USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > Athol, Massachusetts, past and present > Part 13
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He represented the First Worcester District in the Leg- islature in 1887 and 1888, and was elected to the Senate from the Worcester-Hampshire District, serving in 1891 and 1892. He was a member of the Judiciary committee in both the House and Senate, and served on other im- portant committees. Mr. Smith is a member of the Con- gregational church, and was for three years the Superin- tendent of its Sunday school. As moderator of town meetings for several years, he has gained a reputation as an able presiding officer. Prominently identified with all of the Masonic organizations in town, he was master of Athol lodge for two terms, and has been Worthy Patron of the Eastern Star. He married Miss Stella M. Parmen- ter, daughter of F. C. Parmenter, Dec. 26, 1879. They have three daughters. -
HENRY M. BURLEIGH was born in Hartford, Conn., March 2, 1835. He was fitted by private tutors for the profession of law, and admitted to the bar of Suffolk County, in July, 1858. He settled in New York City,
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where he practiced law until April 1861, when he enlisted in the First Regiment New York Volunteers under Col. Allen. He held various offices in his company and regi- ment, served as provost marshal of Camp Hamilton at Fortress Monroe, and in the spring of 1862, was com- missioned by Abraham Lincoln as assistant adjutant gen- eral, and assigned for duty on the staff of Brigadier Gen- eral Max Weber, with whose command he went to New- port News, May 8, 1862. The following September, with General Max Weber and four regiments of infantry, he joined the army of Mcclellan, and participated in the bat- tle of Antietam, in which he was badly wounded by a shot through the right shoulder. After recovering from his wound he was assigned to duty in Washington, later at Harper's Ferry, and was then assigned to Custers' division of Sheridan's Cavalry Corps at Winchester, and served in the Shenandoah Valley campaign until the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. After the war he re- turned to New York, and soon after located in Levan- worth, Kansas. where he practiced his profession seven years, holding the office of United States Commissioner for five years, and also served two terms as prosecuting attor- ney of Allen County. While in Kansas he married Clare Hoyt, daughter of Dr. George Hoyt of Athol, April 22, 1869. In 1872, he came to Athol, where he engaged in the practice of his profession. He was appointed by Gov- ernor Russell as one of the special justices of the First District Court of Northern Worcester. He was prominent in Grand Army circles, was one of the early Commanders of Parker Post, and in 1893, was appointed Judge Advo-
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cate of the Department of Massachusetts. He was a mem- ber of St. John's Episcopal church, and Superintendent of its Sunday School for three years. He died March 2, 1894,
EDGAR V. WILSON was born in Winchendon, Mass., July 1, 1847. His early childhood was passed in Winchendon, Gardner and Baldwinville, and when about five years of age, his parents removed to New Hampshire, where his early education was obtained in the schools of Stoddard and Sullivan. From the latter place he entered Cornell University, from which he was graduated in 1872. After teaching school several terms he read law with Wheeler & Falkner in Keene, N. H., and was admitted to practice in the New Hampshire courts in 1875, with a year's less study than is usually necessary. In 1876, he was admit- ted to the Massachusetts bar at Greenfield, and after a few months practice in Orange, came to Athol in May, 1876, where he has continued to practice his profession to the present time. He was appointed Trial Justice by Gov- ernor Long which position he held until 1883. For several years he was prominent in political affairs, and was an active member of the republican town committee dur- ing some of the most exciting campaigns ever held in town. He has been prominently identified with the edu- cational interests of the town, and for several years de- voted much of his time to school work, serving as a mem- ber of the school committee seven years. He has been auditor for the town several years, and was a member of the Sewer Commissioners during the construction of the sewer system. He married Miss Emma M. Pollard of Woodstock, Vt., July 23, 1879.
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EDGAR V. WILSON.
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LEGAL PROFESSION.
CHARLES FIELD, JR., son of Judge Charles Field, was born in Cambridge, Mass. His early education was ob- tained in the schools of Athol. He was fitted for college at Phillips Academy, Andover, and with private tutors, and graduated from Williams College in 1881. He studied law in his father's office for two years, was two years in the Boston Law School, and was admitted to the Massa- chusetts bar in June. 1886.
JOSEPH A. TITUS, son of Vernon and Mary ( Moore ) Titus. was born in Leicester, Mass., January 21, 1838. His ancestors on his father's side settled at Rehoboth. Mass., about 1640. and his mother was a descendant of one of the first settlers of the city of Worcester. He at- tended the public schools of his native town and Leicester Academy, from which he graduated in 1859, and entered Amherst College, At the close of his junior year he en- listed in the 42d Regiment Mass. Volunteers, and was 1st Sergeant of his company. After the term of service of his regiment expired, he taught school in North Brookfield, and had charge of the High School of Leicester for two years, with the exception of five months, which he spent in the army as Ist Lieut. of Co. F, 60th Regiment Mass. Volunteers. He commenced his legal studies in the office of Judge Henry Chapin and Appleton Dadmun in Wor- cester. and in the year 1868, was admitted to the bar, and opened an office in Worcester, where he remained till the summer of 1891. Ill health obliged him to give up active practice in the city, and he went to Orange, Mass., where he took up the practice of his profession, and from which place he came to Athol in 1894. After his return from
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the army to private life, he remained in the military ser- vice of the state of Massachusetts for nearly twelve years, commanding the Worcester City Guards for four years, and serving the remainder of the period as chief of staff, under the command of Brigadier General Robert H. Chamberlain, of the 3d Brigade Mass. Volunteer Militia. In 1868, he was appointed Associate Justice of the Muni- cipal Court of Worcester by Governor Bullock, which of- fice he retained until that court was abolished in 1872. In 1872 he was elected a member of the Legislature from the city of Worcester for the year 1873. He also served two years as a member of the Common Council of the city of Worcester. He is a charter member of Geo. H. Ward Post, No. 10. G. A. R., and was for nearly three years its commander. He has spoken in nearly every town in Worcester County on the varied topics connected with politics, agriculture, Memorial Day services and other matters. In 1868, he was married to Bertha G. Manning of Worcester, who died October 29, 1894. He has three children, George A. Titus and Albert G. Titus, now of Boston, and a daughter, Bertha M. Titus, now residing in Worcester.
Sketches of Farwell F. Fay and Geo. H. Hoyt, promi- nent as Athol lawyers, will be found in other chapters of the history. Other members of the green bag fraternity, whose names appear as practicing in Athol are: Frederic H. Allen, a graduate of the University of Vermont, Wm. Bliss, graduate of Harvard College in 1818, Ephraim Hinds, graduate of Harvard in 1805, Wm. H. Jewell, who was admitted to the bar in 1883, Henry Hogan, ad-
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mitted to the bar in 1888, Simeon Saunderson, admitted in 1820, J. C. B. Ward, and Geo. H. Graves, who was a graduate of the Albany Law School.
TRIAL JUSTICES. In the early part of this century law cases both civil and criminal were tried before a Justice of the Peace. For many years Eliphalet Thorpe was the magistrate of Athol before whom cases were tried. In 1858, an act was passed by the Legislature as follows; " The justices of peace, designated and commissioned un- der chapter one hundred and thirty-eight, of the Statutes of 1858, shall continue to hold their offices and powers, according to the tenor of their several commissions; and the governor with the advice and consent of the council, shall from time to time designate and commission in the several counties a suitable number of justices of the peace as trial justices."
Under this act, the following Trial Justices, residing in Athol, have been appointed for the County of Worcester, the term of appointment being three years: Isaac Stev- ens, May 7, 1858, and held the office until his death, Sept. 6. 1866. Franklin R. Haskell, Dec. 4, 1866, was re- appointed twice. Thomas D. Brooks, June 25, 1873. Samuel M. Osgood, Jan. 4, 1876, resigned Dec. 31, 1878. Enoch T. Lewis, Nov. 30, 1878. Edgar V. Wilson, May 12. 1880. Lilley B. Caswell, June 13, 1883. Before the the terms for which Enoch T. Lewis and Lilley B. Cas- well were appointed had terminated, the First District Court of Northern Worcester was established, and the powers of all Trial Justices within the towns included in the district ceased.
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DISTRICT COURT. The act establishing the First Dis- trict Court for Northern Worcester, was approved in May, 1884, and took full effect July 1st, of that year. The towns included in the district were Athol, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, Gardner and Hubbard- ston. The court is held in the towns of Athol and Gardner. Charles Field was appointed Justice, James Stiles and Sidney P. Smith, Special Justices, and Julian Dunn, Clerk. In December, 1889, Charles B. Boyce was appointed clerk, which position he now holds, and Henry M. Burleigh was serving as Special Justice at the time of his death, in 1894. The officers now holding the positions are the same as first appointed, with the excep- tion of Clerk.
DEPUTY SHERIFFS. Of the residents of Athol who have held the office of Deputy Sheriff, we find the names of William Bigelow and Joseph Pierce, as holding the office previous to 1807. Since that time the office has been held by the following: James Oliver, 1807-28; Flavel Humphrey and Abijah Hill, 1828-38; John H. Partridge, 1838-59 ; Gardiner Lord, 1859-90 ; Albert W. Tyler, 1890-94, and Roswell 1 .. Doane, the present incumbent, who was appointed in January, 1894.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
.Nothing is more estimable than a physician who, having studied nature from his youth. knows the properties of the human body, the diseases which assail it, the remedies which will benefit it, exercises his art with caution, and pays equal attention to the rich and the poor."
HE first physician of Athol was Dr. Joseph Lord, one of the first five set- tlers of the town, who had practiced his profession in Sunderland, Mass. Among the early doctors of the town were Dr. Daniel Ellinwood, Dr. Royal Humphrey, a son of Rev. James Humphrey, and Dr. Joshua Morton, who was born in Athol Oct. 20, 1744, and was a life long and successful physician. He died Feb. 13, 1827. His home was on the place now occupied by J. W. Sawyer. He was much interested in town affairs, and was town treasurer from 1788 to 1793. Among the doctors of the early part of the present century were: Dr. Ebenezer Chaplin, who is described as a tall portly man. He lived on the east side of the common at the Highlands, and was prominent in political and town affairs, representing the town two years in the Legislature, and was also one of the
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selectmen. Dr. Jacob Holmes was an old school gentle- man, who lived in the house now occupied by Gilbert Southard. He was succeeded by Dr. George Hoyt, and removed to Leicester, where he practiced from 1834 to 1847.
DR. WILLIAM H. WILLIAMS was born in Deerfield, June 28, 1792. Among his ancestors were the first minister of Deerfield, and the founder of Williams College. His father was a physician of Deerfield, and the son studied medicine there. His first wife was Marietta Stebbins, daughter of Col. Asa Stebbins of Deerfield, a descendant of one of the early settlers of the town, by whom he had three children. Mr. Williams came to Athol about 1816, and in 1822 married Frances Humphrey, a granddaughter of the first minister of the town. They had two children, John H. Williams and Mary Hoyt Williams, who married Rev. Crawford Nightingale. Dr. Williams, in addition to his profession, was largely interested in public and town affairs, having served as postmaster of the town from 1837 to 1847, with the exception of a little more than a year, was town clerk from 1829 to 1833, served on the school committee, was a Justice of the Peace, and a surgeon in the militia. After withdrawing from active practice, he kept the only drug store in town. He died June 22, 1855, and Mrs. Williams, who lived to the age of ninety years and three months, died in 1887.
DR. GEORGE HOYT was born in Deerfield, Mass., April 17, 1801, a son of Ebenezer Hoyt, and a descendant of Lieut. Jonathan Hoyt, who was taken captive by the In- dians and carried to Canada. One of his ancestors owned
DR. GEORGE D. COLONY.
DR. WILLIAM H. WILLIAMS.
DR. MARSHALL L. LINDSEY.
DR. GEORGE HOYT.
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and occupied the "Old Indian House " in Deerfield. He attended the Deerfield Academy, and graduated at the Pittsfield Medical School, and then practiced in the hos- pitals of Boston, especially in surgery. He commenced practice in Hubbardston, Mass., where he remained two years, and where he married Miss Avaline Witt, the eld- est daughter of Clark Witt, Esq. Removed to Athol in 1832, and succeeded Dr. Jacob Holmes, who lived where Gilbert Southard now resides. He had a large medical practice, and was one of the first to introduce the use of water medically in baths, etc., establishing a Water Cure, which became quite extensively known. He was an active abolitionist and reformer, and espoused the cause of the slave when it was unpopular and even dangerous to do so. At one time, while speaking against slavery in an evening meeting, the minister pronounced the benediction.
His action in a habeus corpus case, where he caused a young slave who had been brought to Athol by his mis- tress, to be liberated, caused great excitement at the time, and was the first case of the kind in Massachusetts. The young negro, who was nine or ten years of age, lived in the families of Dr. Hoyt and Rev. Richard Chipman for several years, and attended the Athol schools. For his position in this affair he was almost mobbed, and was threatened so that he did not dare to ride about the town with his gig without carrying stones in it as weapons for his protection. In 1851, he removed to Boston, where he resided for five years, and then returned to Athol and pur- chased what was known as the Morton place, now the res- idence of Dr. James Oliver, which was henceforth his
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home, until his death. June 24, 1866. He was deeply in- terested in the business and social life of Athol, and built the first mill where the Hapgood & Smith match factory now stands. He was also for several years a member of the school committee, in which position he did excellent service. He was a great student during his whole life, and was especially interested in the science of Geology, ac- companying Prof. Hitchcock about the state in his geolog- ical investigations. He had two children, George H. and Clare, who married H. M. Burleigh, Esq.
DR. GEO. D. COLONY was born in Keene, N. H., May 6, 1821, and graduated at Dartmouth College in 1843. Af- ter graduating, he studied medicine with Dr. Amos Twitchell at Keene, attended the Woodstock Medical School, and graduated from the Medical College of the University of Pennsylvania in 1846. He came to Athol, August 6, 1846. One of his first professional calls after coming to town, was to the terrible accident, when a rail- road bridge on the Vermont & Massachusetts Railroad went down and several were killed. His cotemporaries in Athol during most of his practice here were, Dr. George Hoyt and Dr. Wm. H. Williams. He was for a number of years a popular member of the school committee. He was married May 23, 1849, to Harriet N. Stevens, daugh- ter of Isaac Stevens. He removed to Fitchburg, May 1, 1861, where he has continued in the practice of his pro- fession to the present time.
When Dr. Hoyt removed to Boston, in 1851, he sold his practice and Water Cure establishment to Dr. J. H. Hero. Dr. Hero is said to have been a man of unusual
DR. JAMES P. LYNDE.
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natural ability, endowed by nature with a commanding physique and a pleasing manner. He ran the Water Cure for several years with varying success, and sold out to Dr. George Field, who, after a few years gave up the busi- ness. For a number of years previous to 1856, Dr. Aus- tin was a well known physician of the town. He died from the results of an accident on the Phillipston road, and was succeeded by Dr. James P. Lynde.
DR. JAMES P. LYNDE. Of the members of the medical profession in Athol, the one best known to the present generation was Dr. James P. Lynde, who was for more than a third of a century a prominent factor in the pro- fessional, social and educational life of the town. Dr. Lynde was born in Gardner, March 19, 1828, and was the oldest son of Wm. S. and Christiana Comee Lynde. His early education was obtained in the common and pri- vate schools of that town, and at Lawrence Academy in Groton. He studied medicine with Dr. Harriman of Gardner, and the late Dr. Ira Russell of Winchendon, at- tended medical lectures at the Dartmouth Medical School, and at the Medical department of Harvard University, where he graduated March 3, 1852. The same year he commenced the practice of medicine in Hardwick, Mass., where he remained until 1856. While in Hardwick he represented that town in the Legislature of 1855. He re- moved to Athol in 1856 ; for a, period of thirty-four years continued in the active practice of his profession, until his death, Jan. 28, 1890. He was an earnest investigator in his profession, and associated himself with various medical societies, being a member of the Massachusetts Medical
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Society, and also was one of the seventeen original sub- scribers to the constitution and by-laws of the Worcester North District Medical Society, of which he was at one time president; he was also one of the founders of the Millers River Medical Society. Though devoted to his profession, he was a public spirited citizen, and took an active interest in all measures for the advancement of his town and the community. Educational interests always found in him an active worker, and for several years he held the position of school committee and superintendent of schools, and was often called upon to serve the town as moderator of town meetings, and in other capacities. In- terested in Agriculture, he was one of the organizers of the Worcester Northwest Agricultural Society, was its first President, and its delegate on the State Board of Agricul- ture from 1880, until his death; he was also a member of the Board of Control of the Amherst Experimental station, and for some time its treasurer. As a public speaker he was listened to with interest, and delivered well prepared papers before the State Board of Agriculture, farmers in- stitutes and medical societies, his annual address before the Massachusetts Medical Society in 1887, on " Pure milk as a diet for infants," being received with more than usual enthusiasm, while his address on " Sanitary Conditions of the Home and Farm," was most favorably received at va- rious farmers' institutes.
In whatever position he was placed, he brought to the discharge of his duties, life and enthusiasm, and impressed upon his associates, a great degree of the same spirit that animated himself. On the organization of the present sys-
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tem of Medical Examiners, he was appointed the Medical Examiner of this district, which position he held until his death.
In 1857, Dr. Lynde married Miss Candace Brooks, a daughter of John Brooks, a prominent and wealthy citi- zen, and proprietor of the up town hotel, known as . Brooks tavern." They had two children, Helen and James P., both of whom survive, the latter being engaged in the drug business at Palmer. A memorial of him, pre- pared by his associates of the Worcester North District Medical Association, has the following to say of him : ·· His social qualities, his general intelligence and cultiva- tion, added to his professional accomplishments, made him among his patients, as among his friends generally, a most entertaining and agreeable companion, and won for him in the community in which he lived, many warm and devo- ted admirers. His surviving professional friends and as- sociates, who mourn his loss and cherish his memory, will not soon forget his cheerful presence, his sympathetic na- ture, his unfailing humor, his entertaining anecdote, and the overflow of good spirits, which added so much to the pleasure of all brought into his association."
Other physicians who practiced in Athol at different periods between 1860 and 1880, are: Dr. Kendall Davis, Dr. J. B. Gould, Dr. James Coolidge, who was eminently successful in his profession, and who died in the prime of manhood from a disease produced by nervous prostration and excessive professional labor, Dr. O. M. Drury, Dr. M. F. Cragin, Dr. Alfred G. Williams,who served in the army in the rebellion, as assistant surgeon, Dr. Vernon O.
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Taylor, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Kemp, Dr. King, Dr. Chamber- lain, Dr. Donnell, Dr. Simmonds, Dr. D. A. Chase, Dr. D. D. Davis, Dr. F. Broons, and Dr. H. A. Deane, who was a well known physician in town from 1860 to 1879, when he removed to South Hadley, and later to Easthampton, where he is now located.
DR. SAMUEL' H. COLBURN was a graduate of the Hahne- mann Homœopathic Institution of Philadelphia in 1870, and came to Athol from Springfield, Vt., in October, 1875, opening an office in the bank building. He secured an extensive and successful practice, which he continued until May, 1883, when he removed to Worcester. He returned to Athol with impaired health in the autumn of 1888, and died Aug. 22, 1890, aged sixty-four years. Previous to entering the medical profession he was a Methodist minis- ter in the Vermont Conference for sixteen years. His widow, one daughter and one son still live in town.
Among those who have practiced in town since 1880, not residing here now, are Dr. A. W. Parsons and his brother, Dr. C. W. Parsons, Dr. H. R. Dunne, now of Westerly, R. I., Dr. Geo. L. Perry, removed to Petersham, Dr. H. O. Dunbar, who came to Athol in 1873, and was a prominent physician until his death, Dec. 27, 1894. Dr. Sumner T. Smith, a graduate from the College of Medi- cine of the University of Michigan, and who had a large practice in Alstead, N. H., for more than twenty years, practiced in Athol for a few years previous to his death, which took place March 26, 1892.
Of the resident physicians at the present time, Dr. James Oliver is the senior in practice. A sketch of him will be found in another chapter of this work.
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DR. MARSHALL L. LINDSEY, son of Dr. Daniel Lindsey, was born in Swanzey, N. H., Dec. 9, 1831. His parents removed to New Salem in 1832, and from there to Peters- ham in 1834, where he attended the public schools, and also was a student at New Salem Academy for several terms. In 1849, he removed with his parents to North Dana, where he commenced studying medicine with his father. In August, 1855, he went to the Berkshire Med- ical College, and in December of the same year entered Harvard Medical School, and after leaving there, practiced with his father until 1862, when he again attended lec- tures at Harvard. graduating in March, 1863. He then returned to North Dana, and practiced there until 1882, when he removed to Athol, where he has since practiced his profession. He married Luella M. Sly of Webster, Mass., May 14, 1878.
DR. CHARLES H. FORBES was born in Millville, N. J., Jan. 25, 1860; when about five years of age his parents moved to Monson, Mass., where he lived about ten years and attended the public schools of that town. The re- mainder of his early life was spent in Brookfield and West Brookfield, and he graduated from the High school of the last named town. He pursued his medical studies at the New York Homeopathic College and Hospital, from which he graduated in 1883, and immediately commenced to practice his profession at Athol in the spring of 1883, where he still continues in practice. He was married. to Miss Eva L. Bush, daughter of H. W. Bush, Esq., of West Brookfield, Nov. 14, 1883. Mr. Forbes is a mem- ber of the Worcester County, and Western Massachusetts
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