USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > Athol, Massachusetts, past and present > Part 20
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WASHINGTON H. AMSDEN.
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
urer of the lodge from its organization until his death. He was one of the leading members of the Second Unita- rian church from its organization, and a constant attend- ant at its services, where he was ever ready to extend a hearty greeting and handshake to all as they entered the house of worship. He married Eunice Fales in March, 1845. They had three children, one of whom died in in- fancy. and William G. and Kate, who married Dr. James Oliver.
WASHINGTON H. AMSDEN was born in Dana, April 19, 1825, and came to Athol about 1844. Some time after- wards he purchased a factory, located where the L. Morse & Sons shops now are, and engaged in the sash and blind business with his brother Festus. His factory was burned March 4, 1864, and he purchased the Kennebunk prop- erty, November 19, 1865, where he continued in business until his death, with the exception of a year and a half in 1879 and 1880. He built up one of the flourishing in- dustries of the town, and his reputation for honor and in- tegrity as a business man was above reproach. In town affairs his judgment was sound and keen, and he was al- was outspoken and forceful in the expression of his views. He exerted a strong influence in the community, and served the town as selectman, assessor and supervisor of roads for several years. He also represented this district in the Legislature of 1885, was one of the first directors of the Athol National Bank, a trustee of the Athol Sav- ings Bank and Worcester Northwest Agricultural Society, and a liberal supporter of the First Unitarian church. He
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married Chloe Ann Gates of Wendell Nov. 23d, 1846. They had four sons and one daughter: Otho F. and William H., who succeeded their father in business, Henry, who is a merchant in Shelburne Falls, Festus G., who has been en- gaged in business in Athol, and Anna, who married Sum- ner L. Morse, William H. died Oct. 1, 1891. Mr. Amsden died Nov. 3, 1886.
PARDON D. HOLBROOK was born in Townsend. Wind- ham County, Vt., March 6, 1842. His parents died when he was fifteen years of age. His education was received in the public schools of his native town and at Leland Grey Seminary in East Townsend. In the war of the Re- bellion he enlisted in the 16th Vermont Regiment, and served honorably for nine months, being severely wounded in the battle of Gettysburg, from the effects of which he did not recover for a long time. After his return from the army lie engaged in the livery business in Townsend, and also purchased a hotel, which he managed in connec- tion with his livery business for several years. During his residence in Townsend he was appointed a Deputy Sheriff of Windham County, which position he held for two years. He married Theodosia M. Twitchell of Townsend, Vt., May 6, 1868. Mr. Holbrook came to Athol in 1872, and in company with F. F. Twitchell and John D. Holbrook, engaged in the clothing and dry goods business in Music Hall block in the Upper Village. After three years he sold out to his partner and went back to Townsend, where he engaged in farming for two years, when he returned to Athol and engaged in the grocery business with Joseph W. White, the firm being known as Holbrook & White.
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PARDON D. HOLBROOK.
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DANIEL W. HOUGHTON.
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
He continued in this business until his death April 19,1886. He was a prominent member of the Baptist church.
DANIEL W. HOUGHTON was born in Wendell, now Sun- apee. N. H., in 1820. He removed to Lunenburg, Mass., when four years of age with his parents, and there lived with them until his seventeenth year, when he went to Boston. where he engaged in business for the next ten years. He was afterwards in business in Clinton, from whence he removed to Millington in New Salem in 1857, and to Athol in 1863. While in Athol he was engaged in the foundry business, which then was one of the flour- ishing industries of the town. He was also connected with the Athol Machine Company from its organization, and was one of its directors. He was one of the engineers of the Fire Department at the time of the memorable steamer contest. While living in Boston Mr. Houghton united with the Bennett Street Methodist church, and dur- ing his whole life in Athol he was one of the strong pillars of the Methodist church, being a member of the official board and superintendent of the Sunday School. The Athol Transcript at the time of his death referred to him as follows : "The death of Mr. Houghton removes from our community one of the most honorable and upright men who have ever contributed to its moral and spiritual welfare. He was a just and high minded man, with whom it was a pleasure to deal." He devoted much of his time to the cause of temperance, and was very efficient and successful in that field of work, entering into it with his characteristic wisdom and earnestness. No matter what
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his surroundings, his every desire and act was guided by the purest principles." About the time that he came to Athol, Mr. Houghton married Sarah H. Hale of New Salem, Nov. 26, 1863. They had one child, Effie Hough- ton. He died Dec. 16, 1879.
J. WESLEY GOODMAN, was born in North Dana, Sept. 17, 1839, a son of the late Dr. Allen Goodman, who with Warren Hale established the business of piano and billiard table leg manufacturing about 1845. In 1861 J. Wesley was admitted as a partner in the firm which was then Warren Hale & Co., and in 1876 he purchased the entire business, to which he added the construction of billiard table frames and all the wood work connected with the tables. He continued this business at North Dana until 1880 when he moved to Athol and occupied the building known as the Upham shop with his business. His billiard tables obtained a high reputation and the industry was one of the largest of the kind in the country. His oldest sons were associated with him in the business for several years before his death. While living in North Dana he was actively interested in the building of the Athol and Enfield railroad and was one of the directors of the company. He was a member of Athol Commandery of Knights Templars and a prominent Mason. Of a social and genial nature he had a large circle of friends, and was one of the organizers of the Poquaig Club. He married Julia A. Amsden of Dana, Oct. 1, 1861. They had four children, Frank A., Fred L., Will A. and Minnie. Mr. Goodman died May 15, 1893.
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THEODORE JONES.
CHAPTER XVI.
BIOGRAPHICAL-CONTINUED.
"There is no heroic poem in the world, but is at bottom a biography, the · life of a man."
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HEODORE JONES was born in Tem- pleton, Mass. His early mercantile experience was obtained in the employ of John Chandler, who had stores in Petersham, Athol and other places.
Mr. Jones at one time had the su- .. .. pervision of all of these stores. He came o Athol and was in partnership with Mr. Chandler for a number of years, when he bought out the business, and was in trade in Athol for forty years, his store occupying the site of the present Union block at Athol Centre. He was prominent in the busi- ness, social, public and church life of his day, and was one of the staunch men of the town, whose influence was felt in a marked degree, and whose judgment was sought in all public matters. He was courtly in his manners, of innate courtesy, and manifested a kindly interest in all.
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ATHOL, PAST AND PRESENT.
He served as a Savings Bank for the young people who wished to save their pennies, and when a boy or girl car- ried a dollar to him, he gave his note for the amount with interest. He served the town as selectman, was town clerk from 1818 to 1829 inclusive, town treasurer from 1840 to 1850, and represented the town in the Legislatures of 1840, 1843 and 1845, and was a deacon of the First Unitarian church for many years. He married Marcia Es- tabrook, daughter of Rev. Joseph Estabrook, the second minister of Athol, Aug. 29, 1819. They had eight child- ren : Joseph E., Theodore, Frederick, Charles, Nathaniel, Benjamin, Jerome, Ellen and Marcia. Of these, Theo- · dore and Charles are dead, Joseph F. resides in Newton, Frederick in San Francisco, Nathaniel in Chicago, Jerome is head of the extensive crockery establishment of Jones, McDuffee & Stratton in Boston, and Ellen and Marcia reside in Athol at the old homestead. Mr. Jones died Jan. 5, 1863.
FREDERICK JONES was born Aug. 31, 1803, at Athol, a son of Prescott and Jane (Moore) Jones, and was a lineal descendant of Lewis Jones, who came from England and settled in this country, at Roxbury, about 1635 to 1640. His descendants settled at Weston, Templeton, Athol and other places. The family is of Welsh origin, and its mem- bers have always been practical people, distinguished for acts and deeds, rather than for theories and sentiments ; sensible, God-fearing and well to do people. Frederick Jones appears to have inherited in a marked degree the characteristics of the family. He was eminently practical in his purposes, a close calculator, cautious and deliberate
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in forecasting and planning : enterprising, energetic and persistent in the execution of his plans, a man of excellent judgment and uniformly successful. At an early age he entered the tannery of his father at Athol, as an appren- tice, and served the regular time at that branch of indus- try. In 1825 his father retired from business, and Fred- erick, in connection with his brother, Prescott, Jr., suc- ceeded to it. They operated it together for a year or two, when the last named removed from Athol to Boston, where he engaged in business as a dealer in hides and leather, and at which place he died in 1839.
In 1831 Frederick Jones added to his business of tan- ning, that of manufacturing heavy shoes and brogans. Some lighter shoes had been made previously in Athol, but only in a small way. Mr. Jones started the industry upon a larger plan, and four years afterwards the manu- facture was changed from shoes to boots, and the business finally became one of the important industries of the town. The tannery and the boot factory were operated by him and his partners until about 1872. In 1833 he enlarged his business operations, by embarking in business in Bos- ton as a dealer in boots, shoes and leather, being associated with his cousin, Nahum Jones, under the firm name of F. and N. Jones. He continued to reside in Athol, and per- sonally conducted operations at the tannery and boot fac- tory until 1838, when he removed his residence perma- nently to Boston. The firm of F. and N. Jones was dis- solved in 1848, and Frederick Jones continued alone until 1853, when Francis F. Emery became associated with Mr.
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Jones as partner, the firm being Frederick Jones & Co., which was continued until 1882, when Mr. Jones retired permanently, and the business was continued by Mr. Emery. The firm of Frederick Jones & Co. manufactured and sold all kinds of heavy boots and shoes, selling only to the wholesale and jobbing trade, the manufactured pro- duct aggregating from five hundred thousand to one mill- ion pairs per year. The firm had factories at Ashland, Milford, Athol, South Braintree, Brockton and Plymouth, Mass., and at Dover, Farmington and Alton, N. H.
Mr. Jones was in active business in the boot and shoe trade for fifty-seven years, and no man in the guild was more highly respected. His business life was an example of gentleness, purity and uprightness. He was married December 1, 1831, to Maria Sweetzer, daughter of Sam- uel and Hannah (Moore) Sweetzer of Athol. They had four children. The oldest, Caroline Sweetzer, born at Athol Oct. 28, 1835, married Francis F. Emery, Sept. 18, 1855, and died at Boston, Oct. 1, 1890. Jane Maria, born at Athol, May 28, 1837, was unmarried, and died at Bos- ton, March 16, 1858. Two sons died in infancy. Mr. Jones died at Boston, June 7, 1887. He did not confine his usefulness to his business, but gave the benefit of his counsel and active cooperation to various organizations. He was a life member of the New England Historical So- ciety, the Museum of Fine Arts, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the Young Men's Christian Association, and other kindred societies to which he contributed liberally. He endowed the Andover Theo-
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GEORGE SPRAGUE.
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BIOGRAPHICAL-CONTINUED.
logical Seminary with a professorship of elocution known as the Jones Professorship, and also endowed the Young Woman's Christian Association of Boston with a fund known as the Frederick Jones fund.
GEORGE SPRAGUE, son of Josiah Sprague, was born in 1796. He was a direct descendant of Edward Sprague of Upway, Dorset County, England. The three sons of Ed- ward Sprague emigrated to Charlestown, in this state, in 1628. Of these, William Sprague, who went to Hingham in 1636, is the ancestor of George. He was granted a tract of land in Hingham that year, and soon took a prom- inent position in the management of the town's affairs, holding the offices of selectman and constable. One An- thony Sprague of this family, who was an invalid, is said to have read the Bible through once a month for thirty years. George was the third child in a family of nine, and from an early age was deeply interested in mechanics. On becoming of age he engaged at once in business, which was the manufacture of shingles by hand. From this he turned his attention to the making of sleighs and wagons, which he sold himself, his trade extending as far as Cana- da. After this he engaged in cabinet making, and about 1830, came to the lower village of Athol, then known as the "factory village," where he first did the mechanical work for the cotton factory. He also manufactured vari- ous kinds of machinery, and soon commenced a hardware business, which he gradually enlarged and carried on until 1862. when he sold it to his son Lucius K. On June 1, 1826, he married Nancy Knight of Phillipston. They had
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six children : George Lorenzo, Martha Angeline, Lean- der Milton, who are dead, and Lucius Knight, Edwin Loring and Henry Harrison, now living in Boston. Mr. Sprague died June 25, 1870.
JONATHAN STRATTON, second son of Joseph Stratton, was born in Athol Oct. 5, 1795. His grandfather, Elias Strat- ton, came from England and settled in Sherborn, Mass., and came to Athol about 1770, where he purchased a large tract of land in the south part of the town, to which he gave the name of New Sherborn, after the town from which he came, a name which that district has borne to the present time. Elias had five sons and two daughters. As the sons grew to the age of maturity, each one of them was given a farm from this tract and settled around their father. Four of the sons lived on their farms until they died, and from these are descended most of the Strattons of Athol and vicinity.
Jonathan lived on his father's farm, the place now occu- pied by S. C. Perham. He was frequently called upon to settle estates, was appointed guardian of many children, and on many occasions was chosen as referee to settle dis- putes both in Athol and surrounding towns. He also did considerable town business, serving on the board of assess- ors, and on many important committees. He was a prom- inent member of the old First Church, and was chosen as deacon May 25, 1835, which office he held until his death. At the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the organization of the church, he was chairman of the com- mittec of arrangements. He married Esther W. Fay
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JONATHAN STRATTON.
ABNER G. STRATTON.
313
BIOGRAPHICAL -CONTINUED.
March 8, 1821, and they had six children : Eleanor, who married Amos T. Stratton, J. Henry, who lives in the up- per village, Otis, who lived in San Jose, California, and Lucena, Winsor and J. Milton, who are dead. Mr. Strat- ton died Feb. 21, 1852.
ABNER GRAVES STRATTON was born Feb. 8, 1820, in the south part of Athol, his ancestors being among the early settlers of the town. He received his education in the dis- trict schools, and first embarked in the active duties of life as a farmer in that part of the town, now known as "Athol Street." He was engaged in farming for several years, and then associated himself with Asa W. Twitchell in the manufacture of palm leaf hats, occupying a building in the rear of the present Chronicle block. On retiring from this business he was for a short time landlord of the old Pe- quoig House, after which he again associated himself with Mr. Twitchell in the livery stable and express business, at the place now occupied by C. W. Moore, on Exchange Street. This firm continued for a long time, doing a very successful business, which was carried on for some years after Mr. Twitchell's death by Mr. Stratton alone. In the early seventies he entered into partnership with Charles Adams in the retail boot and shoe business in the old Houghton block, and retiring from the business in 1876, was not again engaged in active business, with the excep- tion of auctioneer, in which capacity he was in constant demand. He was chosen to the office of constable in 1842, and for a third of a century held various town offices continuously, having served the town as selectman, assessor,
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ATHOL, PAST AND PRESENT.
overseer of the poor, constable, tax collector, treasurer, and many other minor offices, indeed, it is said that at one time he held every town office with the exception of town clerk. He was a member of the fire department for twenty-eight years, and for a time its chief engineer, and was tax col- lector nineteen years. He was active in the organization of the Worcester Northwest Agricultural and Mechanical Society, and up to the time of his death was a familiar fig- ure as chief marshal at the annual fairs. He was a man of strong physical constitution, and his keen wit and Yan- kee genius are well remembered by the older inhabitants, who can tell many amusing incidents of his public and private life. He married Ophelia Barton of Athol July 7, 1842, and by her had two sons, Frederick A. and Solon. His wife died in 1875, and he was again married Jan. 5, 1876, to Mrs. Fanny Forrester of North Orange. Mr. Stratton died March 26, 1882.
WILLIAM H. GARFIELD was the second son of George and Pattie Garfield, who settled in Athol in 1814. Will- iam was born in Harvard Dec. 31, 1809. His boyhood from the time he was four years old was spent in Athol. At the age of nineteen years he left the paternal roof to go out into the world, and went on foot to Concord, Mass. to obtain work. He remained there two years, and went to Boston in 1831. He was the first one to introduce in Boston the New York daily papers, and was for four years one of the proprietors of the Boston Daily Times. He en- gaged in the coffee and spice business in 1856, in which he continued for nearly forty years, doing an extensive and
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WILLIAM H. GARFIELD.
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JONATHAN WHEELER.
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BIOGRAPHICAL-CONTINUED.
successful business, and attending personally to his affairs every day when over eighty-two years of age. Mr. Gar- field was twice married, his first wife being Sarah Teague of Portsmouth, N. H., whom he married in Boston, Dec. 2, 1839. Mrs. Garfield died April 18, 1879, and May 5, 1880, he married Mrs. Eliza A. Maine, formerly of Dor- chester. Mr. Garfield died July 18, 1894.
JONATHAN WHEELER was born in Athol, March 30, 1790. His parents, Zacheus and Silence (Leland) Wheeler, came from Grafton, Mass., in February of the same year and settled on the north bank of Tully brook, near where Pine Dale is now situated. A log cabin was built for their home, a large tract of land was purchased, and a grist mill was erected upon the brook. Jonathan was the ninth of eleven children, and the youngest son. He attended the district school in Athol, going through the forests to school by means of blazes on the tree trunks. After he left school he worked for his father on the farm until twenty-one years of age. He then went into busi- ness for himself making trunks, and later sent lumber to Worcester and Boston. He soon was able to buy out his father's interest in the farm, mill and woodland, built up the little village called Wheelerville, now Pine Dale, and in 1834 began to manufacture pails, being one of the first to engage in that industry in the country. As his busi- ness increased he built larger mills, and also engaged in the manufacture of matches and of sash and blinds. He was very successful in his business life and accumulated considerable wealth, but reverses soon came, and he lost
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a large amount of property by fire, which destroyed three large shops and thousands of dollars worth of stock. Ow- ing to his heavy losses he was obliged to sell his property at Wheelerville, and with a portion of the proceeds pur- chased real estate in the village of Athol, which proved a good investment. He was a prominent member of the Baptist church, to which he contributed most liberally. He was married three times, and by his second wife, Mrs. Hannah Fisher, had seven children, of whom three are now living, Mr. Augustine Wheeler and Mrs. Hollon Farr of Athol. and Mrs. Bela Dexter of Rutland, Vt. He died July 19, 1872.
JOSEPH PROCTOR, son of Joseph Proctor, one of Athol's first lawyers, was born in Athol Feb. 20, 1823. He lived in town until 1855, being engaged in the manufacture of boxes and sash and blinds, in company with Charles Spooner at the Kennebunk mills, and also with Addison and Charles Horr, at the Ellis mill. Owing to failing health he went to the West in 1855, and was one of the pioneers in the state of Minnesota. He made his way on foot up the Mississippi river to St. Cloud, where he located and engaged in the hardware business in company with N. P. Clark of Hubbardston. He soon took his family there. and the hardware business was changed into that of gen- eral merchandise, This was one of the outposts of civili- zation, and was made a great distributing point for all the Northwest, controlling a large business from the Indians and the Red River country. The breaking out of the In- dian war changed entirely the plans of Mr. Proctor's life.
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JOSEPH PROCTOR.
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BIOGRAPHICAL-CONTINUED.
Mrs. Proctor and the children were sent to the East, and in a year or two Mr. Proctor closed out his business and came back to Athol. After a while he went to Logans- port, Ind., and engaged in the retail boot and shoe business, the firm being Proctor & Myers. About 1866 he com- menced the manufacture of boots and shoes m Athol with a Mr. Albee, their shop being in Union block. This was continued for about three years, when he closed out the business. and after that was not engaged in any active business. He married Lucia Baldwin, a daughter of Jon- athan Baldwin of Baldwinville, June 7, 1848. They had seven children, of whom two died young. Mary Jose- phine married Herbert L. Hapgood, Fred E. is engaged in business in Boston, Carro F. is bookkeeper at the Athol National Bank, Anna F. married Chas. Robbins of Or- ange, and Joseph L .. is engaged in business in Chicago. Mr. Proctor died Aug 2, 1888.
MAJOR WARREN HORR was born in New Salem, July 17, 1803, a son of Warren Horr who was at one time treasurer of the town of Shutesbury. His education was obtained at New Salem Academy, of which he was the oldest graduate at the time of his death. His early life was devoted to farming, and he was honored by his fellow townsmen with many positions of trust and responsibility, representing New Salem in the Legislature of 1850, and also served the town as selectman, assessor and overseer of the poor for seven years in succession. Actively inter- ested in the old militia he held the office of major, and was elected colonel, which office he declined. He removed
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to Athol in 1857 and engaged in the grocery business with J. W. Hunt and J. F. Packard for a few years, and then gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1826 he married Sally P. Sloan, a sister of Jonathan W. Sloan. She died in 1868 and in 1869 he married Mrs. Harriet Townsend. He had one child, George W. Horr. He was the oldest member of the Masonic fraternity in this section, having been made a Mason in Golden Rule Lodge, New Salem, in 1826. His life and character may be sum- med up in the following words: He was a just man, a true man, and a Christian. He died Feb. 14, 1890.
COL, WILSON ANDREWS was born in New Salem, April 3, 1804, the second son of Daniel Andrews of that town. Through all his more active life from early manhood until seventy years of age he was well known throughout Cen- tral Massachusetts in his business relations with the promi- nent and leading men of those days. He was appointed a deputy sherriff of Franklin County in the year 1832, which office he held for thirty years. In 1833 he was elected colonel in the militia of Massachusetts, his commission being signed by Gov. Levi Lincoln. For this office he was eminently adapted, his fine figure and bearing, with his commanding presence rendered him ever a pleasing picture to the eye as he commanded his regiment. After holding this position for some years, he was elected to the office of General. But with a young and growing family which rendered it necessary for him to devote himself un- ceasingly to his business, he felt it his duty to decline the office, and Col. James S. Whitney, father of Ex-Secretary
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