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DR. JOSIAH TROW is a well-known and
successful physician of Franklin Co., Mass. He was born
in Wendell, N. H., July 15.1816. His paternal
grandfather (whose name was also Josiah Trow) was an
Englishman, and took an active part in the
French-and-Indian war, and was also a soldier in the
Revolutionary army. He married Elizabeth Meeker, who was
a native of Germany, and by whom he had four sons and
four daughters. Of this family the third son, Nathaniel,
was the father of the subject of this sketch. He was
born in Beverly, Mass., Oct. 25, 1775, and was married
in Salem, Aug. 13, 1799, to Elizabeth Gilman, who was a
native of Portsmouth, N. H. To them were born eight
children (five sons and three daughters) who reached the
age of manhood and womanhood. Four of the sons became
physicians.
The subject of this notice
received a common-school and academic education, and
when eighteen years of age commenced teaching school,
which he continued to do during the winter months of
each year until 1841, a period of seven years. In the
mean time he pursued the study of medicine and attended
the academy, and in 1840 graduated from the Berkshire
Medical College. During the following year he commenced
the practice of his profession in Windham, Conn., but
remained there only two and one-half years.
In 1842 (June 21) he was
married to Caroline A., daughter of Alpheus Brooks, of
Buckland, Mass., by whom he has had three children,
viz.: infant son (not named), born May 26, 1843, and
died June 1, 1843; Lucy E., born Oct. 25, 1845; and
Francis W., born Jan. 22, 1847.
From Windham he removed to
Sunderland, and his two younger children were born in
that town, where he remained eight years, after which he
exchanged with a brother in practice and removed to
Buckland, where he has since resided, a period of
twenty-seven years, making in all thirty-nine years of
active practice. Dr. Trow has gained not only as a
physician the confidence and patronage of the people,
but has also won their respect and affection as a man of
sterling qualities and unaffected piety, he is a firm
supporter of the ordinances of the Christian Church, and
a member of the Congregational Society of Buckland, as
are also his children. He has been actively interested
in Sunday-school work, and has taught a class in
Buckland twenty-seven years.
In politics he is a
Republican, but has subordinated politics to the duties
of his profession, and has never been a partisan or an
office-seeker. The only public office he has held is
that of justice of the peace, in which capacity he
served twenty-six years.
Greatly interested in agriculture,
he has from early life familiarized himself with both
the science and practice of farming, and when the
Deerfield Valley Agricultural Society was organized he
was chosen its first president. Subsequently he held the
office of vice-president and trustee of that society at
different times. He is public-spirited, and ever ready
to promote, to the extent of his ability, all the best
enterprises of the town, and is thoroughly identified
with the people of his locality. In his profession he is
well informed and independent, and commands the respect
and esteem of his associates.
DR. NATHANIEL G. TROW, one of
the oldest and most prominent practitioners of Franklin
County, was horn in Wendell, N.H., on the 25th of July,
1811.
His grandfather, Josiah Trow,
was an Englishman, and took an active part in the
French-and-Indian war, and also fought in defense of the
colonies during the Revolutionary struggle, His wife was
Elizabeth Weeker, a native of Germany, by whom he had
eight children, four sons and four daughters. The third
son, Nathaniel, was the father of the subject of this
notice.
He was born in Beverly,
Mass., on the 25th of October, 1775, and was married in
Salem, on the 13th of August. 1799, to
Elisabeth Gilman, who was a native of Portsmouth, N. H.
To them were born eight children, five sons and three
daughters.
Four of the sons became physicians.
Nathaniel G., the eldest son,
pursued the usual elementary brandies of education in
the common schools of his native town, and was
instructed in the higher branches and the classics in
the Cunnington Academy, from which he graduated when
twenty-four years of age. Immediately afterward he
commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Kittridge, of
Hinsdale, Berkshire Co., Mass., and in the mean time
also took three full courses of lectures ; at the
Berkshire Medical College, from which he graduated in
1837. In the autumn of that year he commenced the
practice of medicine in Buckland, Franklin Co., Mass.,
where he remained over thirteen years. Then, exchanging
practice with his brother Josiah, he removed to
Sunderland, where he has since resided, in the
uninterrupted and successful practice of his profession.
It is now nearly forty-two years since he commenced to
practice, and during that time he has earned, by his
ability and good judgment, a wide reputation as a
physician and surgeon, and has also won a place in the
hearts of the people as a man of honor and a Christian.
His experience and superior ability are frequently
called into requisition for counsel, not only in
questions of a medical nature, but also in those of
public and social import.
He has never in any way
sought public office, preferring to devote his attention
to other interests. The only position he has held is
that of justice of the peace, in which capacity he
served twenty years. He takes an interest in educational
subjects, and has always endeavored to raise the
standard of our public schools. At different times he
has had under his tuition fourteen medical students,
among others his brothers, Josiah and William M. They
have all succeeded in their profession, and those now
living are in successful practice.
Dr. Trow has been a member of
the Congregational Society forty-eight years, and
throughout his life, both by precept and example, has
cast his influence on the side of Christianity and
morality. In the Sunday-school he has been a teacher for
nearly half a century, and in that cause his zeal is
indeed untiring.
Dr. Trow was married, on the
9th of April, 1839, to Catharine, daughter of Alpheus
Brooks, of Buckland. Their marital
relations were blessed with six children, of whom four
died in infancy.
The only living son is Dr.
Cornelius G. Trow. He was born in Buckland in March,
1847, and practices his profession in Sunderland, where
he is highly esteemed. He is married to Genevra,
daughter of S. A. Shaw, of Springfield, Mass.
RICHARD TUCKER was born in
Saybrook, Middlesex Co., Conn., Feb. 20, 1812. he is the son of
John Tucker, the grandson of Richard Tucker, and
great-grandson of John Tucker, who was one of three
brothers who came from England to this country at a very
early date, and settled in Connecticut. John Tucker,
father of the subject of this biography, was born in
Saybrook, Conn., March 20, 1785. He was married, in
1810, to Eliza Beckwith, daughter of Elisha Beckwith, of
Lebanon, Conn.
She was born June 15, 1797,
They had ten children, and
the eldest of this family is Richard Tucker. He received
a common-school education and remained at home until he
was nineteen years old, at which time he married, Nov.
11, 1831, Delia R. Walden, daughter of Deacon Silas
Walden. .She was born, July 25, 1812, in Lisbon, Conn.
They had a family of three children, two of whom are
still living. They are Julia R. (deceased), first wife
of Chelsea Cook; David K, a merchant in Springfield, and
Richard M., of Conway, also a merchant.
Mr. Tucker commenced his
business experience in a cotton-mill, when fifteen years
of age, and remained in this employment until he reached
his majority. Commencing in 1846, he spent ten years as
a traveling merchant, selling his own goods. Sept. 1,
1858, he removed to Conway, Franklin Co., Mass., where
he began, upon a small scale, the manufacture of cotton
warps, with Chelsea Cook, his son-in-law, as partner. In
1861 they increased the business, and at that time
employed thirty hands. In 1862 they bought the old
Howland & Morse mill, refitted it with new
machinery, and employed in both mills about eighty
hands, In September of 1876 they commenced the
manufacture of ball knitting-cotton, or what is now the
well-known Tucker & Cook's knitting-cotton. They
have established a branch of the business at
Springfield, and employ in both places about one hundred
hands. During the universal depression in business they
have continued prosperous. Mr. Tucker is also a partner
in the firm of Maynard, Damon & Tucker, of
Northampton, manufacturers of tapes and stay bindings,
This firm employs eighty hands. In Conway, Mr. Tucker
has been postmaster eight years, and director in the
national hank of that place ten years, besides filling
various other offices in the town in such a manner as to
meet popular approbation. Indeed, it can well be said
that he represents more different interests than any
other man in the town, he has been a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church for twenty years, and
contributed generously to the building of the church in
Conway. In
benevolent and charitable interests he is ever ready to
lend a helping hand. In politics he is a Republican, and
takes an active interest in all the questions of the
day. With but little financial capital originally, he
has, by the exercise of energy, industry, and strict
business habits, built up a fortune and carved out a
career to which be may point with pride. Mr. Tucker is a man of excellent judgment, great
business enterprise, and strict integrity.
RICHARD M. TUCKER, son of
Richard and Delia R. Tucker, was horn in Bozrah, New
London Co., Conn., Aug. 28, 1842. He was educated in the
common schools of his native town, and on the 1st of
September, 1858, removed with his father to Conway,
Franklin Co., Mass, he soon after commenced working in a
cotton-mill owned by his father. He acted in the
capacity of overseer in the spinning-room eight years,
and at the expiration of that time commenced business
upon his own account. he purchased the stock of
merchandise belonging to Lucius Smith, and formed a co
partnership with Thomas A. Dickinson. Two
years afterward he bought Mr. Dickinson's
interest, and has since that time been sole
proprietor.
Although he purchased his
goods when prices were high, and has had to combat with
recent business depression, he has been uniformly
successful, and from year to year has increased his
capital, and, by strict attention to business, good
judgment, and integrity, gained a large patronage and
the confidence and support of the public. In politics he
is Republican, and a staunch supporter of the men and
measures of that party, hut chooses rather to be a
worker for the success of others than a seeker of office
for himself. He has been assistant postmaster in Conway
eight years, and still holds that
position.
Mr. Tucker is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church of Conway, in which he is
also steward and trustee, he aided in the erection of
the new church edifice. He is a teacher and an earnest
worker in the Sunday-school.
In the public enterprises of the
town and community he takes a prominent part, and is a
liberal contributor to all measures calculated to
promote the general welfare. While these varied
interests occupy his chief attention, he is not wholly
absorbed by them, but enjoys with a keen zest the
amenities of social life, and in his intercourse with
friends is one of the most hospitable of men. He was
married, on the 4th of November, 1859, to Julia A.
Phillips. She is the daughter of Philip M. Phillips,
formerly of Ash field, but now a resident of Conway.
They have had one child,-Willie M. (deceased), born Aug.
4, 1862.
JAMES H. WAITE is a native of
Rhode Island, and was born in Providence, July 1, 1832.
He is of English ancestry, and belongs to the family of
the eminent Chief Justice Waite, His father, John Waite,
was born in Whately, Franklin Co., Mass., May 14, 1799,
and is a descendant of the Waites who were among the
first settlers in that town, who, it is believed,
located there as early as 1750. In the history of
Whately, John and Simeon Waite are mentioned as two of
the first selectmen of that town, having been chosen to
that office in 1772. His mother,
Lucinda Dickinson Waite, was born in Hatfield, Hampshire
Co., March 8,1799.
James H. is the third of a
family of six children. When he was two years of age his
parents removed to Leicester, Mass., where they remained
until he had attained his twelfth year. While in that
place he attended the common school, the Leicester
Academy, and subsequently the Winchendon School. They
then removed to Athol, where they resided five years,
and during that time James worked on the farm, and also
attended school at Shelhurne Falls. From Athol he
came to Orange, where he now resides. There he first
worked at the carpenter trade a few years, but in 1855
he commenced mill-wrighting in the employ of Rodney
Hunt, and was associated with him seventeen years. Mr.
Waite, as an employee, discharged the duties devolving
upon him with thoroughness and fidelity, winning not
only the approbation of his employers and a reputation
as a business man, but better financial fortune as
well.
In 1873 he established a
private bank, under the firm name of Cheney & Waite,
which in 1875 was merged into the Orange National Bank,
of which Mr. Waite is cashier. He is also treasurer of
the Orange Savings Bank. In politics he is a Republican,
and in 1874 was a member of the board of selectmen,
holding that office one year. For eighteen years he has
been a member of the Congregational society, and is a
consistent and faithful Christian. He is also a
member of the Masonic order, and an earnest and
progressive worker in that cause. He enjoys the fullest
confidence of the members of the organization to which
he belongs, and has been elected to nearly every office
in the chapter and commandery, with that of high-priest
and eminent commander. At present (1879) he is eminent
commander of the Athol Commandery. Mr. Waite is
eminently a self-made man, and has gained his present
position by improving, to the best of his ability, the
opportunities offered him. He is progressive and
enterprising in business and public relations, and as a
man is honored and respected by all with whom he has
been associated.
He was married, in June,
1854, to Amelia Brooks, of Orange, who died on the 10th
of April, 1864, aged thirty years. By this union he had
one child, -Lizzie Amelia, born on the 15th of January,
1864. For
his second wife he married Katie P., daughter of Horace
Gleason, of Chelsea, Mass. She was born on the 8th of
August, 1839. To them have been born two children, viz.:
Milton James, born Dec. 31,1871, and died Aug. 11,1872; and Loren
Gleason, born April 12, 1873.
COL. DAVID WELLS was born in
Shelburne, Franklin Co., Mass., in the place where be
now resides, Dee. 18,1797. His grandfather (who was also
a Col. David Wells) was a native of Connecticut, and was
born in Colchester on the 20th of September, 1723. He
removed with his family to Shelburne in 1772, and
settled on the farm now owned by the subject of this
sketch. He held the rank of colonel in the militia, and
took an active part in the Revolutionary war during
which he displayed a character of great daring and
bravery; he commanded a regiment at the battle of
Ticonderoga, and also at Stillwater, and was present at
the surrender of Burgoyne. He was a member of the
Continental Congress, and in many ways rendered his
country valuable service. We quote the following from an
obituary notice in a Greenfield paper as a fitting
tribute to his memory: "Died at Shelburne, on the 10th
(Jan.,
1814), Col.
David Wells, in the ninety-first year of his age,
The life of Col.
Wells was protracted to a length which is granted
to but few of our countrymen, and was distinguished by
an activity which is rarely to be met with among men of
his station. He took an active part in the Revolutionary
contest, and was one of those patriots who pledged their
lives and fortunes in establishing our national
independence; nor was his mind so engrossed by civil
affairs as to be unoccupied by those of an
ecclesiastical nature. He officiated as deacon in the
church of Christ in that town for many years, and was as
constant an attendant upon the ordinances of the gospel
as the infirmities of extreme age would permit, enjoying
the use of strong mental powers which were little if any
impaired till a short time before his decease. He ever
exhibited, both in precept and example, a life of
integrity and piety, and when we reflect upon the
virtues that adorned the life of this man, we think that
his aged widow, his children, and a large circle of
relatives most be led to yield a more cheerful
acquiescence in this dispensation of a righteous
Providence, trusting that what they deem to be their
loss will prove his gain.
Col. Wells was married in
Colchester on the 19th of January, 1749, to Mary
Taintor. She was born on the 17th of November, 1727, and
died on the 10th of December, 1815, aged eighty-nine
years. Their son, William Wells (father of the subject
of this notice), was born in Colchester on the 27th of
July, 1767, and was but five years of age when he came
with his father to Shelburne. At an
early age he was imbued with the principles of honor and
integrity, and manifested those traits of character for
which he was distinguished in later years. Physically he was
a man of commanding presence, in manners social and
urbane, and readily won the respect and esteem of his
associates. He held a commission as captain in the
militia and served about thirty sessions in the
Legislature, besides rendering service to the town as
chairman of the board of selectmen, in which capacity he
acted sixteen years, and also in other minor local
offices. In 1812 he was a delegate to the Northampton
convention appointed to divide Hampshire County. In
public life pure, in private life above reproach, he
will long be remembered as one of the most worthy and
influential of the old residents of Franklin County, He
died on the 11th of July, 1848. He was married, on the
8th of December, 1794, to Prudence, daughter of Rev.
Eleazer May, of Haddam, Conn. She was born on the 14th
of September, 1768, and died in her ninety-fourth year
(May 16, 1862). To them there were born nine children,
of whom only four are living at the present time (March,
1879).
Of this family, David is the
second son and child; he received his education in the
common schools of his native town, and from boyhood to
the present time his occupation has been that of a
farmer, but with agricultural pursuits he has combined
active service in promoting all the best interests of
the community in which he lives. He held the rank
of colonel in the militia, for six years was special
commissioner, has served as member and chairman of the
board of selectmen for many years, and has also bold
other local offices of trust, hi polities he is a
Republican, as have been all the members of the family
since the organization of that party. He is a member of
the Unitarian society of Greenfield, and, although not
as distinguished in public service as were his father
and grandfather, he exerts a strong influence in the
social, educational, and religious interests of the
community, and is respected and esteemed by all who know
him. The family are remarkable for longevity, and
although Mr. Wells has passed his eighty-first birthday,
and but just recovered from a severe illness, he still
possesses to a fair degree bodily vigor and mutual
powers.
He was married on the 20th of July,
1832, to Francis Helena, daughter of Amariah Thwing, of
Conway, by whom he has had five children,-four daughters
and one son.
ELISHA WELLS was born in
Deerfield, Franklin Co., Mass., Aug. 25. 1821. His
educational ad-vantages were very poor and limited to an
attendance of the district school, in the old brick
school-house on the common, summer and winter, until lie
was nine years old, and during the winter months from
that time until seventeen years of age. The inheritance
he received from his father was continuous hard labor
and severe discipline, which would no doubt be a good
gift if not too liberally bestowed, as was the case in
this instance.
He was hired out to work upon
a farm when twelve years of age, his father receiving
his wages until Elisha was twenty-one. After he reached
his majority he found employment with a farmer, where he
remained until his employer's decease, two years
afterward. Upon the settlement of the estate he received
twenty-five per cent, of his claim against it; and his
dividends in later years on "accommodation" accounts,
indorsed notes, and money loaned to supposed friends,
have ranged from zero to forty per cent., and generally
the lower figure.
His religious belief-without belonging to any
church-is to attend divine worship, and help support the
same; to "Do unto others as you would that they should
do unto you;" but never to borrow the livery of Christ
in which to serve the devil, as is instanced and
illustrated in the many recent defalcations, forgeries,
and premeditated bankruptcies committed by men holding
high positions in the Church.
In politics he is
independent. Bound to no party. he casts his
vote for the candidate whom he considers best qualified
to fill the office. He has
never sought office but has been honored by his townsmen
with the positions of selectman, town clerk, and
treasurer. One or more of these offices he has held each
year for the past twenty-three years. Of his family
history he knows very little. Whatever success he has
gained in life is the result of his own efforts, and
whether his ancestors came from England in the
Mayflower, or from any other coast of the Old World, is
a matter of indifference to him.
Mr. Wells was married, Jan. 4,
1849, to Lois H., daughter of Elisha Hare, of Deerfield,
by whom he has four children,-Charles A., Francis B.,
Theron B., and Mary W.
JOHN W. WHEELER, for many
years secretary and treasurer of the Gold Medal
Sewing-Machine Company of Orange, was the second of a
family of nine children born in Orange to Wilson Wheeler
and Catharine, his wife, a daughter of Mr. Samuel
Warden, of Worcester. Wilson Wheeler was by trade a
carpenter and builder, and in connection with that
business devoted considerable attention to the
cultivation of his land, to which, later in his life, he
gave his exclusive care. In his boyhood
days John, whose birth occurred Nov. 20, 1832, obtained
the advantages of a common-school education, and until
reaching the age of twenty-one-in November, 1853-divided
his time and experience between studies at school and
the more practical pursuits of business under the
directing eye of his father, who designed to train him
for the career of a mechanic.
Being of age, John ventured
to branch out. upon his own responsibility, and in the
winter of that year contracted to assist Mr. Royal
Richardson in building a house at East Templeton, Mass.;
which service terminating in the spring of 1854, he made
a trip to Fitchburg, Mass., and there engaged himself
for the season to a carpenter and builder, by name John
Parkhurst. Business falling off, in the ensuing autumn
he returned to Orange to spend the winter. His experience
as a mechanic convinced him that the business was not,
and never would be, to his liking, apart from the
consideration that he felt satisfied of his lack of
capacity to achieve anything more than moderate success,
however long he might pursue his labors in that
direction, he felt, in short, that he could scarcely
hope to win success in life unless he turned his
energies toward a calling for which he could feel a
sympathy and earnest interest, and so, resolving boldly
to turn his back forever upon the carpenter's bench, he
set out in the spring of 1855, at the age of twenty-two,
for Fitchburg, purposing to seek an engagement as clerk
in a store,-a pursuit upon which he had determined to
enter as the one which best suited his inclinations and
judgment.
Without much difficulty or delay he secured a
clerkship in the employment of Joseph Baldwin, a dealer
in groceries and provisions at Fitchburg, at a yearly
salary of $125, and served his employer so faithfully
and satisfactorily that at the close of the year he
received the additional compensation of $25 more than
had been agreed upon.
Receiving at this time an
advantageous offer to enter the service of Mr. Daniel
Pomeroy, an extensive dealer of Orange, he engaged with
him in May, 1856, and in October of that year married
Miss Almira E. Johnson, who was one of a family of seven
daughters of Daniel and Almira Johnson, of Orange, born
Dec. 8, 1835.
The wedded life was begun
upon a limited stock of worldly goods, for Mr. Wheeler
had been able to save but little out of his two years'
services except his experience, but he and his wife,
stout of heart and full of hope, doubted not that steady
perseverance and untiring energy would bring in their
own good time the prosperous future toward which they
cheerfully looked. Mrs. Wheeler, who previous to her
marriage had been occupied as a tailoress, continued to
follow that employment for some time after marriage,
while her husband continued in the service of Mr.
Pomeroy.
They began by thrift and economy to push their
way in the world, and in 1857 were enabled to commence
housekeeping.
Mr. Wheeler remained in the
employ of Mr. Pomeroy three years, when the latter
retired and arranged to have his clerk continue the
business in his own name, and for three years, by the
exercise of attentive care and strict business
integrity, Mr. Wheeler managed it successfully, and
retired with a well won reputation for business
enterprise and sagacity. Directly
thereafter he engaged as a clerk for Mr. D. B. Cheney, then in
the claim-agency business at Orange, and while in that
service, July 20, 1863, was drafted into the military
service. To obtain his release there from, he yielded up
the entire savings (three hundred dollars) which, with
his wife's aid, he had carefully and patiently garnered
up since their marriage.
Far from being discouraged,
and freshly resolved upon determined efforts to retrieve
his fortunes, Mr. Wheeler, having ended his engagement
with Mr. Cheney, cast about him for a new venture, and
purchased the store of Mr. A. J. Clark (then doing
business in Carpenter's block, Orange) with funds
generously loaned by D. B. Cheney and R. E,
Carpenter.
It is an eloquent evidence of the high standing
occupied by Mr. Wheeler as a man of strict integrity
that, although without funds, he was enabled to effect
these loans upon no other security than his own pledge
of repayment, and they were extended, to, readily and
unhesitatingly.
In this new venture Mr. Wheeler met with deserved
prosperity, and, leaving it in June, 1867, became
interested, with Johnson, Clark & Co., in the
manufacture of sewing-machines at Orange; and that firm
becoming, in 1869, incorporated as the Gold Medal Sewing
Machine Company, Mr. Wheeler became the secretary and
treasurer, and in that position has since continued,
being also secretary of the Orange Iron Company, to
which position he was appointed upon the organization of
the company, in 1870.
When Mr. Wheeler entered, as
a partner in the firm of Johnson, Clark & Co., into
the manufacture of sewing-machines, the firm employed
about forty hands, and their productions were small.
Since that time the enterprise has surely and steadily
grown in volume and strength, until now its employees
number four hundred and fifty, and it manufactures fifty
thousand machines annually. In this great establishment
Mr. Wheeler is one of the largest owners and a directing
power; and this place he has reached within a few years,
simply and purely through his own unaided efforts, which
have made him, in truth, a self-made man. Mr. Wheeler
served as town clerk of Orange from 1861-67; was
commissioned by Gov. Andrew as justice of the peace in
1864 and in 1866 was chosen on the board of selectmen,
and in 1870 was chosen to represent the First Franklin
District at the General Court, where he was a member of
the committee on finance. He was one of the founders of
Orange Lodge, F. and A. M., organized in 1859; was its
first secretary, and afterward its
treasurer.
Mr. Wheeler's mother died in
Orange, August, 1876; his father still resides in the
town, at the age of seventy-four. Three children have blessed Mr. and Mrs.
Wheeler's union, of whom but one-Lizzie, a young lady of
bright promise-is now living.
DEACON JOHN WHITE was born in
Whately, Franklin Co., Mass., Aug. 2, 1804. He is of
English descent, and the son of Deacon John White, who
was the son of Deacon Salmon. White, who was descended
from Peregrine White, who came to this country in the "
Mayflower." Salmon White was baptized Oct. 31, 1731, and
settled in Whately, on the Luke B. White place, about
1762. He was a deacon, a captain in the Revolutionary
war, a leading man in the new settlement, and died June
21, 1815.
John White, father of the subject of this notice,
was born in Hatfield (now Whately), Jan. 9, 1762, and
died in April, 1836. He was a deacon, lieutenant,
representative, and selectman. He married Elizabeth,
daughter of Samuel Brown, of Worcester, Mass. She died
March 26, 1853, aged eighty-three. They had for children
: Luke Brown, born May 8, 1797; Elizabeth Mary, born
Jan. 23, 1799; Judith (first), born Nov. 17, 1800;
Maria, born Oct. 31, 1802; John, born Aug 2, 1804;
Elvira, born Oct. 19, 1806; Eunice (first), born 1809;
Samuel Brooks, born Jan. 9, 1811 ; Judith (second), born
May 18, 1813; and Eunice (second), born Dec. 24,
1819.
Deacon John White received a
practical education in the common schools. When sixteen
years old he continued working upon the farm for his
father, and after he became of age he received one
hundred dollars per year and his board and clothing, for
five years.
At the expiration of that time he, in connection
with his brothers, Luke B. and Samuel B., took charge of
the farm, and received the proceeds there from as their
compensation. In this partnership he remained until his
father's decease, in 1836. He then removed to the Justus
White place, where he now resides. He has added
considerably to the original property. In 1877 Mr. White
was trustee of the Smith Charities. He has been
connected with the Congregational Church for forty
years, and has served as deacon since 1851. His family
are also members of that church. He is an energetic,
industrious man, prompt in all business transactions,
and of the strictest integrity.
Mr. White was married, Jan.
6, 1836, to Cornelia, daughter of Deacon Justus White,
and granddaughter of Salmon White (the sixth). Deacon
Justus White was born in Whately, June. 1787; he was a
farmer, and held various town offices. Salmon White (the
sixth) was born in Whately, Sept. 22, 1760. He was an
earnest Christian and a prominent man in the town.
Cornelia White received an excellent education under the
tuition of Miss Lyon, founder of the Mount Holyoke
Seminary.
Mr. and Mrs. White have a family of
two daughters and one son. They are Lydia Amsden, born
Nov. 22, 1838; Salmon Phelps, born Feb. 1, 1841; and
Cornelia Maria, born Sept. 13, 1853.
DANIEL DWIGHT WHITMORE was
born in Sunderland, Franklin Co., Mass., on the
20th of May, 1816. He is a son of
Jesse Whitmore, and grandson of Daniel Whitmore, who
came from Connecticut to Sunderland at an early date,
and settled on the farm now owned by his grandson. He was a man of
superior intelligence, a great reader, and took an
active interest in educational subjects. He was also
distinguished in public service; held the rank of
colonel in the militia, was an active participant in the
Revolutionary struggle, and was present at the surrender
of Burgoyne.
In later life he was a member of the Legislature,
and held various town offices, among others that of the
Justice of the peace, in which capacity he served many
years. He
died in May, 1816.
His son Jesse Whitmore was
born in Sunderland, March 3, 1776. He was a miller
by trade, and owned what is known as "Whitmore's Mills,"
which was formerly the property of his father. He held a
commission as captain in the cavalry (militia), and was
always called Capt. Whitmore. He was a sincere
Christian, and was one of the founders of the Baptist
Church of North Sunderland, of which he was a member for
many years.
He also took a prominent part in promoting and
improving schools, and, indeed, was connected in some
manner with most of the best enterprises of the town and
county. He
died in his eightieth year, in January, 1856. His wife was
Hannah Gunn, daughter of Nathaniel Gunn, of
Montague.
They were married Oct. 26, 1807. She died in
April 1860.
To them were born nine children, of whom Daniel
D. is the fifth.
Only three members of this family are now
living.
The subject of this notice
was employed in working on the farm and assisting in the
mills until seventeen years of age. In the mean time
he had also pursued the usual studies in the public
schools, in the Greenfield Academy, and at Shelburne
Falls. He
the entered the store of Mr. Horatio Graves, of
Sunderland, in the capacity of clerk, and remained with
him two years.
Returning home, he remained there about the same
length of time, during which he was engaged in the
manufacture of sash, doors, and blinds. From that time
until he reached his twenty-second year he was in no
settled business, but followed various
occupations.
Sept. 27, 1838, he was
married to Jane, daughter of Phineas and Prudence Keet,
of Sunderland.
In the same year he removed to Walworth Co.,
Wis., where he remained until 1844, when he returned to
Sunderland, and located on the old homestead, where he
has since been engaged in farming and
milling.
Mr. Whitmore has also been
prominently identified with the town and locality in
which he lives.
In 1869 he represented his district in the
Legislature, and in local offices has served in the
capacity of selectman, assessor, justice of the peace,
etc. As a
member of the Sunderland Baptist Society, since 1831, he
has given his influence in the cause of
Christianity.
By his first wife Mr.
Whitmore had five children, none of whom are now
living. His
wife died in January, 1854, and he married Mrs. Dolly A.
Gridley, widow of Henry Gridley, and daughter of Chester
and Sarah Howland, of Montgomery, Mass. By this union he
has three children, viz,: Daniel D., Jr., born May 23,
1857; Jane D., born April 17, 1860; and Lucretia A.,
born on the 20th of September,
1864.
CHARLES
E. WILLIAMS was born in Deerfield, Franklin Co., Mass.,
Feb. 29, 1824. He is the youngest son of Horace and Mary
Williams. Horace Williams, his father, was born in
Deerfield July 25, 1784.
Mary Nims, his mother, was born in the same town, May 9,
I786. They were married May 31, 1811. Their son, Charles
E., received the rudiments of his education in the
common schools, and completed it in the Deerfield
Academy. he is a farmer, and has always lived upon the
farm which he inherited from his father. The property
was heavily encumbered when it came into his possession,
but he has satisfied all claims and materially improved
it. The farm at present contains two hundred and ten
acres
In
politics, Mr. Williams is a Democrat, and a staunch
supporter of his party. He has served in the capacity of
selectman for three years.
He was married, Nov. 27,
1856, to Helen L. Field. She was born in Conway, March
2, 1837 They have five
children, all living. They
are: Henry F., born July 30, 1858; Mary N., born
Dec. 14, I860; Charles W., born Nov. 8, 1864; Nellie R.,
born March 1, 1867, and Alice Maud, born March 20,
1871
GEORGE A. WILLIAMS was born
Jan. 6, 1810, at Williams Landing, Taunton, Mass. His ancestor
Richard Williams, and Frances Dighton, his wife, settled
at that place in 1638, and the estate always has been
and is still in the possession of the Williams family,
with the exception of the part recently devoted to the
Taunton Water Works.
Francis Williams, father of
the subject of this biography, was born in Raynham,
Mass., Nov. 12, 1770. He married
Louisa Gilmore of Raynham, who was born in 1782. He settled upon
the family estate, where he reared a family of ten
children, seven sons and three daughters. Of these George
A. is the fourth son and child. Theirs was a
busy household, for his father recognized no eight or
ten hours as a day's work, but worked with a steady hand
from earliest morn until dark.
The district schools of that
day were vastly inferior to those of the present, and in
the district in which he lived the term consisted of
from eight to twelve weeks during the year. These were
the only advantages he received until he attained his
seventeenth year. At that time, as his capacity for
manual labor was somewhat impaired by illness, he was
set to studying Greek and Latin, and prepared for
college.
Equal rights and strict justice
were strung points in his father's character, and while
George was pursuing his studies and preparing to enter
the ministry he deemed it but justto the
other sons to charge him with what he might have earned
by his labor until he became of age. At the age of
twenty-five, therefore, lack of wages and charges for
board, tuition, and other expenses
stood against him. Dividends were made by the paternal
hand to other members of the family at various times,
and an equal amount was accredited to him, so that the
accounts were at length liquidated, and a fragment
remained to him at the settlement of the paternal
estate.
As the period
drew near when he was to make a choice of occupation,
the Congregationalists were strongly excited upon points
of doctrine, and, as religious matters had attracted his
attention, he directed his reading that way.His road to school led him
past the house of an ardent Calvinist who often sought
to discuss religious matters, and although they might
agree on Biblical authority, they differed widely on
Biblical interpretation, and their tilts ended as such
contests usually do,-in both claiming the
advantage.
In the discussion which sent
the body of the Congregational Church into the
Trinitarian and Unitarian sects, he stood upon the
Unitarian side, and on the 3d of March, 1830. he was
ordained over the second parish in Saco. Me., where he
preached three years. At the
expiration of that time an extended call was made, but
his eyesight was so impaired that he was obliged to
decline its acceptance. His profession then came
nominally to an end, although he subsequently preached
for a short period in Chelmsford, East Bridgewater, and
Mayland. The " barrel of sermons" had been left
unfilled, the barrel-head was now replaced, and the
remaining parchments consigned to the garret. Other
means of procuring a livelihood must then be found, and
a favorable opportunity presenting, he entered the
manufacture of chemicals in Cambridge, Mass.. in which
he remained about five years. In May, 1855, he removed
to Deerfield, where he has since resided, devoting a
part of his time to farming. He has won
the respect and confidence of all with whom he has been
associated.
He was married, Oct. 27,1839,
to Sarah, second daughter of Dr. Ezra Dean, of
Biddeford, Me. By this union he had two children: Gorham
D., born June 10, 1842, attorney-at-law, living in
Greenfield; and Lucia Greene, born Oct. 26, 1846.
Sept. 2, 1860, he married his
second wife, Jane Dickinson, daughter of Rev. Rodolphus
Dickinson, of Deerfield.
JOHN A. WINSLOW was born in
Dover, Vt., on the 7th of September, 1807. Joshua
Winslow, his grandfather, was a noted sea-captain, who
spent the greater part of his life on the "ocean waves"
and died during a sea-voyage. He was a cousin of Edward
Winslow, the second Governor of Massachusetts. His son
Elisha, father of the subject of this sketch, was born
on Cape Cod, Mass., but removed to Worcester County at
an early date, and there learned the trade of carpenter
and joiner. He engaged also, to some extent, in
agriculture, and attained considerable prominence. He
always promoted, so far as lay in his power, all social
reforms and public enterprises, but was of a retiring
disposition, and delighted to perform his acts of
benevolence in secret. He held various
local offices, and was active in forwarding the
interests of education and of the Masonic order, of
which he was a member. He married
Olive, daughter of Whitney Jones, of Milford, Mass., by
whom he had seven children. Of this family the third is
John A.
His educational advantages
were very poor, and, with the exception of two terms of
select school taught by the clergyman of their church,
were confined to an attendance at the public schools
during the winter months.
When seventeen years old he
suffered from a severe attack of inflammatory
rheumatism, and as soon as he was sufficiently recovered
he journeyed to Chautauqua Co., N. Y., where he remained
a short time. After he
returned he was again prostrated by the same disease,
and was unable to perform any labor for a year. He
remained at home until he reached his majority, after
which he worked on a farm for three years. He was then
married, on the 22d of November, 1831, to Wealthy Rice,
daughter of Artemas Rice, of Charlemont, Mass., and in
the same year removed to Rowe, where he purchased a
farm. He remained there thirty-one years in agricultural
pursuits, and by industry and frugality acquired a
competency. In 1862 he sold his farm, and took a trip to
the West. After an absence of two months he returned to
Rowe, where he resided for two years, at the expiration
of which time he removed to Charlemont, and bought the
property he now owns, and built his present
residence.
He is a man of strict integrity of character, and
for thirty-live years has been a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, holding various offices therein. He has also
rendered valuable public service in the capacity of
selectman, assessor, member of school committees, and
trial-justice; and never, while holding the latter
office, was an appeal taken from any decision he made.
He assisted in organizing the Conway National Bank, in
which he is a stock-holder, and also in the Shelburne
Falls National Bank.
Mr. Winslow is strictly a
self-made man, and has attained his present prosperity
through his own un-aided efforts. While farming he dealt
largely in cattle and wool, and in all branches of
agriculture was particularly
successful.
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