USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Plymouth County, Massachusetts > Part 59
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AMUEL H. HOWARD, a highly respected citizen of West Bridge- water, where he is now living in . retirement, is a native of this town. He was born December 1, 1815, a son of Alfred and Hannah (Hartwell) Howard, both of whom were born in West Bridgewater, Mass. Na- than Howard, the father of Alfred, was a lin- eal descendant of John Howard, the first of the name to settle in Old Bridgewater.
Alfred Howard, who lived in West Bridge- water all his life, died here in May, 1856, in his eighty-second year. He was a Whig in politics, and had a large acquaintance through-
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out this locality. Mrs. Howard's father was a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary struggle. She and her husband are survived by three children, namely: Jane, widow of the late Lloyd Howard, of West Bridgewater; Julia, widow of the late Ephraim Howard, of West Bridgewater; and Samuel H.
Samuel H. Howard, the only son, grew to man's estate on the farm where he resides and has been a lifelong farmer. He received in his boyhood a good common-school education. For four years he was superintendent of the town farm in North Bridgewater, now Brock- ton, and for two years of the town farm of West Bridgewater; but aside from that the rest of his active life he has spent on his farm, where he has been successfully engaged in general husbandry.
On October 15, 1840, Mr. Howard married Miss Lavina Wilbur, daughter of Marshall and Phobe (Leonard) Wilbur, of Bridgewater, Mass. She was born in Warren, Me., July 18, 1817. Her father, who died in 1835, was a native of Bristol County, Massachusetts, and her mother of Middleboro, Mass. They lived in Maine eleven years, coming from there to Bridgewater. Mr. Marshall Wilbur, who was Captain of a military company while residing in Warren, lost his life by falling from a mill that he was building in Orono, Me. His father was George Wilbur, and the family is one of the oldest in Bridgewater. Of the chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur, four are living, namely: Horatio N .; Lavina, Mrs. Howard; George; and Keziah, the widow of Elam Howard. A son named Marshall died in California, and his brother Edwin died in Bridgewater. Mr. and Mrs. Howard have had four children, of whom three are living: Lu- cinda K., widow of Frank Cooper; George; and Irvin. For a number of years Mr. How- ard has served acceptably as Selectman of West
Bridgewater. He is a Republican in political affiliation.
ENRY CARVER, dealer in coal, flour, grain, and baled hay, with place of business at Marshfield Sta- tion, is a representative citizen of Plymouth County, a member of one of the old Puritan
families. A native of Marshfield, son of David and Rachel F. (Stetson) Carver, he was born February 20, 1848. His lineage in- cludes John Carver, the first governor chosen by the Pilgrims after they landed from the "Mayflower " at Provincetown; and he has in his home a chair that is said to have come over in the historic ship. His father, David, who was a son of David Carver, was a farmer by occupation, a native and lifelong resident of Marshfield, and in politics a Democrat. He died April 15, 1870. His wife, Rachel, who was a native of Pembroke, Mass., died September 15, 1873. They were the parents of six children - John, William, Henry, and David, all living at present; and two daugh- ters, who have passed away.
Henry Carver was educated in the common schools of Marshfield. He was reared on the home farm in this town, and during early manhood was engaged in agriculture, also trading in cattle. Endowed with much nat- ural business ability, he has been very suc- cessful in his ventures, especially the latest one -his establishment in trade. In July, 1895, he purchased the coal, grain, and hay business of R. H. Moorehead, who at that time retired from trade after a long term of mercantile life. Mr. Carver has shown him- self to be well adapted to the business, and has a large and increasing custom. He has also done quite a probate business in the settlement of estates. Politically, he is a Democrat, with independent proclivities. He
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is active and prominent in town affairs, and has capably served as Road Commissioner.
EANDER WINSLOW, a retired sea- man, is now a farmer and merchant in his native place, Lakeville, Mass., formerly a part of Middleboro. He was born September 26, 1834, son of Asa
Tyler and Ann (Pickens) Winslow. He traces his descent on the paternal side from Kenelm Winslow, a brother of Governor Ed- ward Winslow, and third son of Edward Wins- low, of Droitwich, England. Kenelm joined the Plymouth Colony about nine years after the landing of the "Mayflower " Pilgrims, probably accompanying his brother Josiah. Kenelm Winslow married Eleanor, daughter of John Adams, of Plymouth. From their son Kenelm2 the line continues thus, the figures denoting the generation: Josiah3, Josiah4, Ezra5, Asa6, Asa Tyler7, Leander8.
Asa Tyler Winslow, born in Middleboro (now Lakeville), July 6, 1798, died September 15, 1878. His first wife, Hannah, daughter of William and Mary Canedy, was born Feb- ruary 22, 1798, and died June 28, 1824, leav- ing an infant, Hannah C. His second wife, Ann Pickens, daughter of Zattu and Rachel (Mead) Pickens, was born June 3, 1800, and died March 17, 1895. From the last union there were four children : Asa, born November 28, 1832; Leander, born September 26, 1834, as mentioned above; Eliza Ann, February 17, 1837; and Rachel P., October 5, 1842, all now living. Asa T. Winslow, the father, was repeatedly elected to serve the town as Select- man, Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor. He was a Justice of the Peace, and he served as a representative to the General Court. His two wives belonged to old and influential families of this vicinity.
The farm which Mr. Leander Winslow now owns and occupies is the Lakeville homestead, where the greater part of his boyhood was spent, he having been three years of age when his parents removed hither with their family. When he reached his sixteenth year, he left home to try the fortunes of a seafaring life, engaging as one of the ship's crew on board the "Orozimbo," a whaling vessel. The boy sailor's first cruise lasted for thirty-three months, during which period the whaler ploughed the waters of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. The homeward voyage was made by the way of Cape Horn, so that within a little short of three years he had indeed travelled far and seen much. On his return home he en- tered the Myricksville Academy, where he was a student for a period of seven months, this interval lasting between the dates of his first and second voyages. At the expiration of the "seven months he again took passage on the whaling vessel, the ship "Hunter," this time as third mate and bound now for a cruise in the Indian Ocean.
The voyage was a long one; and Leander Winslow did not touch his native shores again until four years, lacking one month, had rolled over his head. At the earnest desire of his parents he then gave up his nautical calling, and for about four years remained tranquilly at home. But this was not to last, for in 1862 he enlisted as a private in Company I, Third Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. A few months later he went to Boston, from which point he was ordered aboard a transporting vessel, bound for New Berne, N.C., where he remained until his discharge from service, June 26, 1863. Returning home, he assumed charge of the farm where he has since lived. He has also been engaged in mercantile busi- ness since 1870.
Mr. Winslow was first married July 13,
LEANDER WINSLOW.
.
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1861, to Isabella V. Canedy, daughter of John W. and Lucy (McCully) Canedy. She was born January 23, 1842, and died May 30, 1865, a devoted wife and mother. She had given birth to two children, namely: a son, Leander H. ; and a daughter, Alice V., who is now a teacher in the State Normal School at Bridgewater. On March 20, 1867, Mr. Wins- low was united in marriage with Sally D. Sampson, his second wife, who has proved a true helpmate. She was born March 22, 1835, a daughter of Ebenezer D. and Eliza Cook (Dean) Sampson, of Lakeville. One child was born of this union - a daughter Isabella Frances, now a teacher in the public schools of New Bedford.
Mrs. Winslow, like her husband, comes of an old Plymouth County family. She num- bers among her ancestors at least two distin- guished "Mayflower " Pilgrims, Miles Stan- dish and John Alden. Her father, Ebenezer D. Sampson, son of Elias, was a grandson of Uriah Sampson, who was born in 1717 at Plympton, Mass. His father, Isaac Sampson, Jr., was a son of Isaac and grandson of Abra- ham Sampson, who came to New England in 1629 or 1630, and settled in Duxbury. He is said to have been a brother of Henry of the "Mayflower" company. Isaac Samp- son, Sr., son of Abraham, married Lydia Standish, daughter of Alexander and Sarah (Alden) Standish, and grand-daughter of Cap- tain Miles Standish and of John and Pris- cilla Alden.
Mr. Winslow is a Democrat in his political affiliations, and has held the offices of Select- man and Assessor of the town for several years, and has likewise served on the School Commit- tee. His extensive travel has had the effect of enlarging his views of life and making him thereby a citizen of broad aims and liberal thought.
UGENE H. CLAPP, founder of the E. H. Clapp Rubber Works at Hanover, Mass., was one of the representative business men of New England. He was born in South Scituate, now Norwell, Plymouth County, Mass., October 11, 1843, son of Allen and Deborah (Clapp) Clapp, and was the eldest of five children, the others being : Erstine (deceased) ; George A., now president of the E. H. Clapp Rubber Company ; Arthur W., treasurer of the same; and Antoinette, who resides in Boston, Mass. The father was a respectable farmer, and both he and his wife traced their ancestry back to early members of the Plymouth colony.
Eugene H. Clapp was educated in the schools of his native town and at Hanover Academy, being graduated from the latter institution in his sixteenth year. He made a study of civil engineering, but never fol- lowed it as a profession. His first money was earned as clerk in the wholesale and retail varnish house of Stimson, Valentine & Co., in Boston. He was subsequently employed for a number of years as book-keeper for Henry Campbell, a dealer in old and new metals, who at his death in May, 1865, was succeeded by A. E. Morey, with whom Mr. Clapp re- mained two years. On leaving Mr. Morey's employ, Mr. Clapp started in business for him- self on Broad Street, Boston, dealing in old and new metals.
Gradually becoming interested in the rubber business, he became identified with the Boston Belting Company and other rubber concerns. In 1871 he invented a method for removing the fibre from old rubber and preparing it so that it could be used again in the manufacture of new goods; and shortly after he started in the manufacture of reclaimed rubber, leasing a building in Roxbury, Mass. From a very small beginning, employing two machines and
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two men, lie evolved the large and prosperous enterprise which bears his name to-day. Two years after he established his plant in Roxbury he moved to Hanover, where there were better facilities for water-power, and bought the right on the Indian Head Stream and the George Curtis Anchor Works. The anchor works buildings he remodelled to suit his purposes, and soon had a modest factory in operation, run by water-power. His partner at this time was his cousin, Frederick W. Clapp.
For a number of years the water-power an- swered all requirements; but, finally, by the addition of one boiler and an engine of sev- enty-five horse-power, steam was introduced. Business increased so rapidly that it soon be- came necessary to operate the works day and night. The force of twenty-five men now employed was found inadequate, and Mr. Clapp increased the equipment of the plant to two boilers and a Corliss engine of two hundred and fifty horse-power. As the enterprise pros- pered, he erected another mill at Pembroke, eighty by forty feet, and two stories in height, with a commodious basement ; and this he sub- sequently enlarged to twice its original size, besides adding a one-story addition, sixty by forty feet in dimension. The original Han- over works were one hundred and eight by sixty feet. On September 9, 1881, they were destroyed by fire; but they were shortly re- built on a much larger scale, and equipped with the most improved modern machinery, including a one hundred and seventy - five horse-power Brown engine, four boilers being required to run the Corliss and Brown en- gines. Two large storehouses have since been added.
Mr. Clapp was a Director of the Mechanics' Bank of Boston; treasurer, director, and largest stockholder of the Penobscot Chemical Fibre Company at Great Works, Me. ; treas-
urer and director of the Piscataquis Falls Pulp and Paper Company of Enfield, Me. ; origi- nator, manager, and member of the Board of Directors of the Boston Rubber Mutual Fire Insurance Company ; a large stockholder and director in the Whittier Machine Company of Boston; treasurer of the Gaunt Evaporator Company; director of the Boston Suburban Light and Power Company; and president of the Roxbury Central Wharf Company.
Mr. Clapp was twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Sarah R. Graves, bore him three children - Eugene H., William (deceased), and Sarah L. His sec- ond wife, who was Mary W. Caffrey, of Rox- bury, before marriage, was the mother of two children : Mary, who is still living ; and Rob- ert, deceased. Mr. Clapp was a member in high standing of various fraternal organiza- tions. He was a thirty-second degree Mason, Treasurer of the Massachusetts Ma- sonic Lodge until his decease; belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; was Grand Worthy Chief Templar of the Independent Order of Good Templars; Grand Worthy Patriarch in the Sons of Temperance; and a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artil- lery Company of Boston. His home for some time previous to his death, which occurred March 12, 1892, was at Boston Highlands.
After Mr. Clapp's decease a stock company was organized to continue the manufacture of rubber goods at the Hanover and Pembroke plants, under the name of the E. H. Clapp Rubber Company, his brother, George A. Clapp, being chosen treasurer. This gentle- man was born in South Scituate, now Norwell, January II, 1849. He acquired his education in the common schools of Norwell, and at the age of eighteen began to learn in Charlestown, Mass., the machinist's trade, to which he gave three years' apprenticeship. He then went to
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work with his brother in the metal store in Boston, and was afterward associated with him in the management of the Roxbury and Han- over factories. He was superintendent of the rubber business until the stock company was formed, when he was chosen president. He is an able business man, thoroughly qualified for his responsible position, and possesses a wide mechanical knowledge. In politics he is a Republican. Like his brother, he is a Mason and an Odd Fellow. He was married in 1880 to Miss Abbie A. Stetson, a native of Pem- broke, this county, and they have three chil- dren - George Allen, John S., and Antoi- nette W.
LOYD FRANKLIN HAMMOND, an enterprising young farmer and highly respected citizen of Norwell, is a native of this town. He was born March I, 1860, son of Joseph T. and Ellen C. (Barrell) Hammond. There were ten children in the family, seven sons and three daughters; namely, Lloyd Franklin, Oscar S., Charles, George, Lottie, Lizzie, Herbert, Benjamin, Nellie, and William.
When twelve years old, L. Franklin Ham- mond came to live with Sylvanus Clapp, from whom at first he received in return for such work as he was able to perform his board and clothes. The past few years he has had full charge of the farm, which contains about one hundred and fifty acres, and has devoted his attention to general husbandry. Besides this he is engaged in getting out box boards, and deals to some extent in wood. On November 29, 1882, Mr. Hammond was united in mar- riage with Miss Lettie W. Sylvester, daughter of Nathaniel B. and Adeline Sylvester, of South Scituate. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hammond; namely, Sylvanus (deceased), Marion T., and Arthur Northway.
Ever since he attained his legal majority Mr. Hammond has taken a very active interest in political affairs, becoming at that time a member of the town Republican Club, with which he is still connected. In 1895 he was elected to the Lower House of the State legis- lature, and has served as Road Commissioner three years. He is an attendant of the Unita- rian church, and is a member of North River Lodge, No. 167, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Hanover, in which he is a Past Grand; also the Phoenix Masonic Lodge of Hanover.
ERBERT I. MITCHELL, junior member of the large lumber house of Isam Mitchell & Co., of Brockton, was born in Middleboro, Plymouth County, January 29, 1861. He is a son of Isam and Clarinda (Beals) Mitchell; and on the paternal side he is descended from Ex- perience Mitchell, an English separatist, who came over in the "Ann" from Holland in 1623.
The immigrant ancestor had a sister Con- stant, who married John Fobes, and a brother Thomas, who lived and died in Holland. Jacob Mitchell, son of Experience Mitchell, married in 1666 Susanna Pope, daughter of Thomas Pope, of Plymouth, Mass., and settled in Dartmouth, now Fairhaven. Both were killed by Indians in 1675, at the beginning of King Philip's War. Thomas Mitchell, son of Jacob and Susanna, had a son Seth, born in 1715, who married Ann Latham; and their son Seth, Jr., was the father of Simeon Wood Mitchell, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. The Mitchell descendants have included many valuable citizens, strong in mind and body, who figured in the early wars of this country and were noted for their lon- gevity. In the old Bridgewater town records
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mention is made of certain Mitchells who fought in the Revolution.
Simeon Wood Mitchell, who was a kinsman of the late Judge Mitchell, of Bridgewater, was born in 1795, and lived to be eighty-four years of age. In his youth he served in the War of 1812. He was a farmer of Bridge- water, and reputed to be one of the wealthiest men of the town. His wife was formerly a Miss Leonard, of Bridgewater. They were married in 1819; and they reared a family of four daughters and three sons, Isam, the father of Herbert I., being the youngest son.
Isam Mitchell has had a remarkably fortu- nate business career. He started in life as a journeyman carpenter, and gradually worked into the lumber business, eventually develop- ing an extensive and well-established trade, amounting to a quarter of a million dollars annually. At the large yard of Isam Mitchell & Co., in Brockton, about a thousand cars of lumber are received in a year; and they keep in their yard and extensive store sheds a mill- ion feet. He owns three large orange planta- tions in California, to which he now devotes his time and attention, making his home in that State and coming East only occasionally. Although his trees are young, he already ships some ten carloads of oranges a year. Mr Isam Mitchell, now sixty-one years of age, is a very active man. He gives his attention entirely to business, and has refused nomina- tion to public office. His wife is a daughter of Solomon Beals, of Middleboro, and a con- nection of the noted painter, Cephas Thomp- son. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Isam Mitchell, and all of them are living.
Herbert I. Mitchell acquired his primary education in West Bridgewater, his parents removing to that town when he was six months old, and remaining some ten years. He pur-
sued his later studies in North Bridgewater (now Brockton), graduating from the high school in 1879, and then went to work for his father as clerk. He was afterward made superintendent of the lumber yard; and he became his father's partner in 1888. Since that time he has had entire charge of the lum- ber business, which has noticeably prospered under his management. He is also somewhat interested in real estate.
Mr. Mitchell was married in 1890 to a daughter of Charles Churchill, of Brockton, and has three children. In politics he takes no active interest, though he favors the Re- publican party. He is a prominent member of important social organizations, including Paul Revere Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Brockton, of which he has been Master; Satucket Chap- ter, Royal Arch Masons, of which he has been High Priest; and Bay State Commandery, Knights Templars. He was two years Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge; and he is likewise a member of Damocles Lodge, No. 16, Knights of Pythias, and of the Brockton Com- mercial Club.
AVID CLARK, an enterprising and successful farmer and a prominent citizen of Plymouth, Mass., was born October 16, 1820, on the farm on which he now resides, his parents being Ezra and Sally (Blackmer) Clark.
Ezra Clark, as we learn from Mr. W. T. Davis's "Ancient Landmarks," was of the seventh generation in descent from Thomas Clark, one of the Plymouth forefathers, who came in the "Ann" in 1623. The succeed- ing generations in this line were represented by James, second, born in 1636; John, third; James, fourth, born in 1696; James, fifth, born 1727, married Hannah Swift; and James, sixth, born in 1762, in Plymouth, where he
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was engaged in general agricultural pursuits. Ezra, his son, and the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in the same house as the latter: and he also followed the honored calling of husbandry throughout his mature years. He married Miss Sally Blackmer, daughter of Richard and Nancy (Ellis) Black- mer, of Plymouth. They became the parents of four children, namely: David; Lucy, now deceased; Sarah, who is now the widow of a Mrs. Spencer, and resides in Lynn; and Lewis, who was killed at the battle of Chan- cellorsville. Mr. Ezra Clark deceased at the age of eighty-two in 1880, his wife having died in 1857, at about fifty-five years of age. Their remains are interred in the cemetery of the Congregational church of Manomet.
David Clark attained to manhood on the old homestead, residing there always with the exception of two years, and receiving his edu- cation in the district schools of his native town. He began life for himself when twenty-one years of age, working in partner- ship with his father. He has continued to conduct general farming on the ancestral es- tate; and he has made one, and only one, coasting trip. Energetic and progressive, he has made almost all of the improvements on the estate. Mr. Clark has been married four times, and has had three children, as follows: Gideon H., who is now married, and works with his father; Ella S., now Mrs. L. Briggs, of Plymouth; and David Herbert, now de- ceased.
Mr. Clark has served his fellow-townsmen in several important public capacities. For eighteen years he has been a member of the Board of Selectmen of Plymouth; for one year he has officiated as Assistant Assessor; and he has for very many years held the office of Road Surveyor. His political opinions bring him into affiliation with the Republican party.
ON. JOHN DAVIS LONG, Secre- tary of the Navy, under the incoming administration of President McKin- ley, his appointment having just been con- firmed by the Senate on March 5, 1897, has been a resident of Hingham, Mass., since 1869. Although a native of Maine, born in Buckfield, October 27, 1838, this distin- guished citizen of Massachusetts, the widely known, popular, and universally respected ex- Governor, is descended from long lines of Colonial ancestry, and, as we gather from a brief biography in the History of Hingham, numbers among his progenitors not a few who had their homes in Plymouth County.
His father, Zadoc Long, born in Middle- boro in 1800, was a son of Thomas and Bathsheba (Churchill) Long and grandson of Miles Long, who came to Plymouth from North Carolina, and in 1770 married Thank- ful Clark. She was a descendant of Thomas Clark, who was one of the passengers in the "Ann," the third Pilgrim ship, in 1623. Another of her ancestors was the Rev. John Lothrop, the first minister of Barnstable. Zadoc Long married Julia Temple Davis, daughter of Simeon Davis, a lineal descendant of Dolor Davis, who came to Boston in 1634. The maiden name of Mrs. Long's mother was Persis Temple.
Well born of honest, intelligent New Eng- land parents, well bred in a comfortable New England home, active-brained, aspiring, and resolute, John D. Long fitted for college at . Hebron Academy, pursued his college course at Harvard, where he was graduated in 1857, second in his class, and author of the class ode. After serving two years as principal of Westford Academy, he went into the office of Sidney Bartlett, Esq., in Boston, where he studied law for a time, and in the autumn of 1860 entered the Harvard Law School. Ad-
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