Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Part 89

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 89

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On April 7, 1875, Amy G. Martin married Peter Ferguson, who was born in Bristol, R. I., February 22, 1854, a son of James and Char- lotte (Ralstone) Ferguson, his parents being natives of Scotland. Further parental and ancestral history of the Ferguson family may

be found in connection with the sketch of James H. Ferguson, which appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson have three children; namely, Alice, Lotta, and Iola.

EORGE DANA, a retired farmer re- siding on Plantation Street, Worces- ter, was born in Oxford, Mass., May 22, 1832, son of Ebenezer and Tamar B. (Dana) Dana. The Dana farm in Oxford, which was originally owned by Mr. Dana's great-grandfather, was the birthplace of Eben- ezer Dana, the grandfather, as well as of Eben- ezer, the father. The grandparents reared six sons and two daughters, of whom Ebenezer was the youngest. One of the daughters married and went to New Hampshire, and the other remained single. Of the sons, Jeremiah lived to an advanced age ; Phineas went to Penobscot County, Maine, where he reared a family ; and Sylvanus died at a good old age in Millbury, Mass.

Ebenezer Dana, father of George, was born in 1779. He moved from Oxford to Worces- ter, where he was engaged in farming and brickmaking for the rest of his active period. His death occurred in 1863. For his first wife he married his cousin, Tamar B. Dana, who was born in Sterling in 1795, daughter of Jonathan Dana, and died July 22, 1840. Sub- sequently he contracted a second marriage. He was the father of two sons by his first wife, namely : Ebenezer Beeman, born in 1828; and George Dana, the subject of this sketch. Ebenezer B. Dana owned jointly with his father the farm in Worcester upon which they resided, and was also engaged in the manufacture of brick. He died in 1882, leaving one daughter.

George Dana came to Worcester when he was eight years old, and subsequently attended the public schools of this city. He assisted his father upon the farm and in the brickyard, and was connected with the last-named busi- ness until the death of his brother. Succeed- ing to the ownership of the farm, he carried it on with success, but is now practically retired from active labor.

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TILLEY BEMIS.

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On April 28, 1870, Mr. Dana was united in marriage with Mary Rice, daughter of Com- fort and Lucinda (Wood) Rice. Her parents, who resided for many years on a farm in Au- burn, later moved to Millbury, Mass. The father died in 1869, and his wife in 1872. Both were born in the year 1800. They reared nine children, of whom Austin and his sister Melinda reside in Antelope County, Nebraska ; William died unmarried at the age of forty- nine; and Rufus and John, who were Colorado pioneers, served in the Civil War, after which they returned to Colorado and engaged in farm- ing. Mr. and Mrs. Dana have one son, E. Beeman Dana, born November 26, 1884. In politics Mr. Dana is a Republican. He and Mrs. Dana are Congregationalists in religion, and attend Plymouth Church.

ILLEY BEMIS, who owns a productive farm in East Brookfield, was born in Spencer, Mass., October 1, 1823, son of Cheney and Martha (Howe) Bemis. His parents were natives of Spencer, as was also his grandfather, Nathan Bemis; and his great- grandfather, Nathaniel Bemis, was an early settler in that town.

Cheney Bemis, who was a prosperous farmer of Spencer during the active period of his life, died April 3, 1876. His wife, Martha, who was a daughter of Joel Howe, a Revolutionary soldier, became the mother of eleven children, six of whom are living, namely: Tilley, the subject of this sketch; Cheney; Caroline; Charles; Alvin; and Lucy. Caroline is the wife of Franklin Drury, and Lucy is now Mrs. George Con- verse.

Tilley Bemis in his youth attended the dis- trict schools, and acquired a knowledge of the common branches of education. He was reared upon his father's farm, and for some years after reaching maturity was engaged in the lumber and wood business. During the year 1858 he resumed agricultural pursuits, and, purchasing his present farm in East Brookfield, has since tilled the soil with pros- perous results.

On October 9, 1860, Mr. Bemis was united

in marriage with Emily Williams, a native of Pendleton, N. Y., the ceremony being per- formed in Buffalo, N. Y. He has four chil- dren - Charles E., Hiram C., Martha E., and Harriet E. Martha E. is the wife of Estes L. Merrick, and Harriet E. is now Mrs. Frederick P. Smith.

Politically, Mr. Bemis is a Republican; and, though not an aspirant for public office,. he takes a lively interest in all matters rela- tive to the general welfare of the town. Mrs. Bemis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and of the Ladies' Aid Society in Spencer.

UCIEN HARRINGTON, who was for many years cashier in the Boston & Albany freight office at Worcester, was born in Leicester, this county, February 8, 1831, son of Oliver, and Eliza (Wheelock) Harrington. The Harringtons were among the first settlers of Worcester, and have been prominent in the history of the city. Men of unimpeachable character and high standing, their influence has uniformly been for good. Lucien Harrington was of the eighth generation from. Robert,' who was liv- ing in Watertown, Mass., some time prior to 1657. His line of descent is traced through Daniel, 2 of Marlboro, Mass. ; Isaac, 3 of Shrewsbury, Mass .; Captain Isaac 4; Adam 5; Fortunatus 6; and Oliver.7 Mr. Harrington's paternal grandparents were residents of Shrews- bury, Mass., in which town his parents lived for some time. Oliver Harrington conducted a store in Leicester for a while. Subse- quently he was passenger agent for the Bos- ton & Albany Railroad at Worcester, was later employed in the Worcester post-office, and still later was engaged in the insurance business.

Lucien Harrington acquired his school edu- cation in Worcester. When he was fifteen years old he went to work in the freight office of the Boston & Albany Railroad in this city, at first being employed as clerk. He was afterward promoted to the position of book- keeper, and by merit and trustworthiness eventually rose to that of cashier and paymas-

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ter. Though having large sums of money to handle, he had the fullest confidence of the company, and was never tempted to betray his trust. He was as capable as he was honest, and no more faithful servant could have been found for the position he held so long. His term of service with the company extended from 1846 to 1882. His death, which was sudden, occurred June 8 in the last-named year.

In disposition Mr. Harrington was sunshine itself. His bonhomie and abundant wit at- tracted those with whom he came into contact, and he was so generous and free from malice that he had no hates and no enemies. He was remarkably quick at figures, and he had worked so closely and conscientiously that after his death two men were employed to accomplish the same amount of labor.

Mr. Harrington was married June 1, 1877, to Mary A. Forbes Kittredge, of Worcester, daughter of Jonas and Martha (Forbes) Kit- tredge. Mrs. Harrington comes of an. old New England family. Her grandfather on the maternal side, John Burbank, served in the Continental army. His wife was of German descent.

OSEPH G. EDGERLY, the superin- tendent of the Fitchburg schools, and one of the oldest school superintend- ents in point of service in New Eng- land, was born in Barnstead, N. H., October 12, 1838, son of Samuel J. and Eliza (Bick- ford) Edgerly. The Edgerly family began with three brothers who came to this country in the early part of the seventeenth century and settled near Dover, N.H. Thomas, the direct ancestor of Joseph G. Edgerly, came to the country in 1635. All the Edgerlys were strict Puritans. Samuel Edgerly, the grand- father of the subject of this sketch, was a builder and contractor of Northwood, N. H. He married Lydia S., daughter of Colonel Samuel Johnson. Colonel Johnson, who was born in 1739, at the beginning of the Revo- lution was entrusted with the care of the wives and children of the soldiers. Later he enlisted and was promoted to the rank of

Colonel. Samuel Edgerly had a family of eleven children.

Samuel J. Edgerly was born in Northwood. He was a delicate child, and was given a good education in order to fit him for some light occupation. He taught school for a while, and was subsequently engaged during a great part of his life in clerical work, being a good penman. A member of the Congregational church and a highly respected citizen of the town of Barnstead, he served for some time on the Board of Selectmen, and died at the age of fifty-eight. His wife, who was a daughter of Moses Bickford, a well-to-do farmer who re- sided for some time in Lee and later of Barn- stead, was born in 1802. She had nine chil- dren, five boys and four girls, eight of whom attained maturity. Of these, Martin V. B. was president of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Springfield, and in 1882 was the Democratic candidate for Governor of New Hampshire, his Republican opponent being Samuel W. Hale. Andrew Jackson Edgerly was Lieutenant in Company E, Fourth New Hampshire Regiment, in 1861, and Adjutant-General of New Hampshire after the war. Clarence M. Edgerly is in the fire and marine insurance business at Manchester, N. H.

Joseph G. Edgerly fitted for college at the Manchester (N.H.) High School. He then taught for several years, and subsequently entering Dartmouth College was graduated at that institution in 1867. On the day follow- ing that on which he received his diploma, he was appointed Superintendent of Schools at Manchester, in which capacity he served eight years. He began to teach at the age of nineteen at New Boston, N. H., and he sub- sequently taught in the Piscataquog Grammar School in Manchester. In the spring of 1862 he was in the postal department at Fortress Monroe. He then taught for two years in a a grammar school at Manchester. In 1875 he was appointed Superintendent of Schools in Fitchburg, Mass., and he has since performed the duties of this responsible office - a period of twenty-two consecutive years. When he took charge of the Fitchburg schools there were forty-seven teachers under his charge. There

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are now one hundred and twenty, while the number of pupils in the high school has in- creased from one hundred and twenty to five hundred and fifty. At the end of twenty years' service as superintendent of the Fitchburg schools, he was given a reception by his teachers and presented with a fine onyx table and handsome vase. The most cordial rela- tions have existed between Superintendent Edgerly and the teachers with whom he has been associated. Mr. Chapin, the principal of the high school, in speaking at the reception, voiced the sentiments of the teachers in saying : "In all my experience I never knew a man who has been so sympathetic, so generous with help, suggestion, and incident of experience. We have all had many evidences of this kind. I never knew a man who made things so easy for the teachers. I never knew a man of more tact. " Mr. Edgerly's work is largely admin- istrative. He is an eloquent speaker, and has delivered orations on a number of important occasions. He has been president of the New Hampshire State Teachers' Association and of the Worcester County Teachers' Association ; a director of the Massachusetts Teachers' Asso- ciation and of the American Institute of In- struction ; and the president of the New Eng- land Association of School Superintendents, as well as of the original members of that body . when it was formed in 1868.

In 1877 Mr. Edgerly was married to Mary J., daughter of John J. Graves, of Groton, Mass. They have one daughter, Louise Graves, a graduate of the Fitchburg High School, class of 1897, and now a member of the class of 1901, Smith College. Mr. Edg- erly, while a resident of New Hampshire, be- came active in Free Masonry and Odd Fellow- ship, and still retains his connection with these fraternities. He was Noble Grand of Wildey Lodge, I. O. O. F., at Manchester in 1874, and of Apollo Lodge at Fitchburg in 1891, being elected to this position upon the instituting of the lodge. For two years he was Eminent Commander of Jerusalem Com- mandery, Knights Templars, at Fitchburg. He was the first president of the Sons and Daughters of New Hampshire, which was or- ganized in 1895. A regular attendant at the

Calvinistic Congregational Church, he presided at the dedication of the new church edifice in February, 1897.

AVID H. HAYTER, Deputy Sheriff of Worcester, Mass., was born in Elgin, P.Q., April 10, 1845, second son of Jesse and Margaret (Henry)

Hayter. His father, a native of England, was a carpenter by trade, and later in life carried on farming. His mother was a native of Scot- land, and she, as well as her husband, is now deceased.

Mr. Hayter was educated in the public schools of his native town. At the age of fifteen years he began to learn the printer's trade, and soon after finishing his apprentice- ship was a compositor in the offices of the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press and Times, work- ing his way forward to the position of fore- man of the composing-room of the Free Press. In the year 1865 he became connected with the Clinton (Mass.) Courant, and served in the different departments of that journal until 1885, when he entirely relinquished the news- paper business for official life.

Mr. Hayter was elected truant officer by the Selectmen of Clinton, Mass., in 1876, and served in that capacity for three years, and as Constable and police officer of the town until 1885, when in June of that year he was appointed a member of the District Police by Governor Robinson, and assigned to the detective department of that force. He was reappointed in 1888, and transferred to Worcester, where he has lived since. In Jan- uary, 1893, he was appointed a Deputy Sheriff by Sheriff Chamberlain, in which position he has served since.

On December 25, 1871, Mr. Hayter mar- ried Myra J. Johnson, second daughter of Cap- tain Nathaniel Johnson, of Clinton, whose ancestors served in the Revolutionary War.

Mr. Hayter is a member of Trinity Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Clinton; Clinton Royal Arch Chapter, of Clinton; Worcester County Commandery, K. T., and all the Scottish Rite bodies in Worcester; Massachusetts Consis- tory; and Aleppo Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.,

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of Boston. He is also a member of Stella Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, Brigade Club, Gesang Verein Frohsinn, and an honor- ary member of the Worcester Continentals of Worcester. His office is at 625 State Mutual Building.

G EORGE F. HILDRETH, recently a resident of West Boylston, but now of Worcester, was born in Sterling on January 22, 1836, son of James D. and Bet- sey E. (Winn) Hildreth. His paternal grand- father, Timothy Hildreth, and his grandmother Hildreth, whose maiden name was Polly Saw- yer, were both natives of Sterling. They spent their married life on a farm in that town. The grandfather died there at the age of sixty- five, and the grandmother died there aged sixty- eight. They were members of the Baptist church in Sterling.

Their son, James D. Hildreth, was born in Sterling, and spent the greater part of his life there and in West Boylston. He grew up on his father's farm, and obtained his education in the common schools. He subsequently drove teams from Leominster to Boston, from Gardner to Boston, from Sterling to Boston, and from Gardner to Providence, carrying dry goods and West India goods. He died at the age of fifty-eight. His wife, Betsey, who had been married previous to her union with him, died in 1894, at the age of ninety-three years. By her marriage with Mr. Hildreth she had seven children, five of whom are living, namely: James N .; George F .; Charles H. ; Sarah A., wife of Alonzo Smith; and Georgia A., who married Alphonso Smith, twin brother of Alonzo.

George F. Hildreth attended the common schools in his boyhood, and remained at home until twenty-one years of age. He then went to Worcester, where for two years he was em- ployed in working for the city. In 1859 he re- moved to West Boylston, and during the twenty years following was engaged in the grain busi- ness. Selling out at the end of that time he retired from active pursuits. For a year Mr. Hildreth had full management in the operation of a mill, and subsequently was in company

with Mr. Ruel G. Cowee, who was the owner of the mill. A large amount of flour was man- ufactured and considerable custom work was done. Mr. Hildreth has been for several years one of the trustees of the cemetery, and up to 1897 was superintendent. In politics he is a Republican voter. Although not an office- seeker, he consented to serve for one year as Assessor. His present residence is at 5 New- ton Avenue, Worcester.

Mr. Hildreth was married in 1861 to Mary Cowee, daughter of Ruel G. Cowee, with whom he was at one time associated in busi- ness. Mr. Cowee removed to West Boylston in 1850 from Gardner, Mass., where he had been one of the first to engage in the manufacture of chairs by machinery, and where he had carried on a large business. He died in West Boylston at the age of seventy-three. His wife, Lucy A. Savery, died at the age of seventy-one. They

had two children. Mrs. Hildreth is now the only survivor of her father's family. Mr. and Mrs. Hildreth are members of the Congrega- tional church, and Mr. Hildreth has been a member of the Parish Committee for twenty- five years. Mrs. Hildreth has been greatly interested in Sunday-school work, and has taught various classes.

OSEPH ADDISON KNIGHT, of the firm of Graton & Knight, belt manu- facturers, Worcester, was born in Leicester, Mass., March 3, 1829. His parents were Horace and Sarah (Partridge) Knight. An account of his ancestry will be found in the accompanying sketch of his brother, Charles B. Knight.

Joseph A. Knight was educated in the com- mon schools and at the Leicester Academy, and after leaving school remained at home, assisting his father in carrying on the farm until 1849. He then came to Worcester, and served an apprenticeship of three years at the card-maker's trade with Earl Warner. When Mr. Warner went out of business, he entered the employ of T. K. Earle & Co., belt manu- facturers, with whom he remained for nine years, or until March, 1861, when the firm of Graton & Knight was established, and began

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business upon a small scale in two rooms. As business increased, the firm decided to tan their own leather, for which purpose a small building was erected; and the little plant thus inaugurated has developed into its present ex- tensive proportions. The tannery, factory, and other buildings, which cover an area of two acres, employ a force of three hundred and fifty men; and this is the second largest belt manu- factory in the United States.

In 1853 Mr. Knight married S. E. Trow- bridge, daughter of L. Trowbridge, of Mill- bury. His only daughter, Hattie C., who married Dr. W. H. Raymenton, died in 1893, leaving one son, Hewstone Knight Raymenton, aged eighteen months. Like many other lead- ing business men of New England, Mr. Knight has risen from the workshop to the head of an important industrial enterprise, thus demon- strating the fact that practical experience is one of the principal elements of success. He devotes his entire time to the interests of the concern, which has acquired a national reputa- tion. Mr. Knight occupies a handsome resi- dence at 810 Main Street, which he built some twenty years ago.

HARLES BROWN KNIGHT, a re- tired business man of Worcester, was born in Leicester, Mass., August 6, 1836, son of Horace and Hannah (Brown) Knight. His father was born in the same town in June, 1799; and his paternal grandfather, Jonathan Knight, was born in Paxton in 1773. The family is of English origin, and its first representative in America arrived in New England at an early date in the Colonial period.

Jonathan Knight, although not large in stat- ure, was noted for his strength and agility. He served as a Lieutenant in the State militia. By occupation he was a farmer. His wife, Polly, was the daughter of Timothy and Mary (Sargent) Sprague, the latter a daughter of Jonathan Sargent. Jonathan and Polly (Sprague) Knight were the parents of three children, namely: Horace; Mary, who mar- ried Jonah Howe; and Addison Knight, M. D., who practised medicine successfully at Cum-

berland Hill, R. I., and died there in the prime of life. Grandfather Knight died March 22, 1849; and Grandmother Knight survived her husband a few years, and died an octogenarian.

Horace Knight, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a prominent farmer of Leices- ter in his day, and was also one of the pioneer boot and shoe manufacturers of this locality. He carried on quite an extensive business at a time when footwear was all made by hand, and prior to the coming of railroads he transported his goods by team to Boston and other cities for a market. He died May 2, 1855. He was twice married. By his first wife, who was a native of Paxton, there were four chil- dren, three of whom are living, namely : Mary Elizabeth, wife of Swift Howe, of Pax- ton; Joseph Addison, of the firm of Graton & Knight, of this city; and Almira W., wife of George P. Rogers, of Worcester. Horace Knight married for his second wife Hannah Brown, a resident of Rutland and a native of Sutton, Mass., daughter of Jonas Brown, a prosperous farmer. The only son of this union was Charles B., the subject of this sketch. His mother died July 20, 1882, in her eighty- fourth year.

Charles Brown Knight was educated at the Leicester and Worcester Academies. Having learned the shoemaker's trade with his father, he left the farm at about the age of twenty-one, and going to Grafton, Mass., followed it as a journeyman there for nine years. In 1866 he came to Worcester, where he started in the lumber business as a member of the firm of Chamberlain & Co., the concern from 1871 to 1886 being known as C. B. Knight & Co. After closing up his business here he travelled through the West and South with a view of making advantageous investments. In com- pany with others he purchased land in North- eastern Georgia, upon which the town of Demorest was founded in 1889; and the Demorest Collegiate Institute was established in 1897, the latter being under the care of the Southern Methodist Conference.

In 1867 Mr. Knight married Mrs. Abbie B. Sprague, a widow, daughter of Joseph Bryant, of Leicester. His only son, Horace Joseph Knight, who is a graduate of the

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Worcester High School and the Polytechnic Institute, is now connected with the firm of Graton & Knight. He is married and has one son, Kenneth Hawley.

In politics Mr. Knight was formerly a Re- publican, but is now an earnest supporter of the Prohibition party. He has acquired a wide reputation as an easy and interesting off- hand speaker. Mr. Knight's resemblance to Abraham Lincoln is remarkably striking. Since his marriage he has lived at I Oxford Place. In his religious belief he is a Baptist.

RANK VALENTINE BARTLETT: is the senior member of the enterprising firm of F. V. Bartlett & Co., box and lumber manufacturers in Westboro; and he occupies the estate formerly known as the Whitney homestead, now called Grasmere, the charms of which have been partly told by W. D. Howells, the novelist. Born Novem- ber 1, 1856, in Northboro, Mass., he is a son of William A. and Rebecca (Valentine) Bart- lett. His father was for many years engaged in manufacturing boxes for the shoe and other factories of Northboro and adjoining towns.

Mr. Bartlett assisted his father in his boy- hood days, and attended the common schools of the town, where he received a practical busi- ness education. In 1875 he located in West- boro, which has since been his home. For a few years after coming here, he was employed in the box factory of Christopher Whitney, whose lumber yard and mills stood on the land now occupied by the plant of the American Bedstead Company. In 1877 he was promoted to the position of book-keeper; and in 1882 he and George L. Smith, another employee of Mr. Whitney, were admitted into partnership with their employer under the firm name of C. Whitney & Co. Though Mr. Whitney died in 1889, the business was continued under the same name until 1892. Then Mr. Smith re- tired from the firm, and the name was changed to F. V. Bartlett & Co., under which it is still carrying on a substantial business. The firm has a finely equipped plant, favorably located by the side of the Boston & Albany railway ; and they deal in all varieties of lumber, manu-

facture wooden and paper boxes and interior building finishings of all descriptions. Mr. Bartlett is also the treasurer of the Ariston Cycle Company, was the treasurer of the West- boro Electric Light and Power Company, is a director in the First National Bank, a trustee of the Westboro Savings Bank, and the treas- urer of the local board of trade. He is a member of Siloam Lodge, F. & A. M., of Westboro; of Houghton Chapter, R. A. M., of Marlboro; of Hiram Council, R. & S. M. ; of Worcester Lodge of Perfection; of Lawrence Chapter, Rose Croix, of Worcester; of Worces- ter County Commandery, K. T. ; of Massachu- setts Consistory, thirty-second degree Masons ; and of Aleppo Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Bos- ton. He has passed all the chairs in Hocko- mocko Lodge, I. O. O. F., and belongs to the Wachusette Encampment of Worcester.

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Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Part 89

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