Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Part 6

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 6

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Eliza, the wife of Dr. Julius Blodgett, of Newtonville, Mass .; Frank T. Fales, of this town; and George H., the subject of this sketch. The mother died in 1887.

George H. Fales was educated in the pub- lic schools of West Brookfield and at the Worcester Academy. Beginning when eigh- teen years old, he was the superintendent of his father's factory, continuing in that capac- ity until the death of the elder Fales. Then he was in partnership with George A. Par- rett, under the firm name of John M. Fales, Son & Co., for eighteen years. Subsequently he admitted John G. Shackley, retaining the same firm name. In 1892 the concern was dissolved, and he retired. By his marriage with Laurinda Tomblin, a daughter of the late Lucius Tomblin, of West Brookfield, he has four daughters: Mary I., the wife of Sam- uel Wass, of Philadelphia; and Charlotte T., Georgie B., and Marguerita, who are residing at home.

In politics Mr. Fales is a Republican. For ten years he has served as Town Treas- urer. Keenly alive to the best interests of the town, his management of the town's funds is regarded as able, judicious, and safe. He is also a trustee of the Merriam Public Library.

AVID BALLARD ROBBINS, who was for many years an esteemed employee of the firm White & Denny, card clothing manufacturers of Leicester, was born in Rindge, N. H., April 2, 1817. He was a son of James and Sallie (White) Robbins, the former of whom was a native of Rindge, and the latter of Royalston, Mass. When a young man he came to Leicester to work for White & Denny, of which firm his maternal uncle, Alonzo White, was a member. He was employed by them for many years, practically spending the active portion of his life in their card cloth- ing manufactory. Though he had only a dis- trict-school education, by making good use of his opportunities he became well informed, and was able to take his place among those who had enjoyed much better advantages.

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GEORGE H. FALES.

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While somewhat retiring in disposition, he was, nevertheless, popular with his fellow- townsmen, and had the respect and confi- dence of all with whom he had acquaintance. He died May 26, 1893, aged seventy-six years, and was buried in Pine Grove Ceme- tery, Leicester. In politics he was a Repub- lican. He belonged to Morning Star Lodge of Masons at Worcester. On February 25, 1862, Mr. Robbins was married to Susan M. Bellows, who survives him. She was born in Leicester, and is a daughter of Ezekiel and Catherine (Washburn) Bellows. Her father, a native of Paxton, Mass., was for many years engaged in agricultural pursuits in Leicester. He died here, November 4, 1883. Mrs. Bel- lows was born in this town.

ENRY F. COGGSHALL, treasurer of the Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company, was born in Mans- field, Tolland County, Conn., De- cember 23, 1823, son of Peleg Sanford and Evelina (Dimmock) Coggshall. The Coggs- hall family is one of the oldest in New Eng- land, and the name is found frequently on the pages of history. John Coggshall, who came to America from the town of Coggeshall, Eng- land, in 1632, and settled in Boston, was Henry Coggshall's immigrant ancestor. A well-to-do merchant, he was a prominent cit- izen, and was Representative in the General Court for eight terms. Though a Deacon of the First Church, he was broad-minded and liberal, and was one of the supporters of

, Anne Hutchinson in her famous controversy. Banished on account of his religious prin- ciples, with twenty-three others, to Rhode Island, the refuge of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, he was one of the com- pany which purchased the island of Newport from the Indians; and he was the first presi- dent of the Provincial Plantation. Two members of the family served in the Ameri- can army during the Revolution - Major Coggshall and a private who fought in the battle of Bunker Hill; and George Coggshall was Captain of a privateer in the War of 1812. John Coggshall, Henry F. Coggshall's

grandfather, who was born in Newport, R.I., became a farmer of Mansfield, Conn. He was a member of the Baptist church. He married a Miss Sanford, of Tiverton, R. I., and they reared three daughters and three sons. The last of these to pass away, Nancy Barrows, died in June, 1896, at the age of ninety-one.

Peleg Sanford Coggshall was born in New- port, R.I. He was engaged for years in the manufacture of combs in Mansfield, Conn., a place noted for comb and silk manufactures. In the latter part of his life he was engaged in shoemaking. Like his father, he was a member of the Baptist church. He died at the age of seventy-three years. His wife, who was a daughter of Jonathan Dimmock, of Mansfield, died at the age of sixty-three. They had a family of three sons and a daugh- ter, of whom Henry F. is the only survivor.

Henry F. Coggshall acquired his element- ary education in the common schools of Mansfield. When he was fifteen years of age he went to work in a general store in that town, and was there engaged as clerk some three years. He was taught book-keeping by the proprietor of one of the mills at that place, and became so expert that the Stone- ville Manufacturing Company at Auburn, Mass., five miles from Worcester, hearing of his qualifications, wrote him to inquire what salary he would be satisfied with if engaged by them as book-keeper. He agreed to work for one hundred dollars a year and board, and was immediately engaged. On taking charge of their books, he found the affairs of the firm in confusion, and determined to strike a trial balance before proceeding further. This he accomplished after two weeks' hard work, laboring far into the night in order not to neglect his daily duties. He was book-keeper for the Stoneville Company seven years, hav- ing charge of their store and paying the help. Out of his meagre first year's salary he saved fifty dollars ; and in three years, before he was twenty-one, he paid off a mortgage of three hundred and fifty dollars on his father's house. In the meantime Mr. Ackley, his em- ployer, leased the stone mill at Fitchburg, and Mr. Coggshall took charge of it in July, 1845. He boarded with Lauren Pratt, whose

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house was on the present site of Nichols & Frost's dry-goods store on Main Street. Fitchburg was already a thriving town, con- nected by stage routes with Keene, Brattle- boro, Worcester, and other places. Mr. Coggshall, having by this time saved three hundred dollars, purchased a strip of land from Mr. Pratt, now largely covered by Nichols & Frost's store. Paying three hun- dred dollars down, he agreed to pay the bal- ance in instalments. He later purchased three acres of land on the other side of the river, on a part of which he erected a two- story house, laying out the remainder in building lots. Mr. Coggshall kept books for the Putnam Machine Company one year. Then for twenty-five years he was connected with the Fitchburg & Worcester Railroad and Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg Railroad as general ticket agent, freight and passenger agent and treasurer, successively, holding the last-named position from 1863 to 1871, in which latter year he resigned. In 1853 the Fitchburg Gas Company was organized, and a plant erected by Levi Benedict, of Rochester, N. Y., who was then building the gas works at Jamaica Plain. He then engaged Mr. Coggs- hall to take charge of the building of the gas works here. In December, 1853, Mr. Coggs- hall was chosen manager, and in 1866 he was made treasurer. In a, paper which he read at the twenty-seventh annual meeting of the New England Association of Gas Light En- gineers at Young's Hotel, Boston, in Febru- ary, 1897, he graphically depicts the early struggles of the gas company ; and, in reply to a remark by one of his audience, he said that he had to do all the work. The following paragraph is taken from his paper : ---

"Now, what do we find has been the prog- ress in these forty-three years of gas manu- facturing? In 1853 three iron retorts to a bench, burning off four hundred and fifty pounds of coal in about five hours, with one man on a shift, producing eleven hundred feet to a charge. In 1897 six retorts to a bench, charging with eighteen hundred pounds of coal, and producing nine thousand feet in four hours, with two men to a shift." Mr. Coggshall has been a trustee of the Fitchburg Savings Bank

for twenty-two years and a director in the Fitchburg National Bank eighteen years. He was director and treasurer of the Simonds Manufacturing Company for an extended period, was a member of the Rollstone Ma- chine Company with Mr. Charles T. Crocker for ten years, and is a trustee of the Old Ladies' Home in Fitchburg. Politically a Whig and Republican, in 1876 he served as Representative in the State legislature. He was a charter member and Junior Warden of Charles W. Moore Lodge, F. & A. M .; be- longs to Thomas Royal Arch Chapter, R. A. M .; Hiram Council, R. & S. M., of Worcester; and was a charter member and Captain-general of Jerusalem Commandery, K. T. He is also a member of the Park Club of Fitchburg. For thirty years he has been connected with the Calvinistic Congregational church.

Mr. Coggshall was married December 10, 1846, to Sylvania L., daughter of Stephen Carpenter, of Brattleboro, Vt.

YRUS G. WOOD, for many years one of the most prominent of the woollen manufacturers of Worcester County and an honored citizen of the city of Worcester, was born in Uxbridge, November 16, 1819. He was the son of Reu- ben and Sarah Wood, and belonged to one of the oldest and most respected families in the town. He was a lineal descendant of Will- iam Wood, who came to this country from England in 1638, and settled in Concord, Mass. Both the maternal and paternal grand- fathers of Mr. Wood served in the war of the Revolution. Mr. Wood, being the son of a farmer, spent much of his early life on the farm and at work in the mill, obtaining such education as the country school afforded at the time, a mental training and equipment which prepared him for the duties and needs of his subsequent career.

On attaining his majority, being possessed of some savings of his own, he borrowed one hundred dollars in addition, and with this small capital started a country store on his own account. By degrees furniture and other

C. C. Mood

BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

lines were added to his stock, and his success was quite marked. His ambition was not satisfied with the ownership of a country store, and he realized that there was an op- portunity for him to become a manufacturer of woollens, and thus utilize the knowledge he had gained regarding the processes of pro- duction in early life. Accordingly, under the firm name of Wood & Capron, with Mr. Charles C. Capron as a partner, he began the making of shoddy and dealing in wool, woollen waste, etc. Mr. Wood retired from the partnership at the end of three years, and leased a mill in the southern part of Ux- bridge, carrying on the same kind of busi- ness. He not only supplied mills in the vicinity of Uxbridge, but also at various points in Rhode Island. It was during the panic after the Boston fire that Mr. Wood really began to extend his business into larger territory.

In 1874 with A. W. Ward as partner, under the firm name of Wood & Ward, he began the manufacture of satinets at Quinapoxet, in the town of Holden, Mass. This was a small, three-set mill, and another set was added the following year. The firm was dissolved in 1875; and after a year's connection with H. S. Morse the second partnership was dis- solved, and from that time onward Mr. Wood was sole owner. Though he was successful from the beginning, he passed through many struggles before his indomitable will and per- sistence conquered all obstacles. With new buildings and additional machinery, he in- creased his facilities according to the demand. In 1886 he bought the Lovellville mills, con- taining three sets of machinery, to which he added another set. Beginning with the three- set mill in 1874, he had in 1886 twelve sets of machinery in operation, with all the neces- sary belongings and homes for the employees. These mills, with their equipments, the fac- tory houses, and lands, make one of the neat- est villages in the county. From 1882 until his death, March 3, 1898, Mr. Wood served as Postmaster at Quinapoxet.

Mr. Wood was a true type of the New Eng- land manufacturer - thrifty, hard-working, conscientious, courteous, and kindly ; and his

success in life was the fruit of his own toil. He started in a small way, and succeeded in building up his business by constant dili- gence, close economy, and sagacious business methods. He was not a man to seek or to enjoy public office, but his counsel was often sought when large issues were at stake; and he was always firm in his opinions and well able to express them.

Mr. Wood was an honorary member of the Worcester Light Infantry, and in Uxbridge he was an original member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, though never promi- nent in that organization. He was for sev- eral years a director of the Citizens' National Bank of Worcester and a member of the Board of Trade, in the success of which he took a zealous interest. The Worcester So- ciety of Antiquity also claimed him as a member. His religious affiliations were with the Church of the Unity, of which he was one of the strongest members.

One of the leading citizens of Uxbridge, who had known Mr. Wood for many years, thus wrote of him after his death : -

Mr. Wood was for many years a prominent citizen of Uxbridge. He was prominent in the large sense. While a successful man of business, his character and spirit of enterprise identified him with whatever tended to ad- vance the best interests of the town. His in- fluence was always on the right side. He was open and generous-hearted. For every good cause he was ever ready to contribute of his means and energy. He had decided opin- ions, but they were intelligently formed and never offensively expressed. In 1854 Mr. Wood represented the town in the legislature, and during his residence in Uxbridge he held other and various positions of trust. He did not covet office. Integrity was one of his marked characteristics, and it never failed to secure him the confidence of all with whom he was associated in business; while his strong attachments, his love of home, his family, his friends, his church, and his native town and its associations made him highly esteemed in a wide circle of acquaintances. Mr. Wood was a devoted member of the Uni- tarian society in Uxbridge, and upon his re-

BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

moval to Worcester, eighteen years ago, the society felt it had lost one of its main pillars ; and not less did the town feel that it had parted with one of its strongest and best citizens.

Mr. Wood was married in 1853 to Lucetta, daughter of Joseph Day, Esq. Mrs. Lucetta Wood lived but a short time, and he was mar- ried again in 1858 to Mary U. F., daughter of Jonathan Southwick, Esq.,

of Uxbridge. Four children were born to them: John Franklin, Ernest Henry, Gertrude Southwick, and Sarah Louise. The two sons, Messrs. John Franklin and Ernest Henry Wood, who were associated in business with their father in his later years, continue to carry it on.

ON. RUFUS B. DODGE, who for many years has been a leading man of Charlton, was born in this town, February 9, 1821, son of Gibbs and Mary (Wakefield) Dodge. He comes of pio- neer ancestry and of Revolutionary stock. His paternal grandfather, Moses Dodge, was a patriot in the Revolution and one of the early settlers of Charlton, whither he removed from the neighboring town of Sutton. Gibbs Dodge, who was born in Charlton, from his earliest years was engaged in farming and stone cutting. He possessed considerable legal ability, and was frequently called upon to settle estates in the neighborhood. He took an active part in the management of local matters, and, besides serving some years as Selectman of Charlton, held other offices of minor importance. He died in 1863.

Rufus B. Dodge was brought up on a farm. receiving his education in the district school and at Nichols's Academy in Dudley, Mass. In the academy he made a special study of civil engineering, which he has since followed to a great extent in this vicinity, although he has always made farming his chief pursuit. When a young man he taught school for sev- eral winter terms. During his entire life he has kept himself well informed on the general topics of the day. He has been Assessor of Charlton for a number of terms; the chairman of the Board of Selectmen for many years; a

member of the School Committee for seven years; a Representative to the General Court in 1857; and in 1862 he was a member of the State Senate, in which he served as one of the Committee on Roads and Bridges, being elected on the Republican ticket, which he has uniformly supported. He also served the Federal government in the capacity of Post- master of Charlton for several years.

On April 18, 1847, Mr. Dodge married Au- gusta Morse, daughter of the late Timothy Morse, of Charlton. Their golden wedding, which was celebrated April 18, 1897, was a most joyous occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge have six children, namely: Arthur M., of Charlton; Myra S., the wife of W. W. Greene, of Worcester, Mass .; Forbes B., of Charlton; Charles S., also of Worcester; Rufus B. Dodge, Jr., now Mayor of Worces- ter; and Harris M., of this town.

BEN THOMAS HALL, a well-known merchant of West Upton, son of Nahum B. and Betsy (Wood) Hall, was born in the town of Upton, August 16, 1865. His first ancestor in this country was William Hall, who came from England and settled on the site of Upton in 1765. Will- iam's son, grandfather of Eben Hall and a prominent anti-slavery man, had a son, T. J. Hall, who was a Selectman of the town for sixteen years, the chairman of the Selectmen for the greater part of that period, and a Rep- resentative in the legislature of 1883.

Nahum B. Hall, a mill-owner and a con- tractor and builder, was prominent in the affairs of this town. Like his brother, he was for several years on the Board of Selectmen, being first chosen when he was twenty-seven years of age. In 1874 he represented North- bridge and Upton in the legislature. At various times he was called upon by his townsmen to serve as Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, and a member of the School Board. In company with his brother, T. J. Hall, he started here the industry of manufacturing sashes and doors by power. His wife, who was a daughter of Reuben Wood, bore him two sons and four daughters, as follows:

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Sarah L., now residing in Hudson, who is the wife of F. H. Chamberlin and the mother of one daughter; Milly J., who is now Mrs. H. L. Patrick, of Hopedale, and the mother of one daughter; William C., now de- ceased; Susan M., who is a resident of Hud- son and the widow of the late A. S. Allen; Myra G., the wife of L. H. Jordan, who is the Postmaster of West Upton; and Eben Thomas Hall, the subject of this sketch. William, who graduated from Dartmouth Col- lege in the class of 1883, and subsequently followed the profession of civil engineer, died in 1897. He married Bertha Stewart, of Framingham, who bore him three sons and a daughter.

Eben Thomas Hall was educated in the public schools of Upton. After leaving school he learned the trade of carpenter. Subsequently he worked in a store as clerk, and then, in 1889, he purchased of his brother-in-law the store where he is now car- rying on business. In this enterprise he has been very successful. At the present time he employs four assistants. He attends the Uni- tarian church in West Upton, and is a mem- ber of its Board of Trustees. In September, 1897, he maried Alice M. Skinner, a daugh-

ter of E. P. and Charlotte Skinner, of this place. He worthily sustains the honored name left by the preceding generations of his family, and is a valued resident of the town in which his life thus far has been spent.

THOM HOMAS S. SNOW, the proprietor of the Leicester & Worcester Express Company, and a successful coal dealer at Leicester, was born in the latter town, Oc- tober 21, 1837. His parents, Pliny and Han- nah (Sadler) Snow, were both natives of Worcester County. Pliny Snow followed farming as his principal occupation. He was also engaged in teaming, and conducted a saw-mill. Three of the children born of his marriage with Hannah Sadler are living; namely, John W., Mary A., and Thomas S. Mary is the wife of P. M. Freeman.

When but fifteen years old, Thomas S. Snow was left fatherless. He then left

school, and spent several years engaged in driving team for different parties. In Au- gust, 1862, he enlisted in Company F, Forty- second Massachusetts Volunteers, and subse- quently served under General Banks in New Orleans. Honorably discharged in August, 1863, he returned to Leicester, and, resuming his former occupation of driving team, he fol- lowed it up to about 1872. Then he and Na- than Lamb, in the firm of Snow & Lamb, em- barked in the express business on the route between Leicester and Worcester. About six years later the partnership was dissolved, since which time Mr. Snow has conducted the business on his own acount. He has also carried on a good business in coal for many years.

On December 24, 1869, Mr. Snow was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Lynch, of Worcester, Mass. Three children have blessed the union, namely: Mandana E., now the wife of Dr. H. L. Shepard, of Winches- ter, Mass .; Bertha E., living at home; and Marshall S. Mr. Snow is a Republican voter. He is an esteemed member of George H. Thomas Post, No. 131, G. A. R., which he served as Vice-Commander for one year.

G EORGE R. HAMANT, Town Treas- urer of North Brookfield, was born in Brookfield, March 11, 1843, son of Isaac and Louisa (Rice) Hamant. His great-grandfather, Job Hamant, was an early settler in Sturbridge, Mass .; and Seth Ha- mant, his grandfather, was a native of that town. Isaac Hamant, the father, went from Sturbridge, his native town, to Brookfield, where he followed agriculture in connection with shoemaking for many years, and served the community in the capacity of Selectman. He died in 1878. Louisa, his wife, was a native of Brookfield and a daughter of Will- iam Rice, a Revolutionary soldier.

At the age of nineteen George R. Hamant, having acquired his education in the public schools of his native town, went to Worces- ter, and apprenticed himself in the drug store of Bush & Co. After serving three years as apprentice and four years as a regular clerk

BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

with that firm, he was engaged in business for himself at Woonsocket, R.I., for about four years. At the end of that time he opened an apothecary establishment in North Brookfield, and conducted it profitably until 1895. Then he sold out to Albert W. Po- land, and has since devoted his time to vari- ous business interests. At present he is the clerk of the Board of Directors of the North Brookfield Railroad Company. After serving for many years as a trustee of the North Brookfield Savings Bank, he was elected its president in June, 1894. He has been Town Treasurer since 1876. Under his careful ad- ministration the public finances have been kept in a satisfactory condition. He is also serving as Town Clerk, Cemetery Commis- sioner, and trustee of the Free Library. A Republican in politics, he is a member of the Republican Town Committee.

In 1865 Mr. Hamant was united in marriage with Julia A. Fiske, a daughter of the late Daniel Fiske, of Brookfield. He is con- nected with the Masonic order in Worcester and with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows in this town, and he is a member and the clerk of the First Congregational Society.

HARLES TAFT ALDRICH, a man- ufacturer in the village of Millbury, was born here, April 12, 1845. A son of Charles Aldrich, he is a de- scendant of one of seven brothers named Al- drich who emigrated from Old England to New England. Some of the seven went West and some South; but the founder of the fam- ily to which Charles T. Aldrich belongs set- tled in Rhode Island, which was its home for many years.

Isaac Aldrich, the grandfather of Charles T., born at Burrillville, R.I., in 1777, died in Providence, R.I., in 1867, aged ninety years. Having begun the manufacture of woollen goods in Burrillville when a young man, he became one of the most prominent and successful business men of that place, and was one of the pioneer manufacturers of the State. In the Masonic order he attained the thirty-third degree. He first married Mary

Scammell, whose uncle, Alexander Scammell, was a close friend of General Washington, and served in the Revolutionary War as Colonel and Adjutant-general. A brave soldier, he lost his life in a "forlorn hope" attack on Yorktown, when Cornwallis was besieged there. Of the children of Isaac and Mary Aldrich, five reached maturity, three sons and two daughters. The two youngest children, Charles and James, are still living, and James resides in Providence, R.I. After the death of the mother, the father married again. Charles Aldrich, who was born in Blackstone, Mass., in 1818, is now living retired from ac- tive business in Spencer, Worcester County. During his earlier life he manufactured woollen goods in different towns of this State, including Bellingham, Ashland, and Worces- ter. At Millbury, in 1843, he married Abi- gail Kingsbury Taft, a daughter of Alanson and Mary (Kingsbury) Taft, of Webster, Mass. Of their eight children, two died in childhood. The survivors are: Charles T., the subject of this sketch; Albert T., a resi- dent of Worcester; and James J., of Spencer.

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Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Part 6

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