USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > Athol, Massachusetts, past and present > Part 23
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HON. ALPHEUS HARDING.
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THOMAS H. GOODSPEED.
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for the Athol Savings Bank, of which he was the treasurer until Jan. 1. 1892, when he was elected president, which position he still holds. In 1879 and 1880, he was sena- tor from the Fourth Worcester District, serving the first year as chairman of the committees on banks and banking. and education. In 1880, he was a delegate from the Tenth Congressional district to the national republican convention at Chicago, and assisted in nominating Gen. Garfield for president. He was married Sept. 6, 1842, to Maria Prudence Taft, they have two children, William B. who resides in Holyoke, and Ella who married A. L. Newman.
THOMAS H. GOODSPEED was born in Phillipston, Nov. 15, 1833. He attended the public schools of his native town, and served as clerk in the store of his uncle, Jason Goulding, where he commenced his business career, at the age of thirteen years, going to school during the winter and working in the store the remainder of the time. When fifteen years old he went to New Salem as clerk in the store and postoffice of Alpheus Harding, where he was the only clerk. From New Salem he went to Willis- ton Seminary at Easthampton, where he was a student for a year, after which he returned to Phillipston and the store of his uncle. At the age of nineteen years he engaged in business for himself in Phillipston, which he conducted for three years, and came to Athol in 1856, and went into business with his uncle, James I. Goulding, at the Centre. Subsequently he bought out his uncle, and continued the business alone for several years, and then
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went in company with Samuel Lee. His mercantile life . in Athol extended over a period of about twelve years, from 1856 to 1868, after which he was largely engaged in conveyancing, insurance and real estate business. Few of our citizens have held so many positions of trust and honor as Mr. Goodspeed. He was appointed postmaster of the Centre office June 25, 1862, which position he held until July, 1885, was town clerk from 1863 to 1873, town treasurer from 1875 to 1879, and a Representative to the Legislature from this district in 1869. He has been pres- ident of the Athol National Bank from its incorporation, in 1874, to the present time, and has served the Worcester Northwest Agricultural Society as its treasurer from its incorporation in 1867, a period of thirty years, and is now the Delegate of the Society on the State Board of Agriculture. He was also treasurer of the Athol Silk Co. from 1882 until it was reorganized under the new man- agement in 1895. Mr. Goodspeed has been an active worker in the Republican party for many years, and was the alternate delegate from this congressional district at the National Convention of 1896, in St. Louis. He has always been actively interested in town affairs, and has served on many important committees. He married L. Elvira Richardson of Phillipston, Oct. 22, 1856.
COL. ALBERT L. NEWMAN, who was for upwards of fifteen years, one of the most prominent factors in the financial, social and political affairs of Athol, was the second son of George and Lydia Newman, of Brattleboro, Vt., where he was born. He came to Athol when a young
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COL. ALBERT L. NEWMAN.
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BANKS.
man less than twenty years of age, and began his duties as teller of the Millers River National Bank, from which position he was promoted to that of cashier, in January, 1866, and continued in that position until May, 1881, when he resigned to accept the vice presidency of the National Bank of the Commonwealth, in Boston. Mr. Newman had managed the affairs of the Millers River Bank with such ability and success that it had attracted attention from abroad, and when he left Athol for the wider field of the great metropolis of New England, his commanding abilities as a financier and business man soon gave him honorable rank among Boston financiers, and after serving the National Bank of the Commonwealth as vice president for a short time he became its president, which position he continued to hold until about 1892. when he retired, on account of failing health, and with his wife spent several months in Europe. On his return home he engaged in the brokerage business with H. A. Rogers and J. S. Tolman. Mr. Newman was one of the founders, and always a generous supporter of the Second Unitarian church of Athol. He served on the staff of Governor Oliver Ames, with the rank of Colonel. He was a man of engaging social qualities, absolute integrity, and of strong and tender affections. He married Miss Ella M. Harding, only daughter of Hon. Alpheus Harding. June 16, 1868. They had one son Albert Harding Newman. Col. Newman died in Boston, May 2, 1894.
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CHAPTER XIX.
SONS OF ATHOL.
"The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight; But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward through the night."
MONG the Sons of Athol, reared among these hills who have gone forth into the world and performed deeds that have set in motion influ- ences that have assisted in moulding public opinion and the legislation of the country, and have made their names distinguished beyond the boundaries of their native town, county and state, may be mentioned the names of Ginery Twichell, Lysander Spooner, Joel D. Stratton and Col. George H. Hoyt.
GINERY TWICHELL, a son of Captain Francis Twichell was born in Athol, August 26, 1811. He left school at the carly age of sixteen to take charge of a portion of the business of Mr. Joel Kendall, an extensive mill owner. After that he went into the employment of Samuel Sweet- ser, and subsequently worked as clerk in a store in Petersham. At the age of nineteen he took charge of the stage line from Barre to Worcester.
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Ginery Sochees
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By patience and kindness, not only to his pat- rons, but also to rivals and competitors in business, by the strictest fidelity to all the trusts committed to him and by wise economy in the conduct of his business, he advanced from the position of driver to that of owner; and finally, by thus conciliating and winning the public patronage ex- clusively to himself. he drove his rivals from the field. For five years he was employed as driver on the stage line from Barre to Worcester. He then secured an interest in the business; and so rapid was his success that in ten years he became sole proprietor of over two hundred horses, and of several lines of stage-coaches between Worcester and var- ious points in the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. For ten years from 1840 Mr. Twichell was engaged to collect the votes of the State on election day so that they could be published in the Boston papers the following morning, and in the accomplishment of this he took many stirring and daring rides. The most remark- able feat in the way of conveying news was performed by him in 1846, which illustrates his indomitable energy as well as the rival enterprise of the newspaper press. It appears that the steamship Hibernia had arrived in Boston in January. 1846. nineteen days out. with news that Robert Peel. was to return to office as Prime Minister, John Russell having failed to form a ministry. This had an important bearing on the question of the Oregon bound- ary. Russell being for war with the United States and Peel for peace. The New York papers were anxious to secure the news as soon as possible. The Herald had made ar-
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rangements with the railroad and steamboat companies to carry its despatches to New York, and the Tribune and other papers of New York and Philadelphia were ex- cluded by the Herald from participating in its arrange- ments.
Mr. Twichell undertook to carry the despatches to the papers that were excluded by the Herald, and was obliged to use horses instead of steam power for most of the dis- tance. He could obtain an engine to run from Boston to
GINERY TWICHELL AS THE UNRIVALLED EXPRESS RIDER.
Worcester only on condition of its being fifteen minutes behind the Herald's train. From Worcester to Hartford, a distance of sixty-six miles, he rode on horseback through a deep snow in the remarkably short time of three hours and twenty minutes; thence from Hartford to New Haven, by railroad, thirty-six miles; from New Haven to New York, seventy-six miles, by horses; and reached New York City in season for the printing of the despatches before the
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arrival of those of the Herald. In this case horse power surpassed steam power. Mr. Twichell's remarkable feat of horsemanship excited so much interest that it was com- memorated by a large and beautiful engraving entitled ".The Unrivalled Express Rider."
Although the railroad from Boston to Worcester was opened July 6, 1835, Mr. Twichell continued his extensive stage business until June 1. 1848, when he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the Boston & Worcester Rail- road. In less than a year- May 1849-he was promoted to the office of Superintendent. After holding this posi- tion for ten years he was advanced to that of President of the road, in February 1857. and was elected to the same position annually for ten successive years.
Soon after the opening of the war of the Rebellion he rendered valuable assistance to the Government in the transportation of the mail from Washington to the North. Communication with the East was blockaded, when Mr. Twichell tendered his services to the Government to re- move or escape the blockade. The mails had been accum- ulating for five days when the Post Master General con- fided the mails to his care, and they were safely delivered to the towns and cities of the North. Mr. Twichell was elected to Congress. and was a member of the fortieth. forty-first and forty-second Congresses, serving on the Com- mittee of Post Offices and Post Roads. In 1870 he be- came president of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. which he served four years, was elected president of the Boston. Barre and Gardner Railroad in March
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1873, and continued until February, 1878. Also, in 1882, became president of the Hoosac Tunnel and Western, Railroad Company. He was twice married, first on Aug. 26, 1846, to Miss Theodotia R., daughter of Mr. Creighton Ruggles of Barre, by whom he had eight children. He was married a second time, June 28, 1877, to Mrs. Cath- erine M. (Burt) Vinal, daughter of William S. Burt, of Ithaca, N. Y.
Among the sons of Athol, none have attained a more famous name, or engaged the attention of the public to a greater extent than did Col. George H. Hoyt, who in the brief time of less than two decades had performed deeds that link his name with some of the most stirring events of the last half century.
COL. GEORGE H. HOYT was born in Athol, Nov. 25, 1837, a son of Dr. George Hoyt. In 1851, Dr. Hoyt moved with his family to Boston, and at an early age George entered a law office in that city. He was engaged in the study of law at the time of the ever memorable John Brown raid on Harpers Ferry. He had inherited from his father those fearless and daring qualities of his nature that were characteristic of him throughout his life, and with the enthusiasm of his young manhood, he offered himself as volunteer counsel for Brown, and his services having been accepted he went to Charlestown, Va., where he defended Brown with courage and ability. Soon after Hoyt's arrival the Southern counsel appointed to defend Brown withdrew, and left the responsibility for the defence upon the young lawyer until the arrival of Messrs Chilton
COL. GEORGE H. HOYT.
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and Griswold, who were to conduct the defence. A paper, in referring to these advocates for Brown, had the follow- ing: "The zeal and devotion of Messrs Chilton, Griswold and Hoyt in behalf of an unfortunate fellow being, surrounded only by those against whom his crimes were directed, and from whom, therefore, he could expect no sympathy, are worthy of all praise. Hoyt had come from Boston travelling night and day, to volunteer his services in defense of Brown." As showing the danger to which those who defended Brown were exposed. we quote from a Richmond letter: "Judge Russell of Boston started for home this morning. Mr. Hoyt, the lawyer, also returned. That he was suffered to depart without molestation is considered here a powerful proof of the forbearance of the people." We next hear of the young lawyer in Kansas where early in 1861 he enlisted in John Brown, Jr's. company of sharpshooters, and afterwards became connected with the First Kansas Cavalry, being commis- sioned Second Lieutenant. Early in 1862 he was made a Captain in that regiment, and as such served with dis- tinction under Generals Grant and Rosecrans in various campaigns. After the sacking of Lawrence, Captain Hoyt assisted in raising the Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry, and was made Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, leading it with great bravery in the battles of Lexington, Little Blue, Independence and other severe conflicts. He was com- missioned Brigadier General by Brevet, March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of New- tonia. Missouri. Oct. 28, 1864. A Kansas paper referred
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to this battle as follows: "In this charge, one of the most glorious in its results during the war, and perhaps per- formed with less loss to the attacking party, acts of individual daring might be mentioned, deserving special commendation. The conduct of Lieut. Col. Hoyt, in particular upon this occasion, was such as to elicit the highest encomiums from all, and deserves to be recorded as worthy of particular emulation." He served in the army until the close of the war. Although so busily engaged in fighting the battles of the Union, yet he found time during those eventful days to worship at Hymen's altar, and on March 10, 1862, was united in marriage with Mary Anzonette Cheney, an Athol girl, who, courageous as her lover was fearless, journeyed from Massachusetts to Kansas for that purpose. After the war Gen. Hoyt resumed the practice of his profession in Kansas, in which he attained considerable distinction, and was in 1868 Attorney General of the State, residing at Topeka. He was also for a time editor of an influential daily paper of that state. In 1871, he removed to Athol with his family, and continued to practice law, and also purchased an interest in the Athol Transcript, then recently established, and of which he was the editor until the summer of 1873. He was twice elected as Representative to the Legislature from this district, serving in 1872 and 1873, and attained quite a reputation as a leader in legislation. He was commander of Parker Post, G. A. R., for three years, and was prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity. He had two children, George De Witt and Mary. He died Feb. 2, 1877.
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Junge & HELT Exon.
Very. Sin "our Kind le then of the 22 insis received. I. reculingly regret my inability to make you some other acknowledgements con all your efforts in my behalf than the unien consisin marea, in lenders but do it is. May God it good con science le irene continual rewardless. Ireally do not see what you can do in me a invertir .. I can more my poor family to the kind remembrance of all brands; fest " well. under. Sta at that they are not the only poor in our world . I want to begin to leave daning our would . I have but very little idea of the changes made against. I'm Enexercice; as I get to we but liter of what is appiant. Iwas very sorry for any wrong that may be done him, but I have no means of contradicting any thing that may be said, not knowing what 0
said I connectder m. it should be any more dishonorable for time to receive some compensation for his chances; + service from for Mr Chilton from notaware that any blame is changed to him on that scones Jam getting more le sud constanta than I will know how to answer Myany Kind friends athear ton we were wrong ideas of my condition as regards replying to all the kind com " unications Ireceive. Your Friend in truth John Brown
LETTER FROM JOHN BROWN TO COL. GEORGE H. HOYT.
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SONS OF ATHOL.
JOEL D. STRATTON was born in Athol, Aug. 11, 1816. He spent his boyhood and youth with his parents, laboring upon his father's farm until he was twenty-one years of age, when he removed to Worcester and was employed by Thomas Tucker, Esq., the proprietor of the American Temperance House. It was while he was there, in the capacity of a waiter, in the autumn of 1842, that occurred the memorable event in his life, which made him so widely known throughout the United States, and still more widely in Great Britain and Ireland, as the man who was the instrument of John B. Gough's reformation. Mr. Gough, in his autobiography, describes in a feeling manner the circumstances of his meeting with Mr. Stratton, and of signing the pledge. At the time of this interview Mr. Stratton was a single man, and is said to have been a modest, unobtrusive and retiring man, and those who wished to become acquainted with him were compelled to seek his society. On the 6th of May, 1845, he married Miss Susan P. Day, an excellent Christian lady, who was his constant and faithful companion through life. There was little to distinguish his later years, and the care and support of a family compelled him to follow closely his occupation, which was that of a boot-crimper. With the exception of four years spent in the town of Paxton, his home was Worcester during all his later life. He died Nov. 4, 1860, and on his death bed received the blessing of the reformed man, who reminded him of the thousands who were thankful that he ever lived. Mr. Gough said of him: "I owe to him all that I am, since I have been
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worth anything to my fellow-men." Regarding the results of this act, Francis A. Gaskill says in his sketch on the History of Worcester, "The consecration to a life of sobriety and moral effort made by John B. Gough, when at the Worcester Town Hall on Oct. 31, 1842, he took the pledge of total abstinence, had doubtless a more ben- eficial effect upon the whole land in the grand efforts for the reclamation of those addicted to the excessive use of liquor, and in the elevation of the moral sentiment of the country, than any other agency."
LYSANDER SPOONER was undoubtedly the most unique and remarkable character Athol ever produced, and his work and influence were of a national character, He was born Jan. 19, 1808, on the farm bordering Lake Ellis on the east, now occupied by George J. Sutton. He was a son of Asa Spooner, who had a family of children several of whom attained distinction. Young Spooner spent his boyhood, and a few years of his early manhood, on his father's farm, and at the age of twenty-five, equipped with such learning as a country school education then afforded, he went to Worcester where he obtained a clerkship in the Registry of Deeds. After a year's experience there he gave up his clerkship and began to read law in the office of John Davis, a celebrated member of the Worces- ter bar, and later studied in the office of Charles Allen, one of the foremost of Massachusetts lawyers. At that time Massachusetts statutes required three years extra study from men not college bred as a condition of admis- sion to the bar. In utter disregard of this law, Mr.
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Spooner opened a law office in Worcester, and this bold move, made still more forcible by an argument that he printed and circulated among the members of the Legis- lature, secured the repeal of the obnoxious law. After a residence of six years in Ohio he returned to the East, and commenced the memorable contest with the government, which gained for him the title of "father of cheap postage in America." At that time the rates of postage were enormous. as compared with the present. Mr. Spooner saw that the evil could be remedied by competition, and failing to convince the people of this fact by arguments, he accordingly, in 1844, started a private mail between Boston and New York, and soon extended it to Philadel- phia and Baltimore, charging but five cents a letter between any of these points, which was a very much smaller sum than the government was then charging. The business was an immediate success and was rapidly extending. As the carrying of each letter was a separate offence. the government was able to shower prosecutions upon him and crush him out in a few months. The matter had, however, created such an excitement in the country that the following year public sentiment compelled a large reduction in the government rates of postage. He was also prominent in the abolition conflict, and attained considerable fame at the time by his pamphlet on "The Unconstitutionality of Slavery." The work and doctrines were endorsed by Gerrit Smith and Elizur Wright, and became the text book of the Liberty Party. He was the author of numerous pamphlets, the most largely circulated
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of which was one which appeared under the title of "Revolution" and which treated the Irish land question in a most vigorous style. This pleased the friends of Ireland so much that an edition of one hundred thousand was printed, and a copy sent to each member of the English aristocracy, to each member of the House of Commons, and to every official of any note in the British dominions, and the remainder throughout the centres of England and Canada. The last years of his life were spent in Boston, where he could be seen almost every day in the Boston Athenaum Library, busily engaged in studying and writing. He died May 14, 1887.
The Sprague Brothers, Lucius Knight, Edwin Loring and Henry Harrison, all of whom are Sons of Athol, trace their paternal ancestry back to Edward Sprague of Upwey, Dorset County, England, whose ancient stone fulling mill, erected probably at the begin . ning of the seventeenth century, is still standing, a silent memorial to one of Upwey's old-time industries. William Sprague, youngest son of Edward and the founder of this branch of the family in America, was one of the early planters of Massachusetts, arriving at Naumkeag, now Salem, in 1628, with Governor Endicott. He originally settled in Charlestown, whence he removed in 1636 to Hingham, and was a leading man of that settlement. His father-in-law, Anthony Eames. was also active in the town's affairs, and was the first commander of the militia or "train band." They are also descendants of Richard Warren, one of the immortal band of Mayflower pas. sengers.
EDWIN L. SPRAGUE.
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George Sprague, their father, was a son of Joshua Sprague who removed from Hingham to Petersham and married Lois Stockwell, daughter of Capt. Ephraim and Sarah Stockwell. Capt. Stockwell was one of Athol's captains in the Revolution and led a company to the battle of Bennington.
EDWIN LORING SPRAGUE was born in Athol, July 6, 183S. and received his education in the schools of the town. Upon the opening of the Millers River Bank in 1854 he became its clerk and so remained until his removal to Boston in 1858. In Boston for three years he was book-keeper for Clement, Colburn & Co., a prominent boot and shoe firm, which position he relinquished on account of impaired health early in 1861. After a long vacation he returned to Boston, and engaged in the shoe manufacturing business as junior partner in the firm of Geo. N. Spear & Co., the firm name, after several changes. becoming and thereafter remaining, E. L. Sprague & Co. Although Mr. Sprague has never held public office he has always been an active worker in public matters. some of which have been of lasting influ- ence. In 1867 he was chairman of the committee of young men whose labors culminated in the organization, after a temporary suspense of operations, of the Boston Young Men's Christian Union upon its present successful basis; and from 1868 to the time of his resignation in 1877 was its vice president, giving much time and thought to the work. In 1872 he initiated the final attempt which, after a hard struggle with powerful contending interests.
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resulted in the establishment of the Board of Health of the city of Boston, the first commission of its kind in Boston. In 1873 after the "great fire" had demonstrated the imperative need of a reorganized fire department, he did like service towards the establishment of the Fire Commission on a basis similar to that of the Board of Health. The years of 1876 and 1877 were largely passed in Europe on account of ill health. In 1889 he proposed and secured the trial of a new manner of holding caucuses in Ward Eleven, where he resided; and in 1890, as Chairman of the Republican City Committee of Boston. he took the leading part in framing and securing the adoption of the rules which embodied the "Australian caucus" system, which later was incorporated into the law of the state. In 1892 he pionecred, and was most active in, the movement which resulted in the enactment by the Legislature of the so-called "Corrupt Practices Act," the first elaborate Act of its kind enacted in the United States, the provisions of which have since, to a considerable extent, been adopted in other States.
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