USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > Athol, Massachusetts, past and present > Part 17
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FISH FAMILY.
One of the old-time Athol families, which has been identified with the history of the town for a century or more, and has become interlinked by marriage relations with many of the old families, is the Fish family. Simeon Fish, the ancestor of this family in Athol, came from Mendon some time between the close of the Revolution and the opening of the present century, and settled here. He was a sheriff in Mendon, and had been a soldier in
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the Revolution, being with Ethan Allen at the taking of Ticonderoga. He was also an extensive landholder. When he came to Athol there were only two houses in that portion of the town that has been known as the lower village ; one of these was the old Pequoig House which had been built several years, and which he pur- chased of Dea. Jesse Kendall. He had seven children : Hannah, Ezra, Samuel, Benjamin, Eunice, Sally and Lucinda.
(1) Hannah, married Joshua Smith, and was the mother of Adin H. Smith.
(2) Ezra Fish was a farmer, and came into possession of the broad acres of his father, that included nearly all the tract now occupied by the busy shops, elegant busi- ness blocks and fine residences of the Lower Village. He had four children, one of whom died in infancy. Moses married Ann Young, lived in Athol a number of years 6 and died in New Jersey. Henry became the owner of his father's farm, and he and his brother Moses were among the first landlords of the old Pequoig House. He married his cousin, Sally Fish. Lucy married Amos L. Cheney.
(3) Benjamin moved from town and resided for a time in Prescott and New Salem. He afterwards re- moved to Peoria, Ill., where he died.
(4) Eunice married Absalom Ball of Warwick.
(5 ) Sally married Capt. Francis Twichell, and was the mother of Ginery Twichell.
( 6) Lucinda married Reuben Fairbanks, and moved to Champlain.
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(7) Samuel Fish, son of Simeon, came to Athol from Mendon, but whether at the same time as his father or not, we are unable to determine. When he first came to town he settled on Lyon's hill, towards Petersham, but as he felt that he was at too great a distance from school for his children to attend, he purchased the farm now oc- cupied by Charles H. Moulton, on the Petersham road. He also at one time lived on Chestnut Hill, on the place now owned by Rev. F. B. Knowlton. He had eleven children : Joseph, Jason, Francis, Nancy, Lucinda, Bet- sey, Sally, Samuel, Jr., Esther, Lucia and Horatio.
(1) JOSEPH, the oldest, went to Putney, Vt., when about twenty-one years old, and afterwards resided in Dummerston in the same state.
(2) JASON was born in Athol, Feb. 14, 1796, and for several years occupied the farm of his father on Lyon's Hill. He left Athol in 1820, and lived in Vermont for about fifty years. He had four sons and one daughter : Frederick A., Prescott M., Henry L., William W. and Abby M.
WILLIAM W. FISH, son of Jason Fish, was born in Dummerston, Vt., May 11, 1832. He remained at home with his father until about seventeen years of age, when he went to Angelica, Alleghany County, New York, and learned the blacksmith trade with his brother. He re- mained there about two and a half years, and came to Athol in September, 1852, and went to work at his trade for Mr. Asa Foster, at the Upper Village. In the spring of 1853, he went into partnership with Mr. Foster, their place of business being a shop where the Chronicle block
WILLIAM W. FISH.
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now stands. In 1855 he bought the business of Mr. Fos- ter, in which he continued for many years, and also en- gaged in the carriage business, putting up the first build- ings on the " Island " for that purpose. He carried on this business until he was burned out in 1871, and then went into the real estate business with the late J. B. Cardany, and about that time built the block now known as the " Chronicle Block." He is one of the few demo- crats that have represented this district in the Legislature during the last quarter of a century, being a member of the House in 1876. He served the town as selectman four years, has been assessor and road commissioner, and is now one of the cemetery commissioners. President Cleveland appointed him postmaster of the Athol office Jan. 16, 1888, which position he held until Feb. 14, 1891. An active worker in the Masonic organizations, he was for fifteen years prelate of Athol Commandery Knights Templars, of which he has also been Eminent Commander, and High Priest of Union Royal Arch Chap- ter. In 1855, he married Rosella B. Heywood of Athol, who died in 1867. He was married again in June 1875, to Mrs. Abbie P. Bingham, of Nashua. N. H., by whom he has one daughter, Grace Fish. Since his retirement from the post office, Mr. Fish has not been engaged in active business, except to manage his farm on Chestnut Hill Avenue.
Abby M. Fish married Henry L. Sargent. They lived in Athol many years, and moved to Newfane, Vt., where Mrs. Sargent died in 1892. They had one son, Fred H. Sargent.
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(4) Nancy married Henry Lee, and was the mother of Samuel Lee. She died at the age of seventy-three years.
(5) LUCINDA married Eber Goddard, and lived on Chestnut Hill.
(6) BETSEY married Samuel Newhall, and was the mother of Mrs. Kate L. Newton.
(7) SALLY FISH was born in 1808, and died March 3, 1887, at the age of seventy-nine years and nine months. She married her cousin, Henry Fish. They had two children, Wilson and Samuel, both of whom died in early manhood. On the death of her husband, Mrs. Fish came into possession of a large amount of real estate. She deeded to the town the Lower Village Common, and gave to the Baptist Society the lot on which their church stands. She was averse to selling her real estate, and at her death retained some valuable tracts in the heart of the town. She was a woman of great independence of character and a determined will, was true to her friends, and helpful in times of trouble and need.
(8) Samuel Fish, Jr., was for many years Superin- tendent in one of the Amoskeag mills in Manchester, N. H. He died Jan. 16, 1863, and his widow, Elvira Fish died Dec. 12, 1896.
(9) Esther married Laban Morse. Mrs. Morse died Sept. 5, 1896.
(10) Lucia married Jotham D. Otterson, who was Superintendent of the Lancaster Gingham Mills in Clin- ton.
( 11) Horatio died young.
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THE HUMPHREYS.
A family prominent in the history of Athol from the organization of the First Church in 1750 to the present time. is the Humphrey family, whose first representative in this town was Rev. James Humphrey, the first minis- ter of old Pequoig. The first one of the Humphrey fam- ily who came to this country was Jonas Humphrey, who came to Dorchester with his wife Frances, and son James, from Wendover, in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1634. James, the son, was twenty-six years of age when they ar- rived. He was grantee of Necklands in 1637; member of the church in 1639; freeman May 13, 1640; and pro- prietor in the great lots in 1646. He lived in what is now called Humphrey Street in Dorchester, and the es- tate or portions of it are now in possession of his descend- ents. In the ancient graveyard in Dorchester is a monu- ment with the following inscription :
"ELDER JAMES HUMPHREYS, WHO DIED MAY 12, 1686, AGED 78." " Inclosed within this shrine is sacred dust, And only waits for the rising of the just. Most useful while he lived ; adorned his station, Even to old age he serv'd his generation : Since his death thought of with great veneration."
"How great a blessing this Ruling Elder he Unto the Church, and Town, and Pastors, three. Mather, he first did by him help receive; Flint, he did next of burdens much relieve; Renowned Danforth, he did help with skill. Esteemed high by all ;- bear fruit until Yielding to death his glorious seat did fill."
Elder James had a son Hopestill, whose son Jonas was the father of James Humphrey, who was born in Dorches- ter, March 30, 1722. He graduated at Harvard College in 1744, taught school in Dorchester in 1748, and was ordained minister of Pequoig Nov. 7. 1750. Mr. Humph- rey commenced his duties as pastor of this town under
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very trying and discouraging circumstances. His salary was small, a trifle over twenty shillings a week. His parishioners were few, there being probably not more than twenty families in the place at the time of his settlement, and they were in constant danger from the hostile Indians. For three years did the young minister preach with his gun by his side, while some of his flock guarded the doors. The next year after his settlement, Rev. Mr. Humphrey was married, Oct. 9, 1751, to Miss Esther Wiswell of Dorchester, a lady of high respectability, and much energy of character who was highly esteemed and much re- spected by the people of this town, and lived to an ad- vanced age. The record of this marriage is entered upon the Church Book in the handwriting of Mr. Humphrey as follows :
"-Dorchester, October the 9th, 1751, James Humph- rey and Esther Wiswell was married, and the third day we got home to Perquage." The reception of the pastor and his young wife by the people of Pequoig is thus de- scribed: "The occasion of the return of their pastor with his young and accomplished bride was one of lively and exciting interest to the unpolished but affectionate parish- ioners of Pequoig. Before the sun had dissipated the dew on the morning of the third of November, a company of happy men and joyous youth mounted on horseback, each with his good wife or smiling maiden seated on the pillion behind him, were riding over the old street, now moving with cautious step along the obstructed path, and now galloping in frolicsome glee across some open plain, full of high anticipation, on their way to Barre to welcome the
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arrival of their absent pastor, and escort him with his pol- ished bride within the precincts of their own rude but happy homes. That was a joyous day for the settlers on these hills. The few who remained were busy making due preparation for the reception of so important a per- sonage as their pastor's welcome bride." For more than twenty years pastor and people lived together in harmony, during the entire period of which, but three church meet- ings are recorded. Elements of discord began to appear in 1773, and increased in intensity through the years un- til his dismission by an ecclesiastical council, Feb. 13, 1782. After his dismission, Mr. Humphrey withdrew his connection with the church in Athol, and connected him- self with the church in Warwick, but continued to reside in Athol until his death, May 8, 1796. Mrs. Humphrey died March 8. 1822, aged ninety-four years. Their re- mains rest in the family tomb in the old burying ground. a short distance from the lower end of Pleasant Street.
Rev. James Humphrey had six children, Sarah, John, Lois. James, Royal and Calvin. Sarah died in infancy, and Calvin died when but little more than six years of age. Lois married an Oliver.
JOHN HUMPHREY, the oldest son, was born Jan. 8, 1758, and died Jan. 24, 1837. He was prominently identified with town affairs, served as selectman for several years, and was Town Clerk for twenty-one years, the longest time the office has ever been held by one person. He had eight children. Of these two died in infancy. Fran- ces married Dr. Wm. H. Williams, and died in 1887, at the age of ninety years and three months. Anna married
.
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Samuel Sweetser, Jr. Clarissa married Spencer Field, a brother of Hon. Charles Field, and lived for many years in New Orleans.
CHARLES HUMPHREY, born Oct. 9, 1807, married Jane Jones, and moved to Lancaster, Mass., where he died.
JOHN HARVEY HUMPHREY, the youngest son, was born Jan. 16, 1813. He married Urania Barrett, of Putney, Vt., May 9, 1837. He was a farmer. He moved to Boston about thirty years ago, and after a few years to Philadelphia, where he died. His son John was killed on board the Cumberland in the late war. He has a daugh- ter, Flora Corson, living in Philadelphia.
ROYAL HUMPHREY, the second son of Rev. James, was born Sept. 22, 1761. He was one of the early physicians of Athol. He had five children, John Flavel, Arathusa, Otis, Henry and Esther.
JOHN FLAVEL HUMPHREY, the oldest son of Dr. Royal Humphrey, was born Sept. 7, 1788. He married Betsey Eager, of Gardner, Mass. He was clerk in a store before marriage, and went to Albany, N. Y., where he engaged in the grocery business. His health failed him, and he re- turned to Athol, where he served as Deputy Sheriff for some time. He had four children : Edwin, born July 15, 1814, John Flavel, Jr., born Jan. 29, 1819, Caroline, born June 28, 1821, and Rebecca, born Sept. 15, 1823.
JOHN FLAVEL HUMPHREY, JR., was born in Albany while his father was in business in that city, and removed to Athol with his parents when a few months old. He learned the carpenter's trade, which he worked at for sev- eral years, was engaged at one time in manufacturing, and
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was for fifteen years in the general hardware business with Samuel Lee at the Centre. He married Cordelia Baker, of Troy, N. H. They had one son, George Flavel. Mrs. Humphrey died April 29, 1892, and Mr. Humphrey was married again Sept. 30, 1894, to Hattie A. Crosby.
Rev. George Flavel Humphrey, son of John Flavel Humphrey, Jr .. was born in Athol, May 4th, 1847. He prepared for college at the Athol High school, and en- tered Williams College in the junior class in 1871. Hav- ing completed the junior and senior years, he entered Au- burn Theological Seminary, graduating in 1874. He was ordained in the gospel ministry of the Congregational church by the Hampshire East Conference, Mass., Jan. 7. 1875. and has served the following churches as pastor : North church, Amherst, Mass., 1874 and 1875 ; Elmwood church, Providence, R. I., 1877 to 1880 ; the Presbyterian church, Milford, N. Y., 1882 to 1885, and in April, 1885, became pastor of the church at Ninevah, N. Y., where he is now located. He married H. Beatrice Hotchkiss, of Virgil, N. Y., Jan. 28, 1875.
Caroline Humphrey, daughter of John Flavel Humph- rey, Senior, married Ebenezer Brock, and Rebecca mar- ried Solomon Hoyt of Bernardston.
Arathusa, the oldest daughter of Dr. Royal Humphrey, was born Nov. 7, 1795, and married Rev. John Walker, Otis died young, and Esther, the youngest daughter, mar- ried Hiram Allen of Amherst, Mass.
HENRY HUMPHREY was born Nov. 7, 1795. He mar- ried Sophronia Parker, June 21, 1836, and had three children, Henry Martin, and two who died in infancy. He was a farmer, and lived on "Athol Street."
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. DR. H. M. HUMPHREY, son of Henry Humphrey, was born in Athol, Aug. 10, 1840. He received his educa- tion in the public schools of the town, studied dentistry two years in Boston, and was graduated from the Philadel- phia Dental College. He engaged with the late Dr. J. H. Williams, in the dental business in September, 1863, with whom he was associated for five years, and also con- tinued the business alone for a year or two. In 1870, he purchased the drug business of Mr. Williams, which he has continued to the present time. He has been honored with various positions of trust by his townsmen, having served on the School Committee for several years, and is now one of the board of Registrars of Voters. In 1882, he represented this district in the Legislature, and was a prominent member of the Committee on Education. He has for many years been an active and influential member of the Congregational church, and was for three years the Superintendent of its Sunday School. He is also one of the directors of the Athol National Bank, and has been prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity, having held the position of District Deputy Grand Master of this Masonic district. He was married Oct. 18, 1866, to Ab- bie F. Holton of Athol, and has two children, John H. and Helen.
JOHN H. HUMPHREY is a graduate of the Athol High School, and is now associated with his father in business. He is the Secretary of the Worcester Northwest Agricult- ural Society, and chairman of the Republican Town Com- mittee, and is prominently identified with the social and political affairs of the town. Helen is also a graduate of
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HENRY M. HUMPHREY.
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the Athol High School, and of the Bridgewater Normal School, and is now one of the teachers in the Fitchburg Normal School.
JAMES HUMPHREY, the third son of Rev. James, was born Dec. 29, 1763. He was the merchant of the town, and prominent in town and political affairs, serving as selectman seven years, town treasurer four years, was rep- resentative to the Legislature for ten years, between 1806 and 1825, and was State Senator in 1817 and 1818. He was also postmaster of the Athol office. He had four children. Lucy married Fenno Thorpe, and one died in childhood.
JOHN WISWELL HUMPHREY, son of James Humphrey, was born Aug. 9, 1801, graduated at Williams College in 1823, commenced the study of law at Greenfield, but sub- sequently went into the dry goods trade in Athol. He represented the town in the Legislature two years, was town clerk five years, and selectman two years.
JAMES HUMPHREY, son of James Humphrey (2,) had three children : Antoinette, who married a brother of Gov. A. H. Bullock, and died in Athol, leaving a son, Rufus A. Bullock, who is a lawyer in Boston. James, who married Mary D. Ripley, was a merchant in Boston, and left a widow and three children, two daughters and a son, James Humphrey ; another son, Fred, died in his youth in Athol.
THE HOAR FAMILY.
The origin of the name of this family has been ascribed by some to Mount Horeb, the tribe of Horites, the terri- tory of La Hore, and even to the Egyptian Horeis, but
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probably all this is merely imaginary, dating too far back into the distances and darkness of long past ages. Fam- ilies of the name of Hore have been found in very early times of English history, many of that name having sat as members of Parliament in early times from various bor- oughs and counties in England. In early times the name was spelled "Hore," later Hoare; the family that came to America omitted the final letter "e" in their name, and have ever since continued spelling the name Hoar, al- though there are certain branches of the family that have adopted the spelling of the name as " Horr." The Latin "hora', signifies an hour," a mark and boundary of time.
The ancestor of the family that settled in America was one Charles Hoare, who was of Frampton-on-Severn, near Gloucester, England, according to the statement of Capt. Edward Hoare of England, who a few years since pub- lished a history of the family. This Charles Hoare mar- ried Annie Clifford, and they had a son Charles, who was an alderman and sheriff of Gloucester in 1634. The son Charles married Joanna Hinkesman. He died in 1638, and administration was granted to his widow, Joanna Hoare, in December of that year. . Not long after his death, his widow with all the children except the eldest son, came to New England about 1640, or perhaps a little earlier. Joanna died in Braintree, Dec. 20, 1661. She had four sons and two daughters. Leonard Hoar, son of Charles and Joanna Hoar, graduated at Harvard College in 1650, and was President of the College from 1672 to 1675. The son John, settled first in Scituate, but later went to Concord, Mass., where he died April
TIMOTHY HOAR, JR.
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2. 1704. He was an eminent lawyer, and had much to do with the Indians. He was the agent for the colo- nies in negotiating with the Indians for the liberation of Mrs. Rowlandson, who was taken captive at the destruc- tion of Lancaster, Mass., in 1676. He was present at the interview with King Phillip and chiefs at Redemp- tion Rock, Princeton, Mass., which resulted in the lib- eration of the captive. Daniel, the son of John, married Mary Stratton, July 19, 1677. She was the mother of eleven children. Her son, Lieut. Daniel, born in 1680, married Sarah Jones, Dec. 20, 1705, and was the father of Timothy, who married Abigail Brooks of Con- cord, Jan. 23, 1752. Their son Timothy was born in Concord, Mass., March 15, 1759, and served in the con- tinental army in the Revolution. He married Lydia Hunt, also of Concord, Oct. 9, 1788, whose ancestry can be traced far back in the annals of English history, Queen Elizabeth conferring many favors upon the Hunt family in her reign. They moved from Concord to West- minster, Mass., in April, 1789, Mrs. Hoar carrying her eldest son William, in her arms on horseback, a dis- tance of thirty-three miles. They had eleven children, seven sons and four daughters.
TIMOTHY HOAR, JR., the second son of Timothy and Lydia ( Hunt ) Hoar, was born in Westminster, Mass., July 24, 1791. When about sixteen years of age, he commenced to serve an apprenticeship with Mr. Ephraim Williams of Templeton, and went with him to a place called Black Rock, near what is now the city of Buffalo, N. Y. He returned to Westminster, probably in 1812,
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where he remained but a short time, when he went to Templeton and worked at his trade of a carpenter, and came to Athol about 1816, and located at the Centre. With Paul Morse he developed the water power on the property now owned by Geo. S. Brewer, at the corner of Main and Pleasant streets. There he engaged in the wheelwright business, and the manufacture of sleighs. He added a dwelling house to his factory, which was oc- cupied by his brother William and family with whom he boarded until his marriage. In the records of the old First Church we find the following: " Athol, January the 21, 1819, were married Timothy Hoar and Lydia Bow- ker, both of this town, by me Joseph Estabrook." Lydia Bowker was a daughter of Asa and Susannah ( Bryant ) Bowker, and was born in Phillipston, June 9, 1794. They settled down and commenced housekeeping in the house adjoining his factory. About 1832, he built and moved into a new house nearly opposite the old one on the north side of Union Square. At about the same time he also erected the building now occupied by Newton & Call, grocers, and established in it the first bakery in town. Between 1833 and 1835, he built a dam and erected a factory on Mill Brook on the site now occupied by the factories of L. Morse & Sons. In this factory he put in operation the first circular saw mill in this part of the state. He made a spoke machine for turning spokes, axe handles, etc., which was a great labor saving machine. He used it for two or three years, when other parties claimed priority, and he discontinued the use of it. Later he invented a mitre dovetailing machine for
1
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making boxes strong enough at the corners without nails or glue. He made a trade with Boston parties, and this business was continued by himself and others for several years. In 1841, his factory was burned and was a total loss, there being no insurance upon it, but he immediately commenced to rebuild. About the year 1842, he asso- ciated himself with William Fletcher and Jonathan Kid- der of Athol, and they built a dam and saw mill on Mill Brook. The saw mill formed a part of the sash and blind factory of Edwin Ellis & Son, that was destroyed by fire in December, 1896, and the pond flowed by the dam is now known as "Lake Ellis." This dam gave away in December, 1845, destroying considerable property along the stream, but was soon rebuilt. The first shipment to Boston of sash and blinds, made by machinery in the town of Athol, was from the shop of Mr. Hoar, about 1845. In 1847 or 1848, he sold out his business to his son, Ad- dison D. Horr and Joseph Proctor. He purchased a part
of the old hotel, and moved portions of it on to Central street, and also in 1852, built a residence for himself at the corner of Park and Central streets, which was his home until he removed to Worcester, in 1866. He was a man of great business activity and push, and did much for the building up of the Athol of his day, indeed, it would seem that from the Ellis dam to the corner of Park and Central streets, his footsteps were marked with either a mill or dwelling built and owned by himself. He was a man of positive and pronounced opinions, and not afraid of expressing them. He was a member of the First Uni- tarian church. Politically he was a Whig, until that
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party met its death. The Free Soil movement met his approbation, and when the Republican party was organ- ized, he voted that ticket, and continued in the party the remainder of his life. He seemed to care little for office but was ready to work on committees for the improve- ment of the town.
Mrs. Lydia Bowker Hoar, his first wife, died Sept. 11, 1848, after a short illness. He married for his second wife Miss Hannah H. Ellis of Barre, Mass., daughter of Bethuel Ellis. She died in Cambridgeport, Mass., April 2, 1884. The funeral services of each were held in the First Unitarian church of Athol, and their remains were placed in the family lot in the Highland cemetery. Mr. Hoar lived only about two years after removing to Wor- cester, and died in that city Feb. 20, 1868. His remains were brought to Athol, and buried in the family lot. There were six children by the first marriage, and one by the second. Those by the first marriage were Addison D., Lucy Ann, Susan Graves, Christopher C., Charles and Eliza.
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