Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Part 107

Author: Biographical Review Publishing Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Boston, Biographical review publishing company
Number of Pages: 1238

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Worcester County, Massachusetts > Part 107

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mayors, and ex-governors. The building is two hundred and thirty-four feet long by eighty and one-half wide, and four stories in height. The portion not required in his business he rents. He also owns some tenement houses on the West Side.

On September 14, 1873, Mr. Hyland mar- ried Anna Horstman Hayes, who was born in Ireland, and came to Worcester, January I, 1868. He has been the father of seven chil- dren; namely, William, Alice M., Margaret T., George F., Mary, Annie Frances, and Margaret T. (second). William, born July 13, 1874, was drowned July 9, 1896. Margaret, T., first, died at the age of two years and six months. George F. died at the age of four years and nine months. Mary is now a young lady of thirteen years. Annie Frances died when eleven months old. William Hyland some time ago was admitted to partnership with his father, and the concern has since been William Hyland & Son. Mr. Hyland has voted with the Republican party since 1888, but has held no public office. He has attained success through his own ability and perseverance, and is still as busily engrossed with his business affairs as he was twenty-five years ago.

IBLEY PUTNAM, who, as a retail grocer, was closely identified with the mercantile interests of Worces- ter, Mass., for nearly forty years, was a self-made man in every sense of the term, and left to the younger generation a record for honesty and uprightness of purpose worthy of emulation. He was born November 23, 1819, in the town of Sutton, Mass. His father, a farmer by occupation, married Hannah Sibley, of Sutton, and died in 1821.

Sibley Putnam was but two years old when his father died. He subsequently lived on a farm in Sutton, and attended the district school in the winter season until he was seventeen years old. Going then to Hopkinton, Middle- sex County, he learned the shoemaker's trade. When he had become an adept at making shoes, he set up a little shop of his own in that town, and worked for the trade. Seven years later

he married, and buying a small farm carried that on in addition to shoemaking. His work by hand was marked by a nicety and precision impossible to reproduce with a machine. In the spring of 1854 he disposed of his property in Hopkinton, and going to Charlestown he was there engaged in the retail grocery trade for six months. Then, in company with an- other man, he went into business in Fall River, remaining two or three years. In 1857 he came to Worcester, and bought of Jonas White a grocery store on Green Street, where he remained in business for thirty years. In 1876 he received into partnership his son-in- law, Joseph L. Davis, who continued in the firm until it sold out.

Mr. Putnam's first important step toward building up a good trade was taken by adding a much higher grade of goods than was usually seen in a store of that kind, and his chief en- deavor from first to last was to meet in the best possible manner the various wants of his cus- tomers. He soon won a name for fair dealing, and as he became known his trade increased rapidly. He seized every opportunity for ad- ministering his business affairs economically, and was never too proud or too lazy to set a good example to his clerks by himself working as hard as he asked them to. His trade was principally with the laboring class of people, whom he treated considerately, never pressing them unjustly for money. In this way he met with success where another man would have failed. He always met his obligations promptly, taking care never to incur expense that he could not easily meet, and by sheer force of merit, honesty, and ability was enabled to overcome all difficulties. He respected re- ligion, upheld churches, and was devoted to the interests of the Salem Street Congrega- tional Church, which he assisted in many ways.

On May 16, 1844, Mr. Putnam married Sarah C. Brown, who was born in Pawtucket, R. I., daughter of Jesse Brown and a descend- ant of a prominent Rhode Island family. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam became the parents of six children, namely: George, who died in in- fancy; Emma E., who lives in Worcester ; Sarah F., who is the wife of Joseph L. Davis, of this city, and has two sons - George Putnam

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and Joseph Walter; Anna, deceased; Hattie S., who resides in Worcester; and Delia, who is the wife of Edward Livingston Libbey, of Bennington, Vt., and has four children - Tar- rant Putnam, Cedric, Edward, and Eleanor. Mr. Putnam died in Worcester on February 13, 1887.

ETH PRIME CARPENTER, who was one of Milford's representative citizens for many years, was born in Upton, November 25, 1802, son of Reuben and Hannah (Cook) Carpenter. His ancestry is traced back to one William Carpen- ter, who was born in England in 1576, and who arrived in the vicinity of Boston, from Southampton, England, in 1638, bringing with him his son William and four grandchildren. One of the latter, William, third, was twice married in Rehoboth. His son Noah, who was born on March 28, 1672, was thrice mar- ried, and reared a number of children. Noah's son, Elisha, who was born on August 28, 1721, married Annie Whittaker, and died, it is supposed, in Sutton, on August 2, 1789. Reuben, son of Elisha and the father of Seth P. Carpenter, was twice married. Born in Attleboro on February 23, 1757, he died in October, 1802.

Seth P. Carpenter came to Milford in early manhood, and for many years was extensively engaged in the boot manufacturing business here. He had wholesale stores in St. Louis and Cincinnati, and, in his trips West to look after his business interests in these places, crossed the Alleghanies fourteen times in stage-coaches. A firm believer in the growth of Milford, he invested largely in its real es- tate. His largest purchase was what was then an extensive farm, stretching from Main Street eastward to Hoboken. Through this he cut streets, and he gave the land for the Boston & Albany Railroad station and for many of the shops now located in that vicinity. Among the streets he built are Bow, Jefferson, and Spring Streets, which lie in the very centre of the present town. He was a self-reliant and energetic business man, jovial and companion- able. In his younger days he was a leader in

the social life of Milford. No dramatic enter- tainment given in the town was considered complete unless he took part in a leading rôle, or managed the affair, or both. Perhaps his fondness for the drama was one of the reasons that led to his building the Lyceum Block, in which is Lyceum Hall, for many years the only public hall in Milford, and considered at the time it was built as the best equipped theatre outside of Boston.

Mr. Carpenter served in various town offices. For twenty-one years he was a Justice of the Peace. In his later life he devoted consider- able time, money, and ingenuity to fish cult- ure, especially to the rearing of trout, for which he had hatching trays in the south- western part of Uxbridge. The Rev. Adin Ballou, in his history of the town, says : "It should be emphatically added to the credit of Mr. Carpenter that, in connection with the late David Stearnes Godfrey and a few other devoted citizens, he took a very important part in the preliminary labors indispensable to procuring the Milford & Framingham Branch Railroad. These labors were manifold, ardu- ous, and persistent. The present generation of our inhabitants can have but a faint concep- tion and appreciation of what they owe to those hard-working pioneers in the obtainment of that road. Without their self-sacrificing exertion, its great facilities would probably have been Jong postponed." Mr. Carpenter was also one of the prime movers in the enterprise that gave to Milford the beautiful Pine Grove Cemetery, where his remains were interred after his long and busy life.

Mr. Carpenter's first wife was Maria, daugh- ter of James and Nancy (Parks) Barber. Of this union was one son, Byron, born Septem- ber 14, 1829, who died on March 15, 1872. After Mrs. Maria Carpenter died in February, 1831, Mr. Carpenter married her sister, Diana Barber. The surviving children of this mar- riage are : Reuben Earl, Nancy Marion, and Hannah Maria. The others were : George W., Hannah Maria (first), and Diana.

The family resided for several years on Main Street. Here his wife, with three little daughters to care for, found the ceaseless travel up and down stairs wearisome. Thereupon

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Mr. Carpenter decided that he didn't like stairs anyway, and said to his wife, "I'll build you a house without stairs." He actually kept his word, and the result is the odd-look- ing house at the corner of Bow and Spring Streets, where his daughter, Mrs. Barber, now lives. This is a one-story building with a flat roof, and with not a stair in it, yet as roomy as an ordinary two-story house and a marvel of comfort and convenience. It forms a unique monument to the tender and considerate love of a whole-souled, large-hearted, and devoted hus- band.

AMES MILLER, a prominent business man of North Brookfield and a Civil War veteran, was born in New Brain- tree, Mass., June 18, 1823. A son of Comfort and Polly (Dane) Miller, he is de- scended from ancestors who were early set- tlers in Brimfield, Mass. Comfort Miller, son of Benjamin Miller and a native of Brim- field, settled in New Braintree when a young man. He carried on a tannery there until his death, which occurred in 1862. Polly Dane Miller, his wife, was a native of North Brook- field.

James Miller began his education in the public schools of New Braintree, completing his studies at the Monson and Westfield Acad- emies. At the age of seventeen he engaged in school teaching, which profession he fol- lowed for several winters. Afterward he learned the tanner's trade, and worked at that business successively in New Braintree and Barre, moving to the last-named town in 1850. A short time later he became the treasurer of the Barre Boot Company. Hav- ing held that position for several years, he came to North Brookfield in 1858, and was afterward a member of the firm of H. B. Jenks & Co., boot manufacturers, for about two years. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in Company F, Forty-second Regiment, Massa- chusetts Volunteer Infantry, with which he served under General Banks in Louisiana for a year. Upon receiving his discharge as a Corporal he returned to North Brookfield, and entered the employ of E. & A. H. Batch-

eller, boot manufacturers, as foreman of the upper leather department. Subsequently he was the superintendent of the entire plant for a number of years and the buyer of supplies, including the large quantity of leather used in the factory. Also interested in other busi- ness enterprises, he is the president of the Bradford Yarn Mills, of Warren, Mass., the vice-president of the North Brookfield Savings Bank, and the vice-president of the North Brookfield Railroad Company.

On November 23, 1848, Mr. Miller mar- ried Julia A. Lincoln, of Oakham, Mass. They have reared five children, namely : Julia F., now the wife of E. H. Stoddard, of East Brookfield; James E., the superin- tendent of the Bradford Yarn Mills, Warren ; Horatio. L., a resident of Worcester; Laura M., the wife of Professor Edgar H. Grout, who is the principal of the North Brookfield High School; and Edith R., the wife of the Rev. William C. Gordon, of Michigan City, Ind. More or less active in public life for a long period, Mr. Miller has been an Assessor for several years past, was formerly a member of the School Committee, and in 1857 he rep- resented Barre in the legislature. Since its establishment he has served as a trustee and the treasurer of the Free Public Library. He is a comrade of Ezra Batcheller Post, No. 51, G. A. R; is a member of North Brookfield Grange, Patrons of Husbandry; and he has been a Deacon of the Union Congregational Church since 1860. He and Mrs. Miller re- cently celebrated their golden wedding, on which happy occasion they were the recipients of congratulations from a large number of friends and well-wishers.

B ENJAMIN A. CORBIN, well known as one of the pioneer and successful shoe manufacturers of Worcester County and for many years an hon- ored resident of Webster, was born at Dudley, Mass., in 1809. A son of Timothy and Ruth (Albee) Corbin, he is descended from Clem- ent and Dorcas Corbin, who came from Eng- land and settled in Brookline in 1637. Clem- ent Corbin was the immigrant ancestor of all

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MRS. JAMES MILLER.

JAMES MILLER.

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the Corbins in New England, many of whom have been men of prominence. He removed from Brookline to Woodstock, Conn., in 1687. His son, James, whose wife was Susannah Corbin, removed from Woodstock in 1732, and came to Dudley. Timothy, son of James, married Abigail Vinton, of that town; and their son. Timothy, second, married Ruth Albee. Fifteen Corbins fought in the Revo- lution.

Benjamin A. Corbin attended the public schools of Dudley, and during his boyhood worked for a time on his father's farm. He subsequently began the manufacture of shoes in his native town, at first in a very small way. Later he was able to extend his operations, and in 1851 he came to Webster, Mass., where he started a shoe factory on a large scale, this being very different from the small shop in which he had first worked, where the hard labor was done by himself, and where at the same time he taught others. Always keeping abreast of the times, he never allowed himself to grow old-fashioned, but was always alert to see new opportunities for extending his busi- ness or to take advantage of the latest appli- ances in machinery. In his long career of over thirty years in the town of Webster he ac- quired a reputation for honest dealing and exact business methods. The goods manufact- ured in his establishment were always found to be exactly as they were warranted; and, attracted by his knowledge, customers sent to him from all parts of the United States. His financial stability was shown by the fact that he was the only shoe manufacturer in Webster that came out of the panic of 1857 without failing. Mr. Corbin never employed less than three hundred hands after his business had reached its full proportions. To his work- men he was always courteous, sympathetic, and kind. After carrying on business alone for some time, he received his son into partner- ship, forming the firm of B. A. Corbin & Son. The business is now conducted by the son.

Mr. Corbin died on October 15, 1880. He was a constant attendant and an earnest worker at the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which his death was a severe loss. Referring to the sad event, the Webster Times said: "As a

business man he was honorable, upright, and just to all, his integrity being unimpeachable, passing through many crises in business that tried the purse, principles, and souls of many men. As a citizen he was always active and energetic; and he worked for the interests of his town and fellow-citizens, gaining their respect and good will." In 1863 and 1864 he was Selectman, and in 1867 he was sent as Representative to the General Court. Both of these offices, as well as others, he filled accept- ably and with credit to himself. On Decem- ber 9, 1838, he was married to Lovisa Brown, of Dudley. The following-named children were born to him : Elizabeth, who died in 1862; Chester C., the son above mentioned; Celia, who is now Mrs. Celia C. Whipple, of Worces- ter; and Anna Augusta, who on January 8, 1879, married Henry Austin Fuller, and has one son, Henry Corbin Fuller, of Worcester, now a student. Mr. Fuller was a son of Otis and Louisa P. (Clark) Fuller, of Grafton. The Clarks, who have lived in Grafton for sev- eral generations, went to that town from Con- cord, Mass., where Simon Willard, one of Mrs. Louisa Fuller's maternal ancestors, settled in 1633. Mr. Fuller's boyhood was spent in Grafton, and he received his early schooling in that town. Desirous of becoming a dentist, he entered college. After completing the course there, he practised the dental profession in Worcester, Mass., building up an extensive and lucrative practice, and acquiring a wide reputation for skill. While on a visit to the South, he died there. A very quiet man and unassuming, Dr. Fuller had many warm friends and was highly esteemed.

MOS BOYNTON HALL, a retired business man of Worcester, was born in Mason, N. H., September 3, 1833, son of George and Rachel (Boynton) Hall. The first of his paternal an- cestors born in America was Deacon Nathan Hall, his great-grandfather. Nathan's birth occurred in Bradford, Mass., December 25, 1715. Going to New Hampshire as a pioneer in 1751, he settled in Mason, which was des- ignated Township No. I. The report show-

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ing what was accomplished by the settlers during the year 1752 states that he had broken six of his seven acres and built a house. He was prominently identified with the early town government, and served as Treasurer for eight years in succession. One of the founders of the Congregational church, he was after- ward a Deacon thereof until his death, which occurred May 7, 1807. Mary Hall, his wife, who was born in Boxford, Mass., March 29, 1723, became the mother of nine children, namely : James, born in 1743; Mary, born in 1746; Nathan, born in 1748; Mehitable, born in 1750; David, born in 1754; Daniel, born in 1756; Henry, born in 1758; Elizabeth, born in 1765; and Richard Hall, born in Mason, September 12, 1768. Richard Hall, who was a well-to-do farmer, died in 1822, aged fifty-four years. On February 2, 1793, he married Hannah Kendall, who bore him two sons and three daughters, all of whom be- came heads of families, and none of them lived to be very old.

George Hall was born in Mason, May 31, 1806. On December 4, 1826, he married for his first wife Abigail Boynton, who died child- less. In 1830 he married for his second wife her sister Rachel. They were the sisters of John Boynton, of Templeton, Mass., who made a fortune in the tinware business, and founded the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science, or Polytechnic School. For the latter purpose he donated a fund of one hundred thousand dollars, on condition that the city of Worcester should furnish the buildings. An appropriation of fifty thousand dollars by the State and a further donation of one hun- dred thousand dollars by the Hon. Stephen Salisbury served to place the establishment upon a firm basis; and the late Ichabod Wash- burn presented it with a well-furnished ma- chine shop, costing eighty thousand dollars. The Polytechnic is one of the best manual training schools in New England, and counts among its graduates many who have acquired a national reputation in the field of science and the practical arts. George Hall was a prosperous farmer, and resided on the Boynton farm, which was the homestead of his wife's family. He was the father of six children :

George, born January 1, 1831; Amos B., the subject of this sketch; Williams Hall, born August 11, 1835; Elizabeth A., born March 14, 1839, now deceased; Christopher C., born November 26, 1843; and John K. Hall, born July 7, 1845.

Amos Boynton Hall attended the district school in the neighborhood of his birthplace. He assisted his father in tilling the soil until he was twenty-one years old, after which he served an apprenticeship of three years to the carpenter's trade, and followed it as a journey- man for the same length of time. He resided in Nashua, N. H., for six years. Coming to Worcester in September, 1865, he engaged in the fruit packing business, which was carried on under the firm name of A. B. Hall & Co. for ten years, and afterward by himself alone until his retirement some thirteen years ago. The building now known as the Common- wealth Hotel was erected by him as a business block some twenty-five years ago, and was en- larged for its present purpose. After manag- ing the hotel for a year he leased the property at a good rental. Since then his time has been devoted to the care of his property.

On May 14, 1861, Mr. Hall was joined in marriage with Mary C. Marden, who was born in Windham, N. H., July 7, 1837, daughter of James and Caroline (Follett) Marden. Her grandparents were James and Mary (Martin) Marden, the latter a native of Francestown, N. H. Her father, who was born in New Bos- ton, N. H., died in 1876, aged sixty-five years. Her mother, a native of Durham, N. H., and a daughter of John Follett, died in February, 1888. James and Caroline Marden were the parents of six children : Mary C., who is now Mrs. Hall; James A. Marden, a Civil War veteran, who is married and resides in Arling- ton, Mass. ; John F., born March 28, 1841, who resides in Worcester; Frank, born April 4, 1843, who served in the Civil War and resides in Arlington; Charles, born May 3, 1845, who resides in Nashua, N. H. ; and Emily, born June 20, 1848, who married Henry Barney, and resides in' Boston. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have no children. They occupy a pleasant residence on North Avenue, which was recently completed.

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ARRITT BLAISDELL, formerly a well-known tool manufacturer of Worcester, son of Parritt and Rhoda (Currier) Blaisdell, was born in

Orange, N. H., February 5, 1827. The Blais-

dells are of Welsh origin. The earlier ances- tors settled at Salisbury. During the past four generations the family's representatives have lived in New Hampshire. Parritt Blais- dell, Sr., son of Judge Blaisdell, was a farmer at Orange.

After leaving school at the age of thirteen years, the subject of this sketch removed with the family to Lowell, and was apprenticed to a machinist, with whom he remained until he was twenty years of age. Having mastered his trade, he went to Salem, where he worked for two or three years. In August of the year 1851 he came to Worcester as a machinist with Wood, Light & Co., and was soon made foreman of his department, with an unusually large salary. In 1865, having saved enough money for the purpose, he built and equipped a machine shop on Jackson Street, where he began to make machinists' tools. He was keen and active, a splendid mechanic, and, pos- sessing the necessary courage and executive ability, was determined to succeed. He never looked back, never doubted his ability, and was a tireless worker. After the business had largely increased, he took John P. Jones into partnership. Another partner, S. E. Hildreth, was afterward admitted to the firm. The busi- ness became very large; and their tools, having acquired a reputation for excellence of design and accuracy of finish, were sent to many lands. Mr. Blaisdell died April 14, 1874. Since then the business has been continued by other members of the house under the name of Blais- dell & Co. During the ten years for which he conducted it, he accumulated a comfortable property, and his widow has held an interest in the firm for many years.

In November, 1850, Mr. Blaisdell married Sophia P. Hobson, of Salem, Mass., a descend- ant of an old Ipswich family. They adopted a son, William A. Blaisdell, who is now a member of the firm of P. Blaisdell & Co. Mrs. Blaisdell, an estimable lady, has treas- ured her husband's memory through many

years. She leads a quiet, pleasant existence at her home on Edward Street, Worcester. A devout man, Mr. Blaisdell had strong religious views, as became his earnest nature. He was a member of the Church of the Disciples of Christ, which he helped to establish

in Worcester, and of which he was an Elder. He possessed a kindly nature. He was truly char- itable, and gave largely to the poor at all times.

OHN RICE, formerly of Worcester, was for a number of years the head of one of the best known and most reliable firms of New England, dealing in seeds and agricultural implements. Born in Marlboro, Mass., November 10, 1815, he was a son of Benjamin and Persis (Hapgood) Rice. The Rices came originally from England, settling in Marlboro, where several generations have been born and taken an active part in town affairs. Benjamin Rice was a wealthy farmer of Marlboro, who gave employment to a num- ber of persons on his farm. A man of ability and high character, he was a representative country gentleman, was widely known, served Marlboro as a town official, and represented the district in the legislature.

Having passed his boyhood in Marlboro, John Rice came to Worcester before he was twenty years of age, and was in the grocery business here for a few years. While thus engaged he established a reputation for integ- rity and reliability that caused him to be chosen Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes. After spending two years in office he resigned to enter trade once more, engaging in the sale of seeds and agricultural implements. With his nephew, John A. Rice as partner, he bought out the old house of John D. Lovell, and established that of J. & J. A. Rice. The store was on Main Street, Worcester, opposite the present government building. The new firm, which soon became known throughout Central New England, largely in- creased the business. They carried a large stock of first-class goods, including seeds, agri- cultural implements, and general supplies for farmers. Mr. Rice was a sagacious business man, with high principles. Firm of will and

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Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Part 107

Author: Biographical Review Publishing Company, Boston, pub Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Boston, Biographical review publishing company Number of Pages: 1238

Author: Biographical Review Publishing Company, Boston, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Boston, Biographical review publishing company
Number of Pages: 1238