USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts .. > Part 34
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ENRY C. WILLARD, a pharmacist of large experience, carrying on a substantial business at Greenfield, a gentleman of intelligence, enterprise, and social prominence, was born in this town in 1836, but has spent much of his mature life elsewhere, having returned to his native place in 1890. He is a descendant of an early set- tler of Greenfield, his father, David Willard, a son of Beriah Willard, having been born here in 1790. David Willard was a mer- chant and one of the extensive land-owners of Greenfield, and exerted a strong influence in advancing its business interests. He married Miss Sarah Dickman, a daughter of Thomas
Dickman, noted as being the editor and pub- lisher of the first paper established in West- ern Massachusetts, and the first postmaster at Greenfield. They reared a large family of children, of whom the subject of this brief biographical notice was the eighth child and the fourth son in order of birth.
Henry C. Willard received his elementary education in the public schools, and this was supplemented by a complete course of study at Fisk Academy. At the age of sixteen years he began to learn the business in which he has since been continuously employed, becoming clerk in a drug store at Hartford, Conn., where he remained four years. The following three years he was employed in the same capacity at Pittsfield, Mass., returning thence to Greenfield, where he was similarly engaged another three years. In 1865 Mr. Willard, in company with Mr. Clark, estab- lished a drug store at Brattleboro, Vt., and under the firm name of Clark & Willard had carried on a very successful business for some ten years when a disastrous conflagration destroyed their store and its contents. Mr. Willard subsequently engaged in business by himself in Brook House Block, where he re- mained a score of years, removing from there to Great Barrington, Mass., having the lead- ing drug trade of that place during the suc- ceeding three years. In 1890 Mr. Willard gave up his store in Great Barrington to come to Greenfield to take charge of the drug busi- ness and the estate left by George Hovey, the deceased husband of his sister, Nancy M. Willard Hovey.
On June 1, 1870, while a resident of Brat- tleboro, Vt., Mr. Willard was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Miss Mary Field, of that city. She is the descendant of a dis- tinguished New England family, being a daughter of the Hon. Charles T. Field, and
JOHN D. MILLER.
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a cousin of the well-known and talented writer, Eugene Field, of Chicago. Her mother was a daughter of General Martin. Of the two children born of their happy union one son died in infancy; and their other son, David Willard, is a Senior at Trinity College, where he is preparing for the Episcopal ministry. In his political views Mr. Willard has the courage of his convic- tions, and, although formerly a Republican, has been an adherent of the Democratic party since 1872. He is quite advanced in Masonic circles, being a Knight Templar, in which body he has served as Senior Deacon. He and his family worship at the Episcopalian church. of which they are communicants.
OHN D. MILLER, whose portrait meets the eye of the reader on the opposite page, one of the most enterprising and best-known citizens of Colerain, was born in this town, January 22, 1842. He is a son of Hugh B. and Mary Young (Drury) Miller, both natives of Colerain, his mother being now a widow. His paternal great-grand- father, William Miller, was of Scotch de- scent, but born in the north of Ireland, and was one of the numerous immigrants to this country known as Scotch-Irish.
Robert Miller, son of William, passed the whole of his life in Colerain; and there his son Hugh B., the father of Mr. John D. Miller, was born on September 16, 1813. He was engaged in his youth in lumbering, also conducting a farm, and was a shrewd business man, successful in all he undertook. In poli- tics Mr. Hugh B. Miller took an active inter- est, and belonged to the kindred parties of that time, being successively a Whig, a Free Soiler, and a Republican. He was elected to fill many public offices, being State Constable
for seven years, Representative to the legis- lature from his district in 1859-60, and again in 1866. He also was prominent in town affairs, being Assessor for twenty years, Jus- tice of the Peace for twenty-seven years, and Trial Justice for some time. The greater part of his life was spent in Colerain Centre. He died August 1, 1885. His wife, Mary Y. Drury, who was born October 12, 1814, is now the oldest resident in the village. They had five children, namely: May Bolton, who died when four years old; Susan R., born January 12, 1836, now the widow of Newton Smead, and living in Colerain; Nancy E., born January 10, 1839, the wife of John L. Clark, of Elm Grove, Colerain; John D .; and Robert, born May 28, 1849, a resident of Colerain.
John D. Miller grew to manhood and was educated in Colerain. He sought his fortune in the city, engaging first in trade in milk and baker's goods in New York and Brooklyn, in the employ of J. A. Lincoln, afterward carrying on the same kind of business in his own name, going from New York to Jersey City. In 1868 or 1869 he returned to his native town, and here engaged in various enterprises, farming being his principal industry. He has a farm of about two hun- dred and forty acres, and besides this property owns real estate in the village. Mr. Miller is also in business with C. A. Marcy, who has a large trade in carriages and farm wagons, carrying in stock vehicles of every descrip- tion. In fact, he is the sort of man that only America can produce - one who can turn his hand tc anything, and make all he undertakes a success.
Mr. Miller was married on December 20, 1871, to Mary E., daughter of Lysander and Mary R. Brownell, both now deceased. Mrs. Mary E. Miller died January 2, 1890, leaving
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three children: Sadie D., Hugh B., and Marian R. Marshall R., twin brother of Marian, died in his eleventh year. Mr. Miller is a Republican, and is quite promi- nent in local politics. In 1883 he was chosen Representative for the Fifth Franklin Dis- trict, which includes Northfield, Bernardston, Leyden, Heath, and Colerain ; and in town he has served as Assessor, off and on, since 1873, as Collector for several years, holding that office at present, and as Constable. He is Director and Agent of the Franklin County Mutual Insurance Company, and is also con- nected with the Quincy Mutual Fire Insur- ance Company of Quincy.
EORGE WASHINGTON MILLER, late a leading citizen of Colerain, was born here on February 10, 1816, and was a son of Robert and Nancy (Bolton) Miller, natives of the same town. On the pa- ternal side he was of the sturdy race known as Scotch-Irish. William Miller, the first of the family to settle in Colerain, came to this country from the north of Ireland in the early part of last century. William Miller removed to Franklin County from Stow, Middlesex County, about 1740 or 1745, at a time when the country was sparsely settled, and the home of every hardy pioneer was a miniature for- tress. The forests abounded with wild.animals and with equally wild savages; and the roads made by the settlers were chosen with the greatest care, in order to avoid ambuscades.
Indian Spring, on the Miller farm, is so called from an incident which aptly illus- trates the chances of the time. A settler who had lost a cow was seeking for the missing animal near this spring, guided by the sound of a bell which she had worn about her neck, when he caught sight of an Indian gliding
among the trees and underbrush and ringing the bell, which he had taken from the cow, to lead the white man to sudden death or captiv- ity and torture. Quickly raising his gun, the pioneer fired, and the Indian dropped near the spring. William Miller first settled where Mr. Arthur Smith now resides, spending there three seasons. He then moved to what is called the Milo Sprague place, and there spent the remainder of his life, prospering in worldly affairs, and taking a prominent part in town matters. He passed away on Decem- ber 9, 1785, at the age of eighty-five. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Wallace, was of the same lineage as William Wallace, the Scottish patriot. Her span of life cov- ered nearly a century, reaching its termination on March 28, 1794, she being then over ninety-nine years old. Mr. and Mrs. Will- iam Miller were Congregationalists, and attended service at the little church which stood near the Old Cemetery, the oldest bur- ial-place in this vicinity.
Their son Robert, the grandfather of George W., succeeded to the farm, and on it spent his life, winning a good livelihood from the products of the soil, and taking an active part in town affairs. In politics he was a Whig, and he attended the Congregational church. He was twice married, his first wife being Margaret McClellan, a native of Colerain. She died in 1790, at the age of fifty-two, leav- ing eight children: William, Thomas, Rob- ert, David, Martha, Mary, Jane, and Margaret or Peggy. On April 26, 1791, Robert Miller married Martha (Richey) Smith, widow of Thomas Smith. The second Mrs. Miller, who was a native of Peterboro, N.H., daugh- ter of William Richey, one of the earliest permanent settlers of that town, died July 28, 1849, aged ninety. She also was a member of the Congregational church. Of this union
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four children were born - John, Peggy, Annie, and Washington - who all lived to marry and raise families.
Robert Miller, the younger, was born and bred in Colerain. and spent part of his life on the homestead. carrying on general farming. After his marriage to Nancy Bolton, he moved to the part of the Miller estate which lies opposite Mr. Michael Johnson's resi- dence; and there the ten children born of the union grew to adult age. They may here be briefly named, as follows: Minerva, wife of Amos Bardwell; Nancy, wife of Abel Shat- tuck, and later wife of David Jillson, of Whitingham. Vt .; Robert, who married Celia Lyons; Margaret, wife of Nathan Hoskins, of Jericho, Vt .; Elizabeth, the only survivor of the family at present, wife of Harry Hos- kins, of the same place; Jane T., wife of Asahel Snow; Hugh B., who married Mary Drury, the latter now a widow, residing in Colerain; George W .; Joseph W., who mar- ried Helen Thompson and later Caroline Blakesly; and John M., who died, unmarried, at the age of thirty-one.
George W. Miller was eleven years old when his father died; and, after the boy had acquired what book learning the district school afforded, he took up the pursuit of agriculture, buying in 1841 the farm now held by the family. It covers three hundred acres, and is a valuable piece of property. On this farm is the site of the first store opened in the town, which was kept by the Chandler brothers; and the residence was built by the Chandlers in 1791, and, though over one hun- dred years old, is still in good condition, and admirably suits its pleasant environment. Mr. Miller was a thrifty and successful farmer, and made many improvements in the place. A Democrat in politics, he served as Selectman for some time, besides holding
minor offices. He belonged to the Colerain Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and, like his father and grandfather, was a Congregationalist in religion. He died at the home farm on December 9, 1891.
Mr. Miller was twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united August 31, 1837, was Sylvia Shattuck, who was born September II, 1815, and died on February 20, 1853. Six children were born of this union, only one of whom, Benjamin F. Miller, survives. He resides in Colerain, his home being just south of the old Miller place; and by his wife, whose maiden name was Eugenia Eddy, has three children: Frank Mowry, George Leroy, and Grace Peet.
On September 7, 1853, Mr. Miller was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Miller) Shearer, a native of Shel- burne, born May 26, 1822. Thomas Shearer, who was born in Colerain, July 14, 1791, was a well-educated man, and taught school for some time, but spent the greater part of his life in agricultural pursuits. He died Jan- uary 31, 1841. His wife, Margaret (Miller) Shearer, was born in Colerain, April 14, 1793, and died on March 1, 1863. Mr. Shearer was a member of the Universalist Society, and Mrs. Shearer belonged to the Congregational church. They had eight chil- dren, all of whom grew up; but at the present time Mrs. Miller is the only one living. She is the mother of two children: S. Adelle, born March 4, 1856, wife of William Rickett, of Derby, Conn., and mother of three children - Tessie, Henry, and William Percy; and Helen M., born October 10, 1866, wife of William Apt, who lives on the home farm with Mrs. Miller, and has three children - Albro, M. Russell, and Dora Mildred. Mrs. Elizabeth Shearer Miller is one of the oldest and most esteemed residents of Colerain, and
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her retentive memory is stored with interest- ing facts relative to the history of the town.
ON. CHESTER C. CONANT, a prominent resident of Greenfield, and Judge of Probate for Franklin County, was born at Lyme, N. H., in 1831. His father, Colonel Jonathan Conant, was born in the same town in 1793, and was a son of Josiah Conant, who moved to Lyme from Bridgewater, Mass., where he was born in 1768. Jonathan Conant, father of Josiah, was born at Bridgewater in 1734. He served through the entire struggle for independence ; and, although he fought in the battle of Brandywine, and endured the hardships of the memorable winter at Valley Forge, he sur- vived the many dangers and vicissitudes of the war, and died at Orange, Vt., in 1820.
Judge Conant is a lineal descendant of one of the oldest Colonial families. The imme- diate progenitor of his great-grandfather was David Conant, who was born at Beverly, Mass., in 1698, and one of whose sons, Will- iam Conant, 2d, was the first settled minister at Lyme, being pastor of the Congregational church for a period of forty years. David was a son of William Conant, born at Beverly in 1666, whose father, Lot Conant, was born at Nantasket in 1624, and was a son of Roger Conant, a Church of England Puritan. The father of Roger was Richard Conant, who was born about 1548 at East Budleigh, England, where Sir Walter Raleigh was born in 1552, whence it follows that they must have been boys together in the same village. Roger Conant, whose birth occurred at East Bud- leigh, England, in 1592, is supposed to have been a passenger on board the "Ann," which arrived at Plymouth in the month of July, 1623. He ereeted the first house in Salem,
where he settled, afterward being appointed Governor of the colony, an office which he filled for several years, until superseded by Governor Endicott. While residing at Nan- tasket, he made use of the island in Boston Harbor, then called Conant's Island, now known as Governor's Island. He was a grandson of John Conant, who was born near East Budleigh about the year 1520. The emi- nent divine, the Rev. John Conant, D.D., Archdeacon of Norwich, England, 1676, was a nephew of Roger Conant.
Judge Conant's paternal grandmother was Betsey Sloan, daughter of John and Esther Sloan, of Palmer, Mass., and later of Lyme, N.H., where they were the first settlers. Their tombstone, which now stands in Lyme (N.H.) churchyard, reeords their ages - each as ninety-six years. The ceremony of the marriage of Josiah Conant and Betsey Sloan was observed in 1788. The former was acci- dentally killed by a falling tree in 1801, at the age of thirty -three years, leaving three sons and four daughters. Judge Conant's father, Colonel Jonathan Conant, married in 1820 Clarissa Dimmick, daughter of Samuel Dimmick, of Lyme, and one of a family of twenty-one children. Her paternal grand- father was present at the siege of Louisburg.
Colonel Conant served in the War of 1812. He was by trade a contractor and builder. Of his family of eight children Lucy died at the age of eighteen, and Samuel at seventeen years. The others became heads of families, but are now deceased, with the exception of Judge Conant and his brother Josiah, the lat- ter being a resident of Thetford, Vt., where he follows agriculture, and has been several terms a member of the Vermont legislature. Dr. David Sloan Conant was an eminent phy- sieian and surgeon and a professor at Bowdoin College, Vermont University, and the New
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York Medical College. He was a volunteer surgeon at the battle of Antietam, and died at New York in 1865, aged forty-five years. Abel B. Conant. the youngest brother, was surgeon of the Fourteenth Kentucky Loyal Regiment, and passed some time in captivity at Libby Prison. He died of diphtheria a short time after his discharge from the army, aged twenty-seven years, while preparing to fill a professorship at the University of Ver- mont. Judge Conant's mother died in 1842; and his father, in 1863, at the age of seventy years.
Although Chester C. Conant began life by following his father's business, being at the age of eighteen years competent to assume charge of building operations, he preferred to enter professional life, and accordingly pur- sued a full course at Dartmouth College, where he was graduated with the class of 1857. He also graduated from the Albany Law School two years later, was admitted to both the New York and Massachusetts bars the same year, and afterward to the bar of the United States Supreme Court. He opened an office at Greenfield in company with the late Judge David Aiken, continuing in partnership with that gentleman for a period of four years. The partnership which he formed in 1877 with his nephew, Samuel D. Conant, still continues, the firm conducting a large law practice.
In politics Judge Conant has always been a Republican. In 1863 he was elected Regis- ter of Probate and Insolvency for Franklin County, to which office he was re-elected in 1870; and he now holds the position of Judge of Probate and Insolvency, having been ap- pointed in September, 1870. Judge Conant was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1882, and was also a Presidential elector from Massachusetts the
same year. He has served upon the School Committee of his town, his knowledge of building making him of especial value to the town during the erection of the high school. He is also an active member of the Episcopal church, having been superintendent of the Sunday-school for a period of thirty years.
On June 14, 1860, he wedded Miss Sarah B. Howard, a childhood acquaintance, who died July 17, 1889, leaving two daughters - Charlotte H. and Martha P .- who are both graduates of Wellesley College. The former, in company with a classmate in college, now conducts a school at Natick, Mass., where young ladies are prepared for Wellesley and other colleges for women; and Martha has received the post-graduate degree of A.M. from that institution. On October 18, 1892, Judge Conant married for his second wife Miss Emily H. Haven, only surviving daugh- ter of John P. Haven, late of New York City, formerly a publisher of religious literature. Mrs. Conant is a graduate of the celebrated school of the Misses Draper, late of Hartford, Conn.
ILLIAM L. BOUTWELL, a very enterprising and successful young farmer of Leverett, son of Samucl W. Boutwell, was born January 20, 1858, upon the farm where he now resides. His home is very near the farm on which his grandfather, Levi Boutwell, who was a native of Fitzwilliam, N.H., settled in carly man- hood. Grandfather Boutwell carried on his farm for many years, later moving into the village, and passing the sunset of his life with his children, who tenderly cared for him until his death, which occurred at the age of eighty-four years. He was a prominent mem- ber of the Baptist church and the father of a large family.
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Samuel W., the second-born child of his parents, was reared to agricultural labors ; but, directly after completing his education in the district schools and at the Shelburne Falls Academy, he began the work of life by teaching in the schools of Leverett and the adjoining towns. Later he received as a gift from his father the very desirably located farm adjoining the old homestead, and here he has since resided. Always a very active man, ; he attended to the many arduous duties which fall to the lot of a farmer until the year 1885, since which time his son William L. has re- lieved him from care and labor, so that he is now passing his declining years in the enjoy- ment of a quiet and well-earned retirement. He married Harriet D. Prescott, daughter of Luther Prescott, of Montague, where her fam- ily were early settlers and highly respected citizens; and this union has been blessed with but one child - William L. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel W. Boutwell, although well advanced in years, are still well preserved mentally and physically. They are attend- ants of the church at North Amherst.
At the age of fourteen years William L. Boutwell commenced a two years' course of study at the New Salem Academy, preparatory to entering Amherst Agricultural College, from which he was graduated in 1878. He then returned to the parental roof, and as- sisted his father in carrying on the farm until assuming entire charge, as above statcd, since which time he has conducted the farm with an energy and push which plainly demonstratcs the fact that he is well qualified, both by sci- entific knowledge and natural ability, to make farming a pronounced success.
In 1882 hc was very happily married to Sarah E. Bangs, of Leverett, one of the fam- ily of six children of Howard and Judith (Cutter) Bangs, her father, who was a native
of Hadley, now deceased, having been a pros- perous farmer in Leverett. Mr. and Mrs. Boutwell have one child, named Estella Mira- bel. Mr. William L. Boutwell is a Republi- can in politics, and is active in all public affairs of the town, having served as a member of the Board of Selectmen and as Overseer of the Poor; and he has rendered valuable aid to the town as a member of the School Board during the past eight years. In agricultural affairs he has been prominent, having been Secretary of the Hampshire County Agricult- ural Society for three years, and for a number of years a member of the Executive Commit- tee; he also has been a Trustee of the Frank- lin County Agricultural Society for several years past. Mr. and Mrs. Boutwell are at- tendants of the church at North Amherst.
RANCIS A. CADY, who, at his beau- tiful home in Ashfield, is enjoying the rest and recreation earned by his many years of useful activity, is numbered among the prominent and valued citizens of Franklin County, being a man of solid worth, possess- ing in an eminent degree those traits that command respect in the business world, and gain esteem among one's neighbors and asso- ciates. He was born in the town of Stafford, Conn., March 20, 1818, at the home of his parents, Garner and Susanna (Johnson) Cady.
Garner Cady was born in Connecticut, and there reared to agricultural pursuits, becoming an extensive and prosperous farmer. He also carried on a profitable business in quarrying stone on his farm, which he sold for use in blast furnaces, deriving a good income there- from. Energetic and enterprising, he was onc of the foremost citizens of his locality, both in business matters and in loeal public affairs. In politics he was a staneh Demo-
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crat, and. besides serving in various town offices, was Representative of his district to the State legislature several terms. He was a sincere and esteemed member of the Univer- salist church, and after a well-spent life of eighty-six years came to his grave
"Sustained and soothed By an unfaltering trust."
To him and his wife, who died in 1824, twelve children were born; namely, Phineas G., Alanson N., Andrew J., George F., Gid- eon H., Hannah, Garner, Jr., Isaac, Francis Augustus, Alfred D., Elvira, and Marietta S. Of these. Elvira, who married A. Blodgett, and is now a bright and active woman of ninety-three years, is the mother of thirteen children, three of whom are well-known physicians.
Francis A. Cady was left motherless when a little lad of six summers, and for the follow- ing ten years he was cared for in the home of an uncle. After being well trained to habits of industry, honesty, and thrift, he started out in the world for himself, his first employment being that of clerk for S. Gaylord, of North Adams, Mass. While thus employed, he practised a wise economy; and, when he reached man's estate, he had saved enough money to enable him to open a small country store in North Adams, making a modest be- ginning. but gradually enlarging and extend- ing his trade. Ten years later Mr. Cady disposed of his store, and entered into the real estate business, buying and selling lands and lots, erecting houses, which he sold or rented ; and he is to-day the owner of several valuable houses in North Adams. In addition to all this, he also for a short time carried on a thriving business in the manufacture of bricks. On May 1, 1892, Mr. Cady removed to Ash- field, purchasing a house, which he has en-
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