., 
 married Dorothy, daughter of Jonathan Rains - 
 ford, of Boston. 
 
 Timothy Paine, born in Bristol, R.L, July 
 30, 1730, son of Nathaniel, Jr., and Dorothy 
 Paine, was the fifth in this line of descent 
 from the original American ancestor, and was 
 the founder of the Worcester branch of the 
 Paine family. He came here from Bristol 
 with his mother and her second husband, the 
 Hon. John Chandler, in 1740. In 1748 he was 
 graduated from Harvard College as the fifth in 
 his class, which at that time was graded ac- 
 cording to the dignity of the families repre- 
 sented. In 1749 he married Sarah, daughter 
 of the Hon. John Chandler. In 1751 he was 
 appointed Clerk of the Court of Probate, from 
 1754 till 1764 he was Town Clerk, from 1765 
 until 1768 he was one of His Majesty's Coun- 
 cil, from 1761 until 1775 he served as Register 
 of Deeds, and from 1785 until 1788 he was a 
 Representative to the General Court. He was 
 an extensive landholder, owning more than 
 three hundred acres of land on Lincoln Street, 
 where, just before the breaking out of the 
 Revolutionary War, he began the erection of a 
 house, which was not completed until after the 
 close of the struggle for independence. The 
 Paine family were Tories, or loyalists, their 
 sympathies being with the Crown ; and in 1774 
 he was appointed under the new Acts of Parlia- 
 ment one of His Majesty's Mandamus Coun- 
 cillors. This was specially obnoxious to the 
 
 large majority of \\'orcester patriots ; and, 
 though he personally was held in high esteem, 
 the feeling against the Tories was so bitter 
 that he resigned the office after recei\ing a 
 visit on August 23, 1774, from fifteen hun- 
 dred or more of his fellow-townsmen. He and 
 his wife subsequently gave a large dinner party 
 to the court and the bar, and among the guests 
 of prominence invited by Judge and Mrs. 
 Paine was John Adams. 
 
 William Paine, ]\I.D., the sixth in the an- 
 cestral line, son of Timothy and Sarah (Chand- 
 ler) Paine, was born on the old homestead in 
 Worcester, June 5, 1750, and was graduated 
 from Harvard College in 1768, standing the 
 second in his class. He subsequently studied 
 medicine with Dr. Edward Holyoke, of Salem, 
 ]\Iass., and in 1771 began the practice of his 
 profession in Worcester, where in 1772 he 
 opened the first apothecary store established in 
 Worcester County, becoming head of the firm 
 of Paine & Co. A loyalist, he went to Eng- 
 land soon after the resolutions adopted in Au- 
 gust, 1774, and remained abroad until the fol- 
 lowing spring. Returning home soon after 
 the battle of Lexington, he found that he had 
 been denounced as a Tory. He again sailed 
 for Liverpool, where he studied and practised 
 in the hospitals until appointed to the office of 
 apothecary to the English forces in America. 
 He received the degree of Doctor of iMedicine 
 from Marischal College, Aberdeen, Scotland. 
 In the summer of 1784 he took possession of 
 an estate on Passamaquoddy Bay presented to 
 him by the English government for his ser- 
 vices; but, finding he could not there educate 
 his children as he wished, he removed in 1785 
 to St. John, N. B. , where he was afterward 
 elected to the Assembly and made clerk of the 
 House. In 1787 he removed to Salem, ;\Iass., 
 and on the death of his father he returned to 
 Worcester. Here he occupied the parental 
 estate, which on account of the forests near 
 was called the Oaks, until his death, April 19, 
 1833. Dr. Paine and his wife, Lois Orne, 
 the daughter of a Salem merchant who was en- 
 gaged in the East India trade, reared six chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Frederick William Paine, their youngest 
 child, was born in Salem, J\lass. , I\Iay 23, 
 
33^ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1788, and in 1793 came with his parents to 
 Worcester. Ten years later, in 1803, he en- 
 tered Harvard, but at the end of nine months 
 he left the college to engage in a mercantile 
 career. Engaging in commerce with foreign 
 countries, he made voyages around the world, 
 embarking in 1806 and again in 1809, visiting 
 China and other important ports. From 181 8 
 until 1822 he represented the American house 
 of James & Thomas Perkins in London, Eng- 
 land. In 1826 he returned to .Worcester as a 
 permanent resident, and during the remainder 
 of his life was actively interested in local pub- 
 lic affairs. In 1829 he was a Representative 
 to the General Court, during the greater part 
 of the time from 1827 until 1839 he was one 
 of the Selectmen of the town, and from 1829 
 until 1848 was an Assessor. A great lover of 
 flowers and plants, he was very successful in 
 their cultivation, and took great pleasure in 
 laying out his spacious grounds and adorning 
 them with choice plants of all descriptions. 
 For many years he was a leading member and 
 the treasurer of the Worcester County Horti- 
 cultural Society. He possessed excellent lit- 
 erary tastes, and collected a valuable library 
 of several thousand volumes, which is still pre- 
 served in the old homestead owned by his son, 
 the Rev. George Sturgis Paine. 
 
 Frederick William Paine married May 5, 
 1822, Ann Gushing Sturgis, a daughter of the 
 Hon. Russell and Elizabeth (Perkins) Sturgis. 
 Six children blessed this union, and three of 
 them are now living, namely : Elizabeth, widow 
 of Henry Parkman Sturgis, of Salem, Mass. ; 
 James Perkins, the subject of this sketch; 
 and the Rev. George Sturgis Paine, of the 
 Episcopal church, who has for several years 
 passed much of his time in Europe. Fred- 
 erick William Paine died September 16, 1869. 
 Mrs. Paine survived her husband until 1892, 
 when she died at an advanced age. She was 
 one of a family of sixteen children. 
 
 James Perkins Paine was educated in the 
 schools of Worcester and Northboro. As a 
 young man he made frequent voyages to India 
 on business, but since his marriage he has re- 
 sided most of the time in this city. On May 
 II, 1855, Mr. Paine married Sarah L., daugh- 
 ter of Otis and Sarah Loring (House) Turner 
 
 of Boston, Mass., where her father was a well- 
 known bank official. Mr. and Mrs. Paine 
 have four children : Lois Orne, who was 
 named for her great-grandmother; Rose 
 Chandler; Russell Sturgis; and Alice. 
 
 OHN HAPGOOD BROOKS, a well- 
 known dairy farmer of Worcester, re- 
 siding in Ward One, son of John Hap- 
 good and Olive (Morse) Brooks, was 
 born at Chadwick Square, near by, on May 9, 
 1849. The paternal grandfather, who bore 
 the same name as himself, born in Princeton, 
 Mass., in 1778, died on October 18, 1864. 
 This ancestor's wife, whose maiden name was 
 Tabitha Lovell, died on September 26, 1863, 
 at the age of eighty-three. Both were buried 
 in Princeton, Mass, Of their eight or nine 
 children, four sons and two daughters grew to 
 maturity. The only surviving son, James 
 Oliver Brooks, now over sixty-five years old, 
 resides in Minnesota. 
 
 John Hapgood Brooks, Sr., was born in 
 Princeton, January 3, 1809. On May 4, 
 1837, he m.arried Olive, a native of Dedham 
 and a daughter of Lewis and Nabby (Fisher) 
 Morse. She died in 1871, aged fifty-five, 
 leaving only one of her eight children. The 
 father was again married in 1873 to Lydia 
 Eveline Keyes, of West Boylston. By this 
 union there is one. son, Albert Raymond 
 Brooks, who resides with his mother on a part 
 of the farm. The father came to Worcester 
 in 1837, and engaged in farming and black- 
 smithing at Greendale. His shop was located 
 in Chadwick Square, where he owned con- 
 siderable property. Soon after 1850 he 
 bought a farm of forty acres here, which he 
 subsequently enlarged until it covered about 
 one hundred and fifty acres. Though he 
 started in life poor, having only a small patri- 
 mony, he succeeded in acquiring a comfortable 
 competency. In politics he was a Republi- 
 can. He was a member of the Worcester 
 Common Council and in 1856 of the State 
 legislature. For many years he was a Deacon 
 in the Central Congregational Church and 
 tor some time the superintendent pf itg Sun- 
 day-school. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 337 
 
 Mr. Brooks, the subject of this sketch, has 
 lived on the home farm since he was six years 
 of age. On October 2, 1872, he was united 
 in marriage with Ella Ball, of Holden, a 
 daughter of Israel Manning and Mary (New- 
 ton) Ball. She has been the mother of nine 
 children, of whom two died in infancy. The 
 rest are: Olive Marion, John Hapgood, Jr., 
 Alice Warren, Ida Louise, Lewis Manning, 
 Hazel Newton, and Roger Emerson. Olive, 
 who resides with her parents, has decided 
 musical taste. John Hapgood, Jr., is on his 
 second year in the Worcester Polytechnic 
 School, being a member of the class of igoo. 
 Alice Warren is in Middlebury College, Ver- 
 mont. Ida Louise and Lewis are students in 
 the high school. The two younger children 
 attend the graded school in this district. 
 
 Mr. Brooks has been interested in the milk 
 business ever since he engaged in farming, 
 and during the past twenty-one years he has 
 had a milk route in the city of Worcester. 
 He keeps a dairy of about twenty cows, also 
 four horses, and grows all the fodder he uses. 
 During the winter he is supplied with green 
 fodder from his silo. Both he and his wife 
 are members of the Central Congregational 
 Church. Though Mr. Brooks has not been a 
 robust man, he is energetic, and has been suc- 
 cessful in business. 
 
 'ERENO EDWARD FAY, a prom- 
 inent and well-to-do citizen of 
 Athol, a retired tradesman, was 
 born here on the old Elder Fay 
 farm, September 12, 1833, son of Elder 
 Lysander and Priscilla Elvira (Chamberlain) 
 Fay. He is a descendant in the seventh gen- 
 eration of John Fay, who was born in Eng- 
 land, came to this country in 1656, when 
 eight years old, and died in Marlboro, Mass., 
 in 1690. 
 
 The following is a brief record of the an- 
 cestral line as traced by Mr. Orlin P. Fay, 
 genealogist, of Vermontville, Mich. : John 
 Fay' had four children by his first wife, Mary 
 Brigham, and four by his second, Mrs. Su- 
 sanna Morse, a widow; Samuel,^ born in 1673, 
 married Tabitha Ward, and bad seven chil- 
 
 dren; Samuel, 3 born in 1705, had fourteen 
 children by his first wife. Deliverance Shat- 
 tuck, and eleven by his second, Mrs. Eliza- 
 beth Hastings Cutler; Solomon, ■• born in 
 1734, settled in Athol, married Mary Pratt, 
 and had eleven children; Artemas,5 born in 
 1767, married Delight Cleveland, and had 
 three children — Emerson, Lysander, and 
 Sabra. Lysander,^ born May 3, 1805, mar- 
 ried Priscilla E. Chamberlain. 
 
 Solomon Fay was a soldier in the French 
 and Indian War, and was in the battle of 
 Abraham's Heights, Quebec, when Wolfe and 
 Montcalm were killed. He came to Athol 
 from Shrewsbury ; and a deed from the Massa- 
 chusetts Bay Colony, under King George, to a 
 grant of land in Athol some two miles west of 
 the village lately known as the Elder Fay 
 farm, is the authority for placing the date of 
 his settlement here in 1760. His wife, who 
 died in 1837, at the age of ninety -four, is re- 
 membered by Mr. Sereno E. Fay. Their eld- 
 est son, Artemas, lived on a portion of the 
 original farm. He died in 1853, aged eighty- 
 six, and his wife died in 1854, aged eighty- 
 four. 
 
 Their elder son, Emerson, Jived mainly in 
 New Salem, Franklin County, but began mar- 
 ried life on the old homestead in Athol. He 
 was a successful school teacher. He served 
 as Selectman and in other town offices. He 
 also was Representative to the State legislat- 
 ure, and he settled many estates. He died at 
 the age of fifty-nine. He had a son, Farwell 
 F., and a daughter, Celestina, widow of 
 Thomas Babbitt at Athol. Farwell F. Fay 
 was a teacher in the common and high schools 
 and a successful lawyer, and he served as a 
 Representative to the legislature. In the 
 Civil War he went to the front as Captain of 
 a company in the Fifty-third Massachusetts 
 Regiment. His son, William E. Fay, is a 
 broker at 60 State Street, Boston. 
 
 Lysander Fay,* father of Sereno Edward 
 Fay of this sketch, spent many years as a 
 teacher, and taught over one hundred and 
 twenty different district, select, and writing 
 schools. He was a licensed preacher in the 
 Baptist church at twenty-four years of age. 
 lyater he was prdained as a minister, and 
 
338 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 preached fifty years. The Baptist house of 
 worship here was built through his influence. 
 He was very popular, not only in his own but 
 also in other denominations, and often sought 
 after to conduct funerals and attend weddings. 
 He was a fluent, sympathetic speaker, and 
 after he retired from public labors was called 
 out to offer prayer at various gatherings. Be- 
 sides his work as a teacher and a preacher he 
 had a saw-mill and carried on a large farm, 
 that is now known as the Elder Fay farm, at- 
 tending to these duties during the day and 
 writing his sermons at night. He adhered to 
 the literal interpretation of the Bible. His 
 judgment was often relied upon in the settle- 
 ment of disputes. He was an early aboli- 
 tionist. He served in the Massachusetts 
 legislature and on the School Committee for 
 a number of years. For ten years he lived 
 in the village, practically retired. He and 
 his brother, Emerson Fay, were married the 
 same day in 1830, at different places in New 
 Salem. They brought their wives home, and 
 began housekeeping in the same house on the 
 Fay homestead; and their children were all 
 born there. Lysander and Priscilla E. Fay 
 celebrated their golden wedding in 1880. He 
 died July 9, 1881. She died February 5, 
 1898, aged ninety-one years and five months. 
 Eight children were the fruit of their union, 
 and all but one daughter were living when the 
 father died. His funeral was observed by the 
 general closing of the business places. 
 
 Sereno Edward Fay completed his education 
 in the New Salem and Shelburne Falls Acad- 
 emies. At eighteen he began teaching, his 
 first school being in New Salem. He fol- 
 lowed this occupation in Athol and in other 
 towns for five years, then engaged in general 
 mercantile business here, which he followed 
 for twenty-seven years. The first five years 
 he was alone. He was then joined by his 
 brother, O. A. Fay, with whom he conducted 
 stores at Athol and Athol Centre, under the 
 names of S. E. Fay & Co. and Fay Brothers. 
 They did a jobbing business, chiefly in gro- 
 ceries, amounting some years to one hundred 
 thousand dollars. Since he retired from mer- 
 cantile business, about 1888, he has devoted 
 his time to the care of his property. In 1895 
 
 he and his brother, O. A. Fay, went abroad, 
 took a cruise in the Mediterranean, and visited 
 Palestine, Italy, France, England, Belgium, 
 and other places. He brought home many 
 souvenirs from the Mount of Olives, Pisa, 
 Switzerland, V^enice, and places previously 
 mentioned, and has one of the most interest- 
 ing collections to be found in this vicinity. 
 He wrote some forty letters about their trip, 
 which were printed in the local papers, and 
 has delivered lectures upon the places he 
 visited in many of the churches in this part of 
 the State. 
 
 On May i, 1862, Mr. Fay was married to 
 Emma P. Holton, of Gill (Mount Hermon), 
 Mass. They have two sons: Frederick Hol- 
 ton Fay, in business at Athol Centre; and 
 Pearlie Everett Fay, connected with Wood's 
 Hotel and eating-houses in Greenfield, 
 Mass. 
 
 Mr. Fay served on the School Committee 
 several years, until he refused re-election. 
 He has been identified with the Athol Baptist 
 Church from a child, has served as its clerk 
 for twenty-five years, and is one of its most 
 liberal supporters. He has taken much in- 
 terest in the work of the Sunday-school, was 
 superintendent a number of years, and presi- 
 dent eight years of the Miller's River Baptist 
 Sunday-school Convention. He has attended 
 five national Baptist conventions. 
 
 T^LESSON KENNEY, of Leominster, 
 I V^ manufacturer of doors, sashes, blinds, 
 
 V^ ^ etc., was born in this town in May, 
 1839, son of Timothy Pickering 
 and Louisa (Chapman) Kenney. His great- 
 grandfather, Jethro Kenney, came from Scot- 
 land and settled in Salem, Mass., where he 
 worked at shoemaking. Jethro Kenney's 
 son, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, 
 was a prominent resident of Billerica, where 
 he died at the age of thirty-five years. 
 
 Timothy P. Kenney had three sisters and 
 two half-sisters, one of his sisters being Mrs. 
 Harriet Cleaves, of Reading. Though by 
 trade a shoemaker, he has during the past 
 few years given his attention to farming. In 
 early life he resided at Billerica and Dun- 
 
ELBRIDGE G. CARLTON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 341 
 
 stable, Mass., and in HoUis, N.H. ; but in 
 1837 he removed to Leominster, and bought 
 the farm where he now resides. Mrs. Ken- 
 ney, the mother of the subject of this sketch, 
 died in 1887. One of her daughters is living, 
 and two sons — Clesson and Clarence, the 
 latter being also a resident of Leominster. 
 The sister is the wife of Dexter Butterfield, 
 of Dunstable, Mass. 
 
 Clesson Kenney began his working life in a 
 grocery store in South Reading, now Wake- 
 field. At the end of a year he went to work 
 in a tub and pail shop in Leominster. In 
 1865 he found employment in a lumber-yard, 
 where he remained for nine years. In 1874 
 he started his present business with Joseph G. 
 Tenney, under the firm name of Tenney & 
 Kenney, and since 1893 has been the sole 
 proprietor. During the last twenty-two years 
 the business has more than doubled in propor- 
 tions, and the reputation which the firm early 
 acquired for turning out only first-class work 
 has been not only well sustained, but, if 
 possible, surpassed. All sorts of appliances 
 used in house building, above the foundation, 
 are made in the factory, including doors, 
 sashes, blinds, and frames. 
 
 On September 2, 1862, Mr. Kenney en- 
 listed in the Union army, in which he served 
 for one year, being discharged September 3, 
 1863. His regiment, the Fifty-third Massa- 
 chusetts Regiment, from Shirley, was assigned 
 to the Department of the Gulf, and took part 
 in the memorable struggles at Fort Bisland 
 and at Donaldsonville, and also in the siege of 
 Port Hudson. He entered as a private sol- 
 dier, but in May was commissioned Second 
 Lieutenant of Company D. After his return 
 home a company of militia was formed; and 
 he was chosen Captain of Company K, Tenth 
 Massachusetts Regiment. Mr. Kenney takes 
 an active interest in all matters pertaining to 
 the G. A. R., and has occupied all the chairs 
 in the local body of that organization. 
 
 He was married in 1864 to Eldora F., 
 daughter of Lewis Blood, of Shirley, Mass., 
 and has one son and two daughters, namely : 
 Louis N., who is a student at River-view Mil- 
 itary Academy, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. ; Grace 
 Eldora and Ethel Adelaide, who are attending 
 
 school in Leominster. Mr. Kenney is a trus- 
 tee of the savings-bank and a member of its 
 Investment Committee. In politics a Repub- 
 lican, since 1889 he has served on the School 
 Board of Leominster. He is a member of the 
 Board of Trade of Leominster, of the Leom- 
 inster Club, and of Lodge No. 86, Inde- 
 pendent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
 LBRIDGE G. CARLTON, one of the 
 leading residents of Leicester, who is 
 extensively engaged in the manu- 
 facture of flannels as senior member of the 
 firm of E. G. Carlton & Sons, was born May 
 6, 1820, in North Andover, Mass., of sub- 
 stantia] English ancestry. His father, Chris- 
 topher Carlton, a lifelong resident of North- 
 Andover, was a prosperous agriculturist, who 
 also worked at the cooper's trade. His wife, 
 Mary Farnham Carlton, was also a native of 
 Andover, and there spent her life. 
 
 Elbridge G. Carlton passed his youth on 
 the home farm, attending the district school 
 and the village academy. On attaining his 
 majority he gave up farming, for which he had 
 no special liking, and secured a situation 
 with Johnson, Sewell & Co., commission 
 merchants in Boston, with whom he remained 
 eleven years. Coming then to Rochdale, or 
 Clappville, as it was then called, he became 
 book-keeper for Ebenezer Dale, the proprietor 
 of the Clappville Mills. After the mills 
 changed hands and were renamed the Roch- 
 dale Mills, he acted as agent of the new com- 
 pany, in addition to taking charge of its 
 books, for a continuous period of thirty-five 
 years. Purchasing then the Upper mill of the 
 Rochdale plant, Mr. Carlton and his sons, 
 under the present firm name, have since con- 
 tinued the manufacture of flannels with great 
 success. 
 
 A generous, public-spirited man, Mr. Carl- 
 ton has always taken an active interest in the 
 welfare of the town. He rendered it excel- 
 lent service as Selectman, being the chairman 
 of the board for a number of years, and as one 
 of the School Committee. He has also been 
 Justice of the Peace for a period of some 
 thirty-five or more years. In politics he 
 
342 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 is a Democrat with independent proclivities, 
 and was a candidate for Representative to the 
 General Court on the Democratic ticket. He 
 is a regular attendant of the Episcopal Church 
 of Rochdale, and contributes generously 
 toward its support. 
 
 On January 14, 1856, he married Miss 
 Susan Stoyle, who was born in England. 
 They have four children; namely,, Dale, Ever- 
 ett, Elbridge S., and Mary J. 
 
 SEWIS ROWLAND, who owns and cul- 
 tivates the old Howland homestead in 
 __ Brookfield, was born where he now 
 resides, November 21, 1837, son of 
 James and Melinda A. (Henshaw) Howland. 
 His parents were natives of this town; and his 
 grandfather, James Howland, whose birth took 
 place in Spencer, Mass., was a son of John 
 Howland, an early settler in that town. The 
 Howland farm in Brookfield was formerly 
 owned by the grandfather, who was the first of 
 the family to settle here. James Howland, 
 the father, cultivated the property during his 
 active period, residing here until his death, 
 which occurred September 5, 1893. He was 
 widely known throughout this section as an 
 industrious farmer and a useful citizen. In 
 politics he was a Democrat. 
 
 Lewis Howland was educated in the public 
 schools of his native town. Since reaching 
 manhood he has given his attention to general 
 farming at the old homestead, which contains 
 about one hundred and fifty acres of desirably 
 located land, and which he inherited after his 
 father's death. 
 
 On April 20, 1858, Mr. Howland was 
 united in marriage with Jane M. Henshaw, of 
 Brookfield, daughter of Dexter and Nancy 
 (Nichols) Henshaw. Mrs. Rowland's father 
 was a native of this town, and her mother of 
 Sturbridge, Mass. The Henshaw family have 
 long been resident in Brookfield. The grand- 
 father, Thomas Henshaw, was a Revolution- 
 ary soldier. Dexter Henshaw died September 
 29, 188 1, having survived his wife, whose 
 death occurred October 22, 1874. Two of 
 their children are living: Jane M., who is 
 now Mrs. Howland; and Clara, wife of 
 
 Charles Hooker, of Brookfield. In politics 
 Mr. Howland is a Democrat. He has twice 
 been a candidate for Selectman, and under the 
 old law he served with ability as Road Sur- 
 veyor. As a farmer he is energetic and pros- 
 perous, and displays an intelligent interest in 
 all matters of importance to the community. 
 
 OMER R. KING, a farmer and stock 
 1^ dealer of Worcester, residing in the 
 .<■> I Eighth Ward, was born June 4, 
 1846, in Ludlow, Mass., son of 
 Marvin and Eunice B. (Alden) King. The 
 paternal grandfather, a Connecticut farmer, 
 was a minute-man in the early days of the 
 Revolution, being then sixteen or seventeen 
 years old. His wife, the grandmother, died 
 about the year 1863, nearly ninety years old. 
 Of the six sons and six daughters born to 
 them, one daughter is living, Mrs. Panthea 
 Chaffee, now eighty years old. 
 
 Marvin King, who was the youngest child 
 of his parents, has resided for sixty-five years 
 on his large farm in Ludlow, Mass. Born in 
 Somers, Conn., January 20, 1807, he is still 
 active and in excellent health. He is a de- 
 voted member of the Methodist church. His 
 first wife, in maidenhood Eunice Brown 
 Alden, who died in 1873, at the age of sixty- 
 one, was of the eighth generation descended 
 in a direct line from the John Alden who 
 came in the "Mayflower." The second wife, 
 whose maiden name was Julia A. Chapin, is 
 living on the old farm. His children num- 
 bered twelve, all born of the first marriage. 
 Two sons died at the ages of two and three 
 years respectively. Five sons and five daugh- 
 ters grew to maturity; namely, Mary M., 
 Henry M., Ann Frances, Samuel A., Arthur 
 D., Julia J., Homer R., Olive E., Fred A. F., 
 and Lelia I. The first named of these, who 
 was the wife of Justus B. Alden, died at the 
 age of thirty-seven, leaving two children. 
 Henry resides in Springfield. Ann Frances, 
 who was the wife of Charles H. Knapp, of 
 Holyoke, died at the age of sixty, leaving one 
 son. Samuel, who is now engaged in mining 
 in Colorado, was an Orderly Sergeant in the 
 First California Volunteer Infantry, under 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 343 
 
 Colonel Baker, and was nine times wounded. 
 Arthur D., who resided in Ludlow, was a vol- 
 unteer in the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts 
 Infantry, and has one son. Julia J. is the 
 wife of Ansel Prouty, and resides in Belcher- 
 town. Olive E., who resides in Springfield, 
 is the wife of Charles Wooley, and has sev- 
 eral children. Fred A. F. King, who is un- 
 married, lives with the subject of this sketch. 
 Lelia is the wife of Edward P. Miller, of 
 Ludlow. 
 
 After withdrawing from the high school of 
 his native town Homer R. King for a time 
 was engaged in teaching penmanship. In 
 1863, when only sixteen years of age, he vol- 
 unteered from Ludlow, and was mustered into 
 the Twenty-seventh Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Volunteers, Company I. He was in the Civil 
 War until its close, actively serving for most 
 of the time at the front. On June 4, 1864, 
 at the battle of Cold Harbor, he was wounded 
 in the jaw by a gunshot; and on July 18 of 
 the same year, in front of Pittsburg, he was 
 similarly wounded in the hand. In all he 
 was in fifteen battles of the Potomac cam- 
 paign, and was in the hospital for three 
 months. Also in the war, besides his two 
 brothers, were two brothers-in-law, both of 
 whom were wounded. He returned home in 
 June, 1865, and in the following March went 
 to Fair Play in South Park, Col., where for 
 nearly three years subsequently he was en- 
 gaged in placer gold mining, working during 
 a part of the time for others. He was ap- 
 pointed Justice of the Peace, Trial Justice, 
 and Deputy County Clerk of Jefferson 
 County, Colorado. This last position he 
 held until he came East, intending then to 
 return to Colorado. His marriage caused 
 him to abandon the latter purpose. He has 
 been on his present farm of one hundred and 
 forty acres for the last eighteen years, exten- 
 sively engaged in buying and selling cattle, 
 sometimes handling as many as a thousand in 
 a year. His sales are mostly made to the 
 wholesale trade for slaughter. He keeps a 
 dairy of from forty to a hundred cows. 
 
 On December 2, 1869, Mr. King was 
 united in marriage with Hattie L. Ward, of 
 Worcester, a daughter of Edward L. and Har- 
 
 riet A. (Fisk) Ward, of Millbury, both of 
 whom are now deceased. Mr. Ward, who 
 was a machinist and the owner of some real 
 estate, died in 1890,- at the age of seventy- 
 five. His wife died on September 30, 1897, 
 at the age of eighty. One other daughter of 
 theirs is living, Mrs. Julia M. Tompkins, who 
 resides in Worcester at 9 Gardner Street. 
 Mrs. King received her education in the 
 Worcester High School. Her daughter, 
 Mabel, who is the wife of George M. Coe, 
 has one daughter, Muriel, now five months 
 old. Mr. King served in the Common Coun- 
 cil for three years, and also for three years 
 on the Board of Aldermen. He is a Mason 
 of the sixteenth degree and a member of the 
 Grand Army Post, of the grange, and of the 
 Order of American Mechanics. 
 
 fHOMAS STOWE EATON, a leading 
 dairyman of Auburn, Mass., was born 
 in this place on July 2, 1832. A son 
 of Thomas and Hannah (Pierce) Eaton, he 
 comes of remote Scottish ancestry. (For an 
 account of his genealogy see the biography of 
 his brother, Joseph P. Eaton.) He was 
 reared on his father's farm, and attended the 
 public schools until he was about fourteen 
 years old, when he entered Nichols Academy 
 at Dudley. Later he was a student in 
 Worcester Academy. He was rugged and ro- 
 bust until about eighteen years of age, when 
 he broke down on account of overwork, and for 
 about two years was in poor health. When 
 twenty years of age he began working at 
 house carpentering with his cousin, and sub- 
 sequently he worked in the sash and blind 
 business for a short time in Millbury and 
 Worcester. Later he was employed at finish- 
 ing passenger cars. After this, feeling the 
 necessity of outdoor employment, he gave up 
 all others, and devoted himself to establishing 
 a milk route in Worcester. In this he has 
 been most successful. Besides the product of 
 his own dairy, he has been able to dispose of 
 that of several others to his customers. His 
 promptness and obliging manners have readily 
 gained him a large number of patrons, and the 
 excellent quajity of the milk carried by him 
 
344 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 has enabled him to retain them year after year. 
 During the summer of 1861 he took a trip on 
 a coasting vessel that was very beneficial to his 
 health. 
 
 In the fall of 1861 Mr. Eaton was married 
 to Martha M., daughter of John and Lavina 
 (Stone) Blood, of Charlton. Her grandfather, 
 a farmer, who was of Scottish ancestry, was 
 one of the early settlers of Charlton. Her 
 grandmother was Esther, daughter of Daniel 
 Boyden, of this section. Mrs. Eaton's mother 
 died in middle life. After her death the 
 father, one of the leading farmers of Charlton, 
 married a second time. He died in Worcester 
 at the age of seventy-five. Of his family of 
 four sons and three daughters, all the daugh- 
 ters and three of the sons grew to maturity and 
 are living at the present time. They are as 
 follows: Albert Blood, who is a grocer and 
 meat dealer in Dorchester; Henry B. , who 
 went West at the age of eighteen, and is now 
 in the insurance business in Keokuk, la. ; 
 Mary E., who is the wife of Charles Harring- 
 ton, of Worcester; Martha M. , now Mrs. 
 Eaton; Emily, who is the wife of Julius F. 
 Knight, of Worcester; and John W. H. 
 Blood, who resides in Keokuk, la. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Eaton have lost two children: 
 Herbert W., who died at the age of fourteen; 
 and Alice M., a girl of rare charm and great 
 promise, who died at the age of eighteen after 
 a three days' illness. The living children 
 are: Arthur A., Luella Adelia, Ida Lavina, 
 and Carlotta Pierce. The first named of 
 these, who resides in Waltham, Mass., is now 
 married, and has two children — Herbert N. 
 Eaton and Alice Marion. Luella, who was 
 educated in the Moody School for Girls at 
 Northfield, is now a teacher of domestic 
 science in that institution. Ida, residing with 
 her parents, is an instructor of sewing in the 
 Young Women's Christian Association of 
 Worcester. Carlotta graduated from the high 
 school in Worcester, and subsequently, July i, 
 1898, from the Worcester Business College. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Eaton is a Republican. 
 For fourteen years he served the town as Se- 
 lectman, and during the greater part of that 
 time he has been the presiding officer of the 
 board- In 1884 he represented this district in 
 
 the legislature. He has also been a member 
 of the School Committee. The members of 
 his family are Congregational ists, and Mr. 
 Eaton has been a Deacon of the church for 
 some twelve years and the teacher of the Sun- 
 day-school Bible class. The house where Mr. 
 Eaton lives was built originally by Grandfather 
 Eaton. It was remodelled and enlarged in 
 1879, but the front was preserved intact, so 
 that it retains its original appearance. In 
 1878 Mr. Eaton built his fine large barn, 
 which is a hundred by forty-two feet. He 
 keeps from twenty-five to thirty-five head of 
 horned cattle, and milks from twenty to 
 twenty-five cows. 
 
 DWARD D. CUNNINGHAM was 
 born in Worcester, September 26, 
 i860. He attended the public 
 schools from the time he was old enough to be 
 admitted as a pupil till 1872, when he passed 
 a successful examination to enter the high 
 school. Preferring, however, to work rather 
 than continue his studies, he secured a situa- 
 tion at the hotel at Lake Quinsigamond, and 
 was there engaged two years. He then en- 
 tered the employ of Jeremiah J. O'Leary, who 
 was in the row-boat business, and was with 
 him and the Quinsigamond Boat Club till 
 January i, 1888, when he was appointed by 
 Sheriff A. B. R. Sprague a keeper at the 
 Worcester County jail, a position which he 
 still holds under Sheriff Chamberlain. 
 
 In his younger days Mr. Cunningham be- 
 came an expert oarsman, and he is to-day very 
 much interested in what he terms the royal 
 sport — that of rowing. He cast his first 
 vote in 1880, and that with the Republican 
 party, in whose principles he still firmly be- 
 lieves. He was elected a member of the 
 Common Council from Ward Three in 1888 
 and 1889, and secured the indorsement of his 
 ward for Alderman in 1889, but was defeated 
 in the convention which followed. He was a 
 member of the Republican City Committee 
 for six years. In 1891 he was elected presi- 
 dent of the Worcester County Total Absti- 
 nence Union. He was elected president of 
 the United Irish Societies of Worcester in 
 
Biographical review 
 
 345 
 
 1892, and he also served three years as presi- 
 dent of St. Anne's Total Abstinence Society 
 of Worcester. He is the possessor of a fine 
 bass voice, which kept him a member of St. 
 Anne's Church choir for twenty years, and 
 also kept him busy singing for all charitable 
 purposes. He was married to Miss Nancy M. 
 Griffin, of Spencer, on October 9, 1895. 
 
 Brooks. 
 
 "ENRY E. BROOKS, a Selectman of 
 North Grafton, was born in this 
 town, March 29, 1845, a son of 
 Elijah B. and Emmeline (Scratton) 
 His ancestors for several genera- 
 tions have been prominent citizens of Graf- 
 ton. His paternal great-grandfather, Elijah 
 Brooks, who was one of the Selectmen of 
 Grafton over a hundred years ago and also 
 served in other town offices, was one of the 
 most substantial and well-to-do citizens of 
 this locality in his day. He owned a large 
 tract of land, of several hundred acres, includ- 
 ing nearly the whole of the present site of 
 the village of North Grafton. The original 
 homestead is now occupied by Samuel Knowl- 
 ton. Joel Brooks, son of Elijah, received 
 from his father at his marriage a part of the 
 home farm, upon which he settled. 
 
 His son, Elijah B. Brooks, brought 
 the farm, also learned the trade of 
 mason, which he followed for many 
 He built the Hovey dam at North Grafton, 
 where the Finleyson & Bousfield thread fac- 
 tory is now located. He was also engaged 
 quite extensively in farming. A man of 
 sound judgment and good business capacity, 
 he was called upon by his fellow-townsmen to 
 serve in all the important town offices, in- 
 cluding those of Selectman, Assessor, and 
 Overseer of the Poor. Of his children, two 
 sons and one daughter are living, namely: 
 Henry E., the subject of this sketch; George 
 B., who is a meat and provision dealer at 
 North Grafton; and Susan, who married Dean 
 W. Macker, and resides in Grafton. Another 
 daughter, Mary L., the wife of A= E. Lowell, 
 died in Grafton, her native town, in Septem- 
 ber, 1896. 
 
 Henry E. Brooks attended in his youth the 
 
 up on 
 stone- 
 years. 
 
 Grafton schools, and worked with his father 
 on the home farm. During this time also he 
 acquired at home a knowledge of shoemaking. 
 Upon reaching the age of twenty-one he found 
 employment in the bottoming department of 
 the J. S. Nelson & Co. shoe factory; and the 
 greater part of his working life since, a period 
 of thirty-two years, has been spent in his 
 present position in that department. Since 
 the early age of fourteen he has been con- 
 nected with the Grafton Fire Department, of 
 which his father was formerly foreman, and is 
 at the present time serving as chief engineer. 
 A Democrat politically, he has been a dele- 
 gate to several of the town, county, and State 
 conventions of his party; and he is now a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen, in which 
 office he has served for the past five years. 
 In his public capacity he has supported the 
 introduction of various local improvements, 
 which he has seen brought to successful com- 
 pletion, including the electric railroad, the 
 electric light plant, and the State road. He 
 belongs to Franklin Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and 
 to Evening Star Lodge, No. 102, I. O. O. F. 
 Mr. Brooks married Irena J. Humes, daughter 
 of Reuben and Adelia R. Humes, of Mill- 
 bury. 
 
 bpRANCIS HENRY OLIN, M.D., a 
 f^ practising physician of Southbridge, 
 Mass., was born in Falls Village, 
 Litchfield County, Conn., February 23, 1855, 
 son of Francis M. and Caroline (Segar) Olin. 
 His paternal grandfather was a native and life- 
 long resident of the State of Ohio, where he 
 was engaged in farming and stock-raising. 
 Francis M. Olin was born in Ohio in March, 
 1825. During the Civil War he was em- 
 ployed by the Ames Foundry Company at 
 Salisbury, Conn., in the casting of heavy 
 cannon and ordnance for the Federal govern- 
 ment. He was subsequently for many years 
 manager of the Washburn Car Wheel Company. 
 Now, retired from active work, he resides at 
 Falls Village, Conn., where he is a well- 
 known and respected citizen. By his wife, 
 Caroline, who was born in New Hartford, 
 Conn., in 1830, he had two children: Clar- 
 
346 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ence, who was born in 1865, and died in 1880; 
 and Francis H., whose name appears at the 
 head of this brief sketch. 
 
 Francis H. Olin received his elementary 
 education in private schools at Lime Rock, 
 Conn., and at Great Barrington, Mass. After 
 a further course of study at Sedgwick Institute 
 he entered in 1878 the University of Michi- 
 gan, at which he was graduated three years 
 later with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. 
 In 1882 he began the practice of his profession 
 in Woodstock, Conn., where he remained about 
 seven years. He came to Southbridge in 
 1889, since which time he has been engaged 
 in general practice here. He keeps himself 
 well informed in regard to the latest discoveries 
 and developments of medical science, and his 
 pleasing manners and sympathetic disposition 
 inspire at once the confidence of his patients 
 and add to his popularity. Dr. Olin is a 
 member of the Connecticut Medical Associa- 
 tion, the Worcester Medical Association, and 
 the Massachusetts Medical Association. He 
 is also the chairman and secretary of the 
 Southbridge Board of Health, of which he has 
 been a member since taking up his residence 
 in the town. He belongs to several fraternal 
 societies, including Putnam Lodge, No. 46, 
 F. & A. M., of Woodstock; Doric Chapter, 
 R. A. M., of Southbridge; Hiram Council, 
 R. & S. M., of Worcester; Worcester Com- 
 mandery, K. T. ; Worcester Lodge of Perfec- 
 tion (Scottish Rite); and Aleppo Temple, 
 Mystic Shrine, of Boston ; also to Southbridge 
 Lodge, L O. O. F., and to the Knights of 
 Pythias Lodge in Southbridge. In politics he 
 is independent. He was married January 25, 
 1888, to Miss Catherine Fay Hartwell, daugh- 
 ter of George H. and Ellen M. (Green) Hart- 
 well. 
 
 c- 
 
 JAPTAIN JOHN BARNARD, for- 
 merly a prominent business man and 
 farmer of Worcester, was born Octo- 
 ber 14, 1803, on the old Barnard 
 place, situated in the northern part of the 
 city. He was a son of Lewis Barnard, whose 
 father John was a soldier of the Revolution, 
 who, as an extensive farmer and drover^ 
 
 amassed a fortune, of which each of his three 
 children and the heirs of the three deceased 
 children received a liberal share. Lewis Bar- 
 nard was a director of one of the Worcester 
 banks. Captain Barnard received from his 
 father eighty acres of the original estate, and, 
 devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits, 
 there made a home for himself and for his 
 family, by whom the farm is still occupied. 
 A man of foresight, energetic and enterpris- 
 ing, he became owner of stock in a slate 
 quarry; and in 1856 he established himself in 
 business as a roofer, being the first to intro- 
 duce slate roofing in Worcester. He con- 
 tinued in business until his death, which oc- 
 curred September 13, 1873. His title came 
 from his rank in the State militia. He was 
 highly esteemed for his kind disposition, 
 noble-hearted generosity, and other admirable 
 qualities. 
 
 On May 18, 1826, he married Sarah R. 
 Bigelow, who survives him. Mrs. Barnard 
 was born in Worcester, December 23, 1800, 
 daughter of Walter and Judith (Trowbridge) 
 Bigelow. Her father was of the fifth genera- 
 tion from John Bigelow, or "Biglo," as the 
 name was first spelled, an early settler of 
 Watertown, Mass., who married in 1642 Mary 
 Warren, daughter of John Warren. The line 
 of descent was as follows: John'; Joshua^; 
 Daniel, 3 who married Elizabeth Whitney; 
 David,'' born in 1730, who married for his 
 first wife Sarah Eaton and for his second wife 
 Deborah Heywood, by whom he had seven 
 children, Walter,: Mrs. Barnard's father, 
 being the sixth-born. Lydia, the eldest of 
 the seven, married Zachariah Child, and was 
 the mother of David Lee Child, who, with his 
 wife, Lydia Maria Child, the writer, was an 
 active worker in the anti-slavery cause. 
 
 A brother of David Bigelow and a great- 
 uricle of Mrs. Barnard was Colonel Timothy 
 Bigelow, the Revolutionary patriot, who was a 
 member of the Provincial Congress in 1774- 
 75, and was with his regiment in the field 
 from February, 1777, till the close of the 
 war. He was a personal friend of Lafay- 
 ette, and at one time entertained him as his 
 guest. The late Chief Justice George T. 
 Bigelow was a grandson of both David Bige- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 349 
 
 low and Colonel Timothy. Dorothea L. Dix, 
 the philanthropist, was of Bigelow descent 
 through her mother. 
 
 Walter Bigelow, above named, born in 
 1775, and Judith Trowbridge, daughter of 
 William and Sarah Trowbridge, were married 
 on November 18, 1799. They reared five 
 children: Sarah R., who married Captain 
 John Barnard, and is now in her ninety-eighth 
 year; Andrew, a graduate of Harvard Univer- 
 sity, who died at the age of twenty-four; 
 Dolly, who died at nineteen; Walter Bige- 
 low, a citizen of worth, who succeeded to the 
 family homestead, and died in February, 
 1880, aged sixty-eight years; and Mary, Mrs. 
 George C. Davis, a widow, who is living in 
 New York, and was seventy-nine years old, 
 June 18, 1898. 
 
 For seventy-two years Mrs. Sarah Bigelow 
 Barnard has resided at the corner of Barncoat 
 and Millbrook Streets, where she began her 
 married life; and it is doubtful if there is in 
 this city another person who has occupied a 
 home continuously for an equal length of 
 time. Since 1827 she has been a member of 
 the First Unitarian Church of Worcester, with 
 which her father and mother were connected, 
 and of which her grandfather, David Bigelow, 
 long ago was a Deacon. Mrs. Barnard has 
 reared three sons, namely: Andrew Bigelow 
 Barnard, who died in Council Bluffs, la., May 
 9, 1897, aged seventy years; John Fiske Bar- 
 nard, who, when a young man, was a railway 
 surveyor in Canada, was at one time president 
 of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad Company, 
 and is now a prominent railroad official resid- 
 ing in Council Bluffs; and George A. Bar- 
 nard, of this city. 
 
 George Augustus Barnard has conducted the 
 roofing business ever since his father's death, 
 and has enlarged it by including other kinds 
 of roofing besides slate. He also carries on 
 the home farm, which he inherited. It is 
 evident that he possesses the requisite amount 
 of energy both as a business man and farmer. 
 
 On June 19, 1857, Mr. Barnard was mar- 
 ried in Hudson, N.Y., to Almira Hayden 
 Fuller, daughter of Joseph D. and Susan 
 (Dryden) Fuller, the latter of Holden, Mass. 
 Joseph D. Fuller was a boot and shoe mer- 
 
 chant. Mr. and Mrs. George A. Barnard 
 have five children: George Fuller, who re- 
 sides near the old homestead, is married, and 
 has three sons; Sarah Caroline, wife of Fred- 
 erick G. Davis, of Chicago; Walter B. , who 
 lives near by, is married, and has one daugh- 
 ter; Josephine, who is married to Sumner A. 
 Brooks, of Cambridge; and Roy Augustus, 
 who is a graduate of the Worcester Poly- 
 technic Institute and an electrical engineer by 
 profession, but at present is connected with 
 his father and brothers in business. 
 
 Mrs. Almira H. Barnard is first directress 
 of the Worcester Children's Friend Society, 
 a charitable organization, which has been in 
 existence some fifty years, and is accomplish- 
 ing much good work. 
 
 / 2)uY WOODS, who conducts a flourish- 
 V S I ing livery, boarding, and sale stable 
 
 — in Fitchburg, at 23 Academy Street, 
 was born in Ayer, Mass., March 12, 1866, son 
 of Henry A. and Sophronia (Adams) Woods. 
 The father, after conducting a carriage busi- 
 ness for a number of years in Townsend Cen- 
 tre, Mass., his native town, became a mine 
 owner in Colorado. At his death, which oc- 
 curred in Ayer, he was seventy-two years old. 
 He was a member of Caleb Rutter Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., and the Unitarian church. 
 His wife, Sophronia, who was a daughter of 
 Stephen Adams, of Ashby, Mass., became the 
 mother of two children — Henry R. and Guy. 
 She died in 1891, aged sixty-four years. 
 
 Guy Woods attended schools in Ayer and 
 Ashby. When sixteen years old he began 
 dealing in live stock, carriages, etc. Coming 
 to Fitchburg in 1886, he engaged in the livery 
 business in company with A. G. Davis, under 
 the firm name of Davis & Woods. That part- 
 nership had lasted one year, when he sold out 
 to his associate. Two years later he repur- 
 chased the entire business, and has since car- 
 ried it on alone. Dealing largely in Western 
 horses, he has sold over seven hundred since 
 March, 1897. He is also interested in the 
 real estate business somewhat. His reputation 
 is that of an excellent judge of horses and a 
 reliable business man. In June, 1895, he 
 
3S<^ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 married Mabel B. Green, a daughter of 
 Charles O. and Elizabeth S. Green, of Ashby. 
 He has two children ^ — Charles Adams and 
 Rachel Elizabeth. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Woods is an active sup- 
 porter of the Republican party. At present he 
 represents Ward Six in the Common Council, 
 this being his second year. He was formerly 
 a trustee of the Worcester North Agricultural 
 Society, and has been its vice-president for 
 the past two years. Well advanced in Ma- 
 sonry, he has been Worshipful Master of 
 Charles W. Moore Lodge, A. F. & A. M. ; 
 a member of Thomas Royal Arch Chapter; 
 of Hiram Council of Royal and Select Mas- 
 ters, of Worcester; of Jerusalem Command- 
 ery, Knights Templar, of Fitchburg; and of 
 Aleppo Temple of the Mystic Shrine, Bos- 
 ton. He also belongs to Apollo Lodge, 
 No. 205, I. O. O. F. ; to King David En- 
 campment, No. 42 ; to Canton Hebron, No. 
 II, Patriarchs Militant; to Nashua Tribe, 
 No. 37, Improved Order of Red Men ; and to 
 the Athletic and Park Clubs of this city. 
 
 son 
 
 ■OSEPH NELSON WHITE, of Win- 
 chendon, one of the prominent business 
 men in Worcester County, was born in 
 this town, October 4, 185 1, son of Nel- 
 Davis and Julia Davis (Long) White. 
 His mother was a daughter of Zadoc and Julia 
 (Davis) Long and sister of the Hon. John D. 
 Long, the present Secretary of the Navy. 
 
 The White family is of English origin. 
 The subject of this sketch is a descendant in 
 the eighth generation of Thomas White, who 
 was born in England in 1636. This is the 
 line: Thomas,' Thomas,^ John.s Thomas," 
 Thomas,s Joseph,* Nelson Davis,' Joseph 
 Nelson.* Thomas White, first named, when 
 a young man rallied with the Puritan element 
 to the support of Cromwell, and after the res- 
 toration of the Stuarts, immigrated to New 
 England, arriving at Charlestown about 1660. 
 During King Philip's War he served in Cap- 
 tain Syll's company in 1675 and in Captain 
 Cutler's company in 1676. He died in 
 Charlestown, September 30, 17 16. His re- 
 
 mains were interred in the old Phipps Street 
 burial-ground. On Novefiiber 17, 1663, he 
 married Mary Frothingham. He was ap- 
 pointed executor of the last will of Ann 
 Frothingham, and inherited the greater por- 
 tion of her property. His wife bore him four 
 children, of whom a son named Thomas was 
 the eldest. 
 
 Thomas White ^ was born in Charlestown, 
 October 15, 1664. His entire life was spent 
 in his native place, where he died August 14, 
 1730. He was a man of considerable wealth, 
 as he left an estate valued at sixteen hundred 
 and twenty-two pounds, thirteen shillings, and 
 sixpence, which was settled by his second 
 son. Lieutenant John White. Thomas 
 White "^ married Sarah Rand, of Charlestown, 
 who became the mother of eight children. 
 She died April 7, 1749, aged eighty-three 
 years. 
 
 Lieutenant John White, ^ the next in this 
 line, was born in Charlestown, August 22, 
 1695. He settled in " Framingham, Mass. 
 He was commissioned a Lieutenant under his 
 brother-in-law. Colonel Joseph Buckminster, 
 Jr., and served in the French and Indian War. 
 In 1748 he removed to Leicester, Mass., where 
 he became prominent in public affairs, hold- 
 ing many of the town offices; and he died 
 there, August 26, 1778, leaving a good estate. 
 He married Sybilla Buckminster, daughter of 
 Colonel Joseph Buckminster, of Framingham; 
 and she died October 23, 1794, in her eighty- 
 ninth year. She was the mother of six chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Thomas," who was next to the eldest of 
 this family, was born July 17, 1731. He 
 was a blacksmith by trade, but became a 
 thrifty farmer, having five hundred acres of 
 land, and keeping an average of seventy-five 
 head of stock. He was unusually wealthy for 
 an agriculturist of that period; and at his 
 death, which occurred February 25, 1822, at 
 the age of ninety years, he left property to 
 the amount of fifteen thousand dollars. It 
 was through his efforts that the family gene- 
 alogy down to his generation was preserved. 
 The old Bible in which he kept the record is 
 now in the possession of Mr. Joseph N. 
 White. Thomas White" married Abigail, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 3S1 
 
 daughter of Deacon John Muzzy, and she died 
 September 21, 18 ii, aged seventy-two years. 
 They had a family of thirteen children, of 
 whom Thomas 5 was the eldest. 
 
 Thomas White' was born in Spencer, 
 November 24, 1757, and became a man of 
 very prepossessing personal appearance. He 
 served as a private in the American army 
 throughout the Revolutionary War; and after 
 the close of hostilities he settled in Royal- 
 ston, near the residence of his brother-in-law, 
 Colonel Joseph Esterbrook. He died July 
 20, 1849. His wife, Hannah Esterbrook, of 
 Holden, Mass., died July 25, 1830, aged 
 sixty-eight years. They were the parents of 
 six children, of whom Joseph was the third- 
 born and the eldest son. 
 
 Joseph White, Joseph N. White's grand- 
 father, was born in Royalston, January 24, 
 1792. He was the pioneer manufacturer of 
 cotton and wire goods in New England, hav- 
 ing built factories for these purposes at West 
 Boylston in 18 14; and for many years he was 
 one of the prominent business men in this 
 county. His unusual ability and sound judg- 
 ment brought him into close relationship with 
 the leading business men of Boston and New 
 York, and he was also a leading spirit in 
 local public affairs. He was one of the first 
 trustees of the Worcester Academy, a liberal 
 contributor to the support of Brown Univer- 
 sity, and a Deacon of the Baptist church. He 
 died November 9, 1864. Joseph White mar- 
 ried Matilda Davis, who was born September 
 24, 1796, and died September 23, 1880. She 
 was the mother of six children, of whom Nel- 
 son D. was the first-born, and two are living; 
 namely, Persis Arminda and Francis Wayland. 
 Persis Arminda is the wife of Josiah Abbott, 
 M.D., of Winchendon, who is one of the old- 
 est living graduates of Yale College, and who 
 served as a surgeon during the Civil War. 
 Francis Wayland White is a graduate of 
 Brown University and now a member of a 
 large commission house in New York City. 
 He married Josephine M. Tracy, and has one 
 son, Francis W. White. 
 
 Nelson D. White, father of Joseph N. 
 White, was born in West Boylston, July 24, 
 181 8. After completing his education at the 
 
 academies in Westminster and Shelburne 
 Falls he took the superintendency of his 
 father's factories, and immediately displayed 
 the spirit of enterprise which thenceforward 
 characterized his business operations. As 
 early as 1838, when but twenty years old, he 
 began the remodelling and improvement of 
 the plant, with which he was connected until 
 1843, when he came to Winchendon Springs 
 as agent of the Nelson Corporation, establish- 
 ing the Nelson Mills, which he managed until 
 1854. In 1857 he purchased the property, 
 including the water-power privilege, upon 
 which he erected a brick factory, adding to 
 its capacity from time to time, until its out- 
 put reached large proportions; and he also 
 built many tenement-houses for his workmen, 
 thus making Winchendon Springs an impor- 
 tant industrial community. He was also in- 
 terested in other enterprises, was the inventor 
 of several labor-saving appliances, and his 
 progressive tendencies were exceedingly bene- 
 ficial to the growth and prosperity of the town 
 with which he so closely identified himself. 
 He was a director of the Boston, Barre & 
 Gardner Railroad Company and of the Win- 
 chendon National Bank, and vice-president 
 of the Winchendon Savings Bank. In 1862 
 he served with ability as Representative to 
 the legislature; and, though not a member of 
 any religious sect or fraternal order, he was 
 universally esteemed for his many admirable 
 qualities. In politics he was a Whig. Nel- 
 son D. White died March 12, 1889, and his 
 removal was regarded as a severe loss to the 
 business circles of this section. 
 
 His wife, Mrs. Julia D. Long White, whom 
 he married December 15, 1847, was born Au- 
 gust 16, 1825, and died October 31, 1882. 
 She was the mother of seven children, all of 
 whom are living, namely: Julia Matilda, born 
 June 15, 1849, ^vho is the wife of James B. 
 Castle, special representative of the Hawaiian 
 government to the United States, and has one 
 son, Harold; Joseph N., the subject of this 
 sketch; Zadoc Long, born December 29, 
 1854, who married Winifred T. Smith, of 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, and has two children — 
 Julia Long and Kenneth Bird; Percival Way- 
 land, born December 25, 1857, who married 
 
352 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Edith F. Wheeler, of Boston, and has two 
 children — Percival and Richard; Allan T., 
 born June 27, i860, who married Kathinka 
 Paulsen, of Norway, and has three children — 
 Eilif, Hilma, and Ragnhild; Charles Davis, 
 born November 12, 1861, who married Edith 
 Noyes, of Andover, Mass., and has two daugh- 
 ters—Mary and Margaret; and Nellie M. 
 White, who was born April 8, 1873. 
 
 Joseph Nelson White in his youth went 
 from the Winchendon High School to the 
 Highland Military Academy, Worcester, 
 from which he was graduated in 1867, and 
 afterward took a year's course in chemistry 
 and mechanical engineering at the Massachu- 
 setts Institute of Technology, Boston. He 
 was superintendent in his father's mills for 
 several years, and got a thorough knowledge 
 of the cotton manufacturing business at that 
 time. In company with his brother Zadoc 
 and the Hon. John D. Long, he was appointed 
 a trustee of his father's estate; and the busi- 
 ness has since been carried on successfully 
 under their direction. In partnership with 
 Zadoc L. White, under the firm name of 
 White Brothers, he is conducting three cotton 
 factories at East Jaffrey, N.H., which have a 
 capacity of producing twenty thousand yards 
 of cloth per day ; and these, together with the 
 Winchendon plant, employ a regular force of 
 one thousand hands. He was formerly en- 
 gaged in the cotton business, buying in the 
 South the raw material, which he shipped to 
 New England manufacturers. He was at one 
 time interested in the Parkhill Manufacturing 
 Company of Fitchburg as a stockholder and 
 director, and was a director of the safety fund 
 of a national bank of that city. He is a trus- 
 tee of the Murdock estate, and also is vice- 
 president of the Winchendon Savings Bank. 
 For eleven years he was a member of the An- 
 cient and Honorable Artillery, Boston, and is 
 an engineer of the Winchendon Fire Depart- 
 ment. He is a member of the Board of Edu- 
 cation of Winchendon. In politics he is a 
 Republican. 
 
 On September 14, 1875, Mr. White mar- 
 ried Annie Evans, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 
 daughter of Seth and Winifred M. (Brown) 
 Evans, and his children are: Winifred E. 
 
 born July 12, 1876; Nelson D., born October 
 19, 1878, now a student at Dartmouth Col- 
 lege; Joseph Nelson, Jr., born August 2, 
 1881, who is attending St. Paul's School, 
 Concord, N.H.; Madeline, born March 26, 
 1887; and Rachel Burnet White, born June 
 9, 1892. 
 
 Mr. White has travelled extensively; and 
 his tours have included, besides the United 
 States and Europe, the Hawaiian Islands. 
 His residence is known as Marchmont, is con- 
 structed of red sandstone, was completed in 
 1887, and occupies an elevated position some 
 two miles from the village. 
 
 OHN SARGENT MEAD, farmer and 
 dealer in real estate, a prominent citi- 
 zen of Milford, is a native of Chester- 
 field, N.H. He was born on February 
 13, 1825, son of Bradley and Charlotte Hast- 
 ings Mead. The immigrant ancestor of this 
 branch of the Mead family in New England 
 was Gabriel Mead (1587-1666), and the date 
 of his arrival was not far from 1635. He 
 settled in Dorchester, and was made a freeman 
 on May 2, 1648. He had four daughters and 
 two sons — David and Israel. David Mead, 
 supposed to have been the son of Gabriel, 
 married on September 24, 1675, Hannah 
 Waren, of Watertown, by whom he had six 
 children. One of these, David, Jr.,' who was 
 born in 1678 and died in 1767, married in 
 1708 Hannah Smith, - and settled in Water- 
 town, Mass. Matthew, son of David, Jr., and 
 great-grandfather of John Sargent Mead, was 
 born on August 9, 171 7. He married on Jan- 
 uary 24, 1754, Martha Danforth, of Billerica. 
 She died on August 8, 1792, and he died on 
 the first day of April, 1796. Their home was 
 in Lexington. 
 
 Levi Mead, son of Matthew and grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch, was born in 
 Lexington, and resided there on the historic 
 farm of his father until the spring of 1801, 
 when he removed with his family to Chester- 
 field, N.H. On the morning of the memorable 
 19th of April, 1775, he witnessed the ap- 
 proach of the British soldiers on their destruc- 
 tive and murderous raid, and felt the thrill of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 353 
 
 alarm which agitated the whole countryside. 
 He saw the men enter his own home to ran- 
 sack and plunder; and, worst of all, he was in 
 full view of the flash of the guns before whose 
 deadly shots the patriot yeomen fell. There 
 is on record a deposition made by him and an 
 associate before the Provincial Congress on 
 April 25, 1775, which soberly tells of the 
 horrors he witnessed. Family tradition ac- 
 cords to him the glory of joining the Ameri- 
 cans in their pursuit of the British toward 
 Concord as a powder-horn bearer. It could 
 have been predicted that one so resolute and 
 heroic would have some part in the struggle 
 for national independence. It is recorded that 
 he served in the winter campaign for three 
 months in 1776, and was in Boston and in 
 Dorchester. Again his name appears with 
 that of fourteen other Lexington men in the 
 company of Edward Monroe, of the same town, 
 who on January i, 1777, was commissioned 
 Captain in Colonel Timothy Bigelow's regi- 
 ment. This was the Fifteenth Regiment of the 
 Massachusetts line, and was then forming in 
 Worcester County. The story of the endur- 
 ance and heroism of the officers and privates 
 of this ever-to-be-honored regiment makes a 
 thrilling passage in the history of the Revolu- 
 tion. For three years, 1770 to 1773, Levi 
 Mead was Sergeant in Captain Monroe's com- 
 pany. He was with Gates in the Northern 
 army and under Washington in the Jerseys 
 and at Valley Forge. After removing to 
 Chesterfield he occupied his farm in the vil- 
 lage, and in time built a tavern, which became 
 locally celebrated. For many years he was 
 Deputy Sheriff of the county in which he 
 lived. His death occurred on April 29, 1828, 
 and he was buried with Masonic exercises. 
 He was married on September 16, 1782, to 
 Betsy Converse, the Rev. Dr. Parker, of Trin- 
 ity Church, officiating. His children num- 
 bered eight. 
 
 Bradley Mead was born in Lexington on May 
 26, 1792. He was twice married. His first 
 wife, whose maiden name was Charlotte Hast- 
 ings, was born in Chesterfield on May 26, 
 1788. His second wife, whose maiden name 
 was Sarah W. Jones, died on February 13, 
 1856. Bradley Mead was a farmer, and 
 
 traded in cattle for the Brighton market. In 
 18 14 he was Lieutenant in Captain Reuben 
 Marsh's company of detached militia stationed 
 at Portsmouth, and afterward he was commis- 
 sioned Captain. He died at Providence, R. I., 
 on November i, 1871. 
 
 John Sargent Mead was educated at Ches- 
 terfield Academy, which was one of the noted 
 institutions of learning in New England fifty 
 years ago. For a number of years after leav- 
 ing school he devoted himself to teaching, 
 and many are the interesting anecdotes he 
 can tell of those early days. He often had 
 schools of from three to four score pupils, 
 ranging in ages from five to twenty-five years. 
 The buildings were far different from the 
 finely equipped school-houses of to-day, and 
 there was a notable lack of books and appli- 
 ances. The teacher in those days was "bid 
 in"; that is, the lowest bidder secured him 
 as a boarder for the winter, and he was obliged 
 to take what was provided for him without 
 complaint. The big boys, who in many 
 places were accustomed to a form of amuse- 
 ment popularly known as "carrying out the 
 teacher," occasioned no trouble to Mr. Mead; 
 and this customary formality was omitted in 
 all the schools to which he was appointed. 
 This shows his hold over the pupils, and that 
 he was able to interest and influence them 
 without friction. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Mead removed to Milford, and 
 bought his present farm in Prospect Street. 
 Shortly after he began to deal in tripe, and 
 soon built up a good business, having offices 
 in Syracuse, Albany, and Troy, N.Y. , and in 
 Pittsfield, Mass., and employing a large num- 
 ber of men. About ten years ago he retired 
 from that enterprise, and since that time has 
 been engaged largely in handling real estate 
 and farming. Mr. Mead has served seven 
 years on the Board of Selectmen and three 
 years on the School Board, and for many years 
 was Superintendent of Highways. Frater- 
 nally, he is a member of Montgomery Lodge. 
 
 Mr. Mead was married on March 11, 1846, 
 to Caroline P. Willard, of Winchester, N.H. 
 Five children were born of this union; 
 namely, Sarah Ella, Edward Bradley, Cor- 
 nelia Maria, John Larkin, and Carrie Willard. 
 
354 
 
 B10GRAl>HiCAL REVIEW 
 
 Two of the daughters — Sarah E. and Cor- 
 nelia M. — died in childhood. Mrs. Caroline 
 P. Mead died in December, 1894. 
 
 ■f^TENRY A. McMASTERS, Town 
 I^J Clerk of Southboro, was born in Han- 
 \\s I cock, Hillsborough County, N. H., 
 ^~^June 24, 1844. He is a son of 
 Thomas and Lydia C. (Thompson) McMasters, 
 and comes of old New Hampshire stock. The 
 father, who was engaged in trade for a num- 
 ber of years in Antrim, N.H., in the latter 
 part of his life retired from business and 
 spent the rest of his days on a farm. His 
 advice was often sought, both in public and 
 private matters. He had a family of nine 
 children, four of whom are now living, 
 namely: Thomas A., formerly a spool mer- 
 chant in Lowell, Mass. ; Lucas L, who was 
 formerly extensively engaged in orange grow- 
 ing in Florida, and who retired from that 
 business on account of the destruction of his 
 crops by frost; Lydia A., the widow of M. A. 
 Crouch, late of Southboro; and Henry A., 
 whose name appears at the head of this sketch. 
 Henry A. McMasters received a practical 
 common-school education. In 1862 he entered 
 the employ of F. A. Winchester of Southboro, 
 who kept a general store, and with whom he 
 remained until February, 1864. He then en- 
 listed as a private in the Third Massachusetts 
 Cavalry, was soon promoted to the rank of Ser- 
 geant, and just before leaving the service was 
 commissioned Lieutenant. He was at New 
 Orleans in the Gulf campaign under General 
 Banks, in the hospital for six weeks, and, 
 after rejoining his company at Harper's Ferry, 
 served in the Shenandoah Valley. Hav- 
 ing received an honorable discharge at the 
 close of the war, after a service of twenty 
 months, he returned home, and entered the 
 employ of C. F. Hovey & Co., dry-goods 
 dealers, Boston, with whom he remained about 
 three years. Then until 1873 he was in the 
 employ of L. W. Newton, who kept a general 
 store in Southboro. Returning subsequently 
 to Boston, he remained there a short time, 
 after which he renewed his connection with 
 Mr. Newton, and was with him for the follow- 
 
 ing five years. He next opened a small store 
 in the present post-office building, and there 
 conducted a successful business until 1888. 
 In that year, in company with F. H. Robin- 
 son, he bought his present stand, which was 
 the old store of Mr. Winchester, his first em- 
 ployer. His partnership with Mr. Robinson 
 continued for five years. Since the end of 
 that time he has conducted the business alone. 
 His store since 1888 has been the only one in 
 the village. It occupies the ground floor and 
 basement, forty by eighty feet in dimensions. 
 Mr. McMasters carries a large stock of gen- 
 eral merchandise, the business giving employ- 
 ment to five men. A broad-minded and pub- 
 lic-spirited citizen, he has the warm esteem of 
 his fellow-townsmen. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. McMasters married Miss Mary 
 C. Rymes, of Exeter, N. H. He has four chil- 
 dren, namely: Minnie B., a graduate of the 
 Southboro High School and the Framingham 
 Normal School; Eva M., the wife of F. S. 
 Carpenter, an insurance agent of Fitchburg, 
 Mass. ; Harry A., who is employed in his 
 father's store; and Ruth E., a pupil in the 
 Southboro High School. Mr. McMasters has 
 served eight years as Justice of the Peace, 
 and has been Town Clerk for fifteen years in 
 succession. He isi a member of G. Wesley 
 Nichols Post, G. A. R., in which he has 
 served as Adjutant. One of the most useful 
 and active members of the Congregational 
 church, he is clerk of the church, the chair- 
 man of the parish society, and for thirteen 
 years has been the superintendent of the Sun- 
 day-School. He has recently built a beauti- 
 ful residence on Main Street, in the centre of 
 the village, overlooking the lake. 
 
 AMES B. GALLUP, formerly well 
 known in Leominster as the presi- 
 dent of the Union Comb Company, was 
 born in Foster, R.L, July 27, 1821. 
 Having been educated in the common schools 
 of his native to)yn, he learned the trade of 
 comb-making. Coming to Leominster at the 
 age of eighteen year?, he spent some time in 
 the employment of Jonas Colburn and Morse 
 Brothers successively. Afterward, in busi- 
 
HENRY A, McMASTER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 357 
 
 ness on his own account, he was associated 
 with Mr. Woodbury and then with Mr. B. F. 
 Blodgett. When the Union Comb Company 
 was formed, he was elected its vice-president. 
 At a later date he was made president, which 
 office he subsequently filled up to the time 
 of his death. Mr. Gallup was three times 
 married. The first two marriages were con- 
 tracted respectively with Oricy and Dorothy 
 Wheelock, of Leominster, who were sisters. 
 By the first he had one son, George Gallup, 
 who served in the Civil War, and died of sick- 
 ness in a hospital. His third marriage united 
 him with Sarah F., daughter of Jacob and 
 Hannah (Spaulding) Colburn, of Leominster, 
 and who survives him. 
 
 Mrs. Gallup, on her father's side, is de- 
 scended from Edward Colburn, who came to 
 New England in 1635 on the ship "Defi- 
 ance." His son was Robert, and his grand- 
 son was Nathaniel Colburn. Nathaniel, Mrs. 
 Gallup's great-great-grandfather, had four 
 sons who were in the Revolutionary army; 
 namely, John, Ebenezer, Nathan, and Jona- 
 than. John, who was born August 13, 1738, 
 and who was the great-grandfather of Mrs. 
 Gallup, was Sergeant-at-arms on a Lexington 
 alarm roll of April 19, 1775; Sergeant on a 
 muster and pay roll, dated Leominster, June 
 5, 1778, in a company that marched to Will- 
 iamstown ; and Sergeant of a small body of 
 troops that marched to Saratoga in October, 
 1777, to assist General Gates. Ebenezer, 
 who was born in Concord, September 17, 
 1 73 1, was a First Lieutenant. Nathan, who 
 was born in Concord, November 18, 1744, 
 was detailed for various services. Jonathan, 
 who was born July 10, 1736, is known to have 
 served at various times. An account of the 
 services rendered by the four men may be 
 found in the pages of the Massachusetts Rev- 
 olutionary rolls. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Gallup 
 was born at Leominster on November 19, 
 1779. Jacob Colburn, her father, who was 
 for thirty years engaged in the manufacture of 
 combs, was born in this town on May 23, 
 1806. His wife, Hannah, was a grand-daugh- 
 ter of Joseph and a great-grand-daughter of 
 Jacob Spaulding, of Chelmsford, Joseph 
 
 Spaulding married Bridget, daughter of 
 Robert Crosby. She was born in New Ips- 
 wich, N. H. Mr. Spaulding, the father of 
 Hannah, lost his father when only twelve 
 years of age, from which time he had his own 
 way to make in the world. When only six- 
 teen years old he was sent to Waterville, 
 Me., a distance of about two hundred and 
 thirty miles, to trade cider for grain, on 
 which occasion he had to carry his own provi- 
 sions on his back. When seventeen years 
 old, to borrow two hundred and fifty dollars, 
 he walked from Temple, N.H., to Anson, 
 Me. For a time he taught school. At 
 twenty-three he married Betsey Heald. She 
 bore him eleven children, of whom Hannah 
 was the eighth, and ten grew to maturity. 
 He was highly respected by his own towns- 
 people, whom he served in the capacities of 
 Selectman and Representative in the General 
 Court. He was the executor for twenty-six 
 different estates and the guardian for twenty- 
 three orphans. His rule of conduct was to 
 keep out of debt and to be punctual to his 
 word. He died in Westminster, eighty-three 
 years old. His religious relations were with 
 the Universalist church, of which he was a 
 Deacon for many years. Jacob and Hannah 
 Colburn had three children, one son and two 
 daughters. Mrs. Gallup, who has been on 
 the Board of Visitors and on the Working 
 Committee of the Soldiers' Aid Society, be- 
 came interested in this worthy cause "while 
 she was in California. She is now serving 
 her second term as one of the Overseers of 
 the Poor. 
 
 
 ILLIAM R. WALKER, a prosper- 
 ous merchant of West Boylston, 
 was born in this town. May 22, 
 1843, son of Eli and Louisa (Parker) Walker. 
 The father, who was born in Holden, Mass., 
 was the youngest of twelve children, all of 
 whom reached maturity. He was brought up 
 on a farm, and received his education in the 
 common schools. For a time he carried on a 
 saw and grist mill in Princeton, and subse- 
 quently operated a farm in Holden. Coming 
 to West Boylston in 1843, he lived for thir- 
 
358 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 teen years on Maiden Hill, at the end of 
 which time he removed to the farm on the 
 common, where his son now lives. He was a 
 man of fine constitution, and enjoyed perfect 
 health up to the time of his death, which took 
 place when he was eighty-four years old, as 
 the result of his being struck by a railway 
 train. His brother, Joel, died in Oakdale, at 
 the age of ninety-eight. Louisa, wife of Eli 
 Walker, was born in Princeton, one of a fam- 
 ily of twelve children. Her father, Ebenezer 
 Parker, was a successful farmer. She died at 
 the age of seventy-eight. Both parents were 
 Baptists. Of the seven children of Eli and 
 Louisa Walker who grew to maturity, four 
 are living, namely: Melville E., a resident of 
 Los Angeles, Cal. ; Emma A., wife of R. C. 
 Dana, of Hudson; William R., the subject of 
 this sketch; and Annie E., wife of Edward 
 Ross, of Los Angeles, Cal. 
 
 William R. Walker was educated in the 
 district schools. He then assisted his father 
 until he was nineteen years old, when he en- 
 tered the employ of F. L. Cutting as clerk 
 in his general merchandise store at Oakdale. 
 After remaining there a year he became clerk 
 in the store of which he is now proprietor, 
 where, also, he remained a year. He then 
 worked a year for L. R. Hudson, whose confec- 
 tionery he introduced as travelling salesman. 
 He was then employed by the firm of Sawyer 
 & Walker at West Boylston. In 1868 he 
 started business at Sawyer's Mills at Boyls- 
 ton, where he remained for eight years. Sell- 
 ing out at the end of that time, he engaged 
 in farming. Two years subsequently he 
 bought his present large store, which is the 
 largest of its kind in town, and is well 
 stocked with a good line of dry goods, grocer- 
 ies, small wares, etc. 
 
 Mr. Walker was married in 1868 to Mary 
 S. Bailey, of Worcester, the only child of 
 Robert Bailey. Her father was a native of 
 England and a dyer by trade. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Walker are the parents of four children; 
 namely, Franklin K, Alice E., Frederick B., 
 and Howard W. Franklin E. is employed in 
 his father's store. Alice E. is a popular 
 teacher in this town. Mr. Walker is a Re- 
 publican in politics, and he is actively inter- 
 
 ested in public affairs. He has served as a 
 member of the Board of Assessors for a num- 
 ber of years, and for a time was chairman of 
 the board. He was Selectman for three 
 years and Overseer of the Poor twelve years, 
 during six of which he was chairman of the 
 board. At the present time he is a member 
 of the School Board, and for three years has 
 been its secretary. Aside from these posi- 
 tions of public trust, he holds the responsible 
 position of trustee of the savings-bank, and is 
 a member of its Investment Committee and of 
 the Board of Appraisers for the Metropolitan 
 Water Works. He is also treasurer of the 
 Mount Vernon Cemetery Association. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Walker are members of the Baptist 
 church, and Mrs. Walker is one of the 
 teachers in the Sunday-school. 
 
 B 
 
 ANIEL MacDUFF, the manager 
 and one of the proprietors of the 
 Whitney MacDuff Thread Com- 
 pany, resides in Millbury, Mass., 
 where he is well known as a capable business 
 man, possessing good financial and executive 
 ability. A son of Daniel MacDuff, Sr., and 
 a grandson of Alexander MacDuff, he was 
 born August 12, 1850, in Airdrie, Scotland. 
 Alexander, who was born and bred in the 
 Scotch Highlands, was a millwright by trade, 
 and was employed in the same mill for more 
 than half a century. He married Elizabeth 
 Stevenson. Their children, nine sons and 
 two daughters, all grew to maturity, and, with 
 the exception of one son, married and reared 
 families. Two of the sons — Alexander, Jr., 
 and Allan — came to America. The former, 
 who was for several years an engineer on an 
 ocean steamer, with headquarters in Boston, 
 died in Cuba. Allan settled in Missouri. 
 The father died at the age of eighty-three 
 years. 
 
 Daniel MacDuff, Sr., born in Scotland in 
 1822, died in his native land in 1872. He 
 was for many years the manager of a cotton- 
 mill in Glasgow. At his death he left his 
 widow, whose maiden name was Margaret 
 Storie, with ten children, eight sons and two 
 daughters, of whom eight are married and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 359 
 
 have families, and four are in this country. 
 The mother is living with her youngest son 
 in Worcester, Mass. Alexander MacDuff, 
 her eldest child, is stationed at Singapore, 
 Straits Settlements, where he is chief engineer 
 on a steamer. He is an intelligent, conscien- 
 tious, Christian man, and does whatever he 
 can to spread the gospel by holding public 
 meetings. 
 
 Daniel MacDuff, the subject of this sketch, 
 obtained the rudiments of his education in the 
 district schools, and subsequently pursued the 
 higher branches of learning in the evening 
 schools. At the age of fourteen years he 
 began working in the lowest department of the 
 flax thread mill. Here he made such rapid 
 progress that he was frequently promoted from 
 one position to another, until at the age of 
 eighteen years he was made foreman of the 
 mill, a responsible position seldom given to 
 one so young. In 1875 he became the man- 
 ager of a thread-mill near Bridport, Eng- 
 land, whence in 1880 he came with his for- 
 mer employers to Massachusetts to take charge 
 of their mill at North Grafton. He afterward 
 had charge of this mill for twelve years. In 
 1892, when the Whitney, MacDuff Company 
 rented the power, together with the building 
 it now occupies, he assisted in putting in the 
 machinery for manufacturing shoe threads and 
 twines of linen and cotton, and has since had 
 control of the business, which is devoted prin- 
 cipally to the making of shoe threads. The 
 plant has a capacity of one hundred hands, but 
 in the dull times since 1894 it has employed 
 but fifty hands. 
 
 While in business in England, Mr. Mac- 
 Duff returned to Johnston, Scotland, where 
 on December 26, 1876, he married Janet 
 Allen Caldwell, younger daughter of William 
 Caldwell. Mr. and Mrs. MacDuff have six 
 children, namely: Daniel Milton, born May 
 23, 1878, in Burton Bradstock, England, who 
 learned from his father the business of manu- 
 facturing thread; William Caldwell Clark, 
 born in 1881, who is also employed in the 
 factory of the Whitney MacDuff Thread Com- 
 pany; Alexander Storey, in the Millbury 
 High School; Charles Pratt, a boy of twelve 
 years; James Allen, ten years old; and Allen 
 
 Wilson Sharp, a bright and active lad of eight 
 years. In politics Mr. MacDuff is a straight- 
 forward Republican voter. Both he and Mrs. 
 MacDuff are members of the First Congrega- 
 tional Church. 
 
 ILMAN WAITE, of the Waite Chair 
 •)l Company, Baldwinsville, town of 
 Templeton, and an ex-member of the 
 State legislature, was born in Hubbardston, 
 Mass., May i, 1832, son of Joseph and Cla- 
 rissa (Grimes) Waite. His paternal grand- 
 father, also named Joseph, who was a pioneer 
 of Hubbardston, and who there cleared a farm 
 and occupied it for the rest of his life, died at 
 an advanced age. The father, born in Hub- 
 bardston, spent there the greater part of his 
 active period. For many years he carried on 
 a card-board manufactory in connection with 
 farming, and he was a business man of ability 
 and integrity. Politically, he acted with the 
 Republican party in his last years. In relig- 
 ious belief he was a Methodist. His wife, 
 born in Hubbardston, January 28, 1794, was 
 a daughter of Joseph Grimes, who, born Au- 
 gust 9, 1744, cultivated a farm in Hubbards- 
 ton during his active life, and died there No- 
 vember 19, 1834. She became the mother of 
 seven children, of whom four are living, 
 namely: Clara, Aaron, and Luke, residents of 
 Hubbardston; and Gilman, the subject of this 
 sketch. The others were: Rockwell, Joseph, 
 and Lucretia R. Lucretia became Mrs. 
 Chandler. Both of the parents are deceased. 
 
 Having begun his education in the common 
 schools, Gilman Waite completed his studies 
 at the Shelburne Falls Academy, which he at- 
 tended for two terms. Afterward he learned 
 chair-making with Sawyer Brothers at East 
 Templeton. Later in Baldwinsville he was 
 employed by Whitney Brothers in the manu- 
 facture of churns, tubs, etc., for some time; 
 and for the succeeding three years he worked 
 at chair-making for Greenwood & Perley in 
 Winchendon, Mass. He next followed his 
 trade in Westminster, subsequently returning 
 to Baldwinsville. About this time he be- 
 came associated with others in the manufact- 
 ure of sewing machines in Cleveland, Ohio, 
 
360 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 continuing in that business until the plant 
 was burned. Returning once more to Bald- 
 winsville, he was engaged in the lumber busi- 
 ness until 1 87 1, when he purchased Mr. Saw- 
 yer's interest in the concern known as Thomp- 
 son, Perley & Co. The business was carried 
 on under the style of Thompson, Perley & 
 Waite until 1887, when it was changed to its 
 present name of the Waite Chair Company. 
 The company is now making a specialty 
 of manufacturing various styles of children's 
 patent folding chairs. The factory is well 
 equipped with modern machinery, which can 
 be driven by either steam or water power; 
 and the average force employed is from iifty- 
 five to seventy-five men. 
 
 Mr. Waite married Jerusha H. Hosmer, of 
 Templeton. Her parents, the late Joshua and 
 Mary Hosmer, were natives respectively of 
 this town and Orange, Mass. Mrs. Waite 
 has had four children, namely: Frederick E., 
 ' who died at the age of four years; Mary E., 
 the wife of Charles E. Perley; and John N. 
 and Irving C. Waite. The head of one of the 
 principal industries in this locality, Mr. 
 Waite is regarded as a leading business man 
 of Baldwinsville. He is a trustee and a 
 member of the Financial Committee of the 
 Templeton Savings Bank. In politics he is a 
 Republican, and he has served with ability as 
 a Selectman, and was a Representative to 
 the legislature in 1895. A Master Mason, 
 he belongs to Hope Lodge, Gardner, Mass. 
 
 [AMES DRAPER, of Worcester, Mass., 
 the well-known proprietor of the 
 Bloomingdale Nursery and of the 
 Bloomingdale Cement Drain Pipe 
 Works, was born in this city, August 31, 
 1842. He is a son of the late William A. 
 Draper, and is of Revolutionary stock and of 
 English ancestry, being a descendant of James 
 Draper, who came from Yorkshire, England, 
 to America about 1647 or 1648, and settled at 
 Roxbury, Mass. 
 
 From James (first) the line was continued 
 through James (second). Captain James (third), 
 James (fourth), who married Mehitabel Whit- 
 ing, of Dedham, and settled in Spencer, Mass., 
 
 John Draper of the fifth generation, to 
 Zenas of the sixth, father of William and 
 grandfather of the subject of this sketch. 
 John Draper, who was born in 1745, served in 
 the Revolutionary army. He died December 
 20, 1822. His son Zenas was born May 31, 
 1772, and died in Worcester, Mass., January 
 9> 1853. 
 
 William A. Draper, son of Zenas, was born 
 December 29, 1806. During his earlier years 
 of activity he engaged in the manufacture of 
 boots and shoes, an industry that was then in 
 its infancy. In 1 848 he bought an extensive 
 tract of land in Worcester, comprising a por- 
 tion of the territory now covered by the vil- 
 lages of Bloomingdale and Lake View; and in 
 the farm that he improved was also included 
 the land now owned and occupied by his son 
 James. As the city extended its limits, a 
 large part of this land was sold for village 
 lots or public purposes. At the age of forty- 
 nine years, while in the prime of life, Will- 
 iam A. Draper received an injury in a railway 
 accident that resulted in his death on May 25, 
 1855. On November 26, 1833, he married 
 Calista A. Watson, who was born December 
 I, 1810, in Leicester, Mass., a daughter of 
 Robert and Lydia (Watson) Watson. Mr. 
 Watson was born in Spencer, Mass., October 
 16, 1786, and died January 16, 1859. His 
 wife, Lydia, who was a second cousin, was 
 born January 5, 1787, and died January 5, 
 1889, aged one hundred and two years. The 
 coat of arms of the Watson family, which is 
 of English descent, is still preserved. Many 
 of the descendants of the emigrant ancestor 
 were active participants in the Revolutionary 
 War. William A. and Calista A. (Watson) 
 Draper had seven children. A brief record is 
 as follows: William, a resident of Hartford 
 City, Ind., is married and has children; Anna 
 E., wife of George Munger, of Litchfield, 
 Conn., died January 5, 1869; Sophia Amelia, 
 born January 18, 1840, died September 2, 
 1875; James is the special subject of this 
 sketch, and further mentioned below; Maria 
 C, who married George Munger, died Decem- 
 ber 22, 1880; Sylvia C. married Dr. John F. 
 Richardson, of Delphi, Ind., who died Octo- 
 ber 7, 1880; Lizzie Draper died January 25, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 361 
 
 1877. The mother died September 22, 1875, 
 aged sixty-five years. 
 
 James Draper attended the district school 
 until twelve years old, when on account of the 
 death of his father he gave up his studies for 
 a time, though he afterward took a course in 
 the Worcester Commercial College. In i860, 
 while yet a minor, he assumed charge of the 
 fifteen acres remaining of the original estate, 
 and for a few years carried on a fair business 
 as a dairyman and market gardener. Later he 
 began the cultivation of the different varieties 
 of small fruits, with which he supplied the 
 local markets. Acquiring a reputation as a 
 grower of a fine grade of fruits, he received 
 frequent orders for plants, these orders soon 
 becoming so large that he determined to de- 
 vote his time to raising the plants only; and 
 in 1867 he issued his first catalogue. From 
 this small beginning has been developed the 
 Bloomingdale Nursery, which is one of the 
 largest and best stocked of any in this section 
 of the Commonwealth, containing the choicest 
 assortment of native and foreign plants and 
 shrubs and a very extensive collection of 
 shade and ornamental trees. Artistic in his 
 tastes, with a love for Nature in all her forms, 
 he has made a special study of landscape 
 architecture, and has rendered valuable service 
 to the city as a Park Commissioner for the 
 past twelve years, during which time he has 
 had the general charge of the planting and 
 care of the shade trees of the city, and has 
 also been specially interested in the improv- 
 ing of Lake Park, East Park, and Crompton 
 Park, which were largely under his supervi- 
 sion. His familiarity with tree and plant life 
 has more recently been called into requisition 
 in the laying out and beautifying of the 
 grounds of the rural cemetery, he being a 
 trustee and one of the Executive Committee 
 of the corporation controlling it. It is espe- 
 cially worthy of mention that Mr. Draper has 
 made it a rule to add yearly some new embel- 
 lishment to the grounds about his dwelling, 
 making his place one of the most attractive in 
 Worcester. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Draper established the Bloom- 
 ingdale Cement Drain Pipe Works, which 
 proved so successful that in 1889 it was en- 
 
 larged by the purchase of the plants of the 
 Lovell Drain Pipe Works, and in 1890 he 
 added another department, that of manufactur- 
 ing artificial stone vases and articles of a sim- 
 ilar character, which is now an important in- 
 dustry. 
 
 Mr. Draper's church affiliations are now 
 with the Plymouth Congregational, of which 
 he was one of the founders, although he first 
 united with the Union Church, at that time 
 having its place of worship on Front Street. 
 He was also one of the original members of 
 the Young Men's Christian Association of 
 Worcester. In politics he is a stanch Repub- 
 lican; and, though never solicitous of public 
 office, he served on the School Board from 
 1872 until 1875 and on the Board of Over- 
 seers of the Poor for nine consecutive years. 
 He was prominently connected with the 
 Worcester Horticultural Society for over 
 twenty-five years, as special judge of the fruit 
 department for fourteen years, and is a trustee 
 of the Worcester County Agricultural So- 
 ciety. He was one of the originators and first 
 president of the Massachusetts Fruit-growers' 
 Association. He is also a trustee of the State 
 Agricultural College, an office to which he 
 was appointed by Governor Ames fourteen 
 years ago. In 1872 he assisted in organizing 
 the Worcester Grange of the Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry, which he served as Master the first 
 three years of its existence. He subsequently 
 filled the office of secretary of the State 
 Grange, and was afterward Master of that 
 body eight years. During this time he was 
 elected Overseer in the National Grange, and, 
 owing to the death of the Master of that 
 powerful farmers' organization in 1880, he 
 became its chief executive officer. In 1862 
 Mr. Draper joined the Morning Star Lodge, 
 F. & A. M. ; and later he became a member 
 of Eureka Chapter, R. A. M., and of Worces- 
 ter County Commandery, Knights Templar, 
 in which he has held important official posi- 
 tions. He is also a member of the Massachu- 
 setts Society of the Sons of the Revolution. 
 He is one of the trustees of the Worcester 
 Five Cents Savings Bank, and was one of the 
 projectors of the Worcester & Shrewsbury 
 Narrow Gauge Railway, the second of the 
 
362 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 kind built in this country, which has recently 
 been leased by the Consolidated Street Rail- 
 way Company. 
 
 On September 20, 1866, Mr. Draper was 
 married to Josephine C. Dean, a teacher in 
 the public schools of Fall River and a daugh- 
 ter of Aaron Jefferson and Alice King 
 (Webb) Dean. Mr. and Mrs. Draper have 
 six children, namely: Alice Gertrude, a grad- 
 uate of the Worcester Normal School, now a 
 teacher in the Bloomingdale School; EfiSe 
 Blanche, the wife of William L. Smith, of 
 the city engineer's department; Lizzette 
 Marie, principal of the Bloomingdale School ; 
 Sophie Anna; Sylvia Louise, a student in the 
 Classical High School; and James Edwin, 
 a student in the Bloomingdale School. 
 
 TT^HARLES SIDNEY EDMONDS, clerk 
 I Vr^ of the American Optical Company in 
 ^^^^^ Southbridge, was born in Wolcott- 
 ville. Conn., April 9, 1835, son of 
 Ebenezer and Sarah (North) Edmonds. His 
 immigrant ancestor, William Edmonds, who 
 was born in England in 1610, settled in 
 Lynn, Mass., in 1630. His great-grand- 
 father was Ebenezer Edmonds, who served as 
 an officer in the Revolutionary War; and his 
 grandfather was Luther Edmonds, who mar- 
 ried Betsey Allen, of Dudley, Mass., and 
 resided in that town. The father, born in 
 Dudley in 1807, was a machinist by trade. 
 He settled in Southbridge about the year 
 1837, and afterward resided here until his 
 death, which occurred in 1891, at the age of 
 eighty-four years. He was prominently iden- 
 tified with the Universalist church. Sarah, 
 his wife, became the mother of three sons: 
 George B., who is now in the railroad busi- 
 ness in New York City; Herbert Luther, an 
 optician of Baltimore, Md. ; and Charles S., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Charles Sidney Edmonds was educated in 
 the Southbridge public schools and at the 
 Leicester Academy, near Worcester. Previ- 
 ous to attending the academy he was em- 
 ployed as a store clerk. After completing 
 ^-his -studies he entered the spectacle factory of 
 Ammidovvn & Son, with whom he remained 
 
 until 1864. In that year he became associ- 
 ated with his father in the same business, 
 in the firm of E. Edmonds & Son, which car- 
 ried on a flourishing trade until the consolida- 
 tion of the Cole and Ammidown concerns as 
 the American Optical Company. Of this 
 company he was one of the original stock- 
 holders and directors, and is now the clerk. 
 In 185s Mr. Edmonds first married Sarah 
 Nash, who died in 1865. On October 27, 
 1868, a second marriage wedded him to 
 Althea J. Hobbs, a daughter of Hartwell and 
 Josephine (Clark) Hobbs, formerly of Brook- 
 field, Mass. Her maternal grandfather. 
 Major Hiram Clark, of Brookfield, who was 
 educated for the ministry, was appointed to a 
 position in the navy yard at Washington, 
 D.C. Mr. and Mrs. Edmonds are the parents 
 of three children, namely: Josephine Sheldon, 
 born April 21, 1870, who is a graduate of 
 Radcliffe College, class of 1896; Charles 
 Howard, born September 23, 1873, who grad- 
 uated from the Boston English High School 
 in 1893, and is now invoice clerk in the 
 office of the American Optical Company; and 
 Stuart Hobbs Edmonds, born October 25, 
 1876, who attended the Worcester Academy, 
 and is now studying architecture in Boston. 
 For several years Mr. Edmonds, Sr., was 
 Worshipful Master of Quinebaug Lodge, F. & 
 A. M., and High Priest of Doric Chapter, 
 Royal Arch Masons. He is now a member of 
 Worcester Commandery, Knights Templar; of 
 Aleppo Temple of the Mystic Shrine in Bos- 
 ton ; and of the Massachusetts Consistory, 
 thirty-second degree. He was also prominent 
 in various musical organizations that once 
 flourished here, including the local band; and 
 he was a member of the Universalist church 
 choir. Politically, he is a Republican. 
 Both he and Mrs. Edmonds in 1897 made an 
 extended pleasure trip through the British 
 Isles and continental Europe. 
 
 HARLES H. ALLEN, a veteran of 
 the Civil War, and who was a success- 
 ful boot and shoe manufacturer of 
 Spencer for a number of years, was 
 born in this town, June 17, 1841. His par- 
 
•^ 
 
 CHARLES S. EDMONDS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 365 
 
 ents, Pliny and Sarah (Barnes) Allen, both 
 also natives of Spencer, were respectively of 
 English and Scotch origin. Israel Allen, the 
 paternal great - grandfather, who came here 
 from Shrewsbury, Mass., and located upon 
 land in the northern part of the township, 
 fought for independence at the battle of 
 Bunker Hill and elsewhere. The grandfather. 
 Ivory Allen, was likewise a native of Spencer. 
 Pliny Allen, the father, was a prosperous 
 farmer during his active years, and was also 
 engaged in the hauling and manufacturing of 
 lumber. In politics he was a Republican; 
 and he served as a Selectman, Assessor, and 
 Overseer of the Poor. He was actively inter- 
 ested in the growth of the town, as well as the 
 moral and religious welfare of the community, 
 and was one of the original members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. When he died, 
 in 1884, he was eighty-three years old. Of 
 his nine children, five are living, namely: 
 Clementine C. , the wife of A. Carpenter, of 
 Springfield, Mass. ; David B. , who is residing 
 at Togus, Me. ; Charles H., the subject of 
 this sketch; George A., of Spencer; and 
 Susan A., the wife of George A. Hildreth, of 
 Worcester. 
 
 Charles H. Allen was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of Spencer. In August, 1862, he 
 enlisted in Company F, Forty-second Regi- 
 ment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, with 
 which he served for one year in the Civil War 
 upon the Lower Mississippi. After returning 
 from the army to his native town he became 
 an operative in the shoe factory of Isaac 
 Prouty & Co. Here in time, having acquired 
 a good knowledge of the business, he was ad- 
 vanced to a responsible position in the fitting 
 and stitching department, continuing as a 
 foreman for a number of years. In 1879 he 
 formed a partnership with Charles A. Bemis 
 for the purpose of engaging in the manufact- 
 ure of boots and shoes in the firm of Bemis & 
 Allen, which conducted business for ten years. 
 Subsequently he was a member of the firm 
 Bacon, Young & Co. until its dissolution. He 
 married Hattie M. Boice, of Spencer, a daugh- 
 ter of Elliott Boice, late of this town. His 
 living children are: Carrie M., who is a 
 teacher in the high school at Cheshire, Mass, ; 
 
 Chester B. , a teacher in the high school at 
 Camden, Me. ; Mary E., a teacher in the 
 public schools of Spencer; Lulu H., who is 
 conducting a private kindergarten in this 
 town; and Sarah E. , Susie L. , and C. N. 
 Everett, who are residing at home. He had 
 another daughter, Ruth C, who is now de- 
 ceased. The family attend the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 In politics Mr. Allen is a Republican, and 
 he is now serving his fourth year as a member 
 of the Board of Selectmen. A charter mem- 
 ber and Past Master of Spencer Lodge, F. 
 & A. M., in which he has occupied other 
 important chairs, he is also a member of 
 Worcester Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and 
 of Worcester County Commandery, Knights 
 Templar. Much esteemed in the Grand 
 Army, he is a comrade of F. A. Stearns Post, 
 No. 2^"]. With an honorable record both as 
 a business man and town officer, he fully 
 merits the esteem accorded to him by the 
 entire community. 
 
 IVES WALLACE, a dealer in 
 flour, feed, and hay, located in 
 Depot Square, Clinton, was born in 
 Holland, Hampden County, Febru- 
 ary 2, 1864, son of William S. C. and M. 
 (Perry) Wallace. His grandfather, John 
 Wallace, who was born in the same town, and 
 was a farmer there, died at the age of seventy- 
 two, having been the father of three children. 
 William Wallace, above named, was brought 
 up on his father's farm and educated in the 
 common schools of Holland. After leaving 
 school he was employed in farming for some 
 time. Then he removed to Springfield, where 
 he is still living. He was Selectman and 
 Assessor while in Holland. His wife, born 
 in Wales, Mass., who was a daughter of Silas 
 Perry, had ten children, all of whom are liv- 
 ing. Their names are: David P., Carrie, 
 Mary, Daniel, Frank, Hattie, John, S. Ives, 
 Abbie, and Fred. Fred is now twenty-nine 
 years of age. Both parents are members of 
 the Baptist church. 
 
 S. Ives Wallace, whose early life was spent 
 in Holland, was educated in the public schools 
 
366 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 there and in the high school at Brimfield. 
 Going subsequently into the office of the 
 Cutler Company at North Wilbraham, whole- 
 sale grain dealers, he remained there for three 
 years. Then in 1885 he came to Clinton, 
 and in company with his brother Frank went 
 into his present business. Messrs. Wallace 
 have both wholesale and retail departments, 
 and are quite prosperous. Their store was 
 originally established by William G. Wilder. 
 Mr. Wallace was married in 1886 to Lucy M. , 
 one of the five children of William R. Ses- 
 sions, a farmer of Hampden and the secretary 
 of the State Board of Agriculture. Mrs. 
 Wallace has two children — Earle S. and 
 Sylvia P. 
 
 In politics Mr. Wallace is a Republican. 
 In 1895 he was elected Road Commissioner 
 for three years. For two years he has been 
 a member of the Republican Town Commit- 
 tee, and he has just been nominated by accla- 
 mation for the State legislature. He is also 
 a Mason, a member of Clinton Lodge, Inde- 
 pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Order 
 of Red Men, the Royal Arcanum, Prescott 
 Club, and the Outing Club. In the Masonic 
 and Odd Fellows lodges he has held various 
 official positions. He is a regular attendant 
 of the Unitarian church and the treasurer of 
 the society. Of a cordial and winning per- 
 sonality, he has won many friends since com- 
 ing to Clinton. His success in business is 
 due to his prompt and reliable methods and 
 the unfailing courtesy with which he attends 
 to his customers. 
 
 (^NDREW J. THAYER, a prominent 
 *J4 man of East Douglas, was born in 
 yJUV Uxbridge, Mass., January ig, 1829, 
 ^"^ son of Asa and Chloe (Taft) Thayer. 
 His grandfather, also named Asa Thayer, re- 
 sided in Uxbridge, and served as a soldier in 
 the War of 1812. The father, who was born 
 in Uxbridge, September 2, 1799, after com- 
 pleting his education in the common schools, 
 went to Watertown, Mass., where he was em- 
 ployed as a clerk in a general store. Later 
 he returned to his native town, and then for 
 ten years kept a hotel. In 1850 he engaged 
 
 in a general mercantile business at East 
 Douglas, and for several years was the pro- 
 prietor of the East Douglas hotel. As the 
 result of his business prosperity he acquired 
 large real estate interests, owning twenty of 
 the best houses in town, and building what is 
 known as Thayer's Block. He served as 
 Deputy Sheriff for six years, was a Represent- 
 ative to the General Court in 1837, and was 
 appointed Postmaster at East Douglas by Pres- 
 ident Buchanan and reappointed by President 
 Lincoln. In politics he was a Democrat. He 
 married Chloe Taft, a native of Uxbridge. 
 His children were: Andrew J. ; Charles A.; 
 Frank H. ; Anna F., who became Mrs. Shad- 
 low; Ella G., who became Mrs. Wyman; 
 Etta, who became Mrs. Algier; Lucius M. ; 
 and Walter G. Thayer. Lucius M. Thayer 
 was Captain of Company I, Fifty-first Regi- 
 ment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in 
 the Civil War, re-enlisting at the expira- 
 tion of his first term of one year. The mother 
 lived to be eighty-two years old. 
 
 Andrew J. Thayer attended the public 
 schools of U.xbridge and East Douglas. At 
 the age of seventeen he became a store clerk 
 in Franklin, Mass., where he remained for two 
 years; and for the succeeding seven 3'ears he 
 was employed in the same capacity at Whit- 
 insville. Going to Boston about the year 
 1855. he was with the Paine Furniture Com- 
 pany for the next fifteen years, most of the 
 time acting as buyer. After returning to East 
 Douglas in 1870 he engaged in the lumber 
 and grain business, which he has since carried 
 on with success. Shortly after settling here 
 he purchased the Knapp farm of one hundred 
 acres; and in 1875 he bought the Deacon 
 Hunt estate, on Mechanic and Main Streets. 
 He is a large stockholder in the American 
 Axe and Tool Company, is vice-president of 
 the Whitinsville Savings Bank, represents 
 several reliable insurance companies, and 
 acts as a Justice of the Peace. 
 
 On November 20, 1852, Mr. Thayer was 
 united in marriage with Mary Ann Knapp, 
 who was born in Douglas, March 29, 1831, 
 daughter of Moses and Alta Knapp. Mrs. 
 Thayer has had four children, two of whom 
 are living, namely: Helen L., born Decern- 
 
BtOGRAt'iilCAL ReViEw 
 
 367 
 
 ber 25, 1858; and Annie J., born August i, 
 1863, who is now Mrs. Correll. The others 
 were: Frank H., who died May 12, 1857, 
 aged three and a half years; and Fannie E., 
 born September 17, 1856, who died February 
 6, 1858. Though not an aspirant to public 
 office, Mr. Thayer has served as an Assessor, 
 a member of the School Committee, and Dep- 
 uty Sheriff. In politics he is a Republican. 
 The family attend the Second Congregational 
 Church. 
 
 /pTEORGE H. STODDARD, of Upton, 
 I ^y Mass., one of the foremost workers 
 ^-^ of the Democratic party in this sec- 
 tion of the State,- was born in the town 
 of Upton on March 21, 1834, son of Hart- 
 ford and Sarah (Taft) Stoddard, the latter a 
 sister of the Hon. Velorous Taft. Mr. Stod- 
 dard's father, who was for many years a prom- 
 inent citizen of Upton, was for thirty years 
 prior to the Civil War extensively engaged in 
 the boot and shoe business in the South. He 
 owned a large amount of land in Upton, in 
 eluding some hundred acres at the Centre. 
 His brother, E. B. Stoddard, uncle of George 
 H., was one of the wealthiest men of Upton. 
 He built a beautiful residence here at a cost 
 of fifty thousand dollars, which is one of the 
 finest in the town. For fifty years he was 
 a boot and shoe merchant at Charleston, S. C. ; 
 but his splendid property, together with the 
 business, the whole estimated to be worth 
 about three-quarters of a million of dollars, 
 was swept away by the ravages of the Civil 
 War. 
 
 Mr. Stoddard was educated at Phillips 
 Academy, Andover, in the famous class of 
 1852, which included such men as Judge 
 Bishop, William T. Harris, present United 
 States Commissioner of Education, Mr. Fair- 
 banks, of the Fairbanks Standard Scales Com- 
 pany, and Francis E. Clarke, since the founder 
 of the Christian Endeavor organization. After 
 his graduation Mr. Stoddard was for a number 
 of years in business at Upton Centre in the 
 store now owned by S. B. Fiske; and s,ubse- 
 quent to that he was for several years in the 
 newspaper business, during which time he 
 
 travelled through every city in the State. 
 For two years he canvassed the State for sub- 
 scribers to the National Democrat, published 
 in Washington, D.C. , and American Indus- 
 tries, which was published in New York. In 
 later years he has carried on a farm in Upton. 
 
 There are probably few men living who 
 have a wider acquaintance than Mr. Stoddard 
 with Democratic workers throughout the Com- 
 monwealth. He is well known in all the 
 State political organizations, and is most un- 
 flinchingly loyal to his party on all occasions 
 and at all times. There can be no question 
 as to the sincerity of his motives, for the fact 
 that he has always remained true to the mi- 
 nority party is sufficient guarantee that he does 
 so out of allegiance to his conviction that he 
 is in the right. He has been twice nomi- 
 nated by his party as Representative to the 
 General Court of the Commonwealth ; and, 
 although the party was in hopeless minority, 
 he received a most flattering vote. Mr. Stod- 
 dard takes a warm interest in all the affairs of 
 the town, and is everywhere recognized as one 
 of the most public-spirited of Upton's citi- 
 zens. He is an interesting and forceful 
 speaker, and has on a number of occasions 
 spoken at camp-fires, and once he delivered 
 the memorial address before the Grand Army 
 Post at Upton. For nine years he was on the 
 School Board ; and on graduation day for four 
 years he awarded the diplomas to the grad- 
 uates of the high school, and made the pres- 
 entation speech. He presided at the dedica- 
 tion of Upton's new town hall, and has been 
 president of the Farmers' Club in this town. 
 
 Mr. Stoddard married Melissa A., daughter 
 of one of Upton's most venerable and honored 
 citizens. Captain J. E. Ward, who has been 
 a prosperous farmer and mill-owner. Captain 
 Ward was born here on November 11, 181 1; 
 and, though now well advanced in years, he is 
 still active and vigorous. He enjoys attend- 
 ing the church, of which he has been for a 
 half-century an honored and faithful member, 
 reads the newspapers, and takes a lively interest 
 in matters of public moment. He resides on 
 the old Ward homestead, where he and his 
 wife have lived together for more than sixty- 
 five years, she a member of the church for 
 
368 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sixty years and always deeply interested in 
 charitable associations. Her maiden name 
 was Eliza A. Hayward. Their golden wed- 
 ding, which was celebrated in a most happy 
 manner, was attended by two hundred and fifty 
 guests. Captain Ward has been active in 
 local politics, and has filled various town 
 offices. For years he was commander of a 
 company of State militia, as were also his 
 father and grandfather before him. Of the 
 three children born tckhim Mrs. Stoddard is 
 the only one now living, and it is a great 
 comfort to him and his good wife to have 
 her and her husband reside with them. Mrs. 
 Stoddard taught in the public schools for sev- 
 eral years, and was a member of the School 
 Committee for six years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard have three children 
 living, namely: Mrs. C. H. Porter, of War- 
 ren, the mother of two children — Florence F. 
 and Roy Ward Porter; Mrs. W. L. Annette, 
 of Milford, also the mother of two children — 
 Margaret S. and Raymond W. ; and Waldo 
 W. Stoddard, who is at home and is unmar- 
 ried. 
 
 jZRA H. BLAIR, who was for many 
 years a prominent business man and 
 one of the most esteemed citizens of 
 West Brookfield, was born in Warren, Mass., 
 April 2, 1823, son of Captain James and Ann 
 (Hutchins) Blair, his father being a prosper- 
 ous farmer. His youth was spent upon his 
 father's farm., where he acquired some knowl- 
 edge of agriculture, and he was educated in 
 the public schools of Warren and in Quaboag 
 Seminary at that place. Soon after attaining 
 his majority he went to Providence, R.L, 
 where he was employed for several years as 
 clerk in a dry-goods establishment. In 1855 
 he came to West Brookfield, and bought out 
 the general store of Captain Newell ; and dur- 
 ing the rest of his active career, which ex- 
 tended over a period of thirty years, he had a 
 large trade in dry goods and groceries, few 
 stores outside of the large cities doing as 
 much. In i860 he removed from the original 
 small store, and occupied the stores under the 
 new Town Hall, comprising about one-third 
 
 of the entire floor. Later he occupied one- 
 half and some years afterward the entire floor 
 and part of the basement. About 1878 he ad- 
 mitted to partnership Mr. B. F. Blodgett, 
 then of Springfield and formerly a valued 
 clerk in his employ. The firm name now be- 
 came E. H. Blair & Co. The constantly in- 
 creasing business induced Mr. Blair in 1879 
 to build a large block on the corner of Main 
 and Central Streets, where they could have 
 more room and better facilities. Besides his 
 own large store, four others were fitted up in the 
 same building, making the most striking and 
 substantial business block in the place. This 
 building was destroyed by fire on April 7, 
 1887; and the excitement, exertion, and ex- 
 posure incident to the occasion brought on 
 an illness from which Mr. Blair failed to re- 
 cover, his death occurring on Monday, May 3, 
 1887. 
 
 His loss was a severe blow to West Brook- 
 field, as he had long been not only one of its 
 leading business men, but also one of its most 
 honored citizens. Appointed Postmaster dur- 
 ing President Lincoln's first administration, 
 he continued in office until the incoming of 
 President Cleveland, when he resigned. He 
 had been Town Treasurer a still greater number 
 of years, and was Treasurer at the time of his 
 death; and he served as Town Clerk for 
 twenty-one years. He was also treasurer and 
 one of the trustees of the Quaboag Building 
 Association. A Republican in politics, he 
 was often urged to accept the Republican 
 nomination of his district for Representative, 
 but would not consent, preferring to remain 
 in the ranks ; but he was ever ready with his 
 influence and, if needful, with his money to 
 help the cause of good government. He at- 
 tended and helped to support the Congrega- 
 tional church, and served as treasurer of the 
 Parish Committee for many years. He was 
 also the chairman of the Building Committee 
 of the present Congregational church at West 
 Brookfield, and was one of the largest contrib- 
 utors to the building fund. Mr. Blair was a 
 friend of the poor and a man easily approached 
 by the humblest citizen of the town, being 
 ever ready to give advice and assistance to 
 those in trouble without a thought of compen- 
 
BlOGRAPMlCAL REVIEW 
 
 369 
 
 sation. When times were hard and laboring 
 men out of employment, they were always sure 
 of getting sufficient credit at his store to tide 
 them over. Many had occasion to say that in 
 his death they had lost a true friend. 
 
 Mr. Blair was married on November 12, 
 1857, to Lomira Barnes, a native of West 
 Brookfield and a daughter of Noah Barnes, 
 second, who was born in North Brookfield. 
 The Barnes family is an old one in North 
 Brookfield. Mrs. Barnes's great-grandfather, 
 Jonathan Barnes, a resident of that place, 
 fought on the American side in the Revolu- 
 tionary War. Mrs. Blair's mother, whose 
 name in maidenhood was Lydia Kendrick, 
 was a daughter of Thomas Kendrick, of North 
 Brookfield. 
 
 Four children, all daughters, were born to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Blair, namely: Cora L., a 
 teacher in the Clark School at Northampton, 
 Mass. ; Mariana, who resides at home with her 
 mother; Grace K., a student at Northfield, 
 Mass. ; and Ellen, who died in infancy. Mrs. 
 Blair is a lady highly esteemed in the best 
 social circles of West Brookfield and the 
 vicinity. 
 
 /^STeORGE J. DUDLEY, farmer, a 
 \ 5T well-known resident of Sutton, his 
 native place, where for a number of 
 years he has been prominent in the conduct of 
 town affairs, was born on February 17, 1849, 
 son of Jason and Mary A. (Daniels) Dudley. 
 The ancestor of this family in America was 
 Francis Dudley, who was born in England, 
 and who emigrated to this country in 1663, 
 settled in Concord, Mass., and married 
 Sarah Wheeler. How nearly he was related 
 to Governor Thomas Dudley we are unable to 
 state. It is said that Sir Richard de Dudley, 
 living in England in the fourteenth cen- 
 tury, had for his wife Isabella de Sutton. 
 Whether there is any connection between this 
 and the fact that the town in which so many 
 Dudleys live to-day is called Sutton is not 
 known. 
 
 Mr. Dudley was educated in the common 
 schools of Sutton, the high school at Mill- 
 bury, and at Howe's Business College in the 
 
 city of Worcester. When he was about 
 twenty-one years old his father died, leaving 
 to his management a large farm. The present 
 condition of the farm, its size, and cultiva- 
 tion attest that he has given careful and in- 
 telligent attention to the charge left him, and 
 has greatly improved the property. 
 
 Mr. Dudley married Jenette P. Daniels, 
 daughter of Charles F. and Eliza (Phipps) 
 Daniels and on the maternal side a descend- 
 ant of the famous New England Phipps fam- 
 ily, whose immigrant ancestor, James Phipps, 
 came from Bristol, England, and settled at 
 Pemaquid, near the mouth of the Kennebec 
 River, prior to 1650. James Phipps was the 
 father of five daughters and twenty-one sons, 
 all of whom, according to Cotton Mather, 
 were the children of one mother. Among the 
 sons was one who was knighted by James II., 
 and was Governor of Massachusetts under 
 William III. — namely, the celebrated Sir 
 William Phipps. One of Mrs. Dudley's an- 
 cestors, Charles Phipps by name, enlisted in 
 the Continental army on April 29, 1775, for 
 eight months' service, and was a Captain. 
 The children of Mr. and Mrs. Dudley are: 
 Edith L., who was born in 1876; and Ger- 
 trude M., who was born in 1889. Edith L. 
 Dudley is a graduate of Millbury High School 
 and of the Worcester High School, and is now 
 teaching in the public schools of Sutton. 
 
 Mr. Dudley is a Past Master of Olive 
 Branch Lodge, F. & A. M., and a Past High 
 Priest of Tyrian R. A. Chapter, both located 
 in Millbury. He is also a member of Worces- 
 ter County Commandery of Knights Templar 
 and of several other Masonic organizations. 
 He is also Past Master of Millbury Grange. 
 For some years- he has been a trustee of Mill- 
 bury Savings Bank, for the last two years a 
 member of its Investment Board, and he has 
 recently been elected vice-president. He has 
 taken an active interest in town affairs, and 
 has filled various town offices — from 1880 to 
 1883, inclusive, that of Assessor, and in 1884, 
 1885, 1886, 1887, and 1888 that of Select- 
 man, being chairman of the board four years 
 out of the five. The new town hall was built 
 during his period of office. He is at present 
 serving his town as Auditor. 
 
37° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IRA NATHANIEL -GODDARD, a prom- 
 inent resident of Millbury, was born 
 JIarch I, 1830, in the house he now 
 owns and occupies. A son of Nathaniel 
 and Rhoda (Gale) Goddard, he is by both par- 
 ents a descendant of some of the earliest Eng- 
 lish families that emigrated to Massachusetts. 
 By the aid of a work published in England, 
 entitled "Memoirs of the Goddards of North 
 Wiltshire," he traces his ancestry in a direct 
 line to one Walter Goddard, who flourished in 
 the latter part of the twelfth century. 
 
 The founder of the family in America was 
 William, seventh son of Edward and Priscilla 
 (D'Oyley) Goddard. This ancestor, who was 
 a wholesale grocer in London, and who 
 through heavy losses at sea and in trade lost 
 much of his property, in 1666 emigrated 
 to New England, and located with his wife 
 and children in Watertown, Mass., where he 
 remained permanently. The following ex- 
 tracts from the town records refer to him : — 
 
 "Admitted to full communion January 8, 
 1677 ; admitted freeman (voter) December, 
 1677. 
 
 "March 27, 1680: These are to certify 
 that Mr. William Goddard, whom the said 
 town, by covenanting, engaged to teach such 
 children as should be sent to him to learn the 
 rules of the Latin tongue, hath those accom- 
 plishments which render him capable to dis- 
 charge the trust confided to him. 
 
 "(Signed) John Sherman, Pastor.''' 
 
 His son, Benjamin, was for many years 
 a resident of Charlestown, Mass. Benjamin's 
 son, also named Benjamin Goddard, born in 
 Charlestown in 1705, died in Grafton, Worces- 
 ter County, in December, 1759. 
 
 Samuel Goddard, the grandfather of Ira 
 N., was born in Grafton, December 27, 1742; 
 and he died at Royalston, Worcester County, 
 August 16, 1806. When a young man he 
 lived for a while in Sutton, Mass., where he 
 married Elizabeth King, who died compara- 
 tively young, leaving six children. The chil- 
 dren were: Henry, Samuel, Elizabeth, 
 Asahel, Salmon, and James. Elizabeth be- 
 came the wife of Squire Peck; and their son, 
 Asahel Peck, was Governor of Vermont in 
 
 1874. On June 29, 1790, the father married 
 Mrs. Catherine Parks, of Athol, Mass., a 
 daughter of Stephen Parker, of Shrewsbury, 
 and a direct descendant of Thomas Parker, 
 who emigrated from London, England, to 
 Massachusetts in 1635, and became one of the 
 original settlers of Reading, Middlesex 
 County. Of their eight children Benjamin, 
 Tamar, Nathaniel, and Danford attained ma- 
 turity. 
 
 Nathaniel Goddard was born in Royalston, 
 Mass., February 7, 1797, and was there bred 
 and educated. In 1819 he began to manu- 
 facture boots and shoes in Millbury. He was 
 so prosperous that in 1825 he built the house 
 now occupied by his son, Ira N. Thereafter 
 in the shop and store connected with the resi- 
 dence he conducted the shoe business, both 
 as manufacturer and dealer, until his death, 
 which occurred December 8, 1887. An ac- 
 tive, industrious man of business, he retained 
 his mental vigor to the last. He served in 
 the various town offices, and for half a cen- 
 tury was Deacon of the Congregational 
 church. At Royalston on October 27, 1820, 
 he married Rhoda Gale, who was born in that 
 town, July 15, 1798. She was a daughter of 
 Jonathan and Rhoda (Baker) Gale and a 
 lineal descendant of two prominent early set- 
 tlers of Massachusetts— Richard Baker, who 
 emigrated from England to Dorchester, Mass., 
 in 163s; and Richard Gale, who settled in 
 Watertown in 1640. Her children were : Julia 
 A., born in 1822, who married Henry W. 
 Benchley, the Lieutenant Governor of Massa- 
 chusetts in 1858, and died July 30, 1854, 
 leaving two children; Maria, who lived but 
 ten years; Sophia, residing in Worcester, 
 Mass., who is the widow of the late Rufus 
 Wesson and has two sons ; and Ira Nathaniel, 
 the subject of this sketch. The mother died 
 December 27, 1883. 
 
 Ira N. Goddard was educated in the com- 
 mon schools and academy of Millbury, and 
 afterward worked for his father until attaining 
 his majority. Then his father admitted him 
 into partnership as the junior member of the 
 firm of Nathaniel Goddard & Son. Subse- 
 quently he succeeded to the entire business 
 and parental estate. He is well known 
 
GEORGE WILSON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 373 
 
 throughout the community as one of its pro- 
 gressive men. For twenty years he has been 
 an agent of fire insurance companies, and for 
 a long time has been connected with the man- 
 agement of the Millbury Savings Banls, of 
 which he is now the president, having formerly 
 been a trustee and one of its Investment 
 Committee. 
 
 For forty-five consecutive years Mr. God- 
 dard served as Town Clerk, receiving the 
 unanimous nomination of both parties. He 
 has also served several terms as Assessor, 
 Selectman, and Collector of Taxes, at times 
 holding the four offices simultaneously. He 
 is a Republican in politics and a member of 
 the Congregational church, which he has 
 served at different times as superintendent of 
 the Sunday-school carried on under its au- 
 spices. Fraternally, he is a Master Mason. 
 On June 26, 1856, he married Josephine Caro- 
 line, daughter of John and Caroline (Merritt) 
 Ryan. Being the Town Clerk at that time, 
 he had the gratification of issuing his own 
 license. Mr. and Mrs. Goddard have had two 
 children, one of whom died in infancy. The 
 other, Harry M. Goddard, now a business man 
 of Millbury, married Jennie M. Waters, of 
 this town. 
 
 /STeORGE WILSON, a well-known agri- 
 y '3 I culturist and wood dealer of Spen- 
 — cer, Mass., was born here, January 
 12, 1828, son of Asa and Lucinda (Liver- 
 more) Wilson, both of whom were natives of 
 the county. The name of Wilson has long 
 been well and favorably known in this section 
 of the State. Asa Wilson was a leading 
 farmer of his time. Of his children, three 
 are living: Harriet, Luther, and George. 
 
 Orphaned at the age of thirteen years by 
 the death of his father, George Wilson since 
 that time has been practically self-supporting. 
 At first he lived on a farm, and did chores and 
 odd jobs to pay for his living while attending 
 school. As soon as he began to give his 
 whole time he was paid ten dollars a month 
 in addition to his board. Later on he re- 
 ceived twelve and then fifteen dollars a 
 month. After working for several years in 
 
 this way, he secured a position as clerk for 
 Leonard Downing, a well-known merchant of 
 Charlestown, Mass., with whom he remained 
 for the next four years. After his first mar- 
 riage he settled on what was known as the Asa 
 Wilson homestead farm in Spencer, where he 
 resided for a number of years, carrying on 
 farming. Subsequently he entered the em- 
 ploy of the Boston & Albany Railroad Com- 
 pany, and for the greater part of four years 
 was foreman of repairs on the part of the 
 track lying between Charlton and 'Rochdale, a 
 distance of four miles and a half. Owing to 
 an accident in which an arm and a leg of his 
 were broken, he decided to give up railroad- 
 ing. He came back to Spencer in 1870, and 
 settled on the farm near the village which has 
 since been his home. Besides carrying on 
 general farming, he keeps a dairy and deals in 
 wood. In the wood business it is his practice 
 to buy large tracts of timber land, cut the 
 timber, and market the wood and lumber ob- 
 tained. 
 
 Mr. Wilson has served the town as Assessor 
 and as Highway Surveyor. Politically, he is 
 a Republican. He is a member of Good-will 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F., at Spencer, and of the 
 Patrons of Husbandry; and he is vice-presi- 
 dent of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Associa- 
 tion of Spencer, which he helped to organize. 
 The first of his two marriages was contracted 
 in 1848 with Eliza Butterfield, of Charles- 
 town. She bore him two children, of whom 
 Georgiana is living. In the second marriage 
 he was wedded to Lucinda Drake, of Spencer. 
 Of her children by him, there are living, 
 William A., Charles L., Mary L., George H., 
 Warren S., Ida A., and FZtta E. Mary is the 
 wife of George Dunn, and Etta is now Mrs. 
 Walter S. Pratt. 
 
 OHN A. BROWN, a practical, ener- 
 getic farmer of Grafton, was born on 
 his present farm, August 14, 1851, son 
 of Horace P. and Eliza (Whitney) 
 Brown. His father was born on this farm, as 
 was also his grandfather, Clark Brown, who, 
 besides cultivating it, carried on a good busi- 
 ness as a tanner and currier. The latter pos- 
 
374 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sessed considerable musical ability and agree- 
 able social qualities pleasing to his neighbors, 
 and some of our older citizens recall with 
 pleasure the many pleasant evenings spent at 
 his hospitable home. He was twice married, 
 and reared a family of twenty-one children, 
 two of whom are still living. 
 
 Horace P. Brown, father of John A., was a 
 currier by trade, and also carried on a prosper- 
 ous business as a boot and shoe manufacturer. 
 Succeeding to the ownership of the home- 
 stead, he tilled the soil besides attending to 
 his other enterprises. He died in 1880, 
 aged seventy-five years. His wife, Eliza, 
 who was a representative of the Eli Whitney 
 family of Westboro, became the mother of five 
 children, three of whom attained maturity, 
 namely: Sarah J., a school teacher, residing 
 in Fall River, Mass.; Horace C. , who died 
 in Attleboro, Mass., in 1894, leaving a widow 
 and three children; and John A., the subject 
 of this sketch. 
 
 John A. Brown pursued his elementary 
 studies in the common schools, and later at- 
 tended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 
 Since the death of his father he has carried on 
 the homestead, giving his attention to general 
 farming and dairying. As a typical New 
 England farmer he displays the same thrift 
 and industry that characterized his predeces- 
 sors, and has worthily upheld the good name 
 and high standing of his family in the com- 
 munity. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Brown was united in marriage 
 with Agnes Crober, daughter of George 
 Crober, of Ogdensburg, N.Y. He is the 
 father of four sons — Arthur C, George H., 
 Frank E., and Fred W. 
 
 Though never a seeker after public office, 
 Mr. Brown served the town capably two years 
 as Road Commissioner. In politics he votes 
 with the Republican party. 
 
 (S>rLVIN HYDE, 
 
 fcliA lumber dealer 
 
 /J|j,V well known 
 
 a box manufacturer and 
 ler of Brookfield, Mass., is 
 -lown throughout this section 
 of Worcester County as an active 
 business man, who has met with excellent 
 success in his chosen occupation. He was 
 
 born April 15, 1829, in Sturbridge, Mass., 
 a son of Abijah and Sallie (Moore) Hyde, the 
 former of whom was born in Sturbridge and 
 the latter in Barre, Mass. He comes of 
 English ancestry and of Revolutionary stock, 
 as both his paternal and maternal grandfathers 
 served in the Revolutionary War. 
 
 Alvin Hyde was brought up on the home 
 farm in Sturbridge, and received his educa- 
 tion in the district schools. He subsequently 
 continued in farming pursuits until 1865, 
 when he came to Brookfield to accept a posi- 
 tion with Brewster & Twitchell, box manu- 
 facturers and lumber dealers, by whom he was 
 employed five or six years. Then, having 
 acquired a thorough knowledge of the busi- 
 ness, he purchased the plant, and, succeeding 
 his former employers, has since conducted it 
 with signal success. He is identified politi- 
 cally with the Republican party, and with his 
 family -attends the Unitarian Congregational 
 church. 
 
 On February 10, 1857, Mr. Hyde married 
 Miss Josephine A. Manning, who was born in 
 Brimfield, Mass., a daughter of Danforth and 
 Betsey Manning. Mr. and Mrs. Hyde have 
 had six children, four of whom are living, 
 namely: Martha M., born July 25, 1859, who 
 is now Mrs. Bwight G. Tucker; Alice J., 
 born September 14, 1864, now Mrs. E. B. 
 Phettplace; Louis F., born January 20, 1866, 
 who is attorney for the Elevated Railroad 
 Company of Boston; and Walter A., born 
 January 4, 1875. 
 
 §OHN DANDRIDGE DARLING, a 
 prominent resident of Manchaug, town 
 of Sutton, and a veteran of the Civil 
 War, was born in Douglas, this 
 county, July i, 1826, son of John and Lydia 
 (Fuller) Darling. He is a descendant of 
 William Darling, a Revolutionary patriot, 
 who held a Lieutenant's commission, and who 
 after the war of independence carried on a 
 fulling and grist mill in this town. John 
 Darling, the father, who was born in 1799, 
 owned and cultivated a farm of two hundred 
 acres, located in Manchaug. He was one of 
 the leading residents of Sutton in his day, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 375 
 
 taking an active part in local public affairs 
 and serving on the Board of Selectmen in 
 1859. He died some years ago at an advanced 
 age. 
 
 John Dandridge Darling attended school in 
 a district that was later ceded to the State of 
 Rhode Island in exchange for a strip of terri- 
 tory near Fall River, and is now included 
 within the limits of Pawtucket. When a 
 young man he learned the trade of a calico- 
 print engraver, which he afterward followed for 
 some time in Pawtucket and Manchester, 
 N. H. He later ran an express from East 
 Douglas to Worcester for a period of about 
 seven years. While residing in Manchester 
 he acquired a good knowledge of military dis- 
 cipline as a member of the City Guards. On 
 November 11, 1861, he enlisted in the First 
 Battalion, Massachusetts Cavalry, under Colo- 
 nel Robert Williams, of the regular army, and 
 Captain Lucius Richmond. He was with his 
 regiment in South Carolina when its first en- 
 gagement was fought, and later, when it was 
 stationed at Beaufort, S.C, and Jacksonville, 
 Fla., and when it marched northward toward 
 Andersonville, Ga. At the battle of Olustee 
 he distinguished himself by volunteering to 
 take a despatch from the left to the extreme 
 right of the field, in the face of a galling fire 
 from both sides, and successfully accomplished 
 the task. In this battle the entire battalion 
 rendered such efficient service as to receive 
 the special commendation of the commanding 
 officer. While at Yorktown, Va., in 1864, 
 his time expired; and he re-enlisted for a 
 term of three years, or until the close of the 
 Rebellion. In the early part of 1865 the 
 battalion was united with the Fourth Massa- 
 chusetts Cavalry, under Colonel Washburn, 
 and ordered by General Butler, who com- 
 manded the division, to serve at headquarters. 
 It was retained to perform the same duty by 
 General Ord, who succeeded Butler; and it 
 took an important part in the closing military 
 operations that culminated in the surrender of 
 General Lee at Appomattox Court House. In 
 an engagement fought April 6, 1865, Mr. 
 Darling was captured by the enemy, and after- 
 ward held a prisoner for six days, during 
 which time his captors could give him but 
 
 a pint of meal with no opportunity for cooking 
 it. The Fourth was detained to do guard duty 
 in Richmond for six months after the close of 
 hostilities, and was finally mustered out at 
 Galloupe's Island, Boston Harbor. A resident 
 of Sutton since then, Mr. Darling was em- 
 ployed for many years as Constable and night 
 watchman. 
 
 By his marriage with Mary Jerauld, of Paw- 
 tucket, Mr. Darling became the father of nine 
 children, namely: Ella Frances, born in 1848, 
 who married Charles Rice and lives in Paw- 
 tucket; Frank, born in 1850, who is a ma- 
 chinist in the employ of the Manchaug Com- 
 pany; Franklin Augustus, born in 1852, who 
 died in infancy; Charles, born in 1855, who 
 is employed as a butcher by the Manchaug 
 Company; Clarence, born in 1858, who re- 
 sides in Rockdale; Walter, born in i860, who 
 works for the American Screw Company, of 
 Providence, R.I. ; Edward M. , born in 1866, 
 who works for the Manchaug Company ; 
 Henry, born in i86g, who died at the age of 
 twenty-eight years; and Lewis, born in 1871, 
 who is also employed by the Manchaug Com- 
 pany. In 1892 and 1893 Mr. Darling served 
 as Overseer of the Poor. He is a comrade of 
 the Grand Army of the Republic and a mem- 
 ber of the Union Veterans' Legion. 
 
 ;^OHN M. BRIGH AM, formerly a well- 
 known citizen of Worcester, was born 
 in Boylston, Mass., March 26, 1808. 
 His father, Nathaniel Brigham, was a 
 prosperous farmer of Boylston; and his mother, 
 Sarah Mason Brigham, was a native of Med- 
 field, Mass. Of the four sons they reared, 
 the third-born was John M. The others were: 
 Luther, born in the year 1800, who died upon 
 his farm in Boylston at the age of eighty- 
 seven years, leaving one son; Calvin, who 
 was an invalid for many years, and died at an 
 advanced age, leaving one son, George A. ; 
 and Henry H. Brigham, who tilled the soil 
 in Boylston during his active years, and died 
 in 1888, aged seventy-three, leaving two chil- 
 dren. Henry's children are: Penniman M., 
 now residing in Worcester; and Henrietta, 
 now Mrs. Andrews, of Boylston Centre. 
 
376 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 John M. Brigham began life as a store 
 clerk in Templeton, Mass. Later he came to 
 Worcester, and was engaged in the meat busi- 
 ness. He settled upon a farm on Grove 
 Street, where he resided until his death, 
 which occurred January 2, 1892. On October 
 3, 1844, he married Arminda Cinderella Still- 
 man, who was born in Grafton, N.Y., daugh- 
 ter of Esaias and Betsey (Blair) Stillman. 
 Of her parents' five children, two sons are 
 living. One of these, James Stillman, who 
 was for many years an inspector of the United 
 States Armory, Springfield, Mass., is now in 
 his ninety-first year. The late Mr. Brigham 
 was the father of two children — Sarah Mason 
 and John Stillman Brigham. The latter, who 
 was a member of the firm of Logan, Swift 
 & Brigham, envelope manufacturers, had a 
 cultivated taste in the fine arts. He served 
 four years as a member of the City Council; 
 and at the time of his death, which occurred 
 February 19, 1897, when nearly fifty years of 
 age, he was serving as Overseer of the Poor. 
 He was an active member of the Congre- 
 gational church. His wife, Nellie Spurr 
 Brigham, and one son, Dwight Stillman Brig- 
 ham, survive him. Sarah Mason Brigham 
 acquired a good education, and for twenty 
 years was an efficient teacher in the Worces- 
 ter public schools. She resides in the home- 
 stead dwelling, which was built by her father 
 in 1847. 
 
 T^HARLES GREENWOOD, City For- 
 I V^ ester of Worcester and a well-known 
 
 ^js ^ market gardener, residing in the 
 Seventh Ward, was born in the 
 town of Hubbardston, this county, on Novem- 
 ber 21, 1849, son of Aaron and Adaline 
 (Rice) Greenwood. In early life his great- 
 grandfather, Moses Greenwood, born in 1752, 
 who died in March, 1829, settled with his two 
 brothers, Abijah and Levi, in the town of 
 Holden. Subsequently Moses lived in Hub- 
 bardston, engaged in farming. In 1779 he 
 married Betsy Dunlap, who was born in 
 Cherry Valley, N.Y., in 1756. When four 
 years old, Indians murdered her parents, 
 burned their dwelling, and carried her off into 
 
 captivity, from which she was subsequently 
 rescued. She became the mother of eight 
 children, four sons and four daughters, and 
 died in December, 1826. Her son Moses, 
 the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, 
 born in Hubbardston on November 4,. 1785, 
 died on September 26, 1828. He was a pros- 
 perous farmer, and owned a saw-mill, where 
 he manufactured lumber. On January 9, 
 1806, he was married to Polly Brown, who 
 survived him some thirty-odd years. She 
 was born in Hubbardston, May 16, 1780, and 
 died on January 14, 1859. Her children num- 
 bered four, as follows: Lyman, who was a 
 farmer and town officer in Hubbardston for 
 many years and the father of eight children; 
 Moses and Aaron, twins, who were born on 
 May 23, 1808; and Cynthia, who married 
 William Joslin, a farmer of Hubbardston. 
 Mrs. Joslin died when about seventy years of 
 age, leaving three daughters and two sons. 
 Moses Greenwood went to the South, and 
 became a wealthy and prominent cotton dealer 
 in New Orleans. He died in that city in 
 1888, leaving two daughters and three sons, 
 after losing the greater part of his property 
 during the war. 
 
 Aaron Greenwood, father of Charles, was 
 for many years a Selectman of Hubbardston, 
 and for one year he represented that town and 
 Templeton in the General Court. For a short 
 time during the latter part of his life he re- 
 sided in Worcester. His marriage took place 
 on April 14, 1831, his wife being a native of 
 Hubbardston and a daughter of William Rice, 
 who was born on May 17, 1788, and died on 
 November 13, 1831. Mr. Rice's wife, who 
 lived to be eighty-eight years of age,-was born 
 in 1790. Only one of their children, Mrs. 
 Sophia Gay, is now living. Mrs. Adaline 
 Greenwood died in 1883. She was the 
 mother of nine children, all of whom she 
 reared, except one daughter, Lucy, who died 
 at the age of seven years. The others were: 
 Oella Jane, Sarah Rebecca, Charlotte, Aaron 
 Hobart, George, Lucy Addie, Chester, and 
 Charles. The first named of these is the wife 
 of Lorenzo Barnes, of Worcester. Sarah Re- 
 becca, who was the wife of William H. Earle, 
 died in September, 1893, about sixty years of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 377 
 
 age. Charlotte is the widow of George P. 
 Earle, of Exeter, N.H. Aaron Hobart, who 
 was a volunteer in the Thirteenth Massachu- 
 setts Regiment during the Civil War, was 
 shot in the face at Antietam. Exposure in 
 the ranks at Washington subsequently caused 
 his death in a hospital at Alexandria, Va., 
 on February lo, 1863, aged twenty-two years. 
 George died at the Point of Rocks from 
 wounds received in the war, and was buried 
 on May 11, 1864, the twenty-first anniversary 
 of his birth. Lucy Addie married William 
 H. Earle after the death of her sister Sarah. 
 Chester, who was a Corporal in the Twenty- 
 fifth Regiment, was twice wounded, once in 
 the head and once in the hand. 
 
 Charles Greenwood attended the public 
 schools steadily until he was about fourteen 
 years of age, continuing thereafter during the 
 winters for several years longer. At the age 
 of twenty-two he left home and went to Fitch- 
 burg, where he worked by the month for two 
 years and a half at market gardening. Since 
 February 14, 1875, he has lived in Worcester; 
 and since April i, 1886, he has resided on the 
 Patch farm, which, like the one adjoining it, 
 the Hartshorn farm, is one of the historic 
 places of Worcester. He bought originally 
 a hundred and four acres, but has sold all but 
 fifteen. In politics he is a Republican. He 
 has been a member of the Worcester Common 
 Council for two years. In the spring of i8g8 
 he was appointed to his present position of 
 Forester by the Board of Park Commissioners. 
 Mr. Greenwood was married on December 
 10, 1873, to Ella E. Grimes, daughter of 
 Joseph and Augusta (Maynard) Grimes. Mr. 
 Grimes, who died in 1894 at the age of 
 seventy-four, ran a farm and also worked for 
 a time in a chair factory at Gardner. Mrs. 
 Grimes, a native of Sterling, now seventy- 
 four years of age, is living in Arlington, 
 Mass. She gave birth to one son and seven 
 daughters, all of whom grew up and are now 
 living, except one daughter. The son, Fred- 
 erick W. Grimes, resides in Jamaica Plain. 
 Mrs. Greenwood is a member of the Union 
 Congregational church. She is the mother 
 of two fine sons — Burt W. and Harold J. 
 The former, who was born on March 18, 1881, 
 
 is now in the high school, class of 1900. 
 Harold J. was born on May 7, 1884. 
 
 ILLIAM STONE, a retired business 
 man of Otter River, in the town of 
 Templeton, Mass., was born upon 
 the farm where he now resides, May i, 1827, 
 son of Leonard and Lydia (Richardson) Stone. 
 His early ancestors on both sides were Eng- 
 lish. 
 
 The homestead at Otter River was granted 
 many years ago to a member of the Stone fam- 
 ily for valiant services rendered in the early 
 Indian wars. The first to locate upon the 
 grant was William Stone's grandfather, Leon- 
 ard Stone, Sr., who was born in 1747, and 
 came here from Groton, Mass. A sturdy pio- 
 neer and an energetic farmer, he made the 
 original improvements; and his family were 
 reared upon this estate. He was a Revolu- 
 tionary soldier and a prominent citizen of 
 Templeton in his day. He died April 18, 
 18 18. On February 16, 1781, he married 
 Mrs. Katharine Wyman Kendall, widow of 
 Aaron Kendall. She was born in 1753, and 
 died November 25, 1810. 
 
 Leonard Stone, son of Leonard, Sr., was 
 born at the homestead, October 26, 1784. 
 He inherited the property, and for many years 
 was busily engaged in farming and lumber- 
 ing. He was closely identified with public 
 affairs, serving as a Selectman and in other 
 town oflfices and as Representative to the 
 State legislature for the years 1828-29 and 
 183 1. In politics he acted with the Whig 
 party. He was actively interested in military 
 affairs, and held a Colonel's commission in 
 the State militia. In his religious belief he 
 was a Unitarian. He died January 20, 1857. 
 Lydia, his wife, was born in Templeton, Jan- 
 uary 27, 1789. Her father was John Richard- 
 son, who was born in Roxbury, Mass., Febru- 
 ary 17, 1737, and became an early settler in 
 Templeton, where he resided for the rest of 
 his life. He was at one time a member of the 
 General Court. He enrolled himself in the 
 Continental army during the Revolutionary 
 War, and was made a Lieutenant and later 
 promoted to the rank of Captain. Leonard 
 
378 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and Lydia Stone were the parents of five chil- 
 dren, two of whom are living; namely, \\'ill- 
 iam and E. Wyman Stone, both of Templeton. 
 The others were: Abbie B., born November 
 28, 1820, who married A. S. Lincoln, and died 
 February 13, 1879; Leonard, born September 
 II, 1822, who died June 19, 1862; and Lydia 
 R., who was born January 14, 1829, and died 
 May I, 1877. The mother died October 22, 
 1854. 
 
 AVilliam Stone supplemented his common- 
 school education with courses of study at the 
 Deerfield and Leicester Academies. In com- 
 pany with his brother Leonard he succeeded 
 to his father's lumber business, which he fol- 
 lowed for a number of years. Eventually sell- 
 ing his interest in that enterprise, he was for 
 the next five years engaged in the terra-cotta 
 business at Worcester. Returning to Otter 
 River, he became a member of the lumber 
 firm of L. & E. W. Stone, with which he was 
 connected for some time; and in 1872 he as- 
 sociated himself with C. S. Lord in the iron 
 foundry and stove manufacturing business, 
 under the firm name of Lord & Stone. This 
 partnership continued for twenty years, at the 
 end of which time Mr. Stone sold his interest 
 to his son, Frederick P., and retired. He has 
 since devoted his time to farming at the home- 
 stead, which is owned joivitly by his brother 
 and himself, and he occupies a handsome 
 residence located upon his part of the estate. 
 In 1854 William Stone married Martha P. 
 Paige, who was born in Greenfield, Mass., 
 January 4, 1832, daughter of Martin and Mary 
 A. Paige. Three children were the fruit of 
 this union. The eldest, Lucius Paige Stone, 
 born March 27, 1857, died May 9, 1884. The 
 second, Frederick P., bom August 10, 1855, 
 is a member of the firm of Lord, Stone & Co., 
 stove manufacturers. Otter River; and the 
 third, William S. Stone, born April 2, i8$2, 
 resides in Braintree, Mass. On March 12, 
 1882, Frederick P. Stone married Sally W. 
 Oliphant, formerly of Pemberton, N.J., and 
 has had three children — Malcomb E., Marion 
 P., and Lydia R. (now deceased). William 
 S. Stone married Mary E. Russell, of Provi- 
 dence, R. I., and has two children — Barbara 
 R. and Rodger P. 
 
 In politics Mr. Stone is a Republican, and 
 was Representative to the legislature in 1872. 
 In his religious belief he is a Unitarian. He 
 has been a successful business man, and his 
 efforts received a merited financial reward. 
 Mrs. Martha P. Stone died March 29, 1892. 
 Mr. Stone is Past Master of Hope Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., of Gardner. 
 
 W^YMAN STONE was born at the 
 homestead, December 5, 1830. He 
 attended schools in Templeton, 
 Lynn, and Leicester, Mass., and Keene, 
 N. H. When a young man he engaged in 
 farming, and was also in company with his 
 brothers in carrying on lumber operations. 
 In 1 86 1 he enlisted in Company A, Twenty- 
 first Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, 
 with which he participated in the battles of 
 Roanoke Island and Newbern, N.C. At the 
 last-named engagement, March 14, 1862, he 
 lost a leg. After his discharge he resumed 
 general farming at the homestead. 
 
 On September 14, 1858, E. Wyman Stone 
 was joined in marriage to Miss B. Berdille 
 Sawyer, who was born in Templeton, August 
 27, 1836, daughter of George W. and Sally 
 (\\'hite) Sawyer. Her father, George W. 
 Sawyer, was a miller, a farmer, and a lumber- 
 man. He was born aji Phillipston, Mass., 
 July 18, 1807, and his wife was born in the 
 same town, November 2, 1806. He passed 
 the major part of his active life in Templeton, 
 where he became a prominent business man 
 and held various town oflfices. He died No- 
 vember 17, 1888, and Mrs. Sawyer died Jan- 
 uary 8, 1874. They were the parents of 
 eleven children, nine of whom grew to ma- 
 turity and eight are living. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Stone have five children, namely: Abbie P., 
 born July 4, 1859, who is now Mrs. Maynard; 
 Helen M., born September 24, 1863, now 
 Mrs. Hutchins; George S., born February 3, 
 1866; Everett W., born September 23, 1868; 
 and Ralph B., born June 4, 1882. 
 
 Politically, Mr. E. Wyman Stone is a Re- 
 publican. He was for a number of years a 
 member of the Board of Assessors, and he has 
 also been Collector. He has served as a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 379 
 
 Justice of the Peace for the past thirty-five 
 years, and during that time has settled several 
 estates. He is a comrade of the Grand Army 
 of the Republic and a Past Commander of 
 Ericsson Post, No. 109. He possesses some 
 interesting family relics, among them being 
 an account book formerly belonging to his 
 grandfather, which contains entries written in 
 1772; his grandfather's commission signed by 
 Governor John Hancock; and a copy of the 
 Massachusetts Spy, printed in 1821. Mr. and 
 Mrs. E. Wyman Stone are members of the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 kATHAN E. METCALF, a Deputy 
 Sheriff residing in Leominster, was 
 born in Elizabethtown, Ky., March 
 14, 1854, son of William and 
 Emma Lucy (Brown) Metcalf. The father, 
 who was a stove and tinware dealer in Eliza- 
 bethtown, died in that place at the age of 
 about forty-five years. His widow, who is 
 still living, and who is a resident of the State 
 of Illinois, reared four children, namely: 
 Nathan E., the subject of this sketch; Will- 
 iam, a physician; David B. ; and Anna Eliza- 
 beth, now Mrs. A. E. Johnston, of Chicago. 
 William Metcalf, M.D., who is now practis- 
 ing his profession in the West, served in the 
 Union army during the Civil War, and suf- 
 fered captivity in Confederate prisons. David 
 B. is in the printing business in Chicago. 
 
 Nathan E. Metcalf accompanied his mother 
 to Illinois when he was three years old, and 
 his education was acquired in the public 
 schools. While yet a young man he entered 
 the employ of the Kansas Rolling Mills Com- 
 pany at Kansas City, with which he remained 
 for a number of years. Subsequently he was 
 engaged for three years in the woodenware, 
 cordage, twine and paper, and paper bag busi- 
 ness. In 1885 he came East, and after a short 
 stay in Fitchburg he entered the real estate 
 business in Leominster. He was appointed 
 Deputy Sheriff in 1889, and is still serving in 
 that capacity, having proved himself a capable 
 official. 
 
 On October 21, 1885, Mr. Metcalf was 
 united in marriage with Annie L. Lawrence, 
 
 daughter of George Lawrence, formerly of 
 Ashby, Mass. Mrs. Metcalf has been the 
 mother of one daughter, who is no longer 
 living. 
 
 Mr. Metcalf was formerly a director of the 
 Farmers' and Mechanics' Association. He 
 is a thirty-second degree Mason, and is a 
 member of the Wilder Lodge, F. & A. M., of 
 Leominster; Thomas Chapter, Royal Arch 
 Masons, of Fitchburg; Hiram Council, Royal 
 and Select Masters, Worcester; Jerusalem 
 Commandery, Knights Templar, of Fitchburg; 
 the Massachusetts Consistory and Aleppo Tem- 
 ple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Boston. 
 He is Standard Bearer of the Commandery 
 and M. E. H. P. of Thomas Chapter. Mr. 
 Metcalf is also a member and Past Worthy 
 Patron of Temple Chapter, No. 45, Order of 
 the Eastern Star. He attends the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 t^TUDSON WARREN HAKES, a prom- 
 l-^ inent manufacturer of Millbury, was 
 iU I born here, July 5, 1853. A son 
 of Henry Hudson and Prudence 
 (Sweetser) Hakes, he is descended from John 
 Hakes, an Englishman, who settled at Wind- 
 sor, Conn., in 1640, and who had a family of 
 ten children. His great-grandfather was Solo- 
 mon Hakes, who was married in Stonington, 
 Conn., January 16, 1718, to Ann Billings. 
 One of his great-uncles, Jabez Hakes, who 
 resided successively in Rensselaer and Onon- 
 daga Counties of New York State, was a sol- 
 dier in the War of 1812. Jesse Hakes, 
 the grandfather, born at or near Stonington 
 in 1792, who died on July 22, 1866, was a 
 mason by trade, and spent the greater part of 
 his life in Woonsocket, R.I. On January 24, 
 i8i6, he married Clarissa Campbell. Of 
 their seven children, the survivors are: Henry 
 Hudson Hakes, the fourth-born, now retired 
 from business; Lucinda, the wife of John 
 Brown, of Lunenburg; and Minerva, the wife 
 of Fred Osmer, of Ware, Mass. Henry Hud- 
 son Hakes was born at Windham, Conn., 
 August 4, 1823. In 1841 he went to Slaters- 
 vijle, and thence to Ware in 1849. Three 
 years later he came to Millbury. He had 
 
38o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 been in the livery business for many years 
 when he retired in favor of his son-in-law, 
 Mr. Powers. His wife, Prudence, whom he 
 married at Thompson, Conn., in 1845, was 
 born at Slatersville, R. I., on October 14, 
 1826. Their son Charles died at the age of 
 three years. Their living children are: 
 Emma Jane, who is the wife of David Powers, 
 of Millbury; Hudson Warren Hakes, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch ; and Charles Henry Hakes, 
 a popular and skilful dentist of Millbury. 
 
 At the age of twelve years Hudson Warren 
 Hakes was obliged to leave school and go to 
 work in a factory for fifty cents a day, as his 
 father was in the army, and his soldier's pay 
 of twelve dollars per month was not sufficient 
 for the support of the family. When fifteen 
 years old he left the mill, and went to work 
 for John Horey on the tobacco farm of 
 Colonel Asa H. Waters, where he continued 
 for two years, earning seventy-five cents a 
 day. During these years he attended school 
 in the winter, besides trying to improve him- 
 self in other ways. Naturally studious, had 
 he had the educational facilities, he could have 
 entered one of the professions. Able in later 
 years to indulge his liking for study, he is 
 to-day well-informed on most subjects of in- 
 terest to the public, and is the owner of a 
 valuable collection of books. Upon leaving 
 Colonel Waters's place, he entered the employ 
 of C. D. Morse & Co., manufacturers of sashes 
 and blinds, with whom he remained for two 
 years and a half. Then he went to the Gil- 
 bert Loom Works, where he worked for the 
 same length of time, in company with his 
 mother's brother. In 1879, with a capital of 
 two hundred dollars, he came back to Mill- 
 bury, rented the upper story of the C. D. 
 Morse & Co. sash and blind shop, and began 
 manufacturing on his own account. There 
 were three other establishments of the same 
 kind in the country. In addition to their com- 
 petition, he had to struggle against a deliberate 
 attempt to crush him. But amid these dis- 
 couraging circumstances he persevered, and in 
 the end was successful. His factory had been 
 in operation for two years and a half, when it 
 was destroyed by fire. After the disaster he 
 bought for one hundred and twenty-five dollars 
 
 over seven thousand feet of land, and thereon 
 erected a building fifty-six by thirty feet, 
 which was the nucleus of his present establish- 
 ment. At the present time his buildings 
 cover an area of thirty-two thousand eight 
 hundred square feet. Steam power is used, 
 and the latest improved machinery. The 
 goods are sold throughout the United States 
 and Canada. On October 22, 1890, the 
 H. W. Hakes Manufacturing Company was 
 formed, with Mr. Hakes as manager and Ed- 
 ward L. Watson as treasurer. It is of inter- 
 est to note that on the site of this large fac- 
 tory, in bis youth, Mr. Hakes pruned and 
 weeded tobacco plants at seventy-five cents 
 a day. 
 
 On May 17, 1877, Mr. Hakes was married 
 to Cora Louise Bennett, of Millbury, a daugh- 
 ter of Timothy and Susan (Fairbrother) Ben- 
 nett, the former of whom died in 1892. Mrs. 
 Bennett, who now resides with Mrs. Hakes, 
 has two sons living — Arthur and William F. 
 Bennett. Mr. Hakes is one of the active 
 Republicans of the town. He is now serving 
 his fourth year on the Board of Selectmen. 
 His residence, which was recently erected, is 
 located in one of the pleasantest parts of the 
 village, and is in every way commodious and 
 tasteful. 
 
 TpNEUBEN ADAMS, the proprietor of a 
 I V' productive farm in Brookfield, was 
 lb V born where he now resides, August 
 28, 1817, son of Joseph and Phoebe 
 (Newhall) Adams. The Adams farm was 
 originally the property of Jude Adams, the 
 grandfather, who was a well-known resident of 
 Brookfield in his day. Joseph Adams, the 
 father, who was a lifelong resident of this 
 town and died in his ninety-ninth year, occu- 
 pied the farm during his long period of activ- 
 ity, and was a successful agriculturist. He 
 was active in public affairs, and for a number 
 of years served with ability as a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen. Phoebe, his wife, 
 who was a native of Spencer, Mass., became 
 the mother of several children, two of whom, 
 Artemus and Amos, served in the Civil War. 
 Those now living are: Reuben, the subject of 
 
REUBEN ADAMS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 383 
 
 this sketch ; Allen Adams, a resident of Spen- 
 cer; Adelaide, the wife of Enos Gardner, of 
 Worcester; and Laura, the wife of Henry 
 Stone, of Sturbridge, Mass. 
 
 Reuben Adams has resided all his lifetime 
 on the homestead. He acquired his education 
 in the district schools of Brookfield. When a 
 young man he engaged in shoemaking, and 
 followed it for a number of years in connec- 
 tion with farming. He finally relinquished 
 his trade in order to give his entire attention 
 to the cultivation of his property, which con- 
 tains one hundred and twenty-five acres of ex- 
 cellent land, and ranks among the most produc- 
 tive farms in this locality. He has tilled the 
 soil with unusual energy, making good use 
 of every opportunity to advance his interests; 
 and he is still actively engaged in attending 
 to his regular duties about the place, display- 
 ing the strength and agility of a much younger 
 man. 
 
 Mr. Adams first married Diantha Doane, of 
 Charlton, who bore him three children. Of 
 these the only one living is Villeroy, now the 
 wife of John Green, of Spencer. By his sec- 
 ond marriage, contracted with Sarah E. Stock- 
 well, a native of Sutton, Mass., who died Oc- 
 tober 28, 1896, he has two daughters — 
 Fannie M. and Edna L. Edna married Al- 
 fonso Cota, of this town, and now has four 
 children — Florence B., Henry S., Phcebe A., 
 and Reuben A. Cota. Mr. Adams is inde- 
 pendent in politics, believing in the election 
 of such candidates for public office as are best 
 qualified to serve, regardless of party. All 
 movements calculated to benefit the town are 
 sure of his hearty co-operation. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM ANSEL WASHBURN, 
 Deputy Sheriff and Deputy Jailer 
 of Worcester and one of the most 
 trusted of the city's officials, was born in Pax- 
 ton, this county, on the 14th of August, 1837, 
 son of John and Nancy (Bemis) Washburn. 
 Of English origin, the family has long been 
 represented in the United States. Interest- 
 ing reference to it js made in the History of 
 Leicester, under sketches of the Washburn 
 and Earl families, The first of the name 
 
 here, John Washburn, came to the country in 
 1640 as secretary of the Massachusetts Bay 
 Colony. William A. Washburn's great- 
 grandfather, Jacob Washburn, was born in 
 North Bridgewater, now Brockton. Francis 
 Washburn, the grandfather, born in North 
 Bridgewater in 1769, died in 1844 or 1845. 
 By the first of his two marriages, contracted 
 with Ruth Earl, of Leicester, daughter of 
 Marmaduke Earl, a locksmith, there were two 
 sons — Welcome and John. His second wife, 
 in maidenhood Polly Watson, had a son and a 
 daughter. Catherine, the daughter, married 
 Ezekiel Bellows. Delphos, the son, who was 
 a merchant and who married Adeline Trask, 
 died in Worcester, leaving no issue. Francis 
 Washburn and both his wives were buried in 
 Paxton churchyard. 
 
 John Washburn, who was born in Leicester 
 on November 14, 1800, died in 1867. He 
 began life without capital, and learned both 
 the blacksmith's and shoemaker's trades. 
 For several years also he drove a stage-coach 
 between Boston and Worcester, handling the 
 ribbons over four horses with skill, and mak- 
 ing punctual trips. He was married in 1831 
 to Nancy Bemis, who was born in Paxton, 
 September 26, 1806, daughter of Alpheus and 
 Polly (Prouty) Bemis. After spending her 
 thirty-six years of married life on the farm in 
 Paxton, she died in 1878, having been the 
 mother of four children — Delia, William A. 
 and Alice (twins), and Julia. Delia- married 
 William Browning, of Spencer. Her only 
 daughter, Lois, who married Arthur Bemis 
 and subsequent to his death a Mr. Hobbs, 
 died leaving one son. Alite,*who resides in 
 Spencer, has been twice married, her first 
 husband having been Alexander Morrison, and 
 her second, who is now deceased, John Lamb. 
 She had a son, who is also deceased. Julia, 
 the widow of Erastus Woodis, resides in 
 Worcester. She had one child, now deceased. 
 William Ansel Washburn grew up to farm 
 life, and early learned the shoemaker's trade 
 at his father's bench. At the age of eighteen 
 he left home and came to Worcester, where he 
 was employed as an attendant in the Hospital 
 for the Insane for four years. Following that 
 he was for eight months a clerk in a grocery 
 
384 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 store. He then began work as a nail-maker 
 in the factory of Prouty & Allen in Worces- 
 ter. Appointed patrolman on the police 
 force in 1865, he was made captain two years 
 later, and six months after that he was ap- 
 pointed assistant marshal. This position he 
 held from 1873 to 1880, again in 1883, and 
 still again from 1886 to 1893. During the 
 years he was dropped on account of politi- 
 cal reasons, he filled the office of turnkey in 
 the jail. In 1893 he received the appoint- 
 ment as Deputy Sheriff and Deputy Jailer. 
 
 A Mason in good standing, ]\Ir. \\'ashburn 
 is a member of the Blue Lodge, the Chapter, 
 the Commandery, the Council, and the Lodge 
 of Perfection. He is also an Odd Fellow. 
 Politically, he has always been a Republican. 
 In religious belief he is a Universalist. On 
 November 29, i860, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Emily Delano, of Provincetovvn, 
 Mass. She is one of six survivors of the nine 
 children of John and Eliza (Atkins) Delano. 
 Her children were: Alice, who died at the 
 age of nine months; a daughter that died in 
 infancy; and Edith, who is studying music 
 and lives with her parents. The family resi- 
 dence is 22 Dean Street. 
 
 JHIPMAN HOPKINS MAXHAM, 
 TT a veteran agriculturist, now living re- 
 
 [^ ^ tired from active pursuits in the 
 village of Millbury, was born Sep- 
 tember 10, 1818, in Middleboro, Plymouth 
 County, which was also the birthplace of his 
 father, Samuel Maxham, Jr. The Maxham 
 family is of Welsh origin, and was first repre- 
 sented on American soil by three brothers, 
 who came to Massachusetts in early Colonial 
 times, and were afterward devoted to the in- 
 terests of their adopted country. 
 
 Samuel Maxham, Sr., the paternal grand- 
 father of Chipman H., was born in Middle- 
 boro, and there spent his entire life, dying 
 not far from the place of his birth. He first 
 married Margaret Lucas, who bore him two 
 daughters and three sons, among whom was 
 Samuel Maxham, Jr. By a second marriage 
 he had three children, one son and two dauo-h- 
 ters. Two of his children are yet living, 
 
 namely: Asa, a resident of Sandy Hill, N.Y.; 
 and James, who died in Bolton, N.Y. The 
 grandfather was a veteran of the Revolution, 
 having enlisted three times, twice in a Mas- 
 sachusetts regiment and once in a company of 
 Connecticut volunteers. 
 
 Samuel Maxham, Jr., also a native of 
 Middleboro, born April 14, 1789, resided in 
 that town until 1823, when he removed with 
 his wife and seven children to Vermont. 
 Here his household was increased by the birth 
 of three more children. His wife, in maiden- 
 hood Mary ShurtlitT, whom he married Decem- 
 ber 31, 1810, was born in Plymouth County, 
 August 20, 1787, daughter of Nathaniel and 
 Mary (Atwood) Shurtliff. She died Decem- 
 ber 9, 1862, in Northfield, Vt., and he on 
 July 13, 1870. The record of their ten chil- 
 dren is as follows: Priscilla S., born Novem- 
 ber 6, 181 1, was twice married, her second 
 husband being a Mr. Blanchard, and died 
 March 20, 1895, after burying all of her five 
 children; Edwin A., born June 10, 1813, 
 died September 19, 1895, leaving three 
 children, one of whom, Ada E., has lived 
 with her uncle Chipman for eight years, hav- 
 ing been his housekeeper since the death of 
 his wife; Mary A., born July 23, 18 16, now 
 the widow Blanchard, resides in Worcester 
 County; Ansel S., bom March 25, 18 17, was 
 a pioneer settler of Montana, where he died 
 at the age of seventy-five years, leaving one 
 daughter, the present Mrs. Savage, of Lowell, 
 Mass. ; Chipman Hopkins is the subject of this 
 sketch; Samuel B., born July 11, 1820, died 
 in 1892 in Canada, leaving a widow, who now 
 resides in Vermont, and two children: Galen 
 C., born February 25, 1822, lives in North- 
 field, Vt. ; Hosea C, born April 13, 1824, 
 enlisted as a volunteer in the Civil War from 
 Ohio, was wounded at the battle of Chicka- 
 mauga, taken prisoner, and carried to Ander- 
 sonville Prison, where he died soon after; 
 Emeline P., born February 20, 1826, is the 
 wife of Lysander Twitchell, of Athol, Mass., 
 and has three sons; and Sarah Almira, bom 
 May 20, 1828, married Wilder Cross, and 
 died Noveml>er 8, 1850, her death being the 
 first to occur in the family circle. 
 
 Chipman H. Maxham was but five years old 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 385 
 
 when he accompanied his parents to Vermont, 
 where he was reared to agricultural pursuits. 
 He remained on the home farm until twenty- 
 eight years old, when he returned to Massa- 
 chusetts. Subsequently he bought land in 
 Millbury, and was here successfully engaged 
 in general farming until his removal to his 
 present home in the village. Having acquired 
 considerable property, though he has met with 
 losses through investments in Western lands, 
 he has still a competency. He has taken an 
 intelligent interest in local affairs, and has 
 served as Assessor and Street Commissioner 
 for several years. An honest, hard-working 
 official, he expended the money allowed him 
 to build and repair the highways most judi- 
 ciously; and the excellent condition of the 
 roads and streets in this locality is largely due 
 to his efforts. A Whig in his earlier years, 
 since the formation of the Republican party 
 he has been one of its stanchest supporters. 
 Besides being a Master Mason, he is a mem- 
 ber and one of the most active workers of the 
 Second Congregational Church. 
 
 On August 25, 1855, Mr. Maxham mar- 
 ried Eliza Clement, of Claremont, N.H. 
 Born October 2, 1821, she died at her late 
 home in Millbury, March 3, 1896. They had 
 no children of their own, but reared a niece 
 and nephew of Mrs. Maxham, children of 
 her brother, Alvah Clement. Arthur Clem- 
 ent, the foster-son of Mr. Maxham, was but 
 nine years old when he was left an orphan. 
 He grew to manhood under the care and 
 protection of Mr. Maxham, who gave him ex- 
 cellent educational advantages. In 1862 he 
 enlisted in Company D, Twenty-fifth Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteer Infantry, as a private, and 
 served until the end of the Civil War without 
 losing a day. He died in 1887, leaving a 
 widow and one son, both of whom are now 
 living in Hopedale, Mass. 
 
 "ERBERT L. POLLARD, one of the 
 most extensive dairymen of New 
 Braintree, was born in Westboro, 
 September 24, 1844, son of Moses 
 and Ann O. (Pierce) Pollard. He is a de- 
 scendant in the eighth generation of William 
 
 Pollard, of Coventry, Warwickshire, England, 
 whose son Thomas, his first American ances- 
 tor, settled in Billerica, Mass., as early as 
 1692. 
 
 From Thomas Pollard the line was con- 
 tinued through John, first, and John, sec- 
 ond, to Joe], first, who was born in that town. 
 May 15, 1749, and who settled upon a farm 
 in Hubbardston, Mass., where he resided for 
 the rest of his life. On March 8, 1770, Joel 
 Pollard, first, married Mary Maynard, of 
 Rutland, Mass. Their son, Joel Pollard, 
 second, the sixth in lineal descent, was born 
 in Hubbardston, May 14, 1778. He was a 
 farmer, and cultivated the Pollard homestead 
 property from the time of succeeding to its 
 possession until his death, which occurred 
 April 24, 1846. The maiden name of his wife 
 was Ruth Fisk. She died in June, 1862. 
 
 Moses Pollard, son of Joel and Ruth (Fisk) 
 Pollard, was born in Hubbardston, September 
 8, 1815, and was reared upon his father's 
 farm. When a young man he resided for one 
 year in Princeton and also one year in West- 
 boro. After returning to Hubbardston and 
 spending some two years, he came to New 
 Braintree, where he married his first wife, 
 who inherited the farm which is now owned 
 by their son, the subject of this sketch. This 
 property was cleared from the wilderness by 
 her mother's grandfather, Jacob Nichols, who 
 was one of the original settlers in New Brain- 
 tree; and it has since remained in the posses- 
 sion of his descendants. Moses Pollard re- 
 sided here, tilling the soil, until 1874, when 
 he returned to Westboro, where he died, Au- 
 gust IS, 1 891. He was a capable farmer, and 
 while living here he improved the property 
 by erecting new buildings. He served as 
 a member of the Board of Assessors, being at 
 one time chairman of the board, and was 
 chairman of the Board of Assessors in West- 
 boro seven years. In politics he acted with 
 the Republican party. He was a member and 
 a Deacon of the Congregational church. 
 
 Ann O. Pierce Pollard, his first wife, who 
 died September 3, 1875, was born in New 
 Braintree, October 2, 18 19, daughter of 
 Sampson and Fanny (Nichols) Pierce. Her 
 maternal grandfather was David Nichols, son 
 
386 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Jacob, the original owner of the farm, as 
 before stated. On July 5, 1876, Moses Pol- 
 lard married for his second wife Mrs. Phoebe 
 Hartwell Brown, a widow, who is still living, 
 and resides in Hiibbardston. Moses Pollard 
 was the father of six children, all by his first 
 marriage. Four of these are living, namely: 
 Herbert L., the subject of this sketch; David 
 N., born November 24, 1846; Charles F., 
 born December 19, 1848; and Moses F., born 
 June 18, 1855. David N., who is a merchant 
 in Ashland, N.H., married Juliette Webster, 
 and has two daughters — Martha L. and Ella 
 M. Charles F., who is a farmer and fruit- 
 grower in De Land, Fla., married Louisa 
 Brown, and has three children — Goldwin 
 Smith, Moses, and Bertha. Moses F., who 
 is a prosperous farmer of Westboro, married 
 Matilda Winchester; and his children are: 
 Etta J., Alice, Alfred, and Ruth. The two 
 that died in infancy were William and Will- 
 iam Henry. 
 
 Herbert L. Pollard in his childhood and 
 youth attended successively the common 
 schools of New Braintree, the Springfield 
 High School, and the Westfield Academy, 
 and finally completed his studies with a short 
 course at Eastman's Business College, Pough- 
 keepsie, N.Y. For the first few years after 
 leaving school he was employed as a clerk in 
 a grocery store in Worcester. In 1868 he 
 went to Missouri, where he bought land and 
 resided thereon a year and a half, at the end 
 of which time he sold his property. For 
 eight years after his return he was engaged in 
 cultivating the Moses Ayers farm, which his 
 wife had inherited. In 1878 he took posses- 
 sion of the Nichols farm, called Ashland, on 
 account of the many fine ash-trees growing upon 
 it, and has since carried on a large dairy busi- 
 ness, keeping about fifty head of cattle, in- 
 cluding thirty milch cows of a mixed breed, 
 producing in 1897 nine thousand cans of milk. 
 Ashland Farm occupies an elevated position, 
 and commands a fine view of the surrounding 
 country. It is noted for its fertility, and its 
 hay crop alone amounts to one hundred tons 
 annually. 
 
 On March 24, 1870, Mr. Pollard was joined 
 in marriage with Sarah A. Johnson, who was 
 
 born in North Brookfield, September 3, 1845, 
 daughter of Henry and Julia Ann (Ayers) 
 Johnson. Her father was born in the same 
 town in 1804, and her mother was born in 
 New Braintree in 1810. Henry Johnson was 
 a mechanic. He moved in 1864 to New 
 Braintree, where he died February 10, 1877, 
 having survived his wife, who died December 
 5, 1847. Their only daughter, Sarah A., 
 inherited from Moses Ayers the farm previ- 
 ously alluded to. Mr. and Mrs. Pollard have 
 had nine children, six of whom are living, 
 namely: Harry D., born July 23, 1873; 
 Henry J., born June 10, 1875; William M., 
 born February 25, 1877; Frederick, born 
 February 10, 1880; Mary F., born September 
 13, 1882; and Nellie V., born December 7, 
 1884. The others were : Julia A., who died at 
 the age of ten years; S. Grace, who died aged 
 eleven months; and Clara B., who died aged 
 three months. 
 
 Mr. Pollard was a Selectman two years. 
 He is now chairman of the Board of Assessors, 
 of which he has been a member nine years. 
 He has been a member of the School Commit- 
 tee two years. In politics he is a Republi- 
 can. He is a member of the Worcester 
 County West Agricultural Society, and with 
 Mrs. Pollard belongs to the local grange, No. 
 170, Patrons of Husbandry. Mr. Pollard has 
 been officially connected with the Sunday- 
 school of the Congregational church, and Mrs. 
 Pollard is also a member. Both the Pollards 
 and the Ayers are highly reputable families of 
 this town, and their ancestors were promi- 
 nently identified with its early development. 
 
 ■fgTENRY MATHEWSON, of Brook- 
 1^1 field, a thriving dairy farmer, was 
 JLs ^^^ ^ born in Gloucester, R.I., March 7, 
 1830, son of Arthur and Betsey 
 (Evans) Mathewson. His paternal grand- 
 father was Thomas Mathewson, a resident of 
 Scituate, R.I. Arthur Mathewson, father of 
 Henry, was born in Scituate, R.L, his wife, 
 Betsey, being a native of New Hampshire. 
 They were the parents of eleven children, of 
 whom three are now living, namely: Lucy, 
 widow of Joshua Angel, a former resident of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL ReViEw 
 
 387 
 
 Gloucester; Daniel, who resides in Provi- 
 dence; and Henry, the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Henry Mathewson received his education in 
 the district schools of his neighborhood. He 
 was reared upon his father's farm in Glouces- 
 ter, where he resided until soon after the close 
 of the Civil War, when he came to Brookfield. 
 He has since devoted his energies to the cul- 
 tivation of his farm of one hundred and thirty 
 acres, which is located upon the State Road, 
 near the village. He deals quite extensively 
 in milk. 
 
 Mr. Mathewson married Susannah Allen, 
 daughter of Zebediah Allen, a late resident of 
 Brookfield. He had five children, namely: 
 Allen Z. and Henry, residents of this town ; 
 George VV. and Everett, who reside in South- 
 ern California; and Lottie A. Mrs. Mathew- 
 son died March 28, 1893. She was a member 
 of the Congregational church. Politically, 
 Mr. Mathewson is independent, supporting 
 those candidates for public office who he 
 thinks will best serve the public. A practi- 
 cal and intelligent New England farmer, he is 
 highly esteemed by his fellow-townsmen. 
 
 ^ILAS DUNTON, one of the leading 
 merchants of Millbury, Mass., who 
 is carrying on a prosperous business 
 as senior member of the well-known 
 firm, Dunton & Winter, was born in the vil- 
 lage of Millbury, April 9, 1818, son of Moses 
 Dunton. The grandfather, Silas Dunton, born 
 of Scotch ancestors and a lifelong farmer of 
 Sturbridge, reared a family of four sons and 
 three daughters. All the children married, 
 except Perley, who was a blacksmith, and who 
 died in the prime of manhood. Another son, 
 Zenas, was also a blacksmith by trade. Sam- 
 uel went to the State of New York when 
 young, and became an extensive farmer. 
 
 Moses Dunton also learned the blacksmith's 
 trade. While yet a young man he came to 
 Millbury, where, after working for a time as 
 a journeyman, he established a smithy of his 
 own, and for a number of years carried on 
 a successful' business. A tall, slender man, 
 the amount of stooping necessitated by his 
 work undermined his health to such a degree 
 
 that he was forced to give up the shop. He 
 subsequently worked in the gun shop of the 
 United States Armory, then in charge of Asa 
 Waters, a government contractor; but for sev- 
 eral years before his death, in 1866, he was 
 retired from active pursuits. In 181 3 he 
 married Miss Zoa Pierce, who was born in 
 Sutton, Mass., daughter of Isaac Pierce. 
 They had five children, as follows: Austin, 
 born in 1815, who died November 25, 1897; 
 William, born in j8i6, who resides in New- 
 port, N. H., and has two children; Silas, the 
 subject of this biography; Mrs. Martha Dex- 
 ter, of Cambridge, Mass., who is a widow, 
 with three children; and Mary, who died of 
 brain fever at the age of seventeen years. 
 The mother passed away in 1870. 
 
 Silas Dunton received such educational 
 advantages as were given a farmer's boy in 
 his day. At the age of fourteen he left the 
 district school to become an assistant in his 
 father's shop. Two years later he began his 
 mercantile career as a clerk for A. G. Stiles 
 & Co., merchants in Millbury, with whom he 
 remained until the dissolution of the firm. In 
 1839 he went to Louisville, Ky., where he 
 was a salesman for three years in the boot and 
 shoe store established in that city by Wood 
 & Warren, of Upton, Mass. After returning 
 home in December, 1842, he soon went South 
 again, to dispose of a bankrupt stock of boots 
 and shoes, which he sold to dealers in Mem- 
 phis, St. Louis, and Louisville. From 1844 
 to 1846 he was employed as a salesman in 
 a dry-goods store in Worcester, Mass. ; and 
 during the ensuing year he was a clerk in 
 a Boston clothing house. Then he had charge 
 of the latter place for a year and a half, and 
 was next paymaster for a cotton manufacturing 
 company. Leaving the cotton company in 
 1848, he became the junior member of the 
 firm of Robbins & Dunton, of Millbury, which 
 firm had a successful trade in general mer- 
 chandise for three years. At the end of that 
 period Mr. Dunton bought out his partner, 
 and in company with Mr. Denny, an experi- 
 enced druggist, added a drug department to 
 the store, and continued the business for a 
 number of years. Mr. Denny subsequently 
 withdrew to go West ; and two years later 
 
388 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Dunton took his son-in-law, Mr. Morse, 
 into partnership. Just after the close of the 
 Civil War Mr. Dunton sold out his store, and 
 in company with others went to Richmond, 
 Va. , to look up timber lands along the York 
 River. Having concluded not to invest his 
 money there, he returned home, and in a short 
 time went to Canada, where he unwisely em- 
 barked in the oil-well business. After drop- 
 ping a few thousands of dollars in the holes 
 he again returned to Millbury, this time to 
 stay. He bought back his former business, 
 and conducted it two years as the head of the 
 firm of Dunton & Morse. In 1872 the pres- 
 ent firm came into existence, and has since 
 carried on an extensive and profitable business 
 in general merchandise, of which they have 
 a complete assortment. 
 
 On August 22, 1846, Mr. Dunton married 
 Olivia L. Guild, of Oxford, Mass., who was 
 born in Augusta, Me., daughter of Davis and 
 Olivia (Lyon) Guild. She died July 25, 
 1884, at the age of sixty years. Two children 
 were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunton, namely : 
 Emma C, who married James A. Morse, of 
 Worcester, Mass., and has two sons; and 
 Joseph, of Millbury, who married Miss Fanny 
 Temple, of this village. Mr. Dunton, Sr., 
 is a thirty-second degree Mason, and is the 
 oldest member of Olive Branch Lodge, F. & 
 A. M., of Millbury, which he joined nearly 
 forty years ago. In politics he is a steadfast 
 Republican, and he represented this district 
 in the State legislature in 1868. 
 
 (sTr-RTEMAS MERRIAM, late a well- 
 
 tJlA known chair manufacturer of West- 
 
 yJ^V^ minster, Mass., was born on July 
 
 ^-"21, 1818, at the early home of his 
 
 parents, Joel and Polly (Farnsworth) Mer- 
 
 riam, at the "Narrows," in the east part of 
 
 the town. He died on March i, 1898, at 
 
 South Westminster, where he had made his 
 
 home and had been engaged in business many 
 
 years. He was the last survivor of a family 
 
 of nine children. Franklin Merriam, one of 
 
 his brothers, was a noted Baptist clergyman. 
 
 Another, Joel Merriam, Jr., the father of 
 
 Frank A. Merriam, was prominent in public 
 
 affairs. Joel Merriam owned and carried on 
 a farm. He also made cooper stock, such as 
 barrels; and he had a carding machine. 
 
 Artemas Merriam lived with his parents on 
 the old homestead until sixteen years old, 
 when his father sold the water-power and 
 removed to Meeting House Pond. Artemas 
 supplemented his district schooling by attend- 
 ing an academy winters. For some time in 
 his youth he was employed in the Wyman 
 Paper Mill, and he also worked at coopering 
 and driving team. On his twentieth birthday 
 he proposed to his father to buy bis time, 
 agreeing to pay fifty dollars on his twenty- 
 first birthday and to give him a pair of boots. 
 His father consenting, this he did. He began 
 life for himself by taking a job at coopering 
 for Mr. Wyman, with whom he remained until 
 twenty-four years old. After that he spent 
 a few months at Gardner in charge of a store, 
 and also worked a short time making settee 
 cradles. In 1843 he bought a part of his 
 father's farm on Meeting House Pond, built 
 a small shop, and began to make settee cradles 
 on his own account. The business grew so 
 that he was soon able to devote his whole time 
 to it and hire a few men. 
 
 In 1849 he started the present plant at the 
 head of the pond, where there is now a consid- 
 erable village, but was then only one house. 
 That was the home of Asa Holden, his wife's 
 father; and her brother, George Holden, be- 
 came Mr. Merriam's partner, under the style 
 of Merriam & Holden. They increased the 
 business, employed more men, and put in a 
 steam-engine, the first one in town. At first 
 they contracted for a twenty-five horse power 
 engine. But some of the townspeople were 
 fearful that the supply of fuel would run short, 
 a»d other serious results follow; and so much 
 was said that they finally compromised on a 
 fifteen horse power engine. There being no 
 roads to get their product out to market, a town 
 meeting was called to consider and vote upon 
 building the needed highway. The measure 
 was opposed on the ground that their business 
 would not prove a success, and there would 
 be no use for it. However, a roundabout road 
 was built in 1856. By that time they had 
 worked up a good business, and were obliged 
 
LOUIS 1. KENDALL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 391 
 
 to further increase the capacity of their plant 
 by purchasing heavier engines. About i860 
 Joel Merriam, Jr., brother of Artemas, became 
 a partner in the firm. He had charge of the 
 paint shop. Mr. Holden looked after the 
 manufacturing, and Mr. Merriam did the sell- 
 ing. They employed between sixty and sev- 
 enty men; and the future looked bright for 
 a prosperous business, until on November i, 
 1868, nearly the entire plant was destroyed by 
 fire, their loss being estimated at about forty 
 thousand dollars. Soon after D. C. Miles, 
 who had money to invest, joined them; and 
 they proceeded to rebuild their plant. This 
 time they put in a one hundred horse power 
 engine; and, as a good road had been opened, 
 they were better equipped both for manufact- 
 uring and marketing their product than ever 
 before. After three years' connection with 
 the firm Mr. Miles withdrew from the partner- 
 ship. On May 7, 1873, Joel Merriam died; 
 but his interest was continued by his son 
 Hervey, who also held the position of book- 
 keeper in the office. Only a little over a 
 month later, June 21, 1873, Mr. Holden died. 
 Artemas Merriam then secured Mr. Hol- 
 den's interest, which gave him six-eighths of 
 the entire plant; and soon after he bought 
 his nephew's interest, which gave him entire 
 control. His ability to make the payments 
 was questioned, the notes being made payable 
 each six months, with interest at six per cent. 
 But he was able to pay even earlier than re- 
 quired; and, as he had the notes made pay- 
 able "on or before," the holders were obliged 
 to accept his payments, though not desiring to 
 do so until the expiration of the full time 
 given. In 1875 he found himself the sole 
 proprietor of the plant. When he purchased 
 the Holden interest, it was agreed that he 
 should use the old style of Merriam & Holden; 
 but owing to objections that were made he 
 subsequently changed the firm name to A. Mer- 
 riam, and continued to use this. In later years 
 he made the manufacture of settees his spe- 
 cialty, and had a large export trade, shipping 
 to Buenos Ayres, Australia, and other distant 
 places. He employed nearly one hundred 
 men. Around this plant has sprung up the 
 little village of South Westminster, with some 
 
 twenty-five families, all dependent upon this 
 one industry. There is a school and post- 
 oifice. At one period Mr. Merriam owned 
 about fifteen hundred acres of land, and at the 
 time of his death he was the owner of several 
 hundred acres. He served in the principal 
 town offices and in the State legislature. 
 
 On June 8, 1841, Mr. Merriam was married 
 to Salome Holden, daughter of Asa and Dolly 
 (Whitney) Holden. Mrs. Merriam and two 
 daughters, Ella M. and Ida E., survive her 
 husband. She was born on this farm, which 
 has been handed down from her grandfather, 
 Elias Holden, who first owned it. Ella M. 
 Merriam is the wife of Adin F. Baker, of 
 South Westminster, and has a son and daugh- 
 ter — J. Artemas and Ella M. Ida E. is the 
 wife of Samuel D. Simonds, superintendent of 
 the Merriam shop, in which he has been em- 
 ployed for some years. Mr. and Mrs. Simonds 
 reside with Mrs. Merriam. They have three 
 children — Ralph M., Donald D., and Stella S. 
 
 OUIS JONES KENDALL, an enter- 
 prising and prosperous stock-raiser 
 and dairyman of Worcester, resid- 
 ing in Ward Eight, was born Feb- 
 ruary 17, 1858, in Barre, Mass., son of Henry 
 Jones Kendall. Of English origin, he is a 
 descendant of a family that has been identified 
 with the history of Massachusetts for several 
 generations. The paternal grandfather, a 
 well-to-do farmer, was a lifelong resident of 
 Barre, where he was born in 1790, and died 
 in 1862. He married Mary Estabrook, of 
 Holden, Mass., who died in 1892, aged 
 eighty-seven years. They had three children, 
 two of whom grew to maturity, namely: Caro- 
 line E., now the wife of Estes Hawes, a prom- 
 inent merchant and banker of Barre; and 
 Henry Jones Kendall. 
 
 Henry J. Kendall, born in Barre, Septem- 
 ber 21, 1832, was there engaged in agricult- 
 ure for several years, having owned and man- 
 aged a farm of two hundred acres. In 1864 
 he purchased twelve acres of land, on which 
 stands the present residence of his son, Louis 
 J., at 700 Pleasant Street. Soon after he 
 bought forty acres of adjoining land. In 1884 
 
39^ 
 
 felOGRAPttlCAL REVIEW 
 
 he retire^ from active pursuits, and, taking up 
 his abode in the city, resided there until his 
 death, on November 2, 1892. In April, 
 1854, he married Mary Jane Joslin, who was 
 born in Hubbardston, Mass., daughter of Levi 
 and Dorcas (Wright) Joslin. Her children 
 were: Ella, who died at the age of seven 
 years; Louis Jones, the subject of this sketch; 
 and Herbert E., a stock-raiser and farmer in 
 Worcester. 
 
 Louis J. Kendall attended first the district 
 schools of Barre, and afterward completed his 
 studies at the Worcester High School. In 
 1884 he succeeded to the ownership of the 
 parental homestead. Having enlarged the 
 estate by the purchase of more land, he has 
 now one hundred acres in his well-kept farm. 
 Progressive and practical, he keeps pace with 
 the times, and is always quick to avail himself 
 of the latest approved machinery for facilitat- 
 ing agricultural labor. Several years ago he 
 built his large stock barn, in which he keeps 
 his large dairy of fifty Jersey cows. He sells 
 to the people of Worcester about five hundred 
 quarts of milk daily. He has also eight 
 horses, noted for their speed and other desir- 
 able qualities. Fraternally, he is a thirty- 
 second degree Mason and a leading member of 
 the local grange, of which he was Master for 
 two years. Politically, he is a straightfor- 
 ward Republican, never swerving from his du- 
 ties as a citizen and voter; and he has served 
 efficiently as a member of the City Council 
 for three years. 
 
 On May 8, 1879, Mr. Kendall married 
 Sarah M. Thayer, of Worcester, a daughter of 
 Alden Thayer, Jr. Her grandfather, Alden 
 Thayer, Sr., was engaged in farming in Men- 
 don, Mass., in his early years. In middle 
 life he came to Worcester, and, locating on 
 Central Street, was here engaged in the gro- 
 cery business until his death on August 10, 
 i860, at the age of sixty-two years. In 1821 
 he married Sarah McNamara, of Mendon, who 
 died at a comparatively early age, leaving two 
 sons — Alden, Jr., and Timothy M. The 
 grandfather subsequently married again. 
 Alden Thayer, Jr., was a very successful 
 business man, and for several years was a 
 grocer in Worcester and Clinton, where he | 
 
 had an extensive trade. He died in 1891, 
 aged sixty-three years, leaving a substantial 
 property. A man of sterling integrity and 
 upright. Christian principles, he served faith- 
 fully as Deacon of the Baptist church for 
 many years. Besides carrying on his grocery 
 business, he was also a large real estate 
 dealer. He married Martha Knowles, of New 
 Hampshire, who bore him seven children, 
 three of whom have passed away. These 
 were: Walter, who died at the age of one and 
 a half years; Charles, who lived seventeen 
 years; and George, who died at the age of 
 thirty-six years, leaving a family. The chil- 
 dren now living are: Ida F. Thayer, who re- 
 sides with her widowed mother on Pleasant 
 Street, Worcester; Sarah M., now Mrs. Ken- 
 dall ; I. Grace, the wife of Herbert E. Ken- 
 dall; and Lucius H., a skilul dentist of 
 Charlestown, N.H. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall 
 have five children, namely: Walter H., a 
 wide-awake young man of eighteen years, who 
 left the manual training department of the 
 Worcester High School two years ago to take 
 charge of his father's milk route in this city; 
 Robert, Ella Grace, and L. Harold; and Paul 
 Revere, who was born April 19, 1894, on the 
 anniversary of the day on which the Paul 
 Revere of the Revolution performed his his- 
 torical ride. 
 
 ILAS WASHINGTON BAKER, 
 who owns one of the first settled 
 farms in Phillipston, Mass., was 
 born where he now resides, March 
 9, 181 5, son of Silas and Abigail (Hager) 
 Baker. The Baker homestead was originally 
 the property of his grandfather, Silas Baker, 
 Sr., who came here from Littleton, Mass., as 
 a pioneer, and was one of the able farmers of 
 that early day. He lived to be seventy-seven 
 years old; and his wife, whose maiden name 
 was Betsey Fisk, attained the age of eighty- 
 six years. She came here from Lexington, 
 where she was living at the time of the famous 
 battle, April 19, 1775, being the wife of a 
 prominent physician. 
 
 Silas Baker, Jr., the father above named, 
 was born upon the same farm, April 5, 1781. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 393 
 
 Succeeding to its possession, he carried on the 
 farm during his active years; and he died here 
 August 15, 1867. He was a Captain in the 
 State militia, and had a large circle of friends 
 and acquaintances, by whom he was sincerely 
 esteemed for his many excellent qualities. 
 Abigail Hager, whom he married December 
 28, 1808, was born in this town, February 12, 
 1786, and died February 14, 1850. They 
 reared a family of seven children, namely: 
 Daniel H. ; Lucy A.; Silas VV., the subject 
 of this sketch; Abigail W. ; Almira; Maria; 
 and Leonard F., who resides in Hampton, 111., 
 where he went in 1850. 
 
 Leonard F. Baker was a successful merchant 
 and owner of a store, and was Postmaster for 
 many years, being a business man of marked 
 ability. The business is now carried on by 
 his two sons. He is a member of the Congre- 
 gational church and an active worker. He 
 married Milla W. Sawyer, of Phillipston, and 
 has had a family of six children, three of whom 
 are now living. 
 
 Silas Washington Baker was educated in the 
 town schools, and since reaching manhood he 
 has given his principal attention to general 
 farming. Besides the homestead of one hun- 
 dred and seventy-six acres he owns other land, 
 amounting in all to three hundred and ninety 
 acres. 
 
 On December 18, 1850, Mr. Baker married 
 Harriet La Duke, who was born in Canada, 
 February 2, 1829, daughter of Francis and 
 Mary La Duke. She was educated at Pratt 
 Academy, Shelburne Falls, Mass. At the 
 age of sixty-nine, Mrs. Baker does all her 
 housework without assistance. She has had 
 twelve children ; namely, H. Almira, Abbie 
 M., Sarah E., Lucy J., Ida L., Daniel W., 
 Mary E., Lucia A., Silas F., Charlotte I., 
 Florence A., and Leonard W. Baker. H. 
 Almira, who is a graduate of the Worcester 
 Normal School, and taught successfully for 
 twenty years, is now the wife of J. Warren 
 Dunn, a mechanic in Winchendon. Abbie 
 M. was educated at the Highland Institute at 
 Petersham. She taught several years in the 
 Atlan-ta Female Institute, Atlanta, Ga., 
 and established the Baker Academy at 
 Tampa, Fla. She is now the widow of Al- 
 
 bert J. Russell, late of Jacksonville, Fla., 
 who was a Major in the Confederate army, 
 and after the war was for nine years State 
 Superintendent of Public Instruction. Sarah 
 E. , who was educated at the Templeton High 
 School, and formerly a successful teacher, is 
 now the wife of Leslie W. Woodcock, of Win- 
 chendon, Mass., for many years a pail manu- 
 facturer in that town. They have a daughter, 
 Bernice. Lucy J., a graduate of Mount Hol- 
 yoke Seminary, taught school in South Africa 
 five years. She is now the wife of Arthur R. 
 Hall, of Denver, Col., where he is employed 
 as clerk in a large furniture store. Ida L. was 
 graduated from the Salem Normal School, and 
 is now a teacher in Spokane, Wash. Mary E., 
 educated at Templeton High School, is now 
 the wife of Rodney E. Cochran, of Winchen- 
 don, where he is employed in the manufact- 
 ure of pails. They have two daughters — 
 Lethe and Marjorie. Lucia A. died May 25, 
 1882. She was educated in the Templeton 
 High School, was beloved by all who knew 
 her. Charlotte I. was graduated with honor 
 from the Murdock High School, Winchendon, 
 and is a stenographer in Lakewood, N.J. 
 Florence A., who also graduated from the 
 last-named school with high honor, is the wife 
 of Joseph Lewis, an engineer in a large cotton 
 factory in Fall River, Mass. Leonard W. is 
 a graduate of Comer's Commercial College, 
 Boston. He resides in Spokane, Wash. 
 Silas F. was educated at the Templeton Pligh 
 School. He married Mildred Johnson, of 
 Portland, Me., a graduate of Gorham Normal 
 School. Their home is in Phillipston. 
 They have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, 
 Dorothy. 
 
 Daniel W. Baker is now chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen, Assessors, and Overseers 
 of the Pdor, the present being the third year 
 he has held this office. He has also served on 
 the Board of School Committee. He acts 
 with the Republican party in politics. He 
 taught school two years, most of the time in 
 Iowa. He has also been station agent for the 
 Fitcbburg Railroad Company. He is one of 
 the best known citizens of Phillipston. His 
 residence, which is a landmark in this locality, 
 was built by his father in 1807. Mr. Baker 
 
394 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 is of a cheerful and kind disposition. With 
 the memory of his early days are associated the 
 thoughts of the spinning-wheel, weaving-loom, 
 tallow candle, open fireplace, and flint-lock 
 gun. At the age of eighty-three, he superin- 
 tends the farm, and does all the marketing. 
 He has voted at every State election since 1836. 
 
 'ORATIO A. BROWN, buying agent 
 of the stores of the Slater Woollen 
 Company, of Webster, Mass., was 
 born in the State of Rhode Island, 
 on Escoheague Hill, in the town of Exeter, 
 on January 3, 1847, son of Ambrose and Lydia 
 (Green) Brown. His paternal grandfather, 
 Seth Brown, who was a native of West Green- 
 wich, R. I., married a Miss Bailey. His 
 father, who was born in West Greenwich in 
 1 806, and died on the 4th of February, 1897, 
 was by occupation a farmer and later a con- 
 tractor and builder. He carried on a large 
 business, and was known all over the States of 
 Rhode Island and Connecticut. Both Am- 
 brose Brown and his wife were active in 
 church work. She was the daughter of Amos 
 and Amy Green. Her grandfather, the Rev. 
 Stafford Green, and her great-grandfather, the 
 Rev. Elisha Green, were clergymen of the 
 Baptist church. 
 
 Horatio A. Brown was the only child born 
 to his parents. He received an excellent 
 education in the public schools of Plainfield, 
 Conn., at Professor Walker's private school 
 at Jewett City, Conn., Professor Aldrich's 
 seminary at River Point, R.I., and at East 
 Greenwich Seminary. At the age of twenty- 
 one he became a clerk in the grocery store of 
 James Fisher at Pawtuxet, R.I., where he 
 remained for a year. His life since then has 
 been spent in various places, and he has been 
 interested in many different enterprises. 
 
 Going from Pawtuxet to Attawaugan, Conn., 
 he first entered the employ of the Attawau- 
 gan Manufacturing Company, and remained 
 with them four years as foreman in a general 
 merchandise store. He then went to Santa 
 F6, N. M., where for two years, in company 
 with his uncle, Almon Green, he traded in 
 wool, fur, and hides. Returning then to Con- 
 
 necticut, he engaged as clerk in the grocery 
 store of E. B. Burlingame & Co., of Daniel- 
 sonville, and remained with them until the 
 firm was dissolved. Then, in company with 
 Henry Tillinghast, one of the retiring part- 
 ners, he opened a store for the sale of general 
 merchandise at Branford, Conn. .under the firm 
 name of Tillinghast & Brown. Upon the 
 death of Mr. Tillinghast in 1878 and the 
 consequent breaking up of the partnership, 
 he became resident agent at Sutton, Mass., 
 for the B. B. & R. Knight Company, exten- 
 sive cotton manufacturers, with their head- 
 quarters at Providence, R.I. He remained 
 in Sutton four years, rendering valuable ser- 
 vice to the company by which he was em- 
 ployed, and gaining a warm place in the es- 
 teem of the people of Sutton. Being offered 
 a position with Whitford, Aldrich & Co., 
 wholesale grocers of Providence, R. I., as 
 travelling salesman, he saw in that a better 
 opportunity, and resigned his position at Sut- 
 ton. After a year spent on the road he en- 
 tered the employ of Arnold, Maine & Co., of 
 Providence, and organized a branch store for 
 them at Pawtucket and another at Worcester. 
 In 1892 he came to Webster, and assumed his 
 present position. 
 
 In politics Mr. Brown is a Republican. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of various or- 
 ganizations, notably of the following: Moriah 
 Lodge, No. 15, F. & A. M., at Danielson- 
 ville. Conn.; Warren Chapter, R. A. M., at 
 Killingly; and Montgomery Council, R. & 
 S. M., and Holy Sepulchre Commandery, 
 K. T., at Pawtucket, R. I., Providence Consis- 
 tory; and Good Samaritan Lodge, L O. O. F., 
 at Pawtucket. He is a Past Commander of 
 the Commandery to which he belongs. Mr. 
 Brown is a constant attendant of the Baptist 
 church in Webster, and is active in church 
 and Sunday-school work; but his church 
 membership is in the First Baptist Church of 
 Pawtucket. While at Attawaugan he organ- 
 ized the first Baptist Sunday-school there, 
 and he has organized Sunday-schools in other 
 places. 
 
 On October 20, 1869, Mr. Brown was 
 united in marriage with Emily, daughter of 
 John and Susan (Fenner) Smith, of Killingly, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 39S 
 
 Conn. One child, a daughter, Minda, was 
 born of this union on August 29, 1873. She 
 was educated in the Providence schools, and 
 subsequently married William A. Newell, of 
 Pawtucket, R.I. She is the mother of one 
 little daughter, Minda, who was born on Janu- 
 ary 20, 1895. 
 
 Mr. Browa has been active in politics, as 
 well as in business and religious life. While 
 in Sutton he was on the School Board, and was 
 chairman of the Board of Assessors for some 
 years. In Pawtucket, also, he was on the 
 School Board, and was a member of the Town 
 Committee. Under President Arthur's ad- 
 ministration he was appointed Postmaster of 
 Manchaug, and he was reappointed by Presi- 
 dent! Hayes. When Governor Robinson was 
 the chief executive officer of this State, Mr. 
 Brown was appointed Justice of the Peace to 
 issue criminal warrants and take bail. He is 
 highly respected in this town, and wields a 
 large amount of influence. 
 
 "ENRY L. PARKMAN, a leading 
 agriculturist of North Brookfield, 
 formerly Assessor of the town, was 
 born here, June 13, 1840, son of 
 Ebenezer and Harriet (Robinson) Parkman. 
 His paternal grandfather, also named Eben- 
 ezer, a tailor by trade, fought for Ameri- 
 can independence in the war of the Revolu- 
 tion. Ebenezer (second), father of Henry L. 
 Parkman, was born in North Brookfield, and 
 spent the greater part of his life here engaged 
 in farming. He died several years ago. His 
 wife, Harriet, who was a native of Oakham, 
 Mass., bore him four children, all of whom 
 survive, namely: Charles; Mary, wife of Tim- 
 othy Keefe; Henry L. ; and Alfred D. 
 
 Henry L. Parkman grew to manhood in his 
 native town. He attended the district school 
 of his neighborhood during his early years, 
 and when older was sent to a private school in 
 the town. Adopting farming as his vocation, 
 he has since been quite successful. His pres- 
 ent farm, which is well cultivated, consists of 
 one hundred and twenty-five acres. Besides 
 raising large crops of vegetables, he does con- 
 siderable dairying. 
 
 Mr. Parkman married Mary E. Bush, a 
 native of Vermont and daughter of the late 
 Eli Bush, of North Brookfield. Four children 
 have been born of this union, of whom three 
 are living; namely, William H., George G., 
 and Fred T. The only daughter, Hattie L. , 
 is deceased. In politics Mr. Parkman is a 
 stanch Republican. He served the town for 
 one term as Assessor, and under a former law 
 was for several years Highway Surveyor. He 
 is a member of the Congregational church at 
 North Brookfield, and takes an active part in 
 the work of the society. Fraternally, he be- 
 longs to the grange, in which he has held 
 office, and also to the Patrons of Husbandry. 
 He ranks among the most successful and pro- 
 gressive agriculturists of North Brookfield. 
 
 AMES M. BRONSON, the popular 
 librarian of the Leominster Public Li- 
 brary, son of the Rev. Asa and Ma- 
 rinda (Jennings) Bronson, was born in 
 New Bedford, Mass., December 25, 1833. 
 His grandfather, Albert Bronson, served in 
 the war of independence. The Rev. Asa 
 Bronson began preaching when twenty years of 
 age, and continued in the ministry until his 
 death at the age of sixty-eight years. For 
 twenty years he was settled over the Baptist 
 church at Fall River. Four of his sons be- 
 came clergymen. Another son, George W. 
 Bronson, who has been a teacher for forty-five 
 years, is the master of one of the Fall River 
 grammar schools. 
 
 Having been taken to Fall River when an 
 infant of six months, James M. Bronson re- 
 sided there until he was twenty-four years of 
 age. In 1861 he enlisted in Company D of 
 the Second Rhode Island Regiment, and sub- 
 sequently served for fourteen months in the 
 Civil War. Since 1864 he has been the libra- 
 rian of the public library of Leominster. At 
 that time the library had but thirty-five hun- 
 dred volumes: it now contains about nineteen 
 thousand. The duties incident to this posi- 
 tion demand all Mr. Bronson's time. In for- 
 mer years he was Assistant Postmaster for 
 two years, and had also charge of the town 
 hall and of the church. For fifteen years he 
 
39^ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 has been the secretary and treasurer of the 
 Farmers' and Mechanics' Association, of 
 Leominster; for eight or ten years the treas- 
 urer of the Baptist church and member of its 
 Executive Board ; for fourteen or fifteen years 
 Special Policeman. He is now a member of 
 the Congregational church. In politics he is 
 a strong Republican. 
 
 Mr. Bronson was married in 1856 to Pris- 
 cilla Colburn, whose father was the Postmaster 
 of Leominster for forty years. Mrs. Priscilla 
 Bronson died in 1890; and on December 25 
 of the following year Mr. Bronson married her 
 cousin, Clarissa Elizabeth Eaton. Mr. Bron- 
 son has no children. 
 
 TS)/illia 
 
 ^V teem 
 ^ »** nati\ 
 
 ILLIAM WHITTEMORE, an es- 
 teemed resident of Sturbridge, is a 
 ive of this town, born February 
 10, 1851, son of Dwight and Adelaide 
 (Tourttlelotte) Whittemore. Dwight VVhitte- 
 more, the father, was also a native of Stur- 
 bridge, born February 17, 1807, and spent his 
 life in this town. By occupation a farmer, 
 his homestead included about two hundred and 
 fifty acres of land. He was also engaged in 
 the lumber business, having a saw-mill on his 
 farm. He was very energetic and a successful 
 business man. In politics he was a Democrat 
 and in his religious views liberal. He died 
 in Sturbridge, January 2, 1881. His wife, 
 Adelaide, was born in 1809, and died in 1854. 
 Five children were born of their union — 
 namely, Dwight T., Stanley, Austin, James, 
 and William, of whom but William and 
 James are now living. 
 
 William Whittemore, the youngest child of 
 his parents, after receiving his education, 
 went to work as clerk in a general store in 
 Southbridge, Mass. He subsequently ob- 
 tained employment on a farm. In 1878 he 
 bought his first property, a farm of fifty acres. 
 Fourteen years later he purchased his present 
 homestead, a farm of ninety acres, located in 
 one of the pleasantest parts of the town of 
 Sturbridge. Mr. Whittemore has always 
 taken great interest in town affairs, and has 
 served most acceptably in the offices of Select- 
 man, Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor. In 
 
 1894 he was a trustee of the Hyde Fund, a 
 gift of twenty thousand dollars to the town of 
 Sturbridge for the establishment and mainte- 
 nance of a public library. He also took a 
 very active part in procuring the charter for 
 the electric road, which met with great oppo- 
 sition from many of the older residents of the 
 town. In political affiliation he is a Demo- 
 crat. 
 
 On May i, 1879, Mr. Whittemore was 
 united in marriage with Jennie E. Barnes, 
 who was born in Sturbridge, April 12, 1850, 
 daughter of George Nelson and Elvira (Cham- 
 berlain) Barnes. Both her parents were na- 
 tives of Grafton. Mr. and Mrs. Whittemore 
 have five children, who were born as follows: 
 Alice E., June 7, 1880; Ethel E., July 3, 
 1883; William' Jr., January i, 1886; Dwight 
 N., June 12, 1888; and Jennie F., March 18, 
 1894. 
 
 city 
 
 ON. GEORGE FRISBIE HOAR, 
 LL.D., lawyer, statesman, orator, is 
 a lineal descendant of Charles 
 Hoare,' sometime Sheriff of the 
 Gloucester, England, who died in 
 1638, and whose widow, Joanna, with five 
 children— John, Daniel, Joanna, Leonard, 
 and Margerie — came to this country a year or 
 two later, his eldest son, Thomas, remaining 
 in England. Mrs. Joanna Hoare died at 
 Braintree, Mass., in 1661. Her son Daniel 
 returned to England. Leonard Hoar became 
 president of Harvard College. He had one 
 daughter who died in infancy and one who 
 married the Rev. Thomas Cotton and settled in 
 England. Margerie married the Rev. Henry 
 Flint, and Joanna married Edmund Quincy. 
 Descendants of the two daughters and of the 
 second son, John.^" are numerous. From John 
 Hoar,^ who settled in Concord in 1660, the 
 line of descent to Senator Hoar, of Worcester, 
 IS as follows: Daniel Hoar, 3 who married 
 Mary Stratton; Lieutenant Daniel," who mar- 
 ried Sarah Jones; John,5 whose second wife 
 was Elizabeth Coolidge; Hon. Samuel,* born 
 in 1743, an officer of the Revolution, who 
 married Susanna Peirce, daughter of Colonel 
 Abijah Peirce, of Lincoln, and resided in that 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 397 
 
 town; the Hon. Samuel,' born in Lincoln, 
 Mass., in 1788, who married Sarah, daughter 
 of Roger Sherman, and was the father of 
 George Frisbie Hoar. 
 
 The Hoars of Middlesex County have long 
 been conspicuous in public life. Samuel 
 Hoar, of Lincoln, who was a Lieutenant in 
 1775 and later a Captain of militia, served as 
 Town Clerk, as Representative to the General 
 Court, and for two years as State Senator. 
 His son, the Hon. Samuel Hoar, LL.D., of 
 Concord, a graduate of Harvard College, class 
 of 1802, an eminent lawyer for thirty years in 
 practice, was State Senator two years and 
 member of Congress from December, 1835, to 
 March 3, 1837. He was a Federalist in poli- 
 tics and afterward a Whig. In his later 
 years he devoted himself to educational and 
 philanthropic work. So exemplary was he in 
 character and conduct that Starr King said of 
 him, "He lived all the beatitudes daily." 
 He died on November 2, 1856. He was sur- 
 vived by his wife, Sarah Sherman Hoar, and 
 five children — Elizabeth, Ebenezer Rockwood, 
 Sarah Sherman, Edward Sherman, and 
 George Frisbie — two of the sons having been 
 named for his college classmates. Mrs. Hoar 
 died August 30, 1866. She was the youngest 
 child of Roger Sherman, signer of the Decla- 
 ration of Independence, by his second wife, 
 Rebecca Prescott. Her father was a son of 
 William, grandson of Joseph, and great-grand- 
 son of Captain John Sherman, of Watertown, 
 1634, who was steward of Harvard College in 
 1660. Mehitable Sherman, sister of Mrs. 
 Hoar, married Jeremiah Evarts, and was the 
 mother of William M. Evarts, Secretary of 
 State during the administration of President 
 Hayes. Rebecca Sherman, another sister, 
 married Judge Simeon Baldwin, and was the 
 mother of Governor and Senator Roger S. 
 Baldwin, of Connecticut. 
 
 George Frisbie Hoar was born in Concord, 
 Mass., August 29, 1826. He was educated 
 at the Concord Academy, Harvard College, 
 class of 1846, and Harvard Law School. His 
 political career began in 1852, when he served 
 as a Representative in the State legislature. 
 In 1857 he was a State Senator. He has been 
 in Congress continuously since March, 1869, 
 
 eight years as a member of the lower house, . 
 and since March, 1877, as Senator. He 
 served as a delegate to the Republican Na- 
 tional Convention in 1876, 1880, and 1884, 
 and was a member of the Electoral Commis- 
 sion which decided the election of President 
 Hayes. To the eminent satisfaction of his 
 constituents, who feel that his wise counsel 
 and patriotic services were never more needed 
 in Washington than at the present juncture. 
 Senator Hoar has declined the appointment 
 recently proffered him by President McKinley 
 of Ambassador to Great Britain. 
 
 Mr. Hoar was married in 1853 to Mary L. 
 Spurr, of Worcester. She died, leaving two 
 children — a son, Rockwood; and a daughter, 
 Mary. He was again married in 1862 to 
 Ruth A. Miller, of Worcester. 
 
 A Republican from principle, high-minded, 
 conscientious, strong with the courage of his 
 convictions, and using his influence to hold 
 the party together and to high issues, he has 
 yet been no mere party servant: he has not 
 failed on occasion to reprove it for shortcom- 
 ings. A supporter of educational, religious, 
 and other elevating institutions, and an advo- 
 cate of woman's suffrage, he has served as 
 overseer of Harvard College and as regent of 
 the Smithsonian Institution, as trustee of the 
 Peabody Museum of Archaeology, president of 
 the American Antiquarian Society, and presi- 
 dent of the American Unitarian Association. 
 He is a member of the Massachusetts Histori- 
 cal and of the New England Historic Genea- 
 logical Societies. A close and loving stu- 
 dent of American history, especially, we may 
 say, of New England history, with a taste and 
 patience even for genealogical detail (vide his 
 monograph on President Garfield's New Eng- 
 land ancestry, and a paper entitled "Will of 
 Charles Hoare, of Gloucester," in the New 
 England Historical and Genealogical Register, 
 vol. xlv., and one on the Hon. Samuel Hoar, 
 LL.D., in vol. iii. of the Memorial Biog- 
 raphies), he is especially happy in his efforts 
 as a speaker on great historic anniversaries. 
 Of these memorable utterances we may men- 
 tion two, his oration at Plymouth on Fore- 
 fathers' Day, December 21, 1895, with its 
 scholarly analysis and differentiation of Pil- 
 
398 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 grim and Puritan, and his address, a biog- 
 raphy and an appreciation, at the unveiling 
 of the tablet in honor of General Rufus Put- 
 nam a few weeks since, on September 17, 
 1898, at Rutland, Mass., both destined, we 
 trust, to be preserved in print and covers. 
 
 Paragraphs and sentences from his pen lend 
 themselves easily to quotation. For example: 
 "The past is not secure unless it be followed 
 by a worthy future. The Pilgrim will fail 
 unless his posterity be fit to keep his fame." 
 "The freest people must submit to the sever- 
 est and most strenuous sense of obligation, if 
 it would lift itself to its own ideals." 
 "Wherever the son of the Pilgrim goes, he 
 will carry with him what the Pilgrim brought 
 from Leyden — the love of liberty, reverence 
 for law, trust in God, a living God, belief in 
 a personal immortality, the voice of con- 
 science in the soul, a heart open to the new 
 truth which ever breaketh from the bosom of 
 the Word. His inherited instincts for the ■ 
 building of states will be as sure as that of 
 the bee for building her cell or the eagle his 
 nest." 
 
 "I have, in my time, known many men 
 famous in war, in statesmanship, in science, 
 in the professions and in business. If I were : 
 asked to declare the secret of their success, I 
 should attribute it, in general, not to any 
 superiority of natural genius, but to the use 
 they made in youth, after the ordinary day's 
 work was over, of the hours which other men 
 throw away or devote to idleness or rest." 
 
 "In my opinion the resolutions of Congress 
 demanding the evacuation of Cuba by Spain, 
 which brought on the war, were the result, 
 not of the destruction of the 'Maine,' but of 
 Senator Proctor's report that half a million 
 of people were being starved to death at our 
 very doors. 
 
 "As I said in the Senate, I think that this 
 is the most honorable war in all history, ex- 
 cept wars which people have undertaken in 
 defence of their own liberty. ... As our Rev- 
 olutionary War resulted in great benefit to 
 England, as the Franco-Prussian War resulted 
 in great benefit to France, as the Civil War 
 was a great benefit to the South, so I believe 
 the Spanish people will awake from their long 
 
 sloth of centuries, and will learn that true 
 glory and greatness are to be found, not in 
 sitting with folded hands and levying tribute 
 from their subjects, but in honest industry, 
 and in developing her own resources, and in 
 studying and learning the spirit of the age." 
 
 j^OAH WADSWORTH, a prominent 
 merchant of Northboro, was born in 
 Westboro, this county, November 
 27, 1846. He is a son of John 
 and Sarah (Bowen) Wadsworth. The family, 
 which is an old one, was founded by Christo- 
 pher Wadsworth. John Wadsworth was en- 
 gaged in shoe manufacturing, and also kept a 
 grocery store in Westboro until 1856 He 
 then bought a small country store in North- 
 boro, and with a partner was engaged in busi- 
 ness successively under the firm names of 
 Wadsworth & Graves and Wadsworth & Mon- 
 tague. In politics he was an active Demo- 
 crat. He died in the winter of 1884, aged 
 seventy-one. Of his four children, three died 
 young. 
 
 Noah Wadsworth was educated in the North- 
 boro schools. He went to work in bis father's 
 store at the age of sixteen; and in 1863, by 
 purchasing Mr. Montague's interest, he be- 
 came a member of the firm founded by his 
 father. In 1875 he became sole proprietor of 
 the business, which has prospered and in- 
 creased under his direction. It occupies one 
 entire floor, and the basement of a block one 
 hundred and twenty-five feet long, and two 
 ample storehouses, and employs five clerks. 
 A very large stock of goods is carried. Mr. 
 Wadsworth is a trustee of the Gale Fund and 
 the Gassett Fund, and he has been for thirteen 
 years "a director of the Northboro National 
 Bank. 
 
 In 1877 Mr. Wadsworth was married to Ar- 
 villa W. L. Page, of Northboro, who died in 
 1882, leaving one son, William Lorenzo 
 Wadsworth. He subsequently married Myra 
 A. Barney, of Fairhaven, Mass., who has had 
 one son, Ralph Emerson Wadsworth. Ap- 
 pointed Postmaster by President Cleveland on 
 February 27, 1886, Mr. Wadsworth served for 
 four years in thst capacity. He has served for 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 399 
 
 three years on the Northboro Board of Select- 
 men, and he has taken an active part in town 
 affairs as a member of various committees. 
 He is a Knight Templar; a member of Hud- 
 son Lodge, F. and A. M. ; of Houghton Chap- 
 ter, R. A. M., of Marlboro; and of Trinity 
 Commandery, of Hudson. In religious belief 
 he is a Unitarian. 
 
 lEV. CHARLES H. PEIRCE, who 
 was serving as pastor of the Congre- 
 H9 V gational church in Millbury at the 
 time of his death, October 5, 1865, 
 was born in Peru, Berkshire County, Mass., 
 November 29, 1822. He was one of the 
 eleven children of Henry and Minerva (Cush- 
 man) Peirce. 
 
 His mother was a direct descendant of Mary 
 Allerton, who with her parents, Isaac and 
 Mary (Norris) Allerton, were passengers on 
 the "Mayflower" in 1620. Mary Allerton 
 married Elder Thomas Cushman, and died in 
 1699, aged eighty-three years, having the dis- 
 tiriction of being the last survivor of the little 
 band of Pilgrims that came over in the "May- 
 flower. ' ' 
 
 Charles H. Peirce was an ambitious student 
 from his early boyhood. While still pursuing 
 his own studies he taught in a select school at 
 New Braintree for two years. After receiv- 
 ing his diploma at Oberlin College he entered 
 the Andover Theological Seminary, at which 
 he was graduated in 1850. He at once ac- 
 cepted a call to the Congregational church at 
 West Andover, where he remained until 1855. 
 In that year he went to Illinois, and from that 
 time until 1861 preached in Kewanee and 
 other towns in that locality. Returning then 
 to Massachusetts, he supplied the pulpit of the 
 Congregational church in Millbury for a time, 
 and gave such satisfaction to its members that 
 be was urged to become its pastor, and, being 
 regularly settled, held the pastorate until his 
 death, as previously mentioned. A man of 
 exemplary character, conscientious, and true to 
 his highest convictions, and a zealous worker 
 in his Master's cause, he was beloved by his 
 parishioners and respected and esteemed by 
 bis fellow-cit)?<?ns, 
 
 On October 29, 1850, Mr. Peirce married 
 Miss Mary Richardson Bigelow, of New 
 Braintree, a grand-daughter of General Sam- 
 uel Lee, of Barre. They had four children, of 
 whom the eldest, Anna Lee Peirce, survives. 
 Mrs. Peirce died January i, 1861. 
 
 On May 21, 1863, Mr. Peirce married for 
 his second wife Elizabeth Waters Goffe, a 
 daughter of Ebenezer W. and Hannah P. 
 (French) Goffe and a grand-daughter of the 
 Rev. Joseph and Elizabeth (Waters) Goffe. 
 Her paternal grandfather was a distinguished 
 Congregational minister, who settled in Mill- 
 bury (which at that time was known as the 
 North Parish, Sutton), September 5, 1794, 
 and for thirty-six consecutive years filled the 
 pulpit of this church. Mrs. Peirce's mother 
 died in December, 1847. Her father, who 
 survived his wife many years, passed away 
 January 27, 1872. They had two daughters: 
 Mrs. Peirce and her sister, Hannah French 
 Goffe, who with the daughter, Anna L., re- 
 side together in Millbury. Both are ladies of 
 culture and refinement, and acquired their 
 education at Mount Holyoke Seminary, from 
 which Mrs. Peirce was graduated in 1855. 
 
 ri. HENRY CLAY HALL, of 
 tlillbury, who is now living retired 
 from active business pursuits, was 
 born in Dutchess County, New 
 York, a son of Dr. Asa and Catharene (Van 
 der Berg) Hall. He is of English descent, 
 his immigrant ancestor, John Hall, having 
 come from England to Boston in 1637. In 
 1639 John Hall removed to Connecticut, 
 locating first in New Haven; but a short time 
 after he settled in Wallingford, which was the 
 home of his descendants for several genera- 
 tions. Aaron Hall, the paternal grandfather 
 of Henry C, was a prosperous farmer of 
 Wallingford, and, as a soldier in the Revolu- 
 tionary army from 1777 until 1781, served in 
 the New Jersey campaign. To him and his 
 wife, whose maiden name was Mary Cook, 
 five sons and six daughters were born, all of 
 whom married and reared families. Dr. Asa 
 Hall was a surgeon in the United States army, 
 and during th? latter part of the War of 181 3 
 
400 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was stationed at Fort Griswold, Conn. He 
 subsequently located in Dutchess County, 
 New York, as a practising physician, and lived 
 there until his demise, which occurred in 
 Poughkeepsie in 1877, at the age of eighty- 
 five years. His wife, Catherine Van der Berg 
 Hall, died in 1880, at the age of eighty-eight 
 years. They had four children, who attained 
 maturity. 
 
 Henry C. Hall after leaving school went 
 to Mexico as clerk for a commercial firm, a 
 capacity in which he was there employed nine 
 years, during which time occurred the Mexi- 
 can War. On returning to New York he lo- 
 cated in Fishkill, where he was engaged in 
 commercial business until 1853, when he 
 went to Cuba in the interests of the firm with 
 which he was connected. At the end of nine 
 years he was appointed consul at Matanzas, 
 and after serving eleven consecutive years re- 
 ceived the appointment of Consul-general at 
 Havana, where he remained nine years. In 
 1882 Mr. Hall was appointed Minister to Cen- 
 tral America, a position which he retained 
 until 1889. He then accepted a position in 
 the Nicaragua Canal Company, which he held 
 three years, since which time he has made his 
 home in Millbury. On March 27, 1856, Mr. 
 Hall married Leila Echeverria, a native of 
 Cuba. 
 
 'TILLMAN HAYNES, one of the 
 most prominent attorneys of Fitch - 
 burg and a veteran law practitioner 
 of Worcester County, was born in 
 Townsend, Mass., April 17, 1833. His par- 
 ents were Samuel and Eliza (Spaulding) 
 Haynes. He is a direct descendant' in the 
 ninth generation of Walter Haynes, who came 
 from England to Massachusetts in 1638, and a 
 grandson of Thaddeus Spaulding, who served 
 in the Revolutionary War. After a prelim- 
 inary training in the common schools of his 
 native town, he attended Leicester Academy 
 and subsequently the Normal School at Lan- 
 caster and Kimball Union Academy at Meri- 
 den, N.H., where he graduated in 1859. He 
 took a high rank in his class, excelling partic- 
 ularly in mathematics. During the years of 
 
 preparatory study he taught advanced village 
 schools at several places in order to obtain 
 •funds for the continuance of his education, 
 and at times resorted to manual labor. He 
 was for a time an assistant teacher at Apple- 
 ton Academy, New Ipswich, N.H., and at the 
 same time a student with E. T. Quimby, 
 afterward professor of mathematics at Dart- 
 mouth College. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Haynes entered the law office 
 of Bonney & Marshall at Lowell as a law stu- 
 dent, and on the 19th of June, 1861, was ad- 
 mitted to the bar. He soon opened an office 
 in Ashburnham, but in 1863 returned to 
 Townsend, where he practised his profession 
 till 1868, when he opened an office in Fitch- 
 burg. Here he has since been steadily en- 
 gaged in practice, retaining many of the same 
 clients through the entire period. While he 
 has done all kinds of law business, his prac- 
 tice has consisted largely of insolvency cases, 
 in which he is recognized as one of the most 
 expert practitioners in the county. By honest 
 dealing and rare fidelity to those who intrust 
 their affairs to him, he has attained a high 
 standing in his profession. 
 
 Mr. Haynes has always taken an interest in 
 the highest welfare of the community, and 
 especially in educational matters. He was 
 chosen a member of the School Board of his 
 native town when twenty-one years of age, and 
 was several times re-elected. Since his re- 
 moval to Fitchburg he has served nine years 
 on the School Board. In Townsend he was 
 frequently Moderator of town meetings, and 
 he served also as a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen and as Overseer of the Poor. In 
 politics he has always been an adherent of the 
 Republican party, and has frequently been 
 chairman of caucuses and conventions. Mr. 
 Haynes is a loyal Congregationalist, and was 
 active among the founders of the Rollstone 
 Congregational Church in Fitchburg. He 
 was on the Provisional Board of Managers, 
 and prepared and obtained the charter of the 
 society. He has also been active in the 
 Fitchburg Congregational Club. 
 
 October 8, 1863, he was married to Miss 
 Harriet M. Kimball, of Temple, N.H. They 
 have five children. The eldest, John Haynes, 
 
STILLMAN HAYNES. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 403 
 
 Ph.D., is a graduate of Johns Hopkins Uni- 
 versity and instructor in history, economics, 
 and civics iri the Free Academy, Norwich, 
 Conn. The Rev. Charles S. Haynes, the sec- 
 ond son, is pastor of the Congregational 
 church at Lancaster, Mass. The third child, 
 Frances E., is librarian of the Heywood Li- 
 brary, Gardner, Mass. Harriet T., the sec- 
 ond daughter, is one of the teachers in the 
 Pepperell (Mass.) High School. The young- 
 est child, William K., is a pupil in the 
 Fitchburg High School. 
 
 /STeorge brimmer inches, of 
 
 I 5T Edgewood, Grafton, Mass., is a Bos- 
 tonian by birth, breeding, and kin- 
 ship, having an extensive connection in the 
 Back Bay district of that city and numbering 
 among his progenitors some of the leading 
 Boston merchants of the eighteenth century. 
 An American of the fifth generation, he is 
 sprung from mingled Scottish, French, Ger- 
 man, and English ancestry. On the pater- 
 nal side the family record begins with Hen- 
 derson Inches, of Scotland, who in 1771 mar- 
 ried Elizabeth Brimmer in Boston. Her 
 father, Martin Brimmer, was a native of Ger- 
 many, born in 1697; and her mother, Susanna, 
 was a daughter of Andrew Sigourney, Jr., 
 who came from France with his father, An- 
 drew Sigourney, Sr. , a Huguenot, somewhat 
 more than two hundred years ago. Hender- 
 son Inches, Jr., son of the first Henderson, 
 married his cousin, Susan Brimmer, a daugh- 
 ter of Martin Brimmer, Jr., and became the 
 father of Henderson, Charles, Herman Brim- 
 mer, and Martin Brimmer Inches. Henderson 
 Inches (third) was graduated at Harvard in 
 1792. 
 
 Martin Brimmer Inches, the father of Mr. 
 George Brimmer, born in Boston in 1821, died 
 in that city, April 28, 1893. He was edu- 
 cated at the Boston Latin School, was a 
 civil engineer by profession, and was promi- 
 nently engaged in the building of the Boston 
 & Albany Railroad and in the construction 
 of the locks at Lowell, Mass. A man of lit- 
 erary tastes and cultivation, he was intimate 
 with the Rev. Edward Everett Hale and 
 
 other liberal-minded public-spirited citizens. 
 He married a daughter of the Rev. John 
 Chester, D.D., who was for many years the 
 pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church at 
 Albany, N.Y. , and one of the leading Pres- 
 byterian divines in the State. Lafayette was 
 taken to hear him preach on his visit to that 
 city. His wife was before marriage Re- 
 becca Ralston, of Philadelphia. Dr. Chester 
 was a son of Colonel John Chester and a lin- 
 eal descendant of Leonard Chester, who came 
 from England to Watertown, Mass., in 1633, 
 and four years later settled at Wethersfield, 
 Conn., where he died in 1648. Martin B. 
 Inches was survived by his two sons. 
 
 George Brimmer Inches acquired his edu- 
 cation in private schools. He made his home 
 in Boston till 1893, when he came to Grafton, 
 having bought an extensive estate on the 
 famous old Brigham Hill, in the northern part 
 of the town, one of the most beautiful spots to 
 be found in the county. The commodious old 
 farmhouse, remodelled into a stately mansion, 
 the graded grounds, showing the skill and tire- 
 less care of the landscape gardener, the spa- 
 cious stables, sumptuously appointed, indicate 
 the abode of affluence and taste. Although 
 but recently established as a stock farm. Edge- 
 wood already enjoys a reputation for blooded 
 stock, having from fifty to sixty fine-gaited, 
 pure-blooded horses, a stud probably unsur- 
 passed as a whole in New England. In Edge- 
 wood stalls are to be found such noted animals 
 as Pedlar, with a record of 2.18)^, and Elect- 
 wood, half-brother of Arion, which sold for 
 one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. 
 Mr. Inches, although not long a resident of 
 Grafton, takes a genuine interest in the gen- 
 eral welfare and improvement of the town, 
 especially in the matter of roads. He mar- 
 ried Miss Anne Ralston Hasbrouck, of Kings- 
 ton, N.Y. , a member of an old Knickerbocker 
 family. On the maternal side Mrs. Inches is 
 a grand-daughter of the Hon. Abram Bruyn 
 Hasbrouck, a former president of Rutgers 
 College. Like her husband, she is a descend- 
 ant of Colonel John Chester. 
 
 Mr. Inches is a member of the Sons of the 
 Revolution, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
 having been found eligible, first, as great- 
 
404 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 grandson of Henderson Inches, member of the 
 Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1775 
 and of the Massachusetts General Court in 
 1776; second, as great-grandson of. Colonel 
 John Chester, who was Captain of a company 
 of minute-men called out by the Lexington 
 alarm, April 19, 1775, Captain in Colonel 
 Spencer's regiment at Bunker Hill, Major in 
 Colonel Wolcott's regiment at the siege of 
 Boston in 1776, Colonel Sixth Battalion, 
 Wadsworth Brigade, in the New York and 
 New Jersey campaigns, and a member of the 
 Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati; third, 
 as great-grandson of Major Martin Brimmer, 
 Aide-de-camp to Major-general John Hancock 
 in 1780; fourth, as great-great-grandson of 
 Matthew Clarkson, auditor of accounts of the 
 Continental army, 1775-76, and Marshal of 
 Admiralty for Pennsylvania; fifth, as great- 
 great-grandson of Major-general Jabez Hunt- 
 ington, member of the Connecticut Assembly 
 ^77S-77, member of the Connecticut Commit- 
 tee of Safety, second Major-general Connecti- 
 cut militia 1776, and First Major-general 
 ^777-79- Mr. Inches is a member of the 
 Somerset Club, the Country Club, the Boston 
 Athletic Association, and the Union Club, 
 Boston. His religious aflfiliations are Episco- 
 palian. 
 
 Jl PLUMMER ADAMS, a leading farmer 
 HI and a prominent resident of Northbridge, 
 e[J_. was born July 16, 1848, on the home- 
 stead cleared by his great-grandfather, 
 son of Moses and Elizabeth Harriet (Wood) 
 Adams. The family genealogy has been care- 
 fully kept; and accurate statistics, dating back 
 through eleven generations, are in the posses- 
 sion of its present representatives. The first 
 ancestor here was James Adams, the great- 
 grandfather just referred to, who was also the 
 first settler within the limits of the town. 
 While he was trying to make a clearing and 
 build some sort of shelter for himself, he went 
 regularly on Saturday nights for his weekly 
 provisions to George Hill in Grafton, return- 
 ing to his work on Monday morning. For two 
 years after erecting his rude log cabin, his 
 only companions were the birds and beasts and 
 
 the creeping things that were everywhere 
 about in the woods. It is related that, when 
 the wolves became over-bold and disturbed his 
 sleep with their bowlings outside his door, it 
 was his custom to frighten them away by rais- 
 ing the end of a slab in his chamber floor, and 
 allowing it to spring back into place with a 
 sharp sound like the report of a gun. After 
 a time his brother joined him; and both men 
 eventually married, and built houses at Adams 
 Corner, where they reared families. James's 
 house was on the site of the present residence 
 of Christopher Adams, near the "Corner." 
 Of the children of James Adams, Israel 
 Adams, grandfather of Plummer Adams, suc- 
 ceeded to the paternal estate, and resided 
 thereon throughout his life. He was a very 
 prosperous and successful farmer and lumber 
 dealer, and a devout member of the Orthodox 
 church at Northbridge Centre. The maiden 
 name of his wjfe, who came from Sutton, was 
 Joanna Dodge. Of their six children, Moses, 
 above named, took the home farm. He car- 
 ried on extensive farming and stock-raising, 
 shipping large quantities of beef and pork to 
 the Providence and Boston markets. Like his 
 father, he was a liberal supporter of the Ortho- 
 dox church. He was identified with the Re- 
 publican party from its infancy. At his death 
 he was seventy-nine years old. His wife, 
 who died at the age of eighty-two, was a sister 
 of Perry Wood, of Mendon. Of the six chil- 
 dren born to them, three are living: L Plum- 
 mer Adams; Perry Adams, of Upton; and 
 Albert Adams, of Grafton. 
 
 L Plummer Adams was educated in the 
 public schools of Northbridge and at Barret 
 Academy, Vt. At the age of twenty years he 
 purchased the homestead where he has since 
 been engaged in agriculture. His success, 
 the product of his energy, industry, and thrift, 
 IS well attested by the broad and well-culti- 
 vated fields and the finely equipped barns and 
 outbuildings on his estate. He has rebuilt 
 the house, erected new barns, and from time 
 to time purchased additional areas of land. 
 Not only is his farm one of the best cultivated 
 in the township, but one of the largest. He 
 keeps a herd of forty or fifty cows, and devotes 
 considerable time to market gardening. He 
 
Biographical review 
 
 405 
 
 has also transacted a large amount of lumber 
 business. In the winter of 1896-97 he cut 
 some seven hundred cords of wood. 
 
 Mr. Adams has served the town ten years 
 as Selectman, thirteen years as Assessor, and 
 in other public offices. In politics he is al- 
 ways stanchly Republican. He married Emma 
 Rixford, of Northbridge, and is the father of 
 four children. The latter are: Samuel, who 
 was educated in the academy at Worcester and 
 at Hinman's Business College; Austin and 
 Hattie, who are now students in Hinman's 
 Business College; and Lucy, who is yet in 
 the public schools. 
 
 /^TeORGE BAYLIS BLAKE, than 
 I Si whom, probably, there is no resident 
 ^-^ of Milford better known or more 
 highly esteemed, was born in Stoughton, 
 Mass., February 28, 1823, son of Nathaniel 
 and Clarissa (Fisher) Blake. The family, 
 which is of English origin, is believed to 
 have been connected with that of the famous 
 Admiral Robert Blake, who in 1652 defeated 
 the celebrated Dutch admiral. Van Tromp, 
 and contributed much toward making England 
 the mistress of the sea. The first American 
 ancestor was one of three brothers who emi- 
 grated together about the year 1700, one set- 
 tling in New Hampshire and another in Con- 
 necticut. The other brother, from whom 
 George B. directly descends, located in Dor- 
 chester, Mass. The great-grandfather of 
 George B. was Nathaniel Blake, a noted law- 
 yer of his day, who served as Attorney-General 
 in the Colonial period. 
 
 Nathaniel Blake, the father, established the 
 stage line from BTidgewater, and afterward 
 conducted it as the proprietor for forty years, 
 At the same time he was the agent for all the 
 passenger and mail lines to Cape Cod and 
 Providence, R.l. ' Among several documents 
 relating to his business transactions, preserved 
 by his grandson, William T. Blake, is a gov- 
 ernment contract certifying that on October 
 25, 1828, an agreement was entered into be- 
 tween Nathaniel Blake, of Boston, and the 
 Postmaster-General of the United States, 
 wherein said Nathaniel agrees to carry, or 
 
 cause to be carried, thrice a week, the United 
 States mail from Boston by Milton, Randolph, 
 East Stoughton, North and West Bridgewater, 
 to South Bridgewater and back, twenty-eight 
 miles, in stages, at a rate of one hundred 
 dollars for every quarter of a year during the 
 continuance of that contract. 
 
 George Baylis Blake attended the academies 
 in Attleboro, Bridgewater, and Middleboro. 
 Subsequently, when given his choice between 
 a college education or a trade, he selected the 
 latter, and was apprenticed to a shoemaker. 
 Later he was appointed confidential secretary 
 to Lincoln Draper, the iron founder of Easton, 
 where he resided for seven years. There, 
 having been the president of a local debating 
 society, he obtained a good knowledge of par- 
 liamentary rules and procedure, and was 
 thrown into association with such men as Joel 
 Talbot, Oliver Howard, Oliver and Oakes 
 Ames, and others. From Easton he went to 
 Mansfield, Mass., where for the succeeding 
 two years he followed the shoemaker's trade. 
 Going from there to Stoughton, he resided in 
 that town after the death of his parents. 
 Coming to Milford in 1861, he, C. V. Quig- 
 gle, and Moses Walker manufactured boots for 
 the next eight years, making a specialty of 
 supplying the California trade and having a 
 large business. Afterward serious reverses 
 caused him to withdraw from business on his 
 own account, and since 1870 he has occupied 
 responsible positions as superintendent or 
 manager in various factories. He was mainly 
 instrumental in causing the town to raise the 
 sum of twenty-two thousand dollars as an in- 
 ducement for the Temple Company to locate 
 in Milford, and he was afterward in the em- 
 ploy of that concern until 1894. Since then 
 he has held the position of inspector for the 
 Draper Company at Hopedale. 
 
 In politics Mr. Blake is a Republican, and 
 has supported that party since its formation. 
 Upon reaching his majority he became identi- 
 fied with public affairs, presiding over town 
 meetings in Easton and Stoughton. At the 
 beginning of the Rebellion he immediately 
 threw his whole soul into the patriotic work of 
 raising money and troops to defend. the Union. 
 Having settled in Milford, he served with 
 
4o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 much ability there as a member of the Town 
 Committee, and was for one year a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen. When unanimously 
 re-elected to the latter body he declined to 
 serve further. His first term as Moderator 
 gave such universal satisfaction as to cause 
 his re-election continuously for many years. 
 He has presided at fifty-seven town meetings 
 and at many political conventions, displaying 
 on various occasions remarkable address in 
 handling complicated questions. He was a 
 Representative to the legislature during the 
 sessions of 1872 and 1873. It is worthy of 
 note that, when he was elected thereto, the 
 town was Democratic, and that his prede- 
 cessor and successor in the legislature were 
 both Democrats. At his first election he re- 
 ceived a majority of fifty, and he was re- 
 elected by a majority of three hundred and 
 seventeen votes. He introduced and suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining the passage of the resolu- 
 tion to remove the old cemetery from the cen- 
 tre of the town, thereby making possible the 
 erection of Memorial Hall. He also rendered 
 valuable services as librarian of the public 
 library for many years. 
 
 In Mansfield on December 18, 1844, Mr. 
 Blake was united in marriage with Harriet 
 C. Quiggle, daughter of Friend and Catherine 
 Reed (Lawton) Quiggle. The children of 
 this union are: Nathaniel Friend, Edith 
 Louise, and William Tilden. Nathaniel 
 Friend Blake, born in Stoughton, October 29, 
 1846, married Laura Josephine Burr, of 
 Franklin, and has one daughter, Ethelwyn. 
 He is a book-keeper, and for the past twenty- 
 nine years, having succeeded his father, he 
 has been librarian of the Milford public li- 
 brary. Edith Louise, born in Stoughton, 
 August 14, 1853, became the wife of Moses 
 G. Billings, the editor and proprietor of the 
 Milford Gazette, and has one son, George, who 
 is a student at Harvard University. Wi'lliam 
 Tilden Blake, born September i, 1855, re- 
 sides in Dorchester, and for the past twenty- 
 five years has been in the service of the Bos- 
 ton & Albany Railroad Company, being at 
 present conductor of a passenger train run- 
 ning from Boston to Springfield. He married 
 Frances Louise Bent, and has one son, Carl. 
 
 George B. Blake is, without a doubt, the old- 
 est Mason in this vicinity, having joined King 
 David Lodge, Stoughton, in 1845. He is a 
 Past High Priest of Stoughton Chapter, Royal 
 Arch Masons, and a member of Milford Com- 
 mandery. Knights Templar. 
 
 T^ATHANIEL E. TAFT, of Oxford, an 
 I z=i enterprising manufacturer and a vet- 
 II 9 l^^ eran of the Civil War, was born in 
 Mendon, Mass., December 21, 
 1841, son of Allen and Sylvia (Allen) Taft. 
 His education was acquired in the public 
 schools of Blackstone, Mass. Learning the 
 shoemaker's trade in Sutton, he followed it 
 until 1861, when he enlisted as a private in 
 the Twenty-fifth Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Volunteers, for service in the Rebellion. He 
 was honorably discharged on account of dis- 
 ability some six months prior to the close of 
 the war, and spent the succeeding year in en- 
 deavoring to recuperate his health. When 
 able to resume work he found employment as a 
 wool sorter in Rochdale; but some time later 
 he went to Worcester, where he engaged in 
 the woolen waste and junk business in com- 
 pany with Edward Thayer. Mr. Thayer dying 
 a few months afterward, his brother, Frederick 
 Thayer, succeeded to his interest in the firm. 
 The firm of Thayer & Taft, however, was 
 finally dissolved; and in 1875 Mr. Taft pur- 
 chased a water-power privilege at North Ox- 
 ford, where he engaged in the manufacture of 
 shoddy. Later, in 1886, he bought the Ber- 
 non privilege at Oxford Plain, and, establish- 
 ing a satinet factory, continued in business 
 there until 1891, when the factory was burned. 
 That property remained unused until 1895. 
 Then he rebuilt the factory, which was started 
 up under the management of his son, whom he 
 admitted to partnership. Mr. Taft was an 
 unusually able and energetic man, and did 
 much toward reviving the business interests 
 and developing the industrial resources of Ox- 
 ford; and his death, which occurred October 
 27, 1896, was regarded as a severe loss to the 
 town. 
 
 Mr. Taft married Chloe Fitts, of North Ox- 
 ford, daughter of David Fitts and a grand- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 40? 
 
 daughter of Benjamin Fitts. His only son, 
 David N. Taft, who is one of the prominent 
 young business men of Oxford, completed his 
 education in Worcester. He is now sole pro- 
 prietor of the business which was inaugurated 
 by his father, whose success he bids fair to 
 equal if not excel. He is a Master Mason, 
 and belongs to Oxford Lodge, of which his 
 father was also a member. 
 
 <^»^» 
 
 ■f^TENRY G. MORSE, the vice-presi- 
 V^\ dent and treasurer of the Fitchburg 
 |l g I Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 
 born in Sterling, Mass., in 1836, 
 is a son of Joseph and Ann (Winchester) 
 Morse. Several generations of the Morse 
 family have been born in this country. Mr. 
 Morse claims kinship with Professor S. F. B. 
 Morse, the inventor of the electric recording 
 telegraph. His grandfather on the paternal 
 side, who after spending a number of years 
 engaged in farming in Lancaster, Mass., be- 
 came a contractor, built a number of churches 
 in this county, and lived to be about fifty years 
 of age. Joseph Morse, who was also a con- 
 tractor, died at the age of seventy-eight. His 
 wife, Ann, was a daughter of Samuel Win- 
 chester, of Marlboro, Mass., whose father was 
 a soldier in the Revolutionary army. She 
 died at the age of seventy-two, having had but 
 one child, Henry G. 
 
 Henry G. Morse went to school in Lancas- 
 ter, and attended New Salem (Mass.) Acad- 
 emy. He began at the age of sixteen to 
 learn the carpenter's trade with his father, 
 and afterward followed the trade for thirty- 
 three years. He worked for Parkhurst & 
 Aldrich, of Fitchburg, three years, entering 
 their employ in 1859. In 1862 he started in 
 business for himself in a small way. As his 
 work was eminently satisfactory, some very 
 important contracts were given him. He built 
 the Rollstone Congregational Church, the pub- 
 lic library, and some of the best dwelling- 
 houses in the town, the Murdock School 
 building at Winchendon, Gushing Academy 
 in Ashburnham, the bank building in Clinton; 
 and he rebuilt the old jail here. In July, 
 1888, he was elected vice-president and treas- 
 
 urer of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance 
 Company, a flourishing firm, whose business is 
 yearly increasing. He is likewise the vice- 
 president of the Fitchburg Savings Bank and 
 a member of its Investment Committee, the 
 vice-president of the Fidelity Co-operative 
 Bank and of the Fitchburg Board of Trade; 
 and he is a member of the Merchants' Asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 Mr. Morse has been twice married. His 
 first wife, in maidenhood Miss E. Victoria 
 Gates, and a native of Groton, Vt., left one 
 son, Harry, who is in Los Angeles, Cal. His 
 second wife is a daughter of Levi W. Herrick, 
 of Dalton, Mass. Mr. Morse was in the City 
 Council one year, and was Alderman for Ward 
 Six three years. He is a member of Aurora 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; of Jerusalem Command- 
 ery, K. T. ; and of Aleppo Temple, N. M. 
 Shrine. A prominent member of the Roll- 
 stone Congregational Church, he is at present 
 chairman of the church Executive Committee 
 and the vice-president of the Fitchburg 
 Y. M. C. A. 
 
 ZRA COMEE, a retired farmer of Dana, 
 was born in this town, October 21, 
 1823, son of Thomas W. and Lydia 
 (Towne) Comee. His parents were natives 
 of Dana. His grandfather, Ezra Comee, who 
 settled here as a pioneer, was in his younger 
 days a butcher, but his later years were given 
 to farming. He died at the age of eighty 
 years. 
 
 Thomas W. Comee was in early manhood a 
 shoemaker. Soon after the introduction of 
 lucifer matches he engaged in their manufact- 
 ure in Dana, where he remained some years. 
 Later he moved to Boston, where he carried 
 on the same business. He had the reputation 
 of making a superior match. He died in Bos- 
 ton at the age of sixty-eight years; and his 
 wife, who lived to be eighty-one or eighty-two, 
 passed her last days in the same city. They 
 attended the Universalist church. Thomas 
 W. and Lydia Comee were the parents of 
 eleven children, seven of whom are living; 
 namely, Charles, Ezra, Franklin, Nancy, 
 Dennis F., James T. , and Frederick T. 
 
4o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Those deceased are: Wilson, Maria, Sophronia 
 P., and Susan. 
 
 Ezra Coraee acquired a district-school edu- 
 cation. He took naturally to the independent 
 life of a farmer, and through industry and 
 economy became the owner of one hundred and 
 eighty acres of fertile land situated in the 
 southern part of Dana. He tilled the soil 
 energetically until 1884, when he moved to the 
 Centre, and for the succeeding thirteen years 
 was engaged in trade. In 1897 he disposed of 
 his mercantile business, and, selling his farm 
 of one hundred and eighty acres, retired from 
 active pursuits. He still owns sixteen acres 
 of land in Hardvvick, thirty-five in New 
 Salem, and twenty in Petersham. Besides 
 farming he followed the business of a sur- 
 veyor, and for fifty years was employed in that 
 capacity throughout this section. 
 
 In 1844 Mr. Comee was joined in marriage 
 with Afdelia Whipple, who was born in Dana, 
 April II, 1822. Of this union there is one 
 son, Eugene T. Comee, who was born July 
 6, 1850, and is now residing with his father. 
 Mrs. Comee died November 6, 1874. 
 
 For many years Mr. Comee was closely 
 identified with local public affairs, having 
 served a number of terms as chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen, Assessor, Tax Collector, 
 and Town Agent, in all of which he labored 
 diligently for the best interests of the town. 
 He has also acted as Justice of the Peace for 
 thirteen years, and has been one of the trus- 
 tees of the Barre Savings Bank for the past 
 thirteen years. Politically a Republican, he 
 has voted with that party since its formation. 
 He attends the Universalist church. 
 
 tAPHAEL GROSS, who at the time of 
 his death, a few months since, was one 
 of the oldest active dry-goods mer- 
 chants in Worcester, was born in 
 Konigheim, Duchy of Baden, Germany, De- 
 cember 21, 1836. Leaving school at the 
 age of twenty, he immigrated to the United 
 States the same year, accompanied by Leopold 
 Strauss, a fellow-townsman of about his own 
 age. Immediately after landing in New York 
 they came to Worcester, where their brothers. 
 
 Isaac Gross and Philip Strauss, were then con- 
 ducting a dry and fancy goods store, which 
 stood upon the site of the present Nichols 
 Block on Main Street, near Central. Enter- 
 ing the employ of Gross & Strauss, the two 
 young men continued as clerks until 1861, 
 when the firm moved to Boston and established 
 the large Winter Street retail store which is 
 still carried on in their name. 
 
 Practising strict economy, having saved the 
 greater portion of their earnings, Raphael 
 Gross and Leopold Strauss were then able to 
 purchase and carry on the old firm's business 
 here. In order not to be mistaken for the 
 former concern, they started out under the style 
 of Gross, Strauss & Co. This firm was suc- 
 cessfully engaged in trade for thirty years, 
 during which period they moved three times, 
 first to the site now occupied by the Day 
 Block, next to 383 Main Street, and from 
 there to 335 and 337 Main Street in the Burn- 
 side Block. 
 
 In 1891 Mr. Gross disposed of his interest 
 to his partner, and, purchasing the business of 
 C. Ellsworth, opened an establishment at 349 
 and 351 Main Street, under the name of R. 
 Gross & Co. In 1897 the business was incor- 
 porated under the laws of Massachusetts as the 
 R. Gross Company, of which he was president 
 and treasurer, and his son, Henry J., was 
 elected vice-president. In 1872 Mr. Gross 
 and Mr. Strauss built the fine business block 
 now occupied by the John C. Mclnnes Com- 
 pany, and his interest in that property is still 
 a part of his estate. Mr. Gross continued his 
 regular attendance at the store until a few days 
 prior to his death, which occurred at his resi- 
 dence, 806 Main Street, at 6.15 p.m., March 
 21, 1898, and was caused by complications 
 following an attack of erysipelas. 
 
 In June, 1865, Mr. Gross was married in 
 Boston to Miss Hannah Strauss, a sister of his 
 business associate, Leopold Strauss. Of this 
 union were born six children, of whom five are 
 living, namely: Henry J., who married Alice 
 Norcross, daughter of the well-known contrac- 
 tor, Orlando W. Norcross ; Moritz, a graduate 
 of the Columbia College Medical School, now 
 residing in New York City; Bessie, who lives 
 at home; Helen, a student at Vassar College; 
 
RAPHAEL GROSS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 411 
 
 and David L. Gross, who is a pupil at the 
 classical high school. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Gross was independent. 
 Although he found his principal enjoyment in 
 his home, which was an exceedingly happy 
 one, he belonged to Morning Star Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. ; Worcester Council, Royal Arcanum; 
 and was prominently identified with the 
 Gesang Verein Frohsinn. He was highly re- 
 spected in business circles, where he was for 
 so many years a conspicuous figure; and his 
 natural aptitude for mercantile pursuits, to- 
 gether with a strict adherence to upright prin- 
 ciples, enabled him to accumulate a fortune. 
 
 lENZRES R. MOULTON, the 
 Postmaster of North Rutland, son 
 of Asa and Abigail (Washburn) 
 Moulton, was born in Monson, 
 Hampden County, on February 27, 1823. 
 The house in which both he and his father 
 first saw the light was built in 1763, and was 
 for many years one of the old landmarks of 
 Monson. Some years ago it was destroyed by 
 fire, but the stone work is still standing. Mr. 
 Moulton's paternal grandfather, Daniel Moul- 
 ton, an early settler in Monson and a school 
 teacher by profession, fought for the colonies 
 during the war of the Revolution. PI is death 
 occurred in Monson at the age of eighty-five. 
 Asa Moulton died at the age of eighty-six 
 years, and his wife, Abigail, at the age of 
 eighty-three. Of their nine children, three 
 sons and six daughters, three are living,, 
 namely: Mrs. Olive M. Chapin, who resides 
 in Springfield, Mass. ; Menzres, the subject 
 of this sketch; and Daniel, a resident of 
 Monson. 
 
 At the age of fifteen Menzres R. Moulton 
 began learning the brickmaker's trade. Hav- 
 ing mastered the craft, he worked at it for 
 about seven years. He then spent three years 
 making boots and shoes. At the end of that 
 time he learned the carpenter's trade, which 
 he has since followed. In 1858 he became a 
 resident of this town, and built a saw-mill on 
 the site where he is now putting up a new 
 mill. In 1862 he left his business in order to 
 join Company B, Fifty-first Regiment, Massa- 
 
 chusetts Volunteers, with which he afterward 
 took part in the battles at Kingston, White- 
 hall, Goldsboro, and others. After receiving 
 an honorable discharge in 1863 be returned to 
 Rutland, disposed of his property here, and 
 bought a mill in another part of the town. 
 This mill he sold later, in order to buy a farm 
 near the centre of the town. He had carried 
 on general farming here for ten years, when he 
 gave up the occupation and bought a saw-mill. 
 This afterward he turned into a satinet-mill, 
 which he operated successfully until its de- 
 struction by fire in 1895. He then bought 
 back his first site, and is now engaged in 
 erecting the mill alluded to above, which he 
 intends to equip for the manufacture of cot- 
 ton. The necessary carpentering is being exe- 
 cuted by himself. There can be no doubt that 
 this enterprise will be successful, as there is a 
 splendid water-power here, and Mr. Moulton's 
 previous experience gives good guarantee as 
 to the financial management. 
 
 Mr. Moulton has been successively married 
 to Jane E. Chaffee, Maria Reed, and Oella 
 Bigelow, and has been the father of three 
 daughters and four sons. One son, Samuel, 
 is deceased. His living children are: Mrs. 
 Sarah Bates, Olive Moulton, Helen Moulton, 
 Joseph, J. Warren, and Albert C. Mr. Moul- 
 ton is a member of the Congregational church. 
 In politics he is a Republican. He has been 
 prominently connected with town affairs, hav- 
 ing held the office of chairman of the Board of 
 Selectmen for eighteen years and other offices 
 for varying periods of time. At the present 
 time he is Postmaster of North Rutland and a 
 qualified Justice of the Peace. He is a char- 
 ter member of Post No. 136, G. A. R., at 
 Rutland. 
 
 /@Yo 
 
 FORGE A. ARMSBY, a highly re- 
 ^ '*) I spected resident of Northbridge, now 
 ^ — retired from active business, was 
 born in Sutton, February 27, 1827, son of 
 Joshua and Sarah (Woodbury) Armsby. His 
 paternal grandfather, who was also named 
 Joshua, was educated for the ministry, gradu- 
 ating from Harvard Divinity School, and died 
 at the age of eighty-four. The grandmother. 
 
412 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Elizabeth Kingsbury Armsby, had four sons 
 and two daughters. 
 
 Joshua Armsby, father of George A., during 
 twelve years of his early life was engaged in 
 the manufacture of cotton machinery, when 
 the business was in its infancy. Later he was 
 superintendent for David Wilkinson, of Wil- 
 kinsonville, and still later he was for twelve 
 years with Samuel Slater. 
 
 Then he retired to the old homestead in 
 Sutton, which lies about two miles east of the 
 Centre. He was a man of much prominence 
 in town affairs, having been Selectman in 
 1829, 1830, and 1 831; Assessor in 1826, 
 1827, 1837, 1849, 1850, 1851, and 1852; and 
 Representative to General Court in 1830, 
 1831, 1S32, and 1837. He was also active in 
 the work of the Congregational church. His 
 wife was a member of the old and honored 
 family of Sutton named Woodbury. ' Their 
 eight children were: Lewis, Joshua, Fayette, 
 Benjamin, George A., John Dudley, Sarah 
 E., and Mary A. Lewis, who died in Mill- 
 bury, was a pattern-maker. Joshua, who died 
 in Worcester, was a manufacturer of agricult- 
 ural tools. Fayette, who is a civil engineer, 
 and has been engaged in making surveys and 
 in laying out cities in the West, now resides 
 at Manitowoc, Wis. Benjamin Woodbury 
 died at the age of thirty. John is a well-to-do 
 farmer in Sutton and ex-Selectman of that 
 town. Sarah is deceased, but her children 
 and husband are living in Sutton. Mary A. 
 died in Sutton. 
 
 George A. Armsby attended school until he 
 was sixteen years of age, during the latter part 
 of the time going for only eight weeks in 
 winter. He then learned the carpenter's 
 trade. At the age of twenty he came to Whit- 
 insville, and went to work in the machine 
 shop. Here he continued in charge of the 
 wood manufacturing department for thirty 
 years. On his seventieth birthday he retired 
 from active work, in which he had been en- 
 gaged for fifty-one years. When he first came 
 here none of the shops now standing had been 
 built, and there were only two houses on Rail- 
 road Avenue. He has served the town as Se- 
 lectman, was Assessor for three years, and he 
 has been a member of building and other com- 
 
 mittees. He has been a Republican since the 
 formation of the party, and previous to that 
 was a Whig. An esteemed Mason, he is a 
 member of Granite Lodge. 
 
 Mr. Armsby married Charlotte Prentice, of 
 Northbridge, who died in 1890. One daugh- 
 ter and a son survive her. The former, 
 Evalyn, who lives with her father, is a gradu- 
 ate of the Westfield Normal School, and for- 
 merly taught in the public schools. The 
 son, George P. Armsby, who resides in Whit- 
 insville, is a machinist by trade, and is em- 
 ployed in the wood-working department of the 
 machine shop. He married Sarah A. Scho- 
 field, and has two young daughters. 
 
 RTHUR ROBERT TAFT, of U.x- 
 bridge, who represents the Ninth 
 Worcester District in the Massa- 
 chusetts legislature, was horn in 
 this town, February 19, 1859, son of Robert 
 and Mary (Balcom) Taft. He is a descendant 
 in the seventh generation of Robert Taft, first. 
 From the latter the descent is traced directly 
 through Robert (second), Israel, and Jacob, to 
 John Taft, the grandfather, who married Lu- 
 cretia Newell, and was a prosperous farmer of 
 Uxbridge, his native town. The father, born 
 in Uxbridge in 1819, for many years was en- 
 gaged in the woollen manufacturing industry 
 in this town, and resided upon a farm. He 
 died in 1891, leaving a good estate. Mary, 
 his wife, was a daughter of Ebenezer and 
 Polly Balcom, of Douglas, Mass., the former 
 of whom was a representative of a highly 
 refutable family of that town. Robert and 
 Mary Taft reared but one child, Arthur R., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Arthur Robert Taft was graduated from the 
 Uxbridge High School in 1876, and completed 
 his studies at the English and Classical 
 School in Providence, R.I. In 1879 he en- 
 tered a partnership with E. B. Hayward, form- 
 ing the firm of Hayward & Taft, which was in 
 business one year. Then on account of his 
 father's feeble health he sold his interest to 
 his associate in order to give his entire time 
 to the care of the homestead farm, which he 
 has since conducted. Besides owning the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 413 
 
 farm he has some valuable real estate in Bos- 
 ton, is a director of the Blackstone National 
 Bank, the vice-president, a trustee, and a 
 member of the Finance Committee of the 
 Uxbridge Savings Bank, and a director of 
 the Uxbridge and Northbridge Electric Light 
 Company. 
 
 In September, 1880, Mr. Taft married Mary 
 A. Seagrave, who died in 1886. She was a 
 daughter of Charles E. and Abigail (Carter) 
 Seagrave. A second marriage in May, 1889, 
 united Mr. Taft to Rosa F. George, daughter 
 of Nathan R. and Rosanna (Taft) George, of 
 Mendon. In politics he is a Republican. 
 Since 1893 he has been a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen, serving it in the capacity of 
 clerk, and he was elected to the legislature in 
 1897. He has displayed much ability in the 
 service of the public, and is highly esteemed 
 by his fellow-townsmen. 
 
 'rank S. CONANT, an enterprising 
 general merchant of Oakham, was 'born 
 in East Brookfield, Mass., April 7, 
 1856, son of George F. and Mary (Rumrill) 
 Conant. Like most of the New England Co- 
 nants, he is a descendant of the com^mon ances- 
 tor, Roger Conant (or Conants), who is sup- 
 posed to have arrived in Massachusetts Bay in 
 1623. In 1625 Roger Conants established a 
 fishing station on Cape Ann. From the cape 
 he removed to Naumkeag in 1626, and in 
 company with John Balch, Peter Palfrey, 
 William Trask, and John Woodbury founded 
 Salem, the second oldest town in New Eng- 
 land, building the first house there. Prepara- 
 tions for establishing a colony here advanced 
 rapidly, so that in 1629, when eleven ships 
 containing fifteen hundred passengers arrived, 
 the Rev. Francis Higginson, one of the com- 
 pany, writes: "We found a halfe score houses 
 and a faire house newly built, for the Gov- 
 ernor; we also found an abundance of corn 
 planted by them, very good and well liking." 
 The branch of the family to which the sub- 
 ject of this sketch belongs was founded by his 
 great-grandfather, Captain James Conant, who, 
 born in Bridgewater, Mass., September 3, 
 1755, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary 
 
 War. Locating in Oakham, Captain Conant 
 built a store and an inn, both of which he car- 
 ried on for many years. His death occurred 
 in 1842. He served as a Selectman from 
 1788 to 1796, was Constable in 1794, Tax 
 Collector in 1796, and he held a Captain's 
 commission in the State militia. On August 
 29, 1778, he married Dorothy Bullard. Cap- 
 tain James Conant, second, the grandfather, 
 was born in Oakham, December 5, 1793. He 
 served in the War of 1812, and was afterward 
 a farmer, an inn-keeper, and a merchant. He 
 died March 10, 1867; and his wife, who was 
 before marriage Susan Stone, of Oakham, died 
 January 30, 1877. George F. Conant, father 
 of Frank S. , was born in New Braintree, 
 Mass., April i, 1819. Beginning when he 
 was a young man, he carried on general stores 
 in Brookfield, Worcester, and Oakham. He 
 died September 23, 1888. Being a man of 
 unusual energy and business ability, he was 
 successful in trade. In politics he was a 
 Democrat. His wife, Mary, whom he married 
 April 29, 185 1, was born in Springfield, 
 Mass., January 3, 1831. She became the 
 mother of one son, Frank S., with whom she 
 is now residing. She attends the Congrega- 
 tional church, and so did her late husband. 
 
 Frank S. Conant attended the common 
 schools of Brookfield and Worcester, complet- 
 ing his studies at the high school in the last- 
 named city. Having opened a jewelry store 
 at Oakham in 1875, he continued in that busi- 
 ness until he succeeded to the general store 
 left by his father. Then, uniting the two, he 
 has since conducted a profitable business. On 
 September 13, 1883, he was joined in marriage 
 with Lillian E. Crawford. Born in Oakham, 
 F"ebruary 14, 1862, she is a daughter of Will- 
 iam S. and Emily Crawford, of whom the 
 latter is deceased and the former resides in 
 this town. Born of the marriage were: Roger, 
 on September 16, 1884; Mabel E,, on January 
 19, 1888; and Mary C., on October 8, 1890. 
 Mr. Conant was a Selectman of Oakham just 
 one hundred years after his great-grandfather. 
 Captain James Conant, was a member of that 
 board; and both were elected to the office at 
 about the same age. He is still serving in 
 that capacity. From 1887 to 1888 he was 
 
414 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Tax Collector, and he was Town Auditor from 
 1894 to 1897. He is actively interested in 
 local history and genealogy. Being a de- 
 scendant of the founder of Salem, he was able 
 to secure a piece of the hard-wood frame of the 
 " faire house " referred to above, which frame, 
 according to an account in the historical col- 
 lection preserved at the Essex Institute in 
 Salem, was shipped in sections from England 
 and set up upon the site of the present Maynes 
 Block on Essex Street, opposite Market and 
 Derby Streets. It is deemed probable that 
 Roger Conant assisted personally in the erec- 
 tion of the house, and that he acted as the 
 official head of the colony until the arrival of 
 John Endicott in 1628. Mr. Conant has been 
 the organist of the Congregational church for 
 the past eighteen years. 
 
 SULIUS A. GEORGE, one of the- influ- 
 ential men of Mendon, was born here 
 in June, 1841, son of Nathan George. 
 His grandfather, Richard George, who 
 was a native of Wrentham, came to Mendon 
 on attaining his majority, and was subse- 
 quently a practising attorney here until the 
 time of his death in 1825. Mendon, situated 
 at the junction of the Boston to Hartford and 
 Providence to Worcester stage routes, was at 
 that time a flourishing township, and furnished 
 business for two hotels and four lawyers. Na- 
 than George, born in 1810, was a graduate of 
 Brown University. He was a man of means 
 and of extensive real estate interests. In- 
 cluded in his property was the large tract of 
 land extending from what is now Main Street, 
 Blackstone village, to the river. 
 
 After studying at Leicester and Wilbraham 
 Academies, Julius A. George took a course of 
 lectures under Professor Horsford in the Law- 
 rence Scientific School at Harvard University. 
 Then he spent some time learning the boot 
 and shoe business in Milford; and subse- 
 quently, in company with his brother, Nathan 
 R. George, established a boot and shoe manu- 
 factory in Mendon. The partnership had 
 lasted five years when Julius became sole pro- 
 prietor, and thereafter conducted it for eleven 
 years, during which his average output was ten 
 
 thousand cases per year. Since bis retirement 
 from that business he has dealt largely in real 
 estate. He served on the Board of Selectmen 
 for many years. For some years he has been 
 a trustee of the Taft Public Library, which 
 was established in 1882, and now contains four 
 thousand volumes. In the capacity of Justice 
 of the Peace for a quarter of a century he has 
 drawn many deeds and conveyance papers. 
 He is a member of Mendon Grange, P. of H., 
 and the president of the Mendon Historical 
 Society. In politics he is an ardent Republi- 
 can. For more than twenty-five years he has 
 presided as Moderator at town meetings. He 
 was one of the incorporators of the Home Na- 
 tional Bank of Milford, which was organized 
 some twenty-five years ago, and has since been 
 one of its directors. Financially this bank is 
 one of the most prosperous in Worcester 
 County, paying six per cent, on the capital 
 stock of one hundred and thirty thousand dol- 
 lars, and having a surplus of eighty thousand 
 dollars. Mr. George married Abbie F. Verry, 
 of Blackstone, Mass. 
 
 rwyo 
 
 FORGE W. HOWE, of South Lan- 
 yST caster, a retired business man, was 
 born in Sterling, Mass., July 26, 
 1822, son of Silas and Sally (Hastings) Howe. 
 His grandfather, Silas Howe, first, who was 
 an early settler in Sterling, lived to the re- 
 markable age of ninety-seven years. The 
 father, Silas Howe, second, was a prosperous 
 farmer and lifelong resident of Sterling. He 
 was a man of considerable prominence, serving 
 as a Selectman at different times, and was also 
 a Captain in the State militia. He died at 
 the age of seventy. His wife, Sally, who was 
 a native of Boylston, Mass., became the 
 mother of eight children, of whom five are liv- 
 ing; namely, Abigail, George W., Eli, Sarah, 
 and William. Abigail married James E. 
 Ball. The mother lived to be ninety-two 
 years old. Both parents were Unitarians. 
 
 George W. Howe received his education in 
 Sterling. At the age of sixteen years he 
 began work in a saw and grist mill in Boyls- 
 ton. Later he followed the .same business in 
 Groton, and when eighteen years old had 
 
GE0R(;E W. HOWE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 417 
 
 charge of a large saw-mill in Winchester, 
 N. H. Returning subsequently to Groton, he 
 learned butchering, and then, settling in Lan- 
 caster, carried on a successful business in that 
 line for thirteen years. He next engaged in 
 the wood and lumber business, buying wood 
 lots and clearing them of fuel and lumber, 
 which he sold to good advantage, and contin- 
 ued in that occupation until his retirement. 
 He has been prominent in the industrial and 
 business life of this section. He was a direc- 
 tor and for six years president of the old 
 State Bank (later the Lancaster National 
 Bank) previous to its removal to Clinton, and 
 was one of its largest stockholders. He was 
 also a trustee of the Lancaster Savings Bank. 
 In public affairs also he has taken a conspicu- 
 ous part, having served as Selectman and as a 
 member of the Board of Overseers for twenty 
 years, being chairman for a part of the time 
 upon each board. He was a member of the 
 School Board one year, was Town Treasurer 
 seven years, and Collector ten years. During 
 the Civil War he was enrolling ofificer for sub- 
 district No. 37. He has been a Justice of the 
 Peace since 1863, and still holds that office. 
 Politically, he is a Republican. 
 
 In 1845 Mr. Howe married Mary A. Jen- 
 ness, daughter of Amos C. and Syrene D. 
 Jenness, prosperous farming people of Derry, 
 N. H. Mr. and Mrs. Howe have one adopted 
 daughter, Ella J., who married Mr. Howe's 
 brother. Eli E. Howe has two children — 
 George Eli and Silas Everett. Mr. Howe 
 was formerly connected with the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows. He attends the Uni- 
 tarian church. 
 
 ,EACON EDWARD F. CHAM- 
 BERLAIN, one of Grafton's pros- 
 perous dairymen and a Civil War 
 veteran, was born in this town. May 
 9, 1835, son of Hollis and May (Goddard) 
 Chamberlain. The father was a native of 
 Southboro, Mass., and the mother belonged to 
 an old Grafton family of repute, residing in 
 the Farms district. 
 
 Hollis Chamberlain was employed as a shoe- 
 maker in Holliston, Mass., previous to locat- 
 
 ing in Grafton. Here he conducted a farm 
 and followed his trade until his death, which 
 occurred at the age of seventy-seven years. 
 He served with ability in some of the town 
 offices. While he was a man of decided views, 
 upon questions of public importance, he was 
 universally respected for his honesty and sin- 
 cerity. He was an active member of the Con- 
 gregational church. Hollis and May Cham- 
 berlain were the parents of four children, of 
 whom Edward F. is living. The others were: 
 Mary, who died young; Jeanette, who married, 
 and died at the age of fifty-six; and Louisa 
 D., who died at the age of twenty-two years. 
 
 Edward F. Chamberlain was educated in the 
 public schools of Grafton. Having learned 
 the shoemaker's trade, he followed it as a 
 journeyman until 1862. Then he enlisted as 
 a private in Company E, Fifty-first Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, for nine 
 months, and afterward participated in the 
 battles of Newbern and Whitehouse Land- 
 ing. He was discharged after serving for two 
 months more than the stipulated term. After 
 recovering his health, which had been im- 
 paired, he re-enlisted in the First Massachu- 
 setts Heavy Artillery, with which he served 
 until mustered out at the close of the war. 
 Since then he has given his attention to the 
 cultivation of the home farm. At the present 
 time he is busily engaged in dairying, market- 
 gardening, and fruit-growing. 
 
 Deacon Chamberlain married Angeline A. 
 Staples, daughter of Samuel B. .Staples, of 
 Westboro, Mass. They have four children, 
 namely: William E., who attended Williams 
 College, married Sophia, daughter of E. A. 
 Estabrook, of Grafton, and resides in South 
 Framingham, Mass. ; Emma Louise, a gradu- 
 ate of Mount Holyoke Seminary, who married 
 the Rev. F. C. Taylor, now the pastor of a 
 Congregational church in Hyde Park, Vt. , and 
 has two children; Marion E., who attended 
 the Grafton High School ; and Norman God- 
 dard Chamberlain. In politics the Deacon 
 has acted with the Republican party since its 
 formation. As a member of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen for the year 1880-81 he rendered 
 efficient service to the town. He is a com- 
 rade of the Grand Army of the Republic, and 
 
4i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for some years was chaplain of the local post. 
 In religious belief he is a Congregationalist, 
 and for a number of years he has been a Dea- 
 con of that church and the superintendent of 
 its Sunday-school. 
 
 1ft 
 
 [LLIAM LAMBERT RUSSELL, 
 M.D., a native of Carlisle, Middle- 
 sex County, who enjoys the distinc- 
 tion of being the oldest living graduate of 
 Harvard University, and is also the oldest 
 resident of Barre, was born October 28, 1799, 
 in a house that was built in 1680. His par- 
 ents were James and Mary Ann (Butler) Rus- 
 sell. The father was born in the part of 
 Concord that was later added to Carlisle, 
 about the year 1775. He was a farmer during 
 his active period, and his last days were spent 
 in Lowell, Mass., where he died at the age 
 of eighty-three years. His children were: 
 William L., Emerson, Mary Ann, James Sul- 
 livan, and George W. James Sullivan Rus- 
 sell resides in Lowell. 
 
 The early education of William I^ambert 
 Russell was obtained in the district schools of 
 Carlisle. He assisted in carrying on the home 
 farm until he was fifteen years old, when he 
 went to live with the Hon. Samuel Horr. 
 During his two years' residence with that 
 gentleman he attended the Groton Academy. 
 Subsequently, after teaching school for a time, 
 he fitted for college at the Westford Academy, 
 entered Harvard University in 1822, and grad- 
 uated therefrom with the class of 1826. After 
 leaving college he resumed teaching. Decid- 
 ing afterward to adopt a profession, he studied 
 medicine with Dr. Proctor, of Lexington, 
 Mass., Dr. Doane, of Boston, and completed 
 the three years' course at the Harvard Univer- 
 sity Medical School. For a part of the three 
 years he was an assistant physician at the Mc- 
 Lean Asylum. In 1831 he began the practice 
 of his profession in Barre, establishing his 
 office in a house which stood upon the site of 
 Mr. George E. Bates's residence, and boarding 
 with Mehitable Caldwell, who occupied the 
 Desper house, located at the corner of Union 
 and Pleasant Streets. After a successful 
 career of twenty years, during which he fol- 
 
 lowed his profession in Barre and the adjacent 
 towns, he retired. 
 
 On June 2, 1836, Dr. Russell was united in 
 marriage with Mary Ann Warren, who was a 
 native of Roxbury and a resident of Hubbards- 
 ton, Mass. Born of this union were two 
 daughters and one son. The latter died at the 
 age of eight years. Caroline, the elder daugh- 
 ter, married William Howland, of Lynn, both 
 of whom are now deceased. Marianne, the 
 surviving daughter, married J. C. Bartholo- 
 mew, of Hardwick, now a prominent business 
 man of Barre. In politics Dr. Russell is a 
 Republican. At one time he was officially 
 connected with the School Board, but he has 
 never sought for public office. In religious 
 belief he is a Unitarian. For his advanced 
 age his mental and physical activity is remark- 
 able. On pleasant days he works outdoors 
 about his residence with the vigor of a much 
 younger man. He keeps a diary of his daily 
 transactions, and manages his own business 
 affairs. A director of the First National Bank, 
 he attends the meetings of the directors regu- 
 larly. He attributes his remarkable longev- 
 ity to the fact that from his youth he has 
 carefully observed the laws that tend to pro- 
 mote health. His present strong hold upon 
 life bids fair to realize the hopes of his many 
 friends, and carry him beyond the century 
 mark. He resides with his surviving daugh- 
 ter and her husband. 
 
 ON. AARON CLAFLIN MAY- 
 HEW, formerly one of the most 
 prominent and influential citizens 
 of Milford, was born July 22, 1812, 
 to John and Nancy (Freeland) Mayhew. His 
 earliest ancestor in this country, Thomas May- 
 hew, who came over from England in 1631, 
 accompanied by his son, Thomas, and settled 
 at Watertown, was immediately admitted a 
 freeman. After filling numerous responsible 
 civil oflfices, under a grant from the Earl of 
 Sterling, this ancestor was made superintend- 
 ent of Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the 
 adjacent islands, for the purpose of governing, 
 civilizing, and Christianizing the Indians in 
 these places. He left Watertown with a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 419 
 
 colony of whites for his domain, taking his 
 son, Thomas, as a preacher to the Indians. 
 He was seventy years old when his son died. 
 Finding it impossible to procure another 
 preacher who understood the language of the 
 natives, he took up the calling himself, and 
 spent the remainder of his life in the zealous 
 discharge of its duties. At his death he was 
 between ninety and a hundred years old. 
 Following these first two of the family, came 
 six named John, the last one having been the 
 father of Aaron C. Mayhew. 
 
 In 1829 Aaron C. Mayhew came from Hop- 
 kinton, with empty but willing hands, and 
 entered the employ of the Hon. Lee Claflin 
 to learn tanning and currying. Beginning 
 with a resolute ambition to achieve success in 
 the world, he did so. Having mastered his 
 trade, he entered into partnership with David 
 S. Godfrey, for the purpose of manufacturing 
 leather, the firm name being Godfrey & May- 
 hew. Shortly afterward they began the man- 
 ufacture of boots and shoes, and the business 
 rapidly increased. Upon the death of Mr. 
 Godfrey, Mr. Mayhew received George W. 
 Howe and John S. Leland into the firm, which 
 then became A. C. Mayhew & Co. Mr. Le- 
 land dying in 1857, his place in the firm was 
 taken by Sullivan C. Sumner. Mr. Mayhew 
 was for several years the president of the Mil- 
 ford Fire Insurance Company, the vice-presi- 
 dent of the Milford Savings I3ank and a mem- 
 ber of its Board of Investment from the time 
 of its incorporation until his death, and the 
 president of the Milford National Bank from 
 1854 until his demise. He was the Modera- 
 tor at many town meetings. He was also Se- 
 lectman for a period, a Representative to 
 General Court for two years. State Senator 
 for two terms, a member of Governor Banks's 
 Council for two years, a member of the State 
 Central Committee of the Republican party 
 for several years, and in 1872 he was a Presi- 
 dential elector on the Grant and Wilson 
 ticket. 
 
 Mr. Mayhew was married on April 23, 
 1834, to Olivia Loring Sumner, daughter of 
 Ellis and Rhoda (Loring) Sumner, of Mil- 
 ford. Two children were born of the union, 
 namely: Sarah Elizabeth, who married Sulli- 
 
 van C. Sumner; and John Sumner Mayhew. 
 Mr. Mayhew's death occurred on September 
 26, 1880. Many distinguished people from 
 all parts of the State met to honor his mem- 
 ory at the obsequies, and many beautiful floral 
 tokens were sent by his friends and business 
 associates. 
 
 OHN SUMNER MAYHEW, named in 
 the preceding sketch, was born on Feb- 
 ruary II, 1843. For many years he 
 was a well-known business man of 
 Milford. Until his father's death he was in 
 charge of the latter's office in Boston. He 
 then went into partnership with Solon E. 
 Hapgood, and was subsequently, until his 
 death in 1892, the proprietor of the Mansion 
 House, one of the very few large and success- 
 ful hotels in the Commonwealth conducted on 
 strictly temperance principles. He was a di- 
 rector of the Home National Bank and an ac- 
 tive member of the three local Masonic organ- 
 izations. On December 20, 1864, he married 
 Cora Anna Hero, a native of Milford and a 
 daughter of Horace B. and Almira (Phipps) 
 Hero. Mrs. Anna Mayhew died on Septem- 
 ber 25, 1896. Her children are: Aaron 
 Hero, born on May 19, 1867; and Mabel 
 Louise, born on August 5, 1871. The latter 
 is now the wife of Fred A. Wood, the treas- 
 urer of the Hopkinton Savings Bank. Aaron 
 H. Mayhew was educated in the Massachu- 
 setts Institute of Technology. Afterward, 
 having served an apprenticeship in the Manu- 
 facturers' National Bank of Boston, he be- 
 came teller in the Milford National Bank, 
 which position, in addition to that of book- 
 keeper in the Milford Savings Bank, he now 
 fills. An active Mason, he is a member of 
 the three Masonic bodies in Milford. He 
 married Grace P., daughter of Zibeon C. 
 Field. 
 
 ILBERT H. HARRINGTON, late 
 •) I president of the Harrington & Rich- 
 ardson Arms Company of Massachu- 
 setts and a prominent and successful inventor 
 and manufacturer of firearms, was born in 
 Shrewsbury, Mags., April 17, 1845, and died 
 
420 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 at his home in Worcester, Mass., June 22, 
 1897. As his name indicates, Mr. Harring- 
 ton was of English ancestry, he being a de- 
 scendant in the seventh generation of Robert 
 Harrington, who came to New England as one 
 of the early colonists, settling at Watertown, 
 Mass., some time between 1630 and 1640. 
 In the old records Robert Harrington is men- 
 tioned as one of the proprietors of Watertown 
 in 1642, his holding comprising sixteen lots, 
 or six hundred and forty-two and a half acres, 
 appraised at seven hundred and seventeen 
 pounds, a large part of which — namely, a 
 farm of two hundred and fifty acres — is still 
 occupied by one of his descendants. He mar- 
 ried at Watertown on October 1, 1648, Su- 
 sanna, daughter of John George. Among their 
 children was a son Thomas, born at Watertown 
 in 1665, who in turn had a son, also named 
 Thomas, born there in 1691. Thomas, sec- 
 ond, was a resident of Cambridge, Mass., 
 where his son, the third Thomas, was born in 
 1713. Thomas Harrington, third, settled in 
 Shrewsbury, Mass., about the year 1738, and, 
 marrying while still a youth, had a son Jona- 
 than, born there on February 11, 1742. A 
 son of Jonathan, named David, born Novem- 
 ber 2, 1785, and who attained to the rank of 
 Colonel in the Massachusetts militia during 
 the War of 1812-15, was the grandfather of 
 the subject of this sketch. Colonel David 
 Harrington was a zealous patriot and a man of 
 considerable note in his generation. 
 
 His son, Henry Henderson Harrington, 
 born October 24, 181 1, at Shrewsbury, in 
 Worcester County, about five miles from 
 the city of Worcester, was a prosperous 
 farmer. He married Miss Cornelia B. Wes- 
 son, of Worcester, a sister of D. B. Wesson, 
 of Springfield, and of Franklin Wesson, of 
 Worcester, both distinguished as inventors 
 and manufacturers of firearms, the former 
 being the owner at the present time of one of 
 the largest firearm plants in the world. 
 
 Henry Henderson Harrington died in 18 . 
 
 His widow is still living. For a number of 
 years she resided at the home of her eldest 
 son, the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Gilbert Henderson Harrington became a 
 resident of Worcester at a tender age, and re- 
 
 ceived his schooling in that flourishing city. 
 Through his mother he inherited the special 
 aptitude in mechanics which has made the 
 men of her family so famous; and, following 
 the bent of his genius, he took employment 
 from his uncle, Franklin Wesson, then and 
 for many years previous a rifle manufacturer 
 in Worcester, with whom he served a rigorous 
 apprenticeship. He continued at his trade in 
 his uncle's employ until 1871, when he be- 
 came a partner of the latter in the newly 
 formed firm of Wesson & Harrington, organ- 
 ized for the purpose of manufacturing a shell- 
 ejecting revolver, of which Mr. Harrington 
 was the inventor and patentee. The business 
 of the firm was conducted in the building at 
 18 Manchester Street, Worcester, which Mr. 
 Wesson had previously occupied as a rifle 
 manufactory for many years. In 1874 Mr. 
 Harrington purchased the interest of Mr. 
 Wesson, who then retired from business. 
 Soon afterward Mr. Harrington, with Mr. 
 William A. Richardson, of Worcester, organ- 
 ized the firm of Harrington & Richardson, 
 which continued the manufacture of the Har- 
 rington small arm. 
 
 This weapon, a revolver of most ingenious 
 construction and the starting-point of the 
 present successful business, was a notable im- 
 provement in convenience over any other then 
 made. It was so constructed as to load and 
 have the exploded shells removed by the slid- 
 ing ejector without detaching the cylinder or 
 removing any portion of the arm, it being the 
 first metallic cartridge revolver successfully 
 employing the shell-ejector. In its original 
 form it held the market for a number of years. 
 As the reliability of the firm and of its prod- 
 uct became more widely known, its plant 
 was enlarged so as to permit of the manufact- 
 ure of other styles of revolvers, the designs 
 for and improvements upon which were de- 
 vised and patented by the firm from time to 
 time. In the fall of 1876 the manufactory 
 was removed to larger quarters at 3 1 Hermon 
 Street, Worcester, where new and improved 
 machinery and appliances were brought into 
 operation. From 1880 to 1885 the firm was 
 the sole licensee in the United States for the 
 manufacture of the celebrated Anson & Deeley 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 421 
 
 hammerless gun, a costly arm of English in- 
 vention, the price of which ranged from 
 eighty to three hundred dollars. 
 
 In 1888 the firm dissolved, but was imme- 
 diately reorganized as a stocTc company, taking 
 the style of the Harrington & Richardson 
 Arms Company, Mr. Harrington being chosen 
 the president. Shortly after the World's 
 Fair at Chicago the company found it neces- 
 sary to increase its facilities and to provide 
 for emergencies. A tract of land at the cor- 
 ner of Park Avenue and Chandler Street, 
 Worcester, containing about forty-three thou- 
 sand feet, was then purchased, and a four- 
 story brick manufactory was erected thereon 
 at a cost of about fifty thousand dollars. 
 Large, well-lLghted, thoroughly equipped, and 
 arranged with every convenience, this arms 
 manufactory is a model of its kind and one of 
 the largest in New England. The product of 
 late years is limited to revolving firearms, 
 all styles being turned out, from the low- 
 priced, solid frame arm, from which the cylin- 
 der is removed by the withdrawal of the centre 
 pin upon which it revolves, to the more elab- 
 orate hinge-frame revolver, employing the au- 
 tomatic shell-ejecting attachments, by which 
 all the exploded shells are thrown out auto- 
 matically by the act of opening the arm for re- 
 loading. Conducted under the eye and per- 
 sonal supervision of Mr. Harrington and his 
 accomplished partner, the latter also a master 
 in mechanics, the manufacture of these arms 
 reached the highest degree of excellence, and 
 the weapons achieved a wide reputation for 
 quality, beauty, and reliability. Intensely 
 interested in his business, in which he found 
 a double gratification, being both inventor and 
 manufacturer, Mr. Harrington devoted him- 
 self unsparingly to its development, the re- 
 sults demanding and warranting this appli- 
 cation. 
 
 As one of the best known and most prosper- 
 ous of Worcester's citizens, he might have 
 served in public office had he so desired ; but 
 the only relaxation he took from business was 
 found in brief sojourns yearly in Winter 
 Park, Florida. His health began to fail 
 about 1 891 ; but, until a year or so preceding 
 his demise, his trouble, a rheumatic affection 
 
 of the heart, did not assume a dangerous 
 phase. He returned from Florida early in 
 May, 1897, after having spent the winter 
 there, and within a few weeks succumbed to 
 his distressing malady, as above stated. Mr. 
 Harrington was an attendant, with his fam- 
 ily, at Pilgrim Congregational Church in 
 Worcester and a generous supporter of its 
 charitable work. He was connected with no 
 social organization of any kind except the 
 Worcester Club, of which he was an old and 
 esteemed member. The hospitality of his 
 home in Main Street, Worcester, in one of 
 the most spacious and beautifully situated 
 mansions in this home-like city, was cordially 
 extended to a wide circle. Mr. Harrington 
 is survived by his wife, to whom he was mar- 
 ried in 1886, and by two sons. Mrs. Har- 
 rington's maiden name was Myrtis Sigourney. 
 She is a native of Oxford, Mass., and comes 
 of the old and historic Huguenot family of 
 Sigourn^ — modernized Sigournay and Sigour- 
 ney, originally domiciled at or near Rochelle 
 in France. The founder of the American 
 branch of this family was Andrew Sigourne. 
 The sons of Mr. Harrington by a former wife 
 are: Edwin C. and John W. Edwin C. Har- 
 rington, the elder, is now a director in the 
 corporation of which his father was the 
 founder and first president. He has entered 
 with genuine enthusiasm and most praise- 
 worthy zeal upon his duties in connection 
 with the business which brought his father 
 both fame and fortune, with the resolve, it is 
 evident, of fitting himself to become ulti- 
 mately the executive head. 
 
 Mr. William A. Richardson, so long asso- 
 ciated with the late Mr. Harrington in busi- 
 ness, survived him but five months, dying 
 somewhat unexpectedly in Worcester in No- 
 vember, 1897. Both had attained a wide rep- 
 utation in their special field, and through the 
 excellence of their product were known, it 
 may be said, in all parts of the world. It is a 
 somewhat remarkable fact that the Americans 
 who have achieved the greatest fame as the 
 inventors and successful manufacturers of fire- 
 arms were the sons of men engaged in the 
 peaceful vocations of trade and farming, the 
 most notable of whom, Colt, Remington, 
 
42 2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Wesson, and Harrington, have a world-wide 
 fame. 
 
 (sTTLBERT CURTIS, who departed this 
 ^L life on July 27, 1898, at his home in 
 yj|j,\ the city of Worcester, a venerable 
 ^~^ nonagenarian, was an active man of 
 business here for nearly seventy years, begin- 
 ning in May, 1831, as a member of the firm 
 of John Simmons & Co., manufacturers of 
 cloth finishing machinery, and ending as pres- 
 ident and treasurer of the Curtis Manufactur- 
 ing Company, founded by him in January of 
 the present year, seven months before his 
 death. He was widely known as Albert Cur- 
 tis, one of Worcester's oldest and most suc- 
 cessful manufacturers, and also one of her 
 most worthy and respected citizens. Mr. 
 Curtis was born July 13, 1807, on his father's 
 farm in Worcester, on what is now Plantation 
 Street, within two miles of his recent home. 
 His great-grandfather Curtis, whose given 
 name was Ephraim, came from Sudbury, and 
 is said to have been the first white settler in 
 Worcester. As the town grew, Ephraim 
 Curtis became prominent in local affairs. 
 The farm on which he settled comprised one 
 hundred and ninety acres. It remained in 
 the family, coming down from father to son 
 until lately, when it was purchased and con- 
 verted mostly into city lots. 
 
 Samuel Curtis, born in 1725, son of 
 Ephraim, was a participant in the Revolution. 
 He became a member of the legislature, and 
 was prominent in town affairs. His wife was 
 Mary Ward. They had eleven children, six 
 sons and five daughters, nine of whom lived to 
 be very old. The mother died at ninety-five 
 years of age. 
 
 Samuel Curtis, Jr., son of Samuel and Mary 
 (Ward) Curtis and father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was born in Worcester, near Au- 
 burn, in 1761. He served in town offices, 
 and was a Captain of Artillery in the State 
 militia. He married first Eunice Flagg, who 
 died leaving eight children. He afterward 
 married Mrs. Eunice Taft Stowell, daughter 
 of Josiah Taft and widow of a Mr. Stowell 
 by whom she had two sons — Alexander and 
 
 David. Alexander Stowell went to Tompkins 
 County, New York, and thence to Elmira, in 
 that State, where he lived to old age. Of this 
 second union were born three children: first, 
 Albert; second, William, who died at sixty- 
 five years of age in Caroline, Tompkins 
 County, N.Y. ; and, third, Eunice, who be- 
 came the wife of Charles P. Bancroft, and 
 died in 1893 in Brooklyn, leaving two chil- 
 dren. Mrs. Eunice T. Curtis was a sincere 
 Christian and a member of the Congregational 
 church. She died before 1861. Her mother 
 lived to be ninety-five years old. 
 
 Albert Curtis obtained his education in the 
 common schools, which he attended in his 
 boyhood as he had opportunity. He was but 
 nine years old when his father died, and from 
 that time on he partly earned his own living. 
 For a while he was in his uncle's family at 
 Auburn, and afterward he worked on the farm 
 of an elder brother in New York State. Re- 
 turning to Worcester at the age of seventeen, 
 he went to learn the trade of machinist with 
 the firm of White & Boyden, serving three 
 years. For the first year he received sixty 
 dollars, for the second eighty dollars, and 
 for the third one hundred and twenty dollars, 
 being allowed three months' schooling each 
 year. After that he continued with the same 
 firm over six years, receiving a dollar and a 
 quarter a day. Then he went to Pittsburg, 
 Pa., and worked at manufacturing shears at a 
 dollar and a half a day, being considered a 
 skilled mechanic. At the end of a year he 
 thought of going to Cincinnati, but returned 
 instead to work for his old employer. 
 
 The next May, 1831, he became one of the 
 firm of John Simmons & Co., Albert Curtis 
 and Abel Kimball being the company. The 
 firm manufactured machinery for finishing 
 woollen goods. Mr. Kimball left the firm 
 within a year, and in 1833 Mr. Curtis pur- 
 chased the interest of Mr. Simmons, and be- 
 carne the sole owner of the plant and business, 
 which he continued to develop until in pros- 
 perous years the sales amounted to millions. 
 For four years Mr. William Henshaw was 
 with Mr. Curtis, the firm being Curtis & 
 Henshaw. Then Edwin Marble, who had 
 been an apprentice with Mr, Curtis for three 
 
jtS^" 
 
 ™^r 
 
 <' . ^ 
 
 ALBERT CURTIS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 425 
 
 years, was made partner, the association con- 
 tinuing for thirty-two years, the firm being 
 Curtis & Marble. In 1895 the firm dissolved, 
 and from that time Mr, Curtis was engaged 
 manufacturing woollen goods for men's wear. 
 He also for the last thirty or forty years 
 manufactured sheeting, drilling, and satinets 
 with various brands. On January 12, 1898, 
 Mr. Curtis took into partnership Charles G. 
 Stratton and F. B. Durfee, organizing the 
 Curtis Manufacturing Company. Remarkably 
 well preserved mentally and physically, after 
 entering his ninety-second year he continued 
 to go to his ofifice every day to look after the 
 business. He had some heart trouble, but 
 not so serious as to cause anxiety to his 
 friends. On the 26th of July he was feeling, 
 it is said, unusually well; and he went on a 
 fishing trip to Trowbridgeville, which he evi- 
 dently enjoyed, as he spoke of going again. 
 The evening he spent chatting pleasantly with 
 friends on his piazza. In the morning of the 
 27th he was found lifeless in bed, his death 
 having been caused by accidentally escaping 
 gas in his room. 
 
 Mr. Curtis married his first wife in 1832. 
 She was then a widow, Mrs. Bancroft, before 
 marriage Miss Sally K. Houghton. She had 
 one daughter, Jane, wife of Charles T. Strat- 
 ton, of New Worcester. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis 
 had a foster-daughter, whom they reared and 
 educated. She is now the wife of Dr. George 
 F. Balcom. After the death of his first wife 
 Mr. Curtis was again married, his second 
 wife being the widow of Charles Griflfin, in 
 maidenhood Miss Rosella Perrin. She was 
 the m.other of three children by her first hus- 
 band. She died April 16, 1896, aged 
 seventy-two. Mr. Curtis resided in his 
 spacious and pleasant house at 38 Webster 
 Street, which he built in 1846 and remodelled 
 in 1878. 
 
 Mr. Curtis was the latest survivor of the 
 last Board of Selectmen of the town for the 
 year 1848. He was a member of the first 
 City Council, and in 1857 he was an Alder- 
 man. He was for thirty-six years superin- 
 tendent of the Hope Cemetery. He was one 
 of the promoters and incorporators of the first 
 Street railway. He had good financial reasons 
 
 to remember the fact, as it cost him over eight 
 thousand dollars, much work, and some worry. 
 He was president of the Old Men's Home, of 
 which he was one of the leading promoters. 
 He gave one-half of the land for the Old 
 Ladies' Home. The lovely little chapel of 
 Hope Cemetery also was given by him. He 
 was the largest contributor of the Union Con- 
 gregational Church. Mr. Curtis and the Goes 
 family combined gave the land for the Web- 
 ster Street School-house. The fine library in 
 the City Hospital was his gift to the city, 
 and he was the largest contributor to the 
 Young Men's Christian Association and a 
 large contributor to the Young Women's 
 Christian Association Buildings. Most of 
 the fine trees in this part of New Worcester 
 were planted by Mr. Curtis. The first dam in 
 Curtis Pond, built in 1831 by Charles Hen- 
 sey, stood but forty-eight hours. The present 
 dam, a solid and expensive stone structure, 
 was built by Mr. Curtis in 1877, and was a re- 
 construction of the first one built by him in 
 1868, which was damaged badly by the burst- 
 ing of the city reservoir. 
 
 Mr. Curtis's life, it is thus seen, was a 
 busy and useful one, as well as successful from 
 a worldly point of view. Few men have made 
 a better record. His works and benefactions 
 will remain as lasting monuments to his 
 memory. 
 
 MORY STONE, a veteran agriculturist 
 of Auburn, was born on the farm where 
 he now resides, March 9, 1827, son of 
 Colonel Jonathan Stone, grandson of Lieuten- 
 ant Jonathan Stone, and great-grandson of 
 Deacon Jonathan Stone. The emigrant ances- 
 tor, Symon Stone, came from England to 
 America in 1635; was made a freeman in 
 Watertown, Mass., in 1636; and from that 
 time until his death was one of the leading 
 residents, having held different public offices, 
 and for seven consecutive years having repre- 
 sented the town at the General Court. The 
 next in line of descent was his son Simon, 
 who, born in England, spent the larger part of 
 his life in Watertown. 
 
 Deacon Jonathan Stone removed from Water* 
 
426 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 town to Auburn in 1753, and, taking up three 
 hundred and four acres of wild land, succeeded 
 in clearing a portion of it and acquiring a good 
 farm. Much interested in the religious affairs 
 of the new town, he did his part in the up- 
 building of the church, which he served as 
 Deacon for many years, and to which he con- 
 tributed a handsomely engraved pewter tankard 
 to hold the communion wine. This tankard 
 is now in the possession of Emory Stone, who 
 prizes it highly. When the colonies united in 
 the struggle for independence, Deacon Jona- 
 than Stone and his son Jonathan, who was a 
 Lieutenant, served as soldiers in the Revolu- 
 tionary army in different companies. On re- 
 turning from the field the Deacon resumed 
 work on the homestead, where his death oc- 
 curred December 21, 1806, in the eighty-sec- 
 ond year of his age. Lieutenant Jonathan 
 Stone was born in Watertown, Mass., Decem- 
 ber 8, 1750, and died on the old home farm in 
 Auburn, November 24, 1809. He was Lieu- 
 tenant of a company in the Revolutionary War, 
 and the sword which he then carried is still 
 preserved by the family. He married Sarah 
 Hall, who according to records in the old 
 family Bible, which was printed by " His Maj- 
 esty's Printers," Moek and Charles Kerns, in 
 Edinburgh in 1789, was born December 31, 
 1763, and died September 16, 1853. They 
 had four children, namely: Jonathan, the 
 father of Emory; Mary Harrington, who mar- 
 ried Bradwell Smith, of New Salem, Mass. ; 
 Oliver, who died when nine years old; and 
 Elijah, a lifelong farmer, who died unmarried 
 at the age of seventy years. 
 
 Colonel Jonathan Stone, born in Auburn on 
 the Stone homestead, April 4, 1793, died at 
 sea in 1845. He succeeded to one hundred and 
 forty acres of the original ancestral estate, and 
 was chiefly engaged in agriculture. He was a 
 stanch Whig in politics, and for many years 
 held a commission as Colonel in the State mi- 
 litia. On May 24, 1814, he married Abigail 
 Knowlton, who was born at Newfane, Vt., 
 March 13, 1790, and died February 15,' 1874' 
 on the homestead. Her father, Deacon Na- 
 than Knowlton, born in Shrewsbury, Mass., 
 May s, 1760, having enlisted as a fifer in the 
 Revolutionary army when but sixteen years 
 
 old, served in that capacity for some time, and 
 was at Saratoga when General Burgoyne sur- 
 rendered. The children of Colonel and Abi- 
 gail Stone were: Oliver, deceased, born Au- 
 gust 22, 181 5; Joseph Jackson, deceased, horn 
 December 26, 1816; Prescott Bainbrfdge, de- 
 ceased, born July 13, 1819; Sarah L., 
 deceased, born February i, 1822; Lewis C, 
 born April 22, 1823, now a retired machinist 
 Worcester; Emory, the subject of this 
 
 in 
 
 sketch ; and William Marshall, born April 19, 
 1828, now a job printer in Worcester, residing 
 in Grafton, Mass. 
 
 Emory Stone attended the district school 
 until twelve years old. Then he began work- 
 ing out as a farm laborer, receiving as a com- 
 pensation four dollars a month. He continued 
 to labor for wages seven years, and received 
 for his services at the end of the last year one 
 hundred and fifty dollars. Taking possession 
 then of the parental homestead, he has since 
 carried on general farming with success. In 
 1856 he took down the old house and built the 
 present residence; and in 1868 the original 
 barn, then one hundred and three years old, 
 was replaced by the present structure. He 
 belongs to Morning Star Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 and to Worcester Chapter, R. A. M. In pol- 
 itics he is a strong Republican. He has 
 served his fellow-townsmen in the capacity of 
 Assessor for nine years. For the past forty- 
 one years he was Town Clerk, having just re- 
 tired from the office. In 1855 he represented 
 Auburn in the State legislature. 
 
 On September 5, 1847, Mr. Stone married 
 Catherine Shurtleff, who was born at Ashford, 
 Conn., September 4, 1827. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Stone have had three children: Herbert E., 
 now living on the home farm; Emma, who 
 died at the age of eight years; and Lila M., 
 now the wife of Josiah H. Whittaker, of Au- 
 burn. Herbert E. Stone, born September 23, 
 1848, married Eliza M. Bowen, of " North- 
 bridge, and has four daughters, namely : Grace 
 E., who is the wife of PrescOtt A. Parker, of 
 Albany, N.Y., electrician on the Boston & 
 Albany Railroad, and has two children — 
 Harry and Bertha; Blanche M., a teacher; 
 Bessie, the wife of Harry Merriam, electrician 
 on the Boston & Albany Railroad at Oxford; 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 427 
 
 and Mildred, who is now attending tiie high 
 school. Another daughter, Bertha Stone, who 
 was a teacher in Auburn No. i District 
 School, was drowned in Webster, July 26, 
 1894. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stone are mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. 
 
 SEUVILL W. FORD, a prominent cit- 
 izen of West Brookfield, Mass., was 
 ^ born September i, 1838, in Sum- 
 ner, Oxford County, Me., whence 
 five or six years later his parents removed 
 with their family to Hartford, a few miles 
 distant in the same State and county. His 
 father was Arza Ford, a native of Maine, 
 whose parents went there from Plymouth 
 County, Massachusetts; and his mother was 
 Nancy Rand, of Portland, Me., the daughter 
 of an old sea captain who made Portland his 
 home while on land. 
 
 From Hartford, while yet a lad, Mr. Ford 
 went to Paris Hill, Me., where he entered the 
 family of the famous Dr. Kittredge, a native 
 of one of the Brookfields in Massachusetts, 
 with whom he lived until fifteen years of age. 
 He then came to Massachusetts, and worked 
 for a Deacon Norton, of South Abington, at 
 the shoe business for several years, or up to 
 the spring of i860. From South Abington he 
 went to Haverhill, Mass., where he followed 
 the shoe busine-ss until April, 1861, when he 
 went to California by the way of the Isthmus 
 of Panama, landing in San Francisco after a 
 trip of twenty-seven days. Mr. Ford's first 
 summer in California was spent in the Sierra 
 Nevada Mountains in a hotel and store. The 
 first winter was spent in the town of Oroville, 
 where he was engaged in the hotel business, 
 and where he remained until the "big flood 
 of 1862." Having seen enough of Sacra- 
 mento Valley life, he returned in the spring 
 of 1862 to a town in the Sierra Nevada Moun- 
 tains called Howland Flat, where he became 
 interested in and owner of a mining claim 
 called the Mountaineer Mining Company. 
 This claim he followed till the fall of 1866, 
 when he sold out the entire property and 
 started for the Eastern States by the Nica- 
 ragua route, going through Virgin Bay, down 
 
 the Nicaragua River, past Walker's old forts, 
 out into the Gulf of Mexico, and around Flor- 
 ida to the city of New York. 
 
 After spending a short time in visiting 
 friends he went into general trade in Waltham, 
 Mass., continuing in that business there till 
 the fall of 1868, when he sold out the busi- 
 ness and came to the town of West Brookfield, 
 Mass., where he married Ada Powers, a for- 
 mer resident of Livermore Falls, Me. Mr. 
 Ford has made West Brookfield his home ever 
 since. He was employed by the Boston & 
 Albany Company for several years as general 
 carpenter for passenger coaches. After that 
 for several years he was in the corset factory 
 in West Brookfield, then in the wholesale 
 lumber business, with office in the city of 
 Worcester. For some years past Mr. Ford 
 has lived on Milk Street, in one of the best 
 appointed residences in the town. His first 
 wife died in 1893; and in 1896 he married his 
 second wife, formerly Mrs. Newton Cady, of 
 Southbridge, Mass., but more recently of 
 Worcester, Mass. 
 
 A Republican in politics, Mr. Ford is al- 
 ways thoroughly alive to the growth and wel- 
 fare of his adopted town. He has been called 
 to serve the town as Selectman. He is a 
 member of Quaboag Lodge, F. & A. M., of 
 Warren, Mass. 
 
 W"' 
 
 YMAN C. FICKETT, superintend- 
 ent of the Spencer public schools 
 and an ex-member of the Massachu- 
 setts legislature, was born in South Portland, 
 Me., son of Amos P. and Eunice L. (Small) 
 Fickett. His paternal grandfather was a 
 Quaker. Edward Small, his maternal grand- 
 father, born in 1766, who witnessed the burn- 
 ing of Portland by the British in 1775, died 
 in 1856, aged ninety years. Both of his par- 
 ents were natives of Maine. The father was 
 a prosperous farmer. Four of the latter's sons 
 and two of his daughters became teachers. 
 
 Having pursued his primary studies in the 
 common schools of his native town, Wyman C. 
 Fickett prepared for college at the Westbrook 
 Seminary, and graduated from Tufts College 
 in the class of 1863 with the degree of Bach- 
 
428 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 elor of Arts. Later he received from his 
 Alma Mater the degree of Master of Arts. 
 Prior to entering college and during the col- 
 lege vacations he taught school for the pur- 
 pose of defraying his tuition expenses. After 
 completing his collegiate course he turned his 
 attention to educational work, which has since 
 constituted his principal occupation. For a 
 year he was the principal of the Clinton 
 (N.Y.) Liberal Institute. He organized the 
 Hudson (Mass.) High School, over which he 
 presided for four years. In East Bridge- 
 water, Mass., he was the principal of the high 
 school for thirteen years, a member of the 
 School Committee for six years, and acting 
 superintendent of the public schools for five 
 years. Since 1891 he has been the superin- 
 tendent in Spencer. Under his able direc- 
 tion the schools of the town have been greatly 
 improved. 
 
 Mr. Fickett married Orianna E. Wheeler, 
 of Berlin, Mass., a daughter of the late John 
 Wheeler. Mrs. Fickett is the mother of two 
 children— Mary G. and Edward W. Fickett. 
 Mary G., who graduated at the Bridgewater 
 Normal School and Tufts College, is now an 
 instructor at the State Normal School in Gor- 
 ham, Me. Edward W. Fickett, also a gradu- 
 ate of Tufts, is now general agent for the 
 Morse Publishing Company of New York. 
 In 1886 Mr. Fickett represented Bridgewater 
 and East Bridgewater in the General Court. 
 He attends religious services at the Univer- 
 salist church. A charter member of Satucket 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., of East Bridgewater, he 
 was its secretary for ten years; and he be- 
 longs to Old Colony Comrrmndery, Knights 
 Templar, of Abington, Mass. At one time 
 he was a member of Houghton Chapter, Royal 
 Arch Masons, of Marlboro. He is also a 
 member of the American Institute of Instruc- 
 tion, the Worcester County Teachers' Asso- 
 ciation, and the Schoolmasters' Club. 
 
 B 
 
 AVID J. BAKER, the proprietor of 
 the Elmwood House in New 
 Worcester, was born in Mount 
 Holly, August 16, 1817, his par- 
 ents being Eleazar and Phebe (Johnson) 
 
 Baker. The grandfather, Stephen Baker, a 
 man of a powerful frame, was a dairy farmer 
 on an extensive scale, keeping seventy-five 
 cows. He lost his sight some twenty years 
 before his death, which occurred in 1789. At 
 that time he left three sons — Peter, Stephen, 
 and Eleazar — and one daughter. Peter had 
 a family of eleven daughters and no sons, 
 while Stephen had fourteen sons and no 
 daughters. Peter and Stephen were Quakers, 
 and so was their mother, who lived to be 
 nearly a hundred years old. 
 
 Eleazar Baker, born in 1781 at Mount 
 Holly, or Danby, Vt., who was a farmer, died 
 at the age of eighty-six. His wife, Phebe, 
 was a native of Worcester and a sister of 
 Jonas and Micah Johnson. She reared three 
 daughters and one son; namely, David J., 
 Eliza, Sarah, and Deborah. Eliza, who is 
 the widow of Samuel Dean, resides in Oak- 
 dale, Mass. Sarah married Daniel Holden, 
 both of whom are now deceased. Deborah 
 was the wife of the late Benjamin James, of 
 Jamesville, a suburb of Worcester. Tie 
 mother was about sixty-seven years of age 
 when she died. 
 
 David J. Baker received a limited education 
 in the public schools. He came to Worcester 
 in 1828 when eleven years old, and has re- 
 sided in this city most of the time since. 
 When nineteen years of age he began learning 
 the machinist's trade. For some twenty 
 years subsequently he worked as a machinist, 
 a part of the time doing work on contract. 
 Later he was engaged for several years in the 
 manufacture of brushes, looms, cutters, etc. 
 For about ten years he kept a livery, did pub- 
 lic teaming, and ran omnibuses. Since the 
 second day of August, 1869, he has been in 
 the Elmwood House, which is located near his 
 former business. He voted for William 
 Henry Harrison, and marched in the ranks of 
 the Harrison Guards, of which he is now the 
 only surviving member in the city of Worces- 
 ter and one of four in the State. The other 
 three are: Julius Clark, now about eighty- 
 seven years of age, who resides near Boston; 
 Daniel Hathaway, now in Hartford, Conn.; 
 and Samuel Newton, of Boston. Mr. Baker 
 has the picture of a group of sixty-six of these 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 429 
 
 guards, taken twenty years ago. He is an 
 honorary member of the Veteran Firemen of 
 Worcester, in the bucket company, of which 
 his father was a member, and an honorary 
 member of the Worcester Continentals. For 
 nine years he was the foreman of Engine 
 Rapid 2, and over thirty years ago he helped 
 to win the prize of a hundred dollars. He 
 has been a Democrat since the second nomina- 
 tion of General Grant. 
 
 On June 20, 1839, Mr. Baker was united 
 in marriage with Diana Ray Davoll, who 
 until her death in 1878 was his most trusted 
 adviser, and proved of the greatest assistance 
 to him in his business relations. Since then 
 he has hired a housekeeper to superintend his 
 house, but the loss of Mrs. Baker has been 
 irreparable. She died suddenly when about 
 fifty-one years of age. Mr. Baker lost a son 
 and a daughter in childhood. His son 
 Charles died at twenty-three, Frank died at 
 fourteen, and David at thirty. David, who 
 was the first-born, then a boy of sixteen, saw 
 maich of the Civil War as a clerk for William 
 Underwood, a sutler. He left two children. 
 Ellen Baker died at the age of thirty-two. 
 The living children are: Mary A., who re- 
 sides with her father; Diana, who resides in 
 Worcester; and Albert E., who is in Phila- 
 delphia, Pa. The Elmwood House has long 
 been known as a well-kept place, where one 
 can find excellent attendance combined with 
 home comforts and home quiet. 
 
 B 
 
 EAN SAMUEL ELLIS, M.D., one 
 of the leading practising physicians 
 ^ I of Worcester, was born in Vermont- 
 ville, Franklin County, N.Y., Au- 
 gust 28, 1856, son of Samuel and Emily N. 
 (Towne) Ellis. His grandfather, William 
 Ellis, who was a native and a lifelong resi- 
 dent of Woodstock, Vt., and a blacksmith by 
 trade, married Sarah Stowe, and became the 
 father of eight children, of whom six reached 
 adult life. Of the latter number, Jane Wood 
 and Sarah Serene Porter are deceased. The 
 survivors are: Samuel Ellis, the subject of 
 this biography; Eveline, who is the widow 
 of the late Benjamin Harrison, and resides in 
 
 Franklin County, New York; Caroline, the 
 widow of the late Mr. Benjamin, residing in 
 Woodstock, Vt. ; and Laurinda, the widow of 
 John Parker, late of Janesville, Wis. 
 
 Samuel Ellis, the Doctor's father, who is 
 now an octogenarian residing in Worcester, 
 was born April 4, 181 5. He followed the 
 trade of his father. After carrying on busi- 
 ness in several places in Vermont, he came in 
 i860 to Worcester from Vermontville, where 
 he had been living during the six preceding 
 years. His wife, Emily, who was born in 
 Windsor, Vt., February 5, 1820, and whom 
 he married in that place on February 19, 
 1839, was a daughter of Benjamin and Sarah 
 (Burt) Towne. Her father, who was a farmer, 
 died in 1844, at the age of seventy-four, and 
 her mother in 1848, at the age of seventy- 
 eight. Their children were: Ellen E., Will- 
 iam T., Orinda T., Sarah Z., and Dean S. 
 Ellen is the wife of T. A. Lamson, residing 
 at 24 Florence Street, Worcester. William, 
 who was educated at Wilbraham, Mass., and 
 Evanston, 111., is now in Chicago, serving as 
 an evangelist under the auspices of the Meth- 
 odist church. Orinda is the wife of Frank J. 
 Morse, of Belchertown, Mass. ; and Sarah is 
 Mrs. A. V. Newton, of Worcester. 
 
 Having obtained his preliminary education 
 in the public schools of Worcester and at New 
 Salem Academy, Dean S. Ellis pursued his 
 medical studies in Jefferson Medical College, 
 graduating in the class of 1883. Immediately 
 after graduation he began practice in this city, 
 and at once became popular with all classes. 
 He is skilled as a general practitioner, and 
 ranks well among his fellow-physicians. The 
 Doctor is the medical examiner for eight 
 different insurance companies and the physi- 
 cian to ten local societies. In politics he is 
 a Republican. He is a fellow of the Massa- 
 chusetts Medical Society, the American Med- 
 ical Association, and the Worcester Medical 
 Association. On October 31, 1887, he was 
 married to Isabel Warner, of this city, daugh- 
 ter of Dr. Emerson Warner and his wife, Isa- 
 belle (Andrews) Warner. Dr. Warner, who 
 was for twenty years a member of the School 
 Board and surgeon to the City Hospital and 
 the Memorial Hospital, is a great traveller, 
 
43° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 having been around the world twice, besides 
 making special trips to South America and 
 Alaska. Dr. and Mrs. Ellis are the parents 
 of four children: Ruth Ellis, who is eight 
 years of age; Ralph, aged six; Ethel, aged 
 four; and Myrtle Isabel. The Doctor's resi- 
 dence and office are at 572 and 574 Main 
 Street. A lover of horses, he is frequently 
 seen driving animals of splendid breed and 
 fine mettle. 
 
 /®Yo 
 
 EORGE W. WELLS, the president 
 \ 3 I and treasurer of the American Opti- 
 cal Company, Southbridge, was born 
 in South Woodstock, Conn., April 15, 1846, 
 son of John Ward and Maria (Cheney) Wells. 
 His paternal grandfather, Henry Wells, who 
 was born in 1757, and his great-grandfather 
 on the Cheney side were both Revolutionary 
 soldiers. John Ward Wells, the father, who 
 was born in Westerly, R.I., in 1794, spent 
 the greater part of his life upon a farm in 
 South Woodstock. Maria, his wife, who was 
 a daughter of Joel Cheney, of Southbridge, 
 became the mother of nine children. Of 
 these, four are living, namely: Hiram, a resi- 
 dent of Southbridge and a director of the 
 American Optical Company; Lewis J., who 
 resides at the homestead in Woodstock ; Eliz- 
 abeth P., who lives in Southbridge; and 
 George W., the subject of this sketch and the 
 youngest of the family. 
 
 George W. Wells began his education in 
 the public schools and completed his studies 
 at the Woodstock Academy. At the age of 
 seventeen he taught school for a short time at 
 Navesink Highlands, N.J. In the spring of 
 1864 he began his apprenticeship to the opti- 
 cal business with R. H. Cole & Co., South- 
 bridge. Later he entered the machine shop of 
 the Hamilton Woollen Company, but subse- 
 quently returned to the optical business, 
 which he has since followed uninterruptedly 
 with the exception of a few months spent upon 
 the Pacific coast in 1867. In 1869 the firms 
 of R. H. Cole & Co. and H. C. Ammidown & 
 Co. were consolidated and incorporated as the 
 American Optica] Company. Mr. Wells has 
 been connected with the company since then, 
 
 working his way upward to his present respon- 
 sible position. The company's establishment 
 is considered the largest of its kind in the 
 world, occupying one hundred and fifty thou- 
 sand feet of floor space. The machinery is 
 driven by both steam and water power, re- 
 spectively capable of developing seven hun- 
 dred and fifty and three hundred horse power; 
 and an average of eleven hundred hands, prin- 
 cipally skilled workmen, are employed. The 
 output for 1898 amounted to two million, one 
 hundred and sixty thousand pairs of spectacles 
 and eye-glasses, which consumed ninety-one 
 tons of glass. The goods find their way to 
 nearly every part of the world. Large orders 
 are filled at short notice. Under its present 
 energetic and progressive management the 
 high reputation already acquired by the fac- 
 tory is bound to be maintained. Mr. Wells 
 is also president of the Southbridge National 
 Bank, a member of the Board of Investment 
 of the savings-bank, and a director of the 
 Water Supply Company, the Southbridge 
 & Sturbridge Street Railway Company, the 
 Central Mills Company, the Warren Pump 
 Works, and trustee Worcester Insane Hos- 
 pital. 
 
 On September 27, 1869, Mr. Wells was 
 united in marriage with Mary E. McGregoiy, 
 a daughter of Dr. John McGregory, of South- 
 bridge. Mrs. Wells is the mother of four 
 children, namely: Channing M., born in 
 1870; Albert B., born in 1872; J. Cheney, 
 born in 1874; and Mary E. Wells, born in 
 1878. Channing M., a graduate of the Mas- 
 sachusetts School of Technology, married, 
 November 9, 1898, Irene B. Kelley, of St. 
 Louis; Albert B. is a graduate of Harvard 
 University, class of 1893; J. Cheney com- 
 pleted his studies at the Worcester Academy; 
 and all three are connected with the Ameri- 
 can Optical Company. Mary E. Wells com- 
 pleted her education at a young ladies' 
 school in Stamford, Conn. Mr. Wells was 
 the first president of the Southbridge Young 
 Men's Christian Association, a liberal con- 
 tributor to its building fund, and a member 
 of its Building Committee. He occupied 
 the executive chair of the Worcester South 
 Agricultural Society for three terms, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 433 
 
 takes an active interest in all other insti- 
 tutions organized for the benefit of the gen- 
 eral community. A prominent Mason, he is 
 a member of the local bodies, of Worcester 
 Commandery, Knights Templar, and of Mas- 
 sachusetts Consistory. In politics he is a 
 Republican. The family are members and 
 attend the Baptist church. 
 
 B 
 
 EXTER A. BRIGHAM, a leading 
 agriculturist of Sutton, Worcester 
 County, Mass., was born in Rush- 
 ford, Winnebago County, Wis., on 
 July 30, 1857, son of Dr. John W. and Betsy A. 
 (Jelleff) Brighara. The first of the family to 
 come to America was one Thomas Brigham, 
 who embarked at London in the " Susan and 
 Ellen " in April, 1635, and whose name ap- 
 pears on the records of Watertown for 1637.. 
 He became a citizen of importance, and was 
 Selectman in 1640, 1642, and 1647. 
 
 This Puritan emigrant at his death in 1654 
 left a widow and five children, the second 
 child a son Thomas, who was twice married, 
 and was the father of Captain Nathan Brig- 
 ham, the next in tiiis ancestral line. Captain 
 Nathan Brigham was for seven years Select- 
 man of the town of Marlboro. He married 
 Elizabeth Howe. Their eldest child, Lieuten- 
 ant Nathan Brigham, was one of the Select- 
 men of the town of Southboro for a period of 
 twenty-eight years. Captain William Brig- 
 ham, fourth son of Lieutenant Brigham, made 
 his home in Marlboro, and had charge of the 
 minute-men there during the Revolution. He 
 was the father of Colonel Ephraim Brigham, 
 who was the great-grandfather of the subject 
 of this sketch, and who was chosen at the 
 election of officers of militia forces to the 
 office of Brigadier-general, but declined com- 
 mission on account of his private business, and 
 Genera] Rutter, of Wayland, was chosen in- 
 stead. 
 
 The Rev. Elijah Brigham, son of Colonel 
 Ephraim Brigham, was a blacksmith by trade; 
 and it was said of him that " the word of this 
 blacksmith is as good as the oath of a king." 
 He was a local preacher of great usefulness 
 and wide repute in the Methodist denomina- 
 
 tion. He was the father of the Methodist 
 churches in Fitchburg and Worcester, having 
 been the leader of the first Methodist class 
 meetings in both cities. While preaching he 
 followed his trade, and among other important 
 things he made was the first fire-engine made 
 in the city of Fitchburg. Later he engaged 
 in carriage building; and in 1856 he was the 
 senior partner of what was called the finest 
 carriage building firm in Boston, his factory 
 being located on Eliot Street, between Tre- 
 mont and Washington Streets. 
 
 Dr. John W. Brigham, son of the Rev. 
 Elijah Brigham, was born in Fitchburg, 
 Mass., March 11, 1835. He was educated in 
 the public schools of that town, a private 
 high school, and Wilbraham Academy. He 
 practised his profession fifteen years in Wis- 
 consin, and also resided for some time in 
 Iowa and New York. Subsequently he re- 
 tired from the practice of medicine, owing to 
 impaired nervous condition. In 1870 he 
 came to Sutton and purchased the Benjamin 
 Woodbury farm, which five years later he 
 sold to B. A. Whitcomb, then buying from 
 the Penniman heirs the house in which he 
 resided until his death, which occurred Sep- 
 tember II, 1898. He was in partnership 
 with his son. Dexter A., on the farm. He 
 was a Democrat in politics, was frequently 
 chosen by his party as delegate to various con- 
 ventions, and for several years was their can- 
 didate for Representative to the General 
 Court. He was a member of the Masonic 
 lodge in Millbury and of the Society of An- 
 tiquity of the city of Worcester. He married 
 in 1856 Betsy A., daughter of Captain 
 Alonzo S. Jelleff, of Ripon, Wis. Four sons 
 were the result of this union, all of whom, 
 with his widow, survive him. They are: 
 Dexter A., the subject of this sketch; Al- 
 fonso G. and Curtis M. J., of Fisherville; 
 and Sidney D., of Worcester. 
 
 Dexter A. Brigham received his education 
 in the public schools and in the high school 
 at Sutton. After leaving school he at once 
 began work on the farm of his father, having 
 manifested a strong bent toward agricultural 
 pursuits. He soon assumed full management 
 of the farm, which is devoted to general farm- 
 
434 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing, but making a special feature of dairying 
 and poultry raising. It is one of the most 
 profitable farms of its kind in the county. 
 Mr. Brigham has taken an active part in local 
 affairs. He has served the town as Select- 
 man, and is now and has been for the past 
 three years chairman of the board. For 
 three years he was an Overseer of the Poor. 
 He is a Deacon of the First Congregational 
 Church at Sutton, and also church treasurer. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Sutton Grange, 
 No. 109, P. of H. 
 
 He married Jennie A. Burnap, daughter of 
 John S. and Minerva (Hall) Burnap. The fol- 
 lowing named children have been born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Brigham: Mary Ethel, May 13, 
 1884; Alice Minerva, September 8, 1887; 
 Minnie Ann, September 6, 1889; Mabel Lou- 
 ise, May 3, 1891; and John Dexter, October 
 30, 1898. The four oldest children are at- 
 tending the public schools in Sutton. 
 
 |ZRA WASHINGTON MARBLE, a 
 prosperous manufacturer in Marbleville 
 (so named for his father and grand- 
 father), town of Sutton, was born on the farm 
 on which he resides, February 8, 1838, son of 
 Ezra Sibley and Fanny (Gibbs) Marble. Cap- 
 tain John Marble, the grandfather of Ezra W. 
 and an early settler here, was an energetic and 
 industrious farmer and a successful dealer in 
 cattle. He married Nancy Lathe, of Grafton, 
 Mass., who had two sons — Ezra Sibley and 
 John — and five daughters. John died in early 
 manhood. 
 
 Ezra S. Marble, born in Grafton in 18 15, 
 was a shuttle manufacturer, and also carried 
 on farming. He began with small means, and 
 did not strive for wealth, being content with 
 securing a comfortable living. His marriage 
 with Fanny Gibbs took place in 1834. She 
 was born in Greenwich, Mass., in 1805, being 
 ten years his senior. He died in 1862, aged 
 forty-eight; she in 1870, aged sixty-five. 
 They had twelve children, of whom seven at- 
 tained maturity. Of the latter, two are living 
 to-day: Ezra Washington, the subject of this 
 sketch; and Eleanor J., the wife of Orlando 
 
 Mclntyre, residing here. William Henry 
 Marble died here in the prime of life, leaving 
 a widow and one son, Frederick Marble. 
 Julia, who was the wife of Fred T. Lathe, 
 died soon after her marriage. Ann F., who 
 married Clarence M. Ruggles, died at the age 
 of fifty years, leaving no children. 
 
 Ezra Washington Marble passed his boy- 
 hood on the homestead farm. . Up to the age 
 of fifteen he was an attendant of the common 
 school. Beginning at about nine years of age, 
 he worked during his vacations in his father's 
 shuttle shop. After leaving school his time 
 was divided between the work of the farm and 
 that of the shop. Since he succeeded to his 
 father's business, he has given his attention 
 chiefly to the manufacture of shuttles and 
 shuttle irons, in connection with which he has 
 made valuable improvements and inventions. 
 Mr. Marble is a lover of horses, and has bred 
 some of the best in the country, including the 
 noted stallion, Benton M., which has a trot- 
 ting record of 2. 10. 
 
 Mr. Marble was first married in 1857, at 
 the age of nineteen, to Harriet M. Sawyer, 
 who had two children, both of whom died in 
 infancy. She died in 1868. In 1872 a sec- 
 ond marriage united Mr. Marble with Lunetta 
 E. Barnes, of Sutton, who died a year later. 
 On April 23, 1877, he entered a third union 
 with Ella J. Wheelock, who was born in 
 Worcester, daughter of Luke and Jane (Shack- 
 ley) Wheelock. Her father, a gunsmith by 
 trade, is still living. Her mother died when 
 she was but three years old. Ezra W. Marble, 
 Jr., living at home, is the only child of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Marble. 
 
 m 
 
 M H. DEXTER, a represent- 
 and philanthropic citizen and 
 
 estate magnate, who has been 
 prominently identified with the business in- 
 terests and building of Worcester for half a 
 century, was born in Charlton, Mass., January 
 II. 1823, the third of seven children of John 
 B. and Lucinda (Mclntire) Dexter. His 
 father was an enterprising builder and con- 
 tractor, and was also engaged in the general 
 merchandise business in Charlton. He was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 43S 
 
 born at Marlboro, Mass., June 24, 1797, and 
 died at Worcester, November 24, 1867. He 
 was married to Lucinda Mclntire, February 
 12, 1818. She was born in Charlton, April 
 8, 1793, and died at Worcester, January 5, 
 1866. 
 
 William H. Dexter attended the schools of 
 his native town, and at the age of fourteen en- 
 tered his father's employ as clerk. Later he 
 served in the same capacity in a store in 
 Burrillville, R.I., where he remained until 
 he was seventeen years old. Here he partly 
 developed that self-reliance and independence 
 which have been strong traits in his interest- 
 ing personality. Returning to Charlton, he 
 again resumed duty in his father's store. The 
 next year he went to Boston, remaining in 
 that city for five years thereafter, as clerk in 
 a general merchandise house. At this time 
 he had a strong ambition, quite marked for 
 one of his age, to become a merchant. In 
 1846, having acquired a good knowledge of 
 business and the requisite capital, he came to 
 Worcester, opening on Southbridge Street the 
 first grocery store off of Main Street. This 
 enterprise was successfully managed by him 
 for five years, after which he entered into the 
 wholesale and retail flour and grain business, 
 near the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets. 
 Here Mr. Dexter laid the corner-stone of that 
 career which has resulted so handsomely. 
 Three years later Mr. Dexter's rapidly in- 
 creasing trade and financial prosperity war- 
 ranted the erection of more commodious 
 quarters. 
 
 Being very progressive, he took a long step 
 in advance of the period, buying land on 
 Franklin Square of Judge Charles Allen, 
 where he erected a fine four-story block, mov- 
 ing his business to the ground floor. Paying 
 one dollar a foot for land was then deemed an 
 absurdity; but Mr. Dexter's business sagacity 
 and insight became apparent in 1893, when he 
 sold the same property for thirteen dollars a 
 foot. With indefatigable energy he pushed 
 on until he had the largest and most flourish- 
 ing flour and grain business in Worcester 
 County, enjoying a widespread reputation for 
 integrity and commercial high standing. 
 In 1877, having acquired a fortune by hon- 
 
 orable means and meritorious ability, Mr. 
 Dexter sold his flour interest to Hoi brook & 
 Co., and retired' from that enterprise. He 
 then gave his attention to the development of 
 Franklin Square. 
 
 He is an extensive property holder. The 
 building up of Franklin Square, which he 
 so named, is largely due to his influence. 
 Five-story blocks on the west side, between 
 the Clark and Knowles Buildings, adorn the 
 square, and give additional lustre to the Dex- 
 ter name. Another block erected by him is 
 situated on the north-east corner of Main 
 Street and Allen Court. The Franklin 
 Building, erected by Mr. Dexter in 1872, 
 stands near the new post-office government 
 building, which cost more than three hun- 
 dred thousand dollars. It is one of the 
 largest business blocks in the city, and has 
 an imposing brown stone front. It contains 
 numerous offices and fine stores, and has 
 proved a paying investment for twenty-five 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Dexter's foresight and courage in real 
 estate ventures are well known; and his judg- 
 ment is a rare quality of mind, possessed in 
 equal clearness by few, but sought by many 
 men who esteem his views to be of great 
 value. From 1873 to 1878, inclusive, he was 
 a valued member of the City Council, and for 
 three years acceptably served the School 
 Board. Public life, however, has had but 
 little attraction for a man of so self-possessed 
 and self-restrained a nature. 
 
 He was an originator of the First National 
 Fire Insurance Company, which he served 
 twenty-four years as a director and two years 
 as vice-president, resigning to develop his real 
 estate business. 
 
 Since 1874 Mr. Dexter has rendered im- 
 measurable aid to the Worcester Academy 
 (Baptist) as trustee and treasurer, having had 
 charge of its endowment fund for twenty-three 
 consecutive years. By his aid, advice, and 
 time devoted to the upbuilding of this great 
 institution, Mr. Dexter has been fittingly 
 deemed a pillar of the academy. He has done 
 as much, if not more than any other man for 
 the success of it. 
 
 Personally, he is kindly and genial by nat- 
 
436 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ure, as well as broad and philanthropic in his 
 outlook on life. In 1892 he gave five thou- 
 sand dollars to the United States government 
 to help purchase a site for a new post-office, 
 and the same year gave many thousands 
 toward the erection of Dexter Hall, Worcester 
 Academy. This structure, named in his 
 honor, is one of the finest dormitories in the 
 United States. In numerous ways Mr. Dex- 
 ter has promoted the growth of this institu- 
 tion, to which he has given half of his time. 
 For twenty-five years he has stimulated study 
 and research by giving prizes to boys in 
 junior classes. He is revered by the stu- 
 dents as a father, from whom they have learned 
 by example and precept some of life's best 
 lessons. 
 
 One of his pleasures is derived from help- 
 ing young men in their early struggles, and it 
 is well known that many who have attained 
 success cheerfully render testimony to their 
 indebtedness to him for his almost paternal 
 interest. Mr. Dexter has also given liberally 
 to the Main Street Baptist Church in this 
 city, with which he has been prominently 
 identified for a generation. A man of fine 
 instincts and refined sensibilities, it is 
 natural that he should have a religious vein 
 in his character. He reveres religion with- 
 out being narrow or bigoted, conscientiously 
 attends divine service, and shapes his conduct 
 in accord with Christian standards. 
 
 In 1848 he was united in marriage to Eliza 
 A. Fobs, of Livermore, Me. Their only 
 child, a daughter, died in infancy. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Dexter reside in a beautiful mansion 
 surrounded by attractive grounds, near the 
 church, which location is eminently fitting for 
 a man who subordinates material gains to 
 spiritual ends. Mr. Dexter is a gentleman 
 of the "old school," cultured, refined, and 
 highly endowed with intellectual talents. 
 
 Although a descendant of a distinguished 
 ancestry, his long and successful life has 
 added to rather than received lustre and honor 
 from the name of Dexter in New England. 
 Mr. Dexter' s family dates back to Gregory 
 Dexter, who was one of the companions of 
 Roger Williams when he founded Providence 
 Plantations in 1636-7. 
 
 OHN R. SOUTH WORTH, superin- 
 tendent of the North Brookfield Water 
 Works, has been a resident of this 
 town for nearly thirty-five years, and 
 during a larger part of the time has been 
 closely associated with its best interests. He 
 was born in Fairlee, Orange County, Vt., Oc- 
 tober I, 1836, a son of Ira and Betsey (Morris) 
 Southworth. His father, a native of West 
 Fairlee, Vt. , died in 1839. He was the son 
 of a Revolutionary soldier, one who was in 
 the battle of Bunker Hill; and he himself 
 enlisted to serve in the War of 181 2. Mr. 
 Southworth 's mother, who was born and reared 
 in Woodstock, Conn., did not long survive her 
 husband. Her father also was a soldier of the 
 Revolution, and fought at Bunker Hill. 
 
 Mr. Southworth is a lineal descendant of 
 Edward Southworth, of the English colony of 
 Pilgrims in Leyden, Holland, who died in 
 1 62 1, leaving a widow, Alice Carpenter 
 Southworth, and two young sons — Constant 
 and Thomas. Mrs. Alice Southworth, as is 
 well known, came to Plymouth in the third of 
 the forefather ships, the "Ann," in the sum- 
 mer of 1623, to marry Governor Bradford, 
 whose first wife was drowned in Cape Cod 
 Harbor before the landing at Plymouth. The 
 Southworth boys, who were left by their 
 mother in England, came over in 1628, five 
 years after her marriage, and were brought up 
 in the family of their step-father. Governor 
 Bradford. 
 
 The ancestry of Edward Southworth has 
 been traced back to Sir Gilbert Southworth, 
 knight, of Southworth Hall in County Lan- 
 caster. England, of the fourteenth century. 
 The Southworth arms are: field argent, hear- 
 ing a chevron between three crosses ; crosslet 
 sable; crest, a bull's head, erased, horned ox. 
 Motto: ^^ Sublimiora specteinnr'''' (Let us look 
 higher). 
 
 Constant Southworth, the elder son of Ed- 
 ward and Alice (Carpenter) Southworth, born 
 in 1614 in Leyden, was the founder of the 
 family to which the special subject of this 
 sketch belongs. He settled in Duxbury. 
 and married November 2, 1637, Elizabeth, 
 daughter of William Collier, who bore him 
 eight children. 
 
JOHN B. DRENNAN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 439 
 
 His son William, born in 1659, married 
 in 1680 Rebecca Peabodie, settled in Little 
 Compton, R.I., and had eleven children, nine 
 sons and two daughters. 
 
 Nathaniel, born in 1692, the next in line 
 of descent, married Mercy Torrey. He was 
 a ship-builder at Bristol, R.L, removed in 
 
 1720 to Mansfield, Conn., and was engaged 
 in the first ship-building at Norwich Land- 
 ing, now Norwich, Conn. He went as master 
 to the Mediterranean Sea in 1731, and was 
 never heard from. 
 
 Of his five sons, the eldest, Josiah, born in 
 
 1721 at Mansfield, Conn., died Feb. 7, 1791, 
 at Vershire, Vt. Josiah Southworth was 
 thrice married, first to Abigail Ward, second 
 to Esther Procter, of Dorset, Vt., and third 
 to Irene Reed. His children by his second 
 wife were : Constant and Lemuel Asa. 
 
 The last named, Lemuel A. Southworth, 
 was born at Mansfield, Conn., June 11, 1758, 
 and died at Vershire, Vt., in 1841. He 
 married in 1783 Elizabeth Stodard, who died 
 at West Fairlee, Vt. , in 1833, aged seventy- 
 three years. Their children were: Eliza- 
 beth, who became the wife of George Coburn ; 
 Eleazer, who married Anna Wild ; Ira (father 
 of the subject of this sketch), who married 
 Betsey Morris; Joseph, who married Huldah 
 White, and moved to Kingsville, Ohio; 
 Esther, who became the wife of William 
 Morris; Lucinda, who became the second 
 wife of George Coburn ; Constant, who mar- 
 ried Sally Frizzle; Lemuel Stodard, who 
 married Harriet Childs and for his second 
 wife Sarah Kimball; Anna, who married 
 James Langley; and Abigail, who died young. 
 
 John R. Southworth was left an orphan at 
 an early age, being thus thrown practically 
 upon his own resources in childhood. When 
 eight years old he came from Vermont to West; 
 Brookfield, where he attended the district 
 school a part of the time each season for six 
 years. Until i860 he spent his time in West 
 Brookfield and Vermont, but the following 
 four years he worked in West Brookfield. In 
 1864 he settled in North Brookfield, where he 
 has since made his home, and during much of 
 the time has been a public official. For 
 seventeen years he was one of the Overseers 
 
 of the Poor, being chairman of the board all 
 of the time excepting two years. He served 
 a while as Constable, and for the past twenty 
 years he has been chairman of the Republican 
 Town Committee. Since 1892 he has ably 
 filled his position on the local Water Board. 
 He has also rendered efficient service for a 
 number of years as the North Brookfield agent 
 of the Massachusetts Society for the Preven- 
 tion of Cruelty to Children. Fraternally, he 
 is a Mason and an Odd Fellow, belonging to 
 the Meridian Sun Lodge, F. & A. M., and to 
 Woodbine Lodge, No. 180, I.O.O.F., both of 
 this town. He attends the First Congrega- 
 tional Church, and is an active member of the 
 parish with which it is connected. 
 
 Mr. Southworth married August 14, 1862, 
 Miss Hattie T. Brown, of Whitefield, N.H. 
 They have two sons — George B. and John 
 R. , Jr. Mrs. Southworth is a daughter of 
 Benjamin and Jeannet (McMaster) Brown, of 
 Whitefield, N.H., where both her paternal 
 and maternal ancestors were pioneer settlers. 
 As an interesting fact in the local history of 
 that little town in the White Mountains, it 
 may here be said that her grandmother Mc- 
 Master was the first white child born within 
 its limits. 
 
 ,EV. JOHN B. DRENNAN, of 
 
 Southbridge, was born in Worcester 
 \s V County, Massachusetts, February 6, 
 1853. He received the rudiments 
 of his education in the public schools of 
 Worcester, and afterward took a course of 
 study at Howe's Business College, going 
 thence in 1869 to St. Charles College. After 
 his graduation from the latter institution he 
 took a full theological course at the Baltimore 
 Seminary, and was ordained December 20, 
 1879. H^ spent the entire period of his 
 curacy at St. Anne's Church, in Worcester, 
 remaining there seven and a half years. 
 In December, 1887, Father Drennan was 
 given charge of the Amherst church, which 
 had been without a resident pastor for fifteen 
 years. While there he purchased for a 
 rectory the old Colonial mansion that was 
 formerly the Conkey homestead. 
 
440 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In 1 89 1 Father Drennan came to South- 
 bridge, and very soon after remodelled the 
 entire church property at a considerable 
 expense, accomplishing the work at a time 
 when the financial resources of the parish 
 were at a particularly low ebb, owing to the 
 shutting down of the Hamilton Mills. But, 
 notwithstanding the hard times that have 
 since prevailed, his people have been very 
 loyal in church support, and money has not 
 been wanting to meet all necessary expenses. 
 Shortly after becoming pastor of this church 
 Father Drennan moved into the old rectory, 
 sending the Sisters to the Edward Street 
 dwelling, which he had in the meantime thor- 
 oughly repaired. 
 
 In 1893 he erected for the use of his pa- 
 rishioners a temperance society building, con- 
 taining a hall, gymnasium, and reading-room. 
 In 1895 he purchased a new cemetery, and has 
 expended large sums of money in improving 
 and repairing the parochial buildings. He 
 has also made extensive improvements in the 
 structure that has served for some years as a 
 church in Charlton City. 
 
 -ASPER STONE NELSON, formerly 
 the senior partner in the firm of J. S. 
 Nelson & Son, manufacturers of shoes 
 at Grafton, was born June 2, 1822, in 
 the town of Shrewsbury, son of Josiah and 
 Sophia (Goddard) Nelson. The farm, which 
 was his birthplace, has been in the possession 
 of the family for more than a century and a 
 quarter, and is still owned by a Nelson. 
 After leaving the district schools, when he 
 was about eighteen years of age, he was a stu- 
 dent at Worcester Academy for three months. 
 Then he began learning the shoemaker's trade 
 with his elder brother, dividing his time about 
 equally between the farm and the bench until 
 he was twenty-three years old. In 1845, i" 
 company with his brother, he began the 
 manufacture of shoes at Shrewsbury, working 
 at first in a shop ten by thirteen feet, situ- 
 ated near his home. The brothers were their 
 own salesmen ; and, as they made the greater 
 part of their goods themselves, thereby secur- 
 ing superior workmanship, the sales were 
 
 quick and the business increased. In 1848 
 Jasper removed to North Grafton, where he 
 formed a partnership with James S. Stone, of 
 Boston, a former resident of Grafton. In the 
 year following the two bought land near the 
 Boston & Albany station, and erected a build- 
 ing which is a part of the present plant. On 
 November i, 1857, Mr. Nelson became the 
 sole proprietor of the business, and afterward 
 carried it on under his own name until the ist 
 of January, 1869. At that time George H. 
 Rugg, a former employee, was admitted to 
 partnership, and Charles H. Nelson, the pres- 
 ent manager, four years later. On January i, 
 1877, at the close of another four years, Mr. 
 Rugg disposed of his interest to the other 
 partners, and the firm assumed its present 
 name. The original factory built here was 
 thirty by forty feet in dimensions and two 
 stories in height. The plant has now a 
 floorage of two hundi-ed and sixty-four by 
 thirty feet, is four stories high, and employs 
 about two hundred men. 
 
 During the Civil War Mr. Nelson was a 
 member of the special committee chosen by 
 the town to look after its military interests. 
 For two years he served the town as Select- 
 man, and in 1870-71 he represented it in the 
 State legislature. He invariably had the per- 
 sonal regard of his workmen, who felt him to 
 be their friend as well as their employer. A 
 man of fine physique and commanding pres- 
 ence, he appeared at all times to be in robust 
 health. His death occurred on October 22, 
 1884. 
 
 Mrs. Nelson, whose maiden name was Mary 
 E. Wheelock, became the wife of Mr. Nelson 
 on October 31, 1848. She was a daughter of 
 Gardner Wheelock. She died June 26, 1896. 
 Her children were: Emma Elizabeth and 
 Carrie Oilman Nelson, both of whom died 
 before reaching their majority; and Charles 
 Horatio Nelson, who was born in January, 
 1852. Having worked in different depart- 
 ments of the factory, Charles was made a 
 partner in the business at the age of twenty- 
 one. Continuing his experience, he has acted 
 successively as salesman, buyer, and manager, 
 and has conducted the business since his 
 father's death. At the present time he em- 
 
4SSnff ]|!». r 
 
 'lc" iij J/- 3, iTari's Sms. N'^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 443 
 
 ploys from twelve to fourteen salesmen, deal- 
 ing directly with the retail trade. In politics 
 he is a Republican. He has served on the 
 Town Committee, and he was Selectman from 
 1886 to 1890, refusing a renomination at the 
 end of that time. In June, 1897, he married 
 Annie Brown, daughter of James Brown, of 
 Grafton. 
 
 ter County. 
 March 28, 
 
 kRS. NELLIE M. STEARNS 
 BROWN enjoys the distinction 
 of being the only woman mill 
 proprietor and operator in Worces- 
 She was born in Holden on 
 1836. Her maiden name was 
 Moore. She has been twice married. Her 
 first husband, William J. Stearns, whose wife 
 she became on November 14, 1858, died De- 
 cember 21, 1887. On July 15, 1896, she was 
 married to Lewis W. Brown, a native of Con- 
 cord, N.H., born November 16, 1827. 
 
 Mr. Brown has occupied positions of trust 
 with various leading railroads throughout the 
 United States. He began at the age of eigh- 
 teen as an employee in the engine house, and 
 from that humble position rose to be engineer 
 and conductor, having charge at different 
 times of both freight and passenger trains. 
 His most recent position was in Milwaukee,, 
 where he had charge of the yards of the Chi- 
 cago & North-western Road. Among the 
 companies in whose employ he has been are 
 the following: the old Concord Railroad, the 
 Boston, Concord & Montreal, the Wabash, 
 and the P. F. W. & C. 
 
 William J. Stearns was the founder of what 
 has since developed into the Lakeville 
 Woollen Company. Mr. Stearns was born in 
 Holden on September 3, 1837, son of Adol- 
 phus and Nancy Stearns. He received a pub- 
 lic-school education, and early in life went to 
 work in the weaving department of the Oak- 
 dale Mills. His first independent business 
 venture was to engage in the manufacture of 
 hoop-skirt tape at Unionville in the town of 
 Hcilden, and his next was to undertake the 
 manufacture of cotton batting and comforters, 
 first in Oakdale and then in Worcester; and 
 he then came to West Rutland on the site where 
 
 the woollen company is now located. He 
 was a stanch Republican politically, and lib- 
 eral in his religious views. Active and pro- 
 gressive, he won the confidence of the people 
 of Rutland; and his death on December 21, 
 1887, was sincerely lamented by all who knew 
 him. He left a son, Frederick B., born May 
 16, 1866, who is now engaged in a general 
 merchandise trade at West Rutland. Fred- 
 erick B. Stearns married Helen G. Kennen. 
 
 The history of the development of the 
 Lakeville Woollen Company is an interesting 
 one. Mr. Stearns began operations here in 
 1873 by running a grist-mill. He soon 
 changed it to a cotton-batting mill, and manu- 
 factured bed comforters at the rate of about 
 two dozen a day. This industry was contin- 
 ued until the mill was destroyed by fire in 
 1876. Soon after a mill was built a few rods 
 above the site of the old one to manufacture 
 the same line of goods, but it was changed to 
 the manufacture of satinets. Then on the 
 first site a mill was built to furnish shoddy 
 for the making of satinets. This mill also 
 was destroyed by fire in 1879, ^'^^ three years 
 later the other mill was burned. For the next 
 two years Mr. Stearns followed farming, but 
 it not being suited to his taste he returned to 
 manufacturing; and in 1884 the present plant 
 was built. Since that time several additions 
 have been made. Both steam and water power 
 are employed. As to machinery and appli- 
 ances it is one of the most thoroughly 
 equipped mills in this region, and improve- 
 ments are constantly being made. The mill 
 employs about forty hands, and is in opera- 
 tion throughout the year. A fine grade of 
 satinets is produced, the average output 
 being nine thousand yards per week; and this 
 is sold through Bacon & Co., of 92-94 Frank- 
 lin Street, New York. Mrs. Brown does the 
 buying of stock herself. Two shoddy-mills 
 are run as auxiliaries to the main factory, and 
 for the use of the operatives connected with 
 the plant Mrs. Brown has built and owns 
 twenty-one tenements in West Rutland. 
 
 That Mrs. Brown is one of the most able 
 financial managers in the town is proved by 
 the variety and success of her business enter- 
 prises. In addition to the factory, with its 
 
444 
 
 BIOGRAPtllCAL REVIEW 
 
 numerous appurtenances, she owns and oper- 
 ates one of the largest farms hereabouts. It is 
 situated in West Rutland, and contains five 
 hundred acres. Since it came into the pos- 
 session of its present owner, much of the land 
 has been cleared from stony, rough timbered 
 tracts to fertile mowing lands and smooth 
 pastures. A fine herd of fifty blooded Jerseys 
 and Holsteins, besides one hundred and fifty 
 graded cattle, is kept, and about a thousand 
 cans of milk per month are produced. Suffi- 
 cient food for the stock, including also the 
 seventeen horses, is raised on the place, and 
 fresh fodder is fed out all through the winter 
 from the silo. The farm buildings are kept 
 in excellent condition, and the dairy is sup- 
 plied with the latest and most approved appli- 
 ances. Mrs. Brown believes that it pays to 
 keep in touch with progress in every field. 
 She is respected by all her employees, and 
 disturbances so frequent in many manufactur- 
 ing concerns are almost wholly unknown in 
 her mill. 
 
 'MOS M. EATON, of Worcester, a 
 prosperous real estate dealer, was 
 born in 1833 at Pelham, Mass., 
 where he resided until seven years 
 of age, when his parents brought him to 
 Worcester. His father, who was a stone- 
 mason by trade, also taught school and car- 
 ried on a farm. The son, Amos, received a 
 good education. After helping his father on 
 the farm until eighteen years of age, he in 
 company with Mr. O. A. Kelley purchased a 
 store on the corner of School and Union 
 Streets, where they opened and carried on a 
 grocery. Mr. Kelley retiring in a few years, 
 Mr. Eaton continued the business success- 
 fully for twenty-five years, thereafter gaining 
 a wide reputation for enterprise and integrity, 
 and building up a large trade. Retiring 
 from the grocery business in 1880, he then 
 sought a larger field of activity, investing 
 his capital in real estate in East and South 
 Worcester. From his lands he sold large 
 quantities of sand and gravel for building 
 purposes. He continued actively in business 
 until his death, which occurred July 4, 1895. 
 
 Mr. Eaton was a man of strong character. 
 Just, generous, and high-minded, he led an 
 exemplary life, and was esteemed by all as 
 a man of his word. He acquired a fair com- 
 petence as the result of his business enter- 
 prises. 
 
 Mr. Eaton married in 1856 Eliza M. Kel- 
 ley, daughter of O. A. and Maria (Bacon) 
 Kelley. Her father was for many years a 
 well-known grocer and real estate dealer. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Eaton had one daughter, Cora 
 Maria Eaton, who married Charles H. Hey- 
 wood, of Worcester, and now resides in Mil- 
 waukee, Wis. 
 
 TEPHEN KIBBE EDWARDS, 
 a successful real estate dealer of 
 Southbridge, was born in this town, 
 March i, 1845, son of William and 
 Catharine (Wardwell) Edwards. His first 
 ancestor in this country emigrated from Wales 
 at an early date in the Colonial period; and 
 his great-grandfather. Captain Robert Ed- 
 wards, served as an officer in the war for 
 independence. Jacob Edwards, the grand- 
 father, who was a native of Charlton, Mass., 
 and a prosperous farmer, married a sister of 
 the Hon. William L. Marcy. William Ed- 
 wards, the father, born in Southbridge in 
 1 8 10, was a general merchant in this town 
 for many years, making a specialty of grain 
 and feed. His death occurred in 1886. He 
 served with ability as a Selectman, and was 
 one of the prime movers in securing the con- 
 struction of the railway to this town. Cath- 
 arine, his wife, who was a daughter of Dr. 
 Stephen K. Wardwell, of Hardwick, Mass., 
 became the mother of seven children. Two 
 of these are living: Stephen K., the subject 
 of this sketch; and Kate L., who resides with 
 her brother in Southbridge. 
 
 Stephen Kibbe Edwards obtained his edu- 
 cation in the public schools, Williston Semi- 
 nary, and Nichols Academy in Dudley, Mass. 
 Entering his father's store as a clerk, he con- 
 tinued in that capacity until the business was 
 moved from the building now occupied by the 
 P. H. Carpenter Corporation store on Main 
 Street to a new building on Crane Street, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 445 
 
 where Weld & Beck are now located. Then 
 he was admitted to partnership, forming the 
 firm of William Edwards & Son, which con- 
 ducted a wholesale flour, grain, and feed store 
 until 1885. Afterward he engaged in the real 
 estate business, which has since occupied his 
 time. Since then he has erected upward of 
 fifty buildings, which he offers for sale or 
 rent. On November 30, 1871, he was united 
 in marriage with Mary C. Dresser, a daugh- 
 ter of Chester A. and Mary (Bartlett) Dresser. 
 Mrs. Edwards is the mother of four sons, 
 namely: William Dresser, born in 1876, who 
 graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic 
 Institute, and is now first assistant engineer 
 upon United States ship "Newark"; Jacob 
 Bartlett, born in 1879, who graduated from 
 the Southbridge High School, and is now 
 with the Page-Carpenter Corporation ; Ward- 
 well Marcy, born in 1881, who is now attend- 
 ing the high school; and Richwood S. Ed- 
 wards, who was born in 1889. 
 
 In the public service Mr. Edwards has won 
 an honorable record. He served as a Select- 
 man for the years 1877, 1878, and 1879, has 
 been a member of the Board of Health, was 
 for three years upon the Board of Registra- 
 tion, and is now an Assessor and the chair- 
 man of the Building Committee appointed to 
 superintend the erection of the new grammar 
 school-house, which is to cost the sum of forty 
 thousand dollars. On two occasions he has 
 been the Democratic candidate for the legis- 
 lature, and kept his Republican opponent's 
 majority down to a narrow margin in each 
 contest. He was a delegate to the National 
 Democratic Convention held in Chicago in 
 1884, which first nominated Grover Cleveland 
 for President; and he served as the chairman 
 of the Democratic Town Committee through- 
 out the ensuing campaign. He is a member 
 of the Quinnebaug Lodge, F. & A. M., and 
 of the Royal Arcanum. 
 
 'OLON FRANCIS SMITH, a well- 
 known contractor of Grafton and the 
 superintendent and treasurer of the 
 water-works, was born in Bristol, 
 R.I., May 15, 1847, son of Solon Hamilton 
 
 and Sarah Munro Smith. He is descended 
 from Peter Smith, of North Swansea, who 
 built vessels at Barneysville in that town. 
 Many years before, Mason Barney, an ances- 
 tor of Mr. Smith's mother, began ship-build- 
 ing there. Peter Smith's son. Constant 
 Smith, who, born in 1746, died on February 
 7, 183s, was a weaver by occupation, and dur- 
 ing the Revolution was engaged in weaving 
 blankets for the soldiers. Constant married 
 Martha Galushet, whose father, Jacob Galu- 
 shet, had emigrated from France after the 
 Massacre of Saint Bartholomew, and settled 
 in Jersey. His son, the Rev. Eleazer Smith, 
 grandfather of Solon F. Smith, was born in 
 North Swansea on December g, 1790, and 
 died on January 29, 1866. His wife was a 
 daughter of William and Anne (Wood) Bar- 
 ney, and her ancestry goes back to Colonial 
 days. Her paternal uncles were in the French 
 and Indian War, volunteers from New Eng- 
 land. Her mother, Anne, was a daughter of 
 Job Wood, a Seekonk farmer and a soldier of 
 the Revolution. He and his sons were at 
 Valley Forge with Washington and in the 
 American army throughout the seven years' 
 war. They were paid off in continental 
 money, worth just ten cents per dollar. It is 
 stated that Farmer Wood gave all his money, 
 a hat full, for a two-year-old heifer for his 
 farm, many of his cattle having been killed 
 off during the war. One of Job Wood's sons 
 was with General Gates on the heights of 
 Saratoga, when Burgoyne surrendered with 
 seven thousand men. Solon Hamilton Smith, 
 who was born at Seekonk, July 22, 1825, is 
 a shipwright by trade. Besides his son, 
 Solon F. Smith, he has two other children 
 living. One, a son, H. E. Smith, is a promi- 
 nent manufacturer at Providence, R.I. The 
 other, a daughter, is the wife of Captain 
 F. W. Wyman, a sea captain of Bristol, R.I. 
 Solon Francis Smith received a practical 
 education in the schools of his native town. 
 At the age of fifteen years he became a mem- 
 ber of the Bristol Artillery, and before he had 
 reached twenty-one he was made Lieutenant 
 Colonel. This is one of the three surviving 
 companies of those famous old-time organiza- 
 tions. Mr. Smith, who was highly valued 
 
446 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 by the other members, retains the most pleas- 
 ant recollections of his connection therewith. 
 When he left Bristol he was presented by the 
 officers and men with a handsome photograph 
 album, that is now one of his most cherished 
 possessions. At the age of seventeen Mr. 
 Smith began learning the plumbing and tin- 
 ware business with George Tilly, and three 
 years later he was working for himself in 
 Bristol. In 1871 he removed to Saunders- 
 ville, Grafton; and in 1874 he came to the 
 village. Since then he has carried on exten- 
 sive operations as a contractor, and has erected 
 many important structures. Among these 
 may be mentioned the water-works of Grafton 
 and North Grafton and those at Fisherville 
 and Saundersville. He also extended the 
 water-mains for William Knowlton & Sons at 
 West Upton. His business lies chiefly in 
 the towns of Massachusetts and Rhode Isl- 
 and, including Upton, Whitinsville, and Prov- 
 idence. Mr. Smith was one of the incorpora- 
 tors of the Grafton Water Works. In 1886 
 and 1887 he was the superintendent of the 
 company, and since that time he has been both 
 superintendent and treasurer. He is also a 
 trustee of the Grafton Savings Bank and a 
 member of its Committee on Finance. In 
 politics he is a Republican. For many years 
 he was chief engineer of the Grafton fire de- 
 partment. He is a Past Master of Franklin 
 Lodge of Masons in Grafton; a member of 
 Eureka Royal Arch Chapter, of Worcester, of 
 Hiram Council, and of the Worcester Com- 
 mander of Knights Templar. 
 
 On June 13, 1867, Mr. Smith was united 
 in marriage with Annie Ralston Ferguson, of 
 Glasgow, Scotland, daughter of John Fergu- 
 son. Of this marriage four children have 
 been born — Theodore Francis, Henry Eleazer, 
 Grace Hamilton, and Raymond Ralston. On 
 June 13, 1896, Theodore was united in mar- 
 riage with Charlotte Taft Davenport, of 
 Mendon, Mass. He has been in partnership 
 with his father for the last thirteen years. 
 Henry E. has been in Providence, R. I., dur- 
 ing the last ten years, or since he was six- 
 teen years of age, in company with his uncle. 
 He married Mabel L. Perry, of Perry vi He, 
 Webster, Mass., on October 2, 1895, ^'^^ has 
 
 a little daughter, Mildred Perry Smith. 
 Grace Hamilton Smith, who was educated in 
 the Grafton schools, is now a teacher in this 
 town. The youngest child, Raymond, is a 
 student, class of 1898, in the department of 
 electrical engineering of the Worcester Poly- 
 technic Institute. 
 
 AMUEL N. GLEASON, a promi- 
 nent and well-to-do farmer of War- 
 ren, was born in this town, January 
 25, 1822, son of Artemas and Cla- 
 rissa H. (Lane) Gleason. His father was 
 a native of Warren, as was also his grand- 
 father, Jason Gleason. The great-grandfather, 
 Joseph Gleason, who fought at the battle of 
 Lexington, came to Warren when a boy with 
 his father, Isaac Gleason, who was the first 
 member of the family to settle here. Previ- 
 ous ancestors came from England, and it is 
 thought that the family is of Scandinavian 
 origin. Artemas Gleason, father of Samuel 
 N. , passed the greater part of his active period 
 in Warren. After his marriage he settled 
 upon the farm now occupied by his son, and 
 resided here until his death, which occurred 
 in 1859 at the age of nearly seventy years. 
 His wife, Clarissa, was a native of Enfield, 
 Mass. 
 
 Samuel N. Gleason acquired a public-school 
 education in hjs native town. He gained a 
 knowledge of agriculture on the old homestead, 
 which he inherited after his father's death; 
 and he has since made general farming his 
 principal occupation. His property consists 
 of one hundred and forty acres of fertile land, 
 comprising one of the best farms in this local- 
 ity; and he is widely known as an able and 
 successful agriculturist. 
 
 In 1851 Mr. Gleason was joined in marriage 
 with Mary J. Allen, daughter of Samuel 
 Allen, of Pomfret, Conn. Mrs. Gleason died 
 in 1889 after a wedded life of thirty-eight 
 years. Politically a Republican, Mr. Gleason 
 has been his party's candidate for the legis- 
 lature. He has served with ability as As- 
 sessor, and was a Selectman for seventeen 
 years, during the greater part of that time 
 being chairman of the board. He was one of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 447 
 
 the founders and for three years was president 
 of the Worcester South Agricultural Society, 
 and was for a similar length of time a member 
 of the State Board of Agriculture. He is one 
 of the best informed men in town in regard 
 to all local affairs, and enjoys the reputation 
 of being a liberal-minded, public - spirited 
 citizen. He attends the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 'RED L. BRYANT, a prominent busi- 
 ness man of Holden, engaged in the 
 manufacture of boxes, son of Lyman 
 and Mary (Merrifield) Bryant, was born here, 
 August 27, 1838. The father, who was born 
 in Leicester, now Paxton, was a mechanic by 
 trade. After his marriage in 1827 he came to 
 Holden, settling where his son now resides. 
 He built the first mill on the site of the pres- 
 ent one, and during the remainder of his life 
 was employed at carpentering and wood-work. 
 For forty years he was the village sexton. 
 He was also Selectman for a time. In poli- 
 tics he was a Whig and later a Republican. 
 An earnest believer in Christianity, he was 
 a member of the Baptist church. His death 
 .occurred at the age of ninety years. His 
 wife, who was born in West Boylston, died at 
 the age of eighty-four years. Of their four 
 children, all of whom attained maturity, Fred 
 L. and Mandana are living. The latter re- 
 sides with her brother. The deceased chil- 
 dren were : Mary J. and Arnold. 
 
 Fred L. Bryant grew to maturity in Holden, 
 and received his education in the public 
 schools of the town. When a young man he 
 learned the shoemaker's trade. Later he was 
 engaged in business with his father until the 
 death of the latter, when he assumed the man- 
 agement of the mill. The mill is supplied 
 with excellent machinery, and is operated by 
 steam power. In addition to his wood-work 
 and box-making he conducts a cider-mill, 
 which is in operation for a part of the year, 
 and an ice business, of which he makes a 
 feature. His establishment is one of the 
 busiest spots in Holden, and he is one of the 
 most active men to be found in the town. He 
 gives his personal attention to the work, 
 
 which fact, in large measure, accounts for the 
 constantly increasing prosperity of the busi- 
 ness. He also does some farming. 
 
 Mr. Bryant was first married on May 10, 
 1868, when about thirty years of age, to 
 Angle Holmes, who died on June 7, 1877. 
 By a subsequent marriage he was wedded to 
 Eliza Jane Newell, who was born in Holden. 
 Of his five children Edward E. and Luella are 
 deceased. The others are: Henry A., who 
 resides in Holden; Maud I., now residing in 
 Worcester; and Walter L. , who is a child of 
 the second marriage. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Bryant are members of the Baptist church. 
 Mr. Bryant has always voted the Republican 
 ticket. His industry has been rewarded with 
 a large measure of success in business. 
 
 "|r~X ANIEL M. PARKER, an enterpris- 
 I I ing manufacturer of Oakham, was 
 i L^V ^ovn in Lyman, N. H., November 3, 
 1 817, son of Moody and Milicent 
 (Moulton) Parker. The grandfathers on both 
 sides, who were Massachusetts men, became 
 early settlers in Lyman, and resided there for 
 the rest of their lives. One located upon an 
 eminence which was afterward known as 
 Parker's Hill; while the other established 
 himself on a neighboring elevation, which 
 took the name of Moulton's Hill. Owing to 
 a discovery of gold upon the Moulton farm, 
 it was sold to a syndicate, which expended 
 considerable money in a futile endeavor to 
 find a paying deposit; but, like all other 
 mining ventures in New England, the enter- 
 prise proved unsuccessful. 
 
 Moody Parker, the father, was a native of 
 Lyman. After residing there until 1821, he 
 moved to Wilcott, Vt. Besides farming he 
 followed the carpenter's and shoemaker's 
 trades. Skilful in all kinds of handicraft, 
 he furnished the neighborhood with chairs, 
 spinning-wheels, and other useful articles. 
 The loss of a leg in early life seemed of little 
 or no impediment to his powers of locomotion, 
 as he was able to climb to the roofs of houses 
 with about as much agility as his more fort- 
 unate associates. When the War of 1812 
 brokQ QHt, he volunteered his services, ancl 
 
448 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was commissioned a Captain. His wife, who 
 was also a native of Lyman, became the 
 mother of seven children, namely; Fannie, 
 who died in 1848; Daniel M., the subject of 
 this sketch ; S. Ransell Parker, who is no 
 longer living; Charles G., of Worcester, 
 Mass.; Clark M., a resident of California; 
 Ephraim L., who died at the age of ten years; 
 and Ellen B. , who is residing in Wilcott. 
 Both parents lived to be nearly ninety years 
 old. They attended the Universalist church. 
 
 Daniel M. Parker was educated in Wilcott, 
 first attending school in a log house. When 
 about nineteen years old he located in Holden, 
 Mass., where for the succeeding ten years he 
 was employed as a millman at twenty dollars 
 per month. Coming to Oakham in 1846, he 
 hired the mill privilege which he now owns. 
 Having purchased the property in 1853 or 
 1854, he continued to manufacture lumber 
 and building material. In 1863 he erected 
 a new mill. This he has since enlarged, to 
 accommodate his increasing business. For 
 many years he has made a specialty of shin- 
 gles, powder kegs, cheese boxes, sleds, wagon 
 bodies, and general jobbing work. The 
 founder and proprietor of one of Oakham's 
 leading industries, he has been largely instru- 
 mental in maintaining the prosperity of the 
 town. 
 
 On January 10, 1849, Mr. Parker married 
 Mary A. Brigham, who was born in Rutland, 
 Mass., June 12, 1829. Her parents, Henry 
 and Sally (Sibley) Brigham, were natives of 
 Barre, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Parker 
 have five children, namely: Clarence H., born 
 in October, 1849, now a merchant at Cold- 
 brook Springs, who is married and has one 
 son — Harry B. ; Evander L. , born August 
 28, 1851, who is married and has two children 
 — Maud E. and Winfield S. ; Floyd R., born 
 August 30, 1853, who is married and has two 
 children — Virgil R. and Mary A. ; Daniel M., 
 born July 18, 1855, who is the father of two 
 children ^ — Milicent A. and Verlie E. ; and 
 Maida A., born April 5, 1857, who is the wife 
 of F. E. Stevens, of Cumberland Hill, R.I. 
 All but the last named reside in Oakham. In 
 politics Mr. Parker is a Republican. He has 
 served with ability as a Selectrnan for several 
 
 years, and he has rendered valuable assistance 
 to the town in educational matters. Although 
 he is over eighty years old, he is still giving 
 personal attention to his business affairs; and 
 the lively interest he has manifested for many 
 years in the general welfare of the town con- 
 tinues unabated. 
 
 G. STONE, a painting contrac- 
 North Brookfield, son of Lib- 
 and Charlotte (Hamilton) 
 Stone, was born in Charlton, Mass., 
 July 22, 1847. The paternal grandfather, 
 Amasa Stone, removed to Charlton with his 
 parents when about thirteen years old, and 
 there spent nearly all of the remainder of his 
 life. The last few years were passed in North 
 Brookfield, where he died at the age of ninety- 
 six. In Charlton he served as a Representa- 
 tive from that district to the General Court. 
 
 Liberty Stone, son of Amasa and a native 
 of Charlton, first engaged in agriculture, and 
 for years was a well-known farmer of Charl- 
 ton. Coming to North Brookfield in 1872, he 
 resided here continuously until his death, on 
 July 15, 1897. In Charlton he served accept- 
 ably in the offices of Selectman and Assessor. 
 He was one of the original directors of the 
 North Brookfield Railroad, running from North 
 Brookfield to East Brookfield, which is oper- 
 ated by the Boston & Albany Railroad Com- 
 pany. His wife, Charlotte, was also a native 
 of Charlton. Her father was a soldier in the 
 War of 1 812, and died in service. Of their 
 children five survive, namely: Henry A., a 
 resident of Sturbridge, Mass. ; Seraph A., the 
 wife of N. H. DeLane, of North Brookfield; 
 Rebecca E., the wife of A. O. Blood, of Den- 
 ver, Col. ; and Amasa G. and Ella J., both of 
 whom live in North Brookfield. 
 
 The boyhood of Amasa G. Stone was passed 
 in his native town. He availed himself of 
 the educational privileges afforded by the 
 public schools. At the age of twenty-three 
 he came to North Brookfield, and for several 
 years was employed in the Batcheller hoot and 
 shoe factory. Afterward he conducted a gro- 
 cery business here for ten years. Finally he 
 drifted into the painting business, in which 
 
JA.MES DALEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 4SI 
 
 he has since become the leading contractor 
 of North Brookfield. By his marriage with 
 Fannie L. Nichols, of Charlton, he is the 
 father of one son, Amasa E. , who, having 
 graduated at the North Brookfield High 
 School, is now studying music. In politics 
 Mr. Stone is a stanch Republican, and he 
 has served on the North Brookfield Republican 
 Committee. Fraternally, he is a member of 
 the Independent Order of Odd B'ellows, of 
 this place. Soon after coming here he united 
 with the First Congregational Church, and is 
 now a member of its Board of Deacons. 
 
 'AMES DALEY, a prominent resident 
 of Uxbridge and an ex-member of the 
 legislature, was born in Dunmanway, 
 County Cork, Ireland, April 28, 1842, 
 son of Dennis and Eliza (Dean) Daley. His 
 parents emigrated from Ireland in 1848. The 
 father, who was a railroad employee for a 
 number of years, settled upon a farm in Ux- 
 bridge, where he resided for the rest of his 
 life. He died in 1874, and his wife died in 
 December, 1897. 
 
 When he arrived in the United States, 
 James Daley was about six years old. His 
 education, which was begun in Ireland, was 
 completed in the public schools of the various 
 towns in which his boyhood was passed. 
 After July, 1853, when the family located in 
 Uxbridge, having previously resided in Ash- 
 land, N.H., Buckfield, Me., and other places, 
 young Daley worked at farming, shoemaking, 
 and other occupations for a time. From i860 
 to 1863 he was employed in a woollen-mill at 
 Ashland, and during the succeeding four years 
 he was an operative in what is now the Hecla 
 Mill in Uxbridge. Then he entered the gro- 
 cery business as a clerk for Richard Mason, 
 and was so employed for almost two years. 
 Since 1871 he has conducted a thriving general 
 mercantile business at Wheelockville, and also 
 carries on a livery stable. On July 6, 1867, 
 Mr. Daley married for his first wife Catharine 
 Cunningham, who was a daughter of Michael 
 and Ellen Cunningham, of Uxbridge, and who 
 died in 1874. His present wife, whom he 
 wedded in 1876, was before marriage Mary, 
 
 daughter of Morris Fitzgerald, of this town. 
 Mrs. Daley has had two children: Denis A., 
 born in 1877, who was a graduate of the Ux- 
 bridge High School, and died in 1895; and 
 Benjamin, born in 1879, who has also gradu- 
 ated at the high school. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Daley is a Democrat. He 
 was the first Registrar of Voters under the 
 present law. From 1892 to 1895 he served 
 the town in the capacity of Selectman, and 
 was instrumental in securing for Uxbridge the 
 right to take water from Mendon Pond after 
 a controversy lasting three years. He was 
 also one of a committee appointed to solicit 
 funds for the erection of the soldiers' monu- 
 ment in 1898 and of one to negotiate the sale 
 of water bonds when the town purchased its 
 present water-works. At present he is upon 
 the committee appointed to obtain from the 
 General Court an extension of the time al- 
 lowed the town to utilize the water of Mendon 
 Pond. In the legislature of 1886 he was as- 
 signed to the Committee on Drainage; and to 
 him, largely, belongs the credit of the passage 
 of the act relieving Uxbridge from the evils 
 resulting from the pollution of the Blackstone 
 River by sewage from the city of Worcester. 
 Also he served upon the committee appointed 
 to defend the town against the proposed act to 
 add a portion of its territory to the neigh- 
 boring town of Northbridge, which act was 
 finally defeated. He is a trustee of the Ux- 
 bridge Savings Bank. All measures designed 
 for public improvement are sure of his sup- 
 port. He attends St. Mary's Roman Catholic 
 Church, in which he served as an altar boy 
 under its first pastor, the Rev. E. J. Sheridan. 
 
 (sTYLBERT W. CURTIS, attorney-at-law 
 P\ and chairman of the Board of Select- 
 yJ]A men of Spencer, was born in 
 — ' Worcester, Mass., May 26, 1849, 
 son of Benjamin F. and Hannah S. (Wake- 
 field) Curtis. His first American ancestor 
 was Ephraim Curtis, an early settler in 
 Worcester, Samuel Curtis (first), the great- 
 grandfather, was a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen during the Revolutionary War. 
 His son, Sarouel (second), grandfatlier of 
 
452 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Albert, was a lifelong resident of Worcester, 
 as was also the father, Benjamin F., Curtis, 
 the latter being a prosperous farmer. Mr. 
 Curtis's mother was a native of Vermont. 
 
 Albert W. Curtis attended the common and 
 high schools of Worcester, and was subse- 
 quently graduated at Yale College in the class 
 of iS/r. His legal studies were pursued 
 under the direction of Judge Thomas L. Nel- 
 son and at the Harvard University Law 
 School, and he was admitted to the Worces- 
 ter County bar in 1874. Locating in Spencer 
 two years later, in 1876, he has since con- 
 ducted a profitable general law business here, 
 besides acting as a Justice of the Peace and 
 Notary Public. He is also a trustee of the 
 public library and the savings-bank. Polit- 
 ically a Republican, he has served as Town 
 Clerk since 1877, and has been a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen for a number of years, 
 during the past three of which he has been its 
 chairman. He has done good service, both as 
 a private citizen and public official, in promot- 
 ing the best interests of the community; and 
 his views on public questions are sound and 
 progressive. He is a member and Past Grand 
 Master of Good Will Lodge, L O. O. F. 
 
 Mr. Curtis married Mary R. Morse, of 
 Spencer. She died, leaving five children; 
 namely, Anna S., L. Edith, Alice W., 
 Charles, and Helen M. 
 
 'AMUEL CURTIS FLAGG, for- 
 merly an enterprising shoe manu- 
 facturer of Grafton, was born in 
 Worcester, October 19, 18 13. A son 
 of Aaron Flagg, he was a direct descendant of 
 Thomas Flagg, who was born in England in 
 161 5. The earliest English ancestor known 
 was Sir Alger De Flegg, who was living in 
 1 160. It is stated that his son, Sir John De 
 Flegg, sold the family estate in order to join 
 in a crusade. Thomas Flagg, who arrived in 
 New England with Sir Richard Carver in 
 1637, reared a family of eleven children, of 
 whom Benjamin, the tenth child, who was 
 born in 1662, settled in Worcester in 1741. 
 His son. Captain Benjamin Flagg, who was 
 born in 1690, w^s the second Sheriff of 
 
 Worcester County; and he held office at the 
 time of his death, which occurred in 175 1. 
 
 Colonel Benjamin Flagg, the grandfather of 
 Samuel Curtis, was born August 23, 1724. 
 In command of a militia company, he marched 
 to Lexington with Colonel Timothy Bigelow 
 on April 19, 1775; and he afterward served 
 as a Colonel in the American army during 
 the war for independence. He was a mem- 
 ber of the Worcester Board of Selectmen from 
 1766 to 1777. He died in Worcester, Octo- 
 ber 8, 1 818. According to the Worcester 
 Spy, dated October 14 of that year, he had at 
 the time of his death four living children, 
 forty -one grandchildren, and eighty - three 
 great-grandchildren. His son, Aaron, who 
 was born in Worcester in 1769, having suc- 
 ceeded to the Flagg homestead, resided there 
 throughout his entire life. During his active 
 years Aaron was a well-to-do farmer. He 
 died in 1836. 
 
 Samuel Curtis Flagg was educated in the 
 schools of Worcester. At the age of twenty- 
 one he started out in the world to seek his 
 fortune, with a homespun suit of clothes care- 
 fully packed in his painted wooden chest. At 
 first, locating in North Grafton, he entered 
 upon an apprenticeship at the shoemaker's 
 trade. In 1846 he came to Grafton Centre; 
 and, forming a partnership with Luke F. 
 Allen, under the firm name of Allen & Flagg, 
 he engaged in the manufacture of boots and 
 shoes in a small shop. This shop was after- 
 ward enlarged to meet the demands of an 
 increasing business, which he continued to 
 conduct for the next thirty years, during which 
 time it was the principal industry in Grafton. 
 Selling his interest in 1876, he retired with 
 a comfortable competency, leaving the factory 
 to be carried on by Allen & Newton and later 
 by Gibbs & Allen. For several years he was 
 a member of the Board of Selectmen, serving 
 for a part of the time as its chairman. He 
 also held other town ofifices, and was a Repre- 
 sentative to the legislature in 1855. Strong 
 both physically and mentally, he occupied 
 during his business career a prominent posi- 
 tion among the leading men of the town. By 
 his many praiseworthy characteristics he 
 gained the sincere respect of al] who knew 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVlfiW 
 
 4S3 
 
 him. He was an active member and a lib- 
 eral supporter of what is now the West 
 Congregational Church. His death occurred 
 October 22, 1886. 
 
 Mr. Flagg married Elizabeth W. Merriam, 
 daughter of Tarrant Merriam, who resided in 
 what is known as the Merriam District of 
 Grafton. Mrs. Flagg is a descendant of Will- 
 iam Merriam, an Englishman, who came from 
 the county of Kent in 1637. Deacon Tim- 
 othy Merriam, a great-grandson of the Amer- 
 ican ancestor and grandfather of Mrs. Flagg, 
 born in Merriam District, 1746, died in 1829. 
 He was in the battle of Bunker Hill. His 
 son, Timothy, served in General Artemas 
 Ward's regiment during the Revolutionary 
 War, and was the last Captain of Grafton 
 Light Infantry. Another son, Joseph Mer- 
 riam, who was graduated from Brown Uni- 
 versity in 1 8 19 and from the Andover 
 Theological Seminary in 1822, was installed 
 as pastor of a church in Randolph, Ohio, in 
 1824, and labored there for a period of sixty 
 years. Tarrant Merriam, Mrs. Flaggs father, 
 was born in Grafton in 1786. His active years 
 were devoted to general farming in the Mer- 
 riam District, and he died in 1872 in North 
 Grafton (the present name of New England 
 Village). Of his five daughters three are 
 living. Anna E., who became Mrs. Capron, 
 died in 1876, leaving three sons: Edmund 
 Flagg Capron, of Chicago; Monson B. , of 
 Davis & Co., New York Wool Exchange; and 
 Robert Perry Capron, of the Morton Emery- 
 wheel Works, Worcester. Ida Frances Flagg 
 married George R. Newton, of Grafton, and 
 has two sons — Alden Bush and George Ray- 
 mond Newton. Jennie Chase Flagg married 
 0. B. Wood, and her children are: Olive 
 Marguerite, Hamilton Brooks, and Gladys 
 Jeanette Wood. Caroline Louise Flagg re- 
 sides at home. 
 
 ANIEL REED WHEELER, a prom- 
 \ inent man in Rutland, representing 
 \^ J one of the oldest families in 
 Worcester County, was born on the 
 farm where he now resides, on July 5, 1818. 
 His paternal grandfather, Isaac, came here 
 
 from Medfield with his father, Isaac, in 1756, 
 and bought the homestead of one Jonathan 
 Wheeler, who was one of the first settlers in 
 the town. The farm has been operated by 
 the Wheeler family ever since; and the great- 
 grandfather, grandfather, and father of the 
 present owner lie buried here. The father, 
 Eli Wheeler, was born on the same farm in 
 1784; and the mother, Lucy Ames Wheeler, 
 was born in Rutland in 1787. Eli Wheeler 
 was not only a progressive farmer, he was 
 a wide-awake citizen and ever ready to devote 
 time and conscientious effort for the further- 
 ance of the public weal. He served the 
 town in the office of Selectman and in minor 
 positions. In religious faith he was a Con- 
 gregationalist and in politics a Republican. 
 He died at the age of seventy-seven years, 
 and his wife died at the age of fifty-eight. 
 Of their six children, all of whom attained 
 maturity, Daniel R. is the only one now 
 living. 
 
 Early in life Daniel Reed Wheeler learned 
 the shoemaker's trade, and he subsequently 
 followed it until he was about thirty years of 
 age. Since he has come into the possession 
 of the homestead he has carried on farming 
 and lumbering. About sixty acres of the 
 estate, which originally contained two hun- 
 dred and forty acres, were recently sold to the 
 State, and now form a part of the grounds 
 surrounding the Consumptives' Home. The 
 stately old residence has been remodelled and 
 improved, so that its interior arrangements 
 are entirely modern. It is in all respects 
 a charming and delightful home. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler was married August 10, 1845, 
 to Susan H. Halliday, who has borne him 
 four children. One of these died in infancy. 
 The three living are: Daniel M., Walter A., 
 and Abbie A. The first named, who resides 
 in Worcester, is Inspector of Railroads for the 
 State of Massachusetts. Walter A., who re- 
 sides with his father, is Superintendent of 
 Visitation for the Lyman School. He is 
 practically the manager of the farming opera- 
 tions carried on at the Wheeler homestead. 
 Abbie Wheeler married Prof. Peterson, of 
 Boston, and is now residing in that city. 
 Both of the parents are members of the Con- 
 
454 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 gregational church. In politics Mr. Wheeler 
 is a Republican. He occupies a position of 
 prominence in the town, and has the full con- 
 fidence and esteem of all who know him. 
 
 family 
 which 
 
 'OSHUA EEMIS, a retired railway con- 
 tractor of Spencer, was born in this 
 town, July 31, 1822, son of Joshua and 
 Lydia (Hatch) Bemis. The Bemis 
 is one of the oldest in Spencer, of 
 town Mr. Bemis's parents were both 
 natives; and the father, who followed general 
 farming during his active years, was at one 
 time a member of the Board of Selectmen. 
 
 Joshua Bemis began his education in the 
 common schools, and completed his studies 
 with a two years' course at the Leicester 
 Academy. At the age of fourteen he was 
 thrown upon his own resources by the death of 
 his father, and from that time until his mar- 
 riage he worked as a farm assistant. He sub- 
 sequently resided for a year upon a farm in 
 Sturbridge, Mass. Later he engaged in rail- 
 way construction work; and, when the Boston 
 & Albany line was provided with a double 
 track, he assisted in the construction of the 
 additional track from Worcester to Spring- 
 field. He also performed contract work on 
 the widening of the road-bed of the New 
 York, New Haven & Hartford line. He was 
 for a number of years employed as a foreman 
 by the contractors on that road. During this 
 time he tilled the soil when opportunity was 
 afforded him. Since 1873 he has resided in 
 Spencer. 
 
 On April 5, 1841, Mr. Bemis was joined 
 in marriage with Elizabeth Adams, who was 
 born in Brookfield, daughter of David and 
 Catharine (Blanchard) Adams. Her father 
 was a native of Brookfield, and her mother of 
 Charlton, Mass. The former died in his 
 ninety-second year. Mr. and Mrs. Bemis 
 have had eight children, five of whom are now 
 living, namely: Harriet, wife of Daniel W. 
 Adams; Frances A., wife of Waldo Wilson; 
 Anna J., wife of Joseph Trembly; Lydia A., 
 wife of Oscar O. Wilson; and Lewis D. All 
 are residents of Spencer. 
 
 In politics Mr. Bemis is a Republican. He 
 
 served as Selectman during the exciting 
 period of the Civil War. He was also for a 
 number of years Road Surveyor of his district. 
 He has always displayed a lively interest in 
 the progress of the town, the growth of which 
 be has witnessed from small proportions up to 
 its present importance as an agricultural and 
 industrial community. Mr. and Mrs. Bemis 
 have observed the silver and golden anniver- 
 saries of their wedding, and enjoy the unique 
 distinction of having been married .longer than 
 any other couple in Spencer. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM CURTIS BARNES, a re- 
 tired merchant of Southbridge, who 
 has been identified with the leading 
 interests of the town for more than twoscore 
 years, was born February 22, 1825, in Arca- 
 dia, Wayne County, N. Y. A son of Jonathan 
 Barnes, he is a direct descendant of Thomas 
 Barnes, who came from England in 1656 on 
 the ship "Speedwell," and subsequently re- 
 sided in Marlboro and Brookfield, Mass. His 
 grandfather, the Rev. Jonathan Barnes, who 
 preached for more than thirty years in Hills- 
 boro Centre, N. H., after his death was buried 
 under the pulpit he so long occupied. The 
 town gave the Rev. Mr. Barnes one hundred 
 and fifty acres of land that had been previously 
 set aside for the first regularly ordained minis- 
 ter of that place. During the entire period of 
 the Revolution his salary of thirty pounds a 
 year was paid in continental money. At one 
 time during this period he bought a pig with 
 the year's stipend and at another time a calf. 
 
 Jonathan Barnes was born in Hillsboro, 
 N.H., March 25, 1778. In early manhood he 
 removed to Boston, Mass., where he was en- 
 gage in trade for a time, and also kept a 
 tavern. Afterward he was engaged in the 
 business of carriage manufacturer in Western 
 New York, where he died, April 26, 1844. 
 He took an active interest in public matters, 
 and in his later days was associated with the 
 Whig party. He married Elizabeth Taggard, 
 who, born in Hillsboro, N.H., June 16, 1782, 
 died at Southbridge, Mass., April 12, 1855. 
 Her father. Lieutenant William Taggard, was 
 an officer in the Revolutionary War, in which 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL RfiVlfiW 
 
 45 S 
 
 four of his brothers also served. Her mother, 
 Sarah Mead Taggard, born in Reading, Mass., 
 April 30, 1757, died October 30, 1835. Of 
 the union of Jonathan Barnes and Elizabeth 
 Taggard two sons were born, one of whom 
 died in infancy. 
 
 William Curtis Barnes received a good edu- 
 cation in the common schools of Arcadia, and 
 remained at home until he attained his major- 
 ity. Coming then to Massachusetts, he lo- 
 cated in Lowell, where he served a three 
 years' ajjprenticeship to the watchmaker's 
 trade with Lucius Thompson. From Lowell 
 he went to Nashua, N.H., where under the 
 instruction of B. D. Bingham he further per- 
 fected himself in his trade. Subsequently, on 
 the recommendation of the Rev. Day K. Lee, 
 the pastor of the Universalist Society of 
 Southbridge, Mass., he came to this town as 
 watchmaker and jeweller for Sylvester Dresser, 
 who had bought from Robert H. Cole his 
 entire stock of watches and jewelry, settling 
 here October 15, 1849. In March, 1854, Mr. 
 Barnes purchased a half-interest in the busi- 
 ness; and in July, 1857, he became its sole 
 owner. In i860 he removed from the small 
 store which he had been occupying in the old 
 Ammidown Building to the new one erected 
 by Sylvester Dresser. There for the next 
 eleven years he kept one of the largest estab- 
 lishments of the kind in Worcester County, 
 his stock consisting of a complete assortment 
 of watches, clocks, jewelry, silverware, books, 
 stationery, musical instruments, general fancy 
 goods, and periodicals. In 1871 he erected 
 the fine business structure now at the corner 
 of Main and Chapin Streets, that bears his 
 name, doing a large part of the planning and 
 designing himself. On its completion he 
 moved his stock into it, and afterward carried 
 on a flourishing business until 1892, when he 
 sold out and retired from active mercantile 
 life. For more than thirty years he was one 
 of the prosperous merchants of Main Street, 
 winning by his upright business methods the 
 confidence and respect of all with whom he 
 bad dealings. He now resides on Hamilton 
 Street, occupying the residence which he built 
 in 1862. 
 
 Mr. Barnes has been largely identified with 
 
 the many improvements made in Southbridge 
 since he became a resident of the town, and 
 has been especially active and helpful in the 
 management of public affairs. In 1855, when 
 but thirty years of age, having been a resident 
 for six years, he represented the town in the 
 State legislature. During that session the 
 Hon. Henry Wilson was elected to the United 
 States Senate. Mr. Barnes's vote for Mr. 
 Wilson was harshly criticised by some of his 
 constituents, until the reply made by Mr. 
 Wilson to Mr. Brooks, who had challenged 
 him to a duel, changed the current of opinion, 
 and all fault-finding was turned to praise. 
 From 1866 to 1871 he was a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen, in which capacity he 
 rendered the town efficient service. In 1867 
 the present system of sidewalks was intro- 
 duced, largely through his efforts. He was 
 especially active in promoting a plan to unite 
 Central and Globe Villages by a continuous 
 sidewalk, which, though much opposed at the 
 time, was completed in 1867, and has since 
 proved the wisdom of the measure. He also 
 took great interest in beautifying the village 
 by setting out shade trees. One of the fore- 
 most to advocate the introduction of illumi- 
 nating gas, he solicited the most of the sub- 
 scriptions to the stock. After the formation 
 of the Southbridge Gas Company he served as 
 its president from April, 1873, until April, 
 1886, during which time the company doubled 
 its capacity, reduced the price of gas from six 
 dollars to three dollars per thousand feet, and 
 increased its dividends from zero to eight per 
 cent. In politics he has always been a stanch 
 advocate of protection, and has uniformly sup- 
 ported the party pledged to that principle. 
 A sincere Christian in the broadest sense of 
 the term, he is an active member and sup- 
 porter of the Universalist church and society. 
 On March 31, 1852, Mr. Barnes married 
 Abby Frances, daughter of the Rev. Henry 
 Tatem, of Southbridge. They have become 
 the parents of six children, namely: Lizzie 
 A., born April 18, 1853, who is now the 
 widow of the late Frank Edwards, of South- 
 bridge, whom she married on December 12, 
 1878, and who died in 1882, leaving her with 
 two sons — George Barnes and Albert V. ; 
 
4S6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Willerette I., born February 17, 1856, who 
 was formerly a clerk in her father's store, and 
 is now filling a similar position in the store 
 of Mr. Ayers; Allie Lee, born September 24, 
 1857, who was married January 26, 1887, to 
 E. C. Ellis, of Southbridge; Willie H., born 
 March 8, 1864, who died in infancy; Frank 
 Albert, born September 2, 1867, who died 
 November i, 1884; and Jonathan William, 
 born October 30, 1877, who attended the pub- 
 lic schools of Southbridge and the Willis- 
 ton Seminary at Easthampton, Mass., is now 
 preparing himself for the occupation of an 
 electrical engineer, possesses considerable ar- 
 tistic talent, and is quite an expert pho- 
 tographer. 
 
 ARREN F. ROGERS was a life- 
 long resident of Hardwick. Born 
 here December 10, 1842, he was 
 a son of James P. and Eliza (Shumway) 
 Rogers and a grandson of Martin and Betsy 
 (Taylor) Rogers. His great-grandfather, 
 James Rogers, a Massachusetts man by birth, 
 was the first of the family to settle in Hard- 
 wick. The district was then a wilderness, 
 through which the traveller made his way by 
 blazed trees and bridle paths. James Rogers 
 took up land here, and converted it into the 
 farm that has since remained in the posses- 
 sion of his descendants. Both he and his 
 wife, Hannah Fay Rogers, died here. 
 Martin, son of James, born here August 22, 
 1770, who was occupied in general farming, 
 married Betsy Taylor, who was born Decem- 
 ber 3, 1777. Both spent their lives here. 
 James P., one of their eleven children, born 
 on this farm July 16, 1799, followed the car- 
 penter's trade in addition to carrying on the 
 farm. His wife, Eliza Shumway Rogers, was 
 born in Storesville. They also spent their 
 lives here. He died June 6, 1876, and she 
 on August 8, 1881. Of their four sons two 
 are living, namely: William C, who resides 
 in Athol ; and James R., a resident of North 
 Brookfield. The others were : Enos T. and 
 Warren F. 
 
 Warren F. Rogers was educated in the 
 schools of Hardwick. He then learned the 
 
 trade of a mason, and subsequently gave a large 
 share of his time to it, although he also car- 
 ried on this farm. In 1863 he enlisted in the 
 United States navy. After serving in the war 
 for nearly a year, he was honorably discharged 
 on account of sickness. In politics he was 
 a Republican. On May 7, 1876, he married 
 Kate E. Presho, who was born in Hardwick, 
 July I, 1855, daughter of John and Cla- 
 rissa (Stone) Presho. Mr. Presho was born 
 in Barre, Mass.,. July 5, 1824, and his wife 
 in Petersham, Mass., in April, 1830. She 
 died July i, 1855. He subsequently married 
 Eliza Towne, with whom he still lives in 
 Hardwick, on a farm that he owns and culti- 
 vates. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Rogers had five children, 
 born as follows: Charles W., July 30, 1877; 
 Minnie E., December i, 1880; James F., 
 November 4, 1883; Cora B., July 31, 1886; 
 and Fred W., July 9, 1889. Mr. Rogers died 
 July 4, 1893. Mrs. Rogers and her children 
 still carry on the farm. She belongs to the 
 Congregational church, of which her husband 
 was a faithful member. The family residence 
 is thought to be the oldest dwelling in Hard- 
 wick. 
 
 TT^HRISTOPHER WHITNEY, who left 
 I V^ to Westboro the record of an active 
 ^^U^^ and prosperous business man, was a 
 native of Vermont. He was born 
 in the town of Halifax, June 16, 1827, son of 
 Alpheus and Sarah (Stowe) Whitney. Reared 
 and educated in the Green Mountain State, he 
 was distinguished by his habits of industry 
 and thrift. Coming to Westboro in boyhood, 
 he was poor in purse, but rich in energy and 
 ambition. His first employment here was in 
 a bakery, where he worked from three o'clock 
 in the morning to a late hour in the night 
 until he was familiar with the trade. After- 
 ward he followed the business of baker and 
 flour and grain dealer for seventeen years. 
 Embarking then as a lumber manufacturer and 
 dealer, he conducted operations in Natick for 
 a year. From Natick he returned to West- 
 boro, and entered into business, remaining 
 here for the rest of his years. He built up a 
 
CHRISTOPHER WHITNEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 4S9 
 
 large and lucrative trade, being successful in 
 this as in his other projects; and, as the re- 
 sult of his honest, intelligent, and energetic 
 management, he acquired considerable prop- 
 erty. Ever mindful of the hardships of his own 
 boyhood, Mr. Whitney gave generously of his 
 wealth to the poor and needy, and in a quiet, 
 unassuming manner was a practical philan- 
 thropist. A filial and loving son, he assisted 
 in caring for the parental household from his 
 earliest manhood, and tenderly watched over 
 his parents in their declining years. In 1882 
 he built the Whitney House, which is a stand- 
 ing monument to his enterprise and public 
 spirit. He toolc a deep interest in everything 
 pertaining to the welfare of his adopted town. 
 In company with H. K. Taft, late of West- 
 boro, he was instrumental in establishing the 
 present electric light system, one of the most 
 valuable and useful improvements of the 
 place. 
 
 On May 11, 185 1, Mr. Whitney married 
 Abbie Morse Thompson, of Bellingham, 
 Mass. They reared three children, namely: 
 Frank C, who died May 4, 1886, aged thirty- 
 one years; Abbie M., now the wife of Frank 
 V. Bartlett; and Nellie E. Woodman. Mr. 
 Whitney died at his home in Westboro on 
 March 4, 1889. 
 
 ELI CULLEY, who was the 
 Mayor of Fitchburg in 1880, 1881, 
 1888, and 1889, and who founded 
 the Fitchburg File Works, was 
 born in Melksham, Wiltshire, England, Feb- 
 ruary 4, 1840. When he was fifteen years old 
 he came to this country, and when the war 
 broke out he was as thoroughly American as 
 if he had been born here. In October, 1862, 
 he enlisted in Company K (Zion's Herald 
 Company), Forty-third Massachusetts Regi- 
 ment, and was out nine months, participating 
 in the engagement at Newbern, N. C. The 
 hardships of army life undermined his health, 
 and he was in a feeble condition when he 
 reached home. In 1863 he began to manu- 
 facture files in North Weymouth, and in 1867 
 he moved his shop to Fitchburg. From that 
 time until the day of his death he was closely 
 
 identified with the progress of the growing 
 town. 
 
 A clear-headed, practical business man, Mr. 
 Culley was of the unassuming but strong- 
 willed type; and his influence was felt far 
 beyond the limits of his business. He was 
 a ready speaker, and was often called upon for 
 a public address. He was the president of 
 the Common Council of Fitchburg in 1875, 
 a member of the Board of Aldermen in 1877 
 and 1878, and of the State legislature in 
 
 1880. He was Mayor of the city in 1880 and 
 
 1881, in 1888 and 1889. No other Mayor of 
 Fitchburg has had the honor of serving the 
 city so long. The following from his last 
 inaugural address shows his appreciation of 
 his official responsibilities: "Let us enter 
 upon our duties with an earnest desire and 
 intention to perform them thoroughly and im- 
 partially, giving all the time necessary, all 
 the investigation requisite, to every matter of 
 business that shall come before us, so that 
 every interest of the city shall be well cared 
 for, every right of the citizen protected ; and 
 may the best and purest examples guide and 
 inspire your course, so that you may wisely 
 discriminate in all issues that may come 
 before you, rejecting everything in your ac- 
 tions of a temporizing or accommodating pol- 
 icy, with one end or aim only in view — the 
 demand of the good." The Scott Reservoir 
 was started and finished under Mr. CuUeys 
 administration. He was essentially a self- 
 made man, and was happy in the industry 
 which he established. Frank and sincere, he 
 enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his fel- 
 low-men. He was a Mason of Aurora Lodge, 
 had been through all the chairs in Thomas 
 Royal Arch Chapter; and he belonged to 
 Jerusalem Commandery, K. T. Also in affil- 
 iation with Mount Roulstone Lodge, 
 I. O. O. F., he held all the chairs in King 
 David Encampment, and was an honorary 
 member of Canton Hebron. He was a char- 
 ter member of Reynolds Post, G. A. R., 
 North Weymouth ; and he belonged to the 
 Park Club, of Fitchburg! For a number of 
 years he was a vestryman of Christ Church 
 (Episcopal). He died April 21, 1890. 
 
 On October 5, 1862, he was married to 
 
460 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Martha, daughter of Eli Redman, of North 
 Weymouth, Mass. Her father afterward moved 
 to Fitchburg, where he resided until his death. 
 Mr. Culley was named for his father-in-law, 
 who was reared in the same place with his own 
 father. Six children survive him — Francis 
 C. , Walter Eli, Albert Edward, Fannie E. , 
 Elsie B. , and Edith F. His three sons carry 
 on the business he established. 
 
 TT^HESTER A. DRESSER, president, 
 I \y treasurer, and manager of the Central 
 ^Hs Mills Company, of Southbridge, 
 Worcester County, Mass., was born 
 in this town, September 2, 1818; and here, 
 with the exception of three periods of two 
 years each, his long and busy life has been 
 spent. His father, Chester Dresser, a farmer, 
 married Deborah Ammidown, daughter of Cal- 
 vin Ammidown. She died at a comparatively 
 early age in 1828. 
 
 Chester A. Dresser received his early intel- 
 lectual training in the village district school, 
 and subsequently continued his studies two 
 terms at Nichols's Academy in Dudley, 
 Mass., and two at the Monson Academy. 
 After the death of his mother, which occurred 
 when he was but ten years old, he lived for 
 a time with his uncle, Ebenezer D. Ammi- 
 down, who was appointed his guardian. Dur- 
 ing the winters of 1830 and 1831 he worked 
 as a chore boy, in remuneration for his 
 board, in the family of the Hon. Linus 
 Childs, who had always been a firm friend of 
 his mother. At the age of fourteen years he 
 chose for his guardian Dr. Samuel Hartwell, 
 whose house he afterward made his home when 
 not elsewhere employed; and for a while he 
 worked in the store of Milton Joslin, with 
 whom, acting upon the doctor's advice, he at 
 first contemplated entering upon an extended 
 apprenticeship. But, not being entirely sat- 
 isfied with the business, he sought the advice 
 of Moses Plympton, Esq., and, heeding his 
 counsel, decided to learn cotton manufactur- 
 ing with the Columbian Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, which agreed to pay him forty dollars 
 a year in addition to allowing him one dollar 
 and a quarter a week for board money. 
 
 Mr. Dresser began his initiatory appren- 
 ticeship in the company's repair shop under 
 the supervision of an English mechanic, 
 whose motto was, "Learn to do work well, 
 after which do all you can." A year later 
 he was promoted, and subsequently served in 
 every department of the mill, including the 
 carding, spinning, and weaving rooms. In 
 the evenings he often earned extra spending 
 money by carrying in and piling wood at eight 
 cents per cord or by assisting to fold and 
 pack cloth, and also advanced his education by 
 devoting many of his leisure hours to study. 
 When the financial crisis of 1837 came, the 
 mill suspended operations, and he spent the 
 summer in the harvest field. In the fall of 
 that year he accepted a position as overseer in 
 a warp spinning department; but in the spring 
 of 1838, in order to obtain a more thorough 
 knowledge of the weaving of cotton fabrics, he 
 secured a situation at the Fiskdale Mills, in 
 the weaving-room, which was under the charge 
 of Nelson Drake. So acceptably did he per- 
 form the duties assigned him that his wages 
 were from time to time increased; and he was 
 retained as a weaver until the spring of 1840, 
 when he entered the company's counting-room 
 to acquire a practical knowledge of mercantile 
 manufacturing and double entry book-keeping 
 under the instruction of Avery F. Taylor. In 
 September he became manager of a mill of 
 four thousand spindles at Swift Creek, near 
 Petersburg, Va., but at the end of two years 
 was obliged to return North on account of 
 failing health. 
 
 In November, 1842, Mr. Dresser assumed 
 the management of a cotton-mill at Westville, 
 in the town of Sturbridge, where he also 
 owned the factory store. Early in the year of 
 1845 he became superintendent of the Dresser 
 Mills in the Centre Village, succeeding Ben- 
 jamin F. Kimball. This factory he found in 
 a very bad condition, the products being de- 
 cidedly inferior in quality. The cause of this 
 the manager and directors had made many 
 efforts to ascertain, and had come to the 
 conclusion that the fault lay in the raw mate- 
 rial used. A change was therefore made, hut 
 no better results were obtained. Dissatisfac- 
 tion existed among the operators, and the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 461 
 
 owners were discouraged. It was then that 
 the abilities of the young superintendent were 
 put to the test. He made an exhaustive ex- 
 amination of the plant, discovered the source 
 of the trouble, and righted it. The mill then 
 resumed successful operation. In December, 
 184s, Mr. Dresser accepted a similar position 
 with the Central Manufacturing Company, 
 with which he was identified until 1857, and 
 in which he acquired considerable stock. 
 Then, in response to an urgent request from 
 the agent of the Amoskeag Manufacturing 
 Company at Manchester, N. H., he became 
 manager of the mills on the upper level and 
 a dye-house, the product of the mills being all 
 colored goods, in all of which he brought about 
 marked improvements during the two years 
 that he remained there. In 1859, the Central 
 Manufacturing Company at Southbridge hav- 
 ing become financially embarrassed, self-pro- 
 tection rendered it necessary that he should 
 return and settle up its affairs, a work which 
 he successfully accomplished. Manning 
 Leonard and he subsequently became joint 
 owners of the property, and carried on busi- 
 ness until the breaking out of the Civil War, 
 when the mill was shut down for two years. 
 In 1863 Mr. Dresser purchased his partner's 
 interest in the plant, and with new associates 
 established the present corporation, which is 
 known as the Central Mills Company. Under 
 his supervision the factories have been entirely 
 remodelled, new machinery has been intro- 
 duced into all departments, and the manufact- 
 uring has been successfully carried on until 
 the present time. 
 
 Mr. Dresser was married October i, 1843, 
 to Miss Mary C. Bartlett, of Petersburg, Va. 
 She died in October, 1864, leaving three chil- 
 dren, namely: Henry Bartlett, who died De- 
 cember 13, 1895; Mary C, wife of S. K. 
 Edwards; and Franklin D., paymaster and 
 book-keeper of the Central Mills Company. 
 His second wife, Mary N. McLaughlin, of 
 Wickford, R. I., died in 1871, four years after 
 their marriage. On April 30, 1873, Mr. 
 Dresser married Mrs. Hannah M. Reynolds, 
 of Brooklyn, N. Y. He is a Mason, belonging 
 to Quinnebaug Lodge, F. & A. M., of which 
 he was the originator. He has been asso- 
 
 ciated with the Baptist society for more than 
 forty years, and is a regular attendant of pub- 
 lic worship. 
 
 RANK L. JOHNSON, superintendent 
 of the Worcester County Truants' 
 School at Oakdale, Mass., has been at 
 the head of this institution from its begin- 
 ning, and by his wise management has made 
 it a model school and home for the children 
 placed under his control. He was born in 
 Springfield, Vt,, August 29, 1854, a son of 
 Rawson T. Johnson. His grandfather, Elisha 
 Johnson, was born in the Green Mountain 
 State, and early became a pioneer of the town 
 of Londonderry, where he bought a tract of 
 wild land, and erected a log cabin. By toil- 
 ing early and late with axe, plough, and hoe 
 he succeeded in improving a comfortable 
 homestead, on which he and his faithful help- 
 mate passed their remaining days, and reared 
 their thirteen children to lives of industry and 
 usefulness. 
 
 Rawson T. Johnson was born in Vermont, 
 July 10, 1835, and until sixteen years old as- 
 sisted his parents on the home farm. He 
 afterward worked in a cotton-mill a few years, 
 and then learned the blacksmith's trade, which 
 he followed for a while in Londonderry. Re- 
 moving to Springfield, Vt.,,in 1847, he set up 
 a smithy in that village, and in the years that 
 followed he built up a patronage that extended 
 for miles in either direction, so that when he 
 sold out in 1893 he had the largest shop and 
 trade of any blacksmith in the State. On 
 March 11, 1845, he married Adeline Albee, 
 who was born in Londonderry, Vt., a daughter 
 of the Rev. Horace Albee, a noted preacher of 
 that locality. Five of the six children born 
 of this union are now living, namely: Fred 
 L., superintendent of the Electric Light Com- 
 pany in Lynn, Mass. ; Charles W. , foreman in 
 the machine shop of Lamson & Jones in 
 Springfield, Vt. ; George, superintendent of 
 schools in Andover, Mass. ; Flora, wife of 
 Charles L. Fairbanks, a farmer in Springfield, 
 Vt. ; and Frank L. , the special subject of this 
 sketch. Both parents are members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, which the father 
 
462 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 has served as steward and trustee for thirty- 
 five years. 
 
 Frank L. Johnson spent a considerable part 
 of his boyhood upon a Vermont farm, where 
 he laid the foundation of a vigorous body. He 
 had the schooling of a country town, the Barre 
 (Vt. ) Academy, and of the Montpelier Semi- 
 nary. Then in 1879, securing through the 
 influence of a friend the appointment of school- 
 master on board the United States steamship 
 "Swatara," he sailed away from Boston on a 
 cruise around the world, thereby ingraining 
 geography as only travel can fix it. There were 
 forty apprentices, whom he was to instruct in 
 rudimentary knowledge. Their first stop was 
 at Gibraltar, and then they touched at Malaga, 
 Malta, and Port Said. From Malta he made 
 a run up through Italy, and from Port Said he 
 went to the Holy Land; thence to the Suez 
 Canal, Aden, Bombay, Indian Ocean, Strait of 
 Malacca, Bangkok, Amoy, Foo Chow, Japan, 
 the Inland Sea, Yokohama, Nagasaki, and a 
 multitude of other places. While in Japan he 
 had the misfortune to be seriously injured on 
 shipboard by falling down an open hatchway. 
 This necessitated his transferal to San Fran- 
 cisco, whence he returned home by way of the 
 Isthmus of Panama, landing in New York 
 about two years after his departure from 
 America. 
 
 Having been discharged from the navy, Mr. 
 Johnson entered the Normal School at Castle- 
 ton, Vt. , whence in due time he was gradu- 
 ated. He was then superintendent of schools 
 in that town a year. He next came to 
 Worcester, Mass., as a special student in our 
 Normal School, and between his two periods 
 in this school he taught in Holden. In 1885 
 he became principal of the grammar school in 
 Spencer. His success was so manifest that at 
 the end of the fourth term he was promoted to 
 the superintendency of the schools of that 
 town, forty-two in number, with a corps of 
 forty-four teachers. During his six years' 
 stay in that place he made the schools of Spen- 
 cer noteworthy in many ways. The houses 
 became models of neatness; and Captain 
 Dyson, State Inspector of Buildings, alluded 
 to them as " banner buildings." His liking 
 for electricity and his ingenuity combined to 
 
 make pupils and teachers move almost as by 
 clock work. The school buildings were re- 
 modelled, new sanitary arrangements being in- 
 troduced, the various classes were regraded, 
 and a new course of study was established. 
 
 His round-the-world travels have furnished 
 Mr. Johnson with an almost inexhaustible fund 
 of information, which he has frequently util- 
 ized in giving lectures. In fact, a large part 
 of his school training was paid for by his lect- 
 ures. One theme aside from those devoted to 
 his travels is, "What shall I do for my son.'" 
 
 When the County Commissioners of Worces- 
 ter County, the Hon. Henry G. Taft, of Ox- 
 bridge, the Hon. Emerson Stone, of Spencer, 
 and the Hon. Charles J. Rice, of Winchendon, 
 had progressed so far with the establishment 
 of the new truants' school in Oakdale as to 
 nominate a superintendent, they did not have 
 to look long for their man ; for they found him 
 very near at hand, the superintendent of the 
 Spencer schools, a gentleman who had won a 
 reputation far more than local. Assuming the 
 duties of his position on November i, 1891, 
 Mr. Johnson was from that time until the com- 
 pletion of the buildings constantly on the 
 grounds, everywhere planning and directing 
 the work. An enthusiast in the matter of 
 electricity, he so strung wire about the prem- 
 ises that from his office he can now signal and 
 direct almost everything in the school. On 
 February 20, 1892, the school opened with 
 twenty boys, and the number now averages 
 about forty-five pupils a year. Since its es- 
 tablishment two hundred boys and twelve girls 
 have been under his instruction, the larger 
 part of whom have gone forth to fill good posi- 
 tions and become useful men and women. 
 
 On November 28, 1878, Mr. Johnson mar- 
 ried Flora Vale, who was born in i860 in 
 Bondville, Vt., a daughter of Edson Vale, a 
 carpenter and builder, who is still living in 
 that village, and has si.\ children — Sylvan, 
 Melvin, Adella, Mrs. Johnson, Mark, and 
 Bertie. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have two chil- 
 dren — Vera A. and Marion C. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Johnson is a Republican in 
 his affiliations. Fraternally, he is a promi- 
 nent member of the Masonic order, belonging 
 to Spencer Lodge, F. & A. M., of which he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 463 
 
 was chaplain four years; to Worcester Chap- 
 ter, R. A. M. ; to Hiram Council; and the 
 Princes of Jerusalem, of Worcester. He is a 
 member of Good Will Lodge, I. O. O. F., of 
 Spencer; and of the Encampment, of which he 
 has been Marshal. He was likewise Marshal 
 of the Royal Arcanum of Worcester; for four 
 years he was District Deputy Grand Marshal 
 of the Eighteenth Masonic District; and he 
 has been lecturer of Wachusett Council, No. 
 339. He is also a member of the West Boyls- 
 ton Grange. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are mem- 
 bers of the Methodist Episcopal church; and 
 in the Sunday-school, held every Sunday after- 
 noon at the Truant School, he is the superin- 
 tendent, being ably assisted in its management 
 by Mrs. Johnson, who as matron of the school 
 has charge of all the domestic arrangements of 
 the building. 
 
 SThE WORCESTER COUNTY TRU- 
 jl ANTS' SCHOOL, which was com- 
 -*- pleted in the latter part of the year 
 1891, has by its success added new weight to 
 the fact, long since demonstrated, that, if we 
 would make the bad good, we must do some- 
 thing besides punish. This school is in Oak- 
 dale, the first station north of West Boylston 
 on the Boston & Maine Railroad, which is 
 here crossed by the Massachusetts Central ; 
 and thereby the school may be readily reached 
 from all parts of the county. 
 
 Quite too long a certain element among our 
 boys had been sent to the Reform School at 
 Westboro or, as in this city, to the Truant 
 School at the City Farm. Having the life- 
 long interest of the boys at heart, the County 
 Commissioners, the Hon. Henry G. Taft, the 
 Hon. Emerson Stone, and the Hon. Charles 
 J. Rice, decided to erected a centrally located 
 building, and in it to gather such lads as home 
 surroundings had failed to properly train. 
 
 Worcester County does not command a finer 
 outlook than that which may be had from the 
 west porch of this structure. Having decided 
 upon a central place for the school, the com- 
 missioners could not have done better than 
 they did in taking this slope of thirty-six 
 acres, Upon it the sun shines the entire day; 
 
 and the vista of fertile iields, threading rail- 
 roads, and busy factories must prove in the 
 years to come an inspiration to the lads whose 
 home this is to be. Leaving the cars at the 
 Union Station, the visitor retraces his steps 
 and finally takes c^uite a climb up a new road, 
 through what will te eventually a beautiful 
 park appendage to the grounds. By a gradual 
 ascent this leads up to the building, which 
 during the warm months of the year is sur- 
 rounded by the greenest of lawns. His eyes 
 rest upon a commodious structure, two stories 
 and an attic high, in the shape of a Greek 
 cross. The length north and south is one 
 hundred . and thirteen feet, east and west 
 ninety feet ; yet, so well adjusted are the parts, 
 the arms of the cross seem to be of equal 
 length. The walls are of brick with mottled 
 Conway trimmings. The north and south 
 wings are each thirty-four by twenty-five feet, 
 while the west main frontage is about sixty 
 feet in length. The impression on nearing the 
 edifice is imposing and happy at the same 
 time. 
 
 Under the direction of the superintendent, 
 Mr. Frank L. Johnson, about a mile of insu- 
 lated wire has been put in, over which an 
 electric current carries messages to the various 
 portions of the building. We walk up the 
 gravelled path to the front door, and one of the 
 boys opens it in response to the bell. Enter- 
 ing the main hall, we find at the left the super- 
 intendent's office, a spacious room, and at our 
 right the reception-room. Farther east, on 
 the north side, is the family dining-room, 
 which is separated by windows only from the 
 much larger room where the boys take their 
 meals. Returning to the hallway, we enter 
 the library adjacent to the beautiful school- 
 room. Here is shelf room for more than a 
 thousand books, with a large table in the 
 centre. Here the call boy, with an electric 
 indicator above him, sits ready to answer sig- 
 nals. To select books for these shelves is one 
 of the most delicate and at the same time 
 most important tasks for the immediate future. 
 Then we pass into the school-room. It must 
 have been a revelation to most of the unkempt 
 urchins who have come here to be trained for 
 a noble and useful manhood, More than one- 
 
464 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 half the school children of New York City are 
 very far from having such comforts as this 
 room affords. All day the sun shines upon 
 it; and, with a sunny teacher within, glorious 
 results are being wrought from work done here. 
 Ascending an easy flight of stairs, we may 
 enter the dormitory in the south wing, where 
 each boy has a bed of his own. This room is 
 quite as large as the school-room, being just 
 over it. The ceiling is finished upon the 
 rafters, and, should there be fifty boys here, 
 all will have good air. The bedsteads are of 
 iron with wire woven springs, whereon are 
 laid hair mattresses good enough for a king. 
 The attendant sleeps in an adjacent room, hav- 
 ing windows connecting. A small room on 
 the west side has numbered spaces, where each 
 boy on going to bed hangs his apparel. On 
 the north side, just over the boys' dining- 
 room, is the large room to be devoted to actual 
 manual training; and it looks as though 
 Worcester's mischievous boys were receiving 
 what is denied to the good and well-behaved. 
 
 In the attic is the tank, fed from a living 
 spring on the hillside, which supplies all parts 
 of the premises. Also here is ample space for 
 rainy-day play and for drilling, which the boys 
 are taught. Down stairs the ample kitchen, 
 with its range and oven, the room for sewing, 
 the refrigerator, and the rooms for attendants 
 invite attention. Descending still farther, we 
 find the laundry, the lavatories for the boys, 
 the bath-rooms, the heating appliances, and 
 the gas machine. The system to which these 
 lads are subjected is admirable; but nothing 
 in the whole scheme will strike an outsider 
 more favorably than the individual bath-rooms. 
 There are sixteen of them, supplied with hot 
 and cold water. Contrast such conveniences 
 with the great tub into which fifty boys at 
 Westboro used to plunge at once. Truly, 
 the world moves. Every boy places his out- 
 of-doors footwear in a box, provided and num- 
 bered, and dons a pair of slippers before going 
 up stairs. When he enters the institution, his 
 old clothing is either sent home or destroyed. 
 He is clad in a nice blue uniform, and when 
 he goes away he is given a good suit. 
 
 On the farm of thirty-six acres there is 
 work for the boys. There is little idleness, 
 
 nor is it all work; for Mr. Johnson has re- 
 served an excellent base-ball field. On the 
 pond made for the newly built ice-house the 
 boys may skate in winter. South of the school 
 is a very large and convenient barn, where six 
 cows and a span of horses are kept. Of 
 course, as much work as is reasonable is ex- 
 acted from the lads, for their own good and for 
 that of the public. 
 
 What will come of it.? After going over 
 and through this palatial outfit, one is pos- 
 sessed with the notion that boys will have to 
 be driven away rather than restrained, for the 
 restraint is no more than that of any good 
 home. Nay, there is danger that its fame 
 will so pass out that boys will play truant that 
 they may be sent here; for to the vast majority 
 of the lads whose temporary home this is to be 
 it will be to their real home surroundings like 
 a palace instead of a hovel. This manner of 
 dealing with juvenile offenders is an experi- 
 ment, but in competent hands it must prove a 
 success, for it is right. The County Commis- 
 sioners have done what will redound to their 
 credit for years to come. The Commonwealth 
 is watching the Worcester County experiment. 
 
 tLINY S. DOANE, the chairman of 
 the Board of Assessors of East 
 Brookfield, a former Postmaster, and 
 for many years a leading manufact- 
 urer here, was born in the town of Brookfield 
 on the last day of July, 1825, son of Joseph 
 and Achsah (Stevens) Doane. His grand- 
 father, Asa Doane, who was the first of the 
 family in Brookfield, came here from Plym- 
 outh, Mass. Asa is said to have been of 
 Scotch origin, and his ancestors were among 
 the early settlers of Plymouth. In the old 
 country the family must have belonged to the 
 nobility, as it had a coat of arms. 
 
 Joseph Doane, who was born in Brookfield, 
 subsequently removed to East Brookfield, and 
 for many years carried on a smithy here. His 
 wife, -Achsah, born in the northern part of 
 the town, was a daughter of Jeduthan Ste- 
 vens, who was the first settler on the site of 
 the village of East BrookfieW. He built the 
 
 dam here, and also the iron fovmdry, which is 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 465 
 
 said to have been the first in Worcester 
 County. He was a man of considerable 
 wealth and much influence. During the Rev- 
 olutionary War he was a soldier in the Ameri- 
 can army. For many years he was Selectman 
 of the town. His living children are: Rox- 
 ana, Sharon P., Lyman, and Pliny S. Rox- 
 ana, who resided in Brookfield, and was the 
 widow of the late George Forbes, died April 
 10, 1898. Sharon P. resides in Sacramento, 
 Cal. ; and Lyman in Wellfleet, Mass. 
 
 After leaving the common schools, in which 
 his early education was obtained, Pliny S. 
 Doane learned the machinist's trade at East 
 Brookfield, and subsequently conducted a ma- 
 chine shop here, manufacturing hay cutters. 
 His partner in this enterprise was George 
 Forbes, and the business was conducted under 
 the name of Forbes & Doane. At the end of 
 several years the company was dissolved, and 
 Mr. Doane was afterward successfully engaged 
 for a quarter of a century in the manufacture of 
 carriage wheels, under the name of George 
 Forbes & Co. Then he made awl hafts for 
 several years. This business he abandoned 
 when appointed Postmaster of East Brookfield 
 by President Harrison, in which capacity he 
 served the town for four years. 
 
 Mr. Doane was married on May 30, 1852, 
 to Marion F. Merritt, a native of Warren, 
 Mass. Her parents, Jasper and Charlotte W. 
 (Cutter) Merritt, were natives respectively of 
 Palmer and Ware, Mass. She is the mother 
 of four children — Elsie M., Hattie A., 
 Charles P., and Walter S. Elsie is the wife 
 of John M. Bartlett, of Meriden, Conn. ; and 
 Hattie is the wife of Arthur H. Knight, of 
 Springfield, Mass. Charles P. resides in Web- 
 ster, Mass., and Walter in Worcester. Both 
 parents have been members of the Baptist 
 church in this place for nearly forty years, and 
 Mr. Doane has been a Deacon and the chair- 
 man of the Church Committee for a length 
 of time. Mrs. Doane at the present time is 
 the president of the Ladies' Benevolent Asso- 
 ciation of East Brookfield and vice-president 
 of the Woirten's Christian Temperance Union. 
 In politics a Republican, Mr. Doane has ren- 
 dered valuable services to the party as a mem- 
 ber of the Republican Town Committee, For 
 
 one year he has been Selectman of the town 
 and for twenty-one years Assessor. He is also 
 a member of the School Committee; and he 
 has been Overseer of the Poor, one of the Board 
 of Fire Engineers of Brookfield, and Sealer of 
 Weights and Measures and Surveyor of Wood 
 and Lumber. He is now serving his third 
 term as a Justice of the Peace for the Com- 
 monwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Doane is 
 highly esteemed by his fellow-townsmen. 
 
 HARLES F. HITCHCOCK, the pop- 
 ular merchant of Gilbertville, was 
 born in Brimfield, Hampden County, 
 on July 3, 1 83 1, son of Abner and 
 Susan (Gardner) Plitchcock. The first repre- 
 sentatives of the family in this country were 
 three brothers, who came from Ireland, and 
 of these Samuel was the direct ancestor of 
 Charles F. Hitchcock. The Hitchcock gene- 
 alogy, which has been published, gives an 
 interesting account of the circumstances lead- 
 ing up to and following their arrival in this 
 country, as well as information concerning 
 other of the early members of the family. 
 Jesse Hitchcock, grandfather of Charles F. , 
 was born in Brimfield, and spent his life in 
 that town, engaged in farming and in shoe- 
 making. The maiden name of his wife was 
 Stebbins. 
 
 Abner Hitchcock, who was also born in 
 Brimfield, besides carrying on farming and 
 shoemaking, operated a grist and saw mill. 
 During the earlier part of his life he resided 
 in different places. His last years were spent 
 in the town of Ware, where he died on May 3, 
 1868. He was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church and for many years a Deacon. 
 In politics he was successively a Whig and a 
 Republican. At one time he represented his 
 town in the legislature. His second wife was 
 before her marriage with him Nancy B. Law- 
 ton. His first wife, born in Wales, Mass., 
 April 15, 1789, who died in Ware on February 
 27, 1857, was the mother of his eleven chil- 
 dren. These were born as follows : Calvin, 
 March 22, 1817, in Homer, N.Y. ; Alvan, Sep- 
 tember 17, 1818, in De Ruyter, N.Y. ; La- 
 vonia, May 4, 1830, in Brimfield, who is now 
 
466 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the widow of the late B. C. Moulton and a resi- 
 dent of Ware; Elizabeth, September 1 8, 1822; 
 Susan, February 8, 1824; Abner D., Febru- 
 ary 26, 1826, now a resident of Ware; Vashti 
 S., December 8, 1827, who is now the wife of 
 G. Marsh, of Ware; Esther F. , twin sister of 
 Vashti, unmarried and living in Ware; Eliza- 
 beth G., November 15, 1829; Charles F., the 
 subject of this sketch, as above mentioned; 
 and Sarah J., February 23, 1834, now the 
 widow of Chauncy P. Hide, and residing in 
 Ware. Of these Alvan died on April 10, 
 1893; Elizabeth on October 3, 1822; Susan 
 on January 2, 1892; and Elizabeth G. on June 
 2, 1872. Susan was the wife of Smith A. 
 Hall. 
 
 Charles F. Hitchcock's youth was spent in 
 different towns, and his schooling was some- 
 what interrupted by frequent changes of resi- 
 dence. He resided with his parents until 
 about eighteen years of age, when he entered 
 the general grocery store of A. & J. H. Peters 
 at Ware. After remaining here for about a 
 year he spent four years in the capacity of 
 clerk with Field, Leland & Co., of Enfield, 
 Mass. Then he returned to Ware, and en- 
 tered the employ of David P. Billings. After 
 working for Mr. Billings for about a year and 
 a half he engaged in agriculture on the farm 
 of his wife's father. This property he subse- 
 quently bought, and for the ensuing nine sea- 
 sons gave his full attention to general farming. 
 Believing, however, that better opportunities 
 for earning a livelihood existed in a mercantile 
 business, he opened the store now so well 
 known and so much patronized by the people 
 of Gilbertville in August, 1863. He is now 
 one of the oldest storekeepers in the town of 
 Hardwick, and has the full confidence of the 
 public. His farm of one hundred and thirty 
 acres is in excellent condition. Its fine set 
 of buildings, surrounded by a beautiful and 
 well-kept lawn, were erected in 1884. 
 
 On November 17, 1853, Mr. Hitchcock was 
 united in marriage with Hannah M. McClin- 
 tock, who was born in Ware, February 17, 
 1833, daughter of Levans and Plythenia 
 (Gould) McClintock. Mr. McClintock came 
 of Scotch blood, and was a hard-working 
 farmer. Born on December 6, 1797, he died 
 
 on February 22, 1855. He was four times 
 married, the first time to Lucinda King, 
 who, born on November 23, 1793, died on 
 July 28, 1827. The second marriage was with 
 Plythenia Gould, who, born July 10, 1792, 
 died on April 17, 1833. On the third and 
 fourth occasions he was successively wedded 
 to Ann Davis and Caroline Hunter. Mrs. 
 Hannah Hitchcock was the mother of six 
 children, of whom Mary E. died at the age of 
 thirty-one years; Anna M., at the age of nine 
 years; and William K., when an infant of 
 four weeks. The three living are: Susan, 
 Frederick A., and Claribel. Susan, now Mrs. 
 Brown, a widow, resides with her father. She 
 was born on April 23, 1855. Frederick A., 
 born May 26, 1857, is a member of the firm 
 of C. F. Hitchcock & Co., and is now practi- 
 cally the manager of his father's store. He is 
 enterprising and progressive, and understands 
 thoroughly how to perpetuate the good name 
 and credit of the business. He married Clara 
 M. Packard, of Ware, and is the father of 
 Charles F., Harold M., and Ruth H. Hitch- 
 cock. Another son of his, Ralph P., is de- 
 ceased. Clara, Mr. Hitchcock's youngest 
 daughter, born on July 8, 1863, resides with 
 her father. The mother died February 12, 
 1894. Mr. Hitchcock and his family are 
 members of the Congregational church at 
 Gilbertville. In politics he has been a Re- 
 publican since the formation of the party. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Mount Zion 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., at Barre. Throughout 
 his life he has been very industrious, to which 
 fact, instead of to luck or chance, he owes his 
 success. 
 
 /©>< 
 
 EORGE E. ALLEN, of Barre, a 
 V '3 I dealer in agricultural machinery, was 
 ^— ^ born at the old Allen homestead, 
 where he now resides, January 20, 1828. A 
 son of George S. and Lucy B. (Winslow) 
 Allen, he traces his ancestry to Walter Allen, 
 who came over in the " Mayflower." The 
 homestead in Barre has been in his family's 
 possession for nearly one hundred and forty 
 years. The first of his ancestors to settle 
 here vyas his great-grandfather, Jonathan 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 467 
 
 Allen, who was born in Sudbury, Mass., 
 March 3, 1730. When he was a young man 
 Jonathan came to Barre, bringing with him 
 eighty apple-trees, with which he planted the 
 first orchard in the town; and he erected the 
 fourth frame house in the town. His death 
 occurred on October 4, 1822. He married 
 Hannah Smith, who, born in Barre, October 
 II, 1739, died September 30, 1823. 
 
 Captain Josiah Allen, the grandfather of 
 George E., was born in Barre, January 17, 
 1765. Succeeding to the homestead, he re- 
 sided here for the rest of his life. He mar- 
 ried Keziah Harding, who was born in Barre, 
 February 10, 1771, daughter of Abijah and 
 Sibyl (Adams) Harding. George S. Allen, 
 son of Captain Allen, was born at the home- 
 stead, May 20, 1803. He carried on the farm 
 with unusual activity, was one of the stirring 
 business men of his day, and died February 
 II, 1845, in the prime of life, while on a 
 business trip to Worcester. In politics he 
 was a Whig and in religious belief a Congre- 
 gationalist, being a member of the local 
 church. His wife, Lucy, who was born in 
 Barre, April 29, 1804, had six children. 
 Two of these are living, namely: George E. , 
 the subject of this sketch; and J. Harding 
 Allen, a resident of Barre. The others were: 
 Zenas C, Lucy E., Charles G., and Sibyl. 
 The mother died September 11, 1881. 
 
 George E. Allen acquired a good education. 
 Succeeding to the home farm, he tilled the 
 soil industriously and successfully for some 
 time. Then he sold the property to his son. 
 Since that time he has given his attention 
 to the sale of farm machinery and tools, 
 handling the Yankee Horse Rake, the Cham- 
 pion Road Scraper, the Woods and Granite 
 State Mowers, and other standard machines, 
 and building up an extensive business in this 
 section of the State. Politically, he is a Re- 
 publican, and he has served with ability as a 
 Selectman and in other town offices. On 
 December 15, 1852, he married Hannah H. 
 Parker. Born in Milton, Vt., May 4, 1827, 
 she is a daughter of John and Lettie (Caswell) 
 Parker. Both she and Mr. Allen are con- 
 nected with the local grange, Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry, gnd are members of the Congrega- 
 
 tional church. She has given birth to three 
 children, namely: Charles E., on April 7, 
 1856; Clark P., July 15, 1858, who is now a 
 resident of California; and Etta E., Septem- 
 ber II, 1864. Charles Edwin Allen, who 
 purchased of his father the home farm, is now 
 carrying on a large dairy business, and is one 
 of the rising young agriculturists of Barre. 
 He married Armanella Hinckley, a represent- 
 ative of an old Barre family, and has three 
 children — Hattie B. , Grace L. , and Walter 
 C. Allen. 
 
 Etta E. Allen is now the wife of John L. 
 Smith, a prosperous farmer of this town, and 
 has three children — George F., Delia M., 
 and Florence A. Her husband was born in 
 Barre, August 4, 1859, son of Franklin and 
 Martha (Leland) Smith. James Smith, his 
 great-grandfather, came from Barnstable, 
 Mass., to Barre among the early settlers. 
 The grandfather, John Smith, who followed 
 the cabinet-maker's trade in connection with 
 farming, died in Barre in 1872; and his wife, 
 whose maiden name was Hannah Warner, 
 lived to the advanced age of ninety-six years. 
 Franklin Smith, the father, was born upon 
 the farm he now owns and occupies in 18 16. 
 Entering business when he was a young man, 
 he followed it thereafter until he was forty 
 years old. Since that time he has carried on 
 general farming. In politics he is a Repub- 
 lican. He has been the chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen and Deputy Sheriff. 
 Martha, his wife, who was born in Grafton in 
 1 82 1, became the mother of two children: 
 Julia M., now the wife of Dr. G. F. A. 
 Spencer, of Ware, Mass. ; and John L. Smith, 
 who is a graduate of the Massachusetts State 
 Agricultural College at Amherst, and now 
 owns the farm of two hundred acres that was 
 formerly the property of his uncle, Warren 
 Smith. Mr. Smith carries on general farm- 
 ing and dairying, deals largely in cattle, of 
 which he keeps an average of forty head, and 
 he raises Wyandotte and Leghorn hens. He 
 has been Cattle Inspector here for the past 
 five years, has served as a Selectman two 
 years, and at this writing is the chairman- 
 elect of the Republican Town Committee. 
 Mr. Smith if> a member of Mount Z\o^ |--odge, 
 
468 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 F. & A. M., and has occupied the important 
 chairs in the local grange, Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry. 
 
 i:^^ 
 
 ILLIAM F. EWELL, a well-known 
 and respected citizen of Shrews- 
 bury, son of Charles and Mary 
 (Morrison) Ewell, of Somersworth, N.H., was 
 born on August 27, 1840, in Allston, Mass. 
 His first ancestor in this country, Henry 
 Ewell, a shoemaker by trade, came on the 
 ship "Hercules'' in 1635 from Sandwich, 
 Kent County, England. Henry was a soldier 
 in the Pequod War in 1637, and his home was 
 burned by the Indians in 1676. John Ewell, 
 the eldest son of Henry, moved to Boston, 
 and afterward established that branch of 
 the family from which William Ewell is de- 
 scended in Roxbury, of which Peres Ewell, 
 the grandfather of William, was a resident. 
 Charles Ewell, above named, belonged to the 
 militia, and was considered an excellent 
 marksman. 
 
 William F. Ewell received his education 
 in the public schools of Cambridge, graduat- 
 ing from the high school there. In August, 
 1861, he enlisted for three years in the Thir- 
 teenth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer 
 Infantry, under the command of Colonel 
 Leonard. For a month he was stationed at 
 Fort Independence, Mass. From there he 
 went with the regiment to Hagerstown, Md., 
 where he remained during the winter. He 
 fought in the battle of Slaughter Mountain, 
 and also in the second battle of Bull Run, in 
 which the Thirteenth suffered severely. At 
 Antietam he was wounded in the head, and 
 was subsequently sent to the hospital at Har- 
 risburg, where, when sufficiently recovered, 
 he became ward master. Soon after, as the 
 wounds he had received rendered him unfit 
 for further service in the army, he was hon- 
 orably discharged. Returning then to Cam- 
 bridge, he at once entered the employ of 
 Mason & Hamlin, organ builders, with whom 
 he remained for some time. Later he held 
 a responsible position in the employment of 
 the Monroe Organ Reed Company, of Worces- 
 ter, for twenty-five years, and in the employ- 
 
 ment of the Hammond Reed Company for six 
 years. 
 
 On July 20, 1864, Mr. Ewell married 
 Annie, daughter of Llewellyn P. and Nancy 
 (Leach) Davis. By this union there has been 
 one child, Nettie W. Ewell, born on May 21, 
 1865, now residing with her parents. Mr. 
 Ewell has filled the chairs of Worcester 
 Lodge, No. 56, I. O. O. F., of which he is 
 Past Noble Grand, and which he has repre- 
 sented in the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts 
 since 1867. He has also served in the chairs 
 of Wachusett Encampment, and is a Past 
 Chief Patriarch of that branch of the order. 
 For two years he acted as Commander of Can- 
 ton Worcester No. 3, and at one time he was 
 Brigadier-general, holding the command of 
 the forces of this order in the Eastern States. 
 In the G. A. R. he is a comrade of Colonel 
 Ward Post, No. 10. 
 
 7T%ALVIN W. WOODS, the general 
 I \y superintendent of the factory of the 
 
 XJs ^ E. & A. H. Batcheller Company in 
 North Brookfield and a prominent 
 resident of the town since 1880, is a native of 
 Woodville, Mass. Born August 6, 1846, 
 he is a son of Charles A. and Caroline S. 
 (Carter) Woods, who were both natives of 
 Woodville, and are now deceased. His boy- 
 hood was passed in Woodville, and there he 
 attended school. Although a mere lad when 
 the great war between the North and the South 
 broke out, he was anxious to go into active 
 service, and in September, 1862, enlisted in 
 the Forty-second Regiment of Massachusetts 
 Volunteers. Although his term was nine 
 months, he was gone a full year, serving with 
 General Banks at New Orleans, and fighting 
 in the battles at Bayou La Fourche and Brazier. 
 At the last named place he was captured by 
 thie enemy. His period of prison life, how- 
 ever, was a short one, as he was soon ex- 
 changed. When he returned from the war he 
 settled down in Woodville, and for some years 
 was engaged in bottoming boots there. He 
 was subsequently in the shoe business in Mil- 
 ford and later in Natick, where he was the 
 foreman for four years of the bottoming de- 
 
CALVIN W. WOODS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 471 
 
 partment of C. E. Johnson's factory. From 
 Natick he came to the factory of Messrs. 
 Batcheller in North Brookfield, assuming first 
 the position of foreman in the bottoming de- 
 partment. This being one of the largest fac- 
 tories in the country, there was ample oppor- 
 tunity for advancement. Mr. Woods proved 
 himself so faithful and able in the perform- 
 ance of his duties here that the firm promoted 
 him step by step until he reached his present 
 post, that of general superintendent, for which 
 he had shown himself entirely competent in 
 the subordinate capacity of assistant superin- 
 tendent. The firm has the fullest confidence 
 in his executive ability and good judgment. 
 
 Mr. Woods does not confine his activities 
 entirely to the factory. For three years he 
 served on the Board of Selectmen, being also 
 the chairman of the board. Still cherishing 
 his war memories, he is a comrade of Ezra 
 Batcheller Post, No. 51, G. A. R. ; a member 
 of Joe Hooker Camp, Sons of Veterans; and 
 the president of the Worcester County F^orty- 
 second Regiment Association. He also be- 
 longs to Concordia Lodge, Knights of Pythias, 
 of which he is Past Chancellor. In politics 
 he is an Independent. He was united in mar- 
 riage with Laura Kemp, of Woodville. His 
 only son, Leon D. Woods, married Maud 
 Stevens, of Barton Landing, and has a daugh- 
 ter, Hazel M. Woods. 
 
 Tt::^EUBEN BOYNTON was for many 
 I ^-^^ years one of the substantial men of 
 |b\ Westboro. In early life he was a 
 ^"^ school teacher. Later he advanced 
 the educational interests of the town by his 
 labors on the School Board. From 1853 to 
 1873 he was engaged in the grocery and provi- 
 sion business, erecting in 1868 a building to 
 accommodate his increasing trade. Subse- 
 quently he built another business block, 
 besides the commodious residence on West 
 Main Street that is now occupied by Mrs. 
 Arethusa H. Boynton, and which was his 
 home during the rest of his life. He was a 
 Representative to the State legislature in 
 1865 and again in 1874 and 1875. Besides 
 having been a director of the Westboro Na- 
 
 tional Bank for many years, he was one of the 
 incorporators of the Westboro Savings Bank, 
 and for some time was its president. Pro- 
 gressive and public-spirited, he took great in- 
 terest in all enterprises tending to promote 
 the welfare of the com.munity, and among 
 other things was especially active in introduc- 
 ing the present water system. He was a 
 member and liberal supporter of the Orthodox 
 church. His marriage with Arethusa H. 
 Buck took place in 1843. He died at his 
 home in 1892, being then seventy-six years 
 old. Three children survive him — Alden 
 L., Emily M., and Henry L. Emily M. is 
 the wife of S. O. Staples, of Framingham. 
 
 Alden L. Boynton, born in Westboro, Jan- 
 uary 2, 1844, received a common-school edu- 
 cation. After leaving school he entered his 
 father's employ. Having subsequently suc- 
 ceeded his father, he conducted the business 
 successfully for nearly twenty years. He sold 
 out in 1890, and has since devoted a large 
 part of his time to banking and the care of 
 estates, including that left by his father. 
 For twenty years he was a director of the 
 Westboro National Bank, and for nearly ten 
 years he has served on the Investment Com- 
 mittee of the Westboro Savings Bank, of 
 which he is now the president. In 1883, 
 1884, and 1885 he served the town as Select- 
 man, and he has been a Commissioner of the 
 Sinking Fund for twelve years and a member 
 of the Town Board of Health since it was 
 established. A conservative man, inclined 
 to think and investigate for himself, he has 
 made a study of men and affairs. Until re- 
 cent years he was identified with the Repub- 
 lican party in politics, but when the silver 
 question became paramount he espoused the 
 cause of free silver at the former ratio of six- 
 teen to one. He is one of the very few bank 
 presidents of New England who have openly 
 declared it their belief that the restoration 
 of silver to its former status in the currency 
 is necessary to the establishment of an "hon- 
 est dollar" and a condition of general pros- 
 perity. On January 3, 1883, he married Miss 
 Myra J. Douglass, a native of Greenbush, 
 Me., who had been a resident of Westboro 
 for some time. She died November 34, 1894, 
 
472 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 :iBEON C. FIELD, an extensive 
 coal and lumber dealer of Milford, 
 was born December 25, 1831, in 
 Paris, Me. A son of Zibeon Field, 
 he belongs to one of the families first repre- 
 sented in New England in 1632 by three 
 young men, two brothers and a cousin, that 
 were lineal descendants of Sir John Field, 
 the eminent English astronomer. The cousin 
 settled in Connecticut, and became the 
 founder of the New York branch of the Field 
 family; while the two brothers, who founded 
 the Massachusetts families of that name, set- 
 tled first at Field's Point, near Providence, 
 R.I., where they died. A son of one brother 
 moved to Bridgewater, Mass., at an early day, 
 probably prior to 1660. 
 
 Ephraim Field, the paternal grandfather of 
 Zibeon C. Field, who was born and brought 
 up in Bridgewater, Mass., in middle life be- 
 came a pioneer of Paris, Me. He married 
 Sarah Brett, a direct descendant of John 
 Alden, the last survivor of the signers of the 
 compact made on board the " Mayflower " in 
 November, 1620. Zibeon Field, son of 
 Ephraim, was born in Bridgewater, Mass., in 
 1798. Having accompanied his parents to 
 the wilds of Maine when but a boy, he as- 
 sisted in the pioneer labor of clearing and im- 
 proving a homestead. He subsequently en- 
 gaged in farming as a life occupation, and was 
 one of the influential men of Chesterville, 
 Me., which he served as Selectman and in 
 other offices of minor importance. He died 
 in 1882 at the venerable age of eighty-four 
 years. His wife, Lydia Howe Field, a 
 daughter of Jacob and Betsey (Foster) Howe, 
 bore him seven sons and three daughters, of 
 whom the following are now living: Ansel 
 S. , residing in California, having retired 
 from active business; Belinda, of Farmington, 
 Me., the widow of the late Cyrus W. Bailey; 
 Mason G., an agriculturist residing at Farm- 
 ington, Me.; and Zibeon C, the subject of 
 this biography. 
 
 Having been educated in the public schools 
 of Farmington and Chesterville, Me., Zibeon 
 C. Field at the age of seventeen came to Mil- 
 ford, Mass., where he worked for a time in a 
 boot manufactory. His health becoming im- 
 
 paired from close confinement indoors, he 
 went in 1852 to California, sailing around 
 Cape Horn in the ship "R. C. Winthrop." 
 For three years he was engaged in mining, 
 and then returned to Milford. Subsequently 
 he embarked in the provision business in Rox- 
 bury, Mass. In 1858 he settled permanently 
 in Milford, and there he and his brother, 
 Perley P. Field, conducted his present busi- 
 ness until 1 89 1. Since that year he has car- 
 ried on the business alone. While residing 
 in Roxbury he was the foreman of the Hook 
 and Ladder Company for two years. In Mil- 
 ford he served for the same length of time on 
 the Board of Engineers, and was the chairman 
 of the Board of Selectmen and a member of 
 the School Committee respectively for three 
 years. In 1864 and 1865 he was a Repre- 
 sentative to the General Court, where he 
 served in the Committees on Horse Railroads, 
 Railways, and Canals. He was also Justice 
 of the Peace for many years, having been ap- 
 pointed by Governor Andrew. During the 
 Civil War he was town agent for recruiting 
 soldiers. In this capacity, through a personal 
 interview with President Lincoln at Washing- 
 ton in 1864, he secured for Milford the credit 
 of one hundred and thirty-seven three-year 
 men — which had not been recorded in its 
 favor at the War Department — thereby saving 
 the loss of many thousands of dollars to the 
 town. Although for several years he has 
 refused to accept any public office, he still re- 
 tains his interest in politics, and he has been 
 chairman of the Milford Republican League. 
 He is an active member of the Universalist 
 church, and for a long time was one of the 
 Standing Committee of the parish. He is 
 now a trustee of the Milford Savings Bank 
 and a director of the Milford National Bank. 
 A Mason in good standing, he belongs to 
 Montgomery Lodge and Mount Lebanon 
 Chapter. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Field married Lydia A., 
 daughter of Colonel Peter and Hopestill 
 (Prentiss) Corbet, by whom he became the 
 father of four children. These were: Pren- 
 tiss, born in 1858, who died in 1861; Frank, 
 born in December, 1861; Charlotte T., who 
 was graduated from the Milford High School, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 4?3 
 
 and is now the wife of F. A. Slieplierd, of Mil-. 
 ford; and Grace P., a graduate of tiie Milford 
 High School, who afterward completed her 
 musical education at Dean Academy, and is 
 now the wife of Aaron H. Mayhew, the teller 
 of the Milford National Bank. Frank, who 
 graduated from the Milford High School, and 
 is now in business with his father, first mar- 
 ried E. Luella Taft, who was a daughter of 
 James and Anna Taft, and died in 1892. A 
 second marriage on September 2, 1894, united 
 him with S. Etta, daughter of Robert and 
 Sylvia Stewartson, of West Medway. Mrs. 
 Lydia A. Field died March 21, 1872. On 
 June 17, 1874, Mr. Field, Sr., contracted a 
 second marriage with Anna, daughter of 
 Almon and Sarah A. (Darling) Thwing, of 
 Hopedale. Mrs. Anna Field, who was a suc- 
 cessful teacher in the public schools before 
 her marriage, is a woman of culture. 
 
 ]ClLLSWORTH EUGENE HOWE, book- 
 pi keeper and paymaster of the Fisher 
 "^^ - ■' Manufacturing Company, of Fisher- 
 ville (Grafton), Worcester County, Mass., is 
 a native of Princeton in the same county. 
 He was born July 17, 1861, son of Oscar and 
 Amanda (Adams) Howe. He is a direct 
 descendant in the male line of Abraham How, 
 the founder of this branch of the Howe fam- 
 ily, who married at Watertown, Mass., in 
 1657, Hannah Ward, daughter of William 
 Ward, and in 1660 was one of the proprietors 
 of Marlboro. 
 
 The Howe name and family have been iden- 
 tified with Marlboro from the beginning of the 
 settlement, John Howe, of Sudbury, having 
 been one of the petitioners in 1657 for the 
 grant which constituted Marlboro. John 
 Howe was in Sudbury in 1639. He died at 
 Marlboro in 1687. In 1642 he was Select- 
 man in Sudbury, and in 1655 was appointed 
 by the pastor and Selectmen "to see to the re- 
 straining of youth on the Lord's Day." Ac- 
 cording to tradition he was the first white in- 
 habitant who settled on the new grant. He 
 went to Marlboro in 1657, and built a cabin 
 near the Indian plantation. From the inter- 
 esting account of him in Hudson's History of 
 
 Marlboro we extract the following: "By his 
 kindness he gained the confidence and good 
 will of his savage neighbors, who accordingly 
 not only respected his rights, but in many 
 cases made him the umpire in cases of diffi- 
 culties among themselves. In a case where a 
 pumpkin vine sprang up within the premises 
 of one Indian, and the fruit ripened upon the 
 premises of another, the dispute which arose 
 between them as to the ownership of the 
 pumpkin was referred to him ; and, inspired 
 with the wisdom of a second Solomon, he 
 called for a knife, and severed the fruit, giv- 
 ing a moiety to each. This struck the parties 
 as the perfection of justice, and fixed the im- 
 partiality of the judge on an immutable 
 basis." He opened the first public house in 
 Marlboro previous to 1670. His property was 
 inventoried at five hundred and eleven pounds. 
 He gave his son Thomas "the horse he troops 
 on." 
 
 That Abraham How, above named, was a 
 nephew of John Howe, of Sudbury and Marl- 
 boro, is a well-grounded conjecture, we are 
 told, in the mind of one of his descendants, 
 an octogenarian of remarkable vigor and of 
 excellent memory, who in his youth heard the 
 family record discussed by his father and 
 grandfather, and who has in his possession 
 papers relating to the family ancestry. Abra- 
 ham How, or Howe, was the father of ten 
 children. He died June 30, 1695, and his 
 widow died November 3, 1717, aged seventy- 
 eight years. Their youngest son, Abraham 
 Howe, Jr., was killed by the Indians at Lan- 
 caster in July, 1704, leaving only one child, 
 a daughter. 
 
 Joseph Howe, second son of Abraham, born 
 at Watertown in 1661, married Dorothy Mar- 
 tin. Their second son, Abraham, third, born 
 in 1698, married Rachel Rice, daughter of 
 Benjamin and Mary (Graves) Rice, of Marl- 
 boro. Adonijah Howe, born September 7, 
 1737, son of Abraham and Rachel, was the 
 fourth in this line of ancestry. He came to 
 Worcester County with his brother Abner, 
 and purchased one hundred acres of land at 
 Princeton, on what was then called the Water- 
 town Farms. Abner'bought ninety-four acres. 
 The first named tract is known at the present 
 
474 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 time as the D. J. Reed place, and the second 
 as the Harlow Skinner place. Adonijah mar- 
 ried in 1764 Lydia Church. One of their 
 sons was Adonijah, Jr., of the fifth genera- 
 tion, grandfather of Oscar, the father of the 
 subject of this sketch. From this record it 
 appears that Ellsworth E. Howe is a repre- 
 sentative of the eighth generation from Abra- 
 ham, the immigrant. Church Howe is a 
 cousin, prominent in public life in the West. 
 He was President of State Senate for a num- 
 ber of sessions, and is now United States 
 Consul to Sicily. 
 
 Oscar Howe was born in Princeton, Mass., 
 on July 2, 1830. He studied dentistry with 
 Dr. Levi Foskett, of the town of Winchen- 
 don, and Dr. Seth Miller, of Worcester, and 
 has practised in the town of Princeton for 
 forty-five years. He is still actively engaged 
 in his profession. He has been a member of 
 the Massachusetts Dental Society since 1865. 
 He made regular visits to Westminster for 
 thirty years, also visited Hubbardston, Rut- 
 land, and Holden. He was chairman of the 
 Republican Town Committee for quite a long 
 period of time, and was a trustee of the Con- 
 gregational parish and organist at the Congre- 
 gational church for sixteen consecutive years. 
 He married in May, 1854, Sarah Amanda 
 Adams, daughter of Nathan and Mary Beaman 
 Adams, and is the father of three children, all 
 sons — ■ Walter Sumner, Ellsworth Eugene, 
 and Fred Clayton. Walter was born in 
 Princeton, May 8, 1856. He was in business 
 for a while in Worcester, and later spent a 
 few years in the West. He died in Prince- 
 ton, February 12, 1890. He never married. 
 Fred Clayton, the youngest son, born in 
 Princeton, March 15, 1866, taught school in 
 Princeton. He worked for a time in the 
 office of the William Knowlton & Sons' straw 
 works, West Upton, and then went West to 
 Lincoln, Neb., as clerk of the State Banking 
 Board. He married Martha Funke, and now 
 lives in Lincoln, Neb., and is manager of the 
 Bradstreet's Agency. 
 
 Ellsworth Eugene Howe, born in Prince- 
 ton, Mass., July 17, 1861, was educated in 
 the public schools of the town. He taught 
 school for three years, then took a special 
 
 business course, and went to Orange, Mass., 
 in the employ of C. G. Howe & Co., grocers. 
 Afterward he went to Worcester as book- 
 keeper in the employ of Macullar & Son, 
 clothiers, a branch of the firm of Macullar, 
 Parker & Co., Boston, where he remained till 
 coming to Fisherville (Grafton) in June, 1882, 
 sixteen years ago, at the time of the building 
 of the new cotton-mill of the Fisher Manu- 
 facturing Company. He first took charge of 
 the office work, and now holds the position of 
 book-keeper and paymaster. He is vice-presi- 
 dent of the Grafton Co-operative Bank, also a 
 director and member of the Finance Commit- 
 tee. He is a member of the corporation of the 
 Grafton Savings Bank. In politics a Repub- 
 lican, he is now serving as a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen of Grafton and clerk of the 
 board. He is a member of Franklin Lodge of 
 F. & A. M., of Grafton, and of the Royal Ar- 
 canum. At an early age he joined the Con- 
 gregational church at Princeton. He is a life 
 member of the Congregational Home Mission- 
 ary Society and a member of the Congregational 
 Club of Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Howe married November 17, 1886, 
 Julia Margaret French, of Orange, Mass., 
 daughter of Lysander and Julia (Hunt) 
 French. Her grandfather, the late Rodney 
 Hunt, was one of the prominent business men 
 of Orange and of Franklin County, the founder 
 of the Rodney Hunt Machine Company, which 
 is now one of the principal industrial plants 
 of that town. Mr. and Mrs. Howe have two 
 children: Ruth Amanda Howe, born Novem- 
 ber 19, 1889; and Paul French Howe, born 
 July IS, 1895. 
 
 Mr. Howe is a musician of considerable 
 note. He studied organ and harmony with 
 the late A. S. Allen, of Worcester, and 
 others, and has filled positions of organist and 
 director in churches in Princeton, Orange, 
 Worcester, Grafton, and Millbury, and at the 
 present time is organist and director at the 
 Union Congregational Church in Fisherville, 
 which he was largely instrumental in build- 
 ing. He is chairman of the Standing Com- 
 mittee and prominent in the work of the 
 church. He has conducted various musical 
 organizations; and with his wife, who also is a 
 
MOGRAPHICAL REVlfeW 
 
 4?S 
 
 singer of considerable reputation, has assisted 
 in numberless concerts and musical events in 
 different localities. He has been connected 
 with various military bands from boyhood as 
 leader and solo cornet player, and conducted 
 the music at the one hundred and fiftieth an- 
 niversary celebration of the town of Grafton, 
 also at the dedication exercises of the Good- 
 now Memorial Building in his native town 
 of Princeton. 
 
 BADIAH BROWN HADWEN, one 
 of the leading agriculturists of 
 Worcester County and probably the 
 best known abroad, being a prominent 
 member of the Massachusetts Horticultural 
 Society and of several kindred organizations, 
 was born on August 2, 1824, in Providence, 
 R.I. His parents were Charles and Amey 
 Sherman (Brownell) Hadwen. All of his an- 
 cestors, paternal and maternal, as far back as 
 he has any knowledge of them, were Friends ; 
 and he himself is still considered a birthright 
 member of the society. 
 
 His great-grandfather Hadwen, whose name 
 was John, was born at Low Wray, in the 
 parish of Hawkshead, Lincolnshire, England, 
 on the eleventh of the eighth month, 1722, 
 and came to Newport, R.L, in 1743 or 
 1744. John Hadwen and Elizabeth Barney 
 were married at Newport, October 5, 1752. 
 He died in Newport on the fourteenth of the 
 ninth month, 1804, in his eighty-second year. 
 His family in England was one of great re- 
 spectability. 
 
 Mr. Hadwen, of Worcester, has in his pos- 
 session the coat of arms and also the family 
 Bible, published in England prior to 1800, on 
 the title page of which is pasted an obituary 
 notice that reads as follows: "Died in this 
 town [Newport] yesterday afternoon, of an 
 apoplectic fit, that eminently good man, Mr. 
 John Hadwen, in the eighty-second year of 
 his age. His heart was pure and his mind 
 was correct. He never deceived, he never in- 
 spired enmity, he was unsullied by a single 
 vice, and bore a conscience without a single 
 reproach. Of him the founder of the Friends' 
 religion, George Fox, would have said, 'Be- 
 
 hold another man in whom also there is no 
 guile.'" 
 
 James Hadwen, son of John and Elizabeth 
 and grandfather of Mr. Obadiah B. Hadwen, 
 was born in Newport, R.L, on the thirteenth 
 of the eleventh month, 1758, and died there 
 on the first of the eleventh month, 181 3. He 
 was by occupation a merchant and manufact- 
 urer. In 1786 he married Mary Peckham, 
 daughter of Isaac and Ruth Peckham and a 
 native of Newport, born the twenty-fourth of 
 second month, 1762. She died in 1834, at 
 the age of seventy-two, having been the 
 mother of six children; namely, Henry, Eliz- 
 abeth, William, Sarah, Isaac, and Charles. 
 Elizabeth married Charles Holden. William 
 became a prominent oil merchant in Nan- 
 tucket in the firm of Hadwen & Barney. Of 
 him the good story is told that, when a fair 
 was progressing in favor of the Nantucket 
 Athenaeum, Mr. Hadwen came late and with- 
 out a ticket. He was told that he could not 
 enter without the necessary ticket, and that 
 they were not selling them then. "Come to 
 think of it," said the merchant, "I don't know 
 but I have a pass " ; and he produced a check 
 for a hundred dollars, which he had prepared 
 before leaving his office. It admitted him at 
 once. Sarah Hadwen married Oliver Arnold, 
 a merchant of Troy, N.Y. Isaac, who was a 
 mariner, was engaged in the West India mer- 
 chant service, and rose to the position of first 
 officer. He died in Havana of yellow fever 
 in 1823, when only twenty-eight years of age. 
 
 Charles Hadwen was born in Newport on 
 the fourth of the first month, 1797, and en- 
 gaged in mercantile and manufacturing busi- 
 ness in Providence, R.L, previous to coming 
 to Worcester in 1835. Here he settled on 
 the old Wing Kelley place, a farm of a hun- 
 dred and thirty-five acres back of Newton 
 Hill, a part of which is now the summer 
 home of H. B. Witter. He died in Febru- 
 ary, 1 88 1, leaving an estate valued at thirty 
 thousand dollars and, what was far better, a 
 record for unimpeachable integrity in all his 
 dealings. He was three times married. His 
 first wife, Amey Sherman Brownell, whom he 
 married in September, 1823, was born in 
 Portsmouth, R.L She died on November 15, 
 
476 
 
 SIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1829, leaving three children — Obadiah B., 
 Dorcas, and Sarah. Dorcas is now the widow 
 of Samuel Lee, of Worcester. She has three 
 children. Sarah married George A. Kim- 
 ball, of Worcester, a manufacturer now re- 
 tired. She has two sons and a daughter. 
 Charles Hadwen named his eldest child, the 
 subject of this sketch, for the husband of his 
 aunt Dorcas, Obadiah Brown, who was promi- 
 nently connected with the planting of the cot- 
 ton spinning industry in this country. 
 
 Obadiah B. Hadwen in his youth spent four 
 years as a student at the Friends' School in 
 Providence; four winters in the Clinton Grove 
 Institute at Weare, N.H., under the instruc- 
 tion of Moses A. Cartland, the friend to 
 whom Whittier, the poet, refers in "A 
 Memorial, M. A. C"; and a winter in the 
 Worcester County Manual Labor School. At 
 Kendrick's in Newton he had some expe- 
 rience in the nursery business; and in 1843, 
 before he was twenty years of age, he settled 
 on his present farm, at the corner of May and 
 Lovell Streets. This was a part of the orig- 
 inal Lovell estate, but the buildings and trees 
 on it have been placed here since it came into 
 Mr. Hadwen's possession. While his young 
 trees were growing he followed market gar- 
 dening to some extent, and in 1848 he began 
 selling milk. After that for forty years he 
 ran a milk and vegetable wagon. 
 
 When he came here more than fifty years 
 ago, May Street was in the country. Now the 
 city stretches out, and bids fair to surround 
 him; but his immediate home and farm are 
 still rural enough for a man who preferred 
 farming to commercial life. Mr. Hadwen 
 was for many years a trustee of the State 
 Agricultural College at Amherst and for a 
 long time chairman of the Executive Commit- 
 tee of the board. Under his direction were 
 erected the drill hall, president's house, and 
 chapel. He was also one of the first mem- 
 bers of the Board of Control of the Experi- 
 ment Station and its first secretary, holding 
 this position for four years. He joined the 
 Worcester County Horticultural Society in 
 1847-48, and has been trustee, vice-president, 
 and in 1875 president. He also belongs to 
 the Worcester County Agricultural Society, 
 
 of which he has been vice-president and trus- 
 tee; the American Pomological Society; and 
 the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, in 
 which he was chairman of the Committee on 
 Publication and Discussions. He is also a 
 member of the New England Historic Genea- 
 logical Society and interested in its work. 
 
 Mr. Hadwen married on Christmas Day, 
 1845, Harriet Page, of Westminster, Vt., a 
 daughter of Major Joel Page and a niece of 
 Judge Henry Closson, of Springfield, Vt. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hadwen have two children now 
 living, namely: Amey, who is the wife of 
 John H. Goes, of New Worcester; and 
 Charles, a wholesale dealer in produce in 
 Chicago. Their other son, William E., for 
 some years a grocer on Chandler Street in this 
 city, died a few months since, on May 31, 
 1898. 
 
 While never a politician, Mr. Hadwen has 
 been successively a Whig, a Free Soiler, and 
 a Republican. Once, without his knowledge 
 or consent, his fellow-citizens made him a 
 member of the Common Council, and he 
 served for two years, 1868 and 1869. His 
 work in relation to the shade trees and public 
 parks of the city has been of far greater value. 
 He has been connected with this department 
 of the city since 1867, and has now the special 
 charge of University Park. The grounds sur- 
 rounding his own home give proof of his taste 
 and skill in harmonizing and arranging trees 
 and shrubbery, and no more delightful and 
 charming retreat could be desired. 
 
 T^YRUS SPAULDING, an active and 
 I V^ prominent citizen of Webster, was 
 
 V ^ ^ born in this town, April 17, 1835, 
 a son of Erastus and Lucy (Locke) 
 Spaulding. The father, Erastus Spaulding, 
 was born in Oxford, Mass., in 1806, and died 
 at his late home in Millbury in February, 
 1897. In early manhood he engaged in busi- 
 ness in Millbury, where he remained until 
 1834, when he opened a stove and tinware 
 store in Webster. This he managed until he 
 sold out to his son Cyrus, after which he lived 
 retired until his death. He was active in 
 local affairs for many years, and, as a strong 
 
HENRY T. DUDLEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 479 
 
 abolitionist before the Civil War, had many 
 stirring public discussions on the slavery 
 question. A strong Methodist in his relig- 
 ious beliefs, he was prominent in church 
 affairs, and besides serving as local Elder held 
 many other church offices. His wife, Lucy 
 Locke Spaulding, bore him four children, two 
 of whom are living: Cyrus, the subject of 
 this sketch; and Emma J., wife of Captain 
 Amos Bartlett, of Webster. 
 
 Cyrus Spaulding, after completing his 
 school life at the Wilbraham Academy, spent 
 a year in his father's store as clerk. Then, 
 taking an interest in the business, he was 
 junior member of the firm of Spaulding & Son 
 for a year, when he sold out his share to his 
 father. Subsequently he purchased the en- 
 tire business, and, having added a fine assort- 
 ment of hardware, has since carried on an ex- 
 tensive and profitable trade. He is a sound 
 Republican in politics, and is a member of 
 Webster Lodge, F. & A. M. He has been 
 prominently identified with the leading inter- 
 ests of the town, and in 1876, 1877, and 
 1 88 1 was Selectman and in 1874 and 1884 
 Town Assessor. In 1896 and 1897 he was a 
 Representative to the State legislature, in 
 which he served as one of the Committee on 
 Banking during the first year and on the 
 Committees on Banks, Parishes, and Relig- 
 ious Societies the second year. He was a 
 charter member and one of the directorate of 
 the Worcester Safe Deposit and Trust Com- 
 pany; has been a trustee of the Webster Five 
 Cent Savings Bank since 1868 and its presi- 
 dent since 1887; and in 1876 was one of the 
 three men that founded the Webster National 
 Bank, of which he has since been one of the 
 directors. He has also worked hard to ad- 
 vance the temperance cause, in which he takes 
 a deep interest, and for fifteen years has been 
 treasurer and secretary of the Sterling Junc- 
 tion Camp-meeting Association. An active 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 he is treasurer of the Board of Trustees and 
 of the society, and is now acting superintend- 
 ent of the Sunday-school, having been for a 
 number of years a class leader. 
 
 Mr. Spaulding was married April 18, 1855, 
 to Elizabeth M., daughter of Isaac and Relief 
 
 (Watkins) Harrington. In 1895 Mr. and 
 Mrs. Spaulding spent three montlis abroad, 
 visiting among other places Bermuda; Gi- 
 braltar and Granada, in Spain ; Algiers, 
 Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Palestine, Constanti- 
 nople, Italy, Greece, France, and England. 
 In 1889 they accompanied a' party of Massa- 
 chusetts people to Mexico, and, after visiting 
 several of the Mexican states, returned home 
 by way of California. 
 
 7T^APT. HENRY TYLER DUDLEY, 
 IV' of the D. T. Dudley & Son Com- 
 ^Hs^ pany and an esteemed resident of 
 Wilkinsonville, town of Sutton, was 
 born near his present home on April 27, 
 1 84 1, son of David Tyler and Lucy L. 
 (Wilder) Dudley. His grandparents were 
 Captain David and Phoebe (Chase) Dudley. 
 The former, who commanded a company in the 
 State militia, was a scythe-maker by trade, 
 and had a shop on the bank of Cold Brook. 
 He and his wife had five children, four sons 
 and a daughter, none of whom are living. 
 The wife died suddenly of pneumonia at the 
 age of sixty-seven. 
 
 David Tyler Dudley, son of Captain David 
 Dudley, born in September, 181 7, was a na- 
 tive of Sutton. He began as a young boy to 
 work in the shuttle factory, in which he re- 
 mained until 1855, when failing health led 
 him to make a change. Then for ten years he 
 had charge of the railroad station, Wilkinson- 
 ville, and dealt in grain. At the expiration 
 of that time he returned to the shuttle busi- 
 ness, and in company with his son, Henry 
 T. , and Warren Wilder, the latter of whom be- 
 came interested in the business in 1855, he 
 built the present shop and dam. The firm 
 name, which previously was Wilder & Co., 
 now became D. T. Dudley & Son. Lucy L. 
 Wilder Dudley, a native of Lancaster, Mass., 
 was the mother of six children — Charles F. , 
 who died in infancy, Henry Tyler, Augusta, 
 Fred Chase, Sumner Arthur, and Phoebe 
 Jeannette. Augusta, who married William 
 Hale, died leaving a young son. Fred Chase 
 died in middle life, leaving no children. 
 Sumner Arthur is a shuttle manufacturer 
 
480 
 
 mOGRAPHiCAL R£VIEW 
 
 in Taunton. Phcebe Jeannette married 
 Charles H. Norcross, of \\'ilkinsonville, and 
 had one daughter, who died in infancy. 
 
 Having received a common-school educa- 
 tion, Henry Tyler Dudley when twelve years 
 of age began working in his father's shuttle 
 shop. In July, 1861, he enlisted in the Fif- 
 teenth Massachusetts Regiment, of Balls Bluff 
 fame. Within a year he rose to the position 
 of Orderly Sergeant, and in June, 1864, be- 
 came Captain of Company A. Taken prisoner 
 at Ream's Station, he spent seven months in 
 Libby, Salisbury, and Danville Prisons. Be- 
 tween the time of his capture and his release 
 he lost eighty-four pounds, his weight being 
 reduced from one hundred and eighty to 
 ninety-six pounds. He was wounded four 
 times: first, at Antietam, a ball passing 
 through his leg; second at Gettysburg by a 
 shell fragment striking him in the side; 
 third, at the battle of the \Mlderness by a 
 spent ball in his right knee; and fourth, at 
 the battle of Deep Bottom by a canister shot 
 grazing his left shin. In politics Mr. Dudley is 
 a Republican. Not aspiring to official honors, 
 when solicited to become a candidate he has 
 declined. He is a member of Grafton Post, 
 No. 24. G. A. R. 
 
 On October 7, 1866, Mr. Dudley was mar- 
 ried to Lucina H. Chase, a daughter of Silas 
 and Beulah (Roberts) Chase, both of whom 
 are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Dudley 
 were the parents of two daughters: Beulah, 
 who died when six years of age; and Lucy 
 Gertrude, a graduate of Lasell Seminary, who 
 lives at home. Mrs. Dudley died in June, 
 1890, aged forty-nine. He subsequently mar- 
 ried Miss Mira Peck, daughter of Joel Peck, 
 of Millbury, who died in Worcester in 1882. 
 The family reside in the residence which Mr. 
 Dudley built in 1888. 
 
 T^HARLES FREDERICK FLINT 
 I V^ was born in Paxton, April 18, 1857, 
 ^^1^ in the house where he now resides. 
 
 The farm owned and occupied by 
 Mr. Flint is a part of the large tract of land 
 that constituted the estate of his remote an- 
 cestor on the maternal side, Abraham Smith, 
 
 who came here with his wife about 1740, was 
 one of the original settlers of Paxton, then a 
 part of Leicester, and was the first Represent- 
 ative to General Court from this town. 
 Abraham Smith built a house opposite the 
 site of the present one. A large family 
 sprang up about him, and as his children ad- 
 vanced in life he set off portions of his de- 
 mesne to them. The present house must have 
 been built some time previous to 1787, as Mr. 
 Flint has in his possession a deed dated that 
 year, by which Abraham Smith conveyed this 
 farm with the buildings thereon to his son, 
 Abraham, Jr., Mr. Flint's great-grandfather. 
 The house, a large two-story and a half frame 
 dwelling, containing fifteen rooms, is still in 
 a remarkably good state of preservation. It 
 is situated about a mile in a westerly direc- 
 tion from the centre of the town. 
 
 In the year 1806 Frederick Flint, of Oak- 
 ham, married the daughter of Abraham Smith, 
 Jr., purchased the estate, and thus became 
 founder of the Flint family in this locality. 
 
 The Hon. Thomas Flint, first American 
 ancestor of Charles F. Flint on the paternal 
 side, was born in 1603. He came to this 
 country from Matlock, Derbyshire, England, 
 and settled in Concord, Mass., in 1638. He 
 brought with him, says a family genealogy, 
 four thousand pounds sterling. He was a 
 man of wealth and talents, and possessed a 
 strong Christian character. He was Deputy 
 of the town four years, and was an assistant 
 eleven, or until his death. Thomas Flint re- 
 ceived a tract of seven hundred and fifty acres 
 of land, extending from Flint's Pond to Beaver 
 Pond and the town bounds, now situated in 
 Lincoln. This tract and one other of like 
 amount were the largest single tracts granted 
 to any individual. The will of Thomas Flint 
 is the first recorded in the Middlesex Probate 
 Records. A copy of it is now in the posses- 
 sion of Charles F. Flint, of Paxton. 
 
 Colonel John Flint, of Concord, the next in 
 this ancestral line, married Mary Oakes, 
 daughter of Edward Oakes, of Cambridge, 
 Mass., and sister of the Rev. Urian Oakes, 
 who was inaugurated president of Harvard 
 College in 1680. Colonel John Flint repre- 
 sented his native town in the General Court 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 iSi 
 
 during the years 1678. 16S0. 1682. and was 
 Town Clerk for 1680 to 1686. His son 
 Thomas, second, married a Mary Brown, by 
 whom he had nine children. 
 
 The family now began to branch out and 
 move away from the old home place: and 
 Thomas, the third, son of Thomas and Mary 
 (Brown) Flint, came to Worcester County and 
 settled at Rutland. He married Eunice How, 
 daughter of Moses How, and nine children 
 were bom to them. Their son John married 
 Phoebe Smith, settled in Oakham, and was 
 father of the Frederick Flint, above named. 
 who settled in Paxton. 
 
 Frederick Flint lived to the age of seventy- 
 eight, and at his death the old homestead de- 
 scended to his son, Charles S., who was born 
 October 10, 1S17. The late Charles Stillman 
 Flint was an uncompromising Republican in 
 politics and a member of the Congregational 
 church. His wife. Mary M. Williams, was 
 born in Hubbardston. but lived the most of 
 her life until her marriage in Barre, ^lass. 
 Thev had two children — Man.- J. and Charles 
 F. Marv J. Flint died at the age of six 
 years. Charles S. Flint died February 19, 
 1884, in the sixty-seventh year of his life; 
 and Pa.xton lost one of its most highly re- 
 spected citizens. His wife soon followed, 
 the date of her death being Tune i. 1S87: and 
 the homestead descended to the present 
 Charles F.. who still lives, as before men- 
 tioned, on the old home place. 
 
 Mr. Flint received a practical education in 
 the common schools of Paxton and in Leices- 
 ter Academy, which he attended for a while. 
 From the days of his voiith he assisted in the 
 daily labors incidental to life on a farm, and 
 on leaving the academy took an active part in 
 the management of the homestead property. 
 He has one hundred acres of land, much of 
 which is in cultivation, and is successfully 
 carrying on general farming, each year raising 
 the crops common to this section of New Eng- 
 land, and paying some attention to dairying 
 and stock-raising. 
 
 • He has filled various local offices with 
 credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his 
 constituents, having been Assessor a number 
 of terms, a portion of the time being chairman 
 
 of the board, and also Selectman several years. 
 He is at present a member of the Board of 
 Trustees of the Paxton Library, a position 
 which he has held a long time. In politics 
 he is true to the principles in which he was 
 brought up, and is a strong adherent of the 
 Republican party. 
 
 On the ninth day of January, 1889, Mr. 
 Flint married Miss Susie E. , daughter of 
 Robert Wakeford, of Woburn, Mass. They 
 have one child, Frederick W.. born December 
 14, 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Flint are both active 
 members of the Congregational church, in the 
 Sunday-school of which he is a superintend- 
 ent. ^Irs. Flint received her education in 
 Woburn, is a graduate of the high school of 
 that city. For several years previous to her 
 marriage she taught school in Winchester, 
 Mass., and also in Paxton. She has been a 
 member of the Paxton School Committee for 
 seven vears. and is now serv'ing as chairman 
 of the board. 
 
 OHN A. R. CURTIS, an agriculturist 
 of Auburn, Mass., was born in Caro- 
 line, Tompkins County, X.Y.. on Au- 
 gust 29. 1836, son of William and 
 Ann (Clark) Curtis. His paternal grand- 
 father. Samuel Curtis. Jr., was a great-grand- 
 son of Ephraim Curtis, who was the first white 
 settler of Worcester. 
 
 Samuel Curtis, Jr., was born on the farm in 
 Auburn which has been in the family for over 
 two hundred vears. By his first marriage he 
 had four daughters and three sons. One of 
 the three sons, Benjamin F. by name, owned 
 and occupied the large farm on Plantation 
 Street, where his son Samuel now resides. 
 Samuel Curtis, Jr., married for his second 
 wife Eunice Taft, of Uxbridge. By this 
 union there were two sons and one daughter, 
 namely: Albert Curtis, of New Worcester. 
 who died in July, 1898, at the age of ninety- 
 one; William, above named: and Eunice, 
 wife of Charles Bancroft, of Brookline, de- 
 ceased. 
 
 William Curtis, who was born in Worces- 
 ter on December 31, 1813, and died in 1876. 
 was a carpenter by trade and a contracting 
 
482 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 builder. He spent most of his life in West- 
 ern New York. His marriage to Ann Clark, 
 of Tompkins County, New York, took place 
 in 1833. She died at the age of forty-eight, 
 having been the mother of four children — 
 Benjamin Franklin, John A. R., Harriet Vic- 
 toria, and Eunice Sophia. 
 
 Benjamin Franklin resides on the farm in 
 Tompkins County formerly owned by his 
 father. Harriet married Edwin Lewis. She 
 died in Holliston, Mass., in the spring of 
 1894, leaving two children. Eunice is also 
 deceased. 
 
 John A. R. Curtis spent the early years of 
 his life on a farm in Tompkins County; but 
 in 1884 he removed to Auburn, Mass., and 
 took possession of the old Curtis farm. This 
 farm, which comprises one hundred and sixty 
 acres, is largely devoted to the production of 
 milk, from twenty-two to thirty cows being 
 kept. The milk is sold on the farm. 
 
 On December 21, 1869, Mr. Curtis was 
 united in marriage to Almira Nixon, of Cort- 
 land, N.Y. The four children by this mar- 
 riage are: Anna Louise, Edith Belle, Albert, 
 and William. Albert died in February, 
 1898. 
 
 IDWARD A. ESTABROOK, a well- 
 known fruit-grower of Grafton, was 
 born in Boylston, Mass., December 
 21, 1842, son of Austin and Keziah (Gibbs) 
 Estabrook. The father, who was a native of 
 Massachusetts, kept a market in New York 
 City for a number of years. During the Civil 
 War he was a city official. He was killed at 
 the corner of Broadway and Fourteenth Street 
 in February, 1863, while trying to stop a 
 span of runaway horses. 
 
 Edward A. Estabrook was educated in the 
 public schools of New York and at the 
 Hudson River Institute. He resided in 
 Claverack, N.Y., for three years, and was 
 subsequently employed in a packing house. 
 During a visit to a relative in Boylston, 
 Mass., he enlisted for service in the Civil 
 War; but, as he was a minor, his father re- 
 fused to let him go. In September^ 1862, 
 he was allowed to enlist in Company A, 
 
 Fifty-first Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers, under Colonel A. B. R. Sprague, of 
 Worcester, and afterward participated in the 
 battles of Kingston and Whitehall and Golds- 
 boro. After returning to Massachusetts he 
 bought a farm in Princeton, where he resided 
 some nine years. Then he purchased the 
 Bucklin Adams place, located in the Mer- 
 riam district of Grafton, where he has since 
 been engaged in dairying, market gardening, 
 and fruit-growing. Of the three hundred 
 acres contained in his farm, ten are devoted 
 to the cultivation of grapes, and four to other 
 small fruits, including strawberries. He 
 keeps from forty to sixty-five cows, sells large 
 quantities of milk, and employs six men. 
 
 Mr. Estabrook married Carrie New, a native 
 of New York. They have reared a family of 
 seven children, namely: Sophia, who married 
 William Chamberlain, of South Framingham, 
 Mass., and has six children; Marion, who re- 
 sides in Worcester; Austin, a travelling 
 salesman, residing in that city; Carrie, who 
 married Arthur Smith, of Grafton, and has 
 two children; and William New, Ruth K., 
 and Rosalind Estabrook, who are residing at 
 home. In politics Mr. Estabrook is a Repub- 
 lican, and he served with ability as a Select- 
 man for seven years. He is a comrade of 
 A. B. R. Sprague Post, G. A. R. In relig- 
 ious belief he is a free thinker and an ardent 
 admirer of Tom Paine and Colonel Robert G. 
 Ingersoll. 
 
 ALTER F. PARTRIDGE, the 
 general manager of the famous 
 Knowlton Straw Factory at Upton, 
 was born at Franklin, Mass., son of George I. 
 and Harriet (Hancock) Partridge. His early 
 life was spent in Franklin, and he received a 
 commercial training at Comer's Business Col- 
 lege in Boston. Shortly after completing his 
 college course, being then sixteen years old, 
 he entered the Wrentham straw shop. After 
 remaining there for eleven years he returned 
 to Franklin, where he continued for five years 
 in charge of various departments in the fac- 
 tory of Hubbard Snow & Co. At the end of 
 that time, eighteen years ago, he came to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 483 
 
 Upton to take charge of the stock department 
 of the Knowlton factory, and in the following 
 year he was made superintendent of the 
 works. A level-headed business man, ener- 
 getic, courteous, and thorough-going, he has 
 won the esteem of his fellow-citizens and the 
 loyal regard of his employees. His tact and 
 judgment are evidenced by the fact that, 
 throughout the entire time during which he 
 has been in charge of the nine hundred or 
 nine hundred and fifty men here, there has 
 never been any misunderstanding or labor 
 trouble of any kind. 
 
 Although he is now serving his second term 
 as Registrar of Voters, Mr. Partridge has no 
 political ambition. A man of integrity and 
 sound judgment, the head of a great manufact- 
 uring institution, and taking a deep interest 
 in the welfare of the town and the advance- 
 ment of the Republican party, he is yet an in- 
 fluential factor in local affairs. He is a 
 member of Excelsior Lodge, F. & A. M., of 
 Franklin, Mass. ; of Mount Lebanon Royal 
 Arch Chapter, at Milford; and of Hoccomocco 
 Lodge, L O. O. F. , at Westboro. His wife, 
 Averick E. Standish Partridge, is a lineal 
 descendant in the sixth generation of Cap- 
 tain Myles Standish, the Plymouth Pilgrim. 
 Their only daughter is now the wife of Dr. 
 H. W. Cain, of Melrose, Mass. 
 
 KREDERICK D. RUGGLES, a promi- 
 nent resident of Hardwick and a de- 
 scendant of one of the oldest families 
 of the town, was born on the farm where he 
 now lives, June 21, 1835, son of Anson and 
 Lucy (Paige) Ruggles. His great-great- 
 grandfather, Timothy Ruggles, who was a 
 minister of the gospel and one of the original 
 proprietors of the town of Hardwick, died in 
 Rochester, October 20, 171 1. Edward, son 
 of Timothy, born August 30, 1723, on the 
 site of New Braintree, close to the Hardwick 
 line, was the first of the family to reside on 
 the old home farm, situated on what has since 
 been known as Ruggles Hill. He settled in 
 the town in 1748. After residing on a river 
 farm for some time, he removed to another 
 place, owing to the fact that be was unable to 
 
 raise corn on the first because of the early 
 frosts. He entered upon the farm previously 
 referred to in 1760. On September 29, 1746, 
 he married Lucy Spooner, of Hardwick, who 
 was born here, October 29, 1729. He died 
 on this farm, May 21, 1778, and she in 1821, 
 at the venerable age of ninety- one years. 
 
 Daniel Ruggles, son of Edward and Lucy, 
 succeeded his parents in the ownership of the 
 homestead farm. Besides attending to his 
 farm duties he built and conducted a hotel 
 for seventeen years, and did a good business 
 in real estate. He was a very active, ener- 
 getic man, and acquired a handsome property. 
 The high esteem in which he was held by his 
 townsmen is shown by his long term of ser- 
 vice in town offices, including four years as 
 Selectman, eleven years as Assessor, and six 
 years as Town Treasurer, besides several 
 years as Justice of the Peace. He was one of 
 the founders of Mount Zion Lodge of Masons 
 at Barre and one of the organizers of the Uni- 
 versalist church at Hardwick. In politics he 
 was a Democrat. He died on February 26, 
 1838; and his wife, whose maiden name was 
 Lucy Paige, died August 3, 1840. They had 
 a family of four sons and three daughters, 
 born as follows: Gardner, February 16, 1782; 
 Anson, December 17, 1783; Franklin, March 
 21, 1786; Lucy, April 5, 1791 ; Crighton, 
 June 10, 1793; Alma, July 22, 1795; and 
 Luthera, January 4, 1798. 
 
 Anson Ruggles followed farming as an oc- 
 cupation. He purchased the interest of the 
 other heirs in the homestead farm, and was 
 thereafter occupied in its cultivation. In 
 1827 he built the house in which his son 
 lives. His wife's maiden name was the same 
 as that of his mother, Lucy Paige, and his 
 marriage with her took place June 14, 1812. 
 In their wedding trip to Hartford, Conn., they 
 rode on one horse. Their golden wedding 
 was duly celebrated on June 14, 1862. In 
 politics Anson Ruggles was a Democrat, in 
 religion a Universalist. He was a member 
 of Mount Zion Lodge, F. & A. M., in which 
 his brother Gardner was Grand Master for 
 nine years and the special agent for the terri- 
 tory west of Worcester County. He died 
 here, December 5, J88l, and his wife on July 
 
484 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 29, 1874. They were the parents of five sons 
 and one daughter — Dwight, Mary, Moses, 
 George, Daniel, and Frederick D. Dwight, 
 born March 31, 1816, died July 18, 1894. 
 He was a physician in New York City. 
 Mary, born March 4, 1818, is the wife of 
 William Mixter, and lives at 219 Beacon 
 Street, Boston. Moses, born November 3, 
 1 8 19, lives retired in Athol, Mass. George, 
 born September 3, 1821, died January 5, 
 1 86 1. He was a manufacturer, and at the 
 time of his death he was Town Clerk of Hard- 
 wick. Daniel, born August 9, 1823, is en- 
 gaged in farming in Baraboo, Wis. 
 
 Frederick D. Ruggles grew to manhood in 
 Hardwick, receiving his education in the town 
 schools and at the New Salem and Leicester 
 Academies. After leaving school he became 
 a clerk in the mercantile house of Pierce, 
 Hallett & Co., of Boston, with whom he re- 
 mained three and one-half years. In 1854 he 
 sailed as clerk on board the steamboat 
 "Africa," commanded by Captain Harrison; 
 and he served in that capacity for three voy- 
 ages between Boston and Liverpool. He next 
 visited the scene of the Crimean War, serving 
 on board the British warship "Emeu." Re- 
 turning from the Black Sea to London, he 
 took passage on the ship "Asia," Captain 
 A. L. Duncan, for New Orleans, where soon 
 after his arrival he entered the employ of 
 Lincoln & Co., shipping merchants, as clerk. 
 In 1856 he returned to Hardwick, and has 
 since been profitably engaged in the cultiva- 
 tion of the old Ruggles farm. Besides gen- 
 eral farming he makes a specialty of the cult- 
 ure of grapes and other fruits. He is the 
 oldest representative of the Ruggles family 
 now living in Hardwick. 
 
 On June 14, 1859, Mr. Ruggles was mar- 
 ried to Eliza Jane Rogers, of Barre, where her 
 birth occurred March 25, 1835. She was a 
 daughter of Deacon Joshua and Sarah (Reed) 
 Rogers. She died December 13, 1891. All 
 her seven children are living; namely, Fred- 
 erick A., Anna R., George R., Mary M. , 
 Carrie C, Jennie L., and Samuel R. Fred- 
 erick A., born March 19, 1861, unmarried, is 
 engaged in farming on the old homestead. 
 Anna R., born April 22, 1863, is the princi- 
 
 pal of the Providence Cooking School. 
 George R., born November 9, 1864, unmar- 
 ried, lives in Chicago, 111. Mary M., born 
 October 15, 1866, is the wife of N. Willis 
 Amsden, of Newton Highlands, who is a 
 salesman with the firm of Manning Brothers, 
 wholesale boot and shoe dealers. Carrie C, 
 born May 22, 1870, lives at home. Jennie 
 L., born August 15, 1876, is a teacher in the 
 State Deaf and Dumb Institute at Providence, 
 R.I. Samuel R., born December 7, 1880, 
 is attending the Polytechnic Institute. The 
 mother died December 13, 1891. In politics 
 the father is a Democrat and a member of the 
 Young Men's Democratic Club of Massachu- 
 setts. In religious belief he is a Uni- 
 versal ist. 
 
 ENRY CONVERSE, a veteran of the 
 Civil War, now serving his seventh 
 
 year as Postmaster of Rutland, was 
 born in Leicester, Mass., on April 
 14, 1836, son of Sibley and Esther (Parker) 
 Converse. His paternal grandfather, Willard 
 Converse, who died in Spencer at an advanced 
 age, was for many years a hard-working and 
 progressive farmer there. Sibley Converse, 
 also a farmer, spent his life in Leicester, in 
 the western part of which he owned land. He 
 was a Universalist in religion and a Demo- 
 crat in politics. At his death he was sixty- 
 five years old. His wife, who was a native of 
 Leicester, died at the age of seventy-two. Of 
 their nine children, three died in infancy. 
 The others are living; namely, Hiram S., 
 Cynthia P., Henry, George C, Mary, and 
 Dulcina. 
 
 Henry Converse was educated in the public 
 schools of Leicester. At the age of twenty- 
 one he engaged in butchering, and he has fol- 
 lowed that business more or less ever since. 
 He bought a place in Leicester, and lived 
 there until 1882, when he came to Rutland. 
 Since then he has conducted a first-class gen- 
 eral merchandise store here, and has built up 
 a flourishing trade. He can be depended on 
 to furnish thoroughly reliable goods in any of 
 the lines he carries and to give prompt de- 
 livery of all orders. His teams cover a wide 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 485 
 
 territory, and in the course of a year carry out 
 a large amount of merchandise. 
 
 Mr. Converse enlisted in 1862 in Company 
 E of the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts Regi- 
 ment, and was in the army until his discharge 
 in 1865. He took part in the battles of New 
 Market, Winchester, Cedar Creek, and Appo- 
 mattox Court House. Although he had two 
 horses shot under him, he was not wounded. 
 While he never boasts of his army career, the 
 list of battles in which he fought is sufficient 
 guarantee that he was in the thick of it all. 
 In 1866 he was united in marriage with Mary 
 A. Hardy, a daughter of Levi Hardy. He 
 has one adopted child, Mary Elizabeth Con- 
 verse, who was born on September 15, 1889. 
 Mrs. Converse is a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. Mr. Converse has been a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen for one 
 year, and is at present a member of the Board 
 of Overseers of the Poor. In politics he is a 
 Republican. In the discharge of his duties 
 as Postmaster he fully satisfies the towns- 
 people, and at the same time demonstrates his 
 own energy and ability. He aims to make 
 the mail service as prompt and efficient as 
 possible and to give every accommodation to 
 the public. 
 
 7TAHARLES H. FOLLANSBY, the pres- 
 I \y ident of the Barre Savings Bank, was 
 ^Hs^^ born at Sanbornton Bridge (now 
 ^ Tilton), N.H., October 24, 1847, 
 son of Cutting and Alice A. (Haines) Fol- 
 lansby. The paternal grandfather, William 
 FoUansby, who was a prominent merchant 
 and manufacturer, accomplished much in the 
 way of building up that town. He was com- 
 paratively young when he died. Persis, one 
 of his three wives, was the grandmother of 
 Charles H. Follansby. Cutting Follansby, 
 son of William, was born in Tilton. Early 
 in life he became a clerk in his father's store. 
 In 1849 he went to California, where he 
 worked in the mines for three years. Upon 
 his return he resumed his former occupation. 
 He came to Barre in 1874, and was thereafter 
 associated in business with his son until his 
 death, which occurred in September, 1875, at 
 
 the age of fifty-four years. He married Alice 
 A. Haines, a native of Tilton, and left one 
 son Charles H. The mother, surviving him, 
 resides in Tilton. 
 
 Charles H. Follansby attended the public 
 schools and the New Hampshire Conference 
 Seminary. When his studies were completed 
 he engaged in business with his father. 
 After the latter's death he formed a partner- 
 ship with George W. Cook, who was his busi- 
 ness associate for a number of years. After- 
 ward, selling out his interest to George R. 
 Simonds, he retired from trade in order to de- 
 vote his entire attention to his other interests. 
 Besides his interest in the Barre Savings 
 Bank, of which he is the president, he is a 
 heavy stockholder and a director of the First 
 National Bank, a director of the Barre Water 
 Company, and the owner of considerable real 
 estate. A Republican in politics, he has been 
 for several years the chairman of both the 
 Board of Selectmen and of the Overseers of 
 the Poor. Also the Chief Engineer of the Fire 
 Department, the efficiency of the present fire 
 company in a great measure is due to him. 
 He is connected with the Worcester County 
 West Agricultural Society, and has been its 
 treasurer since 1882. 
 
 In 1868 Mr. Follansby married Mary R. 
 Merservey, who died in 1889, leaving one 
 daughter, Alice E. In June, 1890, he con- 
 tracted a second marriage with Mrs. Minnie 
 A. (Kendrick) Underwood, the widow of 
 C. O. Underwood. He is a member of Mount 
 Zion Lodge, F. & A. M., of Barre; of King 
 Solomon Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of 
 Warren; of Athol Commandery, Knights 
 Templar; and of Aleppo Temple of the Mystic 
 Shrine, Boston. 
 
 'TEPHEN B. FISKE, a druggist 
 and real estate owner of Upton, 
 was born in Brookfield, October 30, 
 1849, son of Daniel and Ruth 
 (Burlingame) Fiske. Stephen Knight Fiske, 
 the grandfather, was a well-to-do farmer of 
 Scituate, R.I., where he figured quite promi- 
 nently in public affairs, serving upon the 
 Board of Selectmen and in the legislature. 
 
486 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 The father, who was born in Scituate, March 
 27, 1817, when a young man turned his atten- 
 tion to agriculture. In 1842 he settled upon 
 a farm of two hundred acres in Brookfield, and 
 there he tilled the soil industriously until 
 1877 or ^878, when he retired from active 
 labor. The last twenty years of his life were 
 spent in Worcester, and he died March 19, 
 1897. Ruth Burlingame Fiske, his wife, 
 was a native of Killingly, Conn., and a daugh- 
 ter of Abram Burlingame, of that town. 
 
 Stephen B. Fiske was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of Brookfield. He assisted his 
 father upon the farm for some time before he 
 reached the age of twenty. Afterward he 
 served an apprenticeship of three years in the 
 drug business at Woonsocket, R.I. , and he 
 was for one year a member of the firm of G. R. 
 Hamant, of North Brookfield. For the next 
 five years he kept an apothecary establishment 
 in East Jaffrey, N.H. In 1879 he came to 
 Upton, and succeeded to the drug business 
 formerly carried on by Janries S. Le Sure, at 
 the corner of North Main and Milford Streets. 
 Having had no opposition, he has been unusu- 
 ally successful. Some time since he trans- 
 ferred his store to his new block, where he 
 has a main salesroom, seventy-six by thirty 
 feet, with office prescription department, and 
 laboratory in the rear. The entire floor space 
 devoted to the business amounts to three 
 thousand feet. He carries a first-class stock, 
 which includes chemicals, botanical and pro- 
 prietary medicines, druggists' sundries, fancy 
 and toilet articles, and a fine line of smokers' 
 supplies. Special facilities are provided for 
 the accurate compounding of physicians' pre- 
 scriptions, and a full stock of officinal prep- 
 arations is constantly on hand. 
 
 On March 3, 1873, Mr. Fiske was united 
 in marriage with Alice N. Stebbins, of North 
 Brookfield, daughter of a well-to-do resident 
 of that town. Mrs. Fiske has had three sons 
 — Charles Norman, Harry A., and Walter H. 
 Fiske. The second son died April 10, 1897. 
 Charles Norman, who was graduated from 
 Phillips Academy, Exeter, N. H., pursued a 
 two years' academic course at Harvard, and 
 now is a student in the medical department of 
 that university. Mr. Fiske i.s a Republican 
 
 in politics. His business ability, as well as 
 his high standing in the community, has made 
 him especially eligible to the public service, 
 in which he has made for himself an honor- 
 able record. After declining the town treas- 
 urership in the third year of his residence 
 here, on the ground that he had not been in 
 the town a sufficient length of time, he was 
 again brought forward as a candidate in 1884, 
 and since then, with the exception of two 
 years, he has administered the public finances 
 with ability and wisdom. He served upon 
 the recent School-house Committee, was for 
 several years a member of the Library Com- 
 mittee, is at the present time Chief Engineer 
 of the Fire Department, has been recently ap- 
 pointed Notary Public, and as a Justice of 
 the Peace is especially serviceable to old 
 soldiers in prosecuting their pension claims. 
 Mr. Fiske is identified with several societies, 
 and has done much toward promoting their in- 
 terest. By the exercise of good judgment he 
 has realized considerable profit from his busi- 
 ness, and has made some good investments in 
 real estate and local enterprises. His present 
 residence, occupying a desirable site on Nel- 
 son Hill, and which is known as Maple Ter- 
 race, was erected by him in 1883. 
 
 T^HARLES E. SEAGRAVE, one of 
 ( V^ the well-to-do residents of Uxbridge, 
 ^^ ^ was born in this town, October i, 
 1825, son of John and Mary (Scott) 
 Seagrave. The name, originally spelled See- 
 graf, is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and was borne 
 by some of the German tribesmen, who made 
 a descent upon the coast of Britain in the 
 sixth century. In the reign of Edward I., 
 Burton Seagrave married a daughter of the 
 Duke of Suffolk, and the crest and coat of arms 
 of the family are still known in England. 
 John Seagrave and his wife, Sarah, with their 
 four children, sailed for New England in 
 1725. The father died on the voyage, and the 
 widow and children settled in Uxbridge. 
 
 Captain Edward Seagrave, great-grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch, born in England 
 in 1722, was reared in Uxbridge; and he lived 
 there constantly after hj? wrivaj ip the eoun- 
 
.^e^^m } 
 
 t^^*jEst 
 
 CHARLES W. WELD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 489 
 
 try. On April 19, 1775, responding to the 
 alarm sent out from Boston, he marched to 
 Concord as an officer in Captain Reed's com- 
 pany of minute-men, and on September 25 of 
 that year he was commissioned Captain of a 
 company in the Twentieth Massachusetts 
 Regiment, under Colonel Reed. He subse- 
 quently commanded a company in the Third 
 Worcester County Regiment, and on July 12, 
 1778, he was ordered to join a regiment for 
 service in Rhode Island. On January 6, 
 1757, he married Louisa White. John Sea- 
 grave, the grandfather, was born in Uxbridge, 
 November 6, 1757, and served as a fifer and 
 in the patriots' ranks during the Revolution- 
 ary War. He was a large land-owner and a 
 cattle dealer, and the farm he occupied is now 
 a part of the village of Uxbridge. His death 
 • occurred February 3, 1842. He married 
 Sarah Dorrington, of Boston. John Seagrave, 
 son of John and Sarah Seagrave, was born De- 
 cember I, 1783, and was a lifelong resident of 
 Uxbridge, following agriculture until his 
 death, which occurred October 14, 1836. He 
 married Mary Scott, daughter of Samuel B. 
 and Celia (Ballou) Scott. Of his children 
 three are living, namely: Samuel S. Sea- 
 grave, who resides in Wellesley, Mass. ; the 
 Rev. James C. Seagrave, a Congregational 
 minister of Hinsdale, Mass. ; and Charles E., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Charles E. Seagrave was left fatherless at 
 the age of eleven years. His boyhood and 
 youth were passed in attending the district 
 school and assisting his mother, who contin- 
 ued to carry on the farm after her husband's 
 death. He also assisted other farmers, and 
 before reaching his majority he worked for 
 one year in a scythe factory in Millville. At 
 one time he was in the furniture and hardware 
 business in Uxbridge. Prosperously occupied 
 in its cultivation, he has resided upon his 
 present farm for the past forty years. He is 
 the president of the savings-bank, the vice- 
 president of the national bank, and a member 
 of the Blackstone Valley Association. The 
 welfare of the community has received con- 
 stant attention from him. For twenty years 
 he served upon the Board of Selectmen, most 
 of the time as its chairman. He was under- 
 
 taker for the same length of time. The town 
 also received his services as coroner and a 
 member of the Board of Registrars. He has 
 been Cattle Inspector since the establishment 
 of that office, and he was a Representative to 
 the legislature in 1880, serving upon the 
 Committee on Towns. In politics he is a 
 Republican. 
 
 On May 31, 1848, Mr. Seagrave married 
 Abigail Carter, daughter of Cephas and Mar- 
 garet (Murphy) Carter, of Lunenburg, Mass. 
 Of this union there were six children, namely: 
 Elwin Carter, born in 1849, who died in in- 
 fancy; Margaret M., born December 20, 1850, 
 who is now the widow of Charles Barton, and 
 resides with her father; Charles S., born in 
 1852, who married Abby F. Cadwell, and is 
 now cashier of the North Bank in North 
 Smithfield, R.I. ; Mary Abby, born April 15, 
 1858, who married Arthur R. Taft, and died 
 July 15, 1886; Augustus Carter, born July 
 20, 1868, who married Lillian Knowlton, of 
 Providence, R. I., and is now engaged in the 
 undertaking and livery business in Uxbridge; 
 and Annie Seagrave, born in 1869, who did 
 not reach maturity. The mother died Janu- 
 ary 19, 1894. A second marriage, contracted 
 January 7, 1897, united Mr. Seagrave with 
 Mrs. Clara Viall, of Providence, R.I. He 
 was made a Mason in 1859, ^"d has occupied 
 some of the important chairs in Solomon's 
 Temple Lodge. An esteemed member of the 
 Congregational church, he has served upon 
 some of the society's committees. 
 
 TTAHARLES WINTHROP WELD, a 
 I St-^ well-known business man of South- 
 ^Is bridge, Worcester County, Mass., 
 was born in the adjoining town of 
 Sturbridge, March 22, 1828, a son of Joshua 
 and Cynthia (Drury) Weld. He comes of old 
 Colonial stock of English origin planted on 
 the shores of Massachusetts Bay more than 
 two hundred and sixty years ago. The family 
 was prominent at an early day in the settle- 
 ment at Roxbury, where Thomas Weld, a na- 
 tive of Tirling, Essex County, England, was 
 ordained in July, 1632, as pastor of the First 
 Church, the Rev, John Eliot soon being set" 
 
490 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tied as preacher. Captain Joseph Weld, 
 brother of the Rev. Thomas, was a wealthy 
 merchant in Roxbury and owner of a large 
 estate. He was a Representative to the 
 General Court, 1636-41. 
 
 Joshua Weld, the father above named, a 
 lineal descendant of Captain Joseph Weld, of 
 Roxbury, was a son of Caleb and Phoebe 
 (Clements) Weld. He was born in Charlton, 
 Mass., in 1795, and died in 1840. His wife 
 was a daughter of Ebenezer and Keziah 
 (Adams) Drury. Three sons were born to 
 Joshua and Cynthia D. Weld. Of this fam- 
 ily, Charles Winthrop is now the only sur- 
 vivor. 
 
 Charles W. Weld had the misfortune to be 
 deprived of a father's care and influence when 
 but twelve years old, and the following eight 
 years he was "hired out" to farmers in Stur- 
 bridge and Dorchester, where he had an occa- 
 sional opportunity to attend school for a term. 
 At the age of twenty he went to Sharon, 
 N. H., to work in the saw-mill of Cummings 
 & Fay; and in that mill he ran one of the first 
 circular saws ever used in the manufacture of 
 lumber. He was afterward employed in the 
 saw-mill of William Wight in Sturbridge, 
 whence he went to Holyoke, Mass., where he 
 helped to get out one million, two hundred 
 thousand feet of lumber for the construction 
 of the present dam across the Connecticut 
 River. In 1850 Mr. Weld returned from 
 Holyoke, and settled permanently in South- 
 bridge. He began work with James Gleason, 
 who had a box shop on West Street, near the 
 Big Pond dam ; and he had charge of the fac- 
 tory until his employer sold out to J. M. 
 Clemence and Albert McKinstry. 
 
 In 1854 he became junior partner of the 
 firm of Gleason & Weld, which was formed 
 for the purpose of operating a grist-mill and 
 carrying on a general grain trade. This en- 
 terprising firm leased a water privilege of the 
 Hamilton Woollen Company for a term of ten 
 years, and built an extensive grist-mill on the 
 site now occupied by the woollen waste mill. 
 In the years preceding and during the war 
 the farmers about Southbridge raised wheat 
 for family use; and the mill which had three 
 run of stones on flour was a veritable farmers' 
 
 exchange. In 1857 the firm built new shops, 
 and an extensive plant to be used in manufact- 
 uring wooden pails was soon in operation. 
 This plant was afterward moved to Brackett's 
 mill, three miles up the river, where Charles 
 Hyde's box factory is now located. The wood 
 used in making pails was taken from land be- 
 longing to the firm, which cut about eleven 
 hundred acres of standing timber for that pur- 
 pose. In 1865, their lease of the mill and 
 privileges having expired, Gleason & Weld 
 bought the privileges and property of Brown's 
 mill in the village of West Dudley, four 
 miles from Southbridge, and there erected 
 new grist-mills, the largest in this section of 
 the State, and established an extensive busi- 
 ness. The Southbridge and East Thompson 
 branch of the New England Railroad was then 
 in process of construction, and the road and 
 mills have really had a coexistence. 
 
 In 1878, after the death of Mr. Gleason, 
 Mr. Weld bought the interest of his late part- 
 ner, and he has since been sole owner of the 
 plant. For over thirty years he has been the 
 West Dudley agent of the New England Rail- 
 way Corporation, and for a like term he has 
 been the village Postmaster, although he con- 
 tinues his residence in Southbridge. In 1892 
 he formed a partnership with Lewis C. 
 Prindle, and opened a grain store on Crane 
 Street. Four years later Mr. Prindle retired, 
 and on the admission of John I. Beck the firm 
 name was changed to Weld & Beck, the grain 
 business being still continued at the old loca- 
 tion. In 1879 Mr. Weld, with George M. 
 Whitaker, then editor and owner of the 
 Southbridge _/(9w«a/, became interested in the 
 telephone. They leased the right in Web- 
 ster, Dudley, Oxford, Southbridge, and Stur- 
 bridge, and in addition ran a line to Worces- 
 ter. The first telephone instrument the firm 
 installed was in the store of Julius S. Glea- 
 son, and the second was in the residence of 
 Dr. L. W. Curtis. Subsequently the busi- 
 ness was sold to the New England Telephone 
 and Telegraph Company. Mr. Weld is the 
 inventor and manufacturer of the Weld port- 
 able fence, which has met with so much favor 
 in the various parts of the country in which it 
 has been introduced, He has erected thirty- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 491 
 
 four buildings in his day, and is still at work 
 cutting off wood lots. At the present time 
 his real estate holdings include seven hundred 
 acres of land. 
 
 Mr. Weld is a Democrat by birth and from 
 principle, having never swerved from the po- 
 litical faith to which he was reared. He 
 served eighteen consecutive years on the 
 Board of Assessors, and was Highway Sur- 
 veyor four years, during which time he built 
 Marcy and Edwards Streets. He also built 
 under contract River Street, and was one of 
 the committee to build the town hall. He is 
 a Justice of Peace, having been appointed by 
 Governor Russell. Liberal in his religious 
 belief, he attends the Universalist church; 
 and, fraternally, he is a member of Dudley 
 Grange, No. 161. 
 
 Mr. Weld was married March 25, 1851, to 
 Lucinda H., daughter of Seneca and Sophronia 
 (Watkins) Richardson, of Sturbridge. Their 
 union has been blessed by three daughters, 
 namely: Alice E. ; Winifred; and Jessie, 
 who died at the age of three years. Alice 
 E., the eldest daughter, was educated at the 
 Dudley Academy. She is now the wife of 
 George M. Whitaker, of the Whitaker Pub- 
 lishing Company, Boston, and the editor of 
 the New England Farmer and the Grange 
 Home. Mrs. Whitaker is a well-known 
 writer on household and other topics. She 
 edits a page in the New England Farmer and 
 Grange Home. She now (1897) has charge of 
 the New England Grocers' Food and Fair Ex- 
 hibition in Mechanics' Hall; and in connec- 
 tion with the Bay State Agricultural Society 
 she has organized a system of sanitary cook- 
 ing, in which she is very much interested. 
 Winifred, now the wife of John I. Beck, of 
 Southbridge, pursued her art studies with 
 William Willard, of Sturbridge, a celebrated 
 portrait painter, and likewise at Cowles Art 
 School in Boston. 
 
 bfREDERICK H. BEMIS, one of Barre's 
 
 p representative farmers, was born in this 
 
 town November 29, 1842, son of Silas 
 
 and Seraph (Conant) Bemis. His paternal 
 
 grandfather, also named Silas, moved with his 
 
 family from Spencer to Barre about the year 
 1810, settling upon the farm now occupied by 
 his grandson, Edwin R. Bemis. Here Silas 
 and his wife, Betsey, spent the vest of their 
 lives. 
 
 Silas Bemis, second, who was born in Spen- 
 cer in 1805, was five years old when he accom- 
 panied his parents to Barre. After succeed- 
 ing to the homestead upon his father's death, 
 he successfully followed farming throughout 
 the rest of his life, which terminated at the 
 age of fifty-eight years. Besides the home 
 farm of four hundred and twenty-five acres he 
 possessed other valuable tracts, and at one 
 time was one of the largest real estate owners 
 in the town. His knowledge of the property 
 values made him useful to the town as an As- 
 sessor, in which capacity he was serving at the 
 time of his death. In politics he was a Dem- 
 ocrat. His wife, Seraph, who was a native of 
 Oakham, Mass., became the mother of eight 
 children, five of whom are living, namely: 
 Maria, the wife of J. M. Washburn, of Provi- 
 dence, R.I. ; Edwin R., a prosperous farmer 
 of Barre, who married Myra Sargent, and re- 
 sides at the homestead; PVederick H., the 
 subject of this sketch ; Theodore, who married 
 Marianna Babbitt, and lives in Providence; 
 and Lura Bemis, a resident of that city. The 
 others were: George A., Emma, and Susan. 
 George A., who married Mary Stone, and was 
 the proprietor of the Massasoit House in 
 Barre, died January 17, 1898. The mother 
 died in her eighty-third year. Both parents 
 attended the Unitarian church. 
 
 Frederick H. Bemis was educated in the 
 district school. He resided at home until his 
 majority. Since that time he has carried on 
 farming upon his own account. In 1884 he 
 bought the Caldwell place of one hundred and 
 eighty-three acres, where he now resides. De- 
 sirably located upon high ground, the farm is 
 devoted mainly to dairy purposes. He keeps 
 from twenty to twenty-five cows besides other 
 cattle, and he sells a large quantity of milk 
 annually. In 1885 he was united in marriage 
 with Emma Foster, who was born in Grafton, 
 Mass., January 25, 1851. Her parents were 
 Uriah and Anna (Baird) Foster. The father, 
 who was a native of Acton, died in 1866, The 
 
492 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mother, born in Shrewsbury, Mass., is now liv- 
 ing in Barre. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Bemis is a Republican. 
 He is a practical and successful farmer, being 
 one of the few who are able to market their 
 produce with profit. As a citizen his worth 
 is recognized by the entire community. Both 
 he and Mrs. Bemis are members of Barre 
 Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. They attend 
 the Congregational church. 
 
 "irXR. JAMES ROSS, a skilled and 
 I — \ popular dentist of Fitchburg, was 
 llSy born in Boston, Mass., December 
 "^""^"^ 13, 1861. He is a son of John and 
 Jeannette (McCullough) Ross. John Ross 
 was born in Leith, Scotland, near Edinburgh. 
 He came to Massachusetts when he was about 
 twenty-seven years of age, and for twenty-five 
 years he was a member of the firm of Baird, 
 Ross & Riley, Joy Street, Boston, and for 
 many years one of the leading plumbers of 
 Boston. He was a man of sterling character 
 and of strong religious feelings, characteristic 
 of his race. Honesty, it may be said, was al- 
 most a failing with him, as in trusting in the 
 integrity of others he lost much of the small 
 fortune he had worked so hard to gain. Mr. 
 Ross was for a number of years a member of 
 the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' In- 
 stitution. He has been for a great many 
 years a leading member of the Presbyterian 
 church. He is now sixty-nine years of age. 
 His wife, who was born in Tasmania, Van 
 Dieman's Land, February 24, 1836, is a 
 daughter of Captain McCullough, of the 
 Twenty-first Royal Scotch Fusiliers. Cap- 
 tain McCullough was killed in India with his 
 son during the Sepoy Rebellion. The family 
 have been represented for four generations in 
 the same regiment. Mr. and Mrs. John Ross 
 have been blessed with twelve children, seven 
 of whom attained maturity. Their son 
 Thomas K. graduated from Harvard Dental 
 College in June, 1896, and is now associated 
 with his brother under the firm name of James 
 & T. K. Ross; and another son, Charles G., 
 is now in the Senior year of the Harvard Den- 
 tal School, 
 
 James Ross attended the public schools in 
 South Boston till he was sixteen, with the ex- 
 ception of three years, between the ages of 
 ten and thirteen, that he passed in Minnesota, 
 his parents removing thither for a temporary 
 residence on account of the health of their 
 eldest son, Alexander, then a lad of fourteen. 
 Leaving school at the age of sixteen, James 
 went to work as cash boy in the Oriental Tea 
 Company's store on Court Street, Boston, re- 
 ceiving at first two dollars and a half a week. 
 Punctual and industrious, he won the confi- 
 dence of his employer, and was soon promoted 
 to the office and salesroom. He stayed with 
 them four years ; and it is a great pleasure to 
 him to know that even now they are among his 
 best friends, as the result of that confidence 
 won when but a boy. Although working from 
 7.30 A.M., and walking two and a half miles 
 to work, and getting through at 6.30 p.m., 
 and 9.30 P.M. Saturdays, he attended night 
 school in the old Boston High School and a 
 business course in the evening classes at the 
 Y. M. C. U. He began to study dentistry in 
 the office of Dr. J. A. Brown, corner Hamil- 
 ton Place and Tremont Street, and remained 
 there one and a half years. After he had 
 given but a year to this study, his parents 
 again left Boston, this time for Texas, and 
 for the same reason, seeking the health of the 
 same son. James was thus thrown wholly on 
 his own resources, as he could no more live at 
 home, and, of course, had to pay board. It 
 looked for a time as if he would have to give 
 up his studies. But he was not one to be 
 easily discouraged. He worked in a shoe 
 store evenings; and his friends, the Oriental 
 Tea Company, giving him liberal discounts, 
 he sold tea and coffee, and was thus not only 
 enabled to keep on, but to help his family, ' 
 whom fortune had not smiled upon in their 
 new home, from which they all later returned. 
 He has had the pleasure since of seeing one 
 younger brother graduate from Harvard Den- 
 tal School and another in the Senior year by 
 his advice and financial help. 
 
 After leaving Dr. Brown's office he was for 
 three years and a half with Dr. L. T. Foss, of 
 Thresher's Dental Rooms, 132 Court Street, 
 Boston, one of the oldest dental offices in the 
 
JBIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 493 
 
 city. Here Dr. Ross met Dr. L. J. Parker, 
 with whom he formed a partnership; and on 
 March i, 1885, they opened an office at 106 
 Court Street. The firm name was Parker & 
 Ross. On December 15, 1885, the partners 
 purchased the dental office of Charles P. 
 Henry, of Fitchburg, which they intended 
 for a branch office; but their business here 
 developed to such an extent that they were led 
 to dispose of their Boston rooms and make 
 Fitchburg the centre of their operations. 
 This they did October i, 1886. In July, 
 1896, Dr. Parker, being in poor health, re- 
 tired. He has an immense practice, and be- 
 sides his brother keeps two assistants busy 
 nine hours a day. He is a member of the 
 Massachusetts Dental Society. Dr. Ross is 
 interested in real estate, owning three houses 
 and a number of lots in the city and at 
 Whalom Park. 
 
 He was married November 11, 1886, to 
 Mary Emma, daughter of Samuel F. Rowe, 
 of Cambridge, Mass., and has three children 
 — Marian Irene, Esther Rowe, and Leland 
 Francis. Dr. Ross is a member of Aurora 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Apollo Lodge, No. 205, 
 I. O. O. F.; and Wachusett Council, 
 O. U. A. M. ; and he belongs to the Fitch- 
 burg Athletic Club, the Alpine Golf Club, 
 the Young Men's Christian Association, and 
 the Board of Trade, and Merchants' Associa- 
 tion. Dr. Ross is a regular attendant at the 
 Calvinistic Congregational Church. Al- 
 though belonging to so many societies, he is 
 not much of a lodge or club man, attending 
 only occasionally, but never letting a good 
 concert pass, he being a great lover of music, 
 and enjoying dancing and social occasions 
 where his wife can accompany him. He in- 
 tends making Fitchburg his permanent home, 
 thinking it a pleasant city in which to reside. 
 
 7T\HARLES A. BARTLETT, Deputy 
 I >y Sheriff of Clinton, son of William and 
 \[^__^ Maria M. (Partridge) Bartlett, was 
 born in North Bridgewater, now a 
 part of Brockton, Mass., on January 
 9, 1852. The father, who was born in Water 
 town, Mass., was left an orphan when eight 
 
 years of age. He was brought up on a farm 
 at Templeton, Mass., remaining there until 
 his majority. From Templeton he went to 
 Bridgewater, thence to Brockton, where he 
 was employed in teaming and butchering and 
 later in the ice business. In April, 1864, 
 he returned to Templeton, and resumed farm 
 work, which he continued until his death at 
 the age of eighty. He was a Republican in 
 politics. His wife's parents were Deacon 
 Ezekiel and Anna Morey Partridge, the former 
 being a farmer and an official of the Unitarian 
 church. Maria M. Bartlett was a cousin of 
 Horace Partridge, of Boston. Her death oc- 
 curred in the house where she was born, at the 
 age of fifty-six. Her children were: Joshua 
 R., Abbie, William, Charles A., and George 
 M. Bartlett. Abbie and William are not liv- 
 ing. Joshua R. is the Boston Herald corre- 
 spondent at Brockton. George M. is the 
 treasurer of Washington University at St. 
 Louis and the publisher of the Southern Law 
 Revieiv. 
 
 Having remained in Brockton until 1864, 
 Charles A. Bartlett removed to Templeton, 
 where he lived with his grandfather. Deacon 
 Partridge, and attended the high school. 
 After his graduation he remained in Temple- 
 ton until 1871, when he came to Clinton, and 
 there began to earn his own living. During 
 the first six years of his life here he was em- 
 ployed in W. H. Haskell's grocery store. 
 Then for seven years he was in the employ of 
 the Bigelow Carpet Company. In this period 
 he was appointed on the special police of Clin- 
 ton. Shortly after, consequent upon the ill- 
 ness of Chief Brown, he received a regular ap- 
 pointment, and was patrolman for four years. 
 So well did he fulfil the duties of this position 
 that he was then appointed Deputy Sheriff by 
 General Robert H. Chamberlain, and has 
 since served in that capacity. He has also 
 been Constable for the town of Clinton. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett has been twice married. His 
 first wife was Emily L., daughter of Thomas 
 C. Lawrence, wJio was a painter in Clinton for 
 many years. She died in 1880, at the age of 
 thirty, after having been married six years. 
 Her son, George Arthur Bartlett, is now a stu- 
 dent of Worcester Polytechnic School. In 
 
494 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1882 Mr. Bartlett married Elizabeth J., a 
 daughter of William and Jane (McReJl) Reid, 
 who were born respectively in the North of 
 Ireland and in Scotland. Mr. Reid, who was 
 for many years engaged in the teaming busi- 
 ness in Clinton, died at the age of seventy- 
 six. His family of children numbered four- 
 teen, of whom five grew to maturity, and two 
 are living. The latter are: Mrs. Bartlett and 
 Lucy Emma. Lucy is now Mrs. Samuel R. 
 Gather. Mr. and Mrs. Reid were members of 
 the Episcopal church. Mrs. Elizabeth Bart- 
 lett has one son — Elmer R., who is attending 
 school. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett has been identified with the 
 Masonic fraternity since he was twenty-one 
 years of age. He is Past Master of Trinity 
 Lodge, Past Deputy Grand Master of the 
 Twelfth Masonic District of the State, and 
 Most Excellent High Priest of the Glinton 
 Royal Arch Ghapter. He is also member of 
 Trinity Gommandery of Knights Templar in 
 Hudson, Hiram Gouncil Royal and Select 
 Masters, Worcester Lodge of Perfection, God- 
 dard Gouncil Princes of Jerusalem, Lawrence 
 Ghapter Rose Groix, Massachusetts Gonsis- 
 tory thirty - second degree; and the Past 
 Regent of the Wekepeke Gouncil of the Royal 
 Arcanum; a prominent member of the Glinton 
 Historical Society; the clerk and treasurer of 
 the Episcopal Ghurch of the Good Shepherd ; 
 and the treasurer of the Glinton Ghoral Union 
 since its organization in 1893. The duties of 
 Mr. Bartlett's position as Deputy Sheriff re- 
 quire his attendance at the Superior Gourts 
 both in Worcester and Fitchburg, and so fully 
 occupy his attention as to make it impossible 
 for him to enter the political arena. 
 
 'OSEPH E. HOOKER, of New Worces- 
 ter, dealer in flour and grain, was born 
 in the Berkshire Hills at South Lee, 
 Mass., on July 15, 1844, being one of 
 the family of fourteen children of Riverius, 
 Jr., and Hannah (Lawrence) Hooker. He is 
 of remote English descent, and he has in his 
 possession a copy of the family coat of arms, 
 quite elaborate in design, thus described: 
 "He beareth " Or, a fesse Vaire, between 
 
 two lions passant gardant Sable. Grest: a 
 hind statant Or, carrying in her mouth a 
 branch of roses Argent, leaved and stalked 
 Vert. 
 
 We have not the data for tracing the line- 
 age of Mr. Hooker, but we understand that 
 he is numbered among the descendants of the 
 Rev. Thomas Hooker, who came to New Eng- 
 land in 1633, was settled for a few years at 
 Newtowne, now Gambridge, and in 1636, with 
 his flock, journeyed westward as far as the 
 Gonnecticut River, and founded on its banks 
 the city of Hartford. For the next eleven 
 years he was the leading man of that colony. 
 He died of an epidemic in 1647. "The pas- 
 tor of Hartford's church was Gonnecticut's 
 great legislator also," says his biographer. 
 Dr. Leonard Bacon speaks of Thomas Hooker 
 as " the most eloquent preacher, the wisest 
 counsellor, the most discriminating and far- 
 sighted statesman, the most beloved saint of 
 all our New England fathers." 
 
 Joseph Hooker's grandfather, Riverius 
 Hooker, was a farmer resident in Maine. 
 He had a large family of children, of whom a 
 daughter, Emma, the widow of Joseph Edge- 
 comb, is the only one now living. She re- 
 sides in Gardiner, Me. Riverius Hooker, 
 Jr., was born in Gardiner about 1798, and 
 died there in 1863, while his son Joseph was 
 home from the war a wounded soldier. He 
 was a mechanic engaged in making ship an- 
 chors in Massachusetts and subsequently in 
 Maine, settling in Gardiner in 1848. His 
 wife, whom he married in 1825, was a native 
 of Wareham, Mass. She survived him many 
 years, dying in 1888. Both are buried in 
 Gardiner. They had fourteen children. 
 Three of the family died in infancy; a son, 
 Albert, at the age of five years; a married 
 daughter, Garoline, at the age of thirty -five, 
 leaving two children ; George, formerly a non- 
 commissioned officer in the Sixteenth Maine 
 Infantry, died in 1876, leaving a widow; and 
 Frederick G. died in Augusta, Me., at the age 
 of forty-seven, leaving a wife and two chil- 
 dren. Warren, who served three years in the 
 Eleventh Maine Regiment during the Givil 
 War, at a later period worked in the Gharles- 
 town navy -yard. He died in May, 1898, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 49S 
 
 and was buried at Concord, N.H., where for 
 many years he had followed his trade. The 
 following named are the surviving children: 
 Emmeline, Ellen, Andrew, Joseph, and Ida. 
 Emmeline is the wife of Constantine Hough- 
 ton, and resides in Knoxvilje, Tenn. Ellen 
 is Mrs. John Brookins, of Randolph, Me. 
 Andrew is a machinist of Gardiner, Me. Ida 
 is the wife of John Helah, of Providence, R.I. 
 She is the only one of the family who has no 
 children. 
 
 Joseph E. Hooker attended the common 
 schools for a limited period in his early years, 
 and at the age of thirteen began helping his 
 father at the forge. That was at the begin- 
 ning of the financial crisis of 1857; and, as 
 the father was earning but fifty cents a day, it 
 was necessary that such of the children as 
 were able to work should not only be self- 
 supporting, but should help pay the expenses 
 of the family. At sixteen years of age he be- 
 gan a regular apprenticeship at the machin- 
 ist's trade, but a year later, on September 10, 
 1862, he enlisted in Company I of the Twenty- 
 fourth Maine Volunteer Infantry. After serv- 
 ing nearly a year he was wounded at the siege 
 of Port Hudson, receiving a gunshot wound in 
 the left foot and losing the middle toe. On 
 August 25, 1863, he was discharged, but on 
 September 12 of the following year he re-en- 
 listed in Company A of the Sixteenth Regi- 
 ment. This time he continued in service until 
 the great struggle was ended, and on June 2, 
 1865, he was honorably discharged as Sergeant. 
 He was seriously wounded at the battle of 
 Five Forks a short time before the surrender 
 of Lee, receiving a gunshot wound in the 
 right thigh. He has still in his possession 
 the large mass of lead which tore its way into 
 the flesh, taking with it the shreds of cloth- 
 ing, and which was removed by the surgeon 
 ten days after. 
 
 When again able to resume work, Mr. 
 Hooker went back to the shop to finish his 
 apprenticeship. He worked as a machinist 
 until the spring of 1878, when he came to 
 New Worcester and went into the grocery 
 and grain business. This he continued until 
 1896, since which time he has given his full 
 attention to his present line of trade. 
 
 Mr. Hooker was married on June 4, 1872, 
 to Susan E. Yeaton, of Rollinsford, N.H., 
 daughter of Oliver and Caroline Cressy 
 Yeaton, both of whom are now deceased. 
 Of this union five children have been born, 
 one of whom, Joseph Albert, died at the age 
 of fourteen months, and another, Amy, at the 
 age of six years. The living are: Walter, 
 who resides with his parents, but is now, in 
 the summer of 1898, a member of Company 
 H, Second Massachusetts Infantry, in Cuba, 
 Arthur, aged nineteen, who is in the employ 
 of Clarke & Sawyers; and Frank, aged fifteen, 
 who is yet in school. Mr. Hooker is a master 
 Mason and a member of George H. Ward 
 Post, No. 10, G. A. R. He has never cared 
 for political honors. He attends the Meth- 
 odist church. 
 
 -|p)TENRY LYMAN GODDARD, of the 
 L^-l town of Shrewsbury, son of John D. 
 I [ 9 I and Zeruiah (Johnson) Goddard, 
 — was born here, June 9, 1840. His 
 great-grandfather. Deacon Benjamin Goddard, 
 one of the early settlers of the town, bought 
 the ninth lot laid out here on December 30, 
 1 718. Deacon Goddard's son Samuel, the 
 grandfather of Mr. Henry L. Goddard, was 
 extensively engaged in farming and cider-mak- 
 ing. He died at the age of eighty-two. 
 John D. Goddard, above named, who carried 
 on farming and shoemaking, was an active 
 member of the Orthodox church. He was 
 sixty years of age at the time of his death. 
 
 After his school days were over, Henry L. 
 Goddard went to Worcester, and for the suc- 
 ceeding ten years lived in that city. Twenty- 
 five years ago he returned to Shrewsbury, and 
 for fifteen years thereafter was engaged in the 
 butchering and market business, which he car- 
 ried on energetically and most successfully, 
 keeping three market teams busy, and trading 
 in the city of Worcester and the towns of North- 
 boro, Boylston, and Shrewsbury. About ten 
 years ago, having begun dealing in cattle, he 
 discontinued the more arduous part of his mar- 
 ket business, and has since confined himself 
 chiefly to his cattle trade and the care of his 
 real estate, which is located in different parts 
 
496 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of the town. Actively interested in the town 
 affairs, he served for five years as a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Selectmen, being its 
 chairman for three years. While he occu- 
 pied the last-named position, the Marlboro 
 & Worcester Street Railway was laid through 
 the town, when an inexhaustible stock of 
 patience was necessary in order to satisfy the 
 railway company on the one hand and the 
 townspeople on the other. Mr. Goddard is a 
 trustee of the public library and of various 
 funds. Fraternally, he is a charter member 
 of Shrewsbury Grange and a member of Even- 
 ing Star Lodge, No. loi, of North Grafton. 
 
 On January i, 1869, Mr. Goddard married 
 Helen Elizabeth, daughter of Caleb H. War- 
 ren, of Shrewsbury. They have had four 
 children, namely: Frank Warren, born July 
 25, 1872, who died February 17, 1873; John 
 Caleb, born April 26, 1874, who died July 30 
 of same year; Fred Henry, born September 
 4, 1 88 1, who is a student in the high school; 
 and Winnifred Elizabeth, born January 18, 
 1885. 
 
 IDGAR A. WILLARD, who conducts 
 a well-equipped insurance business in 
 West Upton, was born January 15, 
 1862, on the Willard Ranch, Oroville, Butte 
 County, Cal., son of Phineas and Sarah 
 (Allen) Willard. His paternal grandfather, 
 who was a successful farmer and stock -raiser 
 in Chesterfield, Vt. , frequently carted his 
 farm produce with ox teams to Boston. 
 
 Phineas Willard, who was born in 181 1, 
 was a brick mason by trade, and worked for 
 some years in Chesterfield. Business having 
 become dull here, he went to New York and 
 worked with his brother-in-law on a milk 
 route. The barn in which their cows were 
 kept (year of 1829) stood in what is now 
 Maiden Lane. Leaving New York, Mr. Will- 
 ard went South, and was engaged in the mason 
 and grocery business in Norfolk, Va. , until the 
 exciting stories of the discovery of gold in 
 California reached his ears. At once he sold 
 out his stock and started for New York, where 
 he hired as a seaman on a United States store- 
 ship bound for San Francisco. After a voy- 
 
 age of nine months they reached port, where- 
 upon all the members of the crew deserted, 
 and immediately started for the gold fields. 
 This was chiefly owing to the fact that the 
 Captain purposely delayed en route for per- 
 sonal interests. Mr. Willard met with dis- 
 appointment at first; but at last his luck 
 changed, and he found the third largest nug- 
 get that had up to that time been taken out, 
 and was divided with his three partners. 
 The value of this alone was over thirteen 
 thousand dollars. When a few years later 
 he returned to the East to claim his wife, he 
 was worth about seventy-five thousand dollars. 
 He was making his wedding trip through the 
 South, when the discontinuance of railroads 
 and other difficulties caused by the outbreak 
 of the Civil War induced him, after he had 
 travelled a part of the way, to return to Mas- 
 sachusetts and arrange for an overland jour- 
 ney. At this time money was loaning in Cal- 
 ifornia for thirty-three per cent. Phineas 
 Willard's mining interests had been looked 
 out for during his journey East by his part- 
 ners. He was considered so expert in the 
 mining business that he was often employed 
 by others to locate mines. Tiring of life in 
 the mines, he bought a cattle ranch, which in 
 the end proved a disastrous investment. A 
 terrible drought caused about half his cattle 
 to die of starvation, and the intense cold of 
 the succeeding winter killed the remaining 
 half. Cattle which when he started were 
 worth sixty-five dollars per head could not 
 then be sold for more than five dollars. Very 
 much discouraged, he returned East to Mil- 
 ford, where he died in 1880. He was a man 
 of great activity and of unusually generous 
 disposition. Throughout the great anti-slav- 
 ery struggle he was one of the warmest sup- 
 porters of the Union cause and one of the 
 many admirers of Abraham Lincoln. His 
 wife, whom he married in 1859, was a native 
 of Medfield, Mass. Besides Edgar, she was 
 the mother of a son Lewis, who died when 
 five years old. 
 
 Edgar A. Willard has been continuously 
 engaged in business life since he was fourteen 
 years old. He established his present busi- 
 ness in West Upton about ten years ago. He 
 
tetOGRAPHlCAL REVIEW 
 
 497 
 
 is agent for nine or ten substantial fire insur- 
 ance companies, and has succeeded in building 
 up a large patronage. He also has been local 
 correspondent of a daily newspaper for over 
 ten years. 
 
 He married Mary S. Saunders, of Narragan- 
 sett Pier, R.I., daughter of Daniel and 
 Alzadia Saunders. Two children have been 
 born to him, a son, who is now seven years of 
 age, and a daughter who is six. In politics 
 Mr. Willard is a Republican. Although he 
 has never sought office and never been espe- 
 cially active in political matters, he was at 
 one time elected to the Board of Assessors of 
 Taxes for the town. In 1897 he was a Justice 
 of the Peace, having been appointed by Gov- 
 ernor Wolcott. He was brought up in the 
 Methodist faith, but is now an attendant of 
 the Unitarian church. He is a Mason and a 
 member of Franklin Lodge at Grafton. 
 
 MOONEY, 
 principal of the 
 the city of 
 Worcester, and principal of the 
 Quinsigamond Grammar School, was born in 
 Worcester, Mass., and has always lived there. 
 
 His father, Richard Mooney, a carpenter, 
 settled in Worcester, some years before its in- 
 corporation as a city, and, establishing him- 
 self as a contractor and builder, carried on a 
 successful business for a number of years. 
 He was one of the most influential men of his 
 day, being so recognized by all classes of 
 people. He was married in Worcester to 
 Miss Margaret Doyle. Six children were 
 born of this union, namely : Julia, now de- 
 ceased, who was the wife of James H. Mellen; 
 Nicholas J. Mooney, in the insurance busi- 
 ness; Richard H., the subject of this sketch; 
 John F. H., in the insurance business with 
 his brother; Annie S., deceased; and Mar- 
 garet, wife of John J. Foley. 
 
 Richard H. Mooney, the subject of this 
 sketch, attended the public schools of his na- 
 tive city, and after a special preparatory 
 course in the famous private school of C. C. 
 Foster, entered the Freshman class of the 
 College of the Holy Cross, where he was 
 
 graduated in 1879, with the degree of Bach- 
 elor of Arts. 
 
 Having decided to make teaching his pro- 
 fession, he entered the theological and peda- 
 gogical department of the Laval University at 
 Montreal, Canada, where he pursued a special 
 course in theology — moral and dogmatic; 
 sacred Scripture and history of sacred writ- 
 ings; literature; ancient, mediaeval, and 
 modern history; history of education; psy- 
 chology and philosophy. He then entered the 
 State Normal School at Worcester as a special 
 student, under the direction and supervision 
 of Professor E. Harlow Russell, principal of 
 the school — a recognized authority in peda- 
 gogy and child study. In June, 1881, he re- 
 ceived his diploma from the State Normal 
 School, and his degree of Master of Arts from 
 his Alma Mater. 
 
 In September of that year he began his 
 work of teaching in the Adams Square School. 
 The following September he was appointed 
 principal of the Quinsigamond Grammar 
 School. In the growth and development of 
 this school Mr. Mooney takes pardonable 
 pride. The entire village of Quinsigamond, 
 which is the largest and most thriving of the 
 suburbs of Worcester, the location of the 
 South Works, so called, of the Washburn & 
 Moen Manufacturing Company, is contributory 
 to this educational institution. When Mr. 
 Mooney first came to preside over this school, 
 there were five teachers in charge of about 
 two hundred pupils. To-day there are 
 twenty-four teachers, in charge of over one 
 thousand pupils. 
 
 Many of the graduates of this school are 
 now engaged in all of the various active pur- 
 suits of life — in shop, office, store, in the 
 army and navy, and in the public service in 
 different departments of city and county, and 
 in the legislative branch of State government. 
 
 It has always been the constant aim of Mr. 
 Mooney, in training the pupils under his 
 charge, to fit them for the duties of life. He 
 does not leave them on the threshold of the 
 school-room, but he meets them out in the 
 world in the various walks of business and so- 
 cial life, and cheers them on in all their 
 undertakings. 
 
49S 
 
 BlOGkAPillCAL kEVlEW 
 
 In school economy, methods of instruction, 
 methods of culture, and history of education 
 — in all that goes to make a fully developed, 
 well-informed, up-to-date master in pedagogy, 
 and in the science and art of education, Mr. 
 Mooney holds high rank. Many of the 
 methods and devices occasionally put forward 
 by teachers at school-conventions as new and 
 original, have been in vogue in the Quinsiga- 
 mond School for many years. Especially is 
 this so in regard to promotions, individual 
 work with pupils, small classes, continuous 
 and generous use of blackboards by scholars 
 and teachers, and in many other aids, devices, 
 methods, and principles used in teaching. 
 
 In Mr. Mooney 's career as a teacher are 
 manifest diligence, industry, executive ability 
 of a very high order, decision, energy, and a 
 careful preparation of every detail in school 
 organization, discipline, and teaching. 
 
 Mr. Mooney's collateral work has always 
 been along the lines of educational thought 
 and activity and of philanthropy. He has in- 
 terested himself much in the organizing of so- 
 cieties which he foresaw might do some good. 
 In 1887 he was elected secretary of the 
 Alumni Association of the College of the 
 Holy Cross, his Alma Mater; and he has built 
 up that organization to its present prosperous 
 condition. In 1889 he organized, and was the 
 first president of the Boys' Club of Quinsiga- 
 mond, a society which did much good for the 
 boys and young men of that part of Worces- 
 ter. In 1 888 he was president of the Young 
 Ladies' Lyceum, and of the Young Men's Ly- 
 ceum of the Church of the Sacred Heart, 
 Worcester, over which the Right Rev. Mon- 
 signor Conaty, D.D. , rector of the Catholic 
 University at Washington, D.C., presided. 
 He has assisted in the formation of. many total 
 abstinence societies for young ladies and 
 young men, and has lectured on the subject 
 in many cities and towns. In 1890 he organ- 
 ized the Worcester County Total Abstinence 
 Union, comprising the active total abstinence 
 societies in the towns and cities of the county, 
 and was appointed lecturer. 
 
 During the winters of 1886-90 Mr. Mooney 
 lectured before the pupils of the evening 
 schools on a variety of historical, geo- 
 
 graphical, scientific, and other educational 
 subjects. 
 
 In 1885 he was appointed by the Executive 
 of the Commonwealth a Justice of the Peace 
 and still holds his commission. Mr. Mooney 
 has published three books as aids in the work 
 of teaching: in 1891, "One Thousand Ques- 
 tions and Answers on United States History, 
 Civil Government, Literature, and Finance"; 
 in 1892, Historical Papers, containing, with 
 notes, the Declaration of Independence, the 
 Articles of Confederation, the Constitution 
 of the United States, Washington's Farewell 
 Address, and a Table of the Presidents; and 
 in 1893, "Patriotic Prose and Poetry." These 
 books have had an extended circulation. 
 
 In 1894 he was president of the Worcester 
 County Teachers' Association. He is a 
 member of the Massachusetts Teachers' As- 
 sociation. In 189s he was chairman of the 
 committee which organized the Schoolmas- 
 ters' Club of Worcester County, and presided 
 at its first dinner. On Memorial Day of this 
 year Mr. Mooney was the orator at the Monu- 
 ment, and delivered one of the most eloquent 
 and patriotic addresses ever heard on the com- 
 mon. In 1896 he was chairman of the com- 
 mittee which inaugurated the first course of 
 lectures for teachers ever given in Worcester. 
 In September of this year, as editor and pro- 
 prietor, he began the publication of the School 
 Register, a monthly paper, devoted to the in- 
 terests of education. 
 
 Mr. Mooney is an associate member of the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, and always a 
 welcome speaker at their gatherings. He is 
 one of the incorporators of St. Vincent Hos- 
 pital, House of Providence, Vernon Street, 
 Worcester. He was a member of the Com- 
 mittee of Fifteen chosen at a meeting of citi- 
 zens to arrange for a reception and dinner in 
 honor of the soldiers returned from the Span- 
 ish-American War. He takes a lively inter- 
 est in public and civic affairs, always hold- 
 ing himself ready to do a citizen's duty. He 
 believes that a quiet, conservative inter- 
 course, between the world and the school, is 
 of mutual benefit. 
 
 In 1893 Mr. Mooney was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Edith Genevieve Loring, of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SOI 
 
 Westboro, Mass., daughter of Mr. Willard 
 Loring, of that town, now a resident of San 
 Diego, Cal. Mrs. Mooney was graduated 
 from the Westboro High School and from the 
 State Normal School at Worcester, and previ- 
 ous to her marriage was a teacher in the pub- 
 lic schools of the city of Worcester. She is 
 the mother of two children — Margaret Loring, 
 and Richard Henry Mooney, Jr. 
 
 The family home is in a modest mansion on 
 Vernon Street, in the southern part of the 
 city, surrounded by a spacious lawn and by 
 four acres of land, which Mr. Mooney culti- 
 vates in the botanical, horticultural, and agri- 
 cultural lines. 
 
 Mr. Mooney is a member of no organization 
 or society not connected with his profession 
 of teaching. Everything is subordinate with 
 him to the great work of turning out good, in- 
 telligent, and patriotic citizens. In religion 
 he is a Catholic, in politics a Republican. 
 
 ENRY EDWIN FALES, late a lead- 
 ing resident of Milford and one of 
 the most successful jury lawyers in 
 the State, died at his home in this 
 city on January 24, 1897. Born in Walpole, 
 November 6, 1837, son of Silas and Roxa 
 (Perrigo) Fales, he was a representative of 
 the eighth generation of the family founded 
 by James Fales, or Vales, who came over 
 from Chester, England, at an early date in 
 the Colonial period, and in September, 1636, 
 signed the original church covenant of the 
 plantation of Dedham, Mass., then called by 
 the name "Contentment." In 1653 James 
 Fales was admitted as a townsman or free- 
 man of Dedham. During King Philip's 
 War he served as a soldier. His wife was 
 Anna Brock, of Dedham. She bore him three 
 sons — James, John, and Ebenezer — and four 
 daughters. 
 
 James Fales, Jr., married Dorothy Fisher, 
 of Dedham, and settled in what is now Wal- 
 pole, where many of his descendants have con- 
 tinued to dwell for over two hundred years. 
 John settled in Wrentham, and married Unity 
 Hawes. Ebenezer inherited the farm of his 
 father, which was located in that part of Ded- 
 
 ham now known as East Street. This is the 
 ancestral line of Henry Edwin Fales: James," 
 James,'' Peter,^ Peter, ■♦ Amaziah,5 Aaron, '^ and 
 Silas, 7 above named. 
 
 Aaron Clark Fales, the grandfather, was 
 nineteen years old when the Revolutionary 
 War broke out; and on April 19, 1775, he 
 marched to Lexington as fifer for a Walpole 
 company under Captain Seth Bullard. He 
 was afterward a member of the company com- 
 manded by Captain Perez Cashing, in the ar- 
 tillery regiment of which Paul Revere was 
 Lieutenant Colonel. He took part in fortify- 
 ing Dorchester Heights, which resulted in the 
 evacuation of Boston. A cannon-ball fired by 
 the British and picked up by him is still in 
 possession of the family. He was at West 
 Point at the time of the treason of Benedict 
 Arnold, and saw him rowed off in the night 
 to the British brig "Vulture." Aaron Fales 
 was the father of eight children. He died in 
 Walpole on September 25, 1826; and his 
 wife, Hepzibah Everett, who was born in 
 Dedham on February i, 1763, died on April 
 2, 1853. 
 
 Silas Fales, son of Aaron and father of 
 Henry E., was born in Walpole on June 10, 
 1798, and died on September 7, 1877. He 
 was twice married, and was the father of five 
 children by his first wife, Maria Fisher, and 
 of five by his second wife, Roxa Perrigo, of 
 Wrentham. He was by occupation a farmer 
 and a carpenter. 
 
 Henry Edwin Fales when a young man 
 taught school in Norfolk County. He also 
 learned the carpenter's trade with his father. 
 At the age of twenty-five he entered the office 
 of James R. Davis, Esq., of Milford, to study 
 law, and he subsequently formed a partner- 
 ship with Mr. Davis. While a member of 
 the Worcester County bar, Mr. P'ales was 
 more prominent in Norfolk County, as most 
 of his practice was there. He was also well 
 known in legal circles in Middlesex and Suf- 
 folk Counties. He was town counsel for no 
 less than twelve towns in Norfolk and 
 Worcester Counties; and, of the eight capital 
 cases he defended, six won under his masterly 
 efforts. He was a man of very quick sym- 
 pathies, and many were the cases he tried 
 
S02 
 
 BtOGRAPtllCAL R6V1EW 
 
 without receiving any emolument therefor. 
 For many years the greater part of his prac- 
 tice consisted of difficult cases brought him 
 by other attorneys who desired his advice and 
 opinion. 
 
 Some six years prior to his death he closed 
 his office in Milford on account of pressure 
 of business; but this did not prevent people 
 from coming to his house and thus absorbing 
 much of the time he had purposed to devote to 
 rest, even on the first day of the week. It 
 was not infrequent to see on a Sunday evening 
 at least a dozen teams of clients or fellow- 
 citizens standing near his house, with their 
 owners waiting for opportunity to speak with 
 Mr. Fales. His only relief from the great 
 pressure thus brought upon him was to take 
 his family and go for a long drive out into the 
 country. Although a man of unusual recuper- 
 ative power and untiring energy, the constant 
 strain of his professional duties wore on him, 
 and his family endeavored to induce him to 
 refuse to see the clients who called for him; 
 but with the feeling that he could be of ser- 
 vice, and that it might seem unkind to turn 
 away people who had come from a distance to 
 see him, he could not find it in his heart to 
 turn them away, and so failed to take proper 
 care of his own interests. At the time of his 
 death scores of cases committed to his charge 
 were left in various stages of completion. 
 
 As a practitioner he was thorough and 
 painstaking, giving the same close attention 
 to details in minor cases as in those of greater 
 importance. He was especially considered 
 an authority on questions of water privilege. 
 As a speaker, he was finished; as a pleader, 
 eloquent ; and as an advocate, able and astute. 
 In all public matters of importance he found 
 time to take an active part, and often served 
 as Moderator at town meetings and conven- 
 tions. He was a close friend of General 
 Butler, and frequently entertained him and 
 other well-known men of the Commonwealth 
 and nation at his home. He was on terms of 
 the closest intimacy with the judges of the 
 Circuit Court, and several times declined the 
 honor of appointment to the bench himself, 
 being thoroughly in love with his profession 
 and content to remain in the ranks. His 
 
 chief recreation was in reading, especially 
 in reading the English classics, in which he 
 was very proficient. His mind was a store- 
 house of historical as well as legal lore, and 
 he was remarkably well versed in genealogy. 
 He was well known in Masonic circles, beino- 
 a Royal Arch Mason and a Knight Templar. 
 
 Mr. Fales was three times married. His 
 first wife, Violet Sherman, bore him one son, 
 Henry Edwin, Jr., who died in infancy. His 
 second wife, whose maiden name was Clara 
 A. Haywood, died in August, 1885. She 
 was the mother of two children: Harold Ever- 
 ett, who was born on May 21, 1871; and 
 Clara Ethalyn, who was born on July i6, 
 1879. Mr. Fales is survived by his third 
 wife, formerly Mary A. Parkhurst. They 
 were married on September 12, 1891. Mrs. 
 Fales is a native of Milford. Her parents 
 were Oliver Brown and Maria (Nelson) Park- 
 hurst, members of old Milford families and 
 descendants of earlv colonists. 
 
 EV. SETH SWEETSER, D.D., 
 late a prominent clergyman of Central 
 Massachusetts and a widely influen- 
 tial factor in educational work, was 
 born on March 15, 1807, in Newburyport, and 
 died on March 24, 1878, at his home in 
 Worcester, where for nearly forty years he had 
 been settled as the pastor of the Calvinist, 
 later the Central Church. His parents, Seth 
 and Sarah (Frothingham) Sweetser, removed 
 to Newburyport from Charlestown, which had 
 been the home of their ancestors for several 
 generations. His father was lineally de- 
 scended from the early colonist, Seth Switzer, 
 who "joined the First Church of Charlestown 
 in 1638, six years after its foundation," and 
 whose posterity is said to have been repre- 
 sented for more than two hundred years in 
 that church. Seth Sweetser, of Newburyport, 
 was a successful merchant, a man of fine pres- 
 ence and dignified manner. He lived to be 
 eighty years of age. His wife was a daughter 
 of Benjamin Frothingham, who entered the 
 Revolution as a Captain of artillery, and re- 
 tired at its close with the rank of Major, hav- 
 ing endured the hardships and survived the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S°3 
 
 perils of the war, although at Monmouth he 
 was struck by a ball, and was taken from the 
 field for dead. Mrs. Sarah F. Sweetser was a 
 woman of great piety. It was her custom to 
 gather her children about her every Sunday 
 afternoon for an hour of prayer and devotion. 
 She had five daughters and four sons. 
 
 The fifth-born child, named Seth for his 
 father, is the subject of this sketch. His 
 preparation for college was begun at the New- 
 buryport Academy under Alfred W. Pike. 
 Entering Harvard College, he showed himself 
 a diligent student, and obtained high rank in 
 his class, especially in mathematical studies. 
 He was graduated in 1827; and during the two 
 years succeeding, in company with two of his 
 classmates, he had charge of the school in 
 Livingston County, New York, afterward 
 known as Geneseo Academy. For the next 
 two years he was a tutor in mathematics at 
 Harvard. In 1831 he entered Andover Theo- 
 logical Seminary. A year later he joined the 
 Congregational church at Old Town, of which 
 he continued a member as long as he lived. 
 During his last year in the seminary he en- 
 gaged in missionary work at Seabrook, N.H., 
 holding meetings in a school-house; and after 
 his graduation he was stationed at Gardiner, 
 Me., as a home missionary. This was the 
 beginning of a ministry of pre-eminent use- 
 fulness. 
 
 After four years spent at Gardiner, Dr. 
 Sweetser accepted a call to become pastor of 
 the Calvinist, now Central Church and Society 
 at Worcester, of which he remained in charge 
 until his death. Scholarly in his tastes, Dr. 
 Sweetser was yet able to perform with great 
 acceptability those duties of his office which 
 are distinctly pastoral and must be performed 
 outside the pulpit. His quick sympathy and 
 ready helpfulness made him beloved by all 
 his parishioners. While averse to ritualism, 
 it is said that no one "ever cherished toward 
 the true and divinely appointed sacraments a 
 more regardful and reverent spirit." As a 
 preacher, one of his parishioners said of him, 
 "In all the twenty-five years of my listening 
 I do not recall a single doctrinal discourse. 
 His was rather the large, discursive method, in 
 which the doctrine was everywhere implied, 
 
 just as in the Bible the existence of God is 
 everywhere implied." Dr. Sweetser always 
 felt himself the servant of the people to whom 
 he ministered. "He never preached for pay 
 in vacation, feeling that he ought, for the 
 good of his people, to rest in the time given 
 him for it." He was deeply interested in 
 promoting a spirit of fellowship among the 
 churches. 
 
 Dr. Sweetser was a conspicuous example of 
 devotion to the cause of education. For 
 twelve years he was a member of the Board of 
 Overseers of Schools in the centre district of 
 Worcester, and it was he who drew up the 
 first plan for graded schools in the town. 
 This was in 1844. The opinion has been ex- 
 pressed, and we think justly, that outside his 
 own parish Dr. Sweetser never did more im- 
 portant work for Worcester and Worcester 
 County than what he did in connection with 
 the founding of the Free Institute of Indus- 
 trial Science, now the Worcester Polytechnic 
 Institute. In the words of the Hon. Stephen 
 Salisbury, "The Rev. Dr. Sweetser was more 
 than a friend of this institute, he was more 
 than the leading member of the Board of 
 Trustees : he was the father of the institu- 
 tion." The facts in regard to that matter 
 may be briefly stated. Previous to 1857 
 Dr. Sweetser, having been consulted by sev- 
 eral boys who wished to fit themselves as civil 
 engineers without taking a regular college 
 course, had prolonged interviews with Mr. 
 Ichabod Washburn, who was thinking of en- 
 dowing a school for mechanics' apprentices. 
 As a result the Doctor shortly originated a 
 plan, which in substance was the one adopted 
 in 1865 for the institute, 'whose establishment 
 was then made possible, thanks to his further 
 efforts wisely directed, through the co-opera- 
 tive beneficence of Mr. Washburn and Mr. 
 Boynton. 
 
 With the exception of a brief period Dr. 
 Sweetser was connected with Harvard College, 
 either as tutor, examiner, or overseer, nearly 
 fifty years. He was for twenty-eight years a 
 trustee of Phillips Academy, Andover, and of 
 the Theological Seminary, being elected pres- 
 ident of the latter board in 1864. He was 
 also a trustee of Leicester Academy, a mem- 
 
S°4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ber of the council of the American Antiqua- 
 rian Society, president of the American Edu- 
 cation Society, and a corporate member of the 
 American Board. Among the best known of 
 his published writings are: the essay entitled 
 "The Ministry we need," published by the 
 American Tract Society; and his "Commem- 
 orative Discourse on the Death of Abraham 
 Lincoln," a work of unusual merit. 
 
 Dr. Sweetser was married on December 29, 
 1836, to Hannah Frances Vaughan, daughter 
 of Charles Vaughan, Esq., an Englishman 
 and one of the earliest settlers of Hallowell, 
 Me. Mrs. Sweetser was attractive in person 
 and manners and lovely in character. She 
 died on May 10, 1855, after a long illness. 
 She was the mother of iive children, and is 
 survived by two, namely: John Apthorp 
 Sweetser, a leading citizen of Grafton; and 
 his sister, Miss Frances W. Sweetser. 
 
 John Apthorp Sweetser was born at Gardi- 
 ner, Me., in 1838, and was educated in the 
 common schools and in the high school of 
 Worcester. He learned the trade of machin- 
 ist, and was for some time with the Fairbanks 
 Standard Scales Company, of St. Johnsbury, 
 Vt. He then returned to Worcester and sub- 
 sequently bought the Deacon Stone farm on 
 Brigham Hill, where he now resides. From 
 1868 to 1872 he was engaged in the wool 
 commission business in Boston. Mr. Sweet- 
 ser has a good farm and finely equipped build- 
 ings. He gives his attention chiefly to mar- 
 ket gardening, and during the winter has the 
 care of horses from Boston and vicinity. He 
 has never sought public office, but is warmly 
 interested in town affairs, and has served on 
 the Board of Assessors and on various town 
 committees. He believes in having good 
 roads, as the roads in this section of the town 
 testify. Politically, he is a Republican.' 
 
 Mr. Sweetser married Sarah S., daughter of 
 Charles E. Miles, now of Brookline. Her 
 grandfather was one of the early pastors of 
 West Church at Grafton. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Sweetser have no children of their own ; but a 
 nephew of Mrs. Sweetser, Charles Henry 
 Miles, has lived with them since he was a 
 child. He was graduated at Amherst College 
 in 1891, and for some years succeeding that 
 
 was in business in Portland, Ore., as an 
 electrical engineer. 
 
 In 1894 he came East and organized the 
 Grafton Electric Company (putting in the 
 plant), of which he is now superintendent. 
 Mr. Sweetser was one of the promoters of this 
 enterprise, and he is president of the Grafton 
 Farmers' Club. 
 
 « ^«^» 
 
 /^TeORGE a. CRAIG, the senior mem- 
 y 5 I ber of the firm George A. Craig & 
 Son, civil engineers, conveyancers, 
 and insurance agents, doing business at 45 
 Lincoln Street, Spencer, was born in Leices- 
 ter, this county, January 13, 1837. His par- 
 ents, Nathan and Dulcena (Huntington) 
 Craig, and his grandfather, Lieutenant Na- 
 than Craig, were all natives of Spencer. Dr. 
 Robert Craig, his great-grandfather, was the 
 first of the family to settle in this section of 
 the State. Lieutenant Craig, who served in 
 the Revolutionary War, was a prominent resi- 
 dent of Spencer in his day, and served in va- 
 rious town offices. The father was succes- 
 sively a wood turner and a farmer. 
 
 Having acquired a good education at the 
 Leicester and Wilbraham Academies, George 
 A. Craig learned the trades of carpenter and 
 millwright, and followed them for some 
 years. While so employed he gave much of 
 his time to the study of civil engineering. 
 At the age of twenty-six he turned his atten- 
 tion to surveying. In the fall of 1868 he 
 came to Spencer village, where he established 
 himself as a civil engineer, conveyancer, and 
 insurance agent. He has made the surveys 
 for most of the buildings erected in this town 
 for the past twenty years, besides those for 
 many others in the Brookfields; and the at- 
 lases of these places were published from 
 plans draughted by him from his own surveys. 
 The duties of a Justice of the Peace and 
 Notary Public are also performed by him. 
 His son, Nathan E. Craig, the other member 
 of the firm, is a graduate of the Worcester 
 Polytechnic Institute, class of 1883, and a 
 civil engineer of more than ordinary ability. 
 Besides surveying and conveyancing, the firm 
 transacts a large business before the Probate 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 5°S 
 
 Court in settling estates, and represents some 
 of the most reliable fire and life insurance 
 companies in the world, including the yEtna 
 and Connecticut of Hartford; the Niagara and 
 Glens Falls, N.Y. ; the Lancashire of Man- 
 chester, England; the Queen of Liverpool, 
 England; the New Hampshire of Manchester; 
 the Worcester Mutual and Merchants' and 
 Farmers' Mutual, Worcester, Mass. ; the 
 Fitchburg Mutual, Holyoke Mutual, Traders' 
 and Mechanics' Mutual. The clientage of the 
 firm embraces the towns of Spencer, Leicester, 
 the Brookfields, and vicinity. 
 
 Mr. Craig married Ellen A. Jones, daugh- 
 ter of Edward K. Jones, of Burlington, Conn. 
 He has three children, namely: Emma A., 
 the wife of Jason W. Prouty,'of Spencer; 
 Alice E., the wife of Henry Nichols, of this 
 town ; and Nathan E. Craig, who is in busi- 
 ness with his father, has been Superintendent 
 of Sewers for the past ten years, and is a mem- 
 ber of both the Water and Sinking Fund Com- 
 missions. Mr. Craig at the present time is 
 vice-president, a trustee, and a member of the 
 Investment Committee of the Spencer Savings 
 Bank, and a director of the Spencer National 
 Bank. He is actively interested in public 
 affairs, and has served as a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen. 
 
 'ON. ALONZO DAVIS, was formerly 
 one of the most public-spirited citi- 
 [\s I zens of Fitchburg. He was born 
 in Gardner, Mass., November 15, 
 18 1 7, son of George W. and Anna (Perley) 
 Davis. George W. Davis worked a farm by 
 halves, and, though he had a wife and eleven 
 children to support, was worth a few thousand 
 dollars at his death. He was on the Gardner 
 Board of Selectmen for twelve years, presid- 
 ing for six years of that time as chairman ; 
 and he was Assessor two years and on the 
 School Committee two years. He was thrice 
 married, and his first two wives had children 
 who attained prominence. His son, George 
 Davis, of Lawrence, was killed at the battle of 
 Fredericksburg. Charles Davis, a half-brother 
 of Alonzo, who was president of the Southgate 
 Manufacturing Company of Worcester, died 
 
 in September, 1897, aged si.xty-three; and the 
 business is now managed by his son, George 
 W. Davis. Another half-brother of Alonzo, 
 Leander Davis, was a well-to-do citizen of St. 
 Augustine, Fla. He died in Orange, Mass., 
 at the age of seventy. 
 
 Alonzo Davis received the rudiments of his 
 education in the public schools of Gardner. 
 An omnivorous reader, he learned much in 
 that way. After acquiring the chairmaker's 
 trade he began to manufacture chairs in Fitch- 
 burg in partnership with Alexander Rice. 
 Later John D. Pratt became his partner, and 
 in 185s Henry T. and Charles E. Pratt were 
 taken into the firm. He was in the business 
 thirty-two consecutive years, always remain- 
 ing head of the firm. A four-story brick 
 factory, one hundred and fifty feet long and 
 forty, feet wide, was erected in 1855, after the 
 Messrs. Pratt became interested in the busi- 
 ness. Nine years later Mr. Davis purchased 
 his partners' interest, and thereafter he con- 
 tinued alone until the time of his retirement 
 in 1887. He was one of the most successful 
 business men Fitchburg has known. One of 
 the foremost to advocate all movements for 
 the benefit of his adopted city, he had the re- 
 spect of both political parties, and was elected 
 to a number of offices of public trust. He 
 was sent to the Common Council in 1878 and 
 served until 1880. Then he was elected to 
 the Board of Aldermen and served three years; 
 and he was Mayor of the city in 1883, 1884, 
 and 1885. In the chief magistrate's chair 
 he proved a model official, and many radical 
 improvements were made during his adminis- 
 tration. In that period the Rollstone Street 
 school-house was erected, and another on the 
 border of the city. Mr. Davis was an advo- 
 cate of the water system, though not a cor- 
 porate member of the board. He was for 
 eighteen years connected with the Fitchburg 
 Cornet Band, which was disbanded in i860. 
 This band was an important factor in the 
 social life of Fitchburg some forty years ago. 
 It accompanied Company B, Fifteenth Regi- 
 ment, to the railroad station when it left for 
 the seat of war, playing "Auld Lang Syne" 
 in a manner that long afterward was remem- 
 bered by those who heard it. 
 
So6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Davis was reared in the Unitarian 
 faith, and he sang for years in the choir of 
 the church in Gardner. He died May 23, 
 1888, aged seventy years. The first of his 
 two marriages was contracted with Betsey T. 
 Jackson, of Gardner, a daughter of Isaac Jack- 
 son, of South Gardner, Mass. At her death 
 she left one child, Walter A. On the second 
 occasion he married Mary S., daughter of 
 Sheriff Francis Buttrick, of Fitchburg, who 
 is now living with her own family. (Many 
 of the facts given above are taken from the 
 Fitchburg Sentiue/ Souvenir.) 
 
 Walter A. Davis, only son of Mayor Davis, 
 was born in Fitchburg, July 13, 1846. But 
 seven months old when his mother died, he 
 was taken by his father's aunt, Betsey War- 
 ren, who lived in Hubbardston, Mass. With 
 her he remained until he was thirteen years 
 of age, when he came to Fitchburg. Having 
 previously attended school in Hubbardston, 
 he graduated from the Fitchburg High School 
 in 1865 and from Williams College in 1869. 
 In his class at Williams were men who have 
 since distinguished themselves in public life, 
 including Mayor Chapin, of Brooklyn; Mayor 
 J. B. Thatcher, of Albany, N.Y.; and Judge 
 J. W. Campbell, of Ohio. Mr. Davis was in 
 the chair business with his father from 1870 
 till 1877, when they closed up that branch of 
 their affairs. In July, 1880, he entered the 
 employ of the Fitchburg Railroad Company, 
 and on January 3, 1887, he was elected City 
 Clerk of Fitchburg. He has now been in 
 office twelve years, having been re-elected an- 
 nually since. He is also one of the auditors 
 of the Fidelity Co-operative Bank. In 1874 
 Mr. W. A. Davis was married to Fannie A., 
 daughter of Cornelius Bogart, of West Fitch- 
 burg, who was a foreman for Crocker, Bur- 
 bank & Co., and served in the City Council for 
 three years. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have two 
 daughters: Edith Lovell, born in 1875; and 
 Bessie Jackson, born in 1878. Edith gradu- 
 ated from the Fitchburg High School, and is 
 now attending the Fitchburg State Normal 
 School. Bessie graduated from the high 
 school in the class of 1898. Mr. Davis is a 
 Templar Mason, belongs to King David En- 
 campment, I. O. O, F., and is a member of 
 
 the Fitchburg Athletic Club and of the 
 Fitchburg Historical Society. 
 
 M 
 
 son 
 
 EACON DAVID WILDER HILL, 
 a prominent resident of Westmin- 
 ster and a native of Royalston, 
 Mass., was born February 14, 1822, 
 of Jonas and Lucretia (Moore) Hill. 
 Oliver Hill, the father of Jonas, was one of 
 the early settlers of Royalston. Jonas died 
 there at the age of thirty-three, leaving his 
 wife with two small children, David Wilder 
 and Sarah. Sarah became the wife of Silas 
 Howe, of Westboro, where she died leaving 
 three daughters. The widow of Jonas Hill 
 subsequently married Ephraim Gale, who died 
 a few years later, and then Mr. Gould, with 
 whom she lived in Guilford, Vt. She had no 
 children by these marriages. Her last years 
 were spent with her son, David Wilder Hill, 
 and she was ninety-two when she died. 
 
 When his father died, David Wilder Hill 
 was about seven years old. He lived with his 
 mother until he was seventeen, attending the 
 common school and an academy for a time. 
 That was before the mother's second marriage. 
 Then he began to learn the painter's trade in 
 Westminster with a Mr. Kendal], working by 
 the year, and receiving for the first year one 
 hundred and twenty-five dollars and his board. 
 He remained with Mr. Kendall for ten years, 
 working chiefly at house, chair, and carriage 
 painting. About the year 1851 Mr. Hill and 
 Joel Merriam, Jr., formed a partnership, and 
 worked up quite a business in buying, paint- 
 ing, and selling chairs. They separated after 
 ten years, since which time Mr. Hill has con- 
 ducted a house and carriage painting business. 
 He now employs several men. At one time 
 be did the painting for a shop manufacturing 
 settees. His experience in the business 
 covers a period of forty-six years. He also 
 handles paints, wall paper, etc. 
 
 Mr. Hill has been married four times. In 
 May, 1847, he was married to Ellen Brigham, 
 of Westboro, who died about a year later. He 
 next wedded Caroline Wheeler, of Westmin- 
 ster. She bore him one daughter, Jennie, who 
 became the wife of Dr, W, H- H, Shepard, of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 507 
 
 this town, and died a young woman, leaving 
 three children- — Grace, Edna E. , and Herman 
 A. Deacon Hill's third marriage was made 
 with Lucia Butterfield, of Fitchburg. One 
 daughter was born of this union; namely, 
 Jessie Louise, who became the second wife of 
 Dr. Shepard. Surviving the Doctor, she is 
 now the high-school teacher at Westminster. 
 Deacon Hill's present wife, formerly Mary 
 Goddard, of Orange, Mass., has no children. 
 In politics Deacon Hill was formerly a Free 
 Soiler, and since the dissolution of that party 
 he has been a Republican. He has attended 
 various political conventions. For thirty 
 years in succession he served his town as 
 Treasurer. He has also been a Selectman. 
 In religion he is a Congregationalist, and he 
 had been a Deacon of the church for twenty- 
 five years, when he resigned that office. He 
 has often acted as a delegate to church con- 
 ferences. 
 
 'MOS BURDON, formerly an enterpris- 
 ing business man of Sutton, was born 
 in this town, September 29, 1799, 
 son of Salmon and Polly (Taylor) 
 Burdon. He was a representative of the fifth 
 generation in descent from John Burdon, a na- 
 tive of Durham, England, who was in business 
 at Danvers, Mass., in 1720, and about the year 
 1728 came to Sutton as a pioneer. 
 
 John Burdon's son John, born in Danvers in 
 1726, was the father of a third John, born in 
 1747, who was the grandfather of the late Mr. 
 Amos Burdon, of Sutton. Grandfather Bur- 
 don owned a good farm, which he cultivated 
 during his active period; and this property 
 is still in the possession of his descend- 
 ants. Besides being a good farmer he was able 
 to do any kind of mechanical work without 
 study. In early life he taught school. A 
 desire to accumulate knowledge being always 
 one of his chief characteristics, he was a 
 tireless reader, and acquired a wonderful knowl- 
 edge of general history. His accomplishments 
 were varied. He acquired a wide reputation as 
 a singer, and he was so good a mathematician 
 that at one time he computed an almanac. He 
 served the town as Assessor for the years 1789, 
 
 I79S> 1799) and 1808. He lived to be over 
 ninety years old. In his religious belief he 
 was a Baptist, at the age of twenty-one joining 
 that church, of which he became a deacon. He 
 was well versed in theology, and he really edu- 
 cated a young minister, who had been obliged to 
 leave school on account of the failure of his 
 eyes. The maiden name of the wife of John 
 Burdon, grandfather of Amos, was Lucy Sibley. 
 She was a descendant of one of the thirty 
 families who originally settled in Sutton. 
 
 Salmon Burdon, the father of Amos, was a 
 lifelong resident of this town, and for many 
 years was a leading spirit in public affairs, 
 serving as a Selectman in 1825, 1826, and 
 1827 and as a member of the School Commit- 
 tee in 1835. For thirty-six years he was a 
 Deacon of the Baptist church. His wife, 
 Polly Taylor Burdon, belonged to a leading 
 family in this locality, some of whose mem- 
 bers had received a college education, and 
 some were the owners of considerable prop- 
 erty. Her mother, who was a Rist, was also 
 well connected. Her grandmother's maiden 
 name was Goodwin. Her brother, Samuel 
 Taylor, was a town leader, and was sent several 
 times as Representative to the legislature. He 
 was a man of great independence of thought, 
 in religion subscribing to no creed, but emi- 
 nently practical and sensible in all things — ■ 
 a man to command respect. 
 
 Amos Burdon, the subject of this sketch, 
 was reared and educated in Sutton. At the 
 age of twenty-two he went to Michigan, mak- 
 ing the journey by team, as there were then no 
 railroads. Investing quite largely in real es- 
 tate in Michigan, he later sold this property 
 to good advantage. Returning to Sutton, he 
 engaged in tilling the soil upon a farm of two 
 hundred acres; and about 1850 he bought a 
 mill and water-power privilege, which he 
 fitted up for the manufacture of shingles. A 
 man of excellent business ability, he made 
 good use of his opportunities; and at his 
 death, which occurred March 27, 1881, he left 
 a good estate. During the years 1840, 1841, 
 and 1842 he served as a Selectman. He was 
 an Assessor for the years 1845, 1846, and 
 1847, and for several years he served as Over- 
 seer of the Poor, 
 
5o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Amos Biirdon married Lorinda Lackey, 
 daughter of Joshua and Azubah (Davenport) 
 Lackey. Her grandmother, Dorcas Wood- 
 bury Lackey, was the grand-daughter of Ben- 
 jamin Woodbury, who came to Sutton in 
 1734, and a descendant in the sixth genera- 
 tion of John Woodbury, one of the first set- 
 tlers of Salem. Amos and Lorinda (Lackey) 
 Burdon were the parents of five children, 
 namely: Ann, born in 1832; Alvira D. , born 
 in 1837; John, born in 1840; Lucius L., born 
 in 1847; and Martha Janette Burdon, born in 
 1853. Ann, who married Moses Johnson, and 
 resided in Worcester, died in 1891. She had 
 four children, namely: George, a graduate of 
 the Massachusetts School of Technology, now 
 an assayer in Worcester; Wayland, who is 
 married and resides in that city; Arrolyn L. ; 
 and Lorinda B. Johnson. Alvira D. Burdon, 
 who is a graduate of the State Normal School 
 at Bridgewater, taught school for twelve years, 
 was a book-keeper five years, and is now resid- 
 ing at home with her mother. John Burdon, 
 who is a contractor of Hartford, Conn., has 
 been married twice. Both wives are deceased. 
 He has two living daughters — -Emma and 
 Cora. Emma married F. S. Currier, of Clare- 
 mont, N.H., and has two children — John 
 Burdon Currier and Amos Currier. Cora 
 married Woodruff McKnight, of California, 
 formerly of Pittsburg, Pa., and has an infant 
 daughter, Kate McKnight. Her husband. 
 Woodruff McKnight, died last June, 1898. 
 Lucius L. Burdon is a machinist by trade 
 and a mechanic of marked ability, possessing 
 no small share of inventive genius. His wife 
 died April 17, 1898, leaving two children: 
 Lura, born in 1870; and Grace, born in 1884. 
 Lura married Ernest Blanchard, of Whitins- 
 ville, and has one son, Carl. Martha Janette 
 Burdon married for her first husband Carlos 
 D. Lamb, of Charlton, and had two children, 
 only one of whom is now living; namely, 
 Lizzie Lorena Lamb. Mr. Lamb died, and 
 Mrs. Lamb married George L. Simpson. 
 Mrs. Burdon is still living at the homestead. 
 
 In a manuscript genealogy, compiled by Dr. 
 Bennett F. Davenport, now in the rooms of 
 the New England Historic Genealogical So- 
 ciety, Mrs, Azubah Davenport Lackey, mother 
 
 of Mrs. Burdon, is registered as the daughter 
 of William and Tamasine (Bigelow) Daven- 
 port and grand-daughter of William, Sr., and 
 Sarah (Richards) Davenport, her grandfather 
 being set down as a son of Richard Davenport, 
 second, whose father, John Davenport, was a 
 son of Richard Davenport, first, who came 
 over from England in 1628, and after living in 
 Salem for a few years removed to Boston, and 
 was captain of the castle in Boston Harbor. 
 
 EV. BENJAMIN WOOD, who was 
 for more than half a century pastor of 
 
 is \ the First Church in Upton, Mass., 
 was born September 15, 1772, in 
 Lebanon, N. H., where his parents, Captain 
 Joseph and Anna (Palmer) Wood, had settled 
 when the place was but a wilderness. They 
 were from Mansfield, Conn. 
 
 Captain Joseph Wood was born in 1725. 
 He had twelve children, and ten of them at- 
 tained adult years and were married; namely, 
 Samuel, Marion, Jane, Joseph, Ephraim, 
 Anna, Roger, John, Benjamin, and Luther. 
 Carefully trained by pious and industrious 
 parents, these children were early led to walk 
 in ways of wisdom and virtue; and three of 
 the sons became ministers of the gospel. 
 The eldest, the Rev. Samuel Wood, pastor of 
 the church of Boscawen, N.H., married 
 Eunice Bliss, of Lebanon. He fitted a num- 
 ber of young men for college, among his 
 pupils being, as is well remembered, Daniel 
 Webster when a youth of fifteen. Marion 
 Wood married Stephen Colburn, of Hartford, 
 Vt., and had ten children. Jane Wood mar- 
 ried Asa Colburn, of Tunbridge, Vt., and had 
 ten children. Captain Joseph Wood, Jr., 
 married Sarah Gerrish, of Boscawen, and had 
 fourteen children. Captain Ephraim, who 
 served in the Revolutionary War and was 
 afterward a pensioner, married Martha Jack- 
 son, of Boscawen, and had eleven children. 
 Anna Wood married Elias Marsh, of Sharon, 
 Vt., and had seven children. Captain Roger 
 Wood married Achsah Tilden, of Lebanon, 
 and had six children. Captain John Wood 
 married Persis Hyde, and had eleven chil- 
 dren. The Rev. Luther Wood married 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 509 
 
 Wealthy Marsh, and had nine children. Ben- 
 jamin, the third son to enter the ministry, was 
 fitted for college by his brother Samuel, and 
 was graduated at Dartmouth in 1793. He 
 pursued his theological studies at first with 
 his brother, who was then settled at Bos- 
 cawen, and later under the Rev. Dr. Emmons 
 at Franklin, Mass. His first sermon at 
 Upton was preached in June, 1795. He was 
 called to be the minister of the church in De- 
 cember of that year. He accepted the call in 
 March, and was ordained and settled June i, 
 1796. The years of his ministry that fol- 
 lowed, nearly fifty-four in number, were years 
 of faithful, continuous, almost uninterrupted 
 labor. "He was permitted to witness eight 
 seasons of the special outpouring of the Spirit 
 and the ingathering of more than four hundred 
 persons to the fold of Christ." His last ser- 
 mon was delivered on the last Sunday in 
 March, 1849, i^ot many days before his pass- 
 ing from earthly scenes, which took place on 
 the 24th of April following. In this farewell 
 discourse, as it proved to be, from Proverbs 
 iv. 7, 8, beginning, "Wisdom is the principal 
 thing," he earnestly addressed the young on 
 the subject of religious duty. 
 
 During the brief period of illness that fol- 
 lowed "he uniformly enjoyed great peace of 
 mind. Not a cloud was permitted to obscure 
 his spiritual vision. Faith and patience sus- 
 tained his soul under the violent assaults of 
 disease and in the conflict with death. To 
 the last he retained his mental faculties in 
 full vigor. Those great and glorious doc- 
 trines, which he had so often and with great 
 clearness presented to this people, were his 
 joy and support in view of death. He was 
 a man of great excellence. He was a gentle- 
 man and a Christian. The kindness of his 
 heart, the warm, overflowing sympathies of 
 his nature, and the suavity of his manners 
 won the affection and esteem of all who knew 
 him. As a Christian he was cheerful and 
 earnest. The vivacity of his mind and the 
 kindliness of his disposition gave peculiar 
 beauty to his piety. But it is as a preacher 
 of the gospel that he was best known. He 
 was a sound and discriminating theologian, a 
 faithful, efficient, and popular preacher. 
 
 There was an aptness and vivacity in his in- 
 structions, a clearness in his statements and 
 reasoning, that, aside from any peculiar ex- 
 cellence of voice and manner, would have 
 made him an interesting and engaging 
 preacher. No one can read his discourses 
 without being impressed with this peculiar- 
 ity. He sought to be appropriate on all occa- 
 sions; and he seldom, if ever, failed. In all 
 this part of the Commonwealth he has been 
 greatly beloved, and here his memory will 
 long be cherished." 
 
 The Rev. Benjamin Wood was married on 
 February 17, 1797, to Miss Betsy Dustin, a 
 descendant of Mrs. Hannah Dustin, of Haver- 
 hill. Mrs. Wood was born July 9, 1772. 
 She died September 16, 1845, having been 
 the mother of eight children — Betsy, Palmer, 
 Fanny, Philena, Willard, Maria Merrill, Lue 
 Ann, and Hannah Fisk. Betsy, born Novem- 
 ber 23, 1797, married Cheney Abbott, of 
 Holden. Palmer Wood, born April 15, 1799, 
 married Experience Chapin, sister of Judge 
 Chapin, of Worcester. Fanny Wood, born 
 March i, 1801, married Captain Orra Wood, 
 of Upton, and had seven children, two of 
 whom are now living; namely, Willard S. 
 and Caroline A. Philena Wood, born Febru- 
 ary 10, 1803, married George Perry, of Upton, 
 and died June 7, 1885. Samuel Willard 
 Wood, born October 28, 1806, died February 
 12, 1838. Maria M., born February 19, 
 1809, married Artemas Beaman, of Westboro. 
 Lue Ann Wood, born June 30, 1812, married 
 Clark Wood, of Boston, and died February 
 22, 1858. Hannah Fisk Wood, the only sur- 
 viving child of the Rev. Benjamin Wood, was 
 born September 19, 18 14. She was married 
 in 1837 to Colonel David C. Wood, of Upton, 
 and is now (October, 1898) a widow living 
 in Boston. She has recently made a copy of 
 the family records in convenient form for pres- 
 ervation. Miss Caroline A. Wood, named 
 above, is the only descendant of the Rev. 
 Benjamin Wood now (1898) residing in 
 Upton. 
 
 Two sermons of the Rev. Benjamin Wood, 
 together with the one preached at his funeral 
 by the Rev. H. A. Tracy, have been published 
 in pamphlet form. The first of these was 
 
510 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 preached by Mr. Wood on the occasion of 
 leaving the old meeting-house in Upton, De- 
 cember 31, 1848. It was a word of retrospect 
 and farewell. It spoke of the gratitude and 
 reverence due to the memory of pious ances- 
 tors, of the faith they cherished, and of the 
 importance of the doctrines and duties that 
 had been taught from the old desk. The sec- 
 ond was preached at the dedication of the new 
 Congregational meeting-house in Upton, Jan- 
 uary 3, 1849, from the text. Psalm Ixi. 4, "I 
 will abide in thy tabernacles forever; it shall 
 be ray home as long as I live." It dwelt on 
 the importance of public worship. "We are 
 ready to grant," said Mr. Wood, "that the old 
 house and the old minister are soon to pass 
 away. We rather marvel that they have stood 
 so long. . . . But the old religion, in which 
 are comprised the great doctrines of the 
 Scriptures, preached by Christ and the 
 apostles, . . . will never, never wear out. . . . 
 Not merely for ourselves, but for our poster- 
 ity, our children and our children's children, 
 is this home erected. Could the parent leave 
 to his child a better legacy — better to him 
 than gold?" In closing he said, "To see this 
 church and society, with whom and for whom 
 I have labored more than fifty-two and one- 
 half years, worshipping in a new house before 
 I relinquished the ministry or departed hence, 
 has been my ardent desire. To-day I have 
 seen that for which I have desired and prayed. 
 Bless the Lord, O my soul ! But, after all, it 
 is but for a little time that I may expect to 
 meet you, my dear hearers, in this house. 
 My age forbids the expectation. . . . Here in 
 this pulpit abler men will preach. Here may 
 the church receive a richer blessing. Here 
 may her love, her faith, her songs, and her 
 prayers abound." 
 
 ILMER I. BALCOM, M.D., an able 
 physician of Whitinsville, was born in 
 — ^ Grafton, Mass., December 22, 1856. 
 He is a son of Madison and Rebecca (Cook) 
 Balcom, the former of whom is now a member 
 of the firm of Balcom & Johnson, merchants 
 of Whitinsville. Dr. Balcom's brother, the 
 Rev, Frederick A, Balcom, who is a graduate 
 
 of Williams College and of the Hartford The- 
 ological Seminary, is now pastor of a Congre- 
 gational church in Saylesville, R.I. 
 
 After graduating from Williams College, 
 Elmer I. Balcom entered upon his medical 
 studies at the University of Michigan, and 
 subsequently completed them with a post- 
 graduate course in New York City. Locating 
 at Whitinsville in 1884, he has since built up 
 a large and lucrative practice through an un- 
 tiring devotion to his professional duties, 
 thereby attaining to a prominent place among 
 the leading medical practitioners of this sec- 
 tion. He is a self-made man, having paid his 
 way through college with funds procured by 
 his own exertions. Aside from his profes- 
 sional skill he possesses other commendable 
 qualities, which have gained for him the es- 
 teem and confidence of the community. 
 
 By his marriage with Miss Bertha Peckham, 
 who was formerly a successful teacher, Dr. 
 Balcom has become the father of three chil- 
 dren, namely: Ralph I., born June 16, 1889; 
 Velma M.", born February 4, 1892; and Ruth, 
 born October 30, 1895. The Doctor takes a 
 lively interest in all matters relative to the 
 general welfare of the town. His handsome 
 residence on Railroad Avenue, which he built 
 some six years ago, adds much to the beauty 
 and attractiveness of the residential part of 
 Whitinsville. 
 
 Jtu 
 
 son 
 
 OSES B. HEYWOOD, chairman 
 of the Board of Road Commis- 
 sioners, Sterling, Mass., was born 
 in Fitzwilliam, N.H., May 6, 
 -.. of Rial and Betsey (Palmer) Hey- 
 Rial Heywood, who was a native of 
 Mass., began industrial life 
 
 1827, 
 wood. 
 
 Winchendon, x„ao^,., utgau iiJuu^jLuci i..v. 
 there as a farmer, but subsequently removed to 
 Fitzwilliam. In 1828 he came to Sterling, 
 and purchased a farm three miles from the vil- 
 lage, where he resided until his death. He 
 built the house now standing. His wife, 
 Betsey, was born in Sterling, daughter' of Jo- 
 seph Palmer, a successful farmer. Nine chil- 
 dren were born to Rial and Betsey Heywood, 
 but only four are now living; namely, Sophia, 
 Moses B., Waldo, and Warren, The mother 
 
ELMER I. BALCOM. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S13 
 
 died at seventy-two years of age. Both par- 
 ents were attendants of the Unitarian church. 
 The father took an active interest in town 
 affairs. 
 
 Moses B. Heywood passed his boyhood on 
 the farm, and attended the sessions of the com- 
 mon school. At twenty he left home and 
 went to work at the carpenter's trade, which 
 he followed as a journeyman for a short time, 
 subsequently engaging in business on his own 
 account. He built a number of houses in 
 Lancaster and adjoining towns, and also 
 erected the female college at Elmira, N. Y., 
 which occupied him for three years. He fol- 
 lowed carpentry as a contractor for about ten 
 years, then came to Sterling and took up farm- 
 ing in connection with lumbering, which he 
 continued for ten years. Since that time he 
 has followed farming mainly, but also owns a 
 blacksmith shop, which receives part of his 
 attention. 
 
 In 1848 Mr. Heywood married Maria R. 
 Nichols, daughter of Samuel H. and Nancy 
 E. (Fletcher) Nichols. Her father was a car- 
 penter. Of his five children, Mrs. Heywood 
 is the only survivor. She is the mother of 
 four children — Josephine A., Hattie M., 
 Emily G. , and Frank F. Josephine A. Hey- 
 wood married Walter A. Atwood, a broker in 
 Fitchburg, Mass., and has one child, Harry H. 
 Atwood. Hattie M. Heywood married George 
 T. Gale, a merchant in Harvard, Mass., and 
 has one child, Frank H. Gale. Emily G. 
 Heywood married Arthur H. Turner, a farmer 
 in Harvard, Mass., and has one son, Earle. 
 Frank F. Heywood is a dyer in Fitchburg, 
 Mass. 
 
 Mr. Heywood is independent in politics. 
 In 1872 he was elected to the Board of Select- 
 men, and served four years, during three of 
 which he was chairman. He has served two 
 years as chairman of the Board of Assessors, 
 was Overseer of the Poor 1872-76, chairman 
 of the board, and in 1875-76 a member of the 
 Massachusetts legislature. His record as a 
 Road Commissioner covers a period of twenty 
 years of faithful service. From 1877 to 1882 
 and from 1892 to 1897 he was chairman of 
 the board. He is a member of the Farmers' 
 Club which he has served as president and 
 
 trustee; a member of the Worcester County 
 Agricultural Fair; a member of Trinity 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and of the Masonic Re- 
 lief Association. 
 
 /®Yo 
 
 EORGE G. HOWLAND, who carries 
 % i) I on a successful business as a grocer 
 
 — at 296 Grafton Street, Worcester, 
 was born in Spencer, Mass., October 28, 1846. 
 Son of Pardon and Almira (Gulliver) How- 
 land, he is a representative of the eighth gen- 
 eration of this branch of the Howland family, 
 whose immigrant progenitor, Henry Howland, 
 who arrived at Plymouth from England pre- 
 vious to 1625, was probably a brother of John 
 Howland, one of the original "Mayflower" 
 Pilgrims. A genealogy of the family, written 
 by Franklyn Howland and his mother, of New 
 Bedford, Mass., was published in 1885. 
 
 From Henry' the line of descent is traced 
 through Samuel,^ Joshua,^ John, 4 John,5 to 
 James Howland,^ father of Pardon Howland, 
 all of whom were thrifty, upright men. James 
 Howland,'^ who was born October 10, 1776, 
 moved from Spencer to Brookfield, where he 
 engaged in farming. On January 24, 1799, 
 he married Catharine Bemis. She was born 
 in Spencer, June 24, 1778, daughter of Joshua 
 Bemis; and she died September 9, 1859. 
 They had a family of eight children, the fifth 
 being Pardon, George G. Howland 's father. 
 
 Pardon Howland was born in Brookfield, 
 December 17, 181 1. He was a carpenter by 
 trade, and spent the greater part of his-life in 
 Spencer as a contractor and builder. He died 
 in January, 1887. His first wife, whom he 
 married May 5, 1837, was Ursula Calkins. 
 She died October i, 1839; and her sister, Eve- 
 line, whom he married in June, 1841, died 
 February 5, 1842. His third wife was before 
 marriage Almira Gulliver. 
 
 George G. Howland was educated in the 
 public schools. Learning the carpenter's 
 trade when a young man, he worked with his 
 father for some years, or until October 8, 
 1872, when he was joined in marriage with 
 Caroline R. Stowe, daughter of Luther and 
 Caroline (Bigelow) Stowe, of Worcester, 
 Mass. Luther Stowe was a shoemaker by 
 
514 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 trade and one of the pioneer manufacturers, 
 beginning business on his own account in 
 1853, associated with Edwin Muzzey and J. H. 
 Walker, of this city. He continued in active 
 business until within two years of his death, 
 which occurred January 10, 1892, at the age of 
 eighty years. He was twice married; and by 
 his union with his first wife, whose maiden 
 name was Mary K. Hathaway, he had two 
 children, neither of whom is living. Mrs. 
 Caroline Bigelow Stowe, his second wife, died 
 September 13, 1895, aged seventy-six. She 
 was the mother of four children, namely: 
 Charles H., who died at the age of seven 
 years; Julia Maria, who died at the age of 
 forty-four; Martin L. Stowe, of this city, who 
 has charge of the estate left by his father; and 
 Caroline R., who is now Mrs. Howland. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Howland have had three sons : Roger 
 S., who died at the age of nearly fifteen years; 
 George H. ; and Fred A. Howland. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Howland erected their present 
 dwelling-house on Grafton Street in 1879, and 
 in 1894 they opened their grocery store, which 
 is well stocked with goods of a superior qual- 
 ity, and is kept in first-class order. They 
 have built up an excellent trade. Mrs. How- 
 land, who began book-keeping for her father 
 when she was nineteen years old, attends to 
 that part of the business, and the sons are em- 
 ployed as clerks. The Howlands are popular, 
 and fully merit the success they have achieved. 
 Mrs. Howland is a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. 
 
 "jCjDWARD P. BARTLETT, Postmaster, 
 Jpl Town Clerk, and Treasurer of Sterling, 
 and dealer in general merchandise, 
 was born at Sterling village on September 9, 
 1849, son of Perley and Persis (Weatherbee) 
 Bartlett. His paternal grandfather, Jonas 
 Bartlett, was a lifelong farmer. 
 
 Perley Bartlett was born in Northboro, and 
 grew to manhood there. After his marriage 
 he came to Sterling, and for a time was en- 
 gaged in driving a produce wagon to Boston, 
 employing from four to six horses. About fifty 
 years ago he opened the general merchandise 
 store where his son is now in business, and op- 
 
 erated it successfully for forty years. At his 
 death in 1887 he was the oldest merchant in 
 the county. For many years he held the office 
 of Postmaster, and served also as Selectman, 
 Assessor, and in various other public capaci- 
 ties. He was known far and near, and was 
 highly respected. Mr. Bartlett was a devoted 
 member of the Unitarian church, as is his 
 wife; and at different times he served in all 
 the lay offices of the church. Mrs. Persis 
 Bartlett, who is still living on the old home- 
 stead in this town, was born at Chesterfield, 
 N.H. She has been the mother of six chil- 
 dren, of whom the only survivor is the subject 
 of this sketch. 
 
 Edward P. Bartlett grew to manhood in the 
 village of Sterling, where he was born, and 
 when a boy was sent to the public schools and 
 later to Worcester Academy. His first expe- 
 rience of life away from home was in New 
 York City, where he was engaged, together 
 with his brother, in the electrical business. 
 He was subsequently connected with his 
 father, and since his father's death in 1887 
 he has run the store. He keeps a line of 
 boots, shoes, dry goods, groceries, and sun- 
 dries, and has an established patronage. With 
 the exception of one term he has been Post- 
 master for thirty years. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett and Fannie E. Davis, daughter 
 of James Davis, a retired citizen of Northboro, 
 were united in marriage in 1873. They have 
 three children — Ernest Perley, Anna H., and 
 Josephine L. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett's political affiliations are with 
 the Republican party. He has been on the Re- 
 publican Town Committee for many years, and 
 takes an active interest in promoting the 
 spread of Republican principles. Since 1887 
 he has been Clerk of the town and since 1893 
 Town Treasurer. He is also one of the trus- 
 tees of the public library, and is secretary of 
 the Town Committee. Fraternally, he is a 
 member of Trinity Lodge, Free and Accepted 
 Masons, of Clinton Chapter, and of the Com- 
 mandery of Worcester. He is also a member 
 of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and 
 member and treasurer of the Farmers' Club. 
 A Unitarian in his religious principles and 
 affiliations, he has served for several years as 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SIS 
 
 parish clerk and treasurer of the First Con- 
 gregational Society (Unitarian) of Sterling 
 and a member of the Board of Trustees. 
 
 'RTHUR HASTINGS, a prosperous 
 dairyman and market gardener of 
 South Berlin, son of Christopher S. 
 and Cordelia (Bigelow) Hastings, 
 was born on December g, 1846, in the house 
 where he now resides. The farm he occupies 
 is the one on which his paternal grandfather, 
 Ephraim Hastings, who was a native of Boyls- 
 ton, settled in 1835. Ephraim Hastings re- 
 sided here until his death, which occurred 
 when he was seventy-four years old. 
 
 Christopher S. Hastings, son of Ephraim, 
 was born in Boylston. Accompanying his par- 
 ents to Berlin, he assisted his father in farming 
 until 1862. He then raised and organized 
 for the Thirty-sixth Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Volunteers, two companies, one of which he 
 commanded, serving in the war of the Rebell- 
 ion until his death, which resulted from in- 
 termittent fever contracted upon the field. 
 Captain Hastings was one of the prominent 
 citizens of Berlin, and for a number of years 
 he was Treasurer and Collector of the town. 
 Mrs. Cordelia B. Hastings, who is still living, 
 and resides in Berlin, is a daughter of Levi 
 Bigelow, Esq., formerly a well-known farmer 
 of Marlboro. He was the father of fourteen 
 children, of whom six sons and six daughters 
 grew to maturity, and three sons and three 
 daughters are living. When her husband 
 marched to the seat of war, Mrs. Hastings as- 
 sumed his duties as Treasurer and Collector, 
 keeping the town's books and collecting the 
 taxes, and performing the work in a most 
 creditable manner until the election of his 
 successor. She has been the mother of four 
 children, two of whom are living, namely: 
 Ellen, wife of Daniel A. White; and Arthur, 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Arthur Hastings was reared to farm life at 
 the homestead, and acquired his education in 
 the common schools. Directly after his 
 father's death he and his brother Ruthven took 
 charge of the farm ; and later they opened a 
 general store at the village, where they con- 
 
 ducted an extensive business for twenty years. 
 In 1893, just before his brother died, they 
 sold the store. Ruthven Hastings was active 
 in town affairs, and at the time of his death, 
 which occurred at the age of forty-nine, was 
 serving as Treasurer and Collector. In recent 
 years Mr. Arthur Hastings has given his at- 
 tention to cultivating the homestead farm. 
 He raises general farm products, sells con- 
 siderable milk, and makes a specialty of grow- 
 ing asparagus, having four acres devoted to 
 that vegetable, large quantities of which he 
 sends to the Boston market. 
 
 For over twenty years Mr. Hastings has 
 been actively concerned in local public affairs, 
 serving with ability in different capacities. 
 He has been chairman of the Board of Asses- 
 sors, and in 1896 was chosen to preside over 
 the Board of Selectmen. In 1894 he was a 
 member of the legislature, and being assigned 
 to the Committee on Drainage was concerned 
 in forwarding the metropolitan sewerage 
 system. 
 
 In 1881 Mr. Hastings was united in mar- 
 riage with Emma F. Boyce, a native of New 
 Hampshire, daughter of Frank Boyce, a wood- 
 turner, who followed his trade in connection 
 with fanning. Mrs. Hastings is the mother 
 of one daughter, Florence. Mr. Hastings is a 
 member of Doric Lodge, F. & A. M., of Hud- 
 son, and is connected with the local grange. 
 He attends the Unitarian church. 
 
 T^HARLES E. PHELPS, keeper of the 
 I \y livery and boarding stable in Sterling 
 ^^Is Centre, was born in the town of 
 
 Sterling, Worcester County, Mass., 
 August 10, 1843, son of Josiah and Alice D. 
 (Gould) Phelps. His paternal grandfather, 
 Josiah Phelps, Sr. , was a native of Lancaster, 
 Mass., whence he came to Sterling, and de- 
 voted himself to farming. He lived to be 
 fifty-six years of age. 
 
 Josiah Phelps, Jr., was born on his father's 
 farm in Sterling eighty-one years ago. In his 
 boyhood and youth during the winter seasons 
 he worked at chair- making. On starting for 
 himself he bought a farm near his son's place 
 of residence, and remained there until he re- 
 
5i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tired from active work. He now lives in the 
 village. For a number of years he was on the 
 Board of Selectmen, and chairman a part of 
 the time. He has also served as Road Com- 
 missioner and as Highway Surveyor. His 
 wife, Alice, was born in Vermont, and was a 
 hotel -keeper's daughter. Two children were 
 the fruit of their marriage; namely, Charles 
 E. and James L. The mother died at sixty- 
 two years of age. She was a member of the 
 Unitarian society, with which the father is 
 still identified. For many years he was a 
 member of its Parish Committee. 
 
 Charles E. Phelps was educated in the com- 
 mon schools and the high school of Sterling. 
 He remained at home until eighteen, then 
 went into a store in Lancaster as clerk, and for 
 two years was employed there and in a store in 
 Sterling. Failing health compelling him to 
 give up the work, he returned home for a time. 
 He next entered the chair factory in Sterling, 
 in which he was employed some nine years. 
 Following that he worked on the highway six 
 years, repairing the roads of the town and 
 keeping them in good condition. He then 
 embarked in his present business, purchasing 
 a stable, which he conducted up to 1885, the 
 year he bought his present place. He has 
 here built a new stable that will accommo- 
 date sixteen horses. Besides keeping horses 
 to let he takes some to board. For seventeen 
 years past he has also conducted an undertaking 
 business. 
 
 On April 8, 1868, Mr. Phelps married Mary 
 E. Allen, a native of West Boylston, Mass., 
 and daughter of Daniel W. Allen. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Phelps have one son, Eldred L., who is 
 in the livery stable with his father. He mar- 
 ried Elma Ramsey. 
 
 Mr. Phelps is a Republican in political prin- 
 ciples. He has served the town of Sterling 
 fourteen years as Collector, has been Constable 
 and a village trustee many years, and was pres- 
 ident of the Village Improvement Society three 
 years. Ever since he attained his majority he 
 has been a member of the Farmers' Club; and 
 he is likewise a member of the grange, in 
 which he was a steward and trustee some 
 years. He is a member of Lancaster Lodge, 
 L O. O. F., of Clinton; also of Rebecca 
 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F. , of the same place. He 
 attends the Unitarian church, and is one of the 
 choir. 
 
 ILLIAM ELI STARR, actuary of 
 the State Mutual Life Assurance 
 Company, Worcester, was born in 
 Thompson, Conn., March i, 1812. A son of 
 Darius and Sally (Wilson) Starr, he is a de- 
 scendant in the sixth generation of Comfort 
 Starr, who was a physician in Ashford, County 
 of Kent, England. A document, described as 
 his certificate of embarkation, states that this 
 ancestor and his three children sailed on 
 board the ship "Hercules," March 21, 1635, 
 accompanied by three servants. He settled 
 first in Newtown, now Cambridge. From 
 there he moved to Duxbury and later to Bos- 
 ton, where he died in 1660. He left a will in 
 his own handwriting, a fac-simile copy of 
 which is in the possession of Mr. Starr. Mr. 
 Starrs paternal great-grandfather, also named 
 Comfort, went from Dedham, Mass., to 
 Thompson in 1723; and Ebenezer Starr, the 
 grandfather, was born there, February 24, 
 1742. Ebenezer, who was very large in stat- 
 ure, and weighed three hundred pounds, was 
 an able farmer, and kept a hotel on his prem- 
 ises. He died in 1804. His first wife bore 
 him one daughter. By his second wife there 
 were six sons and three daughters, all of whom 
 grew to maturity, except a daughter who died 
 in infancy. 
 
 Darius Starr, son of Ebenezer, born in 
 Thompson, Conn., August 30, 1775, was a 
 successful farmer and accumulated consider- 
 able wealth. The latter he afterward lost 
 through excessive sympathy for those whom he 
 believed to be needy. He held a Captain's 
 commission in the State militia, and was 
 highly esteemed for his many commendable 
 qualities. When he died he was ninety 
 years old. His wife, Sally, whom he married 
 November 25, 1802, became the mother of 
 eight children. Of these, seven grew up, 
 namely: Amelia Ann, who married Harris 
 Palmer, and died at the age of sixty-five years, 
 leaving one son and one daughter; Catherine, 
 who married Edward Kellogg, and died at the 
 
C A LA' IN A. PAIGE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 519 
 
 age of seventy-four, leaving three sons and one 
 daughter; John Wilson Starr, who enlisted for 
 service against the Seminole Indians, and died 
 of cholera at the age of forty-three years; 
 William Eli, the subject of this sketch; 
 Sarah, who successively married Daniel Edg- 
 erton and William Edgertou, had four chil- 
 dren, and died at the age of seventy-four; 
 Darius, who died at sixty-four, leaving one 
 son and four daughters; and Laura Maria, 
 who married Reuben Edgerton, and died at 
 forty-eight, leaving one son and one daughter. 
 The mother was seventy-seven years old when 
 she died. Her husband's death occurred ten 
 years later. Three of Sarah Edgerton's chil- 
 dren are living. 
 
 William Eli Starr received his elementary 
 education in the common schools. While a 
 mere boy he sought and obtained employment 
 in a factory for the purpose of defraying bis 
 expenses at the Monson (Mass.) Academy; 
 and, although his father was opposed to his 
 going to work so young, he gained his point, 
 and acquired a good education through his own 
 personal efforts. Afterward he taught school 
 for several terms in different places. Coming 
 to Worcester in 1846, he was a teacher in the 
 Classical and English High School for the 
 succeeding ten years. In 1857 he was ap- 
 pointed superintendent of the State Reform 
 School at Westboro, remaining there four 
 years. Returning to this city, he was ap- 
 pointed City Marshal in 1862, and held that 
 office for a year. Then he was Assistant As- 
 sessor for six years, at the end of which time 
 he became the clerk and treasurer of the Bos- 
 ton, Barre & Gardner Railroad Company. 
 While filling these responsible positions for 
 about sixteen years, he performed the duties of 
 actuary for the State Mutual Life Assurance 
 Company. Since he abandoned railroad work 
 in 1885, he has devoted his entire time to the 
 assurance company, of which he was made a 
 director in 1875. He has acquired a high 
 reputation as an actuary. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Starr is a Republican. 
 Before coming to Worcester he served as 
 Town Clerk and as a member of the School 
 Committee in the place where he was then re- 
 siding. During the year 1865 and 1866 he 
 
 was president of the Worcester Common Coun- 
 cil. On June 26, 1837, he married Pamelia 
 Porter Batcheller, of Warren, Mass., a daugh- 
 ter of Daniel and Polly (Barton) Batcheller. 
 She became the mother of three children, 
 namely: William, who served in the Civil 
 War and is now in New Orleans; Darius, who 
 died in Andersonville Prison during the Re- 
 bellion; and Daniel Batcheller Starr, who is 
 unmarried and resides at home. Mrs. Starr 
 died May 7, 1886, after a married life of 
 nearly forty - nine years. Since her death 
 Mary Louise, a daughter of William Starr, 
 has kept house for the bereaved husband. 
 Miss Starr, who has been here since 1885, is 
 a music teacher. Mr. Starr was one of the 
 organizers and is the senior member of the 
 Actuarial Society of America. In religious 
 belief he is a Congregationalist and a mem- 
 ber of the Union Church. He is remarkably 
 well preserved, and his mental and physical 
 powers have lost none of their accustomed 
 vigor. He resides at 83 Pleasant Street. 
 
 TT^ALVIN AMMIDOWN PAIGE, a 
 I V|-^ highly respected resident of South- 
 ^Hs^^ bridge, son of Timothy Paige, E'sq. , 
 was born in this town, June 7, 
 1820. His ancestors for many generations 
 spent their lives in the neighboring town of 
 Hardwick, where they were numbered among 
 the most prominent and influential people. 
 His great-grandfather, Timothy Paige (first), 
 served the town in various ofificial capacities, 
 was Captain of a company of militia during 
 the Revolutionary period, and at the alarm 
 in 1777 led his men to Bennington and to 
 West Point in 1780. Timothy Paige (sec- 
 ond), the grandfather of Calvin A. Paige, was 
 a lifelong resident of Hardwick. He also 
 served in the war of the Revolution, having 
 been one of the minute-men who responded to 
 the Lexington alarm in 1775, and afterward 
 serving for short periods on various occasions. 
 Besides acting in the capacity of a Justice of 
 the Peace many years, he represented the town 
 in the State legislature from 1805 until 1821, 
 and in 1820 was a delegate to the Constitu- 
 tional Convention. Among the children he 
 
520 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 reared was the Rev. Lucius R. Paige, D.D., 
 late of Cambridge, Mass., a man of scholarly 
 attainments and the historian of Hardwick 
 and Cambridge. 
 
 Timothy Paige, Esq., another son of the 
 second Timothy, born in Hardwick, March 6, 
 1789, died in Southbridge, November 16, 
 1822. He was a lawyer by profession, and 
 was the first Town Clerk of Southbridge. A 
 man of much literary ability, he acquired con- 
 siderable fame as the author of many poems 
 published over the signature of "Jacques," the 
 last one of which, entitled "Farewell to Sum- 
 mer," appeared in the Massachusetts Spy of 
 November 17, 1822. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Cynthia Ammidown, born Septem- 
 ber 10, 1793, in Southbridge, died November 
 I, 1828. Her father, Calvin Ammidown, 
 born June 21, 1768, was one of the early and 
 prominent settlers of Southbridge, and owned 
 much real estate. He erected both the Co- 
 lumbian Manufacturing Building and the 
 structure that formerly stood on the present 
 site of the Y. M. C. A. Building, and he was 
 one of the principal contributors to the First 
 Congregational Church. He died December 
 30, 1826. On June 30, 1792, he married 
 Deborah, daughter of Ebenezer Davis, of 
 Charlton, Mass. They became the parents of 
 four children, of whom the first-born was 
 Cynthia. The children of Timothy and 
 Cynthia Paige were: Cynthia A., who died 
 in Southbridge, November 10, 1850; Juliet 
 E., who became the wife of Merrick Mans- 
 field, lived for a time successively in Ver- 
 mont and Neponset, Mass., and died in the 
 latter place, June 17, 1869; Timothy, born 
 February 22, 1819, who died while serving 
 in the Civil War, and was buried in the 
 National Cemetery at Chattanooga, Tenn.; 
 and Calvin A., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Having been left an orphan at the age of 
 eight years, Calvin A. Paige was reared in the 
 family of his guardian, Dr. Samuel Hartwell. 
 He was educated in the local schools of 
 Southbridge and at Wilbraham Academy. 
 When thirteen years old he entered the store 
 of Plimpton & Lane as a clerk; and two years 
 later he went to Northfield, Vt., where for 
 the ensuing two years he was employed in the 
 
 store of Charles Paine, who was afterward the 
 Governor of Vermont and the president of 
 the Vermont Central Railroad Company. Re- 
 turning then to Southbridge, he was a clerk 
 until 1843 for John Seabury & Co., whose 
 store, known as the " Factory Store, " was lo- 
 cated in the Columbian Building, on the site 
 now occupied by that of the Y. M. C. A. In 
 1844 he accepted a position as clerk and book- 
 keeper for the Dresser Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, pioneer cotton manufacturers of this 
 locality. Six years after he was appointed 
 agent and treasurer of the company, and sub- 
 sequently operated the mill until it was de- 
 stroyed by fire in 1870. He was also one of 
 the stockholders of the company, and after the 
 disastrous conflagration sold the mill site and 
 water-power to the Central Mills Company, 
 but retained the land and tenements on 
 Dresser Hill, which he now owns, and has not 
 since engaged in any regular business. For 
 forty-eight consecutive years he has been a di- 
 rector of the Southbridge National Bank and 
 a trustee of the Southbridge Savings Bank. 
 He has also frequently served in the capaci- 
 ties of guardian, assignee, and administrator. 
 Devoting much of his leisure time to the 
 interests of Southbridge, Mr. Paige has ren- 
 dered efficient service in various local offices. 
 He was Overseer of the Poor for twenty-five 
 years, Selectman for ten years, Assessor for 
 two years, and the chairman and clerk of each 
 of said boards during much of the time he 
 spent in them. In 1854 he was a member of 
 the Town Committee that appeared before the 
 legislature to oppose the division of the town, 
 which project was defeated. In 1850 he was 
 commissioned a Notary Public by Governor 
 Briggs, and has since served in that capacity. 
 During the late Rebellion he was appointed 
 United States enrolling officer for South- 
 bridge, and in 1883 he was commissioned by 
 Governor Long to qualify civil officers. In 
 1863 Mr. Paige served in the State legislature 
 as one of the Committee on Manufactures. 
 Public-spirited and generous, he has always 
 been active in promoting town enterprises and 
 improvements. He aided in establishing the 
 public library, in laying out and building new 
 streets, in introducing the electric light sys- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 521 
 
 tem, and in erecting the town hall. A strong 
 Republican in politics, he was an admirer of 
 the late James G. Blaine. He is a member of 
 the Baptist society and a regular attendant at 
 its services. 
 
 On May 9, 1843, Mr. Paige married Mercy, 
 daughter of Harvey Dresser. She died in 
 1852, having borne him two children, namely: 
 Mary E., on April 7, 1846, who died Septem- 
 ber 2, 1848; and Calvin D., on May 20, 1848. 
 A second marriage, performed February 20, 
 1856, united Mr. Paige with Ellen Jane Scho- 
 field, of Dudley, Mass. Their only child, 
 Frank S. Paige, born May 18, 1857, was in 
 business with his brother, Calvin D. Paige, 
 when he died on April 9, 1891. 
 
 'OSEPH STONE PERRY, one of 
 Worcester's most prominent men of 
 affairs, residing on Vernon Hill, at 166 
 Vernon Street, on the estate where he 
 was born, formerly his father's farm, is of the 
 sixth generation from John Perry, who was 
 born in England in 161 3, and was in Water- 
 town in 1674. John Perry, Jr., son of this 
 John, was born in London, England, in 1644, 
 and emigrated in 1666 to America, settling 
 in Watertown. He died there in 1724, prior 
 to December 23. In 1701 he was in North 
 Brookfield, where he .spent one year. Perry's 
 Pond of that place was named for him. (See 
 American Ancestry, vol. x., 1895.) He had 
 one brother and one sister. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Sarah Clarey, and whom he 
 married in 1667, was born in October, 1649. 
 They had nine children. 
 
 Josiah Perry, of the third generation, was 
 born in Watertown, where he was an active 
 member of the Orthodox church. He married 
 for his first wife Bethiah Cutter, who was born 
 on November 26, 1684, and died on September 
 16, 1767; and for his second wife, Elizabeth 
 Harrington. By the two marriages he had 
 four sons and six daughters. One of these 
 sons, Nathan, great-grandfather of Joseph 
 Stone Perry, was born in Watertown on May 
 2, 1718, and died in Worcester on February 
 14, 1806. It was he who bought the home- 
 stead in Worcester in 1751. He was County 
 
 Treasurer for many years, as were subsequently 
 his son and grandson. He married in 1746 
 Hannah Fisk, who was born in 1719, and died 
 in 1813, at the advanced age of ninety-four. 
 She was a daughter of Deacon Nathan Fisk. 
 Of the five sons and five daughters born of this 
 union, several died young. There were two or 
 three Hannahs, two Nathans, and two by the 
 name of Moses among them. 
 
 Deacon Moses Perry, grandfather of the 
 subject of this sketch, was born on February 
 16, 1762, and died on March 12, 1842. He 
 was a Deacon in the Old South Congregational 
 Church for thirty-five years and in the Union 
 Church for six years. Pie married on Decem- 
 ber 28, 1785, Mercy Clarke, who bore him 
 one daughter, Mercy by name. In 1791 he 
 married Hannah Hall, who was born on March 
 19, 1768, and died on November 26, 1861, 
 after nearly twenty years of widowhood. She 
 was the mother of eight sons and one daugh- 
 ter; and three of her sons^ — ^ Baxter, David, 
 and Clarke — were clergymen in the Congrega- 
 tional church. Baxter Perry, who was born on 
 April 16, 1792, and died in January, 1830, 
 was a graduate of Harvard University and of 
 the Theological School at Andover, and for 
 nine years was pastor of a church at Lyme, 
 N.H. David, who was born on July 26, 1798, 
 and died on August 7, 1876, was graduated at 
 Dartmouth College, and subsequently studied 
 theology at Andover. The Rev. Clarke Perry, 
 who was born on April 21, 1800, died in Gor- 
 ham. Me., on July 22, 1843, having been set- 
 tled over a number of churches. He was 
 graduated at Harvard and at the Theological 
 School at Andover. 
 
 Captain Samuel Perry was born on Novem- 
 ber 26, 1796, on the farm which has now been 
 in the Perry family for about a hundred and 
 fifty years. On December 8, 1823, he was 
 united in marriage with Mary Harrington,, who 
 was born on March 20, 1804, daughter of 
 Francis and Lydia (Perry) Harrington. She 
 was a woman of great charm of character and 
 of great tact in the sick-room. Her great- 
 grandfather Harrington, whose name also was 
 Francis, settled on the Harrington homestead 
 in 1740. Of this union ten children were 
 born; and all ot these are living except Na- 
 
522 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 than Fisk Perry, who spent his life on the 
 farm where Miss Mary S. Perry now resides, 
 and where he died, past middle life, in 1888. 
 One of the sons of this family, David Brainerd 
 Perry, graduated from Yale in the class of 
 1863, subsequently tutored there, and in 1872 
 was ordained as a minister of the gospel. 
 Later he became professor of Latin in Doane 
 College, Crete, Neb., which was named for 
 his wife's father, and since 1881 has been 
 president of the college. Yale University in 
 1898 conferred on him the degree of Doctor of 
 Divinity. 
 
 Joseph Stone Perry completed his education 
 in the academy at Wilbraham. He has been 
 one of the most extensive dealers in land in 
 the city of Worcester, and has erected many 
 buildings. All the property he has amassed 
 has been from general and dairy farming in 
 connection with real estate transactions. He 
 laid out Harlem Street, Perry Avenue, and 
 other streets and avenues, making many miles, 
 for all of which he gave the land. For three 
 years he was Street Commissioner of Worcester. 
 He is a Republican in politics, and in 1885 
 was elected to a seat in the legislature, the 
 first Republican ever elected from this 
 strongly Democratic district. Since that 
 time only one other Republican candidate has 
 been returned. Mr. Perry has travelled ex- 
 tensively in the United States, visiting every 
 State except Texas, and has made two trips to 
 Europe, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, 
 Switzerland, and Austria. Mrs. Perry has 
 been abroad three times. The last time they 
 went, sailing on July i, 1897, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Perry were accompanied by their youngest 
 daughter. They sailed from New York on 
 the " VVerra " of the German Lloyd line, and 
 after being twelve days out touched at Gibral- 
 tar. Thence they went to Naples and later on 
 to Moscow, visiting there the places made fa- 
 mous by their connection with the great Na- 
 poleon. They remained until October. Mr. 
 Perry now owns here in his own estate about 
 forty acres, in the Goss and Tatman lot about 
 sixty acres, on the Thayer farm some twelve 
 acres and a half, and on the Stockwell farm 
 some thirty acres more. He has also wood- 
 land tracts of eighty and four acres in extent 
 
 and about eighty acres of pasture land. Be- 
 sides this he has in Auburn thirty acres of 
 the finest apple orchard in Massachusetts. 
 This was started in 1893, and now contains 
 nearly fourteen hundred trees. 
 
 In January, 1855, Mr. Perry was united in 
 marriage with Lucy Ann Day, of Ludlow, 
 Mass., who was born on April 8, 1835. Of 
 this union were born the following named 
 children: Adelle Esther, on October2i, 1856; 
 Alfred Dwight, on October 12, 1858; Helen 
 Day, on January 19, i860; Francis J., on May 
 14, 1863; Lucy Day, on October 14, 1865; 
 and Josephine, on June 6, 1874, now residing 
 with her parents. The first named of these is 
 the wife of Francis W. Grout, and has two sons. 
 Alfred married Luella J. Cleveland, of Barre. 
 Helen, who is the wife of Frank P. Johnson, 
 a civil engineer, is the mother of three sons. 
 Lucy married Franklin C. Green, who was 
 born in the Hawaiian Islands. She died in 
 Worcester on November 2, 1888, survived by 
 two sons. She was a woman of great charm of 
 manner, a lover of nature, and a fine horse- 
 woman. Francis J. died on October 10 in 
 the year of his birth. 
 
 Miss Mary S. Perry, sister of Mr. Joseph 
 S. Perry, resides at 124 Vernon Street, in the 
 house where she was born, on the estate that 
 was settled in 175 1 by her great-grandfather, 
 Nathan Perry. She is greatly attached to the 
 old place, and is interested in the family his- 
 tory. It is through her kindness that much of 
 the above information has been secured. 
 
 ONATHAN SMITH, an attorney-at-law 
 residing in Clinton, son of John and 
 Susan (Stearns) Smith, was born Octo- 
 ber 21, 1842. His birthplace was the 
 house built by his great-grandfather, Will- 
 iam Smith, on the old Smith homestead in 
 Peterboro, N. H. William was one of the pio- 
 neers of Peterboro, a member of the First 
 Provincial Congress of New Hampshire, that 
 met at Exeter in 1775, and one of those who 
 pledged their private property to su.stain the 
 Colonial cause against Great Britain. 
 
 Jonathan Smith, son of William and grand- 
 father of the present Jonathan, remained on 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 523 
 
 the old place, and spent his active life in culti- 
 vating the farm. He served in the capacities 
 of Deacon of the Unitarian church and Select- 
 man of the town for many j'ears. In politics 
 he was a Federalist and then a Whig, and he 
 represented his town in the legislature for 
 eleven years. He was eighty years of age at 
 the time of his death. His son, John, like 
 his ancestors, followed the occupation of 
 farmer. John died when seventy-eight years 
 of age, having been a Selectman of the town, 
 a Representative to General Court, and for 
 forty years a Deacon of the Unitarian church. 
 His wife, Susan, born in Waltham, Mass., 
 who died at the age of sixty, was a daughter of 
 John Stearns. Of the six children born to 
 her, four are living; namely, John, Jonathan, 
 Caroline, and Jeremiah. 
 
 Having lived in Peterboro until he was 
 eighteen years of age, the present Jonathan 
 Smith went to Keene, N. H., to learn the 
 printer's trade. In the summer of that year 
 he enlisted in the Sixth New Hampshire Vol- 
 unteers for three years, and shortly after went 
 to the front. After participating in several 
 hard-fought battles of the Civil War, he was 
 discharged in 1863 for disabilities caused by 
 sickness contracted in the service. In 1864 he 
 re-entered the army, joining the First New 
 Hampshire Cavalry, with which thereafter he 
 served until the close of the war. Return- 
 ing then to New Hampshire, he became a 
 pupil of New Hampton Institution, where he 
 fitted for Dartmouth College. Having gradu- 
 ated from Dartmouth in 1871, he taught for a 
 time in an academy at Lancaster, N.H., and 
 subsequently became editor of the Coos Repi^b- 
 lican. Later he began the study of law at 
 Manchester, and in 1875 was admitted to the 
 New Hampshire bar. He entered on the prac- 
 tice of his profession at Manchester, and re- 
 mained there until 1878. Then he came to 
 Clinton, where he has since resided ; and he is 
 now the oldest practising lawyer in the town. 
 
 Mr. Smith was married on December 13, 
 1876, to Miss Tirzah Dow, daughter of Levi 
 and Hannah (Drake) Dow and a native of 
 New Hampton, N.H., who died in 1881. By 
 this marriage there was one daughter, Susan 
 D, In 1886 Mr. Smith married Elizabeth C. 
 
 Stearns. A Republican in politics, he was 
 sent as Representative to the legislature on 
 the Republican ticket in 1886. For three 
 years he was City Solicitor of Manchester, and 
 in Clinton he was Town Solicitor for two years. 
 At present he is a special Justice of the Sec- 
 ond District Court. He is a Past Master of 
 Trinity Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Past High Priest 
 of the Clinton Chapter; Past Grand King of 
 the Grand Chapter of Massachusetts; and he 
 is the president of the twenty-five Associates. 
 Mr. Smith attends the Unitarian church, and 
 is president of the Unitarian society. Also 
 an active member of the Clinton Historical 
 Society, he has been connected with that body 
 since its organization. 
 
 ENRY AUGUSTUS HARRING- 
 TON, who resides upon a productive 
 farm in Worcester, was born in the 
 house he now occupies, September 
 8, 1846, son of Captain Benjamin and Lu- 
 cretia (Flagg) Harrington, His first ancestor 
 in Worcester was Francis Harrington, who 
 came from Watertown and acquired four hun-. 
 dred acres of wild land, a portion of which he 
 cleared for agricultural purposes. Nathaniel 
 Harrington, son of Francis and the great- 
 grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a 
 Revolutionary soldier. He inherited the prop- 
 erty, which at his death was divided between 
 his two sons, Francis and Jonathan. Jonathan 
 Harrington, the grandfather, born October 31, 
 1779, was a successful farmer, and resided 
 here until his death, which occurred May 4, 
 1858. He married Mary, daughter of Captain 
 Benjamin Flagg. Their only child was Ben- 
 jamin Harrington. The mother lived to be 
 eighty-eight years old. 
 
 Benjamin Harrington was born April 5, 
 1805. Like his predecessors, he tilled the soil 
 energetically, made a specialty of dairy farm- 
 ing, and established a milk route, which is 
 still owned in the family. He served as a 
 Captain in the State militia. On March 18, 
 1835, he married Lucretia Flagg, who was 
 born in Worcester in 1805, daughter of Abel 
 Flagg. She had five children, namely: Mary 
 Elizabeth, born in 1836, who is the wife of 
 
524 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Samuel G. Curtis, of this city; Benjamin F. 
 Harrington, an account of whom will be found 
 elsewhere in the Review; Hannah, who died 
 at the age of two years and six months; Henry 
 Augustus, the subject of this sketch; and 
 Sarah Amelia, who married Gonzalo E. Buxton, 
 M. D., a prominent physician of Providence, 
 R. I., and has two sons. The father died Au- 
 gust 13, 1873, and the mother in 1891. 
 
 Henry Augustus Harrington acquired his 
 elementary education in the old red school- 
 house which formerly stood on Plantation 
 Street, and subsequently attended the Worces- 
 ter Academy. Succeeding to a portion of his 
 father's property, including the residence, he 
 has since devoted his energies to general farm- 
 ing, dairying, and the raising of small fruits. 
 He keeps about thirty head of cattle — full- 
 blooded Jerseys and grades, and all bred upon 
 his farm — and milks from twenty-two to 
 twenty-eight cows. In politics he is a Repub- 
 lican, and he has served as Overseer of the 
 Poor for nine years. 
 
 On October 15, 1872, Mr. Harrington was 
 united in marriage with Delia Maria Griggs, a 
 native of Grafton and a resident of Worcester. 
 She is a daughter of Salem and Maria (Cleve- 
 land) Griggs, the former of whom is a retired 
 tanner, and now resides with his wife at 7 Ox- 
 ford Street, this city. Of their eight chil- 
 dren, four are living, namely: Delia Maria, 
 who is a graduate of the Worcester Academy, 
 and was married at the age of twenty-two ; 
 Alice E., now the wife of Lucius E. Eldridge, 
 of Worcester; Gertrude, a retired school 
 teacher of this city; and Carrie E., the wife 
 of John B. Scott, a well-known lawyer of 
 Worcester. The others were : John Griggs, a 
 graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic School, 
 who became the superintendent of a mill in 
 Pittsburg, Pa., and died at the age of twenty- 
 two years; George, who was superintendent 
 of Lapham's Mill in Millbury; Emma, who 
 died at the age of fifty-one years ; and Mar- 
 garet, who died at the age of twenty-eight. 
 
 With the exception of the time spent in a 
 hunting trip to the Indian Territory in 1883, 
 Mr. Harrington since reaching manhood has 
 been exclusively occupied in agriculture. 
 One of the best-known farmers in this local- 
 
 ity, he is highly esteemed for his many fine 
 qualities. Both he and Mrs. Harrington are 
 members of the Union Congregational Church. 
 
 was 
 
 OHN MILTON DANIELS, a retired 
 cotton manufacturer, residing at 125 
 Piedmont Street, Worcester, son of 
 Adolphus and Alsey (Fowler) Daniels, 
 
 born in the town of Uxbridge, Mass., 
 April 10, 1813. His paternal great-grand- 
 father was David Daniels, and the paternal 
 grandparents were Darius and Ruth (Aldrich) 
 Daniels. The latter was a native of Ux- 
 bridge. Darius died from the results of a fall 
 in 1825, aged ninety-two; and he was buried 
 in the cemetery between Uxbridge and Men- 
 don, which was given by the Aldriches. He 
 and Ruth were the parents of eleven children, 
 of whom nine grew to maturity. Of that 
 number, Nathaniel, who was a wealthy farmer, 
 became an octogenarian ; and Joseph, who was 
 also a large farmer, lived to a good age. 
 
 Adolphus Daniels, born October i, 1778, at 
 Mendon, Mass., was a farmer in good circum- 
 stances in the town of Uxbridge up to 1824. 
 Then he sold out and removed to another farm 
 in Mendon, where he continued to follow agri- 
 culture. His wife, Alsey, born in Smithfield, 
 R.I. , January 12, 1785, was a daughter of 
 Ezekian Fowler, who was born in 1754, son of 
 Samuel Fowler. Adolphus and Alsey Daniels 
 were the parents of eleven children, of whom 
 John and Sarah died in childhood. All the 
 others reached maturity; namely, David, Har- 
 riet, Urania, John Milton, Ezekiel, Sarah S., 
 Ruth, Horace, and Royal. David, born in 
 1804, who died May 17, 1847, was a Judge in 
 Rhode Island. Harriet, born April 4, 1810, 
 who died in Providence, R.I., at the age of 
 eighty-six years and six months, was the wife 
 of Isaac Fowler, and left two children. 
 Urania was born August 27, 181 1; and Eze- 
 kiel on December 20, 18 14. Sarah S., born 
 in 1817, died in 1838. Ruth, born in 1819, 
 is the wife of William P. Clemence. Hor- 
 ace, born in 1821, is a large farmer in Paxton; 
 and Royal, born in 1823, died in 1855. 
 
 At the age of twenty John Milton Daniels 
 left the home farm and went to work in a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 525 
 
 woollen-mill at Waterford with his cousin, 
 Welcome Farnum. fie was subsequently en- 
 gaged in the cotton manufacturing business at 
 Branch Village, in the firm of Moore & 
 Daniels, until 1854, a period of eight years, 
 when Mr. Daniels sold out and came to 
 Worcester. Subsequently for fifteen thousand 
 dollars he purchased of George M. Rice four- 
 teen acres of land and an excellent water-power 
 at Northville, and thereon established a cotton 
 factory, which he conducted from 1863 to 
 1885. For about half of that time his sons 
 were in partnership with him, and the firm 
 name was Daniels & Sons. He has since 
 lived retired in the residence which he has oc- 
 cupied since 1858. 
 
 The first of his three marriages was con- 
 tracted in 1837 with Alsada Smith, who died 
 at the age of thirty-five. She was the mother 
 of three sons and two daughters. The daugh- 
 ters died in childhood. The sons were : Byron, 
 Pliny M., and David M. Byron was a soldier 
 in the Civil War, and died at the age 
 of thirty-three, of consumption, brought on 
 by the exposure of army life. He left three 
 sons and a daughter. Pliny M., a grocer in 
 Worcester, married and has one son. David 
 M., who also served in the Civil War, was 
 wounded at Antietam, and died of con- 
 sumption when twenty-eight years of age, 
 leaving one son. Mr. Daniels's second mar- 
 riage was made with Amanda S. Smith, a sis- 
 ter of his first wife. She died September 8, 
 1862. On May 23, 1864, by the third mar- 
 riage he was wedded to Mary L. Whitney, of 
 Newton,- Mass. , who was born November 25, 
 1839, daughter of Leonard and Abby E. (Day) 
 Whitney. She traces her ancestry to one of 
 three brothers who came from England in the 
 early days and settled in Watertown, Mass. 
 Her father, who was born in South Orange, 
 Mass., September 12, 181 1, died June 4, 
 1883; and her mother, who was born Decem- 
 ber 2, 1816, died in 1877, ^ged sixty-one. 
 Both were buried in Hope Cemetery. Mr. 
 Whitney was a piano-maker by trade. Begin- 
 ning without capital, he acquired a fortune 
 estimated at thirty thousand dollars. His 
 father, who served in the War of 181 2, died 
 soon after, leaving to him the care of his 
 
 mother and five other children. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Daniels have two children — Ella E. and 
 George Milton. Ella E. , born September 29, 
 1865, married Alfred G. Wesson, June i, 
 1887, and has two sons, aged nine and seven 
 years respectively. George Milton Daniels, 
 born December 10, 1869, is a piano tuner and 
 a pianist of ability. On August i, 1896, he 
 married Georgia L. Bierly, who died July 31, 
 1898. 
 
 "Cdu/lLLIAM WILLARD, of Sturbridge, 
 Vfol/ who ranks among American artists 
 •^ "^ of distinction, was born in Stur- 
 
 bridge on March 24, 1819, his parents being 
 Seth and Susan (Fay) Willard. His father, 
 who was born in Charlton in 1772, died on 
 July 20, 1843; and his mother was born in 
 1782 and died in 1879. 
 
 Seth Willard, after obtaining his education 
 in the public schools in his native town, 
 learned the trade of machinist. In 1812 he 
 came to Sturbridge and took charge of the 
 Genera] Timothy Newell estate. In politics 
 he was an old-time Whig. His wife, in 
 maidenhood Susan Fay, of Charlton, was the 
 mother of the following named children : 
 Susan, Jerome, Estes, Andrews, Fitzroy, 
 William, and George. 
 
 At the age of fourteen William Willard 
 went to Worcester, and there learned the 
 watch-maker's trade with Daniel Goddard & 
 Co., who were the first to engage in the manu- 
 facture of watches in that city. But his artis- 
 tic temperament and his power of expression 
 were not satisfied with purely mechanical 
 effort, and after he had served his apprentice- 
 ship he went to Boston and secured an engage- 
 ment in the old Warren Theatre to play minor 
 parts. During the acts, at the intervals be- 
 tween the scenes, while the scenery and stag- 
 ing were being arranged, it was his duty to go 
 before the curtain and amuse the audience by 
 singing and dancing. In those days the actor 
 was under a sort of social ostracism, and the 
 profession was not a lucrative one. Mr. Will- 
 ard gave it up after a short time, learned the 
 process of manufacturing silk hats, and in 
 1837 started in business for himself in Cam- 
 
526 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bridge as a hatter. He remained there until 
 1846, when he renounced trade and opened an 
 artist's studio in the old Tremont Temple 
 building in Boston. Here some of his best 
 work was done. In 1850, despite the opposi- 
 tion of P. T. Barnum, the famous showman, 
 he painted a portrait of Jenny Lind, which 
 was considered by the great singer as the best 
 likeness she ever had painted. It was placed 
 on exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts, of 
 which Mr. Willard was at the time a director. 
 
 From 1884 to 1887 Mr. Willard was profes- 
 sor of portraiture in the New England Con- 
 servatory of Fine Arts. In 1865 he painted 
 his portrait of Charles Sumner, which is now 
 hanging on the walls of the Boston Art Mu- 
 seum. Mr. Sumner sat for the picture, and 
 expressed himself as well pleased with the re- 
 sult. Mr. Willard has frequently written on 
 art topics, and has contributed critical and 
 other essays to the various art magazines and 
 to the columns of the daily press. In 1867 he 
 took up his residence permanently in Stur- 
 bridge, purchasing the General Newell estate. 
 His studio here is adorned with many fine 
 paintings of celebrated personages, among 
 them being a portrait of Baniel Webster, who 
 was one of the artist's favorite subjects. A 
 later work, which, when placed on exhibition, 
 won high encomiums from Boston art critics, 
 was the " portrait of a woman in the complete 
 bloom of health and play of spirit, full of re- 
 sources for the best exercise of art and of per- 
 plexities which offer it a challenge," all well 
 met by the artist, whose crowning work it was 
 considered at that date, being "a complete, 
 carefully studied picture, such as the masters 
 delighted to paint." 
 
 Mr. Willard has been much interested of 
 recent years in making experiments in artistic 
 posing for photographic purposes and in de- 
 veloping photography which has correct values 
 and artistically blended light and shade 
 effects. A number of prominent Worcester 
 gentlemen have given him sittings, and un- 
 commonly fine portraits have been the result, 
 these productions resembling photographs of 
 perfectly drawn and correctly colored oil paint- 
 ings. The first step in Mr. Willard's method 
 js to arrange the light. The subject is placed 
 
 so that a strong light strikes his head from a 
 window seven or eight feet above, the rays 
 pouring over the right shoulder and bringing 
 out the high light on the forehead. No other 
 strong light is allowed. Mr. Willard then 
 studies the atmosphere, and observes, with the 
 trained eye of an artist, whether it is warm or 
 cold. If it be cold, as on a perfectly bright 
 day, a warm gray is reflected on the subject's 
 face; if there is an unnatural warmth, a cold 
 light is given, by a white screen, for instance. 
 The background is arranged the same as for a 
 portrait in oils — dark, of warm grays, and in 
 places mingling with the darker shades of the 
 portrait. If the likeness be that of a man, his 
 coat is not conspicuous. There is no real 
 black and no real white, not even the linen. 
 Grays pervade in infinite variety. Thus every 
 characteristic of the painting is retained. The 
 plate is exposed a little longer than is neces- 
 sary to secure the ordinary photograph taken 
 in a strong light. The photographs when 
 finished are always unpolished, the dead sur- 
 face being highly effective. When these por- 
 traits are placed side by side with those of the 
 works of the great painters, the similarity in 
 effect is strikingly exact. Mr. Willard has 
 managed to produce the same effect from life 
 that the camera produces from a masterpiece 
 of the painter's art. This is certainly an 
 achievement, for it proves that the subject is 
 pictured with all the tints of flesh, hair, and 
 dress. The correct values remain; and conse- 
 quently the reflections and inflections are de- 
 lineated, giving that quality to the portrait 
 which makes it stand out and brings out the 
 character of the subject. It is, of course, im- 
 possible for the ordinary photographer to pro- 
 duce works like these. It requires the trained 
 eye of an artist who understands the relations 
 of tones and atmospheres. 
 
 Mr. Willard was married on June 16, 1838, 
 to Charlotte Dean, of Birmingham, England. 
 Mrs. Willard died on December 13, 1894. 
 She had been the mother of seven children, as 
 follows: Albert Henry, who was born on Au- 
 gust 23, 1839, and died on February 3, 1858; 
 Susan Fay, who was born on October 16, 
 1840, and died on December 19, 1885; Eliza- 
 beth, who was born pn December 33, iH2, 
 
HENRY F. RICE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 529 
 
 and died on August 11, 1847; Laura L. Rich- 
 ardson, who was born on December 17, 1844, 
 and died on September 2, 1879; Seth Webs- 
 ter, who was born on November 29, 1846, and 
 died on April 29, 1869; Annie E. Bryden, 
 who was born on August 10, 1850; and Char- 
 lotte M., who was born on July 3, 1859. 
 
 In political views Mr. Willard is a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 uary 29, 
 phronia 
 
 'ENRY F. RICE, of Sutton, a promi- 
 nent manufacturer, an ex-member of 
 the legislature, and a Civil War 
 veteran, was born in this town, Jan- 
 1844. A son of Hosea and So- 
 (Barton) Rice and a grandson of 
 Noah Rice, he is descended from Edmund 
 Rice, a native of Berkhamstead, England, 
 who settled at Sudbury, Mass., in 1639. 
 Having been educated in the public schools 
 of his native town, he was employed as a 
 farm assistant until he was seventeen years 
 old. Then he enlisted in Company E, Fifty- 
 first Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer In- 
 fantry. At the expiration of its term of ser- 
 vice the regiment voted unanimously to remain 
 another month, after which it was finally dis- 
 charged July 27, 1863. On August 30, 1864, 
 Mr. Rice re-enlistfed in Company F, First Bat- 
 talion, Heavy Artillery, and subsequently did 
 garrison duty at Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, 
 until mustered out on June 25, 1865. Upon 
 his return to Sutton he worked for a while in 
 the shuttle shop of E. S. Marble, and for the 
 succeeding fifteen years he was employed in 
 the manufacture of shuttles at the Crompton 
 Loom Works, Worcester. After this, con- 
 tinuing in Sutton, he engaged in the manu- 
 facture of dobby chain, an important factor 
 in the weaving of cotton fabrics. In 1883 he 
 patented an improvement on the pegs used in 
 these chains, which is regarded by factory 
 experts as a valuable invention. 
 
 In politics Mr. Rice is a Republican. He 
 served as a Selectman in 1880, 1891, and 
 1892, was an Assessor for seven years, and- 
 at the present time is the Town Treasurer 
 and Collector. A Representative in the leg- 
 islature of 1895, he was assigned to the 
 
 Committee on Game and Fisheries, and ap- 
 pointed from the House a member of the Mas- 
 sachusetts delegation to attend the dedication 
 of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National 
 Military Park on September 19 and 20, 1895. 
 He married Abbie A. King, a daughter of 
 Putnam and Jerusha (Davis) King. They 
 have one daughter — Alice Julia, born May 
 14, 1884. Made, a Mason in Olive Branch 
 Lodge, Millbury, Mr. Rice is a member of 
 Tyrian Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; of 
 Worcester County Commandery, Knights 
 Templar; of the Massachusetts Consistory, 
 thirty-second degree; and Aleppo Temple of 
 the Mystic Shrine, Boston. Also he belongs 
 to Sutton Grange, No. 109, Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry; and he is a comrade of George A. 
 Custer Post, No. 70, G. A. R., of Millbury. 
 He is a member of the First Congregational 
 Church, and for fifteen years was the treasurer 
 and collector of that society. 
 
 SThe 
 
 HE CLINTON DAILY "ITEM," the 
 * I first daily paper established in Clinton, 
 made its appearance July 17, 1893. 
 From the start it met with a hearty support 
 both from the advertisers of the vicinity and 
 the newspaper reading public in general. Its 
 constant aim has been to present to its clien- 
 tele a daily of essentially a home nature, and 
 the managers feel that in this respect it has 
 been unusually successful. That a daily paper 
 was wanted at the time its sponsors put it 
 forth cannot at this time be doubted. It ap- 
 peared at a time when every industry in the 
 country was under the spell of hard times, but 
 despite this fact it continued to grow from day 
 to day in value as an advertising medium. It 
 has loeen enlarged several times during the 
 four years of its existence, and the circulation 
 of the first year has at this time (1898) been 
 more than trebled. It goes into the homes of 
 the best classes of people in Clinton, Lancas- 
 ter, and the suburban towns, six days of every 
 week; and it is not saying too much that in 
 the majority of these homes no paper is read 
 with more avidity than is the /A-w. Typo- 
 graphically it is unexcelled by any country 
 
53° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 daily. Its proprietor is nothing if not up 
 to date; and the press-room from which it 
 goes out cannot be equalled in Massachusetts, 
 when the location and the size of the place are 
 considered. It is printed from a modern Bab- 
 cock press. It holds a high position among 
 the dailies of the Bay State. In politics it is 
 independent. Fearless to expose the weak- 
 nesses of the various parties, always eager to 
 praise all that is praiseworthy, constant in 
 espousing the cause of all that is right for the 
 benefit of the community it serves, it has at- 
 tained a hold upon the people that is remark- 
 able. It is a daily mirror of the life of busy 
 Clinton, and no home is complete without the 
 Item. 
 
 Its manager is Clarence C. Coulter, only 
 son of William J. Coulter, the proprietor of 
 the Clinton Cotirant (weekly), which is issued 
 from the same office. Manager Coulter was 
 born in Clinton, and has spent his entire life 
 here. He is a graduate of the Clinton High 
 School, and is prominently identified with 
 the social and business life of the town. He 
 was the first Captain of the local camp of the 
 Sons of Veterans. He is a Mason, and be- 
 longs to a large number of organizations and 
 societies, holding important elective positions 
 in many of them. 
 
 Wellington E. Parkhurst, the editor of the 
 Item, was born in Framingham, Mass. He 
 is a brother of the celebrated New York 
 divine, the Rev. Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst. 
 For more than thirty-three years Mr. Parkhurst 
 acted as editor of the Courant ; and his marked 
 ability, tact, and knowledge of men and things 
 stamp him as one of the leading editors of 
 the Bay State. Probably no weekly paper has 
 been so widely quoted as the Courant., and the 
 same is now true of the Item as a daily. Mr. 
 Parkhurst has faithfully served his townsmen 
 and the citizens of the community where he 
 has lived for many years. He was honored 
 with four successive nominations and elections 
 to the State legislature, where he showed the 
 same characteristic force in dealing with the 
 affairs of government that he has always mani- 
 fested in his editorial and reportorial work, 
 serving as House chairman of the joint com- 
 mittee? on 'Educatipn and Public Charities, 
 
 He has travelled extensively, and his acquaint- 
 ance is one that extends beyond the border of 
 the Bay State. In politics he is a Republican, 
 and his interest in the schools of the town has 
 been recognized by many successive elections 
 to the School Committee. He has also held 
 many other town oflfices. In 1897 Governor 
 Wolcott appointed him a member of the Board 
 of Trustees of the State Hospital for Con- 
 sumptives, at Rutland. 
 
 OHN L. DAVENPORT, a representa-. 
 five citizen of Mendon, was born in 
 this town on September 30, 1839, son 
 of Seth Tallman and Adaline A. 
 (Barber) Davenport. He belongs to a family 
 that has been identified with the growth and 
 prosperity of Mendon more than a hundred 
 and fifty years, a direct ancestor, Samuel 
 Davenport, having settled here, says a care- 
 ful historian, "between 1745 and 1750." 
 
 From a brief genealogical record we learn 
 that Samuel Davenport was born in Dorches- 
 ter, Mass., October 20, 1697, that he was a 
 son of John Davenport and grandson of 
 Thomas Davenport, immigrant, who became a 
 member of the church in Dorchester in 1640. 
 Samuel Davenport married Rebecca Hoi- 
 brook. She was born on February 9, 1699, 
 and died on September 25, 1777. He died on 
 June 29, 1773. 
 
 Seth Davenport, youngest son of Samuel 
 and Rebecca, born November 2, 1739, '" Mil- 
 ton, Mass., came with his parents to Mendon, 
 here grew to manhood, married, and reared a 
 family. He became the owner of a very large 
 tract of land, which embraced meadow, field, 
 and timber land, and extended from Mendon 
 Centre nearly two miles to the northward, 
 and for more than a mile to the eastward. 
 The house now occupied by Mrs. Adaline A. 
 Davenport was built by him in 1793. He 
 died on March 28, 1813. His wife's maiden 
 name was Chloe Daniels. 
 
 Their son, Seth, Jr., grandfather of John L. 
 Davenport, was born on June 13, 1775, and 
 died on April 28, 1843. He succeeded to 
 the parental estate, was a most enterprising 
 farmer, and accounted as one of the we^jthjegt 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 531 
 
 men in this part of the Commonwealth. He 
 was among the first to engage in fruit-raising 
 in this vicinity, and was the first to introduce 
 here the Rhode Island greening apple, of 
 which variety alone he sold on the place 
 twelve hundred bushels at a dollar a bushel. 
 They were carted to Boston by ox teams and 
 marketed. He married November 19, 1797, 
 Betsy Godfrey, who was born May 19, 1779, 
 daughter of Colonel Benjamin and Bethiah 
 (Gibbs) Godfrey, and who died October 29, 
 1854. To each of his four sons that grew to 
 maturity and married he gave a large farm, 
 and built for each a substantial house. A 
 large part of the original property is still 
 owned in the family. The wife (now de- 
 ceased) of ex-Governor Claflin was a daugh- 
 ter of Samuel D. Davenport, third son of Seth 
 Davenport, Jr. 
 
 Seth Tallman Davenport, youngest son of 
 Seth, Jr., was born on September 18, 1818, 
 and died on April 28, 1858. He married in 
 1838 Adaline Adams Barber, daughter of John 
 and Mary (Davenport) Barber. She was born 
 on August 27, 1820, and is now living at the 
 old homestead at the age of seventy-eight. 
 Her father's death in middle life was caused 
 by an accident. Her mother lived to the age 
 of eighty-four. Seth T. Davenport was a man 
 of great energy and ambition and a tireless 
 worker. On coming into possession of the 
 estate he made many improvements, removing 
 several of the barns, and building new ones 
 which were modern, spacious, thoroughly 
 equipped, and constructed in a most substan- 
 tial manner, of timber cut and hewn on the 
 premises. Of his children, three sons are 
 living — John Louis, Austin Dwight, and 
 Marshall Eugene. 
 
 Austin Dwight Davenport, born February 
 24, 1.842, who lives at the old homestead and 
 manages the farm, is at present a dealer in 
 milch cows, and operator of a cider-mill, the 
 product of which is refined and shipped to 
 California. For many years he was engaged 
 in dealing in horses, bringing them by car- 
 loads from Canada, New York, and Vermont, 
 and disposing of them here. He married for 
 his first wife Delia W. Taft, who died on 
 January 20, 1872, haying been the mother pf 
 
 three children: Adeline A., who resides with 
 her father; Mary L. and Delia W., who died 
 in infancy. To him and his second wife, 
 formerly Sarah M. Pearson, of Bangor, Me., 
 have been born four sons — Austin Dwight, 
 Jr., Ora P., Frederick Allen, and Benjamin 
 Jourdan. Marshall Eugene Davenport also 
 resides at the homestead. He is a pattern- 
 maker by trade. 
 
 John Louis Davenport, after attending a 
 private school at Framingham taught by the 
 late Dr. James VV. Brown, in 1855 and 1856 
 was a student at Leicester Academy. In 
 1857 he went to Iowa, where he engaged in 
 business as a carpenter and contractor. At 
 the end of a year he was summoned home by 
 the illness of his father. After his father's 
 death he managed the farm for four years. 
 Then he entered the employ of the Draper 
 Company in Hopedale, and for twenty-one 
 years was in charge of the wood work of the 
 concern. During that time he had the over- 
 sight of rebuilding the dam, of putting in the 
 huge new engines, and of arranging the shaft- 
 ing in the main shops. He resigned his posi- 
 tion in 1892, and has since devoted his atten- 
 tion mainly to farming, though he has taken 
 occasional contracts as builder. At the time 
 the Mendon school-house was rebuilt, he was 
 chairman of the committee having the matter 
 in charge. 
 
 For five years Mr. Davenport has been local 
 representative of the New England Homestead, 
 and from time to time has contributed to that 
 paper practical articles on agriculture, econ- 
 omy in the construction of farm buildings, and 
 kindred topics. Fraternally, he is a member 
 of Montgomery Lodge, F. & A. M., of Mil- 
 ford; of Mount Lebanon Chapter, R. A. M. ; 
 and of Milford Commandery, K. T. 
 
 Mr. Davenport married for his first wife 
 Charlotte A. Taft, for his second Charlotte A. 
 Garfield, and for his third Mrs. Myra A. 
 Moffit, a native of Hebron, Me., and descend- 
 ant of old pioneer stock, being a daughter of 
 Levi and Eliza (Bucknam) Maxim. By the 
 first marriage there were three sons: Samuel 
 D., who has been for twenty years in the boot 
 and shoe business; George G. , who died at 
 eleven years of ?ge; and Johp Louis Paven* 
 
532 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 port, Jr., who for eighteen years has been 
 head salesman in the great millinery house of 
 Gage Brothers & Co., Chicago. Samuel D. 
 married Annie Johnson, and has three children 
 — George Luther, Samuel Dwight, Jr., and 
 Mary. John L., Jr., married Louisa Dryden, 
 of Monmouth, 111., and has one son, John 
 Dryden Davenport. By his second marriage 
 Mr. Davenport had three daughters, namely : 
 Charlotte Taft, who is the wife of Theodore 
 Smith, of Grafton; Estelle Elizabeth, who is 
 a stenographer in Chicago; and Medora Au- 
 gusta, who has travelled extensively, and has 
 contributed interesting letters to the Milford 
 Journal. She was recently married to B. L. 
 Pinney, of Woodstock, Vt. To Mr. Davenport 
 and his third wife have been born two sons — 
 Marshall Ernest and George Godfrey. 
 
 LIHU WARNER MOFFITT, a well- 
 known and respected citizen of Stur- 
 bridge, residing at Fiskdale, was 
 born in Pomfret, Conn., October 8, 1821, son 
 of Eaber and Lucy (Warner) Mofifitt. His 
 father followed the old-time occupation of an 
 itinerant shoemaker. It was then the custom 
 for country people, especially farmers, to send 
 the hides of the stock killed on the farm to 
 the local tanner, who turned them into leather. 
 This was laid aside to await the arrival of 
 the shoemaker, who in due time came with 
 his kit of tools and made it up into shoes for 
 the family, prolonging his stay for a number 
 of days, or until the leather had all been used 
 and all the members of the family provided 
 with substantial footwear for a year or more to 
 come. In this way Eaber Moffitt visited many 
 towns in Connecticut and elsewhere, including 
 Killingly, where he resided for a time, and 
 Pomfret, where he farmed a while for Eben- 
 ezer Thompson, and made a wide circle of ac- 
 quaintances. He died at the age of sixty-nine 
 years. Politically, he was a member of the 
 old Whig party, and his religious opinions 
 were liberal. His wife, Lucy, who lived to 
 the advanced age of ninety-one years, was a 
 worthy helpmeet to him. Such was her 
 strength of constitution that within six months 
 of her death she planted a half-acre of pota- 
 
 toes. She was a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church for fifty years. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Eaber Moffitt had nine children, of whom 
 the following is a brief record : Harriet, who was 
 twice married, first to Otis Allen and second 
 to Ezias Pray, and now resides with her hus- 
 band at Gloucester, R.I. ; Elihu W., whose 
 name begins this sketch; William Alexander, 
 who is a resident of Woodstock, Conn. ; Elea- 
 nor Maria, who became the wife of Lyman 
 Brown, both being now deceased; Susan Jane, 
 who was twice married, and is now deceased; 
 Lorenzo Richmond, who is engaged as a sraajj 
 farmer in bis native town of Killingly; Eaber, 
 who was born in Slatersville, R.I. , and now 
 resides in Connecticut, where he follows 
 farming; Leonard, who died about 1862; and 
 Torrent, unmarried, who met his death by ac- 
 cident at sea. 
 
 Elihu W. Moffitt entered the ranks of the 
 vast army of industry at an age when most 
 boys bad scarcely begun their school studies. 
 When but eight years old he found employ- 
 ment in a cotton-mill at Blackstone, and in 
 course of time he became an expert operative. 
 He worked subsequently at his trade in various 
 places, including Oxbridge, Mass., and 
 Slatersville, R.I., to which latter place his 
 family removed. During one winter he at- 
 tended school. When about fourteen years 
 of age he was given practical charge of one 
 department of the mill in which he was then 
 employed, a fact bearing testimony to the con- 
 fidence of his employers in his skill and tru.st- 
 worthiness. Coming to Fiskdale in 1844, he 
 worked in a factory here for over twenty years, 
 or until 1867. In the following year he pur- 
 chased twelve acres of land in this town, 
 which he divided into several lots. On two or 
 three of these he raises vegetables and market 
 produce, and the others he devotes to pastur- 
 age. Though not a man of wide means, he 
 possesses enough for the necessaries and many 
 of the comforts of life. Formerly a Whig 
 and now a Republican in politics, he has 
 served the town in various official capacities, 
 in all of which he has displayed a praiseworthy 
 activity guided by sound sense. He was Town 
 Surveyor for four years, later served some time 
 as Superintendent of Streets, and he was three 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S33 
 
 years on the Board of Selectmen. For eigh- 
 teen years he was Secretary and Treasurer of 
 the Cemetery Committee, during which time 
 he was chiefly instrumental in accomplishing 
 some important improvements. He has been 
 gate-keeper for twenty-two years of the 
 Worcester South Agricultural Society, a post 
 requiring the exercise of patience, firmness, 
 and sound judgment, and which he has but 
 lately decided to resign. During his fifty-five 
 years' residence in the town of Sturbridge he 
 has seen many changes. But few of the 
 friends and companions of his youth now re- 
 main. New methods of work and living have 
 taken the place of the old ones; but, through 
 all and in spite of all, Mr. Moffitt has kept 
 well abreast of the times, performing his part 
 in a manly way, not to be excelled by the 
 younger generation. His seventy-seven years 
 sit lightly upon him, and both from his appear- 
 ance and conversation he would readily be 
 taken for a much younger man. Like his 
 father, he inclines to liberality in his religious 
 opinions. 
 
 Mr. Moflfitt has been twice married. His 
 first wife, whose maiden name was Lurenzo 
 Lurilla Glazier, and who was a native of Mas- 
 sachusetts, died on September 20, 1870. His 
 second wife, Nancy Perry Glazier, a sister of 
 his first wife, died April 29 of the present 
 year, 1898. Both were Unitarians in religion, 
 belonging to the church in Sturbridge. Mr. 
 Moffitt has had no children by either marriage. 
 
 rmo 
 
 EORGE T. AITCHISON, inventor 
 \ i) I and builder of vehicles, long a resi- 
 dent of Worcester, is eminently a 
 self-made man. He began life with little or 
 no school education, and by force of his native 
 genius was on his way unaided to the head of 
 his business in a community of some two hun- 
 dred thousand inhabitants. He is almost the 
 only representative of his family in this coun- 
 try who has not lost the identity or permitted 
 the family name to be confounded. The 
 Aitchisons have been one of the oldest and 
 leading families in certain parts of Scotland 
 for untold generations, dating back before the 
 
 time when Scotland was an independent coun- 
 try, its people divided into clans, each of 
 which was governed by a chief. The ances- 
 tral history reads like a romance by Sir Walter 
 Scott, filled as it is with deeds of martial 
 prowess, chivalry, and adventure. 
 
 Mr. Aitchison's parents were William H. 
 and Harriet Thwaite Aitchison, the former a 
 native of Glasgow, Scotland, and the latter of 
 Leeds, England. They came to America 
 about 1824, settling in Sing Sing, N.Y., 
 where the father spent a long life as a mer- 
 chant tailor of ability, being eighty-eight 
 years old when he died. The mother attained 
 the same age. They had five sons and four 
 daughters. Alfred, the youngest-born, died 
 at the age of twenty-two years. Seven of the 
 family are now living (December i, 1898). 
 
 George T. , the fifth child, was born at Sing 
 Sing, July 5, 1827. He attended the schools 
 of the town until he was fourteen years of age, 
 when he was sent to Peru, 111., to become a 
 civil engineer under Colonel Burnett, United 
 States army, who surveyed the canal from 
 Chicago to Peru along the Illinois River. 
 Chicago was then a village with no railroads. 
 Nearly nine hundred miles of the thirty days' 
 journey to Peru was by stage, the farthest 
 point west possible to reach by rail at that 
 time being Harrisburg, Pa. In Illinois young 
 Aitchison began to develop those traits of self- 
 reliance and independence which have since 
 been strong features in his character. He saw 
 much of the world, and unconsciously absorbed 
 and acquired a knowledge of affairs beyond 
 the usual ken of a lad of his years. He 
 learned an implicit obedience and faithfulness 
 in performing the tasks allotted to him. 
 
 Returning East, he employed his time in 
 various ways until he was eighteen, when 
 he became apprenticed to a carriage and stage 
 builder in Newark, N.J. The term of his 
 indenture was three years, and he was to re- 
 ceive twenty-five dollars a year with board. 
 Abiding by the conditions of long hours and 
 hard labor, he persevered, and in a few months 
 was given piece work, which was usually ex- 
 ecuted by men many years his elders. He de- 
 voted himself assiduously to the work, exhibit- 
 ing a sense of nicety and exactness united with 
 
534 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rapidity of execution which caused his em- 
 ployer often to remark that the boy earned 
 more money than any man in the shop. 
 
 In 1848 he came to Worcester, and worked 
 at his trade for one of the men who had for- 
 merly been at Newark. The business was lo- 
 cated on School Street, on the very spot Mr. 
 Aitchison now owns and where he conducts his 
 present large establishment. 
 
 Five years later, having mastered the art of 
 building vehicles, he had the courage and cap- 
 ital to start for himself a similar business on 
 Canal Street, Worcester. There he prospered 
 from the start, being eminently successful in 
 making light carriages, whose beauty of design 
 and thoroughness in building served to offset 
 the severe effects of competition. 
 
 About i860 he was able to buy out the busi- 
 ness of his former employer on School Street. 
 This gave him the opportunity he had long 
 sought. He immediately gave exercise to his 
 progressive tendencies, and placed the business 
 upon a broader basis, extending his trade and 
 engaging in the manufacture of vehicles of the 
 highest order of construction. Thoroughness 
 of workmanship to the smallest detail is char- 
 acteristic of the man, and to this day he will 
 not permit a poorly made vehicle of any sort to 
 be sent from his shop. Steadily and safely 
 the business increased many times in volume. 
 His reputation became wider and wider. He 
 built all styles of wagons, carts, carriages, 
 buggies, sleighs, and busses. He designed 
 and built the first top-sleigh ever constructed 
 in this region. The original designs thereof 
 were so graceful and attractive that they were 
 copied at large throughout the country. All 
 parts of vehicles are built complete upon Mr. 
 Aitchison's premises, and leave his shops 
 ready for instant use. 
 
 Mr. Aitchison was one of the original in- 
 ventors and builders of street water carts in 
 the United States. His first street sprinkler 
 was conceived and built about i860, and he 
 has watered the streets of Worcester since that 
 time. The Aitchison street sprinklers have 
 been copied and adopted all over the country. 
 Many improvements to them have been in- 
 vented by Mr. Aitchison, which have resulted 
 in his building large numbers of these carts 
 
 for use in other cities. In 1895 he perfected 
 the most important invention that has ever 
 been designed for application to horse-drawn 
 sprinklers. This invention consists of a dis- 
 tributer of the water, which, replacing the old 
 half-circular arm that previously extended 
 from the rear of the carts, has revolutionized 
 the process. It is compact, light, simple, 
 durable, and distributes the water directly 
 downward and upward at right angles with the 
 length of the cart. The distribution is even 
 and full. It covers twenty-five to thirty feet in 
 width, is easily controlled by the driver, and 
 can be regulated in volume at will. It works 
 instantaneously, and is deemed by experts the 
 most practical street sprinkler built. He has 
 avoided all leakage in the carts. The bottom 
 of the tank is what is known as a sewer bot- 
 tom, being circular, thereby making the tank 
 stronger than flat bottom : it centres the 
 weight of the tank and makes it stronger. 
 The distributer, when moved to regulate 
 volume of water, is automatic, and needs no 
 ratchet or device to keep the regulator in the 
 position desired. The force of the water does 
 not move it, and frequent repairs are not neces- 
 sary. Many of these street sprinklers have 
 been recently built in Mr. Aitchison's own 
 shojDS. They are constructed in the soundest 
 possible manner. Mr. Aitchison's designs 
 for these carts have been so carefully studied 
 out that the completed vehicles weigh from 
 three hundred to four hundred pounds less when 
 full than any other cart constructed. Their 
 capacity is from three hundred to one thousand 
 gallons of water. Taken as a whole, for the 
 very practical and general purpose of street 
 sprinkling under all sorts of conditions, these 
 Aitchison street sprinklers have proved to be 
 the handsomest, best made, and most durable 
 street sprinklers in existence. 
 
 Mr. Aitchison now owns and occupies five 
 buildings on School Street, and in addition to 
 his carriage-making he does an extensive re- 
 pair and jobbing business. The largest of 
 these structures, measuring fifty feet by one 
 hundred and thirty, and four stories in height, 
 made of brick and iron, was built in 1896. It 
 is designed as a storehouse for property of all 
 kinds, especially furniture and vehicles, and is 
 
fetOGRAPMlCAL REVifiW 
 
 535 
 
 proving a paying investment, being the only 
 safe storage house in the northern section of 
 the city. 
 
 Mr. Aitchison has invested his profits in 
 real estate, and possesses valuable house lots 
 near his commodious residence at Blooming- 
 dale. Some of his brief spare hours have been 
 devoted to horticulture. The Worcester Agri- 
 cultural Society has counted him a valued 
 member for many years, as has also the 
 Worcester County Mechanics' Association. 
 Mr. Aitchison bears little evidence of advanc- 
 ing years. He is daily at his shops, managing 
 the business, and is in the full strength of his 
 mental powers. The secret of his success is 
 found in his early faithfulness to duty, his 
 foresight and enterprise, his honorable deal- 
 ings, his close application to business, the 
 thorough perfection of all his products, and in 
 his careful and sound judgment in financial 
 affairs. 
 
 "ir^ANIEL FLAGG, a respected resi- 
 1^=1 dent of Millbury in his time, son 
 J^Sy of Abel and Susanna (Harrington) 
 Flagg, was born in Worcester, Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1 8 14. His birthplace was the farm 
 settled many years before by his great-grand- 
 father, Daniel Flagg. The father, Abel, who 
 was born there on October 31, 1780, and lived 
 there throughout his lifetime, was married in 
 1804 or 1805 to Susanna Harrington, whose 
 brother was for many years the sexton of the 
 Old South Church. Of this marriage nine 
 children were born; namely, Lucretia, Sam- 
 uel, Daniel, Susan, Ebenezer, Franklin, 
 Henry, Eliza, and Nancy. Of these the only 
 one now living is Henry Flagg. Lucretia, 
 who became the wife of Benjamin Harrington, 
 died in 1890, at the age of eighty-four. 
 Samuel, who carried on a smithy in this city, 
 died here at the age of seventy-seven. Ed- 
 ward B. Flagg, one of the two sons left by 
 him, is a well-known physician of Worcester. 
 Susan married Deacon Dwinnell, of Millbury. 
 Ebenezer worked at the shoemaker's trade in 
 this city and in Grafton, and died near the old 
 farm, leaving a wife and two children. 
 Franklin Flagg died in Moline, 111., leaving 
 
 a wife. Eliza and Nancy severally died when 
 nearly seventeen years old. 
 
 Henry Flagg was reared on the farm, and 
 received a common-school education. In 
 early life he worked at shoemaking with his 
 father. When about twenty years old he went 
 to Grafton. Two years later, in 1848, he 
 came to Worcester, where for the next four 
 years he worked in the grocery and grain 
 business for Draper & Clark, receiving small 
 wages. Following that he came to Millbury, 
 and remained here for four years. At the end 
 of that time he returned to Worcester, and en- 
 tered the employ of Mr. Culver. A year and 
 a half later the firm of Ellis & Flagg was 
 formed, which company bought out Mr. Cul- 
 ver, and continued his market business. 
 They first occupied cheap wooden buildings, 
 for which but small rent was demanded. 
 Within a few years they had bought a tract of 
 land containing between ten and twelve thou- 
 sand feet, paying a dollar a foot. Seven or 
 eight years afterward they sold this property 
 for two dollars and seventy-five cents a foot. 
 Henry Flagg and his partner were in trade 
 for twenty years, doing a large business, and 
 being one of the two leading firms here. 
 They bought cattle by the carload in Albany, 
 and killed the average number of a hundred 
 head per month. Since 1872 the former has 
 lived in retirement. He was married in 
 1853, at the age of twenty-seven, to Maria 
 Beach, of Burlington, Vt., a native of Willis- 
 ton and a daughter of Sherman and Polly 
 (Prout) Beach. Her father, who was a 
 farmer, died in Vermont in the seventieth 
 year of his age, leaving his widow and a large 
 family of children. The mother, who sur- 
 vived some years, died in New Bedford at an 
 advanced age. Henry Flagg's only daughter, 
 Ella, married George A. Kendrick, a livery 
 man, and died in February, 1888, at the age 
 of thirty-three years. She left two children: 
 Ellen, now eighteen years old, who graduated 
 from the high school in 1897; and Edith, who 
 is sixteen. Their father is a Republican in 
 politics, and attends the Union church. 
 
 From an early age Daniel Flagg was en- 
 gaged in agriculture, making his home on the 
 old farm where he was born until 1875. Then 
 
536 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he sold the property and moved to the estate 
 of four acres where his widow still resides. 
 Here he lived practically retired for the re- 
 mainder of his life. He was very industri- 
 ous, and during the earlier part of his life had 
 excellent health. Some twenty-iive years be- 
 fore his death he was thrown from his car- 
 riage and injured so seriously that he never 
 entirely recovered. A man of excellent prin- 
 ciples, his religious creed was broad and gen- 
 erous. On April 5, 1842, he was married to 
 Harriet S. Wood, of Barre. Her parents, 
 Elijah and Sarah (Farrar) Wood, were respec- 
 tively natives of Gardner and Lynn. Mr. 
 Wood, who was born on September 18, 1774, 
 following the shoemaker's trade, worked in 
 Barre, Gardner, and Westminster. He re- 
 sided for a time in Petersham; while his last 
 days were spent in Westminster, where he was 
 buried. His wife, whom he married in 1799, 
 and who was born September 27, 1776, was 
 buried in Worcester. Their six children 
 were: Abigail, Elvira, Lansford, Francis, 
 Harriet, and Mary. Abigail, who became the 
 wife of John Harrington, died on January 9, 
 1878, at the age of seventy-seven, having had 
 seven children. Elvira died in 1879, ^^ the 
 age of seventy-six. Lansford, born on March 
 16, 1806, of whose three children Charles 
 Wood, of Worcester, is living, died in 1843, ^t 
 the age of thirty-seven. Francis, born April 
 22, 1808, died on October 16, 1884, leaving 
 four sons and a daughter. Mary, who was the 
 wife of James M. Russell, died on September 
 22, 1895, leaving three of her five children. 
 Mr. Flagg died at his home on February 2, 
 1886. Mrs. Flagg resides at 9 Martin Street. 
 
 'AMUEL STRATTON, a retired 
 business man of Worcester, was 
 born in Princeton, Mass., October 
 15, 1824, son of John and Agnes 
 (Manford) Stratton. He comes of a family 
 that originated in Stratton, England. His 
 immigrant ancestor was an early settler in 
 Concord, Mass., and later ancestors went to 
 Rutland, Mass., when that town was opened 
 for settlement. His grandfather, Deacon 
 Samuel Stratton, who was born in Princeton, 
 
 December 2, 1763, on November 19, 1782, 
 married Martha Davis, who was born June 13, 
 1764. The Deacon served in the Revolution- 
 ary War, and his name was afterward placed 
 upon the pension rolls. Of his fourteen chil- 
 dren, four were sons, and all but two of 
 his daughters lived to rear families. He 
 died at the age of seventy, and his wife 
 died at the advanced age of ninety-nine 
 years. 
 
 John Stratton, son of Deacon Stratton, was 
 born in Princeton, March 31, 1784. He 
 served as a soldier in the War of 18 12, and 
 subsequently shared in the land distribution 
 made by the national government to the par- 
 ticipants in that struggle. His death oc- 
 curred on August II, 1870. In 1823 he mar- 
 ried Mrs. Agnes Sanderhoof Manford. Born 
 in Amsterdam, Holland, about the year 1791, 
 she was first married in Newburyport, Mass., 
 to Captain James Manford, who was afterward 
 lost at sea. She became the mother of six 
 sons, three by each union. Those of her first 
 marriage were: Erasmus, born in Newbury- 
 port in 1 8 16; James, born in 1818; and Fred- 
 erick Manford, born in 1820. By John Strat- 
 ton she had Samuel, the subject of this 
 sketch; Captain Moses B. Stratton, horn in 
 Princeton in 1826, who is now residing in 
 Worcester; and Danforth D. Stratton, a 
 broker, residing in Melrose, Mass. 
 
 Samuel Stratton was reared and educated in 
 Princeton. Coming to Worcester in 1843, 
 he was engaged in shoemaking with Jonathan 
 Munyon until 1851. Then he opened a res- 
 taurant at 75 Main Street, and for the suc- 
 ceeding eight years carried on a successful 
 business in that location. About the year 
 1862 he purchased the wooden block at the 
 corner of Main and Market Streets, where he 
 continued in the same business for thirty 
 years. At the expiration of that time he re- 
 tired from active pursuits, and has since at- 
 tended solely to the management of his prop- 
 erty. On April 18, 1847, he was joined in 
 marriage with Isabella A. Brimhall. Of his 
 eight children, three are now living; namely, 
 Ida I., Frank Edward, and Samuel. The 
 others were: Eliza Isadore, who died at the 
 age of two years; Mary Ellen, who died at 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 537 
 
 the age of three years; John, who died at the 
 age of four; Abbie Ann, who died at the age 
 of seven years; and Sarah E., who died when 
 nine months old. Frank Edward Stratton re- 
 sides in Worcester. Samuel Stratton, Jr. , 
 who is now an engineer's messenger on the 
 United States steamship "Brooklyn," having 
 entered the United States navy in 1896, was 
 on that vessel when it participated in the cel- 
 ebration of Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1897, 
 and when it took part in the destruction of the 
 Spanish fleet off Santiago on July 3, 1898. 
 
 On February 14, 1877, Ida Stratton married 
 William Jennison Wheeler, who was born in 
 this city, September 13, 1851. His parents, 
 Erastus Williams and Sarah (Pollard) 
 Wheeler, were married October 5, 1842. 
 The former was born in Dixfield, Me., June 
 17, 1805, and the latter in Berlin, Mass., 
 March 29, 18 14. The grandfather of Will- 
 iam J. Wheeler was Joseph Sumner Wheeler, 
 of Harvard, Mass., who married a daughter 
 of Dr. Sumner, of Shrewsbury, Mass. Eras- 
 tus W. Wheeler, the father, settled upon a 
 farm of eighty acres located on Forest Street, 
 adjoining his son's present property, and by 
 his thrift and industry accumulated a good es- 
 tate. He died January 17, 1894, surviving 
 his wife, who died December 30, 1884. They 
 were members of the Old South Church. 
 Their children were: Joseph Pollard Wheeler, 
 born July 28, 1843; Henry Theophilus, born 
 June 25, 1845, who died October 16, 1864; 
 Edwin Wallace, born November 13, 1848, 
 who resides at the homestead; and William J. 
 Wheeler, who now occupies a farm on Forest 
 Street, about two miles from the post-office, 
 and is engaged in general farming and gai^den- 
 ing. Henry T. Wheeler was a member of 
 Company G, Second Heavy Artillery Musket- 
 eers, and a prisoner of war when he died, a 
 victim of Southern barbarism. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Wheeler have one daughter, Lotta I., born 
 January i, 1883. 
 
 Mr. Stratton came here in 1843, five years 
 before Worcester received its city charter. 
 Since 1846 he has been a member of the 
 Worcester Light Infantry. He is an honor- 
 ary member of Company C, Sixth Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteers, which, while re- 
 
 cently passing through Baltimore, on its way 
 to the seat of war, was received in such a cord- 
 ial manner by the people of that ciiy as to 
 obliterate forever any remaining animosity 
 caused by the famous riot of 1861. Mrs. 
 Stratton, who was born in Hardwick, Mass., 
 March 16, 1829, is no longer living. Since 
 her death Mr. Stratton has resided with his 
 daughter. A lover of fine arts, he has several 
 handsome oil paintings, some of which were 
 executed especially for him. 
 
 OSEPH PRATT was for many years 
 a leading business man of Worcester. 
 Born in Foxboro, Mass., on January 
 23, 1799, he there spent the early years 
 of his life. His schooling opportunities were 
 only such as were offered by the common 
 schools. When quite young he was appren- 
 ticed to the blacksmith trade with Elijah 
 Bird, of Easton. After finishing his period 
 of apprenticeship he worked in Taunton until 
 1825. Then he came to Worcester, and was 
 engaged as foreman of the blacksmith depart- 
 ment of William A. Wheeler's foundry for 
 about four years. In 1829 he opened a store 
 in Front Street as a dealer in iron, being as- 
 sisted by H. Chamberlain and Samuel Hatha- 
 way, of whom the latter was his partner until 
 1832. The business was carried on under the 
 name of Joseph Pratt & Co. From 1832 to 
 1835 Colonel Isaac Davis was interested in it, 
 and from 1835 to 1848 the firm name was 
 Pratt & Earle. In the last named year, when 
 Mr. Pratt's brother bought an interest, the 
 style of the firm became Joseph Pratt & Co. 
 The brother died in 1849. From the year 
 1853, in which F. H. Inman became a part- 
 ner, until 1875, when Mr. Pratt retired, the 
 firm name was Pratt & Inman. The company 
 dealt in steel and iron of all kinds, and for 
 many years this was the only iron business 
 between Boston and New York. Mr. Pratt 
 had the first iron for sale in Worcester 
 County. 
 
 Mr. Pratt was a zealous Universalist, and 
 was one of the founders of the Universalist 
 Society in Worcester, being one of five men 
 who contributed toward the building of the 
 
538 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 church edifice. He gave liberal support to 
 the current expenses of the society, and was a 
 constant attendant at the services. In poli- 
 tics he was a Whig until 1848, when he joined 
 the Free Soil movement, and became identi- 
 fied with the "underground railroad," of 
 which his house was a station. In so aiding 
 fugitive slaves he risked much, and was sev- 
 eral times nearly caught with slaves on his 
 premises. At one time he heard that officers 
 were approaching, and sent the slave away. 
 When the pursuers rode into the yard he was 
 awaiting them, and, in response to their ques- 
 tion if there were "a nigger somewhere 
 about," replied, "No, but there was one 
 around a little while ago." Upon being asked 
 which road the fugitive had taken, he an- 
 swered, "I couldn't tell you," and then looked 
 intently in a certain direction. The officers 
 believing that he was looking to see if the 
 slave was safely out of sight, rode off in the 
 direction in which he had glanced, which was 
 opposite to that taken by the negro. 
 
 Mr. Pratt served twice as Alderman of 
 Worcester, and was for two terms in the leg- 
 islature. As a business man he had the high- 
 est reputation for integrity. He was always 
 on the lookout for opportunities of doing good 
 to others, and took delight in relieving busi- 
 ness acquaintances from any temporary finan- 
 cial embarrassment. By his generosity in this 
 direction he reduced to a modest fortune what 
 might otherwise have been a handsome one. 
 His beautiful house on West Boylston Street, 
 outside the city limits, was built by him. 
 Here he had lived in retirement for some time 
 before his death, which occurred in 1894. In 
 1827 he married Caroline Chamberlin, who 
 died in 1893, after sixty years of wedded life. 
 Of the six children born to them, Miss E. C. 
 Pratt is the only survivor. 
 
 /^TeORGE W. FISHER, a leading busi- 
 y S I ness man of Grafton, was born No- 
 ^-'^ vember 18, 1843, in Fisherville, this 
 town, son of Erastus and Mary (Dresser) 
 Fisher. He is descended from a family that 
 has been prominent in Killingly, Conn., for 
 several generations. The first of the name to 
 
 settle there was Barzillai Fisher, his great- 
 great-grandfather, who, born in January, 1730, 
 died^in January, 1813. Barzillai arrived in 
 Killingly in 1769 with his wife, Lydia Dex- 
 ter Fisher, whom he had married in 1754. Of 
 their nine children, the four eldest fought in 
 the Revolution. One of these, named Nathan, 
 was taken prisoner by the British, and died 
 while in confinement on board the prison ship 
 "Jersey." Another of the sons, John, who 
 was the great-grandfather of George W., was 
 in the whole war from its beginning to its 
 close. Born in 1755, he died in 1843. Of 
 his seven children, Laban, the second, who 
 was born in January, 1783, and died in July, 
 i860, married Abigail Dexter. Born in 1789,- 
 she died in 1862. She was descended from 
 the Rev. Gregory Dexter, who came from 
 England in 1644 at the earnest request of 
 Roger Williams, whose intimate friend he was, 
 to take charge of the First Baptist Church in 
 Providence, R.I. 
 
 Erastus Fisher, son of Laban and Abigail 
 Fisher, born on November 21, 18 10, died on 
 April 20, 1880. After his marriage he lived 
 for a while on a hired farm on Allen Hill. 
 Subsequently he bought the farm in Grafton 
 that is now the property of his son, George. 
 In 1845 he and his brother, Waterman A. 
 Fisher, bought a part interest in a cotton-mill, 
 located on the present site of Fisherville; and 
 he became its managing superintendent. Of 
 this mill he later became the proprietor, and 
 carried on the business under his own name 
 until, taking his three sons into partnership, 
 the firm name became E. Fisher & Sons. The 
 growth of this industry, its benefit to the 
 town, and the honorable business career of 
 its founder are well known. Erastus gave his 
 whole thought and energy to the development of 
 his plant. His industry was remarkable, his 
 courage unflagging; while bis treatment of his 
 employees was always kind and courteous. His 
 business principles were those of an honorable 
 man. No one ever knew him to fail to keep 
 his word or to be unmindful of his obligations. 
 In family life be was an ideal husband and 
 father, and as a citizen he was actively inter- 
 ested in everything that promoted the public 
 welfare. He had no desire for public office, 
 
GEORGE W. FISHER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 541 
 
 but at one time he consented to serve as Se- 
 lectman of the town. While a resident of 
 Grafton he was a director of the Grafton 
 Bank. In 1861 he removed to Worcester with 
 his family, but he still kept his business cen- 
 tred at Grafton. At first a Whig in politics, 
 he subsequently joined the Republican party. 
 His first Presidential vote was cast for Henry 
 Clay. Previous to the war and during its 
 continuance he was a strong anti-slavery ad- 
 vocate. After his removal to Worcester he 
 joined the Old City Guards, of which for a 
 number of years he was a valued member. 
 He was an earnest friend of temperance in the 
 use of liquor, and was himself a total ab- 
 stainer. In Grafton both he and his wife were 
 members of the Evangelical Congregational 
 Church, which now has a beautiful memorial 
 window presented by their sons. In Worces- 
 ter both united with the First Church of that 
 city, the Old South; and Erastus afterward be- 
 came the assessor and treasurer of the parish. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Mary 
 Fletcher Dresser, born in September, 1813, 
 died in December, 1880. They had three 
 children, namely : Henry Dresser, born at 
 Killingly, Conn., in 1836, who died in 
 Worcester in 1886; George William, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; and Albert Laban, born in 
 1846, who is a merchant at Fisherville, and 
 was recently a member of the Massachusetts 
 legislature. 
 
 George W. Fisher received his early educa- 
 tion in the schools of Grafton and Worcester, 
 and subsequently graduated from Yale Col- 
 lege in the class of 1868. Returning then to 
 Grafton, he entered the ofifice of his father's 
 factory, where he remained for a year. At 
 the end of that time he became a partner in 
 the business. In 1881, the year following the 
 death of his father, the mills were burned, re- 
 sulting in a loss of many thousand dollars. 
 When in the following spring it was decided 
 to rebuild, a party of gentlemen, composed 
 largely of business friends of Mr. Fisher, 
 united for the purpose of incorporating the 
 mills, and in respect for him the corporation 
 was named the Fisher Manufacturing Com- 
 pany. Of this George W. Fisher was chosen 
 agent, which office he continues to fill. The 
 
 old mills had but five thousand spindles. The 
 new ones have at the present time thirty-five 
 thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four, and 
 employ from three hundred to four hundred 
 and fifty workmen. 
 
 Mr. Fisher is a member of Franklin Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., and of Worcester County Com- 
 mandery, K. T. He is also a director of the 
 Grafton Bank. His residence, which is one of 
 the most sightly in town, stands on an emi- 
 nence rising five hundred feet above sea level. 
 The maiden name of Mrs. Fisher, to whom 
 he was married in 1876, was Ella Frances 
 Farnum. 
 
 OHN WILLIAM BACON, of Worces- 
 ^^1 ter, an esteemed veteran of the Civil 
 \^3 War, was born in New Worcester on 
 May 17, 1838, his parents being Po- 
 laski and Elizabeth (Stevens) Bacon. New 
 Worcester was then a rough and recently set- 
 tled district. The farm upon which Mr. 
 Bacon was born was known as the Joseph 
 Curtis place, and the room in which he first 
 opened his eyes is now included in the spa- 
 cious residence of J. W. Bishop at 12 12 Main 
 Street, so remodelled and enlarged during the 
 hundred years or more it has stood that its 
 old-time residents would no longer recog- 
 nize it. 
 
 Mr. Bacon's grandfather, Jepthah Bacon, a 
 farmer of Dudley, this county, born about 
 1770, was locally known as Squire Bacon. He 
 was much respected, and he served for many 
 years as Justice of the Peace. His grandson 
 has numerous copies of old documents made 
 out by him and written in the quaint wording 
 and orthography of those days. Jepthah 
 Bacon married Miss Joanna Childs, of North 
 Woodstock, Conn., who belonged to a promi- 
 nent and worthy family. She was tall and 
 slender, while her husband was short and 
 stout. Her son, Polaski, and her grandson, 
 John W., are both like her, tall and well 
 formed. Besides Polaski she had two other 
 sons — Jepthah and Peter Childs. The for- 
 mer, who was a miller by occupation, residing 
 in Warren, died at the age of thirty-eight, 
 leaving six children. Peter Childs, named 
 
542 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for his mother's family, became a prominent 
 lawyer and the head of the Worcester County 
 bar. At one time he was the Mayor of the 
 city. Of his children two sons — Frank and 
 William Bacon — died in the Civil War. 
 The rest were: Henry, Peter C. Bacon, Jr., 
 Mary, and Elizabeth. Polaski Bacon, born in 
 Dudley in 1801, was married in 1830, his 
 wife being a native of Charlton. For some 
 years he kept a tavern, one of the first in 
 Dudley. His children were: Charles, born 
 in 1832, who died in this city when twenty- 
 four years of age, unmarried; John William, 
 the subject of this biography; George Bacon, 
 who is a painter in Worcester; and Abbie, 
 who died at the age of twenty-two, unmarried. 
 During his boyhood John William Bacon 
 worked more or less on his father's farm. 
 Beginning when only ten years of age, he was 
 also employed in the Curtis Mill until his 
 seventeenth year, although he continued to at- 
 tend school in the winter. He then began 
 learning the machinist's trade in the shop of 
 Albert Curtis, where he spent three years, re- 
 ceiving, besides his board, forty dollars for the 
 first year, eighty dollars for the second, and 
 one hundred dollars for the third. Upon 
 completing his apprenticeship he went West 
 to Ohio, being then twenty years of age, and 
 there worked at his trade in different places 
 for the next three years. Returning then to 
 Worcester, he took up his work in this city, 
 also joining the Worcester Light Infantry. 
 Upon the breaking out of the Civil War he 
 enlisted as a volunteer for three months in the 
 Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, and was in 
 the bloody riot of April 19 in the streets of 
 Baltimore. Upon the expiration of his term 
 of enlistment he returned to Worcester, and 
 was married in November, 1861. Afterward 
 he re-enlisted as a private in the Thirty-sixth 
 Massachusetts Regiment, was assigned to 
 Company C, and served until the close "of the 
 war, being mustered out as First Sergeant. 
 Although he escaped the bullets of the enemy 
 and the horrors of a Southern prison, he came 
 so near dying from sunstroke that his com- 
 rades made arrangements for his burial. For 
 the last twenty-eight years he has been in the 
 employ of the government as a letter carrier, 
 
 and is thus one of the veteran carriers of 
 Worcester. In .storm or shine he makes his 
 daily deliveries, and he is as well known on 
 his route as any man in that part of the city. 
 
 The maiden name of Mr. Bacon's wife was 
 Helen Stockwell. She is a daughter of the 
 late William E. and Sarah Stockwell, of Graf- 
 ton. Of her three children, Lucius lived only 
 one year. Her living children are: Nellie L., 
 who is the wife of Charles N. Goffe, of this 
 city; and William E. Bacon, a mechanic, 
 who resides with his parents. The family 
 home is at West Boylston. Mr. Bacon is a 
 member of the Grand Army of the Republic, 
 of the Veteran Union Association, and of the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican. 
 
 I^TARRY S. TRIPP, the Postmaster of 
 
 I^J Spencer, was born in Spencer, 
 
 li s I Mass., November 25, 1865, son of 
 
 ^ — ' Charles M. and Mary E. (Lucas) 
 
 Tripp. Charles M. Tripp was born and 
 
 brought up in New Bedford, Mass., whence he 
 
 came to Spencer when a young man. He was 
 
 for many years one of the leading carpenters 
 
 and contractors of this place, carried on a 
 
 flourishing building business, was for a long 
 
 time connected with the local fire department, 
 
 and he served as a soldier for four years in the 
 
 Civil War. 
 
 Harry S. Tripp obtained his early educa- 
 tion in the public schools of Spencer. After 
 receiving his diploma at the high school, he 
 attended Hinman's Business College in 
 Worcester, Mass., graduating therefrom in 
 due time. He was afterward employed by his 
 father as a book-keeper for a number of years, 
 and he was then the superintendent of the 
 Framingham Paper Box Company for a short 
 time. This last position he resigned to be- 
 come Assistant Postmaster, in which capacity 
 he served under E. M. Bliss in Spencer for 
 three years and under the succeeding Post- 
 master, E. E. Harwood, during his term of 
 four years. On October i, 1897, having been 
 appointed by President McKinley on the 27th 
 of the preceding July, he succeeded Mr. Har- 
 wood in the office of Postmaster. His long 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 543 
 
 connection with the postal service and his 
 subsequent promotion therein are evidence of 
 the faithfulness and efficiency with which he 
 has fulfilled his official duties, and of his pop- 
 ularity in the community which he serves. 
 
 On November 12, 1890, Mr. Tripp married 
 Miss Susanna W., daughter of E. M. Bliss, 
 of Spencer. Politically, he is a strong advo- 
 cate of the principles promulgated by the Re- 
 publican party. Fraternally, he is a member 
 and the Senior Deacon of Spencer Lodge, F. 
 & A. M., and a member of Goodwill Lodge, 
 L O. O. F. 
 
 REDERICK GREENWOOD, an enter- 
 prising furniture manufacturer of East 
 Templeton, was born in this town, 
 June 5, 1850. A son of Thomas Temple and 
 Louisa (French) Greenwood, he comes of 
 English stock. His first ancestor in America 
 was Thomas Greenwood, who settled in the 
 part of Cambridge that was later incorporated 
 as the town of Newton; and he followed the 
 trade of a weaver. Thomas, when he died on 
 September i, 1693, was a Selectman. He 
 was also the first Town Clerk of Newton. 
 The maiden name of his first wife was Hannah 
 Ward, and the first name of his second wife 
 was Abigail. He was the father of four chil- 
 dren. William Greenwood, the next in line, 
 was born October 14, 1689. About the year 
 1730 he settled in Sherborn, Mass., where he 
 followed agriculture for the rest of his life; 
 and he died November 14, 1756. He was a 
 Deacon of the Congregational church. On 
 June 21, 171 5, he married Abigail Wood- 
 ward, daughter of John and Sarah (Bancroft) 
 Woodward, of Newton, and subsequently had 
 a family of ten children. Jonas Greenwood, 
 son of William, born April 25, 1727, was a 
 lifelong resident of Sherborn. His death oc- 
 curred May 28, 1802. He married Sarah 
 Stratton, who had eight children. 
 
 Jonathan Greenwood (first), the great-grand- 
 father of Frederick Greenwood, was born in 
 Sherborn, November 12, 1755. His principal 
 occupation was that of a tavern keeper. He 
 settled in Gardner, Mass., in 1785, previous 
 to the town's incorporation, and died there 
 
 December 30, 182 1. He was a Revolutionary 
 soldier, and he served Gardner as an Assessor 
 for the years 1792 and 1793 and as a Select- 
 man in 1800 and 1801. On May 4, 1780, he 
 married Sibyl, daughter of James and Sibbilla 
 (Clark) Holbrook, of Sherborn. Born May 
 21, 1760, she died September 7, 1842. Of 
 their six children, Jonathan Greenwood (sec- 
 ond), the grandfather of Frederick Greenwood, 
 was born in Gardner, April 18, 1786. He 
 was a cooper by trade. Coming to East Tem- 
 pleton in 1812, he kept a tavern until 1820. 
 Thereafter he gave his attention entirely to 
 coopering. The barrels, etc., all made by 
 hand, were hauled to Boston by teams, and he 
 carried on a thriving business for the rest of 
 his life. He died October 24, 1846. In the 
 Baptist church he was a leading member. 
 On May 30, 1807, he married Phoebe, daugh- 
 ter of Jonathan and Rebecca (How) Temple, 
 of Westminster, Mass., who died December 
 25, 1856. Thomas Temple Greenwood, son 
 of Jonathan (second), born in East Temple- 
 ton, March 25, 1817, died July 10, 1885. 
 He became a prominent business man, and for 
 a number of years was engaged in the manu- 
 facture of tubs and pails. In 1864 he 
 equipped his factory for the manufacture of 
 furniture, and continued in that business for 
 the rest of his life. He served as an Asses- 
 sor, was a member of committees that had 
 charge of the trust funds, and was actively 
 concerned in all matters relating to the town's 
 business development. His wife, Louisa, a 
 daughter of Stephen and Polly (Pierce) 
 French, was born in Dummerston, Vt., Janu- 
 ary 24, 181 8. Her children were: Louise 
 L., born April 7, 1842, who died February 3, 
 1884; Thomas W., born August 6, 1844, who 
 resides in Springfield, Mass. ; Frederick P., 
 born August 28, 1847, who died February 21, 
 1849; Frederick, the subject of this sketch; 
 Lewis A., born December 23, 1852; and Her- 
 bert Greenwood, born October 8, 1858. Both 
 Lewis and Herbert reside in Gardner. The 
 mother died May 29, 1866. 
 
 Having passed through the common 
 schools, including the Templeton High 
 School, Frederick Greenwood completed his 
 studies at the Wilbraham Academy. Since 
 
S44 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his youth he has been connected with the fur- 
 niture business. At first he was an assistant 
 to his father. After the latter's death he and 
 his three brothers took control of the estab- 
 lishment, which is still carried on under the 
 firm name of T. T. Greenwood. The factory 
 has improved machinery, driven both by 
 steam and water power, and employs from 
 forty to fifty men throughout the year. Its 
 products consist of pine, ash, oak, and chest- 
 nut furniture, including fine bureaus, closets, 
 and wardrobes; and the salesrooms are located 
 at West Gardner. 
 
 On May ii, 1880, Mr. Greenwood was 
 united in marriage with Grandine Leuthesser. 
 He has one son, Talma T., who was born July 
 28, 1889. In politics he supports the Repub- 
 lican party. He and his brothers are- alert, 
 progressive business men and worthy suc- 
 cessors to their father in ability and integrity. 
 
 EEWIS S. FISHER, an industrious 
 farmer and business man of Baldwins- 
 ^ ville, was born where he now re- 
 sides, February 12, 1845, son of 
 Charles T. and Martha (Ballard) Fisher. 
 Thomas Fisher, the paternal grandfather, who 
 was born in Wrentham, Mass., July 25, 1765, 
 came to Templeton about the year i/S'j, and 
 cleared from the wilderness the farm which is 
 now owned by his grandson. He built the ell 
 part of the present house in 1793, and com- 
 pleted the main portion in 1809. A civil 
 engineer by profession, he did much of the 
 early surveying in this locality. Beginning 
 in 1804, he served in the capacity of Justice 
 of the Peace until his death, and the records 
 of the courts held by him in his dwelling are 
 still preserved in the family. He died Sep- 
 tember 25, 1822, aged fifty-seven years. On 
 December 18, 1786, he was married in 
 Wrentham to Hannah P'arrington, who, born 
 March 13, 1765, died October 15, 1826, aged 
 sixty-one. They were the parents of ten chil- 
 dren, born as follows: Nathan, June 28, 1788; 
 Julia, May 29, 1789; Thomas, September 5, 
 1 791; Susan, October 11, 1793; Sarah B., 
 November 30, 1795; Hannah, January 11, 
 J79?; John, March 15, j§oo; Paul A., March 
 
 7, 1802; Myra, May 14, 1804; and Charles 
 T., March 31, 1807. 
 
 Charles T. Fisher succeeded to the home- 
 stead farm of one hundred acres, which he 
 prosperously cultivated during his active 
 years. He died March 18, 1885. Originally 
 a Whig in politics, he later became a Repub- 
 lican, held various town offices, including 
 that of Selectman, and represented his dis- 
 trict in the legislature. He was a Deacon of 
 the Trinitarian church. His wife, whom he 
 married July 4, 1S39, was born in Lancaster, 
 Mass., February 28, 1807. Her children 
 were: Charles Ballard, born October 2, 1840, 
 who enlisted in Company D, Thirty-sixth 
 Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, and 
 died in the service on September 8, 1863; 
 Martha M., born October 2, 1842, who mar- 
 ried M. A. Wilson, and resides in Baldwins- 
 ville; and Lewis S., the subject of this 
 sketch. The mother died October 28, 1895. 
 
 Lewis S. Fisher attended the town schools 
 of Templeton. After completing his studies 
 he went to Gardner, Mass. , where he was em- 
 ployed in a chair factory for about ten years. 
 Afterward for the same length of time he 
 was successfully engaged in the meat business 
 at Baldwinsville. Since 1894 he has given his 
 attention to the management of the home 
 farm, which he inherited at his father's death. 
 He has built six tenement houses for renting 
 purposes. He also attends a milk route. 
 
 On May 5, 1866, Mr. Fisher married Viola 
 R. Newton, who was born in Nashua, N.H., 
 August 5, 1846, daughter of Joseph M. and 
 Alexownia V. (Champney) Newton. Her 
 father died June 19, 1864, aged forty-four 
 years and four months; and her mother on 
 February 14, 1895, aged seventy-two years 
 and eight months. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have 
 three children: Allena V., born February 20, 
 1867; Minnie G., born June 16, 1870; and 
 Charles T., born September 2, 1881. Allena 
 V. married Frank F. Eaton, of Baldwinsville, 
 and has one son, John F. Eaton. Minnie G. 
 is the wife of Thomas J. Symons, of this 
 village, and has two children — Edward F. 
 and Thomas W. Symons. Charles T. resides 
 in Templeton. 
 
 In politics Mr. Fish§r acts with th? Repub- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 545 
 
 lican party. He belongs to Star Lodge, An- 
 cient Order of United Workmen, and he at- 
 tends the Congregational church, of which 
 Mrs. Fisher is a member. 
 
 UGUSTINE DUNNION WAY- 
 MOTH, a prominent manufacturer 
 of Fitchburg and the inventor of 
 several labor-saving machines, is a 
 native of Durham, N.H. He was born in 
 July, 1817, son of John and Sarah (Dunnion) 
 Waymoth. The town of Weymouth, Mass., 
 obtained its name from his ancestor, George 
 E. Weymouth, who went there from Plym- 
 outh. The latter's descendants, who have 
 changed the spelling of the name, are now 
 scattered through Maine and New Hampshire. 
 John Waymoth served as a drummer boy in 
 the Revolutionary War, and was present at 
 the battle of Bennington. He afterward be- 
 came a ship-carpenter, and plied his calling in 
 New Market, N.H. Sarah, his wife, who was 
 a native of Portsmouth, N.H., died about the 
 year 1823, leaving four sons and five daugh- 
 ters. Of these the only survivor is Augus- 
 tine D., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Augustine Dunnion Waymoth was de- 
 prived of a mother's care at the age of six 
 years. After residing with families in New 
 Market and Exeter for a time, he went to live 
 with a farmer named Chase in Lexington, 
 N. H., where he remained until he was eigh- 
 teen years old. A serious affection of his 
 eyes had prevented him from attending school. 
 After leaving Lexington he acquired his first 
 knowledge of wood turning with Joel Lancey 
 in Lee, N.H., where he stayed one year. He 
 was next employed in the building of the 
 Eastern Railroad for a year; and then he went 
 to Lowell, Mass., where for the succeeding 
 four years he was engaged in turning pill 
 boxes at the Mechanics' Mills, now the Mid- 
 dlesex Corporation. Soon after his arrival in 
 Lowell he obtained his first spectacles, which 
 practically opened to him a new world. With 
 their aid he was able to study; and, availing 
 himself of the privilege of attending the even- 
 ing school, he was a regular pupil during his 
 residence in the city. It wag also in Lowell 
 
 that he developed the genius for mechanics 
 which has since made him well known as an 
 inventor. The first product of his ingenuity 
 was an automatic lathe for turning pill boxes 
 complete from the solid wood. This was the 
 first machine of the kind produced in Amer- 
 ica, the rights of which he sold to the Me- 
 chanics' Mills Company. In 1845 he went to 
 East Cambridge, where in company with 
 Harvey Tucker he was engaged in manufact- 
 uring pill boxes for over two years. On ac- 
 count of the difficulty of obtaining white 
 birch, of which the boxes were made, the firm 
 then moved to Bristol, N.H., and three years 
 later Mr. Waymoth sold his interest in the 
 concern to his partner. 
 
 Coming to Fitchburg in the year 1851, Mr. 
 Waymoth formed a partnership with Josiah 
 Averill, under the firm name of Waymoth & 
 Averill. Leasing the long building opposite 
 the present factory, they conducted business 
 there for three years. Then serious illness 
 caused Mr. Waymoth to remove to Middle- 
 bury, Vt., where he remained three years. 
 Upon his return to Fitchburg in 1856, he im- 
 mediately began the filling of an order from 
 the First National Bank of Northampton, 
 Mass., for one million indelible pencil cases. 
 Associating himself with Hale W. Page after 
 this, under the style of Waymoth & Page, 
 he inaugurated his present business of manu- 
 facturing machinery for making pill boxes. 
 He purchased his partner's interest two years 
 later, and conducted the factory alone until 
 1878, when he received into the firm his son, 
 Charles Henry Waymoth. The concern has 
 since been known as A. D. Waymoth & Co. 
 From time to time, while attending to his 
 regular business, Mr. Waymoth contributed 
 to the march of improvement in mechanical 
 devices by perfecting his earlier inventions 
 and producing new ones. Among the latter 
 is a lathe for turning croquet balls, patented 
 in 1879. Probably his greatest achievement 
 is his latest mechanical novelty, a circular 
 knife lathe, which was perfected in 1895, and 
 which, by the adjustment of differently 
 shaped knives, will turn all kinds of cylinder 
 work hitherto unaccomplished by any device, 
 thereby saying half the time required by the 
 
546 ^ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 old process. The inventor is also interested 
 in several other business enterprises. In 
 1844 he was united in marriage with Amanda 
 Chandler, daughter of James and Hepsibah 
 Chandler, of Andover, Mass. Of their three 
 sons and two daughters, two sons are de- 
 ceased. 
 
 /2)eORGE CANTELLO, a contractor 
 y i) I of Southboro, who at the time of 
 
 — the war enjoyed the distinction of 
 being one of the youngest soldiers in the 
 Union army, was born in Newark, N.J., Feb- 
 ruary I, 1846. A son of Jacob and Elizabeth 
 (Greenwood) Cantello, he is of Spanish de- 
 scent. His great-grandfather went from 
 Spain to England, and became a General in 
 the English army. Jacob Cantello was a 
 stone-cutter by trade. During the latter part 
 of his life he resided in Fayville, Mass. In 
 September, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, 
 Twenty-second Massachusetts Volunteer In- 
 fantry. He was disabled in the seven days' 
 fight before Richmond by a fragment of a shell 
 striking him in the hip. He died January 
 29, 1883, aged sixty-two years, and his wife, 
 November 8, 1891, at the age of sixty-eight. 
 
 George Cantello attended school in Hopkin- 
 ton, Mass. When in his early teens he en- 
 deavored to enlist in a Holliston company, 
 but was ordered home by the officers. 
 Nothing daunted, the lad with an older com- 
 panion made his way to Boston, and suc- 
 ceeded in enlisting as a drummer boy. Three 
 days later he saw his father in uniform on the 
 parade ground. Father and son had enlisted 
 in the same company. A year later the lad 
 was transferred to Battery B, Fifth United 
 States Light Artillery. When his term of 
 service expired in 1864, he re-enlisted on the 
 field. He participated in nineteen of the 
 hottest battles of the war, including those 
 of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Hanover Court 
 House, the seven days' fight, and Cedar 
 Creek, and he was in a number of skirmishes. 
 At the age of seventeen he was Sergeant in 
 charge of a piece of artillery. When the war 
 closed, his battery was dismounted, and he was 
 assigned to guard duty at Fortress Monroe. 
 
 In command of the guard over Jefferson Davis, 
 he became intimately acquainted with the ex- 
 president of the Confederacy, as well as with 
 the Confederates Clay and Mitchell, who were 
 also prisoners. His position was no sinecure, 
 for Union men were thirsting for Davis's 
 blood, and there was danger of his friends 
 aiding him to escape. Mr. Cantello received 
 his final discharge from military service on 
 January 22, 1867, although he was not twenty- 
 one until the first day of the following Febru- 
 ary. His war record is almost without a 
 parallel. At Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864, 
 he received a terrible sabre cut in the arm. 
 The surgeon declared that the limb must be 
 amputated, but he refused to allow it; and 
 after it was dressed he rejoined his battery 
 with his arm in a sling, and rode thus for a 
 number of days. At the battle of Piedmont 
 he was again wounded, a fragment of shell 
 striking him in the leg. After his return 
 from the South he was in Rochester, N.H., 
 for a year, and he then began to learn the 
 mason's trade of John Page in Southboro. 
 In 1890 he started an independent business 
 as a master mason and contractor. At this 
 he has been very successful, fulfilling some 
 important contracts in a most satisfactory 
 manner. While he is a thorough master of 
 every branch of his trade, he also keeps seven 
 or eight good workmen in his employ. 
 
 Mr. Cantello was married July 6, 1869, to 
 Miss Eliza Painter, of Wrentham, Mass. 
 Actively interested in town affairs, he has 
 served three years as Selectman, and is at 
 present Road Commissioner and a member of 
 the Cemetery Commission. He is a member 
 of St. Bernard Lodge, F. & A. M., of South- 
 boro. A prominent Grand Army man, he is 
 a charter member of G. Wesley Nichols Post, 
 has served three terms as Commander, and 
 attended national and other encampments as 
 delegate. 
 
 UMNER W. RANGER, captain of 
 police at Station 2, Worcester, was 
 born in New Braintree, Mass., July 
 25, 1833, son of Job and Hannah 
 (Thrasher) Ranger. His grandparents, John 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 547 
 
 and Anna (Ayers) Ranger, of North Brook- 
 field, Mass., reared two sons and three daugh- 
 ters, of whom Job was the youngest. Job 
 Ranger was born in North Brookfield about 
 the year 1791. Settling in New Braintree 
 when a young man, he cultivated a farm in 
 that town for fifty years, and died in 1865. 
 He was the father of three sons and six daugh- 
 ters, of whom one of the daughters died at the 
 age of twelve years. Emeline, the eldest 
 daughter, who married Elbridge Gleason, died 
 leaving two sons, one of whom, Charles A. 
 Gleason, a prominent and wealthy citizen of 
 Worcester, has served in both branches of 
 the legislature. The surviving children are: 
 Sarah and Hannah, who are unmarried and re- 
 side in Worcester; and Sumner W., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. 
 
 Sumner W. Ranger resided at home and as- 
 sisted his father on the farm until i860, when 
 he came to Worcester. He joined the police 
 force in 1866, and has since been connected 
 with it with the exception of four years in 
 which he was engaged in the grocery busi- 
 ness. He became a sergeant in 1884, was 
 appointed captain in 1888, and has since been 
 in charge of Station 2. He has acquired con- 
 siderable reputation as a detective, and has 
 caused the arrest and conviction of some noted 
 criminals. 
 
 On December i, 1858, Captain Ranger was 
 joined in marriage with Martha A. Bush, 
 daughter of Josiah and Sophina (Ingalls) 
 Bush. Her father, who was a farmer and 
 hotel-keeper in New Braintree, where by in- 
 dustry and economy he had accumulated a 
 good estate, died in February, 1898, in his 
 ninety-third year, having survived his wife 
 some seven or eight years, and leaving eleven 
 of his fourteen children to share his property. 
 Captain and Mrs. Ranger have had nine chil- 
 dren, five of whom died in infancy. Those 
 living are: Nellie Maria, who married John 
 R. Farr, and is the mother of two children; 
 Anna B., wife of Elmore F. Johnson, of this 
 city, who has one son and one daughter; 
 Charles Sumner, who has made two trips 
 abroad as a naval cadet on board the training 
 ship "Enterprise," and is now in the United 
 States postal service ; and Ralph Warren, who 
 
 is a clerk in a book and stationery store. 
 Politically, Captain Ranger is a Republican. 
 He belongs to Freedom Lodge, Knights of 
 Pythias. The family reside at 46 Maywood 
 Street. 
 
 OMER W. DARLING, for many 
 years a leading farmer of Mendon, 
 was born in East Hampton, Conn., 
 on January 8, 1832, son of New- 
 bury Darling. The father, who was the well- 
 known scythe manufacturer of Millville, Mass., 
 died at the home of their son Homer, at the 
 age of seventy-five years. 
 
 Homer W. Darling when a young man 
 went to Uxbridge, Mass., where he resided 
 for six years. He then removed to Provi- 
 dence, R.I. After a short stay there he came 
 to Mendon thirty-two years ago, and bought 
 the extensive farm which he subsequently cul- 
 tivated up to the time of his death, which oc- 
 curred on December 11, 1892. As a farmer 
 he was most successful, and succeeded in ac- 
 quiring a competency. The property he left 
 is beautifully situated about half a mile from 
 Mendon village, and is one of the most com- 
 fortable and flourishing homesteads in the 
 township. Since Mr. Darling's death his 
 family have continued to reside there. Mr. 
 Darling served a number of years on the 
 School Board, and also represented his dis- 
 trict creditably in the legislature. In 1857 
 he was united in marriage with Abby C. 
 Cook, whose father, George W. Cook, went 
 to the gold region in California in 1849 and 
 met with good fortune at Silver City. Of 
 this marriage three children were born : Emily 
 E., now Mrs. Samuel A. Bennett; George 
 H., who married Annie Parkinson, of Hope- 
 dale, and has charge of the Darling farm; 
 and Grace, who became the wife of Frederick 
 Piatt, February 16, 1898. 
 
 One who knew Mr. Darling well wrote as 
 follows concerning him: "He was strictly 
 honest, thoroughly temperate, and entirely 
 free from all the little vices many men are 
 subject to. He lived as near the path of rec- 
 titude as mortal man could, was always ready 
 to do his part in any honorable enterprise to 
 
548 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 promote the interests of the town or the com- 
 munity, was a constant attendant at church 
 and a liberal contributor toward its support. 
 He was a generous man, a kind neighbor, and 
 an honored townsman." 
 
 "irX EXTER KNIGHT, the president of 
 1^=1 the Leicester Savings Bank, is a 
 Y^J native of Leicester, born July i8, 
 1826, son of Captain Hiram and 
 Olive (Barnes) Knight. Captain Knight, son 
 of Silas Knight, of New Braintree, was born 
 in Oakham, Mass. His father, who was a 
 wheelwright by occupation, was a Revolu- 
 tionary soldier. The Captain was for years 
 a prominent resident of Leicester. He in- 
 herited his father's mechanical aptitude, and 
 he became one of the pioneers of the card 
 clothing industry here. He was also a di- 
 rector of the Leicester Bank for many years. 
 Among the public offices held by him were 
 those of Selectman and Assessor. He was a 
 delegate to the State Constitutional Conven- 
 tion. At one time he was a Captain of mili- 
 tia, and the title subsequently clung to him. 
 In politics he was independent, and he was 
 one of the earliest members of the Unitarian 
 Congregational church. He died in 1875. 
 His wife, Olive, who was born in Spencer, 
 Mass., survived her husband four years, dying 
 in 1879. Of their eleven children, three sons 
 are living; namely. Dexter, James J., and 
 George M. 
 
 Dexter Knight obtained his education in 
 the common schools and at Leicester Acad- 
 emy. When he reached the age of fifteen he 
 entered the store of D. Rice & Son as clerk, 
 and remained with them in that capacity until 
 he was nineteen. Then he was received into 
 partnership, and the style of the firm was 
 changed to Rice & Knight. After a short 
 time he withdrew from the firm and joined 
 that of Woodcock, Knight & Co., card cloth- 
 ing manufacturers in Leicester. This firm 
 was dissolved in 1881, and Mr. Knight has 
 since lived practically retired. He is the 
 president and a trustee of Leicester Savings 
 Bank and a director of the Leicester National 
 Bank. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Knight was married to Pris- 
 cilla J. Bowen, of Mattapan, Mass. They 
 have a daughter, N. Olive Knight, who resides 
 at home. Mr. Knight is a Democrat, though 
 somewhat independent in his views. He is 
 now serving as a Commissioner of Leicester 
 Park, of which he was one of the founders. 
 His interest in public and charitable enter- 
 prises is well-known. In years past he served 
 on the Board of Trustees of Leicester Public 
 Library, and he was one of the incorporators 
 of the Leicester Hotel Company, in which he 
 held the position of director and clerk for a 
 number of years. He is a member of the 
 Unitarian Congregational church. 
 
 tLBERT HINDS, a former resident of 
 West Boylston, by profession a lawyer 
 and civil engineer, was born in Har- 
 ^^ ' vard, Mass., January 2, 1830, son 
 of Ephraim and Maria (Hapgood) Hinds and 
 one of a family of five children. He died in 
 1874, at forty-four years of age. 
 
 Mr. Hinds's father, Ephraim Hinds, a 
 graduate of Harvard University, where he was 
 a classmate of the Rev. Mr. Cross, was a well- 
 known lawyer of his day, pl^ctising his pro- 
 fession in his native town, West Boylston, 
 at East Brookfield, Deerfield, and Harvard. 
 His last days were spent in West Boylston, 
 and he lived to be sixty-seven years old. His 
 wife, who was a native of Petersham, Mass., 
 died in 1842, aged forty-three years. 
 
 Albert Hinds was reared in West Boyls- 
 ton, and studied law and civil engineering, 
 in both of which he became proficient. Es- 
 tablishing himself in business in his native 
 town, he became widely and favorably known 
 as an engineer and as an able exponent of real 
 estate law. He surveyed the property owned 
 by the late John B. Gough, and was employed 
 to settle many estates. In politics he was^ a 
 Democrat. He rendered valuable services to 
 the town as a member of the Board of Select- 
 men and as an Assessor. He was an emi- 
 nently useful and a highly esteemed citizen, 
 and his untimely death was the cause of uni- 
 versal regret. 
 
 On December 31, 1863, Mr, Hinds was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 549 
 
 united in marriage with Alona A. Walker. 
 Mrs. Hinds is now residing in West Boylston. 
 She was born in Holden, Mass., daughter of 
 Joel and Deidamia (Stone) Walker, the former 
 of whom was a native of that town, but was a 
 descendant of an old Sudbury family. Her 
 grandfather, Hezekiah Walker, who was born 
 in Sudbury, February 25, 1751, settled upon a 
 farm in Holden, and there made his home 
 until his death, which occurred in 1837, at 
 the age of eighty-six years. Hezekiah Walker 
 served as a soldier in the War of 1812. His 
 wife, Lucy Raymond, born February 6, 1755, 
 died January 2, 1849, aged ninety-four. She 
 was the mother of thirteen children. Joel 
 Walker, Mrs. Hinds's father, resided for some 
 years at the homestead in Holden, and later 
 carried on farming in Sterling, Mass. From 
 that town he removed to West Boylston, and, 
 settling at Oakdale, engaged in the real estate 
 business. He was an able business man and 
 a capable town officer, serving as a Selectman 
 gnd an Assessor in Holden. In politics he 
 was- in his later years a Republican. Joel 
 Walker lived to the advanced age of ninety- 
 eight years. Deidamia, his wife, who was 
 a daughter of Samuel and Martha (Wilder) 
 Stone, of Gardner, Mass., died at the age of 
 eighty-three. She was the mother of eleven 
 children. Six of these are now living, 
 namely: Emily, widow of the Rev. W. W. 
 Parker; Alona A., Mrs. Hinds; Lucy, wife 
 of Frank Merriman ; Raymond J. ; Alvah S. ; 
 and Charles H. Walker. Both parents were 
 members of the Baptist church, and the father 
 was for a number of years superintendent of 
 the Sunday-school. Mrs. Hinds was educated 
 in Westminster and Shelburne Falls, Mass., 
 and previous to her marriage she taught in 
 the public schools of that town for nine years. 
 She has had two children, namely : Florence, 
 who died in infancy; and Albert W. , born 
 November 30, 1864. 
 
 Albert W. Hinds was fitted for college at 
 the Worcester Academy. He received his 
 Bachelor's degree at Brown University and 
 that of Master of Arts from Harvard. He 
 taught school in Duluth, Minn., and was after- 
 ward a teacher of classics at Brown University. 
 He has served with ability upon the West 
 
 Boylston School Board, and is well known as a 
 scholar and for his musical talents. Mrs. 
 Hinds has been a member of the Baptist 
 church since she was fourteen years old. She 
 is connected with the Ladies' Benevolent So- 
 ciety and with other church organizations. 
 
 EORGE BENSON, who was the 
 3 I chairman of the Board of Assessors 
 of Northbridge for thirty-five years, 
 was born in this town on July 28, 1812, son 
 of Amasa and Sarah (Aldrich) Benson. His 
 grandfather, Benjamin Benson, who came to 
 this town from Mendon in 1769, bought the 
 farm where his nephew now resides, and 
 which has been in the family ever since. 
 Benjamin, serving as a soldier in the French 
 and Indian war from 1755 to 1759, took part 
 in the expedition to Bennington. On the 
 perilous trip across Lake George he received 
 serious injuries, and was consequently obliged 
 to secure his discharge on account of disabili- 
 ties. He returned to Mendon, and ten years 
 later came to Northbridge. He was strongly 
 Orthodox in his religious opinions. Becom- 
 ing prominently interested in the development 
 of Northbridge, he was chosen Moderator of 
 town meetings, and was appointed on the 
 committee created to define the limits of the 
 town. 
 
 Amasa Benson, son of Benjamin, having in- 
 herited the farm, which lies about a mile 
 north of the present village of Northbridge 
 Centre, spent the greater part of his life 
 thereon, engaged in agriculture. In early life 
 he embraced the Methodist faith, and became 
 one of its pioneers in this region. He was a 
 deep student of the doctrines of the church; 
 and the meetings of those days were held at 
 his house, which served also as the headquar- 
 ters of the circuit preachers. His wife, 
 Sarah, was a daughter of Gardner Aldrich, 
 one of the foremost men in the township. 
 One of the sons of Amasa Benson, Otis Ben- 
 son, elected on the abolitionist ticket, was a 
 Representative to the legislature from this 
 district in 1857. 
 
 George Benson was educated in the schools 
 of Northbridge and at Wilbraham Academy. 
 
55° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Beginning in his early manhood, he taught 
 school in the towns of Northbridge, Grafton, 
 Douglas, Mendon, and Sutton for seventeen 
 winters. Seventy pupils were often under his 
 charge, varying in age from five to twenty-five 
 years. So great was his tact in dealing with 
 unruly lads that he was sometimes called 
 upon to restore order in other schools where 
 the boys indulged in the old-time sport of 
 "carrying the teacher out." One glance at 
 his sturdy, rugged frame and his kindly yet 
 determined face was sufficient for the most 
 disorderly pupil. In the summer of 1840 Mr. 
 Benson bought a farm in Millbury. Not long 
 after he began taking contracts for stone work 
 on buildings, bridges, arches, mill founda- 
 tions, etc., in Sutton, Douglas, and other 
 towns. He did a large amount of work in the 
 construction of the Worcester & Providence 
 Railroad. This line of business he continued 
 until about the time of the breaking out of the 
 Civil War. Then he returned to the home- 
 stead farm in Northbridge, where he success- 
 fully carried on farming and dealt in wood 
 and lumber until about three years ago. 
 
 Mr. Benson gave many years of faithful and 
 earnest service to the town. For several 
 years he was a member of the Board of Select- 
 men and of the School Committee, he was an 
 Overseer of the Poor for twenty-four years, 
 and he also served in the capacity of Town 
 Assessor. Besides this he acted officially on 
 various town committees. Politically, he was 
 identified with the Democratic party, whose 
 principles found in him an ardent supporter. 
 At one time he was his party's candidate for 
 the legislature. During the twenty-one years 
 in which he was Justice of the Peace he set- 
 tled forty estates, many of which represented 
 large amounts. By his marriage with Esther 
 Goddard, daughter of Charles Goddard, a 
 prominent resident of Grafton, he became the 
 father of one son, Willard O. Benson, who 
 is now in Cheyenne, Wyo., and has been 
 employed by the Union Pacific Railroad for 
 the past fifteen years. Willard is married 
 and has three children. The death of Mr. 
 Benson, Sr., on April 25, 1898, at the age 
 of eighty -five years and nine months, 
 closed an eventful and useful life. Sincerely 
 
 mourned by many friends, his funeral was 
 largely attended. 
 
 OAMMI BAKER CARR, one of the 
 best known citizens of Northbridge, 
 was born in Mendon, now Black- 
 stone, Mass., November 19, 1842, 
 son of Hial Cram and Sarah (Aldrich) Carr, 
 He is of the eighth generation in descent 
 from George Carr, one of the earliest settlers 
 of Salisbury, Mass., the line being: George,' 
 William,'' Sanders,^ Hezekiah,'' Sanders,' 
 George,* Hial C.,' Loammi B.* 
 
 The Carr Family Record, of five hun- 
 dred and forty pages, compiled by Edson I. 
 Carr, of Rockton, 111., publisher of the Rock- 
 ton Herald, states that George Carr was a son 
 of Robert Carr, a native of Scotland, who 
 lived in London; that he (George) came over 
 as ship-carpenter in the "Mayflower" in 1620 
 with his wife, Lucinda; that she died the first 
 winter; that his brother William came over 
 as a sailor in the "Fortune" in 1621; and 
 that William Carr and his wife, who accom- 
 panied him, the next summer settled at what 
 is now Bristol, R.I., their nephews, Robert, 
 second, and Caleb, coming in 1635. 
 
 George Carr was in Ipswich in 1633, and 
 from there removed to Colchester, now Salis- 
 bury, Mass. On May 3, 1640, he was granted 
 an island in the Merrimac River for a home 
 and for the purpose of a ship-yard. Carr's 
 Island was the home of the Carrs for several 
 generations, and its possession gave the family 
 the monopoly of the ferrying business across 
 the river. This ferry at George Carr's death 
 was considered to be worth four hundred 
 pounds. Two members of the family were 
 drowned while attending it. The large house 
 on Carr's Island was destroyed by fire May 9, 
 1797- George Carr died in Salisbury, April 
 4, 1682; and his second wife, Elizabeth, died 
 in the same place, May 6, 1691. He had ten 
 children, born in Salisbury. 
 
 William Carr, the fourth child and next in 
 line of descent, was born March 15, 1648. 
 He married Elizabeth Pike, August 20, 1672. 
 She died in Salisbury, May 2, 1715. Their 
 son Sanders, born in Salisbury, Mass., May 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SSi 
 
 13, 1674, married Mary Purinton (entered his 
 intentions of marriage February 12, 1704, in 
 Salisbury). Their son Hezekiah, born Febru- 
 ary 27, 1 7 14, married Nanne Merrill, in Salis- 
 bury, December 7, 1733. Sanders, second, 
 son of Hezekiah, born August 27, 1734, mar- 
 ried a Miss Maxwell, and settled in Raymond, 
 N. H., where he died in 1809. George Carr, 
 son of Sanders, second, born August 20, 1764, 
 in Epping, N.H., married Mary Marden in 
 Goshen, N.H., October 28, 1790. She was 
 born in Chester, N. H., June 29, 1772, and 
 died in Goshen, January 24, 1858. He re- 
 moved to Maine in 1792, and built the first 
 wharf in Belfast. His wife, afraid that her 
 sons would want to go to sea, persuaded him 
 to return to New Hampshire, which he did 
 in 18 10. He was a very large and strong 
 man, and was a ship blacksmith. He died in 
 Bradford, N.H., June 8, 1829. They had 
 eleven children, four of whom came to Whit- 
 insville — Jonathan, George, Hial C, and 
 Charles Rue. 
 
 Hial Cram Carr was born in Deering, 
 N.H., on Thursday, January 6, 18 14. He 
 came to Whitinsville in September, 1835, and 
 worked in the Whitins' first cotton-mill with 
 his brother, George M. Carr. In September, 
 
 1838, he went to Pike County, Illinois, where 
 he took up a quarter-section of land. The 
 journal that he kept on this trip is still pre- 
 served in the family. While there he taught 
 school for two terms in the winter and spring 
 of 1838-39. Returning to Northbridge in 
 
 1839, he found employment in Hoi brook's 
 cotton-mill, where he had charge of the weav- 
 ing department. He subsequently came back 
 to Whitinsville, and was overseer in the brick 
 cotton-mill. In 1842 he went to Blackstone, 
 and after a short time he had charge of the 
 weaving in both mills in Blackstone. On 
 October i, 1850, he returned to Whitinsville 
 and bought Elisha M. Smith's livery stable. 
 April I, 1857, he bought from his brother 
 George the stage line from East Douglas to 
 Whitins' station; and on July i, 1872, he 
 sold this line to his sons, L. B. and S. A. 
 Carr, and retired from active business. His 
 death occurred March 3, 1883. He was Over- 
 seer of the Poor for a number of years. On 
 
 March 12, 1837, ^^ joined the Whitinsville 
 church, but on October 16, 1842, transferred 
 his membership to the Blackstone Congrega- 
 tional Church. He was a member of Granite 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. 
 
 He was married in Northbridge, January 6, 
 1840, to Sarah Aldrich Carr. Their children 
 were: Frances Marian, who was born Septem- 
 ber 10, 1840, and died in November, 1844; 
 Loammi Baker, whose name with birth date 
 appears at the head of this sketch ; and Sam- 
 uel Aldrich, born May 31, 1848, who married 
 Helen A. Morton, in East Douglas, Mass., 
 October 9, 1873. The mother was expelled 
 from the Society of Friends for marrying one 
 not of their faith. Hial C. Carr married for 
 his second wife Emily Scott Keith, of Whit- 
 insville, Mass., the ceremony taking place in 
 Boston, April 28, 1858. By her he had one 
 child, Alice Marian, who was born October 
 8, i860, in Whitinsville. She married Harry 
 Deacon, May 21, 1879, and died February 28, 
 1887. 
 
 Loammi Baker Carr was educated in the 
 public schools [of Whitinsville and at East 
 Greenwich Academy. He married Anne V- 
 Prentice, March 16, 1862, and settled at East 
 Douglas, where he was employed in driving 
 the stage from East Douglas to Whitinsville. 
 On August 19, 1862, he enlisted in Douglas 
 in Company I (Captain William Hunt), Fifty- 
 first Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, 
 to serve nine months. He took part in the 
 actions at Newbern, Whitehall, Goldsboro, 
 and Kingston, N.C. In July, 1863, he was 
 discharged from Stanley General Hospital at 
 Newbern and later from the service, July 
 27, 1863. Returning home, he and his 
 brother Samuel bought the stage line from 
 their father, and managed it together till 
 May I, 1874, when he bought the share of 
 Samuel. In May, 1880, Loammi B. Carr 
 went into the undertaking business. He is 
 now engaged in the stage and express business 
 at Whitinsville. 
 
 Mr. Loammi B. Carr is a strong Republican 
 in politics, and has been a delegate to several 
 Republican conventions. He was Selectman 
 in Northbridge ,in 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891. 
 F'rom 1878 to 1882 he served as Deputy 
 
SS2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Sherifif. A. prominent Mason, he was one of 
 the organizers of Granite Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 instituted October 13, 1881, and was its first 
 Master, which position he held three years. 
 He belongs to St. Elmo Chapter, R. A. M., 
 and was District Deputy in 1895. He is also 
 a member of Worcester Commandery, K. T. , 
 and of Aleppo Temple, Mystic Shrine, Bos- 
 ton. He belongs also to Rowse R. Clark 
 Post, G. A. R., and was Commander of Post 
 Jesse L. Reno, G. A. R., before it disbanded. 
 By his wife, Anne V. Prentice Carr, he has 
 had two children: Myra L, who is assistant 
 librarian at the library in Whitinsville; and 
 Bertha Marion, wife of Arthur Dewitt Mcln- 
 tire, of Putnam, Conn. 
 
 fcTjjEROME VERNON PRENTICE, of 
 Northbridge, a successful contractor 
 and builder, was born in Whitinsville, 
 Mass., November 19, 1850, a son of 
 Luke and Amy (Joslin) Prentice. His 
 immigrant progenitor, Robert Prentice, who 
 came from England, settled at Roxbury, 
 Mass., where, as existing records show, he 
 was a well-to-do man and prominent in town 
 affairs. Upon the register of the Roxbury 
 church, of which Robert Prentice was a mem- 
 ber, appears the entry, "He was buried Feb- 
 ruary 12, 1665." 
 
 The next in line of descent was Thomas, 
 known as Thomas Prentice, Sr. He was born 
 in England in 1632 or 1633, and, it is pre- 
 sumed, accompanied his parents to this coun- 
 try. In 1657, in company with his brother 
 James, he bought a farm in Newton, they being 
 among the first settlers there. He married 
 Rebecca Jackson, who was born in England, 
 daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Jackson 
 (baptized October 10, 1633, at Whitechapel 
 parish, London, according to its register). 
 Rebecca was a sister of Elizabeth Jackson, 
 the first wife of John, son of Captain Thomas 
 Prentice, the trooper of Newton. From his 
 wife's father Thomas Prentice, Sr., received 
 a gift of one hundred acres of land at the south 
 part of Newton, near "Baldpate Meadow," be- 
 sides two other tracts of land. He was Se- 
 lectman four years, 1686, 1690, 1699, and 
 
 1700. He died in 1724, when over ninety 
 years old. The date of his wife's death is not 
 known. 
 
 Their son, Thomas Prentice, Jr., was born 
 in Newton about 1669. He married Eliza- 
 beth Bond about 1690, and died December 11, 
 1724. John Prentice, one of the four chil- 
 dren of Thomas and Elizabeth (Bond) Prenr 
 tice, was born March 6, 1691. The Christian 
 name of his wife, to whom he was married 
 September 29, 1715, in Newton, Mass., was 
 Elizabeth. After their marriage they re- 
 moved to Preston, Conn. They had nine 
 children. 
 
 Samuel Prentice, the fourth in the ancestral 
 line, was born in Preston, Conn., November 
 3, 1 72 1. He removed from Preston to Sutton, 
 and lived in a log cabin near what is known 
 as the Moses Adams place. He later built 
 a frame house that afterward went by the name 
 of "the Old Gambrel-roofed House," and 
 which was burned about 1875. It was located 
 on the site of the home of Edward Maguire. 
 After another removal he took up his residence 
 in a house at the corner of the Oxford and 
 Sutton roads. Selling this place to Simeon 
 Hathaway in 1801, he went to live with his 
 son-in-law, Erastus Clark, of Sturbridge, 
 Mass., giving to him what remained of his 
 property. He died in July, 1804, aged 
 eighty-three years. Samuel Prentice married 
 for his first wife Phoebe Rist, of Uxbridge, 
 Mass., daughter of Thomas Rist, of that place. 
 He married in Sutton, Mass., for his second 
 wife, Abigail Leland, of Providence, R.I., 
 daughter of Amariah Leland. By his first 
 wife he had one child, James, born July 23, 
 1746 (O. S.), or August 3 (N. S.), of whom 
 more below. By his wife Abigail he had 
 Rhoda (born 1776, died 1839), who married 
 Erastus Clark, of Sturbridge, and had four 
 children — Erastus, Abigail, Merrick, and 
 Esther, all now deceased. 
 
 James Prentice, son of Samuel and Phoebe 
 (Rist) Prentice, was born in Sutton, Mass. 
 He owned about two hundred and fifty acres of 
 land in Sutton and Nortfebridge, seventy-six 
 acres of which he had received from his father 
 by three separate deeds. He was a Lieuten- 
 ant jn Captain March Chase's company in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SS3 
 
 Revolutionary War, and served at Roxbury, 
 Mass., and Providence and Newport, R.I. He 
 resided with his father for six years after his 
 marriage, and two of his children were born 
 in the old gambrel-roofed house. In Septem- 
 ber, 1776, they removed to Prentice Corner, 
 where they dug a cellar in the hillside, 
 boarded it over, and lived in it, while he built 
 what is now the middle part of the Willard 
 W. Prentice house. Later the north end was 
 built, and in 181 2 the main part was added. 
 At a town meeting held in Sutton August 1 7, 
 1779, Lieutenant James Prentice was one of 
 twelve appointed to carry into effect the re- 
 solves of the county and State conventions. 
 He married December 21, 1770, Mrs. Sarah 
 Whitin, daughter of Nathaniel Draper. She 
 was born June S, 1748, and died at her son 
 Luke's house, December 8, 1831, aged eighty- 
 three. Lieutenant James Prentice died May 
 20, 1837, aged ninety-one, at the home of his 
 daughter, Sarah Wright, in Spencer, Mass. 
 He had eight children — Calvin, Luther, 
 Dorcas, Luke, Levi, Nahum, Sarah, and 
 Mary. 
 
 Luke Prentice, son of Lieutenant James 
 Prentice, was born at Prentice Corner, Sutton 
 (now Northbridge) , February 11, 1779, and 
 died February 7, 1857. He married Azuba 
 Adams, daughter of Francis and Abigail 
 Adams, of Northbridge, July 20, 1805. She 
 was born June 8, 1780, and died December 29, 
 1862. Their children were: James Adams, 
 Minerva, Luke, Jr., Marvel, Mellen, and 
 Abigail Baylies. The father was a school 
 teacher before his marriage and for one year 
 afterward. From 1806 to 1808 he conducted 
 a store at Northbridge in company with 
 Charles Prentice, of Grafton. He also learned 
 the trade of watchmaker. About 181 3 he re- 
 moved to Prentice Corner and took charge of 
 his father's farm. From 181 5 to 1831 he was 
 engaged in trade, driving to Providence with 
 hoes, scythes, guns, shoes, and other wares, 
 then taking sloop to Newport, New York^ Bal- 
 timore, Philadelphia, Savannah, Ga., in which 
 markets he sold or traded his goods. He 
 served the town as Highway Surveyor, Con- 
 stable and Collector, Assessor, Selectman. 
 He belonged to the Masonic order, being a 
 
 Knight Templar. On his farm he found many 
 Indian relics, which he presented to the Anti- 
 quarian Society in Worcester. 
 
 Luke Prentice, Jr., was born March 28, 
 1 812, at Northbridge Centre, Mass. He mar- 
 ried Amy Joslin, daughter of Juni and Patty 
 Joslin, of East Thompson, March 21, 1836. 
 He learned shoemaking and worked at his 
 trade until 1840, when he came to Whitins- 
 ville, and entered the employ of P. Whitin & 
 Sons, with whom he remained until 1868. 
 He joined the Congregational church here, 
 July 4, 1858, his wife having joined in 1834. 
 He removed to Church Street, where in 1848 
 he built a house that he sold in 1880 to 
 Charles Trowbridge. In 1875 he laid out and 
 built Prospect Street, which was accepted by 
 the town in 1877. He then built a house 
 in which he resided until November, 1881, 
 when he built the house on Cottage Street, 
 where he died June 15, 1891. He was Sur- 
 veyor for thirty years and Assessor from 1856 
 to 1879. His wife died March 24, 1885. 
 Their children were: Mendrick Arnold, born 
 December 27, 1836, died October 11, 1851; 
 Lydia L. , born June 4, 1838, married Charles 
 T. Cady, of Providence, February 27, 1857, 
 died November 12, 1861 ; Arethusa Marian, 
 born September 8, 1839, died October 15, 
 1843; Lyman Joslin, born August 17, 1841, 
 a machinist, who enlisted and served in 
 Company A, Twenty-fifth Regiment, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteers, was in the battles of 
 Kingston, Whitehall, Goldsboro, Rocky Hock 
 Creek, Port Walthall, Chesterfield Junction, 
 and Arrowfield Church, where he was wounded 
 May 9, 1864, and died of his wounds May 16 
 following at Chesapeake Hospital, Fortress 
 Monroe, Va. ; Anne V., born May 29, 1844, 
 married Loammi B. Carr (subject of another 
 sketch), March 16, 1862; John Mowry, born 
 March 26, 1846, died March 10, 1847; Lucius 
 A., born February 22, 1848, married Ida 
 Jones, of Sutton; and Jerome Vernon, born 
 November 19, 1850, whose name begins this 
 sketch, and whose personal history will be 
 given more fully. 
 
 Jerome Vernon Prentice received his educa- 
 tion in the schools of Northbridge. When 
 about twenty years old he began to learn the 
 
554 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 carpenter's trade. After spending five years 
 as an apprentice and journeyman he went 
 into business for himself as a contractor, and 
 has since remained thus engaged, having been 
 very successful. In busy times he employs 
 a large number of men. Among the buildings 
 erected by him are several school buildings at 
 Northbridge, the Haywood woollen-mills at 
 Douglas, which he built in 1895, and one hun- 
 dred and five tenements for the Whitins. He 
 is a thorough master of his craft, and it may 
 well be said of him that his work is his best 
 advertisement. He has served on the Board 
 of Selectmen of Northbridge for the last five 
 years, two years of which as chairman; and 
 for four years he has been Superintendent of 
 Streets. 
 
 On August 30, 1877, he married Elizabeth 
 Southwick Farnum, daughter of Luke and 
 Chloe (Taft) Farnum, of Northbridge, her 
 father being a well-known farmer and lum- 
 berman of that town, in which he served as 
 Assessor for twenty-two years. He died in 
 Uxbridge, October, 1884. Mr. Prentice built 
 his present comfortable home in 1881, adding 
 to it in 1896 a spacious modern barn. 
 
 V^V» Jul 
 
 ILLIAM WIGHT, a prosperous 
 farmer of Sturbridge, was born here, 
 ily 22, 1823, son of Festus and 
 Lydia (Marsh) Wight. His grandfather, Al- 
 pheus Wight, who was born September 16, 
 1770, to dig a canal and raceway one-half a 
 mile long, in November, 1798, with wooden 
 shovels with iron on the edge. The object of 
 this work was to carry water to a grist and 
 saw mill, which began running in the spring 
 of 1800. He paid fifty cents per day for hired 
 labor. Alpheus was twice married : first on 
 January 25, 1792, to Miriam Belknap, who 
 was born in 1772, and died on November 25, 
 1822. His children by this union were: Fes- 
 tus, Miriam, Buckminster, Sarah, Caroline, 
 Betsey, Evelina, Eliza, Winthrop, Nancy, 
 Lothrop, Alpheus, and Adaline. His second 
 wife, in maidenhood Mary H. Howe, to whom 
 he was married in 1826, died February 9, 
 1873, aged eighty-three years. She bore him 
 one child, Charles P. Wight, born in 1827. 
 
 Festus Wight, eldest child of Alpheus and 
 Miriam Wight, was born October 17, 1793. 
 He followed agriculture and also conducted a 
 saw-mill, carding and dressing mill, and grist- 
 mill during the active years of his life. In 
 politics he was an old-time Whig, in religion 
 a Congregationalist. He served his town for 
 several years in the capacity of Selectman. 
 His marriage with Lydia Marsh was performed 
 November 3, 1816. They were the first to 
 celebrate a golden wedding in the town of 
 Sturbridge. Their children were: William, 
 Sarah M., and Lydia M. Sarah M. was bom 
 March 11, 1821. Lydia M., born in Novem- 
 ber, 1825, died August 27, 1847. The 
 mother, who was born February 2, 1794, died 
 February 9, 1867. 
 
 William Wight received his education in 
 the public schools of Sturbridge. Having 
 remained with his parents until then, he hired 
 out on a farm in 1845 for small wages. In 
 1848 he purchased a half-interest in the grist- 
 mill and saw-mill owned by his father. The 
 carding and dressing mill was sold to the Snell 
 Manufacturing Company in 1853. Three years 
 later he came into possession of the old Wight 
 homestead farm, situated in what was then 
 commonly known as Wight Village. To the 
 original two hundred and fifty acres in the 
 farm he subsequently added one hundred and 
 fifty acres, and made many improvements in 
 the buildings. In addition to carrying on his 
 farm, he has dealt quite extensively in lumber, 
 and though now in his seventy-fifth year he 
 still conducts both his farm and his lumber 
 business. In the fall of 1897 he assisted in 
 shingling his barn. In the year 1894 he 
 visited California and several of the Southern 
 States, and he contemplates making another 
 trip to Southern California. 
 
 Mr. Wight has twice married, first on Sep- 
 tember 6, 1849, to Sophia Janes, of Brimfield, 
 Mass., who bore him three children, none of 
 whom lived beyond childhood. They were: 
 Sarah Jane, born January 10, 185 1, who died 
 December 15, 1856; Abby F., born February 
 28, 1858, who died March 8 of the same year; 
 and Annie Bliss, born July 8, 1859, who died 
 February 22, i860. The second marriage was 
 contracted June 3, 1862, with Ursula Bel- 
 
WILLIAM WIGHT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S57 
 
 knap, who was born September 12, 18 19, 
 daughter of Peter and Anna (Marsh) Belknap. 
 In politics Mr. Wight is a Republican. He 
 has served his town creditably as Selectman, 
 Overseer of the Poor, and Assessor; and he is 
 a member of the grange and a trustee of the 
 Joshua Hyde Library. At one time he was 
 a member of the old Quinebaug Library Asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 "ON. EBENEZER B. LYNDE, a 
 well-known resident of West Brook- 
 field, is a direct descendant of 
 Enoch Lynde, a merchant of Lon- 
 don, England, and Elizabeth (Digby) Lynde, 
 who were married in 1614. Simon, their only 
 child, a native of London, born in June, 
 1624, came to Boston in 1650. He was 
 made a Justice for the county of Suffolk, and 
 he acquired a large landed estate in Saybrook, 
 Conn. His son Nathaniel was born in Bos- 
 ton, November 22, 1659. Another son, Ben- 
 jamin, born in 1666, was appointed Chief Jus- 
 tice of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, 
 which office he held until his death in 1745. 
 Benjamin's son, Benjamin Lynde, Jr., was 
 appointed a Justice in 1745 and Chief Justice 
 in 1769. Nathaniel, son of Simon, married 
 at Boston in 1683 a daughter of Deputy 
 Governor Francis Willoughby, and moved on 
 to the estate in Saybrook. He became a Jus- 
 tice of the Quorum, and was an early bene- 
 factor and the first treasurer of Yale College, 
 which was afterward removed to New Haven. 
 The precise location of his residence in Say- 
 brook was what is still called Lynde's Point, 
 at the mouth of the Connecticut River. The 
 four succeeding generations of the family that 
 lived here were respectively represented by 
 Samuel, a judge, born in 1684; Willoughby, 
 born in 1710; Samuel, born in 1736; and Na- 
 thaniel, born May 18, 1784. The first three 
 ancestors mentioned were educated at Yale 
 College. The fourth, Nathaniel, moved 
 to what is now West Brookfield in 1805, and 
 became the owner of much land. His second 
 marriage was contracted with Eunice Phelps, 
 a daughter of Captain Ebenezer Bissell, of 
 Windsor, Conn. 
 
 Ebenezer B. Lynde, son of Nathaniel and 
 Eunice Phelps Lynde, was born in West 
 Brookfield, August 31, 1823. He was edu- 
 cated in the public schools and at Leicester 
 Academy. Subsequently following the occu- 
 pation of farmer, he acquired considerable real 
 estate. Interested in the Warren Savings 
 Bank, he serves it in the capacity of vice- 
 president. On January 23, 1850, he married 
 Minerva Jane White, daughter of Joseph Lee 
 White, a manufacturer in North Adams. Of 
 the children born to him, three are living, 
 namely : Herbert Bissell, who is employed by 
 the H. B. Hood Company; Nathaniel White, 
 a physician in New York City; and Mary Fin- 
 ney, now residing at home with her parents. 
 
 Referring to Mr. Lynde's public career, 
 William T. Davis, in his history of the Brook- 
 fields, has the following: "Mr. Lynde early 
 won a prominent position in his native town. 
 Though at all times reluctant to assume public 
 office, his clear head and sound judgment, 
 combined with a strong will and an unusual 
 executive ability, have often been sought by 
 his fellow-citizens, and when sought they 
 have been willingly lent. He has served 
 on the Board of Selectmen. As Moderator of 
 town meetings and in various ways he has 
 brought his active influence to bear in the 
 promotion of the interests and welfare of the 
 town. He is a member of the Congregational 
 church, and to his energy and fidelity much of 
 its prosperity was due; and to his business 
 foresight may properly be attributed the in- 
 surance of its meeting-house before it was 
 burned in 1881, without which the injury in- 
 flicted upon the society would have been well- 
 nigh irreparable." In 1877 and 1878-79 he 
 represented the Worcester Third District in 
 the Massachusetts Senate, and in both terms 
 was a member of the Committees on Agricult- 
 ure, Engrossed Bills, and Taxation. He has 
 been the president of the Worcester South 
 Agricultural Society, and was appointed by 
 the Governor successively for four years a del- 
 egate of the State of Massachusetts to the 
 Farmers' National Congress. He is vice- 
 president of the Quaboag Historical Society; 
 was one of seven, who more than twenty years 
 ago organized the West Brookfield Farmers' 
 
SS8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Club, which has become the largest organiza- 
 tion of the kind in the State; and, chosen by 
 his town, he is one of the trustees of the 
 Stickney Fund. 
 
 One of Mr. Lynde's most cherished posses- 
 sions is the history of the Lynde-Digby fam- 
 ily, consisting of four large volumes and a 
 large volume of pedigree charts. The pedi- 
 grees include those of Elizabeth Digby's an- 
 cestors, who were of the family of Lord 
 Digby, back to Aelmar Digby, to whom lands 
 were granted by William the Conqueror in 
 1085. He also preserves the ancient family 
 arms of the Digbys. In the history the 
 Lyndes are traced in Holland, from which 
 Enoch went to London, and where the family 
 name was Van der Lynden, through many gen- 
 erations, back to the Baron Van der Lynden, 
 whose coat of arms and seal, as identified and 
 recorded at the College of Arms at The Hague, 
 are also preserved. No less interesting are 
 two beautiful pastel portraits of Elizabeth 
 Digby, also carefully kept by Mr. Lynde, 
 which were brought over by the Hon. Simon 
 Lynde in 1650. 
 
 town, 
 1821. 
 
 ^AMUEL WALKER, for many years 
 a manufacturer of boots and shoes 
 in Milford and one of the most 
 highly respected citizens of the 
 was born in Natick on December 30, 
 He died at his home in Hopedale, 
 June 28, 1890. Mr. Walker was a descend- 
 ant of Captain Richard Walker, who came 
 from England in 1630, and settled in Lynn. 
 This is the line: Richard," Samuel,^ Israel, ^ 
 Henry,'' Henry,' Solomon,* Solomon, Jr.,' 
 Samuel.* 
 
 Captain Richard's son Samuel resided in 
 Woburn, and was a Selectman in 1 675. 
 Prior to 1725 Henry Walker, son of Israel, 
 removed to Hopkinton; and his son Henry.s 
 born in 1701, was one of about a dozen men 
 who perished in the expedition against the 
 West Indies in 1740-41. Solomon Walker 
 became a soldier, and, it is said, "spent three 
 years in the old French War, in which he had 
 a thigh and three ribs broken." Solomon 
 Walker, Jr., who was born in Hopkinton in 
 
 1777 and died in 1827, settled in Natick 
 when a young man, and engaged in the boot 
 and shoe business. He served through the 
 War of 1 812. His wife was Mary Washburn, 
 of Natick, a woman of great piety and force of 
 character. They had nine children, Samuel 
 being the seventh. 
 
 Shortly before his father's death Samuel 
 Walker was given to his brother Emory, who 
 was a manufacturer of boots and shoes in Mil- 
 ford ; and a year after he was set to work at 
 stitching boots. When he was eleven years 
 of age he was put out on a farm belonging to 
 Rufus Thayer, of Milford, where he remained ' 
 for the next four years. He then returned to 
 his brother; and a year later, when sixteen, he 
 bought his time, and began to engage in con- 
 tract work, in which he was so far successful 
 that at the end of a year he was able to dis- 
 charge his debt to his brother. At twenty he 
 had saved one hundred and twenty dollars, 
 and in June, 1842, he engaged in manufactur- 
 ing boots and shoes on his own account, sell- 
 ing in Boston and Providence. His ventures 
 proved so successful that by the time he was 
 twenty-three he had saved a thousand dollars, 
 and with this he built a small shop in South 
 Main Street. Selling his stock, and renting 
 his shop to Robert Fyllerton, in April, 1845, 
 he went West to make some collections for 
 his brother Emory. During his absence of 
 about a month he cleared only enough to cover 
 his expenses; and as his shop was burned two 
 or three days after his return, and Mr. Fuller- 
 ton was thereby bankrupted, he was again left 
 without capital, and had to start anew. 
 
 He had in the previous February married 
 Lucy Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Lewis 
 Johnson, a hardware merchant of Milford, and 
 through her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Lucy 
 Jones Parkhurst (daughter of Nathaniel Alden 
 Jones and grand-daughter of Anthony and 
 Elizabeth (Alden) Jones), a descendant of 
 John Alden, of the "Mayflower." Mrs. 
 Walker was a woman of fine presence, keen 
 wit, and true to her Pilgrim ancestry in all 
 her ideals of thought and religion. 
 
 Beginning again the manufacture of boots 
 and shoes, from that time on Mr. Walker did 
 an increasing business. He opened a store 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 SS9 
 
 for the sale of his goods in Fulton Street, 
 Boston, which was then the centre of the 
 wholesale boot and shoe trade in that city. 
 For several years before the Civil War he em- 
 ployed about a hundred convicts from the 
 State prison in the manufacture of coarse 
 goods for the use of slaves in the South. On 
 account of the dulness of the market in i860 
 he had accumulated a heavy stock, and early 
 in 1 86 1 he sold the whole lot to a Southern 
 firm at a big discount, and thus lost by the 
 breaking out of the war about fifty thousand 
 dollars. It was now proposed to him by Gov- 
 ernor Andrew and Warden Hayes of the State 
 prison that he should undertake the manu- 
 facture at the prison of cartridge belts and 
 other leather equipments for the soldiers of 
 the State. In a short time he had not only 
 the convicts but every man he could employ 
 in Milford at work, and was able to supply a 
 regiment a day. He also manufactured for 
 other States. Having supplied the urgent 
 need of the government in less than a year, he 
 returned to his former line of manufacturing, 
 which had again become profitable. In 1862 
 Mr. Walker established a store in Chicago, 
 which was in successful operation until the 
 great fire of 1871, when it was destroyed with 
 a resulting loss of seventy thousand dollars. 
 In 1872 another heavy loss was encountered 
 by the burning of the Boston store, which had 
 been removed the previous year to Summer 
 Street. The insurance in this case was, how- 
 ever, so well placed that a loss of only nine- 
 teen thousand dollars accrued, and this was 
 covered by the profits of the year. 
 
 In 1868, when his factory was running at 
 its fullest capacity and was the largest in the 
 State, he attempted to have the brother of an 
 old house servant taught the trade of boot 
 treeing. A strike of every man in the factory 
 was the result. They belonged to the order 
 called Knights of St. Crispin, which at- 
 tempted to dictate the number of apprentices 
 each employer should have. For months the 
 strike continued. His friends warned Mr. 
 Walker that his life was threatened, and 
 urged him to go armed. This he refused to 
 do, fearing that he might be tempted to use a 
 pistol if he had one. But the fighting blood 
 
 of his ancestors was aroused, and he refused to 
 give up the control of his business to his 
 workmen. The struggle lasted three years, 
 during which time his factory was gradually 
 filled with non-union men. These were in- 
 timidated and annoyed, until finally Mr. 
 Walker brought suit against Michael Cronan, 
 the leader of the order, for ten thousand dol- 
 lars' damages to his business. Mr. Cronan 
 had been told by his associates to fight Mr. 
 Walker till "eternity's bells should ring." 
 They approved of all he did, and promised to 
 stand by him ; but, when he found himself 
 liable for these heavy damages, the men he 
 had been trying to help all deserted him. 
 Mr. Cronan then published a statement in the 
 Milford Journal of July 22, 1873, a part of 
 which read as follows: "I had more to expect 
 from the generosity of the man whom the 
 Crispin Order delegated me to break down 
 than the justice of those with whom I co-oper- 
 ated. Mr. Walker had the courage, without 
 regard to cost, to face us, although we boasted 
 sixty thousand strong. I, for one, have seen 
 enough of man's infidelity to man. I believe 
 the laboring man should strive to elevate him- 
 self; but he must do it in this free country by 
 industry, sobriety, and intelligence, which all 
 may acquire. Artificial methods and combi- 
 nations may promise well in the beginning, 
 but are certain to end in miserable failure." 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Walker retired from business 
 with an ample fortune, honestly acquired, and 
 settled to the enjoyment of rural life on his 
 fine farm of two hundred acres that he had 
 bought a few years before, and on which he 
 built a beautiful residence. The estate is 
 known as Harvest Hill. It is situated about 
 a mile south of Milford, in South Hopedale, 
 and is now the home of his daughter, Mrs. 
 Day. 
 
 Many years ago Mr. Walker was president 
 of the Home National Bank of Milford, 
 which he founded, and was connected with 
 various other monetary institutions. He 
 was an upright, large-hearted, whole-souled 
 Christian gentleman, and his chief delight 
 was in quietly and unostentatiously doing some 
 act of kindness which might lighten the bur- 
 I den of a fellow-man. Many instances of his 
 
56o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 great generosity, wide sympathy, and patient 
 endurance of misfortune are remembered and 
 often referred to. He had a great fondness 
 for children, and it was not unusual to see 
 several urchins riding with him in his car- 
 riage, while he took great pleasure in talking 
 with them. Children were sure of a joyful 
 time when invited to be his guests, as was 
 often the case ; and no labor was too great to 
 make their visit delightful. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Walker were the parents of 
 six children, of whom these three are living: 
 Henrietta, who was born on April 2, 1847; 
 John Parkhurst, born in November, 1862; and 
 Sophia, who was born on August 7, 1864. 
 Henrietta is the widow of Martin N. Day, 
 who was a prominent business man of New 
 York City. Her children are: Samuel 
 Walker Day, a student of the Brooklyn Poly- 
 technic Institute and now a broker in New 
 York; Paul, a graduate of Harvard in the 
 class of 1896, now a draftsman with the 
 Draper Company; Edward Bliss, also a gradu- 
 ate of Harvard and a civil engineer, now con- 
 nected with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
 Railroad; Lucy Elizabeth, who is a student 
 at Smith College; and Henrietta Hamlin, 
 who is in the Hopedale High School. 
 Sophia Walker, who married Edgar Piper, re- 
 sides at Hillside in Medford. She has two 
 sons — Samuel Walker Piper and Raymond 
 Alden Piper. John P. Walker resides in 
 Bloomington, 111., on an estate left him by 
 his father. He has one child, Lucy Elder. 
 His wife was the daughter of one of the lead- 
 ing physicians of that city. Dr. William A. 
 Elder. 
 
 KRANCIS DEXTER NEWTON, Deputy 
 Sheriff of Worcester County, was born 
 in Southboro, August 31, 1848. A 
 son of Judge Dexter and Arethusa (Brigham) 
 Newton, he comes of old Colonial stock by 
 both parents. In 1656 Richard Newton, an 
 early settler of Sudbury, was one of thirteen 
 petitioners to the General Court of Massachu- 
 setts for the organization of the town of Marl- 
 boro. He settled in that part of Marlboro 
 which is now Southboro, and there, in the two 
 
 hundred and forty years that have since passed, 
 a race of energetic and progressive men have 
 perpetuated the name of Newton. 
 
 Amos Newton, Francis D. Newton's great- 
 grandfather, was a wealthy citizen, owning a 
 large estate. He was one of the minute-men 
 at Lexington in 1776. His son, Stephen Fran- 
 cis D. Newton's grandfather, who was also a 
 large land-owner, lived on the Newton home- 
 stead in Southboro, and was prominent in 
 town affairs. At his death he left a large 
 amount of property to each of his children. 
 
 Dexter Newton, who was Stephen Newton's 
 youngest son, was born in Southboro, January 
 13, 1823. For a generation he ranked as the 
 leading citizen of the town, and he did a large 
 part of the legal business there. He was a 
 surveyor and auctioneer, was a trustee of es- 
 tates, wrote deeds and transacted a large 
 amount of probate business, and he was Jus- 
 tice of the First District Court at Westboro 
 for eleven years. A man of great executive abil- 
 ity and rare good judgment, he was honored by 
 his native town with every public office within 
 its gift. He was Town Assessor for thirty 
 consecutive years, served many years on the 
 Board of Selectmen, was Moderator at the town 
 meetings with very few exceptions for twenty- 
 seven years, and was twice elected to represent 
 the district in the State legislature. He was 
 in the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
 when the Boston Water Works began to take 
 land in this section, and there worked zeal- 
 ously for the interest of Southboro and other 
 small towns, and served on the Prison Com- 
 mittee. He was a man of literary taste, and 
 wrote a history of Southboro for the County 
 History, which was published shortly before 
 his death. Judge Newton died in harness in 
 September, 1889. His wife is a member of 
 a famous old Colonial family descended from 
 the pioneer John Brigham. 
 
 Francis Dexter Newton was attending the 
 Southboro High School when the war broke 
 out. In July, 1864, when he was fifteen years 
 and eleven months old, he enlisted in Com- 
 pany E, Fifth Massachusetts Volunteer In- 
 fantry, and was afterward in active service for 
 some time at Baltimore and in the forts about 
 Washington. After his return he learned the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 563 
 
 painter's trade, which he followed for three 
 years. He then worked in the store of John 
 and Francis Wright for five years, after which 
 he formed a partnership with John and Francis 
 Wright, and the firm purchased the Fayville 
 general store, now managed by Francis Wright. 
 At his father's death Mr. Newton took up the 
 work dropped by the older man. He transacts 
 a large amount of miscellaneous legal business, 
 acting as auctioneer. Notary Public, and Justice 
 of the Peace. For a number of years he has 
 figured prominently in local politics, and is at 
 present serving on various town committees. 
 He has been chairman of both the Board of 
 Selectmen and the Board of Assessors. 
 
 Mr. Newton was married January 18, 1870, 
 to Miss Ella A. Strickland, of Palmer, Mass., 
 who died in July, 1875. On September 18, 
 1879, he was again married to Miss Ellen J. 
 Milan, of Milford, Mass. ; and they have one 
 son, Roland S., who is in Phillips Exeter 
 Academy, preparing for college. A Mason in 
 good standing, Mr. Newton has been three 
 years Master of St. Bernard Lodge, of South- 
 boro. He is prominent in Grand Army 
 circles. 
 
 Tp)TENRY A. GOODRICH, a successful 
 f^J clothing merchant of Fitchburg, was 
 lis I born in this city, November 22, 
 ^""^ 1830, eldest son of John and Mary 
 A. (Blake) Goodrich. His first known pa- 
 ternal ancestor in this country was William 
 Goodrich, of Watertown, Mass. The name 
 Goodridge or Goodrich has been identified 
 with the history of Fitchburg since the incor- 
 poration of the town. One of William's de- 
 scendants came with its first settlers to Fitch- 
 burg. David Goodridge, the great-grandson 
 of the latter, though a man of but limited 
 means, was a leader in the community. He 
 was a member of the First Provincial Con- 
 gress and a Deacon of the First Church in 
 Fitchburg. Two of David's great-grandsons 
 were lifelong and honored residents of Fitch- 
 burg. John Goodrich died in this city in 
 April, 1888, at the advanced age of fourscore. 
 The education of Henry A. Goodrich in- 
 cluded courses in the Fitchburg High School 
 
 and Fitchburg Academy. One of the eight 
 boys enrolled for the first term of the high 
 school, he is the only one of them who has 
 remained in Fitchburg. In 1849, 3' the age 
 of nineteen, he obtained the position of over- 
 seer in a woollen-mill. During the four years 
 ensuing he saved his money, and in January, 
 
 1855, was able to buy out a hat and furnishing 
 store under the Fitchburg Hotel. So success- 
 ful was he here that in a few years he estab- 
 lished a branch store in Belding & Dickinson's 
 Block, Fitchburg, and another in Brattleboro, 
 Vt. Eventually, consolidating his two Fitch- 
 burg stores, he made his headquarters in 1869 
 in Belding & Dickinson's Block. In January, 
 1885, he moved to his present handsome 
 and commodious quarters in E. M. Dickin- 
 son's new block. He is now the senior part- 
 ner of one of the leading clothing firms of the 
 State. Mr. Goodrich has been largely inter- 
 ested in local real estate, and was at one time 
 half-owner of the L. J. Brown Block, which 
 interest he subsequently sold to Mr. Brown. 
 In 1868 he bought the American House prop- 
 erty. Afterward he erected the Goodrich 
 Block and another on Day Street. In 1874 
 he sold the American House, and in the same 
 year he became a stockholder and director in 
 the Haskins Machine Company. This last 
 venture proved a disastrous one. He was 
 active in organizing the Fitchburg Board of 
 Trade, and was one of its first vice-presidents ; 
 and he was president of the Merchants' Asso- 
 ciation in 1887. He is one of the trustees 
 of the Worcester North Savings Institution, 
 President of the Fitchburg Board of Trade, and 
 a Director of the Safety Fund National Bank. 
 During the war he was treasurer of the Fitch- 
 burg Bounty Fund, collecting and disbursing 
 over twenty thousand dollars, which sum was 
 afterward refunded by the town. After the 
 battle of the Wilderness he, together with Dr. 
 Alfred Hitchcock and E. B. Hayward, was 
 sent to look after the sick and wounded Fitch- 
 burg soldiers in the hospitals at Fredericks- 
 burg and Washington. 
 
 Mr. Goodrich was married in December, 
 
 1856, to Harriet, daughter of John and Har- 
 riet H. Stebbins, of Vernon, Vt. His only 
 daughter, Emma L., is the wife of W. L. 
 
5^4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Humes. His sons were: John S., who died 
 in infancy; and William Henry, a young man 
 of marked ability and great promise, who died 
 March 24, 1894, after having nearly com- 
 pleted a four years' course in Tufts College. 
 Mr. Goodrich was a strong anti-slavery man 
 and a member of the first Free Soil Town 
 Committee of Fitchburg. His first Presiden- 
 tial vote was cast for John P. Hale. Al- 
 though a member of the Republican party 
 since it was organized, he has independent 
 views, and has not always agreed with the 
 measures of his party. In 1870 and 1871 he 
 was in the State legislature, serving two 
 years on the Hoosac Tunnel Committee at the 
 critical period in the history of that enterprise. 
 At the time of the organization of the city 
 government he was on the Board of Assessors. 
 He was the citizens' candidate for Mayor in 
 1885, when his ticket was defeated by a wave 
 of radical prohibition, regardless of the fact 
 that Mr. Goodrich was practically a temper- 
 ance man. He has been for several years on 
 the Board of Trustees of the Fitchburg Public 
 Libraf}'. A member of the Massachusetts 
 Mutual Aid Society from its organization, he 
 was elected its president in 1887. In 1892 
 he was Presidential elector from the Fourth 
 Massachusetts District. 
 
 EYMAN N. FAIRBANKS, one of the 
 most skilful and prosperous agri- 
 ^ culturists of Westboro, Mass., 
 was born in Sterling, Worcester 
 County, August 12, 1830. A son of Seth and 
 Nancy (Nichols) Fairbanks, he is of old Colo- 
 nial stock, being a direct descendant of Jona- 
 than Fairbanks, who came from Yorkshire, 
 England, in 1633, and settled at Dedham, 
 Mass. This is the line: Jonathan,' Jonas, "^ 
 Captain Jabez,^ Jonathan," Seth, Sr.,s Seth, 
 Jr.,' Lyman N.^ 
 
 The old Fairbanks house, built at Dedham 
 by Jonathan, the immigrant, is still standing, 
 and is occupied by a Fairbanks. Richard 
 Fairbanks, the first Postmaster of Boston, ap- 
 pointed in 1639 to receive at his house letters 
 from abroad, was a brother of Jonathan of 
 Dedham. 
 
 Jonas Fairbanks removed from Dedham to 
 Lancaster in 1657, becoming one of the origi- 
 nal settlers of that ancient town. He was 
 killed by the Indians in 1676. Captain Jabez 
 Fairbanks, born at Lancaster in 1670, was a 
 famous scouting officer. During the Indian 
 raid of 1697, when his brother Jonathan and 
 one of the latter's children were killed, he 
 saved the garrison at Lancaster from destruc- 
 tion. He was very prominent in local affairs, 
 and was Representative to the General Court 
 in 1714, 1721, 1722, and 1723. He died at 
 the age of about eighty-four years. Jonathan 
 Fairbanks, ■* baptized at Lancaster, June 18, 
 1710, died in 1798. Seth Fairbanks, Sr., 
 grandfather of Lyman N., was born Decem- 
 ber 7, 1755, in that part of Lancaster now 
 known as West Boylston, where his death oc- 
 curred December 31, 1833. His occupation 
 was farming. He was one of the patriots that 
 responded to the Lexington alarm call, and he 
 subsequently served in the Revolution as a 
 cavalry officer, wearing a sword that is still 
 in the possession of the family. 
 
 Seth Fairbanks, Jr., was born at West 
 Boylston, October 6, 1799, and died in Lan- 
 caster, November 9, 1843. He was a man of 
 scholarly attainments, being a great reader 
 and having a remarkable retentiveness. It 
 was no unusual thing for him to commit to 
 memory thirty pages of history in an evening. 
 He was a farmer, and also worked at the car- 
 penter's trade. He married Nancy Nichols, 
 and had four children, born as follows: Lyman 
 Nichols, August 12, 1830; Lucy Dodge, Oc- 
 tober 6, 1833; Nancy Nichols, June 3, 1836; 
 Ellen Ward, February 26, 1839. 
 
 Lyman N. Fairbanks had mastered the car- 
 penter's trade by the time he was sixteen 
 years old, and he continued to work at it two 
 or three years after. Attacked by the gold 
 fever in 1849, he joined the tide of emigra- 
 tion westward, and, sailing from Boston oh 
 the good bark "Sea Breeze," rounded Cape 
 Horn, and was among the first to arrive at the 
 mines in California early in the summer of 
 1850. After an absence of about two years 
 he returned to Fitchburg. He has since made 
 two other trips across the continent. In 1854 
 he assumed the management of the famous 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 565 
 
 Nichols estate of six hundred acres in Fitch- 
 burg, where he remained twelve years, and 
 had twenty -five men working under him. 
 Coming in 1870 to Westboro, Mr. Fairbanks 
 bought his present farm, on which by re- 
 building and remodelling he has constructed 
 the best equipped set of farm buildings in 
 this section of the county. In 1889 he again 
 went to Fitchburg as superintendent of the 
 Nichols farm, a position which he resigned in 
 1894 in order to resume the charge of his own 
 extensive farming interests in Westboro. 
 Here he makes a specialty of dairying, having 
 a fine herd of sixty or more Holstein cows 
 and all the modern appliances for successfully 
 carrying on his business. Although he takes 
 an interest in local and national affairs, he 
 has never mingled in politics, believing that 
 singleness of purpose and intelligent, perse- 
 vering effort are the keynotes to success. 
 And this he has most assuredly achieved. It 
 has always been his custom to attend strictly 
 to the work he has had in hand, never neglect- 
 ing his own affairs to look after those of other 
 people. 
 
 On May 5, 1853, Mr. Fairbanks married 
 Eliza Ann, daughter of Silas and Eliza 
 (Lowe) Hutchinson, of Lunenburg, Mass. 
 They have had four children, namely : Lyman 
 Nichols, a successful architect, who died in 
 Westboro, June 18, 1881; Lila A., the wife 
 of Charles Henry Hersom, of this town; Isaac 
 Hutchinson, who is in business in Brookline; 
 and Henry Allen, the youngest, who has 
 charge of the milling operations of the Em- 
 pire Mine at Grass Valley, Cal., the scene of 
 his father's early mining ventures. 
 
 |j^|EV. WILLIAM TRUE SLEEPER, 
 a retired Congregational minister 
 
 residing in Worcester, Mass., was 
 born in Danbury, N. H., February 
 9, 1 8 19, son of Jonathan and Mary (Parker) 
 Sleeper. He is a descendant in the seventh 
 generation of Thomas Sleeper, who came from 
 England in 1640. 
 
 His father was born in Andover, N. H., in 
 1791; and his grandfather, Thomas, who 
 served in the Revolutionary War, was a native 
 
 of that State. Both were prosperous farmers. 
 Thomas Sleeper married in 1771 Mary Davis, 
 who bore him five sons and four daughters, all 
 of whom except one son married and had large 
 families. To each of his sons he gave a farm. 
 He died in 1825. 
 
 Jonathan Sleeper, son of Thomas, carried on 
 a farm in Danbury, N.H., for a number of 
 years, and then moved to Smyrna, Aroostook 
 County, Me. He resided in Aroostook 
 County until his death, which occurred in 
 1865. He took an active interest in the relig- 
 ion of Jesus Christ. He was twice married. 
 Mary Parker, who became his first wife, and 
 was the mother of his children, was the daugh- 
 ter of Deacon Daniel Parker. She was born 
 in Chester, N. H., about the year 1786; and at 
 the time of their marriage, which took place 
 in 1 812, she was living in Salisbury, that 
 State, a school teacher. She died in Smyrna, 
 Me., in 1849. Three of their children died in 
 infancy, and six grew to maturity, namely : 
 Jonathan, who died in Sherman in 1888, leav- 
 ing two sons and three daughters ; Moses, who 
 died in 1889, leaving two daughters; Daniel, 
 who died in 1886, leaving two sons and three 
 daughters; the Rev. William T. , the subject 
 of this sketch ; Mary Ann, who is no longer 
 living; and Martha Jane, who is the widow of 
 Moses Perry, and resides in Island Falls, Me. 
 
 William True Sleeper pursued his early 
 studies at the district schools in Houlton, 
 Me., and acquired his higher education after 
 he was twenty-one years old. Leaving the 
 farm at that age, he fitted for college at Phillips 
 Academy, Exeter, N. H. He was graduated 
 from the University of Vermont in the class of 
 1850 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and 
 later received the degree of Master of Arts. 
 He paid his tuition with funds earned in 
 teaching and canvassing. His theological 
 studies were pursued at the Andover (Mass.) 
 Theological Seminary; and he was ordained an 
 evangelist at the Central Church, Worcester, 
 in 1854. The next three years were devoted 
 to missionary work in this city, for the suc- 
 ceeding four years he was chaplain at the Re- 
 form School in Westboro, and for fifteen years 
 he was a home missionary in Northern Maine. 
 His residence in that distant locality may be 
 
S66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 truthfully considered the busiest period of his 
 useful life, as in it he organized a Congrega- 
 tional church in Sherman ; built houses of 
 worship in Patten, Sherman, and Fort Fair- 
 field; established at Caribou the North Star, 
 a weekly newspaper, which he edited for three 
 years; projected and organized the Aroostook 
 River Railroad Company, and secured its char- 
 ter; and was County Supervisor of Schools 
 four years, all of this being accomplished in 
 connection with his regular missionary work. 
 From 1875 to 1894 be was pastor of the Sum- 
 mer Street Church in Worcester, and during 
 that time he had the satisfaction of increasing 
 its membership from fifteen to two hundred. 
 On resigning his pastorate he was called to the 
 Greendale Mission, Worcester. Here he or- 
 ganized the society and erected the house of 
 worship known as the People's Church, and 
 after occupying its pulpit for two years he 
 retired permanently from active labor. 
 
 On September 4, 1853, Mr. Sleeper married 
 Miss Emily E. Taylor, daughter of James and 
 Eliza (Morrison) Taylor, of Sanbornton, 
 N. H., who were worthy Christian people and 
 members of the Baptist church. James Taylor 
 wj^s a blacksmith. He reared one son and one 
 daughter. The son, John P. Taylor, died sud- 
 denly from the effects of an excitement caused 
 by an alarm of fire. Mrs. Sleeper died sud- 
 denly of heart-disease, August 23, 1898, aged 
 sixty-nine years. She left three children : 
 the Rev. William Washburn Sleeper, a grad- 
 uate of Amherst College and of the Hartford 
 Theological Seminary; May, a graduate of 
 Wellesley College and now the wife of Frank 
 W. Ruggles, of this city; and Henry Dike 
 Sleeper, who studied music under Dr. Paine 
 at Harvard University, was graduated from 
 the Hartford Theological Seminary, and has 
 acquired a high reputation as a composer. 
 The Rev. William W. Sleeper was a mission- 
 ary in Bulgaria for five years, and is now pas- 
 tor of the Second Congregational Church, 
 Beloit, Wis. He is married, and has three 
 sons and one daughter. Mrs. Ruggles is a 
 popular singer and teacher of vocal music. 
 She has one daughter, Margaret. Henry D. 
 Sleeper, who was instructor of music in the 
 University of Wisconsin and director of 
 
 music and organist at the Congregational 
 church in Madison for two years, has lately 
 joined the force of instructors at Smith Col- 
 lege as professor of the theory of music. He 
 married a daughter of the Rev. Stephen D. 
 Peet, of Illinois, and has one child, Mary 
 Olive. 
 
 "irXEACON ASA A. WESTCOTT, a 
 I =^ well-known business man of Hope- 
 ^ J>9/ dale, was born in Scituate, R.I., 
 August 17, 1826, son of Thomas 
 K. and Lydia (Steere) Westcott. The grand- 
 father, Caleb Westcott, who was born in 
 Scituate in 1753, followed agriculture in that 
 town, and owned what was known as the 
 Westcott homestead. He married Lydia 
 Knowlton, who was born in the sam& town in 
 1757. His children were: Oliver, born in 
 1782; Thomas K., born in 1787; Lydia, born 
 in 1793; Mary, born in 1795; Nathan, born 
 in 1797; Caleb, born in 1800; and John. 
 Nathan and Caleb were machinists. Caleb, 
 when a young man, was engaged in building 
 cotton machinery in Scituate. 
 
 Thomas K. Westcott, who succeeded to the 
 ownership of the homestead and spent his ac- 
 tive years in general farming and dairying, 
 was one of the substantial men of Scituate in 
 his day and a member of the Baptist church. 
 He died about the year 1853. On September 
 17, 1817, he was married by Elder John 
 Westcott to Lydia Steere, who was born in 
 Gloucester, R.I., March 25, 1790, daughter 
 of Asa and Mary (Iron) Steere. She became 
 the mother of six children, namely: Abby S., 
 born August 24, 18 18, who is no longer liv- 
 ing; Eliza, born July 5, 1820, who married 
 John Wilder, of Gloucester, R.I., a builder 
 located in Scituate, and died October 4, 1846; 
 Charles M., born August 7, 1822, who mar- 
 ried Betsey Ware, and was a carpenter and 
 builder in Butler, 111., where he died some 
 years ago; Mary Ann, born June 22, 1824, 
 afterward the wife of Dr. Jacob B. White, 
 who died in Butler, 111. ; Asa A., the subject 
 of this sketch; and Lydia Jane, born Novem- 
 ber 22, 1828, who was for many years a 
 school teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, and now 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 567 
 
 resides in Providence. , Mrs. Eliza Wilder 
 had two sons: William Wilder, now a pros- 
 perous farmer in Johnson, R.I., who served 
 four years in the Civil War; and Frank, who 
 participated in the battle of Bull Run, and 
 later died in the war. The mother lived to 
 be over ninety years old. 
 
 Asa A. Westcott completed his education 
 at the Scituate Academy. Having learned 
 the trade of spindle-maker in Burrillville, 
 R.I., he later went to the Franklin foundry 
 and machine shops in Providence, where he 
 obtained a good knowledge of the machinist's 
 trade. For two years after his marriage he 
 resided upon a farm in Scituate, and for the 
 next ten years he was employed in the spindle 
 shops, being the foreman for six years. Then 
 he returned to Burrillville, and became a part- 
 ner in a spindle and machine shop at that 
 place, of which also he had charge, until 
 he engaged in business for himself at North 
 Scituate. In October, 1872, he fitted up 
 a factory in Hopedale, still retaining his 
 business in the former place. He has since 
 conducted a flourishing enterprise, has rebuilt 
 his mills, which at the present time are fur- 
 nishing employment to about sixty men; and 
 he has valuable real estate interests in this 
 town, Boston, and Providence. 
 
 On November 5, 1850, Mr. Westcott was 
 united in marriage with Elizabeth Aldrich, 
 daughter of Wilmarth Aldrich, a prominent 
 farmer and influential citizen of Scituate, who 
 held various town offices and was a Represent- 
 ative to the legislature. She has had six 
 children — Augustus W., Wilmarth A., Mary 
 A., David A., Maria Phillips, and Frank 
 Thomas. Augustus W., born in Scituate, 
 August 29, 1851, married Harriet A. Steere, 
 and hais two sons: Asa A., born August 9, 
 1877; and Roy, born May 29, 1884. Wil- 
 marth A., born in Scituate, December 18, 
 1852, married Nancy A. Hopkins, and has 
 two children : Henry Wilmarth, born April 
 22, 1880; and Hester, born June 22, 1883. 
 Mary A., born in Scituate, December 17, 
 1856, is the wife of George N. Hopkins and 
 the mother of one son, Harold Nelson, born 
 May TO, 1882. David A., born in Scituate, 
 October 6, 1862, who has been Town Clerk of 
 
 Hopedale since its incorporation, on Septem- 
 ber 24, 1884, married Alice Whitney, and 
 has one son, Charles Asa, born July 2, 1885. 
 Maria Phillips was born in Burrillville, April 
 7, 1866. Frank Thomas, born in the same 
 town, August 6, 1868, who is a civil en- 
 gineer, married Elizabeth Tourtellot on May 
 31, 1894. Mr. Westcott has been a Republi- 
 can since the formation of the party. He is 
 a leading spirit in local affairs, and was Se- 
 lectman and Assessor for a number of years. 
 In religious belief he is a Congregationalist, 
 and he acts as Deacon of that church in 
 Milford. 
 
 'OHN N. HILLMAN, an energetic 
 farmer of Hardwick, was born in this 
 town. May 12, 1864, .son of Stephen P. 
 and Alma (Newcomb) Hillman. His 
 paternal grandfather, Stephen Hillman, born 
 in the State of New York, was an early settler 
 in the town of Dana, Mass., where he resided 
 for many years. The latter portion of 
 Stephen's life was spent in Hardwick, and he 
 died on this farm at the age of eighty-seven. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Chloe 
 Barnes, lived to be eighty-two. Stephen P. 
 Hillman is a native of Dana, born August 7, 
 1828. He moved to Hardwick in 1865, and 
 is still actively engaged in farming, carrying 
 on this place with his son. In politics he is 
 a Republican, and he has been an Assessor of 
 Hardwick. In religious belief he is a Uni- 
 versalist. His wife, Alma Newcomb Hill- 
 man, was born in Hardwick, March 29, 1830. 
 They are the parents of four children, all 
 living, namely: Joseph S., residing in Hard- 
 wick; Ella M., the wife of W. H. Walker, 
 of Greenwich Village; Charles D., in Fresno, 
 Cal. ; and John N. , the subject of this sketch. 
 John N. Hillman received his education in 
 the schools of Brimfield, Mass. Since lie left 
 school he has given his attention to farming. 
 He is now associated with his father in the 
 care of the homestead, which contains about 
 one hundred and fifty acres of land, and where 
 they keep a dairy of twenty cows. He is also 
 a stockholder of the Hardwick Creamery, 
 Like bis father, he is a Republican and a 
 
S68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Universalist in religion. For six years he 
 has served acceptably as third Selectman, and 
 he is the youngest member of the board. The 
 office of Cattle Inspector is efficiently filled by 
 him. He is a member of the Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry, Grange No. 6t, of Hardwick, 
 
 On June 17, 1896, Mr. Hillman married 
 Susie B. Manly, a daughter of George and 
 Mary Ann (Aiken) Manly and a grand-daugh- 
 ter of Lilly S. and Susan (Horr) Manly. 
 Mrs. Manly belongs to another, old family of 
 Hardwick. Lilly S. Manly, born September 
 16, 1796, in Hardwick, was a son of Josiah 
 Manly, of Connecticut. By trade he was both 
 a moulder and a painter. The last years of 
 his life were spent here as a farmer and a 
 dealer in hardware. He took much interest 
 in town affairs, and served as Selectman and 
 Overseer of the Poor. In politics he was an 
 old-time Whig. In religious belief he was a 
 Universalist. His wife, Susan, was born in 
 Hardwick, January 20, 1806, daughter of John 
 Horr, an early settler here. He died Septem- 
 ber 18, 1863, aged sixty-seven, and his wife 
 passed away March 2, 1885. They had ten 
 children, of whom nine are still living; 
 namely, Adeline, George, Carlena, Eleutheria, 
 Fanny, Clarissa, Benjamin, Jane, and Ellen. 
 Charles died in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Hillman 
 have been the parents of one daughter, Paul- 
 ine Manly, since July 5, 1898. 
 
 'AMUEL S. EDMANDS, a repre- 
 sentative and influential resident of 
 North Brookfield, was born here, 
 February i, 1812, son of Samuel 
 and Lucy (Matthews) Edmands. His father, 
 born in Framingbam, and brought here when a 
 boy by his parents, was for many years a prom- 
 inent farmer in this town. His wife, a na- 
 tive of New Braintree, bore him five children, 
 of whom Samuel S. is living. 
 
 Mr. Edmands's life, from his childhood up, 
 has been spent in North Brookfield. When a 
 boy he was sent to the public schools of the 
 town, where he acquired the foundations of a 
 practical education. Subsequently he took 
 short courses of study at Leicester and Dudley 
 Academies. When twenty -four years of age he 
 
 engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes 
 in company with Gideon B. Dewing, firm of 
 Dewing & Edmands. This partnership lasted 
 for some years. Upon its dissolution Mr. 
 Edmands became a silent partner in the firm 
 of S. M. Edmands & Hulburt, which was in 
 the same line of manufacture. His health 
 having failed, he was obliged to retire from 
 active business some years ago. One of the 
 incorporators of the North Brookfield Savings 
 Bank, he was its president twice for a number 
 of years; and for upward of thirty years he has 
 been a trustee and taken an active part in its 
 affairs. In politics he is aDemocrat. He is 
 public-spirited, and always has the best inter- 
 ests of the town at heart. Every movement 
 looking toward progress or reform finds in him 
 a ready and influential advocate, as well as 
 a financial supporter. He is a member of the 
 parish society of the First Congregational 
 Church. 
 
 Mr. Edmands first married Sarah Thompson, 
 a daughter of Nathan Thompson, of this place. 
 She bore him one son, John Edmands, who is 
 now in Kalamazoo, Mich. His present wife, 
 in maidenhood Susan L. Leland, is a daughter 
 of the late Deacon Jonathan Leland, of Sut- 
 ton, Mass. She is the motlier of one living 
 daughter, Elizabeth L., who is now the wife 
 of Edward K. Hill, of Worcester. The resi- 
 dence of Mr. Edmands, in a fine situation, is 
 one of the neatest and most commodious in 
 this town. 
 
 YgTON. SYLVESTER DRESSER, for 
 1=^ many years a prominent business man 
 |b I of Southbridge, Mass., was born 
 April 25, 1820, in the town of 
 Charlton, three miles from the village in which 
 he long made his home, and where he died a 
 few months since, August 2, 1898. His pa- 
 ternal grandfather, Asa Dresser, Sr., a farmer 
 and a lifelong resident of Charlton, was bom 
 in 1746, and married Abigail Wheelock, who 
 was born in 1755. Asa Dresser, Jr., born in 
 Charlton in 1785, was also a farmer by occu- 
 pation, and lived to a good old age, his death 
 occurring in 1863. His wife, Elizabeth Mc- 
 Instry, who wap bprp in 1787, a daughter of 
 
SAMUEL S. EDMANDS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S7I 
 
 William Mclnstry, died in i860. Six chil- 
 dren were born of their union, of whom Syl- 
 vester was the latest survivor. 
 
 Sylvester Dresser obtained his elementary 
 education in the district school, and on the 
 home farm became familiar with farming pur- 
 suits. In 1838 he spent one term at the high 
 school, and afterward continued his studies at 
 Nichols Academy in Dudley. The following 
 eight years he was engaged as a teacher, and 
 met with good success in the profession. He 
 taught in Brookfield, Charlton, and South- 
 bridge, Mass., and in Thompson, Conn. ; and 
 afterward he was assistant principal under 
 Elisha Cook at Nichols Academy, which then 
 ranked high among the educational institutions 
 of New England. 
 
 In 1842 Mr. Dresser settled permanently in 
 Southbridge. With a capital of eighty dollars 
 he bought the small stock in trade of William 
 S. Knowlton, consisting of toys, fancy goods, 
 musical instruments, and so forth ; and in the 
 north-west corner of the Edwards Block, in a 
 part of the store now occupied by the P. H. 
 Carpenter Corporation, he began his mercantile 
 career. Two years later he removed to a build- 
 ing on the opposite side of Main Street, taking 
 possession of a small room which is now used 
 as a laundry. His business increased so that 
 he was soon compelled to move to more com- 
 modious quarters in the building now occupied 
 by J. M. Marble and G. Nichols. In this 
 store he added a new line of merchandise, in- 
 cluding jewelry, silverware, watches, clocks, 
 newspapers and periodicals, much of which he 
 secured by purchasing the jewelry and book 
 store of Robert H. Cole. This enlargement 
 of his stock led to his securing the services 
 of William C. Barnes, a practical jeweller, of 
 whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this vol- 
 ume. Mr. Dresser afterward admitted Mr. 
 Barnes to partnership, and the business was 
 conducted a few years under the firm name of 
 Dresser & Barnes. Mr. Dresser then sold his 
 interest to Mr. Barnes. 
 
 In 1852 Mr. Dresser bought from William 
 Camp a stove and hardware business, and in 
 1856 established at Globe Village a branch 
 store, which he subsequently sold to his man- 
 ager, Mr. E. P. Lewis. In 1850 JVIf- Dresser 
 
 built a brick block on Main Street, and on 
 removing his store to the new building added 
 a complete assortment of hardware. Four 
 years later he built a second block. On the 
 last day of December, 1874, both bilildings 
 were destroyed by fire. Mr. Dresser imme- 
 diately erected the structure known as the 
 Dresser Opera House Building, which is 
 to-day one of the finest blocks in town. In 
 1864 he sold out his hardware store to Cum- 
 mings & Williams; and in 1865, becoming 
 interested in brick-making, he purchased on 
 the Charlton City Road a large tract of land 
 rich with clay deposits, and, forming a part- 
 nership with the late William B. Potter, manu- 
 factured bricks, which were shipped the next 
 year from Southbridge by the first freight train 
 to leave the town over the Southbridge and 
 East Thompson branch of what was after- 
 ward the New England Railway. In 1866 Mr. 
 Dresser bought his partner's interest, and in 
 1868 enlarged his operations by the purchase of 
 land in Dudley, In 1881 he bought the Brown 
 brickyard, in the southerly part of Southbridge. 
 In his manufactures he consumed an immense 
 amount of wood, a rovigh estimate being a pile 
 four feet high, four feet wide, and seventy-six 
 miles in length, or a pile that would extend 
 from Southbridge through Boston into the 
 Atlantic Ocean. He also had other interests, 
 for some years being extensively engaged as 
 a lumber manufacturer. In 1870 he bought a 
 steam saw-mill ; and he cut off large tracts of 
 timber in Southbridge and Dudley, Mass., and 
 in Woodstock, Eastford, and Ashford, Conn. 
 He was also a heavy dealer in real estate. In 
 1853 he bought the Bela Tiffany land, on a 
 portion of which he erected his family resi- 
 dence, one of the finest in town ; and he and 
 others, to whom he sold, built twenty-five 
 dwellings, a school-house, and other structures. 
 On his Charlton City Road property he erected 
 fourteen houses. Mr. Dresser represented his 
 district in the State legislature in 1850 and in 
 1852. During the first term Ensign H. Kel- 
 logg was Speaker of the House, and Charles 
 W. Storey was clerk ; and among his col- 
 leagues were the Hon. George W. Boutwell, 
 N. P. Banks, Henry Wilson, William Schou- 
 ler, Mose§. Kimball, William Claflin, and 
 
572 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 others who attained prominence in public life. 
 During his second term George S. Boutwell 
 was filling the Governor's chair, and N. P. 
 Banks was Speaker. In 1861, the first year 
 of the Civil War, when extra sessions were 
 held, Mr. Dresser served as Senator from the 
 Worcester South-east District. He served as 
 Moderator of the regular and special meetings 
 of the town for many years, and with the ex- 
 ception of one year was Town Treasurer from 
 1846 till 1854. From 1848 until 1854 he was 
 also Town Clerk; was Selectman in 1841, 
 1859, i860, and 1876; was Assessor three 
 years ; one of the Overseers of the Poor four 
 years ; and was a member of the School Board 
 in 1847, 1848, 1849, 1852, 1853, and 1854. 
 He was one of the committee appointed to ar- 
 range with Holmes Amidown concerning his 
 gift of the library building to the town, and as 
 one of the committee on building the new town 
 hall he superintended its construction on be- 
 half of the town. He was likewise one of the 
 committee that labored successfully to procure 
 surveys for a steam railroad from Southbridge 
 to Brookfield. For forty years he was a direc- 
 tor of the Southbridge Savings Bank, for more 
 than thirty years he served as one of its vice- 
 presidents, he was one of its auditors for a long 
 time, and he served as one of the committee to 
 erect the fine building it now occupies. He 
 held the office of Trial Justice from the crea- 
 tion of the law establishing this court until 
 1 87 1, and was United States Assistant Asses- 
 sor under Colonel Phillips when the internal 
 revenue system was in force. 
 
 Mr. Dresser was the first to conceive the 
 idea of the present law for the registration of 
 voters. He evolved the idea in the shape of 
 an order, which was presented to the lower 
 branch of the legislature in 1884 by Francis 
 L. Chapin. The order was referred to the 
 Committee on Elections, before whom Mr. 
 Dresser appeared and urged that the order be 
 made a law of the Commonwealth. As a re- 
 sult of his efforts Chapter 298 was enacted. 
 He was an active member of the Universalist 
 Society, and did much to promote its growth 
 and usefulness. 
 
 Mr. Dresser and N. Maria, daughter of Dea- 
 con Oliver Morse, were married April 4, 1848. 
 
 They became the parents of five children, 
 namely: Nella M. , who was bom in 1853, and 
 died in 1854; Mira J., born February 17, 
 1855, now the widow of Elisha L. Spencer, 
 and living at her early home; Fannie C, born 
 August 9, 1857, now the wife of Frank E. 
 Parker, proprietor of the Warregan House in 
 Norwich, Conn., and of the Crocker House in 
 New London, Conn. , where they reside ; Julius 
 S., bom January 25, 1863, who was educated 
 at the academy in Franklin, married Mabel S. 
 Rawson, and was in business with his father; 
 and Emma Frances, bom December 27, 1866, 
 who was graduated from the academy in Frank- 
 lin, and since her marriage with Harry E. 
 Moore lives in Roxbvury, Mass. Mrs. Dresser 
 passed to the higher life August 5, 1888. 
 
 HOMAS A. PROUTY, a retired mer- 
 chant of Spencer, was born in this 
 town, August II, 1822, son of Captain 
 John N. and Melinda (Luther) Prouty. His 
 first American ancestor was Richard Prouty, 
 who settled in Scituate, Mass., as early as 
 1667. The great-grandfather, of Thomas, Isaac 
 Prouty, was the first of the family to locate in 
 Spencer. The grandfather was Thomas Prouty, 
 who was a highly esteemed citizen in his day. 
 Captain John N. Prouty was born at the family 
 homestead in Spencer, and resided in this town 
 all his life. He served as Selectman and 
 Overseer of the Poor, and also belonged to. the 
 State militia. His wife, Melinda, was a native 
 of Spencer. 
 
 Thomas A. Prouty was educated in the com- 
 mon schools and at Leicester Academy. He 
 taught school for some time, but when nineteen 
 years old he entered mercantile business as a 
 clerk, in which capacity he continued some 
 twelve years. About 1854 he engaged in busi- 
 ness at Paxton, Mass. , as a member of the firm 
 of T. A. & I. L. Prouty, and carried on a 
 general store in that town for several years. 
 Subsequently he returned to Spencer and con- 
 ducted bu&iness here under the firm name of 
 Thomas A. Prouty & Co. until his retirement 
 in 1884. 
 
 Mr. Prouty married Georgiana E. Pike, of 
 Paxton, He has three children, namely: John 
 
fetoGkAPHiCAL kteVifeW 
 
 sii 
 
 N. Prouty, who resides in Norton, Mass. ; 
 Clara E., who is now Mrs. Frederick Watson, 
 of Spencer ; and Walter V. Prouty, of Worces- 
 ter. While residing in Paxton, Mr. Prouty 
 served as Assessor and Town Collector. He 
 has served upon the School Committee of 
 Spencer, has acted as a Justice of the Peace for 
 over twenty-five years, was Trial Justice for 
 three years, and is at the present time chair- 
 man of the Boards of Assessors and Overseers 
 of the Poor. His political principles are 
 Democratic. A progressive citizen, he is 
 interested in all movements having for their 
 object the development of the business re- 
 sources of the town. 
 
 Y^TERMAN DIETZMAN, an enterpris- 
 I^J ing dealer in dry and fancy goods at 
 \[ t) I 163 Mechanic Street, Clinton, was 
 
 ^""^ born in Germany, April 29, 1843. 
 His ancestry were of the intelligent and thrifty 
 agrarian population, which is regarded as one 
 of the strongest pillars of the German Empire. 
 His father, Godfrey Dietzman, was a prosper- 
 ous farmer. The maiden name of his mother 
 was Christiana Sandow. Of their two chil- 
 dren, Herman was the first-born. 
 
 After acquiring a good knowledge of the 
 common branches of study, Herman Dietzman 
 learned the weaver's trade, and afterward fol- 
 lowed it in Germany until 1866. Then he 
 emigrated to the United States. Settling in 
 Clinton, he found employment in the Lancaster 
 Mills. After leaving the mills he entered a 
 mercantile business. In May, 1 880, he estab- 
 lished himself in his present line of trade. By 
 attending closely to every detail and keeping 
 constantly on hand a large assortment of staple 
 goods he has acquired and maintains a good 
 patronage. During the past thirty years, in 
 the capacity of local agent for several steam- 
 ship lines, he has sold a large number of pas- 
 sages to and from Germany and other European 
 countries. He also acts as a Justice of the 
 Peace and Notary Public. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Dietzman was united in mar- 
 riage with Honora Kearns. She was born in 
 Westport, Ireland, daughter of James and Ho- 
 nora (Grady) Kearns. Her father, who was a 
 
 merchant, and died in Ireland at an advanced 
 age, had two other children — Mary T. and 
 Bridget. Mary T. is now Mrs. Holman. 
 The mother came to the United States in 1865 
 to pass the rest of her life with her children, 
 who had preceded her. She died in 1 869. 
 Mrs. Dietzman, who has charge of the milli- 
 nery and cloak departments of her husband's 
 store, is an expert dress and cloak maker, and 
 was engaged in business for herself previous to 
 her marriage. She is familiar with every de- 
 partment of the establishment, which is under 
 her immediate charge when her husband is 
 absent. Besides attending to both the ready- 
 made and custom department, she teaches a 
 dress-cutting school, which is attended by a 
 large number of pupils. She has three chil- 
 dren, namely : Frederick J. , born July 29, 
 1872, who is attending the University of Leip- 
 sic, Germany; Angela T., born July 27, 1877; 
 and William H., born in 1878. Both Angela 
 and William are graduates of the Clinton 
 High School. The latter is preparing for the 
 legal profession at the Boston University. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Dietzman is a Democrat. 
 He has served as a Selectman for three years 
 and as Road Commissioner for the same length 
 of time. At one time he was an engineer of 
 the fire department. He is a member of sev- 
 eral German societies. Mrs. Dietzman aind 
 her children belong to the Roman Catholic 
 Church. 
 
 M 
 
 WIGHT HYDE, formerly a promi- 
 nent and esteemed resident of 
 Brookfield, and a son of Abijah and 
 Sallie (Moore) Hyde, was born in 
 Ware, Hampshire County, Mass., February 15, 
 1 8 19. By both parents he came of English 
 ancestry. Both of his grandfathers served in 
 the war of the Revolution. 
 
 Having been educated principally in the 
 schools of Barre, this county, Dwight Hyde 
 was employed as a clerk in various places for 
 several years. Then, familiar with the grocery 
 and dry-goods business, he opened a general 
 merchandise store in Spencer, Mass. This 
 he carried on for a number of years, being for 
 a portion of the time in partnership with 
 
574 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Luther Hill, who was the junior member of 
 the firm Hyde & Hill. In 1850 or soon after, 
 he came to Brookfield, bought a farm at Rice's 
 Corner, in the southern p^ of the town, and 
 was there prosperously engaged in agriculture 
 until 1872. Removing then to the village, he 
 bought the property now owned and occupied 
 by his widow on Lincoln Street. Here he re- 
 sided throughout the rest of his life. A man 
 of excellent judgment, sound sense, and consid- 
 erable legal knowledge, he served wisely as 
 Justice of the Peace for many years, and did a 
 large amount of probate business. He was 
 also Selectman for many terms, being the 
 chairman of the board at different times ; and 
 he was an active member of the Unitarian Con- 
 gregational Society, to which Mrs. Hyde also 
 belongs. 
 
 On April 15, 1846, Mr. Hyde married Miss 
 Martha M. Rice, who was born in Brookfield, 
 daughter of Alfred and Fanny Rice, both of 
 this town. The Rice family was one of the 
 earliest to locate in this section of Worcester 
 County, and since the incorporation of Brook- 
 field it has been influential in local affairs. 
 Rice's Corner, in the southern part of the 
 town, was named in honor of one of Mrs. 
 Hyde's ancestors. Alfred Rice, a well-known 
 sleigh manufacturer, prominent in business and 
 political circles, served as Selectman and 
 Overseer, of the Poor in Brookfield, and for one 
 term was a Representative in the General 
 Court. He died April 20, 1883, at the vener- 
 able age of eight-six years. Of the two chil- 
 dren born to him ahd his wife, Mrs. Hyde is 
 the sole survivor. Mr. Hyde died at his late 
 home on Lincoln Street, August 4, 1880. 
 
 -OliN, R. HOSMER, the well-known 
 building contractor of Fitchburg, was 
 born in Acton, Mass., March 16, 1857, 
 son of John E. and Emma (Tuttle) 
 Hosmer. Simon Hosmer, the grandfather, 
 who was a lifelong resident of Acton and died 
 at the age of 'Seyenty-seven years, owned quite 
 a large farm at the Four Corners, where he 
 spent the greater part of his active period, and 
 had a family of nine children. John E. Hos- 
 mer, the father, learned the carpenter's trade, 
 
 and, settling in Ayer, Mass., has for many 
 years been a prominent builder in that section. 
 He is a member of St. Paul Lodge, A. F. & 
 A. M., of Ayer. Emma Hosmer, his wife, 
 was a daughter of Captain Daniel Tuttle, a 
 Civil War veteran and a well-known resident 
 of Acton. She became the mother of seven 
 children, of whom John R. , the subject of this 
 sketch, is the eldest, and all are living except- 
 ing Mrs. Samuel Putnam, who died in Febru- 
 ary, 1898. 
 
 John R. Hosmer accompanied his parents to 
 Ayer when he was twelve years old, and com- 
 pleted his education in the high school in that 
 town. He served an apprenticeship at the car- 
 penter's trade with his father, remaining in 
 the latter's employ until twenty-one. In 1880 
 he engaged in business for himself in Gardner, 
 Mass. , where diiring the succeeding nine years 
 he erected several business blocks and private 
 residences. In 1889 he came to Fitchburg, 
 where he has since been kept busy with numer- 
 ous important contracts, both public and pri- 
 vate. Among these may be mentioned the 
 new Fitchburg high and other public school 
 buildings, the Central Street fire station, the 
 Grant mill, a portion of the Park Hill mills, 
 the shops of the Fitchburg Steam Engine Com- 
 pany, and the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
 tion building in Springfield, Mass. 
 
 On June 5, 1881, Mr. Hosmer married 
 Nellie T., daughter of Henry S. Humes, of 
 Shirley, Mass. , and has one son — Kenneth 
 W. , aged fifteen years. Mr. Hosmer is an ad- 
 vanced Mason, being a member of Aurora 
 Lodge, Thomas Chapter, and Hiram Council, 
 of Worcester; Lady Emma Chapter and Jeru- 
 salem Commandery, of Fitchburg; and Aleppo 
 Temple of the Mystic Shrine, Boston. He is 
 also a member of Apollo Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; 
 King David Encampment and Canton Hebron; 
 and of the Fitchburg Board of Trade. 
 
 Y^EANDER S. PRATT, founder and for 
 jjj many years propri^or of ah extensive 
 JL ^ ^ cotton manufacturing business in 
 Grafton, was born in Shrewsbury, 
 Mass., May 25, 1812, son of Shepard and 
 Catharine (Walker) Pratt. The family dates. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 57S 
 
 its origin in America from an early period in 
 Colonial history; but, unfortunately, its rec- 
 ords, which had been carefully collected and 
 compiled by a brother of the subject of this 
 sketch, were destroyed in the fire at Marble- 
 head in 1888. 
 
 Leander S. Pratt came to Grafton about the 
 year 1840, and established a cotton manufact- 
 uring enterprise, which for half a century was 
 the principal industry of this town. He con- 
 tinued in active business until i860, when he 
 retired, leaving the management of the factory 
 to his son, Charles L. ; and he died at his 
 winter home in Worcester, January 21, 1893. 
 He was a man of rare business ability and 
 sound judgment. His advice was frequently 
 sought for by the town, in whose affairs he was 
 actively interested, and he rendered efficient 
 services as a member of the Board of Select- 
 men. He was also in sympathy with the 
 moral and religious welfare of the community, 
 and fot many years was a Deacon of the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 Leander S. Pratt married Martha H. Stone, 
 daughter of Deacon Albert Stone, of Grafton. 
 Six children were born of this union, and five 
 sons — -Henry W., Charles L., Herbert L. , 
 Albert S., and Clarerjce R. Pratt — grew to 
 maturity, a daughter having died in infancy. 
 Henry W. Pratt is a prominent lumber and 
 real estate dealer in Wisconsin. 
 
 Charles L. Pratt Succeeded his father in the 
 cotton manufacturing business in Grafton, and 
 in 1 86 1 erected a new brick factory, which ad- 
 mitted of a largely increased production. He 
 continued as the official head of the concern 
 until the plant was destroyed by fire in 1893. 
 Owing to the business depression it was not fe- 
 built. Aside from the textile industry he has 
 interested himself in other local enterprises, 
 being officially connected with the Grafton Co- 
 operative Bank and the^ Savings Bank. Polit- 
 ically, h6 is an ardent supporter of the Repub- 
 lican party, and upon reaching his majority 
 was chosen a member of the Town Committee. 
 He has served with ability in various local 
 offices, was in 1874 Representative to the 
 legislature, and was assigned to the Prison 
 Committee. He is an advanced Mason, be- 
 longing to the Chapter, Council, and Com- 
 
 mandery in Worcester, and Boston Lodge of 
 Perfection. Charles L. Pratt married Addie 
 P. Tidd, of Westboro, Mass. Herbert L. 
 Pratt has for the past ten years been agent of 
 the Bates Cotton Mills, Lewiston, Me. Al- 
 bert S. Pratt, who died in 1877, was asso- 
 ciated with his brothers in the Grafton mill, 
 Clarence R. Pratt became familiar with the 
 textile business under his brother, and was 
 later appointed superintendent of the Canadian 
 Cotton Manufacturing Company, of Cornwall, 
 Ont. , one of the largest enterprises of its kind 
 in the Dominion. He remained there until the 
 high protective tariff established in the United 
 States made Canadian competition unprofitable, 
 whereupon he returned to Grafton for the pur- 
 pose of resuming his association with his 
 brothers. In 1889 the concern was incorpo- 
 rated as the Pratt Manufacturing Company, 
 continuing as such until the conflagration 
 previously mentioned. In 1895 the power was 
 leased to the Grafton Electric Company, of 
 which Clarence R. Pratt is president. He is 
 also interested in financial affairs, being a 
 director of the Grafton Savings Bank. His 
 aid and influence can always be depended upon 
 in supporting the various public and private 
 institutions of the to\vn. He is a member of 
 Evening Star Lodge, I. O. O. F. Clarence 
 R. Pratt and his wife, whose maiden name was 
 Mary Caro Whittemore, are the parents of 
 three children; namely, Horatio Whittemore, 
 Winthrop Stone, and Evelyn Raymond. Mrs. 
 Pratt is the daughter of the late Horatio H. F. 
 Whittemore, M. D., of Marblehead, a brief 
 sketch of whose life is given below. 
 
 Dr. Whittemore was born in West Cam- 
 bridge (now Arlington), Mass., February 15, 
 1830, and was a grandson of Amos Whitte- 
 more, the inventor of the cotton carding ma- 
 chine, which has not yet been improved upon. 
 He was fitted for college at Phillips Academy, 
 Exeter, N. H., and was graduated from Harvard 
 University with the class of 1852. Beginning 
 the study of medicine with Dr. Wellington, q£. 
 West Cambridge, he continued it after the lat- 
 ter 's death with Dr. Clark, then City Physi- 
 cian of Boston. He was for a time assistant at 
 the United States Marine Hospital, Chelsea, 
 under Dr. Davis, the superintendent; and he 
 
576 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 took his degree of Doctor of Medicine at the 
 Harvard Medical School in 1855. Going to 
 Europe as surgeon of the new ship "Cathe- 
 dral," he availed himself of the opportunities 
 afforded him of visiting the famous hospitals of 
 England and France, where he gained knowl- 
 edge that proved exceedingl}- beneficial to his 
 future practice. Upon his return he was for a 
 short time assistant to Dr. Davis at the Ma- 
 rine Hospital ; but at the earnest solicitation of 
 mail} prominent citizens of Marblehead he was 
 induced to settle permanentl)' in that town, 
 where for the remainder of his life he practised 
 his profession with ability and faithfulness. 
 He was respected and beloved b)- all who knew 
 him, besides the many who were familiai" with 
 his character without having a personal ac- 
 quaintance ; ai\d so strictl}- did he perform the 
 duties of his calling that his night bell 'was 
 just as sure to simimon him to the bedside of 
 the poor as of the rich. During the Rebellion 
 he had the medical supervision of Forts Sew- 
 all, Glover, and Miller; and, when the urgent 
 call came for surgeons to go to the front, he 
 quickl}' reported for duty in Virginia, where he 
 rendered valuable services tO the government. 
 Dr. Whittemore continued to practise as long 
 as his health would, permit, and even while 
 confined to his bed he gave advice. His phys- 
 ical powers, however, were not equal to his 
 will, which, though almost indomitable, was at 
 length forced to succumb to the fatal disease. 
 He died November 24, 1872. He held vari- 
 ous town offices, was a trustee of the savings- 
 bank, the Academy Fund, and the Unitarian 
 Society; was president of the Musical Associ- 
 ation and a, Past Master of Philanthropic 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and by all of these or- 
 ga!nizations his death was considered a severe 
 loss. Dr. Whittemore married June 5, 1856, 
 Evelyii H. Pratt, of Worcester, who with a son 
 and daughter, Mrs. Clarence R. Pratt, survives 
 him. 
 
 SA GODDARD, road builder and con- 
 tractor of Worcester, was born in 
 Charlton, Mass., November 12, 
 i860, son of Benjamin F. and Mary 
 
 Frances (Hammond) Goddard. 
 
 H is grand- 
 
 father, ,Artemas, and his great -gi-andfather, 
 Deacon Benjamin Goddaid, were nati\es of 
 Shrewsbury, Mass., where each was engaged in 
 farming. Artemas Goddard married Cynthia 
 Newton, of Northboro, Mass., and both lived 
 to be octogenarians. They had two sons and 
 four daughters, of whom the survivors ai"e: 
 BenjaiTiin F. ; and Sarali, who is now Mrs. 
 Hammond, and has five children. 
 
 Benjamin F. Goddard was born in Shrews- 
 bury, July 27, 1832. For many years he 
 manufactured shoe heels, and was also engaged 
 in the coal business with his son in Worcester, 
 Mass. Some time ago he retired with a com- 
 petency. He is now residing in Chai^lton, 
 Mass. Mrs. Mary Frances Goddard, his wife, 
 died in 1869. She was a sister of William 
 Hammond, and on the maternal side was re- 
 lated to the Gibbs family, of Charlton. She 
 was the mother of four children, namely : 
 Francis H., a well-known insurance man of 
 Worcester; Luther, a coal dealer, who died in 
 this city in November, 1896^ aged thirty-nine 
 years, leaving a widow; Asa, the subject of 
 this sketch; and Ada L. Goddai^d, who resides 
 with her father. 
 
 Asa Goddard attended the , common schools 
 during the winter season until he was sixteen 
 years old. Learning the machinist's trade, he 
 followed it for six years, at the end of which 
 time he engaged in the manufacture of black- 
 smith's tools, being for two )ears a member of 
 the firm of George Burnham & Co. After his 
 withdrawal from that concern he opened a job- 
 bing shop for general machine work and repair- 
 ing. He later began to deal in blacksmith's 
 drills, and subsequently added agricultural 
 machinery to his business, handling as many 
 as one hundred carloads per annum. When 
 the State began the construction of macad- 
 amized roads, he became interested in the work 
 to such an extent that in 1895 he entered the 
 field as a contractor ; and, finding the machinery 
 then in use to be deficient, he introduced some 
 valuable improvements of his own invention. 
 Within the short space of three years he has 
 acquired a high reputation as a road-build- 
 ing contractor, and has constructed public 
 highways in Holden, Yarmouth, Brewster, 
 Westminster, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Paxton, 
 
THOMAS B, RICE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 579 
 
 Princeton, Westboro, Sandwich, and Uxbridge. 
 During the present year, 1898, he is filling 
 contracts in Lowell, Clinton, Sterling, West 
 Boylston, Uxbridge, Wrentham, Walpole, 
 Westboro, and on Cape Cod. Besides his three 
 complete portable road-building plants he 
 operates a quarry in Sterling, where from two 
 hundred to three hundred tons of stone is 
 crushed daily. He deals in all kinds of road- 
 building machinery and tools, and is prepared 
 to rent crushers and steam-rollers. As an 
 inventor he has taken out several patents, in- 
 cluding among others valuable improvements in 
 blacksmith's drills and stone- crushers. 
 
 Mr. Goddard was married December 24, 
 1 88 1, to Miss Eldora M. Willard, of this city, 
 daughter of William H. and Hannah B. (Wig- 
 gin) Willard, the former of whom is a well- 
 known carriage-builder. Mrs. Goddard' s par- 
 ents have had twelve children, six of whom 
 are living. Mr. and Mrs. Goddard have four 
 children: George E. , born November 24, 1884; 
 Albert N., born October 12, 1889; Dorothy 
 F. , born January 27, 1895; and A. Chester, 
 born December 18, 1896. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Goddard is a Republican. 
 In his religious belief he is a Universalist, and 
 belongs to All Souls' Society, in which he has 
 served officially. His factory is located at 69 
 Winter Street, and he resides at 57 Woodland 
 Street. He is a man of original ideas and 
 progressive tendencies, which his energy and 
 perseverance enable him to put in practice in 
 his business. 
 
 HOMAS BRIGHAM RICE, now living 
 in retirement in Barre, was born in 
 this town, January 30, 181 7, son of 
 Francis and Nancy (Brigham) Rice. He is a 
 descendant of Jonas Rice, who was one of the 
 first permanent settlers in Worcester, Mass., 
 and whose son, Adonijah, born November 7, 
 1714, was the first white child of whom it was 
 the birthplace. Adonijah Rice died in Brid- 
 port, Vt., January 20, 1802. 
 
 Jonas Rice, second, the great-grandfather of 
 the subject of this sketch, bought a tract of 
 land in Barre in 1749, and settled upon it in 
 1753. He was one of the first Deacons of the 
 
 Congregational church. He successively mar- 
 ried Jane Hall and Lydia Conant. His chil- 
 dren were all by his first union. Thomas 
 Rice, the grandfather, born in Worcester, was 
 a prosperous farmer, and passed the greater 
 part of his life in Barre. He served as a Lieu- 
 tenant in the Revolutionary War, and lived to 
 be eighty-one years old. In politics he was a 
 Federalist and in religious belief a Congrega- 
 tionalist. The maiden names of his succes- 
 sive wives were Hannah Wright, Sarah 
 Nourse, and Abigail Barber. His children 
 were: Thomas, Willis, Abel, and Rufus by 
 his first wife; and Sarah, Hannah, Jane, 
 Francis, Jonas, and Seth by his second. 
 Francis Rice, who was born in Barre, July 19, 
 1782, learned the carpenter's trade, but did 
 not work at it. He preferred farming, which 
 he followed industriously and with success. 
 Originally a Democrat, he joined the Republi- 
 cans on the slavery question, and was identi- 
 fied with public affairs continuously from 1821 
 to 1847, being a legislative Representative in 
 1835 and 1836. His wife, Nancy, who was 
 born in Barre, March 4, 1789, became the 
 mother of seven children, of whom six attained 
 maturity, and Thomas B. is the only survivor. 
 The others were: Abigail B. , Francis D., 
 Juliana, Henry E. , Calista E. , and an infant. 
 The father lived to his ninety-sixth year, and 
 the mother died at eighty-six. They were 
 , Unitarians. 
 
 Thomas Brigham Rice acquired a high- 
 school education. At the age of twenty years 
 he entered the Registry of Deeds office in 
 Worcester. Subsequently he was employed 
 in other positions until 1856, when he entered 
 the service of the Boston & Worcester Rail- 
 road Company, afterward the Boston & Al- 
 bany, as a station agent. From that post by 
 merited promotion he reached the responsible 
 position of cashier, the duties of which he 
 ably and faithfully performed for a period of 
 thirty years. In October, 1889, having ac- 
 quired a competency, he resigned from the 
 company's service, and has since lived in re- 
 tirement at his pleasant home in Barre village. 
 
 On October 29, 1844, Mr. Rice married 
 Maria Bacon, a daughter of David Bacon. 
 Born in Barre, June 6, 1821, she died March 
 
S8o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 9, 1855, leaving one daughter — Lucy, born 
 October 22, 1845, who is unmarried and re- 
 sides with her father. Mr. Rice still retains 
 much of the spirit and activity of his early 
 manhood. He is held in high estimation by 
 his fellow-townsmen. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican with independent proclivities. 
 
 -AMES E. PEIRCE, farmer and dairy- 
 man, a highly esteemed citizen of West 
 Boylston, was born December 20, 1834, 
 on the homestead where he resides. He 
 is a son of Levi and Polly (Merriam) Peirce and 
 grandson of Levi Peirce, Sr., a native of Hol- 
 land, a suburb of Worcester. Grandfather 
 Peirce served in the Revolutionary army. 
 After settling in West Boylston he was en- 
 gaged in farming, surveying, and basket-mak- 
 ing. He died suddenly at the age of seventy- 
 four. His wife was Persis Robinson, a native 
 of Lexington, Mass. At the time of the 
 battle of Lexington she was living there, and 
 from her home could plainly discern both sides 
 in action. She died in West Boylston at the 
 age of seventy-three. She and her husband 
 reared eight children. 
 
 Levi Peirce, Jr., father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was born in 1794. He was 
 reared on a farm, receiving a common-school 
 education. After attaining his majority he 
 took part of the Childs estate in this .town, and 
 there he spent the rest of his life. He was a 
 farmer, surveyor, and basket-maker. His 
 farm comprised one hundred and thirty acres 
 of good land, and he owned besides fifty acres 
 of outlying land in Boylston. Active, indus- 
 trious, and capable, he was highly respected in 
 the town, and held a number of ofifices of trust. 
 He served as Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, 
 and Selectman, presiding for some time as 
 chairman of the board ; and he was on the 
 School Committee. He was also, honored with 
 election to the State legislature, and. was Cap- 
 tain of a militia company; He spent most of 
 his life in West Boylston. The house, and 
 barn owned by his son James were erected by 
 him. He died at the age of seventy-four. 
 His wife died at the age of forty-five. Of 
 their children seven are, living — William, 
 
 Marcia Ann, Henry, Jane, Adelia, James, and 
 Levi. Marcia Ann is the wife of George 
 Park, of Worcester; Henry is a merchant of 
 West Boylston, dealing in coal and lumber; 
 Jane is the widow of Leonard Newton, of 
 Pittsfield, Mass. ; Adelia is the widow of Dr. 
 C. A. Willcox, of Uxbridge, Mass. ; and Levi, 
 third, resides in Springfield. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Levi Peirce, Jr., were members of the Uni- 
 versalist church. 
 
 James E. Peirce was educated in the com- 
 mon schools of his native town and Shelburne 
 Falls Academy. He assisted his father in 
 various industries until the elder man died, 
 then took part of the farm for his own use, 
 comprising thirty acres of homestead and eight 
 acres of woodland. This he paid for, and he 
 subsequently bought twenty-seven acres of 
 pasture land. He has added from time to 
 time to his real estate, and now owns some 
 ninety-seven acres in all. Most of it is de- 
 voted to general farming. Mr. Peirce "has a 
 good dairy and considerable trade in Worces- 
 ter. Like his father and grandfather, he is en- 
 gaged in basket-making, manufacturing a fine 
 grade of heavy hand-made baskets; and he was 
 actively engaged for a number of years in land 
 surveying. Essentially a self-made man, he 
 has achieved success and prominence by 
 energy, enterprise, and close application to 
 business. 
 
 He was married in 1859 to Eliza, daughter 
 of Ephraim Lovell, a physician long in prac- 
 tice here. She was born in Marshfield. 
 Eight children have blessed the union of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Peirce; namely, Elmer E., Mary L., 
 William C, Susy, Helen E., Irvin, Annie 
 R., and Jessie F. Seven of these are now 
 living. Elmer E. is a pattern-maker, resid- 
 ing in Worcester. He married Miss Mary 
 Baker. Mary is the wife of John Glover, 
 and has one child, Raymond. William C. 
 is with his father on the farm. 
 
 In politics Mr. James E. Peirce is a Repub- 
 lican. He has been a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen seven years and chairman three 
 years, a member of the Board of Assessors 
 eight years and chairman seven years, and a' 
 member of the School Board fifteen years. 
 Active in social affairs also, he is a charter 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S8i 
 
 member of Boylston Lodge, F. & A. M. ; a 
 life member of the New England Agricultural 
 Society and of the Bay State Agricultural So- 
 ciety; and a member and trustee of the 
 Worcester Agricultural Society. He is also a 
 member of West Boylston Grange. In relig- 
 ious belief he is a Congregationalist. 
 
 ON. WILSON HENRY FAIR- 
 BANK, of Warren, State Senator 
 from the Fourth Worcester Senato- 
 rial District for 1898-99, is one 
 of the most widely-known and successful busi- 
 ness men of Massachusetts. Born here, April 
 3, 1836, he is a son of Asahel Fairbank, who 
 was also a native of Warren, and who died in 
 1887. His mother, in maidenhood Mary A. 
 Chapin, was born in Windham County, Ver- 
 mont. Both parents came of English and 
 early Colonial stock. 
 
 At the age of seventeen years Wilson H. 
 Fairbank left the high school, where he had 
 finished the course, and began to assist his 
 father in the lumber business of A. Fairbank 
 & Co. Later on the firpi also engaged in the 
 grain trade, having dealings in New York, 
 Chicago, and Pittsburg markets. The lumber 
 interest, however, remained the principal one. 
 Asahel Fairbank furnished the poles for the 
 first telegraph line between Lowell and Bos- 
 ton, which was the second established in New 
 England. Young Fairbank soon became a 
 Specialist in furnishing telegraph supplies. 
 Shortly after he also engaged in building. 
 His first contract, in 1856, with the American 
 Telegraph Company, he filled by delivering 
 nine thousand poles in forty-five days, or five 
 days ahead of time. After that he was with 
 the United States Telegraph Company for a 
 while as superintendent of construction. In 
 
 1864 he and A. J. Baldwin built a telegraph 
 line from New York to Washington, and in 
 
 1865 W. H. Fairbank & Co. took the con- 
 tract to build the lines of the Monongahela 
 Valley Telegraph Company. This they did, 
 establishing and furnishing the offices, and 
 delivering to the stockholders the working 
 plant complete. In 1876 Mr. Fairbank was 
 employed by the Atlantic & Pacific Company 
 
 to locate the line from Louisville, Ky. , to 
 New Orleans and to buy the poles therefor. 
 In 1877 he had full charge of construction, 
 under E. Middleton & Co., of the Continental 
 Telegraph Company's line from New York to 
 Philadelphia. Thousands of miles of the 
 American Union Telegraph Company's lines 
 were put up under his- supervision ; and in 
 General Eckert's line, so-called, between Jer- 
 ^sey City and Philadelphia, he constructed 
 what is considered, it is alleged, "the best sixty 
 miles of telegraph line in the world." After 
 putting up in a masterly manner, for the Pos- 
 tal Telegraph Company, lines from New York 
 to Chicago and St. Louis, from Buffalo to 
 Pittsburg through the oil region, and from 
 ;New York to Washington, he became the 
 general superintendent of construction and 
 irepairs for the United Telegraph lines. Be- 
 ;ginning in June, 1885, till impaired health 
 compelled him to give up the business, a 
 period of six years, he was the general super- 
 intendent of construction for the American 
 Telegraph and Telephone Company, having 
 full charge of the work of building long-dis- 
 tance telephone lines. The business of Mr. 
 Fairbank has taken him into every State of the 
 Union east of the Rocky Mountains, and no 
 doubt he has equipped more miles of tele- 
 graph lines than any other contractor in 
 America. 
 
 Since 1893 Mr. Fairbank has been a per- 
 manent resident of Warren. His townspeople 
 early showed their estimation of his ability 
 and trustworthiness by electing him at the 
 age of twenty-one to the office of Tax Col- 
 lector and re-electing him in the following 
 year. His subsequent course in life has been 
 such as to confirm their confidence in him as 
 a thoroughly capable, upright, and honorable 
 man of affairs. He is now serving his third 
 year as Selectman. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican, and he has served for two years as 
 chairman of the Republican Town Committee. 
 In 1896, while representing the Fifth Worces- 
 ter District in the House, he served on the 
 Mercantile and Redistricting Committee; and 
 in 1897 he served on the Railroad and other 
 special committees. An esteemed Mason, 
 he belongs to Quaboag Lodge and King Solo- 
 
582 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mon Chapter, both of Warren ; and he is a 
 member of Arcturus Lodge, I. O. O. P., and 
 of the local grange, P. of H. One of the 
 prime movers in establishing the Warren Pub- 
 lic Library, he is a life trustee of the institu- 
 tion and the president of the corporation. On 
 September 27, 1865, he married Miss Mary E. 
 Sibley, daughter of the late Simon H. Sibley, 
 of Warren. Mr. Fairbank attends the Con- 
 gregational church, and is a member of the 
 parish society. 
 
 Ifs 
 
 ILLIAM HAMILTON, a prosperous 
 farmer and a highly esteemed resi- 
 dent of Hardwick, son of David and 
 Betsy (Upton) Hamilton, was born in New 
 Salem, Franklin County, March 6, 1822. 
 The paternal grandfather, Maltia (Malctiah) 
 Hamilton, a seafaring man, spent his active 
 years in fishing, principally off Cape Cod, on 
 which he had his home for many years. His 
 death occurred in New Salem. He was twice 
 married. The maiden name of William Ham- 
 ilton's grandmother was Annie Eldredge. 
 
 David Hamilton, who was born in Chat- 
 ham, Mass., was thirteen years old when his 
 parents removed to New Salem. Afterward he 
 followed the occupation of farmer in Shutes- 
 bury for a number of years, and died there at 
 the age of sixty-seven. In politics he was a 
 Republican. His wife, Betsy, was a daughter 
 of Benjamin Upton, a Revolutionary patriot 
 who was wounded at Bunker Hill. She lived 
 to about the same age as her husband. Both 
 belonged to the Baptist church. They had 
 eight children, of whom Annie, Almira, and 
 Charles are deceased. The others are : David, 
 a resident of New Salem; William, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; John and Joseph, who live 
 in Prescott, Hampshire County; and Sarah, 
 the wife of Howard Freeman, of New Salem. 
 William Hamilton, who was but two years 
 old when his parents removed from New Salem 
 to Shutesbury, received his education in the 
 district schools of the latter town. Then he 
 worked out by the month, giving his earnings 
 to his father until he reached his majority. 
 He subsequently worked in the State Lunatic 
 Asylum at Worcester for three years. In the 
 
 following year, also in Worcester, he was 
 employed at bottoming boots. After that he 
 took up farming, hiring a place in Hardwick, 
 on which he lived for a year. The next year 
 was spent in New Braintree, after which he 
 cultivated a hired farm in Barre for five years. 
 In 1858 he purchased of Elbridge Ruggles the 
 farm on which he still lives, moving here from 
 Barre. This property is known as the old 
 Lawrence homestead, on which, after it was 
 cleared by a member of that family, three gen- 
 erations of his descendants subsequently lived. 
 Ebenezer Lawrence bought a part of this farm 
 from one Sprout as early as 1752, and Mr. 
 Hamilton has the deed in his possession. The 
 property was sold to Mr. Ruggles by a de- 
 scendant. The house of Mr. Hamilton is one 
 of the oldest in this section. The farm covers 
 about one hundred and twenty acres. Mr. 
 Hamilton has made a specialty of dairying in 
 connection with general farming. Having 
 formerly kept from twenty to thirty head of 
 cattle, he now keeps nine. When he pur- 
 chased this farm he went in debt for it, but 
 within ten years he had it fully paid for. 
 Since then he has acquired a small place in 
 New Braintree, formerly owned by Mrs. Ham- 
 ilton's brother. 
 
 At the age of twenty-six Mr. Hamilton was 
 married to Harriet Johnson. Born in Charl- 
 ton, Mass., August 9, 1824, she is a daughter 
 of Nathaniel and Susanna (Clemence) John- 
 son, who were natives respectively of Charlton 
 and Southbridge, Mass. Mr. Johnson, besides 
 farming, made and repaired shoes, being a 
 very industrious man, and died January 12, 
 1863, when about seventy years of age. His 
 wife died March 26, 1826, aged twenty-seven. 
 Mrs. Hamilton has not given birth to any 
 children. She and her husband, however, 
 have brought up two boys and two girls, 
 namely: William J. Flood, who is now in 
 business in Chicago, 111. ; Edward C. Cheney, 
 whose place of residence is not at present 
 known; Delia Hamilton, the wife of Charles 
 Horn, of Leicester, Mass. ; and Alma B. 
 White, who is now living with them. Others 
 have also found a home with Mr and Mrs. 
 Hamilton for a few years at a time. 
 
 Mr. Hamilton has been a Republican from 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 583 
 
 the organization of the party. At one time 
 he held the office of Road Commissioner, and 
 he served for three years as Overseer of the 
 Poor. He has been a member and often one 
 of the Trustees of the Worcester West Agri- 
 cultural Society since 1855, and also a promi- 
 nent exhibitor at its fairs. Both he and his 
 wife were members of the Hardwick Grange 
 until the weight of years led them to with- 
 draw. They attend and support the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 "IRAM FOBES, for many years a rep- 
 resentative business man of Worces- 
 ter, was born in Oakham, Mass., on 
 September 25, 1829, son of Perez 
 and Melissa (Nye) Fobes. He remained in 
 his native town until 1846, his early years 
 being years of industry and hardship, and his 
 mental training limited to that offered by the 
 common schools. Coming to Worcester, he 
 was employed as clerk in a meat and provision 
 store, where he continued until 1854, when he 
 began business on his own account on Front 
 Street. In this undertaking he was remark- 
 ably successful, so much so that in twenty-five 
 years he had accumulated a competence and 
 was able to retire from business. A part of 
 his wealth had been made in dealing in real 
 estate and live stock. 
 
 Few men in Worcester were better known 
 than Mr. Fobes, and none were more highly 
 respected for integrity and entire trustworthi- 
 ness. As a citizen he stood conspicuously 
 eminent for liberality in both public and pri- 
 vate affairs, for his public-spiritedness, and for 
 his keen appreciation of what would best meet 
 the needs of the community. In 1879-80 he 
 was a member of the Worcester Common 
 Council, and in 1881-82 was on the Board of 
 Aldermen. His career in these positions as a 
 public servant and as trustee of the public in- 
 terests was marked by affability, prudence, and 
 conscientious regard for the general welfare. 
 His services were constantly called for in a 
 semi-public way in positions of trust and re- 
 sponsibility, where ripe judgment, vigilance, 
 and unquestionable integrity were prime requi- 
 sites. Among positions of this kind which he 
 
 filled were directorships in the Fire Insurance 
 Company, the Worcester Safe Deposit and 
 Trust Company, and in the Street Railway 
 Company. 
 
 Mr. Fobes's religious views were practically 
 unsectarian, although he was connected with 
 the Trinitarian Congregational Society. In 
 political creed he was a Republican, and could 
 always be counted upon to support the Repub- 
 lican platform. He was married in Septem- 
 ber, 1870, to Celia Elizabeth Brayton, of 
 Smithfield, R.I. Her father resided a few 
 years in Worcester. He died in 1875. Five 
 children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Fobes, and 
 two of these are living. The death of Mr. 
 Fobes occurred on August 16, 1889. 
 
 SEWIS BOYDEN GASKILL, a repre- 
 sentative man of Hopedale, son of 
 ^ Nahum and Sally (Southwick) Gas- 
 kill, was born m Mendon, this 
 county, on January 4, 1829. His ancestors 
 were of English origin; and the first of the 
 family in this country was Edward Gaskill, 
 who had land grants in Salem as early as 1637. 
 Edward's son, Samuel, who became interested 
 in Quaker preaching, received severe punish- 
 ment under the laws of that day for attending 
 Quaker meetings. It was probably Samuel, 
 a great-grandson of Edward, that came to the 
 South Parish of Mendon, now Blackstone, in 
 1736, and bought a large farm of Stephen 
 Sweet for four hundred and fifty pounds ster- 
 ling. Samuel, of Mendon, had at least two 
 sons — Ebenezer and Benjamin. Ebenezer's 
 son, Samuel, was the father of Nahum Gaskill. 
 Nahum lived on the paternal estate in Men- 
 don, and carried oh farfning' on an extensive 
 scale. He was also a pioneer dealer in grain 
 and flour in that town, and did a thriving busi- 
 ness. He died at the age of seventy two. 
 His twelve children were born as follows: 
 John Southwick, on December 12, 1807; 
 Samuel, January 14, 1810; Hannah, Septem- 
 ber 9, 181 1; Olive, June 10, 1813; Micajah 
 Collins, September 26, 1816; Mary Thurber, 
 August 13, 1818; Almira Fairbanks, June 
 8, 1821; Gilbert, April 28, 1823; Nahum, 
 April 18, 1825; Richard George, March 16, 
 
sH 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1827; Lewis Boyden, as already stated; and 
 Albert Warren, December 28, 183 1. John 
 S., who died in 1878, married Harriet E. 
 Staples, who died on September 3, 1874. 
 Samuel, residing in Mendon, now in his 
 eighty-eighth year, is still vigorous and 
 hearty. Hannah, who was the wife of Abner 
 K. Sprague, died a widow in Blackstone, No- 
 vember 15, 1892. Olive, who married El- 
 haneh Barrows, died July 12, 1881. Micajah 
 Collins, who resided in Mendon, was a well- 
 known civil engineer, and was engaged largely 
 in railroad business with David Davenport. 
 He assisted in making surveys for the roads 
 between Worcester and Barre and Worcester 
 and Orange, and was employed on various 
 roads in Maine and other parts of New Eng- 
 land. Active in public affairs, he served for 
 several terms as Assessor and Selectman, and 
 also represented his district in the General 
 Court. He was twice married. Mary Thur- 
 ber, who married Willis Gould, died March 5, 
 1898. Almira married Charles Fletcher, a 
 contractor. Gilbert, who is now living retired 
 on his farm in Mendon, has been well known 
 as a contractor for building roads and as an 
 extensive farmer. Nahum, also a farmer, 
 married Fannie Eliza Wheelock, and died in 
 Hopedale in 1895. Richard Georg6 was 
 twice married. Albert Warren, who is a 
 prominent farmer of Mendon, a well-known 
 granger, and has been Road Commissioner, 
 served for thirty consecutive years on the 
 Board of Selectmen of that town, and there- 
 after declined the office. 
 
 Lewis Boyden Gaskill resided during early 
 life on the homestead farm. In 1863, upon the 
 death of his father, he bought the historic 
 place. Here Benjamin Alby built the first 
 corn-mill in all these parts, more than two 
 hundred and ten years ago. Mr. Gaskill has 
 been chiefly engaged in farming, and has also 
 dealt extensively in wood and lumber. Pro- 
 gressive, thrifty, and successful, he has re- 
 placed the old farm buildings with more modern 
 ones. However, the solid and comfortable 
 old house built here in 1783 by George Kel- 
 ley remains practically as it originally was. 
 Mr. Gaskill was identified in town affairs when 
 Hopedale was a part of Milford, and since it 
 
 has become a separate town he has been a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen, Overseer, 
 and officer of the Board of Health. On May 
 8, 1863, he married Annie E. Jenckes, a 
 daughter of Ezra and Julia A. (Swan) Jenckes 
 and a native of Mendon, born February g, 
 1844. 
 
 /Sfe 
 
 EORGE FRANK DODGE, a well- 
 % i) I known contractor of Southboro and 
 
 — a veteran of the Civil War, was born 
 in Francestown, N. H., in 1830, son of Will- 
 iam and Lucy (Gould) Dodge. The father 
 was a brick-mason, and followed that trade 
 throughout the active period of his life. He 
 reared a family of eight children; namely, 
 Albert Davis, Timothy Page, William Bixby, 
 Mary Ann, John Dexter, Horace Richards, 
 Charles Frederick, and George Frank Dodge. 
 Timothy Page Dodge, who was a graduate of 
 Dartmouth College, died six months after his 
 ordination to the ministry. William Bixby 
 Dodge died at the age of forty-six years. 
 John Dexter Dodge went to California in 
 1849, 3nd Charles Frederick Dodge is a con- 
 tracting mason of Greenfield, Mass. 
 
 George Frank Dodge was educated in the 
 common schools. At the age of sixteen he 
 went to Nashua, N. H., where he was em- 
 ployed with his father at brick-laying for three 
 years. Afterward, for seven years, he worked 
 in cotton-mills at Nashua and Salmon Falls, 
 N. H. He then moved to Wilmington, Vt., 
 and from there to Sbelburne Falls, Mass., in 
 which place he followed his trade. While 
 residing in Wilmington he enlisted, December 
 II, 1863, in Company F, Eighth Regiment, 
 Vermont Volunteers, and was later transferred 
 to the band. He served under Sheridan at 
 Winchester, Cedar Creek, and Fisher Hjll, 
 and at one time was with detachment known 
 as Harper's Weeklies, which was engaged in 
 skirmishing in the region of Harper's ferry, 
 Va. Mustered out in June, 1865, he resumed 
 his former business, residing for some time in 
 Shelburne Falls, where he erected a residence. 
 Later he moved to Greenfield, where be was en- 
 gaged as a contracting mason with his brother, 
 Charles F. Dodge, for six years. Removing 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 585 
 
 to Northboro in 1883, he continued in the 
 same business alone. He erected many fine 
 buildings, among them the D. B. Wesson 
 mansion, one of the handsomest private resi- 
 dences in that section. In 1890 he came to 
 Southboro, where he built for his own occu- 
 pancy a residence located upon the outskirts of 
 the town, overlooking the mammoth basin of 
 the metropolitan water system. 
 
 On November 24, 1853, Mr. Dodge was 
 united in marriage with Charlotte Jane White, 
 daughter of Aaron White, a prosperous mer- 
 chant of Ludlow, Vt. He has two sons- — 
 Frank Le Roy and Frederick Orion Dodge. 
 Frank Le Roy is a musician of more than local 
 celebrity. At one time he was a member of 
 the Orpheus Club of Springfield, Mass., and 
 he was formerly the leader of the Episcopal 
 church choir. He married Clara E. Walker, 
 daughter of Lucius Walker, of Wilmington, 
 Vt. , and is now engaged in the poultry busi- 
 ness, occupying a residence adjoining his 
 father's property. Frederick Orion Dodge, 
 who was formerly a travelling salesman for 
 R. H. White and Jordan, Marsh & Co., both 
 of Boston, is now in the employ of Goldsmith 
 & Co., of New York City, and resides in Dor- 
 chester, Mass. He married Annie Laura 
 Whitney, and has one daughter, Mariquita 
 White Dodge. Mr. Dodge, Sr., has filled 
 the principal chairs of Pocomtuck Lodge, 
 L O. O. F. , of Greenfield; is a member of 
 Social Lodge, F. & A. M., of Wilmington, 
 Vt. ; and is a comrade of Northboro Post, 
 G. A. R., of which he has served as Adjutant, 
 and has attended as a delegate several national 
 encampments. Mrs. Dodge is senior vice- 
 president of the Women's Relief Corps and 
 the presiding officer of the Order of the East- 
 ern Star. 
 
 'OHN W. OGDEN, a prominent secret 
 society man of Fitchburg and super- 
 intendent of the Worcester & Clinton 
 Electric Street Railway, was born in 
 this city, April 18, 1857. A son of John and 
 Julia A. (Willard) Ogden, he comes of an old 
 and distinguished family. Mr. Ogden him- 
 self, who has been for the past twelve years at 
 
 work on his genealogy, has traced it back 
 thirty-four generations. He is connected with 
 the Grosvenors of New York ; and Ogdens- 
 burg, in that State, was named for his great- 
 grandfather, David Ogden, who was the first 
 settler there. One of his ancestors, John 
 Oakton, for helping King Charles H. to escape 
 from his enemies by hiding him in a tree, was 
 knighted, and received a coat of arms bearing 
 for its crest an oak-tree with a lion rampant 
 beneath. John Ogden, the first of the family 
 to settle in this country, arrived here in 1627. 
 His son, David, came from England in the 
 ship "Welcome" with William Penn. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is of the eighth 
 generation descended from the first John Ogden. 
 His grandfather, David Sayers Ogden, was a 
 sea captain. The father, John Ogden, who 
 was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his father 
 in early life sailed around the world several 
 times. He was the first engineer to guide 
 an engine over the Fitchburg & Worcester 
 Railroad. He served for a time in the Civil 
 War aboard the "Cumberland. " From 1864 
 to 1868 he had charge of the supply de- 
 partment of a branch of the Pennsylvania 
 Railroad. In 1868 he returned to Fitchburg 
 from Delaware, and he died at the age of 
 thirty-nine. His wife's father, Joseph Will- 
 ard, one of the most prominent real estate men 
 of Fitchburg, was an early settler of the town, 
 and laid out several streets. Mr. Willard was 
 a Justice of the Peace for a number of years 
 and a member of the Trinitarian church. He 
 died at the age of eighty-six. John and Julia 
 A. Ogden reared three children — John W. , 
 Fred S. , and Mary. Fred S. is an upholsterer 
 of Fitchburg. Mary is deceased. 
 
 John W. Ogden attended school in Wil- 
 mington, Del., and was for some time a stu- 
 dent in the Fitchburg High School. He 
 travelled with a physician for nearly eight 
 years, studying medicine, and then took a 
 course at the College of Physicians and Sur- 
 geons in Boston. He decided, however, iiot 
 to adopt a profession, and in 1878 he began to 
 publish the Commercial Advertiser, a monthly 
 paper of from four to eight pages. This he 
 conducted for two years, and at the same time 
 was correspondent in Northern Massachusetts 
 
S86 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for the Boston Daily and Sunday Globe, then 
 under the editorial management of B. P. 
 Palmer. Mr. Ogden was also for some time 
 the correspondent for the Boston Times. In 
 1884 he established the Fitchburg Rubber 
 Stamp Works, which manufactured all kinds 
 of rubber stamps. He had control of this 
 plant some ten years, and had a large and 
 prosperous business. At the same time he 
 became the proprietor of the famous Washa- 
 cum Lake picnic grounds at Sterling Junction, 
 which he developed from a cow pasture, suc- 
 cessfully engineering a bill through the legis- 
 lature providing for the incorporation of the 
 Washacum Lake Land Company. Mr. Ogden's 
 enterprise has made this one of the most 
 noted picnic grounds in the State. Here on 
 June 20, 1882, sixteen of the greatest oars- 
 men in the world, including Hanlon, Lee, 
 Ross, Ten Eyck, Sr., and Gaudar, contested a 
 rowing match that was witnessed by twenty 
 thousand people. The Worcester Turnverein 
 and a number of prominent societies have held 
 their picnics here. Mr. Ogden was the 
 treasurer of the Whitney Opera House for five 
 years and the manager for two seasons. He 
 has served as secretary and treasurer of several 
 endowment orders, always working for the in- 
 terest of the people. When the Rising Sun 
 Endowment Order was in difficulties he worked 
 until he secured five thousand seven hundred 
 dollars, and restored to the people all that they 
 had paid in. When the Golden Lion went 
 into insolvency he advised the stockholders not 
 to sell to brokers, and those who followed his 
 advice secured one hundred per cent, of the 
 amount then paid in. 
 
 Mr. Ogden is a member of Aurora Lodge, 
 F. & A. M. ; of Thomas Chapter, R. A. M. ; 
 of Jerusalem Commandery, K. T. ; of Lady 
 Emma Chapter, Eastern Star; of Apollo 
 Lodge, No. 205 ; and of Pearl Hill Rebecca 
 Lodge, No. 47, I. O. O. F.— all of Fitchburg. 
 He is Past Sachem of Nashua Tribe, No. 37, 
 L O. R. M. ; Past Chancellor of Alpine 
 Lodge, No. 35, K. of P. ; Past Commander of 
 Overlook Council, No. 972, A. L. of H. ; and 
 a member of Minnestema Council, No. 28, 
 D. of P., I. O. R. M. — all of the same place. 
 In the Masonic fraternity he is also a member 
 
 of Hiram Council, R. & S. M., of Worcester; 
 of Lafayette Lodge of Perfection, fourteenth 
 degree; of Giles F. Yates Council, Princes of 
 Jerusalem, sixteenth degree; of Mount Olivet 
 Chapter, Rose Croix, eighteenth degree; of 
 Massachusetts Consistory, S. P. R. S., 
 thirty-second degree; and of Aleppo Temple, 
 N. M. S. — all of Boston. Here it may be 
 mentioned that he has represented some of 
 the largest regalia houses in America, being 
 agent for secret society goods, such as charms, 
 pins, badges, regalia, etc. He has fitted him- 
 self for a superintendent of electric railway, 
 having commenced at the bottom and worked 
 up to the top, so that he understands the busi- 
 ness in all its branches. He is now Superin- 
 tendent of the Worcester & Clinton Street 
 Railway which he successfully opened Decem- 
 ber II, 1898, and has it operating in a manner 
 satisfactory to the directors and public. He 
 serves the public in the capacity of Justice of 
 the Peace. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Ogden was married to Eliza- 
 beth H., daughter of William Wood, of Fitch- 
 burg, and has one daughter, Lillian M., 
 fourteen years of age. Mr. Ogden votes the 
 Republican ticket. He was Councilman from 
 Ward Five in 1893 and 1894. At present he 
 is a member of the Fitchburg Board of Trade 
 and of the Merchants' Association. 
 
 Y^TENRY EDWIN MORGAN, a lead- 
 l-=J ing druggist of Milford, was born in 
 lU I Griswold, Conn., on March 8, 1841, 
 
 ^^ — son of Edwin and Althea (Frazier) 
 Morgan. He is a grandson of Major Daniel 
 Morgan, of the Eighth Regiment of Connecti- 
 cut Volunteers at Fort Griswold in the War 
 of 1812; and he is a lineal descendant in the 
 eighth generation of James Morgan, a native 
 of Wales, who, after coming to this country, 
 lived for a few years in Roxbury, Mass., and 
 in 1650 removed to Pequot (now New Lon- 
 don), Conn. He served several years as a Se- 
 lectman, and was elected nine times as Deputy 
 to the General Court at Hartford. In 1657 he 
 built a house in that part of Groton, Conn., 
 that is now the town of Ledyard, and there he 
 resided during the remainder of his life. His 
 
HENRY E. MORC;AxN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 589 
 
 descendants have been numerous and influen- 
 tial. They have intermarried with the Led- 
 yards, the Lesters, the Averys, and other lead- 
 ing families of Southern Connecticut, all of 
 whom were represented among the brave heroes 
 who fell in the massacre at Fort Griswold in 
 September, 1781. At the centennial celebra- 
 tion of that event in 1881 addresses were made 
 by General W. T. Sherman and other distin- 
 guished speakers, among them the Hon. John 
 T. Wait, who said in part: — 
 
 "The ground on which we stand is sacred. 
 A hundred years ago it was reddened with the 
 blood of as brave a body of noble men as ever 
 gave their lives in defence of their firesides 
 and their native land." 
 
 Mr. Morgan has in his possession the flag 
 carried by Major Morgan's regiment in the War 
 of 1812, and it is said to be the only one of 
 the kind of the original flags of Connecticut in 
 existence. It has been exhibited on many 
 occasions in Massachusetts and in Connecti- 
 cut, whose governor has requested that it be 
 placed among the historic relics of the State 
 House at Hartford. Many patriotic organiza- 
 tions also have endeavored to gain possession 
 of it, but Mr. Morgan feels that the old flag is 
 a family heirloom too sacred to be parted with. 
 
 Mr. Morgan came to Milford in 1857, and 
 for some years worked as clerk in the apothe- 
 cary shop of Leonard J. Wilson and as tele- 
 graph operator, being the only operator in 
 town. After twelve years of service with Mr. 
 Wilson he established a small drug store of 
 his own. He has since increased his busi- 
 ness, and he now occupies the spacious corner 
 drug store in Music Hall Block, which largely 
 through his efforts was erected. Since the 
 building was completed he has been treasurer 
 and principal owner, and has had charge of it 
 with its five stores, offices, and the hall. Mr. 
 Morgan was also one of the prime movers in 
 securing Milford's system of sewerage. In 
 connection with his drug business he has 
 placed several valuable proprietary medicines 
 on the market. He is liberal, energetic, and 
 always ready to lend a helping hand to all who 
 are in need or to forward any good cause. 
 
 Mr. Morgan was married on October 3, 
 1867, to Mary Jane Corbett, daughter of Major 
 
 John and Almira (Parkhurst) Corbett. She is 
 a native of Milford, and was born on Septem- 
 ber 5, 1841. 
 
 Robert Corbett, of Weymouth, the first of 
 this surname in New England, fought bravely 
 in King Philip's War. After him came Elder 
 Daniel "" Corbett ("presumed to be son of 
 Robert ' "), Deacon Daniel,' John,* and John, 
 Jr. ,5 father of Mrs. Morgan. The elder John, 
 Mrs. Morgan's grandfather, was one of the old 
 Revolutionary soldiers, and in after life never 
 tired of narrating his adventures. He fought 
 in the battle of Bunker Hill. "At one time 
 during the war he and Jonathan Stearns were 
 taken prisoners. A kind-hearted British 
 officer connived at their escape in a boat, but 
 they suffered intensely from hunger before 
 reaching the American camp. Their first 
 available meal consisted of raw meat, which 
 they devoured like wild beasts, pronouncing it 
 the most inviting dish they had ever tasted." 
 Grandfather Corbett was one of the twelve 
 proprietors that built the Brick Meeting-house, 
 and was a steady attendant at church. 
 
 Major John Corbett, Jr., Mrs. Morgan's 
 father, was very active in keeping together the 
 military company of his native town. As 
 there was no war during his young days, he 
 could only keep in trim for service; but his 
 son, A. O. Corbett, whose name is inscribed 
 on the tablet of Milford's beautiful Memorial 
 Hall, is bearing wounds from the Civil War of 
 1861, and still suffers from them. The spirit 
 of patriotism, it seems, has not died in the 
 last generation; for the third John Corbett, 
 A. O. Corbett's son, one of Harvard's Eleven, 
 responded to President McKinley's call, and 
 was on duty in the American-Spanish War 
 of 1898. 
 
 Carlton Corbett, Mrs. Morgan's eldest 
 brother, served as one of the two advance 
 agents prospecting in the interests of the Mil- 
 ford Emigration Society. He was the second 
 white man to tread the virgin soil of what is 
 now Cherokee County, Iowa. He sought out a 
 home not on the bold New England shore, but 
 on the prairie wilds of Western Iowa. His 
 life has since been prominently identified with 
 the history of Cherokee County. In 1852, a 
 few years before going to Iowa, he made a trip 
 
59° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to California, where he engaged in gold min- 
 ing with great success. Later he explored 
 Pike's Peak and its surroundings. His career 
 for over thirty years can be largely gleaned 
 from the history of the county he helped 
 found. He has held many county and city 
 offices. He assisted in the organization of the 
 national bank at Cherokee; and he served as 
 City Treasurer continuously for thirteen years, 
 being the present incumbent of the office. 
 He has dealt largely in real estate, and it is 
 said that he "knows every acre of land in 
 Cherokee County." Besides selling thousands 
 and thousands of acres of land, he has farmed 
 hundreds of acres. Liberal and far-sighted, 
 he has freely given to public enterprises. He 
 commands the confidence and esteem of all 
 who know him. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Morgan have been the parents 
 of the following-named children : Clarence 
 Henry, who was born on April 9, 1869; James 
 Lester, who was born on June 4, 1871 ; Frank 
 Carlton, who was born on April i, 1873; and 
 Alice Florence, who was born on January 7, 
 1 88 1. Frank and Lester, graduates of the 
 Milford High School in 1891 and 1889 re- 
 spectively, are members of the College of 
 Pharmacy in Boston, and Alice is in school at 
 Milford. Clarence Morgan, who died on Jan- 
 uary 25, 1893, from the effects of a severe at- 
 tack of the grip, was from early childhood a 
 constant sufferer. He was graduated from the 
 high school in 1885 with high honors, and 
 subsequently attended Comer's Commercial 
 School in Boston. He assisted his father in 
 clerical duties. Although never free from 
 pain and at times a great sufferer, he was one 
 of the pleasantest and most cheerful persons to 
 meet, and by his gentle submission to what 
 might have made others bitter and cynical 
 won the affection and almost the reverence of 
 all whom he met. His loss caused deep grief 
 not only to his immediate family, but to hun- 
 dreds of persons outside. 
 
 Mrs. Morgan became interested in the 
 kindergarten methods of training children in 
 1873, and through her efforts a flourishing 
 kindergarten school was maintained here for a 
 number of years. It being difficult at first to 
 secure permanently competent teachers, she 
 
 found that in order to carry out her plan she 
 must learn the system herself. She accord- 
 ingly joined the Froebel class, took the full 
 preparatory course, and in 1876 received her 
 diploma at the Boston Training Kindergarten. 
 
 C' 
 
 lOBERT R. SIMMONDS, local re- 
 porter for the Worcester Telegram, 
 was born in this city, February 9, 
 1870, son of William E. S. and 
 Catharine (Quinn) Simmonds. His paternal 
 grandfather was William E. S. Simmonds, 
 Sr., who resided on the old Kent Road, 
 London. 
 
 William E. S. Simmonds, Jr., was born in 
 London, and came to America when a young 
 man. Enlisting in the United States regu- 
 lar army in 1858, he served all through the 
 Civil War, and was honorably discharged on 
 account of physical disability in 1865, being 
 at the time Lieutenant of Company L, First 
 Regiment, United States Artillery. For a 
 brief period he was a partner in a dry-goods 
 store on Eighth Avenue, New York. He 
 later sold his interest to his associate, and 
 going to London he opened the first store de- 
 voted exclusively to the cigar trade in the 
 British metropolis. Returning to the United 
 States in 1869, he settled in Worcester, where 
 in May, 1870, he met with an accident which 
 caused his death. On Decoration Day Lieu- 
 tenant William E. S. Simmonds married 
 Catharine Quinn, daughter of James Quinn. 
 Her father, who was a real estate owner in 
 New York and quite prominently identified 
 with public affairs in that city, at one time 
 owned a piece of land which is now a part of 
 the Central Park reservation. He was the 
 first man killed in the Draft Riots. 
 
 Robert R. Simmonds was educated in the 
 Worcester public schools. He aspired to a 
 course at the United States Military Academy 
 at West Point, but was debarred on account of 
 defective vision in one eye. Learning the 
 jeweller's trade with Elmer G. Tucker, he was 
 later for six years employed as buyer by the 
 firm of J. T. Roach & Co., of this city. For 
 the past few years he has acted as local re- 
 porter for the Worcester Telegram, He is 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 591 
 
 actively interested in the Sons of Veterans, 
 having taken a prominent part in reorganizing 
 Camp A. A. Goodell, in which he has held 
 air of the important offices. It was through 
 his exertions that Congressman J. H. Walker 
 became interested in this camp. Mr. Sim- 
 monds was mainly instrumental in organizing 
 Willie Grout Camp, which has in its keeping 
 the sword and belt worn by the ofificer for whom 
 it was named at the time of his death at the 
 battle of Ball's Bluff. When the Day Block 
 was burned, these relics were rescued from 
 the flames by Mr. Simmonds and George E. 
 Burr. He has also occupied chairs in Iroquois 
 Tribe, Improved Order of Red Men. He is 
 popular in Grand Army circles, and is an 
 honorary member of the Wellington Rifles, 
 M. V. M. 
 
 Mr. Simmonds married Miss Lou Isaacs, 
 daughter of Charles E. and Evelyn (Brewer) 
 Isaacs, the former of whom served as a soldier 
 in the war of the Rebellion. Mrs. Sim- 
 monds, who has acquired a high reputation as 
 an elocutionist, is a charter member of the 
 Worcester Camp, Daughters of Veterans, and 
 is now its president. She is the mother of 
 one son, Robert Charles, born April 13, 1897. 
 
 Although frequently solicited to enter the 
 pqHtical field and accept nominations for pub- 
 lic' office, Mr. Simmonds has invariably de- 
 clined, as he is absolutely free from aspira- 
 tions in that direction. 
 
 'AMUEL AUSTIN PRATT, a re- 
 tired grocer of Worcester, Mass., 
 son of Samuel Austin, Sr., and 
 Harriet D. (Cornish) Pratt, was 
 born on January 16, 1822, in the adjacent 
 town of Shrewsbury. 
 
 His father was a lineal descendant in the 
 fourth generation of Amos Pratt, who, as we 
 learn from the history of Shrewsbury, removed 
 to that town from Westboro, and in 1722 mar- 
 ried Anna Allen, daughter of Elnathan Allen. 
 Barry's History of Framingham is authority 
 for the further statement that Amos Pratt, 
 above named, was born in 1699; that he was 
 the son of John Pratt, of Sudbury, and grand - 
 son of ThQinag Pratt, Sr. , probably of Water- 
 
 town, 1647, and later of Sudbury; that he, 
 Amos, was captured by the Indians in Au- 
 gust, 1746; and that he died a prisoner at 
 Quebec in 1747. 
 
 Elnathan Pratt, son of Amos, married on 
 April 26, 1748, Abigail, daughter of Major 
 Mixer. He died January 20, 1813, aged 
 eighty-nine years, having survived his wife, 
 who died September 10, 1808, aged seventy- 
 eight. They were the parents of eight sons 
 and four daughters, one son being Nathan, 
 the grandfather of Mr. Samuel A. Pratt, of 
 Worcester. 
 
 Nathan Pratt was born in Shrewsbury about 
 1760. He acquired a good education through 
 his own efforts, and for some time he taught 
 school in Worcester, where he was long known 
 as Master Pratt. For many years he was en- 
 gaged in carrying farm products from this 
 vicinity to the Boston market. He attended 
 the Congregational church, but assisted in 
 supporting other religious denominations. As 
 an instance of his practical kindness and of 
 his continued vigor, it is related that when 
 an octogenarian he loaded his ox team with 
 wood, which he carried to a Baptist minister. 
 He possessed many admirable qualities, and 
 was held in high estimation by his fellow- 
 townsmen. Nathan Pratt died May 11, 1847. 
 His wife was Dolly Parker. They reared a 
 family of ten children, namely: Martha, who 
 was born July 22, 1780, and married Seth 
 Hemenway; Lewis, born October 19, 1783; 
 Caleb, born July 19, 1786, who became mate 
 of a merchantman, which was captured by 
 Spanish pirates and taken to St. Domingo, 
 where he died of yellow fever, October 22, 
 1809; Thankful, born in 1788; Thankful, 
 second, who was born April 15, 1791, and 
 married Luke Knowlton Rice; Samuel Aus- 
 tin, Sr., born August 9, 1794; Phebe, born 
 January 18, 1797, died October 30, 1830; 
 Nathan, Jr., born July 5, 1800, who was twice 
 married, and died leaving fourteen children; 
 George Dexter, born August 10, 1803, who 
 died in Mexico; and Otis Pratt, born May 15, 
 1810, who married Elizabeth Putnam, of Sut- 
 ton, Mass. 
 
 Samuel Austin Pratt, Sr., grew to manhood 
 ofl a i^m jn Shrewsbury, his native town, 
 
592 
 
 ' BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 He was an excellent mechanic, and made the 
 first plough for Joel Nourse, a member of the 
 firm of Ruggles, Nourse & Mason. A man 
 of ability and integrity, the elder Samuel A. 
 Pratt gained the good will of his neighbors 
 and stood high in the community. He mar- 
 ried Harriet Cornish, who was of English de- 
 scent and a daughter of Joshua Cornish. Six 
 children were the fruit of this union, namely: 
 Caleb, who was born December ,^5, 1815, 
 and died in Salem, Mass., at the age of 
 eighty-one years, leaving one daughter; 
 Maria, born June 4, 181 7, who married Henry 
 S. Whitney, and resides in Swanzey, N.H.; 
 Charles H. Pratt, M.D., born January 2, 1819, 
 now residing in California; Samuel A., the 
 subject of this sketch; Dolly, who is the 
 widow of Ebenezer Morrill, and resides in 
 Northampton, Mass. ; and George Dexter 
 Pratt, born December 28, 1828, who is now 
 living in Worcester. The mother died March 
 8, 1869, aged seventy-five years, and the 
 father died September 24, 1877. 
 
 Samuel Austin Pratt in his early years at- 
 tended the common schools; and, although his 
 father preferred that he should continue his 
 studies, he left school at the age of fifteen in 
 order to learn a trade. For ten years he was 
 engaged in pegging shoes. This occupation 
 he relinquished to enter mercantile business; 
 and after serving as clerk in a general store at 
 Blackstone for several months he on Octo- 
 ber I, 1847, came to Worcester to engage in 
 the same capacity with a Mr. Stearns. In 
 December of that year he was hired by George 
 Geer, manager of and principal stockholder in 
 a concern known as the New England Protec- 
 tive Union, comprising at one time seven 
 hundred stores, at present only two. For the 
 succeeding fifty years Mr. Pratt was manager 
 of Division No. 42, which is still one of the 
 leading retail grocery stores in the city. Diir- 
 ing his connection with it the business ex- 
 panded from twelve thousand to one hundred 
 and eighty thousand dollars per year. The 
 concern started with a capital of seven hun- 
 dred dollars in a small store at the corner of 
 Commercial and Front Streets, at an annual 
 rental of ninety dollars. Increase of business 
 soon necessitated a change; and, when it se- 
 
 cured quarters in the Agricultural Hall build- 
 ing at a rental of five hundred dollars, some 
 of the timid stockholders withdrew. Businessj 
 however, advanced with the city's growth ; and 
 at the time of Mr. Pratt's retirement, which 
 took place April i, 1898, twelve assistants 
 were employed, and the rent was thirty-six 
 hundred dollars per year. 
 
 Mr. Pratt and Elizabeth Lucy Whitney, of 
 Stafford Springs, Conn., were united in mar- 
 riage on December 24, 1848. They have two 
 daughters — Marion and Rosella Maria. 
 Marion married Harlan B. Pierce, of Worces- 
 ter, and has three children. Rosella Maria is 
 the wife of the Rev. O. C. Bailey, of this city, 
 and has an adopted daughter. Mr. and Mrs* 
 Pratt have had four great-grandchildren, two 
 of whom are living; namely, George Green 
 and Marion Higgins. 
 
 Mr. Pratt is one of the best known among 
 the older citizens of Worcester; and he is one 
 of the one hundred tax - payers whose names 
 appeared on the assessment rolls fifty years 
 ago, when the city was incorporated. Politi- 
 cally, he is a Republican, but has never taken 
 any active part in public affairs. A Congre- 
 gationalist in his religious belief, he attends 
 the Summer Street chapel. 
 
 George Dexter Pratt, one of the oldest 
 grocery salesmen in point of experience now 
 in active service in Worcester, began as a 
 clerk under his brother, and has been con- 
 nected with the Protective Union Grocery 
 Store since 1858. On January 15, 1880, he 
 married Sarah E. Mirick, daughter of Sewell 
 D. Mirick, a farmer of Princeton, Mass., who 
 was the father of eight children, six of whom 
 are living. Mr. George D. Pratt acts with 
 the Republican party in politics. He is, a 
 member of Plymouth Congregational Church.- 
 
 ILLIAM JOHN CRAWFORD, 
 senior member of the firm of Craw- 
 ford & Tyler, woollen manufact- 
 urers. North Dana, Mass. , was born in Bel- 
 fast, Ireland, February 2, 1836. His parents, 
 William J. and Ann (Brown) Crawford, were 
 natives of Ireland. His father, who was an 
 
^i^G.t- 
 
BlOGRAtHlCAL REVIEW 
 
 S9S 
 
 industrious farmer, died there in the prime of 
 manhood, leaving a widow and four children, 
 one of whom besides himself is living; namely, 
 Mary, who is now Mrs. Browen, a resident of 
 New York. The others were : Ann Jane and 
 Catherine. 
 
 By the death of his father William John 
 Crawford was left to depend largely upon his 
 own inherent resources, receiving from his 
 mother only such assistance as her many other 
 responsibilities permitted her to give him. 
 He was consequently obliged to be content 
 with what little education he could acquire 
 under these adverse circumstances. Coming 
 to the United States when sixteen years old, 
 he immediately found employment in a cotton- 
 mill operated by Isaac Saunders at Saunders- 
 ville, near Worcester, Mass.- In course of 
 time his ambition led him into business for 
 himself, his first venture being at Eagleville, 
 Mass., in company with a Mr. Dorr, under the 
 firm name of Dorr & Crawford. In 1883 that 
 concern took possession of the satinet factory 
 in North Dana formerly carried on by Good- 
 man & Scofield. Upon the withdrawal of Mr. 
 Dorr in 1885 or 1886, Mr. E. P. Tyler was 
 admitted as a partner. The business under 
 the present management has steadily advanced 
 in magnitude and financial standing, employ- 
 ing an average of thirty hands the year round. 
 The plant, which has been enlarged and im- 
 proved, is equipped with modern machinery 
 propelled by water or steam power as emer- 
 gency may demand; and its products find a 
 ready sale in the metropolitan markets. Mr. 
 Crawford enlisted as a private in Company E, 
 Forty-second Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers, in 1862, and was honorably discharged 
 in 1863. 
 
 On November 6, 1856, Mr. Crawford was 
 united in marriage with Ann Doyle, a native 
 of Ireland. They have seven children ; 
 namely, William J., Jr., Henry T., John L., 
 Mary A., Kate T., George E., and Francis 
 B. Crawford. 
 
 Possessing the energy which is character- 
 istic of a self-made man, Mr. Crawford has 
 worked his way forward to a position of prom- 
 inence in the business circles of this locality, 
 and is a leader in all movements sagaciously 
 
 devised for the purpose of developing the nat- 
 ural resources or adding to the prosperity of 
 the town. He has served with ability as a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen and in other 
 town offices. In politics he is a Republican. 
 He is president of the Republican Club; a 
 comrade of Herbert V. Smith Post, No. 140, 
 G. A. R., of Athol, Mass. ; and chairman of 
 the Building Committee which erected the fine 
 new Universalist church edifice in North 
 Dana. 
 
 DWIN P. TYLER, junior member of 
 the firm of Crawford & Tyler, was born 
 in Athol, Mass., December 12, 1856, 
 son of Pitts C. and Mary E. (Ive) Tyler. His 
 parents are natives of Hinsdale, N. H. He 
 has one brother, Albert W. Tyler, a coal 
 dealer of Athol, where his father was for 
 many years a leading business man, and is now 
 a retired merchant. 
 
 Edwin P. Tyler was educated in the public 
 schools of Athol. After completing his 
 studies he went to Colorado, where he spent 
 seven years in mining and other occupations. 
 After his return he became associated with 
 Mr. Crawford in the woollen manufacturing 
 business, and in 1887 be married Kate T. 
 Crawford, daughter of his partner. 
 
 Mr. Tyler is an able business man. His 
 natural activity is proving exceedingly helpful 
 to the community, in whose welfare and ad- 
 vancement he displays a keen interest. Polit- 
 ically, he is a Democrat. He is a member of 
 the Masonic order, and was initiated at Pit- 
 kin, Gunnison County, Col. 
 
 AMES ATKINSON NORCROSS.— It 
 may be justly said that in America the 
 erection of buildings destined to stand, 
 as do those of Europe, while the centu- 
 ries wax and wane, has been the work of the 
 last fifty years. It may certainly be said with 
 equal justice that as long as some of the state- 
 liest of these shall stand, and as long as a 
 broadened historic intelligence shall take an 
 interest in their builders, so long the name of 
 Norcross will suggest inquiry. 
 
S96 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 It is the province of sucii a work as tliis to 
 anticipate such natural inquiry, and the pres- 
 ent sketch preserves as adequate a record as 
 diligent research has been able to attain. 
 
 The great building firm of Norcross Brothers, 
 with which must be inseparably connected the 
 rise of American architectural and constructive 
 art from the makeshift and temporary contriv- 
 ing of a yet unsettled country to the solid and 
 enduring work of an established civilization, 
 rose into prominence and achieved so large a 
 part in the epoch-making work of which we 
 have spoken, through the industry, integrity, 
 and skill of the two brothers, James Atkinson 
 and Orlando W. Norcross. 
 
 It is with the elder of these that this biog- 
 raphy concerns itself, although, quite naturally, 
 the story of the one is largely the story of the 
 other. As with Americans so frequently as to 
 be almost typical, these men owed nothing to 
 the heritage of an ancient name or an ances- 
 trally acquired fortune. Thus the simplest 
 and readiest beginning of the present story is 
 when we find the father of these two men, Jesse 
 Springer Norcross, giving the service of a 
 mechanical ability that bordered closely upon 
 genius to the pioneer work of American civili- 
 zation in the vast primeval forests of Maine 
 early in this century. Born June i6, 1805, 
 in the little town of Wayne, amid that network 
 of streams between the Androscoggin and the 
 Kennebec, he gave the skill that developed 
 with his manhood, and which seemed compe- 
 tent to any enterprise, mainly to the natural 
 demand of the place and time — the diversified 
 and often extremely difficult task of construct- 
 ing and erecting saw-mills. There was noth- 
 ing, from the building of the dam to the 
 making and tempering of the saw itself, at 
 which he did not prove himself an expert. His 
 wife, Margaret Ann Whitney, was a native of 
 this county, she having been born in Westboro, 
 February i, 1809. Out of their family of eight 
 children, the two sons, James and Orlando, 
 seemed to be the ones who inherited the 
 father's mechanical ability and masterly re- 
 sourcefulness. In the light of after events we 
 might call it a genius for surmounting obsta- 
 cles. 
 
 Jesse Norcrossi was among those adventurous 
 
 spirits who made their way to California in 
 1849 and 1850. But, instead of the wealth he 
 sought, grim death awaited him in his lonely 
 exile. He died at Benicia, in California, on 
 November 18, 1850. 
 
 At that time James was hardly more than a 
 boy. He had come into this great, strange 
 world amid the woods of Maine, at Winslow; 
 March 24, 1832, and thus was not yet twenty 
 when upon him, as the eldest son, fell the care 
 and support of the fatherless family. He man- 
 fully assumed that burden, a heavy one for his 
 young shoulders. By his widowed mother's 
 side he took his stand to repel the wolf of 
 hunger from their lowly door; and from that 
 day until she died in Worcester, May 24, 
 1883, he never suffered her to want while he 
 had anything to share with her. 
 
 He married in his early manhood, and has 
 never ceased to bless the fortune, the richest 
 and best that ever came to him, which gave 
 him as his wife the gentle girl that he had 
 chosen as a youth, Mary Ellen Pinkham, dau^- 
 ter of Hicks and Mary Buffington Pinkham, 
 of South Danvers, now Peabody, Mass. How 
 closely contemporaneous were the lives of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Pinkham we cannot help but notice 
 in the fact that they were born within little 
 more than two months of one another, he in 
 Madbury, N.H., October 7, 1806, she in Pea- 
 body, Mass., December 16, 1806; and they 
 died within little more than a year of one 
 another, he on December 23, 1849, and she 
 on January 21, 1851, both in Peabody. 
 
 The young wife of James Norcross was the 
 first of their two children, having been borir 
 in Peabody, January 8, 1835. While others 
 have said that James Norcross showed indomi- 
 table courage in adversity, resolute integrity 
 in every circumstance, and splendid persistence 
 in achieving fortune, he himself has declared a 
 thousand times that the most of what he is and 
 has been he owes to the wife who has been 
 his helpmeet indeed, his nearest and dearest 
 comrade in time of trial, his truest and wises^ 
 adviser in every difficulty, his best and cheeri- 
 est companion in his prosperous years. 
 
 Nine children have blessed their union, six 
 of whom survive. Their names and the places 
 of their birth are as follows: Julia Ellen Nor- 
 

 
 O 
 O 
 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 601 
 
 cross, Salem, Mass. ; James Ephraim Norcross, 
 Salem, Mass. ; James Frank Norcross, Salem, 
 Mass. ; Arthur Warren Norcross, Salem, 
 Mass. ; Rosa Minerva Norcros.s, Salem, Mass. ; 
 William Ephraim Norcross, Salem, Mass. ; 
 Mary Elizabeth Norcross, South Adams, Mass. ; 
 Florence Agnes Norcross, Worcester, Mass. ; 
 Jesse Orlando Norcross, Worcester, Mass. 
 
 It will be seen by the above that for some 
 years after his marriage James was a resident 
 of Salem, in this State. From the days when 
 he was the mainstay of his mother and younger 
 brothers and sisters he pursued the calling of 
 a carpenter and builder. It has really been 
 with him a calling, and not a mere means of 
 livelihood; for there was in the youth that 
 aptitude for the craft and that enthusiasm for 
 thoroughness that alone can produce the master 
 workman. 
 
 In 1864 he and his brother Orlando, eight 
 years his junior, formed the partnership of 
 Norcross Brothers, beginning business in 
 Swampscott, Mass. ; and as early as 1866 we 
 find the young firm taking the first of its many 
 and important building contracts in Worces- 
 ter County. It was the erection of the Con- 
 gregational church in Leicester. This piece 
 of work, one of the landmarks of our county, 
 was modest enough as compared with some of 
 their gigantic undertakings of later years; and 
 yet it proved of vital import as the first work 
 of theirs that secured them a name and actu- 
 ally laid the foundation of their successful 
 business career. In carrying it to a comple- 
 tion so productive of great results, James, as 
 the elder member of the firm, naturally took 
 the lead and transacted most of the business. 
 It was during these earlier years of their part- 
 nership, when they were building up, along 
 with but better than any of their noblest struct- 
 ures in brick or stone, that reputation for thor- 
 ough workmanship, for unswerving rectitude, 
 and for frank and generous dealing, which 
 later on has led to their being intrusted with 
 many of the largest and most important con- 
 tracts ever given in this country — it was dur- 
 ing those early and crucial years that the 
 rugged honesty and the transparent sincerity 
 for which James had been noteworthy, even 
 while yet carrying his box of tools to his 
 
 work as a journeyman carpenter, stood the firm 
 in such splendid service, winning for it the 
 honorable and admirable name that has been 
 its strength for thirty years, and which to-day 
 secures for it such confidence throughout the 
 land that, although James has now retired from 
 all active business, the firm still wisely retains 
 the old name of Norcross Brothers. 
 
 The story of these years has been one of con- 
 stant and increasing success. In the city of 
 Worcester, to begin with, and afterward extend- 
 ing far and wide throughout the country, the 
 monuments of their skill and energy and cour- 
 age have multiplied until, indeed, the vast 
 aggregate of their contracts would suffice for 
 the building of a stately city. It is to be said 
 with honest pride that never yet has the work 
 of their hands been judged as ill done or as 
 falling below the highest standard of honor. 
 
 James Norcross is now enjoying something 
 of that quiet ease which so many of America's 
 men of energy have richly earned, but which 
 so few of them are wise enough to take in 
 time. 
 
 In the beautiful mansion crowning their 
 Worcester estate of Fairlawn, of which we 
 give an exterior and two interior views, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Norcross, with their children and 
 their children's children round about them, 
 live in the same comfortable, unpretentious 
 way they have ever done. Unitarians in con- 
 viction and by moral emphasis from their 
 youth, they are consistent and active members 
 of the South Unitarian Church of Worcester, 
 to the erection of whose handsome and substan- 
 tial edifice they were large contributors, the 
 firm of Norcross Brothers having been its 
 builders. James Norcross is the possessor of 
 a remarkably fine library, which he has been 
 collecting for many years, and the books in 
 which he is now making the delightful com- 
 panions of his well-earned leisure, a plan he 
 has steadily pursued from days when his leis- 
 ure was as scanty as the few books he could 
 afford. He has thus succeeded, as so many 
 Americans have done, in largely overcoming 
 the educational disadvantages of his youth, and 
 has become a well-read man. It is evidently 
 with the remembrance of how bereft of schol- 
 arly training was his own youth that not a 
 
6o2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 little of his benevolence has taken the form of 
 assistance to young men and women whom he 
 has found bravely struggling for an education. 
 Of a retiring and home-loving disposition, 
 James Norcross manifests his interest in relig- 
 ion and temperance and all the best affairs of 
 humanity in ways that do not proclaim them- 
 selves from the housetops, but which are no 
 less extensive and effective. We feel our- 
 selves amply justified in saying that not only is 
 many an American city the better built for the 
 industry, integrity, and skill of James A. Nor- 
 cross, but the good fortune and happiness of 
 many a life, the welfare and worth of his own 
 community, are also the better built for the 
 manly and Christian part he has borne as a 
 citizen, a neighbor, and a friend. 
 
 AUGUSTUS HOWE, a veteran 
 of the Civil War and a member of 
 the firm Howe Brothers, dealers in 
 flour, grain, and feed, Depot Square, 
 Gardner, was born in this town, July 2, 1839, 
 son of Simeon and Abigail (Fairbanks) Howe. 
 His paternal grandparents, Benjamin and Ke- 
 ziah (Hill) Howe, and his parents also, were 
 natives of Gardner. The first of the family 
 to settle here was Ebenezer Howe, the great- 
 grandfather, who came from Templeton, 
 Mass., and located at a place about one mile 
 from the centre of the town. Benjamin Howe, 
 who was an industrious farmer and a lifelong 
 resident of Gardner, reared a family of eight 
 children. 
 
 Simeon Howe, having followed farming for 
 a number of-' years, was afterward engaged in 
 the manufacture of chairs. Later in New 
 Hampshire he manufactured tubs and pails 
 for a time, after which he resumed chair- 
 making in Gardner. His last days were spent 
 in this town, and he lived to be seventy-nine 
 years old. His wife, Abigail, was born in 
 1 812. Her parents were Jabez and Abigail 
 Fairbanks, the former born in Gardner, May 
 9, 1784, and the latter on December 2, 1786. 
 Mrs. Fairbanks died at the age of thirty years. 
 Simeon and Abigail Howe had five sons and 
 one daughter. The sons, who are all living, 
 are: S. Augustus, Marcus H., Marshall M., 
 
 Charles H., and Willie F. The mother died 
 at the age of seventy-nine. Both parents at- 
 tended the Congregational church. 
 
 Having begun his education in the common 
 schools of Gardner, S. Augustus Howe com- 
 pleted his education at the high school of 
 Bolton. At the age of nineteen he went to 
 Oswego, N. Y., where he was employed in a 
 chair manufactory for two years. On May 17, 
 1 861, he enlisted as a private in Company C, 
 Twenty-fourth Regiment, New York Volun- 
 teer Infantry, for service in the Civil War. 
 He was made a Corporal on December i of 
 the same year; was appointed First Sergeant 
 in October, 1862; and a short time later he 
 was promoted to the rank of Second Lieu- 
 tenant for gallant conduct at the battle of 
 Fredericksburg. He was discharged at, the 
 expiration of his term of service on May 29, 
 1863. After working at the Chickering Piano 
 Factory in Boston for a time, he was offered a 
 position at the Onondaga (N. Y. ) Penitentiary. 
 Instead of accepting this post, he re-enlisted 
 as First Lieutenant in the Ninth New York 
 Heavy Artillery, of which he was later road^ 
 Captain. During his second term he assisted 
 in constructing the fortifications about the 
 capital, and participated in several notable 
 engagements, including the second battle of 
 Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fred- 
 ericksburg (two engagements), Cold Harbor, 
 Cedar Creek, and Petersburg. After the close 
 of the war he resumed chair-making in New 
 York State, and later worked at the same busi- 
 ness in Gardner. In 1871 he and his brother, 
 Marcus H. Howe, bought the grain and feed 
 business, including a grist-mill, of C. W. 
 Bush, and carried it on for the succeeding 
 fifteen years. The mill was given up, and 
 Marcus H. Howe sold his interest in the con- 
 cern to his brother, Willie F., who, in turn, 
 disposed of his interest to another brother, 
 Marshall M. The latter is still connected 
 with the business. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Howe is a Republican, and 
 since his return to Gardner he has been ac- 
 tively identified with public affairs. He has 
 served as Constable and Assessor, was a Rep- 
 resentative in the legislature in 1891 and 
 1892, has been a Special County Commis- 
 
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 60s 
 
 sioner since 1893, and was appointed United 
 States Census Enumerator in 1880. As an 
 official he attends to his duties with the same 
 diligence which he' has displayed in his pri- 
 vate business. He is highly respected both 
 for his public services and his honorable war 
 record. In 1863 he was united in marriage 
 with Jennie Carroll, who was born in Oswego, 
 N. Y. , daughter of John Carroll, a prosperous 
 farmer of that section. Mrs. Howe is the 
 mother of two sons: Fred M., an assistant 
 station manager in Boston of the Boston & 
 Albany Railroad; and Frank C. Howe, a prod- 
 uce dealer in Worcester, Mass. Mr. Howe 
 is a member of William Ellison Lodge, 
 L O. O. F. ; and a comrade of D. G. Farra- 
 gut Post, No. 116, G. A. R. Mrs. Howe 
 attends the Congregational church. 
 
 he was 
 (Jones) 
 
 "ON. ALVAH CROCKER was a 
 prominent manufacturer and a public 
 man of Fitchburg. Born in Leom- 
 inster, Mass., October 14, 1801, 
 a son of Samuel C. and Comfort 
 Crocker. Samuel C. Crocker, who 
 was born March 22, 1774, was a vatman in the 
 employ of Nichols & Kendall. An earnest 
 member of the Baptist church, in his character 
 the spiritual element was more pronounced 
 than the material, and he rarely conversed 
 without introducing the subject of religion. 
 Mrs. Comfort Crocker, who was born August 
 23, 1777, was a descendant of the Adams fam- 
 ily of Massachusetts, whose self-reliance and 
 independence of character she inherited. She 
 struggled nobly against adverse circumstances, 
 and reared her children in habits of honest 
 industry, teaching them to exert themselves 
 from choice as well as necessity. 
 
 From his mother Alvah Crocker derived his 
 most prominent characteristics. When he was 
 eight years old the boy went to work in the 
 mill where his father was employed. He had 
 access to Mr. Nichols's library, and there ac- 
 quired a general store of knowledge, broader, 
 perhaps, than other boys of his age would have 
 gained at school. Having conceived an ambi- 
 tion for a college education, the desire grew 
 upon him, and he taxed all his energies to 
 
 earn the necessary money. When he was 
 sixteen years old, having saved fifty dollars, 
 he entered Groton Academy, and there pur- 
 sued his studies until his funds were gone. 
 Then he returned to work, but by devoting his 
 evenings to study he was able to keep pace 
 with his class in the academy. In 1820 he 
 was employed in a paper-mill in Franklin, 
 N.H., and three years later he entered the em- 
 ploy of General Leonard Burbank, the pioneer 
 paper manufacturer of Fitchburg. General 
 Burbank's mills were where the Rollstone Ma- 
 chine Company's plant now stands. In 1826 
 Mr. Crocker, with borrowed capital, erected 
 a mill in a birch swamp situated in that part 
 of North Fitchburg now known as Crocker- 
 ville. From that time until 1830 his life was 
 a continuous struggle to meet obligations. 
 Times were hard, a freshet damaged his mill, 
 machinery began to take the place of manual 
 labor, and in order to compete successfully 
 with other manufacturers he was obliged to 
 incur increased expense. Courage and force 
 of will, however, carried him through. He 
 took his goods out of the hands of the commis- 
 sion merchants, and transported them in teams 
 to Boston, where they were sold direct to the 
 consumers. Owing twenty-six thousand dol- 
 lars, twelve thousand dollars on the original 
 investment, four thousand dollars to commis- 
 sion merchants, and ten thousand dollars for 
 putting in machinery, he went to work with 
 a will, liquidated his debts, and pushed his 
 business with increasing prosperity. In the 
 course of time he built additional paper-mills, . 
 and became interested in railroad construction. 
 The firm of Crocker, Burbank & Co., which 
 was organized in 1850, obtained control of 
 seven mills that produced fifteen tons of 
 paper daily. The Snow or Upper Mill, which 
 was built in 1839, after passing through sev- 
 eral hands came to the firm in 1862. The 
 Cascade Mill, erected in 1847, was purchased 
 by them in 1863; and the Upton Mill, built 
 in 1851, was purchased by them in 1859. 
 The Whiting Mill, built in 1847, the Hanna 
 Mill, built in 1852, the L.yon Mill, built in 
 1853, and the Stone Mill, built in 1854, 
 were purchased respectively in 1868, i860, 
 1869, and 1 87 1. 
 
6o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Crocker identified his private interests 
 with the welfare of his adopted town, thor- 
 oughly understanding that whatever would in- 
 crease the population and the resources of 
 Fitchburg would benefit each citizen. In 
 1833 the town had entered on a career of pros- 
 perity, boasting a number of mills, an acad- 
 emy, a newspaper, three churches, and a num- 
 ber of enterprising men among its citizens. 
 The advantages of railroad transportation were 
 fully appreciated, by none more than Mr. 
 Crocker; and he bent all his energies to the 
 construction of a railroad from Fitchburg to 
 Boston. Employed by the town in 1834 to 
 build a road farther up the Nashua valley, he 
 found the land-owners along the way opposed 
 to it and demanding exorbitant prices; but he 
 bought the whole Nashua valley as far as the 
 Westminster line at the prices asked, gave 
 the necessary land for the new road, and 
 reaped for himself and the public the benefits 
 accruing. His services commended him to 
 the good graces of his fellow-citizens, and in 
 183s he was elected Representative to the 
 Massachusetts legislature. In that body in 
 1836 he voted for the subscription by the. State 
 of one million dollars to complete the Western 
 Railroad, and but for his advocacy it is more 
 than likely that the subscription would not 
 have been made at that time. Upon his return 
 home he aroused the people of Fitchburg and 
 the contiguous towns to the importance of di- 
 rect railroad communication with Boston, con- 
 vincing them that Northern Massachusetts 
 must have communication by rail with tide- 
 water or sink into insignificance. At first he 
 aimed to procure a branch road from Worcester 
 or Lowell, but in 1842 he boldly advocated an 
 independent route from Fitchburg to Boston. 
 Contributing liberally for the necessary sur- 
 veys, he started the enterprise, and both the 
 routes selected by him have since been laid 
 with railroads. In 1842 he was again elected 
 to the legislature, and once more he bent his 
 energies to the accomplishment of his favorite 
 project. A charter was eventually obtained, 
 though the scheme was ridiculed and opposed, 
 and the work on the Fitchburg Railroad was 
 begun. While the road was in process of con- 
 struction Mr. Crocker went to England to buy 
 
 iron and other material. From the time of 
 the lifting of the first shovelful of earth his 
 interest was unflagging, and on March 5, 1845, 
 he rode into Fitchburg on tfie first locomotive 
 that passed over the road. He was elected 
 first president of the Fitchburg Road. In 
 June of the same year he resigned that oflBce 
 to accept the presidency of the Vermont & 
 Massachusetts Railroad Company. He was 
 president of the Vermont Road until it was 
 completed at Brattleboro. At this time his 
 finances were in a sound and prosperous condi- 
 tion. The construction of the Fitchburg Road 
 had greatly benefited him and the town. The 
 stone depot was erected on land owned by him 
 in what was known as the Old City. Mr. 
 Crocker was also largely engaged in railroad 
 operations in different parts of the State, and 
 in 1847 and 1848 delivered several hundred 
 lectures in behalf of the Troy & Greenfield 
 Railroad and the Hoosac Tunnel. Probably 
 he did more than any man in Massachusetts to 
 make the piercing of the Hoosac Mountain an 
 engineering and transportation success. He 
 was instrumental in establishing a complete 
 system of water-works in Fitchburg; and he 
 erected buildings for various manufactures, 
 thus aiding in the establishment of new indus- 
 tries in the town. 
 
 At a later date the prosperity of Turner's 
 Falls became even nearer to Mr. Crocker's 
 heart than that of Fitchburg. He wished to 
 see it rival Lowell and Holyoke in size and 
 commercial importance, and worked zealously 
 to accomplish that end. While searching for 
 a more direct route between Miller's Falls and 
 Greenfield than that taken by the Vermont & 
 Massachusetts Railroad, he was impressed by 
 the magnificent water-power of the Connecti- 
 cut River at Turner's Falls; and, inviting 
 other capitalists to join him, he organized the 
 Turner's Falls Company in 1866. This cor- 
 poration purchased the rights and franchises of 
 the old organization known as " The Proprie- 
 tors of the Upper Locks and Canals on the 
 Connecticut River, in the County of Hamp- 
 shire," and bought lands in Montague, on the 
 river front, near the falls. A dam with a 
 fall of thirty feet and a capacity of thirty 
 thousand horse power was constructed. From 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 607 
 
 1866 to the end of his life the daring projector 
 worked bard for the prosperity of the new 
 town, spending his own money freely and in- 
 ducing others to do likewise. He had planned 
 the establishment of a public library and other 
 institutions at Turner's Falls when death came. 
 He was instrumental in organizing the Crocker 
 National Bank and the Crocker Institution for 
 Savings in Turner's Falls; and he was one of 
 those who founded the Rollstone National 
 Bank of Fitchburg in 1849, a member of its 
 Board of Directors for the remainder of his life, 
 and was chosen its president in 1870. Work- 
 ing incessantly to develop the resources of 
 North-western Massachusetts, his ability and 
 public spirit were generally recognized, and he 
 was chosen to fill the unexpired term in Con- 
 gress of the Hon. William B. Washburn, who 
 had been elected Governor of the State. He 
 took his seat January 2, 1872, and was re- 
 elected to the Forty-third Congress, receiving 
 fourteen thousand nine hundred and nineteen 
 votes; while his Democratic competitor (Mr. 
 Crocker was a Republican) received four thou- 
 sand five hundred and eighty-eight. On De- 
 cember 19, 1874, while attending to his Con- 
 gressional duties in Washington, he was seized 
 with a peculiar kind of cold that appeared to 
 be epidemic at that time in the national capi- 
 tal, and left for his home. His death followed 
 on December 26, just one week later, when 
 his age was seventy-three years, two months, 
 and twelve days. At bis obsequies, which 
 were held in Christ Church, the Rev. Henry 
 L. Jones, of Wilkesbarre, Pa., a former pastor, 
 delivered an appropriate sermon. 
 
 Mr. Crocker was first married on August 14, 
 1829, to Abigail Fox, who died August 21, 
 1847, leaving five children, four daughters and 
 a son. On April 9, 1851, a second marriage 
 united him to Lucy A. Fay, who died January 
 29, 1872; and on November 20 of the same 
 year Miss Minerva Cushing became his third 
 wife. Of his children one daughter and one 
 son are now living. The son, Charles T. 
 Crocker, is a prominent member of the firm 
 of Crocker, Burbank & Co., a director of the 
 Crocker National Bank at Turner's Falls, and 
 a trustee of the Crocker Institution for Savings 
 in the same town. 
 
 ERBERT W. HOWE, the treasurer 
 and general manager of Howe's Mill 
 Lumber Company, Hubbardston, 
 and an ex-member of the legislat- 
 ure, was born in Petersham, December 17, 
 1842. A son of Abel and Martha (Williams) 
 Howe, he is a descendant of John Howe, who 
 with his brothers, Daniel and Abraham, was 
 an early arrival in the Massachusetts Bay 
 Colony. John Howe was made a freeman on 
 May 13, 1640. The next in the line of de- 
 scent was John Howe (second), of Sudbury. 
 His son by his wife, Mary, John Howe 
 (third), born August 24, 1640, was married to 
 Elizabeth in 1662, and was killed by the 
 Indians on April 20, 1675. John Howe 
 (fourth), born in 1671, died in 1754. Deacon 
 Asa Howe, the great-grandfather of Herbert 
 W. , was one of the first settlers in Petersham, 
 Mass. He reared a family of six children; 
 namely, John, Abel, Ephraim, Benjamin, 
 Asa, and Elizabeth. Asa Howe, the grand- 
 father, who was a physician, married Relief 
 Woodward, February 4, 181 2. He died Au- 
 gust 24, 1863, having survived his wife, who 
 had passed away on October 9, 1845. 
 
 Abel Howe, the father, was born in Hub- 
 bardston, September 11, 1815. About the 
 year 1848 he began on a small scale the man- 
 ufacture of lumber on the site now occupied 
 by the Howe's Mill Lumber Company, retain- 
 ing possession of the property until 1869; and 
 he continued in the same business until his 
 death, which occurred February 2, 1889. He 
 served as a Selectman and upon the School 
 Board. In politics he acted with the Repub- 
 lican party. He was a Deacon of the Congre- 
 gational church. Martha, his wife, who was 
 born in Hubbardston, April 12, 181 8, had 
 four children, narnely: Herbert W., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch ; Walter E., born January 
 6, 1847, who resides in Worcester; Alice S., 
 born December 22, 1848, who died September 
 3, 1862; and Mary A., born December 8, 
 1859, who is the wife of R. Alfred Waite, of 
 Hubbardston. The mother died September 
 23, 1895. 
 
 Herbert W. Howe acquired a common- 
 school education in his native town. Having 
 previously learned the lumber manufacturing 
 
6o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 business with his father, he purchased the 
 Howe Mill property in 1869, and carried it on 
 afterward for about seven years. Then he and 
 Mr. S. S. Gleason, firm of Howe & Gleason, 
 conducted it until 1884, after which for eleven 
 years he was again the sole proprietor. In 
 1895 he entered into partnership with Fred E. 
 Pollard, forming the firm of Howe & Pollard. 
 When, about six months later, Mr. Pollard 
 died, the firm Howe & Pollard Co. was organ- 
 ized. The plant was destroyed by fire, May 22, 
 1896. In the same year a stock company was 
 formed, which adopted the present style, the 
 Howe's Mill Lumber Company, with George 
 H. Davis as president, Willis L. Lovell as 
 secretary, and Herbert W. Howe as treasurer 
 and general manager. The company has erected 
 and equipped a new mill, and enlarged it from 
 time to time. The present prosperity of the 
 firm is mainly due to Mr. Howe's ability and 
 good judgment. It manufactures box shooks, 
 chair stock, and native lumber for building 
 purposes; and its annual output amounts to 
 about one million, five hundred thousand feet. 
 On October 17, 1868, Mr. Howe married 
 Mary W. Brown, who was born in Hubbards- 
 ton, July 21, 1843, daughter of Dana and 
 Mary (Wright) Brown, late of this town. In 
 politics be is a Republican. He served with 
 ability as a Selectman for six years, and he 
 was a Representative in the legislature of 
 1889. He is a member of the Ancient Order 
 of United Workmen. In religious belief he 
 is a Congregationalist, and he arts as a Dea- 
 con of that church. 
 
 'EREMIAH STUART, now a resident 
 of Lynn, Mass., formerly a contractor 
 and builder of Clinton, Worcester 
 County, was born in Sudbury on Octo- 
 ber 14, 1839, son of Ebenezer, Jr., and Mary 
 (Gilbert) Stuart. His grandfather, Ebenezer 
 Stuart, was a native of Charlestown, Mass., 
 but went to Sudbury when a young man, and 
 worked in that town as a cooper and basket- 
 maker. He died there at seventy-five years 
 of age. 
 
 Ebenezer Stuart, Jr., followed the occupa- 
 tion of farming in the part of Sudbury later 
 
 set off as the town of Maynard. He was ap- 
 pointed Highway Surveyor in the town, and 
 was a highly valued citizen. He died at •the 
 age of fifty-four. He is survived by his wife, 
 who is now seventy-eight years of age, and 
 four children; namely, Jeremiah, Eunice B., 
 Albert S., and Fred R. A son, Leonard A., 
 died at six years of age. Both parents were 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 When about twelve years of age Jeremiah 
 Stuart, the eldest, worked for a time on a 
 farm. He subsequently learned the carpen- 
 ter's trade. In July, 1861, three months after 
 the breaking out of the Rebellion, he enlisted 
 in Company B of the Thirteenth Massachu- 
 setts Volunteers, with which he remained for 
 three years. He re-enlisted in the Seventh 
 United States Volunteers, and was promoted 
 to Quartermaster Sergeant. He was in field 
 service throughout the whole of the Civil 
 War. Returning home at the close of the 
 war, he settled in Sterling and later in Leom- 
 inster, and worked there for a time at car- 
 pentering and subsequently in the piano fac- 
 tory. In 1872 he came to Clinton, and began 
 business on his own account as a contractor 
 and builder. He had charge of the erection 
 of a large number of buildings, especially of 
 dwelling-houses, of which he made a specialty. 
 His health failing him in 1897, he was obliged 
 to give up his business as a contractor, and 
 in October of the present year, 1898, he re- 
 moved to Lynn, where he is now (December) 
 engaged in the shoe business. 
 
 Mr. Stuart was married in 1866 to Charlotte 
 M., daughter of Horace Piper, of -Sterling. 
 Three children have been born to them, 
 namely: Ida M., who is a stenographer in 
 Boston; Charles L., who died at two years of 
 age; and Fred W., a cornetist and elec- 
 trician. 
 
 In politics Mr. Stuart is a Republican. 
 He served as Assessor of Taxes for the town 
 of Clinton and five years on the Republican 
 Town Committee. Fraternally, he is a mem- 
 ber of Lancaster Lodge, Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows; and he is Senior Past Sachem 
 of the local organization of Red Men. He 
 takes great interest in the G. A. R., and has 
 been very active in its affairs. He is a Past 
 
GEORGE F. HOWE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6it 
 
 Commander of E. D. Baker Post and Aide-de- 
 camp of the national department staff, also 
 inspector on the department staff. He is also 
 a member of the Golden Cross, and both he 
 and his wife are members of Germanic Lodge, 
 No. 42, and of the Daughters of Pocahontas. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Stuart are members of the Uni- 
 tarian church. 
 
 EORGE FRANCIS HOWE, shoe 
 manufacturer, a highly esteemed 
 citizen of West Boylston, was born 
 in Roxbury, Mass., on April 22, 1825, son of 
 Thomas and Esther (Carter) Howe. His 
 grandfather, David Howe, a painter by trade, 
 who was born August 20, 1750, resided in 
 Dorchester, and died in that town. He was 
 married in Roxbury, May 16, 1780, by the 
 Rev. Thomas Abbot, to Elizabeth Chamberlin. 
 Thomas Howe, father of George F., was 
 bom in Dorchester, one of a family of six chil- 
 dren. He was reared and educated in Dor- 
 chester, and began his working life as a 
 market gardener. From 1826 until 1834 he 
 resided in Sterling. He then removed to 
 Princeton, where he passed his remaining 
 years on a farm, dying there at the age of 
 eighty-four. He was one of the substantial 
 and honorable citizens of his time, incorrupti- 
 ble as a business man, a constant church- 
 goer, and for many years an earnest teacher 
 in the Sunday-school. He was interested in 
 public affairs and served on the School Com- 
 mittee for some years. His wife, Esther, 
 who died at the age of eighty-three, was born 
 in Gloucester, the daughter of a fisherman. 
 Both parents were zealous members of the Bap- 
 tist church. Of the six children born to 
 them, five reached maturity, and three are 
 living, namely: George F. ; Adeline, 
 of Horace Brown; and Julia M., now 
 Cobum. George F. Howe's early life 
 the age of twenty-one was devoted to 
 
 still 
 wife 
 Mrs. 
 up to 
 
 farm work on the paternal acres. After reach- 
 ing his majority he married and worked out by 
 the month until about twenty-four years of age, 
 when he purchased a farm in Princeton, and 
 settled on it. Three years later he came to 
 West Boylston to engage in the boot and shoe 
 
 business. He was employed by D. G. & 
 R. T. Rawson for three years ; and at the end 
 of that time a new company was formed, 
 known as Hastings, Howe & Co. This firm, 
 which was subsequently known as that of 
 George F. Howe & Co., built up a large and 
 successful trade. At the end of ten years Mr. 
 Howe became sole proprietor of the business, 
 and for eight years was without a partner. He 
 then associated with himself H. E. Morton. 
 Subsequently the business was carried on 
 under the name Howe, Atwood & Morton, 
 the present successors being Howe, Morton & 
 Lovell, who manufacture men's, boys', andchil- 
 dren's boots and shoes. Founded forty-five 
 years ago, this concern is now one of the oldest 
 business houses in West Boylston. About 
 seventy-five workmen are employed by the firm. 
 
 In 1846 Mr. Howe was united in marriage 
 with Louisa Rice, who was born in Holden. 
 She became the mother of two children, one of 
 whom is living; namely, Ellen L., who inar- 
 ried James F. Ackley, an employee of the Old 
 Colony Railroad. Mr. and Mrs; Acklfey have 
 one son^ — George L. Mr. Howe's first wife 
 died at the age of twenty-three. His second 
 wife, who was before her marriage Julia A. 
 Chflds, and was a native of this town, died at 
 the age of sixty-seven. His third wife was 
 before her marriage Emma L. Dunbar of 
 Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Howe is a Republican in politics. His 
 record as a public official is unique in this 
 town in point of length of service. Since 
 1862 he has been Town Treasurer, having 
 been elected successively, with three excep- 
 tions, for thirty-four years. For the same 
 length of time, also, he has been Moderator of 
 town meetings; and for thirty years he has 
 been chairman or secretary of the School 
 Board. He has served two terms as Select- 
 man of the town, and one as Assessor, and in 
 1876 he was Representative to the General 
 Court. Mr. Howe has been connected with 
 Security Savings Bank since its organization, 
 being at that time vice-president and subse- 
 quently holding for many years the presidency 
 of that institution. There has scarcely been a, 
 committee formed in the town in the depart- 
 ment of public service during the last half: 
 
6l2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 century upon which Mr. Howe has not served. 
 If a school-house was to be built, a bridge 
 constructed, or any other public work under- 
 taken, his advice and judgment were sure to 
 be sought. Mr. Howe has been a member of 
 the local grange for many years, and has served 
 as Master and chaplain and in other ofifices. 
 He is a member of the Baptist church, and has 
 taken an earnest part in its varied activities, 
 serving on the Executive Committee of the 
 church and as teacher and superintendent in 
 the Sunday-school connected with it, also as 
 trustee of the Church and a member of the 
 Prudential Committee. Mr. Howe owns a 
 farm in this town. The mill building occu- 
 pied by the boot and shoe manufactory was 
 erected by Mr. Howe. It is three and one- 
 half stories in height, and its floorage is one 
 hundred feet by forty feet. 
 
 "ipv AVID A. MATTHEWS, Captain of 
 
 I =^ Police in the city of Worcester, 
 ^^ j^^J Mass., was born in Boston, March 
 7, 1847, son of George R. and Mar- 
 garet (Deering) Matthews. His paternal an- 
 cestry were Scotch-Irish Protestants, and his 
 mother's family were Roman Catholics. 
 
 His father, George R. Matthews, was born 
 in Ireland in 18 15. When seventeen years 
 old he emigrated to Canada, but soon after- 
 ward went to Boston, where he learned the 
 machinist's trade and followed it for twenty 
 years. He settled in Worcester in 1865, and 
 is still residing here. He was married in 
 Boston in 1840; and he and his wife reared a 
 family of seven sons and three daughters, of 
 whom four sons and two daughters are living. 
 The mother died in 1897, aged seventy-three 
 years. 
 
 David A. Matthews comes of healthy and 
 robust stock, and is himself unusually strong 
 and vigorous. He attended the common 
 schools until twelve years old, and then 
 learned the shoemaker's trade. On October 
 24, 1863, he enlisted in Boston as a private in 
 the Third Massachusetts Battery, Light Artil- 
 lery, under Captain A. P. Martin, ex-Mayor 
 of Boston and now chairman of the Board of 
 Police Commissioners, Joining the Army of 
 
 the Potomac (Fifth Corps) under General 
 Grant, he participated in the battles of the 
 Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna River, 
 Laurel Hill, Cold Harbor, Weldon Railroad, 
 Hatcher's Run, Five Forks, and the siege of 
 Petersburg, and was present at Lee's surren- 
 der. He was discharged as a Corporal, June 
 12, 1865, having been in excellent health 
 throughout the entire period of service. Re- 
 suming work as a shoe finisher in West Boyls- 
 ton, he was thus employed until June 4, 1867, 
 when he enlisted in Troop E, Eighth United 
 States Regulars. During his five years of 
 army experience in the West he met with 
 many hair-breadth escapes in Indian warfare. 
 He was honorably discharged in New Mexico, 
 June 4, 1872, and was awarded a medal by 
 Congress for bravery and faithful service. He 
 joined the Worcester police force, September 
 3, 1872, was made a roundsman in 1879 ^nd 
 appointed a captain in 1884. 
 
 On November 16, 1872, he was united in 
 marriage with Mary A. Sweeney, of this city. 
 He has had four children : namely, two that 
 died in infancy, a daughter Marietta, and a 
 son George. Marietta Matthews is a graduate 
 of the State Normal School, Worcester, and 
 now a teacher in the public schools. George 
 Raymond Matthews, who was graduated from 
 the English and Classical High Schools and 
 later attended the Polytechnic Institute, was 
 with Washburn & Moen until 1898, and is 
 now employed at the Worcester County Insti- 
 tution for Savings. Both he and his sister are 
 proficient in vocal and instrumental music. 
 
 Captain Matthews is highly esteemed both 
 as an official and a citizen, and is popular in 
 Grand Army of the Republic circles. He and 
 his family reside at 122 Austin Street. 
 
 (W^O 
 
 EORGE FREEMAN CUMMINGS, 
 \ i> I for eleven years superintendent of 
 ^""^ the Stoneville Worsted Mill in the 
 town of Auburn, Mass., was a native of 
 Bridgewater, N.H. He was born on Septem- 
 ber 26, 1839, son of Walter Webster and 
 Phoebe (Marston) Cummings, his father a 
 cousin of Daniel Webster. His great-great- 
 grandfatber Cummings, a Scotchman by birth, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 613 
 
 emigrated from Dundee to New England in 
 1 71 3, and eventually settled in Dunstable. 
 
 The emigrant's son Elisha, who was born 
 in Westford, Mass., then a part of Dunstable, 
 removed to New Hampton, N.H., where he 
 settled on a farm. During the war of the 
 Revolution he was one of the Portsmouth 
 Home Guards. He died in 1793, and is 
 buried in Lowell, Mass. His wife survived 
 him some seven years, and died at the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety-nine. They had four 
 sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to 
 maturity and married. None of these are now 
 living. One daughter. Relief Robinson, the 
 youngest, died recently at Scottsburg, Va., 
 at the age of eighty-five. 
 
 Andrew Jackson Cummings, son of Elisha 
 and grandfather of the late George F. Cum- 
 mings, was born in New Hampshire in 1761, 
 and was a lifelong farmer in that State. He 
 married Hannah Crawford, daughter of Colonel 
 Jonathan Crawford, who, we are told, for val- 
 iant service in the old French and Indian 
 War was given a grant of land, six by twenty 
 miles in extent, in Bridgewater and Bristol. 
 His tract was twenty miles from any settle- 
 ment and forty-five miles from Concord. He 
 made his way to it through the dense forest 
 by a trail and blazed trees. The house he 
 erected in Bridgewater in 1763 is still stand- 
 ing in good preservation, but is no longer in 
 the possession of the family. 
 
 Walter Webster Cummings, the father 
 above named, who was born in Bridgewater in 
 1806, and died there in 1868, was a dentist 
 by profession. In 1849 he went out to Cali- 
 fornia across the plains, and remained there 
 two years. He was fairly successful in his 
 quest, and his son now has the bags of deer- 
 skin in which he brought home gold dust. 
 He was buried in Plymouth, N. H. His mar- 
 riage with Phoebe Marston took place in 1831, 
 she being then only eighteen years of age. 
 She was born in New Hampton, N.H., in 
 1813, and died at the age of seventy-eight. 
 Her son George not long before his death 
 erected a fine monument to her memory. 
 Three children were born to Walter W. and 
 Phoebe M. Cummings; namely, Cyrus Web- 
 ster, Alvin Newton, and George Freeman. 
 
 The first of these is a civil engineer. In 1854 
 he went to Peru and Chile, South America. 
 He was last heard from when he had been 
 there five years. Alvin Newton died at the 
 age of five years. 
 
 George Freeman Cummings received a 
 limited education in the common schools, 
 and at the age of twelve went into a woollen- 
 mill to work. This was at Bridgewater, 
 N.H., and he remained there for three years. 
 Later he was at Hookset, N.H., for a year, at 
 Nashua for a year, and from 1853 to 1869 in 
 Lowell, Mass., as overseer. When only nine- 
 teen years of age he had reached this position. 
 He was ten years at Milford, N.H., as super- 
 intendent of a worsted-mill. After that he 
 was engaged in various departments of the 
 mill from the carding -room up. For five 
 years he ran a mill which he had started at 
 Chelmsford. During one year of this time 
 he also operated a hosiery or knitting mill. 
 At the time of his death he had been in Stone- 
 ville over eleven years. 
 
 Mr. Cummings was married on July 3, 
 1862, to Alice A. Neal, of Staley Bridge, 
 England, near Manchester. Her parents were 
 Allen and Ellen (Wild) Neal, her father a 
 manufacturer of fabrics. He died in England 
 in 1849; ^nd two years later the mother came 
 to America with her daughter, the latter being 
 ihen only five years of age. The mother died 
 in New York City in 1869. Mr. Cummings 
 ts survived by his wife and four children — 
 Cyrus W., George Walter, Minnie Irene, and 
 Alice Ward Cummings. The first named of 
 these is an overseer in the mill. He is mar- 
 ried and has one son, Cyrus Freeman Cum- 
 mings, the only grandchild in Mrs. Cum- 
 mings's family. George W. Cummings is an 
 operative in the mill. Minnie, who resides 
 with her mother, is a graduate of the Auburn 
 High School. Alice is ten years of age. 
 Cyrus W. was eleven years old when his 
 brother was born, and there are ten years of 
 difference in the ages of the third and fourth 
 children. Mr. Cummings has served as Se- 
 lectman three years, has also been Road Com- 
 missioner and a member of the Board of 
 Health, and has held other town offices. Mr. 
 CqmmJngs was a Knight Templar and an Odd 
 
6i4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Fellow, and in the latter organization had 
 taken all the degrees. In politics he was in- 
 dependent. He was a member of the Veteran 
 Firemen's Association. 
 
 Services at the funeral of Mr. Cummings 
 were conducted by the Rev. Guy F. Wheeler, 
 of Worcester. Mention was made of the 
 pleasant relations that had always existed be- 
 tween Mr. Cummings and his employees and 
 of the love and kindness that characterized 
 his home life. Many friends were present. 
 The numerous floral tributes from societies 
 and individuals were very beautiful. The 
 burial was at Hillside Cemetery in Auburn. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM ALPHONSO SAWIN, a 
 department foreman at the Cromp- 
 ton & Knowles Loom Works, 
 Worcester, was born in this city, February 22, 
 1846, son of Charles Horatio and Emeline 
 (Stearns) Sawin. His paternal grandfather, 
 Henry Belah Sawin, was a prosperous farmer 
 of Sherborn, Mass., and died there in 1858, 
 aged over seventy years, having reared a large 
 family. The only survivor of Grandfather 
 Sawin's four sons is Dana Sawin, who resides 
 in Townsend, Mass. 
 
 Charles Horatio Sawin, the father of Will- 
 iam A., was born in Sherborn, April 12, 
 1811. Learning the gunsmith's trade, he fol- 
 lowed it in Shrewsbury, Mass., until coming 
 to Worcester; and, although he worked at 
 other mechanical employments to some ex- 
 tent, the greater part of his active life was 
 spent in the manufacture of firearms. He 
 died in 1888. For his first wife he married 
 Almira Stratton, of Leominster, Mass., who 
 died in January, 1843, leaving no children. 
 On April 6, 1845, he married Emeline 
 Stearns, daughter of Adolphus Stearns, of 
 Holden, Mass. She died January 21, 1856, 
 leaving three children: William A., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Henry B. , of Worcester; 
 and Elizabeth B., who died in 1881. His 
 third wife, Diana Stearns, a sister of his 
 second wife, died in 1879. 
 
 William Alphonso Sawin attended school 
 regularly in Worcester until thirteen years 
 
 old, when he went to work upon a farm; and 
 for the succeeding three years he pursued his 
 studies the winter terms only. At the age of 
 sixteen he began work in the factory of Ethan 
 Allen, manufacturer of rifles and pistols, 
 where he remained two years, being subse- 
 quently employed in a steam valve and whistle 
 manufactory for the same length of time; 
 later by the Union Water Meter Company; 
 Paul Blaisdell, manufacturer of machinists' 
 tools; and R. Ball & Co., makers of Wood- 
 working machinery. His connection with the 
 loom manufacturing business dates from the 
 spring of 1873, when he entered the employ 
 of Lucius J. and Francis B. Knowles. He 
 continued with their successors, the Knowles 
 Loom Works Corporation, which was consoli- 
 dated with the Crompton Company some two 
 years ago ; and he now holds a responsible po- 
 sition as foreman of one of the important de- 
 partments. A master mechanic of recognized 
 ability, he does all of his own designing and 
 draughting, and makes all of his gigs and 
 tools. 
 
 Mr. Sawin contracted the first of his two 
 marriages in 1866 with Georgiana Smith, of 
 Holden, daughter of Moses Smith. Four 
 children were born of this union, namely: 
 Viola E. , who died at the age of twenty-three 
 years; Edith G., who married Frederick C. 
 Williams, of this city; and two daughters — 
 Anna Josephine and Flora Lillian — who died 
 in infancy. The mother died in May, 1890, 
 aged forty-five years and twenty-seven days. 
 
 In January, 1892, Mr. Sawin married Mrs. 
 Susie B. Sprague, widow of George H. 
 Sprague and a daughter of Henry M. and 
 Susan D. (Perry) Smith, of Homansville, 
 R. I. She was seven weeks old when her 
 mother died, and she was reared by relatives 
 and her two step-mothers. 
 
 In politics Mr. Sawin is a Republican, but 
 takes no active part in public affairs' beyond 
 casting his vote. He belongs to the Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows. In his religious 
 belief he is a Second Adventist, as was also 
 his father. He was one of the founders and 
 is a leading member of the church, whose 
 house of worship is at the corner of Piedmont 
 and Chandler Streets. He makes his home in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6iS 
 
 his apartment house on Jacques Avenue, and 
 is one of the well-to-do residents of that lo- 
 cality. 
 
 DIN C. ESTABROOK, a teacher of 
 high reputation, residing in Lunen- 
 burg, was born in Reading, Vt. , De- 
 cember 9, 1828, son of Thomas and 
 Sybil (Brown) Estabrook. He is of the sixth 
 generation from Thomas Estabrook, of Eng- 
 land, who came over in 1660 and settled at 
 Concord, Mass., and of the eighth generation 
 from Nicholas Brown, an early settler of Read- 
 ing, Mass. 
 
 Thomas and Sybil Estabrook were the par- 
 ents of seven children. Thomas went to 
 Michigan to marry a lady he had known 
 years befofe. He was killed when within 
 three miles of her home by three highwaymen. 
 One of them confessed the crime, and after a 
 six weeks' trial, with two hundred witnesses, 
 they were all convicted and sentenced to im- 
 prisonment for life. Mary Viola, who married 
 Augustus V. Jones, of Fitchburg, is now de- 
 ceased. William is a resident of Indianapolis, 
 Ind. Alonzo Flagg Estabrook was a civil en- 
 gineer and surveyor, lawyer, and teacher. His 
 last work was the survey of the Black Hills 
 Railroad from Omaha to Gordon, Neb. The 
 parents came to Lunenburg with their son 
 Adin, and subsequently resided with him, the 
 father dying seven years later at the age of 
 eighty-four. Mrs. Sybil Estabrook survived 
 her husband thirteen years, passing away at the 
 age of ninety-two. They had been married 
 sixty-one years. 
 
 Adin C. Estabrook when seventeen years 
 old began attendance at a school near Buffalo, 
 N. Y. , and was subsequently a student for two 
 years at the Woodstock (Vt.) Academy. At 
 the age of twenty he began teaching, and five 
 years later became principal of a school in 
 Centreville, Mich., where he remained two 
 years. Then, returning East, he taught suc- 
 cessively in Vermont, New York, and New 
 Hampshire, and later, since coming to Lunen- 
 burg, in Massachusetts. His last school, a 
 private one to fit teachers, was attended by 
 many of the )?est young people of |;he town. 
 
 Mr. Estabrook compiled and published a list 
 of the books in the Lunenburg Library. He 
 also wrote a brief history of Lunenburg for the 
 Worcester County History. 
 
 On January 5, 1857, at Woodstock, Vt., Mr. 
 Estabrook was married to Emma W. Tarbell, 
 daughter of Daniel and Rebecca (Dickerman) 
 Tarbell and a native of Tunbridge, Vt. Mr. 
 Tarbell was a builder in Royalston, and was a 
 man prominent in public affairs. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Estabrook have two children, namely : 
 Viola May, who has been a trustee of the 
 library and is now a member of the School 
 Committee; and Othelia Gertrude. Both are 
 graduates of the Normal School at Randolph, 
 Vt. , in which they taught. They have also 
 taught here and in Fitchburg, Mass. They 
 now reside at home with their parents. For 
 ten years, or until her death, November 9, 
 1897, Mr. Estabrook 's uncle's widow from 
 Hancock, N.H., had a home with him. She 
 was the oldest person in Lunenburg, having 
 been born in October, 1801. 
 
 A Republican in politics, Mr. Estabrook has 
 been active in. public affairs since he was eigh- 
 teen years old. He attends the caucuses and 
 usually the conventions of his party. In 1876 
 he was a member of the Massachusetts legis- 
 lature, and served on the committee for redis- 
 tricting the State. He was elected a member 
 of the Lunenburg School Committee in 1868, 
 and has been connected with the schools and 
 library since. He is a member of the grange 
 and also of the Worcester North Agricultural 
 Society, being an exhibitor of fruit and farm 
 products. He attends and supports the Ortho- 
 dox church. 
 
 ^ff^lOHN D. LOVELL, a lifelong resident 
 of Worcester, was born Apiril 30, 1818. 
 He was a son of Cyrus and Lois 
 (Temple) Lovell and one of a family 
 of five children. He had three brothers — 
 Edwin H. , Cyrus A. , and George A. ; and one 
 sister, Abby M. His father, who owned and 
 cultivated a farm on the outskirts of the town, 
 came of a long-lived family, and attained the 
 age of nearly ninety years. 
 
 John J), l^ovell obtained his education in th? 
 
6i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 district schools and at Phillips Academy, An- 
 dover. After teaching school two terms he 
 settled upon a farm, which he carried on until 
 he was thirty-eight years old. Then, selling 
 his property, he moved into the city, with a 
 view of engaging in mercantile pursuits. In 
 July, 1857, he established himself as a dealer 
 in seeds and agricultural implements at 588 
 Main Street, where for nearly twenty years he 
 had a monopoly in his line of trade. Selling 
 out to John and John A. Rice in 1875, he re- 
 tired, having accumulated a competency. 
 After relinquishing business, he devoted his 
 time to the settlement of estates, and as trus- 
 tee, executor, or administrator satisfactorily 
 adjusted the affairs of several. He was con- 
 sidered an authority on real estate valuations, 
 as he was constantly appraising city property 
 for the Mechanics' Savings Bank, of which he 
 was a trustee. 
 
 He was a director of the First National 
 Fire Insurance Company from the time of its 
 organization in 1868. He was also a trustee 
 of the Rural Cemetery Corporation, and at 
 one time was similarly connected with the 
 Worcester County Horticultural Society. In 
 politics he was a Whig, then a Free Soiler, 
 and later a Republican ; and, although not de- 
 sirous of holding office, he was a faithful 
 supporter of the party. He was elected to the 
 Board of Aldermen from Ward Seven in 1866, 
 serving two years, and during the years 1877- 
 78 he was Representative to the legislature. 
 Mr. Lowell died at his home, 774 Main 
 Street, February 7, 1898, after a prolonged 
 illness. 
 
 His first wife, Eleanor Winch, of Holden, 
 whom he married on April 18, 1843, died 
 April 26, 1882. On November 20, 1883, he 
 wedded for his second wife Mrs. Ellen C. 
 Bigelow. Mr. Lovell was her second hus- 
 band, and she survives him. Her maiden 
 name was Ellen M. Clifford. 
 
 She was first married in 1861 to Samuel T. 
 Bigelow. He was born in Worcester in 1834, 
 son of Walter R. and Eliza (Mower) Bigelow. 
 He completed his education in Europe, and 
 upon his return to the United States he be- 
 came treasurer of the Bigelow Carpet Com- 
 pany, of Clinton, Mass., a position which he 
 
 occupied for many years. In his later years 
 Mr. Bigelow was secretary and treasurer of 
 the Worcester Safe Deposit and Trust Com- 
 pany, from which he severed his connections 
 in 1874. He died in 1879. He was a prom- 
 inent Mason and highly esteemed in social 
 circles. By her first marriage Mrs. Lovell 
 became the mother of three children, namely: 
 George Clifford, who died at the age of nine- 
 teen years; Grace Mower, who married W. J. 
 Denny, and resides in Lowell, Mass. ; and 
 Alice Murdock Bigelow, who married J. 
 William Buzzell, and resides in Dorchester. 
 
 In religion the late Mr. Lovell adhered to 
 the Trinitarian Congregational faith and form 
 of worship, and contributed liberally toward 
 the support of the church and to benevolent 
 objects. In May, 1884, he left the Salem 
 Street Church to join the Piedmont Church. 
 He was an Assessor for two years. 
 
 m 
 
 iICHARD A. LEONARD, an exten- 
 sive box manufacturer of Fitchburg 
 and an ex-member of the legislature, 
 was born in Raynham, Bristol 
 County, Mass., October j, 1830. A son of 
 Artemas and Mercy (Holmes) Leonard, he 
 belongs to the seventh American generation 
 of the family. During the time of King 
 Philip all who bore the name of Leonard were 
 exempt from harm by order of that sachem, in 
 return for services rendered to the Indians by 
 one of the family. James Leonard, an early 
 ancestor, constructed the first forge in New 
 England. Several of the Leonards, including 
 a great-grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch, participated in the Revolutionary 
 War. Solomon Leonard, Richard A. Leon- 
 ard's grandfather, was a native of Taunton, 
 Mass., and a prosperous farmer during his 
 active years. He performed his customary 
 amount of labor on the day of his death, when 
 he was seventy-seven years old. He was the 
 father of twelve children, of whom three sons 
 and three daughters were born of his first mar- 
 riage. Nine of his children lived to celebrate 
 the golden anniversary of their weddings, an 
 example of longevity which few families can 
 equal. 
 
il0^ 
 
 i\ - 
 
 RICHARD A. LEONARD, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 619 
 
 ^' Artemas Leonard, who was born in Taun- 
 ton, spent the greater part of his life upon a 
 farm in Raynham, and was for many years a 
 member of the Baptist church. He died when 
 about seventy-five years old. Mercy, his 
 wife, who was a native of Plymouth, came of 
 Puritan ancestry. Her father was for twelve 
 years a member of the Board of Selectmen in 
 that town. She became the mother of eight 
 children, of whom Richard A., a brother, and 
 a younger sister are the only survivors. 
 
 Richard A. Leonard was educated in the 
 common schools of his native town. After 
 finishing his studies he began to learn the 
 trade of a leather cutter. He never followed 
 that occupation, however, preferring another 
 line of business. For some time he was en- 
 gaged in selling machines upon the road. In 
 1869 he received a flattering offer from the 
 Buckeye Mowing Machine Company to become 
 their local agent in Fitchburg; and, although 
 he was at the time serving as Postmaster in 
 Raynham, he resigned and took charge of the 
 company's business in this city. In 1877 he 
 engaged in the same line on his own account. 
 Later he met with reverses; but, after paying 
 off his indebtedness, he erected upon the site 
 of his present factory a small building, in 
 which he began the manufacturing of boxes. 
 From a small beginning his business has de- 
 veloped into an extensive enterprise, as the 
 result of an energetic policy which he inaugu- 
 rated at the start; and at the present time he 
 is furnishing manufacturers and packers with 
 durable boxes. 
 
 In 1855 Mr. Leonard was joined in mar- 
 riage with Lurana E. Crane, of Raynham, a 
 daughter of Captain Henry H. Crane, who 
 was formerly an officer in the State militia. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have two daughters liv- 
 ing, both of whom are graduates of the Fitch- 
 burg High School. Their only son, Roscoe 
 A. Leonard, died March i, 1897. In poli- 
 tics Mr. Leonard is a Republican. He as- 
 sisted in organizing that party in Raynham, 
 served as chairman of the Town Committee, 
 was Postmaster for seven years, and was for 
 six years a member of the Fitchburg Common 
 Council from Ward Three= He represented 
 the city in the legislature in 1886, and was 
 
 renominated for the following term, but was 
 defeated by eleven votes. While a member 
 of the House he served as clerk of the Com- 
 mittee on Prisons, and was mainly instrumen- 
 tal in securing the passage of the act increas- 
 ing the salary of the County Commissioners 
 of Worcester County. Mr. Leonard is a 
 member of the Fitchburg Merchants' Asso- 
 ciation, and for three years served upon its 
 Board of Directors. 
 
 rmc 
 
 FORGE A. FERGUSON, a represent- 
 V S I ative farmer of Westboro, was born 
 January 13, 1844, in Troy, Me., a 
 son of Samuel Butman Ferguson. He comes 
 of thrifty Scotch ancestry and honored Revolu- 
 tionary stock, a fact of which he is justly 
 proud. Two of his great-grandfathers served 
 as officers in the Revolutionary army. 
 
 William Ferguson, the paternal grandfather 
 of George A., lost a leg in the War of 1812, 
 during an attempt of the enemy on Camden, 
 Me. He afterward became a pioneer settler 
 of Troy, Me., where by indomitable and per- 
 severing labor he hewed out a homestead from 
 the wilderness. Samuel B. Ferguson was en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits in the towns of 
 Troy and Pittsfield, Me., until 1856, when he 
 removed to Westboro, Mass., with his family. 
 Here he resided until his death, at the age of 
 sixty-three years, when he was accidentally 
 killed by being thrown from his wagon while 
 returning from the home of a neighbor whom 
 he had been assisting. He married Emeline 
 N. Tilton, of Charleston, Me., and they reared 
 three sons; namely, George A., H. C. , and 
 William Marshall. H. C, who is now a real 
 estate dealer at Stillwater, Minn., enlisted at 
 the age of fifteen years, and served as a drum- 
 mer through'the Rebellion. William Mar- 
 shall is now living on the old Westboro home- 
 stead. 
 
 In 1862, when eighteen years old, George 
 A. Ferguson, following in the footsteps of his 
 patriotic ancestors, left the Westboro High 
 School to enlist in Company C, Thirty-fourth 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which un- 
 der General Wells, who was a fine discipli- 
 narian, had the credit of being one of the best 
 
620 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 drilled regiments in the service. With his 
 comrades he was at first on guard duty in 
 Washington, then at the rifle pits in Alexan- 
 dria for six months, and he was later at 
 Harper's Ferry. He afterward actively par- 
 ticipated in the engagements at Winchester, 
 Piedmont Bridge, and Fisher's Hill, as well 
 as in many less important skirmishes. At the 
 battle of Cedar Creek he was wounded in the 
 arm by a bullet and taken prisoner, and on 
 October 19, 1864, the day of the famous ride 
 of Sheridan, he with other prisoners was 
 marched in hot haste ninety miles in three and 
 one-half days by the rebels, who desired to 
 keep them from Sheridan. Reaching Rich- 
 mond on Sunday morning, Mr. Ferguson was 
 escorted past Libby Prison, in which many of 
 his comrades were confined, to the hospital, to 
 have the wound in his arm attended to. On 
 February 17, 1865, he was exchanged. After 
 a month's furlough he was detailed as Orderly, 
 and continued on duty at Annapolis, Md., 
 until mustered out of the service, June 25, 
 1865. 
 
 On returning to Westboro Mr. Ferguson 
 lived for three years on the home farm, and 
 then purchased his present estate, near the vil- 
 lage, formerly known as the Deacon Forbes 
 place. The house on this property was built 
 in 1746. He has since carried on the various 
 branches of general farming with undoubted 
 ability, and all his operations have met with 
 success. He takes an active interest in town 
 affairs; and he is a member' of the Royal Ar- 
 canum and the Grafton Grange and a charter 
 member of the Westboro Post, No. 80, G. A. R. 
 On April 6, 1870, he married Miss Abbie O. 
 Leland, daughter of Rodney Leland, a well- 
 known and prominent farmer of Grafton, Mass. 
 
 tEBECCA BARNARD, M.D., a suc- 
 cessful practising physician of 
 Worcester, a daughter of Dr. 
 "^ Franklin and Maria Ann (Plum- 
 mer) Barnard, late of this city, is a native of 
 Andover, Mass. Her father was born in Har- 
 vard, Mass., in 1809, and her mother was born 
 in Andover in 18 12. 
 
 Robert Barnard, her first paternal ancestor 
 
 in New England, was one of the original set- 
 tlers of Andover, his name being tenth on the 
 lisftfPeft-eeholders. Robert Barnard, second, 
 grandson of the first Robert, removed from 
 Andover to Marlboro, Mass., and a grist-mill 
 in that town was owned by him and his de- 
 scendants for over eighty years. John Barn- 
 ard came to Worcester in 1760, and Benja- 
 min Barnard, great-grandfather of the subject 
 of this sketch, settled at Harvard the same 
 year. Dr. Barnard's grandfather, Benjamin 
 Keep Barnard, inherited his father's farm of 
 two hundred acres, and that property is still 
 in the family's possession. He lived to be 
 over ninety years old, as did also his wife. 
 
 On the maternal side Dr. Barnard is a de- 
 scendant of Daniel Poor, of Andover, and of 
 General Enoch Poor, an officer in the Conti- 
 nental army during the Revolutionary War. 
 Her mother was a daughter of Hezekiah and 
 Betsey Simpson (Poor) Plummet, of Andover. 
 Her great-grandmother. Love joy Poor, pur- 
 chased in Salem a negro child whom she 
 called Salem Poor; and the History of Essex 
 County says that he displayed unusual courage 
 as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and on 
 one occasion shot an English general. 
 
 Dr. Franklin Barnard,' the father, studied 
 with Dr. Samuel Thompson, the originator of 
 the Thompsonian method of treating diseases, 
 which he practised successfully in Worcester 
 for over fifty years, coming here in 1840. He 
 owned the property extending from 174 to 183 
 Main Street, inclusive. He was a modest, 
 unassuming man, who made his profession the 
 principal aim of his life; and, although sev- 
 eral times solicited to accept public office, he 
 declined. Dr. Franklin Barnard was the 
 father of four children, namely: Anna M., 
 wife of Parker Holden, of Worcester; Re- 
 becca, the subject of this sketch ; Esther, wife 
 of Frank Savery, of Maiden, Mass. ; and Caro- 
 line, who married Allston Huntress, of Bos- 
 ton. The father died in 1889, leaving a good 
 estate; and the mother died in 1885. 
 
 Rebecca Barnard began her early education 
 in the Worcester public schools, and com- 
 pleted it at the Baptist Academy. She 
 taught in the city schools for fifteen years, 
 and during that time she was not absent from 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 621 
 
 her post of duty a single day. Her medical 
 studies were pursued at the College of the 
 New York Infirmary, New York City, N.Y., 
 and, after serving as an interne at the hospital 
 connected with that institution, she began the 
 practice of her profession in this city. Her 
 vigorous constitution gives her much physical 
 endurance, and she has on many occasions 
 demonstrated her skill. Although constantly 
 busy with her profession, she has found time 
 to serve upon the School Board two terms of 
 three years each, and her knowledge of educa- 
 tional affairs was exceedingly valuable to that 
 body. She is a member of the Boston, the 
 New England Hospital, and the Worcester 
 District Medical Societies. 
 
 Her residence at 184 Main Street is an old 
 estate of considerable historic interest. It was 
 built about the year 1760, and bought by 
 William Eaton in 1794. The property was 
 inherited by Mr. Eaton's daughter, Sarah C. 
 Eaton, who in 1879 sold it to Dr. Barnard, 
 with whom she resided for the rest of her life. 
 Miss Eaton died in 1887, in the room in 
 which she was born eighty-seven years before. 
 
 "ON. DAVID H. MERRIAM, the 
 fourth Mayor of Fitchburg, was born 
 [\s \ in Essex, Essex County, N. Y. , July 
 3, 1820, being one of the seven 
 children of Josephus and Betsey (Rand) Mer- 
 riam. His father died in 1828; and the year 
 after his mother moved with the children to 
 Fitchburg. 
 
 Here David H. Merriam carried on the car- 
 riage and harness business from 1842 to 1847, 
 and then studied law with the Hon. Nathaniel 
 Wood and Ebenezer Torrey. In 1850 the 
 duties of taking the census of this district fell 
 to him, as the President appointed him Assist- 
 ant Marshal of Massachusetts. After having 
 been admitted to the Worcester County bar 
 and appointed a Justice of the Peace by Gov- 
 ernor George S. Boutwell in 185 1, he prac- 
 tised law in Fitchburg for thirty-seven years, 
 and held for the same length of time a com- 
 mission as Notary Public, Justice of the Peace 
 and Quorum for the Commonwealth. Mr. 
 Merriam in 1858 was admitted to practice in 
 
 the United States courts by the Hon. Judge 
 Sprague, being the first lawyer from Fitchburg 
 admitted to practice in that court. In 1868 
 Governor Alexander H. Bullock appointed him 
 Special Justice of the Police Court of Fitch- 
 burg, which office he held until the time of his 
 death. 
 
 He was a Commissioner of Insolvency for 
 nineteen years. For a number of years he 
 was a member of the School Board, and was 
 elected to a number of offices besides those di- 
 rectly connected with his profession. In 1861 
 he was on the Fitchburg Board of Selectmen, 
 and that same year he was in the State legis- 
 lature, serving on the Judiciary Committee 
 and on the joint committee of a special ses- 
 sion to provide for the families of the soldiers 
 by passing the State aid laws and similar acts. 
 In 1863 he was appointed by President Lin- 
 coln Provost Marshal of the Ninth District of 
 Massachusetts. This office he held until the 
 close of the war, being honorably discharged 
 October 15, 1865. He was Mayor of Fitch- 
 burg in 1877 and 1878. The duties of every 
 office conferred upon him he performed in such 
 a manner as to win and keep the confidence 
 and esteem of his fellow-men. He was an 
 honored member of E. V. Sumner Post, No. 
 19, G. A. R. Judge Merriam died October 
 II, 1888. At the time of his death he was 
 the oldest of the Fitchburg attorneys in point 
 of practice. 
 
 He married Dora, daughter of Gilbert B. 
 Hayes, of Shelburne Falls, Mass. Mrs. Mer- 
 riam and three children are living — Elizabeth 
 D., David H., and Charles H. 
 
 The eldest son, David H. Merriam, was 
 born in Fitchburg, July 6, 1869. He ac- 
 quired the rudiments of his education in the 
 Fitchburg public schools, and studied law in 
 his father's office. In 1890 he was appointed 
 money order clerk in the Fitchburg post-office 
 by Postmaster Currier. In February, 1892, at 
 the age of twenty-three years, he was ap- 
 pointed Register of Deeds for the Northern 
 District of Worcester County by the County 
 Commissioners, being selected from a large 
 number of applicants. In the fall of 1892 he 
 was elected Register of Deeds, and has held 
 the office ever since. He is Vice-President 
 
622 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of the Fitchburg Athletic Club, and was for 
 some time its treasurer. He married Grace, 
 daughter of George A. Lawrence (deceased), 
 of Fitchburg, and has one daughter, Evelyn. 
 
 Charles H. Merriam, the youngest son, is 
 Assistant Register of Deeds. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Fitchburg Athletic Club. 
 
 TT^HARLES MERRILL GOULD, form- 
 I Kr^ erly assistant superintendent of the 
 ^yHs^^ factory of the Graton & Knight 
 Manufacturing Company, of Worces- 
 ter, Mass., was born in Rockingham, Vt. , 
 February 27, 181 1, and died in this city, 
 March 16, 1896, aged eighty -five. He was 
 a son of Thomas and Caroline O. (Read) 
 Gould, and was of sturdy English stock, being 
 on his mother's side of the sixth generation 
 from the Pilgrim fathers. 
 
 Jacob Gould, the emigrant ancestor of this 
 branch of the Gould family in America, came 
 from England in the early part of the eigh- 
 teenth century, and settled in the vicinity of 
 Boston. Two of his six children took up 
 their abode in Dedham, Mass., where Jedediah 
 N., the grandfather of Charles M., was bom 
 April 17, 1750. In 1778 Jedediah N. Gould 
 married Elizabeth Sanderson, of Petersham, 
 Mass. Some years after he removed with his 
 family to Chester, Vt., where he died in 
 1808. He had nine children. 
 
 Thomas Gould, the next in this line, was 
 born in Dedham, Mass., January 16, 1784, 
 and died in Camden, N.Y., June 14, 1864, 
 aged eighty years, four months, and twenty- 
 eight days. A man of good mental ability, 
 noted for his sound sense and firmness of 
 character, he left the impress of his strong 
 and noble nature on his descendants. On 
 April 12, 1808, he married Caroline O. Read. 
 She was a descendant of Peregrine White, 
 who was born on the "Mayflower." 
 
 Charles M. Gould was one of a family of 
 nine children. He was educated in Rocking- 
 ham, Vt., and he afterward learned the black- 
 smith's trade, which he followed there several 
 years. He subsequently became a contractor 
 for bridge building; and, when the Boston & 
 Worcester Railroad was opened in 1835, he 
 
 was in the employ of that company. In 1840 
 he came to Worcester to live, continuing his 
 connection with the Boston & Worcester Com- 
 pany, which about that time began the exten- 
 sion of its road westward; and during the 
 twenty years of his employment he con- 
 structed nearly every bridge between Boston 
 & Albany. For a number of years after es- 
 tablishing himself in this city he lived in one 
 of the corporation houses, at the corner of 
 Grafton Street and Bloom ingdale Road. In 
 1851, nearly a half-century ago, he erected for 
 his own use the first dwelling-house built on 
 Providence Street and the second on Union 
 Hill. Worcester was a young city, with but 
 eight thousand inhabitants ; and his new home, 
 which is now quite near the centre of its busi- 
 ness section, was then a long way from town. 
 Ten years later Mr. Gould gave up railroad 
 work, and, opening a silver-plating shop at the 
 corner of Grafton and Temple Streets, carried 
 on a successful business for a few years in 
 the plating of rifles and pistols for the Civil 
 War. He also made some inventions. The 
 most noted of these was a submarine light, 
 the first ever invented, which during the war 
 was shown at Havre de Grace, Md., and then 
 placed upon the market. It was also exhib- 
 ited at Washington, D.C., at Buffalo, at the 
 Crystal Palace, New York, and in England. 
 The original lantern, until recently in the 
 possession of the family, has been given to 
 the American Antiquarian Society. When 
 the Graton & Knight Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, after the close of the war, began tanning 
 leather and making leather belts in Worcester, 
 Mr. Gould became superintendent of their fac- 
 tory, and had charge of the construction of 
 their tannery. He remained with this com- 
 pany until his demise, and during the entire 
 period of thirty years was scarcely a day absent 
 from his post. 
 
 He was a lifelong Republican, loyal in 
 every respect to his party, but never held pub- 
 lic office. He was the founder of the Protec- 
 tive Union, now doing business at 24 Front 
 Street. Upright and honest, highly respected 
 by all who knew him, he was a valued citizen 
 and a most desirable friend. He was a Uni- 
 versalist in belief and practice, and regularly 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 623 
 
 attended the church of that denomination, al- 
 though he was not a member. A man of great 
 physical vigor and strong constitution, he had 
 but six months' illness in all his life. 
 
 Mr. Gould married Rebecca Harris, of 
 North Searsport, Me., on April 17, 1834, and 
 their golden wedding was celebrated on April 
 17, 1884. This was a most enjoyable occa- 
 sion for themselves, their relatives, and 
 numerous friends, and was made more so 
 from the fact that on that evening their 
 daughter, Caroline R., who was the widow 
 of David Angus of Nova Scotia, was united 
 to her second husband, William A. Peirce, 
 of Worcester. Nearly six years later, De- 
 cember 20, 1889, Mrs. Gould passed to the 
 life immortal. Mr. and Mrs. Gould are sur- 
 vived by four children; namely, Mrs. Caro- 
 line R. Pierce, Mrs. Henry C. Graton, Mrs. 
 G. W. Gilmore, and Charles F. Gould. Mrs. 
 Pierce has three daughters — Mrs. Caroline 
 M. Strong, Mrs. Lizzie G. Blanding, and Mrs. 
 Hattie Williams, all of Worcester. Mrs. 
 Graton has some merit as a poet. She wrote 
 a poem for her parents' golden wedding, and 
 she has written two books. Charles F. Gould 
 married Frank C. Walbridge. They have 
 three sons — Clarence Eugene, Clifton Henry, 
 and Lubertia, two of whom are married. A 
 lady from Fitchburg, formerly Miss Jenny 
 Spotgord, is the wife of Clarence Eugene 
 Gould. 
 
 (sJY^TEMAS C. SMITH, a well-known 
 
 A^A contractor and builder of Oakdale, 
 
 /(i\\ Mass., was born in Holden on 
 
 ^"^ March 6, 1843, son of Moses and 
 
 Viola (Carpenter) Smith. The family was 
 
 first represented in America by two brothers, 
 
 Job and John Smith, who came from England. 
 
 John had a son, Moses, born June 13, 1718, 
 
 who was the next in line of descent John, 
 
 son of Moses and grandfather of the subject 
 
 of this sketch, was born in the vicinity of 
 
 Boston, April 7, 1761. He settled in Holden, 
 
 and spent the remainder of his life there as 
 
 a farmer. 
 
 Moses Smith, son of John and father of 
 Artemas, was born March 13, 1807. He was 
 
 also a farmer, and resided at the old home- 
 stead, where he died at the age of seventy- 
 nine. His wife, Viola, who was born in 
 Gardner, was the mother of eleven children, 
 nine of whom grew to maturity, and three of 
 whom are living; namely, Silas A., Artemas 
 C, and Howland A. Mrs. Viola Smith died 
 at the age of sixty-eight. Both parents were 
 members of the Congregational church and 
 later of the Advent church. Moses Smith was 
 a prominent man in both denominations. He 
 took a deep interest in the welfare of the 
 church, and gave liberal financial support. 
 
 Artemas C. Smith spent his early years on 
 the old homestead which had been settled by 
 his great-grandfather, and attended the com- 
 mon schools. At seventeen years of age he 
 enlisted in Company G of the First Massachu- 
 setts Cavalry, and subsequently served for 
 three years and two months, taking part in 
 twenty-nine battles, or all the battles of the 
 Potomac, among them Gettysburg and Cold 
 Harbor. At Mine Run he was wounded, and 
 later he was taken prisoner, but was fortu- 
 nately recaptured the same day. He was 
 discharged from the army with the rank of Ser- 
 geant, having been promoted for brave and 
 meritorious conduct in the fight at Mine Run. 
 After a winter spent with his parents he went 
 to Northbridge, where he worked as a carpen- 
 ter. Some time later he formed a partnership 
 with a Mr. Hagar, and carried on carpentering 
 in South Boston. Subsequently removing to 
 Hyde Park, he remained there for a year, 
 doing business in company with a Mr. Purdy. 
 Since 1870, when he came from Hyde Park 
 to Oakdale, he has carried on a prosperous and 
 lucrative business in this town and the sur- 
 rounding country — in fact, the largest busi- 
 ness of any man here in his line. Nearly 
 all the mills in this locality, a number of 
 churches, and many dwelling-houses have been 
 built by him. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Smith was married to Carrie E. 
 Darling, who died two years later at the age 
 of twenty-six. His second wife, who was be- 
 fore her marriage Abbie C. Hastings, was born 
 in Douglas, Mass., and was the daughter of 
 Nahum Hastings, a merchant of this town and 
 a prominent citizen. She died in 1887 at the 
 
624 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 age of thirty-eight. Mr. Smith has three 
 children, by name Raymond, Carrie, and Her- 
 bert L. 
 
 In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican. 
 He has served the town for four years as Se- 
 lectman and for the past two years as As- 
 sessor. He has also been a member of the 
 Board of Health, and was for a number of 
 years Constable. He has been a member of 
 the Republican Town Committee, and has 
 been sent as delegate to both State and county 
 conventions. Fraternally, Mr. Smith is a 
 Mason, and has filled all the chairs in Boylston 
 Lodge, being Master for two years. He is at 
 present treasurer of the Lodge, serving on his 
 third year. He is also a member of Hiram 
 Council, Eureka Chapter, of Worcester, and 
 George D. Wells Post, No. 28, G. A. R. He 
 is one of the directors of the Security Savings 
 Bank. 
 
 /SJeORGE BARNES, a widely-known 
 \ S I and respected resident of Northboro, 
 son of Edward Barnes, was born in 
 Marlboro, Middlesex County, Mass., July 29, 
 1815. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Ed- 
 ward Barnes, was a prominent farmer of Marl- 
 boro. Colonel Edward owned and occupied 
 the farm originally cleared from the wilder- 
 ness by his grandfather, Richard Barnes, in 
 the earlier Colonial days. He graduated from 
 Harvard College with the class of 1775, and 
 during the Revolution was Lieutenant Colonel 
 in the regiment of Colonel Ward, of Shrews- 
 bury, and commanded a regiment at the battle 
 of Bunker Hill. Subsequently he served in 
 the State legislature, was a member of the 
 Constitutional Convention, was Selectman of 
 Marlboro during the greater part of his active 
 life, and was County Commissioner at the 
 time of his death, which occurred November 
 16, 1803. Mr. Barnes's father married Lucy 
 Brigham. She had eight children, of whom 
 three became physicians, namely : Dr. Charles 
 Barnes, of Uxbridge; Dr. Edward Barnes, of 
 Marlboro; and Dr. Henry Barnes, of North- 
 boro, Mass. Besides George and Charles men- 
 tioned above, two other children are living: 
 Lucy, the wife of Artemas Jones, of Marlboro ; 
 
 and Ruth, who is unmarried, and lives on the 
 old homestead. The father died at the age of 
 seventy-eight years, and the mother at the age 
 of eighty-six. 
 
 George Barnes completed his education at 
 the Worcester and Greenfield Academies. He 
 subsequently lived on the parental farm until 
 the spring of 1838, when he removed to 
 Northboro, and opened a store in company 
 with Frank Eager. Shortly afterward he pur- 
 chased his partner's interest, and thereafter 
 conducted the business alone for seven years. 
 Disposing then of his store and stock, he 
 bought his present farm which is very pleas- 
 antly located midway between the villages of 
 Westboro and Northboro. In addition to gen- 
 eral farming Mr. Barnes was actively employed 
 for forty years in civil engineering; and he has 
 probably measured every plot of ground in 
 town, besides doing much surveying in the 
 neighboring towns of Berlin, Boylston, and 
 Westboro. In politics he was formerly a 
 Whig. Later he became a strong supporter 
 of the Free Soil party, and he is now an ad- 
 herent and supporter of the Republican party. 
 He has been thoroughly identified with the 
 leading interests of the town, which he has 
 served in various capacities. For seven years 
 he was Town Treasurer, for ten years Select- 
 man, and for an equal length of time he was an 
 Assessor. He is an official member of the Uni- 
 tarian church, in which he was superintendent 
 of the Sunday-school for many years; and he 
 was formerly the treasurer of the parish. 
 
 On November 10, 1842, Mr. Barnes mar- 
 ried Anna, daughter of Cyrus Gale, of this 
 town. She died a few years after the mar- 
 riage, leaving one daughter, Anna Gale, who 
 is now the wife of Charles Stone, a merchant 
 in Marlboro, and has two children — Ethel 
 Annie and Cyrus Gale Stone. The latter, 
 who married Myra Usher, of Danvers, Mass., 
 has had two children — Mariana Osborne and 
 Helen Russell, of whom the latter died Janu- 
 ary 2, 1899. On May 6, 1853, Mr. Barnes 
 married for his second wife Mary W. Lincoln, 
 a daughter of Jairus Lincoln and a grand- 
 daughter of Professor Henry Ware, of Cam- 
 bridge. Three children have been born of 
 this union, namely: Edith, who was educated 
 
^ 
 
 ^^w ^f 
 
 MORTON E. CONVERSE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 627 
 
 at the Framinghara Normal School, Wisconsin 
 University, and Boston Institute of Tech- 
 nology, and has taught in private schools of 
 Greenfield and Sherborn ; Edward, who gradu- 
 ated from the Worcester Institute of Tech- 
 nology and the Johns Hopkins University, and 
 who died at the age of twenty-seven, when he 
 was about to take the chair of mathematics at 
 the Rose Polytechnic Institute, Terre Haute, 
 Ind. ; and Amy, who is the wife of Samuel T. 
 Maynard, the professor of botany and horti- 
 culture at Amherst College, and has two chil- 
 dren, Ednah Barnes Maynard, and Edward 
 Barnes Maynard. 
 
 ^l-Sy^ORTON E. CONVERSE, manu- 
 al zi* facturer, Winchendon, Mass.- — ^The 
 J JJjp ( subject of this sketch belongs to 
 ^"-^ a family whose original seat was 
 in France, whence Roger de Coigniers is said 
 to have migrated to England near the end of 
 the reign of William the Conqueror. Late in 
 the sixteenth century, after the Massacre of St. 
 Bartholomew, Pierre Coigniers, Huguenot, fled 
 with his wife and two children to England. 
 Others of the family may have settled in Eng- 
 land. The name in that country was changed 
 to Conyers and from that to Convers. The coat 
 of arms of Coigniers, Conyers, and Convers 
 being essentially the same sustains the theory 
 of a common origin. (See History of Rindge, 
 N. H., by Ezra S. Stearns.) Another writer 
 says that Roger de Coigneri^s, as he spells the 
 name, was at the battle of Hastings with the 
 Conqueror. 
 
 Edward Convers, who was born in England 
 about 1589, came to America in 1630. He 
 settled at Charlestown, Mass., was shortly 
 afterward made a freeman, and served as a Se- 
 lectman from 1635 to 1640. He was one of 
 the seven commissioners " chosen by the 
 church of Charlestown to effect the settlement 
 of the town of Woburn. " He served as Se- 
 lectman of Woburn from 1644 until his death, 
 which occurred at what is now. Winchester, 
 August 10, 1663. Sarah Convers, his first 
 wife, died January 14, 1661-62; and on Sep- 
 tember g, 1662, he married Joanna Corbin 
 Sprague, widow of Ralph Sprague. Edward 
 
 Convers was the father of four children, all 
 of whom were by his first wife. 
 
 Ensign James Convers, the next in this 
 line, was born in England in 1620. He died 
 in Woburn, May 10, 1715. On October 24, 
 1643, he married Anna Long, who was born 
 in 1625, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth 
 Long, of Charlestown. 
 
 Major James Convers, son of Ensign James, 
 was born in Woburn, November 16, 1645. 
 He took a prominent part in the public affairs 
 of the colony, serving for ten years as a Rep- 
 resentative to the General Court and being 
 three times elected Speaker of the House. 
 For his gallant defence of Storer's Garrison in 
 1 691 he was promoted to the rank of Major in 
 the Colonial militia. He died July 8, 1706. 
 On January i, 1668-69, ^^ married Hannah 
 Carter, who was born January 19, 1650, 
 daughter of Captain John and Elizabeth Car- 
 ter, of Woburn. 
 
 John Convers, son of Major James, was born 
 in Woburn, August 22, 1673, and died in that 
 town January 6, 1707-8. On May 22, 1699, 
 he married Abigail Sawyer, who was born 
 March 17, 1679, daughter of Joshua Sawyer, 
 of Woburn; and on November 29, 1720, she 
 married for her second husband John Vinton. 
 Joshua Convers, son of John, was born in Wo- 
 burn, June 3, 1704. He resided for a time in 
 Dunstable, Mass., from which town he re- 
 moved in 1729 to Naticook, N.H. (now Merri- 
 mac) ; and he was drowned in the Merrimac 
 River in 1744. On July 31, 1729, he was 
 married in Dunstable to Rachel Blanchard, 
 who was born March 23, 1712, daughter of Jo- 
 seph and Abiah (Hassell) Blanchard. 
 
 The next in line was Morton E. Converse's 
 great-grandfather, Zebulon Convers, who was 
 born March 21, 1744, and who changed his 
 name to Converse. In 1773 he married Sarah 
 Merriam, who was born October 10, i7S3, 
 daughter of Nathaniel and Olive (Wheeler) 
 Merriam, of Bedford, Mass. Prior to the Rev- 
 olutionary War, Zebulon settled in Rindge, 
 where he died November 10, 1805 ; and his wife 
 died November 28 of the same year. Joshua 
 Converse, son of Zebulon and Sarah (Merriam) 
 Converse, who was grandfather of Morton E. , 
 was born in Rindge, April 23, 1781. He 
 
628 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 followed general farming in connection with 
 the manufacture of lumber and woodenware, 
 and was a successful business man. He 
 served as a Selectman in Rindge for seventeen 
 years. He was Representative to the legislat- 
 ure and a delegate to the Constitutional Con- 
 vention in 1850. He died November i, 1862. 
 On May 6, 1808, he married for his first wife 
 Polly Piper, who was born February 13, 1791, 
 daughter of Thomas and Hephzibah (Jewett) 
 Piper; and she died February 7, 1840. His 
 second wife, whom he married May 20, 1841, 
 was Polly Kimball, who was born September 
 25, 1789, daughter of William and Abigail 
 (Hamlet) Kimball, of Rindge. She died Sep- 
 tember 10, 1866. 
 
 Ebenezer H. Converse, the father of Morton 
 E. , was born in Rindge, N. H., November 14, 
 181 1, son of Joshua Converse by his first wife. 
 He was engaged in the manufacture of lumber 
 and woodenware at Rindge for more than forty 
 years. Soon after the firing on Fort Sumter 
 in April, 1861, he raised a company in Rindge 
 and vicinity, of which he was Captain. This 
 company became a part of the Sixth New 
 Hampshire Regiment of Volunteers, and ac- 
 companied General Burnside's expedition to 
 North Carolina. Sarah Darling, his first 
 wife, whom he married October 8, 1835, was 
 a daughter of Jewett B. and Hannah (Mur- 
 dock) Darling, of Winchendon. She died 
 July 10, 1875. On June 2, 1877, he married 
 for his second wife Mrs. Harriet E. Dearborn, 
 born Leland, daughter of James and Hannah 
 (Kidder) Leland. She died July 16, 1888. 
 
 Morton E. Converse, the subject of this 
 sketch, was born in Rindge, N. H., September 
 17. 1837, son of Ebenezer H. and Sarah 
 (Darling) Converse. He was educated in the 
 public schools at Rindge and at several acad- 
 emies. At the opening of the Civil War he 
 was in the clothing business at Salmon Falls, 
 N. H. Closing out his business, he enlisted 
 for three years in the company of which his 
 father was Captain in the Sixth New Hamp- 
 shire Volunteers. For a considerable time he 
 was in the commissary department. Under 
 General Burnside in North Carolina he partici- 
 pated in the second battle of Bull Run, 
 South Mountain, Antietam, and Chantilly; 
 
 and later he served under General Grant in 
 Mississippi, at Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and 
 other memorable engagements. In 1867 he 
 engaged in the manufacture of pyroligneous 
 acid and other wood acid products at Converse- 
 ville, in the town of Rindge, continuing in 
 that business some eight years. In 1873 he 
 built a mill, in which he engaged in the man- 
 ufacture of light woodenware; and it was then 
 and there the later successful toy manufactur- 
 ing business was conceived and inaugurated. 
 Feeling the need of a larger field in which to 
 carry out his plans, he came to Winchendon, 
 Mass., where in company with Orlando Mason, 
 under the firm name of Mason & Converse, 
 he made toys and woodenware for six years. 
 This business showed continuous growth until 
 in 1883 Mr. Mason withdrew, and Mr. Con- 
 verse became associated with his uncle, Alfred 
 C. Converse, under the firm name of the Con- 
 verse Toy and Woodenware Company, which 
 firm continued for four years. Since 1887 
 this business has been conducted by the same 
 parties under the style of Morton E. Converse 
 & Co., Morton E. being the managing partner. 
 
 At the formation of the partnership with 
 Alfred C. Converse in 1883 the Monadnock 
 steam mill property was purchased. To meet 
 the rapidly increasing demands of the busi- 
 ness, an additional factory was erected in 
 1886 and another in 1891. Besides these 
 buildings, which were each one hundred by 
 forty feet, with four floors, a number of others 
 were erected. This firm manufactures wooden 
 toys, children's and dolls' furniture and nov- 
 elties. Special departments are devoted to 
 the manufacture of toy and military drums, 
 also dolls' trunks. The wonderful develop- 
 ment of this business in a new field of opera- 
 tion has led others to enter into the manu- 
 facture of similar goods, though this firm is far 
 in the lead of all, and has the most extensive 
 toy manufacturing business in any country. 
 Their factories are located by the side of two 
 railroads, and have good side-track facilities 
 for the receiving and forwarding of merchan- 
 dise. 
 
 The buildings are heated by steam and 
 lighted by electricity. The town water sys- 
 tem is made available by hydrants upon the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 629 
 
 streets and grounds, and an automatic sprinkler 
 system is provided throughout all the build- 
 ings. These buildings are also equipped with 
 an automatic thermostat fire alarm system. 
 At the World's Columbian Exposition at 
 Chicago in 1893 this firm made an extensive 
 exhibit of its goods, which attracted much at- 
 tention. The highest awards, a medal and di- 
 ploma, were given to this firm for the finest 
 toys in the world. 
 
 This business did not mount to its present 
 proportions and pre-eminence by chance. Its 
 management and development with all its re- 
 quirements have demanded untiring energy, 
 perpetual alertness, and a peculiar genius for 
 successfully meeting emergencies, conquering 
 obstacles,, and discerning opportunities. The 
 business now employs from one hundred and 
 fifty to two hundred hands, and has a pay-roll of 
 nearly fifty thousand dollars. Its products are 
 shipped to all parts of the United States and 
 Canada; and latterly this firm has become 
 known and its products are called for from all 
 continents. Many of the goods and manufact- 
 uring processes of this firm are protected by 
 letters patent, these patents being almost en- 
 tirely brought out by and issued to Morton E. 
 Converse, the managing partner and central 
 force of this unique business. 
 
 On June 30, i8g6, one of the large factories 
 and several other buildings were entirely de- 
 stroyed by fire, as also a large amount of lum- 
 ber in the yard ; but new buildings were at 
 once erected, and in a few weeks all was pro- 
 gressing as usual, the business suffering hardly 
 a perceptible interruption. 
 
 On August 19, 1869, Mr. Converse married 
 Hattie M. Atherton, daughter of Thomas and 
 Susan (Peacock) Atherton, of Lowell, Mass. 
 Mrs. Converse died October 28, 1886, leaving 
 two children, namely: Grace A., born Novem- 
 ber 17, 1873; and Atherton D., born January 
 7, 1877. September 17, 1889, he married 
 Bertha E. Porter, of Chicago, 111., daughter of 
 the Rev. Samuel Porter. 
 
 Mr. Converse is a public-spirited citizen, 
 finding time to enter personally into active 
 efforts to promote the welfare and progress of 
 the community in which he lives. He has 
 been prominent in the affairs of the Winchen- 
 
 don Electric Light and Power Company, hav- 
 ing been one of the originators of this com- 
 pany, of which he is president. He is 
 treasurer of the New England Baby Carriage 
 Company, president of the New England Lock 
 and Hinge Company^ director in Granite State 
 Manufacturing Company, director in the Win- 
 chendon Board of Trade, and active in church 
 and society organizations. He is a thirty-sec- 
 ond degree Mason, an Odd Fellow, a member 
 of the I. O. Red Men, also of the G. A. R., 
 and of the Sons of Veterans. He is also a 
 member of the Republican Club of Massa- 
 chusetts and of the Home Market Club, 
 Boston. In 1890 and 1891 he was a Repre- 
 sentative in the State legislature, and served 
 as chairman of the House Committee on 
 Banks and Banking and as a member of the 
 Committee on Water Supply. 
 
 Mr. Converse has a fine residence on Front 
 Street, Winchendon. The location is conven- 
 ient, the view down the valley of Miller's River 
 most charming, and the residence itself is at- 
 tractive and convenient, possessing as it .does 
 all the appointments that can be found in a 
 model New England home in these closing 
 days of the nineteenth century. 
 
 T^HARLES BUCK, a manufacturer of 
 I V^ chisels, gouges, razors, and other edge- 
 ^Hs^^ tools at Millbury, was born in Shef- 
 field, England, March 22, 1829, 
 son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Taylor) Buck. 
 His grandfather, also named Joseph Buck, 
 born in 1746, died in 1824, aged seventy- 
 eight years. The grandfather was a skilled 
 worker in steel and a good accountant, and 
 for thirty years held the position of manager 
 in Newbold's edge-tool factory in Sheifield. 
 Joseph Buck, second, born in Sheffield, Eng- 
 land, March 6, 1801, died there at sixty-four 
 years of age. His wife, Elizabeth, whom he 
 married April 5, 1825, was a native of Don- 
 caster, England, born in the year 1804. Her 
 father was a carpet manufacturer. Joseph and 
 Elizabeth Buck had three sons: John, born 
 February 20, 1826; Charles, the subject of 
 this sketch; and Richard T., born October i, 
 1 83 1. All the sons served an apprenticeship 
 
630 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 under their father and became skilful in the 
 art of finishing edge-tools. Richard came to 
 America in 1853. John, the first to emigrate, 
 came to America in August 1849. He 
 worked in Williamsburg, N. Y., where he 
 received less than a dollar per day, until his 
 skill brought him to the attention of D. R. 
 Barton, a prominent manufacturer of Roches- 
 ter, N. Y., who sent for him, and by whom he 
 was employed for three years. At the ex- 
 piration of that time he started in business 
 for himself in Newark, N.J., but soon re- 
 turned to Rochester, where he remained until 
 1853. He is now deceased. 
 
 Charles Buck received his early education 
 in Sheffield, England. After leaving school 
 he entered the edge-tool works, and under 
 the experienced eye of his father learned the 
 trade of grinding and polishing edge-tools. 
 • In 1853, about three years after coming to 
 America, he began the manufacture of cutlery. 
 In the fall of 1873 he built his first shop in 
 Millbury on a site purchased by him in 1865, 
 and on which was a dwelling into which he 
 moved at that time. He employs from fifteen 
 to twenty hands, and sells his goods partly 
 through commission houses in New York, 
 Chicago, and Baltimore. Though now nearly 
 seventy years of age, he is very active and 
 makes frequent trips, going as far west as 
 Chicago and St. Louis. Also, occasionally, 
 he takes a hand at the forge, tempering tools, 
 as a reminder of his earlier days. The suc- 
 cess which he has achieved is the result pf 
 close personal attention. He is very conser- 
 vative, preferring small and safe profits to the 
 uncertainty which so often attends large un- 
 dertakings. 
 
 In 1850 Mr. Buck was first united in mar- 
 riage with Isabella Monroe, a native of Scot- 
 land, who had three children, of whom one 
 died in infancy. The others are: Elizabeth, 
 now the widow of Dennis P. Hodge, resid- 
 ing in Worcester, Mass. ; and Isabella, who 
 is the widow of Charles Crossman, lives at 
 home, and has one son, Charles F. Crossman. 
 Mrs. Buck died August 15, 1855. A second 
 marriage united Mr. Buck with Mary Small, 
 a native of England, who bore him four chil- 
 dren. Of these, two grew to maturity and one 
 
 is living. The latter is Martha, now the 
 wife of Luther Wheeler, residing at New 
 York Mills, N. Y., and the mother of six chil- 
 dren. Mrs. Mary Small Buck died September 
 I, 1864. Mr. Charles Buck contracted a 
 third marriage on November 23, 1864, with 
 Maria C. Kendall, a native of Canada and a 
 daughter of Lyman and Maria Kendall, who 
 were successful farming people. There were 
 four children by this union, namely: Charles 
 Buck, who died when three years of age; 
 Josephine, who became the wife of Fred 
 Ogden, and has one son, Leopold Earle, hav- 
 ing lost an infant son; Julia, the wife of 
 Fred Wheeler, who is in the employ of Mr. 
 Buck; and Edith M., a young lady of seven- 
 teen, who is attending the Classical High 
 School. In politics Mr. Buck is a Republi- 
 can. For over forty -one years he has been a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 in which he has served as class leader for 
 many years and as Sunday-school superintend- 
 ent for ten years. He has a modest and com- 
 fortable home with two acres of land, on 
 which he also has his shop, storage buildings, 
 and other buildings. 
 
 HARLES S. STOUGHTON, mechanic 
 at the loom manufactory of the Cromp- 
 Is ^ ton & Knowles Company, was born 
 in Gill, Mass., September 2, 1855, 
 son of Samuel and Hannah Eliza (Spaulding) 
 Stoughton. He is a lineal descendant of 
 Thomas Stoughton, who was admitted a free- 
 man of Dorchester, Mass., in 1630, and a few 
 years later settled at Windsor, Conn. The 
 family is spoken of as one of "remote anti- 
 quity in County Surrey, England." 
 
 The first member of the family to settle in 
 Gill bought a tract of land of the Indians. 
 He cleared a farm which has passed through 
 several generations of his descendants, and is 
 now owned by an aunt of the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Samuel Stoughton, the father of Charles S., 
 was a prosperous farmer and a lifelong resi- 
 dent of Gill. His wife was a native of 
 Jaffrey, N.H. They were married at the 
 home of her parents, who owned a farm in the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 631 
 
 immediate vicinity of Mount Monadnock. 
 She became the mother of four children, 
 namely: Sarah, who at the time of her death, 
 which occurred at the age of twenty-two, had 
 gained considerable reputation as a writer for 
 the Youth's Companion and other papers ; 
 Frederick S., a mechanic of Worcester; 
 Anna, wife of George R. Bliss, of Worces- 
 ter; and Charles S., the subject of this 
 sketch. The father and mother lived to be 
 seventy-six and sixty-eight years old respec- 
 tively, and both died on Christmas Day, 1891. 
 
 Charles S. Stoughton was educated in the 
 district schools. He resided at the parental 
 home until fifteen years old, when he came to 
 Worcester, and for a year was employed as 
 a clerk by Messrs. Ware & Pratt, clothing 
 dealers. He then began his apprenticeship at 
 the machinist's trade with the Knowles 
 Brothers, and has worked his way forward 
 through the different departments to his pres- 
 ent position. He has witnessed the develop- 
 ment both in size and importance of these 
 works, where, in place of the thirty men orig- 
 inally employed, over one thousand are now 
 necessary to meet the requirements of the 
 business. 
 
 In politics Mr. Stoughton is a Republican. 
 He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows and the Royal Arcanum. He pos- 
 sesses a pleasing tenor voice, which has been 
 heard to advantage in the various church 
 choirs of the city, including the First Uni- 
 versalist, the Old South, of which he is a 
 member, and the Main Street Baptist Church. 
 He has two sons, aged fourteen and nine 
 years. He resides at 938 Main Street, 
 Worcester. 
 
 /^^JeORGE EPHRAIM JONES, a Se- 
 y i) I lectman and honored citizen of 
 ^"■^ Lunenburg, was born in this town, 
 June 23, 1831, son of Ephraim and Jemima 
 (Barrett) Jones. He is a representative of the 
 eighth generation from the emigrant ancestor 
 of the family, Lewis Jones, who settled in 
 Roxbury, Mass., in 1640, and died at Water- 
 town, Mass., in 1684, and whose wife was 
 Ann Stone, 
 
 William Jones, the great-grandson of Lewis, 
 was the first of the name in Lunenburg, com- 
 ing here in 1741, and being admitted to the 
 church the same year. He built a house in 
 the north part of the town, on what has since 
 been known as Jones Hill. The estate passed 
 down through three succeeding generations to 
 the subject of this sketch, who sold it in 1874. 
 When William Jones occupied it, it was forti- 
 fied and called the " castle. " He was a king's 
 surveyor, and in that capacity went to Nova 
 Scotia to survey some land. Returning, he 
 died of yellow fever, and was buried at sea 
 January 26, 1761, aged fifty-four. He was 
 held in high esteem by his townsmen. He 
 served as Selectman three years, on the School 
 Board, as Collector, and as Constable. He 
 was married in Woburn, Mass., to Sarah 
 Locke, a brave and noble woman. She saved 
 the life of a squaw who was chased by Indians, 
 letting her into the house just as a tomahawk 
 struck into the door jamb. Mrs. Sarah Locke 
 Jones died in 1788, aged eighty-one years. 
 
 William Jones, Jr., the next in this line, in- 
 herited the homestead. He was Constable in 
 1768, and held the oiifices of Collector and 
 School Committee. He died in 1809, aged 
 seventy-two. 
 
 Captain William Jones, born May 15, 1765, 
 son of William, Jr., died May 15, 1854, his 
 eighty-ninth birthday. At sixteen he enlisted 
 and saw service in the Revolutionary War. 
 Later he became Captain of a company of mi- 
 litia, and the title afterward clung to him. 
 He was a man of considerable prominence in 
 the town. He served on the School Commit- 
 tee, sixteen years as Selectman, and he helped 
 to found the Methodist Episcopal church, in 
 which he was very active, giving both of his 
 time and of his money. He was married at 
 Harvard, Mass., in 1791, to Susannah Pollard, 
 of that place. They had six children. 
 
 Major Ephraim Jones, the eldest of these, 
 born May 21, 1792, died December 25, 1880, 
 aged eighty-eight, having been a very strong 
 and active man up to within three days of his 
 death. His title came from his rank in the 
 State militia. He served on the Board of Se- 
 lectmen four years. He was thrice married : 
 first to Jemima Barrett, who died July 7, 
 
632 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1846, aged fifty; second to her sister Lu- 
 cinda, widow of Walter Carlton; and third 
 to Mrs. Adeline E., widow of Luther M. 
 Graves. His second wife died April 5, 1864; 
 and his third wife survives. Major Ephraim 
 Jones was the father of six (Children, three sons 
 and three daughters: Henrietta, Maria L., 
 William F., Susan Elizabeth, George E. , and 
 Charles Gustavus. Henrietta, who lived to be 
 nearly eighty, married for her first husband 
 Joseph S. Ellis, for her second husband Abram 
 Pierce, and her third husband was Benjamin 
 Hall. Maria L., wife of the Rev. Randall 
 Mitchell, died at fifty. William F., a car- 
 penter by trade, died at twenty-six. Susan 
 Elizabeth, wife of Jonathan Piper, lives at 
 Somerville, Mass. Charles Gustavus died at 
 the age of twenty-five. He was a graduate 
 of Dartmouth College, a very promising young 
 man, and was teaching the Upton High School 
 when taken ill. After his third marriage 
 Major Jones moved to Lunenburg village. 
 
 George Ephraim Jones, the special subject 
 of this brief biography, is the only son living. 
 He received a common-school education, sup- 
 plemented by one term at an academy, and at 
 nineteen he began work at Daniel Putnam's in 
 Lunenburg. In 1856 he spent some time in 
 the West. Two years later he took charge of a 
 farm in Groton belonging to a widow, and car- 
 ried it on about seven years. In 1865 he pur- 
 chased the home farm, to which he brought his 
 bride. The buildings were all burned in 1870 
 with heavy loss. He rebuilt and continued to 
 live there until 1874, when he sold the prop- 
 erty and removed to Lunenburg village. He 
 bought his present homestead in 1879. 
 
 Mr. Jones was first married on April 5, 
 1865, to Miss Susan Elizabeth Lawrence, of 
 Pepperell, Mass. She died May 16, 1873; 
 and he was married on June 22, 1882, to Miss 
 Lucy A. Peabody, daughter of Joseph Peabody, 
 of Lunenburg. There are no children by 
 either union. 
 
 In political matters Mr. Jones is a Republi- 
 can, and has served as delegate to various 
 party conventions. At the age of twenty-two 
 he was elected Constable; in 1876 he was on 
 the Board of Selectmen, of which he is a mem- 
 ber at the present time, having now served 
 
 continuously for ten years with the exception 
 of the year 1891, when at his request another 
 was elected in his stead. He is of the fifth 
 successive generation of his family to hold the 
 oflfice of Selectman in Lunenburg. He is a 
 member of the Lunenburg Grange, and has 
 served as director in the Westminster Na- 
 tional Bank. He attends and supports the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, of which his 
 father was a member, a prominent officer, and 
 a liberal supporter. 
 
 TT^HARLES EMERY STEVENS, law- 
 I Vx yer and litterateur, for many years a 
 ^y'ls^^ prominent resident of Worcester, 
 where for a quarter of a century he 
 was Register of Probate and Insolvency, was 
 born in Pembroke, N.H., March 24, 18 15, 
 being the eldest son of the Hon. Boswell 
 and Catherine Hale (Emery) Stevens. His 
 father, who was born in the District of 
 Columbia, was Judge of Probate for Mer- 
 rimack County, New Hampshire; and his 
 mother was a grand-daughter of Noah Emery, 
 a member of the Provincial Congress from 
 that State during the time of the Revolution. 
 Mr. Stevens was born in the historic old 
 house, long since demolished, which was 
 erected more than a century ago by General 
 Asa Robinson. This house was the birth- 
 place of the Hon. Peter Robinson, at one time 
 Speaker of the House of Assembly in the 
 State of New York; and in it resided for a 
 time the Hon. Richard Bartlett, Secretary of 
 State for New Hampshire. There also Mr. 
 Stevens's parents died. 
 
 Mr. Stevens prepared for college at Pem- 
 broke Academy, which he entered at the age 
 of ten. In 1831 he was enrolled as a student 
 at Dartmouth College, and in 1835 he was 
 there graduated. Among his classmates were, 
 as known in later life: the Hon. John P. 
 Healy, the law partner of Daniel Webster 
 and for a generation City Solicitor of Boston; 
 the Hon. Bradford N. Stevens, member of 
 Congress from Illinois; the Hon. Charles T. 
 Woodman, Speaker of the Maine House of 
 Representatives; the Hon. George Barstow, 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 633 
 
 California; the Hon. Harry Hibbard and the 
 Hon. Amos Tuck, members of Congress from 
 New Hampshire; and the Hon. Peter T. 
 Washburn, Governor of Vermont. On leav- 
 ing college Mr. Stevens entered his father's 
 office, and began the study of law. After 
 the death of his father, which occurred a few 
 months later, he matriculated at Andover 
 Theological Seminary, where he pursued his 
 studies for two years, without, however, com- 
 pleting the prescribed course. For several 
 years after he was employed in teaching. 
 
 While thus occupied as principal of Worth- 
 ington Academy in Massachusetts, he was in- 
 vited to assume the office of editor of the New 
 Hampshire Statesman. This was in 1846, a 
 year memorable in politics; and an editorial 
 position was hedged about with unusual diffi- 
 culties and trials. With fearless courage, 
 however, Mr. Stevens undertook his task, and 
 his leaders in the columns of the States- 
 man during the summer and autumn of that 
 year show with what degree of ability he dis- 
 charged his duties. After several more years 
 of teaching he became in 1849 proprietor 
 and editor of the Barre Patriot, then the Whig 
 organ of Worcester County north. Disposing 
 of this property about three years later, he ac- 
 cepted an invitation to become the chief polit- 
 ical editor of the Worcester Daily Transcript, 
 then placed upon a new financial basis in 
 order to become the Whig organ of Worcester 
 City and County in the Scott campaign. In 
 the following year he was appointed to a posi- 
 tion in the State department at Boston, his 
 duties being to assist in preparing the early 
 Colonial records for publication. This posi- 
 tion he held until the Know Nothing party 
 came into power, when, refusing to affiliate 
 himself with that party, he surrendered his 
 place. 
 
 Almost immediately, however, he was en- 
 gaged by Gould & Lincoln, Boston publishers, 
 and installed as their literary reader and edi- 
 tor. In this situation it was his good fortune 
 to be the means of introducing to the public 
 on this side of the Atlantic the "Metaphysics" 
 of Sir William Hamilton, and to secure the 
 publication of the able work on "Mental and 
 Moral Philosophy," written by his friend, 
 
 Professor Joseph Haven, D.D., of Amherst 
 and later of the Chicago Theological Semi- 
 nary. But the financial disturbance of 1858 
 caused a curtailment of the publishing busi- 
 ness, and his connection with it came to an 
 end. 
 
 To Mr. Stevens must be given the credit of 
 making and editing the first collection of 
 Macaulay's Essays that appeared in book form 
 on either side of the Atlantic. It came about 
 in this way: While he was a student at An- 
 dover the famous Essay on Milton was for the 
 first time brought under his notice. It im- 
 pressed him as no other writing had done, and 
 he began searching through the files of the 
 Edinburgh Review, in which the essay had ap- 
 peared, for others by the same author. His 
 search was guided by style alone, but it was 
 rewarded by a "find" of fourteen articles. 
 The list of these was transmitted to Macau- 
 lay and by him duly authenticated, and sub- 
 sequently the collection was published in two 
 volumes by Weeks, Jordan & Co., of Boston. 
 
 Mr. Stevens was himself a writer of merit. 
 His first book was the History of Anthony 
 Burns, the famous slave extradited in 1854. 
 This was published by the same firm that pub- 
 lished "Uncle Tom's Cabin"; and Charles 
 Sumner said, "It must take its place in the 
 permanent literature of the country." His 
 next book, which was entitled "New Biog- 
 raphies of Illustrious Men," was a collection 
 of brief but carefully written biographies, 
 with sketches of the writers in an extended in- 
 troduction by the editor. The chief attrac- 
 tion of the volume consisted of four new bio- 
 graphical essays from the pen of Macaulay. 
 Mr. Stevens also published a History of the 
 Worcester Churches and a number of note- 
 worthy pamphlets, among these last being one 
 containing a very thorough treatment of the 
 "Relations of Church and Parish." This 
 was first read before the Congregational Club 
 of Worcester, of which Mr. Stevens was a val- 
 ued member. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Stevens was appointed Assist- 
 ant Register of Probate and Insolvency for the 
 county of Worcester. This office he contin- 
 ued to hold for ten years. He was then 
 elected by the people Register of Probate and 
 
634 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Insolvency for a term of five years. By suc- 
 cessive re-elections he held the office for three 
 terms, so that in both capacities his connec- 
 tion with the probate office extended through 
 a quarter of a century. He introduced several 
 reforms in the office, invented the grooved 
 cast-iron shelf and the modern method of 
 filing papers, and was influential in the con- 
 struction and arrangement of the new court- 
 house. 
 
 Subsequent to 1883 Mr. Stevens was en- 
 gaged in the practice of his profession, having 
 an office in the Walker Building. He was a 
 devout worshipper at the Union Congrega- 
 tional church and for many years a member 
 of the New England Historic-Genealogical 
 Society in Boston. For a time he was edi- 
 torial writer for the Worcester Spy, and con- 
 tributed occasional articles to the Spy and to 
 the Boston Advertiser. He had fine taste in 
 all matters of art and literature, was a keen 
 critic, and a constant and wide reader of po- 
 litical, historical, biographical, religious, and 
 critical publications. His interest in cur- 
 rent events never flagged, and his influence in 
 every sphere of life in which he moved was 
 healthful and inspiring. 
 
 Mr. Stevens's death occurred on December 
 I3» 1893, after a brief illness. His wife sur- 
 vives him ; also their two children — Kate G. 
 Stevens and Dr. William C. Stevens. 
 
 |DWIN PIERCE, for a number of years 
 owner of one of the largest iron foun- 
 dries in Worcester County, was born 
 at Auburn in 1836, and died in Worcester, 
 June 15, 1893. His father, Calvin W. 
 Pierce, a native of Enfield, Conn., but a resi- 
 dent of Worcester, was a stone-mason, and 
 ranked high as a citizen and a builder. He 
 erected many of the public buildings of 
 Worcester, and also executed extensive con- 
 tracts in other cities and towns, his work 
 being noted for its excellence. 
 
 Edwin Pierce came to Worcester early in 
 life, and here attended the common schools 
 and the high school. In his youth he was 
 hindered by ill health from progressing as fast 
 as be desired, but, applying bimself steadily, 
 
 he won his way forward. He became book- 
 keeper for the New York Steam Engine Com- 
 pany of Worcester, and at the same time held 
 the position of cashier. He regained his 
 health, and became financial manager of Will- 
 iam A. Wheeler's iron foundry, one of the 
 best in the county. He proved himself a 
 valuable man for Mr. Wheeler, and was a fac- 
 tor in the business, though not at this time a 
 partner. Upon the death of Mr. Wheeler, 
 Mr. Pierce formed a copartnership with Mr. 
 Holman and M. P. Kilez, formerly foreman 
 for Mr. Wheeler, and the two carried on the 
 business under the name of the Wheeler 
 Foundry Company. Mr. Holman at length 
 sold his share in the concern to Mr. Pierce 
 and his foreman, and under this partnership 
 the business was continued until 1881. Mr. 
 Pierce then took the entire business, and suc- 
 cessfully carried it on alone until his death, 
 which occurred twelve years later. 
 
 Mr. Pierce was married in 1859 to Ellen 
 M. Morse, daughter of James S. Morse, of 
 Worcester. He is survived by his wife and 
 two children, namely: a son, Edgar, who now 
 conducts the foundry; and a daughter, Mabel. 
 Strictly upright and honorable, clear-headed 
 and capable, Mr. Pierce was a man of high 
 standing in the business world. Domestic in 
 his tastes and devoted to his home and family, 
 he was of a kindly disposition, and showed 
 his good will and sympathy by practical 
 benevolence to the needy. He was a member 
 of the Worcester County Mechanics' Associa- 
 tion for many years. He joined the Congre- 
 gational church early in life. 
 
 EREMIAH EVARTS GREENE, Post- 
 master of the city of Worcester, was 
 born in Boston on November 27, 1834, 
 son of the Rev. David and Mary 
 (Evarts) Greene. 
 
 His grandfather, Thomas Greene, was the 
 grandson of William and Hannah (Sloane) 
 Greene. He was born in Stoneham, and died 
 there in 1848. A mechanic and farmer by 
 occupation, he was well-to-do, and reared a 
 large family. Three of his elder brothers 
 
 fought in the war of the Revolution, and n^ar 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 63s 
 
 its close he himself enlisted in a Rhode Island 
 campaign. Two of the sons of Thomas — 
 Samuel and David — were graduates of Yale 
 and clergymen in the Orthodox church. Sam- 
 uel, who preached for a time in Boston, died 
 when a comparatively young man, leaving one 
 daughter. 
 
 The Rev. David Greene was born in Stone- 
 ham on November 15, 1797. He was married 
 in Boston about 1829 to Mary Evarts, of New 
 Haven, Conn., daughter of Jeremiah and Me- 
 hitable (Sherman) Evarts and sister of Will- 
 iam M. Evarts. Jeremiah Evarts, who was a 
 graduate of Yale, was for many years secretary 
 of the American Board of Foreign Missions. 
 With this organization the Rev. David Greene 
 also became early connected, first as assistant 
 secretary and later, after the death of Mr. 
 Evarts, as secretary, serving in that capacity 
 from 1832 to 1849. Previous to his connec- 
 tion with the board he had been instructor in 
 Amherst for a number of years. In 1849, 
 his health having become impaired, he retired 
 to his farm in Westboro. His death occurred 
 in 1867 at Westboro, from an accident which 
 befell him during the process of blasting 
 stone. His wife died in 1850, having been 
 the mother of seven sons and five daughters; 
 namely, David B., Mary E., Anna, Jeremiah 
 E., Samuel, Sarah E., Martha S., Roger S., 
 Jane H., Daniel C, William J., and Henry 
 H. David B. Greene, who was born in 1830, 
 was a Captain in the United States army dur- 
 ing the Civil War, and was killed in 1863 at 
 Arkansas Post. He left a widow. Mary, who 
 was secretary of the Women's Missionary So- 
 ciety, died in 1881, unmarried. Anna is the 
 wife of Louis H. Boutell, a Chicago lawyer 
 residing in Evanston, 111. Mr. Boutell en- 
 listed in the Union army on a nine months' 
 term, serving in the Boston "Tigers." He 
 was afterward Major of a Missouri regiment. 
 Samuel Greene is a Congregational clergyman 
 residing in Seattle, Wash. Sarah E. is the 
 wife of the Rev. Dr. S. W. Boardman, presi- 
 dent of Marysville College in Tennessee and 
 a graduate of Middlebury (Vt.) College. 
 Martha S. is the wife of J. Evarts Tracy, an 
 attorney of New York City, but a resident of 
 Plainfield, N.J. Roger S., who is a Seattle 
 
 lawyer, has been Chief Justice of the Supreme 
 Court of Washington Territory. Daniel C. 
 Greene was graduated at Dartmouth College, 
 and received the degree of Doctor of Divinity 
 from Rutgers College. He has been engaged 
 in mission work in Japan for the past twenty- 
 six years, and is now at Tokio. He is mar- 
 ried and has several children. Jane H. is the 
 wife of the Rev. Henry Loomis, who is agent 
 of the American Bible Society at Yokahama, 
 Japan. William J. is deceased. Henry H. 
 Greene, the youngest of this family, is in 
 business at Detroit, Mich. 
 
 Jeremiah Evarts Greene received a prepara- 
 tory training in the Roxbury Latin School, 
 and in 1849, ^t the age of fourteen, entered 
 the University of New York City, where he 
 remained for a year. He was graduated at 
 Yale in 1853, with the degree of Bachelor of 
 Arts. For a year he was assistant principal 
 in an Episcopal academy in Connecticut, and 
 following that he taught for two years in 
 Keosauqua, la. He then became assistant en- 
 gineer for the Des Moines Navigation and 
 Railroad Company. In 1857 he went to Kan- 
 sas City, and for two years he was employed 
 as a surveyor in the ^ity and on the plains. 
 Returning East in the spring of 1859, ^^ ^^' 
 sumed the study of law, in October of that 
 year was admitted to the bar in Worcester, 
 and the following spring he began the prac- 
 tice of his profession in North Brookfield. 
 
 In the spring of 1861, at the first call for 
 volunteers, Mr. Greene helped to raise Com- 
 pany F of the Fifteenth Infantry, Massachu- 
 setts Volunteers, and was eventually made 
 Captain in the regiment. In July he went 
 with his command to the front at Washington 
 and thence to the upper Potomac. At the 
 battle of Ball's Bluff he was taken prisoner, 
 and for the next four months was in prison at 
 Richmond. On February 22, 1862, he was 
 paroled, but, failing to get exchanged, en- 
 deavored to resign. He subsequently with- 
 drew his resignation, but later renewed it and 
 it was accepted, and in November, 1862, he 
 was discharged. He resumed his law practice 
 at North Brookfield. In the spring of 1868 
 he came to Worcester, and for the next twenty- 
 three years was editor of the S^j/, bringing 
 
636 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 that journal to the front of Worcester County 
 publications. In 1891 he was commissioned 
 Postmaster. The office of which he has charge 
 is in the first class, and its annual receipts are 
 the thirty-seventh among United States post- 
 offices in amount. The fine new post-office, 
 which is one of the best equipped in the coun- 
 try, though not among the largest, is one of 
 the finest buildings in the county. It was 
 erected at a cost of four hundred thousand dol- 
 lars, and was first occupied on February 26, 
 1897. The Assistant Postmaster is J. W. 
 Hunt. Mr. Greene is a Republican in poli- 
 tics. While in North Brookfield he was 
 chairman of the School Committee and Over- 
 seer of the Poor, and in Worcester has been a 
 member of the Parks Commission, and twice 
 president of the Directors of the Free Public 
 Library. 
 
 Mr. Greene was married on April 14, 1864, 
 to Mary A. Bassett, of New Haven, daughter 
 of John G. Bassett, a merchant of New York 
 City. She was a lady of many accomplish- 
 ments, but always in delicate health. She 
 died on January 14, 1897, at the age of sixty- 
 two. Mr. Greene resides at 98 Lincoln 
 Street, where he bought a lot soon after com- 
 ing to the city, and where he built his dwell- 
 ing some twenty-nine years ago. 
 
 |MORY LYMAN BATES, of Sturbridge, 
 President and Treasurer of the Snell 
 Manufacturing Company, was born 
 here, March 16, 1823, son of Lyman and Jerusha 
 (Fairbanks) Bates. The father, who was born 
 in Bellingham, Mass., in 1773, came in early 
 life to Sturbridge, and for a time was engaged 
 in the butcher business. He subsequently re- 
 moved to Brookfield, taking up his residence 
 on a farm in the cultivation of which he spent 
 the remainder of his active years. He was a 
 hard worker, and whatever he undertook was 
 carried through in an energetic manner. In 
 politics he was a Whig, in religion a Congre- 
 gational ist. His wife, Jerusha, was born in 
 Franklin, Mass., in 1776. Six children were 
 the fruit of their union; namely, Asa F. , 
 Juliette M., Caroline F., Emily H., Abigail 
 
 F., and Emory Lyman. Of these, Emory 
 Lyman is the only survivor. Caroline F. mar- 
 ried Marble Phetteplace, Emily H. married 
 Winsor Walker, and Abigail F. became the 
 wife of Adrian Hibbard. 
 
 Emory Lyman Bates attended school in 
 Sturbridge. At the age of fourteen he went to 
 Brookfield and clerked in a general store for 
 five' years. Returning to Fiskdale, town of 
 Sturbridge, he held a similar position in a 
 store here for three years. In 1845, with 
 Judson Smith as a partner, and under the firm 
 name of Smith & Bates, he took up the manu- 
 facture of shoes, and also conducted a general 
 store. They did a business valued at one hun- 
 dred thousand dollars yearly. Five years later 
 he went into partnership with J. D. Sessions, 
 under the firm name of Sessions, Bates & Co., 
 establishing a general merchandise business, 
 and also a manufactory of boots and shoes, 
 both of which were very successful, and ^ few 
 years later opening a branch store in Toronto, 
 Canada. In 1858 this firm was dissolved, and 
 Mr. Bates became a member of a new company 
 known as Bates, King & Co., formed for the 
 manufacture of russet brogans for the Southern 
 negroes. At the outbreak of the Civil War 
 the company had eighty-seven thousand dollars' 
 worth of bills due in the South, but owing to 
 the frequent raids of Confederate troops only 
 ten thousand dollars was realized on them. 
 From 1 86 1 to 1868 Mr. Bates kept a general 
 country store as a member of the firm of Bates 
 & Bacon. In 1862 in connection with Clark 
 & Wilson of New York he bought out Snell 
 Brothers, manufacturers of augers and bits. 
 Since then he has conducted the business under 
 the name of the Snell Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, greatly enlarging the capacity of the 
 plant and making many other improvements. 
 The largest of the old stone buildings, which 
 was consumed by fire in 1895, has been re- 
 placed by a commodious modem building, 
 thoroughly equipped with the latest improved 
 machinery. Mr. Bates was the first to intro- 
 duce American steel into the manufacture of 
 augers and bits. He has built up a large 
 trade, and now ships goods to many foreign 
 countries. Up to within a few years he gave 
 his personal supervision to the details of the 
 
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 EMORY L. BATES. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 639 
 
 business. Now he confines his attention to 
 the management of the financial affairs of the 
 company. About one hundred and twenty-five 
 hands are employed in the works, and two- 
 thirds of the number are skilled artisans. In 
 1858 Mr. Bates erected the present post-office 
 building in Fiskdale. 
 
 On December 4, 1845, Mr. Bates married 
 Maria W. Lombard, who was born in Brim- 
 field, Mass., February 22, 1820. They have 
 one child — ^ Arthur L. , born October 3, 1846, 
 who was married in September, 1885, to Caro- 
 line A. Allen, and now has a daughter, Agnes 
 M. Bates. Mr. Bates, Sr. , has been actively 
 interested in town affairs. He was Town 
 Clerk, Selectman, and Town Treasurer for 
 twenty-five years ; a Representative • to the 
 General Court in 1864 and 1883; a State 
 Senator in 187s ; a Notary Public and a Jus- 
 tice of the Peace for forty years ; and he has 
 been a Selectman, Assessor, and Overseer of 
 the Poor. Under the administration of Presi- 
 dent William Henry Harrison he was ap- 
 pointed Postmaster of Sturbridge, or Fiskdale, 
 and afterward served in that capacity for 
 twenty-five years. He is now a trustee of the 
 Hyde Library Fund. 
 
 business 
 County, 
 
 "ERBERT R. KINNEY, horticultu- 
 rist, residing in the Eighth Ward of 
 Worcester, one of the leading and 
 progressive men engaged in the 
 of market-gardening in Worcester 
 was born about a half-mile distant 
 from his present home on June 23, i860. He 
 is a son of the well-known market-gardener 
 F. J. Kinney, a sketch of whom appears on 
 another page of this issue of the Biographical 
 Review. He attended the district school 
 until his seventeenth year, and from that time 
 until he was about thirty-one years old he as- 
 sisted his father on the home farm. Being the 
 eldest son, considerable responsibility de- 
 volved upon him, and he became his father's 
 right-hand man. In this way he acquired a 
 practical knowledge of plant life, of soil and 
 cultivation, that has enabled him to carry out 
 new ideas of his own and make independent in- 
 vestigations in different lines connected with 
 
 horticulture. On October 6, 1891, he settled 
 in his present home, having built a residence 
 and a greenhouse on the ten acres of land he 
 had purchased. 
 
 While he raises vegetables and fruit in vari- 
 ety, his two leading crops are celery and 
 lettuce. The latter he grows the year round, 
 growing it in hot-beds and greenhouses during 
 the winter and in the open ground in summer. 
 In the spring he does some business in vege- 
 table plants. Of late he has given consider- 
 able attention to raising mushrooms, for which 
 he has well-equipped cellars and in which he 
 is so successful that handsome returns accrue. 
 Mr. Kinney, though in every way a practical 
 gardener, appreciates the value and impor- 
 tance of the application of science to horticult- 
 ure, and is quick to adopt improved methods 
 in any department of his business. New in- 
 ventions also receive careful investigation by 
 him, and if found to be adapted to his needs 
 are at once adopted and utilized. 
 
 Mr. Kinney has been a successful exhibitor 
 at many of the larger horticultural and agri- 
 cultural exhibitions in New England. He 
 has put up some collections of vegetables in 
 Boston and Worcester that attracted much at- 
 tention, and has usually secured fully his share 
 of prizes. Doubtless Mr. Kinney's success is 
 due in part to his inherited tastes and charac- 
 teristics. His father has been already spoken 
 of: his grandparents also were tillers of the 
 soil. His paternal great-grandmother, who 
 was of Scotch birth, and was a woman of re- 
 markable energy, was so determined to have 
 an orchard in the new home to which she was 
 removing on horseback with her infant child, 
 that she carried on the saddle with her all the 
 way from Connecticut to New Hampshire 
 some young apple-trees for planting. 
 
 Mr. Kinney was married on November 20, 
 1884, to Lillie Robbins, of Worcester, daugh- 
 ter of Welcome and Lucretia (Holmes) 
 Robbins, her parents being natives of Connec- 
 ticut. Mrs. Kinney has three sisters and one 
 brother, Oscar Robbins, of Springfield. She 
 is the mother of two children, namely: George 
 H., who was born at the old homestead on 
 May 28, 1886; and Alfred Russell, who wa§ 
 born on Marcb 30, 1889. 
 
640 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 'OHN M. DRAKE, a leading general 
 merchant of Warren, son of Clement B. 
 Drake, was born October 2, 1846, in 
 Holland, Hampden County. He is of 
 distinguished English ancestry, coming from 
 the same family, it is said, that produced Sir 
 Francis Drake, and being a descendant of the 
 British admiral, John M. Drake. 
 
 Clement B. Drake, born and bred in Massa- 
 chusetts, for some years in his earlier life was 
 engaged in cotton manufacturing in Holland, 
 Mass. Afterward he opened a store in that 
 village. On retiring from store-keeping he 
 purchased a saw-mill and a grist-mill, and was 
 thereafter engaged in the lumber and grain 
 business. Quite active in town affairs, he was 
 a Selectman for many terms. He married 
 Rinda M. Fuller, a daughter of Elbridge G. 
 Fuller. Mr. Fuller, who built a cotton fac- 
 tory in Holland, was there extensively engaged 
 in the manufacture of cotton goods for a num- 
 ber of years, and he represented the town in 
 the General Court of Massachusetts for one or 
 more terms. 
 
 John M. Drake was bred and educated in the 
 town of Holland. Before attaining his major- 
 ity he began earning his own living in the ca- 
 pacity of clerk in a dry-goods store of South- 
 bridge, Mass., which position he filled for 
 nearly two years. Returning then to Holland, 
 he worked on a farm for a short time. Not 
 feeling himself particularly adapted for a suc- 
 cessful farmer, he gave up agricultural work; 
 and, coming in 1 870 to Warren, he secured a 
 situation as clerk in the dry-goods house of 
 Rockwood & Co. In 1872, in company with 
 F. Brigham, he opened a grocery store at his 
 present location, opposite the railway station, 
 and thereafter carried on a substantial business 
 for two years as junior member of the firm 
 Brigham & Drake. Having then purchased 
 his partner's interest, he has since conducted 
 a prosperous trade in Warren and vicinity. 
 He occupies two floors of the building, the 
 larger of which is forty-two by fifty-three feet ; 
 and he now carries a complete assortment of 
 flour, groceries, crockery, hardware, wooden- 
 ware, paper hangings, and agricultural imple- 
 ments of all kinds. In each department he 
 keeps the latest and choicest novelties, includ- 
 
 ing both staple and fancy goods of a grade to 
 please all tastes and to suit all purses. He 
 employs six clerks, who give prompt and cheer- 
 ful attention to his numerous customers. 
 
 Mr. Drake is active in town affairs, and has 
 served acceptably as Selectman for one year. 
 At present he is a trustee of the Warren Sav- 
 ings Bank and a director of the Worcester 
 County Creamery Association. Fraternally, 
 he belongs to the Masons of Warren ; and he is 
 a charter member of the Warren Lodge of Odd 
 Fellows and of the Warren Grange. His wife 
 was formerly Miss Lucy J. Brigham, daughter 
 of the late Frederick Brigham, of Warren. 
 
 ^Y^VTNARCUS BURROUGHS, a leading 
 1 1 =y agriculturist of Warren and ex- 
 J Jjjs I Representative to General Court 
 ^~^ from this district, was born here, 
 December 30, 1 840. A son of Samuel R. and 
 Eliza S. (Converse) Burroughs, he is a grand- 
 son of David and a great-grandson of Deacon 
 David Burroughs. Deacon Burroughs, the 
 founder of the family in this place, and who 
 died in his ninety-second year, was a soldier of 
 the Revolution. A wooden drinking cup that 
 served him through the war is now in the pos- 
 session of Marcus Burroughs, also an old-fash- 
 ioned eight-day clock and -a sun-dial left by 
 him. Samuel R. Burroughs, born in Warren 
 and a lifelong resident of the town, died in 
 1874 in his sixty-ninth year. He was actively 
 interested in town affairs, and rendered impor- 
 tant services to the community in the capaci- 
 ties of Road Commissioner, Overseer of the 
 Poor, and Selectman. In politics he was a 
 Republican and in religious belief a Congre- 
 gational ist. 
 
 Marcus Burroughs attended the common 
 schools of Warren and subsequently Monson 
 Academy. With the exception of two years, 
 during which he was a member of the firm J. B. 
 Lombard & Co., dealers in general merchan- 
 dise in West Warren, he has spent his active 
 period engaged in agriculture. His farm con- 
 tains two hundred acres. Besides carrying on 
 general farming he is engaged in breeding and 
 raising a fine grade of Guernsey and Durham 
 cattle, and he sells a large quantity of cream 
 
"I 
 
 JOHN A. HALL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 643 
 
 annually. Interested also in the Warren Sav- 
 ings Bank, he is a trustee of that institution 
 and a member of its Investment Committee. 
 Since the formation of the Warren Board of 
 Trade he has been one of its most influential 
 members, and he was its vice-president for sev- 
 eral years. 
 
 Mr. Burroughs married Mary C. Lombard, 
 of Warren, a daughter of J. B. Lombard, his 
 former business partner, now deceased. Mrs. 
 Burroughs is the mother of two sons — Herbert 
 R. and Lester L. In politics Mr. Burroughs 
 is a Republican. For a number of years he 
 was Selectman of Warren, being the chairman 
 of the board for the greater part of the time. 
 He has also served on the School Committee. 
 He has been a member of the Board of Ceme- 
 tery Commissioners for many years, and he is 
 Cattle Inspector for the town. During the 
 session of 1886 he represented his district 
 in the Massachusetts General Court, where 
 he was a member of the Committee on Agri- 
 culture. 
 
 EXTER BULLARD, the superin- 
 tendent of Spencer's water -works, 
 was born in Oakham, Mass., March 
 9, 1 8 16. His parents, William and 
 Rebecca (Clark) Bullard, were natives respec- 
 tively of Oakham and Medway. His father 
 was a farmer by occupation and a lifelong 
 resident of Oakham, where the Bullard family 
 has been settled for several generations. His 
 paternal grandfather. Captain Silas Bullard, 
 who was an officer in the State militia, was a 
 grandson of Jonathan Bullard, the first member 
 of the family to become a resident of Oakham. 
 Dexter Bullard passed his life until the age 
 of seventeen years at the home of his parents, 
 attending the common schools or assisting his 
 father on the farm. Coming then to Spencer, 
 he obtained employment in a boot and shoe 
 manufactory here. Afterward until 1867 he 
 was similarly employed by other firms. Then 
 forming a partnership with a Mr. Boyden in 
 the firm of Bullard & Boyden, he started in the 
 business of manufacturing boots and shoes. 
 The business was afterward successively carried 
 pn by Bullard, Boyden & Temple and D. 
 
 Bullard & Co. until some time in the eighties, 
 when Mr. Bullard retired. His career as a 
 manufacturer was successful and honorable, and 
 he gained and kept the full confidence of the 
 people of his adopted town. In politics he is 
 a Republican. He was sent as Representative 
 to General Court in 1867, serving while there 
 as a member of the Committee on Accounts. 
 For some fifteen years he was a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen and for much of that time 
 the chairman. He was also Assessor for one 
 year. Since 1884, when the Board of Water 
 Commissioners was organized, he has been one 
 of its most valued and efficient members, and 
 he has been the superintendent of the water- 
 works for several years in succession. 
 
 Mr. Bullard first married Persis N. Bemis, 
 of Spencer, and by her became the father of 
 two children, of whom George S. is living. 
 By his second vvife, formerly Sophia N. Clapp, 
 of this town, there were three children- — Mary 
 P., George L., and Annie S. Mary P. is now 
 the wife of E. F. Sibley, of the firm Bacon & 
 Sibley, manufacturers of boots and shoes in 
 Spencer. Annie S. is the widow of Alfred 
 Johnson, late of Spencer. The mother died 
 some time ago. Mr. Bullard is a member of 
 the Universalist church. He believes in prac- 
 tical charity and in the doctrine of universal 
 brotherhood. Every worthy cause finds in him 
 a zealous and efficient promoter. 
 
 OHN A. HALL, treasurer of the 
 Southbridge Savings Bank, was born 
 in Southbridge, July 27, 1869, son of 
 John and Margaret (McVey) Hall. 
 His father, who was born in Aberdeen, Scot- 
 land, in 1837, emigrated to the United States, 
 settling in Southbridge, where he became as- 
 sistant superintendent of the print works at 
 Globe Village. His wife, Margaret, whom he 
 married in 1867, was born in this town, and is 
 a daughter of Robert and Lilly (Ross) McVey, 
 natives of Scotland. She is the mother of 
 nine children; namely, John A., Lilly R., 
 Frank R., Fred G., Clarence A., Alice, 
 Jessie, Ernest, and Irving, all of whom are 
 residents of Southbridge. 
 
 John A. Hall was educated in the public 
 
644 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 schools of Southbridge. At the age of seven- 
 teen he entered the Hamilton Print Works for 
 the purpose of learning the business, but after 
 remaining one year decided that some other 
 occupation would be more agreeable to him. 
 After being employed by the American Opti- 
 cal Company for a short time, he accepted a 
 position as book-keeper in the Southbridge 
 National Bank, where he remained for two 
 years. He then became assistant treasurer of 
 the Southbridge Savings Bank, and was 
 elected to his present position as treasurer in 
 1895. 
 
 In February, 1895, Mr. Hall was united in 
 marriage with Ethel ind Martin, of Jamaica 
 Plain, Mass., daughter of Albert W. and 
 Jennie M. (McKinstry) Martin, her mother 
 being a daughter of John O. and Betsey Mc- 
 Kinstry. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have two chil- 
 dren: Howard M., who was born December 15, 
 1895; and Eleanor, born September 11, 1897. 
 
 In politics a Republican, Mr. Hall served 
 as Town Auditor two years, and has been 
 Town Treasurer for the past three years. He 
 is a thirty-second degree Mason, belonging to 
 Quinnebaug Lodge, Doric Chapter, Hiram 
 Council, Worcester Commandery, . the Lodge 
 of Perfection, Worcester, and the Massachu- 
 setts Consistory, Boston. He is also a mem- 
 ber of several beneficiary organizations. He 
 is treasurer of the Young Men's Christian As- 
 sociation. 
 
 tOBERT BOOTH, M.D., the oldest 
 resident physician of Millbury, was 
 born in County Londonderry, Ire- 
 "^ land, on September 20, 1840, being 
 the youngest of the nine children of William 
 and Jane (Harris) Booth. 
 
 William Booth was a son of George Booth, 
 who was born in England, but went to Ireland 
 when a boy with his father, the latter being by 
 occupation a tanner. When the father died the 
 business fell into the hands of George, by whom 
 it was successfully carried on for many years. 
 George Booth married Jane Benderman, also 
 a native of England, by whom he had five sons 
 and one daughter. When his children were 
 grown to maturity, he gave up the tannery and 
 
 devoted his time to farming, having become 
 possessed of two large freeholds, one in County 
 Tyrone and the other in Londonderry. These 
 were afterward divided among the five sons 
 mentioned. Grandfather Booth was in the 
 habit of carrying a sword when he went abroad, 
 as was customary with the well-to-do in those 
 days, the weapon sometimes being needed as a 
 means of protection. The practice was not 
 without its dangers, as he is said to have fought 
 several duels, always, however, coming off vic- 
 tor. The Doctor well remembers seeing the 
 old sword, which is now in the possession of 
 one of the other grandchildren. 
 
 William Booth, the Doctor's father, the 
 youngest - member of the family, was married 
 when twenty-six years of age, and settled upon 
 the farm left him by his father. Late in life 
 he came to America. He died in Middleboro, 
 Mass., at the age of ninety-three. He was 
 active both in mind and body up to the time of 
 his death. His wife died one year later at the 
 age of eighty-eight. The Doctor has now 
 living an elder brother, who resides in Upper 
 Canada, and five sisters, all of whom are living 
 in the United States. 
 
 Robert Booth came to America when only 
 seventeen years of age, taking passage from 
 Liverpool to New York, and being seven weeks 
 and two days on the voyage. From New York 
 became direct to Millbury; but, having con- 
 tracted a cold on the passage, he was almost 
 immediately stricken down with illness, and 
 for the following six months was unable to do 
 work of any. kind. This long enforced idleness 
 exhausted. his slender funds; and, as soon as he 
 was able to be out again, he went to work in 
 the so-called Walling mill, where he continued 
 for a year. At the end of this time he had 
 saved enough money to defray his expenses to 
 Canada, where his brother resided. Having 
 received a fair education, including a knowl- 
 edge of the Latin and Greek languages, he was 
 enabled to secure a position as teacher. After 
 seven years of teaching and studying he was 
 graduated at the medical department of the 
 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1867, 
 and shortly after came to Blackstone, Mass., 
 where he settled for the practice of his profes- 
 sion. Eight years later he removed to Mill- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 64s 
 
 bury, which he has since made the field of his 
 pipfessional labors. 
 
 Dr. Booth was married January 9, 1894, to 
 Josie Little, who was born in New Hampshire, 
 her parents being John and Margaret (Richer) 
 Little, both natives of Canada. She is one of 
 a family of four brothers and seven sisters, all 
 of whom are living. Her parents removed from 
 New Hampshire to Millbury, and lived here 
 some twenty-five years. Both are now de- 
 ceased. 
 
 The Doctor is a liberal-minded man. Po- 
 litically, he believes in the general principles of 
 the Democratic party. While in Blackstone 
 he was elected to the School Board for three 
 years. Since taking up his residence here he 
 has been a member of the Board of Health for 
 three years and Selectman five years, being for 
 four years executive clerk of the board. 
 
 The building that he now occupies as office 
 and tenement, No. 70 Elm Street, was erected 
 by himself in 1875, and until the beginning of 
 1898 the lower story was rented for a drug 
 store. He has always been averse to secret 
 societies, and, with the exception of the Order 
 of Foresters of America, whose physician he 
 is, has never become identified with any. He 
 is also physician to the Society of Ancient 
 Order of Hibernians, with a fixed salary from 
 each. 
 
 C^; 
 
 iHARLES A. GODDARD, of Worces- 
 son of Daniel and Sarah (Whit- 
 ney) Goddard, was born in this city 
 on January 11, 1833. He is a lin- 
 eal descendant of William Goddard, who came 
 to America in 1665, and settled on a farm in 
 Watertown, Mass. , near the site of the present 
 church; and on the maternal side he is de- 
 scended from John Whitney, who came from 
 the vicinity of London, England, and settled 
 at Watertown in 1635. 
 
 William Goddard was the seventh son of 
 Edward Goddard, of Norfolk County, England. 
 After William' came in direct line Edward,^ 
 Edward, 3 and then Daniel,'* bom in 1734, who 
 lived in Shrewsbury. Luther, 5 son of Daniel,* 
 was the father of Daniel,^ who was born on 
 February 11, 1796, removed to Worcester in 
 
 1 81 7, and resided here until his death at the 
 age of eighty-eight. The first watches made 
 in this city were his handiwork. He had 
 learned his trade of his father, who made the 
 first watches produced in America. This sec- 
 ond Daniel Goddard, the father of Charles A., 
 built some time in the twenties the first brick 
 block and constructed the first brick sidewalk 
 in Worcester. He was also instrumental in 
 securing the introduction of gas into the city 
 of Worcester. He married in 1820 Sarah, 
 the daughter of Israel and Lucy (Mahan) Whit- 
 ney. Her paternal line of ancestry was: John 
 Whitney,' John,'' Benjamin, ^ Daniel,'' Captain 
 Joshua, 5 Israel.^ It is said that Daniel 
 Whitney, grandfather of Israel, fought in the 
 battle of Lexington in Colonel Thomas's regi- 
 ment at the age of seventy-five. Daniel and 
 Sarah (Whitney) Goddard had five children : 
 Caroline E., who married Amory Gale, and 
 settled in Minneapolis, Minn. ; Sarah M. , who 
 married Charles Ballard, of Worcester; Luther 
 D. ; Lucy, who married Richard Fisk; and 
 Charles A., the special subject of this sketch. 
 
 Mr. Goddard, having received his education 
 in the Worcester public schools, at Worcester 
 Academy, and at an academy in Middleboro, 
 Mass., learned the watchmaker's trade in his 
 father's store. Subsequently until about i860, 
 in company with Richard Fisk, the firm name 
 being Fisk & Goddard, he carried on the 
 business. At the opening of the Civil War 
 Mr. Goddard enlisted as a volunteer in the 
 Fifty-first Massachusetts Regiment. On Sep- 
 tember 25, 1862, he was made Corporal, and 
 during the remainder of his term of service he 
 was detailed in the quartermaster department. 
 Previous to this he had been special messenger 
 for the War Department in the transmission of 
 despatches in Maryland and Virginia. After 
 his return from the South Mr. Goddard was 
 in the office of the Provost Marshal in Worces- 
 ter, where he remained until the close of the 
 war. For the next ten years he was connected 
 with the J. D. Lovell Company in their seed 
 department, later for fourteen years he was 
 with the J. & J. A. Rice Company in the same 
 capacity, and for the last six years he has been 
 with Ross Brothers, florists and seedsmen. 
 
 Mr. Goddard married for his first wife Mar- 
 
646 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tha A. Freeman. His second wife, Emma, 
 born in Bolton Percy, Yorkshire, England, is 
 the daughter of J. H. and Elizabeth (Thorald) 
 Felton. She is the mother of two children : 
 Martha F., who was born in 1867; and S. 
 Elizabeth, who was born in 1870. The former 
 is a graduate of the Worcester High School 
 and of Wellesley College, and has studied for 
 one year at the University of Zurich in Swit- 
 zerland. She is teacher of biology in the 
 English High School, Worcester. S. Eliza- 
 beth graduated at the Worcester High School 
 and from Miss Lucy Wheelock's Kindergarten 
 Training Class, and is now teaching in the 
 Worcester schools. Mr. Goddard is a member 
 of Montacute Lodge of Masons and of Worces- 
 ter Royal Arch Chapter. He belongs also to 
 Post No. 10, G. A. R. 
 
 -fgTARRISON NEAL, one of the oldest 
 l-^J and most highly esteemed citizens of 
 lis I Southboro, was bom in North Ber- 
 
 ^~^ wick, York County, Me. , Septem- 
 ber 23, 1813. A son of Reuben and 
 Theodosia (Nowell) Neal, he comes of an old 
 English family. His great-grandfather, An- 
 drew Neal, and two brothers, all Quakers, who 
 escaped from an English man-of-war when it 
 was in Portsmouth Harbor over a century ago, 
 and swam ashore, were the founders of the 
 New England branch of the family. Andrew 
 settled in North Berwick, Me., and there 
 reared a large family. He was an enterprising 
 and prosperous man. 
 
 Reuben Neal spent his life on the home- 
 stead in North Berwick. A musician of re- 
 pute, he played for a number of military or- 
 ganizations, kept a singing-school, and taught 
 pupils to play the drum and fife. He had a 
 family of ten children, eight of whom are liv- 
 ing, namely : John, a farmer of North Berwick ; 
 Nirum, residing in Salem, Mass., a retired 
 farmer; Alfred, a farmer on the old homestead 
 in North Berwick; Reuben D., in Lynn, 
 Mass. ; Alta, in Wells, Me. ; Eliza, the wife 
 of John Robinson, a carriage manufacturer of 
 Amesbury, Mass. ; Lucinda, who is the widow 
 of Samuel Dyer, and resides with her son in 
 
 Seattle; and Harrison, the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Harrison Neal worked on the home farm in 
 boyhood, attending school for two months, in 
 the winter. When he was seventeen years of 
 age he left home and found work as a farm 
 hand in Hamilton, Mass. ; and he was later 
 engaged in shoemaking. Fifty -two years ago 
 he purchased a farm in Newton, which he 
 managed for fifteen years. He then sold his 
 Newton property, and, moving to Lynn, was 
 there engaged in manufacturing shoes for 
 twelve years. Very successful in business, 
 he acquired a competency and retired. About 
 twenty-five years ago he purchased his present 
 home in Southboro, adjoining the Deerfoot 
 Farm. Here he has since been engaged in 
 market gardening and until about four years 
 ago in dairying, keeping some twenty-five 
 cows. 
 
 Mr. Neal has been twice married. His 
 first wife was Miss Elizabeth Ann Lane, of 
 Newton, Mass., before marriage; and his sec- 
 ond Roxy Ann, daughter of William Flagg, of 
 Southboro. He has never taken an active part 
 in politics. Having read a great deal, he is 
 remarkably well-informed on topics of current 
 interest. Though eighty -five years of age, his 
 mind is still keen and his body vigorous. 
 
 I^EWELL WEDGE, a retired teacher 
 residing at Sutton Centre, is a native 
 
 V9 V of Leverett, Mass. He was born; 
 
 July 17, 1 82 1, son of Curtis and FT 
 Joanna (Howard) Wedge and one of a family 
 of four children. His great-grandfather 
 Wedge was a Baptist minister, but the men 
 and some of the women of the succeeding gen- 
 erations have been engaged for the most part 
 in educational work. Mr. Wedge's grand- 
 father and his father were teachers of repute. 
 Curtis Wedge taught in Milford and later in 
 Sutton, and was recognized as unusually 
 skilful as a disciplinarian. Newell Wedge 
 himself taught in Pennsylvania, New York, 
 and Massachusetts before he was twenty-one 
 years old. When only eighteen he had a 
 school in Morrisville, Pa., consisting of 
 ninety scholars, many of whom were older 
 
HARRISON NEAL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 649 
 
 than their teacher. His brother Alanson, 
 who was graduated at Brown University, be- 
 came a successful teacher in Western New 
 York, as was also his brother Tyler, who was 
 graduated at Amherst College. The sister, 
 Hannah, was educated at Franklin Academy 
 in Shelburne Falls, and subsequently devoted 
 her whole life until she was past fifty to the 
 profession of teaching, beginning work at the 
 age of sixteen in Shutesbury, Mass. 
 
 Mr. Wedge was educated in the public 
 schools of Leverett, Franklin Academy, Shel- 
 burne Falls, and at Amherst College, where 
 he was graduated in 1848. Among his class- 
 mates were William S. Clark (lately de- 
 ceased), at one time president of the Agri- 
 cultural College in Japan and afterward 
 president of the State Agricultural College at 
 Amherst, Mass. ; and Thomas Morong, who 
 was later professor of natural science at Co- 
 lumbia College. Mr. Wedge has taught the 
 high school at Grafton and the one at Whit- 
 insville, and has also taught for a number of 
 years in the town of Sutton. He has been a 
 member of the Sutton School Committee, and 
 has done much to improve the educational fa- 
 cilities offered by the town. He has now re- 
 tired from professional work, and is living 
 upon his attractive place at Sutton Centre, 
 bringing his intelligence to bear on the culti- 
 vation of the soil. He has met with very 
 good success, especially in raising fruits and 
 vegetables. 
 
 Mr. Wedge was married in 185 1 to Sarah 
 E. Armsby, of Sutton. She came of a studi- 
 ously inclined family, her grandfather having 
 been a graduate of Harvard University. Her 
 father, Joshua Armsby, was a very capable 
 business man. He was chosen by his fellow- 
 citizens to fill many local public offices, and 
 was also sent to the State legislature from the 
 town of Sutton. Two children born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Wedge, Franklin and Anna, died 
 in infancy, and two, Mary and Sarah Eliza- 
 beth, are living. Mary married for her first 
 husband Henry H. King. She is now the 
 wife of Walter A. Wheeler, formerly State 
 superintendent of the primary department of 
 the State School at Monson, but now super- 
 intendent of the outdoor department of the 
 
 Lyman School for Boys. By her first mar- 
 riage she has two sons, who are now attend- 
 ing the Rutland High School. A son by 
 her second marriage, Merrill H. Wheeler, 
 who was born in 1891, is attending the public 
 schools of Rutland. Another son, Merrick 
 Wedge Wheeler, died in November, 1889. 
 
 Sarah Elizabeth Wedge, who has been for 
 the past three years head teacher in the Sut- 
 ton High School, was graduated at Oread 
 Collegiate Institute, and gained her first ex- 
 perience as a teacher in the famous old stone 
 schoolhouse of Sutton. For nine years be- 
 fore taking charge of the high school she was 
 a teacher in the public schools of Worcester. 
 In 1892 she took a trip abroad, travelling over 
 England and the continent of Europe. 
 
 /l^c 
 
 EORGE H, NUTT, foreman at the 
 \ '*) I Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, 
 Worcester, was born in the vicinity 
 of Bath, England, August 7, 1844, son of 
 James and Eliza (Silcox) Nutt. The father 
 of James was William Nutt, who served in 
 the British navy fifteen years, was a non-com- 
 missioned officer under Nelson at the battle 
 of Trafalgar, and was awarded two medals for 
 bravery in action. The brave old pensioner 
 died about the year 1853. He is well remem- 
 bered by the subject of this sketch, who was 
 his favorite grandson. He reared four sons, 
 one of whom, named William, died of ship 
 fever while crossing the Atlantic, and was 
 buried at sea. Two others, James and Henry, 
 died in America. 
 
 James Nutt, the father of George H., was 
 born in 1809. He worked as a finisher in a 
 woollen-mill until coming to the United 
 States in 1847, when, in company with his 
 brother Henry, he engaged in operating a file 
 factory in Clareraont, N.H. In i86i, after 
 his brother's death, he removed to St. Johns- 
 bury, Vt., where he operated another file fac- 
 tory, and continued in business until his 
 death, which occurred in 1882. He had been 
 twice married. Mrs. Eliza Silcox Nutt, his 
 first wife, died about the year 1851. She was 
 the mother of six children, of whom two sons 
 and a daughter grew to maturity; and George 
 
6so 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 H., the subject of this sketch, is the only sur- 
 vivor. 
 
 GeoTge H. Nutt came to the United States 
 in 1850, in charge of his uncle William. 
 Left motherless at the age of seven years, he 
 was bound out to a farmer named Robinson, 
 with whom he went to Wisconsin, where he 
 remained until fourteen years old. Soon after 
 his return to New England he entered upon 
 an apprenticeship at the gunsmith's trade in 
 XDornish, N.H., and served seven years. 
 Coming to Worcester in 1865, he was em- 
 ployed as tool-maker and foreman by the 
 Ethan Allen Company and later by that com- 
 pany's successors. Forehand & Wadsworth, 
 until their suspension; and then, after doing 
 contract work for the American Arms Com- 
 pany, of Boston, one year, he in 1878 entered 
 the Crompton & Knowles Loom Works as a 
 tool-maker. He was later advanced to the 
 position of assistant foreman, and for the past 
 eight years has filled with ability the respon- 
 sible position of foreman. He is an unusually 
 skilful mechanic, noted for his ability to 
 produce with rapidity and accuracy from the 
 raw material any kind of a tool desired; and 
 it is a fitting tribute to his efficiency and 
 trustworthiness that he has been selected to 
 superintend the work of other mechanics. 
 
 On August 6, 1868, Mr. Nutt was joined in 
 marriage with Mary L. Harper, of this city. . 
 Her father, James C. Harper, was a native of 
 Scotland, and her mother, whose maiden 
 name was Julia G. Morse, was born in Maine. 
 Mr. Harper at one time was an operative in a 
 cotton factory, and ran a dresser. His death 
 was caused by disease contracted while in the 
 army, in which he served as a soldier in the 
 Mexican War. He was the father of six chil- 
 dren, five of whom grew to maturity, and three 
 are living, namely: Jessie M., wife of Charles 
 H. Fisher; Henry M. Harper, a resident of 
 Boston; and Mary L. , who is now Mrs. Nutt. 
 One child, a daughter, born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Nutt, died in infancy. Their living children 
 are: George Herbert, a graduate of the 
 Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and now pro- 
 fessor of manual training and draughting in 
 Newtown, Pa.; Arthur C, a graduate of the 
 Ohio State University; and Harry Garfield 
 
 Nutt, who is attending school. George Her- 
 bert Nutt is married, and has one daughter. 
 
 In politics Mr. Nutt is a Republican. He 
 is an advanced Mason, Scottish Rite; is a 
 member of Worcester County Commandery, 
 Knights Templar; and of Aleppo Temple of 
 the Mystic Shrine, Boston. He resides at 51 
 May Street, Worcester. 
 
 ILAS AUGUSTUS BURGESS, a 
 retired lawyer of Worcester, was 
 born in Goshen, Mass., June 3, 
 1826, son of Silas and Luey (Stone) 
 Burgess. His first American ancestor was 
 Thomas Burgess, who was born in England, 
 and was a son of Thomas Burgess, Sr. 
 Thomas Burgess, the emigrant, was among the 
 twelve original settlers of Sandwich, Mass., 
 in 1638 or 1639, ^iid he became a citizen of 
 wealth and influence, holding some of the 
 important town offices. 
 
 The line of descent is through his son 
 Ebenezer, first, a native of Sandwich, who 
 married Mary Lombard, of Dartmouth, Mass. ; 
 their son Ebenezer, second, who died in Sand- 
 wich, December 11, 1768; Benjamin, first, 
 who died in 1748; Benjamin, second, and 
 Benjamin, third, both of whom were phy- 
 sicians; and Silas, the father above named. 
 Benjamin Burgess, third, the grandfather, 
 was born about the year 1737. He resided 
 on the island of Martha's Vineyard for a 
 number of years, or until 1781, when he 
 moved to Goshen, where he died in 1807. 
 Some years prior to his removal he married 
 Susan Manter, who bore him one son and 
 six daughters, one of the latter of whom was 
 the mother of former United States Senator 
 Henry L. Dawes, of Massachusetts. 
 
 Silas Burgess, son of Benjamin, third, was 
 born at Martha's Vineyard, October 20, 1776. 
 On December 18, 1803, he married Lucy 
 Stone, who was born in Shrewsbury, Mass., 
 January 31, 1783, daughter of Joseph Stone. 
 This couple spent the greater part of their 
 married life upon a farm in Goshen. Silas 
 Burgess died October 10, 1830, and his wife 
 died September 17, 1854. She was the 
 mother of nine children, one of whom died in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 651 
 
 infancy, and eight lived to maturity. Of 
 these the only ones now living are: Lucy Lu- 
 cretia; and Silas A., the subject of this 
 sketch, who is the youngest. Lucy Lucretia, 
 who was born October 11, 1822, is now Mrs. 
 Grandgent, a widow residing in Cambridge, 
 Mass., the mother of one son, Charles H. 
 Grandgent, a linguist of repute and a member 
 of the faculty of Harvard University. The 
 others were : Maria, who was born January 8, 
 1806, married Josiah Barber, September 2, 
 1852, and died March 17, 1893; Benjamin, 
 born July 5, 1808, who was for a number of 
 years a wig manufacturer in New York City, 
 but later carried on business in Boston for 
 forty years, and died at his residence, corner 
 of Tremont and Worcester Streets, April 20, 
 1883; the Rev. Frederick William Burgess, 
 a graduate of Amherst College, who was born 
 January 25, 181 1, was installed pastor of a 
 church in Detroit, Mich., and died at the age 
 of twenty-seven years in Albany, while on his 
 way home; the Rev. Joseph Stone Burgess, 
 born August 15, 18 13, who was a Free Will 
 Baptist minister occupying pulpits in Maine, 
 Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Connecti- 
 cut, and died in Waterbury, February 28, 
 1888; George M., born August 18, 18 16, 
 who practised medicine in New Hampshire 
 and Massachusetts, and died March 5, 1859; 
 and Sarah B., born July 12, 1819, who mar- 
 ried Nathan F. Orcutt, of Cummington, 
 Mass., and died November 30, 1876. 
 
 Silas Augustus Burgess acquired his edu- 
 cation in the public schools and in the acad- 
 emies at Cummington, Charlemont, and Wil- 
 braham. After pursuing his law studies with 
 B. O. Tyler, of Winchendon, he was admitted 
 to the bar in 1852, and for the succeeding 
 year he was associated with his preceptor. 
 He practised in Westminster, Mass., a short 
 time, and, settling at Blackstone in 1854, 
 was engaged in legal business there for 
 twenty-three years. In 1876 he removed to 
 Worcester, but continued to retain his office 
 in Blackstone for some time afterward. Since 
 coming to this city he has resided on Salis- 
 bury Street. 
 
 On August 14, 1855, Mr. Burgess con- 
 tracted his first marriage with Evelina E. H. 
 
 Jones, of Winchendon. She bore him five 
 children, one of whom, a son, died in infancy. 
 The living are: Arabella E., born February 2, 
 1859, who married George W. Gushing, a 
 printer, of Norwood, Mass., and has one son; 
 Ellery Carl Pitt Burgess, a salesman in this 
 city, born October 9, 1861, who is married 
 and has two children — Lina, aged six, and 
 Carl, aged four years; Lucy Lillian, born 
 December 30, 1863, who married J. William 
 Bennett, and has one daughter, Florence E. 
 Bennett; and Daniel Messenger Burgess, born 
 April 13, 1870, a machinist in Worcester, un- 
 married. Mr. Burgess's first wife died Sep- 
 tember 7, 188 1 ; and he married for his second 
 wife Mrs. Martha Washington Chamberlain, 
 daughter of Artemas Barnes and widow of 
 George A. Chamberlain, formerly a well- 
 known public official of this city. She in- 
 herited the Chamberlain farm on Salisbury 
 Street, which was occupied by her former hus- 
 band's parents and grandparents, it having 
 been cleared from the wilderness one hundred 
 and fifty years ago. It is now carried on by 
 J. William Bennett, above named. The pres- 
 ent residence is about one hundred years old, 
 and one house on the farm was built in 1717. 
 Mrs. Burgess had by her previous marriage one 
 daughter, Carrie M. Chamberlain, who died 
 at the age of twenty-one years. 
 
 While residing in Blackstone Mr. Burgess 
 served with ability as Selectman, Assessor, 
 School Committee, and Trial Justice. In 
 politics he was originally a Whig, but has 
 been a Republican since the formation of the 
 party. He is a Master Mason. In his relig- 
 ious belief he is a Congregationalist, and be- 
 longs to the Central Church. 
 
 (sTr- LEXANDER S. PATON, a promi- 
 P\ nent citizen of Leominster, head of 
 yj|j,\ the Baton Manufacturing Company, 
 ^""^ manufacturers of combs, jewelry, 
 and buttons, was born in 1854 in Scotland, 
 in which country his mother is still living. 
 Mr. Paton received his education in his na- 
 tive land. Coming to America at the age 
 of sixteen, he found work in a horn shop, 
 where he was employed for several years. In 
 
652 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1879 he started in business for himself, be- 
 ginning in a small way; and the first year Kis 
 business amounted to three thousand dollars. 
 So successful has the enterprise since proved 
 that a frequent increase in the number of 
 workmen and increased mechanical facilities 
 have been needed; and the business now 
 amounts to one hundred and fifty thousand 
 dollars annually, and gives employment to 
 one hundred and twenty-five or more hands, 
 with a yearly pay-roll of fifty thousand dollars. 
 Mr. Paton moved to his present location in 
 1886. The little factory on the spot that had 
 been standing there for fifty years was burned 
 shortly after he took possession of it, and he 
 was obliged to erect a new building. In 1895 
 this also was burned, but within six weeks was 
 replaced by the present commodious structure. 
 
 A progressive and broad-minded citizen, 
 Mr. Paton takes an active part in questions of 
 public interest. He served three years on the 
 Board of Selectmen, being its chairman for 
 the last term, was president of the Town Im- 
 provement Society during its existence, and is 
 vice-president of the Board of Trade. Well 
 versed in parliamentary law and usages, he 
 has served as Moderator at various town meet- 
 ings with credit to himself and benefit to the 
 town. He has been one of the stanch sup- 
 porters of the Republican party in Leominster 
 for over twenty years, and has held various 
 oflHcial positions within its gift. In 1895 he 
 ran as an independent candidate for Repre- 
 sentative to the legislature, but was defeated 
 by the small majority of thirty votes through 
 the opposition of the American Protective As- 
 sociation. 
 
 In 1897 he was nominated by the Republi- 
 can caucus and elected as Representative to 
 the legislature, where he served on the impor- 
 tant Committee of Ways and Means. He was 
 recognized as one of the leading, pushing, and 
 energetic business men of the House, taking 
 an active part in legislation. This year, 
 1898, he was nominated unanimously by his 
 party, and elected by a large majority; and his 
 friends confidently expect that he will make 
 a good record in the legislature of 1899. 
 
 Mr. Paton was first president of the Leom- 
 inster & Clinton Street Railway Company. 
 
 He is at present largely interested in other 
 electric roads, being a director in the Green- 
 field & Turner's Falls road, in the Gardner 
 road, in the Leominster & Clinton, in the 
 Pawtucket Valley Road in Westerly, R.I., and 
 in the Georgetown & Haverhill road. He is 
 also president of the new Worcester & Clin- 
 ton Street Railway. He is an active member 
 of various fraternal societies, belonging to 
 Wilder Lodge, F. & A. M.; and to Aleppo 
 Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; Leom- 
 inster Lodge, No. 86, Independent Order 
 of Odd Fellows; Daughters of Rebecca, 
 I. O. O. F. ; Wachusett Tribe, No. 41, Im- 
 perial Order of Red Men; Columbian Lodge, 
 No. 100, Knights of Pythias; and Granite 
 Lodge, No. 197, Knights of Honor. He is 
 also a member of the Leominster Club and of 
 the Gutezeit Club. He has passed all the 
 chairs in the Odd Fellows and in the Red 
 Men's organizations, and has been Deputy 
 Grand Master in the Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows for a number of years. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Paton was united in marriage 
 with Clara M. Somers, of Leominster, daugh- 
 ter of the late W. D. Somers. One son and 
 four daughters have been born of their union; 
 namely, Phoebe S., Somers S., Agnes F., 
 Pauline, and Clara M. Mrs. Paton's mother 
 resides in Leomingter. 
 
 May 
 
 "irX R. WILLIAM NEWTON, formerly 
 1^^^ a skilful dentist and for many 
 ^^J^^y years a highly esteemed resident of 
 Oxford, was born in Paxton, Mass., 
 1820. A son of Windsor and Polly 
 (Dickerman) Newton, he was a descendant in 
 the seventh generation of Richard Newton, 
 who was residing in Sudbury, Mass., in 1640, 
 and according to the records was made a free- 
 man in 1645. His son, Daniel, was one of 
 the original proprietors of Southboro, Mass. 
 Isaac Newton, son of Daniel, was the father 
 of Hezekiah Newton, the great-grandfather of 
 the late Dr. Newton. Hezekiah Newton re- 
 sided in Paxton, and there enlisted in the 
 Continental army for service in the Revolu- 
 tionary War. The grandfather, Silas New- 
 ton, was a well-to-do farmer of Paxton. 
 
Vi 
 
 WILLIAM NEWTON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6SS 
 
 Windsor Newton, son of Silas and also a na- 
 tive of Paxton, was deacon for many years of 
 the Baptist Church in Holden, which he at- 
 tended, though a resident of the town of Pax- 
 ton. He married Polly, daughter of Dr. 
 Lemuel Dickerman, of Brattleboro, Vt. 
 
 Left an orphan at the tender age of three 
 years, William Newton was reared by an aunt 
 in Petersham, Mass. After passing through 
 the common schools he attended the Worces- 
 ter Academy and the Literary Institute in 
 Suffield, Conn. Then he became a student 
 in the office of Dr. Miller, a well-known 
 dentist of Worcester in his day. When 
 deemed competent by his preceptor to en- 
 gage in practice, he was admitted to partner- 
 ship under the firm name of Miller & New- 
 ton. Three years afterward this firm was 
 dissolved, and he subsequently practised in 
 Worcester alone until 1855. In that year on 
 account of failing health he came to Oxford 
 with the intention of remaining for two years. 
 The village and its people were so attractive 
 to him, however, that he decided to settle here 
 permanently; and from that time until his 
 death he was closely identified with the town 
 and its institutions. 
 
 Dr. Newton married Eliza Livermore 
 Smith, a daughter of Horace and Nancy (De- 
 Witt) Smith. Mr. Smith, born June 13, 
 1792, was a prominent merchant and manu- 
 facturer in Leicester, Mass. He died at the 
 age of thirty-four years, on August 4, 1826. 
 Mrs. Smith, born March 29, 1800, who died 
 September 17, 1830, was a daughter of Ben- 
 jamin DeWitt and a sister of Colonel Alex- 
 ander DeWitt, formerly a leading manufact- 
 urer of Worcester County. Mrs. Newton's 
 maternal grandmother was Olivia Campbell, 
 a grand-daughter of the Rev. John Campbell, 
 who came from Scotland and, was the first set- 
 tled minister in Oxford after its occupancy by 
 the English, beginning his pastoral labors 
 here in 1721. Benjamin DeWitt served in 
 the American army during the war for inde- 
 pendence, and his company guarded the gal- 
 lows upon which Major Andre was executed. 
 His immigrant ancestor was John DeWitt, 
 who settled in that part of Salem which is 
 now Lynn in 1650. John's son, John, who 
 
 was born in 1679, was Benjamin DeWitt's 
 grandfather. Mrs. Newton became the mother 
 of two children, namely: Mary E., born July 
 I, 1857, who is unmarried and resides at 
 home; and William H. Newton, born in 
 1862, who is now a successful dentist of 
 Worcester. William married Ida Pease, a 
 daughter of Deacon Edward Pease, of Oxford, 
 and his children are: Helen Joslin, born in 
 1894; and Eliza Theda, born in 1896. Dr. 
 William Newton died September 24, 1889. 
 He was a Deacon of the Baptist church at 
 North Oxford, served as superintendent of the 
 Sunday-school, was a member of the Chris- 
 tian Commission during the Rebellion, and he 
 sometimes officiated as a preacher. Much 
 interested in educational matters, he served 
 upon the School Board from 1862 to 1864. 
 Mrs. Newton is still living. 
 
 EORGE BLISS, a former Repre- 
 S I sentative of the Fifth Worcester 
 District in the General Court and 
 a leading merchant of the town of Warren, 
 was born here, November 20, 1844. -^ son of 
 Samuel H. and Lucy (Hitchcock) Bliss, he 
 is a great-grandson of Isaac Bliss, who took 
 up land before the Revolution, and estab- 
 lished the homestead now occupied by one of 
 his descendants. Isaac's son Isaac, grand- 
 father of the subject of this sketch, born in 
 Warren, was a lifelong resident here. Both 
 father and son held the office of Deacon for 
 many years in the Congregational church. 
 
 Samuel H. Bliss, who was also born in 
 Warren, died here in 1882. He inherited the 
 homestead, and was a lifelong farmer. Like 
 his father and grandfather, he was a devoted 
 member of the Congregational church. His 
 wife, Lucy, who was born in Brimfield, bore 
 him seven children, of whom Ruth C. and Al- 
 bert N. are deceased. The latter died in the 
 army during the Civil War. Those living are : 
 the Rev. Daniel J. Bliss, who resides in Exe- 
 ter, Conn.; Randolph, a resident of Auburn, 
 N.Y.; Amos, who resides in Warren on the 
 old homestead; Charles H., of Nashua, N.H. ; 
 and George Bliss, the subject of this biog- 
 raphy. Five sons of this family fought for the 
 
6s6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Union's cause in the Civil War, a showing of 
 which any father might be proud. 
 
 George Bliss attended the common schools, 
 spending one term as a pupil of the Warren 
 High School. Then he remained at home for 
 a while, working on the farm. In November, 
 1863, he enlisted in Company I of the Thirty- 
 fourth Regiment, and shortly after was placed 
 under command of General Franz Sigel for 
 the campaign in West Virginia, At the 
 battle of Newmarket, on May 15, 1864, he 
 was wounded in the right foot so seriously 
 that he was sent to the hospital. About the 
 middle of the following Jiily, however, he 
 was again detailed for service, and was on 
 duty at Arlington Heights until September 15 
 of the same year. At that time he rejoined 
 his regiment, and was subsequently with 
 Sheridan at Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and 
 Stickney's Farm. Again becoming disabled, 
 he was obliged to seek treatment, and went 
 into the hospital at Philadelphia, where he 
 remained until February, 1865. From that 
 time until his discharge, on July 20, 1865, he 
 was on duty at the national capital. Return- 
 ing to Warren at the close of the war, he 
 spent a short time here, and then went to the 
 Pennsylvania oil region. Later he engaged 
 in the manufacture of cheese, which he con- 
 tinued for five years. He also spent a year 
 in Belchertown and four years in Warren. 
 At the end of that time he and J. B. Gould, 
 since deceased, started a provision store in 
 Warren village, under the name of Gould, 
 Bliss & Co. Later he was in West Warren, 
 in company with E. W. Butterworth, firm of 
 Bliss & Butterworth. This partnership was 
 dissolved after a short time. Since then, a 
 period of twenty-one years, he has been sole 
 proprietor. He has been a member of the 
 local board of trade for some time. 
 
 By his marriage with Esther J. Smith, of 
 New Salem, Mass., a daughter of the late 
 Royal Smith, Mr. Bliss became the father of 
 two children — E. Carrol and Esther K. For 
 a number of years he was special police officer; 
 Overseer of the Poor for eleven years, serving 
 as clerk of the board for much of that period; 
 and in 1889 he was a Representative in the 
 General Court. He has also been one of the . 
 
 fire engineers of the town. Clara Barton Post, 
 No. 65, G. A. R., ranks him among the 
 most valued of its members, and for three 
 years he had the honor of' being an aide on the 
 staff of the Commander-in-chief of the na- 
 tional organization. He is a member of the 
 Congregational church, which he served two 
 years in the capacities of Deacon and chairman 
 of its Executive Committee. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Royal Arcanum, and for a number 
 of years was its treasurer. In politics a Re- 
 publican, he has been a member of the Repub- 
 lican Town Committee for twenty years. His 
 war record is one upon which any man may 
 look back with a justifiable pride. He has 
 the full confidence of the men who know hira 
 best, and is highly respected in the town. 
 
 ~£lDWARD MUNSON ROCKWELL, 
 pi manufacturer of woollen yarns at Leom- 
 "^^ ■ ' inster, Mass., was born in Win- 
 sted, Conn., in 1845. Son of Henry Ensign 
 and Emerette (Munson) Rockwell, he is of 
 the ninth generation in descent from Will- 
 iam Rockwell, who came over from England 
 as one of the early colonists, the line contin- 
 uing through Samuel,^ Joseph, ^ Joseph, "t Jo- 
 seph,s Elijah,* Elijah ' to Henry Ensign.* 
 
 Sir Ralph de Rocheville, one of the Nor- 
 man knights who crossed the channel with the 
 Empress Maud, was the founder of the Rock- 
 well family in England. From King Henry 
 II. he received a grant of three knight's fees of 
 land in the county of York ; and the estate, it 
 is said, has remained in the family down to 
 the present time. The seat of the family in 
 England is Rockwell Hall, Borough bridge. 
 
 The first of the family in America was 
 William Rockwell, who, although a young 
 man, was one of the first Deacons of Dorches- 
 ter Church, a Selectman, and signer of the first 
 land grants. He was one of the twenty-four 
 freemen who took the oath of fidelity on May 
 20, 1630. A few years later he removed to 
 Windsor, Conn. (See "Genealogies and Bi- 
 ographies of Ancient Windsor," by Henry R. 
 Stiles; also "The Rockwell Family in Amer- 
 ica," by Henry Ensign Rockwell.) 
 
 Henry Ensign Rockwell, father of Edward 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 657 
 
 Munson, was a son of Elijah and Sophia (En- 
 sign) Rockwell and on the maternal side a 
 descendant of Governor William Bradford 
 through his grand-daughter, Alice Bradford. 
 Mr. Henry E. Rockwell was for many years a 
 high-school teacher at Millbury. During the 
 ten years prior to his death in 1871 he was 
 one of the secretaries of the Smithsonian In- 
 stitution. For a time he represented Mill- 
 bury in the State legislature. He was twice 
 married, and had six children by his first wife 
 and three by the second. Mrs. Emerette 
 Rockwell, the first wife, was a native of Win- 
 sted, Conn. She was the mother of the fol- 
 lowing-named children: Horace T., Henry, 
 Julius, Julia, Charles B., and Edward M. 
 Henry Rockwell, who rose to the rank of 
 First Lieutenant, served throughout the late 
 war, and died soon after its close. Horace 
 is at the head of a large printing and stereo- 
 typing firm in Boston; Julius and Julia are 
 connected with the Smithsonian Institution; 
 and Charles B. is treasurer of the Cranston 
 Worsted Company at Bristol, R.I. 
 
 After receiving a practical education in the 
 schools at Jamaica Plain, Uxbridge, and Mill- 
 bury, Edward M. Rockwell entered business 
 life as a book-keeper for N. A. Lombard & 
 Co., of Worcester. He was subsequently em- 
 ployed at the Cleveland Machine Works in 
 Worcester, and at Mr. Cleveland's death he 
 took charge of them. In 1872 he associated 
 himself with James Phillips, and they began 
 the manufacture of worsted suitings under the 
 name of Rockwell & Phillips. After the dis- 
 solution of this partnership in 1876, Mr. 
 Rockwell purchased some mills in Leomin- 
 ster, and for a number of years engaged in the 
 manufacture of cloth. In 1887 he began to 
 manufacture woollen yarns, and he has con- 
 tinued the business up to the present time. 
 He has fifteen sets of machinery, his mill 
 being one of the largest in the country in his 
 particular line. Besides his Leominster plant 
 he has started a mill in Holliston, Mass., 
 which is furnished with six sets of machinery. 
 Of this his son, E. H. Rockwell, has charge. 
 It has been a source of considerable pride to 
 Mr. Rockwell that during all the hard times 
 of the last few years the reputation of the 
 
 yarn turned out in his mill has kept the mill 
 running in full force with the exception of a 
 part of the year 1893, when in common with 
 others it was stopped. 
 
 Mr. Rockwell is a veteran of the Grand 
 Army and member of Charles H. Stevens 
 Post, No. 53, having served his country in 
 different capacities eight months in 1864 and 
 1865. For five months of that time he was in 
 the engineering department at Fortress Mon- 
 roe. He has served six years on the School 
 Board of Leominster, and was chairman of 
 that body for five years. He has never cared 
 to accept public office, although he is active 
 in local politics, and was for many years 
 chairman of the Republican Town Committee. 
 He is a member of the Orthodox church. 
 
 Mr. Rockwell was married in 1867 to 
 Martha J. Smith. Of the six children born 
 of this union two sons and two daughters are 
 living; namely, E. H. Rockwell, Alice, Al- 
 fred C, and Ruth M. Alice is a graduate of 
 Leominster High School. The eldest son, 
 E. H., is a graduate of the Worcester School 
 of Technology, and the youngest is in his sec- 
 ond year at that institution. Mr. Rockwell 
 is a member of Wilder Lodge, Free and Ac- 
 cepted Masons, of Leominster; also of the 
 United Workmen and of the Royal Arcanum. 
 
 OSIAH MARK BUZZELL, late a 
 prominent contractor and builder of 
 Worcester, was born in Tunbridge 
 Vt., February 24, 1833, son of Josiah 
 Smith and Dorothy (Cowdrey) Buzzell. He 
 traced his ancestry back on the paternal side 
 to John Buzzell, of Madbury, N. H., who was 
 his great-great-great-grandfather. His great- 
 grandfather was Ichabod Buzzell, who served 
 seven years in the French and Indian War, 
 and who married Sarah Pitman. John 
 Roberts, son of Ichabod and Sarah Pitman 
 Buzzell, was born at Gilmanton, N.H., in 
 1744, and died at Tunbridge, July 18, 1842. 
 He married Rachel Smith, of Alton, N.H. 
 Their son, Josiah Smith Buzzell, was born in 
 Gilmanton, N.H., June 10, 1798, and died in 
 Brattleboro, Vt., February i, 1875. He was 
 a carpenter by trade. His wife, Dorothy 
 
6s8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Cowdrey, was a native of Tunbridge, Vt., 
 born in 1801. Mrs. Dorothy Buzzell died in 
 Worcester, Mass., October 12, 1872. 
 
 Josiah Mark Buzzell in his boyhood at- 
 tended the schools of his native town. While 
 still a youth he began to learn the carpenter's 
 trade with his father. He soon displayed a 
 strong natural taste for this occupation, and 
 at the age of eighteen superintended the con- 
 struction of several large buildings, for which 
 his father had contracted. Three years later, 
 having served his time, he went to Manches- 
 ter, N. H., where he remained some time, 
 working at his trade. Subsequently he 
 worked for a while in St. Alban.?, Vt. In 
 1864 he moved to Brattleboro, Vt. , where for 
 the succeeding eleven years he carried on a 
 successful contracting business, erecting many 
 important buildings there as well as in other 
 parts of New England. In 1875 he came to 
 Worcester to take charge of the erection of 
 the State Insane Asylum, and from that time 
 until his death he made this city his home. 
 During his career as a contractor, which cov- 
 ered a period of nearly forty years, he erected, 
 besides several buildings of note in New 
 Hampshire and Vermont, the Channing Me- 
 morial Church at Newport, R.I.; two build- 
 ings at the Agricultural College at Kingston, 
 R.I. ; Clark's Block on Main Street; and the 
 Memorial Hospital on Belmont Street in this 
 city. In the erection of the State Insane 
 Asylum at Bloomingdale, Mass., he had en- 
 tire charge as inspector, with the full confi- 
 dence of the State Board. In the same man- 
 ner he had entire charge of the erection of 
 the Young Men's Christian Association 
 Building at Brooklyn, N. Y. For several 
 years late in life he was engaged in con- 
 structing buildings in the Middle and New 
 England States for the Standard Oil Com- 
 pany. He was engaged in the erection of a 
 residence in Providence for his son-in-law, 
 Frederick E. Shaw, at the time of his death, 
 which occurred suddenly in that city. May 
 29, 1894, as he was entering the freight office 
 of the Worcester Road. Mr. Buzzell's splen- 
 did reputation was due to the thorough man- 
 ner in which all his contracts were executed 
 and his strict adherence to upright methods. 
 
 On January i, 1862, Mr. Buzzell was 
 joined in marriage with Emily E. Bangs, of 
 Stanbridge, P.Q. Of this union there are 
 three children, namely: Emma, wife of Fred- 
 erick E. Shaw, of Providence, R.I. ; Annie, 
 who married O. H. Kroh, and resides in 
 Brooklyn, N.Y. ; and Josiah William, a grad- 
 uate of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 
 J. William Buzzell was engaged in the con- 
 tracting business with his father, and is now 
 located at Dorchester, Mass. Mr. Buzzell 
 was exceedingly fond of his children and 
 grandchildren, and loved to provide for their 
 amusement and instruction. It may be well 
 said that his happiest moments were those 
 spent with his family. 
 
 ^fl^ATHAN W. HOLDEN, whose death 
 I =# occurred at Falmouth Heights, Sep- 
 IJg l^^ tember 5, 1892, was for more than 
 thirty years one of the leading gro- 
 cers of Worcester, and a conspicuous factor in 
 developing its mercantile interests. He was 
 born October 11, 1837, in Hubbardston, 
 Mass., the home of his ancestors for several 
 generations and the birthplace of his parents, 
 Nathan and Mary (Stone) Hoi den. 
 
 Mr. Holden was reared on a farm and edu- 
 cated in the public schools. In 1856 he left 
 the paternal homestead, and coming to Worces- 
 ter secured employment as a clerk in the gro- 
 cery store of Scott & Ellis on Front Street. 
 Proving himself eminently capable and trust- 
 worthy, he was gradually promoted, and in the 
 different positions he was called to occupy ac- 
 quired a thorough knowledge of the details of 
 the business. Prudent and economical, he 
 yearly saved a part of his earnings, and when, 
 in 1 861, on account of the death of one of his 
 employers the grocery was offered for sale, he 
 had accumulated nearly enough money to pay 
 cash for it. He purchased it, and, taking 
 into partnership his brother, continued the 
 business under the firm name of Holden 
 Brothers at the old stand. Under the new 
 administration a fresh impetus was given to 
 the trade, which rapidly expanded. New lines 
 of goods were introduced, including hay, 
 grain, and flour. In 1870 the firm removed to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 6S9 
 
 larger quarters on the same street, nearly 
 opposite Bartlett Place, and in a short time 
 Mr. Holden bought out his brother's interest. 
 Possessing good business ability, he became 
 exceedingly prosperous in his operations, 
 building up such a large trade that eleven 
 clerks were needed to attend to the filling of 
 orders; and in 1890 he removed to a larger and 
 more modern store, at the corner of Park and 
 Salem Streets. 
 
 Mr. Holden was a man of high standing in 
 the business and social community. He was 
 a lover of animals, more especially of the 
 horse, which he never abused or overworked, 
 employing in his business twice as many as 
 might have sufficed, being particular that none 
 of them should work more than half a day at 
 a time. He was broad-minded and generous, 
 always giving freely to benevolent objects and, 
 though not a member of any religious organi- 
 zation, contributing toward the support of the 
 church. The Rev. W. T. Worth, who con- 
 ducted the services at his funeral, which was 
 largely attended, spoke of him as a true sym- 
 pathizer and active helper in the work of the 
 parish, as a man of character, as one who 
 sought in all relations to build up a structure 
 of honorable manhood, one not inclined to 
 think too highly of himself, but, on the con- 
 trary, self-depreciative, and a man of prayer. 
 
 On January i, i860, Mr. Holden married 
 Mary J. Gilbert, daughter of Darius Gilbert, 
 of Phillipston, Mass. Mrs. Holden and her 
 only child, named Mary Elizabeth, reside in 
 Worcester. A young woman of unusual apti- 
 tude for affairs, Miss Holden during the last 
 year of her father's life successfully managed 
 his business. 
 
 '-p^^OSES ALLEN WHEELER, su- 
 1 1 =* perintendent of the Dean & Whit- 
 J Jjis I ing Elevator Company at Worces- 
 ^"^ ter, Mass., is the representative 
 of an old New England family, being a de- 
 scendant in the ninth generation of George 
 Wheeler,' whose name appears in the first 
 year's records of the town of Concord, Mass., 
 in 1638. 
 It is probable that this reroQt^ s-pg^stor was 
 
 a member of the first party of settlers in Con- 
 cord in 1635, though from what part of Eng- 
 land he came is uncertain. He appears to 
 have been a person of consequence and presum- 
 ably of education and sound judgment, as he 
 was often intrusted with important matters, and 
 served on many committees for the transaction 
 of public business. He was Selectman in 
 1660. He died between the years 1685 and 
 1687. His wife, Katherine, died in Concord, 
 January 2, 1684-5. They had eight chil- 
 dren — Thomas, Elizabeth, William, Ruth, 
 Hannah, Sarah, John, Mary. * 
 
 Thomas,^ the next in line of descent, was 
 probably born in England. He married Oc- 
 tober 10, 1657, Hannah Harrod (or Harwood, 
 as the name is now spelled), and died in De- 
 cember, 1686. His children were: Hannah, 
 Thomas, and John. 
 
 Thomas, 3 called in the records of Concord 
 Ensign, was born in that town, January i, 
 1659-60. He married November 13, 1695, 
 Sarah Davis, daughter of Lieutenant Simon 
 and Mary (Blood) Davis. She was born 
 March 11, 1665-6, and died August 5, 1728. 
 He died October 2, 1734. Their children 
 were : Thomas, Sarah, Dorcas, Hannah, and 
 Mary. 
 
 Thomas, ■• called in the town records Lieu- 
 tenant and later in life receiving the title of 
 Deacon, was born in Concord, August 14, 
 i6g6. He married first Mary Brooks, daugh- 
 ter of Daniel and Ann (Meriam) Brooks. She 
 was born in Concord, March 2, 1699-1700, 
 and died in Worcester, May 18, 1740. His 
 second wife, Susannah, died in Worcester, 
 September 23, 1760, aged fifty-eight years. 
 This Thomas Wheeler was first Town Clerk of 
 Acton (in 1735-36). He was also Selectman 
 in that town and later in Worcester, to which 
 place he moved about 1739 or 1740. He died 
 in Hardwick, Mass., January 31, 1769. His 
 children were: Thomas, Mary, Daniel, Charles, 
 Amos, Nathan, Sarah, and Thomas (second), 
 the first Thomas having died in boyhood. 
 
 Thomas, 5 who was born in Acton, March 22, 
 1738-9, and died July 10, 1804, was a farmer, 
 and settled in Hardwick. His wife, Sarah 
 Warner, daughter of Jonathan Warner, of 
 Har^wigkj Maps,, was born November i^ i^z, 
 
66o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and died in 1837. Their children were: 
 Charles, Thomas, Moses, Daniel, and Sally. 
 
 Thomas* was born in Hardwick, March 3, 
 1767. Remarried first, June 3, 1790, Anna, 
 daughter of Lieutenant Job Dexter. She died 
 March 20, 1804. He married second, Febru- 
 ary 14, 1805, Mary, daughter of Timothy 
 Paige. She died September 18, 1828. He 
 married twice afterward. He was an ingen- 
 ious blacksmith and iron founder. He was 
 long in military service, and rose to the rank 
 of Colonel. He resided in Hardwick until 
 about 1 81 8, then removed to Ticonderoga, 
 N.Y. He returned about 1830, and died in 
 Worcester, April 26, 185 1. He was buried 
 in the family lot in the old cemetery at Hard- 
 wick, Mass. , where subsequently a monument 
 was erected to his memory by his son, William 
 Augustus. His children were: Charles, Sally, 
 William Augustus, Ann Dexter, Thomas 
 Alonzo, Charlotte Sophia, Mary Emeline, Re- 
 becca Ann, Eliza Jane, Juliet Elvira, and five 
 others who died in infancy. 
 
 William Augustus Wheeler ' was born in 
 Hardwick, Mass., March 31, 1798. He mar- 
 ried January 13, 1825, Almira Warner 
 Allen, daughter of Moses Allen, of Hardwick. 
 She was born February 20, 1803, and died 
 February 28, 1867. He died FebrTiary 16, 
 1873. He learned the trade of blacksmith, 
 and was one of the oldest iron founders in the 
 State, having begun in 181 2 at "Old Furnace 
 Village," Hardwick, named for a furnace es- 
 tablished many years previously by his father. 
 From Hardwick he went to Brookfield and 
 thence in 1823 to Worcester, where he es- 
 tablished an iron foundry business at the cor- 
 ner of Thomas and Union Streets. In 1825 
 he became associated with some of the leading 
 men in Worcester in a foundry at Brookfield, 
 where all kinds of castings were made, the 
 doors of the court-house in Worcester beinar 
 
 o 
 
 of his manufacture. He is credited with 
 using the first steam-engine employed in the 
 State west of Boston. In 1830 he returned to 
 Worcester and established himself as an iron 
 founder on the old ground, where he conducted 
 a large and successful business for over forty 
 years. In 1840 a machine shop was added to 
 the establishment. Castings were made for 
 
 the iron workers and tool-makers in the city, 
 besides a great variety of other work. He de- 
 signed the first boring machine in Worcester, 
 and in 1838 got out patterns for cooking stoves 
 and box stoves for heating, and manufactured 
 them. In 1842 he invented a furnace for 
 heating buildings with wood or coal. In 
 1838 he added to his business the manufacture 
 of brass castings. In 1852 his son Charles 
 became associated with him in business, the 
 partnership continuing until the latter's death 
 in 1867. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler filled many official positions 
 from Worcester's earliest history as a city. 
 He was always interested in its public welfare 
 and growth, and his opinion and services were 
 required in many schemes for the development 
 of the fast-growing city. He was one of the 
 Worcester Aqueduct Company in 1845. In 
 1848, urged thereto by influential citizens, 
 he became the contractor for building the 
 Worcester & Nashua Railroad, an enterprise 
 which his indomitable energy and skill enabled 
 him to carry through successfully in spite of 
 many discouragements and financial perils. 
 
 He was one of the original founders of the 
 Worcester Mechanics' Association in 1841, 
 and was elected its first president in 1842. 
 He was influential in the erection of Mechanics' 
 Hall in 1857, being one of the building com- 
 mittee, and, when through financial embarrass- 
 ments the building was in danger of passing 
 out of the hands of the mechanics, his energy 
 and enthusiasm helped in a great measure to 
 save it to the association. He joined the 
 Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' Associa- 
 tion in 1838, and was also a member of the old 
 Worcester Fire Society. He was a member of 
 the old Second Church (Unitarian) of Worces- 
 ter. In politics he was first a Whig and then 
 a Republican. In both church and party he was 
 an active, zealous, and disinterested workei". 
 His children may be briefly named as follows: 
 Charles Augustus, born January 27, 1826; 
 William Fiske, born June 24, 1830; Anna 
 Maria, born September 12, 1832, married No- 
 vember 13, 1856, William Read, resides at 
 Cambridge, Mass. ; Josephine, born November 
 12, 1834, died December 15, 1834; Moses 
 Allen, born August 19, 1838; Eliga Jane, 
 
t 
 
 RICHARD T. BUCK. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 663 
 
 born December 19, 1841, died December 11, 
 1871 ; Sarah Frances, born April 10, 1844, 
 married June 8, 1871, Frederick W. Jenkins, 
 resides at Barre, Mass. ; Thomas and Franklin, 
 twins, born July 19, 1847, died July 31, 1847. 
 
 Moses Allen Wheeler,* the third son, was 
 educated in the public schools of Worcester 
 and at Groton, Mass. He was in the office of 
 his father's foundry in Worcester for a number 
 of years, or until his failing health induced 
 him to lead an outdoor life. He engaged in 
 farming on an estate in the outskirts of 
 Worcester. Here his death occurred Novem- 
 ber 28, 1884. In politics he was a Re- 
 publican. He was a regular attendant at the 
 Unitarian church in Worcester under Dr. 
 Alonzo Hill's pastorate. He married January 
 18, 1865, Helen Marion Erwin, who was born 
 August 9, 1840, a daughter of James David 
 and Harriet (Barnard) Erwin. She still re- 
 sides in Worcester. Her children are : Moses 
 Allen, born March 18, 1866; Harriet Erwin, 
 born July 1 8, 1 867 ; Fanny, born August 26, 
 1869; Helen Eliza, born June 27, 1872; and 
 Marion Barnard, born February 4, 1877. 
 
 Moses Allen Wheeler,? son of Moses A. and 
 Helen M. Wheeler, received his elementary 
 education in the Worcester public schools. 
 He subsequently took a business college 
 course, and then entered Worcester Polytech- 
 nic Institute with the intention of graduating 
 therefrom; but his father's failing health 
 obliged him to change his plans and return 
 home to carry on the farm, which he did for 
 seven years. After his father's death he ob- 
 tained employment with the Dean & Whiting 
 Elevator Company, and applied himself to 
 learn the business thoroughly. Having a nat- 
 ural taste for mechanics, he made such progress 
 that he was advanced from one position to 
 another until he became superintendent of the 
 entire works, which position he now holds. 
 He formerly had charge of the outside work, 
 superintending the building of elevators in 
 various places, which caused him to travel 
 considerably, but he now remains at the fac- 
 tory. He is an expert in his particular line of 
 business, and doubtless much of his mechani- 
 cal ability and inventive genius is inherited 
 from bis grandfather, William A, Wheeler. 
 
 Still a young man, his future is bright with 
 possibilities, and in the opinion of those who 
 know him he is sure to preserve untarnished 
 the good name that has come down to him 
 through so many generations of worthy New 
 England ancestors. 
 
 tICHARD T. BUCK, for many years 
 a successful manufacturer of edge- 
 tools in Millbury, Mass., where he 
 died in 1893, was born in Sheffield, 
 England, October i, 1831, son of Joseph and 
 Elizabeth (Taylor) Buck. 
 
 Joseph Buck, Sr. , grandfather of Richard 
 T. , was born in Sheffield in 1746, and died in 
 1824, seventy-eight years df age. His life 
 was spent in Sheffield, where for thirty years 
 he was manager of an edge-tool factory, being 
 a very skilful mechanic and capable of. direct- 
 ing the labors of those under him. He was 
 the father of two sons and one daughter that 
 grew to adult life. Joseph Buck, Jr., was 
 born in Sheffield in 1801, and died there on 
 September 16, 1865, sixty-four years of age. 
 After his sons came to America he visited 
 them in Worcester, making a stay of two 
 years. Elizabeth Taylor, to whom he was 
 married on April 5, 1825, was born in Don- 
 caster, England, in 1804. She was the daugh- 
 ter of a carpet manufacturer. They were the 
 parents of four children. Three of their sons 
 emigrated to America: John in 1848, Charles 
 in 1849, snd Richard. T. in 1851. John and 
 Charles, who had served an apprenticeship 
 under their father, worked at their trade of 
 edge-tool makers in Rochester, N. Y. , for a 
 time. 
 
 Richard T. Buck, special subject of this 
 sketch, received his schooling and learned his 
 trade in Sheffield. After he came to America, 
 in company with his brothers John and 
 Charles, who were then working in Rochester, 
 N.Y., he went to Worcester, Mass., in 1853, 
 and on a small scale established an edge tool 
 factory at South Worcester. Their business 
 survived the financial panic of 1857, and in 
 the summer of 1864 they came to Millbury, 
 buying the mill privilege of A. March. The 
 firm W3§ dissolved in 1873, and Richard Tr 
 
664 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Buck continued the business. About that 
 time he 'erected the model factory in which 
 the business is still carried on. The main 
 building is a handsome and substantial brick 
 structure, and the tenement houses surround- 
 ing it form an attractive little village. Con- 
 tent only with a high standard of excellence, 
 Mr. Buck established an enviable reputation 
 for his tools, and they have found a good sale 
 in the principal markets of the country. 
 
 Buck Brothers Riverlin works represent one 
 of the earliest examples of a branch of Shef- 
 field trade (edge-tools) successfully trans- 
 planted to this country and still in successful 
 operation. 
 
 On November lo, 1857, Mr. Buck married 
 Elizabeth Edge, one of his own country- 
 women, she having been born in Manchester, 
 England, daughter of Joseph and Agnes (War- 
 burton) Edge. Mr. Edge died in 1833, 
 shortly before the birth of his daughter. He 
 was a merchant tailor, and had for his cus- 
 tomers many of the officers of the English 
 army. His widow, who was left with two 
 sons and one daughter, died in 1847. Eliza- 
 beth Edge came to America less than a year 
 before her marriage. She made the acquaint- 
 ance of Mr. Buck in Worcester, where he was 
 then engaged in business, as noted above. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Buck lost two children in in- 
 fancy, a son Willie at the age of five years and 
 six months and a daughter Mary Ann at the 
 age of nineteen. The two living are: Annie 
 M., wife of Edward M. Wood, of Worces- 
 ter, and Sarah E. , wife of W. L. Proctor. 
 Mr. Buck made his wife the sole executrix and 
 the residuary of his will. His bequests were 
 two thousand to the Second Congregational 
 church of Millbury, an equal sura to the 
 American Congregational Home Missionary 
 Society, ten thousand to each of his two 
 daughters. Mrs. Buck is a typical English 
 woman, highly esteemed and beloved by a 
 large circle in Millbury. She resides in the 
 home to which she came with her husband 
 twenty-eight years ago. 
 
 Mr. Buck gratified his literary taste by ac- 
 cumulating a large and select library and also 
 travelled abroad extensively upon several Eu- 
 ropean trips. 
 
 Mr. Buck was a Republican, and took a 
 deep interest in politics, but on account of the 
 demands of his business had no time for public 
 office. He was a director in the Millbury 
 Bank. He was an active member of the Con- 
 gregational church and a liberal contributor 
 toward its support. 
 
 /^C 
 
 EORGE N. AND HENRY W. HAR- 
 VjST WOOD, retired lumber manufact- 
 ^— ^ urers of Barre, sons of George and 
 Lucinda (Stetson) Harwood, represent a large 
 and highly reputable family. Their immi- 
 grant ancestor was probably Henry HarWood, 
 who came from England with Winthrop. 
 Daniel Harwood, their great-grandfather, who 
 was born in 1736, moved with his family from 
 Sutton, Mass., to East Barre, about the year 
 1800, and settled upon partially cleared land, 
 which was a portion of a tract of thirteen 
 hundred acres purchased by William Caldwell, 
 the first settler in this part of the town. It is 
 thought that he erected the first frame house in 
 this section of Barre. He afterward resided 
 here until his death, which occurred February 
 28, 1823. By his marriage with Lydia Gould, 
 who, born in Sutton, August 27, 1742, died 
 October 8, 18 14, he became the father of Wil- 
 cut, the grandfather of Messrs. Harwood. 
 
 Wilcut Harwood, born in Sutton, was a lad 
 of twelve when he accompanied his parents to 
 Barre. Having succeeded to the homestead 
 after his father's death, he became one of the 
 stirring farmers of his day. Taking an active 
 interest in public affairs, he was Selectman for 
 eight years and Moderator for one terra. In 
 politics at first a Whig, he went with the ma- 
 jority of that party into the Republican party 
 at its formation. In religious belief he was a 
 Universalist. At his death on January IJ, 
 1 866, he was eighty-two years old. He mar- 
 ried Sally Sibley, also of Sutton, who died 
 September 27, 1859, aged sixty-nine years. 
 They were the parents of seven children, three 
 of whom are living; namely, George, Wilcut, 
 and Daniel G. The others were: Hiram, 
 Samuel, Calista, and Caleb. George Har- 
 wood, born at the homestead in Barre, October 
 24, 1809, was reared to farm life. About the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 66s 
 
 year 1838 he bought land adjoining the home- 
 stead, that was also a part of the Caldwell 
 purchase. This he afterward cultivated suc- 
 cessfully for fifty years. After the death of his 
 wife he sold it to his sons, and, moving to the 
 village, has since resided with his son, Henry 
 W. Harwood. He was quite prosperous dur- 
 ing his active period. With farming he also 
 carried on a lumber business. One of the in- 
 corporators of the Barre Savings. Bank, he has 
 served it continuously in an ofificial capacity 
 since its establishment, and he is now a direc- 
 tor of the institution. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican, and he has been a Selectman of the 
 town. At the age of twenty-six he married 
 Lucinda Stetson, who was born in Winchester, 
 N.H., February 11, 1813. She died October 
 27, 1886, leaving two sons: George Nelson, 
 born July 15, 1842; and Henry W., born Feb- 
 ruary 17, 1845. 
 
 In 1867 the Harwood Brothers first engaged 
 in the lumber business. They afterward 
 carried it on successfully for thirty years, hav- 
 ing mills in the eastern part of the town, and 
 manufacturing all kinds of lumber for building 
 purposes. In 1897 they retired, with a repu- 
 tation for integrity of which they have every 
 reason to be proud. George Nelson Harwood 
 resides in the village. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican. Excepting an interval of two years 
 he was a member of the Board of Selectmen 
 from 1874 to 1 89 1, being the chairman for a 
 part of the time; and he was Overseer of the 
 Poor for twelve years and an Assessor for five 
 years. He has been a trustee of the Worces- 
 ter County West Agricultural Society for fif- 
 teen years, and he is also a trustee of the 
 savings-bank. For years he has dealt largely 
 in cattle, frequently buying stock on commis- 
 sion in the Brighton market. On March 27, 
 1872, he married Olivia M. Wheelock, of 
 Barre. He has one daughter, Ethel I., born 
 October 27, 1882. 
 
 Henry W. Harwood has acquired a wide 
 reputation as a taxidermist, which is now his 
 principal occupation ; and he possesses a unique 
 and interesting collection. While supporting 
 the Republican party, he has always declined 
 public office. On April 15, 1874, he married 
 Hattie S. Austin, who was born in Hubbards- 
 
 ton, Mass., February 20, 1847, daughter of 
 Charles Austin. Mrs. Hattie Harwood is the 
 mother of one son, Charles A., born March 23, 
 1875, who is now book-keeper for J. J. Warren 
 & Co., Worcester. Both George N. and Henry 
 W. Harwood attend the Unitarian church. 
 
 tRTHUR W. PARMELEE, a manu- 
 facturer of wire nails, screws, etc., in 
 Worcester, and a naval veteran of 
 ^-^ the Civil War, was born in Utica, 
 N.Y., September 11, 1842, son of Horace and 
 Marietta M. (Jones) Parmelee. The father, a 
 native of Claremont, N. H. , born in 1807, 
 when a young man was engaged in the hard- 
 ware business, both as a dealer and manufact- 
 urer. From a small beginning he expanded 
 his business into large proportions, and erected 
 one of the best buildings in Claremont. Sell- 
 ing out subsequently, he went to Buffalo, 
 N.Y. , which was at that time coming into 
 notice as a promising mercantile and manu- 
 facturing centre. Here he established him- 
 self in the hardware trade, and he had become 
 one of the substantial business men of the city 
 when he died in 1889, leaving an honorable rec- 
 ord and a good estate. His wife, Marietta, was 
 born in Claremont, daughter of Roys Jones, a 
 prominent man of that town in his day. She 
 became the mother of seven children, namely : 
 Henry, who died at the age of eleven years; 
 Arthur W., the subject of this sketch; Mari- 
 etta, now the widow of the late J. Brown 
 Greenan and the mother of one son; Julia 
 F., now the wife of Charles B. Hill, of Buf- 
 falo ; Horace J. , who was in the insurance busi- 
 ness in New York, and died in 1893, leaving 
 a widow and three children; Edward F. , who 
 is a merchant in Boston; and Alice Parmelee, 
 who resides with her raother in Buffalo. 
 
 Arthur W. Parmelee completed his educa- 
 tion at the Kimball Union Academy in Meri- 
 den, N. H., where his father was also educated. 
 He had been in the employment of the elder 
 Parmelee for some time when in 1862 he 
 enlisted in the United States navy, and served 
 through the remainder of the Civil War in the 
 North Atlantic blockading squadron. He saw 
 considerable active service under Lieutenant 
 
666 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 William B. Gushing, one of the bravest and 
 most dashing naval officers of the day, and was 
 promoted for his part in one of Cushing's ex- 
 ploits. He was made commodore's secretary 
 under Admiral Lee, and, although he was 
 exposed to the dangers of both battle and ship- 
 wreck, he escaped without injury. After re- 
 turning to Buffalo upon his discharge, he was 
 connected with the Buffalo Cutlery Company 
 until 1868. Then he moved to New York 
 City, and there carried on a manufacturing 
 business successfully for fifteen years. Com- 
 ing to Worcester in 1883, he has since been 
 engaged with others in producing the same line 
 of goods, including wire nails, screws, etc., 
 and is now the president and treasurer of the 
 corporation. The concern is transacting a 
 profitable business, and is represented in 
 different parts of the country by a capable 
 force of travelling salesmen. 
 
 On October 5, 1868, Mr. Parmelee married 
 Delia S. Kinney, a daughter of Henry M. 
 Kinney, of Buffalo. He has four children: 
 Bessie Pratt, now the wife of C. W. Coffin, of 
 Boston; and Minnie, Marie, and Arthur N., 
 who reside at home. In politics he acts with 
 the Republican party, but takes no active part 
 in public affairs. His religious belief is the 
 Congregationalist, and he belongs to the Pied- 
 mont Church. The family reside at 4 King 
 Street. 
 
 kEV. SILVANUS HAY WARD, 
 A.M., pastor of the Evangelical Free 
 [}s \ Church in Southbridge, was born 
 in Gilsum, N.H., December 3, 
 1828, son of Amherst and Sarah (Fish) Hay- 
 ward. On the father's side he is descended 
 from early settlers of Norfolk County, Massa- 
 chusetts. His great-grandfather, Peter Hay- 
 ward, was a Revolutionary soldier. The 
 grandfather, Silvanus Hayward, who was born 
 in Westmoreland, now Surry, N.H., May 16, 
 1757, marched with a company of New Hamp- 
 shire recruits to Ticonderoga in 1777. After 
 completing a three years' course at Dartmouth 
 College, he was engaged in teaching school 
 for a number of years, and later became a sur- 
 veyor and cultivated a farm. He was three 
 
 times married. The maiden name of the 
 Rev. Silvanus Hayward's paternal grand- 
 mother was Olive Metcalf. The Fish family 
 were also from Massachusetts; and Mr. Hay- 
 ward's maternal great-grandfather, the Rev. 
 Elisha Fish (first), a graduate of Harvard, 
 class of 1750, resided in Upton, this Statp. 
 The grandfather, the Rev. Elisha Fish (sec- 
 ond), also a graduate of Harvard, class of 
 1779, who was the first settled minister in 
 Gilsum, married Abigail Snell, a sister of 
 Sarah Snell Bryant, who was the mother 
 of William Cullen Bryant, the poet, and a 
 lineal descendant of John and Priscilla Alden. 
 
 Mr. Hayward's father was born in Surry, 
 November 18, 1788. He was a prosperous 
 farmer during his active years, and took a 
 prominent part in the public affairs of his 
 town, serving as chairman of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen. He was a Deacon in the Congrega- 
 tional church for more than twenty years, and 
 led the choir for nearly fifty years. In poli- 
 tics he was successively a Whig and a Re- 
 publican. He died January 16, 1867. By 
 his three wives he was the father of sixteen 
 children. Of that number Sarah Fish Hay- 
 ward, who was born January 20, 1801, was 
 the mother of seven. Of the latter, two are 
 living, namely: Sarah J., who married George 
 Learoyd; and the Rev. Silvanus Hayward, 
 the subject of this sketch. The mother died 
 August 16, 1883. 
 
 Silvanus Hayward's early education, was 
 conducted wholly at home by an aunt. He 
 was assisted in preparing for cpllege by 
 the Rev. James Tisdale, of Gilsum, and was 
 graduated from Dartmouth with the class of 
 1853, having taught school in order to defray 
 his college expenses. Afterward he taught 
 the academy in Francestown, N.H., for three 
 years; the academy in Mclndoe's Falls, 
 Vt., for two years; in Pembroke, N.H., for 
 one year; at Kimball Union Academy, Meri- 
 den, where he became an assistant in 1859, 
 for one year; and at the Appleton Academy 
 in New Ipswich, N.H., assisting Professor 
 E. T. Quimby. While engaged in the last- 
 named institution he was approbated as a 
 preacher by the Hollis Association of Congre- 
 gational Ministers, and supplied the pul- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 669 
 
 pit of the Second Congregational Church in 
 New Ipswich until the two societies were 
 united. 
 
 October 9, 1861, he was ordained to 
 the ministry and installed pastor of the 
 Congregational church in Dunbarton, N.H. 
 Five years later he accepted a call to South 
 Berwick, Me., beginning his duties there in 
 May of that year. He labored in that place 
 until 1873, when on account of impaired 
 health he relinquished his pastorate. For 
 the succeeding two years he taught mathe- 
 matics at the Fisk University in Nashville, 
 Tenn. Upon his return North, in 1875, he 
 was called to the Congregational church in his 
 native town, where he remained for four 
 years. After a year's residence in Keene, 
 N. H., he came to Southbridge, January i, 
 1881, and was installed pastor of the Evangel- 
 ical Free Church, where he still remains after 
 eighteen years' service. Mr. Hayward has 
 served upon the Examining Committees of 
 Dartmouth College, Bangor (Me.) Theological 
 Seminary and Hartford (Conn.) Theological 
 Seminary, and is a member of the Pastoral 
 Union. He was a delegate from Maine Con- 
 ference to the National Congregational Coun- 
 cil in 1872. His literary ability, which is of 
 a high order, has been exercised on various 
 subjects. His writings include the follow- 
 ing: a sermon entitled "Liberty, of God"; 
 histories of Gilsum and Rochester, N.H. 
 (the latter a revision) ; a poetical memorial 
 address entitled "Freedom," delivered be- 
 fore Malcolm Ammidown Post, No. 168, 
 G. A. R., at Town Hall, Southbridge, May 
 30, 1892; an address delivered before a grad- 
 uating class of the Woodstock (Conn.) Acad- 
 emy; a sermon preached to the graduating 
 class and alumni of the Southbridge High 
 School ; and a large number of other sermons, 
 addresses, and papers, embracing "Creeds as 
 a Test of Fellowship," the "King's Daugh- 
 ters," "Signs of the Times," and a poem read 
 at a reception of soldiers returned from Cuba, 
 after the war with Spain. He has also written 
 poems for the anniversary exercises of the lit- 
 erary societies and alumni dinners of Dart- 
 mouth College. Of these none have found 
 their way into print except two, which were 
 
 widely circulated, one having been read on 
 the occasion of an anniversary dinner at the 
 Andover Theological Seminary, and the other 
 written for the celebration of the class secre- 
 tary's silver wedding in 1886. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Hayward married Harriot El- 
 vira, a daughter of Ziba and Jedidah (Wash- 
 burn) Eaton and a lineal descendant of 
 Francis Eaton, the "Mayflower" Pilgrim. 
 Born in Middleboro, Mass., April 6, 1829, 
 she died March 2, 1890. Their children 
 were as follows: Arthur Jameson, born Sep- 
 tember 14, 1854, died September 12, 1855; 
 Bell, born July i, 1856, resides at home; 
 Grace, born August 27, 1858, graduated from 
 Smith College in 1885, taught in the high 
 school at Springfield, Mass., and died Febru- 
 ary 23, 1891; Paul, born October 16, 1863, 
 died August 28, 1873; and John Stark, 
 born November 28, 1866, died August 18, 
 1873. December 17, 1891, Mr. Hayward 
 married, second, Lucy Anna, daughter of Colo- 
 nel Love and Hannah (Goodwin) Keays, the 
 latter a sister of Governor Ichabod Goodwin, 
 of New Hampshire. 
 
 In politics Mr. Hayward is a Republican. 
 For more than ten years he served as chair- 
 man of the Southbridge School Board, and 
 while residing in Dunbarton, N.H., he was 
 School Commissioner of Merrimac County for 
 two years. For three years he occupied the 
 Worshipful Master's chair of the Masonic 
 lodge in South Berwick, was High Priest of 
 the chapter four years, District Deputy Grand 
 Master for one year," and delivered the dedi- 
 catory address of the Blue Lodge at Lyman, 
 Me., in 1872. He is also a member of the 
 Sons of the American Revolution and of the 
 New England Historic Genealogical Society. 
 
 Yp^USSELL W. BARRY, who was for 
 I I^Y^ years foreman for J. C, French, 
 |b\ builder, of Worcester, Mass., was 
 born in Guildhall, Vt., September 
 2, 1808. His parents were Woodward and 
 Nancy (French) Barry. He learned the car- 
 penter's trade in Worcester, and worked at it 
 a while in Grafton and in Oxford. He then 
 returned to Worcester, and here established 
 
670 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his home. He worked as a journeyman suc- 
 cessively for Mr. Morse and Captain Lamb, 
 and then entered the employ of J. C. French, 
 whose foreman he became, as above noted. 
 An honest and reliable man, his services were 
 always in demand. He understood all points 
 of the craft, and managed and directed the 
 building and finishing with thoroughness and 
 good taste. Unfailing in his fidelity to duty, 
 he was highly esteemed by those in authority 
 over him and respected by those under his 
 charge. In 1880 he retired from business on 
 account of ill health. Besides his residence 
 on Chatham Street, built in 1847, he had ac- 
 cumulated other property, all the result of his 
 own earnings, the fruit of industry, so that he 
 was enabled to pass his declining days in com- 
 fort. For twelve years he was an invalid, 
 bearing his suffering with patience and forti- 
 tude. He died in 1891. Mr. Barry was a 
 member of the Worcester County Mechanics' 
 Association. For a great many years he was 
 connected with the Old South Congregational 
 Society. 
 
 In 1843 he was married to Harriet Gage, of 
 Orford, N. H., a member of one of the oldest 
 families in this country, domesticated here for 
 two centuries. She is living in the Chatham 
 Street house, where she has made her home for 
 over fifty years. 
 
 'OHN BURNS, late the senior partner of 
 the firm of Burns, Loughlin & Crowley, 
 contractors, and a well-known business 
 man of Worcester, was a native of 
 County Roscommon, Ireland. He was born 
 in June, 1850, and was educated in the na- 
 tional schools. He came to the United States 
 when twenty years old, landing in New York, 
 where he spent a year. On January i, 1871, 
 he arrived in Worcester. 
 
 Securing employment in the wire-mill, he 
 learned the art of wire drawing, and later on 
 he worked in the packing-room. In February, 
 1872, he left the mill to learn the stone-cut- 
 ting trade, and during his apprenticeship under 
 H. G. Roche he assisted in the construction of 
 St. Paul's church. As a journeyman he was 
 employed by Mann, Bigelow & Goslin, with 
 
 whom he remained until 1878, when the stone- 
 cutters' strike occurred, and he with others 
 stopped working for the time. He then, deter- 
 mined to go into business for himself, and 
 became associated with the Worcester Granite 
 Company, afterward forming the partnership of 
 Burns, Loughlin & Crowley, with a yard lo- 
 cated on Crescent Street. 
 
 Mr. Burns was a stanch Democrat, and was 
 a member of the Democratic City Committee 
 for twenty years. At the time of his death, 
 which occurred on February 28, 1898, he was 
 treasurer of the Democratic City Committee 
 and a member of the Ward Committee from 
 Ward Two. He received the Democratic 
 nomination for Alderman in 1895 and 1896, 
 but both times was unsuccessful at the polls, 
 the reason being that he resided in a strong 
 Republican ward. In 1895 he came within a 
 small margin of being elected, the next ahead 
 of him on the ticket being his friend, Daniel 
 F. Fitzgerald. He was mentioned for license 
 commissioner on the death of Francis Plunk- 
 ett, and was considered the most formidable 
 opponent of M. Lamb for the place. 
 
 Mr. Burns was always aggressive in the 
 political arena, but every one considered him 
 a manly antagonist. He was never known to 
 say anything behind an opponent's back that 
 he would not say to his face; and, though it 
 was not possible for one so long a time in 
 politics to get along without more or less fric- 
 tion, the verdict of all when his death was 
 announced was that the Democratic party had 
 lost an honest man, one who never received 
 any remuneration for his services, and whose 
 purse strings were always open to aid the cause 
 he believed in. He always said it was the 
 right and duty of all good citizens to take 
 an active part in politics. 
 
 Mr. Burns was president of the Worcester 
 Co-operative Coal Company; one of the direc- 
 tors of the Co-operative Boot and Shoe Store ; 
 a trustee of the Bay State Savings Bank; a 
 member of Division Three, Ancient Order of 
 Hibernians; of Court Thomas E. Cunning- 
 ham, F. of A. ; and president of the O'Con- 
 nell Associates. His death is a most serious 
 loss to the Hibernians, as he was for fifteen 
 years a tower of strength to the organization. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 671 
 
 His counsel was always sought when questions 
 of importance were to be decided ; and to him 
 perhaps more than to any other man belongs 
 the credit of bringing the Worcester A. O. H. 
 to its present high standing. He had held 
 every office in the gift of the local body, was 
 president of Division Three for six years, and 
 served as county president from 1880 to 1884. 
 He was for many years a member of the county 
 board, and was always looked up to by the 
 members of the order as its leader in Worces- 
 ter. Three uniformed companies of the Hi- 
 bernians attended the funeral, and delegates 
 were also present from the Co-operative Coal 
 Company, the Co-operative Boot and Shoe 
 Store, and the various other organizations 
 with which he was connected. Mr. Burns 
 was noted among his business associates as a 
 man of the most unquestioned honesty and 
 integrity. 
 
 He was married on June 12, 1873, to Celia 
 Beaty, of this city, and she with five daugh- 
 ters survives him. The daughters are: Mary 
 J., a graduate of the Normal School, now 
 a teacher in the Elizabeth Street School of 
 this city; Katie, a graduate of the English 
 High School ; Agnes, a pupil at the English 
 High School ; and Margaret and Georgianna, 
 pupils at the Elizabeth Street School. The 
 youngest is ten years old. Mr. Burns was a 
 prominent worker in the interests of St. 
 Anne's Parish. 
 
 'AMUEL A. SMALL, who was a 
 lifelong agriculturist of Millbury, 
 was born in this town, February, 13, 
 182 1. He was of English origin. 
 Among his ancestors were early settlers of 
 Cape Cod and Salem, Mass. His great-grand- 
 father, Stephen Small, the founder of the fam- 
 ily in this section of Worcester County, and 
 who bought the present homestead in 1748, 
 was a soldier in the Colonial service during 
 the French and Indian War. The two hun- 
 dred acres of land which Stephen then pur- 
 chased were in their primitive condition; but, 
 with the courage that characterized the pio- 
 neers, he converted it into a farm, and there 
 spent his remaining days., On April 6, 1742, 
 
 in Salem, he married Ruth King. Of their 
 children, Samuel, born on the farm in June, 
 1748, and the next in line of descent, was a 
 soldier in the Revolutionary War and one of 
 the minute-men that marched to Lexington and 
 Concord, April 19, 1775. After the war he 
 resumed farming in West Millbury, where he 
 continued his residence until his demise, Au- 
 gust I, 1 8 14. His first wife, in maidenhood 
 Molly Waters, died at an early age, leaving 
 four children. He afterward married Deborah 
 Pierce, who bore him five children. 
 
 Aaron Small, the second child of Samuel 
 and Deborah Small, was born on the home 
 farm in 1789, and here lived as a prosperous 
 farmer until his death, December 7, 1857. 
 Born of his marriage with Mary Stone, of 
 Auburn, Mass., were eight children. One of 
 these died in infancy. The others were : Sam- 
 uel A., the subject of this sketch; Aaron, who 
 married Louisa Slocum, whose second husband 
 was Judge T. L. Nelson, of Worcester, and 
 died at an early age; John N., who died in 
 childhood; J. Nelson, who lived but 'a few 
 years; Mary L. , who became the wife of 
 Albert Hovey ; Sarah, who became the wife of 
 Leonard Rice, and died young, leaving one 
 child; and Herrick B. , who died unmarried in 
 1858, aged twenty-two years. The mother 
 died in 1859. 
 
 Having taken up the occupation in which he 
 was reared, Samuel A. Small was one of the 
 leading farmers of this locality during his 
 years of activity. He first married Julia A. 
 Waters, who died sixteen years later without 
 issue. A second marriage, contracted on Feb- 
 ruary 17, 1864, united him with Fidelia, 
 daughter of Milo and Abigail (Walker) Porter, 
 of Oxford, Chenango County, N.Y. Her 
 father, who was born in Waterbury, Conn., 
 June I, 1808, is still living, hale and hearty 
 for one of his advanced age. His wife died in 
 August, 1888, aged seventy-two years. She 
 bore him five children, namely: Fidelia, now 
 Mrs. Small ; Flora, who died in infancy ; 
 Paulina Porter, a maiden lady, who cares for 
 her father; Walker Porter, who owns a well- 
 cultivated farm near his father's; and Theo- 
 dore Lovell Porter, who died in January, 1864, 
 aged fourteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Small had 
 
672 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 three children born to them, namely : Samuel 
 Edmund, unmarried, who "now owns and man- 
 ages the home farm; Mary W., who lost her 
 first husband, John Rich, by accidental drown- 
 ing six weeks after their marriage, and subse- 
 quently became the wife of Merritt W. Havens, 
 of Worcester; and Theodore Aaron, a grocer 
 in Worcester. Mr. Small died on the home- 
 stead in Millbury, March 31, 1887. 
 
 Mrs. Fidelia Small received her education 
 in an academy, and is a woman of considerable 
 business ability. After the death of her hus- 
 band she settled his estate in a very satisfac- 
 tory manner. The family residence after its 
 destruction by fire in October, -187 1, was at 
 once rebuilt by Mr. Small. In May, 1888, 
 less than a year after Mr. Small's death, it 
 was again burned, and Mrs. Small lost many 
 valuable articles, including- bric-a-brac, all of 
 her silver, and papers and deeds of land bear- 
 ing dates back in the seventeenth century. 
 During the same year she rebuilt the house, 
 which is now fitted with all the modern im- 
 provements and supplied with water brought 
 in pipes from a clear spring on high ground. 
 
 |DWIN HOWE, of Worcester, a prosper- 
 ous dairy farmer and a ■ contractor for 
 teaming and grading, was born in 
 Holden, Mass., March 28, 1834, son of 
 Nathan and Abigail (Howe) Howe. The 
 family to which he belongs is of English ori- 
 gin, and its genealogy, we are told, can be 
 traced in a direct line as far back as the year 
 1630. Hiram- Howe, grandfather of Edwin, 
 was born about the year 1774 in West Boyls- 
 ton, and the active period of his life was there 
 devoted to agricultural pursuits, in which he 
 acquired a comfortable prosperity. He mar- 
 ried Olive Hathorn, of the same town, and 
 reared seven children ; namely, Barney, Na- 
 than, Sally, Harriet, Olive, Polly, and Joel. 
 All married and had families, and Joel lived 
 to be over seventy-five years old. Hiram 
 Howe died in 1834, and his wife died at an 
 advanced age in 1848. They were buried in 
 West Boylston. 
 
 Nathan Howe, their second son, was born in 
 West Boylston, May 8, 1803. Settling upon 
 
 a farm in Holden, he tilled the soil during 
 the rest of his active years, and also ran a saw- 
 mill. He took a prominent part in public 
 affairs, serving as Selectman and Assessor, 
 and representing his district in the State legis- 
 lature. He possessed considerable natural 
 ability, was a good business man, and accumu- 
 lated , a good estate. He died February 4, 
 1873. His wife, Abigail, whom he married 
 April 17, 1833, was born in Holden, Septem- 
 ber 7, 1 8 10, daughter of Jasper and Nancy 
 (Wilson) Howe. Jasper Howe was born April 
 24, 1791, and died November 2, 1826. His 
 widow married for her second husband Joshua 
 Bassett and for her third Moses Bullard, of 
 Princeton. She was the mother of three sons 
 and three daughters, all by her first marriage. 
 She died January 4, 1861. Nathan and Abi- 
 gail Howe reared seven children, namely: 
 Edwin, the subject of this sketch; Hiram, a 
 retired mechanic of Holden; Sarah, who mar- 
 ried Emerson D. Wilson, and died in 1873; 
 Adeline; Nathan, who is manager of the Glas- 
 gow Thread Company; Hattie, a nurse; and 
 Mattie, a school teacher. All of the surviv- 
 ors except Hiram reside at Adams Square, 
 Worcester. The mother, Mrs. Abigail Howe, 
 died in 1858. 
 
 Edwin Howe was educated in the district 
 schools of his native town. He remained on 
 the home farm until he was twenty-one. 
 When only twelve years old he began to work 
 in a saw-mill, and this was his regular occupa- 
 tion for about thirty years. He also operated 
 a shoddy-mill some ten years.. Coming to 
 Worcester in 1889, he carried on a small farm 
 for some time. Then selling that property,_he 
 removed to his present farm of one hundred 
 and twenty-five acres, located on Richmond 
 Avenue and known as the Marshall Flagg 
 place. Here he carries on dairy farming, 
 keeping an average of forty cows and raising 
 some stock of a mixed breed. He has a large 
 milk route in the city. For the past four or 
 five years he has been hauling stone and earth, 
 and grading by contract for this purpose, keep- 
 ing eight pairs of heavy draft horses. He has 
 gained a high reputation for integrity and. re- 
 liability. 
 
 On April 7, 1858, Mr. Howe was joined in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 67s 
 
 marriage with Elizabeth Clarissa Brown, who 
 was born in Holden in 1839, davighter of 
 Allen and Mary Stearns Brown, of that town. 
 Her father was an industrious farmer. His 
 first wife died in 1841, leaving two daughters: 
 Elizabeth C, who is now Mrs. Howe; and 
 Mary, who is now Mrs. Hartwell. By his 
 second wife he had two sons — Allen and Ed- 
 ward Josiah Brown, both of whom are farmers, 
 residing in Holden. Mr. and Mrs. Howe 
 have had four children, namely : Edward Ells- 
 worth Howe, a clerk in Holden; Mabel, who 
 resides in Worcester; Abbie Grace, who acts 
 as housekeeper for Willard Richmond ; and 
 Cora Blanche, who married Albert E. Wood- 
 ward, and died at the age of twenty-five years. 
 Politically, Mr. Howe is a Republican, but 
 has no desire to hold public office. 
 
 tLFRED J. KIRBY, the genial and 
 justly popular landlord of Hotel Kirby 
 at Grafton and a checker player of 
 ^~^ wide repute, was born in Spencer, 
 Mass., the eldest of the seven children of John 
 and Mary (Brigham) Kijrby. He was educated 
 in the Oxford public schools, and at the age of 
 seventeen years he began making boots and 
 shoes. This trade he followed until 1861, 
 when he enl isted in Company K of the 
 Twenty-fifth Regiment of Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteers as a musician. He was in service for 
 three years, and took part in the battles at 
 Roanoke, Newbern, and Little Washington, 
 N.C. ; at Whitehall, Cold Harbor, Fort Dar- 
 ling, and the six days' fight in front of Peters- 
 burg. About a year after his return home, 
 having recovered his. health, which had be- 
 come impaired, he began working in the 
 woollen-mills of Hill & Chapman at Provi- 
 dence, R.I., and subsequently found employ- 
 ment in that of Thomas Harris at Putnam, 
 Conn., and that of Benjamin James at James- 
 ville, Mass. Later he was for a few years 
 employed in setting up woollen-mill ma- 
 chinery in different parts of New England 
 and New York. In 1868 he bought the hotel 
 at East Douglas, but not , being satisfied with 
 the location he afterward bought one in Ware, 
 Mass. From Ware he removed to the village 
 
 of Eagleville in the town of Holden, where he 
 kept a hotel two years. He was next engaged 
 for four years as a travelling salesman for hard- 
 ware. In 1876 he became proprietor of Hotel 
 Kirby in Oxford, Mass. Two years later, 
 forming the partnership of Kirby & Bristol, he 
 engaged in the wholesale produce business 
 with headquarters at Worcester. He dealt 
 largely in hay, grain, potatoes, and so forth, 
 doing the buying for firms in New England, 
 Lower Canada, Michigan, New Yorky and 
 other States. Although successful in this en- 
 terprise, he decided to go back to the hotel 
 business, and, buying the De Witt House at 
 Webster, he conducted it for two years. He 
 then started a real estate business with an of- 
 fice in Tremont Row, Boston. Coming to 
 Grafton in 1883, he bought the Hassanimisco 
 House, which he remodelled and refurnished 
 throughout, and which, as Hotel Kirby, has 
 become one of the most popular hostelries in 
 Worcester County. 
 
 Mr. Kirby is married to Mary, daughter of 
 S. Davis Hall, of Grafton. The only child 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Kirby died in infancy. 
 A few years since Mr. Kirby rebuilt his present 
 residence, a sightly and substantial dwelling in 
 Worcester Street, formerly the home of his 
 wife's parents. 
 
 Mr. Kirby is well known among Grand Army 
 men, and is a member, of Post General Charles 
 Devens, No. 27. One of the events that will 
 be remembered long and pleasantly by the boys 
 of the old Twenty-fifth Regiment is the reunion 
 tendered them by Landlord Kirby in June, 
 1895. The interior of the hotel was filled 
 with a display of flowers and potted plants, 
 while the exterior was gay with flags and bunt- 
 ing. On the square in front of the hotel were 
 stacks of arms. Captain Stone, of Spencer, 
 as he rode into the square, seeing the military 
 display, doffed his hat, stood up, and shouted, 
 "I'll never surrender." He did, however, as 
 did the other guests, surrender to the hospital- 
 ity and good cheer of Comrade Kirby. 
 
 Despite his diversified business interests, 
 Mr. Kirby has found time to devote to his fa- 
 vorite amusement, which is checker playing; 
 and he has long been known as one of the best 
 players not only in New England, but in the 
 
676 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 country. He has matched against all the 
 strongest players, having played in many 
 cities in New England, Iowa, Illinois, Kan- 
 sas, and elsewhere. Those who are his equal 
 in the craft of the game can be almost num- 
 bered on one's fingers. He has played exhibi- 
 tions of thirty games in Grafton against all 
 players, ten games being in progress at a 
 time, and out of the thirty won twenty-four 
 and lost only one. He is a great analyzer, and 
 has furnished many original games for checker 
 magazines. The North American Checker 
 Board, in its issue for August, i8g6, gives a 
 short biographical sketch of Mr. Kirby, in 
 which it says: "He first began to play 
 checkers at the age of thirteen, but not scien- 
 tifically until 1872. Since then he has met 
 and played such notables as C. F. Barker, 
 C. H. Freeman, R. E. Bowen, A. R. Bow- 
 dish, R. D. Yates, J. P. Reed, H. Z. Wright, 
 J. Cairns, D. Dickinson, and many others. At 
 Woonsocket, February, 1893, he tied W. H. 
 Wales and J. Cairns, and had close scores with 
 Fitzgerald and E. Mee; also at Boston, same 
 year, he won the only game he played with 
 E. A. Durgin, and defeated P. Kelly, Mr. 
 Mack, and Lang; tied Bugbee and lost to 
 Grover and Dean. It was the only sitting in 
 which Dean ever won from Mr. Kirby. In 
 March, 1893, at Grafton, Kirby 4, W. H. 
 Wales I, drawn 3 ; same month, at Woon- 
 socket, he tied both Dee ley and Ed Mee. His 
 favorite game is formed from 11 15, 23 19, 
 but he can play almost any opening with good 
 results. He has played blindfold, also by 
 correspondence; composed problems, and won 
 prizes. ' ' 
 
 Hotel Kirby is the headquarters of the 
 Grafton Checker and Chess Club, which was 
 organized by Mr. Kirby; and many are the 
 tournaments played there. 
 
 'ON. CHARLES FIELD, of Athol, 
 Judge of the District Court and an 
 ex -member of the Massachusetts 
 Senate, was born in this town, June 
 9, 1815, son of Zachariah and Abigail (Mat- 
 toon) Field. He is a representative of the 
 sixth generation in descent from Zachariah 
 
 Field, who was born in England in the year 
 1600, settled in Dorchester, Mass., in 1630, 
 removed to Hartford, Conn., about 1639, 
 thence to Northampton, Mass., in 1659, and 
 a few years later to Hatfield, where his death 
 occurred in 1666. 
 
 Among this immigrant ancestor's descend- 
 ants who have acquired distinction may be 
 mentioned Cyrus W., David Dudley, Stephen 
 J., and Eugene Field. Samuel Field, son of 
 Zachariah, first, was the father of Captain 
 Zachariah Field, who was the third in the 
 line now being considered. Judge Field's 
 grandfather was Captain Zachariah's son, Paul 
 Field, who resided in Northfield, Mass. He 
 was the father of the third Zachariah, who 
 married Abigail Mattoon, daughter of Dr. 
 Samuel Mattoon, of the same town, and was 
 the father of the subject of this sketch, as 
 mentioned above. 
 
 Charles Field began his education in the 
 public schools of Athol, and attained high 
 rank as a scholar, especially in mathematics 
 and the languages, in the educational institu- 
 tion from which he graduated. He read law 
 in the office of the Hon. Daniel Wells, of 
 Greenfield, Mass., afterward Chief Justice of 
 the Court of Common Pleas; and on the com- 
 pletion of a three years' course of study he 
 spent several years in the West and South- 
 west, most of the time in Kentucky and Illi- 
 nois, in the latter State taking an active 
 interest in favor of the election of General 
 William Henry Harrison in the famous log 
 cabin and hard cider campaign of 1840. Re- 
 turning to New England after an absence of 
 four years, he settled in Athol, his native 
 town, where he conducted a profitable general 
 law business until 1884, when he was ap- 
 pointed Judge of the District Court. In 1857 
 he represented his town in the House of Rep- 
 resentatives, that being the last year before 
 the State was divided into districts; and in the 
 two years following he was a member of the 
 State Senate. For a limited term he served 
 on the Athol School Board. Politically, he 
 is a Republican, and was chosen a Presiden- 
 tial elector in i860, after which he left the 
 field of politics altogether and confined him- 
 self to the duties of his profession. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 677 
 
 Judge Field was admitted to the bar in 
 1843. He is one of the vice-presidents of the 
 Worcester County Bar Association. He is 
 a pronounced Unitarian of the Channing type 
 and one of the original members of the Second 
 Unitarian Society in Athol. He was presi- 
 dent of the Worcester County Unitarian Asso- 
 ciation for two consecutive terms, declining 
 a re-election for any further term ; and for 
 many years he served on the Executive Com- 
 mittee. 
 
 In 1856 Judge Field married Caroline C. 
 Alden, whose first American ancestors on both 
 sides were "Mayflower " Pilgrims. She is a 
 descendant in the eighth generation of John 
 Alden. Her father was Emery Alden, of 
 Greenwich, Mass., which was the birthplace 
 of her grandfather and great-grandfather, both 
 of whom were named Ezra. Ezra Alden, 
 first, was born in 1734, and was chosen a 
 Deacon of the Congregational church in 1775. 
 He was the son of Eleazar Alden, who was 
 born in 1694 in Bridgewater, Mass., and was 
 a farmer. Eleazar was a son of Joseph, Jr., 
 who was a son of Joseph, Sr., and the latter 
 was the second son of John and Priscilla 
 Alden, of Duxbury. Captain John Alden, 
 the eldest son of the Pilgrim, was one of the 
 original members of the Old South Church, 
 Boston. On the maternal side Mrs. Field is 
 a great-grand-daughter of Major John White, 
 who is supposed to have been a direct descend- 
 ant of Peregrine White, born on board the 
 "Mayflower" in Cape Cod Harbor. Mrs. 
 Field is the author of the popular novel, 
 "Two Gentlemen of Boston," and mother of 
 one son, Charles Field, Jr., a graduate of 
 Williams College, class of 1881, and a mem- 
 ber of the legal profession. 
 
 J^ULLIVAN CLARK SUMNER, one 
 of Milford's public-spirited and in- 
 fluential men, was born here on 
 February 9, 1836. A son of Major 
 Clark and Mary (Murdock) Thayer Sumner, 
 he descends from William Sumner, who was 
 born in Bicester, England, son of William 
 Sumner. The son emigrated to America and 
 settled in Dorchester, where h§ was made a 
 
 freeman in 1637. He married Mary West, 
 who bore him seven children. His son, 
 George, who was for many years Deacon of the 
 church in Milton, became the father of eight 
 children by his wife, Mary Baker Sumner. 
 The next in line, Ebenezer, married Abigail 
 Lovett, and had four children. He and his 
 brother Joseph were the first of the family to 
 come to Milford, and were the first settlers of 
 the town. They became large landholders, 
 owning much of their property in partnership. 
 Ebenezer's son, Daniel, who was a black- 
 smith by trade and also carried on farming, 
 married Beriah Clark, of Medway, and had a 
 family of four children. His son Ebenezer, 
 who married Elizabeth Ellis, of Medway, had 
 fovir children, of whom Ebenezer, second, suc- 
 cessively married Keziah Albee and Lydia 
 (Underwood) Unthank, and was the father of 
 eight children by his first wife. 
 
 Major Clark Sumner, who was born May 29, 
 1794, died on August 22, 1868. He was one 
 of the leading men of the town, and enjoyed 
 universal esteem. Ballou's History of Milford 
 speaks of him as a man of "strong common 
 sense, stanch moral integrity, persistent activ- 
 ity, and resolute determination." He was a 
 progressive and energetic farmer, later a hotel 
 man, and still later a coal merchant, carrying 
 on business near the Milford depot. At one 
 time the Captain of a military company of 
 artillery, he raised his company to such a 
 noteworthy condition that he was appointed 
 Major of the battalion of which it formed a 
 part. He had also his share of municipal 
 offices. His first wife, whose maiden name 
 was Sally Clark, bore him one child; and his 
 second wife, in maidenhood Mary Murdock, 
 bore him one child, Sullivan Clark Sumner. 
 
 After receiving his education in Westfield 
 Academy and at Eaton Commercial College in 
 Worcester, Sullivan Clark Sumner was en- 
 gaged in business with his father until 1858. 
 Then he formed a copartnership with the Hon. 
 A. C. Mayhew under the firm name of A. C. 
 Mayhew & Co. This firm conducted a large 
 and prosperous business until 1878, when it 
 dissolved and Mr. Mayhew retired from active 
 business. Subsequently Mr. Sumner, who is 
 an expert accountant, took charge of the books 
 
678 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Colburn, Fuller & Co., and remained with 
 that concern until 1897. Since then he has not 
 been actively engaged in business. While in 
 no sense a politician, he has taken an active 
 part in the affairs of his native town. For 
 thirty-seven years he has been inspector, in 
 charge of the voting check-list of Milford. 
 Prominently identified with the Masonic fra- 
 ternity, he is Past Commander of Milford 
 Commandery, K. T., and since 1880 he has 
 been recorder of the commandery. 
 
 Mr. Sumner was married on October 7, 
 1857, to Sarah E. Mayhew, only daughter of 
 the Hon. Aaron C. and Olivia L. (Sumner) 
 Mayhew. Mrs. Sumner was born in Milford, 
 July 26, 1835. She has been the mother of 
 three children, namely : Frank M., born on Oc- 
 tober 6, i860, who died on October 11, 1862; 
 Mary O., who was born on August 3, 1863; 
 and Annie C. , who was born on February 23, 
 1867. 
 
 EEONARD CHENEY, of 57 Houghton 
 Street, Worcester, one of the oldest 
 _ ^ ^ and most trusted employees of the 
 Washburn & Moen Company, hav- 
 ing been in their service for a half-century, 
 was born in this county, in the town of Barre, 
 on November 27, 1821, his parents being Ar- 
 temas and Betsy (Littlefield) Cheney. 
 
 In England, whence two immigrants bear- 
 ing this surname, John and William Cheney, 
 came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony more 
 than two hundred and fifty years ago, the 
 Cheney family is traced back by records still 
 in existence to the fifteenth century; and coats 
 of arms of four branches of the family have 
 been preserved, showing them to have been of 
 noble birth. John Cheney, it may here be 
 mentioned, settled in Newbury. 
 
 William Cheney, of whom the subject of 
 this sketch is a descendant in the eighth gen- 
 eration, settled in Roxbury prior to 1640, his 
 name being the fortieth in thfe list of proprie- 
 tors. He became the largfest landholder in 
 that place, owning twenty-four and one-half 
 acres, and was one of the most prosperous and 
 able men of the colony. Succeeding him in 
 direct line of descent were three other Will- 
 
 iams; Caleb, of the fifth generation; and 
 then Mr. Leonard Cheney's grandfather, Ar- 
 temas Cheney, Sr. Grandfather Cheney, who 
 was born in Mendon on October 12, 1760, 
 served as a fifer in the war of the Revolution. 
 He enlisted on September 27, 1.777, at or near 
 Boston to take part in a secret expedition to 
 Rhode Island. On June 2, 1778, he again 
 enlisted for nine months from the time he 
 should arrive in Fishkill on the Hudson 
 River. The army records say that at this 
 time he was seventeen years of age, five feet 
 and seven inches in height, and that he had 
 dark eyes and b}ack hair. After completing 
 his term of service in Fishkill, where he ar- 
 rived on the 7th of June, he again enlisted on 
 July 14, 1780, this time in Ca;ptain Benjamin 
 Reed's company of Colonel John Rand's 
 regiment, raised to re-enforce the army at West 
 Point. Grandfather Cheney was married on 
 the first day of February, 1 781, to Rachel, 
 daughter of Seth and Rebecca (Beal) Albee. 
 She was born on March 25, 1765, and died in 
 1787, having been the mother of two sons — 
 Ebenezer and Artemas Cheney. Ebenezer 
 was born on April 14, 1782. 
 
 Artemas Cheney, Jr., son of Artemas, Sr., 
 and Rachel Cheney, was born in Milford on 
 March 27, 1786, and died in August, 1861. 
 He and his brother Ebenezer were black- 
 smiths from their boyhood, having their shop 
 in Barre. His wife, Betsy, whom he married 
 in 1808, was born in Milford in June, 1792, 
 and died August 4, 1862. She was a daugh- 
 ter of Isaac and Eliza Littlefield. One of her 
 brothers, Moses Littlefield, went West. Ar- 
 temas Cheney, Jr., and his wife were the 
 parents of twelve children, of whom five sons 
 and five daughters grew to maturity. They 
 were: Clarinda, Melinda, Elizabeth, Arnold 
 Washington, Laura, Leonard, Ezra Adams, 
 Roxanna Allen, Lovering Artemas, and 
 Ethan. Of these, all but one son and one 
 daughter had families. The living are: 
 Leonard Cheney and his youngest brother, 
 Ethan Rockwood Cheney, who is a Boston 
 contractor residing in Chelsea. Clarinda: 
 was married on December 29, 1825, at the 
 age of seventeen, to Joel D. Wilder. They 
 had a family of nir^e children, one of whom. 
 
LEONARD CHENEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 68 1 
 
 became a physician, Melinda, who was born 
 on May 28, 18 10, was married to David 
 Burt in 1835, and died on May 5, 1891, 
 leaving a son, Albert M. Burt. Elizabeth 
 L., who married Isaac Bigelow, had two 
 daughters and two sons. Arnold Washing- 
 ton, who was born in 1817, married Maria 
 Newton, and died on April 24, 1850, leaving 
 no children. Laura, who was born on April 
 17, 1 8 19, became the wife of George Conant 
 in 1840, and died on October 29, 1849, leav- 
 ing two children. Ezra Adams was born on 
 July 19, 1823, and died on February 27, i860. 
 He had three daughters that grew to maturity. 
 Roxanna Allen married Samuel S. Lord, of 
 Boston. Lovering Artemas, who was born on 
 September 5, 1827, died on March 29, 1879, 
 leaving a daughter. Ethan R. was born on 
 September 20, 1829. He has three children. 
 
 Leonard Cheney obtained his education in 
 the district school, which in his boyhood was 
 attended by from sixty-five to seventy-five 
 scholars. The old school-house has now been 
 for several years tenantless. He did not serve 
 a regular apprenticeship as mechanic, but 
 when a mere lad began working in his father's 
 and other shops, and gradually acquired a 
 good degree of mechanical skill. In Jan- 
 uary, 1843, he came to Worcester. In 
 1848 he began to work for the Washburn 
 Company, and for the succeeding eight years 
 remained there. At the end of that time he 
 was engaged to build a mill in this city for 
 Henry Washburn, and in 1861 he went to 
 Holyoke to build a wire-mill for William E. 
 Rice. Of this he had the charge not only 
 of constructing the building but of putting 
 the machinery in place. In September, 1865, 
 he returned to Worcester, and entered the 
 mill where he has since been employed by the 
 Washburn & Moen Company. Although he is 
 now entitled to retirement on a pension, he is 
 hale and hearty, and proposes to keep in har- 
 ness as long as he continues so. Mr. Cheney 
 has seen great changes since he began life, 
 among others the development of steam and 
 electric power and the art of photography. 
 
 Mr. Cheney was united in marriage with 
 Persis W. Hemenway, daughter of Daniel and 
 Persis (Earl) Hemenway, of Barre, on June 
 
 II, 1846. Mrs. Cheney died on October 16, 
 1895, aged seventy-five years, ten months, 
 and twenty-seven days. A son and three 
 daughters — L. Warren Cheney, Persis Eliza, 
 Ellen Sophia, and Ida Elizabeth — survive 
 her. One daughter, Mary E. , died in 1855, 
 at the age of four years. Two daughters 
 reside at home with their father. They are 
 unmarried. Ida is an invalid and Ellen is 
 the housekeeper. L. Warren Cheney is in 
 the employ of the Washburn & Moen Com- 
 pany. He has a wife and five children and 
 one grand-child. Persis Eliza is the wife 
 of Charles W. Burbank, who has a printing- 
 ofifice. They have one son living and two 
 daughters. Mr. Cheney built his present 
 dwelling-house in 1870. His lot embraces 
 four acres, and he has some fine fruit trees. 
 
 Mr. Cheney is a Master Mason* of Monta- 
 cute Lodge, which is so called in honor of an 
 English family whose coat of arms hangs on 
 the walls of the hall in which the body holds 
 its meetings. In politics he is a Republican. 
 For the past twenty-eight years he has been 
 connected with the Worcester County Me- 
 chanics' Association, and for some time he 
 has been an officer and stockholder in the 
 Co-operative Bank of Worcester. He is con- 
 nected with the Church of the Unity. 
 
 USTIN WILLARD BIXBY, who died 
 in 1 87 1, was one of the best pattern- 
 makers in Worcester. He was 
 born in this city, July i, 1813, and 
 was the son of John and Betsey (Willard) 
 Bixby. His father was toll-gate keeper at 
 Worcester for a number of years on the Lake 
 Road leading to Shrewsbury. 
 
 Austin Willard Bixby was educated in the 
 Worcester schools. He worked first in a ma- 
 chine shop for a few years, then learned pat- 
 tern-making, mastering the trade alone with- 
 out help. He was industrious and capable, 
 and soon became a first-class workman, quick 
 to conceive and quick to execute; and he had 
 a nicety of skill that kept his work in contin- 
 ual demand. He established himself on 
 School Street, this city, and built up a good 
 business. He made thousands of patterns of 
 
682 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 all kinds of machinery for inventors and manu- 
 facturers, and his work was so perfect that the 
 castings made from his models were always 
 available. He was an expert at wood work 
 also, and made many articles of value and 
 artistic excellence. Whatever he did he did 
 thoroughly. Mr. Bixby was a member of the 
 Worcester County Mechanics' Association. 
 He was actively interested in political mat- 
 ters, though he never sought public prefer- 
 ment, and was strong in his support of the best 
 movements. A zealous anti-slavery man, he 
 was not able to go to war himself,- but sent two 
 sons, who were killed. Mr. Bixby was a 
 member of the Union Congregational Church 
 for many years. He lived up to the letter of 
 his belief, and was strictly honorable in all 
 his dealings in secular matters. 
 
 He was married March 15, 1836, to Sophia 
 Foster Paige, of Worcester, daughter of 
 Thomas and Susan (Warner) Paige. Her 
 father was a son of Colonel Timothy Paige, of 
 Hardwick, Mass. , the home of several genera- 
 tions of the family. Colonel Timothy was a 
 grandson of Nathaniel Paige, who is sup- 
 posed to have come from England to Roxbury 
 about 1685. Later he settled in Billerica. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bixby were the parents of the 
 following children : Maria Antoinette ; George 
 Austin, born July 20, 1841 ; Charles Por- 
 ter, who died in 1845 ; John Thomas, who was 
 born in 1844, and died September 12, 1863; 
 Harriet Sophia, residing in Worcester; and 
 Ann Washburn, deceased. 
 
 George Austin Bixby enlisted at the age of 
 twenty in Company H, Twenty-fifth Massa- 
 chusetts Regiment. He was enrolled Sep- 
 tember 17, 1 86 1. He served under General 
 Burnside and General Grant, and was in all 
 the battles of the regiment, being in the great 
 campaign before Richmond. When his first 
 term of service was ended he re-enlisted. 
 Sent to the hospital sick, he was called out for 
 the attack on Richmond, May 15, 1864, and 
 joined his company. He was engaged in a 
 skirmish before daylight on the morning of the 
 sixteenth, and was surprised and shot. Found 
 by Confederates, he was robbed and left under 
 a tree to die, and a few days later he was 
 picked up and carried to Libby Prison, 
 
 There, after a term of terrible suffering, he 
 died on July i, 1864. His officers spoke of 
 him as a brave and faithful soldier. John 
 Thomas Bixby enlisted in Company H, Fif- 
 teenth Massachusetts Regiment, August 3, 
 1 86 1. He, too, was in all the engagements 
 and battles of his regiment, including Antie- 
 tam and Gettysburg. He put all his strength 
 into his duty, and after Gettysburg he was 
 detailed to care for the wounded. Weakened 
 by sickness and fatigue, however, he was soon 
 obliged to succumb. He died September 12, 
 1863. 
 
 RANCIS E. COREY, M.D., of West- 
 boro, was born March 23, 1846, in 
 Sturbridge, Mass., in the house in 
 which his grandfather. Dr. Jacob Corey, lived. 
 The grandfather, who was for fifty years an 
 active practitioner, bad remarkable energy 
 and industry. Possessed of what was consid- 
 ered a thorough knowledge of medicine before 
 the day of medical colleges, he established a 
 medical school of his own, and many young 
 physicians received their medical education 
 under his careful instruction. He had a large 
 family of children, and it is, perhaps, not sur- 
 prising that the young students should fall in 
 love with the comely daughters of their tutor. 
 At any rate, three of his daughters married 
 pupils of his school, and at one time there 
 were five physicians in his family; namely, 
 himself, his eldest son, Jacob Corey, Jr., and 
 his three sons-in-law. The fortunate students 
 should certainly have felt grateful to their 
 teacher for sending them forth fully equipped, 
 not only with a medical education, but with 
 a good wife. He gave his sons the best edu- 
 cational advantages, and his son Jacob suc- 
 ceeded him in practice. The amount of work 
 accomplished by Dr. Jacob Corey, Sr., seems 
 almost incredible. In addition to instructing 
 his students, he was kept busy riding horse- 
 back for miles across the country and through 
 the adjoining towns, attending to his exten- 
 sive practice and successfully carrying on his 
 farm of five hundred acres. He left a library 
 of several hundred volumes of home-made 
 books — home - made in every sense implied 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 683 
 
 by the term, for they are in his own hand- 
 writing and neatly bound by his own hand. 
 They consist of original lectures, excerpts 
 from books and lectures he had read, etc. 
 Among them is a daily journal of the weather, 
 in which he wrote on January i, 1791, "We 
 don't get such winters as we used to have." 
 Another remarkable thing in connection with 
 his writings is the fact that nowhere is men- 
 tion made of himself. He seems to have been 
 too busy to think of himself or in any way to 
 court publicity. His son George V. was the 
 father of Francis E. Corey. 
 
 George V. Corey was a man of natural liter- 
 ary tastes and ability, and in his earlier life 
 was a pioneer journalist in Indiana and New 
 Orleans, being a contemporary of Greeley, 
 Bancroft, and other men of note. On the 
 death of his father he returned to Sturbridgje 
 to settle up affairs, and from that time until 
 his demise he had charge of the ancestral 
 estates. Active in town affairs, he served in 
 many of the important local offices. He mar- 
 ried Martha Griggs, of Brimfield, Mass. ; and 
 their son, Francis E., is the youngest grand- 
 child of Dr. Jacob Corey, Sr. The oldest 
 grandchild was General E. D. Keyes, who was 
 prominent in military affairs during the Civil 
 War and for a period afterward. He was 
 private secretary to General Scott, and was 
 commander of an army corps in McClellan's 
 campaign in Virginia. The interesting work, 
 "Fifty Years' Observation of Men and 
 Events," was written by him. General Keyes 
 died at the advanced age of eighty-two years in 
 San Francisco, Cal. , in 1895. 
 
 Francis E. Corey was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of Sturbridge, Wilbraham Acad- 
 emy, and at the Harvard Medical College. 
 From the last-named institution he withdrew 
 before completing the course, and went to the 
 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, then 
 called the best school of the kind in the coun- 
 try, and there received the degree of Doctor of 
 Medicine in 1868. Returning then to Stur- 
 bridge, the Doctor remained there a year. On 
 November i, 1869, he came to Westboro, 
 where he has since been in active practice. 
 Great advances have been made in the science 
 of medicine in those twenty-nine years: the 
 
 germ theory was developed in that period, and 
 antiseptics, now deemed indispensable, were 
 not dreamed of a quarter of a century ago. 
 Dr. Corey has kept abreast with the times as 
 regards the most approved modern methods 
 used in medicine and surgery, and has built 
 up an extensive patronage in this and adjacent 
 towns. 
 
 Of a quiet, unassuming disposition, the 
 Doctor has never sought or accepted any pub- 
 lic offices excepting those of member of the 
 School Board and Library Committee. He is 
 serving on the Investment Committee of the 
 Westboro Savings Bank, and for fifteen years 
 has been physician for the Lyman School. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of the Massachu- 
 setts Medical Society and the Worcester Dis- 
 trict Medical Society, a Master Mason, and a 
 member of the Royal Arcanum, of which he is 
 examining physician. He was married May 
 18, 1870, to Miss Mary Wight, of Sturbridge, 
 and they have two children — Robert F. and 
 Ethelyn. 
 
 KOSTER FREELAND, a venerable and 
 highly respected resident of Sutton, 
 was born in this town, February 2, 
 1819, son of James and Polly (Marble) Free- 
 land. His ancestors on the father's side were 
 Scotch-Irish. The first of the family in this 
 country was James Freeland, who first settled 
 at Lexington, and removed to Hopkinton in 
 1725. Thomas, son of James, died in Sutton 
 in 1788, leaving a son who was known as Dr. 
 James Freeland. The latter received an ap- 
 pointment, early in the war of the Revolution, 
 as surgeon in the Continental army, and served 
 with distinction until peace was declared. He 
 then returned to Sutton, and remained and 
 practised medicine here until his death in 
 1796. 
 
 James Freeland, the only son of Dr. Free- 
 land, was one of the most enterprising men in 
 this section. At an early age he engaged in 
 trade, buying such articles as scythes, hoes, 
 and saddlery, which were made in and about 
 Sutton, and subsequently disposing of them to 
 traders of Canada. As no steamboats were 
 then running on the Great Lakes, he trans- 
 
684 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ported his merchandise in boats, manned by six 
 Chippewa Indians. His wife, Polly, was de- 
 scended from one of the original families that 
 settled the town of Sutton. 
 
 Mr. Freeland's education was obtained in 
 the public schools and in a private school kept 
 in his father's house and in the academies at 
 Dudley and Wilbraham. For a time subse- 
 quent to finishing his studies, he was assistant 
 principal of the academy at Dudley, having 
 charge of the English department. Later he 
 taught in the district school in Millbury, and 
 was the principal of the Millbury Academy. 
 After fitting for Harvard University with a 
 view to entering one of the professions, he 
 finally decided to go into business, and formed 
 a partnership with his brothers. Freeman and 
 Fayette, for the conduct of general merchan- 
 dise stores in Oxford and in Holly Springs, 
 Miss. For twelve years he was engaged in 
 this enterprise, meeting with good success. 
 In 1853 he returned to Sutton, where he has 
 since resided. The Freeland homestead is 
 distinguished .as being the place where General 
 Rufus Putnam was born, April 7, 1738. The 
 farm was considered one of the finest among 
 the many fine farms of Sutton, and was devoted 
 to stock-raising and genera] produce. Mr. 
 Freeland has given much attention to blooded 
 stock, and his cattle were generally noted for 
 their superior grade. He is a ripe scholar and 
 an elegant public speaker. Earnestly inter- 
 ested in education, he served for many years 
 as the School Committee. In politics he has 
 been a firm adherent of the Democratic party. 
 His wife's maiden name was Frances J. Wood- 
 bury. She died in 1859, leaving a .daughter, 
 Frances J. Woodbury Freeland, who is now 
 the comfort and delight of her father's declin- 
 ing years. Miss Freeland is a graduate of the 
 first class sent out from the Sutton High 
 School and a poet of rare promise. 
 
 ■OSEPH G. VAUDREUIL, building 
 contractor, Worcester, was born in 
 Lothini^re, P. Q., November 15, 1850. 
 He is the only son of Isaie and Adelle 
 (Auger) Vaudreuil. His father, who was born 
 in 18 1 5, carried on the wheelwright business 
 
 for many years, and is now living in retire- 
 ment at the homestead in Canada. 
 
 Joseph G. Vaudreuil in his youth acquired a 
 common-school education. In 1868 he came 
 to Worcester, having but fifty cents in his 
 pocket after arriving here. This meagre sup- 
 ply of money he had exhausted when he fort- 
 unately found some Canadian friends. He 
 soon obtained work as a carpenter with J. C. 
 French ; and, although he was not familiar 
 with the trade, his natural genius for mechan- 
 ics enabled him to acquire proficiency so rap- 
 idly as to cause his advancement to the posi- 
 tion of foreman in the short space of two years. 
 About 1870 he was engaged by H. W. Eddy 
 to work in the same capacity, and during the 
 succeeding eighteen years he took full charge 
 of many of his employer's building operations, 
 including the buying of materials. The ex- 
 perience and reputation which he gained while 
 under Mr. Eddy, together with the recommen- 
 dations of the late Mr. Washburn, of the firm 
 of Washburn & Moen, enabled him to engage 
 in business on his own account in 1889, start- 
 ing upon a small scale near his present shop 
 and planing mill, at 90 Foster Street. By his 
 energy, ability, and strict integrity he has 
 become one of the successful builders of this 
 city. Besides his city residence on Catherine 
 Street, he owns twenty tenements and three 
 stores, which rent advantageously, a handsome 
 manor house in Canada and a summer cottage 
 at Lake Quinsigamond; and he also owns a 
 controlling share in the steamboat company at 
 that resort. He employs a force of seventy- 
 five men the year round, and at times has work 
 enough for from two hundred to three hundred. 
 
 On October 27, 1880, Mr. Vaudreuil was 
 united in marriage with Miss Alphonse Giroux, 
 a native of Canada and a resident of this city. 
 They have two sons: Claudio, aged thirteen; 
 and Lorenzo, aged twelve years, both of whom 
 are attending school in Montreal. 
 
 In politics Mr. Vaudreuil is a Republican. 
 He has served as president of the principal 
 French-Canadian societies in Worcester, and is 
 the founder of two clubs. He is fond of hunt- 
 ing, and has had mounted several trophies 
 which he killed in the woods of Maine, includ- 
 ing a bear ^nd a Jarge moose with fine antlers. 
 
JONATHAN DA\'IS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 687 
 
 He has been abroad three times, and visited 
 Great Britain, Continental Europe, and Africa. 
 
 'ONATHAN DAVIS, a well-known 
 farmer and cattle dealer of Sterling, 
 Mass., where for many years he has 
 been one of the leading town officers, 
 was born in Westford, Middlesex County, this 
 State, June 10, 1830, son of George and 
 Sophia (Whitcomb) Davis. Jonathan Davis, 
 his grandfather, a native of Tewksbury, Mass. , 
 and a farmer by occupation, was for some years 
 a resident of Bolton. He died in Billerica at 
 the age of forty-two. 
 
 George Davis, father of the subject of this 
 sketch, was born in Bolton, and began life as 
 a farmer in Westford. In 1846 he moved to 
 Sterling; and, purchasing the farm now owned 
 and occupied by his son, he resided here until 
 his death, which occurred when he was sixty- 
 four years old. His wife, Sophia, who was 
 born in Templeton, Mass., daughter of Rufus 
 Whitcomb, a farmer, died at the age of sixty- 
 six. She was the mother of four childr-en, two 
 of whom are living, namely: Ophelia, who 
 married E. A. Lynde, now of Iowa ; and Jona- 
 than, of Sterling. The parents attended the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 Jonathan Davis supplemented his common- 
 school education with courses of study at the 
 Lancaster High School and the academy at 
 New Ipswich, N. H. He taught school win- 
 ters until he was twenty-six, when he bought 
 a half- interest in the homestead farm ; and after 
 the death of his father he purchased his sister's 
 interest in the property. He now owns beside 
 the home farm of seventy-five acres a large 
 amount of outlying land. He conducts gen- 
 eral farming, keeps a number of cows for his 
 own use, and ships milk to Boston. He visits 
 Brighton once a week for the purpose of buying 
 milch cows, in which he is one of the most ex- 
 tensive dealers in the State, always keeping 
 on hand a number for sale. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Davis contracted his first mar- 
 riage with Urania Ingalls, of Putney, Vt. 
 She died four years later, leaving one daugh- 
 ter—Mary, who is now the wife of A. M. 
 Wilder, a grain dealer in Somerville, Mr. 
 
 Davis married for his second wife Ellen Smith, 
 of Athol, Mass., daughter of Aden Smith, a 
 retired brick manufacturer. Of this union 
 were born five children, namely : Louise S. ; 
 George, who is no longer living; Maria; 
 Alice; and John A. 
 
 In politics Mr. Davis is a Republican. He 
 has been one of the Selectmen of Sterling for 
 nearly twenty years, but not continuously, and 
 when a member of the board has always been 
 chairman. He has served on the Board of 
 Health for the same length of time, was a 
 Road Commissioner and Overseer of the Poor, 
 and has been an Assessor and a member of 
 the School Committee. He is a member of 
 the Worcester East Agricultural Society, and 
 the Farmers' Club. Mr. Davis attends the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 OHN W. BOARDMAN, of Boardman 
 Brothers, merchants of Rochdale and 
 Worcester, was born in Ashton, Eng- 
 land, March 11, 1856, son of John and 
 Alice Boardman. His parents and their chil- 
 dren emigrated to the United States in i860, 
 and settled in the part of Leicester called 
 Rochdale. The father died July 25, 1875, 
 and the mother when she was eighty-three 
 years old. The children were: Elizabeth, who 
 became Mrs. Harrison, and is now a widow; 
 James E. , now a member of the firm Boardman 
 Brothers; Mary A., now the wife of B. F. 
 Barnes; and John W. , the subject of this 
 sketch. All reside in Rochdale. 
 
 John W. Boardman began his education in 
 the public schools of this town, and completed 
 his studies at the Worcester Academy. At 
 the age of seventeen he entered upon an ap- 
 prenticeship at the blacksmith's trade in Prov- 
 idence, R.I., where he remained four years. 
 Returning to Rochdale in 1877, he engaged in 
 a mercantile business with his brother James, 
 under the firm name of Boardman Brothers. 
 From a small beginning their business has 
 steadily expanded into its present large propor- 
 tions. Besides the Rochdale enterprise they 
 carry on a store at 28 Pleasant Street, Worces- 
 ter, which was opened in 1891. 
 
 Mr, Boardman married JEnjm^. Greene, of 
 
688 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Providence, R.I. His children are: Herbert 
 T., Addie, Emma G., Alice, John W., and 
 Frederick C. He is the chairman of the 
 Board of Overseers of the Poor, and is now 
 serving his fourth year as the secretary of the 
 Board of Selectmen. In politics he acts with 
 the Republican party. He is a member of 
 Worcester Lodge, No. 56, I. O. O. F. ; is the 
 treasurer of Rochdale Lodge, No. 125, Ancient 
 Order of Foresters; and the local consul of the 
 Massachusetts Division of American Wheel- 
 men. His ability both as a business man and 
 an official has gained for him a far-reaching 
 influence in the community. 
 
 
 ILLIAM F. BRIGHAM, a former 
 member of the Worcester Fire De- 
 partment, whose heroism in this 
 perilous calling is still remembered with ad- 
 miration, was born in this city November 26, 
 1 86 1. His parents, Samuel C. and Sarah R. 
 Brigham, who are well-known and highly re- 
 spected residents of Worcester, and reside at 
 234 Grove Street, have also reared three other 
 children; namely, George H., Mrs. Eliza L. 
 Livingston, and Mrs. Emma J. Smith. 
 
 Young Brigham was educated in the public 
 schools of this city. At an early age he be- 
 came an employee in Vaill's chair factory on 
 Union Street, where he remained for twelve 
 years. His connection with that establish- 
 ment ended with the failure of his employer. 
 Subsequently he entered the wood-working 
 department of the Washburn & Moen wire- 
 mill on Grove Street, where he was employed 
 at the time of his death. 
 
 In 1893 Mr. Brigham joined the fire depart- 
 ment as a call member of Hose Company No. 
 4. So faithful and punctual was he in the 
 fulfilment of his fireman duties that during 
 his two years of service he never missed an 
 alarm. Responding to the call at 5.05 a.m., 
 June 30, 1895, from box No. 45, at the corner 
 of Shrewsbury and East Worcester Streets, 
 summoned the department to a stubborn fire in 
 Hubley'srag building in Brackett Court. Mr. 
 Brigham, as usual, was promptly at his post. 
 He was one of the first to enter the building, 
 and he fought the fire successfully for several 
 
 hours. When the fire was subdued, as he was 
 standing in close proximity to Captain Avery, 
 who was inspecting the ruins, the floor sud- 
 denly gave way from the weight of the water- 
 soaked stock, causing him and Lieutenant 
 J. J. Boyle to be buried beneath several tons of 
 wet rags. Though willing hands begaa to 
 remove the almost impenetrable mass of tim- 
 bers and d6bris, three hours elapsed before the 
 task was done and the bodies of Hoseman Brig- 
 ham and Lieutenant Boyle were found. The 
 tragic event was profoundly regretted by the 
 citizens generally, and many were the expres- 
 sions of s)Tnpathy extended to Mr. Brigham's 
 bereaved widow and parents. The city govern- 
 ment took immediate action, and passed reso- 
 lutions appropriate to the occasion. The ob- 
 sequies were conducted by the Rev. Almon 
 Gunnison at the First Universalist Church on 
 Wednesday afternoon, July 3. 
 
 Mr. Brigham married Lilla A. Mayers, a 
 daughter of C. A. Mayers, of this city. He 
 left three children, namely : Fred, aged seven 
 years ; Gladys, aged four ; and Ruth, aged two 
 years. Domestic in his habits, he preferred 
 to spend his leisure time with his family; and 
 he was extremely devoted to his invalid mother. 
 He was a member of the Firemen's Relief 
 Association. 
 
 THAN ALLEN HARWOOD, one of 
 the foremost farmers of North Brook- 
 field and a member of the State 
 Board of Agriculture, was born September 21, 
 1847, on the farm where he now resides, and 
 which has been the dwelling-place of the Har- 
 wood family for six generations. A son of 
 the late George Harwood, he is a direct de- 
 scendant of Nathaniel Harwood, an early set- 
 tler of Boston, whither he emigrated from 
 England. The next in line of descent was 
 Peter Harwood, of Boston, whose son, Eben- 
 ezer Harwood, bought the Harwood home- 
 stead in North Brookfield in 1740, and became 
 the founder of the family in this part of the 
 county. Ebenezer subsequently fought in the 
 French and Indian War, and was killed at the 
 battle of Louisburg. 
 
 Major Peter Harwood, son of Ebenezer, sue- 
 
ETHAN A. HAKVVOOD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 69] 
 
 ceeded to the homestead on which he spent 
 his life. Inheriting the patriotic spirit that 
 animated his ancestors, he served throughout 
 the Revolution with the rank of Major, and 
 at the ejcecution of Major Andr6 was "the 
 officer of the day." George W. Harwood, 
 son of Major Harwood and the grandfather 
 of Ethan Allen Harwood, was a lifelong resi- 
 dent of North Brookfield. George Harwood, 
 the father, spent his entire life on the home 
 farm, prosperously engaged in agriculture. A 
 man of strong character, he was much re- 
 spected, and served at different times as As- 
 sessor and Overseer of the Poor. In politics 
 he affiliated with the Republican party. He 
 married Angeline Allen, of North Brookfield. 
 They reared the following children : Anna M. , 
 deceased, who married Freeman R. Doane, of 
 this town; George W., who was the Lieuten- 
 ant of a company in the Thirty-sixth Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteer Infantry during the Civil 
 War, and is now a prominent resident of 
 Champaign, 111., where he has served as City 
 Clerk and Alderman ; Ethan Allen, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; and Frances A., the wife 
 of Herbert E. Cummings, of North Brookfield, 
 whose biography may be found elsewhere in 
 this volume. 
 
 Ethan Allen Harwood completed his early 
 education in the North Brookfield High 
 School. At once choosing farming as his oc- 
 cupation, he took especial pains to familiarize 
 himself with the most approved methods in 
 agriculture. Being quick of apprehension, 
 progressive, and thoroughly in earnest, he 
 has as a natural consequence succeeded in 
 all his undertakings. His well-improved 
 farm is finely stocked with graded Jersey 
 cattle, and furnished with all the machinery 
 and implements requisite for general farming. 
 Also interested in the North Brookfield Sav- 
 ings Bank, he has been a director of that in- 
 stitution for the past ten years. He has ren- 
 dered valuable service to the public as a 
 Representative of the Worcester West Agri- 
 cultural Society for the past six years on the 
 State Board of Agriculture; as one of the 
 vice-presidents of the Spencer Farmers' and 
 Mechanics' Association, of which he is a- 
 charter member; as a vice-president of the 
 
 Worcester South Agricultural Society; and as 
 an active member of the North Brookfield 
 Grange. True to the political faith in which 
 he was reared, he is a strong Republican, and 
 has served on the Republican Town Commit- 
 tee. On April 27, 1869, he married Miss 
 Ellen R. Doane, a daughter of Roland F. and 
 Amanda (Shedd) Doane, of this town. Anna 
 M. Harwood is his only child. 
 
 cy^^ANFORD M. KENDALL was a 
 leading merchant of Worcester. 
 Born in Boylston, Mass., on No- 
 vember 6, 1 8 16, he was a son of 
 David and Polly Kendall. His family is one 
 of the oldest in the State, representatives of it 
 having been among the earliest settlers here. 
 Having obtained his early education in the 
 common schools of his native town, he pre- 
 pared for college under the Rev. William San- 
 ford, of Boylston, and subsequently spent some 
 years at Yale. Here he was unable to gradu- 
 ate, as his eyesight failed him; and he was 
 obliged to discontinue his studies. Afterward 
 he ^taught school for some time on Long 
 Island, N. Y. In 1849 he came to Worcester 
 and entered the employ of Mr. White, a dealer 
 in paints and oils, varnishes and artists' ma- 
 terials. He soon won the confidence of his 
 employer, learned the details of the business, 
 and in time became the head clerk. Shortly 
 after the removal of the business to the cor- 
 ner of Main and Front Streets, Mr. Kendall 
 became its proprietor, and for many years sub- 
 sequently carried on a lucrative trade, both 
 wholesale and retail. 
 
 The qualities which won success for Mr. 
 Kendall were his enterprise, his careful busi- 
 ness methods, and the confidence he inspired 
 in his patrons by his well-known probity. As 
 a merchant he took high rank in the city, and 
 his judgment was held in general respect. A 
 man of strong convictions and fearless for the 
 truth as he saw it, he was outspoken in behalf 
 of what he believed to be right ; and his advo- 
 cacy of any cause was sure to win it supporters. 
 Had not physical infirmity in early life inter- 
 fered with his original plans and ambitions, 
 there can be no doubt that he would have taken 
 
692 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a high place among professional men. Some 
 years before his death, which occurred. on May 
 5, 1887, he was obliged to give up his busi- 
 ness on account of his health and retire to a 
 quiet and less active life. 
 
 Mr. Kendall was opposed to secret societies, 
 and never became a member of any of these 
 organizations. He also opposed gambling of 
 any sort and form. He was married on No- 
 vember 18, 1844, to Louisa Brigham, who was 
 a native of Roxbury, Mass. A son born of 
 this marriage died in 1849, when two years of 
 age. Mrs. Kendall, who survives her hus- 
 band, is descended from one of the old fami- 
 lies of Massachusetts. Both were active 
 members of the Salem Street Church after it 
 was founded in 1848, and he was a Deacon of 
 it and the superintendent of its Sunday-school 
 for many years. 
 
 TT^YRUS POTTER, a former resident of 
 I Sr^ Northboro, was a man of recognized 
 ^^ ^ worth and ability. He was born in 
 Northboro, February 19, 1832. A 
 son of James Potter, he was a direct descend- 
 ant of Nicholas Potter, who emigrated from 
 England in the early part of the seventeenth 
 century, and died in Lynn, Mass., October 18, 
 1677. Robert, son of Nicholas, was born in 
 Lynn, March 18, 1661. Robert's son, 
 Ephraim, born in Lynn, April 5, 1683, mar- 
 ried Sarah Witt. Their son, Ephraim, Jr., 
 born March 5, 171 8, had a son, Stephen, born 
 in 1762. Stephen married Marion Tayntor in 
 1782, and removed to Marlboro, Middlesex 
 County, Mass., where his death occurred May 
 25, 1824. James Potter, who belonged to the 
 sixth generation of the family, was born in 
 Marlboro, Mass., January 9, 1799, and there 
 grew to man's estate. On April 27, 1825, he 
 married Elizabeth M. Felton, of Marlboro. 
 Subsequently he removed to Northboro, which 
 he afterward made his home until his death, 
 May 15, 1864, at the age of sixty-five. 
 
 During his active life Cyrus Potter was en- 
 gaged in the provision business. A man of 
 integrity, enterprising and progressive, he was 
 deeply interested in the welfare of the com- 
 mimity in which he lived, and was many times 
 
 proffered positions of public trust that he felt 
 obliged to decline. However, he served his 
 fellow-townsmen as Selectman for five terms, 
 and he was a member of the first Water Board 
 elected by the town, serving in that capacity 
 for three years; and he had charge of the 
 building of the water - works. He devoted 
 much of his time to this matter, it being one 
 in which he was actively interested, serving 
 without pay. He was also for many years one 
 of the directorate of the Northboro National 
 Bank. On May 21, 1857, he married Miss 
 Sarah Augusta Burdett. Death from the 
 effects of a paralytic shock deprived the town 
 of his valued services on June 24, 1895. Mrs. 
 Potter and their only child, William J., sur- 
 vive him. 
 
 William J. Potter, well-known as the 
 cashier of the Northboro National Bank, was 
 born in this town April 20, 1859, and here 
 received his education. In February, 1877, 
 at the age of eighteen, he entered the bank 
 with which he is now connected as clerk. In 
 1 88 1 he was made assistant cashier, and four 
 years later was promoted to the post of cashier 
 of the institution. He is a stanch Republican 
 in politics, active in local afifairs, and has 
 served the town most efficiently in several im- 
 portant offices. For eight consecutive years 
 he was Town Treasurer, and for several terms 
 has been and is at present one of the commis- 
 sioners of the water-works sinking fund. 
 He is now serving his third term as Select- 
 man. He was a trustee of the Gale Fund. 
 On February 21, 1884, he married Florence 
 A., daughter of John and Mary Brigham, of 
 Northboro. They have two sons, twins, now 
 twelve years old, Raymond Bern is and Nor- 
 man Burdett. 
 
 'AMES McFARLAND, who was for 
 twenty years superintendent of the 
 Washburn Iron Company, was bom in 
 HopkiHton, Middlesex County, Mass., 
 June 18, 1818. His parents were Cromwell 
 and Betsey (Walker) McFarland. The race is 
 of Scottish origin. Andrew McFarland and 
 others bearing this surname were among the 
 Scotch-Irish immigrants that settled in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 693 
 
 Worcester early in the eighteenth century. 
 Their descendants are a sturdy people, and 
 have always stood well in the community. 
 Ancestors of Mr. McFarland on the maternal 
 side were Revolutionary patriots. 
 
 James McFarland acquired a limited educa- 
 tion in his native town, his opportunities for 
 study being few. He went to work when 
 quite young and learned the shoemaker's trade. 
 When he was seventeen years old he sought 
 employment in Worcester, and after trying 
 several positions, changing when he could 
 better himself, he engaged with T. S. Stone, 
 shoe manufacturer. After being with Mr. 
 Stone several years he became a member of the 
 Worcester police force. As a guardian of the 
 peace he was efficient and popular, and rapidly 
 rose to prominence. He served as Sergeant, 
 Captain, Assistant City Marshal, and Chief 
 of Police. During the period of his connec- 
 tion with the police department he was also 
 associated some time with the city government 
 as Common Councilman and as Overseer of the 
 Poor, being clerk of the same board, serving 
 in the latter capacity about ten years. 
 
 In 1870 he resigned the position of Chief of 
 Police to become superintendent for the Wash- 
 bum Iron Company, a large manufactory of 
 steel rails and car wheels. The position was 
 a very important one. Mr. McFarland had 
 oversight of the productive processes, and had 
 a great many employees under his supervision. 
 He was esteemed for his faithfulness and re- 
 liability, and was respected alike by his em- 
 ployers and those under his direction. In 
 1888, after eighteen years of faithful service, he 
 resigned his position on account of ill health. 
 He died on June 18, 1890. Mr. McFarland 
 was a man of strong mental and physical force, 
 energetic and persevering. Genial and com- 
 panionable, he made many friends. He was 
 a strong Democrat, and served his party in 
 many ways, giving liberally and working for 
 its interest. He loved his home, and took 
 pride in it. His daily life gave evidence of 
 his regard for the highest Christian principles. 
 
 Mr. McFarland was married in 1838 to 
 Sarah, daughter of Isaac Davis, of Rutland, 
 Mass. Mrs. McFarland is still living in 
 Worcester. Her immigrant ancestor on the 
 
 paternal side came to this country from Eng- 
 land some two hundred years ago, and several 
 generations of the family had birth in Worces- 
 ter County. Isaac Davis, Captain of the 
 minute-men of Acton, Mass., one of the two 
 men killed by the first volley from the British 
 muskets at the Concord Bridge in 1775, was 
 her great-grandfather. 
 
 The following is a brief record of the chil- 
 dren of Mr. and Mrs. McFarland: Eliza D. , 
 born September 10, 1840, died September 30, 
 1896; James S. , born November 22, 1843, 
 died February i, 1877; Charles C. , born 
 December 14, 1844, died April 17, 1893; 
 George H., born February 17, 1847; Estella, 
 born April 7, 185 1, died January 18, 1852. 
 Eliza D. married William Pathie, and left two 
 children ; Charles C. married Josephine Lang- 
 ley, and also left two children ; and George 
 H., who lives in Worcester, married Mary 
 Wells, of Vermont, and has two children. 
 
 EYMAN S. WALKER, of Boylston, a 
 well-known farmer and dairyman, re- 
 ^ siding on the road between Berlin 
 and Boylston, was born in Barre, 
 Mass., May 9, 1840, son of Nathan S. and 
 Lydia (Bumpus) Walker. His grandfather, 
 Ebenezer Walker, was a resident of Petersham 
 and later of Athol, where he died. Ebenezer's 
 wife, who was a Hastings before her marriage, 
 died at an advanced age. They had a family 
 of five children. 
 
 Nathan S. Walker, born in Petersham, was 
 reared in that town and in Athol. He re- 
 ceived a common-school education, and then 
 worked at farming, first by the month and then 
 on his own farm in Oakham. Having spent 
 many years in Oakham, he died at the age of 
 seventy-four. He was highly esteemed among 
 his fellow-citizens, served the town as Over- 
 seer of the Poor, and represented it in the 
 General Court. His religious beliefs were in 
 harmony with the teachings of the Baptist 
 church, of which he was a trustee and an active 
 member, also serving for many years on the 
 Parish Committee. His first wife, Lydia, who 
 died at the age of thirty-nine, was one of the 
 
694 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 children of Cephas Bumpus. The latter was 
 a prominent citizen of Plymouth, a Represent- 
 ative to the General Court, a successful farmer, 
 and a devoted churchman. After the death of 
 his first wife Mr. Walker married Mary A. 
 Delvey, who died aged fifty years. By his 
 first marriage there were five children, of 
 whom three are living, namely: Lyman S., 
 the subject of this sketch; Cephas N., a pro- 
 vision dealer of Worcester; and Ada, a school 
 teacher in New Hartford, Conn. 
 
 Lyman S. Walker passed his early years in 
 Barre, remaining with his parents until eigh- 
 teen years of age. Then he began to work 
 out by the month. At the breaking out of the 
 Civil War he joined the Thirty-fourth Regi- 
 ment, Massachusetts Volunteers, subsequently 
 saw much fighting, and was present at the sur- 
 render of Lee. After he was discharged with 
 the rank of Corporal, he returned North, and 
 was for some time employed at Westboro in 
 packing milk on cars for shipment to Boston. 
 Then he was a packer in the boot and shoe 
 business up to 1869. In this year he bought 
 a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, a large 
 part of which was heavily timbered. Asso- 
 ciated with him in partnership until 1871 was 
 George Morse, whose interest Mr. Walker at 
 that time bought out. Since then he has 
 bought an adjoining farm comprising eighty- 
 four acres, and now owns about two hundred 
 and twenty-five acres in all. This estate is 
 devoted to the raising of fruit and vegetables 
 and to dairying. Mr. Walker attends a milk 
 route to Clinton, delivering about two hundred 
 quarts of milk daily. He keeps about twenty- 
 five head of cattle. The vegetable and fruit 
 grown on his place are of the best grade. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Walker was married to Harriet 
 A. Merriam, an Ohio lady. Her father, Noah 
 K. Merriam, a farmer, having spent the most 
 of his life in Grafton, died in Worcester in 
 1895. He was the father of two children. 
 The children of Mr. and Mrs. Walker are: 
 Edward J. and Lena A. Edward, a graduate 
 of Amherst Agricultural College, who assists 
 his father, having charge of the dairy business, 
 married Lula Bray, and has one child, Beth 
 Louise. Lena married George H. Longley, 
 the well-known blacksmith of this town. In 
 
 politics Mr. Walker is a Republican. He has 
 served the town for three years as Assessor, for 
 one year each as Overseer of the Poor and 
 member of the School Board, and for many 
 years as Road Commissioner. In 1893 he rep- 
 resented the Thirteenth Worcester District in 
 the legislature. A trustee of the Worcester 
 Eastern Agricultural Association since its for- 
 mation, he has made many exhibits at its fairs 
 and taken a large number of premiums. He 
 was formerly a comrade of the Grand Array 
 post at Westboro, of which he was the first 
 Commander. At present he belongs to E. D. 
 Baker Post, No. 64, G. A. R., of Clinton. 
 Although a member of the grange and ac- 
 tively interested in its proceedings, he has 
 been obliged to refuse all official positions 
 connected therewith. Previously a member of 
 the church in Westboro, he has been in com- 
 munion with the Congregational church here 
 since he became a resident, serving the society 
 in the capacity of Deacon for twenty years 
 and that of superintendent of the Sunday- 
 school for eighteen years. He is one of the 
 State Apprizers for the Metropolitan Commis- 
 sion, and has apprized over one hundred thou- 
 sand dollars' worth of property in this and 
 adjoining towns. 
 
 EV. GEORGE WILLIAM KENT, 
 of Worcester, Mass. — Mr. Kent cites 
 his experience as illustrative of the 
 enormous growth of the great Eng- 
 lish capital. He was born' in the little coun- 
 try tovm of Wandsworth, six miles from Lon- 
 don, forty-two years ago (1856). To-day 
 Wandsworth is a part of London, well im- 
 bedded in its great mass of streets and build- 
 ings. Most of his boyhood was spent in the 
 beautiful suburb of Highgate on the north of 
 London. Here he was sent to private school 
 as a child, and later was educated at Whitting- 
 ton College, remaining there until he came to 
 live with relatives in New York in 1872! 
 
 After seeing something of the United 
 States and reaching the conclusion that no 
 better country need be sought this side of 
 heaven, he went to the Divinity School of St. 
 Lawrence University, New York, graduating 
 
GEORGE W. KENT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 697 
 
 in 1878, and was ordained to the Universalist 
 ministry in the same year. His first pastorate 
 was as minister of a little mission church in 
 Jamestown, N.Y., the services being held in 
 an upper room of a business block. The pres- 
 ent flourishing Unitarian church of Jamestown 
 is largely an outgrowth of that mission. 
 
 The young preacher of twenty-two, who has 
 often smiled since then at the title of "Elder, " 
 which the venerable men of that section of the 
 country were wont to use in addressing a 
 clergyman, and hence soberly applied to him, 
 next became minister of the Universalist 
 church at Peoria, 111., remaining there between 
 four and five years. They were years of vigor- 
 ous growth, blessed by many happy friend- 
 ships ; but the ague shook him so that at last, 
 to shake it off, he sought the sea-coast, accept- 
 ing a call to the only liberal church in the 
 Canadian Province of Nova Scotia, that at 
 Halifax. He added to the hazards of this ex- 
 periment by taking unto himself at the same 
 time a wife, marrying Miss Frances Ellen 
 Comstock, of Buffalo, N. Y. Both ventures 
 proved most happy ones, especially the latter. 
 Indeed, Mr. Kent often claims to be doing his 
 best and happiest to make the English-speak- 
 ing peoples one. Born himself in England, of 
 an American father and an English mother, 
 coming to the United States in his minority 
 and thus acquiring American citizenship, he 
 married the daughter of an American father 
 and an Irish mother, and has had two children 
 born in Canada and two in the United States, 
 making a very reasonable contribution to the 
 unity of the American, English, Irish, and 
 Canadian peoples. 
 
 After five happy and active years in Nova 
 Scotia, doing no little missionary work about 
 the Province and in Prince Edward Island. 
 Mr. Kent returned with his little family to the 
 land of his adoption, taking the pastorate of 
 the Universalist Church of Heading, Pa. An- 
 other five years of steady and successful labor 
 followed, the material evidence of which may 
 be seen in the noble church building erected 
 during the ministry of Mr. Kent and largely by 
 his efforts. Since his removal from Reading 
 a memorial window has been placed in the new 
 church as an expression of the esteem and affec- 
 
 tion in which he is still held by his old parish- 
 ioners. 
 
 During those years Mr. Kent — always sus- 
 tained and cheered by the sympathy of his 
 church members — had been steadily outgrow- 
 ing the conservative type of theology then 
 taught in the Universalist schools and upheld 
 by the Board of Publication, and had been 
 entering more and more completely into in- 
 tellectual and spiritual fellowship with the 
 Unitarians. At the close of his ministry in 
 Reading he therefore exchanged his formal 
 fellowship with the Universalists for that of 
 the Unitarians, and shortly after was given 
 charge of the South Unitarian mission at 
 Worcester. 
 
 Seven years of energetic service in this field 
 have resulted in the establishment of a strong 
 and compact church and in the erection of the 
 beautiful building on Main Street known as 
 the South Unitarian Church. In addition to 
 his ministerial labors Mr. Kent is in demand 
 as a lecturer. He has addressed many appre- 
 ciative audiences upon his travels, and also 
 upon the relation of evolutionary science to 
 rational and natural religion. He is yet in 
 the prime of life, and looks forward to many 
 years of earnest and enthusiastic work in 
 Worcester. 
 
 SThoi 
 
 HOMAS R. FOSTER, a well-known 
 M resident of Worcester, formerly a mem- 
 -*- ber of the city police force, was born in 
 Mobile, Ala., May 16, 1822, son of Rufus and 
 Ann (Torry) Foster. His father was a native 
 of Roxbury, Mass., and his mother was born 
 in Quincy, May 21, 1800. 
 
 Rufus Foster was a painter, and after his 
 marriage, which took place in Boston, August 
 29, 1819, he established himself in business at 
 Mobile, Ala. He died there, July 21, 1826, 
 aged forty-three years, leaving a widow and 
 three children, who were then on a visit North. 
 In 1828 Mrs. Foster married for her second 
 husband John S. Havens, by whom she had 
 four children. He died in 1838. Her third 
 husband was H. B. Brewster. She was sin- 
 cerely beloved by all who knew her for her 
 affectionate disposition and desire to relieve 
 
698 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the suffering of others and make them happy. 
 Nursing the sick and aiding the needy were 
 to her a pleasure, and many had cause to extol 
 her virtues. She died in 1843 while on a 
 visit to Pensacola, Fla., for the benefit of her 
 health, and was buried in that city. Five of 
 her seven children grew to maturity. The 
 only survivors are: Thomas R. Foster, the 
 subject of this sketch; and his half-sister, El- 
 mira Havens, who is now the wife of George 
 W. Stickney, of Troy, N. Y. 
 
 Thomas R. Foster was reared by his pater- 
 nal grandmother, whose maiden name was 
 Sarah Goddard. She was left a widow; and 
 after marrying a second time, becoming the 
 wife of Tilly Chafifin, she removed from Rox- 
 bury to Holden, Mass., where her grandson 
 acquired a common-school education. Learn- 
 ing the painter's trade, he followed it in 
 Worcester from 1843 to 1851, and was subse- 
 quently engaged in other occupations. Re- 
 ceiving an appointment as a police officer in 
 1865, he served upon the force for fifteen years, 
 during the last five of which he performed 
 special duty at headquarters. For the past six- 
 teen years he has lived in retirement. 
 
 On Christmas Eve, 1844, Mr. Foster mar- 
 ried Sarah Jane Fales, who was born in Hol- 
 den in 1827. Her parents, Ambrose and Amy 
 (Newell) Fales, were prosperous farming 
 people. They reared four of their seven chil- 
 dren, and the only survivors are: Sarah J., 
 who is now Mrs. Foster; and Ira Fales, of 
 Winthrop, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Foster reside 
 with their daughter Sarah, wife of John W. 
 Bishop, one of the leading contractors of New 
 England. They had another daughter, Elmira, 
 who died at the age of eleven years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bishop have had nine chil- 
 dren, namely: Mina F., who died in infancy; 
 William T., who is in business with his father; 
 Frederick H., who died at the age of eleven 
 months ; Florence J. , a graduate of a. prepara- 
 tory school for kindergarten teachers; Marion 
 E., who married Thomas H. Coe, has one 
 daughter, and resides in Providence, R.I. ; 
 John W., Jr., who is studying under a private 
 tutor; Sarah A., a pupil at the high school; 
 Alice M., who died at eleven months; and 
 Nathaniel S. Bishop, who is attending school. 
 
 ENJAMIN FRANKLIN HAR- 
 RINGTON, one of Worcester's 
 most extensive dairymen, was born 
 upon the farm where he now resides, 
 September 2, 1838, son of Captain Benjamin 
 and Lucretia (Flagg) Harrington. Mr. Har- 
 rington is the fifth representative of the family 
 in a direct line to occupy this Jarm, which 
 was cleared from the "wilderness by Francis 
 Harrington, who came here from Watertown, 
 Mass. The pioneer's son, Nathaniel Harring- 
 ton, who served in the Revolutionary War, was 
 born here, as was also Nathaniel's son Jona- 
 than, whose birth took place October 31, 1779. 
 Jonathan Harrington was a prosperous 
 farmer, and owned two hundred acres, or one- 
 half of the original property deeded to his 
 grandfather. He married Mary Flagg, daugh- 
 ter of Captain Benjamin Flagg, of Worcester, 
 and had one child, named for his maternal 
 grandfather, Benjamin. Jonathan Harrington 
 died May 4, 1858; and his wife, who survived 
 him, died at the age of eighty-eight years. 
 Her mother lived to be ninety-eight years old. 
 Benjamin Harrington, son of Jonathan and 
 Mary (Flagg) Harrington, was born at the 
 homestead, April 5, 1805. At an early age he 
 began to assist in carrying on the farm, which 
 he eventually inherited, and continued to till 
 the soil with prosperous results for the rest of 
 ,his active period. He died August 13, 1873. 
 He was at one time a prominent figure in local 
 military affairs, and held a Captain's commis- 
 sion in the State militia. In his earlier years 
 he played the clarinet and sang in the choir at 
 the Old South Church. Later he united with 
 the Union Church, and took an active part in 
 the musical portion of the services. Lucretia 
 Flagg, whom he married March 18, 1835, was 
 born in Worcester in 1805, daughter of Abel 
 Flagg. She became the mother of five chil- 
 dren, namely: Mary Elizabeth, who was bom 
 in 1836, and is the wife of Samuel G. Curtis, 
 of Worcester; Benjamin F., the subject of this 
 sketch; Hannah, who died at the age of two 
 years and six months; Henry Augustus, who 
 resides upon a part of the home farm; and 
 Sarah Amelia, wife of Gonzalo E. Buxton, 
 M.D., of Providence, R.I. Mrs. Lucretia F. 
 Harrington died in 1889. 
 
ISAAC S. BALCOME. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 701 
 
 Benjamin Franklin, the elder son, began his 
 education in the district school, and completed 
 it at the Worcester Academy at the age of 
 nineteen, his spare moments from early boy- 
 hood being spent in farm work at home. 
 After his father's death he succeeded to the 
 ownership of a part of the property. He raises 
 good crops, but gives his chief attention to his 
 dairy, keeping thirty cows, among which are 
 seventeen grade Holsteins ; and for the past 
 seven years he has had the exclusive control of 
 a milk route that has belonged to the family for 
 forty-two years. In 1891 he completed a new 
 residence, and also built a spacious barn, 
 which is fully equipped with modern conven- 
 iences and sanitary improvements. 
 
 On November 18, 1875, Mr. Harrington was 
 joined in marriage with Harriet Ann Harring- 
 ton, daughter of Francis and Harriet W. (Rob- 
 bins) Harrington, who were cousins. Francis 
 Harrington was a prominent merchant of 
 Worcester in his day. He served in both 
 branches of the city government. He died 
 July 2, 1 88 1. His first wife died at the age 
 of twenty-six, leaving one daughter, Harriet 
 A., now Mrs. Harrington. He married for 
 his second wife Frances J. Moore, of Rhode 
 Island, and by this union had one son, who 
 died in infancy. Mrs. Harrington was edu- 
 cated at the Worcester and Westfield Normal 
 Schools, and taught several years previous to 
 her marriage. She is Xhe mother of one son 
 — Francis Benjamin, who was born September 
 4, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Harrington are mem- 
 bers of the Union Congregational Church, and 
 the former has filled the position of librarian 
 most, acceptably for many years. 
 
 "EfRE; 
 
 Freeman J. rich, the Postmaster of 
 Charlton City for several years, who 
 
 P c 
 
 has also been extensively engaged in 
 mercantile pursuits, was born in Charlton, 
 December 27, 1857. His parents, Paris and 
 Sarah (Stone) Rich, were natives respectively 
 of Sutton and Oxford, Mass. At the age of 
 nine years, having previously attended the 
 public schools of Charlton for some time, he 
 removed with his parents to the neighboring 
 town of Dudley, and completed his education 
 
 in Nichols Academy. Ten years after he re- 
 turned to Charlton City to take a position in a 
 sash and blind factory, in which he was em- 
 ployed a few years. In 1880 or soon after 
 he formed a copartnership with Judson E. 
 Darling, and under the firm name of J. E. 
 Darling & Co. opened a general merchandise 
 store. After successfully carrying on busi- 
 ness for five years Mr. Rich in 1885 pur- 
 chased the interest of his partner in the store. 
 Since then he has conducted the business 
 alone. To the original stock of fancy and 
 staple groceries, flour, grain, crockery, and 
 hardware he has added meat and provisions, 
 in which he has built up a lucrative trade. 
 He has a large patronage in this vicinity, and 
 keeps two wagons on the road all the year 
 around. 
 
 Mr. Rich has been the Postmaster of Charl- 
 ton City since his first appointment thereto 
 under the administration of President Cleve- 
 land, giving satisfaction to all concerned. 
 In politics he is a sound Republican. On 
 February 17, 1886, be married Miss Rose A. 
 Woodward, a daughter of Henry J. and Jane 
 Elizabeth Woodward, of Fiskdale, Mass., and 
 is now the father of three children — Lena 
 M., Eula L., and R. Marion. 
 
 ISAAC STONE BALCOME, who was a 
 well-to-do resident of East Dougla:s, 
 having retired from business some years 
 ago, was born in Douglas, Mass., Feb- 
 ruary 14, 1830, son of Samuel and Submit 
 (Stone) Balcome. Samuel Balcome was born 
 in Douglas in 1780. Learning the carpenter's 
 trade, he followed it for many years. He 
 purchased the Stone farm, which has since 
 been known as the Balcome homestead. In 
 politics he was a Whig. He was prominent 
 in local affairs, and served as Town Clerk, 
 besides holding other oiifices. For many 
 years he was a Deacon of the Congregational 
 church. His wife. Submit, who was born in 
 Douglas in 1788, daughter of Isaac and Sub- 
 mit Stone, became the mother of nine chil- 
 dren; namely, Sarah, Samuel, Submit, James, 
 Mary Ann, Augustus, Edwin, Susan S., and 
 Isaac S. Both the parents died in 1852. 
 
702 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Isaac Stone Balcome was educated in the 
 schools of Douglas. Starting in life as clerk 
 in a hardware store at East Douglas, he con- 
 tinued in that capacity for eight years. At 
 the end of that time he established himself in 
 the same line of business, for seventeen years 
 thereafter occupying the store now carried on 
 by Walter Jones. Subsequently selling out, 
 he removed to Brunswick, Me., where he con- 
 ducted a hardware store for several years, or 
 until his retirement. Then, after spending 
 some time in travel, he returned to East 
 Douglas, where he resided until his death, 
 which occurred December 7, 1898. 
 
 Mr. Balcome was three times married. 
 His first wife was in maidenhood Ann M. 
 Parkhurst. He married for his second Mi- 
 nerva Lovett. His third wife, who survives 
 him, and to whom he was united November 
 24, 1891, was Julia A. Reynolds. He had 
 an adopted daughter, Minnie F., who was born 
 November 22, 1862. She married Marshall 
 H. Fuller in 1889, and has one son, Albert 
 B. Fuller, who was born October 13, 1891. 
 Mr. Balcome served the town with ability as 
 Selectman, Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, 
 and Moderator. In politics he cast his vote 
 with the Republican party. 
 
 KRANK A. SMITH, the well-known 
 insurance agent of North Brookfield, 
 son of Augustus and Jane M. (Harring- 
 ton) Smith, was born in Heath, Mass., Decem- 
 ber 15, 1839. His grandfather, Moses Smith, 
 was a resident of Heath, and both of his par- 
 ents were natives of that place. The father, 
 who came to North Brookfield in 1849, ^^s 
 shortly after appointed agent for the Protective 
 Union Store, Division No. 99, which position 
 he held for several years. In the fifties he 
 started a general merchandise business on his 
 own account, and conducted it for the rest of 
 his life. The most prominent merchant of his 
 time in this place, he had a very large acquaint- 
 ance both in this and the adjoining towns. 
 In politics he was successively a Whig and 
 a Republican. During the stormy period of 
 the Civil War he was a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen and for much of the time the 
 
 chairman of the board. In the latter capacity 
 it was his duty to fill the town's quotas of men 
 for the war. He conducted the affairs of the 
 town in a conservative and judicious manner, 
 winning the hearty approval of his fellow-citi- 
 zens. Also he served with credit as a mem- 
 ber of the School Board. Orthodox in relig- 
 ious belief, he was a consistent and active mem- 
 ber of the Congregational church in this place. 
 By his death North Brookfield lost one of her 
 most useful and valued men. 
 
 Having come to North Brookfield with his 
 parents in his tenth year, Frank A. Smith at- 
 tended the town schools for a number of years. 
 Later he was sent to a private boarding-school 
 in West Chester, N.Y., where he studied for 
 two years. At the age of fifteen he returned 
 to North Brookfield and entered his father's 
 store as a clerk. In August, 1862, he enlisted 
 in Company F, Forty-second Regiment, Mas- 
 sachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Subsequently, 
 assigned to General Banks's command in the 
 expedition to New Orleans, he was on duty 
 there for several months, being for a part of 
 the time at the brigade headquarters, perform- 
 ing clerical work and carrying despatches. 
 Although he entered for only nine months, he 
 was in the service for a year. After receiving 
 his discharge he came back to his home and 
 resumed work in his father's store. In 1870 
 he and S. H. Skerry, firm of S. H. Skerry & 
 Co., started in the insurance business, and 
 carried it on until the death of Mr. Skerry in 
 1876. Since then Mr. Smith has conducted 
 the business without a partner, and now repre- 
 sents twenty insurance companies. Also in- 
 terested in the North Brookfield Savings Bank, 
 he is one of its trustees and a member of its 
 Board of Investment. 
 
 Mr. Smith has been three times married, 
 and is the father of two children. The latter 
 are: Mary A., who is a student at Smith Col- 
 lege; and Ward A., who is studying in the 
 North Brookfield High School. A member of 
 Ezra Batcheller Post, No. 51, G. A. R., Mr. 
 Smith has been its Adjutant and Commander. 
 When the Young Men's Christian Association 
 was in existence here, he was its president and 
 one of its most active supporters. For over 
 twenty consecutive years he has been the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 7°3 
 
 superintendent of the Sunday-school of the 
 Union Congregational Church and for several 
 years a Deacon of the church. He is also the 
 chairman of the Parish Committee. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican. 
 
 "jClRNEST L. WARREN, M.D., the 
 Fl popular physician of West Boylston, 
 -^— ' "^ Mass., where he has succeeded to his 
 father's practice, was born in this town on 
 July 25, 1863. He is the only son of Dr. 
 George W. and Ellen (Flagg) Warren. The 
 name he bears has been an honored one in the 
 ranks of the medical profession many years. 
 
 George W. Warren was brought up in Lu- 
 nenburg, Worcester County. He obtained his 
 elementary education in the common schools 
 of that town, was fitted for college at Phillips 
 Academy, was graduated from Amherst in 
 1845 and from the medical college in Wood- 
 stock, Vt. , two years later. Coming directly 
 to West Boylston, Dr. Warren began the prac- 
 tice of medicine in this town, and for the fol- 
 lowing forty years was the leading physician 
 here, resigning his practice to have it taken 
 up by his son, as above noted. He was for 
 many years a member of the West Boylston 
 School Committee. Both the elder Doctor 
 and his wife have been active members of the 
 Congregational church, and he is a member 
 of the Massachusetts Medical Society. Mrs. 
 Warren is a native of Boylston, being one of a 
 number of children born to Montraville Flagg. 
 Dr. and Mrs. George W. Warren have been 
 the parents of two children, namely: Ernest 
 L., the special subject of this sketch; and 
 Grace, now the wife of F. A. Curry, who was 
 formerly railway station agent at West Boyls- 
 ton, and now holds a like position at Yonkers 
 in New York State. 
 
 Ernest Warren, after attending the West 
 Boylston High School, was graduated at 
 Worcester Academy, and subsequently, at the 
 age of eighteen, began the study of medicine 
 in his father's office. Later he matriculated 
 at the Long Island Medical College at Brook- 
 lyn, N.Y., and in 1884 received his degree of 
 Doctor of Medicine from that institution. 
 Going then to New York City, he took a full 
 
 course of post-graduate lectures, and then 
 settled for the practice of his profession in 
 New Haven, acting as assistant to Dr. Whitte- 
 more, an old and skilful physician of that city. 
 After fourteen months of practice in New 
 Haven his health failed, and he found it 
 necessary to return home for a year's rest and 
 recuperation. When again able to take up his 
 profession, he began assisting his father, and 
 since 1887 he has relieved him from the greater 
 part of his professional work. The young 
 Doctor's ministrations to the sick are known 
 and appreciated not only in West Boylston, 
 but throughout the adjoining towns, and his 
 services are much sought for. 
 
 Dr. Ernest L. Warren was married in 1897 
 to Mary Garfield, who was born in Templeton, 
 daughter of Henry J. and Martha (Whipple) 
 Garfield. Mr. Garfield was formerly engaged 
 in the manufacture of chairs in Templeton. 
 He died on a farm in Holden at the age of 
 forty-one. Mrs. Garfield was born in Lunen- 
 burg. She was the mother of the following 
 named children: Mary (now Mrs. Warren), 
 Charles H., Joseph B. , Burtis J., Myron S., 
 and Willie S. , the last two of whom were 
 twins. Dr. E. L. Warren votes the Republi- 
 can ticket. He is a member of Centennial 
 Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 Aside from his regular practice he serves as 
 examining physician for a large number of life 
 insurance companies and for the order of 
 Foresters. He and his family attend the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 'AMUEL FOSTER HAVEN, 
 LL. D., who for over forty years was 
 the librarian of the American Anti- 
 quarian Society of Worcester, was 
 born in Dedham, Mass., on May 28, 1806. A 
 son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Foster) Haven, 
 he was a descendant of Richard Haven, of 
 Lynn. He was graduated at Phillips Academy 
 in Andover, and in 1822 he entered Harvard 
 University, where he remained for two years. 
 After spending two more years at Amherst 
 College he received his Bachelor's degree 
 from that institution in 1826. He then began 
 the study of law, reading for a year in the 
 
704 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 office of the Hon. Theron Metcalf in Dedham 
 and subsequently entering the Harvard Law 
 School. He was admitted to the bar in 1829. 
 After practising for a year in Dedham he re- 
 moved to Lowell, where he followed his pro- 
 fession for three years. He continued there 
 for two years longer in the capacity of secre- 
 tary to an insurance company. Returning to 
 Dedham after this, he remained there from 
 1835 to 1838. Then he came to Worcester, 
 having been chosen librarian of the American 
 Antiquarian Society on September 23, 1837. 
 Tn entering upon this period of his career he 
 burned his bridges behind him, and thence- 
 forth gave his entire attention to the work of 
 the society. His life work has resulted in 
 increasing to a considerable extent our knowl- 
 edge of early American events. 
 
 As a writer Dr. Haven's style was polished 
 and accurate. His historical address deliv- 
 ered before the people of Dedham on Decem- 
 ber 24, 1836, the occasion being the second 
 centennial anniversary of the incorporation of 
 the town, was an admirable production. The 
 annual reports of the society, issued under his 
 supervision, were noteworthy documents, and 
 embodied a large part of his historical writ- 
 ings. Among the topics treated therein were 
 the Mexican antiquities, the mound builders, 
 the Dighton rocks, the prehistoric period of 
 the Old World, lake dwellings, the stone age, 
 and flint implements. In 1836 he edited "Ar- 
 chseologia Americana" for the society. Dr. 
 Palfrey, the eminent historian, said, "To no 
 one am I indebted for more light than to that 
 eminent archaeologist, S. F. Haven, in elabo- 
 rating the views presented in these pages of 
 the origin and purpose of the Company of the 
 Massachusetts Bay." In 1855 Mr. Haven 
 furnished, as one of the Smithsonian contribu- 
 tions to knowledge, a volume on the "Archae- 
 ology of the United States. " He occasionally 
 contributed to the columns of the Boston Ad- 
 vertiser. Among his other writings may be 
 mentioned the "Narrative of a Voyage to 
 Spitzbergen in 1613 " and his review of the 
 "Memorial Volume of the Popham Celebra- 
 tion " on August 29, 1862, the latter being a 
 masterly discussion relating to New England 
 colonization, 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Haven travelled extensively 
 abroad. While in London he was entertained 
 at the Athenaeum Club, meeting there the 
 Diike of Argyle and other distinguished men. 
 On the same day he was escorted to the House 
 of Lords and given a seat at the foot of the 
 throne, from which position he listened to 
 a brilliant speech by the duke. From Eng- 
 land he sent home some valuable transcripts of 
 documents relating to early American history, 
 including one of the "Records of the Council 
 for New England." In 1872 he travelled 
 through the Southern States. During his ab- 
 sence in Florida for his health in the spring 
 of 1879 3 portrait of him in oil, painted by 
 E. L. Euster, of Boston, was presented to the 
 Antiquarian Society by the Hon. Edward L. 
 Davis in behalf of the members, and the pict- 
 ure now hangs in Antiquarian Hall. Among 
 the papers which Mr. Haven edited for the 
 society was Isaiah Thomas's History of Print- 
 ing in America. Mr. Haven was a member of 
 the Massachusetts Historical Society from 
 1859 to his death; and in 1869, when a 
 course of lectures was given by different mem- 
 bers of the society at the Lowell Institute in 
 Boston, he contributed a most interesting lect- 
 ure on the "History of Grants under the Great 
 Council for New England. " This added new 
 lustre to the high reputation he had already 
 achieved as an American scholar. His last 
 paper, and one of the most important he ever 
 wrote, was a chapter entitled "Boston 
 Founded," contributed to Winsor's Memorial 
 History of Boston, published in 1880. This 
 is a sketch of the history of the Massachusetts 
 Company from its beginning to the time when 
 it was merged in the Colony of the Massachu- 
 setts Bay. 
 
 In April, 1881, after a few years of ill 
 health, Mr. Haven resigned his position as 
 librarian, but was imme'diately elected libra- 
 rian emeritus. On September 5 of the same 
 year he died. He willed that at the death of 
 his wife, or sooner if she should so desire, all 
 of his books and the sum of one thousand dol- 
 lars should be given to the society for which 
 he had worked so many years, the books to be 
 kept in the Haven Alcove, and the money to 
 be safely invested and its yearly income used 
 
FRED B. SMITH. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 707 
 
 in the purchase of new books. He had re- 
 ceived the degree of Master of Arts from Har- 
 vard University in 1852 and that of Doctor of 
 Laws from Amherst College in 1879. 
 
 Mr. Haven was married on May 10, 1830, 
 to Lydia Gibbon Sears, a daughter of the Rev. 
 Freeman Sears, of Natick. She died on March 
 10, 1836, leaving one son, Samuel Foster 
 Haven, Jr., to whose care for many years the 
 father devoted his best energies. Young 
 Haven grew to manhood, fulfilling every prom- 
 ise of his youth. He graduated at Harvard in 
 1852, at the Boston Medical College in 1855, 
 and, after studying in London, Paris, Vienna, 
 and Berlin, he settled for the practice of medi- 
 cine in Worcester. When the Rebellion 
 broke out, he joined the Fifteenth Massachu- 
 setts' Regiment as assistant surgeon. At the 
 battle of Fredericksburg, on December 13, 
 1862, while marching by the side of the color- 
 bearer, he was killed by the explosion of a 
 shell. A second marriage on December 3, 
 1872, united Mr. Haven with Frances Will- 
 iams, a daughter of Major Samuel Allen, of 
 Worcester. Mrs. Haven survives her hu&band. 
 
 bf RED S. SMITH, son of Frederick B. 
 
 p and Nancy A. (Southwick) Smith, was 
 -^ bom in Millville, June 8, 1867. His 
 paternal grandfather, Channing Smith, was a 
 life resident of Blackstone. The father, in 
 the seventies, bought the water-power and 
 what remained of an old mill, refitted the 
 plant, and soon built up a thriving business, 
 which he carried on during the rest of his 
 life, which closed August 13, 1882. He was 
 highly respected in the town, and was chosen 
 for several terms on the Board of Selectmen. 
 His wife, Nancy, was the daughter of Daniel 
 and Sally (Wilson) Southwick. 
 
 Fred S. Smith was educated in the public 
 schools of Sutton. On finishing school he at 
 once took up mill work with his father. He 
 was soon made superintendent, and since the 
 death of his father he has had entire charge of 
 the mill and has been its sole owner. He 
 does custom work almost entirely. The old 
 mill carried on by his father was burned De- 
 
 cember 24, 1884, but was rebuilt the same 
 winter. So favorably is Mr. Smith known, 
 both as regards the quality of his goods and his 
 personal integrity, that he usually has work on 
 hand for several months in advance. He at- 
 tends the First Congregational Church ; is a 
 member and Past Master of Sutton Grange, 
 No. 109, P. of H. ; a member of Morning Star 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F. , of Millbury; and a Mason 
 of Olive Branch, Blue Lodge, at Millbury. 
 
 On August 3, 1887, Mr. Smith married 
 Jennie Tyla Holbrook, a daughter of Wilder 
 S. and Jennie (Paine) Holbrook. Their chil- 
 dren were born as follows: in 1888, August 
 27, Fred Holbrook; in 1890, July 14, Walter 
 Alonzo; in 1892, August 5, Channing Wilder; 
 in 1894, September 5, Marion Tyla; and in 
 1896, October 29, Wilder Stephen. Mrs. 
 Smith's father, Mr. Holbrook, was one of the 
 first men to enlist from Sutton for service in 
 the Civil War. He joined Company G of the 
 Fifteenth Massachusetts Regiment, and in the 
 first engagement in which he took part was 
 severely wounded. After a period of conva- 
 lescence at home and ultimate recovery from 
 all ill effects of his wound he re-enlisted, and 
 was commissioned Lieutenant of Company K, 
 the Thirty-sixth Regiment. He received his 
 final discharge on the last day of July, 1863, 
 and is now a prominent Grand Army man. 
 At one time he was Postmaster of Sutton. 
 For twelve years he was Town Clerk, and in 
 1868 he was Assessor of the town. He kept 
 a store for a number of years at Sutton Centre, 
 but sold out to H. L. Ray when he received 
 an appointment in the Boston Custom House, 
 which he now holds. 
 
 /®Xo 
 
 y ■) I prominent business man of Worces- 
 ^— "^ ter for many years. Born in Rox- 
 bury, Mass., on May 9, 1831, he was a son of 
 Daniel and Nancy (Hallowell) Atwood. The 
 Atwoods were a Cape Cod family, and had re- 
 sided in that section for many generations. 
 Daniel Atwood was a sea captain. His 
 wife, Nancy, was a native of Roxbury, her par- 
 ents having resided there for many years. 
 Daniel died when his son George was a boy. 
 
7o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Young Atwood obtained his early education 
 in a private school. He began his working 
 life by going into partnership with his brother 
 in a dry-goods store at Natick. The store was 
 located in the old Arcade Building, where for 
 eight or ten years the firm carried on a success- 
 ful business. When his brother died, Mr. At- 
 wood sold out the business. In 1861 he came 
 to Worcester, and with G. P. Cobb estab- 
 lished a wholesale and retail fish business on 
 Exchange Street. Two years later the firm re- 
 moved to the corner of Main and Exchange 
 Streets and subsequently to 135 Front Street, 
 where the business is at present carried on by 
 the surviving partner. The business prospered 
 after Mr. Atwood began his connection with it, 
 acquiring the patronage of the hotels and other 
 large buyers. There was a wholesale depart- 
 ment in addition to that for the retail trade. 
 Mr. Atwood was the leading member of the 
 firm up to the time of his death. The success 
 of the business was due not only to his skilful 
 management and promptness, but in large part 
 to the fact that people soon found out that he 
 never represented anything as other than it was. 
 When a customer was told that a certain article 
 bought was perfectly fresh, he could rely im- 
 plicitly on the statement. On the other hand, 
 if something desired was not quite fresh, he 
 was informed of its condition before purchasing 
 it. By this policy of strict honesty the firm 
 soon won the confidence of the public and as a 
 consequence a continually increasing patron- 
 age, proving that "it pays to be honest." 
 
 Mr. Atwood was a member of Morning Star 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., and of Worcester Royal 
 Arch Chapter. In politics he was a Republi- 
 can, and he could always be counted on to 
 stand by his party. A man of quiet tastes, he 
 did not care to take an active part in political 
 affairs or to place himself in a position of 
 public prominence; but he never failed in his 
 duties as a citizen, and he took much interest 
 in all affairs of local importance. Although a 
 man of genial temper and having many friends 
 among the men of the city, his chief social 
 pleasures were found by his own fireside in the 
 companionship of his family and friends. Al- 
 though in ill health for the last five years of 
 his life, and knowing that his end was liable 
 
 to come at any moment, he continued in active 
 business. He died on January 25, 1888. 
 
 On September 28, 1862, Mr. Atwood was 
 united in marriage with Hannah S. Wheeler, 
 of Natick, Mass., a native of Wayland. The 
 Wheeler family came from England and settled 
 in Wayland about the beginning of the eigh- 
 teenth century. Mrs. Atwood 's grandfather 
 Wheeler was one of the' early Judges of the 
 Civil Court of Middlesex County, and he and 
 his family were prominent in public affairs. 
 On the maternal side she comes of fine old 
 stock, having descended from Edwin Rice, who 
 came from Berkhamstead, England, in 1638, 
 and settled in Sudbury, Mass. One of her 
 connections was among the signers of the Dec- 
 laration of Independence. Her children are: 
 Lillian Sherman, born on June 2, 1868; and 
 Grace Hallowell, born January 31, 1875. Mr. 
 Atwood's valuable estate, which he made his 
 home, was on Pleasant Street. 
 
 Wl 
 
 ILLIAM BROWN, the well-known 
 carpenter and undertaker of Paxton, 
 son of William and Diadama 
 (Wheeler) Brown, was born in Franklin 
 County, New York, July 16, 1826. His first 
 ancestor in this country was John Brown, who 
 came from England in the ship "Lyon." His 
 paternal grandfather, Solomon Brown, was a 
 sharpshooter in the Revolutionary army, and 
 fought at Lexington. It is said that at Lex- 
 ington he was the first to shed British blood. 
 William Brown, son of Solomon, born in New 
 Haven, Conn., died in Malone, N.Y., where 
 he had been engaged in farming for many 
 years. 
 
 William Brown, the subject of this biog- 
 raphy, grew up on his father's farm, and at- 
 tended the public school in his district. 
 While he was a pupil there William A. 
 Wheeler, the late Vice - President of the 
 United States, who had charge of that and 
 other schools, was a frequent visitor. In this 
 way Mr. Brown came to know him well, and 
 the acquaintance thus begun ripened into a 
 close friendship in subsequent years. Mr. 
 Brown came to Paxton in 1849, and has since 
 resided here. When about thirty years of age 
 
ROBERT H. COLE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 711 
 
 he began working at the carpenter's trade, 
 which he subsequently followed for many 
 years. Also serving in the capacity of Ceme- 
 tery Commissioner, he has had charge of the 
 greater part of the undertaking business car- 
 ried on in this town. 
 
 Mr. Brown married Hannah B. Metcalf, of 
 Paxton, a daughter of John P. and Lydia Met- 
 calf. His only son, the late Dr. Wesley E. 
 Brown, was practising medicine at Gilbert- 
 ville, Mass., when he died. In politics Mr. 
 Brown is a Republican. He has served the 
 people of Paxton in the office of Selectman for 
 several years and in that of Assessor for two 
 years. For fourteen years he has been a Jus- 
 tice of the Peace, in which capacity he has 
 transacted a large amount of important busi- 
 ness. He is an active worker in the Congre- 
 gational Church of Paxton, having been for the 
 past thirty-eight years a member of the so- 
 ciety and for several years its chairman. He 
 commands the full confidence of all who know 
 him, and is a valued resident of the town. 
 
 fERNON PROUTY, a leading agricult- 
 urist and stock-raiser of Spencer, son 
 of John N. and Melinda (Luther) 
 Prouty, was born on the farm he now occupies, 
 June 7, 1834. His paternal grandfather, 
 Thomas, was a son of Isaac Prouty, who was 
 the first of the family to settle within the 
 limits of the town of Spencer. The father, 
 who died in 1848, spent his lifetime in Spen- 
 cer, residing on the farm his son Vernon 
 nQw occupies. He was well acquainted both 
 in this and the adjoining towns, and wherever 
 he was known he was respected and admired. 
 In politics an old-time Whig, he was for sev- 
 eral terms a Selectman. His wife, Melinda, 
 was also born in Spencer. Of their children, 
 four are living; namely, Thomas A., Melinda 
 A., Isaac L., and Vernon. Melinda married 
 John Rockwood, of Worcester. 
 
 Vernon Prouty received the education 
 afforded by the public schools of a half-cen- 
 tury ago. Since then he has been a close 
 student of public affairs, both in politics and 
 social life, and to-day is well informed on all 
 topics of general interest, He has spent his 
 
 active life in agriculture, for which his early 
 training on his father's farm had adequately 
 prepared him. Besides carrying on general 
 farming he makes a specialty of breeding and 
 raising graded Durham cattle. His farm, con- 
 taining one hundred and twenty acres of land, 
 is kept in an excellent condition. In politics 
 Mr. Prouty is a Republican. 
 
 tOBERT H. COLE, now retired, who 
 formerly manufactured optical goods 
 in Southbridge, was born in 
 ■^Worcester, Mass., May 28, 181 8, 
 son of Elisha and Mary (McKinley) Cole. 
 His paternal grandfather, also named Elisha, 
 a sailor by occupation, was lost at sea when 
 Elisha Cole (second), was an infant. The 
 maiden name of Grandmother Cole was 
 Turner. The father, a native of Boston, born 
 in 1788, followed the tailor's trade succes- 
 sively in Boston and Worcester and later in 
 Southbridge, to which he came in 1818, pre- 
 vious to its industrial development. He re- 
 sided here for the rest of his life, which ter- 
 minated in 1865. In religious belief he was 
 a Baptist, and he acted as a Deacon of that 
 church for many years. Mary, his wife, who 
 was a daughter of Robert McKinley, of Ches- 
 ter, N.H., became the mother of nine chil- 
 dren. Of these, Robert H., the subject of 
 this sketch, alone survives. 
 
 Robert H. Cole was educated in the schools 
 of Southbridge. When fifteen years old he 
 was apprenticed to William Beecher, of whom 
 he learned the trade of jeweller and watch- 
 maker. At the age of twenty-one he became 
 a partner in the business, under the firm name 
 of Beecher & Co. Purchasing his associate's 
 interest a year later, he carried on the store 
 alone for the succeeding six years. Then he 
 and Lucius H. Ammidown formed a partner- 
 ship for the purpose of engaging in the manu- 
 facture of spectacles. The firm of Ammidown 
 & Co. may be said to have been the founders 
 of the optical industry in Southbridge. Their 
 beginning was made in a building at the 
 lower end of Main Street. After the death 
 of Mr. Ammidown in 1853, William Beecher 
 succeeded to the latter's interest. Mr, 
 
712 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Beecher again retiring, others were admitted 
 to partnersliip under tlie firm name of R. H. 
 Cole & Co. That concern carried on busi- 
 ness until 1869, when the American Optical 
 Company was organized and incorporated with 
 R. H. Cole as president. This position was 
 held by Mr. Cole until his retirement in 
 1891. He is still a heavy stockholder in the 
 concern. He is also interested in the Water 
 Supply Company, the Southbridge Electric 
 Company, and the Southbridge & Sturbridge 
 Street Railway Company; and he is vice-pres- 
 ident of the Southbridge National Bank, and 
 has been the president of the savings-bank for 
 the past twenty years. 
 
 In 1842 Mr. Cole was united in marriage 
 with Adelia Ammidown, a daughter of Hold- 
 ridge and Thankful (Newell) Ammidown, of 
 Southbridge. The children of this union 
 were: Henry H., born 1844, who died 1849; 
 "Ella M., who was born in 1846; and Alfred 
 E., who was born in 1848. Ella M. Cole 
 completed her education at a private school 
 in Worcester, and Alfred E. graduated from 
 the Southbridge High School. Mr. Cole 
 has travelled quite extensively in the United 
 States, both for pleasure and in the interest of 
 the American Optical Company. In 1871, 
 accompanied by his wife, he visited England, 
 Ireland, Scotland, and continental Europe. 
 In early life he was a Whig, and he cast his 
 first Presidential vote for William H. Harri- 
 son in 1840. He has acted with the Republi- 
 can party since its formation. A leading 
 member of the Central Baptist Church, he has 
 contributed liberally to home and foreign mis- 
 sions, and to the interests of temperance. 
 
 'W'' 
 
 INDSOR T. BUTLER, agent of 
 the Clarendon Mills and a promi- 
 nent resident of West Boylston, 
 Mass., was born in this village on February 
 26, 1847, son of Granville and Julia (Barnard) 
 Butler. His grandfather, who was Joseph 
 Butler, a native of Vermont, settled in Clin- 
 ton early in life, before the town was incor- 
 porated. He there followed the occupation 
 of farming, but later removed tg West Boyls- 
 
 ton and from that place to Boylston, where 
 he died. 
 
 Granville Butler, father of our subject, was 
 born in Lancaster, and when he grew to- man- 
 hood had charge of the spinning-room in the 
 cotton-mill for which his son is now agent. 
 He died in Berlin in 1895 at the age of 
 seventy-one. His wife, Julia, who was boi-n 
 in Sterling, was the daughter of Windsor Bar- 
 nard, a farmer and mason. She was one of a 
 family of twelve children, of whom nine grew 
 to maturity and six are still living. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Granville Butler were attendants of the 
 Congregational church. Of their family of 
 seven children, four are living; namely, 
 Windsor T., Charles E., Wilbur A., and 
 Ernest L. 
 
 Windsor T. Butler removed with his par- 
 ents to Berlin at five years of age, and there 
 remained for two years. Since that time he 
 has resided either in this town or in Boylston. 
 His education was received in the public 
 schools and at Worcester Academy. He 
 began his working life as sweeper for his 
 father, but after a short time spent in the mill 
 he left it in order to attend school. He was 
 subsequently on a farm for four years, and on 
 April 4, 1866, he returned to the mill as book- 
 keeper. From this position he was succes- 
 sively promoted to be paymaster, superintend- 
 ent, and finally, on the ist of July, 1895, to 
 be agent for the mills. For the four years 
 previous to this time, and while he was super- 
 intendent, he was also practically agent. 
 Two or three veterans excepted, he now has 
 the distinction of having been in the employ 
 of the company longer than any other man. 
 Mr. Butler has charge of one hundred and 
 eighty workmen, and under his management 
 the business is most successfully conducted. 
 Formerly jeans were made at the mill. The 
 present output of manufactured products, in- 
 cluding cotton goods of various kinds and 
 crochet quilts, is double what it was when Mr. 
 Butler first came here. 
 
 In June, 1873, Mr. Butler was united in 
 marriage with Mary F. Pearson, a native of 
 Norwich, Conn., and daughter of John and 
 Mary Pearson. Mr. Pearson was a manufact- 
 urer of melodepn and organ cases in New Lon- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 713 
 
 don and later proprietor of a hotel. He had 
 a family of two children. Mr. and Mrs Butler 
 have had two children, one of whom is living. 
 This is Mabel L. Butler, a graduate of Mount 
 Holyoke Seminary in the class of 1895 and 
 formerly assistant teacher in the high school 
 of this town. Mr. Butler belongs to the Re- 
 publican party in politics, but has never cared 
 to hold public office. He was the first man to 
 be initiated in Boylston Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 at West Boylston, and has been secretary of 
 the lodge. He is also a member of Clinton 
 Royal Arch Chapter, Hiram Council, and of 
 Worcester County Commandery, Knights 
 Templar. Mr. Butler's daughter is a member 
 of the Baptist church, and the family attend 
 services in that house of worship. 
 
 (sTrSA BALL FAY, the present Repre- 
 /l\ sentative of Northboro in the Massa- 
 yj^V chusetts legislature, was born in 
 ^-^ this town, August 31, 1838, son of 
 Abraham and Abigail (Ball) Fay. His 
 grandfather, Asa Fay, who was an extensive 
 farmer and real estate owner in Northboro and 
 •a soldier in the Revolutionary War, took an 
 active part in the management of local affairs. 
 After attending the public schools of North- 
 boro for the usual period, Asa B. Fay worked 
 on the home farm until attaining his major- 
 ity. Then he went with his brother to Lake- 
 land, Minn., where he remained a year. In 
 August, 1862, he returned to Northboro, and 
 ■enlisting in Company C, Thirty-fourth Mas- 
 sachusetts Volunteer Infantry, served in the 
 Civil War until its close. He took an active 
 part in seventeen battles, and also met the 
 enemy in numerous small skirmishes, having 
 been in the engagements at Harper's Ferry, 
 New Market, Piedmont, Lynchburg, Cedar 
 • Creek, Winchester, and Fisher's Hill; in the 
 campaign along the James River; at the battle 
 of Hatcher's Run; at Petersburg and Appo- 
 mattox; and in Richmond when Sherman's 
 army passed through that city. He was mus- 
 tered out of service in Boston, receiving his 
 discharge in June, 1865. During all his ser- 
 vices he was wounded but once, and that by 
 a spent balj in the arm uX the battle of Pied^ 
 
 mont. He was successively Orderly Ser- 
 geant, Sergeant-major of the regiment, and 
 Lieutenant, and was in command of his com- 
 pany at the surrender of Lee. 
 
 After returning home Mr. Fay engaged as 
 a dealer in lumber and wood in Northboro 
 until 1873, when he transferred his business 
 and residence to Keene, N.H., where he lived 
 for six years. Since that time he has made 
 Northboro his home, and has been identified 
 with its leading interests. As a young man 
 he was much interested in town matters, and 
 served as Selectman and Assessor in North- 
 boro; and while in Surry he was twice elected 
 to the New Hampshire legislature, of which 
 he was a member in 1876 and 1877. In 1892 
 he was appointed Postmaster of Northboro. 
 He is now one of the Selectmen of the town, 
 a member of the School Board, and the town's 
 Representative in the General Court, to which 
 he was elected in the fall of 1897. Frater- 
 nally, he is a member of the Joe Johnson Post, 
 No. 96, G. A. R., was its first Commander, 
 and was annually re-elected to that office for 
 several years. He is also vice-president of 
 the Thirty-fourth Regimental Association. 
 On December 26, 1892, he married Miss 
 Anna M. Barnes, who died May 26, 1894. 
 
 ,HARLES B. BLAIR, the efficient 
 rr Town Clerk and Treasurer of Warren 
 is ^ and a dealer in coal, was born here, 
 April 10, 1852. His parents, Shep- 
 ard and Mary A. (Bishop) Blair, were natives 
 respectively of West Brookfield, Mass., and 
 Homer, N. Y. The father, who resided in 
 Warren for more than a half-century and was 
 a well-known farmer, died here in 1883 in 
 his eighty-fourth year. He had a special 
 fondness for music. During his earlier life 
 he taught a singing-school, and afterward for 
 many years he was the choirmaster in both 
 the Congregational and Methodist churches of 
 Warren. He was one of those who were ac- 
 tive in founding the Methodist church, and 
 throughout his life was one of its most zealous 
 supporters. In politics he was a strong anti- 
 slavery man. He was a son of Reuben Blair, 
 
 who was a lifelong resident oi W?st Prook' 
 
714 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 field, where the family had been for some time 
 settled. 
 
 During his boyhood Charles B. Bla:ir 
 worked on his father's farm when not attend- 
 ing the common schools. Subsequently, at 
 the age of eighteen, he began to take building 
 contracts, which line of business he contin- 
 ued for several years. In 1877, however, he 
 started the business in which he is so success- 
 fully engaged to-day. Taking much interest 
 in town affairs, he has occupied the office of 
 Tax Collector for one year, also those of 
 Overseer of the Poor and Selectman for one 
 year each. Since 1891 he has been regularly 
 elected both Clerk and Treasurer. Born of 
 his marriage with Mary L. Gould, a daughter 
 of the late John B. Gould, of Warren, he has 
 two living children: Carl M., who is a stu- 
 dent in Amherst College; and Florence M., 
 who is a student in the Warren High School. 
 Politically, Mr. Blair is a Republican. He 
 has rendered important service to his party as 
 a member of the Republican Town Commit- 
 tee. A Mason of Quaboag Lodge, he belongs 
 to King Solomon Royal Arch Chapter and 
 Worcester County Commandery, K. T., being 
 also the treasurer of the chapter. Mr. Blair 
 is a popular man about town, not only so- 
 cially, but with business men, who appreciate 
 his ability and respect his personal worth. 
 
 |DWIN D. GOODELL, the chairman of 
 Brookfield's Board of Selectmen and 
 the Postmaster of the town since his 
 appointment on January 19, 1898, son of 
 Warren and Clarinda (Healey) Goodell, was 
 born August 16, 1842. His paternal grand- 
 father, Waldo Goodell, was a native of Con- 
 necticut. His mother was a native of Dud- 
 ley, Mass., and a daughter of J. W. Healey, 
 of that town; while his father was born in 
 Woodstock, Conn. The latter was a promi- 
 nent shoe manufacturer in Dudley for many 
 years. 
 
 After leaving the common schools young 
 Goodell entered Nichols Academy, at that 
 time the leading educational institution in 
 Dudley, and was for three years a student 
 there. On September zy, 1861, before he had 
 
 finished the course, he enlisted in the army, 
 becoming a member of Company D of the 
 Twenty-fifth Regiment of Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteer Infantry. His regiment was assigned 
 to General Burnside's command. With it he 
 fought in the battle of Roanoke Island, New- 
 bern, Kinston, Goldsboro, White Hall Junc- 
 tion, and Dover Swamp. Afterward he was 
 in General Butler's army at Bermuda Hun- 
 dred, and fought at Drewry's Bluff and at 
 Arrowfield Church; and under General Grant 
 he was at Cold Harbor, where he lost his 
 right foot, and seventy-three per cent, of 
 the men of his regiment were either killed or 
 wounded, Mr. Goodell was carried to the 
 Military Hospital at Washington, and after 
 two months of treatment there was sent home 
 on a furlough. In July, 1865, he was honor- 
 ably discharged from the service. Soon after 
 he came to Brookfield, and for a number of 
 years had charge of the cutting-room in the 
 boot department of the factory of E. Twitchell 
 & Co. Subsequently he formed a partnership 
 with H. L. Butterworth, under the firm name 
 of H. L. Butterworth & Co., for the purpose 
 of manufacturing boots. At the end of three 
 years the plant was destroyed by fire, where- 
 upon the firm was dissolved. Following this 
 Mr. Goodell was employed for a short time by 
 George H. Burt & Co., then manufacturing 
 shoes in Brookfield. In 1887 he started in 
 the retail boot and shoe trade, which he has 
 carried on successfully since. 
 
 Mr. Goodell has been for many years a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen of Brook- 
 field and for a large portion of the time the 
 chairman of the board. Also for some 
 years he has been a member of the Brookfield 
 Board of Water Commissioners. He is a Re- 
 publican in politics. In 1885, 1886, 1887, 
 and 1893 he was a Representative in General 
 Court from the Fifth Worcester District. 
 The maiden name of Mr. Goodell's wife was 
 Effie Kinne. She is a native of Plainfield, 
 Conn., and is the mother of one daughter, 
 Edith D. Goodell. Mr. Goodell is a member 
 of Dexter Post, No. 28, G. A. R., which he 
 has served as Quartermaster and in other 
 official positions. For many years he has 
 been the chairman of the Republican Town 
 

 
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 SAMUEL OSGOOD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 717 
 
 Committee of Brookfield. Mr. Goodell's 
 career as a soldier places his personal bravery 
 beyond question, and his career as a business 
 man as fully establishes his personal in- 
 tegrity. 
 
 ;;AMUEL OSGOOD, a venerable and 
 highly respected citizen of Sterl- 
 ing, where for thirty years he was a 
 successful schoolmaster, was born 
 on May 7, 18 14, on the estate where he now 
 resides, being the son of Taylor P. and Betsy 
 (Stockwell) Osgood. His paternal grand- 
 father, whose name he bears, was a son of 
 Jonathan Osgood, who was one of the earliest 
 settlers in this town, coming here in 1720. 
 Jonathan Osgood secured the land now com- 
 prising the Osgood farm, cleared a part of it, 
 and spent the remainder of his life engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits. 
 
 Taylor P. Osgood, who was an adopted son, 
 was born in Templeton, and was brought up 
 on a farm in that town, remaining there until 
 nineteen years of a^e and attending the public 
 schools. He always had a great fondness for 
 books, and was a diligent reader, so that he 
 became a man of wide information and 
 scholarly tastes. He was interested in all 
 public affairs, and served the town as Select- 
 man from 1823 to 1825. When General La- 
 fayette made his second visit to this country, 
 he passed through Lancaster, Sterling, and 
 other Worcester County towns, and at Sterl- 
 ing one of those who stood upon the platform 
 with the distinguished patriot was Taylor 
 P. Osgood. His son Samuel well remembers 
 the great enthusiasm everywhere displayed at 
 that time. Taylor P. Osgood died at the age 
 of seventy-five. His wife, who was previously 
 a Mrs. Stockwell, of Templeton, was born in 
 New Braintree. She died in 1823, at the age 
 of fifty. By her first marriage she was the 
 mother of six children and by her second 
 marriage the mother of one child, Samuel Os- 
 good, the subject of this sketch. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Taylor P. Osgood were members of 
 the Unitarian church. 
 
 Samuel Osgood, who has resided in this 
 town all his life, was educated in the public 
 
 schools and at Ipswich Academy and the Tem- 
 pleton High School. During thirty years he 
 taught school in this town in three different 
 districts, and after his retirement from the 
 teacher's desk he served on the School Com- 
 mittee for some twenty-five years. During 
 his long pilgrimage he has seen two genera- 
 tions mature and pass away, and of the men 
 and women who started life with him only a 
 very few now remain. Mr. Osgood's farm, 
 which comprises one hundred and twenty 
 acres, with forty acres of outlying land, is 
 carried on by his grandson, Luther W. Rugg, 
 and is devoted to general farming. 
 
 In 1836 Mr. Osgood was united in marriage 
 with Harriet Kendall, of Kendall Hill. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Osgood have been the parents of 
 nine children, of whom seven are living; 
 namely, Charles T., Mary, Samuel, Harriette, 
 Anna, Joseph H., and Jessie. Charles T. 
 married Mary T. Buttrick, and has a daugh- 
 ter, Fannie, now Mrs. Edwin Daily, who is 
 the mother of three children — Harold, How- 
 ard, and Milicent A. Daily. Mary Osgood 
 married Luther Rugg, and is the mother of 
 two children: Gertrude, now deceased; and 
 Luther W., who married Nellie T. Palmer, 
 and has three children — Luther, Gertrude, 
 and Charles H. Harriette Osgood married 
 Henry Stephenson. They have been the par- 
 ents of two children — Ernest Osgood and 
 Clifton, the latter of whom was killed on 
 the railroad. Samuel Osgood, Jr., who is a 
 farmer in Lancaster, married Mary Joudry. 
 Anna E. Osgood is the wife of Frank Bul- 
 lard, who lost a leg in the battle of the Wil- 
 derness during the Civil War. Mr. Bullard 
 was for many years Postmaster at Westboro. 
 Joseph H. Osgood is a farmer. He married 
 Josie E. Whitney, and has two sons — 
 Herbert L. and Harry. Jessie H. is the 
 wife of Andrew P. Lowe and mother of Louis 
 R., Esther G., and Andrew Osgood Lowe, 
 the last named a well-known elevator builder 
 of St. Paul, Minn. On the Osgood home- 
 stead are now living four generations of the 
 family, Mr. Osgood having great-grandchil- 
 dren about him. 
 
 In political views Mr. Osgood heartily sym- 
 pathizes with the Republican party. He has 
 
7i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 always taken a warm interest in local affairs, 
 and has served in various town offices. For 
 eight years he was a member of the Board of 
 Assessors and chairman a part of the time. 
 For three years he was Overseer of the Poor, 
 and chairman of the board for a year. From 
 1858 to 1 86 1 he was in the legislature, serv- 
 ing during 1861 on the Committee on Educa- 
 tion. He has always been closely connected 
 with grange affairs, having been for twenty- 
 four years an active member of that body and 
 much of the time an officer. For two years he 
 was Grange Master. Even declining years 
 have not caused his interest to weaken, and 
 he is still a constant attendant on the grange 
 meetings. Since 1840 he has been a member 
 and constant attendant of the Unitarian 
 church, and during that time has held various 
 church offices, having been on the Parish 
 Committee, treasurer, etc. He attends relig- 
 ious services regularly on Sunday, often walk- 
 ing both ways the two and a half miles that 
 lie between his home and the church. 
 
 "irx AVID C. HASTINGS, who with 
 1=4 his father, Edward P. Hastings, is 
 JL^^ engaged in finishing shoes at Ber- 
 lin, Mass., was born in South 
 Berlin on the thirteenth day of April, 1866. 
 His mother's maiden name was Sarah E. May- 
 nard. His paternal grandfather, Henry Hast- 
 ings, was a native of Northboro. He settled 
 on a farm in Berlin in 1847, and died here at 
 the age of sixty-eight. 
 
 Edward P. Hastings was one of a family of 
 seven children. He was born before his par- 
 ents removed from Northboro, and passed his 
 early life in that town and in Berlin. During 
 boyhood he worked on the farm, but when he 
 became older he decided to become a shoe- 
 maker. After learning the trade he worked 
 as a journeyman and later as a contractor. 
 For the last fifteen years he has been in busi- 
 ness at his present stand. Mr. Edward P. 
 Hastings is a Republican in politics, and is 
 an ardent supporter of his party. He has 
 been twice married. His first wife was Sarah 
 E. Maynard, a native of Berlin, one of a fam- 
 ily of several children born to Wilson May- 
 
 nard. She died at the age of twenty-eight, 
 leaving three children, namely: David C; 
 Clarence; and Mary, who is now Mrs. Ray- 
 mond Coolidge. His second wife, who was 
 before her marriage Elvira Gardiner, has been 
 the mother of one child, a daughter named 
 Sarah. 
 
 David C. Hastings was educated in the 
 public schools and at a private school in Clin- 
 ton. After leaving school he learned the 
 .shoemaker's trade, working with his father, 
 and has been associated with him in business 
 down to the present time. They employ 
 about twenty hands, and their work is princi- 
 pally finishing all kinds of children's shoes 
 for Mr. Herbert Howe, of Marlboro. Mr. 
 David C. Hastings was married in 1890 to 
 Carelyn Bennett, who was born in Berlin, 
 daughter of John F. Bennett, formerly a shoe- 
 maker, now a farmer of this town. 
 
 Mr. Hastings follows the traditions of his 
 family in political matters, and uniformly 
 votes the Republican ticket. He is now serv- 
 ing on the Board of Selectmen of this town. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of the Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows," of Hudson, and of 
 Berlin Grange, in which last organization he- 
 has held various offices. He attends the Uni- 
 tarian church, of which his wife is a member. 
 
 2IBERTY FREEMAN, of Mendon, the 
 chairman of the town's Selectmen and 
 ^ Overseers of the Poor, and a well- 
 known milk dealer, was born here 
 on November 8, 1844, son of Alanson S., and 
 Caroline (Wheelock) Freeman. The grand- 
 father, Alpheus Freeman, who came to Men- 
 don from Northfield, Mass., about the year 
 1800, was a very able and enterprising man, 
 and was Deputy Sheriff of Mendon for some 
 years. He died in 1824 at the age of forty-- 
 two. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Chloe Staples, was a descendant of one of the, 
 town's earliest settlers. 
 
 Alanson S. Freeman, who was born in 1809, 
 died in 1875, at the age of sixty-five, of in- 
 juries caused by the fall of a tree upon him', 
 while he was at work in the woods. A man 
 of good education, he served for many years- 
 
LIBKRTY FRKKMAN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 721 
 
 on the School Board and was a member of the 
 Legislature of 1858-59; he declined other 
 public offices. Besides farming, which was 
 his chief occupation, he worked at lumbering 
 in the winter. His wife, Caroline, a daugh- 
 ter of Simeon and a grand-daughter of Calvin 
 Wheelock, was descended from one of the 
 early pioneers of Mendon, who settled on a 
 farm which has been in the families for over 
 two hundred years. Alanson S. and Caroline 
 Freeman had ten children, of whom four are 
 living. Franklin, who was drowned at New- 
 bern, N.C., June 15, 1863, was a soldier in 
 the Fifty-first Regiment Massachusetts In- 
 fantry, and at the time of his death had served 
 six months of the nine for which he had en- 
 listed. He had been appointed Corporal, and 
 had been in a number of skirmishes. Another 
 son, Alanson, is a farmer in Blackstone, 
 Mass. Two daughters reside in Hopedale, 
 namely: Alice, who is the widow of Lucius 
 Lowell ; and Flora, the wife of Adin Mes- 
 senger. 
 
 Liberty Freeman was educated in the Men- 
 don schools. During his boyhood he was en- 
 gaged in agriculture. When twenty-two 
 years of age he started the milk business 
 which he has successfully continued up to the 
 present time. He buys the milk from Men- 
 don farmers, and distributes it to retail cus- 
 tomers. Having constantly taken an active 
 part in town affairs, he has probably devoted 
 as much time to the public service as any other 
 man in Mendon, proving himself an efficient 
 and faithful guardian of the community's in- 
 terests. For twelve years in succession he 
 filled the triple office of Selectman, Overseer, 
 and Collector. At the end of that time he 
 resigned the last-named office. For the last 
 twenty years he has been a member of the 
 Board of Overseers and since 1881 its chair- 
 man ; and for the past seventeen years he has 
 been a Selectman of the town, and is now 
 serving as the chairman of the board. Also, 
 under President Harrison's administration, he 
 was Postmaster of Mendon for four years. He 
 is serving his second term as a Justice of the 
 Peace. 
 
 Mr. Freeman is a member of Montgomery 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., of Milford; of Mount 
 
 Lebanon Royal Arch Chapter; and of Milford 
 Commandery, K. T. For eight or nine years 
 he has been connected with the Mendon 
 Grange. By his marriage with Harriet E. 
 Wood, of Mendon, he became the father of six 
 children, of whom Franklin, Clair, and Lillian 
 are living. Lillian Freeman is now a student 
 in the Mendon High School of which Clair is 
 a graduate. Franklin, who is a successful 
 young lawyer of Leominster, Mass. was edu- 
 cated in the Mendon schools and at Phillips: 
 Exeter Academy. He graduated in 1896, with 
 a magna aim laude, from the Boston Univer- 
 sity Law School, in a class of one hundred 
 and ten, only one graduate receiving a higher 
 degree. He married on December 8, 1897, 
 Mabel, daughter of Hon. George F. Morse of 
 Leominster. 
 
 EEWIS RICE, a real estate dealer of 
 Westboro, was born August 6, 1828, 
 ^ in Northboro, Mass., a son of Seth 
 and Persis (Bartlett) Rice. Seth 
 Rice was a farmer by occupation and one of the 
 influential members of the community in which 
 he resided. In early manhood he learned the 
 clothier's trade from a Mr. Seaver, and col- 
 ored, sheared and dressed, by hand, home- 
 made cloth, principally the indigo or bright 
 blue woollen cloth. A man of superior in- 
 telligence, well-read and possessing great force 
 of character, he took an important part in the 
 management of local affairs; and besides serv- 
 ing as Selectman at different times he was a 
 Representative to the State legislature in 
 1847. He died at the age of seventy years, 
 and of his eleven children four survive, as fol- 
 lows : Lewis, the special subject of this 
 sketch; and three daughters, two of whom live 
 in Berlin, Mass., and one in Cedar Rapids^ 
 Iowa. 
 
 Lewis Rice was educated in the public 
 schools of Berlin, Mass., and at Bride's Acad- 
 emy in Berlin. Subsequently learning the 
 shoemaker's trade, he followed it a few years, 
 working in the shoe factories of Berlin and 
 Shrewsbury. In 1853, in company with a 
 brother, he established himself in business as 
 a butcher, and for ten years carried on a thriv- 
 
722 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing business in the towns of Westboro, North- 
 boro, and Grafton. Giving that up in 1864, 
 he has since devoted himself to the buying and 
 selling of real estate and building in Hudson, 
 where he has carried on some quite extensive 
 and heavy operations. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Rice has been actively 
 identified with the Republican party, and has 
 taken a deep interest in the affairs of West- 
 boro. He is now serving his eleventh consecu- 
 tive year on the Town Board of Assessors. 
 He is also officially connected with the West- 
 boro Savings Bank. 
 
 YgTENRY L. REED, a well-known 
 \^\ farmer residing in the town of Boyls- 
 ll g I ton, was born here on January 25, 
 ^^'^ 1846, his parents being Sylvanus 
 and Sarah (Greenleaf) Reed. His grand- 
 father, who was Nathan Reed, born in Royals- 
 ton, Mass., was a lifelong farmer of that 
 town. Sylvanus Reed was born in Royalston, 
 and was brought up in that town, receiving 
 his instruction in the common schools. At 
 twenty years of age he went to Bolton, where 
 he worked on a farm for eight years. He then 
 bought a farm in Boylston, where he resided 
 at the time of his death, being then seventy- 
 five years of age. He was a representative 
 man of this town, and was an honored member 
 of the Board of Selectmen and an Overseer of 
 the Poor. His wife, Sarah, who died Novem- 
 ber 30, 1897, at the age of eighty-one, was 
 born in Bolton, the daughter of Moses Green- 
 leaf, an early settler in that town and owner 
 of a large farm. Of the three children born 
 to Sylvanus and Sarah Reed, two are living, 
 namely: Henry L. ; and Sarah J., now Mrs. 
 Silas A. Wilder, of Cambridgeport. Olive 
 M. died March 15, 1893. Both parents were 
 members of the church in Bolton at Hillside 
 and later of the church in Boylston. 
 
 Henry L. Reed spent his early years in 
 Boylston, remaining at work on the farm until 
 he was twenty years of age, when he went to 
 Westboro as an assistant at the Reform 
 School. After remaining there four years he 
 purchased in 1870 the farm that has since 
 been his home. It comprises seventy acres, 
 
 which are devoted to general farming. Aside 
 from agricultural interests, Mr. Reed has done 
 a large amount of business in buying and sell- 
 ijig wood. 
 
 Mr. Reed was married in 1870 to Martha 
 A. Hastings, who was born in Boylston, 
 daughter of Henry C. Hastings. Her father 
 was a prominent farmer and wood dealer in 
 this town for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Reed 
 have two children — Loring H. and Martha E. 
 Loring H. , who assists his father on the farm, 
 married Elizabeth H. Bray. Martha E. mar- 
 ried Calvin H. Andrews, a teacher in the 
 English High School, Worcester. Mr. Reed 
 is an earnest supporter of Republican prin- 
 ciples. He was Road Commissioner for some 
 years, and since 1893 has been a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen and an Overseer of the 
 Poor. He and his family attend the Congre- 
 gational church. His son, Loring H. , is an 
 influential member of the grange. 
 
 c? 
 
 HARLES L. UNDERWOOD,* a suc- 
 cessful general farmer and stock raiser 
 Brookfield, was born in Holland, 
 Mass., December 7, 1852, son of 
 Nehemiah and Ann E. (Pease) Underwood. 
 The parents were natives of Monson, Mass., 
 as was also the grandfather, Reuben Under- 
 wood, who is said to have been a Revolution- 
 ary soldier. Nehemiah Underwood spent the 
 greater part of his life in Holland, where he 
 served as a Selectman and Overseer of the 
 Poor. He moved to Brimfield and a short 
 time later to Sturbridge, where he died in 
 1880. In politics he acted with the Republi- 
 can party. He was a member of the Congre- 
 gational church. Nehemiah and Ann E. 
 Underwood were the parents of several chil- 
 dren, three of whom are living, namely: Jo- 
 seph D., a resident of Sturbridge; Ella M., 
 wife of Samuel Williams, of Southbridge, 
 Mass. ; and Charles L. , the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Charles L. Underwood was educated in the 
 public schools of Holland and Brimfield. He 
 resided in his native town until fourteen years 
 old, when he accompanied his parents to 
 Brimfield, and two years later removed with 
 
SAMUEL E. HULL. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 72s 
 
 them to Sturbridge. In the fall of 1880 he 
 settled upon his present property of one hun- 
 dred and eighty-five acres of fertile land, situ- 
 ated in the Upper Podunk District of Brook- 
 field; and his farm is under a high state of 
 cultivation. Aside from general farming he 
 raises Guernsey cattle and white Chester 
 hogs, and is one of the most successful stock 
 breeders in town. 
 
 In 1878 Mr. Underwood was joined in mar- 
 riage with Alice E. Nichols, of Sturbridge, 
 and she has had six children, namely: Edna 
 M. ; Earl N. ; Ernest C. ; Frances E. ; Ralph, 
 who is no longer living; and Clarence Under- 
 wood. 
 
 In politics Mr. Underwood is independent. 
 His aid and influence can be depended upon 
 in forwarding all measures calculated to be of 
 benefit to the general community; and he is a 
 member of Brookfield Grange, Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry. 
 
 'AMUEL E. HULL, a resident 
 manufacturer of Millbury and the 
 owner of a warehouse in Worcester, 
 was born in the town of Millbury 
 on August 12, 1843. A son of Elias and 
 Miriam (Wheeler) Hull, he comes of English 
 origin. The first of the family here was Will- 
 iam Hull, the grandfather of Samuel E., who, 
 born about the year 1776, was reared in Ux- 
 bridge, and came to Millbury in 1809. A 
 man of good parts, he was in good circum- 
 stances for the time in which he lived. He 
 died here in 1850. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Martha Wood, was born in Ux- 
 bridge. She survived him some years, and 
 died at the age of eighty- seven. Of their 
 twelve children, six attained maturity — Jabez, 
 William, Elias, Martha, Nancy, and Mary. 
 Three or four of them died within the space 
 of one week. Both parents and children are 
 buried in the Millbury cemetery. 
 
 Elias Hull, a native of Uxbridge, bom in 
 September, 1806, was a farmer during all his 
 working life, and resided on the farm settled 
 by his father in i8og. This originally com- 
 prised between four and five hundred acres. 
 Afterward its extent was gradually lessened by 
 
 successive sales, and in 1872 Samuel E. Hull 
 sold the last one hundred and fifteen acres. 
 Elias Hull was three times married. His 
 second and third wives bore him no children. 
 His first wife, Miriam, born in Northbridge in 
 1809, who died in 1846, was the mother of 
 three children, namely : Sylvester Graham, 
 who died at the age of seven years; Ellen R., 
 who is the wife of Henry M. Leland, of the 
 firm of Leland & Faulkner, manufacturers of 
 machinery at Detroit, Mich. ; and Samuel E. , 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Samuel E. Hull resided on the homestead 
 farm, engaged in farm labor, until his majority. 
 His educational advantages were limited, as he 
 attended the high school only during winter. 
 Making the most of the opportunities that 
 came in his way, however, he has since more 
 than adequately supplied what was lacking in 
 his early training. When twenty-one years of 
 age he hired a saw-mill that had been owned 
 by both his father and grandfather, and for the 
 three or four years succeeding gave his atten- 
 tion to operating it. After this he was in the 
 wood-moulding trade in Worcester for five years 
 in the employ of I. N. Keys; then in Phila- 
 delphia, Pa., for three years, with the Hale & 
 Kilborn Manufacturing Company; and lastly 
 with C. D. Morse & Co. for eleven years. In 
 1882 he began business for himself by buying 
 out the firm of Briggs & Co. in Millbury, 
 whose business had been established some fifty 
 years before. In 1892 he purchased of D. C. 
 Sumner the wool business at 112 Front Street, 
 Worcester. He employs one travelling agent, 
 and travels himself, chiefly in New England 
 and the State of New York. Other interests 
 make him a director and president of the Mill- 
 bury National Bank and a trustee of the Mill- 
 bury Savings Bank. 
 
 On May 8, 1866, Mr. Hull was united in 
 marriage with Jane E. Gay, of Millbury, a 
 daughter of John and Margaret (Gowen) Gay, 
 both of whom are now deceased. Two sisters 
 and a brother of Mrs. Hull are living. The 
 brother is Frank C. Gay, of Millbury. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hull are the parents of three chil- 
 dren—Nathan R., Harry C, and Edward F. 
 The first named, who was born in Philadel- 
 phia, is unmarried, and is at present in his 
 
726 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 father's employ. The two younger sons, who 
 are of the same age, are students in Brown 
 University, class of 1898, and both are study- 
 ing mechanical engineering. A Mason of the 
 fourteenth degree, Mr. Hull is a member of 
 the Blue Lodge, the Chapter, Worcester 
 County Commandery, Hiram Council, and the 
 Consistory. He is a Past Master of the Lodge 
 and a Past High Priest of the Chapter, also a 
 member of George A. Custer Post, G. A. R. 
 Politically, he is a Republican. He is serv- 
 ing his seventh term as Selectman of the 
 town. The family has resided on Grove Street 
 since 1883. 
 
 /^TeORGE PAINE ROGERS, the pro- 
 \ S I prietor of one of the oldest business 
 ^^-"^ houses in Worcester, dealing in flour, 
 grain, feed, hay, straw, and so forth, at 139 
 Front Street, was born in Rutland, Worcester 
 County, May 12, 1834, son of Jeremiah 
 Rogers. The paternal grandfather, Nathan 
 Rogers, born on Cape Cod, removed to Hol- 
 den, ■ Mass., and remained there until 1835. 
 Then he bought a farm of one hundred and 
 fifteen acres in Worcester, where he was after- 
 ward successfully engaged as a husbandman 
 until his death. He was three times married. 
 By his first wife, Phebe Boynton Rogers, there 
 were seven children, namely: Jeremiah, the 
 father of George P. ; Nathan, a meat dealer, 
 who died in middle life, leaving two daugh- 
 ters; Abner, who first worked at Bradley's 
 car shops in Worcester, and later became a 
 manufacturer of shovels in Bridgeport, Conn., 
 and died leaving two daughters; William, who 
 was engaged in agricultural pursuits during 
 the most of his active life; Susan, who was 
 the wife of Stillman Hubbard; Elizabeth, the 
 wife of Abraham Wilson; and Phebe, who 
 married Artemas Howe. His second wife had 
 one son, Thomas M. Rogers, now in Worces- 
 ter; and his third wife had three children, of 
 whom Horace B., of Worcester, is living. 
 Jeremiah Rogers, who was born in Holden, 
 Mass., in 1802, resided in Worcester, and died 
 in 1870 in Boston. In 1832 he married Sarah 
 P. Mead, who was born in Holden in 1804. 
 They had one child, George Paine. She died 
 
 in Worcester, December 9, 1897, at the home 
 of her son, with whom she lived as a widow 
 for twenty-seven years. Her parents, William 
 and Phebe (Paine) Mead, were lifelong farmers 
 of Holden, where they reared their three chil- 
 dren — Sarah P., Edwin, and Elmer. Edwin 
 and Elmer are now deceased. 
 
 Having received his education at a private 
 academy, at the age of nineteen years George 
 Paine Rogers began teaching school, an occu- 
 pation in which he was engaged during four 
 winter seasons and two fall terms. He also 
 worked on the home farm in seed-time and 
 harvest, until, coming to Worcester, he began 
 his mercantile career as a clerk for Francis 
 Harrington in the store which he now owns, 
 and which his employer had established more 
 than forty years ago. Ten years later he 
 bought out Mr. Harrington ; and, taking pos- 
 session of the store in 1881, he has since car- 
 ried on an extensive trade, which has largely 
 increased within the past few years. He 
 keeps eight men and four teams busily em- 
 ployedj and handles about a carload of goods a 
 day. A man of tact and ability, honest and 
 upright in all of his transactions, he is highly 
 esteemed in the city and the county. An 
 earnest Republican, he is also a stanch advo- 
 cate of temperance. He is an Odd Fellow, 
 belonging to the local lodge, and a memher 
 of the Old South Church. 
 
 On March 6, 1855, Mr. Rogers married Al- 
 mira W. Knight, of Leicester, Mass., a 
 daughter of Horace Knight, who was succes- 
 siveJy a boot manufacturer and a lumber 
 dealer. A native of Leicester, born in 1800, 
 Mr. Knight died there in 1855. Besides 
 serving in town offices, he was a director of 
 the bank for a number of years. His first 
 wife, Sarah Partridge Knight, of Paxton, 
 Worcester County, died when Mrs. Rogers was 
 an infant, leaving also an elder daughter and 
 a son, Joseph A. Knight, of Worcester. By a 
 second marriage Mr. Knight became the father 
 of Charles B. Knight, also of Worcester. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Rogers have four children — Charles 
 E., Sarah E., Frank K., and Josephine A. 
 Charles E. is a grocer and provision dealer in 
 this city. Sarah E., a graduate of the State 
 Normal School, after teaching for eight years, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 727 
 
 first in Worcester and then in Beloit, Wis., 
 studied for a year at Cornell University. 
 She is now the wife of E. N. Sanderson, of 
 Brooklyn, N. Y., and has three daughters. 
 Frank K., the youngest son, having graduated 
 from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 
 taught school in St. Paul, Minn., and was 
 superintendent of manual training in the 
 schools of St. Paul. He is now a superin- 
 tendent in the manual training department of 
 the Normal and Agricultural Institute at 
 Hampton Institute in Virginia. He married 
 Jeannie E. Houghton, of this city, and has 
 three daughters. Josephine A. is the wife of 
 W. F. Little, a book-keeper for Mr. Rogers, 
 and has one daughter, Ruth. Mr. Little has a 
 rich tenor voice, and was formerly director of 
 the choir of the Old South Church and of the 
 South Baptist Church. He is now a member 
 of the Schumann Quartette, which is well 
 known throughout the State. 
 
 •IMON D. HARDON, the last surT 
 vivor of the Harden family in Mill- 
 bury, residing in the house in 
 which he was born, October 13, 
 1844, is a son of Benjamin L. and Sarah E. 
 (Dudley) Hardon. The father, who was born 
 October 11, 1818, in Mansfield, Mass., spent 
 his youth in Winslow, Me., and North Graf- 
 ton, Mass. The latter place was then known 
 as New England Village. In 1837 he went to 
 Worcester, and entered the employ of H. B. 
 Claflin, afterward of the large mercantile 
 house H. B... Claflin & Co., of New York 
 City. From the position of clerk Mr. Hardon 
 rose to be a: partner of Mr. Claflin. Subse- 
 quently, when the latter went to New York, 
 Benjamin succeeded him as the head of the 
 business and firm of Hardon & Hunt. After- 
 ward A. J. Brown, Stephen Sawyer, and Will- 
 iam Cary were received into the firm. Mr. 
 Sawyer is now a member of the firm of Clark, 
 Sawyer & Co., of Worcester. Mr. Cary re- 
 moved to St. Louis, and was for a few years 
 in the employ of Benjamin L. Hardon, father 
 of Simon D. He died a few years ago. Mr. 
 Hardon sold out in 1857 to Jenkins Hamilton 
 & Co., retaining an interest as silent partner. 
 
 He then removed to St. Louis, Mo., and with 
 Mr. C. B. Hubbell, firm of C. B. Hubbell & 
 Co., embarked in the dry-goods business in 
 that city. This connection existed until 
 1865, when Mr. Hardon sold out. In the fall 
 of that year he took as a partner William G. 
 Tuller, with whom, under the style of Har- 
 don, Tuller Company, he carried on business 
 in St. Louis until January, 1868, when the 
 firm was dissolved. He continued the busi- 
 ness under the old name of B. L. Hardon & 
 Co., taking into partnership George M. 
 Fisher, Stephen E. Low, of St. Louis, and 
 Henry Walters, of New York City. Mr. 
 Low withdrew from the firm in 1873. B. L. 
 Hardon died in January, 1875, in his fifty- 
 seventh year. He left to his widow and chil-; 
 dren a goodly estate, the fruit of his own, 
 labor, for he began life very humbly. His 
 wife, Sarah E., whom he married in 1843, 
 had four children, of whom Simon D. and 
 Louise reached maturity. Louise is the wife 
 of H. K. South wick, who at one time was in 
 business with Joshua Buffum & Co., of New 
 York City. Of their four children, Walston 
 Brown Southwick, Elizabeth, and Louise 
 Hardon, are living. Mrs. Sarah E. Hardon, 
 died February 20, 1892. . 
 
 Simon D. Hardon received his early educa- 
 tion in the public schools of Millbury and 
 Worcester, after which he took a course at the 
 Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, 
 N.Y. In 1867 he went to New York C.ityi^ 
 From that time to 1875 he was a book-keepeir 
 in the New York office of B. L. Hardon. !He 
 continued to live there until 1875, when he 
 returned to the old homestead here in Mill- 
 bury. The house in which he lives was built 
 about the year 1834 by Simon Dudley, his 
 mother's father. 
 
 ENJAMIN J. BERNSTROM, a 
 leading business man of Worcester, 
 son of Jonas and Britta (Swanson) 
 Bernstrom, was born near Carlstad, 
 in the province of Wernland, Sweden, on Oc- 
 tober 27, 1862. His father is a well-known 
 farmer of Wernland province. After passing 
 through the public schools of Grafva and 
 
728 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 attending a business college in Stockholm, 
 Benjamin began his business life in a sugar 
 refinery of that city. Coming to America in 
 1 886, he located in Worcester, and for nearly 
 two years was in the employ of the Norcross 
 Brothers. About January, 1889, he formed a 
 partnership, and started in his present line of 
 business as undertaker. For the past two 
 years he has been the sole proprietor, manag- 
 ing his affairs most successfully, and gaining 
 and maintaining a name for honesty and fair 
 dealing that any man might envy. His nat- 
 ural adaptation to the business and his quiet 
 and unobtrusive manners make him a general 
 favorite, and secure him many patrons. 
 
 Mr. Bernstrom was married on October 27, 
 1893, to Hilda C. Ek. He is a member of 
 the Knights of Malta; of Court Damascus, 
 No. 29, A. O. Foresters; of Massasoit Tribe, 
 No. 6, Improved Order of Red Men, of which 
 he was Grand Representative to the Grand 
 Lodge held in Boston in 1897; of Viking 
 Lodge, No. 3966, Knights of Honor; and of 
 Hendrik Wergeland, which is exclusively a 
 Scandinavian order. He attends the Lutheran 
 church. Mr. Bernstrom is a member of Mas- 
 sachusetts Undertakers' Association, also of 
 the Egyptian College of Embalming in Bos- 
 ton, from the last named of which he received 
 a diploma in 1894. 
 
 "I'SjypVATTHEW WALKER, chairman of 
 t: I zJ the Board of Assessors of Barre, 
 J J|ls I was born in Stow, Middlesex 
 ^"^ County, Mass., August 24, 1835, 
 son of Matthew and Mary (Wrigley) Walker. 
 The father, who was born in Providence, R. I. , 
 in 1793, spent the greater part of his active 
 life in Massachusetts as a farmer. He moved 
 to Barre in 1842, but shortly afterward re- 
 moved to Ware, in which town he died in 
 1846. Politically, he was a Whig and in his 
 religious belief an Episcopalian. His wife, 
 Mary, who was born in 1797, survived him 
 many years, dying in the town of Hardwick in 
 1871. She was the mother of five children, 
 namely: James, who died in 1871 ; Mary A., 
 who resides in Worcester; Samuel, a resident 
 of Worcester, Mass. ; Matthew, the subject of 
 
 this sketch; and Mrs. Eliza Greenwood, of 
 Worcester. 
 
 Matthew Walker attended the Ware High 
 School, prepared for his collegiate course at 
 the Williston Seminary, Easthampton, and 
 was graduated from Amherst College in the 
 class of 1857. He engaged in the drug busi- 
 ness in Ware, which he carried on until 1862. 
 He then became connected with the woollen 
 business conducted by Edward Denny at South 
 Barre, where he remained several years. Sub- 
 sequently he occupied the position of book- 
 keeper for the firm of S. Heald & Sons until 
 the death of the senior partner in 1887. He 
 is one of the trustees of the Barre Public Li- 
 brary, clerk of the Glen Valley Cemetery As- 
 sociation, has been secretary of the Worcester 
 County West Agricultural Society since 1889, 
 and is a charter member and clerk of the Barre 
 Library Association, which has for one of its 
 objects the compiling of the historical and 
 genealogical records of the town, and upon 
 which work he has been engaged. for several 
 years. 
 
 A Republican in politics, he is now serving 
 his nineteenth year as chairman of the Board 
 of Assessors of the town of Barre. He has 
 been one of the Trial Justices of Worcester 
 County since 1891, has served on the School 
 Board, and holds other town offices. 
 
 On December 21, 1871, Mr. Walker mar- 
 ried Elizabeth L. Heald, who was born in 
 Barre in 1832, daughter of Stephen Heald, 
 one of the prominent men of the town in his 
 day. Of this union was born one child, who 
 died in infancy. The mother died in 1889. 
 November 24, 1897, Mr. Walker married for 
 his second wife Addie F. Gates Dudley, who 
 was born in Barre, July 29, 1851, youngest 
 daughter of Benjamin A. and Chloe T. 
 (Underwood) Gates. Mr. Walker attends the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 HXIAM ALEXANDER COCH- 
 RANE, many years connected with 
 the firm of Johnson & Thompson, 
 of Boston, as salesman, died at his home in 
 Concord, N.H., September 5, 1872, at the 
 age of forty-three years. A native of Quebec, 
 
MATTHEW WALKER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 731 
 
 Canada, born April 12, 1829, he was a direct 
 descendant of Sir William Cochrane, first Earl 
 of Dundonald. 
 
 His parents, James and Jean (McCIure) 
 Cochrane, both of whom were natives of Scot- 
 land, came to Canada in the early part of the 
 present century, and settled on a farm. 
 
 William A. Cochrane was one of a family of 
 three children. When he was very young his 
 father died, and he was adopted by Judge 
 Parker, of Haverhill, Mass., and went to live 
 with him in that town. At the age of nine- 
 teen, after graduating from the high school, 
 he went into a dry-goods store in Boston as 
 clerk. A few years later he became inter- 
 ested in the manufacture of shoe findings in 
 England and in this country, and subse- 
 quently he engaged as a salesman for the 
 wholesale firm of Johnson & Thompson. 
 In this capacity he travelled all over the 
 eastern section of the country, and became 
 widely known among shoe dealers, being 
 the most successful salesman in the whole- 
 sale trade. His ability as a salesman was 
 phenomenal, his genial nature, fine appre- 
 ciation of the wants of the trade, and his 
 skill in dealing with different individuals, to- 
 gether with his readiness and quickness of wit 
 and his wide experience, giving him a rare 
 combination of qualities. It was proverbial 
 that he could succeed where others failed. 
 Despite the enormous sales that he made, it 
 almost never happened that any fault was 
 found by the purchasers. The reason was that 
 Mr. Cochrane's fidelity to the truth, an inher- 
 itance with his Scotch blood, prevented him 
 from ever making misrepresentations. Retir- 
 ing from active business in 1868, he passed 
 his later years by the quiet of his fireside. 
 
 Mr. Cochrane was married on July 25, 
 1867, to Albertina Gertrude Porter, of Boston, 
 daughter of Pierce Porter, who was a native of 
 Raymond, Me. Mrs. Cochrane survives her 
 husband. She is descended from John Porter, 
 who came from Dorset, England, and settled 
 at Salem village, now Danvers, some time be- 
 fore 1637. The line of descent from John is 
 through Samuel, John, Nehemiah, Samuel, 
 Nehemiab, and Pierce Porter. Nehemiah 
 Porter, grandfather of Mrs, Cochrane, lived 
 
 during the later part of his life at Manchester, 
 N. H. Pierce Porter began his business life 
 in a general country store at Hookset, N.H., 
 and was successfully engaged in mercantile 
 pursuits throughout his years of activity. He 
 was twice married. By his first wife, Mary 
 Ann Brown, a descendant of Thomas Walford, 
 who settled in Charlestown some time before 
 1629, and is mentioned in the history of that 
 place as a citizen of prominence, he had 
 four children: Charles Philip, now residing 
 at Manchester, N. H. ; George Franklin, of 
 Louisville, Ky. ; Albertina G. (Mrs. Coch- 
 rane) ; and Juliet Porter, who resides in 
 Worcester. By his second marriage Mr. 
 Porter had three children, namely: Nellie 
 Josephine, who is now deceased; Lucy Agnes, 
 now Mrs. J. H. Blizard, of Lynn; and Will- 
 iam Ellis, of Leadville, Col. 
 
 T^HARLES HENRY ROBINSON, a 
 I V^ retired merchant living in the Eighth 
 ^^is ^ Ward, Worcester, was born in 
 Brimfield, Mass., February 2, 1828, 
 son of Amherst and Belila (Swift) Rob- 
 inson. The grandfather, Amariah Robin- 
 son, born April 22, 1766, who died on De- 
 cember 23, 1 85 1, was a carpenter by trade, 
 and worked for many years in Boston, which 
 he generally reached by walking from his 
 home in Wales, Hampden County. He was 
 married on June 15, 1794, to Rebecca 
 Wetherell, who, born on February 14, 17 13, 
 died on November 27, 1856. Both were 
 buried at Brimfield. Their children, all now 
 deceased, were: Zenas, born June 23, 1795; 
 Theron, born May 15, 1797, who died, over 
 eighty years of age, in Brookfield, where he 
 had been employed for many years as overseer 
 and agent of a factory; Samuel, born December 
 21, 1799; Amherst, born October 9, 1801; 
 Tryphena W., born February 28, 1804; Re- 
 becca W., born April 7, 1806; Ferdinand, 
 born July 23, 1808; Mary D., born June 11, 
 181 1 ; and Paul B., born July 31, 181 2. All 
 reached maturity and married. 
 
 Amherst Robinson, a native of Wales, 
 Mass., died in Putnam, Conn. He was the 
 overseer of the carding department in a cot- 
 
732 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ton-mill for many years, and afterward worked 
 at the manufacture of boots and shoes. In 
 Wales, on April 26, 1826, he was married to 
 Belila Swift. He subsequently lived in 
 Wales for seven years, and then removed to 
 the farm left by his father. His wife died on 
 February 11, 1844, leaving five of her seven 
 children. A second marriage united him 
 with Lydia Chaffee, who had no children. 
 The children of the first marriage were: 
 Hiram, Charles Henry, Albert, Augustus, 
 Salome, Sarah A., and Henry C. Sarah A. 
 died in childhood, and Henry C. died in in- 
 fancy. Hiram, born in 1827, who was a lock- 
 smith by trade, died September 17, 1857, on 
 Navigator's Island in the Samoan group, and 
 was buried there. Albert and Augustus are 
 in San Francisco, dealing in stocks and real 
 estate. 
 
 Having attended the common schools for 
 the customary period, Charles Henry Robin- 
 son began his working life at the age of seven- 
 teen in Boston, where he was subsequently 
 employed for four years. Following that he 
 was a clerk for a time, a shoe-cutter in Oxford 
 for one year, and a salesman in a dry-goods 
 and grocery store of Oxford for two years. 
 Then he spent a year at Southville in the 
 same business, and three years in North Ox- 
 ford. In 1859 he came to Worcester with 
 L. M. Learned, bringing his wife and two 
 children. For thirty-two years he was a 
 member of the firm of E. T. Smith & Co., 
 wholesale grocers of this city, after which, 
 some four years since, he retired from active 
 participation in the affairs of the firm. For 
 the last thirty-five years he has resided in his 
 present home. In politics he is a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 On April 23, 1851, Mr. Robinson married 
 Nancy Scott Lovering, who was born in 
 Thompson, Conn., daughter of Freeman and 
 Rebecca May (Scott) Lovering. Her father, 
 who was a farmer by occupation, died in 
 1849 at the age of forty-seven, leaving his 
 widow and five children. The latter were: 
 Mary, Nancy, Amasa, Ellen, and Frederick 
 •E. Ellen is the wife of Edward Newcomb, of 
 Pleasant Street, this city. Frederick E. 
 •Lovering resides it) the town of Putnam, with 
 
 his wife and two daughters. Mary, who was 
 the wife of R. L. Smith, died May 8, 1896, 
 leaving a daughter, Isabel. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Robinson have been the parents of two chil- 
 dren — Charles S. and Lizzie D. The for- 
 mer, who has lost his wife, is a resident of 
 Providence, R.I. He has a daughter, Grace, 
 who is the wife of David Isaac Wright. 
 Lizzie D. is the widow of William Moore, 
 and resides on Parker Avenue with her daugh- 
 ter Maud. 
 
 lERSON T. K. BURPEE, a retired 
 carriage manufacturer residing in 
 the west part of Sterling, Mass., was 
 born in this town, January 2, 1829, 
 son of Nathan and Polly (Gerry) Burpee. 
 
 Nathan Burpee was a chair manufacturer 
 here in Sterling for several years ; and later 
 he started the manufacture of children's car- 
 riages, which he followed quite extensively 
 up to the time of his death, at sixty-three. 
 He and his wife, whose maiden name was 
 Polly Gerry, had seven children, of whom two 
 are living — Thomas G. and Pierson T. K. 
 The mother died here at the age of thirty- 
 eight years. 
 
 Pierson was then but two years old. After 
 completing his education, which was acquired 
 at the common school and at West Boylston 
 High School, he learned the carriage business 
 with his father, and continued working for 
 bim. Purchasing the business after his 
 iather's death, employing at times some fif- 
 teen to twenty hands, he carried it on until 
 1:he commencement of the Civil War. In 1862 
 he enlisted in Company K, Fifty-third Mas- 
 sachusetts Regiment, and was promoted from 
 the rank of private to Second Lieutenant. 
 His company was attached to General Banks's 
 Nineteenth Army Corps, and with it he went 
 to New Orleans. Receiving promotion as 
 First Lieutenant, and detailed with Company 
 K as Nineteenth Army Corps "pioneers," he 
 participated in many exciting events while 
 going from New Orleans to Port Hudson. 
 After the surrender of Port Hudson he re- 
 ceived an honorable discharge. Returning 
 home, he organized a company of State militia 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 733 
 
 in Sterling; and, after receiving therefrom an 
 honorable discharge as Captain, he resumed 
 his former business, in which he was engaged 
 until 1882. He then went to Worcester with 
 the Charles Baker House Furnishing Com- 
 pany, and was employed there for fifteen 
 years. 
 
 On October 25, 1855, Mr. Burpee was mar- 
 ried to Julia Estabrook, who was born in 
 Princeton, Mass., daughter of Washington 
 and Lydia (Watson) Estabrook, her father a 
 farmer and hotel-keeper. Mr. Estabrook was 
 a native of Holden, Mass., but spent the ac- 
 tive years of his life in Princeton. He died 
 in Grafton, Mass. Mrs. Estabrook was born 
 in Princeton. She lived to be sixty-two. 
 They had twelve children, of whom five are 
 living: George, Mary, Julia, Ellen, and 
 Wheeler. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Burpee have had four chil- 
 dren — Hattie I., Herbert T., Helen L. , and 
 Edgar W. The last three are now living. 
 Herbert, a travelling salesman, married Maria 
 Wfaitcomb and has two children. Edgar W. 
 is in a grocery store in Sterling. He married 
 Carrie E. Heywood, and has two children. 
 Helen L. is a school teacher in Fitchburg. 
 
 Mr. Burpee is a loyal Republican, serving 
 the town in five different capacities, from 
 Field Driver to chairman of Selectmen. He 
 is a member of Major James A. Pratt Post, No. 
 59, G. A. R., of Sterling, in which he has al- 
 ways been greatly interested, taking an active 
 part in its affairs, and of which he has served 
 several years as Commander. He is a mem- 
 ber of Lancaster Lodge of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, of Xlinton, Mass., 
 with which he has been identified for twenty- 
 five years. In religious views he is a Uni- 
 tarian, and has served several years on the 
 Parish Committee. 
 
 'OHN HOPKINS, a resident of Mill- 
 bury, son of James and Ann (Hancock) 
 Hopkins, was born March 19, 1840, at 
 Leonard Stanley, Gloucestershire, Eng- 
 land, the birthplace of the Hopkins family 
 for many preceding generations. His pater- 
 nal grandfather, Thomas Hopkins, was a 
 
 fuller by trade, and taught that craft to his 
 sons. Thirteen of Thomas Hopkins's eigh- 
 teen children are sleeping in the burial-ground 
 of Leonard Stanley. 
 
 James Hopkins, also a native of Leonard 
 Stanley, born in August, 18 15, came to 
 America from Liverpool in 1842, reaching 
 New York after a voyage of forty-three days. 
 With him came his three children. His 
 wife, who was a native of Cheltenham, Eng- 
 land, had died of ship fever on the way, and 
 had been buried at sea. About 1843 he set- 
 tled in Dracut, Mass., where he worked at his 
 trade for a year. Then he went to London, 
 Ont., and was there engaged in a mercantile 
 business up to 1847, when he was burned out. 
 After the fire he was engaged in business at 
 Glen Elgin, Ont., and later at Clayville, 
 Auburn, and West Eaton, N.Y., and at 
 Winooski Falls, Vt. Leaving the last named 
 place in 1858, he bought a farm in Elma, 
 Ont., where he died in 1884, aged sixty- 
 nine. A second marriage had united him with 
 Ann Haywood, of Tunbridge Wells, England, 
 for whom he sent, after his arrival in New 
 York, to come and care for his children, Sam- 
 uel, Jane, and John. Samuel died in 1892, in 
 Vedun, Manitoba, to which place he went soon 
 after the North-west Rebellion, in which his 
 son participated, settling on bounty lands given 
 for his services. Jane is the wife of George 
 Morrison, a railroad engineer, and resides at 
 Woonsocket, R.I. James Hopkins's second 
 wife had two children, namely: Elizabeth 
 Ann, who became the wife of Henry Sweetzer, 
 now the owner of a fine ranch in Mendocino 
 County, California, on the shores of the Pa- 
 cific, where he settled in 1866; and James H. 
 Hopkins, who is a baker at Fort Gratiot, Mich. 
 The father was a local Methodist preacher. 
 
 When a boy of ten John Hopkins began 
 working in the woollen-mill at West Eaton, 
 Madison County. At the age of sixteen, 
 when his father was living in Winooski Falls, 
 he left home and became an operative in a 
 woollen-mill in Waterford, R.I., where he 
 remained less than a year. In 1857 he went 
 to Andover, Mass. Prior to that he had at- 
 tended academies in Auburn, N.Y. , and Bur- 
 lington, Vt. After spending a year in Phillips 
 
734 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (Andover) Academy he entered the scientific 
 course at Dartmouth' College, graduating in 
 1862 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. 
 Beginning at the age of eighteen, he taught 
 school during the winter for six years in 
 Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and 
 New Hampshire. In 1862 he began reading 
 law in the office of Joseph B. Cooke at Black- 
 stone, Mass., and at the March term of the 
 Superior Court in Worcester, in 1864, was 
 admitted to the bar of Worcester County. 
 Shortly after he began practice on his own 
 account, and subsequently for twenty-seven 
 years had an office here in Millbury and also 
 at Worcester. On April i, 1891, he was 
 made a Justice of the Superior Court of Mas- 
 sachusetts. He is the only Englishman who 
 has presided in a Superior Court of this Com- 
 monwealth, and is supposed to be the only 
 Englishman admitted to the bar of Worcester 
 County. 
 
 On November 21, 1864, Mr. Hopkins was 
 united in marriage with Mary C. Salisbury, 
 a daughter of John B. and Mary E. (Rams- 
 dell) Salisbury, of Blackstone. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Hopkins have had five children, of whom 
 three are living — Grace E. , Herbert Salis- 
 bury, and Herman Phillip. Grace E., born 
 January 17, 1866, is now the wife of the Rev. 
 Herbert B. Trussell, an Episcopal rector at 
 St. Mary's, Ga. Herbert Salisbury, a grad- 
 uate of Dartmouth College, class of 1891, was 
 admitted to the bar in 1895, and resides in 
 Millbury. He married Mary E. Ambler, and 
 has one son, Willis Furber Hopkins, born 
 August IS, 1896. Herman Phillip Hopkins, 
 born January 22, 1873, was graduated from 
 Dartmouth College in 1896, and is now a 
 student of the Boston University Law School. 
 
 He was a member of the State legislature in 
 1882 and 1883, and held the chairmanships of 
 important committees. He has been a Select- 
 man of Millbury, a member of the School 
 Board, and an Assessor; and he has been a 
 trustee of the Town Library for thirty years. 
 In 1885 he was the Democratic nominee for 
 Congress in the Ninth Massachusetts Con- 
 gressional District, for State Senator in 1885, 
 for District Attorney for several times, and 
 for State Auditor in 1886. He is Senior 
 
 Visitor of the Scientific Department of Dart- 
 mouth College under the Chandler foundation. 
 Justice Hopkins has the largest private library 
 in Millbury, including a good law library. 
 
 tEUBEN RAWSON DODGE, the 
 son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Rawson) 
 Dodge, was born in Sutton, Mass., 
 Wilkinsonville post-office, April 3, 
 1 8 19. Mr. Dodge's father was an enterpris- 
 ing business farmer, and he worked on his 
 father's farm until he was seventeen years 
 old. After that time he went to Shrewsbury, 
 and spent two years to learn the house carpen- 
 ter's trade, which he followed in different 
 places, mostly Worcester, Boston, and Cam- 
 bridge, for twenty years. In 1856 he pur- 
 chased the farm which he now owns, and 
 which he has carried on up to the present 
 time for upward of forty years. It is the 
 place where his family were born. Mr. 
 Dodge is a representative of the seventh gen- 
 eration in descent from Richard, the emigrant 
 ancestor; namely, Richard,' Richard,^ Will- 
 iam, s Jacob,-* Richard, 5 Jacob, ^ Reuben Raw- 
 son.7 Richard Dodge, the first progenitor, 
 had a high appreciation of the value of educa- 
 tion, and in 1653 was one of the most liberal 
 contributors to a fund for Harvard College. 
 
 On his mother's side Mr. Dodge is de- 
 scended in the seventh generation from Ed- 
 ward Rawson, third Secretary of Massachu- 
 setts Colony, who wrote all the acts or laws 
 of the General Court from 1651 to 1686. Mr. 
 Dodge's mother also belonged to the Chace 
 family, and Bishop Philander Chase was her 
 first cousin. The Dodge, Rawson, and Chace 
 families were among the first families in 
 Sutton, and were all large landholders and 
 well-to-do farmers. Mr. Dodge's father and 
 grandfather lived on the farm of the late Gar- 
 dener H. Dodge. 
 
 Few people have projected and collected so 
 much historical and genealogical matter which 
 has been put into book form the past fifty 
 years as the subject of this sketch; and, being 
 possessed of strong powers of physical endur- 
 ance, he has generally succeeded in accom- 
 plishing whatever be has undertaken. His, 
 
REUBEN RAWSON DODGE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 735 
 
 mind was more particularly of an antiquarian, 
 historical, and genealogical turn; and up to 
 the time of his present age, seventy-nine 
 years, he feels a just pride in what he has ac- 
 complished by active labor, both physical and 
 mental. Durfng the year 1849 he began to 
 search out the genealogical history of his 
 mother's family, and during two or three 
 years collected records of the descendants of 
 Edward Rawson, the first ancestor in this 
 country. While passing in October, 1847, 
 the antiquarian book store of Samuel G. 
 Drake in Cornhill, Boston, he saw in the 
 window the Historical and Genealogical Regis- 
 ter^ the first number of which had been pub- 
 lished that year. He went into the store and 
 examined the Register, and made the acquaint- 
 ance of Mr. Drake, and spoke to him about 
 publishing in this periodical the matter he 
 had collected about the Rawson family. Mr. 
 Drake thought favorably of it, and encouraged 
 Mr. Dodge to continue bis researches. He 
 took him to the rooms of the New England 
 Historic and Genealogical Society, and intro- 
 duced him to Mr. Ewer and Mr. Montague, 
 and other members of the society, who readily 
 aided him in his labors. Mr. Dodge was then 
 working as a carpenter in Cambridge and Bos- 
 ton. But so deep an interest did he feel in 
 the subject that, after working hard at his 
 trade all day, he spent his evenings in re- 
 searches in books and corresponding with 
 those persons of the name whose address he 
 was able to procure. His expense by cor- 
 respondence to find out the families was con- 
 siderable, as they were settled in many 
 States. The results of his labors were pub- 
 lished in the New England Historical and 
 Genealogical Register, 185 1, also in pamphlet 
 form, several hundred copies of which were 
 distributed by himself during a journey 
 through the Southern and Western States, at 
 the same time collecting much other history 
 for a future edition, which was published by 
 Mr. E. B. Crane, of Worcester, 1875, and 
 was well received by the descendants of Ed- 
 ward Rawson. Mr. Montague writing in 
 1873, twenty-four years after making the ac- 
 quaintance of Mr. Dodge, says : " As a young 
 roan, with small pecuniary means and little 
 
 spare time, he entered upon researches requir- 
 ing much time and considerable money to pur- 
 sue them properly. He devoted his midnight 
 hours to the work, that he might accomplish 
 his purpose." During the year 1873 Mr. 
 Dodge, while examining the historical works 
 in the library of the American Antiquarian 
 Society at Worcester, found, much to his sur- 
 prise, three manuscripts bound together, con- 
 taining the early history of Sutton, written 
 by the distinguished antiquary, Christopher 
 Columbus Baldwin, at one time librarian of 
 that society. When a young man Mr. Bald- 
 win resided in Sutton, where he studied law 
 with the late Jonas L. Sibley. He eventually 
 intended to have published the work himself; 
 but he died before accomplishing it, and the 
 manuscripts were deposited with the society 
 for further use. It is doubtful whether, for 
 many years before they were found by Mr. 
 Dodge, any one had noticed them. He im- 
 mediately borrowed them for a few weeks, and 
 copied them entire. The labor of copying 
 Mr. Baldwin's manuscript, which was done by 
 Mr. Dodge, his wife, and daughter, occupied 
 nearly three weeks of their time. He then 
 called on prominent citizens of the town to 
 obtain their co-operation in having a complete 
 history of the town prepared and published. 
 After the subject had been sufficiently agi- 
 tated, a town meeting was held, January 13, 
 1876, at which a committee of five were 
 chosen to procure the publication of a History 
 of Sutton. The Rev. William A. Benedict, 
 pastor of the Congregational church, was 
 chosen to prepare the history. Mr. Dodge 
 gave up his papers freely for the benefit of the 
 town. Nor did he cease his labors in collect- 
 ing material to bring the history down from 
 the period where Mr. Baldwin's manuscript 
 left it. He spent many days in going from 
 family to family to interest them in the work 
 and to collect historical and genealogical 
 facts. The time spent on the work was worth 
 to him several hundred dollars. This was a 
 free gift to the town. It is admitted that, but 
 for his persistent efforts, no history of Sutton 
 would have been published at that time. Mr. 
 Benedict's book was issued in 1878, in a thick 
 
 octavo of eight hundred and thirty-seven 
 
736 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 pages. In his preface he acknowledges in- 
 debtedness to those who assisted him. He 
 says, "Among these is Reuben R. Dodge, 
 > Esq., who had himself projected a history of 
 the town and accumulated considerable ma- 
 terial for his purpose, all of which he freely 
 placed at our disposal; and his encouraging 
 words and unselfish co-operation can never be 
 forgotten." During the year 1879 Mr. Dodge 
 published a pamphlet entitled "Early Rec- 
 ords of the Dodge Family in America." This 
 was the first record of this family. It has 
 been republished by Joseph T. Dodge, of 
 Madison, Wis., in a book of four hundred and 
 fifty pages, and contains a full history of the 
 Dodge family in this country to the present 
 time. Mr. Dodge issued circulars to nearly 
 all the Dodge families in America to meet at 
 Salem, Mass., July 10, 1879, to commemorate 
 the landing of the first ancestor. The gather- 
 ing took place, and many distinguished people 
 were present. Mr. Dodge had also several 
 years before issued circulars inviting the liv- 
 ing descendants of Edward Rawson to assem- 
 ble at Worcester to meet each other and 
 review the history of the family. There were 
 three meetings in different years, 1872, 1873, 
 and 1874. Each year there were several hun- 
 dred members present from different sections 
 of the country. 
 
 Mr. Dodge collected and published in 1897 
 a small pamphlet containing two school dis- 
 tricts, names of teachers for one hundred 
 years, and historical matter relating to the 
 school districts. Mr. Dodge was a member 
 several years ago of the New England His- 
 toric and Genealogical Society, Boston. He 
 was also corresponding member of the Wis- 
 consin Historical Society located at Madison, 
 Wis. During the year 1898 Mr. Dodge com- 
 piled and published a pamphlet of thirty-two 
 pages, containing eleven hundred names from 
 inscriptions in six cemeteries in Sutton, giv- 
 ing the names of persons, time of their de- 
 cease, and their age, which work was favora- 
 bly received. 
 
 Mr. Dodge has been a member of St. John's 
 Episcopal Church, Wilkinsonville, the past 
 forty years, and most of the time either one of 
 the vestrymen or wardens. He has also been 
 
 a delegate to nearly every convention of the 
 diocese of Massachusetts held in that period 
 in Boston. He was chosen a delegate to 
 elect three bishops of said diocese — namely, 
 Paddock, Brooks, and Lawrence. 
 
 Mr. Dodge married Miss Lydia H. Wood, 
 daughter of David Wood, of Nantucket, Sep- 
 tember 13, 1853, and has the following chil- 
 dren: Herbert W., born January 13, 1855, 
 married Jean McLeven. He spent eight 
 years in Raton, N. Mex., employed in railroad 
 offices, and at present resides at Sutton. Ella 
 M., born February 24, 1857, married Charles 
 M. Holland, who is proprietor of Woonsocket 
 (R. I.) Nursery and a florist. Sarah E., born 
 February 17, i860, married Henry L. New- 
 ton, of Shrewsbury, where they reside. Fred- 
 erick A., born October 6, 1861, married Cora 
 J. Powers. He settled in Saundersville, where 
 he is extensively engaged in the grain and mill- 
 ing business. Lucus R., born December 14, 
 1863, married Maria Goddard. They reside 
 in Milford. He has been engaged the past 
 seven years on railroad. (See, for more par- 
 ticular account of Reuben R. Dodge, New 
 England Historical Register, January number, 
 1885; History of Sutton; Rawson Memorial; 
 and Dodge Family History.) 
 
 ILLIAM M. BLAKE, retired manu- 
 facturer of Westboro, Worcester 
 County, was born October 2, 1820, 
 in Roxbury, Mass., where his father, Joseph 
 Blake, who married Eliza McClure, was in 
 business as a morocco dealer for many years. 
 Joseph Blake was a native of Wakefield, N. H. 
 He was a son of Joseph Blake, Sr., a well-to- 
 do farmer of that town. 
 
 William M. Blake attended the public 
 schools of Roxbury until fifteen years old, 
 when he went into a dry-goods store in Boston 
 as a clerk. On becoming of age he estab- 
 lished himself in the dry-goods trade on his 
 own account, and continued in the same three 
 years. He subsequently served as a clerk in 
 Keith's music store for a while, and after that 
 he was head clerk in a South Boston brewery 
 until 1848, when on account of failing health 
 he resigned his position. Moving soon after- 
 
WILLIAM M. LLAKE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 739 
 
 ward to Westboro, Mr. Blake began the man- 
 ufacture of sleighs in the village; and during 
 the ensuing thirty years, or until warned by 
 failing health to retire, he carried on an exten- 
 sive and prosperous business. Being a skilful 
 workman, particular to have the productions of 
 his shop perfect in finish, he won an extended 
 reputation for turning out a fine class of 
 sleighs, and readily found a market. Men 
 from Boston, Providence, and neighboring 
 towns and cities came personally to buy direct 
 from him. 
 
 Mr. Blake enlisted May 2, 1864, in the 
 Fifth Massachusetts Infantry, was stationed at 
 Camp Meigs, Readville, Mass., and mustered 
 out August 2 of the same year. In politics 
 he has always been an active Republican. 
 Besides serving as Assessor several years, he 
 was a member of the Board of Select- 
 men in 1878, 1879, 1893, and 1894. He is 
 the oldest living member of Hockomocko 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F., to which he has belonged 
 for twenty-five years. Mr. Blake married Oc- 
 tober 29, 184s, Emily H. Cloyes, daughter of 
 Gardner and Harriet (Bowman) Cloyes, of 
 Framingham. Mrs. Cloyes, who though over 
 ninety-six years old is bright and active, lives 
 with Mr. and Mrs. Blake. Two children were 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Blake; namely, William 
 F. and Clara Augusta. William F. Blake en- 
 listed at the age of sixteen years in the Second 
 Rhode Island Infantry, and served until the 
 close of the war. He took part in five heavy 
 engagements, and was at Appomattox and wit- 
 nessed the surrender of General Lee. He died 
 at the age of thirty-five years. Clara Augusta 
 Blake married Myron E. Hutch ins, of Water- 
 bury, Vt. On August 6, 1897, she died very 
 suddenly, leaving her parents childless in their 
 old age and almost prostrated under their 
 heavy burden of sorrow. 
 
 tOWSE 
 M.D. 
 
 REYNOLDS CLARKE, 
 who was for many years the 
 leading physician of Whitinsville, 
 and whose name will always be 
 associated with the educational history of the 
 town, was born in Kingston, R.I., February 
 12, 1833. A direct descendant of the famous 
 
 Dr. Clarke of Colonial days, he seems to have 
 inherited much of his ancestor's love for 
 schools and higher education. He graduated 
 from the Harvard Medical School in 1846, 
 and in the following year came to Whitins- 
 ville, where he practised until 1862. In the 
 early summer of that year he was appointed 
 army surgeon and assigned to the Thirty- 
 fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, 
 then being organized at Camp John E. Wool 
 in the city of Worcester. Here he was a 
 stranger to almost all the officers, though he 
 was known to have possessed a large prac- 
 tice in his own and in neighboring towns 
 and to have enjoyed a high reputation in his 
 profession. To quote the words of Colonel 
 Lincoln, the commander of the regiment: 
 "The impression he made upon us at his first 
 appearance was favorable. He was of a mod- 
 est and unassuming demeanor, generally easy 
 of address, though at times a little brusque in 
 manner, of quick perception, deliberate in con- 
 clusion, sound in judgment, and clear and 
 direct in speech. Above all, he soon showed 
 that he was possessed of entire conscien- 
 tiousness of purpose." He showed the lat- 
 ter characteristic conspicuously in refusing 
 volunteers who had been accepted by the 
 officials of the different towns in their haste to 
 fill the quota assigned to them, but whom he 
 recognized as physically unable to endure the 
 hardships of actual war. For this he was se- 
 verely criticised by the press ; but subse- 
 quently, in camp near Alexandria, when the 
 sick list had grown to a fearful length, the 
 officers must have wondered what the limit 
 would have been had the Doctor been less 
 faithful in the discharge of his duties. The 
 men were warmly attached to him, and nowhere 
 did the natural kindliness of his hearty his 
 quick sympathies, and his professional skill 
 show to better advantage than during his ser- 
 vice in the army. He was at Harper's Ferry 
 and in the Shenandoah Valley with Sheridan's 
 division, and at Appomattox Court House, 
 Piedmont, Cedar Creek, and Richmond, Va. 
 Before he left the service he was appointed 
 brigade surgeon. 
 
 After an absence of three years, during 
 which time he had gained remarkable skill as 
 
74° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a surgeon, he returned to Whitinsville, and 
 once more took up the more prosaic though 
 equally useful duties of resident physician. 
 He always kept abreast of the times in medical 
 practice, and was thoroughly conversant with 
 every advance made in the healing art. His 
 quickness and clearness of judgment and his 
 practical common sense were remarkable. His 
 diagnosis of disease seemed to have the acute- 
 ness and certainty of intuition. His col- 
 leagues in the profession esteemed him highly, 
 and regarded him as an expert in the treatment 
 of many diseases. He was a member of the 
 Massachusetts and Worcester County Medical 
 Societies, also of the Thurber Medical Society 
 of Milford. 
 
 Beginning some twelve years before he be- 
 came a surgeon in the army, the Doctor's con- 
 nection with the public schools lasted through- 
 out the rest of his life. He was the chairman 
 of the School Board for a period covering many 
 years, and until a professional superintendent 
 was hired he had charge of all the schools. 
 The value of his services to the town in this 
 position cannot be overestimated. After his 
 death, resolutions expressing the deep regret 
 caused by his loss were adopted by all who had 
 been his associates in this educational work. 
 The teachers, the pupils of the high school, 
 the agent of the State Board of Education, and 
 the leading educational paper of New Eng- 
 land, \!s\& Journal of Education, all paid tributes 
 to the value of his work. The editors of the 
 High School Gatherings devoted an entire issue 
 of their paper as a memorial to Dr. Clarke. 
 Resolutions of loss and condolence were also 
 passed by the Masonic lodge with which he 
 was connected and by the General Court of 
 Massachusetts, of which he was at the time of 
 his death a member. As soon as he was 
 elected to the legislature he was recognized as 
 a person eminently fitted to deal with educa- 
 tional matters, and was assigned to the Com- 
 mittee on Education. His sudden removal 
 from that committee was a source of deep regret 
 to all who knew his worth and his peculiar fit- 
 ness for the position. 
 
 The Doctor was greatly interested in the 
 Social Library, was for some years its libra- 
 rian, and at the time of bis death was the pres- 
 
 ident of the association. He also took a 
 strong interest in the Chautauqua movement. 
 For a long time he was a trustee of the Whit- 
 insville Savings Bank and for years the Medi- 
 cal Examiner for Southern Worcester County. 
 He was a member of King Solomon's Temple 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., at Uxbridge. In relig- 
 ious belief he was a Congregational ist. His 
 death occurred on February 4, 1888. 
 
 (m^ 
 
 EORGE B. BRIGHAM, who was for 
 \ |S)I many years a leading boot and shoe 
 manufacturer of Westboro, was born 
 in this town, October 4, 18 18, son of George 
 B. Brigham, Sr. The father was reared in 
 Waterford, Me., his native town, whither 
 some of his ancestors had emigrated from 
 Worcester County, Massachusetts. He mar- 
 ried Nellie Fay. 
 
 When a lad of nine years the subject of 
 this sketch went to live with the family of 
 Elijah Forbes, near the reservoir now owned 
 by the town. He remained with Mr. Forbes 
 until he was sixteen, when he became an in- 
 mate of the household of David Warren. For 
 a period he attended the district school for 
 ten weeks each year. At the age of eighteen 
 he entered the Worcester Manual Training 
 School in order to learn the use of tools. In 
 the following year he began to work at the 
 trade of shoemaker, and afterward for two 
 years he had charge of the factory of Thomas 
 Stone. Forming then a partnership with 
 Moses Newton, he manufactured shoes during 
 the ensuing four years. In 1843 he estab- 
 lished himself in Boston as a dealer in gro- 
 ceries and produce, in company with Silas 
 Stone, of Boston, and Elijah Morse, of West- 
 boro. After a year's experience in that line 
 he sold out his interest in the firm to his part- 
 ners, and during the next five years resided in 
 Sherborn and Westboro, dividing his time 
 about equally between farming and trading. 
 From 1849 until 1857 he was superintendent 
 of Daniel F. Newton's boot and shoe manu- 
 factory, and at the same time, in company 
 with John H. Pierce, carried on a substantial 
 business as a lumber manufacturer and dealer. 
 In 1858 be embarked in the manufacture of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 741 
 
 boots and shoes on his own account, and 
 throughout the rest of his life carried on an 
 extensive business in this town, employing a 
 large force of help. 
 
 In politics Mr. Brigham was a straight Re- 
 publican, and served his fellow-townsmen in 
 various capacities. He was for several years 
 Assessor and a member of different town 
 committees. In 1887 he represented his dis- 
 trict at the General Court, being a member of 
 the House when the hotly contested question 
 concerning the division of Beverly was 
 brought before it. He united with the Bap- 
 tist church when but seventeen years old, and 
 was for a number of years the superintendent 
 of its Sunday-school. He was always ac- 
 tively interested in matters pertaining to the 
 town, and was a prime mover in having the 
 history of Westboro published 
 
 On April 10, 1844, Mr. Brigham married 
 Caroline Jones Leland, of Sherborn, a daugh- 
 ter of John and Sally (Bickford) Leland. 
 She died February 14, 1858, leaving six chil- 
 dren, of whom Ella Lucille died at the age of 
 fourteen. The others are : Atherton Fon- 
 telle; Carrie Georgiana; John Leland; 
 George Bickford, of this town; and Bertram 
 Fay, of Brockton. On January 9, 1859, Mr. 
 Brigham married Mary Phipps Homer, a 
 daughter of Michael and Susan Phipps Homer, 
 of Hopkinton. They reared five children — 
 Frank Fontelle, Horace Eugene, Lillie Jo- 
 sephine, Marion Homer, and Ernest Phipps. 
 Mr. Brigham died January 27, 1891. 
 
 ~CjLIJAH FLAGG BROOKS, a well- 
 Fl known and respected resident of 
 "^^ '■ " Worcester, was born in this city, 
 August 22, 1820, son of George W. and Eu- 
 nice (Flagg) Brooks. His paternal grand- 
 father was a resident of Worcester in the latter 
 part of the eighteenth century ; and he is a de- 
 scendant of Thomas Brooks, who came to this 
 country from England. 
 
 After attending school in his native town 
 for a short time in his youth, Elijah F. Brooks 
 accompanied his parents to Canada, where 
 his studies were continued. He returned to 
 Worcester after a few years, and entered a 
 
 boot and shoe factory, where he learned the 
 shoemaker's trade, which he followed through- 
 out his active life. He was first employed as 
 a journeyman in the factory of Otis Corbett. 
 After remaining there for a few years he went 
 to work for Hiram French, in whose establish- 
 ment he was advanced from time to time until 
 he became one of the leading workmen. 
 After remaining in Mr. French's employ for 
 twenty years he retired in 1869. He died on 
 April 4 of that year at the age of forty-eight 
 years, seven months, and thirteen days. Faith- 
 ful in the discharge of his duties, he had the 
 respect of his fellow-workmen and the esteem 
 of his employers. At the breaking out of the 
 Civil War he was desirous of enlisting for the 
 defence of the Union, but was prevented from 
 doing so by ill health. He was much attached 
 to his home and family, and had few interests 
 outside of the domestic circle. With strong 
 religious principles, he acted them in his daily 
 life, and his example was one for good among 
 his fellows. 
 
 On February 12, 1853, Mr. Brooks mar- 
 ried Mercy Woodward, of Princeton, daughter 
 of Jason and Mary (Clark) Woodward. The 
 Woodwards have been residents of Worcester 
 County for many generations, and the Clarks 
 were an old and highly reputable family of 
 Hubbardston, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks 
 were the parents of three sons, as follows : 
 George Woodward; Charles, who died in Oc- 
 tober, 1858; and Frederick, who died in Au- 
 gust, i860. 
 
 George Woodward Brooks was born in 
 Worcester, March 19, 1854, and has inherited 
 the best traits of his father's character. He 
 was educated in this city, and after leaving 
 the high school became a clerk in the Boston 
 & Albany freight office. He was promoted 
 several times, and continued in the employ of 
 the company for twenty-three years, his faith- 
 ful service being thoroughly appreciated by 
 his employers. In 1895 he resigned and en- 
 tered the employ of the Logan, Swift & Brig- 
 ham Envelope Company, of this city, manu- 
 facturers of envelopes. He married Lillia 
 Frances Howe, and has one daughter — Bertha 
 Mildred. He is a member of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
742 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (5 Thomas SANDERS, the treasurer of 
 * I the Southbridge Printing Company, 
 -*- was born in Fall River, Mass., Febru- 
 ary 28, 1845. His parents, James and Mar- 
 garet (Henry) Sanders, were natives of Lan- 
 cashire, England. The father, who was born 
 in 181 1, emigrated to the United States in 
 1843. After settling in Rhode Island he 
 followed the business of a color mixer in 
 printing factories until 1850. Then he en- 
 tered the printing business. His wife, whom 
 he married in this country in 1844, became 
 the mother of seven children, five of whom are 
 living, namely: Sarah, who is the wife of 
 William S. Henry, and resides in South- 
 bridge; Margaret L., who married Charles P. 
 Lincoln, of Hartford, Conn. ; James H., the 
 superintendent of the Southbridge Printing 
 Company's works; William H., also an em- 
 ployee at the works ; and Thomas, the subject 
 of this sketch. 
 
 Thomas Sanders was educated in the public 
 schools of River Point and Providence, R.I., 
 and at the Riv^r Point Seminary. His 
 knowledge of the cotton print business was 
 obtained under the direction of his father at 
 the print works in Crompton, R.I. Having 
 come to Southbridge in 1870, he and his 
 brother, James H., in 1874 engaged in busi- 
 ness under the firm name of T. & J. H. San- 
 ders. In December, 1884, this firm was 
 incorporated as the Southbridge Printing Com- 
 pany, of which Mr. Sanders has since been 
 the treasurer. It does a large business in 
 printing and finishing cotton goods woven at 
 other factories. 
 
 In August, 1875, Mr. Sanders was united 
 in marriage with Ella F. Olney, a daughter 
 of Thomas and Mary Olney, of Sturbridge. 
 Mrs. Sanders is the mother of three children : 
 James O., born May 25, 1876; Robert W., 
 born February 10, 1880; and Mary Elizabeth, 
 born January 2, 1887. James O. Sanders, 
 who is a graduate of Cushing Academy in 
 Ashburnham, Mass., and of the Emerson 
 School of Oratory in Boston, is associated 
 with the Printing Company. Robert W. is 
 now attending an Industrial School of Chem- 
 istry in Germany. In politics Mr. Sanders is 
 a Republican, and he is and has been the 
 
 treasurer of the Republican Town Committee 
 for a number of years. He was a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen in the years 1880, 
 1 88 1, 1882, 1894, 1895, 1896, and 1898. A 
 Mason of high rank, he belongs to Quinebaug 
 Lodge; Doric Chapter of Royal Arch Masons; 
 Hiram Council, Royal and Select Masters of 
 Worcester; St. John's Commandery, Knights 
 Templar, of Providence, R. I. ; the Lodge of 
 Perfection in Worcester; Aleppo Temple of 
 the Mystic Shrine, Boston ; and to the Mas- 
 sachusetts Consistory, thirty-second degree, 
 Scottish Rite. He has occupied the impor- 
 tant chairs in Phoenix Council, Royal Ar- 
 canum, and in Armor Lodge, Knights of 
 Pythias. In 1896 he joined the Ancient and 
 Honorable Artillery of Boston, and accom- 
 panied that famous organization on its recent 
 trip to Europe. As a business man he has 
 acquired a wide reputation for energy and 
 sound judgment, which have frequently been 
 displayed to advantage in developing the in- 
 dustrial resources of Southbridge. He at- 
 tends the Baptist church. 
 
 ARVEY CLARK, a well-known resi- 
 dent of Gardner and a veteran of the 
 Civil War, was born in Ashburn- 
 ham, Mass., January 2, 1 841, son 
 of George and Sarah (Adams) Clark. He 
 comes of Revolutionary stock. Two of his 
 ancestors on the paternal side, his great-great- 
 grandfather and his great-grandfather, both 
 named David Clark, enlisted at Ashburnham 
 as privates in Colonel Ira Whitcomb's" regi- 
 ment oh April 26, 177s, the elder Clark in 
 Captain Robert Longley's company and the 
 younger in that of Captain David Wilder. 
 Mr. Clark's grandfather, Levi Clark, was a 
 lifelong resident of Ashburnham, as was also 
 his father, who cultivated a farm during his 
 active years. Mr. Clark's mother, Sarah 
 Adams Clark, was a daughter of Daniel 
 Adams and a grand-daughter of John Adams, 
 of Westminster, Mass. 
 
 Harvey Clark acquired a common-school 
 education. His father dying when he was 
 about two years old, he resided with relatives, 
 assisting them in farming until September, 
 
THOMAS SANDERS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 HS 
 
 1861, when he enlisted as a private in the 
 Twenty-fifth Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teer Infantry. He served two years in 
 North Carolina, and was for nearly a year at- 
 tached to the Army of the James, with which 
 he saw considerable active service, participat- 
 ing in the battle of Cold Harbor and other en- 
 gagements. After the siege of Petersburg his 
 regiment returned to North Carolina, and from 
 there was sent North to Worcester, Mass., 
 where he was honorably discharged in October, 
 1864. He subsequently entered the employ 
 of the Heywood Brothers in Gardner, and has 
 resided here ever since. 
 
 Mr. Clark married Adeline P. Hinds, of 
 Ashburnham ; and his only child, Ella, is 
 now a book-keeper in the Gardner office of the 
 Heywood Brothers. He is prominently iden- 
 tified with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows, being a charter member and Past Grand 
 of William Ellison Lodge and a member of 
 Gardner Encampment. He held the appoint- 
 ment of District Deputy for several years, 
 has been Assistant Grand Instructor for the 
 past six years, was the first presiding officer of 
 Sabin Lodge of Rebekahs, and is regarded as 
 one of the best exponents of the work in this 
 locality. Mr. Clark is also a member of the 
 Masonic Order, the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen, and the Grand Army of the Re- 
 public. 
 
 rm 
 
 EORGE H. CLARK, who was for 
 V *) I forty years or more connected with 
 
 — ^ the mercantile interests of Worcester, 
 Mass., as an extensive dealer in paints and 
 painters' supplies, died at his late home on 
 Salem Street, this city, March 11, 1897, after 
 a patiently borne illness of two years. He 
 was born at New Ipswich, N. H., May 2, 
 1832, a son of Daniel and Malinda (Start) 
 Clark, the former of whom died in 1842. 
 
 Owing to the death of his father Mr. Clark 
 was thrown upon his own resources when but 
 a boy, and after working a few years in New 
 Ipswich went to Antrim, N. H., where he was 
 employed by his uncle, Caleb Clark, a farmer, 
 for five years. Going thence to Ashburnham, 
 Mass., he painted pails for the Winchester 
 
 Brothers, woodenware manufacturers, a few 
 months, and then began to learn the trade of 
 a house painter of Mr. Kendall, of Leominster, 
 Mass. Coming to Worcester in 1854, he se- 
 cured work with Mr. Gerry Hutchinson, a 
 painter, whose shop occupied the present site 
 of Mr. Eddy's carpenter shop on Norwich 
 Street. In 1855 Mr. Clark opened a store for 
 the sale of paints, oils, etc., at 6 Norwich 
 Street, where he built up a large and lucrative 
 trade, which he carried on until his death. 
 For more than a score of years he attended to 
 the entire business himself; but as it devel- 
 oped, and new departments were added, he 
 admitted into partnership his brother, Charles 
 D. Clark, who was junior meinber of the firm 
 of George H. Clark & Co. from 1877 until 
 the death of the senior member, and who dur- 
 ing a large part of the time was practically the 
 manager of the business. Mr. Clark was for 
 a while vice-president of the New England 
 Paint and Oil Association. 
 
 Mr. Clark was a stanch Republican in poli- 
 tics, and though not an aspirant for official 
 honors represented Ward Four in the Common 
 Council in 1863, 1864, 1867, and 1868. He 
 was a prominent member of the Worcester 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F., of which for a quarter of 
 a century he was one of the Hall Committee. 
 He was also an honorary member of the 
 Worcester Continentals, and was for some 
 years an active member of the Commonwealth 
 Club. 
 
 Mr. Clark married Lucy M. Barnard, of 
 Vermont. She died in 1896, leaving one son, 
 Albert H., born October 4, 1863, who has 
 succeeded to his father's interest in the busi- 
 ness, and is now head of the enterprising firm 
 of George H. Clark & Co. 
 
 ,RS. AMY G. FERGUSON, of 
 Millbury, is a daughter of the late 
 John Martin, for many years a 
 substantial business man of this 
 of Worcester County. Her father 
 was born in Barrington, R.I., April 24, 1818, 
 and there worked as a carpenter and wheel- 
 wright in his early manhood. Coming thence 
 to Millbury in 1856, he was for a time em- 
 
 section 
 
746 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ployed in the cotton waste business with 
 Joseph Merry, and was afterward associated 
 with Warren Sweetser as a foundryman, their 
 shop being located on the site of the present 
 Atlantic Mill on South Main Street. He suc- 
 ceeded Mr. Sweetser, and continued at the 
 old stand until the shop was burned, when he 
 purchased land and built a foundry near the 
 C. D. Morse factory, where he was in partner- 
 ship for a number of years with W. R. Cun- 
 ningham. After the retirement of Mr. Cun- 
 ningham, Mr. Martin carried on the business 
 alone until he sold out to the firm of Calvin & 
 Bennett. In the spring of 1894 he bought an 
 interest in the plumbing and hardware trade of 
 James H. Ferguson, and until his death, 
 March 23, 1897, was junior member of the 
 firm of James H. Ferguson & Co. A man of 
 sterling integrity and good financial ability, 
 he was successful in all his operations, and 
 through his own exertions acquired a fine prop- 
 erty, including a farm of sixty acres, upon 
 which he settled in 1870. He was for a num- 
 ber of years one of the trustees of the Millbury 
 Savings Bank. One of the strong Republicans 
 of this locality, he served his fellow-townsmen 
 as Assessor and Selectman for several terms. 
 On November 16, 1861, he was made a Mason 
 in the Olive Branch Lodge, F. & A. M. , and 
 at his death was buried with Masonic honors. 
 
 In October, 1840, Mr. Martin married Amy 
 Smith, who was born in the town of Smithfield 
 (now called Lincoln), R.I., January 5, 1821, 
 and died in Millbury, April 25, 1897. They 
 reared five children, as follows: Mary, who 
 was twice married, her second husband being 
 Horace Aldrich, and died August 11, 1885, 
 leaving three children; Emily S., who mar- 
 ried Lewis B. Olney, of North Providence, and 
 died February 2, 1874, aged thirty years; Jer- 
 emiah, a resident of Springfield, Mass. ; John 
 H., who died February 2, 1894, leaving two 
 children; and Amy G. , who is now Mrs. Fer- 
 guson. 
 
 On April 7, 1875, Amy G. Martin married 
 Peter Ferguson, who was born in Bristol, R.I. , 
 February 22, 1854, a son of James and Char- 
 lotte (Ralstone) Ferguson, his parents being 
 natives of Scotland. Further parental and 
 ancestral history of the Ferguson family may 
 
 be found in connection with the sketch of 
 James H. Ferguson, which appears elsewhere 
 in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson have 
 three children; namely, Alice, Lotta, and 
 Ida. 
 
 /©To 
 
 EORGE DANA, a retired farmer re- 
 f i) I siding on Plantation Street, Worces- 
 ^-^■^ ter, was born in Oxford, Mass., May 
 22, 1832, son of Ebenezer and Tamar B. 
 (Dana) Dana. The Dana farm in Oxford, 
 which was originally owned by Mr. Dana's 
 great-grandfather, was the birthplace of Eben- 
 ezer Dana, the grandfather, as well as of Eben- 
 ezer, the father. The grandparents reared six 
 sons and two daughters, of whom Ebenezer was 
 the youngest. One of the daughters married 
 and went to New Hampshire, and the other 
 remained single. Of the sons, Jeremiah lived 
 to an advanced age; Phineas went to Penobscot 
 County, Maine, where he reared a family; and 
 Sylvanus died at a good old age in Millbury, 
 Mass. 
 
 Ebenezer Dana, father of George, was bom 
 in 1 779. He moved frorri Oxford to Worces- 
 ter, where he was engaged in farming and 
 brickmaking for the rest of his active period. 
 His death occurred in 1863. For his first 
 wife he married his cousin, Tamar B. Dana, 
 who was born in Sterling in 1795, daughter of 
 Jonathan Dana, and died July 22, 1840. Sub- 
 sequently he contracted a second marriage. 
 He was the father of two sons by his first wife, 
 namely: Ebenezer Beeman, born in 1828; and 
 George Dana, the subject of this sketch. 
 Ebenezer B. Dana owned jointly with his 
 father the farm in Worcester upon which 
 they resided, and was also engaged in the 
 manufacture of brick. He died in 1882, 
 leaving one daughter. 
 
 George Dana came to Worcester when he 
 was eight years old, and subsequently attended 
 the public schools of this city. He assisted 
 his father upon the farm and in the brickyard, 
 and was connected with the last-named busi- 
 ness until the death of his brother. Succeed- 
 ing to the ownership of the farm, he carried it 
 on with success, but is now practically retired 
 from active labor. 
 
TILLEY BEMIS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 749 
 
 On April 28, 1870, Mr. Dana was united in 
 marriage with Mary Rice, daughter of Com- 
 fort and Lucinda (Wood) Rice. Her parents, 
 who resided for many years on a farm in Au- 
 burn, later moved to Millbury, Mass. The 
 father died in 1869, and his wife in 1872. 
 Both were born in the year 1 800. They reared 
 nine children, of whom Austin and his sister 
 Melinda reside in Antelope County, Nebraska; 
 William died unmarried at the age of forty- 
 nine; and Rufus and John, who were Colorado 
 pioneers, served in the Civil War, after which 
 they returned to Colorado and engaged in farm- 
 ing. Mr. and Mrs. Dana have one son, E. 
 Beeman Dana, born November 26, 1884. In 
 politics Mr. Dana is a Republican. He and 
 Mrs. Dana are Congregationalists in religion, 
 and attend Plymouth Church. 
 
 (SOTTll 
 
 ILLEY BEMIS, who owns a productive 
 * I farm in East Brookfield, was born in 
 -*- Spencer, Mass., October i, 1823, son 
 of Cheney and Martha (Howe) Bemis. His 
 parents were natives of Spencer, as was also 
 his grandfather, Nathan Bemis; and his great- 
 grandfather, Nathaniel Bemis, was an early 
 settler in that town. 
 
 Cheney Bemis, who was a prosperous 
 farmer of Spencer during the active period of 
 his life, died April 3, 1876. His wife, 
 Martha, who was a daughter of Joel Howe, a 
 Revolutionary soldier, became the mother of 
 eleven children, six of whom are living, 
 namely: Tilley, the subject of this sketch; 
 Cheney; Caroline; Charles; Alvin; and 
 Lucy. Caroline is the wife of Franklin 
 Drury, and Lucy is now Mrs. George Con- 
 verse. 
 
 Tilley Bemis in his youth attended the dis- 
 trict schools, and acquired a knowledge of the 
 common branches of education. He was 
 reared upon his father's farm, and for some 
 years after reaching maturity was engaged in 
 the lumber and wood business. During the 
 year 1858 he resumed agricultural pursuits, 
 and, purchasing his present farm in East 
 Brookfield, has since tilled the soil with pros- 
 perous results. 
 
 On October 9, i860, Mr. Bemis was united: 
 
 in marriage with Emily Williams, a native 
 of Pendleton, N.Y., the ceremony being per- 
 formed in Buffalo, N.Y. He has four chil- 
 dren — Charles E., Hiram C, Martha E., 
 and Harriet E. Martha E. is the wife of 
 Estes L. Merrick, and Harriet E. is now Mrs. 
 Frederick P. Smith. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Bemis is a Republican; 
 and, though not an aspirant for public office, 
 he takes a lively interest in all matters rela- 
 tive to the general welfare of the town. Mrs. 
 Bemis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church and of the Ladies' Aid Society in 
 Spencer. 
 
 EUCIEN HARRINGTON, who was for 
 many years cashier in the Boston & 
 ^ Albany freight office at Worcester, 
 was born in Leicester, this county, 
 February 8, 1831, son of Oliver and Eliza 
 (Wheelock) Harrington. The Harringtons 
 were among the first settlers of Worcester, and 
 have been prominent in the history of the city. 
 Men of unimpeachable character and high 
 standing, their influence has uniformly been 
 for good. Lucien Harrington was of the 
 eighth generation from Robert,' who was liv- 
 ing in Watertown, Mass., some time prior to 
 1657. His line of descent is traced through 
 Daniel,'' of Marlboro, Mass. ; Isaac, ^ of 
 Shrewsbury, Mass.; Captain Isaac*; Adam ^ ; 
 Fortunatus*; and Oliver. ' Mr. Harrington's 
 paternal grandparents were residents of Shrews- 
 bury, Mass., in which town his parents lived 
 for some time. Oliver Harrington conducted 
 a store in Leicester for a while. Subse- 
 quently he was passenger agent for the Bos- 
 ton & Albany Railroad at Worcester, was later 
 employed in the Worcester post-office, and 
 still later was engaged in the insurance 
 business. 
 
 Lucien Harrington acquired his school edu- 
 cation in Worcester. When he was fifteen 
 years old he went to work in the freight office 
 of the Boston & Albany Railroad in this city, 
 at first being employed as clerk. He was 
 afterward promoted to the position of book- 
 keeper, and by merit and trustworthiness 
 eventually rose to that of cashier and paymas- 
 
7S«> 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ten Though having large sums of money to 
 handle, he had the fullest confidence of the 
 company, and was never tempted to betray his 
 trust. He was as capable as he was honest, 
 and no' more faithful servant could have been 
 found for the position he held so long. His 
 term of service with the company extended 
 from 1846 to 1882. His death, which was 
 sudden, occurred June 8 in the last-named 
 year. 
 
 In disposition Mr. Harrington was sunshine 
 itself. His bonhomie and abundant wit at- 
 tracted those with whom he came into contact, 
 and he was so generous and free from malice 
 that he had no hates and no enemies. He was 
 remarkably quick at figures, and he had worked 
 so closely and conscientiously that after his 
 death two men were employed to accomplish 
 the same amount of labor. 
 
 Mr. Harrington was married June i, 1877, 
 to Mary A. Forbes Kittredge, of Worcester, 
 daughter of Jonas and Martha (Forbes) Kit- 
 tredge. Mrs. Harrington comes of an old 
 New England family. Her grandfather on the 
 maternal side, John Burbank, served in the 
 Continental army. His wife was of German 
 desceiit. 
 
 'OSEPH G. EDGERLY, the superin- 
 tendent of the Fitchburg schools, and 
 one of the oldest school superintend- 
 ents in point of service in New Eng- 
 land, was born in Barnstead, N.H., October 
 12, 1838, son of Samuel J. and Eliza (Bick- 
 ford) Edgerly. The Edgerly family began 
 with three brothers who came to this country 
 in the early part of the seventeenth century 
 and settled near Dover, N.H. Thomas, the 
 direct ancestor of Joseph G. Edgerly, came to 
 the country in 1635. All the Edgerlys were 
 strict Puritans. Samuel Edgerly, the grand- 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was a 
 builder and contractor of Northwood, N.H. 
 He married Lydia S. , daughter of Colonel 
 Samuel Johnson. Colonel Johnson, who was 
 born in 1739, at the beginning of the Revo- 
 lution was entrusted with the care of the 
 wives and children of the soldiers. Later he 
 enlisted and was promoted to the rank of 
 
 Colonel. Samuel Edgerly had a family of 
 eleven children. 
 
 Samuel J. Edgerly was born in Northwood. 
 He was a delicate child, and was given a good 
 education in order to fit him for some light 
 occupation. He taught school for a while, and 
 was subsequently engaged during a great part 
 of his life in clerical work, being a good 
 penman. A member of the Congregational 
 church and a highly respected citizen of the 
 town of Barnstead, he served for some time on 
 the Board of Selectmen, and died at the age of 
 fifty-eight. His wife, who was a daughter of 
 Moses Bickford, a well-to-do farmer who re- 
 sided for some time in Lee and later of Barn- 
 stead, was born in 1802. She had nine chil- 
 dren, five boys and four girls, eight of whom 
 attained maturity. Of .these, Martin V. , B. 
 was president of the Massachusetts Mutual 
 Life Insurance Company, of Springfield, and 
 in 1882 was the Democratic Candidate f6r 
 Governor of New Hampshire, his Republican 
 opponent being Samuel W. Hale. Andrew 
 Jackson Edgerly was Lieutenant in Company 
 E, Fourth New Hampshire. Regiment, in 1861, 
 and Adjutant- General of New Hampshire after 
 the war. Clarence M. Edgerly is in the fire 
 and marine insurance business at Manchester, 
 N.H. 
 
 Joseph G. Edgerly fitted for college at the 
 Manchester (N.H.) High School. He then 
 taught for several years, and subsequently 
 entering Dartmouth College was graduated at 
 that institution in 1867. On the day follow- 
 ing that on which he received his diploma, 
 he was appointed Superintendent of Schools 
 at Manchester, in which capacity he served 
 eight years. He began to teach at the age 
 of nineteen at New Boston, N. H. , and he sub- 
 sequently taught in the Piscataquog, Grammar 
 School in Manchester. In the spring of 1862 
 he was in the postal department at Fortress 
 Monroe. He then taught for two years in a 
 a grammar school at Manchester. In 1875 he 
 was appointed Superintendent of Schools in 
 Fitchburg, Mass., and he has since performed 
 the duties of this responsible office — a period 
 of twenty-two consecutive years. When he 
 took charge of the Fitchburg schools there were 
 forty-seven teachers under his charge. There 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 7St 
 
 are now one hundred and twenty, while the 
 number of pupils in the high school has in- 
 creased from one hundred and twenty to five 
 hundred and fifty. At the end of twenty years' 
 service as superintendent of the Fitchburg 
 schools, he was given a reception by his 
 teachers and presented with a fine onyx table 
 and handsome vase. The most cordial rela- 
 tion's have existed between Superintendent 
 Edgerly and the teachers with whom he has 
 been associated. Mr. Chapin, the principal of 
 the high school, in speaking at the reception, 
 voiced the sentiments of the teachers in saying : 
 "In all my experience I never knew a man who 
 has been so sympathetic, so generous with 
 help, suggestion, and incident of experience. 
 We have all had many evidences of this kind. 
 I never knew a man who made things so easy 
 for the teachers. I never knew a man of more 
 tact." Mr. Edgerly' s work is largely admin- 
 istrative. He is an eloquent speaker, and has 
 delivered orations on a number of important 
 occasions; He has been president of the New 
 Hampshire State Teachers' Association and of 
 the Worcester County Teachers' Association; 
 a director of the Massachusetts Teachers' Asso- 
 ciation and of the American Institute of In- 
 struction ; and the president of the New Eng- 
 land Association of School Superintendents, 
 as well as of the original members of that body 
 when it was formed in 1868. 
 
 In 1877 Mr. Edgerly was married to Mary 
 J., daughter of John J. Graves, of Groton, 
 Mass. They have one daughter, Louise 
 Graves, a graduate of the Fitchburg High 
 School, class of 1897, and now a member of 
 the class of 1901, Smith College. Mr. Edg- 
 erly, while a resident of New Hampshire, be- 
 came active in Free Masonry and Odd Fellow- 
 ship, and still retains his connection with 
 these fraternities. He was Noble Grand of 
 Wildey Lodge, I. O. O. F. , at Manchester in 
 1874, and of Apollo Lodge at: Fitchburg in 
 1 891, being elected to this position upon the 
 instituting of the lodge. For two years he 
 was Eminent Commander of Jerusalem Com- 
 mandery, Knights Templars, at Fitchburg. 
 He was the first president of the Sons and 
 Daughters of New Hampshire, which was or- 
 ganized in 1895. A regular attendant at the 
 
 Calvinistic Congregational Church, he presided 
 at the dedication of the new church edifice in 
 February, 1897. 
 
 M 
 
 AVID H. HAYTER, Deputy Sheriff 
 of Worcester, Mass., was born in 
 Elgin, P.Q., April 10, 1845, second 
 son of Jesse and Margaret (Henry) 
 Hayter. His father, a native of Englan(J,=waS 
 a carpenter by trade, and later in life carried 
 on farming; His mother was a native of Scot- 
 land, and she, as well as her husband, isnow 
 deceased. 
 
 Mr. Hayter was educated in the public 
 schools of his native town. At the age of 
 fifteen years he began to learn the printer's 
 trade, and soon after finishing his apprentice- 
 ship was a compositor in the offices of the 
 Burlington (Vt.) Free Press and Times, work- 
 ing his way forward to the position of fore- 
 man of the composing-room of the Free Press. 
 In the year 1865 he became connected with 
 the Clinton (Mass.) Courant, and served in 
 the different departments of that journal until 
 1885, when he entirely relinquished the news- 
 paper business for official life. 
 
 Mr. Hayter was elected truant officer by 
 the Selectmen of Clinton, Mass., in 1876, 
 and served in that capacity for three years, 
 and as Constable and police officer of the 
 town until 1885, when in June of that year 
 he was appointed a member of the District 
 Police by Governor Robinson, and assigned to 
 the detective department of that force. He 
 was reappointed in 1888, and transferred to 
 Worcester, where he has lived since. In Jan- 
 uary, 1893, he was appointed a Deputy Sheriff 
 by Sheriff Chamberlain, in which position he 
 has served since. 
 
 On December 25, 1871, Mr. Hayter mar- 
 ried Myra J. Johnson, second daughter of Cap- 
 tain Nathaniel Johnson, of Clinton, whose 
 ancestors served in the Revolutionary War. 
 
 Mr. Hayter is a member of Trinity Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., of Clinton; Clinton Royal 
 Arch Chapter, of Clinton; Worcester County 
 Commandery, K. T., and all the Scottish Rite 
 bodies in Worcester; Massachusetts Consis- 
 tory; and Aleppo Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., 
 
752 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of Boston, He is also a member of Stella 
 Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, Brigade 
 Club, Gesang Verein Frohsinn, and an honor- 
 ary member of the Worcester Continentals of 
 Worcester. His office is at 625 State Mutual 
 Building. 
 
 /STeORGE F. HILDRETH, recently a 
 % J> I resident of West Boylston, but now 
 of Worcester, was bom in Sterling 
 on January 22, 1836, son of James D. and Bet- 
 sey E. (Winn) Hildreth. His paternal grand- 
 father, Timothy Hildreth, and his grandmother 
 Hildreth, whose maiden name was Polly Saw- 
 yer, were both natives of Sterling. They spent 
 their married life on a farm in that town. 
 The grandfather died there at the age of sixty- 
 five, and the grandmother died there aged sixty- 
 eight. They were members of the Baptist 
 church in Sterling. 
 
 Their son, James D. Hildreth, was born in 
 Sterling, and spent the greater part of his life 
 there and in West Boylston. He grew up on 
 his father's farm, and obtained his education 
 in the common schools. He subsequently 
 drove teams from Leominster to Boston, from 
 Gardner to Boston, from Sterling to Boston, 
 and from Gardner to Providence, carrying dry 
 goods and West India goods. He died at the 
 age of fifty-eight. His wife, Betsey, who had 
 been married previous to her union with him, 
 died in 1894, at the age of ninety-three years. 
 By her marriage with Mr. Hildreth she had 
 seven children, five of whom are living, 
 namely : James N. ; George F. ; Charles H. ; 
 Sarah A., wife of Alonzo Smith; and Georgia 
 A., who married Alphonso Smith, twin 
 brother of Alonzo. 
 
 George F. Hildreth attended the common 
 schools in his boyhood, and remained at home 
 until twenty-one years of age. He then went 
 to Worcester, where for two years he was em- 
 ployed in working for the city. In 1859 he re- 
 moved to West Boylston, and during the twenty 
 years following was engaged in the grain busi- 
 ness. Selling out at the end of that time he 
 retired from active pursuits. For a year Mr. 
 Hildreth had full management in the operation 
 of a mill, and subsequently was in company 
 
 with Mr. Ruel G. Cowee, wh6 was the owner 
 of the mill. A large amount of flour was man- 
 ufactured and considerable custom work was 
 done. Mr. Hildreth has been ior several years 
 one of the trustees of the cemetery, and up to 
 1897 was superintendent. In politics he is a 
 Republican voter. Although not an office- 
 seeker, he consented to serve for one year as 
 Assessor. His present residence is at 5 New- 
 ton Avenue, Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Hildreth was married in 1861 to Mary 
 Cowee, daughter of Ruel G. Cowee, with 
 whom he was at one time associated in busi- 
 ness. Mr. Cowee removed to West Boylston in 
 1850 from Gardner, Mass., where lie had been 
 one of the first to engage in the manufacture of 
 chairs by machinery, and where he had carried 
 on a large business. He died in West Boylston 
 at the age of seventy-three. His wife, Lucy A. 
 Savery, died at the age of seventy-one. They 
 bad two children. Mrs. Hildreth is now the 
 only survivor of her father's family. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Hildreth are members of the Congrega- 
 tional church, and Mr. Hildreth has been a 
 member of the Parish Committee for twenty- 
 five years. Mrs. Hildreth has been greatly 
 interested in Sunday-school work, and has 
 taught various classes. 
 
 fOSEPH ADDISON KNIGHT, of the 
 firm of Graton & Knight, belt manu- 
 facturers, Worcester, was born in 
 Leicester, Mass., March 3, 1829. His 
 parents were Horace and Sarah (Partridge) 
 Knight. An account of his ancestry will be 
 found in the accompanying sketch of his 
 brother, Charles B. Knight. 
 
 Joseph A. Knight was educated in the com- 
 mon schools and at the Leicester Academy, 
 and after leaving school remained at home, 
 assisting his father in carrying on the farm 
 until 1849. He then came to Worcester, and 
 served an apprenticeship of three years at the 
 card-maker's trade with Earl Warner. When 
 Mr. Warner went out of business, he entered 
 the employ of T. K. Earle & Co., belt manu- 
 facturers, with whom he remained for nine 
 years, or until March, 1861, when the firm of 
 Graton & Knight was estaljlished, and began 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 753 
 
 business upon a small scale in two rooms. As 
 business increased, the firm decided to tan 
 their own leather, for which purpose a small 
 building was erected ; and the little plant thus 
 inaugurated has developed into its present ex- 
 tensive proportions. The tannery, factory, 
 and other buildings, which cover an area of two 
 acres, employ a force of three himdred and fifty 
 men ; and this is the second largest belt manu- 
 factory in the United States. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Knight married S. E. Trow- 
 bridge, daughter of L. Trowbridge, of Mill- 
 bury. His only daughter, Hattie C. , who 
 married Dr. W. H. Raymenton, died in 1893, 
 leaving one son, Hewstone Knight Raymenton, 
 aged eighteen months. Like many other lead- 
 ing business men of New England, Mr. Knight 
 has risen from the workshop to the head of 
 an important industrial enterprise, thus demon- 
 strating the fact that practical experience is 
 one of the principal elements of success. He 
 devotes his entire time to the interests of the 
 concern, which has acquired a national reputa- 
 tion. Mr. Knight occupies a handsome resi- 
 dence at 810 Main Street, which he built 
 some twenty years ago. 
 
 7T^HARLES BROWN KNIGHT, a re- 
 I Vr^ tired business man of Worcester, was 
 ^[Jb^ born in Leicester, Mass., August 6, 
 1836, son of Horace and Hannah 
 (Brown) Knight. His father was born in the 
 same town in June, 1799; and his paternal 
 grandfather, Jonathan Knight, was born in 
 Paxton in 1773. The family is of English 
 origin, and its first representative in America 
 arrived in New England at an early date in the 
 Colonial period. 
 
 Jonathan Knight, although not large in stat- 
 ure, was noted for his strength and agility. 
 He served as a Lieutenant in the State militia. 
 By occupation he was a farmer. His wife, 
 Polly, was the daughter of Timothy and 
 Mary (Sargent) Sprague, the latter a daughter 
 of Jonathan Sargent. Jonathan and Polly 
 (Sprague) Knight were the parents of three 
 children, namely: Horace; Mary, who mar- 
 ried Jonah Howe; and Addison Knight, M.D., 
 who practised medicine successfully at Cum- 
 
 berland Hill, R.I., and died there in the prime 
 of life. Grandfather Knight died March 22, 
 1849; ^^'^ Grandmother Knight survived her 
 husband a few years, and died an octogenarian. 
 
 Horace Knight, the father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was a prominent farmer of Leices- 
 ter in his day, and was also one of the pioneer 
 boot and shoe manufacturers of this locality. 
 He carried on quite an extensive business at a 
 time when footwear was all made by hand, and 
 prior to the coming of railroads he transported 
 his goods by team to Boston and other cities 
 for a market. He died May 2, 1855. He 
 was twice married. By his first wife, who 
 was a native of Paxton, there were four chil- 
 dren, three of whom are living, namely : 
 Mary Elizabeth, wife of Swift Howe, of Pax- 
 ton ; Joseph Addison, of the firm of Graton & 
 Knight, of this city ; and Almira W. , wife of 
 George P. Rogers, of Worcester. Horace 
 Knight married for his second wife Hannah 
 Brown, a resident of Rutland and a native of 
 Sutton, Mass., daughter of Jonas Brown, a 
 prosperous farmer. The only son of this union 
 was Charles B. , the subject of this sketch. 
 His mother died July 20, 1882, in her eighty- 
 fourth year. 
 
 Charles Brown Knight was educated at the 
 Leicester and Worcester Academies. Having 
 learned the shoemaker's trade with his father, 
 he left the farm at about the age of twenty-one, 
 and going to Grafton, Mass., followed it as a 
 journeyman there for nine years. In 1866 he 
 came to Worcester, where he started in the 
 lumber business as a member of the firm of 
 Chamberlain & Co., the concern from 1871 to 
 1886 being known as C. B. Knight & Co. 
 After closing up his business here he travelled 
 through the West and South with a view of 
 making advantageous investments. In com- 
 pany with others he purchased land in North- 
 eastern Georgia, upon which the town of 
 Demorest was founded in 1889; and the 
 Demorest Collegiate Institute was established 
 in 1897, the latter being under the care of the 
 Southern Methodist Conference. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Knight married Mrs. Abbie 
 B. Sprague, a widow, daughter of Joseph 
 Bryant, of Leicester. His only son, Horace, 
 Joseph Knight, who is a graduate of the 
 
754 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Worcester High School and the Polytechnic 
 Institute, is now connected with the firm of 
 Graton & Knight. He is married and has 
 one son, Kenneth Hawley. 
 
 In politics Mr. Knight was formerly a Re- 
 publican, but is now an earnest supporter of 
 the Prohibition party. He has acquired a 
 wide reputation as an easy and interesting off- 
 hand speaker. Mr. Knight's resemblance to 
 Abraham Lincoln is remarkably striking. 
 Since his marriage he has lived at i Oxford 
 Place. In his religious belief he is a Baptist. 
 
 KRANK VALENTINE BARTLETT is 
 the senior member of the enterprising 
 firm of F. V. Bartlett & Co., box and 
 lumber • rnanufacturers in Westboro ; and he 
 occupies the estate formerly known as the 
 Whitney homestead, now called Grasmere, the 
 charms of which have been partly told by 
 W. D. Howells, the novelist. Born Novem- 
 ber I, 1856, in Northboro, Mass., he is a son 
 of William A. and Rebecca (Valentine) Bart- 
 lett. His father was for many years engaged 
 in manufacturing boxes for the shoe and other 
 factories of Northboro and adjoining towns. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett assisted his father in his boy- 
 hood days, and attended the common schools of 
 the town, where he received a practical busi- 
 ness education. In 1875 he located in West- 
 boro, which has since been his home. For a 
 few years after coming here, he was employed 
 in the box factory of Christopher Whitney, 
 whose lumber yard and mills stood on the land 
 now occupied by the plant of the American 
 Bedstead Company. In 1877 he was promoted 
 to the position of book-keeper; and in 1882 he 
 and George L. Smith, another employee of Mr. 
 Whitney, were admitted into partnership with 
 their employer under the firm name of C. 
 Whitney & Co. Though Mr. Whitney died in 
 1889, the business was continued under the 
 same name until 1892. Then Mr. Smith re- 
 tired from the firm, and the name was changed 
 to F. V. Bartlett & Co., under which it is still 
 carrying on a substantial business. The firm 
 has a finely equipped plant, favorably located 
 by the side of the Boston & Albany railway; 
 and they deal in all varieties of lumber, manu- 
 
 facture wooden and paper boxes and interior 
 building finishings of all descriptions. Mr, 
 Bartlett is also the treasurer of the Ariston 
 Cycle Company, was the treasurer of the West- 
 boro Electric Light and Power Company, is a 
 director in the First National Bank, a trustee 
 of the Westboro Savings Bank, and the treas- 
 urer of the local board of trade. He is a 
 member of Si loam Lodge, F. & A. M., of 
 Westboro; of Houghton Chapter, R. A. M., 
 of Marlboro; of Hiram Council, R. & S. M. ; 
 of Worcester Lodge of Perfection ; of Lawrence 
 Chapter, Rose Croix, of Worcester ; of Worces- 
 ter County Commandery, K. T. ; of Massachu- 
 setts Consistory, thirty-second degree Masons; 
 and of Aleppo Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Bos- 
 ton. He has passed all the chairs in Hocko- 
 mocko Lodge, I. O. O. F. , and belongs to the 
 Wachusette Encampment of Worcester. 
 
 On September 25, 1884, Mr. Bartlett married 
 Miss Abbie M. , daughter of the late Christo- 
 pher Whitney. They have three children — 
 Christopher Whitney, Nellie, and Dorothy. 
 Grasmere, which has been the home of Mrs. 
 Bartlett since she was ten years old, contains 
 fifty acres of land ; and the spacious family 
 residence, pleasantly located on a slight rise of 
 ground, is surrounded by well-kept lawns. 
 The orchards connected with this property 
 yield abundantly of different kinds of fruit, and 
 the various plants, shrubs, and ornamental 
 trees are useful, attractive, and beautiful. 
 The numerous buildings on the place, includ- 
 ing the home of the superintendent of the farm, 
 the barns and stables, are all models in their 
 construction and are lighted by electricity. 
 
 W\ 
 
 ALDO GUSHING COREY, chair- 
 man of the Board of Selectmen of 
 Winchendon, was born in Ashburn- 
 ham, Mass., March 31, 1847, son of Jonas and 
 Susan A. (Gushing) Corey. He is a descend- 
 ant of John and Ruth Corey, of Chelmsford, 
 Mass., and of their son Hezekiah, who was 
 born there in 1736, and who settled in New 
 Ipswich prior to 1763, and during the Revolu- 
 tion removed to Ashburnham, Mass. 
 
 Hezekiah Corey, Sr. , served as a Lieutenant 
 in the militia, and was also prominent in civic 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 7S5 
 
 affairs, holding town offices. He was the 
 father of eight children, and Hezekiah, Jr., 
 was the eldest. Hezekiah Corey, Jr. , was born 
 in New Ipswich, January 17, 1765. He died 
 in Ashburnham, November 16, 1833. On Jan- 
 uary 20, 1 79 1, he married Lucy Townsend, 
 who was born February 19, 1769. She died 
 November 11, 1867, at the advanced age of 
 nearly ninety-nine years. They were the par- 
 ents of seven children, of whom the third, 
 named Asahel, was bom in Ashburnham, 
 March 11, 1794. 
 
 When a young man Asahel Corey engaged in 
 the manufacturing of chairs in his native town, 
 and also kept a general store. His natural 
 ability called him into prominence in public 
 affairs, and he represented his district in the 
 legislature for the years 1833, 1834, 1835, and 
 1836. In 18 16 he married Polly Conant, who 
 was born in Gardner, August 30, 1797. He 
 died April 19, 1863, and she died April 24, 
 1865. They reared two children: Jonas, the 
 father of Waldo Cushing; and Charles A. 
 The latter married Elizabeth L. Barry, and 
 died in 1870, leaving two children, one of 
 whom is living — Fred A. Corey, who married 
 Kate E. Clifford, of Fitchburg. 
 
 Jonas Corey, the elder son of Asahel, was 
 bom in Ashburnham, in 18 16. When a 
 young man he worked in his father' s store, 
 and from 1852 to 1862 he was employed as 
 book-keeper by Mclntyre & Cushing, lumber 
 dealers, Fitchburg, Mass. Entering the army 
 as Captain of Company B, Fifty-third Regi- 
 ment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, he 
 served one year upon the lower Mississippi, 
 and was present at the capture of Port Hudson. 
 Returning to Fitchburg he was for a short time 
 associated with Andrew E. Worcester in the 
 lumber business under the firm name of 
 J. Corey & Co. ; and subsequently he engaged 
 in the same business alone at Ashburnham, 
 still retaining his residence in Fitchburg. 
 Some years later he established the Corey 
 Despatch, Freight & Express Company, which 
 was eventually purchased by the United 
 ■States Express Company, for whom he worked 
 until about 1870. He died October 28, 1872. 
 Susan A. Corey, his iirst wife, was bom in 
 -Brooklyn, Pa,, November 13, 1824, daughter 
 
 of Laban and Nancy (Whitney) Cushing, of 
 Ashburnham. She died January 12, 1857. 
 His second wife, Mrs. Adeline A. George, 
 born Dunham, died April 6, 1898. Jonas 
 Corey was the father of two children by his 
 first marriage, namely: Waldo C. , the subject 
 of this sketch; and Frank Eugene, who was 
 born in Ashburnham, March 31, 1850, and 
 married Nellie C. Marble, of Richmond, Me. 
 
 Waldo Cushing Corey was educated in the 
 public schools of Fitchburg. After the com- 
 pletion of his studies he took a position as 
 book-keeper with J. Cushing & Co.; grain 
 dealers, for whom he worked four years, and 
 for the succeeding year and a half he was em- 
 ployed in the freight office of the Fitchburg 
 Railway. Coming to Winchendon in Febru- 
 ary, 1872, as book-keeper for E. Murdock, Jr., 
 the woodenware manufacturer, he continued in 
 that capacity until his employer's death, and 
 when Mr. Murdock' s large estate was incorpo- 
 rated as the Murdock Fund, Mr. Corey was 
 appointed a trustee and general manager. 
 
 On March 14, 1883, Mr. Corey married 
 Clara B. Goodspeed, daughter of George N. and 
 Antantia (Ballou) Goodspeed, of this town. 
 Mrs. Corey is the mother of one daughter — 
 Ethel G., born February j, 1884. 
 
 Mr. Corey is highly esteemed for his busi- 
 ness ability, integrity, and sound judgment. 
 He served as Town Treasurer for the years 
 1884, 1885, and 1886; was elected a Select- 
 man in 1894, and re-elected in 1897; has been 
 chairman of that body for the past three years ; 
 and in 1895 was elected a Water Commissioner 
 for three years. In politics he is a Democrat. 
 He is an advanced Mason, being at present 
 Master of the Blue Lodge and Past High Priest 
 of North Star Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, 
 and belonging to Jerusalem Commandery, 
 Knights Templar, of Fitchburg. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Corey attend the Unitarian church. 
 
 KRANCIS BANGS KNOWLES, one of 
 the founders of the L. J. Knowles & 
 Brother Loom Works, Worcester, was 
 born in Hardwick, Mass., November 29, 1823, 
 son of Simeon, Jr., and Lucetta (Newton) 
 Knowles, Richard Knowles, the immigrant 
 
7S6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 progenitor of the family, settled on Cape Cod 
 before 1653; and Simeon Knowles, Sr. , 
 grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was 
 born in Provincetown. 
 
 Simeon Knowles, Jr., settled in Hardwick, 
 Mass. , after marriage, and carried on a carriage 
 manufactory in connection with farming. He 
 died in Warren in i860; and his wife, Lucetta, 
 who was a native of Hardwick, died in 1867. 
 He was the father of four children, namely : 
 Lucius J. Knowles, who was one of the propri- 
 etors of the loom works; Laura Loraine, who 
 was the wife of Rufus Washburn; Harriet 
 Eveline, who married Lorin Brown ; and Fran- 
 cis B. Knowles, the subject of this sketch — 
 none of whom are living. 
 
 Francis Bangs Knowles in his early years 
 acquired a good education, qualifying himself 
 for a teacher. He taught one term of school 
 in Dana, Mass., and he afterward taught for 
 a brief period in Gloversville, N.Y. ; but, as 
 the life of a pedagogue offered little or no in- 
 ducement to a youth of his ambitious and 
 progressive nature, he shortly abandoned the 
 profession. As a travelling salesman for a large 
 manufacturing concern he built up for it an ex- 
 tensive trade in New England. His desire to 
 advance, however, would not admit of his re- 
 maining in the employ of others for any length 
 of time, and at the age of twenty-two years he 
 engaged in the clothing business on his own 
 account. In 1863 at the urgent request of 
 his brother, Lucius J., he moved his family 
 from Gloversville to Warren, Mass., for the 
 purpose of engaging in the manufacture of 
 looms. The business was started by Lucius J. 
 Knowles in one room, with a force of three 
 mechanics, manufacturing power looms for the 
 production of narrow fabrics, such as tape and 
 ribbon. In 1866 the firm of L. J. Knowles & 
 Brother removed to Worcester, first locating on 
 Allen Court and later in the building now 
 occupied by their successors, the Crompton & 
 Knowles Company. The ability, activity, and 
 far-reaching foresight of Mr. Francis B. 
 Knowles soon placed the concern in the front 
 rank of manufacturers in its line; and the con- 
 stantly increasing demand for its machines 
 made necessary its removal to the present quar- 
 ters, which contains some five acres of floor 
 
 space. He continued to exercise an unabated 
 impetus in behalf of the enterprise for the rest 
 of his life, and his efforts were not only the 
 means of building up a manufacturing business 
 which furnished the facilities for successfully 
 conducting other important industries, but 
 afforded steady employment to a large number 
 of workingmen. A short time previous to his 
 death it was deemed advisable to place the 
 business in the hands of a corporation, which 
 organized under the name of the Knowles 
 Loom Works ; and some two years ago the lat- 
 ter was consolidated with the Crompton Com- 
 pany. 
 
 Mr. Knowles acquired a wide reputation 
 both as a business man and a pTiilanthropist. 
 During his business career his name was al- 
 ways to be found among the largest contribu- 
 tors to religious and benevolent objects, and 
 he earnestly endeavored to cause those around 
 him to profit by his presence in the world. As 
 a boy his genial manners made him a favorite 
 with his companions, and generosity early 
 asserted itself as one of the leading features 
 in his character. His affection for his elder 
 brother, Lucius J., was singularly deep, and 
 from the time the latter left the paternal roof 
 to begin life for himself he was not fully con- 
 tented with his lot in life until they were again 
 united, some twenty-one years afterward. 
 Their attachment for each other was unusually 
 strong; and it is a somewhat singular coinci- 
 dence that both should have died in Washing- 
 ton, D. C, and of the same disease, neuralgia 
 of the heart. The death of Francis Bangs 
 Knowles occurred on May 15, 1890, while he 
 was on his way North from his winter home at 
 Winter Park, Fla. Impressive funeral services 
 were held in the latter place at the same time 
 as those in Worcester. Shortly afterward a 
 memorial volume was issued, containing the 
 resolutions passed by various organizations, 
 including the Piedmont Church, of which he 
 was an original member, a Deacon, and super- 
 intendent of the Sunday-school; the Pilgrim 
 Church; the directors of the Knowles Loom 
 Works; the Central National Bank; and the 
 faculty of Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla., 
 for the establishment of which he donated a 
 large sum, It also contains the funeral ad* 
 
PHILASTUS POWERS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 7S9 
 
 dresses of the Rev. Messrs. D. O. Mears and 
 George H. Gould, and the whole serves as a 
 fitting tribute to a worthy character. 
 
 In 1845 Mr. Knowles married Ann Eliza 
 Pool, who died leaving two children — Lila 
 and Frank P. On April 23, 1867, he married 
 for his second wife Hester A. Greene, who 
 survives him. She is the mother of three 
 children : Mabel, wife of Dr. Homer Gage ; 
 Frances W. ; and Lucius J. Knowles. 
 
 "-fT^HILASTUS POWERS, a prosperous 
 Ik^/ farmer and extensive land-owner of 
 |l£ ) Phillipston, was born upon the farm 
 that he now occupies, July 21, 1821, 
 son of Oliver and Azubah (Carruth) Powers. 
 The family is of English origin ; and the name, 
 which was formerly spelled Poer, was intro- 
 duced into England by a follower of William 
 the Conqueror. 
 
 Edward Powers, Mr. Powers' s paternal 
 grandfather, was born in Harvard, Mass., 
 September 10, 1754. He came to Phillipston 
 from Petersham about 1778. Settling upon 
 the site of the present homestead when it was 
 practically a wilderness, he cleared and im- 
 proved the estate, and resided here until his 
 death, which occurred September 9, 1830. He 
 held several town offices, including that of 
 Selectman, and was one of the first Deacons of 
 the church in Phillipston. In 1778 he mar- 
 ried for his first wife Priscilla Curtis, who was 
 born in Petersham, September 14, 1758- She 
 died February 3, 1808. On December 28 of 
 the same year he married Lydia Knapp, who 
 was born April 10, 1761. Of his first mar- 
 riage there were five children, namely : Sally, 
 born September 14, 1779; Oliver, born March 
 26, 1781; Sylvia, born April 3, 1785; Pris- 
 cilla, born October 28, 1789; and Edward, 
 born October 25, 1794. 
 
 Oliver Powers, father of Philastus, was a 
 lifelong resident of Phillipston. Besides cul- 
 tivating the homestead farm of one hundred and 
 thirty-nine acres, upon which he erected the 
 residence now occupied by his only surviving 
 son, Philastus, and made various other im- 
 provements, he took a prominent part in town 
 affairs,, holding at tjnies the different town 
 
 offices, including that of Selectman. He was 
 appointed Justice of the Peace in 1820, and 
 reappointed for successive terms until the close 
 of his life. He did much work as a con- 
 veyancer, besides settling estates, acting as 
 guardian for minors, and transacting such other 
 business as usually pertains to the office of 
 Justice of the Peace in a New England town. 
 He was concerned in all matters relating to 
 the general welfare of the community, and took 
 a lively interest in church affairs. He died 
 March 27, 1859. His wife, Azubah, who was 
 born in Phillipston, April 23, 1782, died 
 August 31, 1858. She was the mother of 
 twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturity. 
 Only two are now living : Philastus, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; and Mary Levinah, who 
 married Charles Horr Baldwin, and resides in 
 Athol, Mass. The deceased are : Philander 
 Oliver, born August 19, 1805 ; Curtis, born 
 August 10, 1807; Lanson, born August 29, 
 1809; Azubah Philena, born July 8, 181 1; 
 James, born July 17, 181 3; Lydia, born June 
 8, 181 5; Edward, born April 20, 1817; Amos 
 H., born September i, 18 19; and Martha and 
 Mary, twins, born July 28, 1823. Philander 
 O. Powers studied for the Christian ministry, 
 was ordained, and in 1834 was sent by the 
 American Board of Foreign Missions as mis- 
 sionary to Turkey. 
 
 Philastus Powers received a practical com- 
 mon-school education. He was brought up on 
 his father's farm, and since reaching manhood 
 has been actively engaged in general farming, 
 cattle-dealing, and lumbering. He has added 
 adjoining land to the homestead property, and 
 in addition to this has acquired possession of 
 several outlying tracts. He is at the present 
 time the largest real estate owner and heaviest 
 tax-payer in the town. 
 
 On June 12, 1850, he married Martha Ett 
 Farr, who was born at Fort Ann, N.Y. , Sep- 
 tember 7, 1824, daughter of Colonel James and 
 Hannah Farr. Seven children came to 
 brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Powers 
 in the early years of their wedded life, namely : 
 Mary Farr, who was born February 11, 1852; 
 Flora Cordelia, born October 31, 1853; Clara 
 Melissa, born October 2, 1855, who married 
 Walter White; James Oliver and Hannah Agii- 
 
760 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bah, twins, born August 28, 1859; Jennie 
 Francenia, born November i, 1861 ; and Hel- 
 ena Gertrude, born July 26, 1862. Of these 
 only two, Mary Farr and Helena Gertrude, are 
 now living. Mary Farr is the widow of. Eu- 
 gene Tolman, formerly a jeweller in Worcester, 
 Mass., where she now resides. She has two 
 children: Florence Edith, born December 18, 
 1872, who is the wife of Everett W. Durgin, 
 a jeweller and optician in Worcester; and 
 Lawrence Powers, born August 11, 1876, who 
 is a designing engineer, employed by the 
 Taunton Locomotive Manufacturing Company, 
 of Taunton, Mass. Helena Gertrude Powers 
 is the wife of Seth Parker Heywood Hale, a 
 dealer in general merchandise and also Post- 
 master and station agent at Williamsville. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Powers have a grandson, Walter 
 LeRoy White, born March 9, 1884, the son 
 of their daughter Clara, Mrs. Walter White, 
 whose husband's lineage, we are told, runs 
 back to the "Mayflower." He is a farmer and 
 prominent in all ofifices and committees in 
 town. 
 
 Politically a stanch Republican, Mr. Powers 
 has served his fellow-townsmen as Selectman, 
 Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor. He is a 
 member of the Congregational church. Hav- 
 ing sound judgment and a large share of busi- 
 ness ability, he has exercised these qualities 
 both to the benefit of the town and the in- 
 crease of his own prosperity, and he is now 
 one of the most substantial residents of Phil- 
 lipston. 
 
 W] 
 
 G. WARREN'S SONS are the 
 proprietors of a large tannery in 
 Holden, which is both profitable to 
 them and beneficial to the town. The busi- 
 ness, which is conducted by Samuel, Berthier, 
 and the Hon. Henry W. Warren, sons of the 
 late Waterman G. Warren, was founded by 
 the latter about the year 1840. The family 
 originated with John Warren, one of the com- 
 pany headed by Governor Winthrop, which ar- 
 rived at Massachusetts Bay, June 12, 1630. 
 Members of the family for five generations 
 have been identified with the tanning industry 
 in Worcester County, and the business was 
 
 carried on at Leicester by Ebenezer Warren, 
 the great -great-grandfather of the members of 
 the present firm as early as 1744. Jonathan 
 Warren, their great-grandfather, was also a 
 tanner. His son, Samuel, the fatherof Water- 
 man G. Warren, carried on that business in 
 Auburn. Born in Leicester, Mass., July 31, 
 1779, Samuel became prominent in the town 
 and a Deacon of the Baptist church. He died 
 September 10, 1832. His wife, Sally (Gould- 
 ing) Warren, who was born in Auburn in 1790, 
 died November 20, 1861. Of their seven 
 children there is one survivor, Elbridge War- 
 ren, who resides in Auburn. 
 
 Waterman G. Warren, who was born in Au- 
 burn, May 15, 1807, served his apprentice- 
 ship to tanning under his father's direction, 
 and followed the business in Auburn until 
 1839, when he moved to Holden. In the fol- 
 lowing year he began the tanning business in 
 this town, and in 1850 he purchased and es- 
 tablished a tannery upon the farm now occu- 
 pied by his son Samuel. The present brick 
 building was erected and taken possession of 
 in 1875. Waterman's son Samuel had already 
 been received into partnership. Waterman 
 continued in business until his death, which 
 occurred August 7, 1 886. For years he occu- 
 pied a position of prominence among the lead- 
 ing men of Holden, and his integrity, business 
 ability, and progressive tendencies were highly 
 appreciated by his townsmen. In politics he 
 supported the Republican party, and he was 
 an earnest advocate of temperance. On April 
 22, 1830, he was united in marriage with 
 Mary Eddy, who was born in Auburn, Febru- 
 ary 7, 1806. She had five children, all born 
 in Auburn, namely: Ann E., on February 13. 
 1 83 1, who is now the widow of the Rev, 
 Lester Williams, and resides in Boston; 
 Susan E., born March 27, 1833, who is unmar- 
 ried and resides in Holden; Samuel, October 
 15, 1834; Berthier, October 22, 1836, who 
 resides in Worcester; and Henry W. Warren, 
 March 18, 1838. The mother died Septem- 
 ber 3, 1887. Both of the parents were at- 
 tendants and liberal supporters of the Baptist 
 church. 
 
 Samuel Warren attended the common 
 schools of Holden, the Worcester Academy, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 761 
 
 and the Westfield Normal School. His 
 knowledge of tanning was obtained in his 
 father's tannery. Having first joined his 
 father in business in 1867, he afterward be- 
 came a member of the firm W. G. Warren & 
 Sons, and then of W. G. Warren's Sons. 
 The success of the last-named concern is in a 
 great measure due to his ability. On May 
 13, 1869, he married Marion Lakin, who was 
 born in Paxton, Mass., June 27, 1845. Her 
 parents, George S. and Nancy (Hubbard) 
 Lakin, were born, the former in Paxton, Feb- 
 ruary 26, 1802, and the latter in Holden, 
 June 13, 1 81 5. George S. Lakin was a boot 
 and shoe manufacturer in Paxton during the 
 active period of his life, which ended in 1875. 
 His wife died in 1883. They were the par- 
 ents of two children, one of whom is no 
 longer living. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Warren 
 are the parents of three sons, namely : Her- 
 bert L., born August 24, 1870; Arthur K., 
 born December 13, 1871; and George W., 
 born December 3, 1882. The father was a 
 Representative in the legislature of 1867, and 
 a Selectman of the toWn in 1872 and 1873. 
 He has frequently been elected an Assessor, 
 and is at present a member of that board. 
 He was also a member of the School Commit- 
 tee for four years. His wife was one of the 
 first women in the State elected to the School 
 Board, on which she has served since 1887. 
 She is a member of the Congregational 
 church, and Mr. Warren attends services 
 there. 
 
 Berthier Warren obtained his education at 
 the Wilbraham Academy, the Williston Sem- 
 inary in Easthampton, and in Claverack, N.Y. 
 In 1866 he went to the South, accompanied 
 by his brother, Henry W., and, purchasing a 
 cotton plantation in Leake County, Missis- 
 sippi, was for some years engaged in its culti- 
 vation. In 1875 he and his brother returned 
 to Holden, and started in business under the 
 firm name of B. & H. W. Warren. Later 
 they joined their father and elder brother, 
 Samuel. The new tannery was thoroughly 
 equipped for manufacturing card leather, 
 which has since been one of their chief prod- 
 ucts. After the death of the father the firm 
 adopted its present style pf W. G. Warren's 
 
 Sons. This concern has one of the best es- 
 tablishments of its kind in the State, is sup- 
 plied with machinery of the latest pattern, 
 and employs an average of twenty men 
 throughout the year. While residing in Mis- 
 sissippi Mr. Berthier Warren served on the 
 Board of Registration for one year, and was 
 Clerk of the Chancery Court for three years. 
 On September 14, 1871, he married Eunice 
 C. Boyden. They have had two children — 
 Mary Silence and Harry Lester Warren. 
 The latter died in 1881, when one year old. 
 
 The Hon. Henry Waterman Warren ac- 
 quired his early education at the public 
 schools, the Worcester Academy, and the 
 Westfield Normal School. Subsequently, 
 having fitted for college at the Williston Sem- 
 inary, he graduated from Yale, class of 1865. 
 In the following year he engaged in cotton 
 planting in Mississippi, of which State he 
 was a resident for the succeeding ten years. 
 During that time he was actively concerned in 
 public affairs. He was appointed Judge of 
 Probate of Leake County in 1867; was a mem- 
 ber of a Constitutional Convention; served 
 as Representative in the legislatures of 1870 
 and 1871 ; was Speaker of the House in 1871 
 and its Clerk during the succeeding four 
 years; and in 1873 he was appointed by Gov- 
 ernor Powers Levee Commissioner, whose 
 duty it was to collect and disburse the funds 
 for the payment of the old levee debt, and to 
 dispose of the tax-lands held by the State for 
 that purpose. He was a delegate to the Re- 
 publican national convention held at Chicago 
 in 1 868, which first nominated U. S. Grant 
 for President, and of the Cincinnati conven- 
 tion that nominated Rutherford B. Hayes. In 
 the summer of 1876 he returned to Holden, 
 where he has since been actively interested in 
 the tanning business. He served as a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Selectmen for the years 
 1878, 1879, 1880, 1885, and 1886, being its 
 chairman for two years. He was elected 
 Town Treasurer in 1889, a member of the 
 Board of Overseers of the Poor in 1890, and 
 he represented his district in the Massachu- 
 setts legislature for the years 1882 and 1885. 
 On November 8, 1877, he married Dora L. 
 Howe, daughter of Peagon William and Mary 
 
762 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Ann (Jefferson) Howe. His children are: 
 William H., who was born September 28, 
 1879; Blanche L., born July 11, 1881; 
 Helen G., born November 7, 1883; and 
 Waterman G. Warren, born November 16, 
 1890. 
 
 |LISHA CHAPIN WOOD, a highly 
 esteemed resident of Upton, was born 
 April 5, 181 5, son of Jonathan and 
 Sarah (Chapin) Wood. His great-grandfather. 
 Colonel Ezra Wood, was one of the first set- 
 tlers of Upton and in his day one of its weal- 
 thiest and most influential men. His grand- 
 father, Ezra Wood, a prominent farmer, was 
 for many years a Justice of the Peace; and he 
 represented his district in the Massachusetts 
 General Court. 
 
 Jonathan Wood was also a farmer and for a 
 quarter of a century the proprietor of the fa- 
 mous old Wood's Inn, situated half-way on the 
 stage road between Worcester and Providence. 
 He was an old-time Whig, and he served the 
 town as Selectman and in various other posi- 
 tions of trust. He was also Captain of the 
 Horse Guards. His wife died in May, 1896, 
 at the advanced age of ninety-six years and 
 seven months. 
 
 Elisha Chapin Wood was educated in the 
 Upton public schools, in Frye's School at 
 Bolton, and in Thurber's School at Milford. 
 He worke4 for a time in the shoe manufactur- 
 ing business at Milford, but never moved there. 
 Afterward until five years ago he cultivated 
 his present farm of some two hundred acres in 
 Upton. At one time he conducted a livery 
 stable in Upton village. About thirteen years 
 ago he retired from active business life, and 
 was succeeded by his son. He has always 
 been an active temperance worker, and it is due 
 to his zeal and that of a few other earnest 
 citizens that the town has not granted a liquor 
 license since he became a voter. 
 
 In June, 1835, Mr. Wood married Cynthia 
 C, daughter of Elisha and Bethiah (Ward) 
 Carpenter. He and his good wife have passed 
 sixty-three years of happy wedded life. They 
 were married in the room which is now their 
 comfortable and homelike parlor, and in which 
 
 their friends assembled to celebrate in turn 
 their golden and pearl wedding anniversaries. 
 They would have celebrated their silver wed- 
 ding in the same room had such an event been 
 known in their day. They enjoy social inter- 
 course, especially receiving and entertaining 
 their friends, as they did a half-century ago. 
 Indeed, they may still be counted among the 
 young couples of Upton. Their pleasant home 
 is on the southern shore of Pratt Pond. Only 
 three years since they participated in a Ray- 
 mond excursion to Montreal and Quebec, tak- 
 ing their son and grandson along with them. 
 Of their children, two daughters died in in- 
 fancy. Their son, Charles, who resides with 
 them, married successively Hattie Prouty and 
 Elsie Shove, of Uxbridge, and has one son, 
 Leroy E. S. Wood. 
 
 DWARD PRESTON USHER, of Graf- 
 ton, was born November 19, 1851, at 
 Lynn, Mass. He is descended from 
 Robert Usher, who came to New England in 
 1638. His father was Roland Greene Usher, 
 who was Major in the United States army from 
 1861 to 1866; Mayor of Lynn in 1866, 1867, 
 and 1868; member of the Governor's Council 
 in 1868, 1869, and 1870; United States Mar- 
 shal for District of Massachusetts from 1871 
 to 1879; and Warden of the Massachusetts 
 State Prison from 1883 to 1886. His paternal 
 grandmother was Fanny Bucknam, whose de- 
 scent was from William Bucknam, a freeman 
 at Charlestown in 1647. His mother was 
 Caroline Matilda Mudge, who was descended 
 from Thomas Mudge, who came to Maiden 
 about 1650. 
 
 Edward P. Usher graduated from the Lynn 
 High School in 1869, from Harvard College 
 in 1873, receiving the degree of Master of 
 Arts in 1875 and that of Bachelor of Laws in 
 1880. From 1873 until 1877 he was Deputy 
 United States Marshal. In September, 1873, 
 he wrote and delivered the poem on the occa- 
 sion of the dedication of the Soldiers' Monu- 
 ment in Lynn. He was admitted to the bar 
 in 1879, and opened an ofifice that year in Bos- 
 ton. He published in 1886 a treatise on the 
 "Law of Sale of Personal Property," a volume 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 763 
 
 of about four hundred pages. Of this book 
 Judge Caleb Blodgett said: "It gives me 
 pleasure to say that in my judgment you have 
 given our profession a very useful book, which 
 presents the law clearly, accurately, and with 
 remarkable conciseness. I expect to make 
 frequent use of the book and to save labor and 
 avoid mistakes thereby." 
 
 The Hon. E. R. Hoar, formerly Justice of 
 the Supreme Court and Attorney-General of 
 the United States, wrote: "It is a work highly 
 creditable to your learning, diligence, and ac- 
 curacy. ' ' 
 
 The Hon. John Lowell, Judge of the United 
 States Circuit Court, wrote: "It appears to 
 me to be remarkably accurate in its statement 
 of the decisions, and very clear and succinct. 
 You have given an admirable presentation of 
 the law." 
 
 General B. F. Butler wrote: "I have given 
 your book careful attention. The clearness of 
 statement of the text and the accuracy of the 
 citations to support the text will render it a 
 very valuable assistant to lawyers. You have 
 rendered a service to the profession by your 
 labors." 
 
 Judge E. H. Bennett, Dean of the Boston 
 Law School, wrote: "It is a very creditable 
 piece of work. I shall recommend it to our 
 school as the best elementary text-book for 
 their use yet published. " 
 
 The Hon. E. J. Sherman, Attorney-General, 
 wrote: "I have examined your book on sales 
 with care and with much interest. In the 
 practical effectiveness and utility of this sort 
 of codification of our laws I thoroughly be- 
 lieve. It seems to me to be a genuine service 
 to this State to gather into a volume, in this 
 clear and concise manner, the rules of law by 
 which its citizens are governed in their mer- 
 cantile transactions which are of every-day oc- 
 currence. Any one who examines your book 
 will find there the only immediate and practi- 
 cal solution of the much-mooted question of 
 codification. Such books as this must neces- 
 sarily precede the preparation of any official 
 legislative code of our common law. If any- 
 thing will ever render such a code possible, it 
 is. just such books as yours." 
 
 From 1887 until 1890 Mr. Usher was occu- 
 
 pied in building the Grafton & Upton Rail- 
 road, of which he has been president from 
 1887 to this present date. In 1891 he built 
 the Milford & Hopedale Street Railway for 
 operation by storage batteries. In connection 
 with this enterprise he invented a new type of 
 cell specially adapted to such service, and se- 
 cured thereon twelve patents. Based on the 
 success of this road, a large company was 
 formed, called the Hopedale Electric Com- 
 pany. He was president of the street rail- 
 way and general manager of the larger com- 
 pany. Extensive preparations were made for 
 business when, in 1893, the company was 
 attacked by the General Electric Company, 
 and very extensive patent litigation ensued. 
 For two years he gave much of his time to 
 the preparation of this case, the printed record 
 reaching some thirteen hundred pages. The 
 case was finally settled to his satisfaction, the 
 new type of cell being decided to be an in- 
 fringement after the rights thereto had been 
 purchased by the plaintiff. 
 
 He moved his residence to Grafton in 1888, 
 retaining, however, his office in Boston. In 
 1895 he published a "Memorial Volume" in 
 honor of his father, and added to this an elab- 
 orate genealogy of the family from 1636, cover- 
 ing eight generations. 
 
 In 1896 Mr. Usher published a volume of 
 nearly five hundred pages, entitled "Protes- 
 tantism, a Study in the Direction of Religious 
 Truth and Christian Unity." This book, 
 which would be classified as broad and liberal 
 in its tone, excited the most diverse criticisms. 
 
 In the Living Church it was said: "His 
 atheism, doubly offensive because it masquer- 
 ades as religion, may be left to the attention 
 of those qualified to refute it. It is a very 
 pretentious and a very disingenuous book. We 
 do not say dangerous, because its dishonesty is 
 so evident that no one will be willing to tie to 
 it. As most of us, whether churchmen, dis- 
 senters, or unbelievers, happen to be honest 
 men, it does not seem likely that any appre- 
 ciable number will follow his lead." 
 
 The Church Standard said "that nothing was 
 more evident in the volume than the ignorance 
 of its writer. He expounds deep things which 
 he does not in the' least understand, the very 
 
764 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 elements of which seem to be unknown to him. 
 He reveals an absolute ignorance of the matter 
 he has in hand. " 
 
 The Providence yi??<r««/ denied Mr. Usher's 
 "intellectual honesty," and described the book 
 as "at once false and insulting," "broad and 
 shallow," declaring that "its impertinence is 
 likely to outweigh its infidelity." 
 
 The Herald and Presbyter said that the book 
 tended to destroy the Church, that it advocated 
 the unity of sin and death, denial of the truth, 
 and separation from God. 
 
 On the other hand, Bishop H. C. Potter, of 
 New York, who is not far from being con- 
 sidered Primate of the United States, referred 
 to the book as "your very interesting and val- 
 uable volume, for which I am much your 
 debtor. ' ' 
 
 The Rev. Asa Dalton, of Portland, wrote : 
 "Please accept my thanks for your interesting 
 and suggestive volume, with which I am in 
 hearty accord." Dr. Dalton is one of the 
 most prominent Episcopal clergymen in the 
 Diocese of Maine. 
 
 The Rev. C. T. Wood, of York, Pa., was 
 lecturer at the Episcopal Theological School 
 in Cambridge. He wrote: "We clergy thank 
 you for it, because you have mightily aided us. 
 I can now recall no important point of your 
 book where I am not in entire sympathy with 
 you. I do hope that the volume will be 
 widely read. You are certainly on the right 
 track." 
 
 The Rev. Herbert Symonds, of Peterboro, 
 Canada, a prominent Episcopalian, wrote: "I 
 can assure you that I am in entire agreement 
 with you on almost every detail of your book. " 
 
 The Rev. R. Heber Newton, of New York, 
 wrote: "I have to thank you for the attractive 
 copy of your book you sent me. I have en- 
 joyed it very much. It is a good piece of 
 work. It is wholly in the right line as I see 
 it, and will surely help on the cause of a pure 
 and more reasonable religion in our church." 
 
 The Rev. M. K. Schermerhorn wrote : 
 "Thanks sincere for the copy of your book. I 
 have read it all through with great interest. 
 It is grandly conceived and well done. The 
 many selections are judiciously made and 
 wisely arranged. Your plea and arguments 
 
 show the carefully trained, judicial mind, and 
 ought to be convincing and final. The open- 
 ing pages present a masterly summary of the 
 teaching of the Christ, showing wonderful 
 ethical and spiritual insight. Those few 
 pages alone, published in pamphlet form, 
 might be scattered abroad most helpfully as 
 containing the very heart of the four gospels. 
 But, alas! all such presentations seem a hun- 
 dred years in advance of the age. ' ' 
 
 Professor A. E. Dolbear, of Tufts College, 
 wrote: "I have been reading your work on 
 'Protestantism.' It interests me very much. 
 While the subject matter, as such, is not new, 
 you have presented the case in a very strong 
 way. Indeed, you have argued and made your 
 case. I think you are right, and I very much 
 wish that others could see and adopt your sug- 
 gestions, so there would be one great church, 
 having all that is good and great and worthy 
 in the world within it." 
 
 The Hon. Robert Grant wrote: "I was very 
 much interested in your presentation of the 
 subject. I agree with nearly all you have 
 written. It has long been astonishing to me 
 that human beings should spend so much vi- 
 tality in insisting on non-essentials and ob- 
 scuring the real meaning of religion. I took 
 occasion in one of my books to suggest that a 
 trust of all the various religious denomina- 
 tions in the interests of a common humanity 
 would be a combination which could pay very 
 large dividends without fear of hostile legis- 
 lation. It is too soon to hope for this at once; 
 but a book like yours serves to blaze the path 
 toward such a realization, and society owes 
 you a debt for the ability and industry and 
 discretion with which you have stated the 
 case. The book ought to have a wide circula- 
 tion." 
 
 The Rev. T. E. Chappell, of Holyoke, 
 wrote: "The book has been both instructive 
 and stimulating to me. You have certainly 
 handled the brief for the Broad Church in a 
 very judicious, fair, and able fashion. The 
 book is packed from cover to cover with the 
 most refreshing heresies." 
 
 The Church, an Episcopalian paper, said: 
 "This book is an earnest attempt by a thought- 
 ful and well-read man to help the cause of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 76s 
 
 Christian unity by an exposition of the breadth 
 and inclusiveness of the Episcopal church. 
 Such an object is praiseworthy, and the au- 
 thor's contention is just. 
 
 The Episcopal Recorder said that the book 
 was "a statement of the comprehensiveness of 
 the Protestant Episcopal church, which we fear 
 is too true. The book is well and earnestly 
 written. ' ' 
 
 The Public Ledger, of Philadelphia, said: 
 "Mr. Usher is a churchman of the broadest 
 type. He writes without fear or favor, with' 
 words so direct and interpretations so liberal 
 that the scholastic or dogmatic churchman will 
 probably place the volume in the Index 
 Expurgatorius ; while the so-called liberal- 
 minded may welcome it as an ally on the side 
 of license and negation. The thoughtful, fair- 
 minded reader, the seeker after the true metal, 
 the bottom rock of Christianity, will, however, 
 find in these pages a strong purpose of Christian 
 unity and a new impulse in charity toward all 
 men. To such this volum.e will have a distinct 
 and stimulating message." 
 
 The Methodist Protestant of Baltimore, Md., 
 said: "Here is a book that is not only an in- 
 telligent and thoughtful production, but one 
 that will make the reader think. We do not 
 say that the reader will agree with all the 
 author's conclusions, but we do say that a care- 
 ful perusal will make him see that the purpose 
 of the book is in harm,ony with the will and the 
 doctrines of Jesus Christ.'''' 
 
 The Portland Transcript sd^xA: "The volume 
 is the result of long study and thought. While 
 it is free in its discussions and criticism of 
 established forms, it is in no sense agnostic or 
 scoffing, and may fairly be regarded as the sin- 
 cere protest of a scholar, thinker, and Christian 
 against formalism and clannishness in religious 
 lifer 
 
 The Baltimore Methodist said: "Mr. Usher 
 is an intense believer in Christianity, but be- 
 lieves that the world is not receiving the true 
 vision, because its revelation comes too much 
 through a stilted formalism and too frequent 
 corrupt practices. The work is ably written, 
 the social gospel is grandly proclaimed, but the 
 author will never witness that for which he 
 pleads, however desirable it may be." 
 
 The Congregationalist, of Boston, said : His 
 study is reverent and scholarly, and undoubtedly 
 embodies an important truth. Without neces- 
 sarily agreeing with everything which his 
 pages contain, the spirit and method of the 
 book may be cordially approved as well as its 
 general aim. ' ' 
 
 The Advance, of Chicago, said: "This is a 
 fine, spirited, and thoughtful attempt to forward 
 the cause of Christian unity. " 
 
 The Chicago Tribune said: "The author's 
 plea for greater tolerance, for more breadth, for 
 less emphasis on non-essentials, will find an 
 answer and response in the hearts of all true 
 Christians. " 
 
 The Boston Transcript said: "His view is 
 catholic, and such is the spirit in which he 
 writes." 
 
 The Detroit Free Press said: "It is a strong 
 plea for unity on the basis of the true essence 
 and foundation of religion. " 
 
 The Hartford Times said: "It is filled with 
 the essence of Christianity." 
 
 The Religious Telescope, of Dayton, Ohio, 
 said: "His style and method are scholarly, 
 moderate, and convincing, and we believe the 
 book will do much good. As an encomium on 
 Christianity it would be difficult to excel. " 
 
 Zion's Herald said: "The author is right in 
 finding true religion in the heart. Once there, 
 it may be allowed to work out along its natural 
 lines. He strikes the keynote. " 
 
 [The Christian Register sa'id: "This book is 
 somewhat ahead of the times. It is a unique 
 performance. It is a blow ab intra that he 
 deals ecclesiastical corruption. ' ' 
 
 The Church Union said: "/^ is, in fact, a 
 review of Christianity in the light of reason and 
 common sense. It consigns scholastic theology 
 to its own proper place in a museum of inter- 
 esting specimens, and presents the teachings 
 of Christ as the only test and touchstone of a 
 religious life." 
 
 This book on its commercial side was a 
 complete failure. It would, indeed, be difficult 
 to find a case more complete. During the 
 first six months about one hundred and fifty 
 copies were sold. The next six months the 
 number fell to seventy-five. Then it de- 
 scended to eight, while for the last year not 
 
766 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a single copy was sold. About three hundred 
 copies were given away. By failure of the 
 publisher and winding up of the affairs of the 
 firm, the unsold copies, to the number of fif- 
 teen hundred, were thrown upon the author's 
 hands, and are now in storage at Grafton. 
 
 Mr. Usher married June 25, 1879, Adela 
 Louise Payson, who was descended from Ed- 
 ward Payson, who resided in Dorchester in 
 1640. She was born March 31, 1852, and 
 graduated from the Chelsea High School in 
 1870. She then went to Europe to complete 
 her education, being at school in Geneva in 
 1872 and in Hanover during 1873. She then 
 taught French and German at Temple Grove 
 Seminary in Saratoga, N. Y. , and in Abbot 
 Academy in Andover, Mass., until 1878. 
 Her career must have been a great success, for 
 in June, 1897, nearly twenty years after leav- 
 ing the school, the Abbot Courant, the official 
 school magazine, referred to her "brilliancy, 
 enthusiasm, and thoroughness as head of the 
 French and German department here, which 
 her pupils and her colleagues so gratefully 
 remember." Mr. Usher's children are: Ro- 
 land Greene, born May 3, 1880, now in Har- 
 vard College, class of 1901 ; Abbott Payson, 
 born January 13, 1883; Edward Preston, born 
 January 3, 1890; and Albert Morse, born Sep- 
 tember 20, 1893. 
 
 TT^HARLES MORRIS HARRIS, for 
 f V^ twenty-six years treasurer and man- 
 
 X^ ^ ager of the West Boylston Manu- 
 facturing Company, a man to whose 
 energy and executive ability the growth and 
 success of the business was largely due, was 
 born in Providence, R.I., August 3, 1822. 
 Son of Henry and Waty (Smith) Harris, he 
 was a grandson of Captain Jonathan Smith, of 
 Revolutionary fame, and a descendant of one 
 John Smith, who removed from the Massachu- 
 setts Bay Colony to Rhode Island, with, and 
 at the request of Roger Williams, who wanted 
 him as a miller, and who was afterward known 
 as Smith, the miller. 
 
 According to tradition, Captain Jonathan 
 Smith, who stood six feet in height, com- 
 manded a company of equally stalwart men, 
 
 each of whom measured six feet or more in 
 height. Henry and Waty (Smith) Harris had 
 six sons and one daughter; namely, Linus 
 M., Mary S., Thomas H., Gideon, Charles 
 Morris, Otis B., and Whipple B. Linus M., 
 Gideon, Charles Morris, and Otis B., have 
 passed away. Mary S., widow of Alfred 
 Whiting, resides in the village of Harrisville 
 in West Boylston; Thomas H., at Canada 
 Mills, Holden, Mass.; and Whipple B. re- 
 sides in the central village, West Boylston. 
 Henry Harris, the father, lived to be . only 
 about thirty years of age, and dying left his 
 widow without means. She was a very re- 
 markable woman, and, though uneducated, 
 possessed a strong mind and noble character. 
 
 Soon after the birth of Charles Morris 
 Harris, his parents removed to Scituate, 
 where at an early age he began going to 
 school, eight weeks in summer and eight in 
 winter, continuing until he was thirteen. He 
 afterward attended two short winter terms, 
 which completed his schooling when he was 
 about fifteen. When but six years old, in va- 
 cation time he was placed in the Richmond 
 cotton-mill at Scituate, and he continued to 
 work between the terms of school until he was 
 fourteen. At first he received half a cent an 
 hour, and worked fourteen to fifteen hours 
 daily. This was gradually increased to 
 seventy-five cents, one dollar, and a dollar and 
 a quarter weekly. From that time his wages 
 were steadily advanced, until at the age of 
 twenty he received between six and seven dol- 
 lars per week. In the meantime he had gone 
 from the Richmond mill to the Sprague mill 
 at Smithfield, R.I., thence to the Blackstone 
 mill in Mendon, Mass., and from there to 
 Woonsocket, R.I. In the spring of 1842 he 
 began, in company with David S. Wilder, the 
 manufacture of thread at Woonsocket, and in 
 the fall of that year they came to West Boyls- 
 ton, bought the small mill at Central village, 
 and began the manufacture of satinet warps. 
 They also leased a mill at Lovellville in Hol- 
 den, where they conducted a branch of the 
 same business. In 1845, with his brothers, 
 Linus M. and Gideon, and his brother-in-law, 
 Alfred Whiting, who had bought the Holt 
 mill at Harrisville, he went into the manufact- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 767 
 
 ure of cotton cloth. The firm name was L. M. 
 Harris & Co. 
 
 The following year Charles M. and Gideon 
 ■Harris went to Scituate and leased the old 
 Richmond mill, where the former had begun 
 as a boy in its old-fashioned hand-mule room. 
 Two years later these brothers returned to 
 Harrisville, and, greatly increasing the capac- 
 ity of the mill there, did a good business up 
 to 1851, when the mill was burned. They 
 promptly commenced to rebuild, and had the 
 mill running in within a year. In 1857 
 •Charles Morris Harris bought an interest in a 
 cotton factory at Pouqonnock, town of Wind- 
 sor, Conn. The first year he lost six thou- 
 sand dollars; but, unwilling to abandon the 
 enterprise, he kept on, and in the next two 
 years made eighteen thousand dollars. Early 
 in i860 he sold his interest in Connecticut, 
 and bought into a small factory in Savage, 
 Harvard County, Md., where he remained a 
 ■year and a half. Returning in 1861 to the 
 old mill of L. M. Harris & Co., he re- 
 mained until 1863, when he and his brother, 
 Linus M., bought one-half of the stock of 
 the West Boylston Manufacturing Company 
 at Oakdale, J. H. Lane, of New York City, 
 buying the balance. Charles M. Harris be- 
 came treasurer and manager of the company, 
 and held the position for twenty-six years, or 
 until his death, in Boston, April 24, 1889, at 
 the age of sixty-six years, eight months, and 
 twenty-one days. 
 
 In West Boylston, on Thanksgiving Day, 
 1848, Charles Morris Harris was married to 
 Emily Dean, then of West Boylston. She 
 was born in Sterling, Mass., November 9, 
 1823, and was a direct descendant of Thomas 
 Dudley, second governor of the Massachusetts 
 Bay Colony. Three children were born to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harris; namely, Henry Francis, 
 Charles Morris, Jr., and Emily Armilla. 
 
 Charles Morris Harris, Jr., died November 
 10, 1892, aged forty-one years, leaving a 
 widow and five children, two sons and three 
 daughters. He was twice married. He was 
 made superintendent of the West Boylston 
 Company's mills a number of years before the 
 death of his father, and served in that capacity 
 until his own decease. Emily Armilla, who 
 
 died March 11, 1892, aged thirty-five years 
 and six months, married for her first husband, 
 Lyman P. Goodell, by whom she had one 
 son, Rosco Harris Goodell. For her second 
 husband she married Alonzo R. Wells, and 
 had one son, Ray Dean Wells. Mrs. Emily 
 Dean Harris died August 6, 1892. She 
 rests in Hope Cemetery. He was an at- 
 tendant and believer in the faith of the 
 Universalist church. 
 
 ENRY FRANCIS HARRIS, lawyer 
 and treasurer of the West Boylston 
 Manufacturing Company, having an 
 office in the State Mutual Building, 
 Worcester, was born in the village of Harris- 
 ville, West Boylston, August 19, 1849. He 
 prepared for college in the Green Mountain 
 Institute at South Woodstock, Vt., Worces- 
 ter Academy of Worcester, Mass., and in 
 Lancaster Academy, which he attended two 
 years. Entering Tufts College in 1867, he 
 was graduated in 1871, at the head of his 
 class. He then entered the Harvard Law 
 School, but left at the end of the half-year, 
 after which he studied law for a year in the 
 office of the Hon. Hartley Williams. He en- 
 tered the Boston University School of Law, 
 from which he graduated in the class of 1873, 
 the first class of that institution. During his 
 attendance at the Boston Law School, and for 
 a time afterward, he was in the office of John 
 A. Loring, of that city. He was admitted to 
 the bar in Boston in December, 1873, and 
 began practice in Worcester, January i, 1874. 
 On May 17, 1883, Mr. Henry F. Harris 
 was united in marriage with Miss Emma 
 Frances Dearborn, daughter of William F. 
 and Mary F. (Hurd) Dearborn, of Worcester. 
 She was graduated at the Worcester High 
 School, class of 1878, and subsequently 
 studied vocal music with Madam Capianni. 
 She has a fine soprano voice, and has been for 
 many years a member of the choir of the Uni- 
 versalist church, and for the past three years 
 its director. Mr. and Mrs. Harris have lost 
 an infant son, and they have two daughters: 
 Rachel, born December 11, 1887; and Doro- 
 thy, born March 22, 1890. 
 
768 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Harris is a Republican. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Worcester School Committee. 
 Fraternally, he is a Past Master of Boylston 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and is a Knight Temp- 
 lar and a member of Aleppo Temple of the 
 Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic 
 Shrine. He is an attendant of the Universal- 
 ist church. Since 1890 he has resided at 6^ 
 Lincoln Street. 
 
 16, 181 1. 
 
 'AMUEL H. RICHARDSON, for 
 many years a leading citizen of 
 Dana, Mass., was born in the neigh- 
 boring town of Hardwick, December 
 He was the eldest son of Benjamin 
 and Diadama (Hale) Richardson. His paternal 
 grandfather, Benjamin Richardson, Sr., who 
 came to Worcester County irom Mansfield, 
 Bristol County, Mass., was a soldier during 
 the War of the Revolution. He died Febru- 
 ary 20, 1837, at the age of eighty-seven. His 
 wife, Bethiah, died June 28, 1844. Their 
 graves are at Dana Centre. They had two 
 sons, Benjamin, above named,, and Wyatt. 
 Benjamin Richardson, the younger, bought a 
 farm in Dana, and, moving to this town while 
 his son Samuel was a small child, became a 
 man of influence in local affairs, serving for 
 several years as one of the Selectmen and one 
 term as a member of the legislature. His 
 wife was a native of Dana. They had nine 
 children, three sons and six daughters. One 
 son, Benjamin F., served in the Civil War. 
 
 Samuel H. Richardson grew to manhood 
 upon his father's farm, and acquired a good 
 common-school education. At the age of 
 twenty-one he left home, and until he was 
 twenty-four he worked at different places, 
 being employed at one time by a company of 
 tinsmiths at Templeton, Mass., who sent him 
 upon the road as salesman. In that capacity 
 he was very successful ; but, an accident finally 
 disabling him for this work, he gave it up. 
 At the age of twenty-four he married and went 
 to Hardwick. He lived there three years, and 
 the last year of his stay was employed as war- 
 den of the Poor Farm, which was that year es- 
 tablished. In this position he and his wife 
 seem to have given satisfaction to both over- 
 
 seers and inmates, but declining the offer of 
 the position for the following year he removed 
 with his family to Petersham. The next seven 
 years were spent in Dana and Petersham. 
 During a part of this time he rented a small 
 farm, and was employed by a manufacturer of 
 palmleaf hats to "put out " leaf to be braided 
 into hats. Tired of moving about from place 
 to place he next bought a small farm of twenty- 
 six acres, known as the Hammond place, situ- 
 ated in the south-eastern part of Dana, and 
 after he had remodelled the house and built a 
 large barn he felt that at last he had a home. 
 By good management and the industry of him- 
 self and his family, he was able to add to his 
 first purchase adjoining land, including a small 
 farm that he had previously bought and sold, 
 until he had a good estate of about one him- 
 dred and thirty acres of fertile land. Sobriety, 
 neighborly kindness, industry, and an unswerv- 
 ing regard and respect for the rights of others 
 were the lessons taught by the daily life on 
 this New England farm, which after the lapse 
 of many years is still spoken of by some mem- 
 bers of the family as home. 
 
 During these years of his life in Dana, Mr. 
 Richardson was a prominent factor in local 
 public affairs, serving as one of the Selectmen 
 and Overseers of the Poor for sixteen years, 
 such was the confidence of his fellow-citizens 
 in his ability, good judgment, and fidelity to 
 the interests of the town. In 1853 he was 
 a member of the convention to revise the Con- 
 stitution of Massachusetts. His judgment 
 both in matters of public importance and of 
 private interest was frequently sought, and his 
 opinion, if followed, generally found to be cor- 
 rect. He was well versed in the principles of 
 common law. In politics he was a Republican. 
 
 On March 31, 1836, Mr. Richardson was 
 united in marriage to Caroline Chipman, who 
 was born in Petersham, December 10, 181 1. 
 She was the daughter of Perez and Hannah 
 (Mason) Chipman, natives of Barre, Mass. 
 Her father was a lineal descendant in the fifth 
 generation of John Chipman, who came to New 
 England between 1630 and 1640. John Chip- 
 man married for his first wife, in 1646, Hope 
 Howland, whose parents, John and Elizabeth 
 (Tilley) Howland, came over in the "May- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 769 
 
 flower" in 1620, and were married a few years 
 later. Mrs. Richardson's maternal grand- 
 parents were Daniel and Tabitha (Jenkins) 
 Mason. 
 
 Samuel H. and Caroline (Chipman) Rich- 
 ardson, were the parents of five children, 
 namely: George M. and Charles C, who are 
 both machinists and reside in Worcester; Mar- 
 tha J. and Ella L., who reside in Dana; and 
 Mary C, wife of George H. Joslyn, of Ware, 
 Mass. 
 
 In 1885, after thirty-eight years spent upon 
 the farm, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson removed to 
 Dana Centre, where the remainder of their 
 earthly lives was passed,- Mrs. Richardson en- 
 tering the life immortal on January 31, 1895, 
 and Mr. Richardson following her the next 
 day, February i. On February 4 the some- 
 what unusual ceremony of a double funeral was 
 held at the Richardson residence, and a large 
 number of acquaintances and friends gathered 
 to offer their last tribute of respect to the de- 
 parted. Chief among the commendable charac- 
 teristics of this worthy couple was a profound 
 veneration for God and a deep love for all that 
 is beautiful in nature. Both were firm believ- 
 ers in the Universalist faith. 
 
 'OSEPH R HAMMOND, who died in 
 Worcester, Mass., February 27, 1890, 
 was a man of strictest integrity, quiet 
 and unostentatious, with large faith in 
 mankind, a strong love for home and kindred, 
 a loyal affection for his mother country and his 
 native State; also for the" city in which the 
 largest part of his life was spent. He was 
 born at Oakham, Mass., August 13, 1823, a 
 son of John and Adaline (Stone) Hammond. 
 Many of his Quaker traits were derived from 
 his paternal ancestors. According to the pub- 
 lished genealogy of the family, he was seventh 
 in descent from William Hammond, a lifelong 
 resident of London, England, the line being 
 William'; Benjamin,' who came over with his 
 mother in 1634, and settled at Sandwich, 
 Mass. ; John'; Jabez*; Elijahs; John^; and Jo- 
 seph P. 7 William Hammond married Eliza- 
 beth Penn, said to have been an aunt of 
 William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. 
 
 F"rom his maternal ancestors the subject of 
 this sketch inherited a quiet, deep, religious 
 nature. He was a thoughtful man and a care- 
 ful reader. He yearly subscribed for a number 
 of periodicals that treated of fruit farming and 
 flower culture. He paid for these and for 
 books also, as he never enjoyed anything until 
 it was paid for. He was like the Quakers in 
 religious matters, in politics, and also in re- 
 gard to debts. In 1878 he took possession of 
 his portion of his father's farm in Worcester, 
 and here did a successful business in raising 
 fruit and vegetables. He also raised flowers, 
 simply to have them to bestow on others; 
 This, his last business venture, was very much 
 enjoyed, more so than any other of his life, for 
 it was more congenial. He loved to do things 
 for others, which few in our rushing age will 
 stop to do. His home was on Lancaster Street. 
 
 On June 2, 1855, ^^- Hammond married 
 Miss Ellen N. Robbins, of Wilton, Me. She 
 died in April, 1874, leaving one son, now of 
 Barre, Mass. He is a useful man. He comes 
 often to his old hoiAe, and is always kind to 
 every one. On June 14, 1876, Mr. Hammond 
 married for his second wife Eliza A. Young, of 
 St. Stephens, N.B. Mrs. Hammond's father, 
 John Young, was a descendant of a family that 
 came from Holland to America in the middle 
 of the seventeenth century. He was the thifd 
 John in line. The £rst John was born in Hol- 
 land ; the second in Marblehead, Mass. ; the 
 third, Mrs. Hammond's father, in St. Ste- 
 phens, N. B. He married Julia J\.. Smith, of 
 Wiscasset, Me., a niece of John Smith, who 
 was governor of Maine in 18 12. 
 
 ENRY K. TAFT, who was actively 
 identified with the manufacture of 
 straw goods in Worcester County 
 during the greater part of his active 
 career, was born in Upton, Mass., November 
 18, 1842. He graduated at Westfield Acad- 
 emy. At an early age he began to earn his 
 own living by working in one of the numerous 
 straw shops of his native town. This occupa- 
 tion he also followed for a while in Boston. 
 In 1867 he came to Westboro to assume 
 charge of the blocking department of George 
 
770 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 N. Smalley's factory. At the end of a year 
 he was promoted to the stock room, where he 
 continued until the establishment of the Na- 
 tional Straw Works. In this factory he was 
 superintendent of the stock room until his 
 admittance into the firm in 1875. Ten years 
 later, when the H. O. Barnard Manufacturing 
 Company was incorporated, Mr. Taft was made 
 its vice-president and the general manager of 
 the factory, responsible positions, which he 
 ably filled throughout the remainder of his 
 life. He was a man of rare executive ability, 
 had an accurate knowledge of the business, 
 and he managed the factory, which often 
 employed nearly one thousand hands, with ex- 
 ceptional tact and judgment. A fine represent- 
 ative of the self7made men of New England, he 
 made a record that may well be an encourage- 
 ment and stimulus to the industrious and am- 
 bitious youth of the present generation. 
 
 , Prominent in local affairs, public-spirited 
 and generous, Mr. Taft was one of the prime 
 movers in establishing the electric light plant 
 in Westboro and in starting other beneficial 
 projects. In 1882 he built the beautiful resi- 
 dence on High Street that is now occupied by 
 his widow and son. On February 7, 1869, he 
 married Miss Annie E. Clark, of Walpole, 
 Mass. Their child, George H., who was born 
 February 5, 1876, is now in Andover Acad- 
 emy, preparing for Harvard. Mr. Taft died of 
 pnetimonia at his home in Westboro on May 
 29, 1887. 
 
 (g? 
 
 iHARLES A. RICE, one of North- 
 boro's best known residents, is a man 
 of strong personality, outspoken and 
 honest, and claimed as a friend by 
 every man, woman, and child in this section 
 of Worcester County. "Charley" Rice, as he 
 is familiarly called, was born in Northboro, 
 Mass., on the first day of May, 1826, son of 
 Anson Rice and a grandson of Asaph Rice. 
 
 Asaph Rice was engaged in teaming between 
 here and Boston for many years, his route 
 being a paying one. Standing six feet and 
 four inches in height and finely proportioned, 
 he was a giant in physical strength as well as 
 in intellectual powers. As an able and fear- 
 
 less debater he had few equals in the whole 
 country side. It is claimed by the older resi- 
 dents of the vicinity that, if he had had the 
 educational advantages freely offered to the 
 boys of this day and generation, his powers of 
 oratory, his clear-headed common sense, and 
 his rare good judgment would have won him a 
 national reputation. Anson Rice spent his 
 life in Northboro, for the larger part of the 
 time as a general merchant. He was promi- 
 nent in town affairs, having served as Justice 
 of the Peace most of the time, as Postmaster 
 for many terms, and as Town Clerk for thirty 
 years. To him and his wife, whose maiden 
 name was Lucy Sherman, six children were 
 born, namely: Martin, a hardware manufact- 
 urer, who died in Springfield, Ohio, in 1891; 
 John A., a noted hotel man, who died in Chi- 
 cago, 111., in April, i8gi; Myron Granville, 
 of Saginaw, Mich., who is the general agent of 
 the North-western Railway Company; Mary, 
 whose first husband, Rasious Jones, died in 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, and who is now the wife of 
 W. M. Sherman, of Alabama; Solon Wood, 
 who is in business in Lead vi lie. Col. ; and 
 Charles A., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Charles A. Rice really began his active 
 career when but seven years old, as at that age 
 he frequently drove an extra two-horse team to 
 Cambridgeport for his grandfather, who used 
 to tie him to the high seat and hand bim the 
 reins. At the age of twelve years he often 
 took passengers to Boston in season for a late 
 train, starting in the evening and returning 
 before breakfast the next morning. In 1842 
 he became an express agent on the stage line 
 owned by John Rice, with whom he lived 
 much of the time, the stage route being a long 
 one. He was an expert "coachman, driving his 
 team of two, four, or six horses with skill, and 
 for some years was the only expressman doing 
 business between this town and Fitchburg, 
 Worcester, Providence, Boston, Keene (N.H.), 
 and other places. After the establishment of 
 the railway the stage started from Shrewsbury 
 and went to Westboro, whence passengers, 
 mail, and express continued the trip to Boston 
 by rail. The last trip of the coach was made 
 on Thanksgiving Day in 1856, but Mr. Rice 
 continued to carry the mail until the following 
 
ERASMUS HASTON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 773 
 
 April. When the Northern Division of the 
 Old Colony branch of the New Haven system 
 was extended from South Framingham, he be- 
 came express messenger on that road, and 
 when the line was continued to Fitchburg he 
 accepted the local agency of the Fiske Express 
 Company. In 1897, after fifty-five consecu- 
 tive years of service in the express business, he 
 resigned, and has since devoted his time to the 
 management of his livery stable, which he es- 
 tablished in 1848 in the bam built by his late 
 father. He now keeps comparatively few 
 horses, a marked change in the livery business 
 having taken place in the last half-century, the 
 cause of which is not hard to determine when 
 note is taken of the close proximity of the 
 steam and electric cars and the number of 
 bicycles that hourly pass the stable. 
 
 In politics Mr. Rice is a sound Democrat. 
 As Selectman and Assessor for many years he 
 has rendered valuable service to the town. He 
 likewise served Worcester County as Sheriff 
 for fifteen years. In March, 1849, he married 
 Angenette M. Otis, a niece of Judge Mellen. 
 They have two sons, namely : Edwin Fay Rice, 
 who was a printer in Boston for a time, and 
 has been employed in the Boston Public Li- 
 brary for the past thirteen years ; and Charles 
 Henry Rice, the Treasurer and Collector in 
 Northboro. 
 
 ]C|RASMUS HASTON, who for upward 
 ^ of half a century was prominently iden- 
 "^^ ■ ' tified with the manufacturing and 
 agricultural interests of North Brookfield, 
 Mass., was born April 18, 1812, in Belcher- 
 town, Hampshire County. His parents, 
 Philip and Rebecca (Ranger) Haston, died in 
 early life, the mother in 18 14 and the father 
 in 1819. Being thus left an orphan at a ten- 
 der age, he was bound out to Timothy Work, 
 on whose farm he labored, day in and day out, 
 attending school in the winter until he was 
 nearly twenty-one years old. When leaving 
 that farm, his employer, as full compensation 
 for his faithfulness, presented him with a suit 
 of cheap clothes. Subsequently he worked 
 for a neighboring farmer, who paid him twelve 
 and one-balf dollars per month. Then be 
 
 learned the trade of filing and finishing augers, 
 an occupation which he was obliged to abandon 
 after two years, as it was detrimental to his 
 health. Learning next the trade of bottoming 
 shoes, he followed that for a quarter of a cen- 
 tury, in which time by good management he 
 accumulated the sum of six hundred dollars. 
 This he had the misfortune to lose in the 
 panic of 1837. In the ensuing summer he 
 farmed twenty-two acres of land on shares, and 
 realized two hundred and fifty dollars in cash. 
 After working at his trade during the next 
 winter he bought in the spring three hun- 
 dred acres of land, situated in the town of 
 Greenwich, Mass. This, after working on it 
 for a short time, he sold at a profit. He after- 
 ward purchased the estate on the Spencer road 
 in North Brookfield known as the Bush place, 
 which he carried on several years, at the same 
 time being engaged in shoemaking. Receiv- 
 ing then an advantageous offer for the prop- 
 erty, he accepted it without hesitation, and for 
 a while devoted himself exclusively to his 
 trade. In 1847, with characteristic foresight, 
 Mr. Haston bought a tract of land containing 
 twenty-seven acres, in what is now the village 
 of North Brookfield. This property he divided 
 into lots, from the sale of which he derived a 
 good income. Having given up his situation 
 in Batcheller's shoe factory in 1861, he was 
 thereafter engaged in farming. Although he 
 had received no special educational advantages, 
 he was always interested in the cause of educa- 
 tion, and he and his worthy wife presented to 
 North Brookfield the handsome granite library 
 building which is the pride of the townspeople. 
 Mr. Haston was first married in 1847 to 
 Abigail Whiting, who died in the following 
 year, leaving no children. On April 12, 
 1849, he married Miss Elvira Shedd, who was 
 born in Vermont. Her parents, Zachariah and 
 Lydia P. (Proctor) Shedd, were both natives of 
 New England, the birthplace of her mother 
 having been Rockingham, Vt. Two sons were 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Haston — Martin P. and 
 Arthur P. — ^ neither of whom is living. Mrs. 
 Haston is a member of the First Congrega- 
 tional Church, of which her husband was a reg- 
 ular attendant and liberal supporter. Pio- 
 neers of this part of Worcester County, during 
 
774 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 their residence in North Brookfield they wit- 
 nessed the transformation of it from the small 
 hamlet it was when they took up their abode 
 in it fifty years ago into a thriving manufactur- 
 ing town, being themselves important factors 
 in the work. In politics Mr. Hasten was a 
 stanch Republican. He died at his home in 
 North Brookfield, March 13, 1895. 
 
 -AMES F. STRATTON, an able busi- 
 ness man and a public-spirited resident 
 of Milford, was born in this town, Sep- 
 tember 25, 1854. A son of John 
 Stratton, he comes of Irish ancestry. His 
 father was for years a leading spirit in the 
 Democratic party organization of Milford. 
 After completing the regular course of the 
 public schools of his native town James F. 
 Stratton attended Bryant & Stratton 's Com- 
 mercial College in Providence, where he took 
 a, full business course, including the subject of 
 banking. Then 'he entered upon a business 
 career, which has been attended with gratifying 
 success. At the present time he is engaged in 
 the manufacture of cigars, is agent for Frank 
 Jones Brewing Company, and is connected with 
 other enterprises, all of which are in a pros- 
 perous condition. 
 
 Since he attained his majority Mr. Stratton 
 has taken an active interest in public affairs 
 and held some of the important town offices. 
 For over twenty years he served on the Demo- 
 cratic Town Committee, for eighteen years he 
 has been chairman of the District Committee, 
 and he was formerly a member of the State 
 Central Committee. He has also been a trus- 
 tee of the Milford Public Library, was clerk 
 of the committee appointed to superintend the 
 erection of Memorial Hall, and as chairman of 
 the Committee on Sewers he rendered valuable 
 service to the town. In 1884 he was first 
 elected Representative to the legislature from 
 this district, which at that time included the 
 towns of Milford, Upton, Mendon, and Hope- 
 dale; and he was twice re-elected. He had 
 the distinction of being appointed one of the 
 monitors of the House; was for three years 
 clerk of the Labor Committee; and was ac- 
 tively identified with the passage of many not- 
 
 able acts, including those relating to the 
 weekly payment of wages, free text-books, em- 
 ployers' liability, and that of restricting the 
 hours of labor for women and children. He 
 was the first to introduce a bill relative to 
 arbitration between employers and workmen, 
 which became a law after three years of per- 
 sistent fighting on his part. The pen with 
 which the late Governor Robinson signed the 
 act was presented to him as its author. An 
 eloquent and effective speaker, he stumped the 
 State in company with the late Governor IJus- 
 sell, and has served as alternate delegate to 
 several national conventions. 
 
 For the past twenty-five years Mr. Stratton 
 has been a leading member of the Ancient 
 Order of Hibernians. At one time he was the 
 president of the local and State organizations. 
 He, was frequently a delegate at the national 
 gatherings, and at the last annual meeting of 
 the State organization, which was held in 
 Brockton, March 31, 1898, he served as chair- 
 man of the Committee on Resolutions, and 
 delivered one of the most eloquent and inter- 
 esting addresses heard by the assembly. 
 
 YMAN LEIGHTON, the president of 
 the Clinton Wall Trunk Manufactur- 
 ing Company and a veteran of the 
 Civil War, was born in Upton, 
 Mass., November 28, 1843, son of Hazen and 
 Lydia (Aldrich) Leighton. The father, who 
 was born in Maine in 1796, passed the greater 
 part of his life in Upton, vv^here he died in 
 May, 1869, aged seventy-three years. Lydia, 
 his wife, who was born in Massachusetts in 
 1 8 10, became the mother of six children, three 
 of whom are living; namely, Amelia, Lyman, 
 and Hazen. The mother died March 15, 1896, 
 aged eighty-six years. 
 
 After receiving his education in the common 
 schools Lyman Leighton learned the carpen- 
 ter's trade. In 1861 he enlisted as a private 
 in Company B, Twenty-fifth Regiment, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteers, which was raised in 
 Worcester County. Although the long 
 marches and constant exposure of army life 
 during the Civil War seriously affected his 
 health, he persisted in accompanying the regi' 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 775 
 
 ment to North Carolina, where he took part in 
 three battles, receiving a slight wound at Ro- 
 anoke Island. At length the doctors recom- 
 mended his discharge on account of physical 
 disability. In March, 1863, having recovered 
 his health, he re-enlisted in Company D, 
 Third Heavy Massachusetts Artillery, with 
 which he served until September, 1865, par- 
 ticipating in considerable active service, and 
 being promoted to the rank of Sergeant. 
 Upon his return to Upton he resumed his 
 trade. Later he carried on business in Mil- 
 ford, Mass., and Dennisonville, Conn. He lo- 
 cated in Clinton in 1871, since which time he 
 has acquired a wide reputation as a reliable and 
 skilful builder. He erected the Wire Goods 
 Company's mills, Daggett's Block, and the 
 Young Men's Christian Association Building 
 in this town, the Greendale church, a hotel at 
 Narragansett Pier, and one hundred and eigh- 
 teen dwelling-houses, including the Craft resi- 
 dence in Ridgefield, Conn., and many fine 
 residences in Waltham, Somerville, and Bos- 
 ton. In 1892 he became associated with 
 others in purchasing the patents of the Clinton 
 Wall Trunk Company and forming the Clin- 
 ton Wa:ll Trunk Manufacturing Company, of 
 which he has since been the president and 
 his daughter the treasurer. The wall trunk 
 manufactured by the company, which can be 
 opened- while "standing close against the wall, 
 has a large sale in this country and Europe. 
 The company also produces hand-bags, sashes, 
 doors, blinds, and all kinds of building mate- 
 rial, and carries on a lumber yard. The pres- 
 ent factory, which is one hundred and sixty 
 by fifty feet and three stories high, built ex- 
 pressly for its present use, is equipped with 
 modern machinery. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Leighton married Caroline S. 
 Clark, a native of Connecticut and a daughter 
 of Ollin Clark. Mrs. Leighton has had five 
 children, four of whom are living, namely: 
 Carrie Amelia, the treasurer of the Clinton 
 Wall Trunk Manufacturing Company ; Albert, 
 who married Carrie Mack, and is the foreman 
 of the trunk factory; Mary; and Frank. 
 Frank is employed in the shipping department 
 of the factory. Mr. Leighton is a Republican 
 in politics, In Masonry he has advanced as 
 
 far as the Council. He is also connected with 
 Clinton Lodge, the encampment, and the canton 
 of the I. O. O. F. ; has occupied the important 
 chairs in the Order of the Golden Cross, and 
 is a member of the Grand Lodge of Massachu- 
 setts, a member of the Knights of Pythias, 
 and a comrade of E. D. Baker Post, No. 64, 
 G. A. R. Mrs. Leighton is a Baptist. The 
 other members of the family attend the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 UBBARD S. DOANE, a leading 
 farmer and milk producer of North 
 Brookfield, was born in this town on 
 February 4, 1839, son of Roland F. 
 and Amanda (Shedd) Doane. His paternal 
 grandfather, Joseph Doane, master mariner, a 
 native of Eastham, resided in North Brookfield 
 for many years. 
 
 Roland F. Doane, who was a native of the 
 town, lived here until his death in 1891, with 
 the exception of a short time spent in Ver- 
 mont. He engaged in agriculture, and for 
 several years operated a saw-mill. He was a 
 thoughtful and intelligent man, and was inter- 
 ested in all progressive movements, particu- 
 larly in educational matters, and served for a 
 number of years on the School Committee. 
 He was a member of the First Congregational 
 Church. His political principles were Re- 
 publican. His wife was a native of Vermont. 
 Of their children the following named are liv- 
 ing : Freeman R. , a sketch of whom together 
 with further mention of the Doane family may 
 be seen on another page of this book ; Hub- 
 bard S. ; Edwin; Lydia A., now Mrs. Gilbert, 
 a widow; Ellen R., who is the wife of Ethan 
 Allen Harwood ; and Jonas M. 
 
 Hubbard S. Doane grew to manhood on his 
 father's farm, and during boyhood attended the 
 common schools and subsequently the high 
 school of his native town, failing not to profit 
 by his educational opportunities. For four 
 years Mr. Doane owned a saw-mill, and was 
 engaged in the manufacture of lumber; and 
 later for twenty years he was foreman of the 
 same mill, the proprietors then being A. and 
 E. D. Bacheller. In 1879 he bought the 
 estate upon which he has since resided, and 
 
776 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 which comprises about ninety acres of excel- 
 lent farming land. He carries on both gen- 
 eral farming and dairying. Mr. Doane was a 
 volunteer soldier in the Civil War, enlisting 
 on the last day of September, 1862, for nine 
 months. He was, however, in service for 
 nearly a year, not being discharged until Au- 
 gust 20, 1863. He was a member of Company 
 F of the Forty-second Regiment of Massachu- 
 setts Volunteers, and was with General Banks 
 in the New Orleans expedition, where he was 
 assigned on guard duty. He is now a member 
 of Ezra Batcheller Post, No. 51, G. A. R. ; 
 also of Woodbine Lodge, I. O. O. F. , at North 
 Brook field. Both he and his wife are members 
 of the First Congregational Church and of the 
 North Brookfield Grange. In politics Mr. 
 Doane is a Republican. 
 
 Mr. Doane was married on November 28, 
 1867, to Sarah J. Smith, a native of Rutland, 
 Mass., and daughter of Moses B. and Chloe 
 (Broad) Smith, both of whom were born in 
 Holden. Mr. Smith resided for many years 
 in Rutland, and his death occurred in that 
 town. He was a well-known Republican. 
 Those of his children who are living are as 
 follows: Lucy A., who is the widow of Elliott 
 W. Boyce, of Spencer, Mass. ; Moses M., who 
 resides in Rutland, Mass. ; Samuel C, of New- 
 ton ^ and Sarah J., the wife of Mr. Doane. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Doane have three children, 
 namely: Amy J., who is the wife of Carleton 
 D. Richardson; Jennie E. ; and Leon A. 
 
 B 
 
 EACON BENJAMIN ALDEN 
 NOURSE, whose life of threescore 
 years was spent in Westboro, was 
 born here, July 19, 1836. His 
 father, Joseph Joslin Nourse, was son of Ben- 
 jamin Nourse (born November 30, 1768, died 
 May 20, 1861), who was a son of Daniel and 
 Sarah Nourse, who moved here from Framing- 
 ham. His father died in the prime of a 
 vigorous manhood, leaving his widow with one 
 child, B. Alden, then an infant. His mother 
 was born in Grafton, January 7, 1813, daugh- 
 ter of Timothy Merriam, and is still living in 
 Westboro, on the old homestead, with her 
 son's family, Deacon Nourse always recog- 
 
 nized the fact that he was indebted to the 
 training that he received from his mother and 
 to her wise counsels for his career of honor 
 and success. 
 
 After attending the district school in his 
 younger days, Benjamin A. Nourse was forced 
 to relinquish the hope of a college education, 
 in order that he might assist his widowed 
 mother in the management of the ancestral 
 farm. He made the most, however, of every 
 opportunity granted him for adding to his 
 store of knowledge, and under the tutorship 
 of Mr. Silas C. Stone pursued the high-school 
 course. He labored faithfully in every posi- 
 tion in which he was placed, and, it is need- 
 less to add, most successfully; and he was for 
 years one of the foremost farmers of this part 
 of Worcester County. He was interested in 
 young men, and often had one of them with 
 him on the farm to teach him his methods. 
 He rendered efficient service to the town as 
 a member of the School Committee for several 
 years, and also as Selectman from 1872 until 
 1876. In the latter year he was elected to 
 the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
 from this district, and in 1896 was re-elected 
 to the same branch of the legislature. On 
 Monday, February i, a few weeks after he had 
 entered upon his second legislative term, he 
 was stricken with apoplexy, and on the follow- 
 ing morning he quietly passed away. The 
 whole community mourned his death as that 
 of a personal friend, a brother beloved, and 
 especially was this the case in the church. 
 In the House he had been appointed a mem- 
 ber of the Committee on Charitable Institu- 
 tions; and but a few days prior to his demise 
 he, in company with the other members of 
 that committee, visited the Westboro Hospital 
 for the Insane and the Lyman School. After 
 his colleague. Representative Cook, of Mil- 
 ford, announced his death in the legislature, 
 a committee appointed by the Speaker at- 
 tended the funeral, accompanied by the Ser- 
 geant-at-arms, J. G. B. Adams, and, on motion 
 of Mr. Cook, the House, as a mark of respect 
 to the deceased, adjourned. 
 
 Mr. Nourse was a strong advocate of the 
 temperance cause and a member of the West- 
 boro Grange, f, pf H, At the age of thirteen 
 
BENJAMIN A. NOUK.se. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 779 
 
 years he united with the Evangelical Congre- 
 gational church, in which during the last 
 thirty-five years of his life he served as Dea- 
 con, also giving largely of his time, strength, 
 and money toward advancing the cause of re- 
 ligion. Throughout his life he was a thor- 
 ough Bible student, and was a Sunday-school 
 teacher over forty years, a part of which time 
 he was Sunday-school superintendent. The 
 misfortunes and needs of others drew upon his 
 generous nature to the full measure of his 
 large ability to give of sympathy, time, and 
 means. On May i, i860, he married Jane, 
 eldest daughter of the late Benjamin Willard 
 Fay, of Grafton. Of his four children. Bertha 
 died in childhood. The others are: Willard 
 Joslin, Ernest Morrison, both lawyers in Gun- 
 nison, Col. ; and Arthur Merriam, who resides 
 on the home farm. Deacon and Mrs. Nourse 
 also reared an adopted daughter, Edna Nourse, 
 now Mrs. Fred H. Doolittle, of Northfield, 
 Mass. 
 
 "ON. PERCIVAL BLODGETT, of 
 Templeton, an ex-member of the 
 Massachusetts Senate, was born in 
 Orange, Mass., July 18, 1841, son 
 of Nathaniel F. and Dolly (Mayo) Blodgett. 
 Ancestors of his were early settlers in Temple- 
 ton. His grandfather, Nathaniel Blodgett, 
 who was a blacksmith by trade, and resided 
 here for some time after his marriage, moved 
 with his family to Orange, there followed his 
 trade for the rest of his active period, and died 
 in that town at the age of seventy-three. The 
 maiden name of Nathaniel's wife was Mary 
 French. 
 
 Nathaniel F. Blodgett, the father, was born 
 in Templeton, January 3, 18 14. Having 
 learned the blacksmith's trade with his father, 
 he followed it in Orange for many years, and 
 his death occurred in that town in December of 
 1888. He was a man of considerable mental 
 ability. With a natural desire for knowledge, 
 he was a great reader, and became well-in- 
 formed upon all the important topics of his 
 day. With the majority of the Whigs, he en- 
 tered the ranks of the Republican party at its 
 formation, In religious belief he was a Con- 
 
 gregationalist. His wife, Dolly, a native of 
 Orange, born in July, 1821, became the mother 
 of two children : Percival, the subject of this 
 sketch; and Maria L. C. Blodgett, of Orange. 
 The mother, surviving her husband, resides at 
 the homestead. 
 
 Percival Blodgett was reared in his native 
 town. Beginning his education in the old red 
 school-house of District No. 4, he completed it 
 at Phillips Academy of Andover, Mass., from 
 which he graduated in the class of 1863. 
 After teaching school for a time in Orange, 
 Athol, and Templeton, he in 1865 formed a 
 partnership with A. S. Dudley, firm of Dudley 
 & Blodgett, which carried on trade in Temple- 
 ton for five years. In May, 1870, he engaged 
 in a general mercantile business on his own 
 account, and continued to conduct a thriving 
 trade until October, 1894, when the P. Blodg- 
 ett Company was incorporated. This concern, 
 in which he still retains a controlling interest, 
 carries a stock valued at ten thousand dollars ; 
 and the business is constantly increasing. 
 Mr. Blodgett 's public services have been 
 varied and of long duration. He served as 
 Postmaster at Templeton Centre for sixteen 
 years ; was a member of the School Board for 
 twenty-one years ; Town Treasurer for eighteen 
 years ; a member of the Board of Selectmen and 
 Overseer of the Poor for sixteen years, and the 
 chairman of the board for fifteen years, receiv- 
 ing a unanimous vote at the last town meeting. 
 He was elected to the House of Representa- 
 tives in 1889 and 1892, and he was a member 
 of the Senate for the years 1895 and 1896. 
 While in the upper house he was the chairman 
 of the Committees on Water Supply, Election 
 Laws, Agriculture, and Public Charitable In- 
 stitution; and he was assigned to the special 
 committee that conducted the Norfolk County 
 investigation. In politics he is a Republican, 
 and his first Presidential vote was cast for 
 Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He has been a 
 trustee of the Boynton Free Public Library 
 since 1868 and the president of the board for a 
 number of years, and he has been a Justice of 
 the Peace for the past twenty-five years. 
 
 On May i, 1867, Mr. Blodgett' s first mar- 
 riage was contracted with Georgia A. Worrick, 
 of Orange, who died in 1878, leaving one 
 
780 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 daughter, Grace E., born April 23, 1870. On 
 February 20, 1880, he was married to his pres- 
 ent wife, formerly S. Isabella Chamberlain, of 
 Templeton. He belongs to Hope Lodge, 
 F. & A. M. ; to William Ellison Lodge, 
 I. O. O. F. , of Gardner; to Templeton Lodge, 
 No. 1632, Knights of Honor; and to Star 
 Lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen, of 
 Baldwinsville. He owns and occupies the 
 Colonel Lee homestead, which, erected in 
 1829, is surrounded by a handsome estate, is 
 substantially built, and contains many rare 
 pieces of antique furniture and several valuable 
 relics. The care of his farm and the study of 
 botany occupy his leisure time. Mr. Blodgett 
 attends the Trinitarian Congregational church. 
 
 fc^TOHN HENRY FAIRBANK, president 
 of the First National Bank, Winchen- 
 don, was born in Harvard, Mass. , Jan- 
 uary 21, 1817, son of Artemas and 
 Rachel (Houghton) Fairbank. He traces his 
 lineage back through his grandfather, Jonathan 
 Fairbank, who was born in Harvard, Septem- 
 ber 4, 1758; Captain Joseph, who was born in 
 that part of Lancaster -now called Harvard, 
 November 4, 1722; Deacon Joseph, born in 
 Lancaster in 1693; Captain Jabez, born in the 
 same town, August 11, 1674; and Jonas, born 
 in England prior to 1633; to Jonathan, who 
 was the first American ancestor and who 
 spelled the name Fairebanke. 
 
 Jonathan Fairebanke was bom in England 
 previous to the year 1600. Arriving with his 
 wife and six children at Boston in 1633, he 
 became one of the original settlers of Dedham. 
 He died December 5, 1668. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Grace Lee, died about the 
 year 1673. Of their six children, Jonas, who 
 was a farmer and a carpenter, was the fifth- 
 born and the third son. He moved from Ded- 
 ham to Lancaster in 1657, and, signing the 
 covenant March 5, 1659, became one of the 
 fathers of that town. It is recorded that in 
 1652 he was fined for wearing great boots, an 
 act prohibited in the colony to those who were 
 worth less than two hundred pounds. To- 
 gether with two sons he was killed by the Ind- 
 ians, February 10, 1676. The farm which he 
 
 cleared from the wilderness is now owned by 
 one of his descendants in the seventh genera- 
 tion. On May 28, 1658, he married Lydia 
 Prescott, who was born in Watertown, Mass., 
 August 15, 1641, daughter of John Prescott, a 
 native of Sowerby, parish of Halifax, England. 
 She was the mother of seven children, of whom 
 Captain Jabez was the sixth-born and the third 
 son. 
 
 Captain Jabez Fairbank was a lifelong resi- 
 dent of Lancaster. He was a member of the 
 General Court for the years 1714, 1721, 1722, 
 and 1723, and he served as a soldier in the 
 Indian Wars. He died March 2, 1758, aged 
 eighty-four years. His first wife, Mary, 
 daughter of Thomas and Mary (Houghton) 
 Wilder, died February 21, 1718, in the forty- 
 fifth year of her age. She was the mother of 
 ten children, of whom Deacon Joseph was 
 the first-born. On March 25, 1719, Captain 
 Jabez Fairbank married for his second wife 
 Elizabeth Whitcomb. She died May 11, 
 i/SS) aged eighty years. 
 
 Deacon Joseph Fairbank inherited the home- 
 stead in turn, and was a prominent man in liis 
 day, serving as a member of the first Board of 
 Selectmen of Harvard from 1733 to 1735 and 
 again from 1743 to 1745. He was Town 
 Treasurer from 1736 to 1740, and served upon 
 many important committees. He was a liberal 
 supporter of the church. He died December 6, 
 1772. On April 21, 171 8, he married Mafy 
 Brown, who died November 14, 1791, aged 
 ninety-one years, eleven months, and six days. 
 She was the mother of ten children, and Jo- 
 seph was the second son. 
 
 Captain Joseph Fairbank, great-grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch, was a leading 
 spirit in civil and military affairs of his day, 
 serving as commander of a company in a pro- 
 vincial regiment under Colonel Asa Whit- 
 comb, and marching to Cambridge on April 
 i9> 1775- He died in 1802. His first wife, 
 whom he married November 11, 1742, was 
 Mary Willard, daughter of Hezekiah and Anna 
 (Wilder) Willard. She was baptized in Lan- 
 caster, December 22, 1722; and she died Au- 
 gust 26, 1748, in the twenty-sixth year of her 
 age, having been the mother of three children. 
 His second wife, Abigail Tarbell, of Groton, 
 
JOHN H. FAIRBANK. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 783 
 
 Mass. , whom he married on October 4, 1 749, 
 died April 12, 1798, aged seventy-six years, 
 ten months, and six days. By this union 
 there were eight children, of whom Jonathan 
 was the sixth-born. 
 
 Jonathan Fairbank, John H. Fairbank's 
 grandfather, was an industrious and thrifty 
 farmer, an upright man, who enjoyed the sin- 
 cere esteem of his fellow-townsmen. He died 
 at the homestead in Harvard, September 8, 
 1840, aged eighty-two years and four days. 
 He married Hannah Hale, who was born in 
 Stow, April 27, 1763, and died September 19, 
 1849, aged eighty-six. They reared a family 
 of three children, and Artemas E. was the 
 eldest. 
 
 Artemas E. Fairbank, father of John H., 
 was born in Harvard, November 3, 1787. He 
 cultivated the Fairbank farm during his active 
 years, and was widely known as a capable and 
 a worthy citizen. Rachel, his wife, whom he 
 married January 25, 18 16, was born in Water- 
 ford, Me., September 23, 1793, daughter of 
 Jonathan and Mary Houghton, of that town. 
 She became the mother of four sons and one 
 daughter, of whom three are living, namely : 
 John H., the subject of this sketch, who is the 
 eldest; Sidney; and Andrew Fairbank. Ar- 
 temas E. Fairbank died July 22, 1874, surviv- 
 ing his wife, who died April 23, 1870. 
 
 John Henry Fairbank was educated in the 
 public schools of his native town. From 1836 
 to 1844 he drove an eight-horse team between 
 Winchendon and Boston ; and after the opening 
 of the railroad he engaged in the livery busi- 
 ness as a member of the firm of Whitcomb & 
 Fairbank, which carried on business here until 
 1868. From 1852 to 1865 he owned and man- 
 aged the American House, and in 1864 he or- 
 ganized the First National Bank, of which he 
 has been president since its establishment. 
 He is a leading spirit in all matters relative to 
 public improvement, and for more than forty 
 years has been closely identified with the va- 
 rious institutions of the town. He was a Se- 
 lectman for twenty years and chairman of the 
 board several terms, has served as an Assessor, 
 has been upon the Cemetery Committee since 
 1857, and has had charge of the highways for 
 thirty years, In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 On June 4, 1847, Mr. Fairbank married 
 Mary E. Lees, who was born in Millbury, 
 daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Taylor) Lees, 
 of Acworth, N. H. Of this union there is 
 one daughter, Helen, who was born February 
 17, 1858, and was graduated from Wellesley 
 College in the class of 1879. On September 
 I, 1 88 1, she married George R. R. Rivers, a 
 prominent lawyer of Milton, Mass. She has 
 two children: Robert W. , born August 13, 
 1882; and Henry F., born August 17, 1883. 
 Mrs. Fairbank died January 16, 1896. 
 
 parents 
 Cook. 
 
 ANFORD B. COOK, Town Clerk 
 of Petersham and one of the leading 
 residents of this place, was born in 
 Athol, Mass., on May 6, 1832, his 
 being Benjamin and Betsy (Stratton) 
 His father, who died in 1866, was a 
 native of Guildhall, Vt., and his mother a 
 daughter of Jabez Stratton, of Athol. Mr. 
 Cook's paternal grandfather, Benjamin Cook, 
 Sr. , was born in Wallingford, Conn., in 1764. 
 He migrated to Vermont with his father when 
 a young man. 
 
 At the age of twenty Mr. Cook having ac- 
 quired his elementary education in the public 
 schools of Athol, and having made some prog- 
 ress in the higher branches of learning, at a 
 select school in Petersham and at Wilbraham 
 Academy, taught school for one term; and at 
 the end of that time he was enrolled as a stu- 
 dent at New Salem Academy, where he was 
 graduated in 1856. Going West in the fol- 
 lowing year, he taught in Christian County, 
 Illinois, and in 1858 he removed to Reading- 
 ton, N. J., where he remained for about three 
 years. At the close of that period he went to 
 Nelsonville, Athens County, Ohio, and there 
 for a year he served as superintendent of 
 schools. Returning then to New Jersey, he 
 taught two years longer in Clinton, whence 
 early in the year 1 867 he went to Goshen, N. Y. , 
 and assumed the principalship of P' armors' Hall 
 Academy, over which he successfully presided 
 for two years. In the spring of 1869 he re- 
 turned to Petersham with the intention of giv- 
 ing up teaching and devoting himself to farm- 
 ing, having purchased his father's estate, In 
 
784 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a short time, however, he opened a private 
 school, and in the winter he taught in one of 
 the public schools. In 1870 he was principal 
 of the Athol High School. The following 
 year he was chosen a member of the School 
 Committee. In this capacity he served his 
 fellow-townsmen for twelve years, a greater 
 part of that time acting as chairman of the 
 board. A the close of his teaching in the 
 high school at Athol he opened a select school 
 in Petersham. In all he has taught sixty-five 
 terms of school ; and his former pupils, who are 
 to-day scattered all over the Union, remember 
 with gratitude his faithful and efificient service. 
 
 For three years, beginning in 1870, Mr. 
 Cook was superintendent of the Unitarian Sun- 
 day-school ; and for eight years, from 1870 to 
 1878, he was clerk of the parish. In 1871 he 
 sold the farm that he had purchased of his 
 father's heirs, and bought his present residence 
 in Petersham. Ten years later he was elected 
 to the office of Town Clerk, which he has since 
 so creditably filled. From 1887 to 1893 he 
 was a member of the Board of Selectmen and 
 Overseers of the Poor, and since 1884 he has 
 served as Justice of the Peace. Mr. Cook has 
 taken an active interest in the grange, and for 
 the first eight years after the organization of 
 a branch here was Worthy Master. For six 
 years he was its secretary and for one year an 
 Overseer. In the State grange he served six 
 years as chaplain, two years as Overseer, and 
 fourteen years as Deputy. 
 
 Mr. Cook was married on January i, i860, 
 to Lydia A., daughter of Frederick Peirce. 
 She is a descendant of John Peirce, one of the 
 early inhabitants of Watertown, Mass., who 
 came from Norwich, Norfolk County, Eng- 
 land. Her great-grandfather was Abraham or 
 Abram Peirce, who was born in 1 744 ; and her 
 grandfather was the Rev. Warren Peirce, who 
 was bom in New Salem in 1776. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Cook are the parents of the following 
 named children: Clinton C, born December 
 9, 1864, who is a druggist in Orange, Mass. ; 
 Ermina E., born September 3, 1867, who is 
 the wife of Augustus W. Dodge, and resides in 
 Bangor, Me.; Mabel A., bom August 15, 
 1873; and Allen B., born June 27, 1875. 
 Mabel and Allen are graduates of the Peters- 
 
 ham High School, and Allen is also a graduate 
 of the Amherst Agricultural College. Clinton 
 Cook married Lottie Gage, and has one child, 
 Kathleen F., who was born on July 8, i{ 
 
 / PTeORGE M. BLANCHARD, the 
 r well-known stone contractor of 
 Northbridge, was born in Uxbridge, 
 March 28, 1830, to Joseph and Nancy (Harris) 
 Blanchard. The father, who died in Ux- 
 bridge at the age of seventy-two, was also a 
 stone contractor. Much of the material fur- 
 nished by him was taken from his granite 
 quarries in Uxbridge. He constructed the 
 Harris mill and many others in Rhode Island 
 along the Blackstone River Valley, built dams, 
 laid foundations, and executed various other 
 kinds of masonry, including a number of 
 bridges on the line of the Providence & 
 Worcester Railroad. A stanch Republican in 
 his political principles, he was chosen by his 
 townspeople to fill various offices of public 
 trust. Of his children, two sons and four 
 daughters are living. These are: George M., 
 the subject of this sketch; Alonzo E., who is 
 a real estate dealer in Everett; Mrs. George 
 Darrah, of Worcester ; Mrs. James Adams, of 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Mrs. R. N. George, of Men- 
 don ; and Mrs. Charles Scott, of Uxbridge. 
 A son, Harry W. H. Blanchard, died in New 
 York in 1895, having been engaged in busi- 
 ness there for nearly a half-century. Three 
 daughters are deceased, namely : Mrs. Wheeler, 
 of Millbury, who died at the age of forty-seven; 
 and Mrs. Henry Southwick and Mrs. Lewis 
 Scott, both of whom died in Worcester in 1897. 
 Having completed his education in the Mill- 
 bury and East Greenwich Academies, George 
 M. Blanchard at the age of twenty-two formed 
 a partnership with his father, which con- 
 tinued till 1862, when he went to New York, 
 where he remained for two years in business. 
 Returning to Massachusetts in 1865, he settled 
 in Whitinsville, where he has since been en- 
 gaged in furnishing granite and in building 
 dams, bridges, curbings, walls, foundations, 
 etc. He has filled contracts in Worcester, 
 Upton, Northbridge, and in various towns and 
 cities in the Blackstone valley. Among the 
 
'.VILLIAM L. THOMPSON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 787 
 
 more important of these were the furnishing of 
 stone for the Worcester armory and the gran- 
 ite for the construction of the Southbridge 
 high school and the Southbridge town hall. 
 For more than thirty- five years he has era- 
 ployed from ten to forty men. An active 
 Republican, he has served for five or six years 
 as Selectman of Northbridge. He is a well- 
 known and esteemed member of Granite Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., of Northbridge; of Whitinsville 
 Chapter, R. A. M. ; and of St. Elmo Com- 
 mandery, K. T., of Whitinsville. 
 
 In 1 85 1 Mr. Blanchard was united in mar- 
 riage with Lydia A. Morse, a daughter of 
 Nahum and Mary (Tower) Morse, of Uxbridge. 
 Mr. Morse, who is a leading farmer and a 
 well-known auctioneer of this town, has served 
 for many years as Moderator at town meetings. 
 Selectman, Overseer of the Poor, and Justice 
 of the Peace. His wife is a descendant of 
 John Tower, who settled in Hingham, Mass., 
 in 1637. Besides Mrs. Blanchard they have 
 two children living, a son and a daughter. 
 The former, Henry S. Morse, was at one time 
 engaged in the manufacture of wool, and is 
 now a prosperous boot and shoe manufacturer of 
 Lynn, employing from sixty to seventy work- 
 men. The daughter, Adeline, is the widow of 
 Willard Walling, of Providence. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Blanchard have been the parents of three 
 children, of whom a son and a daughter died in 
 infancy. Their surviving son, George Ernest 
 Blanchard, residing in Whitinsville, who was 
 educated at the Providence High School and at 
 Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College, and 
 is a machinist by trade, has travelled as far 
 west as Denver and through the Southern 
 States, employed in setting up machinery for 
 the Whitin Machine Works. He married 
 Lula, daughter of Lucius Burden, and has one 
 son, Carl M. Blanchard. 
 
 NILLIAM L. THOMPSON, who 
 manufactured and dealt in lumber 
 in Spencer for twoscore years, was 
 born July 25, 1827, in New Salem, Mass., 
 which was also the birthplace of his father, 
 Ezra Thompson. His paternal grandfather, 
 Caleb Thompson, spent his life in Massachu- 
 
 setts. The father, who was born in the latter 
 part of the last century, served in the War of 
 1 81 2. Locating in New Salem as a farmer, 
 he was there engaged in tilling the soil and 
 lumbering for many years. He married Ma- 
 hala Pierce, a native of Petersham, Worcester 
 County. They reared seven children — Sarah 
 Augusta, Laura Angelia, William L., James 
 Willard, Sylvester Knowles, Lydia Ann, and 
 Charles Edwin. 
 
 William L. Thompson's schooling was 
 limited to a term of about ten weeks each win- 
 ter season for a few years in his boyhood ; but, 
 by availing of every opportunity offered him 
 for reading, he accumulated much information 
 on general topics, and has always kept in 
 touch with the leading issues of the day. On 
 the home farm he became familiar with the 
 various branches of agriculture at an early 
 age. When twenty years old he went to the 
 town of Hardwick, and was there employed at 
 farm labor, receiving twelve and one-half dol- 
 lars a month for the first year and fourteen 
 dollars a month for the second. Subse- 
 quently for several years he worked either 
 on a farm or in a saw-mill. In 1857 he came 
 to Spencer to take charge of the saw-mill be- 
 longing to Charles Browning. A few months 
 later he rented the mill, and sawed lumber by 
 the thousand feet on his own account. This 
 mill, which was located in the northern part 
 of the town, and was driven by water-power, 
 he afterward purchased, and used for several 
 years in manufacturing lumber. Then, de- 
 siring to enlarge his operations, he made 
 agreements with the owners of a number of 
 portable steam saw-mills, and carried on an 
 extensive and lucrative business by buying 
 tracts of standing timber, which he converted 
 into wood and lumber, and sold at a fair 
 price. A self-made man in every sense of 
 the phrase, he owed his present success in life 
 to his industry and enterprise. In politics he 
 supported the Republican party. He died 
 July 5, 1898. 
 
 On October 19, 1859, Mr. Thompson first 
 married Ruth E. Cunningham, of Spencer, 
 who died May 5, 1861, leaving one daughter, 
 Ida P. A second marriage united him with 
 Mary L. Snow, also of Spencer, on November 
 
78S. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IS, 1864. Mrs. Mary L. Thompson has two 
 children — Arthur E. and Mary A. She is 
 an active member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 XjDWARD D. LEONARD, an energetic 
 ^1 farmer of West Sutton, was born in this 
 "^^ ■ ' town, April 2, 1862, son of Darius 
 Putnam and Rosaltha A. (Hewett) Leonard. 
 The first of the family to settle in Sutton was 
 the great-grandfather, Jesse Leonard. The 
 grandfather, Bethuel, who was the first scythe- 
 maker in this country, married Polly Putnam, 
 a grand-daughter of David Putnam, the cousin 
 of Generals Israel and Rufus Putnam. Darius 
 Putnam Leonard, who was a lifelong resident 
 of Sutton, married Rosaltha A. Hewett, of 
 Auburn, who bore him four sons and one 
 daughter; namely, William, Arthur, Reuben 
 Leonard, Frances, and Edward D. Of Ed- 
 ward's brothers, all of whom reside in Marl- 
 boro, Mass., William is a brick-mason, and 
 Arthur is a contractor. Frances is the wife of 
 Charles Dudley, of Webster, Mass. 
 
 After receiving his education in the public 
 schools of Sutton, Edward D. Leonard learned 
 the chair-maker's trade at Hayward Brothers' 
 factory in Gardner, and followed it subse- 
 quently for six years. Then, believing that 
 outdoor exercise would benefit his health, he 
 settled upon a farm in West Sutton, formerly 
 the property of the late Newell Lackey, and 
 has since given his attention to agriculture. 
 He has been the superintendent of the Sunday- 
 school for three years. For five years he 
 served the town in the capacity of Road Com- 
 missioner, and he is now a member of the 
 Board of Assessors. 
 
 Mr. Leonard married Charlotte Lackey, a 
 daughter of Newell Lackey, of this town. She 
 is of Scotch-Irish origin and a descendant of 
 Matthew Lackey, who emigrated to America 
 Ln 1735. Matthew's second son, Matthew, 
 who was the great-grandfather of Newell 
 Lackey, settled in Sutton in 1742. Mrs. 
 Leonard's father, an industrious farmer and a 
 prominent citizen, who, with the help of his 
 excellent wife acquired a good estate, served as 
 Selectman, Overseer of the Poor, and upon the 
 
 School Committee. He married Sarah Chace 
 Wheeler, a grand- daughter of Captain Ambrose 
 Chase and a descendant of Isaac Chase^ who 
 settled in Sutton among the pioneers, and 
 bought his land of the Indians. Mrs. Leon- 
 ard's brother, Eugene Lackey, enlisted with 
 Sutton's quota of volunteers, and served in the 
 Civil War. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have two 
 children: Flora, born in 1885; and Edna, 
 born in 1892. 
 
 (blT'HEC 
 
 HEODORE FRELINGHUYSEN 
 jl FISHER, an expert machinist in the 
 employ of the Harrington & Richard- 
 son Firearms Company, of Worcester, was 
 born in Boston, March 27, 1838, son of Wash- 
 ington F. and Mary Ann (Chase) Fisher. His 
 father, who was born in Walpole, and who was 
 an expert car builder, followed this occupation 
 at Norwich, Conn., Boston, Mass., Buffalo, 
 N. Y., and at Worcester, Mass., successively. 
 The family is said to be of Welsh ancestry. 
 
 Theodore F. Fisher attended school in Bos- 
 ton until sixteen years of age. He there 
 learned the ^machinist's trade, becoming an 
 expert workman. Subsequently he was asso- 
 ciated in business with his father in Norwich 
 and Buffalo. Coming with him to Worcester, 
 he soon obtained a position in the factory of 
 the Harrington & Richardson Firearms Com- 
 pany, and has since remained with that firm. 
 Proving himself an expert workman, he has been 
 advanced successively to higher positions until 
 he is now given work requiring the highest 
 mechanical skill. He unites care and preci- 
 sion with great rapidity of execution, and his 
 ability has contributed in no small degree to 
 the high reputation of the company in whose 
 employ he has been for the past thirty-seven 
 years. With his fixity of purpose and deter- 
 mination to succeed in his especial line of 
 work he has given little attention to politics, 
 and has never sought public ofifice. 
 
 Mr. Fisher married in February, i860, Miss 
 Annie A. Kendall, of Worcester, daughter of 
 Colonel Peter and Rebecca W. (Bancroft) - 
 Kendall. Mrs. Fisher's father, Who was boni 
 in Sterling in 1790, was a mason and builder 
 of wide reputation in Worcester. He built 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 789 
 
 the town hall in 1824, and during the early 
 part of this century erected many of the more 
 substantial business blocks in this city. He 
 was a Colonel in the old Massachusetts militia. 
 He was also Chief Engineer of the Fire De- 
 partment and a leading member of the Worces- 
 ter Agricultural Society, and stood high in 
 business and social circles. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Fisher have no children. 
 
 LIVER FOLLETT HARRIS, for- 
 merly a leading dentist of Worcester, 
 was born at Windham, Conn. , October 
 S, 1822, son of Martin and Maria 
 (Follett) Harris. The Harris family has been 
 repfesented in Connecticut since the latter part 
 of the eighteenth century, and its memlaers 
 have been prominent in commercial and social 
 circles. Martin Harris, who resides at Wind- 
 ham, was for many years an active business 
 man of that place. 
 
 Oliver Follett Harris spent his boyhood in 
 Windham, and began his school days there, 
 subsequently attending an academy at Willi- 
 mantic. Deciding upon dentistry as the occu- 
 pation best suited to his tastes and talents, he 
 secured admittance to the office of the leading 
 dentist in Norwich, Conn., Dr. Allen, and at 
 once took up the study of that profession under 
 the most favorable auspices. By his quick- 
 ness, in grasping new ideas and by his dili- 
 gence in his work he won the favor of his 
 preceptor, who assisted him in every way pos- 
 sible.. At the end of his apprenticeship he 
 opened an office in Connecticut, in which 
 State he practised for a short time. But, de- 
 siring a wider field, he came to Worcester in 
 1846, and formed a partnership with Dr. 
 Bishop, with whom he remained connected for 
 some years, their offices being located at the 
 corner of Main and Walnut Streets; and their 
 acknowledged skill and reliability soon secured 
 for them a large clientele. Upon the subse- 
 quent dissolution of this partnership Dr. Har- 
 ris continued the business alone, and became 
 in time one of the leading dentists of Worces- 
 ter County. Keeping constantly in touch with 
 the latest developments of dental science, he 
 retained to the last his prestige as a thoroughly 
 
 up-to-date practitioner. His close application 
 to business seriously undermined his health; 
 and in 1869 he went to Florida to recuperate, 
 remaining there for several years. While in 
 Florida he acquired an interest in a hotel at 
 St. John's River, and there hung out the first 
 United States flag displayed on the river after 
 the war. Late in the seventies he returned to 
 Worcester and opened an office in Taylor's 
 Block, at 476 Main Street, where he soon re- 
 gained his former patronage and built up a 
 large and lucrative practice. He remained in 
 active practice until a few weeks before his 
 death, which occurred on April 22, 1892. As 
 a man Dr. Harris was kind-hearted, generous, 
 and sympathetic in high degree. He won 
 friends wherever he went, and had ever a cord- 
 ial word for all whom he met. His religious 
 principles were broad and charitable, and he 
 was thoroughly in touch with the most ad- 
 vanced religious thought of the day. In 1852 
 he was a member of Colonel T. W. Higgin- 
 son's Free Church in Worcester, and subse- 
 quently he joined Unity Church in this city. 
 
 Dr. Harris was twice married, the second 
 time in 1855 to Mary Cross, daughter of Ben- 
 \ jamin C. and Susan Cross, of Worcester. One 
 I daughter, Olive Isabel, survives him. 
 
 OSEPH F. REYNOLDS, superintend- 
 ent of the farm and gardens of the State 
 Lunatic Hospital at Worcester, was 
 born in Birmingham, England, April 
 25, 1862, son of Henry T. and Elizabeth 
 (Weston) Reynolds. His paternal ancestors 
 for several generations were engaged in the 
 manufacture of wire. His mother is a daugh- 
 ter of Frederick Weston, also of Birmingham, 
 England, and the family occupy a prominent 
 place among the wealthy yeomanry of that lo- 
 cality, one of them having been Mayor of the 
 city. 
 
 Henry T. Reynolds, father of Joseph F., 
 was born in 1820. Learning the trade of wire 
 drawing, he followed it for a number of years in 
 his native county. He subsequently emigrated 
 with his family to America, buying a farm of 
 nine hundred acres in Halifax County, Nova 
 Scotia. But not finding this a profitable vent- 
 
79° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ure, in 1880 he sold the property, and coming 
 to Worcester engaged in market-gardening 
 here. He has built up a profitable business, 
 and is especially successful in the raising of 
 celery, for which he has acquired a high repu- 
 tation. He is one of the expert gardeners of 
 this city, and has charge of the gardens belong- 
 ing to Captain Winslow S. Lincoln, who is 
 now commanding his company in Cuba. He 
 and his wife, Elizabeth, have been the parents 
 of eight children, one of whom died in infancy 
 and another at the age of five years. The sur- 
 vivors are all married except Joseph F., the 
 subject of this sketch. One of the daughters 
 has a son who fought for Cuban independence 
 in the late war. 
 
 Joseph F. Reynolds received a common- 
 school education. When quite young he dis- 
 played a taste for gardening, which was care- 
 fully fostered by his father, and he has since 
 become very expert in that calling. In 1893 
 he was engaged to take charge of the gardens 
 at the Lunatic Hospital, and since 1894 has 
 occupied his present position of agricultural 
 superintendent. The estate contains four hun- 
 dred acres, forty of which are devoted to lawns 
 and ornamental grounds, ■ thirty to the raising 
 of ensilage, fifteen to field crops, and the same 
 amount to garden products. The stock con- 
 sists of one hundred head of well-bred Hol- 
 stein cattle, four hundred and fifty hogs, and 
 sixteen draught and nine driving horses. The 
 average milk product is two hundred gallons 
 per day, and the barns have a capacity of four 
 hundred tons of hay and from three hundred to 
 four hundred tons of ensilage. The cash value 
 of the total products amounts to twenty-five 
 thousand dollars annually. It will thus be 
 seen that the superintendency is an exacting 
 and responsible position. 
 
 T^HARLES D. SAGE, one of the most 
 \J\ P''°™i"^"* residents of New Brain- 
 V^ ^ tree, was born in Sheffield, Berk- 
 shire County, March 21, 1849, son- 
 of Charles and Mary (Thorp) Sage. His im- 
 migrant ancestor, David Sage, a Welshman, 
 who was born in 1639, arrived at Middletown, 
 Conn., in 1652. His paternal grandfather. 
 
 Simeon Sage, born in Salisbury, Conn., in 
 1759. who spent the active period of his life 
 upon a farm in Berkshire County, Massachu- 
 setts, married Mary Holden, a native of Salis- 
 bury, Conn. 
 
 Charles Sage, a native of Sheffield, born in 
 April, 1800, was a lifelong resident of that 
 town. He followed general farming very 
 prosperously throughout his mature years. 
 Having retired from active labor some time 
 previously, he died on February 10, 1883. In 
 politics he was a Republican, and he served 
 the community in some of the town offices. 
 He attended the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 His wife, Mary, who was born in Sheffield in 
 1807, gave birth to five children, namely: 
 Mary E., in 1832, who is unmarried and' re- 
 sides in Sheffield; Caroline M., in 1834, who 
 is the wife of William Wilcox, of Sheffield; 
 Eliza A., in 1844, who is single and resides 
 in Ottawa, 111.; Edwin, who died in infancy; 
 and Charles D., the subject of this sketch. 
 The mother died in 1872. 
 
 Charles D. Sage was educated in the 
 schools of Sheffield and New Marlboro. When 
 a young man he engaged in farming. Having 
 purchased the homestead, he occupied it until 
 he was twenty-seven years old. Selling the 
 property in 1876, he went to Texas, bought a 
 tract of six hundred acres of grazing land in 
 Blanco County, and for the succeeding four 
 years was engaged in planting cotton and rais- 
 ing cattle. After the disposal of his Texas 
 ranch he returned to New England, and re- 
 sided in Spencer, Mass., until 1885. Since 
 that time he has carried on an extensive dairy 
 business in New Braintree. His farm proper, 
 containing three hundred acres, augmented by 
 outlying land, covers about seven hundred 
 acres, and his hay crop averages two hundred 
 and sixty tons annually. He keeps one hun-. 
 dred and fifty or more head of stock, mostly 
 thoroughbred Jerseys, Ayrshires, and Hol- 
 steins. In some parts of the year he ships 
 eighty cans of milk daily. In 1892 he began to 
 personally conduct a series of excursions to the 
 Pacific coast. This was followed by a similar 
 enterprise in 1894. In 1893 he piloted a 
 party of five hundred and forty-four to the 
 Columbian Exposition. Last year he took 
 
/ 
 
 ,*<*'"'''^ 
 
 CHARLES D. SAGE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 793 
 
 a large party to Nashville, Tenn. He is now 
 arranging another personally conducted trip to 
 California. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Sage first married Clara A. 
 Dickson, a native of Middlefield, Mass., who 
 died February 9, 1890. She left five chil- 
 dren; namely, Edwin R., Julia A., MaryE., 
 Kittle C, and Belle B. Sage. The present 
 Mrs. Sage, formerly Belle I. Clark, is a na- 
 tive of Connecticut. Mr. Sage is a charter 
 member and he was the first Master of New 
 Braintree Grange, No. 170, Patrons of Hus- 
 bandry. He is also a member of both the 
 Spencer Agricultural and the American 
 Pomological Societies, of the Ayrshire 
 Breeders' Association, and the Holstein 
 Friesian Association of America. In politics 
 he is a Republican. At the present time he 
 is serving as Constable. As a farmer his en- 
 terprise, practical knowledge, and sound judg- 
 ment place him in the front rank of Worcester 
 County agriculturists. Mr. Sage is a member 
 of the Union Congregational church at North 
 Brookfield. 
 
 RRIN H. WESTON, who was identi- 
 fied with the interests of Worcester 
 for a number of years as a leading mer- 
 chant and citizen, was born February 
 16, 1821, in Millington, Conn., a son of James 
 Weston, a well-to-do farmer of that town. In 
 his youth he worked on the home farm and 
 attended the district school. Subsequently he 
 learned the tanner's trade, and by industry and 
 economy saved some money, with which he 
 bought a tannery in Millington. In 1844 he 
 enlarged his operations by the purchase of a 
 tannery at Stafford Springs, Conn., which he 
 conducted successfully for some time. Later 
 he purchased still another tan yard and factory, 
 buying out a firm in Orwell, N. Y., ; and, con- 
 solidating these two tanneries, he conducted 
 business until 1859 in a profitable and satisfac- 
 tory manner. Coming then to Worcester, he 
 formed a partnership with James J. Warren, 
 with whom he carried on an extensive whole- 
 sale and retail trade in dressed leather and shoe 
 findings until 1879, when the firm was dis- 
 solved by mutual consent. Mr. Weston sub- 
 
 sequently conducted the business alone on 
 Front Street until his death, which occurred 
 January 31, 1892. A man of undoubted abil- 
 ity and integrity, with a thorough knowledge 
 of his business, he achieved a high measure of 
 success, and gained a firm position among the 
 solid and respected citizens of Worcester. 
 Actively interested in city, State, and national 
 affairs, he served with credit to himself and 
 to his constituents as a member of the Com- 
 mon Council in 1876. His nature was gener- 
 ous and charitable, and he gave freely to benev- 
 olent organizations, in a quiet, unpretentious 
 way practising the true Christianity. He be- 
 longed to the Lincoln Square Baptist Church, 
 and was treasurer for several years of the Bap- 
 tist City Mission Board. 
 
 On November 25, 1847, Mr. Weston mar- 
 ried Antoinette J. Baker, of Stafford Springs, 
 Conn. , who survives him. Five children were 
 born of their union, two of whom are living; 
 namely, Walter B. and Julia A. Walter B.- 
 Weston was educated in Worcester, and after 
 learning the hardware business in the store of 
 Kinnicult & Co. , of this city, opened a hard- 
 ware store of his own on Franklin Square. He 
 afterward became associated with his father, 
 and when the latter died he sold out the 
 dressed leather business, but retained that of 
 shoe findings, which he is still carrying on 
 successfully, being one of the largest dealers 
 of the kind in the city, and one of the most 
 progressive and active young merchants. In 
 1890 he married Miss Bertha Smith, and they 
 have one child, Orrin, born May 10, 1892. 
 Julia Weston married Andrew Hair, who was 
 born and reared in Scotland, from whence he 
 came to Worcester in 1871, establishing him- 
 self in business here as a member of the well- 
 known firm of Hair Brothers, plumbers. He 
 died in 1892, leaving his wife and five chil- 
 dren — Annie E., Arthur W., Florence M. , 
 Bessie B., and Alice M. 
 
 JTTS C. TYLER, a retired merchant 
 of Athol, was born in Hinsdale, 
 N. H., March 17, 1827, son of J. 
 Warren and Eleanor (Thomas) Tyler. 
 His paternal grandfather. Dr. Joshua Tyler, 
 
7?1 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 removed from Brookfield, Mass., to Chester- 
 field, N. H.jSome time between the years 
 1776 and 1781; and his substantial residence, 
 which is Still standing, indicates that he 
 was in prosperous circumstances. J. Warren 
 Tyler, father of Pitts C, taught school during 
 the winter, and in summer ran a freight boat on 
 the Connecticut River from Hartford to Bel-. 
 lows Falls. 
 
 Pitts C. Tyler received a public-school edu- 
 cation. Beginning industrial life as clerk in 
 a store in Fitzwilliam, N.H., he later worked 
 a short time in a similar capacity in Winches- 
 ter; N. H. Subsequently, being seized with 
 the Western fever like many other young men 
 of that day, he went to Milwaukee, where for 
 the next two years he was employed~as a clerk. 
 In 1849 he started for California, sailing from 
 New Orleans November 7, making the journey 
 by way of Cape Horn. He arrived at San 
 Francisco ,in June, 1850. After staying at 
 Marysville for a while, he tried his fortune in 
 other parts of the State, .during the next three 
 years. In 1854 he returned East and took the 
 management of the Union Store ; in Athol, 
 which, was then owned by the neighboring 
 farmers, \y hose, shares he purchased as oppor- 
 tunity was.;afforded him; and before long he 
 became soIq proprietor of the establishment. 
 On the increase of the business he sent for his. 
 brother Charles to ; assist him. Charles Tyler, 
 enlisted for service in the Civil War, but upon' 
 his return became a member of the .firm, the 
 partnership continuing until Pitts C. Tyler's 
 retirement in 1876. 
 
 Mr. Tyler married Mary E. Ide, daughter of 
 Ivory S. Ide, of Hinsdale, N. H. They have 
 two sons : Albert W. , born in 1854, who mar- 
 ried . Harriet E. Howe, daughter of Abram 
 Howe, of Shutesbury, Mass., and has two 
 children; and Edwin P., bom in 1855, who 
 married Kate T. Crawford, daughter of W. J. 
 Crawford, of Dana, Mass., in which town they 
 reside. 
 
 Mr. Tyler belongs to Star Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. ; Union Chapter, Royal Arch Masons ; 
 and Athol Commandery, Knights Templar. 
 In 1880, accompanied by his wife, he visited 
 the scenes of his former experiences in Cali- 
 fornia ; and he . has also spent two summers 
 
 with his son in Colorado. He now enjoys an 
 honestly acquired competency, and occupies a 
 prominent place among the well-to-do residents 
 of Athol. 
 
 /^TeORGE a. BARBER. — Owing to 
 \ 5T severe religious persecution, in 171 8 
 a colony of Scotch emigrants came 
 to this country and located in Worcester, 
 where a settlement had been begun three years 
 before. Robert , Barber, one of the number, 
 was married to Sarah Gray during the voyage ; 
 and on arriving here he at once proceeded to 
 build him a house at Northville, at what is now 
 known as Barber's Crossing, locating exactly 
 opposite the family homestead of to-day. 
 Soon after the little colony were established 
 they began to look about for a, suitable place to 
 build a house for the worship of. God. A rude 
 structure was erected on what is now known as 
 Lincoln Street, but was torn down a few years 
 later. Matthew Barber settled upon the estate 
 in Northville next to Robert's, since owned 
 and occupied by Thomas Stowell, his son Sam- 
 uel, and his grandson, Frederick S. Stowell. 
 James Barber settled a little to the north upon 
 what is known as the Brooks farm. He had a 
 son, William C, the father of the wife of 
 A. B. R. Sprague, the present Mayor of the 
 city. This branch of the family changed the 
 name, of Barber to Barbour. , Robert Barber 
 was the father of fifteen children, three sets of 
 twins included in the number. In 1 742 Rob- 
 ert Barber was elected juryman for the ensuing 
 year, it being the custom of those days to elect 
 jurymen for the period of one year. He was 
 again elected in 1757, and held the office four 
 years. The descendants of Robert Barber are 
 widely scattered, many being in Massachusetts 
 and New Hampshire, a large number also in 
 Georgia, where Robert, his grandson, located. 
 Among them are many prominent men, both in 
 the clergy and in various industrial pursuits. 
 
 In 1778 severe distress was experienced by 
 the colony, owing to depreciation of the cur- 
 rency, the exorbitant prices of the necessaries 
 of life, and the distrust of public credit. By 
 i the invitation of Boston, on July 14, a conven- 
 tion, composed, of delegates from all parts of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 79S 
 
 the State, assembled at Concord for the pur- 
 pose of consulting on measures to give effect 
 to the recommendations of Congress for the 
 relief of the people. Worcester was repre- 
 sented by David Bigelow and by Joseph Barber, 
 son of Robert Barber. As a result of the con- 
 vention, prices were regulated by a moderate 
 appraisal of the articles of produce and mer; 
 chandise. Loans to government, provision for 
 the support of the clergy, and attention to 
 schools as the means of good education were 
 most earnestly recommended. 
 
 Joseph Barber succeeded his father, Robert, 
 in business as a clothier and dyer. In 1780 
 he was elected Selectman. He was made 
 cha,irman of that body, and served in that 
 capacity for several years. The old house was 
 torn down by him, and the present house on 
 the opposite side of the street was erected. 
 By his first wife Joseph Barber had three sons 
 — Robert, Rufus, and James; and a daughter 
 Mary, whose birth the mother survived but a 
 brief period. Mary Barber married John t)ol- 
 liver, of Grafton. Her brothers settled in 
 New Hampshire. 
 
 To Joseph Barber and his second wife, Eliz- 
 abeth. McClanathan, were born five children — 
 William, Silas, Robert, Elizabeth, and Asa, 
 the two latter being twins. William and Silas 
 succeeded their father on the old homestead. 
 William, who died in 1854, aged sixty-nine 
 years, was an agriculturist. He married Ruth 
 Reed, and had five children — Sarah, Mary, 
 Ruth, Isabella, and Alexander. 
 
 Silas Barber, who was a carpenter, died in 
 1869, aged eighty-one years. His wife was 
 Hannah Stowell. They had five children — 
 Stephen Albert, Elizabeth M., George A., 
 Julia A., and William T. Julia A. became 
 the wife of Joseph E. Bond. William T. 
 Barber, son of Silas, succeeded to the old 
 homestead. He married Augusta E. Frost, 
 and had two children, namely: Josephine A., 
 Avhp married Gardner E. Adams, and now oc- 
 cupies the old homestead ; and Frederick W. , 
 who died in 1892 of heart disease. William 
 T. Barber died of apoplexy in 1880. 
 
 George A. Barber was an older son of Silas. 
 He worked for the Washburn & Moen Manu- 
 facturing Company as expert wire temperer 
 
 and as a maker of organ reeds, remaining with 
 them nine years all together; and he afterward 
 worked for a time for A. H. Hammond. Sub- 
 sequent to this he lived in retirement until his 
 death, which occurred from heart disease in 
 1894, at the age of seventy-four years and six 
 months. For a number of years he was a 
 merriber of the old City Guards. He belonged 
 also to the Temple of Honor. 
 
 Mr. Barber's first wife, whose maiden name 
 was Lucy W. Clapp, died in 1859, leaving 
 one son, Albert W. , who is at present located 
 at 7 Main Street as newsdealer and jeweller.. 
 In 1 86 1 Mr. Barber was married to his second 
 wife, Mrs. Lucy A. Dexter, who, with two 
 children, born of their union, George W. and 
 Martha B. , survives him. Albert W. Barber, 
 his elder son, married Mary J. Kelley, and 
 has one daughter, Alberta May. George W., 
 the younger son, is a milk dealer in Brookfield. 
 He married Sarah L. Whitely, and has had 
 seven children — George Walter, Bertie, Rob- 
 ert C, Edward L. , Chester F. , Blanche L., 
 and Gladys Flora. Only three of these are 
 living — George Walter, EdWard L., and 
 Blanche L. Martha B. Barber married 
 Charles D. Norwood. 
 
 TT^LARENDON WILLARD PUTNAM,, 
 I >T-^ .the superintendent of mails in the 
 ^^Hs ^ Worcester post-office, was born in. 
 the city of^ Worcester on November 
 29, 1847, son of Jason and Catherine (Pratt) 
 Putnam. His genealogy goes back to an early 
 period in the seventeenth century, when three 
 brothers named Putnam came from England 
 and landed in Salem, Mass. From one of 
 these he is descended in a direct line and 
 through the famous General Israel Putnam. 
 His grandfather, Aaron Putnam, who was a 
 farmer of Sutton, born in 1776, died in 1822. 
 Aaron's first wife bore him five sons and three, 
 daughters ; and the second, one son and one 
 daughter. 
 
 Jason Putnam, born in Sutton on September 
 6, 1807, and who died on December 14, 1887, 
 in Concord, N. H., was a skilled mechanic and 
 a man of considerable inventive genius. He 
 learned his trade in Worcester with a Mr. 
 
796 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Stowell, and, beginning in 1853, was subse- 
 quently in business for himself for over a quar- 
 ter of a century. He came here when a young 
 man, and eventually became a prosperous man- 
 ufacturer of loom harness frames. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Catherine Pratt, was 
 a native of Shrewsbury. Her parents, Shepard 
 and Catherine (Walker) Pratt, were born re- 
 spectively in Shrewsbury and Worcester. The 
 latter was a daughter of Dr. William Walker, 
 who enlisted as a private in the Continental 
 army, was subsequently promoted to the post 
 of surgeon, and served in that capacity during 
 the remainder of the Revolutionary War. The 
 grandfather, who was a retired English officer, 
 fell in love with a beautiful Welsh lady of 
 noble birth, whose family was far above his 
 own in social position. They came to Amer- 
 ica, were married, and settled in Worcester, 
 where their son, Dr. Walker, was born, and 
 where the mother subsequently died. Mrs. 
 Catherine Putnam, who was born on March 19, 
 1 8 14, now eighty-five years old, retains full 
 possession of her faculties, and is as entertain- 
 ing in conversation as many a younger woman. 
 She resides with her son Clarendon. Of the 
 two sons and four daughters born to her, the 
 survivors are Clarendon and Lilla W. The 
 latter is now the wife of Obadiah Morrell, of 
 Concord, N. H. The other son, James- H., 
 died in infancy. Katie died at theage of six- 
 teen, of consumption; Maria, at the age of 
 eighteen; and Rosalie Lucia, who was the 
 wife of John D. Andrews, died in 1892, at the 
 age of fifty-seven, leaving one daughter. 
 
 After attending the Worcester public schools 
 for the usual period. Clarendon Willard Put- 
 nam entered Worcester Academy. Upon the 
 breaking out of the Civil War he enlisted in 
 Company K, Twenty-fifth Regiment of Massa- 
 chusetts Infantry, under Captain J. Waldo 
 Denney. After two years of valiant service at 
 .the front he was disabled for life in the attack 
 on Petersburg, and afterward was honorably 
 discharged. In 1867, at the instance of his 
 former Colonel, Josiah Pickett, who was at 
 that time Postmaster, he entered the post-office 
 as a general delivery clerk. During the next 
 six years he was gradually promoted through 
 the various grades to the position of the high- 
 
 est clerk, of which the salary is a thousand 
 dollars a year, an increase of seven hundred 
 over that of his first year. He was subse- 
 quently appointed to the railway mail ser- 
 vice, in which important branch he continued 
 for twelve years as relief route agent, succes- 
 sively on the Worcester & Norwich, Worcester 
 & Nashua, and Worcester Providence roads. 
 In 1885, to his own great surprise, since the 
 office had been solicited neither by himself nor 
 his friends, he was appointed superintendent 
 of mails in the Worcester office, which position 
 he has since held. This gives him at the 
 present time a record of thirty-one years in 
 the postal service, a remarkably long term con- 
 sidering the various changes of administration 
 the country has undergone. 
 
 Mr. Putnam is a Republican in politics. In 
 the Masonic fraternity he is a Master Mason. 
 He has been a member of George H. Ward 
 Post, No. 10, G. A. R. , almost since it was 
 organized, and in 1888 was its Commander. 
 At the present time he is serving as Assistant 
 Quartermaster-genera] of the Grand Army, 
 Department of Massachusetts. He is also a 
 member of General William S. Lincoln's com- 
 mand. No. 18, Union Veterans' Union; was 
 its Colonel in 1896; and in 1897 was Adju- 
 tant-general of the National Command. He 
 is the secretary and treasurer of the Twenty- 
 fifth Massachusetts Regiment Association, and 
 ,has been for many years the president of the 
 Company K Association. For a number of 
 years also he has been the chairman of the 
 local board of United States Civil Service 
 Commissioners. The Post No. 10, G. A. R., 
 war library, which is one' of the best of its- 
 kind in the State, was founded by him. He 
 is a member of the Piedmont Congregational 
 Church. 
 
 On January 22, 1867, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Dell F. Hosley, of West Chester- 
 field, N.H., a daughter of Nahum and Mary 
 (Farr) Hosley, both of whom are now de- 
 ceased. Of this union two children have been 
 born, Edwin Goodell Putnam and Edith Clare. 
 The former, who was named for one of Mr. 
 Putnam's army chums, a Mr. Edwin D. Good- 
 ell, died in 1873, when about two years of age. 
 Edith is now attending the Women's College 
 
ALFRED C. STODDARD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 799 
 
 of Baltimore, Md., class of 1900. She is a 
 young woman of unusual promise, ranks high 
 in her class, and has given special attention to 
 music, both vocal and instrumental. Mr. 
 Putnam has a summer residence at Sterling, 
 while his residence in Worcester is at 769 
 Main Street, The Standish. Mrs. Putnam is 
 an artist of some merit, and has adorned her 
 home with sundry products of her skill. 
 
 Massachusetts 
 Brookfield and 
 in Worcester 
 Stoddard, the 
 
 LFRED C. STODDARD, a promi- 
 nent and progressive agriculturist and 
 an extensive milk producer of North 
 Brookfield, is well known through- 
 out Worcester County in connection with his 
 labors in behalf of the Patrons of Husbandry. 
 A son of Curtis Stoddard (second), born here, 
 September 14, 1857, he is a descendant of 
 one of the English settlers of Maine when 
 that State formed a part of Massachusetts. 
 Bela Stoddard, who came to 
 from Maine, was a pioneer of 
 the founder of the family 
 County. His son, Leonard 
 grandfather of Alfred C, was a lifelong resi- 
 dent of this town and the first of that name to 
 own his farm. 
 
 Curtis Stoddard (second) spent the most of 
 his life engaged in farming. After living in 
 the village for several years, he had posses- 
 sion of the farm on which he was born and 
 reared for some time before he died. He 
 affiliated with the Republican party, and for 
 many years was a member of the First Con- 
 gregational Church. His death occurred De- 
 cember 10, 1873. Of the children born to 
 him and his wife, Elvira Doane Stoddard, 
 three survive, namely: Alfred C, the subject 
 of this biography; Alice E., the wife of Ed- 
 ward H. Bryant, of Spencer, Mass.; and 
 Carrie L., the wife of Harry D. Childs, of 
 North Brookfield. The mother died at the 
 home of her son, June 12, 1894. 
 
 Alfred C. Stoddard lived on the home farm 
 until the death of his father. Then, with his 
 widowed mother and sisters, he removed to 
 the village, and there resided until after he 
 had completed a four years' course at the high 
 school. He returned to the farm in 1877, and 
 
 he has since been chiefly occupied in agricult- 
 ure. The estate, which came into his grand- 
 father's possession in 1835, was previously 
 owned by another branch of the Stoddard fam- 
 ily. For two or three winters, when there 
 was but little farm work to be done, he taught 
 in the public schools; and subsequently, at 
 such times as he could be spared from home, 
 he travelled as a salesman for different iirms, 
 including some manufacturers of agricultural 
 implements. The money so earned he wisely 
 expended in improving the homestead prop- 
 erty by building new fences, erecting an ice- 
 house and silos, enlarging and repairing his 
 barns and sheds, and increasing his stock. 
 By following scientific methods in agricult- 
 ure he has become an important factor in ad- 
 vancing the farming interests of this part of the 
 county and State. He has now a dairy of fifty 
 cows. A small milk route, purchased by him 
 in 1892, is fast becoming an extensive one, 
 the sales having already increased from fifty 
 quarts to nine times that quantity each day. 
 He employs six men the year around to assist 
 him; and last season, in addition to the peas, 
 oats, and hay which he raised, he filled his 
 silo with corn grown on seven acres of his 
 farm. 
 
 On September 27, 1887, Mr. Stoddard mar- 
 ried Miss Georgia Jackson, a daughter of 
 Harry and Hannah (Lufkin) Jackson, of Ar- 
 cade, N.Y. Both he and Mrs. Stoddard are 
 active members of the First Congregational 
 Church, and he belongs to the A. O. U. W. 
 In politics he is a stanch Republican, and he 
 served on the local School Board for nine 
 years. In 1886 he assisted in organizing the 
 North Brookfield Grange, P. of H., and has 
 since been prominently identified with the 
 order. After serving as Master of the local 
 grange for two years, he was made Deputy 
 State Master, a capacity in which he ably 
 served for seven years, in the meantime be- 
 coming the founder of the Worcester South- 
 west District Grange, of which he was Master 
 during the first two terms of its existence. 
 In 1 891 he was elected Overseer of the Mas- 
 sachusetts State Grange, and he was re-elected 
 for another two years in 1893. When the 
 application of the northern granges of the 
 
8oo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Worcester South-west Pomona Grange for a 
 charter was granted, seventy-seven members 
 were admitted, and Mr. Stoddard was selected 
 as its Master, the grange being incorporated 
 dnder the laws of the Massachusetts State 
 Grange as the Quoboag Pomona Grange. 
 
 KELIX D. FONTAINE, M.D., a pop- 
 ular physician in Worcester, engaged 
 in the practice of his profession, was 
 born in Canada, December 14, 1832, son of 
 Louis and Eudose (Bourboniere) Fontaine. 
 He comes of a vigorous and long-lived race. 
 His great-grandfather, Felix Fontaine, lived to 
 the remarkable age of one Hundred and nine 
 years, and the Doctor saw him when he had 
 reached the age of one hundred and seven. 
 Dr. Fontaine's grandfather, also named Felix, 
 and a laborer by occupation, lived to be nearly 
 ninety-nine years old, and reared a family of 
 nineteen children. Louis Fontaine, the father, 
 was an industrious farrner, who died at the age 
 of eighty-seven. His wife, Eudose, became 
 the mother of seven sons and seven daughters. 
 Among the sons are two doctors, one lawyer, 
 and three farmers. The mother died at the 
 age of sixty-five. 
 
 Felix D. Fontaine received his general edu- 
 cation at the College of St. Hyacinthe, and 
 studied medicine in Montreal, where he was 
 graduated in 1858. He practised in St. Jude 
 two years, in St. Barnab^, St. Maurice County, 
 seventeen years, and in Nicolet one year 
 before coming to Worcester; and he has re- 
 sided here about twenty-one years. Aside from 
 his large local practice he is frequently sum- 
 moned to other places for consultation. His 
 office and residence are located at 16 Portland 
 Street, in a building that he purchased in 
 1886. He has lately erected a fine brick block 
 containing several tenements. Dr. Fontaine 
 was married July 4, i860, to Aim6e Regnault, 
 of St. Pierre les Becquets, P. Q. She died in 
 1 867. For his second wife he married Mary 
 Cressy, of Nicolet, who died April 28, 1898. 
 He is the father of twenty children, seven by 
 his first wife and thirteen by his second. Six 
 sons and six daughters are living, all but one 
 
 of whom are the children of his second wife. 
 His eldest son, Albert Fontaine, who is now at 
 the Klondike gold fields, is a young man of 
 rare ability, possessed of considerable inven- 
 tive genius. 
 
 - Dr. Fontaine is a member and was the first 
 president of the French Medical Society of 
 Massachusetts. He also belongs to the various 
 French benevolent societies and to St. Joseph's 
 Society. 
 
 DWARD HARTSHORN, M.D., edi- 
 tor and publisher of the Golden Cross 
 Journal, has his summer home in 
 Berlin, Worcester County, his winter residence 
 being in Somerville, Mass. He was born in 
 Gloucester, Essex County, June 28, 1817. 
 His parents were the Rev. Levi, and Hannah 
 (Elliott) Hartshorn, natives of Ainherst, N.H. 
 
 His paternal grandfather, whose name he 
 bears, was born in Rea:ding, Mass., in 1764, 
 and was of the fifth generation in descent from 
 Thomas Hartshorn, who came from England 
 and settled at Reading two hundred and fifty 
 years ago. From Thomas * the line of descent 
 was Timothy"; John 3; James," who removed 
 with his family to Amherst, N. H., about 1765 ; 
 Edward, 5 who married Lucy Elliott, daughter 
 of Francis and Phebe (Wilkins) Elliott, early 
 settlers of Amherst, going there from Middle- 
 ton, Mass. Edward Hartshorn, first, was a 
 member of the Congregational church in 
 Amherst. He lived to the advanced age 
 of ninety years. His wife, Lucy, died at 
 seventy-five. 
 
 Levi Hartshorn, Dr. Hartshorn's father, son 
 of Edward and Lucy (Elliott) Hartshorn, was 
 reared on a farm, and acquired his early edu- 
 cation in the common schools of Amherst. 
 He was graduated at Darfaiiouth College in 
 1813, and was ordained and settled as minis- 
 ter of the First Church in Gloucester, Mass., 
 in October, 181 5. He died in September, 
 18 19, "greatly lamented by his church and 
 people." His wife, who was a daughter of 
 Amos Elliott, a farmer of Amherst, attained 
 the age of seventy-eight years, having been left 
 a widow with two sons, Edward and Samuel, 
 when she was thirty, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8oi 
 
 After her husband's death Mrs. Hannah E. 
 Hartshorn removed to Reading, and her son 
 Edward acquired the rudiments of his educa- 
 tion in the common schools of that town and 
 at a private school. He studied medicine with 
 Dr. Davis, of Reading, and Dr. Spaulding, of 
 Wakefield, and attended the medical schools of 
 Dartmouth and Harvard. Receiving his medi- 
 cal diploma in 1840, he began to practice im- 
 mediately in Berlin, and up to 1855 he was the 
 only physician in this locality. In 1850 he 
 began to prepare a patent medicine, which met 
 with increasing popularity; and in 1855 he 
 took a partner to aid him in his practice. Dr. 
 Lemuel Gott. He eventually sold his prac- 
 tice, and devoted all his time to the manufact- 
 ure of his patent medicine. Until 1870 he 
 made his medicine in Berlin, and from that 
 time until 1887 he superintended the manufact- 
 ure in Boston. Besides his medicine he made 
 cooking extracts, which won a reputation for 
 purity and strength. But two other manufac- 
 tories of cooking extracts in New England 
 have been longer established than his. His 
 industry had much to do with the growth of 
 Berlin. He. at one time had forty men in his 
 employ and eight handsome wagons on the 
 road. 
 
 In 1880 he began to edit and publish the 
 Golden Cross Journal, and his energy and 
 enterprise have brought the circulation up to 
 ten thousand. This publication is a monthly, 
 the official organ of the Golden Cross Order. 
 It has had much to do with the growth of the 
 society, whose membership when Dr. Harts- 
 horn began to edit the paper was eight hun- 
 dred, and is now thirty-five thousand. He was 
 Grand Commander of the Massachusetts branch 
 four years. He has held other offices, and he 
 has been a member of the Supreme Command- 
 ery since 1880. 
 
 Dr. Hartshorn is also a member of the 
 American Legion of Honor. In politics he is 
 a Republican. He was for a number of years 
 a member of the School Committee of Berlin, 
 and he was chairman of the Building Com- 
 mittee of the town house. The shoe shop 
 now owned by Mr. Parker was built by Dr. 
 Hartshorn, who at first manufactured his med- 
 icines there, He erected a number of other 
 
 buildings in Berlin, materially aiding the 
 growth of the town; and the large shoe com- 
 pany owes its origin and prosperity to him. 
 He was a member of the Congregational church 
 in Berlin, and was superintendent of the Sun- 
 day-school many years. In Somerville he was 
 one of the founders and is a Deacon of the 
 Prospect Hill Church; and he has been super- 
 intendent of the Sunday-school connected with 
 that church several years. He was also one of 
 the founders of the Day Street Church in that 
 city. 
 
 In 1 84 1 Dr. Hartshorn was married to Lucy 
 E. , daughter of Solomon and Sarah (Stowe) 
 Howe. She was born May 2, 1817, in a house 
 that stood on the site of her present residence 
 in Berlin. Her grandfather. Deacon ' Josiah 
 Howe, was a native of Marlboro, Mass., and a 
 member of one of the early families there. He 
 spent his life in Marlboro, following the pur- 
 suit of agriculture. Solomon Howe was born 
 in Marlboro. About 1802, having purchased 
 a large tract of land within the boundaries of 
 the present town of Berlin, he established a 
 home here. He was engaged in farming,; was 
 an innholder and a storekeeper, and he n^anu- 
 factured cards for carding cattle. He wgis Se- 
 lectman and Assessor, and held other town 
 offices. He died at the age of fifty - three. 
 His wife, also a native of Marlboro, was a 
 daughter of John and Grace Stowe. She died 
 at the age of forty-eight. Mr. and Mrs. Howe 
 were members of the Congregational church. 
 Seven children were born to them, and five 
 attained maturity and married. 
 
 Mrs. Hartshorn died in 1898. She was the 
 mother of two children — Edward Howe and 
 William Henry. Edward Howe Hartshorn 
 was born December 16, 1842. At the time of 
 the war he enlisted, and he served for nine 
 months in Company I, Fifth Massachusetts 
 Regiment. After that he was in business with 
 his father. He was prominent as a Grand 
 Army man; and Edward H. Hartshorn Camp, 
 Sons of Veterans, was named for him. He 
 died January 8, 1887. He was twice married. 
 His first wife, Lucinda, daughter of the Rev. 
 W. A. Houghton, left two children — Mary G. 
 and William A. His second wife, formerly 
 Miss Louise S. Hastings, bore him three cbil- 
 
802 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dren — Lucinda H. , Ralph E. , and Edward H. 
 William A. Hartshorn married Miss Ida Rice. 
 William Henry Hartshorn, Dr. Hartshorn's 
 second son, continues the business started by 
 his father, under the iirm name of E. Harts- 
 horn & Sons. The office is at 71 Blackstone 
 Street, Boston. William H. Hartshorn mar- 
 ried Ellen A., daughter of James F. Maynard, 
 of Clinton, Mass., and has two children — Ed- 
 ward H. and James H. Edward H., who is 
 a graduate of Dartmouth, is a physician, prac- 
 tising in Allston, Mass. James H. is in busi- 
 ness with his father. The house in which 
 Mrs. Hartshorn was born in Berlin, built by 
 her father in the last century, is still standing. 
 The house in which she lived in later years 
 was built by her sister, and has been purchased 
 by the Doctor's son. Dr. Hartshorn began to 
 practise in the old house, using for an office 
 a room which was in the same relative position 
 as the one now occupied by him. Mrs. Lucy E. 
 Hartshorn distinctly remembered when there 
 were but two houses in the village of Berlin. 
 
 WILLIAM E. FYFE, of Clinton, a 
 prominent business man, senior 
 member of the grocery firm of Fyfe, 
 Fay & Plummer, was born in Bolton, Mass., 
 August 10, 1837. His father, William Fyfe, 
 was a native of the same town, as was also his 
 grandfather, William, the latter being a son of 
 William Fyfe, the first American ancestor of 
 the family, who emigrated from Fifeshire, 
 Scotland, and settled early in 1700 upon a 
 tract of wild land in Bolton. The grandfather 
 succeeded to the farm which had been cleared 
 and improved by his father, and devoted the 
 active years of his life to agriculture. He 
 was one of the best farmers of Bolton in his 
 day, and also took a leading part in the public 
 affairs of the town. He died at the age of 
 seventy- six years. 
 
 William Fyfe, father of William E. , was 
 reared upon the homestead farm, and when a 
 young man he engaged in the business of trans- 
 porting produce by team to the Boston market. 
 He later returned to the homestead and mar- 
 ried, but eventually settled upon a farm in the 
 neighborhood, where he resided for the rest of 
 
 his life. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Sally Carruth, was born in Spencer,. Mass., 
 and married him for her second husband. By 
 her union with William Fyfe she had three 
 children, of whom William E., the subject of 
 this sketch, is the only one living. William 
 Fyfe died at the age of sixty-four years, and 
 his wife at the age of sixty-three. They 
 attended the Unitarian and Baptist churches 
 respectively. 
 
 William E. Fyfe is a representative of the 
 third generation born on the old Fyfe home- 
 stead. He was educated in the common 
 schools of Bolton, Mass., which he attended 
 until reaching the age of thirteen years. He 
 then assisted his father on the farm. The suc- 
 ceeding four years he spent partly as a mill 
 operative and partly as an employee in a shoe 
 shop. At the age of seventeen he went to 
 Cambridge, where he drove a bread cart for 
 two years, and later a wagon for Kennedy, the 
 cracker manufacturer, for four years. Then 
 after a short period, during which he was em- 
 ployed chiefly in a grocery store, he opened 
 a grocery on his own account, that he con- 
 ducted successfully for two years. He sub- 
 sequently sold out this store and purchased 
 a bakery that he conducted in connection 
 with a grocery at the corner of Main and 
 River Streets, Cambridgeport. At the end of 
 eight years, disposing of that business, he 
 moved to Clinton, Mass. , where he engaged in 
 the real estate business and erected a handsome 
 residence known as Fifeshire, on the Bolton 
 hills. Selling that property three years later, 
 he bought a farm of sixty-two acres, that for 
 five years he devoted to the raising of garden 
 produce. He then subdivided it into lots, 
 retaining a large share for himself and selling 
 the remainder, upon which have since been 
 erected about sixty dwellings. His real estate 
 business has grown, and he has sold much land 
 for resident purposes in different parts of the 
 town. For two years also he carried on a 
 bakery in Clinton. He was interested for 
 twelve years in a large comb manufactory, 
 being a director and purchasing agent. For 
 eight years he was in company with B. L. 
 Nowell & Co., of Montreal, in the horn glue 
 stock and Canada ash business. Some years 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 80s 
 
 ago he formed a partnership with E. L. Plum- 
 mer for the purpose of carrying on a butter 
 business. This firm later consolidated with 
 that of C. M. Fay, and in April, 1895, moved 
 into their present spacious quarters in the 
 block in Depot Square, erected especially for 
 their use by Mr. Fyfe. The firm, which is 
 known as Fyfe, Fay & Plummer, occupies the 
 entire ground floor, and carries on an extensive 
 wholesale and retail grocery and produce busi- 
 ness. Mr. Fyfe is also a director of the Clin- 
 ton Wall Trunk Company. 
 
 In 1861 Mr. Fyfe married Miss Josephine 
 Carruth, who was born in Cambridgeport, June, 
 1839, daughter of C. Edward Carruth, a grocer 
 of that city. He has one daughter, Dora ]., 
 who married Edward L. Plummer, her father's 
 business associate, and is the mother of three 
 children — Helen L., Josephine Fyfe, and 
 George Fyfe Plummer. 
 
 Politically a Republican, Mr. Fyfe has 
 served as Road Commissioner for five years. 
 He has travelled extensively in the United 
 States, Canada, and Europe, and, having seen 
 much of general interest in the principal parts 
 of the world, is now content to enjoy the com- 
 forts of his pleasant home. His residence, 
 corner of Water and Prescott Streets, is built 
 in the most thorough manner, and contains 
 every modern improvement. He and his wife 
 are members of the Baptist church. Mr. Fyfe 
 owns thirty-two acres of land in Bolton that 
 came to the original Fife as a grant from the 
 king and formed a part of it. This he has 
 cleared and trimmed up for a pleasure ground, 
 making it into a nice park, with a small lake. 
 He has further provided that it shall go to a 
 charitable institution and be forever known as 
 Fifeshire, in honor of its ancestral history, 
 coming as it did directly from the king. 
 
 jDWARD L. SPALDING, the cashier of 
 the First National Bank of Webster, 
 was born in Sharon, Vt., April 7, 
 1839. A son of Jason C. and Susan (Trask) 
 Spalding, he is a descendant of Edward Spald- 
 ing, who came to this country in 1630, and in 
 1633 settled in Braintree, Mass. Edward's 
 son, Benjamin, born in 1643, died in 1708. 
 
 Benjamin's son, Edward, born June 18, 1672, 
 became the father of Ephraim Spalding, who 
 was born on April 3, 1700, and was the great- 
 great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch. 
 Ephraim had a son, Ephraim, who married 
 Abigail Bullard, and had a son Reuben, who 
 was the grandfather of Edward L. Spalding, 
 Reuben Spalding, born in Plainfield, Conn., 
 removed to Vermont when twelve years of age, 
 and there spent the greater part of his life 
 engaged in farming. He fought for the Amer- 
 ican cause during the Revolution, and was one 
 of the brave men that wintered at Ticonderoga. 
 In his later years he received a pension from 
 the government. His wife, whose maiden 
 name was Mary Pierce, bore him twelve chil- 
 dren, all now deceased. The last survivor, 
 Dr. Phineas Spalding, who was the author of 
 the "Spalding Memorial," resided at Haver- 
 hill, N. H., and died in 1897. 
 
 Jason C. Spalding was born at Sharon, Vt. , 
 on April 29, 1801. In 1824 he began the 
 study of medicine. Subsequently he entered 
 the medical department of Dartmouth College, 
 from which he duly graduated with the degree 
 of Doctor of Medicine. After entering upon 
 his profession in Dixfield, Me., he practised 
 for a time in Dennisville, Me., and Spencer, 
 Mass. From Spencer, on account of poor 
 health, he returned to his old home in Sharon, 
 Vt. , where he followed his profession for the 
 remainder of his life. When typhus fever 
 broke out among the workmen engaged in 
 building the Central Vermont Railroad, Dr. 
 Spalding at one time had thirty of the victims 
 under his care. He was able to save the lives 
 of all ; but in doing so he caught the fever 
 himself, and died of it in October, 1847. His 
 wife, Susan, a daughter of Peter and Azubah 
 (Leland) Trask, and whom he married in 1831, 
 became the mother of five children, namely : 
 Jason C, now deceased; Julia, who died in 
 infancy ; Helen Trask, who resides in Webster 
 with her brother, and has been a teacher for 
 many years ; George C. , who died in infancy ; 
 and the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Edward L. Spalding was educated in the 
 common schools of Haverhill, N. H., at the 
 Worcester High School, and at Montpelier 
 (Vt, ) Academy. When twenty years of age 
 
8o6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he obtained employment in the store of Arte- 
 mus Hawes at Worcester, Mass., and remained 
 there during the four succeeding years. He 
 then became clerk and assistant cashier of the 
 bank at Derby Line, Vt. After remaining 
 there for fourteen months he went to the First 
 National Bank of Worcester, where for ten 
 years he was assistant cashier and teller. 
 Leaving Worcester in 1876 and coming to 
 this town, he was appointed to the position in 
 the newly established national bank that he 
 has since so successfully filled. He served on 
 the Republican Town Committee for several 
 years. For the last ten years he has been 
 a member of the Board of Registry. He is a 
 member of the Congregational church and the 
 treasurer of both the church and society. He 
 also belongs to Ben Franklin Council, No. 
 333, R. A., was its first Regent, and for the 
 past twelve years has been its treasurer; to 
 the Webster Lodge, No. 31, A. O. U. W., of 
 which for several years he was the treasurer; 
 and to the Sons of the American Revolution 
 at Boston. 
 
 In 1 87 1 Mr. Spalding was married to Ella 
 A. Leland, a daughter of S. R. and Mary 
 (Hall) Leland. His children were: Leland 
 J., born in 1877, who graduated from the 
 Webster High School, spent one year in 
 Worcester Academy, and is now a student in 
 Harvard University ; and Edward E. , born 
 in 1879, who died the same year. 
 
 'AMES E. BARR, one of New Braintree's 
 business men and agriculturists, son of 
 James H. and Hannah (Waterman) 
 Barr, was born upon the farm he now 
 occupies, July 23, 1844. His grandparents 
 were Harvey and Eunice Barr. The former, 
 who was a farmer and who settled here when 
 he was a young man, served as a Lieutenant 
 in the War of 18 12, and died before reach- 
 ing his thirtieth year. His wife bore him 
 six children: Elizabeth, who became Mrs. 
 Field ; Sarah, who is unmarried (both of whom 
 are residing in Ware, Mass. ) ; James H. and 
 Micah R., who lived in New Braintree; and 
 Debora N. and Rebecca, both of whom died 
 young. After the death of Harvey Barr, 
 
 his widow married a Mr. Granger, and died 
 August II, 1854, aged sixty-seven years. 
 James H. Barr, who was born in New Brain- 
 tree in 1812, in March, 1835, settled upon the 
 farm now owned by his son, and he spent the 
 rest of his active years occupied in its cultiva- 
 tion. In his later years he supported the Re- 
 publican party, and for a number of terms he 
 served as a Selectman. His wife, Hannah, 
 whom he married in West Brookfield, and who 
 was a native of this State, became the mother 
 of four children, namely : Jane, who is now 
 Mrs. Snow, and resides in New Braintree; 
 Eliza R., who is now Mrs. Gray of this town; 
 Sarah E., who is now Mrs. Cummings, of 
 Ware; and James E. Barr, the subject of this 
 sketch. The father died in March, 1897, hav- 
 ing survived his wife, whose death occurred on 
 August 9, 1874, when she was sixty-six years 
 old. They attended the Congregational church. 
 
 James E. Barr obtained his education in the 
 public schools of his native town and at the 
 Westfield Academy. Since his youth he has 
 tilled the soil of the home farm. He bought 
 the property in 1875, and subsequently in- 
 creased it to two hundred and fifty acres. 
 Chiefly engaged in dairying, he keeps an aver- 
 age of twenty-five head of cattle. His resi- 
 dence occupies an elevated position with pic- 
 turesque surroundings, and is among the best 
 in this locality. Also, for about ten years he 
 has operated a saw and grist mill driven by 
 water-power ; and he deals quite extensively in 
 grain and feed. 
 
 On December 15, 1869, Mr. Barr was united 
 in marriage with Elizabeth F. Hervey, who was 
 born in New Braintree, November 8, 1846, 
 daughter of Byram H. and Octavia (Pierce) 
 Hervey. Her father, who was a prosperous 
 farmer of this town, died at the age of sixty- 
 nine years. Her mother is residing in West 
 Brookfield. Mr. and Mrs. Barr have had' three 
 children: Charles H., born July 27, 1871; 
 James Arthur, born June i, 1878; and Luella 
 F., born December 26, 1879, who died January 
 5, 1883. Charles and James reside at home. 
 Mr. Barr has served with ability as a member 
 of the Board of Assessors. He was formerly 
 the president of the Farmer's Club, and for six 
 years he has been vice-president of the Worces- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 807 
 
 ter County West Agricultural Society. Both 
 he and Mrs. Barr are members of the North 
 Brookfield Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and 
 they attend the Congregational church. 
 
 WALTER S. V. COOK, 
 and respected citizen 
 is a native of this to 
 
 a prominent 
 izen of Milford, 
 town, and was 
 born on August 12, 1851. A son of Aldrich 
 S. and Elizabeth (Landers) Cook, he is of 
 the seventh generation descended from Walter 
 Cook, the first ancestor of the family in this 
 country. The line of descent comes from this 
 Walter, by Nicholas, Deacon Nicholas, Dan- 
 iel, David, and Reuben, to Aldrich S. Cook. 
 Deacon David Cook, the great-grandfather of 
 Walter S. V., was one of the leading men of 
 Milford in his time, and was highly esteemed 
 by all who knew him. The author of Bal- 
 lou's History of Milford says of him: "I 
 knew Deacon David Cook -and most of his 
 children. He was an aged man when I com- 
 menced my ministry, but I remember that he 
 came six miles to hear my first discourse in 
 the ancient Ballou meeting-house. His first 
 wife was Susannah Legg Cook. They had 
 five sons certainly and perhaps, unknown to 
 me, daughters." Their sons were: Abner, 
 born in Bellingham, Mass., on June 20, 
 1778; Reuben, born in Bellingham, Decem- 
 ber 7, 1780; Abijah, born in Bellingham, 
 September 24, 1784; "Lealon" (whose name 
 as it appears in the records is probably a 
 misspelling of Leland), born in Bellingham, 
 April 3, 1787; and Caleb, born in Belling- 
 ham, August 13, 1793. The first named of 
 these was married in 1799 to Waity Picker- 
 ing, and he died in 183 1. Reuben married 
 Esther Holbrook, just when is riot known. 
 He died in 1828. Abijah, who married Roxy 
 Holbrook, died at the age of eighty-five. 
 Lealon, who married Louisa Smith, died in 
 1836. Caleb married Margaret Pickering, 
 and died in Nashua, N.H., on August 27, 
 1871. 
 
 Aldrich S. Cook, above named, was born 
 in Bellingham on October 4, 181 8. He was 
 married in Boston on August 27, 1850, to 
 Elizabeth Landers, who was born in New 
 
 York, April 5, 1830, daughter of John M. 
 and Eliza (Brown) Landers. Her children 
 were: Walter S. V., Herbert A., Willie E., 
 Reuben A., Grace Elizabeth, Aldrich S., and 
 Elizabeth L. The last two were twins. Her- 
 bert A., born in Milford on March 10, 1856, 
 died on July 25, 1874. Willie E., born Sep- 
 tember 27, 1858, is now in business in Boston. 
 Reuben, born September 18, 1861, is the 
 treasurer and manager of the Queen City Cot- 
 ton Company at Burlington, Vt. Grace Eliz- 
 abeth, born December 18, 1866, is the wife 
 of Elmer E. Harris, of Worcester. Of the 
 twins, who were born on Christmas Day, 1871, 
 Aldrich died on July 14 of the following 
 year. Elizabeth, who resides with her brother 
 Walter S. V. in Milford, was educated in 
 private schools, including a boarding-school. 
 The mother died upon the day her twin chil- 
 dren were born. The father subsequently 
 married on October 2, 1873, Mrs. Miranda 
 Clapp. He was a skilful and energetic 'me- 
 chanic. 
 
 After finishing his school days Walter 
 S. V. Cook entered the employ of what is now 
 the Milford Shoe Company, and for the last 
 quarter of a century has been engaged in the 
 shoe manufacturing business. In this posi- 
 tion he has shown himself both efficient and 
 trustworthy, and has merited the full confi- 
 dence of his employers. For nine years he 
 was the secretary and treasurer of the co-oper- 
 ative bank, and for twenty years he has held 
 various offices in the Quidnunc Association, 
 of which for the last thirteen years he has 
 been the secretary. He is a Past Grand in 
 the Odd Fellows Lodge and Past High Priest 
 of Quinshepaug Encampment ; also a member 
 of Franklin Lodge, of Boston; and also of 
 Montgomery Lodge, F. A. M., of Milford; 
 Mount Lebanon Chapter, R. A. M., Milford 
 Commandery, K. T. ; and Aleppo Temple, 
 N. M. S. 
 
 Mr. Cook has always taken a warm interest 
 in the public affairs of Milford. He first 
 held public office in 1887. He was a member 
 of the Board of Assessors. From 1889 to 
 1896 he was a member of the Board of Regis- 
 trars. For three consecutive terms he has 
 served his town, together with those of Upton, 
 
8o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mendon, and Hopedale, as a member of the 
 Massachusetts General Court, where at the 
 present time he is the chairman of the Com- 
 mittees on Towns and Street Railways, two of 
 the most important committees of the House. 
 In consideration of the fact that this is a 
 strongly Democratic district, the number of 
 votes polled for Mr. Cook's election has been 
 remarkable. In 1895 he received fourteen 
 hundred and fifty-eight votes, two hundred 
 and fifty being democratic, having eighty-five 
 majority. Afterward the district was changed, 
 making it Republican. The percentage of 
 votes polled for him increased each year. He 
 was chairman of the Republican Town Com- 
 mittee for two years and the secretary for ten 
 years, and he has attended many Senatorial 
 and legislative conventions. 
 
 iLARENCE HENRY ELLIOT, a 
 well-known produce merchant of Graf- 
 ,ton, was born in Sutton, Mass., Au- 
 gust 9, 1850, son of Joseph F. and 
 Elmira (Jaques) Elliot. His early ancestors 
 in this country were of old Puritan stock. He 
 is a descendant in the fifth generation from Jo- 
 seph Elliot, who took up wild land in Sutton 
 more than one hundred and fifty years ago, 
 being one of the original settlers of that 
 region. 
 
 The History of Sutton, published in 1878, 
 says of this pioneer: " When he first came to 
 take possession he was accompanied by two or 
 three young men, who came to see the place. 
 After they left, finding himself alone, he sat 
 down on a large stone up toward where the 
 barn now stands, and wept like a child. After 
 relieving himself in this way he aroused his 
 manhood, seized his axe, and commenced fell- 
 ing the trees. He soon had a respectable 
 opening, after which he cultivated the land, 
 built himself a house, married Jerusha Fuller, 
 and reared an honorable family." He was an 
 honest, upright, thrifty farmer. That he be- 
 longed to a branch of the Elliot family that for 
 several generations had been living in the 
 south-west part of Essex County, this State, 
 may be justly inferred from the fact that the 
 will of one of their number, Elizabeth Elliot, 
 
 single woman, of Middleton, dated 1760, pro- 
 bated 1761, mentions among her kinsfolk "Jo- 
 seph Elliot, of Sutton." Stiles, the historian 
 of Middleton, names Francis Elliot as living 
 there in 1692. 
 
 The Fuller family, descended from Thomas 
 Fuller, was early settled at Middleton; and a 
 Jerusha Fuller, it may be noted, is recorded as 
 having been baptized May 8, 1709. 
 
 Joseph Elliot, Jr., son of Joseph and Jerusha 
 (Fuller) Elliot, of Sutton, and probably their 
 eldest child, was born in 1731. Their son 
 Aaron, born in 1747, was the next in this line. 
 He married Lydia Taylor. 
 
 Aaron Elliot, Jr., eldest son of Aaron and 
 a great-uncle of the subject of this sketch, was 
 a scythe-maker of note in his day, his work 
 being highly tempered and of fine quality. It 
 is said that he not only knew how to make a 
 scythe, but knew also how to handle one better 
 than any of his neighbors for miles around. 
 He was an athlete, and swung a scythe four 
 feet long; and no one thought of tempting to 
 outmow him. Once for a wager he mowed an 
 acre quicker than an expert could rake it. 
 When he was sixteen years old, the water at 
 the bouse being hard, they had to carry water 
 for washing from a well some thirty rods away. 
 So on one occasion he took a common cider 
 barrel of thirty-two gallons' capacity down to 
 the well, filled it, drove in the bung, and, 
 shouldering the barrel, took the wooden tunnel 
 in one hand and carried them both to the 
 house. The family in Sutton was prominent 
 in town and church affairs. That they were 
 energetic and successful in business is evi- 
 denced by the fact that the homestead farm, 
 when it came into the possession of Captain 
 James Taylor Elliot, son of Aaron and grand- 
 father of Clarence H., comprised an area of 
 about a mile square. James T. Elliot's wife 
 was Submit Baylies. She was of the old Ux- 
 bridge family of Baylies Hill. 
 
 Through his mother, whose maiden name was 
 Elmira Jaques, Mr. Elliot of Grafton is de- 
 scended from Henry Jaques, who settled at . 
 Newbury, Mass., in 1640. Mrs. Elliot's ma- 
 ternal grandfather was the Rev. James Jaques, 
 a Methodist minister and presiding elder, 
 born in Bowdoin, Me., son of John Jaques and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 S09 
 
 grandson of Benjamin Jaques, a sea captain, 
 who married Betty Varnum. Lieutenant 
 Richard Jaques, of York, Me., father of Ben- 
 jamin, fought valiantly in resisting the attacks 
 of the Indians on the settlement, but finally 
 fell by their hand. The Rev. James Jaques 
 married Anna Marshall, daughter of Antipas 
 Marshall, of Ipswich, Mass. Her father 
 served in the Revolutionary War, and was 
 once taken prisoner, but was exchanged. He 
 was a seafaring man, and was also the Lieuten- 
 ant of a military company. Later in life he 
 was an itinerant and a local preacher, ordained 
 by Bishop George in Barre, Vt. 
 
 Clarence Henry Elliot was born at the old 
 homestead and educated in the common schools 
 of Sutton. When a young man he embarked 
 in the hay and wood business, buying of the 
 farmers in the surrounding towns and finding 
 a market in Worcester and Whitinsville. 
 About twenty-five years ago he removed to 
 Grafton and entered the employ of Silas 
 Vinton, taking charge of freight to and from 
 Graftonville before the Grafton & Milford 
 Railroad was built. About eight years after 
 coming to Grafton he purchased the Jourdon 
 store, one of the oldest places of business in 
 the town. By dint of energy, enterprise, and 
 straightforward dealing he has gained the con- 
 fidence of his patrons and built up a good 
 business. For some years his store has been 
 the only one of its kind in Grafton Centre. 
 
 Mr. Elliot affiliates with the Republican 
 party politically, and takes an active interest 
 in the affairs of the town. He is now serving 
 on the Board of Selectmen. He is connected 
 with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 being a member of Evening Star Lodge, No. 
 102, of North Grafton. For twenty-eight 
 years he has been a member of the Orthodox 
 church, of which he is a trustee. 
 
 He was married June 20, 1876, to Miss 
 Annie G. Dwyer, of Grafton, a daughter of 
 James Gordon Dwyer and Louisa Lesure Dyer. 
 She was born in Hopkinton, July 31, 1855. 
 Mrs. Elliot was a school teacher before mar- 
 riage, as were four of her five sisters. She 
 has one brother. Dr. E. G. Dyer, a dentist in 
 Fitchburg. They are descendants of the 
 Sutherlands of Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Elliot 
 
 have four children: Mildred Sutherland, now 
 a student at Wellesley College; Helen F., 
 who is attending the Grafton High School; 
 Philip D. and Gordon B. , who both attend the 
 Grafton Grammar School. 
 
 KRANK EDWARDS, formerly a well- 
 known business man of Southbridge, 
 Mass., was born in that town on April 
 20, 1852. He was a son of William and 
 Catherine (Wardwell) Edwards and grandson 
 of Jacob Edwards, a farmer of Dudley. His 
 mother was a daughter of Dr. Wardwell, of 
 Hardwick, Mass. 
 
 Mr. Edwards was educated in the public 
 schools of Southbridge and at Phillips Exeter 
 Academy. His business life began in 1875, 
 when he formed a partnership with his brother, 
 under the name of William Edwards's Sons, 
 for the purpose of dealing in hay and grain. 
 This proved to be a prosperous undertaking, 
 and was continued for a number of years. 
 Mr. Edwards married Miss Lizzie Abby 
 Barnes on December 12, 1878. He died on 
 June 19, 1882, and is survived by his wife 
 and two sons, George Barnes and. Albert Van- 
 derford. 
 
 Mrs. Edwards is a daughter of William 
 Curtis and A. Frances (Tatem) Barnes, of 
 Southbridge, who were married March 31, 
 1852. Her father was in the jewelry business 
 for forty years, retiring in 1893. Her pater- 
 nal grandfather, Jonathan Barnes, Jr., was a 
 son of Jonathan, Sr. , a native of Marlboro, 
 Mass., who was graduated at Harvard in 1770, 
 and was the first minister of Hillsboro, N. H. 
 The wife of the Rev. Jonathan Barnes was 
 Abigail Curtis. Through her Mrs. Edwards 
 is descended from Ephraim Curtis, who was 
 the first white man to settle in what is now 
 the city of Worcester. Thomas Barnes, the 
 founder of this branch of the Barnes family in 
 America, came over from England in 1656. 
 Mrs. Edwards's maternal grandfather was the 
 Rev. John Henry Tatem. His father, who 
 was born in Cork, Ireland, was drowned by the 
 capsizing of a boat in Salem Harbor, Mass. 
 Elder Tatem, as Rev. John Henry Tatem was 
 known, married August 18, 1816, Abby A. 
 
8io 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 King, daughter of Joseph and Alice (Mathew- 
 son) King. Through her grandmother Tatem 
 Mrs. Edwards traces her descent from a 
 Huguenot emigrant, Gabriel Bernon, a native 
 of Rochelle, France, who came to New Eng- 
 land from Holland in 1688, and who died in 
 Providence, R. I. , in 1736, aged ninety-one 
 years. He is said to have been of the 
 eleventh generation from Raoul de Bernon, of 
 Burgundy. The line from Gabriel may be 
 thus shown : Susanna Bernon, his daughter, 
 married in 1734 Joseph Crawford; her daugh- 
 ter Sarah married Silas Cooke; their daughter 
 Abigail married Nicholas Mathewson, and was 
 the mother of Alice, who married Joseph 
 King, above named, father of Mrs. Tatem. 
 
 In November, 1896, Mrs. Edwards with her 
 sons removed to Worcester. The elder son, 
 George Barnes Edwards, who was born in 
 1879, attended the high school for a time, and 
 subsequently was graduated at Childs's Busi- 
 ness College. He is now engaged in business 
 in Worcester. 
 
 A. Vanderford Edwards, who was born in 
 1882, is now a student in the English High 
 School. He is named for Captain Benjamin 
 Vanderford, a sea captain, who was the first to 
 bring the tomato to this country. Captain 
 Vanderford was a half-brother of the Rev. J. 
 Henry Tatem and great-uncle of Mrs. Edwards. 
 His immigrant ancestors, who were from Hol- 
 land, are said to have been early settlers in 
 Virginia. 
 
 Mr. Edwards was a member of the South- 
 bridge Lodge of Masons, of the Royal Ar- 
 canum, and of the Southbridge Lodge of Odd 
 Fellows. He was a regular attendant of the 
 Universalist church in Southbridge. 
 
 TT^HARLES A. HARRINGTON, for 
 I \y many years one of the leading drug- 
 
 xi° ^ Sists of Worcester, was a lineal 
 descendant of Robert Harrington, 
 an English immigrant, one of the original 
 proprietors of Watertown, Mass., 1642-44, 
 who married Susanna, daughter of John 
 George. John Harrington, son of Robert, 
 was a soldier in King Philip's War, and was 
 wounded in the Northfield fight. His wife 
 
 was Hannah, daughter of John Winter, Jr., of 
 Cambridge. Among their children were Jo- 
 siah and Joshua, Sr. (twins), born in 1709. 
 Joshua Harrington, Sr., a resident succes- 
 sively of Waltham, Holliston, and Worcester, 
 was the father of Samuel and Joshua, Jr., 
 Revolutionary soldiers, who owned neighbor- 
 ing farms in Worcester, where they both lived 
 nearly all their lives, Joshua Harrington, 
 Jr., married Sarah, daughter of Deacon David 
 Bigelow, of Worcester, and niece of Colonel 
 Timothy Bigelow. He died in Pelham, 
 Mass., in 1817. 
 
 Samuel Harrington, who was born in 1754, 
 and died March 27, 1834, came to Worcester 
 from Dorchester. He was one of the early 
 settlers here, and from that time to the pres- 
 ent the name of Harrington has held an hon- 
 ored place in the annals of the city. Samuel 
 Harrington was a soldier in Captain Timothy 
 Bigelow's company during the Revolution. 
 He married a Miss Evans, and they had eight 
 children — Susanna, James, Lucretia, Samuel, 
 Sarah, Ebenezer, Mary, and Austin. 
 
 Ebenezer Harrington, the sixth child, was 
 born in Worcester, Septernber 22, 1793, and 
 died March 26, 1822. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Ethelinda Marsh, was born 
 in Hadley, January 13, 1795, and died August 
 5, 1840. They had three children: Charles 
 A., the subject of this sketch, whose personal 
 history is given below; Theodore, born in 
 1820, died in 1821; and Ebenezer M., who 
 was born January i, 1822, and died May 3, 
 1851. 
 
 Charles A. Harrington was born in Worces- 
 ter, May 6, 1 8 18. On account of the death 
 of his father a few years later, he was 
 brought up and educated in Hadley, Mass. 
 When a lad of sixteen he returned to this city 
 to learn the trade of a druggist. Entering 
 the store of Dr. Spaulding, he remained with 
 him as apprentice and then as partner until 
 the Doctor retired and moved to Brooklyn, 
 Wis. Mr. Harrington's brother Eben then 
 succeeded to the business, and was a member 
 of the firm until he, too, died, when but 
 thirty years of age. Mr. Harrington then 
 took another partner, Jerome Marble, with 
 whom he carried on an extensive retail busi- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8ii 
 
 ness at their store on Main Street for thirteen 
 years. This enterprising firm then began 
 the manufacture of drugs of various kinds, 
 also keeping and selling large quantities of 
 paints, oils, dyes, and manufacturers' sup- 
 plies. Adding a wholesale department to 
 their store, they built up a very successful and 
 lucrative trade, and for years were the leading 
 druggists of this vicinity. In 1863, owing to 
 failing health, Mr. Harrington sold out to his 
 partner. He died at his home in this city, 
 April 8, 1864. A man of strict integrity and 
 honesty of purpose, he was universally es- 
 teemed and respected, and his death was a loss 
 to the community. 
 
 Mr. C. A. Harrington's first wife, Maria 
 Perkins, died in early womanhood, leaving 
 one son, Frederick A., who died March 24, 
 1862. In January, 1849, ^^ married Try- 
 phena Stone, a daughter of Deacon Israel 
 Stone and a descendant of one of the promi- 
 nent families of Auburn, Mass. Two sons 
 were the fruit of this union, namely : Eben, 
 who was born in Worcester, May 3, 1851; 
 and Theodore, who was born May 11, 1854. 
 Theodore Harrington for some time held the 
 jposition of superintendent of the steel works 
 of the Union Rolling Mill Company, Chi- 
 cago. In 1886 he went to Pasadena, Cal., 
 where he was engaged in the real estate busi- 
 ness. In 1889 he returned to Worcester 
 where he died on December 23 of that year. 
 Remarried, May 9, 1881, Miss Emma Fran- 
 ces Willard, daughter of W. H. Willard of 
 Worcester. Of this union there are two 
 children: Jean Lizette Harrington, born in 
 Worcester May 14, 1883, and Theodore Har- 
 rington, Jr., born in Pasadena, Cal., Febru- 
 ary 15, 1889. 
 
 Eben Harrington received his education in 
 the common schools of this city, the high 
 school, and the Polytechnic Institute. He 
 was subsequently teller in the Citizens' Na- 
 tional Bank for three years, after which he 
 engaged in the fire insurance business with 
 John D. Washburn. Later he was in the 
 furniture business with John D. Chollar, and 
 afterward he accepted the position of cashier 
 in the Oxford National Bank at Oxford, 
 Worcester County, Mass., where he remained 
 
 five years. He then went to California for 
 one year as teller and assistant cashier of the 
 First National Bank, Pasadena. While there 
 he was offered and accepted a position with 
 the State Mutual Life Assurance Company, of 
 Worcester, and has since been connected with 
 it. He is now cashier in the Boston office of 
 this company. On May 16, 1876, Mr. Eben 
 Harrington married Miss Etta L. Hancock, of 
 Worcester, youngest daughter of Frederick 
 Hancock. They have one son living, Fred- 
 erick, born February 11, 1885. The other 
 son, Charles Theodore Harrington, was born 
 June 16, 1877, and died August 2, 1882. 
 
 SYMAN G. PETTS, of Holden, the 
 proprietor of the Eagle Lake House 
 ^ and the senior partner in the firm 
 of L. G. Petts & Co., was born in 
 Stoddard, N.H., October 15, 1835. His par- 
 ents, David T. and Phoebe S. (Stevens) Petts, 
 were natives respectively of Nelson and Stod- 
 dard, N. H. The father was a drover in early 
 life. Afterward he managed the Forest 
 House at Stoddard and a hotel of the same 
 name at Marlow. He was a man of much 
 energy. While in the cattle trade he did a 
 very large business. He died at Marlow on 
 December 3, 1855, aged forty-five years. 
 His wife is still living in Keene, N.H. Of 
 their seven children, six grew to maturity, and 
 four are living. The latter are: Ferdinand 
 Petts, a real estate broker of Keene; Lyman 
 G., the subject of this biography; George A., 
 who is conducting the hotel in Marlow for- 
 merly managed by his father; and Mrs. Mi- 
 randa M. Warner, a resident of Keene. 
 Those deceased were: Rosanna, who died in 
 infancy; Rosanna Richardson; and Mrs. 
 Christina L. Cook. 
 
 Lyman G. Petts spent his early days in Stod- 
 dard and in Marlow, receiving his education 
 in the common schools of those towns. From 
 the age of twelve to that of eighteen years he 
 was employed in the glass works at Stoddard. 
 Then he went to Ashbury, Mass., where he 
 was for some time in the employ of the pail 
 factory. After meeting with an accident 
 that obliged him to give up his work here, he 
 
8l2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 returned to Marlow. When again able to at- 
 tend to business he began to assist his father 
 in the hotel, and was so employed until the 
 father's death. After that event he went to 
 work in the Marlow & Currier paint shop. 
 Subsequently he bought a farm in Alstead, 
 N.H., and for four years carried on farming 
 there. Coming then to Massachusetts, he 
 engaged as salesman for Lord & Stone, of 
 Otter River, dealers in stoves. After spend- 
 ing five years with that firm he went to 
 Jefferson, Mass., in 1872, and for the follow- 
 ing year and a half he managed the hotel 
 there, which he had leased. After another 
 visit to Marlow he came to Holden in 1875, 
 and bought the hotel which he has since con- 
 ducted. Eagle Lake House is one of the long- 
 established hotels in this section of the State. 
 In the early days it was one of the chief stop- 
 ping-places of the stage-coach. With accom- 
 modations for from thirty-five to fifty guests, 
 it has always been noted for its excellent 
 class of patrons. Since Mr. Petts has been 
 in charge of it he has made many desirable 
 alterations, and maintained a first-class livery. 
 On August II, 1857, Mr. Petts was mar- 
 ried to Maria N. Johnson, a native of Nashua, 
 N.H., and a daughter of John H. and Heph- 
 zibah T. (Hopkins) Johnson. Of this union 
 three children have been born: William C, 
 on July 30, i860; Flora A., on July 6, 1869; 
 and Eugene A., on October 6, 1883. Will- 
 iam, who married Rose Elliot, is in charge of 
 the store of L. G. Petts & Co. ; and Flora is 
 the wife of Austin J. Warren, of Worcester, 
 Mass. Both Mr. and Mrs. Petts attend the' 
 Baptist church. Mr. Petts is a Republican 
 in politics. He is a member of St. John 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., at Alstead, N.H. His 
 success in business has been achieved by hard 
 work. 
 
 'AMUEL WOOD, late president of the 
 National Bank of Northboro, Mass., 
 was a native resident of this town, 
 where for a number of years he was 
 engaged in mercantile business. Born Febru- 
 ary 13, 1 83 1, son of Deacon Samuel and Eliza- 
 beth (Bowman) Wood, he was a worthy scion 
 
 of old Colonial stock, being a lineal descendant 
 in the seventh generation of William Wood, 
 who came to Massachusetts in 1638 and settled 
 in Concord. 
 
 Michael Wood, only son of William, died at 
 Concord in 1674, only three years after the 
 death of his father. He had five sons and a 
 daughter, Abigail. The daughter married 
 Stephen Hosmer. Abraham Wood, son of 
 Michael, was the father of three sons and four 
 daughters. His eldest son, Samuel Wood, 
 born in Sudbury, Mass., March 17, 1710, 
 settled in 1749 or 1750 in that part of West- 
 boro which in 1766 was incorporated as North- 
 boro. In 1 75 1 he was clerk of the precinct. 
 He was a clothier and fuller of cloth. He 
 died March 18, 1760. His children by his 
 second wife, Keziah Moore, daughter of John 
 Moore, of Sudbury, were : Lydia, who married 
 Captain Timothy Brigham; Captain Samuel, 
 who was wounded at the battle of Bunker Hill; 
 Jesse; Hannah, who married Lieutenant 
 Thomas Seaver; Beulah, whose husband, Na- 
 than Johnson, was a soldier at Bunker Hill, 
 and, as he claimed, there "fired the last gun " ; 
 and Abraham, born July 30, 1752, who mar- 
 ried April I, 1773, Lydia, daughter of Eleazer 
 Johnson, of Berlin, Mass. 
 
 Among other interesting particulars con- 
 cerning individual members of the Wood fam- 
 ily of Northboro in a book compiled by T. W. 
 Valentine, to which we are indebted for the 
 foregoing names and dates, are the following 
 relating to the grandparents of the subject of 
 this sketch: Abraham Wood in April, 1775, 
 was clerk of the company of minute-men of 
 which his brother Samuel was Captain. He 
 marched with his company to Cambridge, but, 
 being needed at home to dress cloth, remained 
 with the army but a short time. He was after- 
 ward Captain of a militia company. A musi- 
 cian of considerable note, he published one or 
 two small collections of church music, also 
 an elegy on the death of Washington. His 
 wife, Lydia Johnson Wood, reputed the "best 
 of grandmothers," is said to have sat up all 
 night previous to the departure of the minute- 
 men, melting her pewterware into bullets, the 
 soapstone mould used for that purpose being 
 still preserved in the family. She died in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8«3 
 
 Northboro, April 3, 1843, in the eighty-ninth 
 year of her age. The "best woman that ever 
 lived," once said her son-in-law, Mr. Gassett. 
 
 Abraham and Lydia (Johnson) Wood were 
 the parents of thirteen children, namely : 
 Sabra, who died young; Keziah, born 1775, 
 who married Asaph Rice, and died April 3, 
 1813; Abraham, who died in his third year; 
 Otis, who died in childhood; Lydia, born in 
 1 78 1, who became the second wife of Asaph 
 Rice, and died in 1820; Sarah, who died in 
 her twenty-fourth year; Abraham, who died 
 unmarried, aged thirty-five; Elizabeth, born 
 January 31, 1788, who died unmarried in 1873 ; 
 Sabra, born October 17, 1791, who married 
 Gill Valentine in 18 14, and died in Worcester, 
 August 30, 1865; John Hancock, who died in 
 his tenth year; Lucy, born June 22, 1795, who 
 was married in 1812 to Henry Gassett, of Bos- 
 ton, and died November 3, 1873; Mary, born 
 November 15, 1796, who married Joseph Davis, 
 and died in Templeton, January 3, 1869; and 
 Deacon Samuel, born February 22, 1799, who 
 married, April 16, 1826, Elizabeth Bowman, 
 daughter of Joseph and Ann (Valentine) Bow- 
 man. 
 
 Henry Gassett, who married Lucy Wood, 
 was born in Northboro, Mass., February i, 
 1774. He was graduated at Harvard College 
 in 1795, and was subsequently engaged in mer- 
 cantile business in Boston, where he made his 
 home till his death in August 15, 1855. Of 
 the nine children reared by Mr. and Mrs. Gas- 
 sett, only one is now living, Catherine, widow 
 of the late Edward R. Hall. 
 
 Deacon Samuel and Elizabeth B. Wood had 
 six children : Abraham, born November 20, 
 1828, who died June 23, 1831 ; Samuel, whose 
 personal history is given below; Albert, born 
 February 19, 1833, who married Emma Allen, 
 and is now a physician in Worcester ; Charles 
 J., born August 28, 1838, who married Helen 
 S. Dodd, and lives in Hartford, Conn. ; Lydia 
 A., born March 19, 1844, who died September 
 22, 1848; and EmmaE., born March 14, 1848, 
 who died April 25, 1851. 
 
 ■Samuel was the second son and the eldest of 
 the three that grew to maturity. His educa- 
 tion was acquired in the public schools, which 
 after the age of thirteen years he attended only 
 
 during the winter terms, his evenings at the 
 same period being occupied in gaining a prac- 
 tical knowledge of mercantile business as a 
 clerk in the general store kept by Seaver & 
 Gale. Later the firm became Cyrus Gale, Jr., 
 & Co. In 1853, at twenty-two years of age, 
 Mr. Wood formed a partnership with Mr. 
 Cyrus Gale, who had become his brother-in- 
 law. The firm of Gale & Wood, dealers in 
 general merchandise, carried on business in 
 Northboro for about eight years; and Mr. 
 Wood, who at the end of that time bought out 
 his partner, subsequently conducted it alone 
 for more than twenty years. His store was the 
 principal one in the village, and under his able 
 management during the Civil War period the 
 books showed an annual trade of from sixty 
 thousand to seventy thousand dollars. Not 
 considering the accumulation of wealth the 
 great end of life, and satisfied with a compe- 
 tency, Mr. Wood in 1884 sold his business to 
 Mr. J. Q. Hatch, and gave himself up to the 
 rational enjoyment of well-earned leisure, seek- 
 ing with his family that cultivation and en- 
 largement of mind and sympathy that comes 
 from travel. With his wife he spent six 
 months in California in 1885; and in 1886 he 
 made a trip to Europe, where he spent one 
 year. He became a director March 6, 1876, 
 of the Northboro National Bank; was made 
 vice-president January 12, 1882; and president 
 June 13, 1888. 
 
 A public-spirited, progressive citizen, deeply 
 interested in the welfare of the town, a man of 
 high moral principles and a strong temperance 
 advocate, his character recommended itself to 
 his fellow-citizens as that of one likely to 
 serve them well in public affairs. He was Se- 
 lectman for two years, and in 1890 was sent as 
 Representative to the General Court, where he 
 served on the committees on Banking and on 
 County Estimates. As chairman of the com- 
 mittee in charge of building the beautiful Gale 
 Public Library of Northboro, he rendered valu- 
 able service to the town, and this he continued 
 to do as a trustee of the Gale & Gassett funds. 
 He was also one of the first Water Commis- 
 sioners, after the water works were established 
 in Northboro. In politics he was always A 
 strong Republican, never having voted any 
 
8i4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 other ticket. He was an active member of the 
 First Congregational (Unitarian) Society, of 
 Northboro, founded in 1746. His death took 
 place September 7, 1898. 
 
 Mr. Wood married, April 22, 1862, Lucre- 
 tia Goodwin Hubbard, a lady of cultivated lit- 
 erary tastes, born in Concord, Mass., daughter 
 of Cyrus and Susanna (Hartwell) Hubbard, 
 and closely related to several of the old and 
 prominent families of that historic town. 
 Mrs. Wood survives her husband. They had 
 one child, who died in infancy. 
 
 (W*EN 
 
 ENERAL JOHN W. KIMBALL, 
 V |ST of Fitchburg, Mass. , State Auditor, 
 was born in this city, February 27, 
 1828. He is a son of Alpheus and Harriet 
 (Stone) Kimball and a direct descendant of 
 Richard Kimball, an Englishman, who em- 
 barked for this country April 10, 1634, in the 
 ship "Elizabeth," after his arrival lived for 
 a short time in Watertown, Mass., and then 
 settled permanently in Ipswich, where he had 
 a grant of. land in February, 1637-8. Rich- 
 ard Kimball was chosen one of seven Select- 
 men of the town of Ipswich in March, 1645- 
 6. Frorn Richard the line of descent is 
 traced through Thomas,^ Thomas, ' Ephraim,'' 
 Ephraim,^ and Ephraim,* to Alpheus,' father 
 of the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Alpheus Kimball was born in Fitchburg, 
 June 26, 1792. He was in business in this 
 city as a merchant, and was engaged in scythe 
 manufacture, establishing the firm of Alpheus 
 Kimball & Sons. Actively interested in poli- 
 tics, he was successively a Whig and a Free 
 Soiler, and cast his vote for Fremont in 1856. 
 He was a member of the Congregational 
 church, and leader of a faction when the 
 church was divided on the slavery question 
 about 1840. Mr. Alpheus Kimball died in 
 1859, aged sixty-seven. His wife, who was 
 a daughter of Luther and Mary (Trowbridge) 
 Stone, of Framingham, Mass., died January 
 5, 1888, aged ninety -seven years and five 
 months. They, had four sons and two daugh- 
 ters, John W. being the youngest of the 
 family. 
 
 John W. Kimball acquired his education in 
 
 the common schools of his native place and 
 at Fitchburg Academy, and was then em- 
 ployed in his father's scythe factory. After 
 his father's death he managed the business in 
 company with his brother William until 1864. 
 Enlisting for service at the time of the Civil 
 War, he was commissioned Captain of Com- 
 pany B, Fifteenth Massachusetts Reginlent. 
 Before leaving the. State he was promoted to 
 be Major of the regiment, and in April, 
 1862, he. was its Lieutenant Colonel. The 
 Fifteenth was attached to the First Brigade, 
 Second Division, Second Corps, Army of the 
 Potomac. In November, 1862, Mr. Kimball 
 was commissioned Colonel of the Fifty-Third 
 Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, and at- 
 tached to the Third Brigade, Third Division, 
 of the Nineteenth Army Corps, Department 
 of the Gulf. He was in action in all the 
 battles of the Peninsular Campaign, at Ball's 
 Bluff, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, and before 
 Richmond. At Antietam three hundred and 
 forty-four out of his regiment — officers and 
 men — were killed, wounded, or missing. 
 The regiment was stationed near Dunker 
 church and monument. At Port Hudson, 
 June 14, 1863, Colonel Kimball was wounded 
 in the thigh. For some time he was pros- 
 trated with malarial fever; and in the winter 
 of 1864 he was superintendent of recruiting 
 in Worcester County. During the winter of 
 i? 1864 he recruited the Fifty - seventh Regi- 
 ment. He was brevetted Brigadier -general, 
 March 13, 1865. 
 
 General Kimball was Tax Collector of 
 Fitchburg from 1865 to 1872, and at the 
 same time was Constable and. a member of the 
 State Police and Police Commissioner. From 
 1873 to 1877 he was United States Pension 
 Agent, and until 1879 he was custodian of 
 the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the 
 Treasury Department at Washington. Ap- 
 pointed Postmaster of Fitchburg by Presi- 
 dent Hayes in 1879, he was in office until 
 1887, being reappointed by President Arthur 
 in 1883. He was elected State Auditor in 
 1891 and entered on his duties in January, 
 1892. He has filled the office in such a sat- 
 isfactory manner that through successive re- 
 elections he has kept the position up to the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8'S 
 
 present time. General Kimball has been a 
 trustee and auditor of the Fitchburg Savings 
 Bank for a number of years. He represented 
 this district in the legislature in the winters 
 of 1864 and 1865 and in 1872, 1888, 1889, 
 1890, and 1891, serving on the Military 
 Committee in 1864 and 1865 and as its chair- 
 man in 1872, on the Finance Committee in 
 1888, on the Railroad Committee in 1889-91 
 and as its chairman in 1890-91. 
 
 In ,1851 he was married to Almira M., 
 daughter of Newell M. Lesure, of Fitchburg. 
 The following children have blessed their 
 union: Emma F., born May 13, 1852; Mary 
 Elizabeth, born May 9, 1854; Edward Frank- 
 lin, born September 25, 1857; and Josephine 
 White, who was born April 28, 1876, and 
 died September 2, 1881. General Kimball 
 was. Captain and Adjutant in the Ninth Regi- 
 ment, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, before 
 the war. After the war he was Engineer on 
 the Staff of Major-General B. F. Butler, 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, from August 
 15, 1870, to April 28, 1876, and Colonel of 
 the Tenth Regiment Infantry Massachusetts 
 Volunteers from August i, 1876, to Septem- 
 ber 21, 1878. He became a member of the 
 Grand Army of the Republic in 1867, joining 
 Edwin V. Sumner Post, No. 19, of Fitchburg. 
 He was elected Commander in 1871, and re- 
 elected in 1872 and 1874; and in 1874 he 
 was Department Commander. He is a mem- 
 ber of Aurora Lodge, F. & A. M.; Thomas 
 R. A. Chapter, in which he has held several 
 of the minor chairs; Jerusalem Commandery, 
 K. T., of which he was two years Eminent 
 Commander, and in which he has held all the 
 offices from Senior Warden up. He is a 
 member of the Fitchburg Grange, No. 186, 
 Patrons of Husbandry, Home Market and 
 Middlesex clubs. 
 
 'ILAS BARBER, formerly a re- 
 spected resident of Worcester, was 
 born in North Worcester, October 
 24, 18 18, a son of Silas Barber. 
 He was educated in a small country school 
 adjoining his home. When twenty-one years 
 of age he became engaged in the boot and 
 
 shoe business on Front Street, where he re- 
 mained for ten years. In 1845 he married 
 and settled in Tempieton, Worcester County, 
 where he carried on a livery business for four 
 years. Owing, however, to the failure of his 
 health he removed to Petersham, where he oc- 
 cupied himself for two years in the cultivation 
 of a. farm. His health not improving, he went 
 to Otter River, Mass., where he remained 
 until his death on September 24, 1874. 
 
 Mr. Barber married Eunice D. Clapp, who 
 was born in Holden, Mass., daughter of David 
 Clapp, a retired farmer and the representative 
 of an old New England family. Their three 
 children are as follows: Frank, who married 
 Susie Reed, and has two children — Ada 
 Barber and Louie Reed Barber; Arthur, un- 
 married, who is engaged in the grocery and 
 provision business; and Isadore, who is fifty 
 years of age and unmarried. Since the death 
 of her husband Mrs. Barber has resided in 
 Worcester, making her home at 25 Court 
 Street. She is now in the seventy-eighth year 
 of her age, but is still strong and vigorous. 
 
 OHN BUSH DEWING, of North 
 Brookfield, Representative of the 
 Fourth Worcester District in the Gen- 
 eral Court, was born here, January 28, 
 1835, son of John Fiskand Harriet (Mathews) 
 Dewing. The first of the Dewing family to 
 settle in North Brookfield was Samuel Dewing, 
 grandfather of Representative Dewing. The 
 father, who was born in North Brookfield, and 
 died in 1865, was a lifelong resident of this 
 place. During the War of 1812 he was 
 drafted, but his company was not called on to 
 serve. He was prominent in local politics 
 and was a stanch Whig. For several years 
 he was Selectman of North Brookfield. His 
 wife, Harriet, a native of Hardwick, Mass., 
 was reared in Brookfield. She was the 
 mother of three children — Lydia D-, John 
 B., and George F. Of these the last named 
 is deceased; while Lydia is the widow of 
 William H. Newton, late of North Brookfield. 
 With the exception of the period during 
 which he attended Pierce Academy in Middle- 
 boro, the lifetime of John Bush Dewing has 
 
8i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 been spent in his native town. His early 
 years were passed on his father's farm in the 
 eastern part of the town, now owned and occu- 
 pied by H. H. Leach. After leaving the 
 public schools he attended Pierce Academy, as 
 already stated, and duly graduated at that 
 institution. Returning to North Brookfield, 
 he then entered the employ of Messrs. Batch- 
 el ler, boot and shoe manufacturers, and for 
 the thirty-seven succeeding years was identi- 
 fied with the interests of this concern. For 
 the last twenty-five years of that time he was 
 the superintendent of the fitting department, 
 having under his charge an average of one 
 hundred workmen, and showing high execu- 
 tive ability and a fine understanding of human 
 nature. This position he resigned on the 
 first day of July, 1894. Having an interest 
 in the North Brookfield Railroad Company, 
 he serves it in the capacities of a director and 
 the treasurer. 
 
 Mr. Dewing has always been actively inter- 
 ested in public affairs. From 1872 to 1882 
 he served as Selectman of the town, and for 
 twelve years he was Registrar of voters. 
 This latter position he resigned in order to 
 accept that of Assessor, in which capacity he 
 is now serving his third term. For ten years 
 he has been the chairman of the Republican 
 Town Committee, and to his vigorous leader- 
 ship the Republicans of the town owe much. 
 At his election to the legislature he received 
 all but twelve of the total number of votes 
 polled, a remarkable recognition of his ser- 
 vices. To be chosen a member of the legis- 
 lature of Massachusetts practically without 
 opposition is an honor seldom conferred, par- 
 ticularly in Worcester County, where the in- 
 terest in party candidates is always lively. 
 Mr. Dewing is a member of the Committee on 
 Agriculture, and has also served on a special 
 committee to investigate and condemn cattle 
 affected with tuberculosis and other diseases. 
 
 On June 2, 1857, Mr. Dewing was married 
 to Lomira C. Thompson, a daughter of the 
 late Joseph W. Thompson, of North Brook- 
 field. By this union he became the father 
 of three children — Marion L., Alfred F., 
 and John W. Marion is the wife of Harry 
 S. Little, of North Brookfield; Alfred is a 
 
 druggist in Providence, R. I. ; and John W. 
 resides in North Brookfield. Mr. Dewing's 
 second marriage was contracted on June 25, 
 1879, with Susan M. Bucklin, a native of 
 Providence, R.I. He has been Justice of the 
 Peace for fifteen years, and he was a trustee 
 of the Free Public Library at North Brook- 
 field. Fraternally, he is a member of the 
 Masonic lodge at North Brookfield, also of 
 the Odd Fellows organization. For the past 
 forty years he has been a member of the First 
 Congregational Society and one of its warm- 
 est supporters, both morally and financially* 
 
 -fgrORACE MANN LOCKE, M.D., a 
 l^J successful medical practitioner of 
 J_l9 I Sturbridge, Mass., is a native of 
 
 ^^"^ Lockeford, Cal. His parents were 
 Dean Hewitt and Delia M. (Hammond) Locke. 
 Dean Hewitt Locke was one of the Califor- 
 nia gold-seekers of 1849. Starting from Bos- 
 ton on April 16, he journeyed overland. He 
 died May 5, 1888. Thirteen children were 
 born to him and his wife, Delia M. Hammond, 
 names and birth dates being as follows : Lu- 
 ther J., April 16, 1856; Ada Cook, December 
 16, 1857; Nathaniel Howard, July 19, 1859; 
 Horace Mann, December 31, i860; Ida L. 
 Parker, April 10, 1862; Mary Moore (de- 
 ceased), April 6, 1864; William W., Novem- 
 ber 19, 1865; Hannah Demgot, November 19, 
 1867; John Calvin, May 30, 1869; Edward 
 Moore, October 30, 1 87 1 ; Eunice Webster, 
 August 13, 1874; George Hammond, October 
 19, 1877; Theresa, Septembers, 1879. 
 
 Horace Mann Locke, the fourth child and 
 special subject of this sketch, received his 
 early education in the schools of San Jose, Cal. 
 In 1 88 1 he entered the Harvard Medical 
 School, from which he received his degree in 
 1886. After a year spent in his California 
 home he returned East, and for three years 
 was a physician in the McLean Asylum, 
 Somerville, Mass. He next opened an office 
 in Brockton, Mass., where he became very 
 popular and successful, serving three years as 
 City Physician, and was elected and served on 
 the Board of Health. In connection with the 
 City Engineer he was influential in securing 
 
HORACE M. LOCKE, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 819 
 
 the superb system of sewerage which the city 
 of Brockton now enjoys. It is what is known 
 as the intermittent downward filtration. He 
 remained in Brockton up to 1895, when he 
 settled in Sturbridge. He has a large and 
 lucrative practice as a regular physician and 
 surgeon. 
 
 On December 12, 1888, Dr. Locke was 
 united in marriage with Eunice Blanchard, 
 who was born in Brockton, July 27, 1862. 
 They have two children : Dean Jewett, born 
 February 14, 1890; and Louise, born June 13, 
 1892. 
 
 Dr. Locke votes the Republican ticket. He 
 is a member of the following organizations : 
 the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Har- 
 vard Medical Alumni Association, the Ameri- 
 can Medical Society of Chicago, and the Mas- 
 sachusetts Emergency Hygienic Society. In 
 1894 he was a member of the Massachusetts 
 Association of Boards of Health. He also 
 belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows and the Improved Order of Red Men. 
 
 |DWIN GRIMES, the proprietor . of the 
 Forest House in Princeton, is a native 
 of Hubbardston, Mass. He was born 
 January 25, 1827, son of Aaron and Sally 
 (Stowe) Grimes, and is of the fourth genera- 
 tion in descent from Joseph Grimes, Sr., the 
 pioneer settler of that town. 
 
 In the History of Hubbardston we find this 
 record: "Joseph Grimes came from Tewks- 
 bury in 1761. He was the first man who 
 came here with the intention of making a 
 permanent settlement." The house lot "re 
 mained in the family till sold to E. M. Cofifin 
 in 1879." 
 
 Joseph Grimes, Jr., born August 9, 1744, 
 was a youth of seventeen when he went to 
 Hubbardston with his father and brothers. 
 He spent the active period of his life in the 
 cultivation of a farm situated in the eastern 
 part of Hubbardston. He died November 19, 
 1834, in his ninety-first year; and his wife 
 died April 22, 1833. They were the parents 
 of ten children, born as follows: Susanna, 
 May 23, 1772; Zepbaniah, March 31, 1774; 
 Attarah, March 18, 1776; Aaron, January 1,4, 
 
 1778; Ruth, April 29, 1780; Asenath, April 
 4, 1782; Betsey, October 28, 1784; Amiable, 
 March 12, 1787; Lucretia, February 17, 1789; 
 and Clarissa, January 28, 1794. 
 
 Aaron Grimes, having succeeded to the 
 homestead, was industriously occupied in 
 farming throughout his active years. Like 
 his father, he survived his ninetieth birthday, 
 his death occurring July 5, 1868. At first 
 a Whig, he later became a Republican. He 
 was an active member of the Congregational 
 church. Sally, his wife, who was a native of 
 Concord, Mass., gave birth to ten children, 
 as follows: Aaron, November 27, 1804; 
 Sophia, January 23, 1806; Otis, September 
 14, 1808; Charles, November 11, 1810; 
 Silas, July 27, 1815; Jarvis, July 5, 1817; 
 Joseph, April 18, 1820; Sarah, October 21, 
 1821; Sewell, August 24, 1824; and Edwin, 
 the subject of this biography. The survivors, 
 besides Edwin, are: Otis, who resides in New 
 York City; and Sewell, a resident of Hub- 
 bardston. The mother died October 28, 1868, 
 aged eighty-six years. 
 
 After beginning his education in the com- 
 mon schools, Edwin Grimes attended the 
 Westminster Academy for one term, paying 
 for his tuition with money he had earned by 
 chopping wood. He resided at home until 
 twenty-one years old, assisting in carrying on 
 the home farm and performing outside work 
 for wages, which were duly given to his 
 father. As a young man, he taught school in 
 Hubbardston and Rutland for a time. He 
 was also otherwise employed for several years, 
 during which he bought his present property 
 in Princeton. Then, returning to the home- 
 stead, he cared for his parents during their 
 last days. In 1869 he settled on his Prince- 
 ton farm, which he has owned since 1853; 
 and, opening the Forest House, he has since 
 given his attention to the entertainment of 
 summer boarders. The house was built for 
 a tavern by one Dr. Wilson, near the close of 
 the last century. With its airy, high-studded 
 rooms, containing old-fashioned fireplaces, and 
 its table well supplied with dairy products and 
 vegetables from the farm, it accommodates 
 about twenty guests. It is situated near the 
 centre of the town, a short diSitance from 
 
820 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 churches, schools, library, post-office, and 
 hotels, and is in close proximity to Mount 
 Wachusett, thus affording splendid opportuni- 
 ties for driving and the enjoyment of beautiful 
 scenery. 
 
 On October 3, 1858, Mr. Grimes was united 
 in marriage with Hannah E. Ferguson, of Bel- 
 fast, Me., who was born April 15, 1833. He 
 has four sons, namely: Albert B., born June 
 30, 1859, who married Mary Wood of Holyoke, 
 is a journalist, and resides in Somerville, 
 Mass. ; E. Lincoln, born November 8, 1864, 
 who married Elizabeth A. Shangraw, of Pitts- 
 ford, Vt., and is a civil engineer, residing in 
 Rutland, Vt. ; Thaddeus S., born October 13, 
 r866, who married Mary M. Jessop of Atlanta, 
 Ga. , is a mechanical engineer^ and resides in 
 Atlanta, Ga. ; and Maurice W., born March 19, 
 1871, who resides in Princeton, and is employed 
 by the Massachusetts Highway Commission as 
 Resident Engineer in the construction of State 
 roads. In politics Mr. Grimes is a Republi- 
 can. He has been Overseer of the Poor for 
 four years in succession, and he has served as 
 Town Clerk since 1886. Both he and Mrs. 
 Grimes are members of the Congregational 
 church, and he serves the society in the capac- 
 ity of Deacon. 
 
 "ON. JEREMIAH GATCHELL, Na- 
 tional Bank Examiner, a prominent 
 resident of Blackstone, Mass., was 
 born in Woonsocket, R. I., July 13, 
 1836, son of John G. and Mary (Warren) 
 Gatchell. He belongs to a family of Eng- 
 lish origin that has been settled in New Eng- 
 land somewhat more than two hundred years. 
 His grandfather was Jeremiah Gatchell, of 
 Marblehead, Mass., who served as a soldier 
 in the Revolutionary War and in the War of 
 18 12, and was afterward lost at sea. His 
 grandmother Gatchell, whose maiden name 
 was Elizabeth Gifford, being left a widow 
 with a large family, went to live in Black- 
 stone, where employment could be found in 
 the mills; and she later removed to Woon- 
 socket. She received a pension from the gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 John G. Gatchell, son of Jeremiah and Eliz- 
 
 abeth, was born in Marblehead in 1813. He 
 settled in Blackstone in 1847, and resided here 
 for the rest of his life. He was for some 
 years engaged in the manufacture of carriages. 
 He was quite active in public affairs, and held 
 several important town offices. He married 
 Mary Worrall, daughter of Ottiwell Worralj, 
 of Dorchester, Mass. Two sons were the fruit 
 of this union, namely: Moses, who entered the 
 service as Captain in the Fifteenth Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteers, and was killed at 
 the battle of Ball's Bluff; and Jeremiah, the 
 subject of this sketch. The father died in Oc- 
 tober, 1897. 
 
 Jeremiah Gatchell obtained his education 
 in the public schools and at the Wilbrahara 
 Academy. When sixteen years old he entered 
 his father's carriage factory, and at the age of 
 twenty was admitted to partnership. The firm 
 of J. G. Gatchell & Son carried on business in 
 Blackstone until 1865. He then engaged in 
 another line of business at East Blackstone 
 in company with Thomas Worrall, and after 
 continuing in that for about three years he 
 sold his interest in order to embark in the 
 manufacture of cotton yarn, in which he car- 
 ried on quite an extensive business fbr four 
 years. At the end of that time he closed his 
 factory. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Gatchell is a Democrat, and 
 was formerly a leading spirit in the public 
 affairs of Blackstone. He was Town Clerk 
 four years, chairman of the Board of Select- 
 men for the same length of time, and Commis- 
 sioner of the Sinking Fund for fifteen yearsi 
 During the years 1874 and 1875 he was a 
 member of the State Senate, serving as chair- 
 man of the Committee on Public Lands in the 
 first session, and in the second being assigned 
 to the same chairmanship, and also to the 
 Committee on Towns. He was appointed 
 Postmaster by President Johnson in 1864, and 
 held office until 1866. In July, 1875, he was 
 appointed Savings Bank Commissioner by 
 Governor Gaston for three years. He was re- 
 appointed by Governors Rice, Long, and 
 Robinson, and resigned to accept his present 
 position of National Bank Examiner, tendered 
 him by Secretary of the Treasury Manning. 
 At the time of his original appointment as 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 821 
 
 Commissioner of Savings Banks he was the 
 only examiner in Massachusetts. During the 
 panic of 1892 he was subject to duty wherever 
 called, and was placed in charge of insolvent 
 banks in New York and New Hampshire. He 
 is still financially interested in business enter- 
 prises in Blackstone, and is treasurer of and a 
 heavy stockholder in the Electric Light Com- 
 pany. He is a member of Blackstone River 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. , and has served as Deputy 
 Grand Master. 
 
 In October, 1855, Mr. Gatchell married for 
 his first wife Rosetta Wood, daughter of 
 Thomas F. Wood, of Woonsocket. The only 
 child of this union died in infancy. His first 
 wife died in 1857; and in September, 1864, he 
 wedded Marietta Stafford, daughter of Christo- 
 pher Stafford, also of Woonsocket. Of this 
 union there is one daughter — Edith, who was 
 born November 23, 1874, is married to W. H. 
 Chase, and resides in Woonsocket. 
 
 1VER JOHNSON, who was known through- 
 out the country as the founder of Iver 
 Johnson's Arms and Cycle Works of 
 Fitchburg, and a manufacturer of fire- 
 arms and police goods, was a native of Nord- 
 fjord, Norway. Born February 14, 1841, he 
 in 1863 settled in Worcester, Mass. Here, 
 eight years after, in partnership with Martin 
 Bye, he hired a small factory on^ Church Street, 
 and began the manufacture of revolvers, doing 
 business under the firm name of Johnson, Bye 
 & Co. In 1873 the business had so increased 
 as to necessitate its removal to larger quarters 
 at 44 Central Street, and in 1875 the firm 
 bought the entire building. Thereafter room 
 after room was added for manufacturing pur- 
 poses until 1881, when the whole edifice was in 
 use. Two years later Mr. Johnson bought out 
 the interest of Martin Bye, arid since then the 
 business has been conducted under the present 
 firm name. 
 
 In 1 88 1 Mr. Johnson established agencies in 
 New York, Boston, and other large cities of 
 the United States; and his goods became 
 known in all sections of the country. Agen- 
 cies were also started in Canada and Mexico. 
 Besides manufacturing fire-arms under their 
 
 own patents, the firm made drop-forgings ; and 
 in 1885 they entered upon the manufacture of 
 bicycles. Mr. Johnson removed to Fitchburg 
 in 1 89 1, purchasing the plant owned by the 
 Walter Haywood Chair Manufacturing Com- 
 pany. At that time the firm had made about 
 one thousand bicycles. The business had been 
 increased, up to 1891, to seven thousand bicy- 
 cles; and now they make fifteen thousand a 
 year, together with a large quantity of fire- 
 arms and single shot - giins, giviiig employ- 
 ment to between seven hundred and eight 
 hundred employees. The Iver Johnson's Arms 
 and Cycle Works comprise five brick build- 
 ings, each as large as an ordinary factory, 
 containing one hundred and fifty thousand feet 
 of floorage. They are equipped with all mod- 
 ern conveniences, including five appliances, 
 heating, and ventilating arrangements, electric 
 lights and bells, speaking tubes, telephones for 
 all departments, elevators, three five-hundred- 
 light dynamos, modern machinery, and tools. 
 They have large wholesale and retail depots in 
 New York, Boston, Worcester, and Fitchburg, 
 with an office and branch in London, England. 
 A skilled force of metallurgists is employed; 
 and there is every facility for testing, both 
 chemically and mechanically. 
 
 Iver Johnson's Arms and Cycles are known 
 throughout the civilized world as "hone'st 
 goods at honest prices," being so named by 
 the dealers. The firm make their own forg- 
 ings ; also their peculiar construction of flush 
 joints, which they originated. It is a funda- 
 mental principle of theirs not to buy any part 
 which can be made within their own factory. 
 Their output of fire - arms and shot - guns is 
 larger than all the small fire-arms manufact- 
 urers in this country combined. The popular- 
 ity of Iver Johnson fire-arms is due to excel- 
 lent workmanship, obtained by long experience, 
 exceptional facilities, and superior ingenuity. 
 
 While living in Worcester, Mr. Johnson was 
 a director of the Sovereign's Co-operative 
 Store and of three co-operative banks of that 
 city, the president of the Equity Co-operative 
 bank for several years, the vice-president of the 
 Home Co-operative Bank, and a charter mem- 
 ber of all three banks. In politics he was a 
 Republican, although he never held public 
 
822 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 office; and he was a close student of economic 
 questions. A member of Worcester Lodge, he 
 was a thirty - second degree Mason and a 
 Shriner. 
 
 He resided in Worcester for a time after 
 moving his business to Fitchburg, but eventu- 
 ally he took up his residence here, selling his 
 Worcester home and severing his connections 
 with that city. 
 
 Mr. Johnson was married in 1869 to Mary 
 Elizabeth Speirs, of Norwich, Conn., who bore 
 him four children : Fred Iver, J. Lovell, Wal- 
 ter O., and Mary L. , all of whom were born in 
 Worcester. Fred I. was educated at the 
 Worcester Academy, and is manager of the 
 estate ; J. Lovell received his education at the 
 Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Bry- 
 ant & Stratton Commercial College, Boston, 
 Mass. ; and Walter O. is at present a student 
 in the mechanical department of the Drexel 
 Institute, Philadelphia. In failing health for 
 some time previously, Mr. Johnson died Au- 
 gust 3, 1895. At this time he was a director 
 of the Fitchburg National Bank, a trustee of 
 the Fitchburg Savings Bank, and the president 
 of the Iver Johnson Sporting Goods Company. 
 
 YgTON. LEDYARD BILL, a prominent 
 r^A and highly esteemed citizen of the 
 Jjg I town of Paxton, is one of the best 
 — ' known men of Worcester County. 
 He was born in 1836 in that part of Groton, 
 Conn., which on the day of his birth was in- 
 corporated as a town, and in honor of the gal- 
 lant colonel who commanded the garrison at 
 Fort Griswold during the Revolution, and there 
 lost his life, received the name of Ledyard. 
 The legislative committee, learning of the op- 
 portune appearance of the young citizen in the 
 new municipality, requested, as a favor to 
 themselves, that he be christened Ledyard Bill. 
 He is of English ancestry, being a lineal 
 descendant of Philip Bill," who is believed to 
 have been a son of John' and Dorothy Bill and 
 a brother of James^ and Thomas^ Bill, all early 
 erriigrants to New England. The family ap- 
 pears to have been closely connected with that 
 of Governor Winthrop. Deane Winthrop and 
 James Bill lived at Fallen Point, now in the 
 
 town of Winthrop. Philip Bill and John Win- 
 throp, Jr., went to Connecticut, locating in 
 Groton, which was the home of a number of 
 generations of one branch of the Bill family, 
 Richard Bill, a descendant of Thomas Bill, son 
 of John and Dorothy, was a business man in 
 Boston and a member of the Governor's Coun- 
 cil of the province for four successive years. 
 He was a firm friend of John Hancock, the 
 patriot. Richard Bill's portrait, after the 
 original by Copley, graces the walls of Mr. 
 Bill's Paxton residence. A copy likewise of 
 the same is to be seen in the State House, 
 Boston. Joshua Bill, the grandfather of Led- 
 yard, was a brave minuteman in the Revolu- 
 tion. He was wounded at the engagement at 
 Fort Griswold. His son Gurdon, Mr. Bill's 
 father, was for many years a teacher, then a 
 merchant, and at a later period a successful 
 farmer of Ledyard, Conn. 
 
 Ledyard Bill grew to man's estate on his 
 father's farm. He first established himself in 
 business as a publisher in Louisville, Ky., 
 where he continued until after the breaking out 
 of- the war of the Rebellion, when on account 
 of the demoralized condition of business he 
 returned North and settled in New York City. 
 He there carried on a successful publishing 
 business until forced to retire from active pur- 
 suits on account of ill health. Since then he 
 has made his home in Paxton, and among the 
 good people of this vicinity has won a place of 
 influence. He is a warm friend of the farmers, 
 and at all times a champion of their rights and 
 privileges. This was especially notable when 
 in 1 89 1, as. a Representative to the General 
 Court from Paxton, he was chairman of the 
 Committee on Agriculture, and worked hard 
 for the passage of the oleomargarine bill, 
 which became a law, largely through his ef- 
 forts. He also defeated the noted "salary 
 grab" of the legislature. In 1894 and 1895, 
 in a district previously Democratic for four 
 years, he was elected as State Senator, the first 
 year by a majority of one thousand, which the 
 next year was increased by five hundred votes, 
 a grand victory for the Republicans and a 
 great compliment to Mr. Bill, who led every 
 other candidate on the ticket. 
 
 Mr. Bill is a man of literary tastes and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 823 
 
 activity, and has published several volumes of 
 interest, among them being "A Winter in 
 Florida," a work on Minnesota, a genealogy 
 of the Bill family, and a history of Paxton. 
 An enthusiastic antiquary, he is a life mem- 
 ber of the New England Historic Genealogical 
 Society; a corresponding member of the Wis- 
 consin Historical Society, of Madison, Wis. ; 
 a life member of the Long Island Historical 
 Society, of Brooklyn, N. Y. ; and a member of 
 the New London Historical Society, of Con- 
 necticut ; and he is president of the Oroskaso 
 Historical Society of Worcester County. He 
 is an honorary member of the American Me- 
 chanics, a Knight of the Essenic Order, and 
 an associate member of the Worcester Post, 
 G. A. R. 
 
 Mr. Bill married Miss Sophie Earle, who 
 was born and bred in Paxton. They have 
 three children, namely: one son, Frederic L. , 
 who was graduated from Amherst College ; and 
 two daughters. Bertha Earle and Lucy S. 
 
 /^JeORGE F. SARGENT, an enterpris- 
 \ 3 I ing boot and shoe dealer of North- 
 ^-^ boro, was born in Hubbardston, 
 Mass., in 1854, son of Sidney H. Sargent. 
 The first ancestor of the family of whom there 
 is any authentic knowledge was William Sar- 
 gent, who was one of the early settlers of 
 Maiden, Mass., and owned a large tract of 
 land in that town. Some of his descendants 
 settled in Lancaster, Mass. It is related 
 that, when the minute-men were marching to 
 Lexington in 1775, they stopped at the Sar- 
 gent homestead for breakfast, and that, while 
 they were partaking of the meal, the women 
 of the house melted the lead clock-weights 
 into bullets. Daniel Sargent, grandfather of 
 the subject of this sketch, was a man of com- 
 manding presence, resided in Hubbardston and 
 Petersham, was in well-to-do circumstances, 
 and lived to be over eighty years old. He 
 served as a Captain in the State militia, was 
 Constable for a number of years, and a chor- 
 ister in church. 
 
 Sidney H. Sargent, one of Daniel's ten 
 children, was born in Hubbardston. When a 
 young man be learned the shoemaker's trade- 
 
 Later he did some contracting, following that 
 business until 1861, when he enlisted in the 
 Thirty-second Regiment, Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteers, joining a company that was com- 
 manded by his warm personal friend, Cap- 
 tain George L. Prescott, of Concord Mass. 
 The Thirty-second was mustered into service 
 at Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, from which 
 point it was transported South; and it entered 
 into active service in Virginia. Sidney H. 
 Sargent remained with his company until com- 
 pletely exhausted by long-continued marching. 
 On one occasion, while lying in his tent, his 
 knapsack was shot from under his head. He 
 was at length taken to the hospital at Alex- 
 andria, where he died in the fall of 1862, and 
 was buried in the cemetery attached to the 
 hospital. His wife, being notified of his seri- 
 ous illness, went on to Alexandria, expecting 
 to find him living, but instead found only his 
 grave. His body, with those of others, has 
 since been transferred, it is said, to the Na- 
 tional Cemetery at Arlington. 
 
 Mr. Sargent married Miss Hannah Rice, 
 daughter of Ralph Rice, of Hubbardston. 
 She was the mother of three children, one of 
 whom died in infancy. The survivors are: 
 Harriet B. ; and George Franklin Sargent, the 
 subject of this sketch. Harriet B. Sargent, 
 who was graduated from the Worcester (Mass.) 
 Normal School and afterward studied abroad, 
 has devoted her life to educational work, and 
 is now teaching at the Penn Charter Institute 
 in Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 George F. Sargent completed his education 
 at the Wilbraham Academy, during which 
 period he taught school winters and one term 
 the following winter. At the age of twenty- 
 one he went West, and was there employed as 
 commercial traveller for two years. After- 
 ward he was connected with the Lake Shore & 
 Michigan Southern Railway for ten years, 
 making his headquarters at Oil City. While 
 residing there he was also engaged in the whole- 
 sale produce business. He retired from the 
 company's service in March, 1889, receiving a 
 most flattering testimonial from the head of 
 the department in shape of a letter commend- 
 atory of his business ability and character, and 
 wishing him success in his new fiejd, Jn 
 
824 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 July, 1889, he came to Northboro and pur- 
 chased the boot and shoe store which he has 
 since successfully conducted. 
 
 Mr. Sargent married Anna E. Clement, 
 daughter of Rufus Clement, of Petersham, 
 and has two children — Rufus Theodore and 
 Ethel Clement. Though not an aspirant to 
 public office, he is keenly alive to the needs 
 and interests of the town, and has taken an 
 active part in its improvement. Besides serv- 
 ing as a member of the Board of Water Com- 
 missioners, he is registrar of the board; and 
 he was on the committee which erected the 
 Gale Public Library. He is connected with 
 the Royal Arcanum, and is a member of the 
 Unitarian church. Mrs. Sargent, who pos- 
 sesses rare intellectual ability, has been a 
 member of the School Board, the secretary of 
 the Northboro Social Club, and a member of 
 the Music Committee of the Unitarian church 
 and of the Reading Circle. 
 
 TT^YRUS H. MENTZER, one of the 
 I V^ best-known residents of Northboro, 
 ^js ^ was born in Sterling, Mass., Janu- 
 ary 23, 1844, son of Cyrus and Mary 
 S. (Fay) Mentzer. His grandfather, Philip 
 Andrew Mentzer, was for many years a pros- 
 perous wheelwright of Westford, Mass. Cyrus 
 was educated in the public schools of North- 
 boro. At the age of eighteen years he enlisted 
 in the Fifty-first Massachusetts Volunteer In- 
 fantry, Colonel A. B. R. Sprague, and served 
 in the Eighteenth Army Corps under General 
 Foster. He was on duty for some time in 
 North Carolina, and afterward at Fortress 
 Monroe. Then he went to Baltimore, from 
 which place he took prisoners to Fort Mc- 
 Henry. After the battle of Gettysburg ~ he 
 went to Harper's Ferry, and was encamped 
 on Maryland Heights. At the expiration of 
 nine months, his term of enlistment, he was 
 honorably discharged, and returned to Massa- 
 chusetts, locating in Northboro. In 1872 he 
 removed to Reading, where he remained four 
 years. Returning to Northboro in 1875, he 
 was here engaged in agricultural pursuits until 
 1893, when he moved to the village and estab- 
 lished himself in the undertaking business, 
 
 which he has since followed successfully. 
 During the past iive years he has had charge of 
 the cemetery, in which he has made many 
 improvements. 
 
 A Republican in politics, Mr. Mentzer has 
 served on the Republican Town Committee 
 and filled various town offices. In 1877, 1878, 
 1879, 1 88 1, 1882, 1883, and 1895 he was a 
 member of the Board of Selectmen, being the 
 chairman for a portion of the time; and for 
 five years he has been the chairman of the 
 Cemetery Committee. He was made a Mason 
 in Reading; and after returning to Northboro 
 he became a member of Houghton Chapter, 
 R. A. M., of Marlboro, and of Trinity Com- 
 mandery, K. T., of Hudson. He was a char- 
 ter member of Joe Johnson Post, G. A. R., of 
 Northboro, and is now a member of Post No. 
 161, of Woburn. His first wife, a lady of 
 Reading, Mass., whose name in maidenhood 
 was Abbie M. Nelson, died in 1875, at the 
 age of twenty-seven years. He contracted a 
 second marriage on June 24, 1885, with Miss 
 Irene P. Harris, of Woburn, Mass. 
 
 EEWIS HENSHAW, a veteran agricult- 
 urist of East Brookfield, son of Baxter 
 _ ^ Henshaw, was born in Brookfield, 
 September 5, 1821. He is a de- 
 scendant of one of the early settlers of this 
 section of Worcester County, his grandfather, 
 Joshua Henshaw, having located here when a 
 young man, and having afterward contributed 
 his full share toward the upbuilding of the 
 town which was to be his permanent home. 
 The father, who spent his entire life in Brook- 
 field, was for many years one of its leading 
 citizens. He adhered through life to the 
 occupation in which he was reared, and was 
 recognized as a skilful agriculturist. Inter- 
 ested in all matters pertaining to the welfare 
 of the town and county, he was a most desir- 
 able official, and for several years served as 
 Selectman. He married Lovisa Adams, also 
 of Brookfield. Of their children, the survivors 
 are: Melinda, the widow of James Howland, 
 late of this town ; Lewis, the subject of this 
 sketch; Louisa A., the wife of George Ken- 
 drick, of West Brookfield; Charles R., of 
 
im 
 
 CYRUS H. MENTZER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 827 
 
 Brookfield; and Lucy E., the widow of the 
 late William Pierce, of this town. The de- 
 ceased children were: Elbridge, Loring, and 
 George. 
 
 Lewis Henshaw had what regular schooling 
 the neighborhood afforded, a few weeks each 
 winter at the little red school -house. The 
 knowledge there obtained he supplemented by 
 reading and by practical experience. On 
 reaching man's estate he left the parental 
 homestead to begin the battle of life for him- 
 self. For two years he worked as a farm 
 laborer. Then he turned his attention to 
 shoemaking, which he followed continuously 
 for a number of years. Soon after his mar- 
 riage he purchased his present farm of one 
 hundred acres in East Brookfield, where he has 
 been successfully engaged in general farming, 
 including, to some extent, lumbering, dairying, 
 and stock-raising. An unswerving Republi- 
 can in politics, he has faithfully served his 
 town as Selectman, besides which he has held 
 many offices of minor importance, and on sev- 
 eral occasions has acted as juryman. When 
 a boy of ten years he became actively inter- 
 ested in the temperance cause, of which he has 
 since been ^n ardent advocate. He takes a 
 pardonable pride in the fact that he has never 
 tasted spirituous liquors. 
 
 On October 23, 1845, Mr. Henshaw married 
 Ciarinda W., daughter of Welcome. Wood, of 
 Brookfield, Mass. He has had three children, 
 namely: Royal L. , now of New York City; 
 Lovisa M., who is now the wife of Charles 
 Varney, and has four children — Florence A., 
 Leah B., Charles R., and Raymond L. ; and a 
 babe, who is now deceased. 
 
 kOSES DUDLEY OILMAN, a 
 Civil War veteran and an esteemed 
 resident of Worcester, was born 
 in Canada, May 23, 1846. A 
 son of Roswel] M. Oilman, who was born in 
 Canada in 1823, he is a grandson of Moses 
 Oilman, a native of Oilmanton, N. H., who 
 settled in the Dominion. Moses Oilman had 
 four sons and three daughters. Two of the 
 latter are living. Roswell M. Oilman, who 
 was a farmer, spent his last days in Auburn, 
 
 Mass., where he died in 1870. He married a 
 Miss Heath, a native of Canada, both of whose 
 parents belonged to the United States. She 
 became the mother of six children, three of 
 whom are living, namely: Moses D. , the sub- 
 ject of this sketch ; Helen, the wife of E. D. 
 Oleason, of Worcester; and Chandler 0., of 
 this city. Another son, Albert L. Oilman, 
 who was a carriage-maker in Worcester, died 
 in August, 1896, leaving a widow. He had 
 two children : Jennie, who married Manley 
 Pendleton, and died in 1883; and Mary, who 
 married Henry Walker, and died in North 
 Adams, Mass., in 1894. Chandler O. Oil- 
 man is now conducting the business on 
 Thomas Street formerly carried on by his 
 brother, Albert L. 
 
 Moses Dudley Oilman received a common- 
 school education. At the age of ten years he 
 began to make himself useful upon his father's 
 farm, and continued in that occupation until 
 the fall of 1864. Then he enlisted in Com- 
 pany M, Third Massachusetts Volunteer Cav- 
 alry, for nine months. He served in the Civil 
 War until its close, and after the Orand Re- 
 view in Washington his regiment was sent 
 West to the Indian country, where he re- 
 mained until mustered out. After his return 
 he learned the confectionery business with 
 L. R. Hudson, for whom he had previously 
 driven a team, and remained with him for six 
 years. In 1873 be purchased the business, 
 and thereafter carried it on successfully for 
 twenty years. Then he sold out to F. E. 
 Young and retired. He owns some valuable 
 real estate. In 1896 he completed the erec- 
 tion of a fine business block, seventy by one 
 hundred and twenty feet, at the corner of Main 
 and Thomas Streets. He was a member of the 
 Common Council for four years, of the Board 
 of Aldermen for three years, and a Represent- 
 ative to the legislature for two years. His 
 public services have made him a well-known 
 figure in local affairs. Politically, he is a 
 Republican. 
 
 On January 9, 1870, Mr. Oilman married 
 Amelia S. Burgess, of this city, a daughter of 
 A Ivan T. Burgess. He has had three chil- 
 dren, namely: Terry Burgess Oilman, who 
 died at the age of three years and eight 
 
828 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 months ; Sadie, who died at the age of eleven 
 years; and Amelia, who was born May i6, 
 1891. Mr. Gilman is a thirty-second degree 
 Mason, a member of the Knights of Pythias, 
 and a comrade of the Grand Army of the Re- 
 public. For three years he was a trustee of 
 the Mechanics' Association; and he is an ex- 
 president of the Sportsman Club, of which he 
 has been a member for twenty years. He has 
 resided at 45 Prospect Street since 1881. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Gilman are members of the parish of 
 the Universal ist church. 
 
 (gTvLANSON GIBSON HINDS, for more 
 tjA than thirty years connected with the 
 /J|j,\ leading boot and shoe manufactories 
 ^~^ of Worcester, Mass., died at his 
 home in this city, November 11, 1894. Born 
 in Hubbardston, Mass., February 26, 181 2, 
 son of Calvin and Susie (Clark) Hinds, both 
 natives of that town, he was a lineal descend- 
 ant of James Hinds, who came from England 
 in 1637, and, settling at Salem, Mass., was 
 enrolled as freeman and received a grant of 
 land in 1638. 
 
 When Alanson was nine years of age his 
 mother died, leaving her husband and eight 
 children. The family were soon scattered, 
 and during the years directly following Alan- 
 son lived successively in Barre, Hubbardston, 
 and New Braintree, Mass. In those days girls 
 and boys had to work, and he was no exception 
 to the rule. As he often remarked in remi- 
 niscence, "all that could be gotten out of chil- 
 dren was considered clear gain." He was 
 kept constantly busy with farm work except 
 a few weeks in the winter, when he attended 
 the district school. To be able to "figger" 
 through the "Rule of Three" was considered 
 education enough. When about twenty years 
 of age he went to Brookfield, Mass., and 
 learned the tanner's and currier's trade, one of 
 the best trades of the day. In April, 1833, he 
 settled in Grafton, Mass. , working at his trade 
 for a time, later making himself conversant 
 with all branches of boot and shoe making. 
 With the exception of bottoming, he could 
 take the raw hide and bring it to completion in 
 the well-made boot or shoe, 
 
 Desirous of engaging in business on his own 
 account in the forties, he established a boot 
 and shoe factory in Grafton, Mass., and with 
 competent assistants in his shop founded a suc- 
 cessful business, and won an excellent reputa- 
 tion for substantial and durable goods. He 
 became known throughout the community as a 
 man of honest integrity, whose word was as 
 good as his bond, he being scrupulously up- 
 right in all his transactions and held in high 
 regard by his employees. Boston was the 
 centre of trade, buyers coming there from far 
 and near; and the most of his goods were sold 
 in that city. In the fifties he opened a store 
 in Dubuque, la. , spending a part of the year 
 riding over the prairies to sell goods. In the 
 financial crisis of 1857, when it was impos- 
 sible to get. money from the banks, and pay- 
 ments were not made, he was obliged to 
 become insolvent, with assets more than lia- 
 bilities, could they have been collected. He 
 deemed it wise to avoid risks during the sub- 
 sequent hard times. In April, 1863, he lo- 
 cated in Worcester, Mass., which was a centre 
 for boot and shoe trade. He was engaged 
 with the leading manufactories, including the 
 Walkers — father and sons — J. H. Walker, 
 E. N. Chi Ids, S. R. Heywood, and others, 
 utilizing his practical knowledge to their ad- 
 vantage, continuing in this line until his re- 
 tirement' from business at eighty years of age. 
 He was not an "old man " : for over fifty years 
 he employed a doctor but once. He attributed 
 his excellent health to temperate habits, mak- 
 ing no use of tobacco. A stanch supporter of 
 the Republican party, he was interested in the 
 political and moral problems of the day and in 
 all progressive thought. He was a devoted 
 member of the Unitarian church in Grafton 
 thirty years, and afterward of the Church of 
 the Unity in Worcester, rarely missing a ser- 
 vice for a quarter of a century. He was quiet 
 and domestic in his tastes, enjoying to the ut- 
 most the comforts of his pleasant and hospita- 
 ble home, appreciating refinement wherever 
 found, in lives, in books, in music. At an 
 early age he taught himself to play the clari- 
 net, and for years he was considered the best 
 clarinet player in this part of the country. He 
 played in church thirty year-s, and also for 
 
BIOGRAPHIGAL REVIEW 
 
 829 
 
 dancing. This, with the exception of an oc- 
 casional concert given by the old Mozart So- 
 ciety in the old City Hall, was as far as music 
 had then advanced in Worcester. The coming 
 of Theodore Thomas with his orchestra in the 
 seventies, and of the Boston Symphony in later 
 years, were sources of great satisfaction to 
 him. 
 
 Mr. Hinds was married October 4, 1838, to 
 Dianthia R. McKnight, of Grafton. She was 
 born in Sutton, Mass., a daughter of Reuben 
 and Sarah (Dudley) McKnight. Her grand- 
 father, Thomas McKnight, came to this coun- 
 try from England with the British army during 
 the Revolutionary War. His sympathy being 
 shortly enlisted in behalf of the struggling 
 colonists, he boldly and deliberately deserted, 
 and after many hardships and narrow escapes 
 from his pursuers he succeeded in joining the 
 American forces. He fought for independence 
 until the close of the war. He settled in 
 Dudley, Mass. He married Annie Stewart, 
 who was the mother of twenty-seven children, 
 twenty-four of whom lived. Reuben was the 
 youngest. The eldest sons were among the 
 early settlers of Montpelier, Vt. The chil- 
 dren of Mr. and Mrs. Hinds were: Harriet E., 
 who died October 7, 1878; Ednah A., who 
 died in April, 1857; and Fannie A. 
 
 At the close of Mr. Hinds's life it was 
 remarked by friends who had known him for 
 feany years that they did not think he had an 
 enemy, or that knowingly he had ever cheated 
 a person out of a cent. He placed his ideals 
 high, and sought to reach them. Such lives 
 are the salt that sweetens the earth. 
 
 YgTENRY THEODORE CHEEVER, 
 1-^ D. D., for many years a well-known 
 Jjs I and highly esteemed resident of 
 ^"^ Worcester, Mass., was born in Hal- 
 lowell. Me., on February 6, 18 14, his parents 
 being Nathaniel and Charlotte (Barrell) 
 Cheever. He prepared for college at Hallo- 
 well Academy and at Phillips Academy, An- 
 dover. Entering Bowdoin College in the class 
 of 1834, he soon showed himself a painstaking 
 student, possessed of natural abilities of a 
 high order. At his graduation in 1834 he 
 
 ranked among the first in his class. The next 
 year, 1834-35, he was a student at Andover 
 Theological Seminary, and after that he went 
 abroad, visiting France and Spain, spending 
 several months with his uncle, George Bar- 
 rell, Consul at Malaga, and at the same time 
 writing home letters to the New York Evange- 
 list. Returning to the United States, he re- 
 ceived an appointment as teacher at Plaquemine, 
 La., and subsequently in New Orleans. He 
 completed his course in theology at Bangor 
 Seminary. Remaining in Bangor as a resident 
 graduate, he supplied the church at Old Town, 
 Me., 1839-40; but, his health failing on ac- 
 count of his excessive labors during a season of 
 revival at Old Town, he voyaged to South 
 America and around Cape Horn, going as far 
 as the Sandwich Islands. Foreign travel at 
 that time was far less common than it is 
 to-day, and much novel, interesting, and val- 
 uable information was collected by him and 
 was incorporated in his letters to the Evan- 
 gelist. 
 
 On June 4, 1847, Dr. Cheever received his 
 ordination at Lodi, N.J., and during the year 
 following was pastor of the church there. 
 From 1848 to 1849 he was pastor of the Free 
 Congregational Church on Chrystie Street, 
 New York City, and then until 1852 was 
 assistant editor of the New York Evangelist. 
 His subsequent pastorates were at Greenport, 
 L. I., 1852-55; at Westbrook, Conn. 1855-56; 
 at Jewett City, Conn., 1856-61; at South 
 Royalston, Mass., 1862-63; at Fitchburg, 
 Mass., of the Trinitarian church, 1863-64; 
 and at Worcester, Mass., over the Mission 
 Chapel Church, 1864-73. He was secretary 
 of the Church Anti-slavery Society from its 
 origin in 1859 to its close in 1864. Subse- 
 quent to this. Dr. Cheever resided in Worces- 
 ter, but was not settled over any church. The 
 degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on 
 him by Bowdoin College in 1892. 
 
 He has claims to remembrance as a man of 
 letters. Besides his voluminous writings as a 
 newspaper correspondent, he published a large 
 number of books, among which may be men- 
 tioned the following: "The Whale and his 
 Captors," "The Island World of the Pa- 
 cific," "Memorials of Nathaniel Cheever, 
 
830 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 M.D.," "Short Yarns for Long Voyages," 
 two books of the life and literary remains of 
 Chaplain Walter Colton of the United States 
 navy, "The Pulpit and the Pew," "Way- 
 marks in the Moral War with Slavery. ' ' 
 
 Dr. Cheever died of old age at Worcester, 
 Mass., on February 13, 1897, being in his 
 eighty-fourth year. The Worcester Spy says 
 of him : — 
 
 "Like his brother, the late Dr. George B. 
 Cheever, the Rev. Dr. Cheever was one of the 
 pioneers in the old anti-slavery agitation and 
 in the warfare against intemperance and the 
 liquor traffic. On almost all subjects of social 
 reform he held radical views, and was per- 
 sistent in his convictions and earnest in their 
 expression. He was a firm and generous sup- 
 porter of Christian education, a devoted friend 
 of missions at home and abroad, a kind and 
 ever-ready helper of the needy and friendless, 
 and an advocate of every good cause. " 
 
 Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, LL. D., who had a 
 lifelong and intimate acquaintance and friend- 
 ship with Dr. Cheever, wrote of him as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 "First, he had perfect honesty of conviction. 
 There never was a nature more full of the at- 
 tribute of honesty than his. He believed 
 honestly, he acted honestly; and he often 
 wondered that others could think and act 
 differently, and especially that I, his old 
 friend, should so far differ from him. But 
 this brought to view one of his golden excel- 
 lencies. He never showed the least sign of 
 personal resentment toward those who opposed 
 him, even if they treated him abusingly. . . . 
 He always had, what has nearly perished out of 
 our times, a burning indignation at oppression, 
 injustice, and cruelty, wherever exercised. . . . 
 But he had a brave spirit. He had a cheerful 
 and serene confidence in the ultimate triumph 
 of truth and right. ' ' 
 
 In his theological views Dr. Cheever was 
 broad and charitable. A man of ardent and 
 deeply religious temperament, he was keenly 
 alive to the interests of the church and to the 
 advancement of Christian principles. For 
 many years he was a member of the Central 
 Church. Dr. Merriman, pastor of that church, 
 spoke of him as having "a big, loving heart, 
 
 tenderly sympathetic with all suffering, in- 
 capable of resentment, full of generous human- 
 ity, singularly reverent and open to divine 
 fellowship, loyal, direct, affectionate." 
 
 Dr. Cheever was married on April 27, 1857, 
 to Jane Tyler, of Jewett City, Conn., daughter 
 of Dr. Lucius and Olive (Johnson) Tyler. 
 Mrs. Cheever died on July 9, 1885. Of her 
 five daughters, four are living, one of these 
 being the wife of President Tucker of Dart- 
 mouth College. 
 
 AMES H. SANDERS, one of the 
 founders of the Southbridge Printing 
 Company and superintendent of the 
 works, was born in Crompton, R.I., 
 December 29, 1851, son of James and Mar- 
 garet (Henry) Sanders. His father, who was 
 born in Lancaster, England, in 181 1, learned 
 the trade of a dyer or color mixer. Emigrat- 
 ing to the United States in 1843, James San- 
 ders settled in the State of Rhode Island, 
 where he followed the business of a color 
 mixer in printing factories until 1850. He 
 then engaged in the cotton printing business, 
 which he followed for the rest of his active 
 period. His death occurred when he had at- 
 tained the age of seventy-two years. His 
 wife was a native of Lancaster. Further ref- 
 erence to James and Margaret Sandei-S may be 
 found in a sketch of Thomas Sanders, which 
 appears elsewhere in the Review. 
 
 James H. Sanders was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools and at East Greenwich (R-.I.) 
 Academy. Having learned color mixing, he 
 and his brother Thomas engaged in the cotton 
 printing business at Sandersdale, near South- 
 bridge, about 1874; and since the incorpora- 
 tion of the concern as the Southbridge Print- 
 ing Company in 1884 he has occupied the t-e- 
 sponsible position of superintendent of the 
 works. 
 
 On January 8, 1879, Mr; Sanders was 
 united in marriage with Louise M. Hawley, 
 daughter of John S. and Mary M. (Malcolm) 
 Hawley, the ceremony taking place in Illi- 
 nois. Mrs. Sanders is a descendant of Israel 
 Hawley, one of four brothers, who arrived 
 from England at an early date in the Colonial 
 
JAAIKo II. SAxXUERS 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 833 
 
 period; and her great-grandfather, Samuel 
 Hawley, served as a soldier in the war for in- 
 dependence. Mr. and Mrs. Sanders have had 
 two children, namely: Mary Louise, born Ij^o- 
 vember 16, 1879, who was educated at the 
 Lasell Seminary, and is now studying at a 
 conservatory of music in Boston; and Ruth 
 Hawley Sanders, who was born November 5, 
 1893. 
 
 Mr. Sanders is a member of Phoenix Coun- 
 cil, Royal Arcanum; Armor Lodge, No. 87, 
 Knights of Pythias; and Optic Lodge, An- 
 cient Order of United Workmen. He at- 
 tends the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 'OHN W. KNIBBS was born in the 
 historic town of Hargrave, Northamp- 
 tonshire, England, in 1854. His par- 
 ents, Charles Lewis and Betsey (Wills) 
 Knibbs, the former of Alconbury, Hunting- 
 tonshire, England, were sturdy, unpretentious, 
 yet highly respectable people. His father was 
 a landscape gardener and an expert in the rais- 
 ing of fine vegetables. The father's chief 
 endowment to his son was his own hardy char- 
 acteristics; while from his mother, who was 
 of Welsh descent, the lad inherited keen 
 Celtic perceptions. 
 
 At the early age of twelve years John took 
 the first step in his business career, and be- 
 came an apprentice in a baker's shop. He 
 served in this capacity until he was fourteen 
 years old, when he advanced to the position of 
 baker, performing a man's work and receiving 
 a man's wages. These were, indeed, years of 
 toil and struggle for the boy. His duties 
 were arduous, and his hours of labor from four 
 o'clock in the morning till late at night. Yet, 
 nothing daunted, he applied himself earnestly 
 and worked with all his might, and at length 
 his patience and quiet determination brought 
 their reward. By the time he was fifteen he 
 had a boy under him as apprentice. The 
 bakery became noted for its excellence, and its 
 trade was doubled within a few months. 
 
 Now comes an important period, a turning- 
 point in the life of Knibbs. Misfortune hav- 
 ing overtaken his father, the youth gave all his 
 earnings to his parents. The family contem- 
 
 plated coming to America and making a horrie 
 here. The baker offered young Knibbs one- 
 half the business profits to remain in his 
 employ; but he declined, and in May, 1871, 
 started for this country in company with his 
 father, mother, and sister. 
 
 The family landed at Boston in early June; 
 and young Knibbs, then sixteen years of age, 
 soon after made his way to Worcester. Here 
 he worked at farming for General W. S. Lin- 
 coln, and later he worked on Jonathan Chapin's 
 farm in Holden. Afterward he came into the 
 employ of Calvin Taft, a retired merchant, and 
 cared for that gentleman's horses and grounds. 
 Knibbs remained on the Taft estate eight 
 years, retaining a position which twelve differ- 
 ent men had previously failed to hold. This 
 place was more to his liking than any he had 
 had before. Although faithful to all his 
 trusts, he took the most pleasure in caring for 
 the horses. Mr. Taft noted with satisfaction 
 his devotion to duty, and came to esteem him 
 very highly. He gradually gave Knibbs more 
 and more option in the work as his own health 
 declined, and during his final sickness John 
 Knibbs was his trusted personal attendant. 
 
 At the time of Mr. Taft's death, June 17, 
 1881, Mr. Knibbs possessed a neat little sum 
 of money ; for he had been saving at least two- 
 thirds of his income for several years. With 
 this capital he built a brick and stone stable 
 on Barton Place, and started a general livery, 
 feed, and boarding stable. He had married 
 Miss Etta E. Hill, and he now took his father- 
 in-law in business with him as a partner. 
 This partnership was dissolved in about one 
 year. W. M. Johnson was partner to Mr. 
 Knibbs from 1883 to 1889, when he retired. 
 
 The choice Mr. Knibbs made in establish- 
 ing himself in this particular business was a 
 happy one. His old love of horses had devel- 
 oped into positive enthusiasm, and he threw 
 all his energies into his work. Success 
 crowned his efforts, and he began to reap the 
 results of his well-laid plans. Soon he be- 
 came known as a prompt and reliable business 
 man and the best judge of horses in Central 
 Massachusetts. In 1883 Mr. Knibbs began 
 the breeding of horses. His noted stud horse, 
 I Governor Benton, is now the head of a large 
 
834 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 family of fast, sound, and reliable trade horses. 
 They are also good roadsters and animals of 
 excellent blood, full of true speed and good 
 disposition, and known among horsemen for 
 their soundness in wind and limb and in every 
 particular. Mr. Knibbs has offered voluntary 
 prizes for the fastest colts sired by Governor 
 Benton. 
 
 Mr. Knibbs has been treasurer of the 
 Worcester Trotting Association ever since it 
 was organized, which fact alone is evidence 
 enough of the confidence placed in the man by 
 all who know him. He is a contributor to 
 several trade journals of the equine world, and 
 writes in an easy, flowing style. His com- 
 ments and articles are always interesting and 
 widely read. Mr. Knibbs held a United States 
 contract for the transportation of mails from 
 the depot to the post-office for six years, and 
 since 1889 his 'bus has accommodated the 
 public. 
 
 Mr. Knibbs is a useful and esteemed citizen. 
 Active and alert, genial with his friends, 
 ready and fluent in speech, delighting to hear 
 or tell a good story, he is especially popular 
 with horsemen, and his stable is a favorite ren- 
 dezvous of those who love the noble animal. 
 Mr. Knibbs is the same man at home that he is 
 elsewhere. He and his wife are truly united. 
 Their marriage has been blessed with three 
 children. 
 
 The business carried on by Mr. Knibbs has 
 been prosperous and profitable. He has ac- 
 cumulated within a very few years a comfort- 
 able property, and owns the buildings and land 
 occupied by his business. He has also in- 
 vested in other real estate, and possesses a val- 
 uable residence block on Chatham Street. In 
 March, 1890, he became proprietor of the 
 storage warerooms at 6 Barton Place and 10 
 Mason Street and the concern known as the 
 Metropolitan Storage and Loan Company, 
 J. H. Dickie manager. It has been well said 
 of this company that they have supplied a long- 
 felt want, supplying model accommodations for 
 storing furniture, works of art, pianos, car- 
 riages, and other articles of value at reasonable 
 rates. The large measure of success Mr. 
 Knibbs has achieved has been entirely by his 
 own efforts. He began with nothing but 
 
 nature's legacy. Almost without the rudi- 
 ments of an education and scarcely knowing 
 the pleasure and freedom of boyhood, he com- 
 menced his struggle with the world. The 
 difficulties he encountered seemed only to de- 
 velop his resources, strengthen his courage, 
 and fire his ambition. The careful perform- 
 ance of each day's work, with a hope ever 
 before him for something better, led him on 
 from one achievement to another; and to-day 
 the people of Worcester look upon him with 
 mingled feelings of pride and respect, as they 
 say to themselves, "Here, indeed, is a self- 
 made man." 
 
 T^TERMANN F. A. LANGE, a leading 
 l-^J florist of Worcester, was born in 
 lis I Hamburg, Germany, May 11, 1847. 
 
 ^""^ His father, Johan Heinrich Carl 
 Lange, who was born in Mecklenburg, Ger- 
 many, was a market-gardener and florist, carry- 
 ing on business in Hamm, a large village 
 about two miles east of Hamburg. His 
 mother, in maidenhood Anna Harms Menck, 
 of Hanover, had two children : Hermann F. 
 A., the subject of this sketch; and Henrietta, 
 who became the wife of Amandus Piinger, and 
 is now the mother of five children. 
 
 After graduating from one of the German 
 common schools when only thirteen years old, 
 Hermann F. A. Lange became apprenticed to 
 a firm of gardeners for a term of seven years. 
 Having acquired proficiency in the art quicker 
 than was usual, he graduated with honors in 
 five years, and received his diploma as a pro- 
 fessional florist. Subsequently, resolving to 
 follow his trade in America, he went to Liver- 
 pool, England, from which port he sailed for 
 New York on Christmas Eve, 1866. After 
 so long and rough a voyage that the vessel was 
 reported lost, it finally reached New York in 
 safety about the middle of January, 1867. 
 
 In the same year Mr. Lange came to Worces- 
 ter to take charge of the conservatory of Dr. 
 Benjamin F. Hey wood. Within three years 
 he was admitted as a partner in the concern, 
 and he subsequently managed the business suc- 
 cessfully till 1877. He then leased the prem- 
 ises upon his own account, and conducted the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 83s 
 
 establishment until 1882. In that year he 
 purchased seven acres of land at Grant Square, 
 of which before the end of the first year he 
 had put five thousand feet under glass be- 
 sides erecting a substantial residence. At 
 the present time he owns fourteen acres of 
 land and thirty greenhouses, besides several 
 dwelling-houses. For the past twenty years 
 he has conducted a store on Main Street, 
 Worcester. He makes a specialty of cut 
 flowers, of which he has the largest and finest 
 display in the city. He also keeps a great 
 variety of flowering and ornamental plants, and 
 is particularly proud of his carnations, chrys- 
 anthemums, roses, and violets, which are the 
 chief features of his conservatories. An idea 
 of the growth of his business may be obtained 
 from the fact that the first hot-house at Dr. 
 Heywood's was ten feet wide and fifty long, 
 while the many that Mr. Lange now owns are 
 twenty by a hundred and fifty feet each. His 
 two acres of greenhouses are heated by steam 
 generated in two immense boilers, needing 
 over four hundred tons of coal annually, and 
 he gives employment to about twenty men. 
 
 On September 15, 1870, Mr. Lange was 
 married in Worcester to Lena Mayberger, who 
 was born in Northampton, Mass. She died 
 January 7, 1897, leaving two sons — Albert H. 
 and Carl C. The former received his educa- 
 tion in the high school and at Worcester Acad- 
 emy. Having left the latter institution at the 
 age of sixteen years, he has since become the 
 manager of his father's business. With a 
 natural aptitude for the florist's business, he 
 has been a most successful grower. He mar- 
 ried Sarah Drennan, a daughter of Colonel 
 James M. Drennan, City Marshal of Worces- 
 ter, and now has two children: Hermann 
 F. A. Lange, aged three years; and Helen 
 Frances, aged two. Carl C. Lange is also em- 
 ployed in floriculture. Mr. Lange, Sr. , is a 
 trustee of the Worcester County Horticultural 
 Society and a member of the Worcester Agri- 
 cultural Society. An esteemed Free Mason, 
 he belongs to the Blue Lodge, Lawrence Chap- 
 ter (Rose Croix), and to Worcester (County) 
 Commandery, K. T. He is also one of the 
 oldest members of the Royal Arcanum, Lodge 
 No. 12; is a charter member of the Worcester 
 
 Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of 
 Elks; and belongs to Einigkeit Lodge, 
 D. O. H. Like so many of his countrymen, 
 he possesses musical tastes, and is a member 
 of the Frohsinn Singing Society. Relig- 
 iously, he is by heritage a Lutheran. Mr. 
 Lange is an intense lover of Nature; and his 
 knowledge of her has been increased, and his 
 mental horizon widened, by close observation 
 and study during extensive travels in this 
 country. 
 
 OHN C. HOWE was a noted machinist 
 and inventor. Born in Northboro, 
 Mass., in 1820, he was a son of 
 Stephen and Patty (Stowe) Howe. 
 The Howes have resided in Worcester County 
 for several generations. Stephen Howe, who 
 cultivated a farm in Northboro, was quite 
 prominently identified with the public affairs 
 of that town. 
 
 By attending the common schools for the 
 usual period John C. Howe acquired a good 
 practical education. In his boyhood he aided 
 his father upon the homestead farm. When 
 old enough to begin life for himself, he went 
 to Springfield, Mass., and served an appren- 
 ticeship at the gunsmith's trade, also becom- 
 ing an able machinist. Coming to Worcester 
 in the forties, he began work for Ethan Allen 
 in the manufacture of firearms. Here his su- 
 perior skill asserted itself from the first. 
 Even in his younger days, as a journeyman, he 
 was able to complete without assistance any of 
 the parts of a gun or pistol or any machine or 
 tool required in their manufacture. Some 
 time later the stories of easily acquired wealth 
 attracted him to California. This was in the 
 early days of the gold excitement. He soon 
 returned East, and re-entered the employ of 
 Ethan Allen. In the course of time he pro- 
 duced several inventions that were utilized by 
 his employer, acquiring local fame as a me- 
 chanic and a national notoriety as an in- 
 ventor. In 1864 he devised an improved 
 cartridge that was adopted by the United 
 States government in 1868, and used by the 
 War Department for several years. He also 
 invented a labor-saving machine for making 
 
836 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 brick, an improved roller skate, and a breech- 
 loading gun. His last notable achievment was 
 an improved air-gun. Like most inventors, 
 his business ability was vastly inferior to his 
 genius, making it possible for others to reap 
 the profits of his labor. His gun patent was 
 secured by the Smith & Wesson Company at a 
 nominal price. Although his improved cart- 
 ridge was manufactured and used for years by 
 the United States government, for some unac- 
 countable reason it refused to remunerate 
 him. He, however, prosecuted his claim with, 
 such vigor and persistency as to secure a judg- 
 ment against the government in 1884; but 
 Congress failed to appropriate the sum 
 awarded him until some six years after his; 
 death. He was therefore obliged to continue; 
 to labor even in old age, becoming employed 
 for some time as an expert gunsmith in Hart- 
 ford, Conn. His last days were spent in 
 Worcester, where he died August 19, 1892. 
 
 Mr. Howe married for his first wife Mary 
 Bartlett, of Marlboro, Mass., who died leav- 
 ing three children — Frank H., Ellen F., and 
 Mary J. His second marriage was with 
 Aunie Grout, of Ashland, Mass., who is no 
 longer living. She had one son, Orrin C. 
 Mr. Howe's daughter, Ellen F., married 
 Henry M. Pressey, the general yard-master of 
 the Boston & Albany Railroad freight depart- 
 ment in this city. She has three children, 
 namely: Ida G., who is now the wife of 
 Robert Moore, of Worcester, and has one 
 daughter, Gertrude F. ; Cora B. ; and Mabel 
 F. Pressey. Mrs. Pressey recently received 
 the sum of sixty-six thousand, nine hundred 
 and seven dollars, which was appropriated at 
 the last session of Congress to satisfy the 
 judgment awarded her father. 
 
 /^TeORGE chandler, M.D., for- 
 V ST merly an able physician and promi- 
 ^^^-'^ nent citizen of Worcester, was born 
 in Pomfret, Conn., April 28, 1806, son of 
 John W. and Mary (Stedman) Chandler. He 
 was a descendant in the sixth generation of 
 William Chandler, who settled in Roxbury, 
 Mass., in 1637. The intervening ancestors 
 were: John, Joseph, and Peter. The last 
 
 named was his grandfather. His father was a 
 farmer. 
 
 George Chandler resided at home until 
 seventeen years old, acquiring his elementary 
 education at the district school, which he at- 
 tended during the winter. Subsequently he 
 studied in academies at Dudley and Leices- 
 ter, Mass., and at Woodstock, Conn.; and he 
 was at Brown University for two years, teach- 
 ing school in Westboro, Mass., during the 
 winter vacations. Then he entered Union 
 College, Schenectady, N.Y., after passing a 
 successful examination for the Senior class, 
 and duly graduated with the degree of Bach- 
 elor of Arts. He studied medicine with Dr. 
 H. Holt, of Pomfret, Conn., attended lectures 
 in Boston and at the Yale Medical School, 
 and received his degree of Doctor of Medicine 
 from Yale. In November, 1831, he located 
 for practice in Worcester. Next year he took 
 charge of the practice of a physician in Ward, 
 now Auburn, Mass. ; and he became an assist- 
 ant at the Massachusetts State Lunatic Asy- 
 lum in the following year, remaining there 
 until 1842. For the next three years he was 
 in charge of the insane asylum at Concord, 
 N.H., and while there perfected the plans for 
 a new retreat. On July i, 1846, he began his 
 duties as head physician at the Massachusetts 
 State Lunatic Asylum, Worcester, and was 
 in charge there until July 16, 1856, when he 
 resigned. Relinquishing the' treatment of the 
 insane, in which he had been remarkably suc- 
 cessful, he resumed private practice in this 
 city, and for a number of years resided on 
 Pearl Street. Some time during the seventies 
 he retired permanently and thereafter occupied 
 a pleasant home on Chestnut Street. Dr. 
 Chandler was a member of the Massachusetts 
 Medical Society, an honorary member of the 
 New Hampshire and Connecticut societies, 
 and he also belonged to the American Anti- 
 quarian Society. Aside from his professional 
 prominence he was quite active in political 
 and military affairs, having been commis- 
 sioned surgeon in the State militia by Gov- 
 ernor Edward Everett in 1839. In 1856 he 
 was a member of the legislature and of the 
 Board of Aldermen in 1862. At one time he 
 was inspector of the State almshouse at Mon- 
 
y\Li;ERT i;. F. KINNEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 839 
 
 soil, and for many years acted as a Justice of 
 the Peace. 
 
 In 1842 Dr. Chandler contracted the first 
 of his two marriages with Josephine Rose, of 
 Worcester, who died in 1866. By that union 
 there were four children, two of whom are 
 living and reside in this city, namely: Mary, 
 the wife of A. George Bullock ; and Fannie, 
 the wife of Waldo Lincoln. On April 8, ; 
 1874, the Doctor married for his second wife; 
 Mary E. Douglas, a daughter of Stephen and 
 Nancy (Howe) Douglas, of Greenwich, Mass. ^ 
 During the years 1867, 1868, and 1869 he; 
 travelled extensively' in Europe, Asia, and 
 Africa, accompanied by his daughters.' In 
 1874, with his second wife as his companion, 
 he made another tour, travelling through 
 Norway, Sweden, and Russia, visited Ken- 
 tucky, California, Oregon, and Pugbt Sound, 
 and took a trip up the Columbia Riven He 
 was a recognized authority upon historical and 
 genealogical subjects, and some years ago be 
 compiled the genealogy of the Chandler 
 family. < 
 
 (^Tr-LBERT B. F. KINNEY, of ;Worces- 
 /l^ ter, a well-known broker and dealer 
 J]^^ in bicycles and sporting goods, was 
 ■ ^-^ born in Barnston,Stanstead County, 
 Canada East, September 25, 1840. He is of 
 Scotch origin. His grandfather, the Rev. 
 Oliver Kinney, who was a Baptist minister of 
 New England, married a Miss Peck, of Rhode 
 Island.- They became the parents of six chil- 
 dren, and lived to be octogenarians. 
 
 'Oliver Kinney, son of the Rev. Mr. 
 Kinney and father of Albert, was born at 
 Woodstock, Vt., in 1806. When a boy he 
 accompanied his parents to Canada, and sub- 
 sequently became a worthy and prosperous 
 farmer. He married Sarah Banfield, a school 
 teacher of Bolton, Vt. ; and they reared four- 
 teen children, eight sons and six daughters, 
 of whom Albert was the sixth child and third 
 son. The greater number of these children 
 married and had families. AH the daughters 
 became teachers. Five of the sons and three 
 of the daughters are still living. Both par- 
 ents are now deceased, the father having 
 
 passed away at the age of seventy-three, and 
 the mother some years later, aged seventy- 
 eight. Strict Baptists in religion, they died 
 triumphant in the Christian faith, and were 
 laid to rest in Barford Cemetery at Barford, 
 which was formerly a part of their farm. 
 
 Albert Benjamin Franklin Kinney was 
 brought up on his father's farm, and received 
 his schooling at an academy in the vicinity. 
 An agricultural life being uncongenial to 
 him, he left home at the age of eighteen, pay- 
 ing his father two hundred dollars for his time 
 up to his majority, and went to Lawrence, 
 Mass., where he found employment as clerk in 
 the store of his eldest brother, who conducted 
 a furniture, auction, and commission busi- 
 ness. A year later he became a dry-goods 
 clerk in Portland, Me., and subsequently was 
 made a partner in the firm. He was doing 
 well until the great fire of 1866, which de- 
 stroyed the entire business portion of Port- 
 land, and set him back to the place where h'e 
 had started — that' was, even with tbe world. 
 In the same year he becarrie a travelling sales- 
 man for the Dellingham Paper Company, of 
 Boston, manufactuKers and wholesale dealers 
 in paper, and in the course of the next five 
 years visited many parts of the United States. 
 Then he bought out the wholesale department 
 of the company, and conducted it on his own 
 account. About a year after, finding his 
 health' impaired by overwork, he came to 
 Worcester, intending to rest for a year. 
 Within three weeks after his arrival here, 
 however, he went into his present business, 
 buying out Mr. Davis of the firm Blackmer & 
 Davis, general brokers, the style of the firm 
 then becoming Blackmer & Kinney; A year 
 later he purchased the interest of Mr. Black- 
 mer. Since then he has very prosperously 
 conducted the business alone. 
 
 On June i, 1868, Mr. Kinney was married 
 at Gardner, Me., to Mrs. Angie Jordan Mc- 
 Lellan, daughter of George and Sarah (Tower) 
 Jordan, of Westbrook, Me. He has one 
 child, Edith G., who graduated at Radcliffe 
 College (the Harvard Annex) in the class of 
 1897. For the last twenty years he has been 
 an active member of Trinity Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, which he has served for some 
 
840 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 time in the capacity of trustee. He is the 
 president of the Methodist Episcopal City 
 Mission and Church Extension Society, which 
 association is building three churches, having 
 already three missions; is President of the 
 old Sterling Camp-ground Association, the 
 oldest in New England, having been first 
 used for religious purposes fifty years ago; a 
 member of the Conference Committee of the 
 New England Conference; and he was a dele- 
 gate to the last General Conference, which 
 was held in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1896. Per- 
 haps it is not too much to say that no layman 
 in New England has done more active work 
 in the Methodist Episcopal church than Mr. 
 Kinney. 
 
 Mr. Kinney is a great lover and promoter 
 of all moral forms of outdoor recreation, be- 
 lieving that healthful sport stops many a doc- 
 tor's bill. An enthusiastic sportsman him- 
 self, he owns a private car in which he and 
 his family have made many trips extending 
 over territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific 
 coast and from the Gulf of Mexico to Hud- 
 son's Bay. His residence at 7 Westminster 
 Street is the home of refinement and cult- 
 ure. In his private museum, which is one of 
 the finest, if not the finest, in the country, he 
 preserves the hides, heads, and horns of speci- 
 mens killed by him of all the large game in 
 North. America. It also contains other tro- 
 phies of the chase, souvenirs of wild and fron- 
 tier life, and a valuable collection of curios 
 connected with the aborigines, made by Mrs. 
 Kinney and her daughter, who have always 
 accompanied Mr. Kinney on his trips. Mrs. 
 Kinney has added to the decorations of the 
 home many paintings from her own brush ; 
 and Miss Kinney, much beautifully decorated 
 china, her own handiwork. One painting 
 presents Mr. Kinney, his two guides, their 
 horses, and a large black bear strapped to 
 one of the horses, in an effective and spir- 
 ited group, skilfully treated, and breathing 
 the very atmosphere of frontier life. Mr. 
 Kinney is the president of the National Fox 
 Hunters' Association; the originator of the 
 Worcester Fur Company, a fox-hunting club; 
 a vice-president of the Brunswick Fox Club, 
 which is a fox-hound field trial club; and a 
 
 member of the Western Massachusetts Fox 
 Club. He has undoubtedly done more than 
 any other one man in New England to im- 
 prove the American fox -hound of to-day. 
 Thomas Mortindale's well-known book, 
 "Sports Royale, " is dedicated to Mr. Kin- 
 ney in these words: "To A. B. F. Kinney, 
 a friend of thirty years' acquaintance and 
 the best all-round sportsman I have ever 
 met; a man equally expert with a rifle, gun, 
 or fly rod, who has killed game of every spe- 
 cies that the American continent affords, from 
 the grizzly bear to the ubiquitous rabbit, from 
 the wild goose and its rival in migratory 
 flight, the mysterious brant, to the solitude- 
 loving woodcock; and who is, besides, what 
 the world affectionately calls a 'royal good 
 fellow' — to him this book is respectfully 
 dedicated." Mr. Kinney has been so suc- 
 cessful in business as to warrant his retire- 
 ment, but he prefers an active business life. 
 He is a Master Mason. In politics he is a 
 Republican. 
 
 Ji 
 
 R. SAMUEL WOODWARD 
 COOKE, a successful dentist of 
 Worcester, was born at Hadley, 
 Mass., September 9, 1825, son of 
 Reuben and Sarah Smith (Woodward) Cooke. 
 His ancestry is traced back, through his 
 grandfather, Timothy, Noah, Westwood, and 
 Aaron, to Aaron Cooke, Sr., who was born in 
 England about the year 1610, and who died 
 at Northampton, Mass., September 5, 1690. 
 This ancestor settled in America in 1630, and 
 was prominent in Dorchester in 1635. He 
 removed to the Connecticut valley, and started 
 a plantation, which afterward became the site 
 of the town of Windsor. He was appointed 
 by the Governor of Connecticut Lieutenant 
 of a company of men, which he led against 
 the Indians; and, upon removing to North- 
 ampton, he was made Captain of a company 
 there. Subsequently he rose to the rank of 
 Major, and also held a civil office in the 
 place. He was one of the founders of the 
 town of Westfield. 
 
 Aaron Cooke, Jr., first married in Hadley, 
 Mass., where he was Captain of a company. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 841 
 
 He was a member of the party which was 
 attacked at Hadley church, and was long a 
 leading member of the community, holding 
 both military and civil commissions. He was 
 killed by the Indians at Westfield. Another 
 ancestor, Francis Cooke, was identified with 
 the Plymouth Colony, and was one of the 
 signers of the historic compact made on board 
 the "Mayflower." The Cookes took a promi- 
 nent part in the affairs of the earliest settle- 
 ments; and there were well-known military 
 men among them, both in this country and in 
 old England. Among the distinguished names 
 of a later generation is that of J. P. Cooke, 
 LL.D., the late professor of mineralogy and 
 chemistry at Harvard University. Albert A. 
 Cooke, a brother of Samuel W. and a cousin 
 of Professor Cooke, was the leading dentist of 
 Milford for thirty years, and has served as 
 Representative and Senator in the Massachu- 
 setts legislature. The maternal grandfather 
 of Dr. Samuel Woodward Cooke, was the 
 Captain of a company throughout the War of 
 1 8 12, and was afterward for many years the 
 Sheriff of Hampden County. Reuben Cooke, 
 the father of the subject of this sketch, born 
 February 6, 1791, died November 27, 1840. 
 He married Miss Sarah Smith Woodward, 
 who, born on March 5, 1794, died July 9, 
 1890. His occupation was farming, which he 
 followed in Hadley, Mass. 
 
 Samuel Woodward Cooke, the sixth child of 
 his parents, lived in Hadley until the death 
 of his father. Then his mother removed with 
 her family to East Windsor, Conn., and the 
 children received their education in the public 
 and private schools of that place. He was 
 prepared for college at Wilbraham Academy, 
 and graduated from the Wesleyan University 
 in 1853. Then he taught in the high school 
 at Oxford for about a year. This position, by 
 the advice of his brothers, who were dentists, 
 he resigned to commence the study of dentis- 
 try in the office of Drs. William Newton and 
 Tourtellotte in Worcester. Here he re- 
 mained for one year, completing his studies 
 under an eminent dentist of Milford, Mass. 
 Afterward for several years he did special 
 work for his brothers in Medway and Hollis- 
 ton, being also employed on fine dental work 
 
 for other dentists. He opened his office in 
 Millbury in i860, and for ten years was the 
 best known dentist there, acquiring a high 
 reputation and receiving patronage from 
 people in Worcester and adjacent towns. In 
 1870 his Worcester patrons induced him to re- 
 move to that city, where he located, first in 
 the First National Bank Building and after- 
 ward in the Spy Building on Main Street. 
 Here he received a large patronage from his 
 Worcester friends, retaining all his Millbury 
 patients. In 1879 he removed to the building 
 on the corner of Main and Park Streets, where 
 he has since remained. His son is now asso- 
 ciated with him in business. 
 
 Dr. Cooke has always ranked high among 
 the members of his profession in Worcester 
 County. His business has been invariably 
 successful, and he still continues in the 
 splendid health which has always been his. 
 During the Civil War he was an active mem- 
 ber of an enlisting committee. He was 
 chairman of the Millbury School Committee 
 for several years. He is a member of the 
 New England Dental Association, and he was 
 formerly connected with the Connecticut 
 Valley Association. By his mai-riage with 
 Cornelia J. Tracey, of Franklin, Conn., he 
 became the father of three children — Emma 
 J., Charles W., and Henry P. Charles W. 
 died at the age of ten years. Henry P., the 
 youngest, who graduated in the Worcester 
 schools and at Harvard Dental College, is as- 
 sociated with his father, being well known as 
 an expert practitioner. Dr. Cooke has been a 
 man of strong religious tendencies, faithful to 
 his obligations, and devoted to the advance- 
 ment of church interests. 
 
 /STeORGE GARDNER BURBANK, 
 \ [*>| who was prominent in the drug busi- 
 ^-^ ness for many years in Worcester, 
 was born in Fitchburg, Mass., December 23, 
 1823. A son of Leonard and Eunice (Green) 
 Burbank, he belonged to an old family of this 
 vicinity. The old Burbank residence, built 
 by his grandfather, Elijah Burbank, at Quin- 
 sigamond, is still standing. Elijah Burbank 
 
842 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 owned the land on which Quinsigamond vil- 
 lage now stands. The Greens also are an old 
 family, and were Tories in ante-Revolutionary 
 times. This family has given some well- 
 known physicians to this State. Mrs. Eunice 
 Burbank was a sister of Dr. John Green, who 
 founded the Worcester Public Library. 
 Leonard Burbank was a General in the State 
 militia before the Civil War. 
 
 George Gardner Burbank acquired his early 
 education in Fitchburg. At the age of six- 
 teen he obtained a position in a dry-goods 
 store. of Haverhill, Mass., where he was em- 
 ployed until he attained his majority. In 
 1845 he began to learn the drug business, of 
 his uncle, James Green, of Worcester; and he 
 was clerk for that gentleman for several years. 
 Admitted to partnership about the time of the 
 war, he eventually became the active manager 
 of the store. This store, which was located 
 between Thomas and Central Streets and is 
 now the Bay State Pharmacy, was founded 
 about the year 1826 by the Greens. It was 
 the first drug store in Worcester. At present 
 it is owned by Fisher & Co., the successors of 
 Dr. Brockway, who bought it from the execu- 
 tors of the Burbank estate. For several years 
 it was the leading establishment of the kind 
 in the city. After James Green's death Mr. 
 Burbank bought the business, and conducted 
 it for the rest of his life. 
 
 Mr. Burbank was a successful business man, 
 honored in his profession, and one of the 
 leaders in his line of business for an extended 
 period. Of strictly temperate habits and un- 
 questioned probity, he held the esteem and 
 confidence of the community. He was a 
 member of the several pharmaceutical socie- 
 ties of the city and State. An active Repub- 
 lican, he took part in the councils of his 
 party, and served it faithfully, though making 
 no effort to attain office. He was interested 
 in the affairs of Worcester from the date of 
 its incorporation as a city in 1848, and gave 
 his time and energy freely for the good of the 
 place. He was one of the founders and an 
 officer of the Winthrop Club, organized about 
 the year 1850, a strong association of Worces- 
 ter men that became a power in local affairs. 
 In the Unitarian Society of Worcester he was 
 
 the clerk for a number of years. He loved 
 his home and family, and was a loyal friend. 
 Gifted with considerable literary talent, in 
 his young manhood he wrote a number of 
 papers for publication. Before the Civil War 
 he joined as a private in the old City Guard, 
 which belonged to the Massachusetts Volun- 
 teer Militia, and subsequently rose to the 
 rank of Lieutenant. 
 
 In 1852 Mr. Burbank was married to Lydia 
 Octavia Whiting, of Worcester, a daughter of 
 Charles H. and Plooma Stone (Barnard) 
 Whiting. The Whitings came from Boston, 
 England, early in the eighteenth century, set- 
 tling in Dover, Mass. Mr. Whiting was a 
 native of Lunenburg, and his wife of Harvard, 
 this State. Mr. Burbank died November 28, 
 1880. The sad evenT'was marked by the 
 Worcester Pharmaceutical Association, with 
 the adoption of the following resolution : 
 '"''Resolved, That in. the death of George G. 
 Burbank we have lost a brother who was 
 worthy of our respect and regard, and one who 
 has been an honor to our profession, a kind 
 and faithful friend and associate." He left 
 one daughter, Caroline A., who resides with 
 her mother in Worcester. 
 
 T^HARLES N. WOODBURY, the 
 I \/ treasurer of the Singleton Creamery, 
 ^Js^, is a native of Sutton, where he now 
 resides. He was born on October 
 9, 1855, son of Charles and Jerusha (Mer- 
 riam) Woodbury. His emigrant ancestor in 
 this country came from Somersetshire, Eng- 
 land, in 1624, and had charge of the settle- 
 ment at Cape Ann. Another ancestor, Ben- 
 jamin Woodbury, was appointed sixth Deacon 
 of the Congregational church in Sutton in the 
 year 1774. Jonathan, son of this Benjamin 
 and great-great-grandfather of Charles N. 
 Woodbury, was a Captain in the Revolution- 
 ary army and a Colonel in the militia after 
 the war. For a time he represented the town 
 in the State legislature. The Hon. Levi 
 Woodbury, who was Judge of the Supreme 
 Court of New Hampshire, Governor of New 
 Hampshire, United States Secretary of the 
 Treasury, Secretary of the Navy, and Assist- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 843 
 
 ant Justice of the United States Supreme 
 Court, was a cousin of Charles Woodbury. 
 
 Charles Woodbury had two other sons and 
 two daughters. One of the latter, Ella J., 
 who was among the first graduates of the Sut- 
 ton High School and now resides with the 
 subject of this sketch, is a highly skilled 
 needlewoman, and every year produces some 
 beautiful work that is unsurpassed in design 
 and execution. She is a member of the Sut- 
 ton Grange. Catherine B. married William 
 M. Warren, of Paxton, Mass. John L. 
 Woodbury enlisted in the Fifty-first Massa- 
 chusetts Regiment, and subsequently died in 
 the hospital at Newbern, N. C. The other 
 brother, George F., died at the age of forty- 
 two in Worcester, where he had been for ten 
 years in successful practice as a physician. 
 He was a graduate of the Harvard Medical 
 School. The Rev. Dr. Lansing, recently of 
 Park Street Church, Boston, said of him in an 
 address at the funeral, " He was not only an 
 able physician, but the genial gentleman and 
 gracious friend." 
 
 After receiving his education in the public 
 schools at Sutton and in the high school at 
 Millbury, Charles N. Woodbury began to as- 
 sist his father on the farm where he now lives. 
 This farm has been in the family since 1800, 
 and now contains one hundred and twenty 
 acres, although it comprises only one of the 
 original eight lots. It is devoted chiefly to 
 dairying and fruit culture. The products of 
 the creamery, of which Mr. Woodbury is the 
 treasurer, find a ready market in Worcester, 
 Millbury, and adjoining towns. He is a 
 member and an active worker of the First 
 Congregational Church, and contributes lib- 
 erally toward its support. He has served his 
 native town as Selectman, having been elected 
 to that important office when about thirty 
 years old. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. 
 at Millbury and of Sutton Grange, P. of H., 
 No. 109. Of the last-named organization he 
 was the first Master, serving for two years, 
 and he was subsequently re-elected to the 
 same office. By his marriage with Lizzie C. 
 Stevens, a daughter of Lewis and Sarah 
 Stevens, he became the father of three chil- 
 dren, born as follows: Lilla M., in 1883; 
 
 Ethel S., in 1890; and Marion C, in 1895. 
 The two elder children are attending the pub- 
 lic schools, Lilla being now in the high 
 school. 
 
 OHN N. ALBEE, a respected resident 
 of Worcester, was born in Waltham, 
 Mass., January 30, 1823. A son of 
 Amos and Judith (Collier) Albee, h;e 
 comes of English stock. The Albees have re- 
 sided in Mendon, Mass., since the first settle- 
 ment of the place, and a portion of the town 
 has long borne the name of Albee village. 
 Asa Albee, John N. Albee's grandfather, was 
 a native of Mendon. Amos Albee was a na- 
 tive of Medfield, Mass. The Colliers, Mr. 
 Albee's mother's family, have resided in 
 Plymouth County since Colonial days. The 
 last few generations have lived in North 
 Scituate, Mass. 
 
 John N. Albee acquired the most of his 
 schooling in Canton. In the same town, at 
 the age of seventeen, he went to work in a 
 woollen-mill, which was one of the largest in 
 Massachusetts at that time. He was subse- 
 quently engaged in woollen-mills in Milford, 
 Uxbridge, Millville, and other places in this 
 county. In 1848 he entered the employ of 
 Alexander Bigelow, a woollen manufacturer 
 of Worcester, and was afterward Mr. Bige- 
 low's partner for six and a half years. The 
 rest of his business life was passed in this 
 place. For many years he had charge of the 
 carding, spinning, and weaving departments 
 of the Hopeville Manufacturing Company, of 
 which Mr. Bigelow's son was the head, and 
 which carded and wove woollens for men's 
 wear. A reliable man, he had the confidence 
 of his employer and the respect of the em- 
 ployees. He was an eye-witness of the won- 
 derful progress made by the woollen industry 
 in his generation. In 1888 Mr. Albee retired 
 from active work. He has a pleasant home 
 on Tirrell Street, where much of his time is 
 devoted to beautifying his grounds. 
 '..On July 4, 1848, Mr. Albee was married 
 to Miss Eliza Warner, of Blackstone, Mass. 
 They have had one son, George, who lived 
 but eight years. Mr. Albee has been ident.i- 
 
844 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 fied with the Republican party since its birth, 
 and he has been a member of the Masonic 
 brotherhood for many years. A genial, 
 pleasant-mannered man, he has a great many 
 friends. 
 
 "UBBARD WILLSON was actively 
 identified with the manufacturing in- 
 terests of Worcester County for 
 more than a quarter of a century as 
 half-owner, the president, and manager of the 
 Cordaville Manufacturing Company. Born 
 September i6, 1819, in Northumberland, 
 Coos County, N.H., he was a son of Colonel 
 Stephen and Jane (McGregor) Willson. 
 Colonel Willson was a well-known hotel man 
 of the Granite State and a large real estate 
 owner. Of great business ability and fore- 
 sight, he was a promoter of various enter- 
 prises of value to the public, including the 
 building of the first road from Lancaster, 
 N. H., to Portland, Me., which extends 
 through the celebrated White Mountain Notch 
 down the Saco Valley, passing the famous 
 Willey House. He was a stanch old-line 
 Whig and a thirty-second degree Mason. 
 
 Hubbard Willson began life for himself 
 when a youth of seventeen years by securing 
 work at the woollen and cotton mills in Hook- 
 set, N.H., where he remained several years, 
 employed in various departments of the fac- 
 tories. He was subsequently for some time 
 overseer in woollen-mills in Manchester, 
 N.H., and Lowell, Mass., positions for which 
 his executive ability and tact eminently fitted 
 him. In 1864 he came to Southboro, Worces- 
 ter County, and a short time later he located 
 in Cordaville, where in company with Mr. 
 Merriam, of Framingham, he bought out 
 the Cordaville Manufacturing Company, of the 
 business of which he was thereafter half- 
 owner and president and manager until his 
 death. He was a very active man, of quick 
 perception and ready sympathy, loyal to the in- 
 terests of those with whom he was associated; 
 and his relations with the hundreds of em- 
 ployees of his factories were at all times cord- 
 ial and pleasant. His religious views were 
 liberal. In Lowell he was connected with 
 
 the Universalist church; and in Cordaville — 
 the existence of which is wholly due to the 
 Cordaville Manufacturing Company — where 
 was no settled preacher of the liberal denomi- 
 nation, he was always active in securing from 
 week to week the services of some minister, 
 whose pay Mr. Willson was responsible for. 
 In 1883 he moved to Westboro, and on 
 Charles Street purchased the beautiful resi- 
 dence in which he afterward lived, and which 
 is now owned and occupied by his widow. 
 His death occurred January 18, 1895. 
 
 On October 16, 1842, Mr. Willson married 
 Miss Lydia, daughter of William Sargent, a 
 prominent manufacturer of Great Falls, N. H. 
 They reared three children, namely: Abbie, 
 the wife of Joseph Merriam, an extensive 
 woollen manufacturer of Middletown, Conn., 
 formerly of Framingham, Mass. ; W. S. Will- 
 son, who is in business in Brockton, Mass. ; 
 and Jessie W. , the wife of Walter C. Metcalf, 
 who is the president and manager of the Cor- 
 daville Manufacturing Cpmpany. 
 
 ||^|EV. GEORGE HENRY GOULD, 
 D.D., has been a resident of Worces- 
 
 ter, Mass., for more than twenty- 
 five years, during which time, when 
 able, he has supplied pulpits in this city and 
 vicinity, and has ever exerted a beneficial in- 
 fluence in the community by his pure Chris- 
 tian life. He was born February 20, 1827, 
 in Oakham, Worcester County. His parents 
 were Rufus and Mary (Henry) Gould, and his 
 paternal grandfather was Thomas Gould, of 
 Charlton, Mass. Mr. Gould was fitted for 
 college at Monson Academy, and was gradu- 
 ated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts at 
 Amherst in 1850, after which he studied the- 
 ology for a year at Andover under Professor 
 Park. 
 
 He was graduated from Union Theological 
 Seminary in 1853. His health being im- 
 paired by close application to his books at a 
 time antedating modern college gymnastics 
 and physical culture, he went West to recu- 
 perate, and was there engaged six months in 
 civil engineering. During two winter seasons 
 he lectured before various lyceuras, and 
 
HUBBARD WILLSON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 847 
 
 preached temporarily in a number of the 
 larger Western cities, including Milwaukee, 
 Detroit, Dubuque, and Chicago. While yet 
 a student, Mr. Gould was invited to become a 
 colleague of the Rev. Albert Barnes, of Phil- 
 adelphia; and on his return from the West he 
 received a call from the Bowdoin Street 
 Church, Boston, which waited for him a year 
 before selecting another pastor. His health 
 being but little benefited by his sojourn in the 
 West, Mr. Gould, on coming back to Worces- 
 ter in 1857, went abroad with John B. Gough, 
 the celebrated temperance orator, with whom 
 he spent a year in London, six months in 
 Paris, four months in Edinburgh, two months 
 in Rome, and travelled two summers in Switz- 
 erland. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Gould became pastor of the 
 Olivet Congregational Church of Springfield, 
 Mass. ; and during the two years that he was 
 connected with that society he declined urgent 
 calls to Troy, N. Y., Norwich, Conn., and 
 Hartford, Conn. In December, 1864, he was 
 settled over the Old Centre Church in Hart- 
 ford, Conn., with the understanding that on 
 account of ill health he should preach but 
 once each Sunday. He remained there six 
 years, and afterward supplied the Central 
 Church at Providence, R. I., fifteen months 
 and the Walnut Avenue Church in Boston six 
 months, being subsequently connected with 
 different churches in Boston and suburban 
 towns for longer or shorter periods. In 1872, 
 at the formation of the Piedmont Church in 
 Worcester, Mr. Gould became its active pas- 
 tor, a position which he retained five years. 
 While thus engaged he was called to the pas- 
 torate of Amherst College, his Alma Mater, 
 being invited to take the chair of Biblical 
 literature in conjunction with college preach- 
 ing. He also received a call to take charge 
 of the Third Congregational Church in New 
 Haven. In 1878 he began supplying the pul- 
 pit of the Union Church in this city, where he 
 continued his labors two and one-half years. 
 Since then he has supplied pulpits in Worces- 
 ter and vicinity, as his health has allowed; 
 and, though not able to assume the responsi- 
 bilities of a steady pastorate, he is an acknowl- 
 edged force in the religious world. In 1870 
 
 he received from Amherst College the degree 
 of Doctor of Divinity. 
 
 On October 15, 1862, Mr. Gould married 
 Ellen M., daughter of Jonathan Grout, of 
 Worcester, Mass., and a descendant in the 
 sixth generation from John Grout, of Sudbury, 
 Mass., who was the grandson of an English 
 knight, and undoubtedly, we are told, de- 
 scended from the brilliant Raymond Le Gros. 
 John Grout, of Sudbury, was commissioned 
 Captain in 1676 for his brave service against 
 the Indians. Jonathan Grout, Sr., the grand- 
 father of Mrs. Gould, carried on a successful 
 business as a book-binder in Millbury, Mass., 
 for many years. He possessed literary talents 
 of a high order, and was a leader in religious 
 circles, being a man of fine character, pure in 
 heart and purpose. It was often said that, 
 "if all men were as good as Jonathan Grout, 
 there would be no need of laws." His wife, 
 Sally, was from Lyme, Conn. 
 
 Jonathan Grout, Jr., was born in Millbury, 
 September 14, 1815, and there learned the 
 bookbinder's trade of his father. On August 
 II, 1836, he married Mary J. Smith, and five 
 years later came to Worcester to reside. Es- 
 tablishing himself as a manufacturer and 
 bookseller in the building now occupied by 
 Putnam, Davis & Co., his successors, he car- 
 ried on a substantial business until his death. 
 His residence, the Grout mansion, on Main 
 Street, nearly opposite Jackson Street, is one 
 of the landmarks of the city, and is a fine 
 specimen of Corinthian architecture. 
 
 His only son, John William Grout, more 
 familiarly known as "Willie Grout," was born 
 July 25, 1843, and was educated at the High- 
 land Military School in Worcester. On the 
 breaking out of the Rebellion he enlisted in 
 the Fifteenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infan- 
 try, and was at once made Second Lieutenant 
 of Company D, becoming one of the youngest 
 officers in the army. After a short time in 
 camp his regiment was sent to Maryland, and 
 on October 21, 1861, was assigned to the 
 troops placed under command of Colonel 
 Devens in the battle of Leesburg. Under the 
 sharp fire that ensued, the young Lieutenant 
 exhibited an heroic bravery and coolness that 
 surprised officers wd men, and encouraged 
 
-848 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 them to still further effort. After the retreat 
 was sounded, while gallantly leading his men 
 from the field, he was fatally wounded by a 
 rebel bullet. A biographical sketch of 
 "Willie Grout" and a Gopy of that familiar 
 poem, "The Vacant Chair," written by one 
 who had known him from youth, Henry S. 
 Washburn, and set to music by the late 
 George F. Root, are to be found in the New 
 England Magazine for the month of April, 
 1897. 
 
 'AYETTE ASERYL AMIDON, man- 
 ager of the well-known Worcester mar- 
 ket, is a native of Belchertown, Mass., 
 and was born on July 13, 1862, his parents 
 being Edmund Perry and Sophia Olive (Shum- 
 way) Amidon. His great - grandparents, 
 Aseryl, Sr. , and Aletheia (Perry) Amidon, 
 came to Massachusetts from Willingtori, 
 Conn. Three or more of the Amidon family 
 were soldiers in the Revolution. Amidon, 
 Jr., son of the elder Aseryl, married Aurelia 
 Mclntyre. Their son Gillett, uncle of Fayette 
 Amidon, went to Minnesota in early manhood 
 for his health, and lived there until his death, 
 a little past middle life. He left two sons, 
 -William Nelson and Edmund Perry, second, 
 the former an educator, a civil engineer, and 
 a judge, and the latter living on the old home- 
 stead, both married. 
 
 Edmund P. Amidon was born in Belcher- 
 town, Mass., on September 5, 1837, and died 
 in 1874, leaving his widow and their son, 
 Fayette Aseryl, their only child. Mrs. 
 Sophia O. Amidon was born in Pelham, Mass. 
 She received a seminary education, and subse- 
 quently taught school for four years preceding 
 her marriage, which occurred on May 16, 
 i860. She then settled on the Amidon home- 
 stead, which her husband owned and where his 
 death occurred. She was descended through 
 her maternal grandmother, Amelia Ballou, 
 daughter of Levi Ballou, Esq., from Maturin 
 Ballou, who, on coming to America, joined 
 the company of Roger Williams, being one of 
 the twenty - five founders of the Providence 
 Plantation. Mrs. Amidon's parents were Asa 
 and OrJnda (Hall) Shumway. Her father was 
 
 for twenty-nine years village merchant at 
 Three Rivers and Postmaster. He was born 
 at Belchertown, and lived to be seventy-four 
 years of age; and her mother was born at 
 Pelham, and died at the age of forty-nine. 
 Of the five children born to them, three grew 
 to maturity — Sophia Olive, Louise Ripley, 
 and Homer Judson, the only son, who died at 
 the age of eighteen. Louise is the wife of the 
 Rev. Myron P. Dickey, of Milton, N.H. 
 Her three children are : Maurice Woodbum, 
 who is a student in the class of 1899, Dart- 
 mouth College; Mark Shumway, aged thirteen 
 years, a musical genius; and Orinda Sophia, 
 aged fifteen, an apt student and promising 
 musician. 
 
 Mr. Amidon left school at the age of seven- 
 teen, and the following year, 1880, went with 
 his mother to New Haven. There he began 
 to work in a large pork-packing house, and 
 subsequently he was in a department meat 
 store for some five years. At the end of that 
 time he made his first independent business 
 venture, which was in the butter and eggs 
 business. A year later, being in poor health, 
 he went on a farm for the summer, and follow- 
 ing that he was for a time in Springfield and 
 in Gilbertville, Mass. He then went to Man- 
 chester, N. H., and took charge of the butter 
 and t.gg department in a large market, where 
 he remained for four years. The market was 
 under the management of a Mr. Swanson, who 
 formed a good opinion of Mr. Amidon' s ability 
 and character ; and at the end of the four years 
 a partnership was formed, including Mr. 
 Swanson, Mr. Amidon, and two others, 
 Messrs. Malmstead and Pettee. These gentle- 
 men- opened a large department market in 
 Providence, R.L, Mr. Swanson being the gen- 
 eral manager and Mr. Pettee the buyer. In 
 1894 a branch was established in Worcester, 
 known as The Worcester Market, and this Mr, 
 Amidon has since conducted. Another branch 
 has been started in Providence, and the com- 
 pany is doing a highly prosperous business. 
 The market here has the best patronage of the 
 city, and its management reflects great credit 
 upon Mr. Amidon. 
 
 Mr. Amidon and his mother have been to- 
 gether all the years since the death of bis 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 849 
 
 father. On June 16, 1895, Mr. Amidon was 
 married to Lucy Ella Higgins, of Providence, 
 daughter of Charles and Lucy (Watson) Hig- 
 gins. Her father died in East Greenwich, 
 R.I., at the age of fifty-eight, and her mother 
 -died seven years later at Saylesville, R.I. , at 
 the age of fifty-seven. Mr. and Mrs. Higgins 
 reared eigTit of their nine children, six daugh- 
 ters and two sons, all of whom are living. 
 Mrs. Amidon is a graduate of the high school. 
 Mr. Amidon built his present fine residence 
 on Germain Street in the fall of 1898. 
 
 'AMES HILDRETH, president of the 
 Lunenburg Historical Society, a man 
 of prominence in the farming, politi- 
 cal, and social life of this part of the 
 Commonwealth, was born in Shirley, Middle- 
 sex County, Mass., May 29, 1839. Son of 
 George and Lucy Torrey (Winslow) Hildreth, 
 he is a lineal descendant of Richard Hildreth, 
 .who came from England, and settling in Cam- 
 bridge, Mass., was made a freeman of the 
 colony in 1643, and some years later removed 
 to Chelmsford, Mass. This immigrant ances- 
 tor was a man of sterling integrity, honest in 
 all his dealings, high-minded, always ready to 
 give every man his natural rights, but had 
 little respect for the divine rights of kings or 
 clergy. These characteristics seem to have 
 been transmitted to many of his posterity. 
 
 George Hildreth was born September 9, 
 1 808, in Westford, Mass., and was a son of 
 Jonas and Deliverance (Johnson) Hildreth and 
 grandson of Zechariah Hildreth. His wife, 
 Lucy, who died February 11, 1898, was born 
 in Hanover, Plymouth County, this State, 
 September 26, 1808, daughter of Thomas and 
 Ruth (Grose) Winslow. Her father was son 
 of Thomas Winslow, of Plymouth, spoken of 
 by Davis as a descendant of the first Kenelm, 
 who was a brother of Governor Edward Wins- 
 low. 
 
 Mr. Hildreth was educated in the common 
 schools of Lunenburg. His father dying in 
 1856, the care of the farm fell upon his shoul- 
 ders, though he was but seventeen. On 
 attaining his majority he bought the interest 
 of the other heirs, with the exception of his 
 
 mother's. He taught school in 1860-61, but 
 aside from that he has confined his attention 
 mainly to the care of his farm. He has a 
 large apple orchard, and keeps a dairy. Mr. 
 Hildreth is a man of unusual versatility. 
 Though his school privileges were limited, he 
 possesses a very keen, intelligent mind, and 
 has acquired a fund of practical knowledge 
 that has placed him among the leading citi- 
 zens; and his opinion is sought upon a variety 
 of subjects. Much credit is due him for the 
 success of many of the social features of the 
 toyn. His impersonations of well-known 
 characters has excited the admiration of large 
 audiences and brought forth high encomiums 
 upon his ability in this line. He is a friend 
 to all literary societies and efforts. In his 
 public relations he is broad-minded, and those 
 who have had the pleasure of serving with 
 him are his greatest admirers. He has al- 
 ways been blessed with the best of health, 
 and few men can stand with him in physical 
 effort. 
 
 At Cambridge, Mass., on September 18, 
 1867, Mr. Hildreth married Abbie Amelia, 
 daughter of William T. and Abigail Burpham 
 (Story) Shattuck. They have no children. 
 
 Mr. Hildreth cast his first Presidential vote 
 for Abraham Lincoln, and has always been a 
 stanch Republican. He has attended many 
 political conventions, and has served in the 
 principal town offices as Selectman, having 
 been chairman of the board five years. Over- 
 seer of the Poor, and member of the School 
 Board two years. In 1872 he was chosen 
 Moderator, and has served at every annual 
 town meeting since, making twenty-seven 
 years in succession. In 1878 he represented 
 Lunenburg in the lower house of the Massa- 
 chusetts legislature, and was appointed a mem- 
 ber of the Library Committee. That same 
 year he was made a Justice of the Peace. 
 He was a member of the Farmers' Club, the 
 oldest organization of this kind in the Slate, 
 has been president of the club, and in 1879 
 was chosen as secretary, a position that he 
 held for sixteen years. Mr. Hildreth is a 
 member of RoUstone Lodge, No. 98, 
 I. O. O. F., of Fitchburg; also of the local 
 grange, which ig one of the best knswn in the 
 
8so 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 State, and of which he was master two years, 
 and has been secretary five years. Upon the 
 organization of the grange he was chosen as 
 Master. He was a State Deputy six years, 
 and organized and visited granges. He is a 
 trustee of the Worcester North Agricultural 
 Society, and has received premiums on his 
 exhibits of fruit and vegetables. When the 
 Lunenburg Historical Society was organized 
 in 1897, Mr. Hildreth was chosen president, 
 and in 1898 he was re-elected. 
 
 MOS BRADLEY HOLDEN, of West- 
 minster, a veteran of the Civil War, 
 in which he held the rank of First 
 Lieutenant, was born in Barre, 
 Mass., on July 11, 1823, son of Justus and 
 Betsy (Minot) Holden. 
 
 Few men in New England have a more in- 
 teresting and thrilling ancestral history than 
 Mr. Holden. His paternal grandfather, 
 James Holden, fought for American indepen- 
 dence during the Saratoga campaign; and his 
 maternal grandfather, Jonathan Minot, Jr., 
 rendered valiant service at Bunker Hill, 
 where his great-uncle, Joseph Minot, was 
 killed. Jonathan Minot, Sr., commanded a 
 company of minute-men of Westford, Mass., 
 and with his two sons, Joseph and Jonathan, 
 above named, joined in the pursuit of the 
 British troops in their retreat from Concord 
 on April 19, 1775. Jonathan Minot, Jr., 
 married Hannah Eastman, daughter of Lieu- 
 tenant Amos and Mehitable (Bradley) East- 
 man, of Hollis, N. H. 
 
 The names of Eastman and Bradley, espe- 
 cially the latter, are conspicuous in the stories 
 of the old Indian wars. One day in April, 
 
 -1752, when Lieutenant Amos Eastman was a 
 companion of John Stark, afterward General 
 Stark of Revolutionary fame, on a hunting 
 expedition near Baker's River in the town of 
 Rumney, N. H., both were captured by the 
 Indians and carried to Canada. They were 
 ransomed a few weeks later and returned 
 home. Amos Eastman married Mehitable 
 Bradley in 1743, and settled in Hollis, N.H. 
 His wife was a descendant of the Bradleys of 
 
 -Haverhill, Mass., who suffered severely in 
 
 the early conflicts with the Indians, some of 
 their number being slain, and others carried 
 into captivity. 
 
 Mr. Holden received his education in the 
 public schools at Westminster, and subse- 
 quently learned the shoemaker's trade. On 
 the organization of the company in the Thirty- 
 second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, 
 Mr. Holden was made Sergeant. The bat- 
 talion to which he belonged was stationed at 
 Fort Warren, where many political and mili- 
 tary prisoners of note were under guard, 
 among these being the famous Mason and 
 Slidell. In May, 1862, the battalion was 
 ordered to the front to re-enforce McClellan on 
 the peninsula. In March preceding this Mr. 
 Holden had been commissioned Second Lieu- 
 tenant. Being physically unable to perform 
 military duty at Harrison's Landing, he was 
 detailed on recruiting service, but upon his 
 return to Boston, following the advice of an 
 army surgeon, he sent in his resignation, 
 though much against his own wishes. After 
 six months at home he had recovered his health 
 to a degree that made it safe for him again to 
 enter the service, and accordingly he re-en- 
 listed, this time as Second Lieutenant. He 
 was shortly after made First Lieutenant, and 
 in that capacity served until the discharge of 
 his battalion in October, 1865. During much . 
 of the two and a half years in the Heavy Ar- 
 tillery, which he joined upon his second en- 
 listment. Lieutenant Holden was detailed as 
 artillery instructor, and for a time also he 
 acted as Quartermaster and Commissary of 
 Subsistence. Two of the important affairs in 
 which he was engaged were the guarding of 
 the substitutes at the camp at Concord, N.H., 
 and the suppression of the draft riots in Bos- 
 ton. Since the war he has been in the ser- 
 vice of the State as superintendent of stables 
 at the prison at Sherborn, and has been there 
 under every superintendent the prison has 
 had. 
 
 Since his return to private life Mr. Holden 
 has been engaged to some extent and has 
 taken great interest in raising fruits of vari- 
 ous kinds. He is a member of the Massachu- 
 setts Fruit Growers' Association, and has two 
 hundred trees devoted to the raising of Anjou 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8Sr 
 
 pears, of which he makes a specialty. In 
 1872 and 1873 he was Selectman and Overseer 
 of the Poor for the town of Westminster, and 
 in 187s he represented the Fifth Worcester 
 District in the legislature. While here he 
 was appointed to the Committee on Claims, 
 which that year had brought before it the 
 claim of Shanly Brothers, the Hoosac Tunnel 
 contractors. In religious faith Mr. Holden 
 is a Congregationalist, and for a time he was 
 a Deacon of the church. 
 
 He was connected with the State militia 
 from 1842 to 1856, filling all of the company 
 offices, including that of Captain. In the 
 meantime he was chosen Major of the old 
 Ninth, but declined the honor. Later he was 
 connected with the Tenth Regiment from 
 1866 until 1876. In 1875 he was appointed 
 mustering officer and paymaster of the Tenth 
 Regiment, under Colonel J. M. Drennan. 
 He is a charter member of Joseph P. Rice 
 Post, No. 69, G. A. R., was its first Com- 
 mander, and is its present Quartermaster. 
 
 Mr. Holden married Harriet A. L. Smith, 
 daughter of Charles and Polly (Burgess) 
 Smith, November 18, 1847. They have two 
 children: Harriet Josephine, born February 
 ■26, 1849; and Frank Milton, born May 23, 
 ' 1855. Harriet J. married Edgar L. Gilson 
 in 1874, and has one child, Louis Bradey Gil- 
 son, born in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Gilson re- 
 ■ side at South Framingham. Frank M. 
 Holden married Ella Ruggles. They have 
 three children: Jessamine L., who was born 
 in 1883; Mabel E., who was born in 1886; 
 and Carrol B., who was born in 1893. Their 
 home is in Hudson. 
 
 'RAN CIS E. HUCKINS, the chairman 
 of the Board of Selectmen of Grafton 
 and a veteran of the Civil War, was 
 born in Grafton in 1 844, son of Ebenezer and 
 Susan (Sherman) Huckins. The father, who 
 was a native of New Hampshire, came to this 
 town when a young man, and for many years 
 worked as foreman for the Boston & Albany 
 Railroad in building bridges. Later he 
 bought the farm where his son now resides. 
 Of the five children born to him, two died in 
 
 maturity. Those living are : Aaron Sherman, 
 who is a farmer, residing in Hubbardston ; 
 Francis E., the subject of this biography; and 
 George H., who resides in North Grafton, is 
 engaged in the milling business, and also deals 
 in grain, hay, etc. 
 
 Francis E. Huckins attended the common 
 schools of his native town, and later pursued a 
 high school course under the able tutorship of 
 Professor D. B. Hubbard. At the age of 
 seventeen, when the war between the North 
 and the South was just breaking out, he left 
 his studies and began drilling. On July 12, 
 1861, he was sworn into the Union army, being 
 the next man after Albert Smith, who was the 
 first, to enroll from Grafton. His parents 
 were opposed to his entering the army at so 
 early an age, and endeavored to dissuade him, 
 but to no purpose. He was appointed to Com- 
 pany G of the Fifteenth Regiment, and was 
 sent on to Washington, his being the first regi- 
 ment to pass through Baltimore after the Balti- 
 more riot. After a two weeks' stay in Wash- 
 ington, Mr. Huckins was detailed for picket 
 duty at Poolsville, Md. The first fighting he 
 saw was at Ball's Bluff, where he swam back 
 over the river at midnight and walked six 
 miles to camp, his clothing consisting of a hat 
 and a pair of stockings. He next took part in 
 the battle of Winchester; and, following this, 
 he was with McClellan in the Peninsula cam- 
 paign, taking part in every engagement. He 
 was at the siege of Yorktown, at Williams- 
 burg, at Seven Pines (more often called Fair 
 Oaks) ; in the seven days' retreat to Harrison's 
 Landing; and at Antietam, where his company 
 was in the thick of the fight and suffered heav- 
 ily. He then followed Lee to Fredericksburg, 
 and was at Chancel lorsvi lie, Ball's Bluff, and 
 at Gettysburg. Later he served under Grant 
 in the campaign against Petersburg, and was at 
 Weldon Railroad, where the rebels captured 
 nearly the whole brigade. At Antietam he 
 was offered a Sergeant's place. At Poolsville 
 he was for several weeks in the hospital. Of 
 the men who enlisted from Grafton only three 
 came back, Messrs. Collins, Rhodes, and 
 Huckins, while the regiment ranks eighth as 
 regards the number of men killed in battle. 
 Mr. Huckins reached home after three years 
 
8S^ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 spent in the defence of the Union, on July 28, 
 1864. Declining to re-enlist, though offered 
 a commission and eight hundred and fifty dol- 
 lars, he became a conductor on the Boston & 
 Albany Railroad, running to Worcester, which 
 position he afterward held for twenty-three 
 years. At the end of that time, being then in 
 failing health, he retired to the old home, 
 where he has since been engaged in agriculture. 
 Mr. Huckins is now serving his ninth con- 
 secutive year as a member of the Board of 
 Selectmen, and his sixth year as the chairman 
 of the board. He has also been the chairman 
 of the Republican Town Committee for a num- 
 ber of years. An Odd Fellow, he is a member 
 of Mt. Washington Encampment, No. 6 ; also a 
 charter member of Bernice Rebecca Lodge, of 
 Boston, and a member of Evening Star Lodge 
 at North Grafton. He has been several times 
 through the chairs of the latter fraternity, and 
 has been one of its trustees since its organiza- 
 tion. He is an active member' of Post No. 2, 
 G. A. R. , of Boston, and at camp fires is al- 
 ways ready to give a definite and decided opin- 
 ion on any subject that is brought up for dis- 
 cussion along with his reasons therefor. He 
 married Lucy Spear, of Quincy, who is the 
 mother of two children. One is now Mrs. 
 Harry Allen, who is a graduate of Norcross 
 School, Boston, and resides in North Grafton. 
 The other is Lucy F., who married George 
 Stockwell, and resides with her parents. Mrs. 
 Huckins is a prominent member of Rebecca 
 Lodge, has occupied numerous official positions 
 therein, and was for two years District Deputy 
 Grand Master. 
 
 RANK C. LITCHFIELD, the president 
 of the Litchfield Shuttle Company, of 
 Southbridge, Mass., son of the late 
 Festus C. Litchfield, was born here. May 4, 
 1846. His paternal grandfather, Comins 
 Litchfield, a carpenter by trade and the owner 
 of a good farm in Charlton, Worcester County, 
 married a Miss Blan chard. 
 
 Festus C. Litchfield, son of Comins, was 
 bom on the old homestead in Charlton in the 
 year 181 8. A carpenter and wheelwright by 
 trade, he spent many years of his early life in 
 
 the capacity of master mechanic for the Globq 
 Company. In 1843 he and his brother, Leroy, 
 founded the Litchfield. Shuttle Company, and 
 he served for a long time as its president., His 
 religious opinions were liberal, and he was a 
 generous contributor to the Congregational 
 church, of which he was. a regular attendant. 
 He died October 20, 1883. His first wife, 
 whose maiden name was Lucy Hammond, bore 
 him two children, namely: Frank C, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; and Charlotte Ann, now 
 the wife of John P. Haynes, a business man of 
 Chicago, formerly of Sturbridge. His second 
 marriage was made with Louisa Amsden, then 
 a teacher in the public schools of Southbridge. 
 Her death occurred on May 20, 1883. 
 
 Having received his early education in the 
 Southbridge schools and the academy at Wil- 
 braham, Frank C. Litchfield became an em^ 
 ployee of the Litchfield Shuttle Conjpany, 
 Shortly after he resigned that position and 
 went to Providence, R.I. , to take a course in 
 book-keeping and mechanical drawing, at the 
 Schofield Commercial College. Having ac- 
 complished this purpose, he resumed his former 
 position in the shops of the Shuttle Company. 
 Subsequently Pliny Litchfield, Liberty and 
 Lybia M. Litchfield were admitted as equal 
 partners, and at a later date Schuyler Whitney, 
 a brother-in-law of the founders of the- firrn, 
 became one of its active members. About a 
 year after he secured a position with the Bos- 
 ton Lock Company, manufacturers of builders' 
 hardware, of which he was for a time a mem- 
 ber. A year and a half later he severed his 
 connection with that company, and for the 
 next nine months was with the Michin^l Toy 
 Company, which was burned out by the Boston 
 fire of 1872. During the following two years 
 he kept a grocery store at Wollaston Heights. 
 Then at the request of his father he sold out, 
 and returned to the shops of the Shuttle Com- 
 pany, where he was employed from 1872 until 
 July I, 1878. On this latter date he bought 
 one-half of his father's interest in the company. 
 In January, 1879, he was made a director of 
 the company ; served as clerk of the corporation 
 from 1884 to 1890; and on the death of Pliny 
 Litchfield in 1890 he became the president of 
 the corporation, which position he has since 
 
FRANK C. LITCHFIELD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ssi 
 
 ably filled. The company makes a specialty 
 of manufacturing patterns originally invented 
 by it. In addition to manufacturing shuttles 
 and shuttle irons for all parts of our own coun- 
 try, it exports many of its productions to for- 
 eign countries. 
 
 In politics Mr. Litchfield is a stanch Repub- 
 lican. At present he is serving the commu- 
 nity on the Library Committee of Southbridge. 
 He belongs to Southbridge Lodge, No. 47, 
 I. O. O. F. , of which he is Past Grand; to 
 Wachusett Encampment, No. 10, of Worces- 
 ter; to Armor Lodge, No. 87, Knights of 
 Pythias ; and to Phoenix Council, Royal Arca- 
 num, No. 353, of which he was the secretary 
 for one year. He is interested in all things 
 pertaining to the moral welfare of the town, 
 and is an active member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. On March 4, 1872, he was 
 united in marriage with Isabelle R., daughter 
 of the Rev. Pliny Wood, of Worcester. They 
 have one daughter. Ruby Belle, who was bom 
 September 4, 1886. 
 
 SYLVESTER PRESCOTT, a highly 
 respected resident of Rutland, is a 
 native of West Boylston. He was 
 born on February 3, 1812, son of 
 John and Eunice (Dinsmore) Prescott. His 
 paternal grandfather, who was a farmer in 
 Sterling, was born on June 19, 1750, and died 
 on November 22, 1805. He married Tabitha 
 Sawyer, who died on June 4, 1834. His 
 grandfather Dinsmore, who was born on Sep- 
 tember 17, 1743, and died in West Boylston 
 on August 4, 181 1, was also a farmer by occu- 
 pation. His grandmother Dinsmore, whose 
 maiden name was Sarah Winn, was born on 
 September 14, 1746, and died on March 2, 
 1831. 
 
 John Prescott, above named, was born in 
 West Boylston on April 18, 1785, and spent 
 his life there, engaged in farming. He was a 
 member of the Congregational church. His 
 death occurred on August 28, 1848. His wife, 
 Eunice, died on July 7, 1862. 
 
 Sylvester Prescott was educated in the dis- 
 trict schools in West Boylston, where at an 
 early age he gave evidence of unusual skill 
 
 with a pen. He became an expert writer, and 
 has in later years been engaged in teaching 
 penmanship. He resided in his native town 
 until 1864, and was for a number of years a 
 trunk -maker and for one year landlord of the 
 Oakdale House. Upon coming to Rutland in 
 1864 he bought the farm where he is now liv- 
 ing, and upon which he has since made many 
 improvements. Here he has cultivated his 
 seventy-eight acres of land, and raised general 
 farm products. 
 
 On January 19, 1836, Mr. Prescott was 
 united in marriage with Triphena B. Fair- 
 banks, who was born in Holden on September 
 
 12, 1 8 19, daughter of Oliver and Prescilla H. 
 (Bennett) Fairbanks, both of whom were na- 
 tives of Sterling. Mr. and Mrs. Prescott have 
 had nine children, namely: Marion W., born 
 on September 20, 1838; Sarah E. , born May 
 
 13, 1840; William W. , born December 29, 
 1841; James M., born January 2, 1845; Man- 
 son M., born March 31, 1847; Roland C, 
 born June 24, 1851; Walter H., born August 
 I, 1854; Ezra B., born July 25, 1861; and 
 Edwin S. , born February 6, 1863. Ezra B., 
 the eighth, died on July 9, 1863 ; Manson died 
 on April 17, 1871 ; and Edwin died on Febru- 
 ary 5, 1895. William and James were in 
 Company D of the Second Regiment, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteers, while Manson was in 
 Company E of the Twenty-first Regiment. 
 
 Marion W. Prescott was married to James 
 T. Earley on October 7, 1855. Their chil- 
 dren are: Marion Isabell, born October 28, 
 1858; Walter Herbert, born January 27, 1861 ; 
 Annie Gay, born March 24, 1864; Emma Try- 
 phena, born June 26, 1867; Christie Prescott, 
 born June 14, 1871 ; Ella Christena, born De- 
 cember 25, 1873; Clarence Frank, born Janu- 
 ary 14, 1878; and Bertha Mabel, born August 
 4, 1882. Marion I. Earley is the wife of 
 Archibald H. Mitchell, and has had three 
 children : Archie Hunter, who, born December 
 24, 1 89 1, died December 30, 1891, aged six 
 days; William James, born January 8, 1894; 
 and Bessie Isabel, born January 27, 1897. 
 Walter H. Earley was married to Marion E. 
 Wentworth November 28, 1894. No issue. 
 Christie P. Earley was married to Grace E. 
 Loring on October 18, 1894, and has two chil- 
 
8s6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dren : Marion Edith, born October 30, 1 895 ; 
 and Helen Loring, born May 27, 1898. 
 
 Sarah E. Prescott and William E. Boothby 
 were married on March 17, 1863. Their chil- 
 dren are: Ledru Sylvester, born September 25, 
 1864; and Nettie Roenna, born December 31, 
 1867. The son, Ledru S. Boothby, married 
 December 23, 1891, Ella M. Kenerson, and 
 has a daughter Ethel, born March 30, 1897. 
 William W. Prescott was married to Jane E. 
 Stone, March 20, 1869. Their children are: 
 Clarence Edward, who was born February 4, 
 1876, and died October 27, 1879, ^ged three 
 years, eight months, and twenty -.three days; 
 and William James, born August 12, 1880. 
 James M. Prescott married Martha Stone, No- 
 vember 27, 1889. No issue. 
 
 Roland C. Prescott was married to Joanna 
 K. Cutler May 30, 1876. Their children are : 
 Charles Sylvester, born February 23, 1878; 
 Julia Tryphena, born May 23, 1880; Clarence 
 Edward, born March 8, 1885; Leslie Sawyer, 
 born July 28, 1887; Roland Cutler, born June 
 24, 1 891; and Ida, born December 17, 1894. 
 Julia T. Prescott was married to Harry A. 
 Mixter October 14, 1897. They have one 
 child — George Roland, born September 7, 
 1898. 
 
 Edwin S. Prescott was married to Abbie 
 Hunter May 14, 1888, and had four chil- 
 dren: Edwin Hunter, born April 10, 1889; 
 Harry Hunter, born August 18, 1891 ; Isabel 
 Mitchell, born September 11, 1893; and 
 Willie James, born September 21, 1895. 
 
 In politics Mr. Prescott is a Republican. 
 He has never cared to hold public office, but 
 was for a time Constable and Highway Sur- 
 veyor. For a number of years he was a trus- 
 tee of the Rural Cemetery Association. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Prescott are the oldest married pair 
 living in Rutland. The fiftieth anniversary of 
 their wedding was made the occasion of a most 
 enjoyable meeting, at which were present one 
 hundred and twenty-five persons, including not 
 only their children and grandchildren, but a 
 large number of friends who were glad of the 
 opportunity to tender congratulations and to 
 express hopeful wishes for the future. Two 
 years ago, 1896, their sixtieth anniversary was 
 celebrated in a similar manner. Mr. Prescott 
 
 is still an active member of the Rutland 
 Farmers' Club, which was organized in his 
 house the same year he came here. As a 
 member of the Improvement Society he has 
 done much toward beautifying the highway, 
 planting many shade trees. He possesses a 
 remarkable memory and considerable ability 
 as a poet. Of an optimistic temperament and 
 with always a kind word for every one, he has 
 made a host of friends in his long life; and the 
 weight of advancing years is scarcely felt, 
 brightened as it is by cheerful companionships 
 and neighborly kindness, as well as by filial 
 affection. 
 
 rgTERBERT B. ROYAL, M.D., of 
 T^A Harvard, was born in Garland, Pe- 
 J^ I nobscot County, Me., September 
 24, 1863, son of Josiah P. and Susan 
 M. (Garland) Royal. He is a great-grandson 
 of Josiah Royal, who fought for American in- 
 dependence under Paul Jones in the Revolu- 
 tionary War, taking part in the famous sea 
 fight in the English Channel with the British 
 ship "Serapis." Josiah Royal died, in 
 Dover, Me., which town in 1897 voted to 
 erect a monument to his memory for his Rev- 
 olutionary services. Dr. Royal's grand- 
 father, Josiah P. Royal, was a lifelong resi- 
 dent of Dover, Me., where he was engaged in 
 farming. He died at the age of sixty years. 
 Josiah P. Royal (second), father of Herbert 
 and a native of Dover, when a young man set- 
 tled upon a farm in Garland, where he and 
 his wife now reside. The latter is a daugh- 
 ter of Benjamin Garland, who was a prosper- 
 ous farmer and sheep-raiser. The town of 
 Garland was named in honor of her grand- 
 father, Joseph Garland, a Revolutionary 
 patriot. Josiah P. and Susan M. Royal are 
 the parents of seven children; namely, Sarah 
 E., Emma A., Charles E., Herbert B., 
 George L., Lizzie M., and Nettie E. The 
 parents are members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal church. 
 
 Herbert B. Royal attended the , Foxcroft 
 High School and Academy, graduating from 
 both institutions. Then, after studying med- 
 icine for eighteen months with Dr. T. H. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8S7 
 
 Merrill, of Foxcroft, he entered Bowdoin Col- 
 lege, Brunswick, from which he was graduated 
 with the medical class of 1887. Locating 
 first in Lowell, Mass., he resided in that city 
 for a year, but since 1888 has practised his 
 profession in Harvard. He has gained a high 
 reputation for skill in his chosen calling, 
 while he enjoys also a wide personal popu- 
 larity. 
 
 In 1889 Dr. Royal was united in marriage 
 with Alma T. Eaton, who was born in Deer- 
 field, Mass., daughter of Dr. J. S. and Alma 
 E. Eaton. Mrs. Royal's father, who prac- 
 tised hiSj profession in New Hampshire, died 
 in 1888.* Dr. and Mrs. Royal have had three 
 children, of whom two are now living; 
 namely, Kent T. and Ellery E. 
 
 Politically a Republican, Dr. Royal has 
 been chairman of the Town Committee sev- 
 eral years, and is at the present time serving 
 as Auditor, Town Physician, and chairman of 
 the Board of Health. He is a trustee of the 
 Warner Lecture Fund, president of Harvard 
 Historical Society, a member of the Worces- 
 ter County and the Massachusetts Medical 
 Societies. He also belongs to Harvard 
 Lodge, No. 60, I. O. O,- F. Keeping fully 
 in touch with the advance of medical science, 
 his knowledge and skill are manifest in the 
 results of his practice, and he stands high in 
 the estimation of his professional associates 
 of this locality, as well as in that of the gen- 
 eral public. With his wife he is a member 
 of the Congregational church. 
 
 ents. 
 
 OSEPH HENRY WALKER, LL.D., 
 statesman and financier, has been a 
 resident of Worcester, Mass., since 
 1843, when he came here with his par- 
 Joseph and Hannah Thayer (Chapin) 
 Walker. He was born December 21, 1829, 
 in Boston, the temporary home of his father's 
 family; but his early years were mostly passed 
 in Hopkinton, Middlesex County, where he 
 received his elementary education in the pub- 
 lic schools. That he is of substantial, well- 
 rooted New England stock, numbering among 
 his ancestors early and influential planters 
 of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, may be 
 
 gathered from the records published in various 
 town histories, notably that of Milford. 
 From these it appears that on the paternal 
 side he is of the ninth generation from Rich- 
 ard Walker, of Lynn, 1630, later a Captain of 
 the militia, in 1638-39 a member of the 
 "Military Company of the Massachusetts," 
 now the Ancient and Honorable Artillery 
 Company, and in 1641, 1648, and 1649 Rep- 
 resentative to the General Court. The line 
 of descent is: Captain Richard'; Samuel,^ of 
 Woburn; Israel 3; Henry''; Henry, 5 of Hop- 
 kinton, who perished in the Cuban expedition 
 of 1740; Solomon,* a soldier in the French 
 and Indian War, who married Sarah Bui lard, 
 of Framingham; Joseph,'' born in 1760, mar- 
 ried Mehetabel Gibbs; Joseph,* born in 1804, 
 who married Hannah T., daughter of Eli and 
 Libby (Thayer) Chapin. 
 
 Mr. Walker's maternal grandfather, Eli 
 Chapin,* was the son of Lieutenant Ephraim,' 
 a lineal descendant, through Joseph,'' Captain 
 Leth,3 Josiah^ ("an eminent citizen of Men- 
 don town"), of Samuel Chapin," immigrant, 
 of Roxbury, 1636, who with his wife. Cicely, 
 later settled in Springfield, and was the father 
 of the family of this name. 
 
 Shoe manufacturing may be set down as the 
 hereditary occupation of this line of the 
 Walker family. Joseph Walker, Sr., is said 
 to have been the first in the country to use, 
 instead of thread in making boots and shoes, 
 wooden pegs, which were of his own invention. 
 His son Joseph, father of the subject of this 
 sketch, removed to Worcester in 1843, and 
 here established himself as a shoe manu- 
 facturer. 
 
 Three years later Joseph H., a youth of six- 
 teen, left the high school and took the initia- 
 tory step in his business career, entering his 
 father's employ. Ambitious and painstaking, 
 occupying a responsible position from the 
 very first, he acquired a practical and thor- 
 ough knowledge of every department of the 
 business, and in 1851 became his father's 
 partner, the firm being J. Walker & Co. 
 until some time in 1862. His mother died in 
 1850, and his father in 1879. In 1864 J. H. 
 Walker and his brother, G. M. Walker, 
 formed a partnership for the manufacture of 
 
8s8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 boots and shoes, which was continued till 
 1888, G. M. Walker retiring in 1870. This 
 firm acquired a wide and enviable reputation 
 as manufacturers of the "Walker boot," made 
 of pliable leather on a last representing a 
 composite foot -form, ingeniously derived from 
 the different measurements of a large number 
 of feet. In 1868 was established in Chicago 
 the tanning and leather business by Mr. 
 Walker subsequently known as Walker, Oak- 
 ley & Co., Mr. Walker being the senior 
 member. 
 
 The same energy, practical sagacity, and 
 diligent appplication that have made Mr. 
 Walker a successful man of business have 
 characterized him in public life, in which his 
 later years have been spent. A member of 
 the Common Council of Worcester at the age 
 of twenty -three, he was president of that body 
 in 1869. He has also been a member of the 
 School Board. In politics he is a stanch Re- 
 publican and a strong advocate of the leading 
 principles of the party, being a fluent and 
 logical speaker, a clear and forcible writer. 
 He served as Representative in the State 
 legislature in 1879, 1880, and 1887, in the 
 latter year being chairman of the Committee 
 on Labor and a member of the Committee on 
 Finance and Expenditures. He is now serv- 
 ing his fifth term in Congress, to which he 
 was first elected in 1888. He has been chair- 
 man of the Committee on Banking and Cur- 
 rency in the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth 
 Congress, and member of it for ten years. 
 At the late election, November, 1898, his 
 district went Democratic. In the next Con- 
 gress "the loss of Mr. Walker," as one has 
 well said, "will be sorely felt; for his ac- 
 quaintance with financial questions has in the 
 past been of great value to his colleagues and 
 to his party generally, and his sterling hon- 
 esty compelled respect even from his most 
 bitter opponents." 
 
 Mr. Walker is the author of a monograph 
 on "Money, Trade, and Banking," published 
 by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., a valuable con- 
 tribution to the literature of the currency 
 question. Among his published addresses 
 may be mentioned "Perils of Wage-workers 
 in Continued Silver Coinage," 1886; and 
 
 "The Moral Aspects of a Protective Tariff: 
 How it helps the Wage-worker and Farmer," 
 1888. 
 
 "It is as certain as experience can make 
 it," says Mr. Walker, "that it is the quality 
 rather than the quantity that is of the first 
 consequence in the money of a people, and 
 that an abundance in a country of what is 
 called money does not indicate high wages or 
 national prosperity or national wealth. On 
 the contrary, a large amount of so-called 
 money may indicate a low condition of civil- 
 ization and low wages." 
 
 For several years Mr. Walker wSS president 
 of the Worcester Board of Trade, also chair- 
 man of the Committee on Foreign Trade and 
 Exports, of the National Hide and Leather 
 Association, a vice-president of the New 
 England Shoe and Leather Association, and 
 president of the trustees of the Worcester 
 Academy for thirty years, and a trustee of 
 Brown University for twenty years. 
 
 Mr. Walker married in 1852 Sarah Ella, 
 daughter of Jubal Harrington, of Worcester. 
 She died in 1859, leaving one child, a daugh- 
 ter, now the wife of Milton Shirk, a banker in 
 Peru, Ind. Mr. Walker married in 1862 
 Hannah M. Kelly Spear, of New Hampton, 
 N.H. They have two sons — -Joseph, a grad- 
 uate of Brown University and Harvard Law 
 School, and George, also educated at Brown 
 — and a daughter Agnes, the wife of Adams 
 D. Claflin, of Newton. 
 
 (sTTLBERT CONANT BUTTRICK, senior 
 tiA member of the firm of Buttrick & 
 /J|j,\ Pratt, civil engineers, Worcester, 
 ^•^ was Ijorn in Jaffrey, N. H., Septem- 
 ber 2, 1829, son of Olvin and Louisa Eliza- 
 beth (Sweetser) Buttrick. He is a descendant 
 in the seventh generation of William Buttrick, 
 who was born in England in 1616, and emi- 
 grating in 1634 was one of the original set- 
 tlers in Concord, Mass. Samuel Buttrick, 
 son of William, was born in Concord in 1654; 
 and Deacon Jonathan Buttrick,, son of Samuel, 
 was born there in 1690. Nathan Buttrick, 
 the great-grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch, was a native of Concord, as was also 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 8S9 
 
 Charles Buttrick, the grandfather, who was 
 born September 7, 1774. Major John But- 
 trick, a member of the family, was a Revo- 
 lutionary soldier. Charles Buttrick, the 
 grandfather, married Betsey Blake, who was 
 born in Holden, Mass., July 16, 1776; and of 
 that union there were seven sons and one 
 daughter. Betsey, the youngest, who was born 
 April 28, 1825, di«d April 5, 1843; Charles, 
 for many yeai;s a chair manufacturer at Ash- 
 burnham, Mass., was born in 1801, and died in 
 1879; Elias was born in 1806, and died in 
 1824; Samuel Damon Buttrick, a farmer and 
 mill owner, was born April 25, 1809, and died 
 April 2, 1892; Otis, who became a farmer in 
 Central New York, was born April 22, 181 2, 
 and died in 1895; Edward, who was born 
 March 4, 1815, is now residing in Deering, 
 N. H., where his parents settled; and John 
 Blake Buttrick was born August 21, 1816, 
 and died June 18, 1890. They were all un- 
 usually tall men. 
 
 Olvin Buttrick, the father, was born in 
 Chelmsford, March 11, 1804. For a number 
 of years he was quite an extensive lumber 
 manufacturer in Holden, Mass., and he after- 
 ward engaged in the fruit business in Boston. 
 He was an able and successful business man, 
 who possessed many commendable character- 
 istics; and prominent among them was his 
 generosity. . His last days were spent in 
 Worcester, and he died September 7, 1877. 
 In his religious belief he was a Methodist. In 
 1828 he married Louisa Elizabeth Sweetser, 
 who was bom in Paxton, Mass., in 1806, daugh- 
 ter of Stephen and Betsey (Fuller) Sweetser, 
 and a descendant of the Rev. Daniel Dodge, 
 a Baptist preacher. She became the mother of 
 five children, of whom two sons died in in- 
 fancy. Those who lived to grow up were : 
 Albert C, the subject of this sketch; Louisa 
 Ann Elizabeth, who married Sewell Skinner, 
 of Worcester, and died suddenly of heart dis- 
 ease April 21, 1898; and Adelaide R.> who 
 was born in 1841, married David Johnson, and 
 died in 1885. The mother died in 1878. 
 She was a woman of refined tastes, and pos- 
 sessed much ingenuity and perseverance, which 
 enabled her to successfully accomplish what- 
 ever she undertook. 
 
 Albert Conant Buttrick attended the district 
 andi high schools and the Leicester Academy. 
 His first knowledge of engineering was ob- 
 tained at the high school, and after teaching 
 school for a time in Southboro, Mass., he aci 
 quired his first practical experience under the 
 Hon. Phineas Ball, of the firm of Boyden & 
 Ball, the former of whom, was the first resi- 
 dent architect of this city, and the latter a 
 prominent civil engineer of his day, at one 
 time Mayor of the city. In 1852 Mr. But- 
 trick entered the employ of the city, and in 
 1854 he opened an office on. his own account. 
 Forming later a copartnership with D. M. 
 Wheeler, they became the leading engineers in 
 Worcester, and also did a great deal of work 
 in New England and New York States, locate 
 ing- railroads and constructing dams, also con- 
 tracting for and putting in water supplies for 
 different cities in Massachusetts, and located 
 the first narrow gauge railway in the State. 
 Mr. Buttrick has built several residences and 
 business blocks, among which the handsome 
 brick and marble structure at the corner of 
 Main Street and Barton Place is worthy of 
 particular mention. The present firm of Buti 
 trick & Pratt, which is now transacting a large 
 business, was established about fifteen years 
 ago, and is located at 705 and 706 State 
 Mutual Building. They have excellent facil- 
 ities for accurately determining the exact lines 
 of all city property of note, as well as making 
 subdivisions, and- employ a large force of 
 capable assistants. For the past forty years 
 Mr. Buttrick has been the consulting, engineer 
 and surveyor for the Salisbury estate, having 
 been emploj'cd by the senior Salisbury .to suc- 
 ceed Mr, Ball when, he became Mayor of the 
 city of Worcester. He has also laid out into 
 streets most of the large estates in the city, 
 notably the John. Hammond farm, the Colonel 
 Wetherell farm, the Ephraim Mower tract, 
 and the Samuel Davis tract, these being now 
 near the central portion, of the city and each 
 containing large areas. He is chairman of the 
 Board of Fence Viewers, having been elected 
 to that office year after year for the past 
 decade and as such it devolves upon him to 
 make final decision as to the location of lines 
 and boundaries within the city limits. Pol it- 
 
86o 
 
 BIOGRAPrfrCAL REVIEW 
 
 ically, he was prior to 1856 a member of the 
 Free Soil party, but since that year has been 
 a Republican. 
 
 On March 7, 1855, Mr. Buttrick married for 
 his first wife Elizabeth S. Newton, of this 
 city, daughter of Guy S. and Dorothy (Davis) 
 Newton. She died August 9, 1877, aged 
 forty-seven years, leaving no children. In 
 1885 he married for his second wife Teresa 
 Corbett, a native of England, and by this 
 union has two daughters — Louisa Ann and 
 Elizabeth N. ^ 
 
 For many years Mr. Buttrick has been in- 
 terested in musical matters, and the present 
 Worcester County Musical Association is the 
 outcome of a former society of which he was 
 treasurer. 
 
 He joined the Old South Church in 1852, 
 was formerly an Assessor, and was a member 
 of the committee chosen to select the site, 
 secure plans, and erect the present handsome 
 church edifice; and some of its architectural 
 beauty is the result of his suggestions. 
 
 He is a life member of the Worcester 
 County Mechanics' Association and a charter 
 member of the Congregational Club, also a 
 member of the Worcester County Society of 
 Engineers, being its first president. 
 
 7T\HARLES CARROLL STRATTON, 
 ( V^ the senior proprietor of the Fitch- 
 ^^ ^ burg Sentinel, a son of Thomas and 
 Elizabeth (Sturtevant) Stratton, was 
 born in Fairlee, Vt., August 22, 1829. The 
 father, who was a farmer of Fairlee and a 
 member of the Republican party, represented 
 his native town in the legislature, and held 
 various positions of trust. 
 
 Having obtained his education in the dis- 
 trict school and at Thetford Academy, Charles 
 Carroll Stratton, when he was seventeen years 
 old, began to learn the printer's trade in the 
 office of the Democratic Republican at Haver- 
 hill, N.H. Afterward he worked for a time 
 in the office of the Aurora of the Valley at 
 Newbury, Vt., for several months in the old 
 Franklin Printing-office in Boston, and then 
 in the Methodist Book Concern of New York 
 City. In September, 1854, he entered the 
 
 office of the Fitchburg Sentinel, which at that 
 time was a small weekly paper. Since then, 
 excluding a few months during the Civil War, 
 when he served in the Second Massachusetts 
 Cavalry, and a short time spent in the Chris- 
 tian Commission at City Point, Va., he has 
 been connected with the Sentinel. In March, 
 1867, he bought a half-interest in the publica- 
 tion. Some time after he proposed to make 
 it a daily as well as a weekly paper, but his 
 partner did not favor the project. He then 
 became associated with his present partner, 
 John E. Kellogg, and they began to publish 
 the Daily Sentinel, issuing the first number on 
 May 6, 1873. The enterprise was successful. 
 Both the daily and weekly were enlarged suc- 
 cessively in 1881, 1885, 1886, and 1890. In 
 1890 the paper (both the daily and weekly) 
 was changed from a folio to a quarto; and in 
 1892 it was made an eight-page paper of fifty- 
 six columns, printed on a perfecting press. 
 The journal is devoted to the interests of 
 Central Massachusetts, and has become an im- 
 portant factor in the development of Fitch- 
 burg. Started as a four-page paper, its pres- 
 ent size and status speak volumes for the 
 enterprise and skill of its managers. 
 
 Mr. Stratton is prominent in both the relig- 
 ious and social doings of his adopted city, and 
 enjoys the confidence and respect of a large 
 acquaintance. Married June 11, 1873, to 
 TMaria S., daughter of John and Sophronia C. 
 Putnam, of Fitchburg, he has one daughter, 
 Louise S. In politics Mr. Stratton is a 
 Republican. He is a member of the Fitch- 
 burg Board of Trade, of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, of the Knights of 
 Honor, and of the Fitchburg Historical So- 
 ciety. 
 
 ON. JOHN E. McCLELLAN, a 
 leading resident of Grafton and Rep- 
 resentative in the State Senate 
 (1899) of the Fifth Worcester Sen- 
 atorial District, was born September 5, 1847, 
 in the adjoining town of Sutton, son of John 
 and Ama (Daggett) McClellan. Respecting 
 this family, which has been prominent in 
 Sutton for several generations, interesting in-r 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 86i 
 
 formation may be found in the History of 
 Sutton. James McClellan, grandfather of John 
 E., was a farmer by occupation and one of the 
 leading men of the county. 
 
 John McClellan, son of James, came to 
 Grafton from Sutton forty-three years ago, 
 and began to carry on farming on an extensive 
 scale. He was active and energetic, and a 
 man of much public spirit. Before the Civil 
 War, in his younger days, he was a Major in 
 the State militia. During the war he was a 
 Selectman, and at one time he went to the 
 front to re-enlist those men of this section 
 whose term had expired. For fifty years he 
 was a Deacon in the Baptist church at Graf- 
 ton, which had been liberally supported by 
 his family, and for more than a half -century 
 he was a trustee of Worcester Academy. In 
 1867 he represented Grafton in the legisla- 
 ture. His wife, Ama, a daughter of Colonel 
 John Daggett, was descended from one of the 
 old families of Attleboro. Of their chil- 
 dren, A. D. McClellan graduated from Brown 
 University, and is now a practising lawyer 
 in Boston. Three daughters are living in 
 Worcester. 
 
 John E. McClellan received his education 
 in the common schools of Grafton, and in 
 Leicester and Williston Academies. In Au- 
 gust, 1864, being then not quite seventeen 
 years of age, he enlisted in the Northern 
 array, First Battalion of Massachusetts Heavy 
 Artillery, and was subsequently in the service 
 until the close of the war, being mustered out 
 in August, 1865. Two years later he went 
 West to Illinois, where he was in business 
 for a year. At the end of that time he pushed 
 on farther toward the Golden Gate, and 
 reached California, where he remained seven 
 years, engaged in a freighting business to the 
 mines. Subsequently he returned to Grafton, 
 having spent thirteen years in his travels, and 
 settled on the farm that had been his father's. 
 Situated near Saundersville, this was one of 
 the largest and best cultivated estates in the 
 town. For ten years he has been engaged in 
 a coal business, supplying the greater part of 
 the coal used in Grafton. Also, for many 
 years he has taken contracts for the construc- 
 tion of sewers, water-works, and street ma- 
 
 sonry, and has built several stretches of State 
 road. He has had charge of the roads in the 
 town of Grafton for twelve years, and the fine 
 condition of these furnishes ample proof that 
 he has faithfully performed his trust. He was 
 one of the organizers and incorporators of the 
 Grafton Electric Company, and is at present 
 its treasurer; and he is a trustee of both the 
 Grafton Savings Bank and the co-operative 
 bank. About seven years ago he bought his 
 present house in Grafton village, which, with 
 his family, he has since occupied. 
 
 Mr. McClellan has served as Selectman of 
 the town for two years, and in 1896 and 1897 
 he represented Grafton in the legislature. 
 While there he served on the Committees on 
 Water Supply, Roads and Bridges, and in 1897 
 he was a member of the special commission 
 appointed jointly by both houses, to investigate 
 and report on the tuberculous cases at Lowell 
 and Dracut, drafted the bill that was reported 
 by the commission, and subsequently had 
 charge of it in the House. It provided that 
 "No person or persons having animals tested 
 with tuberculin shall be entitled to compensa- 
 tion from the State for any animals that react 
 to the tuberculin test, unless such testing be 
 done by the State Board of Cattle Commis- 
 sioners, or their authorized agents acting as 
 such at the time of the test; and such testing 
 must be subject to the supervision and control 
 of the State Board of Cattle Commissioners." 
 Also, in the legislature, Mr. McClellan 
 strongly advocated the building of State 
 roads, and through his active efforts several 
 bills securing appropriations for the purpose 
 were passed. In November, 1898, Mr. Mc- 
 Clellan was elected to represent the Fifth 
 Worcester Senatorial District, and is now 
 serving as a member of the Committee on 
 Agriculture and the Committee on Drainage, 
 and as chairman of the Labor Committee. 
 
 A comrade of General A. R. R. Sprague 
 Post, No. 24, G. A. R., Mr. McClellan has 
 been serving as Post Commander, and is now 
 Adjutant. At the time State Commander Bil- 
 lings was in office Mr. McClellan was one of 
 his aids. He is also a member of the Sons 
 of the American Revolution and of the 
 Worcester Society of Antiquities, and be i^ 
 
862 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Past Master of Grafton Grange. By his mar- 
 riage with Miss S. Elizabeth Dodge, of Graf- 
 ton, he has two daughters, and by a former 
 marriage he has two sons. The latter are: 
 James H., of Worcester, who is a travelling 
 salesman; and Arthur L., who resides on the 
 homestead farm. 
 
 'AMUEL WALLACE ARMING- 
 TON, Postmaster of Holden, a 
 well-known merchant and the pro- 
 prietor of Pine Grove Farm, was 
 'born in St. Johnsbury, Vt., February ii, 
 1837. He was brought to Holden when 
 about two years old by his parents, Nathaniel 
 K. and Betsey (Carr) Armington, who made 
 their home in the western part of the town, 
 on what was then known as the Davis farm, 
 where the father was engaged in farming and 
 in the wood and lumber business. In his 
 early years he assisted his father in the woods 
 and about the farm when not attending the 
 ;common schools. At the age of sixteen he 
 went into a store as clerk; and during the 
 eight years following, with the exception of a 
 year spent in Vermont, he was connected with 
 a mercantile business in either Holden or 
 Worcester. 
 
 At the outbreak of the Rebellion, Mr. 
 Armington desired to enlist, in spite of his 
 somewhat delicate health. His parents, how- 
 ever, dissuaded him, assuring him that he 
 would be of greater service to his country by 
 helping forward the regular business in his 
 immediate vicinity than he could in active 
 warfare, which would soon exhaust his strength 
 and render him unfit for further usefulness. 
 However, after the disaster at Ball's Bluff, 
 he could be restrained no longer. When 
 the call came to fill up the Fifteenth Regi- 
 ment, which had lost many men, he answered 
 it. In 1862 and 1863 he saw heavy service, 
 sharing in the marches of the regiment, and 
 taking part in nearly all the battles in which 
 it was engaged. Sustained' by his courage 
 and enthusiasm, he seemed to endure the 
 hardships incident to soldier life with as 
 much fortitude as his more robust comrades. 
 .At Fair Oaks and again at Fredericksburg 
 
 he was wounded, but hot seriously either 
 time. On November 27, 1863, he was taken 
 prisoner at Mine Run, Va., and afterward 
 for more than a year was confined in rebel 
 prisons at Belle Isle, Andersonville, Charles- 
 ton, and Florence. When at last on De- 
 cember 16, 1864, release came, he was so 
 changed in appearance that even .his closest 
 friends would have found it difficult to recog- 
 nize him. A period of rest and recupera- 
 tion followed, and, before he was sufficiently 
 recovered to enter the service again, Lee had 
 surrendered, and the much longedrfor peace 
 had come. He was mustered out in June, 
 1865. Two of his brothers, Alonzo C. and 
 Henry C, also fought in the great struggle. 
 The former, who was a member of, the Third 
 Vermont Regiment, was killed in the seven 
 days' fight; and the latter, who belonged to 
 the Ninth Maine Regiment, lost his life in 
 front of Petersburg, at the blowing up of the 
 fort. Both lie in unknown graves. 
 
 When again able to go into business, Mr. 
 Armington took charge of a store in Holden. 
 After managing it for three years, he bought 
 it in 1868. He is still in active business, 
 and keeps a line of drugs, patent medicines, 
 fancy and toilet articles, books and stationery. 
 Since 1877 he has resided at Pine Grove Farm, 
 which under his management has become one 
 of the most popular resorts in this district 
 for city people. He has served the town in 
 various positions of public trust, and always 
 to his own credit. He was Postmaster from 
 1866 to 1885, and has been again serving in 
 that capacity since 1889. He was Town 
 Clerk for the years 1868, 1869, and 1873, 
 Town Treasurer for the same length of time, 
 was re-elected Town Clerk in 1893 and still 
 holds the ofifice, was Selectman in 1881, and 
 afterward a Representative to the legislature 
 for one term, 1887. One of the most active 
 and efficient comrades of Post No. TJ, 
 G. A. R., in this town to-day, he was its first 
 Commander. 
 
 On October 8, 1865, Mr. Armington was 
 married to Harriet Shaw, of Dresden, Me., 
 who died May 22, 1884. She was the mother 
 of two daughters: May Josephine, born May 
 38, i§68; and Fannie Louise, born June. \U 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 863 
 
 1872. The former died on December 13, 
 1877. Fannie on May 17, 1895, married 
 Henry L. Phillips, of Holden, and now re- 
 sides.with her husband in Hartford, Conn., in 
 winter and in Holden during the summer. 
 Mr. Armington is one of the popular men of 
 Holden. His genial temper and cordial good 
 will have made for him many friends, his 
 well-known business integrity commands the 
 respect of all with whom he has dealings, 
 while the personal sacrifices he has laid on 
 the altar of the nation entitle him to the last- 
 ing gratitude of his fellow-citizens. 
 
 TT^HARLES R. BARTLETT, of Rut- 
 I K^ land, son of Charles and Elizabeth M. 
 ^^U^^ (Reed) Bartlett, was born here on 
 October 13, 1842. He is a grandson 
 of Levi Bartlett, a great-grandson of Daniel, 
 and a great-great-grandson of Henry Bartlett, 
 who emigrated from England to this country in 
 early Colonial times. The first representative 
 of the family in Rutland was his great-grand- 
 father, Daniel, who came here about the year 
 1750, among the first settlers of the town. He 
 bought land of one Israel Davis, in the eastern 
 part of the town, and was there engaged in 
 farming during the remainder of his life. He 
 married Mary Barker, of Concord. Members 
 of the Bartlett family of this generation served 
 in the War of the Revolution. 
 
 Levi Bartlett, grandfather of Charles R., 
 was also a farmer, and spent his life in Rut- 
 land, where he died at an advanced age. His 
 family consisted of four sons and three daugh- 
 ters, none of whom are now living. Charles 
 Bartlett, the second son, who was born in Rut- 
 land on January 20, 1802, was likewise a life- 
 long farmer in this town. He was a Captain 
 in the State militia, and held numerous town 
 offices, including those of Selectman, Assessor, 
 and Overseer of the Poor. In politics he was 
 successively a Whig and a Republican. He 
 died at the age of seventy-six. His first wife, 
 Elizabeth, was a native of Rutland. She died 
 when about forty-eight years of age, leaving 
 two sons — Francis G. Bartlett and Charles R. 
 The former is now a member of the Board of 
 -Selectmen of Rutland, and resides on the old 
 
 farm. The second wife, whose maiden name 
 was Eunice Howe, died when about eighty 
 years of age. Her son, Walter H. Bartlett, is 
 one of the well-known farmers of Rutland. 
 
 Charles R. Bartlett attended the town 
 schools here, and subsequently entered Wilbra- 
 ham Academy. He left the academy before 
 completing the course, and in 1861 enlisted in 
 Company B of the Fifty-first Massachusetts 
 Regiment. In the war, with his regiment, he 
 took part in the North Carolina campaign. 
 After receiving an honorable discharge in July, 
 1862, he returned to Rutland, and for the next 
 fifteen years gave his attention to farming. In 
 1883 he built the Muschopague House, and 
 since then has devoted his time chiefly to his 
 hotel. The name Muschopague is from an 
 Indian word meaning clear and cool. The 
 house is fitted with all modern appliances, and 
 has accommodations for about a hundred guests. 
 As the patronage increased, additions have 
 been made to the building. The locality is 
 one of the most charming spots in New Eng- 
 land in which to spend the heated season. 
 From Rutland, on a clear day, which is the 
 highest town centre between Boston and the 
 Berkshire Hills, the altitude being one thou- 
 sand two hundred and twenty feet above tide- 
 water, forty peaks can be counted. Seventy- 
 five miles toward the north are the Green 
 Mountains of Vermont, fifty miles to the east 
 are the Blue Hills of Milton, and forty miles 
 southward rise the highlands of Connecticut. 
 Interesting points in the immediate vicinity 
 are the Putnam memorial monument on tbe did 
 farm of General Rufus Putnam, and the State 
 Institution for Consumptives, which is now in 
 process of erection, and which will be the 
 only one of its kind in the United States. 
 The hotel is open only during the summer, and 
 caters only to the best class of patrons. A 
 well-equipped livery on the premises furnishes 
 facilities for driving through the surrounding 
 country, and all who have availed themselves 
 of this privilege have been enthusiastic over 
 the fine condition of the roads and the charm- 
 ing scenery. The service in the house is un- 
 excelled, and the management is constantly en- 
 deavoring to find ways of increasing the comfort 
 or amusement of the guests. 
 
864 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Bartlett was married in 1862 to Mary 
 Elizabeth Davis, who, born in Rutland on De- 
 cember 18, 1840, died in June, 1879. She 
 was the mother of three sons ; namely, Charles 
 A., Fred R., and Herbert D. For a dozen 
 years or more Mr. Bartlett was Assessor, Over- 
 seer of the Poor, and a member of the School 
 Board. He has been a Selectman of the town 
 for some years past, being now the chairman of 
 the board, and he is the superintendent of the 
 town water works. In 1878 he represented 
 Rutland, Holden, Paxton, and Leicester in the 
 legislature. His religious faith is the Ortho- 
 dox, and for many years he has been a Deacon 
 in the Congregational church. In politics he 
 is a Republican. He is a member, and was 
 the first Commander of George C. Marshall 
 Post, No. 136, G. A. R., at Rutland. Much 
 interested in local history, he has written a 
 very interesting sketch of the town of Rutland. 
 He is a leader in every movement looking 
 toward the progress or welfare of his native 
 town, and every worthy cause finds in him a 
 generous and powerful promoter. 
 
 DEANE FISHER, one of the 
 best known men of Westboro, has 
 been a resident of this town since 
 his birth, on September 22, 1812. 
 He comes of Revolutionary stock, his paternal 
 grandfather, Samuel Fisher, having served six 
 months in the Revolutionary army, after 
 which Samuel settled with his wife, Rena 
 Deane, on a farm in the village of Westboro, 
 where during the remainder of his life he 
 took an active part in town affairs. 
 
 Nahum Fisher, father of S. Deane, was 
 one of the leading agriculturists of Westboro 
 and an influential citizen. He did much of 
 the surveying in this locality, wrote deeds 
 and other legal papers, was Justice of the 
 Peace, and served at various times as Select- 
 man, Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor. 
 Fully conversant with the political conditions 
 of his day, he, as an old-line Whig, repre- 
 sented his district in the General Court of 
 Massachusetts. He married Betsey Harring- 
 ton, who bore him ten children, two of 
 whom are now living, namely; Charles, a re- 
 
 tired business man of Byron, III. ; and S. 
 Deane, the subject of this sketch. 
 
 S. Deane Fisher was educated at the West- 
 boro schools and the Westfield Academy, and, 
 though he established himself at once as a 
 farmer, taught school in this locality for eight 
 successive winters. Imagine entering the 
 school-room door on the first morning of the 
 term and being confronted by ninety pupils, 
 ranging in age from five to twenty-three 
 years, equipped for the term's work with text- 
 books by every known author, no two pupils 
 of the same grade having the same book. 
 This state of affairs Mr. Fisher and his con- 
 temporaries met and mastered. He subse- 
 quently turned his entire attention to the care 
 of his father's large farm, of which he owned 
 a part; and in 1840 he began shipping his 
 milk to Boston, being tjie first dairyman in 
 this section of the county to. thus dispose of it. 
 In 1858 he became agent for the Westboro 
 Milk Company, of Bostqn, milk dealers, and 
 as their representative in, the towns of North- 
 boro, Westboro, Shrewgbury, Grafton, and 
 Upton for twenty-five years, or until his re- 
 tirement in 1884, he kept all the accounts and 
 paid the farmers of those towns for their dairy 
 products. While in this business he handled, 
 on an average, seven hundred cans, or five 
 thousand, six hundred quarts of milk a day. 
 In the meantime Mr. Fisher sold his farm and 
 moved to his present substantial and pleasant 
 residence in the village of Westboro. He 
 has been a lifelong and consistent member of 
 the Evangelical church, which he has served 
 in various ofificial capacities, and has always 
 taken an active and intelligent interest in 
 political and town affairs. He is now serving 
 his thirteenth consecutive year as chairman of 
 the Board of Assessors. He distinctly re- 
 members meeting Lafayette, who passed 
 through this town on his way to Boston in 
 1824. In 1840 he was a member of the Mas- 
 sachusetts General Convention held in Boston, 
 at which Daniel Webster presided. 
 
 Mr. Fisher married January 14, 1846, Eliza 
 A. Davis, a daughter of Francis Davis, of 
 West Boylston; and they have one son, 
 Francis Davis Fisher. The latter, who was 
 a student at the Massachusetts Institute of 
 
S. DEANE FISHER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 867 
 
 Technology, was first assistant engineer at 
 the excavation of the Hoosac Tunnel. To 
 him was due a share of the credit for the 
 almost marvellous feat of engineering skill 
 by which the two forces of workmen from 
 opposite sides met in the heart of the moun- 
 tain, at a point varying but three-eighths of 
 an inch in a distance of five miles. Mr. 
 F. D. Fisher had charge of the construction 
 of the Boston Water Works through Welles- 
 ley, after which he was for several years 
 engineer for various Western Railways. At 
 present he is general manager on the Croton 
 Dam in New York. He married Miss Sarah 
 E. Dix, of Groton, Mass., resides in Brook- 
 lyn, N.Y., and has three daughters. 
 
 [DWARD B. LYNDE, the well-known 
 proprietor of the Westminster Provision 
 Market, was born in Westminster, 
 December 7, 1853. A son of John and Lucy 
 (Kendall) Lynde, of this town, he is a de- 
 scendant in the eighth generation from Thomas 
 Lynde. This ancestor, who was born in Eng- 
 land in 1593, emigrated to Massachusetts, set- 
 tling in Quincy. Subsequently he moved to 
 Charlestown, where he was made a freeman in 
 1634 or 1635, and where at one time he owned 
 the land upon which the Massachusetts State 
 prison is now situated, it being then known as 
 Lynde Point. He was by trade a maltster. 
 He served his townsmen as Selectman for a 
 number of terms, held other public offices, and 
 was a Deacon in the church. His son. Ensign 
 Thomas Lynde, located in Maiden, as did also 
 Joseph, son of Ensign Thomas, and Joseph, son 
 of Joseph. The second Joseph settled in 
 Westminster in 1741, and his son, the third 
 Joseph, also lived here. Benjamin, son of the 
 third Joseph, lived for a time in Westmin.ster. 
 This Benjamin's son, also named Benjamin, 
 and the grandfather of Edward B. Lynde, lived 
 here throughout his life, as also has Mr. 
 Lynde' s father, John Lynde. 
 
 Mr. Lynde received his education in the 
 public schools of his native town and at West- 
 minster Academy. His first employment for 
 wages was in a chair factory. In 1877 he 
 bought out a market that had proved a failure 
 
 under its former management, and he has since 
 given his entire attention to its affairs. Since 
 it came into his hands it has been quite 
 prosperous. His courteous treatment of his 
 patrons, his promptness in meeting all obliga- 
 tions, and the strict fairness with which all his 
 transactions are conducted could not fail of 
 success. He is a member of the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen. In the Congrega- 
 tional church, of which he is a devoted mem- 
 ber, he has .served on the Parish Committee 
 for several years. 
 
 Mr. Lynde was married in 1875 to Florence 
 Barron, a daughter of William B. Barron, and 
 formerly a teacher in the public schools of 
 Westminster. Mrs. Lynde' s great-grandfather, 
 William Barron, and her grandfather, William 
 Barron, Jr., fought in the Continental army, 
 having enlisted from the town of Keene, N. H. 
 The children of this union are as follows: 
 Lester E. , who was born in 1879; Grace F. , 
 who was born in 1883 ; and Elwin B. , who was 
 born in 1887. The two younger children at- 
 tend the public schools here. Lester, after 
 graduating from the high school, pursued a 
 course in the Mount Hermon School for Boys 
 at Northfield, winning numerous prizes, and 
 finally at graduation a scholarship in Wesleyan 
 University, Middletown, Conn. He is now 
 studying at this in.stitution. 
 
 ILLIAM H. HACKETT was a 
 prominent business man of Worces- 
 ter for a number of years. Born 
 May 3, 1827, in Kennebunk, York County, 
 Me., he was a son of William and Lydia K. 
 (Dutch) Hackett. The Hacketts came from 
 England in the eighteenth century, settling in 
 Maine soon after their arrival in the country. 
 William Hackett was a merchant of Kenne- 
 bunk. Mrs. Hackett also came of an old 
 Maine family. 
 
 William H. Hackett was educated in an 
 academy of Kennebunk, and received his early 
 business training in his father's store. When 
 he was seventeen years old, he obtained a 
 clerkship in the dry-goods house of Chandler 
 & Co., Boston, Ma,ss. Having saved his earn- 
 ings, he subsequently opened a small dry-goods 
 
868 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 store in Newburyport, Mass., which he man- 
 aged for some time. Seeking a larger field in 
 1845, ^^ started another dry-goods store in the 
 Lincoln House Block at Worcester. In 1849, 
 a favorable opening in the general grocery 
 trade having presented itself, he formed a part- 
 nership with George S. Howe, under the name 
 of Howe & Hackett. Their store was at the 
 corner of Thomas and Main Streets, this city. 
 The business was successful from the start. 
 In 1875 Mr. .-Hackett bought out Mr. Howe, 
 and moved to 305 Main Street. Here he 
 continued up to the time of his death, which 
 occurred July 9, 1887. A shrewd and careful 
 business man, he made few mistakes, and was 
 almost invariably successful. He steadily en- 
 larged his business until he had one of the 
 largest retail grocery stores in Worcester 
 County. For many years he was a trustee 
 of the Worcester Mechanics' Savings Bank. 
 Courteous and affable, he made many friends; 
 and he loved his home, and did all within his 
 power to make it pleasant. While constantly 
 supporting the Republican ticket in national 
 elections, he voted independently in local con- 
 tests, favoring the candidate most likely to 
 further the interests of the people. He was a 
 member of the Second Parish Unitarian Church 
 for a number of years. Fond of sport from 
 his boyhood, he found much pleasure in fishing 
 during his leisure seasons. In 1865 Mr. 
 Hackett was married to Susan E. Alden, of 
 Brookfield, Mass., a daughter of Seth and 
 Persis (Rice) Alden. She is a lineal descend- 
 ant in the seventh generation from John Alden, 
 of Plymouth. The Rices, also, are an old 
 Colonial family, having come to this country in 
 1638. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hackett 
 are: Mary A., Anna D., William Alden, and 
 Susan E. Mary A. is now the principal of 
 the Worcester Cooking School; and William 
 Alden is a clerk in the employ of the State 
 Mutual Life Insurance Company. 
 
 ARSHALL WALCOTT, a leading 
 farmer and dairyman of the town 
 of Bolton, residing at Wattoquo- 
 tock, on the road to West Berlin, 
 was born on September 25, 1844, on the farm 
 
 which is now his home. His parents were 
 Jonas T. and Mary (Knight) Walcott. His 
 paternal grandfather, Josiah Walcott, was a 
 native of this part of the State and by trade 
 a carpenter. He spent the last years of his 
 life in the town of Stow, Middlesex County, 
 and died there at a good age. 
 
 Jonas T. Walcott was brought up in Stow, 
 was educated in the public schools, and re- 
 mained in his native town until he reached his 
 majority. Learning the carpenter's trade, he 
 worked at it for a time in Hudson, but subse- 
 quently secured employment in a mill. In 
 1 840 he came to the farm now owned by his 
 son, and lived here until his death at the age 
 of seventy-five. Besides farming he did a good 
 business in buying up wood lots and cutting 
 timber. He and his wife, Mrs. Mary Knight 
 Walcott, attended the Unitarian church. She 
 was born in that part of Bolton now comprised 
 in the town of Hudson, where her father, David 
 Knight, was a prominent farmer and mill- 
 owner. Mrs. Walcott died in 1874, having 
 been the mother of five children, all of whom 
 are living, namely : Lucy, who married Rufus 
 R. Wheeler, of Berlin; David K. ; Marshall; 
 Albert E. ; and Charles F. 
 
 Marshall Walcott lived with his parents 
 until he became of age, receiving his education 
 in the common schools and in Bolton High 
 School. Going to Clinton at the age of 
 twenty-one, he there spent two years in learn- 
 ing the carpenter's trade. He then went to 
 Hudson for a year and subsequently to May- 
 nard, where he was in the employ of the Assa- 
 bet Manufacturing Company for seven years. 
 After that he went back to Clinton; but, his 
 father dying two years later, he came to take 
 possession of the homestead farm of ninety- 
 seven and one-half acres, which he has since 
 carried on most successfully. A number of 
 the well-arranged and ample buildings now to 
 be seen on the place have been built since Mr. 
 Walcott came back here. About ninety acres 
 of land situated in the town of Berlin are in- 
 cluded in his estate. He keeps sixteen cows, 
 and markets butter in private families in Clin- 
 ton, but also carries on general farming, and 
 raises some years as many as nine hundred 
 bushels of corn. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 869 
 
 In 1868 Mr. Walcott was united in marriage 
 with Clara S. , daughter of Oliver Whitconib, 
 a well-known carpenter of Bolton. Mrs. Wal- 
 cott was born in Bolton, and is one of a family 
 of four children. She is the mother of five 
 children, named as follows: Minnie E., Ever- 
 ett M., Myron L., Julia C, and Ida M. The 
 two eldest are graduates of the high school. 
 
 In politics Mr. Walcott is a Republican. 
 He has served the town in various official 
 capacities, having been Selectman for nine 
 years and chairman of the board for part of 
 that time. Overseer of the Poor for eight years. 
 Assessor for five years and chairman of the 
 Board of Assessors, member of the Board of 
 Health for nine years, and Road Commis- 
 sioner for several terms. He is a charter 
 member of the local grange organization, and 
 has held the office of Treasurer, Overseer, and 
 Master in that body. He has been one of the 
 grange lecturers, and has written a number of 
 articles for the local grange and for the New 
 England Homestead. Mr. Walcott is also re- 
 porter for the United States Agricultural De- 
 partment at Washington. He is a member 
 and has been president of the Farmers' Club of 
 Bolton, and has been trustee of the Worcester 
 East Agricultural Society since its organiza- 
 tion, and was its vice-president for the first 
 two years. Mr. and Mrs. Walcott attend the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 /^STeORGE F. WOODBURY, M.D., late 
 y SX a successful practising physician in 
 
 — the city of Worcester, was born in 
 Sutton, Mass., on October 16, 185 1, son of 
 Charles and Jerusha (Merriam) Woodbury. 
 His great-grandfather, Jonathan Woodbury, 
 who was a Captain in the Revolutionary War, 
 lived in Sutton, dwelling in the same house in 
 which several generations of the family have 
 since resided, and which is still owned by the 
 Woodburys. The family has produced men of 
 ability and honor, whose services to the town 
 have been recorded in its written history. 
 
 Here were born both Dr. Woodbury's grand- 
 father and father. As a boy Dr. Woodbury 
 worked on the homestead farm until about fif- 
 teen years of age, when he came to Worcester. 
 
 Here he entered the employ of the Ware, Pratt 
 Company, a leading clothing house. After re- 
 maining here a few years, in which he care- 
 fully saved the money he earned, he returned 
 to Sutton and began to study medicine, this 
 profession having been his choice from early 
 boyhood. Although he had much to contend 
 with, he resolved that nothing should hinder 
 him from ultimate success. His preparatory 
 work had to be done at home, as he was with- 
 out sufficient means to pay tuition fees. In 
 1879 he passed the entrance examinations and 
 was admitted to the medical department of 
 Harvard University, where he was brought into 
 association and competition with young men 
 many of whom had all the advantages of high- 
 school and college training. It might have 
 been expected that his class standing would 
 not be altogether satisfactory ; but his strength 
 of character and fine natural abilities, aug- 
 mented by the rugged discipline of his pre- 
 vious life, put him at once on a good footing. 
 He remained in the medical school three years, 
 his record during that time being exceedingly 
 honorable and creditable. After his gradua- 
 tion in 1882, he spent a year in Boston in 
 special study, and in 1883 settled in Worces- 
 ter, where during the remaining years of his 
 life he devoted himself assiduously to the prac- 
 tice of his profession. He died in June, 
 1893. 
 
 The memorial adopted by the Worcester 
 District Medical Society shows the manner of 
 man he was and the high regard in which he 
 was held by his fellow-practitioners. It says 
 in part : — 
 
 " His first years in the city were very dis- 
 couraging. He was simply waiting for his 
 opportunity; and when it came, through the 
 kindly assistance of another physician, to 
 whom he always acknowledged his great in- 
 debtedness, he entered upon a large, useful, 
 and successful work. His death seemed most 
 untimely, in that it snatched him away in the 
 midst of growing labors and developing oppor- 
 tunities. The summons came when he seemed 
 at his best, and when he was making plans that 
 implied consciousness of strength and faith in 
 'length of days.'. . A man's personal ap- 
 pearance has often much to do with his success. 
 
870 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Dr. Woodbury was a large man with an attrac- 
 tive face, expressive of good nature and kindly 
 interest. People were unconsciously drawn to 
 him as one in whom they could have implicit 
 confidence, and with whom association would 
 be a pleasure. He had what is termed a 
 ' magnetic personality. ' As an illustration of 
 this was a most flattering call . . which he 
 received in November, 1885, to go to Leicester 
 as the successor of the late Dr. Warner, a call 
 signed by twenty-four of the most influential 
 citizens and supplemented * by urgent personal 
 appeals. This feeling of confidence in him 
 was not misplaced. He was magnetic because 
 true. His sense of honor was exceedingly 
 keen. He was a man who could be relied upon. 
 In all his relations he was most particular to 
 do the just and right thing. He observed to 
 the letter the moral obligations of our profes- 
 sion because it was natural for him to do so. 
 He had, moreover, self-respect and dignity of 
 character in a marked degree. He carried 
 himself as a man. His personality commanded 
 respect. There was nothing servile or menial 
 in his nature. He recognized merit and paid 
 his tribute to it, but he had no patience with 
 pretence or arrogance. Most regardful of the 
 rights of others, he was jealous of his own, 
 and where others infringed on them he was 
 not slow to express his condemnation; and yet 
 he was a man of the finest feelings, charitable, 
 kindly, and sympathetic. When he entered 
 the sick-chamber, he carried beneficence there. 
 The constant expression of his life was sunny, 
 genial, and helpful. He was very conscien- 
 tious in the discharge of all his duties. He 
 realized fully the great responsibilities of his 
 profession, and tried to do his full duty. 
 Many are the testimonials to his faithfulness. 
 " He had a good mind. His perceptive 
 faculties were keen, memory good, and judg- 
 ment .sound. He was a natural physician, 
 not so close a student of books as some, and 
 with less technical knowledge, perhaps, and yet 
 a close observer, a good diagnostician, and an 
 excellent practitioner — well balanced, self-re- 
 liant, prudent, tactful, and eminently practical. 
 He was born for his work, and thoroughly en- 
 joyed it, knew that he was in the right place, 
 and made comparatively few mistakes. 
 
 " At the time of his death he had a large 
 and rapidly increasing practice, fairly and 
 honestly acquired. A disabled right hand pre- 
 vented an extensive practice of surgery, for 
 which he had a natural taste and in which he 
 would undoubtedly have excelled. He was, 
 moreover, a good citizen, discharging well his 
 social, political, and religious duties. But it 
 is as a physician that his work .stands. It was 
 a good work, honest, faithful, and skilful, 
 commanding the respect of his fellow-practi- 
 tioners. " 
 
 In June, 1883, Dr. Woodbury was married 
 to Ellen F. Hastings, daughter of George and 
 Lucy (Morse) Hastings, of Sutton. 
 
 OHN BOSWORTH, a well-known and 
 highly esteemed resident of Warren, 
 now retired from active pursuits, was 
 born October 13, 1818, in Petersham, 
 Worcester County. His parents, Daniel and 
 Sallie (Crowl) Bosworth, died in Petersham, 
 their native town, before reaching the prime of 
 life. He was quite young when his mother 
 died, and at his father's death he was but 
 twelve years old. Soon after, being left in a 
 large measure dependent upon his own re- 
 sources, he began learning the blacksmith's 
 trade in Ware, at the same time attending the 
 common schools for a brief space. His ap- 
 prenticeship was finished in New Braintree, 
 where he was able to attend the district. school 
 for one or two winter terms. In 1837 he came 
 to Warren as a journeyman blacksmith, and 
 met with such success that a short time later 
 he set up a smithy of his own, which he oper- 
 ated profitably for a number of years. Then 
 he closed his shop, and devoted himself exclu- 
 sively to the wood and lumber business, in 
 which he had been somewhat engaged for some 
 time previously. At first his custom was to 
 purchase tracts of standing timber. After- 
 ward he often purchased entire farms on which 
 were valuable wood lots. In this manner he 
 acquired considerable real estate in Brookfield, 
 Palmer, Sturbridge, Warren, and Russell. At 
 Russell he operated a steam saw-mill for five 
 years, and carried on an extensive business as 
 a dealer in lumber and wood, employing from 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 871 
 
 fifteen to twenty men. In all of his operations 
 of this kind he sold largely to the Boston & 
 Albany Railway Company. A thorough busi- 
 ness man, wide-awake and far-seeing, he has 
 made many profitable investments. 
 
 On his land he has erected many residences, 
 including eleven dwelling-houses on Quaboag 
 Street, Warren, where his own residence 
 stands. He also built on Main Street the 
 business block now owned by W. B. Ramsdell. 
 In politics he is a stanch Republican and hear- 
 tily in favor of all enterprises beneficial in any 
 way to the town or county. He has been a 
 member of the Warren Lodge, F. & A. M. , for 
 more than a quarter of a century. 
 
 Mr. Bosworth first married Irene Copeland, 
 a daughter of Alvin and Cynthia Copeland, of 
 Warren. By that marriage he became the 
 father of four children, of whom two are living, 
 namely: Julia S., the widow of the late Almon 
 Caswell ; and Irene E. , at home. After the 
 death of his first wife he married Miss Ade- 
 laide Copeland, a sister of the first wife. The 
 surviving children are Morice and Abbie. 
 Abbie is the wife of Henry Powers, of Worces- 
 ter, Mass. 
 
 /STeORGE WINSLOW GALE, who was 
 y S I executive officer for the Board of 
 ^-^ Overseers of the Poor, of Worcester, 
 for twenty-six consecutive years, was born in 
 Salem, Mass., on April 20, 181 7, his parents 
 being George Gale and Joanna Ashby (born 
 Glazier) Gale. He was a nephew of the late 
 Dr. Stephen Gale, of Portland, Me., who served 
 as surgeon in the United States navy during 
 the War of 181 2, and who later erected a mon- 
 ument in the old burying-ground at Plymouth 
 to the crew of the British .ship " General Ar- 
 nold," all of whom peri.shed in Plymouth 
 Harbor in December, 1778. Another relative 
 is Samuel C. Gale, now of Minneapolis, 
 Minn., who was for a short time a teacher in 
 the Worcester High School, and who presented 
 the Damon Memorial Building to the town of 
 Holden. Mr. Gale spent a portion of his boy- 
 hood in Plymouth with his grandmother, and 
 for that place he ever manifested a great regard. 
 His father dying in his childhood, his mother 
 
 married a second time a Mr. Benjamin Ashby. 
 Through this marriage he had a half-brother, 
 who subsequently went with him to Mexico, 
 and there married a Mexican lady. 
 
 After leaving school Mr. Gale went to Mid- 
 dleton. While there he learned the trade of 
 paper-making, which he afterward worked at in 
 Newton and elsewhere in the State until 1848. 
 Then he went to Mexico just after the Mexican 
 War, for the purpose of establishing there a 
 large paper manufactory, in charge of which he 
 remained some ten years. The factory in 
 question was located about twelve miles from 
 the city of Mexico. Across an intervening 
 ravine was the battle-field of Contreras, from 
 which he was able to collect many interesting 
 relics. Shortly after his return to the United 
 States he came to Worcester, and for a time 
 during the Civil War was engaged in recruit- 
 ing soldiers for the Union army. Taking 
 much interest in public affairs, he was an active 
 worker in the cause of advancement. Many of 
 the improvements in certain sections of the 
 city were directly due to his influence. From 
 1863 to 1875 he was a member of the School 
 Board, and it was largely through his instru- 
 mentality that the free evening drawing schools 
 were first opened. He was also one of the pro- 
 jectors of " The Worcester Training School for 
 Teachers, ' ' which afterward became the pres- 
 ent State Normal School. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Gale became a member of the 
 Board of Overseers of the Poor. Two. years 
 later, when a revision of the pauper laws made 
 necessary a reorganization of the department, 
 he was selected, as being possessed of especial 
 qualifications for the work, to fill the position 
 of executive officer, which was thereafter held 
 by him up to the time of his death. Through 
 all these years, extending over more than a 
 quarter of a century, he identified himself 
 thoroughly with the department, making its 
 business a continual study and keeping in view 
 the best interests of the city and the needy 
 poor who applied to him for assistance. 
 Though in that period the duties and responsi- 
 bilities of his office were correspondingly mul- 
 tiplied by an increase of fifty thousand in the 
 population, yet, owing to the excellence of the 
 system established, he was equal to all the de- 
 
872 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mands made upon him. He prepared and kept 
 on file a history of each person needing aid, all 
 letters written and received relating to the 
 case, and an accurate record of all the help 
 given. So complete is this system that all the 
 facts bearing on any case are easily referred to 
 at any time. The same is true of the relations 
 of the department with the city service, with 
 other towns and cities, and with the Common- 
 wealth in respect to the insane. The task of 
 looking up any special case or incident is much 
 facilitated by a complete index. To this sys- 
 tem of doing the work Mr. Gale added a zeal 
 and an interest seldom seen. 
 
 Mr. Gale died on November 27, 1890. At 
 a special meeting of the Board of Overseers, 
 held after the sad event, remarks were made by 
 the Hon. Francis A. Harrington, the Hon. 
 Charles B. Pratt, the Hon. Phineas Ball, the 
 Hon. Clark Jillson, the Hon. Edward L. 
 Davis, the Hon. E. B. Stoddard, the Hon. 
 Samuel E. Hildreth, the Hon. Charles B. 
 Reed, and the Hon. Samuel Winslow, ex- 
 Mayors of Worcester. All spoke in eulogistic 
 terms of Mr. Gale's high personal worth and 
 of the efficiency of his work in the public ser- 
 vice. Mr. Gale was a member and one of the 
 founders of the Massachusetts Association of 
 Relief Officers. In politics a Republican, he 
 served for more than twenty years as the clerk 
 of the party's caucuses in his ward. His do- 
 mestic life was a particularly happy one, and 
 he was most frequently to be found at home 
 out of business hours. His wife in girlhood 
 was Miss Susan Grafton Goodwin, of Kenne- 
 bunkport. Me. She survives her husband, as 
 do also two daughters and a son. The former 
 are : Miss Susie G. Gale, who was for some 
 time Mr. Gale's assistant at City Hall; and 
 Miss Mary T., now a teacher in a Worcester 
 school. The son. Captain George H. G. Gale, 
 is in the Fourth Cavalry, United States Army. 
 At the close of his school life in Worcester he 
 entered the military academy at West Point, 
 and was graduated from there in 1879. Subse- 
 quently he was stationed there for a term of 
 four years as instructor in mathematics. He 
 married Miss Martha Wilson, of Denver, Col., 
 and now has three little daughters. At the 
 outbreak of the Spanish-American war he was 
 
 stationed at the Presidio, San Francisco, 
 whence he was sent with the fourth expedition 
 to the Philippine Islands. 
 
 YgTENRY JEROME, a well-known citi- 
 \^\ zen of Worcester and the superintend- 
 _|_is I ent of the Reed carriage manufac- 
 
 ^"-^ tory, was born in Palmer, Mass., on 
 June 7, 1 849, to Lewis and Margaret (Harper) 
 Jerome. His father, born in 1821, who died 
 in 1897, at Barre, Mass., was an industrious 
 farmer in this county until stricken with the 
 illness that finally proved fatal. The mother, 
 who was an invalid for many years, did not 
 walk a step during the eight years preceding 
 her death. She fell from her chair in 1865, 
 breaking her hip, which injury resulted in 
 her death. Of her four sons and three daugh- 
 ters, two daughters died in infancy. Of the 
 others, all of whom grew to maturity, Lewis 
 and Julius died on the same day, of consump- 
 tion — the former at the age of thirty, and the 
 latter at the age of twenty-four — each leaving 
 a wife and daughter. The three living mem- 
 bers of the family are : Edward, who is in 
 Worcester ; Mary, who is the wife of Charles 
 Paquin, of Barre, Mass. ; and Henry, the sub- 
 ject of this biography. 
 
 While still very young, Henry Jerome indi- 
 cated his ability to overcome temptation and 
 rise above his environment. At the early age 
 of fourteen he was in the employ of a licensed 
 distillery in Hardwick, and for nearly four 
 years assisted in making and sealing alcoholic 
 beverages. Upon the death of his mother, 
 which occurred when he was about eighteen 
 years of age, he was given his time; and he 
 decided to withdraw forever from an occupa- 
 tion that he abhorred. In the fall he left 
 Hardwick, and was so fortunate as to secure 
 three months more of schooling in Barre. 
 He came to Worcester for employment in 
 that winter, and at first experienced "hard 
 times." During this period he often tramped 
 all day long in search of work, and after 
 meeting with disappointment and refusal 
 started back to the country on his seven-mile 
 tramp through the snow, with hunger gnawing 
 at his stomach and discouragement in his 
 
ANDREW FAIRBANK. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 875 
 
 heart. He would not give up, however, and 
 decided to work for the merest pittance at any 
 honest business rather than go back to the dis- 
 tillery. At last he succeeded in finding em- 
 ployment at one dollar a day. In the follow- 
 ing February he met Charles G. Reed, then of 
 the Old South Church, who at once took an 
 interest in him. Mr. Reed had seen the young 
 man in the Mission Church and other places, 
 and had recognized that there were elements 
 of solid worth and character in him. After 
 watching him for a time and verifying his 
 first opinions, Mr. Reed offered him employ- 
 ment in his carriage-building establishment. 
 From that day to this Mr. Jerome has been 
 Mr. Reed's most trusted and valued assistant. 
 During his first year there he received a dollar 
 and a half a day and in the second year two 
 dollars and a half a day. In five years he had 
 reached the top round in the ladder of promo- 
 tion, and had practically full charge of the es- 
 tablishment, Mr. Reed being absent four days 
 in the week. 
 
 Mr. Jerome was married in 1871, on his 
 twenty-second birthday, to Fannie M. Holden, 
 of Holden. Her parents were John and Mary 
 J. (Stetson) Holden, the former a descendant 
 in the seventh generation from Elder Brewster 
 of the Mayflower colony, and the latter a de- 
 scendant of John and Priscilla Alden. Elder 
 Brewster's Bible, brought from England, was 
 for many years in this family. Mr. Jerome 
 has in his possession the old flintlock gun left 
 him by Mr. Holden, and which was used in 
 the Revolution by Mrs. Jerome's great-grand- 
 father. Captain John Holden. Grateful for 
 the aid extended to himself, Mr. Jerome has 
 been a devoted missionary worker in the effort 
 to help others. He took an active part in the 
 building of the beautiful new stone edifice of 
 the Plymouth Congregational Church, of which 
 he and his wife are members. He and Mr. 
 Reed are charter members and founders of this 
 church. He is also a member of the Indepen- 
 dent Order of Odd Fellows; a life member 
 of Worcester County Mechanics' Association; 
 and a life member of Morning Star Lodge of 
 Masons, of which he was chosen chaplain at 
 the first election which took place just after 
 he had been admitted. 
 
 Mr. Jerome has an interesting and valuable 
 collection of copper and silver coins, many of 
 which are rare ones. These are kept in a cabi- 
 net of his own construction, which is novel and 
 handsome as well as practically adapted to its 
 purpose. He has also met with success as an 
 amateur jDhotographer, having made many in- 
 teresting and imique experiments in this line. 
 
 (sTrNDI 
 ^l-\ on 
 
 NDREW FAIRBANK, a member of 
 one of the oldest families of Harvard 
 and one of the most prominent citi- 
 zens of the town, was born on Au- 
 gust 13, 1823, on the farm where he now 
 makes his home. 
 
 His parents were Artemas and Rachel 
 (Houghton) Fairbank. The Fairbank farm 
 was cleared by his great-great-grandfather, 
 Joseph Fairbank, Sr. , who was one of the pio- 
 neers of Harvard, and received the land as a 
 grant. Joseph Fairbank, Jr., the next in the 
 ancestral line, tilled the soil, and lived in the 
 old house after the death of his father. He 
 was a member of the State militia. His son, 
 Jonathan Fairbank, grandfather of the subject 
 of this sketch, was born on this farm, and was 
 the third owner. He died here in 1 840, at the 
 age of eighty-two. Jonathan Fairbank was a 
 member of the Congregational church. His 
 wife, Hannah Hale, belonged to one of the old 
 and leading families of Stow, Mass., her native 
 place. 
 
 Artemas Fairbank, one of the three children 
 of Jonathan and Hannah Fairbank, was born 
 on this farm and educated in the common 
 schools of Harvard. He succeeded his father 
 as manager and owner of the estate, and died 
 here at the age of eighty-seven. In politics he 
 was a Democrat, in religious belief a Unita- 
 rian. His wife was a daughter of Jonathan 
 Houghton, of Waterford, Me. She, too, was 
 a member of the Unitarian church. She died 
 at the age of seventy-five. Seven children 
 were born to Mr. and Mrs. Artemas Fairbank, 
 and these three are living: John H., Sid- 
 ney, and Andrew. 
 
 Andrew Fairbank, after acquiring a common- 
 school education in his native town, worked in 
 Winchendon some three years, making wooden- 
 
876 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ware. He then returned to the homestead, and 
 from the time of his father's death until 1877 
 he carried on the farm, which is now managed 
 by his son, Warren H. In 1849 Mr. Fairbank 
 was married to Ann A., daughter of Obed 
 Houghton. She was born in Boxboro, Mass., 
 where her father, who was a native of Harvard, 
 was a farmer. She died at the age of sixty- 
 five, leaving one son, Warren H., above named. 
 On May 20, 1891, Mr. Fairbank was married 
 to Mrs. Alice Parsons Poole, of Waldoboro, Me. 
 
 In politics Mr. Fairbank is a Democrat. 
 He was first elected Selectman in 1862, and 
 has been re-elected several times since, serving 
 on the board in all some sixteen years, much 
 of the time as chairman. He has also served 
 for nearly the same number of years as Over- 
 .seer of the Poor, and he has held other town 
 offices. He has been treasurer of the Unita- 
 rian, society for a great many years. 
 
 Warren H. Fairbank has served as Select- 
 man, Assessor, and a member of the School 
 Committee of Harvard. He is an Odd Fel- 
 low, belonging to Harvard Lodge, No. 60 ; 
 and he is a member of the Harvard Grange. 
 He married Miss Catherine Houghton, a native 
 of Bolton, Mass., and has two children. — Alice 
 A. and Mildred E. The Fairbank homestead 
 has never been out of the possession of the 
 family. Few farms in the State have such a 
 record. One room and a porch of the first 
 frame house remain, built nearly two hundred 
 years ago. Many additions have been made in 
 the years that have passed, and the dwelling is 
 now a roomy and substantia] one. 
 
 ILLIAM A. RICHARDSON, who 
 was formerly vice-president and the 
 treasurer of the Harrington & 
 Richardson Arms Company, Worcester, was 
 born in Athol, Mass., December 20, 1833. 
 A son of Wyman and Arethusa (Lee) Richard- 
 son, he was a descendant in the eighth gener- 
 ation of Samuel Richardson, who emigrated 
 from England in 1633 or 1634, settling in 
 Woburn, Mass. From Samuel the line is 
 traced through Stephen, William, and John 
 to Wyman Richardson, first, the great-grand- 
 father of William A. Both the grandfather 
 
 and father served an apprenticeship at the 
 blacksmith's trade. The latter, who became 
 an expert machinist, worked in Athol, Barre, 
 Petersham, Boston, and other places. 
 
 William A. Richardson was educated in the 
 schools of his native town and those of Barre 
 and Petersham. He learned the machinist's 
 trade under his father's direction in John 
 Smith's mill at Smithville. Accompanying 
 his parents to Boston in 1850, he secured work 
 as a job hand at the Boston Locomotive Works. 
 Two years later he went to Fitchburg, Mass., 
 where he worked with his father in building 
 and repairing machinery for the American 
 Rattan Company until i860, and for the next 
 two years he was employed at the American 
 Watch Factory in Waltham. The succeeding 
 year was spent in the manufacture of rattan 
 seating and reeds. Moving to Worcester in 
 1863, he engaged in making gun tools for Ball 
 & Williams, who were then manufacturing the 
 Ballard gun, a noted weapon of that day. In 
 1866 he entered the employ of the well-known 
 pistol manufacturer, Francis Wesson, who was 
 then making revolvers under patents taken out 
 by Gilbert H, Harrington; and in 1875, when 
 the contract expired, Mr. Harrington, who 
 became the sole proprietor of the business, 
 admitted Mr. Richardson to partnership. 
 This firm continued to occupy rooms at 18 
 Manchester Street until 1876, when it moved 
 to the second floor of 31 Hernion Street. 
 Its constantly increasing business, however, 
 soon demanded more room, and a factory was 
 erected upon adjoining land, having connec- 
 tion by a bridge with the old quarters. The 
 new addition enabled the concern to meet 
 promptly the demands made upon them for 
 some years. From 1880 to 1885 Messrs. 
 Harrington & Richardson held the exclusive 
 American right to manufacture the celebrated 
 Anson & Deeley hammerless gun, an Eng- 
 lish invention, which sold upon the market at 
 prices ranging from eighty-five to three hun- 
 dred dollars. In January, 1888, the concern 
 was reorganized and incorporated as the Har- 
 rington & Richardson Arms Company, with 
 a capital stock of seventy-five thousand dollars. 
 Gilbert H. Harrington was the president, 
 William A. Richardson the treasurer, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 877 
 
 George F. Brooks the secretary. The volume 
 of business, continuing to increase, outgrew the 
 Hermon Street factory; and in consequence, 
 on land situated at the corner of Park Avenue 
 and Chandler Street, containing about forty- 
 two thousand, eight hundred and forty-seven 
 feet, they erected a four-story brick factory at 
 a cost of fifty thousand dollars, where they 
 gave their attention wholly to the manufacture 
 of revolving firearms in various styles. Mr. 
 Richardson was regarded as one of the most 
 expert machinists in Massachusetts, and the 
 arms manufactured under his supervision had 
 a high reputation for quality, beauty, and 
 reliability. After Mr. Harrington's death, 
 which occurred June 22, 1897, Mr. Richardson 
 attended to the duties of the late president 
 until he was himself stricken with the fatal 
 disease. He died at his home, 109 Austin 
 Street, on November 21, 1897. 
 
 On May 31, 1855, while residing in Fitch- 
 burg, Mr. Richardson married Mary Ann 
 Cowen, who survives him. She is a daughter 
 of Captain Robert Cowen, a shipmaster hailing 
 from Plymouth, Mass. Mr. Richardson also 
 left a brother, Seneca M., of the firm of With- 
 erby Rugg & Richardson. Politically, he 
 acted with the Republican party. For many 
 years he attended the First Universalist 
 Church. 
 
 ~CjBENEZER W. NICHOLS, who was for 
 pi a long period connected with the manu- 
 '^^ ■■ '" facturing interests of Worcester, was 
 born February 11, 181 5, in Charlton, Worces- 
 ter County. A son of Amasa and Polly 
 (White) Nichols, he came of substantial Eng- 
 lish stock. He took pride in the fact that his 
 ancestors generally were plain farmers. His 
 grandfather, William Nichols, removed from 
 Oxford to the western part of Charlton, which 
 was still a wilderness, and took up a tract of 
 land. On the part of the property now owned 
 by Lewis Capen there was a wolf den. Will- 
 iam was numbered among the successful agri- 
 culturists of the town. His sons followed the 
 independent vocation to which they were 
 reared. 
 
 Ebenezer W. Nichols was brought up on 
 
 the home farm. When not in school he did 
 his full share of the farm work. Gifted with 
 an aptitude for mechanics and being handy in 
 using tools, he learned the wheelwright's trade, 
 and subsequently followed it in Charlton until 
 he was twenty-two years old. The ensuing 
 year he spent in New Haven, Conn. Then he 
 worked as a wheelwright in a shop at Spencer, 
 Worcester County, for two years. After this 
 he started in business on his own account. In 
 1845 he came to Worcester, and spent the fol- 
 lowing seven years in the factory of Phelps & 
 Bickford, engaged in making by hand the fine 
 wooden parts of looms. Subsequently, in 
 company with a Mr. Burgess, he began the 
 manufacture of wooden forms at Leicester. 
 After a year's experience of that place he 
 returned to Worcester, and resumed work with 
 his former employers. In the following year 
 he became a member of the firm of T. Smith & 
 Co., manufacturers of machinists' tools, me- 
 chanics' tools, agricultural implements, mow- 
 ing machines, scythes, etc. Taking the su- 
 pervision of the cold punching part of the 
 business in the factory, which was located on 
 Cypress Street, he developed it remarkably, 
 making it equally profitable with the other de- 
 partments. He remained a member of this 
 firm for seventeen years, giving his time and 
 attention to the work unstintedly, and utiliz- 
 ing his mechanical genius to the fullest extent. 
 After selling" his interest and retiring from the 
 firm, he contracted with Edwin Wood, of 
 Worcester, to make the wooden parts of loom 
 feeders. Being an expert machinkst, he could 
 execute in metal whatever he designed for any 
 mechanical purpose. He continued with Mr. 
 Wood some years, and then retired permanently 
 from manufacturing. 
 
 Public-spirited and patriotic, he took pride 
 in the growth of the nation and in that of the 
 city of Worcester. With shrewd foresight he 
 purchased land on Mason Street, between Clare- 
 mont and Kilby Streets, at an early date, and 
 there resided for the rest of his life. That 
 section of the city grew surprisingly, and 
 beautiful modern residences sprung up around 
 him. In 1888 he built a four-story block of 
 brick and brownstone, in which are two stores 
 and six tenements. He was married in 1839 
 
878 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to Fannie W. , daughter of John and Polly 
 Brewer, of Spencer, Mass. His children 
 were : Lysander B. and Frank M. The latter 
 died in Worcester in 1896, aged forty-five 
 years. Lysander B. Nichols, who was for 
 twenty-two years a pattern-maker for the 
 Worcester Malleable Iron Company, and is 
 now employed in the Crompton-Knowles Loom 
 Works, married Mary A. Bennett, of Boylston, 
 and has one son, George M. Nichols, who is 
 attending school. Mr. Nichols, Sr. , died at 
 his home in Worcester on December 30, 1893. 
 
 
 .ONZO B. DAVIDSON, of Leices- 
 ter, a well-known lumber manufact- 
 urer and dealer, and the proprietor 
 of the Junction Foundry in Worces- 
 ter, the oldest plant of the kind in Worcester 
 County, was born January 18, 1849, in the 
 neighboring town of Charlton, son of Jona- 
 than K. Davidson. He is of Scotch ancestry, 
 being a lineal descendant of Benjamin David- 
 son, Sr., who located in Sutton, Mass., in 
 1720, and whose son, Benjamin Davidson, Jr., 
 was a soldier in the Revolution. The latter 
 afterward removed to Leicester, and his body 
 now lies buried in the Greenville Cemetery. 
 Jonathan K. Davidson, who was born and 
 reared in Worcester County, for nearly two- 
 score years of his life was engaged in tilling 
 the soil in the town of Charlton, where his 
 death occurred in 1883. His wife, whose 
 maiden name was Mary L. Merriam, was born 
 in Auburn, this county. They became the 
 parents of eleven children ; namely, Herbert 
 K., Henry F., Alonzo B., Mary J., Sarah F., 
 Eugene A., Theodore E., Willis W., Arthur 
 M., Sherman W., and Ellsworth F. Sherman 
 W. and Ellsworth F. are deceased. 
 
 Alonzo B. Davidson assisted his father on 
 the farm to the best of his ability until he 
 was eleven years old. Then he went to Ox- 
 ford, Mass., to the home of his great-uncle, 
 Artemas Merriam, with whom he remained 
 three years. After spending the ensuing 
 season with Samuel Merriam, also of Oxford, 
 he returned home for a short time, and subse- 
 quently worked in the town of Sutton for a 
 few months. In the spring of 1866 he came 
 
 to Leicester as an employee of Amos A. 
 Gould, in whose box factory he worked for 
 three seasons. During all of these years he 
 received wages in the summer season; but 
 during the winter he attended the district 
 school, and worked for his board. In the fall 
 of 1868 he entered the Leicester Academy. 
 At the age of twenty years, in company with 
 an older brother, H. K. Davidson, he estab- 
 lished himself in the lumber business in 
 Charlton. H. K. and A. B. Davidson carried 
 on a thriving trade for seven years, manufact- 
 uring and selling lumber in various parts of 
 the State, but retaining their headquarters at 
 Charlton. In 1873, in the firm's interests, 
 Mr. A. B. Davidson opened a wood-yard in 
 Worcester, which town he made his place of 
 residence for four years. In 1877 he bought 
 his present homestead in Leicester, a valu- 
 able estate on Pleasant Street, where he has 
 one of the finest and most commodious rural 
 residences in this section of the county. In 
 addition to his operations in lumber, Mr. 
 Davidson has also been extensively engaged 
 in agriculture, and owns and manages the 
 Junction Foundry. 
 
 Mr. Davidson takes a great interest in local 
 affairs as a wide-awake representative of the 
 Republican party. During his residence in 
 Leicester he has^ served as Overseer of the 
 Poor, and for three of the five years he was a 
 Selectman he was chairman of the board. 
 He is now one of the trustees of the Leicester 
 Savings Bank. On November 25, 1873, he 
 was married to Miss Jennie L. Home, who 
 has had four children. Of these, George A., 
 Grace L., and Herbert A., are living. Grace 
 L. is the wife of Edwin N. Bartlett. Alonzo 
 B. Davidson, Jr., died April 27, 1897, aged 
 seven months and thirteen days, and was 
 buried in the family lot in Pine Grove Ceme- 
 tery, Leicester. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM F. HOLMAN, of the firm 
 Thurston & Holman, general mer- 
 chants of Leicester, son of David 
 C. and Lucy D. (Rice) Holman, was born in 
 Millbury, Mass., June 11, 1827. Although 
 he has passed the allotted threescore years and 
 
ALONZO B. DAVIDSON, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ten of the psalmist, and has had a busy life, 
 he is still in possession of a goodly reserve of 
 both mental and physical strength. Accord- 
 ing to family tradition he comes of Welsh 
 extraction. His immigrant progenitor came 
 to Massachusetts prior to the Revolutionary 
 War, in which Colonel Jonathan Holman, of 
 West Millbury, a distant relative of William 
 F., was an officer. David Holman, his great- 
 grandfather, fought in the French and Ind- 
 ian War. David C. Holman, a son of Aaron, 
 born in what is now West Millbury in the year 
 1805, spent his life chiefly occupied in farm- 
 ing. Lucy D. Rice Holman, his wife, was a 
 native of Boylston, Mass. 
 
 William F. Holman, the eldest of four chil- 
 dren, ambitious beyond his years and anxious 
 to contribute toward his own support, was per- 
 mitted at the age of fourteen to hire out on a 
 neighboring farm. He was employed in this 
 way until his eighteenth year, when he began 
 working as a cutter of upper leather at West 
 Millbury, Mass., for A. Wood & Son, with 
 which company he remained until he was 
 twenty-five years of age. In 1853 he came to 
 Leicester as cutter for H. W. Denny, a shoe 
 manufacturer. He had worked here but a 
 short time when he became a partner under the 
 style of Holman & Denny. This partnership, 
 however, was of brief duration; for, in conse- 
 quence of the destruction of the plant by fire 
 soon after, the firm became embarrassed and 
 was dissolved. Mr. Holman next spent nearly 
 seven years in Brookfield, Mass., as foreman of 
 the manufacturing department in the shoe man- 
 ufactory of Henry M. Twitchell. Returning 
 to Leicester during the Civil War, he worked 
 for a time for his father-in-law, Samuel Hurd, 
 a manufacturer of hand cards. After having 
 learned the business, he went into the manu- 
 facture of hand cards on his own account, con- 
 tinuing until early in the seventies, when he 
 gave it up. He subsequently entered a part- 
 nership with L. D. Thurston, of Leicester, 
 forming the firm of Thurston & Holman, and 
 successfully carried on a general mercantile 
 business for several years. Since then he has 
 lived practically retired. 
 
 On May 12, 1852, Mr. Holman married 
 Harriet N. Fisher, a daughter of Denis and 
 
 Almira Fisher, of Millbury, Mass. She died 
 on the sixteenth of the following October. 
 Four years after a second marriage united Mr. 
 Holman with Ellen D. Hurd, a daughter of 
 Samuel Hurd, late of Leicester. This union 
 has been blessed by the birth of a daughter, 
 Hettie L. , who is now the wife of Arthur 
 R. Smith, of Leicester, Mass. In politics Mr. 
 Holman is a Republican. The town had the 
 benefit of his services in the capacity of Se- 
 lectman for twelve years, during a portion of 
 which he was the chairman of the board. He 
 was also Assessor for a term of three years ; 
 and in the session of 1881 he represented this 
 district in the lower house of the General 
 Court, serving in the Committee on Printing. 
 Since 1872 he has been a trustee of Leicester 
 Academy. An esteemed member of the First 
 Congregational Church, he had served for 
 many years on its board of deacons when he 
 resigned the office in 1893. 
 
 7TAHARLES CARTER SPRING, who 
 I Vj^ was connected with the railway ser- 
 ^Is^^ vice of New England for many 
 years, was born March 24, 1824, in 
 Uxbridge, Mass., the home of his ancestors 
 for several generations and the town in which 
 Ephraim Spring, the immigrant ancestor, 
 settled in early Colonial times. Another pio- 
 neer settler of the place was the founder of the 
 Reed family of Massachusetts, who was a kins- 
 man of Ephraim Spring. 
 
 Luther Spring, the father of Charles C, 
 was born and lived and died in Uxbridge, 
 where in the latter part of the last century 
 and the first years of the present he was a 
 noted tavern-keeper, and also proprietor of the 
 stage line between that place and Providence, 
 R.I. His wife, whose maiden name was 
 Nancy W. Reed, was born in Uxbridge, Au- 
 gust 3, 1794, and there spent her years of 
 earthly life. 
 
 Charles Carter Spring when a boy attended 
 the district schools of his native town and 
 assisted his father in the tavern, and as soon 
 as he was old enough to hold the lines often 
 drove the stage-coach on its daily trips. On 
 attaining manhood he went to New York City, 
 
882 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 where he conducted a hotel for a short time, 
 but soon returned to Uxbridge to assist his 
 father once more in the tavern. Coming to 
 Worcester about 1846, he was engaged here in 
 the retail boot and shoe trade for a time, after 
 which he assumed the management of the old 
 Exchange Hotel, one of the most noted taverns 
 in Worcester, at which in Revolutionary days 
 famous men, both Americans and foreigners, 
 frequently stopped. After a few years, his 
 executive ability having become known, he 
 was offered, and accepted, the position of gen- 
 eral agent in New England for the Lake Shore 
 & Michigan Southern Railroad, he having his 
 office in Boston, though retaining his residence 
 in Worcester. After serving eighteen years 
 as general passenger agent, he was forced to 
 resign his position on account of failing health. 
 He was a very capable, efficient, and popular 
 official, always courteous and accommodating, 
 and was highly respected by all with whom he 
 came into contact. He subsequently became 
 general passenger agent of the Boston & 
 Maine Railway Company, which at that time 
 was operating a comparatively short road, not 
 having absorbed all the important railways of 
 Northern New England, taking this office be- 
 cause he supposed the duties would be less 
 arduous than those of his previous position. 
 At the same time he owned and managed 
 restaurants in several of the large stations on 
 the line of the Boston & Maine Railroad. 
 His constitution proved unequal to the strain, 
 and on December 20, 1875, he suddenly ex- 
 pired at his home in this city, leaving a host 
 of friends to mourn his loss. 
 
 Mr. Spring was married February 15, 1844, 
 to Eleanor P., daughter of Samuel Prentice, of 
 Uxbridge. The Prentice family has long been 
 one of the leading ones of Worcester County, 
 its members for several generations having 
 been prominently identified with the town of 
 Northbridge. The immigrant ancestor of the 
 family, Valentine Prentice, came from Eng- 
 land to Massachusetts in 163 1, in the same 
 vessel that carried John Eliot, the apostle to 
 the Indians. Mrs. Charles C. Spring passed 
 away November 11, 1898, at her home in 
 Worcester, and was buried at Northbridge, 
 Mass., beside her husband. Of her four chil- 
 
 dren, three, Charles Adison, Ellen Augusta, 
 and Edgar Francis, died in infancy. The only 
 one living is Alice, who married in 1879 
 Warren H. Willard, of Worcester, and has 
 two children- — ^ Charles Turner and Marion 
 Olive. 
 
 XFrANK a. ATHERTON, of Worces- 
 pl ter, a manufacturer of store fixtures and 
 a veteran of the Civil War, was born in 
 Harvard, Mass., February 15, 1849, son of 
 Alfred and Abbie M. (Adams) Stacey Ather- 
 ton. The father was born in the same town, 
 February 27, 1822; and the grandfather. 
 Ebon Atherton, who was born there about the 
 year 1789, died in 1856. He married Lucy 
 Houghton, who bore him four sons and three 
 daughters. The great-grandfather, David 
 Atherton, carried on a farm in Harvard until 
 he received a spinal injury that resulted in the 
 total paralysis of his lower limbs. He subse- 
 quently took up shoemaking. The immigrant 
 ancestor, who came from England, was the 
 owner of a grant of land said to have been ten 
 miles in length, which is now the site of 
 the village of Still River. Two farms that 
 were parts of that grant are now owned by rep- 
 resentatives of the family. The residence of 
 the original owner was replaced by a new one 
 in 1849. 
 
 Alfred Atherton followed the carjDenter's 
 trade for many yeans, and was formerly en- 
 gaged in the business now carried on by his 
 son. His wife, Abbie M. Atherton, whom he 
 married November 6, 1846, is a native of Har- 
 vard and a daughter of Jonathan and Alice 
 (Whitney) Adams. Her father died at the 
 age of forty-seven years. She is the youngest 
 and the only survivor of the ten children of her 
 parents, and has no relatives nearer than sec- 
 ond cousins. Thrown upon her own resources 
 at the age of thirteen, she worked in a Lowell 
 cotton factory until her twentieth year. Then 
 she married George W. Stacey, who died 
 before the birth of her first child. This child 
 is now Mrs. Georgiana Merrifield, the wife of 
 Francis Merrifield, of Worcester. By Alfred 
 Atherton she had three children, all now mar- 
 ried, namely: Frank A., the subject of this 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sketch; Edward H., who is now a teacher in 
 the Boston Latin School ; and Walter E. Ath- 
 erton, a resident of this city. Now seventy- 
 six vears old, she resides in Worcester, and is 
 still bright and active. 
 
 Frank A. Atherton was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools. In June, 1864, he enlisted in 
 Company E, Sixth Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Volunteer Infantry, and served in the Civil 
 War for one hundred days. In 1865 he pur- 
 chased of his father the business he is now con- 
 ducting. Under his able direction it has 
 gradually expanded into its present large pro- 
 portions. He manufactures refrigerators, 
 counters, and other store fixtures, employing 
 twelve men. About ten years ago, at 183, 
 185, and 187 Park Avenue, he erected a two- 
 story wooden building one hundred and sixty- 
 three feet long, which factory is equipped with 
 improved machinery, which is driven by steam- 
 power. 
 
 On November 5, 1873, Mr. Atherton was 
 united in marriage with Inez Adams, of Worces- 
 ter, a daughter of John Quincy Adams. He 
 has five children, namely : Ralph Edward, a 
 student at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute; 
 Bessie; Philip H. ; Ruth E. ; and Lora J. 
 Politically, Mr. Atherton is a Republican. 
 During his four years' service in the Common 
 Council he was a member of the Committee on 
 Sewers and Highways. At present he is an 
 Overseer of the Poor. In the Masonic frater- 
 nity he has attained the thirty-second degree. 
 He owns a pleasant home at 5 Hall Street, 
 which he bought in 1880. 
 
 (sTTLBERT GORDON HURD, M.D., a 
 h\ talented young physician of Braman- 
 yJ^V ville, Millbury, Mass., was born 
 ^^^ October 11, 1870, in Warner, 
 N.H., a son of Daniel Emerson Hurd. His 
 paternal grandfather, Colonel Smith Hurd, 
 was born in Lempster, N. H., in 1796, and 
 died at the same place in 1876. He was a 
 well-to-do farmer and an esteemed citizen. 
 He married Mehitabel Emerson, who bore 
 him seven children, four sons and three 
 daughters, of whom but two are living, Daniel 
 Emerson and George Walker. The latter oc- 
 
 cupies the home farm, his widowed mother, a 
 remarkably active and bright woman of 
 ninety-four years, residing with him. Two 
 of their sons served in the Civil \Var: Yorick 
 Gordon, having been a surgeon in the Forty- 
 eighth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry; and 
 Daniel E., the Doctor's father, who was a 
 private. Robert Lincoln died in Cincinnati, 
 Ohio. 
 
 Daniel Emerson Hurd was born in Lemp- 
 ster, N.H. October 25, 1843. When a young 
 man he learned the blacksmith's trade, at 
 which he worked twenty years after his return 
 from the war. He enlisted as a private in the 
 Ninth New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, 
 but on account of ill health was honorably 
 discharged from the army. After giving up 
 his trade he turned his attention to agricult- 
 ural pursuits, and is now living on his well- 
 appointed farm in Westminster, Worcester 
 County. On July 20, 1864, he married Ruth 
 Matilda Bruce, a daughter of Timothy and 
 Mary (Field) Bruce, who had five sons in the 
 Civil War. They have four children, as fol- 
 lows: Arno Emerson, a farmer in Westmin- 
 ster, Mass., who is married and has four chil- 
 dren; Albert Gordon, the subject of this 
 biography; Roy Smith, a teacher residing in 
 Westminster; and Mary Bell, a student in the 
 high school. 
 
 Albert Gordon Hurd received his element- 
 ary education in Westminster and Topsfield, 
 Mass. After preparing for college at Gush- 
 ing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., he en- 
 tered Colby University, from which he re- 
 ceived his diploma in 1892, having the honor 
 of being chosen as one of the orators at the 
 Commencement exercises. Three years later 
 the degree of Master of Arts was conferred 
 upon him by his Alma Mater. He subse- 
 quently took a course of medical lectures at 
 the University of Pennsylvania, at which he 
 was graduated in 1895. In August of that 
 year he settled in Millbury, on the West 
 Side, and in the comparatively short time 
 that he has been here has established a suc- 
 cessful practice. 
 
 On June 16, 1896, the Doctor married 
 Nettie Abbie Killam, of Salem, Mass., 
 a daughter of Samuel H. and Frances R. 
 
884 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (Spofford) Killam. Mrs. Hurd is one of a 
 large family of children, having four sisters 
 and two brothers, besides a half-brother and 
 half-sister. She was educated in the high 
 school at Reading, Mass., and is a lady of 
 cultured literary tastes. Dr. and Mrs. Hurd 
 have one child, Gordon Killam, who was born 
 April 30, 1897. Fraternally, Dr. Hurd is a 
 member of the Phi Delta Theta Society, and, 
 politically, he is a Republican. He is a 
 member and clerk of the Bramanville Congre- 
 gational Church. 
 
 rm 
 
 EORGE H. BRIGHAM, a well-known 
 1 i) I and highly esteemed farmer. Col- 
 lector of Taxes for the town of Bol- 
 ton, was born in Marlboro, October 19, 1825, 
 son of Otis and Lucy (Stratton) Brigham. 
 He represents a family that has been settled in 
 this vicinity since' 1635. His grandfather, 
 Jotham Brigham, who was born in Marlboro, 
 was a tailor. Otis Brigham, also a native of 
 Marlboro, was one of a family of seven chil- 
 dren. He spent his life as a farmer, and died 
 at the comparatively early age of thirty-five. 
 His wife, Lucy, who was born in Sudbury, 
 bore him six children, of whom four are living, 
 namely : Mary A. , now Mrs. George Gates ; 
 Elizabeth A., the wife of James S. Welsh; 
 George H., the subject of this short biography; 
 and Harriet S. 
 
 George H. Brigham was but three years old 
 when his mother died, and four years later 
 death deprived him of his father also. Brought 
 up on a farm in Lancaster, he attended the 
 common schools and subsequently Groton 
 Academy. At the age of seventeen he left 
 Lancaster and went to Boston to learn the 
 bricklayer's trade. After remaining in that 
 city for six years he returned to his native town 
 of Marlboro, where he obtained work in a shoe 
 shop. He remained thus employed during the 
 ten years beginning with 1849, at the end of 
 which period he went to- Hammonton, N.J. , 
 where he worked at farming for five years. 
 Selling out his interests in New Jersey after 
 a five years' stay there, he returned to Marlboro 
 to become engineer in a shoe factory. Five 
 years later, in 1868, he moved on to his present 
 
 farm, which is located on the road to Harvard, 
 about a mile and a half from Bolton Centre, 
 and comprises about one^ hundred and twelve 
 acres. Besides carrying on general farming 
 Mr. Brigham has a milk dairy, and raises farm 
 products and large quantities of small fruit for 
 the market. 
 
 In 1849 Mr. Brigham was united in mar- 
 riage with Anna W. Lucas, of Boston, who 
 was born in Northumberland, N.H. Four 
 children have blessed their union ; namely, Le 
 Grand L. , Fannie M., William M., and 
 George L. Le Grand L. , who is foreman in 
 the great shoe manufactory of Francis Brigham 
 & Co. at Hudson, married Addie Newton, and 
 has one child, Grace N. Brigham. Fannie M. 
 is the wife of George F. Newton, a commer- 
 cial traveller, and has three children — Harold 
 B., Emma S., and Elsie M. William M. 
 Brigham, who married Mary C. Kendal, re- 
 sides on an adjoining farm, and has two chil- 
 dren — Helen and William H. George L. 
 Brigham is engaged in the shoe business in 
 Hudson. He is an enthusiast in mineralogy, 
 and has a large and valuable collection of min- 
 erals, which has attracted the notice of and 
 been visited by scientists from various parts 
 of the country. 
 
 Mr. Brigham is a Republican in politics. 
 He has served the town of Bolton as Overseer 
 of the Poor for many years, and was for a time 
 chairman of the board. For eight years suc- 
 cessively he was Collector of Taxes, and he 
 has served as Highway Surveyor for a number 
 of terms. He is a member of the Farmers' 
 Club, of which he was treasurer for several 
 years. He attends the Universalist church. 
 
 CsITRA LINDSAY, formerly of Worcester, 
 hI who fought in the late Civil War, son 
 qJ_ of Robert and Vesta (Merrill) Lindsay, 
 was born in Turner, Me., on July 26, 
 1825. He is descended from one of two 
 brothers, David or Robert Lindsay, who came 
 to this country from the Scotch Highlands 
 and took up land in Maine. David and 
 Robert were members of the famous Lindsay 
 clan, whose plaid was striped with red, blue, 
 and green. The ancestry of this clan is 
 
CALVIxN D. PAIGE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 887 
 
 traced back to Randolph Lindsay, who was 
 living in a.d. 1018. The Lindsays were one 
 of the great Scottish families, holders of earl- 
 doms, related to Ivar, Jarl of the Uplands, 
 and to Mary Queen of Scots. In this coun- 
 try they have been well and favorably known. 
 President Van Buren granted to one of Mr. 
 Lindsay's cousins what is claimed to have 
 been the largest tract of land ever given in 
 Illinois to an individual. Robert Lindsay, 
 father of Ira, died in 1876. 
 
 Ira Lindsay spent his boyhood and school 
 days in Turner. With few advantages and 
 little schooling, he had to make his own way 
 in the world from an early age, but he was of 
 a vigorous constitution and quick in many 
 ways to earn money. Having served an ap- 
 prenticeship, he became a mechanic. From 
 Turner he went to Grafton, Mass., where he 
 spent some time. Subsequently he came to 
 Worcester, and here engaged in the business 
 of mechanical draughtsman. He was a man 
 of rugged strength, mentally and physically, 
 and despite his meagre education, which he 
 always regretted, he became a successful and 
 prosperous man. In March, 1864, he en- 
 listed in Company A, Twenty-fifth Regiment 
 of Massachusetts Volunteers. Afterward he 
 was in the Peninsular Campaign under Gen- 
 eral Butler and in all the subsequent engage- 
 ments of the regiment up to the time of his 
 death. He was killed in battle at Cold Harbor 
 in June, 1864. Previous to that event he had 
 become noted for his fearlessness, and the 
 papers which were to have made him Sergeant 
 had been already made out and signed. Mr. 
 Lindsay was a born fighter, having, perhaps, 
 inherited this aggressive tendency with his 
 Scotch blood. While genial in disposition, 
 he was of a strong Christian character. He 
 was buried on the field of battle. 
 
 On June 11, 1857, Mr. Lindsay was mar- 
 ried to Mary Catherine Estabrook, of Prince- 
 ton, Mass. Mrs. Lindsay is of the seventh 
 generation descended from Joseph Estabrook, 
 who, born in England in 1640, was graduated 
 at Harvard College in 1664. In 1667 he was 
 ordained as the colleague of the Rev. Edward 
 Bulkley, of Concord, Mass., and later suc- 
 ceeded Mr. Bulkley as pastor. He died in 
 
 171 1. The children of Ira and Mary Lindsay 
 are: Ellen French, who is an artist and 
 teacher; Kate Elizabeth, now Mrs. C. D. 
 Kendall, of Worcester; and Joseph Ira, who 
 is now a practising physician of Worcester. 
 
 T^ALVIN 
 I VV the h 
 
 \^__^ brie 
 
 lALVIN DE WITT PAIGE, one of 
 leading business men of South- 
 idge and an ex-member of the 
 legislature, was born in this town. 
 May 20, 1848. His parents were Calvin A. 
 and Mercy (Dresser) Paige, an account of 
 whom will be found in the biography of 
 Calvin Ammidown Paige. The sterling 
 ability which has characterized his business 
 career began to develop itself at an early age. 
 He was educated in the public schools of his 
 native town. When twenty years old he was 
 appointed superintendent of the Dresser Man- 
 ufacturing Company, which responsible posi- 
 tion he creditably filled for four years. In 
 1872 he formed a partnership with Frederick 
 Crosby, under the firm name of Paige & 
 Crosby, for the purpose of engaging in a gen- 
 eral merchandise business in the old Colum- 
 bian Block. Next year they leased one of the 
 spacious stores in the C. A. Dresser Build- 
 ing, which was just then completed, and 
 where ample facilities were offered for their 
 expanding business. Mr. Paige continued a 
 member of the firm until 1876, when he sold 
 his interest in order to give his attention to 
 other enterprises with which he had con- 
 nected himself. In the same year he bought 
 out Edwards & Co., and thereafter conducted 
 this business alone until 1881, when his 
 brother, Frank S. Paige, became associated 
 with him under the style of C. D. Paige & 
 Co. In 1 88 1 he formed a partnership with 
 C. V. Carpenter for the sale of dry goods and 
 carpets, under the name of Carpenter & Co. 
 Nine years after the two concerns were con- 
 solidated, and incorporated as the Paige-Car- 
 penter Company, with C. D. Paige as presi- 
 dent. This firm, which is said to have the 
 largest business of its kind in this part of 
 the county, is established upon a sound basis. 
 Mr. Paige is also connected with other 
 enterprises. He is a director of the South- 
 
888 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bridge National Bank; a trustee and a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Investment of the South- 
 bridge Savings Bank; the president of the 
 Southbridge & Sturbridge Street Railway 
 Company, of which he was one of the chief 
 promoters; the president of the Southbridge 
 Water Siupply Company; and a director and 
 the auditor of the Central Mills Company, and 
 also of the Southbridge Gas and Electric Com- 
 pany, which he was instrumental in consoli- 
 dating, and of which he was the first treasurer. 
 He has been and is now interested in sev- 
 eral real estate projects. In company with 
 F. L. Chapin he has built quite extensively 
 on Elm and Chapin Streets. Recently he 
 and Mr. Chapin built and opened Fairview 
 Park in Sturbridge, a reserve of ten acres on 
 the line of the street railway, now an at- 
 tractive and popular resort. Fairview Farm, 
 of twenty-six acres, and sixty acres of the 
 Brooks estate, located opposite the park, is 
 a recent purchase of theirs. 
 
 On October i8, 1873, Mr. Paige was united 
 in marriage with Ida F. Edwards, a daughter 
 of the late John and Mary E. (Irwin) Ed- 
 wards. Born of this union were Mary D. in 
 1874 and John Edwards in 1879. After pre- 
 paring for college at Mrs. Hayes's school in 
 Boston, Mary D. entered Vassar in 1893. 
 She died two years later. John Edwards 
 Paige, who pursued his preparatory courses at 
 Hopkinson's school in Boston, is now a stu- 
 dent at Harvard University, class of 1901. 
 In politics Mr. Paige is a Republican. He 
 was a Representative in the Massachusetts 
 legislature of 1878, and served upon the Com- 
 mittee on Taxation, being considered an au- 
 thority on that important subject. For a 
 number of years he was the chairman of the 
 Republican Town Copimittee. He is a mem- 
 ber of the County Committee, and was the 
 chairman for several years of the Worcester 
 Third Senatorial District Committee. In 
 1884 he first served on the Republican State 
 Central Committee, was its assistant secretary 
 in 1885 and 1886, was again elected in 1894, 
 and is now the chairman of its Committee on 
 Finance. He has been a candidate for the 
 State Senate. In 1884 he was a delegate to 
 his party's national convention, which nomi- 
 
 nated James G. Blaine for the Presidency, 
 when, he takes pride in stating, he cast two 
 votes in succession for that candidate. Mr. 
 Paige is a member of the Home Market Club 
 of Boston, has been president of the South- 
 bridge Board of Trade, and is a trustee of 
 Nichols Academy in Dudley, Mass. In relig- 
 ious belief he is a Baptist. As a progressive 
 and public-spirited citizen he merits and re- 
 ceives the esteem of his fellow-townsmen, all 
 of whom have directly or indirectly profited by 
 his enterprise and sound judgment. 
 
 /^^TeORGE F. SEARLES, the well- 
 Y 'S I known hardware merchant of North- 
 ^-"^ bridge, was born in Sutton, Septem- 
 ber 27, 1832, son of George and Julia (Will- 
 iams) Searles. His paternal grandfather, 
 Curtis Searles, who came from England to this 
 country, lived on Grassy Hill in Millbury. 
 The father moved to Uxbridge in 1837, and 
 there resided for the remainder of his life. 
 A carpenter by trade, he became interested in 
 the manufacture of ploughs, samples of which 
 were awarded first premium at the Worcester 
 County fair. Having cut the timber for the 
 ploughs, it was his custom to make them in 
 the winter and sell them in the summer. The 
 mould board and land side were of oak, while 
 the point was tipped with iron. He was sub- 
 sequently engaged in repairing ploughs, and 
 later gave his attention more exclusively to 
 general carpentering. His children are: 
 Abbie, who resides at Northbridge Centre; 
 Warren, who is a painter in Meriden, Conn. ; 
 Julia, who is now the widow of S. R. Chip- 
 man, late of Uxbridge; Andrew, who is a tin- 
 smith in Whitinsville; and George F., the 
 subject of this sketch. 
 
 George F. Searles attended school at Ma- 
 comber's Academy in Uxbridge, then a noted 
 secondary school, receiving students from all 
 over the country. At the age of sixteen he 
 learned the tinsmith's trade at Uxbridge, where 
 he worked for nine years. He was then in 
 Lowell for six months. At the end of that 
 time he went to Whitinsville, where he 
 worked on tin in the machine shop for nine 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 889 
 
 years. Going thence to Meriden, Conn., he 
 started the manufacture of stoves, hardware, 
 and fancy tinware. After a year, during which 
 lie had a very flourishing business, employing 
 thirteen assistants, he lost his plant and stock 
 by fire. In May, 1871, he came to North- 
 bridge and opened his present business. At 
 first he had only one room. He now has a 
 building one hundred feet in length, and occu- 
 pies the three floors. His finely assorted 
 stock of hardware is said to be the largest 
 carried by any retail dealer in the county. In 
 connection with this he does a large business 
 in plumbing and in the fitting of steam and 
 hot water heating apparatus. 
 
 Mr. Searles has always taken a vital interest 
 in public affairs, and has occupied several im- 
 portant public positions. For five years he 
 served on the Board of Overseers of the Poor, 
 being the chairman of the board for three years 
 of the time. He was a Justice of the Peace for 
 ten or twelve years. In 1881 he represented 
 Grafton and Northbridge in the General Court, 
 where he was a member of the Committee on 
 Parishes and Religious Societies. His relig- 
 ious faith is the Congregational, and he has 
 been a member of that society since 1861. 
 The fraternal organizations with which he has 
 been connected include the Odd Fellows, of 
 which he has been a member since 1854; the 
 Free and Accepted Masons, having member- 
 ship in Granite Lodge, a charter membership 
 in St. Elmo Chapter, a membership in Worces- 
 ter County Commandery, and a membership of 
 thirty years in Hamilton Council of Meriden 
 (Conn.) ; the O. E. S., Dekamus Chapter, 
 No. 20, of which he was a charter member and 
 first Worthy Patron ; the Improved Order of 
 Red Men, of which he is a charter member; 
 the Knights of the Golden Eagle ; and the 
 Sons of Temperance, I. O. G. F. He helped 
 in forming two lodges of Odd Fellows and 
 Granite Lodge, F. & A. M., withdrawing from 
 King Solomon's Temple Lodge for that pur- 
 pose. 
 
 Mr. Searles married Eveline Fisher, daugh- 
 ter of Captain Josiah Fisher, of Uxbridge. 
 Captain Fisher was successively a merchant 
 and a wool sorter, and Captain of a militia 
 company in the early twenties. Mrs. Searles' s 
 
 grandfather Fisher was a commissioned officer 
 in the war of the Revolution, enlisting from 
 Franklin and being stationed on the Hudson 
 in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Searles have 
 three children — Arthur, Frank, and Mabel. 
 The last named is an invalid. The sons mar- 
 ried sisters, daughters of Charles L. Smith. 
 Frank has three children. Mr. Searles, Sr. , 
 resides in the handsome house at the corner of 
 Church and Pleasant Street.s. His sons live 
 in a new house built at the corner of Cottage 
 and Prospect Streets. 
 
 OHN FAIRBANKS POND, prior to 
 1876 a leading real estate operator of 
 Worcester, was born in Franklin, 
 Mass., on May 20, 1798, son of Barzil- 
 lai and Millicent (Fairbanks) Pond. He was 
 descended from Daniel Pond, who is known to 
 have been in Dedham, Mass., about 1652, a 
 landholder and wealthy man for those days. 
 Daniel's son John settled in Wrentham, where 
 he carried on farming. John's son, John, Jr., 
 who was born in 1688 or thereabouts, lived at 
 West Medway. 
 
 The next in line, Benjamin Pond, who was 
 born in Wrentham on June 15, 1726, was a 
 farmer, and resided in Franklin, formerly a 
 part of Wrentham. He was a minute-man in 
 Captain John Boyd's company, and marched to 
 Lexington on April 19, 1775. His wife, 
 Mary, was from Hopkinton. Benjamin's son 
 Barzillai, the father above named, was born in 
 Wrentham on July 26, 1759. He also ser\'ed 
 in the Revolutionary War, entering the army 
 when only seventeen years of age as a private 
 in Captain Ebenezer Pond's company, which 
 marched from Franklin, Mas.s. , for active ser- 
 vice on December 8, 1776. He subsequently 
 enlisted in an independent company com- 
 manded by Joseph Lovell; and still later he 
 was in Captain Asa Fairbanks' s company, then 
 on duty in Rhode Island. In July, 1780, he 
 marched to Rhode Island as Corporal of the 
 Fourth Regiment, which was commanded by 
 Major Seth Bullard. He eventually settled in 
 Franklin, Mass. His wife, Millicent, died 
 when John F., her only son, was but ten years 
 of age. 
 
Sgo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 John Fairbanks Pond spent his boyhood on 
 his father's farm in Medway, and attended the 
 schools of that town, his parents having re- 
 moved thither in 1804. In 1822 he went to 
 Great Barrington, Mass., and a year later to 
 Alstead, N. H., where he spent five years on 
 a farm. In 1828 he secured employment in a 
 bakery in Mendon, Mass., and remained there 
 until 1830, when he removed to Phenix vil- 
 lage in Warwick, R.I. In 1831 he went to 
 Fiskeville, R. I., but two years later took up 
 his abode in Providence, where for nine years 
 he engaged in mercantile pursuits, in the pros- 
 ecution of which he accumulated a fortune. In 
 Providence he took an active interest in public 
 affairs, and was a member of the first Board of 
 Directors of the Providence & Worcester Rail- 
 road corporation. He became widely known 
 for honest dealing and good executive ability, 
 and was popular with all who knew him. In 
 1842, during the time of the Dorr Rebellion, 
 he received from Governor King, who was com- 
 mander-in-chief of the law and order forces, 
 a commission as Assistant Commissary in the 
 Third Brigade of Rhode Island Militia, which 
 was commanded by General Stedman. Al- 
 though he occupied this position for only a 
 short time, as the rebellion was soon crushed, 
 he showed himself remarkably well qualified 
 for it, being several times called upon to act 
 in emergencies requiring quick decision and 
 despatch. 
 
 In November, 1842, Mr. Pond came with 
 his family to Worcester, having purchased a 
 large tract of land here known as Union Hill. 
 He began to improve this estate by laying out 
 house lots and building streets. He contrib- 
 uted the land now occupied by Providence 
 Street, and also gave a lot to Asa Matthews 
 upon condition that he should build upon it. 
 Thus was built the first house on that street. 
 Most of the streets east of Water Street, as 
 well as those in the vicinity of Bloomingdale 
 Road and Suffolk Street, and nearly all those 
 upon Union Hill, were laid out and built 
 under Mr. Pond's direction. He gave liberal 
 inducements to mechanics and persons of 
 moderate means to locate in that part of the 
 city, and his generosity in this direction is not 
 yet forgotten. Mr. Pond was one of the first 
 
 to advocate the building of a union railroad 
 station, and through his efforts one of the most 
 extensively signed petitions ever presented to 
 the legislature from the city of Worcester was 
 obtained for that purpose. He desired this 
 especially in order that the tracks might be 
 removed from the most populous portion of 
 the city and also from the common. He was 
 also influential in securing the location of the 
 Medical College (now Worcester Academy), 
 and gave lands and money toward its establish- 
 ment. Although Mr. Pond's opportunities for 
 education in early life were limited, he was a 
 man of broad information. He had an excel- 
 lent memory, especially for dates, and was a 
 fine penman. In personal appearance he was 
 tall, well proportioned, and of dignified bear- 
 ing. He was an interesting talker, and he 
 appreciated humor as well as any man. Mr. 
 Pond died very suddenly of apoplexy at his 
 home in Worcester in October, 1876, being at 
 that time seventy-eight years of age. 
 
 Mr. Pond .was twice married — the first 
 time in 1821 to Betsey Foster, and the second 
 time on November 17, 1835, to Mary M. Eddy, 
 of Oxford, Mass., who survives him, now in 
 her eighty-fourth year. Mrs. Betsey Pond 
 died on July 7, 1832, leaving four children, as 
 follows: Barzillai Foster, who was born in 
 Medway on November 25, 1822; Mary Amelia, 
 who was born at Alstead, N. H., on April 8, 
 1825, and who is now the widow of W. H. 
 Harris, late of Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Willard 
 Fairbanks, of Worcester, who was born at Al- 
 stead on June 15, 1827; and Susan Millicent, 
 who was born at Mendon, Mass., on February 
 28, 1830, and married Joel B. Harris, late of 
 Springfield (both deceased). Mrs. Mary M. 
 Pond has been the mother of the following 
 named children: Betsey Foster, who was born 
 in Providence on September 26, 1836; John 
 Eddy, who was born in Providence on July 10, 
 1840, and died in 1889; Daniel Emerson, 
 who was born in Providence on June 12, 1841 ; 
 Emma Louisa, who was born in Worcester 
 on February 22, 1843, and died on September 
 28, 1866; Charles Burnett, who was born in 
 Worcester on August 4, 1845, and died in 
 185 1 ; and Isabelle Merriam, who was born in 
 Worcester on August 23, 1847. Betsey Fos- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 891 
 
 ter Pond married A. W. Curtis, of Williams- 
 port, Pa. Isabelle married Charles F. Mann, 
 of Worcester, and is the mother of one son, 
 Edward Forrester Mann. 
 
 John Eddy Pond was for many years the sec- 
 retary and to a large extent the guiding spirit 
 of the Bridgeport Patent Leather Company. 
 He was a man of unusual ability, and his 
 death, which occurred on January 9, 1889, was 
 deeply regretted. When only a youth he ob- 
 tained employment with a Boston hardware 
 firm, and later, when the business was removed 
 to New York, became travelling salesman. 
 During the war of the Rebellion, although he 
 never enlisted, he rendered service as a civil- 
 ian clerk in the commissary department of 
 General Banks's division during his Ken- 
 tucky campaign. In 1864 Mr. John E. Pond 
 started a hardware store in Williamsport, Pa., 
 but two years later he went to Bridgeport and 
 entered the employ of the Patent Leather 
 Company. The same year he married Maria 
 Niles, who, with two sons and a daughter, sur- 
 vives him. Her father was Samuel Niles, of 
 Bridgeport. Mr. John E. Pond was a thirty- 
 second degree Mason. In politics he was an 
 active worker on the Democratic side. From 
 1874 to 1876 he was a member of the Board of 
 Police Commissioners. He was also Auditor 
 and at one time a member of the Common 
 Council. He was a member of St. John's 
 Episcopal Church, in which he held the posi- 
 tion of vestryman. His personal friends were 
 many. 
 
 Daniel Emerson Pond when twenty years of 
 age enlisted in the war of the Rebellion, 
 being mustered in as Corporal of Company H, 
 Twenty-fifth Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers. He was discharged from the Twenty- 
 fifth, March 9, 1863, and accepted a commis- 
 sion as First Lieutenant of the colored troops 
 known as "Uhlman's Brigade," and was serv- 
 ing in that capacity when honorably dis - 
 charged. While in the Twenty-fifth he took 
 part in the engagements of Newbern and Roa- 
 noke Island. After the close of the war he 
 went West and settled in Monticello, la., 
 where he engaged in real estate and insurance. 
 He is a prominent citizen of Monticello. He 
 has held many elective positions of trust and 
 
 responsibility, and is now the Postmaster of 
 that city. He is a thirty-second degree Mason 
 and a Knight Templar. 
 
 He has been twice married. His first wife 
 was Mrs. Harriet Pickering, of Hartford, 
 Conn., by whom he had one daughter, Emma, 
 now the wife of William Milner, of Milner- 
 ville, la. By his second wife, formerly Mar- 
 garet Leichardt, of Monticello, he has had four 
 children ; namely, John, Margaret, Mary, and 
 George. 
 
 DWIN A. HOWE, the popular Town 
 Clerk and Tax Collector of Grafton, 
 was born here, March 4, 1843, son of 
 Martin and Pallina L. (Bosworth) Howe. The 
 grandfather, Lemuel Howe, who was a native 
 of Sudbury and for some years a farmer in 
 Marlboro, came to Grafton when his son Mar- 
 tin was eight years of age, and settled on the 
 old Sherman place in Farnumsville. Refer- 
 ence is made to him in Pierce's History of 
 Grafton. 
 
 Martin Howe spent the greater part of his 
 life engaged in shoemaking. He was much 
 interested in politics, and took an active part 
 in town affairs. For twenty -five years he was 
 sexton of the Baptist church. He died April 
 7, 1898. Of the ten children born to him 
 and his wife, there are living: Frank M., who 
 resides in Milford; Hattie M., who is the wife 
 of Lowell H. Davis, of Whitinsville; Louisa 
 M. , who is now Mrs. Bradley, of Rochester, 
 N.H. ; Mary L. and Nettie B. ; and Emma A., 
 who was the wife of Edmund C. Cottle, a 
 prominent tanner of Woburn, and died some 
 twenty years ago. 
 
 Edwin A. Howe received a public-school 
 education. He began his working life as an 
 employee in a shoe shop, but had not been there 
 very long when the war between the North and 
 the South broke out. On July 15, 1863, 
 he enlisted, and was assigned to Company A, 
 Second Regiment of Massachusetts Heavy 
 Artillery. He was at Newbern, N.C., for 
 some time, chiefly engaged in garrison duty. 
 In 1864 the yellow fever broke out, and his 
 company was quarantined all summer. In the 
 fall he was himself stricken down with the 
 
892 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dread disease, but recovered sufficiently to be 
 brought North in January, 1865. He was in 
 the hospital at Worcester from that time until 
 the following June, when he was mustered out 
 of service. Although Mr. Howe .saw but lit- 
 tle fighting, he acquired some notion of the 
 horrors of war in the hospital, the agonizing 
 scenes of which he will never forget. When 
 he was able to work again he went back to his 
 old position in the shop, and remained there 
 for some years. In 1888 he was first elected 
 Tax Collector, and every year since he has 
 been re-elected without opposition. Previous 
 to this the collection of taxes had been given 
 out to the lowest bidder. Since 1891 he has 
 been elected Town Clerk. 
 
 Mr. Howe was married on March 28, 1867, 
 to Elvesta K. Wood, daughter of Lyman 
 Wood, of Grafton. Of this marriage three 
 children have been born^ — Minnie G. , Mabel 
 L. , and Harry E. Minnie G. is now Mrs. 
 Nelson Borden, of Somerville, Mass. Harry, 
 who resides with his parents, is Captain of 
 William G. Scanlon Camp, No. 42, S. of V. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Howe are members of the 
 Grafton Grange. Mr. Howe is also a mem- 
 ber of General A. B. R. Sprague Post, 
 G. A. R. , of which he was Adjutant for seven 
 years. He is now serving his fifth consecu- 
 tive year as Commander of the post. He al- 
 ways makes it a point to attend the State 
 encampments, and in 1895 he was sent as a 
 delegate to the national encampment at Louis- 
 ville. 
 
 YajOWERS C. HATHAWAY, a re- 
 , ^^ tired carpenter, contractor, and 
 \r^ ) builder of Westboro, Mass., was 
 born March 18, 1823, in Freetown, 
 near Fall River, Mass., son of Ennis Hatha- 
 way and a grandson of Simeon Chase, who was 
 a soldier of the Revolution. 
 
 Ennis Hathaway, who was born at Free- 
 town in 1794, died in 1887, at the venerable 
 age of ninety-three years and eight months. 
 He came of a race noted for its longevity. 
 A sister of his lived ninety-five years, and a 
 brother reached the age of ninety. He was 
 one of a family of twelve children, of whom 
 
 six that had passed their eightieth birthday 
 were living at one time. A soldier in the 
 War of 181 2, he was stationed at Fort Phenix, 
 Fairhaven, and was a participant in the capt- 
 ure of the privateer "Nimrod." He was a 
 member of the last company that volunteered 
 to protect New Bedford from an invasion by 
 the British, and at his death was the only 
 pensioner of the War of 1812 living in this 
 part of the State. To him and his wife, 
 Clarissa Chase Hathaway, seven children 
 were born, six of whom are living, namely: 
 William E., a merchant of East Boston; 
 Bowers C, the subject of this sketch; Frank- 
 lin L. , a contractor in Providence; Mrs. 
 Clarissa J. Babbitt, of Berkley; Alonzo H., 
 of Dorchester; and Charles E., who lives on 
 the old homestead in Freetown. 
 
 Bowers C. Hathaway remained on the pa- 
 rental homestead until he was fifteen years 
 old. Then he shipped as a sailor, and spent 
 two years on the sea. In 1840, when seven- 
 teen years old, he started for New Bedford to 
 learn the carpenter's trade, and walked the 
 entire distance rather than spend the dollar 
 which his father had given him to pay his 
 fare. He served an apprenticeship with 
 Braddock Gifford, a very thorough instructor, 
 who gave him thirty dollars a year and his 
 board. At the end of three and a half years 
 he began working as a journeyman, and in the 
 fall of 1845 he went to Boston as foreman of 
 a gang of carpenters. When this engagement 
 ended, in 1847, he came to Westboro to work 
 on the buildings for the State Reform School. 
 He was boarding in the same family with the 
 superintendent of the institution when, on 
 November i, 1848, the first boy sent to a re- 
 form school in the United States was brought 
 there; and as a favor to the superintendent 
 he took charge of the pupil until morning. 
 Mr. Hathaway subsequently superintended the 
 erection of the new buildings connected with 
 the school, and was there at the time of the 
 disastrous fire in 1859. In 1875 and 1876 he 
 had charge of the rebuilding and enlargement 
 of the institution, which cost the State one 
 hundred thousand dollars. In addition to 
 this he has built many of the larger buildings 
 of the town, including the post-office, the Na- 
 
BOWERS C. HATHAWAY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 89s 
 
 tional Straw Works, the Henry Block, Amer- 
 ican Block, the Park and Griggs Buildings, 
 the Whitney House, and the factories of 
 Gould & Walker and the Hunt Manufactur- 
 ing Company. He has also erected many 
 business houses in Waltham and several 
 school-houses. 
 
 Mr. Hathaway served from May until Au- 
 gust, 1864, in the late war, and now belongs 
 to the Arthur G. Biscoe Post, No. 80, 
 G. A. R. In politics he affiliated with the 
 Whigs until the formation of the Republican 
 party, since which he has been a loyal sup- 
 porter of that organization. At one time he 
 was the chairman of the Twelfth Worcester 
 Republican District Committee. He was 
 chief engineer of the local fire department 
 from 1887 until 1892, inclusive, and, be- 
 sides having served as president of the West- 
 boro Board of Trade, was Selectman of the 
 town in 1889, 1890, 1891, and 1896, serving 
 during the last three years in the capacity of 
 chairman of the board. In 1894 and 1895 he 
 was a Representative to the State legislature, 
 and he served during both terms as a member 
 of the Committee on Public Charitable Insti- 
 tutions. He is now one of the trustees of the 
 Westboro Savings Bank and one of the In- 
 vestment Committee. He is chairman of the 
 Republican Town Committee, and he belongs 
 to Siloam Lodge, F. & A. M., and to Bethany 
 Chapter, O. E. S. 
 
 On November 26, 1846, Mr. Hathaway 
 married Mary A., daughter of Captain Guil- 
 ford Barrows, of New Bedford. Captain Bar- 
 rows went on several whaling voyages as com- 
 mander of a vessel, circumnavigated the world 
 three times, and rounded Cape Horn on nine 
 occasions. Mrs. Hathaway's grandfather, 
 Luther Reading, went through the Revolu- 
 tionary War. Mr. and Mrs. Hathaway have 
 one son, Charles, who lives in Seattle. On 
 November 26, 1896, they celebrated in a royal 
 manner the golden anniversary of their wed- 
 ding, receiving the congratulations of friends 
 living in New Bedford, Dighton, Boston, 
 Worcester, and other large places, as well as 
 of their townspeople. Of the four hundred 
 and fifty guests invited, a large number re- 
 sponded, and many valuable and beautiful 
 
 gifts were presented to the host and hostess. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hathaway have a grand-daugh- 
 ter, Blanche Rosamond Hathaway, who makes 
 her home with her grandparents, and is now 
 attending high school. 
 
 ILLIAM HYLAND, manufacturer of 
 mattresses and dealer in all kinds of 
 bedding at 164 Main Street, Worces- 
 ter, is a native of Ireland, and was left an or- 
 phan when a child. He was reared in Eng- 
 land on the banks of the Mersey, where he 
 resided until eighteen years old. In 1861 he 
 enlisted in the British navy, and served in the 
 Marine Artillery for seven years, during which 
 time he sailed twice around the world, visiting 
 China, Japan, the South Sea Islands, and New 
 Zealand, and participating in several actions. 
 Leaving the service in 1868, and having saved 
 about nine hundred dollars, he visited his 
 native land, from whence he crossed the Atlan- 
 tic, arriving in New York October 22 of the 
 same year. After working upon a farm and in 
 a mill at Webster, Mass., for a while, he went 
 to Boston in 1870, and spent a year in learning" 
 to make mattresses, receiving one dollar per 
 day during his apprenticeship. He was next 
 employed at the National Bridge and Iron 
 Works, where he labored fourteen months, a 
 part of that time earning seven dollars and fifty 
 cents per day. Coming to Worcester in 1873, 
 he bought a machine, and, with a capital of 
 three hundred dollars, established himself in 
 the mattress business on Park Street. P'rom 
 a small beginning his business has .steadily 
 grown in importance, and at the present time 
 he manufactures and handles at wholesale and 
 retail all kinds of bedding, including mat- 
 tresses, pillows, comforters, and spreads, all 
 of which find a ready market in New England 
 and Canada. He travels considerably, solicit- 
 ing orders, attends to every detail of the busi- 
 ness, including the buying, and employs an 
 average of forty hands. His present location 
 on Main Street, formerly the old Central Or- 
 thodox Church, he purchased several years ago ; 
 and his title deeds to the historic building 
 bear the signatures of a number of noted citi- 
 zen.s, among whom are ministers, deacons, ex- 
 
896 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mayors, and ex-governors. The building is 
 two hundred and thirty-four feet long by eighty 
 and one-half wide, and four stories in height. 
 The portion not required in his business he 
 rents. He also owns some tenement houses on 
 the West Side. 
 
 On September 14, 1873, Mr. Hyland mar- 
 ried Anna Horstman Hayes, who was born in 
 Ireland, and came to Worcester, January i, 
 1868. He has been the father of seven chil- 
 dren; namely, William, Alice M., Margaret 
 T., George F. , Mary, Annie Frances, and 
 Margaret T. (second). William, born July 13, 
 1874, was drowned July 9, 1896. Margaret 
 T. , first, died at the age of two years and six 
 months. George F. died at the age of four 
 years and nine months. Mary is now a young 
 lady of thirteen years. Annie Frances died 
 when eleven months old. William Hyland 
 some time ago was admitted to partnership 
 with his father, and the concern has since 
 been William Hyland & Son. Mr. Hyland 
 has voted with the Republican party since 
 1888, but has held no public office. He has 
 attained success through his own ability and 
 perseverance, and is still as busily engrossed 
 with his business affairs as he was twenty-five 
 years ago. 
 
 IBLEY PUTNAM, who, as a retail 
 grocer, was closely identified with 
 the mercantile interests of Worces- 
 ter, Mass., for nearly forty years, 
 was a self-made man in every sense of the term, 
 and left to the younger generation a record for 
 honesty and uprightness of purpose worthy of 
 emulation. He was born November 23, 1819, 
 in the town of Sutton, Mass. His father, a 
 farmer by occupation, married Hannah Sibley, 
 of Sutton, and died in 1821. 
 
 Sibley Putnam was but two years old when 
 his father died. He subsequently lived on a 
 farm in Sutton, and attended the district school 
 in the winter season until he was seventeen 
 years old. Going then to Hopkinton, Middle- 
 sex County, he learned the shoemaker's trade. 
 When he had become an adept at making shoes, 
 he set up a little shop of his own in that town, 
 and worked for the trade. Seven years later 
 
 he married, and buying a small farm carried 
 that on in addition to shoemaking. His work 
 by hand was marked by a nicety and precision 
 impossible to reproduce with a machine. In 
 the spring of 1854 he disposed of his property 
 in Hopkinton, and going to Charlestown he 
 was there engaged in the retail grocery trade 
 for six months. Then, in company with an- 
 other man, he went into business in Fall 
 River, remaining two or three years. In 1857 
 he came to Worcester, and bought of Jonas 
 White a grocery store on Green Street, where 
 he remained in business for thirty years. In 
 1876 he received into partnership his son-in- 
 law, Joseph L. Davis, who continued in the 
 firm until it sold out. 
 
 Mr. Putnam's first important step toward 
 building up a good trade was taken by adding 
 a much higher grade of goods than was usually 
 seen in a store of that kind, and his chief en- 
 deavor from first to last was to meet in the best 
 possible manner the various wants of his cus- 
 tomers. He soon won a name for fair dealing, 
 and as he became known his trade increased 
 rapidly. He seized every opportunity for ad- 
 ministering his business affairs economically, 
 and was never too proud or too lazy to set a 
 good example to his clerks by himself working 
 as hard as he asked them to. His trade was 
 principally with the laboring class of people, 
 whom he treated considerately, never pressing 
 them unjustly for money. In this way he met 
 with success where another man would have 
 failed. He always met his obligations 
 promptly, taking care never to incur expense 
 that he could not easily meet, and by sheer 
 force of merit, honesty, and ability was enabled 
 to overcome all difficulties. He respected re- 
 ligion, upheld churches, and was devoted to 
 the interests of the Salem Street Congrega- 
 tional Church, which he assisted in many ways. 
 
 On May 16, 1844, Mr. Putnam married 
 Sarah C. Brown, who was born in Pawtucket, 
 R.I., daughter of Jesse Brown and a descend- 
 ant of a prominent Rhode Island family. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Putnam became the parents of six 
 children, namely: George, who died in in- 
 fancy; Emma E., who lives in Worcester; 
 Sarah F., who is the wife of Joseph L. Davis, 
 of this city, and has two sons — George Putnam 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 897 
 
 and- Joseph Walter; Anna, deceased; Hattie 
 S., who resides in Worcester; and Delia, who 
 is the wife of Edward Livingston Libbey, of 
 Bennington, Vt. , and has four children — Tar- 
 rant Putnam, Cedric, Edward, and Eleanor. 
 Mr. Putnam died in Worcester on February 
 13, 1887. 
 
 'ETH PRIME CARPENTER, who 
 was one of Milford's representative 
 citizens for many years, was born in 
 Upton, November 25, 1802, son of 
 Reuben and Hannah (Cook) Carpenter. His 
 ancestry is traced back to one William Carpen- 
 ter, who was born in England in 1576, and 
 who arrived in the vicinity of Boston, from 
 Southampton, England, in 1638, bringing with 
 him his son William and four grandchildren. 
 One of the latter, William, third, was twice 
 married in Rehoboth. His son Noah, who 
 was born on March 28, 1672, was thrice mar- 
 ried, and reared a number of children. Noah's 
 son, Elisha, who was born on August 28, 1721, 
 married Annie Whittaker, and died, it is 
 supposed, in Sutton, on August 2, 1789. 
 Reuben, son of Elisha and the father of Seth 
 P. Carpenter, was twice married. Born in 
 Attleboro on February 23, 1757, he died in 
 October, 1802. 
 
 Seth P. Carpenter came to Milford in early 
 manhood, and for many years was extensively 
 engaged in the boot manufacturing business 
 here. He had wholesale stores in St. Louis 
 and Cincinnati, and, in his trips West to look 
 after his business interests in these places, 
 crossed the Alleghanies fourteen times in 
 stage-coaches. A firm believer in the growth 
 of Milford, he invested largely in its real es- 
 tate. His largest purchase was what was then 
 an extensive farm, stretching from Main Street 
 eastward to Hoboken. Through this he cut 
 streets, and he gave the land for the Boston & 
 Albany Railroad station and for many of the 
 shops now located in that vicinity. Among 
 the streets he built are Bow, Jefferson, and 
 Spring Streets, which lie in the very centre of 
 the present town. He was a self-reliant and 
 energetic business man, jovial and companion- 
 able, In his younger days he was a leader in 
 
 the social life of Milford. No dramatic enter- 
 tainment given in the town was considered 
 complete unless he took part in a leading r61e, 
 or managed the affair, or both. Perhaps his 
 fondness for the drama was one of the reasons 
 that led to his building the Lyceum Block, in 
 which is Lyceum Hall, for many years the only 
 public hall in Milford, and considered at the 
 time it was built as the best equipped theatre 
 outside of Boston. 
 
 Mr. Carpenter served in various town offices. 
 For twenty-one years he was a Justice of the 
 Peace. In his later life he devoted consider- 
 able time, money, and ingenuity to fish cult- 
 ure, especially to the rearing of trout, for 
 which he had hatching trays in the south- 
 western part of Uxbridge. The Rev. Adin 
 Ballou, in his history of the town, says: 
 "It should be emphatically added to the credit 
 of Mr. Carpenter that, in connection with the 
 late David Stearnes Godfrey and a few other 
 devoted citizens, he took a very important part 
 in the preliminary labors indispensable to 
 procuring the Milford & Framingham Branch 
 Railroad. These labors were manifold, ardu- 
 ous, and persistent. The present generation 
 of our inhabitants can have but a faint concep- 
 tion and appreciation of what they owe to those 
 hard-working pioneers in the obtainment of that 
 road. Without their self-sacrificing exertion, 
 its great facilities would probably have been 
 long postponed. " Mr. Carpenter was also one 
 of the prime movers in the enterprise that gave 
 to Milford the beautiful Pine Grove Cemetery, 
 where his remains were interred after his long 
 and busy life. 
 
 Mr. Carpenter's first wife was Maria, daugh- 
 ter of James and Nancy (Parks) Barber. Of 
 this union was one son, Byron, born Septem- 
 ber 14, 1829, who died on March 15, 1872. 
 After Mrs. Maria Carpenter died in February, 
 1831, Mr. Carpenter married her sister, Diana 
 Barber. The surviving children of this mar- 
 riage are: Reuben Earl, Nancy Marion, and 
 Hannah Maria. The others were : George W., 
 Hannah Maria (first), and Diana. 
 
 The family resided for several years on 
 Main Street. Here his wife, with three little 
 daughters to care for, found the ceaseless travel 
 up and down stairs wearisome. Thereupon 
 
898 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Carpenter decided that he didn't like 
 stairs anyway, and said to his wife, "I'll build 
 you a house without stairs." He actually 
 kept his word, and the result is the odd-look- 
 ing house at the corner of Bow and Spring 
 Streets, where his daughter, Mrs. Barber, now 
 lives. This is a one-story building with a fiat 
 roof, and with not a stair in it, yet as roomy as 
 an ordinary two-story house and a marvel of 
 comfort and convenience. It forms a unique 
 monument to the tender and considerate love of 
 a whole-souled, large-hearted, and devoted hus- 
 band. 
 
 AMES MILLER, a prominent business 
 man of North Brookfield and a Civil 
 War veteran, was born in New Brain- 
 tree, Mass., June 18, 1823. A son of 
 Comfort and Polly (Dane) Miller, he is de- 
 scended from ancestors who were early set- 
 tlers in Brimfield, Mass. Comfort Miller, 
 son of Benjamin Miller and a native of Brim- 
 field, settled in New Braintree when a young 
 man. He carried on a tannery there until his 
 death, which occurred in 1862. Polly Dane 
 Miller, his wife, was a native of North Brook- 
 field. 
 
 James Miller began his. education in the 
 public schools of New Braintree, completing 
 his studies at the Monson and Westfield Acad- 
 emies. At the age of seventeen he engaged 
 in school teaching, which profession he fol- 
 lowed for several winters. Afterward he 
 learned the tanner's trade, and worked at that 
 business successively in New Braintree and 
 Barre, moving to the last-named town in 
 1850. A short time later he became the 
 treasurer of the Barre Boot Company. Hav- 
 ing held that position for several years, he 
 came to North Brookfield in 1858, and was 
 afterward a member of the firm of H. B. Je'nks 
 & Co., boot manufacturers, for about two 
 years. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in 
 Company F, Forty-second Regiment, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteer Infantry, with which he 
 served under General Banks in Louisiana for 
 a year. Upon receiving his discharge as a 
 Corporal he returned to North Brookfield, 
 and entered the employ of E. & A. H. Batch- 
 
 eller, boot manufacturers, as foreman of the 
 upper leather department. Subsequently he 
 was the superintendent of the entire plant for 
 a number of years and the buyer of supplies, 
 including the large quantity of leather used in 
 the factory. Also interested in other busi- 
 ness enterprises, he is the president of the 
 Bradford Yarn Mills, of Warren, Mass., the 
 vice-president of the North Brookfield Savings 
 Bank, and the vice-president of the North 
 Brookfield Railroad Company. 
 
 On November 23, 1848, Mr. Miller mar- 
 ried Julia A. Lincoln, of Oakham, Mass. 
 They have reared five children, namely: 
 Julia F., now the wife of E. H. Stoddard, 
 of East Brookfield; James E., the superin- 
 tendent of the Bradford Yarn Mills, Warren; 
 Horatio L., a resident of Worcester; Laura 
 M., the wife of Professor Edgar H. Grout, 
 who is the principal of the North Brookfield 
 High School; and Edith R., the wife of the 
 Rev. William C. Gordon, of Michigan City, 
 Ind. More or less active in public life for a 
 long period, Mr. Miller has been an Assessor 
 for several years past, was formerly a member 
 of the School Committee, and in 1857 he rep- 
 resented Barre in the legislature. Since its 
 establishment he has served as a trustee and 
 the treasurer of the Free Public Library. He 
 is a comrade of Ezra Batcheller Post, No. 51, 
 G. A. R; is a member of North Brookfield 
 Grange, Patrons of Husbandry; and he has 
 been a Deacon of the Union Congregational 
 Church since i860. He and Mrs. Miller re- 
 cently celebrated their golden wedding, on 
 which happy occasion they were the recipients 
 of congratulations from a large number of 
 friends and well-wishers. 
 
 ENJAMIN A. CORBIN, well known 
 as one of the pioneer and successful 
 shoe manufacturers of Worcester 
 County and for many years an hon- 
 ored resident of Webster, was born at Dudley, 
 Mass., in 1809. A son of Timothy and Ruth 
 (Albee) Corbin, he is descended from Clem- 
 ent and Dorcas Corbin, who came from Eng- 
 land and settled in Brookline in 1637. Clem- 
 ent Corbin was the immigrant ancestor of all 
 
MRS. JAMES MILLER. 
 
JAA'IES MILLER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 goi 
 
 the Corbins in New England, many of whom 
 have been men of prominence. He removed 
 from Brookline to Woodstock, Conn., in 1687. 
 His son, James, whose wife was Susannah 
 Corbin, removed from Woodstock in 1732, and 
 came to Dudley. Timothy, son of James, 
 married Abigail Vinton, of that town; and 
 their son, Timothy, second, married Ruth 
 Albee. Fifteen Corbins fought in the Revo- 
 lution. 
 
 Benjamin A. Corbin attended the public 
 schools of Dudley, and during his boyhood 
 worked for a time on his father's farm. He 
 subsequently began the manufacture of shoes in 
 his native town, at first in a very small way. 
 Later he was able to extend his operations, 
 and in 1851 he came to Webster, Mass., where 
 he started a shoe factory on a large scale, this 
 being very different from the small shop in 
 which he had first worked, where the hard 
 labor was done by himself, and where at the 
 same time he taught others. Always keeping 
 abreast of the times, he never allowed himself 
 to grow old-fashioned, but was always alert to 
 •see new opportunities for extending his busi- 
 ness or to take advantage of the latest appli- 
 ances in machinery. In his long career of over 
 thirty years in the town of Webster he ac- 
 quired a reputation for honest dealing and 
 exact business methods. The goods manufact- 
 ured in his establishment were always found 
 to be exactly as they were warranted ; and, 
 attracted by his knowledge, customers sent to 
 him from all parts of the United States. His 
 financial stability was shown by the fact that 
 he was the only shoe manufacturer in Webster 
 that came out of the panic of 1857 without 
 failing. Mr. Corbin never employed less than 
 three hundred hands after his business had 
 reached its full proportions. To his work- 
 men he was always courteous, sympathetic, 
 and kind. After carrying on business alone 
 for some time, he received his son into partner- 
 ship, forming the firm of B. A. Corbin & Son. 
 The business is now conducted by the son. 
 
 Mr. Corbin died on October 15, 1880. He 
 was a constant attendant and an earnest worker 
 at the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which 
 his death was a severe loss. Referring to the 
 sad event, the Webster Times said: "As a 
 
 business man he was honorable, upright, and 
 just to all, his integrity being unimpeachable, 
 passing through many crises in business that 
 tried the purse, principles, and souls of many 
 men. As a citizen he was always active and 
 energetic; and he worked for the interests of 
 his town and fellow-citizens, gaining their 
 respect and good will." In 1863 and 1864 
 he was Selectman, and in 1867 he was sent as 
 Representative to the General Court. Both of 
 these offices, as well as others, he filled accept- 
 ably and with credit to himself. On Decem- 
 ber 9, 1838, he was married to Lovisa Brown, 
 of Dudley. The following-named children 
 were born to him : Elizabeth, who died in 1862 ; 
 Chester C. , the son above mentioned; Celia, 
 who is now Mrs. Celia C. Whipple, of Worces- 
 ter; and Anna Augusta, who on January 8, 
 1879, married Henry Austin Fuller, and has 
 one .son, Henry Corbin Fuller, of Worcester, 
 now a student. Mr. Fuller was a .son of Otis 
 and Louisa P. (Clark) Fuller, of Grafton. 
 The Clarks, who have lived in Grafton for sev- 
 eral generations, went to that town from Con- 
 cord, Mass., where Simon Willard, one of Mrs. 
 Louisa Fullers maternal ancestors, settled in 
 1633. Mr. Fuller's boyhood was spent in 
 Grafton, and he received his early .schooling 
 in that town. Desirous of becoming a dentist, 
 he entered college. After completing the 
 course there, he practised the dental profession 
 in Worcester, Mass., building up an extensive 
 and lucrative practice, and acquiring a wide 
 reputation for skill. While on a visit to the 
 South, he died there. A very quiet man and 
 unassuming, Dr. Fuller had many warm friends 
 and was highly esteemed. 
 
 MOS BOYNTON HALL, a retired 
 business man of Worcester, was born 
 in Ma.son, N. H., September 3, 
 1833, son of George and Rachel 
 (Boynton) Hall. The first of his paternal an- 
 cestors born in America was Deacon Nathan 
 Hall, his great-grandfather. Nathan's birth 
 occurred in Bradford, Mass., December 25, 
 1715. Going to New Hampshire as a pioneer 
 in 1 75 1, he settled in Mason, which was des- 
 ignated Township No. i. The report .show- 
 
902 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ing what was accomplished by the settlers 
 during the year 1752 states that he had broken 
 six of his seven acres and built a house. He 
 was prominently identified with the early 
 town government, and served as Treasurer for 
 eight years in succession. One of the founders 
 of the Congregational church, he was after- 
 ward a Deacon thereof until his death, which 
 occurred May 7, 1807. Mary Hall, his wife, 
 who was born in Boxford, Mass., March 29, 
 1723, became the mother of nine children, 
 namely: James, born in 1743; Mary, born in 
 1746; Nathan, born in 1748; Mehitable, born 
 in 1750; David, born in 1754; Daniel, born 
 in 1756; Henry, born in 1758; Elizabeth, 
 born in 1765; and Richard Hall, born in 
 Mason, September 12, 1768. Richard Hall, 
 who was a well-to-do farmer, died in 1822, 
 aged fifty-four years. On February 2, 1793, 
 he married Hannah Kendall, who bore him 
 two sons and three daughters, all of whom be- 
 came heads of families, and none of them lived 
 to be very old. 
 
 George Hall was born in Mason, May 31, 
 1806. On December 4, 1826, he married for 
 his first wife Abigail Boynton, who died child- 
 less. In 1830 he married for his second wife 
 her sister Rachel. They were the sisters of 
 John Boynton, of Templeton, Mass., who 
 made a fortune in the tinware business, and 
 founded the Worcester County Free Institute 
 of Industrial Science, or Polytechnic School. 
 For the latter purpose he donated a fund of one 
 hundred thousand dollars, on condition that the 
 city of Worcester should furnish the buildings. 
 An appropriation of fifty thousand dollars by 
 the State and a further donation of one hun- 
 dred thousand dollars by the Hon. Stephen 
 Salisbury served to place the establishment 
 upon a firm basis ; and the late Ichabod Wash- 
 burn presented it with a well-furnished ma- 
 chine shop, costing eighty thousand dollars. 
 The Polytechnic is one of the best manual 
 training schools in New England, and counts 
 among its graduates many who have acquired 
 a national reputation in the field of science 
 and the practical arts. George Hall was a 
 prosperous farmer, and resided on the Boynton 
 farm, which was the homestead of his wife's 
 family. He was the father of six children: 
 
 George, born January i, 1831; Amos B., the 
 subject of this sketch; Williams Hall, born 
 August II, 1835; Elizabeth A., born March 
 14, 1839, now deceased; Christopher C. , born 
 November 26, 1843; and John K. Hall, born 
 July 7, 1845. 
 
 Amos Boynton Hall attended the district 
 school in the neighborhood of his birthplace. 
 He assisted his father in tilling the soil until 
 he was twenty-one years old, after which he 
 served an apprenticeship of three years to the 
 carpenter's trade, and followed it as a journey- 
 man for the same length of time. He resided 
 in Nashua, N. H., for six years. Coming to 
 Worcester in September, 1865, he engaged in 
 the fruit packing business, which was carried 
 on under the firm name of A. B. Hall & Co. 
 for ten years, and afterward by himself alone 
 until his retirement some thirteen years ago. 
 The building now known as the Common- 
 wealth Hotel was erected by him as a business 
 block some twenty-five years ago, and was en- 
 larged for its present purpose. After manag- 
 ing the hotel for a year he leased the property 
 at a good rental. Since then his time has 
 been devoted to the care of his property. 
 
 On May 14, 1861, Mr. Hall was joined in 
 marriage with Mary C. Marden, who was born 
 in Windham, N.H., July 7, 1837, daughter of 
 James and Caroline (Follett) Marden. Her 
 grandparents were James and Mary (Martin) 
 Marden, the latter a native of Francestown, 
 N. H. Her father, who was born in New Bos- 
 ton, N. H., died in 1876, aged sixty-five years. 
 Her mother, a native of Durham, N.H., and a 
 daughter of John Follett, died in February, 
 1888. James and Caroline Marden were the 
 parents of six children : Mary C, who is now 
 Mrs. Hall; James A. Marden, a Civil War 
 veteran, who is married and resides in Arling- 
 ton, Mass.; John F., born March 28, 1841, 
 who resides in Worcester; Frank, born April 
 4, 1843, who served in the Civil War and 
 resides in Arlington; Charles, born May 3, 
 1845, who resides in Nashua, N. H. ; and 
 Emily, born June 20, 1848, who married 
 Henry Barney, and resides in Boston. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hall have no children. They occupy 
 a pleasant residence on North Avenue, which 
 was recently completed, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 9°3 
 
 \ARRITT BLAISDELL, formerly a 
 well-known tool manufacturer of 
 
 K£) Worcester, son of Parritt and Rhoda 
 (Currier) Blaisdell, was born in 
 Orange, N. H., February 5, 1827. The Blais- 
 dells are of Welsh origin. The earlier ances- 
 tors settled at Salisbury. During the past 
 four generations the family's representatives 
 have lived in New Hampshire. Parritt Blais- 
 dell, St., son of Judge Blaisdell, was a farmer 
 at Orange. 
 
 After leaving school at the age of thirteen 
 years, the subject of this sketch removed with 
 the family to Lowell, and was apprenticed to a 
 machinist, with whom he remained until he 
 was twenty years of age. Having mastered his 
 trade, he went to Salem, where he worked for 
 two or three years. In August of the year 
 185 1 he came to Worcester as a machinist 
 with Wood, Light & Co. , and was soon made 
 foreman of his department, with an unusually 
 large salary. In 1865, having saved enough 
 money for the purpose, he built and equipped 
 a machine shop on Jackson Street, where he 
 began to make machinists' tools. He was 
 keen and active, a splendid mechanic, and, pos- 
 sessing the necessary courage and executive 
 ability, was determined to succeed. He never 
 looked back, never doubted his ability, and was 
 a tireless worker. After the business had 
 largely increased, he took John P. Jones into 
 partnership. Another partner, S. E. Hildreth, 
 was afterward admitted to the firm. The busi- 
 ness became very large ; and their tools, having 
 acquired a reputation for excellence of design 
 and accuracy of finish, were sent to many lands. 
 Mr. Blaisdell died April 14, 1874. Since 
 then the business has been continued by other 
 members of the house under the name of Blais- 
 dell & Co. During the ten years for which he 
 conducted it, he accumulated a comfortable 
 property, and his widow has held an interest in 
 the firm for many years. 
 
 In November, 1850, Mr. Blaisdell married 
 Sophia P. Hobson, of Salem, Mass., a descend- 
 ant of an old Ipswich family. They adopted 
 a son, William A. Blaisdell, who is now a 
 member of the firm of P. Blaisdell & Co. 
 Mrs. Blaisdell, an estimable lady, has treas- 
 ured her husband's memory through many 
 
 years. She leads a quiet, pleasant existence 
 at her home on Edward Street, Worcester. A 
 devout man, Mr. Blaisdell had strong religious 
 views, as became his earnest nature. Fie was 
 a member of the Church of the Disciples of 
 Christ, which he helped to establish in 
 Worcester, and of which he was an Elder. He 
 possessed a kindly nature. He was truly char- 
 itable, and gave largely to the poor at all times. 
 
 OHN RICE, formerly of Worcester, was 
 for a number of years the head of one of 
 the best known and most reliable firms 
 of New England, dealing in seeds and 
 agricultural implements. Born in Marlboro, 
 Mass., November 10, 181 5, he was a son of 
 Benjamin and Persis (Hapgood) Rice. The 
 Rices came originally from England, settling 
 in Marlboro, where several generations have 
 been born and taken an active part in town 
 affairs. Benjamin Rice was a wealthy farmer 
 of Marlboro, who gave employment to a num- 
 ber of persons on his farm. A man of ability 
 and high character, he was a representative 
 country gentleman, was widely known, served 
 Marlboro as a town official, and represented the 
 district in the legislature. 
 
 Having passed his boyhood in Marlboro, 
 John Rice came to Worcester before he was 
 twenty years of age, and was in the grocery 
 business here for a few years. While thus 
 engaged he established a reputation for integ- 
 rity and reliability that caused him to be 
 chosen Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes. 
 After spending two years in office he resigned 
 to enter trade once more, engaging in the sale 
 of seeds and agricultural implements. With 
 his nephew, John A. Rice as partner, he 
 bought out the old house of John D. Lovell, 
 and established that of J. & J. A. Rice. 
 The store was on Main Street, Worcester, 
 opposite the present government building. 
 The new firm, which soon became known 
 throughout Central New England, largely in- 
 creased the business. They carried a large 
 stock of first-class goods, including seeds, agri- 
 cultural implements, and general supplies for 
 farmers. Mr. Rice was a sagacious business 
 man, with high principles. Firm of will and 
 
9°4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 sincere, he was yet quiet and unostentatious. 
 He had high ideas of life and lived up to them. 
 A stanch Republican, he took a lively interest 
 in the affairs of the growing city, and exercised 
 a strong influence for good. In the country 
 towns he had a host of friends, and he would 
 have polled a large vote had he consented to 
 run for a county ofifice. A strong Congregation- 
 al ist, he contributed generously to the church, 
 its missions, and charities. His life was de- 
 voted to his business, his church, and his home. 
 Well posted on current topics, he kept up with 
 the march of progress in secular and religious 
 affairs. In 1885 he sold his share in the busi- 
 ness to his nephew and partner, and retired. 
 His death occurred in June, 1886. 
 
 Mr. Rice was twice married. The maiden 
 name of his second wife was Miss Rhoda Bur- 
 gess Eldridge. She was born in Quincy, 
 Mass., December 14, 1819. Her immigrant 
 ancestor on the paternal side came from Eng- 
 land to this country early in the eighteenth 
 century. The Eldridges of New England have 
 established a reputation for high character. 
 Mrs. Rice is living in Worcester. Her chil- 
 dren were : Isadore, Edric, and John. Isadore 
 is deceased. The latter, who was born and 
 educated in Worcester, has been in business in 
 this city for some time, and, like his father, is 
 highly esteemed. He married Miss Annie E. 
 Pri chard, of Worcester. 
 
 fOHN MARVIN CHENEY, treasurer 
 of the Litchfield Shuttle Company at 
 Southbridge, Mass., was born April 28, 
 1832, in the eastern part of the town, 
 on the old homestead farm which has been in 
 the family since 1739, and on which his 
 father, Colonel Marvin Cheney, was born in 
 1 802. 
 
 The emigrant ancestor of this branch of the 
 family in America was William Cheney, who 
 came over from England at an early day in the 
 Colonial period, and settled at Roxbury. He 
 died in June, 1667, aged sixty-three years. 
 He and his wife, Margaret, had seven children 
 — Ellen, ]\Iargaret, Thomas, William, John, 
 Mehitabel, and Joseph. One of his descend- 
 ants of the fourth generation. Colonel Thomas 
 
 Cheney, son of Benjamin' and grandson of 
 Thomas,^ removed to that part of Dudley that 
 is now called Southbridge, and, buying a large 
 tract of unimproved land on the Quinnebaug 
 River, engaged in agricultural pursuits on the 
 farm that is still in the family. 
 
 Thomas Cheney, of the fifth generation, 
 born in Roxbury in 175 1, son of the Colonel's 
 brother John, went when young to live with 
 his uncle Thomas, of Dudley, and became the 
 founder of the Cheney family living in 
 Worcester County. 
 
 Joel Cheney, the paternal grandfather of John 
 M., spent his entire life on the home farm. 
 He married Naomi BatchelJer, daughter of 
 Elijah Batcheller, who served in the Revolu- 
 tionary War first as a private and later as Cor- 
 poral in Captain David Batcheller's company, 
 going into camp in June, 1778, and being dis- 
 charged June 29, 1779, at North River. 
 
 Colonel Marvin Cheney was for many years 
 an officer in the State militia. He succeeded 
 to the ownership of the old homestead, and in 
 addition to his labors on the farm was known 
 as a skilful blacksmith and machinist. He 
 was quite prominent in public affairs, and held 
 all important town offices, including that of 
 Assessor and Selectman. For many years he 
 was Deacon of the Baptist church and an ac- 
 tive worker in church and society. He mar- 
 ried Betbiah Ruggles, daughter of Alpha and 
 Lucy (Shepherd) Morse, their union being 
 solemnized in 1826. She was born in 1804, 
 and died in 1887. Of the eight children born 
 to Colonel Marvin Cheney and his wife, but 
 three are now living, as follows: William 
 H. H., who occupies the home farm; Caroline 
 M., wife of Frank Christie, of Belmond, la,; 
 and John Marvin. Colonel Cheney died at a 
 good old age in February, 1878. Jeremiah 
 Morse, father of Alpha Morse, was a soldier 
 in the war of the Revolution. 
 
 John Marvin Cheney completed his school- 
 ing at the Wilbraham Academy, and at the age 
 of seventeen began to provide for himself by 
 becoming a clerk at Globe Village in the store 
 of W. F. & J. O. McKin.stry, with whom he 
 served a three years' apprenticeship, and from 
 whom he then bought a half-interest in their 
 dry-goods department. He continued the dry- 
 
\ 
 
 v 
 
 JOHN M. CHENEY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 907 
 
 goods business for a year under the firm name 
 of John M. Cheney & Co., and then became 
 sole owner of the store. He soon sold a half- 
 interest to E. B. Blake, who became senior 
 partner, and in 1855 purchased the other half 
 of the business. Under the administration of 
 President Zachary Taylor the Globe Village 
 post-ofifice was established, and William Mun- 
 roe, then book-keeper for the Hamilton 
 Woollen Company, was made Postmaster. Mr. 
 Munroe devoted but little time to the office, 
 but delegated John M. Cheney, then a clerk in 
 the store, to administer its affairs; and when 
 Franklin Pierce became president he appointed 
 Mr. Cheney as successor to Mr. Munroe. 
 
 In the spring of 1856 Mr. Cheney engaged 
 in the lumber business in Iowa, and, in part- 
 nership with Francis M. Vinton, also of 
 Southbridge, operated a steam saw-mill. In 
 i860 he returned East by way of Chicago, 
 where at the National Republican Conven- 
 tion, on May 16, he witnessed the exciting 
 scene that attended the nomination of Abra- 
 ham Lincoln for president. Soon after his 
 arrival in Southbridge Mr. Cheney accepted 
 the position of clerk and business manager for 
 the Litchfield Shuttle Company, and by his 
 efficiency contributed largely toward its pres- 
 ent prosperity. Since 1880 he has been treas- 
 urer of that corporation and for some years a 
 stockholder. Though often solicited to accept 
 nominations for public office, Mr. Cheney has 
 persistently declined to consider the matter, 
 preferring to devote his time to his business in- 
 terests. He was one of the organizers of the 
 Evangelical Free Church, of which he is now 
 a member, and besides having served as its 
 clerk he was the first superintendent of the 
 Sunday-school. 
 
 On July 18, 1855, Mr. Cheney married 
 Martha Louisa, daughter of the late Liberty 
 and Catherine P. Litchfield. Her father was 
 a son of Comins Litchfield and a grandson of 
 Captain Lawrence Litchfield. Liberty Litch- 
 field was originally a millwright, and worked 
 at the trade; but later he engaged in the 
 shuttle business, and was one of the originators 
 of the Litchfield Shuttle Company. He was 
 born May 3, 1802, in Charlton, Mass., and 
 died in Southbridge, Mass., March 23, 1878. 
 
 His wife, Catherine P. Thurston, was born in 
 Oxford, Mass., November 29, 1805, and died 
 July 6, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Cheney are the 
 parents of three children, two of whom have 
 passed to the higher life, namely: Emma 
 Frances, born on November 4, 1859, who died 
 May 5, 1861 ; and Arthur Litchfield, who was 
 born April 10, 1868, and died June 6, 1871. 
 George M. Cheney, born August 24, 1861, 
 graduated from the Southbridge High School 
 in 1879, and after attending Williston Semi- 
 nary a year entered Yale College, from which 
 he was graduated in 1884. He studied law in 
 Worcester, first with E. B. Sprague and later 
 with David Manning, Esq. In March, 1886, 
 desiring a change of scene and occupation, he 
 went to Denver, Col., where he was employed 
 as clerk in a banking house three years. 
 Since his return to Southbridge he has been 
 in the office of the Litchfield Shuttle Com- 
 pany. 
 
 W] 
 
 ALTER R. DAME, A.B., LL.B., 
 a prominent lawyer, broker, and 
 financier of Clinton, was born in 
 this town, June 22, 1861, son of John 
 Thompson and Eliza (Reeves) Dame. The 
 paternal grandfather, John Dame, M.D., a 
 native of Lyme, N.H., and an able physi- 
 cian of that locality in his day, at one time 
 was a member of the State Senate. He spent 
 his life in New Hampshire, and attained a 
 ripe old age. The maiden name of his wife 
 was Tillotson, and the only child of their 
 union was John T. Dame. 
 
 John Thompson Dame, born in Oxford, 
 N. H., was graduated from Dartmouth College. 
 After studying law at Harvard University 
 Law School and otherwise preparing himself 
 for the legal profession, he began to practise 
 in Lancaster. He was a pioneer lawyer in 
 Clinton, having located here immediately 
 after the incorporation of the town; and he 
 transacted a large and successful general law 
 business until his death, which occurred in 
 1894. He served as Trial Justice for a num- 
 ber of years, was at one time Postmaster, and 
 as a member of the School Committee he took 
 an active interest in public education. His 
 
9o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 wife, Eliza, was born in Wayland, where her 
 ancestors settled in 1675. Her father, Jacob 
 Reeves, was prominently identified with the 
 affairs of Wayland, officiating as Town Clerk 
 and Trial Justice for many years. Of the 
 children of John T. and Eliza Dame, three are 
 living — Abbie E., Fanny, and Walter R. 
 Mrs. Dame is still living, and resides with 
 her son. She is a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church, as was also her husband. 
 
 Walter R. Dame attended the common 
 schools, including the high school of Clinton, 
 and was fitted for college at Phillips Exeter 
 Academy. He was graduated from Harvard 
 University in 1883 with the degree of Bach- 
 elor of Arts. After reading law in his 
 father's oifice for a year, he entered Boston 
 University Law School, graduating in 1886 
 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws and a 
 magna cum laiide. He was duly admitted to 
 the Suffolk County bar, and was associated in 
 practice with his father until the latter's de- 
 cease. Since that time he has conducted 
 business alone, giving his principal attention 
 to real estate. He deals largely in real es- 
 tate, and represents several reliable fire, life, 
 and fidelity insurance companies. Aside 
 from his law and brokerage business he has 
 won considerable distinction as a financier. 
 He was instrumental in organizing the co- 
 operative bank, of which he is a director, the 
 secretary, and attorney. This institution, 
 having assets to the value of two hundred 
 thousand dollars, is in a most flourishing con- 
 dition, and pays its shareholders an annual in- 
 come of six per cent. Mr. Dame is also the 
 secretary of the Board of Water Commis- 
 sioners, was one of the Board of Directors 
 who completed the Clinton Railway, and he 
 is actively interested in the proposed electric 
 road from Clinton to Worcester. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Dame is a Democrat. He 
 has been a member of the Town Committee 
 since 1884. Since 1887 he has served with 
 ability as the secretary of the Board of Asses- 
 sors. After serving for three years in the ca- 
 pacity of Selectman, he declined another nom- 
 ination. He is now in his third term as a 
 member of the School Committee. His legal 
 ability, unquestionable integrity, and knowl- 
 
 edge of financial matters, have placed him in 
 the front rank among Clinton's leading busi- 
 ness men; and his high standing in court is 
 attested by the fact that some years ago he 
 was intrusted by Judge Corcoran with the 
 affairs of the Lancaster Bank. 
 
 In 1894 Mr. Dame was united in marriage 
 with Augusta Vickery, daughter of Charles 
 A. Vickery, a former dry-goods merchant of 
 Portland, Me., who was afterward in business 
 in this town. Mrs. Dame died in 1895. Mr. 
 Dame is connected with Trinity Lodge, F. & 
 A. M., and with Clinton Chapter, Royal Arch 
 Masons, of which he has been secretary. 
 He is also a member of Clinton Lodge, 
 I. O. O. F., the president of the Full Score 
 Association, and a member of the Prescott 
 Club. He attends the Episcopal church. 
 
 KRANKLIN BLACKMER NORTON, 
 formerly of Worcester, the inventor of 
 the Norton emery wheel, was born in 
 Bennington, Bennington County, Vt., May 
 23, 1829. A son of John and Persis (Smith) 
 Norton, he came of English origin and of a 
 family that has been in this country since the 
 beginning of the eighteenth century. The 
 family has produced many able men. Many 
 of the Nortons were potters, both in England 
 and in this country. Several of those who 
 lived in Bennington were farmers. John 
 Norton, the grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch, in 1793 established at Bennington the 
 first pottery in Vermont, called the United 
 States Pottery, which is still in existence and 
 owned by members of the Norton family. He 
 was a Captain in the Revolutionary army, 
 and took part in the events at Bennington 
 and vicinity under General Stark. His son 
 John, the father of Franklin B., was a mer- 
 chant of Bennington and a prominent citizen 
 of that town. Having spent his last days on 
 a farm there, the father died in 1850. Mr, 
 Norton was also a descendant of Captain Jon- 
 athan Buel, of Revolutionary fame, whose an- 
 cestors for five generations were among the 
 foremost men of New England. 
 
 Franklin Blackmer Norton grew up on a 
 farm in Bennington, and attended the common 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 909 
 
 schools there, completing his studies at the 
 old Union Academy in the town. He took 
 up newspaper work at the age of sixteen, and 
 for two years was employed in the office of the 
 Bennington Banner. Then he turned his at- 
 tention to ceramic art, and learned the 
 potter's trade of C. W. Fenton, of East Ben- 
 nington. In 1858, in company with Fred- 
 erick Hancock, firm of F. B. Norton & Co., 
 he established a pottery on Washington 
 Square, Worcester, manufacturing stoneware 
 of all kinds, through which the name of F. B. 
 Norton stamped upon them became well 
 known in the Eastern States. The firm had 
 a large and profitable trade. In 1876 Mr. 
 Hancock sold his interest, and Mr. Norton 
 thereafter continued the business alone. He 
 experimented considerably with earth and 
 other materials used in his art, and finally 
 succeeded in inventing the emery wheel for 
 polishing, grinding, and sharpening uses. 
 Wheels for the same purpose had been made 
 before; but Mr. Norton combined corundum 
 and emery by a new process. He patented 
 the wheel in 1876, and engaged in its manu- 
 facture on a large scale. Although imitators 
 sprang up and robbed him of a part of his just 
 dues, he built up a large business in wheels 
 in addition to his general pottery work. In 
 1866 he moved his factory to Water Street. 
 Just before his death a stock company, known 
 as the Norton Emery Wheel Company, pur- 
 chased the right to manufacture his wheel — 
 which is generally conceded to be the best 
 emery wheel in use — and built a manufactory 
 at Barber's Crossing, Worcester. Mr. Nor- 
 ton continued his pottery until January, 1886, 
 when he died. He left a high record for in- 
 dustry. As a business man he was conscien- 
 tious and thorough. Genial and social, he 
 made many friends and had no enemies. A 
 strong Republican, he did all in his power to 
 advance the interest of his party. During the 
 Civil War he was a member of the Worcester 
 Common Council. Strong and upright in 
 character, he had a deep reverence for relig- 
 ious principles, and lived up to his belief. 
 His death was mourned by all who knew him. 
 In 1850 Mr. Norton was married to Jane 
 C, daughter of Richard Lucas Fenton, of 
 
 Bennington, Vt. The Fentons are an old 
 family of English origin. At least five gen- 
 erations of them have had birth in this coun- 
 try. They were also potters and had works 
 in Bennington. C. W. Fenton, Mrs. Nor- 
 ton's uncle and her husband's preceptor, de- 
 signed and constructed the famous Rocking- 
 ham Monument in 1850. This curious 
 structure, which attracted great interest in 
 the New York Crystal Palace in 1853, is made 
 of colored clays like fancy marble, and has 
 every type of earthen material used in Mr. 
 Fenton's works. He completed a number of 
 other artistic products, many of which are 
 now treasured in museums. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Norton were blessed with the following chil- 
 dren: Alida J., now the wife of George E. 
 Rice, of Worcester; Myron P., who is in the 
 emery wheel business in Philadelphia with 
 the Abrasive Material Company; John F., 
 now the manager of the Norton estate; Flora 
 J., the wife of F. A. Keyes, of Philadelphia; 
 Arthur H., who is also with the Abrasive Ma- 
 terial Company; Frederick, who died in 1896; 
 and George, in business in Boston. After 
 Mr. Norton's death his stoneware manufact- 
 ures were continued by his sons, Myron and 
 John, for about eight years, when the intro- 
 duction of machinery caused them to close the 
 business. 
 
 T^YRENUS ALDRICH was an es- 
 I Vr-^ teemed business man of Worcester in 
 ^jHs his time. Born in Swanzey, N.H., 
 September 24, 181 5, he was a son 
 of Paine Aldrich. The latter, also a native of 
 Swanzey, born in 1791, resided there until 
 after his marriage. A few years after he 
 came to Worcester. In 1835, when the Bos- 
 ton & Worcester Railway, the first in the 
 State, was built, he came into prominence in 
 connection with the invention and construc- 
 tion of the first railway turn-tables in New 
 England. He originated the business, and 
 with the aid of his son, Cyrenus, whom he 
 took into partnership, carried it on with a 
 degree of success far beyond his first expecta- 
 tions. He made turn-tables in Boston and 
 other parts of New England, continuing in 
 
910 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the business until his death at Worcester in 
 August, 1871. Being a sagacious business 
 man, he invested his surplus capital in unim- 
 proved city property, and held it until its 
 value was increased many fold. He bought 
 pasture land in the vicinity of Pleasant Street 
 and on both sides of High Street, between 
 Pleasant and Chatham Streets. On one side 
 of the street he erected his turn-table works, 
 and on the other a long, brick block of resi- 
 dences. For a time he lived in a house oc- 
 cupying the present site of Hotel Newton. 
 He also built a modern residence on the cor- 
 ner of High and Pleasant Streets, where 
 Hotel Adams now stands. Large tracts of 
 land on Chatham and Clinton Streets and on 
 Chatham place were owned by him. No 
 name in the city was held in more respect 
 than that of Paine Aldrich, who was known 
 far and wide as a man of unblemished honor 
 and sterling integrity. To him and his wife, 
 whose maiden name was Sarah Hammond, 
 two children were born, as follows: Cyrenus, 
 the subject of this sketch; and Harriet, who 
 is now deceased. 
 
 A boy when he accompanied his parents to 
 Worcester, Cyrenus Aldrich spent the re- 
 maining years of his long and busy life in 
 this city. In early manhood he became asso- 
 ciated with his father in the manufacture of 
 turn-tables, forming the firm of Paine Aldrich 
 & Son, and continued in business with him as 
 superintendent of the construction department 
 of the works. The tables were built in 
 Worcester, then taken apart and shipped to 
 the points in which they were to be used, the 
 junior member of the firm taking them there 
 and setting them up. As his father's health 
 began to fail, he gradually assumed charge of 
 the business. He received the entire control 
 after the Civil War, when the senior partner 
 retired to private life. When iron and steel 
 tables were introduced, he did not care to start 
 upon any new manufacture, and practically 
 retired from business. Thereafter he devoted 
 himself to the care of his real estate and other 
 intei'ests, and the establishment of his sons in 
 business for themselves. He died on Janu- 
 ary 12, 1889. 
 
 In February, 1845, Mr. Aldrich married 
 
 Miss Sarah Patch, a daughter of William W. 
 Patch, who was a representative of an early 
 and prominent family of Worcester County. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich reared three children, 
 namely: Eldora M., who is living at home; 
 William Paine, the proprietor of a large 
 cloth printing establishment in New York 
 City, who married Charlotte Gibb, of New 
 York, and has three children — Grace Eldora, 
 William P., and Edith Marion; and Frank 
 Edgar, also connected with the same manu- 
 factory in New York City, who married 
 Louise Love, of Providence, and has one 
 child, Roger Cyrenus. 
 
 AMES PROCTOR HASKINS was a 
 chemist in Boston, Mass., for many 
 years. Born in Petersham, Worcester 
 County, May 10, 1818, he was a son of 
 David and Hannah (Newell) Haskins. His 
 father died in the prime of manhood, and his 
 widowed mother afterward married Simon H. 
 Pike. Among the children of the latter union 
 was Amos Pike, of Worcester. The paternal 
 grandfather of James P. Haskins was a veteran 
 of the Revolutionary War. Both the Haskins 
 and the Pike families were early settlers of 
 New England, and prominent in Colonial 
 affairs. 
 
 After attending the district schools of his 
 native town until he was twelve years old, 
 James Proctor Haskins went to live with an 
 uncle in Medway. Subsequently his education 
 was further pursued at an academy in Marl- 
 boro, Mass. On attaining his majority he 
 went to Boston with the determination to make 
 his own way in life. For a few years there- 
 after he was engaged in tailoring. Not finding 
 this occupation congenial, he gave it up, and 
 was for a long time associated with a physician 
 of that city, in whose ofifice he had a fine oppor- 
 tunity to study chemistry, a subject that had 
 always intere.sted him. He also became famil- 
 iar with other sciences, and for some years 
 travelled extensively in the Eastern States, 
 lecturing on phrenology and mesmerism, and 
 thereby achieving considerable fame. A close 
 student, he was continually making researches 
 in the realms of science, and acquired superior 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 911 
 
 skill as a chemist. He made use of his 
 knowledge to relieve the sufferings of the sick, 
 and for a time practised medicine in Boston. 
 Preferring, however, to devote his entire time 
 to compounding medicines for sundry diseases, 
 he established a laboratory in that city, where 
 he carried on a most extensive and successful 
 business for the rest of his life. The various 
 remedies compounded by him found a ready 
 sale throughout New England. A man of 
 sterling integrity, he was much esteemed by 
 all who knew him. 
 
 Mr. Haskins was one of the founders of the 
 Know Nothing party. As one of its leaders 
 he came to Worcester to make arrangements 
 for Charles Sumner to speak before its adhe- 
 rents, and he was afterward elected as a Repre- 
 sentative to the State legislature. Always 
 interested in State and municipal affairs, he 
 made an efficient public official. From 1865 
 until 1 87 1 he was a member of the Board of 
 Education in Boston. He was identified with 
 the Methodist church of that city and an 
 active worker in the denomination. On Janu- 
 ary I, 1850, he was married in Boston to Mrs. 
 Henrietta L. Sweetser, who was born in Brook- 
 lyn, N.Y. They had four children; namely, 
 George, Addie Louise, Alice Z., and Helen 
 Packard. Mr. Haskins died May 27, 1896. 
 
 irX AVID BEMIS, a native resident and 
 1=1 a well-known agriculturist of Spen- 
 l|Sy cer, was born August 3, 181 2. A 
 son of William and Lucretia (Mi- 
 rick) Bemis, he is a grandson of William 
 Bemis and a great-grandson of Samuel Bemis. 
 The latter was the founder of the family in 
 Spencer. 
 
 William Bemis, second, born in Spencer, 
 died here in 1836. One of the most promi- 
 nent farmers of his time in the town, he was 
 progressive and successful. At the time of his 
 death he owned between eight hundred and 
 nine hundred acres of land, one of the largest 
 estates in town. In the several capacities of 
 Selectman, Assessor, Overseer, and Represent- 
 ative to General Court he rendered valuable 
 services to the community. He was twice 
 married. His first wife, Lucretia, whose only 
 
 child was David Bemis, was a native of Prince- 
 ton, Mass. His other living children are: 
 George, Horace, and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is 
 the wife of Chauncey G. Harrington. 
 
 Having received his early education in the 
 common schools of his native town and at 
 Leicester Academy, David Bemis taught school 
 for two winter terms. His life since then has 
 been chiefly spent in agriculture. Also, to 
 some extent, for many years he was engaged in 
 cutting and selling wood from timber lands 
 which he bought. He has served his towns- 
 people for two years as Selectman, and he was 
 Assessor of Taxes for thirty-six years, the 
 longest period for which that office has been 
 held in the town. He was a trustee of the 
 Spencer Savings Bank from the time of its 
 organization to 1894, when he resigned; and 
 he was on its Board of Investment. In poli- 
 tics he is a Republican. He was State Cen- 
 sus Enumerator for Spencer in 1865 and 1875, 
 and he also assisted at other census takings. 
 Since his boyhood he has seen many changes 
 in Spencer, watching with interest the prog- 
 ress of the town. 
 
 Mr. Bemis has been twice married. His 
 first wife, Selah Barton Bemis, a Spencer lady, 
 bore him two children — Harriet N. and Will- 
 iam M., both of whom are now deceased. The 
 present Mrs. Bemis, who is a daughter of Levi 
 and Hannah (Howe) Bartlett, of Rutland, 
 Mass., before her marriage with Mr. Bemis 
 was the widow of Joseph Flagg, of Worcester. 
 By her first marriage she had one daughter, 
 Emma J., who now resides in Boston. Mrs. 
 Bemis is a member of the Congregational 
 church in this place. 
 
 OSEPH WHEELER GIRD, formerly 
 of Worcester, gave much promise of 
 winning distinction. He was de- 
 scended from one of the prominent 
 families of England, whence his immigrant 
 ancestor, who was his great-grandfather, came 
 to America in Colonial days. His father. 
 Professor Henry H. Gird, was born in New 
 York City, and there received his elementary 
 education. On July 4, 1822, Henry gradu- 
 ated from West Point a§ an expert in the 
 
912 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 artillery service, and was at once sent to Fort 
 Adams, in Louisiana. After a few years' stay 
 at the fort he resigned his position to become 
 the professor of mathematics in the Louisiana 
 College. His scholarly attainments, decisive 
 character, and strong personality peculiarly 
 qualified him for the position, and during the 
 twenty years that he was connected with that 
 institution he acquired a high reputation. 
 Obliged to abandon his work in the college 
 by impaired health, he went to Illinois, where 
 he owned considerable landed property, and 
 there continued his residence until his death, 
 which occurred in 1845. While in the college 
 he married Elizabeth L. Wheeler, who was 
 born and bred in Worcester. Still surviving 
 her husband, and an attractive and intelligent 
 woman, she is now living with her grand- 
 daughter in Worcester. She patriotically 
 served as a nurse in the military hospitals 
 during the Civil War. 
 
 Joseph Wheeler Gird was born October 21, 
 1839, 3t Jackson, La. After the death of his 
 father he came with his mother to Worcester, 
 Mass., where he was educated. Having grad- 
 uated from the high school, he obtained a posi- 
 tion on the staff of a Fitchburg paper, and was 
 subsequently connected with the Worcester 
 Transcript until the breaking out of the late 
 Civil War. After enlisting for the war in 
 Company F, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteer Infantry, he was discharged therefrom 
 on August 26, 1862, on account of his promo- 
 tion to the rank of First Lieutenant in the 
 Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. 
 Thereafter he was in active service in the 
 Roanoke River section until his discharge, at 
 the expiration of his term of enlistment, on 
 May 19, 1863. Returning to Worcester, he 
 began the study of law with Colonel Wetherell, 
 and had already made some progress when he 
 responded to another urgent call for volunteers, 
 and on November 3, 1863, was commissioned 
 Second Lieutenant of the Fifty-seventh Mas- 
 sachusetts Volunteer Infantry. On December 
 31 of that year he was made Captain of his 
 company. At the battle of the Wilderness 
 his regiment was in the reserve line, and, when 
 the order came for them to advance, his men 
 were lying on arms. The courageous young 
 
 Captain, stepping to the front of his company, 
 cautioned the men not to be hasty, to keep 
 cool and calm, not to break the line, nor to fire 
 until commanded, and then to fire low. Before 
 he had time to give a single command, he was 
 seen to throw up his hands and fall backward, 
 having received a rebel bullet in the head. 
 Thus ended a brave young life, already notable 
 in many ways, his faithfulness and gallantry 
 as a soldier having been fully demonstrated, 
 and his talent for law, argument, and oratory 
 having been practically proved. 
 
 Prior to enlisting. Captain Gird married 
 Adeline Augusta Alden, a direct descendant 
 of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, immor- 
 talized by Longfellow. She died February 8, 
 1891. Her daughter, Josephine, married 
 Everett H. Warren, of Worcester, and has 
 one child, Elizabeth Warren. 
 
 OSIAH ABBOTT, A.M., M.D., a re- 
 tired physician and surgeon of Win- 
 chendon, was born in Framingbam, 
 Mass., May 22, 181 1, son of Josiah 
 and Ruth (Estabrook) Abbott. The paternal 
 grandfather, Samuel Abbott, a native of Fra- 
 mingbam, was a farmer during the active period 
 of his life. He married a Miss Jennings, who 
 bore him four children. Of these, Josiah, 
 Sr., Dr. Abbott's father, was the only son. 
 The latter, born at the family homestead in 
 Framingbam, September 26, 1775, spent his 
 entire life thereon. After inheriting the es- 
 tate he became a successful as well as an ex- 
 tensive farmer. He died August 11, 1856, 
 aged eighty years, ten months, and fifteen 
 days; and his wife, who was born in Holden, 
 Mass., April 16, 1782, daughter of Ebenezer 
 Estabrook, died July 21, 1863, aged eighty- 
 one years and three months. They had eleven 
 children, two of whom are living, namely: 
 Dr. Abbott, the subject of this sketch, who 
 was the fifth-born ; and Susan M., the widow 
 of Benjamin Schneider, D. D., who was a mis- 
 sionary in Turkey. Both parents were mem- 
 bers of the Congregational church. 
 
 Josiah Abbott, the subject of this biography, 
 attended the common schools and Framingbam 
 Academy, prepared for his collegiate course at 
 
JOSIAH ABBOTT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 915 
 
 Phillips Academy, Exeter, N.H., and gradu- 
 ated from Yale College in the class of 1835. 
 He next pursued a course in theology at the 
 Yale Divinity School with a view to engag- 
 ing in foreign missionary work. After receiv- 
 ing his license to preach in 1839, he supplied 
 pulpits to some extent. Subsequently, chang- 
 ing his plans, he studied medicine, received 
 his degree of Doctor of Medicine at the medi- 
 cal college in Fairfield, N.Y. , and com- 
 menced the practice of his profession in 
 Marlboro, Mass., in 1840. From that town 
 in 1845 he moved to Rindge, N.H., where he 
 afterward acquired a good reputation as a phy- 
 sician. At the breaking out of the Civil War 
 he entered the regular army as assistant sur- 
 geon of the Thirteenth Heavy Artillery, and 
 in the spring of 1865 he was commissioned 
 surgeon of the One Hundred and Nineteenth 
 United States Infantry, with the rank of 
 Major. A severe attack of fever during the 
 war, together with the effects of overwork, 
 compelled him to resign his commission in the 
 fall of that year; and, as. his health was per- 
 manently injured, he has since lived in retire- 
 ment. He resided in Rindge until 1874, in 
 which year he came to Winchendon. 
 
 On January 5, 1842, Dr. Abbott was united 
 in marriage with Persis Arminda White. Her 
 parents were Joseph and Matilda (Davis) 
 White, an account of whom will be found in 
 the biography of Joseph N. White. In poli- 
 tics the Doctor is a Republican. In i860 and 
 1861, while residing in Rindge, he repre- 
 sented his district in the State legislature. A 
 thirty-second degree Mason, he is a member 
 of the following Masonic bodies: Worcester 
 Lodge of Perfection, Goddard Council, Princes 
 of Jerusalem, and Lawrence Chapter, Rose 
 Croix, Worcester; Massachusetts Consistory, 
 S. P. R. S., and Aleppo Temple, 
 A. A. 0. N. M. S., Boston; Charity Lodge, 
 No. 18, A. F. & A. M., and Signet Chapter, 
 No. IS, Order of Eastern Star, East Jaffrey, 
 N.H. ; and Hiram Council, Royal and Select 
 Masters, Worcester. He also belongs to the 
 Commandery of the State of Massachusetts, 
 Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the 
 United States, and is surgeon of G. C. Parker 
 Post, No. 153, G, A, R., Department of 
 
 Massachusetts. While he is a member of 
 the Congregational church, Mrs. Abbott is a 
 Baptist. He is now one of the oldest living 
 graduates of Yale College. 
 
 DWARD WHITNEY, formerly a well- 
 known business man and a prominent 
 religious worker of Worcester, was 
 a native of Westminster, where several genera- 
 tions of his family have lived. Born on Au- 
 gust 12, 1834, he was the sixth of the eight 
 children of John and Lydia (Allen) Whitney 
 and a descendant in the eighth generation from 
 John Whitney, who came from England in 
 1635, and settled in Watertown, Mass. The 
 Whitney estate, on which his parents resided, 
 was originally acquired by his great-grand- 
 father, Captain Nathan Whitney. Thefamily, 
 according to Burke, was founded in England 
 at the time of the Norman Conquest. 
 
 Edward Whitney obtained his elementary 
 education in the public schools of his native 
 town. In 1852, at the age of eighteen, he 
 went to New Y'ork to strike out for himself. 
 There he remained for four years, holding a 
 position of trust in the Metropolitan Bank. 
 In 1856 he came to Worcester, joining his elder 
 brother, Sumner A. Whitney, in the stationery 
 business, which was carried on in a store in 
 Butman Block for a few years. Continuing 
 the business after the death of the brother in 
 1 86 1, he removed soon after to what was then 
 called Bowen Block, corner of Main and Me- 
 chanic Streets, where he remained some twenty 
 years. Then he removed to Front Street, 
 where the business has since been carried on. 
 Since he received his sons into partnership, 
 the firm name has been the Edward Whitney 
 Company. The firm has now extensive con- 
 nections throughout New England. 
 
 Mr. Whitney died February 5, 1897. Dur- 
 ing the last few years of his life he spent sonie 
 time in travel, visiting various parts of this 
 country, Europe, and the Holy Land. He 
 never cared for public office, but in church 
 and Sunday-school was a constant and efficient 
 worker. He united with Union Church when 
 he first came to Worcester, was the superin- 
 tendent of its Sunday-school for more than ten 
 
9i6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 years and a Deacon for a lengthy period. 
 About five years before his death he transferred 
 his church membership to Plymouth Church. 
 It has been said of him that he was "inter- 
 ested in whatever was conducive to human wel- 
 fare, and he did much to promote the better life 
 of his adopted city and to lift the world to a 
 higher level. " 
 
 Mr. Whitney was the president of the 
 Worcester Young Men's Christian Association 
 for two years, the chairman for several years of 
 the Executive Committee of the State Young 
 Men's Christian Association, for two years 
 the president of the Worcester Congregational 
 Club, and he was a member of the Board of 
 Trustees of the Home for Aged Men. The first 
 of his two marriages was contracted with Susan 
 Louise, daughter of Nathan H. Cutting, a 
 native of Westminster and afterward a resident 
 of Worcester. She died in 1880, leaving two 
 sons — ^ Edward C. and Harry S., both of whom 
 became associated with their father in his 
 business. In 1886 Mr. Whitney, Sr. , married 
 Miss Emma Rice, who resides at 29 Chestnut 
 Street. She is a sister of William E, Rice, 
 the president of the Washburn & Moen Manu- 
 facturing Company. Two brothers also sur- 
 vive Mr. Whitney, George C. and Emerson 
 Whitney. 
 
 J. NELSON, son of James Addison 
 and Martha B. Nelson, has been en- 
 gaged in manufacturing business in 
 Upton for thirty years. His father, 
 who was for many years in the grain and flour 
 business here, served the town for a long period 
 as treasurer, and was actively interested in 
 church work. Four of James A. Nelson's 
 children grew to maturity, and two — Frank 
 and J. J.— are living. George, the eldest son, 
 died at the age of twenty -two, and Herbert 
 died in 1896. 
 
 J. J. Nelson was born in Upton, September 
 23, 1842. In his boyhood lie attended the 
 public schools, and he subsequently studied for 
 three months at Westfield Academy under 
 Mr. Holland's tuition. He then worked in 
 Milford as book-keeper in a boot and shoe shop 
 for Clement & Coburn, For ten months dur- 
 
 ing the time of the war he was clerk in a 
 colored brigade in the South in the Department 
 of the Potomac, having charge of keeping the 
 accounts relating to wagons, mules, and tents. 
 He was at Akins Landing at the time of the 
 surrender of Richmond, and went with the 
 United States troops to that city the second 
 day after. Returning to Upton, he was at- 
 tacked with fever and ague, and during the 
 next two years "was unable to attend consecu- 
 tively to any business. In 1868 he formed a 
 partnership with B. L. Benson; and the firm 
 of Benson & Nelson, with two factories, began 
 business on the corner of Main and School 
 Streets. In 1893 a severe fire occurred, which 
 entailed a loss of thirty-six thousand dollars, 
 and the following year Mr. Benson went out of 
 business; while Mr. Nelson formed a new 
 partnership with Robert La Dow, under the 
 firm name of Nelson & La Dow. The factory 
 is thirty -five by one hundred and twenty feet 
 in dimensions, and produces two hundred 
 dozens of hats per day, employing a force of 
 one hundred and twenty-five persons. The 
 goods are shipped to all parts of the country. 
 
 Mr. Nelson has served the town as Select- 
 man and also for a long period as treasurer. 
 Politically, he is a Republican. He was in- 
 itiated as a Mason in Montgomery Lodge, Mil- 
 ford, in 1 864, and is now a member of Temple 
 Chapter, of Milford, and of the Commandery. 
 He has lived in his present residence since 
 1870. 
 
 Mr. Nelson was married in 1868 to Mary 
 Taft, daughter of Perley and Maria Taft and 
 a descendant of one of the old and esteemed 
 families. Of this union has been born one 
 son, George Nelson, now in business with his 
 father. He is a graduate of Phillips Exeter 
 Academy and of Harvard College. 
 
 ■fi, iRS. WEALTHY C. COBB, of 
 Worcester, widow of Elisha T. 
 Cobb, late of North Adams, is a 
 native of Goshen, Mass., and a 
 daughter of George and Tryphena (Cathcart) 
 Abell. On the mother's side she is of Scotch 
 descent and on the father's of French descent. 
 Her immigrant ancestor was her great-grand- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 917 
 
 father, who settled in Goshen, Mass., and was 
 there engaged in farming. Succeeding to the 
 family estate in his turn, George Abell became 
 a well-to-do farmer. He was a man of much 
 natural ability, and took a prominent part in 
 the affairs of Goshen. 
 
 On November 11, 1869, Wealthy C. Abell 
 married Elisha Thomas Cobb. He was born 
 in Buckland, Mass., April 10, 1846, son of 
 Elisha Rice and Lucinda (Blood) Cobb. His 
 first ancestor in this country was Elder Henry 
 Cobb, who arrived at Plymouth, Mass., in 
 1628 or 1629. Elder Cobb located at Scituate 
 in 1634, and removed to Barnstable in 1636. 
 He was the father of seven sons and four daugh- 
 ters. Elisha Rice Cobb, who was a prosper- 
 ous farmer and highly respected in Ashfield, 
 his native town, died in 1895. 
 
 Having begun in the schools of Ashfield, 
 Elisha Thomas Cobb completed his education 
 with a commercial course at Poughkeepsie, 
 N.Y. During the Rebellion he enlisted for 
 service in a Massachusetts regiment, but was 
 shortly afterward discharged on account of ill- 
 ness. At the age of twenty-two he entered 
 the employ of the Conway (Mass.) National 
 Bank, and filled the position of teller and book- 
 keeper in that institution for the succeeding 
 six years, gaining the confidence of his supe- 
 riors. In 1876, having become an expert book- 
 keeper, he established himself as a professional 
 accountant in North Adams, and in due time 
 was given charge of the accounts of several 
 business concerns. Although a constant 
 sufferer from the disease which eventually 
 proved fatal, he attended to business regularly 
 until June, 1884, when he went to Litchfield, 
 Minn., for the benefit of his health. The 
 change, however, proved of no avail, and he 
 died August i, 1884, seven weeks after his 
 arrival. He was considered an exceedingly 
 accurate book-keeper, and his upright charac- 
 ter gained for him general esteem and many 
 warm friends. For some years he served in 
 the State militia, and he also belonged to the 
 Masonic order. A prominent member of the 
 First Congregational Church of North Adams, 
 he served it for some time in the capacity of 
 treasurer. 
 
 Since 1891 Mrs. Cobb has resided in 
 
 Worcester. Her only son, Henry Lewis 
 Cobb, who was born in Conway, July 7, 1873, 
 pursued the regular course at the Worcester 
 Polytechnic Institute, graduating therefrom in 
 1895, after which he took a post-graduate 
 course. Since then he has been employed by 
 the Morgan Construction Company, who regard 
 him as a mechanical and electrical engineer of 
 more than ordinary ability. 
 
 ,ETER RICE, well known in this 
 county as a valiant soldier in the 
 Civil War, resided in the city of 
 Worcester during the greater part of 
 his active life, and at the time of his death, in 
 April, 1875, was engaged in the insurance 
 business. He was born in Holden, Mass., in 
 1820, son of Peter, Sr. , and Mary (Hart) Rice. 
 His father was a native of Auburn, Mass., and 
 lived there many years. He was a lineal de- 
 scendant of Deacon Edmund Rice, who settled 
 at Sudbury, Mass., in 1638 or 1639. 
 
 Peter Rice, the subject of this sketch, re- 
 ceived his education in the common schools. 
 He remained at home and worked on his 
 father's farm in Holden until he was twenty 
 years of age, when he came to Worcester and 
 opened a confectionery store. After carrying 
 on the business successfully for a number of 
 years, he went to Illinois, bought land, and 
 there followed agricultural occupations for five 
 years. Returning to Worcester, he enlisted in 
 Company D of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts 
 Regiment of Volunteers, and went to the front 
 as a defender of the Union. He was- in the 
 Roanoke campaign, and was in all the battles 
 with his regiment, which saw much active ser- 
 vice. At the battle of Cold Harbor he was 
 wounded and left on the field for dead. Re- 
 covering in a measure, he came North on a 
 short furlough and then rejoined his regiment. 
 Being then unable to do duty in the ranks, he 
 was detailed to care for the sick and wounded 
 in the hospitals. Mr. Rice was in service for 
 four years. He enlisted with the intention of 
 remaining until peace should be declared, and 
 despite his severe wounds and consequent 
 physical disabilities he never for a moment 
 wavered from his purpose. Though advised by 
 
9i8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his friends at the time of his visit North to 
 procure his discharge, he refused to do so. 
 An ardent anti-slavery man, believing thor- 
 oughly in the right of personal freedom, he 
 demonstrated his attachment to his principles 
 by risking in their behalf the dearest thing a 
 man can give ■ — his life. After the war Mr. 
 Rice returned to Worcester, and for some years 
 was a member of the police force; but the 
 wounds he had received unfitted him for this 
 work, and he subsequently retired from it and 
 opened an office on Main Street as an insurance 
 agent. In this business he was successful. 
 His death was hastened by the diseases brought 
 on during his service in the war, and he is as 
 much a martyr for his country as if he had 
 fallen on the battlefield. 
 
 Mr. Rice was married in October, 1845, to 
 Sarah Barton. Six children were born of this 
 union; namely, Clara E., Mary Eliza, Ed- 
 ward B. , Lizzie Lee, Nellie F. , and Charles 
 F. Of these, only Mary Eliza is living. Mr. 
 Rice was a Mason and a member of Post No. 
 10, G. A. R. 
 
 "ORACE BLAKE BUCK, for nearly 
 thirty years a prominent business 
 
 19 1^ man of Worcester, was born in 
 Portland, Conn., October 15, 1822, 
 son of James and Ruth (Matson) Buck. He 
 was a representative of the Buck family whose 
 ancestors were among the first settlers in 
 Wethersfield, Conn., and probably a descend- 
 ant of Emanuel Buck, born in 1623. 
 
 The first of the family to settle in Portland 
 was Thomas Buck, who arrived there in 17 10, 
 and became a large land-owner. He married 
 Sarah Judd. Isaac, of Portland, while serving 
 in the Revolutionary War was taken prisoner 
 by the British, and died on the Jersey prison- 
 ship at New York in 1777. It is thought that 
 Isaac Buck and his brother Samuel, the grand- 
 father of Mr. Horace B. Buck, were grandsons 
 of Thomas. Samuel Buck, born in Portland 
 about the year 1730, died suddenly near 
 White River Junction, Vt., while on a busi- 
 ness trip, about the year 1790. His second 
 wife, Hannah Wright, born in 1737, died at 
 the home of her son James in 1831. She was 
 
 the mother of thirteen children. The church 
 records give the following dates of baptism of 
 nine of them: Pelatiah, April 3, 1763; Jere- 
 miah, March 20, 1764; Hannah, August 30, 
 1767; Isaac, March 3, 1772; James, March 
 27, 1774; Polly, March 17, 1778; Samuel, 
 second, May 3, 1779; Justus and Esther, 
 twins, September 3, 1789. The others were: 
 Samuel, first, who died in infancy; Betsey; 
 Rose; and Sally. 
 
 James Buck, the third son that grew to ma- 
 turity, was bound out when a lad to Enoch 
 Sage, one of the most extensive farmers in 
 town. He afterward learned the ship and 
 house carpenter's trades with his brother 
 Jeremiah ; and, settling in the north-east part 
 of the township, a neighborhood which was at 
 that time thickly covered with chestnut tim- 
 ber, he built a saw-mill and supplied much 
 building material to the people of Middle- 
 town, also ship timber to one Charles 
 Churchill, who built several vessels. He was 
 a natural mechanic, as was nearly every mem- 
 ber of the family; and, erecting a blacksmith 
 shop and carriage factory, he and his son 
 Erastus were the first carriage-builders in 
 Portland. He was the inventor of several 
 devices, including a corn-sheller, a butter 
 worker, a washing machine, and a feed-cutter, 
 all of which were patented at a time when he 
 was obliged to drive all the way to Washing- 
 ton in order to register them. He lived at a 
 time when the ministers were supported by a 
 direct tax; and, as he believed this to be un- 
 just, he refused to complj', with the result 
 that his cows were attached and sold at the 
 whipping-post. 
 
 On December 24, 1795, he married Ruth 
 Matson, born in Glastonbury, Conn., Febru- 
 ary 2, 1776. Her parents, Thomas and Mary 
 (Goodrich) Matson, were natives of that town. 
 They were married January 14, 1767, and they 
 had seven children. Thomas Matson was 
 married three times. For some years he was 
 a lumberman on the Connecticut River. 
 Later in life he removed to Oswego, N.Y., 
 where he died in 18 12. Mary Goodrich, his 
 first wife, was born November 18, 1745, daugh- 
 ter of William and Rachel (Savage) Goodrich. 
 His father, Thomas Matson, Sr., removed 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 919 
 
 from Middletown to Glastonbury about the 
 year 1732. He married Rachel, daughter 
 of Ebenezer Fox, and had eight children. 
 James Buck died January 8, 1838, aged sixty- 
 three years. Ruth Matson Buck died August 
 12, 1857, aged eighty-one years. The follow- 
 ing is a record of their children: Almira, 
 born October 9, 1796, died January 24, 18 19; 
 Erastus, born August 13, 1797, died August, 
 1839; Samuel, born January 7, 1801, died 
 December 10, 1881; Thomas M., born No- 
 vember 27, 1802, died April 9, 1864; Barnard 
 B., born January 13, 1805, died March 28, 
 1875; Ruth M., born March 22, 1807, died 
 in 1885; Adaline, born October 14, 1809; 
 Frances, born October 29, 18 12, died Novem- 
 ber 5, 1 813; James F., born December 8, 
 1814, died November 28, 1888, aged seventy- 
 three; Justus, born March 20, 1817, died 
 February 12, 1837; Fanny A., born August 
 9, 1 8 19; and Horace Blake, born October 15, 
 1822, died April 25, 1896. 
 
 When fifteen years old, Horace Blake Buck 
 was thrown upon his own resources by the 
 death of his father, and for two years after 
 that event he lived with his sister Fanny. 
 In the spring of 1839 he went to South Glas- 
 tonbury to learn the carriage-maker's trade 
 with his brother James, and two years later 
 they returned to Portland to engage in busi- 
 ness. In February, 1844, Horace bought his 
 brother's interest, and for a number of years 
 he conducted the only carriage factory in 
 town, also carrying on a foundry and manu- 
 facturing ploughs quite extensively. In i860 
 his two sons died of scarlet fever, and, after 
 recovering from an almost fatal attack of that 
 disease, he sold his business. Removing to 
 Pecowset, he bought a grocery store, and, 
 transferring the stock to the post-ofifice build- 
 ing in the centre of the village, did a suc- 
 cessful business until 1866, when he sold out 
 to T. E. Buck. In November, 1867, he came 
 to Worcester as agent for a co-operative store, 
 and, after remaining in charge of that estab- 
 lishment for a year, he turned his attention to 
 other lines, including the Bigelow heel ma- 
 chine business, with which he was connected 
 until 1876. In that year he built a carriage 
 factory at 68 Chandler Street, w^here he con- 
 
 ducted a profitable business until 1888, when, 
 having amassed a competency, he retired from 
 active pursuits. He had previously invested 
 in real estate, and, remodelling his factory 
 into four tenement houses, he now became the 
 owner of eighteen tenements in all. The 
 property on Chandler Street bought by him in 
 1886 is a part of an estate given to the city by 
 George Jacques, and consists of four thou- 
 sand, three hundred and thirty-nine feet, for 
 which he paid forty cents a foot. 
 
 On March 2, 1845, Mr. Buck was united in 
 marriage with Eliza Ann Hall, born in Port- 
 land, November 21, 1823, daughter of Abner 
 and Eliza (Butler) Hall. Her father was a 
 son of Abner Hall, of Chatham, Conn. He 
 was born in that town, April 11, 1801, and 
 spent the active period of his life upon a farm 
 in Portland, where he died April 17, 1885. 
 His wife, Eliza, was born in Portland, Octo- 
 ber II, 1801, and died June 23, 1874. She 
 was the mother of twelve children; namely, 
 Martha, Eliza Ann (Mrs. Buck), Abner, Jr., 
 Betsey C, Charles, William, Frederick A., 
 Jane E., Mary Ellen, Harriet, Emma, and 
 Adelaide. Mr. and Mrs. Horace B. Buck had 
 three children: Martha E., who was born De- 
 cember 31, 1845, and died September i, 
 1848; Olive H., born August 9, 1853, died 
 April 24, i860; and Earl A., born Septem- 
 ber I, 1857, died April 14, i860. 
 
 As a business man Mr. Horace B. Buck 
 was upright in all of his dealings, and his 
 friends speak of his generosity in the highest 
 terms. At one time he served as Selectman 
 in Portland. In his younger days he was a 
 Democrat, but later he joined the Republican 
 party. He was temperate in everything. He 
 possessed a vein of wit and genial satire 
 which made him a welcome guest at social 
 gatherings. In 1894 he published a gene- 
 alogy of the Buck and Matson families, to 
 which the Review is indebted for much of the 
 data for this sketch. The following observa- 
 tions taken from its pages will be found inter- 
 esting, as showing the character and original- 
 ity of the man. "Having started in the 
 world with no one to help me, and having had 
 a little experience in the world, I would say 
 to my young friends. Be honest, be faithful in 
 
920 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 whatever you undertake. Never be called 
 upon three times for a bill due. Never con- 
 tract a debt with no means of paying it. If 
 you want a little credit of the butcher, grocer, 
 or to hire a tenement, or borrow a little 
 money, do not be hanging around the beer 
 saloon, or go with a cigarette or cigar in your 
 mouth, or go to the theatre more than three 
 times a week, or hire a horse to ride out on 
 Sunday more than four times a month. A 
 word to the older ones. If the grocer, 
 butcher, landlord, or money lender should not 
 receive his pay the day it is due, and hears 
 the sound of the hammer or the handsaw from 
 seven in the morning until six at night, wait 
 on him a little longer. If you find he is 
 hanging around the rumshop, call in your 
 money, tell him some one wants the tene- 
 ment, and trust him no more." 
 
 For more than a year Mr. Buck was a pa- 
 tient sufferer from a complication of diseases. 
 A short time previous to his death, which oc- 
 curred in April, 1896, as mentioned above, he 
 presented the town of Portland with the sum 
 of twenty-five hundred dollars to go toward 
 erecting a library building, to be known as 
 the Buck Library. The town appropriated 
 one thousand dollars, the Shaler, Hall, and 
 Brainard quarries gave the brownstone, the 
 old Portland Library Association turned over 
 their books to the town, and the Buck Library 
 was opened in April, 1896. 
 
 'AMUEL SYLVESTER PIERCE, 
 formerly a leading business man of 
 Worcester, son of Joseph and 
 Esther (Jaquith) Pierce, was born 
 in Jaffrey, N.H., July 14, 1828. He was de- 
 scended from John Pierce, who came from 
 England in early Colonial times, and settled 
 at Watertown, Mass. His great-grandfather, 
 Daniel Pierce, spent the greater part of his 
 life in Lunenburg. Samuel Pierce, the 
 grandfather, who resided in Jaffrey, N.H., 
 successively married Abigail Carter and Eliz- 
 abeth Whitney. Joseph Pierce, above named, 
 who was born in Jaffrey on March 23, 1792, 
 resided there for some years, engaged in farm- 
 ing. He died in Auburn, Mass., on April 
 
 22, i860. His wife, Esther, whom he mar- 
 ried on October 13, 1821, was prtviousl) the 
 wife of his brother. She died on November 
 29, 1866, having been the mother of seven 
 children. 
 
 Samuel Sylvester Pierce was brought up on 
 his father's farm in Jaffrey, receiving his edu- 
 cation in the common schools of that town. 
 Coming to Worcester in 1848, he secured em- 
 ployment in a cotton-mill at Auburn. After 
 working there for some years, he went into 
 the teaming business in order to be in the 
 open air for the benefit of his health. A 
 short time later he entered the store of J. S. 
 Hill on Mechanic Street, Worcester, becom- 
 ing a clerk in his wholesale liquor trade. He 
 subsequently bought out the business, and 
 then carried it on in his own name until 1886, 
 when he took his son into partnership. At 
 the time Mr. Pierce bought the business 
 it was comparatively small. Through his 
 energy, enterprise, and skilful management 
 he built it up until it became, probably, the 
 largest establishment of its kind in Worces- 
 ter County. Its wholesale trade was very 
 large, and in it the beverag.es of the leading 
 producers of the world were handled. Thor- 
 oughly devoted to his family, Mr. Pierce was 
 almost sure to be found, if wanted, at his 
 home when not at his place of business. As 
 a neighbor he was exceedingly obliging, and 
 as a friend he was loyal to the death. Al- 
 though engaged in a business against which 
 many object, his methods of carrying it. on 
 were such that he obtained the full respect of 
 the community in which he lived. If only 
 such men as he engaged in the liquor traffic, 
 it could never have incurred the stigma which 
 now rests upon it. Mr. Pierce was a constant 
 attendant of the Universalist church, and not 
 only gave liberal support to that organization, 
 but also aided many benevolent institutions 
 in the city. A gradual decline of health 
 ended with his death on March 25, 1889. 
 
 On April 9, 1851, Mr. Pierce was united in 
 marriage with Stella Luthera Clark, a daughter 
 of Nathaniel Smith Clark, of Auburn, and a 
 lineal descendant of Thomas Clark, who came 
 to America in the "Mayflower." For genera- 
 tions the Clarks have been among the leading 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 921 
 
 families of Auburn. The children of IVLr. 
 and'Mrs. Pierce were born as follows: Emma 
 Althea, on February 25, 1852; Edwin Silas, 
 June 14, 185s ; Carrie Elizabeth, August 27, 
 1857; Jennie Feronia, October 3, 1861, who 
 died in 1865; and Frank Sylvester, March i, 
 1871. Edwin S. Pierce, who succeeded to the 
 business of his father, now carries it on under 
 the name of The E. S. Pierce Company. At 
 present it occupies the entire building of 69 
 Mechanic Street, and is very prosperous. On 
 July 17, 1888, Edwin S. Pierce married Mary 
 Veronica Carroll, of Hudson, N.Y. She has 
 become the mother of four children, namely: 
 Marie, born December 13, 1890; Sylvester 
 Samuel, born June 4, 1892; Edwin Carroll, 
 born August 11, 1893; and Helen, born Sep- 
 tember 24, 1895. 
 
 Mass., 
 Myles 
 father, 
 Mass. 
 
 'OHN M. WOOD, formerly a well- 
 known undertaker of Milford and a 
 prominent member of the local Masonic 
 bodies, was born in Westminster, 
 September 26, 1831, eldest son of 
 and Malinda (Montjoy) Wood. The 
 who is now residing in Northboro, 
 over ninety years old, reared a family 
 of seven children, namely: George B., a resi- 
 dent of Northboro; James J., of the same 
 town; Mary, who is now the widow Hopkins, 
 and resides at Newton Upper Falls; Keziah, 
 who is the widow Brigham, of Marlboro, 
 Mass. ; Charlotte, who is the widow Towns- 
 end, also of Marlboro; Gertrude E. Wood, 
 who died June 25, 1865; and John M. Wood, 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 At the age of twelve years John M. Wood 
 accompanied his parents when they moved 
 from Westminster to Ashland, where he re- 
 mained for a few years. Then he went to 
 Sterling and a short time later to Northboro, 
 where he learned the cabinet-maker's trade 
 with Henry Glazier. Settling in Milford in 
 March, 1857, he followed his trade for a num- 
 ber of years. After that he was engaged in 
 making coffins for the late Leonard Fairbanks, 
 to whom he later became assistant in the 
 undertaking business. After Mr. Fairbanks's 
 retirement Mr. Wood succeeded him, having 
 
 as a partner J. Warren Nye. Failing health 
 forced Mr. Nye to withdraw some years ago, 
 and Mr. Wood carried on the business alone 
 for the rest of his life. On Friday, February 
 26, 1897, about two o'clock a.m., he and his 
 assistant, Captain William Emery, visited 
 professionally the residence of the late Fred- 
 erick E. Pettingill, who had died suddenly. 
 Mr. Wood had just expressed to the widow 
 his surprise at the occurrence, when, without 
 warning, he dropped lifeless to the floor be- 
 fore his assistant could reach him. To those 
 unfamiliar with his nature he appeared some- 
 what gruff, but beneath this exterior there 
 was a kindly and sympathetic disposition. 
 
 Mr. Wood contracted the first of his two 
 marriages with Lestina Plympton, of Crafts- 
 bury, Vt., who died in 1861. By that union 
 there was one daughter, who died in the same 
 year. On August 23, 1865, the second mar- 
 riage united him with Mary S. Johnson, of 
 Clinton, Mass., who survives him and is re- 
 siding in Milford. He was made a Mason in 
 Montgomery Lodge, Milford, in 1859, becom- 
 ing an Entered Apprentice on March 22, Fel- 
 low-craftsman on April 19, and a Master 
 Mason on May 18 of that year. He succeeded 
 Frank O'Brien as Tyler of the lodge at the old 
 Masonic quarters in Church Block, and served 
 in the same capacity at the present hall, pre- 
 ceding A. A. Burrell. He also belonged to 
 Mount Lebanon Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, 
 and to Milford Commandery, Knights 
 Templar. 
 
 DWARD PAYSON SMITH, Ph.D., 
 was professor of modern languages and 
 political science at the Worcester 
 Polytechnic Institute at the time of his death, 
 May 2, 1892, in Middlefield, Hampshire 
 County, Mass., being the youngest of the ten 
 children of Samuel and Lucina (Metcalf) 
 Smith. He was born January 20, 1840. 
 
 The immigrant progenitor of this branch of 
 the Smith family was Matthew Smith, who 
 with his wife and four children came over 
 from Sandwich, county of Kent, England, 
 was an inhabitant of Charlestown, Mass., in 
 1637, and as "Goodman Smith" was num- 
 
922 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 bered among the householders in 1658. 
 After him were five Matthews in direct line 
 of descent. Dr. Smith's paternal grand- 
 father, Matthew,* was a Captain of the militia, 
 and served in the Revolution. It is thought 
 that he was at Bunker Hill. His son, Sam- 
 uel Smith, the father named above, was for 
 many years a member of the Board of Select- 
 men and Assessors, also a member for many 
 terms of the School Committee of Middlefield, 
 and in 1839 was a Representative to the State 
 legislature. He was an excellent scholar and 
 a successful teacher, and gave a liberal educa- 
 tion to all his children. He died September 
 28, 1877. 
 
 Edward Payson, named for the distin- 
 guished Congregational divine, pursued his 
 preparatory studies at home under his brothers 
 and sisters; in Lewistown Academy, Penn- 
 sylvania; and with his brother. Dr. Judson 
 Smith, now foreign secretary of the American 
 Board, but then a professor at Oberlin Col- 
 lege, who fitted him for Amherst College, 
 which he entered in 1861. He applied him- 
 self earnestly and faithfully, and made for 
 himself an enviable record. While a Sopho- 
 more he took first prize in mathematics, in 
 his Senior year the first prize in Latin, also 
 for an essay, and was elected a member of the 
 Phi Beta Kappa, a distinguished honor. He 
 divided the first prize in Greek with Henry 
 M. Tyler, now professor in Smith College, 
 and was one of four who attained to the first 
 rank of scholarship, and drew lots for the 
 honor of being valedictorian. Failing to 
 draw the valedictory, he delivered the Com- 
 mencement oration for his class. He was at 
 one time monitor, and in the Junior year an 
 editor of the Amherst Olio. In the gymna- 
 sium, where all students were required to prac- 
 tise, the same qualities which enabled him to 
 excel in scholarship caused him to become 
 much more than an average athlete. 
 
 The year after leaving college he was prin- 
 cipal of the high school in Hinsdale, Mass. 
 During the school year 1866-67 he was a stu- 
 dent at Oberlin Theological Seminary and 
 during 1867-68 at Andover Theological Sem- 
 inary. The next two years he was teacher of 
 Latin and Greek at Williston Seminary, East- 
 
 hampton, Mass. In 1870 he went to Europe, 
 and spent most of his time for a year in study 
 at the University at Halle, Germany. In 1871 
 he was licensed to preach in Boston, but, hav- 
 ing been elected professor of modern lan- 
 guages at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 
 he went to Paris for four months of special 
 study. On returning to America he entered 
 upon the duties of his professorship. During 
 the year 1887-88 he was granted leave of 
 absence, and pursued a course of study at 
 Johns Hopkins University. His residence in 
 Baltimore not being sufficiently long to secure 
 his degree of Doctor of Philosophy, he ob- 
 tained this by passing examinations at Syra- 
 cuse University, Syracuse, N.Y. Although 
 at various times Dr. Smith ably and accept- 
 ably supplied pulpits of Worcester and vicin- 
 ity, his life work was done in his office as pro- 
 fessor. 
 
 The following summary is condensed from 
 an obituary written by one who knew him 
 well: It is in the department of English lit- 
 erature and political science that the hand of 
 Dr. Smith has most been felt. He found a 
 fragmentary and incomplete course in litera- 
 ture taught by Professor Thompson in addition 
 to his numerous other duties, and from this 
 he built up under considerable opposition the 
 present course. This was his creation and 
 remains as his monument, and the student 
 who enjoyed his instruction came nearer to 
 receiving a liberal education than is possible 
 at most scientific schools. He strove contin- 
 ually to develop in the minds of the young 
 men under his charge an appreciation of all 
 that is noble and inspiring in literature and 
 history, an understanding of the customs, 
 laws, and rights of men and nations. To 
 nourish the growth of character was his pleas- 
 ure, and he took delight in noting the changes 
 in the mental condition of those who passed 
 through his class-room and under his instruc- 
 tion. His hand and heart were always ready 
 to aid the student who came to him with the 
 earnest desire to learn, even though dull, 
 stupid, and slow to perceive. His active 
 mind was ever ready to afford information to 
 the interested seeker for knowledge, and many 
 an hour was spent by him outside of his 
 
WILLIAM H. BUCK. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 925 
 
 school work in helping and instructing his 
 pupils in their own private research. His 
 great aim was accuracy and thoroughness in 
 everything, and he had little patience with 
 slothfulness, indolence, and superficiality. 
 From boyhood he had been in the habit of 
 making up his mind as to what was right and 
 best, and then, with all the strength of his 
 body and will, carrying to completion his 
 ideas. Sometimes this dauntless pursuit of 
 what he desired produced enemies, and called 
 down upon his head indignant and cutting 
 words; but, yielding not, he pursued his pur- 
 pose, generally to a triumphant end. 
 
 His conscientious attachment to his insti- 
 tute work gave him little time for outside 
 literary employment. Many of his friends 
 would have been glad to have him publish 
 more, but aside from several addresses, no- 
 ticeably one delivered at the Centennial of 
 his native town and an essay on the constitu- 
 tional history of the United States in the for- 
 mative period, he gave little to the press. 
 He took an active interest in the affairs of 
 Union Church of Worcester, of which he was 
 a member, and a Deacon for six years. If it 
 were possible to sum up in three words the 
 characteristics of his life, those words would 
 naturally be conscientiousness, accuracy, and 
 thoroughness. 
 
 Edward Payson Smith was married Novem- 
 ber 26, 1868, to Miss Julia Mack Church, 
 daughter of James Tallmadge and Emily 
 (Bates) Church, of Middlefield. Mrs. Smith 
 is of the sixth generation in descent from 
 Josiah Mack, originally from Scotland, who 
 settled in Lyme, Conn., before 1693. His 
 grandson David, known as "The Faithful 
 Steward," was a man of uncommonly strong 
 character and a citizen of great influence in 
 Middlefield. Dr. Smith is survived by his 
 wife and four children. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM H. BUCK, a retired busi- 
 ness man of Southboro and an ex- 
 member of the Massachusetts legis- 
 lature, was born in Killingly (now Putnam), 
 Conn., August 26, 181 8, son of Charles and 
 Lucy (Warren) Buck. His mother belonged 
 
 to the same family of which General Joseph 
 Warren, the Revolutionary hero, was a repre- 
 sentative. Charles Buck was in early life a 
 contractor, and built a considerable portion 
 of the Westboro section of th6 Boston and 
 Worcester turnpike road. In his latter years 
 he was engaged in agricultural pursuits; and 
 he died at the home of his daughter in West- 
 boro, Mass., at the age of eighty-two. At 
 first a Whig in politics, he afterward became 
 a Republican, and continued in that party 
 throughout the rest of his life. 
 
 William H. Buck is one of seven children, 
 all of whom were given the advantage of a 
 good education. He completed his studies at 
 the academy in Hancock, N.H. Afterward he 
 learned the trade of shoemaker and later that 
 of bonnet-maker. Then for four years he was 
 the travelling representative of a Boston news- 
 paper. His principal business, however, was 
 that of cattle broker, which he followed suc- 
 cessfully for considerably more than a quarter 
 of a century. In a period of twenty-eight 
 years he missed but one market day at Brigh- 
 ton, the occasion being his attendance at his 
 brother's funeral. He also dealt quite exten- 
 sively in real estate, and was a Justice of the 
 Peace for many years. Some years ago he 
 retired from active business. Though past 
 the fourscore limit, he still possesses the agil- 
 ity and manly vigor of a much younger person. 
 
 Mr. Buck married S. Maria Brigham, a rep- 
 resentative of the old Colonial family de- 
 scended from Thomas Brigham, who came 
 from London in 1635 on board the good ship 
 "Susan and Ellen," and was a resident of 
 Watertown, Mass., in 1637. She became the 
 mother of three sons, namely: Frank H., who 
 made about forty trips to European markets 
 with cattle exported; George W., of Framing- 
 ham, a travelling salesman; and Wallace B. 
 Buck, who is engaged in the trucking business 
 in Southboro. On April 22, 1886, Mrs. Buck 
 passed so quietly away, while sitting in her 
 chair, that the fact was unknown to the six 
 occupants of the room until they sought to 
 arouse her from what they supposed was a re- 
 freshing sleep. 
 
 Since becoming a voter Mr. Buck has taken 
 an active interest in public affairs. During 
 
926 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the anti-slavery controversy, when abolition 
 was strongly opposed by both the press and 
 the clergy, he espoused it, and was not only 
 outspoken in his opinions of the slave trade, 
 but became actively connected with the under- 
 ground railway. He was the chairman of the 
 Republican Town Committee for more than 
 twenty-five years, served as an Assessor one 
 year, was chairman of the Board of Selectmen 
 six years; and, as Representative to the legis- 
 lature in 1873, he served upon the Committee 
 on Public Buildings, and strongly advocated 
 the placing of the Hoosac Tunnel permanently 
 under the control of the Commonwealth. He 
 was appointed cattle inspector when the act 
 establishing that office was passed; and he has 
 since served in that capacity, having been re- 
 appointed each year. 
 
 I STES HAWES, a retired business man 
 of Barre, was born in Belchertown, 
 Hampshire County, Mass., June 29, 
 181 7, son of Herman and Mehitable (Peeso) 
 Hawes. His paternal grandfather, John 
 Hawes, who was a comparatively early settler 
 in Belchertown, resided upon a farm until his 
 death, which occurred at a good old age. 
 Herman Hawes, a native of Wrentham, Mass., 
 spent the greater part of his life in Belcher- 
 town, where he followed the trade of a black- 
 smith in connection with farming. He was 
 prominently identified with the Congrega- 
 tional church, a member of the Masonic order, 
 and in politics a Whig. He died in 1841, 
 aged fifty-seven years. His wife, Mehitable, 
 who was born in Belchertown, had six chil- 
 dren, two of whom are living, namely: Estes, 
 the subject of this sketch; and J. Francis 
 Hawes, a veteran of the Civil War, who is 
 now residing in Mansfield, Mass. The others 
 were: William, Nancy, George, and Chris- 
 tiana. The mother died in 1834, aged forty- 
 seven years. 
 
 Estes Hawes attended the district school. 
 At the age of fourteen he was bound out to 
 learn the tailor's trade, which he afterward 
 followed as an occupation for several years. 
 In September, 1841, he came to Barre, where 
 he was engaged in active business for over 
 
 forty years, or until his retirement, which 
 took place some twelve years ago. His busi- 
 ness ability, industry, and frugality have 
 placed him in prosperous circumstances, and 
 he is officially connected with the National 
 and Savings Banks, being a director of the 
 former and a trustee and member of the Fi- 
 nancial Committee of the latter institution. 
 
 On April 18, 1844, Mr. Hawes married 
 Caroline E. Kendall, who was born in Barre, 
 March 8, 1826, daughter of David and Mary 
 (Eastbrook) Kendall. In his young manhood 
 David Kendall accompanied his father, Sam- 
 uel Kendall, from Enfield, Mass., to Barre; 
 and they were both engaged in farming, hat- 
 pressing, and the manufacture of woollen 
 cloth. David died at the age of seventy-four, 
 and his wife at eighty-seven. They reared 
 two children: Caroline E., now Mrs. Hawes; 
 and Henry J., who is no longer living. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hawes have had four children, 
 namely; Mary C, Herman, and Willie K., 
 all of whom died in infancy; and Caroline 
 E., who is the wife of George E. Tucker, of 
 Ware, Mass., and has two children — Ruth 
 E. and Caroline V. Tucker. 
 
 In politics Mr. Hawes was formerly a 
 Whig. He is now a Republican, but favors 
 the Prohibition movement. He has always 
 taken an active interest in local affairs, serv- 
 ing with ability as a member of the Board of 
 Assessors for four years; and he is closely 
 identified with the Worcester County West 
 Agricultural Society. Both he and Mrs. 
 Hawes are members of the Congregational 
 church, and he serves the society in the ca- 
 pacity of Deacon. For over fifty-three years 
 he has occupied his present homestead prop- 
 erty. The old house, which was burned in 
 1889, has been replaced by a handsome 
 modern residence. 
 
 EORGE CLARENCE BLANCH- 
 '3 I ARD, a prosperous farmer and mer- 
 chant of Worcester, was born on 
 Salem Street, this city, June 26, 1856, son of 
 George Hartwell and Vienna L. (Wood) 
 Blanchard. He is said to be of English and 
 of Scotch descent. His father was a son of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 927 
 
 Andrew Blanchard, of New Ipswich, N.H. 
 His mother was a native of Maine, but resided 
 in Lowell, Mass., prior to her marriage. Mr. 
 Blanchard's grandparents on each side had 
 thirteen children. 
 
 George Hartwell Blanchard, the father of 
 the subject of this sketch, was born in New 
 Ipswich in 1827. At the age of eighteen he 
 entered upon an apprenticeship at the machin- 
 ist's trade, which he followed in Worcester 
 for some years as a journeyman, later being 
 engaged in business in this city for himself. 
 He died in 1882, aged fifty-five years, leav- 
 ing a good estate, including a farm of ten 
 acres and a residence near by. His wife, 
 Vienna, whom he married March 17, 1852, 
 died in 1876, aged forty-seven years. She 
 was the mother of two children, namely: 
 George C, the subject of this sketch; and 
 Emma H., who married Edward H. Desantell, 
 of New York, and died January 20, 1896, 
 aged thirty-eight years. The parents at- 
 tended the Baptist church. 
 
 George Clarence Blanchard acquired a com- 
 mon and high school education. When a 
 boy his leisure time was spent in assisting 
 the butchers at John S. Bartlett's slaughter- 
 house; and, after leaving school he became a 
 regular employee at that establishment, 
 where he obtained a practical knowledge of 
 the business. In 1883 he engaged in the 
 meat business at his present stand, 218 Main 
 Street, where he has built up a profitable 
 trade, which necessitates the employment of 
 four teams and several assistants. He is also 
 quite largely interested in agricultural pur- 
 suits, owning, besides the ten-acre farm on 
 Salisbury Street left by his father, some forty 
 acres of desirable property which is now under 
 cultivation, but is eligible for building pur- 
 poses. 
 
 On September 18, 1883, Mr. Blanchard 
 was united in marriage with Mary A. Hub- 
 bard, of Holden, Mass., daughter of Eli and 
 Sarah A. (Watson) Hubbard. Her mother 
 died August 27, 1897, aged seventy-one 
 years. Mrs. Blanchard is one of a family of 
 ten children, two of whom died in infancy, 
 and another, Arthur M., died in April, 1887, 
 aged thirty-five, unmarried. Her surviv- 
 
 ing brothers and sisters are: Henry W., a 
 farmer of Reading, Mass. ; Helen, wife of 
 E. H. Streeter, of Worcester; Sarah A., wife 
 of E. D. Foster, of this city; Frank R., a 
 resident of Marseilles, 111. ; and Frederick 
 Hubbard, a resident of Worcester. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Blanchard have two sons: Leon H., born 
 July 15, 1886; and Roy P., born April 22, 
 1892. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Blanchard is a Republican. 
 In 1 891 he erected his present residence on 
 Salisbury Street. 
 
 (jTI SAAC B. CROSBY, who was for a num- 
 hI ber of years prominent among the build- 
 JJ. i'^S contractors of Worcester, was born in 
 Centreville, a part of Barnstable, Cape 
 Cod, in 1833. His parents were James and 
 Eunice L. (Isham) Crosby. The first Crosbys 
 came to this country early in the seventeenth 
 century, and fully six generations have had 
 birth in New England. Identified with the 
 history of New England in various ways, the 
 family has produced many strong men and 
 women, who lived good and useful lives. 
 James Crosby, grandfather of Isaac, lived in 
 the town of Barnstable. His son, James, was 
 a native and lifelong resident of Centreville. 
 The latter was a contractor and builder. 
 
 Isaac B. Crosby attended the common schools 
 of Centreville, and also studied for some time 
 in a private school. At an early age he began 
 to learn the building trade with his father. 
 When about twenty-seven or twenty-eight 
 years old he went to Springfield. He had 
 not been there long, however, when he ob- 
 tained the position of superintendent for J. C. 
 French, of Worcester, one of the leading build- 
 ing contractors of the city at that time, and in 
 this capacity he supervised the erection of 
 many of the large buildings in Worcester. 
 In 1878 he began business for himself, and 
 soon established a reputation for honest, reli- 
 able work, executing his contracts both 
 promptly and efficiently. He erected some of 
 the most substantial business blocks in the city, 
 and also many of its finest residences. As ex- 
 amples of his work may be mentioned the 
 Knowles Ward of the City Hospital and the 
 
928 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Armsby Block. He also rebuilt the Walker 
 Building. Closely attentive to his business, 
 he looked personally after every detail. His 
 estimates seldom proved inaccurate, though 
 rapidly made. Mr. Crosby was of a quiet and 
 thoughtful but pleasant disposition, and won 
 the regard of all with whom he was brought in 
 contact. A lover of home, he sought affilia- 
 tion with no secret societies, but he was con- 
 nected with the Piedmont Congregational 
 Church. His death, which occurred in 1889, 
 was widely regretted. 
 
 'TEARNES L. DAVENPORT, who 
 owns one of the best equipped dairy 
 farms in Grafton, was Born in Provi- 
 dence, R. I., June 14, 1854, son of 
 William H. and Julia A. (Taft) Davenport. 
 The father was formerly a manufacturing jew- 
 eller and a member of the firm of Davenport & 
 Cook, Providence. He later organized the 
 Davenport Arms Company, of Norwich, Conn. , 
 of which he is still the official head. This 
 concern makes a specialty of manufacturing 
 fowling pieces of a superior quality, their prod- 
 uct amounting to a daily average of one hun- 
 dred shotguns and rifles. These goods have 
 gained the reputation of having no superior in 
 the American market. 
 
 Stearnes L. Davenport was educated in the 
 public schools of Providence. After complet- 
 ing his studies he entered the jewelry business, 
 which he followed for four years, but gave it 
 up in 1876 and came to North Grafton, where 
 he engaged in dairy farming on what is 
 known as the Knowles Place. Selling that 
 property a year later, he leased his present 
 farm, which is located north of New England 
 Village. In 1880 he purchased the property, 
 which he has since improved by the erection of 
 a fine set of modern buildings. The barn is 
 provided with a large refrigerator for cooling 
 the one hundred and twenty-five to one hun- 
 dred and thirty cans of milk which he ships to 
 Worcester daily. A second barn contains a 
 score or more of box stalls, affording comfort- 
 able quarters for his own horses, besides several 
 that he boards for city owners. An overhead 
 reservoir furnishes pure spring water, forced 
 
 thither by the aid of a steam pump. His dairy 
 is supplied with the latest improved machinery 
 and apparatus, including a centrifugal separa- 
 tor, which is capable of extracting the cream 
 from the milk in a few moments ; and the entire 
 premises bear evidence of the characteristic 
 energy and thrift of the enterprising owner. 
 
 On January 31, 1879, Mr. Davenport was 
 united in marriage with Miss Jennie A. Hawes, 
 daughter of Abel L. and Emily H. (White) 
 Hawes, of Grafton. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport 
 have seven children; namely, Alice, Cora 0., 
 Walter H. , Raymond, Stearnes L., Jr., 
 Gladys, and William. Alice is attending 
 Mount Holyoke College. Cora O. and Walter 
 H. are pupils at the Grafton High School. 
 
 Mr. Davenport is serving at the present time 
 as a member of the Board of Selectmen. He 
 belongs to Evening Star Lodge, No. 102, 
 I. O. O. F., the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen, the Royal Arcanum, the American 
 Benefit Society, and the Grafton Grange, Pa- 
 trons of Husbandry, in all of which he takes 
 an active interest. 
 
 'OHN GALLISON KING, a man of 
 eminent attainments and for many 
 years a leading member of the Suffolk 
 County bar, was born in Salem, Mass., 
 March i, 18 19, and died at his late home in 
 Boston, Mass., January 28, 1888. His par- 
 ents, John Glen and Susan (Gilman) King, 
 resided in Salem throughout their wedded life, 
 the father, John Glen King, being a distin- 
 guished attorney, for years at the head of the 
 Salem bar. 
 
 Mr. King spent his boyhood and youth in 
 the historic city in which he was born, and 
 was there fitted for college. After his gradua- 
 tion from Harvard University in 1838, he 
 began the study of law with his uncle, Ellis 
 Gray Loring, a noted Boston lawyer, and on 
 being admitted to the bar opened an office in 
 the Brazer Building on State Street. He 
 built up an extensive and lucrative practice, 
 and won distinction both in legal and business 
 circles. A man of sound judgment and versa- 
 tile talents, refined in his tastes and of ready 
 wit, which, however, was never exercised at the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 929 
 
 expense of his friends, he easily won the good 
 will and friendship of those with whom he was 
 intimately associated, and was universally re- 
 spected. He shunned the publicity of the po- 
 litical arena, but was ever an earnest sup- 
 porter of the principles of the Republican 
 party. 
 
 7T\HARLES D. CLARK, of the firm of 
 I \y George H. Clark & Co., of Worcester, 
 ^'^ Mass., is a brother of the late 
 George H. Clark, of whom a brief 
 sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. 
 Clark was born July 22, 1838, in New Ips- 
 wich, N.H., a son of Daniel and Malinda 
 (Start) Clark. 
 
 Left an orphan at an early age, he scarcely 
 knew what it was to have a home in his youth. 
 When ten years old he went to Carlisle, Mass., 
 to live on a farm with an uncle, for whom he 
 worked eight years. While there he attended 
 school a short time, which was almost his only 
 opportunity in boyhood to acquire an education. 
 In 1856 he secured a situation in the Suffolk 
 Cotton Mills at Lowell, Mass., and was there 
 employed until the breaking out of the Civil 
 War. Enlisting then in the Sixth Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which was 
 mobbed while passing through Baltimore on its 
 way to the defence of the national capital, he 
 served nine months, when he was honorably 
 discharged. On returning from the scene of 
 conflict Mr. Clark resumed his position in the 
 spinning department of the Suffolk mills, 
 where he remained until he met with a very 
 serious accident in 1866, his left arm being 
 entirely taken off by the machinery. 
 
 Coming subsequently to Worcester, Mr. 
 Clark entered the employ of his brother, G. H. 
 Clark, with whom he learned the paint, oil, 
 and varnish business, and in the course of a 
 few years was given the general oversight and 
 to a large extent the management of the shop. 
 In 1877 he was admitted into an equal part- 
 nership with his brother, the style of the firm 
 being George H. Clark & Co. His brother 
 being an invalid for more than two years (his 
 death occurring in March, 1897), Mr. Charles 
 D. Clark practically had entire charge of the 
 
 business during that time. The firm is now 
 carrying on an extensive wholesale and retail 
 trade, with dealers in all parts of Worcester 
 County, in manufacturers' and builders' sup- 
 plies, as well as paints, oils, and varnishes. It 
 is one of the oldest establishments of the kind 
 in Central Massachusetts, and is considered 
 one of the most reliable, its integrity and high 
 standing having never been questioned. Mr. 
 Clark is rated as one of Worcester's conserva- 
 tive business men, yet progressive when occa- 
 sion demands. Though not an active politi- 
 cian, he takes an interest in public affairs, and 
 his vote is always cast in favor of good govern- 
 ment. Personally, he is widely respected. 
 
 Mr. Clark was married December 30, i860, 
 to Miss Dora Wheeler, of Peterboro, N. H. 
 Mrs. Clark died March 19, 1890, leaving two 
 children : George A. , who is now connected 
 with his father in business; and Harry A., 
 who is a student at the Worcester Polytechnic 
 Institute. 
 
 /^^TeORGE M. PIPER, for a number of 
 \ •) I years prominent among the merchants 
 of Worcester, was born in this city 
 in April, 1845. He was the son of William 
 and Sarah (Rice) Piper. His mother was a 
 daughter of Martin Rice, of Marlboro, Mass., 
 and a descendant of Deacon Edmund Rice, an 
 early settler of Sudbury and Marlboro and 
 founder of the Rice family in New England. 
 
 William Piper was born in Amherst, N. H., 
 in 1802. At an early age he came to Worces- 
 ter, where he later on entered into the restau- 
 rant business. His health failing, he gave up 
 this business, and then turned his attention to 
 real estate. In 1837 he built the block at 419 
 Main Street, known as the Piper Block; and 
 in 1857 he built on Front Street the first the- 
 atre in the city, known formerly as Piper The- 
 atre and now known as the Front Street Opera 
 House. For many years it was run under his 
 management. Having amassed a handsome 
 fortune, he retired from active business life at 
 the age of sixty years. He died April 21, 
 1864. His wife and two children, Phoebe 
 Caroline and George Martin, survived him. 
 
 George M. Piper, after completing a course 
 
93° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of study at the Worcester Classical High 
 School, began the work of life as book-keeper 
 in the wholesale boot and shoe store of E. A. 
 Goodnow, of this city. His term of service 
 there was evidently not a very long one. 
 Going to Boston to study chemistry and phar- 
 macy, he spent seven years in the store of Car- 
 ter, Russ & Co. ; and then, having mastered the 
 details of the drug business, he returned to 
 Worcester and entered into partnership with 
 George A. Fairbanks to carry it on at whole- 
 sale and retail in this city. Their establish- 
 ment, located on Front Street, near Main, was 
 one of the largest of its kind in the State. In 
 1872 the firm made an assignment, and Mr. 
 Piper at this time retired from active business. 
 In 1868 Mr. Piper married Nancy H. S. 
 Clark, daughter of Thomas A. Clark, of 
 Worcester. Mr. Piper died on March 19, 
 1892. He is survived by Mrs. Piper and two 
 children — William Sanford and Susan Sarah. 
 Though unostentatious and always disinclined 
 to enter the political arena, he was an inter- 
 ested observer of the course of public events, 
 and could be counted upon to work for the 
 cause of good government whenever necessary. 
 Widely known, he possessed the confidence and 
 respect of all responsible citizens. 
 
 MOS BROWN, formerly a prominent 
 merchant of Worcester, was born in 
 Charlton, Mass., in 1796. His par- 
 ents were Ebenezer and Bathsheba 
 (Merriam) Brown, both natives of Charlton, 
 the father being a farmer by occupation. 
 
 After attending school in his native town 
 Amos Brown decided to enter mercantile life. 
 Becoming interested in the cotton business, he 
 took up his residence in Georgia, and bought 
 from Southern planters the raw material, which 
 he sold to Northern manufacturers, receiving 
 good financial returns. Later he came to 
 Worcester, and, forming a partnership with 
 Colonel Calvin Foster, engaged in the hard- 
 ware business. After continuing in trade here 
 for some time, the firm was dissolved, and Mr. 
 Brown went to Lafayette, Ind. , where he be- 
 came associated with a partner in the dry- 
 goods business. They occupied one of the 
 
 largest buildings in that city, their trade ex- 
 tending over a wide territory ; and the enter- 
 prise proved a financial success. Five years 
 later Mr. Brown returned to Worcester, and, 
 foreseeing the future growth of the city, in- 
 vested his capital largely in real estate. He 
 owned a pasture at the corner of what is now 
 Sycamore and Charlton Streets, through which 
 he cut a thoroughfare, naming it for his native 
 town. This property he sold at a later date. 
 His excellent business ability and sound judg- 
 ment enabled him to accumulate considerable 
 wealth; and he continued active in business 
 until his death, which occurred February 15, 
 1848, at the age of fifty-two years. He had 
 won a high reputation for his honesty and 
 thorough business methods, and is remembered 
 by some of our older citizens as one of the 
 progressive men of his day. He was a Whig 
 in politics, and was positive in his opinions; 
 and, although his business enterprises for many 
 years threw him in the company of slave- 
 holders, he was strongly opposed to the traffic 
 in human beings. 
 
 On July 16, 1829, Mr. Brown was united in 
 marriage with Mary W. Rider, of Charlton, 
 daughter of Isaiah and Pamelia (Towne) Rider 
 and a representative of an old and highly rep- 
 utable family of this locality. She was a 
 grand-daughter of General Salem Towne, who 
 served as an ofificer in the Continental army 
 during the Revolutionary War. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Brown were the parents of three children, 
 namely: Sarah, who was born April 6, 183 1, 
 and died September 4, 1832; Harriet, who 
 was born January 12, 1833, and died June 13, 
 1834; and Mary, who was born August 13, 
 1838. 
 
 fALENTINE SHELDON, whose death 
 occurred in Worcester, Mass., April 
 27, i8g6, was for several years one of 
 the most prosperous and progressive business 
 men of this city and the leading meat dealer. 
 He was born in 1850 at Nelson, N. H., a son 
 of Charles and Sally (Felt) Sheldon. 
 
 Charles Sheldon was a prominent citizen of 
 Nelson during a large part of his active life, 
 and for a number of years did ^ substantial 
 
J. FRANKLIN HEBARD. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 933 
 
 business there as a cattle dealer and a butcher. 
 In 1871 he removed with his family to Ware, 
 Mass., where both he and his wife spent their 
 remaining days, the date of his death being 
 October, 1881, and of hers February 18, 1883. 
 
 Valentine Sheldon acquired a practical edu- 
 cation in the public schools of Nelson, and 
 when twenty years old accompanied his parents 
 to Ware, this State. Entering the meat shop 
 of his brother, W. C. Sheldon, he worked for 
 him until he had mastered the details of the 
 trade, when he embarked in business for him- 
 self as a meat dealer. Three years later he 
 sold out, and, going to Springfield, opened a 
 market in that city, where he carried on a good 
 business for some time. In 1876 Mr. Sheldon 
 decided to transfer his business to Worcester. 
 He located on Trumbull Street, and, having put 
 in a good stock of provisions and meat, soon 
 developed an extensive trade. Wide-awake 
 and alert to attract custom, he was the first 
 marketman in the city to inaugurate a system- 
 atic reduction of prices, a proceeding that won 
 for him the name of the "cut-rate butcher." 
 His trade grew so rapidly in the next few 
 months that he sought new quarters at the 
 corner of Front and Church Streets, where he 
 remained until 1894, when he vacated the build- 
 ing, that it might be torn down, and moved 
 into one that stood directly opposite. Previ- 
 ous to this time he had opened two other mar- 
 kets, one at the corner of Washington and Gold 
 Streets and one on Winter Street, and during 
 the last years of his life he successfully con- 
 ducted the three. In 1 894 Mr. Sheldon intro- 
 duced into Worcester the plan of holding auc- 
 tions several evenings a month, and by this 
 novel method sold immense quantities of meat. 
 His customers included, besides many of the 
 leading families of the city, a number of the 
 hotels of this vicinity; and though he had 
 many competitors as a meat and provision 
 dealer he steadily held his own trade, which 
 was extensive and profitable. 
 
 A genial, whole-souled, frank-spoken man, 
 with a pleasant smile and hearty laugh, he 
 made friends wherever he went. Devoted to 
 his business, he did his duty to the munici- 
 pality and State as a true and good citizen, but 
 gave no time to public service of any kind. 
 
 Fraternally, he was a member of the Masonic 
 Lodge of Ware, Mass. ; of the Worcester 
 Lodge of Elks; and in 1889 was made an hon- 
 orary member of the Worcester Continentals. 
 
 Mr. Sheldon was twice married. His sec- 
 ond wife, formerly Henrietta Nickerson, sur- 
 vives him, and likewise one son, Charles Wal- 
 lace Sheldon, a student in Springfield. 
 
 OSIAH FRANKLIN HEBARD, of 
 North Brookfield, formerly a leading 
 contractor and builder and a dealer in 
 lumber, was born at Sturbridge, Mass., 
 on the twelfth day of April, 1823. He was 
 the youngest of the eleven children of Eleaser 
 and Violet (Walker) Hebard. A very young 
 child when his mother died, he was taken 
 charge of by his uncle, Chester Walker, of 
 Sturbridge, until he was about nineteen years 
 old.- His educational opportunities were 
 limited to those offered by the district 
 schools. In his nineteenth year he came to 
 North Brookfield, and here began learning the 
 trade of carpenter and joiner, working with 
 Dexter Stoddard. After acquiring his trade 
 and spending some years at journey-work, he 
 started in business for himself as a contractor 
 and builder, which was his chief occupation 
 for the rest of his life. A very careful and 
 painstaking workman himself, when he came 
 to be an employer of other men he required 
 from them the same degree of attention and 
 skill that he would have exercised himself. 
 Hence it was generally known that any con- 
 tract intrusted to him would be faithfully car- 
 ried out. In connection with his contracts he 
 did a considerable trade in lumber. 
 
 Mr. Hebard was a Republican in politics 
 and prominent in local affairs. Shortly after 
 the Civil War he represented the town in the 
 legislature. He enlisted for the war as a 
 private in the Forty-second Regiment of Vol- 
 unteers, was in service subsequently with Gen- 
 eral Banks in the expedition to New Orleans, 
 and had served for nearly three months more 
 than the nine of his term when he was dis- 
 charged. He first married Martha Whiting, a 
 daughter of Josiah Whiting, of North Brook- 
 field. Of this union two children were born 
 
934 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 — Marietta and Osman F. — both of whom are 
 now deceased. His second marriage was con- 
 tracted with Mrs. Mary Gilbert, whose first 
 husband, Lyman H. Gilbert, of this town, 
 serving as a private in Company E of the 
 Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Regiment of Vol- 
 unteers, was killed in battle near the Weldon 
 Railroad. Her father, William F. Doane, 
 was a native of this place, and resided here 
 throughout his life, engaged in farming and 
 shoemaking. He was a son of Captain Jo- 
 seph Doane, who, born in Eastham, Mass., 
 commanded an old-time whaler, and a grand- 
 son of Benjamin Doane, a native of Cape 
 Cod, who was the first of the Doane family to 
 settle in North Brookfield. William Doane 
 was a Republican in politics. He died on 
 December 14, 1890. His wife, Mary P. Shedd 
 Doane, was born in Springfield, Vt. Of their 
 children three are living; namely, William 
 F., Mary, and George P. All reside in North 
 Brookfield. Mrs. Hebard is a member of the 
 First Congregational Church. She is much 
 esteemed in North Brookfield society. Mr. 
 Hebard died December 9, 1889. 
 
 "ON. ERASTUS JONES, the princi- 
 pal of the firm E. Jones & Co., boot 
 and shoe manufacturers of Spencer, 
 was born here on September 1 1 , 
 1825, being the youngest son of Dr. Asa and 
 Lucy (Dunbar) Jones. His grandfather, Eli 
 Jones, was a farmer in the neighboring town 
 of Charlton, where the Jones family, said to 
 have been of Welsh origin, were early settlers. 
 Phineas Jones, a brother of Eli, was a patriot 
 soldier in the Revolutionary War. Asa Jones, 
 who was born in Charlton, after studying medi- 
 cine for a long period, was a practising physi- 
 cian in Spencer. In 181 7 he married Lucy 
 Dunbar, a native of Leicester and a daughter 
 of Thomas and Lucretia (Smith) Dunbar. 
 Their children were : Mary White, Eliza, Asa 
 Thomas, Lucy Dunbar, and Erastus. 
 
 Erastus Jones was educated in the public 
 schools of Spencer, completing his course of 
 study at the high school. His tastes and ener- 
 gies leading him to prefer a commercial life 
 to the routine of a profession preceded by a 
 
 long period of preparation, he early chose the 
 sphere of activity in which, with constancy of 
 purpose, applying himself diligently and saga- 
 ciously, he has won substantial success. Be- 
 ginning in his later youth as a workman in a 
 boot and shoe shop of Spencer, he gradually 
 mastered the shoemaker's trade. In the year 
 of attaining his majority he became a partner 
 of his elder brother, Asa T. Jones, and with 
 him subsequently, in the firm A. T. & E. 
 Jones, carried on the boot and shoe business in 
 Spencer for sixteen years. The present firm of 
 
 E. Jones & Co., comprising Erastus Jones and 
 
 F. E. Dunton, manufacturers of boots and 
 shoes, which has existed since i860, has its 
 factory and offices on Main Street, where a 
 large number of men and women are regularly 
 employed. The following, quoted from a local 
 print, shows the character and standing of the 
 house : "Its management has been marked by a 
 prudent, conservative business policy, though 
 sufficiently liberal to adopt all modern methods 
 and improvements in equipping the factory and 
 in the production of the most desirable and 
 salable goods, which find a market all over the 
 United States, and are sold exclusively to the 
 jobbing trade. The plant now comprises a 
 five-story structure, eighty feet long, with two 
 ells of like dimensions, and has a capacity of 
 two hundred dozen pairs of boots and shoes 
 daily. The members of the firm are among our 
 most highly regarded and influential townsmen, 
 and take an active interest in public affairs." 
 
 Mr. Jones has been the president of the 
 Spencer National Bank since its organization 
 in 1875, and for more than twenty years he has 
 been the president, a trustee, and a member of 
 the Board of Investment of the Spencer Sav- 
 ings Bank. He has been Town Treasurer of 
 Spencer for a number of years, and has also 
 served in the capacity of Town Clerk. In 
 1874 he was a Representative in the State 
 legislature, and in 1 896 and 1 897 he was State 
 Senator for the Fourth Worcester Senatorial 
 District. During his first term in the Senate 
 he was in the Committee on Banking; and dur- 
 ing his second term he was the chairman of 
 that committee, being also a member of the 
 Committees on Taxation and on Printing. He 
 is an earnest and consistent Republican in pel- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 935 
 
 itics. In 1850 he married - Mary I. Starr, a 
 daughter of John B. H. Starr, of Thomaston, 
 Me. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have four children — 
 Lucy L , Julia F. , Mary P. , and Everett Starr. 
 Lucy L is now the wife of Dr. Charles L. 
 Kingsbury, a homoeopathic physician of Bos- 
 ton, Mass. Mary P. is the wife of Albert 
 Sauveur, of Boston. Everett S. Jones, a grad- 
 uate of Harvard College, class of 1890, is in 
 Berlin, Germany, at present. Both parents are 
 members of the Congregational Church of Spen- 
 cer. 
 
 §OHN FORBES SUTTON, who was 
 connected with the Goes Wrench Com- 
 pany at Worcester, Mass., for more 
 than twoscore years, was born in Nor- 
 wich, Conn., September 9, 1830, son of 
 Thomas and Lucy (Forbes) Sutton. The 
 father and his brother John came from Eng- 
 land to Worcester when young men. Opening 
 a wheelwright's shop on School Street, at the 
 present stand of George T. Atchison, they car- 
 ried on a prosperous business for several years, 
 and there built the first covered wagon used in 
 this city. After his second marriage Thomas 
 removed to Norwich, Conn. A few years later 
 he returned to Worcester County, and in New 
 Worcester purchased a farm, which he managed 
 successfully. On an adjoining estate he 
 bought a grist-mill. The narrow highway that 
 led to the mill was named in his honor Sutton 
 Lane, and is so called to-day. Thereafter until 
 his death in 1847 he carried on milling in con- 
 junction with agriculture. He was twice mar- 
 ried. His first wife, Sarah Gates Sutton, died 
 when young, leaving him three children. He 
 subsequently married Lucy Forbes, who bore 
 him twelve children. Of his fifteen children, 
 five are living, namely : Thomas, of Marlboro ; 
 Charles, of Elwood, la. ; Mrs. John Adams, of 
 Boston ; and Mrs. Jane Bootman and Mrs. 
 W. F. Knowlton, both of Worcester. 
 
 John F. Sutton was less than a year old 
 when his parents returned from Connecticut to 
 Worcester, where he received his education. 
 In his boyhood he assisted his father on the 
 farm and in the grist-mill, thereby becoming 
 somewhat familiar with business ways and 
 
 methods. Soon after the death of his father 
 he took what little money belonged to him, and, 
 purchasing a stock of groceries, opened a store 
 at Webster Square, where he conducted a fair 
 business for nearly two years. In 1852 he 
 gave up the store to accept a position with 
 L. & A. G. Coes, makers of the celebrated 
 Goes wrench. His energy and intelligence 
 won the esteem and confidence of his employ- 
 ers, who promoted him from one shop to an- 
 other until he had mastered the trade. He was 
 then made superintendent of certain depart- 
 ments, and in 1878 was appointed foreman of 
 the factory. The latter position he held until 
 189s, when on account of failing health he 
 was forced to resign. Thereafter he lived in 
 retirement until his demise. He was a man of 
 strong personality, with a keen sense of jus- 
 tice, who commanded in a marked degree the 
 respect of all with whom he was brought into 
 contact. 
 
 Mr. Sutton attended the Trinity Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, and was a member of the 
 Central Lodge, I. O. O F. On November 
 18, 1856, he married Miss Lizzie M. Rey- 
 nolds, a daughter of Addison and Elizabeth 
 (Rogers) Reynolds. On the paternal side she 
 is of Scotch ancestry and a descendant of a 
 family that was for many years prominent in 
 Maine. She and her daughter, Emma Louise, 
 survive her husband. The daughter is now the 
 wife of Charles P. Hardy, of Worcester. 
 
 OHN HERBERT DANIELS, one of 
 the best known citizens and most repre- 
 sentative business men of Fitchburg, 
 was born in Worcester, Mass., January 
 27, 1845, son of Thomas -Eaton and Lucy 
 (Sherwin) Daniels. 
 
 Several generations of the Daniels family 
 have had birth in this country. Verin Dan- 
 iels, grandfather of John H., was a pioneer 
 builder and contractor of Fitchburg, and 
 erected a number of saw-mills near this city. 
 He spent the latter part of his life in the West, 
 dying there when about seventy years old. 
 Thomas Eaton Daniels, the father, was a ma- 
 chinist and the inventor of the Daniels planer, 
 which he- manufactured for some time in 
 
936 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Worcester. He subsequently removed to 
 Fitchburg. He was a member of the Baptist 
 church and a highly respected citizen. His 
 death, which took place in 1884, was regretted 
 by a wide circle of friends. His wife, a 
 daughter of Zimri Sherwin, of Townsend, died 
 in 1867. They had six children, of whom 
 John H. was the youngest. 
 
 John H. Daniels graduated from the Fitch- 
 burg High School in 1863, and subsequently 
 took a course at a commercial college. He 
 began his business career at the age of nine- 
 teen as clerk in the Provost Marshal's office in 
 Greenfield, in which he was employed in 1864- 
 65. For the next twenty years he was con- 
 nected with the Fitchburg Railroad, first as 
 clerk in the freight office, then as freight 
 cashier, and later as ticket and freight agent. 
 In 1884 he came into possession of a fine tract 
 of land, embracing one hundred and fifty acres 
 and including what had been known as the 
 Daniels farm, lying by the side of the Fitch- 
 burg Railroad between Fitchburg and West 
 Fitchburg; and he proceeded to develop it 
 as a manufacturing centre, subsequently giving 
 much of his time to this enterprise. He at- 
 tracted manufacturers by the gift of suitable 
 land for a site for their factories, opened 
 streets, and encouraged the building of stores, 
 schools, and dwellings. As the result of his 
 efforts and public spirit, within a few years a 
 thriving community was established, which 
 now numbers several extensive manufactories, 
 employing a large number of hands, many 
 dwelling-houses, a public and a parochial 
 school, a French Catholic Church, and thirty 
 stores. 
 
 Mr. Daniels is especially actively concerned 
 in the growth and welfare of Fitchburg and in 
 its educational and religious interests. He 
 has been secretary of the Board of Trade from 
 its reorganization in 1891, is a trustee of the 
 Fitchburg Savings Bank, a director of the 
 Fidelity Co-operative Bank, was vice-president 
 of the Young Men's Christian Association, and 
 treasurer of the First Baptist Church of 
 Fitchburg. He served in the Common Coun- 
 cil in 1884-85, and has been a member of the 
 School Board since 1888. 
 
 Mr. Daniels was married in 1872 to Miss 
 
 Abby F. Lane, who died in 1879, leaving two 
 children: Herbert L. , a graduate of Cornell 
 University ; and Ernest T. , who is in the hard- 
 ware business in Fitchburg. In 1892 he mar- 
 ried Miss Florence R. Dwinnell, by whom he 
 has two children — ■ Ellen Shepherd and George 
 Eaton Daniels. 
 
 (sTr-LBERT L. GILMAN, founder of the 
 t|j well-known carriage manufactory in 
 yj|j,\ Worcester which is still carried on 
 ^~^ in his name, was born in the Prov- 
 ince of Quebec, November 25, 1848, son of 
 Roswell and Arathusa Gilman. His parents 
 had migrated from one of the Western States 
 to Canada before his birth. They managed a 
 farm in Canada until 1868, and then, removing 
 to Auburn, Mass., they there engaged in the 
 same occupation. 
 
 Albert L. Gilman was educated in Canada. 
 He assisted his father in farm work until be- 
 ginning his apprenticeship at the blacksmith's 
 trade, and after its completion he accompanied 
 his parents to Massachusetts. He found em- 
 ployment in a carriage shop on Cypress Street, 
 Worcester, whose proprietor was Henry Ed- 
 wards, with whom he remained some eight 
 years, becoming an expert carriage builder. 
 In 1876 Mr. Gilman established himself in 
 business at the corner of Thomas and Union 
 Streets; and shortly afterward, enlarging his 
 enterprise by purchasing B. D. Rice's factory, 
 he continued in that location until the prop- 
 erty was sold, when he removed to Washington 
 Square. To meet the demands of his con- 
 stantly increasing business, he at length erected 
 and equipped a two-story brick building on 
 Exchange Street, and in due time found him- 
 self in possession of the best appointed car- 
 riage factory in the city. He manufactured 
 vehicles of all kinds, including wagons for 
 the fire and other departments, police patrol 
 wagons, ambulances, and so on. Possessing 
 the faculty of designing vehicles for any pur- 
 pose desired, he was called upon to build many 
 styles of carriages and wagons. These inva- 
 riably proved satisfactory, and in that particu- 
 lar field he was practically without opposition. 
 As far as possible each component part of a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 937 
 
 vehicle built by him was made in his factory 
 from the raw material, and every detail of the 
 work was completed under his personal super- 
 vision, which accounted for the excellent finish 
 and durability of his work. The commercial 
 as well as the industrial department was con- 
 ducted by him in an able manner. Genial, 
 courteous, and upright, he was exceedingly 
 popular among business men, and enjoyed the 
 esteem and confidence of a wide circle of 
 friends and acquaintances. His death, which 
 occurred August 20, 1896, was deplored as an 
 untimely removal. 
 
 On May 25, 1872, Mr. Oilman married 
 Annie Hersey, of Spencer, daughter of Martin 
 and Sarah (Adams) Hersey. She survives 
 him, and is now conducting business. He left 
 two children ; namely, Edith J. and Albert R. 
 Oilman. 
 
 Mr. Oilman belonged to the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of 
 Pythias. He was for many years a member of 
 the Lincoln Square Baptist Church and a lib- 
 eral contributor to objects of charity. 
 
 
 ARREN BAKER, for many years one 
 of the best known and most exten- 
 sive manufacturers of woollen fabrics 
 in Worcester County, was born January 3, 
 181 2, at Charlton, Mass., and died June 10, 
 1882, in Worcester. He was a son of Brad- 
 ford and Ruth (Thayer) Baker, well-to-do 
 members of the farming community of Charl- 
 ton, and came from a long Hne of American 
 ancestors of English origin. 
 
 He was reared and educated in Charlton. 
 When about eighteen years old he went to Rut- 
 land, a nearby town, where he worked in a 
 woollen-mill and made himself familiar with 
 the management of its various departments. 
 In 1842 he started a mill in Hopeville, a part 
 of the city of Worcester; and the following 
 year he opened a mill for the manufacture of 
 warps in two different places in Worcester 
 County, Spencer and Cherry Valley, and also 
 became partner in a cotton-mill in South 
 Worcester. He gradually gained in financial 
 strength, was interested in other manufactur- 
 ing plants, and in 1850 purchased the Ridg- 
 
 way Mill at Millbury, where he manufactured 
 satinets for six years. The following five 
 years he was senior member of the firm of 
 W. & H. Baker, furniture manufacturers ; and, 
 after the partnership with his brother was dis- 
 solved, he opened a retail furniture store at the 
 corner of Main and Pleasant Streets, Worces- 
 ter. Deciding in a short time to manufacture 
 his own furniture and thus double his profits, 
 he started a factory just outside the city limits, 
 in Northville, where he made furniture for the 
 wholesale as well as retail trade, carrying on a 
 brisk business for a time. His tastes and in- 
 clinations, however, led him to dispose of that 
 factory and turn his attention once more to 
 textile manufactures. He bought a woollen- 
 mill in the town of Auburn, Mass., invested 
 some of his capital in mills located in other 
 towns near Worcester, and until 1877 he was 
 one of the foremost manufacturers of his line 
 of goods in this section of New England, hav- 
 ing, without doubt, a greater knowledge of the 
 business in all its details than any other per- 
 son. He was a man of indomitable energy and 
 persistency, and in his forty years of active 
 life accomplished as much work as three men 
 ought to do. His close application to his 
 varied interests proved too much for his physi- 
 cal well-being, and in 1877 he suffered a stroke 
 of paralysis, from which he never recovered. 
 He was quiet and unostentatious in manner, 
 and well worthy in every way of the hearty 
 respect accorded him by all with whom he 
 came in contact, whether in business, political, 
 social, or religious circles. 
 
 On January 3, 1841, Mr. Baker married 
 Miss Anna Schofield, of Leicester, who was 
 born and reared in England, but after coming 
 to Massachusetts lived in Leicester until her 
 marriage, making her home with her widowed 
 mother, who died in 1876. Mrs. Baker, a 
 bright-minded and interesting woman of four- 
 score years, still lives in Worcester. 
 
 RVINO SPRAOUE was born in Leices- 
 ter, Worcester County, April 23, 1820. 
 During his active career he was 
 prominently identified with various manufact- 
 uring and business interests in Leicester; and 
 
938 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 at his death, which occurred August 28, 1893, 
 the town lost one of its most highly respected 
 and worthy citizens. His ancestors, both pa- 
 ternal and maternal, were among the earliest 
 settlers of this section of Massachusetts; and 
 in Leicester his parents, Thomas and Betsey 
 (Morse) Sprague, were born and lived and 
 died. 
 
 Erving Sprague obtained a practical educa- 
 tion in the district school, and at the age of 
 sixteen years left the home farm to learn the 
 trade of a card-maker. Entering the shop of 
 James Trask in Leicester, he served an appren- 
 ticeship of five years with him, and was subse- 
 quently employed as a journeyman card-cloth- 
 ing maker several years. Forming then a 
 partnership with Bayliss Upham, he continued 
 manufacturing for some time on his own ac- 
 count; but prior to the Civil War he gave up 
 that business, and from that time forward was 
 profitably engaged in lumbering and wood 
 dealing. A man of persistent energy and good 
 executive and financial ability, he met with 
 eminent success in all his undertakings, and 
 proved himself a typical representative of the 
 self-made men of New England. Politically, 
 he was a Whig in his earlier years, and prior 
 to the Rebellion he served as Selectman of the 
 town and held other important local offices. 
 On the formation of the Republican party he 
 became one of its most loyal supporters, and 
 from that time until his death conscientiously 
 advocated its principles. 
 
 On April 4, 1848, Mr. Sprague married 
 Miss Ruth W. Bryant, who was born in 
 Leicester, Mass., November 9, 1825, a daugh- 
 ter of Joseph and Melinda (Watson) Bryant, 
 lifelong residents of this town. Her ancestors 
 also were pioneers of Leicester, among them 
 being men of prominence in town and county 
 affairs. Her paternal grandfather, David 
 Bryant, as a soldier in the Revolutionary army 
 assisted in the great struggle for national inde- 
 pendence. Mrs. Sprague occupies the old 
 homestead. She has been bereft of two 
 children — Jennie E. and Myron W. — and 
 has one son living, Walter E., now a Highway 
 Commissioner in Leicester. Myron W. 
 Sprague was a member of the Republican 
 Town Committee. He married Alice E. 
 
 Comins, of Charlton, Mass., on October 4, 
 1893, and died June 10, 1898. He left three 
 children — Ruth Comins, Fred Louis, and 
 Myron Erving Sprague. 
 
 (sJVPPLETON PARK WILLIAMS, pres- 
 Zja ident of the Upton Manufacturing 
 ^^^V Company at West Upton, Mass., 
 ^■"^ was born in Providence, R.I., Jan- 
 uary 28, 1867, son of Zephaniah and Minerva 
 Victoria (Park) Williams. He belongs to the 
 Taunton family of this name, whose immi- 
 grant progenitor was Richard Williams, who 
 was born in Wotton-under-edge, Gloucester- 
 shire, England, January 28, 1606, and was a 
 son of William Williams, an Englishman of 
 Welsh descent. 
 
 A careful study of early records has brought 
 to light the fact that Richard Williams was a 
 kinsman of Oliver Cromwell, the two finding 
 a common ancestor in Margaret Cromwell, 
 daughter of Robert Cromwell and wife of 
 William Smyth. {See New England Histori- 
 cal and Genealogical Register ioT April, 1897.) 
 Richard Williams married Frances Dighton, 
 a native of Gloucestershire. The exact date 
 of their arrival in New England is not known; 
 but it is thought that Richard, his wife, and 
 his unmarried sister reached Dorchester, 
 Mass., some time during the year 1636, and 
 that he left the women there in 1637, while 
 he was making ready for them a home in 
 Taunton. He was known as the peacemaker 
 on account of his honorable methods in deal- 
 ing with the Indians. He was one of a com- 
 pany who organized and operated the first iron 
 works in America, and was actively concerned 
 in the business growth of the town of Taun- 
 ton as well as in its political and religious 
 affairs. He died there in 1693. His first 
 two children died in England. After arriv- 
 ing in this country his wife bore him seven 
 children, and it is quite certain that their 
 names were: Samuel, Nathaniel, Joseph, 
 Thomas, Benjamin, Elizabeth, and Hannah. 
 They all married, and reared large families. 
 Many ancient documents and records show 
 that members of the Williams family were 
 prominent in public affairs as well as private 
 
Al'l'LETON P. WILLIAMS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 94t 
 
 speculations in the early days of Taunton's 
 existence. Their descendants are scattered 
 * throughout the United States, and many have 
 rendered distinguished services to the com- 
 munities in which they lived. At a large 
 family reunion held in Historical Hall, Taun- 
 ton, October 30, 1896, an interesting address 
 upon Richard Williams and his descendants 
 was delivered by the Hon. Josiah H. Drum- 
 mond, of Portland, Me., who is nunnbered 
 among them. At this meeting the results of 
 much careful research into the early history of 
 the family were made known. It was stated 
 that in the Taunton directory the name of 
 Williams occurs ninety times, and in the 
 church registry twenty-three. 
 
 Zephaniah Williams, the father of Apple- 
 ton P. Williams, was born in Pomfret, Conn., 
 on February 20, 1835. He has been for 
 nearly forty years connected with the Provi- 
 dence line for New York. He was a member 
 of the Union Congregational Church, Provi- 
 dence, and served as Deacon from the time of 
 its organization until his resignation in 1894. 
 He now belongs to the Central Congrega- 
 tional Church. He married Minerva Park, 
 daughter of Appleton Park, a retired grain 
 dealer of Pawtucket, R.I., and president of 
 the First National Bank of that city. 
 
 Appleton Park Williams in his childhood 
 and early youth attended the public schools of 
 Providence, completing the regular high- 
 school course in 1885. His classica.l studies 
 were pursued at Brown University, and while 
 there he was president of the Reading-room 
 Association and manager of the 'varsity base- 
 ball team. He was graduated in the class of 
 1889. For some time after that he was with 
 the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Company; 
 but failing health compelled him to resign a 
 responsible position, and he made an ex- 
 tended tour through Canada and the maritime 
 provinces, also visiting nearly every State in 
 the Union. In 1892 he located in West 
 Upton, where country air and out-of-door 
 exercise could be obtained in connection with 
 a business enterprise; and, purchasing his 
 present factory, he organized the Upton Man- 
 ufacturing Company, of which he is president 
 and treasurer. Boxes are here manufactured 
 
 in large quantities, and this enterprise has 
 proved exceedingly beneficial to the town. 
 
 In 1895 Mr. Williams's practical sagacity 
 was called into public use by his fellow- 
 townsmen, who elected him to the School 
 Board, upon which he labored diligently in 
 forwarding the educational interests of the 
 community for two years; and in 1897 he was 
 elected to the Massachusetts House of Repre- 
 sentatives. As chairman of the School Com- 
 mittee he has succeeded in properly grading 
 the public schools and otherwise improving 
 the system. His effective work in securing 
 the erection of the new high-school building, 
 which has not only provided better facilities 
 for public use but has greatly added to the at- 
 tractiveness of the town, will be long appre- 
 ciated by the people of Upton. The building- 
 was completed in 1897, and formally opened 
 to the public on September 23 with appropri- 
 ate exercises, consisting of an eloquent ad- 
 dress of welcome by the chairman of the 
 School Board, remarks by Mrs. Alice Free- 
 man Palmer, formerly president of Wellesley 
 College, an historical address written by the 
 Rev. George S. Ball and read by the Rev. 
 Walter Knight, pastor of the Unitarian 
 church, and music by Bird's Orchestra of 
 Marlboro. 
 
 On September 20, 1893, Mr. Williams was 
 united in marriage with Emelyn Palmer 
 Butts, daughter of the late George W. and 
 Louisa M. (Green) Butts, the former of whom 
 was a retired banker of Providence. Mrs. 
 Williams died on June 22, 1895. 
 
 Mr. Williams is a member of the Delta 
 Kappa Epsilon fraternity and of the Uni- 
 versity Club of Boston. While residing in 
 Providence he was actively engaged in re- 
 ligious work; being especially interested in 
 the mission schools and the Young People's 
 Society of Christian Endeavor. He is serving 
 upon the Financial Committee, is superin- 
 tendent of the Sunday-school, and is con- 
 nected with the First Congregational Church 
 of Upton, and is a member of the Executive 
 Committee of the Massachusetts State Sun- 
 day-school Association. He was a delegate 
 to the World's Sunday-school Convention in 
 London in July of the present year, 1898. 
 
942 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 rr^ll'ENRY B. WELLINGTON was for 
 many years known far and wide as 
 the leading blaclcsmith of Worces- 
 ter, Mass., and a highly respected 
 citizen. One of the seven children of Nahum 
 and Mary (Ballard) Wellington, he was born 
 here. May 23, 1831, and died at his home in 
 this city, October 12, 1891. He came of pa- 
 triotic Revolutionary stock, and was a lineal 
 descendant of Roger Wellington, who, as one 
 of the original proprietors of Watertown, 
 Mass., settled there previous to 1640, and was 
 subsequently an influential and prominent 
 citizen. 
 
 Mr. Wellington learned the blacksmith's 
 trade of his father, with whom he worked until 
 twenty-five years old. Going then to Clinton, 
 he set up a smithy in that town, where he 
 remained a few years, most successfully em- 
 ployed. Preferring Worcester, however, as a 
 place of residence and business, he returned to 
 this city and opened a shop on Exchange 
 Street, nearly opposite Waldo Street, and was 
 there prosperously engaged in his vocation 
 until his death. A scientific and expert horse- 
 shoer and blacksmith, he built up a thriving 
 business, one of the most extensive of the kind 
 in the county. Intelligent and progressive, 
 he kept up to the times in regard to methods 
 and improvements constantly made in black- 
 smithing, and thoroughly mastered every de- 
 tail of his trade. He was kind-hearted and 
 sympathetic to a rare degree, and with a love 
 for dumb beasts, more especially of the horse, 
 that led him always to work for its comfort, a 
 desirable trait that went a long way in insur- 
 ing his success in his work. Mr. Wellington 
 stood as a high type of the honest, generous 
 man, whose deeds of unostentatious charity are 
 only known to the recipients and almoners of 
 his bounty. He was an attendant of the Uni- 
 versalist church, toward the support of which 
 he contributed liberally. 
 
 A loyal citizen, Mr. Wellington always sup- 
 ported the principles of the Republican party, 
 but never sought or received public office. 
 Fraternally, he was an active member of the 
 Masonic order, belonging to Montacute Lodge, 
 F. & A. M. ; to the Worcester County Com- 
 mandery, K. T. ; and to the Worcester Lodge 
 
 of Perfection. He was also a member for a 
 quarter of a century of the Worcester County 
 Mechanics' Association. 
 
 Mr. Wellington was first married to Miss 
 Mary Wood, who died a few years later, leav- 
 ing two sons — Charles and Walter. On Octo- 
 ber 23, 1883, Mr. Wellington married Mrs. 
 Hannah Tinkham Stratton, of Rochester, N. Y., 
 who survives him. Mrs. Wellington is a 
 daughter of Jesse and Hannah (Eddy) Tink- 
 ham, and comes of Colonial ancestry, the Tink- 
 ham family having been prominent in the 
 annals of Enfield, Mass., for several genera- 
 tions. 
 
 DWIN MORSE, for many years a con- 
 tractor and builder of Worcester, was 
 born in Hubbardston, Mass., on 
 April 13, 1824. He was the son of Asa and 
 Elizabeth (Goulding) Morse, and was of the 
 eighth generation from Samuel Morse, who 
 was born in England in 1585, came to this 
 country in 1635, and settled at Dedhara in 
 1637. Asa Morse, who was a well-to-do 
 farmer and respected citizen of Petersham, 
 married Elizabeth Goulding, a native of 
 Worcester, on May 22, 1823. 
 
 Edwin Morse spent his early life in Peters- 
 ham, where he attended school and worked on 
 the farm. After his school days were over he 
 lived for a few years with his uncle in Orange, 
 Mass., and while in that place he learned 
 the carpenter's trade. He subsequently went 
 to Worcester and was employed for a time as a 
 skilled carpenter, but soon engaged in contract- 
 ing and building for himself. Not having 
 sufficient capital, however, he retired after a 
 few years, and entered the employ of W. H. 
 Eddy, contractor and builder, and while with 
 him had charge of the work upon many struct- 
 ures in Worcester and vicinity. He was com- 
 petent and faithful in the discharge of his 
 duties, and his employer showed his recogni- 
 tion of this fact by placing him in positions of 
 great responsibility. He remained in the em- 
 ploy of Mr. Eddy for many years, but in the 
 late seventies he had acquired sufficient capital 
 to start in business for himself again. He 
 continued active as a contractor and builder up 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 943 
 
 to the time of his death, which occurred June 
 I, 1879. He was an attendant of the Central 
 Congregational Church of Worcester and a 
 man of noble Christian character. Devoted to 
 his home and home ties, he was happiest when 
 by his own fireside; and, though his life was 
 quiet and unostentatious, it was well-lived. 
 Mr. Morse possessed great patience, industry, 
 and perseverance; and these qualities, combined 
 with prudence and good judgment, rendered him 
 successful in his business undertakings. Mr. 
 Morse was married in 1850 to Martha Jane 
 Worcester, daughter of William and Sybil 
 (Learned) Worcester, of Worcester, Mass. 
 Her father was of the seventh generation in 
 descent from the Rev. William Worcester, 
 who came from England about 1639, and was 
 pastor of the first church established in Salis- 
 bury, Mass. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Morse have had three children, 
 namely: William Worcester (deceased) ; Sybil 
 Jane; and John Edwin, who is now a clerk in 
 the Mechanics' Savings Bank of Worcester, and 
 is a young riian of ability and promise. 
 
 (sTr-LBERT H. CONVERSE, Selectman 
 /I4 and Assessor of the town of Warren, 
 yj|\ Mass. , and proprietor of a manufact- 
 ^--' uring plant at West Warren, was 
 born in Wardsboro, Vt, on May 16, 1842, 
 son of Waldo and Welthy (Burroughs) Con- 
 verse. His grandfather, Joseph Converse, re- 
 moved to Wardsboro from Brimfield, Mass., 
 where he had been for many years a resident. 
 Waldo Converse, who was then about six years 
 old, resided in Wardsboro for nearly half a 
 century, and then came to Warren, which was 
 the birthplace of his wife. He died here in 
 1886. "He is survived by two children: Al- 
 bert H., the subject of this sketch; and Hul- 
 dah S., who is the wife of Ira M. White, of 
 Warren. The family is said to be of English 
 origin. 
 
 Albert H. Converse grew to manhood in his 
 native town, and received his education in the 
 public schools of Wardsboro and in the high 
 school at Townshend, Vt. His father was a 
 millwright by trade, and also a carriage manu- 
 facturer. Albert early showed a taste for 
 
 mechanical pursuits, and learned wood-working 
 in his father's shop. Later he took up black- 
 smithing, and in time he became a skilled 
 craftsman both in wood and iron work. When 
 about twenty-three years of age he began busi- 
 ness for himself at Wardsboro in the manufact- 
 ure of carriages and in general repairing in 
 wood and iron. After continuing this for two 
 years, he worked as a journeyman for the Ames 
 Plough Company at Ayer Junction, Mass., and 
 in 1875 he came to West Warren and started 
 business for himself. He has met with good 
 success, and to-day is carrying on a prosperous 
 business. He manufactures carriages, does 
 blacksmithing, and has a general repair shop. 
 In 1869 Mr. Converse married Sarah, young- 
 est daughter of Christopher and Charlotte 
 Berry, of Boston. In politics he is a Republi- 
 can. He is a Mason, and is connected with 
 the lodge at Jamaica, Vt., which he joined in 
 1863. In his native town he served as Col- 
 lector of Taxes, a member of the School Com- 
 mittee, and Superintendent of Roads. During 
 the twelve years in which he has been Assessor 
 of Warren and the five years in which he has 
 served on the Board of Selectmen he has 
 shown himself faithful and efficient, and has 
 earned the respect of all residents of the town. 
 He has displayed an untiring activity in behalf 
 of the public good, and his judgment in impor- 
 tant crises has been esteemed. 
 
 (^TtLFRED M. brown was for several 
 /I\ years one of the most enterprising 
 Jj\\ business men of Cherry Valley, 
 ^~-' Worcester County. A son of Will- 
 iam and Caroline Brown, he was born April 
 22, 1846, in Leicester, Mass., but was reared 
 and educated in Cherry Valley, whither he 
 came with his parents in early boyhood. 
 
 Shortly after attaining his majority he 
 started in business on his own account as a 
 teamster. He soon had charge of all the 
 transportation of merchandise for the mills of 
 this locality, and in course of time developed 
 an extensive expressage business between this 
 place and Worcester, to which he made daily 
 trips. In order to still further increase his 
 income, he next established a coal yard; and in 
 
944 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 addition to furnishing the coal for the mills of 
 Cherry Valley, he built up a large retail trade 
 in fuel in various parts of Worcester. Having 
 acquired considerable money by his business 
 operations, he made judicious investments in 
 real estate, and in 1884 he built coal yards at 
 Jamesville, Mass. He kept several men and a 
 number of horses employed in his expressing 
 and coal business, both of which he continued 
 successfully until his death, December 16, 
 1895. 
 
 Mr. Brown married November 22, 1868, 
 Miss Louisa Williams, who died at an early 
 age, leaving four children, namely: Alfred, 
 now nineteen years of age; Ruth, thirteen 
 years old; Robert, a sturdy lad of ten years; 
 and Mildred, a bright little girl of ten years. 
 On September 18, 1894, Mr. Brown married 
 Miss Inez Owen, daughter of William and Al- 
 mira Owen, of Barton, Vt. Fraternally, he 
 was a Mason, belonging to Quinsigamond 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and politically he was an 
 adherent of the Republican party, and took an 
 active part in the management of local public 
 affairs, serving for a time as Highway Com- 
 missioner. 
 
 /^TeORGE W. HUBBARD, armorer at 
 \ S I the State Armory, Worcester, and a 
 veteran of the Civil War, was born 
 in Hallowell, Me., September 18, 1842, son of 
 Ezekiel and Lucy (Goodwin) Hubbard. His 
 father was born in Wiscasset, Me., in 1802, 
 and his mother was born in Fittston, same 
 State, in 1805. Ezekiel Hubbard followed the 
 shoemaker's trade in Hallowell for some years, 
 afterward engaged in the wool business, and 
 was later a shipbuilder. He acquired consid- 
 erable prominence in the political affairs of 
 Kennebec County, and served as one of its 
 Commissioners. In 1885 he went to Denver, 
 Col., where he died the following year. His 
 wife died in 1892. They had a family of five 
 sons and five daughters. Of these, three sons 
 and two daughters grew to maturity, and the 
 three sons are now living. 
 
 George W. Hubbard was educated in the 
 public schools in Hallowell. In the spring of 
 1 861, when the Rebellion broke out, he was 
 
 working at the machinist's trade in Boston. 
 Returning to his native State, he enlisted on 
 June 4 in Company E, Third Maine Regi- 
 ment, which was the first to be enrolled for 
 three years. He went to the front under the 
 command of General O. O. Howard, and served 
 without mishap in Kearney's division, Third 
 Army Corps, until taken prisoner at the battle 
 of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864. He was held 
 a captive in Lynchburg, Danville, Anderson- 
 ville, Savannah, Millen, and Blackshear until 
 the following December, when he was paroled. 
 He was honorably discharged February 28, 
 1865, as First Sergeant of Company I, Sev- 
 enteenth Maine Regiment, to which he had 
 been transferred while a prisoner. Resum- 
 ing work in the shop he had left four years 
 previous, he followed his trade for ten years, 
 when he was forced to relinquish it by an 
 accident which resulted in the loss of his left 
 eye. Coming to Worcester in 1875 as repre- 
 sentative of the Kennedy Biscuit Company, he 
 continued with that concern a year, and was 
 afterward with C. H. Stearns in the same busi- 
 ness for five years. For the succeeding eight 
 years he was employed by Messrs. Reinbold & 
 Marsh, confectioners; and on May 25, 1890, he 
 was appointed to his present position at the 
 State Armory, which had just been completed. 
 This armory, which is the third largest in 
 Massachusetts, has sufficient room for five or 
 more companies. It is admirably equipped, 
 having a drill hall one hundred and sixty by 
 seventy-two feet ; and its custodian is always to 
 be found upon the premises, ready to give his 
 personal attention to all matters relative to 
 the building and its use. 
 
 On October 11, 1865, Mr. Hubbard married 
 Lizzie F. Decker, of Hallowell. Many of 
 Mrs. Hubbard's ancestors on both sides were 
 teachers ; and her maternal grandfather, Sam- 
 uel Locke, was known as the Iron School- 
 master. The children of this union are: G. 
 Walter Hubbard, of this city, who is married 
 and has a daughter, Lottie M. , a clerk in the 
 Registry of Deeds; and Addie E., who is 
 employed in the office of C. W. Claflin & Co., 
 coal dealers. 
 
 Mr. Hubbard was made a Mason in Kenne- 
 bec Lodge, Hallowell, in February, 1864, and 
 
Mrs. JOHN W. RICE. 
 
JOHN W. RICE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 949 
 
 is still a member of that body. He also be- 
 longs to the Ancient Order of United Work- 
 men, and is a comrade of George H. Ward 
 Post, No. lo, G. A. R. , of which he has been 
 officer of the day, Adjutant, and Junior Vice- 
 Commander. 
 
 His grandfather, 
 former resident of 
 descendant in the 
 
 6 1 HOMAS SOUTHWICK, a venerable 
 * I and esteemed resident of Leicester and 
 -■- a descendant of one of the early settlers 
 in the northern part of the town, was born on 
 April 28, 1816, son of Amasa and Mary 
 (Richardson) Southwick. 
 Nathaniel Southwick, a 
 Worcester, was a lineal 
 fifth generation of Lawrence and Cassandra 
 Southwick, of Salem, who suffered cruel per- 
 secutions "in the dark days of delusion against 
 the Quakers. " Amasa Southwick was born in 
 Berlin, Mass., but resided for many years in 
 Leicester, and was engaged in farming and 
 in the manufacture of hand cards. His wife 
 was also a native of Worcester County. 
 
 Of the four children born to his parents, 
 Thomas Southwick is the only one now living. 
 He grew up in Leicester, and during his boy- 
 hood assisted his father on the farm in the 
 intervals outside of school, and also worked 
 some at making hand cards. His education 
 was completed by a course of study taken at 
 the famed Friends' School in Providence, R. L 
 All his life he has been a great reader, and has 
 kept himself informed on matters of public 
 interest. His residence has beffn in Leicester 
 from his birth with the exception of fifteen 
 years when he was in the commission busi- 
 ness in New York City. At one time he was 
 in business for himself in the manufacture of 
 hand cards in Leicester, but the greater part 
 of his life has been devoted to agricultural 
 pursuits. He owns a large tract of valuable 
 land in this place. 
 
 Mr. Southwick was married on January 21, 
 1868, to Annie B. Marshall. She is the 
 daughter of the late Albert Marshall and his 
 wife, Maria Mann Marshall, for many years 
 prominent residents of Leicester. Mr. Mar- 
 shal], who was born in Nelson, N.H., in De- 
 cember, 1800, and died in 1895, was for many 
 
 years a member of the firm of Mann & Mar- 
 shall, the well-known woollen manufacturers 
 at Leicester. In politics he was a Whig and 
 later a Republican, and in religious faith a 
 Baptist. He was a member of the Baptist 
 church in W^orcester. His wife was born in 
 Worcester. Their three children are all liv- 
 ing, and are as follows: Mrs. L. H. Gould- 
 ing, who is a resident of Duxbury, Mass. ; 
 Lucy, who resides in Leicester; and Mrs. 
 Southwick. Mr. and Mrs. Southwick have 
 two children now living; namely, Nathan M. 
 and Sarah M. They have been bereft of one 
 son, Albert A. Sarah M. Southwick, who is 
 a graduate of Leicester Academy, is a teacher 
 in the public schools of the Commonwealth. 
 Mr. Southwick is a member of the Society of 
 Friends. In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 OHN W. RICE, a retired business 
 man of Barre and an ex-member of the 
 legislature, was born in Rutland, 
 Mass., December 8, 1818, son of John 
 and Alice (Ames) Rice. He is a representa- 
 tive of the eighth generation of the numerous 
 family in this country founded by Edmund 
 Rice, of Berkhamstead, England, who with 
 his wife and several children came to America 
 and settled at Sudbury, Mass., in 1638 or 
 1639. 
 
 "Goodman Rice," the immigrant, was a citi- 
 zen of influence in his day, serving as Select- 
 man, as Deputy to the General Court, and in 
 other official positions, also as Deacon of the 
 church at Sudbury. Late in life he removed 
 to Marlboro, where he died in 1663. He was 
 twice married, and had eleven children. Mrs. 
 Mary A. Livermore, the distinguished lect- 
 urer, reformer, writer — before marriage Mary 
 Ashton Rice — is a descendant of Thomas 
 Rice, one of the sons of Edmund. The de- 
 scent of Mr. John W. Rice, of Barre, as 
 shown in the Rice Genealogy, is from Deacon 
 Edmund's son Edward. The successive an- 
 cestors in this line were as follows, the figures 
 showing the generations: Edmund'; Edward^; 
 John, 3 born about 1647, who married Tabitha 
 Stone, grand-daughter of Deacon Gregory 
 Stone, an early settler of Cambridge, Mass. ; 
 
95° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Captain Edward/ born in 1689, who married 
 Rachel Elgit at Sudbury; John, 5 who married 
 Sarah Martin; John/ born in 1745, who mar- 
 ried Lydia Smith; John/ born in 1783, who 
 married Alice Ames, as indicated above, and 
 was the father of John W. Rice. Captain Ed- 
 ward Rice -removed from Sudbury, Mass., to 
 Rutland, where he was one of the early set- 
 tlers, being proprietor of lots Nos. 34 and 60. 
 The first town meeting in Rutland was held in 
 1722. Captain Rice was active in military, 
 affairs as early as 1724, and afterward took a 
 prominent part in civil matters, holding some 
 of the town offices. He was also one of the 
 founders of the church. He died at Rutland, 
 September 27, 1756, in his sixty-seventh year; 
 and his wife, Rachel, died in 1760. They 
 had six or more children. Their son John, 
 the second of the name in this line, a resident 
 of Rutland, was the father of seven children ; 
 and the third John, also of Rutland, son of 
 John and Sarah (Martin) Rice, was the father 
 of ten children, two sons and eight daughters, 
 by his wife, Lydia, whom he married Febru- 
 ary 6, 1774. 
 
 John Rice, fourth, father of John W. Rice, 
 was the elder of the two sons and the only one 
 that grew to maturity. He succeeded to the 
 ownership of the Rutland homestead, and car- 
 ried on general farming with unusual activity. 
 It was his custom to marlcet his produce in 
 Boston, visiting that city many times a year; 
 and each trip consumed about three days' 
 time. He was a Universalist in his relig- 
 ious belief; but as there was no church of that 
 denomination in Rutland, he heard only occa- 
 sional preaching by the Rev. Hosea Ballou, 
 who now and then came out from Boston. On 
 November 17, 181 1, he married Alice Ames, 
 also a native of Rutland. They reared five 
 children, namely: Martha, who married Syl- 
 vanus Pond, of Holliston, Mass., and is no 
 longer living; Mrs. Sarah A. Davis, of Au- 
 burndale, Mass. ; John W., the subject of this 
 sketch ; Mrs. Adelaide J. Stone, of Worcester, 
 Mass. ; and Edward M. Rice, of that city. 
 John Rice, fourth, died October 17, 1856. 
 Mrs. Alice Ames Rice died June 14, 1861. 
 
 John W. Rice, having acquired his element- 
 ary education in the schools of his native 
 
 town, pursued a course of study at the Normal 
 School in Barre, and then followed school 
 teaching for a number of years. With the ex- 
 ception of one year he has resided at Barre 
 since 1839. For a while he devoted his 
 energies to the mechanical employment of 
 boot-making, and he next engaged in manufact- 
 uring boots and shoes upon his own account. 
 He also kept a general store, and conducted a 
 thriving business both as a manufacturer and 
 a merchant for thirty-five years, at the end of 
 which time he disposed of these enterprises in 
 order to partially retire from active business. 
 He is now occupied with the care of his real 
 estate, which consists of the post-office block 
 and other valuable property ; and he represents 
 several reliable insurance companies. 
 
 Since the breaking out of the Rebellion Mr. 
 Rice has been a Republican in politics. He 
 has served as a member of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen, Town Treasurer, and Collector, and 
 in 1874 he represented this district in the 
 lower branch of the legislature. 
 
 On November 16, 1843, John W. Rice and 
 Myra Holden, who was born in Barre, April 
 27, 1824, daughter of Ethan and Phoebe 
 Holden, were united in marriage by the Rev. 
 Samuel Brimblecom. Three children were 
 the fruit of this union; namely, Albert E., 
 Maria L., and Martha A. Albert E., born 
 January 22, 1845, was formerly associated 
 with his father, and is now Postmaster in 
 Barre. He was a soldier in the Civil War, 
 serving as a member of the Tenth Massachu- 
 setts Light Artillery. He married Georgi- 
 anna Davis, of Orange, Mass., and has two 
 children — Marion D. and John S. Maria L., 
 born November 7, 1852, married Frederic S. 
 Jervis, and resides with her father. Martha 
 A., who was born October i, 1856, married 
 Oscar P. Stone, and died August 20, 1882. 
 She left a son, John H. After making their 
 home in the same dwelling for fifty years, 
 happily growing old together, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Rice on November 16, 1893, celebrated their 
 golden wedding. Their health and strength 
 being unequal to the pleasant exertion of 
 entertaining many friends, the guests were 
 limited to their immediate family and their 
 pastor, the Rev. A. F. Bailey, of the Unitarian 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 951 
 
 church, and his wife. An elaborate dinner 
 was served. Floral gifts, among them many 
 chrysanthemums, favorites of Mrs. Rice, con- 
 gratulations, and heartfelt good wishes, were 
 received; and reminiscences were indulged 
 in. The following poem was written for the 
 occasion by a friend in Springfield: — 
 
 'Tis fifty years since ye were wed. 
 
 Time's pendulum hath swiftly sped. 
 
 Unwearied, liis stern hands have tolled 
 
 Each passing cycle that's enrolled, 
 
 In graven characters of grace, 
 
 Across the polished dial's face. 
 
 'Twas in November, crisp and clear. 
 
 The festive season of the year. 
 
 Each storehouse to the sloping eaves 
 
 Was packed with freshly garnered sheaves, 
 
 Till chanticleer, with boastful stride. 
 
 Proclaimed in clarion tones his pride. 
 
 Autumnal fires illumed the hearth. 
 
 Whose genial warmth had lured to birth, 
 
 Despite approaching winter's hums. 
 
 The sturdy-flowered chrysanthemums. 
 
 Whose odorous breath, from clustered blooms, 
 
 Scented the brightly garnished rooms. 
 
 The day was glad without alloy. 
 The bells rang out in tones of joy. 
 Attended by the wedding train, 
 Before the altar knelt ye, twain. 
 As o'er the silence, hushed and still, 
 In silvery tones the words, " I will," 
 Reverberated into rhymes. 
 With tuneful peal of marriage chimes. 
 
 Life's history then grew on apace : 
 Each added year claimed added space. 
 Three children, prattUng in their play. 
 Held heartstrings captive 'neath their sway. 
 Till each in turn a lover greets. 
 Then — " history itself repeats," 
 And down posterity's incline 
 Four generations form the line. 
 
 Now, in a retrospective view, 
 
 Each chapter glows with changeful hue : 
 
 Betwixt some leaflets may be pressed 
 
 Rosebuds, by faded lips caressed ; 
 
 Or half-shut booklets may enfold 
 
 A ringlet cut from brow grown cold. 
 
 Yet, with fond memories entwined, 
 
 Firm faith with tender hope enshrined 
 
 Reflects, as sunlight o'er a stream, 
 
 A home where love still reigns supreme. 
 
 The baby girls, your heart's delight. 
 
 With husbands made new homes look bright. 
 
 The boy, who at your knee was taught to pray, 
 
 Is grandsire, with some locks of gray. 
 
 And here have met this happy throng 
 
 To celebrate with feast and song. 
 
 Each child's and grandchild's loyal heart 
 
 A tribute brings, — a counterpart 
 
 Of filial love, whose earthly leaven 
 
 Is quickened through the grace of Heaven. 
 
 Ring out, glad bells, ring out your lay. 
 
 The golden wedding of to-day ! 
 
 And when, complete in angel's grasp, 
 
 The volume with its jewelled clasp 
 
 Unloosed, the silken pages shine 
 
 Resplendent with a light divine ; 
 
 And yearning wish and pleading prayer 
 
 Are written with an answer there 
 
 In God's own message, crowned with love, 
 
 " Come, join the marriage feast above !" 
 
 Mrs. Rice died March 27, 1896. 
 
 Mr. Rice is one of the many retired busi- 
 ness men of this town who have acquired com- 
 fortable competencies by their industry and 
 ability. That he stands high in the estima- 
 tion of the community has been attested in 
 words that follow. He is one of the oldest 
 members of Mount Zion Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 and is connected with King Solomon Chapter, 
 Royal Arch Masons, Warren. 
 
 "His fellow-citizens know him as one who 
 has been ready to aid every worthy enterprise. 
 They have known him in past years as a suc- 
 cessful business man, and also as one who in 
 his days of activity sought to shield, as far 
 as possible, those who must share the misfort- 
 une which came to him. As Town Treasurer 
 during the war he disbursed the bounties of 
 the town to its soldiers; and when the treasury 
 was empty he did not hesitate to provide the 
 necessary funds, at whatever risk, personal to 
 himself. He was one of those who had faith 
 enough in the Central Massachusetts Railroad 
 to make considerable investments in its stock, 
 as well as to pledge the faith of the town in 
 its behalf. " 
 
 i^aARKMAN T. DENNY, the cashier 
 ^ of the Leicester National Bank and 
 treasurer of the Leicester Savings 
 Bank, is a native of Leicester, having 
 been born here, December 20, 1851, son of 
 Christopher C. and Anna S. (Tyler) Denny. 
 The name of Denny has been identified with 
 
952 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the history of Leicester since the year 171 7, 
 when Daniel Denny, an Englishman, on com- 
 ing to America selected this town as his home. 
 From Daniel' the line descends through Sam- 
 uel,'' Joseph, 3 Christopher C. ,* to Parkman T. s 
 
 Christopher C. Denny was for years a mem- 
 ber of the well-known firm of White & Denny, 
 card-clothing manufacturers. Giving his sup- 
 port to the Republican party, he interested 
 himself in affairs pertaining to the general 
 welfare of the town, which he served as Select- 
 man and in other offices. He also at one time 
 represented this district in the Massachusetts 
 General Court. As a trustee of the Leicester 
 Savings Bank he rendered valuable service. 
 For years he was a Deacon in the First Con- 
 gregational Church. He died in July, 1895. 
 His wife, Anna S. Tyler Denny, was born in 
 Boston. Of his children, two survive, namely : 
 Henry R. , of St. Paul, Minn., a son by a 
 former wife; and Parkman T., the special sub- 
 ject of this brief biography. 
 
 Parkman T. Denny passed his boyhood here 
 in Leicester. Being studiously inclined, he 
 was a constant and regular attendant at the 
 public-school sessions; and, having completed 
 a prescribed course at Leicester Academy, he 
 entered the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 
 from which he was graduated in 1872. For a 
 year he was an instructor in mathematics and 
 science at the South Jersey Institute, Bridge- 
 ton, N.J. Returning to New England, he 
 spent two years in the office of Ware & Van 
 Brunt, architects, of Boston, and after that he 
 did architectural work on his own account in 
 Worcester for several years. Later on he 
 became book-keeper for Bisco & Denny, card- 
 clothing manufacturers in Leicester, continu- 
 ing with them for several years. In 1885 he 
 was appointed teller in the Leicester National 
 Bank, of which he was made cashier April i, 
 1890, and still holds the position, having 
 proved himself a faithful and efficient officer. 
 In 1885 he was made clerk of the Leicester 
 Savings Bank, and on April i, 1890, treas- 
 urer, in which capacity he continues to serve. 
 He is a director in the Leicester National 
 Bank. For several years he served as Au- 
 ditor of the town. True to the example of his 
 father, he has ever been a loyal Republican. 
 
 He is a member of Morning Star Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. ; of Worcester Royal Arch Chapter; 
 Hiram Council and Worcester County Com- 
 mandery. Knights Templar. 
 
 DIN A. H. HIXON, secretary and 
 librarian of the Worcester County 
 Horticultural Society, was born in 
 Boston, March 17, 1843, son of 
 Dwight and Marion (Wentworth) Hixon. He 
 is of French, Scotch, and English descent. 
 His grandfather Hixon, who resided in Wal- 
 pole, N. H., married a Miss Hale. 
 
 Dwight Hixon, the father named above, was 
 bom in Walpole in 18 10, and died in Boston 
 in 1853. His wife, Marion, whom he married 
 in 183s, was born in Castine, Me., daughter 
 of Paul and Arabella (Rackcliffe) Wentworth. 
 Eight children were the fruit of their union. 
 Of these, two sons and two daughters died in 
 infancy, another daughter died at the age of 
 eighteen years, and two sons and one daughter 
 are living. Although left a widow without 
 resources and with several children dependent 
 upon her, Mrs. Marion W. Hixon bravely ac- 
 cepted the responsibility, and refused some 
 advantageous offers of marriage in order to 
 devote her entire time to her task. Being a 
 woman of energy and ability, she, with the 
 assistance of her elder children, managed to 
 keep her family together until all had reached 
 maturity; and that the children are exceedingly 
 proud of their venerable mother is not to be 
 wondered at. Mrs. Hixon, now eighty-three 
 years old, resides with her daughter, Mrs. Wil- 
 lis P. Clark, on Windsor Street, Worcester. 
 She is bright and interesting, and unusually 
 prepossessing in appearance and manner. Her 
 paternal grandfather, Paul Wentworth, Sr., 
 served in the Revolutionary War. 
 
 Adin A. H. Hixon attended school in Ded- 
 ham, Mass., imtil eleven years old. He then 
 began to serve an apprenticeship at the drug 
 business, giving his meagre wages to his 
 mother. He was employed in drug stores in 
 Boston and Charlestown until 1866, when he 
 came to Worcester, and for the succeeding 
 three years worked for Jerome Marble & Co. 
 He next engaged in the manufacture of brick, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 953 
 
 following the business for three years, at the 
 expiration of which time he turned his atten- 
 tion to horticulture. To this and kindred mat- 
 ters he has since devoted his attention. He 
 has been an active member of the Worcester 
 County Agricultural Society for twenty years. 
 He is custodian of the property of the Worces- 
 ter County Horticultural Society, has served 
 as its librarian for the past eight years, and 
 since the death of Edward Winslow Lincoln 
 he has officiated as its secretary. 
 
 Mr. Hixon was married in this city, January 
 5, 1 871, to Mrs. Fannie E. Daniels, widow of 
 Henry Daniels and a daughter of David R. 
 and Sarah N. (Britton) Gates. Mr. Hixon 
 and his wife now reside in the house where she 
 was born. She is a descendant in the eighth 
 generation of Stephen Gates, who came from 
 Norwich, England, on the ship "Diligence " 
 in 1638, first settling in Hingham and later 
 in Marlboro, Mass. Her great-grandfather, 
 Simon Gates, first, who came from that town 
 to Worcester in 1749, was the original owner 
 of the Gates estate, which has since been 
 divided among his descendants. A portion of 
 the house he occupied is still standing. 
 Simon Gates, second, her grandfather, who was 
 a minute-man and marched to Lexington in 
 1775, was born at the homestead, and died 
 here in February, 1849, aged nearly ninety- 
 three years. He married Sarah Edgerton, a 
 native of Nova Scotia, and she died in 1843, 
 aged eighty-five years. They were the parents 
 of eight children, namely: John; Levi; David 
 R. ; Horatio; Olive; Roxelana; Sarah; and 
 Mary, who died young. David R. Gates, the 
 father, who was born at the homestead about 
 the year 1800, and was a lifelong resident of 
 Worcester, died in 1872. He was twice mar- 
 ried, and by his second wife, Sarah Britton 
 Gates, he had seven children, namely: Levi, 
 who went to Washington Territory in 1850, 
 and died there, leaving two sons, one of whom 
 has been Mayor of Portland, Ore. ; Horatio, 
 who died in California; Louisa, who married 
 Henry Hoyt, and died in 1888, leaving a 
 daughter, who resides in Boston; Nathan Brit- 
 ton, a prosperous farmer in the State of Wash- 
 ington, having four daughters; Fannie E. , who 
 is now Mrs, Adin A, H, Hixon; Ellen Maria, 
 
 wife of Eben Sanford, of San Francisco, Cal. ; 
 and Caroline A., wife of Francois Hixon, a 
 machinist of this city and brother of Adin A. 
 Mrs. Sarah B. Gates died February 8, 1893, 
 aged eighty-three. 
 
 As an example of longevity in the Gates 
 family may be mentioned a cousin of David 
 R., Mrs. Fannie Gates Bradford, who was one 
 hundred years old in September, 1894, and 
 died in the following November. Mrs. Hixon 
 has a portrait of her as a centenarian. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Adin A. H. Hixon have one 
 son, Allyne Wentworth Hixon, who was born 
 November 11, 1874, and is an enthusiastic 
 horticulturist. Mr. Hixon belongs to the 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen, the 
 Knights and Ladies of Honor, and the Patrons 
 of Husbandry. 
 
 AMUEL B. RIPLEY, for several 
 years a prominent real estate dealer 
 of Worcester, Mass., died suddenly 
 at his home, 6 High Street, on 
 Monday, November 29, 1897. He was born 
 February 15, 1819, in Oakham, Mass., son of 
 Jephthah and Mary Ripley, and was a descend- 
 ant of an old Colonial family. 
 
 Mr. Ripley grew to manhood on his father' s 
 farm in Oakham, but, not taking sufficient 
 interest in agricultural pursuits to become a 
 farmer, left home just before attaining his ma- 
 jority, to engage in other occupations. For a 
 few years he was in the meat and provision 
 business on Front Street, Worcester; and on 
 selling out his market he returned to Oakham, 
 where he opened a store of general merchan- 
 dise, which he conducted with success until 
 1852. Mr. Ripley then joined a party of his 
 friends and fellow-townsmen going to Califor- 
 nia, and on arriving at the Pacific coast was 
 employed in digging for gold for a while; but, 
 realizing that he had really a better chance for 
 obtaining that precious metal in some other 
 way, he opened a general store and meat mar- 
 ket, and for four years had a profitable trade. 
 When he came back to Worcester he turned 
 his attention to real estate, a business for 
 which his sound judgment, his knowledge of 
 values, and his keen foresight admirably fitted 
 
954 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 him. He built apartment houses, which he 
 had no trouble in selling at a good advantage, 
 their desirability as tenements being apparent 
 from the first. He subsequently built the 
 block now owned by R. C. Taylor; and in 
 1873 he erected Hotel Pleasant, a first-class 
 family hotel, which was at first managed by 
 George Tower and afterward for five years by 
 Mr. Ripley himself. More recently he built 
 the blocks now occupied by the Evening Post 
 and other business concerns, at the head of 
 Beacon Street. In all of his ventures he suc- 
 ceeded well, and while advancing his own 
 interests also assisted materially in the up- 
 building of the city. A man of upright 
 character, kind and considerate, he had a 
 large circle of warm friends among the lead- 
 ing citizens of Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Ripley married Martha Macullar, who 
 was born in Barre, Mass. She is a sister of 
 the late Addison Macullar, well known in this 
 city. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE GIBBS SAMSON, a pros- 
 \ i) I perous farmer of Ashburnham, was 
 born near Ashburnham village, Sep- 
 tember 26, 1820, son of Jonathan and Betsey 
 (Gibbs) Samson. 
 
 The farm he occupies was cleared by his 
 maternal grandfather, Jonathan Gibbs, who, 
 after Jiving here a number of years, was killed 
 by a tree falling upon him and breaking his 
 back. Mr. Gibbs's son-in-law, Jonathan Sam- 
 son, who had previously kept an inn at Rindge, 
 N. H. , bought the place in 1830, and resided 
 here until his death, December 2, 1869. He 
 was born in Boylston, Mass., December 20, 
 1786, and was married May 15, 1814, to Bet- 
 sey Gibbs. She survived him less than a 
 year, dying February 19, 1870. 
 
 George Gibbs Samson bought the estate of 
 his father, and has lived here for fifty years. 
 The farm contains one hundred and sixty 
 acres, and is one of the finest in the town. 
 The farm-house was built by his father nearly 
 seventy years ago. 
 
 On August 25, 1847, at Waltham, Mass., 
 Mr. Samson married Angenette Tavener, who 
 was born in Newton, Mass., August 7, 1825. 
 
 When they celebrated the fiftieth anniversary 
 of their wedding, seventy-five or eighty of 
 their friends were present to extend congratu- 
 lations, many substantial gifts were received, 
 original poems were read, and speeches made 
 in honor of the occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Sara- 
 son have three daughters : Mary Georgianna, 
 wife of Charles H. Pratt; Elizabeth A., wife 
 of Stephen Bromley, of Detroit, Mich, ; and 
 Flora A., widow of Leonard Eisentraut, re- 
 siding in Worcester, Mass. 
 
 TT^HARLES H. PRATT, chairman of 
 I \/ the Ashburnham Board of Selectmen, 
 ^'U^^ was born in Westminster, Mass., 
 November 11, 1848. His parents 
 were Russell and Ann (Wheeler) Pratt, and 
 his paternal grandparents were John and Bet- 
 sey (Warren) Pratt, of Gardner, Mass. 
 
 . John Pratt died just before his son Russell 
 was born, and Mrs. Pratt returned to her 
 father's home, a farm in the north part of 
 Westminster. She was a daughter of Hay- 
 man and Betsey (Mossman) Wheeler and one 
 of a family of fourteen children, all of whom 
 have passed away. Her father, who was a 
 prominent office-holder and trial justice, came 
 to Westminster from Sudbury, Mass. He died 
 at the age of fifty-four years, Russell Pratt 
 died on the old Wheeler farm in 1868, aged 
 fifty-six. Two years later his widow, Mrs. 
 Ann Pratt, came to Ashburnham to live, and 
 here she died in 1876. They had three chil- 
 dren, sons; namely, John W. , Henry R., and 
 Charles H, John W. , a resident of Charles- 
 town, Mass., died in 1881, at thirty-nine. 
 Henry R. died at nineteen years of age, in 
 1864. 
 
 The boyhood of Charles H. Pratt was spent 
 on the old Wheeler homestead in Westminster. 
 Pie attended the common school and assisted 
 in the work of the farm until the age of 
 twenty, when he went to Fitchburg, Mass., 
 and for the next eighteen months was em- 
 ployed in a cabinet shop. After his marriage 
 he came to live on this farm with his wife's 
 father. 
 
 Mr. Pratt was married November 11, 1873, 
 to Miss Mary G, Samson, who vv^g born on 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 955 
 
 this farm and is a daughter of George G. and 
 Angenette (Tavener) Samson. One son has 
 blessed their union; namely, George Russell 
 Pratt, a music student. 
 
 In political views Mr. Pratt is a Republican. 
 He has held th.e position of chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen seven or eight years, and 
 has served on the board constantly since 1883, 
 with the exception of the year 1886. Frater- 
 nally, he is a member of Naumkeag Lodge, 
 I. 0. O. F., in which he has passed all the 
 chairs; also of the Knights of Pythias, and of 
 the Ashburnham Grange, in which there are 
 one hundred and eighty-six members. His 
 wife and son also belong to the grange. In 
 1876 Mr. Pratt enlisted in the Rice Guards; 
 four years later he was made Second Lieuten- 
 ant; and in 1885 he became a Captain, serving 
 until he resigned three years later. This or- 
 ganization was started as the Ashburnham 
 Light Infantry over one hundred years ago ; 
 and the name was changed to the Rice Guards 
 in honor of its old Captain, who was Colonel 
 of the Ninth Regiment before the war, went 
 out as Captain of a company in the Twenty- 
 first Massachusetts Regiment, was afterward 
 promoted to be Lieutenant Colonel, and was 
 killed at Chantilly. 
 
 irx AVID BOYDEN, for a number of 
 I ^=1 years partner in the firm of John 
 ^jr^J Kendall & Co., hatters and furriers, 
 Worcester, Mass., was born in Ma- 
 chias. Me., October 10, 1843, and was the 
 son of David, Sr. , and Martha (Paine) Boyden. 
 His paternal ancestors for several generations 
 were well-to-do farmers. In 1750 his great- 
 grandfather, John Boyden, took part as an 
 officer in the famous expedition against Louis- 
 burg. 
 
 In 1837 David Boyden, Sr. , became inter- 
 ested in land speculation in Maine, and settled 
 in that State. In 1853 he removed to Worces- 
 ter, and here he died in 1861. During the 
 earlier part of his active life he worked as a 
 lumberman in Maine. In Worcester he lived 
 for a short time on the Bond farm in Lincoln 
 Street and later in the cottage at the corner of 
 Pleasant and Irving Streets, where All Saints' 
 
 Church is now located. His wife was the 
 daughter of Judge Elisha Paine, of Ashfield, 
 Franklin County, Mass. Three of her brothers 
 were clergymen, one the Rev. William G. 
 Paine, for more than forty years pastor of the 
 Congregational church of Holden. Mrs. Boy- 
 den survived until January, 1891, dying at the 
 age of eighty-two at the home of her son 
 David. Her children were: Henry P., for- 
 merly a teacher in the Worcester High School, 
 now an editorial writer on the Cincinnati Com- 
 mcrcial Gazette , Frank W., now station agent 
 at Richmond, 111. ; and David, Jr. 
 
 David Boyden, Jr., had the most of his 
 schooling in Worcester, where he first attended 
 the Thomas Street School. At the opening of 
 the Sycamore Street School he became a pupil 
 there under the instruction of Addison E. 
 Hunt, who prepared him for the high school. 
 He entered the latter in 1858, and for a year 
 was under the instruction of P. W. Calkins, 
 of late for many years pastor of the Eliot 
 Church in Newton. When a little less than 
 sixteen years old he went into the shoe store 
 of E. Estabrook as a clerk; and the next year 
 he entered the employ of Hiram Ayers, who 
 kept a grocery store where the Quinsigamond 
 Clothing Company is now located in Main 
 Street. Here he remained until 1862, when 
 he enlisted as a private in Company E of the 
 Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Regiment, which 
 went to the front under the command of 
 Colonel Henry T. Bowman. It was at this 
 time that Mr. Boyden became acquainted with 
 Major Edward T. Raymond of the Twenty- 
 fifth Massachusetts Regiment, who was later 
 commissioned Lieutenant and transferred to 
 the Thirty-sixth Regiment, which he joined at 
 Antietam Iron Works after the battle. In 
 October, 1862, Mr. Boyden was promoted to 
 be a Corporal in Company E, and was attached 
 to the color guard, a somewhat dangerous and 
 a highly responsible position. He remained 
 with the regiment during the Fredericksburg 
 campaign in December, 1862, and then went 
 West, being detailed in the quartermaster's 
 department under Captain Theron Hall, of 
 Holden, who had charge of that department of 
 the supply camp known as Camp Nelson, near 
 Lexington, Ky. There he remained several 
 
9S(i 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 months, and was confined in the hospital of the 
 camp. This was the only illness, prior to his 
 last, which he ever experienced. He was 
 engaged in the siege of Vicksburg in 1863, and 
 was later at Jackson, Miss. From Jackson 
 Mr. Boyden went as Orderly to General Burn- 
 side's headquarters, thus becoming attached to 
 the Ninth Army Corps. He was with Burn- 
 side more than a year, and in 1864 and 1865 
 participated in the battles of the Wilderness, 
 Spottsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Pet- 
 ersburg, Poplar Grove Church, Weldon Rail- 
 road, and Hatcher's Run. On June 8, 1865, 
 he received an honorable discharge, and returned 
 to his home in Worcester. He entered the 
 service of the Rev. Horace James of the Freed- 
 men's Bureau, who had been chaplain of the 
 Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Regiment during 
 the war. Mr. Boyden was commissioned to 
 go to North Carolina to look after two plan- 
 tations under the charge of the Freedmen's 
 Bureau, but in a short time returned to 
 Worcester. 
 
 While in the employ of Hiram Ayers before 
 the war, Mr. Boyden became acquainted with 
 John Kendall, who was then in the hat and fur 
 business on Main Street. In October, 1866, 
 after Mr. Boyden 's return from the South, Mr. 
 Kendall offered him a position as clerk, which 
 he accepted and held for twenty-two years, or 
 up to 1888. From that date until the time of 
 his death, which occurred on June 5, 1896, he 
 was a valued and efficient member of the firm. 
 
 In 1866 the Burnside Association of the 
 Thirty-sixth Regiment was formed in Worces- 
 ter, and David Boyden was elected secretary 
 and treasurer. He joined George H. Ward 
 Post, No. 10, G. A. R., soon after his return 
 from the war, and from January i, 1869, to 
 January i, 1870, was Quartermaster, Elliot 
 Blake the same year being post Commander. 
 In 1870 H. C. Soley became Commander and 
 Mr. Boyden was elected Junior Vice-Com- 
 mander. The following term he was made 
 Senior Vice-Commander, J. E. Dennis filling 
 the office of Commander. This was the last 
 office Mr. Boyden held in the post, although he 
 was permanently identified with it as long as he 
 lived, and always took a deep interest in the 
 organization. He was on the Hal] Committee 
 
 for fifteen years, and in that time he collected 
 about eighteen thousand dollars. During his 
 connection with the post he figured promi- 
 nently in amateur theatricals given by that 
 organization, and exhibited considerable dra- 
 matic ability. While Major Warriner was 
 national Commander of the Grand Army, in 
 1888-89, Mr. Boyden was appointed on the 
 staff as Aide-de-camp, with the rank of 
 Colonel. He was also a member of the Union 
 Veterans' Association. In politics Mr. Boy- 
 den was a lifelong Republican. For a time he 
 served as a member of the Common Council, 
 but refused re-election on account of ill health. 
 He was a prominent factor in ward politics, 
 and seldom on the losing side. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Boyden married Estelle Rogers, 
 of Wales, Mass., daughter of George S. and 
 Amanda (Atwood) Rogers, of that town. Mr. 
 Rogers comes of an old New England family. 
 A sketch of his life is given in the issue of the 
 Biographical Review for Hampden County. 
 Mr. Boyden was a regular attendant of the 
 Plymouth Church. His home subsequent to 
 1890 was at 5 Home Street. He is sur- 
 vived by his wife, Mrs. Estelle R. Boyden, 
 and three children, namely: Edith R. ; W. 
 Thane, who is employed in the office of the 
 State Mutual Insurance Company; and Arthur 
 Raymond. 
 
 T^ALVIN FARNSWORTH, proprietor 
 I Sr^ of a large hack and baggage express 
 ^ ^js ^ business in Worcester, was born in 
 Lunenburg, Mass., November 20, 
 1 83 1. His parents were Calvin, Sr. , and 
 Ploomy (Adams) Farnsworth ; and his paternal 
 grandfather was Jesse Farnsworth, a farmer, 
 who was born in Shirley about the year 1750. 
 The maiden name of his grandmother Farns- 
 worth was Adams. She died at the age of 
 eighty years, and her husband survived her. 
 They had two sons and one daughter. 
 
 Calvin Farnsworth, Sr. , son of Jesse, was 
 born in Shirley in the year 1800. Settling 
 in Lunenburg when a young man, he engaged 
 in the manufacture of bandboxes, which he sold 
 in Lowell and Boston, transporting his goods 
 to those places by wagon. He was an indus- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 957 
 
 trious and useful citizen. He married in 
 1822 Maria Adams, a native of Lunenburg and 
 a daughter of Abel Adams. They had eight 
 children, two of whom died young. The sur- 
 vivors are : Calvin, the subject of this sketch; 
 Stephen, a farmer in Lunenburg; and four 
 daughters. The father died at the age of 
 forty-five; and the mother, who survived him 
 about thirty years, died at seventy-five. 
 
 Calvin Farnsworth acquired a common- 
 school education in his native town, complet- 
 ing his studies at the age of sixteen. For the 
 succeeding three years he drove a stage-coach 
 from the village to the railway station. After 
 that he went to Fitchburg, and was for a time 
 employed in a restaurant. Entering the ser- 
 vice of the Fitchburg & Worcester Railway as 
 baggage-master and brakeman, he was advanced 
 two years later to the position of passenger 
 conductor, and continued in that capacity for 
 six years. He had charge of the first sleeping- 
 car to run between Boston and New York, and 
 was identified with that branch of the service 
 for a num.ber of years, during which time he 
 witnessed many changes in the way of improve- 
 ments, the night trains becoming as popular as 
 those run by day. His success in running the 
 night trains pleased the company, and as a 
 reward for his faithful service they gave him 
 a day train between Boston and Worcester. In 
 1 88 1 he obtained from the company the exclu- 
 sive privilege of handling, storing, and de- 
 livering packages in and around the Worces- 
 ter station, the officials believing that such an 
 arrangement would benefit the public. Though 
 his first year's business was comparatively 
 small, the idea at length found favor with the 
 public, and his enterprise, which has devel- 
 oped into large proportions, is now very profit- 
 able. It includes besides his parcel delivery 
 a line of hacks, requiring the use of thirty 
 horses. His success has been obtained solely 
 by giving his business his personal attention. 
 
 On April 12, 1854, Mr. Farnsworth was 
 joined in marriage with Martha Ann Hayward, 
 of Fitchburg, daughter of Ebenezer and Ann 
 (Bingham) Hayward. Two sons, born of this 
 union, died in infancy. The living children 
 are: Carrie H. ; Josie M. ; and George B. , 
 who is in business with his father, 
 
 -f^TOBART RAYMOND, a successful 
 |-^-| general farmer and dairyman resid- 
 \\s I ing in Westminster, Mass., son of 
 
 ' Solon and Roxy (Allen) Raymond, 
 was born in the east part of the town on the 
 old Major Raymond farm, September 25, 1846. 
 His paternal grandparents were Major Nathan 
 and Mary (Clarke) Raymond. 
 
 Jonathan Raymond, father of Major Nathan, 
 was born in Lexington, Mass., in 1734. He 
 married in 1756 Susannah White, and, coming 
 to Westminster, settled on lot No. 56, near the 
 present railroad station. As shown by the 
 Massachusetts records, he enlisted to serve in 
 the Revolutionary War three different times. 
 He was under General Stark in Vermont, prob- 
 ably in the battle of Bennington, and in the 
 campaign against Burgoyne. While he was 
 away, his wife was arrested for failure to pay 
 taxes, and placed in jail, but was bailed out by 
 kind friends. Nathan Raymond in after years 
 often said he was never so hungry in his life as 
 when his father's absence in the army left his 
 mother with but scanty means for their sup- 
 port. John Raymond, a brother of Jonathan, 
 was killed by the British soldiers at Lexington 
 on April 19, 1775. Jonathan Raymond died 
 in 1784. His widow died in 1825, aged 
 ninety-eight years. 
 
 Their son. Major Nathan Raymond, born in 
 1774, is well remembered by the older resi- 
 dents of Westminster. His home was the farm 
 on which his grandson, Alton Battles, now 
 resides. He was a man of fine physique, dis- 
 tinguished for his dignified bearing, and is 
 said to have resembled General Washington. 
 For a number of years he was Major of a regi- 
 ment. He was prominent in town affairs, and 
 frequently served as presiding officer at town 
 meetings. He was hospitable and well-liked. 
 His wife was Mary Clarke, daughter of Eli 
 Clarke, of Hubbardston. He died November 
 8, 1850, aged seventy-five. She survived him 
 about ten years. 
 
 Upon leaving the parental home Solon, the 
 youngest son of Major Nathan Raymond, pur- 
 chased the Fairbanks Moor farm at the foot of 
 Meeting-house Pond. On the farm stood the 
 first frame house built in Westminster, and it 
 is now a part of the present house. He died 
 
958 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 here of cancer, October 19, 1883, aged sixty- 
 seven. As a man and a citizen he was held in 
 high esteem. He cared little for office, and 
 would seldom accept a nomination. He was a 
 Universalist in religious faith and a member 
 of the church. He had two children : Alona, 
 who died in i860, at seventeen; and Hobart. 
 His widow continues to live at the homestead 
 with her son. 
 
 The family removed to this farm in 1856. 
 Hobart was then about nine years old, and the 
 remainder of his boyhood was spent here. He 
 attended the common schools and the old 
 Westminster Academy. Later for a time he 
 was a student in an academy at South New- 
 bury, Ohio. On July 22, 1864, before he 
 reached his eighteenth birthday, he enlisted in 
 the Nineteenth Unattached Company, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteers, for one hundred days' 
 service in the war for the Union. After his 
 return he worked for a time in the chair shops; 
 and he subsequently engaged in the coal, flour, 
 and grain business for two years at Winchen- 
 don. His father's illness coming on in 1874, 
 he returned to the farm, and has since resided 
 here. He has given his attention to general 
 farming, dairying, and fruit-raising, in all of 
 which he has had good success. Since he 
 owned the farm he has added to it at different 
 times by purchasing land adjoining. 
 
 While in business in Winchendon, Mr. Ray- 
 mond was married on December 18, 1873, to 
 Miss Laura A. Ball, who was formerly a 
 teacher in Westminster, Mass. They have 
 two children, namely: Carl Allen, born Sep- 
 tember 19, 1876; and Cyril Bernard, born Jan- 
 uary 8, 1S87. Carl Allen has had some three 
 years' experience as a page at the State House, 
 and for the last two years as clerical assistant 
 to the Clerk of the House of Representatives. 
 He enlisted in Company E, First Regiment, 
 United States Volunteer Engineers, and after 
 serving nearly four months in Porto Rico re- 
 turned with his regiment and received a sixty 
 days' furlough. He is expecting shortly to 
 be mustered out and to resume his duties at 
 the State House. 
 
 Mr. Hobart Raymond is a Republican. He 
 has served on the Town Committee, is presi- 
 dent of the Republican Club, a member of the 
 
 Fourth District Congressional Committee, and 
 he has presided at Republican conventions. 
 His record as a town official covers ten years' 
 service as Assessor, the greater part as chair- 
 man of the board, and several years on the 
 Board of Selectmen. He was chairman of the 
 Board of Selectmen when the State Highway 
 Commission was established, and he took a 
 deep interest in having a section of the State 
 road built in this town, meeting the commis- 
 sioners and being active in other ways. Mr. 
 Raymond is now chairman of the Board of 
 Overseers of the Poor. He is a Justice of 
 the Peace, and does much conveyancing, a pro- 
 bate business, and settles many estates. In 
 1893 he served as a member of the Massachu- 
 setts legislature, and was appointed a member 
 of the Committee on Taxation and of the joint 
 special committee to serve during the recess 
 to revise, codify, and recommend such changes 
 in the taxation laws as special investigation 
 might show to be equitable and for the public 
 good. He met with the committee at various 
 places, visited nearly all sections of the State, 
 and helped write the report that was made to 
 the legislature at its next session. He was 
 called before the commission of 1897 to pre- 
 sent the situation from the farmer's standpoint. 
 He has given taxation a careful study and has 
 favored a more equal system. The past ten 
 years he has been the town undertaker. He is 
 a director in the Westminster National Bank of 
 Gardner. Mr. Raymond is a charter member 
 of Joseph P. Rice Post, No. 69, G. A. R., 
 which he has served as Commander several 
 times; a member of the grange; and a member 
 of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Association, 
 which has charge of the local fair. 
 
 'AMUEL N. CUTLER, of Warren, 
 a practical New England fafmer, 
 was born in this town, March 13, 
 1846, son of Augustus and Betsey 
 (Hall) Cutler. The father, who was a native 
 of Brookfield, followed the occupation of spin- 
 ner in a mill at Monson, Mass., during his 
 earlier years, but the greater part of his active 
 period was spent upon a farm in Warren, where 
 he died May 18, 1871. In politics he was a 
 
JOSEPH 1'. EATON. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 961 
 
 Republican. His wife, Betsey, who was a 
 native of Spencer, Mass., became the mother 
 of several children, three of whom are living; 
 namely, Elmina E., Lucien P., and Samuel 
 N. The mother died in May, 1882. 
 
 Samuel N. Cutler was educated in the com- 
 mon and high schools of Warren. Since his 
 youth he has been engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits, and carries on general farming ener- 
 getically and successfully. He also acts as 
 a public auctioneer. 
 
 In politics a Republican, he served for three 
 years as a member of the Board of Selectmen, 
 and he has been Overseer of the Poor for a 
 number of terms, being at the present time 
 clerk of the board. He is a Past Master of 
 Quaboag Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Past High 
 Priest of Kiffg Solomon Chapter, Royal Arch 
 Masons; and was formerly Master of Warren 
 Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and is now its 
 chaplain. He is secretary of the Warren 
 section of the New England Milk Producers' 
 Union. 
 
 Mr. Cutler married Lillie M. Henshaw, 
 daughter of Eli F. Henshaw, of West Brook- 
 field, and he and his wife are the parents of 
 two children — Elias H. and Ruth E. Cutler. 
 He is a member of the Congregational church. 
 
 'OSEPH P. EATON, a well-known man 
 of Auburn, son of the late Thomas 
 Eaton, was born in his present resi- 
 dence, November 7, 1839. He is of 
 English origin, and is a direct descendant of 
 Jonas Eaton, an early settler of Middlesex 
 County, Massachusetts, who located on Cow- 
 drey's Hill, in that part of the ancient town 
 of Reading that was known for many years as 
 South Reading, but is now called Wakefield. 
 Jonas became one of the leading men of the 
 community, which he served, according to the 
 records, as Selectman in 1650, 1662, 1670, 
 and 1673. He acquired considerable wealth 
 as a wise and thrifty farmer; and at his death, 
 which occurred February 24, 1674, he left an 
 estate valued at seven hundred and fifty 
 pounds sterling. Of his nine children, sev- 
 eral married, and reared children that after- 
 ward attained prominence in public life. 
 
 The line of descent comes through Joshua 
 Eaton (first), Joshua Eaton (second), and 
 Captain Thomas Eaton, the great-grandfather 
 of Joseph P. Captain Eaton was the original 
 owner of the present Eaton homestead in Au- 
 burn. While he never lived here himself, he 
 gave the deed of the place to his son Jonas. 
 This deed, now in the possession of Joseph 
 P., dated September 9, 1773, was given by 
 Jonas Nichols and Peter Boyden in payment 
 of a debt, the amount of which was four hun- 
 dred and twenty-six pounds and fifteen shil- 
 lings. Captain Eaton married Lydia Pierce, 
 of Watertown, who bore him three children — 
 Thomas, Jonas, and Elizabeth. Elizabeth, 
 having never married, was amply provided for 
 by her father's will. In 1785 Jonas Eaton, 
 son of Captain Thomas Eaton, came on horse- 
 back through the almost pathless woods 
 between Reading and Auburn to take posses- 
 sion of the one hundred acres of land now 
 included in the homestead. He was born 
 January 22, 1757, and was therefore then in 
 the prime of manhood. He cleared a portion 
 of the land, and until his death was profitably 
 engaged as a husbandman. Here, too, he 
 reared his family, which included seven chil- 
 dren. Of these, the three eldest, Thomas, 
 William, and Joseph, aged respectively eight 
 years, five, and one year, died of dysentery in 
 1796, within the short period of two weeks. 
 The other children, born after the death of 
 the first three, were: Elizabeth, Thomas, 
 William, and Sarah. Elizabeth, who became 
 the wife of Captain Nathaniel Stone, died at 
 an advanced age, leaving one daughter. 
 Sarah died at the age of twenty-one years. 
 William and Thomas carried on the home 
 farm in partnership for many years, and also 
 owned considerable property in other parts of 
 the town. 
 
 Thomas Eaton, born November 28, 1799, 
 died February 20, 1876. On January 25, 
 1826, he married Hannah, daughter of Aaron 
 and Hannah (Greenwood) Pierce, of Sutton, 
 now Millbury, Mass. She was one of a fam- 
 ily of eight children, of whom six grew to 
 maturity, and two attained a venerable age. 
 The latter were: Sally, who was the wife of 
 Paul Chase, and died at the age of ninety-four 
 
962 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 years; and Mary, the widow of Calvin 
 Temple, of Reading, Mass., now a bright and 
 active woman of ninety-two years. Thomas 
 and Hannah Eaton reared four children, as 
 follows: Daniel T., born April 10, 1830, who 
 is living in Auburn Centre; Thomas S., born 
 July 2, 1832, who resides on a part of the old 
 homestead; Lydia Adelia, born July 24, 1834, 
 who died August 30, 1865; Joseph P., the 
 subject of this sketch. One child died in 
 infancy. The mother died on October 24, 
 1858. She was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church, of which her husband was a 
 Deacon. 
 
 Joseph P. Eaton obtained the rudiments of 
 knowledge in the district schools, and subse- 
 quently attended Appleton Academy in New 
 Ipswich, N.H., for four terms. He after- 
 ward assisted in the work of the home farm 
 until September 15, 1861, when he enlisted 
 in Company A, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts 
 Volunteer Infantry. While in camp near 
 home he was detailed as wagoner, and in 
 the following year at Newbern, N.C., was 
 promoted to the post of wagon-master, a posi- 
 tion in which he served three years, for two 
 years of which he was wagon-master of the 
 brigade. By an accident he came near losing 
 his right leg from having it run over by a 
 loaded wagon. In 1864, at the expiration of 
 his term of enlistment, he returned home, and 
 resumed work on the homestead, where he has 
 since spent the larger part of his time. In 
 January, 1894, he leased his farm, and going 
 to Minneapolis, Minn., served as superintend- 
 ent of the Washburn Memorial Orphan Asy- 
 lum for fourteen months, a position which he 
 resigned March i, 1895, on account of the 
 failing health of his wife. 
 
 Fraternally, Mr. Eaton is a member of the 
 George H. Ward Post, No. 10, G. A. R. ; and 
 of Regulus Lodge, Knights of Pythias, of 
 Worcester. Politically, he has the courage of 
 his convictions, and votes for men and meas- 
 ures that he deems best. He takes an active 
 part in the management of local affairs as the 
 chairman of the Board of Selectmen. He is a 
 conscientious business man and an attendant 
 of the Universalist church. In September, 
 1866, Mr. Eaton married Miss Ella F. Hoar, 
 
 of Littleton, Mass., who died in August, 
 1867, from injuries received when thrown 
 from a carriage. On March 23, 1869, he con- 
 tracted a second marriage with Miss Char- 
 lotte E. Boyden, a daughter of Cyrus and 
 Mary (Wheelock) Boyden. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Eaton have had two children, neither of whom 
 is now living. The eldest son, George B., 
 died September 8, 1875, aged fourteen 
 months; and Harry Putnam, born May 29, 
 1877, died of spinal meningitis, February 15, 
 1888. 
 
 OHN FRANCIS SEARLE, who is 
 connected with the manufacturing in- 
 terests of Worcester County as the rep- 
 resentative of the Wright & Colton 
 Wire Cloth Company, of Worcester, was born 
 in Grafton, Mass., November 5, 1839, son of 
 Uriah and Tabitha (Hall) Searle. His ances- 
 tors for a number of generations have been resi- 
 dents of New England and principally of 
 Massachusetts, in which State his gi^eat-grand- 
 father, Andrew Searle, and his grandfather, 
 James Searle, spent their entire lives. Uriah 
 Searle, father of John T. , was born in Towns- 
 end, Middlesex County, Mass., and there 
 learned the trade of a boot and shoe maker, 
 which he afterward carried on in Grafton for a 
 number of years. 
 
 John Francis Searle acquired a good educa- 
 tion in the public schools of Grafton, in which 
 town in his early manhood he held a conspicu- 
 ous position among its influential and leading 
 citizens. Loyal and patriotic, he enlisted 
 from Grafton, soon after the breaking out of the 
 Civil War, in the Fifty-first Massachusetts 
 Volunteer Infantry, with which he served 
 nine months, mostly in North Carolina, and 
 participated in several engagements, including 
 the battle of Goldsboro. At the expiration of 
 his term of enlistment he joined the First Bat- 
 talion, Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, which 
 was stationed at Fort Warren, in Boston Har- 
 bor, from 1862 until 1865. On returning 
 Searle resided in Grafton for a 
 for twelve years was Postmaster of 
 In 1876 he was elected as a 
 
 home Mr. 
 while, and 
 that town. 
 
 Representative to the State legislature from 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 963 
 
 Grafton and Shrewsbury, and served his con- 
 stituents with ability and fidelity in the Gen- 
 eral Court. In 1877 he entered the employ 
 of George C. Whitney, a manufacturer of val- 
 entines, for whom he subsequently became 
 travelling salesman, a position that he retained 
 eleven years. In 1889 he became connected 
 with the Wright & Colton Wire Cloth Com- 
 pany, one of the leading manufacturing firms 
 of Worcester, which he has since capably 
 represented in different parts of the Union. 
 A man of superior intelligence and business 
 ability, he has the confidence of the firm in an 
 eminent degree, and is intrusted with impor- 
 tant responsibilities by his employers. Mr. 
 Searle is a strong Republican in politics, an 
 enterprising and progressive citizen, and a 
 supporter of the highest and best principles of 
 good government. Fraternally, he is a mem- 
 ber of George H. Ward Post, No. 10, G. A. R., 
 of Worcester; of Franklin Lodge, F. & A. M. ; 
 and of the Knights of Malta. 
 
 Mr. Searle has been twice married, his first 
 wife having been Ellen E. White, of Grafton, 
 Mass. After her death he married September 
 3, 1865, Emeline R., daughter of John Searle, 
 of Wilton, N. H. Mr. and Mrs. Searle have 
 two children — Minnie E. and Harry W. The 
 latter is unmarried. Minnie E. is the wife of 
 George M. Wright, a young man of exceptional 
 business ability, now the general manager of 
 the Wright & Colton Wire Cloth Company, 
 with which Mr. Searle is connected. She has 
 three children; namely, George F., Ralph W. , 
 and Florence M. 
 
 ULIUS C^SAR ZAEDER, propri- 
 etor of the Zaeder House, Worcester, 
 was born in Hartford, Conn., August 
 7, 1865, son of Benjamin and Ellen 
 (Karst) Zaeder. His father was born in Al- 
 sace, September 13, 1834, of German parent- 
 age, was apprenticed to learn the machinist's 
 trade when a hoy, and became at nineteen a 
 skilful mechanic. 
 
 In 1853 Benjamin Zaeder came to the 
 United States for the purpose of setting up 
 some German engines at the Pacific Mills, 
 Lawrence, Mass. ; and he was subsequently 
 
 employed to set up other engines of the same 
 make in different parts of the country. In 
 1876 he established a German restaurant at 
 14 Mechanic Street, Worcester, which he car- 
 ried on successfully for the rest of his life, 
 from a small beginning developing the busi- 
 ness now owned by his son. He was familiar 
 with five languages, and translated readily 
 from one to the other. For many years he 
 was a leading spirit in musical circles, being 
 the founder of a well-known society in this 
 city, an accomplished instrumentalist, and 
 a personal friend of Carl Zerrahn, the distin- 
 guished musical conductor of Boston. In 1858 
 Benjamin Zaeder was married in this city to 
 Ellen Karst, who was horn in the region of 
 the Rhine, Germany, April 10, 1834. He 
 died September 28, 1891, and Mrs. Zaeder 
 died April 29, 1897. They had seven chil- 
 dren, namely : Amanda, who died at the age of 
 twenty-four years; Benjamin, who died at 
 twenty-six; Cecilia, widow of Henry F. Arms; 
 Julius C, the subject of this sketch; George 
 E., an attache of the Worcester post-office; 
 Frederick J., who was graduated from the 
 Worcester Polytechnic Institute, class of 1893, 
 and is an electrical engineer; and Emil, a 
 graduate of the Boston University Law School 
 and an attorney of this city. Emil Zaeder left 
 his practice to serve as a private in Company 
 C, Second Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer 
 Infantry, during the Spanish war, 1898, and 
 returned from Cuba in August, stricken with 
 disease. 
 
 Julius Caesar Zaeder at an early age began 
 to assist his father in business. He was edu- 
 cated in the common and high schools of this 
 city, and after the completion of his studies 
 he and his brother Benjamin opened a real es- 
 "tate office in Holyoke, Mass., where he re- 
 mained three years. He then returned to the 
 hotel. Succeeding to its ownership since his 
 father's death, he has conducted it successfully 
 to the present time. 
 
 On October i, 1896, Mr. Zaeder was united 
 in marriage with Miss Minna Wagner, of 
 Worcester. They have one daughter — Minna, 
 born October 4, 1897. 
 
 Politically a Democrat, Mr. Zaeder takes an 
 active interest in local affairs. He is a thirty- 
 
964 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 second degree Mason; is prominently identi- 
 fied with the Benevolent and Protective Order 
 of Elks; and belongs to several clubs and 
 organizations, including Battery B, the 
 Worcester Light Infantry, the City Guards, 
 and Continentals. His city residence is at 59 
 Exchange Street, and he has a summer cottage 
 at Lake Quinsigamond, near the Wapity Club, 
 of which he is president. 
 
 I BEN S. FULLER, of Clinton, an ex- 
 tensive real estate dealer, was bom in 
 Lancaster, Mass., March 31, 1833, 
 son of John and Sophronia (Adams) Fuller. 
 His paternal grandparents were Ebenezer and 
 Lydia (Goddard) Fuller, of Roxbury, Mass., 
 where John Fuller, their only son, was born 
 on December 28, 1806. Both Ebenezer Ful- 
 ler and his father fought for American inde- 
 pendence in the Revolution, the former enter- 
 ing the army at the age of sixteen and serv- 
 ing seven years, during the entire period of 
 the war. 
 
 John Fuller for some years worked at his 
 trade of clothier, which he learned in Lancas- 
 ter of Ephraim Fuller. Afterward he engaged 
 in the finishing of combs. The later years of 
 his active life were passed in farming. He 
 died in 1890, aged eighty-four years. He was 
 a prominent Unitarian, and was a Deacon of 
 that church in Lancaster. He was married to 
 Sophronia Orange Wadsworth Adams in Lan- 
 caster by the Rev. Dr. Thayer in 1828. Mrs. 
 Fuller was the only child of Samuel and Mercy 
 (Sherwin) Adams, of Ashburnham, Mass. 
 She was born March 31, 1806, and died in 
 1890, at the age of eighty-four. Her father 
 settled in Grafton, Vt., as a pioneer, but re- 
 moved to Lancaster in 1816, when Sophronia 
 was ten years old, and died there at an ad- 
 vanced age. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. John Fuller were the parents 
 of ten children. The living are: Sophronia, 
 wife of Horatio Bailey, of Lancaster; Eben 
 S., the subject of this sketch; Sidney T., a 
 prominent engineer, who has held important 
 positions on a number of railroads in this sec- 
 tion, as well as serving as superintendent of an 
 important line in Mexico; and Edwin M. Ful- 
 
 ler, who served as Major in the Federal army 
 through the Civil War and is now a physician 
 in Chicago. 
 
 Eben S. Fuller completed his education at 
 the Lancaster High School. He was then 
 employed for a time at a comb manufactory, 
 afterward for a year being engaged in the 
 pianoforte business. In 1859 he bought of 
 C. C. Stone the door, sash, and blind busi- 
 ness in Clinton. As trade improved he added 
 a saw-mill and other wood-working machin- 
 ery. In 1890 his son bought out the business. 
 Mr. Fuller had previously interested himself 
 in real estate, to which he has since given a 
 good share of his attention. He has been one 
 of the largest landholders in this locality, and 
 has built many houses, his tenements at one 
 time numbering over seventy. He owns and 
 cultivates farms in Lancaster and Sterling. 
 
 On November 7, 1861, he married Nancy 
 Goss Fuller, who was born in Lancaster, 
 Mass., on March 22, 1840. She was the 
 daughter of Ephraim Fuller, a successful cloth 
 manufacturer, who lived to be eighty-three 
 years old. She died August 4, 1871, having 
 been the mother of four children, namely : 
 Jessie Genevra, born October 15, 1862; John 
 Ephraim, born November 12, 1864; William 
 Andrew, born September 24, 1866; and Susie 
 Gertrude, born October 8, 1868. John E., who 
 became a real estate dealer, died in Duluth, 
 Minn., June 28, 1892. Jessie G. is the wife 
 of the Rev. James C. Duncan, a Unitarian 
 minister of Clinton, Mass., and has two chil- 
 dren — Robert F. and James. William A., 
 who succeeded his father in the lumber busi- 
 ness, married Bessie E. Farwell, of Clinton, 
 Mass., and has two children — John F. and 
 Beatrice Louisa. Susie G. is the wife of 
 Joseph J. Albright, a broker of Buffalo, N.Y., 
 and has one child, John by name. Eben S. 
 Fuller married for his second wife, on March 
 4, 1891, Cora Adelaide Chilson Butterfield. 
 
 Mr. Fuller is a director of the Clinton First 
 National Bank, a trustee of the Clinton Sav- 
 ings Bank, and a director of the New Boston 
 Aqueduct Company. Politically, he is a Re- 
 publican, and has served as Selectman and 
 Overseer of the Poor in Clinton. He takes an 
 active interest in the advancement of the town 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 965 
 
 and the development of its various resources, 
 and is a member of the Warcester East Agri- 
 cultural Society. He is a Deacon of the 
 Unitarian parish. 
 
 tLBERT H. FOSTER, of North Brook- 
 fiekl, an extensive dealer in coal, was 
 born November 12, 1839, in New 
 ^-^ Braintree, Mass. A son of James 
 R. Foster, he is a grandson of Barnaby Foster 
 and a descendant of an Englishman who emi- 
 grated from Old England to New England in 
 Colonial times. The father, born in Middle- 
 boro, Plymouth County, Mass., was there 
 reared to agricultural pursuits. After his 
 marriage with Nancy Henry, a native of Rut- 
 land, descended from Scotch-Irish ancestors, 
 he lived for a few years in New Braintree, this 
 county. Then he removed to the nearby town 
 of Oakham, where he was engaged as a gen- 
 eral farmer for the remainder of his days. 
 
 But seven years old when his parents settled 
 in Oakham, Albert H. Foster completed his 
 schooling in that town. At the age of four- 
 teen he left the parental roof tree, and, coming 
 directly to North Brookfield, secured a situa- 
 tion with the firm of T. & E. Batcheller, boot 
 and shoe manufacturers. From 1853 to April, 
 1879, with the exception of the three years 
 spent in the army, Mr. Foster continued with 
 this firm as a faithful and trusted employee. 
 In April, 1861, he enlisted in Company F, 
 Fifteenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 
 which was assigned to the Army of the Poto- 
 mac, and served under various generals, in- 
 cluding McClellan, Hooker, Meade, and Grant. 
 At the battle of Ball's Bluff he was captured 
 by the rebels, and was subsequently confined in 
 a Richmond prison for four months. Laterhe 
 was paroled, and then exchanged. Having 
 rejoined his old company, he was among the 
 troops that repelled Pickett's charge at the 
 battle of Gettysburg. After participating in 
 the second battle of Fredericksburg he was 
 detailed to a conscript camp in Long Island, 
 Mass., where, in addition to the general rou- 
 tine duties, he had the charge of delivering 
 men to their respective regiments. Here he 
 continued until the expiration of his term of 
 
 enlistment, on July 11, 1864. Returning 
 then to North Brookfield, he resumed his former 
 occupation with E. & A. H. Batcheller, the 
 name of the firm having in the meanwhile been 
 changed. When he left the employment of the 
 Messrs. Batcheller in 1879, he engaged in his 
 present coal business. He is also connected 
 with the North Brookfield Savings Bank as 
 one of its trustees and as a member of its 
 Board of Investment. 
 
 In politics Mr. Foster takes an independent 
 course, voting for men and measures regard- 
 less of party. Fraternally, he is a member of 
 Maradian Sun Lodge, F. & A. M., of North 
 Brookfield; of Woodbine Lodge, I. O. O. F., 
 of this town; and of the Ezra Batcheller Post, 
 No. 51, G. A. R., of which he was Com- 
 mander for two years. His first wife, for- 
 merly Addie M. Ashby, of North Brookfield, 
 bore him three children — Harold A., Frank 
 W. , and George B. George is now deceased. 
 The mother died February 3, 1.892. Mr. Fos- 
 ter subsequently married Miss Alice W. Smith, 
 also of this town. Both he and Mrs. Alice 
 W. Foster attend the Union Congregational 
 Church. Their pleasant home is the centre 
 of social activity. 
 
 T^ATHAN LUCE DAGGETT, for many 
 
 I —7 years a well-known and respected resi- 
 
 \\s t dent of West Boylston, was a native 
 
 ^*~~^ of Farmington, Me. Reared upon 
 
 a farm in that town, he subsequently learned 
 
 the trade of shoemaker, which he followed for 
 
 some years after coming to West Boylston. 
 
 Later he settled upon a farm here and tilled 
 
 the soil energetically until his death, at the 
 
 age of sixty-two years, December 6, 1887. 
 
 In 1855 Mr. Daggett married Harriet F. 
 Pierce, who was born in West Boylston, a 
 daughter of Ezekiel and Ruth (Perry) Pierce. 
 Her father, who was a native of Sutton, Mass., 
 settled in West Boylston previous to his mar- 
 riage, and was engaged here in the manufact- 
 ure of scythes for several years. He owned 
 the first trip-hammer used in this section of 
 the country. Later he became the owner of 
 considerable land and a prosperous farmer. 
 One of the most prominent residents of his 
 
966 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 day, he took an important part in local public 
 affairs, and is still remembered for his services 
 to the town as Selectman, Assessor, Tax Col- 
 lector, and Overseer of the Poor. In politics 
 he was a Republican. His wife, Ruth, was 
 born in Hopkinton, Mass., a daughter of Moses 
 Perry, an industrious farmer of that town. 
 Ezekiel and Ruth Pierce both died at the age 
 of seventy-seven years. They were the parents 
 of four children, of whom Mrs. Daggett was 
 the youngest, and is the only one now living. 
 Those deceased are: Estes, Emily, and John 
 Q. A. Estes Pierce died at the age of seventy- 
 seven years. Emily, who married Charles 
 Merrifield and died at seventy-nine, left two 
 children — Harriet J. (Mrs. Harrington) and 
 Charles E. Merrifield, both of whom are mar- 
 ried and have families. John Q. A. Pierce, 
 who died at the age of seventy-three, married 
 for his first wife Delia Bliss, and two of his 
 children by that union are now living. His 
 second wife, Elizabeth Whitaker, bore him 
 two children, one of whom survives. Mrs. 
 Daggett is still residing in West Boylston, 
 where she is highly respected for her fine 
 womanly qualities. She attends the Congre- 
 gational church, in which her husband was 
 actively interested. 
 
 'AMES PURSEY, who acquired a high 
 reputation in Worcester as a baker and 
 caterer, was born in Bath, Somerset- 
 shire, England, December 9, 1844, son 
 of Joseph and Johanna Lawrence Pursey. 
 Having learned the baker's trade with his 
 father, he came in 1869 to the United States. 
 After visiting his parents, who had come to 
 the country five years before, and were then 
 living in Worcester, he took up his residence 
 in Westboro. A few years later he settled 
 permanently in Worcester, where he estab- 
 lished himself in business on Southbridge 
 Street, beginning on a small scale and enlarg- 
 ing his facilities as trade increased. In 1882 
 he found it necessary to open a branch store on 
 Pleasant Street in order to supply the large 
 demand for his goods. In 1888 he secured a 
 centrally located position at 584 Main Street, 
 opposite the new post-office, where he soon 
 
 built up an extensive baking and catering busi- 
 ness. Aside from the usual line of bread, cake, 
 and pastry he introduced some English special- 
 ties that found favor with bis patrons and did 
 much toward enhancing his reputation. His 
 genial and courteous disposition also contrib- 
 uted in no small measure to his success; while 
 the readiness and liberality he displayed in 
 relieving the poor, who were never turned 
 away empty-handed frorn his door, gained for 
 him general esteem. 
 
 At one time Mr. Pursey belonged to no less 
 than twenty-seven fraternal organizations. 
 He, however, saw fit to sever his connection 
 with some of these ; and at the time of his 
 death, which occurred April 17, 1898, he was 
 a member of the Knights of Pythias, the 
 Knights and Ladies of Honor, the Elks, the 
 Frohsinns, the Worcester Continentals, the 
 Denver Association, the Wapiti Club, and 
 the Masonic order. In the Masonic fraternity 
 he had reached the thirty-second degree. At 
 the obsequies, which were held in the First 
 Universal ist Church, conducted by the Rev. 
 Dr. Almon Gunnison and the Worcester County 
 Commandery of Knights Templar, the edifice 
 was completely filled with friends and acquaint- 
 ances and delegations from the various socie- 
 ties of which he was a member. Previous to 
 coming to the United States, Mr. Pursey was 
 joined in marriage with Elizabeth A. Cole, 
 who, with an adopted daughter, survives him. 
 The business is now carried on by Mrs. Pursey. 
 
 ^rTiCVARTIN TRULSON, proprietor of 
 t: I ^* Hotel Du Nord, Worcester, is a 
 J (JjU ( native of Sweden, and was born 
 — October 5, 1857. He obtained 
 his elementary education in the public schools, 
 and also attended an agricultural school. 
 Emigrating to America in 1879, he spent four 
 months in Kansas City, Kan. In the winter 
 of 1880 he came to Worcester and entered the 
 employ of the Washburn & Moen Company. 
 Two years later he was appointed assistant fore- 
 man, a position which he held for six years, 
 but which he relinquished at the end of that 
 time in order to go into business for himself as 
 proprietor of a restaurant. He carried on the 
 

 CALVIN L. HARTSHORN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 969 
 
 restaurant business successfully until 1896, 
 when he opened the Hotel Du Nord at 39, 41, 
 and 43 Summer Street. The hotel is a four- 
 story brick building, which he had commenced 
 to build the previous year. It contains thirty- 
 two well-furnished rooms, and is equipped 
 with all modern improvements, including 
 steam heat and electric lights. 
 
 On February 12, 1885, Mr. Trulson was 
 joined in marriage with Johanna C. Sjogran, 
 a native of Sweden. He has been the father 
 of five children, four of whom are living, 
 namely: Rudolph, born in 1885; Victor, born 
 in 1890; Mabel Josephine, born in 1893; and 
 Henry Francis, born in 1896. In politics Mr. 
 Trulson is a Republican. He belongs to the 
 Benevolent Order of Elks, the Mystic Brothers, 
 the Svea Gille, and the Foresters. He has 
 worked his way forward to his present position 
 as a substantial business man solely through 
 his own energy and perseverance, and is es- 
 teemed and respected by a large circle of 
 friends. 
 
 TT^ALVIN LYON HARTSHORN, an 
 I St^ extensive farmer and market gardener, 
 ^1^^^ residing in the Seventh Ward of 
 the city of Worcester, Mass., is one 
 of the solid business men of the place and a 
 citizen of considerable prominence. He was 
 born in Worcester, December 25, 1832, a son 
 of Deacon Jonas and Eunice (Patch) Harts- 
 horn. 
 
 His paternal grandfather. Deacon Ebenezer 
 Hartshorn, was a farmer and carpenter. 
 The first wife of Ebenezer Hartshorn died 
 young, leaving him several children. He 
 afterward married for his second wife Betsey 
 Greenwood, who bore him four children, as 
 follows: Susan, who married William Ken- 
 dall, of South Royalston, Mass., and died 
 some years later, leaving a family; Jonas; 
 Sarah, wife of Simon Partridge, of Boylston ; 
 and Calvin, a millwright in Walpole, Mass. 
 
 Betsey Greenwood was a lineal descendant 
 of Thomas Greenwood, who, a weaver, aged 
 twenty-two, came in 1665 frocn England to 
 Boston, and two years later settled in the 
 south-east part of Cambridge, now Newton, 
 
 Mass. He married first Hannah Ward, and 
 had three children. He married second Abi- 
 gail (probably) Spring, and by this union had 
 three more children. William Greenwood, 
 the second child of the second marriage, a 
 farmer by occupation, was a Deacon of the 
 church and a prominent man of affairs in 
 Sherborn, Mass. He married Abigail Wood- 
 ward, and had ten children. The fifth of 
 these, a son Jonas, was a resident of Sher- 
 born and probably a farmer. He married 
 Catherine Fuller, and had five children, 
 the eldest being the daughter Betty, who 
 married Deacon Ebenezer Hartshorn, as 
 stated above. 
 
 Jonas Hartshorn, son of Ebenezer and Betty 
 (Greenwood) Hartshorn, was born in Sher- 
 born, Mass., in June, 1802, and died in 
 Worcester, Mass., August 7,. 1880. When a 
 boy of seven years he was bound out to a fam- . 
 ily in old Boylston, named Temple, with 
 whom he lived several years. He was after- 
 ward for a while guard and turnkey in the 
 jail, a position which he resigned to engage 
 in farming in Worcester. In 1839 he sold 
 the land that he had purchased when first 
 coming here, and from the Patch brothers, 
 Joseph and William Whipple Patch, bought 
 one-half of their farm of two hundred acres, 
 taking the half now owned by his son, Calvin 
 L. ; while William Whipple Patch assumed 
 possession of the other one hundred acres. 
 Soon after coming here he erected a good 
 dwelling-house, and set out extensive orchards 
 and shade trees along the highway. On the 
 site of a barn that was burned he built the 
 present commodious barn, and made other val- 
 uable improvements. He served in the City 
 Council, and for many years was a Deacon in 
 the Pleasant Street Baptist Church. On 
 April I, 1828, he married Eunice Patch, 
 daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Flagg) 
 Patch. She died in 1834, having borne him 
 three children, as follows: John Clark, Nathan 
 Greenwood, both of whom died in infancy; 
 and Calvin Lyon, the subject of this sketch. 
 In 1835 he married Laura Ann Patch, who 
 bore him five children, of whom but one sur- 
 vives, — namely, John Warren, born September 
 9, 1839, who resides in New London, Conn. 
 
97° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 The second wife was a daughter of William 
 Whipple and Sarah (Willard) Patch. Jonas 
 Hartshorn married the third time, August lo, 
 1844, Abigal Whitney. She died March 23, 
 1862, having had one son, Alfred Augustus, 
 who died young. Jonas Hartshorn married 
 March 15, 1864, Lydia A. Bray. She died 
 January i, 1894. No children were born of 
 this fourth marriage. 
 
 Calvin L. Hartshorn obtained his element- 
 ary education in the common schools of 
 Worcester, and afterward attended a seminary 
 in Essex, Conn. He has since lived on the 
 home farm, to the ownership of which he has 
 succeeded, and has met with eminent success 
 in his agricultural and horticultural pursuits. 
 A number of years ago he began raising early 
 vegetables for the markets on a very modest 
 scale, having at first a small hot-bed covered 
 with a few panes of glass; and he has gradually 
 increased his operations until now he has 
 about three hundred hot-beds covered with 
 sash, and two greenhouses, one hundred and 
 seventy-five feet long by eighteen feet wide. 
 The oxen kept by his father have been re- 
 placed by horses, the work now requiring ten 
 of them. He employs twenty-five to thirty 
 assistants in the summer season and fifteen 
 during the winters, and is constantly in- 
 augurating new improvements. He has en- 
 tirely remodelled the original dwelling-house, 
 and has erected a new carriage-house and 
 storehouse besides his two greenhouses, all 
 of which are equipped with the most modern 
 conveniences suitable for their use. A por- 
 tion of the farm has been divided into village 
 lots; and several public thoroughfares, includ- 
 ing May, Chandler, June, Mill, Lovell, Cout- 
 land, and Walworth Streets, cross the estate. 
 On one of the lots in 1893 Mr. Hartshorn 
 built a large brick machine shop, now occu- 
 pied by the Guild Piano Manufacturing Com- 
 pany; and he has more recently built a new 
 house in which his son, Arthur Ernest, re- 
 sides, who ably assists him in the manage- 
 ment of his business. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hartshorn are charter mem- 
 bers of the Worcester Grange, which he has 
 served as Master. Mr. Hartshorn is likewise 
 a member of Morning Star Lodge, F. & 
 
 A. M. ; of the Worcester Agricultural So- 
 ciety, in which he has often been at the head 
 of different committees; and of the Worcester 
 County Horticultural Society, of which he has 
 been a trustee for many years, and is now 
 one of the Vice-Presidents. For twelve years 
 he was one of the State Board of Agriculture, 
 for six years he was a member of the Dairy 
 Bureau, and for three years a member of the 
 State Experiment Station at the Agricultural 
 College. He was for four years a member 
 of the City Council, for nine years he was 
 an Overseer of the Poor, and for one year 
 Park Commissioner, then resigning the office 
 because his own business required all of his 
 time. In 1879 ^^^ 1880 he represented his 
 ward in the State legislature. He has re- 
 peatedly refused official honors, and, having 
 received the nomination of Mayor of the city 
 unsolicited, refused to accept. He is a Jus- 
 tice of the Peace. On September 30, 1858, 
 Mr. Hartshorn married Helen Marcelia Marcy, 
 who was born in Charlton, Mass., a daughter 
 of Andrew and Clarentine (Towne) Marcy, 
 but was bred and educated in Worcester. 
 Mr. and Mrs, Hartshorn have two children — 
 Annie Maud and Arthur Ernest. The former, 
 who married William K. Stanley, an employee 
 in the dry-goods house of Barnard, Sumner & 
 Putman Co., resides on the home farm, and 
 has two children — Helen Maud and Grace 
 Hartshorn. The latter, who occupies the new 
 house built by his father, corner May and 
 June Streets, married Annie Maria Williams, 
 of this city, daughter of Thomas Williams, 
 Esq. Mr. and Mrs. Hartshorn are members 
 of the Dewey Street Baptist Church. 
 
 AMES H. GAFNEY, an enterprising 
 business man of Petersham, Mass., is a 
 native of the neighboring town of Barre. 
 He was born April 19, 1856, son of 
 John and Mary (Rogers) Gafney. He was 
 educated in the common schools, the Barre 
 Academy, and at Howe's Business College, 
 Worcester, where he took a commercial course. 
 His business training began in a large pro- 
 vision store in that city, where he worked bis 
 way upward to the position of foreman. He 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 971 
 
 next went to Northboro as manager for A. E. 
 Walker, with whom he remained a year, and 
 thence coming to Petersham he was employed 
 in the same capacity for a few months. In 
 1878 he opened the first regular meat market 
 established here, and gave his attention wholly 
 to the provision business until 1897, when he 
 opened a first-class grocery store, carrying a 
 large and varied stock of goods. The liberal 
 patronage accorded him is ample proof that 
 his enterprise is heartily appreciated by the 
 people of Petersham. He is also engaged in 
 the grain, coal, and ice business. 
 
 He is one of the vice-presidents of the 
 Worcester County North-west Agricultural 
 Society and a trustee of the Worcester County 
 West Agricultural Society, taking a lively 
 interest in the annual exhibition of each, and 
 for the past three years has served as chief 
 marshal. For a number of years he has been 
 chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, 
 and he resigned the chairmanship of the Dis- 
 trict Committee in 1895 after a long member- 
 ship. In 1893 he was a member of the Board 
 of Selectmen, being the second Democrat 
 elected to that body in forty years. He was 
 his party's candidate for Representative to the 
 legislature, receiving the largest vote ever cast 
 for a Democratic opponent in this district. 
 He has served as Overseer of the Poor, and was 
 appointed a Justice of the Peace by Governor 
 Wolcott in 1897. 
 
 Mr. Gafney married Alfaretta F. Hodgdon, 
 of Marlboro, Mass. They have one son, Harry 
 D., who was born in 1878, was fitted for col- 
 lege at the Proctor Academy, Andover, N.H., 
 and is now a student in the Harvard Medical 
 College. 
 
 In Masonry Mr. Gafney has advanced to the 
 thirty-second degree, and is a life member of 
 all the Scottish Rites, being at present Senior 
 Warden of Mount Zion Lodge, Barre. He is 
 a member of Union Chapter, Royal Arch 
 Masons; Athol Commandery, Knights Tem- 
 plar, Athol; Titus Strong Council, Royal and 
 Select Masters, Greenfield ; the Lodge of Per- 
 fection, Lawrence Chapter, Rose Croix ; God- 
 dard Council, Princes of Jerusalem, Worces- 
 ter; Aleppo Temple of the Mystic Shrine and 
 the Massachusetts Consistory, thirty-second 
 
 degree, Boston. He has also taken the high- 
 est degree in Odd Fellowship, and belongs to 
 Orange Lodge, No. 182, Fall Hill Encamp- 
 ment, No. 59, and Canton Orange, No. 52, 
 Patriarchs Militant, all of Orange, and is a 
 member of Corinthian Lodge, Knights of 
 Pythias, Athol. 
 
 IRAM FRENCH, for many years a 
 well-known boot manufacturer of 
 Worcester, where he died on July 2, 
 1872, was a native of North Bridge- 
 water, Mass. Born May 25, 1812, son of 
 Sylvanus and Silence (Keith) French, on the 
 paternal side he was a descendant of John and 
 Grace French, early settlers of Braintree, and 
 on the maternal side of the Rev. James Keith, 
 a Scotchman, educated at Aberdeen, who was 
 the first minister of Bridgewater. 
 
 Hiram French learned the trade of a boot 
 and shoe maker in North Bridgewater, and 
 came to Worcester in 1844 to assume control 
 of a part of the boot factory of Mr. Corbett. 
 A few years later Mr. French purchased the 
 entire business, which was then located at the 
 corner of Pleasant and Main Streets. Gradu- 
 ally increasing his operations, he at length 
 removed to more commodious quarters in 
 Franklin Square, where he carried on the 
 business as long as he lived. Death came to 
 him while he was yet in the vigor of manhood 
 with the prospect of many more years of useful 
 activity. A man of persistent energy, saga- 
 cious and capable, he was wholly absorbed in 
 his business, in which he met with success 
 from the outset, and had his life been spared 
 but a few years longer he would undoubtedly 
 have attained a high position among men of 
 wealth. In former years he belonged to the 
 Home Guards of Worcester, and in later life he 
 was identified with the Worcester County Me- 
 chanics' Association. He was an active mem- 
 ber of the Congregational parish. It may be 
 said of him that in all respects he fulfilled his 
 duties as a true and loyal citizen. He was a 
 typical self-made man, having worked his way 
 upward from a poor apprentice to a successful 
 manufacturer. 
 
 Mr. F'rench's first wife was Lucy A. Rich- 
 
972 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ards. After her death he married on January 
 27, 185 1, Mary Long, of Northboro, Mass., 
 daughter of Lemuel and Lucy (Robinson) 
 Long. Her father was born in Swanzey, 
 N. H., and her mother in Salem, Mass., both 
 coming from Colonial stock. Mr. and Mrs. 
 French reared six children, namely: Thomas 
 Bradford, of California; Hiram Keith, who 
 entered the Worcester post-office as a clerk 
 many years ago, and, having retained his con- 
 nection with this office through the administra- 
 tions that have since succeeded, has held many 
 positions of trust and responsibility, and is 
 now at the head of the money order depart- 
 ment; Lizzie Robinson, who is now, and has 
 been for years, head clerk in the office of the 
 City Treasurer of Worcester, a position of 
 trust and value; Mary Lee, wife of Benjamin 
 S. C. Gifford, of Fall River, Mass. ; Emma 
 L. , living at home; and Lucy A., who is con- 
 nected with the office of the City Treasurer. 
 
 \RESTON P. ELLIS, one of West- 
 minster's most respected citizens, is 
 a native of Bellingham, Mass., and 
 was born on December 15, 1831, to 
 Preston and Samantha (Partridge) Ellis. His 
 father, who was born in Franklin, Mass., 
 settled in Westminster in 1833, and engaged 
 in farming and the manufacture of lumber. 
 He gradually worked into the canning busi- 
 ness, and his canned fruits and preserves found 
 a ready market. An interesting fact in con- 
 nection with this business was the sale early 
 in the fifties, to Mr. Breck, of James Breck & 
 Son, of the peach pits from one season's pre- 
 serves. These amounted to about two barrels, 
 and were shipped by the Brecks to California. 
 It would be difficult now to estimate the num- 
 ber of peaches since shipped to New England 
 from California that were grown from these 
 stones. Mr. Ellis's mother, Samantha Par- 
 tridge Ellis, was a native of Westminster. 
 
 Preston P. Ellis was educated in the public 
 schools of his native town and at Westminster 
 Academy. When a boy he learned the trade 
 of bottoming chairs, but subsequently, in 
 1853, entered his father's canning factory. As 
 buyer and seller and general overseer he was in 
 
 this business until 1892, when it was closed 
 out. Since then he has been retired, although 
 he still cultivates a farm of considerable 
 extent. He is one of the directors of the 
 Westminster National Bank of Gardner, Mass. 
 Mr. Ellis married Electra Bishop, daughter 
 of Nelson Bishop. He has two children: 
 Walter E., born June 22, 1862, who is in the 
 employ of the New York, New Haven & Hart- 
 ford Railroad; and Harvey L., born August i, 
 1869, who is a paymaster's clerk in the employ 
 of the Boston & Maine Railroad. 
 
 2UTHER SHUMWAY AMMIDOWN, 
 who was a prominent business man of 
 ^ Southbridge for a number of years, 
 was born in this town June 18, 
 1822. A son of Captain Luther and Adelaide 
 (Shumway) Ammidown, he was a descendant 
 of Roger Ammidown, or Amadon, a Huguenot, 
 who was residing in Salem as early as 1640. 
 The birth of Lydia, daughter of Roger Ammi- 
 down, in 1643, was the first event of the kind 
 recorded in Boston in alphabetical order under 
 the letter A. Descendants of this ancestor 
 settled in Worcester County about the year 
 1670. Philip Ammidown, first, was born in 
 1669, and Philip, second, in 1708. When 
 Southbridge was set off from the towns of 
 Charlton and Dudley, the Ammidowns were 
 its largest landed proprietors. Among them 
 was Caleb Ammidown, the great-grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch. The grand- 
 father, Luther Ammidown, born July 8, 1761, 
 married Polly Holmes, of Woodstock, Conn., 
 a lineal descendant of John Holmes, one of 
 the founders of that town. Captain Luther 
 Ammidown, Luther S. Ammidown's father, 
 who acquired his title in the State militia, 
 was for many years a thriving merchant of 
 Southbridge, where he died in October, 1877. 
 He married Adelaide Shumway, who was born 
 September 16, 1794, daughter of Jeremiah and 
 Keziah (Freeman) Shumway. She became 
 the mother of three sons, of whom one died in 
 infancy. The others were: Luther S., the 
 subject of this sketch; and Andrew Fuller, 
 born in 1824, who died in 1862. 
 
 Luther Shumway Ammidown began his edu- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 973 
 
 cation in the schools of Southbridge. After 
 completing his studies at an academy in 
 Worcester he entered his father's store as a 
 clerk. He and his brother, Andrew F. , suc- 
 ceeded to the store, which was located upon 
 the site now occupied by the public library 
 building, and for several years carried on quite 
 an extensive trade. On November 21, 1843, 
 he married Miss Mary L. Russell, a daughter 
 of John and Lucy (Stone) Thompson Russell, 
 of Charlton, and a descendant of Simon Stone, 
 who came to this country in 1634, and died in 
 VVatertown in 1665. Mrs. Ammidown is the 
 mother of two children: Albert H. , born Au- 
 gust 7, 1846; and Mary Adelaide, born Febru- 
 ary 4, 1852. Albert H. Ammidown prepared 
 for college at Phillips Academy in Exeter, 
 N. H., graduated from Harvard University in 
 the class of 1868, and from the law school in 
 1869. Since then he has followed the legal 
 profession in New York City. Mary Adelaide 
 Ammidown, who completed her education in 
 Poughkeepsie, N. Y. , married Edward H., son 
 of Holmes Ammidown, of New York City, and 
 has had two children, of whom Philip Holmes 
 Ammidown, now of Seattle, Wash., is living. 
 In politics Luther S. Ammidown was a 
 Democrat. Though not an aspirant to politi- 
 cal honors, he accepted some of the local offices 
 at the earnest solicitation of his fellow-towns- 
 men, irrespective of party. Taking pride in 
 the progress and improvement of the town, he 
 aided every measure designed for its benefit. 
 He was a liberal contributor toward the sup- 
 port of the Baptist church. Mr. Ammidown' s 
 death occurred January 16, 1897. 
 
 Y^TIRAM C. DUNTON, a furniture 
 1^ dealer and undertaker of Athol, was 
 jig I born in Phillipston, Mass., Novem- 
 ^'"^ ber 4, 185s, son of Nehemiah and 
 Elmira (Wellington) Dunton. His paternal 
 great-grandfather was the first Dunton to settle 
 in Phillipston, in which town Nehemiah Dun- 
 ton, the grandfather of Hiram, resided. Mr. 
 Dunton 's mother was a daughter of Major 
 Ezekiel Wellington, a resident of Ashburn- 
 ham, Mass., and an officer in the State militia. 
 Hiram C. Dvmton attended schools in Phil- 
 
 lipston and West Brattleboro, Vt., and subse- 
 quently became a student at French's Business 
 College, Boston. He was first employed as 
 a clerk in Nathan Johnson's grocery store at 
 North Orange, Mass. Later he worked iij the 
 same capacity in Springfield, Mass., where he 
 remained two years, after which he returned to 
 Orange. Subsequently coming to Athol, he 
 worked four years for Mr. Cardeny, or until his 
 employer's death, after which he managed the 
 business until it was sold out. He then went 
 into business for himself as an undertaker, and 
 has since established a favorable reputation. 
 Having previously attended the College of Em- 
 balming at Boston, he is well qualified to suc- 
 ceed in his profession. He also carries a 
 varied stock of furniture and crockery ware 
 of the latest design. By close attention to 
 business and strict integrity, he has gained the 
 confidence and patronage of the public, and has 
 achieved a well-merited success. He is a 
 member of the Board of Cemetery Commis- 
 sioners, of Tully Lodge, I. O. O. F. , and of 
 the Knights of Pythias. 
 
 Mr. Dunton married Mary Newton, daugh- 
 ter of Willis S. Newton, of Athol. He has 
 two daughters: Florence M., born in 1885; 
 and Isabella, born in 1886. 
 
 LfRANCIS WAYLAND HIGGINS, for 
 1^ many years a well-known merchant of 
 Worcester, a brother of E. G. Higgins, 
 a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in 
 this work, was born in Plardwick, Mass., on 
 September 6, 1831, son of F. Henry and Ollie 
 (Metcalf) Higgins. On both sides he comes 
 of long lines of American ancestry. Repre- 
 sentatives of the Higgins family were in the 
 Plymouth Colony in the early days of its 
 settlement, and from that time down to the 
 present there have been among them men of 
 marked ability, prominent in the various walks 
 of life. 
 
 Francis Wayland Higgins spent his boy- 
 hood in Hardwick, and obtained his education 
 in the common schools of that town. He 
 worked on the farm until nearly twenty years 
 of age, when his ambition led him to go to 
 Worcester, where his older brother, E. G., was 
 
974 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 engaged in the wall paper business. In 1867 
 be formed a partnership with his brother, 
 which continued until 1873, and was very suc- 
 cessful. This prosperity was in a great meas- 
 ure due to the push and energy of the younger 
 partner, who had practically the direction of 
 the large number of men employed by the firm 
 and who attended to many of the details, thus 
 gaining a thorough knowledge of the workings 
 of the business in every department. In 1873, 
 when the partnership was dissolved, he opened 
 a store on Austin Street, near Bellevue. The 
 reputation he had already acquired was en- 
 hanced, and he soon built up a lucrative trade; 
 but his energy led him to work beyond his 
 strength, so that after a few years his health 
 failed and he was obliged to retire. His 
 death, which occurred on October i, 1891, in 
 the prime of his years, was lamented by a wide 
 circle of friends and acquaintances. Mr. Hig- 
 gins was a quiet citizen, but a worthy one. 
 He was a man of strong religious convictions, 
 and carried his principles into his daily life. 
 He was a supporter of the Second Advent 
 church, and a constant attendant of its ser- 
 vics for many years. His life may well serve 
 as an exponent of what is best and truest in 
 American manhood, and his unfailingly hon- 
 orable business methods are in every respect 
 worthy of emulation. 
 
 Mr. Higgins was thrice married. His third 
 wife, to whom he was married in 1871, was 
 Mary Sargent, of Boxboro, Mass. By the first 
 marriage he had two children, namely : Jennie 
 L. , now Mrs. J. E. Smith, of Worcester; and 
 Josephine C, who died in infancy. By his 
 second marriage there was one child— Hattie 
 E., who died in i8g8. By his third marriage 
 there were two children — Irville F. and Myr- 
 tice M. , both of whom are living. 
 
 'ON. HARTLEY WILLIAMS, for- 
 merly Judge of the Central District 
 Court of Worcester, was born at 
 Mercer, Somerset County, Me., on 
 August 12, 1820. He was a son of Simeon 
 and Lydia Williams and one of a family of 
 nine children. He obtained his early educa- 
 tion in the common schools, and at the age of 
 
 seventeen entered what was then called a high 
 school, where for two years he showed great 
 proficiency in his studies. At the age of nine- 
 teen he taught his first term of school in the 
 neighboring town of Stark, meeting with 
 marked success. In the winter of 1841 he 
 came to Massachusetts on a visit to friends in 
 Fall River, and was induced to remain and 
 teach school in that vicinity. He subsequently 
 taught in the State of Rhode Island. In 1842, 
 while a student at Smithville Seminary, Scitu- 
 ate, R. I., he conceived the desire to enter the 
 legal profession. Coming to Worcester in De- 
 cember, 1843, he entered the employ of Howe 
 & Goddard, the predecessors of the Rice, 
 Barton & Fales Machine and Iron Company, 
 and for two years remained with them as book- 
 keeper. In 1846 he engaged in the grocery 
 business under the firm name of Nickerson & 
 Williams; but this business was not to his 
 taste, and he gave it up. Two years later he 
 entered the office of the Hon. Francis H. 
 Dewey, and gave his entire attention to the 
 study of law. Already he was well informed 
 on many points pertaining to the profession, as 
 he had spent his leisure for several years in 
 reading law books. In September, 1850, he 
 passed with credit the examination for the 
 Worcester County bar, and shortly after 
 formed a partnership with Mr. Dewey, which 
 continued successfully for thirteen years. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Williams was elected a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Aldermen. He was elected 
 Commissioner of Insolvency in 1856, and was 
 a State Senator in 1862 and 1863. As a 
 member of the Executive Council in 1864 and 
 1865, he was one of Governor Andrew's most 
 trusted and able advisers. He succeeded the 
 Hon. P. Emory Aldrich as District Attorney 
 in 1866, and continued to serve in that capac- 
 ity until June 30, 1868, when he resigned to 
 take the position of Justice of the Municipal 
 Court, which took the place of the police court, 
 and which in 1872 was changed to the Central 
 District Court of Worcester. He ably filled 
 that position until the day of his death, a little 
 more than fourteen years later. 
 
 The following is an extract from a letter 
 written to Judge Williams by Senator Hoar, 
 dated at Washington, April 4, 1882: "You 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 975 
 
 and I came to the bar at about the same time, 
 and the lines of our lives have been very near 
 each other for thirty years. They have fallen 
 in very pleasant places. I have often thought 
 that the office which you have filled so ably 
 and successfully is the most difficult, as it is 
 one of the most important in the administra- 
 tion of our laws. Very few men among those 
 who have made eminent judges of our highest 
 courts would have discharged the responsible 
 and arduous duties which have rested on you so 
 wisely, humanely, and so much to the public 
 benefit and satisfaction as you have done. 
 Few men have the right to look back over their 
 lives with more entire contentment with the 
 public service they have been permitted to 
 accomplish. " 
 
 For nine long years Judge Williams was a 
 faithful and valued member of the School 
 Board. He was a member of the First Na- 
 tional Fire Insurance Company of Worcester 
 from its organization, and served officially as 
 director, solicitor, and treasurer, with that care 
 and sound judgment which characterized his 
 life. For a period of nearly forty years he was 
 a member of the Union Church Parish and 
 prominently identified with its interests. In 
 religion he was very tolerant. Making an 
 eloquent plea before the Congregational Club 
 of Worcester on behalf of a hearty Christian 
 union of the churches, he said: "For myself, 
 I would most earnestly advocate such a union, 
 and I would recommend the adoption of this 
 simple creed and have it written in letters of 
 gold over every church door : 
 
 " For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight : 
 He can't be wrong whose life is in the right." 
 
 In June, 1872, Williams College conferred 
 upon Judge Williams the honorary degree of 
 Master of Arts. In 1878 the Judge and his 
 daughter made an extended tour in Europe, 
 and upon their return the former gave a most 
 interesting account of his travels in a series of 
 lectures delivered before the Union Church 
 people. 
 
 Judge Williams was married to Rachel 
 Harris, daughter of David Harris, Esq., of 
 Industry, Me., on October 7, 1844, and came 
 directly to Worcester, His marriage was a 
 
 most happy one, and was blessed by two chil- 
 dren, a son and a daughter. The latter, who 
 is the only living child, is the wife of Lieu- 
 tenant Charles W. Bartlett, of the United 
 States navy. The death of the Judge, which 
 resulted from a stroke of paralysis, and oc- 
 curred on August 17, 1882, was the occasion 
 for many expressions of grief from those who 
 had been his associates and friends. Memo- 
 rial meetings were held by the "Natives of 
 Maine," an organization of which Judge Will- 
 iams was the first president, and by the Con- 
 gregational Club, of which he was a most 
 valued member. The Worcester County Court 
 and Bar held a joint session in the September 
 term, at which resolutions of loss and condo- 
 lence were passed, and addresses made by the 
 Hon. Peter C. Bacon, the Hon. F. H. Dewey, 
 W. A. Williams, and John R. Thayer. The 
 Andrew Councillor Association, which con- 
 sisted of all the executive advisers who had 
 served in that branch of the State government 
 during the administration of the great "War 
 Governor," also tendered a message of sympa- 
 thy to Judge Williams's family, and ordered a 
 eulogy to be placed upon their records. The 
 following remarks, which so carefully sum- 
 marize the character of the Judge, are quoted 
 from the address of the Rev. M. H. Harris 
 before the "Natives of Maine " : — 
 
 "Judge Williams's mind was distinguished 
 by clear and accurate perceptions, sound judg- 
 ment, a will strong in purpose, and a persist- 
 ent patience, both in deliberation and inquiry. 
 He began early, and never laid aside the habit 
 of a thorough industry. So uniform was this 
 and so deeply set as to wear the grace of some 
 beautiful instinct. There was in it no bustle, 
 no hurry. It was the genuine love of labor, 
 stirring the whole being and keeping its ener- 
 gies directed in constant application to wise 
 and useful results. He seemed as one who 
 could not rest idle, and yet his movements 
 were such that he imposed no disagreeable con- 
 straints on those near him, although his very 
 presence was a reproof to a listless inaction. 
 There were several very marked and sterling 
 qualities exhibited by our friend which are all 
 indicated when we say that comparatively few 
 men can ever have been better fitted to counsel, 
 
976 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 guard, sustain, and re-enforce the minds of 
 others. . . . Many sought his counsel who had 
 learned how dispassionate and cool, judicious 
 and candid, gentle and sympathetic he was. 
 He won and kept through life a perfect confi- 
 dence in the hearts of those who knew him 
 well. So delicate was his sense of honor, so 
 pure his conscientiousness, so constant his 
 fidelity, that none doubted that what he had 
 under his control would be safe, and whatever 
 he undertook to do would be done. His rea- 
 son, affections, and conscience seemed to act 
 always in harmony for a common end. Hence 
 his character was uniform and consistent. One 
 always knew where to find him. . . . Society 
 could count him among her pillars. His opin- 
 ions were deliberately formed, but were not 
 easily disturbed when once settled in his mind. 
 He was not hasty in his attachments, and they 
 were never hastily abandoned. He was dig- 
 nified and self-possessed, not to be overcome 
 by his own or others' emotion, yet tender and 
 affectionate, and though of wonderful fortitude 
 he always had a profound feeling of his abso- 
 lute dependence on God for strength and aid. ' ' 
 
 TT^HARLES B. SAWIN, a miller of 
 I Ky Southboro, was born here, February 
 ^Hs ^ 8, 1840, son of Moses and Mary 
 (Morse) Sawin. He comes of a long 
 line of millers. The earliest progenitor of 
 the American Sawins was John Sawin, of 
 Watertown, Mass. John's third son, Thomas, 
 bought of the Indians fifty acres of land in 
 South Natick, for which he paid ten pounds 
 lawful money. The conditions agreed upon 
 obliged Thomas Sawin to build upon the 
 premises a mill for grinding corn, him and 
 his assigns to maintain the mill forever; 
 while, on the Other hand, there was to be no 
 other corn-mill built in the town without the 
 consent of Thomas Sawin, his heirs and as- 
 signs. Thomas Sawin was the direct ancestor 
 of the subject of this sketch. He and his de- 
 scendants held the mill from 1685 to 1833, a 
 period of one hundred and forty-eight years. 
 
 Moses Sawin, Charles B. Sawin's father, 
 sold the mill referred to above, and purchased 
 of Deacon Gabriel Parker a lot of land with a 
 
 mill on it, situated half a mile west of the 
 town hall in Southboro. In the following 
 year he bought an additional lot on the south 
 side and established a good farm homestead, 
 building a substantia] residence. Very active 
 in public affairs, he was a member of the town 
 Overseers of the Poor for many years, and he 
 was influential in promoting temperance re- 
 form. When William Lloyd Garrison called 
 upon the nation to repent for supporting 
 chattel slavery, Mr. Sawin did not hesitate to 
 enlist in the great cause of humanity. He 
 asked the members of the church to which he 
 belonged to testify against slavery, and when 
 his request was rejected he refused to com- 
 mune with them as a church of Christ. For 
 this the church cast him out, and he exultantly 
 quoted to them the words of Christ, " Inas- 
 much as ye did it unto the least of these my 
 brethren, ye did it unto me." He was happy 
 in living to see slavery abolished and his for- 
 mer opponents acknowledge its wickedness 
 and labor earnestly to overthrow it. Having 
 lived seventy-six years, he passed away Febru- 
 ary 7, 1 87 1. The first of his three marriages 
 was contracted in 1820 with Joanna T. Lane. 
 The second took place in 1823, when Mary B. 
 Morse became his wife. She bore him eight 
 children. His third, in 1852, united him 
 with Mrs. Catherine D. Rice. 
 
 Charles B. Sawin was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of Southboro. Afterward he 
 worked with his father in the mill until 1863, 
 when he enlisted in Company E, Fifty-first 
 Massachusetts Volunteers. In active service 
 during the greater part of his term, he partici- 
 pated in the North Carolina campaign, the 
 battles of Kingston, Whitehall, and Goulds- 
 boro, and a number of minor engagements. 
 He received his discharge in the summer of 
 1864. When his father died he took charge 
 of the extensive real estate interests and the 
 mill. The latter was subsequently taken by 
 the Metropolitan Water Works, and torn down 
 to make way for other improvements. The 
 mill building, which was bought and fitted up 
 as a mill by Mr. Sawin, is the only one of the 
 kind in this section. It measures one hundred 
 and seventy by forty feet, is constructed sub- 
 stantially of brick, and is thoroughly equipped 
 
CHARLES n. SAWIN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 979 
 
 with all modern appliances, including a gaso- 
 line engine for power. Mr. Sawin grinds 
 about a carload of grain per day. He is a 
 very energetic and forceful business man. A 
 cyclone in the latter part of August, 1897, 
 unroofed his mill and blew down a part of the 
 walls, causing a loss amounting to several 
 thousand dollars, as no insurance policy in 
 New England covers cyclone damages. 
 Within twenty-four hours he had the premises 
 covered with workmen. In a week the walls 
 were entirely rebuilt, every bushel of damaged 
 grain disposed of, and no trace of the disaster 
 remained. 
 
 Mr. Sawin has been twice married. His 
 first wife, in maidenhood Miss Louisa McMas- 
 ters, had one son and one daughter — Harry 
 W. and Mary L. Jameson. His present wife 
 was formerly Miss F. H. Follensby, of South- 
 boro. Harry W. Sawin, who graduated at 
 Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College in 
 Boston, and is now in business with his father, 
 is a clean-cut, active young man and his 
 father's right-hand man. He married Miss 
 Alice G. Ingalls, of Cambridge, and has one 
 daughter, named Olive. Mr. Charles B. 
 Sawin is very active in town affairs. He has 
 been a member of the Board of Selectmen for 
 several years, having served for some time as 
 chairman. He is a charter member of G. 
 Wesley Nichols Post, No. 44, G. A. R., and 
 was the first Master of the Southboro Grange. 
 Among his valued possessions are the curious 
 old deeds signed and sealed by the Indians, 
 from whom his ancestors purchased their land 
 in Natick. 
 
 Mass., 
 
 )N. HAMILTON BARCLAY 
 STAPLES, LL.D., sometime Jus- 
 tice of the Superior Court of 
 Worcester, was born in Mendon, 
 on February 14, 1829, and died in 
 Worcester, August 2, 1891. The following 
 biographical sketch of the late Judge Staples is 
 taken almost verbatim from "One of a Thou- 
 sand." 
 
 After his common-school course he prepared 
 for college at Worcester Academy. He en- 
 tered Brown University in 1847, and was grad- 
 
 uated therefrom in the class of 1851, taking 
 the Latin salutatory. He studied law in Prov- 
 idence, R. I., in the office of the late Chief 
 Justice Ames, and in Worcester with the late 
 Hon. Peter C. Bacon ; was admitted to the bar 
 at Worcester, 1854, and went into practice in 
 Milford, in partnership with the late General 
 A. B. Underwood in 1855; was subsequently 
 in partnership with John C. Scammell, the 
 Hon. Charles A. Dewey, and William F. 
 Slocum. In 1869 he removed to Worcester, 
 and was engaged in practice in this city, in 
 partnership with the Hon. Francis ' P. Gould- 
 ing, for twelve years, until 1881. 
 
 Judge Staples was a member of the Common 
 Council of Worcester and a trustee of the City 
 Hospital in 1874; District Attorney of the 
 Middle District for eight years; was appointed 
 one of the Justices of the Superior Court, Feb- 
 ruary 16, 1 88 1, and was on the bench of that 
 court during his remaining years. 
 
 He was married in Mendon in 1858 to Eliz- 
 abeth A. Godfrey, step-daughter of the Hon. 
 Benjamin Davenport. She died July i, 1867; 
 and he was married in Northampton, October 
 to Mary Clinton Dewey, daughter of 
 
 the late Hon. Charles A. Dewey, Judge of the 
 Supreme Court, and his wife, Caroline H. 
 Clinton, daughter of General James Clinton, of 
 New York. Two children were the fruit of the 
 second marriage, namely : Charles Dewey 
 Staples, who died in infancy; and Francis 
 Hamilton Staples, born April 22, 1872. 
 
 Judge Staples was a valued member of the 
 American Antiquary Society, and contributed 
 to its proceedings the following papers: "A 
 Day at Mount Vernon in 1797," "The Origin 
 of the Names of the States," "The Province 
 Laws," "The Winthrop Sword," and "The 
 Monument to La Salle at Rouen." He re- 
 ceived the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws 
 from Brown University in 1884. 
 
 His 
 
 'ON AS T. PUTNAM, a prosperous 
 dairyman of Spencer, was born in Rut- 
 land, Mass., July 15, 1835, son of 
 Andrew and Nancy (Woodard) Putnam. 
 
 first American ancestor, it is said, was 
 
 ont; of three brothers who emigrated from Eng- 
 
gSo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 land and settled in Salem, Mass. Captain 
 Archelaus Putnam, great-grandfather of Jonas, 
 was born in Sutton in 1744, and moved to 
 Rutland in 1795, where he resided until his 
 death in 1809. He served in the Revolution- 
 ary War. Mr. Putnam's grandfather, Andrew 
 Putnam, was a native of Sutton. 
 
 Andrew Putnam, the father, moved in 1843 
 from Rutland, his native town, to Spencer, and 
 in 1850 he located upon the farm which is now 
 owned by his son Jonas. His death occurred 
 in 1856. Of his children there are four sons 
 and two daughters living. One of the daugh- 
 ters married William Hatch, of Rutland, and 
 the other became the wife of Lorenzo Watson, 
 of Spencer. The sons all reside in Spencer; 
 namely, Jonas T. , Andrew E., Austin G., and 
 Archelaus D. 
 
 Jonas T. Putnam, who has resided here since 
 his early boyhood, received his education in 
 the district school. When a young man he 
 followed the shoemaker's trade for a time, but 
 at the age of twenty-one, on account of his 
 father's death, he relinquished it in order to 
 take charge of the homestead farm, which he 
 has since carried on. He owns one hundred 
 and eight acres of fertile land, which he de- 
 votes chiefly to dairy purposes, and his energy 
 has been attended with prosperous results. 
 Politically, Mr. Putnam is a Republican. He 
 was one of the organizers of the Farmers' and 
 Mechanics' Association of Spencer, and for a 
 number of years served upon the Executive 
 Committee. He attends and is a member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 Mr. Putnam married Elizabeth C. Sampson, 
 daughter of the late Francis Samps'oh, of West 
 Brookfield, and a descendant on the paternal 
 side of one of the early settlers at Plymouth. 
 He has two daughters — Martha A. and Mary 
 W. 
 
 ID WIN AUGUSTUS THWING, ma- 
 chinist, for twenty years and more one 
 of the firm of the Lathe and Morse 
 Tool Company in Worcester, was born at Men- 
 don, December 22, 1829. He was a son of 
 Charles Augustus and Uranah (Keith) Thwing, 
 and was a representative of the eighth genera- 
 
 tion of the family founded by Benjamin 
 Thwing, who settled in Boston as early as 
 1635. This is the line of ancestry: Benja- 
 min,' John, ^ John,3 John,'' Benjamin,s Benja- 
 min, Jr.,* and Charles Augustus.' 
 
 Benjamin Thwing, Sr. , settled at Uxbridge 
 in 1754, and built there in 1776 a substantial 
 dwelling, which has been the home of several 
 generations, and is still in the possession of 
 the family. Charles A. Thwing, the father of 
 the subject of this sketch, was a woollen manu- 
 facturer at Uxbridge, and was afterward in the 
 provision business. He served the town in 
 several offices, and was at one time a member 
 of the State legislature. He died May 10, 
 1861. His sister Hannah was the wife of 
 George Draper and the mother of General 
 William F. Draper. 
 
 Edwin Augustus Thwing, after completing 
 his studies at the Uxbridge and Worcester 
 Academies, was apprenticed to the Whitins of 
 Whitinsville to learn the machinist's trade. 
 He came to Worcester in 1849, and worked at 
 his trade for A. H. Stocking & Co., makers of 
 firearms. He was soon engaged as an expert 
 machinist by S. C. Coombs & Co., makers of 
 machinists' tools and lathes; and he continued 
 with this firm and its successors until 1871, 
 with the exception of a few years spent with 
 other concerns. His work was highly valued 
 by his employers; and, when the partners re- 
 tired in 1871, Mr. Thwing purchased an inter- 
 est in the new firm, then and previously known 
 as the Lathe and Morse Tool Company. His 
 strong personality and unusual executive abil- 
 ity imparted an impetus to the business, and 
 he so conducted the enterprise as to make it 
 highly profitable to all. After the death of 
 Mr. Thwing' s partner a corporation was 
 formed in 1892 under the name of the Draper 
 Machine Tool Company, with General Will- 
 iam F. Draper as president and Edwin A. 
 Thwing as treasurer and general manager. 
 This position Mr. Thwing held until his death, 
 which occurred June 14, 1892. His estate 
 still holds an interest in the business, and his 
 son has succeeded him as treasurer and man- 
 ager of the corporation. Earnest, energetic, 
 and self-reliant, Mr. Thwing worked inces- 
 santly, thus overtaxing his strength and caus- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 981 
 
 ing his somewhat premature death. He was 
 naturally quiet and thoughtful, devoted to his 
 home and his business, and never interesting 
 himself actively in outside affairs. A man of 
 strict integrity, he was a substantial citizen, 
 and his opinions on practical matters were 
 considered of value as being sound and safe. 
 He was a member of the Worcester County 
 Mechanics' Association, and was an attendant 
 of the Universalist church. 
 
 He married May 9, 1850, Rhoda A. Law- 
 rence, of Uxbridge, daughter of Thomas C. 
 Lawrence and a descendant of John Lawrence, 
 who settled in Watertown, Mass., in 1635. 
 Mrs. Thwing is the mother of two children — 
 Hattie and Charles Edwin. Hattie, born in 
 185s, is now Mrs. Charles F. Smith, of 
 Worcester. Charles Edwin Thwing, born in 
 Hopedale in 1865, was educated at the com- 
 mon schools and the high school of Worcester, 
 and afterward learned his father's trade. He 
 took a prominent part in the business of the 
 Tool Company, and upon the death of his 
 father was elected to the position of treasurer 
 and general manager. He is a young man of 
 marked ability. 
 
 M 
 
 AVID BRADLEY HARRINGTON, 
 formerly a prominent mason, con- 
 tractor, and builder of Millbury, 
 was born in Westboro, Mass., Feb- 
 ruary 9, 1 801, son of Wentworth and Rachel 
 (Hyde) Harrington. The Harrington family 
 came originally from England, and at an early 
 date settled in Lexington, whence they re- 
 moved to Westboro. John Harrington, father 
 of Wentworth, was a minute-man during the 
 Revolutionary War, and was called out several 
 times. When he received the news of the 
 Concord fight he was shingling his barn, but 
 dropped work, and mounting his horse rode to 
 Lexington to participate in the repulse of the 
 British. His wife, whose maiden name ,was 
 Mary Whitney, was a native of Westboro. 
 They were the parents of five sons and one 
 daughter. Wentworth Harrington, father of 
 David B., was born in Westboro in 1777, and 
 died in 1808. His wife, Rachel, who was a 
 descendant of one of the earliest families in 
 
 New England, died in 1849. They had five 
 children, of whom two, William and Went- 
 worth, died in childhood. Stephen, who for 
 some years previous to 1849 was a contracting 
 mason and builder in Millbury, removed in the 
 year mentioned to Worcester, where he subse- 
 quently conducted a prosperous business. He 
 died in 1887, aged eighty years, leaving three 
 sons and a daughter, who is now the widow of 
 Benjamin L. Sampson, and resides on Pleasant 
 Street. 
 
 David Bradley Harrington after learning the 
 mason's trade engaged in business for himself 
 as a contractor and builder, and erected many 
 of the brick buildings in this town In 1848 
 he built the house at 64 Main Street now occu- 
 pied by his daughters, which was then the 
 most northerly dwelling in Millbury. For 
 some years also he carried on a grocery busi- 
 ness in Millbury. Mr. Harrington died in 
 1893, at the age of ninety-two years, his wife 
 having passed away in 1889, at the age of 
 eighty-two. Though at no time a seeker for 
 political or official honors, he was elected and 
 served as Assessor. 
 
 In 1 83 1 Mr. Harrington was united in mar- 
 riage with Amy Sophia Newton, who was born 
 in 1807. Three children were born of their 
 union; namely, Charles Augustus, Lucy 
 Sophia, and Amy Augusta. Charles A. is a 
 lumber dealer at Newtonville. Lucy S. and 
 Amy A., who reside in Millbury, were edu- 
 cated in the common and high schools and at 
 Millbury Academy. They have lived quiet 
 and unassuming lives, and are esteemed by 
 their fellow-townspeople for their sterling 
 womanly qualities of character. 
 
 OHN E. HOLMAN, well known in 
 Worcester and vicinity in the seventies 
 as an architect of unusual talent and 
 skill, was born in Petersham, this 
 county, November 2, 1848. He was a son of 
 Solomon O. and Alma S. (Smith) Hol.man, 
 prosperous members of the farming community 
 of that town. 
 
 Mr. Holman acquired a practical education 
 in Petersham, where he remained with his 
 parents until 1868. Coming then to Worces- 
 
982 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ter, he entered the office of E. Boydeii, archi- 
 tect, and made such rapid progress in his 
 studies that at the end of six months he began 
 to receive a salary, a notable fact, as according 
 to the agreement first made he was to give his 
 time to Mr. Boyden for a whole year. At the 
 end of two years he left his employer, and in 
 company with a Mr. Cutting established him- 
 self in business. The partnership continued 
 four years; and a number of large public 
 buildings and several churches and residences, 
 including some in Piedmont and Plymouth, 
 attest the diligence and efficiency of M"essrs. 
 Holman & Cutting during this period. In 
 July, 1878, Mr. Holman, who had already 
 achieved an excellent reputation, opened an 
 office by himself in Worcester; and from that 
 time until his death, November 8,. 1878, a few 
 brief months, he succeeded so well in his work 
 that a brilliant future was predicted for him. 
 Had his life been spared, he would undoubt- 
 edly have occupied a place of prominence 
 among the leading architects of the county, if 
 not of the State. 
 
 Mr. Holman was married October 29, 1870, 
 to Abigail F. Bancroft, of Petersham, Mass., 
 a descendant of George Bancroft, the cele- 
 brated historian. Mr. and Mrs. Holman had 
 two children, namely: Ralph H., who was 
 educated in the Worcester High School, and is 
 by profession a civil engineer; and Annie H., 
 who is now a student. Ralph H. Holman is 
 an enthusiastic naturalist, and has one of the 
 finest collections of birds to be found, in this 
 locality. He is now serving as a commis- 
 sioner on the State Board of Agriculture. 
 
 "ERBERT A. COOK, the well-known 
 florist and market-gardener of 
 [IS I Shrewsbury, son of W. L. and 
 Emily S. (Hayden) Cook, was born 
 in Marlboro, Mass., in 1847. Ancestors of 
 his were among the early settlers of Marl- 
 boro. Mr. Cook's grandfather and great-grand- 
 father, who were named respectively Libous 
 and Annanias, spent the greater part of their 
 lives engaged in tilling the soil. The father, 
 who was a prominent resident of Marlboro and 
 an influential member of the North Congrega- 
 
 tional Church, was largely interested in dairy 
 farming. 
 
 Herbert A. Cook attended the common 
 schools of Marlboro, including the high 
 school, and begari his working life as a market- 
 gardener. Later he took up floriculture, to 
 which he has since given his chief attention. 
 Twenty-five years ago he came to Shrewsbury 
 and bought the farm upon which he now lives. 
 Since then he has devoted himself especially 
 to the culture of carnations and built up a most 
 prosperous business. In order to satisfy the 
 constantly increasing demand for flowers, he 
 has been obliged to make repeated additions to 
 his facilities for raising them. Now he has 
 more than twenty thousand feet under glass, of 
 which by far the greater part is devoted to 
 pink culture. He is probably the most exten- 
 sive as well as the most successful grower of 
 carnation pinks in New England. Mr. Cook's 
 success is largely due to his practical knowl- 
 edge of details and to his close attention to 
 business. He has originated several beautiful 
 varieties of pinks, the most successful one, per- 
 haps, being the Nivea, with which he se- 
 cured control of the Boston market for white 
 pinks in the winter of 1897-98. Of this one 
 variety he shipped weekly during that season 
 a number averaging six thousand. 
 
 In addition to his floriculture Mr. Cook car- 
 ries on an extensive market-gardening busi- 
 ness, confining himself t.o such products as will 
 give employment to his force of florists at 
 times when they are not needed in the green- 
 houses. In this way he is able to keep a corps 
 of skilled workmen the year round, instead of 
 having to engage new and inexperienced men 
 each season. Mr. Cook is an active member 
 of Shrewsbury Grange, and his timely papers 
 or addresses before that organization are 
 listened to with close interest. He is also 
 a member of the Worcester North and the 
 Worcester Horticultural Societies, of the 
 American Carnation and the American Flo- 
 rists' Associations, of the Worcester Market 
 Gardeners' Association, and various other or- 
 ganizations. Frequently he delivers addresses 
 before these bodies, besides contributing to 
 various horticultural publications. 
 
 Actively interested in local affairs, Mr. 
 
1 i 
 
 GEORGE H. JEFTS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 985 
 
 Cook has served on the School Board ; and he 
 has been a member of the Board of Selectmen 
 for four years and the chairman of that body 
 for two years. He married Emily Fosgate, of 
 Berlin, and two children have been born to him 
 — Maurice and Elsie. The former, who was 
 educated at Amherst College, is now in busi- 
 ness with his father. The latter has just grad- 
 uated from the Worcester Classical High 
 School, and will this season enter Mount 
 Holyoke College. 
 
 1p)TENRY LEWIS HOPKINS, who 
 L^J ranked for a number of years among 
 
 |i g) I the prominent merchants of the city 
 ^~^ of Worcester, was born in Jefferson, 
 Lincoln County, Me., March 26, 1858. His 
 parents were Lewis and Jane (Hewitt) Hop- 
 kins. The Hopkins family is one of the old- 
 est in New England, and has many sterling 
 traits of character. Lewis Hopkins had a 
 large general store at Whitinsville station, 
 Mass., and was very successful in business. 
 He and his wife were visiting in Maine when 
 their son Henry L. was born, but their home 
 was in Whitinsville. He is now living in 
 Worcester. 
 
 Henry Lewis Hopkins was educated in the 
 common schools of Whitinsville, and went to 
 work early in his father's store. Here he 
 acquired a practical knowledge of the ins and 
 outs of trade, and, being quick, keen, and am- 
 bitious, was soon qualified to manage a business 
 of his own. There was little scope for his 
 ambition in a country town; and in 1882 he 
 entered the employ of a Mr. Raymond, who kept 
 a drug store on Summer Street, Worcester. 
 As soon as he received his diploma from the 
 Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, he took 
 his savings and opened a store in the Lewis 
 Hopkins Block at the corner of Pleasant and 
 Piedmont Streets. Here he managed a suc- 
 cessful drug business for a number of years. 
 His nervous energy, however, was greater than 
 his strength. He would devote to reading and 
 study hours which should have been given to 
 rest. He also added other lines of merchan- 
 dise to his stock in trade. He took an adjoin- 
 ing store and stocked it with dry goods, and 
 
 managed the two stores; but the double strain 
 was too much for him, and at length he sold 
 his drug business. The other store he then 
 enlarged, adding many different lines of fancy 
 goods ; and he moved into a large block on 
 Main Street, where rents were high and com- 
 petition fierce. The strain was so great upon 
 him that his health became seriously under- 
 mined, and he removed to a quieter location, 
 establishing his headquarters in the Winslow 
 Block on Pleasant Street. Here he had a 
 thriving trade up to the time of his death, July 
 22, 1894. Asa business man he was shrewd 
 and capable, ambitious and energetic. So- 
 cially, he was genial and unaffected, and had 
 many friends. He was conscientious and high- 
 principled, and his habits in private life were ' 
 simple and unostentatious. His early death 
 was, no doubt, caused by overwork and con- 
 tinuous nervous strain. 
 
 Mr. Hopkins was married February 7, 1888, 
 to Mrs. Clara E. Knight Call, of Richmond, 
 Me., daughter of Benjamin H. and Sarah 
 Cheney (Decker) Knight and widow of Cap- 
 tain William F. Call. Her first husband, 
 who came of a seafaring family, was master 
 and part owner of the "Oasis," a vessel en- 
 gaged principally in trade with China and the 
 East Indies, and had travelled over a large part 
 of the globe. He died on his ship while en 
 route from New York to China, and was buried 
 at sea some three hundred miles east of Rio 
 Janeiro. Mrs. Hopkins has one daughter, 
 Ella May Call, who is living with her. Mrs. 
 Hopkins is a lady of culture and literary 
 taste, and has seen much of the world. She 
 was in Hong-Kong, China, when General 
 Grant was there, and was present at a recep- 
 tion given by him to the Americans in that 
 city. 
 
 /^STeORGE HENRY JEFTS, superin- 
 \ ■) I tendent of the Massachusetts Odd 
 — Fellows Home, Worcester, was born 
 in Brookline, N.H., in 1840, son of Joseph 
 Franklin and Adeline (Pendleton) Jefts. He 
 is descended from early settlers of English 
 origin. His paternal grandfather, Joseph 
 Jefts, who was born in Temple, N. H., in 
 
986 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1788 and died in 1863, married Lucinda Far- 
 well, of Harvard, Mass. They reared three 
 sons and two daughters, of whom the only sur- 
 vivor is Edmund F. Jefts, an octogenarian of 
 Holyoke, Mass., and a pensioner of the Civil 
 War. 
 
 Joseph Franklin Jefts, the father of the 
 subject of this sketch, was born in Mason, 
 N.H., in 1810. He was self-educated and 
 well versed in the ordinary branches of study. 
 He was a farmer and a hotel-keeper in Brook- 
 line for many years, and died there in 1862. 
 
 George Henry Jefts shared in common 
 with his playmates the educational facilities 
 offered at the traditional red school-house of 
 his neighborhood. Left motherless at the age 
 of four years, he resided with his paternal 
 grandparents until his majority. In the fall 
 of 1864, in the fourth year of the Rebellion, 
 he enlisted at Pottsville, Pa., in Company F, 
 Ninety-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol- 
 unteers, with which he served until the close 
 of the war. He was subsequently engaged 
 in various kinds of employment, displayed 
 special ability in caring for the inmates of the 
 different almshouses of which he had charge 
 successively, one being that at West Boyls- 
 ton, Mass., and another the one at Fitchburg. 
 In April, 1897, he was appointed to his pres- 
 ent position at the Odd Fellows Home in 
 the city of Worcester, which was dedicated 
 in 1892. The building is a substantial one, 
 occupying a pleasant location on high ground 
 near North Pond. It is capable of accom- 
 modating sixty or more people, and affords 
 a comfortable home for aged and infirm men 
 and women belonging to the order. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Jefts married Fanny A. Mixer, 
 of Brookline. She was born in Hillsboro, 
 N.H., daughter of Stephen A. and Sarah 
 (Bennett) Mixer, the former of whom was a 
 carpenter by trade and a well-known public 
 official. Mr. and Mrs. Jefts have had three 
 children: Clara Belle, who died at the age of 
 seven years; Albert L., who is in the employ 
 of the Fitchburg & Leominster Street Rail- 
 way Company; and Daisy Dean Jefts, who 
 possesses rare musical ability, and for the 
 last eight years has been an efficient teacher 
 in the public schools of Fitchburg, Mass. 
 
 In politics Mr. Jefts acts with the Republi- 
 can party. He is a Past Noble Grand of 
 Phoenix Lodge, I. O. O. F., New Britain, 
 Conn. He was made a Master Mason thirty- 
 five years ago, and has been secretary of his 
 lodge. He is also a comrade of the Grand 
 Army of the Republic, affiliating with E. V. 
 Sumner Post, No. 19, Fitchburg, Mass. 
 
 A stanch patriot and a man shrewdly observ- 
 ant of men and manners, being withal of a 
 philosophic turn of mind, Mr. Jefts expresses 
 himself as most grateful for three things: 
 first, for having been born in the greatest 
 country known, whose flag stands for more 
 than all others combined; second, for living 
 in the greatest era known to mankind; and, 
 third, that it has been his lot to live the life 
 of an average American citizen, escaping the 
 cares, perplexities, and strain of the million- 
 aire and the misery, disgrace, and hardship 
 of the modern tramp. That his service has 
 been true and heartfelt, not perfunctory, may 
 be gathered from the simple statement that he 
 has closed the eyes for the last time to mortal 
 vision of more than one hundred persons, many 
 of them blessing him and his with the whisper 
 of a last breath. 
 
 BENNETT, a retired business man 
 of Hubbardston, was born in this town, 
 June 18, 1 8 19, son of David and 
 Hannah (Marean) Bennett. The 
 paternal grandfather, David Bennett, was a 
 native of Shirley, Mass., and a Revolutionary 
 soldier. He settled as a pioneer in Hubbards- 
 ton before the construction of roads in the dis- 
 trict, and cleared a good farm from the wilder- 
 ness. The maiden name of his wife was 
 Martha Smith. William Marean, the mater- 
 nal grandfather, who was also a Revolutionary 
 soldier, came here from Newton, Mass. One 
 of the early merchants of Hubbardston and a 
 large land owner, he died in 1826. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Sybil Parker, died in 
 1843. 
 
 David Bennett, who was born, reared, and 
 educated in Hubbardston, spent his active 
 years in general farming and lumbering, which 
 he carried on quite extensively, and was also 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 987 
 
 engaged in trade. Taking a prominent part in 
 public affairs, he iield various town offices. 
 He died September 21, 1867. Hannah, his 
 wife, also a native of this town, had eight chil- 
 dren, four of whom are living, namely : Maria 
 S., born February 12, 18 10, who is now Mrs. 
 Waite, of Amherst, Mass. ; Asa, the subject of 
 this sketch; Hannah M., born January 27, 
 1822, who is now Mrs. Sparks, and resides at 
 Fort Smith, Ark. ; and Louisa, born March 22, 
 1824, who is now Mrs. Gates, and resides in 
 Minneapolis, Minn. The others were: Sally 
 M., Joseph M., David E., and Martha E. 
 The mother died January 26, 1872. 
 
 When fifteen years old Asa Bennett went to 
 Boston to begin life for himself as a clerk in a 
 dry-goods store. After remaining there a 
 number of years he engaged in a general mer- 
 chandise business in Hubbardston. Later he 
 went to the South, where he carried on busi- 
 ness for some time. Then, after another 
 period spent in keeping a general store' in his 
 native town, he went to Fort Smith, Ark., and 
 was in business there during the Civil War. 
 About the year 1866 he accepted the respon- 
 sible position of buyer for the largest wholesale 
 house in Arkansas. In this capacity during 
 the succeeding four years he purchased goods 
 in the different markets from Boston to New 
 Orleans, holding a power of attorney for his 
 employers and looking after their interests in 
 such an able manner as to win their hearty 
 approval. After resigning this position in 
 1870, he returned to Hubbardston; and, though 
 he has since been interested in various enter- 
 prises, he gave his chief attention to farming 
 and cattle dealing until his retirement, which 
 took place some time ago. His long and 
 varied business career was financially success- 
 ful, and he is the owner of some valuable real 
 estate in this locality. 
 
 On September 30, 1845, Mr. Bennett mar- 
 ried Mary R. Brigham, who was born in Hub- 
 bardston, January 13, 1824, daughter of Joseph 
 and Rebecca (Brown) Brigham. The latter 
 was a descendant of- one of the first settlers of 
 this town. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have one 
 daughter, Mary E., who married Howard Mc- 
 Allister, of Winnetka, 111., and has seven 
 children — Mary L., Alfred, Fannie, Bennett, 
 
 Howard, Lizzie, and Ethel McAllister. In 
 politics Mr. Bennett is a Democrat. He has 
 been an Assessor for several years and the 
 chairman of the board for a part of the time. 
 Religious services are attended by him at the 
 Congregational church, while Mrs. Bennett is 
 a member of the society. 
 
 OHN E. STOWELL, who carries on an 
 extensive box manufactory at North 
 Dana, was born in Winchester, N.H., 
 March 29, 1849, son of Roswell and 
 Phoebe G. (Ryder) Stowell. His grandfather 
 was Roswell Stowell, an Englishman, who 
 settled upon a farm in Chesterfield, N. H., 
 where he resided for the rest of his life. 
 
 Roswell Stowell, the father, who was born 
 in Chesterfield, spent the active period of his 
 life as a farmer in Chesterfield, Winchester, 
 and Swanzey, N.H. Industrious and capable, 
 he made good use of his opportunities, and con- 
 tinued active until his death, which occurred 
 when he was sixty years old. His liberal 
 opinions in religious matters identified him 
 with the Universalist church. In politics he 
 voted with the Republican party. His wife, 
 Phoebe, who was a native of Wardshoro, Vt., 
 became the mother of ten children, six of whom 
 are living; namely, Elesie, John E., Elvin, 
 Edes, Luella, and Carlon. Those deceased 
 are: Elvina, Selene, Elvia, and Nelson. The 
 mother is still living and resides in Win- 
 chester. 
 
 John E. Stowell was educated in the schools 
 of Winchester and Swanzey. When a boy he 
 worked for some time in a box factory. At the 
 age of eighteen he began an apprenticeship to 
 the sash and blind maker's trade in Chester- 
 field, which he subsequently followed as a 
 journeyman for about eight years, during which 
 time he worked in Rockford, 111., and Athol 
 and Fitchburg, Mass. 
 
 In 1876 he established himself in the box 
 manufacturing business in Winchester. Two 
 years later he moved to North Dana and en- 
 gaged here in the manufacture of square wooden 
 boxes of all sizes, starting with a force of six 
 hands, which he increased as his business ex- 
 panded. He now has a large factory, equipped 
 
988 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 with modern machinery propelled by steam- 
 power, and furnishing employment to a force 
 of twenty-five men. His products are shipped 
 to packers in various States. The business is 
 increasing at such a rate that more room will 
 shortly be needed to keep pace with the de- 
 mands for his output, and as the lumber supply 
 in this vicinity is sufficient for many yeara to 
 come his future prospects are very encouraging. 
 Mr. Stowell owes to his own foresight, energy, 
 and perseverance his present position as pro- 
 prietor of one of North Dana's leading indus- 
 tries; and his enterprise is greatly appreciated 
 by his fellow-townsmen, who are benefited 
 thereby. In politics he is a Republican, but 
 has never aspired to public office, preferring to 
 devote his whole time to his business. He 
 and Mrs. Stowell attend the Universalist 
 church, to the support of which they are liberal 
 contributors. 
 
 ppNENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALDRICH, 
 I ^^ formerly a prosperous farmer of Men- 
 \r^ J don, was born at the Aldrich home- 
 stead in this town. May 2, 1828, son 
 of Luke and Lucinda (Thayer) Aldrich. His 
 grandfather, Naaman Aldrich, owned large 
 tracts of land in Mendon, where he was an 
 extensive farmer and cattle dealer. Luke 
 Aldrich, his father, who was a native of 
 Rhode Island, settled here when a young 
 man, and followed agriculture for the rest 
 of his active life. He attended the Unita- 
 rian church. 
 
 The emigrant ancestor of the family was 
 George Aldrich, an Englishman, who arrived 
 from Derbyshire in 1631 or 1632, had land in 
 Dorchester set off to him in 1636, and was one 
 of the original members of the church in that 
 town. 
 
 Benjamin Franklin Aldrich began his edu- 
 cation in the common schools of his native 
 town, and completed his studies at the Ux- 
 bridge High School. Learning the shoe- 
 maker's trade, he followed it as a journeyman 
 some six years; and thenceforward until the 
 close of his life he tilled the soil. He was 
 also a cattle dealer, and by his energy and 
 thrift he realized a comfortable property. 
 
 Being of a retiring nature, he avoided rather 
 than sought public office, and took no part in 
 political matters beyond casting his vote. An 
 honorable, upright citizen, he justly merited 
 the esteem in which he was held. His neigh- 
 bors speak of him as an accommodating, kind- 
 hearted, whole-souled man. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Aldrich was joined in marriage 
 with Urana S. Mowry, daughter of George 
 Mowry, a well-known farmer of this town. 
 They became the parents of four children, 
 namely : Charles Thornton, a graduate of the 
 Worcester Commercial College, who was 
 formerly in business in Providence, R.I., and 
 is now managing the home farm ; Mary Louise, 
 wife of William Harvey Woodbury, of Man- 
 chester, N. H. ; Emma E. , wife of Howard 
 Luther, of Providence; and Annie Belle Al- 
 drich, who resides at home. Mary Louise and 
 Emma E. were successful public-schoolteachers 
 previous to their marriage. 
 
 Benjamin Franklin Aldrich died September 
 12, 1895 ; and his death was sincerely deplored 
 by his fellow-townsmen, who regarded it as a 
 severe loss to the community. 
 
 DWIGHT UNDERWOOD, an ener- 
 _Jl getic farmer and business man of Stur- 
 V^J . bridge, was born in Holland, Mass., 
 May 16, 1845, son of Nehemiah and 
 Deborah D. (Pease) Underwood. The father 
 was born in Monson, June 11, 1807. Begin- 
 ning life for himself at the age of seventeen as 
 a farm assistant, he followed agriculture until 
 his death, which occurred October 23, 1880. 
 He was a citizen of worth and served the com- 
 munity with ability as Selectman and As- 
 sessor. In politics he was a Republican. His 
 wife, who was born in Monson, January 15, 
 181 5, became the mother of five children, of 
 whom three are now living: J. D., the subject 
 of this sketch; Albert E., born December 17, 
 1849; and Charles L. Underwood, born De- 
 cember 7, 1857. Ella M., born September 3, 
 1855, was the wife of Samuel Williams, of 
 Southbridge. The other child was an infant 
 that died unnamed. Nehemiah Underwood 
 was a Baptist in his religious belief, and his 
 wife was a Congregationalist. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 989 
 
 J. Dwiglit Underwood was educated in the 
 schools of his native town. After his school 
 days were over he engaged in farming in Hol- 
 land, and remained thus occupied until 1868, 
 when he came to Sturbridge and settled on the 
 old Holbrook farm. Purchasing the Prouty 
 farm of one hundred and twenty acres fourteen 
 years later, in 1882, he made various improve- 
 ments in the property, among other things re- 
 modelling the residence. In 1895 his home 
 was totally destroyed by fire, nothing being 
 saved except a few articles of furniture; but 
 in the following year he erected his present 
 residence, which is one of the handsomest and 
 most costly in the town. It also occupies a 
 fine location, commanding a view of the Quin- 
 nebaug valley. Besides farming Mr. Under- 
 wood carries on quite an extensive business as 
 a coal and wood dealer. On May 5, 1881, he 
 was united in marriage to Miss Mary Mont- 
 gomery, who was born in Norwich, Conn., 
 May 10, 1849, daughter of John and Susan C. 
 (Prentiss) Montgomery. Mr. Underwood is 
 at present serving the towm as Selectman and 
 Town Treasurer. As a public ofificial he is 
 both efficient and popular. 
 
 tBRAHAM H. NEWTON, a retired 
 auctioneer of Worcester and a veteran 
 of the Civil War, was born in 
 ** — ' Princeton, this county, March 24, 
 1823, son of Ezra and Lucy (Howe) Newton. 
 His father was born in Shrewsbury, Mass., 
 November 22, 1774. His grandfather, Charles 
 Newt9n, was born in Marlboro, Mass., August 
 28, 1742; and his great-grandfather, Elisha 
 Newton, was born in the same place, June 2, 
 1701, son of Moses Newton. The children of 
 Elisha Newton, who married Sarah Tomlin, 
 of Westboro, Mass., December 26, 1728, were: 
 Elisha, born in 1730; Ezekiel, born May 9, 
 1733; Sarah, born in 1734; Mercy, born in 
 1735; Timothy, born in 1737; Ithamer, born 
 in 1739; Solomon, born in 1741; Charles, 
 born August 28, 1742; Sarah, second, born in 
 1744; Persis, born in 1746; Mary, born in 
 1747; and Moses, born March 8, 1751. The 
 great-grandfather died in 1791, aged ninety 
 years, and his wife lived to about the same 
 
 age. Charles Newton, who was a prosperous 
 farmer of Marlboro, died December 10, 1839. 
 In 1765 he married Tabitha, daughter of 
 Ephraim Bowker, of Westboro. They had a 
 family of five children, namely: Dolly, born 
 August 7, 1766; Azubah, born April 27, 
 1767; Ezra, A. H. Newton's father; Mary, 
 who was baptized March 31, 1777; and Tabi- 
 thaj born July 25, 1781. The mother died 
 in March, 1826. 
 
 Ezra Newton turned his attention to agri- 
 culture when a young man. After settling in 
 Princeton he became the owner of a large 
 farm, and carried it on successfully during the 
 rest of his active years. The first of his four 
 marriages was contracted in March, 1800, 
 with Ruth Hastings, who became the mother 
 of three children. Of the latter, only Sarah 
 attained maturity, and she married late in life. 
 Ezra's second wife, in maidenhood Lucy 
 Howe, of Princeton, whom he married January 
 28, 1812, died in 1826. The children of that 
 union were: Ezekiel, born August 16, 181 2, 
 who is now residing in Millbury, Mass. ; 
 Charles, born March 3, 18 14, who was a 
 farmer, and died September 23, 1887, leaving 
 one son and two daughters; Lydia, born July 
 28, 1816, who married Elbridge G. Clarke, 
 and died in 1863 or 1864, leaving four chil- 
 dren; the Rev. Ezra Newton, born in 181 7, 
 who became a minister, was settled over a 
 church at the age of twenty-one, and died in 
 Seattle, Wash., November 4, 1897, leaving 
 two daughters and one son ; Lucy, born Sep- 
 tember 20, 1820, who married Charles Green- 
 wood, of Worcester, and died October 27, 
 1854, aged thirty-four years; and Abraham 
 H., the subject of this sketch. Ezra Newton 
 married for his third wife Candace Allen, and 
 for his fourth Esther Learnard, his first wife's 
 sister. He died April 10, 1863. 
 
 Abraham H. Newton attended the district 
 schools. When old enough to make himself 
 useful he began to assist his father in carrying 
 on the farm, residing at the homestead until 
 his majority. Having learned wall-paper 
 staining, he followed that business for forty- 
 five years. His first license as an auctioneer 
 was issued nearly a half-century ago. Some 
 years ago he practically retired from active 
 
99° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 business pursuits. During the Rebellion he 
 enlisted for nine months in Company F, Fifty- 
 first Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer In- 
 fantry, under Captain John S. Baldwin, for 
 nine months ; and for the past eighteen years he 
 has received a pension on account of disability 
 resulting from exposure while in the service. 
 On April 21, 1846, he was joined in marriage 
 with Sarah B. Kendrick, of Enfield, Mass., a 
 daughter of Jacil and Hannah (Felton) Ken- 
 drick. Her father, who was born in 1783, 
 died May 5, 1874, aged ninety years and nine 
 months; and her mother, whose birth took 
 place October i, 1794, died March 28, 1877. 
 Of their nine children, four are living. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Newton have two daughters : Lucy 
 A., a professional nurse residing in Boston; 
 and Genevieve A., who is the wife of Clarence 
 Gould, of Dorchester, Mass., and has one son 
 and one daughter. 
 
 In politics Mr. Newton is a Democrat. In 
 1887 he completed a history of the local paper- 
 hanging industry, covering a period of fifty- 
 seven years, and his treatment of the subject 
 shows that he is well acquainted with the 
 business. For the past twenty-two years he 
 has resided at 4 Maple Place. He is a 
 comrade of George H. Ward Post, No. 10, 
 Grand Army of the Republic, and takes a 
 lively interest in the affairs of the organiza- 
 tion. In religion Mrs. Newton is a Meth- 
 odist. 
 
 'jClLIJAH MARSH DICKINSON, the 
 ^1 prominent shoe manufacturer of Fitch- 
 '^^ ■ " burg, was born at West Northfield on 
 August I, 1 8 16, his parents being Job Marsh 
 and Rhoda (Helton) Dickinson. His first an- 
 cestor in this country, who was one Nathaniel 
 Dickinson, is known to have been in Boston as 
 early as 1629. In 1630 he was in Watertown, 
 in 1637 in Weathersfield, and in 1659 in Had- 
 ley, where he died in 1676, seventeen years 
 later. He had a family of nine sons and two 
 daughters. Samuel, the eldest son, born in 
 1638, was in the meadow fight at Deerfield on 
 February 29, 1704, where he lost a coat valued 
 at sixteen shillings and captured a hatchet 
 worth two shillings. At this same fight Oba- 
 
 diah, the second son, was taken prisoner. Na- 
 thaniel, second, third son of the immigrant, 
 was the father of a third Nathaniel, who was 
 born in 1663, and died in 1757. Nathaniel 
 Dickinson, third, was hoeing corn in Hatfield 
 meadows on July 15, 1698, with his two sons, 
 Nathaniel, Jr., and Samuel, when the Indians 
 fired upon them, killed the elder son and took 
 Samuel prisoner. The father escaped, al- 
 though his horse was shot from under him. 
 Four months later, on November 27, 1698, 
 another son was born to him, who also was 
 called Nathaniel, he being the fourth of the 
 family to grow to maturity. He bought a lot 
 of land in Northfield, and, building a "house 
 which was brick-lined and had brick ends and 
 was used as a fort," lived there about twenty 
 years. On April 15, 1747, while going at 
 sunset to Pauchaug Meadow for his cows, he 
 was scalped and killed by the Indians. The 
 first intimation his wife received of the sad 
 fact was when his lifeless body was brought 
 home on horseback. The shock to her system 
 was so great that a son to whom she gave birth 
 a few months later, and whom she called 
 Benoni, "child of ray sorrow," bore through- 
 out life the impress of his mother's grief. So 
 great was his dread of firearms that he could 
 never be induced to carry or use them, and he 
 would never listen to any tale of Indian war- 
 fare. When he was a soldier in the Revolu- 
 tionary army, the officers, who were informed 
 of his inability to bear arms, assigned him 
 to a place in the commissary department. He 
 was averse to taking the life of any creature, 
 and even to old age was never known to volun- 
 tarily speak of his father's death, e'er fifty 
 years he lived on the farm where he was born. 
 He died in 1839, leaving eight children. 
 
 Of these. Captain Job Marsh Dickinson, the 
 father above named, born in the old fort on 
 June 20, 1783, was the fourth. He became a 
 highly respected and influential citizen, was a 
 member of the legislature. Justice of the 
 Peace, and Selectman for sixteen years. His 
 death took place on September 7, 1870, at 
 West Northfield, he being then eighty-seven 
 years of age. Of the nine children born to 
 him, seven lived to reach maturity. 
 
 Elijah Marsh Dickinson was the eldest son 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 991 
 
 of his parents. He went to Marlboro in 1838, 
 shortly afterward began to work at shoemak- 
 ing, and in 1842 became a manufacturer of 
 boots and shoes. He has now been in the 
 business for over half a century, and the firm 
 of E. M. Dickinson & Co., of which he is the 
 senior partner, is one of the leading business 
 houses of the city. Mr. Dickinson came to 
 Fitchburg in 1854. He has never aspired to 
 prominence as a politician, but has held vari- 
 ous local offices, and in 1873 was Alderman. 
 
 The Dickinson Block, which stands on 
 Main Street, extending deep on Laurel Street 
 to Mill Street, and is one of the finest in the 
 city, was built in 1890. It is of finished 
 brick, and is four stories above the basement. 
 The building at the corner of North and Main 
 Streets, where the shoe manufacturing is car- 
 ried on, was erected in 1881, and is four 
 stories high. The basement covers four thou- 
 sand feet, and the entire floorage of the build- 
 ing is twenty thousand feet, in addition to 
 which there is from three thousand to four 
 thousand feet of storage and shed room ad- 
 joining. About one hundred and fifty hands 
 are employed here in the manufacture of 
 misses' and children's shoes in medium grades 
 for Western and North-western trade. In this 
 building is located also the Sole Leather Tip 
 Company, which, though a separate industry, 
 is the property of the Messrs. Dickinson. 
 This business, which was founded in 1879, has 
 now the oldest and largest plant in the United 
 States for the manufacture of sole leather tips 
 and counters. It is the only one that manu- 
 factures its own leather tips, and it controls 
 patents of its own for skiving sole leather used 
 in the manufacture of tips and counters. Its 
 product is sold to manufacturers throughout 
 the United States and in foreign countries. 
 The selling house for this business, and also 
 for the shoe manufactory, is at 83 Bedford 
 Street, Boston. 
 
 Mr. Dickinson has been a director in the 
 Safety Fund Bank since that institution was 
 organized. Recently he has erected at a cost 
 of about twenty-five thousand dollars a library 
 at Northfield in memory of his ancestors. 
 This stands on the site of the old fort, is built 
 of stone quarried in the town, and is two 
 
 stories in height. It is called the Dickinson 
 Memorial Library, and was dedicated the 9th 
 of June, 1898. In the interior a slab, fit- 
 tingly inscribed, will tell the story of the 
 trials and losses caused by the Indians. 
 
 Mr. Dickinson has been twice married. By 
 his first wife, Maria A. Belding, of Vernon, 
 Vt., he has had four children, two sons and 
 two daughters. He has lost one son. The 
 elder daughter married Henry Allison, presi- 
 dent of the Safety Fund National Bank, of 
 Fitchburg, in 1870, and is the mother of the 
 following named children: Fanny May, Edith, 
 Ethel, and Ruth. Anna S. , the other daugh- 
 ter, was married in 1870 to F. F. Woodward. 
 She died in 1877, having been the mother of 
 a daughter, Stella Anna, and of a son that died 
 in infancy. The son now living is Charles 
 Porter, who has been associated with his 
 father in business since 1877. Charles Porter 
 Dickinson married Susan, daughter of the late 
 Joseph Cushing, of Fitchburg, and has a fam- 
 ily of four children- — -Anna S. , Arnold Cush- 
 ing, Hilda, and Edward Marsh. 
 
 After the death of his first wife Mr. Dickin- 
 son was married, in 1894, to Ermina M. 
 Spaulding, of Brooklyn, N.Y., a native of 
 Jaflrey, N. H., and a daughter of Abel and 
 Mary A. (Stoughton) Spaulding. 
 
 From " The Spalding Memorial," a volume 
 of over twelve hundred pages, published in 
 Chicago in 1897, we learn that Mrs. Dickin- 
 son's father was of the seventh generation in 
 descent from Edward Spalding, who was an 
 early settler at Braintree, Mass., where he was 
 made a freeman in 1640, and a few years later 
 was one of the original proprietors of Chelms- 
 ford, Mass. It is thought that he was the im- 
 migrant of that name who came from England 
 about the year 1619, and first settled in Vir- 
 ginia, removing thence some time after the 
 massacre of March, 1622, to Massachusetts. 
 An Edmund Spalding, thought to have been 
 a brother of the foregoing, was the founder of 
 the Maryland branch of the family. 
 
 From Edward Spalding,' who died in 
 Chelmsford in 1670, to Abel, 7 father of Mrs. 
 Dickinson, the line descended through An- 
 drew,^ Andrew, 3 Isaac, -t Benjamin, = Abel, Sr.,^ 
 a native of Townsend, Mass. 
 
992 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Besides the valuable record of the American 
 Spauldings, the memorial contains in the in- 
 troduction much -interesting information in re- 
 gard to the families and individuals bearing 
 this surname in England and Scotland, also 
 facsimiles of the family coat of arms, which 
 is of blue and gold colors, and bears the Latin 
 motto, "Hinc mihi Salus. " In 1872, we are 
 told, there had been about fifty members of 
 this family who were college graduates, and 
 about forty who were members of the bar, also 
 numbers of noted divines and successful medi- 
 cal practitioners. 
 
 RANCIS WRIGHT, one of the best 
 known business men of Southboro, was 
 born in Barre, this county, February 
 14, 1841. He is a son of Luther and Caroline 
 (Nichols) Wright. Luther Wright, who was 
 a well-known manufacturer of cotton and 
 woollen goods, conducted an extensive busi- 
 ness for some time in Barre, was afterward a 
 member of the firm of Wright & Morse, of 
 Grafton, Mass., and in the latter part of his 
 life was extensively engaged in manufacturing 
 in Holden, Mass. 
 
 Francis Wright attended school in Carlisle, 
 N.Y. , and Warnerville, N.Y. , and was a stu- 
 dent in the Hudson River Institute, Claverack, 
 N. Y. , and in the Hampton Academy at East- 
 hampton, Mass. After finishing his studies 
 he was engaged as clerk for a short time in 
 a general store in Holden, Mass. In 1861, 
 when he was twenty years of age, he enlisted 
 in Company A, Twenty-fifth Regiment, Mas- 
 sachusetts Volunteer Infantry, under command 
 of Colonel Edwin Upton. This regiment be- 
 longed to the famous Star Brigade, under Gen- 
 eral Heckman. It lost a greater percentage of 
 men and officers in killed and wounded than 
 any other regiment in any one battle of the 
 war. At Cold Harbor on that terrible 3d of 
 June, 1864, of three hundred men and eigh- 
 teen officers who went into the fight, one hun- 
 dred men and two officers returned. In this 
 battle Mr. Wright received in the side a 
 severe flesh wound that sent him to the rear 
 and later home on a furlough. The bullet 
 passed through his haversack and canteen, 
 
 which probably deflected it, as it did not pass 
 through his body. The regiment was in Burn- 
 side's expedition, and its first battle was at 
 Roanoke Island. It participated in the en- 
 gagement at Newbern and in all those fol- 
 lowing, was at Kingston, White Hall, and 
 Goldsboro, in scores of skirmishes in North 
 Carolina, and in the battles about Drury's 
 Bluff under General Butler. After recovering 
 from the wound received at Cold Harbor, Mr. 
 Wright rejoined his regiment at Newbern, and 
 served with it in clearing the way for Sher- 
 man's army to Goldsboro. After meeting 
 Sherman the regiment went on to Charlotte, 
 N. C. Early in 1864 Mr. Wright was pro- 
 moted to the rank of Sergeant, and in Octo- 
 ber, 1864, he was made Orderly Sergeant. 
 He received his final discharge July 13, 1865. 
 On his return home he formed a partnership 
 with his brother, John F., who also had en- 
 listed at the beginning of the war and had 
 served for more than three years. Under the 
 firm name of Wright Brothers they established 
 a general store in Cordaville, Mass., and they 
 had control of a very successful business there' 
 until 1872. In that year they moved to Fay- 
 ville, purchasing the historic old Colonel Fay 
 stand. In 1880 John F. Wright, obliged to 
 retire on account of failing health, sold his in- 
 terest to his brother. Mr. Wright's store is 
 practically the only one in the village. He 
 carries merchandise amounting to about thir-' 
 teen thousand dollars. 
 
 In 1871 Mr. Wright was married to Miss 
 Clara Stevens, of Southboro. She died about 
 three years ago, leaving two children — Au- 
 gustus Edward and Elsie May. Augustus 
 Edward is in his third year in the scientific 
 department of Harvard College. Mr! Wright 
 is Past Commander of G. Wesley Nichols 
 Post, No. 44, G. A. R., and a member of St.' 
 Bernard Lodge, F. & A. M. , of Southboro. 
 
 fHEODORE MANNING, formerly of the 
 Manning Shoe and Rubber Company 
 and for over forty years a resident of' 
 Worcester, was born in Paxton, Mass., Octo- 
 ber 18. 1844, a son of David Manning, of 
 
 Worcester, His parents reared a .family of' 
 
FRANCIS WRIGHT. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 995 
 
 six children; namely, J. A. Manning, George 
 G., Theodore, David, C. Walter, and Bertha. 
 David Manning is a lawyer. C. Walter re- 
 sides in Boston. Bertha, who married a Mr. 
 Titus, is no longer living. 
 
 Theodore Manning came to Worcester at the 
 age of twelve years in 1856, and completed 
 his education in the public schools. He ac- 
 quired his business training with E. A. Good- 
 now, a wholesale boot and shoe dealer of this 
 city, and started in business as a member of 
 the firm of S. R. Hey wood & Co., manufact- 
 urers. In 1870 he became associated with his 
 brother, George G., and B. W. Childs, under 
 the firm name of Childs & Manning Brothers. 
 After the retirement of Mr. Childs the Man- 
 ning brothers conducted the business in 
 Worcester until 1 896, when it was transferred 
 to Boston and consolidated with that of J. A. 
 Manning, thus forming the Manning Shoe and 
 Rubber Company. About a year after the es- 
 tablishment of the new concern Mr. Man- 
 ning's health began to fail. He continued to 
 perform his regular duties for several months, 
 but was at length compelled to take his bed, 
 and died at his home, 5 Ashland Street, 
 April 28, 1898. 
 
 Mr. Manning married Caroline E. Woods, 
 daughter of Charles Woods, of Hardwick, 
 Mass., and she survives him. He left eight 
 children; namely, Frederick, Charles A., 
 Grace W., Florence, David R., Robert H., 
 Harold G., and Clarence W., all of whom are 
 residing in Worcester. Mr. Manning had a 
 wide circle of personal friends and business 
 acquaintances, by whom he was highly es- 
 teemed for his upright character and many 
 sterling qualities. He was an attendant of 
 Plymouth Church from the time of its organ- 
 ization until his last sickness. 
 
 ~CjPHRAIM D. WEATHERBEE, an 
 Jp. energetic business man of Worcester, 
 '^-* - " who spent his last years in retire- 
 ment, was born in Fitchburg, Mass., in 1815. 
 His parents, Ephraim and Eliza Weatherbee, 
 died when he was very young, and he lived 
 with an uncle until old enough to sup- 
 port himself. Being naturally ambitious to 
 
 advance beyond the position of an ordinary 
 laborer, he determined to obtain for himself a 
 classical education. With means procured by 
 his own efforts, he attended the Leicester 
 Academy, afterward entering Yale College, 
 and thence going to the Theological Seminary 
 at Andover. Finding his religious views 
 little in accord with the theology of the school, 
 he finally decided to study medicine at the uni- 
 versity in Washington, D. C. 
 
 He was there graduated a Doctor of Medi- 
 cine, but, instead of entering professional life, 
 he then turned his attention to the study of 
 pharmacy ; and, after completing his appren- 
 ticeship, he opened an apothecary shop in Wash- 
 ington, D.C., not far from the Treasury De- 
 partment. His place of business was after- 
 ward burned, causing a total loss of his worldly 
 possessions, and he thereupon decided to re- 
 turn to New England. Locating in Worcester 
 about the year 1850, he borrowed a sum suffi- 
 cient to establish a small drug store on Front 
 Street, near Washington Square, and before 
 long was again conducting a paying business. 
 That he used excellent judgment in choosing 
 a site was soon afterward manifested by the de- 
 velopment of the locality in business impor- 
 tance. The city rapidly grew up around and 
 beyond him, bringing with it new residents and 
 new enterprises, which served to expand his 
 trade into large proportions, with the result 
 that for many years prior to his retirement his 
 store was the centre of one of the busiest parts 
 of Worcester. Prompted by a firm belief in 
 the future growth and prosperity of the city, he 
 took advantage of the opportunities offered for 
 investment, and land that he bought for six 
 cents a. foot advanced in value to nearly one 
 hundred times that sum. He erected the 
 building which is now known as the Forrest 
 House. His successful real estate dealings, 
 together with his thriving drug business, en- 
 abled him to retire with a handsome compe- 
 tency in 1883. He died March 17, 1894. 
 
 He was a man of superior mental capacity 
 and' scholarly attainments, and he availed him- 
 self of every opportunity to read books that 
 would still further increase his knowledge of 
 men and the world. His liberal mind per- 
 mitted him to take abroad and intelligent view 
 
996 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 of national affairs, and being a profound 
 thinker he was able to converse interestingly 
 upon a varied line of subjects. Prejudice or 
 superstition had no place in his nature, and his 
 religious belief was both independent and 
 unique. Politically, he acted with the Repub- 
 lican party. 
 
 In 1 85 1 Mr. Weatherbee was united in his 
 first marriage with Esther Maria Woodward, 
 daughter of David Woodward, of Marlboro, 
 N. H. Two children were born of this union, 
 but neither of them is now living. His first 
 wife died March 29, 1880. In 1883 he mar- 
 ried her sister, Mary J. Woodward, who sur- 
 vives him. Her father, David Woodward, 
 settled in Worcester in 1852. He was a 
 stone-mason by trade, and erected several sub- 
 stantial buildings in his day. He was a de- 
 scendant in the eighth generation of Richard 
 Woodward, who came from Ipswich, England, 
 and settled in Watertown, Mass., December 
 16, 1664. The homestead of Richard's grand- 
 son, John Woodward, which was built in 1686, 
 is still standing at Waban station, Newton. 
 
 Mrs. Mary Woodward Weatherbee is a lady 
 of well-known literary ability. She has con- 
 tributed both prose and poetry to various relig- 
 ious and secular newspapers and periodicals. 
 Her articles upon her travels are unusually 
 interesting, and her poems are deeply religious 
 in their sentiment. She is a member of the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 This is what she says of the old Woodward 
 homestead that now, after two hundred and 
 eleven years, is still standing, and occupied by 
 a lineal descendant of the seventh generation: 
 
 "Remove not the ancient landmark, which 
 thy fathers have set." I would not have the 
 old nests blown down by the winds of every new 
 fancy. Where a man has builded his founda- 
 tions well and made the world better by his 
 works, I would have the old house stand to the 
 last one of his lineage. This should be his 
 memorial stone. 
 
 It was on a beautiful November day, just 
 such a one as ghosts of men now dead a cen- 
 tury might choose for stealing back again to 
 earth. With all the ardor of a child returning 
 to the paternal roof, even with a feeling akin 
 
 to the reverence of the Celestials for their 
 ancestors, I went to lay my little wreath at 
 the shrine of my ancestors. Almost I seemed 
 conscious of forms coming out of nothingness 
 and walking beside me as I left the station at 
 Waban and hurried along a narrow foot-path to 
 the main street, which, according to old 
 deeds, was named Sherburn Road, but was 
 afterward called Woodward Street, in defer- 
 ence to the old house that had stood there two 
 hundred years and more. Dust and shadow, 
 they gathered around me — they, my ancestors, 
 running back through eight generations. 
 Strangers they are to me. I only know them 
 as household names on my ancestral tree; and 
 yet they press about me, these beautified souls, 
 seeking recognition. 
 
 Come, dear reader, walk with me, and see 
 how lovely, in keeping with even these modern 
 days of 1898, may be an old house of 1686. 
 
 Along this quiet, beautiful residential 
 street, under stately trees, past several beauti- 
 ful Colonial mansions, ten minutes' walk 
 brings us to a winding lane or avenue, grass- 
 grown but for the ruts of carriage wheels. 
 This is the only approach to the Woodward 
 homestead. With an eye to the beautiful, to 
 the front there is a broad, unbroken stretch of 
 upland and green fields. Here and there knots 
 of stately forest trees. The homely iron 
 knocker on the door still does duty, and a 
 kindly welcome is given us by Mrs. Minnie 
 Woodward Rand, the ninth in descent from 
 Richard and Rose Woodward, who came from 
 Ipswich, England, with their two sons, George 
 and John, in 1634. 
 
 John, the second in descent from Richard, 
 acquired the first twenty-five acres in 1681, 
 added twenty-five, and built the house in 1686. 
 Ebenezer, his son, succeeded in 1716; John, 
 in 1747; Ebenezer, second, in 1781; Elijah 
 F. in 1 810; S. Newell in 1846; Fred F. and 
 Minnie Woodward Rand in 1892. 
 
 John Woodward, of whom I write, was 
 probably born in Watertown, and buried beside 
 his father and grandfather, he and the other 
 six generations above, making with Mrs. 
 Minnie Woodward Rand and her brother Fred 
 F. and his two sons, all of whorn are now liv- 
 ing in the old house, seven generations of the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 997 
 
 Woodward family born at the homestead, and 
 eight in occupancy. 
 
 My great-great-great-grandfather, Daniel, 
 born in 1681, married Elizabeth Greely in 
 1707. Slate stones, marking their graves, are 
 in Centre Street Cemetery, dated 1682 and 
 1689. 
 
 Before I introduce you to the dwellers of 
 the house, through all these generations, ob- 
 serve that the rooms and furnishings are the 
 same as in the days of the original occupants. 
 The old mahogany desk still keeps its lustre 
 through all the dust of the vanished years. 
 What high ^service it has done for the faithful 
 Captain in the Revolutionary War, for the 
 Town Clerk, the Assessor, for the Representa- 
 tive to the General Court, for the teacher of 
 the boys' private school, and for the Congrega- 
 tional Deacons ! The old mahogany claw- 
 footed chairs are there, that have waited for 
 many a wedding, a christening, and a funeral 
 guest. 
 
 In looking over the list of names of the 
 honored dead, I find that Ebenezer Woodward, 
 of the fourth generation, was chosen Selectman 
 in 1 744, and served two years. 
 
 Captain John Woodward, of the fifth gener- 
 ation, was chosen Town Clerk and Treasurer, 
 December 14, 1778, and held the ofifice by 
 annual choice until March, 1795. He was 
 Captain, Selectman seven years, and Repre- 
 sentative two years. He was Moderator of the 
 town meeting in 1776 that passed the unani- 
 mous vote requesting Congress to declare the 
 colonies independent. He loaned the town of 
 Newton one hundred pounds in 1777 for war 
 expenses. He was fifty-one years of age at the 
 time of the Revolutionary War, and, being too 
 old to join the Regulars, he raised a company 
 called the "Alarm List," was chosen Captain, 
 and led his men in the battle of Lexington 
 and Concord. His sword still hangs in the old 
 house in the possession of his great-great- 
 grand-daughter. ■ 
 
 Ebenezer, his son, of the sixth generation, 
 then seventeen years old, went as drummer boy. 
 He was chosen Town Clerk and Treasurer in 
 1795. He was appointed Assessor in 1798, to 
 assist in levying a tax of two million dollars 
 by the United States. 
 
 Elijah F. Woodward, of the seventh gener- 
 ation, was chosen Town Clerk and Treasurer 
 in 1 82 1, and held the ofifice continuously until 
 his death in 1846. He was Representative to 
 the General Court for four years, chosen in 
 1835. He was Town Clerk and Treasurer for 
 twenty years, from 1826 to 1846, the time of 
 his death. He was also surveyor, and he con- 
 ducted a private school for boys at the home- 
 stead. There was a Congregational Deacon 
 for six generations, from John of the third to 
 S. Newell of the eighth. 
 
 In an old trunk, in the garret. of the house, 
 were accidentally found the deeds on parch- 
 ment, first of twenty-five acres, from Richard 
 Robbins to his daughter Rebecca, given as 
 a wedding dowry at her marriage to John 
 Woodward, and dated June 7, 1681. 
 
 
 ETON BLODGETT, formerly a mem- 
 ber of the Heywood-Williams Com- 
 pany, chair manufacturers. Fitch- 
 burg, was born in Marlboro, N. H., 
 April I, 1812. While attending school he 
 displayed a natural aptitude for the acquisition 
 of knowledge, and after the completion of his 
 studies he assisted his father upon the home- 
 stead farm until he was twenty years old. For 
 several years he was employed on Walter Hey- 
 wood's timber lands in Gardner, Mass. After 
 his recovery from a severe illness of three 
 years' duration he bought a piece of agricult- 
 ural property in Troy, N. H., where he was 
 engaged in tilling the soil for some time. 
 Subsequently, relinquishing his farm, he be- 
 came connected with Walter Heywood's chair 
 factory, having charge of the seating depart- 
 ment until the Heywood-Williams Company 
 was organized, when, purchasing some of the 
 capital stock of that concern, he became iden- 
 tified with it for the rest of his life. The 
 habits of industry acquired in his youth re- 
 mained with him through life, and contributed 
 much toward his progress in business affairs; 
 and his firm adherence to upright principles in 
 his dealings was recognized and admired by all 
 with whom he came in contact. 
 
 In 1837 Mr. Blodgettwas united in marriage 
 with Mary Ann Buttrick, originally of Win- 
 
998 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 chendon, Mass., and later of Troy, N. H. 
 Mrs. Blodgett's ancestors were early settlers 
 of Concord, Mass. ; and her maternal grand- 
 father, William Knight, served in the Conti- 
 nental army from the commencement to the 
 close of the Revolutionary War. Mrs. Blodg- 
 ett's father, Daniel Buttrick, was a prosper- 
 ous farmer during his active years, and was a 
 man highly respected for his upright character. 
 He and his wife, Mary, reared a family of chil- 
 dren, of whom three daughters are living, 
 namely: Mary Ann, who is now Mrs. Blodg- 
 ett; Maria H., who married Harrington Sib- 
 ley; and Martha C, who is now Mrs. Lucius 
 Aldrich. Another daughter, Lydia R., the 
 wife of Walter Heywood, died September 17, 
 1897. Alton Blodgett, the subject of this 
 sketch, died September 19, 1878, in his sixty- 
 seventh year. His widow resides in Fitch- 
 burg. 
 
 2YMAN D. THURSTON, general mer- 
 chant and Postmaster at Leicester, 
 ^ Mass., was born in the adjacent 
 town of Paxton, -September 8, 1832. 
 His parents were Joseph and Lucy B. (Davis) 
 Thurston, the former a native of Brookfield, 
 Mass. Joseph Thurston settled upon a farm 
 in Paxton, and resided there until 1848, when 
 he went to Leicester. Four or five years later 
 he removed from Leicester to Worcester, 
 where he made his home till his death, which 
 occurred on October 30, 1857. He was of the 
 seventh generation in descent from John 
 Thurston, who with his wife, Margaret, and 
 two sons came over in 1637 in the ship "Mary 
 Anne," of Yarmouth, England, and settled in 
 Dedham, Mass. Lyman D. Thurston was edu- 
 cated in the common schools and Leicester 
 Academy. He resided in his native town 
 until sixteen years old, when he came to 
 Leicester. At the age of eighteen he entered 
 the clothing factory of J. & J. Murdock, by 
 whom he was employed as apprentice and jour- 
 neyman for a number of years. In 1858 he 
 engaged in general mercantile business in com- 
 pany with his brother, J. H. Thurston, under 
 the firm name of J. H. & L. D. Thurston. 
 That firm continued in existence until 1863, 
 
 when Lyman D. bought his brother's interest; 
 and since then, with the exception of a short 
 time in which he was associated with William 
 F. Holman, he has carried on the business 
 alone. 
 
 Mr. Thurston contracted the first of his two 
 marriages with Hannah S. Lyon, of Leicester, 
 by whom he had two children, both deceased. 
 His present wife was formerly Mary E. 
 Denny. The children of this union are: 
 Carrie L. and Mary D. Thurston. 
 
 For thirty-seven years Mr. Thurston has 
 been Postmaster in Leicester, having received 
 his first appointment from the Lincoln admin- 
 istration in 1861 ; and his efficiency and popu- 
 larity are attested by the fact that he has re- 
 tained the office under each succeeding 
 President. He served as Town Clerk for six- 
 teen years, was Town Treasurer five years, and 
 was Representative to the legislature in 1895. 
 He holds a commission, and acts as Justice of 
 the Peace. Politically, he is a Republican, 
 and cast his first Presidential vote for John C. 
 Fremont in 1856. He is a member of the 
 First Congregational Church in Leicester, and 
 has been a Deacon for the past thirty-eight 
 years. 
 
 "^ATHAN S. JOHNSON, a retired 
 business man of Dana, was born in 
 
 \s V this town, August 18, 1832, son of 
 
 Seth and Sophia (Stone) Johnson. 
 His paternal grandfather was Seth Johnson, 
 whose farm, which was originally located in 
 Hardwick, became a part of Dana when this 
 town was set off and incorporated in 1801. 
 He was an industrious man, and lived to be 
 about seventy-three years of age. He married 
 Mrs. Sarah Hillman, born Washburn, a widow, 
 who lived to be over eighty years old. Their 
 family consisted of six children, namely : 
 Seth; Electa, who became Mrs. Ellis; So- 
 phronia, who became Mrs. Foster; Elvira, 
 who became Mrs. Brown; Sarah, who became 
 Mrs. Stone; and Fiducia, who became Mrs. 
 Meachum. 
 
 Seth Johnson, father of Nathan S. , was born 
 in Dana, June 30, 1801. He was a prosper- 
 ous farmer from the time of attaining to years 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 999 
 
 of maturity until compelled by old age to retire 
 from active labor; and besides the home farm, 
 which he inherited, he owned other real estate. 
 By reason of unusual strength he lived consid- 
 erably beyond the customary span of human 
 existence. His death occurred December i, 
 1894, at the age of ninety-three years and five 
 months. Though not an ofhce-seeker, he 
 served with ability as a Selectman, and from 
 the ranks of the Whig party he joined the Re- 
 publican movement at its formation. In his 
 religious belief he was a Universalist. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Sophia Stone, 
 was born in Dana, April 20, 1802. They had 
 four children, one of whom died at the age of 
 two years; and another, Mary J., who became 
 Mrs. Goodale, died at the age of twenty-seven. 
 The survivors are: Delucia S. , wife of Seth 
 D. Williams, of Worcester, Mass. ; and 
 Nathan S., the subject of this sketch. The 
 mother died November 15, 1869. 
 
 Nathan S. Johnson acquired his education in 
 the old district school-house which stood upon 
 the site of his present residence. When a 
 young man he engaged in mercantile business 
 in Dana Centre with M. J. Hillman, and about 
 three years later he went to Jamaica Plain, 
 Mass. , where he kept store one year. Return- 
 ing to Dana, for the succeeding nine years he 
 was engaged in the ma^iufacture of palm-leaf 
 goods; and going hence to Worcester he fol- 
 lowed various lines of business for twenty-one 
 years, or until 1892, when on account of his 
 father's illness he once more returned to his 
 native town, where he has since lived in retire- 
 ment. As a business man Mr. Johnson has 
 been successful, and he is now enjoying the 
 rest and recreation which his easy circum- 
 stances permit. In politics he is a Republi- 
 can. 
 
 On July I, 1862, Mr. Johnson was joined in 
 marriage with Isabella A. Robbins, who was 
 born in Northfield, Mass., daughter of John B. 
 and Susan (Fisher) Robbins. Her father was 
 born in that town, October 10, 1797, and died 
 July 8, 1869; and her mother was born in 
 Hinsdale, N.H., June 27, 1798. They were 
 the parents of seven children, namely : Nancy 
 D., Mary A., John D., and Susan B., none of 
 whom are living; Sarah E., wife of James 
 
 Stockwell, of Warwick, Mass. ; George T. 
 Robbins, a resident of Petersham, Mass. ; and 
 Isabella A., who is now Mrs. Johnson. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Johnson have had no children. 
 
 4^»^>- 
 
 |AJOR JAMES HARRISON 
 BARKER, who served the Union 
 in the Civil War and was for a 
 long time a respected resident of 
 Milford, was a native of Westmoreland, N.H. 
 Born on August 5, 1818, he was a son of 
 Benjamin and Abigail (Babbitt) Barker. He 
 came to this town some time before his mar- 
 riage, and for some years manufactured boots, 
 and followed other occupations. Prior to 
 1 86 1 he was the Postmaster for six years, and 
 he was reappointed in 1866. For eight terms 
 each he was Selectman and Assessor, and in 
 1858 and 1859 he represented this district in 
 the Massachusetts General Court. He was 
 Justice of the Peace for seven years, dating 
 from January i, 1872; a member of the dis- 
 trict police for three years; and at the time of 
 his death he was serving his second term of 
 three years as County Commissioner. 
 
 Before the Civil War, Major Barker was in 
 the State militia, where he rose from, the 
 ranks to the grade of Lieutenant Colonel. 
 On September 2, 1862, he enlisted in the 
 Thirty-sixth Regiment, Massachusetts Infan- 
 try, and afterward served as Major of the regi- 
 ment until his resignation on January 29, 
 1863, on account of ill health. He fought 
 at Fredericksburg, Va., on December 13, 
 1862, and in other engagements. Subse- 
 quently he took a warm interest in Grand 
 Army matters, and was made the post Com- 
 mander in Milford. He was also an active 
 Mason. In politics he was a Republican. 
 Taking a warm interest in the town, he was 
 one of the prime movers in making plans for 
 the building of Memorial Hall and Music 
 Hall, and in many other ways worked energet- 
 ically for the town's interests. 
 
 The Major was married on April 26, 1848, 
 to Elizabeth Alden Parkhurst, of Milford, a 
 daughter of Otis and Sarah (Jones) Parkhurst. 
 By this union he became the father of three 
 children, namely: Emma Diana, born May 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 26, 185S; Otis Benjamin, born May 9, 1858; 
 and Kate Elizabeth, born June 12, 1864. 
 The first named of these married Fred Swa- 
 sey, of Norwich, Vt., who was a highly 
 skilled architect, having studied abroad. 
 Mr. Swasey died on February 21, 1890, in 
 California, to which State he had gone with 
 his family on account of his health. Three 
 children survive him — Lillian P., Elizabeth 
 Alden, and Louise R. Otis Benjamin 
 Barker, the son, who is with the Standard 
 Clothing Company in Boston, married Bertha 
 Springer. Katie Elizabeth married Reuben 
 A. Cook, a native of Milford, Mass., who is 
 now the agent and treasurer of the Queen 
 City Cotton Company in Burlington, Vt. 
 They have three children — Harrison A., Cora 
 Louise, and Elizabeth. An illness from 
 which the Major had suffered for nearly two 
 years at length obliged him to give up busi- 
 ness. A few months later, on October 5, 
 1888, he died. 
 
 :iBA BOYNTON GRANDY, a well- 
 known citizen of Upton, Mass., was 
 born in Fayston, Washington 
 County, Vt., on August 9, 1840, 
 son of Calvin and Thomazin (Johnson) Grandy. 
 The Grandys are of Scotch extraction. Mrs. 
 Grandy was a descendant, on her mother's side, 
 of the Gibson family. Her sister was the wife 
 of Robert White, a Revolutionary soldier, who, 
 it is said, lost both arms in the war. 
 
 Calvin Grandy was born in Cavendish, Vt. , 
 and there passed his early years. He learned 
 two trades, those of carpenter and gunsmith, 
 but the latter part of his life was devoted to 
 farming. Besides his son Ziba there were in 
 his family two other sons and three daughters. 
 All of the boys were natural mechanics, and 
 the youngest, Cyrus, was something of a genius 
 in that line. At the time of his death he was 
 engaged in constructing engines. The other, 
 L. C. Grandy, was a lumber dealer and con- 
 tractor on a large scale. One of the daughters 
 married Alexis C. Bates, of Derby, a repre- 
 sentative of one of the oldest and most re- 
 spected families in that region. Cordelia 
 Grandy married Robert Campbell, a mill- 
 
 wright of Waitsfield, Vt. Lucinda Grandy 
 married Gilbert A. Stearns, of Hopkinton. 
 One of her sons, Fred Stearns, is worthy of 
 mention as an example of pluck and self-reli- 
 ance. After graduating from the Massachu- 
 setts Institute of Technology he was employed 
 for a time by the government in the coast sur- 
 vey, but, the appropriation giving out, he was 
 no longer needed and was dismissed. Unwill- 
 ing to remain idle, he went to New York City 
 and entered the employ of the street cleaning 
 department. For four weeks he carried the 
 broom, and did work that might be done by the 
 most ignorant laborer. At the end of that 
 time his persistent diligence was rewarded. 
 Colonel Waring recognized him as a man of 
 ability and push, and made him superintendent 
 of one of the divisions. Efficient and trust- 
 worthy, he still holds this position. 
 
 Ziba B. Grandy received his education in 
 the public schools of Fayston and Derby, Vt. 
 After leaving school he first purchased and 
 operated in Fayston a horse-power sawing- 
 machine. He was at work in New York City 
 for some months in 1863, and during the draft 
 riots he was a witness of the hanging of the 
 negro by the mob. History has stated that 
 the unfortunate black was suspended from a 
 lamp-post, but Mr. Grandy says that he was 
 hung from the limb of a tree on Twenty-fifth 
 Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. 
 Returning from New York to Upton, Mr. 
 Grandy entered the employ of Arby T. Wood, 
 in whose mill he worked for two years. In 
 company with his brother he then bought 
 the mill, which was located at the Centre, and 
 operated it for a number of years. After sell- 
 ing out he became interested in the manage- 
 ment of two portable saw-mills, which he 
 moved as far as Stafford Springs, Conn. 
 There he established a steam saw and grist 
 mill; but, his health failing, it became neces- 
 sary for him to engage in some occupation that 
 would keep him in the open air. He conse- 
 quently took charge of a travelling photo- 
 graphic gallery, and for the next five years 
 journeyed from place to place. Returning to 
 Upton in 1882, he entered the factory of 
 Beson & Nelson, where he is still employed. 
 In this position he has proved himself very 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 capable, and has won the confidence of his 
 employers. 
 
 Mr. Grandy was married in 1864 to Ellen 
 L. Fiske, of Upton, a daughter of E. A. 
 and Sarah Fiske, and descended from one of 
 the oldest and most valued families of the 
 town. Mr. and Mrs. Grandy have three 
 daughters and a son, namely: Lillie M., who 
 was born in 1866, and is now the wife of Ar- 
 thur Fitts, of Upton; Jennie L. , who was born 
 in 1868, and is now the wife of George H. 
 Walker, of this town; Nettie M., who was 
 born in 1873, and is now the wife of John 
 Holbrook, of Upton ; and Walter, who was 
 born in 1880, and is now pursuing a course of 
 study in the Upton High School. 
 
 'ENRY BEECHER BULLARD, an 
 enterprising merchant and a leading 
 \\3 I resident of Sutton, was born in 
 Holden, Mass., April 9, 1839, son 
 of Joseph and Olivia (Hill) Bullard. The 
 paternal grandfather was Dr. Artemas Bul- 
 lard, a native of Hopkinton, Mass., who spent 
 the greater part of his active life in Sutton, 
 and was a prominent physician of this locality 
 in his day. His practice extended to the ad- 
 jacent towns, which he visited on horseback; 
 and he was sometimes called to Holliston and 
 places equally distant from home. His prop- 
 erty, which is still known as the Bullard 
 place, is located about a half-mile from Sut- 
 ton village, and is now owned by his grand- 
 son. He was vigorous and active until his 
 death, which occurred when he was seventy 
 years old, and which was the result of acci- 
 dentally falling from a scaffold in his barn. 
 Mr. Bullard married Lucy White, of North- 
 bridge, Mass., who lived to the age of ninety- 
 one years. Their children were : Dr. Artemas 
 Bullard (second), who became a medical prac- 
 titioner of note in the West and served as a 
 surgeon in the Civil War; the Rev. Asa Bul- 
 lard, who resided in Cambridge, Mass., and 
 was widely known for his efficient services in 
 behalf of Congregational Sunday-school work ; 
 the Rev. Ebenezer Bullard, who was for many 
 years pastor of a Congregational church in 
 Fitchburg, Mass., and is living in retirement 
 
 in New York; Dr. Jesse Bullard, who went to 
 California in 1849, ^"^ died while on his pas- 
 sage home; Eunice Bullard, who became the 
 wife of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher; Jo- 
 seph, Henry B. Bullard's father; Oliver, who 
 for a number of years had charge of Mr. 
 Beecher's farm in Peekskill, and was later 
 superintendent of Prospect Park, Brooklyn ; 
 Maria, who married Judge Barton, of 
 Worcester, and whose son, William Sumner 
 Barton, was the treasurer of that city for 
 thirty years; Lucy Ann, the wife of the Rev. 
 Lott Jones, an Episcopalian clergyman resid- 
 ing in New York; and Talbot. Artemas, 
 Asa, and Ebenezer Bullard were graduates of 
 Amherst College. During their student days 
 they were chums of Henry Ward Beecher, 
 who on one occasion accompanied them home, 
 and fell desperately in love with their sister 
 Eunice. The father, who dearly loved his 
 children and entertained somewhat ambitious 
 desires for their future, was not favorably 
 impressed with the young man who was 
 destined to become the noted Brooklyn 
 preacher. However, Mr. Beecher not only 
 won the heart of the daughter but soon found 
 means to secure the father's consent, and 
 their marriage took place at the homestead in 
 Sutton. 
 
 Joseph Bullard, like the rest of the family, 
 acquired a good education, and afterward 
 taught school in Sutton for fifteen winters. 
 Besides conducting the homestead farm of two 
 hundred acres, which is still one of the best 
 pieces of agricultural property in the town, he 
 carried on an extensive wood and lumber 
 business. In religious belief he was orig- 
 inally a Congregationalist. Later he united 
 with the Baptist church. He married Olivia 
 Hill, who became the mother of six children; 
 namely, Eliza, Ira, Franklin E., Agnes, 
 Mary, and Henry B. Eliza is residing at the 
 homestead. Ira enlisted for nine months in 
 the Fifty-first Regiment, Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteers, under Colonel Higginson, at the 
 breaking out of the Civil War. Subse- 
 quently, re-enlisting for three years, he was 
 made Color Sergeant. He died at the age of 
 twenty-seven years from the effects of wounds 
 received at the battle of Antietam. Franklin 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 E. participated in twenty-seven engagements 
 of the Civil War with the Fifteenth Massa- 
 chusetts Regiment, and was wounded while 
 swimming the river at Ball's Bluff under the 
 enemy's fire. Afterward, when confined in 
 hospital with typhoid fever, he refused a dis- 
 charge, informing his people by letter tha,t he 
 would return home "with his regiment or in 
 a cofifin." After the war he became a travel- 
 ling salesman, and is now in business in Mill- 
 bury, Mass. Agnes died in infancy. Mary, 
 who was formerly a successful school teacher 
 in Sutton, is now the wife of Frank Tucker, 
 a merchant and the Postmaster of Rochdale, 
 Worcester County. 
 
 Henry Beecher Bullard went with his par- 
 ents to reside at the Bullard homestead when 
 five years old. Afterward, succeeding to its 
 ownership, he cultivated the property until 
 he was thirty years old, at the same time con- 
 tinuing the wood and lumber business for- 
 merly carried on by his father. In 1869 he 
 established himself in business at his present 
 stand, where he has since conducted a profit- 
 able trade as a general merchant. He mar- 
 ried Huldah Wilcox, daughter of Joseph 
 Wilcox, of Sutton, and now has two children 
 — Louisa I. and Clifford Henry. Louisa I. 
 is the wife of Charles R. Luther, of this 
 town, and has two children — Robert Henry 
 and Clifford Raymond. Clifford Henry Bul- 
 lard, who is in business in Boston and resides 
 in Hyde Park, married the only daughter of 
 the Hon. John P. Stockwell, of Sutton, and 
 has one daughter, Louie Belle Bullard. 
 
 Mr. Bullard has served as a Selectman for 
 nine years, never missing a meeting, and 
 being the chairman of the board for five years 
 of the period. Also for three years he was 
 the chairman of the Board of Assessors; a 
 Representative to the legislature in 1891, 
 serving upon the Agricultural Committee; 
 and he has been the Postmaster of West Sut- 
 ton for the past twenty-nine years. In poli- 
 tics a Republican, he has been a delegate at 
 various Republican conventions and a mem- 
 ber of the Republican Town Committee. He 
 belongs to Oxford Lodge, F. & A. M. ; and 
 to Sutton Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. An 
 esteemed member of the Baptist church, he is 
 
 the chairman of its Standing Committee and 
 the clerk of the church and society; and he 
 has been the superintendent of its Sunday- 
 school. Mrs. Bullard is also a member of 
 the grange and actively interested in church 
 work. 
 
 ~ClLBRIDGE BOYDEN, an architect of 
 PI wide reputation and at the time of his 
 ''^*" ' '' death, which occurred at his home 
 in Worcester, March 25, 1898, probably the 
 oldest man in his profession in the country, 
 was born in Somerset, Vt., July 4, 1810. He 
 was a son of Amos and Abigail (Wood) 
 Boyden, and was a lineal descendant of 
 Thomas Boyden, who came from Ipswich, 
 England, in 1634. His paternal grandfather, 
 who also bore the name Thomas, fought both 
 in the French and Indian War and in the 
 Revolution, and died while in the service. 
 His father, Amos, and his uncle, Justus Boy- 
 den, were also Revolutionary soldiers. 
 
 Amos Boyden was born April 15, 1763, and 
 in 1779 he enlisted with six others at Stur- 
 bridge, Mass. Prior to their departure for 
 the array a public meeting was called; and the 
 recruits, being assigned seats of honor in 
 the front pew of the gallery, listened to a pa- 
 triotic, inspiring sermon by the Rev. Joshua 
 Paine, in which he declared that if they were 
 killed in battle they would be sure of eternal 
 happiness. Amos Boyden removed from 
 Somerset, Vt., to Orange, Mass., when his 
 son Elbridge was about six months old, and 
 engaged in the manufacture of lumber. He 
 died April i, 1837. Of his five children, the 
 subject of this sketch was the third-born and 
 the last survivor. 
 
 Elbridge Boyden's early educational oppor- 
 tunities were confined to the district schools 
 of Orange, which he attended three winter 
 terms. Even while pursuing his primary 
 studies his aptitude for drawing attracted the 
 attention of the school-master, who predicted 
 for him a brilliant future. When but eight 
 years old he began to assist his father in the 
 saw-mill, and at the age of sixteen he entered 
 upon his apprenticeship at the carpenter's 
 trade with Joel Stratton, of Athol, working 
 
ALFRED L. CONVERSE. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 I 60S 
 
 nine months a year for the usual length of 
 time, and receiving seventy dollars the first, 
 seventy-five the second, and eighty dollars 
 the third year. After learning the trade he 
 bought his employer's business, and estab- 
 lished himself in Athol as a builder. At the 
 age of twenty he accomplished his first work 
 as an architect by drawing plans for a large 
 farmhouse in Orange, an effort that made 
 him quite a hero among his fellow-townsmen, 
 fifty of whom assembled at the raising of the 
 frame. This work was completed in two 
 hours, and they then proceeded, according to 
 the prevailing custom of the day, to celebrate 
 the event by imbibing freely of the liberal 
 supply of liquor, which was regarded as a 
 necessary adjunct even at the raising of a 
 church. Before the beginning of the temper- 
 ance movement Mr. Boyden had become a 
 total abstainer, and a short time later, when 
 called upon to plan and erect a house of 
 worship at Wendell, he successfully accom- 
 plished, at the request of the Building Com- 
 mittee, the unique task of raising the frame 
 without the aid of strong drink. He resided 
 in Athol for a number of years, and came to 
 Worcester in the early forties. His first not- 
 able achievement in this city was the building 
 of turn-tables for the Boston & Albany Rail- 
 way from his own models. The inventive 
 genius displayed in that undertaking attracted 
 the notice of the engineers of the Providence 
 & Worcester Railway, which was then in 
 process of construction; and he was selected 
 to design and erect the stations, which he ably 
 and satisfactorily completed. In 1848 he be- 
 came associated in business with Mr. Ball, a 
 civil engineer, and, opening an office in the 
 Central Exchange, the firm of Boyden & Ball 
 had a successful career of fourteen years. 
 Prompted by an earnest desire to excel in his 
 profession, Mr. Boyden spent much time in 
 assiduous study in order to familiarize him- 
 self with the various styles of architecture, 
 with the result that his reputation for design- 
 ing ordinary or novel structures in an original 
 and superior manner extended far beyond the 
 limits of his own State. He furnished plans 
 for more than fifty church edifices, including 
 St. Paul's and the Salem Street Churches in 
 
 this city. He was also the architect of 
 Mechanics' Hall, which was completed in 
 1857, and is still one of the finest buildings 
 in Worcester; of the famous Congress Hall, 
 Saratoga, which cost four hundred thousand 
 dollars; and of the Taunton Insane Asylum, 
 which cost two hundred and fifty thousand 
 dollars. Although for the sake of rest he 
 gave place to younger aspirants, he never per- 
 manently retired; and during his last years he 
 executed some of his best designs, his 
 draughting implements being constantly 
 within reach as long as he possessed the 
 strength to use them. He was justly proud 
 of many of his achievements, and some of 
 them will live to be admired by future gener- 
 ations. Soon after settling in Worcester he 
 erected a residence on Hancock Street, but 
 his last days were passed at 14 Harvard Street. 
 
 About the year 1830 Mr. Boyden married 
 Louisa Davis, of Royalston, Mass. He was 
 the father of four children, two of whom are 
 living, namely: Mason A., of this city, a 
 Civil War veteran and now an architect and 
 civil engineer; and Mary, wife of S. Hamil- 
 ton Coe, of Worcester. A daughter, Ellen, 
 who was born in 1837, died in 1843; and 
 George E., a civil engineer and architect, 
 died some eleven years ago. Mason A. Boy- 
 den married Cornelia Muzzy, and has one son, 
 Harry Chester Boyden, also a civil engineer. 
 
 Mr. Elbridge Boyden was a member of the 
 Mechanics' Association, and he attended its 
 last reunion, which took place a short time be- 
 fore his death. 
 
 (sTtlfred 
 
 f^ reside 
 
 LFRED L. converse, a prominent 
 ident of Warren and an ex-member 
 the legislature, was born in 
 Brimfield, Mass., August 23, 1824, 
 son of Marcus and Sophia (Lyon) Converse. 
 His immigrant ancestor was Edwin Converse, 
 who, in company with his brother Allen, 
 came from England in 1630, with the party 
 headed by Governor Winthrop, and settled 
 near Boston. Edwin Converse served as an 
 Appraiser of Land, Road Commissioner, and 
 Representative to the General Court from 
 Woburn. The commission appointing him a 
 
ioo6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Justice of the Peace, signed by Governor 
 Winthrop, is still in the family's possession. 
 He was an active church member and a 
 Deacon. 
 
 Marcus Converse, son of Alpheus and 
 Jerusha Converse, of Woburn, born in Wo- 
 burn, settled in Brimfield, where he became a 
 leading man. He served with ability in all 
 of the important town offices, represented his 
 district in the legislature, and had the sincere 
 esteem of the entire community. His death 
 happened in 1842, when he was fifty-seven 
 years old. In 1896 a drinking fountain was 
 erected to his memory by his heirs, the village 
 furnishing the foundation, piping, and water. 
 In politics he supported the Whig party, and 
 in religious belief he was a Congregationalist. 
 He was the father of eight children, two of 
 whom are living: Eudocia, the widow of 
 W. N. Flint, late of Monson, Mass. ; and Al- 
 fred L., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 The education of Alfred L. Converse, begun 
 in the common schools, was completed with 
 a short course at the Quaboag Seminary in 
 Warren, under Professor Joshua Pearl. He 
 followed general farming and lumbering in 
 his native town for many years, and incident- 
 ally he carried on several building enter- 
 prises. In the fall of 1859, through his 
 brother-in-law. Colonel J. W. Foster, then 
 land commissioner of the Illinois Central Rail- 
 road, he was given a position as land examiner 
 on said road. At the expiration of the six 
 months required for the fulfilment of his duties 
 as examiner, he was offered a lucrative posi- 
 tion in the ofifice of the land department of 
 the railroad, but preferred to return East and 
 cast his lot among his kindred. He still re- 
 verts to this time, however, as one of the 
 pleasantest episodes of his life. In 1881 Mr. 
 Converse moved to Warren, where he has 
 since given his attention to the real estate 
 business, and has already erected eleven 
 dwellings. On October 20, 1847, he married 
 Almira Sedgwick, of Palmer, Mass., daughter 
 of John Sedgwick, who was a leading resident 
 of that town. Born of this union were two 
 children: Mary S., who is no longer living; 
 and Charles L., who married Kittie M. Jen- 
 nings, and has three children — Alfred L., 
 
 Philip R., and Mary E. Mrs. Almira Con- 
 verse, who was an esteemed member of the 
 Congregational church, died October 30, 
 1893. 
 
 For a period of thirty-one years in succes- 
 sion Mr. Converse served as Town Treasurer 
 of Brimfield. He also filled the offices of As- 
 sessor, Selectman, Overseer of the Poor; and 
 he represented the town in the legislature. 
 Chosen the treasurer of the Hitchcock Free 
 High School when its funds amounted to ten 
 thousand dollars, he served in that capacity for 
 twenty-five years, having been instrumental 
 in securing the erection of the building, and 
 at his retirement leaving to his successors 
 the custody of eighty-four thousand dollars. 
 During the Rebellion he assisted in collecting 
 and disbursing funds subscribed for the pur- 
 pose of furnishing the town's quota to the 
 army. He has served as a Selectman of War- 
 ren for two years. In politics he is a Repub- 
 lican, while he favors the Prohibition move- 
 ment. He is actively engaged in church 
 work, taking special interest in the Sunday- 
 school. His progressive tendencies, as well 
 as the integrity he has displayed in managing 
 public trusts, have won for him the esteem of 
 the entire community. 
 
 TT^HARLES ARTEMAS GOODRICH, 
 I \y of Lunenburg, a veteran schoolmas- 
 ^Hs^^ ter, was born in this town, Novem- 
 ber 5, 1824, son of Arteraas and 
 Lydia (Ramsdell) Goodrich. His first an- 
 cestor in America was William Goodrich, who 
 came in 1634 with his wife, Margaret, from 
 Bury St. Edmunds, England, to Watertown, 
 Mass. William's son, Jeremiah, who married 
 Mary Adams, lived and died in Newbury. 
 Phillip Goodrich, 1669-1729, son of Jere- 
 miah, came to Lunenburg in 17 19, nine years 
 before it was incorporated as a town, and be- 
 came the original proprietor of lot No. 70, now 
 known as the Goodrich farm. He was prob- 
 ably the first person interred in the South 
 Burying-ground. He was prominent in all 
 public affairs, and was a highly esteemed citi- 
 zen. The maiden name of his wife was 
 Mehitabel Woodman. Captain Phillip Good- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1007 
 
 rich, 1712-97, was Constable of Lunenburg 
 at various times, and also filled the office of 
 Selectman. He lived on the homestead set- 
 tled by his father, but during the French and 
 Indian War became Captain of a militia com- 
 pany. He married in 1743 Jane Boynton, of 
 Lunenburg. Their son, Simon, who built the 
 present Goodrich house and married Sarah 
 Bailey in 1794, died in 1832. Artemas 
 Goodrich, son of Simon, had two sons — 
 Charles Artemas and Andrew, the last named 
 of whom died April 7, 1897. Both resided 
 on the homestead, each building a house 
 thereon; and in 1850 Charles A. purchased a 
 part of the estate. 
 
 Charles A. Goodrich attended the common 
 schools until fifteen years of age, and then be- 
 came a student at Lunenburg Academy, the 
 principal of which at that time was John R. 
 Rollins, subsequently Mayor of Lawrence. 
 At the age of seventeen he became a teacher, 
 and subsequently taught for ninety-seven 
 terms in the common and high schools in this 
 and adjoining towns, his last term being in 
 1895. Since then he has been engaged in 
 farming, and also to some extent in land sur- 
 veying, civil engineering, and conveyancing. 
 The male members of the Goodrich family 
 have usually been noted for size and strength; 
 and the subject of this sketch is no exception 
 to the rule, being six feet, five and a half 
 inches in height and correspondingly propor- 
 tioned. 
 
 At an entertainment participated in by all 
 the schools of the town, Mr. Goodrich was 
 thus spoken of by Mr. D. B. Locke, the super- 
 intendent of schools: "It is with just pride 
 that in this connection we refer to the long 
 and valuable services of the chairman of the 
 School Board, in whose honor the entertain- 
 ment was given. For fifty years Mr. Good- 
 rich has been intimately allied with the 
 educational interests of this town, whose term 
 of service as committee man, as well as 
 teacher, has been exceeded by only a very few, 
 if indeed by any, in this Commonwealth. His 
 counsels have ever been helpful and timely, 
 and by his thorough knowledge of the town 
 and its customs and by his genial disposition 
 he has exerted a powerful influence in unify- 
 
 ing and wisely directing the actions of the 
 School Board. The town has honored him, as 
 well as herself, by giving him her confidence, 
 and has in turn been abundantly rewarded by 
 his long and faithful service." 
 
 On December 10, 1850, Mr. Goodrich was 
 married in Lunenburg to Martha A. W. 
 Bailey, daughter of Samuel H. and Mary 
 (Hart) Bailey. She died on the 12th of De- 
 cember, 1884, leaving two children: Charles 
 Edwin, who married Ella J. Fairbanks and is 
 the father of one daughter, Ruth; and Addie 
 Elizabeth, now Mrs. Edwin E. Marshall. On 
 June 18, 1887, Mr. Goodrich married for his 
 second wife Mrs. Josephine M. Colburn. 
 For eighteen years Mr. Goodrich has been 
 superintendent of the Unitarian Sunday- 
 school and for forty years a member of the 
 School Board, most of the time serving as its 
 chairman. For nearly twenty-five years he 
 has been Selectman, Assessor, and Overseer 
 of the Poor, and for many years a Justice of the 
 Peace and Notary Public. In the last named 
 capacity he has been called upon to act as ex- 
 ecutor of wills and administrator of estates. 
 He has been guardian for nine children, some 
 of whom have resided in his family for years. 
 Mr. Goodrich takes an active interest in the 
 work of the grange, of which he is a member. 
 
 founded 
 
 ^EREGRINE FOSTER WHITE, a 
 contractor and builder of Worcester, 
 was born November 21, 1832, in the 
 ancient town of Plymouth, Mass., 
 by the Pilgrims. His father, 
 Thomas Foster White, was of the sixth gener- 
 ation in descent from Peregrine White, whose 
 birthplace was the cabin of the "Mayflower" 
 while the vessel was at anchor in Province- 
 town Harbor. 
 
 Peregrine, first, was the son of William and 
 grandson of Bishop John White, of London. 
 His father died in February after the landing; 
 and his mother, Susanna Fuller White, be- 
 came the second wife of Governor Edward 
 Winslow. Peregrine White ' received a grant 
 of land in the town of Marshfield, and there 
 lived and died. He married Sarah Bassett. 
 The line was thus continued: Daniel,^ Ben- 
 
ioo8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 jamin,3 Benjamin," Luther, 5 Thomas Foster,' 
 above named. 
 
 Thomas Foster White, father of the subject 
 of this sketch, was a tanner and farmer in 
 Marshfield, where he died on April 2, 1887. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Hannah 
 Clark, was a native of Plymouth. She died 
 in 1876. They reared eight children, three 
 sons and five daughters ; namely, Luther, 
 Peregrine Foster, Edward, Hannah Thomas, 
 Mary Ann, Mehitable Mercy, Sarah Eliza- 
 beth, and Betsy James. 
 
 Peregrine F. White was educated in the 
 public schools of Marshfield, and after leav- 
 ing school he learned the mason's trade in 
 Brockton and Whitman. In 1863 he removed 
 to Worcester, and since that time he has built 
 many important structures. In 1886 and 
 1888 Mr. White served the city as a member 
 of the Board of Aldermen, and took an active 
 interest in the construction of public build- 
 ings, being chairman of the Public Building 
 Committee. 
 
 Mr. White was first married to Margaret 
 A. Paine. He has two sons, namely: E. F. 
 White, who was born October 4, i860; and 
 W. L. White, born September 2, 1863. 
 Both are married and live in Worcester. Mr. 
 White was married the second time on March 
 19, 1884, to Mrs. Sarah E. Douglass. 
 
 ENAJAH URBAN BUGBEE was 
 for a number of years identified with 
 the Southbridge Optical Company 
 first as treasurer and manager and 
 afterward as president, holding that office at 
 the time of his death, which occurred April 
 20, 1898. He was born in Thompson, Conn., 
 August 13, 1 84s, son of Joseph and Adeline 
 (Matthews) Bugbee. Ancestors of the fam- 
 ily were early settlers in Woodstock, Conn., 
 whither they removed from Roxbury. Joseph 
 Bugbee's grandfather, Elijah Bugbee, served in 
 the Revolutionary War, accompanying a New 
 York Regiment to Lake Champlain. Leonard 
 Bugbee, the next in this line, was a native of 
 Pomfret, Conn., and followed the cabinet- 
 maker's trade in that town. The maiden 
 name of his wife was Martha Buck. 
 
 Their son Joseph, above named, who was 
 born in Pomfret, made agriculture his princi- 
 pal occupation during the active period of his 
 life. He died in 1891. His wife, Adeline, 
 was a daughter of Benajah Matthews, of 
 Killingly, Conn. They had three children, 
 namely: Benajah Urban, the subject of this 
 sketch; Elijah, a telegraph operator in Wash- 
 ington, D.C.; and another child, who died 
 young. 
 
 Benajah U. Bugbee acquired his education 
 in the public schools of Thompson. At the 
 age of seventeen he entered the office of the 
 American Telegraph Company in Globe Vil- 
 lage, where he learned telegraphy, which he 
 subsequently followed for eight years in Bos- 
 ton and two years in Southbridge. He then 
 engaged in the dry-goods business at Globe 
 Village, having as a partner Mr. A. H. 
 Wheeler; and he continued in trade some 
 twenty years. About 1884 he invested in 
 the Southbridge Optical Company, becoming 
 treasurer and manager of that concern ; and, 
 selling out his interest in the dry-goods store 
 td his partner some time later, he afterward 
 devoted his entire energy to that enterprise, 
 of which he was elected president in 1892. 
 The Southbridge Company manufacture seam- 
 less gold-filled, steel, German silver, and 
 solid gold spectacles and eye-glasses, which 
 are sold only to the wholesale trade, a con- 
 siderable per cent, of their product being ex- 
 ported. 
 
 In July, 1867, Mr. Bugbee married Emma 
 J. Curtis, daughter of Dr. Lucian W. and 
 Jane (McCune) Curtis, of Southbridge. The 
 three children of this union are: Sadie A., 
 who was born in 1869; Lucian W. , born in 
 1871 ; and Benajah Leonard Bugbee, born in 
 1874. Sadie A., who completed her educa- 
 tion at the St. Johnsbury (Vt.) Academy, 
 married William H. Wyman, and resides in 
 Chelsea, Mass. Lucian W. completed his 
 education at the Massachusetts School of 
 Technology, Boston, and was master mechanic 
 at the Southbridge Optical Works, and is now 
 president of the company. He married 
 Jacobina Taylor, of this town. Benajah L. 
 Bugbee, who was educated in Southbridge 
 and at Worcester Business College and was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1009 
 
 subsequently employed as an assistant at the 
 factory, is now treasurer of the company. He 
 married Maude Goodier, also of this town. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Bugbee served with ability in 
 the Massachusetts House of Representatives, 
 being assigned to the Committee on Agricult- 
 ure. In 1898 he was a member of the com- 
 mittee appointed to superintend the erection 
 of the new school building in Southbridge. 
 In politics he was a Republican. He was 
 formerly superintendent of the Sunday-school 
 and choir director of the Evangelical Free 
 Church, but later was associated with the 
 South Congregational Church, and had charge 
 of the musical part of the service. 
 
 -f^TAMILTON BOYD, of Northbridge, a 
 
 l~I Deputy Sheriff of Worcester County, 
 
 Jjs'l was born in Ireland on the twenty- 
 
 ^ — ' third day of March, 1847. At the 
 age of nine years he came to America, and 
 not long after reaching this country settled in 
 Grafton. He received his education in the 
 public schools of that town. Subsequently 
 he worked in the Farmersville cotton-mills 
 until 1861, when he removed to North Ux- 
 bridge. Later he came to Northbridge, and 
 began the manufacture of shoes, which occu- 
 pation he followed here for ten years. He 
 then became travelling agent for a shoe house, 
 and was thus employed for a while, but seven- 
 teen years ago took charge of the boarding- 
 house for the Rockdale Mills, and has since 
 continued its management. He is popular 
 with all the guests of the house on account of 
 his progressive methods and constant atten- 
 tion to their comfort. 
 
 From his youth Mr. Boyd has been a stanch 
 Republican in politics, and is actively identi- 
 fied with local affairs. The esteem in which 
 he is held by the citizens of Northbridge is 
 well evidenced by the various public posi- 
 tions he has been called upon to fill. He has 
 served on the Board of Overseers of the Poor, 
 is now serving his twenty-first year as Town 
 Constable and his seventeenth as Collector of 
 Taxes. He has been Deputy Sheriff for the 
 past six years. 
 
 Mr. Boyd married Jane Louisa, daughter of 
 
 Christopher Adams, a well-known farmer of 
 Adams Corner, in the town of Northbridge, 
 and a direct descendant of James Adams, the 
 pioneer settler of Northbridge. 
 
 UGUSTUS W. SMITH, a well-to-do 
 agriculturist of West Brookfield, son 
 of Welcome Smith, was born in this 
 town, February 4, 1833. His pa- 
 ternal grandfather. Captain Israel Smith, 
 served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, 
 and had command of a company of Rhode 
 Island militia. In 1805 Captain Smith re- 
 moved with his wife and children from Rhode 
 Island to Brookfield, Mass. Having become 
 a prominent farmer and one of the leading 
 residents here, he served as Selectman and in 
 other offices of minor importance. A consist- 
 ent member of the Congregational church of 
 this town, he was actively interested in its 
 Sunday-school. He and his wife had been 
 known as one of the oldest couples in the 
 community for some time before their de- 
 cease. She died in her ninety-fifth year, and 
 he in 1853, when he was ninety-seven years 
 old. One of their daughters, Mrs. Martha or 
 Patty Blair, the mother of Warren A. Blair, of- 
 whom a biography will be found elsewhere in 
 this volume, attained the age of one hundred 
 and two years. Welcome Smith, son of Cap- 
 tain Smith, was born in Rhode Island. In 
 1805 he came with his parents from that 
 State to Brookfield, where he grew to man's 
 estate. After his marriage with Hannah. 
 Blake, a native of Windsor, Mass., he settled 
 on a farm, and spent the remainder of his life 
 engaged in agriculture. At his death he was 
 forty -four years old. 
 
 Augustus W. Smith received his element- 
 ary education in the district schools of West 
 Brookfield. Afterward he studied at Willis- 
 ton Seminary in Easthampton and at the 
 Quaboag Seminary in Warren. Reared to 
 agricultural pursuits, he has made farming his 
 principal occupation. Also for several years 
 he conducted a meat market at West Brook- 
 field, being in partnership during that time 
 with three different men; and he follo\yed 
 auctioneering for a number of years, having 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 charge of many sales of personal property and 
 of real estate in this locality. He is known 
 as one of the leading farmers of this section 
 of the county, and he has been a valued mem- 
 ber of the West Brookfield Farmers' Club for 
 some time. 
 
 Mr. Smith has rendered excellent service to 
 the town on its School Committee, and he was 
 for a number of terms its Tax Collector. On 
 October 15, 1859, he married Ruth Tyler, a 
 daughter of Jonas R. Tyler, of Warren. They 
 have had six children; namely, Lindsey T., 
 William E. , Charles, Frederick G., Carrie 
 A., and Windsor R. Charles died some time 
 ago. 
 
 -AMES S. STONE, the well-known 
 insurance agent of North Dana, son of 
 Daniel and Sarah F. (Johnson) Stone, 
 was the first child born in this village, 
 the date of his birth being March 12, 1833. 
 His father, who was a son of Elias Stone, was 
 born in Dana, September 12, 1806; and his 
 mother was born in the same town, April 3, 
 1809. 
 
 Elias Stone was born December i, 1778. 
 He removed to Dana from the vicinity of 
 Worcester, accompanied by his wife, Abigail, 
 who was born March 6, 1783. He acquired 
 possession of five hundred acres of land, which 
 included one-half of the present village of 
 North Dana, originally called Stonesville, and 
 here made his home. He was the father of 
 five children, namely : Daniel ; Jonathan E. ; 
 Harriet; Rhoda; and Abigail, the only sur- 
 vivor, who is now Mrs. Lindsey, and resides 
 in Dana. 
 
 Daniel Stone, father of James S. , acquired a 
 good business education, which was completed 
 at the New Salem Academy. After teaching 
 school for a time he engaged in developing the 
 water-power at North Dana, erecting a grist- 
 mill and a wood-working mill here in 1832. 
 He also built the first house in the village. 
 His mills he later sold to Hale & Goodman, 
 who for many years manufactured pianoforte 
 legs. Engaging in the insurance business 
 about the year 1850, he continued to follow it 
 in connection with farming until his death. 
 
 which occurred January 19, 1895. He was the 
 leading business man of Dana in his day, and 
 also a prominent factor in public affairs, serv- 
 ing in the principal town offices, representing 
 his. district in the legislature of 1848 and 
 1850. He was a Justice of the Peace for over 
 forty years. In politics he was in his later 
 years a Republican. In his religious belief he 
 was a Methodist. His wife, Mrs. Sarah F. 
 Stone, survived him a short time, and died 
 July II, 1895. She was the mother of three 
 children, namely: Charles H., who died at 
 the age of four years; James S., the subject of 
 this sketch; and Mandana V., wife of J. E. 
 Oakes, of Springfield, Mass. 
 
 James S. Stone obtained his education in 
 the common schools, the New Salem Academy, 
 and .the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, 
 Mass. For some time after leaving school he 
 worked in the pianoforte-leg factory in North 
 Dana. He was later in charge of a similar 
 manufactory in Erving, Mass. ; and, going 
 thence to Philadelphia, he was for the succeed- 
 ing ten years employed by the firm of Hale & 
 Kilbourn, manufacturers of furniture, picture 
 frames, and car seats. Returning to his native 
 town in 1882, he became associated with his 
 father in the insurance business, and, succeed- 
 ing to the agency after his father's death, is 
 now the local representative of twelve leading 
 companies. He also attends to the transac- 
 tion of legal business requiring the services of 
 a Justice of the Peace, having held his com- 
 mission for the past sixteen years. 
 
 Mr. Stone is quite actively concerned in 
 local public affairs. He has served upon the 
 Boards of Selectmen and Assessors. Of late 
 he has voted with the Democratic party. He 
 is a member of Orange Lodge, F. & A. M., of 
 Orange, and has advanced in the order as far 
 as the chapter. He attends the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 L. M. SMITH, an overseer in one 
 of the departments of the Whitin 
 Machine Works at Whitinsville and 
 well known in musiqal circles 
 throughout the county, was born at Somerset, 
 Mass., on November 28, 1836. His parents 
 
JOHN BECKER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1013 
 
 were Joseph and Phoebe (Chase) Smith. The 
 father, who in early manhood was a seafaring 
 man, was later employed in the pottery busi- 
 ness. He died at the age of forty-seven. 
 
 Mr. Smith (whose full name is Benjamin 
 Lloyd Mason Smith) came to Whitinsville at 
 the age of seventeen, and entered the depart- 
 ment of the machine shop in which spinning 
 rolls were made. His ability and faithfulness 
 were duly recognized by his promotion to the 
 head of the department. This position he 
 has now held for the past thirty-six years. He 
 is a trustee and the auditor of the Whitinsville 
 Savings Bank and a trustee of the Pine Grove 
 Cemetery Association. Wide-awake on all 
 questions of public interest, he has rendered 
 valuable service in town office. He has been 
 for eight years a member of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen and for fifteen years the chairman of 
 the Board of Assessors. In 1885 he repre- 
 sented this district in the Massachusetts legis- 
 lature, and served on the Water Supply Com- 
 mittee. Politically, he is closely identified 
 with the Republican party. He has taken a 
 warm interest in the Whitinsville Public Li- 
 brary. An esteemed Mason, he is connected 
 with Granite Lodge, F. & A. M.; and St. 
 Elmo Royal Arch Chapter. He is also a 
 member of Uxbridge Lodge of Odd Fellows, in 
 which he has held all the offices. 
 
 Mr. Smith has been a choir leader for four- 
 teen years, a part of the time in the Methodist 
 and a part of the time in the Congregational 
 church. He assisted in organizing and con- 
 ducting the Whitinsville Choral Union of 
 seventy-five voices, which participated in the 
 great Peace Jubilee in Boston in 1869 and in 
 1872 ; and he was also one of the organizers of 
 the Whitinsville Musical Association, of which 
 he is the present director and vice-president. 
 For the 'past thirty-five years he has been ac- 
 tively connected with the Worcester County 
 Musical Association, having been councillor 
 for many years, and for twelve years on the 
 board of government. Had circumstances per- 
 mitted him to give his full attention to the 
 study of music in early life, he would un- 
 questionably have achieved fame as a musician. 
 The maiden name of Mrs. Smith, who came 
 from Northbridge, was Elmira H. B. Keech. 
 
 The beautiful home of the family on Railroad 
 Avenue was built about ten years ago. 
 
 OHN BECKER, manufacturer of mill- 
 ing machines and a resident of Fitch- 
 burg, is a native of the quaint old Ger- 
 man town of Marburg, Province of 
 Hesse-Nassau, and was born in 1850. He 
 accompanied his parents to the United States 
 when a child, and attended the public schools 
 of Boston until he was twelve years old, com- 
 pleting his education in a private school. He 
 subsequently served a five years' apprentice- 
 ship at the metal engraver's trade. He then 
 carried on business for himself for a number 
 of years as a metal engraver, and also con- 
 ducted an experimental machine shop. Fi- 
 nally he engaged in the manufacture of en- 
 graving and milling machines. At the earnest 
 solicitation of the Fitchborg Board of Trade 
 he located his factory in this city in 1891, 
 and is now carrying on an extensive business. 
 In 1874 Mr. Becker was united in marriage 
 with Cecilia M. Johnson, of Boston, who has 
 borne him three children: Emily B., born in 
 1875; C. Marie, born in 1878; and John, born 
 in 1888. 
 
 In politics Mr. Becker is an independent 
 Republican. He is connected with Newton 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., and is a member of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 VB ^OSES POLLARD, formerly a well- 
 known and successful farmer of 
 Westboro, Worcester County, died 
 at his home in this town, August 
 15, 1 89 1. He was born September 9, 181 5, in 
 Hubbardston, Mass. He was a son of Joel 
 and Ruth (Fisk) Pollard and a grandson of 
 Joel Pollard, Sr., one of the pioneer settlers of 
 Hubbardston. His father was a prosperous 
 farmer and lumber dealer, a large landholder, 
 and an influential citizen. He was energetic, 
 enterprising, and active, and served for many 
 years in the important town offices. 
 
 Moses Pollard was educated at Westminster 
 Academy, and afterward, at the earnest solici- 
 tation of his parents, remained an inmate of 
 
1014 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the paternal household until his marriage. 
 Removing then to New Braintree, this county, 
 he became identified with the best interests of 
 the town, and rendered faithful and appreciated 
 service as Selectman and Assessor. An ener- 
 getic and clear-headed man of business, he 
 ably filled the position of president of the 
 company having charge of the local cheese fac- 
 tory. In 1872 he purchased a valuable piece 
 of farming property in Westboro, and removing 
 hither he was here successfully engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits until his decease. Here 
 likewise he served on the Board of Assessors. 
 For a number of years he was vice-president of 
 the Westboro Savings Bank and for a long 
 time an official member of the Westboro 
 Grange. He was an active member of the 
 Congregational church, and while in New 
 Braintree he held the ofifice of Deacon, but de- 
 clined a similar honor in the Westboro church, 
 although he was church assessor and a liberal 
 contributor toward its support. In politics he 
 was a Republican. 
 
 On April 6, 1843, Mr. Pollard married 
 Ann O. Pierce, of New Braintree. She died 
 in 1875, leaving four sons, namely: Herbert, 
 who lives on the old homestead in New Brain- 
 tree; David, a merchant in Ashland, N. H. ; 
 Charles, of De Land, Fla. ; and Moses F. , an 
 extensive dairy farmer, occupying the home 
 farm in Westboro, who married Matilda Win- 
 chester, and has four children. On July 5, 
 1876, Mr. Pollard married Mrs. Phebe S. 
 Hartwell Brown, of Worcester, who survives 
 him. 
 
 IMERSON WARNER, M.D., physician 
 and surgeon, Worcester, was born in 
 New Braintree, Mass., April 30, 
 1831, the son of Amory P. and Cemira C. 
 (Haskins) Warner. He is a descendant in the 
 eighth generation of William Warner, an Eng- 
 lishman, who arrived at Ipswich, Mass.^ in 
 1637, and whose son John, born in England in 
 1616, settled in Hadley, Mass. Eleazar War- 
 ner, son of John, was born November 13, 1662, 
 and his birthplace was probably Hadley. 
 Eleazar Warner, Jr., the next in this line, was 
 the first white child born in New Braintree, the 
 
 date of his birth being July 29, 1694. He was 
 the father of Phineas Warner, who was horn 
 at New Braintree in 1726; and Phineas, Jr., 
 Dr. Warner's grandfather, son of the elder 
 Phineas, was born there, November 2, 1763. 
 
 The first of the family to settle in New 
 Braintree was Eleazar, Sr., who went there 
 prior to 1694, and became a prominent man of 
 his day, holding various town offices. He 
 cleared a good farm, upon which his children 
 were reared; and the Doctor's lineal ancestors, 
 above named, for the next four generations, 
 were industrious tillers of the soil in that town. 
 Phineas Warner, Jr., married Mary or Martha 
 Pollard, and became the father of several chil- 
 dren. He died at the age of seventy-seven; 
 and his wife, who survived him, lived to be 
 eighty-six. The Doctor's grandfather and 
 great-grandfather were Deacons of the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 Amory P. Warner, Dr. Warner's father, was 
 born at the homestead, July 9, 1805. Cemira 
 C. Haskins, whom he married March 12, 1829, 
 was a native of Prescott, Mass. They reared 
 but one child, Emerson Warner, the subject of 
 this sketch. The parents occupied the home 
 farm until i860, when they came to Worcester, 
 and resided here for the rest of their lives 
 
 Emerson Warner pursued the regular pre- 
 paratory course at the Wesleyan Academy, 
 Wilbraham, Mass., which he entered at an 
 early age. He was prevented by feeble health 
 from continuing his studies until twenty-one 
 years old, when he entered the Wesleyan Uni- 
 versity, Middletown, Conn., at which he was 
 graduated a Bachelor of Arts in the class of 
 1856, later receiving the degree of Master of 
 Arts from the same institution. When fifteen 
 years old his educational acquirements were 
 such as to enable him to commence teaching, 
 which he continued to do at intervals for some 
 years. He taught several terms in Wilbra- 
 ham. His medical course was completed at 
 the Harvard Medical School, where he was 
 graduated in 1863. He came to Worcester 
 from Shrewsbury, January i, 1866, and almost 
 immediately rose to prominence both as a phy- 
 sician and surgeon. He was in regular attend- 
 ance at the opening of the Worcester Dispen- 
 sary, and for seventeen years he was upon the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1015 
 
 staff of the City Hospital. He has been con- 
 sulting surgeon at the Memorial Hospital ever 
 since its establishment, and is now one of the 
 consulting staff of the City Hospital also. He 
 has been president of the Worcester District 
 Medical Society, and for many years was a 
 Councillor of the Massachusetts Medical So- 
 ciety. 
 
 In politics the Doctor is a Republican. He 
 was a member of the school boards of other 
 places previous to settling in Worcester, and 
 served in a similar capacity in this city for 
 twenty years, or until failing health compelled 
 him to resign. During the years 1884-85 he 
 was Representative to the legislature, and as 
 chairman of the Committee on Public Health 
 he labored diligently in the interest of that 
 department. He is an active member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and was chosen a 
 lay delegate to the General Conference in 
 1880. 
 
 On July 18, 1851, Dr. Warner married for 
 his first wife Miss L. Angeline Cleveland, of 
 Hardwick, Mass. She died September 20, 
 1854, and the two children born of their union 
 both died while young. His second wife, 
 whom he wedded May 24, 1856, was before 
 marriage Miss Isabelle H. Andrews, of Glas- 
 tonbury, Conn. She became the mother of two 
 daughters, namely : Isabel, now the wife of 
 Dean S. Ellis, M.D., a sketch of whom ap- 
 pears elsewhere in the Review; and Efifie Lu- 
 ella, who was born September 7, 1865, and 
 died September 30, 1884. 
 
 During the years 1872 and 1873 Dr. Warner 
 visited the principal hospitals of Europe for 
 the purpose of observing the practical demon- 
 stration of advanced ideas in medical science. 
 In 1886 ill health caused him to give up the 
 more laborious portion of his practice, and 
 much of his time for the past twelve years has 
 been spent in foreign travel. He has visited 
 Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, 
 made special trips to Egypt and the Holy 
 Land, passed two winters in Italy, and has 
 twice circumnavigated the globe. When he 
 located in this city he took possession of the 
 substantial frame house on Main Street erected 
 in 1793 by the Rev. Dr. Austin, then pastor of 
 the Old South Church. A portion of that 
 
 landmark is now standing near 'the Knowles 
 Loom Works, whither it was moved in order 
 to make room for the present Warner Block, a 
 four-story building, extending from 570 to 576, 
 where he now resides. About the year 1887 
 Dr. Warner shared his office with Dean S. 
 Ellis, M.D., and the professional association 
 still continues. 
 
 fOUIS DEBLOIS BARTLETT, ma- 
 chinist and inventor, for many years 
 ^ a resident of Fitchburg, was born 
 September 24, 1825, in Marblehead, 
 Mass., and died there on October 19, 1898. 
 Lie was the youngest son of the Rev. John and 
 Rebecca (Deblois) Bartlett, Mr. Bartlett's 
 maternal grandfather, George Deblois, was a 
 prosperous merchant of Boston and Salem pre- 
 vious to the Revolutionary War. Several 
 distinguished men have borne the same sur- 
 name. Betsey Deblois, an aunt of Mr. Bart- 
 lett, was the wife of General Despard, who was 
 killed at the battle of Waterloo. Some mem- 
 bers of the Deblois family have displayed con- 
 siderable literary talent. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett's first paternal ancestor in this 
 country, Roger, son of Roger and Mary Bart- 
 lett, was born in Brandescom b, England, Feb- 
 ruary 6, 1723. He was married October 9, 
 1749, to Anna Hurd, who was born in Charles- 
 town, Mass., March 22, 1723, daughter of Ben- 
 jamin and Elizabeth Hurd. Samuel Bartlett, 
 son of Roger and Anna, was born November 
 I7> 1752, and was a silversmith by occupation. 
 He was elected Registrar of Deeds of Middle- 
 sex County in 1795, and he held the office 
 until his death, September 29, 1821. He 
 married September 19, 1776, Mary, daughter 
 of Isaiah and Elizabeth Barrett, of Boston. 
 She died August i, 1823, aged seventy-two 
 years. 
 
 Their son, John Bartlett, father of Louis D., 
 was born in Concord, Mass., May 23, 1784. 
 He opened a store in Castine, Me., with the 
 intention of following a mercantile life, but 
 suddenly changed his mind, and, resolving to 
 enter the Christian ministry, became a student 
 at Harvard College, where he was graduated in 
 1805. He also studied theology under the 
 
ioi6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Rev. Dr. Channing. Shortly after his gradua- 
 tion he was appointed chaplain of the Boston 
 almshouse. While acting in that capacity he 
 was deeply moved by seeing the irrational and 
 in many cases inhuman treatment of the insane 
 inmates, and it was at his suggestion that a 
 meeting of prominent citizens was called that 
 resulted in the founding by Mr. McLean of the 
 hospital which has since borne that name. 
 Mr. Bartlett received a call to become pastor of 
 the Second Congregational Church and Society 
 of Marblehead. He was ordained May 22, 
 181 1, and there continued actively engaged in 
 the work of the ministry until his death, which 
 occurred February 3, 1849. While under his 
 charge the church became Unitarian, as it has 
 since remained. He was a prominent Mason. 
 He assisted in the formation and management 
 of the Marblehead Humane Society. His 
 wife, Rebecca Deblois Bartlett, died December 
 24, 1858. She was a worthy helpmeet to her 
 husband, and organized the Dorcas Society in 
 connection with the church at Marblehead. 
 They were the parents of six children, namely : 
 John Stephen, born May 14, 1812; Sarah 
 Lydia, born July 27, 1814; Samuel William, 
 born November 26, 1816; George Edward, 
 born June i, 18 19; Mary Susan, born January 
 I, 1823; and Louis Deblois. Of these chil- 
 dren, two are still living: Sarah Lydia and 
 Alary Susan, the last named being the wife of 
 Captain William B. Gerry, a kinsman of El- 
 bridge Gerry. 
 
 Louis Deblois Bartlett acquired most of his 
 education in the Marblehead Academy, during 
 his last years there being a pupil of John 
 Ruggles, with whom he studied engineering. 
 At the age of about seventeen years and six 
 months he left home to learn the machinist's 
 trade in Boston in the shop of Otis Tufts. 
 His apprenticeship expired September 24, 
 1846; but this did not sever his connection 
 with his employer, who in 1851 offered to 
 take him into partnership. In 1853 this came 
 about by the formation of a stock company, Mr. 
 Bartlett having an interest as a stockholder and 
 being appointed superintendent of the shop. 
 During that year the company was very suc- 
 cessful ; and in 1854 their works were enlarged 
 at Jan expense of fifty thousand dollars, in order 
 
 to fit them for the building of sugar machinery, 
 for which they had received large orders from 
 Louisiana and Texas. A dry season the fol- 
 lowing year interfered to such an extent with 
 the transportation of the machinery that the 
 delay in delivery caused the purchasers to de- 
 cline payment ; and litigation ensued, which re- 
 sulted in the company sustaining such loss that 
 they closed their works July 12, 1856. 
 
 Being thus forced out of business, Mr. Bart- 
 lett invented an ash sifter, which he patented 
 in 1857, and on which he realized a handsome 
 profit. This was the first of the ash barrel 
 sifters. He then advertised for employment as 
 a mechanical engineer, and secured a position 
 which he retained until 1859. During this 
 time he furnished the Essex Machine Com- 
 pany, of Lawrence, with several plans for sugar 
 mills and sugar machinery. The Khedive of 
 Egypt had authorized Mr. George A. Stone, of 
 Boston, to act as his agent in the construction 
 for him of an iron steam yacht to be called 
 "Le Voyageur de la Mer, " a vessel of thir- 
 teen hundred tons and one thousand horse 
 power. Mr. Bartlett was employed as super- 
 intending engineer in the completion of the 
 vessel, and performed his work in a satisfactory 
 manner. The firm employed to build the hull 
 failed to fulfil their contract, and the finishing 
 of this work also was intrusted to Mr. Bartlett. 
 In the face of many difficulties he succeeded, 
 and the vessel was launched in the fall of 1858. 
 He was retained in Mr. Stone's employ until 
 the early part of 1859. 
 
 In March of that year he took the entire 
 charge of the manufacture of steam machinery 
 for the Putnam Machine Company, of Fitch- 
 burg. In 1 860 he purchased an equal interest 
 in that company, and he subsequently contin- 
 ued in active service for nearly twenty-seven 
 years, being a director and the clerk of the 
 company for most of that time, the treasurer 
 for several years, and filling a presidential 
 vacancy for several months. During this time 
 he obtained three different patents for improve- 
 ments on stationary engines, giving the Put- 
 nam Company the shop right to use them. He 
 also did successful and important work for the 
 company in legal suits relating to steam- 
 engines. At one time he won a case against 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1017 
 
 Mr. George H. Corliss, who was the plaintiff, 
 much to that gentleman's surprise, as the 
 latter was usually successful in his suits at law. 
 Mr. Bartlett was acquainted in early life with 
 John Ericsson, the inventor of the monitor. 
 He was for several years a director of the Roll- 
 stone National Bank, a trustee and a member 
 of the Investment Committee of the Worcester 
 National Savings Institution, and he was in- 
 trusted with the management of several estates. 
 He served several years as a trustee of the 
 Fitchburg Public Library, and was its treasurer 
 at the time of his death. 
 
 On October 12, 1853, Mr. Bartlett was 
 married to Harriet Morton Barstow, daughter 
 of Captain William C. and Sarah F. (Morton) 
 Barstow. Mrs. Bartlett' s grandfather, Captain 
 Silas Morton, was a Revolutionary soldier, 
 being commissioned Lieutenant in Captain 
 George Duncan's company, First Massachu- 
 setts Regiment, January i, 1777. He was 
 with the American army in New Jersey, where 
 he served as Orderly and carried despatches for 
 Washington. He spent the terrible winter of 
 1777-78 at Valley Forge. He was at West 
 Point at the time of Arnold's treason, and was 
 a witness of the execution of Major Andre. 
 December 15, 1781, he was appointed Lieu- 
 tenant in the Second Massachusetts Regiment, 
 with which he subsequently took part in the 
 siege of Yorktown. He received from the 
 hand of Lafayette one of the dress swords taken 
 from the British, which were,, by act of Con- 
 gress, divided among the American and F'rench 
 officers for distinguished services during the 
 siege. At the evacuation of New York by the 
 British in November, 1783, he was serving 
 with the Light Infantry with the rank of Adju- 
 tant. He was Captain by brevet, and after the 
 war became a member of the Society of Cin- 
 cinnati. He married Miss Betsey Foster, of 
 Kingston, Mass. One of his children, Mrs. 
 Harriet Morton Gilbert, is now living. 
 
 Captain William C. Barstow, father of Mrs. 
 Bartlett, was a son of Charles Barstow, a ship- 
 builder of Pembroke, Mass. He was a sea 
 captain, connected during the latter part of his 
 active life with the Black Ball Line of packets 
 plying between New York and Liverpool, and 
 was very popular with the travelling public. 
 
 In later years he was president and treasurer of 
 the East Boston Land Company, a corporation 
 that has been active for many years in building 
 up and improving East Boston. For several 
 years also he was the executor and had charge 
 of General William H. Sumner's property. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett were the parents of 
 four children, namely: Anna Elizabeth, who 
 was born May 9, 1855, married James Phillips, 
 Jr., of Fitchburg, and died March 14, 1893; 
 Louis Deblois, Jr., born December 19, 1856, 
 died March 7, 1 862 ; Gerry Barstow, born No- 
 vember 9, 1858, in East Boston, residing in 
 Fitchburg; Francis William, born June 8, 
 1861, in Fitchburg, and now a resident of this 
 city. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett was a member of the Fitchburg 
 Water Committee in 1866, and served as a 
 member of the City Council one year, being 
 present at every meeting during the year. He 
 also served on the Highway Committee. He 
 was an active member of the Mechanical Ap- 
 prentices' Library Association, of Boston, 
 serving as librarian and corresponding secre- 
 tary ; was a member of the Massachusetts Char- 
 itable Mechanics' Association; of the Fitch 
 Historical Association ; and of Atlantic Lodge, 
 I. O. O. F., of Marblehead. He was a Jus- 
 tice of the Peace for many years. He attended 
 the First Parish (Unitarian) church. 
 
 -^ENJAMIN WOOD ABBOTT, who 
 ^~\ was long a respected resident of 
 ^J Worcester and one of the foremost 
 auctioneers in New England, was 
 born in the town of Holden, Mass., in 1822. 
 He was the only son of Chenery Abbott, 
 tavern-keeper of that town. His mother's 
 name in maidenhood was Betsy Wood. He 
 received his early education in the common 
 schools of his native town, and during his 
 spare time worked for his father in the tavern. 
 Flere he was thrown in contact with many 
 travellers from the outside world; and, his 
 ambition being aroused, he determined to leave 
 his native town and seek a more favorable field 
 for the development of his energies. Before 
 leaving Holden he had achieved success as 
 an auctioneer; but the neighboring city of 
 
ioi8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Worcester, which was growing rajDidly in size 
 and importance, seemed to offer unusual in- 
 ducements, and he decided to locate there and 
 follow the occupation for which he had already 
 acquired a taste. He was so successful that 
 he soon opened a store and auction room on 
 Main Street, near Franklin Square, where he 
 developed a large business, gaining a reputa- 
 tion for faithfulness and fair dealing. 
 
 Property of all kinds passed through his 
 hands ; and he soon became known as the lead- 
 ing auctioneer of Worcester County, his busi- 
 ness aggregating hundreds of thousands of dol- 
 lars annually. After a few years in that 
 location Mr. Abbott's services were so much in 
 demand that he decided to give up his store 
 and devote his time exclusively to auctioneer- 
 ing outside, with an office at Main and Walnut 
 Streets. He soon began to make a specialty of 
 horses, and established a stable for the sale of 
 them, together with carriages and wagons, on 
 Summer Street. His business in this line 
 often took him to New York and other cities, 
 and he was considered one of the best judges of 
 horse-flesh in the East. His auction sales, 
 which were held every Saturday, were always 
 well attended and were often extremely enter- 
 taining, for Mr. Abbott had a ready wit and 
 a rare fund of humor which never failed to 
 highly divert his auditors. He was the soul 
 of honor and uprightness, and never stooped to 
 misrepresentation in order to effect a sale. 
 Indeed, in his desire for candor and square 
 dealing he would often, in selling horses, point 
 out defects which they possessed. His judg- 
 ment was often sought in matters of impor- 
 tance, in appraising estates; and no man had 
 more friends or fewer enemies than he. With 
 his forceful nature, dry wit, never-failing good 
 humor, he was a "character" and a most in- 
 teresting and picturesque figure in the life of 
 the city. In politics Mr. Abbott was a Re- 
 publican, and took a special interest in local 
 affairs, but never desired or accepted any office. 
 His business career was most successful, and 
 he acquired a comfortable fortune. He died 
 December 17, 1884. 
 
 Mr. Abbott married Susan Knowlton, daugh- 
 ter of Daniel Knowlton, of Holden. They 
 had three children — Ann, Frank, and Jennie, 
 
 all of whom were born in Holden. Ann be- 
 came the wife of Mr. J. B. Willard, of Worces- 
 ter. Jennie married Mr. George P. Mattoon, 
 also of Worcester. Mrs. Mattoon is the lead- 
 ing teacher of dancing in this locality, her 
 school having the largest clientele of any in 
 Worcester County. Her attractive personality 
 has been a potent factor in her marked success. 
 The old Abbott Tavern in Holden was built 
 by Mr. Abbott's grandfather, and was kept by 
 members of the family for three generations. 
 It is still standing and is an historic landmark. 
 
 ILAS VINTON, a late resident of 
 Grafton, was born in Dudley, Mass., 
 January 23, 1819, son of Ezra and 
 Sally Vinton, who were prosperous 
 farming people. He received his education 
 in the schools of Dudley and Southbridge. 
 At the age of twenty he came to Grafton, and 
 for the five ensuing years worked as a farm 
 hand. In October, 1852, over forty-six years 
 ago, with the means he had acquired, he pur- 
 chased the livery business which is now con- 
 ducted by his son. Some time later he pur- 
 chased land and went to farming. He ran the 
 stage to North Grafton in connection with his 
 livery, and was engaged in teaming at North 
 Grafton, being first employed by Jonathan 
 Wheeler, a very wealthy man. He served on 
 the Board of Selectmen for two years, and was 
 Overseer of the Poor and Road Commissioner 
 for quite a number of years. His death oc- 
 curred in Grafton, November 23, 1898. 
 
 On November 24, 1853, he married Anna 
 E. Hunt, daughter of Jeptha and Abigail Hunt, 
 of Gloucester, town of Chepachet, R.I., where 
 her father was a s'uccessful farmer. Frank E. 
 Vinton, the only child of Silas and Anna Vin- 
 ton, obtained his early education in the public 
 schools. 
 
 Subsequently, after a course at the Bryant 
 & Stratton Commercial College, he obtained 
 employment in the grocery store of George K. 
 Nichols, with whom he remained two years. 
 He next held a position as book-keeper for 
 Gibbs & Allen. Owing to poor health, in 
 1883 he spent a year in Denver, Col, after 
 which he made a stay of eight months in Chey- 
 
JOMN BROOKS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 enne. He also visited Salt Lake City, San 
 Francisco, and Los Angeles. For about a 
 year he was with the California house of Sis- 
 son, Crocker & Co., who furnished the sup- 
 plies and Chinese help for railroads as far east 
 as Ogden. In 1886 he returned to Grafton 
 and became his father's partner in the livery 
 business, which he now carries on alone. In 
 189s he entered the bank as accountant and 
 cashier, and now performs the same duties at 
 times. During the past two years he has been 
 Street Commissioner. His wife was formerly 
 Susie S. Forbush, daughter of Justin Forbush, 
 of Grafton. He is a member of Franklin 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; of the Royal Arch Chap- 
 ter at Millbury ; of Hiram Council, of Worces- 
 ter; and of Worcester County Commandery, 
 K. T. 
 
 Sarah 
 
 'OHN BROOKS, a retired lumberman of 
 Templeton and a veteran of the Civil 
 War, was born in Brooks Village, this 
 town, May 4, 1828, son of John and 
 (Fairbanks) Brooks. Stephen Brooks, 
 his grandfather, who was twice married, and 
 was one of the early settlers of Templeton, 
 served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, 
 and died in this town at a good old age. The 
 father, who was a lifelong resident of Temple- 
 ton, for many years kept a tavern at Brooks 
 Village, located upon the old Boston & Al- 
 bany turnpike. He also carried on a farm, 
 and was one of the best-known men of his day 
 in this locality. In politics he was indepen- 
 dent. He died at the age of eighty years. 
 Sarah, his wife, who was born in Framingham, 
 Mass., had five children, of whom John is the 
 only one living. The mother lived to be 
 about eighty-three years old. 
 
 John Brooks, the subject of this biography, 
 having begun his education in the common 
 schools, completed it at the Winchendon Acad- 
 emy. Afterward for thirty years he was asso- 
 ciated with Isaac Bourn in the lumber business. 
 In 1864 he became a member of the firm 
 Hawkes, Bourn & Brooks, which carried on the 
 furniture business some fifteen years. Later 
 he was a member of the firm Bourn & Brooks, 
 furniture manufacturers, until he sold his in- 
 
 terest to Lucien Hadley and George W. Bourn. 
 Since then he has been engaged in agriculture. 
 He is one of the most extensive cattle dealers 
 in the town. Besides his farm of ninety acres, 
 he owns about six hundred acres of outlying 
 land. In May, 1861, he went to the front as 
 Second Lieutenant of Company A, Twenty- 
 First Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, and 
 subsequently served for over a year in the Civil 
 War, participating in the battles of Roanoke, 
 Newbern, and Camden, and winning promotion 
 to the rank of First Lieutenant. Afterward 
 sickness in his family compelled him to resign 
 from the service. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Brooks was united in marriage 
 with Ann Richardson Howe, of Templeton, a 
 daughter of Lemuel B. Howe. Mrs. Brooks has 
 had four sons, of whom Leonard S. died at the 
 age of nine years. The others are: Edwin A., 
 John, and Charles H. Charles is residing in 
 Royalston. In politics Mr. Brooks is a Re- 
 publican. At one time, when chosen Select- 
 man and Assessor, he declined to serve on 
 account of business pressure. Pie is a trustee 
 of the Baldwinsville Savings Bank, and has 
 acted in the same capacity for the Athol Agri- 
 cultural Society for the past twenty years. An 
 esteemed comrade of the Grand Army of the 
 Republic, he belongs to the post at East 
 Templeton. In religious belief he is a Uni- 
 tarian, and with Mrs. Brooks he attends the 
 church of that denomination. 
 
 RLANDO WHITNEY NORCROSS 
 of Worcester, successor to the Nor- 
 cross Brothers, contractors and 
 builders, of national reputation, was 
 born October 25, 1839, in Clinton, Me. His 
 father, Jesse S. Norcross, was a native of 
 Wayne, Me.; and his mother, Margaret Whit- 
 ney Norcross, was a native of Westboro, 
 Mass. 
 
 Jesse S. Norcross was an unusually capable 
 mechanic, and for many years was engaged in 
 building saw-mills in the lumber manufactur- 
 ing districts of the Pine Tree State, including 
 Wayne, Clinton, Bangor, and Old Town. 
 Toward the latter part of his life he removed 
 to Salem, Mass., and from that city he went 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 to California, where he died in Benicia in 
 1850. 
 
 Orlando Whitney Norcross was educated in 
 the public schools of Salem. His first em- 
 ployment was in the leather business with 
 James C. Stimpson. He subsequently learned 
 the carpenter's trade, which he followed until 
 enlisting in the Fourteenth Regiment, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteer Infantry, later known as 
 the First JMassachusetts Heavy Artillery. 
 After serving three years in the Civil War he 
 returned to Salem in 1864, and, in company 
 with his brother, James A. Norcross, engaged 
 in the building business, which at that time 
 gave no promise of attaining the magnitude it 
 has since acquired. 
 
 Their first notable building operation was 
 the Congregational church in Leicester, 
 Mass., erected in 1866; and this was followed 
 shortly afterward by another church in North 
 Adams. The growth and development of 
 Worcester, at that time unusually brisk, 
 led the Norcross Brothers to locate in this 
 city, where their business began to expand 
 rapidly; and the ability displayed by them 
 in the construction of several large buildings 
 here caused their estimates on work in other 
 localities to receive favorable consideration, 
 thus giving them the opportunities for ad- 
 vancement which they have so effectually 
 used. 
 
 Within the three years 1868-70 they built 
 in Worcester the Crompton Block, the First 
 Universalist Church, and the Worcester High 
 School, and had begun operations in Spring- 
 field, Mass., building there the South Con- 
 gregational Church. In 1872 they took the 
 contract for the Hampden County Court- 
 house, Springfield, and in 1873 began Trinity 
 Church in Boston, Mr. Richardson's archi- 
 tectural masterpiece. Subsequently they exe- 
 cuted other notable work of Richardson's 
 design. In the six years 1873-79 they con- 
 structed the Norwich Congregational Church 
 at Norwich, Conn. ; the beautiful All Saints' 
 Church, Worcester; the Cheney Block, Hart- 
 ford, Conn.; the Latin and English High 
 Schools, Boston; the Gymnasium and Sever 
 Hall, Harvard College; the Ames Library 
 and Town Hall, North Easton, Mass. ; the 
 
 Woburn Library, Woburn, Mass. ; Trinity 
 Church parsonage, Boston; and the Newport 
 villa of Mrs. Annie W. Sherman. 
 
 During the eighties they greatly extended 
 their operations, building the City Hall at 
 Albany, N.Y. ; the Allegheny County Court- 
 house and Jail, Pittsburg, Pa. ; Chamber of 
 Commerce, Cincinnati; Howard Memorial Li- 
 brary, New Orleans; Turner and Lionberger 
 Buildings, St. Louis, Mo. ; Marshall Field 
 Building, Chicago, III.; New York Life In- 
 surance Buildings at Omaha and Kansas City; 
 Presbyterian Church, Albany, N.Y. ; Law- 
 renceville School, Lawrenceville, N.J. ; and 
 Crouse Memorial College, Syracuse, N.Y. 
 Within the same period they built in New 
 England the Yale Memorial Building; Har- 
 vard College Law School Building; a Ver- 
 mont University Building; the Durfee High 
 School, Fall River; Crane Memorial Hall, 
 Quincy; Maiden Library, Maiden; Fiske 
 Building, Syndicate Building, and other busi- 
 structures; also the First Spiritual 
 
 ness 
 
 Temple and the Algonquin and Art Club 
 Buildings, Boston; Burnside Building, 
 Worcester; the South Framingham and 
 Springfield stations on the Boston & Albany 
 Railroad and the Union Railroad Station at 
 Hartford; Baptist Church at Newton; and 
 Grace Church, New Bedford. In New York 
 City they built the Union League Club-house, 
 Union Theological Seminary, and St. James 
 Episcopal and Holy Trinity Churches; and 
 in various cities throughout the country nu- 
 merous pretentious and costly private resi- 
 dences. They also constructed the Soldiers' 
 Monument at West Point, N.Y., the largest 
 polished monolith in the world; and the Ames 
 Memorial Monument at Sherman, Wyo., on 
 the highest elevation of the Rocky Mountains 
 crossed by the Union Pacific Railroad. 
 
 Their later work includes the Ames Build- 
 ing, Chamber of Commerce, Tremont Build- 
 ing, Youth's Companion Building, Devon- 
 shire Building, State House Extension, and 
 Exchange Building, Boston ; Industrial Build- 
 ing, Telephone Building, and Banigan Build- 
 ing, Providence; also the Rhode Island State 
 House; Dormitory Building and Commence- 
 ment Hall, Princeton College; Perkins Hall, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1023 
 
 Conant Hall, and Fogg Art Museum, Har- 
 vard College; Society for Savings Building, 
 Hartford, Conn. ; State Mutual Life Assur- 
 ance Building and City Hall, Worcester; 
 College for Teachers, New York; residence 
 of the late Colonel Elliot F. Shepard, Scar- 
 boro, N.Y. ; Blcomingdale Asylum, White 
 Plains, N.Y. ; Library, Physics, and Natural 
 Sciences Buildings, Columbia College, New 
 York; Equitable Building, Baltimore; Cor- 
 coran Gallery of Art, Washington; New Eng- 
 land Building, Cleveland, Ohio; Chemical 
 and Physical Laboratory, Amherst College. 
 
 The facilities at their command, which are 
 both numerous and varied, include, besides ex- 
 tensive wood and iron working shops in 
 Worcester, stone-yards in Boston and Cleve- 
 land, Ohio, and granite, sandstone, slate, 
 and marble quarries in different States. On 
 January i, 1897, Orlando W. Norcross pur- 
 chased his brother's interest in the business; 
 and the present operations, which include 
 the new Union Station, Boston, are being 
 completed by him. 
 
 In May, 1870, Mr. Norcross married Miss 
 Ellen P. Sibley, of Salem, Mass. Of his five 
 children, three are living; namely, Alice 
 Whitney, Mabel Ellen, and Edith Janet. 
 
 In 187s he served upon the committee of 
 experts appointed to examine the condition of 
 the Federal Building in Chicago, and the re- 
 port of that body was afterward verified. He 
 takes an active interest in local public affairs, 
 and is an earnest advocate of temperance. 
 Prior to the Rebellion he belonged to the 
 Salem Cadets. 
 
 IDWIN L. BURNHAM, one of the most 
 respected residents of Westminster, 
 was born in Montague, Mass., April 
 29, 1833, son of Silas and Martha H. (Dewey) 
 Burnham. He is of the fifth generation in 
 descent from Josiah Burnham, of Montague, 
 the line being: Josiah, Daniel, Silas, Sr., 
 Silas, Edwin L. 
 
 The will of Josiah was probated in 1763. 
 In it he mentions his wife, Margaret, and 
 seven children. Daniel Burnham, born in 
 174s, son of Josiah, served as a private in 
 
 Captain Grover's company, Colonel Will- 
 iams's regiment, on the Lexington alarm. 
 He had nine children. He died in 1810. 
 Silas Burnham, Sr., born in 1770, married 
 Aurelia Robbins, and died in 1840. He had 
 fifteen children. The younger Silas Burnham 
 was a prosperous farmer of Montague, and oc- 
 cupied the farm that was formerly owned by 
 his father, Silas, Sr. 
 
 Edwin L. Burnham received his education 
 in the public schools and at the Montague 
 Academy. Learning the trade of piano-case 
 maker, he followed it as a journeyman for 
 about seventeen years, and was for seven years 
 foreman of a factory. In 1867 he came to 
 Westminster, and, in company with C. T. 
 Damon, purchased the Westminster bakery, 
 which they carried on together for some time, 
 or until Mr. Damon's withdrawal. The firm 
 of E. L. Burnham & Son then conducted the 
 business for five years, at the end of which 
 time they sold out. Mr. Burnham next turned 
 his attention to agriculture and to the real es- 
 tate business, which have since constituted 
 his chief occupations. With the exception of 
 two years spent in Carthage, Mo., he has con- 
 tinued to reside in Westminster. He has 
 handled much property in this region, and he 
 also built one mile of the State road. Taking 
 an active interest in public affairs, he served 
 for nine years upon the Board of Selectmen, 
 was superintendent of streets for five years, 
 and for some time was Overseer of the Poor. 
 He represented his district in the legislature 
 during the session of 1884, serving on the 
 Election Committee. His public services 
 have been faithfully performed, and have re- 
 sulted in benefit to the community. 
 
 December 4, 1856, Mr. Burnham married 
 Laura G. Damon. He has had four children, 
 namely: George A., born in March, 1858, 
 who died January 28, 1859; Nelson D., born 
 September 8, 1859, who died October 8, 1867; 
 Arthur G., born May 4, 1863; and Martha 
 B., born August 10, 1868. Arthur G. Burn- 
 ham married Alice Hodgman, and resides in 
 Maiden, Mass. He has two sons: Edwin L., 
 born March 10, 1887; and George H., born 
 September 25, 1897. Martha B. Burnham 
 married Archie L. Rugg, of Worcester, and 
 
1024 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 has one daughter, Laura M., who was born in 
 1892. Mr. Burnhara is a member of the Con- 
 gregational church. He has served upon the 
 Parish Committee for six years, and for nearly 
 thirty years has sung in the choir. 
 
 /^STeORGE MANN, a well-known and 
 \ 5 I highly esteemed citizen of Leicester, 
 Mass., senior member of the Mann & 
 Stevens Woollen Company, of East Brookiield, 
 was born the first day of January, 1835, in the 
 neighboring city of Worcester. 
 
 His father, Billings Mann, Sr. , was born 
 and reared in Worcester, and there he learned 
 the details of woollen manufacturing. In 
 1851 or soon after, he removed to the town 
 of Leicester, and founded at the village of 
 Mannville the business of manufacturing 
 woollen goods, in which he was engaged until 
 his death, which occurred in December, 1879. 
 Billings Mann, Sr. , was actively interested in 
 the local affairs of Leicester, and served faith- 
 fully several terms as Selectman. He mar- 
 ried Harriet Daniell, a native of Dedham, 
 Mass., and had ten children, three sons and 
 seven daughters. 
 
 George Mann received his higher education 
 in the Leicester Academy and an academy at 
 Thetford, Vt. , and when but a youth began 
 working for his father in the woollen-mills. 
 After the removal of the family to Leicester 
 he became connected with the mills at Mann- 
 ville, first as an employee and afterward as a 
 partner with his father, the firm then being 
 Billings Mann & Co. After his father's death 
 Mr. Mann and his brother, Billings, Jr., suc- 
 ceeded in the ownership of the mills at that 
 village, and for several years conducted the 
 business under the firm name of George Mann 
 & Brother. In 1897 this firm was merged 
 into the Mann & Stevens Woollen Company, 
 the factory at Mannville was closed, and the 
 entire business operations were transferred to 
 East Brookfield. Mr. Mann, while carrying 
 on a large and profitable business as a woollen 
 manufacturer in East Brookfield, still retains 
 his former residence in Leicester. 
 
 In 1862 he resigned his personal ambitions 
 for a time, and, enlisting for nine months in 
 
 Company F, Forty-second Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteer Infantry, did duty principally in New 
 Orleans under General Banks. For three 
 years he served as Selectman of the town of 
 Leicester. He is known as a loyal supporter 
 of the Republican party. He belongs to the 
 George H. Thomas Post, No. 131, G. A. R., 
 of which he was Commander one year; and is 
 also an active member of Morning Star Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., of Worcester; of Eureka Chap- 
 ter, R. A. M., of that city; and of the 
 Worcester County Commandery, K. T., of 
 Worcester. 
 
 /^^ITeORGE SESSIONS, a well-known 
 \ 5 1 citizen of Worcester, now in his 
 eighty-fifth year, retired from active 
 business, bears a name that has been repre- 
 sented in New England more than two hun- 
 dred years. Mr. Sessions was born on Octo- 
 ber 23, 1814, in the town of Heath, Mass. 
 His parents were George, Sr., and Lucenia 
 (Lombard) Sessions, the mother a native of 
 Brimfield, Mass. His paternal grandfather, 
 Samuel Sessions, came to Massachusetts from 
 Pomfret, Conn. 
 
 Being the youngest of a large family, Mr. 
 Sessions at the age of seventeen started out 
 to see the world, and at length settled in 
 Worcester, where for a while he worked at 
 farming. After that he was employed for 
 twelve years at the State Lunatic Asylum. 
 At the expiration of that time he in company 
 with a Mr. Howe, under the firm name of 
 Howe & Sessions, engaged in the manufacture 
 of tools used in the shoemaker's trade. This 
 firm was located on Central Street, in what 
 was known as the Heywood building, and 
 conducted a successful business for about ten 
 years, when Mr. Sessions disposed of his in- 
 terest to his partner. 
 
 In 1850 he was appointed City Undertaker 
 by Governor Levi Lincoln, then Mayor of 
 Worcester; and, as he was the only under- 
 taker in the city at that time, he had charge 
 of all interments. Danforth B. Cummings was 
 associated with him, their establishment being 
 located on Summer Street, between Thomas 
 and School Streets ; and, on the withdrawal of 
 
JAMES J. SAWIN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1027 
 
 Mr. Cummings in 1852, Mr. Sessions formed 
 a partnership witJi his brother-in-law, Horace 
 G. Mirick, under the firm name of Sessions 
 & Miriclc, which continued the business for 
 seven years. A number of years later Mr. 
 Sessions took his sons into partnership, the 
 business including the management of a large 
 factory giving employment to twenty-five 
 craftsmen, besides several travelling salesmen. 
 Mr. Sessions held his appointment as City 
 Undertaker till about three years ago, when he 
 resigned. His natural aptitude and thorough 
 understanding of his business gave him pres- 
 tige with the majority of citizens, and during 
 his long, active career he directed the funerals 
 and burial of many noted members of the com- 
 munity. During the Civil War he displayed 
 his patriotism by burying free of charge many 
 soldiers who died, and whose bodies were sent 
 home for interment. 
 
 Mr. Sessions and Mary G. Mirick, of Hol- 
 den, Mass., were married on October 4, 1838, 
 and they celebrated their golden wedding in 
 in 1888. Mrs.. Sessions died about three 
 weeks later, October 21, 1888, leaving three 
 children — Waldo E., Frank E., and Mary 
 Lucina. Mr. Sessions now makes his home 
 with his daughter and her husband, Mr. C. G. 
 Warren. For three years his business has 
 been carried on by Waldo E. and Frank E. 
 Sessions, under the firm name of George Ses- 
 sions & Sons. 
 
 'AMES JULIUS SAWIN, for many 
 years a manufacturer in Worcester, 
 Mass., was perhaps better known for 
 his inventions. The posthumous son 
 of James Julius and Miriam Fairbanks (White) 
 Sawin, he was born in Natick, Mass., July 4, 
 1842. The father, born in Templeton, Mass., 
 where his ancestors for three or four genera- 
 tions had been engaged in the manufacture of 
 lumber, was a shoemaker by trade, and worked 
 thereat in Natick until his early death. His 
 widow, left with three young children to rear 
 and educate, being endowed with true New 
 England thrift and courage, faithfully per- 
 formed that duty. 
 
 Mr. Sawin grew to man's estate in his 
 
 native town. He was a dry-goods clerk for 
 several years of his earlier life. Reared to 
 habits of industry and economy, he saved 
 money while thus employed, and in 1870 
 turned his attention to a closer study of the 
 treatment of leather with naphtha for the pur- 
 pose of extracting the oil, a subject in which 
 he had long been interested. Recognizing the 
 need of a quicker and less expensive process 
 than was at that time used, he made various 
 experiments with the naphtha, and in 1875 
 was granted his first patent, another being 
 granted him in May, 1877. His invention 
 had for its object the treatment of leather to be 
 used in manufacturing harnesses, belts, heels, 
 soles, innersoles, uppers, and filling for boots 
 and shoes. In making shoes a large amount of 
 stock was always wasted in the small pieces 
 known as "upper leather," the oil that it con- 
 tained preventing its use. After these small 
 pieces had been subjected to the process which 
 he patented, they could be profitably utilized 
 in manufacturing heels. Taking into partner- 
 ship a Mr. Wilson, he established a plant for 
 extracting oil from leather scraps and manu- 
 facturing these scraps into heels. This busi- 
 ness he carried on successfully for several 
 years as head of the firm of Sawin & Wilson. 
 In 1882 he purchased his partner's interest; 
 and, coming to Worcester, the centre of the 
 boot and shoe trade in Worcester County, he 
 located a plant on Shrewsbury Street, where he 
 continued the process of converting leather 
 stock and scraps into heels ready for finishing 
 by the manufacturers. Here he had built up 
 a very extensive and lucrative business when 
 he died, in September, 1896. While, like 
 most other inventors, he lost by infringements 
 on his patents, he managed to reap the chief 
 benefits. 
 
 For a year during the Civil War Mr. Sawin 
 served in the United States navy. He was a 
 member of the local Board of Trade, of the 
 American Mechanics' Association, of the Royal 
 Arcanum Mutual Benefit Society, and of the 
 A. O. U. W. Identified by membership with 
 All Souls' Universalist Church, he contributed 
 liberally toward its support. On January 29, 
 1879, at Marlboro, Mass., he married Eliz- 
 abeth Temple, daughter of Hiram and Emily 
 
1028 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (Howe) Temple. Mrs. Sawin and her four 
 children — Blanche, James, Julius Chapin, and 
 Miriam Fairbanks — now occupy the handsome 
 residence which Mr. Sawin built on May 
 Street a few years ago. 
 
 rgjTARRY M. WHITNEY, who owns 
 I" ^4 and occupies one of the oldest estates 
 J^ I in Harvard, was born in Albany, 
 
 ^"■^ N. ¥., January 20, 1845, son of 
 Isaiah and Mary A. (Gove) Whitney. He is 
 a descendant in the eighth generation of John 
 Whitney, who was probably the first Ameri- 
 can ancestor of the family. From John the 
 line of descent is traced through Thomas, 
 Isaiah (first), Isaiah (second), Isaiah (third), 
 Cyrus, and Isaiah to Harry M. Mr. Whit- 
 ney's farm has been in possession of the fam- 
 ily since 1722. At least four generations of 
 Whitneys have been born in Harvard. An 
 extended account of the family may be found 
 in the Whitney Genealogy, published by Fred- 
 erick C. Pierce in 1895. Cyrus Whitney, 
 grandfather of Harry, was born in Harvard, 
 August 17, 1771. He inherited and occupied 
 the homestead, and also established and oper- 
 ated a cotton-mill in this town. He died in 
 1847. 
 
 Isaiah Whitney, Harry M. Whitney's 
 father, was born April 22, 1815. He was 
 reared and educated in Harvard, and when a 
 young man went to Albany, where he entered 
 mercantile business as a clerk. He subse- 
 quently succeeded to the possession of the 
 homestead; and the active period of his life 
 was divided between his business interests in 
 Albany and the cultivation of his farm in this 
 town. He died in Harvard, June 30, 1867, 
 aged fifty-two years. Successful as a general 
 farmer, he was awarded several premiums for 
 meritorious exhibits, and was an active mem- 
 ber of the Farmers' Club. His wife, Mary, 
 who was born in the State of New York, July 
 9, 1822, became the mother of five children, 
 of whom four are living; namely, Harry M., 
 Ella C, Edwin H., and Charles G. She died 
 July 14, 1889. Both parents were men>bers 
 of the Unitarian church. 
 
 Harry M. Whitney came to Harvard at the 
 
 age of three years. He acquired a practical 
 education in the comi^on schools of this town, 
 supplemented by one winter term in West 
 Acton. At the age of twenty he went to 
 Worcester, where he entered Pond's machine 
 shop as an apprentice; but, after remaining 
 there for a year and a half, he returned to 
 Harvard. He was then occupied in attending 
 to farm duties until his mother's death, and 
 when the estate was settled he came into pos- 
 session of the property. He owns forty-six 
 acres of well -located land, which is divided 
 into tillage land, orchard, and vineyard; and 
 besides general farming he grows apples, 
 peaches, and grapes. Politically a Repub- 
 lican, he has long been identified with local 
 affairs, having served as Selectman four years, 
 one year of which he has been chairman, as 
 Assessor seventeen years. Road Commissioner 
 thirteen years, and Overseer of the Poor three 
 years, in all of which oflfices he has displayed 
 ability and fidelity to the interests of the 
 townspeople. 
 
 In January, 1887, Mr. Whitney married 
 Carrie W. Wright, who was born in Harvard, 
 daughter of Isaac F. Wright. He has one 
 daughter, Emily Ella, who was born October 
 24, 1893. 
 
 Mr. Whitney has occupied all of the im- 
 portant chairs of Harvard Lodge, No. 60, 
 I. O. O. F. He attends the Unitarian 
 church, of which he has been clerk for the 
 past twelve years. He has also been a trustee 
 of the First Parish Fund ten years and treas- 
 urer of the Sunday-school twelve years. 
 
 RAN A. KELLEY, farmer and stock 
 dealer, residing at 1002 Lincoln 
 Street, Worcester, was born in West 
 Winchester, N.H., September 2, 
 1842, son of Oran A. and Maria (Bacon) 
 Kelley. His paternal grandfather was Abner 
 Kelley, a native resident of Warren, Mass., 
 by trade a carpenter and builder. He lived 
 to be seventy-nine years old, and reared five 
 children, among whom was Abner, Jr., who 
 became a well-known business man of 
 Worcester. 
 
 Oran A. Kelley, first, son of Abner, was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1029 
 
 born in Warren, September 1,1812. At the 
 age of twenty-one he left home with a view of 
 starting in life for himself, and in 1846 he 
 settled permanently in Worcester. For many 
 years he kept a grocery store on Arch Street. 
 He was a building contractor, and he owned a 
 wood lot on Laurel Street, from which he cut 
 and sold wood. Through his energy and busi- 
 ness ability he accum.ulated a fortune amount- 
 ing to one hundred thousand dollars. He was 
 quite active in public affairs, and served in 
 the Common Council several years. He died 
 July 2, 1 88 1. His wife, Maria, who was a 
 native of Charlton, Mass., and a daughter of 
 Charles Bacon, died in 1889, aged seventy-five 
 years. She was the mother of four children, 
 namely: Eliza, who resides on Main Street, 
 Worcester, and is the widow of A. M. Eaton; 
 Louisa, who died September 5, 1840, at the 
 age of one year; Oran A., second; and Emma 
 L., who married S. D. Houghton, and resides 
 at the corner of Claremont and Silver Streets, 
 this city. 
 
 Oran A. Kelley, second, the subject of this 
 sketch, was educated in the Worcester public 
 schools, and completed his studies while in 
 the ninth grade. Entering his father's gro- 
 cery store as a clerk at the age of eighteen, he 
 remained there two years, and then turned his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits. His father 
 had already purchased for him a tract of forty 
 acres, which he later increased to eighty; and, 
 taking charge of this after leaving the store, 
 Mr. Kelley has added to it from time to time, 
 possessing at present a desirably located farm 
 of four hundred and twelve acres. In 1873 he 
 erected a barn one hundred by forty-four feet, 
 which has become inadequate, owing to his 
 extensive stock dealing; and he is about to 
 build another, to be used especially for cows. 
 He keeps an average of one hundred head of 
 cattle, including from sixty to seventy brown 
 Swiss and Holstein cows. He uses twelve 
 horses upon the place and in his milk busi- 
 ness, and has bred some that have become not- 
 able for speed, among them Don Pedro, 
 who trotted in 2.16. Mr. Kelley's property 
 is located two and a half miles from City 
 Hall, and is admirably adapted for stock and 
 dairy purposes. His milk business alone is 
 
 extensive, and he has supplied that necessary 
 article of diet to the Chronic Insane Asylum 
 on Summer Street for the past twenty-four 
 years. 
 
 On June 19, 1864, Mr. Kelley married 
 Mary S. Bond. She was born in Boylston, 
 Mass., daughter of Thomas and Harriet (Slo- 
 cum) Bond, the latter a native of Shrewsbury, 
 Mass. Thomas Bond, who was a prosperous 
 farmer, lived to be eighty-three years old, and 
 his wife lived to be eighty-one. They reared 
 a family of two sons and four daughters, all 
 of whom are living except one son. Mrs. 
 Kelley is the mother of three children, 
 namely: Oran A., third, who is associated 
 with his father in business, and has charge of 
 the books; Herbert B., who is married and re- 
 sides in Worcester; and Florence H., who is 
 living at the parental home. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Kelley is a Republican. 
 He represented Ward Two in the City Council 
 two years, and was a member of the Board of 
 Overseers of the Poor for the same length of 
 time. He is prominent in Masonic circles, 
 and has advanced in the order to the thirty- 
 second degree. 
 
 "irx AVIS P. GRAY, one of the most 
 1=^ highly respected citizens of North- 
 ^J^J bridge, Mass., was born in Easton, 
 Mass., September 5, 1827, son of 
 Lewis and Louisa (Packard) Gray. In 1849, 
 when in his twenty-first year, he came to 
 Northbridge, and entered the employ of P. 
 Whitin & Sons as a moulder. His faithful- 
 ness and general ability soon won the favor of 
 his employers; and after a few years he was 
 made superintendent of the foundery, which 
 position he retained for upward of a quarter of 
 a century, during which time the number of 
 the workmen under his charge increased from 
 fifty to a hundred. In 1880, after a long 
 career of activity and usefulness, he withdrew 
 from the foundery, and since that time has 
 had no connection with manufacturing inter- 
 ests. He has taken an active part in local 
 politics, and has served his fellow-townsmen 
 in various offices. For many years he was 
 chairman of the Republican Town Committee. 
 
1030 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In 1 87 1 he was elected to the State legis- 
 lature, where he was appointed a member 
 of the Committee on Engrossed Bills, and 
 where he showed the clear head, sound judg- 
 ment, and firm grasp of public affairs that mark 
 the born legislator. In 1888 he was re-elected 
 as Representative, and during his term in the 
 House served as a member of the Committee 
 on Education. Under President Harrison he 
 was appointed Postmaster of Northbridge, 
 which place he filled for four years to the sat- 
 isfaction of all patrons of the office. Subse- 
 quent to that he was for four years chairman 
 of the Board of Registration. March 18, 
 1898, he was appointed Postmaster of North- 
 bridge by President McKinley. He married 
 Louisa M. Winter, daughter of David Winter, 
 of Northbridge, and a descendant of an old 
 and highly honored family. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gray have two daughters: Mrs. Lillia F. 
 Alexander, who resides in Springfield, Mass. ; 
 and Mrs. Clara E. Dolliver, who is a resident 
 of Whitinsville, Mass. 
 
 
 ARREN WHITNEY BUTCHER, 
 for many years a leading business 
 man of Hopedale, Mass., was born 
 on the Fourth of July, 181 2, in Shaftsbury, 
 Vt. He was the second son of Peter and 
 Lucy (Slye) Butcher, and was of the fourth 
 generation in descent from Gabriel Butcher, 
 whose father, it is said, came from Holland 
 and settled near New York City in early Co- 
 lonial times. Benjamin Butcher, son of Ga- 
 briel, was born in Butchess County, New 
 York, in 1742. He married Thankful Ben- 
 son, who was ten years his junior. They set- 
 tled at White Creek, N.Y., but later removed 
 to Shaftsbury. 
 
 Peter Butcher, above nanSed, the second of 
 their family of eight children, was born on 
 March i, 1778, at White Creek. On Septem- 
 ber 5, 1801, he married Lucy Slye, a native 
 of Shaftsbury and daughter of James and 
 Meribah (Brown) Slye. Her father, who was 
 a farmer by occupation and was generally 
 known as Captain James Slye, was a self- 
 educated man and a volunteer preacher in the 
 Baptist denomination. Of the twelve chil- 
 
 dren born to Peter Butcher and his good wife, 
 ten grew to maturity. 
 
 The eldest of these, Elihu C, who was 
 born on November g, 1802, married Sarah 
 Ploss, of Hoosick, N.Y., on March 15, 1827. 
 Although an ordained Baptist clergyman, he 
 devoted much time to wagon-making as a 
 means of increasing his income. He preached 
 several years in Pownal, Vt., and afterward in 
 Williamstown, Mass., as well as in other 
 places. In 1847, however, he closed his min- 
 istry, and removed to North Bennington, Vt. , 
 where he gave his attention to mechanical 
 pursuits. In 1850, in connection with his 
 brother, Warren Whitney, he perfected and 
 patented the famous "Butcher Temple." 
 The two brothers jointly engaged in the man- 
 ufacture of their valuable loom-temples and 
 continued with signal success up to 1854. 
 At that time E. B. and G. Braper, of Hope- 
 dale, Mass., purchased the Rev. Elihu's in- 
 terest in the business, and shortly after they 
 arranged with Mr. Warren W. Butcher to re- 
 move to Hopedale with his family and 
 manufacturing machinery. The Rev. Elihu 
 Butcher bought a valuable estate in Waukesha, 
 Wis., and removed thither, but died of Asi- 
 atic cholera on the second day after reaching 
 his new home. 
 
 Warren Whitney Butcher took up his resi- 
 dence in Hopedale on May 20, 1856, and con- 
 tinued the manufacture of temples in connec- 
 tion with the Braper Brothers, he being the 
 manufacturing agent at home and they the 
 selling agents abroad. The business proved 
 most successful, and has steadily enlarged as 
 improvements have been made. In 1867 the 
 concern became a legal corporation, under the 
 name of the Butcher Temple Company. The 
 following year George Draper & Son suc- 
 ceeded E. B. & G. Braper in the selling de- 
 partment of the business, Mr. Butcher still 
 retaining the charge of the manufacturing. 
 
 Mr. Butcher was married on October 10, 
 1841, to Malinda Amelia Toombs, daughter of 
 Lyman and Eleanor (Stearns) Toombs and a 
 native of Hoosick, N.Y. Her maternal 
 grandfather was Captain William Stearns, a 
 devoted Revolutionary patriot and soldier, 
 who died in Jamestown, N.Y., in the eightieth 
 

 
 ^ 
 
 -^#/$|f^:5^--V^=i^^,f^' ' i>>- 
 
 WARREN W. DUTCHER. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1033 
 
 year of his age. Numerous relatives of Cap- 
 tain Stearns are living to-day in the vicinity 
 of Worcester, and are among the most highly 
 respected citizens. Mr. Dutcher died on Jan- 
 uary 26, 1880, and rich and poor vied with 
 each other in giving expression to their es- 
 teem and sorrow. He was the father of the 
 following named children: Charles Volney, 
 who was born on April 23, 1848, and died in 
 infancy; Grace Mary, who resides in Hope- 
 dale; and Frank Jerome, who was born in 
 North Bennington, Vt., on July 21, 1850. 
 His wife survived him eight years, passing 
 away February 9, 1888. 
 
 Frank Jerome Dutcher is one of the man- 
 agers of the business with which his father 
 was for so many years connected. He is a 
 man of genius, intelligence, and integrity. 
 He has been connected with the Draper Com- 
 pany since 1868, and was the treasurer of the 
 Dutcher Temple Company until the consoli- 
 dation in 1897. He is at the present time as- 
 sistant agent of the new corporation. He is 
 also interested in numerous other business and 
 financial enterprises, being a director in the 
 Home National Bank of Milford and president 
 of the Shaw Stocking Company of Lowell. 
 He is actively concerned in town affairs, and 
 has served on the School Board since the town 
 was incorporated. He has also been for some 
 time chairman of the Republican Town Com- 
 mittee. Since June 23, 1874, he has been a 
 Justice of the Peace. 
 
 Mr. Frank J. Dutcher was married on June 
 27, 1877, to Martha Maria, daughter of Israel 
 and Mary M. (McDonald) Grimwood, of Paw- 
 tucket, R.L Of this union was born on Au- 
 gust 29, 1880, a son, who bears the honored 
 name of his grandfather. There are also two 
 daughters, who are now in school — Daisy G., 
 born November 28, 1881, and Ruth C, born 
 April 21, 1887. 
 
 [We are indebted for most of the foregoing 
 sketch, and also for other biographical and 
 genealogical details in these pages concerning 
 present or former residents of this part of 
 Worcester County, to the very interesting and 
 valuable History of Milford, by the Rev. 
 Adln Ballou, of blessed memory, published by 
 the town in 1882.] 
 
 ,ARL WILHELM BH.DT, chief in- 
 spector for the Washburn & Moen 
 Manufacturing Company, of Worces- 
 ter, Mass., was born in Sweden, 
 August 27, 1854, a son of Abraham Gustaf 
 Bildt. He is of distinguished descent, being 
 a scion of a noble Swedish family, whose gene- 
 alogy he possesses back to 1442. By another 
 line he traces his ancestry directly to a family 
 that in 1585 owned a very large estate in Mor- 
 landa. He has the family coat of arms, a 
 unique design in blue and bronze, sent to him 
 by his cousin, Carl Bildt, a former Secretary of 
 the Legation at Washington, D C, but now 
 the Swedish Minister to Italy. 
 
 Mr. Bildt' s paternal grandfather, Olof Vin- 
 cent Bildt, was born February 24, 1787, and 
 died January 22, 1863. He was an influential 
 citizen, and for many years filled the important 
 office of Magister. He married November 10, 
 1811, Sophia Elizabeth Mannecrantz, who was 
 born October 23, 1790, and died February 11, 
 i860. They had but one son, Abraham Gus- 
 taf, and two daughters. 
 
 Abraham Gustaf Bildt was born November 
 10, 1814, and died November 29, 1869. He 
 was a prominent military and public character. 
 He was a Lieutenant in the army in 1835, and 
 in 1837 he held the position of Bevaknings 
 Kontroler at Stromstad, Tullkammar district. 
 On September 21, 1845, he married Frederika 
 Axelina Bidderstam, who was born July 26, 
 1820, and died in May, 1888. They reared 
 seven children, three sons and four daughters, 
 of whom all are living except one daughter. 
 Only two members of the family have crossed 
 the ocean : namely, Carl Wilhelm ; and his 
 brother, August Fredrick, who is a civil engi- 
 neer in Boston. 
 
 Carl Wilhelm Bildt was graduated at the 
 Polytechnical School in Stockholm, Sweden, 
 in the fall of 1879, and in 1880 came to this 
 country. He at once began work with the 
 Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company as 
 a laborer in the yards. He was subsequently 
 promoted to the rolling mills, then to the rod- 
 mills and heating furnaces, after which he 
 worked at the charcoal furnace, and was later 
 made foreman of the charcoal forges and rolling 
 mills. Having proved his fidelity and ability 
 
1034 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 in each of these positions, he subsequently 
 became a chemist and draughtsman, and in 
 1885 was made chief inspector of the entire 
 works of the company, an office which requires 
 a man of practical knowledge, keen intellect, 
 sound judgment, and good executive ability. 
 
 Several times Mr. Bildt has been sent by the 
 company to England, Germany, Belgium, 
 France, Austria, and Sweden, to visit the dif- 
 ferent iron and steel works with which Wash- 
 burn & Moen have had business connections, in 
 order to supervise and inspect the manufactur- 
 ing of the iron and steel bought by the firm 
 of those concerns. For the same purpose he 
 has also made visits to iron and steel works in 
 this country. 
 
 RRIN F. JOSLYN, of Oxford, a re- 
 tired shoe manufacturer, was born in 
 East Thompson, Conn., July 13, 
 1 83 1, son of Elliott and Almira 
 (Davis) Joslyn. He is a descendant, it is 
 said, of Equideus Joslyn, a nobleman of Brit- 
 tany, who settled in England during the reign 
 of Edward the Confessor. Mr. Joslyn' s first 
 American ancestor arrived in New England 
 about the year 171 8, locating first near Hing- 
 ham, Mass., and removing in 1725 to Thomp- 
 son, Conn. John Joslyn, the next in line of 
 descent, had a son Edward, who was Orrin F. 
 Joslyn' s great-grandfather, and who served as 
 a Sergeant in the Revolutionary War. Jesse 
 Joslyn, the grandfather, and Elliott Joslyn, the 
 father of Mr. Joslyn, were both residents of 
 Thompson. His mother was a daughter of 
 Abner Davis, of East Thompson. 
 
 Orrin F. Joslyn pursued his elementary 
 studies in the common schools of East Thomp- 
 son, and subsequently attended a private school 
 at Webster, Mass. At the age of fifteen he 
 took a position as clerk of a general store in 
 the last named town, where he remained two 
 years. Then going to Worcester, he was em- 
 ployed there in the wholesale dry-goods store 
 of B. L. Hardon & Co. for the succeeding five 
 years, or until failing health caused him to 
 seek the quiet and healthful surroundings of 
 the home farm for the purpose of recuperation. 
 After his recovery he came to Oxford, learned 
 
 the cutter's trade in a shoe factory, and was 
 employed by different concerns here for a num- 
 ber of years. In 1870 he and his brother 
 formed a copartnership under the firm name of 
 A. L. Joslyn & Co., and began the manufact- 
 ure of shoes with a new factory fully equipped 
 with improved machinery. For twenty-six 
 years they carried on a successful business, 
 enlarging their plant and increasing their out- 
 put from time to time in order to keep up with 
 the demand, their product finally amounting to 
 as many as fifteen hundred pairs per day. Mr. 
 Joslyn retired from the shoe business in 1897. 
 He is director of the Oxford Bank. A leading 
 spirit in the local Republican organization, 
 he was chairman of the Town Committee for 
 fifteen years. He also represented the towns 
 of Webster, Oxford, and Auburn in the legis- 
 lature during the session of 1895, and was 
 assigned to the Committee on Banks and 
 Banking. 
 
 Mr. Joslyn married Helen E. Field, daugh- 
 ter of Rodney A. and Theda A. (Plummer) 
 Field, of Brattleboro, Vt. He is a trustee of 
 the Free Public Library, and was chairman of 
 the Board of Trustees of the First Congrega- 
 tional Church, in which he was also superin- 
 tendent of the Sunday-school for nearly twenty- 
 five years. 
 
 rBERT E. KENDALL, a prosper- 
 us dairyman, residing in the Eighth 
 Ward, Worcester, was born in 
 Barre, Mass., October 31, 1863, a 
 son of Henry Jones and Mary Jane (Joslyn) 
 Kendall. The first ancestor of the Kendalls in 
 this country came from Gloucestershire, Eng- 
 land, at an early date, and several generations 
 of the family have since resided in Massachu- 
 setts. Mr. Kendall's paternal grandfather, 
 David Kendall, born in 1790, was a well-to-do 
 farmer of Barre, in which town he resided all 
 or most of his life. An intelligent man, of 
 sound judgment and progressive ideas, he was 
 highly respected by his neighbors and acquaint- 
 ances. He married Mary Estabrook, of 
 Holden, Mass., and they reared two of their 
 three children — Henry Jones and Caroline E. 
 The latter is the wife of Estes Hawes, a mer- 
 
67- iJi 'L 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1037 
 
 chant and banker of Barre. David Kendall 
 died in 1862, at the age of seventy-two years. 
 His wife survived him thirty years, dying in 
 1892, at the age of eighty-seven, having pre- 
 served her mental and physical powers in a 
 wonderful degree almost to the close of her 
 life. 
 
 Henry Jones Kendall was born in Barre, 
 Mass., September 21, 1832. In April, 1854, 
 he married Mary Jane Joslyn, a daughter of 
 Levi Joslyn, of Hubbardston, Mass. Her 
 mother was in maidenhood a Miss Wright. 
 Soon after their marriage they settled on a farm 
 of some two hundred acres in Barre, Mass. 
 They had three children : Ella, who died at the 
 age of seven years; Herbert Estabrook, the 
 subject of this sketch; and Louis Jones, a 
 stock and dairy farmer of Worcester. A sketch 
 of the last named may be found on another 
 page of this volume. The mother is still 
 living. 
 
 Herbert E. Kendall received his education 
 in the common schools of Worcester and at a 
 business college in this city. Trained to agri- 
 culture, he has been thus engaged from his 
 boyhood to the present time, and has resided 
 since 1890 at his present location. He has 
 always resided in Worcester with the exception 
 of a period of about two and a half years, 1884 
 to 1887, when he had charge of a ranch in 
 Kansas City, Kansas, the property of Morti- 
 mer R. Piatt, a wealthy man, who devoted his 
 eight hundred acres of land to the breeding of 
 pure blooded Galloway cattle. He now gives 
 his chief attention to dairying. 
 
 Mr. Kendall married Miss Isadore Grace 
 Thayer, daughter of Alden and Martha C. 
 (Knowles) Thayer. They have one daughter, 
 Grace Phyllis. 
 
 (I: 
 
 iHARLES HENRY HUTCHINS, of 
 Worcester, president of the Cromp- 
 ton & Knowles Loom Works and 
 of the United States Envelope Com- 
 pany, was born in East Douglas, January 
 13, 1847. His father and grandfather were 
 born in Maine, the grandfather being a sea 
 captain. His father married a daughter of 
 Oliver Hunt, of Douglas, 'Mass., who founded 
 
 the Douglas Axe Company; and thither Mr. 
 Hutch ins' s father came to act as superintend- 
 ent of the works, which was one of the first of 
 its kind in the country. 
 
 It was here in this typical New England 
 village that Mr. Hutchins was born and grew 
 up to young manhood, developing those traits 
 of honesty and integrity that have contributed 
 so much to his success as a man of business 
 ability, both progressive and aggressive. 
 While attending the town school he was not 
 idle Saturdays and vacations, as he lived in a 
 time when the old saying, "Satan finds work 
 for idle hands to do," was more literally ac- 
 cepted than in the present day; and he was 
 therefore obliged to spend his spare moments 
 in the axe works of which his father was super- 
 intendent and general manager. After leav- 
 ing the high school he spent two years in this 
 business, developing by practical experience 
 his natural aptitude for machinery of all kinds 
 and getting an insight into business methods. 
 Leaving the shop, he served an apprenticeship 
 of two years in the country store in the town, 
 after which he entered the dry-goods store of 
 Horace Sheldon & Co. in Worcester, where he 
 removed permanently in July, 1867. Mr. 
 Hutchins remained in this business seven 
 years, until 1874. In 1873 he was married 
 to Eliza E.' Knowles, daughter of the late 
 Francis B. Knowles, one of the founders of 
 the Knowles Loom Works. 
 
 After severing his connection with the firm of 
 Horace Sheldon & Co., under the firm name 
 of C. H. Hutchins & Co., later changed to the 
 Hutchins Narrow Fabric Company, he organ- 
 ized a concern for the manufacture of tapes and 
 webbing. This prospered highly, so much so 
 that shortly after the death of Mr. L. J. 
 Knowles in 1884 Mr. Hutchins was induced to 
 accept a position with the Loom Works. Find- 
 ing this took all of this energy, he sold out the 
 Narrow Fabric Company and devoted his whole 
 time to the loom industry. The business was 
 soon after incorporated with Mr. F. B Knowles 
 as president and Mr. Hutchins as treasurer. 
 On the death of Mr. Knowles in 1890 Mr. 
 Hutchins was elected to the joint office of presi- 
 dent and treasurer, which he held until the con- 
 solidation with the Crompton Loom Works, 
 
1038 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Under his able supervision the Knowles Loom 
 Works have achieved a remarkable growth and 
 business success. Early in their history they 
 established connections with an English firm 
 at Dobcross, England; and in 1893 the George 
 W. Stafford Loom Works, of Providence, R. L, 
 were bought, and their scope and capacity en- 
 larged. In March, 1897, the Knowles Com- 
 pany and the Crompton Loom Works, of 
 Worcester, consolidated under the name of 
 Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, which or- 
 ganized with Mr. Hutchins as its president, 
 thus placing him at the head of one of the 
 largest business enterprises of the country. 
 
 While Mr. Hutchins is largely known 
 through his connection with the loom busi- 
 ness, he has many interests and responsibili- 
 ties in the business world outside of this, 
 being interested in the manufacture of woollen 
 and worsted goods, and also in cotton, and is 
 a director in no less than five cotton-mills. 
 During the present year he has also been 
 chosen president of the United States Enve- 
 lope Company, which includes ten of the larg- 
 est envelope factories of this country, and 
 without doubt is the largest company for the 
 manufacture of envelopes that was ever formed. 
 Not only in manufacturing interests is Mr. 
 Hutchins well known, but as a director in the 
 Central National Bank and a trustee of the 
 People's Saving Bank of Worcester. He was 
 also president of the Exporters' Association of 
 America, with offices in New York City, until 
 the pressure of other duties made it imperative 
 that he should resign. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Hutchins has often been 
 urged by his friends to stand for important 
 offices, but he has felt that the stress of busi- 
 ness would not allow him to accept. With all 
 the cares that his numerous duties have entailed 
 upon him he has always found time to devote 
 much activity to the religious world, and has 
 been a most generous supporter both in time 
 and money to things charitable. He was one 
 of the founders of the Hospital Cottages for 
 Children at Baldwinsville, Mass., and served 
 as the honored president of the corporation for 
 a number of years. He is also one of the 
 Board of Directors of both the Home for Aged 
 Women and the Home for Aged Men of 
 
 Worcester. He is a member of the Piedmont 
 Congregational Church, and has always been 
 one of its most ardent supporters and generous 
 givers. The Sunday-school has been his es- 
 pecial care, and he has several times served as 
 its superintendent. In 1897 he was elected 
 president of the Worcester Congregational 
 Club, which is composed of members from 
 all the Congregational bodies of the city and 
 surrounding territory. 
 
 In his home life he has shown the same 
 devotion and integrity as in the business 
 world. Blessed with a son and a daughter, 
 the atmosphere of his home is one of frank 
 and generous confidence and comradeship. 
 
 ENRY W. WELCH, of Clinton, a 
 prominent contractor and builder, is 
 a native of Burke, Vt., born Febru- 
 ary 18, 1838. His parents were 
 Moses and Mary (Whitcher) Welch, the father 
 being a native of Warren, N.H., and the 
 mother of Danville, Vt. Moses Welch, who 
 was a teamster by occupation, died at the age 
 of seventy-seven. He was the father of eight 
 children, of whom three are now living. Mrs. 
 Mary Welch died at the age of sixty-nine 
 years. Both parents were members of the 
 Baptist church. 
 
 Henry W. Welch received his education 
 in the common schools. After finishing his 
 studies he learned the carpenter's trade, which 
 he followed as a journeyman until 1862. He 
 then entered the pattern shops of the Parker 
 Machine Company, where he was employed for 
 five years. In 1870 he started in business as 
 a contractor and builder in Clinton, where he 
 has since been closely identified with the 
 growth and improvement of the town, having 
 erected many dwelling-houses. He has lately 
 erected several buildings for the State Indus- 
 trial School in Lancaster, including a fine 
 church, has put in a water and sewerage sys- 
 tem, and is still employed there, having at 
 times a crew of one hundred men at work upon 
 the premises. He also does all the buying for 
 the institution, and has charge of the repairing, 
 being employed by the year at a fixed salary. 
 In politics he is a Rfepublican, He has served 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1039 
 
 four years as Road Commissioner, during two 
 of which he has been chairman of the board; 
 and he lias been a member of the Board of Fire 
 Engineers for ten years. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Welch was joined in marriage 
 with Jennie M. Fuller, a native of Framing- 
 ham, Mass., and a daughter of Samuel Fuller, 
 her father being a shoemaker by trade. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Welch have two children: Cora, who 
 married Fred Stowers, a clerk in Lowell, 
 Mass. ; and F"rederick, who is employed as a 
 book-keeper in Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Welch is connected with Clinton Lodge, 
 I. O. O. F., and also with the encampment, 
 in which he has occupied various chairs. He 
 also belongs to the Golden Rule Alliance. 
 He is a member of the Baptist church, and for 
 a number of years has served upon the Pruden- 
 tial Committee. 
 
 "ENRY C. GRATON, treasurer of the 
 Graton & Knight Corporation, 
 Worcester, was born in Leicester, 
 Mass., July 10, 1830, son of Will- 
 iam and Lucy (Adams) Graton. William 
 Graton, the father, was born in Leicester, 
 September i, 1797. For a number of years he 
 was in the card clothing business in Worcester, 
 and he died in this city about the year 1877. 
 His wife, Lucy, whom he married April 2, 
 1829, was born in Brookfield, Mass., April 8, 
 1798, daughter of Daniel Emerson Adams. 
 She was the second-born of ten children, two 
 sons and eight daughters. Her two brothers 
 were: Daniel E. and Eliakim Adams. Will- 
 iam and Lucy Graton were the parents of 
 three children, namely: Henry C, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch; Ruth L., wife of Hastey 
 Wight, of Lawrence, Kan. ; and John R., 
 who was a resident of Lawrence, Kan., but 
 died at Falmouth, Mass., July 25, 1872, leav- 
 ing a widow and one daughter. Mrs. Lucy 
 Graton died September 6, 1867. Henry C. 
 Graton began his education in the district 
 schools, and completed his schooling at the 
 Leicester Academy when fifteen years old. 
 Coming then to Worcester, he entered the em- 
 ploy of Earl & Eames, with whom he learned 
 the card-clothing business. After finishing 
 
 his apprenticeship he was employed for the 
 succeeding eight years by T. K. Earl & Co., 
 having charge of their business for four years 
 of that period. In February, 1861, he formed 
 a partnership with Mr. Knight, and, purchas- 
 ing of Earl & Co. their belt department, has 
 since been engaged in that line of business. 
 From a small beginning the concern has en- 
 larged its plant from time to time in order to 
 meet the increasing demands made upon it, and 
 early found it expedient to erect and equip 
 tanneries for the preparation of its own leather. 
 Some time ago the enterprise was incorporated 
 as Graton & Knight with Joseph A. Knight 
 president, Walter M. Spaulding secretary, and 
 Henry C. Graton treasurer. The corporation 
 employs a force of four hundred and fifty 
 hands, and is the largest belt manufactory in 
 New England and the second largest in the 
 United States. 
 
 On June 7, 1863, Mr. Graton married Lu- 
 cretia M. Gould, daughter of the late Charles 
 M. Gould, of this city. His only child, Min- 
 nie Etta, died at the age of four years. Polit- 
 ically, Mr. Graton is a Republican. In relig- 
 ious belief he is a Methodist, and was formerly 
 a trustee of Grace Church. For the past thirty 
 years he has resided at 37 Providence Street. 
 
 OHN PEACOCK, manager and general 
 agent for the Bay State Shoe and 
 Leather Company, of Worcester, was 
 born in Belmont, Yorkshire, England, 
 February 8, 1838, son of Richard and Jane 
 (Whitehead) Peacock. The father, who was 
 a mill operative, emigrated to the United 
 States in 1840, accompanied by his wife and 
 two sons. He first located in Worcester, but 
 later moved to Holden, Mass., where he found 
 employment in a carpet-mill. Removing sub- 
 sequently to Barre, he was for a few years 
 overseer in the carding-room of a cotton factory. 
 In 1850 he returned to Worcester, and was 
 employed in Henry Walker's boot factory for a 
 time and also in the treeing-room of C. C. 
 Houghton's factory. He died in. 1887, sur- 
 viving his wife, who had passed away the year 
 previous. He was the father of four children, 
 two of whom are living, namely: John, the 
 
1040 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 subject of this sketch; and David, who is a 
 file-maker in Boston. The others were James 
 and Sarah. 
 
 John Peacock began work in a cotton-mill 
 when eight years old, and continued in that 
 occupation until he was eighteen, when he paid 
 his father one hundred dollars for the remain- 
 ing three years of his minority. After spend- 
 ing some time as a hand stitcher in Timothy 
 Stone's shoe factory, he was employed as a 
 clerk in Chamberlain & Barnard's dry-goods 
 store for a year, at the end of which time he 
 resumed his previous occupation in the factory 
 of Fitch & Otis; and in i860 he operated the 
 first sewing-machine used in a shoe factory in 
 this city. Compared with the improved ma- 
 chines of to-day, which are capable of closing 
 twenty dozen pairs a day, the one used by Mr. 
 Peacock nearly forty years ago was of little 
 value, as it could stitch but three dozen pairs 
 in the same length of time; yet it attracted 
 much opposition at the time from the opera- 
 tives, who regarded it as a menace to their in- 
 terests. In 1 86 1 Mr. Peacock went to C. C. 
 Houghton's factory as a hand stitcher, remain- 
 ing there until 1864, when he became fore- 
 man of the stitching department in the Bay 
 State Company's factory. In 1871 he was 
 made assistant superintendent of the factory, 
 which was under his immediate charge for 
 the succeeding twenty years, and during that 
 time the company's output was greatly in- 
 creased. In 1 89 1 he was appointed to the 
 dual position of manager of the plant and 
 general agent of the business, and is also at 
 the present time a member of the Board of 
 Directors. His numerous and exacting duties 
 he has performed with unusual ability, and the 
 present prosperity of the enterprise is largely 
 due to the fact that it is directed by a man of 
 so much practical experience and sound judg- 
 ment. In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 In 1858 Mr. Peacock married Sarah J. Ran- 
 dall, a native of Connecticut and daughter of 
 John and Barbara Randall, her father being 
 of Welsh descent. Mr. and Mrs. Peacock 
 have three children; namely, Ida M. , Flor- 
 ence J., and Walter J. The latter went from 
 Brown University to the Harvard University 
 Law School, at which he was graduated in 
 
 1895. Admitted to the Suffolk County bar, 
 he has since practised his profession success- 
 fully in Worcester, having an office in the 
 State Mutual Building. 
 
 he 
 
 OSEPH R. ROBINSON, of Hardwick, 
 the village undertaker, was born in this 
 town, January 16, 1827. A son of Jo- 
 seph and Caroline (Banister) Robinson, 
 is of the fifth generation descended from 
 James Robinson. The latter came here from 
 Boston in 1757, to pass his last days with his 
 son, Samuel, who had previously located in 
 Hardwick. ' He died March 16, 1762. James 
 Robinson, second, the great-grandfather of the 
 subject of this sketch, was born in a house lo- 
 cated at the head of what is now State Street, 
 in Boston. He came to Hardwick in 1739. 
 In the same year he married Elizabeth, daugh- 
 ter of Benjamin Smith. His occupation was 
 farming, and he owned land in the north-east- 
 ern part of the town, which was then a part of 
 the New Braintree grant. He died here May 
 21, 1799. 
 
 Joseph Robinson, first, the grandfather of 
 Joseph R., born in Hardwick, was baptized 
 April 7, 1745. He spent his entire life upon 
 the farm that his father had improved, and he 
 died April 23, 1836. His wife, in maiden- 
 hood Lucy Ruggles, of Barre, died August 4, 
 1826. She was the mother of five children; 
 namely, William, Sarah, Jarries, Joseph, and 
 Lucy. Joseph Robinson, second, son of the 
 first Joseph, was born June 20, 1796. He 
 moved from Hardwick to Barre in 1837, and 
 resided there until his death, which occurred 
 July 10, 1877. Being a man of considerable 
 ability, he was quite successful for his day and 
 opportunities. While residing in Hardwick 
 he served as a Selectman, and was at one time 
 Colonel of a cavalry regiment belonging to the 
 State militia. Originally a Whig in politics, 
 he subsequently became a Democrat. His 
 wife, Caroline, who was born in Brookfield, 
 Mass., in 1806, became the mother of seven 
 children. Of the latter, three are living, 
 namely: Joseph R., the subject of this sketch; 
 John N. Robinson, a resident of Worcester, 
 Mass. ; and Eliza A., the wife of T. Hanson 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1041 
 
 White, of Barre. The others were : Catherine 
 M., Seth B., Lewis H., and William A. 
 Robinson. The mother died July 11, 1879. 
 Both parents were members of the Unitarian 
 church. 
 
 Joseph R. Robinson was educated in the 
 schools of Barre and Newburyport. Having 
 bought a farm in Hardwick in 1848, he culti- 
 vated it for twenty years. In 1868 he moved 
 to the Centre. For the past twenty-one years 
 he has been engaged in the undertaking busi- 
 ness. He is actively interested in the pros- 
 perity of the village, taking pride in keeping 
 up its attractive appearance. As a member of 
 one of the highly reputable families in the 
 neighborhood, he is regarded with the utmost 
 esteem by his fellow-townsmen. On June 20, 
 1854, he was united in marriage with Sarah M. 
 Robinson, who was born in Hardwick, July 24, 
 1833, daughter of Joseph Robinson. He has 
 three children: Joseph, born June 6, 1858; 
 William Albert, born June 4, i860; and Car- 
 rie W., born December 16, 1862. Joseph, 
 who is a prosperous farmer of this town, mar- 
 ried S. Gertrude Slaney, and has four children 
 — -Annie, Joseph S. , Carrie, and Catherine. 
 William Albert, who is also engaged in farm- 
 ing in Hardwick, married Alice H. Slaney. 
 Carrie W. married Edward Johnson, of this 
 town, and has one daughter, Rachel Jolinson. 
 In politics Mr. Robinson is a Republican. He 
 has held no town offices except that of Sexton. 
 Taking an especial interest in the Library 
 Association, he has been one of its trustees for 
 the past five years. Both he and Mrs. Robin- 
 son attend the Unitarian church. 
 
 Wi 
 
 M DICKINSON, while not a 
 e of Worcester, was for many 
 years one of the substantial business 
 men and financiers of the city, belonging to a 
 class 'of residents who have added greatly to 
 her prosperity and renown. Born in Amherst, 
 Mass., on October 6, 1804, son of Samuel 
 Fowler Dickinson, who was a prominent mem- 
 ber of the Hampshire County bar, he was one 
 of a large family of children, several of whom 
 came to occupy responsible positions in the 
 public service. 
 
 Mr. Dickinson was well educated, but was 
 not a college-bred man. At Amherst Acad- 
 emy, after attending the common schools, he 
 received such training as fitted him when about 
 fifteen years old to enter upon the business life, 
 in which he acquired such a fair name that he 
 has long been regarded as a worthy model for 
 imitation by those who seek a similar success. 
 First employed by a dry-goods house in Boston, 
 he subsequently held important positions with 
 paper manufacturing concerns in Fitchburg 
 and elsewhere; and later he invested in the 
 business. In 1829, when twenty -five years of 
 age, he came to Worcester, where he continued 
 to reside until his death on September 7, 1887, 
 a period of nearly sixty years. He was here 
 engaged as a clerk for several business firms in 
 turn until 1836. At that time he was elected 
 cashier of the Central National Bank. He 
 held this office for fourteen years, and such a 
 reputation did he secure for promptness and in- 
 tegrity in financial matters that he soon found 
 himself in demand for several posts in which 
 trustworthiness and financial ability were of 
 first importance. He became treasurer of the 
 State Mutual Life Assurance Company, of 
 Worcester, which position he filled for forty 
 years, and with ex-Governor Alexander H. 
 Bullock, who was its president, shouldered the 
 burdens and shared the honors for the success- 
 ful upbuilding of the company, which to-day 
 stands high in Massachusetts, and which has 
 recently erected a million-dollar white marble 
 office building in Worcester. Mr. Dickinson 
 was a keen, far-sighted, and intensely practical 
 financier, and rarely made a mistake in judg- 
 ment where money matters were concerned. 
 He was also treasurer of the Merchants' and 
 Farmers' Insurance Company for about forty 
 years, and in that company, too, his judgment 
 was unfailingly correct. He was for a long 
 period director in the Quinsigamond National 
 Bank and a director of the Providence & 
 Worcester Railroad. In 1863, with ten asso- 
 ciates, Mr. Dickinson began the manufacture 
 of paper-making machinery, which he contin- 
 ued for several years; and in 1871 he engaged 
 in the manufacture of felt on Foster Street, 
 which he continued successfully up to the time 
 of his death. 
 
1042 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 At one time -Mr. Dickinson was candidate 
 for Mayor of Worcester, but was defeated by 
 the citizens' ticket nominee. Although not an 
 active politician and never obtrusive, he from 
 time to time filled various local offices, and 
 always with credit to himself and for the 
 benefit of the public. For three years he was 
 a member of the School Board. He was also 
 in the City Council, and for several years he 
 was Alderman. In 1876, while holding the 
 latter office, he advocated the plan of granting 
 licenses for the sale of liquor in this city, say- 
 ing that thereby the State would derive some 
 revenue, whereas for twenty-five years there 
 had been prohibition which did not prohibit. 
 This was the first year of local option in Massa- 
 chusetts. So far as Mr. Dickinson was a par- 
 tisan, he voted the Republican ticket, having 
 previously been of the old Whig school. By 
 Governor Benjamin F. Butler he was appointed 
 trustee of the State Lunatic Hospital. Mr. 
 Dickinson entertained profound esteem for 
 General Butler, and the General reciprocated 
 the feeling in a very large measure. 
 
 Mr. Dickinson was a regular attendant of the 
 Union Congregational Church, but was not 
 connected with the organization as a member. 
 He always entertained a great respect for learn- 
 ing, and was most liberal in his support of 
 educational institutions. He gave the bell 
 which is in the tower of the high-school build- 
 ing and the artistic fountains that adorn the 
 plat in front of it. A man of large means, his 
 generosity kept pace with his accumulations. 
 He was a director of the Free Public Library 
 and a member of the Antiquarian Society. By 
 all he was justly regarded as a most valuable 
 citizen, a sympathetic neighbor, and a faithful 
 friend. In social life he was esteemed for his 
 intelligence, urbanity, and his broad charity. 
 He had achieved his success in life unaided, 
 and no one recognized merit in a struggling 
 man more quickly than he, 
 
 Mr. Dickinson was twice married. His first 
 wife was Eliza Hawley, of, Andover. One son 
 was born of that union. He was graduated at 
 Brown University, and was settled as a lawyer 
 in New York City, where he died in 1883. His 
 second wife, Mary Whittier, of Andover, has 
 been the mother of two sons and a daughter, 
 
 namely: Samuel F., who was in business with 
 his father; George Stewart; and Helen W. 
 George Stewart Dickinson, who is a graduate 
 of Yale, resides with his mother, and assists 
 in the care of the Dickinson estate in addition 
 to looking out for his own affairs. He is 
 greatly interested in athletic sports, has done 
 much to equip and maintain athletic teams, 
 and has offered valuable trophies to encourage 
 contestants. Helen W. is now Mrs. Thomas 
 L. Shield, of Sewickley, Pa. 
 
 irx WEBSTER NORCROSS, a lead- 
 1^=1 ing citizen of Grafton, Mass., was 
 1J|S /. born in Boston on August 17, 1826, 
 son of Otis and Mary Cunningham 
 (Homer) Norcross. His mother was a daugh- 
 ter of Eleazer Homer, a merchant of Battery 
 Wharf, Boston. He is descended from one of 
 the old Colonial families of Massachusetts, his 
 first ancestor in this country being Jeremiah 
 Norcross, a man of considerable property and 
 prominently connected with the early develop- 
 ment of Watertown. 
 
 Otis Norcross, father of D. W. Norcross, 
 was for many years one of the leading mer- 
 chants of Boston, where he started in business 
 in 1808 as an importer of crockery ware, being 
 one of the first in Boston to engage in this line 
 of trade. His storehouses were located at first 
 on Exchange (at that time Fish) Street and 
 subsequently on South Market Street. Mr. 
 Norcross built up an exclusive and profitable 
 business, and at bis death in 1827 the manage- 
 ment of the concern passed into the hands of 
 his widow, Mary C. Norcross, and Eliphalet 
 Jones. In 1833 the eldest son, the second 
 Otis Norcross, became a partner. In 1837 
 Mrs. Norcross retired. In 1847 Eliphalet 
 Jones retired, and J. Addison Norcross was ad- 
 mitted, remaining until his death in 1850. 
 From 1851 to 1856 the partners in the firm 
 were Otis Norcross, D. Webster Norcross, and 
 Ichabod Howland. In 1856 David W. Hitch- 
 cock entered the firm. In 1861 D. Webster 
 Norcross retired and Jerome Jones entered. 
 The firm of Otis Norcross & Co. was dissolved 
 February i, 1867, after having been in exist- 
 ence about sixty years; and, notwithstanding 
 
DAVID H, FANNING. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 104S 
 
 the severe financial trials that intervened, it 
 was the good fortune of the partners to avoid 
 disaster and close up their business affairs sat- 
 isfactorily to all concerned. The firm was 
 succeeded by Rowland & Jones, and that firm 
 by Jones, McDuffee & Stratton. In 1874 the 
 place of business was removed to 51 Federal 
 Street, corner Franklin, where it is now lo- 
 cated. 
 
 Daniel Webster Norcross, the subject of this 
 sketch, received his education in the public 
 schools of Boston and of Jamaica Plain. 
 When seventeen years of age he entered the 
 employ of Walker, Emerson & Co., in the boot 
 and shoe business, Boston, where he remained 
 for the next seven years. At the end of that 
 time he went into the business of importing 
 crockery in company with his brother, Otis 
 Norcross, and as selling partner travelled ex- 
 tensively through the South and West. At 
 that time there were no railways west of Chi- 
 cago, 111. Travelling was done in canal boats, 
 river steamboats, stages, mud wagons, and on 
 horseback, and was difficult and tedious. 
 Goods were shipped from Boston via Gulf of 
 Mexico to New Orleans and up the Missis- 
 sippi and Illinois Rivers to the West and 
 North-west. In recent years, while travelling 
 across the continent in a rapid express and sur- 
 rounded by all the comforts of Pullman car 
 service, Mr. Norcross has had occasion to recall 
 those tiresome trips made in the early fifties, 
 and to note the immense improvements which 
 have taken place in facilities for travel and 
 transportation of goods since that time. 
 
 At about the time the Civil War broke out, 
 in 1861, Mr. Norcross built his handsome 
 residence at Grafton Centre, in one of the 
 most charming and sightly spots to be found 
 in Western Massachusetts. Since taking up 
 his residence here he has been actively identi- 
 fied with public affairs, and has given much 
 time and thought to the service of the town. 
 He was on the Board of Selectmen for two 
 years, and was for three years one of the As- 
 sessors. Besides these he has held many 
 minor town offices; but his longest service to 
 the community has been as a member of the 
 School Board, with which he has been officially 
 connected for thirty-one consecutive years, or 
 
 since 1867, being much of the time its secre- 
 tary. Probably not another record equal to 
 this can be found in the State. Mr. Norcross 
 is keenly interested in all educational ques- 
 tions, and is thoroughly in touch with the 
 most progressive ideas and methods of modern 
 education. He was one of the earliest and 
 most earnest advocates for the abolition of the 
 district school system and the introduction of 
 the town system in 1 869. 
 
 Mr. Norcross is well known in the Masonic 
 fraternity, being a member of Columbian 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. , and of St. Bernard En- 
 campment, K. T., both of Boston. Mr. Nor- 
 cross married Delia A., daughter of Judge 
 Joseph Bruce, of Grafton. Of this marriage 
 four children have been born ; namely, Web- 
 ster, Harry B., Clara G. , and Joseph E. 
 Webster Norcross, who is a musician of in- 
 ternational repute, now resides in London, 
 England. After his five years of professional 
 study in Germany he travelled for some years 
 with the Carl Rosa Company, and subse- 
 quently formed the celebrated musical club 
 of Meister Glee Singers, so well known in 
 London, of which he is at present the director. 
 His wife was before her marriage Miss May 
 Convis, of California and later of London. 
 Harry B. Norcross is in California. Clara G. 
 resides in Denver, Col., the wife of Melvin 
 O. Stratton, manufacturer and wholesale dealer 
 in clothing. Joseph E. is with the house of 
 Jones, McDuffee & Stratton Company, of 
 Boston. 
 
 "irx AVID HALE FANNING, president 
 I — \ of the Worcester Corset Company, 
 )r^J was born in Jewett City, New Lon- 
 ^'"^^ don County, Conn., August 4, 1830, 
 son of Henry Wilson and Sarah (Hale) Fan- 
 ning. His father was a native of Groton, 
 Conn., born February 8, 1786; and his mother 
 was born in Glastonbury, that State, July 19, 
 1788. She was a daughter of David and Ruth 
 (Hale) Hale, her parents belonging to differ- 
 ent branches of the well-known Connecticut 
 family of that name. She was a skilled 
 teacher, and before her marriage taught school 
 in Glastonbury and Marlboro syccessivelj^, 
 
1046 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 On the paternal side Mr. Fanning is a de- 
 scendant in the seventh generation of Edmund 
 Fanning, who settled at what is now Groton, 
 Conn., in 1653. The line of descent is as fol- 
 lows : Edmund'; his son, Lieutenant John 
 Fanning,' who married Margaret Culver; 
 John, 3 who married Deborah Park; Captain 
 Thomas, ■• who married Elizabeth Capron ; 
 Thomas, 5 who married Susannah Faulkner; 
 Henry Wilson*; David Hale.? 
 
 David Hale Fanning was educated in the 
 common schools of his native town. When 
 sixteen years old he went to Clinton, Mass., 
 •where he worked in a cotton-mill two years; 
 and during the next three years he served an 
 apprenticeship at the machinist's trade in 
 Worcester. Going to Groton Junction, now 
 Ayer, Mass., in 1853, he was engaged in mer- 
 cantile business for a time. Afterward he 
 spent a year in the West; but in 1857 he re- 
 turned to Worcester, where for the succeeding 
 four years he was employed as a salesman. 
 In 1 86 1 he established the Worcester Skirt 
 Company, which manufactured hoop-skirts for 
 several years, and in 1862 added the manufact- 
 ure of corsets. In 1870 the name of the con- 
 cern was changed to the Worcester Corset 
 Company, the enterprise in 1888 being incor- 
 porated under the same style. 
 
 On September 28, 1859, Mr. Fanning mar- 
 ried Rosamond' Hopkins Dawless, of Sterling, 
 Mass., daughter of Young S. and Adeline 
 Dawless. The only son born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Fanning died in infancy. They have two 
 daughters living : Agnes Maria, wife of John 
 E. Lancaster, of Worcester, and mother of two 
 sons and a daughter; and Helen Josephine, 
 who resides at home. Miss Fanning and her 
 sister, Mrs. Lancaster, were educated at the 
 Mount Holyoke Seminary. 
 
 The story of the growth of the Worcester 
 Corset Company, of which Mr. David Hale 
 Fanning is president, is a story of tireless 
 business enterprise, of steady progress and 
 prosperity. Two years ago, in the summer 
 of 1896, the business was removed to its 
 present location in one of the pleasant est and 
 most healthful parts of the city of Worcester, 
 at the junction of Wyman, Hollis, and Grand 
 Streets, into buildings owned and erected by 
 
 the company, and constituting the largest and 
 best equipped corset factory in the world. 
 "The model factory of America" it has been 
 called, and with good reason, as will appear 
 from the following description of this ideal 
 house of industry. 
 
 In the midst of spacious grounds, with green 
 lawns, flower beds and shrubbery, and an abun- 
 dance of good light and pure air, stands the 
 new substantial five-story brick and stone 
 building, practically fire-proof, two hundred 
 and sixty feet long and fifty feet wide, with 
 ells at each end, one extension being ninety- 
 six feet long and of the same height and width 
 as the main building. Adjoining this is a 
 spacious power-house for the steam and electric 
 plant, also a brick well-house. In construc- 
 tion and equipment this mammoth factory is 
 an embodiment of the most advanced ideas of 
 modern times, the design throughout being to 
 ensure to employees perfect safety for life and 
 limb and to provide the best conditions for 
 health and comfort. Among other devices 
 and appliances there are outside iron fire es- 
 capes, automatic doors and sprinklers, brick 
 and iron towers with stairways for quick exit 
 in. case of danger, and an electric thermostat 
 fire alarm connected directly with the city fire 
 department headquarters ; while a well-trained 
 fire brigade made up of employees is ready to 
 man long lines of hose which are available on 
 every floor for instant use. The second floor is 
 waterproof, thus protecting the valuable stock 
 stored below in case fire should break out in 
 the upper stories. An abundance of pure 
 water is supplied from the city reservoir and 
 from the company's own artesian well, which 
 is three hundred and sixteen feet deep. The 
 company operates its own electric lighting 
 plant, which includes an auxiliary storage 
 battery, that enables the watchman at night to 
 light the factory and make his rounds without 
 the use of a lantern, gas having been dispensed 
 with for illuminating purposes and kerosene 
 not being allowed on the premises. The en- 
 gine, dynamo, and boiler rooms, bright with 
 shining brass and nickel, and walls finished 
 with tinted tile, are models of cleanliness, as 
 is every part of the factory. The latest im- 
 proved machinery is used. The factory is 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1047 
 
 heated and ventilated by the fan-blower proc- 
 ess, and has hot and cold water on each floor. 
 Its drainage and sanitary arrangements are of 
 the latest and most improved kinds, and such 
 as are found in the best appointed hotels and 
 private residences. 
 
 A dining-room about ninety feet long by 
 fifty feet wide has been fitted up with tables 
 and comfortable chairs for the use of the 
 women employees of the company. Among 
 its furnishings are a large steam oven for the 
 heating of food and a tank for warming tea and 
 coffee. All is kept in order by a regularly 
 employed housekeeper. Adjoining this is a 
 small room for reading and writing, provided 
 with magazines and other literary matter for 
 entertainment and improvement. A room for 
 temporary use in case any employee is injured 
 or taken ill is provided with a comfortable cot 
 and a medicine chest. It is the custom of the 
 company to furnish medical attendance in case 
 of accident or sudden illness. Few, if any, of 
 our large manufacturers have considered the 
 comfort and well-being of their help or ex- 
 pended as much in brightening their toilsome 
 lives as has Mr. Fanning. 
 
 A force of from seven hundred to eight hun- 
 dred hands, mostly women, are employed in 
 the manufacture of the Royal Worcester Cor- 
 set, which is sold extensively throughout the 
 United States and Canada, and also in Hawaii, 
 Australia, Jamaica, and South Africa. Sales- 
 rooms are located in Boston, New York, Phil- 
 adelphia, San Francisco, and Chicago, the 
 last-named city being one of the principal dis- 
 tributing points ; and the concern is repre- 
 sented by twenty travelling salesmen. Al- 
 though the Royal Worcester sells easily on its 
 merits, it is one of the best advertised articles 
 in this country, and the plant is kept running 
 to its utmost capacity in order to meet the 
 demands made upon its products. 
 
 (sTruGi 
 
 fJ4 esi 
 
 'UGUSTUS E. PECK, whose art store, 
 established in Worcester in 1854, was 
 the first of its kind opened in this 
 section of Massachusetts, was a true 
 benefactor to the city, and by his enterprise 
 did more probably to develop the artistic 
 
 tastes of its people than could have been ac- 
 complished in any other manner. He was 
 born in Royalston, Worcester County, March 
 16, 1822, the son of Benoni and Eunice 
 (Rogers) Peck. Both his parents were of 
 English ancestry, and his mother was a direct 
 descendant of John Rogers, the martyr, who was 
 burned at the stake at Smithfield, England, in 
 1554. Benoni Peck was a successful farmer, 
 and one of the prominent citizens of Royals- 
 ton. He was well endowed mentally and a 
 man of literary tastes. He undertook at one 
 time to compile a genealogy of the Peck fam- 
 ily; but, as people then were less interested in 
 family history than at present, he failed of 
 proper assistance, and so gave up the enter- 
 prise after spending much time in research. 
 
 Augustus E. Peck attended the district 
 school in his boyhood days, and remained on 
 the home farm until, when a young man, he 
 went to Boston as clerk in a retail clothing 
 store. He remained thereuntil 1853, when he 
 accepted a similar position in Worcester, and 
 was here connected with a clothing house for 
 several years: He worked hard, and saved 
 his earnings, and, when he had accumulated a 
 considerable sum, embarked in an enterprise 
 that must have seemed visionary to his closest 
 associates. But the result of his venture 
 proved that his foresight was keen, his judg- 
 ment correct, and his firm faith in the city's 
 future well founded. On the corner of Main 
 and Central Streets he founded an art store that 
 was destined to cater to the aDSthetic tastes of 
 a large number of patrons. Much interest was 
 manifested in his undertaking, and as the years 
 rolled by he built up an extensive trade, one of 
 the largest and most lucrative in Central New 
 England. As his patronage increased, more 
 room was needed for his collections, and he 
 moved into the Sinclair House block on Main 
 Street, where he had commodious quarters, that 
 included a handsome gallery in the rear. 
 Quick to recognize talent, he encouraged its 
 possessors in every possible way; and in his 
 periodical exhibitions pictures of merit exe- 
 cuted by local artists occupied a conspicuous 
 position among those of home and foreign mas- 
 ters. He took great delight in his business, 
 and his store became a favorite place of resort 
 
1048 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for the art lovers of the city. He succeeded 
 well financially, and continued in business until 
 his death, April 30, 1896, when a vacancy was 
 left in his profession that cannot well be filled. 
 He was an active member of the Eoyal Arca- 
 num and of the Worcester County Mechan- 
 ics' Association. Though interested in local 
 politics, he never aspired to public office. 
 
 On December 19, 1850, Mr. Peck married 
 Miss Nancy Smith, daughter of Williams and 
 Abigail (Doane) Smith, of Orleans, Mass., 
 who survives him. 
 
 IDWARD WARREN, a prominent 
 farmer and lumberman of Leicester, is 
 a native of this town. He was born 
 February 24, 1846. A son of Henry E. and 
 Mary (Whittemore) Warren, he traces his lin- 
 eage to a common ancestor with General Jo- 
 seph Warren, of Bunker Hill fame, who, we 
 are told, was a cousin of Ebenezer Warren, the 
 founder of the Leicester branch of the Warren 
 family, and who settled in Leicester in 1746. 
 Ebenezer' s son, Elijah, grandfather of Edward 
 and a Revolutionary soldier, purchased the 
 farm that his grandson occupies to-day. 
 Henry E. Warren succeeded his father, Elijah, 
 on the ancestral estate, and in addition to 
 farming he carried on a successful tanning and 
 currying business. He was prominent in town 
 affairs, and rendered efficient service as a Se- 
 lectman. In politics he was a Republican; in 
 religion, a member of the Unitarian Congrega- 
 tional church. He died in 1866, and is sur- 
 vived by six of his eight children, namely: 
 George H., in California; Edward, of Leices- 
 ter; Eliza, wife of David H. Barnes, of Spen- 
 cer, Mass. ; Catherine, wife of Henry Sugden, 
 of Spencer; Sarah, wife of Clarence A. White, 
 of Sumner, Wash. ; Ellen, wife of W. E. 
 Drake, of Worcester. 
 
 Edward Warren has always had his home on 
 this farm. In boyhood he attended the public 
 schools and Leicester Academy, where he was 
 graduated. Up to the age of nineteen he as- 
 sisted his father on the farm and in the tan- 
 nery. His father dying about that time, he 
 took full charge of the farm, which then con- 
 tained about one hundred and forty acres. As 
 
 opportunity offered, he • has purchased addi- 
 tional land, so that to-day the estate contains 
 nearly five hundred acres. In connection with 
 his farm work he has for a number of years, 
 during the winter seasons, engaged in lumber- 
 ing ; and he also has a milk route in Spencer. 
 
 On April 14, 1870, he married Ida V. Lip- 
 pett, of Boston, Mass. Seven children are the 
 fruit of their union; namely, Mary W., Robert 
 L., Henry W., Rachel C, Edward E., Bertha 
 M., and Anna C. 
 
 Mr. Warren has been prominent in organiza- 
 tions for the promotion of the agricultural in- 
 terests of the community, being a charter 
 member of Spencer Grange, No. 79, P. of H., 
 in which he is serving his fourth year as Mas- 
 ter ; and for the past three years he has been a 
 member of the Massachusetts State Board of 
 Agriculture. He is also a vice-president 
 and trustee of the Spencer Farmers' and Me- 
 chanics' Association. He has served as Sur- 
 veyor of Highways in Leicester for twenty-five 
 years. In his political and religious views 
 Mr. Warren has been faithful to the principles 
 held by his father, being a Republican in pol- 
 itics and a Unitarian in religion. 
 
 Ji 
 
 ANIEL W. BEMIS, former steward 
 and treasurer of the Hospital for 
 the Insane at Worcester, now living 
 on his farm in Shrewsbury, Mass., 
 where he is a citizen of influence, was born in 
 Charlton, this county, in 1835, son of Samuel 
 Flagg and Betsy (Bigelow) Bemis. His fam- 
 ily has been settled in this country for several 
 generations; and two of his great-uncles, 
 Ebenezer and Daniel Bemis, fought at the 
 battle of Bunker Hill, being at the time mere 
 boys. Their brothers, James and Abijah, 
 were also soldiers in the army of the Revolu- 
 tion. 
 
 His grandfather, John Bemis, then only 
 twelve years old, afterward became a promi- 
 nent farmer in Brookfield, and died there a 
 little over fifty years ago, at the age of eighty- 
 six. Samuel Flagg Bemis, son of John, car- 
 ried on general farming at Sturbridge and 
 Charlton and later at Brookfield. He died in 
 1869, at the age of seventy-five years, having 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1049 
 
 been the father of the following-named chil- 
 dren : Merriclc, Freeland, Fitz Henry, Ann 
 Elizabeth, Samuel Flagg, Jr., Marie Louisa, 
 Frances Emily, and Daniel W. Bemis. The 
 eldest son, Merrick Bemis, studied at Nichols 
 Academy at Dudley, Mass., and Amherst 
 Academy, expecting to enter Amherst Col- 
 lege and pursue his studies there. A long 
 and severe illness prevented. Later he stud- 
 ied medicine, and after graduating was eight 
 years assistant physician and seventeen years 
 superintendent at the Worcester Lunatic Hos- 
 pital. He is now a well-known specialist 
 in his chosen profession, and is conducting 
 a private hospital in that city. Freeland 
 Bemis, who died in 1881, was a coal dealer at 
 Sturbridge. Fitz Henry resides at Meadville, 
 Pa., where he is engaged in the insurance 
 business. Ann Elizabeth Bemis is now Mrs. 
 E. T. Brooks, of Sturbridge. Samuel Flagg 
 Bemis, Jr., is a farmer at Sturbridge, and also 
 carries on a meat business. Marie Louisa 
 married Henry C. Storrs, and died during 
 the Civil War, while her husband was in the 
 army. Frances Emily married Marvin Clark, 
 a farmer and stone-mason of Sturbridge. 
 
 Daniel W. Bemis obtained his education in 
 the public schools of Brookfield. He began 
 his working life as steward of the Hospital 
 for the Insane at Worcester, and held the po- 
 sition twenty years. For seven years he also 
 held the office of Treasurer. He then came 
 to Shrewsbury, this being about twenty-five 
 years ago, and has since lived quietly on his 
 farm. He has taken a warm interest in all 
 affairs of importance to the town, especially 
 in educational matters, having a record of 
 twenty years' service as a member of the 
 School Board. He has also served as Select- 
 man, and he was three years on the Board of 
 Assessors. He is a Deacon of the Orthodox 
 church, and is keenly interested in the Sun- 
 day-school. 
 
 For many years Mr. Bemis has been a mem- 
 ber of various Masonic bodies, and is at pres- 
 ent connected with the Royal Arch Chapter, 
 the Encampment, the Consistory, and the 
 Scottish Rite organizations. He has been 
 High Priest of the chapter, and has held all 
 other elective offices in that body. Mr. 
 
 Bemis at one time represented the city of 
 Worcester in the legislature, and was deeply 
 interested in the passage of the bill for the 
 location of the Bloomingdale Hospital at 
 Worcester. This site is now conceded to be 
 the best that could possibly have been chosen. 
 Mr. Bemis married first Jennie Learned, of 
 Underbill, Vt. She lived only about a year. 
 Later he married his second wife, Maria T. 
 Wood, daughter of Joel Fay Wood, of Graf- 
 ton, and is the father of three daughters, as 
 follows: Agnes T., Leigh Jannette, and 
 Mabel G. Agnes, after completing her stud- 
 ies, taught in the Castine Normal School and 
 elsewhere. She is at present superintendent 
 of the domestic department at Mount Hol- 
 yoke College. Leigh Jannette, a graduate of 
 Mount Holyoke in the class of 1894, married 
 the Rev. Frank B. Doane, a graduate of Am- 
 herst College and of the New Haven Divinity 
 School and now pastor of the Congregational 
 church at Cheney, Wash. Mabel G., a gradu- 
 ate of the high school, is the wife of Ned 
 Wesley Parker, who is in business in Worces- 
 ter. Mr. and Mrs. Parker reside with Mr. 
 Bemis. 
 
 bfREDERICK H. C. BERGER, a well- 
 p| known resident of Webster and the 
 -*- foreman of the burling department of 
 the Slater Mills, was born in Wiedelah, Han- 
 over, Germany, February 17, 1836, son of 
 Henry and Caroline (Dietrich) Berger. His 
 father was also a native of Hanover. Of his 
 parents' three children, Frederick is the only 
 one living. He was educated in the German 
 public schools. At the age of thirteen years 
 he entered his father's shop and served an ap- 
 prenticeship to weaving lasting four years. In 
 1853 he came to America. After landing in 
 New York City he came to Webster, reaching 
 this place on June 9, 1853. Securing employ- 
 ment in the finishing department of the Slater 
 Mill, he worked there for some time. Subse- 
 quently he was transferred to the weaving de- 
 partment, remaining until 1859, when the fac- 
 tory closed. After that he was employed in a 
 shoe shop until 1861. On July 25 of that 
 year he enlisted as a second-class musician in 
 
[°S° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the band of the Twenty-first Regiment, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteers, and went to the front at 
 Annapolis. He was with General Burnside 
 during his memorable expedition and later in 
 Virginia with the Army of the Potomac. In 
 August, 1862, the band was discharged. Re- 
 turning to Webster then, Mr. Merger built the 
 house which has since been his home. After- 
 ward he was engaged in shoemaking until De- 
 cember 17, 1863, when he again enlisted, this 
 time in Company D of the Fifty-sixth Massa- 
 chusetts Infantry, under Captain George S. 
 Todd and Colonel Griswold. Going at once 
 to the front, he took part in the battle of the 
 Wilderness, and was subsequently at Spottsyl- 
 vania Court House, Cold Harbor, and the siege 
 of Petersburg, remaining with the Army of the 
 Potomac until the surrender of Lee. He was 
 then mustered out at Alexandria, Va., and, 
 after the Grand Review at Washington in 
 June, 1865, returned home. Here he had 
 charge of the weaving department of the Slater 
 Mills, which were again in operation, until 
 1889. Then he removed to Conway, Mass., 
 in order to take charge of a weaving-room 
 there. After remaining in Conway a year 
 he returned to Webster and assumed his pres- 
 ent position, in which he has since rendered 
 his employers important service. 
 
 The maiden name of Mr. Berger's wife, 
 whom he married on September 29, 1863, was 
 Louisa Elizabeth Redemann. She is a daugh- 
 ter of Godfrey and Joanna (Link) Redemann, 
 of Webster. Her children were born as fol- 
 lows : Frederick Henry, on May 12, 1866.; 
 Elizabeth Matilda, May i, 1868, who died 
 August 3, 1893 ; Augustus Joseph, June 26, 
 1870, who is now a compositor on the Web- 
 ster Times, residing with his parents; Henry 
 John, April 16, 1874, who graduated from 
 the Webster High School and is now a stu- 
 dent in Dartmouth College, class of 1899; 
 and Joseph William, April 24, 1879, who is 
 now a student in the Webster High School, 
 class of 1898. Mr. Berger has always taken 
 a great interest in music, especially in vocal 
 music. For thirty years he was the choirmas- 
 ter in St. Louis's Catholic Church, of which 
 he is a member, and for two years in the 
 French Catholic Church. He is a comrade 
 
 and the Quartermaster of Nathaniel Lyon 
 Post, No. 61, G. A. R. 
 
 KREDERICK H. BERGER, eldest son 
 of Frederick H. C. Berger, is a well- 
 known lawyer in this town. After 
 graduating from the Webster High School in 
 1882, he spent a year at Nichols Academy in 
 Dudley, and then until 1889 assisted his 
 father. In that year he began the study of 
 law with P. T. Carroll, of Worcester, and 
 about a year later entered Boston University 
 Law School. He graduated from the latter 
 institution in June, 1892, having been ad- 
 mitted to the Suffolk County bar in Decem- 
 ber, 1 891. Afterward he followed his pro- 
 fession in Webster with P. T. Carroll, bis 
 former preceptor, until the death of the latter 
 in July, 1894. Mr. Berger has a general 
 practice, having clients from Worcester, Web- 
 ster, and the surrounding towns. He has 
 been Register of Votes and up to the present 
 time from 1894 chairman of the Board of 
 Overseers of the Poor. He is a member 'of 
 the Worcester County Bar Association. On 
 June 19, 1895, he married Minnie E., daugh- 
 ter of Redmond and Mary (Farrington) Roach, 
 of Pawtucket, R.I. During 1896, 1897, and 
 1898 Mr. Berger was Town Counsel for Dud- 
 ley, and he is now serving Webster in the 
 same capacity. Appointed May 11, 1898, he 
 has been Clerk of the First District Court of 
 Southern Worcester since June i, 1898. 
 
 ENRY W. TAYLOR, who during 
 his comparatively brief business ca- 
 reer won a distinguished reputation 
 as an artist of talent and ability, 
 died at his home in Worcester, Mass., Decem- 
 ber 15, 1888. He came of English ancestry, 
 and was a direct descendant of Nathaniel Tay- 
 lor, who was living in Plymouth County in 
 1734. Henry Taylor, father of Henry W., 
 married Lucy Clark Hall, and for a while 
 thereafter resided in Gardiner, Me. He after- 
 ward returned to Plymouth County, and open- 
 ing a dry-goods store built up a prominent and 
 
WILLIAM A. GARNO. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i°S3 
 
 successful trade, which he managed during his 
 years of activity. 
 
 Henry W. Taylor was bred and educated in 
 Mattapoisett, and, having manifested some ar- 
 tistic ability while yet a school boy, he came 
 to Worcester at the age of sixteen to learn the 
 sign painter's art. He acquired proficiency 
 under the instruction of Dexter Rice, and in 
 the course of a few years the master willingly 
 acknowledged himself excelled by his appren- 
 tice. In June, 1873, Mr. Taylor started in 
 business on his own account, locating at first 
 on Waldo Street, and later removing to a place 
 on Main Street. He rose rapidly in his pro- 
 fession, and became unquestionably the finest 
 sign artist in Worcester County. Making a 
 specialty of designing, his originality devel- 
 oped new ideas, and his signs attracted atten- 
 tion for their artistic and unique beauty. He 
 was kept busily employed in his chosen occu- 
 pation, and, although an adept at other branches 
 of art, continued work as a sign painter because 
 the profits were sure and constant. He painted 
 in both oil and water colors, producing land- 
 scapes and marine views of real merit, and also 
 did much fine work with pen and ink, includ- 
 ing designs for ornamental, artistic, and maga- 
 zine purposes. A man of sterling character, 
 whole-souled and genial, a loyal citizen, a true 
 friend, and a devoted lover of his home and 
 family, he was a man of whom the community 
 in which he lived and labored was justly proud, 
 and whom it could scarce afford to lose. He 
 left a large circle of warm friends, who deeply 
 deplored his loss. Fraternally, he was an 
 active member of Worcester Lodge, No. 56, 
 I. O. O. F. 
 
 On May 28, 1880, Mr. Taylor married 
 Matilda G. Fall, of Garland, Me., who, with 
 her two children, Jennie L. and Harrison G., 
 survives him. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM A. GARNO, one of the 
 leading business men of Fitchburg, 
 Mass., was born in New Ireland, 
 Megantic County, P.Q., Canada, on February 
 6, 1852, son of Moses and Elizabeth (Mitch- 
 ell) Garno. His father, who was a native of 
 Point Levi, P.Q., was a farmer of that place. 
 
 and died there at the age of fifty-eight years, 
 William, the eldest of six children, being 
 then twenty years of age. Two other sons, 
 Henry J. and John E. , are living. The 
 mother, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Garno, who was a 
 native of England, died in December, 1863. 
 
 William A. Garno received his sciiool train- 
 ing in Canada and in Vermont. Leaving 
 home when fifteen years of age, he went to 
 Kirby, Caledonia County, Vt. , and lived with 
 Joseph Nickerson, a farmer, working on the 
 farm for nine months of the year and attending 
 school for the three months' winter term. 
 After remaining in Mr. Nickerson's employ 
 for three years, he came to Fitchburg in De- 
 cember, 1872, and for four years following 
 worked at farming during the summers and at 
 cutting off wood lots for other parties in the 
 winter seasons. Finally he bought a team and 
 did teaming, and subsequently bought a 
 wood lot, from which he sold lumber. About 
 1882 he purchased a portable saw-mill, and 
 then devoted bis time to operating that, locat- 
 ing successively in Milford, N. H., at Lunen- 
 burg, Mass., and lastly on Townsend New 
 Road, where the mill was burned. The fol- 
 lowing year, on January 12, 1886, he leased 
 his present building lots for five years, and 
 repaired the old mill, which was again burned 
 nearly to the ground in the spring of 1890. 
 He rebuilt it, however, and operated it till 
 1893. In the fall of that year he commenced 
 the building of a new mill to be used for the 
 manufacture of boxes and for planing and 
 sawing. Mr. Garno has been very success- 
 ful in this undertaking. He now employs 
 seventy-five men during the busy season and 
 over forty during the summer. In 1896 he 
 opened a grocery business, which he still suc- 
 cessfully manages. With a keen appreciation 
 of the values of real estate, he has invested 
 quite largely in this kind of property, and 
 now has eleven houses in Fitchburg. He also 
 owns wood lots in Ashburnham, Royalston, 
 Lunenburg, Hubbardston, and Westminster. 
 He still carries on lumbering business, and 
 during the winter of 1896-97 cut over two 
 million feet of lumber, two thousand five hun- 
 dred cords of wood, and ten thousand railroad 
 ties. 
 
I0S4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 In politics Mr. Garno is a Republican, and 
 has served as delegate to party conventions. 
 His success in business has been achieved by 
 his own unaided efforts. He is a prominent 
 member of the Fitchburg Board of Trade, and 
 was Representative to the State Board of Trade 
 during the last session, which was held in the 
 fall of 1896. He is also a member of the 
 Merchants' Association. Fraternally, Mr. 
 Garno is a member of Apollo Lodge, No. 205, 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which 
 he has been secretary and is now Past Grand, 
 having passed the chairs on July i. He is 
 also a member of King David Encampment 
 and Canton Hebron, No. 11. 
 
 Mr. Garno was married in 1881 to Louisa, 
 daughter of John Flagg, one of the leading 
 farmers of Lunenburg. Mr. Flagg was born 
 in Worcester. Mr. and Mrs. Garno attend 
 the Orthodox church. He is a member of the 
 Young Men's Christian Association of Fitch- 
 burg. 
 
 'IMON P. BICKNELL, wheel- 
 wright, for many years a resident 
 of Mendon, Mass., was born in 
 Providence, R. I. , June lo, 1808. 
 He was but three years old when his father, 
 who also was a wheelwright, died. Some 
 years later a brother, Asa Bicknell, who was a 
 sailor, met his death in mid-ocean at the hancfS 
 of pirates. Young Bicknell attended school 
 in his native town, where he later learned his 
 trade, becoming a careful, painstaking, and 
 exceedingly reliable workman. It is related 
 that, when Mr. Bicknell was about to leave 
 Providence to start in business for himself, his 
 old master requested of him the best sample of 
 his ability in shape of a wheel. He completed 
 the work, with expectations of severe criti- 
 cism; but his former instructor pronounced it 
 to be the best wheel he ever saw. The same 
 compliment was many times repeated by his 
 patrons. Establishing himself in business in 
 Mendon, he was for many years engaged in 
 carriage-making. He also did carpenter work, 
 and was an expert in both kinds of handicraft. 
 He was noted for his strict integrity, his 
 painstaking, and other commendable qualities. 
 
 His affection for his home and family could 
 not be alienated. In politics he was a Jack- 
 sonian Democrat. 
 
 Simon P. Bicknell died November 29, 1882, 
 and his loss was sincerely mourned by the 
 entire community. His first wife, Rebecca, 
 daughter of Josiah Bates, was for many years 
 an invalid. For his second wife he married 
 Mary H. Burdick, daughter of Rowland Bur- 
 dick. Their daughter, Minnie F. Bicknell, 
 married George E. Thayer, a grocer of Mil- 
 ford, and is the mother of three children — 
 Grace, William, and Doris Bicknell Thayer. 
 
 fHOMAS CROCKER EASTMAN, long 
 a valued citizen of Milford, was born in 
 Dennysville, Me., January 6, 1836, 
 son of Thomas and Mary (Wilder) Eastman. 
 He came to Milford from Hingham, Mass. 
 At the breaking out of the war for the Union 
 he enlisted on June 21, 1861, in Company G 
 of the Fortieth New York Regiment (the Mo- 
 zart). But on reaching Camp Sackett, Va., he 
 was taken seriously ill, and no hopes were 
 entertained of his recovery. Mr. I. N. Davis 
 went to the camp and brought him home; and, 
 as he was never able to rejoin his regiment, he 
 was honorably discharged from the service on 
 December 27, 1861. Later, in order thor- 
 oughly to restore his health, he shipped to the 
 East Indies as supercargo, and was gone about 
 three years. On his return he became asso- 
 ciated as a partner with Mr. Davis and S. A. 
 Fisher in the manufacture of boxes in Milford. 
 About 1872 he became sole proprietor of the 
 business, which he afterward enlarged consid- 
 erably by the introduction of a paper box 
 making department. He also engaged in 
 transactions in grain, and operated a grist-mill 
 at the basin. In 1887, finding that business 
 cares were weighing heavily upon him, he took 
 into partnership his brother, S. A. Eastman, 
 and Edward A. Hobart, the latter taking 
 charge of the grist-mill. 
 
 Mr. Eastman was identified with many of 
 the business enterprises of this town, being a 
 director of the Electric Light Company from 
 the time of its incorporation, of the Milford 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i°SS 
 
 Shoe Company, of the Business Men's Asso- 
 ciation and the Milford Water Company, and 
 president of the Charles River Shoe Factory 
 Company. He was also a member of the Bos- 
 ton Chamber of Commerce. He was promi- 
 nent in Masonry, being at the head of the 
 three local organizations. He was a charter 
 member and Past Dictator of the Milford 
 Legion of Honor and a valued member of Post 
 22, G. A. R. Mr. Eastman's death occurred 
 on October 4, 1888, at his home on Congress 
 Street. He was a genial, large-hearted man, 
 commanding by his sturdy integrity the confi- 
 dence and respect of all with whom he came in 
 contact. 
 
 flERRE FONTAINE, a merchant of 
 Worcester, was born in St. Hugues, 
 P. Q., June 4, 1844, son of Paul and 
 Genevieve (Paradis) Fontaine. Mr. 
 Fontaine's father was a native of Canada, as 
 was also his grandfather, Charles Fontaine, 
 whose birth took place prior to the Revolu- 
 tionary War. The latter, who was a prosper- 
 ous farmer, had a family of eighteen children, 
 twelve of whom lived to an advanced age; 
 while the mother lived to be nearly one hun- 
 dred years old. Paul Fontaine, who also fol- 
 lowed farming, died in 1870, at the age of 
 si:?ty-eight years. His wife, Genevieve, who 
 was a daughter of Joseph Paradis, of the Prov- 
 ince of Quebec, became the mother of nine 
 children, of whom five are living. She died 
 in Canada in 1876, aged seventy-four years. 
 
 Pierre Fontaine began to make himself use- 
 ful upon his father's farm at the early age of 
 nine years, and his only education has been 
 that acquired through his own efforts. In 
 i860 he went to Natick, R.L, where he was 
 employed in the cotton-mills for one year. 
 Subsequently he went to Boston, where he 
 acquired a knowledge of the brick-making in- 
 dustry. Going to California in 1865, he was 
 in charge of brickyards there for three years. 
 He then returned East, and locating in Worces- 
 ter took a contract for making brick. He fol- 
 lowed that business for eleven years, the last 
 three of which he was foreman of the yard. In 
 1880 he formed a partnership with a Mr. Du- 
 
 breuil for the purpose of carrying on the bak- 
 ery and flour business, wholesale and retail, 
 under the firm name of Dubreuil & Fontaine. 
 For some ten years subsequently he was a 
 member of the firm of Fontaine & Contu in the 
 grocery and provision business, the firm carry- 
 ing on two stores on Washington Street. On 
 July I, 1889, he organized the Bay State Coal 
 Company, of which he is overseer. 
 
 Mr. Fontaine married April 23, 1870, Phel- 
 onice Dery, who died five years later. She 
 was the mother of two children, neither of 
 whom is living. For his second wife he 
 married Mary Jane Perry, who died leaving no 
 children. He was again married, taking for 
 his third wife Mrs. Melina Deselle, nee Re- 
 millard, a native of Canada. She has borne 
 him two children, one of whom, George Peter, 
 who was born April 26, 1887, survives. The 
 second son, Louis Joseph, born November 30, 
 1889, lived only nine months. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Fontaine purchased, in com- 
 pany with his brother-in-law, Mr. Contu, two 
 and one-half acres of land, upon which he 
 erected a brick residence, which they occupy 
 together. His success has been remarkable 
 from the fact that he engaged in business with- 
 out any training whatever, trusting entirely to 
 his own sagacity and determination to carve 
 out for himself a successful career. The vari- 
 ous enterprises with which he has been con- 
 nected yielded him good financial returns, and 
 he is regarded as one of the most substantial 
 and enterprising French-Canadian citizens of 
 Worcester. 
 
 |ORNELIUS R. DAY, an enterprising 
 business man of Millville, town of 
 Blackstone, was born in this village, 
 December 29, 1847, son of David 
 L. and Jane H. (Mahony) Day. His paternal 
 grandfather, Nathaniel Day, a native of Attle- 
 boro, Mass. , and a carpenter by trade, married 
 Elizabeth Southwick. The father, who was 
 born in Smithfield, R.L, followed the tanner's 
 and currier's trades in Millville fora number 
 of years, and died in 1887, aged sixty-nine 
 years. On September 6, 1861, he enlisted in 
 Company B, Twenty-fifth Regiment, Massa- 
 
ro56 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 chusetts Volunteers, Colonel Edwin Upton, of 
 Fitchburg, and Captain Wallace Clark, of Mil- 
 ford, Mass., and was appointed Orderly Ser- 
 geant. He served for three years in the Civil 
 War, and his regiment was at one time attached 
 to General Burnside's command. His wife, 
 Jane H., a native of Providence, R. I., was a 
 daughter of Cornelius Mahony and a grand- 
 daughter of Timothy Mahony, who served as a 
 soldier in the Revolutionary War. She be- 
 came the mother of four children, namely : 
 Mary M., who resides in Hopedale, Mass. ; 
 Elizabeth S. , who married Charles H. Robin- 
 son, and resides in Millville; Charles M., who 
 acts as agent for the Drapers, of Hopedale ; and 
 Cornelius R., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Cornelius R. Day was educated in the public 
 schools and at Bryant & Stratton's Commer- 
 cial College in Providence, R.I. Prior to en- 
 tering the last-named school he was for a year 
 employed as book-keeper by F. B. & A. E. 
 Smith, woollen manufacturers at Geneva, 
 North Providence. After completing his busi- 
 ness education he was for the same length of 
 time employed as cashier by B. P. Cunning- 
 ham, a furniture dealer in Providence. Dur- 
 ing the year 1869 he was book-keeper for 
 T. T. Smith, Millville. Purchasing a livery 
 stable on Centre Street in 1870, he was asso- 
 ciated in business with D. F. Southwick for 
 the succeeding two years. Selling his interest 
 in 1872, he conducted a livery business in 
 Woonsocket, R. I. , for a year. From there he 
 went to Slaterville, and became associated with 
 A. M. Armstrong in the same line of business. 
 A short time later the firm of Day & Arm- 
 strong bought of Mr. Southwick the stable in 
 Millville now owned by Mr. Day, and contin- 
 ued to carry on business in this town and in 
 Slaterville until 1880, when they sold their 
 property in the last-named place. Having 
 previously purchased the hotel property in 
 Millville, they carried it on in connection 
 with the livery business until 1883, in which 
 year they sold the furniture and leased the 
 house. Messrs. Day & Armstrong continued 
 in partnership until November, 1895, when 
 the latter sold his interest to Mr. Day, who 
 has since continued the livery and teaming 
 business. He also deals quite extensively in 
 
 coal, wood, hay, and ice, and is the treasurer 
 of both the Rhode Island Mining Company in 
 Oldham, Montague, N. S., and the Blackstone 
 Water Company. 
 
 On November 7, 1875, Mr. Day was joined 
 in marriage with Ida F. Paine, daughter of 
 David S. and Dianna N. (Fernald) Paine, of 
 Blackstone. His only child, Ida Paine, born 
 September 3, 1876, attended Dean Academy in 
 Franklin, Mass., and is now studying music 
 and elocution. In politics he is a Republican, 
 and he has well served his party in the capacity 
 of chairman of its Town Committee. He has 
 been Selectman one year, was a member of the 
 Board of Road Commissioners for eight years, 
 has been a member of several town committees, 
 and is now upon the Water Committee. He 
 was elected to the legislature of 1896, being 
 assigned to the Committee on Printing, and 
 during his second term he was in addition 
 placed upon that on Federal Relations. His 
 public services have been valuable to the town. 
 He belongs to the Sons of the American Revolu- 
 tion. In religious belief he is an Episcopa- 
 lian and a vestryman of St. John's Church. 
 
 ,ETER SPEARCE WALKER 
 GEDDES, M.D., an able physician 
 of Winchendon, was born in Rindge, 
 N.H., July 8, 1864, son of Joseph 
 and Agnes (McGill) Geddes. His paternal 
 grandfather was Joseph Geddes (first), a 
 Scotchman, and by trade a weaver, who spent 
 his entire life in his native country. This 
 Joseph married Martha Walker. Of his nine 
 children, two are living, namely: Martha, 
 the widow of the late Adam Harrip, an Eng- 
 lishman, by whom she had four children — 
 George, Aaron, Martha, and Mary; and Eliza- 
 beth, the widow of James McGregor, late of 
 Scotland, and the mother of four children — 
 Margaret, Alexander, Joseph, and James. 
 The grandfather died at the age of seventy- 
 four years, and the grandmother died at sixty- 
 two, 
 
 Joseph Geddes (second), the third of his 
 parents' children, was born in July, 1830. 
 Learning the trade of a block printer, he ap- 
 plied his knowledge of the craft to the manu- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IOS7 
 
 facture of shawls until 1855, when he came 
 to the United States. He was a chemist of 
 good standing, graduating from the Edinburgh 
 Institute, Scotland, and for the last twenty 
 years of his life was engaged in preparing 
 medicines for his brother, Dr. Robert Geddes. 
 He died June 12, 1891. Agnes, his wife, 
 whom he married February 23, 1851, was born 
 in Scotland, January 12, 1831, daughter of 
 John and Jeanette (Campbell) McGill. Her 
 grandparents, William and Agnes McGill, 
 reared seven children, of whom John, the 
 eldest, was a moulder by trade. Her maternal 
 grandparents were Jeremiah and Jeanette 
 Campbell, the former of whom was a son of 
 Jeremiah Campbell, of the famous Campbell 
 clan. Joseph and Agnes (McGill) Geddes 
 were the parents of eleven children, of whom 
 two were born in Scotland and six are living. 
 The latter are: Agnes, who married James 
 Perkins, of Concord, N.H., and has one 
 daughter, Ada Margaret; Esther Geddes, of 
 whom there is no special record; Robert W., 
 who married Lottie Finney, of Nova Scotia, 
 and has three children — Harry, Bernice, and 
 Clorer; Peter S. W., the subject of this 
 sketch; Harriet E. R., who married Edward 
 J. Hood, of Derry, N.H. ; and Susan Josephine 
 Geddes. 
 
 Peter Spearce Walker Geddes began his edu- 
 cation in the common schools. Subsequently 
 he attended the Winchendon Academy and 
 high school, and completed his studies at the 
 academy in Ashburnham, Mass. After teach- 
 ing school in Royalston, Mass., for a short 
 time, he entered the Eclectic Medical College 
 in Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he was 
 graduated in 1886. While pursuing his pro- 
 fessional studies he acquired much valuable 
 experience at the Cincinnati City Hospital. 
 Immediately following his graduation he lo- 
 cated in Winchendon, where he applied him- 
 self diligently to the practice of his profes- 
 sion, and has met with gratifying success. 
 
 On April 20, 1892, Dr. Geddes was united 
 in marriage with Bertha L. Poland, a daugh- 
 ter of Sylvanus and Martha Jennie (White) 
 Poland, of Fitchburg. Born of this union 
 there is one daughter, Hazel Evangeline. 
 
 Politically, Mn Geddes is independent. 
 
 He has membership in the Boston District 
 Eclectic Medical Society, the Massachusetts 
 Eclectic Medical, and the National Eclectic 
 Medical, and is an ex-president of both the 
 first two societies mentioned. An advanced 
 Mason, he is a member of Jerusalem Com- 
 mandery. Knights Templar, of Fitchburg. 
 He also belongs to the Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows. Both he and Mrs. Geddes at- 
 tend the Baptist church. 
 
 fHOMAS ALONZO CLARK, formerly 
 the president of the Clark-Sawyer 
 Company, the leading crockery and 
 glassware dealers of Worcester, was born in 
 Boston, February 15, 1810. A son of 
 Thomas and Sarah (Tyler) Clark, he was a 
 lineal descendant of Hugh Clark, who, born 
 in England in 1613, arrived at Watertown, 
 Mass., previous to 1641, and who, as the rec- 
 ords show, was a member of an artillery com- 
 pany in 1666. It is also known, that this an- 
 cestor was a citizen of excellent character and 
 an industrious yeoman. His descendants have 
 been long identified with that part of Water- 
 town which is now included within the town 
 of Belmont. 
 
 Thomas Clark, who was born in Watertown, 
 for a number of years followed mercantile pur- 
 suits in Boston. In 18 16 he went to Pernam- 
 buco, Brazil, where he engaged in trade, and 
 also edited a newspaper. Having been finan- 
 cially successful there, he in 1837 prepared 
 to return North. It is supposed that he was 
 murdered on the night preceding the day of 
 his intended departure, and no trace of his 
 assassin or fortune was ever found. Sarah 
 Tyler Clark, his wife, came of a reputable 
 Boston family, and was related to John Han- 
 cock, in whose house on Beacon Street 
 Thomas A. Clark was accorded the privileges 
 of a relative. Mrs. Clark married for her 
 second husband the Rev. G. Van Husen 
 Forbes, a Methodist minister, afterward re- 
 sided with him in Natchez, Miss., and died in 
 that city. By her first husband she had four 
 children, of whom none are living. 
 
 After his father's departure for South 
 America, Thomas A, Clark went to reside 
 
1058 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 with his grandparents in Watertown. Hav- 
 ing passed through the common schools, he 
 attended Master Jackson's school in Newton 
 for a time, and completed his education at the 
 Bridgewater Academy. When nineteen years 
 of age he obtained employment as a clerk in 
 the dry-goods store of Nichols & Leeds on 
 Salem Street, Boston, where he remained five 
 years. Then he resided for a time with Na- 
 thaniel Clapp in Walpole, Mass. From Wal- 
 pole he went to Chicago by way of the Great 
 Lakes, arriving there in 1836, and when there 
 were but five thousand inhabitants in the 
 town. He engaged in business; but, as his 
 wife did not take kindly to the manner of liv- 
 ing in what was then the Far West, he soon 
 disposed of his interests, and returned to Mas- 
 sachusetts. He next embarked in a mercan- 
 tile business in Springfield, being associated 
 for one year with Lewis Barnard and for two 
 years with E. H. Sanford, his brother-in-law. 
 In 1844 he settled permanently in Worcester, 
 first engaging in business on Main Street, in 
 partnership with Orin Rawson. His next 
 venture was to open a dry-goods store oppo- 
 site the Bay State House, in which he was 
 again associated with his brother-in-law. Al- 
 though their capital was small, their enter- 
 prise and reputation for integrity were such 
 that they easily obtained credit with the job- 
 bing houses. A conflagration that destroyed 
 their entire stock was a serious set-back to 
 them. Yet they immediately resumed busi- 
 ness in the vicinity of their old store. A 
 short time later Mr. Clark sold out his inter- 
 est to his associate in order to engage in the 
 manufacture of windlasses with one William 
 Rich. This latter speculation proved disas- 
 trous. His credit was unimpaired, however; 
 and he soon after formed a partnership with 
 John Firth in the retail crockery business. 
 Two years later Mr. Firth died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Stephen Sawyer, who was thence- 
 forward closely identified with the firm. The 
 business increased year by year, until the con- 
 cern became the largest handlers of crockery, 
 glass and silver ware, art bric-a-brac, and house 
 furnishing goods in New England, outside of 
 Boston. New quarters were procured in 
 Taylor Block on Main Street, opposite Park 
 
 Street ; and the concern was subsequently in- 
 corporated as the Clark-Sawyer Company. 
 The career of the house was not one of un- 
 broken prosperity, however, as the store was 
 destroyed by fire successively in 1880 and 
 1893. Mr. Clark was a typical self-made man 
 of New England. His prominent characteris- 
 tics were courage, sound judgment, prudence, 
 and punctuality in meeting his business obliga- 
 tions. His close application to business seri- 
 ously affected his health; and, although he 
 practically retired in 1891, he was the presi- 
 dent of the Clark-Sawyer Company until his 
 death, which occurred on March 29, 1894. 
 
 In 1836 Mr. Clark was united in marriage 
 with Miss Susan Tracy Sanford, of Belcher- 
 town, Mass. Her grandfather. Dr. Howe, 
 was a Revolutionary soldier; and three of 
 her uncles — William Howe, of Derby, Vt. ; 
 Estes Howe, of Albany, N.Y. ; and Sam- 
 uel Howe, of Northampton, Mass. — were 
 judges. Mrs. Clark died April 29, 1894, 
 leaving twin daughters: Nancy H. S., who 
 married George M. Piper, of Worcester; and 
 Susan D. S., now the wife of John H. Gam- 
 well, the treasurer and general manager of the 
 Palmer Water Company. When a young man 
 Mr. Clark was a member of the Boston mili- 
 tary company known as the Winslow Blues. 
 Later he was an artillery man in the militia. 
 He was a Republican in politics. In the Ma- 
 sonic order he had advanced as far as the com- 
 mandery. For more than twenty-five years he 
 resided at the corner of Harvard and State 
 Streets, in the homestead now occupied by 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gamwell. 
 
 'AMES H. FERGUSON, a well-known 
 business man of Millbury, was born in 
 Bristol, R.I., July 12, 1851, the thir- 
 tieth anniversary of his mother's birth. 
 
 He is of Scotch parentage and ancestry, the 
 
 Highlands of Scotland having been the home 
 
 of his forefathers. 
 
 John Ferguson, the father of James H., was 
 
 born in Glasgow, Scotland, July 12, 1822. 
 
 At the age of eight years he began to work 
 
 for his living in a cotton-mill near his home. 
 
 Here, possessing considerable mechanical 
 
jamp:.s h. FEK(;i;soN. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 06 1 
 
 ability, he gained a thorough knowledge of 
 the work of the different departments, and in 
 course of time became an expert spinner. In 
 February, 1845, he was induced by certain 
 manufacturers to come to New England to set 
 up the first power mule in a cotton factory. 
 Having taken passage on a sailing-vessel, he 
 was six months in making the voyage to New 
 York City. Thinking that his stay in this 
 country would be short, he had left his family 
 at home; but in less than two years he sent for 
 his wife. The latter came at once, bringing 
 with her their younger child, and leaving the 
 elder, Annie R. John Ferguson was an oper- 
 ator in a cotton-mill at Bristol for a number 
 of years, removing subsequently to Lonsdale, 
 R.I., where he remained for three years. 
 June 19, 1869, he removed to Millbury, where 
 he spent the rest of his life, and died March 
 29, 1892. After coming here, with the pur- 
 pose of taking a sea voyage for the benefit of 
 his health, he went to New Zealand to a 
 brother who had gone there with the first gov- 
 ernor of the hew colony. The trip was so 
 beneficial to him that two years later he 
 made one to Australia. His wife, in maiden- 
 hood Charlotte Ralstone, was born in Glas- 
 gow, Scotland, July 12, 1821, and died in 
 Millbury, Mass., August 21, 1893. They 
 had ten children, namely: Annie R., born in 
 Scotland, who is now the wife of Solon F. 
 Smith, the superintendent and treasurer of 
 the water-works in Grafton, Mass. ; Margaret 
 G., also born in Scotland, who is the widow 
 of the late George W. Sawyer, and resides 
 with Mr. Ferguson; Maria H., the wife of 
 B. .F. Aiken, of Millbury; James, Maria's 
 twin brother, who died in infancy; James H., 
 the subject of this sketch; John D., who died 
 in infancy; Peter, who is now a clerk in the 
 store of his brother, James H.; John Charles 
 Fremont, born in 1856, who has since died, 
 leaving a wife; William Leonard Dayton, 
 John's twin brother, who is now employed in 
 a mill in Philadelphia; and Jane, who died in 
 childhood. 
 
 James H. Ferguson attended the district 
 schools of Bristol until he was ten years old. 
 Then he began to be a wage-earner in the cot- 
 ton-mill, in which he afterward worked his 
 
 way through some of the lower departments. 
 At the age of nineteen he began to learn the 
 tailor's trade; but a year and a half later he 
 gave that up in order to serve an apprentice- 
 ship as a tinsmith and plumber with his 
 brother-in-law, S. F. Smith, in Saundersville 
 and Grafton, this county. Coming to Mill- 
 bury in 1874, he worked in the hardware store 
 of L. G. Pierce & Co. until the death of Mr. 
 Pierce in 1876; and for the following nine 
 years he was employed by the succeeding firm, 
 A. W. Lincoln & Co. In 1885, in company 
 with a Mr. Crane, he bought out his em- 
 ployers, and for five years carried on a good 
 trade as junior member of the firm of Crane & 
 Ferguson. During the. following two years 
 he conducted the business alone. Afterward 
 he was the head of the firm James H. Fergu- 
 son & Co. until March 23, 1897, when his 
 partner, John Martin, died. Since then he 
 has carried on the business very successfully, 
 becoming one of the leading hardware mer- 
 chants of Millbury and vicinity. In addition 
 to the fine brick block in which his commo- 
 dious store is located, he owns the Odd Fellows 
 Hall, erected in 1889 and 1890 by his father- 
 in-law, and a handsome residence built nearly 
 twenty years ago. 
 
 A thirty-second degree Mason, Mr. Fergu- 
 son has done much to advance the interests of 
 the order in this locality. He is Past Master 
 of the Olive Branch Lodge and one of the 
 general committee of five that planned the 
 successful celebration of the centennial anni- 
 versary of its organization, held on Septem- 
 ber 14, 1897. He is also Past High Priest of 
 the Tyrian Chapter in Millbury and one 
 of the committee of thirty-three charged 
 with the building of the projected temple in 
 Worcester. Also an Odd Fellow, he is one 
 of the original members of the local lodge. 
 In politics he is a straight Republican, and 
 for ten years has served as chairman of 
 the Republican Town Committee, a position 
 which he reluctantly accepted. In 1888 and 
 1889 he was Selectman, and for two years 
 he was the clerk of the board. Now he is the 
 clerk of the Board of Health. For fourteen 
 years he was connected with the fire depart- 
 ment, which he assisted in organizing; and 
 
io62 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 he is the clerk of the Board of Engineers. 
 In 1894 he represented the town in the State 
 legislature. On March 7, 1877, he married 
 Mary E. Barrows, of Millbury, the only child 
 of the late Thomas A. Barrows, who died De- 
 cember 31, 1 89 1, aged sixty -four years. Mr. 
 Barrows was a wool-dyer by trade, and also a 
 manufacturer of dyes. In company with 
 Gustave Molt, he carried on a profitable busi- 
 ness for several years, making an indigo blue 
 dye that was specially noted for its durable 
 qualities. Mrs. Barrows, whose maiden name 
 was Pamelia Holt, survives her husband, and 
 is now living with Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson. 
 
 'OUTH WORTH PRATT, Jr., of 
 North Brookfield, was born in Co- 
 hasset, Norfolk County, Mass., 
 May 3, 1857. He is a representa- 
 tive of early settled families in the Old 
 Colony, being, as judged from the best infor- 
 mation at hand, a lineal descendant of Phineas 
 Pratt, who came to America in the ship 
 "Swallow" in 1622. Southworth Pratt, first, 
 his grandfather, was a lifelong resident of Co- 
 hasset. He was a farmer, and owned a large 
 farm in the south-east part of the town, now 
 traversed by the railroad. His wife, Mercy 
 Gannett, of Scituate, Mass., was, like himself, 
 of early Colonial ancestry. They both lived 
 to a good old age. 
 
 Captain Southworth Pratt, father of South- 
 worth, Jr., was born in Cohasset, January 12, 
 181 5. He early commenced the life of a 
 sailor, and rose to the position of master 
 mariner. He commanded different vessels in 
 the merchant marine service, some of which 
 he owned, and was engaged mostly in tropical 
 fruit trade. He was an expert diver, and was 
 in his younger days often employed in that 
 capacity by a Boston firm in work along the 
 shore. When the Sea Rock Light-house was 
 built upon'Minot's Ledge off Cohasset, he 
 assisted both in laying the foundation and in 
 its erection. He married May 11, 1845, 
 Mary Pritchard Barnes, of Hingham, Mass., 
 daughter of Captain Malachi and Anna (Beal) 
 Barnes, both natives of Hingham and de- 
 scendants of old families. Mrs. Pratt died 
 
 March 28, 1898. She had reared seven chil- 
 dren. Of six of these brief mention may be 
 made, as follows: Mercie Gannett is the wife 
 of Clinton A. French, of North Weymouth; 
 Cordelia Snow is the wife of William G. 
 Litchfield, of North Weymouth, and has six 
 children ; Albert Francis married Mary 
 Abbie Dyer, and has one child; Mary 
 Barnes married Charles A. Alexander, and 
 has one child; Elmer Ellsworth, who mar- 
 ried Lucy Reynolds, and resides in Worces- 
 ter, has one child ; Annie Barnes married E. 
 Sanford Litchfield, and died September 9, 
 1885, leaving two children. 
 
 Southworth, Jr., the fifth child, of this 
 sketch, was educated in the public schools of 
 his native town. He was reared to agricult- 
 ural pursuits, and he followed farming chiefly 
 until 1887, when he went to Worcester to 
 enter the employ of the Boston & Albany 
 Railway Company. He shortly removed to 
 North Brookfield, and continued in the em- 
 ploy of the Boston & Albany Railway Com- 
 pany till the fall of 1898, when he resigned to 
 accept a position with the Warren, Brookfield 
 & Spencer Electric Railway Company. He 
 married in 1881 Miss Eliza Ford, of North 
 Weymouth. Mr. Pratt is a member of the 
 Daughters of Rebecca and of Ridgeley Pro- 
 tective Society of Worcester. 
 
 "inxR. CHARLES W. ESTER- 
 1^ BROOK, a skilful dentist of 
 „J^^ Worcester, was born in this State, 
 October 16, 1826. The seventh 
 child of Taylor and Sally (Stone) Ester- 
 brook, he belongs to the fifth generation 
 descended from the Rev. Joseph Esterbrook, 
 who came from Enfield, England, and pre- 
 sided over the church at Concord, Mass., for 
 many years. His father was a carriage-maker 
 and a builder of the old-time stage-coaches. 
 
 Having obtained his education in the com- 
 mon schools of his native town and at Leices- 
 ter Academy, Charles W. Esterbrook at the 
 age of eighteen years began to learn the coach 
 and carriage making business from his father, 
 and soon became an important member of the 
 firm. In 1848, associated with his brother- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1063 
 
 in-law, Charles Bradley, he started a manu- 
 factory of light buggies and carriages at Spen- 
 cer, Mass., and there carried on a most 
 successful business for the ensuing five years. 
 The firm's vehicles, being well built and 
 fashioned after the most approved and stylish 
 designs, were well known and in much de- 
 mand. In 1853 Mr. Esterbrook disposed of 
 his interest in the business, and decided to 
 enter the dental profession as a calling, to 
 which he was better suited. For this purpose 
 he prepared himself in the office of Dr. How- 
 land at Barre, Mass., where he gained a prac- 
 tical knowledge of dentistry, and rapidly ac- 
 quired skill. In 1854 he opened an office for 
 himself at Canton, Mass., being the pioneer 
 dentist of that town. Here he remained for 
 six years, in the course of which he acquired 
 a good practice. Then he removed to Great 
 Falls, N.H., where he did a good business for 
 two years. During the early years of the war 
 of the Rebellion he began to practise in 
 Worcester, where he has since remained, es- 
 tablishing a reputation for skill and progres- 
 siveness, and acquiring a generous share of the 
 city's patronage. Although he began with 
 little preparatory training, the Doctor has al- 
 ways kept in step with the progress of dental 
 science, and has been among the first to adopt 
 improved methods. In 1893 he retired from 
 practice. 
 
 While the Doctor supports the Republican 
 party on general principles, he is a stanch ad- 
 herent of free trade and the single tax doc- 
 trine. He was an anti-slavery man, and took 
 an active part in the abolition movement. 
 His religious views are broad and not con- 
 fined to the creed of any denomination, and he 
 was an early advocate of the principles of 
 Theodore Parker. His first marriage was con- 
 tracted in 184S with Louisa Woodward, of 
 Hubbardston. She bore him one son, George 
 R., who was born in Hubbardston, Mass. 
 After her death, which occurred in the fifties, 
 he married for his second wife Ellen Carr, of 
 Worcester, a daughter of Dudley Carr, of Ver- 
 mont. By this marriage there were two sons: 
 Dr. Charles T. Esterbrook, born January 23, 
 1873, who graduated from the medical college 
 at Brooklyn, N.Y., and is now a practising 
 
 physician; and William H., born October 18, 
 1876. 
 
 /2)eORGE TOWER, a well-known hotel 
 \ '*) I owner, long a resident of Worcester, 
 was born in Charlton, Mass., De- 
 cember 23, 1822, son of Isaac and Rebecca 
 (Dexter) Tower. On the paternal side he is 
 of Welsh and English descent, his ancestor, 
 John Tower, of Hingham, England, having 
 settled in Hingham, Mass., in 1632. His 
 mother was a member of the Dexter family, 
 settled at Smithfield for many years; and 
 through her Mr. Tower is descended from 
 Gregory Dexter, who settled the Providence 
 Plantations with Roger Williams in 1636. 
 
 George Tower was educated in the schools 
 of Charlton and at Dudley Academy. At the 
 age of nineteen he began to teach school in 
 Charlton, and so continued for eleven terms, 
 his work being eminently successful. About 
 1843 he was induced to visit Mantua, Ohio, by 
 an uncle resident in that town, and made the 
 journey — a thirty days' drive — behind a pair 
 of horses. There he taught school for one 
 winter, the school-house consisting of one 
 small room, where thirty-six pupils of all ages 
 gathered at eight o'clock each morning for a 
 long day's study. He received a. small salary, 
 and "boarded round " with different families 
 in turn. After his return East he was em- 
 ployed during the winter in teaching and in 
 the summer in hotel work. For nine seasons 
 he was steward of the Ocean House at New- 
 port, R.I., where he was highly esteemed and 
 made many friends. In 1864 he moved to 
 Worcester, where he successfully conducted a 
 large boarding-house until 1866. He then 
 secured a five years' lease of the Lincoln 
 House, formerly the Worcester House, on Elm 
 Street, which under his management became 
 well patronized. In 1871 he opened the 
 Tower House, now Hotel Pleasant, on Pleas- 
 ant Street. His lease running out in 1876, 
 in the following year he again took charge of 
 the Lincoln House, buying the entire property 
 and enlarging and improving the buildings. 
 Under his management, which lasted until 
 1893, it became very popular with the travel- 
 
1064 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ling public, and acquired a wide reputation as 
 a first-class hotel, its proprietor ranking as 
 one of the most successful and honorable men 
 in the business in New England. In 1871 
 Mr. Tower built the Tower's Hotel at Fal- 
 mouth Heights, Mass., which he conducted 
 very successfully for twenty-five seasons, dis- 
 posing of the property at a handsome profit in 
 1896. He also erected the first house at Fal- 
 mouth Heights, and influenced others to build 
 there, thus being the pioneer settler of the 
 place. This was notwithstanding doleful pre- 
 dictions of failure made by the townspeople 
 of Falmouth, who, however, had not gauged 
 the full extent of Mr. Tower's foresight and 
 enterprise. Mr. Tower retired from business 
 in 1893, and now attends to his investments, 
 enjoying a well-earned leisure in the society 
 of his friends, of whom he has many. He is 
 a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of 
 Monticule Lodge, Worcester. He is also an 
 honorary member of the George H. Ward 
 Post, No. 10, G. A. R., of Worcester. 
 
 I LI BELISLE, a successful contractor 
 and builder of Worcester, Mass., was 
 born in Charlotte, Vt., February 23, 
 1858. His parents, Oliver and Damitile 
 Belisle, now reside in this county. His pa- 
 ternal grandfather, Michelle Belisle, was a 
 native of Canada, and remained a resident 
 there some time after marriage, eventually re- 
 moving to Massachusetts, and working in the 
 mills for the small wages of those early times. 
 He reared six sons and seven daughters. He 
 died in Wauregan, Conn., at the age of 
 seventy years. 
 
 Oliver Belisle, the father, was born in St. 
 Damase, P.Q. , in 1829. He has spent much 
 of his active life in farming. He has reared 
 thirteen of his seventeen children, of whom 
 nine sons and two daughters survive. 
 
 Eli Belisle in his early years attended 
 school in Canada and in Worcester. At the 
 age of ten he began work in the carding-room 
 of a linen-mill, a day's labor at that time con- 
 sisting of thirteen or fourteen hours; and for 
 six years he was an operative in the factories 
 at Webster and Manchaug, being advanced to 
 
 the position of second overseer of the spin- 
 ning-room at one dollar per day. He subse- 
 quently assisted his father upon the farm dur- 
 ing one summer, after which he served his 
 apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, re- 
 ceiving one dollar and a half per month the 
 first year and one dollar and seventy-five 
 cents the second, with board. Having saved 
 enough from his small earnings to pay his fare 
 back to Massachusetts, he went to Manchaug, 
 where he remained a year, at the end of which 
 time he went to Wauregan, Conn., and fol- 
 lowed his trade there for a year and a half. 
 Coming to Worcester in 1880, he worked in 
 the car shops a year, and for the next .six 
 years was employed by S. H. Batchelder. 
 After a short period spent in Manitoba he en- 
 tered the meat market business in this city, 
 but relinquished it some two years later to en- 
 gage in the building business, which he has 
 since followed. Among the more notable 
 contracts completed by him are a church, 
 three school-houses, a fire engine house, a 
 hospital, a parochial school, and the Langlois 
 Block. He resides at 19 Portland Street in a 
 six-tenement brick block, which he purchased 
 in 1896. He owns valuable property on 
 South Gate Street, devoted to business and 
 residential purposes, and also a lot on Albert 
 Street. Aside from his business in this city 
 he is associated with his brother in carrying 
 on a general store at Manchaug. 
 
 On June 24, 1884, Mr. Belisle was united 
 in marriage with Minnie l-'ifle, who is of Ger- 
 man descent. He is the father of two chil- 
 dren, namely: Corrunna, aged eleven; and 
 Rose Blanche, aged four years. Mr. Belisle 
 belongs to the Foresters and several other 
 societies and clubs. 
 
 
 LLIAM PATHIE, an enterprising 
 and well-known business man of 
 Worcester, Mass., was born January 
 15, 1840, in Haverstraw, N.Y. , a son of 
 Charles Pathie. His parents were born and 
 bred in Scotland. They emigrated soon after 
 their marriage, and settled in Haverstraw, but 
 subsequently removed to New York City, 
 where both died in early life. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1065 
 
 Left an orphan in his youth, William 
 Pathie was separated from his brothers and 
 sisters. He came to Worcester, Mass., prior 
 to i860. During the summer seasons he was 
 employed by a firm of submarine divers in 
 various coast cities and towns, an occupation 
 in which he continued until after the Civil 
 War was well in progress. On September 
 25, 1862, he enlisted in the Third Massachu- 
 setts Cavalry for a term of three years; and on 
 May 20, 1865, after the war had ended, he 
 was honorably discharged from the service. 
 Under the command of General N. P. Banks 
 he participated in the following engagements: 
 Irish Bend, La., April 14, 1863; Port Hud- 
 son, La., July 8, 1863; Henderson Hill, 
 March 22, 1864; Sabine Pass Road, April 8, 
 1864; Pleasant Hill, the next day; Care 
 River, April 23, 1864; Pineville, May i, 
 1864; Alexandria, April 28, 1864; Swag 
 Point, La., May 15, 1864; Bayou de Plaze, 
 the following day; Muddy Bayou and Yellow 
 Bayou, the same month. Subsequently, under 
 General Phil Sheridan, he was in the follow- 
 ing battles: at Winchester, Va., September 
 19, 1864; Fisher's Hill, September 22; and 
 at Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864. While 
 storming Port Hudson, Mr. Pathie was one of 
 the leaders of what was called the "forlorn 
 hope," and one of the few that survived the 
 fearful but successful attack on breastworks 
 that covered six miles of obstructed land. 
 He was often under heavy fire in the heat of 
 battle, and had many marvellous escapes. 
 
 After the war Mr.' Pathie followed the sub- 
 marine business three summers, and in the 
 winter time worked at the machinist's and other 
 trades in Worcester. He decided at length to 
 settle permanently in this city, and, securing 
 a situation with the Washburn Car Wheel 
 Company, was employed in their rolling-mill 
 six years. He subsequently worked as a ma- 
 chinist under D. W. Pond, in the Crompton 
 Loom Mills, a few years, and then started in 
 business for himself on Houghton Street, 
 making phosphorescent or luminous signs 
 after a process of his own creation. Begin- 
 ning in 1883 on a modest scale, he has added 
 to and greatly enlarged his operations, and 
 has built up a very extensive and lucrative 
 
 business in manufacturing metal signs of all 
 kinds, including copper and brass. A com- 
 plete master of his trade and a man of excel- 
 lent business capacity, he has placed these 
 signs in the market, and in the face of strong 
 competition receives large orders from every 
 part of the United States. Loyal and patri- 
 otic, a strong lover of American ideas and in- 
 stitutions, Mr. Pathie at all times is a sup- 
 porter of the highest principles connected 
 with good citizenship. 
 
 On February 18, 1867, Mr. Pathie married 
 Eliza D. McFarland, a daughter of James Mc- 
 Farland, of Worcester, and the descendant of 
 one of its earliest settlers, the founder of the 
 McFarland family having located in this part 
 of Massachusetts early in the eighteenth cen- 
 tury, or about 17 18. Mr. and Mrs. Pathie 
 have two children, namely; Clifton, who is 
 employed in the office of the Washburn & 
 Moan Manufacturing Company in this city; 
 and Sarah Gretchen, living at home. 
 
 MORY A. WHEELER, a son of Alden 
 Wheeler, was born in 1822 at Lit- 
 tleton, Mass. His childhood was 
 spent in his native town, but he subse- 
 quently settled in Medfield, becoming agent of 
 the Adams Express Company and conducting a 
 coach line between Medfield and Medfield 
 Junction for many years. He took an interest 
 in public affairs, was ever ready to help any 
 good cause to the extent of his means and in- 
 fluence, and was respected by his fellow-towns- 
 men as a worthy, useful, and progressive citi- 
 zen. His death, which occurred March 20, 
 1878, caused widespread regret. 
 
 He married May 8, 1855, Eliza A., daugh- 
 ter of Orion Wight, of Medfield. Her father 
 was born in Medfield on February 19, 1799. 
 He was a descendant of Thomas Wight, who 
 came from England to Watertown, Mass., as 
 early as 1636, thence removed to Dedham and 
 later to Medfield. From Thomas the line of 
 descent was through Samuel, and four in suc- 
 cession who bore the name Jonathan, to Orion. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler had two children — L. 
 Wight and Alden Hartwell, 
 
 L. Wight Wheeler, who wns born ip 1856, 
 
io66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 attended school in Medfield, and was subse- 
 quently employed in the express business car- 
 ried on there by his father. After the jatter's 
 death he conducted the business with his 
 brother, but finally sold out his interests there 
 to become agent of the express company at 
 Saxonville. He is employed at the present 
 time in the Boston office of the express com- 
 pany. He was married December 12, 1877, 
 to Mary C. VVinship. 
 
 Alden H. Wheeler was born in Medfield, 
 May 27, 1858, and was educated in the public 
 schools of his native town. Subsequently he 
 worked with his father and brother until 1881, 
 when he entered the Worcester Polytechnic 
 School, at which he was graduated three years 
 later. He was afterward employed for some 
 time as mechanical engineer and expert 
 draughtsman in a car shop at Salem. He then 
 came to Worcester and entered the employ of 
 the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Com- 
 pany as mechanical draughtsman and engineer. 
 The factory is one of the largest wire works in 
 the world, and Mr. Wheeler has been master 
 mechanic at the South Works for the past six 
 years. 
 
 He was married July 6, 1886, to Jennie 
 A. Clarke, daughter of Joseph Clarke, a highly 
 respected citizen of Medfield. He has two 
 children: Bertram A., born October 13, 1890; 
 and Margaret W., born March 30, 1896. 
 
 'OSEPH BURNETT, first owner of the 
 famous Deerfoot Farm at South boro, 
 the place of his birth and burial, and 
 founder of the well-known firm of 
 Joseph Burnett & Co., now the Joseph Burnett 
 Company, of 36 India Street, Boston, was a 
 son of Charles Burnett, of Southboro, and be- 
 longed to an old Worcester County family. 
 
 He was born in 1820, received his early 
 education in the district schools of his native 
 town, and afterward pursued the higher Eng- 
 lish branches and Latin in Worcester schools. 
 A youth of seventeen seeking a wider field 
 for his energies, he entered the employ of 
 Theodore Metcalf, druggist, of Boston, his 
 knowledge of drugs and chemicals, his prac- 
 tical ability, and his ambition to excel, 
 
 making his services valuable from the begin- 
 ning. During the last years of his associa- 
 tion with Mr. Metcalf he was his partner. 
 In 1854 he disposed of bis interest in that 
 concern, and began business for himself as 
 a manufacturing chemist on Central Street. 
 The enterprise was well managed, and proved 
 profitable. Burnett's flavoring extracts found 
 a ready market, and won a world-wide reputa- 
 tion for purity and excellence, which they 
 have not failed to maintain to this day. 
 
 Mr. Burnett's Southboro home, where his 
 summers were spent as long as he lived, and 
 his winters until 1875, when he first occupied 
 his Beacon Street residence in Boston, was the 
 Deerfoot mansion, which he built about 1850. 
 He eventually became the owner of an estate 
 in Southboro of five hundred acres, whose 
 fields and stock gave employment to many 
 hands. Cordial relations existed between Dr. 
 Burnett and his business associates. In 1878 
 and 1879 he was president of the Boston Drug- 
 gists' Association. In 1865-66 he was presi- 
 dent of the Middlesex South Agricultural 
 Society. He was also one of the fifty mem- 
 bers of the Commercial Club of Boston, a 
 body representing, as has been well said, the 
 "old school of merchants, renowned for their 
 integrity and conservatism, ' honored by all 
 men." 
 
 Originally a Daniel Webster Whig, Mr. 
 Burnett in his later years was a firm friend and 
 supporter of President Grover Cleveland. He 
 never sought ofifice, but was sometimes induced 
 to accept a position of public trust, the duties 
 of which he failed not to discharge with abil- 
 ity and faithfulness. Appointed as Prison 
 Commissioner by Governor Rice, he was chair- 
 man of that body while in charge of the erec- 
 tion of the Women's Reformatory at Sherborn. 
 In Southboro he served for a time on the 
 School Board, as Road Commissioner, and as 
 chairman of the Building Committee of the 
 Town Hall. 
 
 A zealous churchman, formerly a vestryman 
 of the Church of the Advent, Boston, St. 
 John's Church, Framingham, and of St. 
 Paul's, Hopkinton, Mr. Burnett at the time 
 of his departure from this life was Senior 
 Warden of St, Mark's Parish, Southboro, of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1067 
 
 which he was in i860 one of the founders. 
 The stone church was given by him to the 
 parish in 1862. Three years later he was 
 instrumental in founding at Southboro St. 
 Mark's School for Boys, an academy of high 
 rank. 
 
 The death of Mr. Burnett, which occurred 
 on August II, 1894, was caused by an acci- 
 dent while he was out driving. Sincere sor- 
 row was felt by all who had known him. 
 Habitually considerate of others, sweet-tem- 
 pered, courteous, and kindly, Mr. Burnett 
 had won the regard of many friends. In 
 Southboro his loss was felt as a public calam- 
 ity. On Wednesday, August 15, at St. Mark's 
 Church, at 10.30 a.m., the impressive funeral 
 rites were conducted by Bishop Lawrence, 
 assisted by the Rev. G. S. Converse, D.D., 
 and the Rev. A. St. John Chambre, arch- 
 deacons. Sorrowing kindred and friends filled 
 the church to overflowing, conspicuous among 
 the mourners being some who had been his 
 employees for thirty years. His grave was 
 the first in the enclosure in the rear of the 
 church. 
 
 Mr. Burnett was married in 1848 to Joseph- 
 ine Cutter, of Boston, daughter of Edward and 
 Ruth (Torrey) Cutter. They had twelve chil- 
 dren, of whom one died in infancy. The 
 others, who with their mother survive the 
 father, are: Edward, Harry, Robert Manton, 
 Waldo, Josephine, Esther, Ruth, Charles C, 
 John T., Louise, and Eleanor. 
 
 The Hon. Edward Burnett, graduate of Har- 
 vard 1871, member of Congress 1886-88, now 
 of Madison, N.J., married Mabel, only child 
 of James Russell Lowell. Harry Burnett, 
 who was graduated at Harvard in 1873, with 
 his brother Robert conducts the manufacturing 
 business of the Joseph Burnett Company. 
 Robert M. Burnett is also proprietor of Deer- 
 foot Farm. He has for some years taken _ a 
 prominent part in State politics, being chair- 
 man of the Democratic State Committee. The 
 Rev. Waldo Burnett was educated at St. 
 Mark's School, Southboro, Harvard Univer- 
 sity, and at Oxford University, England, where 
 he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 
 1878 and of Master of Arts in 1881. He 
 took orders in England, and was for four years 
 
 curate at Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, 
 and private chaplain to the Duke of Marlbor- 
 ough. Returning to this country, since 1885 
 he has been rector of St. Mark's Parish, 
 Southboro, and also since 1892 of St. Paul's 
 Parish, Hopkinton, one of the oldest Episco- 
 pal societies in New England, dating as far 
 back as 1736. He was also first rector of 
 Trinity Church, Marlboro ; is secretary of the 
 Massachusetts Church Union ; and chairman 
 of the Board of Trustees of the Fay Library 
 in Southboro. Josephine is the wife of C. A. 
 Kidder, son of the late Henry P. Kidder, 
 founder of the banking house of Kidder, Pea- 
 body & Co., of Boston. Esther is the wife 
 of George P. Gardner, of Boston. Ruth is in 
 the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Albany, 
 N.Y. Charles Cutter Burnett, who was grad- 
 uated at Harvard in 1886, is employed in the 
 office of the New York, New Haven & Hart- 
 ford Railroad at Providence, R.I. He mar- 
 ried Miss Ethel Mason, of that city. John T. 
 Burnett, who was Assistant Postmaster of Bos- 
 ton during President Cleveland's second term 
 and Acting Postmaster after the death of Colo- 
 nel Coveney, is now secretary of the Boston 
 Elevated Street Railroad Company. Louise 
 is the wife of Charles F. Choate, Jr., a lawyer 
 and Selectman of Southboro, and son of Charles 
 F. Choate, Sr., the well-known railroad man, 
 president of the Old Colony Railroad until its 
 consolidation with the New York, New Haven 
 & Hartford Railroad. Eleanor, who is unmar- 
 ried, resides at home with her mother. 
 
 •V^lf^ALCOM G. CLARK, one of the 
 \= I =J active business men of Leicester 
 rjIpT engaged in the woollen raanufact- 
 ^ ^" — uring industry in the village of 
 
 Greenville, was born in Leicester, January 
 30, 1 84 1, son of Asa W. Clark. Of Scotch 
 extraction, he is descended from one of the 
 early pioneers of Hampshire County. His 
 paternal grandfather, Asa Clark, spent his 
 life in Belchertown, that county. 
 
 Asa W. Clark was born and bred in Belcher- 
 town, which he left when a young man to take 
 charge of a d-istrict school in Rochdale. Sub- 
 sequently deciding to make a permanent loca- 
 
io68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tion in Leicester, he bought a farm owned by 
 his father-in-law, Ebenezer Dunbar, in the 
 southern part of the town, and was thereafter 
 engaged in agriculture until his demise in Au- 
 gust, 1889. A man of ability and integrity, 
 he exerted an influence for good in the com- 
 munity ; and as one of the Selectmen for sev- 
 eral years he assisted in advancing the welfare 
 of the town. Especially interested in the re- 
 ligious growth of the community, he early 
 united with the Baptist church in Greenville, 
 and for years rendered faithful service as one 
 of its Deacons. His wife, whose maiden name 
 was Lydia W. Dunbar, was born and reared on 
 her father's farm, and continued to live there 
 after her marriage, rearing her whole family 
 there. They had four children, as follows: 
 M. Adelaide, deceased; John D. , also de- 
 ceased ; Malcom G. , the subject of this sketch; 
 and Cecilia L., the wife of F. A. Blake, of 
 Greenville. Mrs. Lydia W. Clark died De- 
 cember 7, 1898. She was a lineal descendant 
 of John Dunbar, an original settler of Leices- 
 ter, who came here from one of the sub- 
 urbs of Boston in Colonial days. His son, 
 Abner, her grandfather, was a soldier in the 
 Revolution. Abner's son, Ebenezer, was her 
 father. 
 
 Malcom G. Clark grew to man's estate on 
 his father's farm. After passing through the 
 public schools of his district he pursued a 
 course of study at academies in Worcester, 
 Mass., and Suffield, Conn. After attaining 
 his majority he began his business career as a 
 farmer and lumber manufacturer and dealer. 
 Soon after he gave up the lumber business to 
 engage in the manufacture of woollen goods, in 
 connection with his brother, J. D. Clark, hav- 
 ing his mills in the village of Greenville. He 
 is now a director of the J. D. Clark Company, 
 and as such has been largely instrumental in 
 placing this corporation among the leading 
 woollen manufacturing firms of the vicinity. 
 He also devotes a portion of his time to the 
 real estate business. 
 
 Mr. Clark married Miss Inez F. , daughter 
 of Franklin Sibley, late of Sutton, Mass. 
 They have one child, Ernest Clark. In poli- 
 tics Mr. Clark is a stanch Republican. He 
 is now serving on the School Committee of 
 
 Leicester. He is also an active member of 
 the Baptist church in Greenville, and con- 
 tributes liberally to its maintenance. 
 
 "CdD/lLLIA 
 
 VM/ agric 
 
 •^ •'^ pran 
 
 ILLIAM M. WARREN, a leading 
 culturist of Paxton and a vet- 
 eran of the Civil War, was born 
 here, September 17, 1832. A son of John 
 and Lucretia (Mirick) Warren, he is de- 
 scended from John Warren, who came from 
 England in 1630 and settled near Watertown, 
 Mass. A treasured heirloom of the family, 
 brought by this ancestor from England, is a 
 cane which he bequeathed to his son, John, 
 and which was thereafter handed down to each 
 succeeding John. The paternal great-grand- 
 father of William M., also named John, re- 
 sided for a time in Marlboro. From that 
 town he removed to Paxton, being the first of 
 the name here. His son William, grand- 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was then 
 about a year old. The father of William M., 
 John Warren, born in Paxton, was a lifelong 
 resident of the town. He died here on March 
 9, 1872. His wife, Lucretia, who was a na- 
 tive of Holden, Mass., died August 21, 1862. 
 
 William M. Warren, who is of the eighth 
 generation, was reared on a farm, and during 
 his boyhood attended the public schools in the 
 town. He has since improved his education 
 by reading and by careful observation of the 
 facts of life that have come within the scope 
 of his experience. While a young man he 
 was engaged in boot-making for a time. On 
 September 8, 1862, he enlisted for nine 
 months in Company B, Fifty-first Regiment, 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and after- 
 ward served for more than ten months in the 
 Civil War. In active service for seven 
 months in North Carolina, he took part in the 
 battles of Kinston, White Hall, and Golds- 
 boro. His regiment was then transferred to 
 the Army of the Potomac, July 12, 1863, and 
 Mr. Warren was assigned to picket duty at , 
 Maryland Heights. After he was discharged 
 on July 27, 1863, he returned to Paxton, and 
 settled on a farm, where he has since followed 
 agriculture. 
 
 Mr. Warren has been twice married. His 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1069 
 
 first wife, in maidenhood Mary H. Bowen, 
 was a native of Dorchester, Mass. She was 
 the mother of three children, all of whom are 
 deceased. By his second marriage, which was 
 contracted with Susan C. Woodbury, of Sut- 
 ton, there was one son, John L. Warren (the 
 seventh John, of the ninth generation), who 
 died March 28, 1886. A comrade of George 
 C. Marshall Post, No. 136, G. A. R., of Rut- 
 land, he is now its Senior Vice-Commander. 
 He visited the national encampments of the 
 organization held in Boston, Washington, 
 Pittsburg, and Buffalo, and the battlefields of 
 Antietam and Gettysburg. He has served the 
 town in the office of Overseer of the Poor; is 
 now Highway Surveyor, in which capacity he 
 has served at intervals since 1859; has also 
 rendered public service in the capacity of 
 juryman; and has been the president of the 
 Paxton Farmers' Club. In politics he is a 
 Republican, and he has voted at every elec- 
 tion since he came of age. 
 
 7TXHARLES COLLINS McCLOUD, 
 I V-^ late of Worcester, secretary and busi- 
 \% ness manager of McCloud, Crane & 
 ^ Minter Screw Company, was born 
 in Boston, February 28, 1831, son of Harvey 
 and Lydia (Shurtleff) McCloud. On the pa- 
 ternal side he was of Scottish descent. His 
 great-grandfather, who belonged to the Mac- 
 Leod clan of Scotland, immigrated to Canada, 
 but later settled in Barre, Vt. ; and his grand- 
 father, Charles McCloud, was born there 
 about 1770. His grandmother McCloud was 
 born in Sherbrooke, P.Q., in 1779. His 
 father, Harvey McCloud, who died at his 
 home in Worcester in 1889, aged eighty- 
 seven, was born in Barre, Vt., in 1802. 
 After marrying Lydia Shurtleff he settled in 
 Boston, and a few years later he removed to 
 Noddle's Island, now East Boston, where he 
 carried on market gardening. 
 
 Charles C. McCloud acquired a good pub- 
 lic-school education, attending both the Bos- 
 ton grammar and Latin schools. Having a 
 natural genius for mechanics, he served an ap- 
 prenticeship at Tufts Engine Works in East 
 Boston, and became an expert machinist and 
 
 tool-maker. He later entered the Boston 
 Screw Company, remaining with them until 
 1870. In that year Mr. McCloud removed 
 with his wife and two daughters to Worces- 
 ter. Here he acted as foreman for Mr. J. H. 
 Grey, whom he and Henry G. Crane bought 
 out two years later, forming the firm of Mc- 
 Cloud & Crane for the purpose of manufactur- 
 ing machine screws. 
 
 January i, 1884, Mr. Henry Minter was 
 admitted a member of the firm, and the name 
 was changed to McCloud, Crane & Minter. 
 It was continued as such until November 3, 
 1892, when it was merged into a corporation 
 under the name of McCloud, Crane & Minter 
 Company. Mr. McCloud acted as secretary 
 and business manager of the company from the 
 time of its organization until his death, No- 
 vember 27, 1897. Owing to his energy and 
 business ability the business was made what 
 it was. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. McCloud was joined in mar- 
 riage in East Boston with Elizabeth Leger 
 Davis, who was born in Liverpool, England, 
 in 1848, daughter of William and Annie 
 (Gill) Davis. He left three children, 
 namely: Annie Isabel and May Elizabeth, 
 who were born in East Boston ; and Charles 
 Lyman, who was born in Worcester. All 
 perfected their education by attending schools 
 in Europe, being accompanied abroad by their 
 mother. Annie Isabel married Albert W. A. 
 Horstmeir, a native of Baltimore, Md., now a 
 resident of Boston, a portrait painter. May 
 Elizabeth married Harry Stuart Fonda, of 
 San Francisco, Cal., a professor at the Hop- 
 kins Institute of Art. Charles Lyman, who 
 attended school in Paris four years, is now 
 studying mechanical engineering in Worces- 
 ter, with the view of succeeding to his father's 
 interests in the screw company, and is also 
 attending a business college. He has 
 adopted the original Scotch spelling of his 
 name. 
 
 The late Mr. McCloud was an able financier 
 as well as an expert mechanic, and accumu- 
 lated a fortune. He was actively interested 
 in the general welfare of this city and its po- 
 litical affairs, but never cared to hold office. 
 He travelled quite extensively, and was thus 
 
loyo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 enabled to increase his knowledge of the fine 
 arts, in which he was deeply interested. He 
 was exceedingly domestic in his habits, and 
 the only organization he belonged to was the 
 American Association of Screw Manufact- 
 urers, whose resolutions adopted at the time 
 of his death declare that he will be greatly 
 missed by that body. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM J. BOWES, manager of 
 the Lawrence Felting Company's 
 factory in Millville, town of Black- 
 stone, Mass., was born in Dublin, Ireland, 
 November 20, 1842. 
 
 At the age of fourteen he emigrated to the 
 United States, landing at New York in 1856; 
 and, proceeding to Boston in the fall of that 
 year, he finally located in Lawrence, Mass. 
 His education was acquired in the public 
 schools of that city. 
 
 When through school he started in life as 
 an operative in the Pacific Cotton Mills. He 
 was in the employ of that corporation two 
 years, going from there to the finishing depart- 
 ment of the Washington Mills; and later he 
 became a finisher at the factory of the Methuen 
 Woollen Company, where he remained seven 
 years. He next entered the employ of the 
 Lawrence Felting Company, being superin- 
 tendent of the factory, was advanced to the 
 position of agent, and eventually acquired an 
 interest in the concern. Some five years after 
 he became a member of the company, the Mill- 
 ville plant was built ; and, moving to this 
 village in 1877, he was agent of the enterprise 
 until 1893, when the Lawrence Felting Com- 
 pany was sold to the United States Rubber 
 Company, and he became its manager, which 
 position he holds at the present time. The 
 products of this company consist of felting of 
 all kinds, the raw material for which is 
 shipped from Boston, New York, and Philadel- 
 phia; and the entire output is consumed by 
 rubber companies for lining rubber boots. 
 
 In 1868 Mr. Bowes was united in marriage 
 in Auburn, N. Y., with Elizabeth J. Kavanagh, 
 daughter of Michael Kavanagh. Mrs. Bowes 
 is the mother of six children; namely, Robert 
 J. (who married Fanny P. Lanphere, October 
 
 27, 1897), Annie F., Mary C, Michael I., 
 William Joseph, Jr., and Francis A. Bowes. 
 
 Mr. Bowes was a director of the Woonsocket 
 Rubber Company for fourteen years, served as 
 Selectman and Treasurer of the town of Black- 
 stone one year, was chairman of the commit- 
 tee appointed to superintend the building of 
 the new almshouse, and also of the committee 
 on fire protection. In politics he is indepen- 
 dent. He attends the St. Augustine's Roman 
 Catholic Church, and some time since pre- 
 sented the parish with a fine church bell in 
 memory of the parents of William J. and 
 Elizabeth J. Bowes. 
 
 RANK D. PERRY, a well-known resi- 
 dent of Quinsigamond, dealer in coal 
 and wood, and general superintendent 
 of the American Car Sprinkler Company, was 
 born on July 25, 1856, in the house where 
 he now resides, at 963 Millbury Street. His 
 father, Dexter H. Perry, who was born a few 
 rods away in Greenwood Street on June 14, 
 1 8 14, was a prosperous farmer. In early life 
 Dexter H. and his brother, Josiah G., oper- 
 ated a grist-mill on the spot where their 
 father, Nathan Perry, had been many years 
 engaged in the milling business. About the 
 year 1855 they discontinued this, and in 1862 
 they dissolved the copartnership of the farm- 
 ing interest, and divided the farming prop- 
 erty. Politically, Dexter H. Perry was a Re- 
 publican, and, though he never sought office, 
 he occupied a seat at one time in the Common 
 Council. On December 17, 1839, ^^ was 
 married by the Rev. R. A. Miller, in the 
 house where his son Frank now resides, to 
 Elizabeth A, Baker, who was a native of 
 Phillipston, Mass., born September 21, 1815. 
 She was the daughter of James Baker and 
 sister of Charles and William J. Baker, 
 prominent lumber dealers of this city, the 
 former now deceased, and the latter residing 
 in Oxford Street. Mrs. Perry was for many 
 years a member of the Old South Church. 
 Her husband died on March 16, 1872, and 
 she died on April 19, 1877. Their children 
 were: George Herbert, Elmina Augusta, 
 Lenora E., Frances Caroline, Mary Lydia, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1071 
 
 Frank D. , and Edward C. George H., who 
 was born on May 2, 1841, and Elmina A., 
 born on April 21, 1843, both died of brain 
 disease, the former on January 27, 1842, the 
 latter on November i, 1855. Lenora, who 
 was born on January 16, 1845, married Sam- 
 uel W. Lackey, of Uxbridge, now of Stanton, 
 Neb. She has two children living of the 
 three that have been born to her. Frances 
 and Mary, who were born respectively on Feb- 
 ruary 17, 1847, and January 30, 1849, were 
 drowned in the mill pond back of the house 
 on December 30, 1852, while their father 
 lay ill of typhoid fever. Edward C. Perry, 
 who was born on June 29, 1859, and resides 
 at 15 Shepherd Street in this city, is the 
 local superintendent of the American Car 
 Sprinkler Company. 
 
 On account of the death of his father Frank 
 D. Perry left the high school at the age of fif- 
 teen, before completing his course of study, 
 and for the following five years he worked on 
 the farm. In 1876 he started an omnibus 
 line to the city, and began to do general 
 teaming. This proved to be a most success- 
 ful undertaking, and so much work came to 
 him that during the ten years in which he was 
 engaged in the business he frequently had 
 twenty horses in use at once. In 1882 he 
 opened a coal and wood yard, beginning in a 
 small way, and gradually increasing to his 
 present dimensions. Mr. ^erry has also done 
 a successful business as a contractor in stone 
 work and for street making. For three years 
 he was associated with Mr. Pike in the firm of 
 Perry & Pike, and during that time he built 
 streets in the Salisbury extension. In the 
 course of the work he cut down some ten feet 
 the hill where the Art Gallery now stands, 
 and another hill near the electric light sta- 
 tion, the two being a work of two years, in- 
 volving much expense. He was subsequently 
 associated with Henry W. Carter, of Mill- 
 bury, under the name Perry & Carter, in grad- 
 ing the roadbed for the Millbury electric road 
 and putting in the foundations of the power 
 station, engine beds, car station, and other 
 contracting work. 
 
 About 1887 Mr. Perry began the street 
 sprinkling business, having then only two 
 
 carts. Later, having bought the business of 
 Mr. Bancroft, he had fifteen carts ; and, for a 
 number of years before the present street 
 watering company was formed, he did about 
 all the sprinkling in the city. In 1895 was 
 organized the American Car Sprinkler Com- 
 pany of Worcester, for the purpose of operat- 
 ing the invention of John R. Gathright, of 
 Louisville, Ky., with Mr. Perry as a stock- 
 holder, a director, clerk of the corporation, 
 and general superintendent. He is also pres- 
 ident of another company of the same kind in 
 Hartford, Conn., in each of which he is one 
 of the heaviest stockholders. 
 
 Mr. Perry is a Royal Arch Mason and an 
 Odd Fellow. For five years he was treasurer 
 of the Odd Fellows Lodge, and then declined 
 to serve longer. Politically, he is a Repub- 
 lican. He was married in 1878, on his 
 twenty-second birthday, to Elizabeth A. Car- 
 penter, of Putnam, Conn., daughter of Joseph 
 W. and Elizabeth (Fisher) Carpenter. Of 
 this union three children have been born. 
 Elizabeth, the daughter, died when only four 
 days old. Earl Dexter, who was born on the 
 first day of May, 1881, is now a student in 
 the high school. Frank Godfrey, the younger 
 son, was born on January 28, 1890. Mr. 
 Perry's house has been enlarged in recent 
 years, and is provided with electric appliances 
 and other modern improvements. 
 
 -ASON B. STONE, a thrifty farmer of 
 Auburn, Mass., was born September 
 25, 1826, at the homestead where he 
 now lives, near Stone's Crossing. A 
 son of John Stone and grandson of Nathaniel 
 Stone, he comes of excellent English ancestry, 
 being a lineal descendant of Simon Stone, who 
 emigrated from England in 1635 and settled 
 at Watertown. Simon Stone was likewise the 
 progenitor of the branch of the Stone family 
 from which Emery Stone, of whom a brief 
 biography appears elsewhere in this book, is 
 descended. 
 
 John Stone, father of Jason B. , of Auburn, 
 was born on an adjoining farm, March 24, 1 798. 
 In early manhood he purchased a homestead 
 consisting of eighty acres of land, partly 
 
1072 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 cleared, and a small house, which forms a por- 
 tion of his son Jason's present dwelling. Here 
 he spent his long life engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits, and here he died September 30, 1877, 
 aged seventy-nine years, six months, and six 
 days. In politics he affiliated with the Whigs 
 until the formation of the Republican party, 
 when he became one of its firmest adherents. 
 He took an active part in local affairs, and 
 served faithfully in some of the town offices. 
 In 1825 he married Pamelia Stone, a direct 
 descendant of Gregory Stone, brother of the 
 said Simon. Of their eight children, six grew 
 to maturity, as follows : Jason B. ; Luther, 
 who died in Worcester, Mass., July i, 1896, 
 aged sixty-nine years, leaving one son and one 
 daughter; Elvira, widow of Horace Stone, re- 
 siding in Auburn ; John Elbridge, of Sterling, 
 Mass. ; Henry B. and Susan C, both of 
 Worcester, Mass. 
 
 Jason B. Stone, after receiving instruction 
 in the elementary branches of learning in the 
 common schools of Auburn, attended the acad- 
 emies of Leicester and Worcester. Born and 
 brought up on a farm, he became a farmer from 
 choice, and settled at the parental homestead. 
 He has devoted himself to all branches of agri- 
 culture, but has paid especial attention to 
 dairying, and with gratifying results. Begin- 
 ning in a small way with but five cows, he has 
 gradually enlarged his operations, and now 
 keeps from fifteen to twenty-five cows of a 
 good grade, and employs four or more horses 
 in his work. He has made essential improve- 
 ments, including additions to the original 
 barns, one of which is now forty by forty feet, 
 and the other sixty-five by thirty-eight feet. 
 He has sc:d a portion of the homestead farm, 
 and has new seventy-five acres of it left. Be- 
 sides this he is the owner of several pieces of 
 outlying land, including valuable wood lots 
 left him by his grandfather, the whole aggre- 
 gating about two hundred acres. He is a 
 Republican in politics, and has served ably 
 in all the town offices from Constable to Se- 
 lectman, and as Highway Surveyor did much 
 toward improving the roads in this vicinity. 
 He is an active member of the Congregational 
 church, also a charter member of Auburn 
 Grange, No. 60, P. of H. 
 
 On January 15, 1862, Mr. Stone married 
 Deborah G. Bennett, who was born December 
 5, 1829, in Bridgton, Me. They have two 
 sons — Walter J. and Luther N. Walter J., 
 born January 14, 1863, resides at 76 Maywood 
 Street, Worcester. He married Winnifred E. 
 Johnson, of Oxford, Mass., and has two sons: 
 Ralph J., born March 12, 1892; and Earl W., 
 born July 30, 1893. Luther N. was born De- 
 cember I, 1865. He and his wife, Sarah Hil- 
 ton, of Auburn, have one daughter — Ruth E., 
 born September 19, 1896. They live at the 
 home farm. 
 
 TT^HARLES DAVIS THAYER, living 
 I v-^ at 8 Ripley Street, Worcester, Mass., 
 ^^'^ , is a large landholder in this city, a 
 prominent agriculturist and horti- 
 culturist, and one of the best known and most 
 reliable florists in New England, having suc- 
 cessfully conducted a large florist's business 
 for thirty years. He was born in this city, 
 July 7, 1850, a son of Davis Thayer and 
 grandson of Benjamin Thayer. 
 
 Benjamin Thayer was born in Mendon, 
 Mass., in 1780, and was there employed in 
 general farming until his removal to Worces- 
 ter, where he bought a large farm, and con- 
 tinued in his pleasant occupation until his 
 decease in 1850. His first wife, Rachel 
 Wales, bore him eleven children, of whom 
 all excepting Stephen, who died young, mar- 
 ried and reared families. He subsequently 
 married for his second wife Nancy Paine. 
 
 Davis Thayer was born in Mendon, October 
 13, 1817. He died at his home, 221 Pleas- 
 ant Street, Worcester, April 13, 1895, and 
 was buried on the fiftieth anniversary of his 
 wedding day. When five years old he came 
 with his parents to Worcester, where they 
 had bought the old Andrews farm, near the 
 summit, in the northern part of the town. 
 For several years of his early manhood Davis 
 Thayer was private gardener for Colonel Isaac 
 Davis, Mayor of Worcester. He subse- 
 quently purchased ten acres of land on the 
 west side of Maiden Street, and was success- 
 fully engaged in market gardening for a quar- 
 ter of a century. In 1869 he sold out and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1073 
 
 settled on Pleasant Street, but continued his 
 agricultural pursuits for pleasure on the old 
 homestead estate during his years of activity. 
 On April 15, 1845, ^e married Sarah A. 
 Grout, one of the three children of Jonathan 
 and Sally (DeWolf) Grout, the former of whom 
 was a native of Worcester and the latter of 
 Lyme, Conn. Three children were born of 
 their union, one of whom, Idella Grout, died 
 May 2, 1870, aged seven and one-half years. 
 The others are: Charles D., the subject of 
 this sketch; and Anna E., who resides with 
 her mother at the Pleasant Street home. 
 
 Charles D. Thayer received his education 
 in Worcester, and on July 9, 1869, was grad- 
 uated from the Highland Military Academy, 
 where for two years he had been an officer in 
 the corps. He drilled later in the militia, 
 and for twenty years was an honorary member 
 of the Worcester Light Infantry. After his 
 graduation he worked a few months for his 
 mother's brother, Jonathan Grout, a promi- 
 nent book-seller or stationer of this city, and 
 at the age of nineteen embarked in his present 
 business. With no capital and but limited 
 experience, he borrowed one thousand dollars 
 at seven and three-tenths per cent, interest, 
 and at once hired and. commenced work in the 
 greenhouse which his uncle Jonathan had pre- 
 viously built for his son, the lamented Willie 
 Grout, First Lieutenant of Company D, Fif- 
 teenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 
 whose death at the age of eighteen years, on 
 October 21, 1861, at Ball's Bluff, made him 
 the hero of the pathetic poem, "The Vacant 
 Chair," written by the Hon. Henry S. Wash- 
 burn, November 16, 1861. Mr. Thayer for 
 a short time employed his father, an experi- 
 enced horticulturist, to assist him, and has 
 since developed a business next to the larg- 
 est of the kind in this part of the State, 
 having now. twelve greenhouses, with twenty- 
 five thousand feet of glass. He raises flowers 
 and plants of all descriptions, having many 
 rare and beautiful kinds, and makes a spe- 
 cialty of dealing in cut flowers and designs, 
 and floral and plant decorations. He has 
 bought considerable real estate, having now 
 eleven city lots besides the one on which 
 was erected his present fine residence fifteen 
 
 years ago; and is part owner of the Greendale 
 estate, which formerly belonged to his father 
 and grandfather, and the "Liberty farm " of 
 seventy acres in the western part of the city, 
 known as the Abby Kelley Foster property, 
 which he purchased July 28, 1894. This he 
 has converted into a dairy farm, on which he 
 keeps six horses and thirty-five cows of the 
 thoroughbred Holsteins and Jerseys. He 
 sells the milk to city customers, having a 
 large route in Worcester. He also owns a 
 farm at the corner of Heard and Clover 
 Streets, in the southerly part of the city. 
 Mr. Thayer has long been a member of the 
 Worcester County Agricultural and Horticult- 
 ural Societies; of the Worcester Grange, Pa- 
 ,trons of Husbandry — the largest grange in 
 New England — of which he is chaplain; is 
 Commander of Cavalry Commandery, H. and 
 I. Order, Knights of Malta; and First Lieu- 
 tenant, Company A, of the Worcester Conti- 
 nentals. For two years he has been captain 
 and drill master of his commandery. In poli- 
 tics he uniformly supports the principles of 
 the Republican party. 
 
 On December 9, 1874, Mr. Thayer married 
 Nellie Wyman, who was born in Newbury- 
 port, Mass., but reared and educated in 
 Worcester. Her father, Alfred Wyman, re- 
 moved with his family to Worcester many 
 years ago, and was here engaged in a thriving 
 business as a flour merchant. He was a noted 
 abolitionist in his younger days, and after- 
 ward a strong Republican. He died at his 
 home on Lincoln Street in June, 1895, aged 
 seventy-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Thayer 
 have had seven children, of whom two died 
 young, Willie, the second-born, when seven 
 years old, and Leon in infancy. The five 
 living are: Alfred D., who is connected in 
 business, with his father; Joseph F. ; Mary 
 W. ; Charles D., Jr. ; and Sarah G. 
 
 OSEPH ADAMS, a prosperous farmer 
 of Grafton, son of Moses H. and Sally 
 (Prentice) Adams, was born in this 
 town, January 19, 1832. He is a rep- 
 resentative of the seventh generation of the 
 family founded by William Adams, who was 
 
1074 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 an early inhabitant of Cambridge, Mass., and 
 removed thence about 1642 to Ipswich. The 
 line of descent is: William '; Nathaniel,^ born 
 about 1641; Samuel, 3 born in Ipswich, 1682; 
 Andrew, ■• born in 171 5; Nathaniel, ^ born Jan- 
 uary I, 1756; Moses H.,* born February 2, 
 1795- (See " Some Descendants of William 
 Adams, of Ipswich," by W. S. Appleton, pub- 
 lished in 1 88 1.) 
 
 Andi^ew Adams," who settled in Grafton at 
 an early day, married October 15, 1741, Eliza- 
 beth Hunt, of Concord, Mass. She died Au- 
 gust 9, 1770; and he married in 1771 Mrs. 
 Sarah Torrey, of Mendon. He had seven chil- 
 dren, all by his first wife. Nathaniel, son of 
 Andrew, born January i, 1756, was a Deacon 
 in the church at Grafton for upward of twenty 
 years, and a man highly respected by all who 
 knew him. He married Mary Harrington, 
 who bore him nine children. His death oc- 
 curred January 24, 1829. 
 
 Moses H. Adams, son of Nathaniel, was 
 born February 2, 1795. He conducted a farm 
 of some two hundred acres in Grafton, and was 
 looked upon as one of the best and most flour- 
 ishing farmers in the town. He was active ip 
 local affairs, and served as Selectman in his 
 younger days. His wife, Sally, who was born 
 in 1796, died in 1878. She bore him eight 
 children, as follows: Susan, who died in 1853; 
 Sarah, who died in 1832, at the age of eight 
 years ; Moses, who passed away at the age of 
 twenty-two; Charles, who resides in Elko, 
 Nev. ; Nathaniel, who died in 1853 at Graf- 
 ton ; Joseph, the subject of this sketch ; Abijah, 
 born May 18, 1834, who was a resident for 
 some time of Walnut Creek, Cal., and died in 
 San Diego, Cal., in 1894; and Horace, bom 
 February 8, 1837, who was killed by Indians 
 at Honey Lake, Cal., in 1859. 
 
 Joseph Adams obtained the latter part of his 
 schooling in an academy at Worcester. After 
 a brief course there he returned home, and 
 thereafter assisted his father on the homestead 
 until the latter' s death. Since then he has 
 managed the estate. Besides general farming 
 on an extensive scale, he carries on a wood and 
 lumber business. He has added to and im- 
 proved the original estate until it is now re- 
 garded as one of the best cultivated and 
 
 equipped farms in this section. The appear- 
 ance of thrift and prosperity visible in every 
 part of his estate presents convincing evidence 
 of its owner's rare capacity and enterprise, and 
 marks him as a man " diligent in all things." 
 Personally, he enjoys the reputation of being 
 a straightforward, honest, and clear-minded 
 citizen, who keeps abreast of the times, and 
 whose judgment may be depended upon in all 
 the ordinary affairs of life. 
 
 Mr. Adams has never been, in any sense of 
 the word, a politician, although well read and 
 well informeS in regard to public affairs. He 
 was a Selectman of Grafton in 1870 and 1871, 
 and he also served on various town committees. 
 In politics he is a Republican. On March 28, 
 1866, he married Sarah A. Newton, who was 
 born July 6, 1 843, a daughter of John M. and 
 Adaline (Holden) Newton. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Adams had three sons: Joseph H., born March 
 3, 1870, who died August 13, 1870; Charles 
 Abijah, born November 24, 1875; and Horace 
 H., born January 28, 1879. Charles and 
 Horace reside with their father. Mrs. Adams 
 died on April 12, 1885. 
 
 lie 
 
 OHN G. WARNER, a well-known 
 farmer and dairyman of Boylston Cen- 
 tre, was born in Harvard, Mass., Sep- 
 tember 17, 1834, son of John and Sal- 
 (Gould) Warner. He belongs to the 
 family founded in this country by John 
 Warner, who was one of the early settlers of 
 Harvard in 1687. From this ancestor de- 
 scended a line of Johns, all born in Harvard, 
 the last of whom was the great-grandfather of 
 the subject of this sketch. Elias Warner, son 
 of this John, and a farmer of Harvard, after 
 enlisting in the American army in 1781 at the 
 age of sixteen, fought in the Revolution until 
 its close, and subsequently, according to the 
 records of Massachusetts kept at the State 
 House in Boston, was awarded eighteen three- 
 year-old cattle, twenty-five hundred paper dol- 
 lars, and seven silver dollars in compensation 
 for his services. His wife, Abigail, who died 
 at the age of seventy-three, was descended 
 from one Priest, who settled in Harvard at the 
 same time that the first John Warner did. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i°75 
 
 Elias and Abigail were the parents of three 
 children. 
 
 John Warner, the father of John G. , also a 
 native of Harvard, was engaged in farming 
 with his father until he came of age. He 
 then went to Boston to live. Later he re- 
 turned to Harvard, and spent the rest of his 
 life in that town occupied in farming. His 
 death occurred on April 17, 1875, at the age 
 of eighty-six. He was married on November 
 10, 1818, to Sallie Gould, who was born at 
 Tinmouth, Vt., daughter of Josiah Gould. 
 She died in 1874, aged seventy-five years. 
 Of their family of ten children, five are living: 
 Sarah, who married Frank Simonds, and re- 
 sides in Maiden, Mass. ; Alanson, who now 
 lives in Los Angeles, Gal. ; John Gould War- 
 ner, of Boylston Centre, Mass. ; Daniel Web- 
 ster Warner, of Hudson, Mass ; and Eliza Ma- 
 hala, who married Robert V. Brooks, and now 
 resides in Milford, Mass. Four sons served 
 in the Union army during the Civil War. 
 Both parents were members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 John G. Warner attended school one or two 
 terms a year until he was twenty years old. 
 He resided at home with his parents until 
 eleven years of age, then went to work on a 
 farm in Lancaster, and subsequently was em- 
 ployed for a time in a shoe shop at Marlboro. 
 Later he joined the Northern army, enlisting 
 in Company D of the Twenty-first Massachu- 
 setts Regiment of Volunteers, and took part in 
 the battle of Roanoke Island on February 8, 
 1862; that of Newbern on March 14, 1862; 
 the Wilderness on May 6, 1864; and Spottsyl- 
 vania on May 10, 1864. At Spottsylvania he 
 received the wound in the foot for which he is 
 now receiving a pension. He also served for 
 about eighteen months as nurse and orderly 
 in the United States General Hospital. After 
 three years he was honorably discharged, and 
 he' came North, taking up his residence in 
 Worcester. In 1868 he settled on the farm 
 where he now resides. He controls a milk 
 business, running a delivery wagon daily to 
 Worcester, missing but one trip in twenty-one 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Warner was first married in 1857 to 
 Eliza A, Hastings, a native of Boylston and 
 
 a daughter of James Hastings. She was the 
 mother of one son, John M. , who married Car- 
 rie H. Fames, and is now the father of four 
 children— John B., Myrtle L., Clifton C, 
 and Marjorie H. Mrs. Eliza A. Warner died 
 after a short married life; and Mr. Warner 
 married for his second wife Martha J. Webber, 
 of Beverly, a daughter of William E. Webber. 
 She has borne him four children — Eliza P., 
 Otis E. , Lydia P;, and William H. Eliza, 
 who married Willis A. Fuller, is the mother 
 of four children — Willis F. and Winifred E., 
 twins; Loring G. ; and Merton W. Otis E. 
 died in 1873 at the age of four years. Mr. 
 Warner is a Republican in his political views. 
 He takes a keen interest in town affairs, is a 
 trustee of the cemetery, undertaker, and 
 United States mail carrier. He is a member 
 of the grange, and was its first lecturer. He 
 is also a member of the Worcester East Agri- 
 cultural Association and of Post 28, G. A. R., 
 at West Boylston. Mr. Warner, two of his 
 daughters, and one son are members of the 
 Congregational church in Boylston. 
 
 7T%HARLES EDWIN BROOKS, for 
 I Nr-' many years an honored citizen of 
 ^lis^^ Worcester and for eleven years treas- 
 urer, librarian, and custodian of 
 the Worcester Horticultural Society, was the 
 second of eight children born to Nathaniel and 
 Mary (Chadwick) Brooks, and was ushered 
 into existence in Worcester on August 15, 
 1824. 
 
 Charles Edwin Brooks was always regarded 
 as the first of the children, as his older brother 
 died in infancy. Passing his childhood and 
 youth on his father's farm of more than one 
 hundred acres, he attended the public schools 
 and the Worcester County Manual Training 
 School, the latter being the beginning of the 
 now famous Worcester Academy. Here his 
 school life ended. Some of his early years 
 were spent in the office of the Spy. After- 
 ward he followed the grocery business for some 
 years as a partner in the firm of Brooks & 
 Stearns at 8 Front Street. In 1864, favored 
 by Captain Horace. James of the Twenty-fifth 
 Massachusetts Infantry, he went to Newbern, 
 
1076 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 N. C. , where he was employed in the commis- 
 sary department. On returning to this city he 
 went into partnership with his brother-in-law, 
 David H. Fanning, in the Worcester Skirt 
 Company; but in 1879 he began the work 
 which most prominently connected him with 
 Worcester life and recollection. 
 
 In the fall of that year he was made a sort 
 of general supervisor, sharing with Mr. E. W. 
 Lincoln the general responsibility for the well- 
 being of the Horticultural Society. In this 
 capacity he was ever present and ever vigilant. 
 Everything was in place, and he knew just 
 where everything was to be found. Nothing 
 was ever shirked. If possible, responsibilities 
 were anticipated. Seemingly here were many 
 years of usefulness for Mr. Brooks ; but illness 
 came, and after a few days of pain he died on 
 December 22, 1890. 
 
 Mr. Brooks was married on December 2, 
 1 85 1, to Elizabeth Capron Fanning, of Jew- 
 ett City, Conn., a sister of Mr. David H. 
 Fanning. The Brooks home is at 54 Queen 
 Street. To them were born three children — 
 Ella, Arthur A., and Walter F. The eldest, 
 Ella, died at the age of four years; Arthur A., 
 who was graduated from the Worcester High 
 School as valedictorian of the class of 1875, 
 and in 1879 from Harvard College, taught for 
 a time in Scranton, Pa., and subsequently for 
 a year in the Worcester High School. After- 
 ward he took a course in the Harvard Divinity 
 School, and in 1886 became pastor of the First 
 Unitarian Society in Greenfield. The younger 
 son, Walter F. , was also graduated at the 
 Worcester High School, and soon after he en- 
 tered the banking house of William H. Morse, 
 where he was employed for a number of years. 
 He was also secretary of the Security Associ- 
 ates. 
 
 Mr. Charles E. Brooks was a man of fine 
 physique, tall and erect. October 22, 1875, 
 he became a member of the Worcester 
 Agricultural Society, and in 1886 was made a 
 life member of the Society of the Sons and 
 Daughters of New Hampshire. The first meet- 
 ing of the Horticultural Society after his death 
 was distinguished by the adoption of resolutions 
 of respect of a most appropriate character drawn 
 up by Mr, James Draper, The Brooks family 
 
 has been Congregational for generations. At 
 least three of Mr. Brooks's ancestors in direct 
 line were Deacons, and in Worcester they were 
 members of the Old South Church. Mr. 
 Charles E. Brooks was one of the fifty- two 
 members who left Plymouth Church to form 
 the new Piedmont, and of this body he was 
 clerk from the beginning to the date of his 
 death. His life was an excellent example of 
 faithfulness, honesty, and devotion. 
 
 YgrON. SAMUEL CYRUS HART- 
 L^ WELL, M. D., who was a prominent 
 lis I physician of Southbridge for many 
 — years, was born in this town, March 
 28, 1820. He comes of good English stock, 
 being a descendant in the fifth generation of 
 William Hartwell, who was an early settler 
 of Concord, Mass. His grandfather, Samuel 
 Hartwell, a farmer by occupation, spent a 
 large part of his life on the old homestead in 
 Rochdale, Mass. Samuel Hartwell, son of 
 the preceding Samuel, born in Oxford, Mass., 
 August 30, 1793, died in Southbridge about 
 August 27, 1874. He began the study of 
 medicine with his brother, Dr. Cyrus Hart- 
 well, of New Jersey, and was graduated from 
 the New York College of Physicians and Sur- 
 geons in 1816. Afterward, settling in South- 
 bridge, he built up an extensive practice, 
 becoming one of the most prominent and re- 
 spected men of the town and receiving many 
 trusts, both civil and military. He married 
 Lydia Ammidown, a daughter of Calvin Am- 
 midown and a sister of Ebenezer D. Ammi- 
 down. 
 
 Samuel Cyrus Hartwell received his early 
 education in the public schools of Southbridge 
 and at the Dudley and Monson Academies. 
 Afterward he studied medicine under his 
 father's instruction and in a medical college 
 in Philadelphia. After graduating from this 
 institution with the degree of Doctor of Medi- 
 cine in 1839, he returned to Southbridge and 
 began his medical career in association with 
 his father, whose long experience and high 
 standing in the profession were of great assist- 
 ance to him. Some time later he went to 
 New York, where he was associated with an 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1077 
 
 eminent specialist, Dr. Green, for about one 
 year. He then returned home, and thereafter 
 remained permanently in Southbridge. Con- 
 tinuing the practice of his father, he built up 
 an extensive and lucrative patronage, and came 
 to be recognized by the profession as a most 
 skilful and painstaking physician. 
 
 For many years Dr. Hartwell served the 
 town as Moderator at the annual and special 
 town meetings, displaying much tact as a fair 
 and impartial official. He was elected to the 
 Massachusetts Senate in 1881, and he also 
 served his fellow-townsmen in various local 
 offices. He was an able speaker. An ad- 
 dress, considered by many to have been "the 
 effort of his life," made at the time of the 
 inauguration of the public library, was influ- 
 ential in allaying the opposition to the project. 
 In 1861 he went out with the Thirty-eighth 
 Massachusetts Regiment as surgeon. Ere- 
 long he was promoted to the same position in 
 the Army of the Potomac, in which capacity 
 he served from April 9 to May 17, 1862. 
 He was then made medical director of Gen- 
 eral Emery's division. On March 2, 1864, 
 he was forced to resign from the service on 
 account of failing health. For many years he 
 was an active member of the Baptist church. 
 He also belonged to the Quinnebaug Lodge, 
 F. & A. M. In politics he was an adherent 
 of the Republican party. 
 
 On March 18, 1844, Dr. Hartwell was mar- 
 ried to Ellen Maria Plimpton, who was born 
 in Southbridge, August 21, 1822, daughter of 
 Moses and Edna (Taylor) Plimpton. The 
 Plimpton family easily traces its genealogy 
 for twenty generations back of John Plimptori, 
 its immigrant ancestor, who came to this 
 country about the year 1620. Mrs. Hart- 
 well's grandfather, Gershom Plimpton, a son 
 of Lieutenant Gershom Plimpton, born Febru- 
 ary 18, 1768, died April 20, 1823. He mar- 
 ried Keziah, daughter of Daniel and Jemima 
 (Shaw) Fiske. Moses Plimpton, Esq., born 
 October 17, 1793, died September 19, 1854. 
 He was a manufacturer in Southbridge and for 
 more than twoscore years one of the town's 
 most prominent and influential residents. 
 Also for some time he was Inspector of Cus- 
 toms at the port of Boston. Possessing much 
 
 literary ability, he wrote a history of South- 
 bridge, and also delivered a lecture before the 
 Southbridge Lyceum that was spoken of in the 
 highest terms of commendation. He assisted 
 the cause of education through his connection 
 with the management of the schools and ly- 
 ceum. Of the six children of Dr. and Mrs. 
 Hartwell, two are now living, namely: Isa- 
 bella Tiffany, born in 1852, who graduated 
 from the Southbridge High School, married 
 Frederick W. Fisk, and now resides at St. 
 Paul, Minn. ; and Ellen Plimpton, born in 
 1855, also a graduate of the Southbridge High 
 School, who is now living at home with her 
 widowed mother. Dr. Hartwell died August 
 I, 1885. 
 
 /^^^TeORGE H. perry, of Shrewsbury, 
 y '*) I is the owner and proprietor of Spring 
 ^— -^ Brook Farm, a valuable estate that 
 seems very appropriately named, as the fields 
 formerly contained many springs of pure water 
 that now, as brooks, are no longer visible, 
 owing to an extensive system of under drain- 
 ing. He was born August 30, 1836, in Marl- 
 boro, Middlesex County, Mass., a son of Cap- 
 tain Jesse and Laura (Brigham) Perry. His 
 paternal grandfather was Obadiah Perry, a 
 prominent farmer of Sudbury, who died about 
 thirty years ago. 
 
 Captain Jesse Perry was a tiller of the soil, 
 and was especially noted as a superior dairy- 
 man and butter-maker. He derived his title 
 of Captain from the militia, in which he com- 
 manded a local company; and he was also 
 active in town affairs, serving as Selectman, 
 Overseer of the Poor, and in other offices. He 
 was a member of the Congregational church, 
 toward the support of which he liberally con- 
 tributed. By his wife, Laura Brigham Perry, 
 who was one of a family of thirteen children, 
 he had seven children, namely: Mary Eliza- 
 beth, wife of John S. Stevens, of Marlboro; 
 Lucy A., who married S. I. Howe, of Shrews- 
 bury, and is now deceased; Caroline, wife of 
 Stephen Reed, of this town; Ellen A., now 
 Mrs. Everett Walker, also of Shrewsbury; 
 Laura B., who became the wife of S. I. Howe 
 after the death of her sister Lucy; Franklin ]., 
 
1078 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 who enlisted in Company H, Twenty-fifth 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in April, 
 1863, and was killed at the battle of Cold 
 Harbor in the following June, the first engage- 
 ment in which he participated; and George H., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 George H. Perry obtained a practical educa- 
 tion in the district schools of Shrewsbury, and 
 afterward worked for a while in the shoe shops 
 of that place. Preferring, however, the free 
 and independent life of a farmer, he bought the 
 farm on which his father had lived for about 
 twenty years, having greatly improved it, and, 
 emulating the latter's perseverance and indus- 
 try, has since made it one of the most pro- 
 ductive farms and comfortable homesteads in 
 this locality. Among his improvements are a 
 commodious house and a new stock barn. He 
 makes a specialty of dairying and fruit-grow- 
 ing, selling his milk at the door to wholesale 
 dealers, who retail it in Worcester. In 1896 
 he shipped on contract six hundred barrels of 
 apples. In politics he is a sound Republican, 
 loyal to the interests of his party, and has 
 served as Overseer of the Poor and Assessor. 
 He belongs to Shrewsbury Grange, P. of H., 
 and attends the Congregational church. 
 
 Mr. Perry married in 1864 Miss Anna 
 Pierce, of Northboro, who died in February, 
 1892. Their three children died at an early 
 age. In 1896 Mr. Perry married for his sec- 
 ond wife Miss Laurilia Moore, daughter of 
 Newell and Eliza Moore, of Holden, Mass. 
 
 TT^APTAIN EMERSON STONE, whose 
 I Nt^ title was won by meritorious service 
 ^Is^^ in the Civil War, is well . known 
 throughout Worcester County, hav- 
 ing been a County Commissioner since 1888. 
 For the last thirty years and more he has been 
 a resident of Spencer. Born May 11, 1840, 
 in Montgomery, Ala., by both parents he 
 comes of New England ancestry and old Eng- 
 lish stock. More than one of his progenitors 
 fought in the Revolution. His father, David 
 Stone, was a native of Massachusetts; and his 
 mother, Mrs. Mary A. Pierce Stone, was born 
 and bred in New York State. The latter 
 having died when he was but three months 
 
 old, he was cared for during his childhood in 
 Otsego County, New York, at the home of 
 his maternal grandparents, Charles and Sally 
 Pierce, who were both natives of Waltham, 
 Mass. 
 
 Having acquired his early education in the 
 public schools, young Stone came to Massa- 
 chusetts in 1855, and spent the next few 
 years, first employed on a farm in Spencer 
 and then in the neighboring town of Leices- 
 ter, where he enjoyed the advantage of one 
 term at the academy. Later he was employed 
 for a little over a year in the card cloth- 
 ing factories of J. & J. Mardock and Biscoe & 
 Denny. On the 19th of April, 1861, re- 
 sponding to President Lincoln's call for 
 troops, he went to Worcester, and joined 
 the Third Battalion of Rifles, commanded 
 by Major Devens, afterward General Charles 
 Devens, being the first man to enlist from 
 the town of Leicester. During this three 
 months' term of service he was engaged in 
 garrison duty at Fort McHenry, near Balti- 
 more, and at Annapolis. When his time had 
 expired he came home, and a few weeks later 
 he re-enlisted for three years in the Twenty- 
 fifth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers. 
 A small part of this term was spent in help- 
 ing to recruit Company K, undSer Captain 
 J. W. Denny, of which he was made Sergeant. 
 After nearly three years of active service in 
 the Ninth Corps, under General Burnside, and 
 in the Eighteenth, under General Butler, he 
 successfully passed an examination for promo- 
 tion, was commissioned Captain, and assigned 
 to the One Hundred and Twenty-third United 
 States Colored Troops. While still attached 
 to the Twenty-fifth and awaiting orders, he 
 shouldered his rifle, and went into the engage- 
 ment at Drewry's Bluff, sometimes called the 
 "battle of the fog," where he was severely 
 wounded and taken prisoner. To the circum- 
 stance that his captor had once been in the 
 hands of the Twenty-fifth and had been kindly 
 treated. Captain Stone says he owes his life. 
 The nature of his wound necessitated the am- 
 putation of his left forearm, which operation 
 was performed by a rebel surgeon. After 
 being held for three months in Libby Prison, 
 he was paroled, and came home to Spencer, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 379 
 
 having been first duly and honorably dis- 
 charged in Camp Parole at Annapolis, Md. 
 Among the battles and skirmishes in which 
 he had taken part before the engagem.ent at 
 Drewry's Bluff may be mentioned those of 
 Roanoke Island, Newbern, White Hall, Kins- 
 ton, and Goldsboro — all in North Carolina; 
 and Bermuda Landing and Arrowfield Church 
 in Virginia. 
 
 After a brief period of rest in Spencer, 
 Captain Stone found employment as can- 
 vasser in the cities of Boston, New York, and 
 Philadelphia for the sale of a view of the 
 battlefield of Gettysburg. In 1867 he was 
 appointed Assistant Assessor of Internal Rev- 
 enue for this district, comprising Spencer and 
 adjoining towns. This position he held till 
 1873, when the system then in vogue was 
 abolished. Appointed by President Grant in 
 1868, he was Postmaster of Spencer for 
 twenty years. He also served for some time 
 as Town Clerk, besides holding minor local 
 offices. First elected County Commissioner 
 in 1888, he is now serving his fourth consec- 
 utive term in that office. In 1898, at the 
 beginning of his present term, he was chosen 
 chairman of the commission. He has taken 
 much interest in the new court-house at 
 Worcester, now in the course of erection at 
 the cost of three hundred and fifty thousand 
 dollars. In 1889 he was chosen Highway 
 Commissioner of Spencer. While in this 
 office he originated the demand for macada- 
 mized town roads, which were finally ob- 
 tained. He was also the prime mover in 
 securing the excellent water supply system of 
 Spencer, being the first to suggest the pur- 
 chase of Shaw Pond from Leicester. The 
 movement that resulted in the organization of 
 F. A. Stearns Post, No. 37, G. A. R., of 
 which he is a charter member and was the first 
 Commander, was started by him. A Mason 
 of Spencer Lodge, he has served as its chap- 
 lain, and he is a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. In politics he is a stanch Re- 
 publican. 
 
 On September 29th, 1861, Captain Stone 
 married Charlotte C. Boyden, a daughter of the 
 late Samuel and Harriet B. (West) Boyden. 
 He now has six sons — Arthur L., Charles 
 
 E., Ferdinand F. , Albert B. , Edward R.,"and 
 Luther H. The eldest, Arthur L. Stone, a 
 graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic Insti- 
 tute, is manager of a branch office, located at 
 Missoula, Mont., of the Anaconda Standard^ 
 the leading newspaper of the great North- 
 west. He was recently elected to the legis- 
 lature of that State. Charles E. Stone, a 
 graduate of Yale, is a professor at Phillips 
 Academy in Andover. Ferdinand F. Stone is 
 engaged in the orange industry in Florida. 
 Albert B. is employed in the office of the 
 Webb Granite Construction Company, of 
 Worcester. Edward R., who was the manager 
 of his father's insurance business, and was 
 Captain of the Spencer Camp, Sons of Vet- 
 erans, is now Sergeant in the Twelfth Regi- 
 ment, Company K, United States Regulars. 
 
 'ON. ELISHA MURDOCK, founder 
 of the woodenware industry, was 
 born in Winchendon, August 27, 
 1802, son of Ephraim and Zebiah 
 (Bixby) Murdock. His father was born in 
 Winchendon, January 26, 1772, and was a de- 
 scendant in the fourth generation ' of Robert 
 Murdock, of Roxbury, Mass. 
 
 James Murdock, father of Ephraim, was born 
 in Newton, Mass., March 15, 1738, married 
 Deborah Williams October 9, 1765, settled in 
 Winchendon in 1766, and died here October 
 26, 1 81 3. His wife was a descendant of Rob- 
 ert Williams, of Roxbury, the common ances- 
 tor of a number of distinguished Americans. 
 She died August 15, 1809. James and Debo- 
 rah Murdock were the parents of seven chil- 
 dren, of whom Ephraim was the fourth-born. 
 
 Ephraim Murdock was a lifelong resident of 
 Winchendon, and died February 21, 1853. 
 On February 4, 1798, he married Zebiah 
 Bixby. She died July 20, 1824; and March 
 30, 1826, he married Mrs. Abigail W. Wood- 
 bury, daughter of Captain Jacob Wales. By 
 the first marriage there were seven children, 
 Elisha being the third; and by the second there 
 were three children. 
 
 Elisha Murdock pursued his primary studies 
 in the common schools, later attending the 
 academies in Leicester, Mrf.'^R'- and Salem, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 N.H. He taught school for some time during 
 his early years; but being forcibly impressed 
 by the immense lumber resources, in which he 
 saw the foundation of an important industry, 
 he established in 1834 a pail and tub manufac- 
 tory at Waterville, one mile from Winchen- 
 don village. This was the beginning of an 
 industry which has grown into large propor- 
 tions, much capital and labor being now em- 
 ployed in its prosecution. Mr. Murdock was 
 the first to make pails and tubs by mac*hinery, 
 and was actively engaged in the woodenware 
 business until 1862, when he was succeeded by 
 his son-in-law, the late William W. Whitney. 
 
 In 1832 Mr. Murdock married Roanah 
 Morse, who was born in Winchendon, Septem- 
 ber 4, 1808, daughter of Isaac and Miriam 
 (Spofford) Morse, an account of whom will be 
 found in a sketch of Elisha M. Whitney, which 
 appears upon another page of this work. Mrs. 
 Murdock became the mother of three children, 
 namely: Ellen R., born February 16, 1834, 
 now the wife of William W. Godding, M. D., 
 and mother of three children — Mary P., Row- 
 ena, and Alvah ; and Sophia M., born March 
 30, 1837, widow of William W. Whitney, hav- 
 ing one son, Elisha M. ; and George, born 
 May 7, 1842, who died September 15, 1849. 
 
 The Hon. Elisha Murdock died March 12, 
 1870. It was universally acknowledged that 
 no citizen was ever accorded more respect and 
 esteem. For many years he was an important 
 factor in the educational affairs of the town, 
 serving as a member of the School Committee 
 from 1829 to 1863. He was Representative 
 to the legislature in 1838, 1840, 1848, and 
 185 1, was State Senator in 1852, and re- 
 elected in 1853. 
 
 ILISHA M. WHITNEY, the present 
 head of the firm of E. Murdock & Co., 
 one of the oldest established indus- 
 trial enterprises in Winchendon, was born in 
 this town June 22, 1861, son of William W. 
 and Sophia Morse (Murdock) Whitney. He 
 is a representative of the well-known families 
 of Whitney, Morse, and Murdock, whose rec- 
 ords extend far back into the Colonial period, 
 their ancestors having been prominently iden- 
 
 tified with the early growth of this Common- 
 wealth. He thus traces his descent in the 
 male line from John Whitney, who was bom 
 in England in 1589, settled in Watertown, 
 Mass., in June, 1635, and died June i, 1673: 
 John,' John,'' Nathaniel, s William,' William,' 
 Williarn,* Amasa,' Webster,* William W.,^ 
 Elisha-M. " 
 
 John Whitney' was the father of nine chil- 
 dren, all by Eleanor, his first wife, whom he 
 married before coming to America. She was 
 born in 1599, and died in Watertown, May 11, 
 1659. On September 29 of that year he mar- 
 ried for his second wife Judith Clement. John 
 Whitney =■ was born in England in 1620. He 
 marr:ied Ruth, daughter of Robert Reynolds, of 
 Watertown, in 1642, and had ten children. 
 Nathaniel Whitney, ^ born in Watertown, Feb- 
 ruary I, 1646, married Sarah Hagar, born Sep- 
 tember 3, 1 65 1. They had eight children. 
 William Whitney,* born May 6, 1683, died in 
 Weston, Mass., January 24, 1720. His wife, 
 Martha Pierce, was born in December, 1681. 
 They had five children. William,' the eldest, 
 was born in Sudbury, Mass., January 11, 1707. 
 By his union with Hannah Harrington he had 
 three children, William ^ being the eldest; and 
 by his second wife, Mary Chadwick Pierce- 
 Whitney, he had seven children. He married 
 for his third wife Margaret Spring and for his 
 fourth wife Mrs. Sarah Davis. 
 
 William Whitney^ was born in Weston, 
 Mass., April 10, 1736. He settled in Win- 
 chendon in 1774, and died in this town, July 
 10, 18 1 7. He married Mary Mansfield, of 
 Newton, who died December 5, 1815. They 
 had a family of seven children. Amasa Wliit- 
 ney, 7 the fifth of this group, was bom in Win- 
 chendon, June 16, 1777. He acquired consid- 
 erable prominence as a woollen manufacturer. 
 His death occurred February 2, 1852. His 
 wife, Mary Goodrich, who was born in Win- 
 chendon, March 20, 1779, died June 11, 1852. 
 She was the mother of seven children. Web- 
 ster Whitney,' the eldest of these, was born in 
 Winchendon, October 6, 1803, and died April 
 19, 1872. He was for some time engaged in 
 the woollen business with his father, but later 
 entered the employ of Baxter D. Whitney, a 
 roanvrfacturer of machinery in this town, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1081 
 
 was thus occupied for the rest of his life. He 
 was quite active in public affairs, and served 
 as Town Clerk for forty years. He married 
 Eliza Parks Whitman, born in Stow, Mass., 
 January 11, 1801, and died March 4, 1867. 
 They were the parents of three children, of 
 whom William W. was the second. Two are 
 living, namely: Eliza C, the eldest, widow 
 of William Beaman, having three children liv- 
 ing — William D., Charles, D., and Caroline 
 E. ; and Lucy E. , the youngest, widow of Ar- 
 chus S. Kimball. 
 
 William W. Whitney, father of Elisha M., 
 was born in Winchendon, May 5, 1833. He 
 obtained his education in the common schools 
 and at Phillips Academy, Andover. At the 
 age of eighteen he commenced his apprentice- 
 ship with Captain Ephraim Murdock, a wooden- 
 ware manufacturer, with whom he remained 
 until twenty-seven years old. He then entered 
 into partnership with his father-in-law, Elisha 
 Murdock, a brother of his late employer. The 
 concern, which began business as Elisha Mur- 
 dock & Co., made rapid advance in the methods 
 of producing woodenware, and, upon the retire- 
 ment of Mr. Murdock in 1862, James A. Whit- 
 man, a cousin of Mr. Whitney, was admitted 
 to the firm, with which he was associated for 
 the seventeen years following. Mr. Whitney 
 continued the business alone from 1879 to 
 1884, in which year his son, Elisha M., was 
 admitted to partnership, the old firm name of 
 E. Murdock & Co. being still retained. Will- 
 iam W. Whitney was a man of strict integrity 
 and unusual business ability. He devoted his 
 entire energy to the enterprise, which under 
 his management continued to be the largest 
 woodenware manufactory in New England ; and 
 through his progressive tendencies the plant 
 was constantly improving its facilities and in 
 creasing its output. He was particularly free 
 from selfish desires, and all movements insti- 
 gated for the general good of the community 
 received his earnest support. He was a di- 
 rector of the Ware River Railroad Company, a 
 trustee of the Winchendon Savings Bank ; and, 
 as he possessed the intellect to conceive and 
 the ability to execute, these enterprises were 
 materially benefited by his advice. For twenty 
 years be was an active member of the Uni- 
 
 tarian church, and served upon the Executive 
 Committee. William W. Whitney died April 
 25, 1890. 
 
 Sophia Morse Murdock, whom he married 
 January 22, 1857, was born in Winchendon, 
 March 30, 1837, daughter of Elisha and Ro- 
 anah (Morse) Murdock. Her grandfather was 
 Ephraim Murdock, and an account of the pa- 
 ternal ancestry will be found in a sketch of 
 her father, which appears elsewhere in the 
 Review. On the maternal side she is a de- 
 scendant in the ninth generation of Joseph 
 Morse, first, who was born in England about 
 the year 1587. He arrived in New England 
 about 1635, settled in Ipswich, Mass., prior 
 to 1 64 1, and died in 1646. Dorothy, his 
 wife, had three children. Joseph Morse, sec- 
 ond, who died in 1690 married Hester Peirce, of 
 Watertown, and had a family of eight children. 
 Deacon John Morse, the next in line, was born 
 December 28, 1638. He was among the first 
 settlers in Lancaster, Mass., and died July 28, 
 1702. His first wife, Anna, bore him one 
 child, and died previous to 1666. On April 
 27 of that year he married Abigail Stearns, 
 who died in Watertown, October 15, 1690. Of 
 this union there were ten children, John being 
 the third. 
 
 John Morse was born March 15, 1669-70. 
 His first wife, Elizabeth, left three chil- 
 dren. On January 7, 1702, he married Heph- 
 zibah Stone, who bore him five children. 
 Henry Morse, Sr. , the eldest of these, was 
 born September 14, 1704, and lived in Attle- 
 boro, Mass. He married a Miss Follet, and 
 had a family of eleven children. Henry, Jr., 
 the fourth child, born July 22, 1734, passed 
 the greater part of his life in Swanzey, N. H. 
 On March 20, 1755, he married Esther Pidge, 
 by whom he had seven children. Isaac Morse, 
 the youngest, Mrs. Whitney's grandfather, was 
 born November 29, 1775, and died in 1850. 
 His first wife, Miriam Spofford, born Decem- 
 ber 6, 177s, daughter of Deacon Jeremiah 
 Spofford, of Jaffrey, N.H., died August 21, 
 1819. She had ten children, of whom Mrs. 
 Whitney's mother was the fourth-born, and 
 none are living. For his second wife Isaac 
 Morse married Frances Abbott Stevens, who 
 bore him six children, The only survivor i§ 
 
io82 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Laura A., wife of Andrew Parker, of Brook- 
 lyn, N. Y. William W. and Sophia Whitney 
 were the parents of but one child, Elisha M. , 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Elisha M. Whitney acquired his education 
 in the public schools of his native town 
 and at the Adams Academy, Quincy, Mass. 
 His active life began at the age of eighteen, 
 and since his father's death he has managed 
 the enterprise in a thoroughly business-like 
 manner. Like his late predecessor, he avails 
 himself of every opportunity to introduce 
 modern improvements in the way of machinery 
 and other equipments. The business, which 
 was founded by his grandfather, has kept 
 pace with the times, both as regards the 
 character of its products and its financial 
 standing ; and the various changes which take 
 place at the factory from time to time denote 
 an expansion in its output. 
 
 On January 31, 1889, Mr. Whitney married 
 Mary M. Whitney, born in this town, April 23, 
 i860, daughter of Baxter D. and Sarah Jane 
 (Whitney) Whitney, of Winchendon. Her 
 father is an extensive manufacturer of ma- 
 chinery and one of the foremost business men 
 of this locality. Mrs. Whitney is the mother 
 of two children: William W., born September 
 27, 1892; and Emily, born November 21, 
 1894. 
 
 It is worthy of note that Mr. Whitney's 
 great-grandfathers, Amasa Whitney, Ephraim 
 Murdock, and Isaac Morse, who were contem- 
 poraries and prominent business men of this 
 town from the year 1800 to 1825, lie buried in 
 adjoining lots in the old Winchendon cemetery. 
 
 T^HARLES P. STREETER, for many 
 V Jl ^^^""^ ^ highly respected citizen of 
 
 X^ ^ Millbury, was a native of New 
 Hampshire, born July 11, 1836, in 
 the town of Fitzwilliam, Cheshire County, 
 which is just over the line from Massachusetts. 
 His parents were Thomas Jefferson and Olive 
 (Stone) Streeter. 
 
 Thomas Jefferson Streeter lived on the old 
 Streeter farm, which has been in the family for 
 over a century, and at the present time is 
 occupied by a son. Besides attending to his 
 
 farm duties he did a good business in lumber- 
 ing, having a saw-mill on his farm. At his 
 death, on February 16, 1861, at the age of 
 fifty-eight, he left a property of twenty thou- 
 sand dollars, all of which he had acquired by 
 his own efforts. His wife was born in Can- 
 ada, December 25, 1810; but in 1812, on the 
 breaking out of the war, her father hastily 
 removed to Hubbardston, Mass., rather than 
 take up arms against the States. When her 
 husband died she was left with ten children, 
 of whom the youngest was but two years old. 
 They had lost two in infancy. She lived a 
 widow for thirty-four years, dying on Decem- 
 ber 28, 189s, aged eighty-five years and three 
 days. She was a woman of remarkable activ- 
 ity and energy, and reared her children to 
 lives of usefulness. The children were: Har- 
 mon; Charles P. ; Amro W. ; Emma L., wife 
 of James Townsend; Almansur J. ; Adelia S., 
 wife of Henry Carr; Fred; Frank; Ella A.; 
 and Walter. 
 
 Equipped with a common-school education 
 and a knowledge of the lumber business, 
 Charles P. Streeter left home at the age of 
 twenty-one to make his own way in the world. 
 For a few years he did teaming in Winchen- 
 don, Mass. He next engaged in the express 
 business between Millbury and Worcester, and 
 later in teaming and wood dealing. He died 
 on January 25, 1898, aged sixty-one years, six 
 months, and fourteen days, he being the first 
 to die of the ten children living at the time 
 of his father's death. 
 
 On November 24, 1863, Mr. Streeter was 
 joined in marriage with Mary E. Poland, of 
 Winchendon, daughter of S. B. and Betsy 
 (Wheeler) Poland. Mr. Poland was a carpen- 
 ter by trade, and also followed farming. He 
 
 I died in February, 1872, seventy years of age. 
 At the time of his death he was a resident of 
 Millbury. Mrs. Poland passed away in 1883, 
 seventy-six years of age. They rest in the 
 
 1 Winchendon cemetery. Their children were: 
 Wheeler; Sarah M., wife of A. G. Liver- 
 more; Mary E., wife of Charles P. Streeter; 
 Charles T. ; Julia A., wife of Samuel Al- 
 drich; Ellen G., wife of Alvah J. Rice; Olive 
 
 ; E., wife of Silas G. Wood; Martin L. ; Stella 
 E., wife of Charles A. Gould; and Addison 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1083 
 
 B. William Poland, grandfather of Mrs. 
 Streeter, was a. pensioner of the Revolution. 
 He had eleven children. The first death was 
 that of a daughter at the age of twenty, after 
 which the family circle remained unbroken for 
 forty years. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Streeter lost an infant daugh- 
 ter, and there are two daughters living; 
 namely, Edith R. and Lilla M. Edith R., 
 a graduate of Wilbraham Academy and of the 
 Teachers' College in New York City, is a 
 teacher in Brooklyn, N. Y. Lilla M. , a grad- 
 uate of Millbury High School and of the 
 kindergarten department of the Teachers' Col- 
 lege, is a kindergarten teacher in the Worces- 
 ter public schools. 
 
 In politics Mr. Streeter was a Republican 
 voter. He served his town in the office of 
 Street Commissioner many years. He was 
 a Mason and member of Hiram Council. 
 
 'RED A. TARBOX, Chief of Police of 
 the city of Newton, appointed under 
 the new city charter on May 2, 1898, 
 was born in Biddeford, Me., on May 7, 1861, 
 his parents being Abijah and Sophronia 
 (Pitcher) Tarbox. He is a lineal descendant 
 of John Tarbox, who settled in Lynn, Mass., 
 before 1640, and subsequently died there. 
 The immigrant is said to have been the scion 
 of an influential English family. Samuel 
 Tarbox, grandfather of Fred A., was a soldier 
 of the Revolution, and served in Captain 
 Nathan Merrill's Company. 
 
 Abijah Tarbox, who was a native resident 
 of Biddeford, was an ofifice-holder there for 
 thirty-six years in succession, being Marshal 
 of Biddeford for two years. Provost Marshal 
 during the Civil War, Overseer of the Poor, 
 and for several years Assessor of Taxes, also 
 serving one term as Deputy Sheriff of York 
 County under General Burbanks and one under 
 Robert M. Stevens. He was always ready to 
 champion the cause of the weak against the 
 strong, and was one of the most efficient agents 
 of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 
 Animals. His death occurred on May 8, 
 1896, at the age of seventy-one years. His 
 wife, Sophronia, the daughter of William 
 
 Pitcher, is still living at the age of seventy- 
 five. Of her five children, but two sur- 
 vive — Harry and Fred A. 
 
 Fred A. Tarbox in his boyhood attended the 
 common schools of his native city, and subse- 
 quently began the study of law in the office of 
 Hamilton & Haley at Biddeford, remaining 
 there three years. In 1889 he was appointed 
 United States Deputy Marshal and in March 
 of the same year agent and treasurer of the 
 Hardy Machine Shop. Resigning the former 
 of these two positions in 1890, he then became 
 Marshal of Biddeford, and remained in office 
 for four years. Elected to the School Board 
 of Biddeford in 1894, he served as an active 
 member of that body until February 16, 1895, 
 when he went to Fitchburg to assume the 
 duties of Chief of Police. While he held the 
 position the police force of the city was in- 
 creased by the addition of four members, mak- 
 ing thirty men in all. 
 
 Mr. Tarbox was married on December 25, 
 1887, to Francena C, daughter of William 
 Jenkins, of Corinth, Me. Active in fraternal 
 societies, he is a member of Dunlap Lodge, 
 No. 4, F. & A. M., of Biddeford, Me.; of 
 Bradford Commandery, No. 4, K. T. ; of Port- 
 land Consistory; and of Aleppo Temple, Bos- 
 ton. He is also a member of the State Chief 
 of Police Association and of the Fitchburg 
 Athletic Club. Mr. Tarbox attends the Uni- 
 versalist church. 
 
 I 2JeORGE W. cook, a prominent resi- 
 \ 5T dent of Barre and one of the Com- 
 ^— ^ missioners of Worcester County, was 
 born in Petersham, Mass., March 22, 1853. 
 He is a son of Ellis and Mary (Loring) Cook, 
 a descendant of Major Aaron Cook, who 
 was born in England in 1610, and arrived at 
 Dorchester, Mass., in 1630. In 1636 Major 
 Cook went to Windsor, Conn., where he re- 
 sided until 1660. Afterward he removed to 
 Northampton, Mass. ; and he died September 
 S, 1690. He was successively married to a 
 Miss Ford, Joanna Denslow, Elizabeth Nash, 
 and Mrs. . Rebecca Foote Smith. Captain 
 Aaron Cook, son of Major Cook, baptized 
 February 20, 1640, was married to Sarah 
 
1084 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Westwood, May 30, 1661. They were the 
 first couple wedded in Hadley, Mass. The 
 Captain was a prominent resident of that town 
 in his time. He served as a Selectman for 
 eleven years and as Representative to the 
 General Court for the years 1689, 1691, 1693, 
 and 1697. His death occurred on September 
 16, 1 716. Lieutenant Westwood Cooke, son 
 of Captain Aaron, born in Hadley, March 29, 
 1670, married Sarah Coleman in 1692, was 
 a Selectman in 1705 and 1706, and died June 
 3, 1744. His son, the Rev. William Cooke, 
 who was born June 20, 1696, married Jane 
 Sewall, was the pastor of a church in Sudbury, 
 Mass., for forty years; and died November 12, 
 1760. 
 
 In the fifth generation of the family the 
 letter e was dropped from the name. William 
 Cook, son of the preceding William, born Sep- 
 tember 6, 1727, died in his thirty -first year, 
 July 21, 1758. Samuel Cook, son of this 
 William and Mary Cook and the grandfather 
 of the subject of this sketch, was born Febru- 
 ary 18, 1753. Samuel Cook volunteered in 
 Captain Timothy Bigelow's Company, minute- 
 men, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 
 1775- By h's marriage with Lydia Parmenter 
 he became the father of ten children. The 
 youngest of these, Ellis Cook, born May 
 27, 1 8 19, who was a lifelong resident of 
 Petersham, followed farming industriously 
 during his active period, and died June 12, 
 1871. A Republican in politics, his religious 
 belief was that of the Baptists. His wife, 
 Mary, who survives him and resides in Peters- 
 ham, became the mother of three children, 
 namely: Sarah J., born November 24, 1846, 
 who died August 27, 1882; Samuel F. , born 
 May 9, 1849, who died August 4, 1891 ; and 
 George W. , the subject of this sketch. 
 
 George W. Cook attended the district 
 schools and the Highland Institute in Peters- 
 ham. When his studies were completed he 
 became a clerk for Wetherill & Mudge. In 
 1874 he came to Barre, where he found em- 
 ployment in the same capacity with Fol- 
 lansby & Dearborn. About 1877 he formed 
 a partnership with Charles H. Follansby for 
 the purpose of carrying on a general store. 
 Later, associated with George R. Simonds, he 
 
 was in business until 1889. Then he opened 
 an insurance agency, which at the present 
 time represents twenty of the leading fire, 
 life, and accident companies. Having been 
 a prime mover in securing the present water 
 system for the town, he hastened the construc- 
 tion of the works, which, started in 1894, 
 were completed in 1895; and he is now vice- 
 president of the company and the superintend- 
 ent of the works. 
 
 On March 13, 1878, Mr. Cook married 
 Mary L. Davis, a daughter of James F. and 
 Lydia (Holden) Davis, the former of whom is 
 a prominent business man of Barre. In poli- 
 tics Mr. Cook is a Republican, and for several 
 years was a member of the Republican Town 
 Committee and of the party's district commit- 
 tee. He has served as an Assessor, was for- 
 merly a Special County Commissioner, and 
 has been a regular member of the board since 
 1893. He attends the Unitarian church. 
 
 OSEPH BIGELOW LAWRENCE, for 
 many years a leading furniture dealer 
 of Worcester, was bom in Har\'ard, 
 Mass., on September 28, 181 2, son of 
 Stephen and Lucy (Bigelow) Lawrence. He 
 was descended from John Lawrence, who was 
 born at Wisset, England, and came to Water- 
 town in the early days of the Massachusetts 
 Bay Colony. The ancestral line in England 
 has been traced back to Robert Lawrence, of 
 Lancashire, knighted as "Sir Robert of Ash- 
 ton Hall," a. d. 1191. (See Genealogy of the 
 Family of John Lawrence. ) 
 
 Stephen Lawrence, who was a native resi- 
 dent of Harvard and a wheelwright by occupa- 
 tion, was one of the first to withdraw from the 
 Trinitarian congregation and become a Uni- 
 tarian. His wife, Lucy, who was born in Har- 
 vard, was the daughter of Squire Roger Bige- 
 low, a Revolutionary soldier. The Bigelows, 
 many of whom have been noted for ability or 
 prominence in industrial or professional lines, 
 were among the earliest Colonial settlers. 
 
 Joseph Bigelow Lawrence, left motherless 
 when he was a lad of eight and fatherless when 
 he was only fifteen, had a somewhat lonely and 
 unhappy youth. His education was received 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1085 
 
 in the district school, which at that time was 
 in session only three months in winter and six 
 weeks in summer. In his early years he 
 worked beyond his strength on the farm. But 
 after the death of his father a brother in Bos- 
 ton invited him to come to that city, where two 
 older brothers were already at work. He was 
 set to learn the trade of brush-making, and he 
 acquired enough mechanical skill to enable 
 him to become proficient in the art of cabinet- 
 making, for which he had a strong liking. At 
 twenty-two years of age he had saved some 
 money, and, with his carefully guarded capital 
 he went to Nantucket, which was then in its 
 days of greatest affluence, and there opened a 
 furniture store. This proved in every way a 
 successful undertaking. Afterward Mr. Law- 
 rence entered into the lumber trade, and be- 
 came very successful. 
 
 In 1849, shortly after hearing of the discov- 
 ery of gold in California, Mr. Lawrence, in 
 company with Joseph Sturgis, of Nantucket, 
 and others, bought and fitted up a vessel, in- 
 tending to sail for San Francisco, but at the 
 last moment he decided to remain in the East. 
 Coming that same year to Worcester, he formed 
 a partnership with William B. Tabor; and the 
 two gentlemen bought out the furniture store of 
 E. G. Partridge, near the corner of Main and 
 Walnut Streets, and started in business under 
 the name of Tabor & Lawrence. A few years 
 later John D. ChoUar and A. B. R. Sprague 
 were added to the firm, and a second store was 
 opened. This was situated at the corner of 
 Main and Exchange Streets, and was in charge 
 of Messrs. Lawrence and Sprague; while the 
 old store was in charge of Messrs. Tabor and 
 Chollar. Though in reality under one man- 
 agement, the two stores were carried on under 
 different names. In 1855 the cabinet shop 
 was burned ; but the firm recovered from this 
 loss and went on with their business, having 
 even greater success than before. They be- 
 came the leading furniture dealers in the 
 county, and not only did they secure the pat- 
 ronage of the best class of buyers in the city, 
 but their sales to persons residing outside often 
 reached large figures. Mr. Lawrence was the 
 expert buyer, and had the full management of 
 the cabinet-making department. 
 
 Shortly before the Civil War Mr. Sprague 
 withdrew from the partnership, and at about 
 the same time Mr. Lawrence sold out his in- 
 terest in the Tabor and Chollar store, and re- 
 moved his business to the American House 
 Block at the corner of Main and Foster Streets, 
 where he carried it on under his own name. 
 The occurrence in 1861 of a disastrous fire 
 destroyed all his stock ; but the insurance on it 
 was recovered, and upon the rebuilding of the 
 block Mr. Lawrence again opened business. 
 He continued at this stand until 1875, when 
 the loss of investments, caused by the panic of 
 Black Friday in 1873, together with heavy 
 expense connected with the legal settlement of 
 an estate of his wife, forced him into insol- 
 vency. Obtaining a discharge, however, he 
 resumed business, and operated successfully 
 until 1884, when by the unwarranted inter- 
 ference of one of his creditors he was com- 
 pelled to relinquish its control. Although 
 supported by all other parties with whom he 
 had dealings and desired by them to continue, 
 his advancing years and the uncertainty of se- 
 curing justice and being free from unwarranted 
 interference, caused him to prefer retirement 
 to risk of further loss. His death occurred 
 February 10, 1888. 
 
 On November i, 1836, Mr. Lawrence was 
 united in marriage with Harriet Coleman Pink- 
 ham, of Nantucket. She is a descendant on 
 her father's side of Richard Pinkham, who 
 came to Nantucket from the Isle of Wight, and 
 married Mary Coffin, a grand-daughter of Tris- 
 tam Coffin, the most prominent man among 
 the first settlers of Nantucket. Harriet Pierce, 
 wife of the Rev. Cyrus Pierce, principal of the 
 first normal school in Massachusetts, was a 
 near relative of Mrs. Lawrence. The Swain 
 family also are akin. Of the seven children 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence, three died in 
 infancy. George C, who died in January, 
 1890, was a soldier in the Civil War, serving 
 in the Fifty-first Massachusetts Regiment. 
 Later he was in business in Worcester with his 
 father. Everett, who was born in Nantucket, 
 now resides in Boston. Susan Louisa, who 
 was born in Nantucket, and Harriet P., who 
 was born in Worcester, reside in this city. 
 
 Mr. Lawrence was a man of great energy and 
 
io86 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 business capacity, and as a merchant held a 
 high rank. He was kindly by nature, sociable, 
 and a warm friend. An ardent champion of 
 any cause in which he believed, he was ever 
 ready to show his colors, and his efforts in 
 behalf of temperance were active and effective. 
 He was a Past Grand of Odd Fellows Lodge 
 at Nantucket. As a Mason he was a member 
 of Monticute Lodge, No. lOO, at Worcester, of 
 the Morning Star organization of Masons, of 
 the local commandery of Knights Templar, and 
 of the Royal Arch Chapter. He belonged also 
 to the State Guard, which was organized to 
 protect property and repel mobs. He was a 
 leading member of the Church of the Unity. 
 He never entered into politics. 
 
 /STeORGE NEWTON, a farmer of 
 V i) I Worcester, was born on August 17, 
 ^-"^ 1820, a son of Guy Stafford and 
 Dorothy (Davis) Newton. At this date he 
 and a younger brother, who resides in Minne- 
 sota, are the only survivors of a large family. 
 Mr. Newton now resides with his wife and son 
 at 763 Pleasant Street, Worcester, Mass. 
 
 C" 
 
 ^ARMI M. PARKER, a well-known 
 manufacturer of Fitchburg, was born 
 in Merrimac, Hillsborough County, 
 N. H., August 8, 1835. He is a 
 son of Elkanah Phillips Parker. James Parker, 
 their English ancestor, settled in Groton, 
 Mass., in 1638 or 1639, and died at eighty- 
 four years of age. He was active in town, 
 church, and military affairs. He represented 
 the town in the General Court in 1693. He 
 was Captain in the militia, and served in King 
 Philip's, King William's, and other Colonial 
 wars. Josiah, son of James, born in Chelms- 
 ford, Mass., in 1655, was a Captain in the 
 militia, and served in the war with the Ind- 
 ians, being in command at Groton in 1706. 
 Thomas, son of Josiah, born in Cambridge, 
 Mass., December 7, 1700, graduated at Har- 
 vard College, in 1718. He was settled pastor 
 of the church in Dracut, Mass., in 1720, and 
 ably filled the position during the remainder 
 of his life, a term of forty-four years. He 
 
 died March 18, 1765. Matthew, son of the 
 Rev. Thomas Parker, was born in Dracut, and 
 moved to Litchfield, N. H. Nathan Parker, 
 Carmi M. Parker's grandfather, who was a na- 
 tive of Litchfield, N. II., bom January i, 
 1767, managed a farm, a hotel, and a general 
 store in Merrimac. He died August 31, 1849. 
 His son, Elkanah Phillips, was one of a family 
 of ten children. He was born in Merrimac, 
 June 6, 1807, and there carried on a farm, 
 a general store, and an extensive lumber busi- 
 ness for a number of years. A prominent 
 Republican, he held all the offices within the 
 gift of the town. He died April 5, 1873, 
 His wife died at the age of thirty-seven. They 
 had four children. 
 
 Carmi M. Parker in his youth attended the 
 high school and the Merrimac Normal Institute 
 at Reed's Ferry. After leaving school, until 
 1 866, he was in a country store, having taken 
 his father's stock. In 1866, as head of the 
 firm of Parker & Co., he began to manufacture 
 furniture, and in 1880 he moved his business 
 to Fitchburg. He did his own designing, and 
 his designs were among the most popular in 
 New England. For six years also he was on 
 the road, selling his own goods; and he was 
 very successful. When, in 1890, he retired 
 from the furniture business, his withdrawal was 
 deeply regretted by many large dealers in New 
 England. In 1884 he became interested in 
 the manufacture of screws, and began it in a 
 small way in Boston. Gradually enlarging the 
 scope of his business, he invented machinery 
 which it was impossible to get otherwise, and 
 soon was in control of a flourishing enterprise. 
 In 1890 he removed the business to Fitchburg, 
 where it has since been carried on under the 
 name of the Boston Screw Company. Mr. 
 Parker is a trustee and a member of the Invest- 
 ment Committee of the Fitchburg Savings 
 Bank, also a director of the Fitchburg Na- 
 tional Bank. He joined the Merchants' Asso- 
 ciation in June, 1886, and was its president 
 in 1891, 1892, and 1893. He has also served 
 on various committees of this body. He is a 
 director of the Fitchburg Board of Trade. 
 
 Mr. Parker was married in 1863 to Annie E., 
 daughter of Isaac McGaw, a prominent lawyer, 
 who represented Windham, N.H., in the State 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1087 
 
 legislature. Mr. and Mrs. Parker have three 
 sons : George L. , a graduate of Brown Uni- 
 versity, now teaching music in Fitchburg; 
 Harry C. , who assists his father in the factory; 
 and Maurice W. , a graduate of the Fitchburg 
 High School, who intends to pursue a more 
 extended course of study. Mr. Parker was 
 Town Treasurer of Merrimac, and represented 
 that town in the New Hampshire legislature in 
 1878 and 1879, serving on the Committee on 
 Education in 1878, and in 1879 presiding as 
 chairman of the Committee on Incorporations, 
 and also serving on the Committee on State 
 Reform Schools. He was a member of the 
 Fitchburg City Council in 1884 and 1885, and 
 refused other offices on account of ill health. 
 Mr. Parker has been a member of the Board of 
 Trustees of the McGaw Normal Institute at 
 Reed's Ferry some twenty years. He was a 
 member of the grange and several temperance 
 organizations in New Hampshire. Since its 
 organization he has been a member of the Park 
 Club, of Fitchburg. He was for ten years 
 connected with the Amoskeag Veterans of Man- 
 chester, N. H. In religious belief he is a 
 Congregational ist. 
 
 iRS. SARAH MARSH DODGE, 
 of Sutton, formerly Sarah Ange- 
 Hs 1 line Marsh, is a native of this 
 town. She was born on Septem- 
 ber 26, 1846, daughter of Stephen and Lucy 
 (Rich) Marsh. 
 
 Stephen Marsh, her father, was a man of 
 large influence in the community. He held 
 many public offices during his active life, and 
 at the time of his death possessed probably 
 the largest property owned in the town of Sut- 
 ton. He was of the fifth generation of his 
 family in Sutton. Benjamin Marsh, who 
 spent here the winter of 1716-17, was one of 
 the first three settlers, and his daughter Abi- 
 gail was the first white child born in the town. 
 Benjamin was a grandson of John Marsh, who 
 came to New England in 1634, settled at 
 Salem, and married Susanna, daughter of the 
 Rev. Samuel Skelton. According to the 
 "Genealogy of John Marsh, of Salem, and his 
 Descendants," published in 1888 by Colonel 
 
 Lucius B. Marsh, the ancestral line of Mrs. 
 Dodge was John,' Zachary, ^ Eben,^ Benjamin-* 
 (nephew of Benjamin, the -pioneer), Stephen, 5 
 Stephen,'' Stephen.' The second Stephen 
 Marsh, grandfather of Mrs. Dodge, married 
 Tamar, daughter of Gideon Sibley, who 
 marched as a minute-man from Sutton to Con- 
 cord on the alarm of April 19, 1775, and later 
 served in Colonel Ebenezer Learned 's regiment 
 in the Revolution. 
 
 Sarah Angel ine Marsh was married to 
 George Willard Dodge, of Sutton, April 30, 
 1874. -He was born November 16, 1846, son 
 of Nathaniel and Adeline (Dudley) Dodge. 
 He was educated in the public schools of Sut- 
 ton and at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. The farm 
 now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Dodge was 
 originally the property of Captain March 
 Chace, and later was owned by Nathaniel 
 Dodge, above named, who was the son of 
 Josiah and Huldah Dodge and seventh in 
 lineal descent from Richard Dodge, an early 
 settler of Beverly. 
 
 Nathaniel Dodge, above named, was born 
 June 9, 1802, and obtained a very good educa- 
 tion for those times. In 1829 he married 
 Adaline, daughter of Jonathan and Lydia Dud- 
 ley, a popular young lady of Sutton, born May 
 4, 1805. When he first came to this place a 
 house was standing here, surrounded by locust 
 trees. If now in existence, it would be about 
 one hundred and sixty years old. Being a 
 very industrious young man, Nathaniel Dodge 
 at once began making improvements, building 
 a new dwelling-house, a barn, and an ice- 
 house. He also bought more land, until he 
 was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres. 
 He was noted for keeping some of the finest 
 Devon stock in the county. For these cattle 
 he took many prizes at Worcester, Saratoga 
 Springs, and other places. He was a member 
 of St. John's Episcopal Church, and for many 
 years was leader of the church choir. 
 
 The Dodge farm is situated on the main 
 road between Worcester and Providence. It 
 is said to be one of the finest in this vicinity. 
 The city of Worcester can be easily reached 
 from this homestead, as the Worcester and 
 Blackstone Valley electric cars pass the door, 
 and the New York, New Haven & Hartford 
 
io88 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Railroad is but a few rods distant. A few 
 years ago a number of acres of land from the 
 farm, including a brook, were sold to the State 
 for the purpose of breeding trout. This ex- 
 periment has proved a success. In the present 
 year (1898) one million one hundred thou- 
 sand fish have been raised. The children of 
 George W. and Mrs. Dodge are: George Har- 
 rison, who was born January 24, 1875, and 
 is now in the lumber business; Alice Marsh, 
 who was born April 24, i88i ; and Frank Earle, 
 who was born February 5, 1895. Alice is a 
 student at the well-known boarding-school of 
 Miss Kimball in Worcester. She is a com- 
 municant of St. John's Episcopal Church at 
 VVilkinsonville, and the other members of the 
 family are attendants of that church. Mrs. 
 Dodge is a Daughter of the American Revolu- 
 tion. 
 
 /^JTeRRY HUTCHINSON, died on Jan- 
 V •) I uary 22, 1882, at his home on West 
 Street in the city of Worcester, 
 where for thirty years he had conducted a. 
 large and successful business as a house 
 painter. He was born March 21, 1820. He 
 was a son of Luther Hutchinson, of Milford, 
 N.H, and he traced his lineage directly back 
 five hundred years to Bernard Hutchinson, 
 who was born in 1282 in Cowlam, Yorkshire, 
 England, and lived and died in that country. 
 
 Richard Hutchinson, the immigrant ances- 
 tor, a descendant of Bernard, was born in 
 England in 1602 or near that date, came to 
 America about 1635, ^nd was among the 
 early settlers at Salem Village, now Danvers, 
 Mass. The line has thus been continued 
 until the present day: Richard'; Joseph'; 
 Benjamin 3; Benjamin t; Nathan 5; Lieuten- 
 ant Benjamin '; Luther^; Gerry,* the subject 
 of this sketch; Charles A.? — the children of 
 Charles A. being of the tenth generation of 
 this notable family in New England. 
 
 Luther Hutchinson, son of Lieutenant Ben- 
 jamin, was born in Milford, N.H., in 1783, 
 and during his active years was a prosperous 
 farmer. By his first wife, Sarah Moore, who 
 was born in the same town, a daughter of 
 Joshua Moore, he had four children; namely, 
 
 Cassandana, Evelyn Milton, Elbridge, and 
 Gerry. 
 
 Gerry Hutchinson was born March 21, 
 1820, in Milford, N.H. During his boyhood 
 and youth he worked on the stony farm sum- 
 mers, and attended the district school winters. 
 On becoming of age he left the parental roof, 
 and, coming to Massachusetts, learned the 
 painter's trade in Waltham, where he subse- 
 quently formed a partnership with his brother 
 Evelyn, with whom he continued in business 
 until April, 1852. Realizing then the su- 
 perior advantages offered in the rapidly grow- 
 ing city of Worcester, he left Waltham, and 
 took up his abode here. The success which 
 awaited him in his new location proved the 
 wisdom of his change, as in the busy years 
 that followed he built up one of the largest and 
 most profitable paying industries in Worcester 
 County. He painted buildings of all kinds, 
 employing at times as many as twenty or 
 thirty skilled workmen, and was noted all 
 over the county for fulfilling his contracts to 
 the letter. Genial, courteous, and obliging, 
 honest and honorable in all of his transac- 
 tions, he was recognized as one of the solid 
 and substantial business men of Worcester. 
 He was an admirer and a good judge of fine 
 horses. He was active in the Masonic frater- 
 nity. A stanch Republican in politics, as a 
 citizen he endeavored at all times to perform 
 his duty, and during one term was a member 
 of the Common Council. 
 
 Mr. Hutchinson and Elizabeth R., daughter 
 of John and Lydia Robbins, of Wilton, Me., 
 were married on January 22, 1848. They be- 
 came the parents of three children, namely: 
 Ella Rosabelle, who was born in Waltham in 
 185 1, and died in 1857; Elbridge Gerry, born 
 in Worcester in 1857, died in infancy; and 
 Charles Augustus, who was born July 23, 
 i860, in this city. Charles Augustus Hutch- 
 inson was graduated from the Worcester High 
 School and from the Worcester Polytechnic 
 Institute, where he took the scholarship prize 
 of one hundred dollars. He was chemist at 
 the State Agricultural Station for a time, and 
 then he went to Elizabeth, N.J., where for a 
 few years he was connected with a large fertil- 
 izing manufactory. He and his wife, for- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 io8g 
 
 merly Miss Isabel Metcalf, and their three 
 children — Mary Elizabeth, Sidney Gerry, 
 and Charles Clarence — -now reside in 
 Worcester. 
 
 'AMUEL R. BARTON, of Oxford, 
 was born in this town, May 31, 
 1839, son of Stephen and Betsey 
 (Rich) Barton. He is a descend- 
 ant in the sixth generation of Samuel Barton, 
 who settled in Framingham, Mass., in 1699, 
 and who, moving thence to Oxford about the 
 year 17 16, here founded a family which is one 
 of the most highly reputed in the town. Ed- 
 mund Barton, son of Samuel, was the father 
 of Stephen, first, who was a physician and at 
 one time kept the tavern. 
 
 Stephen Barton, second, son of the first 
 Stephen, enlisted in the regular army, and 
 served three years in the Indian war under 
 General Wayne, otherwise known as "Mad 
 Anthony." On his return to Oxford he was 
 chosen Captain of a militia company. In 
 1804 he married Sarah, daughter of Captain 
 David Stone, who served in the Revolutionary 
 War under General Learned, and was present 
 at Burgoyne's surrender. Stephen and Sarah 
 Stone Barton had five children, the second 
 being Stephen, third, born March 29, 1806, 
 and the youngest, Clara, born December 25, 
 1821, known and honored the wide world 
 over as Clara Barton, the official head of 
 the Red Cross Society in the United States. 
 
 Stephen Barton, third, the father above 
 named, was a man of energy and business abil- 
 ity. In 1855 he purchased a tract of timbered 
 land on the Chowan River in North Carolina, 
 containing some two thousand acres; and set- 
 tling upon his new possession, which he 
 called Bartonville, he proceeded to clear and 
 mprove the property. He married Betsey 
 Rich, a daughter of Jacob Rich, of Charlton. 
 
 Samuel R. Barton received his education in 
 the public schools and at Valentine's Board- 
 ing-school. At the outbreak of the Rebellion 
 he was with his father in North Carolina; and, 
 being drafted into the Confederate service, 
 he with three others determined to oppose 
 rather than assist secession. With that end 
 
 in view they started North, instead of report- 
 ing for duty in the rebel army, as ordered, 
 and, reaching Richmond, found some difficulty 
 in proceeding further; but by the aid of 
 Yankee wit they at length gained the Union 
 lines. Enlisting in the regular army, young 
 Barton received the appointment of hospital 
 steward, and for a time prior to his enlist- 
 ment assisted his aunt. Miss Clara Barton, in 
 caring for the sick and wounded. He was 
 later attached to the staff of Surgeon-general 
 Hammond, and served until the close of the 
 war. After leaving the army he was em- 
 ployed in Jersey City for a year, but subse- 
 quently resumed his residence at Oxford. He 
 then established a fire insurance agency at 
 Webster, Mass., and, later taking the posi- 
 tion of secretary of the Manufacturers' In- 
 surance Company, with headquarters in 
 Worcester, discharged the duties thereof for 
 twenty-three years, or until his retirement. 
 He has served with ability as Selectman 
 several terms, is on the Board of Registra- 
 tion, and for the past three years has been 
 chairman of the Cemetery Commission. 
 
 Mr. Barton married Amelia L. Parks, 
 daughter of L. C. Parks, of Worcester. He 
 has three sons, namely: Herbert P., born De- 
 cember 25, 1866; Loren C, born August 28, 
 1870; and Clarence W., born May 16, 1875. 
 Mrs. Amelia P. Barton died August 21, 1877. 
 
 Herbert P. Barton acquired his early educa- 
 tion at the Oxford High School, Hinman's 
 Business College, and the Worcester Acad- 
 emy. After graduating from the Jefferson 
 Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1890, he 
 began practice in New York City, where he 
 served on the Board of Health. He is now 
 located in Ontario, Cal. He married Frances 
 J. Vasseur, of Philadelphia, and they have a 
 son. Chandler Parker Barton, born September 
 22, 1894. 
 
 Loren C. Barton, who was educated at the 
 Oxford High School and the Dudley Acad- 
 emy, is now residing in Spokane, Wash. 
 He married Jessie Woodbury, daughter of 
 J. L. Woodbury, of Oxford. They have a 
 daughter, Roberta Amelia Barton, born No- 
 vember 16, 1893. Clarence W. Barton, who 
 is a graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic In- 
 
logo 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 stitute, is now editor and proprietor of a 
 weekly newspaper in Ontario, Cal., and sani- 
 tary engineer for the Board of Health. 
 
 Mr. Barton is an advanced Mason, being a 
 member of Oxford Lodge; Doric Chapter, 
 R. A. M., of Southbridge; the Council and 
 Commandery, K. T., at Worcester; and 
 Aleppo Temple of the Mystic Shrine, Boston. 
 He is also a comrade of Charles Devins Post, 
 No. 27, G. A. R. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE M. GERRY,* a well-known 
 \ 3 1 machinist of Athol, was born in 
 ^-^ Northbridge, Mass., August 9, 1837, 
 son of George and Sophia (Smith) Gerry. Ac- 
 cording to the best information obtainable, he 
 is descended from Thomas Gerry, one of the 
 early settlers of Stoneham, Mass., who came 
 to America as boatswain on a war vessel some 
 time in the seventeenth century, and who after 
 a number of years entered the military service 
 and was killed in battle. He is said to have 
 been a man of great courage and strength. 
 
 A later Thomas Gerry, a descendant of the 
 one above mentioned and the great-great-grand- 
 father of the subject of this sketch, was born 
 in Stoneham in 1732, and built the first house 
 erected in the town of Royalston. He was 
 twice married, his first, wife being Jane Wilder 
 and the second Priscilla Jewett. The fourth 
 child of the second marriage was David Jewett 
 Gerry, who was born in Sterling on February 
 23, 1770, and died in Sudbury, where he had 
 resided some twenty years, in 1849. He 
 kept the old Pratt Tavern for about five years, 
 and subsequently engaged in roof building and 
 bridge building. At one time also, it is said, 
 he kept a hotel in Fitzwilliam, N. H., and 
 afterward one in Leominster, Mass. With his 
 son, Charles, he built the first bridge over the 
 Nashua River at Dunstable, now Nashua. 
 His wife was Lucy Thompson, of Sterling. 
 She bore him three children ; namely, Charles, 
 Thomas, and Eliza, of whom Thomas was the 
 grandfather of George M. Gerry of this sketch. 
 
 George Gerry, son of Thomas and father of 
 George M. , moved his family from North- 
 bridge to Millbury, from which town he re- 
 moved to North Oxford, where he resided three 
 
 years. He then came to Athol, where he was 
 employed as overseer in a mill for some time; 
 and in 1853 he established the machine shop 
 that is now carried on by his son. He was 
 one of the founders of the Methodist society in 
 Athol, and the first meeting was held in his 
 house. His wife, Sophia, was a daughter of 
 Anson Smith. 
 
 George M. Gerry, the subject of this sketch, 
 was educated in the schools of Millbury, Nortii 
 Oxford, and Athol. He served an apprentice- 
 ship at the machinist's trade in his father's 
 shop, and, succeeding to its ownership, is still 
 carrying on a thriving business. 
 
 Mr. Gerry married Phoebe H. Swan, a native 
 of Phillipston, Mass., and a daughter of Sum- 
 ner Swan. She is a descendant of Dr. Thomas 
 Swan, a Scotchman, who was educated in Eng- 
 land. His mother was a Stuart, and he was 
 also related to the McDonald family. Emi- 
 grating to New England, Dr. Swan settled in 
 Roxbury, Mass. His house was set on fire in 
 1 68 1 by a negro servant, Maria, who was con- 
 demned to be burned at the stake; and it is 
 said that the sentence was executed in Boston 
 on September 22 of the same year. Mr. Gerry 
 is the father of three sons, namely : Reno M., 
 born in 1862, and Frederick G.,.born in 1876, 
 both of whom are in business with their father ; 
 and Harry A. Gerry, who was born in 1885. 
 
 /STenERAL WILLIAM SEVER LIN- 
 \fej COLN, author of "Life with the 
 Thirty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry 
 in the War of the Rebellion," the regiment 
 of which he was commander, was born in 
 Worcester, November 22, 181 1, and died in 
 this city November 8, 1889. He was presi- 
 dent of the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts Regi- 
 mental Association, and had been president of 
 the Worcester County Agricultural Society, 
 a member of the Board of Aldermen, and City 
 Marshal, also president of the Worcester Light 
 Infantry Veteran Association. He was the 
 second son of Governor Levi and Penelope 
 Winslow (Sever) Lincoln, a grandson of the 
 Hon. Levi Lincoln, Sr., and a lineal descend- 
 ant of Samuel Lincoln, an Englishman, who 
 settled at Hingham, Mass., about 1637. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 09 1 
 
 His grandfather Lincoln, a graduate of Har- 
 vard in 1772, owned an estate which com- 
 prised a large part of the site of the present 
 city of Worcester. He was Judge of Probate 
 of Worcester County, was a member of the 
 legislature in 1796-97, was elected Congress- 
 man in 1800, was United States Attorney 
 General 1801-1805, Councillor in 1806, Lieu- 
 tenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1807, and 
 Acting Governor 1808-11. He was appointed 
 Justice of the United States Supreme Court, 
 but declined the office. He married Martha 
 Waldo, by whom he had six children: Levi, 
 Enoch, John, William, Rebecca, and Martha. 
 Enoch, at the time of his death in 1829, was 
 Governor of Maine. 
 
 Levi Lincoln, Jr., was born on Lincoln 
 Street, Worcester, in 1782. He was grad- 
 uated at Harvard College in 1802. He served 
 several years in the State legislature, and was 
 Speaker of the House in 1822; was Lieuten- 
 ant Governor of Massachusetts in 1823; As- 
 sistant Justice of the Supreme Court in 1824; 
 Governor of Massachusetts, elected by the vote 
 of both parties, from 1825 to 1834; member 
 of Congress, 1835-41 ; Collector of the Boston 
 Port, 1842 and 1843; State Senator 1843-45; 
 and when Worcester became a city in 1848 he 
 was elected and served as its first Mayor. 
 The degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred 
 upon him by Harvard and Williams Colleges. 
 He died May 29, 1868, at his home on Elm 
 Street, where he owned a large farm, a por- 
 tion of the estate upon which his father set- 
 tled. His wife, Penelope Winslow Sever, 
 was a native of Kingston, Mass. They had 
 seven children that came to adult years; 
 namely, Levi, William S., Daniel Waldo, 
 George Lincoln, Penelope, Ann Warren, and 
 Edward Winslow. 
 
 Levi, third, the eldest of these, born in 
 1809, served in the United States navy. He 
 died in middle life, at the family home, un- 
 married. Daniel Waldo, who served as Mayor 
 of Worcester and was for some years president 
 of the Boston & Albany Railroad, was acci- 
 dentally killed on the cars in 1880. George 
 was educated at We-st Point, was a Captain in 
 General Scott's army in Mexico, and was 
 killed at Buena Vista. He left a widow and 
 
 one daughter. Penelope, now Mrs. Canfield, 
 resides in Worcester. Ann Warren Lincoln 
 died about 1848. (A sketch of Edward 
 Winslow Lincoln, with record of maternal 
 ancestry, may be seen elsewhere in this 
 volume.) 
 
 William Sever Lincoln was a graduate of 
 Bowdoin College, class of 1833, and, like his 
 brothers, Daniel and Edward, was educated as 
 a lawyer in accordance with the wish of their 
 father, but like them never confined himself to 
 law practice. He opened an office at Millbury 
 in 1834, but in 1837 he went with his wife to 
 St. Louis, and a little later settled in Alton, 
 111. The journey from Worcester occupied 
 two weeks. They went by way of Washing- 
 ton, his father being then in Congress. . They 
 were from Tuesday morning to Friday night, 
 travelling day and night, in stages between 
 Frederick City, Md., and Pittsburg, Pa., 
 where they took a boat. At Alton General 
 Lincoln resumed the practice of law and be- 
 came City Attorney. Returning to Worcester 
 ten years later, he settled on the Mill farm in 
 Quinsigamond village, which his great-grand- 
 father, Judge John Chandler, had owned. 
 About 1858 he sold that place and bought 
 Willow Farm, the present residence of Mrs. 
 Lincoln. 
 
 From boyhood the military attracted him, 
 and as soon as old enough he joined the 
 Worcester Light Infantry, of which his sons 
 became members, and which is said to have 
 had one or more of the Lincoln family en- 
 rolled ever since its organization. In 1862 
 he went to the front as Lieutenant Colonel of 
 the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts, of which he 
 afterward became Colonel. At New Market, 
 Va., he was wounded and taken prisoner. He 
 escaped, and after three weeks of suffering and 
 wandering over the mountains, often without 
 food, travelling by night and hiding during 
 the day, he finally reached the Union lines, 
 nearly worn out by fatigue and exposure. A 
 very interesting account of his imprisonment 
 is contained, as an appendix, in his book 
 above mentioned. He was brevetted Briga- 
 dier-general in 1865. 
 
 On October 22, 1835, General Lincoln mar- 
 ried Elizabeth Trumbull, who was born in 
 
iog2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Worcester, August 31, 18 16. Mrs. Lincoln 
 is of a notable family. From a genealogy of 
 the ancestry and descendants of George Au- 
 gustus and Louisa (Clap) Trumbull we learn 
 that her father, George Augustus, was of the 
 sixth generation in descent from John Trum- 
 bull, who came over about 1637, and later 
 settled at Rowley, Mass. This is the line: 
 John'; Joseph,^ who settled in Connecticut; 
 Johns ; Joseph''; Josephs ; and George A.* 
 Governor Trumbull, of Connecticut, friend 
 and confidential adviser of Washington, called 
 by him "brother Jonathan," was a nephew of 
 John^ here named ; and the Governor's son 
 John was the famous historical painter, a 
 number of whose pictures are in the rotunda 
 of the- capitol at Washington. Another John 
 Trumbull, also a kinsman, grandson of John, ^ 
 was the author of the celebrated satirical poem 
 "McFingal, " published at Hartford, Conn., 
 in 1782. 
 
 George Augustus Trumbull was born in 
 Petersham, Mass., whence at eight years of 
 age, in 1798, he came to Worcester with his 
 parents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Paine) Trum- 
 bull. His mother was a sister of Dr. William 
 Paine and an own cousin of General Lincoln's 
 paternal grandmother. Mr. Trumbull and his 
 wife Louisa had twelve children, five sons and 
 seven daughters, all of whom grew to adult 
 years with the exception of a son who died at 
 six years of age. Three sons and five daugh- 
 ters married. Three daughters are living 
 to-day, namely : Elizabeth, now Mrs. Lincoln ; 
 Isabella Frink, wife of George F. Hartshorn, 
 residing in Taunton, Mass. ; and Susan Trum- 
 bull, whose home is at 40 Pleasant Street, 
 Worcester. Charles Trumbull, one of the 
 sons, served in the Civil War. 
 
 General and Mrs. Lincoln had four chil- 
 dren, namely : William, bom in Alton, Sep- 
 tember 15, 1839; Levi, born April 27, 1844; 
 George Trumbull, born February 5, 1847; 
 Winslow Sever, born October 31, 1848. 
 William Lincoln enlisted in response to the 
 first call of President Lincoln in the Sixth 
 Massachusetts as private in Company C for 
 nine months, leaving the Harvard Law School 
 to go to the front. His health was broken 
 down by army life, and he died in 1869, aged 
 
 thirty years. He never married. Levi, who 
 resides at 103 Elm Street, Worcester, was a 
 volunteer in the same regiment with his 
 father, going out in 1862 as Second Lieu- 
 tenant of Company E. George Trumbull Lin- 
 coln died unmarried, February 6, 1869, from 
 a surgical operation, the removal of an abscess 
 from the sciatic nerve. He was salesman for 
 a hardware firm. Winslow Sever Lincoln, 
 Sr. , resides on the fine farm of over two hun- 
 dred acres left him by his father. He was 
 educated in Worcester. He married Miss 
 Helen Blake Webber, who was born in Chi- 
 cago, 111., November 28, 1858. She is a 
 daughter of Edwin A. and Lydia (McClellan) 
 Webber and grand-daughter of the Rev. S. P. 
 Blake, a Methodist preacher. They have five 
 bright and interesting children : Margaret, aged 
 sixteen, born July 17, 1882; Elizabeth, born 
 November 28, 1883; Penelope Winslow, born 
 June 20, 1888; Winslow Sever, Jr., third, 
 born April 30, 1893; and Edward Blake, born 
 May 4, 1898. 
 
 Mrs. Winslow S. Lincoln is a member of 
 the Woman's Club of Worcester and of the 
 School Board. 
 
 (STnoi 
 
 HOMAS W. MONROE, M.D., one of 
 jj Milford's successful and popular phy- 
 sicians, was born in Providence, R. I., 
 on September i, 1845, son of Dr. Franklin 
 and Marcy Ann (Morris) Monroe. His father 
 was a native of St. Johnsbury, Vt., where his 
 grandfather. Dr. John Monroe, was for many 
 years a physician. 
 
 Dr. Franklin Monroe settled in Providence, 
 R. I. , when a young man, and for forty years 
 was one of the well-known physicians of that 
 city and a leading member of the Baptist 
 church, in which he served for many years as 
 Deacon. He was a physician of the old 
 school. His wife was born in Providence, 
 where they were married. Her father, Cap- 
 tain John Morris, of Barcelona, Spain, com- 
 manded one of the largest full-rigged merchant 
 ships afloat. Eleven children were born to 
 Dr. Franklin and Marcy A. Monroe, three at 
 one birth ; and six grew to maturity. These 
 were; Hannah H,, Mary A., Franklin, John, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 [093 
 
 Fanny M. , and Thomas. Hannah H. Monroe, 
 who is the widow of William P. Newhall, 
 resides in Providence, R.I. Mary A., also 
 of Providence, is the widow ,of C. E. Goff. 
 Franklin, who was born in St, Johnsbury, now 
 resides in Providence. He enlisted in the 
 Eleventh Rhode Island Regiment of Infantry 
 for nine months, and was made Captain. He 
 is married and has a family. Fanny M. is 
 the widow of John H. Mason, a manufacturing 
 jeweller of Providence. John Monroe enlisted 
 in Company B of the Third Rhode Island 
 Heavy Artillery, and served throughout the 
 Civil War. He was at the second battle of 
 Bull Run, at James Island, at Morris Island, 
 Tybee Island, and in numerous other engage- 
 ments. He entered the service as a private, 
 but for meritorious conduct was promoted 
 through various grades to the rank of Major. 
 He died a few years after the war. Dr. 
 Franklin Monroe had a brother Augustus, who 
 practised in St. Johnsbury, Vt., taking up the 
 work where their father left it. 
 
 Thomas W. Monroe obtained his profes- 
 sional education at Jefferson Medical College, 
 Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 
 1879. He practised medicine for about eight 
 years in Providence, R.I., and about twelve 
 years ago removed from that city to Milford. 
 His object in doing this was to secure a 
 change of climate, as his health at Providence 
 was not of the best. His practice there was 
 an extensive one and very lucrative. The 
 Doctor's fame preceded him, and he quickly 
 secured a large practice in his new location. 
 
 He is a member of the following organiza- 
 tions : Solomon's Temple Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 of Uxbridge, Mass., and the Oneita Tribe, 
 Improved Order of Red Men ; also of Fletcher 
 Post, G. A. R. Of this last named organiza- 
 tion he was surgeon for eight consecutive 
 years, but he recently tendered his resigna- 
 tion. 
 
 When fifteen years of age he enlisted as 
 drummer boy under the first call of President 
 Lincoln for troops, but on arrival at Washing- 
 ton he was discharged. On February 3, 1862, 
 he enlisted in Company G of the Third Rhode 
 Island Heavy Artillery, and went at once to 
 Port Royal, being at the time only seventeen 
 
 years of age. He was in the service for three 
 years and four months, and during this time 
 was for a year Orderly ®n General Terry's 
 staff. Among the engagements in which he 
 took part were those at Jones's Island, Morris 
 Island, and Fort Pulaski ; and he was also in 
 the four months' siege of the city of Charles- 
 ton. 
 
 Dr. Monroe has been twice married, the 
 first time to Rebecca Brown, of East Doug- 
 las, Mass., and the second time to Olive A. 
 Crocker, of Upton. He has one adopted 
 daughter, Fannie E. Monroe. 
 
 M 
 
 EACON JAMES PACKARD, one 
 of the best known residents of Oak- 
 ham, Mass., and an ex-member of 
 the State legislature, was born in 
 this town, February 25, 1824, son of Jonathan 
 and Susan W. (Crawford) Packard. He is a 
 descendant in the seventh generation of Sam- 
 uel Packard, known, some one says, as Sam- 
 uel, the "Packer," having been a packer of dry 
 goods in Windham, England, who was born 
 prior to 1616, and, emigrating to New Eng- 
 land in 1638, settled first at Hingham, Mass., 
 and thence about 1660 removed to what is 
 now West Bridgewater, Mass. From Samuel 
 the line is traced, we are told, through Na- 
 thaniel (born in 1657), George (born about the 
 year 1692, who married Mary Edson), Ichabod 
 (born in 1738), Caleb (born in 1771), to Jona- 
 than, above named. Ichabod Packard was an 
 early settler in Oakham, and took a lively in- 
 terest in the first church and society there. 
 His son Caleb was a lifelong resident of 
 Oakham. He married in 1791 Hepsibeth 
 Bullard, daughter of Captain Jonathan Bul- 
 lard, a Deacon of the church in Oakham. 
 
 Jonathan Packard, Deacon James Packard's 
 father, was born in Oakham, January 8, 1792. 
 Learning the trade of carpenter when a young 
 man, he followed it during his active years, 
 and was widely known throughout this local- 
 ity as a reliable mechanic. He died Decem- 
 ber 14, 1856. He was an attendant of the 
 Congregational church, of which his wife, 
 Susan W., was a member. She was born in 
 Oakham, March 2, 1793, and she died Janu- 
 
109+ 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ary 29, 1871. Eleven children were the fruit 
 of their union. Four of them are living, 
 namely: Julia A., born January 8, 1822, who 
 is now Mrs. John Whipple Ayres, of Oakham; 
 James, the subject of this sketch; Charles S., 
 born October 15, 1828, now residing in 
 Florida; and Charlotte B., born August 15, 
 1835, now Mrs. Charles Gleason, of this 
 town. Abigail F., born March 14, 1812, 
 died November 6, 1884; Susan W., born Oc- 
 tober 3, 1 813, died April 23, 1890; Salmon 
 C, born November 13, 181 5^ died March 24, 
 1830; Edith B., born October i, 1817, died 
 February 9, 1879; Ophelia P., born March 
 27, 1820, died February 9, 1879; Stoughton 
 W., born January 16, 1832, died March 25, 
 1832; and Mary A., born December 4, 1833, 
 died January 5, 1834. 
 
 James Packard was educated in the public 
 schools of Oakham. He has followed the car- 
 penter's trade here since he was thirteen 
 years old, having begun his apprenticeship 
 under his father at that early age; and he is 
 to-day as well able to mount stagings and 
 steep roofs as many of his associates who are 
 younger in years. He works at house paint- 
 ing in connection with his other trade, and he 
 has been the undertaker of the town for over 
 fifty years. 
 
 On April 4, 1844, he married Sarah E. 
 Ayres, who was born in New Braintree, No- 
 vember 8, 1820. Deacon and Mrs. Packard 
 lived happily together for a period of fifty- 
 three years, and the golden anniversary of 
 their wedding was fittingly observed by their 
 many friends and acquaintances, who pre- 
 sented them with numerous gifts. Mrs. Pack- 
 ard died July 28, 1897. She was the mother 
 of five children, namely: James W., who was 
 born September 27, 1845, and died July 8, 
 1846; Charles M., born August 3, 1847, now 
 residing in Oakham; Lizzie J., born Febru- 
 ary 10, 1850, who married for her first hus- 
 band Samuel Fairbanks, of Oakham, and for 
 her second Watson A. Bushnell, of Connecti- 
 cut; N. Wendell Packard, born November i, 
 1854, who married Rosa J. Bullard, Decem- 
 ber 31, 1879, and is in mercantile business in 
 Oakham and Barre; and Frank K., born May 
 5, 1861, who died February 3, 1887, 
 
 Politically, Mr. Packard was formerly a Re- 
 publican, and is now a Prohibitionist. For 
 several terms he served as a Selectman and 
 Overseer of the Poor. He ably represented 
 his district in the legislature of 1864, and for 
 many years he was identified with local public 
 affairs. He was Postmaster during the Civil 
 War. His present easy circumstances are 
 the result of his persevering industry. For 
 thirty -three years he has been a Deacon of the 
 Congregational church and for eighteen years 
 the superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
 
 ^Frederick thayer, of Woon- 
 
 p socket, R. I., manufacturer of satinets 
 and other fabrics at North Oxford, 
 Mass., was born in Blackstone, Mass., son of 
 Caleb and Hannah (Gaskill) Thayer. He is 
 of the eighth generation in descent from 
 Thomas Thayer, who became a landholder and 
 freeman at Braintree, Mass., in 1636, and is 
 known as the founder of one branch of the 
 family in New England, the other branch 
 comprising the posterity of Richard Thayer, 
 also of Braintree. 
 
 From Thomas the line continued through 
 his son Ferdinando, born in England, who 
 married Huldah Hayward, of Braintree, 
 Mass., in 1652 and removed to Mendon. 
 Ferdinando Thayer's son Benjamin was the 
 great-grandfather of Caleb, Sr., a farmer, 
 whose son Caleb, above named, married Han- 
 nah Gaskill. Among the children of Caleb, 
 second, and Hannah Thayer are: Adin, the 
 well-known judge, so prominent in Massachu- 
 setts politics for many years; Elizabeth, who 
 married Hiram Daniels, resides at the Daniels 
 homestead in Blackstone, and has two chil- 
 dren — Carrie, born in 1871, and Hiram T., 
 born in 1873; Caleb Edmund, who was born 
 in 1841, and was graduated at Brown Univer- 
 sity in 1864; and Frederick, the subject of 
 this sketch. 
 
 Frederick Thayer completed his studies at 
 the Wilbraham (Mass.) and the Greenwich 
 (R.I.) Academies. After teaching school for 
 a time in Blackstone and Apponaug, he was 
 engaged in the wood and lumber business 
 wnti] the death of his brother Edmund, who 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i°9S 
 
 was a member of the firm of Thayer & Taft, 
 of Worcester. He then succeeded to his 
 brother's interest in that concern, which was 
 soon afterward dissolved. Mr. Thayer now 
 became manager of a company of Worcester 
 capitalists who had purchased a mill and 
 water-power privilege at Blackstone, which 
 was formerly owned by the late A. T. 
 Stewart, of New York. This property fell 
 into the hands of the late Mr. Banigan, of 
 Providence, the rubber king, of whom Mr. 
 Thayer leased the Southside privilege, with a 
 shoddy, flock, and satinet mill, which he sub- 
 let to other parties. They were unable, how- 
 ever, to make a success of the enterprise, and 
 in order to save himself from loss he took 
 the plant and continued the manufacture of 
 shoddy and satinet until the lease expired, 
 when he removed his machinery to the water- 
 power at the upper village of North Oxford. 
 Besides his own goods he handles the entire 
 product of David N. Taft, of Oxford Plain, 
 Samuel Scott, of Uxbridge, and that of 
 another mill at East Blackstone. He is 
 therefore one of the largest dealers in these 
 fabrics in New England, and his business at 
 the present time is in a most flourishing con- 
 dition. While at Blackstone he represented 
 his district in the General Court two winters, 
 1879 and 1880, also holding town offices at 
 various times. 
 
 Mr. Thayer married for his first wife Adelia 
 L. Greene, a sister of his present wife, whose 
 maiden name was Carrie D. Greene. Their 
 mother was a daughter of James Pike; and 
 their father was Francis Greene, a descendant 
 of John Greene, who settled in Rhode Island 
 shortly after the founding of Providence by 
 Roger Williams. General Nathaniel Greene, 
 of Revolutionary fame, it is said was of the 
 same stock. The children of Mr. Thayer's 
 first marriage are : Cora E., who was born in 
 187s, and resides at the parental home; Earl 
 F., who was born in Woonsocket, and is now 
 in business with his father; and Florence J., 
 who was born in 1879, and is now an attend- 
 ant of the Bradford (Mass.) Academy. The 
 children of his second marriage are: Frederick 
 B., who was born in 1888; and Walter Ewart, 
 who was born in 1893. 
 
 7TAHARLES H. NORCROSS, a success- 
 I \y ful dentist of Winchendon, was born 
 ^[^ in Rindge, N. H., September 29, 
 1848. A son of Jeremiah and Mary 
 (Pillsbury) Norcross, he is descended from 
 Jeremiah Norcross, an Englishman, who 
 settled at Watertown, Mass., as early as 1642, 
 and became a large property owner. This 
 ancestor was duly made a freeman, served upon 
 the Board of Selectmen, and died in 1657. 
 By his union with his first wife, Adrian, 
 there were two sons. On June 24, 1650, 
 his second marriage united him with Mary 
 Brooks, who bore him seven children. Jere- 
 miah Norcross, the great-grandfather of 
 Charles H., on November 23, 1769, married 
 Lucy Chaplin, of whose seven children Daniel 
 was the second-born. Daniel Norcross, the 
 grandfather, who resided in Rindge and was 
 Captain of the local militia company, died 
 August I, 1858. He contracted his first mar- 
 riage with Polly Jones, a daughter of Asa Jones. 
 She had borne him fourteen children, of whom 
 Jeremiah was the ninth, when she died July 
 21, 1834. For his second wife he married 
 Sally Hubbard Rand. 
 
 Jeremiah Norcross was born in Rindge, 
 April 25, 1814, a brother of Amasa Norcross, 
 of Fitchburg. He was reared to agricultural 
 pursuits, and when a young man engaged in 
 general farming, which continued to be his 
 chief occupation during his active years. He 
 also carried on lumbering operations to some 
 extent. An upright, conscientious man, he 
 was a Deacon of the Congregational church 
 from 1864 until his death, which occurred in 
 August, 1886. In politics he was a Republi- 
 can. Mary, his wife, whom he married Octo- 
 ber 8, 1839, was born in Winchendon March 
 13, 181 s, daughter of the Rev. Levi and Mary 
 (Pickard) Pillsbury, of this town. She had 
 seven children, two of whom are living, namely : 
 Charles H., the subject of this sketch and the 
 fourth-born; and Mary K. B., born Novem- 
 ber 4, 1851, who married Clarence Towne, of 
 Rindge, and has two children— Archie and 
 Lena. The mother resides in West Rmdge. 
 
 Charles H. Norcross obtained his elementary 
 education in the common schools, and com- 
 pleted bis studies with a full course at the 
 
1096 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 academy in Jaffrey, N. H. Subsequently he 
 studied dentistry for three years under the 
 direction of Dr. Thomas Palmer, of Fitchburg. 
 Locating at Winchendon in 1871, he has since 
 followed the dentist's profession, acquiring a 
 lucrative practice. On May 20, 1874, he was 
 first joined in marriage with Evangeline E. 
 Perry, who was a daughter of the Rev. Isaac 
 Stearns Perry and a grand-daughter of Chauncy 
 Perry. She died in August, 1875, aged 
 twenty-two years. By that union there is one 
 daughter, Alice E., born in July, 1875, who 
 married John Stone, of Swanzey, N. H., and 
 has had three children — one who died in in- 
 fancy, Maud, and Raymond Charles. On Jan- 
 uary 2, 1883, he married for his second wife 
 Minnie M. Brown, of Bethel, Vt. , a daughter 
 of Cornelius and Sarah (Chadwick) Brown, of 
 Montpelier, that State. She is the mother of 
 two children : Leon Amasa, born August 24, 
 1886; and Ola Mae, born August 19, 1891. 
 
 Although prevented by his professional 
 duties from taking any active part in public 
 affairs, the Doctor, nevertheless, is much 
 interested in them, and is esteemed as a 
 worthy, high-minded citizen. Politically, he 
 acts with the Republican party. Both he and 
 Mrs. Norcross attend the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 MOS G. GETCHELL, an undertaker 
 of Grafton, was born in Springvale, 
 Me., June 30, 1834, son of Isaiah 
 and Dorothy (Trafton) Getchell. 
 His father was born in Springvale, Me., and 
 his mother in Alfred, Me. The grandfather, 
 Ephraim Getchell, who was an extensive 
 farmer of Springvale, owned the entire local- 
 ity known as Beaver Hill. Ephraim reared 
 four sons, and to each of them he gave a farm. 
 Mr. Getchell's maternal grandfather, Ben- 
 jamin Trafton, a Revolutionary soldier, left 
 home at the commencement of hostilities, and 
 served through the entire struggle. Ben- 
 jamin's family, who had heard nothing from 
 him after his departure, were happily sur- 
 prised one day when a bearded veteran came 
 marching along the road to the old farmhouse, 
 with other soldiers returning from the war. 
 
 He was recognized by some of his neighbors, 
 who shouted his name, and the family gathered 
 around him anxious to know where he had 
 been and what he had seen. Having quietly 
 entered the house, he deposited his gun in its 
 accustomed place, and, after seating himself, 
 said, "Get a pitcher of cider, and I will tell 
 you all about it." His request was quickly 
 complied with, and he proceeded to relate his 
 experience with the victorious American 
 army, to the delight and wonderment of his 
 hearers. 
 
 Isaiah Getchell, who resided in Springvale, 
 was accidentally killed at the age of forty- 
 eight years, and left a family of seven chil- 
 dren. Of the latter, Ephraim enlisted in the 
 Seventeenth Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers, for service in the Rebellion, and died 
 of pneumonia in Newbern, N.C.; Benjamin 
 is now in business in Swampscott, Mass.; 
 Edwin I. enlisted in the Fourteenth Massa- 
 chusetts Regiment, which was afterward reor- 
 ganized as the Second Heavy Artillery, and 
 he was accidentally killed while in the dis- 
 charge of his duty as a non-commissioned 
 officer. 
 
 Amos G. Getchell, the subject of this 
 sketch, resided in Maine until he was twenty- 
 one years old. Then he started for the West- 
 ern frontier, with the purpose of growing up 
 with the country, as he jokingly expressed it. 
 On the night following his arrival in Kansas 
 an officer came to the house where he was 
 stopping, for the purpose of ascertaining how 
 many able-bodied men could be mustered 
 there for service in quelling some border dis- 
 turbance. At that period business in Kansas 
 had to be carried on in the face of much 
 danger, so widespread and daring was the 
 ruffian element. After a short residence 
 there, finding that there was more bloodshed 
 than profit, Mr. Getchell returned to the East, 
 locating at North Grafton. Here he found 
 employment in a cotton factory for twenty- 
 three years, having charge of a department 
 during the whole of the time. After the 
 closing of the mill in 1880, he opened a 
 market in the village, and later organized 
 the Grafton Copying Company, with which he 
 wtis connected for some time. Since 1891 he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1097 
 
 has been village undertaker. He gives atten- 
 tion also to a variety of business enterprises, 
 principally in the water-pipe and plumbing 
 line. For thirty-five years he served as Con- 
 stable, was Overseer of the Poor for three 
 years; and he has been a Republican since the 
 formation of the party, and has served as a 
 delegate to various conventions. On Novem- 
 ber 7, 1898, while serving as Constable, he 
 effected the capture of three burglars who 
 were attempting to rob the North Grafton 
 post-office, two being captured alive, and the 
 other killed while resisting arrest. 
 
 Mr. Getchell married Catherine Reddy, of 
 Woonsocket, R.I. Of their six children, the 
 only one living is William A., who is in 
 business with his father, is now serving as 
 Constable, and belongs to the Emperor Fire 
 Company, of which the elder Getchell was 
 formerly a member. Mr. Getchell is a char- 
 ter member of Evening Star Lodge, No. 102, 
 I. O. O. F., and he has been the treasurer 
 since its organization. He united with the 
 Baptist church in 1858. 
 
 (T' 
 
 EORGE ALDEN THAYER, who 
 
 will be remembered as an enterpris- 
 ing young business man of Worces- 
 ter, son of Alden and Martha C. (Knowles) 
 Thayer, was born in this city, March 11, 
 1856. His father, who in early life kept a 
 grocery store at old Boylston, came later to 
 Worcester, and there engaged in the same 
 business. For a number of years he was lo- 
 cated in Pleasant Street, doing a most suc- 
 cessful trade in general groceries and provi- 
 sions. Subsequently he removed to the 
 corner of Chandler and Mason Streets, where 
 he had erected a store, stable, and dwelling. 
 After acquiring a comfortable fortune he sold 
 out and went to Tatnuck village, taking up 
 his residence on a farm. Here he died in 
 1889, possessed of the esteem and confidence 
 of all who had known him. His children 
 were: Ida Forest, born September 18, 1851; 
 Walter Quimby, born July 31, 1853, who died 
 in 1854; George Alden, the date of whose 
 birth has been already given; Sarah Maud, 
 born April i, 1858; Isadore Grace, born Jan- 
 
 uary 8, 1862; Charles Austin, born June 24, 
 1863, who died in 1881 ; and Lucius Knowles, 
 born December 7, 1871. 
 
 George Alden Thayer passed his boyhood 
 in his native city, and studied in its public 
 schools. After leaving school he entered the 
 office of a wholesale pork-packing establish- 
 ment as assistant book-keeper, remaining 
 there for seven years. Subsequently he spent 
 about three years and a half in Ithaca, N.Y., 
 as the resident manager of Swift & Co.'s 
 branch establishment there. After returning 
 to Worcester he entered into partnership with 
 his father, and in a short time became practi- 
 cally manager of the business, as the elder 
 Mr. Thayer was in poor health. The store, 
 which was one of the largest general grocery 
 and provision depots in the city, required a 
 man of unusual ability, and he showed him- 
 self equal to all the demands it made upon 
 him. After the business was sold out in 
 1884, he opened a meat and provision store at 
 Lincoln Square, and built up the business of 
 the place until it was in a most flourishing 
 condition. In 1890 he disposed of it in order 
 to have his full time to devote to his real es- 
 tate interests. Purchasing a large tract of 
 land on May and June Streets, he had it laid 
 out in house lots for sale, some of which he 
 shortly sold at a good figure. 
 
 In 1884 Mr. Thayer was married to Eliza 
 A. Rice, of Northboro, Mass., a daughter of 
 Dana Rice. Born of the marriage were: Ida 
 May, Ralph T., Helen, and Carl A., all of 
 whom are living. Since Mr. Thayer's death, 
 which occurred February 13, 1893, his family 
 has continued to receive returns from his real 
 estate investment that have proved its wis- 
 dom. In politics he was a Republican. Al- 
 though one of the younger men of Worcester 
 when he died, he held a prominent place m 
 the city, and was an influential factor in its 
 business life. Of a genial, warm-hearted 
 nature, he easily made friends, and seemed to 
 have the happy trait of keeping them his ad- 
 mirers and supporters. 
 
 He was a devoted Christian, having become 
 a member of a Baptist church while very 
 young. He was a member of the Main Street 
 Church at the tirpe of his death and superin- 
 
1098 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tendent of the Sunday-school, and loved 
 deeply his work therein. Like his father, 
 he was a great student of the Bible. He was 
 also a member of several , other organizations. 
 Very many friends were present at his funeral 
 to pay their last tribute of respect. 
 
 j^i one of 
 /j[V mere 
 
 THAYER was for many years 
 the substantial and prosperous 
 merchants of Worcester. A son of 
 Alden Thayer, Sr., he was born 
 February 3, 1826, at Mendon, Worcester 
 County. The father, who was engaged in 
 agriculture in Mendon for several years, but 
 subsequently removed with his family to 
 Worcester, opened a grocery store on Ex- 
 change Street, conducting it successfully for 
 a few years. Then, selling out to his son 
 Alden, he retired to a farm near by, and there 
 resided until his death in 1889. He married 
 Silence McNamara, who bore him five chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Alden Thayer, the subject of this biogra- 
 phy, passed his boyhood in Mendon. He 
 completed his education at the Worcester 
 Baptist School, the precursor of the present 
 academy, taking a course in civil engineering. 
 On leaving school he foimd employment as 
 surveyor's assistant in making the surveys for 
 the Boston & Worcester, now the Boston & 
 Albany Railway. This position he gave up 
 after a while to become a clerk for his father, 
 who had recently opened a new store. In 
 this capacity he made himself so useful that 
 in a few years he was intrusted with almost 
 the entire management of the grocery. Hav- 
 ing saved some money, he was able about 
 1850, the year of his marriage, to buy out a 
 business on Pleasant and Mason Streets. 
 Soon after taking possession of the store he 
 removed to more commodious quarters at the 
 corner of Chandler and Mason Streets, where 
 he built up a large trade in the years that he 
 remained in that location. In 185 1 his in- 
 creasing trade demanded better facilities, and, 
 buying land in the same locality, he erected 
 a large building, with a large barn adjoining. 
 The upper floors were fitted as a residence, 
 while the ground floor was arranged for a 
 
 store. By a careful attention to the details 
 of his business and a wise handling of the 
 profits he acquired a competency, and became 
 one of the foremost general merchants of the 
 city. He dealt in flour, grain, groceries, 
 provisi<jns, vegetables, fruits, and cord wood. 
 His sqn, George A., when he came of age was 
 admitted into a partnership which continued 
 until the entire establishment was sold out in 
 1884. Mr. Thayer then bought a desirable 
 estate at Tatnuck, a suburb of Worcester, and 
 there spent the rest of his life in retirement. 
 He was everywhere known as a conscientious, 
 honest man, conservative in judgment, care- 
 ful in action, and one that made few mistakes. 
 One of the leading Baptist laymen of this 
 city, he was largely instrumental in building 
 up the Dewey Street Baptist Church, of which 
 he was an active member. He died in 1889. 
 
 In 1850, at Epsom, N.H., Mr. Thayer mar- 
 ried Martha C. Knowles, a daughter of Jona- 
 than Knowles and a descendant of a family 
 that moved from Cape Cod to New Hamp- 
 shire, having previously emigrated from Eng- 
 land to the Cape. The children of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Thayer were: Ida, Walter L., George 
 A., Charles Austin, Sarah Maud, Isadore 
 Grace, and Lucius Knowles. Walter and 
 George A. are deceased; Charles Austin, born 
 in 1 86 1, died in 1878; Sarah Maud is the 
 wife of L. J. Kendall, of Worcester; and Isa- 
 dore Grace is the wife of H. E. Kendall, also 
 of this city. Lucius Knowles, who was grad- 
 uated from the Boston Dental College, is now 
 a dentist in Charlestown, N. H. 
 
 ■fgTENRY MARTYN SMITH, formerly 
 I ^4 of Worcester, was known in many 
 \\s> I parts of the Union as an able and 
 brilliant journalist. He was born 
 in New Bedford, Mass., May 5, 1830. A son 
 of the Rev. Stephen S. and Lucretia (Bishop) 
 Smith, he was a descendant of some of the 
 most prominent families of Colonial days. 
 His grandfather, Eathan Smith, was a well- 
 known Congregational minister in Vermont 
 and New Hampshire; and his great-grand- 
 father, David Sanford, preached in Medway, 
 Mass., and in other localities for many years. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVlfiW 
 
 1099 
 
 The Smith family to which he belonged con- 
 tained many noted preachers, twenty-two of 
 its members having been ordained to the min- 
 istry. His great-grandfather on his mother's 
 side served for four years as a chaplain in the 
 Revolutionary army. His great-grandmother 
 attained the remarkable age of one hundred 
 and two years. The Rev. Stephen S. Smith 
 was a clergyman in the Congregational denom- 
 ination, and for some years held a pastorate 
 in Chicago. 
 
 Henry M. Smith took a full course of study 
 at the Westminster Academy, and in 1851 
 was graduated from Amherst College. He 
 subsequently taught school for a while, and then 
 read law with George E. Hand, of Detroit, 
 Mich., intending to enter the legal profession. 
 Owing to a serious throat trouble he relin- 
 quished that ambition, and, going to Chicago, 
 was there connected with the Chicago Tribune 
 from 1853 until 1875. For several years, in- 
 cluding those of the Civil War, he was one of 
 the associate editors of that journal. Begin- 
 ning in September, 1872, he was the manag- 
 ing editor until 1875, when the health of his 
 family made it necessary for him to remove to 
 the East. In journalism he proved himself 
 a consistent and vigorous advocate of good 
 government and in every respect a representa- 
 tive American citizen. Thoroughly patriotic, 
 he enlisted for the war in one of the first reg- 
 iments formed in Illinois. Prominent per- 
 sons, however, including President Lincoln, 
 insisted upon bis remaining at his desk in the 
 Tribune office, persuading him that his pen 
 would prove mightier than his sword. He 
 accompanied Lincoln on his trip to Washing- 
 ton at the time of his inauguration, and 
 throughout the remainder of the President's 
 life was in frequent communication with him. 
 He several times visited the Union army at 
 the front, that he might present to the public 
 clear and accurate impressions of the great 
 struggle. While he was at the front, messages 
 flew over the wires from the seat of war to his 
 Chicago office, as he worked day and night 
 with an unsparing intensity of devotion of 
 brain and heart, that resulted in serious injury 
 to his health. 
 
 After leaving Chicago Mr. Smith was editor 
 
 of thfe Brooklyn (N. Y.) Union for two years. 
 In 1879 he came to Worcester, where he was 
 connected with the Washburn & Moen IVTanu- 
 facturing Company, which is the largest pro- 
 ducer of wire goods in the world, until failing 
 health compelled him to retire from all busi- 
 ness. He wrote many publications for that 
 concern, including "The History of the Tele- 
 graph " and "The History of Fences in Eng- 
 land and America." In Worcester, in 1882, 
 he established the New Efigland Home Jour- 
 nal, which he conducted successfully until he 
 sold out in 1884. In 1884 and 1885 he rep- 
 resented his district in the State legislature, 
 where he served ably and acceptably. He 
 frequently read papers of interest before the 
 Worcester Antiquarian Society, of which he 
 was a valued member. He was also an able 
 writer of biography, and prepared sketches of 
 many men of prominence. A man of genial 
 temperament, social and pleasant, he main- 
 tained his characteristic cheerfulness through- 
 out his long and painful illness. He was a 
 member of the Congregational church, and was 
 actively interested in that denomination wher- 
 ever he lived. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Smith married Harriet A. 
 Hudson, a daughter of the Hon. Charles Hud- 
 son, of Westminster, who represented this dis- 
 trict in Congress in 185 i and 1852. She died 
 in the early part of 1875. In December, 
 1876, Mr. Smith contracted his second mar- 
 riage with Elizabeth, daughter of the late 
 Rev. William H. Sanford. He died June 7, 
 1895, after a prolonged illness. Besides his 
 wife he left two children, namely: George 
 Sanford, now a lawyer in Portland, Ore. ; and 
 Fanny Heyward, who is the wife of the Rev. 
 Joseph McC. Leiper, a clergyman of Blau- 
 velt, N.Y. 
 
 'OHN MINOT RICE, Ph.D., for twenty 
 years and more professor of mathematics 
 in the United States navy, was born in 
 Northborough, Mass., where he now re- 
 sides, March 13, 1832, being the son of Alta- 
 mont and Laura (Holt) Rice. The house he 
 now occupies was built by Nathan Rice, his 
 paternal grandfather, who served in the war 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for American Independence, and who died 
 here a Revolutionary pensioner in 1836, at 
 the advanced age of eighty-four years. Nathan 
 Rice w^as a son of Abraham Rice, of Framing- 
 ham, whose father, Abraham Rice, Sr. , was 
 Icilled by lightning in 1777 at the age of 
 eighty-one years. He was of the fourth gen- 
 eration in descent from the colonist, Deacon 
 Edmund Rice, of Sudbury. Mr. Rice's 
 grandfather on his mother's side was Amasa 
 Holt, of Berlin, who married Nabby Nourse. 
 He was a lineal descendant of Nicholas Holt, 
 who came from England in 1635, and in 1644 
 was one of the original settlers of Andover, 
 Mass. 
 
 In youth Mr. Rice was employed as a comb- 
 maker and as a clerk in a country store. He 
 also worked at other occupations; but, becom- 
 ing dissatisfied with one after another, he at 
 length turned his attention to systematic study 
 in order to fit himself for a teacher, and was 
 graduated at the Massachusetts State Normal 
 School at Bridgewater in 1854. He taught 
 school in Provincetown, Mass., in 1855-56; 
 was principal of Houghton School in Bolton, 
 1856-57; and of a grammar school in Nan- 
 tucket, 1857-59. He studied also at the 
 Allen School, West Newton, and at Phillips 
 Exeter Academy, N. H., and pursued a special 
 course of study at Brown University, Provi- 
 dence, R. I. , in i860. Entering the Lawrence 
 Scientific School at Cambridge in September, 
 i860, he was tutor there 1861-62, and was 
 graduated in 1862. He was assistant profes- 
 sor of mathematics at the United States Naval 
 Academy, Annapolis, Md., from October, 
 1863, to January, 1870, and civil professor of 
 mathematics from this date to March, 1873, 
 when he was commissioned professor of mathe- 
 matics, United States navy. He was in- 
 structor in the department of physics and 
 chemistry and in the department of mathe- 
 matics, and was head of the department of 
 mechanics and applied mathematics from 1875 
 to his retirement on account of failing health 
 in 1890. He has the degrees of Bachelor 
 of Science (Harvard), 1862, and Doctor of 
 Philosophy, Stevens Institute of Technology, 
 Hoboken, N.J., 1879. He was made a 
 Fellow of the American Association for the 
 
 Advancement of Science in 1881 and Fellow 
 of . the American Geographical Society in 
 1887. He is an honorary member of the 
 United States Naval Academy Graduates' As- 
 sociation, a member of the United States 
 Naval Institute, and of the American Mathe- 
 matical Society. He is the author of several 
 pamphlets on applied mathematics, and joint 
 author of Rice & Johnson's "Differential Cal- 
 culus. " 
 
 Some knowledge of nautical matters acquired 
 during his residence in Provincetown and 
 Nantucket proved of service to him in later 
 days. He made one practice cruise to Europe 
 as assistant navigator and instructor in naviga- 
 tion. He was also a guest of officers on prac- 
 tice ships during several short cruises. 
 
 The course of study at the Naval Academy 
 was extended and greatly improved during his 
 connection with the institution. His efforts 
 in this direction brought him into intimate 
 contact with the most progressive officers of 
 the navy, including nearly all who have been 
 prominent in the recent war with Spain. He 
 spent the summer of 1886 in the West on the 
 plains of Wyoming and in Kansas, Colorado, 
 and Idaho. The summer of 1887 he spent in 
 Europe. One summer was passed in Canada. 
 He has visited all the Great Lakes on our 
 northern frontier. From his youth up he has 
 been an enthusiastic sportsman. 
 
 Mr. Rice married Henrietta Estel la Brasher, 
 of Boston, Mass., in 1891. Since his re- 
 tirement from the navy he has resided at the 
 ancestral homestead in Northborough. "The 
 Rice homestead was formerly an old-fashioned 
 school-house, which was purchased by his 
 grandfather well toward a century ago and 
 moved to its present location, and to which 
 additions were made. The dwelling, with its 
 broad piazza and the supporting pillars, pre- 
 sents a decidedly Colonial aspect. , But what 
 is far more interesting and entertaining is the 
 interior of the house, with its heavy timbers, 
 old-style ceilings, the little nooks, settles, 
 closets, tucked away in unexpected places, the 
 array of antique furniture, the vast collection 
 of souvenirs and antiquities which have come 
 from every part of the world. Skins from 
 various quarters of the globe are on the floors. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 IIOl 
 
 mounted heads of animals hang about the 
 walls, scattered about the home are rare pieces 
 of furniture from foreign lands, while weapons 
 of many kinds, antlers of mammoth size, and 
 the handiwork of many of the semi-barbaric 
 tribes of the earth are seen in profusion in 
 almost every room in the old-fashioned dwell- 
 ing." During the winter of 1895-96 Mr. 
 and Mrs. Rice were in Bermuda. He is an 
 Independent in politics, and in religion a Uni- 
 tarian. 
 
 \UCIUS GRAVES LINCOLN, a well- 
 known farmer of Worcester, residing 
 in the First Ward at 6 Park Avenue, 
 was born in Petersham, Mass., De- 
 cember 7, 1822, his parents being Alanson 
 and Laura (Graves) Lincoln. The paternal 
 grandfather, Enos Lincoln, born September 
 17, 1749, settled on a farm in the woods a 
 mile and a half distant from Petersham Centre, 
 which was reached by a pathway from the vil- 
 lage. He was married to Sarah Burt, who was 
 several years his junior, and who died on Oc- 
 tober 23, 1825. Grandfather Lincoln died on 
 May 6, 1819. Their children were: Enos, 
 born in 1772, who died in 1855; Sarah, born 
 on August II, 1774, who became the wife of 
 Mr. Clapp, and died on November 14, 1842; 
 Lucinda, born on October 8, 1776, who was 
 the wife of Oliver Clapp, and died in i860; 
 Lydia, born on February 13, 1779, who mar- 
 ried William Pierce, had seventeen children, 
 and lived. to be eighty-nine years of age, bright 
 and active to the last; Susannah, born on 
 March 12, 1781, who married a Mr. Sprague, 
 and died on August 3, 1834; Amasa, born on 
 April 29, 1783, and died on June 2, i860; 
 Burt, who was born on December 20, 1785, 
 and died on December 14, 1866; Alanson, 
 the father of Lucius Graves Lincoln; Hannah, 
 the wife of John Foster, who was born on 
 March 20, 1790; Prudence, born on May 23, 
 1792, who died on October 28, i860, unmar- 
 ried; Lucy, born on November 4, 1794, who 
 was the wife of a Mr. Goddard, had three chil- 
 dren, and died in 1878; and Emily, born on 
 February 25, 1797, who died at the age of 
 nineteen years. 
 
 Alanson Lincoln, who was born on the farm 
 in Petersham in 1800, spent his whole life 
 there, and died on May 24, 1842. He carried 
 on a saw-mill, and to some extent worked at 
 the trade of his father, that of cooper. He and 
 his father also had a saw and shingle mill, 
 which was originally a small wire-mill. On 
 September 19, 181 8, he married Laura Graves, 
 a native of Athol, born March 19, 1796. She 
 was a daughter of Eleazer and Olivia (Ken- 
 dall) Graves, farmer folk of Athol. Her 
 father, born on January 10, 1759, died on 
 November 9, 1822; and her mother, horn on 
 March 31, 1760, died on April 23, 1809. 
 They were the parents of four daughters and 
 two sons, as follows: Sally, born August 6, 
 1782, who died in 1865; Elijah, born October 
 17, 1789, who died January i, 1804; Nancy, 
 born December 16, 1793, who died September 
 I, 1804; Laura, who became the wife of Alan- 
 son Lincoln; Jesse, born April 12, 1798, who 
 died February 23, 1801 ; and Lois, born July 
 20, 1800, who is also deceased. Mrs. Laura 
 Lincoln, after surviving her husband thirty-two 
 years, died in the house where her son Lucius 
 now lives, on September 22, 1874, at the age 
 of seventy-eight. Both were buried with Alan- 
 son' s parents, in the cemetery at Petersham 
 which was formerly the family burial-ground 
 on the old farm. Their children were: Laura 
 G., born March 5, 1820, who died on August 
 7 of the same year; Lucius G. , the subject of 
 this sketch; Olivia Kendall, born January 31, 
 1824, who married Dr. Samuel Taylor, reared 
 six children, and died on February 2, 1862; 
 Sarah Ann, born on March 4, 1826, who be- 
 came the wife of Loomis Look, and died on 
 September 16, 1857; Ellen M. ; Charles F. ; 
 Janette C. ; and Luen. 
 
 When only nine years of age Lucius Graves 
 Lincoln began working on the farm during the 
 summer. Afterward he had one term of 
 schooling in Westminster Academy. At his 
 father's death he took charge of the farm and 
 the mill, buying out the other heirs. In i860 
 he sold the estate, and in April, 1863, he 
 came to this city. He was married on No- 
 vember 22, 1854, to Ellen Chamberlin, who 
 was born in Quincy, Mass., in 1834, daughter 
 of Ebenezer and Lucy (Hardwick) Chamber- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 lin. Her father, who was by trade a wheel- 
 wright and carriage manufacturer, owned a 
 large farm and a stone quarry. Her mother 
 died at the age of thirty-four, leaving four of 
 her ten children. The father was again mar- 
 ried, and his second wife bore him six chil- 
 dren. He died in September, 1863, aged 
 sixty-three. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln have had 
 four children, of whom a daughter died in 
 infancy, and another, named Emma, died in 
 her sixth year. Their living children are: 
 Charles H., who is an architect; and Edwin 
 L. , who conducts a hardware store. Mr. Lin- 
 coln votes the Republican ticket, and takes an 
 active interest in local affairs. 
 
 7TAHARLES L. LELAND, coal dealer, 
 I \t^ an enterprising business man of Gard- 
 ^^js ner, Mass., was born in the adja- 
 cent town of Templeton, August 7, 
 1849, son of Charles and Julia F. (Sawyer) 
 Leland. He is of the eighth generation of 
 the family founded by Henry Leland, who was 
 born in England in 1625, came to America in 
 1658, and was one of the original proprietors 
 of Sherborn, Mass. After Henry" came in 
 direct line Hopestill^; Hopestill^; DanieP; 
 Moses, 5 born in 175 1, who married Mercy 
 Twitchell; Moses,* born in 1784, who married 
 Patience Babcock, and was the father of 
 Charles and grandfather of Charles L., the 
 subject of the present sketch. Moses Leland,* 
 the grandfather, who was a Captain in the 
 State militia, removed from Sherborn to Tem- 
 pleton. He served as a Representative to the 
 State legislature in 1838, 1839, and 1840. 
 Charles Leland, the father, was a well-known 
 resident of Templeton in his day, and his wife 
 was a native of that town. 
 
 Charles L. Leland acquired a common- 
 school education in Templeton. He learned 
 chair-making in Gardner in the shops of A. & 
 H. C. Knowlton, with whom he remained for 
 over twenty years. For the past nine years he 
 has carried on the coal business himself in 
 Gardner. 
 
 Mr. Leland married Sarah J. Guild, daugh- 
 ter of Willard G. Guild, of Gardner. He has 
 one son, Harry W. , who was born in 1874, is 
 
 a graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic Insti- 
 tute, and now resides in Atlanta, Ga., as pro- 
 fessor in Atlanta University. 
 
 Mr. Leland has served with ability as a 
 Selectman for eight years. He is a member of 
 Hope Lodge, F. & A. M. He has occupied 
 the important chairs of William Ellison 
 Lodge, I. O. O. F. , has served as District 
 Deputy Grand Master of the order, and is a 
 member of the encampment and Rebekah 
 branch. 
 
 (Sl-RA CLARK GUPTILL, M.D., who for 
 J I twenty years has successfully practised 
 II his profession in Northboro, was born in 
 Cornish, York County, Me., April 9, 
 1844, son of Obadiah True and Harriet New- 
 ell (Cilley) Guptill. On both sides he had 
 ancestors among the pioneers of the Pine Tree 
 State. His great-grandfather, Daniel Guptill, 
 was a native of North Berwick, Me., where he 
 married Miss Sarah Morrill ; and they reared a 
 large family of children. His maternal grand- 
 father was Benjamin Cilley, of Limerick, Me. 
 Dr. Guptill's preliminary education was 
 obtained in the common and high schools and 
 the classical institutes, and his collegiate 
 training at Bowdoin and Dartmouth. He was 
 graduated from the medical department of Dart- 
 mouth College, November 4, 1874, and further 
 fitted for his profession through clinical prac- 
 tice in the office of his instructor, Dr. Alvin 
 Brawn, who was City Physician of Biddeford, 
 Me. Soon after his graduation he settled in 
 Manchester, N. H., and was in active practice 
 there and in Auburn for about three years. 
 Then on account of poor health he spent some 
 time in travel. Upon his return he resumed 
 practice in his native State, but in October, 
 1879, he removed to Northboro, where he has 
 since remained in the enjoyment of an exten- 
 sive practice and a very pleasant home. He is 
 a member of the Worcester District Medical 
 Society and a fellow of the Massachusetts 
 Medical Society. He has read several papers 
 before the societies, has been concerned in a 
 number of literary works, and has also contrib- 
 uted poems to magazines and newspapers, 
 which have been extensively copied. He be- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 103 
 
 longs to the Masonic Fraternity, the Odd Fel- 
 lows, to the Royal Society of Good Fellows, 
 and is president of the Fredonia Club of Social 
 Fellows. 
 
 In politics he is a Republican, and has 
 served on the Town Committee. In his pro- 
 fessional work, by offices of kindness and 
 gratuitous service, he has done much, often at 
 a sacrifice, to ameliorate the condition of the 
 poor and unfortunate, which has been to him 
 rather a pleasant privilege than a forced task 
 or irksome duty. Dr. Guptill married Novem- 
 ber 4, 1871, Miss Jennie J. Jones, of North 
 Lebanon, Me. , a graduate of the West Lebanon 
 Seminary and a very successful teacher. 
 
 61 HOI 
 
 HOMAS WINDLE, of West Millbury, 
 * I a prominent manufacturer and wood 
 -^ dealer, born at Bernley, England, on 
 March 6, 1845, is a son of John and Grace 
 (Wakely) Windle. His mother died leaving 
 six children. While Thomas was still very 
 young, his father came to America, and soon 
 after married Eliza Sargent, who proved a kind 
 mother to-her step-children. Of her five chil- 
 dren by John Windle, four grew to maturity. 
 John, who had been a confectioner in the old 
 country, after arriving in America became a 
 dresser in a cotton-mill. Subsequently, in 
 1854, he settled on a farm in th6 vicinity of 
 Worcester. His death, which occurred in 
 1863, was caused by eating poisonous fungi, 
 which he supposed to be mushrooms. He was 
 about fifty-six years of age. Some of his chil- 
 dren by his first wife came to America in 
 1847, after their father's second marriage. 
 The eldest son, James Windle, enlisted in the 
 English army, and died in India, while sta- 
 tioned there with his company. James left 
 one son, a physician, who came to America 
 with the hope of finding his relatives, but fail- 
 ing in that returned to England. 
 
 Thomas Windle attended the common 
 schools, where he secured but a meagre educa- 
 tion. Going to Cherry Valley, Mass., at the 
 age of fifteen, he there learned wool sorting 
 with David Dawson, remaining for a year and 
 a half. In 1862 he enlisted. His decision 
 
 to do so was made one day while he was mow- 
 ing in the fields, when he at once dropped his 
 scythe. Having agreed to pay one hundred 
 and thirty dollars for his time, he joined Com- 
 pany K of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts In- 
 fantry. At Newbern, N.C., in the vicinity 
 of the Dismal Swamp, he contracted malaria 
 and pneumonia; and he would undoubtedly 
 have succumbed to these maladies but for the 
 excellent care given him by the surgeon. 
 After recovering sufficiently to go into active 
 service, he took part in a number of skirmishes 
 and in ten hard-fought battles. Although he 
 was never wounded, he was at one time 
 knocked down by the air current caused by a 
 cannon-ball which passed near him. In 1875 
 he began the manufacture of cloth in Baltic, 
 Conn., in company with his brother-in-law, 
 Edwin Hoyle, the firm being known as Hoyle 
 & Windle. After being there for two years, 
 he was successively in Millville, Mass., Hope- 
 ville. Conn., and Woodville, R.I., during a 
 part of the time managing two mills simul- 
 taneously. Coming to Millbury in 1880, he 
 bought out the tannery of Salem Griggs, and 
 converted it into a wool scouring mill. Aside 
 from attending to his milling interests here, 
 he speculates to some extent in wool, and 
 spends a large part of his time in Boston. He 
 resides on his farm of forty-four acres. He 
 also owns a third-interest in the Wheeler Cot- 
 ton Mill, which he purchased in 1895 or 1896 
 in company with Messrs. S. E. Hull and A. S. 
 Winters. Fraternally, he is a Master Mason, 
 and politically a Republican. He is a charter 
 member of General Thomas Post, No. 121, 
 G. A. R. 
 
 Mr. Windle was married on September 2, 
 1866, to Hannah M. Buckley, who was then 
 in her sixteenth year. She is a daughter 
 of Charles and Sarrah Buckley, both of 
 whom were of English birth. Mr. Buckley, 
 who was a mill overseer, succeeded in saving 
 some ten thousand dollars. He was the father 
 of two children — Mrs. Windle and Mrs. 
 Hoyle. Mr. and Mrs. Windle are the parents 
 of three children: William W., who was born 
 on November 2, 1870, and is now a travelling 
 salesman; Arthur D., who was born on Octo- 
 ber 3, 1878, and is now in his father's employ; 
 
II04 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and Grace G. Windle, who was born on Janu- 
 ary 29, 1887. William was formerly in the 
 bicycle business, and achieved a phenomenal 
 record as a bicycle rider. When he was fif- 
 teen years of age he defeated the fastest rider 
 in the county, and for the succeeding five years 
 he held the world's championship. His high- 
 est record in that period was 2.08. He has 
 since then made a mile in 1.42 time. On May 
 25, 1888, he won a hotly contested race in 
 Canada from Klueky and Foster. Young Mr. 
 Windle was the recipient of many handsome 
 trophies and souvenirs, including one prize of 
 a thousand dollars, which was secured to him 
 by his father. For some years past he has not 
 indulged in racing, giving his whole time to 
 business. He is an active member of the Ad- 
 vent Church and an earnest and consistent 
 Christian. 
 
 /pTTo 
 
 EORGE S. HOWE,* for many years 
 % •) I an active business man of Worces- 
 ter, Mass., died at his home in this 
 city in April, 1876. He was born in Rut- 
 land, Worcester County, and was a lineal de- 
 scendant of one of the earlier settlers of that 
 historic town. (See Biographical Sketches in 
 the History of Rutland.) 
 
 George S. Howe was reared and educated 
 in Rutland. He came to Worcester when, a 
 young man, and worked a few years as clerk 
 in a dry-goods store. Being prudent and 
 thrifty, he saved a large per cent, of his earn- 
 ings; and, forming a partnership with his 
 brother-in-law, a Mr. Hobbs, he embarked in 
 the grocery business as the head of the firm of 
 Howe & Hobbs, which was for some years the 
 leading house of the kind in the city. When 
 Mr. Hobbs left the business after a few years 
 of successful experience, the senior partner 
 admitted W. H. Hackett into the firm; and 
 the latter in 1874 bought out Mr. Howe, 
 whose ill health forced him then to retire 
 from active pursuits. Mr. Howe was a man 
 of excellent business qualifications, and by 
 his careful management with close attention 
 to details he accumulated a good property. 
 As a man of sterling integrity, broad-minded, 
 upright and honorable in all of his dealings, 
 
 he was well known in the community, and was 
 held in eminent respect. 
 
 In 1849 Mr. Howe married Miss Anna 
 Hobbs, daughter of George Hobbs, of Worces- 
 ter, and the descendant of a family that set- 
 tled in the town of Princeton, Mass., in old 
 Colonial days. 
 
 rW. ESTABROOK,* a leading busi- 
 ness man of Worcester, is a native of 
 Concord, N.H. He came to Worces- 
 ter many years ago, and established himself 
 as a painter and interior decorator. His suc- 
 cess in this line has been great. In theory 
 anybody can paint : in practice few are able 
 to do it with the best results. Many people 
 seem to think that, as long as a surface is 
 smeared over with some substance resembling 
 paint, that is all that is necessary, and that 
 the nature of the material used and the man- 
 ner in which it is applied are of no special 
 consequence. In reality nothing could be 
 further from the truth, for the fact is that the 
 best painters cannot produce satisfactory work 
 with poor materials; while, on the other hand, 
 a building on which the finest paint is lavishly 
 expended may be neither ornamental nor pro- 
 tected by the operation, if the work has been 
 improperly done. The moral is obvious. 
 House painting and decoration should be in- 
 trusted only to those who are capable of doing 
 first-class work and who are known to use 
 only reliable material. In both these re- 
 spects Mr. Estabrook may be depended upon. 
 His methods have made so excellent an im- 
 pression on this community that in order to 
 fill his contracts he requires a force of men 
 averaging twenty in number. His office and 
 shop are located in rear of 49 Main Street; 
 and he receives orders for painting, glazing, 
 graining, decorative painting, hard -wood 
 finish, and kalsomining solutions. He is 
 able at all times to do any such work at short 
 notice and at reasonable prices. His long 
 years of experience, coupled with the perfect 
 finish of his work, have enabled him not only 
 to build up a large business, but one that is 
 recognized as taking the lead in this line in 
 the city of Worcester. Mr. Estabrook's tele- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 iios 
 
 phone number is 376-4. He is always glad 
 to furnish estimates for any kind of work. 
 
 \EMBROKE SOMERSET RICH,* 
 formerly superintendent of the Ames 
 Plough Works, Worcester, was born 
 in Thorndike, Waldo County, Me., 
 November 24, 1823, son of Joseph and Lydia 
 (Farwell) Rich. His grandfather, James 
 Rich, removed from the western part of Maine 
 to Thorndike, where he engaged in farming, 
 and died at a good old age. His grandmother 
 Rich lived to be one hundred and one years 
 old, and retained full control of her faculties 
 until the end. 
 
 Robert Rich, son of James, entered the 
 army during the War of 1812, and was killed 
 at the battle of Plattsburg. Richard Rich, 
 of Dover Neck, was the father of Richard, Jr., 
 who lived at Easthara, on Cape Cod, and sev- 
 eral of whose children settled at Truro, Mass. 
 Their descendants are numerous, and a family 
 reunion, held at Truro in 1872, was largely 
 attended by representatives from various parts 
 of the United States. 
 
 Joseph Rich, the father of the subject of 
 this sketch, was born in either Gorham or 
 Standish, Me., before his parents removed to 
 Thorndike. He reared a family of five sons 
 and five daughters, all of whom became heads 
 of families, ^nd two are living. 
 
 Pembroke Somerset Rich acquired a com- 
 mon-school education in his native town. He 
 served an apprenticeship of three years at the 
 blacksmith's trade in Belfast, Me. ; and from 
 there he went to New Bedford, Mass., where 
 for the next three years he worked on whale 
 ships and whalers' implements. From New 
 Bedford he went to Taunton, Mass., and was 
 there employed for some years in the machine 
 shops of William Mason & Co. as a general 
 forger, working on machinery and locomotives. 
 He next went to Ayer, Mass., and for a num- 
 ber of years was in the employ of Ruggles, 
 Nourse & Mason. In 1876 he came to 
 Worcester as agent and superintendent of the 
 Ames Plough Company's Works, whose affairs 
 he managed successfully for twenty years, or 
 until his retirement, which took place some 
 
 two years ago. His business ability, mechan- 
 ical skill, and efficiency were heartily appre- 
 ciated by his employers, who at the time of his 
 withdrawal presented him with a solid silver 
 service, suitably engraved, as a testimonial. 
 
 On October 22, 1847, Mr. Rich was joined 
 in marriage with Lydia Ann Wilber, of Taun- 
 ton. They have had three children, namely : 
 Urbanus Harrison, who died at the age of sev- 
 enteen months ; Marietta, who died at the age 
 of sixteen months; and Joseph H., who lived 
 to be nearly three years old. 
 
 Mr. Rich followed the majority of the 
 Whigs into the Republican party at its forma- 
 tion. Formerly quite active in local public 
 affairs, he served two years in the Common 
 Council, but declined to become a candidate 
 for Alderman. He was made a Mason in and 
 is still a member of King David Lodge, of 
 Taunton, which recently celebrated its one 
 hundredth anniversary. He also belongs to 
 King Philip Lodge, I. O. O. F., of that city. 
 About sixteen years ago he built his present 
 residence in Chadwick Square. Although the 
 city is gradually closing in around him, his 
 home is still a charming semi-rural retreat, his 
 grounds being shaded by spreading trees 
 planted by himself. He also owns a cottage 
 house near by. Though not united with any 
 religious society, Mr. and Mrs. Rich contrib- 
 ute to the support of churches, and are ever 
 ready to aid in forwarding all worthy objects. 
 
 YRUS A. AND ABBIE M. LOVELL,* 
 who occupy the old Lovell farm on 
 Mountain Street, Worcester, were 
 born where they now reside. The 
 parents were Cyrus and Lois (Temple) Lovell, 
 the former of whom was born in Worcester, 
 November 2, 1790; and his wife was a native 
 of West Boylston. They are descendants in 
 the sixth generation of Alexander Lovell, Sr., 
 one of the Weymouth and Braintree men who 
 went to Medfield in 1652. Alexander, Jr., 
 son of the pioneer, was born in Medfield in 
 1671. Jonathan Lovell, son of Alexander, 
 Jr., and great-grandfather of the subjects of 
 this sketch, was born in 1714. He settled in 
 Holden. On November 24, 1738, he married 
 
io6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 for his first wife Mary Cheney, who bore him 
 two daughters and one son, Jonathan, Jr. Of 
 his second union there were three sons and two 
 daughters, and one of the former died young. 
 Those who lived to grow up were: Eunice, 
 born in 1747; Olive, born in 1749; Asa, born 
 in 1751; and Amos, born in 1753. Jonathan 
 Lovell, Jr., the grandfather, who was born in 
 1743, married Mary Raymond. Of their 
 twelve children, ten grew to maturity, and the 
 ages of eight averaged eighty years. Among 
 them were: Jonathan, third, born October i, 
 1769; Betty, born September 26, 1771; Mary, 
 born in 1774; and Joseph Lovell, who was 
 born July 29, 1784. The latter was a hotel- 
 keeper in Worcester, and died here at the age 
 of seventy-six. Cyrus Lovell, the father, was 
 a well-known school teacher of his day, and 
 owned th£ farm on Mountain Street which his 
 two surviving children now occupy. Lois, 
 his wife, whom he married April i, 1817, be- 
 came the mother of six children, namely : John, 
 who became a wealthy business man of 
 Worcester, and died February 7, 1898, in his 
 eightieth year; Edwin H., born September 
 15, 1819, and died July 4, 1898; Louisa A., 
 who died June 5, 1836, aged fifteen years; 
 Abbie M. and Cyrus A., the subjects of this 
 sketch, who were born respectively August 18, 
 1824, and March 10, 1828; and George H., 
 born July 24, 1835, and died November 2cr, 
 1890. The father died in 1878, aged nearly 
 eighty-eight years, surviving his wife, who 
 died at the age of forty-nine. 
 
 J.ohn Lovell was born and reared on the 
 old Lovell farm. In 1855 he engaged in the 
 sale of seeds and agricultural implements in 
 Worcester, in which business he continued for 
 many years, being very successful. His ser- 
 vices were frequently called upon to settle es- 
 tates, and he also took a prominent part in pub- 
 lic affairs, being at one time a member of the 
 city government. He was first married when 
 twenty-four years old to Miss Eleanor Winch, 
 who died in 1882, leaving no children. In 
 1883 he married for his second wife Mrs. 
 Ellen C. Bigelow, widow of Samuel T. Bige- 
 low, of Worcester. Mr. Bigelow died in 
 Worcester in 1879, leaving his widow, two 
 daughters, and one son. The son, George C. 
 
 Bigelow, subsequently died at the age of nine- 
 teen years. The daughters are: Grace, wife 
 of Walter J. Dewey, of Lowell, Mass. ; and 
 Alice, wife of J. William Buzzell. Mr. 
 Lovell was very happy in his domestic rela- 
 tions, and proved a kind father to his step- 
 children. He was highly esteemed as a man 
 and citizen, and died leaving a good estate. 
 
 Cyrus A. and Abbie M. Lovell are among 
 the most prosperous farming people in their 
 locality; and their property, which in their 
 father's time consisted of one hundred and 
 fifty acres, now contains two hundred and fif- 
 teen acres. 
 
 RS. ELIZABETH A. GATES 
 BOSWELL,* of Worcester, resid- 
 ing at 200 Grafton Street, is a 
 native of this city. She was 
 born on June 23, 18 18, being a daughter of 
 Joshua and Elizabeth (Flagg) Gates. 
 
 Her paternal grandfather, Samuel Gates, 
 was one of the original settlers on Plantation 
 Street, where he owned a large farm, a part of 
 which is now included within the limits of 
 the new State Hospital grounds. He died at 
 about eighty years of age, having survived his 
 wife, but not for a long period. Their chil- 
 dren were: Joel, Henry, Willard, Joshua, and 
 Mary. Joel, who was a farmer on the old 
 farm, reared a family of four sons and three 
 daughters. Henry, also a farmer on the old 
 farm, has two daughters. Willard has one 
 son. Mary died unmarried. 
 
 Joshua Gates was married to Elizabeth 
 Flagg on February 12, 1809, and their children 
 were as follows: Benjamin Franklin, Rufus 
 Porter, Ruth Flagg, Emily Flagg, and Eliza- 
 beth A. (Mrs. Bosworth). Benjamin Frank- 
 lin Gates, who was born on April 11, 181 1, 
 died in Peoria, 111., at the age of fifty, leav- 
 ing a family. Rufus P., who was born on 
 July 29, 1812, died in Prairie du Chien, Wis., 
 in 1892, leaving one daughter. Ruth F., 
 who was born on May 15, 18 14, and married 
 Hezekiah Bates, died in Worcester past mid- 
 dle life, being survived by two sons — Samuel 
 F. and Charles Bates — and a daughter Geor- 
 giana, wife of Spencer Douglass, of this city. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1107 
 
 Emily F. Gates, who was born in 18 16 and 
 died in 1887, was the wife of Edwin I. Howe. 
 Joshua Gates was in the War of 1 812. At 
 that time the bridge across Quinsigamond 
 Lake was a toll bridge. It was a floating or 
 pontoon bridge; and the first one built was a 
 failure, lasting only a short time, though the 
 first heavy load went over it in safety. 
 
 Elizabeth A. Gates received her education 
 in the common schools. She was married at 
 twenty-two years of age to Austin Aber- 
 crombie, who was born in Pelham on June 18, 
 1818. He died on July 26, 1866, at the age 
 of forty-eight, leaving her with three children 
 — Annie E., Horace A., and Ella; and she 
 was subsequently married to Henry Boswell, 
 of this city. Mr. Boswell, who was a ma- 
 chinist, died in 1883, at the age of seventy- 
 five. Mrs. Boswell has lived in her present 
 home since October, 1864, when her first hus- 
 band bought three acres of land. This fine 
 old house marks the spot where the Harring- 
 tons settled over a hundred and fifty years 
 since. Her life has been an industrious and 
 useful one. She has experienced all the great 
 blessings of life, its joys as well as its sor- 
 rows, and has made many friends. 
 
 Annie E., Mrs. Boswell's elder daughter, 
 who was born on December 7, 1841, was first 
 married in August, 1862, to Charles H. Bos- 
 well, son of her mother's second husband. 
 He enlisted in 1862 in the Thirty-sixth 
 Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry as a pri- 
 vate, was captured by the rebels in Tennessee, 
 and subsequently died in Libby Prison. His 
 resting-place is unknown. His widow was 
 married on December 10, 1887, to Ora B. 
 Underwood, of Jamaica, Vt., who came to 
 this city in 1868. Mr. Underwood has been 
 engaged for some years in the poultry busi- 
 ness, in which he is an adept. He hatches a 
 thousand or more chickens every year in incu- 
 bators, getting them into the market when 
 they will sell at fifty cents a pound. Horace 
 A. Abercrombie is a railroad engineer, resid- 
 ing in Dorchester, Mass. He has one 
 daughter. Ella Abercrombie, who was born 
 on August 28, 1857, married Ralph Aber- 
 crombie. She died on February 7, 1889, 
 leaving one daughter. 
 
 B 
 
 AVID F. PARKER,* who was for a 
 number of years prominent among 
 the business men of Worcester, was 
 born in 1834 in Holden, Mass., the 
 home of several generations of the Parker fam- 
 ily. He was a son of Timothy Parker. His 
 mother's maiden name was Fisk. He was 
 educated in Holden, and in his early manhood 
 he taught school for a few years. In 1861, 
 with a Mr. Garfield, his brother-in-law, he 
 engaged in business in Worcester, teaming and 
 dealing in wood. The firm name was Garfield 
 & Parker. Their place of business at first was 
 on Trumbull Square, later on School Street, 
 Worcester. Their business prospered and 
 grew extensively, and in course of time they 
 went into the ice trade also, having ice houses 
 at Lake Washacum, Sterling. This, too, was 
 a most profitable enterprise. 
 
 About 1866 Mr. Parker was elected Street 
 Commissioner of Worcester. An intensely 
 practical man, he was full of force and execu- 
 tive ability; and as a public servant he was 
 energetic and popular, accomplishing much for 
 the city. He surveyed and built many new 
 streets, doing his work faithfully, and the peo- 
 ple received the full benefit of every dollar 
 expended in his department. He had a boun- 
 tiful good nature and a faculty of dealing with 
 his subordinates in such a way as to secure 
 their best work. Mr. Parker was a Mason and 
 an Odd Fellow. He was a member of the 
 Plymouth Congregational Church of Worces- 
 ter. He died September 2, 1879, and his 
 departure was regretted by hosts of friends. 
 
 On May 23, 1862, he was married to Maria 
 H. Garfield, of Princeton, Mass. The Gar- 
 fields, who are of English origin, have lived 
 in Massachusetts for several generations. 
 
 TT^HARLES S. HOWE,* for a number 
 I \/ of years one of the most valued and 
 \A. trusted agents of the Singer Ma- 
 
 ^ ' chine Company, of Worcester, was 
 
 born in Westboro, this county, in 1848. He 
 was a son of Silas and Mary (Fairbanks) 
 Howe. His father was a native of Northboro 
 and his mother of Lancaster, Mass, They 
 lived on a farm at Westboro. 
 
iio8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Possessing sterling traits of character, the 
 Howes have been prominent in New England 
 from early Colonial days, and the names of 
 several noted members of the family appear 
 on the pages of her history. 
 
 Charles S. Howe was educated in Westboro, 
 and remained on the home farm until about 
 twenty-eight years old. For a while he had 
 entire charge of the farm, and was very suc- 
 cessful in its management; but he was too am- 
 bitious to be content with such a life, and 
 sought a broader field for his energy. About 
 1878 he became connected with the Singer 
 Sewing Machine Company in this city. As 
 one of their selling representatives he learned 
 the business thoroughly, and became an expert 
 solicitor. He was then advanced to a confi- 
 dential position. Mr. Howe was exceptionally 
 valuable in closing contracts, as he possessed 
 the address, tact, and gentlemanly bearing 
 essentia] to success in that line of busi- 
 ness. Courteous and agreeable, he made 
 many friends. He died July 26, 1892. 
 
 Mr. Howe was married October 26, 1875, 
 to Susan A. Pierce, of Westboro, daughter of 
 Samuel Pierce. Mr. Pierce is now eighty- 
 three years of age. Two children were born 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Howe — Evelyn Augusta and 
 Leander. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM TOWNE SHUMWAY,* 
 a leading merchant of Webster, son 
 of Hammond and Ruby (Towne) 
 Shumway, was born on March 21, 1829, in 
 Thompson, Conn., where his paternal grand- 
 parents, Jeremiah and Huldah (Upham) Shum- 
 way, had settled on a farm before his father's 
 birth. Solomon Shumway, father of Jeremiah, 
 was a native of Oxford, Mass., whence he re- 
 moved to Connecticut. The family is said to 
 have been of Huguenot origin. Several of its 
 representatives fought in the American Revo- 
 lution. The name of Jeremiah Shumway is 
 recorded in the list of Connecticut men who 
 served for a brief period in the War of 18 12. 
 
 Hammond Shumway, son of Jeremiah, was 
 born in Thompson in 1804, and died at the 
 age of forty. He was a lifelong farmer. His 
 wife, Ruby, whom he married in 1825, was 
 
 also a native of Thompson. She was the 
 daughter of William Towne, a Revolutionary 
 soldier, who died at the age of ninety. Her 
 mother's family name was Newell. Three of 
 the six children born to Hammond and Ruby 
 Shumway are now living — namely, William 
 T. , George, and Hammond H. — all of whom 
 are interested in the store of which the first 
 named is the proprietor. 
 
 William Towne Shumway received his edu- 
 cation in the public schools of his native town 
 and at Roberts Academy in Webster. When 
 sixteen years of age he engaged as a clerk in 
 the general merchandise store of J. P. Stock- 
 well, of this town, and was subsequently with 
 him for several years. Following this he 
 clerked in Worcester for a short time, and later 
 went into business with Simeon Shumway 
 under the firm name of Shumway & Co. After 
 a short time John Shumway, a brother of 
 Simeon, bought out the latter' s interest in the 
 business, and the firm was for three years 
 J. Shumway & Co. At the end of that time a 
 new partner was added, and the name was 
 changed to Shumway & Alton. In July, 1857, 
 the company was dissolved, and shortly after 
 the subject of this sketch went into the dry- 
 goods business on his own account. He con- 
 tinued it successfully for ten years in one 
 place, and at the end of that period removed to 
 his present stand. He also conducted for some 
 years, in company with W. H. Arnold, a gen- 
 eral merchandise store at North Grosvenor, but 
 in 1870 sold it out. Mr. Shumway carries a 
 large stock of goods, and has a fine class of 
 custom. His exact and honorable business 
 methods through all these years have won for 
 him the warmest respect of his fellow-towns- 
 men. 
 
 In 185 1 Mr. Shumway was united in mar- 
 riage with Jane Keith, the daughter of Orrin 
 and Hannah (Perry) Keith. Mrs. Shumway's 
 father was in the War of 181 2 ; and her grand- 
 father, Asa K., Keith, was a soldier of the 
 Revolution. Her brother Henry fought dur- 
 ing the Civil War, and was a member of Gen- 
 eral Pratt's staff. Two children have been 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Shumway: Kate, in 
 1856; and Janet, in 1865. The former of 
 these, who was educated in the schools of Web- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 log 
 
 ster and at Bradford Academy, is now the wife 
 of W. B. Russell, and resides at Turner's 
 Falls, where Mr. Russell is president and 
 treasurer of the Paper Manufacturing Company. 
 Janet married Robert G. Swett, and resides at 
 Easthampton, Mass. 
 
 Mr. Shumway was elected treasurer of the 
 town during the Civil War, and subsequently 
 served for nine years. He has also held the 
 office of Selectman for three years. In politics 
 he is a Republican. He is a member of the 
 Congregational church, and has served on com- 
 mittees. He is one of the trustees of the 
 Webster Five Cent Savings Bank. 
 
 T.. V 
 
 ILLIAM BRIGHAM HOWE,* prior 
 [87s general superintendent for 
 L. W. Pond, of Worcester, builder 
 of machinery, was born at Grafton, Mass., on 
 March i, 1828, and died in Worcester in May, 
 1875. His parents were William and Annie 
 (Goulding) Howe. His father was a shoe- 
 maker. 
 
 When only five years old William B. Howe 
 went with his parents to Leicester, where he 
 attended the public schools and Leicester 
 Academy. Coming to Worcester after his 
 school days were over, he was employed in the 
 drug store of Charles Harrington; but after re- 
 maining there a short time he went into the 
 grocery store of Edwin Howe. Afterward he 
 was clerk in the grocery store of Benjamin 
 Butman in Butman Row and still later in a 
 store on Exchange Street. His intelligent 
 service in these positions gave him good ex- 
 perience, and served to introduce him to the 
 business world. Upon entering the office of 
 L. W. Pond, the well-known builder of ma- 
 chinery, he found himself in a position which 
 would give full scope to his business ability 
 and executive faculty. He soon won the 
 entire confidence of his employer, and was 
 intrusted with business of a very important 
 nature. Gradually he became an indispensable 
 factor in the carrying on of the business, and 
 in time was made general superintendent of 
 the entire plant. He understood not only the 
 details of the executive functions of the busi- 
 ness, but acquired a remarkably keen insight 
 
 into its mechanical processes. Under his 
 management the firm attained great prosperity, 
 as he acted in their interest as faithfully as 
 if he had been himself the proprietor of the 
 business. The men under his charge found 
 him the kindest of masters, and by many of 
 them he is affectionately remembered at the 
 present time. So closely did Mr. Howe con- 
 fine himself to business that his health, never 
 robust, gave way, and in 1867 he was obliged 
 to retire. At this time the firm was in a 
 highly prosperous condition, and its failure 
 did not occur until some time after Mr. 
 Howe's connection with it had ceased. Going 
 to California in hopes that the change and the 
 climate would prove beneficial, Mr. Howe re- 
 mained there until a few weeks before his 
 death, which occurred at Worcester as above 
 noted. 
 
 Mr. Howe was married in 1852 to Harriet 
 Chaffin, of Worcester, daughter of Elisha 
 Chafifin, who was born in Holden. Her family 
 has been settled in Worcester County for a 
 number of generations. Mr. Howe left three 
 children, of whom the following is a brief rec- 
 ord : George Herbert, the elder son, who was 
 born on July i, i860, is a machinist. Ade- 
 line Louisa Howe was born on February 4, 
 1863. William Chaffin Howe, who was born 
 on April 19, 1870, is a mechanical engineer, 
 and has been for some time in the employ of 
 the Hawkins Bridge Company, of Springfield. 
 He makes estimates for the cost of construc- 
 tion, and also has charge of the construction as 
 superintendent. 
 
 ^AMES T. ROOD, M.D.,* who died at 
 his home in Holden, Mass., October 
 26, 1875, was for many years one of 
 the foremost physicians of this section 
 of Worcester County and a citizen of high 
 standing in the community. He was born at 
 Jericho, Vt., December 21, 1834. He at- 
 tended the public schools of Jericho until he 
 was sixteen years old, when he accompanied 
 his parents to Holden, Mass. For a short 
 time he assisted in the management of the 
 home farm. His medical studies were pur- 
 sued in Montpelier, Vt., and afterward in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Boston. He began the practice of his profes- 
 sion in Holden, and had already obtained a 
 fair share of local patronage when the Civil 
 War broke out. He was commissioned assist- 
 ant surgeon of the Twenty-eighth Massachu- 
 setts Volunteer Infantry in August, 1862, and 
 was in the service till some time in November, 
 being then honorably discharged on account of 
 illness. 
 
 On his return from the war Dr. Rood was 
 located for a time in South Brookfield before 
 he came back to Holden. A physician of ac- 
 knowledged skill, careful in his diagnosis of 
 diseases and prompt in treatment, he became 
 eminently successful and popular in Holden 
 and the nearby towns. Studious and progres- 
 sive, he devoted himself to his profession, 
 which he looked upon as affording him a great 
 opportunity to do good in the world rather 
 than as a means of acquiring riches. A man 
 of high moral character and of sterling integ- 
 rity, he wielded a good influence in the com- 
 munity, of which he was an active member. 
 As one of the local School Committee, he ren- 
 dered efficient service toward advancing the 
 educational interests of the town. He was 
 a leading member of the Congregational 
 church, and he belonged to a post of the 
 G. A. R. 
 
 On December 25, 1861, Dr. Rood married 
 Ellen Louise Miles, of Rutland, Mass., a 
 daughter of Ebenezer and Roxana (Hale) 
 Miles. Seven children were the fruit of this 
 union. The following is a brief record of the 
 family: Willie George, born in Rutland, Jan- 
 uary 16, 1863, died May 19, 1863; Nellie 
 Miles, born in Brookfield, March 26, 1864, 
 is the wife of R. P. Gleason, of Oakland, 
 Cal. ; Annie Norton, born September 6, 1866, 
 died August 16, 1868; Stanley Hale, born 
 December 7, 1868, a graduate of the Worcester 
 High School and of the Worcester Polytechnic 
 Institute; Clara Belle, born in Holden, Au- 
 gust II, 1871, was graduated from the high 
 school and State Normal School at Worces- 
 ter, and is now at the head of the Salisbury 
 Training Kindergarten School in Worcester; 
 Florence Louise, born June 26, 1874, died 
 November 29, 1875; James Heron, born March 
 36, 1876, in Worcester, was graduated from 
 
 the Worcester High School, and is now a stu- 
 dent at the Polytechnic Institute. 
 
 Since the death of her husband Mrs. Rood 
 has resided in Worcester. Stanley Hale Rood 
 for a while was professor of Mathematics in 
 the Polytechnic Institute, and then for two 
 years, or till he resigned in 1896, an instruc- 
 tor in the Boston School of Mechanic Arts. 
 He married in June, 1897, Alice H. Mason, 
 of Jamaica Plain, Mass. 
 
 was born in 
 ber I, 1802, 
 
 (Putnam) Marble. 
 
 of Scottish origin. 
 
 OHN PUTNAM MARBLE,* one of 
 Worcester's most venerable citizens, 
 Charlton, Mass., on Octo- 
 son of Thaddeus and Olive 
 The family is said to be 
 Mr. Marble's great-grand- 
 father, Freegrace Marble, was one of the early 
 settlers of Sutton, coming to that place early 
 in the eighteenth century from Essex County. 
 His three sons were: Samuel, Enoch, and 
 Malachi. Enoch Marble, the grandfather of 
 John P. Marble, was born in Sutton, and died 
 in that town at a very advanced age in 1814. 
 By his wife, Abigail, he had a family of eleven 
 children, eight sons and three daughters; and 
 his grand-children numbered more than a hun- 
 dred. 
 
 Thaddeus Marble, who was born in Sutton 
 in 1758, removed to Charlton, and there en- 
 gaged in the manufacture of scythes, and also 
 in connection with his brother Aaron owned 
 and operated a grist-mill. He died in 1817 
 at the age of fifty-nine. He had fought in the 
 Revolutionary War. In 1784 he married 
 Olive Putnam, of Sutton, daughter of John 
 Putnam. She survived him twenty-five years, 
 and died in 1842 at the age of seventy-five. 
 They had six children. One died at the age 
 of three years, and a daughter, named Persis, 
 at ten. The other children were: William, 
 John P., Mary, and Persis (second.) Mary, 
 who was the first-born, married Lyman Gould, 
 and died in 1853, leaving four children. 
 William Marble, who died at the age of fifty- 
 five, was a lifelong farmer of Charlton. He 
 left a family of five children. One of his two 
 sons is now living, a wealthy invalid in Chi- 
 cago, Persis Marble, second, who died in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 middle life, was the wife of William S. Weld. 
 She had no children. 
 
 John Putnam Marble, on account of some 
 physical weakness affecting his head, was 
 unable to attend school much during early 
 childhood. He resided at the parental home 
 until the age of twenty-five, when he suc- 
 ceeded his father-in-law, William P. Ryder, 
 of Charlton, in business. In 1828 he also 
 managed a hotel in Charlton. In 1843 he 
 started to make trips to the West, selling 
 boots and shoes at wholesale in the southern 
 and central parts of Michigan. His son Je- 
 rome looked after the store in Charlton during 
 his four months' absence each year, as he kept 
 up the boot and shoe trade in Michigan until 
 i860. In 1853 he also embarked in the flour- 
 ing business at Dexter in that State. His 
 partner died in i860, and he conducted the 
 business alone till 1865, when he closed out. 
 He has since lived practically retired. Since 
 1853 Mr. Marble has resided on Harvard 
 Street; and in 1867, thirty -one years ago, he 
 built the house, No. 33, in which he has since 
 made his home. 
 
 Up to 1840 he was a Democrat, but since 
 that time he has been a Republican. In 1841 
 he represented the Worcester district in the 
 legislature, being elected by a majority of 
 three hundred and forty-four votes over the 
 Whig candidate, who received only one hun- 
 dred and eight votes. The first vote he cast 
 in the legislature was in favor of the proposi- 
 tion that amalgamation, or the marriage of 
 blacks and whites, was a crime, and the off- 
 spring were illegitimate. He also voted in 
 favor of straightening the Boston & Albany 
 Railroad, which was at that time owned by the 
 State. Mr. Marble is a member of the Uni- 
 versal ist church, and was one of the committee 
 having in charge the building of the present 
 handsome edifice of brick and stone. Though 
 Mr. Marble is not in robust health, and his 
 sight and hearing are failing, he is yet a most 
 remarkable man for his age, and has a good 
 memory of the events which have taken place 
 in his long and active career. He is one of 
 the only two men who are real sons of the Rev- 
 olutionary soldiers. 
 
 He was married November 30, 1823, at the 
 
 age of twenty-one, to Ruth Ann Ryder, of 
 Charlton, who was born on June 30, 1806, and 
 died on December 14, 1883. She was the 
 mother of two children: Jerome Marble, of 
 this city; and William T., who died Decem- 
 ber 4, 1862, at the age of seventeen. The 
 latter was a student in Leicester Academy, 
 preparing for college, and was a young man of 
 unusual promise. 
 
 Jerome Marble, who resides at 23 Harvard 
 Street, in the house built by him in 1867, was 
 born in Charlton on September 10, 1824. He 
 completed his education in Leicester Acad- 
 emy, and at the age of eighteen went into his 
 father's store in Charlton, in which he had 
 previously worked during his school vacations. 
 For two years he was in Boston in the paint 
 and oil store of Randall & Bacheller, but at 
 the end of that time returned to Charlton and 
 continued there four years longer in the gen- 
 eral merchandise business. Selling out then, 
 he came to Worcester and engaged in business 
 as a wholesale and retail dealer in drugs, 
 paints, oils, and so forth. For ten years, 
 from 1853 to 1863, he was a member of the 
 firm of C. A. Harrington & Co. ; but upon 
 the retirement of Mr. Harrington in 1863 the 
 firm name became Jerome Marble & Co. 
 This firm has operated two stores, the main 
 store being at 440 Main Street, Worcester, 
 and a wholesale department at 42 Pearl Street, 
 Boston. Their trade extends over New Eng- 
 land, New York, and Pennsylvania, and from 
 eight to ten travelling agents are employed. 
 
 Mr. Marble was first married in 1849 to 
 Susan E. Blanchard, of Charlton. She died 
 in 1 88 1 at the age of fifty-three, leaving two 
 daughters: Nellie Mabel, who resides with her 
 father; and Olive, who is the wife of Fred- 
 erick W. Bailey, of New Haven, Conn., and 
 the mother of John Marble Bailey, aged six 
 years, and a younger child, Nellie M. In 
 1882 Mr. Marble married Abbie E. Redding, 
 of this city, daughter of John Redding, of 
 Sturbridge. Mrs. Marble's parents are liv- 
 ing, also her two sisters and a brother. 
 
 In politics Mr. Marble is a Republican. 
 He has never been an office-seeker, but at one 
 time served the city as Alderman for a year. 
 He attends the U'nivergalist church, of which 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his father is a member. He has travelled 
 much in this country, both in the South and in 
 California. For several years Mr. Marble was 
 principal of the Sycamore Street School. 
 
 BEL ABBOTT PEVEY, D.D.S.,*was 
 for some years one of the leading den- 
 tists of New England. He had an 
 excellent practice in Woonsocket, 
 where his death occurred in 1888. He was 
 born in Greenfield, N.H., July 6, 1827, a son 
 of Benjamin Abbott and Nancy (Whittemore) 
 Pevey. His father was born and reared in 
 Bennington, N. H., but after he reached man's 
 estate he was engaged in manufacturing several 
 years in the neighboring town of Greenfield. 
 He subsequently removed to New York City, 
 where he continued manufacturing on a more 
 extended scale. On retiring from active pur- 
 suits he returned to his former home in Green- 
 field, N. H., and there spent his last days, a 
 respected and honored citizen. 
 
 Abel A. Pevey, having completed his 
 schooling in New York City, began in 1848 
 the study of dentistry with a well-known and 
 able practitioner. Diligent and painstaking, 
 he acquired proficiency in his profession, and 
 when ready to open an office of his own estab- 
 lished himself in Clinton, Mass. He soon 
 proved his skill as a dentist, and in course of 
 time won an extensive patronage. Desiring, a 
 larger field for operation, Dr. Pevey event- 
 ually removed to Woonsocket, R. I., where he 
 met with eminent -success, having a very 
 lucrative practice in that city and the neigh- 
 boring towns, and being recognized for years as. 
 one of the most prominent men of his profes- 
 sion in the State. Ambitious and progressive, 
 he kept abreast of the times in regard to all 
 improved methods in dentistry, and was quick 
 to avail himself of all newly invented dental 
 tools and appliances that would facilitate his 
 work or make more pleasant to his customers 
 their enforced visits to the dental chair. He 
 helped to establish his three brothers in the 
 dental profession, and at one time all four 
 were in Clinton. His brother Frank was for 
 many years associated with him in Woon- 
 socket ; but he and his other two brothers are 
 
 now well settled in Worcester, where each has 
 a substantial practice. Dr. Pevey had a 
 residence in Worcester for a long time, and 
 was here well known and highly esteemed. 
 He was a prominent member of the Rhode 
 Island Dental Association. 
 
 Dr. Pevey married Miss Ella F. Judd, of 
 Clinton, Mass., a daughter of Lucian Judd, 
 who removed from Waterbury, Conn. , to that 
 town. He was a soldier in the War of 18 12, 
 and his father served in the Revolution. The 
 Judd family was first represented in New Eng- 
 land by Thomas Judd, who was in Cambridge, 
 Mass., in 1634 or 1635, removed thence to 
 Hartford, Conn., from there to Farmington, 
 and finally to Northampton, Mass. He had 
 six sons, two of whom — namely, Thomas, Jr. , 
 and Philip — -settled at Waterbury, Conn. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Pevey had two children, one 
 of whom, a son Edward, died in boyhood. 
 The other child, Helen Augusta, now Mrs. 
 Ashley, married first George Lyford Gould, 
 who died, leaving one son, George Lyford 
 Gould, Jr. 
 
 tgTiRAM H. AMES,* whose death oc- 
 \=A curred on February 16, 1892, in the 
 J_ls I city of Worcester, where he had 
 been a resident nearly half a cen- 
 tury, was born in Sturbridge, April 22, 1822. 
 His father died when Hiram was a boy; and 
 after receiving a limited education in the com- 
 mon schools he worked on the home farm till 
 1845, when he came to Worcester, where he 
 learned carriage-making, and followed his 
 trade for many years, subsequently working for 
 the Ames Plough Company. In 1868 he 
 started in the retail furniture business with a 
 Mr. Corey, who retired two years later. Mr. 
 Ames built up a large trade, and was engaged 
 in the business till 1882, when, having accu- 
 mulated considerable money during fourteen 
 years of business, he sold out to Henry Walker. 
 Mr. Ames was a popular tradesman, attentive 
 to business, honorable in his dealings, never 
 failing to meet his obligations. A far-seeing 
 man and realizing the increasing value of 
 property in a growing town like Worcester, he 
 built a four-story block on Main Street, and in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1113 
 
 1882 he bought a farm on Vernon Street, 
 which he developed and finally sold into house 
 lots at good profits. He also engaged in sev- 
 eral other real estate transactions. 
 
 He was twice married. The children by his 
 first wife were: Marcia Ann, now Mrs. E. G. 
 Scathers ; and Imogene E. , now Mrs. George 
 Page. He married second, December 24, 
 1870, Susan F. Mil liken Warner, and by her 
 had two sons: Hiram Harris, born March 29, 
 1872, who is a book-keeper with the Washburn 
 & Moen Manufacturing Company; and Edwin 
 James, born April 7, 1882, who is a student at 
 the high school. Mrs. Ames was born at Cav- 
 endish, Vt. Her great-great-grandfather was 
 a Protestant from the north of Ireland, his 
 people having settled there after a long resi- 
 dence in Scotland. 
 
 Mr. Ames was a Mason and a member of the 
 I. O. O. F., the Royal Arcanum, and other 
 fraternities, ranking high in each. He pos- 
 sessed a sympathetic, kindly nature, and often 
 aided people against his cooler judgment. He 
 was a genial, whole-souled man, and had many 
 friends. 
 
 EUCIUS LAWTON BRIGHAM,* for 
 the past ten years a successful dealer 
 in flour and grain in Worcester, was 
 — "^ born in Wayland, Mass., September 
 I, 1832, son of Colonel Ephraim and Mary 
 (Hubbard) Brigham. He attended the public 
 schools of his native place until fourteen years 
 of age, when his father died and he was 
 obliged to seek employment. He went to 
 Bolton, Mass., and there remained for two 
 years as clerk in Holman's Hotel. He was 
 next employed by Stone & Warren, butchers of 
 the same town, and he showed at this early age 
 a remarkable talent for business. He advanced 
 rapidly, and in two years' time was sole buyer 
 for the firm. At the age of nineteen he en- 
 gaged in the meat business for himself, and 
 spent the next four years in different towns; 
 and after working for a short time in Boston, 
 in October, 1854, he located in Worcester, on 
 Washington Square, in company with Hiram 
 Fobes, with whom he was in partnership for 
 twelve years. In i§66 he sold out his interest 
 
 in that store and established another on Main 
 Street, which he conducted for six years with- 
 out a partner. The firm of Houghton, Brig- 
 ham & Gates was then formed, and carried on 
 the business of slaughtering and dealing in 
 live cattle, wholesale and retail. Mr. Brigham 
 was a member of the firm for eleven years, and 
 when the partnership was dissolved in 1885 he 
 became engaged in the grain and flour business 
 at 105 Front Street. In 1896 he removed to 
 his present stand at 57 Foster Street. 
 
 He married June 5, i860, Abbie H. Hayes, 
 of Lawrence, Mass., and by this union has had 
 four children, as follows: Annie Hubbard, 
 born January 3, 1863; Clara Lawrence, born 
 October 15, 1866; Katie, born December 9, 
 1870, who died June 24, 1872; and H. Pres- 
 cott, born August 19, 1876. Annie married 
 J. H. Wheeler, Jr., of Boston; Clara L. mar- 
 ried L. W. Southgate, the patent lawyer of 
 Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Brigham is a member of the Athelson 
 Lodge of Free Masons. He is a Republican 
 in politics, and was Alderman for the Fourth 
 Ward in 1886 and 1887. He has been suc- 
 cessful in all his business ventures, and is 
 •honorable in all his dealings. Since the age 
 of fourteen he has faced the world unaided, and 
 his success in life has been peculiarly self- 
 attained. 
 
 fETER BAKER,* founder of the Baker 
 Manufacturing Company, Worcester, 
 was born in Baltimore, Md., October 
 20, 185s, son of Henry and Mary 
 (Fiirst) Baker. His father, who was born in 
 Germany in 1815, served an apprenticeship of 
 seven years at the baker's trade, and afterward 
 worked as a journeyman baker several years 
 before coming to the United States. Settling 
 in Baltimore in 1852, he followed his trade 
 for about three years. Possessed of an un- 
 usual amount of energy and ability, he had 
 accumulated- some means, and was about to 
 engage in business for himself when he was 
 killed by a boiler explosion. Mrs. Baker 
 shortly removed with her two sons, Michael 
 H. and Peter, to Hatfield. She married for 
 her second husband Frank Steele, a native of 
 
IIII 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Germany, like herself, and by this union she 
 had seven children. Five of these grew to 
 maturity, married, and have families. The 
 mother is still living on a farm in Hatfield 
 with one of her children. Her son, Michael 
 H. Baker, is now engaged in the plumbing 
 business in Holyoke, Mass. 
 
 Peter Baker was six weeks old when his 
 mother went to Hatfield. He was educated 
 in the common schools, and at the age of 
 seventeen he began a three years' apprentice- 
 ship at the plumber's trade with his brother 
 and his brother's partner, in whose employ he 
 remained as a journeyman for some years. 
 Coming to Worcester in the fall of 1883, he 
 worked at his trade on Pleasant Street for a 
 year, at the end of which time he engaged in 
 the plumbing and tinning business on Foster 
 Street, where he remained six years. He 
 then removed to Exchange Street, where he 
 was burned out a year later ; and, going to 
 Central Street, he remained there two years, 
 or until selling out. After carrying on the 
 confectionery business a year, he relinquished 
 it to establish himself in his present manufact- 
 uring line, opening on Water Street. As 
 business increased he moved to the corner of' 
 Cherry and Canal Streets. The Baker Lead 
 Manufacturing Company, of which he is the 
 founder, was organized in 1895 and incorpo- 
 rated with a capital stock of thirty-five thou- 
 sand dollars. They manufacture lead pipe and 
 traps, and do a large wholesale business in 
 plumbers' supplies, shipping goods to all parts 
 of the United States, England, and Australia. 
 
 On December 28, 1882, Mr. Baker married 
 Margaret T. Ryan, of this city, daughter of 
 Patrick Ryan. Nine children have been born 
 of this union. Three of them died in infancy, 
 and a son, Henry, died at the age of eighteen 
 months. The survivors are: Mary A., Grace, 
 Helen, Josephine, and Estelle. 
 
 In politics Mr. Baker votes independently, 
 supporting the candidates whom he considers 
 the best qualified to hold ofifice. ' Since 1895 
 he has resided at 104 Vernon Street. He is 
 one of the rising business men of this city, and 
 his success is the result of energy and perse- 
 verance. Mr. and Mrs. Baker attend St. 
 John's Church. 
 
 DWIN P. CURTIS,* of Worcester, 
 president of the Richardson Manufact- 
 uring Company, was born in St. 
 Louis, Mo., in 1844, son of John Edwin and 
 Amelia (Riley) Curtis. His paternal grand- 
 father was John Curtis; and he is a descendant 
 of Ephraim Curtis, who came to Worcester 
 from Sudbury, where his father, Henry, was 
 one of the earliest settlers. 
 
 Ephraim Curtis, first, was, it is said, the 
 earliest settler of Worcester, coming here 
 about 1670. He was driven away by the Ind- 
 ians, and never returned to this locality. 
 His two sons, John and Ephraim, came here, 
 however; and the elder, John, succeeded to 
 his property, which amounted to some two 
 hundred and fifty acres, by the law of primo- 
 geniture. Before taking possession he was 
 obliged, however, to oust other claimants, 
 which he did by an appeal to the courts. He 
 subsequently purchased adjacent land until he 
 had in all about three hundred acres. The 
 younger son, Ephraim, second, acquired a 
 large tract of land in the vicinity of Quinsig- 
 amond Lake. 
 
 John Edwin Curtis, father of Edwin P., was 
 born on the old Curtis farm on Lincoln 
 Street, Worcester, which has been owned in 
 the family since the time of Ephraim, the 
 pioneer. He was a merchant by occupation. 
 He died in St. Louis, Mo., about 1844, at the 
 early age of twenty-seven, leaving his wife 
 with two children — Edwin P. and Elnora. 
 The latter became the wife of George Whit- 
 man, and died leaving a daughter, Amy, then 
 only 'six weeks old, who is now a young lady 
 pursuing advanced studies in Germany. Mrs. 
 Amelia R. Curtis was born in Middletown, 
 Conn., in 1822, a daughter of Calvin and Eu- 
 nice (Milley) Riley. Her father died in 
 Alton, 111., to which place the family had 
 moved in 1832. After the death of her first 
 husband, to whom she was married May 26, 
 1841, she became the wife and subsequently the 
 widow of his brother, Tyler P. Curtis (of 
 whom see separate sketch), and now resides 
 on the old Curtis farm above mentioned. She 
 has three living children by her second hus- 
 band, two sons and a daughter, all residents of 
 Worcester, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i"5 
 
 Edwin P. Curtis was educated in the public 
 schools and at Worcester Academy. Leaving 
 school at the age of seventeen, he worked two 
 years on the farm, after which he went to 
 Cincinnati. During the Civil War he served 
 in the Quartermaster's department, returning 
 home in 1864. Then, in company with A. P. 
 Richardson, he began selling the Buckley 
 mowing-machines, which business had been 
 founded by him in 1862, previous to his west- 
 ern trip. For fifteen years he was travelling 
 salesman for the firm, confining his operations 
 mainly to the New England States. He then 
 gave up the road to accept a position in the 
 office, and in time came to be a stockholder 
 in the concern. The business was incorpo- 
 rated in 1870 with one hundred thousand 
 dollars capital stock, which capitalization has 
 not since been changed, although the business 
 has increased threefold at least. For some 
 ten years Mr. Curtis was secretary and di- 
 rector, and since January, 1896, he has been 
 president of the company. In place of a 
 single travelling salesman, as formerly, the 
 firm now employ twenty-two men on the road. 
 
 Mr. Curtis was married January i, 1868, to 
 Harriet Bigelow, of Worcester, daughter of 
 Walter and Mary (Hyde) Bigelow, prosperous 
 farming people of this locality. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Curtis have one daughter, Eleanora Whitman 
 Curtis, a young lady of musical ability and a 
 graduate of Smith College, who resides with 
 her parents. Their home is on Bigelow Hill, 
 at the old Bigelow homestead that has been in 
 the possession of Mrs. Curtis's family for a 
 hundred years or more. 
 
 fYLER PRENTICE CURTIS,* who died 
 at his home, 428 Lincoln Street, 
 Worcester, June 16, 1896, on his 
 eighty-sixth birthday, was born on the old 
 Curtis farm settled by Ephraim Curtis, the 
 pioneer, reference to whom has been made in 
 the sketch of Edwin P. Curtis. He is a de- 
 scendant of Ephraim through his elder son,- 
 John. His paternal grandfather was Tyler 
 Curtis. His father was John Curtis, and his 
 mother before marriage a Miss Chamberlain. 
 Mr. Curtis resided all his life at the home of 
 
 his ancestors, which he inherited and carried 
 on in turn. He married March 2, 1846, Mrs. 
 Amelia R. Curtis, the widow of his brother, 
 John E. Curtis (see sketch of Edwin P. Cur- 
 tis). Of this union there were four children : 
 Kate, who died at the age of nineteen months; 
 John D. , who is now the general superintend- 
 ent of the Washburn Moen Manufacturing 
 Company; Kate (second), wife of William T. 
 Brown, a merchant tailor of Worcester; and 
 William C. Curtis, a general farmer and dairy- 
 man and the owner of the farm, which now 
 contains one hundred and forty acres. Mrs. 
 Curtis is a member of the Central Congrega- 
 tional Church. 
 
 ENJAMIN F. PRENTISS,* retired 
 contractor and builder, a highly es- 
 teemed citizen of Southboro, was 
 born in Hopkinton, Middlesex 
 County, Mass., July 25, 1820, son of Abner 
 and Hannah C. Prentiss. 
 
 As we learn from Binney's Genealogy of the 
 Prentice or Prentiss Family, published in 
 1883, he is a direct descendant of Thomas^ 
 Prentice, an early settler of Newton, Mass., 
 nephew of Captain Thomas Prentice, ' a noted 
 trooper in King Philip's War, the line being 
 thus given: Thomas,^ Edward,-^ Edward, Jr.," 
 Samuel,' Abner,* Benjamin F. ^ 
 
 Abner Prentiss married first Charlotte 
 Thayer. She died in 1808. His second wife, 
 Hannah C, whom he married in 1810, died in 
 1844. He died in November, 1847, leaving 
 eight children; namely, Hopestill S., Char- 
 lotte T., Hannah, James M., Nellopee C, 
 Benjamin F. , Emeline C, and Abner. A 
 son, Andrew J., born in 1816, was drowned in 
 his seventeenth year; and Thomas, born in 
 1822, died in October, 1836. Hopestill, born 
 February 16, 1807, married Colonel Peter 
 Corbett, of Holliston (both deceased). Char- 
 lotte T. , born January 22, 181 1, died at the 
 age of eighty-three. She was the wife of 
 A. Earl Fames, of Ashland, Mass. Hannah, 
 born March i, 1812, married Franklin A. 
 Sawyer, of Shrewsbury, Mass., and dying Sep- 
 tember 29, 1849, left two children: George, 
 who is in Seattle, Wash. ; and Susan, wife of 
 
I ii6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Smith Bowen, of Worcester. James M., born 
 in 1814 (now deceased), served in the war of 
 the Rebellion, and was incarcerated in Libby 
 Prison. Nellopee C, born November 6, 1817, 
 was married November 24, 1842, to John 
 Rickey, a merchant tailor of Flushing, N. Y. 
 She had ten children, five of whom are living, 
 namely: Addie D. , wife of John Eames, of 
 Southboro; Hannah E., wife of Louis Schim- 
 merhorn, of New York City; Ella V., resid- 
 ing at Rocklawn, Westboro; and Nellie J. 
 and Francena in Flushing, N. Y. Emeline 
 C, born June i, 1825, is the wife of Benja- 
 min Fowler, of Flushing, N. Y. Abner, born 
 February 22, 1827, is a miller of Westboro, 
 residing at Rocklawn. 
 
 Benjamin F. Prentiss was educated in the 
 Hopkinton schools. He lived in Southboro 
 village six years, then removed to Southville, 
 which has been his home for nearly sixty years. 
 As a contractor and builder his work was not 
 confined to the town of Southboro. He 
 erected many of the principal buildings in 
 Marlboro, Worcester, Framingham, Hopkin- 
 ton, Ashland, and other towns in this vicinity; 
 and at the same time he managed an extensive 
 lumber business. He has travelled widely for 
 business and pleasure, and made many trips to 
 Canada. Since retiring from active business 
 he has visited Florida, California, and other 
 parts of the Union. 
 
 On July 4, 1852, he was married to Susan 
 S. Johnson, who was born in Southboro in 
 1833. Their union was blessed with five chil- 
 dren, namely: Rose B. , born December 5, 
 1853, wife of Albert Eames, of Hopkinton; 
 Benjamin F., who died in June, 1855; Clara 
 L., born September 4, 1858, who died January 
 5, 1891, wife of Henry Summerman, of South- 
 boro; Lizzie, born October 23, 1859, who 
 married Edmund Hyde, of Southboro ; Benja- 
 min F. (second), born in 1863, died in 1865. 
 Mr. Prentiss's daughter, Mrs. Summerman, 
 left two children, Susan and Henry, who live 
 with their grandfather. Mrs. Prentiss has ac- 
 companied her husband in his trips West and 
 South. Mr. Prentiss is actively interested in 
 politics and has voted for every Democratic 
 nominee for president since James K. Polk. 
 Few citizens of Southboro have been honored 
 
 with so many town offices. During the war he 
 was recruiting officer and Selectman, and he 
 has been elected to the Board of Selectmen 
 several times since. He was chairman of the 
 Board of Overseers twenty consecutive years, 
 Road Commissioner for a series of years, and 
 is at present serving his sixth year as Col- 
 lector of Taxes. He has also served on vari- 
 ous town committees. 
 
 AMUEL WATSON KENT,* for 
 many years a well-known manufact- 
 urer in the city of Worcester, where 
 he died on December 12, 1883, was 
 a native of Leicester, Mass. He was born on 
 January 21, 1808, and was the second son of 
 Captain Daniel and Ruth (Watson) Kent. 
 
 His father, who was born in 1777, and was 
 a farmer by occupation, was an officer in the 
 State militia in the early part of the century. 
 He was a son of Ebenezer and Esther (Stone) 
 Kent and a grandson of Ebenezer and Sarah 
 Kent, all of Leicester, where the family were 
 among the leading people for several genera- 
 tions. Captain Daniel Kent was the sixth in 
 direct line from Richard Kent, the immigrant 
 progenitor of this branch of the family, who 
 settled at Newbury, Mass., in 1635, the suc- 
 ceeding ancestors being, we are told, John, 
 Ebenezer', Ebenezer^ and Ebenezer^, father 
 of Captain Daniel. Mr. Kent's mother was a 
 daughter of Samuel and Ruth (Baldwin) Wat- 
 son, and was of the fourth generation in de- 
 scent from Matthew Watson, an early settler 
 in the town of Leicester. Samuel Watson 
 Kent grew to manhood on the old Kent farm 
 in the north-easterly part of the town of Leices- 
 ter, and obtained his education in the district 
 school. On September 20, 1827, a few months 
 before completing his twentieth year, he made 
 an engagement with James and John Smith & 
 Co., manufacturers of wire cards made for ma- 
 chinery, machine cards, as they were called, to 
 work in their factory, situated about half a 
 mile south-east of Leicester Centre, for two 
 years, his wages to be nine dollars per month 
 and board the first year and twelve dollars and 
 fifty cents per month and board the second 
 year. In 1829 the company removed to their 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1117 
 
 new brick factory. At the end of the two 
 years business was dull, and Mr. Kent took ad- 
 vantage of his leisure months to visit his kins- 
 folk in Vermont. About the middle of April, 
 1830, he entered the employ of Sargent & 
 James in the south-east part of the town, 
 manufacturers of wire cards for hand use, or 
 hand cards, at ten dollars per month and board. 
 Leaving that position on the isth of December, 
 on the 20th he began work on the same terms 
 for John A. Smith, then carrying on business 
 alone at the old factory. Settling with Mr. 
 Smith January 3, 1832, he engaged with Morse 
 & Southgate at the same place to prepare the 
 leather for cards at three cents per square foot. 
 After that for three years, April 24, 1833, to 
 April 22, 1836, he gave his attention to card 
 setting and other mechanical effort, first learn- 
 ing the craft in the employ of Nathan Ains- 
 worth, and continuing work for Ainsworth & 
 McFarland at one dollar and twenty-five cents 
 per day. An expert machinist in that line, he 
 built a machine for the company, for which he 
 received on its completion in June, 1836, one 
 hundred and seventy-five dollars. 
 
 This period marked a new departure in his 
 career. After paying a brief visit to Vermont 
 in company with his wife, he went into busi- 
 ness on his own account in Leicester as a 
 builder and repairer of machines, a successful 
 venture. Removing his family to Worcester 
 in 1854, he engaged with others in the manu- 
 facture of machinists' tools in Merrifield's 
 buildings, corner of Foster and Cypress Streets. 
 By fire, which consumed buildings and tools 
 in June, the company was nearly ruined. In 
 the fall of 1856 Mr. Kent began the manufact- 
 ure of card-setting machinery on Union Street, 
 where he remained four years. He then re- 
 moved to the new Merrifield's Building on the 
 old site, and there continued to carry on busi- 
 ness till a month before his death. 
 
 Mr. Kent joined the Congregational church 
 in Leicester, January 2, 1828, the Rev. John 
 Nelson, D.D., pastor. After their removal to 
 Worcester, Mr. and Mrs. Kent took letters to 
 the Old South Church in this city under the 
 pastoral care of the Rev. Horace James. On 
 January 2, 1 861, he was chosen one of the 
 Deacons of the church. Resigning on Decem- 
 
 ber 28, 1870, he and his wife took letters, 
 December 27, 1871, to the Plymouth Church, 
 then recently formed under the Rev. George 
 W. Phillips. Here Mr. Kent on December 
 23, 1874, was chosen Deacon for five years. 
 About a year after the expiration of that time, 
 or as soon as he was eligible for re-election, he 
 was again chosen Deacon, the term being for 
 six years; and he continued in the office as long 
 as he lived. Having begun the study of music, 
 both instrumental and vocal, for which he had 
 natural talent, at the age of fifteen, he was 
 identified with the church choir in Leicester 
 more than twenty-five years. In Worcester he 
 was a member of the Mozart Musical Society 
 and its successor, the Choral Union; and for a 
 number of years he sang with the Worcester 
 County Musical Association. Appointed in 
 1826 by Brigadier-general Nathan Heald a 
 member of the First Brigade Band of the Sixth 
 Division, Massachusetts Militia, he was con- 
 nected therewith till it was dissolved. 
 
 In February and March, 1883, he had a se- 
 vere illness; and he was never a well man after- 
 ward, although comfortable and attending to 
 his business almost to the last. On December 
 12, 1883, at the age of seventy-five years, ten 
 months, twenty-one days, he peacefully passed 
 to the better life. Of a social, genial nature, 
 helpful to the poor and needy, a man univer- 
 sally esteemed for many excellent qualities of 
 head and heart, thoroughly honest and upright, 
 diligent in business, he enjoyed the full confi- 
 dence of all with whom he had dealings, and 
 has left a good name. 
 
 Mr. Kent was married May 19, 1835, to Cla- 
 rissa Watson, of Leicester, born February 16, 
 1 81 3, daughter of Samuel and Sukey (Vickery) 
 Watson, and like himself a descendant of the 
 early settler, Matthew Watson, who came to 
 New England in 171 8. Mrs. Kent's father, 
 Samuel Watson, was born in Leicester in 
 1782. He was an influential citizen, and rep- 
 resented the town in the General Court in 
 1838 and 1840. His parents were Benjamin 
 and Ruth (Bancroft) Watson, of Leicester. 
 
 No children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Kent, but they adopted Cornelia Maria Draper, 
 born ' December 31, 1837, in Worcester, a 
 daughter of Martin Thayer and Caroline Burr 
 
iti8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 (Watson) Draper. Her father was born Au- 
 gust 22, 1 8 14, and at the time of his death, 
 January 24, 1883, was living in Oconomowoc, 
 Wis. Her mother, who was a sister of Mrs. 
 Kent, was born in Leicester, March 10, 181 1, 
 and died there January 2, 1842. It was Mrs. 
 Draper's request that Mr. and Mrs. Kent 
 should take the little Cornelia, then but four 
 years and two days old, and bring her up as 
 their own. This they did most faithfully, and 
 never were happier relations between parents 
 and foster-child. She called them Uncle and 
 Auntie, and was ever fully devoted to them as 
 she grew older and as they felt the weight of 
 added years, anticipating their wants and re- 
 quiting their early care. She was educated at 
 the Leicester Academy and at the Worcester 
 High School; and subsequently she taught 
 school for twelve years in the old brick school- 
 house which formerly stood in Worcester on 
 the Common. She retained the name of 
 Draper in her childhood, and has not in her 
 mature life thought it advisable to change it to 
 any other. 
 
 'OSEPH ELLIOTT BOND,* whose death 
 occurred January 3, 1896, at his home 
 in Worcester, was well known for many 
 years as one of the most successful and 
 prosperous agriculturists of Worcester County. 
 He was born June 20, 1820, at Boylston, 
 Mass., a son of Joseph and Sophia (Smith) 
 Bond, formerly of Sterling, Mass. His pater- 
 nal grandfather was Jonathan Bond. The 
 Bonds are descended from Puritan stock. 
 From generation to generation they have been 
 noted for their inherent traits of honesty, in- 
 dustry, and integrity, and have made their 
 influence felt in every community in which 
 they have had a home. 
 
 Joseph E. Bond was brought up in Boylston, 
 and when a lad he was employed for a time as 
 a clerk in the store kept by his father, who 
 was then a country merchant. After his 
 father's removal to Worcester, where on Lin- 
 coln Street, east of Adams Square, he bought a 
 large farm, Joseph E. attended and was gradu- 
 ated from the Baptist institution which was 
 the forerunner of the large Worcester Academy. 
 
 At home under the instruction of his father 
 he became familiar with the practical details 
 of farm work, for which he had a natural liking 
 and aptitude. On the death of his father in 
 1863 he inherited the vast estate, and, devot- 
 ing himself to its further development, suc- 
 ceeded in making the property on Lincoln 
 Street one of the richest farms in Worcester 
 County. Before many years it will be doubly 
 valuable, as the city is fast encroaching with 
 its residences upon the neighboring land of 
 the Bond homestead, , from which the park com- 
 missioners have already taken a number of 
 acres for public purposes, and have named it 
 North Park. 
 
 Mr. Bond was a keen, far-seeing man of 
 business, possessing excellent judgment, and 
 he greatly raised the value of his property by 
 laying out desirable building lots on the hill. 
 He was a genial, upright man, social in nature, 
 and had many warm friends in Worcester, 
 where his presence on the streets was always 
 warmly greeted. He was the true country 
 gentleman, the prosperous agriculturist, and 
 was frequently referred to as one of nature's 
 noblemen. He affiliated with the Republican 
 party, but was never an aspirant for official 
 honors. He was prominent, however, in the 
 Worcester County Agricultural and Horticult- 
 ural Societies, and was considered an authority 
 on both general farming and gardening. 
 
 Mr. Bond married in 1845 Miss Julia A. 
 Barker, who was descended from a Mr. Barker 
 that located in Worcester just four years later 
 than the first white settler here took up his 
 abode. Mr. and Mrs. Bond reared two chil- 
 dren, namely : Mary Chapin, who lives at 
 home ; and Charles Elliott, who married Fan- 
 nie E. Kingman, and now carries on this mag- 
 nificent Bond estate. 
 
 RS. ANNIE H. DAY,* founder 
 and proprietor of the dancing acad- 
 emy at Worcester, was born in 
 1854 at Lew, Chester County, 
 England, and was there educated and trained 
 to become an instructor of dancing. Coming 
 to this country in 1888, she started a school 
 for dancing in Ware, Mass. , and subsequently 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 II rg 
 
 one in Fitchburg. In 1889, after a successful 
 season in those places, she came to Worcester 
 and opened an academy of dancing, which has 
 won a wide popvilarity. To-day her schools 
 for dancing in Fitchburg and in Worcester are 
 the best and most widely known of any in this 
 vicinity. Coming here unknown, practically 
 without prestige, and with limited capital, 
 Mrs. Day has been successful to an unusual 
 degree. This result has been due to her prac- 
 tical business energy as well as to the excel- 
 lence of her methods of teaching and the effi- 
 ciency of her assistants. Her career well 
 illustrates the old saying that "merit at last 
 wins its way any where. " Naturally gifted as 
 a teacher, she personally superintends the 
 instruction of her classes, and gives her pupils 
 the benefit of her long experience. She is 
 ably assisted and seconded by Mr. Day, who, 
 being a thoroughly skilled pianist, renders the 
 music for the dancing. Indeed, much of the 
 success of the academies is due to Mr. Day's 
 presence and inspiration. 
 
 The season of the Worcester Academy is 
 from the first of October to the first of May, 
 the closing reception being held on Easter 
 Monday. There are classes in the morning, 
 afternoon, and the evening. In the formation 
 of these classes Mrs. Day shows much discrim- 
 ination, and her pupils are always sure of find- 
 ing themselves in pleasant company. To those 
 also who come for individual instruction care- 
 ful attention is given. Mrs. Day makes a 
 specialty of teaching her pupils how to secure 
 ease and grace of motion and perfect physical 
 bearing. Indeed, the school is noted for the 
 splendid results secured through her methods. 
 All the standard dances are taught, and also 
 the new and fashionable fancy dances. Among 
 the most brilliant social events of the season 
 in Worcester and in Fitchburg are the fancy 
 dress balls, cotillons, and germans given 
 under the skilful management of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Day, and attended by the beauty, wealth, 
 and fashion of the two cities. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Day have the following-named 
 children: Ruby H. Day, who was born in 
 England, and is now an instructor at the acad- 
 emy; Ida, a student; and Roland, who is a 
 promising musician. 
 
 T^APOLEON P. HUOT,* a well-known 
 I =y merchant of Worcester, Mass. , an 
 lis I active and influential citizen, was 
 
 born January 9, 1844, at St. C^- 
 saire, P. Q., Canada, the son of Bruden and 
 Flavie (Leduc) Huot. When a boy of nine 
 years he came with his father and mother to 
 Three Rivers, Mass., where he was soon after 
 put to work in a cotton-mill. He disliked the 
 labor, and was at times tempted to run away, 
 but remained to assist his parents until twelve 
 years old. Going then with the family to Mit- 
 tineague, Mass., he worked as a general util- 
 ity boy in a cotton factory until it closed, in 
 1 86 1, when he returned with his parents to 
 Canada. 
 
 Discontented at home, he went to St. Marys, 
 P. Q. , where he learned the carriage-maker's 
 trade under competent instructors, and in 1864 
 came back to Massachusetts alone. In Chico- 
 pee he secured a situation as carriage-maker 
 and painter, and at his work exhibited such 
 mechanical ability that he was promoted to the 
 position of foreman of the shop before he had 
 been with the firm a month. He subsequently 
 worked at his trade in Springfield, Mass., and 
 in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1866 returning from 
 the latter city to the former, where he re- 
 mained until 1870. From that time until 
 1873 he was engaged in painting in Pawtucket, 
 R.I., whence he came to Worcester, which has 
 since been his home. Mr. Huot had saved 
 considerable money, and on coming here he es- 
 tablished a wholesale and retail produce and 
 grain business on School Street. As his trade 
 has increased he has from time to time been 
 forced to find larger accommodations, and has 
 been located successively on Allen Court, 
 Front Street, and at his present stand on Bart- 
 lett Place, where he built a large four- story 
 double block in 1884, which he has since occu- 
 pied. He deals in baled hay, eggs, butter, 
 cheese, and other farm produce, selling at both 
 wholesale and retail. He has two branch re- 
 tail stores, one on the Bloomingdale Road and 
 one at the corner of Hamilton and Orient 
 Streets. From 1885 until 1895 he likewise 
 conducted successfully a regular country store 
 at North Grosvenordale, Conn. 
 
 Mr. Huot is a man of great intelligence and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 force of character, a fluent speaker of the 
 French and English languages, the latter of 
 which he became familiar with by studying 
 evenings. His grandfather, it may be men- 
 tioned, was born in France. Mr. Huot is the 
 leading man of the French-Canadians in this 
 city, for whose interests he has always worked. 
 He founded the Ward B Club, which pays the 
 costs for the first-served papers of naturaliza- 
 tion. He thus secured many new citizens and 
 partially controlled the French vote. He is a 
 strong Republican, the leader in a Democratic 
 ward, which he served as an Alderman in 
 1897, giving such eminent satisfaction to his 
 constituents that he was again elected to the 
 same office in 1898, becoming one of the Com- 
 mittee on Public Buildings and on Lighting. 
 He is a political power in his ward, not as a 
 politician, but as a practical citizen. He is a 
 true American, loyal to his country's interests 
 and institutions. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Huot married Eliza J. Hebart, 
 of St. C6saire, P. Q. Six children have been 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Huot, namely : one son 
 that died in childhood; Carrie M. , wife of 
 Henry Letourneau, of Worcester; Martha E. ; 
 Alma; Cora; and Flore. All of these have 
 been educated in the common schools of the 
 city, and are proficient in both the English and 
 French languages. 
 
 SGOOD BRADLEY, Jr.,* whose 
 death at his home in Worcester, 
 Mass., November 7, 1896, removed 
 from the city one of its foremost busi- 
 ness men, was born about the year 1838 in the 
 house that is still standing on the corner of 
 Market and Main Streets. His father, Osgood 
 Bradley, Sr. , became a resident of Worcester 
 in 1822. 
 
 The younger Osgood was educated in Worces- 
 ter. On leaving school he entered his father's 
 shops on Grafton Street for the purpose of 
 mastering the trade of car building, that estab- 
 lishment being the most extensive of the kind 
 in the United States. He labored faithfully 
 in its various departments until the first of 
 January, 1883, when he was admitted into 
 partnership with his father and brother, the 
 
 firm name becoming Bradley & Sons. About 
 a year later the founder and senior partner 
 died. The business was continued by the sons 
 with eminent success at the old location on 
 Grafton Street, although the tendency of the 
 railway companies to build their own shops 
 and cars prevented it from reaching the mam- 
 moth proportions predicted. Cars were built 
 for railways in all parts of the Union, but 
 more especially for use on the New York & 
 Brooklyn Elevated Railway. The business 
 increased rapidly, and yielded large profits to 
 its managers. 
 
 In manufacturing, financial, fraternal, and 
 social circles Mr. Bradley always occupied a 
 place of prominence. That he was a deserv- 
 edly popular citizen of Worcester, his election 
 in one year to the State legislature and in an- 
 other to the City Council, as the Democratic 
 nominee in a strongly Republican community, 
 plainly shows. He was an active member of 
 Montacute Lodge, F. & A. M. ; of Eureka 
 Chapter, R. A. M. ; and of the Worcester 
 County Comma ndery, K. T. He was also in- 
 terested in a business way with the American 
 Car Sprinkler Company. A man of high per- 
 sonal character, energetic and persistent in 
 purpose, he commanded the confidence of his 
 fellow-men to a remarkable degree. He was 
 thoroughly loyal to the interests of his native 
 city, and was ever ready to assist in advancing 
 its material welfare and in furthering public 
 improvements. 
 
 His wife, Harriet E. Bradley, whom he 
 married in 1862, bore him three children — 
 namely, Frank S., Sarah, and Thomas Osgood 
 — but all have passed to the life beyond. 
 
 TJ^ATHAN A. SIMMONS,* for many 
 
 I z=J years a well-known contractor and 
 
 lis l^ builder of Worcester, Mass., died 
 
 in this city, July 13, 1893. He 
 
 was born July 10, 1831, in Dighton, this 
 
 State, the lifelong residence of his parents, 
 
 Nathan and Mary (Pierce) Simmons. His 
 
 father was a country merchant or storekeeper, 
 
 and had a large local trade. 
 
 Mr. Simmons learned the carpenter's trade 
 when young, and for some years did journey- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 man work as foreman in Fall River and other 
 places near there for some years. He there 
 met with such success as warranted him in 
 starting in business on his own account. Com- 
 ing therefore to Worcester in 1852, he engaged 
 in contracting and building; and thereafter, 
 not unmindful of his own interests, he also 
 labored to advance the welfare of this rapidly 
 growing city, where, with the exception of a 
 few years just after his marriage, he subse- 
 quently made his home. In 1870 he gave up 
 contracting in order to turn his attention to 
 interior finishing. He was a skilful wood- 
 worker, and in the building of handsome struct- 
 ures of all kinds much of the delicate finishing 
 work was intrusted to him, with the assurance 
 that it would be well executed. His services 
 were in constant demand by the Worcester 
 contractors. About the year 1884, on account 
 of ill health, he was obliged to give up all 
 business; and from that time he lived retired. 
 A quiet, unostentatious man, honest and up- 
 right in all his dealings, he was held in high 
 esteem and honored as a good and faithful 
 citizen. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Simmons married Louisa 
 Brigham, a daughter of William E. and Cath- 
 erine (Gay) Brigham, who removed with their 
 family from Hubbardston to Worcester in 1850. 
 Mrs. Brigham is still living, being now in the 
 ninety-third year of her age. An ancestor of 
 Mrs. Simmons, a great-grandfather on her 
 mother's side, named Marean, emigrated to 
 Massachusetts from England prior to the Rev- 
 olutionary War, in which he held the rank of 
 Major. Mr. and Mrs. Simmons reared two 
 children, namely: Albert G., private secretary 
 of the Postmaster of Worcester ; and Sarah E. 
 
 [ESSE SMITH,* for many years one of 
 the best known and most popular busi- 
 ness men of Worcester and in the latter 
 part of his life president of the Smith- 
 Green Company, was born in Rockland, Me., 
 in 1835. He was a son of Lewis Smith. 
 When about fourteen years of age he came to 
 Worcester with his parents, and at once en- 
 tered the employ of the D. H. Eames Clothing 
 Company. In his early manhood he engaged 
 
 in business for himself at Lewiston, Me. Not 
 many years later, however, he returned to 
 Worcester, and here made his permanent home. 
 About i860 he formed a partnership with his 
 brother, E. T. Smith, under the name of 
 E. T. Smith & Co., for the purpose of carry- 
 ing on a wholesale grocery business. The firm 
 was located at the corner of Shrewsbury and 
 Mulberry Streets, where the Smith-Green 
 Company has since been located. Mr. Smith 
 retained his interest in the firm of E. T. Smith 
 & Co. for about a dozen years, when he re- 
 signed, and, with Henry A. Green, organized 
 the firm of Smith & Green, dealers in meats, 
 provisions, groceries, lime, and cement. A 
 few years ago the firm was incorporated, taking 
 the name of the Smith-Green Company. 
 
 Mr. Smith's death, which occurred in No- 
 vember, 1897, was vejy sudden, though not 
 entirely unexpected, as he had been for some 
 time a sufferer from heart disease. He had 
 never held public office, nor was he ever prom- 
 inently identified with any political movement, 
 but he was a very active and well-known 
 Mason, and member of the following named 
 bodies: Athelstan Lodge; Worcester Lodge 
 of Perfection ; Lawrence Chapter, Rose Croix; 
 Worcester County Commandery, K. T. ; and 
 the Massachusetts Consistory. He was treas- 
 urer of the Worcester Masonic and Charity and 
 Educational Association. 
 
 No better estimate of Mr. Smith's life and 
 character can be furnished than that contained 
 in the remarks of the Rev. Dr. Gunnison at 
 the funeral, which was conducted by the 
 Worcester County Commandery. Dr. Gunni- 
 son, who is pastor of the First Universalist 
 Church, and knew Mr. Smith well, spoke in 
 part as follows : — 
 
 "He was a man of marked integrity. In all 
 the close competitions of business he kept him- 
 self unsullied by deceit. He was honorable in 
 his dealings, scrupulously honest in word and 
 deed, winning success by no unworthy prac- 
 tices, but by an industry that was tireless and a 
 thrift that was persistent. ... He was a sunny- 
 hearted man ; and the sunshine that was in his 
 heart not only illuminated his own life and 
 made it genial, but it warmed the social at- 
 mosphere in which he moved. Every life he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 touched he gladdened. His speech was cheery, 
 because he was filled with good-will to men. 
 He had friends because he showed himself 
 friendly. No neighbor was swifter in sympa- 
 thy or more ready with offices of neighborly 
 good will. He was not only charitable in his 
 deeds and words, but was equally kind in all 
 his judgments. He was slow to believe ill of 
 others, as he was quick to contradict detraction 
 of friends. If he heard unkind criticisms, with 
 gentle rebukings he showed the picture's other 
 side, and magnified men's virtues when others 
 reviled their faults. He had that rare insight 
 of love which saw the good rather than the evil 
 that was in others, and he remembered the 
 good and forgot the bad. There are few quali- 
 ties of greater worth than this. Every man is 
 a benefactor to his kind who throws a ray of 
 sunshine across the path in which men bear 
 their burdens, who gives the courage of a new 
 hope to those who struggle, and illuminates 
 and warms with the sunshine of his own good 
 will those who are heavy-laden. This was his 
 mission in life; and it made men love him 
 while he lived, and caused a great throng to 
 rise up and call him blessed. " 
 
 Mr. Smith was married in 1859 to Jennie 
 Hopcraft, of Worcester, who survives him, and 
 with their daughter, Mrs. Richard C. Cleve- 
 land, occupies the family home on Oread 
 Street. Four brothers of Mr. Smith are liv- 
 ing, namely: Elliot T. Smith, of the E. T. 
 Smith Company, wholesale grocers; O. H. 
 Smith, of Smith & Crockett, grocers and pro- 
 vision dealers of Worcester; Manley Smith, 
 of Vineyard Haven; and James W. Smith, of 
 Boston. 
 
 fHOMAS M. LAMB,* formerly a well- 
 known jeweller of Worcester, was born 
 in 1830 in that part of the city called 
 Glendale. He was a son of Isaac Lamb. 
 After completing his studies he learned the 
 jeweller's trade with S. P. Champney, whose 
 establishment was located in the old Com- 
 pound Building at the corner of Main and 
 Front Streets ; and, eventually succeeding his 
 employer in business, he occupied for thirty 
 years a store in the new block which was 
 
 erected on the site of the old one in 1850. 
 An expert workman and an upright and reliable 
 business man, he enjoyed the good will and 
 confidence of his fellow-citizens. He was 
 prominently identified with the Masonic Order, 
 being a member of Morning Star Lodge; 
 Worcester Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; 
 Worcester County Commandery, Knights Tem- 
 plar; and Stella Chapter, Order of the Eastern 
 Star, of which at one time he was Grand Pa- 
 tron of the Grand Chapter of Massachusetts. 
 He served as a trustee and member of the 
 Library Committee of the Mechanics' Associa- 
 tion and as treasurer of the Worcester Co- 
 operative Savings Fund and Loan Association. 
 He was a member of the School Committee 
 from 1862 to 1865. Though not an aspirant 
 for political honors, he took an active interest 
 in local public affairs, and, being well in- 
 formed on many subjects and a man of clear 
 views and earnest convictions, he was influen- 
 tial in forwarding many important movements. 
 His wife survives him. 
 
 ^OHN L. CHAMBERLIN,* who died 
 on January 24, 1898, was a banking 
 man of long experience in the city of 
 Worcester and for the last seventeen 
 years of his life cashier of the Quinsigamond 
 National Bank. He was born at Abington, 
 Conn., on May 22, 1853, being, one of a fam- 
 ily of five children and the youngest of three 
 sons. When he was five years old his parents 
 removed to this city, where his father, Augus- 
 tus L. Chamberlin, became interested in the 
 wire business. 
 
 In his boyhood he attended the public 
 schools, going from the Dix Street School to 
 the high school, where his teacher was Roswell 
 Parish. After studying there for two years, 
 and when still a mere lad, he went to work 
 in the City National Bank as messenger, Mr. 
 Parish having recommended him for that posi- 
 tion. For several years he was employed 
 there as messenger and for eight years as book- 
 keeper. He was teller of the Security Na- 
 tional Bank from the time it was started until 
 it went out of business. He was afterward 
 teller of the Quinsigamond Bank, and in 1880 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1123 
 
 he was elected cashier to succeed Alden A. 
 Howe, who went West. Mr. Chamberlin held 
 this position at the time of his death. He 
 was regarded as one of the most conservative 
 banking men in Worcester. He was trustee 
 and one of the Board of Auditors of the Worces- 
 ter Five Cents Saving Bank ; treasurer of the 
 Worcester, Nashua, & Rochester Railroad, 
 succeeding T. W. Hammond in 1896; and was 
 also auditor of the Worcester and Suburban 
 Street Railway Company. He was a member 
 of the Hancock Club, and took an active inter- 
 est in bowling and billiards. He attended All 
 Saints' Episcopal Church. 
 
 Mr. Chamberlin never married. His home 
 was at 8 Wachusett Street. He was affection- 
 ately devoted to his parents, who survive him. 
 His father is eighty -four years old. His 
 mother, who is also aged, has been an invalid 
 for the last nine years and confined to her bed 
 for the greater part of that time. A sister and 
 two brothers are living, namely: Mary E., who 
 .is the wife of F. B. Cobb ; Charles E. Cham- 
 berlin, clerk at Bemis & Co. 's shoe store, 
 421 Main Street, Worcester; and Henry J., 
 who is in the wire business at Pawtucket, R. I. 
 Mr. Chamberlin was a kind-hearted man, and 
 had a large circle of close friends, his nature 
 being such that he could give offence to no 
 one. In banking circles and among business 
 men in general, he was regarded as capable 
 and trustworthy, and commanded the highest 
 respect. 
 
 (T- 
 
 EORGE W. RUSSELL,* for many 
 years a well-known carriage-builder 
 and prominent citizen of Worcester, 
 was born at Carlisle, Mass., on August 9, 
 1809. He was son of James, third, and Mary 
 (Butler) Russell. 
 
 The founder of the family in America was 
 William Russell, son of Robert, who settled 
 in Cambridge in 1640. He was both a farmer 
 and a carpenter, as the following, taken pre- 
 sumably from an old record, shows: "He cul- 
 tivated his farm, while at the same time he 
 builded the houses of his neighbors, and was 
 held in honor by his neighbors." Before 
 leaving England he was married to Abigail 
 
 Winship. They had ten children, two of 
 whom, Martha and Joseph, they brought with 
 them. The fact of the baptism of these chil- 
 dren, on record, sjseaks as to the religious 
 character of the parents. James Russell, 
 third, lived in Carlisle, Mass. He carried 
 on the homestead farm, which was occupied 
 by the Russells for more than one hundred 
 and fifty years. The house he lived in is still 
 standing and in habitable repair. Mrs. Mary 
 Butler Russell was born in Billerica, Mass. 
 She was the daughter of a Revolutionary sol- 
 dier who was numbered among the killed, and 
 a grand-daughter of Joseph Butler, of Con- 
 cord, who was Captain of eighty-four men at 
 Bunker Hill, among them his two sons. 
 
 George W. Russell attended school in his 
 native town until sixteen years of age, when 
 he went to Concord and was apprenticed at 
 the carriage-maker's trade. After mastering 
 his trade he went to Amherst, where he 
 worked at it for a while as a journeyman. 
 Coming to Worcester in 1837, he formed a 
 partnership with Mr. Albert Tolman, a former 
 fellow-apprentice. Tolman & Russell, car- 
 riage-builders, located on Exchange Street op- 
 posite Waldo, soon secured the best class of 
 patronage in this region. The firm was noted 
 for prompt and honorable business methods 
 and for the superior workmanship of its car- 
 riages. It became in time the leading con- 
 cern of its kind in the county, and was 
 obliged to enlarge its shops and ware-rooms 
 to meet the increasing demands of its trade. 
 Mr. Russell deserves his full share of credit 
 for these satisfactory results. He and his 
 partner worked together in perfect unity, and 
 each had the utmost confidence in the other. 
 After some years of successful copartnership 
 Mr. Russell bought out Mr. Tolman's in- 
 terest, and the firm became G. W. Russell & 
 Sons. About 1889 he passed over the man- 
 agement of the business to his sons, though 
 he still continued as practically its head until 
 his death on January 21, 1893. 
 
 Mr. Russell was warmly interested in all 
 public affairs of the city, and filled at various 
 times the offices of Alderman, member of the 
 School Board, and Representative to the 
 legislature, He never cared for public office, 
 
1 124 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and never sought for it, but accepted these re- 
 sponsibilities as a part of his duties as a citi- 
 zen. Modest and unostentatious, he exerted a 
 definite and beneficent influence, his many 
 fine personal qualities endearing him to his 
 business associates and winning for him the 
 esteem and good will of the community in 
 which he lived. 
 
 Mr. Russell was three times married, his 
 last wife being before her marriage Lydia 
 D. Waite. His children were as follows: by 
 the first marriage, James S. , of Springfield, 
 Mass., and Francis F., now deceased; by the 
 second marriage, Herbert J., who is the pres- 
 ent manager of the carriage manufactory at 
 Worcester, and Edward S., who resides in 
 Chicago, 111. Mr. Russell was one of the 
 trustees of the Worcester Public Library. 
 He was a public-spirited citizen and in every 
 way loyal to his country. He took a warm 
 interest in the temperance movement. For 
 many years he was a member of the Central 
 Congregational Church, of which he served as 
 a Deacon. He rendered great assistance to 
 the society at the time of the building of the 
 new house of worship. 
 
 (S^ 
 
 iHARLES L. REDDING,* whose 
 death, July 22, 1895, was a loss to 
 the legal and business community 
 of Worcester, Mass., as well as to 
 his family, was born October 28, 1823, in 
 New Braintree, this county. His ancestry 
 was of the hardy New England type, and 
 traced in direct line back to a Redding who 
 came from England to Massachusetts in early 
 Colonial times. His parents, Apollos and 
 Lucy (Chace) Redding, resided on a farm in 
 New Braintree during the first years of their 
 married life, but subsequently became owners 
 of a farm in Wayland, where they spent the 
 remainder of their lives. 
 
 Charles L. Redding worked on the old home 
 farm in New Braintree during seed-time and 
 harvest, and in the long cold winters trudged 
 through the deep snows to the little district 
 school-house, where his education was ob- 
 tained. In his early manhood he went to 
 Ware, Mass., to learn the tailor's trade, and 
 
 in 1847 entered a tailoring establishment in 
 Worcester. A few years later he invested his 
 savings in a grocery store on Front Street, but 
 at the end of three years retired from mercan- 
 tile pursuits to accept a position as penny 
 postman in the old postal service. Fifteen 
 years later, in 1866, the free delivery system 
 was established in Worcester; and Mr. Red- 
 ding, thus thrown out of employment, started 
 a law and collection agency, which he main- 
 tained uninterruptedly until his death. He 
 was a very capable, trustworthy man, fully 
 alive to the interests of his clients, for whom 
 he did all kinds of legal work aside from try- 
 ing cases in court, as he never sought admit- 
 tance to the bar. Achieving a wide reputa- 
 tion for ability and trustworthiness, he built 
 up the largest collection business in Worces- 
 ter County, carrying it on at first alone, but 
 afterward in partnership with his son George, 
 who has succeeded him. His first location 
 was on Front Street, near Main; but he after- 
 ward removed to the First National Bank 
 block on Main Street. 
 
 Mr. Redding was actively interested in city 
 real estate. Property which he acquired years 
 ago on Prospect Street was developed, and a 
 new street laid out in that vicinity was named 
 in his honor. Some time ago he built for a 
 home a commodious and attractive residence 
 on Wachusett Street, in the fashionable part 
 of the city. He was a Constable for civil 
 business many years, and was likewise a rep- 
 resentative for Bradstreet's Agency. He was 
 a strong adherent of the Republican party, 
 but never aspired to public office, though he 
 served as Warden of his district a number of 
 terms. A large-hearted, even-tempered man, 
 he had many personal friends, and was highly 
 esteemed by his business associates. 
 
 Mr. Redding was married in 1845 to Susan 
 C. Sturtevant, a daughter of Elisha Sturte- 
 vant, of Ware, Mass., and his wife, Sarah 
 Hurd, of Newport, N.H., both of English ex- 
 traction. The Sturtevants settled in Massa- 
 chusetts in the early part of the eighteenth 
 century ; and the Hurds, who came from Eng- 
 land at an earlier date, located first in Ware, 
 Mass., and afterward in New York State, 
 where the children of one family of that name 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 II2S 
 
 were captured by the Indians. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Redding reared two children — George Lyman 
 and Charles Sturtevant. 
 
 George L., born in Worcester, October 2, 
 1854, was for a time in business with his 
 father as junior member of the firm of C. L. 
 Redding & Son. He is now carrying on suc- 
 cessfully the entire business. On June 5, 
 1878, he married Miss Sadie A. Aitchison. 
 Charles S., born in Worcester, March 17, 
 1858, was educated for the law; and after 
 spending a time in his father's office he 
 opened a collection and law office of his own. 
 A few years since he became the travelling 
 representative of a firm of wool dealers, in 
 which capacity he has met with great suc- 
 cess. He married Miss Jennie Eldora Allen, 
 of Shrewsbury, Mass. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ^LIAM H. JEFFERSON,* lum- 
 ber manufacturer of Hubbardston, 
 Mass., was born in Middleboro, 
 Plymouth County, this State, August 15, 
 1847. His parents, Benjamin and Experience 
 (Freeman) Jefferson, were natives of Massa- 
 chusetts, and the father was a stone-mason by 
 trade. Benjamin Jefferson died at the age of 
 fifty-three, and his wife lived to be seventy- 
 two years old. Of their union were born nine 
 children, of whom six are living, namely: 
 Earl F. ; Walter T. ; James M. ; Arabella; 
 Louisa; and William H., the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 William H. Jefferson grew to manhood in 
 Middleboro and Rochester, his education 
 being acquired at an early age in the common 
 schools of his native town. He began to 
 work in a mill when he was but eleven years 
 old, a step made necessary by his father's 
 death. His wages for the first winter 
 amounted, to forty-six dollars. He has since 
 followed the milling business, which he has 
 mastered in every detail. He continued as 
 an all-round millman until 1889, when he 
 bought his present plant in Hubbardston, and 
 began the manufacture of long and short lum- 
 ber, also framing lumber. His mill is 
 equipped with modern machinery, which is 
 propelled by water or steam power, as circum- 
 
 stances may require. He employs from six to 
 eleven hands, keeps his saws moving the year 
 round, and manufactures from five hundred 
 thousand to six hundred thousand feet annu- 
 ally. 
 
 Mr. Jefferson is married, and has two chil- 
 dren — Alton F. and Rose M. Jefferson. In 
 politics he is a Republican, and has served 
 two years as Overseer of the Poor. 
 
 OHN FLINT,* the well-known real es- 
 tate broker of Webster, was born in 
 Templeton, this county, on September 
 22, 1832, son of John and Fannie 
 (Holman) Flint. His grandfather Flint was 
 a soldier in the American Revolution, and 
 fought at the battle of Lexington. John 
 Flint, his father, who was born in Washing- 
 ton, Mass., and died at the age of sixty-five, 
 was a carriage-maker by occupation. He was 
 twice married, and by his first wife had five 
 children and by his second three. Five of 
 the eight are living. John Flint, the subject 
 of this sketch, was a child of the first mar- 
 riage. One of his sisters, Almira, married 
 George Wright, and is now living in Leom- 
 inster. Another sister, Fannie, is married 
 and lives in Chicago, 111. 
 
 Mr. Flint received his education in the 
 public schools of Templeton. When sixteen 
 years of age he commenced working for Colonel 
 Artemas Lee in the bakery business at Bald- 
 winsville, and for the succeeding eight or ten 
 years remained with him. He then worked in 
 a shop at East Templeton for several years, 
 and subsequently, in 1862, came to Webster. 
 Here he engaged in the bakery business on his 
 own account until 1885, when he sold out in 
 order to take up his present line of activity.' 
 Mr. Flint has served his town for several 
 years as Assessor and for three years as 
 Selectman, the last year being chairman of 
 the board. He has also been engineer of the 
 Webster Fire Department, a member of the 
 Water Committee since 1870, and a Water 
 Commissioner since 1893. Fraternally, he 
 belongs to Ben Franklin Council, No. 33, 
 R. A. In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 Mr. Flint's marriage occurred in 1855. 
 
1 126 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 His wife's maiden name was Marguerite 
 Nugent. Her parents were John and Mar- 
 guerite Nugent, of Hubbardston, Mass. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Flint have no children. 
 
 (blTHEC 
 
 HEODORE HARRINGTON,* an en- 
 *il terprising cutlery manufacturer of 
 Southbridge, was born in this town, 
 May 16, 1820, son of Henry and Maria (Oaks) 
 Harrington. The family is of Scotch origin. 
 His grandfather, Daniel Harrington, who was 
 a native of Shrewsbury, Mass., and the de- 
 scendant of an early settler in that town, 
 served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. 
 Grandfather Harrington's wife was before 
 marriage a Miss Smith. The Harrington 
 family, we are told, was of Scotch origin. 
 
 Henry Harrington, the father above named, 
 was born in Shrewsbury. Having learned the 
 cutler's trade, he established a factory in 
 Southbridge, where he carried on business for 
 many years. His wife, Maria, who was a 
 daughter of Ames Oaks, of Southbridge, be- 
 came the mother of twelve children, seven of 
 whom are living, namely: James, a resident 
 of Charlton, Mass.; Theodore, the subject of 
 this sketch; Daniel, Henry, Dexter, and 
 John, all of whom reside in Charlton; and 
 Frances, wife of Jerome Johnson, of South- 
 bridge. Henry Harrington died here in 
 1876. 
 
 Theodore Harrington was educated in the 
 public schools of his native town. After fin- 
 ishing his studies he worked in his father's 
 factory until twenty-one years old, and for the 
 succeeding seven years he was em.ployed at 
 the United States Armory in Springfield, 
 Mass. In 1849 he engaged in the cutlery 
 business in Southbridge; and, with the ex- 
 ception of a short time in which he was 
 associated with his brother, he has since con- 
 ducted a thriving business on his own account. 
 He was the first to engage in the manufacture 
 of shoe knives, which has been his specialty 
 for many years; and, having acquired a wide 
 reputation for producing first-class goods, his 
 output finds ready sale in both domestic and 
 foreign markets. He employs regularly a 
 force of twenty men. 
 
 On October 9, 1845, Mr. Harrington was 
 united in marriage with Lavinia Fitz, daugh- 
 ter of Colonel John and Catharine (Town) 
 Fitz, of Charlton. She is a representative of 
 an old family whose ancestors emigrated from 
 Scotland during the Colonial period. Her 
 father was prominent in the military and po- 
 litical affairs of his day. Mr. and Mrs. Har- 
 rington have two children : Ella, who was 
 born in June, 1849, and is the wife of Henry 
 A. Morse, of this town; and T. Jerome, who 
 was born in Charlton in December, 1850, was 
 educated at Franklin Academy and Bryant & 
 Stratton's Business College, and is now man- 
 ager of his father's factory. T. Jerome Har- 
 rington married Alice M. Oliver. 
 
 In politics Mr. Harrington is a Democrat, 
 but is inclined to vote independently. Dur- 
 ing the Presidential campaign of 1844 a pair 
 of razors made in his factory were presented 
 by him to Henry Clay. He attends the Uni- 
 versal ist church. 
 
 OSEPH CALVIN PAIGE,* an enter- 
 prising young farmer and fruit-grower 
 of Hardwick, was born here, February 
 12, 1867, son of Joseph Cutler and 
 Nancy M. (Dexter) Paige= He is of the 
 eighth generation in descent from Nathaniel 
 Paige, the immigrant, who settled at what is 
 now Bedford, Mass., and whose great-grand- 
 son, John Paige, second, according to the his- 
 tory removed from Bedford to Hardwick in 
 
 1757- 
 
 John Paige, third, son of the second John, 
 was a man of marked ability and one of the 
 richest men in the town in his day. His 
 wife was Anna Clark. He died September 
 21, 1836, and she on March 27, 1845. Their 
 son, Clark Paige, grandfather of Joseph Cal- 
 vin, was born in Hardwick in 1789, and died 
 here in 183 1. He married Lydia Cutler, who 
 was born in Warren, Mass., October 29, 1791, 
 and died May 4, 1878. Seven children 
 blessed their union: John, born May 11, 
 1814; Lydia, born April 8, 1816; Joseph C, 
 born in December, 1818; David, born in De- 
 cember, 1820; Frazier, born July 16, 1822; 
 Timothy, born March 20, 1825; Calvin, born 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 127 
 
 October 25, 1827. Only Timothy and Calvin 
 are now living. 
 
 Joseph Cutler Paige acquired his education 
 in the Hardwick public schools. His life was 
 devoted to general farming, and from the time 
 he reached his majority he lived on the farm 
 now occupied by his widow and son. He 
 made numerous improvements here, and was 
 one of the leading farmers of the town. He 
 kept a dairy and stock farm as well as culti- 
 vating the soil. This house was built by Dr. 
 William Cutler. Joseph Cutler Paige was 
 married on November 2, 1865, to Nancy M. 
 Dexter, who was born in Weathersfield, Vt., 
 May 22, 1825, daughter of Joseph D. and 
 Olive (Gould) Dexter. Her father was born 
 in Hardwick, and her mother was born in 
 Weathersfield, Vt. Mr. Paige died December 
 13, 1886, leaving his widow and one son. 
 
 Joseph Calvin Paige, the only child of his 
 parents, received his education in Brimfield 
 and at Williston Seminary. For' a while he 
 was engaged in the hardware business in Bos- 
 ton. Since 1892 he has been in charge of the 
 home farm, which embraces about six hundred 
 acres. He has a dairy of eighty to one hun- 
 dred cows, from which he gets about thirty 
 cans of milk per day. He is also the largest 
 fruit-grower in this section, raising princi- 
 pally apples and small fruits. 
 
 On October 5, 1892, Mr. Paige was married 
 to Mabel Lincoln. She died ten months 
 later. On August 12, 1895, he married Etta 
 E. Freese, who was born in Portland, Me., 
 June 17, 1875, daughter of W. L. Freese. 
 He has no children by either marriage. He 
 is a Republican in politics, as was his father; 
 and he has served on the School Board. 
 
 "ENRY W. GOODMAN,* senior 
 member of the manufacturing firm 
 of H. W. Goodman & Co., of North 
 Dana, and one of the leading busi- 
 ness men of the town, was born here, Decem- 
 ber 13, 1854. His father, Allen Goodman, 
 son of Moses Goodman, was a native of Pres- 
 cott, Mass. ; and his mother, Nancy Williams 
 Goodman, was a daughter of Nathaniel Will- 
 iams, an early settler in Dana, who owned 
 
 large tracts of land here, including a part of 
 the present village of North Dana. Na- 
 thaniel Williams held various town offices, 
 represented his district in the legislature, and 
 was prominently identified with the building 
 of the Union church. He died in North 
 Dana at the age of about seventy years. 
 
 Allen Goodman, father of Henry W., was 
 the inventor of a machine for making piano- 
 forte legs, and, as one of the firm of Hale, 
 Goodman & Co., carried on business in North 
 Dana for forty years. The manufacture of 
 picture frames and billiard tables was at 
 length substituted for pianoforte legs, and the 
 plant was finally converted into a satinet fac- 
 tory. Allen Goodman took a leading part in 
 local public affairs, serving as a Selectman 
 and member of the legislature. In politics 
 he was a Republican. He attended the Uni- 
 versalist church. He had six children, 
 namely: Allen W., who is in the laundry 
 business in Philadelphia; John W. , who is 
 no longer living; Lucy, now Mrs. Matthews, 
 of Worcester, Mass.; Orange H., foreman in 
 his brother's factory in North Dana; Sarah 
 v., who is now Mrs. Williams, of this town; 
 and Henry W. Goodman, the subject of this 
 sketch. John W. Goodman succeeded his 
 father in the manufacture of billiard tables, 
 and moved the business to Athol, Mass., 
 where it is now carried on under the firm 
 name of J. W. Goodman's Sons. 
 
 Henry W. Goodman was educated in the 
 schools of his native town and at the New 
 Salem Academy. After completing his 
 studies he went to Orange, Mass., where he 
 was employed at the New Home Sewing Ma- 
 chine factory for seven years. Returning 
 then to North Dana, he became associated 
 with his brother John in the manufacture of 
 palm-leaf goods. That partnership existed 
 until 1885, when his brother withdrew. 
 After that Mr. Goodman continued alone 
 until, in 1896, he associated himself with Mr. 
 O. J. Powers. The braiding is done by the 
 people of the locality at their homes, and the 
 sewing by machines at the factory. At first 
 Mr. Goodman employed only four or five work- 
 men at the factory and about five hundred 
 persons outside; bvit 9.t the present time the 
 
II28 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 business requires a force of about eighty-five 
 factory hands and from three to four hundred 
 outside people — men, women, and children. 
 Large quantities of palm-leaf goods and of 
 Canton braid hats are manufactured at the fac- 
 tory, from whence they are shipped direct to 
 the trade. Mr. Goodman's knowledge of sew- 
 ing machines, acquired in his youth, enables 
 him to keep the machines used in the work 
 in perfect repair. His entire equipment is of 
 the latest improved pattern, and several of his 
 machines were built to order. 
 
 On August 2, 1886, Mr. Goodman was 
 joined in marriage with Jennie P. Stone, of 
 Dana, daughter of the late Sidney Stone. Of 
 this union there is one daughter, Hazel M., 
 who was born April 11, 1889. 
 
 In politics Mr. Goodman is a Republican. 
 His energy and ability have placed, him among 
 the leading business men of this section of the 
 county. He owns a handsome residence, to- 
 gether with other real estate, including timber 
 lands, suburban property, and village lots. 
 The family attend the Universalist church. 
 
 M 
 
 ANIEL CROSS,* who at the time of 
 his death, January 13, 1890, was 
 distinguished among the merchants 
 of Fitchburg as being the oldest 
 active business man of this city, was born in 
 Swanzey, N. H., March 13, 181 3. He served 
 his apprenticeship at the tailor's trade in 
 Keene, N. H., and in 1833 came to Fitchburg, 
 there being at that time but three stores in 
 town. He began business in a small building 
 that stood on the site of the present City Hall; 
 and in the following year he removed to the 
 second floor of the Sentinel Building, where 
 he remained eight years. For the succeeding 
 thirty years or so he conducted a profitable 
 merchant tailoring business on the opposite 
 side of the street, which was later occupied by 
 A. L. Williams & Co. ; and then, removing 
 to quarters in Stiles Block, 355 Main Street, 
 he continued in business there for the rest of 
 his life. His death was from heart failure, 
 resulting from a severe attack of the grip. 
 Throughout his long and industrious business 
 career he maintained a high reputation for in- 
 
 tegrity and fair dealing, and as a result he 
 gained the sincere respect of the community. 
 
 He avoided public notoriety, and would not 
 consent to become a candidate for office until 
 
 1888, when he was elected a member of the 
 Board of Aldermen, and served with ability 
 upon the Committees on Police, Water Supply, 
 and Public Buildings. He was the oldest citi- 
 zen ever elected to the upper branch of the city 
 government, entering that body in January, 
 
 1889, shortly before his seventy-sixth birthday; 
 but his physical and mental powers had lost 
 none of their accustomed activity, and his wise 
 counsels carried weight and influence among 
 his colleagues. On March 24, 1886, the 
 Fitchburg Merchants' Association honored Mr. 
 Cross by electing him its first president ; and 
 the complimentary dinner given in his honor 
 on January 16, 1888, will be long remembered 
 by those present for the many testimonials of 
 respect tendered him by prominent business 
 men and leading citizens. He was a trustee of 
 the Fitchburg Savings Bank from 1876; was 
 chosen auditor January 29, 1880; was upon the 
 Investment Committee from March 3, 1885; 
 and served as a director of the Fitchburg Fire 
 Insurance Company from July 3, 1873, until 
 his death. His funeral was attended by the 
 officers of the Merchants' Association in a 
 body, and many places of business were closed 
 during the forenoon out of respect for the de- 
 parted associate. 
 
 Mr. Cross was twice married, and his first 
 wife died in 1845, leaving a daughter, who, 
 with his second wife, survives. 
 
 T^TARDING ALLEN,* manufacturer of 
 j-=J farming implements, Barre, Mass., 
 I ' 9 I was born in this town, May 26, 
 ^^-^ 1867, son of Dr. Charles Gilbert 
 and Lucy (Bacon) Allen. He is a representa- 
 tive of one of the best known families of 
 Barre, being a descendant of Jonathan Allen, 
 who moved here from Sudbury in 1750. 
 
 Dr. Charles Gilbert Allen, the father, was 
 born at the family homestead, September 4, 
 1839. He was a son of George S. Allen, a 
 prosperous farmer and noted stone-mason, who 
 laid the foundation of the Barre Town Hall. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 129 
 
 The .maiden name of his mother was Winslow. 
 As a boy he spent his summers in working 
 upon the farm, while his winters were devoted 
 to study at the district school. After a short 
 course at the Bernardston Academy he taught 
 penmanship there, and was later engaged in 
 the same capacity by the school committees of 
 different towns, also teaching an evening 
 writing school in Barre. His desire, how- 
 ever, was to enter professional life; and, hav- 
 ing completed the necessary preparations, he 
 attended the Harvard Medical School, and was 
 graduated a Doctor of Medicine. For a time 
 he was associated in practice with the late Dr. 
 Billings. Enlisting in Company F, Fifty- 
 third Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, in 
 1862, he served some time as hospital steward; 
 and, being later appointed assistant surgeon 
 of the Thirty-fourth Regiment, he served in 
 that capacity until the close of the war. He 
 was taken prisoner, and while confined in 
 Libby Prison the kindness he displayed toward 
 his fellow-captives won their sincere affec- 
 tion as well as the admiration of the Confed- 
 erate officials. After his return from the 
 army he resumed the practice of his profes- 
 sion ; but the severe exposure in the South had 
 so undermined his health that he was forced 
 to seek some out-of-door employment, and for 
 that purpose he purchased a farm located 
 about two miles from Barre Centre. 
 
 Dr. Allen was, however, too ambitious and 
 progressive to remain confined to the simple 
 routine life of an agriculturist, and as soon as 
 his health would permit he varied the monot- 
 ony of farm life by dealing in agricultural im- 
 plements. This venture proved so successful 
 that he subsequently took the agency for sev- 
 eral States, and as a canvasser became widely 
 known among farmers. He was the inventor 
 of the Yankee horse rake and the Allen 
 stone puller, both of which have had a large 
 sale in New England and the Western States ; 
 and having purchased an interest in the 
 Swivel plough, invented by C. M. Lufkin, of 
 Alstead, N.H., he added improvements to 
 that appliance, and put it on the market as 
 the Victor plough, which soon acquired su- 
 premacy. The plant established by him on 
 Prince River consists of nine large buildings 
 
 equipped with water and steam power and im- 
 proved machinery, and this enterprise has be- 
 come one of the most important industries in 
 this part of the county. 
 
 Aside from his large business interests he 
 was a prominent figure in the conduct of town 
 affairs. In debates at town meetings he al- 
 ways sustained his convictions with arguments 
 which were hard to answer. He served with 
 ability as a Selectman and upon the School 
 Board ; was twice the candidate of the Prohibi- 
 tion party for Representative to the legis- 
 lature and once for Representative to Con- 
 gress; was a charter member of the Library 
 Association, president of the Worcester County 
 West Agricultural Society, and a trustee of 
 the Cemetery Association; was actively con- 
 cerned in the Board of Trade, the Patrons 
 of Husbandry, and the Independent Order of 
 Good Templars, and a forcible advocate of 
 temperance and total abstinence. Dr. Allen 
 died suddenly of heart failure in 1896, and his 
 loss was considered a public calamity. 
 
 In October, 1864, he married Lucy R. 
 Bacon, only daughter of Charles and Lucy 
 Bacon, of Barre. Of this union were born 
 nine children, eight of whom are living, 
 namely : Harding, the subject of this sketch ; 
 Lucy, wife of Louis E. Mason, of Worcester; 
 Mabel, wife of James N. Heald; Flora and 
 Charles G., who are graduates of Eastman's 
 Business College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and 
 who assisted their father in business; Mary, 
 George, and Clarence Allen, who reside at 
 home. 
 
 Harding Allen went from the public schools 
 of Barre to Eastman's Business College, 
 Poughkeepsie, and since completing his edu- 
 cation has been identified with the manufact- 
 uring enterprise founded by his father. He is 
 thoroughly conversant with every detail, hav- 
 ing had experience in each department, and 
 is therefore well equipped for the position he 
 now occupies as the official head of the estab- 
 lishment. Aside from the manufacturing of 
 the Yankee horse rake, the Victor steel 
 Swivel plough, and the Yankee mowing ma- 
 chine, Mr. Allen has introduced a mowing 
 machine knife-grinder of his own invention, 
 which is considered by experts to be the best 
 
1030 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 implement of its kind yet placed on the 
 market. His business ability has already as- 
 serted itself, and it is generally believed by 
 his fellow-townsmen that Barre's leading in- 
 dustry has fallen into good hands. 
 
 On June 6, 1888, Mr. Allen married Carrie 
 L. Williams, born in Barre, March 16, 1867, 
 daughter of the late Elbridge Williams. In 
 politics he is a Republican. He is a member 
 of Mount Zion Lodge, F. & A. M. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Harding Allen attend the Unitarian 
 church. 
 
 T^HARLES A. BABBITT,* senior 
 I V|-^ member of the law firm of Babbitt & 
 ^^JU Farrar, Fitchburg, was born in 
 
 Barre, Mass., March 11, 185 1, son 
 of Pliny H. and Lydia (Perry) Babbitt. His 
 grandfather, Isaac Babbitt, whose active years 
 were spent in tilling the soil of a good farm in 
 Barre, was a native of this State. Pliny H. 
 Babbitt in early life became an auctioneer, and 
 has followed the business for the past fifty-nine 
 years. He has held various town offices, and 
 for fifty years served as Deputy Sheriff and 
 Constable. His wife died in 1864. She was 
 a daughter of Asa Perry, of Jaffrey, N. H., and 
 grand-daughter of Asa Perry, Sr. , who sold two 
 hundred acres of land to the town of Fitchburg 
 for a poor farm in 1826. She was the mother 
 of eight children, six of whom are living, the 
 subject of this sketch being next to the young- 
 est. 
 
 Charles A. Babbitt obtained his early educa- 
 tion in the public schools of Barre, including 
 the high school, and fitted himself for teaching 
 at the Westfield Normal School, where he was 
 graduated. He was principal of the academy 
 in Londonderry, Vt. , for two years, occupied a 
 similar position at the West Dennis (Mass.) 
 High School for the same length of time, and 
 for the succeeding three years he taught in the 
 evening schools of Boston. He began the 
 study of law in that city, and, having saved 
 sufficient means to defray the expenses of his 
 collegiate course, he entered Dartmouth, from 
 which he was graduated in 1879. He pursued 
 a. two years' course at the Boston University 
 Law School ; and after his admission to the 
 
 Barnstable County bar, in 1882, he began the 
 practice of his profession in Orange, Mass., 
 where he remained five years. In 1888 he 
 removed to Fitchburg, where he has built up a 
 profitable business; and in 1891 he admitted to 
 partnership his present associate, William G. 
 Farrar. 
 
 Mr. Babbitt married Addie Packer, daughter 
 of Josiah Packer, of Hudson, Mass., in 1883, 
 and has two children. 
 
 In politics Mr. Babbitt is a Democrat, and 
 is rendering able services to his constituency 
 as a member of the City Council (1897). He 
 was made a Mason in Mount Zion Lodge, of 
 Barre, in 1872, and was officially connected 
 with that body; and he is also a member of 
 Thomas Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of this 
 city. 
 
 ■fgr ARRIS O. PALMER, M.D.,*anable 
 j-^ physician and surgeon of Hubbards- 
 \\s) I ton, was born in Orford, N. H., 
 July 19, 1 84 1, son of Asa and Pa- 
 melia (Rugg) Palmer. His father was a na- 
 tive of New Hampshire and a hard-working 
 farmer. He was a member of the Congrega- 
 tional church. In politics he affiliated with 
 the Republican party. Ten children were born 
 to him and his wife. The four living are: 
 Addison, a builder, who resides in Worcester, 
 Mass. ; the Rev. Charles M. Palmer, a gradu- 
 ate of Dartmouth College and a Congrega- 
 tional minister in Sharon, Vt. ; Harriet, 
 widow of William H. Felton, late of Marlboro, 
 Mass. ; and Harris O., the subject of this 
 sketch. The parents died in Orford. 
 
 Harris O. Palmer acquired his early educa- 
 tion at the Orford Academy and the seminary 
 in Newbury, Vt. At the age of twenty-two 
 years he began his medical studies with Dr. 
 E. V. Watkins, of Newbury. Later he pur- 
 sued a course at Dartmouth College, under Dr. 
 A. B. Crosby, then professor of surgery; and, 
 after graduating from that institution in 1866 
 with honors, he completed his preparations at 
 the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, N.Y. 
 Locating for practice in Worcester, he was 
 later appointed assistant physician at the Mas- 
 sachusetts State Insane Asylum, a position 
 
felOGfeAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1131 
 
 which he held for one year. Since 1872 he 
 has resided in Hubbardston, where he has at- 
 tained a high reputation as a skilful physician 
 and surgeon. 
 
 On September i, 1897, Dr. Palmer was 
 united in marriage with Frances Lillian Ellis, 
 a native of Rockville, Conn. The Doctor is 
 a member of the State and County Medical 
 Societies, the Ancient Order of United Work- 
 men, and the Patrons of Husbandry. Politi- 
 cally, he is a Republican, and for two years 
 was a valuable member of the School Commit- 
 tee. Dr. and Mrs. Palmer are members of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 Y^EONARD GLEASON,* a well-known 
 Ijl farmer of Holden, is a native of 
 JL Ja ^ Worcester. He was born on June 
 21, 1821, being a son of James and 
 Susanna (Symonds) Gleason. His paternal 
 grandfather, Jonathan Gleason, who died in 
 Worcester at an advanced age, was one of the 
 early settlers in that place, and was a farmer 
 by occupation. He was three times married, 
 and had a large family of children, to each of 
 whom he bequeathed a tract of farming land. 
 James Gleason, who was born in Worcester 
 on March 18, 1784, and died there at the age 
 of sixty years, added to the land thus received, 
 and devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. 
 He attended the Unitarian church, and in pol- 
 itics was a Whig and later a Republican. His 
 wife, who was born on April 6, 1784, died at 
 about forty-one years of age, having been the 
 mother of eight children. Of these, Leonard 
 Gleason is the only one living 
 
 His youth was passed in Worcester, where he 
 attended the public schools. He lived with 
 his parents until he was twenty-one years of 
 age, giving his time to his father in the good 
 old-fashioned way. Upon reaching his major- 
 ity he lived out for a time on the farm of 
 William A. Wheeler, of Worcester, and for his 
 first month's wages received twelve dollars. 
 After a short time, however, he returned to his 
 father's farm, and there remained until his 
 father's death. In 1851 he sold the old farm 
 and bought the place where he has since lived. 
 This contains in all about one hundred and 
 
 twenty acres, which are devoted to general 
 farming. Most of the improvements upon the 
 estate have been made since Mr. Gleason took 
 possession of it. 
 
 Mr. Gleason was married in April, 185 1, to 
 Harriet Holden, who was born in Holden on 
 January 9, 18 14, daughter of John and Sally 
 (Smith) Holden. Her grandfather, John Hol- 
 den, who was a soldier in the Revolution, 
 spent the greater part of his life in Leicester, 
 Mass. Her father, who was a farmer in Hol- 
 den, died there at the age of seventy -four years, 
 and her mother died at the age of seventy- 
 seven. Both were members of the Baptist 
 church. Their family consisted of three chil- 
 dren, two daughters and a son. Of these, Mrs. 
 Gleason is the only one now living. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Gleason have one daughter, Ellen, the 
 wife of Albert Goff, who lives with Mr. Glea- 
 son. Another daughter, Harriet J., died at 
 the age of seven months. Mrs. Gleason is one 
 of the oldest members of the Baptist church, 
 and Mr. Gleason is also a member. He has 
 been Highway Surveyor in the town and a 
 member of the School Board. In politics he 
 is a Republican. Both he and his wife are 
 highly esteemed in Holden, and have a large 
 number of friends. 
 
 /®Tc 
 
 EORGE W. COWDEN,* an esteemed 
 I [[jT resident of Rutland, his native town, 
 ^ — ^ was born on January 30, 1836, son of 
 Samuel D. and Olive (Bosworth) Cowden. 
 His father, who was a lifelong inhabitant of 
 Rutland, was by occupation a shoemaker. He 
 was a member of the Methodist Episcopal de- 
 nomination, and practised in his daily life the 
 principles of his faith. In politics he was a 
 Whig and later a Republican. He died here 
 at the age of seventy-three years ; and his wife, 
 who was a native of Winchendon, died at the 
 age of seventy-five or seventy-six. Of their 
 family of four sons and one daughter, four are 
 now living; namely, Mrs. Harriet L. Bullard, 
 George W., James, and Charles. Silas D. is 
 deceased. 
 
 George W. Cowden grew to manhood in 
 Rutland. Upon reaching the age of fourteen 
 he was apprenticed to learn the shoemaker's 
 
1132 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 trade, and during the fifteen years succeeding 
 he worked at it as a means of livelihood. The 
 first real estate he owned was in the southern 
 part of Rutland, about a mile from the Centre, 
 and there he resided for some three years. In 
 1869 he bought the place which is now his 
 home, the estate then . comprising about a hun- 
 dred acres. All but forty-seven acres of this 
 has since been sold to the Commonwealth, and 
 now forms a part of the grounds upon which 
 the Consumptives' Home is being built. 
 
 At twenty-six years of age Mr. Cowden mar- 
 ried Marietta R. Streeter, a native of Paxton. 
 Three children born of this union died in in- 
 fancy. Two, Fred F. and Alice E., are living. 
 Mr. Cowden has served his fellow-townsmen on 
 the Board of Selectmen for three years, filling 
 the office with honor to himself and to the 
 satisfaction of his fellow-citizens. He is at 
 the present time a member of the Board of 
 Overseers of the Poor. Politically, he is a 
 Democrat. He was formerly a member of the 
 grange. 
 
 AMUEL C. SWEETSER,* the 
 pioneer ice-dealer of Worcester, 
 Mass., and at a later date one of its 
 most prosperous real estate men, 
 died at his home in this city March 24, 1887. 
 He was born November 20, 18 14, in Paxton, 
 Worcester County, the birthplace of his par- 
 ents, Samuel and Elizabeth (Earle) Sweetser. 
 His great-grandfather, we are told, was born 
 and reared in Scotland, whence he emigrated 
 to Massachusetts, and locating in the wilds of 
 Paxton becam'e the (jwner of a good farm. The 
 pioneer's son and grandson followed the honor- 
 able occupation to which they were brought up 
 and became well-to-do farmers. 
 
 Samuel C. Sweetser came to Worcester when 
 a lad of ten years, and for a while attended the 
 Thomas Street School. In early manhood he 
 work for a liveryman, and after becoming fa- 
 miliar with the business bought out his em- 
 ployer, and conducted the stable in a profitable 
 manner for some time. In 1855, forming a 
 partnership with Benjamin Walker, he became 
 the founder of the ice business in this section 
 of the State, and for years put up ice in suffi- 
 
 cient quantities to supply the city and its 
 suburbs. The partnership continued until 
 1870, when Mr. Sweetser retired with a com- 
 petency. Henceforward his time was occupied 
 in looking after his large real estate interests, 
 he having made judicious investments on 
 Chandler, Austin, and Main Streets. He 
 erected many buildings with stores on the 
 street front and residences in the rear, and 
 these proved excellent property, always in 
 demand either to rent or sell. Mr. Sweetser 
 had few advantages as a boy, but his natural 
 sagacity and his close application to business 
 won him signal success in his various under- 
 takings. He was a careful, thoughtful man, 
 who left nothing to chance, but always cared 
 for what he had in hand, and from first to last 
 was strictly honest in his dealings with all 
 men. He was never a seeker for public office, 
 but was a firm supporter of the best principles, 
 and as a true and loyal citizen gladly assisted 
 every worthy cause. 
 
 In May, 1843, Mr. Sweetser married Abi- 
 gail Wheaton, who died in early womanhood, 
 and whose four children died in infancy. On 
 January 8, 1850, he married Susan K. Nichols, 
 a daughter of Charles P. and Irene (Hartwell) 
 Nichols, who removed to Worcester in 1836 
 from the neighboring town of Oxford, where 
 John Nichols settled in the early part of the 
 eighteenth century. To Mr. and Mrs. Sweet- 
 ser were born the following children: Cather- 
 ine Abby, who is the wife of Clarence Smith, 
 of Worcester, and has one daughter; Elizabeth, 
 who was married May 30, 1880, to James 
 Cook, of Oxford; Ella A., who was married in 
 1 89 1 to E. S. Harvey; Charles H. ; and 
 Carrie M., who was married November 12, 
 1895, to Albert A. Gordon, of Worcester, an 
 employee of the Crompton Loom Works. Mr. 
 E. S. Harvey was born in England, but came 
 to America when a boy, and soon became con- 
 nected with th€ Crompton Loom Works, with 
 which, with the exception of a few years that 
 he was engaged in setting up machinery in 
 Lowell, he continued until his death in 1893. 
 He worked his way through every department 
 until he became a salesman for the company, a 
 position which he faithfully filled even after 
 attacked by the insidious disease that proved 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i'i33 
 
 fatal. He was a capable, efficient salesman, 
 implicitly trusted by his employers, who 
 entrusted to him many important commissions, 
 and was highly esteemed by his friends and 
 large circle of acquaintances for his high 
 moral character and manliness. 
 
 ^APTAIN WILLIAM H. ELWELL,* 
 a retired shipmaster residing in 
 Worcester, was born in Gloucester 
 on October 17, 1836, son of Cap- 
 tain Robert and Dorcas (Day) El well of that 
 town. He comes from one of the old Glouces- 
 ter families, and from a line of seafaring men. 
 His grandfather, Robert Elwell, who was for 
 fifty years in the United States navy, was on 
 board the frigate "Constitution " at the time 
 when she was in active service, and wit- 
 nessed the hard-fought battles and nobly earned 
 victories that made "Old Ironsides " so dear to 
 the American heart. He was gunner, quarter- 
 master, and later held other offices. He was 
 in the navy throughout the whole of the 
 great Revolutionary struggle, always rejoining 
 as soon as his term of enlistment expired. A 
 man of patriotism and loyalty, he could always 
 be depended upon as one who never shrank 
 from any duty. 
 
 Captain W. H. Elwell began his seafaring 
 life in his boyhood with his father, who was a 
 shipmaster, and sailed in the merchant service 
 until the Civil War broke out. He became 
 captain at an early age, and sailed in vessels 
 engaged in the European carrying trade, and 
 later in vessels engaged in the West India mer- 
 chant service. Though a skilled navigator, he 
 was cast away seven times and encountered 
 many hardships. In 1863 he enlisted in the 
 United States navy as acting engineer on a 
 corvette that was in the Atlantic Squadron. 
 Subsequently he was in the Gulf Squadron 
 until he resigned in 1865. He then settled in 
 Boston, and with the exception of a few short 
 voyages he has not since lead a seafaring life. 
 The Captain's robust health has served him in 
 good stead, and to-day he is still hale and 
 hearty and possessed of the genial and generous 
 nature so characteristic of the mariner. Dur- 
 ing the seventies he came to Worcester, where 
 
 he has since made his home. He has observed 
 much, is an excellent story-teller, and a lively 
 companion. 
 
 Captain Elwell was married on July 28, 
 1857, to Sarah H., daughter of John B. and 
 Mary (Foote) Morse, of Gloucester. The 
 Morse family, first represented in this country 
 in the early part of the eighteenth century, has 
 produced men of prominence and ability, who 
 have been valuable citizens in the community 
 in which they have lived. Samuel Morse, 
 great-grandfather of Mrs. Elwell, resided in 
 Byfield, Mass. His son John, who married 
 Sarah Townsend, was a leather dealer of Hav- 
 erhill. John B. Morse, Mrs. Elwell's father, 
 who was born in Roxbury, Mass., on May 10, 
 1819, spent bis boyhood in Haverhill, and 
 attended the schools there. He was only a 
 boy when his father died, and the support of 
 the family fell in large measure upon him, as 
 he was the eldest child. He was apprenticed 
 at the trade of making shoes, and in time be- 
 came an expert workman. Capable, energetic, 
 and filled with a noble courage, he deter- 
 mined to do his duty by his widowed mother 
 and Orphaned brothers and sisters. For a 
 time he served on the Boston police force, and 
 at last, after working steadily for some years, 
 he had succeeded in saving a small capital. 
 This he invested in a retail provision store, 
 and during the following thirty years was en- 
 gaged in the management of this store, which 
 was in Boston, near Faneuil Hall. In his 
 career as a merchant Mr. Morse displayed the 
 executive ability upon which all business suc- 
 cess is founded. He was shrewd, painstaking, 
 a keen buyer and a careful student of the fluct- 
 uations of the market, and seldom erred in 
 judgment. His patrons knew that they could 
 have entire confidence in his statements. 
 Among men in his line of business he was well 
 known and well liked on account of a certain 
 genial good fellowship that seemed to per- 
 meate all his actions and business intercourse. 
 He retired a few years before his death. Mr. 
 Morse never sought public office, but was 
 prompt in the fulfillment of all his duties as a 
 citizen, and was a supporter of good morals, 
 good government, and good works. He at- 
 tended the Methodist Episcopal Church on 
 
1134 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Coral Street in Worcester. His wife, Mary 
 Foote, was tiie daughter of Stephen Foote, who 
 was a native of Maine and was descended from 
 one of the earl}' settlers of the State. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Morse were the parents of the following- 
 named children: Fred Milton, who resides in 
 Worcester; Ella M., who is married and lives 
 in Cambridge; and Mrs. Elwell. 
 
 
 ILLIAM PIPER,* for many years a 
 well-known real estate operator of 
 Worcester, was born at Amherst, 
 N. H., in 1802. He came to Leominster 
 when a little child, and remained there until 
 he was seventeen years old, attending school 
 and later working to support his mother. De- 
 siring to be where there were greater oppor- 
 tunities for advancement, he then came to 
 Worcester, and set to work with a courageous 
 persistency which, in spite of poor health, 
 eventually won success. Without money and 
 without influence, he had to begin at the very 
 lowest round of the ladder. Working for a 
 number of years at any odd jobs he could find 
 to do, and accumulating a small amount of 
 money, he then, shortly after marrying the 
 woman of his choice, opened a boarding-house, 
 which he managed successfully for some time. 
 He subsequently kept a restaurant in this city, 
 but while still a young man began his real 
 estate operations. Naturally of keen foresight 
 and clear judgment, he seemed to have especial 
 sagacity in estimating the future value of real 
 estate. His very first purchase, which was a 
 tract on Salem Street, demonstrated this. The 
 property was afterward purchased by the Salem 
 Street society, and their present church build- 
 ing erected upon it. His next investment was 
 in property on Park Street, which he later de- 
 veloped and sold. The old Front Street Opera 
 House, now used as a theatre, was erected by 
 him and sold at a good price. He also built 
 the Piper Block on Main Street, between Me- 
 chanic and F'ront Streets, now owned by his 
 heirs and still in use. By means of these and 
 other judicious investments in real estate, Mr. 
 Piper accumulated a handsome fortune, and was 
 reckoned among the moneyed men of Worces- 
 
 ter. He took a strong interest in all the public 
 affairs of the city, and in his quiet and conser- 
 vative way exercised a very strong influence. 
 He was Republican in his political principles, 
 and always a loyal supporter of his party. He 
 died on April 22, 1869. 
 
 Mr. Piper married Sarah Rice, daughter of 
 Martin Rice, of Marlboro, and descendant of 
 Edmund Rice, one of the original settlers of 
 that town. Mr. and Mrs. Piper were the par- 
 ents of the following-named children : William 
 H. ; Sarah H., who died on March 3, 1858; 
 Phoebe Caroline; and George M. Piper. Will- 
 iam H., who enlisted at the first call for vol- 
 unteers for the Civil War, was in the Sixth 
 Massachusetts Regiment. After the war he 
 engaged in the drug business. He died on 
 October 9, 1867. Phoebe Caroline married 
 Almon R. Meek, of Indiana, in 1872. Mr. 
 Meek, who was a graduate of the Harvard Law 
 School and had practised for a time in Boston, 
 went South, and during the reconstruction 
 period was Attorney-general of Florida. He 
 was a power in politics in that State, and at 
 one time United States Commissioner. He 
 died on January 13, 1888. 
 
 LTrANCIS a. McCLELLAN,* managing 
 ^\^ partner in Boston for the firm of Jerome 
 Marble & Co. , who was a valued factor 
 in mercantile affairs in Worcester and Boston 
 for a number of years, was born in Sutton, this 
 county, December 24, 1854. His. pa rents were 
 John and Anna J. (Daggett) McCIellan. 
 
 The immigrant McClellans came from Scot- 
 land to New England mostly between 1690 and 
 1700, and several generations have had. birth 
 here. The family produces a strong and able 
 type of men. James McCIellan, great-great- 
 grandfather of the subject of this sketch, set- 
 tled in Worcester in 1718. John McCIellan 
 was engaged in farming for a great many years 
 in Grafton, Mass., and was a prominent citizen 
 of that town. He was a Deacon of the Bapistt 
 church. His wife was a daughter of the Hon. 
 Ebenezer Daggett, of Attleboro, and was born 
 in that town. They had a family of eight chil- 
 dren. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 II3S 
 
 Francis A. McClellan acquired much of his 
 early education in the schools of Grafton, 
 Mass. When about eighteen years of age he 
 engaged as clerk in a paint and oil store in 
 Worcester, and in time he became one of the 
 most valued employees there. He earned the 
 sobriquet of "Old Reliable," because he 
 never forgot anything and could always be 
 relied upon for accuracy, truthfulness, and his 
 presence when wanted. His employers trusted 
 him implicitly. Gifted with a sunny disposi- 
 tion, he performed his duties with cheerful 
 energy, never unwillingly or sullenly. He 
 grasped the technicalities of the trade with 
 quick perception, and was one of the best in- 
 formed clerks in the trade; and it was not 
 long before he was advanced to the duties and 
 salary of a general salesman. He rose to the 
 position of head salesman for the firm of Je- 
 rome Marble & Co., and about the year 1887 
 became one of the firm. He was the youngest 
 member of the company; but his enterprise 
 and sagacity were invaluable. It was he who 
 advanced the idea of opening a branch store in 
 Boston; and in 1886, a few months before he 
 was admitted to partnership, he was sent to that 
 city to work up patronage. His perseverance 
 and his genial manner won upon people, and 
 his attention to business produced the best of 
 results. Determined in all that he undertook, 
 he had the perseverance to contend without 
 friction or passion against obstacles; and his 
 cheery nature and hearty manner won him hosts 
 of friends. He placed the Boston branch of 
 the business on a firm basis, assuring it yearly 
 increasing prosperity. Mr. McClellan died 
 suddenly January 18, 1889, at the Hotel Ven- 
 dome, Boston, where he lived. He was a 
 member of the Dry Salters Club, of New Eng- 
 land, and the Paint and Oil Club, of Boston. 
 The former club passed the following resolu- 
 tions : — 
 
 Boston, January 30, 1889. 
 
 The Dry Salters Club, of New England, 
 desires to place on record its sense of the loss 
 it has sustained in the death of Mr. Francis A. 
 McClellan. It also wishes through its presi- 
 dent and secretary to express to his family and 
 to the firm of which he was a member its warm 
 assurance of sympathy. Mr. McClellan had 
 
 served the club with efficiency and devotion as 
 its secretary and also as a member of various 
 committees. Fully appreciating its purpose 
 and possibilities, he brought to its work a tact 
 and discretion which greatly contributed to its 
 success and usefulness and early made him a 
 leading man in its councils. In losing him 
 the club has lost one of its most honored and 
 valued members. To the individual members 
 of the club, his associates in business life, his 
 death comes with the force of a keen personal 
 loss. Coming to the business community of 
 Boston a stranger, he steadily won his way to 
 their esteem and admiration. They learned to 
 respect his enterprise and integrity and to 
 trust implicitly to his honesty and good will. 
 He stood for all that is honorable and worthy 
 in a merchant — dignified, courteous, prompt, 
 trustworthy, the type of the honorable gentle- 
 man. His word required no bond, the rights 
 of others no other guardian. In deep sorrow 
 they desire to bear testimony to the greatness 
 of their loss. 
 
 Marshall K. Abbott, President. 
 
 Henry A. H olden. Secretary. 
 
 Similar resolutions were passed by the Paint 
 and Oil Club. 
 
 Mr. McClellan was married October 9, 1888, 
 in New York City, to Miss Ella Amelia 
 Armsby, of Worcester, daughter of Joshua 
 M. C. Armsby, of this city. The Armsbys, 
 who are of English origin, settled in Massa- 
 chusetts in the latter part of the eighteenth 
 century. Joshua M. C. Armsby was born Jan- 
 uary 22, 1 8 16, in Smithfield, R.I., a son of 
 Joshua Armsby. In his youth be taught 
 school. Having a mechanical turn of mind, he 
 became interested in the manufacture of agri- 
 cultural tools and implements, and was en- 
 gaged in that line of industry in Worcester for 
 some time. He was a member of the old firm 
 of Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, the predecessors 
 of the Ames Plow Company, to whom they 
 sold out. At the time of the war Mr. Armsby 
 was engaged with Mr. Edwin Harrington for 
 a few years in the manufacture of gun trim- 
 mings. He then turned his attention to 
 finance, and was elected to the board of di- 
 rectors of the Mechanics National Bank, 
 
II36 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 A man of strong character and 
 
 Worcester. 
 
 keen intellect, he was cultured, refined, and 
 artistic in taste. He was interested in educa- 
 tional projects, and had much to do with the 
 development of the Worcester Polytechnic In- 
 stitute. His wife was Miss Analine Brewer, 
 of New York City. They had two children: 
 George; and Ella A., now Mrs. McClellan. 
 
 'ERGEANT THOMAS PLUN- 
 KETT,* "the armless hero of Fred- 
 ericksburg, ' ' was born in County 
 Mayo, Ireland, October 13, 1839. 
 His father was Francis Plunkett, who at the 
 time of the son's birth was a well-to-do farmer; 
 but some four years later he met with serious 
 reverses, which swept away his entire property. 
 The death of his wife also added to his 
 troubles; but his manly courage did not for- 
 sake him, and, with the. little money remain- 
 ing in his possession, he set sail with his three 
 children for America, arriving in Boston in 
 1844. Though practically penniless on reach- 
 ing his destination, he soon established a home, 
 and not only succeeded in attaining a comfort- 
 able prosperity, but at the time of his death, 
 which occurred in this city some years previous 
 to that of his son's, he was the owner of consid- 
 erable property. 
 
 At the age of nine years Thomas Plunkett 
 decided to earn his own living, and with that 
 end in view he is said to have run away from 
 home. Going to Bucksport, Me. , he worked 
 upon a farm for two years, and upon his return 
 to Massachusetts he learned the shoemaker's 
 trade in West Boylston. His chances for at- 
 tending school were limited, but, being bright 
 and intelligent, he made good use of what 
 opportunities he had, thereby obtaining a 
 much better education than is usually acquired 
 by boys in his circumstances. At the break- 
 ing out of the Civil War young Plunkett was 
 plying his calling, strong, able-bodied, and 
 healthy, just the sort of man needed to assist 
 in defending the Union. The President's 
 urgent call for volunteers found him ready, 
 and, enlisting as a private in Company E, 
 Twenty-first Regiment, Massachusetts Volun- 
 teer Infantry, July 12, 1861, he marched with 
 
 his comrades a little over a month later to the 
 seat of war. In the following January the 
 Twenty-first Regiment went to North Carolina 
 as a part of General Burnside's expedition, and 
 after a tedious and tempestuous voyage on a 
 crowded transport, landed on Roanoke Island, 
 where in the desperate engagement that ensued 
 February 7, 1 862, it had the honor of planting 
 the stars and stripes upon the captured ram- 
 parts of the enemy. At Newbern, Camden, 
 and Pollocksville the regiment continued to 
 distinguish itself, and private Plunkett was al- 
 ways in the front rank. At the battle of Chan- 
 tilly which took place September i, 1862, the 
 Twenty-first became involved in an ambuscade, 
 and, though thrown into confusion for a 
 moment by the galling fire of the Confederates, 
 it rallied and soon extricated itself with its 
 favorite weapon, the bayonet. Plunkett dis- 
 covered that a favorite comrade of his company 
 was missing, and, learning that he had been 
 wounded, started back for him. While creep- 
 ing about cautiously he was suddenly con- 
 fronted by an armed rebel. "You are my 
 prisoner, ' ' exclaimed the soldier in gray.- 
 Deciding in a moment the best course to pur- 
 sue, Plunkett replied calmly: "I think not," 
 and, seizing his enemy by the throat with the 
 agility of a tiger, he choked him into submis- 
 sion, disarmed, and compelled him to accom- 
 pany him into the Union lines. For this he- 
 roic act he was made a Sergeant. It was at 
 Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, that 
 Plunkett displayed the courage and self-sacri- 
 fice that gained for him the admiration and 
 praise of the entire nation. When regiment 
 after regiment had melted away before the 
 awful fire of the Confederate forces strongly 
 entrenched on Marye's Heights, the Twenty- 
 first Massachusetts, with the other regiments 
 composing Sturgis's Division, was ordered to 
 storm the works. Knowing well the desper- 
 ate undertaking before them, each man stripped 
 for the charge, awaited the Colonel's word; and, 
 when it came, on they dashed across the plain to 
 the heights beyond, which they mounted amid 
 the smoke and shower of deadly missies poured 
 upon them from the top. Men were dropping 
 at every step, but the regiment pressed on gal- 
 lantly until the colors borne by Sergeant CoU 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1137 
 
 lins, of Company A, were seen to fall. Only 
 for a moment, however, were they out of sight ; 
 for Sergeant Plunkett, seizing and holding 
 them aloft, cried loudly to his comrades to fol- 
 low, and with renewed inspiration caused by 
 his gallant conduct they pressed forward until 
 they gained a point nearer the enemy than had 
 hitherto been reached that day. Still waving 
 the banner on high, the Sergeant continued to 
 urge them forward until a Confederate shell 
 exploded at his feet, carrying away both of his 
 arms and inflicting other injuries; and when 
 they tried to raise the flag once more, it was 
 found beneath him, saturated with his blood. 
 From that day Sergeant Plunkett was known 
 throughout the nation as "The Armless Hero 
 of Fredericksburg." All that medical skill 
 and tender nursing could do to make him com- 
 fortable was done, and when able to endure the 
 fatigue of a journey home he was sent North. 
 At the Stock Exchange and Chamber of Com- 
 merce, New York, the bankers and merchants 
 lavishly bestowed upon him many gifts as well 
 as their sympathy and praise, and a similar 
 reception was held in Boston. In these two 
 cities a fund of seven thousand dollars was sub- 
 scribed. He was also voted a gratuity of one 
 hundred dollars per annum by the Massachu- 
 setts legislature, received a pension of seventy- 
 two dollars per month from the United States 
 Goverment, and was presented by Congress 
 with a gold medal in recognition of his bravery 
 and devotion to the flag. When his heroic act 
 became known to the State authorities, the 
 Adjutant-general suggested to Governor An- 
 drew that he be commissioned, but the chief 
 executive characteristically replied, "No, it is 
 better that he be known in history as Sergeant 
 Plunkett. 
 
 Although the Sergeant's injuries were such 
 as to necessitate the almost constant presence 
 of an attendant, he in many ways ingeniously 
 adapted himself to his helpless situation, and 
 accomplished much that would seem impossible 
 to those unacquainted with him personally. 
 His right arm was amputated below and the 
 left above the elbow, but, with the reins thrown 
 over his shoulders, he could guide horses with 
 dexterity, and when necessary for him to sign 
 his name he wrote with the pen between his 
 
 teeth. For fifteen years he held an office 
 under the State Government, and in civil life 
 he was as honorable and faithful as he was 
 brave in battle. He was exceedingly gener- 
 ous, giving freely to all who needed help, and, 
 aside from the general interest manifested for 
 him throughout the State for his heroism, he 
 was sincerely esteemed for his noble character. 
 His death occurred March 10, 1885. 
 
 On November 26, 1863, Sergeant Plunkett 
 married Helen Lorimer, daughter of the late 
 Alexander Lorimer, of Worcester. She had 
 witnessed with courage the departure of her 
 betrothed husband for the front, knowing that 
 she might never see him again; but, when he 
 returned to her maimed and helpless, the brave 
 woman, proud of her soldier hero, accompanied 
 him to the altar. She knew her duty and 
 nobly did she fulfill it, making his life happy 
 by her presence and lightening the burden of 
 his helplessness by her care and devotion. Be- 
 sides a widow. Sergeant Plunkett left two sons 
 — Thomas Walter and Harry Clifford Plun- 
 kett. The public funeral in Mechanics Hall 
 was largely attended, many distinguished, men 
 being present from different parts of the State, 
 including Governor George D. Robinson and 
 Adjutant-general Dalton, besides about fifty 
 members of the Senate and House of Represen- 
 tatives, George H. Ward Post, No. 10, 
 G. A. R., of which the deceased was a comrade, 
 and the Twenty-first Regiment Association, 
 whose war chaplain, the Rev. George S. Ball, of 
 Upton, pronounced the eulogy. Bells tolled 
 during the obsequies, and a notable feature in 
 the civic and military procession which es- 
 corted the remains to their last resting-place in 
 Rural Cemetery was a color-guard detailed by 
 the Governor, bearing the old flag of the 
 Twenty-first, stained by the blood of him 
 whose memory they had assembled to honor. 
 
 'AXTON P. MARTIN, M.D.,* who 
 died in Worcester in 1873, was born 
 on September 24, 1824. He was 
 a son of Samuel and Sally Martin. 
 Samuel Martin, who was a farmer, during the 
 latter part of his life resided in Chenango 
 County, New York. 
 
1138 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Saxton P. Martin was only two years old 
 when his parents removed to New York State, 
 where he lived during his childhood and youth. 
 He was graduated at the Pittsfield Medical 
 College in Western Massachusetts, and subse- 
 quently took a course in dentistry at the Phila- 
 delphia Dental College. He began the prac- 
 tice of both medicine and dentistry with his 
 uncle. Dr. Oramel Martin, at North Brook- 
 field, and subsequently established an inde- 
 pendent practice first in Oakham and later in 
 New Braintree. Upon the removal of his 
 uncle to Worcester, he succeeded him at North 
 Brookfield. The elder physician had there 
 achieved a reputation for great skill, and his 
 influence had much to do in starting his 
 nephew in a career of great prosperity. The 
 young doctor became noted as a man of un- 
 usual ability in his chosen lines of work, and 
 his services were sought by the people through- 
 out a large territory. Upon coming to Worces- 
 ter in 1870, he decided to devote himself ex- 
 clusively to dentistry, which he had previously 
 practised in connection with his medical work. 
 He opened an office on the corner of Main and 
 Austin Streets, where he was soon visited by a 
 large number of patients, residents of the city, 
 and was frequently called upon to do dental 
 work for persons living in the places where he 
 had formerly practised. 
 
 Dr. Martin died in the prime of his 
 strength and the fulness of his success. A 
 man of wide learning, he was eminently re- 
 spected as a citizen, and stood high among men 
 of his own profession. Of a genial nature, and 
 thoroughly upright, he had a multitude of 
 friends and no enemies. In 1863 he repre- 
 sented New Braintree, North Brookfield, and 
 Hardwick in the Massachusetts legislature; 
 but he could not be prevailed upon to return 
 for a second term, as he felt that his practice 
 demanded his full attention. He was deeply 
 interested in the public schools, and was con- 
 stantly devising plans tending to secure better 
 instruction and to increase their usefulness. 
 For many years he was officially connected 
 with the schools in the different towns in which 
 he resided, and when he removed to a new field 
 of labor he always left behind some impress of 
 his painstaking and sagacious efforts. The 
 
 Doctor was a member of the Massachusetts 
 Medical Association and of the Worcester 
 County Medical Society. 
 
 He was married in 1850 to Orilla J. 
 Daniels, of McDonough, Chenango County, 
 N. Y. , daughter of Alexander and Sally Math- 
 ewson, of Bennington, Vt. Her grandfather, 
 who came from Scotland about the time of the 
 Revolution, settled in New Hampshire. 
 While living there he learned that he had 
 fallen heir to a large English estate, but 
 through legal technicalities this property never 
 came into possession of the family. Her 
 father, Alexander, was born in New Hamp- 
 shire, and later settled in New York State. 
 The children of Dr. and Mrs. Martin are : Jo- 
 sephine A., who was born in Oakham, and is 
 now a teacher at Syracuse, N. Y. ; and Flor- 
 ence E. , who was born in New Braintree, and 
 is now the wife of Roscoe McAfee. Mr. Mc- 
 Afee, who was born in Worcester, is the son of 
 Henry C. McAfee, and is of Scotch descent. 
 He is connected with Norcross Brothers, the 
 well-known contractors and builders of Worces- 
 ter. Mrs. Florence McAfee is the mother of 
 two children — Donald Roscoe and Margery 
 Hope, both of whom were born in Worcester. 
 
 (sTtLPHONSO marsh,* a well-known 
 fcLj real estate dealer of Fitchburg, son of 
 /J(j,V Jacob and Mary (Sprague) Marsh, 
 ^^^ was born October 15, 1840, in 
 Hingham, Mass., the native place of his par- 
 ents. He is a descendant in the male line, 
 eighth generation, of George Marsh, from Eng- 
 land, who settled at Hingham in 1635. 
 
 Jacob Marsh, who was master car-builder for 
 the Vermont & Massachusetts and the Fitch- 
 burg Railways for many years, died in 1881, 
 aged seventy-seven years ; and Mary, his wife, 
 who was a daughter of Captain Jairus Sprague, 
 of Hingham, died in 1878. Jacob and Mary 
 Marsh were the parents of eight children, four 
 of whom are living. 
 
 Alphonso Marsh acquired a common-school 
 education in Fitchburg, and then served an 
 apprenticeship of three years at the carriage 
 and sign painter's trade. He worked as a jour- 
 neyman in Townsend, Walthara, and Cam- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 139 
 
 bridge, Mass., until the breaking out of the 
 Rebellion, when he returned to Fitchburg. 
 Here, on July 19, 1861, he enlisted for thi-ee 
 years as a private in Company D, Fifty-first 
 Regiment, known as the Washington Guards. 
 His regiment began active duty under General 
 Burnside; was afterward attached to the Ninth 
 Army Corps, with which it participated in the 
 battles of Roanoke Island, Camden, and New- 
 bern; and also took part in General Pope's 
 Virginia campaign, which ended with the sec- 
 ond battle of Bull Run. The Fifty-first was 
 then sent to Washington, later being ordered to 
 join McClellan's command, with which it par- 
 ticipated in the battles of South Mountain, 
 Antietam, and Fredericksburg, and was then 
 despatched to Kentucky. At Lexington, Ky. , 
 Mr. Marsh was promoted to the rank of Second 
 Lieuteriant and transferred to the Fifty-fifth 
 Massachusetts Volunteers, which he joined at 
 Charleston, S. C, taking part in the siege and 
 capture of that city, and subsequently serving 
 in the Florida campaign. Upon his return to 
 South Carolina he was stricken with typhoid 
 fever, and sent to the hospital at Beaufort, 
 where he remained thirty days. He was dis- 
 charged at the expiration of his term of service, 
 and returning to Massachusetts he resumed his 
 trade in the car-shops at Worcester. Afterward 
 he was successively employed in the shops of 
 the Pennsylvania Railroad in Philadelphia, and 
 the shops of the Vermont & Massachusetts 
 Railway in Fitchburg. In 1870 he started in 
 the carriage painting business on his own ac- 
 count, and in 1873 moved to a shop |_built ex- 
 pressly for his use on Oliver Street, where he 
 remained until selling out in 1885. He next 
 went to Longwood, Fla., where he operated a 
 saw-mill for a time, and engaging in general 
 mercantile business at Blue Springs, Marion 
 County, was a prosperous merchant and Post- 
 master there for four years. On account of 
 malaria he was forced to dispose of his busi- 
 ness and return to Fitchburg, where in April, 
 1895, he became a member of the real estate 
 firm of Sanderson & Marsh, and since the with- 
 drawal of his partner in October, 1896, he has 
 conducted business alone. 
 
 On April 12, 1867, Mr. Marsh married for 
 his first wife, Lucy Thayer, daughter of Davis 
 
 and Lucy Thayer, of Worcester. She died in 
 1868, leaving one son, Frank A. His present 
 wife, whom he married in January, 1877, was 
 Carrie F. , daughter of Oliver and Sarah Brown, 
 of this city. 
 
 Mr. Marsh is a member of the Fitchburg 
 Merchants' Association, and a comrade of Ed- 
 ward V. Sumner Post, No. 19, G. A. R. 
 
 W} 
 
 ARREN ISRAEL STETSON,* a 
 descendant of one of the early set- 
 tlers of Massachusetts, was born in 
 1844 in Marlboro, Mass. His father was born 
 and brought up in Charlestown, Mass., but 
 after attaining man's estate he settled perma- 
 nently in Marlboro, Middlesex County, where 
 he was for many years successfully engaged in 
 shoemaking. Since giving up that trade he 
 has lived retired from active pursuits, enjoying 
 the fruits of his former years of labor. He 
 married Elizabeth Howe, who belonged to the 
 old family of that name. 
 
 Mr. Stetson remained beneath the parental 
 roof until sixteen years old. Inspired by the 
 same patriotic ardor that dominated his ances- 
 tors, he enlisted as a soldier in the Fifteenth 
 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in which he 
 served three years, participating in the mean- 
 time in many of the decisive battles of the 
 Rebellion. At the battle of Gettysburg he 
 was taken prisoner, and afterward in the en- 
 gagement at Spottsylvania he was wounded. 
 At the expiration of his term of enlistment he 
 was discharged as Sergeant of his company. 
 He subsequently took a course at Comer's 
 Business College in Boston, and after his grad- 
 uation he engaged in business in Marlboro as 
 member of a firm of shoe manufacturers. He 
 developed great ability as a manager of the 
 manufacturing department, and largely assisted 
 in building up an extensive business. The 
 firm erected a large shop in Berlin, this county, 
 and, though several changes were in later years 
 made in its membership, it became one of the 
 leading industrial establishments of that town. 
 Mr. Stetson at length severed his connection 
 with the firm, and, coming to Worcester as 
 junior member of the firm of J. C. Bickford & 
 Stetson, carried on a successful business for a 
 
1 140 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 number of years in the manufacture of slippers 
 and wool soles. Finally he returned to Berlin, 
 and, accepting the position of superintendent 
 of the shoe factory of J. H. Parker & Parker 
 Brothers, remained with them as a valuable 
 assistant until his death in 1887. 
 
 He was a man of fine business tact, genial, 
 cordial, very popular with his associates, and 
 a stanch citizen in every respect. Although 
 he lived in Worcester several years, he always 
 retained property in Berlin, and considered that 
 his home. He took an active interest in . pub- 
 lic affairs as a prominent member of the Re- 
 publican party, but never cared to hold ofifice, 
 decidedly refusing at one time the nomination 
 as representative to the State legislature. Mr. 
 Stetson was a comrade of the G. A. R. , in 
 which he was a conspicuous figure. He was 
 for a number of years musical director of the 
 leading church choirs in Clinton and Marlboro. 
 He was afterward bass singer in Trinity 
 Church, Worcester, and later occupied a sim- 
 ilar position in the choir of the Salem Street 
 Church of this city. 
 
 Mr. Stetson married in August, 1866, Miss 
 Clara S. Richmond, of Nashua, N. H. , a de- 
 scendant, it is said, of John Alden and his 
 wife Priscilla of the Plymouth Colony. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Stetson had six children, two of 
 whom died in infancy. The four living are : 
 Grace Warren, of Worcester; Frederick R. , an 
 employee in the office of the city engineer of 
 Worcester; Florence Elizabeth; and Blanche 
 Harriet. 
 
 'AMES WHITEHOUSE,* a native of 
 Birmingham, England, but during his 
 manhood years a citizen of the United 
 States, residing in Worcester, Mass., 
 is especially entitled to honorable mention in 
 this volume as a high-minded patriot, who, en- 
 listing as a soldier in the war for the Union, 
 gave up his life for his adopted country. He 
 was born in 1830 in Birmingham, which was 
 also the birthplace of his father, William 
 Whitehouse. His mother was born in Nova 
 Scotia, of Welsh ancestry. James Whitehouse 
 came to the United States when he was eigh- 
 teen years old, and at once settled in Worces- 
 
 ter. He bad worked somewhat in England at 
 the trade of an armorer, and he here entered 
 the employ of Allen & Thurber, manufacturers 
 of firearms, and becoming an expert he was 
 subsequently connected with that firm's suc- 
 cessors until 1864. He was a contractor for 
 Ethan Allen, who amassed a fortune in fire- 
 arms during the war period ; and he also sup- 
 plied manufacturers in Springfield with skilled 
 laborers, besides having similar relations with 
 concerns in Adrian, Mich., and in Philadel- 
 phia, Pa. He -formed a partnership with Mr. 
 Fay, and as junior member of the firm of Fay 
 & Whitehouse was carrying on a very thriving 
 business and making money rapidly, when, in 
 the summer of 1864, he decided that it was his 
 duty to shoulder arms and march to the defence 
 of his adopted country, to which he was hon- 
 estly and heartily devoted. From purely pa- 
 triotic motives, then, he enlisted in August, 
 1864, in Company B, Massachusetts Heavy Ar- 
 tillery, and with his comrades was stationed 
 first at Washington, D.C., and afterward at 
 Arlington Heights. In the latter place he was 
 stricken with fever, and though ill refused to 
 surrender his post until he was taken bodily 
 and removed to the hospital. He was subse- 
 quently sent home; but not having sufficient 
 vitality left to recover, he died June 26, 1865, 
 leaving a large circle of sincere friends, who 
 esteemed him for his manly qualities. 
 
 Mr. Whitehouse married Louise C. Bennett, 
 of Masonville, N. Y., a daughter of Ambrose 
 Bennett, who was an ofificer in the War of 
 18 12, stationed on the Canadian frontier. Her 
 maternal grandfather, Darius Smith, served in 
 the War of the Revolution as an oflficer. He 
 was born and brought up in North Hadley, 
 Mass., from whence he emigrated with his fam- 
 ily to Masonville, N.Y., making the entire 
 journey through the almost pathless woods in 
 a wagon. It is said that on the paternal side 
 Mrs. Whitehouse is descended from one of 
 several brothers who came to this country in 
 Colonial days from Holland and located in 
 Rhode Island, and that one of her maternal 
 ancestors formerly owned the present site of 
 Harvard College. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehouse 
 had three children, namely: Mary, who is the 
 wife of Walter Smith, of West Boylston, and 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1141 
 
 has eight children; George, of New York City; 
 and Frank Edward, of Chicago, salesman in 
 that city for the Washburn & Moen Company. 
 George Whitehouse represents the firm of Hay- 
 den & Whitehouse, manufacturers of a new 
 patent burner. He married Jennie Crother, of 
 Chicopee, and has two children' — ■ Lottie J. and 
 Mary L. 
 
 W'l 
 
 ILLIAM DEXTER HOLBROOK* 
 was for many years engaged in the 
 loor and grain business in Worces- 
 ter, and recognized as one of the solid and suc- 
 cessful business men of the city, where he 
 died in 1884. He was born at Holden, Mass., 
 in 1830, a son of Micah and Roxanna (Rich- 
 ardson) Holbrook. He received his education 
 in Holden, completing his course of study at 
 an academy, and before attaining his majority 
 he came to Worcester in search of a position. 
 For five years he was employed as a clerk in 
 the dry-goods house of Chamberlain, Barnard 
 & Co. While there he developed a marked 
 talent for business, which he put to practical 
 use on leaving by establishing, in company 
 with W. H. Dexter, a wholesale and retail 
 flour and grain store. On Franklin Square, 
 under the firm name of W. D. Holbrook & 
 Co., these gentlemen built up an excellent 
 trade, of which Mr. Holbrook was at the head, 
 his partner having outside interests that 
 claimed attention. Mr. Holbrook eventually 
 bought out Mr. Dexter, and from that time on 
 managed with ability a business that became 
 one of the largest of the kind in Worcester 
 County. He was a public-spirited and valu- 
 able citizen, interested in city affairs, and an 
 earnest supporter of the principles of the Re- 
 publican party, but not an aspirant for office. 
 He was a member of a society that was organ- 
 ized in Worcester in the old days by the lead- 
 ing men of the city for mutual help and benefit. 
 In 1853 Mr. Holbrook married Charlotte M., 
 daughter of Joseph and Martha Pratt, of Leices- 
 ter, Mass. They reared one child, Dora, now 
 the wife of H. L. Stockwell, of this city. Mr. 
 Stockwell was born in Grafton, Mass., but was 
 educated in Worcester, where he has lived 
 since a boy of seven years. For twenty years 
 
 he was with the firm of James Marble & Co., 
 but is now interested in the manufacture of 
 worsted yarns with William J. Hogg, of 
 Worcester, their plant being at Stoneville, 
 Auburn, Mass. Mr. Stockwell as manager of 
 the retail trade has charge of the store in this 
 city, and is a popular and enterprising man of 
 business. Two children have been born to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Stockwell; namely, William 
 Holbrook and Harry Holbrook. 
 
 T^XENRY C. WADSWORTH* was 
 L^J engaged in the manufacture of fire- 
 
 \\s I arms in Worcester for many years, 
 
 ^^"^ and, although he had removed from 
 the city prior to his death, he had a large circle 
 of friends and acquaintances here, that still 
 remember him with pleasure. He was a son 
 of Thomas Wadsworth and a native of Augusta, 
 Me., where he grew to manhood and received 
 his education. 
 
 When twenty-one years old he came to 
 Worcester, and, entering the shops of Ethan 
 Allen & Co., manufacturers of firearms, he 
 continued with the firm until the death of Mr. 
 Allen, one of whose daughters he had married. 
 Then, forming a partnership with S. Forehand, 
 he became junior member of the firm of Fore- 
 hand & Wadsworth, successors to Ethan 
 Allen & Co., and continued manufacturing 
 pistols, revolvers, guns, and firearms of all 
 descriptions, in the meantime making many 
 improvements in the designs. Their business 
 grew from year to year, the firm becoming the 
 leading one of the kind in New England. Mr. 
 Wadsworth finally disposed of his interest in 
 the concern to his partner, by whom the busi- 
 ness has since been carried on at the old quar- 
 ters on Tainter Street. Prior to this time, 
 however, Mr. Wadsworth had served nine 
 months in the late Civil War. He enlisted in 
 Company C, Fifty-first Massachusetts Volun- 
 teer Infantry, as a private, and at the expira- 
 tion of his term of enlistment was discharged 
 as Sergeant of his company. After giving up 
 active business he resided in Worcester a short 
 time, going then to Boston, and later becoming 
 a resident of New York City. He was ap- 
 pointed by President Harrison vice-consul at 
 
I I 42 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Santos, Brazil, where he served as an able 
 official, and was just about to engage in a 
 promising business enterprise when he became 
 a victim to yellow fever, from which he died in 
 March, 1892. He was a man who had the 
 respect of his associates in business as well as 
 in social life to an unusual degree, and stood 
 high in the community. He was an active 
 Mason, belonged to Quinsigamond Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. 
 
 Mr. Wadsworth married Lauraette Allen, 
 daughter of the late Ethan Allen, the noted 
 firearms manufacturer of Worcester. Two 
 children were the fruit of their union, namely: 
 Harry Lincoln, born on the day of President 
 Lincoln's death; and Florence, deceased. 
 Harry Lincoln Allen, who was educated in 
 Worcester and Boston, is now connected with 
 the Forehand Arms Company, and is a promis- 
 ing and popular young business man of this 
 city. He is married, and has one son, Lincoln 
 Wadsworth. 
 
 Ji 
 
 ANIEL FRANKLIN ESTA- 
 BROOK,* real estate dealer of 
 Worcester, born in Paxton, Mass., 
 September 9, 1832, is a descendant 
 of the Rev. Joseph Estabrook, of Enfield, Eng- 
 land, who came to this country in 1660, was 
 graduated at Harvard College in 1664, and 
 ordained in 1667 at Concord, Mass., as col- 
 league to the Rev. Edward Bulkley, whom he 
 succeeded as minister of the church. His son 
 Joseph, of Lexington, was Captain of a mili- 
 tary company, and was sent as a Representa- 
 tive to the General Court. On the maternal 
 side Mr. Estabrook, we are told, is descended 
 from Peter Browne, who came over in the 
 "Mayflower." 
 
 Mr. Estabrook received a limited education 
 at Paxton, and upon leaving school went to 
 work for a wholesale and retail clothing house. 
 In 1 86 1 he bought out the firm, and went into 
 partnership with Mr. Knowlton, under the firm 
 name of Knowlton, Estabrook & Co. Nine 
 years later he bought out his partner's interest 
 in the business, and carried on independently 
 what was then the largest business of the kind 
 in the city, His health failing in 1871, he 
 
 sold all his interest in the business to Adam 
 Putnam, and became the agent for a Boston 
 firm. Afterward he went into the real estate 
 business in Worcester. On November 26, 
 1856, he was married to Delia A. How, of 
 Paxton. He has no children. Mr. Estabrook 
 was Inspector of Elections in 1857-58. He is 
 a Republican in politics. 
 
 His twin brother. Dr. D. Francis Estabrook, 
 born in Paxton, September 9, 1832, was edu- 
 cated at Leicester Academy. When a young 
 man he engaged in the boot and shoe findings 
 business as a member of the firm of Goddard 
 & Estabrook. On giving up business, he took 
 a five years' course of study in dentistry with 
 Dr. H. F. Bishop, and, opening an office in 
 1 871, he has continued in practice in Worces- 
 ter up to the present time. He married in 
 1865 Sarah Bigelow Fitch, of Stonington, 
 Conn., by whom he has had two children — 
 Marie Antoinette and Harry Francis. 
 
 Mrs. Estabrook was born in Boston, daugh- 
 ter of George Washington Fitch, by his wife 
 Cassandra Eastman Morrill, of Biddeford, Me. 
 She is a grand-daughter on the paternal side of 
 the Rev. Moses Morrill, a graduate of Harvard 
 College, and a grand-daughter on the mater- 
 nal side of the Rev. Samuel McClintock, 
 D. D., a graduate of Princeton College, New 
 Jersey, who was of Scotch extraction, though 
 a native of Medford, Mass. He was Chaplain 
 at the battle of Bunker Hill, and is repre- 
 sented in Trumbull's painting, the " Death of 
 General Warren. " "He was elected to preach 
 a sermon before the Honorable the Council and 
 the Honorable the Senate and House of Rep- 
 resentatives of the State of New Hampshire, 
 June 3, 1784, on occasion of the Commence- 
 ment of the New Constitution and Form of 
 Government. Text: Jeremiah xviii., 7-10." 
 He also delivered on September 9, 1798, at 
 Greenland, N. H., "a discourse occasioned by 
 the present severe drouth, the mortal fever 
 which prevails in Portsmouth, in this new 
 vicinity, and in many of our capital seaport 
 towns, and the threatening prospect of a calam- 
 itous war with a powerful nation." This ser- 
 mon was printed by Thomas Adams, Court 
 Street, Boston, Mass. ; the other by Robert 
 Gerrish, Portsmouth, N.H, A printed copy 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 i'43 
 
 of each is in tlie possession of Mrs. Estabrook, 
 and she also preserves a sermon in his own 
 handwriting. The Rev. Dr. McClintock mar- 
 ried Mary Montgomery, of Portsmouth. Grace 
 Fletcher, the first wife of Daniel Webster, was 
 a cousin of Cassandra Eastman Morrill. 
 
 r^ATHAN C. UPHAM,* though a young 
 man, now ranks as the senior real 
 
 Us \_ estate dealer in the city of Fitch- 
 
 burg. He was born here on Janu- 
 ary 3, 1862, son of Nathaniel Bradley and 
 Sarah Elizabeth (Carleton) Upham. His 
 grandfather, Nathan Upham, who was the first 
 of the family to settle in Fitchburg, was for 
 thirty years a partner in the old Caldwell 
 store, and subsequently treasurer of the Emer- 
 son Piano Company. He was theTirst secre- 
 tary of the Worcester County Agricultural 
 Society. A musician of unusual ability and 
 possessed of a fine voice, he was choir leader 
 in the North Unitarian Church. 
 
 Nathaniel Upham, father of Nathan C, was 
 born in Philadelphia and came here as a boy. 
 He learned the trade of harness manufacturer, 
 but went to war in the fall of 1862 in Com- 
 pany A of the Fifty-third Massachusetts Vol- 
 unteer Militia, and was out for eight months. 
 On June 14, 1863, he was killed in the attack 
 on Port Hudson under General Banks, being 
 then in Colonel Kimball's regiment, Nine- 
 teenth Army Corps. Mrs. Upham is still 
 living. Her father, Mr. Carleton, of Groton, 
 was a stage driver and kept the tavern. 
 
 Nathan C. Upham, after completing his 
 education at the Bay Street Grammar School, 
 was employed for ten years in the Putnam 
 Machine Works. In August, 1888, he went 
 into the real estate business, having his office 
 at II Water Street. Mr. A. S. Lawton was 
 soon admitted to partnership, and still later 
 Mr. E. E. Staples, the firm being known suc- 
 cessively as Lawton & Upham and Lawton, 
 Upham & Co. In a short time the partnership 
 was dissolved, and Mr. Upham has since con- 
 tinued the business alone. He has had charge 
 of the Moses Wood estate, including " General 
 Wood's Hill," and has the credit of having im- 
 proved the district. He has also improved 
 
 and built up the North Street plot. Mr. 
 Upham combines the work of an auctioneer 
 with his other business, and is a fluent and 
 forceful speaker. Popular among the business 
 men of the city, and of a social temperament, 
 he is a leading member of various fraternal 
 societies, notably of Charles W. Moore Lodge, 
 F. & A. M., of which he is Past Master; of 
 Mount Roulstone Lodge, No. 98, Independent 
 Order of Odd F"ellows; and of King David 
 Encampment, No. 42. He is also a valued 
 member of the Merchants' Association, of the 
 Board of Trade, and of the Fitchburg Athletic 
 Club. He served on the Common Council one 
 year. Although he has held numerous official 
 positions in various organizations, he is proba- 
 bly most widely known as being the State 
 Colonel of the Massachusetts branch of the 
 Sons of Veterans. He attends the Unitarian 
 church. 
 
 Mr. Upham was married on October 15, 
 1891, to Clara W. Blodgett. They have one 
 child. 
 
 7TAHARLES R. B. CLAFLIN,* who 
 I V^ spent the larger part of his active life 
 ^Hs^^ in Worcester, Mass., died at his 
 residence, 2 Charlton Street, No- 
 vember 7, 1897, aged eighty years. He was 
 born in Hopkinton, Mass., September 28, 
 1 817, a son of Elliot and Chloe (Burnett) 
 Claflin. On the paternal side he came from 
 Scotch-Irish ancestry, being a lineal descend- 
 ant of an emigrant named McClaughlin, or 
 McLaughlin, who came to America in the 
 early part of the eighteenth century. The 
 Burnetts, an old family of Southboro, Mass., 
 are said to be of French descent, and the 
 mother of Chloe Burnett was born in France. 
 
 Deprived of a father's care when a young 
 lad, Mr. Claflin was early thrown upon bis 
 own resources. Ambitious, energetic, and 
 capable, he found but little difficulty in mak- 
 ing his own way in the world. Studying by 
 himself, and by long practice becoming skilled 
 in the use of the pen, he taught writing in his 
 own and neighboring towns. He also made 
 some money by giving lessons in another art in 
 which he excelled; namely, horseback riding, 
 
II44 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 a common mode of travelling in those days. 
 Mastering the Daguerrean process of taking 
 pictures when it first came into use, Mr. 
 Claflin journeyed through Worcester County, 
 taking portraits of men, women, and children, 
 many people of prominence sitting before his 
 camera. In 1850 he settled in Worcester, 
 and in company with a Mr. Adams, whom he 
 soon after bought out, opened a daguerreotype 
 gallery in the Scott Block. A taker of am- 
 brotypes afterward located near by, and the two 
 artists carried on quite a war through the local 
 papers for a few months, when the later comer 
 left the field. Mr. Claflin was ever alive to 
 the interests of his business, and whenever any 
 new improvement was brought forth he quickly 
 took advantage of it. He was one of the first 
 in Worcester to use the dry-plate process of 
 photographing. During the Civil War no 
 business was livelier than that of the photog- 
 rapher, and in taking pictures of the soldiers 
 and their friends he made a profit of thirteen 
 thousand dollars in one year. His property 
 shortly amounted to about seventy-five thou- 
 sand dollars, but it decreased during the last 
 twenty years of his life. He continued as one 
 of the leading photographers of this city until 
 1894, when he sold out to a Mr. Marrion, of 
 Lowell, Mass. He soon after had a severe 
 attack of the grip, from which he never fully 
 recovered. 
 
 In 1849 Mr. Claflin married Emma H. 
 Locke, who was born in Westminster, Mass., 
 a daughter of Theodore Prescott Locke, whose 
 grandfather at one time owned the whole of 
 Winter Hill. The family was an aristocratic 
 one, and Mr. Locke was himself a man of lit- 
 erary tastes and talents. He was public- 
 spirited and progressive, and a personal friend 
 of William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, 
 and other prominent anti-slavery men. Two 
 children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Claflin, 
 namely: Charles R. B. , Jr., a manufacturer of 
 dental implements in this city; and Mrs. 
 A. S. Maynard, of Wakefield, Mass. Mr. 
 Claflin belonged to a family of note in the 
 political and financial world, having been a 
 nephew of Lee Claflin, of Hopkinton, and a 
 cousin of his son, ex-Governor William Claf- 
 lin, and a kinsman of the late Horace B. 
 
 Claflin, of New York City. Elliot Claflin 
 was for many years an officer in the regular 
 army of the United States. 
 
 W^> 
 
 ILLIAM M. JOHNSON,* for many 
 years a well-known and highly re- 
 spected business man of Worcester, 
 was a resident of this city from the time of his 
 birth in 1834, until his death, on April 8, 
 1895. He was the representative of a family 
 that came from Scotland to Massachusetts in 
 the early part of the eighteenth century. His 
 father, Micah Johnson, a well-to-do farmer, 
 who was born, lived, and died in Worcester, 
 married a Miss Albee. 
 
 William M. Johnson obtained his education 
 in the public schools, and at the age of seven- 
 teen entered the machine shop of Bickford & 
 Lombard to learn the trade, for which he had 
 a natural aptitude. He became an expert me- 
 chanic, and served as foreman of his em- 
 ployer's shop; also as a sub- contractor for the 
 firm, in which capacity he hired his own men. 
 Having unbounded energy he put forth his 
 powers to their full strength, and was very 
 efficient. He subsequently became sub-con- 
 tractor and foreman for the Cleveland & Bas- 
 sett Company, builders of machinery for wool- 
 len-mills, and did well in their employ for a 
 few years. He was skilled in the creation of 
 woollen machinery; and had his capital been 
 ample he would undoubtedly have built ma- 
 chinery on his own account on an extensive 
 scale, as he possessed the needful ambition, 
 knowledge, and push. The concern failed, 
 and Mr. Johnson then accepted a similar posi- 
 tion with Tainter & Wood, with whom he 
 remained until his health began to fail. 
 
 Thinking a change of occupation might 
 prove beneficial, Mr. Johnson, in 1876, with 
 Mr. Kendrick, under the firm name of Ken- 
 drick & Johnson, established a livery stable on 
 Franklin Street, where they carried on a suc- 
 cessful business for a few years. When that 
 partnership was dissolved, Mr. Johnson started 
 an independent stable on Pearl Street, on the 
 present site of the Young Men's Christian As- 
 sociation building, remaining there till the 
 property was sold for its present use. He sub- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ■45 
 
 sequently became senior partner of the firm of 
 Johnson & Knibbs, and, building a new stable 
 on Barton Place, engaged in a lucrative busi- 
 ness. Mr. Johnson habitually applied himself 
 to his work to such an extent that he seriously 
 injured his health. He at length sold out to 
 Mr. Knibbs, and was afterward practically re- 
 tired from the activities of life, although for 
 one year he owned an interest that he bought 
 of H. B. Wellington in the blacksmith shop -on 
 Exchange Street. He was a sound Republican 
 in politics, and was a member for some years 
 of the American Mechanics Association. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Johnson married Mary J. Gla- 
 zier, of Gardner, Mass., a member of a well- 
 known and prominent family. Two children 
 blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, 
 namely: Theodore W., born February 23, 
 1854; and Elmer Clifford, born February 8, 
 1867. The elder son is manager of the Burn- 
 side property and place in this city. Elmer 
 Clifford is engaged in the carriage and buggy 
 business as manufacturer's agent for rubber 
 tires, exhibits in a marked degree the ener- 
 getic and self-reliant characteristics of his 
 father, and has been most successful as a sales- 
 man. 
 
 J. WHITE,* who in his earlier days 
 was a noble worker in the mission- 
 ary field under the auspices of the 
 Congregationalists, and at a later time was a 
 respected business man of Worcester, died at 
 his home on Hollywood Street, this city, Oc- 
 tober 20, 1889. He was born in 181 r, at 
 Boylston, Worcester County, whither his par- 
 ents, Aaron and Mary (Avery) White, removed 
 from Watertown, their birthplace. His father 
 was a successful farmer and store-keeper. 
 
 W. J. White remained on the parental 
 farm in Boylston until he became of age, when 
 he sought new employment at the home of an 
 uncle, a manufacturer of hand cards in Ver- 
 mont. He worked for this uncle until he had 
 saved some money, and then went through 
 Williams College. After that he worked his 
 way through the Andover Theological Semi- 
 nary by teaching school in the winter seasons. 
 Being well prepared for the work he had 
 
 chosen, he offered his services as a missionary, 
 and was sent by the American Board to Can- 
 ada, Michigan, Vermont, and other States. 
 He was a fluent, forcible preacher, earnestly 
 devoted to his work, and through his influence 
 many men and women were induced to identify 
 themselves with the church and to lead better 
 lives. 
 
 In 1850 Mr. White gave up his missonary 
 work, and coming to Worcester established 
 the business of grinding coffee and spices, in 
 which he was prosperously engaged in the 
 Merrifield building on Union Street for fifteen 
 years. He built up a large wholesale and re- 
 tail trade, and was doubtless the leading man 
 in his line in all Worcester County. He ac- 
 quired considerable property, and, purchasing 
 land on Hollywood Street, he there built the 
 fine residence now occupied by his family. 
 For more than twenty years he was an active 
 member of the Central Congregational Church 
 and continued his Christian work in the Sun- 
 day-schools of this locality. A steadfast Re- 
 publican in politics, he performed the duties of 
 a loyal citizen willingly and gladly. 
 
 Mr White was married in 1850 to Miss 
 Annie R. Ames, of West Boylston, Mass. 
 They had two children; namely, John Will- 
 iam, deceased, and Aaron Avery. The latter, 
 who was born in Worcester in 1856, entered 
 the hardware store of his cousin, of the firm of 
 White & Conant, having worked his way up 
 until he became chief clerk of the establish- 
 ment. Starting then in business for himself 
 in 1896 as a real estate dealer and broker at 
 492 Main Street, he has continued it with ex- 
 cellent success up to the present time. Mr. 
 A. A. White married Mary Stowell, of 
 Worcester. They have two children — Han- 
 nah and George Avery. 
 
 
 LBION P. K. RICHARDSON,* who 
 for a number of years prior to his 
 death, which occurred on December 
 25, 1875, was one of the leading 
 manufacturers of Worcester, Mass. , was born 
 in Machias, Me., in 1826. He was of Eng- 
 lish ancestry, and, we are told, a lineal de-- 
 scendant of Ezekiel Richardson, first, who 
 
1146 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 came to Charlestown, Mass., in 1630, in one 
 of the ships of Winthrop's fleet. 
 
 Ezekiel, first, was followed a few years later 
 by his brothers, Samuel and Thomas — the 
 three brothers, as is well known, being after- 
 ward among the original settlers of the town 
 of Woburn, Middlesex County. Ezekiel and 
 Mary (Randall) Richardson, the parents of Al- 
 bion P. K., were lifelong residents of Maine, 
 where his father was interested in agricult- 
 ural and seafaring pursuits. 
 
 Mr. Richardson received a limited education 
 in the common schools of the coast town in 
 which he grew to manhood, and during his 
 youth engaged alternately as a farmer and a 
 sailor. For several years he followed the sea, 
 in a number of his longer trips being master of 
 a vessel. His experiences as a navigator were 
 many and varied, and proved useful to him in 
 after years as having developed remarkable 
 strength of character and good executive abil- 
 ity. Being a natural mechanic, he at length 
 sought employment in which his talent in that 
 line might be utilized, and learned the ma- 
 chinist's trade, at which he worked for a few 
 years in Stoughton, Mass. In 1855 he came 
 to Worcester, and with a partner embarked in 
 business as a manufacturer of lasts. He subse- 
 quently retired from that firm, and in the Hey- 
 wood building on Central Street began to build 
 the Buckeye Mowing-machine, having for a 
 silent partner Lucius W. Pond, who furnished 
 the tools. 
 
 Mr. Richardson here found free play for his 
 inventive genius, and after the retirement of 
 Mr. Pond he continued the business alone, and 
 each season developed and improved his ma- 
 chines. In 1 87 1 he erected a large brick fac- 
 tory on Prescott Street, and organized the 
 Richardson Manufacturing Company, of which 
 he was afterward the head and the manager 
 until his death. The business is still contin- 
 ued by his heirs, whose ability has placed this 
 company among the most successful and best 
 known manufacturers of their line of goods in 
 the world. The Buckeye Mowing-machine has 
 always led all other inventions for its purpose, 
 and has found ready sale. Mr. Richardson 
 achieved great financial success, and accumu- 
 lated a fine property, including the shop on 
 
 Heywood Street, the factory on Prescott Street, 
 the handsome family residence on Main Street, 
 besides valuable real estate elsewhere, and like- 
 wise an interest in the firm of Colby, Swan & 
 Co., last makers, on Union Street. He was 
 an active member of many fraternal societies, 
 and as a man was everywhere respected and 
 esteemed. 
 
 Mr. Richardson married for his first wife 
 Rachel Porter, of Stoughton, Mass. She died 
 a few years later ; and he married for his sec- 
 ond wife Jane P. Capen, daughter of Asa 
 Capen, of Stoughton. Three children were 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, namely : 
 Annie A., wife of R. J. Healey; Helen; and 
 Frank A., of the Richardson Manufacturing 
 Company, who married a Miss Fay. 
 
 IRAM M. JENCKS,* manager of the 
 firm of H. M. Jencks & Co., dealers 
 
 is I in grain, hay, feed, and flour in 
 Webster, was born in Slatersville, 
 R. I., on April 26, 1842, son of James and 
 Emily (Williams) Jencks. He is a lineal 
 descendant of Joseph Jencks, one of the early 
 settlers in Rhode Island, and the founder of 
 the town of Pawtucket. 
 
 His father, James Jencks, who was born in 
 Pawtucket, R. I., and died in 1893, at the age 
 of seventy-four years, was a factory man, and 
 in the course of his life worked in many dif- 
 ferent towns. His mother, Emily, was the 
 daughter of Cyrus Williams, who fought in the 
 Revolution, and was a descendant of Roger 
 Williams. 
 
 Mr. Jencks received his education in the 
 public schools of Slatersville and of Daniel- 
 sonville. Conn. At an early age he began 
 working in the Quinebaug Cotton Factory at 
 Danielsonville, and subsequently remained 
 there until he was twenty-two years old. 
 Going then to Blue Hill, he took charge of 
 the construction of a new mill for the manu- 
 facture of cotton goods, and was there a year. 
 At the end of that time he went to Eagleville, 
 and started a weave-mill for John L. Ross. 
 After seeing the plant in successful operation, 
 he removed to Claiborne Parish, La. , where for 
 two years he had charge of a cotton-mill. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1147 
 
 During the next seven years he occupied a 
 similar position in Arkwright, R. I. From 
 there he went to the yarn-mill at Woodstock, 
 R.I., and still later to the yarn-mill in War- 
 ren, R.I. After a four years' stay in Warren, 
 he opened a general merchandise store at Day- 
 ville. Conn., and conducted it for seven years 
 under his own name. From Dayville he went 
 to Providence, R.I., and for the next four years 
 managed a store there in the same line of trade. 
 The Providence store was burned out, and in 
 1894 he came to Webster and started the busi- 
 ness in which he is at present engaged, having 
 built up a fine trade. 
 
 In politics Mr. Jencks is a Republican. He 
 attends the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
 takes much interest in the various social and 
 charitable activities of the society. Frater- 
 nally, he is a member of Warren Lodge, No. 
 50, F. & A. M., at South Coventry, Conn. ; of 
 the Royal Arch Chapter at River Point, R.I. ; 
 and of Webster Lodge, No. 58, A. O. U. W. 
 
 Mr. Jencks was married in May, 1862, to 
 Mary, daughter of William and Matilda (Cal- 
 kin) Underwood, of Woodstock, Conn. Two 
 children are the fruit of this union, namely : 
 Charles L., who was born on December 3, 
 1864; and Carrie L. Charles, who was edu- 
 cated in the Providence High School and at 
 Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College in 
 Providence, is now a book-keeper in that city. 
 He married Mertie James, of Danielsonville, 
 Conn., and has two children — Leroy and 
 Ethel. Carrie is the wife of William R. 
 Williams, and resides in Webster. 
 
 'OHN F. LUNDBERG, of Worcester, 
 an enterprising real estate and insur- 
 ance agent, was born in Filipstad, 
 Sweden, August 24, 1857. His father, 
 who was for many years a foreman on one of 
 the large Swedish railways, died in 1888. 
 After completing the usual course of study in 
 the common schools, young Lundberg entered 
 mercantile business as clerk in a retail store, 
 in which capacity he continued for some years. 
 He then went into the railway service, and, 
 after working under his father for a year, he was 
 for the succeeding six years employed as a 
 
 foreman and conductor on a large railroad. In 
 1883 he came to the United States with the 
 intention of entering the railway service here, 
 but his inability to speak English prevented 
 him from doing so, and he was therefore 
 obliged to seek another occupation. Locating 
 in Worcester he was employed as a carpenter 
 until the spring of 1884, when he secured a 
 clerical position in the ofifice of the Worcester 
 Malleable Iron Company, and remained with 
 that concern until it went out of business. In 
 1886 he associated himself with Charles F. 
 Lybeck for the purpose of engaging in the 
 grocery business, and, opening a store on Car- 
 roll Street, shortly afterward admitted another 
 partner. In 1891 Mr. Lundberg secured the 
 entire control of the business by purchasing 
 the interests of his associates, and carried it 
 on successfully until 1893, when he sold out. 
 Afterward he established a real estate and in- 
 surance agency, which has proved beneficial to 
 his countrymen as well as to himself. He 
 was one of the original founders of a news- 
 paper established in the interest of the Swedish 
 population of this city, and in 1895 became its 
 manager and editor. A year later he bought 
 up the shares held by the other stockholders, 
 and since becoming its sole proprietor has 
 changed its title to Nya Fdderneslandet. It is 
 a general newspaper, having for its chief aim 
 the welfare and improvement of the Scandi- 
 navian American residents of Worcester, and 
 is well supported. In politics an earnest Re- 
 publican, Mr. Lundberg has rendered much 
 valuable service to his party by explaining its 
 principles to those of his countrymen who are 
 not so well informed as himself, thus gaining 
 their support. He served in the City Coimcil 
 from Ward Two in 1894-95, is a member of 
 that body the present year, and is also a Special 
 Constable, having been appointed by Mayor 
 Marsh in 1894 to act in civil cases. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Lundberg married Christina 
 Maria Christofferson. She was born in Long- 
 banshyttan, Sweden, which was the birthplace 
 of the famous inventor, John Ericsson. Her 
 father, Christopher Person, was identified with 
 the iron works in that place, and was a well-to- 
 do man. Mr. Lundberg has one daughter, 
 Hulda Luella, who was born in Worcester in 
 
IT 48 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1889. He has been a director of the Young 
 Men's Christian Association for ten years; 
 was for several years treasurer, and is now 
 president of the Swedish Benevolent Society; 
 and was formerly a member of the Wellington 
 Rifles, M. V. M. 
 
 'OSHUA BARTLETT RICH, M.D.,* 
 
 for twenty years a leading physician of 
 Worcester, was born in Roxbury, Mass., 
 on August 23, 1844, son of Joshua 
 Gross and Mary N. (Day) Rich. He was the 
 eldest of a family of fourteen children. Soon 
 after his birth his parents removed to Maine, 
 his father's native State. The Rich family 
 came originally from England. They are said 
 to be closely related to the Perry family, of 
 which Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of Lake 
 Erie, was a member. 
 
 In early life Joshua G. Rich followed the 
 sea for some years. In 1842 he married Mary 
 N. Day, of Roxbury, daughter of a prominent 
 family. For forty years she shared with him 
 the perils and hardships of a life in the prim- 
 itive forests far from settled districts. He 
 became one of the most noted of the hunters 
 and guides of the Rangely Lakes. Up to the 
 time of his death in February, 1897, at the 
 age of seventy-seven, he was actively engaged 
 as trial justice, pension solicitor, and news- 
 paper correspondent. His wife died in 1884. 
 Eight of their children are yet living, all of 
 them married and settled in life. 
 
 Dr. Rich's early years were spent amidst the 
 dangers and privations of the wilderness, where 
 he acquired the strength that comes of sur- 
 mounting obstacles, and developed a rare sweet- 
 ness and nobility of character. Leaving school 
 in Bethel, Me., at the age of nineteen, he pre- 
 pared for college at Phillips Academy, An- 
 dover, Mass., and entered Yale in the class of 
 
 1869. At the end of his junior year, however, 
 he left the class, and was not graduated until 
 
 1870. His college record was in every way 
 honorable and creditable. While a student he 
 displayed conspicuously the earnestness, devo- 
 tion to duty, and maturity of character which 
 gave promise of the useful and noble life to 
 follow. During the year succeeding his gradu- 
 
 ation he taught in a classical school at Lyme, 
 Conn., and after that he studied three years at 
 the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, 
 under the supervision of the eminent anatomist 
 and surgeon. Dr. W. W. Keen. In 1874 he 
 received his medical diploma. During two 
 years of his course of professional study, he 
 was instructor in literature and science at the 
 Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of 
 the Blind, where he showed extraordinary abil- 
 ity and thoroughness. One of the most dis- 
 tinguished philanthropists and teachers of the 
 blind in this country thus writes of him : — 
 
 "As a man, as a teacher, and as a physician 
 he occupied a high place in public esteem, and 
 his labors in behalf of the blind were well 
 directed and productive of excellent results. 
 He never ceased to feel a profound interest in 
 the advancement of the cause of education 
 among this class of our fellow-men, and I have 
 often witnessed his warm and unfailing sym- 
 pathy with them, and the many helpful things 
 which both he and his good wife were con- 
 stantly doing for them. " 
 
 In September, 1876, Dr. Rich settled in 
 Worcester, and became superintendent of the 
 City Hospital; but this office be found it 
 necessary to resign five years later in order to 
 be able to meet the requirements of his ex- 
 ceedingly large general practice. He contin- 
 ued, however, to be on the surgical staff of the 
 hospital until his death, which occurred on 
 February 25, 1896. The following is quoted 
 from the appreciative memorial sketch pre- 
 pared by Edward Randall Knowles : — 
 
 "Dr. Rich's wide practice and popularity 
 were vastly augmented by his fidelity of atten- 
 tion, and the extent and multitude of his quiet 
 benefactions and secret charities will never be 
 half understood. As a surgeon and anatomist 
 he held an eminent rank. His throat practice 
 exceeded that of the specialists, and his gynae- 
 cological practice was very extensive. It is 
 impossible to emphasize adequately the ad- 
 mirableness of the spirit and method of his life 
 and practice. . . . While he did not "wear his 
 heart upon his sleeve for every daw to peck at,' 
 he was invariably candid, open, and sincere. 
 His unassuming charity and nobility of charac- 
 ter endeared him to every one. Pre-eminently, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 149 
 
 Dr. Rich was a knight of truth, justice, and 
 right, never hesitating to sacrifice comfort, 
 human opinion, and self-interest in the cause 
 of humanity and equity. . . . But while this 
 inflexible devotion to truth and justice was so 
 conspicuous an adornment of this noble mind, 
 yet there remains to be admired and loved that 
 attribute which is an essential component of 
 his very being — his inexhaustible and super- 
 natural charity. He viewed all at their best, 
 inspiring and cheering them to higher efforts 
 and nobler ideals. To the depraved, the soul- 
 disordered, and the sin-sick, his very presence 
 was a truce to vice as well as an assuagement 
 to suffering. 
 
 "His following of the higher life of useful- 
 ness and duty was consistent, doing at the 
 instant moment its immediate duty, and never 
 leaving this exemplification of the God-life for 
 the nonce to follow some fashionable formality 
 of the hour because it might be esteemed 'the 
 correct thing to do. ' 
 
 "Ever earnest and marked by a regal dignity 
 supported alike by interior character and physi- 
 cal endowment, he was equally cordial, gentle, 
 and companionable to those who enjoyed his 
 friendship. " 
 
 Dr. Rich was married in Philadelphia on 
 February 8, 1873, to Sarah Jeanne Wrigley, 
 daughter of Edward Wrigley, a prominent 
 merchant of Philadelphia. Mr. Wrigley came 
 from Yorskhire, England, about 1831, and es- 
 tablished a clock factory at Philadelphia. His 
 wife, Susan Paxson, was a niece of Timothy 
 Paxson, a Quaker and an old-time resident of 
 Philadelphia, one of the men chosen by Ste- 
 phen Girard as a trustee of his will in carry- 
 ing out the Girard College bequests. Mem- 
 bers of the Paxson family served with credit in 
 the War of the Revolution. Susan Paxson 's 
 father, brother of Timothy, was a leading mer- 
 chant in Philadelphia, engaged in the East 
 India trade, especially in coffee and spices. 
 Mrs. Rich was for some years a teacher in the 
 Philadelphia Institution for the Blind, and 
 among her pupils was Edmund K. Ottrick, who 
 is almost as widely known as Laura Bridgman, 
 and is one of the most able blind men in Amer- 
 ica. Mrs. Rich has unusual talent as a writer, 
 and has contributed poems and prose articles to 
 
 several of the leading periodicals. She has 
 been the mother of four children, as follows: 
 Franklin Peale, born November 11, 1873, who 
 was named for President Franklin Peale of the 
 Philadelphia Institution for the Blind, and is 
 now in business in Boston; Helen, who was 
 born on January 15, 1875; Susan Marie, who 
 was born on October 23, 1876; and Ethel, 
 who was born on May 25, 1880, and died on 
 January 12, 1882. 
 
 Dr. Rich was a member of the Worcester 
 Medical Improvement Society, and of the 
 American Academy of Medicine, and was two 
 years president of the Worcester District Med- 
 ical Society. He was a Mason of high stand- 
 ing, and was affiliated with Quinsigamond 
 Lodge ; Worcester Chapter of Royal Arch 
 Masons; Hiram Council, R. & S. M. ; Boston 
 Commandery, K. T. ; Goddard Council; Law- 
 rence Chapter of Rose Croix ; and Massachu- 
 setts Consistory of the Scottish Rite. 
 
 |AJOR ISAAC DAMON,* a repre- 
 sentative of one of the leading 
 families of the town of Holden, 
 was born in the house where he 
 now lives on October 26, 181 7, son of Colonel 
 Samuel and Alony (Chenery) Damon. His 
 first ancestor in this country, John Damon, a 
 native of Reading, England, came to America 
 in 1633, and a few years later settled in Read- 
 ing, his home being in what is now Wakefield, 
 Mass. He was a Deacon of the Congrega- 
 tional church. He married Abigail, daughter 
 of Richard Sherman, a Boston merchant. 
 From Deacon John' the line continued through 
 his son Joseph^ (who removed to Dedham), Jo- 
 seph, ^ and Joseph,'* to Samuel Damon, s who 
 was born in Dedham on August 13, 1755, and 
 came to Holden in 1779, shortly after his 
 marriage with Abigail Penniman. The jour- 
 ney occupied two days, Mrs. Damon and a 
 negro servant riding one horse, and the house- 
 hold goods being carried in an ox-cart. Mr. 
 Damon had learned the cabinet-maker's trade 
 in Medway before coming here, but not long 
 after his arrival he opened a store, the first in 
 the town. A part of the house where Major 
 Damon now resides, and the store, were bought 
 
'5° 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 by him in 1800, and for more than a hundred 
 years, with the exception of an interval of two 
 years, a country store has been carried on here. 
 The store extension, with doric columns, was 
 built by Colonel Samuel Damon some years 
 after the original purchase. 
 
 Colonel Damon, who was born in 1786 and 
 died in 1851, went to work regularly in the 
 store when sixteen years of age, and continued 
 in business during forty-five years. In a short 
 time he opened stores in Rutland, Paxton, and 
 South Leicester, and of these was proprietor or 
 part owner. He also became interested in 
 manufacturing, and built and equipped a num- 
 ber of mills — in 1828 the cotton-mill at 
 Phillipston; and later mills at North Woods, 
 Drydenville, Dawsonville, and North Oxford. 
 Most of these he owned at the time of his 
 death, together with the Trowbridge mill at 
 Worcester. In addition to these varied activ- 
 ities he was also interested in real estate, and 
 the Registry at Worcester records over three 
 hundred conveyances made by him. A man of 
 unusual executive ability, Colonel Damon was 
 for thirteen years Town Treasurer, and for four 
 terms Representative to the legislature. He 
 was commander of a cavalry regiment and a 
 bank director. His wife, Alony, was the 
 daughter of Dr. Isaac Chenery, who served 
 under a Sergeant's commission in the War of 
 the Revolution. She was the mother of nine 
 children, only two of whom are living: Major 
 Isaac, the subject of this sketch; and Susan, 
 the youngest daughter, now Mrs. Gale. 
 
 Samuel Chenery Damon, D. D., whose 
 name is known and loved by seamen the world 
 over, was the oldest son of Colonel Samuel. 
 He was born on February 15, 18 15, and died 
 on February 7, 1885. After his graduation 
 from Amherst College in 1836, he studied 
 theology at Princeton, and later at Andover, 
 where he was graduated in 1841. He was 
 ordained to the gospel ministry, and not long 
 after went to Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, 
 where, for forty-two years, he was pastor of 
 the Bethel Church. He went out under the 
 auspices of the American Seaman's Friend 
 Society, and his duties in addition to his pul- 
 pit work were to visit the different ships that 
 touched at the port of Honolulu to distribute 
 
 Bibles, tracts, and other religious literature, 
 and to converse with as many of the sailors as 
 possible. When it is known that about six 
 thousand seamen annually came within the 
 circle of his ministrations, it will be readily 
 seen that his labors must have been arduous in 
 the extreme. He was a pleasing and forcible 
 speaker, and was often called upon to address 
 gatherings in behalf of charitable or educa- 
 tional organizations, and to speak at all 
 public missionary meetings. Only three 
 months after his arrival in Honolulu he began 
 the publication of a monthly journal called 
 The Friend, which became one of the elevating 
 and educating agencies in that part of the world, 
 being read by thousands of people both on land 
 and on sea. The Rev. Dr. Damon travelled 
 extensively, visiting Egypt and the Holy 
 Land, and nearly all the countries of Europe 
 as well as many parts of the United States. 
 He was a member of the American Antiqua- 
 rian Society, and a corresponding member of 
 the New England Historic-Genealogical So- 
 ciety. He married Julia Sherman Mills, of 
 Natick and had a family of five sons. Such a 
 life as his leaves an influence so lasting in its 
 character that its beneficent results cannot be 
 computed. 
 
 Major Damon grew to manhood on the old 
 home place, and was educated in the town 
 schools and at Amherst and Leicester acad- 
 emies. When a boy he worked some in the 
 store, but later engaged in farming for himself 
 in another part of the town. There he lived 
 until he returned to the Centre, and again took 
 up his residence on the Damon homestead. In 
 1862 he enlisted in Company B of the Fifty- 
 first Regiment, in which he served until the 
 expiration of his term in July, 1863. Like 
 his father and grandfather before him, he has 
 been prominently Connected with the manage- 
 ment of town affairs. For eighteen years he 
 was Town Clerk, for twenty-two years a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Assessors, and for a num- 
 ber of terms Selectman. His title he acquired 
 from his standing in the State militia. His 
 army rank was that of Sergeant. 
 
 Major Damon was married in 1839 to Mary 
 Harpwell, a native of Princeton, Mass., and 
 daughter of Colonel Jonas Harpwell. Of this 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 iiSi 
 
 union eight children were born; namely, 
 Helen, Marion, Julia, Mary, Isaac, Marion 
 v., Harry C. , and Anna C. The last three 
 named are living. Mrs. Damon died on May 
 I, 1867. The Major attends the Congrega- 
 tional church. In politics he votes with the 
 Republican party. He is one of the oldest 
 members of Morning Star Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 at Worcester; also a member of Ferren E. 
 Hall Post, No. JT, G. A. R., of Holden. He 
 is in every way worthy of the honored name he 
 bears. 
 
 TfRA 
 
 ri ^ 
 
 "RANKLIN WYMAN,* a resident of 
 Worcester for more than twenty years 
 prior to his death, which occurred on 
 August 12, 1893, was an energetic, enterpris- 
 ing, and successful business man and a citizen 
 of worth. He was born in Westminster, this 
 county, January 20, 1808, and was a son of 
 David and Huldah (Brown) Wyman. 
 
 The emigrant ancestor of the family from 
 which he sprang was Francis Wyman, who was 
 a pioneer settler of Woburn, Mass., where he 
 established an extensive business as a tanner 
 and acquired riches by his industry. The line 
 was thus continued: Timothy, born in 1661 ; 
 Joseph, born in 1695, who settled in Billerica; 
 Joseph, Jr., born in 1725; David, 1767; and 
 Franklin. David Wyman learned the art of 
 fulling cloth in Dracut, and opened a mill for 
 that purpos-e in Jaffrey, N.H. In 1793 he 
 removed to Westminster, Mass., where he 
 bought water privilege on a small stream and 
 established the first fulling mill of that local- 
 ity. He became identified with the leading 
 interests of that town, in which he resided 
 until his death in 1839. 
 
 Franklin Wyman was bred and educated in 
 Westminster, and, having inherited in a 
 marked degree the activity and push that char- 
 acterized his father, he early desired to enter 
 into business on his own account. When 
 nineteen years old, he therefore went to him 
 and said, "I want to buy my time." His 
 father replied: "I don't talk with boys. You 
 stay and work for me." Instead of obeying, 
 the youth went to Gardner, Mass., where he 
 bought a wood lot on credit. Hiring men to 
 
 clear it off, he sold the wood, made money in 
 the operation, and returning home astonished 
 his father by his success. Needing more 
 money to continue his speculations, he tried to 
 get some of his father, who refused to lend, 
 saying, "You can't succeed by borrowing. 
 You'll fail up, and lose all." The young man 
 borrowed elsewhere, and in his subsequent 
 operations as a buyer and seller of wood and 
 woodland, made good profits, and soon repaid 
 all obligations. Somewhat later he bought a 
 mill, and for a few years was successfully en- 
 gaged in manufacturing chairs. Settling 
 afterward in Westminster, he built a mill on 
 the same stream on which his father's was 
 located, and embarked in an entirely new in- 
 dustry, the manufacture of paper. He began 
 with no experience, but succeeded as in his 
 former undertakings, and in time accumulated 
 a substantial property. Energetic and pro- 
 gressive, he added every known mechanical 
 improvement and process for making different 
 kinds of paper, and as years rolled by built up 
 such a large trade that he felt warranted in 
 erecting two other mills on the same stream. 
 His business grew rapidly. He became one 
 of the most prominent paper manufacturers in 
 the United States, and the products of his 
 mills were sold in all parts of the world. In 
 his manufactures he was intimately associated 
 with Rodney Wallace, of Fitchburg, a man 
 well known throughout the county. 
 
 A wide-awake, keen, practical man of busi- 
 ness, Mr. Wyman was connected during his life 
 with various enterprises, and was in many ways 
 remarkable. He built a dam, flooded one 
 thousand acres of land, and had control of the 
 head water of the Nashua River. This water 
 being needed to supply the city of Fitchburg, 
 he sold out to that city in 1891, and his mills 
 were in consequence closed. He subsequently 
 lived retired. His great executive ability 
 eminently fitting him to administer public 
 affairs, he was repeatedly elected to official 
 positions. He served efficiently as Selectman 
 of Westminster six years, and was a member 
 of the State legislature two terms. In politics 
 he was an ardent Republican, and in his relig- 
 ious belief a liberal Christian. 
 
 Mr. \\yman was first married on December 
 
IIS2 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 31, 1839, to Henrietta W. Hazen, of Shirley, 
 who died in i860. His second wife, Amelia 
 E. Ashley, whom he married on December 19, 
 1 86 1, died in 1864. On December 7, 1865, 
 he married Sophia L. Gardner, of Shirley, who 
 survives him. Her only child, Evelyn May, 
 was born December 10, 1870, and died in 
 1895. Two children were born to Mr. Wyman 
 by his first wife, and are now living, namely : 
 Charles F. , of Worcester, who married for his 
 first wife M. E. Fairbanks, and after her death 
 married H. E. Wright; and Alfred A., of 
 Fitchburg, who married Flora M. Wright, and 
 has one child. 
 
 (L' 
 
 WALDO BATES,* a prosperous 
 farmer of Phillipston and an ex-mem- 
 ber of the legislature, was born upon 
 the farm he now occupies, July 10, 
 1846, son of Emory and Mary Reed (Bigelow) 
 Bates. The immigrant progenitor of the fam- 
 ily arrived in New England at an early date 
 in the Colonial period. Mr. Bates's grand- 
 father, Asa Bates, accompanied his father from 
 Bellingham to Phillipston, and the latter car- 
 ried on farming in connection with tavern- 
 keeping previous to the advent of railroads. 
 Asa Bates succeeded his father as farmer and 
 host. He owned and cultivated the farm 
 which is now conducted by his grandson, and 
 he held some of the important town oflfices as 
 the candidate of the Whig party. He married 
 Azubah Lamb, a native of this town. She died 
 at the age of seventy-two. He lived to be 
 seventy-eight years old. They reared five chil- 
 dren; namely, Ezra, Diana, Emory, Ezekiel, 
 and Caroline, none of whom are living. 
 
 Emory Bates, the father above mentioned, 
 was born at the homestead, February 11, 1804. 
 In early life he kept a tavern in Westminster, 
 and was for a time engaged in trade there, but 
 the greater part of his active period was spent 
 in tilling the soil of the home farm in Phillips- 
 ton. He served as a Selectman and Assessor 
 for seventeen years, being chairman of the 
 board. He was also an auctioneer and a jus- 
 tice of the peace, and he settled estates. In 
 politics he was a Democrat until the nomina- 
 tion of U. S. Grant in 1868, and thencefor- 
 
 ward he voted with the Republican party. 
 Emory Bates at the time of his death, which 
 occurred April 17, 1881, owned about three 
 hundred acres of desirable land. In his relig- 
 ious belief he was a Universalist, and took an 
 active part in church matters. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Mary R. Bigelow, 
 was born in Westminster, Mass., February 22, 
 181 1. Her father, Asa Bigelow, was the 
 youngest son of Lieutenant Jabez Bigelow, a 
 Revolutionary soldier, who was an early settler 
 in Westminster. Emory and Mary R. Bates 
 had twelve children, nine of whom are living, 
 namely: Mary R., who is now Mrs. Gibbs, of 
 Athol; Asa B. Bates, of Phillipston; Sally S., 
 now Mrs. Whitcomb, of Athol; Emory S. 
 Bates, of Lewiston; Simeon P. Bates, who 
 lives in Phillipston; Stella M., who is now 
 Mrs. Hood, and resides in Athol ; C. Waldo 
 Bates, the subject of this sketch; Herbert N. 
 Bates, a resident of Cambridge, Mass. ; and 
 Annette A. Bates, of Athol. The others 
 were: Emory Bates, who died young; Lydia 
 Ann, who became Mrs. Baker, and died at the 
 age of thirty-four years; and Henry Bates, who 
 died at the age of four years. Mrs. Bates died 
 May 15, 1886. 
 
 C. Waldo Bates was educated in the schools 
 of Phillipston and Athol. For some years in 
 his early manhood he gave his principal atten- 
 tion to lumbering, but of late he has devoted 
 his energies to agriculture. He owns the 
 homestead property, consisting of two hundred 
 and fifty acres more or less. He makes a spe- 
 cialty of dairy farming, keeping twenty-five 
 head of cattle, embracing Jersey and Guernsey, 
 full bloods and grades, and his product of 
 butter, amounting to from seventy-five to eighty 
 pounds per week on an average, is sold to one 
 regular customer. The original house, which 
 was built by his grandfather in 1785, was 
 destroyed by fire in 1885, while still in a good 
 state of preservation. The present residence, 
 erected upon the site of the old dwelling, is 
 one of the best in this locality. 
 
 On December 25, 1883, Mr. Bates was 
 united in marriage with Stella M. Eddy, who 
 was born in Enfield, Hampshire County, 
 Mass., January 21, 1859, daughter of John and 
 Sarah (Gross) Eddy. Her father, who was an 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 'S3 
 
 industrious farmer, died May 25, 1895. Her 
 mother is still living in Enfield. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Bates have one daughter — - Lena May, 
 who was born January 29, 1885. 
 
 Mr. Bates was connected with public affairs 
 as a town official for twenty-four years, seven- 
 teen of which he was a Selectman, Asses'sor, 
 and Overseer of the Poor, being chairman of 
 that body fourteen years. He was a member 
 of the State legislature in 1890, and again in 
 1894. He belongs to Athol Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. ; Union Chapter, Royal Arch Masons ; 
 and Athol Commandery, Knights Templar. 
 He is one of the original members of Athol 
 Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and secretary 
 of Pomona Grange, No. 4, which has jurisdic- 
 tion in Franklin and Worcester Counties. 
 
 K. YOOSUF, M.D.,* a well-known 
 medical practitioner of Worcester, 
 where he has been located since 
 189s, is a native of Harpoot in 
 Asiatic Turkey. His father, Kirk Yoosuf, 
 was engaged in the production of the raw ma- 
 terial from which silk is manufactured, finding 
 a market principally in Constantinople. The 
 family is no doubt of Roumanian origin. Dr. 
 Yoosuf 's mother, whose maiden name was 
 Sarah Nalbant, was of aristocratic birth. 
 Being influenced to look with favor upon the 
 Protestant religion, at considerable sacrifice 
 on her part she sent her son, whose education 
 had been begun in a private school, to the mis- 
 sion school in Harpoot. On leaving the mis- 
 sion school, he went to the preparatory school 
 at Aintab, and thence to the Central Turkey 
 College in that town, where he was graduated 
 in 1886, receiving the degree of Bachelor of 
 Arts. His high standing in college and the 
 favor in which he was regarded by his instruc- 
 tors are evidenced by the fact that directly 
 upon graduation he was appointed as teacher 
 in the preparatory department of his alma 
 mater. Here he remained for three years, and 
 meantime declined a very flattering offer to 
 become principal of the Girls' Seminary m 
 
 Aintab. 
 
 He decided to go to America, and late in 
 the year 1889 he landed in New York City. 
 
 He shortly secured a position in the New York 
 City Insane Asylum, where for two years he 
 had charge of the hospital department, and was 
 thus enabled to earn money with which to 
 defray his expenses for a professional course. 
 He had already had one year's study in medi- 
 cine while in the college in Turkey, and had 
 made up his mind to become a physician. Ac- 
 cordingly, in 1892, he entered the Baltimore 
 Medical College, and three years later was 
 graduated with distinction. Coming to Mas- 
 sachusetts he passed his examination before the 
 State Examining Board, and immediately after 
 opened an office in Worcester for the practice 
 of medicine. 
 
 Dr. Yoosuf has been deeply interested in 
 the Armenian question, and so much of his 
 life having been spent near the scene of recent 
 Armenian outrages, he has been able to give 
 the American public much valuable and au- 
 thentic information relating thereto. While 
 pursuing his college course in Baltimore he 
 was frequently called upon to give lectures 
 upon this subject, and he contributed various 
 readable articles to the columns of the daily 
 press. 
 
 Dr. Yoosuf is at the present time, and has 
 been for two years, president of the Alumni 
 Association in America of the Central Turkey 
 College. He is a member of the Massachu- 
 setts Medical Society and of the Order of 
 Foresters of America. The Doctor is un- 
 married. 
 
 /^^TeORGE M. MORSE, M.D.,cameto 
 \ ST Clinton in 1846. He was born in 
 ^-■- Walpole, N.H., in 1 821, and was the 
 son of Dr. E. and Esther (Crafts) Morse. Dr. 
 Morse studied at Dartmouth College, and grad- 
 uated at the Harvard Medical School in 1843. 
 For the next three years he practised in Clare- 
 mont, N.H., where he married Eleanor C. 
 Chase, daughter of Bishop Carleton Chase. 
 From this marriage there is one son, George 
 F., now living in Lancaster. For his second 
 wife he married Mary F. Stearns, of Clinton, 
 daughter of Deacon William Stearns, and has 
 two daughters. Besides his long time of pub- 
 lic service in his medical practice, he has 
 
"54 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 served in various town boards, such as School 
 Committee, Assessors, and Fire Engineers, and 
 was for many years chairman of the Library 
 Committee. For fourteen years he was Medi- 
 cal Examiner for this district. In later years 
 he has been especially interested and active in 
 the organization and development of the Clinton 
 Hospital, of which he is vice-president and 
 chairman of the medical staff. 
 
 TT^HARLES J. G. HUBBARD,* a thriv- 
 I V' ing farmer and dairyman of Berlin, 
 ^U^^ Mass., was born in Ashby, Middle- 
 sex County, this State, October 21, 
 1863, son of A. J. and Eliza (Willington) 
 Hubbard. His mother died at fifty-five years 
 of age. His father is now living, at the age 
 of eighty. His grandfather Hubbard's name 
 was Jonathan. He was a native of Concord, 
 but spent the greater part of his life in Ashby, 
 and died there when he was eighty years old. 
 
 A. J. Hubbard was born in Ashby, and 
 reared to agriculture, which he has success- 
 fully followed through life. He cultivated the 
 homestead property for some years, but later 
 purchased a farm in his native town, and is 
 residing there now. His wife, who was a 
 native of Ashby, became the mother of three 
 children, two of whom are living, namely: 
 E. A. Hubbard, a prosperous farmer of Ashby; 
 and Charles J. G., the subject of this sketch. 
 Mr. Hubbard's mother was a member of the 
 Congregational church, with which his father 
 is also united. 
 
 Charles J. G. Hubbard acquired his educa- 
 tion in the common schools and at an academy. 
 As a young man he went to Fitchburg, 
 Mass., where he was employed for nine years 
 as foreman of Dr. Fisher's farm. In 1896 he 
 bought his present farm of thirty-eight acres in 
 Berlin, where he is now engaged in general 
 farming, dairying, market gardening, and the 
 cultivation of fruit, working with an intelli- 
 gence and push calculated to insure continuous 
 and increasing prosperity. 
 
 In 1887 Mr. Hubbard married for his first 
 wife Helen Brooks, daughter of Ives Brooks, a 
 farmer of Rindge, N. H. She died at the age 
 of twenty-four years, leaving two children — 
 
 Harold and Amy. His present wife was for- 
 merly Clara Welch, of Manchester. She has 
 been quite an extensive traveller, having 
 crossed the Atlantic as many as nine times. 
 
 In politics Mr. Hubbard is a Republican. 
 In 1897 he was elected a member of the Board 
 of Assessors. He was formerly steward and 
 treasurer of the Fitchburg Grange. While 
 residing in that city he served as superintend- 
 ent of the Sunday-school connected with the 
 Rollstone Congregational Church, is now act- 
 ing as assistant superintendent of the Sunday- 
 school in Berlin, and is a member of the Exec- 
 utive Committee of the church. 
 
 fHOMAS QUIRK,* who was for half a 
 century a leading business man of Mil- 
 ford, was born in Ireland, and came to 
 this country when a young man. Settling in 
 Milford, he went into the grocery business, 
 which he carried on successfully for a number 
 of years. He also dealt largely in coal and 
 wood. Both branches of his business are now 
 conducted by his sons. 
 
 Open-handed almost to a fault, Mr. Quirk 
 was constantly assisting those in need, and 
 many were the poor families in Milford car- 
 ried over hard places through his kindness. 
 His books show uncollected and uncollectable 
 bills representing thousands and thousands of 
 dollars. Pleasant and cordial, with an ever- 
 ready fund of humor, he was a welcome guest 
 wherever he went. 
 
 The following resolution, passed by the 
 Ancient Order of Hibernians consequent upon 
 Mr. Quirk's death, gives adequate expression 
 to the esteem in which he was held : — 
 
 "Whereas, Almighty God, by his visitation 
 of the Angel of Death, has called from among 
 us one of our oldest, kindest, and most chari- 
 table members, a man who was always ready 
 to give his time, money, and service for those 
 who were in distress or needy circumstances, 
 not only to members of the organization, but to 
 God's poor, no matter of what race, creed or 
 nationality; and Whereas, we who were affili- 
 ated with him in Hibernianism knew his worth 
 as a man and his advice as a friend, and deeply 
 deplore the loss to our town of a good citizen. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 "SS 
 
 our organization a worthy member, and the poor 
 a true friend; therefore, be it resolved that in 
 his death his family will mourn the irreparable 
 loss of a most devoted husband and father, the 
 Catholic Church a most dutiful son, the cause 
 of Ireland a true champion, and the town of 
 Milford a most public-spirited citizen. " 
 
 Mr. Quirk's first wife, by whom he had 
 three sons and a daughter — all now respected 
 citizens of Milford — died some fifteen years 
 ago. He married for his second wife Mary 
 Elizabeth Cochran, by whom he had one son, 
 Joseph Stephen. Mrs. Quirk, who is a grad- 
 uate of Framingham Normal School, is a lady 
 of literary tastes, and was for a numbeir of 
 years a successful and popular teacher in the 
 public schools of Milford. Her eldest brother. 
 Captain John J. Cochran, was graduated from 
 the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 
 New York, and subsequently served as a sur- 
 geon in the United States Army until his 
 death in 1890. Mrs. Quirk's surviving 
 brothers are : George Cochran, who is a grad- 
 uate of the New York College of Pharmacy, 
 and is engaged in business as a druggist in 
 New York City; Robert H., a graduate of the 
 New York Dental College, now practising his 
 profession in Milford; William J. Cochran, a 
 graduate of the Harvard Medical School, and 
 now a practising physician in Natick, Mass. ; 
 Alexander Leo Cochran, who graduated at the 
 New York College of Pharmacy, and is. now 
 a wholesale druggist in that city. 
 
 [OHN C. HAMMOND,* a general in- 
 surance agent of East Douglas, was 
 born in Petersham, this county, April 
 21, 1825, son of John D. and Nancy 
 (Marsh) Hammond. Mr. Hammond's father 
 was a prosperous farmer during the active 
 period of his life, and was known as a worthy, 
 upright man. He had a family of thirteen 
 children; namely, Almira, Malinda, Charles, 
 Susan, Samuel, John C. , Louisa, Enoch, Lucy, 
 Nancy, Lemuel H., Samuel A., and Moses 
 Hammond. The mother was a member of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 John C. Hammond, the subject of this 
 sketch, was educated in the schools of Douglas. 
 
 For eight years after the completion of his 
 studies he worked in the cotton mills, and sub- 
 sequently learning the shoemaker's trade fol- 
 lowed it until 1857. He next engaged in 
 general mercantile business at East Douglas, 
 carrying on a flourishing trade for thirteen 
 years. Since selling out he has given his 
 attention to the insurance business, being local 
 agent for several strong companies. 
 
 On February 9, 1846, Mr. Hammond was 
 joined in marriage with Lucy Jane Thayer, 
 who was born in Uxbridge, Mass., in Novem- 
 ber, 1824, daughter of Turner and Lydia B. 
 Thayer. She died March 29, 1869, leaving 
 two children, namely: Wilberforce Beecher, 
 born April i, 1856; and Lillie B. , born in 
 October, 1859, who is now Mrs. Turner, and 
 has three children — Helen, John H., and 
 Lucy Turner. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Hammond is a Republican. 
 He was for a number of years a member of the 
 School Committee, and he ably represented his 
 district one year in the legislature. In his 
 religious belief he is a Methodist. 
 
 "ir^v AVID SCOTT,* who died at his 
 1=:^ home in Worcester, Mass., in 1878, 
 hSj was prominently identified with the 
 <^-^ mercantile interests of this city dur- 
 ing his active career as a business man. As 
 a druggist he stood high in the profession, and 
 as an honorable, public-spirited citizen he had 
 the esteem and confidence of the entire com- 
 munity in which he resided. The son of 
 David Scott, Sr., he was born June 7, 1821, 
 in Leicester, Mass. 
 
 David Scott, Sr., was born in Auburn, 
 Worcester County. He came from a long line 
 of sturdy New England ancestors, who for 
 generations had earned their living by culti- 
 vating the soil, an occupation to which he 
 clung during his life. He married Chloe 
 Ryder, of Auburn, and afterward settled in 
 Leicester, where he met with success in the 
 pursuit of agriculture. 
 
 David Scott, the subject of this brief biog- 
 raphy, completed his education at the Leices- 
 ter Academy, and at the age of seventeen 
 began a four years' apprenticeship in the 
 
iis6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 apothecary shop of Dr. James Green, of 
 Worcester. After attaining his majority he 
 became a clerk in the store of his employer, 
 and proving himself very apt at the business, 
 and likewise ambitious to know all that he 
 could of medicine and surgery, he was en- 
 couraged and helped by Dr. Green, who fre- 
 quently took him along as an assistant in sur- 
 gical operations. In 1845 Mr. Scott opened 
 a drug store on Main Street, near Exchange 
 Street, where for five years he carried on a 
 good business. Purchasing the interest of his 
 partner in 1850, he moved to the corner of 
 Main and Mechanic Streets, where he built up 
 an extensive trade. He made money, and at a 
 later time bought the four-story block in which 
 he was located. This proved a wise invest- 
 ment. The property has greatly increased in 
 value, so that it is now one of the most im- 
 portant business corners in the city. He 
 subsequently began manufacturing and com- 
 pounding many medicinal preparations, which 
 found favor with the public, and in which for 
 many years prior to his death he had a very 
 profitable wholesale and retail trade, built up 
 by his own ability and good judgment. He 
 bought real estate in Worcester to some 
 extent, and with his brother, Nelson R. Scott, 
 erected the flatiron, four-story block, which is 
 located directly opposite the United States 
 Government Post-office Building, at the junc- 
 tion of Main and Southbridge Streets. He 
 stood high in Masonic circles, and was one of 
 the comparatively few men of the city who had 
 taken the thirty-second degree in Masonry. 
 
 In 1846 Mr. Scott married Lucinda H. 
 Fay, daughter of Silas Fay, an old resident 
 and a prominent citizen of Princeton, Mass. 
 Two children were born of their union, 
 namely : a son, Frederick, and a daughter, 
 Alice, who now lives with her widowed 
 mother. Frederick Scott received the degree 
 of Bachelor of Arts from Brown University, 
 and the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the 
 Jefferson Medical School, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 He then went to Dakota, where he soon ac- 
 quired a fine reputation for professional knowl- 
 edge and skill, and built up an extensive prac- 
 tice. Devoted to his chosen labor, he spared 
 not strength in the time of need, and, in caring 
 
 for the many sufferers of the great blizzard in 
 that far western State, overworked himself to 
 such a degree that he never recovered his 
 health. His physical strength was unequal to 
 the demands then made upon it, and in 1894 
 he passed to the higher life. 
 
 NDREW JACKSON McFARLAND,* 
 who died in Worcester on April 27, 
 1887, was born in Hopkinton, 
 Middlesex County, Mass., in 1826. 
 His parents were Wallace and Olive (Lever- 
 ing) McFarland. As the name shows, the 
 McFarlands came originally from Scotland. 
 A sturdy, honest, independent race, they have 
 been domesticated in this county not far from 
 two hundred years. Some of the name were 
 among the early settlers of Worcester, but 
 there are only three or four families of Mc- 
 F'arlands now in this city. Andrew J. Mc- 
 Farland' s grandfather fought in the Revolu- 
 tion. 
 
 Andrew Jackson McFarland was reared on 
 his father's farm, and had a common-school 
 education only. A strong and active youth, 
 he learned the butcher's trade in his native 
 town, and worked at it till he acquired some 
 capital, wherewith he engaged in the retail 
 grocery and dry-goods business in Hopkinton 
 with a Mr. Heaton, under the firm name of 
 Heaton & McFarland. After continuing in 
 this business for nine years, having a profitable 
 trade, he sold out and sought a broader field of 
 activity. In 1868 he purchased a market in 
 Worcester, which he managed for three years 
 with fair success. Then, hearing of a good 
 chance in Auburn, N. Y. , he sold out and 
 moved thither. There he was engaged in the 
 retail meat business as a member of the firm of 
 McFarland & Tyler for a year. Returning to 
 Worcester, he opened a meat and provision 
 store on Green Street. This he managed for 
 three years. Then he sold out and engaged 
 with a large Boston house, with which he was 
 connected for a number of years. His health 
 finally broke down, and in 1883 he retired to 
 his home in Worcester. An invalid during 
 his few remaining earthly years, he bore his 
 long confinement with patience and fortitude, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1^57 
 
 Mr. McFarland was a man of enterprise, 
 courage, and perseverance — self-reliant and 
 energetic. To his constant application to 
 business, continued by force of his indomitable 
 will, is due perhaps his early death. As a 
 merchant his reputation was unblemished and 
 his integrity never questioned. He left a good 
 name as a heritage to his children. Though 
 he gave little time to politics, he was con- 
 cerned for the success of his party and for the 
 triumph of good principles and good govern- 
 ment. He was a strong believer in the saving 
 influence of religion, and lived up to what he 
 professed. Cordial, good-natured, and compan- 
 ionable, he had many friends. Mr. McFar- 
 land was a highly esteemed member of the 
 Masonic brotherhood, belonging to the lodge 
 in Hopkinton. 
 
 He was married in Hopkinton, April ii, 
 1849, to Miss Ann Eliza Thompson, of 
 whose family several successive generations 
 have lived in Worcester County. Three chil- 
 dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. McFarland 
 — Curtis A. , Walter J. , and Orilla. Curtis A. 
 is a landscape gardener, residing in Worcester. 
 Walter J. is employed in a shoe factory in 
 Webster, Mass. Orilla is the wife of N. 
 Gordon Williams, of Dedham, Mass., a well- 
 educated and highly respected citizen. He is 
 connected with the envelope firm of Logan, 
 Swift & Brigham. Mr. and Mrs. Williams 
 have two children — Stella and Irving. 
 
 Ij' 
 
 kOBERT RUDDY,* chief promoter of 
 the Ruddy Thread Company, of 
 Worcester, of which at the time of 
 his death on August 3, 1896, he was 
 president and treasurer, was born in the north 
 of Ireland in 1844, son of George and Jane 
 (Murphy) Ruddy. Mr. Ruddy spent his boy- 
 hood in Norwich, Conn., where he came when 
 a child with his mother, his father having died 
 in Ireland. As he was one of a family of five 
 children, he had early to become not only self- 
 supporting, but of material assistance to his 
 mother, so that his youth was one of toil and 
 was without the opportunities for education 
 which most young people have. In 1859, 
 when only fifteen years of age, he entered the 
 
 employ of the Willimantic Thread Company, 
 taking the humblest place in the factory. 
 Here he spent nine years, during which he 
 showed not only faithfulness and attention to 
 his work, but indomitable will and persistence. 
 He learned all the processes in the manufact- 
 ure of thread, and in time he became head of a 
 department. Later on he secured employment 
 at Holyoke, and subsequently he went to the 
 Williston Mill at Easthampton, Mass., where 
 he was appointed superintendent of the finish- 
 ing department. After some years of success- 
 ful service in this position he was made super- 
 intendent of the Mount Tom Thread Company 
 at Easthampton, where he remained until 1874. 
 Coming to Worcester in that year, he was 
 appointed superintendent of the finishing de- 
 partment of the Warren Thread Company. By 
 this time he had become recognized as a man 
 of unusual executive ability, and one who was 
 sure to make a success of whatever he under- 
 took, and different manufacturers were anxious 
 to secure his services. He was a strong man 
 intellectually and physically, and gave his 
 splendid force and vitality to his business, 
 understanding full well that faithful effort 
 always meets its reward. 
 
 After remaining in Worcester for about a 
 year, Mr. Ruddy received an offer of a posi- 
 tion as superintendent of the Alexander Stew- 
 art Thread Mill at Leeds, N.Y., this bearing 
 with it an increase of salary. Three years 
 were spent in Leeds, during which time the 
 business prospered and Mr. Ruddy made many 
 friends. Returning then to Worcester, he 
 again entered the employ of the Warren 
 Thread Company as superintendent of one of 
 its departments, but a few years later went to 
 the Mount Tom Company, where he remained 
 for about a year. He was then called by the 
 Warren Thread Company to take charge of 
 their plant at Ashland. 
 
 While there he conceived the idea of put- 
 ting up glazed thread on paper tubes, and in 
 1887 he secured a partner willing to invest 
 money to promote the new invention. The 
 Ruddy Thread Company was organized at 
 Worcester, the place of business being on 
 Foster Street. A fine new block was after- 
 ward built on Central Street, and the business 
 
[158 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was removed thither. Mr. Ruddy was made 
 president and treasurer, and his entire energy 
 and force of character were bent toward malc- 
 ing it a success. This company was the first 
 to wind thread upon paper tubes, putting them 
 up originally for the Reed Buttonhole Works, 
 but in a short time the plan was adopted by 
 other of the leading manufacturers. Mr. 
 Ruddy rapidly developed his business as he 
 won the confidence of the trade, and in time 
 devised other specialties. He put up threads 
 on spools and cards as well as on tubes, the 
 length of the thread varying from two hundred 
 to two thousand yards, and the weight from a 
 few ounces to a pound. By personally super- 
 intending the manufacture whenever possible, 
 he made sure that only the best quality of 
 thread was produced, and by visiting many 
 cities himself in exploiting his product he was 
 able to advertise and introduce it widely. In 
 1 891 the company was incorporated, Mr. 
 Ruddy still remaining the guiding spirit in the 
 enterprise. None of the goods produced were 
 handled by jobbers, but all were shipped direct 
 to consumers, the latter in this way obtaining 
 the best thread at a very low price. 
 
 Mr. Ruddy died in Paris, while on a busi- 
 ness trip to Europe. He was well-known 
 among Masonic fraternities in Worcester and 
 elsewhere, and had received the thirty-second 
 degree. Of a social, genial, warm-hearted 
 nature, he had a wide acquaintance and a host 
 of friends. His fund of quiet humor helped 
 him through many hard places in life, and 
 caused him to find reason for enjoyment often- 
 times where other men would have been totally 
 downcast. This was especially true in his 
 early life. 
 
 Mr. Ruddy and Anna Stetson, of Williman- 
 tic. Conn., were married in 1868. One child 
 was born to them ; namely, a daughter, Mary 
 Louise Ruddy, of this city. 
 
 ■f^TENRY HARRISON STRATTON,* 
 
 l^J for some years the leading travelling 
 
 [I s I salesman in the leather trade in 
 
 New England, and a prominent 
 
 resident of Worcester, was born in Athol, 
 
 Mass., son of Joseph and Martha (West) 
 
 Stratton, of that town. His father was by 
 occupation a shoemaker. 
 
 The Stratton family has been known in New 
 England for two hundred and fifty years. 
 Samuel Stratton came from England before 
 1648, with his sons, Samuel and John, and 
 settled at Watertown. His son Richard came 
 in the " Speedwell " from London in 1656. 
 There were also other early immigrants bear- 
 ing this surname. The heritage of the later 
 generations is the sturdy character and pure 
 lives of their worthy ancestors. 
 
 Henry Harrison Stratton passed his boy- 
 hood in his native town. After his school- 
 days were over he went to Greenfield, Mass., 
 and secured employment as clerk in a store 
 where leather goods and leather specialties 
 were sold. Proving to be an unusually suc- 
 cessful salesman, at the end of a few years he 
 was engaged as travelling agent for a firm in 
 South Deerfield that manufactured leather 
 goods and specialties. In a short time he 
 built up a remarkable trade, his sales being 
 enormous. Tactful and courteous, he was 
 sure to make friends wherever he went. He 
 became so well known in the large cities of 
 the United States that in time he practically 
 controlled the leather trade. His connection 
 with the Deerfield firm lasted for eleven years. 
 During the remaining eight years of his life 
 he represented a house in Philadelphia that 
 was the largest manufacturing concern for 
 leather goods in the eastern part of the United 
 States. Mr. Stratton commanded a larger 
 salary than any other travelling man in the 
 trade. He made careful investments, and 
 later years have proved them to have been 
 wise ones. Mr. Stratton died suddenly on 
 February 9, 1885, in Boston, while on a trip 
 to that city. 
 
 Mr. Stratton married Emily W. Holman, 
 of Royalston, Mass., a member of a highly re- 
 spected family. Mrs. Stratton has two daugh- 
 ters: Emily Holman; and Marion Esty, now 
 Mrs. Foraker, of Worcester. Mr. Stratton 
 was a member of the Masonic fraternity. For 
 some years before his death he had made his 
 home in Worcester, and his family reside here 
 at the present time. He erected a commodi- 
 ous dwelling on Hancock Street, and, being 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 '159 
 
 quick to realize the growing value of real es- 
 tate in this city, he built several houses in 
 the vicinity for rent; and these have proved 
 good paying investments. Of Mr. Stratton's 
 character as a man too much that is laudatory 
 can scarcely be said. He was one who made 
 money by entirely honorable methods. 
 
 In the second year of the Civil War, in Oc- 
 tober, 1862, Mr. Stratton enlisted in the 
 Fifty-third Regiment of Massachusetts Volun- 
 teers, and was sent to the Gulf States in Gen- 
 eral Banks's division. He was with his regi- 
 ment in all its engagements and marches up 
 to June 14, 1863, when he was wounded in 
 the head, being engaged in the assault upon 
 Port Hudson. He was sent to St. Louis 
 Hospital in New Orleans, but by August 7 of 
 that year he had so far recovered as to be able 
 to rejoin his company. He shortly returned 
 to Athol, after having seen nine months of 
 active service. 
 
 /pTEORGE PERRY KENDRICK,* for 
 I 5T nearly half a century one of the best 
 ^— *" known business men of the city of 
 Worcester, was born in Warren in 1825. His 
 parents were Jacil and Hannah (Coleman) 
 Kendrick. When he was only three years old 
 they removed to Enfield, and in that town his 
 boyhood and school-days were passed. Start- 
 ing in life for himself an energetic and ca- 
 pable youth, he came to Worcester, and went 
 to work on a farm in Quinsigamond village, 
 where for some time he had charge of one of 
 the largest milk routes in the city. 
 
 Mr. Kendrick's career as proprietor of a 
 livery stable began in 1849, when, in com- 
 pany with Amherst E. Coleman, he purchased 
 of Andrew J. Waite the stable on the old 
 Trumbull estate, at the corner of Franklin and 
 Foundry Streets. The firm of .Kendrick & 
 Coleman carried on a successful business for 
 some years, and, upon the retirement of Mr. 
 Coleman, Mr. Kendrick formed a partnership 
 with the late Willard Brown, Jr., which con- 
 tinued until the death of the latter. From 
 that time on Mr. Kendrick managed the busi- 
 ness alone until he took into partnership his 
 two sons, George A. and Edward H-, and 
 
 formed the firm of George P. Kendrick & Co. 
 The business increasing, successive additions 
 to the accommodations were made; and in Jan- 
 uary, 1882, when the large stable that Mr. 
 Kendrick had built on Franklin Street was- 
 burned, he removed to the present commodi- 
 ous quarters in the large brick building 
 erected by him on Trumbull Street. Here 
 his sons are now carrying on one of the larg- 
 est and best arranged livery establishments in 
 the country. 
 
 On September 23, 1850, he was united in 
 marriage with Candace S., daughter of Cap- 
 tain Sumner and Candace Holman, of Au- 
 burn. Mr. Kendrick was seventy-one years 
 old at the time of his death. His health had 
 been failing for some time. He is survived 
 by his sons, above named, two of his brothers, 
 and five of his sisters, two of the last named 
 residing in Worcester. A stanch Republican 
 in politics, he was for several years a member 
 of the Republican City Committee. In 1877, 
 1878, 1879, and 1880, he was on the Board of 
 Aldermen, and in 1872 and 1873 he was a 
 Representative to the General Court. 
 
 Mr. Kendrick was a member of the Salem 
 Street Church, which was organized about the 
 time he came to Worcester. After the Rev. 
 Dr. Lamson left the pastorate Mr. Kendrick 
 went elsewhere, and during the latter part 
 of his life attended the First Universalist 
 Church, He was a man of liberal views both 
 in politics and in religion, and was extremely 
 charitable toward those who differed from 
 him, albeit he always had decided opinions of 
 his own. He was a liberal giver to every 
 good cause. 
 
 ^RS. MARY GRACE BRIGHAM,* 
 widow of James M. Brigham, who 
 sacrificed his life in defence of 
 the Union during the Civil War, 
 is a well-known resident of Sturbridge. Her 
 maiden name was Clay. She is a native of 
 Millbury,Mass. 
 
 Her father, Simon A. Clay, was born in 
 Yorkshire, England, June 3, 1805. He emi- 
 grated to the United States at the age of 
 twenty-one, and legated in Sturbridge sixtj^- 
 
I i6o 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 one years ago, having previously held the posi- 
 tion of overseer in a cotton-mill in South- 
 bridge, Mass. Mrs. Brigham's mother, Mrs. 
 Lutina Abigail Clay, was born on November 
 22, 1809, and died August 8, 1894. A ca- 
 pable and industrious woman, she labored dili- 
 gently for the well-being of her family. She 
 was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church in Brookfield, Mass. 
 
 On April 15, 1857, Mary Grace Clay mar- 
 ried James M. Brigham, who was born on June 
 29, 1833, ^nd his earlier years were spent in 
 Burlington, Vt. When a young man he lo- 
 cated in Brookfield, where he was employed in 
 a shoe factory for some time, and later he fol- 
 lowed the same business in Sturbridge. En- 
 listing in September, 1861, as a private in 
 Company K, Twenty-second Regiment, Massa- 
 chusetts Volunteers, he took part in the battles 
 of Kingston, the Wilderness, and Laurel Hill. 
 In the last-named engagement in May, 1864, 
 he received a serious wound, from the effects of 
 which he died twenty-four hours afterward. 
 He was buried in the National Cemetery at 
 Arlington Heights, Va. He was a Democrat 
 in politics previous to the war, but differed 
 with his party on the slavery question and 
 became a Republican. 
 
 Mrs. Brigham has one son, Charles Henry 
 Brigham. He married Mary W. Barnes, and 
 has one daughter — Florence D. B. Brigham, 
 born September 24, 1890. Mrs. Brigham 
 attends the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Yp)OVELL BAKER,* a resident of 
 iJl Worcester, who has been largely in- 
 _L J° ^ terested in real estate since the 
 Civil War, was born at Upton, 
 Mass., December 8, 1808, son of Lovell and 
 Mary (Legg) Baker. His father was a cabi- 
 net-maker by trade. 
 
 The earliest home of Mr. Baker's paternal 
 ancestors in this country was at Lynn, Mass. 
 They came from England. Thomas Marshall 
 Baker, his grandfather, who settled at Upton; 
 fought in the Revolution, and was once 
 wounded in battle. He was a Sergeant in 
 1776, Lieutenant in 1777, and in 1778 he was 
 commissioned Captain, 
 
 Lovell Baker, the subject of this sketch, at- 
 tended the common schools and Upton Acad- 
 emy. With his father he was interested in 
 the old United States Hotel in Worcester, 
 then a village of three thousand people. 
 After his father's death he engaged in trade 
 for several years in Grafton and Providence, 
 and was uniformly successful in his business 
 ventures. In 1837 he was appointed Deputy 
 Sheriff of Worcester County, which office he 
 held until 1856. During this time he was in- 
 terested in the manufacture of woollen and 
 cotton goods in Grafton and Dudley, Mass., 
 putting capital into the mill at Dudley, which 
 was successfully carried on by him until 1865. 
 His residence has always been in Worcester, 
 and since 1865 he has been practically retired 
 from business, having accumulated a compe- 
 tency in manufacturing. He has invested 
 largely in real estate, and has continued pros- 
 perous throughout his long life. 
 
 He married in 1829 Sarah Porter Page, of 
 Salem, Mass., who died in 1887, leaving two 
 children — Cynthia Elizabeth and John L. 
 Mr. Baker's daughter married Simon Farns- 
 worth, of Millbury, who died in 1890. Mrs. 
 Farnsworth now lives with her father. She 
 has two children: Milton Grafton Farnsworth; 
 and Fannie, who married Dr. George A. 
 Adams of Worcester and has a son and daugh- 
 ter. John L. Baker was engaged with his 
 father in several enterprises, and was Deputy 
 Sheriff of the county. He died in 1895. 
 
 Mr. Baker is a very interesting old gentle- 
 man. He has been a prominent figure in the 
 life of the city for many years, though he has 
 never held office. His health and strength 
 are wonderfully well preserved. He has been 
 a hard worker, but full of resources within 
 himself, being a deep thinker; and his long 
 life has been one of enjoyment. He attends 
 the Unitarian church. He has led a life of 
 integrity. 
 
 ESSE JOHNSON COBURN,* founder 
 of Lake View, one of the prettiest 
 suburbs of Worcester, was born in 
 Northfield, Mass., in 1831. The 
 Coburn family is of English descent. At 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 16 ( 
 
 least four generations have lived in this 
 country. 
 
 Mr. Coburn acquired his early education in 
 Northfield. In 1849, when he was in his 
 eighteenth year, he went to California, join- 
 ing relatives, who were there engaged in the 
 search for gold. He was one of the youngest 
 Forty-niners. For some time he worked in 
 the raining camps, and the wild life and law- 
 less conditions developed both his powers of 
 observation and a spirit of self-reliance and 
 independence. He had many thrilling ex- 
 periences in the mountains, and many victori- 
 ous encounters with wild beasts. During the 
 three years of his stay in California his life 
 was full of excitement and adventure; and he 
 was very popular with his fellows. An expert 
 with the rifle, he was esteemed one of the best 
 shots in camp, and he was no less fortunate in 
 fishing. He had some gold when he started 
 to return home; and the shrewdness and 
 knowledge of character developed by contact 
 with men older than himself, many of whom 
 were sharpers, was in itself an invaluable cap- 
 ital. He was then twenty-one. For some 
 time he worked at whatever he could find to 
 do. Eventually, having made some money by 
 trading, he purchased a large tract of low 
 sward-land at Lake Quinsigam.ond, extending 
 south-east a mile along the shore and nearly 
 to the Boston & Albany Railroad, and pre- 
 ceeded to develop it. People laughed at his 
 folly, but he had plans of which they did not 
 dream'. He laid out streets and sold lots for 
 cottages; houses sprang up in all directions; 
 churches and schools followed ; and it was not 
 very long before the population of Lake View 
 numbered a thousand. The claims of scenery 
 were recognized, and the place became popu- 
 lar as a pleasure resort. Mr. Coburn built 
 the hotel now known as Hotel Belmont, and 
 managed it for years. He built a boat-house, 
 had boats on the lake, and developed Lincoln 
 Park and other picnic-grounds. In time he 
 placed steamboats on the lake, and formed a 
 company to control the enterprise, the town 
 itself owning stock; and he then started to 
 build the Worcester & Shrewsbury Rai.lroad, 
 from Washington Square, Worcester, to the 
 Jake, interesting capital. He bimself was a 
 
 member of the Board of Directors. Lake 
 View grew rapidly. Mr. Coburn built houses, 
 and loaned money to build with. The place 
 became a part of himself, and he loved it as a 
 father does his child. He always aimed to 
 maintain the respectability of the lake resorts, 
 and no form of vice was permitted there while 
 he was in control. Mr. Coburn met with 
 much opposition, but he always accomplished 
 his object, and his success was phenomenal. 
 In 1879 one of his steamboats was overturned, 
 and several lives were lost. The shock 
 affected his health so that he never fully re- 
 covered; and in 1884 he disposed of his land, 
 buildings, railroad stock, steamboats, hotel 
 and other property, and retired. He died in 
 June, 1885. A genial and whole-souled man, 
 he was very popular, and, though he was 
 envied by some for his success, he had many 
 warm friends. 
 
 Mr. Coburn was three times married. He 
 is survived by his third wife, formerly Miss 
 Anna C. Perry, of Worcester, and their four 
 children — Jesse Johnson, Claire Martha, 
 Charles Bertrand, and Amy — and also by an 
 older child, Alvarada A. 
 
 /pTEORGE ELBRIDGE BOYDEN,* 
 \ ST late of the firm of E. Boyden & Son, 
 ^ — architects of Worcester, and a lead- 
 ing member of the Masonic fraternity in these 
 parts, died at his home in this city on Octo- 
 ber 19, 1885. 
 
 We condense the following from the trib- 
 utes of the daily press to the memory of this 
 worthy citizen. 
 
 Mr. Boyden was born in Athol, Mass., on 
 August 29, 1840, and came with his parents 
 to Worcester at the age of four years. After 
 attending the public schools he studied at the 
 Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard Uni- 
 versity, and subsequently spent several months 
 abroad to further fit himself for his chosen pro- 
 fession. In 1875 he was elected a member of 
 the Common Council, and the next year he was 
 chosen its president, to which position he was 
 twice unanimously re-elected. Affable, cour- 
 teous, and generous, but always firm in his 
 rulings, particularly in the preservation of the 
 
Il62 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 dignity of the body, he had the faculty of so 
 enforcing its rules, and so deciding the vari- 
 ous parliamentary questions as to be able to 
 prevent even temporary unpleasantness, and 
 no one ever retired from the office more gen- 
 erally and more highly esteemed than he. It 
 was mainly through his efforts that weekly 
 payments for the city laborers were adopted, 
 and in this direction Worcester was the first 
 to take favorable action. 
 
 Mr. Boyden had taken the thirty-second de- 
 gree in Masonry, and in addition to having 
 filled all save two of the offices of the local 
 bodies, had been for several years the secre- 
 tary of the Masonic Mutual Relief Associa- 
 tion of Central Massachusetts, which office he 
 held at the time of his death. He was also a 
 member of the Odd Fellows and of the 
 Worcester County Mechanics' Association, for 
 which he performed much valuable service as 
 a director. 
 
 These fraternal organizations were officially 
 represented at the obsequies: Worcester 
 County Commandery, K. T. ; Massachusetts 
 Consistory; Worcester Grand Lodge of Per- 
 fection; Hiram Council, R. & S. M. ; Eureka 
 Royal Arch Chapter, Montacute Lodge, F. & 
 A. M. ; Worcester Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; Royal 
 Arcanum; United Workmen; and Stella 
 Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. The 
 Masonic burial ritual was read. 
 
 From the resolutions of condolence and 
 sympathy, adopted by the directors of the Ma- 
 sonic Mutual Relief Association, the follow- 
 ing paragraphs are quoted : — 
 
 ''''Resolved, That our brother in his life 
 embodied, and by his death exemplified, those 
 qualities of heart and that perfection of char- 
 acter which resulted from the adoption and 
 constant practice of those fundamental princi- 
 ples of Masonry that ennoble and elevate man- 
 kind; that by his sweetness of temper, genial 
 converse, unselfish devotion of self to the good 
 of others, untiring labor in every position of 
 trust he was called to fill, he has left us an 
 example worthy of emulation. 
 
 ''''Resolved, That the success of our associa- 
 tion is largely due to the service of our brother 
 as secretary, from its inception to the time of 
 his death, which he always performed with 
 
 singular fidelity, systematic accuracy, and in- 
 variable courtesy." 
 
 Mr. Boyden was married on January i, 
 1867, to Helen M. Holman Harris, daughter 
 of Oliver and Sophia P. (Badger) Holman, of 
 Portsmouth, N.H. Mr. Holman was for 
 many years a respected merchant of that city, 
 as was also his father before him. Mrs. Boy- 
 den survives her husband. 
 
 n)l ENRY J. HOWLAND,* for forty 
 years a leading printer of Worcester, 
 and for sixty years an active worker 
 in the Baptist Sunday-school, was 
 born at West Brookfield, Mass., on October 
 26, 1 8 10. He was one of the thirteen chil- 
 dren of Southworth Howland, and was of the 
 sixth generation in descent from John How- 
 land, who came over in the "Mayflower" in 
 1620, and who married Elizabeth Tilly. 
 This is the line: John,' John,^ John,' Job,'' 
 Southworth, 5 Henry J.* At the age of four- 
 teen years Henry J. Howland was apprenticed 
 to True & Greene, of Boston, printers and 
 newspaper publishers. There he passed the 
 long, hard period of service then exacted, and 
 learned to do every part of the work necessary in 
 book making, from setting the type to putting 
 on the covers. His hours were long, it being 
 his duty to open the office in the morning, 
 and to go to the theatres at night for corrected 
 programmes. Thoroughness and conscien- 
 tious attention to detail characterized what- 
 ever he did, and he was an honor to the trade 
 to which, he devoted his life. When he be- 
 came of age he bought out Moses Spooner's 
 printing office in Worcester, but later sold his 
 interest to his brother, S. A. Howland, and 
 returned to Boston, In 1835, however, he 
 came back to Worcester, and from that time 
 until a few years prior to his death, which oc- 
 curred on April 29, 1897, he was engaged in 
 job print^ing here. He established the 
 Worcester Directory, and published it from 
 1844 to 1 87 1. A variety of other publica- 
 tions were issued from his office, among them 
 being the first book of lessons for the primary 
 Sunday-school, which he had prepared for his 
 own class. This little volume is now treas- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 163 
 
 ured as a significant memento of the begin- 
 ning of wliat is to-day a movement of great 
 importance. Although Mr. Rowland retired 
 some years before his death, he never lost in- 
 terest in the business, but was fond of visit- 
 ing offices and setting a " stickful " to keep 
 his hand in. He followed with keen interest 
 and intelligence the development of the art of 
 printing, the invention of fast presses and 
 type-setting machines. He was a master in 
 the trade, and was the dean of the craft in this 
 city. 
 
 Descended as he was from Pilgrim stock, 
 Mr. Howland early became identified with re- 
 ligious activity, and particularly with the 
 Sunday-school. At the convention which 
 took place in 1895, he was much touched by 
 the expressions of regard and affection ten- 
 dered him by the Sunday-school workers and 
 the children, who gathered about him and 
 sang, or otherwise gave expression to their 
 feelings. His life was filled with the graces of 
 courtesy and unselfishness. Simple, genuine, 
 and unostentatious, he was a favorite with all 
 ■who knew him. The anti-slavery movement 
 found in Mr. Howland an earnest champion. 
 He was interested also in temperance, and 
 was an advocate of the woman suffrage move- 
 ment. 
 
 In 1832 Mr. Howland was married to Miss 
 Dow, a daughter of Phineas Dow, of Boston. 
 In 1887 the fifty-fifth anniversary of that 
 happy union was celebrated by the family, and 
 a large number of friends, prominent among 
 the latter being the members of the Baptist 
 church society, with whom Mr. and Mrs. 
 Howland had been so many years associated 
 .in good works. One incident of the celebra- 
 tion was the presentation to the veteran couple 
 of fifty-five gold dollars. Mrs. Howland died 
 in 1890. They had a family of six daughters, 
 and ten grand-children and seven great-grand- 
 children were living at the time of his death. 
 
 -OHN SAMUEL BALLARD,* who 
 -il was for many years prominent among 
 (tJil the business men of Worcester, was 
 born in Boston, June 8, 1824. He was 
 the third son of John and Hannah (Green) 
 
 Ballarcl, and was in the seventh generation 
 from William Ballard, who was born in Eng- 
 land in 1605, and died in this country in 
 1695. From William ' his line of descent is 
 traced through William,^ John,^ John,-* Will- 
 iam, s to John,' his father, who was born in 
 Boston in 1782, and died in that city in Octo- 
 ber, 1859. John Ballard' was a carpet mer- 
 chant. He was married July 15, 181 1, to 
 Hannah Green. 
 
 John Samuel Ballard was educated in the 
 Boston schools, taking a course of study in 
 the high school. He worked first as clerk in 
 a store in Boston. When he was eighteen or 
 nineteen years of age he, with a companion, 
 went on a prospecting tour, with the intention 
 of purchasing promising farming territory. 
 They travelled on horseback for hundreds of 
 miles, often through the wilderness, carrying 
 their money in their saddle-bags. They 
 failed, however, to make profitable invest- 
 ment; and Mr. Ballard, his love of adventure 
 satisfied, purchased a farm in Shrewsbury, 
 Mass. Here he was engaged in general farm- 
 ing for ten years. In 1855, with capital he 
 had earned and saved, he started a general 
 grocery store in Worcester on Main Street, 
 Elijah Spurr being his partner for some time. 
 Mr. Spurr eventually retired, and Mr. Ballard 
 was sole proprietor of the enterprise. He 
 built up one of the largest stores in the city, 
 had a first-class trade, and placed his profits 
 to good advantage. About 1887 or 1888 he 
 changed the site of his business to the corner 
 of Park and Portland Streets. In 1872 he 
 purchased large tracts of land in Quinsiga- 
 mond village, and developed there extensive 
 granite quarries. Much of the land that he 
 bought now affords valuable building sites for 
 dwelling-houses. Among his purchases at 
 Quinsigamond was the historic Lincoln man- 
 sion. He added to this estate, and developed 
 the beautiful grounds, making it one of the 
 most attractive suburban residential estates in 
 this vicinity. He worshipped nature, and 
 loved to watch her changing moods; and the 
 cultivation of flowers was an especial delight 
 to him. He built greenhouses, and interested 
 others to bring rare plants; and his flower 
 culture developed into a successful business. 
 
1I64 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Ballard was connected with the Worces- 
 ter Agricultural Society and the Worcester 
 Horticultural Society. As a business man he 
 was prudent, just, and scrupulously honor- 
 able. He established an enviable credit, and 
 always maintained it, and he had the respect 
 and esteem of his employees. Qtiiet and 
 home-loving, he had no taste for public ofifice. 
 He was self-reliant and deeply thoughtful, 
 studying the problems of existence, and set- 
 tling them to his own satisfaction. Dr. Ed- 
 ward Everett Hale was one of his close 
 friends. 
 
 In 1845 he was married to Miss Mary A. 
 Gibbs, of Sandwich, Mass., a member of an 
 old family, several generations of which have 
 lived in Sandwich and vicinity. Four chil- 
 dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ballard; 
 namely, Edgar, Jennie, Harry, and Anna. 
 Harry Ballard was in his father's grocery store 
 for a number of years, and he carried it on for 
 some time after his father's death. In 1897 
 the grocery business was sold by Mr. Ballard's 
 heirs, who are now operating the quarries 
 opened by him and the greenhouses which he 
 established. 
 
 |ALVIN LUTHER PROUTY,* a for- 
 mer wealthy nail manufacturer of 
 Worcester, was born March 16, 
 1808, at Spencer, Mass., son of Jo- 
 seph and Betsey (Draper) Prouty. His 
 people have lived in Massachusetts since 
 Richard Prouty settled in Scituate as early as 
 1670, and have been residents of Spencer for 
 several generations. 
 
 Calvin Luther Prouty was educated at 
 Spencer. In 1834 he went to North Hadley, 
 Mass. He there learned wire-making, and, 
 having become an expert at the trade, he de- 
 cided to come to Worcester, where wire-mak- 
 ing was a recognized industry. In 1842 he 
 engaged as book-keeper for the old firm of 
 Draper & Clark, dealers in flour and grain. 
 While in their employ he saved money, and 
 watched for an opportunity to go into the 
 wire-making business. He was soon able to 
 begin the manufacture of wire, and estab- 
 lished himself in the Merrifield building. 
 
 where he remained until the great fire of 1854, 
 afterward resuming business on Front Street, 
 and continuing it for some years with splendid 
 success. He was then associated in busi- 
 ness with Asa Allen, and manufactured shoe 
 nails largely, succeeding in this industry as 
 he had in his other enterprises. He retired 
 with a small fortune in 1870. 
 
 He married in 1838 Mary Russell, of 
 Northampton. Mr. Prouty had a strong per- 
 sonality. He was intensely practical and a 
 man of unremitting energy. His purpose, 
 once conceived, was always pushed to a suc- 
 cessful conclusion. He was a man of the 
 strictest integrity, and possessed the entire 
 confidence of all with whom he was associated. 
 He never cared for public office, and served 
 but once on the Common Council, declining 
 re-election. Modest and unassuming, he was 
 a kind neighbor and a friend in all relations 
 of life. 
 
 OHN A. FARLEY,* whose name is 
 still known among the organ manufact- 
 urers of the country, was born in Con- 
 cord, N.H. His father, Asa Farley, 
 was by occupation a currier, and afterward a 
 worker in marble. 
 
 John A. Farley completed his education in 
 the high school at Concord. When about 
 twenty-seven years of age he came to Worces- 
 ter, and learned organ manufacturing under 
 his brother. He mastered the business, and 
 then formed a partnership with Mr. Taylor, 
 under the firm name of the Taylor & Farley 
 Organ Company, erecting a factory where the 
 post-office now stands. The successful de- 
 velopment of the business was largely due to 
 Mr. Farley's executive ability shown in its 
 management, Mr. Taylor being the mechani- 
 cal expert. The location of the factory was 
 changed several times. Finally a large fac- 
 tory was erected on He'rmon Street and 
 equipped with every modern appliance. Here 
 they were able to greatly increase their busi- 
 ness, passing through a long era of prosperity, 
 with Mr. Farley at the head of the concern. 
 He was esteemed as a very able man, and be- 
 came well known in the organ trade and to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1165 
 
 the outside business world. The business at 
 length grew so large that a corporation was 
 formed in 1871, known as the Taylor-Farley 
 Organ Company, with Mr. Taylor as presi- 
 dent, Mr. Farley, treasurer, and Mr. Newton 
 Tyler, secretary. Eight years after the incor- 
 poration of the company, upon the death of 
 Mr. Taylor, Mr. Farley became resident, and 
 filled this office until his death, November 21, 
 1879. 
 
 He married in 1843 Elizabeth Green, who 
 was born at Guildhall, Vt. , by whom he had 
 one daughter, Mary Ella, who married George 
 S. Hoppin, of Worcester. Mr. Farley was an 
 upright man, liberal, high-minded, and just 
 in all his dealings. He was interested in the 
 welfare of the city, and a liberal contributor 
 to public enterprises. He was a member of 
 the Main Street Baptist Church. 
 
 (5 I HOMAS HARRINGTON,* now living 
 * I retired at his home in Worcester, en- 
 -^ joying the leisure faithfully earned by 
 years of useful industry, was born in 1812 at 
 Plainfield, Conn., being a son of George and 
 Thankful (Bennett) Harrington. On the pa- 
 ternal side he is the descendant of a good old 
 English family that settled in Foster, R.I., 
 in early Colonial times. 
 
 Mr. Harrington began life as a bobbin boy 
 in a cotton-mill at Killingly, Conn., when but 
 twelve years old, and gradually worked his 
 way upward through every department until he 
 became conversant with every detail of the 
 work of manufacturing and familiar with the 
 machinery used in each process of converting 
 the raw material into cloth of different kinds 
 and qualities. For three years he filled the 
 position of overseer of the mill. Having be- 
 come an adept at fitting up and starting new 
 cotton -mills, he was subsequently so em- 
 ployed, with the help of his brothers, in vari- 
 ous New England towns, and was superintend- 
 ent and general manager for a time of mills 
 in Southbridge, Oxford, and Webster, Mass., 
 and in Jaffrey, N.H. He was afterward man- 
 ager of a corporation store and a mill in Au- 
 burn, Mass. After a varied experience of 
 this kind of work, Mr. Harrington settled in 
 
 Worcester, and in 1857, as junior member of 
 the firm of Hawkins & Harrington, began the 
 manufacture of monkey wrenches and similar 
 implements. A few years later he disposed 
 of his interest in that concern, and after 
 spending a brief time as a farmer and lumber 
 dealer, he went into the card-clothing busi- 
 ness, being a stockholder of the Howard 
 Brothers Manufacturing Company. He con- 
 tinued in that business until 1895. He has 
 since lived free from active pursuits, and has 
 devoted himself mainly to his real estate in- 
 terests. His executive and financial ability, 
 which is of a high order, has brought him suc- 
 cess in his various enterprises, and placed him 
 among the most thrifty and prosperous citizens 
 of this thriving municipality. 
 
 In politics he has been identified with the 
 Republican party since its formation, and in 
 1869 and 1870 he was an Alderman. He also 
 served the city as appraiser on claims for dam- 
 ages from the breaking of the Leicester Res- 
 ervoir, which cost Worcester several hundred 
 thousand dollars. He is considered an expert 
 judge of real estate, and has frequently served 
 as appraiser. He united with the Baptist 
 church many years ago, and has since been an 
 active member. 
 
 Mr. Harrington married in 1833 Esther 
 Pray, who died in 1838. His second wife, 
 Rhoda Truesdale, died in 1867. He has two 
 children, namely: Esther, now Mrs. Studley, 
 of Pittsfield, N.H.; and Norman, who is en- 
 gaged in the insurance business in Worcester, 
 Mass. 
 
 ']CrBENEZER ESTABROOK,* a former 
 p! prominent and prosperous business 
 '^^-— ^ man of Worcester, Mass., was born 
 July 18, 1814, in Holden, Worcester County, 
 and died in the city of Worcester, March 19, 
 1872. His father, Jonathan Estabrook, and 
 his grandfather, Ebenezer Estabrook, were 
 both lifelong residents of Holden, Mass., and 
 both engaged in agricultural pursuits during 
 their years of activity. 
 
 Ebenezer Estabrook, the subject of this 
 brief sketch, grew to manhood on the home 
 farm; but instead of succeeding to the occupa- 
 
ii66 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 tion of his ancestors he early determined upon 
 a mercantile career, and with that end in view 
 opened a country store in Holden when a 
 young man, and carried on a fair business in 
 that town until 1842. Coming then to 
 Worcester, already somewhat noted as a man- 
 ufacturing centre, he formed a partnership 
 with a friend, and was an extensive manu- 
 facturer of wall paper for a few years. He 
 was subsequently connected with several re- 
 tail establishments in this locality, being 
 chiefly engaged for many years in company 
 with Samuel Parker in the hat, cap, and gen- 
 eral furnishing business, in which he built 
 up a lucrative trade. At a later date he 
 devoted himself to the buying and selling of 
 real estate for others, in which he met with 
 good success, but from which he was forced 
 to retire after a few years on account of 
 impaired health, and for some time prior to 
 his death he lived comparatively free from 
 business cares. A man of more than aver- 
 age ability, honest and upright, he was held 
 in high esteem as a citizen. He was a 
 strong supporter of the principles of the Re- 
 publican party, and was interested in the ad- 
 vancement of enterprises conducive to the 
 public welfare. 
 
 On the 3d of December, 1840, Mr. Esta- 
 brook married Jane S. Boyden, of Spencer, 
 Mass. They reared five children, namely: 
 Mary Eliza, born July 9, 1842, now the wife 
 of George H. Spencer, of Brooklyn, N.Y. ; 
 Ella J., born March 3, 1844; Henry E., born 
 November 19, 1846, now engaged in the lum- 
 ber business in Worcester; Isabella A., 
 born March 14, 1849; and Frank H., born 
 October 27, 1851. Frank H. Estabrook, now 
 proprietor of one of the largest tailoring es- 
 tablishments in Worcester County, learned 
 his trade in this city, and for some years was 
 employed by Bigelow & Longley, and later 
 was a member of the oldest tailoring firm in 
 Worcester, that of N. W. & I. Brown, then 
 changed to Brown & Estabrook. A master of 
 his profession, and possessing artistic taste, 
 he opened new chambers in 1897 in the State 
 Mutual Building, where he has a large line of 
 patronage from the leading families of the 
 county. In 1885 he married Miss Hattie 
 
 Davenport, of this city. They have four chil- 
 dren; namely, Margaret, Francis, Rachel, 
 and Harold. 
 
 LON GALUSHA HIGGINS,* presi- 
 dent of the E. G. Higgins Wall Paper 
 Company of Worcester, was born 
 in Hardwick, Mass., May 11, 1825. His 
 parents, Henry Fisk and Alia (Metcalf) 
 Higgins, were married in November, 1813. 
 Mr. Higgins comes of sturdy old New Eng- 
 land stock on both sides of the family. His 
 father's father, Jonathan Higgins, who was a 
 Revolutionary soldier, lived to be ninety-four 
 years old. His father, Henry Fisk Higgins, 
 was a native of Hardwick, born July 27, 1779. 
 An able and successful carpenter and builder, 
 he was a good example of the industrious New 
 England citizen. He died in Hardwick in 
 i860. Mrs. Higgins was born in Royalston, 
 this county, June 9, 1789. One of her ances- 
 tors, we are told, came over in the "May- 
 flower," and was a member of the Plymouth 
 Colony. We know not his name. 
 
 Elon Galusha Higgins, the seventh-born of 
 a family of eleven children, was educated in 
 the common schools of Hardwick, Enfield, 
 and North Brookfield. His opportunities for 
 study were limited, much of his time in boy- 
 hood being devoted to work on his father's 
 farm. When he was fourteen years old he 
 went to work for a farmer in Ware, Mass., 
 and all his earnings were paid to his father. 
 When he was seventeen he received his time, 
 and determined to support himself. At first 
 he worked for a short time for a shoe manu- 
 facturer in North Brookfield, and he was then 
 employed for about a year in a shoe factory in 
 Worcester. In 1847 he took the initial step 
 in his way to fortune, learning the paper- 
 hanger's trade. He worked at the trade for a 
 number of years, and finally put in a small 
 stock of paper for sale in his house on Will- 
 iams Street, this city. As a workman he won 
 a reputation for reliability and honesty; and 
 he soon developed a good trade in the sale of 
 paper. He finished a small store in the base- 
 ment of his house, which he used for some 
 time. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1167 
 
 In 1869, with his brother, F. W. Higgins, 
 he stocked with wall paper a small store on 
 Pleasant Street, fifteen feet wide and about 
 thirty feet in depth. The store was in a low 
 wooden building which was torn down many 
 years ago to make room for the present Rogers 
 Building. The members of the firm acted as 
 book-keepers, and kept one clerk to aid in the 
 sale of papers. In 1876 F. VV. Higgins re- 
 tired from the firm, and the subject of this 
 sketch assumed control of the business. He 
 moved from Pleasant Street to a store on 
 Maple Street, where now stands the New 
 State Mutual Building, and in 1880 he re- 
 moved thence to 284 Main Street. His 
 trade continued to increase, and in 1893 the 
 business passed into the hands of an incorpo- 
 rated stock company, styled the E. G. Hig- 
 gins Company. The officers are: E. G. 
 Higgins, president; F"rancis W. Higgins, 
 treasurer and manager; and Maurice Rourke, 
 manager of the retail branch of the business. 
 These three gentlemen constitute the board of 
 directors. 
 
 The firm now occupies two stores and the 
 whole third floor of the handsome modern 
 building, fifty-six by one hundred and twenty 
 feet, on Main Street, recently erected by John 
 E. Day, the stores being Nos. 274 and 278. 
 Forty-eight persons, including travelling sales- 
 men, accountants, and heads of departments, 
 are employed. This house was the largest 
 customer east of New York of the American 
 Wall Paper Company, commonly referred to as 
 the Wall Paper Trust. In 1896 the house re- 
 ceived and shipped over one million rolls of 
 wall paper, in which were many foreign novel- 
 ties imported specially by them. They con- 
 trol for central New England the products of 
 three of the leading French manufacturers, 
 four prominent English manufacturers, and 
 several wall paper makers in Japan. Their 
 sample books show reproductions of famous 
 pieces of embroidered silk preserved in the 
 National Museum in Lyons, France. One of 
 the most beautiful is a facsimile of a famous 
 piece of gold embroidery wrought for the first 
 Napoleon, now treasured in one of the reposi- 
 tories of the French Government. Another is 
 a reproduction of an old tapestry which hung 
 
 on the wall of a French feudal castle. It is 
 said that the owner of the castle was so pleased 
 with the tapestry that he caused the designer 
 to be deprived of his eyesight in order that he 
 might not make a similar design for any one 
 else. One design of tapestry paper shown re- 
 quires one hundred and eighteen impressions; 
 and as each impression is allowed some time 
 to dry, it takes eight weeks to complete the 
 pattern. Mr. Higgins also carries in stock 
 everything in the line of window shades and 
 Venetian blinds, and has the agency for the 
 metallic window screens and Venetian blinds, 
 which are made in all kinds of wood in all 
 shapes and sizes, for house or piazza. He has 
 accomplished a wonderful work during his 
 business career, and is entitled to a leading 
 place among the self-made men of Massachu- 
 setts. He is an active man, and for his age 
 is remarkably well preserved. He still visits 
 his place of business daily, though the active 
 management is entrusted to others. 
 
 He was married in 1845 to Lucy Maria, 
 daughter of Lawson Graves, of Hopkinton, 
 Mass. Lawson Graves and his father were 
 natives of Hopkinton. His wife, who was a 
 Miss Polly Childs, was seventh in descent 
 from William Childs, an early settler of 
 Watertown, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Higgins 
 celebrated their golden wedding in 1895, and 
 a beautiful poem was written for the occasion 
 by Mrs. E. E, Miles. They have five chil- 
 dren now living, namely : Francis Leland, 
 born October 15, 1851; William Elliston, 
 September 20, 1853; Ethel E., October 29, 
 1858; Edward Lawson, January 5, 1S63; and 
 Arthur Clarence, May 29, 1867. They have 
 been bereft of four, as follows: Addie Maria, 
 born August i, 1847; Charles Albert, July 
 10, 1849; Frederick Othello, January 23, 
 1856; and Albion Galusha, July i, i860. 
 Mr. Higgins's surviving sons are all actively 
 interested in the wall paper business. 
 
 Mr. Higgins is a leader among the Second 
 Adventists in Worcester, and has given liber- 
 ally of his means to support their cause. He 
 contributed generously to their new church in 
 this city. He has held the faith for fifty- 
 five years, and entertained many of the most 
 noted preachers and apostles of that belief at 
 
ii68 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 his house. A strong temperance advocate, 
 he has never used liquor or tobacco, and he 
 has never entered a theatre. He is an enthu- 
 siastic Bible student, and is well versed in all 
 parts of Holy Writ. 
 
 ISRAEL N. KEYES,* the veteran box 
 irianufacturer of Worcester, who died in 
 this city when a little past the age of 
 seventy-four years, nearly forty of which 
 he had been successfully engaged in business, 
 was born in Princeton, Mass., March 3, 1823, 
 son of Dennis and Sarah (Rice) Keyes. He 
 was a descendant in the seventh generation of 
 Robert Keyes, who settled in Watertown, 
 Mass., about the year 1633 ; and his mother's 
 ancestors, the Rices, were among the very 
 first settlers in Holden, Mass. 
 
 Israel N. Keyes acquired a common-school 
 education in his native town, and after finish- 
 ing his studies he learned the carpenter's 
 trade in West Boylston. Coming to Worces- 
 ter in 1844, he followed his trade as a jour- 
 neyman until 1856, when he engaged in busi- 
 ness for himself upon the site of the present 
 mill at the corner of Central and Union 
 Streets. The original building was destroyed 
 by fire and rebuilt soon after he began busi- 
 ness, and from that time forward his enter- 
 prise kept pace with the city's growth. The 
 business, which previous to 1861 was con- 
 ducted under the firm name of J. L. & I. N. 
 Keyes, was carried on by I. N. Keyes alone 
 until November, 1873, when he admitted his 
 two brothers and his son, George N., to part- 
 nership, the firm name becoming I. N. Keyes 
 & Co. In November, 1875, John L. Keyes 
 again retired, but the business was continued 
 under the same style until July i, 1878, when 
 the partnership expired by limitation; and 
 from that time until his retirement . in 1894, 
 I. N. Keyes was sole proprietor of the enter- 
 prise. The business comprised the manufact- 
 ure and sale of mouldings, house finishings, 
 and packing cases, besides general planing in 
 all its branches. The annual output in the 
 last few years aggregated from two million to 
 three million feet of native lumber, besides 
 large quantities of Michigan and Southern 
 
 white wood. After his retirement Mr. Keyes 
 spent his winters in California, where he 
 owned a small ranch; and he passed his sum- 
 mers on his farm in Rutland. For many 
 years he took a deep interest in agriculture, 
 owning at one time several farms in Worcester 
 County. He was an extensive real estate 
 holder, being assessed at the time of his death 
 for property in Worcester valued at seventy- 
 two thousand, four hundred dollars. He was 
 a member of the Worcester County Me- 
 chanics' Association, and in his younger 
 days was an active member of the fire depart- 
 ment. He was an attendant of the First Uni- 
 tarian Church. 
 
 Mr. Keyes was three times married. His 
 first wife, whom he wedded November 14, 
 1848, was Sarah A. Plympton, of Shrewsbury, 
 daughter of Lyman Plym.pton. She died in 
 1857. His third wife, Mary Loring Keyes, 
 survives him, and he also left two sons: 
 George N. Keyes, born March 31, 1850; and 
 Robert Keyes, a son by his last union. 
 
 George N. Keyes, who was connected with 
 his father's business for thirty years, and is 
 now retired, was married on November 26, 
 1872, to Ella J. Fales, of Holden, Mass. 
 He has six children, as follows: I. George, 
 born October 26, 1 873 ; S. May, born March 
 20, 1875; Lila M., born August i, 1877; 
 Charles L., born April 22, 1880; Walter E., 
 born December 2, 1882; and Ella L. Keyes, 
 born May 20, 1885. 
 
 (^ lYRON C. DAVIS,* who died on 
 January 18, 1887, was one of the 
 
 gX ajj? I foremost manganese experts in 
 the United States. He was born 
 in Rutland, Worcester County, Massachusetts, 
 March 4, 1847, and was the son of Danforth 
 Davis, a farmer. 
 
 Living in Worcester when a boy, he at- 
 tended school in this city, and afterward here 
 learned the machinist's trade, at which be 
 continued to work for a number of years in 
 the same shop where he had served his appren- 
 ticeship. Till the firm failed in 1876, he was 
 one of their most valued men, being trusted 
 with the responsibility of hiring the help. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 [69 
 
 After that event he was out of employment for 
 a while. Visiting the Centennial Exposition 
 in Philadelphia, his attention was drawn to 
 the industry of manganese mining. In this 
 year he was engaged in manganese mining at 
 Harper's Ferry, and he subsequently devoted 
 his energies to developing inventions for the 
 treatment of that metal. While following out 
 these ideas he spent some time in Washington. 
 The experience gained there was valuable, but 
 the financial result was very poor, and Mr. 
 Davis travelled to seek other openings. In 
 1878-79 h-e secured control of a manganese 
 mine in Cranmore, Va., which had been oper- 
 ated with poor success. Through his enter- 
 prise this mine was developed, and has fur- 
 nished probably the largest supply of the ore 
 in this country. Mr. Davis put new machin- 
 ery in the mine and built a railroad to ship the 
 ore. He had little capital, but his energy and 
 ability availed as much as funds. He was in- 
 strumental in bringing manganese to the notice 
 of large iron operators, and about 1880 he 
 moved to Pittsburg, Pa., and became connected 
 with the great firm of Carnegie Brothers & Co. 
 With their co-operation he developed the metal 
 to its fullest extent, and, combining it with 
 iron ore, made the best of American steel rails, 
 competing successfully with foreign rails. 
 He was fast accumulating a fortune when the 
 hand of death stayed his progress. Going to 
 Santiago de Cuba to further the exportation of 
 manganese, he was there attacked with yellow 
 fever which proved fatal. 
 
 The following is the translation of an item 
 that appeared in a newspaper published in 
 Santiago de Cuba about January 20, 1887: 
 "The interment of the American, Mr. Davis, 
 who died in our city, took place yesterday 
 morning. It was attended by a great number 
 of people of our best society and by represent- 
 atives of commerce, industry, the army, and 
 navy. The consuls of the United States, Eng- 
 land, France, Germany, and other countries 
 also were present." 
 
 This appreciative notice is from a paper 
 published in Washington, D.C. : "Man's plans 
 are not God's, and so for some all-wise pur- 
 pose Mr. Davis's life work ended just as it 
 seemed to be in the flush of coming perfection. 
 
 One of the sad features of all this bereave- 
 ment was that the body of our deceased friend 
 could not for some years, under Cuban laws, be 
 removed to this country, as his death was 
 occasioned by the yellow fever. He was as 
 active in church work and church relations in 
 Pittsburg as he had been here. He was the 
 life and soul almost of the Fourth Presbyterian 
 Church of Pittsburg, of which he was an 
 Elder, and one of the right-hand men of the 
 pastor. At memorial services, which were 
 held in that church January 30, there was 
 gathered as large a throng as could be crowded 
 into the church. The address by the pastor 
 was a touching tribute to the value of the life 
 work of brother Davis. The press brings its 
 sad offering to place on his grave." 
 
 IMEON N. STORY,* one of the 
 oldest jewellers in Worcester, was 
 born in Norwich, Conn., in 1817, 
 son of Isaac and Lucy (Ross) Story. 
 His father was a sail-maker of Norwich. The 
 Story family has been represented in this coun- 
 try more than two hundred years. 
 
 Simeon N. Story was educated in Norwich, 
 and in 1831, when fourteen years of age, he 
 came to Worcester to learn watch-making and 
 the jewelry business with P. & D. Goddard 
 & Co. After a seven years' apprenticeship, 
 he opened a jewelry store in company with Mr. 
 Dunbar, a former member of the Goddard firm. 
 In 1840 Mr. Story bought out his partner, and 
 from that time he continued in business alone 
 until his retirement from active life in 1895. 
 He gradually developed a large trade, and was 
 most successful, having won a reputation for 
 fair dealing which served to maintain his busi- 
 ness long after other firms had passed out of 
 existence. The name of Story in this vicinity 
 is a synonym for honesty in trade. 
 
 He married in 1840 Eunice Howe, daughter 
 of Levi Howe, an old resident of Worcester. 
 Mrs. Story died some time since, leaving two 
 daughters: Emma M., who resides at home 
 with her father; and Clara L., now Mrs. 
 R. F. Upham. When Mr. Story retired from 
 business, he closed out his stock, but he is 
 often called upon at his home to repair watches 
 
1170 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 and to do other fine work. He is a remarkably 
 well-preserved man, and he takes as keen an 
 interest in the world as ever he did. He has 
 attended closely to business throughout his 
 life. He has been a director and vice-presi- 
 dent of the Five Cent Savings Bank since 
 1846. He has been a member of the First 
 Baptist Church for sixty-six years, and a Dea- 
 con of the church for more than thirty years. 
 A Whig in early days, he has always voted 
 the Republican ticket since the organization of 
 that party. 
 
 /^TeORGE W. HUSE,* for a number of 
 y i) I years a valued employee of the 
 Knowles Loom Works Company, of 
 Worcester, and a Deacon of the First Baptist 
 Church, died in this city on November 13, 
 1894. He was born at Thompson, Conn., in 
 1 8 19, and belonged to a family which, though 
 not largely represented in America, has been 
 settled here for several generations. He 
 passed his boyhood years at Thompson, and 
 attended the schools thereabout ; but his edu- 
 cational opportunities were few, as his parents 
 were poor and it was necessary for him to 
 begin early to earn his own living. After 
 working for a time as a farmer's boy, he went 
 to Manchester, Conn., and became book- 
 keeper for a Mr. Brown. Ambitious and 
 persevering, he worked evenings to learn the 
 wheelwright's trade, which he mastered in 
 three years' time. On February 18, 1852, he 
 came to Worcester, and here secured employ- 
 ment as an expert wood-worker in the establish- 
 ment of Richardson & Merriam, builders of 
 wood-working machinery. He did the draught- 
 ing and constructed the wooden parts of the 
 machinery. A few years later he became su- 
 perintendent of the factory, and continued as 
 such until the firm failed. By this failure Mr. 
 Huse was a financial loser. He then worked 
 for Rice, Barton & Fales of this city, con- 
 structing the wooden parts of their paper-mak- 
 ing machines, but a few years later entered the 
 employ of the Knowles Loom Works. The 
 wooden parts of the looms were made by Mr. 
 Huse, and, as he was a most painstaking and 
 expert artisan, his work was of a very high 
 
 class. He soon became one of the most valued 
 and trusted employees of the firm, and contin- 
 ued with them for fourteen years, or till the 
 close of his earthly life. His death was sud- 
 den, occurring in the evening in an electric car 
 on Main Street. The change coming without 
 premonition and unattended by pain, it was 
 spoken of at the funeral as a translation. 
 There was mourning in the community, for 
 Deacon Hufee had endeared himself to many 
 friends. There was no man in Worcester, it 
 was remarked, who could ever say a word 
 against him. He left the memory of a life 
 that is an example of a true following of 
 Christ, his deeds corresponding with his pro- 
 fessions. He never cared for public office, but 
 devoted his time outside of business hours to 
 his family and friends. 
 
 Mr. Huse was married in 1845 to Almira 
 Stone, of Douglass, Mass., daughter of Arche- 
 laus and Rhoda (Tiffanny) Stone, and descend- 
 ant of one of the comparatively few New Eng- 
 land families whose settlement in this country 
 took place over two hundred and fifty years ago. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Huse had one son. Dr. Charles 
 A. Huse, born in 1855. He was educated in 
 Worcester, at Brown University, and at the 
 Harvard Medical School. He began the prac- 
 tice of his profession at Deer Island as assist- 
 ant physician to the Port of Boston, but in 
 1882 he came to Worcester, and subsequently 
 practised in this city until his death in 1884. 
 He married Irene Phillips, of this city. They 
 had one son, Charles P. Huse, who is now a 
 student in the Worcester High School. 
 
 §OHN JEPPSON,* Superintendent of the 
 Worcester Emery Wheel Company, was 
 born at Nalmo Higanas, Sweden, on 
 the first day of July in the year 1844. 
 A son of Gudmand and Bengta (Person) Jepp- 
 son, his father a carpenter by trade, he is the 
 descendant of an ancient and respected family. 
 He was educated in the public schools of his 
 native town, but did not attend school much 
 after ten years of age, as he was then set to 
 learn the potter's trade. Subsequently, he 
 learned the art of making fire-bricks. Not 
 satisfied with industrial conditions in his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 117 1 
 
 native land, and believing that opportunity for 
 a successful career for skilled mechanics was to 
 be found in the western world, he quitted 
 home, and in 1869 reached America, coming 
 direct to Worcester. Shortly after his arrival 
 here he found employment with F. B. Norton, 
 the founder of the Emery Wheel Company, 
 beginning as a journeyman. "From that posi- 
 tion he has worked his way upward step by 
 step, and now enjoys the consciousness that 
 success has come as a reward of his faithful 
 effort and not by chance or the help of friends. 
 Mr. Jeppson was married in 1872 to Bo- 
 thelda Ahlstrom, who is the grand-daughter of 
 Germen Ahlstrom, superintendent of the coal 
 mines in Higanas. She is the mother of one 
 son, George N., born in 1873, who is at pres- 
 ent a member of a technical school in Stock- 
 holm, Sweden. Mr. Jeppson is a member of 
 Boylston Lodge of Masons, which he joined in 
 1878 ; also of Quinsigamond Lodge, L O. O. F., 
 of Worcester. He attends the Lutheran church, 
 of which he is one of the trustees. 
 
 town of Holden, 
 
 of Joseph Dodd, 
 
 The Dodd fam- 
 
 John Dodd, father 
 
 'OSEPH H. DODD,* who died at his 
 residence in the city of Worcester in 
 189s, was for many years prominently 
 identified with the manufacturing inter- 
 ests of this city. He was born October 28, 
 1824, in the neighboring 
 being the posthumous son 
 who married Betsey Chapin. 
 ily originated in England. . 
 of Joseph, was the son of William Dodd, of 
 Princeton, Mass., and grandson of James Dodd, 
 who, we are told, was bom in 1724 in Eng- 
 land, whence he came to this country about the 
 year 1738. 
 
 Joseph H. Dodd was reared and educated in 
 Princeton, Mass., whither his mother removed 
 when he was about three years old. After 
 leaving school he came to Worcester to learn 
 the machinist's trade of Beaman & Towne, 
 manufacturers of perforated-sheet paper and 
 metals. In 1857 he formed a partnership with 
 P. D. Towne, and as junior member of the new 
 firm of Towne & Co. was prosperously engaged 
 in manufacturing until his death. He had 
 great mechanical ability and inventive talent. 
 
 and to the work of perforating paper, in which 
 the firm was at first engaged, he added that 
 of perforating metals, and also entirely revolu- 
 tionized the process of board boring. For 
 many years the firm of Towne & Co. were 
 the only paper and metal perforators in the 
 United States, and during their existence had 
 no competitors that could excel or even equal 
 them in fineness and durability of work. Mr. 
 Dodd invented the means, likewise, by which 
 metal could be perforated in large quantities 
 and at a rapid rate, thus greatly expediting 
 his manufacturing interests. For some four- 
 teen years prior to his decease he was an inva- 
 lid, but notwithstanding his physical weak- 
 ness attended to his business in person. He 
 is spoken of as one who ever maintained his 
 integrity, preferring the approval of his own 
 conscience to worldly gain without it — a man 
 of fine spirit, quick discernment, and excel 
 lent judgment and remarkable self-control. 
 Public-spirited, generous, affable, and social, 
 he had hosts of friends, but no enemies. He 
 was a life member of the Worcester County 
 Mechanics' Association, and for many years 
 had been connected by membership with the 
 Union Congregational Church, of which he 
 was a Deacon for many years, and for a long 
 time was one of the committee on music. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Dodd married Martha E., 
 daughter of Heman M. Burr, of Leicester, 
 Mass. , the descendant of one of the earliest and 
 best known families of New England, her an- 
 cestry dating back to the early part of the 
 seventeenth century. The three children born 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Dodd are as follows : Charles 
 Heman, a mechanical draughtsman in Boston ; 
 Edwin M., a wool dealer in Providence, R.I., 
 married Ellen Louisa Tiffany, of Worcester, 
 and has five children; and George T., a resi- 
 dent of Boston, married Lillian Alley, of 
 Lynn, Mass., and has one child. 
 
 -AMES W. HARKINS, Jr.,* who has 
 achieved international fame as a play- 
 wright, was born in Toronto, Canada, 
 on June 3, 1863, son of James W. and 
 Mary (Kelley) Harkins. His paternal grand- 
 father was the first of the family in this coun- 
 
II72 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 try. His maternal grandfather was a native 
 of Donegal County, Ireland. 
 
 Mr. Harkins was educated in the public 
 schools. After he was graduated from the 
 Worcester High School he spent the following 
 six years as a teacher at Inman's College in 
 Worcester, at Little Rock, Ark., at Sherman, 
 Tex., and in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn. 
 
 His first play, which was entitled "Victor," 
 was put on the stage in Minneapolis, and met 
 with an astonishing success. Although in 
 many ways it lacked finish, it showed so much 
 dramatic talent on the part of its author 
 that his friends advised him to go on the stage 
 in order to learn the details required in play- 
 writing. Influenced by this friendly criti- 
 ci'smj and realizing himself that under stimu- 
 lating environment and with an increased 
 knowledge of theatrical requirements he might 
 become capable of producing much better 
 work, he abandoned the profession of teach- 
 ing and entered upon a theatrical engage- 
 ment. After a year spent in playing minor 
 parts, he published what was destined to 
 become his first great success. This was 
 " The Midnight Alarm," and it was followed 
 within a year by "The Fire Patrol," an 
 equally successful production. In both these 
 plays, as given in the original cast, Mr. 
 Harkins played the leading part. A year later 
 appeared "The White Squadron," which is 
 probably the best known of Mr. Harkins' s pro- 
 ductions. It was first brought out in New 
 York, and at once met with immense favor. 
 But five years have since elapsed, yet it has al- 
 ready been played in various parts of America 
 and in England and Australia. Mr. Harkins 
 has sold the right of production in America, 
 but retains all rights for foreign presentation. 
 After "The White Squadron" appeared "The 
 Man without a Country, " which, though bear- 
 ing the same name as one of Dr. Hale's best 
 known books, is an entirely original work. 
 Dr. Hale gave his permission that the title 
 should be used. In 1895 Mr. Harkins collab- 
 orated with Mr. Edwin Barbour in the author- 
 ship of "Northern Lights," and in the same 
 year he brought out himself "The Man o' War's 
 Man," both of which have achieved great and 
 merited popularity. In 1897 Mr, Harkins and 
 
 Mr. Barbour brought out the version of ' ' Uncle 
 Tom's Cabin" that is now regarded as the 
 most dignified and in every way the best 
 adaptation for the stage that has yet appeared. 
 It calls for a radical departure from the old 
 methods of staging, but is far truer to the life 
 and times it strives to depict. 
 
 Mr. Harkins' s latest success is "Under 
 Sealed Orders," which has been one of the 
 most popular plays of this season. He has in 
 preparation several very elaborate dramatic 
 productions, among them "The Living Age," 
 " The Twentieth Century," and "The City Be- 
 neath the Sea. ' ' 
 
 2UTHER D. GODDARD,* President 
 of the Worcester Reed Chair Com- 
 ^ pany, was born in this city on Sep- 
 tember 9, 1826, son of Daniel and 
 Sarah (Whitney) Goddard. He is of the 
 eighth generation in descent from Edward God- 
 dard, of Norfolk County, England, whose son 
 William was the first member of this family in 
 Massachusetts, coming from England in 1665, 
 and settling in Watertown. From Edward, 
 who lived and died in England, the line is: 
 Edward,' William," Edward,^ Edward,-* Dan- 
 iel,s Luther,^ Daniel,^ and Luther D.^ Ed- 
 ward, ^ youngest son of William, the immi- 
 grant, settled in Framingham. His son, 
 Edward, Jr., was among the first settlers of 
 Shrewsbury, and one of the founders of the first 
 church in that town. 
 
 Daniel Goddard, father of Luther D., came 
 to Worcester about 1820, and opened a watch- 
 making establishment. He was an enterpris- 
 ing and successful business man, and an active 
 citizen, being a member of the City Govern- 
 ment for several terms. 
 
 Luther D. Goddard was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of Worcester. He learned the 
 trade of watch-maker from his father, and was 
 subsequently admitted to partnership, the firm 
 being known as that of D. Goddard & Son. A 
 few years later he bought out the business, and 
 then conducted it under his own name. Be- 
 coming embarrassed at the time of the business 
 depression in 1857, he sold out to Messrs. 
 Fisk & Goddard, the last named being his 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1173 
 
 brother. He then went to the gold mines of 
 North Carolina, locating at Harrisville, and 
 subsequently at Tomtorneys, where he had ob- 
 tained a grant which was to be free from 
 taxation for thirty-three years. Excellent 
 business opportunities seemed to be opening 
 up before him, but the War of the Rebellion 
 broke out when he had scarcely begun opera- 
 tions, and he was obliged to leave the State. 
 Returning to Worcester he enlisted, and was 
 made a Sergeant in Company D, which formed 
 a part of the famous Fifteenth Massachusetts 
 Volunteers, under command of Colonel Devens, 
 and was sent to the front. In the engagement 
 at Balls Bluff, where it suffered severe loss, 
 Mr. Goddard was taken prisoner. He was 
 marched from the Bluff to Richmond, and for 
 the next four months he was confined in May- 
 hew's tobacco warehouse. His weight during 
 this time was reduced from one hundred and 
 seventy-six to one hundred and nineteen 
 pounds. Upon being exchanged he came 
 North for recuperation, but two months later 
 again went to the front. He was, however, 
 deemed unfit for further military service, and 
 late in 1862 was granted an honorable dis- 
 charge. Upon again entering business life, he 
 became associated with A. L. Burbank, with 
 whom he remained twenty-three years. Sub- 
 sequent to that he assumed his present position. 
 Mr. Goddard belongs to the Adams Square 
 Baptist Church. He is a member of the 
 Knights of Malta of the South; of Colonel 
 Ward Post, G. A. R. ; and also of the Union 
 Veteran Militia. 
 
 fOSEPH MALO,* a thriving general 
 store-keeper in Manchaug, town of 
 Sutton, was born in Saint Damase, 
 Canada, March 12, i860, son of Louis 
 and Marguerite (Durchell) Malo. His grand- 
 father, also named Louis, immigrated to Can- 
 ada from France. 
 
 Joseph Malo was brought to Manchaug by 
 his parents at an early age, and he attended the 
 public schools of this village. While still 
 young he began work in the cotton factory, and 
 being of an economical nature he saved his 
 earnings, which enabled him to establish him- 
 
 self in mercantile business at Manchaug in 
 1883. He was successful from the start, and 
 a few years later was able to purchase the 
 building that he now occupies. He carries a 
 varied line of well-selected goods, including 
 everything to be found in a first class country 
 store, and he enjoys a liberal patronage. 
 
 Mr. Malo married Delia LeMay, daughter 
 of Francis and Louisa (Duval) LeMay. Their 
 children are: Delia, born in 1882, who is now 
 being educated at a convent school in Canada ; 
 Joseph, born in 1884, who is attending a Cana- 
 dian school; Louis, born in 1886; Adelaide, 
 born in 1888; Walter, born in 1892; and Zu- 
 rene, born in 1895. 
 
 Mr. Malo acts with the Democratic party, 
 and exercises considerable political influence 
 among the Canadian population in this section. 
 He is a liberal contributor toward the support 
 of the Catholic church, and is now serving his 
 fourth term as President of the St. John Society. 
 
 T^HARLES K. WATSON,* who owns 
 I \r^ and carries on a productive farm in 
 \°Hs West Brookfield, was born in Brook- 
 
 field, January 19, 1835, son of 
 
 Horace F. and Rebecca (Kittredge) Watson. 
 His paternal grandfather was Jacob Watson, a 
 resident of Spencer, Mass., which was the 
 birthplace of his father, who came from that 
 town to Brookfield, and for a time followed the 
 shoemaker's trade. 
 
 Subsequently, settling upon the farm where 
 his son now resides, Horace F. Watson en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits until his re- 
 moval to Shelby County, Ohio, and after re- 
 maining there a number of years he returned to 
 this farm. He was quite active in the public 
 affairs of his day, serving as a member of the 
 Board of Selectmen. In politics he supported 
 the Democratic party. He died May 26, 1879. 
 His wife was Rebecca Kittredge, of West 
 Brookfield. Of their children the only one 
 living is Charles K., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Charles K. Watson was educated in the 
 common schools and at the Leicester Acad- 
 emy. He accompanied his parents to Ohio, 
 and in April, 1861, enlisted as a private in 
 Company H, Twentieth Regiment, Ohio Vol- 
 
II74 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 unteer Infantry, with which he served nearly 
 five months in the Civil War, then receiving 
 his honorable discharge. He remained in 
 Ohio until 1865, when he returned to West 
 Brookfield, and resuming the management of 
 the homestead property has since given his 
 attention to general farming and dairying. 
 
 On June 8, 1865, Mr. Watson was united in 
 marriage with Jane Crumbaugh, of Shelby 
 County, Ohio, daughter of John J. and Eliza- 
 beth (Medans) Crumbaugh, the former of 
 whom was a native of Kentucky and the latter 
 of North Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Watson are 
 the parents of four children, namely: Herbert 
 K., a resident of Worcester; Alma S., wife of 
 Herman W. King, of East Longmeadow, 
 Mass. ; Jennie A., wife of Louis A. Gilbert, 
 of Springfield, Mass. ; and Mary E. Watson, 
 who lives in Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Watson cast his first Presidential vote 
 for Abraham Lincoln in i860, but of late he 
 has been independent in politics. He has 
 served with ability as a Selectman and an 
 Assessor for two years. He is a comrade of 
 Alanson Hamilton Post, G. A. R., and he and 
 Mrs. Watson are members of the West Brook- 
 field Grange, Quabaug Pomona Grange, the 
 Farmer's Club, and the charitable and sociable 
 society connected with the Congregational 
 church. The Watson residence is a landmark 
 in this locality, as a portion of its frame was 
 once a part of the historic Waite Tavern, 
 which prior to the advent of railroads was a 
 favorite resting place for travellers upon the 
 old stage road from Boston to Albany. 
 
 M Br 
 
 LONZO W. CUTLER,* one of West 
 Brookfield' s prosperous farmers, was 
 born in this town December 7, 
 1837, son of Abijah and Mary 
 (Snow) Cutler. He is of the seventh genera- 
 tion in descent from James Cutler, who settled 
 at Watertown, Mass., about 1634. The line 
 is: James, ' John, ^ John, 3 Lieutenant Ahijah,'' 
 Asa, 5 Abijah,* Alonzo W.' (See Cutler Me- 
 morial.) 
 
 John Cutler^ was the first to settle in 
 Brookfield, coming here from Lexington nearly 
 one hundred and fifty years ago. Abijah Cut- 
 
 ler was an industrious farmer, and he sei-ved 
 with ability as a member of the Board of Se- 
 lectmen. He died in the early seventies. 
 His wife was a native of Bridgewater, Mass. 
 They had seven children, namely: Keyes, a 
 resident of West Brookfield; Foster P., of 
 North Brookfield; Eliakim P., who resides in 
 Spencer, Mass. ; Abijah D., of Springfield, 
 Mass. ; Asa E. , of Chicago, 111. ; Alonzo W., 
 the subject of this sketch; and Mary J., wife 
 of Joseph Allen, of West Brookfield. 
 
 Alonzo W. Cutler was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools of his native town and at the Wil- 
 braham Academy. Since his youth he has 
 been engaged in farming at the ancestral home- 
 stead, and his long experience has been at- 
 tended with gratifying success. His property 
 contains one hundred acres of fertile land, and 
 is desirably located. 
 
 On February 8, 1863, Mr. Cutler was joined 
 in marriage with Sarah M. Richards, of New 
 Haven, Conn., daughter of James and Sarah A. 
 (Robinson) Richards, the former a native of 
 West Brookfield, and the latter of New Haven. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Cutler have seven children now 
 living, namely: Flora I., wife of Ernest A. 
 Tyler, of Brookfield; Ada L., wife of Arthur 
 Buxton, of West Brookfield; Emma M., wife 
 of Charles Thomas, of New Britain, Conn. ; 
 Herbert R., Carrie E., Arthur W., and Mabel 
 B. Cutler, who are residing at home. 
 
 In politics Mr. Cutler acts with the Repub- 
 lican party. He is a member of the Farmer's 
 Club and of the grange, in both of which he 
 displays a lively interest, and his assistance 
 can always be depended upon in forwarding all 
 movements tending to promote the general 
 welfare of the community. Mrs. Cutler is a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of 
 which for a number of years Mr. Cutler has 
 served as a steward. 
 
 20RY S. WATSON,* a venerable and 
 highly esteemed citizen of Leicester, 
 ^ Mass., is well known throughout 
 this section of Worcester County as 
 the president of the L. S. Watson Manufactur- 
 ing Company, and also of the Leicester Sav- 
 ings Bank. A son of Jeremiah Watson, he 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1I7S 
 
 was born May 4, 1814, in Spencer, Mass., the 
 home of the Watson family for several genera- 
 tions. Jeremiah Watson was a son of Robert 
 Watson. He was born and lived and died in 
 Spencer, where he was engaged in farming and 
 carpentering throughout his active life. He 
 married Chloe Sprague, also a lifelong resident 
 of that town. 
 
 Lory S. Watson obtained his education in 
 the common schools, and while living with his 
 father became familiar with farming, and also 
 learned the carpenter's trade, at which he 
 worked in Spencer for a short time. In 1842 
 he came to Leicester, and, in company with 
 Horace Waite, carried on business for three 
 years under the name of Waite & Watson, 
 manufacturers of hand cards and stripping 
 cards. In 1845 Mr. Watson purchased his 
 partner's interest, and for a while conducted 
 the business alone, adding to it the manufact- 
 ure of wire heddles. For many years he was 
 the sole owner of the business, which increased 
 to such proportions that it was deemed wise to 
 organize a stock company, and in 1890 the 
 L. S. Watson Manufacturing Company was 
 incorporated, with Mr. Watson, through whose 
 energy and ability the business has been so 
 well developed, as president, a position which 
 he continues to fill with his son, Edwin L. 
 Watson, as secretary and treasurer. He is 
 officially connected with the leading financial 
 institutions of the town, in which he has so 
 long resided, being a trustee and the president 
 of the Leicester Savings Bank, and one of the 
 directors of the Leicester National Bank. 
 
 Mr. Watson has been actively identified with 
 the Republican party since its formation. He 
 faithfully served as Selectman and Assessor for 
 several successive years, and in 1868 and in 
 1870 he represented his district in the State 
 legislature, being a member of important com- 
 mittees. The fine public library of Leicester, 
 which, with the exception of a few donations 
 from others, was by him presented to the town, 
 is a standing monument to his generosity and 
 loyal public spirit. He is a valued member of 
 the Congregational church, toward the main- 
 tenance of which he responds most liberally, 
 and was the contributor of a goodly sum toward 
 the construction of its present howse of worship. 
 
 Mr. Watson married Mehitabel Luther, of 
 Spencer, who died leaving two sons — Edwin 
 L. and Henry L. He subsequently married 
 Hannah, a daughter of Joel Grout, late of 
 Spencer, Mass. 
 
 yOWARD L. DRAKE,* one of East 
 pi Brookfield's best known residents, was 
 "^^ ' born in this town October i, 1846. 
 He is a son of Francis and Julia S. (Lanckton) 
 Drake. His father is a native of Brookfield, 
 and his mother of West Springfield, Mass. 
 His grandfather, Captain Daniel Drake, com- 
 manded a Brookfield Company in the War of 
 181 2. His first American ancestor, was 
 Thomas Drake, who emigrated from the 
 County of Devon in 1635, and settled in 
 Weymouth, Mass. He was a son of William 
 Drake, and a descendant of Sir Bernard Drake, 
 who was a kinsman of Sir Francis Drake, the 
 navigator. 
 
 The venerable Francis Drake, father of Ed- 
 ward L. , was in his younger days an iron 
 moulder and foreman of a foundry in Brook- 
 field. He later engaged in the manufacture of 
 soap and candles, a business which he followed 
 about twenty years, and he was also quite an 
 extensive farmer. He is now in his ninetieth 
 year, being remarkably well-preserved for a 
 man of his advanced age, and, as might be 
 expected, he commands the respect of the 
 entire community. In politics he is a stanch 
 Republican. His wife also is still living. 
 Some years since they celebrated the golden 
 anniversary of their wedding, which was made 
 the occasion of general rejoicing by neighbors, 
 friends, and acquaintances. Of their children 
 but two sons survive: Edward L. , the subject 
 of this sketch; and Arthur H. Drake. 
 
 Edward L. Drake was educated in the com- 
 mon schools of East Brookfield. On June 13, 
 1862, he enlisted in Company I, Thirty-fourth 
 Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 
 as drummer boy, serving as such for about one 
 year. At the end of that time he joined the 
 ranks and participated in the battles of Har- 
 per's Ferry, Ripon Ridge, Newmarket, Pied- 
 mont, and Lynchburg, where he was wounded 
 and taken prisoner. After remaining in a hop. 
 
II76 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 pital in Lynchburg a short time, he was sent 
 to Danville, Va. , subsequently being trans- 
 ferred to Andersonville, Charleston, and Flor- 
 ence. Escaping from the latter place, he 
 made his way back to Charleston, where he 
 managed to board a vessel which took him to 
 Annapolis, and he was soon given a furlough 
 home. Long continued suffering in Southern 
 prisons resulted in a severe illness, during 
 which time he was in the Dale Hospital, 
 Worcester, Mass. He was honorably dis- 
 charged from the service May 29, 1865. He 
 has since resided in his native town, where he 
 is widely and favorably known both for his 
 honorable war record and his many excellent 
 qualities as a citizen. 
 
 On March 11, 1869, Mr. Drake was joined 
 in marriage with Margaret Langton, of Port 
 Jervis, N. Y. , daughter of Ezekiel and Mary 
 (Raymond) Langton, both of whom were 
 natives of that State. Mrs. Drake is the 
 mother of one son, Carl E. Drake. Mr. Drake 
 is a comrade of F. A. Stearns Post, No. 37, 
 G. A. R., of Spencer. In politics he acts 
 with the Republican party. 
 
 C^ 
 
 |ALVIN HOBBS,* a veteran agricultu- 
 ist of Brookfield, was born in Palmer, 
 Mass., November 14, 181 2, son of 
 Aaron and Mary (Warren) Hobbs. 
 He is a descendant of one of two brothers, 
 twins, who settled in Brookfield at a time 
 when Indians were numerous in this vicinity 
 and the life of a pioneer was dangerous as well 
 as laborious. They cleared farms in the Po- 
 dunk neighborhood, and they each reared a 
 family. One of them served all through the 
 Revolutionary War. Nathan Hobbs, the 
 grandfather of Calvin Hobbs, was a native of 
 Brookfield, as was also his father, Aaron 
 Hobbs, who was a farmer and resided for some 
 years in Palmer. Mrs. Mary Warren Hobbs 
 was a native of Charlton, Mass. 
 
 Calvin Hobbs was an infant when his parents 
 returned to Brookfield, and his early boyhood 
 was passed in the Podunk neighborhood, where 
 he attended the district school a few winter 
 terms. At the age of eleven he went to live 
 with a kinsman, Moses Hobbs, remaining with 
 
 him until he was seventeen, when he began to 
 learn the shoemaker's trade, which he followed 
 for many years. Relinquishing that callfng, 
 he engaged in farming. He is now the owner 
 and occupant of a well-improved farm of one 
 hundred acres. 
 
 Mr. Hobbs married Charlotte Boyden, of 
 Sturbridge, Mass. Of this union were born 
 two children: Albert C, a resident of Brook- 
 field ; and Arabella, widow of Warren Gleason, 
 late of this town. Mrs. Hobbs died January 
 24, 1890. 
 
 For two years Mr. Hobbs was a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen, and under the old law 
 he served as School Committee of his district. 
 Politically, he is a Republican. 
 
 /^STeORGE BEMIS,* a farmer of South 
 V 5X Spencer, Mass., formed}' an exten- 
 ^"■^ sive dealer in wood and lumber, was 
 born February 19, 1818, on the homestead 
 where he now resides. He comes of substan- 
 tial English stock, and is the representative 
 of one of the first families to locate in this 
 section of Worcester County. His grand- 
 father, Nathaniel Bemis, Sr., was a lifelong 
 resident in the town of Spencer, where he 
 married and reared a family. 
 
 Nathaniel Bemis, Jr., was born in Spencer. 
 From'an early age he devoted his attention to 
 tilling the soil. Purchasing a farm in South 
 Spencer, he here engaged in this occupation 
 until his death in 1840. His wife was Betsey 
 Guilford, of Spencer. Two of their children 
 survive, namely: George, the special subject 
 of this brief sketch; and Moses, of Worcester, 
 Mass. 
 
 George Bemis enjoyed better opportunities 
 for advancing his education than usually fell 
 to the lot of farmers' sons in his day, as after 
 leaving the district school he attended a select 
 school in Spencer for a while, and then further 
 pursued his studies at the Leicester Academy. 
 At the age of sixteen he began working at the 
 shoemaker's trade, which he followed occasion- 
 ally for several years in connection with gen- 
 eral farming, thus being enabled in the long 
 New England winters to more than pay his 
 living expenses. After the death of his father 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1177 
 
 Mr. Bern is became possessed of the home farm 
 of one hundred acres, which he has since man- 
 aged wisely and well. In addition to general 
 farming for a number of years, he carried on 
 a successful business as a dealer in wood and 
 lumber, purchasing large tracts of woodland, 
 cutting the timber and selling the product to 
 local dealers. 
 
 Mr. Bemis is a Republican in politics, but 
 has never been an aspirant for office. He at- 
 tends the Congregational church, and contrib- 
 utes to its support. 
 
 Wi 
 
 ILLIAM N. BROWN,* a highly 
 respected citizen of Worcester, was 
 born in Lubec, Me., in 1834, being 
 the son of Abel W. and Grace Brown. His 
 father's paternal grandparents, who were of 
 Scotch birth, came to this country in the latter 
 half of the eighteenth century, settling near 
 Hartford, Conn. Of their early life little is 
 known. They brought with them their son 
 Abel, who subsequently fought bravely in the 
 American war for independence. 
 
 Abel W. Brown, son of the Revolutionary 
 hero and father of the subject of this sketch, 
 was a blacksmith by trade, and resided during 
 the greater part of his life in Calais, Me. His 
 wife was descended from a well-known Eng- 
 lish family, whose earliest ancestors in this 
 country were among the first settlers in Nova 
 Scotia, where she was born. 
 
 William N. Brown received his education in 
 the schools of his native place and at Portland, 
 Me., and when very young learned the black- 
 smith's trade with his father. When only six- 
 teen years of age he went to New York State 
 and worked at his trade as a journeyman in a 
 number of towns. In 1874 he came to 
 Worcester, where for two years and a half he 
 continued to work in others' employ. Form- 
 ing a partnership at the end of that time with 
 a Mr. Nash, under the name of Brown & Nash, 
 he engaged in business in Canal Street, and in 
 a short time had secured a wide patronage. 
 Later on the forge was removed to Bridge 
 Street, and the business continued in success- 
 ful operation until 1892, being probably the 
 largest of its kind in the county. In 1892 
 
 Mr. Brown became sole proprietor, buying out 
 his partner. He has continued the business in 
 Canal Street with as satisfactory results as 
 formerly. The quality of work turned out 
 from his forge is the best possible, and he 
 takes pride in sustaining the honorable reputa- 
 tion, which he acquired in early life. A man 
 of strong personality, great force of character 
 and sincere religious convictions, he carries 
 his principles into daily and hourly practice. 
 He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and his hearty sympathy and earnest 
 efforts in behalf of the varied church enter- 
 prises have been an important factor in its up- 
 building. 
 
 Mr. Brown was married on December 9, 
 1861, to Elmira E. Warren, of Saccarappa, 
 Me., daughter of Benjamin Warren. Of this 
 union two children have been born — Howard 
 N. and Frank. The former, who is book- 
 keeper for the Graton & Knight Manufacturing 
 Company, of Worcester, is married and has 
 one son. Frank Brown is manager of the ship- 
 ping department of the Quinsigamond Mills of 
 the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Com- 
 pany. 
 
 W\ 
 
 ARREN E. TARBELL,* a promi- 
 
 lent resident of East Brookfield, 
 Selectman of the town of Brookfield, 
 and Deputy Sheriff of Worcester County, was 
 born in the city of Worcester on April 18, 
 1861, son of John B. and Henrietta (Delany) 
 Tarbell. His father, who was born in 
 Worcester, and for many years was there en- 
 gaged in mercantile business, died October 4, 
 1896. His mother (a native of Holden), now 
 a little past sixty years of age, and his two 
 surviving sisters, still make their home in 
 Worcester, where his paternal grandfather, 
 Jeremiah Tarbell, was for many years a resi- 
 dent. His maternal grandfather, Levi Gates, 
 was a soldier of the War of 1812. 
 
 Warren E. Tarbell received his education in 
 the public schools of Worcester, including the 
 high school. He also took a course in Hin- 
 man's Business College at Worcester. He 
 began business life as a book-keeper for the 
 D. W, Pond Machine Tool Company, with 
 
II78 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 which he remained for several years. Then in 
 1886 he came to East Brc.okfield and engaged 
 in the business which he is still conducting. 
 As a merchant he has met with good success, 
 this being due both to his prompt and careful 
 business methods and to the fact that he car- 
 ries only first-class goods. For some years he 
 has been agent for the American Express Com- 
 pany. He is warmly interested in all matters 
 of public importance, and has shown this in- 
 terest in a practical manner. For the last 
 eight years he has been Deputy Sheriff of the 
 county, and in this capacity has given valuable 
 service. He is a member of the Board of Fire 
 Engineers of Brookfield, and is on his second 
 year as a member of the Board of Selectmen. 
 He has also been for a number of years a 
 qualified Justice of the Peace. 
 
 Mr. Tarb'ell married Augusta H. Warren, 
 daughter of Leonard Warren, of East Brook- 
 field. Of this union, one son, Warren S., now 
 deceased, was born. Fraternally, Mr. Tarbell 
 is a member of Good-will Lodge, I. O. O. F. , 
 and of the Royal Arcanum. In politics he is 
 independent. He commands the respect of all 
 who have dealings with him. 
 
 kICHAEL ANGELO BLUNT,* 
 sometime publisher of the Milford 
 Journal, and for a number of 
 years one of the substantial citi- 
 zens of Milford, Mass., was born in Ports- 
 mouth, N.H., on January 28, 1826, and died in 
 Pueblo, Col., February 3, 1882, of pneumonia. 
 He was a son of John Samuel and Esther Peake 
 (Colby) Blunt, and grandson of Mark and 
 Mary (Drown) Blunt. It was his great-great- 
 grandfather Blunc who steered the boat in 
 which Washington crossed the Delaware amid 
 the floating ice on the night of December 25, 
 1776, as shown in the famous historic painting 
 by Emanuel Leutze. 
 
 Mark Blunt, grandfather of Michael Angelo, 
 was one of five brothers, all shipmasters, that 
 sailed out of Portsmouth, N.H., in the days 
 when that town was one of the important New 
 England ports for the coasting trade. During 
 the War of 1812 he served on several private 
 armed vessels as lieutenant and captain. He 
 
 was finally lost in the privateer "Portsmouth," 
 probably in a violent storm. His widow was 
 made a government pensioner. Mr. Blunt's 
 maternal grandfather, Joseph Colby, served in 
 the War of 1812. Oliver Cromwell Blunt, 
 youngest brother of Washington's pilot, was 
 one of the supporters of the king. John Sam- 
 uel Blunt, brother of the subject of this 
 sketch, is a portrait artist. He settled in 
 Galveston, Tex., where he has a valuable prop- 
 erty. 
 
 Michael Angelo Blunt was educated in the 
 Boston schools, winning the Franklin medal 
 at the age of thirteen. He early learned the 
 printer's trade, and for a time was in the 
 employ of the 'Boston Jojirnal, having charge of 
 the composing department that set up the 
 advertising matter for that paper. Seven 
 years after his marriage he came to Milford, 
 and for a while he published the MWioxA Jour- 
 nal. 
 
 About the time the Civil War broke out 
 he began manufacturing boot-top gilding for 
 the use of the cavalry, and employed a large 
 force of men. Subsequent to this he invested 
 largely in real estate; but in June, 1873, 
 consequent to the financial panic, he went to 
 Pueblo, Col., and there made land invest- 
 ments. On his journey out he was obliged 
 to walk many miles, but before long the nar- 
 row-gauge road was built. The place he 
 owned there is now valued at eleven thou- 
 sand dollars, but it was sold at fifteen hun- 
 dred dollars. 
 
 Mr. Blunt was always warmly interested in 
 public affairs in Milford, and at the time the 
 question of introducing water into the town 
 was first agitated gave freely of both time and 
 money in helping forward the survey. He was 
 presidcHt of the Milford Mutual Insurance 
 Compariy ; a member of Montgomery Lodge 
 of Masons; of Mount Lebanon Chapter, 
 R. A. M. ; and of Milford Commandery, 
 K. T. ; and he also belonged to the Franklin 
 Typographical Union. 
 
 Mr. Blunt was married on June 19, 1850, to 
 Pamelia Barker Adams, daughter of Jeremiah 
 and Miriam (Sanborn) Adams, and a descend- 
 ant of the celebrated John Cotton. The fol- 
 lovyfing-named children were the fruit of this 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVlfiW 
 
 117^ 
 
 union: Jane Hodges and Pamelia Adams 
 (twins), Stephen Woodworth, Esther Frances, 
 Mark Angelo, and John Samuel. Of these 
 Jane, who was born on July 19, 1851, is the 
 widow of Albert R. Sadler, and is the mother 
 of a son, Roy, who is now a student in the 
 high school. Pamelia married James B. 
 Leonard. Stephen, who was born in Boston 
 on April 14, 1855, married Nellie McLaugh- 
 lin. Esther Frances, who was born on May 
 20, 1859, married Isaiah W. Emerson, now a 
 prominent business man of Chelsea, Mass., 
 and a well known Odd Fellow. Mark Angelo, 
 who was born on March 12, 1867, died on 
 April 7 of the same year. John Samuel, who 
 was born on July 12, 1869, and is how de- 
 ceased, was one of the founders of the Suffolk 
 Engineering Company. He graduated from 
 Harvard University, and subsequently took a 
 post-graduate course there. 
 
 Tt^ICHAR 
 \r~^ partne 
 \\s\ firm 
 
 RICHARD FAY PARKER,* junior 
 ler of the well-known brokerage 
 irm of Ely & Co., State Street, 
 Boston, and a prominent resident of 
 Westboro, is a native of New York and a son 
 of Henry H. and Catherine (Fay) Parker. He 
 is descended on both sides of his family from 
 men of unusual ability and prominence, and 
 men who have given valuable service to the 
 public. His mother's grandfather, the Hon. 
 Samuel Prescott Phillips Fay, was in former 
 years Judge of Probate for Middlesex County. 
 His mother's father, Richard S. Fay, who 
 was born in Cambridge on June 15, 1806, and 
 died in Liverpool on July 6, 1865, was a law- 
 yer of eminence, and one of the largest land 
 owners in Essex County. After graduating 
 from the law school he settled for practice in 
 Boston, and in 1832 he married Catherine 
 Saunders, daughter of the Hon. Dudley L. 
 Pickman, of Salem. In 1848 he went with 
 his family to Europe, and after an extended 
 journey on the continent took up his residence 
 at Moor Park, in Shropshire, where he remained 
 several years, carefully studying the most 
 approved English methods of agriculture. 
 Returning to Massachusetts in 1853, he imme- 
 diately began the improvement of a large estate 
 
 of five hundred acres he had previously pur- 
 chased in Essex County, and which was known 
 as Lynnmere. He drained the land and planted 
 a large number of trees, many of them with 
 his own hands, importing larches, maples, 
 pines, and firs. This estate is now one of 
 great beauty and of great value, and is a perti- 
 nent reminder of his good taste and judgment. 
 Mr. Fay encooiraged agriculture, and gave 
 especial attention to sheep raising. He was a 
 trustee of the Massachusetts Society for the 
 Promotion of Agriculture, and he edited the 
 first issue of the society's records. He was 
 also president of the Essex Agricultural So- 
 ciety, and read numerous valuable papers 
 before the members. At the breaking out of 
 the Civil War he organized at his own expense 
 a company known as the Fay Guards, which 
 was attached to the Thirty-eighth Regiment, 
 and did valuable service during the great 
 struggle for the Union. 
 
 Henry H. Parker, father of Richard F., was 
 a graduate of Columbia Law School, and a 
 prominent lawyei of New York City. 
 
 Mr. Parker graduated at Harvard University 
 in the class of 1880, and for a number of years 
 subsequently was in the cotton business in the 
 South. Returning then to Boston, he became 
 a member of the stock brokerage firm above 
 mentioned, and a few years later bought an 
 estate in Westboro, where he has built an 
 attractive country residence. He is now de- 
 veloping a stock and dairy farm, which he 
 proposes to make one of the finest in the 
 county. Mr. Parker was married in Boston to 
 the daughter of the Rev. Edward Guild. 
 
 _, ^ ^_, ^, )f 
 
 3thy and Elizabeth Fish. His 
 
 father came to America about ten years ago, , 
 and is now living retired from business in 
 High Street, Pawtucket, R.I. 
 
 Dr. Fish received his early education in 
 England, and at the age of sixteen came to 
 America and began accumulating funds for his 
 college course. He landed in New York and 
 from there went to Olneyville, where he re- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 mained two or three years, going thence to 
 New Bedford in 1890. In the fall of 1890 he 
 entered the Baltinnore Medical College, and 
 in 1894 was graduated with the degree of Doc- 
 tor of Medicine. In October, 1894, after a 
 post-graduate course in the Johns Hopkins 
 Hospital, he settled at Hopedale, where in the 
 few years that have since passed he has built 
 up a large practice. He is now the only phy- 
 sician either in Milford, Mendon, or even 
 Woonsocket whose practice requires the use 
 of two horses. Aside from the large number 
 of friends he has made through his skilful and 
 sympathetic ministrations to the sick, he has 
 made many warm personal friends and has won 
 a well-defined place in the social life of the 
 town. He is a member of the Thurber Medi- 
 cal Society, and has read numerous papers 
 before that body. He is also a member of the 
 Royal Society of Good Fellows in Milford, 
 and Medical Examiner for that fraternity in 
 this vicinity, as well as Medical Examiner for 
 the Berkshire Life Insurance Company, of 
 Pittsfield. 
 
 Dr. Fish married Miss Bertha Record, 
 daughter of Phineas Record, a well-known cit- 
 izen of Fairhaven, Mass. The Doctor has one 
 sister, who resides in Lonsdale, R.I., the wife 
 of Jacob Bell, and mother of five children. 
 His eldest brother, George Fish, is overseer 
 of the weaving department in a cotton-mill. 
 He is married, and has two daughters. An- 
 other brother, Lewis Fish, is a graduate nurse 
 from McLean Hospital and a graduate physi- 
 cian from the Baltimore Medical College. 
 
 /STeORGE BEMIS,* 2D, a well-known 
 Y •) I resident of Spencer, Mass., was born 
 ^ — in this town on July 25, 1818, son of 
 William and Catherine (Eveleth) Bemis. His 
 father was a native and a lifelong resident of 
 Spencer, and his mother was born in Prince- 
 ton. A sketch of their son, David Bemis, 
 appears on another page of this work, and 
 futher information regarding the Bemis family 
 may be found therein. 
 
 George Bemis passed his boyhood days on 
 his father's farm, learning to appreciate the ad- 
 vantages of a natural and untrammelled coun- 
 
 try life, and performing the duties that fall 
 to the lot of the farmer lad. After attending 
 the distri<;t school near his home, he profited 
 by a short course of study at Leicester Acad- 
 emy. His subsequent experience and contact 
 with life have brought him a large increase of 
 knowledge, and he is in great measure what 
 may be termed a self-educated man. He has 
 devoted his working life to agriculture, and is 
 still engaged in that branch of industry. 
 
 Mr. Bemis was united in marriage on Sep- 
 tember 15, 1842, with Emeline Warren, who 
 was born in Leicester on January 9, 1823. 
 She is a daughter of Amasa and Lydia (Por- 
 ter) Warren. Her father was born in Leices- 
 ter, and her mother in Brookfield. Mr. War- 
 ren was a Free Mason, and at his decease his 
 obsequies were conducted according to the 
 Masonic rites. Of his children, three besides 
 Mrs. Bemis are living, namely: Leonard, in 
 East Brookfield; Otis, in Worcester; and 
 Nathan, in East Brookfield. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Bemis have four children, named as follows: 
 Charles W. , Henry E. , Emily P., and John 
 Q. Charles and Henry reside in Mitchell 
 County, Kansas. Emily lives with her par- 
 ents, and John Q. is in Utah. In politics Mr. 
 Bemis is a Republican. 
 
 SEARS,* the well-known 
 of Worcester, was born in 
 Mass., September 17, 
 1823, son of Philander and Bethiah 
 (Sears) Sears. He is a descendant, in the 
 seventh generation, of Richard Sears (formerly 
 spelled Sares), an early settler of Cape Cod. 
 The line is: Richard,' Paul,^ Captain John,' 
 Willard," Rueben.s Philander,^ Alden.' 
 
 Richard Sears, the founder of this well- 
 known family, died at Yarmouth in 1676. 
 
 Philander Sears, father of Alden H., was 
 born in 1795. He married in 1821 Bethiah, 
 daughter of Elisha and Thankful (Snow) Sears. 
 For some years he resided at Pocasset, in the 
 town of Sandwich. Coming to Worcester in 
 1834, he was favorably impressed with the 
 country, and decided to return for his family 
 and effects. He started on foot at nine o'clock 
 A.M., and is said to have reached his home in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Pocasset, one hundred and ten miles distant, at 
 midnight the second day. His journey back to 
 Worcester, which was made with a three-horse 
 team, required four days. He soon found work 
 in a wire factory. In 1840 he began farming 
 upon a tract of seventy acres, which, with the 
 assistance of his son Sylvanus, he subsequently 
 increased to one hundred and twenty-five acres, 
 and the rest of his active years were devoted 
 to that occupation. Philander Sears died in 
 1892. He had seven children, six of whom 
 lived to maturity, namely: Alden H., the sub- 
 ject of this sketch ; Sylvanus, who occupies the 
 homestead at the corner of Salisbury and Flagg 
 Streets; Rhoda, who married Justin Forbush, 
 and died in Grafton, aged about forty-six years, 
 leaving two daughters; Charles W. , who re- 
 sides on Austin Street, this city; Louisa, who 
 married for her first husband Royal S. Dunton, 
 and is now the widow of Lyman Bellows, re- 
 siding on Millbrook Street; and Philander F. 
 Sears, who resides at the homestead. 
 
 Alden H. Sears began his education in the 
 common schools, and completed his studies 
 with a six months' course at the Leicester 
 Academy. For two years after his arrival here 
 he worked in a screw manufactory, and he was 
 subsequently employed in Ichabod Washburn's 
 wire factory much of the time for five years. 
 Leaving home at the age of twenty-one, he was 
 for a while employed as a clerk in James Dil- 
 lingham's grocery store. He next turned his 
 attention to agriculture, and leasing a farm he 
 cultivated it for three years. In 1846 he en- 
 gaged in the ice business. This has since 
 been his chief occupation, and for many years 
 he has been one of the principal dealers in the 
 city. He owns or controls two ponds,' having 
 an area of about three hundred acres, from 
 which he cuts an average of seventeen thousand 
 tons annually, the ice being of the purest qual- 
 ity. For some years his son has been asso- 
 ciated with him in business. At the present 
 time the firm of A. H. Sears & Co. use forty 
 heavy draft horses and twenty-four carts, and 
 their plant is equipped with modern machinery 
 and appliances for cutting and storing ice. 
 They are also engaged in the wood business, 
 and carry on a blacksmith shop. 
 
 Mr. Sears contracted his first marriage Janu- 
 
 ary 15, 1845, with Laura McNeil, of Worces- 
 ter, who died six monthis afterward. His sec- 
 ond wife, Hannah A. Corbin, of Oxford, 
 Mass., died in 1893. On September 15, 1895, 
 he wedded a widow, Mrs. Sarah J. Stone, of 
 Sutton, Mass., born Ward. He is the father 
 of five sons, all by his second wife, namely : 
 John, who married Mary Davis, and is a mem- 
 ber of the firm of A. H. Sears 81 Co. ; Walter 
 H., a dentist of this city; Fred A., who mar- 
 ried Cora Smith, resides in Worcester, and has 
 one son, Ralph; and two others who died 
 young. 
 
 In politics Mr. Sears is a Republican. He 
 has resided on his present farm of forty acres 
 since 1856. He also owns a summer residence 
 in Provincetown. In his religious belief he is 
 a Methodist, and for many years has been ac- 
 tive in church affairs. 
 
 UILFORD P. HEATH,* one of the 
 most progressive and successful agri- 
 culturists of Northboro, Mass., was 
 born in Barre, Vt., September 5, 1842, being 
 the only son of Jacob N. and Cynthia (Pratt) 
 Heath. He is said to be a descendant in the 
 fifth generation of Hannah Dustin, the heroine 
 of the Indian tragedy of 1697. His paternal 
 grandfather, Abel Heath, was an early settler 
 of Corinth, Vt., and one of the organizers of 
 the town. He reared a family of fourteen 
 children, two of whom became Methodist Epis- 
 copal preachers. In 1845 Jacob N. Heath, on 
 account of failing health, removed to Worces- 
 ter, Mass., and a few years later he died there 
 at a comparatively early age. 
 
 Guilford P. Heath obtained his education 
 in Worcester, where he lived from the age of 
 three years until a lad of twelve. Coming 
 then to Northboro, he began working as a 
 farm hand, and when of age he leased land and 
 continued in his chosen occupation. Thirty 
 years ago he purchased his present homestead, 
 the old Nathaniel Brigharo estate, noted in 
 local history as the site of a fort in Colonial 
 days. By dint of tireless industry, under the 
 direction of careful judgment and good busi- 
 ness foresight, he has developed one of the 
 best tilled and most productive farms in this 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 part of the county. He has built a substantial 
 dwelling-house, splendidly equipped his com- 
 modious farm buildings, and carries on farm- 
 ing after the most approved modern style. 
 He keeps a large dairy, and was among the 
 first in this locality to ship milk to the Boston 
 markets. Although his business has been 
 essentially farming, he is engaged to some 
 extent in lumbering. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Heath enlisted as a soldier in 
 the Fifty-first Massachusetts Volunteer Infan- 
 try, and at the expiration of his time he re- 
 enlisted in the old Fifty-seventh Massachu- 
 setts Volunteer Infantry, which, as some one 
 has said, "saw more hardships, did more actual 
 fighting, and lost more men than any other 
 regiment in the Northern army, with possibly 
 two exceptions." It was a part of the Ninth 
 Army Corps; and he participated with his 
 comrades in the battles of Spottsylvania, Cold 
 Harbor, Petersburg, Richmond, and at Appo- 
 mattox, doing brave service in each place. 
 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Siloam 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. ; of Houghton Chapter, 
 R. A. M. ; and of Marlboro Commandery, 
 K. T. He is in no sense a politician, but has 
 served nine years as Selectman, ten years as 
 Assessor, six years on the Northboro Water 
 Board, and on various town committees, and, 
 being a clear-headed, straightforward business 
 man, he has made a most valuable town official. 
 
 Mr. Heath married Miss Mary Walker, of 
 Northboro, a descendant of the old Brigham 
 family, and they have four children, namely: 
 Alice, who was graduated from the Northboro 
 High School and the Framingham Normal 
 School, and is now teaching in this town; 
 Edith and Annie, both graduates of Wilbra- 
 ham Academy; and Florence, who is a pupil 
 in the Northboro High School. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM H. SPAULDING,* super- 
 intendent of the Clinton Gas and 
 Electric Light Plant, was born in 
 St. Johnsbury, Vt., December 28, 1864. He 
 is the son of Colonel Charles F. Spaulding, 
 who commanded a Vermont regiment in the 
 Civil War, and is now superintendent of the 
 Gas and Electric Light Plant in Waltham. 
 
 Colonel Spaulding was reared upon a farm 
 in Vermont, and when a young man he entered 
 the employ of the Fairbanks Scale Company 
 in St. Johnsbury, working his way forward to 
 the position of foreman, which he occupied for 
 several years. He was then appointed super- 
 intendent of the Gas and Water Works in Bur- 
 lington, Vt. , where he remained ten years, and 
 afterward he had charge of the gas works in 
 Brookline, Mass., for the same length of time. 
 In company with his son Charles he erected a 
 new plant in Brookline, and while residing in 
 that town he served as a Selectman for one 
 year. His wife, whose maiden name was Par- 
 sons, is a native of St. Albans, Vt. They 
 have had ten children, five of whom are living, 
 namely: Murella P., who resides in Terre 
 Haute, Ind. ; Charles S., who is now superin- 
 tendent of the gas works in Wakefield, Mass. ; 
 Carrie L., wife of Fred M. Crosby, an archi- 
 tect residing in Brighton, Mass. ; William H., 
 the subject of this sketch; and Hattie Walton. 
 The mother attends the Congregational church. 
 
 The childhood of William H. Spaulding was 
 passed in St. Johnsbury and at Burlington, 
 Vt., where he received his elementary educa- 
 tion. He continued his studies in the schools 
 of Brookline, Mass. , and afterward took a busi- 
 ness course at Bryant & Stratton's Commercial 
 College in Boston. In his later youth he ac- 
 quired a knowledge of the manufacture of 
 illuminating gas, and at the age of twenty 
 years was appointed superintendent of the 
 works in Keene, N. H. In 1888 he was trans- 
 ferred to the Clinton plant, which he has since 
 managed. In addition to the gas-producing 
 department, which has a capacity for generat- 
 ing one hundred thousand cubic feet in twenty- 
 four hours, he is also superintendent of the 
 electric department, which furnishes power for 
 sixteen hundred and fifty incandescent lamps 
 and ninety arc lights. Since he took charge of 
 the plant its capacity has been enlarged from 
 time to time in order to supply the increasing 
 demands for both gas and electric lights; and 
 the laying of new mains, the stringing of feed 
 wires, besides the necessary changes required 
 by the expansion of the works and the repair 
 of machinery, have all been accomplished, 
 under his able direction. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1183 
 
 On July 3, 1890, Mr. Spaulding married 
 Carrie A. Pratt, a native of Clinton. Her 
 father, Captain C. A. Pratt, is a safe manufact- 
 urer in Boston, and a resident of this town. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding have one daughter, 
 Gladys A. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Spaulding is a Republican. 
 He is a member of Trinity Lodge, F & 
 A. M. ; the American and New England 
 Associations of Gas Engineers; and the Pres- 
 cott Club. He attends public worship at the 
 Unitarian church and Mrs. Spaulding is a 
 member of the church. 
 
 Wl 
 
 ILLIAM H. FAY,* a rising young 
 lawyer of Clinton, was born in Lan- 
 caster, January i, 1873, son of John 
 and Mary (McCormick) Fay. His father was 
 a native of Lancaster and a gardener by occu- 
 pation. John Fay served three years in the 
 war of the Rebellion as a private in Company 
 G, Twenty-sixth Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Volunteers, and upon his discharge he returned 
 to Lancaster and resumed his former occu- 
 pation. He was an expert gardener, a reli- 
 able, upright man, and a useful citizen. He 
 died at the age of fifty-three years. He is sur- 
 vived by his wife and three of their four chil- 
 dren; namely, Mary A., Maggie B., and Will- 
 iam H., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. 
 Mary M. Fay, who was born in Ireland, still 
 resides in Lancaster. 
 
 William H. Fay, after leaving the Lancaster 
 High School, pursued his preliminary law 
 studies in the office of District Attorney Her- 
 bert Parker. Entering the Boston University 
 Law School, by diligent study he took the 
 regular three years' course in two years, and 
 after graduating in 1895 he began practice 
 in Milford, Mass. Some four months later he 
 associated himself with C. G. Bancroft in a 
 partnership which, after the expiration of a 
 year, was ended by limitation. Since that 
 time Mr. Fay has occupied his present suite of 
 offices in Daggett's Block, Clinton, where he 
 is conducting a profitable general law business, 
 and is rapidly making his way to the front m 
 his profession. Mr. Fay is a member of the 
 Ancient Order of Hibernians and of the 
 
 Knights of Columbus. Politically, he acts 
 with the Democratic party. He resides in 
 Lancaster, and is a member of the Roman 
 Catholic church in that town. 
 
 TTtHARLES SUMNER THAYER,* 
 I V^ farmer and milk dealer, Worcester, 
 ^'Is ^ was born where he now resides, Jan- 
 uary 30, 1874, being the son of 
 Horace and Dolly G. (Wheelock) Thayer. 
 His father was born in Bellingham, Mass., in 
 1 82 1, and his mother was a native of Worces- 
 ter. The Thayers are an old Massachusetts 
 family. A more extended account of them 
 will be found in a sketch of Charles D. 
 Thayer, which appears upon another page of 
 the Review. 
 
 Horace Thayer was reared in Worcester and 
 was one of the first in this locality to engage 
 in market gardening. He purchased some 
 forty years ago the farm which his son Charles 
 S. now owns, paying twenty-two hundred dol- 
 lars for it in a rough state, and he increased 
 its value to many times that sum. He made a 
 specialty of small fruits, including strawber- 
 ries, many thousand quarts of which he raised 
 annually, realizing excellent financial returns. 
 The only society with which he affiliated was 
 the Patrons of Husbandry. Horace Thayer 
 died November 9, 1883, leaving a good estate. 
 His wife, Dolly, whom he married in 1848, 
 was the mother of eleven children, namely: 
 Josie E., who was born in 1850, and died in 
 1867; Ida E., born in 1852, who was an in- 
 valid for twenty-seven years, and died March 
 7, 1894; Horace, a carpenter and contractor of 
 this city; Edie W. born in 1856, died in 1858; 
 Fred W., born in 1859, died in 1878; Etta 
 M., born in 1862, who was for some time a 
 school teacher in California, and died in 1894; 
 Henry W., born in 1864, who resides upon a 
 part of his father's farm; William P., who has 
 one son, and is with William H. Blodgett, of 
 this city; Lydia J., who died in infancy; 
 Richard A., who died when two months old; 
 and Charles S., the subject of this sketch. 
 Mrs. Dolly G. Thayer died March 16, 1898. 
 The parents attended the Salem Street Church. 
 
 Charles Sumner Thayer went through the 
 
II84 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 ninth grade in the public schools and com- 
 pleted his studies with a year's course at a 
 business college. With the exception of one 
 year spent in a grocery store, he has been en- 
 gaged in farming ever since leaving school. 
 For nearly two years he has given his personal 
 attention to the milk business. He keeps 
 twenty cows and supplies milk to regular cus- 
 tomers in the city. 
 
 On March 23, 1897, Mr. Thayer was united 
 in marriage with Miss LuluHewett, of Worces- 
 ter, daughter of Elmer, and Georgia (Myers) 
 Hewett. 
 
 ^ASIL SAMUEL ROY,* manufacturer 
 '^ of the Roy Patent Card Grinding 
 ^J Machinery, Worcester, was born on 
 the shores of Lake Champlain, Au- 
 gust 13, 1837, son of Benjamin and Calista 
 (Orr) Roy. His father was born in Canada, 
 near Derby Line, Vt., August 12, 1813, and 
 his mother was born in Detroit, Mich., in 
 1816. His grandfather, Anthony Roy, whose 
 birth took place on the same farm as that of 
 Benjamin, died in 1841, at the age of over 
 sixty years, survived by three children — Ben- 
 jamin, Anthony and Lizzette. Anthony, who 
 died in 1896, aged eighty years, reared six 
 children, and two of his sons died in the Civil 
 War. Lizzette, who was born in 181 1, married 
 Louis Hammon, had a large family, and died. 
 in 1895. 
 
 Benjamin Roy, the father is now a retired 
 lumberman, living at Champlain. Calista, his 
 first wife, whom he married in 1834, was a 
 daughter of Louis Orr, who opened the first 
 meat market in Detroit. She became the 
 mother of three children, namely: Margaret, 
 who married Joseph Seamans, resides in 
 Moore, N.Y. , and has one son; Flora, who 
 married George Luscier, and died in 1868, 
 leaving one son ; and Basil S., the subject of 
 this sketch. Mrs. Calista O. Roy died in 
 1845. Benjamin Roy married for his second 
 wife a Miss Duvall, who bore him five sons 
 and one daughter. Two of the sons reside in 
 Watertown, Mass. ; one lives in Worcester; 
 one is a resident of Champlain, N. Y. , and the 
 other is in Malone, that State. The second 
 
 Mrs. Roy and her daughter are no longer liv- 
 ing. Basil Samuel Roy began his apprentice- 
 ship at the carder's trade in Champlain when 
 fifteen years old. He received twenty-seven 
 dollars the first year, four dollars per month 
 the second, six dollars the third year, and 
 eight per month the fourth year. At the age 
 of nineteen he took charge of a mill in St. 
 Edwards, Canada, at twenty-seven dollars per 
 month and board, and remained there for two 
 years. Going to Lowell, Mass, in 1863, he 
 was for the next five years engaged in carding 
 and sorting wool, and as an overseer. Later, 
 after spending two years in Providence, R. I., 
 he went to Rockvijle, Conn., where for the 
 succeeding eight years he had charge of a mill 
 which made a specialty of producing fancy 
 cassimeres; and coming to Worcester^ in 1878, 
 he established himself in his present business. 
 First locating on Beacon Street, he moved from 
 there to Foster Street, and since August, 
 1893, he has occupied his present location on 
 Southbridge Street. He manufactures the 
 Roy Patent Improved Machines for grinding 
 every make and style of textile card calender 
 rollers, gig rolls, nappers, cloth shears, and 
 so forth. His factory is four hundred feet 
 long by forty to fifty feet wide, and two stories 
 high ; it has an engine of one hundred and fifty 
 horse power, which furnishes power to other 
 parties in the building. He employs a force 
 of one hundred and fifty men. 
 
 In October, 1880, Mr. Roy purchased ten 
 acres of land on Lowell Street, containing, a 
 house and barn, which he has improved into 
 one of the handsomest estates in that neighbor- 
 hood. Devoting to agricultural pursuits what 
 little time he could spare from his business, 
 he improved a fine farm of two hundred and 
 thirty acres, one hundred and thirty of which 
 is under cultivation. He built twelve hundred 
 rods of stone wjall four feet high and four feet 
 wide, with materia] taken from the premises, 
 and also constructed four hundred and seventy- 
 five rods of blind ditches. He has wintered 
 fifty-nine head of cattle and nine horses, and 
 at one time had in his barns sixty-five head. 
 This property he sold to the Norcross Brothers, 
 for twenty-two thousand dollars; and so quietly 
 had he perfected the improvements that when 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1185 
 
 Mr. James A. Norcross, the owner of the ad- 
 joining estate, examined it he was surprised to 
 learn that it was one of the best farms in the 
 country. 
 
 Mr. Roy married Helen Hicks, of Cham- 
 plain, daughter of Anthony and Angel ine 
 (Goodchild) Hicks, who were the parents of 
 seven children, of whom two sons and four 
 daughters are living. Joseph Hicks resides in 
 Lowell, Mass., and John Hicks in Ellenburg, 
 Clinton County, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs Roy 
 have had one son and eight daughters. One 
 daughter, Maud, died at the age of eighteen 
 years. The survivors are : Mary, wife of 
 Fred A. Alden, of Auburn, Mass., having five 
 children; Lena, wife of Edward Richmond, 
 of this city, having one daughter; Clara, who 
 resides at home; Hattie, who married Fred 
 Wilde, of Hartford, Conn. ; Lillie, who is also 
 at home; Martha Washington Roy, a graduate 
 of Houghton Seminary, N.Y. ; Sylvanus B., 
 who is in business with his father; and Ger- 
 trude Calista Roy. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Roy is a Republican. The 
 only fraternal order to which he belongs is the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows. For years 
 he labored diligently to gain a foothold in 
 business, which he obtained without capital, 
 and his success is wholly the result of industry 
 and perseverance. 
 
 rOHN RIVARD,* grocery 
 
 and 
 
 provision 
 merchant, Worcester, was born in 
 Lower Canada in 1862. He is of 
 French descent. His parents, Pete 
 and Genevieve (Hetu) Rivard had fourteen 
 children, of whom six grew to maturity and 
 five are now living, he being next to the 
 youngest. His father, Peter Rivard, was born 
 
 in 1828. 
 
 John Rivard came to Massachusetts at the 
 age of six years, and was educated in the public 
 schools of Sutton. When eight years old he 
 began work in a factory, and that occupation 
 he followed for several years, at small wages 
 for a long day's work. About seventeen years 
 ago his desire for a less arduous and more re- 
 munerative employment asserted itself, and he 
 determined to try his fortune in mercantile 
 
 business. Opening a grocery and provision 
 store at 93 and 95 Lamartine Street, he has 
 built up a trade which necessitates the run- 
 ning of three teams; and in 1891 he added hay 
 and grain to his business. He has erected a 
 four-story frame building, which has a frontage 
 of eighty feet and contains thirty-five tene- 
 ments. 
 
 In 1881 Mr. Rivard was united in marriage 
 with Melvina Morin. They have had six chil- 
 dren, two of whom are living — Lena and 
 Riva. 
 
 In politics he is a Republican; in 1896 he 
 was elected to the Common Council. He is 
 actively interested in all matters relative to 
 the welfare of his fellow-countrymen, and be- 
 longs to the Fontiac Club. 
 
 |ILO F. DRAKE,* a prominent 
 agriculturist and milk producer of 
 North Brookfield, was born in the 
 town of Brookfield, on April 25, 
 1853, son of Daniel and Lorinda (Slayton) 
 Drake. He is a great-grandson of Elisha 
 Drake, who lived in Spencer, and a grandson 
 of Captain Daniel Drake, who was born in 
 Brookfield and was an officer in the war of 
 1812. 
 
 Captain Daniel's son, Daniel second, father 
 of the subject of this sketch, was born in Spen- 
 cer, Mass., and died on October 13, 1879. 
 He was a farmer by occupation and spent the 
 greater part of his life in this place, coming 
 here when his son Milo was a lad of twelve 
 years. He was a Republican in politics and 
 served on the School Board. He was a mem- 
 ber of the North Brookfield Farmers' Club. 
 His wife, Lorinda, was a native of Brookfield. 
 She died on September 19, 1859. (Further 
 information relating to the history of the 
 Drake, family may be found in the sketch of 
 Edward W. Drake, of Brookfield, which appears 
 eleswhere in this work. ) 
 
 Milo F. Drake has been a resident of this 
 place since he came here in early boyhood with 
 his parents. The farm on which he lives and 
 which he now manages embraces about one 
 hundred and twenty acres of land and is in a 
 fine state of cultivation. Besides carrying on 
 
ii86 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 general farming, Mr. Drake owns and conducts 
 a milk route in East Brookfield. A Republi- 
 can in politics, he is interested in the public 
 welfare and progress. Fie is a member of the 
 Baptist church at East Brookfield and of the 
 Grange at North Brookfield. 
 
 Mr. Drake was married on New Year's Day, 
 1885, to Laura Bemis, of Spencer, daughter of 
 Cheney Bemis. Mrs. Drake, who died in Jan- 
 uary, 1888, was a devoted member of the Bap- 
 tist church with which her husband is con- 
 nected. She was the mother of two children 
 — Ruth E. and Leonard B. 
 
 m 
 
 ILLIAM ARTHUR LYTLE,* mer- 
 chant tailor, Worcester, was born in 
 Binghamton, N.Y. , June 21, 1853, 
 son of William Joseph and Julia M. (Jackson) 
 Lytle. William Lytle, of Binghamton, his 
 paternal grandfather, whose first wife was Eliza 
 Taylor, a descendant of Revolutionary ancestry, 
 reared a family of four children, all of whom 
 lived to a good old age except William J. 
 The only survivor is Mrs. Wheeden, who re- 
 sides in New Hartford, N.Y. , and is now 
 nearly eighty-one years old. David Taylor 
 Lytle, one of the sons of William, died in 
 Port Washington, Mich., aged seventy-eight 
 years, leaving a daughter. 
 
 William Joseph Lytle was born in Bingham- 
 ton, in 1826, and died in 1853. He married 
 Julia M. Jackson, daughter of Abel W. and 
 Lorinda (Angel) Jackson, the former of whom 
 was a native of Brandon, Vt. , and the latter of 
 Lisle, N.Y. 
 
 William Arthur Lytle was early left an 
 orphan, having lost his father when an infant, 
 and his mother while he was still young. 
 When four years old he was brought to Worces- 
 ter where he attended school until reaching the 
 age of twelve, his education being completed 
 with a two years' course at the Academy in 
 Vineland, N.J. Returning to Worcester at 
 the age of seventeen, he entered the employ of 
 Davis & Co., merchant tailors and dealers in 
 ready-made clothing and gentlemen's furnish- 
 ings, and six years later was admitted to part- 
 nership, the firm name becoming Davis, Lytle 
 & Co. Selling his interest in 1886, he estab- 
 
 lished his present business under the style of 
 William A. Lytle & Co., in the Walker 
 Building, 409 Main Street. He is one of the 
 leading tailors and clothing dealers in the 
 city, carrying a large and varied stock of sea- 
 sonable goods of the best quality, which 
 enables him to command a numerous patron- 
 age. In April, 1897, betook the position of 
 manager of the Jerome Kennedy store. Provi- 
 dence, R.I., one of the largest men's, boys', 
 and ladies' ready-made clothing establishments 
 in New England; and, as he does the buying 
 for both stores, his time is divided between 
 Boston, New York, Worcester, and Providence. 
 
 Mr. Lytle is a trustee of the Universalist 
 church. Politically, he is a Republican, and 
 takes an active part in the local party organiza- 
 tion. He has served as chairman of the Cam- 
 paign and as a member of the County Commit- 
 tees, and was a member of the Board of 
 Aldermen for the years 1891-92 and 1897. 
 He is a Mason of high rank, and is now presi- 
 dent of the Masonic Charity and Educational 
 Association. 
 
 On August 18, 1876, Mr. Lytle was joined 
 in marriage with Alice E. Jackson, of this 
 city, daughter of Dwight S. Jackson. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Lytle have five children: Alice, a grad- 
 uate of the English High School; Lora 
 Marion; Harriet Jackson; Frederick Myron; 
 and William A., Jr. Mr. Lytle and his fam- 
 ily have a pleasant home at 28 May Street, 
 which estate he purchased in 1888. 
 
 AMUEL A. GOSS,* a reliable car- 
 penter of Worcester in his day, was 
 born in South Manchester, Mass., 
 about eighty-two years ago. His 
 parents — Jonas and Judith (Andrews) Goss, 
 who resided upon a farm — reared three sons and 
 one daughter. Of these Jonas was the eldest, 
 and he succeeded to the ownership of the home- 
 stead. 
 
 Samuel A. Goss settled in Worcester, where 
 he followed his trade industriously for the rest 
 of his life, and was regarded as an unusually 
 skilful house carpenter. Quiet and retiring 
 in his habits and deeply attached to his family, 
 he devoted his leisure hours to the pleasures of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1187 
 
 home life. He was a member of the Pleasant 
 Street Baptist Church. He died at his home, 
 II Oxford Street, April 14, 1878, aged about 
 sixty-two years. He was three times mar- 
 ried. His third wife, who survives him, was, 
 before marriage, Mary Susan Jewett. Her 
 father, Benjamin Jewett, was born in Bol- 
 ton, Mass., in 1781, and died in Sterling in 
 1875. Her mother died in i860, at the time 
 of the general excitement caused by the capture 
 of John Brown, the abolitionist. Benjamin 
 Jewett was the father of fourteen children, of 
 whom ten grew to maturity and married. The 
 living are: Theodore, who is now seventy years 
 old, and resides in Clinton, Mass. ; Franklin, 
 who lives in Holyoke; Mary S., now Mrs. 
 Goss;and Lydia, wife of Laban G. Dunpane, 
 of Attleboro, Mass. Mrs. Goss completed her 
 education at the Bristol Academy, Taunton, 
 Mass. She had previously taught school, hav- 
 ing begun early in life as an assistant. For 
 some time she was a private teacher in a Taun- 
 ton family. Mrs. Goss' s physical and mental 
 faculties retain their accustomed vigor. Bereft 
 of her husband and her only child, Annie 
 Townsend Goss, she still occupies the modest 
 but pleasant residence erected by Mr. Goss 
 some forty years ago, and made attractive by 
 shade trees and shrubbery. 
 
 Mr. Goss had three children by his first 
 wife. Two of them are now living: William 
 Henry, of Chicago, a commercial traveller; and 
 Franklin, a travelling property man with a the- 
 atrical company. 
 
 -OHN WARREN JORDAN,* senior 
 partner and founder of the well-known 
 firm of J. W. Jordan & Co., hardware 
 dealers and outfitters for sanitary 
 plumbing, was born in Mason, Hillsboro 
 County, N.H., on October i, 1826, being the 
 eldest of the ten children of John Rogers and 
 Susan (Darling) Jordan. His grandfather, 
 Samuel Jordan, was an Englishman by birth, 
 but was married in this country to Sarah 
 Rogers, said to have been a direct descendant 
 of John Rogers the martyr. She was born in 
 1786, and was married at the age of nineteen. 
 Of the cmWwn born to her, two daughters and 
 
 three sons grew to maturity, and one of the 
 daughters, Mrs. Sarah Reynolds, is now living 
 in Michigan at an advanced age. 
 
 John Rogers Jordan was born in Philadel- 
 phia, Pa., on February 28, 1806. His mother 
 being left a widow without means, he was early 
 obliged to become self-supporting, and when 
 only eight or ten years of age went to New 
 Hampshire and lived on a farm. Later he 
 worked on stone, and in time became the owner 
 of a fine and productive quarry in Lynn, Mass. 
 He was a man of handsome and imposing phys- 
 ique, and was for some years a Captain in the 
 militia. In the latter part of his life he joined 
 the Masonic organization. He was a man of 
 much influence in Lynn, and highly respected. 
 He served the city in both branches of its gov- 
 ernment. He was married first in Mason, 
 N.H., to Susan Darling, who was one of a 
 family of seventeen children. She died in 
 1877, at the age of seventy-three. He subse- 
 quently married a second wife, who is still liv- 
 ing. The ten children of John Rogers Jordan, 
 all of whom were born of the first marriage 
 were: John W., Susan Elizabeth, Mary A., 
 Sarah J.., Lucy A., Alexander H., Samuel, 
 Oliver Hazard Perry, Edwin Darling, and 
 Henry Harrison Jordan. 
 
 The last-named four of these are deceased. 
 Samuel enlisted at Lowell to serve in the Mex- 
 ican War before he was eighteen, and died at 
 Fort Jessup, Mexico, while on his way to the 
 front. Oliver H. P. died in Worcester in 
 1 863 at about thirty-three years of age, leaving 
 a wife, a son, and three daughters. He had 
 resided here about two years. Edwin was a 
 volunteer in the Civil War from Worcester, in 
 Company G of the Fifteenth Massachusetts In- 
 fantry. He was shot through the leg at Antie- 
 tam and died at Sharpsburg a few days after. 
 His brother John brought his remains home for 
 interment. Henry Harrison Jordan was a vol- 
 unteer from Lynn among the nine months' 
 men. He died at his home in Lynn in the 
 seventies, leaving a widow and one son. Jay 
 Jordan. Susan E. Jordan married Ebenezer 
 Harris and resides in Fitchburg, Mass. Mary 
 is the wife of Warren Bailey, of Lynn. Sarah 
 J. is the wife of W. Wilson of the same city. 
 Lucy is the wife of a Mr. Russell, of Lynn, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Alexander H. Jordan resides in West Somer- 
 ville, Mass. 
 
 John Warren Jordan left home at the age of 
 eight and went to live in the family of Thomas 
 Kidder in New Hampshire, the family in 
 which his father had been brought up. He 
 remained there five years and during two win- 
 ters attended school for a six weeks' term. 
 
 At thirteen he went to work in a factory as 
 bobbin boy, and in four years' time was made 
 overseer in the weaving room. Then feeling 
 that greater opportunity for advancement 
 awaited him in a larger place, he took all his 
 belongings in a handkerchief and walked to 
 Manchester, where he set himself to learn the 
 tinner's trade. After serving two years at this, 
 he was seized with a patriotic fever and went 
 to Lowell, thence to Boston, and thence to 
 Governor's Island, where he enlisted for the 
 Mexican War. In August, 1845, he arrived 
 in Worcester, with but twenty-five cents in his 
 pockets, expecting to find himself without a 
 friend. But he found old acquaintances from 
 Mason, N. H. , and soon went to work for them. 
 
 For fifty-three years Mr. Jordan has resided 
 in this city, and for the last forty-six years he 
 has been engaged in the plumbing and hard- 
 ware trade. The firm of J. W. Jordan & Co. 
 is now the oldest established firm of its kind 
 here. Its business has grown from a small be- 
 ginning to its present proportions, now occupy- 
 ing two stores and three floors of the hand- 
 some block 607, 609, and 611 Main Street, 
 which was completed and first occupied in 
 July, 1865. 
 
 Mr. Jordan was married in November, 1847, 
 to Caroline C. Loring, of Townsend, Mass., 
 daughter of Elmer and Mary (Hastings) Lor- 
 ing, and one of a family of twelve children. 
 She was the mother of four children, only one 
 of whom grew to maturity and is now living. 
 This is Genevieve H., wife of D. E. Forrest, 
 of Medford, and the mother of three children. 
 Mrs. Caroline C. Jordan died on December 12, 
 1869, and on November 24, 1870, Mr. Jordan 
 was united in marriage with Lydia Almira 
 Perry, of Worcester, daughter of Joseph S. 
 Perry, whose sketch may be found on another 
 page of this work. The children of this sec- 
 ond marriage were as follows; Lillie Mary, 
 
 who was born in March, 1872, and died in in- 
 fancy; Annie Rogers, who was born on June 
 4, 1873, and died in February, 1879; John 
 Warren, who was born on June 14, 1874, and 
 is now a mechanic in his father's store; Fred- 
 erick B. , who was born on August 15, 1875, 
 and is now married to Bessie Edwards; and has 
 two sons, Fred and Leslie Edwards; and Ethel 
 Susie, who was born on July 27, 1881, and is 
 now in school. 
 
 In politics Mr. Jordan is a Republican. He 
 was in the Common Council in 1859 and 1861, 
 and on the Board of Aldermen in 1870 and 
 1 87 1. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, 
 having been a member of the order since the 
 dedication of Bunker Hill Monimient. He is 
 a Past Master of Montecute Lodge. For 
 eight years during the war he was an oflHcer of 
 the lodge and missed only two meetings during 
 all that time. He and his wife are members 
 of the Piedmont Congregational Church. 
 Eleven years ago, in the fall of 1887, they 
 settled in their pleasant home at 41 May 
 Street. They had previously lived for twelve 
 years at 98 Woodland Street. Mr. Jordan 
 owns a lot in Myrtle Street, Nos. 1 1 and 
 13, and two tenements at 43 and 45 May 
 Street. 
 
 (eTr-LBERT M. TYLER, M.D.,* the pop- 
 tJA ular physician of Sterling village, is a 
 yJ^V native of West Brookfield, where he 
 ^-^ was born on October 18, 1859, son 
 of Moses M. and Lucy A. (Crabtree) Tyler. 
 His grandfather. Cutler Tyler, who was born 
 in Tolland, Conn., was a farmer in that town, 
 and died there. 
 
 Moses M. Tyler was a machinist by trade. 
 He worked for a time in Fiskdale, and then 
 went to Farmingon, Me., and from there to 
 Ohio. On his return he settled at West 
 Brookfield on a farm, which he carried on 
 until his death in 1870, at the age of fifty- 
 four. He was an active member of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and at different times 
 held various offices in that body. His wife, 
 Lucy, who is still living in West Brookfield, 
 was born in that town, the daughter of Seth 
 and Susan A. (Sibley) Crabtree. She has 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 189 
 
 been bereft of one child, and has five living at 
 the present time, namely: Isaac, who has been 
 for many years a teacher; Augusta; Dr. Al- 
 bert M. ; Carlton ; and Ernest. 
 
 Dr. Tyler was only eleven years of age 
 when his father died, and his early training 
 thus fell under the direction of his mother. 
 He was sent to the public schools, and sub- 
 sequently to Wesleyan Academy, where he 
 spent two years. His health then failed, and 
 it became necessary for him to give up study 
 for a time. After a year's recupei'ation in the 
 White Mountain region, he entered Phillips 
 Academy at Andover, Mass., and he was grad- 
 uated in 1883. Entering the medical depart- 
 ment of the University of Michigan the fol- 
 lowing autumn, he there received his medical 
 diploma three years later. He settled for the 
 practice of his profession in Sterling, and for 
 a number of years was the only physician in 
 the town. He has built up a wide practice, 
 and his long and successful experience now 
 places him in the list of skilled medical and 
 surgical practitioners. 
 
 The Doctor was married in 1887 to Fannie 
 L., only daughter of George Knight, of Stur- 
 bridge. In politics Dr. Tyler is a Republi- 
 He has served on the School Board 
 
 can. 
 
 three years, has been Town Physician for 
 eleven years, and four years secretary of the 
 Board of Health. Fraternally, he is a mem- 
 ber of Golden Rule Lodge, No. 239, F. & 
 A. M.; of Sterling Grange; and of Lancaster 
 Lodge, No. 89, Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows. He is a member of the Fitchburg 
 Branch of the Worcester County Medical So- 
 ciety. He is medical examiner for the New 
 York Life, the New York Mutual, and all 
 other insurance companies represented in 
 Sterling, as well as for the local body of the 
 American Order of United Workmen. Dr. 
 Tyler attends the Congregational church. 
 
 7T\OLONEL FRED WILLIAMS 
 I vjy WELLINGTON,* of Worcester, coal 
 Vis dealer and president of the Ameri- 
 
 ^ can Car Sprinkler Company, was 
 
 born in the town of Shirley, this county, on 
 May 31, 185 1, to Timothy W. and Augusta 
 
 T. (Fisk) Wellington. He is descended from 
 Roger Wellington, who was born in England 
 in 1609 or 1610, was in Watertown, Mass., as 
 early as 1642 (being one of the original pro- 
 prietors of the town), was admitted as freeman 
 in 1690, and died on March 11, 1698. Roger 
 Wellington's will makes mention of five sons 
 — John, Benjamin, Oliver, Joseph, and Pal- 
 grave — and one daughter. 
 
 Benjamin Wellington, a lineal descendant 
 of Roger, was the first of this family in Lex- 
 ington. He had a son Timothy, who was 
 born in 17 19, about fourteen years after the 
 family settled in Lexington; and Timothy 
 had a son, Captain Timothy, who was born on 
 April 15, 1747, and died in 1809. Captain 
 Timothy- Wellington served in Captain 
 Parker's company in the Revolution. On 
 May I, 1776, he was united in marriage with 
 Hannah W. Abbot, who was born on Decem- 
 ber 10, 1758, and died in 1785. They were 
 both admitted to the church in Lexington in 
 1777. 
 
 Their son Nehemiah was born in Lexington 
 on New Year's Day, 1780, and died there on 
 May II, 1857. He was a carpenter by trade, 
 and resided on his farm. He held the office 
 of Selectman in 1841, that of Assessor in 1840, 
 and in 1836 and 1838 he was a member of the 
 House of Representatives at Boston. He was 
 married on May 16, 1805, to Nancy, daughter 
 of Joshua Stearns, of Waltham. Of this 
 union nine children, six sons and three daugh- 
 ters, were born. Eight of these married and 
 had families. Two of the daughters are still 
 living in Lexington: Maria, widow of Samuel 
 Bridge, now in her eighty-ninth year, and 
 bright and active; and Avis, the wife of 
 E. A. Mulliken. Both have children and 
 grandchildren. 
 
 Timothy W. Wellington, son of Nehemiah 
 and Nancy, was born in Lexington on the 
 Fourth of July, 181 1, and died at Alberg 
 Springs, Vt., on August 25, 1884. He was a 
 man of generous and noble character. His 
 first wife, Susan Ray, whom he married on 
 November 4, 1835, died on April 28, 1847, 
 leaving four sons — Edward W., Frank W., 
 George W., and Charles W. His second mar- 
 riage, which took place on September 3, 1848, 
 
1 190 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 was with Augusta T. Fisk, who was born in 
 Lexington on December 31, 1822, daughter of 
 Samuel and Ardelia L. (Tafts) Fisk. Her 
 father was a native of Salem, and her mother 
 a native of Charlestown. They were the par- 
 ents of eight children — six daughters and two 
 sons. One son, Alfred R. Fisk, died in No- 
 vember, 1886; and a daughter, Maria W., wife 
 of William S. Finkerton, died on August 25, 
 1886. Mrs. Finkerton's son, Alfred S. Fin- 
 kerton, is a lawyer of repute. He was for 
 several years a member of the Massachusetts 
 House of Representatives, and for three years 
 Fresident of the Massachusetts Senate. Mrs. 
 Augusta T. Wellington has been the mother 
 of two children ^ — Fred W. and Delia Maria. 
 The latter was born on July 18, 1857, and 
 died on September 18, 1871. After the death 
 of her husband Mrs. Wellington married on 
 January 6, 1885, his brother, Jonah F. Well- 
 ington, who, three years later, on April 27, 
 1889, at the age of seventy-three, died at his 
 home in Cambridge. 
 
 Colonel Wellington was book-keeper in the 
 coal office previous to 1877, when he set up 
 in business for himself. In 1895 the com- 
 pany was made a corporate body, of which he 
 was one of the organizers, and in which he is 
 a stockholder. The Colonel has for many 
 years been connected with the State militia, 
 rising from the ranks to be Captain of a bat- 
 tery. In 1886 he was commissioned as 
 Colonel and Assistant Inspector-general by 
 Governor Ames, and he has since held the po- 
 sition by reappointment by Governors Brack- 
 ett and Greenhalge, in 1895 by Acting Gov- 
 ernor Wolcott, and in 1896 by Governor 
 Wolcott. He is an acknowledged expert in 
 military tactics, and takes a warm interest in 
 the duties of his office. He is a thirty-second 
 degree Mason, and has been Captain-general 
 in the commandery. Folitically, the Colonel 
 is a Republican. He recently resigned from 
 the Republican State Committee after seven 
 years of active and valuable service as a mem- 
 ber of that body. 
 
 On September 4, 1883, Colonel Wellington 
 was united in marriage with Mrs. Lydia A. 
 Goodell, widow of General Arthur A. Good- 
 ell, who was Commander of the Thirty-sixth 
 
 Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infan- 
 try in the late war, and was wounded in 1863 
 at Blue Springs, Tenn. General Goodell died 
 in 1881, leaving a wife and three children: 
 Harry B., who is in Manchester, N.Y. ; Ed- 
 ward W., who died on February 2, 1891, at 
 the age of twenty-one; and Alice M. Goodell, 
 who resides with Colonel and Mrs. Wellington 
 in their pleasant home in Windsor Street, 
 which was built in 1855. The Colonel's fam- 
 ily are members of the Old South Church. 
 
 tUFUS CARTER,* of Worcester, for 
 twenty-five years an official of the 
 House of Correction, was born in 
 "^ this county at Leominster on June 
 9, 181 8, son of Asaph and Ruth (Drake) 
 Carter. His earliest ancestor in this country 
 was Thomas Carter, who came from England 
 in 1635, w^s ordained minister of Woburn a 
 few years later, and died there in 1684. The 
 Rev. Thomas Carter and his wife, Mary, had 
 eight children, the eldest a son Samuel. (See 
 "A Genealogy of the Descendants of Samuel 
 and Thomas, Sons of Rev. Samuel Carter," 
 collected and arranged by Mrs. Clara A. Car- 
 ter and by Mrs. Sarah A. Carter. 
 
 The Rev. Samuel Carter, who was born in 
 Woburn on August 8, 1640, and was gradu- 
 ated at Harvard College in 1660, died in the 
 autumn of 1693, being at that time pastor of 
 the church in Groton, to which he was called 
 in October, 1692. In Woburn he had filled 
 the offices of Town Clerk and Selectman, and 
 had taught school. His wife, whom he mar- 
 ried in 1672, was Eunice, daughter of John 
 and Eunice (Mousell) Brooks. She was born 
 in Woburn on October 10, 1655. From the 
 Rev. Samuel,'' the line of descent to Rufus 
 Carter is through Samuel ^ and Oliver,'' the 
 latter of whom was born in Lancaster, to 
 Ephraim,s grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch. Ephraim Carters was born in Leom- 
 inster on November 14, 1748, and died there 
 on May 7, 18 17. He was a farmer and a 
 brickmaker, having a brickyard on his farm. 
 He erected a brick house, a hundred years old, 
 which is still standing, in good condition. 
 He was forty years a Deacon in the Unitarian 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 ig I 
 
 church. He married first in April, 1770, Jo- 
 anna Wheelock, who died on June 13, 1803, 
 and for his second wife, a widow, Mrs. Stearns. 
 His ten children, who were all born of his first 
 marriage, grew to mature years, with the ex- 
 ception of one that died in infancy. They 
 were as follows: Joanna, who died at the age 
 of thirty-three; Ephraim, who died in Octo- 
 ber, 1850, at the age of seventy-eight; Wil- 
 der, who was born in 1774 and died in 1848, 
 having spent his entire life on the home farm; 
 Thomas, who was born in 1775, and died in 
 1848; Esther, who was born in 1777; Asaph, 
 who was born on September 12, 1779, and 
 died on December 25, 1852; Abijah, who was 
 born in 1781 and died in 1867; Luke, who 
 was born in 1783, and died in 1866; Lucy, 
 who was born in 1786 and died in 1794; and 
 Cephas, who was born in 1793 and died in 
 1861. All of the nine had children, with the 
 exception of Luke. He was a Boston mer- 
 chant, and died in Cambridge, Mass., leaving 
 a good estate, most of which went to his 
 adopted son. 
 
 Asaph Carter spent nearly the whole of his 
 long life in Leominster, but he died in West- 
 minster. His marriage with Ruth Drake 
 took place in 1803. Of the twelve children 
 born of this union, three died young, and 
 nine — namely, Alraira, Luke, Catherine, 
 Asaph Russell, Edward Robinson, Rufus, 
 Laura Lincoln, Sarah A., and Thomas A. — 
 grew to maturity. The two now living are 
 Rufus and one daughter. Almira, who was 
 born on October 16, 1804, and died on July 
 15, 1883, married Peter Joslin. Luke 
 Wheelock, who was born on September 14, 
 1806, and died on March 24, 1879, was sur- 
 vived by ten children, all of whom followed 
 him to the grave. Catherine Drake, who was 
 born on December 15, 1808, and died on March 
 31, 1 89 1, was the wife of Zophar Sargent. 
 Asaph Russell was born on December 8, 181 1, 
 and died in Waltham on July 4, 1884. Ed- 
 ward Robinson, who was born on August 25, 
 1813, died in Westminster at about seventy- 
 four years of age. Laura Lincoln, who was 
 born on January 19, 1820, and died on March 
 17, 1852, in Gardner, Mass., was the wife of 
 Albert Merriam, Sarah A., who was born on 
 
 April 10, 1825, is a widow, residing in Fitch- 
 burg, Mass. Thomas A., who was born on 
 August 5, 1823, died at Westminster on Janu- 
 ary 16, 1887. 
 
 Rufus Carter attended a district school for 
 a few years, going for nine weeks in the winter 
 and for three months in the summer. He 
 lived in Leominster with his parents on the 
 Stearns farm, where they had settled in i8l2, 
 until his father removed to Westminster. 
 Then, when about eleven years old, he went to 
 Pittsburg, Mass., where he remained with his 
 cousin for a year, and subsequently he was in 
 Waltham for eight months. When eighteen 
 years old he bought his time for two hundred 
 dollars, and began to work on a farm during 
 the summer, and in a grocery store in the 
 winter. During his second summer season he 
 earned twenty dollars a month, and at its close 
 he went back to the grocery at a hundred and 
 seventy-five dollars a year. Coming to 
 Worcester in the spring of 1839, he secured 
 employment in the office of the deputy sher- 
 iff, where he remained less than a year, and 
 the next three years he was turnkey in the jail 
 under jailer Asa Matthews. In 1844 he was 
 appointed keeper of the almshouse in Wal- 
 tham, and there he spent two very pleasant 
 years. From 1846 to 1847 he was depot- 
 master at Waltham, and at the end of that 
 time he came back to this city 'as keeper of 
 the House of Correction. In this capacity 
 he served until January, 1872, a period of 
 twenty-two years, when he completed, with 
 the three years he had acted as turnkey, a 
 service of a quarter-century at the jail. 
 
 Mr. Carter's marriage, which occurred on 
 April 3, 1843, was with Leonica B. Flint, of 
 Fitchburg. Just subsequent to that event he 
 settled on a farm owned by his father-in-law, 
 where he lived for a short time. He has re- 
 sided at his present home, 46 Orange Street, 
 since 1874. Mrs. Carter died on March 3, 
 1894. She had lost an infant son and a 
 daughter, Clara, who died aged four and a half 
 years. Mr. Carter's living children are: 
 Agnes Louisa and Ella Frances. The former, 
 who is the wife of Andrew Davis, of Lake- 
 side, 111., and the mother of .two daughters, 
 was educated at Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Ella 
 
1 192 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Frances resides with her father, and super- 
 intends the housekeeping. Mr. Carter has 
 been a Deacon in the Universalist church. 
 
 'OHN GATES,* proprietor of the hotel 
 at Sterling Junction and an extensive 
 farmer, was born April 30, 182 1, in 
 Worcester, Mass., the native place of 
 his parents, Asa and Hannah (Johnson) Gates. 
 
 When a young man Asa Gates purchased a 
 farm in the town of Worcester. He later 
 went to Utica, N.Y., where he worked for a 
 while in a flouring-mill. On returning to 
 Worcester, he resumed agricultural pursuits, 
 and he also operated a saw and grist mill for a 
 number of years. He resided in Worcester 
 until his death, which occurred at the age of 
 seventy-eight years. Mrs. Hannah Gates, his 
 wife, lived to be eighty years old. They 
 reared three children. The two now living 
 are: Sarah; and John, the subject of this 
 sketch. The parents were members of the 
 Baptist chiirch. 
 
 John Gates was educated in the public 
 schools and reared to farm life at the home- 
 stead. At an early age he displayed a fond- 
 ness for horses, and for some years he had 
 charge of the stables of General George Hobbs 
 in Worcester. He was subsequently employed 
 as a driver on a stage line running out of 
 Providence, R.I., and as a teamster at Bristol 
 Ferry, and after that he was an attendant at 
 the Worcester Hospital. In 1847 he came to 
 Sterling and purchased the Smith farm, and 
 some three years later he entered the hotel 
 business, which he has since followed in con- 
 nection with farming. His property consists 
 of four hundred acres of fertile land situated 
 upon the shore of Wachusett Lake, a popular 
 summer resort and favorite place for holding 
 religious camp-meetings. He sold to the 
 Baptist Camp-meeting Association the land 
 which they now occupy. He formerly boarded 
 the militia companies during their annual en- 
 campment. His place is provided with excel- 
 lent facilities for driving and boating, and he 
 has entertained some of the foremost men in 
 the State. A§ its proprietor Mr. Gates is 
 widely and favorably known for his genial dis- 
 
 position, love of humor, and his successful 
 efforts to furnish both comfort and pleasure to 
 his guests. 
 
 In 1846 Mr. Gates was joined in marriage 
 with Mary Smith, daughter of John Smith, 
 late of Sterling. Mrs. Gates was born in the 
 house where she now resides. She was one 
 of three children, and is now the only sur- 
 vivor. Her father was for many years a chair 
 manufacturer. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Gates is a Republican. 
 He has served as Constable for a number of 
 years, and is now acting as a special police 
 officer. He is a member of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows and of the Farmers' 
 Club. He attends the Unitarian church. 
 
 UGENE H. NEWTON,* a farmer and 
 dairyman at Auburn, Mass., was born 
 ^^ in this town, September 5, 1842. 
 His father was the only son in a family of 
 eight children, and his grandfather was the 
 only son in a family of seven. 
 
 Mr. Newton's parents had three sons and 
 three daughters. One son died in infancy, 
 and one daughter, Lucy M., wife of Willard 
 Loring, died in 1872, aged thirty-eight years, 
 leaving eight children. The four children 
 now living are: Eugene H.; Samuel; Caro- 
 line P., widow of H. T. Putnam; and Ella J. 
 The latter was graduated from the Milford 
 High School, and subsequently taught in 
 Worcester County for a number of years. In 
 1878, soon after the death of her parents, she 
 went to Foo-Choo, China, under the auspices 
 of the American Board of Foreign Missions, 
 and has since been one of the most active and 
 capable workers in the missionary schools of 
 that locality. 
 
 Eugene H. Newton completed his education 
 at the Shelburne Falls Academy, and but for 
 his intense patriotism would have accepted an 
 offered" position as a teacher. Heeding his 
 country's call, he enlisted November 19, 1861, 
 in Company C, Battalion of Engineers, which 
 was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. 
 This company was first commanded by Captain 
 James B. McPherson, who later, as General 
 McPherson, fell at Atlanta. His successors 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1 193 
 
 as commander of the company were: Godfrey 
 Weitzel, afterward Major-general; Lieutenant 
 C. B. Reese; and Captain R. S. McKenzie, 
 a man of splendid daring and reckless bravery, 
 who had previously been almost literally shot 
 to pieces by rebel bullets. The company had 
 also the honor of being under the command, 
 temporarily, of General Comstock. Mr. New- 
 ton remained in the army four years and two 
 months. In September, 1863, he was given 
 command of Company D, Fourth Battalion of 
 Engineers, of which he remained Captain 
 until his discharge from the service. In sev- 
 eral of the engagements in which he partici- 
 pated he had narrow escapes from death, at 
 one time even-having a touch of hot lead on 
 the end of his finger. 
 
 For several years after the war Mr. Newton 
 engaged in the manufacture of card-clothing, 
 being first located in Fitchburg, Mass., then 
 in Uxbridge and afterward in Leicester, where 
 he continued until 1875. He then turned his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits, and in 1883 
 took possession of his present farm of seventy- 
 two acres. He pays especial attention to 
 stock-raising and dairying, keeping twenty- 
 four head of cattle, and milking ten or more 
 cows. The cream he sends to the Singletery 
 C. O. O. Creamery, of which he has been a 
 director and the president. He is actively 
 identified with the Republican party, and for 
 eleven years served as chairman of the Board 
 of Assessors. He is a prominent member of 
 the Leicester Post, No. 131, G. A. R., which 
 he has served in an official capacity much of 
 the time since its organization. 
 
 On September 5, 1867, Mr. Newton mar- 
 ried Mary L. Warren, daughter of Elbridge 
 G. and Lydia Elvira (Stone) Warren. They 
 have three children, namely: Lydia Mertice, 
 who has taught school in Auburn, was gradu- 
 ated from the State Normal School at Worces- 
 ter in 1898; Anstice C, a member of the 
 class of 1900 in the Worcester High School; 
 and Ella A., a pupil in the Auburn schools. 
 The house which Mr. and Mrs. Newton occupy 
 was built prior to 1754. It was the home of 
 Mrs. Newton's great-grandfather, Jonah Gould- 
 ing, who built the house in which her parents 
 now live, and which is one hundred and four 
 
 years old. Colonel Goulding, the grandfather 
 of Mrs. Newton, had command of a company 
 during Shays's Rebellion. 
 
 -f^TENRY BURNHAM STONE,* dealer 
 I^J in paper, twine, and cordage at 
 
 J_l9 I Worcester, was born in Auburn, 
 
 Mass., June 13, 1837, son of John 
 and Paraelia (Stone) Stone. 
 
 Nathaniel Stone, father of John, was born 
 in Auburn about 1765. He married a Miss 
 Jacobs, and had six children, two sons and 
 four daughters. His son, Nathaniel, Jr., who 
 was born about 1792, and died about 1887, 
 was a Selectman some thirty years, a part 
 of that time being first Selectman. One 
 daughter married David Cummings, and dying 
 left three daughters, of whom one is living. 
 Lucena Stone married Deacon Pearce, of West 
 Millbury, and had two children, a son and 
 daughter. She and her husband lived to be 
 about seventy-five. Mary, another daughter, 
 married Aaron Small, of West Millbury, and 
 had five children, three sons and two daugh- 
 ters. Abigail Stone, the fourth daughter, 
 died at about seventy years of age, unmarried. 
 
 John Stone spent a long and useful life as 
 a farmer near the old homestead. In political 
 views he was a Republican. Though not a 
 church member, he belonged to the Congrega- 
 tional society, and contributed liberally to its 
 expenses. His marriage to Pamelia Stone 
 took place in 1825. She was born in North 
 Oxford Gore, and was about three years his 
 junior. Though bearing the same name, they 
 were but very distant relatives, if connected. 
 They had eight children, of whom six grew up 
 and five are living, as follows: Jason B., 
 Maria E., John E., Henry B., and Susan C. 
 Jason B. Stone is a leading farmer in Auburn. 
 Maria Elvira, widow of Horace B. Stone, who 
 died in 1870, resides with her daughter in 
 Auburn. John Elbridge is engaged in farm- 
 ing and milling in Sterling, Mass. Susan C, 
 unmarried, lives with her brother, Henry 
 Burnham. Luther, who was in partnership 
 with Henry Burnham, died July i, 1895, leav- 
 ing a widow and two children, who reside in 
 Worcester, After the death of their mother, 
 
II94 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 which occurred in 1850, their father was again 
 married, to a widow, Mrs. Craig, who now 
 resides in Candia. 
 
 Henry Burnham Stone received his educa- 
 tion in the public schools and at Wilbraham 
 Academy. A youth of seventeen, he went to 
 Providence, R.I., as clerk in a banking-house. 
 In 1857 he came home on a vacation, and in 
 1858 he bought a store in Auburn, which he 
 successfully conducted for five years, begin- 
 ning at the age of twenty-one. He went to 
 Newbern, N.C., in the' fall of 1863, and was 
 employed there as clerk in a store. Return- 
 ing to Massachusetts in 1865, he came to 
 Worcester, and engaged in the tea business, 
 which he followed until November, 1868, 
 when he embarked in his present business, as 
 a paper, twine, and cordage dealer. For 
 twenty-eight years he has had a store at 9 Park 
 Street. He is a man of ability, and has a 
 prosperous business. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican. 
 
 On March 9, 1895, Mr. Stone was united in 
 marriage with Phidelia P. Small, of Millbury. 
 
 YgTORACE H. LOWE,* carpenter and 
 l-^J builder, residing in East Street, 
 \\s I Clinton, was born in Temple, N. H., 
 ^~^ on February 5, 1849, son of Henry 
 and Sarah E. (Giddings) Lowe. His grand- 
 father Lowe was a native of Greenfield, and 
 died there at the age of seventy-eight, having 
 been engaged for many years in farming. 
 
 Henry Lowe, above named, who purchased 
 and occupied a farm in Greenfield near his 
 father's place, died there at seventy-nine years 
 of age. His wife Sarah, who died in her fif- 
 tieth year, was the daughter of John Giddings, 
 and was born in Temple. Of the twelve chil- 
 dren born to her, six are living, by name 
 Horace H., Lizzie, Frank, Charles, Clement, 
 and Rose. Both parents were members of the 
 Unitarian church. 
 
 Horace H. Lowe received his early educa- 
 tion in the common schools, and from the time 
 he was twelve years of age until he was about 
 twenty he worked on a farm. He then began 
 learning the carpenter's trade in New Hamp- 
 shire, After serving his apprenticeship, he 
 
 came to Clinton and worked as journeyman 
 carpenter for some years, and in 1879 began 
 taking contracts for building. He has now 
 been longer in the business than any other man 
 here, and has had charge of the building of a 
 large number of structures. 
 
 Mr. Lowe was married in 1872 to Jennie, 
 daughter of Joseph Sawtelle, the latter a well- 
 known comb-maker in this town. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Lowe have four children: Edwin, Minnie, 
 Harold, and Mildred. 
 
 In politics Mr. Lowe is a Republican. He 
 was elected Water Commissioner in 1892 for 
 one year, and at the close of his term of service 
 was re-elected for three years, and in 1896 was 
 elected to serve until 1899. Mr. Lowe is a 
 prominent man in secret societies, being a 
 member of the Odd Fellows, of the Red Men, 
 and of the Royal Arcanum. He is an attend- 
 ant of the Unitarian church. 
 
 LIVER M. BALL,* contractor and 
 builder, residing at 154 Lincoln 
 Street, Worcester, was born June 28, 
 1832, in Boylston, Mass. 
 
 His father, Barnabas Ball, was a native and 
 a lifelong resident of Boylston where he 
 owned and carried on a farm. He married 
 Abigail Howe, daughter of Captain John 
 Howe, an officer in the militia. They reared 
 six children, namely: Gilbert L. F., of Maine; 
 Oliver M., the special subject of this brief 
 sketch; Elliott B., of Boston; Silas B., of 
 Homer, Champaign County, 111. ; Thomas B., 
 of Foxboro, Mass. ; and George Ward, who 
 owns and occupies the old homestead in Boyl- 
 ston. Their first-born died in childhood, and 
 a daughter, Tamar, died at the age of fifty 
 years. Three of the sons — Elliott, Silas, 
 and Thomas — were members of Lincoln's 
 body-guard during the late Civil War; and the 
 latter, who was on duty when the President 
 was shot, was for a year afterward attached to 
 the body-guard of President Johnson. The 
 two older brothers were for several months 
 musicians in a regimental band. 
 
 Oliver M. Ball obtained his education in 
 the district school, and at fourteen years of 
 age he found employment with a neighboring 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 II9S 
 
 farmer, who paid him small wages for a year 
 or two. He subsequently worked on a farm 
 summers, and in a shoemaker's shop winters, 
 till he was twenty-four, when he began to 
 learn the carpenter's trade in Boylston. Over 
 twenty-eight years ago he came to Worcester, 
 which was then a rapidly growing city, and 
 established himself as a contractor and 
 builder. He has carried on an extensive and 
 lucrative business up to the present time, em- 
 ploying from thirty to forty men, at least one- 
 half being skilled carpenters. He has built 
 many of the fine dwellings of Worcester, in- 
 cluding at least eighty-five in the ward in 
 which he lives; and he has probably bought 
 and sold more houses than any other contractor 
 within the city limits. When he settled on 
 Lincoln Street, where, with one exception, 
 he is now the senior resident, the land was 
 covered with a natural growth of timber. 
 
 Fraternally, Mr. Ball is an Odd Fellow ; and, 
 politically, he is a sound Republican, and has 
 served as Councilman. Hale and robust, he 
 is fond of outdoor sports; and with jolly com- 
 panions, including John M. White and others 
 of kindred spirit, he occasionally indulges in 
 a fox hunt. 
 
 In November, 1855, Mr. Ball married Maroe 
 E. Flagg, daughter of Levi and Althina Flagg. 
 Her father was a well-known farmer of Boyl- 
 ston. Mr. and Mrs. Flagg both passed their 
 entire lives in Boylston, his death occurring 
 there in 1872, and hers in 1880. Of their six 
 children, one died in infancy and the others 
 grew to mature life. The following is a brief 
 record: Nahum Hughton, a soldier in the 
 Civil War, afterward settled on a farm in Cen- 
 tral Illinois, where he died about nine years 
 ago; Ward Nicholas resides on Christie 
 Street, Worcester; Jane S. is the wife of 
 Rowley Lucas, of West Newton, Mass. ; Marie 
 E. is now Mrs. Ball ; and Elliott Jerome, 
 after nearly three years of service in the war 
 of the Rebellion, was killed, at the age of 
 twenty-three years, at the battle of Antietam. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ball have one child, Elsie M., 
 wife of John C. Stewart. Mr. and Mrs. Stew- 
 art, who live in a part of Mr. Ball's commodi- 
 ous house, have two children: Helen G., 
 twelve years old; and Dorothy, eight years 
 
 old. Mrs. Ball is an active member of the 
 Congregational church. 
 
 Tjg\ATHAN SMITH HARRINGTON,* 
 I ^=i of Worcester, was born in Shrews- 
 
 ys ^ bury, Mass., January 29, 181 5, son 
 ' of Warren and Martha (Smith) 
 Harrington. His father was born in the same 
 town in 1771; and the grandfather, whose 
 name was Elijah Harrington, was born about 
 the year 1748, and served in the patriot ranks 
 during the Revolutionary War. He married 
 Mary Warren, of Upton, Mass., and reared four 
 children, two sons and two daughters. The 
 daughters never married. They lived to be 
 over seventy years old. The sons were : Eli- 
 jah, Jr., who died at about the age of eighty- 
 five, leaving one son and three daughters; and 
 Warren, the father above named. The grand- 
 mother survived her husband some years, and 
 reached an advanced age. 
 
 Warren Harrington was a lifelong resident 
 of Shrewsbury. He died in 1833. His wife 
 was the daughter of Lewis and Mary (Howard) 
 Smith, of Shrewsbury. Her father fought in 
 the Revolution. He was an industrious 
 farmer and an ingenious mechanic. Warren 
 and Martha Harrington were the parents of 
 five children, namely: Mary, wife of William 
 Sawyer, who went to California and later to 
 Arizona, where he died; Eunice, who married 
 Charles Pond, of Milford, Mass., and died a 
 young woman; Nathan S., the subject of this 
 sketch; Clara, who died in Northboro, Mass., 
 and whose husband, Charles Marden, died in 
 Hartford, Conn. ; and Nancy (deceased), who 
 married Edwin Wasson. The mother died 
 December i, 1863, aged about seventy-five 
 years. 
 
 Nathan Smith Harrington, when eight 
 years old, went to reside with his grand- 
 father Smith, but returned home later, and 
 attended the district school winters until six- 
 teen years old. Learning the cutler's trade 
 in Medway, Mass., he made knife-handles for 
 a time; and later on, going to Grafton, Mass., 
 he was for a number of years engaged in the 
 manufacture of guns, pistols, fishing-tackle, 
 shoemaker's tools, etc., for his brother-in-law, 
 
tig6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 becoming an expert workman. After working 
 in Norwich, Conn., for three years, he came 
 to Worcester in 1847, and from that time 
 until 1865 he was connected with the Allen 
 Company's factory as a superintendent. 
 
 In 1836 Mr. Harrington married Aurilla 
 Crosby, of Rhode Island, daughter of Elisha 
 and Abigail (Evans) Crosby. Two children 
 were born of this union, namely: Clara, who 
 died at the age of fourteen months; and Cor- 
 nelia Crosby Harrington, widow of Henry 
 Harris, who died in May, 1890, aged fifty- 
 nine years. Mrs. Harrington died June 11, 
 1 88 1, aged sixty-eight years. 
 
 Mr. Harrington was formerly an enthusias- 
 tic angler and huntsman, and was at one time 
 vice-president of the Fur Club, of which he is 
 a charter member. The premature discharge 
 of a shot-gun so injured his foot as to prevent 
 him from indulging again in these sports, in 
 which he had acquired a wide reputation, his 
 experiences as a fox hunter having been the 
 subject of several exciting sketches in the 
 sportsman's journals of some years ago. In 
 politics he is a Republican. 
 
 OSEPH L. HOWE,* mill-owner and 
 operator and manufacturer of packing- 
 boxes and lumber, of Oakdale, was 
 born in Holden on the loth of Octo- 
 ber, 1847, son of Silas and Persis (Hubbard) 
 Howe. His grandfather, Jotham Howe, who 
 was a lifelong farmer of Holden, and died in 
 that town at the age of eighty-three, was a 
 man of strong religious faith. He believed 
 in the immediate care of the Deity for all the 
 affairs pertaining to the welfare of men, and 
 daily prayed for bountiful harvests or for other 
 material benefits. His wife, Nellie Henry, 
 died at the age of eighty-three. She was the 
 mother of five children, of whom the only sur- 
 viving one is Susan, now Mrs. Ford, residing 
 in Vermont. Both grandparents were mem- 
 bers of the Baptist church. 
 
 Silas Howe, father of Joseph L., remained 
 on his father's farm until his twenty-first 
 birthday, and after that bought woodlands in 
 Holden and vicinity, and engaged for himself 
 in cutting and sawing lumber. He died at 
 
 the age of seventy-seven, having filled with 
 credit various public offices, including those 
 of Overseer of the Poor and Assessor. Like 
 his father before him, he was a zealous mem- 
 ber of the Baptist church. His wife, Persis, 
 who died at the age of sixty-eight, was one of 
 a family of nine children, and was born in 
 Holden on the same farm where she died. 
 She was the daughter of Benjamin and Polly 
 Hubbard, her father being a prominent citizen 
 and a farmer by occupation. Two or more 
 children who were born to Silas and Persis 
 Howe died within a short time of each other 
 of typhoid fever. Joseph L. Howe's twin 
 sister, Mary, died at the age of twenty-one. 
 He has two brothers now living; namely, 
 Charles and Levi. 
 
 Mr. Howe assisted his father in farm labors 
 until twenty-one years of age, and from that 
 time until he was twenty-seven he worked by 
 the month on his father's farm. Leaving 
 home, he came to West Boylston, and for 
 three years was engaged in teaming, after 
 which he worked three years at carpentering. 
 He then went to work for Mr. Whiting, and 
 for four years was master mechanic and super- 
 intendent of repairs with the L. M. Harris 
 cotton manufacturing concern. From the 
 Harris Mill he came to the mill of which he 
 is now proprietor, and was employed for a 
 year by Mr. Warren Howe, who was at that 
 time owner of the property. Then, returning 
 to the West Boylston Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, he worked for them three years as a 
 mechanic, and at the end of that time he 
 bought the mills which he now operates, this 
 being in 1892. 
 
 Mr. Howe manufactures packing-boxes of 
 all shapes and sizes, and deals in laths, 
 shingles, clapboards, brick, lime, hair, ce- 
 ment, and all kinds of building materials. 
 This is the only headquarters for supplies of 
 this kind outside of Worcester, and as a con- 
 sequence Mr. Howe has a long list of patrons, 
 and does a most thriving and lucrative busi- 
 ness. His mill is fitted with all the latest 
 machinery, and the boxes made there are sent 
 all over the Union. Mr. Howe employs about 
 fifteen men. He sells at both wholesale and 
 retail, and buys in large quantities. His 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1197 
 
 standing and reputation in the business com- 
 munity are irreproachable. 
 
 Mr. Howe was married in 1874 to Mary C. 
 Goodale, who is one of a family of four chil- 
 dren and the daughter of Francis E. Goodale, 
 a well-known farmer of West Boylston. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Howe have two children: Ernest 
 W., who is a graduate of a business college 
 and now works with his father; and Ethel C, 
 who is still in school. 
 
 Mr. Howe is a Republican in political 
 principles. He has taken an active interest 
 in local affairs, and has served the town in 
 various important positions. For nine years 
 he was a member of the Board of Assessors, 
 and he is now one of the Metropolitan Ap- 
 praisers for the Commonwealth. For a year 
 he was Selectman of the town and Overseer of 
 the Poor, and was also for the same length of 
 time Highway Surveyor. He is an Odd Fel- 
 low, member of Centennial Lodge of West 
 Boylston, and was formerly a member of the 
 grange. He and his family attend the Con- 
 gregational church. 
 
 
 'ILLIAM M. FARWELL,* founder 
 id proprietor of an extensive comb 
 manufactory at Northboro, was 
 born in this town in 1852, son of Alonzo C. 
 and Mary (Wyman) Farwell. His great- 
 grandfather Farwell was a Revolutionary sol- 
 dier. Melvin Farwell, his grandfather, was a 
 prosperous farmer in Bethel, Me. He reared 
 a family of fourteen children. Alonzo C. 
 Farwell, the father of William, came from 
 Bethel to Northboro as a young man, and was 
 engaged in the employ of the Hon. Milo Hil- 
 dreth, a comb manufacturer, for the succeed- 
 ing twenty-five years. Afterward he was in 
 business with his son for about five years. 
 
 William M. Farwell obtained his education 
 in the Northboro public schools and at Bryant 
 and Stratton's Commercial College, Boston. 
 After becoming proficient in the manufacture 
 of combs, he was for some years in charge of 
 a department in S. Harris's factory, Clinton 
 Mass., and for the Centennial Exposition _ of 
 1876 he designed a unique exhibit containing 
 many novel patterns, notable among which 
 
 was a huge back-comb, representing an old- 
 fashioned stage-coach, and a modern United 
 States mail train. In 1877 he engaged in 
 business for himself at Northboro, beginning 
 operations in a little room on the site of his 
 present factory, with a limited supply of tools 
 and a small coal stove. His knowledge of the 
 mechanical part of the business was practically 
 perfect, but to a young man without the neces- 
 sary experience in disposing of his goods the 
 road to success is filled with many obstacles, 
 which must be overcome in the same manner 
 as are the numerous difficulties met with in 
 mastering a trade. Mr. Farwell's first attempt 
 to find a market for his wares in New York 
 was unsuccessful on account of the sharp com- 
 petition carried on by manufacturers of long ex- 
 perience: he returned home without an order, 
 but undaunted and determined to make up for 
 his lack of business knowledge by producing a 
 line of goods that would command the atten- 
 tion of the large dealers solely upon its 
 merits. Accordingly, bringing his powers of 
 originality into action, he made from his own 
 design a new line of samples, including hair- 
 pins, sleeve-buttons, and monogram jewelry. 
 Upon his next visit to the metropolis he found 
 that his attractive display not only interested 
 those who had previously declined to purchase, 
 but immediately touched the spring which sets 
 the wheels of commerce in motion, and he re- 
 turned home with a well-filled order list. His 
 goods have since commanded a ready sale, 
 necessitating the increase both of his facilities 
 and working force, which, during the business 
 depression of the past five years, has consisted 
 of from thirty-five to forty hands. He has 
 reached a financial standing which gives him 
 ample prestige among business men, and he is 
 a director of the Northboro National Bank. 
 
 Mr. Farwell married Hattie W. Wood, 
 daughter of David F. Wood, of Northboro, and 
 has one son, Lawrence, aged twelve years. 
 
 In politics Mr. Farwell is a Republican, 
 and for several years has acted as registrar of 
 voters. He is connected with the local Ma- 
 sonic Lodge ; Houghton Chapter, Royal Arch 
 Masons, of Marlboro; and Trinity Comman- 
 dery. Knights Templar, of Hudson. In his 
 religious belief he is a Congregationalist. 
 
iigS 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 'AMUEL H. COLTON,* for a num- 
 ber of years in the first half of the 
 century one of the proprietors of 
 the Worcester Spy, and long a well- 
 known resident of this city, was born in Long- 
 meadow, Mass., November 24, 1802. He was 
 the son of Reuben Colton, and grandson of 
 George Colton, both natives of Longmeadow, 
 where his emigrant ancestor, George Colton, 
 first, who came from England, was an early 
 settler. Reuben Colton reared a family of 
 four sons and one daughter, of whom the only 
 survivor is Lewis Colton, of Worcester. 
 
 Samuel H. Colton learned the printer's 
 trade, and, coming to Worcester about the year 
 1825, he, in company with John Milton 
 Earle, under the firm name of S. H. Colton & 
 Co., edited and published the Worcester Spy 
 for twenty years. Failing health caused him 
 to withdraw from that enterprise, and, believing 
 that some out-of-door occupation would hasten 
 his recovery, he engaged in the nursery busi- 
 ness, having grounds at the corner of Austin 
 and Main Streets, and at South Worcester. 
 He was later in the insurance business. He 
 was quite prominent in the public affairs of 
 his day, and served with ability in the Com- 
 mon Council. He died in Chicago while on a 
 business trip to that city in 1871 ; and it is a 
 singular coincidence that his father's death oc- 
 curred at the same place in 1825, while visit- 
 ing the West for a similar purpose. Samuel 
 H. Colton was twice married. His first wife, 
 who was, before marriage, Anna Earle, of 
 Leicester, Mass., died young, leaving no chil- 
 dren. On December 14, 1835, he married for 
 his second wife Ann King, who survives him. 
 She was born in New York, daughter of John 
 and Mary (Browne) King. Her father was a 
 London banker, who emigrated to New York 
 about the year 1791, and became treasurer of 
 the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company. He 
 died in the metropolis. Mary B. King, his 
 wife, whom he married in 1801, was born in 
 Flushing, Long Island, in 1777, daughter of 
 James and Caroline (Rodman) Browne. She 
 was the mother of three sons and seven daugh- 
 ters. The daughters all married. One of 
 them died in New York in August, 1898, aged 
 eighty-five years. There are two survivors, 
 
 Mrs. Bufford, of Providence, R.I. , and Mrs. 
 Colton, of Worcester. The only son who 
 grew to maturity was John Browne King, 
 M. D., for many years a prominent physician 
 of Pawtucket, R. I. Mrs. Colton has four 
 children, namely; John Browne Colton, who 
 retired from the Bay State Shoe Company in 
 189s, and is now travelling in Europe; Mary, 
 who is unmarried and lives with her mother; 
 Reuben, who is now residing in Boston; and 
 Samuel H. Colton, treasurer of the Wright and 
 Colton Wire Cloth Company of Worcester. 
 Mrs. Colton resided on Hospital Hill for forty 
 years. Her home is now at 41 Cedar Street. 
 She was brought up in the Society of Friends, 
 and she continues to attend their meetings. 
 
 Samuel H. Colton, of the Wright & Colton 
 Wire Cloth Company, was born in Worcester, 
 August 19, 1857. He was educated at the 
 Friends' School in Providence. He has been 
 engaged in his present enterprise since 1885, 
 when the concern of which he is treasurer 
 bought a wire-cloth factory in Palmer, Mass. 
 Since the business was removed to this city, it 
 has developed into the second largest of its 
 kind in the United States. The company is 
 the only one that manufactures its own wire. 
 It occupies a floor space of three acres, em- 
 ploys two hundred and seventy-five hands, 
 and transacts a business of three hundred thou- 
 sand dollars annually. 
 
 In 1 89 1 Mr. Colton married Elizabeth 
 Slater, of Worcester, daughter of the late 
 William Slater. He has four children: 
 Catherine, aged six; Samuel, aged four; 
 James, aged two years; and John B., aged six 
 months. Mr. Colton resides at 38 May Street. 
 He is a communicant of All Saints' Church, 
 Episcopalian. He belongs to the Worcester 
 Club. 
 
 C^o 
 
 EORGE WASHINGTON WARREN, 
 \ i> I M.D. ,* who for forty-one years was 
 actively engaged in the practice of 
 medicine in South Boylston, where he is now 
 living in retirement, is a native of Lunenburg. 
 He was born on January 6, 18 19, being a son 
 of W. Ephraim and Nancy (Moore) Warren. 
 His father was three times married and had a 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1199 
 
 family of thirteen children, twelve by the first 
 wife above named, who died of consumption, 
 and one, a daughter, by the second wife, who 
 was, before marriage, the widow of Abbie 
 Allen. The third wife of Ephraim Warren 
 survived her husband about six years. Ten of 
 his children grew to maturity. The following 
 is a brief partial record of the family : Lewis 
 Warren, who is a graduate of Phillips Acad- 
 emy and of Amherst College, and has been 
 a hospital doctor in Melrose, is now living 
 retired in Boston; Lafayette is a well-to-do 
 farmer in Shirley; Frank is a carpenter of 
 Townsend; Valeria is Mrs. Smith, a widow, 
 of Worcester; Ann S. married for her second 
 husband Dr. Field, who survived her sixteen 
 years, dying in 1876; Emily, who died in 
 1878, was the wife of Thomas Page; Angelina 
 died in childhood. 
 
 From early boyhood Dr. Warren desired a 
 college training, and, as his father did not feel 
 able to meet the expense, he set to work, at 
 the age of sixteen, to provide the necessary 
 means for himself, teaching his first school in 
 Lancaster. This was the beginning of a career 
 which lasted through twelve winter terms and 
 in which the young man met with excellent 
 success. He taught in Boylston, in Amherst, 
 and in Clinton, part of this being while he was 
 in college. He also worked at various kinds 
 of manual labor, such as digging potatoes and 
 painting, and in the end secured the education 
 for which he so manfully struggled. Amherst 
 College conferred upon him the degrees of 
 Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, and he 
 later took the degree of Doctor of Medicine at 
 Woodstock, Vt. Without funds, and a thou- 
 sand dollars in debt, but with courage and 
 hopefulness, he began his practice in South 
 Boylston in June, 1847. Since that time he 
 has seen the coming and going of thirty-five 
 doctors in this place. About ten years ago the 
 Doctor found that he needed rest, and he passed 
 his practice over to his son, Dr. Ernest War- 
 ren, who is a worthy successor. 
 
 Dr. Warren joined the Massachusetts Medi- 
 cal Association at the beginning of his profes- 
 sional career, but is now a retired member. 
 For many years he was town physician and also 
 Superintendent of Schools of South Boylston. 
 
 The Republican leaders of the town have solic- 
 ited him to become a candidate for the legislat- 
 ure, but this honor he has declined to accept, 
 the demands of his profession calling for all 
 his energies. He is a member of the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 Dr. Warren's first wife, L)'dia Lucretia Big- 
 elow, whom he married in September, 1847, 
 had three brothers who were clergymen. She 
 died thirty-seven years ago, leaving three of 
 her four children, namely: Henry, who died 
 at the age of sixteen; Nellie, who married 
 Samuel Bullard, and died in 1890; and 
 Charles, a farmer in Lancaster. In 1862 the 
 doctor married Ellen S. Flagg of Boylston. 
 The two children born of this union are : 
 Ernest L. Warren, M.D. , above mentioned, a 
 graduate of the Brooklyn Medical College ; and 
 Nellie, who resides in Yonkers, N.Y. , the 
 wife of Frank Curry. Her children, four in 
 number, are the doctor's only grandchildren. 
 
 Dr. Warren sometimes recalls incidents of 
 the days of his early struggles when the com- 
 forts of life were hardly obtainable and luxu- 
 ries quite out of the question. At one time he 
 was sadly in need of a new suit of clothes, but 
 had not the wherewithal to purchase them. 
 So he went to a merchant with a proposition 
 that the latter send cloth to a tailor and pay 
 him for making a suit without himself receiv- 
 ing any promise for payment. The merchant 
 said it was a novel proposition, but he would 
 do it. It is needless to add that the Doctor got 
 his suit and the merchant in time his pay. 
 
 W. Ephraim Warren was driven away from 
 his farm in Lunenburg by the water supply 
 company of Shirley, and Dr. Warren is now in 
 danger of suffering a like unpleasantness from 
 the demands of the Boston Water Supply Com- 
 pany. 
 
 
 ILLIAM JAMES DENHOLM,* a 
 graduate of Harvard, was born in 
 Worcester, April 24, 1873, son of 
 William A. and Grace (McLay) Denholm. 
 His parents were born in Scotland — his father 
 in Dundee, May 8, 1837, and his mother in 
 Glasgow. 
 
 John Denholm, his grandfather, who carried 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 on an iron foundry, was born in the south of 
 Scotland, near the English border. He died 
 in 185 1, at the age^of over sixty years. His 
 wife, Jessie Milne, a native of Perth, lived to 
 be seventy. They had eight children, five of 
 whom grew to maturity, namely : John, who 
 went to South America and died there, leaving 
 a daughter; James, who located in Glasgow; 
 Jessie, who married Thomas Hamilton and re- 
 sides in Worcester; George, who settled in 
 England; and William A. ^ 
 
 William A. Denholm began active life in a 
 dry-goods store in Glasgow, and later went to 
 London, where he was employed as a clerk by 
 a mercantile firm, who sent him over to their 
 office in New York in 1857. He resided in 
 Brooklyn, N. Y., and Passaic, N.J., previous 
 to settling in Worcester. Coming to this city 
 about thirty years ago, he bought a store at the 
 corner of Main and Mechanic Streets, which 
 he named the Boston Store, and had as a part- 
 ner William C. McKay, a native of Canada, 
 who came here from Boston. The firm of 
 Denholm & McKay, dealers in dry goods, con- 
 tinued until the death of Mr. McKay in 1884, 
 when Mr. Denholm became sole proprietor of 
 the business, which had previously been moved 
 to more spacious quarters in the Jones Block on 
 Main Street, the establishment being one of 
 the most extensive of its kind in New Eng- 
 land, outside of Boston. At the time of his 
 death, which occurred in March, 1891, his em- 
 ployees numbered three hundred. 
 
 That William A. Denholm was a man of 
 unusual energy and business ability is shown 
 from his having risen, by his own personal ex- 
 ertions, to be the head of a flourishing mercan- 
 tile enterprise. He was mainly self-educated 
 and was well informed, a man of strict integ- 
 rity. The claims of his business prevented 
 him from devoting much time to outside mat- 
 ters, and the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows is the only fraternal organization of which 
 he was a member. 
 
 He is survived by his wife, formerly Grace 
 McLay, whom he married in 1869, and five 
 children, namely: Elizabeth, wife of Edward 
 L. Smith, of Worcester; Jessie M., wife of 
 John G. Howland, of Bridgeport, Conn. ; Grace 
 P., wife of Harry H. Cook, of this city; Will- 
 
 iam J., the subject of this sketch; and John A. 
 Denholm, a student at Harvard University, 
 class of 1899. Since 1893 Mrs. Denholm has 
 resided on Channing Street. 
 
 William James Denholm was graduated from 
 Harvard in the class of 1897. While a stu- 
 dent he took an active part in athletic sports, 
 and was a fleet runner at one hundred or two 
 hundred yards. He was married, April 11, 
 1898, to Miss Mabel E. Norcross, daughter of 
 the well-known contractor, O. W. Norcross, 
 in whose employ he now is. Mr. and Mrs. 
 William J. Denholm occupy a pleasant resi- 
 dence at 14 Claremont Street. 
 
 /^TeORGE tiffany and EDWIN D. 
 \ 5T TIFFANY,* well-known residents of 
 Auburn, are sons of the late Demos- 
 thenes Tiffany, and grandsons of Dr. Daniel 
 Tiffany, a native of Attleboro, Mass. They 
 are descendants of the emigrant ancestor from 
 whom the celebrated jewellers, Tiffany 
 Brothers, of New York, are derived. 
 
 Dr. Daniel Tiffany was born April i, 1764, 
 in Attleboro, where his father Daniel Tiffany, 
 Sr, was born in 1739. Dr. Tiffany was twice 
 married, and he reared eight of his ten chil- 
 dren : namely, Demosthenes, George, Laura, 
 Adelaide, Emelaide (whose home is in Daniel- 
 son, Conn.), Nancy, Sally, and Valetta, who 
 resides in Essex, Conn. The doctor and his 
 wife came to Auburn from Ashford, Conn., in 
 1843, he being thesi practically retired from 
 professional duties. His wife died here in 
 1848, aged sixty-seven years, and he afterward 
 lived with a daughter in Webster until his de- 
 cease, at the age of ninety-two years. 
 
 Demosthenes Tiffany, who was born March 
 23, 1803, in Canterbury, Conn., spent the 
 earlier years of his life as an employee in dif- 
 ferent factories, working much of the time for 
 the Slaters. He subsequently bought a farm 
 in Auburn and thenceforward spent his life 
 here. He became actively identified with the 
 leading interests of the town, and besides serv- 
 ing as chairman of the Board of Assessors sev- 
 eral years was Justice of the Peace many terms. 
 To the latter position he was first appointed by 
 Governor Briggs, and he was subsequently re- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 appointed a number of times. He was an 
 ardent supporter of the principles of the Free 
 Soil party, and at one time came within six 
 votes of being elected as Representative to the 
 State legislature. In 1875 he was stricken 
 with paralysis, and for two and one-half years 
 before his death, which occurred July 11, 
 1878, he was unable to walk. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Almira Twiss, was 
 born in Charlton, Mass., April 12, 1806, and 
 died in Auburn, after an illness of only four 
 days, December 28, 1875. They had seven 
 children, as follows: William, who lived but 
 three years; George, who was born January 12, 
 1 83 1, in Webster, Mass. ; William Henry, 
 who died suddenly on the streets of Spring- 
 field, when about fifty years old; Edwin D., 
 who was born April 16, 1838, in Canaan, 
 Conn. ; Almira, who died at the age of two 
 years; Mary A., wife of Thomas Francis, of 
 Middletown, Conn., who has one daughter and 
 three sons; and Charles M., a resident of 
 Worcester County. 
 
 In 1867 Messrs. George and Edwin D. 
 Tiffany built their conveniently arranged cot- 
 tage home in Auburn, which they have since 
 occupied. They are Republicans in politics. 
 Edwin D., the youngest brother, was employed 
 in the cotton mill of C. W. and J. E. Smith at 
 Stonesville for eleven years, but for the past 
 quarter of a century has been an operator in 
 the factory of the Monnahonsett Manufactur- 
 ing Company. Mr. George Tiffany was mar- 
 ried in 187s in Worcester to Emeline E. 
 Angelier, of Palmer, Mass., a daughter of Isaac 
 Angel ier. 
 
 SFhEOPHILUS WILLIAMS WIL- 
 ' I MARTH,* agent and manager of the 
 ■^ Millbury Cotton Mill, was born in 
 Oxford, Mass., on July 4, 1857, son of The- 
 ophilus and Delia A. (Mowrey) Wilmarth. 
 His grandfather, Joseph Wilmarth, of Smith- 
 field, R.I., was a cotton-mill manager, and 
 died in Pawtucket, that State. His grand- 
 mother, whose maiden name was Ruth Brown 
 Williams, survived her husband for a number 
 of years, and died on August 4, 1856, at the 
 age of seventy-one. Of the six sons and six 
 
 daughters of this family, all of whom grew to 
 maturity, only one, Ruth, the youngest, is 
 living. She is the widow of James F. 
 Fletcher, and resides in Central Falls, R.I. 
 
 Theophilus Wilmarth, son of Joseph, was 
 born at Smithfield on November 20, i8i8. 
 He was married on May 23, 1839, to Delia 
 A. Mowrey, who died on May 3, 1858, at the 
 age of thirty-six years, leaving six children, 
 Theophilus W. being the youngest. Their 
 son Frank, late physician of East Orange, 
 N.J., was born at Smithfield, R.I., March 28, 
 1 841, and was graduated at Rutgers College 
 in 1869. In his career as a medical practi- 
 tioner. Dr. Wilmarth displayed unusual abil- 
 ity. His death in June, 1881, arrested a life 
 of rare promise and usefulness. His co- 
 workers on the staff of the hospital with which 
 he was connected paid him a warm tribute in 
 their expressions of regret at his loss. 
 
 Theophilus W. Wilmarth was educated in 
 the common schools of Oxford, the Melrose 
 High School, and Worcester Polytechnic In- 
 stitute. He entered the employ of the Amos- 
 keag Cotton Company as a cotton classer in 
 1 88 1, and remained thus engaged for about 
 two years. After that he went South, and 
 was manager of the Lane Cotton Company. 
 Returning North in May, 1886, he built his 
 summer residence, which is called Rock 
 Crest, on the rocks of Ogunquit, Me. In Oc- 
 tober of that year he took charge of the Rock- 
 dale Mills .at North Leicester, and in April, 
 1887, he assumed also the management of the 
 Riverdale Mill. In April, 1890, he went to 
 Denver, Col., where he fitted up the Overland 
 Cotton Mill, which is one of the largest in 
 the West. Leaving Denver in January, 1893, 
 he spent some time in Ogunquit, and in May, 
 1894, came to Millbury as general manager of 
 the Millbury Cotton Mill, of which he has 
 entire charge. This plant is one of three 
 owned by the same company. 
 
 On January 12, 1881, Mr. Wilmarth was 
 united in marriage with Mary Seymour, of 
 Wilkinsonville, Mass., a daughter of James S. 
 and Mary Green (Robinson) Simmons, and 
 said to be a descendant of General Greene, of 
 Revolutionary fame. Mr. Wilmarth is inter- 
 ested in things about town, and is an active 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 member and an officer of the library and liter- 
 ary club. As a Mason he is Senior Warden 
 of the Blue Lodge, a member of Tyrian Chap- 
 ter, also a Worthy Patron of the Order of 
 Eastern Star. In politics he is a Republican, 
 and is now serving as a member of the Town 
 Committee. He is a warden of St. Luke's 
 Episcopal Church. 
 
 tLFRED L. CHENEY,* farmer and 
 manufacturer of West Auburn, Mass., 
 residing on Maple Street, was born 
 ^~^ in Oxford, Mass., February 14, 
 1836, being a son of Asa Cheney. His pater- 
 nal grandfather, Ephraim Cheney, was for 
 many years engaged in general farming in 
 West Auburn. 
 
 Asa Cheney was born in Vermont. He 
 settled in this town in 1836, and cleared and 
 improved a part of the farm now belonging to 
 his son, Alfred L. His death occurred at the 
 age of seventy-five years in 1853. His wife, 
 whose maiden name was Lucy Jones, was born 
 and bred in Maine. They had nine children, 
 five daughters and four sons, of whom the fol- 
 lowing survive: Mrs. Sarah Clapp, of Denver, 
 Col. ; Alfred L., the special subject of this 
 sketch; and George, a banker in Creighton, 
 Neb. The mother attained the age of seventy- 
 five years. 
 
 Alfred L. Cheney was but a few months old 
 when his parents removed from Oxford to 
 West Auburn to take possession of the present 
 Cheney homestead. He attended the district 
 school until fourteen years old, when, in 
 1850, he went with an older brother and sister 
 to California, making the trip by way of the 
 isthmus. On account of the serious illness of 
 their mother and a sister, the three venture- 
 some members of the family returned home in 
 less than a year. Mr. Cheney owns a well- 
 kept and productive farm of eighty-two acres, 
 including a part of the original homestead left 
 by his father. He carries on general farming, 
 but pays especial attention to dairying, keep- 
 ing from eight to eighteen cows, and selling 
 the milk to regular customers along his route. 
 He has rebuilt and enlarged the original 
 dwelling-house, and added other substantial 
 
 improvements to the place, including the erec- 
 tion of a fine barn in 1880. For the past 
 thirty years Mr. Cheney has also been pros- 
 perously engaged in the manufacture of sack- 
 ing and bags, an industry which he carries on 
 in the shop near his house. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Cheney married Miss Lucy 
 Levering, who, with her twin children, died 
 some months later. On November 8, 1858, 
 Mr. Cheney married Mary, daughter of Silas 
 Taft and Hannah (Hurd) White, of Millbury. 
 Mrs. Cheney, having been left motherless 
 when but five years of age, was brought up by 
 relatives. She is an active member of the 
 Baptist church. In politics Mr. Cheney is a 
 stanch Democrat. Mr. and Mrs. Cheney 
 have four children, as follows: Herbert Has- 
 kell, of Southbridge, who is married and has 
 five children; Lucy, the wife of Charles 
 Amidon, of Nebraska; Frederick, of West 
 Auburn, who married Hattie Lamb; and 
 Edwin F. 
 
 T^HARLES ANDREW WHITNEY,* 
 I Vr' a retired manufacturer and esteemed 
 ^^U^_^ citizen of Millbury, was born in 
 Princeton, Mass., on November 14, 
 1834, son of Colonel John and Eliza A. F. 
 (Watson) Whitney. His grandfather, An- 
 drew W'hitney, who was a Massachusetts man, 
 married Lucy Miles. They had six sons and 
 five daughters, all of whom grew to maturity 
 except a son and a daughter. Only one, 
 William Whitney, remained unmarried. 
 They were all persons of commanding figure, 
 the men standing six feet or more in height, 
 and their mental and moral growth corre- 
 sponded to their physical stature. Only one 
 of the family is now living. Colonel John 
 Whitney was the third child and the second 
 son. The eldest was Reuben Miles Whitney, 
 who was born on May 23, 1788, and the 
 youngest was Charles Andrew, born on Au- 
 gust 20, 1 8 10. Grandfather Whitney died on 
 October 26, 18 18, and his widow, Lucy, died 
 twenty-four years later, at the age of seventy- 
 six. 
 
 Colonel John Whitney was born in Prince- 
 ton on December 31, 1792, and died there in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1203 
 
 1844. His first wife, who as a maiden was 
 Mary Newton, of Royalston, died in October, 
 1827, leaving three of her six children, 
 namely: William N., who was born on De- 
 cember 15, 1825; Marion Eugene, who died 
 at the age of sixteen; and Mary Newton, who 
 was born on September 28, 1821, and died on 
 January 22, 1892. On October 4, 1832, 
 Colonel Whitney married Eliza A. F. Wat- 
 son, who was born in Princeton on April 22, 
 1814. The children of this union were: John 
 Newton; Charles Andrew; Eliza A. F. ; Levi 
 Lincoln; Eliza A. F. , second; and Lydia, 
 who died in infancy. John Newton, who was 
 born on July 6, 1833, has a cattle ranch in 
 Wyoming, with some ten thousand head of 
 cattle. He is unmarried. The first Eliza, 
 who was born on February 26, 1836, died at 
 three years of age. The second Eliza, who 
 was born on the first day of July, 1840, is the 
 wife of H. L. Norton. Levi Lincoln, who 
 was born on January 20, 1838, is a stock 
 broker in Boston. 
 
 The father, Colonel Whitney, died on May 
 15, 1846. He was a farmer and a stock dealer 
 and drover. He held various town offices, and 
 was sent as Representative to the legislature. 
 His widow died on January 2, 1891. She is 
 buried in Rural Cemetery in Worcester, and 
 the Colonel is buried in Princeton. 
 
 Charles Andrew Whitney attended the pub- 
 lic schools until he was fifteen years of age, 
 whe« he began learning the trade of cutter in 
 a boot and shoe shop in West Millbury, with 
 Amasa Wood & Son. Nine years later, in 
 1859, he went to Chicago as one of the firm 
 of Thompson, Whitney & Co., and engaged in 
 boot and shoe manufacturing. The third 
 member of the firm was Mr. Whitney's brother 
 Levi. For about ten years this firm contin- 
 ued in active and prosperous business, having 
 a factory in North Clark Street, and employ- 
 ing from three to five men to travel and sell 
 their goods in the North-west. 
 
 Mr. Whitney was married on November 29, 
 1864, in Millbury to Martha E. Waters, of 
 this place, daughter of Jonathan E. Waters. 
 One of her remote ancestors was among the 
 first settlers in Millbury, and the farm which 
 was sold by Mr. and Mrs. Whitney in the fall 
 
 of 1897 was a part of the original three thou- 
 sand acres bought by his father, Nathaniel 
 Waters, of Salem, in 1715. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Whitney have two children ^ Charles Dana 
 and Jessie Marion. The first named, who was 
 born on March 18, 1866, is Millbury agent 
 for the Adams Express Company. He mar- 
 ried Nellie L. White, and has one son, Ray- 
 mond Cyrus, who was born on March 19, 
 1893. Jessie Marion, who was born on March 
 2, 1869, is the wife of S. Foster H. Goodwin, 
 of Worcester. She is the mother of two chil- 
 dren: Haven Whitney, who was born on 
 March 31, 189S; and Margery, who was born 
 on August 6, 1896. Mr. Whitney is a thirty- 
 second degree Mason. In politics he is a Re- 
 publican. For two years he filled the office 
 of Selectman, one year being Chairman of the 
 board. 
 
 "|^Vr\ARCUS M. DUNN,* who died at 
 1 1 =# his home in Auburn, Mass., Janu- 
 J ejjs ( ary 18, 1885, was born on No- 
 ^~^ vember 2, 1827. 
 
 His father, Henry Dunn, was born in 
 Northbridge, Mass., February 12, 1786, and 
 died December 2, 1867. He was an exten- 
 sive landholder and a pioneer manufacturer of 
 satinets, his factory being the second of the 
 kind in Worcester County. On November 3, 
 1807, he married Rachel Goldthwait, who was 
 born February 10, 1787, and died in Febru- 
 ary, 1848. Of their sixteen children but six 
 grew to mature life, and only one survives, 
 Lora, widow of Leonard Bosworth, in Barring- 
 ton, R.I. 
 
 Mr. Dunn married Miss Lucy E. Eaton, 
 daughter of Dr. Gardner and Sarah (Frost) 
 Eaton, of Vermont. Dr. Eaton lived in Ver- 
 mont the greater part of his life, but spent 
 some time travelling in the West. Of his 
 union with Miss Frost three children were 
 born, namely: Louisa R., widow of Emery 
 Ayers, of Lowell, Mass. ; Lucy E., now Mrs. 
 Dunn; and a son that died in infancy. After 
 the death of his first wife he married again, 
 and his second wife survived him. 
 
 Mrs. Dunn was but a child when her mother 
 died. She was educated in Vermont, and 
 
1204 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 came with her sister to Winchendon, Mass. 
 Her marriage with Mr. Dunn took place when 
 she was nineteen years old. Two children, a 
 daughter named Flora Belle and a son, Henry 
 Morton, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunn; 
 and they brought up, besides these, two or- 
 phan children of Mr. Dunn's sister — Morton 
 and Ellen A. Gifford. Morton Gifford re- 
 mained with Mr. and Mrs. Dunn after the 
 breaking out of the Civil War. Though a 
 frail youth, he enlisted September, 1861, in 
 the Twenty - fifth Massachusetts Volunteers. 
 His term of service in Company K of that 
 regiment expired October 20, 1864, according 
 to the published record. Becoming a physi- 
 cian, he continued in the South as a practi- 
 tioner for some time, and then started North, 
 but was never again heard from. Ellen A. 
 Gifford married a Mr. Martin, and removed to 
 Wisconsin. Flora Belle Dunn, whose un- 
 timely death the mother has been called to 
 mourn, was a woman of many gifts and graces, 
 charming in person and manner. She was 
 the wife of E, M. Rewey, an editor on the 
 Sun, and one of the best exchange readers in 
 this country. Henry Morton Dunn resides in 
 Auburn. He is married and has a family of 
 five children, three sons and two daughters. 
 
 -OSEPH S. WESBY,*founder of the ex- 
 tensive book bindery business of J. S. 
 Wesby & Sons, of Worcester, Mass., 
 died in this city November 3, 1886. 
 He was a man of sterling integrity and persis- 
 tent energy, and self-made by the old slow but 
 sure process. Although handicapped through 
 much of his life by ill-health, he struggled 
 perseveringly and achieved well-merited suc- 
 cess in his business ventures. Fie was born in 
 Philadelphia, Pa., February 18, 1818. His 
 father, John Wesby, was a native of Phillips- 
 burg, N.J. , and was there reared to seafaring 
 pursuits, in which his ancestors before him had 
 been engaged for several generations. 
 
 Mr. Wesby was educated in the public 
 schools of Philadelphia, where he subsequently 
 served an apprenticeship at book-binding with 
 the Lipppincotts, noted publishers. He re- 
 mained with that firm until he had mastered 
 
 the trade, and then, on account of ill-health, 
 went to Boston, hoping the change might prove 
 beneficial. Securing a situation in a bindery, 
 he continued there until 1846, when Mr. An- 
 drew Hutchinson of Worcester sent for him to 
 come here to take the place of John B. Gough, 
 who afterward became the famous apostle of 
 temperance. Mr. Wesby succeeded Mr. Gough 
 in the bindery, and, becoming his close friend 
 in after years, assisted him in his efforts to re- 
 form, thereby winning his gratitude and es- 
 teem. 
 
 After being employed by Mr. Hutchinson 
 many years, Mr. Wesby opened a bindery 
 for himself in Sears Block on Main Street, 
 nearly opposite Central Street. Beginning in 
 a modest way, with Charles A. Wilson as a 
 partner, he became quite successful and in a 
 short time bought out his partner's interest. 
 When he had acquired sufificient capital and 
 patronage to warrant a removal to larger quar- 
 ters, he took possession of the upper stories of 
 the building now occupied by Putnam & Davis, 
 booksellers. Energetic, artistic, and painstak- 
 ing, he grew rapidly in favor with the pub- 
 lic, and built up the largest book-binding busi- 
 ness in Worcester County. He added new 
 machinery with steam power, and all new in- 
 ventions for facilitating his work, and carried 
 on a substantial business in all branches of book- 
 binding, in paper ruling, and in manufacturing 
 account books and ledgers. He bound thou- 
 sands of books for public and private libraries, 
 and for many years was at the head of his pro- 
 fession, his place being almost the only one of 
 its kind that was up-to-date in all of its ap- 
 pointments. Mr. Wesby eventually took into 
 partnership his eldest son, Herbert, and in 
 1885 his other son, Edward: the firm has since 
 been known as J. S. Wesby & Sons. Since 
 the death of their father, these sons, both 
 capable business men, and experts in their line, 
 have carried on the business with most satis- 
 factory results. 
 
 Mr. Wesby was interested in municipal 
 affairs, but was never an aspirant for office. 
 He belonged to the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows, and, though not a member of any re- 
 ligious organization, was a man of high Chris- 
 tian principles and character. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1205 
 
 Mr. Wesby was married in 1846 to Miss 
 Annie E. Puffer, of Worcester, a daughter of 
 Seth and Achsa (Pollard) Puffer. Her father 
 was for many years associated in business with 
 the late Osgood Bradley, car-builder, and was 
 a valued and respected citizen of this city. 
 Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Wesby, namely: Elizabeth, wife of Charles 
 Porter, of Worcester, who lost one child at the 
 age of eight years, and has two living — Maud 
 E. and Joseph S. ; Herbert, who married Miss 
 Lizzie Bullock ; and Edward, who married 
 Edna Earle. 
 
 LIVER P. SHATTUCK,* senior 
 partner in the firm of Oliver P. Shat- 
 tuck & Son, tobacconists, in the city 
 of Worcester, died at his home No- 
 vember 7, 1895. He was born at Water- 
 ville, Vt, on October 24, 1831, son of 
 Moody and Fanny (Locke) Shattuck of that 
 town, and was a descendant in the eighth gen- 
 eration of William Shattuck, who was born in 
 England in 1621, settled in Watertown, Mass., 
 about 1640, and died there in 1672. 
 
 Mr. Shattuck came to Worcester in 1853 
 and secured employment as travelling agent for 
 a large lumber concern located at the corner 
 of Central and Union Streets. Later on he 
 worked in the same capacity for his brother, 
 M. E. Shattuck, a cigar manufacturer. Hav- 
 ing gained a thorough knowledge of this busi- 
 ness and having made a wide acquaintance 
 among men in the trade, Mr. Shattuck eventu- 
 ally opened a store of his own at 369 Main 
 Street, where he built up a large business. 
 Among the foremost brands of tobacco manu- 
 factured by him in late years were "La 
 Norma" and "We Three." The latter brand 
 had as a label portraits of Mr. Shattuck and 
 Messrs. George Bliss and E. H. Eaton, who 
 had for a long time been associated with Mr. 
 Shattuck in business and were widely known 
 in the tobacco trade. Not long before his 
 death, Mr. Shattuck celebrated his twenty-fifth 
 anniversary in business, and entertained a 
 number of his friends at the store. During 
 the last six years of his life, being afflicted 
 with an ailment which developed into Bright 's 
 
 disease, and made him unable to devote his 
 entire time to business, he spent a part of 
 every summer at his old home in Vermont. 
 He continued, however, to be at the store every 
 day when he was in the city, and was fully in 
 touch with its affairs, although his son, Edson 
 M., gave careful attention to the details. The 
 latter was admitted to partnership in 1892, and 
 since his father's death he has assumed full 
 management of the business. 
 
 Mr. Shattuck was married on February 3, 
 1870, to Marion Carr, a native of Gardner, 
 daughter of George W. and Mary (Willard) 
 Carr, and representing a time-honored New 
 England family. There were born of this 
 marriage : Edson M. , already spoken of ; and 
 another son, Edwin S., who died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Shattuck was seen much on the street 
 and was a very popular man in the city. His 
 place of business was easily recognized by its 
 advertising sign, a life-size image of himself, 
 which, at the time of the celebration above 
 noted, he had gilded. Mr. Shattuck was al- 
 ways a Republican in politics. He served for 
 four years as Councilman from Ward Two, and 
 during half that time was president of the 
 board. 
 
 Mr. Shattuck was actively interested in va- 
 rious fraternal organizations. He was Master 
 of Montacute Lodge, F. & A. M., in 1889 and 
 1890, also a member of the general relief com- 
 mittee of the lodge. He was a member of 
 Eureka Chapter, R. A. M., and High Priest 
 in 1880 and 1881 ; of Hiram Council, R. and 
 S. M. ; of Worcester Commandery, K. T. ; 
 Worcester Lodge of Perfection ; Goddard Coun- 
 cil, P. of J. ; Lawrence Chapter of Rose Croix; 
 Massachusetts Consistory ; and Aleppo Temple, 
 Order of the Mystic Shrine. He held mem- 
 bership in the Worcester Lodge of Odd Fel- 
 lows; Blake Lodge, Knights of Pythias; Han- 
 cock Club ; and the Worcester Continentals. 
 
 The funeral of Mr. Shattuck was attended by 
 fully twelve hundred persons. It was con- 
 ducted by the Knights Templars, Mr. Shattuck 
 having been Past Eminent Commander in that 
 body. More than fifteen fraternal organiza- 
 tions were represented at the services, which 
 were held in the First Universalist Church. 
 There were also many prominent men of thi$ 
 
I205 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 city and many personal friends of Mr. Shattuck 
 and his family. Rev. Dr. Gunnison, in a fit- 
 ting address, spoke of death as "not extinc- 
 tion, but emancipation ; not the end of the 
 volume of existence, but the finishing of the 
 preface." Of the friend whose dust was there 
 resting on its way to the burial he spoke as 
 one who had been "upright in business, kind 
 and charitable, an honorable citizen, a loyal 
 comrade, a kind husband and father. " 
 
 'OLON S. HASTINGS,* long one 
 of the progressive agriculturists of 
 Princeton and later a resident of 
 Worcester, was born in Sterling, 
 Mass., on December 26, 1806, son of Stephen 
 and Silence (Sawyer) Hastings. He is of the 
 sixth generation in descent from Thomas 
 Hastings, who came to New England in 1634 
 and settled at Watertown, Mass. His father, 
 Stephen Hastings, who was a farmer by occu- 
 pation, was a man of progressive ideas, and 
 was one of the early members of the Worces- 
 ter County Agricultural Society, and an ac- 
 tive worker in promoting its interests. Be- 
 sides Solon S. he had two other sons, Rufus 
 and Aaron S. , both of whom are deceased. 
 
 The Hastings family is said to be of Danish 
 origin, and is known to have been in England 
 before the Norman Conquest, holding the 
 castle and seaport of this name. (See Hast- 
 ings Memorial.) 
 
 Solon S. Hastings was brought up on a 
 farm. He obtained his education in the 
 schools of Sterling and at Leicester Academy. 
 After this he engaged in teaching school dur- 
 ing the winter months, and was the Sterling 
 schoolmaster for twelve years. He was un- 
 usually successful, and in the same season 
 sometimes taught two different schools, the 
 opening of the school in one district being de- 
 layed in order to secure his services there at 
 the close of his first term. He also taught in 
 a private school in Boston, but eventually re- 
 turned to the farm to aid his father, who was 
 growing old, and there continued until his 
 father's death in 1840. The following year 
 he decided to settle permanently in Princeton, 
 and he was subsequently engaged in agricult- 
 
 ural pursuits there until a few years before 
 his death, which occurred at Worcester on 
 February 16, 1889. 
 
 Mr. Hastings was abreast of his times in 
 every way, and partly as a result of this habit 
 of observation, partly on account of his natural 
 aptitude and fondness for country life, he met 
 with unusual success as a farmer. He was a 
 life member of the Worcester County Agri- 
 cultural Society, a frequent exhibitor at the 
 county fairs, and a recognized authority on all 
 agricultural matters. A man of rare charac- 
 ter, exemplary in all business and social rela- 
 tions, he possessed the respect and confidence 
 of all who knew him. He filled many posi- 
 tions of public responsibility with signal abil- 
 ity and unfaltering trustworthiness. For over 
 twenty-five years he was a director of the 
 Worcester Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 
 which is the oldest of its kind in the county. 
 In 1859 he was Representative to the General 
 Court from Princeton, Rutland, and Oakham, 
 and in 1864 he was State Senator from this 
 district. In 1850 he was elected to an im- 
 portant clerkship in the United States naval 
 service at Boston, under the Hon. Charles 
 Hanson, and in 1870 was employed by the 
 general government in collecting census re- 
 turns in this vicinity. Personally, Mr. Hast- 
 ings was of a retiring disposition, and was 
 both conscientious and conservative in all re- 
 lations, religious, civil, or financial. He was 
 interested in educational matters, and was a 
 regular attendant at various religious institu- 
 tions. The last years of his life, with a com- 
 fortable leisure at his command, he alternated 
 his residence between Worcester and Prince- 
 ton, spending the summers in the latter place 
 and winters at the Bay State House in 
 Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Hastings was married in 1845 to Lois 
 R., daughter of Edward and Rebecca (Bea- 
 man) Goodnow, of Princeton, and sister of 
 Edward A. Goodnow, the noted philanthro- 
 pist. Representatives of the Goodnow family 
 were among the first settlers of Princeton. 
 Mrs. Hastings survives her husband, and now 
 resides at Hotel Newton in Worcester. 
 
 Mr. Hastings in his will bequeathed one 
 thousand dollars each to the Woman's Board 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1207 
 
 of Missions and to the American Board of 
 Commissioners for Foreign Missions, also 
 other bequests, public and private, and left 
 the residue of his estate to the Woman's Board 
 of Missions and the Massachusetts Home Mis- 
 sionary Society. 
 
 '^ »^ farm 
 
 ILLIAM GOSS, who is now living 
 ired from active work upon his 
 farm in Worcester, near the Auburn 
 town line, is one of the most respected citi- 
 zens in this locality. He was born in 18 16, 
 a son of William and Eunice (Wood) Goss. 
 Both his parents were natives of Mendon, 
 Mass. His paternal grandfather, a farmer by 
 occupation, reared six children. Mr. Goss's 
 parents had seven children, four sons and 
 three daughters, namely : Brigham, born 
 March 8, 1806, who died in 1892; Anna W., 
 born December 29, 1807, who died unmarried. 
 May 28, 1839; Emily B., born in March, 
 1810, who died October 4, 1871 (no children) ; 
 Sumner, born in 181 1, who died about 1887, 
 leaving one daughter; Farnum, born April i, 
 181 3, who died unmarried in 1838, at the age 
 of twenty-five; William, the subject of this 
 sketch; and Clarissa, born November 9, 18 19, 
 who died unmarried, at the age of thirty. 
 The mother passed away February 26, i860, 
 aged eighty-two years. Her husband survived 
 her four years, dying July 4, 1864. They 
 carried on a farm in Worcester for many 
 years. 
 
 William Goss, who is the only surviving 
 child of his parents, was educated in the dis- 
 trict school. Brought up to farm life, he con- 
 tinued to reside with his parents until their 
 death, and since the age of fourteen he has 
 lived in his present residence. He has one 
 hundred and sixty acres of good land, which 
 he devotes to general farming. He formerly 
 owned fifty-nine acres more, which, however, 
 he sold some twenty-four years ago. 
 
 On September 30, 1845, he married Mary 
 Hallett, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., who was born 
 November 3, 18 19, a daughter of Gideon and 
 Lydia (Hall) Hallett. The first American 
 ancestor of the Hallett family came from Cov- 
 entry, England, about 1640. Mrs. Goss's 
 
 parents were natives of Cape Cod, her father 
 born on November 11, 1772, and her mother 
 on October 8, 1776. They were married in 
 Westminster, Vt., February 27, 1797. They 
 had thirteen children, eight sons and five 
 daughters, as follows: Edmund B., born Au- 
 gust 20, 1798; Atherton, born October lo, 
 1799; Ruth, born February 13, 1801 ; Lydia, 
 born August 31, 1802; Gideon, born April 
 10, 1804; Freeman, born November 24, 1805; 
 Russel, born December 12, 1807; Marsena, 
 born November 26, 1809; Sabrina, born No- 
 vember 30, 181 1; Phila Ann, born July 19, 
 1 81 3; Otis, born January 19, 181 5; Howes, 
 born February 6, 1817, who died the follow- 
 ing year; Mary, born November 3, 18 19, who 
 became the wife of the subject of this sketch. 
 The mother died August 11, 1854. Her hus- 
 band survived her some years, passing away 
 February i, 1862. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Goss are the parents of three 
 children, namely: Fannie A., who is the wife 
 of Bartlett A. White, and resides on the Goss 
 homestead; Hattie S. , who is the wife of Al- 
 bert G. Magna, resides at Holyoke, Mass., 
 and has two sons — Russel W. , aged nineteen, 
 and Joseph N., aged sixteen, both high-school 
 students; and Carrie E., who is the wife of 
 Frank G. Davis, son of the late Rev. Elnathan 
 Davis, resides in Watertown, N.Y., and has 
 two daughters — Alice M., aged eighteen, a 
 young lady of musical talent, and a student at 
 the high school, and Grace A., aged fourteen, 
 who is attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Goss 
 celebrated their golden wedding September 
 30, 189s, in their present home, where they 
 began domestic life, and were the recipients 
 of congratulations from relatives and numer- 
 ous friends. Mr. Goss casts his vote with 
 the Republican party, but has never sought 
 public office. 
 
 fsTrAMES WHITE,* well known a few years 
 since as one of the leading contractors 
 and builders of Worcester County, died 
 at his home in Worcester, September 
 8, 1886. He was born at Pomfret, Conn., a 
 son of Artemas and Patty (Sabin) White, and 
 is said to have been a lineal descendant of 
 
I2o8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Peregrine White, who was born on board the 
 "Mayflower" in December, 1620, before the 
 Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. 
 
 James White learned the carpenter's trade 
 with his father, and continued in his employ 
 several years thereafter. When about thirty 
 years old he came to Worcester, Mass., where 
 he worked at carpentering until he had estab- 
 lished a fine reputation as a skilled mechanic 
 and a man of honesty and integrity. Starting 
 then on his own account as a builder and con- 
 tractor, he steadily grew into prominence, and 
 in course of time found himself one of the fore- 
 most contractors of Worcester County. He 
 employed many men, and during his career had 
 charge of the erection of structures of all kinds, 
 including among others the Union Depot, the 
 State Normal School building, the Polytechnic 
 Institute building, and various blocks and mills. 
 By his own unaided efforts he won success, and 
 stood deservedly high in the community as a 
 builder, a citizen, and a man. He remained 
 true to the principles of his worthy ancestors, 
 and his life but added honor to the line from 
 which he sprung. Mr. White was interested 
 in city matters, but never held public ofifice. 
 A great reader, he kept himself well informed 
 in regard to the affairs of the world at large. 
 Desirous of helping young men and women to 
 educate themselves, in his will he left hand- 
 some bequests to several schools and colleges. 
 He united with the Union Congregational 
 Church soon after coming to Worcester, but 
 for many years in his later life was a member 
 of the Old South Church, and a liberal sup- 
 porter of its charities. 
 
 Mr. White was twice married. His first 
 wife, Eliza Healey, of Douglas, Mass., died, 
 leaving one daughter, who married B. D. 
 Allen, formerly a well-known music teacher of 
 Worcester, but now a resident of Beloit, Wis. 
 Mr. White's second wife, Miranda Carter, of 
 Worcester, survives him. 
 
 ID WIN P. BEMIS,* of Spencer, Mass., 
 was born in the adjacent town of Paxton, 
 March 26, 181 5, son of Amos and 
 Ruth (Bartlett) Bemis. Both his father and 
 his grandfather, Abijah Bemis, who is said to 
 
 have served as a soldier in the Revolutionary 
 War, were natives of Paxton; and his mother 
 was born in Rutland. When he was nine 
 years old his parents removed to Spencer. He 
 was educated in the district schools. In his 
 youth he learned the shoemaker's trade, and, 
 after becoming of age, he followed it for two 
 years in Philadelphia. During the greater 
 part of his life, however, he has resided in 
 Spencer and given his attention to agricultural 
 pursuits, winning success by persevering, well- 
 directed industry. He owns a good farm of 
 one hundred and twenty-five acres. 
 
 In 1844 Mr. Bemis was joined in marriage 
 with Elizabeth Cheever, daughter of Joseph 
 Cheever, of Spencer. Of this union were born 
 five children, two of whom are living, namely : 
 Emma E. , wife of Orin R. Lamb; and E. 
 Cheever Bemis. Mrs. Bemis died in May, 
 1872. She was a member of the Baptist 
 church. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Bemis supported the Free- 
 Soil movement during its existence, and he 
 has since acted with the Republican party. 
 He is a member of the Farmers' and Mechan- 
 ics' Association, and takes a lively interest 
 in public improvements. 
 
 TTAHARLES H. FAIRBANKS,* a thriv- 
 I Y^ ing farmer of West Brookfield, was 
 
 VJs ^ born in Brimfield, Mass., January 
 27, 1831, son of Ebenezer and Mar- 
 garet (Gleason) Fairbanks. His grandfather, 
 Henry Fairbanks, a native of Sherborn, Mass., 
 settled in Brimfield, and his father, who was 
 born in that town and lived there some years 
 after marrying, removed to a farm in West 
 Brookfield in 1846. 
 
 Ebenezer Fairbanks served as a Selectman 
 in Brimfield, and later in West Brookfield. In 
 the latter part of his life he acted with the Re- 
 publican party in politics. He died in his 
 eighty-fourth year. His wife, Margaret Glea- 
 son, was a native of Warren, Mass. They had 
 four sons, namely: Charles H., the subject 
 of this sketch; Isaac, a resident of North 
 Brookfield; Edward, who resides in Warren; 
 and Dwight Fairbanks, of this town. 
 
 Charles H. Fairbanks obtained his education 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1209 
 
 in the public schools of his native town and of 
 West Brookfield and at the Quaboag Seminary, 
 Warren. He came here with his parents when 
 fifteen years old. As a young man he engaged 
 in the provision business in Brookfield, re- 
 maining there some ten years, and afterward 
 he followed the same line of trade in Spring- 
 field about two years. General farming, how- 
 ever, has been his principal occupation, and for 
 many years he has successfully tilled the soil 
 of the home farm, formerly owned by his 
 father. 
 
 On February 13, 1858, Mr. Fairbanks was 
 joined in marriage with Sarah Kellogg, of 
 West Brookfield, daughter of Chester and 
 Eliza (Davis) Kellogg. Her father was born 
 in Suffield, Conn., and her mother was born in 
 Warren, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks have 
 two children: Mary E. , wife of Philander 
 Holmes; and Charles L. — both of whom re- 
 side in this town. 
 
 Independent in politics, Mr. Fairbanks was 
 at one time a member of the Board of Select- 
 men. As a public-spirited citizen he takes a 
 lively interest in all matters affecting the gen- 
 eral welfare of the community. He was one of 
 the founders of the West Brookfield Farmers' 
 Club. 
 
 pany, 
 
 \EV. JOHN DAVIS EDMANDS 
 JONES,* for twenty-seven years su- 
 perintendent of agencies of the 
 State Mutual Life Assurance Com- 
 was born on November 11, 18 19, in 
 Needham, Mass. , and died of pneumonia, after 
 a brief illness, on January 12, 1893, at his 
 home in Worcester. 
 
 A son of John and Sylvia (Dudley) Jones, on 
 the paternal side he was of Welsh descent, his 
 branch of the family, however, having been 
 settled in America for several generations. 
 His father was a paper-maker at Needham in 
 the days of hand-made paper. 
 
 Mr. Jones was one of a large family and 
 early learned to depend upon himself. In his 
 childhood he injured his eyes, and for two or 
 three years was blind. When his sight sud- 
 denly returned, his people believed it to be a 
 miracle. At the age of sixteen he bought his 
 
 time of his father until he should be nineteen, 
 and began working in the paper business. He 
 determined to gain a good education, and to 
 accomplish this end practised much self-denial. 
 He never opened an English grammar until 
 nineteen years of age. Nothing daunted by all 
 sorts of obstacles, he took a preparatory course 
 in an academy at Shelburne Falls, Mass., and 
 at the age of twenty -one he was admitted to 
 Brown University. He was graduated with a 
 good record in 1845. He then taught a private 
 school for a year, and after that he studied a 
 year at the Newton Theological Institute. In 
 1847 he accepted the position of principal of 
 Troy Academy, Troy, N.Y. Here he showed 
 his admirable executive ability, building up the 
 institution from a membership of ten to one 
 hundred and ten pupils. 
 
 In 1 849 Mr. Jones was ordained as pastor of 
 the Baptist church at North Bennington, Vt. 
 Six years later he was called to the pastorate of 
 the First Baptist Church in Worcester, and 
 entered upon the duties of his new charge on 
 April 8, 1855. Here he remained until 1859, 
 when he resigned in order to become superin- 
 tendent of the public schools in Worcester. 
 As a preacher, Mr. Jones was powerful and 
 effective, having a firm grasp of truth and 
 being a man of broad and tender sympathies. 
 After he ceased to be a settled pastor he sup- 
 plied the pulpit of the Baptist church at North 
 Grafton for eight years. In the latter part of 
 his life he was connected with the First Bap- 
 tist Church of Worcester. He was a very 
 modest man. He died in the full assurance of 
 faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 After Mr. Jones's death a special meeting of 
 the Board of Directors of the company with 
 which he had been so long connected was 
 called, and shortly after a memorial pamphlet 
 was prepared and printed. From its pages we 
 extract the following from the remarks of Vice- 
 President Gage : — 
 
 "Mr. Jones was a well-educated man and a 
 good scholar. He had the faculty and the 
 habit of making himself perfect master of any 
 subject which it became necessary or desirable 
 that he should consider. In this way he made 
 himself a thorough master of the whole subject 
 of life insurance, and I do not fear that I shall 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 do any injustice to the officials of this com- 
 pany, past or present, in saying that in this 
 respect he has had no superior in this place. 
 He knew all about the different plans of insur- 
 ance and the merits and demerits of each. He 
 was perfectly familiar with the history of all 
 the various companies, and with the points in 
 which they differed, and with the effect of 
 their differences in respect to the desirability 
 of insuring in them. He was well acquainted 
 with insurance law, not only in Massachusetts, 
 but in all the States where the company was 
 doing business. He knew, especially, every- 
 thing about this office and its business, from 
 the beginning down — all the facts of its his- 
 tory and all its traditions — and could give 
 valuable information upon any point. 
 
 "He was a delightful man to come in con- 
 tact with, and to do business with ; always at 
 his post, always patient, kindly, and genial ; 
 any one and every one in the office could ap- 
 proach him, and at any time, with assurance 
 that he would not only give them a pleas- 
 ant greeting, but that he would willingly im- 
 part any desired information. He came to be a 
 sort of encyclopsedia of knowledge for the 
 office, and nothing was more common than to 
 settle a disputed or doubtful point as to pro- 
 cedure or principle of insurance by a proposi- 
 tion to 'ask Mr. Jones.' 
 
 "No one could be more missed from the 
 office than he. It will be very difficult, and, 
 in some respects, impossible, to fill his place, 
 so that it is not an exaggeration to say that his 
 loss is irreparable. He had the sincere respect 
 of all who came in contact with him, and of 
 the whole army of the company's agents. 
 With the entire official force of the home office, 
 and especially with the clerks who were more 
 immediately associated with him in his work, 
 he was an object of almost filial affection." 
 
 Mr. Jones was married on March 26, 1846, 
 to Clarissa A. Day, of North Wrentham, Mass. 
 Of this marriage three children were born, only 
 one of whom is living — Edward D. Jones, of 
 .New York City. Clara Alice, the only daugh- 
 ter, who died in October, 1880, after having 
 been for a short time a teacher, was a graduate 
 of Wellesley College. Preston Day Jones was 
 born at Troy, N. Y. He was educated at 
 
 Brown University, and was appointed pro- 
 fessor of Latin and Greek in Clinton (Miss.) 
 College before he had reached his twenty- 
 second birthday. He subsequently came to 
 Worcester and taught for eight years as master 
 of one of the grammar schools here. His 
 children are— J. D. E. Jones, who is with the 
 New York Mutual Life Insurance Company; 
 Frederick William, who is on the staff of the 
 Providence Daily Journal ; and Preston Day, Jr. 
 Edward D. Jones, already named, married 
 Sarah Janet Conkling, of New York City. For 
 the past fifteen years he has been connected 
 with the firm of Dow Jones & Co., publishers 
 of Wall Street stock reports. These reports 
 are read the world over, but the enterprise is 
 especially supported by the New York brokers. 
 Edward D. Jones has one son, Arthur Conk- 
 ling Jones, who was born in New York City 
 and is now a student there. 
 
 lara 
 
 AMES T. LEARNED,* railroad sta- 
 tion agent at Northboro and Chairman 
 of the Board of Selectmen, was born in 
 Gardner, Mass., in i860, son of Will- 
 H. and Marietta (Whitney) Learned. 
 His great-grandfather, Peter Learned, was a 
 Revolutionary soldier, and his grandfather, 
 William Learned, served as captain in the 
 War of 1812. His father, William H. 
 Learried, who was a prosperous blacksmith of 
 Gardner, died at the age of seventy years. 
 Mr. Learned has four brothers living in Gard- 
 ner, namely: William F., shipping clerk at 
 a chair manufactory; Theodore, a grocer; 
 Arthur and Chester, chair manufacturers. 
 
 James T. Learned in his boyhood attended 
 the public schools of his native town. On 
 leaving the high school he went to work in a 
 chair manufactory, where he was employed 
 two years. He then took a course at East- 
 man's Business College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 
 Learning telegraphy in Gardner, he was oper- 
 ator there a short time, when he was given 
 charge of the railroad station at Berlin, 
 Mass., where he remained three years, and for 
 the succeeding five years he was employed in 
 the same capacity at Pratt's Junction. He 
 was appointed station agent at Northboro in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 August, 1892, and has since discharged his 
 duties in that capacity to the satisfaction of 
 the corporation as well as the public. 
 
 Mr. Learned married Nettie A. Moore, 
 daughter of Josiah Moore, for twenty years 
 Town Treasurer of Berlin. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Learned have one son, Kenneth, aged ten 
 years. 
 
 In politics Mr. Learned is a Republican. 
 He is serving his third year as a member of 
 the Board of Selectmen, of which he is now 
 chairman. He is connected with Trinity 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., Clinton; Gardner Lodge, 
 L O. -O. F., Gardner; and the New England 
 Association of Railroad Station Agents. He 
 is an energetic and progressive man of affairs, 
 and takes a deep interest in the general wel- 
 fare of the community. Mr. Learned is a 
 member of the Unitarian society. 
 
 KRANK W. FAMES,* who died in the 
 spring of 1883, at the age of thirty- 
 nine years, was a son of Lovett and 
 Lucy C. (Morgan) Fames. His father died 
 in 1894 in the city of Worcester, where his 
 mother is now living. He descended from 
 one of the old Colonial families of Massachu- 
 setts. His immigrant ancestor, Thomas 
 Fames, came to this country about 1634, lived 
 some time in Dedham and in other places, and 
 eventually settled in Framingham, which was 
 then largely populated by native Indians. 
 Subsequently, in one of the Indian raids upon 
 the town, his wife and five children were 
 killed, and other children taken into cap- 
 tivity. 
 
 Lovett Fames devoted his life to mechani- 
 cal pursuits, for which he had a natural fac- 
 ulty. Soon after his marriage he went to 
 Kalamazoo, Mich., and resided there many 
 years previous to his removal to Worcester, 
 Mass., where he died. The maiden name of 
 Mrs. Fames was Lucy C. Morgan. Her 
 father was the Rev. Flisha Morgan, a man of 
 ability, strong convictions, and conscientious 
 devotion to his calling. He married a Miss 
 Rogers, who belonged to a prominent family 
 of Alexandria, Va., descended from one of its 
 earliest settlers. 
 
 Frank W. Fames was born in Kalamazoo, 
 Mich., in November, 1843, and was there 
 bred and educated. At the age of eighteen 
 years, leaving Kalamazoo College, he enlisted 
 in the first company raised in Kalamazoo for 
 the country's defence. It was under the com- 
 mand of Captain C. S. Way, who wrote of 
 him at a later period in these words: "He 
 was one of the gallant and patriotic band of 
 young students who enlisted in my company. 
 I remember hira as a good, brave soldier, 
 bearing himself gallantly and unflinchingly in 
 the early battles in which we were engaged, 
 and, though but a mere boy in years, always 
 showing that native energy which endures, 
 and for which he was afterward distin- 
 guished." When mustered out of the Second 
 Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Mr. Fames be- 
 came a Lieutenant in another Michigan regi- 
 ment, from which he was honorably discharged 
 in September, 1863, by General Grant, who 
 appointed him as an aide in the revenue ser- 
 vice along the Mississippi, in which he con- 
 tinued until the close of the war. He was 
 subsequently a detective in the service of the 
 United States government, and through his 
 instrumentality a dangerous gang of counter- 
 feiters was unearthed in Michigan in 1870. 
 
 Mr. Fames inherited the mechanical genius 
 of his father, and as an inventor won distinc- 
 tion at home and abroad. "His insight of 
 possible mechanism and his resources in me- 
 chanical devices were phenomenal. Difficul- 
 ties in the way but stimulated his enthusiasm 
 and sharpened his energy. Like an eagle 
 which soars upon the very breast of the storm 
 that beats down all feebler birds, he was al- 
 ways at his best when obstacles were thickest 
 and greatest." Besides his numerous designs 
 for facilitating the running of railroad trains 
 at a great speed, such as brakes — plain, au- 
 tomatic, and duplex — he invented an auto- 
 matic governor for use on the engines of the 
 great ocean steamers and on steam pumps, and 
 a multitude of other useful mechanical appli- 
 ances. 
 
 In perfecting and securing patents in the' 
 United States and in foreign countries for all 
 these inventions, and in applying them to the 
 industrial arts, Mr. Fames repeatedly crossed 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 the ocean, and spent months, and even years, 
 upon the continent of Europe. In this work 
 he was handicapped by inadequate capital, 
 financial embarrassment, and costly litigation 
 with powerful antagonists and millionaire 
 competitors. His friends were ardent and 
 zealous. His enemies feared and sometimes 
 hated him. Those who shared his confidence 
 and knew him best appreciated his kindness 
 and generosity, and knew that no more open- 
 hearted, whole-souled man ever lived. "It 
 is to be deeply regreted that, while defending 
 his rights and securing his property from 
 those who sought to wrest it from him, his life 
 was suddenly terminated by the bullet from a 
 pistol in the hand of a man whom he had be- 
 friended. What wonders he might have ac- 
 complished had he lived, it is impossible to 
 say; but, certainly, his great genius and in- 
 domitable energy gave promise of large re- 
 sults." 
 
 Mr. Eames married Miss Mattie Schilling, 
 of Paw Paw, Mich. 
 
 field 
 
 frall'ENRY A. LEE,* who is worthy of 
 being enrolled among the inventors 
 of Worcester County that have at- 
 tained distinction in their particular 
 labor and have benefited the world at 
 large, was for many years an esteemed resident 
 of the city of Worcester. He was born in 
 1 8 19 in Barre, Mass. He was a son of Z. 
 and Submit (Lilly) Lee, and the representa- 
 tive of a distinctively American family, noted 
 for many generations for its men and women of 
 superior worth. 
 
 Henry A. Lee received his education in the 
 public schools, of his native town and in the 
 days of his youth learned the carpenter's trade. 
 When a young man he came to Worcester, 
 which was then becoming rapidly populated and 
 had need of mechanics. He worked as a jour- 
 neyman in the employ of Captain Lamb, a 
 builder, until he became an expert at his trade. 
 Mr. Lee then formed a partnership with a Mr. 
 Dennis, with whom he was engaged harmoni- 
 ously and successfully in the erection of build- 
 ings of various descriptions. Mr. Lee, how- 
 ever, was not satisfied that this was his life- 
 
 work. He had the active brain that could 
 grapple with intricate problems, and the in- 
 ventive talent that could create, and was bent 
 on improving the existing order of things. In 
 187s, therefore, having accumulated money for 
 the purpose, he established himself as an in- 
 ventor of machinery for moulding wood. He 
 had invented a large four-sided moulding ma- 
 chine which greatly facilitated the manufact- 
 ure of mouldings of all descriptions, and, hav- 
 ing completed his designs, he secured patents, 
 and continued the manufacture of the machines 
 at his factory, on the corner of Union and Ex- 
 change Streets. He made machines of vari- 
 ous styles and sizes, and, as they were soon 
 adopted by the leading manufacturers of wood 
 in all parts of the United States, he built up 
 an extensive business, and won not only money 
 but fame as an inventor. His practical judg- 
 ment and sound common sense prevented him 
 from being led into any speculative schemes of 
 invention. Confining himself solely to inven- 
 tions of his own, which he had force and deter- 
 mination enough to put into use in different 
 factories, he succeeded even beyond his expec- 
 tations. He continued in business until his 
 death, in December, i886> and had the satis- 
 faction, before his earthly career was closed, of 
 sending his machines to all parts of the world, 
 and of knowing that they were placed in suc- 
 cessful operation. He was a modest, unassum- 
 ing man, with a high reputation for ability, 
 honesty, and good citizenship, being ever 
 strong in his support of what he believed to be 
 right. His business largely absorbed his time 
 and thought, and to it he gave of his strength 
 unsparingly. 
 
 Mr. Lee was married in 1844 to Miss El- 
 mira Gleason, who survives him. She be- 
 longs to a family conspicuous in the annals o'f 
 that town for their high moral stanjding. 
 
 AMES M. CORLISS,* for many years 
 . a highly esteemed resident of East 
 Brookfield, was born in Burke, Vt., on 
 April 28, 1822, being a son of James 
 and Lydia (Bryer) Corliss, both of whom were 
 natives of Sandwich, N. H. He grew to man- 
 hood in his native town, attending the public 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1213 
 
 schools and making the most of his opportuni- 
 ties for obtaining an education. When a 
 young man he came to East Brookfield, but 
 after remaining here for a short time went to 
 Wilmington, Del., where for a number of 
 years he was engaged in the manufacture of 
 wheels. Returning to East Brookfield shortly 
 after the close of the Civil War, he settled 
 here, and continued in the manufacturing busi- 
 ness. His sterling honesty and natural kind- 
 liness of heart soon gained for him a consider- 
 able popularity, and he made many warm 
 personal friends. In politics he was a Repub- 
 lican, but later enrolled himself under the 
 Prohibitionist banner, and was from that time 
 on one of the most zealous supporters of that 
 party. He was a man of large public spirit, 
 and was in favor of anything to improve the 
 town and promote the welfare of the citizens. 
 Although not a member of any church, he con- 
 tributed liberally to the support of Chris- 
 tianity. 
 
 Mr. Corliss was twice married, and was the 
 father of two children: Frank F., who is now 
 a resident of Sheffield, Mass.; and Ada F., 
 who is the wife of Fred E. White, of Ash- 
 land, Neb. Mr. Corliss died on April 27, 
 1896, deeply lamented by all who knew him. 
 He was survived by his wife, who resides in 
 East Brookfield. She is a daughter of Dexter 
 and Martha (Stevens) Forbes, both of whom 
 were natives of North Brookfield. Her 
 father, who was a son of Daniel Forbes, was a 
 prominent and influential citizen in his day, 
 and was Trial Justice of North Brookfield. 
 He was a descendant of the Rev. Mr. Forbes, 
 the first clergyman of North Brookfield. Mrs. 
 Corliss is a member of the Women's Christian 
 Temperance Union of North Brookfield, and 
 is one of its prominent workers. She is also 
 interested in all charitable and benevolent 
 movements. 
 
 JDWARD PROCTOR,* an extensive fruit 
 grower, of Spencer, was born May 11, 
 — ^ 781 1, in Warwick, Mass., the native 
 place of his parents, Captain Josiah and Sally 
 (Stearns) Proctor. He is of English extrac- 
 tion, and a lineal descendant in the fifth gen- 
 
 eration of Peter Proctor, who was born in 1654, 
 and settled in Chelmsford, Mass. Mr. Proc- 
 tor's great-grandfather Robert Proctor, and Cap- 
 tain Peter Proctor, his grandfather, who was an 
 early settler in Warwick and a Revolutionary 
 soldier, were born in Chelmsford. Captain 
 Josiah Proctor acquired his title by virtue of a 
 commission which he held in the State militia: . 
 in his younger days. He was later known as 
 Deacon Proctor. 
 
 Edward Proctor began to learn the tanner's 
 and currier's trade when seventeen years old 
 with Phineas Davis of Northboro, Mass., and 
 completed his apprenticeship at twenty-one. 
 After working as a journeyman for a year, he 
 went to Detroit, Mich., where for some years 
 he acted as superintendent of a tannery carried 
 on by Phineas Davis, Jr., a son of his former 
 employer. Going from there to Oakland 
 County, same State, he purchased and operated 
 for a time a saw-mill near Pontiac. Returning 
 to Massachusetts in 1841, he engaged in the 
 currying business on his own account at North- 
 bridge for the succeeding six years, and subse- 
 quently carried on the same business in 
 Worcester. Settling in Spencer in 1851, he 
 bought his present farm of one hundred acres, 
 which he carried on in connection with the 
 currying business until shortly after the close 
 of the Civil War. Since that time he has 
 given his attention exclusively to fruit culture, 
 raising large quantities of apples, pears, and 
 grapes. He planted the first grape-vine of the 
 Concord variety in Spencer. 
 
 In 1834 Mr. Proctor married for his first 
 wife Sophia C. Patterson, of Northboro. She 
 bore him four children, of whom the only sur- 
 vivor is George D. Proctor, who has served as 
 a Commissioner in both Jefferson and Thayer 
 Counties, Nebraska, and is now a real estate 
 and insurance agent in Alexander, that State. 
 His second wife, whom he wedded April 15, 
 1844, was before marriage Sarah R. Mullen, 
 of Hallowell, Me. Eight children were bom 
 of this union, and three of them are now liv- 
 ing, namely: Alice V., wife of Nathan A. 
 Cobb, of Sydney, Australia; Frederick W., a 
 resident of Spencer; and Harriet E., wife of 
 Joseph Greenwood, a landscape artist of 
 Worcester. 
 
I2I4 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Mr. Proctor has served with ability as Chair- 
 man of the Board of Selectmen, and has always 
 taken a lively interest in town affairs. Politi- 
 cally, he was a Whig until the formation of the 
 Republican party, and has been a voter since 
 1832. He is a charter member and was the 
 first Master of Spencer Grange, Patrons of 
 Husbandry, and was one of the founders of the 
 Spencer Farmers' and Mechanics' Association. 
 He is a member of the Congregational church, 
 and for a number of years was a Deacon, 
 being still known by that title. 
 
 [cy^AMUEL C. LAWSON,* a promi- 
 nent attorney of Fitchburg, was 
 born in this city, August 6, 1869, 
 son of Samuel and Jennie A. (Skin- 
 ner) Lawson. His father, a native of Northern 
 Vermont, now about fifty-five years old, has 
 been engaged in business in New York City 
 for the last twenty years as a manufacturer of 
 gas and steam engines, being a member of the 
 firm of Welch & Orcutt. This firm performed 
 work for the United States government on the 
 National Soldiers' Home at Point Comfort, 
 Va., and elsewhere. They also manufacture 
 motors for horseless carriages. Although 
 doing business in New York City, Mr. Sam- 
 uel Lawson makes his home in Fitchburg. 
 His wife, Mrs. Jennie A. Lawson, is a daugh- 
 ter of Nathan B. and Emeline Skinner of 
 Derby, Vt. They have had two children — 
 Jennie E., who married Dr. E. L. Fisk, of 
 Fitchburg, and Samuel C, the subject of this 
 sketch. 
 
 Samuel C. Lawson received his general edu- 
 cation in the public schools of Fitchburg, 
 graduating from the high school in June, 
 1888. In October of the same year he entered 
 the office of E. P. Pierce, City Solicitor, 
 where he remained until October, 1889. He 
 then became a student at the Boston Univer- 
 sity Law School, from which subsequently he 
 was graduated first in a class of one hundred 
 and ten. Being admitted to the Worcester 
 County bar he opened an office in Fitchburg in 
 September, 1892, and practised alone until 
 189s, when he admitted Harry C. Bascom as 
 partner. On February 21, 1896, he was ad- 
 
 mitted to practice in the Appellate Division 
 of the Superior Court of New York. 
 
 A Republican, politically, Mr. Lawson 
 takes a prominent part in public affairs. He 
 was a member of the Republican City Com- 
 mittee in Ward Five in 1893, 1894, and 1895, 
 serving as secretary. He has also been a dele- 
 gate to the State, County, Congressional, and 
 Senatorial Conventions of his party. He be- 
 longs to Charles W. Moore Lodge, F. & A. M., 
 being Past Junior Deacon; to Thomas Chapter, 
 R. A. M. ; and to Jerusalem Commandery, 
 K. T. He is also a member of Mount Roll- 
 stone Lodge, No 98, I. O. O. F. ; has served 
 on the library committee; and is a member 
 of the Fitchburg Athletic Club and the Colum- 
 bian Club. He attends the Rollstone Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 UDSON TOLMAN,* who died at his 
 home in Worcester, was born in 
 New Salem, Mass. He was the 
 son of William and Abigail 
 (Chapin) Tolman, and on both sides was a de- 
 scendant of old Massachusetts families. His 
 father was for many years a prosperous farmer 
 of Northboro, Mass. 
 
 Hudson Tolman was educated in the schools 
 of his native town. When a young man he 
 left the farm and went to Petersham, where 
 he learned to make palm-leaf hats, and later 
 engaged in business for himself. He resided 
 in Greenfield for a time, but returned to 
 Petersham, and remained there for some years. 
 Coming to Worcester in 1864, he engaged in 
 the grain and flour business with the late 
 W. D. Holbrook, at the corner of Main and 
 Park Streets, and carried on a thriving trade 
 until 1873, when he retired, having acquired 
 a competency. After relinquishing mercan- 
 tile business, his time was occupied in attend- 
 ing to his real estate interests. 
 
 While residing in Petersham he was ac- 
 tively concerned in public affairs, serving as a 
 Selectman and as Overseer of the Poor, and in 
 1862 representing that town in the legisla- 
 ture. For two years he was a member of the 
 Worcester Board of Assessors, the duties of 
 which he discharged in a highly creditable 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1215 
 
 manner, but declined a third nomination. 
 Though not allied with any religious society, 
 he gained the sincere esteem of his fellow-cit- 
 izens by displaying in his every-day life those 
 principles of integrity and benevolence char- 
 acteristic of an upright man. His death, 
 which occurred suddenly at his home, 3 Chat- 
 ham Place, was the cause of general regret. 
 
 In 1844 Mr. Tolman was united in marriage 
 with Lydia Howard (of Winchester, N. H.), 
 whom he survived. He left one daughter, 
 Louise E. , who is now the widow of Charles 
 E. Grover, formerly division superintendent 
 of the Boston & Albany Railway. 
 
 T^HARLES E. GROVER was born in 
 I (iJ Worcester, April 27, 1846. Owing 
 \% to the death of his father, he was 
 
 ^^""^"'^ obliged to leave school when quite 
 young, and rely upon his own resources for 
 support. Entering the service of the Boston 
 & Albany Railway Company as a water-boy 
 in 1863, he was shortly afterward given a 
 clerkship in the Worcester freight office, and 
 was later transferred to the ticket office in the 
 Washington Square Station. In 1875 he was 
 advanced to the position of station agent at 
 South Framingham, where he remained five 
 years, and performed his duties with the same 
 energy and ability which had caused his rapid 
 advancement. In 1880 he was made a divi- 
 sion superintendent of the main line and its 
 branches between Worcester and Pittsfield, 
 with headquarters at Springfield. 
 
 The duties of that position were both com- 
 plicated and exacting. Besides a general 
 oversight of all regular, extra, and special 
 trains, and the affairs of the various stations 
 and yards, he took upon himself the responsi- 
 bility of head train despatcher at Springfield, 
 and also made it a point to manage all wreck- 
 ing trains. He was keenly alive to the inter- 
 ests of the travelling public, with which he 
 was popular; and his executive ability was 
 plainly visible in emergencies requiring 
 prompt, decisive action. His value as an 
 official had attracted the attention of some of 
 the foremost railroad corporations in the 
 United States; and he was about to accept the 
 
 lucrative position of division superintendent 
 of the Erie Road between Cleveland and Pitts- 
 burg, when stricken with a severe attack of 
 pneumonia, resulting from exposure and over- 
 work. Charles E. Grover died in December, 
 1886. At the present time the duties which 
 he seemingly attended to without difficulty 
 are performed by three officials, and his capac- 
 ity for work has not yet been equalled. Mrs. 
 Grover resides in Worcester. 
 
 AMUEL ALLEN MAYNARD,* a 
 retired octogenarian of Worcester, 
 was born in Northboro, this county, 
 January 16, 18 16, son of Asa and 
 Hannah (Allen) Maynard. His paternal 
 grandfather, who resided in Berlin, Mass., 
 died early in life, leaving a widow, two sons, 
 and a daughter. The latter, whose name was 
 Hannah, married Sanderson Carter, of Berlin, 
 and reared a family. Mr. Maynard's mater- 
 nal grandfather was Samuel Allen, of North- 
 boro. 
 
 Asa Maynard, the father, was born in Ber- 
 lin, June 6, 1778. Settling upon a farm in 
 Northboro, he tilled the soil as long as his 
 health would permit. He was an invalid for 
 several years, and died at the age of fifty-two. 
 Asa Maynard left a widow and eight children, 
 namely: Avery, who was twice married and 
 died at the age of thirty-two years, leaving a 
 widow and one son ; Asa, who was the father 
 of two sons and two daughters, and died at the 
 age of forty -four; Hannah, who married Eben- 
 ezer Ball, of Northboro, and died at the age of 
 seventy-five years, leaving a son; William G., 
 who was born in Worcester and died in 1896, 
 in his seventy-seventh year; Lyman Allen, a 
 painter in Worcester, who died at the age of 
 fifty, leaving a daughter, his son having been 
 drowned in Charles River when twenty-two 
 years old; Samuel A., the subject of this 
 sketch; Elizabeth, who was born in 1818, and 
 married Stephen Emerson; and John Quincy 
 Maynard, who was born in Northboro in 1833, 
 and died in Brooklyn, N.Y., leaving one son 
 and two daughters. Mrs. Maynard married 
 for her second husband Samuel Fisk, of Hol- 
 den, and lived to be eighty-two years old. 
 
I2l6 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 Samuel Allen Maynard went to school reg- 
 ularly until he was thirteen years old, and 
 after that he attended six winter terms of five 
 Weeks each. He was employed in farming 
 until nineteen, when he went to Shrewsbury, 
 Mass., and followed the shoemaker's trade 
 there about ten years. From 1846 to 1849 ^^ 
 worked for his brother, William G. Maynard, 
 who was for many years a sexton in Worces- 
 ter, and for the next three years he had charge 
 of a stationary engine in North Brookfield, 
 Mass. Returning to Worcester, he joined the 
 police force, which at that time consisted of 
 fourteen men, and he served as a patrolman 
 for one year. He next bought a farm of ten 
 acres on Burncoat Street, which he sold after 
 cultivating it for eleven years; and then, pur- 
 chasing the Elijah Flagg property, he carried 
 that on for about the same length of time. 
 For over twenty years he has resided in a 
 pleasantly located double house, 82 Elm 
 Street, which he purchased in 1869. He has 
 labored diligently, and, although the means 
 he has accumulated by hard work have been 
 used generously to assist others, he still pos- 
 sesses a competency. 
 
 In 1839 Mr. Maynard married Abby Seavey, 
 a native of Sutton, Mass., and -of Huguenot 
 ancestry. She died August 8, 1891, aged 
 seventy-one years, leaving no children. On 
 November 30, 1893, he wedded for his second 
 wife Miss Jennie S. Green. She died De- 
 cember 6, 1897, aged sixty-three. 
 
 In politics Mr. Maynard, formerly a Whig, 
 is now a Republican. He has been a member 
 of the Old South Congregational Church for 
 fifty years, was formerly an Assessor, and 
 served upon the Prudential and Music Com- 
 mittees. 
 
 (^Thoi 
 
 HOMAS H. O'CONNOR, M.D.,* the 
 pi I popular physician of Clinton, Mass., 
 -*- whose office is at 104 School Street, 
 was bo;rn in this town on March 19, 1858. He 
 is a son of the late Patrick O'Connor, of Clin- 
 ton, a native of Ireland, and grandson of 
 Thomas O'Connor, whose eighty-two years of 
 life were all spent in Ireland. 
 
 Patrick O'Connor, a youth of energy and 
 
 ambition, furnished with a limited education, 
 came to America when fifteen years of age, 
 and settled first in Groton, where he was em- 
 ployed for ten years as a moulder. Removing 
 to Clinton in 1845, he secured work at his 
 trade here and followed it during the rest of 
 his working life. He died in 1893 at the age 
 of seventy-three years. His wife, Mary, was 
 born in Ireland, daughter of George O'Brien, a 
 farmer, and one of a family of five children. 
 She became the mother of six children, five of 
 whom are living, viz. : Mary ]., Dr. Thorrias 
 H., Lizzie, Martha A., and Helen A. Mrs. 
 O'Connor died in 188 1 at the age of forty-two! 
 Both she and her husband were communicants 
 of the Roman Catholic church. 
 
 Dr. O'Connor received his early mental 
 training in the public schools of Clinton, and 
 in 1 87 1 entered Holy Cross College in 
 Worcester. From there he went to Bellevue 
 Hospital Medical College in New York City, 
 and in 1883 was graduated at that institution. 
 Returning to his native town, he began the 
 practice of his profession here, and has since 
 gained for himself the reputation of being a 
 skilled practitioner, both in medical and surgi- 
 cal cases. Eight years after settling here, 
 he was appointed by the late Governor Russell 
 Medical Examiner of the Fourth District of 
 Worcester County, and is still holding that 
 position. He has also been Town Physician 
 for five years. Secretary of the Clinton Board 
 of Health for five years, and a member of the 
 Board of Trustees of the Public Library. 
 Until two years ago he was a member of the 
 famous Board of Selectmen that gained distinc- 
 tion in governing the affairs of the town for 
 three years in perfect harmony, although com- 
 posed both of Republicans and Democrats. 
 
 Dr. O'Connor is a member of the Massachu- 
 setts Medico League, of the Worcester District 
 Medical Society, and of the State Medical So- 
 ciety. He has also been president of the Clin- 
 ton Medical Club, which is composed of all 
 the practising physicians in the town of Clin- 
 ton. He devotes a good deal of his time to 
 the Clinton Hospital, which he has helped to 
 maintain by contributing his practice, being at 
 present one of the visiting physicians of the 
 hospital. He is an active member of the Clin- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1217 
 
 ton Board of Trade, and has done his share in 
 keeping the organization together. He is Past 
 Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus of 
 Clinton. The Doctor attends the Roman 
 Catholic church. He is unmarried. His 
 residence is at the corner of Church and Union 
 Streets. 
 
 
 'BRIAN VAN DER PYL,* a salesman 
 and buyer for Barnard, Sumner & Put- 
 nam, of Worcester, was born in the 
 Province of Zeeland, Holland, June 
 23, 1858, son of John and Maria (Smallegang) 
 Van der Pyl. His paternal grandfather, also 
 named Adrian, was born in Holland in 1797, 
 followed farming in the old country during his 
 active period, and spent his last days in Rox- 
 bury, Mass. , where he died at the age of eighty 
 years. He reared two sons and three daugh- 
 ters, of whom the eldest is now seventy years 
 old ; and all are living. 
 
 John Van der Pyl was born November 14, 
 1830. Having learned the trade of a rope- 
 maker, he followed it in Holland until he came 
 to the United States in 1872, accompanied by 
 his father, his wife and six children. Set- 
 tling in Roxbury he worked at his trade until 
 1896. Since then he has lived there in retire- 
 ment. His wife, Maria, whom he married in 
 1857, became the mother of eleven children. 
 Of these, six were born in Holland and one 
 in Roxbury, and four died in Holland. The 
 living are : Adrian, the subject of this sketch ; 
 Cornelius, a pianoforte dealer in Boston ; Cor- 
 nelia, of whom .there is no special record; 
 Adriane, who married and resides in Athol, 
 Mass.; Nicholas, a Congregational minister; 
 and Nellie. The Rev. Nicholas Van der Pyl, 
 who was formerly a printer, graduated from 
 the Hartford Theological Seminary, and is now 
 the pastor of a church in Holliston, Mass. In 
 1898 he travelled in Europe. He is married 
 and has three children. 
 
 Adrian Van der Pyl was educated in Hol- 
 land. When he arrived in this country he was 
 fourteen years old. His first employment here 
 was that of clerk for Andrew C. Mudge & Co., 
 Boston. Later, he was successively employed 
 by Shepard, Norwell & Co. and R. H. White 
 
 & Co. In 1882 he was engaged as a salesman 
 by Messrs. Barnard, Sumner & Putnam, who 
 carry on what is claimed to be the largest busi- 
 ness of its kind in Worcester. He is now in 
 charge of, and the buyer of, that firm's hosiery 
 and gents' furnishing department. While pos- 
 sessing the confidence of his employers, he is 
 highly esteemed by his associates, and popular 
 with the patrons of the house. 
 
 On December 25, 1879, Mr. Van der Pyl 
 was married in Boston. He is the father of 
 twelve children, among whom are Charlotte, 
 Edward, Eugenie, John, Howard, Lorena, 
 Robert Adrian, and Ruth. All are attending 
 school except the youngest. 
 
 Hatch. 
 Hatch, 
 
 Q. HATCH,* Postmaster at Northboro, 
 Worcester County, is a native of Chel- 
 sea, Mass. He was born in i860, son 
 of Jonathan Nichols and M. L. (Ring) 
 His father was the son of Jonathan N. 
 Sr. , a prosperous farmer and sheep 
 raiser at Reading, Vt. , for many years a Select- 
 man of the town, and a member of the Congre- 
 gational church. 
 
 The natural bent of the younger Jonathan 
 being for trade rather than for agricultural pur- 
 suits, he left home when a mere boy to seek 
 his fortune in Boston. Employed at first in a 
 subordinate position behind the counter in a 
 mercantile establishment, and applying him- 
 self diligently to the discharge of his duties, 
 acquiring a knowledge of different kinds and 
 qualities of merchandise and of the demands of 
 customers, he developed unusual executive 
 ability. At the age of twenty-four he estab- 
 lished himself as a dry-goods merchant on 
 Hanover Street, where for seventeen years he 
 carried on a large and successful business. 
 He died at the age of forty-one. His wife, 
 who was a native of Litchfield, died when her 
 son, J. Q., was two years old. 
 
 The motherless lad spent most of his early 
 childhood in Boston. He was educated at a 
 boarding-school in Plymouth, Mass., and at 
 the Highland Military Academy in Worcester. 
 In 1880, a young man of twenty, Mr. Hatch 
 came to Northboro and bought out the general 
 
I2l8 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 merchandise store of Samuel Wood, which he 
 conducted till 1883, when he turned his ener- 
 gies in an entirely different direction, taking 
 up the trade of carpenter and builder. He was 
 thus engaged till May, 1896, when he received 
 the appointment of Postmaster of Northboro, in 
 which capacity he is still serving. 
 
 In politics he was active in the Democratic 
 party till the Chicago Convention of 1896. 
 He is a member of Marlboro Lodge, I. O. O. F. 
 Mr. Hatch married Florence, daughter of the 
 late Dr. H. A. Jewett, of Northboro. They 
 have three children — Kenneth F., Anna 
 Louise, and Sarah L. 
 
 -tgTENRY ALFRED JEWETT, M.D.,* 
 I^J was for nearly fifty years a practising 
 lis I physician of Northboro, Mass. By 
 ^*~^ his death on August 23, 1895, at 
 his home in this town, the Worcester District 
 Medical Society "lost" (to quote from the 
 records) "one of its oldest and best members; 
 one who, by his kindness of heart, his stain- 
 less integrity, and his professional ability, was 
 a blessing to the community in which he lived 
 and an honor to the medical profession." 
 
 He was born in Pepperell, Mass., January 
 II, 1820, son of Henry and Rebecca (Blood) 
 Jewett. His grandfathers, Edmund Jewett 
 and John Blood, both lived in Pepperell. 
 
 Dr. Jewett, who had begun the study of 
 medicine under the tuition of Dr. Nehemiah 
 Cutter, of Pepperell, shortly after leaving the 
 academy in that town, and subsequently re- 
 ceived his diploma from Pennsylvania Medical 
 College, Philadelphia, entered on the practice 
 of his profession at Hampton, N. H. The fol- 
 lowing year he settled in Northboro, where 
 he remained, a useful and honored citizen, 
 until called to his rest. His wife, Sarah 
 Abbie Lawrence, whom he married in 1849, 
 passed away several years previous to his own 
 departure. She was a daughter of Dr. Ebenezer 
 Lawrence, of Hampton, N. H. 
 
 Dr. Jewett left three children, namely : 
 Florence L., wife of J. Q. Hatch, of North- 
 boro ; Henry Lawrence, secretary of the Inter- 
 national Trust Company, of Boston, and a resi- 
 dent of Auburndale; and Annie Rebecca, a 
 
 graduate of the Normal School at Framing- 
 ham, for many years a successful teacher, who 
 now makes her home with Mr. and Mrs. Hatch. 
 Dr. Jewett is survived also by three brothers 
 — Dr. Frederick A. Jewett, of Grafton, who, 
 together with Dr. Albert Wood, of Worcester, 
 began the study of medicine in his office; 
 Rev. T. E. B. Jewett, of South Dakota; and 
 C. F. Jewett, Esq., of Pepperell. Dr. Jew- 
 ett was a member and for many years one of the 
 Councillors of the Massachusetts Medical So- 
 ciety, also a member of Worcester District 
 Medical Society, the Medico-legal Society, and 
 of Unity Commandery of the Order of the 
 Golden Cross. In politics he was a strong 
 Republican. At the time of his death he was 
 serving his third term as Medical Examiner 
 for the Fifth District. When a young man he 
 had a year's experience, 1843, in teaching in 
 Alabama; and in Northboro he rendered effi- 
 cient service for many years as a member of 
 the School Board, also as a trustee of the Pub- 
 lic Library. An exemplary member of the 
 Evangelical Congregational church, he long 
 served as its clerk. Whatsoever he was called 
 to do he did it faithfully and well. Although 
 in his later years worn with age and work, it 
 is said that he "continued cheerfully to go 
 about doing good to the day of his last ill- 
 ness, ' ' which was of but three days' duration. 
 One who knew him well could fitly write : 
 "Dr. Jewett was a good phyiscian, a useful 
 citizen, a kind neighbor, an affectionate hus- 
 band and father, a Christian gentleman of the 
 best type. Through his quiet and unassuming 
 manner one recognized a reserved power and a 
 strength of character which inspired confidence 
 and trust. Always courteous and just to all 
 his professional brethren, to the young he was 
 especially kind. He lived for humanity. The 
 poorest and meanest of bis clients could com- 
 mand his best services as promptly as the rich- 
 est and highest. Of course the accumulation 
 of money could never have been the chief aim 
 of such a life, and Dr. Jewett did not leave 
 behind him great worldly wealth. But he died 
 rich in the only possessions which a man can 
 carry with him to another world, the conscious- 
 ness of a man's work in life well done, and the 
 steadfast love and affectionate benediction of 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 1219 
 
 hundreds of grateful hearts throughout the 
 countryside which he had served so long and 
 well." 
 
 kARTIN MURPHY,* of the well- 
 known business firm of Murphy 
 Brothers, undertakers, and propri- 
 etors of a livery, boarding, and 
 sale stable, Clinton, Mass., with offices at 66 
 Church Street, was born in this town on Sep- 
 tember 27, 1857, son of Lawrence and Mary 
 (Tierney) Murphy. Lawrence Murphy, who 
 was born in Ireland, came to this country when 
 a boy and learned the stone-mason trade. He 
 spent the greater part of his life in Clinton and 
 did a large amount of contracting work in this 
 vicinity. He died at the age of sixty-four, and 
 is survived by his wife, Mary, a native of Ire- 
 land, and seven children, namely : John, Mi- 
 chael, Lawrence, Thomas, Martin, William, 
 and James. 
 
 Martin Murphy was educated in the common 
 schools and at a pirivate school. He began his 
 working life by engaging in the mason's busi- 
 ness, under his father's direction, until 1879, 
 when he started in the livery business. He 
 built a stable in 1887, but that was burned in 
 1,891 ; and then the building now on the spot 
 was erected. It has accommodations for 
 seventy-five horses. Another stable in Me- 
 chanics Street has room for twenty horses, 
 while the sale stable on Greeley Street accom- 
 modates others. The carriage repository, 
 which is in School Street, is well stocked with 
 carriages, sleighs, and harnesses. Messrs. 
 Murphy carry on what is probably the largest 
 and most successful stable business in Worces- 
 ter County. They have about sixty horses the 
 year round, and sometimes as many as one hun- 
 dred. They also do a large hack business on 
 private calls. It is interesting to know that 
 this extensive business has been built up from 
 a very modest beginning, Mr. Murphy having 
 only five horses and three carriages at the start. 
 During the first year he had a partner. After 
 that he was alone until about four years ago, 
 when his brother became associated with him. 
 Mr. Murphy's undertaking establishment is 
 well equipped in every particular, and the ser- 
 
 vices rendered through it are prompt and al- 
 ways in the best taste. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Murphy was united in marriage 
 with Maggie Ryan, daughter of Michael Ryan, 
 of this town. The following named six chil- 
 dren have been born of this union — Frank, 
 Trecey, Joseph, Gertrude, Alice, and Martin, 
 
 Jr. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Murphy is a Democrat, but, 
 notwithstanding the fact that Clinton is a 
 strongly Republican town, he has been elected 
 to various public offices. In 1895 he was 
 chosen Selectman to serve until 1898, and the 
 preceding year was elected Road Commis- 
 sioner to serve until 1897. He has been two 
 years a member of the Town Democratic Com- 
 mittee. Fraternally, Mr. Murphy is a member 
 of the Knights of Columbus. He attends the 
 Roman Catholic church. His business suc- 
 cess has been largely due to his unfailing cour- 
 tesy, to his uniform scale of prices, and to his 
 desire to accommodate his patrons in every 
 possible way. 
 
 tLBERT H. PLYMPTON,* one of the 
 best known citizens of Shrewsbury, 
 was born in this town on December 
 ^"^ 27, 1836, son of John B. and Han- 
 nah (Allen) Plympton. His maternal grand- 
 father was Captain Noah Allen. 
 
 John B. Plympton, who was in his time 
 one of the prominent men of Shrewsbury, car- 
 ried on for many years a shoe manufacturing 
 business, his shop being located near the pres- 
 ent residence of his son. He employed from 
 thirty-five to forty persons, and all work was 
 done by hand, as at that time sewing-machines 
 had not been introduced. He was largely in- 
 terested in real estate and was a most success- 
 ful business man. He was one of the three 
 original abolitionists in this town, the others 
 being Esquire Ward and Deacon Newton. 
 His home was one of the stations of the under- 
 ground railroad, and many a fugitive slave was 
 sheltered by him and given the best his house 
 afforded. 
 
 Albert H. Plympton received his early men- 
 tal training in the public schools of his native 
 town and at Berlin Academy, After leaving 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 
 
 scliool he learned the shoemaker's trade, and 
 subsequently for ten years he was foreman for 
 H. G. Fales & Co. At the end of that time 
 he bought out a teaming business and began to 
 engage in heavy trucking, principally between 
 Shrewsbury and Worcester. Employing large 
 two, four, and six horse trucks, for eighteen 
 years he has conducted a most successful busi- 
 ness, but during the last few years, owing to 
 severe injuries received while at work with a 
 team, he has not himself been in active work. 
 Mr. Plympton has been warmly interested in 
 town affairs, and for five years served as a 
 member of the Board of Assessors, being 
 Chairman of the board for three years. On 
 account of his injuries he was obliged to resign 
 at the close of his fifth term. 
 
 Mr. Plympton married Catherine E. Ben- 
 nett, of Boylston. They have one daughter, 
 Annie E. by name. She is a graduate of 
 Wellesley College and is at present teaching 
 in an Ohio college. 
 
 'AMES ALBERT PLATT,* a foreman 
 in the Stoneville Worsted Mil] at Au- 
 burn, Mass., was born November 21, 
 1844, in Webster, Worcester County, 
 the posthumous son of James Piatt. 
 
 James Piatt was of English ancestry and, 
 probably, was born in England. He learned 
 the trade of a weaver when young, and, becom- 
 ing an expert at the trade, he was an overseer 
 in the weaving departments in mills in Low- 
 ell, Canton, and Webster. In 1 844 he went to 
 California, where he died suddenly, while yet 
 in the prime of manhood, a few weeks before 
 the birth of his son, James Albert. Mrs. 
 Piatt continued her residence in Webster, and, 
 devoting herself to the care of her children, 
 reared her four daughters and three sons to 
 
 lives of industry and usefulness. Having seen 
 them well established in life, she spent her last 
 days in comfort at her home in Webster, where 
 she died in 1883, at the age of seventy-three 
 years. 
 
 James A. Piatt at the age of eleven years 
 left school to enter the woollen mill at Web- 
 ster. Beginning as a bobbin boy, he gradually 
 worked his way from one position to another 
 until he had become familiar with the various 
 branches of labor included in the manufacture 
 of woollen goods. In April, 1872, he left the 
 Webster mill, in which he had been so long 
 employed, and, coming to the Stonesville wor- 
 sted mill, has since reriiained with this com- 
 pany. Proving himself capable, efficient, and 
 faithful, he had been here but a comparatively 
 short time when he was made a foreman in one 
 of the departments, a position which he has 
 retained twenty-two consecutive years, a record 
 of service that shows his popularity with his 
 employers and the employees of the factory. 
 A man of strict integrity and sound reasoning 
 powers, he keeps his faculties in active use, and 
 both politically and religiously has the courage 
 of his convictions and the manhood to express 
 them, being bound neither by party restrictions 
 in the former case nor by written creeds in 
 the other. 
 
 On December 4, 1869, Mr. Piatt married 
 Jennie H. Humes, of Webster, a daughter of 
 Albert and Nancy (Humes) Humes. Her 
 mother died in 1877, leaving but two children 
 of a family of six, namely: Mrs. Piatt and Al- 
 bert Nelson Humes. Mr. Humes subse- 
 quently married again, and is now living in 
 Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Piatt have two 
 children: Bertrand J., who ise mployed in the 
 Stonesville worsted mill, is married, and has 
 two children ; and Ethel H. , wife of Alvin L. 
 of Needham. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL. 
 
 A. 
 
 Abbott, Benjamin W 1017 
 
 Abbott, Josiah 912 
 
 Abbott, Simon C 163 
 
 Adams, I. Plummer .... 404 
 
 Adams, Joseph 1073 
 
 Adams, Reuben 380 
 
 Aiken, Benjamin P 152 
 
 Aitchison, George T 533 
 
 Akers, Edward 133 
 
 Albee, John N 843 
 
 Aldrich, Benjamin F. . . . 988 
 
 Aldrich, Charles T 58 
 
 Aldrich, Cyrenus 909 
 
 Allen, Charles H 362 
 
 Allen, David C 171 
 
 Allen, George ...... 298 
 
 Allen, George E 466 
 
 Allen, Harding 1128 
 
 Allen, Hugh J 221 
 
 Allen, John G 278 
 
 Ames, Hiram H 1112 
 
 Amidon, Fayette A 848 
 
 Ammidown, Luther S. ... 972 
 
 Anderson, William E. ... 123 
 
 Andrews, James E. .... 284 
 
 Armington, Samuel W. . . . 862 
 
 Armsby, George A 41 ' 
 
 Ashey, John P 273 
 
 Association, Y. M. C. A., South- 
 bridge 237 
 
 Atherton, Frank A 882 
 
 Atwood, George H 7°; 
 
 Auger, Louis L 152 
 
 B. 
 
 Babbitt, Charles A 113° 
 
 Babbitt, Frank 225 
 
 Babcock, Henry E 231 
 
 Bacon, John W 54' 
 
 Baker, David J 428 
 
 Baker, Lovell "°° 
 
 PAGH 
 
 Baker, Peter -ins 
 
 Baker, Silas W 392 
 
 Baker, Warren 937 
 
 Baker, William H 139 
 
 Balcom, Elmer L .... 510 
 
 Balcome, Isaac S 701 
 
 Ball, J. Nelson 319 
 
 Ball, Oliver M 1194 
 
 Ball, Phinehas 222 
 
 Ballard, John S 11 63 
 
 Bancroft, Eben D 195 
 
 Bancroft, Joseph B 192 
 
 Barber, George A 794 
 
 Barber, Silas 815 
 
 Barker, James H 999 
 
 Barnard. John 346 
 
 Barnard, Rebecca 620 
 
 Barnes, George 624 
 
 Barnes, Wilder U 2ti 
 
 Barnes, William C 454 
 
 Barr, James E 806 
 
 Barr, William A 231 
 
 Barry, Russell W 669 
 
 Bartlett, Charles A. . . . 493 
 
 Bartlett, Charles R. . . . 863 
 
 Bartlett, Edward P 514 
 
 Bartlett, Frank V 754 
 
 Bartlett, Louis D 1015 
 
 Barton, Samuel R 1089 
 
 Batcheller, Edward A. . . . 139 
 
 Batcheller, Henry C 83 
 
 Batchelor, Eli W 68 
 
 Bates, C. Waldo 1152 
 
 Bates, Emory L 636 
 
 Becker, John 1013 
 
 Beckwith, Robert A 196 
 
 Belisle, Eli 1064 
 
 Belisle, Hormisdas .... 253 
 
 Bemis, Addison J 320 
 
 Bemis, Daniel W 1048 
 
 Bemis, David 190 
 
 Bemis, David 911 
 
 Bemis, Edwin P. . . . . 1208 
 
 Bemis, Frederick H 49' 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Bemis, George . . . . . 1176 
 
 Bemis, George, 2d ii8o 
 
 Bemis, James C 88 
 
 Bemis, Joshua 454 
 
 Bemis, Tilley ... . . 749 
 
 Bennett, Asa 986 
 
 Benson, George 549 
 
 Berger, Frederick H 1050 
 
 Berger, Frederick H. C. . . . 1049 
 
 Bernstrom, Benjamin J. . . . 727 
 
 Bicknell, Simon P 1054 
 
 Bigelow, Henry N. ... 310 
 
 Bigelow, Silas H 78 
 
 Bildt, Carl W 1033 
 
 Bill, Ledyard 822 
 
 Bixby, Austin W 681 
 
 Black, John R 285 
 
 Blair, Charles B 713 
 
 Blair, Ezra H 368 
 
 Blair, Joseph 191 
 
 Blair, Warren A 64 
 
 Blaisdell, Parritt 903 
 
 Blake, George B. . . . 405 
 
 Blake, William M 736 
 
 Blanchard, Charles P. . . . 69 
 
 Blanchard, George C. ... 926 
 
 Bl.anchard, George M. . . . 784 
 
 Bliss, George 655 
 
 Blodgett, Alton 997 
 
 Blodgett, Giles 129 
 
 Blodgett, Percival 779 
 
 Blood, William H 316 
 
 Blunt, Michael A 1178 
 
 Boardman, John W 687 
 
 Bond, Joseph E 11 18 
 
 Booth, Jacob 226 
 
 Booth, Robert 644 
 
 Boswell, Elizabeth A. G. . . 1106 
 
 Bosworth, John 870 
 
 Bourn, Isaac 200 
 
 Bowes, William J 1070 
 
 Boyd, Hamilton 1009 
 
 Bo5'den, David 9SS 
 
 Boyden, Elbridge 1003 
 
INDEX 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Boyden, George E 1161 
 
 Boynton, Darwin R 144 
 
 Boynton, Reuben 471 
 
 Bradford, Jonathan C. . . . 286 
 
 Bradish, Levi P 205 
 
 Bradley, Osgood, Jr 1120 
 
 Brigham, Dexter A 433 
 
 Brigham, George B 740 
 
 Brigham, George H 884 
 
 Brigham, John M 375 
 
 Brigham, Lucius L 11 13 
 
 Brigham, Mary G. . . . . 1159 
 
 Brigham, William F 688 
 
 Bronson, James M. . . . 395 
 
 Brooks, Benjamin F. ... 219 
 
 Brooks, Charles E 1075 
 
 Brooks, Elijah F 741 
 
 Brooks, Henry E 345 
 
 Brooks, John 1021 
 
 Brooks, John H 336 
 
 Brooks, Walter F 182 
 
 Brown, Adams F 130 
 
 Brown, Alfred M 943 
 
 Brown, Amos . .... 930 
 
 Brown, George A 78 
 
 Brown, Hammond 99 
 
 Brown, Horatio A 394 
 
 Brown, John A 373 
 
 Brown, Nellie M. S 443 
 
 Brown, William 708 
 
 Brown, William N 1177 
 
 Bryant, Fred L 447 
 
 Bryant, Frederick 238 
 
 Bryant, George E 276 
 
 Buck, Charles 629 
 
 Buck, Horace B 918 
 
 Buck, Richard T 663 
 
 Buck, William H 925 
 
 Bugbee, Benajah U 1008 
 
 BuUard, Dexter 643 
 
 BuUard, Henry B looi 
 
 Burbank, George G 841 
 
 Burdon, Amos 507 
 
 Burgess, Silas A 650 
 
 Burnett, Joseph 1066 
 
 Burnham, Edwin L 1023 
 
 Burns, John 670 
 
 Burpee, J. Samuel 307 
 
 Burpee, Pierson T. K. ... 732 
 
 Burroughs, Marcus .... 640 
 
 Butler, Windsor T 712 
 
 Buttrick, Albert C 858 
 
 Buzzell, Josiah M 657 
 
 C. 
 
 Cantello, George 546 
 
 Capen, Herbert H 40 
 
 Carlton, Elbridge G 341 
 
 Carpenter, Charles V. ... 190 
 
 Carpenter, Seth P 897 
 
 Carr, Loammi B 550 
 
 Carroll, Charles W 62 
 
 Carter, Rufus 275 
 
 Carter, Rufus 1190 
 
 Chamberlain, Edward F. * . . 417 
 
 Chamberlain, Robert H. . . 75 
 
 Chamberlin, John L 1122 
 
 Chandler, George 836 
 
 Chapin, Emmons E 230 
 
 Chapin, Francis L. 7 . . . 209 
 
 Chase, Frederick T 268 
 
 Chase, Levi B 179 
 
 Chase, Louis E. . . . . 69 
 
 Cheever, Henry T 829 
 
 Cheney, Alfred L 1202 
 
 Cheney, Alpha M 204 
 
 Cheney, John M 904 
 
 Cheney, Leonard 678 
 
 Child, George C i6S 
 
 Childs, Sereno A 34 
 
 Chipman, Oliver B. E. . . . 188 
 
 Claflin, Charles R. B. ... 1143 
 
 Clare, Maurice P 243 
 
 Clark, Charles D 929 
 
 Clark, George H 745 
 
 Clark, Harvey 742 
 
 Clark, Malcom G 1067 
 
 Clark, Thomas A 1057 
 
 Clarke, John M. . . . 324 
 
 Clarke, Rowse R. . . . . 739 
 
 Clemence, George L ... 174 
 
 Clinton Daily Item .... 529 
 
 Cobb, Mrs. Wealthy C. . . . 916 
 
 Coburn, Jesse J 11 60 
 
 Cochrane, William A. ... 728 
 
 Coggshall, Henry F 51 
 
 Cole, Daniel D 156 
 
 Cole, Robert H 71 1 
 
 Colton, Samuel H 1198 
 
 Combs, John T 151 
 
 Comee, Ezra 407 
 
 Conant, Frank S 413 
 
 Converse, Albert H 943 
 
 Converse, Alfred L 1005 
 
 Converse, Henry 484 
 
 Converse, Morton E 627 
 
 Cook, George W. . ... 1083 
 
 Cook, Herbert A 982 
 
 Cook, Sanford B. . . . . 783 
 
 Cook, Walter S. V 807 
 
 Cook, William H. . ... 137 
 
 Cooke, Samuel W 840 
 
 Coolidge, Charles S 262 
 
 Corbin, Benjamin A. . . . 898 
 
 Corbin, Cameron 163 
 
 Corey, Charles V 160 
 
 Corey, Frances E 682 
 
 Corey, Waldo C 754 
 
 Corliss, James M 1212 
 
 Couillard, Pierre L 238 
 
 Coutu, Joseph 316 
 
 Co wden, George W 1131 
 
 Craig, George A. . ... 504 
 
 Crawford, William J 592 
 
 Crocker, Alvah 605 
 
 Crosby, Isaac B 927 
 
 Cross, Daniel ...... 1128 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CuUey, Eli 459 
 
 Cummings, George F. ... 612 
 
 Cummings, Herbert E. . . . 195 
 
 Cunningham, Edward D. . . 344 
 
 Curley, George F 47 
 
 Currier, Frederick A 232 
 
 Curtis, Albert ...;.. 422 
 
 Curtis, Albert W 451 
 
 Curtis, Edwin P 11 14 
 
 Curtis, John A. R 481 
 
 Curtis, Tyler P 1115 
 
 Cutler, Alonzo W 1174 
 
 Cutler, Samuel N 958 
 
 D. 
 
 Daggett, Nathan L 965 
 
 Daley, James 451 
 
 Dame, Walter R 907 
 
 Damon, Isaac . . ... 1149 
 
 Dana, George 746 
 
 Dana, Jonathan P 127 
 
 Daniels, John H 935 
 
 Daniels, John M 524 
 
 Darling, George L 99 
 
 Darling, Homer W 547 
 
 Darling, John D 374 
 
 Davenport, John L 530 
 
 Davenport, Stearnes L. . . . 928 
 
 Davidson, Alonzo B 878 
 
 Davis, Alonzo 505 
 
 Davis, Jonathan 687 
 
 Davis, Myron C 1168 
 
 Dawley, Charles C 259 
 
 Dawson, Charles 206 
 
 Day, Annie H mS 
 
 Day, Cornelius R 1055 
 
 Day, E. Allen 226 
 
 Day, George F. P 100 
 
 Dean, David R 158 
 
 DeFosse, C. Herbert .... 216 
 
 Denholm, William J 1199 
 
 Dennis, Samuel S 41 
 
 Denny, Parkman T 951 
 
 Dewey, Charles A 39 
 
 Dewing, John B 815 
 
 Dexter, William H 434 
 
 Dickinson, Elijah M 990 
 
 Dickinson, William .... 1041 
 
 Dietzman, Herman .... 573 
 
 Doane, Charles N 143 
 
 Doane, Freeman R 220 
 
 Doane, Hubbard S 775 
 
 Doane, Pliny S 464 
 
 Dodd, Joseph H 1171 
 
 Dodge, George F 584 
 
 Dodge, Reuben R. . . . . 734 
 
 Dodge, Rufus B 56 
 
 Dodge, Sarah M 1087 
 
 Drake, Edward L 1175 
 
 Drake, John M 640 
 
 Drake, Milo F 11 85 
 
 Draper, James 360 
 
 Draper, William F 9 
 
INDEX 
 
 1223 
 
 Drennan, John B 439 
 
 Dresser, Chester A 460 
 
 Dresser, Sylvester 568 
 
 Dudley, Era C. . .... 164 
 
 Dudley, George J 369 
 
 Dudley, Henry T 479 
 
 Dudley, P. Whitin 95 
 
 Duell, George S 199 
 
 Dunn, Marcus M 1203 
 
 Dunton, Hiram C 973 
 
 Dunton, Silas 387 
 
 Dutcher, Warren W. . . . 1030 
 
 E. 
 
 Eames, Frank W 1211 
 
 Eames, Luther R 306 
 
 Eames, Stephen H 108 
 
 Eastman, Thomas C 1054 
 
 Eaton, Amos M 444 
 
 Eaton, Joseph P 961 
 
 Eaton, Thomas S 343 
 
 Edgerly, Joseph G. . . . 750 
 
 Edmands, Samuel S 568 
 
 Edmonds, Chas. S 362 
 
 Edwards, Frank 809 
 
 Edwards, Franklin W. . . . 173 
 
 Edwards, Stephen K 444 
 
 Elliot, Clarence H. . . • . 808 
 
 Ellis, Dean S 429 
 
 Ellis, Preston P 972 
 
 Elwell, William H. ... 1133 
 
 Estabrook, Adin C 615 
 
 Estabrook, Daniel F 1142 
 
 Estabrook, Ebenezer . . . . 1165 
 
 Estabrook, Edward A 482 
 
 Estabrook, F. W 11 04 
 
 Esterbrook, Charles W. . . . 1062 
 
 Ewell, William F 468 
 
 F. 
 
 Fairbank, Andrew 875 
 
 Fairbank, John H 780 
 
 Fairbank, Wilson H 581 
 
 Fairbanks, Charles H. . .1208 
 
 Fairbanks, Leonard .... 127 
 
 Fairbanks, Lyman N 564 
 
 Fales, George H 48 
 
 Fales, Henry E 501 
 
 Fanning, David H 1045 
 
 Farley, John A 1164 
 
 Farnsworth, Calvin .... 956 
 
 Farwell, William M ii97 
 
 Fay, Asa B 7i3 
 
 Fay, Sereno E 337 
 
 Fay, William H 1183 
 
 Fayerweather, John A. . . . 323 
 
 Felton, William N 286 
 
 Ferguson, Amy G 74S 
 
 Ferguson, George A 019 
 
 Ferguson, James H 1058 
 
 Fickett, Wyman C 427 
 
 Field, Charles 67a 
 
 Field, Zibeon C. 
 Fish, Robert C. . 
 Fisher, Albert L. 
 Fisher, George W 
 Fisher, Lewis S. 
 Fisher, S. Deane 
 Fisher, Theodore F 
 Fiske, Stephen B, 
 Fitzgerald, Daniel F. 
 Flagg, Daniel 
 Flagg, Nahum . 
 Flagg, Samuel C. 
 Fletcher, Charles T 
 Flint, Charles F. 
 Flint, John . . 
 Fobes, Hiram 
 FoUansby, Charles H. 
 FoUett, Isaac 
 Fontaine, Fehx D. . 
 Fontaine, Pierre 
 Forbes, William T. 
 Forbush, Silas A. . 
 Ford, Leuvill W. . 
 Fosse, C. Herbert de 
 Foster, Albert H. . 
 Foster, Thomas R. 
 Freeland, Foster 
 Freeman, Liberty . 
 French, Hiram . . 
 Fullam, William F. 
 Fuller, Eben S. . . 
 Fyfe, William E. . 
 
 472 
 1 179 
 
 74 
 538 
 544 
 864 
 788 
 485 
 
 63 
 535 
 
 94 
 452 
 
 331 
 480 
 
 1125 
 583 
 485 
 290 
 800 
 
 1055 
 
 14 
 328 
 
 427 
 216 
 
 965 
 697 
 683 
 718 
 971 
 
 lOI 
 
 964 
 802 
 
 G. 
 
 Gafney, James H 970 
 
 Gale, Cyrus .... . 294 
 
 Gale, George W 871 
 
 Gallup, James B 354 
 
 Garland, Guy W , . 289 
 
 Garno, William A 1053 
 
 Gaskill, Lewis B 583 
 
 Gatchell, Jeremiah 820 
 
 Gates, John 1192 
 
 Geddes, Peter S. W. . . 1056 
 
 George, Julius A 414 
 
 George, Nathan R. . . . 243 
 
 Gerry, George M 1090 
 
 Getchell, Amos G 1096 
 
 Gibbs, John C 104 
 
 Giffin, Lucius 181 
 
 Gilman, Albert L 936 
 
 Gilman, Moses D. . . . . . 827 
 
 Gilmore, Edward T 87 
 
 Gird, Joseph W 911 
 
 Gleason, Leonard . . • . . 1131 
 
 Gleason, Samuel N 446 
 
 Goddard, Asa 576 
 
 Goddard, Charles A 645 
 
 Goddard, Henry L 495 
 
 Goddard, Ira N 370 
 
 Goddard, Luther D. . . . 1 1 72 
 
 Goodell, Edwin D 714 
 
 Goodman, Henry W. . • . , U27 
 
 Goodnow, Oliver . 
 Goodrich, Charles A. 
 Goodrich, Henry A. 
 Goss, Samuel A. 
 Goss, William . . 
 Gould, Charles M. . 
 Gould, George H. . 
 Gould, T. Elmer 
 Grandy, Ziba B. 
 Graton, Henry C. . 
 Gray, Davis P. . . 
 Greene, Chandler J. 
 Greene, Jeremiah E. 
 Greenwood, Alson J. 
 Greenwood, Charles 
 Greenwood, Frederick 
 Greenwood, Sewell E. 
 Greenwood, Silas A. 
 Grimes, Edwin . 
 Gross, Raphael . . 
 Grover, Charles E. 
 Grover, Frank S. . 
 Guptill, Ira C. . . 
 Guy, Benjamin E. . , 
 Guy, Elbridge G. . 
 Guy, Walter P. . . , 
 
 H. 
 
 Hackett, William H. 
 Hadwen, Obadiah B. 
 Hakes, Hudson W. 
 Hall, Amos B. . . 
 Hall, Eben T. . . 
 Hall, Henry C. . . 
 Hall, John A. . 
 Hamant, George R. 
 Hamilton, William 
 Hammond, John C. 
 Hammond, Joseph P. 
 Harding, Samuel D. 
 Hardon, Simon D. . 
 Harkins, James W., Jr, 
 Harriman, Charles H. 
 Harrington, Benjamin F 
 Harrington, Charles A. 
 Harrington, David B. . 
 Harrington, Francis A. 
 Harrington, Gilbert H. 
 Harrington, Henry A. 
 Harrington, Lucien 
 Harrington, Nathan S. 
 Harrington, Theodore 
 Harrington, Thomas . 
 Harris, B. Edwin . . 
 Harris, Charles M. 
 Harris, Edwin A. . . 
 Harris, Henry F. . . 
 Harris, Oliver F. . . 
 Hartshorn, Calvin L. . 
 Hartshorn, Edward 
 Hartwell, Harris C. 
 Hartwell, Samuel C. . 
 Harwood, P^nieJ Q, , 
 
1224 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Harwood, Ethan A 688 
 
 Harwood, George N 664 
 
 Harwood, Henry W 664 
 
 Harvey, Edwin B 22 
 
 Haskins, James P 910 
 
 Hastings, Arthur 515 
 
 Hastings, David C 718 
 
 Hastings, Solon S 1206 
 
 Hasten, Erasmus 773 
 
 Hatch, J. Q 1217 
 
 •Hathaway, Bowers C. ... 892 
 
 Haven, Samuel F 703 
 
 Hawes, Estes 926 
 
 Hayden, Lewis 151 
 
 Haynes, Amory S 150 
 
 Haynes, Stillman 400 
 
 Hayter, David H 751 
 
 Hayward, George E 13 
 
 Hayward, Silvanus .... 666 
 
 Hayward, William E 84 
 
 Heath, Guilford P 1181 
 
 Hebard, Josiah F 933 
 
 Henshaw, Lewis 824 
 
 Heywood, Moses B 510 
 
 Higgins, Elon G 1166 
 
 Higgins, Francis W. . . . 973 
 
 Hildreth, George F 752 
 
 Hildreth, James 849 
 
 Hill, David W 506 
 
 Hill, Edward L 326 
 
 Hill, Jason B 215 
 
 Hill, Luther 123 
 
 Hill, William R 73 
 
 Hillman, John N 567 
 
 Hinds, Alanspn G 828 
 
 Hinds, Albert 548 
 
 Hitchcock, Charles F. . . . 465 
 
 Hixon, Adin A. H 952 
 
 Hoar, George F. . . . . 396 
 
 Hobbs, Calvin 11 76 
 
 Holbrook, William D. . . 1141 
 
 Holden, Amos B 850 
 
 Holden, Nathan W 658 
 
 Holman, John E 981 
 
 Holman, William F 878 
 
 Holmes, Philander . . 305 
 
 Holmes, Sumner .... 196 
 
 Holt, John 102 
 
 Hooker, Joseph E 494 
 
 Hopkins, Henry L. ... 985 
 
 Hopkins, John . ... 733 
 
 Horr, Merritt N 274 
 
 Hosmer, Asa 333 
 
 Hosmer, John R 574 
 
 Howard, Austin 317 
 
 Howe, Charles S 1107 
 
 Howe, Edwin 672 
 
 Howe, Edwin A 891 
 
 Howe, Ellsworth E. . . . 473 
 
 Howe, George S 1104 
 
 Howe, George F 6n 
 
 Howe, George W 414 
 
 Howe, Herbert W 607 
 
 Howe, John C 835 
 
 Howe, Joseph L. . . 
 Howe, S. Augustus 
 Howe, Walter H. . . 
 Howe, William B. . . 
 Howland, George G. . 
 Howland, Henry J. 
 Howland, Lewis . . 
 Hubbard, Charles J. G. 
 Hubbard, George W. . 
 Huckins, Francis E. . 
 Hull, Samuel E. . . 
 Hunt, Frederick S. 
 Huot, Napoleon P. 
 Hurd, Albert G. . . 
 Huse, George W. . . 
 Hutchins, Charles H. . 
 Hutchinson, Gerry 
 Hyde, Alvin .... 
 Hyde, Dwight . . . 
 Hyde, Samuel . . . 
 Hyland, William . . 
 
 Inches, George B. . 
 Item, Clinton Daily 
 
 PAGE 
 
 1196 
 
 602 
 
 18 
 
 1 109 
 
 S13 
 1 162 
 
 342 
 
 1 154 
 
 944 
 
 851 
 
 725 
 
 197 
 
 1119 
 
 883 
 
 1 1 70 
 
 1037 
 
 1088 
 
 374 
 
 573 
 
 200 
 
 89s 
 
 403 
 529 
 
 J- 
 
 Jacques, Urgel 77 
 
 JefEerson, William H. . . . 1125 
 
 Jefts, George H 985 
 
 Jencks, Hiram M 1146 
 
 Jenkins, Abbott A 292 
 
 Jeppson, John 11 70 
 
 Jerome, Henry 872 
 
 Jewett, Henry A 1218 
 
 Johnson, Chester N 274 
 
 Johnson, Frank L 461 
 
 Johnson, Iver 821 
 
 Johnson, Nathan S 998 
 
 Johnson, Nathaniel L. . . . 269 
 
 Johnson, William M H44 
 
 Jones, Erastus 934 
 
 Jones, George E 631 
 
 Jones, John D. E 1209 
 
 Jones, Thomas H 89 
 
 Jordan, John W 11 87 
 
 Joslyn, Orrin F 1034 
 
 Jourdan, Benjamin A 184 
 
 K. 
 
 Keith, William G 189 
 
 KeUey, Oran A 1028 
 
 Kendall, Herbert E 1034 
 
 Kendall, Louis J 391 
 
 Kendall, Sanford M 691 
 
 Kendrick, George P 11^9 
 
 Kenney, Clesson 338 
 
 Kent, George W 694 
 
 Kent, Samuel W 1116 
 
 Keyes, Israel N 11 68 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Kilbourn, William A 282 
 
 Kimball, John E 220 
 
 Kimball, John W 814 
 
 King, George P 134 
 
 King, Homer R 342 
 
 King, John G 928 
 
 Kinney, Albert B. F 839 
 
 Kinney, Frank J 291 
 
 Kinney, Herbert R 639 
 
 Kirby, Alfred J 675 
 
 Kirby, Leander T 178 
 
 Knibbs, John W 833 
 
 Knight, Charles B 753 
 
 Knight, Dexter 548 
 
 Knight, Joseph A 752 
 
 Knowles, Francis B 755 
 
 L. 
 
 Lamb, Thomas M 11 22 
 
 Lange, Hermann F. A. . . . 834 
 
 Lawrence, John W 277 
 
 Lawrence, Joseph B 1084 
 
 Lawrence, Willard F 267 
 
 Lawson, Samuel C 1214 
 
 Leach, Henrie H 40 
 
 Learned, James T 1210 
 
 Lee, Henry A 1212 
 
 Lefavour, John H 282 
 
 Leighton, Lyman 774 
 
 Leland, Charles L 1102 
 
 Leonard, Edward D 788 
 
 Leonard, Richard A 616 
 
 Lincoln, Edward W 250 
 
 Lincoln, Lucius G iioi 
 
 Lincoln, Paul S 108 
 
 Lincoln) William S 1090 
 
 Lindsay, Ira 884 
 
 Litchfield, Frank C 852 
 
 Livermore, John W 47 
 
 Locke, Horace M 816 
 
 'Lombard, Joseph B 61 
 
 Loomls, Rodney D 128 
 
 Loring, Nelson 141 
 
 Lovell, Abbie M no; 
 
 Lovell, Cyrus A 11 05 
 
 Lovell, John D 615 
 
 Low, Irenaeus H 147 
 
 Lowe, Horace H 1194 
 
 Lundberg, John F 1 147 
 
 Lynde, Ebenezer B 557 
 
 Lynde, Edward B 867 
 
 Ly tie, William A 1186 
 
 M. 
 
 MacDuff, Daniel 358 
 
 Malo, Joseph 1173 
 
 Mandell, George 26 
 
 Mann, George 1024 
 
 Manning, Theodore .... 992 
 
 Marble, Aaron H 130 
 
 Marble, Ezra W 434 
 
 Marble, Jqrome mi 
 
INDEX 
 
 I22S 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Marble, John P mo 
 
 Marsh, Alphonso 1138 
 
 Martin, Saxton P 1137 
 
 Mathewson, Henry .... 386 
 
 Mathewson, Oscar L 155 
 
 Matthews, David A 612 
 
 May, Samuel 31 
 
 MayHew, Aaron C 418 
 
 Mayhew, John S 419 
 
 Maynard, Artemas 262 
 
 Maynard, Calvin 327 
 
 Maynard, Samuel A 121 5 
 
 Mayo, William 252 
 
 Maxham, Chipman H. . . . 384 
 
 McClellan, Francis A. . . . 1134 
 
 McClellan, John E 860 
 
 McCloud, Charles C 1069 
 
 McFarland, Andrew J. . ■ . 1156 
 
 McFarland, James 692 
 
 McMasters, Henry A. . . 354 
 
 Mead, John S 352 
 
 Mellen, Walter B 308 
 
 Mellen, William H 284 
 
 Mentzer, Cyrus H • 824 
 
 Merriam, Artemas 388 
 
 Merriam, David H 621 
 
 Merriam, Warren J 277 
 
 Metcalf, Nathan E 379 
 
 Miles, Daniel C 114 
 
 Miles, Nelson A. ... 118 
 
 Miller, James . .... 898 
 
 Mitchell, Daniel W 283 
 
 Moffitt, Elihu W 532 
 
 Monroe, Thomas W 1092 
 
 Montague, James S 184 
 
 Mooney, Richard H 497 
 
 Moore, Edwin 325 
 
 Moore, Harrison 149 
 
 Moore, Horatio 234 
 
 Moore, Luke S 328 
 
 Moore, Luther 300 
 
 Moore, Warren E 64 
 
 Morgan, Henry E 586 
 
 Morse, Edwin 942 
 
 Morse, George M. iiS3 
 
 Morse, Henry G 4°? 
 
 Morse, Joshua W 215 
 
 Morton, Elias P 239 
 
 Moulton, Menzres R. ... 4" 
 
 MuUett, William D 204 
 
 Murdock, Burton B 289 
 
 Murdock, Elisha 1079 
 
 Murdock, Joseph 67 
 
 Murphy, Martin 1219 
 
 N. 
 
 Neal, Harrison 646 
 
 Nelson, J. J 9'6 
 
 Nelson, Jasper S 44° 
 
 Newton, Abraham H. ... 989 
 
 Newton, Eugene H 1192 
 
 Newton, Francis D s6o 
 
 Newton, George 1086 
 
 Newton, William 652 
 
 Nichols, Ebenezer W. . . . 877 
 
 Nichols, George K 90 
 
 Norcross, Charles H 1095 
 
 Norcross, D. Webster . . . 1042 
 
 Norcross, James A 595 
 
 Norcross, Orlando W. . . . 102 1 
 
 Norton, Franklin B 908 
 
 Nourse, Andrew L 206 
 
 Nourse, Benjamin A 776 
 
 Nourse, Benjamin B 172 
 
 Nutt, George H 649 
 
 Nye, J. Warren 109 
 
 O. 
 
 O'Connor, Thomas H. . . . 1216 
 
 Ogden, John W 585 
 
 Olin, Francis H 345 
 
 Olmstead, Chauncey L. . . . 240 
 
 Olney, Joseph M 164 
 
 Osgood, Samuel 717 
 
 P. 
 
 Packard, James 1093 
 
 Paige, Benjamin F 96 
 
 Paige, Calvin A 519 
 
 Paige, Calvin D 887 
 
 Paige, Joseph C 1126 
 
 Paine, James P 334 
 
 Palmer, Harris 1 130 
 
 Parker, Carmi M 1086 
 
 Parker, Clarence H 198 
 
 Parker, Daniel M 447 
 
 Parker, David F 1 107 
 
 Parker, Richard F 11 79 
 
 Parkman, Henry L. . . . 395 
 
 Parraelee, Arthur W 665 
 
 Partridge, Walter F 482 
 
 Pathie, William 1064 
 
 Paton, Alexander S 651 
 
 Patrick, William E 113 
 
 Peacock, John .... . 1039 
 
 Peck, Augustus E 1047 
 
 Peirce, Charles H 399 
 
 Peirce, James E 580 
 
 Perry, Frank D 1070 
 
 Perry, George H 1077 
 
 Perry, Joseph S 521 
 
 Petts, Lyman G 811 
 
 Pevey, Abel A 11 12 
 
 Phelps, Charles E 515 
 
 Pierce, Edwin 634 
 
 Pierce, Samuel S 920 
 
 Pike, Henry H 167 
 
 Piper, George M 929 
 
 Piper, William 1134 
 
 Piatt, James A 1220 
 
 Plimpton, Alden B 257 
 
 Plunkett, Alden B 257 
 
 Plunkett, Thomas ... .1136 
 
 Plympton, Albert H 1219 
 
 Poland, Anson B 35 
 
 Pollard, Herbert L. 
 Pollard, Moses 
 Pond, John F. . . 
 Potter, Cyrus 
 Powers, Joel L. . . • 
 Powers, Philastus . 
 Pratt, Charles H. . 
 Pratt, Joseph . 
 Pratt, Leander S. 
 Pratt, Samuel A. . 
 Pratt, Southworth, Jr. 
 Prendergast, James 
 Prendergast, William 
 Prentice, Jerome V. 
 Prentiss, Benjamin F. 
 Prescott, Sylvester 
 Proctor, Edward 
 Proctor, Sullivan G. 
 Prouty, Calvin L. . 
 Prouty, Charles R. 
 Prouty, Frank E. . 
 Prouty, George P. . 
 Prouty, Joel E. . . 
 Prouty, Thomas A. 
 Prouty, Vernon . 
 Pursey, James . . 
 Putnam, Clarendon W 
 Putnam, George A. 
 Putnam, John D. 
 Putnam, Jonas T. . 
 Putnam, Sibley . . 
 
 Quigley, James 
 Quirk, Thomas 
 
 385 
 1013 
 889 
 692 
 172 
 759 
 954 
 537 
 574 
 591 
 1062 
 
 36 
 36 
 
 552 
 HIS 
 
 855 
 1213 
 
 187 
 
 1 164 
 
 61 
 
 299 
 
 254 
 28 
 
 572 
 711 
 966 
 
 795 
 302 
 199 
 
 979 
 896 
 
 114 
 
 1154 
 
 R. 
 
 Ramsdell, William B. ... 107 
 
 Rand, John W 25 
 
 Ranger, Sumner W 546 
 
 Ray, Herbert L. . . . . 254 
 
 Raymond, Hobart 957 
 
 Redding, Charles L 11 24 
 
 Reed, Henry L 722 
 
 Reynolds, Joseph F. . . . 789 
 
 Rice, Ashley W 46 
 
 Rice, Charles A 770 
 
 Rice, Charles F 34, 
 
 Rice, Charles P 102 
 
 Rice, Henry F 529 
 
 Rice, James 312 
 
 Rice, James A 312 
 
 Rice, John 903 
 
 Rice, John M. 1099 
 
 Rice, John W. 949 
 
 Rice, Lewis .... . 721 
 
 Rice, Peter 917 
 
 Rice, Samuel 1 42 
 
 Rice, Thomas B 579 
 
 Rich, Freeman J 701 
 
 Rich, George H. . . . . 203 
 
 Rich, Joshua B 1 148 
 
1226 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Rich, Pembroke S 1105 
 
 Richardson, Albion P. K. . . 1145 
 
 Richardson, Carlton D. . . . 229 
 
 Richardson, Samuel H. . . . 768 
 
 Richardson, William A. . . . 876 
 
 Ripley, Samuel B 953 
 
 Rivard, John 1185 
 
 Robbins, David B 48 
 
 Robinson, Charles H. ... 731 
 
 Robinson, Joseph R. ... 1040 
 
 Robinson, Thomas B. ... 129 
 
 Rockwell, Edward M. . . . 656 
 
 Rockwell, Henry F 89 
 
 Rogers, George P 726 
 
 Rogers, Warren F. . . . 456 
 
 Rogers, William 332 
 
 Rood, James T 1109 
 
 Ross, James 492 
 
 Roy, Basil S 1184 
 
 Royal, Herbert B 856 
 
 Ruddy, Robert 1157 
 
 Ruggles, Frederick D. . . 483 
 
 Russell, Frederick W. . 265 
 
 Russell, George W 1123 
 
 Russell, William L 418 
 
 S. 
 
 Sadler, Albert 270 
 
 Sage, Charles D 790 
 
 Samson, George G. . . . 954 
 
 Sanders, James H 830 
 
 Sanders, Thomas 742 
 
 Sargent, George F 823 
 
 Sauer, Joseph 198 
 
 Sawin, Charles B 976 
 
 Sawin, James J 1027 
 
 Sawin, William A 614 
 
 School, Truants' 463 
 
 Scott, David 1155 
 
 Scott, D wight R 311 
 
 Seagrave, Charles E 486 
 
 Searle, John F. . . ... 962 
 
 Searles, George F. . . 888 
 
 Sears, Alden H 11 80 
 
 Sessions, George . . . . 1024 
 Shattuck, Oliver P. . . .120; 
 
 Shedd, Charles H 268 
 
 Sheldon, Valentine . . . 930 
 
 Shepard, Charles N 213 
 
 Shumway, William T. . . . 1108 
 
 Simmonds, Robert R. ... 590 
 
 Simmons, Nathan A 11 20 
 
 Simonds, Samuel D. . . . . 298 
 
 Slade, John . ..'.... 46 
 
 Sleeper, William T 565 
 
 Small, Samuel A 671 
 
 Smith, Abner 19 
 
 Smith, Albert E 76 
 
 Smith, Artemas C 623 
 
 Smith, Augustus W 1009 
 
 Smith, B. L. M loio 
 
 Smith, Edward P 921 
 
 Smith, Eleazer 257 
 
 PAQE 
 
 Smith, Frank A 702 
 
 Smith, Fred S 707 
 
 Smith, Henry M. . . 1098 
 
 Smith, Jesse 1121 
 
 Smith, John F 301 
 
 Smith, Jonathan 522 
 
 Smith, Solon F 445 
 
 Snow, Thomas S 57 
 
 Southwick, Thomas .... 949 
 
 Southworth, John R. ... 436 
 
 Spalding, Edward L. . . 805 
 
 Spaulding, Cjrrus 476 
 
 Spaulding, William H. . . . 1182 
 
 Spooner, Alden B i66 
 
 Sprague, Erving .... 937 
 
 Spring, Charles C 881 
 
 Staples, Hamilton B 979 
 
 Starr, William E 516 
 
 Stearns, Charles G 267 
 
 Stenman, Gustaf C. H. . . . 253 
 
 Stetson, Warren 1 1139 
 
 Stevens, Charles E 632 
 
 Stockwell, Sumner 167 
 
 Stoddard, Alfred C 799 
 
 Stoddard, George H 367 
 
 Stone, Amasa G 448 
 
 Stone, Emerson 1078 
 
 Stone, Emory 425 
 
 Stone, E. Wyman 378 
 
 Stone, Henry B 1193 
 
 Stone, James S loio 
 
 Stone, Jason B 1071 
 
 Stone, William 377 
 
 Story, Simeon N 11 69 
 
 Stoughton, Charles S. . . . 630 
 
 Stowell, Henry R 245 
 
 Stowell, John E 987 
 
 Stratton, Charles C 860 
 
 Stratton, Henry H 11 58 
 
 Stratton, James F 774 
 
 Stratton, Lewis F 83 
 
 Stratton, Samuel 536 
 
 Streeter, Charles P 1082 
 
 Stuart, George M 158 
 
 Stuart, Jeremiah 608 
 
 Sumner, Sullivan C 677 
 
 Sutton, John F. . • . . . . 935 
 
 Sweetser, Samuel C 1132 
 
 Sweetser, Seth 502 
 
 T. 
 
 Taft, Arthur R 412 
 
 Taft, Edward H 82 
 
 Taft, Henry K 769 
 
 Taft, Jesse A 180 
 
 Taft, Nathaniel E 406 
 
 Tarbell, Warren E 11 77 
 
 Tarbox, Fred A 1083 
 
 Taylor, Henry W 1050 
 
 Temple, Joseph W 225 
 
 Thayer, Alden 1098 
 
 Thayer, Andrew J 366 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Thayer, Charles D. . . 1072 
 
 Thayer, Charles S 11 83 
 
 Thayer, Frederick ... . 1094 
 
 Thayer, George A. .... 1097 
 
 Thompson, George H. . . . 142 
 
 Thomson, William L. ... 787 
 
 Thurston, Lyman D 998 
 
 Thwing, Edwin A 980 
 
 Tiffany, Edwin D 1200 
 
 Tiffany, George 1200 
 
 Tolman, Hudson 1214 
 
 Tower, George 1063 
 
 Towle, Frank R 299 
 
 Tripp, Harry S 542 
 
 Trotz, Johan O. E 124 
 
 Trulson, Martin 966 
 
 Turner, Charles S 273 
 
 Tuttle, William G 212 
 
 Tyler, Albert M 1188 
 
 Tyler, Edwin P 595 
 
 Tyler, Pitts C 793 
 
 Tyler, Warren 168 
 
 U. 
 
 722 
 
 Underwood, Charles L. . . 
 Underwood, J. Dwight . • 
 
 Upham, Nathan C 1143 
 
 Usher, Edward P 762 
 
 V. 
 
 Van der Pyl, Adrian 
 Vaudreuil, Joseph G. 
 Vinton, Silas . . . 
 
 1217 
 
 684 
 
 1018 
 
 W. 
 
 Wadsworth, Henry C. . . . 1141 
 
 Wadsworth, Noah 398 
 
 Waite, Gilman 359 
 
 Walcott, Marshall 868 
 
 Walker, Joseph H 857 
 
 Walker, Lyman S 693 
 
 Walker, Matthew 728 
 
 Walker, Melvin H 156 
 
 Walker, Samuel 558 
 
 Walker, William R 357 
 
 Wallace, Rodney no 
 
 Wallace, S. Ives 365 
 
 Warner, Emerson 1014 
 
 Warner, John G 1074 
 
 Warren, Edward 1048 
 
 Warren, Elbridge G 318 
 
 Warren, Ernest L 703 
 
 Warren, Berthier 760 
 
 Warren, George W 11 98 
 
 Warren, Henry W 760 
 
 Warren, Samuel 760 
 
 Warren, Waterman G. . . . 760 
 
 Warren, William M 1068 
 
 Washburn, William A. . . . 383 
 
 Waters, Jason 259 
 
INDEX 
 
 1227 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Watson, Charles K 1 1 73 
 
 Watson, Lory S 11 74 
 
 Waymoth, Augustine D. . . 545 
 
 Weatherbee, Ephraim D. . . 995 
 
 Webb, J. Thomas 140 
 
 Wedge, Newell 646 
 
 Welch, Henry W 1038 
 
 Weld, Charles W 489 
 
 Wellington, Fred W 11 89 
 
 Wellington, Henry B. ... 942 
 
 Wellington, Willis M. . . . 104 
 
 Wells, George W 430 
 
 Wells, John B 213 
 
 Wesby, Joseph S 1204 
 
 Westcott, Asa A 566 
 
 Weston, Orrin H 793 
 
 Wheeler, Daniel R 453 
 
 Wheeler, Elwin C 281 
 
 Wheeler, Emory A 1065 
 
 Wheeler, Moses A 659 
 
 Wheeler, Robert B 20 
 
 Wheeler, Samuel 230 
 
 Wheeler, Silas 251 
 
 Wheeler, William H 281 
 
 Wheelock, Arthur 149 
 
 Wheelock, Eugene A. ... 149 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Wheelock, Silas M 147 
 
 White, James [207 
 
 White, John M 70 
 
 White, Joseph N 350 
 
 White, Oren 281 
 
 White, Peregrine F 1007 
 
 White, W.J 1 145 
 
 Whitehouse, James . . . . 11 40 
 
 Whitney, Charles A 1202 
 
 Whitney, Christopher . . . 456 
 
 Whitney, Edward 915 
 
 Whitney, Elisha M 1080 
 
 Whitney, Harry M. 1028 
 
 Whittemore, William .... 396 
 
 Wight, Daniel W 133 
 
 Wight, David B 181 
 
 Wight, William 554 
 
 Willard, Edgar A 496 
 
 Willard, William 525 
 
 Williams, Alexander G. . . . 21 
 
 Williams, Appleton P. . . . 938 
 
 Williams, Hartley 974 
 
 Willson, Hubbard 844 
 
 Wilmarth, Theophilus W. . . 1201 
 
 Wilson, George 373 
 
 Windle, Thomas H03 
 
 PACK 
 
 Wolfe, Abel S 177 
 
 Wood, Benjamin 508 
 
 Wood, Cyrus G 52 
 
 Wood, Elisha C 762 
 
 Wood, John M 921 
 
 Wood, Samuel 812 
 
 Wood, William P 94 
 
 Woodbury, Charles N. . . . 842 
 
 Woodbury, George F. . . . 869 
 
 Woods, Calvin W 468 
 
 Woods, Guy 349 
 
 Worcester Truant School . . 463 
 
 Wright, Francis . • . . . 992 
 
 Wright, Joab C 305 
 
 Wyman, Franklin 11 51 
 
 Wymaii, Oliver B 308 
 
 Y. 
 
 Yoosuf, A. K 1 1 53 
 
 Young, Zechariah F 113 
 
 Z. 
 
 Zaeder, Julius C 963 
 
PORTRAITS. 
 
 A. 
 
 Abbott, Josiah 913 
 
 Adams, Reuben 381 
 
 Aldrich, Charles T 59 
 
 Allen, David C 170 
 
 Allen, John G 279 
 
 Auger, Louis L 153 
 
 B. 
 
 Balcom, Elmer 1 511 
 
 Balcome, Isaac S 700 
 
 Bancroft, Joseph B 193 
 
 Bates, Emory L 637 
 
 Becker, John 1012 
 
 Bemis, Tilley 748 
 
 Blake, William M 737 
 
 Booth, Jacob 227 
 
 Bourn, Isaac 201 
 
 Bradford, Jonathan C. . . . 287 
 
 Brooks, John 1020 
 
 Brown, Adams F 131 
 
 Brown, George A 79 
 
 Brown, Hammond 98 
 
 Buck, Richard T 662 
 
 Buck, William H 924 
 
 C. 
 
 Carlton, Elbridge G 340 
 
 Chapin, Francis L 208 
 
 Cheney, John M 905 
 
 Cheney, Leonard 679 
 
 Cole, Robert H 710 
 
 Converse, Alfred L 1004 
 
 Converse, Morton E 626 
 
 Cook, William H 136 
 
 Corbin, Cameron 162 
 
 Curtis, Albert 423 
 
 D. 
 
 Daley, James 450 
 
 Dana, Jonathan P 126 
 
 Davidson, Alonzo B 879 
 
 Davis, Jonathan 686 
 
 De Fosse, C. Herbert ... 217 
 
 Dewey, Charles A 38 
 
 Dodge, Reuben Rawson (face) . 734 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Draper, William F. (steel) . . 8 
 
 Drennan, John B 438 
 
 Dudley, Henry T 478 
 
 Dutcher, Warren W 1031 
 
 E. 
 
 Eaton, Joseph P 960 
 
 Edmands, Samuel S 569 
 
 Edmonds, Charles S 363 
 
 F. 
 
 Fairbank, Andrew 874 
 
 Fairbank, John H 781 
 
 Fales, George H 49 
 
 Fanning, David H 1044 
 
 P'ayerweather, John A. . . . 322 
 
 Ferguson, James H 1059 
 
 Fisher, Albert L. (face) ... 74 
 
 Fisher, George W 539 
 
 Fisher, S. Deane 865 
 
 Forbes, William T 15 
 
 Forbush, Silas A 329 
 
 Freeman, Liberty 719 
 
 G. 
 
 Gale, Cyrus 295 
 
 Garno, William A 1052 
 
 Gross, Raphael 409 
 
 H. 
 
 Hall, John A 642 
 
 Harding, Samuel D 248 
 
 Hartshorn, Calvin L 968 
 
 Harvey, Edwin B 23 
 
 Harwood, Ethan A 689 
 
 Haston, Erasmus 772 
 
 Hathaway, Bowers C. ... 893 
 
 Haynes, Stillman 401 
 
 Hayward, William E 85 
 
 Hebard, J. Franklin .... 932 
 
 Howe, George F 610 
 
 Howe, George W 41^ 
 
 Hull, Samuel E 724 
 
 Hutchins, Charles H. (steel) . 1036 
 
 PAGB 
 J- 
 
 Jefts, George H 984 
 
 K. 
 
 Kendall, Louis J 390 
 
 Kent, George W 695 
 
 Kinney, Albert B. F 838 
 
 Kirby, Alfred J 674 
 
 L. 
 
 Leonard, Richard A 617 
 
 Litchfield, Frank C 853 
 
 Locke, Horace M 817 
 
 M. 
 
 May, Samuel 30 
 
 McMasters, Henry A. . . . 355 
 
 Mentzer, Cyrus H 825 
 
 Miles, Daniel C. (steel) . . . 115 
 
 Miles, Nelson A iig 
 
 Miller, James 899 
 
 Miller, Mrs. James .... 899 
 
 Moore, Horatio 235 
 
 Moore, Warren E 65 
 
 Morgan, Henry E 587 
 
 N. 
 
 Neal, Harrison 647 
 
 Newton, William 653 
 
 Nichols, George K 91 
 
 Norcross, James A. (steel) . . 594 
 
 Nourse, Benjamin A 777 
 
 O. 
 
 Olmstead, Chauncey L. . . . 241 
 
 Osgood, Samuel 716 
 
 P. 
 
 Paige, Calvin A 518 
 
 Paige, Calvin D 886 
 
 Powers, Philastus 758 
 
 Proctor, Sullivan G 186 
 
 Prouty, George P. (steel) . . 255 
 
 Putnam, George A 303 
 
INDEX 
 
 1229 
 
 R. 
 
 Ramsdell, William B. ... 106 
 
 Rice, Henry F 528 
 
 Rice, James 313 
 
 Rice, John W 946 
 
 Rice, Mrs. John W 947 
 
 Rice, Samuel 1 43 
 
 Rice, Thomas B 578 
 
 Russell, Frederick W. . . . 264 
 
 S. 
 
 Sage, Charles D 791 
 
 Sanders, James H 831 
 
 Sanders, Thomas 743 
 
 Sawin, Charles B 977 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Sawin, James J 1026 
 
 Smith, Fred B 706 
 
 Stearns, William J. (steel) . . 442 
 
 Stoddard, Alfred C 798 
 
 Thompson, William L. 
 Turner, Charles S. . . 
 
 W. 
 
 Walker, Matthew . . 
 Wallace, Rodney (steel) 
 Weld, Charles W. . . 
 WeUington, Willis M. 
 Wells, George W. . . 
 
 786 
 
 272 
 
 729 
 III 
 488 
 105 
 431 
 
 Wheelock, Silas M. (steel) . . 146 
 
 Whitney, Christopher . . . 457 
 
 Wight, WiUiam 555 
 
 Williams, Appleton P. . . . 939 
 
 Willson, Hubbard 845 
 
 Wilson, George 372 
 
 Wolfe, Abel S 176 
 
 Wood, Cyrus G. (steel) ... 53 
 
 Woods, Calvin W 469 
 
 Wright, Francis 993 
 
 VIEWS. 
 
 Fairlawn, residence of James A. 
 
 Norcross 598 
 
 Drawing Room, Fairlawn . . 599 
 
 Music Room, Fairlawn . . . 603 
 
^'^•S^',*ft*i<ts^- 
 
 
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