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ALBERT R. HOUSE, a progressive
agriculturist of Enfield, owns one of the most
pleasantly located farms in this beautiful town, the
view from his residence being one that the lover of
nature never tires of looking upon- the picturesque
mountain side with its rocks and trees on the west, and
green fields sloping toward the south and cast. Mr. House
was born in the town of Chesterfield, in
the western part of Hampshire County, on June 12,
1842, and is a son of Samuel and Clarissa (Root) House.
His grandfather, Gresham House, was also a native of
Chesterfield, son of an early settler of that town. He became
the owner of a good farm and spent his active life in
its cultivation. His earthly years
were about threescore and ten, and his wife Mary also
lived to attain a good age. They were
the parents of nine children, five of whom are still
living.
Samuel House, the second child of
his parents, was born in Chesterfield on April 8, 1810.
After having been for many years there successfully
engaged in farming, he hasnow retired from active
business and is living at Haydenville in this
county. He has
always taken a keen interest in town affairs, and at the
time of the Civil War, while a resident of Chesterfield,
served as Selectman. In
political affiliation he is a Republican, and in
religious fellowship a
Congregationalist. His wife, Clarissa Root, was
born April 15, 1815, in Westfield, Hampden County, and
is now in her eighty-first year. Of the
four children born of their union, three grew to years
of discretion and still survive, namely: Ellen, the wife
of Samuel Thayer, of Westfield; Albert R. ; and Edwin
J., who served as a private in the First
Massachusetts Cavalry,
and now resides in Williamsburg. Frank
died when but three years old.
Albert R. House grew to manhood in
Chesterfield, acquiring his education in the district
and high schools and at Westfield Academy. On attaining
his majority he left home, and in 1864 purchased a farm
in Enfield, the one on which he now resides, a
well-improved estate of one hundred and seventy-four
acres. He is a hard worker and carries on general
farming with good success, keeping his barns and house
and other buildings in good repair, and his land in a
good state of cultivation, the fat and sleek cattle that
graze in his pastures showing that they receive due
attention and care
On May 8,
1862, Mr. House was
united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth
Bryant, a daughter of Eli and Mary (Simmons)
Bryant. She was born in
Suffield, Conn., November 27, 1842. Her
father, who spent many years of his life in
Chesterfield, where he was a successful farmer, was
drowned in the freshet that visited that town in 1874,
he being then sixty-three years old. Mrs.
Bryant is still living in Warren, ILL. She is a
member of the Congregational church. She and
her husband had five children, namely: Nelson J. and
Ella L. (now deceased); Elizabeth (Mrs. House); Willard
C, living in Wyanet, Bureau County, ILL. ; and Mrs.
Isabella M. Hayden, of South Framingham, Mass. Mr. and
Mrs. House have an interesting family of six children,
of whom a brief record follows: Alice C, born September
10, 1862, lives in Haydenville, Mass., with her
grandparents; Samuel, born March 12, 1864, is engaged in
the tin and plumbing business in Springfield, Mass. ;
Agnes E., born April 12, 1866, married Dwight Tillson,
of Enfield, and has two children, Raymond A.
and Ralph B. ; Annie I., who was born February
12, 1871, married Thomas Sanderson, of Enfield, and has
a son, Roy E. ; Mary L., born August 28, 1872, is the
wife of William Metcalf, of Enfield, and has a daughter,
Gertrude E. ; and Albert R., Jr., who was born March 25,
1876, still lives with his parents.
Mr. House casts his vote
with the Republican party. He interests himself in
whatever conduces to promote the welfare of his town;
and among the positions of responsibility and trust
filled by him have been that of Selectman for several
terms and that of Assessor for upward of fifteen years.
He is a member of Bethel Lodge, A. F. & A. M. Mr.
and Mrs. House are a genial
couple, and the doors of their pleasant home are often
open for the reception of their many valued friends and
acquaintances.
HENRY CLAY MILTON HOWE, one of the
leading farmers of En-field, was born there on January
10, 1823, son of John and Rhoda B. (Babbett) Howe and
grandson of Solomon and Polly (Holmes) Howe.
Solomon Howe's birth occurred
on September 14, 1750. He studied for the ministry, and
graduated from Dartmouth College. After that he
became a Baptist preacher, and had pastoral charges in
several New England towns, among which was Enfield, then
Greenwich, where he resided a number of years. He died in New
Salem, November 18, 1835, eighty-five years of age. His
wife also lived to a good age. They were the parents of
nine children; namely, Abigail H., Hannah, John, Nancy,
Solomon, Jonah, Jedidiah, Silas W., and John
Milton.
John Howe, the eldest son,
was a native of Brookfield, Mass., where he was born
December 20, 1783.
Throughout his life he devoted considerable attention to
agriculture. He also engaged in the printing
business, publishing hymn books and spelling books, and
in 1804 issuing the first number of Howe's Genuine
Almanac,
for which he made the astronomical
calculations. It
was one of the leading almanacs at that time, and he
continued to publish it up to 1826. The last
years of his life were spent in Enfield, on the farm
that is now owned by his son, and which he purchased in
1841.
His death on February 16, 1845, closed a
very successful life. In politics he
was a Democrat. He was much interested in the welfare of
his town, which he served as Assessor and in other
capacities.
On matters relating to religion he had liberal
views. His wife died on September 13, 1837. Six children
were the fruit of their union. They were: John H., Myra
M., Frances M., Henry C. M., Bolivar J., and Fenelon
W.
Henry Clay Milton Howe, who
is now the only survivor of those who in his boyhood
days made up the family circle, received a good
practical education in the public schools of Enfield. He
then turned his attention to agriculture, and has
continued to reside on his present farm, the same to
which his parents moved when he was eighteen years of
age. It is one of the most productive farms in Enfield,
and contains about one hundred acres, including
the pasturage and tillable land. Mr. Howe carries on
general farming and dairying.
On July 20, 1848, he was
united in marriage with Miss Theodocia Ann Johnson, who
was born in
Dana,
Worcester
County, on April 20, 1824, and is a daughter of
Nathaniel and Martha (Joslyn) Johnson. Her father
was one of the leading men of Dana, and for many years was a teacher in the
public schools. During his
residence there he held in turn nearly every office
within the gift of the town. He
also served as a Justice of the Peace and as a
Representative in the State legislature. He
died in Dana, seventy-nine years of age. His wife
bore him four children, of whom, besides Mrs. Howe,
there is now living but Nathaniel L. Johnson, a
prominent citizen of Dana, who has served as State
Senator and Representative, and is now President of the
Barre Bank.
The deceased were: Eliza Mann Johnson, a
spinster; and Charlotte Augusta, who married Sylvester
Lincoln. Mr. and Mrs. Howe have had four children, of
whom three are still living, namely: William F., born
November 17, 1858, a prosperous merchant of Enfield, at
one time Postmaster of Enfield, married to Miss Harriet
Hubbard, and father of two sons and a daughter - Grace
L., Theodore L., and Warren F.; Edwin H. Howe, the
present Postmaster of Enfield, graduated by Eastman
College at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1882, married to Miss
Annie A. Williams, and father of one 6on, Donald
Williams Howe; and Theodocia Lillian, wife of Hiram
Weyant, of Boston. Henry Johnson Howe died when he was
but four years and nine months old. Mr. Howe is a
supporter of Democratic principles. He has several times
served his town as Assessor, and for a number of years
has filled the office of Surveyor. His views on matters
pertaining to religion are liberal. Mrs. Howe is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
MlLTON
S. HOWES,
a prosperous farmer and produce dealer of Swift
River, and a member of the Board of Selectmen of the
town of Cummington, was born in Ashfield, Mass.,
February 14, 1857, son of Jonathan and Betsey (Williams)
Howes. Mr. Howes's
grandparents were Micajah and Roxanna (Cranston)
Howes.
Jonathan Howes, Mr. Howes's father,
was born in Hawley, Franklin County, Mass., April 5,
1808, and received his education in the town of
Ashfield. In company with Nathan Williams, his wife's
brother, he purchased a farm consisting of one hundred
and sixty acres situated in Ashfield, where he followed
agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred on
January 25, 1860, in the fifty-second year of his age.
Jonathan Howes was originally a Whig in politics, but
later joined the Republican party. He was a respected
citizen and a member of the Congregational church. His wife,
Betsey Williams, was born March 29, 1817, daughter of
Nathan Williams. She became the mother of eleven
children, all of whom are now living, and are named as
follows: Annis, Roxanna, Betsey S., Willis W., H. Maria,
Augusta M., Harlan P., John L., Micajah J., Isabelle E.,
and Milton S. Mrs. Betsey W. Howes still survives and
resides in Ashfield.
Milton S. Howes attended the
schools of Ashfield, and at the age of twenty went to
Florence, Mass., where he was employed in a meat market
for one year. He then returned to Ashfield and engaged
in the produce business with his brother John L., buying
farm products, which they shipped to Holyoke for a
market. In March, 1886, he sold his interest in that
enterprise to his brother and came to Swift River, where
he has since been engaged in the same business. He is
one of the Directors of the Cummington Creamery
Association, and markets six hundred pounds of their
product weekly. He conducts the J. Willcutt farm of
three hundred acres, keeping twelve cows, some valuable
young stock, and four horses which are constantly upon
the road. His principal market
is the city of Northampton, where he supplies many
families with fresh country produce. Mr. Howes is a
Republican in politics, and has been a Selectman of the
town of Cummington for the past five years.
On March 19, 1879, Mr. Howes was
united in marriage to Linda E. Willcutt. She is a
daughter of Jesse and Mary (Dyer) Willcutt, the former
of whom is a retired farmer of Swift River. Mr. and Mrs.
Howes have four children, namely: Jesse M., born March
2, 1880; Howard M., born February 23, 1884; Almon D.,
born July 7, 1887; and Bessie L., born February 6, 1893.
In religion Mr. Howes is of the
Baptist faith, and Mrs. Howes is a member of the
Congregational church.
DAVID EDWARDS HOXIE, a well to do
farmer of Northampton, Mass., was born February 25, 1840
in the house in which he still resides. Nearly one
hundred and fifty years have elapsed since Nathaniel
Edwards, third, the first occupant of the farm, took
possession of it.
Nathaniel was a descendant of
Alexander Edwards, who came to this country from Wales.
This progenitor was a tanner by trade, and also engaged
in sheep and cattle raising at the start. He afterward
combined these avocations with that of
tavern-keeper. His inn was close by
the first toll-gate west of Northampton, on the Boston
and Albany turn-pike, over which the stage lines ran.
With the advent of steam railways to take the place of
the old coach lines, this wayside hostelry, like others
of the same description, was abandoned some forty-five
years ago. Mr. Hoxie's maternal grandfather, Captain
David Edwards, was born in Northampton; and his wife,
Penninah Judd, was a daughter of Sylvester Judd, of
Westhampton. They were the parents of five children, two
sons and three daughters, all of whom, except one son,
married. The youngest, who was the last survivor, died
in 1895, aged seventy-eight years. His first wife having
died, Captain Edwards married again, but had no children
by the second wife. His sister Esther married Leander
Moody, and in commemoration of the event there was
planted the elm tree which now over shades Mr.
Hoxie's home.
Grandfather James Hoxie, who had
lost one limb, was a tailor by trade, and originally
lived in Rhode Island, whence he came on horseback
accompanied by his wife, who rode behind him on a
pillion.
Benjamin B. Hoxie, the father of
the subject of this sketch, was born in Greenfield in
1809. He afterward removed to Charlemont, where his
youth was spent. At the age of eighteen years he came to
the farm on which his son resides and learned the
tanner's business of Nathaniel Edwards, third. About
1834 he went to that part of New York State on which the
city of Buffalo has since arisen, then covered with
timber, and spent the succeeding two years in the woods
there. At the end of that time he returned to
Northampton, and, with the exception of a brief visit to
California, there spent the remainder of his life.
He engaged in the tanning business in partnership
with his brother-in-law, Horace Wright, and also carried
on his farm, which contained between four and five
hundred acres of land. He was married
in 1833, to Miss Hannah
Burt Edwards, a grand-daughter of Nathaniel Edwards,
third. They reared two of the five children born of
their union, namely: David Edwards; and Esther Moody,
wife of Alphonso Witherell, residing in Northampton
Centre, and mother of one son, Philip
Witherell.
David Edwards Hoxie was reared on
the farm in Northampton, and after completing the course
in the district school entered Williston Seminary. When
the Civil War broke out he enlisted in Company C of the
Tenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. This regiment
was the first which went to the front from Western
Massachusetts. This was in the spring of 1861. In the
spring of 1863 he was discharged on account of
disability. Five years later, in 1868, he entered the
employ of the Davison Watch Company, jewelers of
Northampton Centre, with whom he remained until 1875,
after which he conducted the business on his own
account. In 1884 he closed out his store and returned
home to care for his aged mother and recuperate his
health. This proved profitable in a pecuniary way as
well as salutary to his health and consoling to his
mother.
In September, 1868, he was joined
in marriage with Miss Sarah J. Perkins, of Lyme, Conn.,
a daughter of Charles and Temperance (Chapman) Perkins.
Her parents had ten children. She now has three brothers
living, namely: Elisha and George, who are well-to-do
farmers in Oskaloosa, la. ; and William, who lives in
Chesterfield, Conn. These, with their brother James,
served in the Civil War. James (a twin brother
of Andrew J., who died aged five years) was wounded and
did not live to reach his home. Mr. and Mrs. Hoxie's
home has been blessed by the birth of three promising
sons, namely: James Benjamin, a young man of twenty-four
years, residing at home, who was a student at the
Connecticut Literary Institute; George Perkins, who is
eighteen years of age, and is attending the Northampton
High School; and Sylvester Edwards, a youth of thirteen
years.
Mr. Hoxie has always voted the
Republican ticket. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and has
served as Secretary of his Chapter. He is a charter
member of the William L. Baker Post, No. 86, Grand Army
of the Republic. He has served on the
Common Council two years, as an Alderman one year, and
for three years as a member of the Board of Health.
Mr. Hoxie is a man of superior intelligence, and
by his business ability and integrity has won respect
and esteem in both business and social intercourse.
GEORGE WILLIAM HUBBARD,
M.D.,
a
practicing physician
of South Hadley, was born in Hatfield, Mass., June 22,
1870, son of Charles E. and Julia E. (Dayton)
Hubbard. Dr.
Hubbard's father was a young man at the breaking out of
the Civil War, and he enlisted in the Thirty-seventh
Regiment,
Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, with which he
served until mustered out, participating in several
important engagements.
After the war he visited the West, where he
remained for a time. He
then returned to Hatfield and purchased a farm,
consisting of one hundred and fifty acres, which he has
improved to a considerable extent. He is now busily and
successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits, making a
specialty of tobacco culture.
Charles E.
Hubbard's wife was a native of Northampton.
George William is their only son.
George William Hubbard
commenced his education in the public schools. He
subsequently attended Smith Academy, from which he
graduated in 1889, having won the first prize in
oratory. He then studied medicine for one year with Dr.
Fay, of Northampton, at the expiration of which time he
entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons in
Baitimore, Md. After a three years' course in this
institution he graduated with the class of 1894, and
then spent some time in the Baltimore City Hospital.
After this he returned to Hatfield, and a few weeks
later began the practice of his profession in South
Hadley.
Since establishing himself in his present field of
usefulness Dr. Hubbard has succeeded in acquiring a large
and lucrative practice, and has won the respect and
hearty good will of his fellow-townsmen. He
is a member and medical examiner of Lodge No. 2657,
Knights of Honor, of South Hadley, and also a member of
the medical staff at the Holyoke City Hospital. He
is a member of the Congregational church; and, while a
Republican in politics, he takes no particular interest
in political affairs beyond casting his
vote.
MRS. RHODA W. HUBBARD, daughter of
Justin and Dolly W (Waite) Hastings, was born in
Hatfield, here grew to womanhood and spent her married
life of thirty-three years, and here continues to reside
since the death of her husband, Silas G. Hubbard, on
June 14, 1890. She is a highly intelligent and estimable
lady, possessing the esteem and good will of her
neighbors, and occupying a pleasant home.
Her grandparents were John and Sybil
(Dickinson) Hastings, the former of whom was a
practicing physician and a real estate owner of
Hatfield. Dr. Hastings and his wife both lived to an
advanced age.
Their children were: Chester; Mary; Sophia; and
Justin, the father of Mrs. Hubbard. Justin Hastings, who was born in Hatfield,
January 23, 1800, settled upon the farm which is now
occupied by J. Breor, and conducted general farming with
success. He died at the age of eighty-four years. His
wife, Dolly W. Waite, was born January 24, 1801, and
became the mother of three children, as follows: Harriet
H., who was born November 1, 1825, married T. Bagg, and
died November 28, 1874; Rhoda W.; and Ellen M., born
November 5, 1831, who married Dexter Frary, and died
October 9, 1852. The mother died at the age of
seventy-nine.
The Hubbard family of Hatfield are
descendants of John Hubbard, who accompanied his father
from England, and settled in Connecticut. Silas G.
Hubbard was born on the old Hatfield homestead in 1831,
and was a son of John and Clarissa
(Clapp) Hubbard. He attended the schools of Hatfield, and
completed
his
education at the
Easthampton Academy. He
assisted his father in conducting the farm, and resided
at the old homestead until the death of his parents,
after which he engaged in farming upon his own account,
also devoting a considerable time to surveying. In
1860 Mr.
Hubbard purchased the John Smith property on Main
Street, which includes a
handsome brick residence and
eleven acres of land; and he also became the owner of
other valuable real estate. He
was an extensive farmer and one of the largest tobacco
growers upon the flats. For
some years he was President of the Connecticut Valley
Tobacco
Growers
Association, and was very active in that
capacity. The marriage of Silas G. Hubbard and Rhoda
W. Hastings
took place on April 16, 1851. Mr. Hubbard was
a Republican in politics, and served with ability in
various positions of public trust, being a Selectman for
several years, also School Commissioner and Town
Treasurer, and in 1857 representing his district in the
legislature. He was Treasurer of Smith Academy, and for
twenty years a Director of the First National Bank of
Northampton and its predecessor, the Holyoke Bank. In religion he
was a Congregationalist and a very active member of that
church.
What manner of man he was and the estimation in
which he was held in the county where he was widely
known, being for some years the Hatfield correspondent
of the Hampshire Gazette, was well voiced by the local
press, from which we quote the following, speaking of
him first as a writer. In this capacity
he displayed rare good taste, excellent judgment, and
varied intelligence. He was always ready on all
questions, whether of current news, which he presented
in an acceptable manner, never offending any one, in the
history of his town, in which he was especially well
informed, better, probably, than any other man of his
time, or on questions of a broader scope, having a
national interest and importance. He was greatly
interested in the celebration held last fall (1889) of
the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, and prepared
the principal historical address of the occasion,
visiting Boston and other places to search for ancient
material, which he presented in a paper of rare value
and great historical interest. Considering the limited
opportunities he had for education and development,
being confined to the labors of the farm nearly all his
life, he was indeed a man of remarkable research and
breadth of mind. He was a great reader and a close
student, and his mind was well stored with information
covering a wide range of subjects. He looked to causes
as well as to effects, and was never satisfied until he
knew the beginning as well as the end, the why and the
wherefore as well as the final results. He was a man of
high moral and religious principle.
CHARLES E. HUMPHREY, a prominent
resident of Pelham and a member of the Board of
Selectmen, was born in Boston, June 15, 1850, and is son
of Benjamin F. and Sarah (Howe) Humphrey.
The grandfather of Mr. Humphrey,
Noah Humphrey, was one of the early settlers of
Pelham. He was a
cabinet-maker, carried on a wood-turning business, and
owned a good farm, which he worked to advantage. He
subsequently moved to Oakham, Mass., where he died, at
the age of eighty-nine. He was an
active member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
His wife, Mary P.
Humphrey, became the mother of eight children, of whom
Benjamin F., Mr. Humphrey's father, is the
youngest. She died at the
age of eighty-two. Benjamin F. Humphrey
was born in Pelham, and learned the trade of
book-binder. He has enjoyed a long
period of prosperity in that business, which he has
carried on in Boston at 114 State Street, and later at 5
Chatham Row. He still works at the trade, and is
regarded as the oldest book-binder in Boston. He is a
Unitarian in religion, and has supported the principles
of the Republican party since its formation. His wife,
Sarah H. (Howe) Humphrey, who was born in Boston, has
had three children: Frank H., who died at the age of
fifteen; Susie G., who died at the age of eight; and
Charles E., the subject of this sketch.
Charles E. Humphrey was
educated in the schools of Cambridge, Mass. He learned
the trade of a book-binder with his father, and
continued to work in the finishing department of the
business. In 1885 poor health caused him to relinquish
the trade and seek an occupation which would not require
so much indoor confinement. He accordingly moved to
Pelham, where he settled upon his present farm of
sixty-five acres, and has since conducted general
farming with success. Mr. Humphrey is actively
interested in public affairs, and has served with
ability in various town offices. At present, in addition
to the office already mentioned, he holds those of
Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, and superintendent of
schools. He is independent in politics. On October 8,
1874, he was united in marriage to Eleanor B. Smith,
daughter of Lemuel and Mary Smith, of South Hadley
Falls, now deceased.
AUSTIN HUNTER, a progressive farmer
and a well-known resident of Greenwich, was born in
Enfield, December 22, 1823, son of Amos and Abigail
(Marsh) Hunter. Mr. Hunter's grandparents were Isaac and
Catherine (Dix) Hunter, the former of whom came from
Leicester, Mass., and settled upon a farm in the
northern part of Enfield. He was an industrious and
successful farmer, and resided in Enfield until his
death, which occurred August 4, 1821.
He was a Democrat in politics. His wife became
the mother of eleven children, eight sons and three
daughters, all of whom reached maturity. She died in
August, 1803.
Amos Hunter, Mr. Hunter's
father, was born November 28, 1778, and
in his early manhood followed the occupation of a
tanner. He later engaged in agriculture in Enfield,
owning a farm of one hundred acres, which he conducted
prosperously. The latter
years of his life were passed in Greenwich, where he
died at the age of eighty-six years. His wife, Abigail
Marsh before marriage, who was born June 6, 1782, became
the mother of eleven children, ten of whom grew
to maturity. Six are now
living, namely: Paulina C, widow of Thomas Conkey, born
October 3, 1804, now the
oldest resident in Greenwich, residing with Mr. Hunter;
Amos, who resides in Enfield; David, who occupies the
old homestead in Enfield; Charles, who resides in
Belchertown; Austin, the subject of this sketch; and Abbie,
widow of Elisha Moody,
of South Hadley. Those deceased
were: Shepherd, Elbridge, Thomas, Lorency, and Moriva.
The last named died in infancy.
The mother lived to the age of eighty-five
years.
Austin Hunter grew to manhood in
Enfield, and received his education in the schools of
that town. He resided at home until he reached the age
of twenty-one, when he engaged as a farm assistant with
Thomas Conkey for the compensation of twelve dollars per
month. He continued in this employment for some ten
years, after which Mr. Conkey, in consideration of being
supported by him during the rest of his life, gave him
the farm, situated in the town of Prescott, where he
resided until April, 1864, when he acquired his present
farm in Greenwich. He has enlarged his property, which
originally consisted of one hundred and sixty acres, by
the addition of adjoining land; and he now owns an
exceedingly productive and well-located farm of two
hundred and fifty acres. He conducts
general farming in a practical and progressive manner,
being well acquainted with the improved methods of
agriculture. His residence and other buildings, which
were substantially constructed, are kept in the best of
repair. In politics Mr.
Hunter is a Republican, and was formerly identified with
public affairs for some years. He served with ability as
a member of the Board of Selectmen, and also held other
official positions.
On April 20, 1859, Mr. Hunter was
united in marriage to Mary L. Smith. She was born in
Pelham, Mass., October 27, 1834, daughter of Job and
Martha (Conkey) Smith, both of whom were natives of
Pelham. Job Smith was a prosperous farmer during his
entire life, and he lived to the age of sixty-four. He
raised a family of four children, as follows: Mary L.,
who is now Mrs. Hunter; Hannah, who is now Mrs. Horr, of
Pelham; Laura, now Mrs. Boynton, of Pelham; and
Mehitable, who became Mrs. Sanborn, and died in
Westfield, December 6, 1892. The mother died aged
sixty-three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Hunter have
nine children, namely: Alice M., who was born April 30,
1860; Mary, born October 31, 1861 ; Elmer A., born June
20, 1S63; Walter L., born July 22, 1865; Myron A., born
April 7, 1867; Edward M., born October 19, 1869; David
M., born March 13, 1871; Harry E. and Henry E., twins,
born March 23, 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Hunter
are old and highly esteemed residents of Greenwich, and
she is a member of the Congregational church. Mr.
Hunter has lived a busy and useful life, and is
passing his declining years in comparative ease and
comfort.
FREDERIC
DAN HUNTINGTON, S.T.D., LL.D., L.H.D., first
Bishop of the Diocese of Central New York, was born May
28, 1819, in the historic town of Hadley, the house
where he was born being now his summer home. He is a
son of the Rev. Dan Huntington, who acted for
some time as pastor in Litchfield and
Middletown,
Conn.,
but moved
in 1816 to
Hampshire County, Massachusetts. For some
time he taught at Hopkins Academy in Hadley, his home
being the house now
owned by the Bishop. The Rev. Dan
Huntington married Elizabeth W. Phelps, daughter of
Charles and Elizabeth (Porter) Phelps, of Hadley. The
latter was the only daughter of Captain Moses Porter,
who in 1753 built the house
which afterward became the home of
his grand-daughter, Mrs.
Huntington, and her family.
Mr. and Mrs. Phelps had but two
children: the mother of Frederic Dan Huntington and
Major Charles P. Phelps. Mrs. Huntington
at the time of her marriage owned some three hundred
acres of the farm; and her brother built
a dwelling on the land, and named the place "Pine
Grove." Mr. and Mrs.
Huntington were the
parents of eleven
children, namely: the Hon. Charles P. Huntington, an
attorney and judge; William Pitkin; Elizabeth P.,
Mrs. Fisher; Bethia
Throop; Edward P.; John Whiting; Theophilus Parsons;
Theo Gregson; Mary Dwight;
Catherine Carey; Frederic Dan, our subject.
Frederic Dan Huntington graduated
from Amherst in 1839. After
graduation he took charge of the South Unitarian
Church, in Boston, over which he presided till
1855, when he was called to Harvard
College, where he served as professor and preacher five
years. Mr. Huntington
was a deep and ear-nest thinker on the subject of
religion; and in 1860, after mature deliberation, he
joined the fold of the Protestant Episcopal church,
taking charge of the newly organized parish of Emmanuel
Church, Boston, where he labored for nine years. At the
end of that time he was chosen and consecrated Bishop of
the Diocese of Central New York.
The works of Bishop Huntington's
pen are too many to enumerate here. They embrace poetry
and prose and a diversified list of subjects, all
treated gracefully and forcibly. His literary work alone
covers a broad sphere of action; for, besides writing
books, pamphlets, and poems, he contributed to the old
Democratic Review the Christian Examiner, the North
American Review, the Forum, the American Church Review,
the Homiletic Review, the Independent, the Boston
Courier, the Churchman, and the Congregationalist; and
he was editor for several years each of the Christian
Register, the Monthly Religious Magazine, and the Church
Monthly. Bishop Huntington has been
connected with educational institutions in the
following capacities: Trustee and Visitor of Hobart
College; professor and preacher at Harvard (1855-60);
Trustee at St. Paul's School, Concord, several years;
Trustee of St. Mark's School, of the Keble School for
Girls, Syracuse, and of Vassar College; President of the
Board of Trustees of St. John's School for Boys; and
lecturer for one season at the Episcopal Theological
School, Cambridge, and for two seasons at the General
Theological Seminary, New York.
The above is a brief synopsis of
Bishop Huntington's career, giving merely the stepping
stones on the way to his present position. Of the years
of conscientious and loving labor in behalf of his
fellowmen, of pathetic and thrilling incidents in his
career as a minister to needy souls, and of his own
mental struggles and achievements space is not here
given to write. A man of broad scholarship and unusual
intellectual force, by personal effort and by the use of
a facile and powerful pen he has done a great work for
the Episcopal Church. He it was who first recognized the
uses of an order of evangelists, and whose sympathy and
encouragement brought into existence the Parochial
Missions Society and the well-known St. Andrew's
Brotherhood.
On the 8th of April, 1894, the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the consecration of Bishop
Huntington was observed throughout his diocese; and the
parishes of Syracuse united in service at St. Paul's
Cathedral, Bishop Huntington pronouncing the
benediction. A more formal and elaborate commemoration
of the anniversary was made in connection with the
annual Diocesan Convention, held at the cathedral on
Wednesday, June 13, 1894, when three bishops and
ninety-eight other clergymen were present, besides
ninety-nine lay delegates and a large congregation,
composed of people from Syracuse and other parts of the
diocese. Many were present who at-tended the
consecration at Boston twenty-five years ago. After the
services in the church a public reception was held in
the parlors of the Yates Hotel, where a large number of
persons took occasion to offer congratulations to the
Bishop.
In 1843 Bishop Huntington was
united in marriage to Hannah Dane, daughter of Epes
Sargent, of Boston, and five children blessed their,
union, namely: the Rev. George P.
Huntington, rector of the parish at Hanover,
N.H.; Arria Sargent, who lives with her parents; Ruth
G., wife of A. L. Sessions, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; the Rev.
James O. S. Huntington, known as
Father Huntington, a preacher and evangelist; and Mary
L., who is with her parents.
Bishop Huntington's diocesan
residence is at Syracuse, N.Y., where he is to be found
the greater part of the year. The house in
Hadley, where he spends his leisure seasons, and which
is endeared to him by early associations,
is one of the oldest in the State. A fine estate
of more than a hundred acres of land adjoins the
residence, and the whole makes
an ideal country home. Though now in
his seventy-seventh year, Bishop Huntington's faculties
are still undimmed. At the last
Commencement exercises of Amherst he was the oldest
alumnus present, and the number of his contemporaries is
yearly dwindling; but all who have lived under his wise
and far sighted administration pray that he may be
spared many years yet to watch over the spiritual
welfare of the diocese of Central New York.
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