USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts .. > Part 30
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Mr. Davenport, like his father, takes an active interest in town affairs, and has served as Assessor and as a member of the School Board six years. He and his wife are mem- bers of the Baptist church, in which he is a Deacon, and is at present serving his fifteenth year as superintendent of the Sunday-school.
ALVIN S. LOOMIS, a respected citi- zen of Whately, who has long been identified with the agricultural in- terests of the place, was born in the house in which he now resides, on March 25, 1827. He is the son of Jonathan C. and Electa (Stockbridge) Loomis, the former a native of Whately, the latter of North Hadley. His grandfather, Abner Loomis, who was in all probability a native of Hatfield, moved from that town to West Whately, where he settled upon a farm. There he resided until his de- cease, which occurred at an advanced age.
Jonathan C. Loomis, the father of Calvin S., was a carpenter by trade, and worked at
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building for many years in his native town, becoming widely known as an honest and reli- able contractor and builder. His last days were spent on the farm where his son now re- sides, which he purchased for a home, and there he died August 15, 1864, at the age of seventy-eight years. Mr. Loomis was a vet- eran of the War of 1812. His wife, Electa Stockbridge, who was born at North Hadley on January 17, 1788, was the daughter of; David Stockbridge, a farmer and miller. She was one of a large family. Mrs. Loomis was called to rest at the age of eighty-eight. She was a member of the Congregational church. Mr. and Mrs. Loomis were the parents of nine children, all of whom lived to reach threescore years, the first among them to be called home having passed that age at the time of his decease. Of these, six are still living, namely : Sarah, wife of Reuben Belden ; Mary, who married John Little; Elizabeth, widow of John D. Lee; Phila, widow of Ira Brown ; Celia, widow of Otis Wells; and Calvin S., the subject of this sketch.
Calvin S. Loomis attended the common and high schools of his native town and the semi- nary at East Hampton. He resided with his parents and assisted his father upon the farm until 1855, when he went to the State of Ohio. There he was engaged in the raising of broom- corn and the manufacture of brooms for a period of two years. At the expiration of that time he returned East, and, once more tak- ing up his residence at the old homestead in Whately, engaged in the manufacture of brooms, establishing a factory for that purpose, at the same time attending to his farming in- terests. On the death of his father he suc- ceeded to the possession of the farm, which he has since cultivated with prosperous results. The home property consists of sixty acres of finely improved land, and Mr. Loomis has also
one hundred and twenty-five acres of valuable land in Conway, where he keeps some fine young stock.
In political views Mr. Loomis is a Repub- lican. He attends the Congregational church, and contributes to its support. His household is most ably presided over by his sister Phila.
AVID MOWRY, one of the most prominent and public-spirited citi- zens of Leyden, Franklin County, was born in that town, September 7, 1816, son of George and Polly (Avery) Mowry. His grandfather, John Mowry, was one of the pioneer settlers of Rhode Island; but his last days were spent in New York State.
George Mowry, the father of our subject, who was born in Rhode Island, September 24, 1776, removed to Massachusetts in early man- hood, and located in Franklin County, when the country was new and but thinly settled. He was a clothier by trade, and followed that vocation in Leyden for several years. Indus- try and honesty in all his dealings brought him success, and won for him the respect of his townsmen; and, as a mark of their esteem, he was often chosen to represent them in positions of honor and trust. During six sessions of the legislature he was a member of that body; and he also served most acceptably as a member and as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and for over twenty years acted as Justice of the Peace. He died on the farm where David Mowry now lives, October 19, 1851, having attained the age of seventy-five years. He was twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Polly Brown, bore him one son, George, who died at twenty years of age. His second matrimonial alliance was with Miss Polly Avery, who was two years his junior, her birth occurring in 1778. She died
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September 25, 1843, aged sixty-five years. They had a family of six children -- John, Manley, Polly, Nathan A., David, and Albert L .- of whom David is the sole survivor.
David Mowry acquired a good practical edu- cation in the schools of Leyden and the acad- emy at Deerfield, Mr. Luther B. Lincoln being the preceptor of the latter institution at that time. For a number of terms Mr. Mowry was engaged in school-teaching in Colerain and Leyden, Mass., and also in Vernon, Vt. Aside from the time occupied in this way, his life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. He lived with his father until the latter's death, when he became the owner of the home- stead property, where he now successfully conducts a dairy and stock farm, and in con- junction with this is also engaged in lumber- ing to a moderate extent. He owns in all about four hundred acres of land.
On September 7, 1840, Mr. Mowry was married to Miss Sarah A. Carpenter, who was born in Leyden, March 13, 1818. Her par- ents, David and Jemimah (Newcomb) Carpen- ter, both of whom were natives of Franklin County, are now dead; and Mrs. Mowry died December 2, 1878. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Mowry was blessed by the birth of five children. Charlotte E. resides at home. David C., who enlisted in the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Regiment, Company C, was engaged in the battles of Roanoke Island and Newbern, died at Washington, October 10, 1862, of malarial fever. Mary B. is the wife of F. J. Kellogg, of Utica, N. Y. Austin W. died in the New York Hospital, October 18, 1891. Hosea B. is engaged in agriculture on the home farm.
In politics Mr. Mowry is a Democrat. Like his father, he has manifested great interest in the public weal; and, although he has now retired from active participation in such
affairs, he has in times past rendered very effi- cient service to his party. In 1847 he repre- sented his district in the legislature; and he filled the offices of Town Clerk and Treasurer most acceptably for thirty years, as well as others of a less important character. In relig- ious belief Mr. Mowry is a Universalist.
LDEN W. GROUT, a prosperous farmer residing in Montague, Frank- lin County, near Miller's Falls, was born in Wendell, Mass., September 25, 1832, son of Martin and Clarina (Johnson) Grout, the former of whom was a native of Phillips- ton, Mass. Joel Grout, also the grandfather of Alden W., was a native of Massachusetts, and spent the latter part of his life on a farm which he owned in the town of Pelham.
Martin Grout, the father of Alden W., was reared to the vocation of a farmer. He also learned the stone-cutter's trade, which he fol- lowed successfully for many years in Pelham and vicinity. He built the jail at Greenfield, was foreman on the Concord State Prison, and also built the vaults for the Franklin County National and Franklin County Savings Banks. In 1834 he removed to Montague, and pur- chased the hotel property at Miller's Falls, which included one hundred and twenty-five acres of land. The hotel and seven acres of land he eventually sold to the railroad, and he then erected the residence in which Alden W. Grout now lives. Politically, Martin Grout was an adherent of the Republican party. He took an active interest in the wel- fare of his town, and was often chosen to fill positions of responsibility and trust. He served as Selectman several years, also as Assessor and as chairman of the committee that built the Town Hall at Montague Centre. Mr. Grout died at his home in Montague,
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where his son Alden W. now lives, in August, 1865. He was then in his seventy-fifth year. His wife, Clarina Johnson, was a daughter of Silas Johnson, a farmer of Woodstock, Mass., where she was born. They reared five chil- dren, of whom three are still living: Saman- tha S., who married Severance Holton; Alden W., the subject of this sketch; and Martha S., who married Alfred Waite. The mother passed her last years at the home of Alden W. Grout, where she died at the age of seventy .- two. She was a member of the Con- gregational church at Montague.
Alden W. Grout was two years old when his father moved to Miller's Falls; and there he received his early education, later attending the high school at East Brattleboro and the academy at Brattleboro, Vt. After his father's death he became the owner of the homestead, a farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres, and since he purchased it has made various improvements, enlarging many of the build- ings. He is profitably engaged in the cultiva- tion of the land, and has a choice dairy, keeping a herd of fourteen Jersey and Holstein COWS.
In 1853 Mr. Grout was married to Charlotte P. Stone, the adopted daughter of Luther Stone, who removed from Wayland to Wen- dell, Mass. In the latter place he was engaged in farming, and also conducted a saw-mill up to the time of his death in his eighty-fourth year. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Grout, two of whom they reared, namely : Alice, who married Elwin L. Stockwell, a machinist in Miller's Falls, and had two children, one of whom is living -- Lulu A. ; and Laura A., wife of Frank H. Giles, of Charlemont, Mass., who is engaged in the milk business, and manages Mr. Grout's farm. Mr. and Mrs. Giles have one child, Florence M. Clara Newell Grout died at the
age of fifteen, and Mary Ellen died in her twenty-seventh year. Laura attended school in Fitchburg, Mass. The other children were educated in Montague.
Mr. Grout is a Democrat in political affilia- tion. He is a man of keen intellect and ster- ling character, and his fellow-citizens have shown their appreciation of his worth by elect- ing him to many offices of trust. He has served as Selectman three years, Overseer of the Poor two years, and Assessor two years. He is an attendant of the Congregational church, of which his wife is a member.
EORGE B. MCCLELLAN, a thriving agriculturist, who has a productive farm at South Whately, was born at Greenfield, Mass., July 30, 1857. He is a son of Elias and Mary A. (Fellows) Mcclellan, the former a native of Colerain, the latter of Shelburne. The great-grandfather of our sub- ject, Robert L. McClellan, was, it is believed, a native of Massachusetts. His son, Daniel, George B. McClellan's grandfather, who was a native of Colerain, was a farmer and hotel- keeper, residing in Colerain for many years. His last days were spent in North Adams.
Elias B. McClellan was born in Colerain, October 11, 1824. He was reared to agricult- ural life, and also acquired the carpenter's trade, eventually becoming well known as a prominent contractor and builder, conducting an extensive business in Greenfield, Holyoke, Westfield, and Chicopee. He finally retired from the building trade, and in 1871 purchased the farm at Whately on which his son now resides, and there passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring on August 23, 1882, at the age of fifty-seven years. He was con- nected with the Congregational church in his town, and was a man noted for his integrity.
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Elias B. McClellan was twice married. His first wife, Mary A. Fellows, who was born March 30, 1828, was the daughter of Captain Stephen Fellows, of Shelburne. Cap- tain Fellows was a carpenter by trade, and followed that occupation in early life. In 1832 he purchased a farm, upon which he spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of eighty-four. Mrs. McClellan was one of a family of five children. She died at Greenfield, October 25, 1859, aged thirty-one years. Of her children, George B., the sub- ject of this article, was the only one to reach maturity. Elias B. McClellan's second wife was Miss Esther Newton, daughter of James Newton, of Greenfield. She became the mother of two children, namely : Mary, wife of Henry G. Taylor, of Westfield, Mass. ; and William B., who resides at Wilmington, Vt.
George B. McClellan passed his early boy- hood in Greenfield and Holyoke. He was thirteen years of age when his father removed to Whately, and continued his education in the district schools of that town, finishing with the regular course at Powers Institute in Ber-
nardston. After leaving school, he engaged in farm work, assisting his father; and on the death of the latter he purchased the interests of the other heirs in the property, and has since continued to successfully conduct the farm. The estate consists of one hundred and fifty acres of fertile and productive land, which Mr. McClellan devotes to general farming and the cultivation of tobacco.
On May 27, 1884, he was united in mar- riage to Mary E. Sanderson, adopted daughter of Rodolphus Sanderson, formerly of Whately, but later of Northampton. Mrs. McClellan is a lineal descendant, on her father's side, of John Alden. Her mother was Harriet Clark, of Whately. She was a student at Mount Holyoke Seminary and Smith College at
Northampton, and, after completing her studies, made her home in Whately. Mr. and Mrs. McClellan have two children, Randolph A. and Albert F.
Mr. McClellan is a Republican in politics. He and his wife are members of the Congrega- tional church, in which he has served as parish clerk and superintendent of the Sabbath-school for several terms.
AYNE HILLMAN, one of the repre- sentative farmers of Colerain, was born in tliat town October 12, 1856, son of Smead and Emmeline (Coombs) Hill- mau, both natives of Colerain, the former born in 1819, the latter in 1818. The grandfather, Reuben Hillman, was a son of Lot Hillman, a notice of whom is given in the sketch of C. S. Hillman on another page of this work. Reu- ben Hillman was born in Conway, and spent the greater part of his life in Colerain, where he carried on general farming with good re- sults. He passed away at the age of sixty- four. His wife, whose maiden name was Anna Nims, was a native of Buckland. She lived to be eighty-one years old. They had five children, four sons and one daughter, all of whom grew to adult age. The only survivor at present is Lysander Hillman, of Charlemont Upper Village.
Smead Hillman, the father of our subject, in company with his brother Reuben, took charge of the home farm at the death of his father, carrying on general farming and also dealing in lumber, cutting large quantities at the saw- mill on the estate. After the death of Reu- ben, Smead Hillman carried on the business alone. He took an active part in town affairs, acting as Assessor for some time, and was also a member of the School Committee. He died on April 16, 1858, at the age of thirty-nine.
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His wife was a daughter of Jonathan and Betsy (McCrillis) Coombs, the former a well-to-do farmer in Colerain and one of the old resi- dents. Mr. Coombs lived to be eighty-one years of age. His wife passed away at sixty- four. Mr. and Mrs. Hillman had three chil- dren, all of whom are living, namely: Edwin S., in Greene County, Iowa; Mina L., who lives with her brother Wayne in Colerain, a highly educated young lady, and one of the most popular teachers in the district; and Wayne, whose name appears at the head of this sketch.
Wayne Hillman grew to manhood in Cole- rain, attending the district school in boyhood and adding to the amount of knowledge gained there by a course of study at Powers Institute, Bernardston. In 1878 he bought the farm where he resides, which covers about one . hun- dred and thirty acres; and he is the owner of considerable real estate in other parts of the town. He carries on general farming, and deals in live stock and poultry to some extent. Ten acres of his land are devoted especially to fruit-raising ; and he has twenty head of hand- some Jersey cattle, producing first-class butter and other dairy products.
On January 4, 1880, Mr. Hillman was mar- ried to Anna S., daughter of Oliver H. and Rachel R. (Dodge) Taylor, residents of Cole- rain, the former a farmer in good circum- stances and one of the oldest residents of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Hillman have five chil- dren ; namely, Lotta T., Bessie A., Alfred W., Mildred, and Mina.
In politics Mr. Hillman is a Republican. In religion he follows the teachings of the Baptist church, of which his wife also is a member. A persevering and hard-working man, he is successful in all branches of his vocation, and occupies an honorable position in the community.
HAUNCEY BRYANT, a resident of Greenfield for the past forty-four years and an esteemed public official, was born at Ashfield, Franklin County, Mass., September 28, 1823. His father, William Bryant, was born there in 1778, and was a son of Zebulon Bryant, who was born at Bridge- water, Plymouth County, in 1741, and settled at Ashfield in 1763. He was one of the early pioneers of that town, and made his way through the wilderness at a time when blazed trees were the only indication of the right path. He cleared a small tract of land and erected a log cabin, which he later occupied in company with his young bride.
He eventually cleared and improved a large farm ; and here were born his eight children, seven of whom, two sons and five daughters, lived to reach maturity and become heads of families. After the death of his first wife he was again married. Some of his daughters moved to Illinois in 1835, and were residents there during the Black Hawk War. His first- born, Ruth, who became the wife of Isaiah Taylor, a farmer at Ashfield, lived to attain the ripe old age of ninety-nine years and ten months, her intellectual faculties remaining strong and unclouded until her ninety-sixth year. Grandfather Zebulon Bryant was a sol- dier of the Revolution, and marched to Albany through the woods. Mr. Chauncey Bryant has in his possession the musket, powder - horn, and some bullets which his patriotic ancestor brought home with him when he returned from the war. Although not known to have been a relative, he was an intimate friend of Dr. Peter Bryant, father of the eminent poet, William Cullen Bryant. His death occurred in Ashfield, at the age of eighty-seven years.
William Bryant inherited the farm upon which he resided during his entire life. He married for his first wife, Nabba Hammond,
CHAUNCEY BRYANT.
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who died in the prime of life, leaving four chil- dren, all of whom grew to maturity, married, and have passed away. His second wife, whom he married in 1805, and who became mother of. Chauncey Bryant, was Sarah Mayn- ard, daughter of Calvin and Anna (Moulton) Maynard, of Westboro, Mass. She was a cousin of the Hon. Horace Maynard, who served his country as a member of Congress, as minister to Russia, and during the latter part of Presi- dent Hayes's administration as Postmaster- general. Her father, Calvin Maynard, served in the Revolutionary War. Mr. Bryant's chil- dren by this marriage were the following : twins, the first-born, who died in infancy ; Hannah, widow of Milton Hammond, now residing at Lawrence, Mich. ; Nathan, who died at Leroy, N. Y., aged fifty-nine years, leaving two sons and a daughter; William, who died at the old homestead; Chauncey, of Greenfield, and his twin brother Charles, who died while an infant; Asa and Albert, also twins, the latter being now deceased and the former a resident of Leroy, N. Y. ; Henry, who died an infant; and Calvin, now residing at the old homestead, which has been in the family's possession for over one hundred and thirty-two years. William Bryant died at the age of sixty-eight years. His widow died in 1869, at the age of seventy-nine.
Chauncey Bryant passed his childhood and the early years of his manhood at the paternal home in Ashfield, and acquired a fair educa- tion, considering the limited opportunities offered him in his youth for study. As above- mentioned, he spent the greater part of his active life in Greenfield. He has always been a Republican in politics, and in 1863 was ap- pointed Deputy Sheriff - a position which he has since occupied, his first duty following his appointment having been to notify men who were drafted to serve in the Civil War. On
July 8, 1852, he wedded Miss Mehitable Bas- sett, of Ashfield, daughter of Francis and Mehitable (Ford) Bassett, her parents having moved to Ashfield from Dennis, on Cape Cod, of which town her grandfather, Lot Bassett, was one of the first settlers. Their only son, Charles A. Bryant, is now a successful hard- ware dealer at Chicopee, where he has been in business for the past twenty years. He is married, and has two sons and two daughters.
The subject of this sketch is a Royal Arch Mason, having first joined the Masonic order in 1865. His portrait on a neighboring page shows a man still vigorous in mind and body, one who, as an able and faithful public func- tionary, enjoys a well-earned popularity. Mr. Bryant has recently been called to part with his cherished companion, the devoted wife, who for more than forty years was the sharer of his cares and his joys. Mrs. Mehitable B. Bryant died at her home in Greenfield, June 7, 1895.
UGUSTUS B. ROSS, an active busi- ness man at Miller's Falls, was born in Thompson, Conn., October 18, 1845, son of Amos and Cordelia (Strait) Ross, both natives of Thompson. His grandfather, Eli Ross, who was a Methodist preacher, was also born there, and passed the latter years of his life in a neighboring village. Amos Ross in early manhood engaged in the stove and tinware business, and conducted an extensive trade for some twenty-five years, keeping a number of teams on the road. His last years were spent in Northfield, Mass., where he car- ried on a successful real estate business. He died at the age of sixty-two years. His wife
lived to be sixty-six years of age. Her last days were spent at Abington, Conn. Mr. Ross was a Methodist in religious belief. His wife was a member of the Baptist church.
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They reared six children, as follows: Lafayette H., who served in a regiment of light artillery during the Civil War, and after his discharge from the service lived for a while in Spring- field and later at East Longmeadow, Mass., where he died at the age of forty-eight years ; Augustus B., the subject of this article; Cora E., wife of George P. Fields, now residing at the old homestead in Northfield; Dennis, for- merly in business with his brother Augustus, who died at Miller's Falls at the age of forty- one years; Estella M., who married Arthur Holton, and died in Northfield at the age of thirty-nine years; and Frederick A., who has a wood yard at Brattleboro, Vt.
Augustus B. Ross attended the common schools and the academy at Thompson, Conn. He was twenty-one years of age when his par- ents removed to Northfield, where he remained for a time. He was subsequently, for three or four years, in the employ of a Boston concern, for whom he travelled through New England, selling shoddy and wool stock. He then erected a stock house in the vicinity of the depot, and, securing a mill at Winchester, en- gaged in the manufacture of shoddy, taking his brother into partnership, the firm being known as Ross Brothers. The business was well established and placed upon a sure footing when their plant was destroyed by fire, and the firm sustained a loss of from twenty-five thou- sand to thirty thousand dollars. Business was continued, however, and successfully carried on for a period of ten years, at the expiration of which the mills were again burned. Mr. Ross then gave his entire attention to the rag business at Miller's Falls, which he estab- lished in 1872. He conducts a large and profitable business, buying and selling rags at wholesale and also purchasing all of the con- demned clothing from the government, which he sorts, classifies, and sells to paper manufact-
urers. He still owns the mill property at Winchester and a large amount of machinery, together with engines, boilers, etc., which he is holding for future use. He has invested extensively in real estate at Miller's Falls, and owns eight or ten houses which he himself erected ; and he possesses a fine farm, which he devotes to dairying interests, keeping about twenty cows.
In 1871 Mr. Ross was united in marriage to Miss Annie Augusta State, a native of Hins- dale, N. H., born January 29, 1855, daughter of Obed State, of Hinsdale. Obed State was a prominent citizen, who filled many positions of public trust. He was elected State Senator, and served some time as Justice of the Peace. He died in Hinsdale in 1869, at the age of fifty-six years. Mrs. State was called to rest in 1893, at the age of sixty-six. Mrs. Ross had two brothers and one sister, namely : Charles, a farmer residing in Winchester, where he has been Selectman and Postmaster for many years; George M. ; and Susie, wife of Clarence E. Tyler. Mr. and Mrs. Ross have two children : Edward B. and Mabel S. Both are graduates of the high school at Mon- tague, and Mabel is still pursuing her studies. Edward B. married Miss Jessie Doolittle, daughter of Silas Doolittle, of Hinsdale.
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