Trails-to-the-Past-Massachusetts-Hampshire-County-Biographies-pg24

 

Trails to the Past 

Hampshire County, Massachusetts Biographies

The Leading Citizens of Hampshire County

Boston Biographical Review Publishing Co. 1896

HON. JOHN B. O'DONNELL

WILLIAM W. ORCUTT  

FREDERICK AUSTIN OSGOOD

HARRY P. OTIS

OZIAS BISSELL OWEN

EDWARD C. PACKARD  

RUSSELL R. PACKARD

CHRISTOPHER W. PAIGE

HARRIET ELIZA PARSONS

HENRY A. PARSONS

HORACE K. PARSONS  

SAMUEL L. PARSONS

 
 

 

HON. JOHN  B. O'DONNELL, of Northampton, Mass., attorney and counselor - at - law, was born in Inch, County Kerry, Ireland, September 8, 1846. His parents, James and Bridget (Herlily) O'Donnell, came to America in 1849, bringing with them three young children.  Mr. O'Donnell was a tenant farmer in Ireland, and, like many of his countrymen, was driven from home at that time by the potato failure and ensuing famine. He had little wherewith to establish a home for his family in the new country, but he had a strong constitution and a willing hand, which count for much in the land where "there is bread and work for all"; and he soon found employment at railroad construction in New Hampshire.  Later he worked as a laborer on the buildings of the Colt Pistol Works in Hartford, Conn., and in 1855 removed to Northampton. In 1859 he established a home in Florence, where he and his faithful wife died in 1882, he being then sixty-four years of age and she fifty-seven. Seven children were born to them, one of whom, Thomas, died at the tender age of four years. The youngest, born in this country, Michael, died at Florence in 1887.

John B. O'Donnell attended the common schools in Northampton until eleven years of age and at Hadley the next year. He then started out as a wage earner, entering first the cotton mill of the Greenville Manufacturing Company at Florence, where he was employed four years, and next working a year in the gun-works at Bay State village. He was subsequently in the employ of the Florence Sewing Machine Company until 1872 as a contractor, and the next three years he was in mercantile business in Florence. During this period - from the time that he was twelve years of age until he was twenty-one -young O'Donnell studiously improved every spare moment, regularly attending evening school, often burning the midnight oil in the pursuit of knowledge. He also took private lessons of Miss James and the late Daniel D.  Gorham, principal of the Northampton High School. In 1875 he began to read law with his brother, T. B. O'Donnell, in Holyoke, continuing with him one year; and later he attended the Boston University Law School for two years. He was admitted to the bar in 1878, and soon opened an office in Northampton, where he has been in active practice ever since, winning h s way steadily to the front rank in the legal profession, so that now he is one of the foremost lawyers in Hampshire County.    In   politics   Mr.   O'Donnell is a Democrat, and has represented his party in various official positions.    He was a member of the first Common Council of Northampton, and was for two years chairman of the Board of Assessors, resigning in 1889 in order to go to Europe, where he spent three months touring through England, Ireland, France, Germany,   Switzerland,   Belgium,  and Holland.  In December, 1891, he was elected Mayor of the city, and served two years, 1892-93. 

On November 28, 1869, Mr. O'Donnell was united in marriage with Bridget T. Coughlin, daughter  of   Daniel and Honora Coughlin, natives of Ireland, where Mrs. O'Donnell also was  born.   She died  December 14, 1887, leaving  five  children,   namely: James   C.; George P., who graduated from the Boston Law School in 1895; John B., a youth of eighteen, in the Northampton High School; Charles H. and Edward,   aged respectively twelve and nine.   The eldest son, James C M was a student in the Northampton High School, a graduate from Holy Cross College in the class of 1892, and is now, 1895, a student in the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.

The Hon. John B. O'Donnell is a Knight of Honor and a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.    He resided in Florence until   October,   1894, when he removed to Round Hill, where in 1895 he erected one of the handsomest residences in this part of the county.   He also owns considerable other real estate, including dwelling-houses and business blocks.   Successful as a lawyer, a politician, and a financier, Mr. O'Donnell is thoroughly respected as an honest and honorable citizen, one who has gained the heights of success through his own efforts alone, spurred by a worthy ambition.

WILLIAM W. ORCUTT,  who is a prominent agriculturist of the town of Cummington, was born in the house where he now resides on March 17, 1834, son of John and Hannah (Richards) Orcutt, and grandson of Nathan and Eunice (Whitmarsh) Orcutt.

Nathan Orcutt was a native of Abington, Mass.   He came to this district, then almost a wilderness, in 1794, and purchased two hundred and twenty-five acres of land.    This tract constitutes the farm now owned by William W. Orcutt.   Grandfather Orcutt proceeded at once to clear the land and erect the necessary buildings.   Later on he built a house, which in its day was one of the best in the town.  As fast as he cleared his land he increased his stock of cattle, and in time became one of the largest stock-raisers in that vicinity. He sold his cattle in Boston, to which he drove them four times a year.   These trips were made through an almost  unsettled country, over a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. He served in the Revolutionary War as Lieutenant.    In politics he was a Whig, while his religious belief was that of the Congregational church.    His death occurred in 1820, at the age of sixty-five years.    His wife, Eunice, died  in  1818,  fifty-eight   years   old. They reared five children: Sally, Joseph, Nathan, John, and Hulda.

John Orcutt, the youngest son of his parents, was born in the house first erected on the site of the one now occupied by his son. He worked with his father until manhood, and then he went into business as a wool buyer, purchasing largely throughout the surrounding towns. When at his father's death the farm was divided among the three sons, he received the homestead for his share. Besides his wool buying he dealt quite extensively in fat cattle and sheep, and made a specialty of raising and matching oxen, for which he often received fancy prices. He was considered one of the best judges of live stock in that locality. He bought the old academy in the village of Cummington, which he used as a storehouse for his wool; and later on he purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land adjoining his homestead.    His death occurred in 1871, when he was eighty-one years of age.    His wife, Hannah Richards before marriage, a daughter of Nehemiah and Hannah Richards, bore him five children: Clarinda, Mary A., Lysander, Vesta, and William W.    He was a Whig in politics until the formation of the Republican party, of which thereafter he became a firm supporter.    He took much interest in public affairs, but declined to serve in office.    He was also interested in church work, and contributed largely toward the erection of the Congregational church.

William W. Orcutt after attending the district school in his native town went to the seminary at Deerfield and to the Ashfield and Shelburne Falls Academies. At eighteen years of age he began teaching, and this during the winter season continued to be his employment for ten years. His summers were spent in farming.    He  conducted  a select school in the village of Cummington for some time.   At his father's death he gave up teaching and took charge of the old homestead, which he still owns, together with two hundred and fifty acres of land.    He keeps a dairy of twenty cows, the cream from which he disposes of to the Cummington Creamery. He has also dealt in cattle to some extent, and raised some fine horses.    His farm shows him to be a  progressive agriculturist,  one who believes that improvements pay.

On  December 2,  1857, he was joined in marriage with Miss Mary Sprague, a daughter of Eli and Mary (Reed) Sprague, the former of whom was engaged in the tanning business in Ashfield, Mass.    They had six children.  Of the number two have died, namely: Charles, when four years old; and Fred A., at the age of twenty-three years.    Those living are: Elliott, born January 22, 1860, residing in Denver, Col., who married Miss Carrie Macomber, and has five children - Mabel, Mary, John, Vesta, and Brown; Willie M., born October 5, 1863, now in California, where he is engaged prospecting; Arthur, born July 5, 1875, living at home; and John, born May 1, 1877, also at home.

Mr.   Orcutt is a stanch   Republican. In 1887 he was sent as a Representative to the legislature from the Second Hampshire District.    For twenty years he has served as Moderator of his town, and as member of the School Committee for fifteen years.    He is also active in church work, and for several years has acted as a teacher in the Sunday school of  the Congregational   church. Mr.  Orcutt is well known and highly esteemed, not alone in his own town, but wherever his business or social interests have called him.

FREDERICK   AUSTIN   OSGOOD, a native  of  Hampshire County and a practical and enterprising agriculturist of Middlefield, Mass., was born in Worthington,  February 23,  1859, son of George and Lucy Maria (Allen) Osgood.

His grandfather, Safford Osgood, who was born in Keene, N.H., lived in his native town until he was fourteen years of age. He then moved to Lebanon Springs, N.Y., where he stayed for several years. He next went to Peru, Mass., and engaged in farming. Later on he moved to Worthington, where he passed the last years of his life. He died when within but three years of being a centenarian. 

George Osgood was born in Worthington, and lived with his father until the latter's death. He then purchased the old homestead, which contained two hundred and fifty acres of good farm land. He was a mason by trade, and devoted his attention chiefly to that vocation, delegating the management of his farm to his son Frederick Austin as soon as the latter was old enough to take the responsibility.  The father died July 18, 1889. The mother, a native of Washington, Mass., is still living on the old homestead. She and her husband had seven children, namely: F. A. Osgood; Alice; Eddie; Ida, deceased; Lena, who is a successful school-teacher; George, who resides at home; and a child that died in infancy. The children had few educational advantages, and were for the most part self-educated. In politics the father was a Republican. He was a popular man, and served his town several terms as Selectman. 

Frederick Austin Osgood remained with his father until he attained his majority. He then worked in different places until his marriage, when he settled down to an agricultural life, in which he has been deservedly successful. In 1883 he was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Brown, who was born in Worthington in 1862, and is a daughter of Castanas Brown. Her father is a carpenter by trade, and also a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Osgood's home has been brightened by the birth of three children; namely, Lillian, Vrena, and Roy.

Mr. Osgood is a stanch Republican. He is actively interested in the welfare of his town, which he has served acceptably as Road Commissioner for two years. He is well known throughout the county as a man of good business ability and upright character.

HARRY P. OTIS, general superintendent of the Emery Wheel Company at Northampton, Mass., was born in Manchester, Conn., in 1853, son of General John Lord and Catherine (Preston) Otis.

His grandfather, Hayden Otis, who was a resident of Lyme, Conn., was a seafaring man, engaged in fishing, and met his death by drowning in the Connecticut River when about sixty years of age. His wife, who was a Miss Lord, became the mother of ten children, six sons and four daughters, of whom two sons and a daughter are yet living.

John Lord Otis, father of Harry P. Otis, was born in Lyme, Conn., in 1827. His childhood's days were brief, as he began to work in a cotton-mill when eight years of age.  At that time there were no trades-unions to protect children, and he spent sixteen hours a day at his work. But his mental or physical growth was not stunted by this unnatural life, for his after career was an exceptionally brilliant and successful one. When twenty-five years of age, he became one of a firm of stockinet manufacturers in Manchester, Conn., with no capital but his experience. In 1861 he joined the troops going to the front, enlisting at Manchester, Conn. He entered the army as a Lieutenant, and at the end of his term of service bore the rank of General, and was subsequently brevetted Brigadier-general. He was in active service from 1861 to 1864, and was twice wounded, his scars as well as his epaulets being visible proof that he had done his duty. In 1863 he located in Florence, Mass., and took charge of the Florence Machine Works as superintendent. In 1867, in company with Lucien B. Williams, he established the emery wheel business in the same town. The plant was subsequently removed to Leeds, where the General continued in active business up to the time of his death, which occurred in March, 1894. He was a prominent Republican, and served three terms in the legislature, one of which was spent in the Senate. He was also on the Board of Selectmen of Northampton, and was a prominent Knight Templar.

General Otis married Catherine Preston, daughter of Cyrus and Olive (Gleason) Preston, all of South Hadley. Her grandfather, Samuel Preston, was also a native of South Hadley, and there spent his life, engaged in general farming. He lived to an advanced age, and reared a large family. Cyrus Preston, maternal grandfather of Harry P. Otis, was a carpenter by trade, and for many years a contractor and builder in South Hadley.  He reared, besides his daughter Olive, one son, Elbridge, who died in the prime of life, leaving a wife and child. Mrs. Otis resides at 19 Main Street, where her husband erected a home in 1866, and where, with the exception of one year spent in Leeds, she has resided ever since. She reared two sons: Harry P., the subject of this sketch; and Philip Arthur, who has charge of the company's emery goods and machinery at Chicago.

Harry P. Otis graduated from the Massachusetts State Agricultural College in 1875, qualifying as a civil engineer. He entered the works of the Emery Wheel Company shortly after graduation, and has been actively interested in that business ever since, eventually taking his father's place. He is general superintendent and director of the Northampton branch of the Emery Wheel Company's enterprise, occupying the former position for the past fifteen years. The prosperous condition of the company's affairs and the length of Mr. Otis's continuous term of service together practically demonstrate his efficiency as manager. Mr. Otis is also President of the Norwood Engineering Company.  In November, 1883, Harry P. Otis was united in marriage with Nannie M., daughter of Charles W. and Sarah (Eldridge) Worth, of Nantucket. Of the union there have been born: Preston, a promising boy of ten; and Berenice, a little woman of eight years.  Mr. Otis votes the Republican ticket, generally is active in municipal affairs, and has served as Councilman, Alderman, and Clerk of Registry. He has a handsome and home like residence at 104 North Main Street, which he purchased soon after marriage.

OZIAS BISSELL OWEN,  a retired farmer now residing  in  Ware, was born   in   Belchertown,    Mass., on November 3,  1822, son of Ralph and Fanny (Bissell) Owen, and grandson of Eleazer Owen, who was of English parentage.  Eleazer Owen was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. It is stated he enlisted at the age of fourteen years, and that at fifteen he was one of the most powerful men in the Colonial army, standing six feet in height and weighing two hundred and forty pounds. In 1794 he settled in Belchertown, where he purchased a farm and thereafter turned his attention to agriculture. He married Miss Abigail Bicknell, a farmer's daughter. They reared seven sons and three daughters. Two of the sons died unmarried, when but a little over twenty years of age. Their mother died in 1836, between seventy and eighty years of age; and their father in 1840, eighty-two years of age. They rest in the Belchertown cemetery.

Ralph Owen, whose birth occurred in Ashford, Conn., June 3, 1785, became a farmer, and, after his marriage, settled on the old homestead in Belchertown. In politics he was a Democrat, and he served his town acceptably as Tax Collector. He was a Past Master Mason, and a prominent member of the Congregational church. He died October 31, 1864, and was buried November 3, the day his son, Ozias Bissell Owen, was forty-two years of age. His wife, whose maiden name was Fanny Bissell, was born in Manchester, Conn., on February 9, 1790. Their marriage took place November 9, 1807. Five sons and five daughters were born of their union, all of whom attained maturity. Three sons and three daughters are now living. One son, Charles M., born January 28, 1818, now residing in Osage, Mitchell County, Ia., is seventy-eight years of age. Their daughter Frances died in 1831, seventeen years of age; and their youngest-born, Willard, died at the age of seventy-two years.   The mother's death occurred in August, 1879, when she was eighty-nine years and six months old.

Ozias Bissell Owen after reaching the age of nine years was unable to attend school except in the winter sessions. He remained at home with his parents until thirty-three years of age. Before settling in the place where he now resides he lived for twelve years upon a farm of one hundred acres about four miles from Ware. His present farm contains thirty acres of land, and was purchased about seventeen years ago.

On November 20, 1855, he was united in marriage with Miss Maria P. Davis, of Ware, who was born March 7, 1832, and is a daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Hartwell) Davis, who were respectively natives of Worcester County and Sterling, Mass. Her father was a hotel-keeper and likewise filled the office of Deputy Sheriff. He died at the age of forty-four years, when Mrs. Owen was but six years old.    He left a widow and four children, a son and three daughters.    Joseph  H. Davis died in  Colorado in December, 1894, aged seventy-five years.    Having been a ranchman in the Rocky Mountains located at the foot of Spanish Peak, his body had to be carried forty miles on a bed in order to have it prepared for burial in the East.   The surviving members of the family are: Mrs. Owen; and a sister, Frances H., the wife of Mr. Stearns, of Warren, Mass.    Their mother died in 1863, in the sixty-seventh year of her age.    Mr. and Mrs. Owen have an adopted daughter, Harriett May Owen, now the wife of Charles F. Clark, of Ware; and they have one son, Francis Owen Clark, three and a half years old.  In his political relations Mr. Owen is a Democrat, as was his father before him.  Their home is a pleasant and attractive one, and both are esteemed members of the community in which they live.

EDWARD   C.   PACKARD, Town Clerk and a member of the Board of Selectmen of Goshen, was born in this town October 14, 1847, son of Hiram and Lurane (Carpenter) Packard. Mr. Packard's great-grandfather, Joshua Packard, settled in Goshen in 1770; and here Willard Packard, one of his three sons, became a large land-owner and was an extensive raiser of cattle and sheep.  The farm now occupied by J. Beals was a part of his estate. Willard Packard married Bathsheba Smith, and had a family of nine children: William S., Cordelia, Edmund, Malesta, Julia, Willard, Emeline, Hiram, and Freeman S.

Hiram Packard, one of the two younger sons of Willard, bought a portion of his father's farm, which he later sold, and purchased the Smith farm of one hundred acres. He improved the place, erected a new house and barn, and resided there for twenty years. He then sold that property and bought the Carpenter farm, which consisted of one hundred acres; and here he also erected new buildings.  Hiram Packard was a Republican in politics, and became prominent in public affairs, serving as a Selectman, Town Treasurer, and as a member of the House of Representatives in 1873. He was a progressive and public spirited man and a member of the Congregational church. He died in 1894, aged seventy-six years. His wife, Lurane Carpenter, who survives him, became the mother of three children, as follows: Henry W., Edward C., and Charles S.

Edward C. Packard resided with his parents until reaching the age of twenty-one.  During the mining excitement in 1869 he went to Colorado, where he was successful; and returning to Goshen he purchased the old homestead, upon which he has since conducted general farming.    He  has  also engaged in lumbering with good results. He is superintendent of construction upon a section of the State road, his portion of which is a creditable piece of work. Mr. Packard is a Republican in politics and has served in different positions of public trust, having been a Selectman, Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor for six years, and Town Clerk for two terms.

On October 14, 1875, Mr. Packard was united in marriage to his first wife, whose maiden name was Vesta C. Dresser, and who was a daughter of George Dresser. She died in 1879, aged twenty-four, leaving two children - Edward W. and Lawrence A. Mr.  Packard wedded for his second wife, September 20, 1883, Abbie Z. Wakefield, daughter of John Wakefield, of Reading, Mass., and has five children, as follows: Lurane, Henry W., Rachel, Arthur W., and Frances E. Mr. and Mrs. Packard are members of the Congregational church.

RUSSELL R. PACKARD, who during the past fifteen years has served as Clerk of the town of Cummington, Hampshire County, of which place he is a highly esteemed and respected citizen, was born here on June 2, 1828, son of Leonard and Martha (Jenkins) Packard.

Leonard  Packard was a native of Goshen, Mass., where his birth occurred on February 23, 1801.    During the early years of his manhood he was engaged as a carpenter and mill-wright in different places; but later on in his life he purchased a farm at Spruce Corner, Mass., and there devoted his attention principally to agricultural pursuits.    From Spruce Corner he removed to Williamsburg, Mass., and worked several years at carpentering and mill work.    Then he removed to Rocky Hill, Conn.,  was married again, and  lived there, working at carpenter's and mill work for quite a number of years.    After the death of his last wife he came to Cummington, Mass., and spent his remaining days with his son Russell.  His wife, Martha Jenkins, to whom he was married in 1826, bore him three children as follows: Russell R. ; Mitchell, born July 3, 1834; and Martha, born on January 29, 1836.  The mother died in 1844, at the age of forty-three years, and the father on March 28, 1892. He was a Whig in political affiliation until that party was succeeded by the Republican party, of which he then became an adherent.    In religious views he was liberal. 

Russell R. Packard began when fourteen years of age to learn the trade of a carpenter.  During the winters that followed he was employed at Williamsburg, Mass., making tools in the factory. From the latter place he went to Swift River, Mass., where he purchased of L. H. Bates a farm of seventy acres; and for ten years he turned his attention to agriculture with good success, during his residence there making various improvements in both buildings and farm. At the expiration of that time he sold out and bought the Nelson place in Cummington, to the appearance and comfort of which he has since greatly added. After removing to Cummington he learned watch-making of Mr. Brown, and has since engaged in that business, in which he has as yet no competitor.    On September 16, 1849, he was united in marriage with Miss Rhoda Willcutt, who was born in Chesterfield, Mass., on May 22, 1831, and died March 29, 1893.    She was a daughter of Joel and Malency (Bates) Willcutt.   Their union was blessed by the birth of four children, three sons and a daughter, as follows: Almon, born in 1850,  died in 1850; Luanda A., born January 20, 1852, is the wife of Edward Bartlett, by whom she has had four children-Lena,   who   died   in childhood, Howard, Roland, and Amy - the family residing in  Lorain, Ohio; Mitchell M., born May 15,  1863, died October 12,  1873; and Kimball M., born February 17, 1876, lives at home.

Mr. Packard has held various offices of responsibility and trust, in all of which he has served with honor to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.    In 1880 he was chosen Town Clerk, of which office he is still the incumbent.    Among the other offices in which he has served may be mentioned that of Town Treasurer, to which he was elected March 14, 1887, and which he still retains, and that of Collector, which he held for three years. He has also acted as Sealer of Weights and Measures, and as Justice of the Peace two terms.  Since 1880 he has served as Treasurer of the Hillside Agricultural Society, and has been Treasurer  of the Cummington Co-operative Creamery Association ever since 1889.

CHRISTOPHER W. PAIGE, an old and respected resident of Prescott, was born in Hardwick, Mass., February 22, 1821, son of Christopher and Judith (Bigelow) Paige. The Paige family is of English and Scotch origin.   The first representatives in this country were three brothers, who came to America in 1665, and settled in Medford, Mass., where the old Paige farm is still occupied by members of the family.  Jesse Paige, the grandfather of Christopher W., was an early settler in Hardwick, where he worked industriously, tilling the soil during a long and exemplary life, and was counted among the well-to-do residents. In religious belief he was a Congregationalist. A family of five children brightened his household, two sons and three daughters.

Christopher Paige, the father of Mr. Paige, was born and bred in Hardwick.  In 1822 he moved to Prescott, settling on the farm which is now occupied by his son, and for many years was engaged in general farming. The Paige farm was formerly owned by Constant Ruggles; and at the time of its purchase by Mr. Paige it consisted of one hundred acres of good land, the yearly crops from which yielded him  a   handsome income.   Politically, Mr.  Paige supported Democratic principles. He was a man of prominence in the town, and served as Postmaster, Selectman, and in other minor offices. His religious creed was that of a Congregationalist, and he was an active worker in the interest of the Congregational Society of the town. He lived to be eighty-one years of age, dying at the homestead.  His wife, who was a native of North Brookfield, attained the advanced age of ninety-two. Six children were born to them, as follows: John Foster, who died at the age of eighty-three; Nancy, wife of Chester Conkey, also deceased; Mary, who died in the dawn of young womanhood, at the age of sixteen; Francis B., familiarly known as Deacon Paige, who died at seventy-six; Abigail, widow of Rodney Russell, residing in Prescott; and Christopher W., whose name heads this article.

Christopher W. Paige received his education in the schools of Prescott. At the same time he acquired familiarity with the details of farm work. After finishing with school, he worked on the home farm for some time longer, and then for the succeeding twenty-five years in miscellaneous callings. These included stock trading, peddling, fur dealing, and trapping. In 1867 he purchased the old home farm, and has since been successfully engaged in its cultivation. This is said to be the oldest farm in town. The dwelling-house, which was built in 1810, is a fine type of the old-style New England family residence, generously planned, with large airy rooms. At the time of its erection it was one of the best houses in the locality, and in the many years that have passed since that time it seems to have lost little of its stability.

On April 9, 1845, Mr. Paige was united in marriage with Mary E. Bigelow, a native of North   Brookfield,   born   March   25, 1825, daughter of John and Betsey (Maynard) Bigelow. She died August 3, 1895, after completing over fifty years of married life. She was highly esteemed by all who knew her, and was a faithful Christian wife and mother.  Three sons and three daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Paige, as follows: Mary Jane, who died in infancy, living but seventeen months; Charles W., who lives with his father; John C, also on the home farm; Mary B., wife of Reuben Horr, a farmer of Prescott; Warren B. and Nellie Belle, living at the old home.

Mr. Paige votes with the Democratic party.  He has been and is still one of the most active citizens of the town, and is respected and loved by all who know him. He is a member of the Congregational church, which he and his wife joined in 1875, and has served as a church official.   Though he has lived nearly three-quarters of a century, he continues in active occupation upon his farm; and much of his leisure time also is spent out of doors. He takes much interest in a varied collection of fish with which he has stocked a pond on his estate, and he may be often seen engaged in feeding his finny pets.

MRS. HARRIET ELIZA PARSONS, residing at 7 Old South Street, Northampton, is the daughter of Nathaniel and Eliza (Hubbard) Sears, and widow of Enos Parsons, Esq., who died here, February 8, 1892, aged seventy-six years and eight months. A faithful likeness of Mr. Parsons appears on the opposite page.  He was for many years a prominent lawyer of this city, being a partner with A. T. Crossley in the long established firm of Parsons & Co.

The name of Parsons has been honorably connected with the social and industrial development of this part of Massachusetts for two hundred and fifty years, the first of the name in these parts having been Joseph Par-sons, who, tradition says, emigrated from Great Torrington, England, with a brother Benjamin about 1630, probably coming in the same vessel with William Pynchon. It is known that he was in Springfield, Mass., in 1636, and then called himself sixteen years of age. He was a tiller of the soil, and removed from there to Northampton in 1655. Seven years later he testified that he was a witness to a deed of the lands at Springfield, given July I5, 1636, and to the bargain between the Indians and Mr. Pynchon, by which the latter was to give eighteen fathoms of wampum, eighteen coats, eighteen hatchets, eighteen hoes, and eighteen knives for the land.

As soon as Northampton was incorporated Joseph Parsons was chosen Townsman, or Selectman; but afterward he paid the town twenty shillings not to elect him to any office during the next year. He, however, served in official capacities seven years after that, and was one of the chief founders of the town.  He was extensively engaged in the fur trade, and acquired a large estate. He was the first owner of land bought from the Indians in Squakeag (Northfield) in 1671, and was active in the settlement of that town. He married Mary Bliss, a native of Hartford, Conn., but later of Northfield; and they lived in Northampton until 1679, when they removed to Springfield, where they died, he in 1683 and she in 1712. His home lot in Northampton contained four acres, and was bounded on the west by the highway (now Market Street), on the east by Pine Plain (now Cemetery Park), on the north by the land of John Bliss, and on the south by Bridge Street.

Joseph Parsons was a large landholder, owning land in Springfield, Boston, and other places. He was one of the first persons in Northampton authorized to keep an ordinary, or tavern.    He was cornet, or color bearer, of a cavalry company, then an officer in rank, and was known as Cornet Joseph Parsons. Of his seven sons and five daughters all grew to maturity but one; and the first birth of a white child recorded in Northampton was that of his son Ebenezer, May 1, 1655. In 1674 Mary, wife of Cornet Joseph Parsons, was accused of witchcraft, and voluntarily appeared in court in Springfield that year, desiring to clear herself of such a heinous crime. She was indicted by the Grand Jury in Boston in May, 1675, and committed to prison to await her trial, being finally acquitted May 13.

Nathaniel Sears, the father of Mrs. Harriet E. Parsons, was of the seventh generation in direct descent from Richard Sears, an early settler of Yarmouth on the Cape, the emigrant ancestor of the Sears family in New England. Nathaniel was a son of Rufus Sears, who was born in Yarmouth in 1770, and was left an orphan when very young, his father, Captain Nathaniel Sears, having been lost when on a sea voyage. Rufus became one of the well-to-do farmers of Hawley, where he settled after his marriage. He was a Deacon in the Congregational church. Nathaniel Sears and Eliza Hubbard were married in 1824 at Williamsburg, where Mr. Sears was a prosperous manufacturer of woolen goods.  Mrs. Eliza H. Sears died when only twenty-nine years old, leaving but one child, Harriet E., Mrs. Parsons. Mr. Sears subsequently married Miss Cordelia Morton, who bore him one child, Lorenzo, now Professor Sears, of Brown University. Mrs. Cordelia M. Sears, an intelligent and estimable woman of eighty-five years, makes her home with her son. In 1863 Mr. Sears moved to Northampton, and here lived retired until his death, in 1888.  He had accumulated a good property through energetic industry and thrift.

Sylvanus Hubbard, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Parsons, was likewise a tiller of the soil, locating at first in Sunderland, but removing from there to Williamsburg, where he improved a fine farm. He married Abigail Thayer; and they became the parents of six children - three sons and three daughters -one of whom is now living, Sylvanus, a resident of Williamsburg.

Harriet E. Sears was reared in Williamsburg, and received her education at Mount Holyoke Seminary. She became the wife of Enos Parsons in 1861. The only child born of their union was a son, Frank Sears Parsons, M.D., now a successful physician of Dorchester, Mass. He began the study of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, and was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at New York City.

He married Bertha Saxman, of Latrobe, Westmoreland County, Pa., on the 5th of September, 1891; and their union has been blessed by the birth of one son, Frank Enos Parsons, a winsome little fellow of three years. The fine brick house in which Mrs. Parsons resides was erected some forty-three years ago by Mr.  Parsons, his first wife, formerly Mary Ann Crafts, having selected the rugged and picturesque site on the side hill, overlooking what was then the Mill River meadow, but which is now platted and covered with beautiful residences.

Mrs. Harriet Parsons is a woman of much force of character, actuated by the highest Christian principles, and is held in universal respect and esteem. She is a valued member of the Jonathan Edwards Church, of which her husband was a generous supporter and one of the founders, he having contributed liberally to the building fund.  Mr. Parsons was a man of great influence and of sterling integrity and worth. He was a stanch Republican in his political principles, but always firmly declined elective office, although he was uniformly interested in local affairs and improvements. Before the establishment of the District Court for Hampshire County he was one of the Trial Justices, and was active in his practice as a lawyer until about the time of his decease, retaining his intellectual vigor to a remarkable degree.  He took great interest in military tactics, and was familiarly known as Captain Parsons, having been appointed to that rank in a Northampton company in 1838. For eighteen years prior to 1890 Mr. Parsons was the attorney for the Massachusetts Central Railway Company and its successors, and without doubt settled more land claims than any other man in Hampshire County since the time of its formation.

HENRY A. PARSONS,  a successful business man at Westhampton, where his pleasant and accommodating disposition makes him a favorite with his fellow-townsmen, was born in Easthampton, March 16, 1856. His father, Joseph Parsons, a lifelong resident of Easthampton, is a thriving farmer and an influential citizen.  He is a leader in public affairs, and has served as Selectman for several years. He married Cecilia Clark, also a native of Easthampton, and they became the parents of eight children, three of whom died; namely, Sarah, Louisa, and Julius. The surviving children are: Joseph E., a contractor in Meriden, Conn.; Henry A., the subject of this sketch; Mary C, wife of L. S.  Janes, who is engaged in the dairy business at Easthampton; Anna, wife of F. E. Searle, of Easthampton; and Carrie M., a teacher in Northampton.

Henry A. Parsons was reared and educated in the place of his nativity, and assisted on the home farm until he was thirty years of age, when he entered upon a mercantile career. Coming to Westhampton in 1887, he bought his present store, and has since carried on a flourishing business in general merchandise. For a time he was Assistant Postmaster in this village. Being an energetic and enterprising man and honest and upright in his dealings, Mr. Parsons has built up a large trade in the village and surroundings. In politics he affiliates with the Republicans, while taking an active and intelligent interest in promoting the general welfare.  He is a charter member of the Knights of Honor, and belongs to Hope Lodge, No.  1184.

Mr. Parsons was united in marriage December 12, 1878, to Miss M. Jennie Keene, who was born in England, being a daughter of James Keene, a leading merchant of Easthampton, where he is still carrying on a successful business. Three children have been born to them; namely, Lillian M., Emily L., and Annie K. Mr. and Mrs. Parsons are actively identified with the religious movements of the community, being valued members of the Congregational church. He is a member of the parish committee and the superintendent of the Sunday-school.

HORACE  K.   PARSONS,  a very capable man of business and a patriotic citizen of the Republic is given below, died after a lingering illness, in Florence, Mass., on June 8, 1891, at fifty-six years of age. His widow, Mrs. Sarah A. Parsons, still resides at the pleasant home in this village where they had lived together nearly twenty years. Mr. Parsons was born in Enfield, Conn., and was a son of Josiah and Lucy (Markham) Parsons, and a grandson of Josiah, Jr., and Demias (Kellogg) Parsons. His grandparents had one son and two daughters; and the son, Josiah Parsons, Jr., died in 1845, in the prime of life, leaving two sons, Russell D. and Horace K., and one daughter, Mrs.  Fidelia Fairman, of Enfield, Conn. Russell D. Parsons died in 1883, leaving three sons and a daughter. He was a painter by trade, and met his death by a fall while engaged at his work.

Horace K. Parsons received his education at Wilbraham Academy, and taught school a few terms in early life. After his marriage he settled in Thompsonville,  Conn.,  where he lived until he volunteered for service in the Civil War in the fall of 1861. He entered the Tenth Connecticut Regiment, of which Henry Clay Trumbull was Chaplain, and served at first in the ranks, but was afterward detailed as Commissary Sergeant and later was promoted to the position of Quartermaster of the regiment. He was present at the surrender of Lee, being soon after joined by his wife at Richmond, and was mustered out at Hartford, Conn., in August, 1865, having served about four years. In January, 1866, he came to Florence, Mass., as agent for the Florence Mercantile Company, which he managed successfully for ten years, the company then closing up its affairs. Mr. Parsons continued in mercantile business during the remainder of his life. His marriage with Miss Sarah A. Levitt was solemnized on March 4, 1860.

Mrs. Parsons is a daughter of William and Agnes (Hurd) Levitt, and was born in Eng-land. Her parents and an uncle came to this country about 1842, and settled in South Hadley, from which place they afterward removed to Thompsonville, Conn. Her father was a manufacturer of textile fabrics. Mrs. Parsons has two sisters and four brothers, namely: Elizabeth, the wife of Clifford Parsons, living in Bristol, Conn. ; George Levitt, who served in the Civil War, married in Virginia, and has two children; Thomas Levitt, living in Bristol, Conn. ; Robert Levitt, residing in Westerly, R.T. ; Mary, who married William Fulton, of Florence, Mass. ; and Willie Levitt, of Ellington, Conn. Their mother died at fifty-three years of age, and their father twenty years later, in 1887, at seventy-seven years of age. Their remains rest in Windsorville cemetery, two miles from their home at Broad Brook, Conn.

Mr. and Mrs. Parsons became the parents of eight children. They lost their only daughter in infancy and a son Freddie at the age of twenty-one months. The six living children are as follows: Lincoln Horace Parsons, who was born on the day of President Lincoln's inauguration, is married, and is engaged in business as a meat dealer in Florence; Charles O Parsons, the successor to his father in trade and at one time Postmaster of Florence, who married Miss Mary Dilworth, of Belfast, Me., and has one daughter; Royal A. Parsons, un-married, residing at home; George K. Parsons, a plumber and tinsmith in Springfield, Mass., who married Miss Lucy German; Harry M.  Parsons, a young man nineteen years of age, at home and engaged in the jeweler's trade; and Robert F. Parsons, a promising lad of fifteen years, attending school.

Mr. Parsons was a stanch Republican. He served as Alderman, and was Postmaster at the time of his death. Fraternally, he was a member of the Masonic Order, and also of the William L. Baker Post, No. 86, Grand Army of the Republic. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was one of the founders, the first meetings being held at his home. Mrs. Parsons is now a firm believer in Christian Science. She is a woman of fine physical and remarkable mental ability. Her husband was a clear-headed business man, and left a goodly estate. In 1873 he erected their fine home on his little fruit farm, which he purchased soon after coming to Florence, and the store, post office building, and substantial barn were all built before his death.

SAMUEL L. PARSONS, is the owner of a fine agricultural estate in Northampton, and has long been a conspicuous factor of the farming community, but is now, owing to ill health, living somewhat retired from active pursuits. He is the worthy representative of one of the very earliest pioneer families of this part of Hampshire County, the first birth recorded in Northampton being that of Ebenezer Parsons, who was born May 1, 1655, and was the fifth child of Joseph and Mary (Bliss) Parsons. This couple were wedded in November, 1646, at Hartford, Conn. They are further mentioned elsewhere in these pages in connection with others of their name and lineage. Their eldest son bore the name of Joseph, and was known as "Esquire Joseph,"' or Judge Parsons, the father being "Cornet Joseph."

Phineas Parsons, born January 9,  1750, a great-grandson of Esquire Joseph and Elizabeth (Strong) Parsons - as we learn from the Rev. Solomon Clark's interesting work on "Northampton Antiquities, Historicals, and Graduates" - was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. In 1772 Phineas Parsons married Mary Baker, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Lanckton) Baker, settling on the estate conveyed to him by his father-in-law, his house standing within a few rods of what is now 58 West Street, and here engaged in general farming until his death, in 1825.  He and his wife reared three daughters and four sons, of whom Samuel, born September 17, 1793, was the youngest.

Samuel Parsons became one of the leading farmers of this part of the county. He was a man of good judgment and sterling integrity, and prominent in public affairs, serving as Selectman several years, and as a Representative in the General Court in 1832 and 1833.  His wife, to whom he was united November 20, 1821, was Caroline Russell, a native of this town. They became the parents of eight children, all of whom, with the exception of Sydenham Clark Parsons, formerly a druggist in Northampton, are now living, the father's namesake being the eldest child.

Samuel L. Parsons was born November 20, 1823, on the old Parsons homestead, above mentioned, and was there reared and educated.  He remained beneath the parental roof-tree until his marriage, gaining a practical knowledge of various branches of agriculture. He inherited a portion of his father's estate, and now owns a valuable farm of two hundred acres, one of the very best in the vicinity.  He has here carried on general farming with eminent success, raising about a thousand bushels of corn annually on the uplands; and on the bottom lands he cuts about two hundred tons of hay each season.   He makes a specialty of fattening cattle, keeping twenty or more, and turns to good account each acre of his fertile land.

On November 20, 1844, Mr. Parsons was united in wedlock with Sarah A. Kingsley, a daughter of Edwin and Mary B. Kingsley, of Northampton, the place of her birth being the site now occupied by the Academy of Music. Of this union two children have been born: a daughter, Harriet; and a son, Samuel Baker Parsons. Harriet married Hubbard M. Abbott, present Register of Probate for Hampshire County; and they have two sons and a daughter, Edwin Kingsley Abbott being a clerk in the Northampton Bank, and James Trumbull and Harriet P. being yet in school.  Samuel Baker Parsons, who resides near his parents, married Ella B. Gorham, and succeeds his father in business. An active member of the Republican party in politics, ever deeply interested in the public weal, Mr.  Parsons has served as Selectman eight years; and during two terms he represented his district in the State legislature. He is a gentleman of pleasing address, his cordiality inviting acquaintance, and his intelligence and evident sincerity winning respect and confidence.

 

The information on Trails to the Past copyright (s) 2011-Present Date may be used in personal family history research, with source citation. The pages in entirety may not be duplicated for publication in any fashion without the permission of the owner. Commercial use of any material on this site is not permitted.  Please respect the wishes of those who have contributed their time and efforts to make this free site possible.~Thank you!