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SERGEANT JAMES H. DAMON, an
esteemed resident of Chesterfield, was born January 4,
1842.
His father, also a native of this
town, spent the major portion of his life in farming,
and was married three times. His first wife, whose
maiden name was Shaw, bore him three children, namely:
Miranda, deceased; Octavia, now living in Florence,
Mass. ; and Seth T., a resident of San Francisco. His
second wife, Laura Angell before marriage, was a native
of Huntington, and had nine children, as follows:
Newton, now residing in San Francisco; Mary, deceased;
James H., the subject of this sketch; Hannah, also
living in San Francisco; Martha, deceased; Emily,
deceased; Henry, living in this town; Levi, also of
Chesterfield; and Susan, deceased.
After the death of his second wife, the father
married Orpha Sturtevant, who survived him, dying
subsequently in Chesterfield.
Being one of a
large family of children, James H. Damon began
earning his own living at the tender age of ten
years. His first
employment was on a farm, where he worked hard for his
board and clothes. He
continued as a farm laborer
until nineteen years of age,
when, on August 11, 1861, he gave his services to his
country, enlisting in the Twenty-first Massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry, Company H, commanded by Colonel
William S. Clark, his company
being under the command of Captain Rice. Mr. Damon
proved a brave soldier, and was soon promoted to the
rank of Sergeant. With his
company he took part in many of the hardest-fought
engagements of the war. Among
them were the battles at Roanoke Island, Newbern, N. C,
and Camden, the second battle of Manassas, the battles
of Chantilly, South Mountain, Antietam, and
Fredericksburg, the actions in the campaign of East
Tennessee, the battle of Blue Springs, the skirmish at
Campbell Station, the siege of Knoxville, and the battle
of the Wilderness. In the battle of
Chantilly Mr. Damon received a bullet wound in the
ankle, but luckily declined to go into hospital. On May
6, 1864, at the battle of the Wilderness, he was
captured by the rebels and taken to Andersonville, where
he remained in durance vile for ten months before he was
released, February 27, 1865. He then came home for a
thirty days' furlough, after which he was sent to Dale
Hospital, Worcester, Mass. Here he remained until July
27. when he was honorably discharged.
Soon after his return to the scenes
of his childhood, Mr. Damon was united in marriage to
Melinda Witherell, the nuptials being performed August
19, 1865. Mrs. Damon was born in Westhampton, and was a
daughter of Ransom Witherell, who subsequently removed
with his family to Chesterfield, and
there spent his remaining years. After his
marriage Mr. Damon carried on his father's farm for five
years, and then, in 1870, bought a farm in the
southern part of the town of Chesterfield, and
there carried on mixed husbandry until his removal to
his present home in 1884. His good
management, besides winning for him a respectable
competency, has resulted in many improvements on his
property.
Always actively employed, he
is a typical representative of the self-made men of the
county. Mr. Damon
is a steadfast Republican in politics and an intelligent
worker in the interests of that party. He belongs to
the Grand Army of the Republic, Post No. 86, of
Northampton; and having never fully recovered from the
effects of his army life, his health being quite poor
and his hearing badly impaired, he draws a pension from
the government.
SYLVANUS C.
DAMON is prominent among the substantial and
progressive agriculturists and business man of the
western part of Hampshire County. He is a
well-known resident of the town of Chesterfield, where
he is the owner of a fine farm, which gives ample
evidence of the skill and good taste with which it is
managed, the homestead presenting a beautiful picture of
quiet country life. Mr.
Damon is a native of Chesterfield, born February 6, 1838, his
parents,
Salma and Hannah (Torrey) Damon, having been
lifelong residents of this place. The paternal
household was large, consisting of fourteen children,
namely: Malintha; Fidelia; Lucretia; Emeline; Sylva;
Rachael; Oliver; Ephraim; Nelson; Ann; Julia; Elizabeth
; Sylvanus C.; and Lucretia, who died in infancy. The
father was a farmer, and reared his children to the same
healthful and independent occupation.
Sylvanus C. Damon was educated in the district
schools and early initiated into the mysteries of
agriculture; but, not finding the tilling of the soil
quite congenial work, he drifted from the old homestead
to Springfield when nineteen years of age, and found
employment in a barber shop. He continued thus engaged
for twelve years, being in business alone a part of the
time. On May 23, 1861, while yet a resident of
Springfield, Mr. Damon enlisted in Company F, under
Captain Lombard, Tenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry,
commanded by Colonel Briggs. With his regiment he went
to the front and took an active part in the engagements
at Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, and Antietam. He fortunately
escaped being wounded, but spent some weeks in the
hospital at Washington, D.C., and afterward received his
honorable discharge at Downsville, Md., in November,
1862.
Returning from the field of carnage
to Springfield, Mr. Damon continued at his trade of a
barber until 1865, when he came back to the place of his
birth, and for the next two years rented a farm,
carrying it on with such marked success that he then
decided to make agriculture his future occupation. He
accordingly purchased his present property, which
consists of one hundred and twenty acres of choice land,
the larger portion of which he has under excellent
cultivation and on which he has made the greater part of
the improvements.
He is also the owner of Damon's Pond, a famous
fishing resort for
the sportsmen of Springfield,
Boston, and other cities, who make
a point of coming here each season to camp out and
fish.
The pond is one of the most picturesque in this
region and covers one hundred and seventy-five acres.
Mr. Damon
is largely identified with the manufacturing interests
of Chesterfield, owning and operating a sawmill and a
whip-butt manufactory, both located near his farm.
On November 21, 1857, Mr. Damon was united
in the holy bonds of matrimony with Elizabeth J. Burt, a
native of Longmeadow, Mass., daughter of Anson and Ann
Burt, both of whom spent their last years in
Springfield.
Nine children have been born of their union,
namely: Frederick W., who married
Grace Pearl, is a farmer, and resides not far from the
parental homestead; Charlie, who died in infancy; Eva L.
the wife of Francis Barker, of Cheshire, Mass. ; Leon
S., who married Sadie Hamel, and lives near his
parents; Herbert S., living at home; Lillian J., the
wife of Clarence Emerson, of Springfield; Nellie A. ;
Sylvanus C.,
Jr.;
and
Ernest Lester. All were educated in the public schools.
Mrs.
Damon
is a much esteemed member of the Congregational
church.
In politics Mr. Damon is an active and earnest
Republican, uniformly casting his ballot in the
interest of that party. He has served with faithfulness
in various offices, including that of Road Surveyor.
Socially, he is a comrade of Baker Post, No. 86, Grand
Army of the Republic, of Northampton.
ANDREW J. DAVIS, who with his
brother, Henry C. Davis, is engaged in the insurance and
real estate business, is one of the eight surviving
children of Benjamin and Cordelia (Buffington) Davis,
his birth having occurred on February 6, 1860. Mr. Davis
was reared on the home farm, remaining with his parents
until he reached his majority. After graduating from the
Ware High School, he took a special course at the Ann
Arbor High School in Michigan. He left there in
February, 1881, and soon after entered the employ of
Tobias New, of New York City, a manufacturer of roofing
materials and asphalt pavement. He remained with him
until April, 1888, when he returned to Ware, and in the
year following took charge of his father's farm. In
December, 1889, he entered into partnership with his
brother, Henry C. Davis, in the real estate and
insurance business, which has since been quite
successful.
On May 4, 1887, the anniversary of
his father's and this brother's wedding day, his own
marriage to Miss Emma A. Glines was performed. She is
the second daughter of David B. and Adeline O. (Draper)
Glines, of Ware. Her father died in February, 1895, at
the age of sixty-one years, leaving a goodly estate to
his family. He was a native of Maine; but he came to
Ware about forty years ago, and after a time established
a successful business. In his last years he did little
be-yond looking after his property and investments. His
elder daughter, Grace D., married Frank M. Sibley, of
the firm of Hitchcock & Co. Mr. and Mrs. Davis's
home has been made happy by the advent of two daughters
and one son, namely: Grace G., a little woman of six
years; Esther Helen, who is four years old; and
Benjamin, born in September, 1895.
The Republican party counts
Mr. Davis among its faithful adherents, and he served as
Postmaster at Ware during General Harrison's
administration. Among his other official trusts may be
mentioned that of Deputy Sheriff and Notary Public.
Fraternally, he is a Knight Templar, being a member of
the Northampton Commandery, King Solomon's Chapter of
Warren, and Eden Lodge of Masons of Ware. He is also a
member of the Ware Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
Ancient Order of United Workmen. At present Mr. Davis
and his family reside on Spring Street; but he is now
building a new and larger home on Elm Street, adjoining
the residence of his brother, Henry C.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DAVIS, a prosperous and
practical farmer of Ware, was born at Three Rivers in
the town of Palmer, Mass., on November 9, 1837, son of
Benjamin, Jr., and Cordelia (Buffington) Davis, the
former of whom was a native of Ware.
The Davis family are of Welsh ancestry. The earliest
progenitor in this country of whom anything definite is
known was Benjamin Davis, the great-great-grandfather of
the subject of this sketch. He died at South Gore in the
town of Oxford, Mass., in 1787, seventy-four years of
age. His son, Crafts Davis, who was born in Oxford, in
1744, lived to the advanced age of ninety-three
years.
Benjamin Davis, the grandfather of Benjamin
Franklin Davis, was born in Oxford on September 20,
1774. He was reared to a farm life and continued in it
with advantage to himself, first in Oxford and later in
Ware, whither he removed about the year 1800. He
died in Ware on September 19, 1860, aged eighty-six
years. His wife, Theodosia Davis, to whom he was married
on October 3, 1796, reared nine children, all of whom
married, except one daughter. Two are now living,
namely: Dr.
Willard Gould Davis, born March 1, 1815, residing
in Dunnsville, N.Y. ; and Sarah, the widow of Fisk Brooks, living at
Stafford, Conn., and now eighty-seven years of age. Her son, P. H.
M. Brooks, is a high rank mechanic in the Springfield
Armory. Mrs.
Theodosia Davis died January 29, 1861, at the age
of eighty-four years and six months. Benjamin Davis,
Jr., born in Ware, July 16, 1811, spent his early years
on his father's farm; but when he started for himself he
engaged in manufacturing, which he followed with
success, first at Three Rivers and later at Thorndike,
both in the town of Palmer, Mass. Then, in 1846,
he came to Ware. He was married May 4, 1836, to Cordelia
Burlington, a daughter of Royal Buffington, of
Connecticut.
Nine children were born of their union, and four
sons and four daughters are now living. Benjamin F.
Davis received his education in the Ware High School and
at Williston Seminary. He taught school for one winter;
but after that he engaged in farming, which he has since
followed with good success. He keeps a dairy of
twenty-five or thirty choice cows, and has sold the milk
in Ware during the past thirteen years. The products of
his farm and dairy combined have in a single year
brought him in about four thousand dollars, a good
percentage of which is profit. In addition to his home
farm he has three others, and in all owns about seven
hundred acres of land. His success must be largely due
to his apparently unfailing energy and industry. His day's work
usually begins between three and four o'clock in the
morning, and continues till late in the evening. He
still enjoys excellent health.
On July 26, 1856, he was united in marriage with
Miss Mary Jane Phillips, of Chicopee Falls, Mass. She
was a daughter of Walter Phillips, who came to Ware
about fifty years ago. She lived to the age of
forty-four years, dying March 4, 1882. Ten children were
born of her union with Mr. Davis, of whom nine are now
living, namely: Jennie Fremont, the wife of Frank E.
Morris, of Monson, Mass. ; Emma C., who married L.
Walter Newton, of Allegheny, Pa., and has five children;
Mary E., residing at home; Benjamin F., Jr., a teamster
and farmer, who is married and has one son; Anna Belle,
the wife of Frank L. Boothe, of California, who has two
sons; Cora Maria, who lives at home; Helen Augusta,
living at home; Charles Henry, who is in the Sophomore
class at Williams College; and Mabel Phillips, a young
lady attending the high school. George W. Davis died on
January 18, 1884, when but fourteen years of age. The
daughters are graduates of Ware High School, and Miss
Cora M. Davis spent one year in Wellesley College. Mr.
Davis was again married on November 24, 1894, to Miss
Susan M. Goyette, of Ware. In politics Mr.
Davis is a Republican. He has served his town as
Selectman, Assessor, and in other
offices;
and
in
1875 he was elected
Representative to the State legislature for the Ware
district.
HENRY C DAVIS, one of the leading attorneys of
Ware, was born at Three Rivers, Mass., on October 22,
1843, son of Benjamin and Cordelia (Buffington)
Davis.
His grandfather Davis, who also bore the
Christian name of Benjamin, was born in Oxford, Mass.,
in 1774, son of Craft Davis. He was a farmer in humble
circumstances, and the larger part of his life was spent
in North Brookfield and in Ware. He died in the latter
place in 1860, at the advanced age of eighty-six years.
He married Miss Theodosia Barnes; and their union was
blessed by the birth of three sons and six daughters,
all of whom lived to maturity, though two of the
daughters died in early womanhood. The only survivors
are: Dr. W. G. Davis, of Schenectady, N.Y. ; and Mrs.
Sarah Brooks, the widow of James F. Brooks, residing at
Stafford Springs, Conn. Of the deceased, Mrs. Nancy
Goodwin died at Springfield, Mass., in her
eighty-sixth year, leaving two children. Mrs. Cynthia Loomis,
who resided in Ware, died aged eighty-eight years,
leaving one daughter. The Rev. William
Davis lived to he eighty-six years old, and left at his
death six daughters and a son, the Rev. William P.
Davis, of Lebanon, N.J. Mrs. Almira Whittaker, who was
born in 1802, died at the age of ninety-three years. The
mother survived the father by two years, dying in 1862,
eighty-six years of age. Both
rest in the Ware cemetery.
Benjamin Davis, Jr., who was born in Ware, July
16, 1811, spent his early years on his father's
farm.
He afterward turned his attention to the
manufacture of cotton goods, which he followed with
success for many years. He removed to
Palmer, Mass., in 1836, remaining there until the spring
of 1846, when he settled in Ware. Here
he continued in the cotton-goods business until 1860,
when he retired, taking up his residence on a farm
situated about one mile from the village of Ware. He always took
an active and prominent part in local and general
politics; and, being a man of high principles and strong
character, he was one of the leaders in all worthy
enterprises.
He was sent to the legislature in 1858, and for
over twenty years he served as Assessor. He was a
Democrat until the starting of the Free Soil movement,
and was always a Republican after the fusion, about 1855.
While holding the office of Assessor he was stricken
with paralysis, from the effects of which he died within
a year, on June 16, 1890, seventy-eight years of
age.
His wife, Cordelia Buffington, to whom he was
married on May 4, 1836, was born in Connecticut, and was a
daughter
of
Royal
Buffington. The
latter afterward removed to Palmer, Mass., where he
followed the vocation of an agriculturist with
success. He
reared a family of four sons and four daughters, of whom
two sons and a daughter are now living.
These are: Jesse M. Buffington; Dwight
Buffington, of Ware; and Mrs.
Cynthia Aldrich,
of Springfield, Mass. Their
mother died at the age of sixty-nine years.
Their father afterward entered into a second
marriage, and lived to be eighty-seven years of
age.
Mrs.
Davis bore her husband nine children, an infant
son who died and four sons and four daughters who
attained maturity, as follows: Benjamin F. Davis, who is
extensively engaged in farming in Ware; George R. Davis,
the Director of the World's Fair; Henry C. Davis; Jennie
C, the wife of Albert L. Harwood, of Newton, Mass.,
where her husband is an able lawyer and influential
citizen; Helen A. Davis, a retired school teacher
living at Newton Centre, Mass. ; Mary A. B., the wife of
Myron L. Harwood, of Ware; A. J. Davis, who is engaged
in a general insurance business and is a large real
estate dealer in Ware; and Georgia F. H., the wife of A.
L. Demond, of Chicago, ILL.
Henry C. Davis acquired his education in the
public schools of Ware, at Williston Seminary, and at
the Harvard Law School, graduating from the latter in
the class of 1868, after two years spent there. He
was admitted to the bar in January, 1868; and, after
about six months spent in the office of
Bacon & Aldrich at Worcester, he opened the office
which he now occupies. He
is a man of strong characteristics and superior legal
attainments, qualities which have brought him a
lucrative practice. He
is interested in various enterprises in his town, and
does a large business in real estate and
insurance.
On May 4, 1876, the wedding anniversary of both
his father and his brother, Andrew J., he was joined in
marriage with Miss Jennie A. Demond, of Ware,
a daughter of Lorenzo and Jane (Masden) Demond, and a
grand-daughter of Alpheus Demond. The latter
at one time owned a large portion of the town of Ware,
including the sites of the large factories; and he was a
leader in public affairs. Mrs. Davis has
now
two
brothers living, namely: Alpheus Demond, of
Rochester, N. Y. ; and Arthur L. Demond, of
Chicago, ILL. She
has borne her husband three sons and two daughters, as follows: Henry C.
Davis, Jr., living at home; John A. Davis, a youth of
sixteen years, who is attending the high school; Marion,
fourteen years of age, who is also in the high school;
May, ten years of age; and Arthur L., who is seven years
old.
In his political relations Mr.
Davis is a Republican. In 1874 he was sent to the State
legislature. He has also served in other public offices,
among which may be mentioned that of chairman of the
School Committee, of which board he was a member for
about twenty-five years. He is a member of King Solomon
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. His wife, a most estimable
lady, is a member of the Congregational church of Ware.
They reside at 12 Elm Street.
FREDERICK A. DAYTON,
Superintendent
of
Streets at Northampton, Mass., was born in his
present residence, February 27, 1856. Mr. Dayton is a
son of Charles Dayton, who was born in 1807 in Norwich,
Conn., and in 1837 married Abbie Brown, the daughter of
Brigham Brown, of Leicester, Mass. After their marriage
the parents settled on the fifty acre farm in this
town.
In addition to tilling the soil, Mr. Dayton
established the first milk route in Northampton,
carrying the milk from house to house suspended
from his broad shoulders by means of a yoke, often sixty
quarts at a time. He was
very enterprising, and became quite influential. He
was Highway Surveyor for many terms. He
and his wife were among the early Methodists of this
place,
worshipping with that denomination when their
meetings were held in the Town Hall. They had
seven children that grew to maturity. They were
as follows: Henry E., an artist, painter, and decorator,
who died in the summer of 1894, leaving one son, George
E.; Franklin O., for many years a prominent business man
of Chicopee, now living retired in Springfield; William
H., formerly a partner with his brother Franklin O. in
Chicopee, who died in May, 1884, leaving a widow;
Hammond B., a machinist, and for many years a gauge and
tool maker at Smith & Wesson's, who died in January,
1883, leaving a widow, who passed away about a year
later; Julia E wife of C. E. Hubbard, of Hatfield, and
mother of Dr. Hubbard, of South Hadley; Ellen M., wife
of G. W. Fitch, a dairy farmer in Amherst, who is the
son of George C.
Fitch, a wealthy farmer; and Frederick AM the
subject of this review. The mother died in 1881, having
reached threescore years and ten. The father died
in February, 1884.
Frederick A.
Dayton was educated in the grammar schools of
Northampton. After reaching the age of twelve
years, he
was unable to attend school except during the
winter months.
He assisted
on the farm of his brother-in-law during the summer
season until he attained the age of sixteen. In the
spring of 1873 he began to work at the carpenter's
trade, which he followed for fourteen years. In that
period he became the head mechanic and builder for Smith
& Livermore.
In 1885 he bought the Justin Thayer farm,
adjoining the old Dayton homestead, and engaged in
farming and dairying. He
succeeded to the milk business of his father, but
conducted it on a much larger scale, employing fine
teams to take the milk over the long route. He was
very successful during the eight or nine years in which
he was employed in this way. He brought
his farm to a high condition, and built a fine stock
barn for the accommodation of his dairy of twenty cows.
In all Mr. Dayton had the assistance of a
kind-hearted
and
wealthy uncle,
Lucien Brown, of Philadelphia. He
sold his farm in June, 1894, to the Boston & Maine
Railway Company at a handsome profit. He intends
soon to build a family residence on Washington
Avenue.
Mr. Dayton was
first married May 12, 1874, to Rebecca McCandless, who
died in 1885, leaving one daughter, Abbie B., the wife
of Arthur O. Sanford, of Springfield. They had another
daughter,
Hattie R.,
who died in 1883, at the age of six years. Within
a year of his first wife's decease Mr. Dayton married
Laura H. Clapp, the daughter of R. W. Clapp, of
Westhampton, a descendant of one of the early settlers
of that town, and a relative of the first ordained
minister of Westhampton. Two children have come of this
union, namely: Laura C, born in 1889; and Frederick A.,
Jr., born in 1892. Mr. Dayton belongs to the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and in politics is a stanch
Republican. He has filled his present position as
Superintendent of Streets for the past three years,
giving universal satisfaction to all.
WILSON DEWEY, the worthy
octogenarian, a retired citizen of Haydenville, was born
in Granby, Conn., July 1, 1815 a son of Aaron, Jr., and
Lovisa (Gillett) Dewey. Mr. Dewey's paternal
grandparents, Aaron, Sr., and Beadee (Gillett) Dewey,
were lifelong residents of Granby. Grandfather Dewey,
who was a well-to-do farmer, was a Whig in politics, and
was a member of the Baptist church. Both he and his wife
died at a ripe old age. Their children were: Aaron, Jr.,
Beadee, and Theda.
Aaron Dewey, Jr., was born in
Granby in 1791, and died at the age of forty-five
years. He was educated in
the schools of his native town; and in early manhood he
inherited part of the homestead, and purchased
additional land till he had a farm of one hundred
acres. He was a Whig in
politics and a Baptist in his religion. He and his wife,
whose name before marriage was Lovisa Gillett, became
the parents of eight children, as follows: William,
Mary, Watson, Wilson, Willis, Susan, Laura, and Wayne,
the last of whom died young. Mrs. Lovisa G. Dewey
married for her second husband a Mr. Stone, and died at
the age of seventy-two. She was a member of the
Congregational church at the time of her
death.
Wilson Dewey received his education
in Granby, and at the age of eighteen began work in a
brass foundry, where he was employed in making andirons,
fire shovels, and tongs by hand for twelve years. He
then engaged in the carpenter's trade with his brother
Watson, and, being a natural mechanic, soon developed
into a skilled workman. He later
relinquished the carpenter's trade to engage in
manufacturing wagons and sleighs at North Granby; and, a
short time after, he, in company with his brother
Willis, purchased that business, to which they added the
manufacturing of coffins. They conducted
the enterprise successfully for seven years, at the
expiration of which they sold to good advantage.
In the mean time Mr. Dewey had bought a house in
Granby, which he improved to a considerable extent; but
this he later disposed of, and bought a farm.
He followed
agriculture for two years, and then went to
Collinsville. Conn., where he was employed for seven
months in finishing
bayonets. From that place
he moved to Northampton, Mass., and was similarly
employed for another seven
months. He later became
Postal Clerk upon the route from New Haven to
Northampton. Some years previous
to this he was financially interested in the wholesale
and retail fruit and produce firm of Dewey &
Pratt. Later buying
his partner's interest in the business, he admitted his
son Mortimer as a partner; and the firm of Dewey &
Son conducted an extensive business for some time. Mr. Dewey
relinquished mercantile business to enter the postal
service, later being transferred to the Williamsburg
route, on which he remained for fourteen years, and then
retired.
Mr. Dewey is a Republican in
politics, and is active in public affairs. He has been a
member of the Board of Selectmen for three years, and he
represented his district in the legislature in 1888. He
is Vice-President and a Director of the Haydenville
Savings Bank. He was made a Free Mason in Granby, and is
now a member of Hampshire Lodge, and also of the Chapter
and Council. He became a charter
member of the lodge of Odd Fellows in Granby, of which
he was Past Grand and District Deputy; but that lodge is
now extinct. In 1884 Mr. Dewey bought the Briggs house,
which is pleasantly located on West Main Street,
Haydenville; and he has since resided here with the
exception of a short time passed in Boston.
On September 28, 1841, Mr. Dewey
was united in marriage with Mary M. Spencer, who was
born in New Hartford, Conn., daughter of Milton and
Amanda (Garrett) Spencer. Mrs. Dewey's
grandparents were Nathaniel S.
and Louis (Steele) Spencer, the former of whom
was a large real estate owner and an extensive
manufacturer of wagons and sleighs in New Hartford. He
built the first two-horse covered carriage, or " bus,"
ever seen in his neighborhood, and was complained of by
the deacons for driving his family to church in the new
vehicle, which created considerable excitement on the
Sabbath day. Nathaniel Spencer served as a soldier in
the Revolutionary War; and his son Milton, Mrs. Dewey's
father, served in the War of 1812. Milton Spencer was
born in New Hartford, and became a prosperous farmer of
that town. He lived to the age of eighty-six years. His
wife, Amanda Garrett, who attained the same age, was the
mother of eight children: Flora, Orvilla, Mary M.,
Harlow, Ralzy, John, Waite, and Theda.
Mr. and Mrs. Dewey have had five
children, as follows: Mortimer A., who married Georgie
A. Wilcox, and died April 7, 1882, leaving two children
- Fred W., who married Charlotte Crane, and is a boot
and shoe merchant of Northampton, and Grace, wife of
John Ross; Ella J., who died aged fourteen months; Eva
L., who died at the age of five years; Carrie, who died
aged seven years; and Everett H., who was born January
23, 1857, and is now occupying his father's former
position in the postal service.
HOLLIS BENJAMIN DeWITT, is a
prosperous and progressive farmer of Granby, Mass.,
owning a valuable farm of fifty-three acres in this town
and another in South Hadley, besides being the
proprietor of a livery stable in the village.
A man of good practical ability, energetic and
stirring from his youth, he visited different States,
and engaged in various employments before settling down
as a tiller of the soil in Hampshire County. He is a son
of Benjamin DeWitt, and was born in Granby, August 26,
1829. His paternal grandfather, Joseph DeWitt, who was a
native of Belchertown, there married Lovisa Montague,
and afterward settled on land in Granby, where both
spent their remaining days. They reared five children
-Joseph, Benjamin, Harry, Clarissa, and Lucy - none of
whom are now living.
Benjamin DeWitt followed the
occupation to which he was bred, buying and improving a
tract of wild land in Granby, on which he and his wife
passed their years of wedlock.
He was prominent in military circles, being
Colonel of a company of cavalry in the State militia.
Colonel DeWitt married Mary, better known as Polly
Eastman, the daughter of Captain Joseph and Hannah
(Lyman) Eastman, her father being a well-to-do farmer of
this town. Mrs. Polly Eastman departed this life on May
30, 1854, survived by her husband, who died October 15,
1855. They were the parents of ten children, a brief
record of whom is here given: Mary Ann, born September
8, 1822, died November 15, 1827; Hannah E., born
December 7, 1824, is the widow of the late Caleb S.
Bliss, and resides with her children in Washington,
D.C.; Helen M., born March 22, 1827, married Addison S.
Dickinson, of Granby, both being deceased; Hollis
Benjamin; Mary Ann, born March 3, 1832, the widow of the
late William H. Hayward, of Hadley, lives in Washington,
D.C.; Clinton, who married Octavia Otie, was born August
6, 1834, and is a resident of Lynchburg, Va.; Sarah
Jane, born September 9, 1836, is the widow of Norman S.
Stanner, and resides in Washington, D.C.; Louisa, born
March 13, 1840, died January 2, 1865; Martha E., born
December 10, 1843, died December 8, 1845; and William
D., born July 12, 1846, died September 30, 1870.
Hollis B. DeWitt, who, with his brothers and
sisters, was well educated at the district and select
schools, remained at home until eighteen years of age,
there acquiring a practical knowledge of agriculture in
its different branches. Desirous of
perfecting himself in some trade, he went then to
Chicopee, where he worked as a tinsmith for five years,
going thence to Lynchburg, Va., and there continuing
similarly engaged three years. In 1852 Mr.
DeWitt returned North, and for the next six months
worked in Williamsburg, N.Y., whence he proceeded to
Iowa, there spending some time in Independence and
Waverly, subsequently going to Chickasaw County, where
he entered four hundred acres of land. This he soon
sold, and in 1854, coming back to the place of his
birth, during that summer assisted on the home
farm. The following
six months Mr. DeWitt worked at his trade in Westfield;
and then on the death of his father he returned to the
old homestead, southwest of the village of Granby, and
for a year took charge of the property. After another
trip West, Mr. DeWitt settled down to farming, buying
the old home farm in 1858, and carrying it on for two
years. In 1860 he
disposed of that property, and bought a farm in South
Hadley, known as the Hatfield farm, managing that
successfully until 1865, when he sold out at an advance.
In 1865 Mr. DeWitt purchased twenty-five acres of his
present estate; and to his original purchase he has
since added until his farm contains fifty-three fertile
acres, on which he has made valuable
improvements.
On the 8th of April, 1857, while residing on the
old home farm, Mr. DeWitt was united in marriage with
Ellen E. Montague, a native of Granby, born November 27,
1833. Her parents were Giles
and Elvira (Edwards) Montague, the former of whom was a
lifelong resident of Granby, while the latter was born
and reared in Northampton. Mr. Montague was a farmer by
occupation, and after the death of his wife spent his
time with his daughter Ellen, Mrs. DeWitt. Two children
were born to Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt: Benjamin, who now
manages the farm, married Mary E. Stacey, and they have
three children- Ellen Stacey, William Hollis, and Giles
Rollin; Ellen Elvira, their other child, died in
infancy. In politics Mr. DeWitt affiliates with the
Republican party, and for five years served as Tax
Collector. He is identified, socially, with the Masons,
belonging to Mount Holyoke Lodge, A. F. & A. M.
Religiously, both he
and his estimable wife are faithful members of the
Congregational church of South Hadley.
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