USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts .. > Part 17
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J OHN S. HUNT, a respected resident of Miller's Falls, where he carries on business as a blacksmith and wheel- wright, was born in the town of Rowe, Frank- lin County, Mass., February 14, 1861. His father, Moses Hunt, was a native of Hawley, Mass .; and his grandfather, Atherton, was a long-time resident of that town, where he owned and cultivated a farm, and where his death occurred.
Moses Hunt, father of John S., was one of five children. He received his education in the public schools of the town, remaining with his father until he came of age. He then purchased a farm in Rowe, which he cultivated until his death, at the age of forty- nine years. His wife was Ursula Dalyrimple, a native of Reedsboro, Vt., where her father, John S. Dalyrimple, was a prosperous farmer. By her marriage to Mr. Hunt she became the mother of three children, as follows: Martha, wife of Sylvester Davis, of Charlemont; Mary, wife of S. C. Smith, of Colerain; and John S. Mrs. Moses Hunt is still living in Rowe. Both she and her husband were at- tendants of the Unitarian church.
John S. Hunt spent his early years on his father's farm in Rowe, attending the public schools of the town, his education including a high school course. He then learned the trade of wheelwright and blacksmith, conduct- ing a business here for ten years, after which
he sold out, and spent two years in the brace shop at Miller's Falls. He later purchased an interest in the shop he now conducts in connection with Philip Cavanaugh, and has been quite successful in building up a good business.
In 1886 Mr. Hunt was married to Miss Alice Newell, daughter of Charles Newell, a well-known farmer of Rowe. Mrs. Hunt was born in Shelburne Falls, and was one of a family of four children, all of whom are now living. Mr. Hunt is independent in politics, casting his vote in accordance with his best judgment. He is liberal in his religious opinions, and takes an active interest in polit- ical, social, and religious matters. He is a man of intelligence and information, giving much of his leisure to the perusal of books, particularly works of biography, in which department of literature he has a discriminat- ing taste.
AVID M. PIERCE, a leading farmer and extensive real estate owner in Colerain, was born in this town, October 21, 1842, son of Morris and Sylvia (Upton) Pierce. He traces his descent on the paternal side from Captain William Pierce, who fought in the French and Indian War, and whose two sons, Zebulon and Gad, also participated in that struggle. Zebulon took up arms again later in life, being one of the patriots of the Revolution. He died on July 2, 1800, at the age of sixty-six; and his wife, Molly, died in July, 1818, aged seventy- three. Their son Samuel, who was the grand- father of David M., was born in Stow, Mass., April 15, 1779. He established a permanent residence in Colerain, and became quite a prominent man here, cultivating a large farm and taking an active interest in public affairs. He was a well-informed man,
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and was connected with a library and a histor- ical society. In politics he was a Whig, and represented his town in the State legislature; and for several ycars he was Town Clerk and Treasurer. He died February 1, 1850, at the age of seventy-one. His wife, Rachel Smith, to whom he was married November 26, 1801, was born February 1, 1782, and died at the age of sixty-five. Both Grandmother and Grandfather Pierce were members of the Bap- tist church. They had a large family, but only two sons and two daughters reached maturity.
Morris Pierce was born in Colerain, April II, 18II, and became one of the leading men of the place, owning a farm of three hundred acres at one time, and also running a saw- mill. He belonged to the old Whig party, and later was a Republican. He was several times elected Selectman and Assessor, and was in good standing as a member of the Bap- tist church. He died at the age of seventy- one. His wife, Sylvia Upton, who was born in Charlemont, December 12, 1813, died May 29, 1881, when sixty-eight years of age. She was a daughter of Ebenezer Upton, of Charle- mont, and great-grand-daughter of Josiah Upton, a native of North Reading, who was fourth in line of descent from John Upton, the immigrant ancestor of the Uptons of New England. Mr. and Mrs. Morris Pierce had four children, of whom David Morris is the second. Samuel Sabin Pierce, born August 31, 1837, is deceased; Albert J., born March 30, 1847, now resides in Amesbury, Mass .; George Landon Pierce, born April 1, 1852, lives on the old homestead where his grand- father died. He carries on general farming, making a specialty of fruit-growing and dairy products, and owns several head of stock, including sheep and Holstein and Jersey cat- tle. He has been twice married. His first
wife, Sarah L., daughter of Thomas and Fanny Purington, of Colerain, died, leaving two children, Fanny M. and Wayne M. His second wife, Mary E., widow of H. D. Townsley, is the daughter of Charles and Philana (Lyon) Elmer, of Ashfield, who are both deceased.
David M. Pierce grew to manhood in Cole- rain, receiving here his early education, which was supplemented by four terms at Powers Institute. After the death of his father, with whom he had then been in com- pany for eleven years, he bought the mill interest, and continued the business of manu- facturing wooden boxes for dairy products and other articles. For some years he was en- gaged in mechanical work, milling, and farm- ing, at one time raising and packing large quantities of tobacco. In 1875 he bought the farm where he now resides of his uncle, David S. Pierce, who had been in business with his father; and in 1891 he disposed of his inter- est in the mill, in order to attend more closely to his agricultural pursuits. He now owns a large territory of farm and pasture land, including one hundred acres in Charle- mont, which bears the Indian name, Pocom- tuck. Mr. Pierce carries on general farming and fruit-raising on an extensive scale, and has some fine cattle. He gives his personal supervision to every branch of his work, and the results speak for themselves.
On June 2, 1880, he was married to Alice, daughter of Ephraim and Chloe (Peck) Trues- dell, of Rowe, where Mr. Truesdell is well known as an old resident and a public-spirited citizen. They have two children, Percy F. and Clara S. Pierce. Mr. Pierce votes the Republican ticket, and, true to the family tra- ditions, is a member of the Baptist church. Besides his real estate, he is concerned in the Shelburne Falls Creamery Association.
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LMON B. EDDY, a prosperous farmer and highly esteemed citizen of Con- way, was born in Buckland, Frank- lin County, Mass., February 7, 1854, son of Benjamin and Nancy (Parks) Eddy, and grand- son of Joel Eddy. The grandfather, Joel, was a native of Vermont, where he was success- fully engaged as an agriculturist. He died at the advanced age of ninety-three years, and his wife at the age of seventy. Benjamin Eddy. who was born in Vermont, remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age. He then removed to Buckland, Mass., where he was employed in the cutlery manufactory for a few years, after which he purchased a farm in Vermont, and was engaged in agri- cultural pursuits until he retired from active labor. He is now living with his son Almon B., and, though advanced in years, is still active, and enjoys a fair degree of health. In political views he is a Prohibitionist. His wife, Nancy Parks, was born and reared in Bernardston, Mass., daughter of Reuben Parks. She bore her husband a son and daughter, Lucinda E. and Almon B. The mother's death occurred when our subject was quite young. Both parents were communi- cants of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Almon B. Eddy removed in childhood with his parents from Buckland to Vermont, where he grew to manhood, receiving a practical education in the public schools. On attain- ing his majority he went to Iowa, and was there successfully engaged in farming for seven years. He then returned East, and settled in Conway, purchasing the small farm on which he now resides. He is profitably engaged in general farming, and in connection with his agricultural work is also employed by the Conway Creamery Company. In 1881 Mr. Eddy was joined in marriage with Miss Nettie I. Lee, of Conway, daughter of Dennis
Lee. Their home has been brightened by the birth of two children - a son and daughter - Walter C. and Jessie May.
In political affiliation Mr. Eddy is a Repub- lican. He is a member of the Deerfield Ag- ricultural Society, and is a Master Mason, having taken the third degree in the Morning Sun Lodge of Conway.
LIZA B. LEONARD, of Greenfield, Mass., is a native of Boston and the descendant of a family noted for their mental attainments and for estimable traits of character that gave them distinction among the leading members of their genera- tion. She is a daughter of the late Theodore and Elizabeth (Babcock) Leonard, the former a native of Sandwich, Mass., born March 24, 1802, and the latter of Boston, born February 24, 1809.
The paternal grandfather of Miss Leonard, named Jonathan Leonard, was born at Bridge- water, Mass., on February 7, 1763, and was graduated from Harvard College in 1786. He studied for the medical profession, settled at Sandwich, Mass., in 1788 or 1789, and was for many years the foremost physician and surgeon of that locality. He was succeeded in his practice by his son Jonathan, also a Harvard graduate; and the latter in his turn has a son named Jonathan, who is now a stu- dent at Harvard, preparing for the hereditary calling. Dr. Jonathan Leonard, Sr., married Temperance Hall, of Sandwich, their nuptials being solemnized May 10, 1796, and they reared five sons, namely: Francis Dana, who passed the larger part of his life at Yellow Springs, Ohio, and who was always actively interested in advancing the cause of education, giving his daughters the advantage of a thor- ough course of study at Antioch College;
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Theodore, father of Miss Leonard; Jonathan, a physician, at Sandwich, as above mentioned, who was twice married, his first wife having been Alice Babcock, a sister of Miss Leon- ard's mother; George Kingman, for many years engaged in business in Boston, where he died, aged forty years, leaving two sons and two daughters; and Charles Cushing, who was probably lost at sea by the burning of the ship "President." Both grandparents attained the venerable age of eighty-six years, the grandfather dying in 1849, and his widow in 1854.
Theodore Leonard and Miss Elizabeth Bab- cock were united in marriage on the twenty- fifth day of September, 1832; and during the first few years of their wedded life they re- sided in different places, including Boston, Baltimore, Md., Mobile, Ala., and Dudley, Mass. In 1843 they settled in Greenfield, which they made their permanent home, in 1853 purchasing the fine large residence at 50 Federal Street, now owned and occupied by the subject of this brief sketch. Mr. Leonard was interested in the manufacture of woollen cloths, such as doeskins and cassimeres, until 1857, being agent for the company, which failed in that year; and he, being the largest creditor, succeeded to the business, being actively and prosperously engaged therein for some ten years. He was in reality the archi- tect of his own fortune, having begun life as clerk in a Boston establishment, and, dili- gently applying himself, by his own energy worked his way up to a recognized position among the successful business men of the day. His years were well spent; and his death, which occurred May 7, 1872, was universally regretted. His widow survived him, living until January 9, 1892. Both were people of culture, liberal in their social and religious views, and consistent members of the Unita-
rian church. Mrs. Elizabeth B. Leonard was a daughter of Samuel H. and Eliza (Brazer) Babcock, both natives of Boston, who were the parents of thirteen children, four of whom died when young. Nine grew to ma- ture life, as follows: Samuel B. (deceased) was for forty years rector of St. Paul's church at Dedham, Mass .; William G., a retired Unitarian minister, is living at Dorchester, Mass. ; Charles A. (deceased) was formerly in mercantile business in Boston; John, a manu- facturer, resides in Boston; Charlotte L., the widow of a prominent druggist of Boston, was the third child in order of birth, and is now an active and interesting woman of eighty- five years; Alice, deceased, was the wife of Jonathan Leonard; Caroline, deceased, mar- ried Theodore Dunn, of Dover, Mass .; Sarah, deceased, married Augustus Whittemore, a well-known merchant of Boston; and Eliza- beth, as above mentioned, became Mrs. Theo- dore Leonard.
Eliza B. Leonard was the only child born to her parents, and much attention was paid to her early education, which was obtained in private schools of Greenfield, and under the tuition of Professor Louis and Mrs. Elizabeth C. Agassiz, at the historic old town of Cam- bridge, Mass. Being somewhat dependent upon her own resources, she early began to make use of her abilities and attainments, and for a period of fourteen years taught French and music in Greenfield, but on account of failing health was obliged to relinquish her work. Miss Leonard has since filled her house with congenial boarders, and takes delight in providing them with the comforts of a pleasant home. She occupies a high position in the society of Greenfield, having many warm friends among the best people of the place, her liberal mind, large heart, and sympathetic nature commanding the respect
AMOS STEWART.
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and winning the love of all with whom she is brought in contact.
A MOS STEWART, a prosperous farmer and fruit-grower of Colerain, Franklin County, Mass., is a sturdy repre- sentative of the old Scotch Stewart family, members of which settled in the town in 1740. An old gravestone in the cemetery bears the name of one of Mr. Stewart's ancestors, with date of birth - James Stewart, 1680 - who was the first member of the family to make his home in Colerain.
The parents of the subject of this sketch were Amos and Margaret (Oak) Stewart, both natives of Colerain, the former of whom was a successful farmer and for many years a prominent figure in public affairs, he having served his town as Selectman, and represented his district in the State legislature for several terms. He was a Presbyterian in religion. His death occurred June 17, 1867, at the age of seventy-four years, nearly seventeen years after that of his wife, Margaret Oak, who was called to rest in August, 1850, at the age of fifty-three. Of their ten children the only survivors are four sons: Amariah H., who resides in Connecticut; William, a resident of Colerain, and whose sketch with further genealogical data appears elsewhere in this work; David, who is now a resident of Michi- gan ; and Amos, the father's namesake.
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Amos Stewart, Jr., attended the schools of his native town in his early years, and at the age of eighteen, under the influence of the gold fever, made an overland trip to California with an ox-team, leaving Greenfield in April, 1852, and arriving at his destination in Octo- ber, a six months' journey, which must have been tedious to a degree, although unrivalled for leisurely opportunity of sight-seeing, and
doubtless diversified by incidents of exciting and even of perilous nature, whose story one would like to hear. Hopeful and energetic, the young adventurer went immediately to the mines of Sonoma County, where he worked for three years, his expectations of sudden wealth, however, like those of many others, failing of realization. He returned East by way of the Isthmus; but, before settling down in his native place, he went to Wisconsin, where he remained for a year and a half, at the end of which time, not altogether satisfied with that part of the country, he returned to Colerain, and in 1857 purchased the seventy-acre farm that he now occupies. Having, however, since added to the original acreage, he now possesses a fine farm of about one hundred and twenty acres, which is admirably located and in a high state of cultivation. Besides being extensively engaged in fruit-growing, having a large and productive orchard which yielded last year over four hundred barrels of apples, he also devotes considerable attention to dairying interests with profitable results. The Stewart place, with its convenient and comely dwelling and its remodelled farm buildings, is one of the pleasantest and most comfortable homes in this vicinity.
On April 14, 1858, Mr. Amos Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Mary Cone, who was born at Marlboro, Vt., October 1, 1836, daughter of Jesse and Abigail (Nelson) Cone. Mrs. Stewart's parents are no longer living. Her father was formerly a merchant of Marl- boro, Vt., where he was an early settler, and became a prominent citizen, long serving as Justice of the Peace, Postmaster, Town Clerk, and Treasurer. He was successful in busi- ness, and was highly esteemed. He was twice married, and of his three children Mrs. Stewart is the only survivor. Mrs. Stewart's paternal grandparents were Robert and Sarah
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(Cook) Cone, the former of whom was a native of Saybrook, Conn., and became an early set- tler in Colerain, where he combined the occu- pations of farming and shoemaking. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His death occurred at the age of sixty-three years. His wife, Sarah Cook, who was from Wil- mington, Vt., survived to the age of eighty- four.
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have had three chil- dren, but have been called to mourn the loss of two: Jennie, who died January 19, 1875, at the age of sixtcen ycars; and Abbie, Mrs. W. T. Holton, who died January 8, 1891, at the age of twenty-five ycars, in Redlands, Cal. Charles Amos Stewart, the only son, born April 14, 1871, is now superintendent of a fruit ranch at Redlands, Cal. Liberal in their religious views, Mr. Stewart and his wife are among the most respected residents of Colerain. He is a Republican in politics, has served as Selectman and Assessor for three terms, and is now Special County Com- missioner. As might be expected, he is a member of the Franklin County Agricultural Society.
A portrait of Mr. Amos Stewart, which his acquaintances will have no difficulty in recog- nizing, and which will give pleasure to many friends, will be seen on an adjoining page.
HARLES M. CONANT, a well-to-do farmer of Gill, an interior town of Franklin County, was born in War- wick, a few miles east of his present home, February 4, 1827, son of Jonas and Anna (Rising) Conant. Mr. Conant's great-grand- father, Benjamin Conant, was born in Beverly, Mass., in 1698; and in 1732 he became one of the incorporators of the town of Dudley, in Worcester County. He resided there for
thirty-five years, during which time he was prominent in public affairs, and then moved to Warwick, where he died September 20, 1767. For a more extended account of the family genealogy the reader is referred to a work entitled " A History of the Conant Fam- ily," which was published in Portland, Me., in 1887. Asa Conant, Mr. Conant's grand- father, was born in Dudley in 1750, and set- tled in Warwick, where he became an inn- keeper, and died February 21, 1832.
Jonas Conant, son of Asa, was reared to agricultural pursuits. He erected a grist-mill in Warwick, which he operated for a time, but disposed of it later, and moved to Vermont, where he carried on a farm for eleven years. In 1840 he returned to Warwick, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying at the age of eighty-one years. Jonas Conant was a member of the Congregational church at Warwick. By his first wife, Sarah Leonard, daughter of Jonas Leonard, he had four chil- dren, who have all passed away. Charles M. Conant is the only child of his union with his second wife, Mrs. Anna Rising Barker, daughter of Jonathan Rising, of Marlboro, Vt. The mother died in Whitingham, Vt., aged ninety-three years.
Charles M. Conant received his education in the district schools and at Cambridge, N. Y., and resided with his parents until his father's death. He taught school for one winter, then followed carpentering and shoe- making, being engaged for some time in a particular branch of the latter trade - that of bottoming boots - and also carried on a farm. In 1864 he sold his property in Warwick, and settled upon his present farm in Gill, which consists of forty-five acres of well-improved land; and this he conducts with good results.
In 1852 Mr. Conant was united in marriage to Emelia Johnson, daughter of Daniel John-
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son, who was a prominent farmer of Warwick, but a native of Orange. Mr. Johnson died in Warwick, at the age of forty-one years. He and his wife, Sarah Ward, a grand-daughter of William Burnett, were the parents of six children, four of whom are still living, namely: Caroline, wife of Jonathan Blake, who resides in Gill; Emelia; Sarah, who married Dwight Fuller, of Springfield; and James G., who resides at the old homestead. Mrs. Johnson passed her declining years with her daughter Emelia, Mrs. Conant, and died at the age of seventy-four. Emelia Johnson was well educated at the common and select schools of Orange, and, after completing her studies, taught school for one year before her marriage to Mr. Conant.
Mr. and Mrs. Conant have had two daugh- ters; namely, Alice, who died at the age of twenty-one, and Sarah at twenty-three years. Both were liberally educated, and Sarah had already entered upon a useful career as a teacher. Mr. Conant is a Republican in poli- tics, but has never aspired to public office. He and his wife are attendants of the Congre- gational church.
TON. WILLIAM BARRETT WASH- BURN, LL.D., a resident of Green- field from 1857 to his death in 1887, and Governor of Massachusetts for the years 1872 and 1873, was born in Winchen- don, Mass., January 31, 1820. His paternal grandfather, Elijah Washburn, who was born October 8, 1758, and who served in the Con- tinental Army during the Revolutionary War, was for some time a resident of Leicester, Mass., from which place he went as a pioneer settler in 1786 to Hancock, N.H. He was a blacksmith by trade, but engaged in agricult- ure in connection with other business pur-
suits. He married Elizabeth Watson, of Leicester, Mass .; and they became the par- ents of a good old-fashioned family of twelve children. Mr. Washburn died in 1836, at the age of seventy-eight, his wife following him three years later, at the age of seventy- seven. The Washburn homestead in Hancock is still in possession of their descendants.
Their son Asa, who became the father of the Hon. William B. Washburn, was born in 1790, and in 1817 married Phebe Whitney. Asa Washburn died October 21, 1824; and after his death his widow married in 1827 John Woodbury, by whom she had one daugh- ter - Mary Jane - who died in her thirteenth year. Mr. Woodbury died in Winchendon, Mass., in 1870, when in his eighty-seventh year. Governor Washburn's mother, having survived her second husband, laid down the burden of life at the residence of her son, Nelson P. Washburn, Nashua, N.H., on March 7, 1876.
William B. Washburn prepared for college at the academies of Westminster, Mass., Han- cock, N.H., and Groton, Mass., and in 1840 entered Yale College, from which he was graduated in the class of 1844. He had in- tended to enter the legal profession, but, yielding to the request of his uncle, William B. Whitney, who was in poor health, he assumed charge of the latter's extensive busi- ness interests at Orange, Mass. He early exhibited remarkable business ability, to- gether with a strict personal integrity, which soon brought him into public notice, and led to his being selected in 1850 as a fit candidate for the State Senate, where the foundation of his political career was laid. After serving one term in the House in 1854, he repre- sented his district in the thirty-eighth, thirty- ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second sessions of Congress, and in November, 1871,
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was elected to the office of Chicf Executive of the State, being inaugurated January, 1872. His record in this exalted position is well known, and need not bc here enlarged upon. Suffice it to say that he proved himself a worthy successor to the many able and virtu- ous men who had preceded him in office, and showed himself abundantly endowed with the essential qualities of a true statesman and leader of men. He was twice re-elected, and in April, 1874, resigned the governorship, having been appointed by the legislature to succeed the Hon. Charles Sumner in the United States Senate. He took his seat in that body on May 1, 1874, and completed the unfinished term of his illustrious predecessor, which closed on March 3, 1875.
During his residence in Greenfield he filled a prominent place in the business world. He was elected President of the State Bank and of its successor, the National Bank, which position he held until his death. He was a Trustee of Yale College for nearly twelve years, a member of the Board of Overseers of Amherst College, and a Trustee of the State Agricultural College at Amherst. At the time of his death he was a Trustee of Smith College in Northampton and of the Moody School at Northfield, and was a Director of the Connecticut River Railroad Company. Hc was actively interested in all public affairs, both State and national, often neglect- ing his own private business to promote meas- ures for the general good of the community, and will long be remembered as a cheerful giver, a liberal benefactor to the Greenfield Library and other deserving institutions. In the midst of his useful and honored career, while attending in Springfield, Mass., a meet- ing of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, of which he was a cor- porate member, he was summoncd from earth
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