USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts .. > Part 50
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Clinton E. Barnard's great-grandfather, David Barnard, was born in 1756, son of John Barnard. He was a carpenter by trade, and cultivated a farm for family needs, living on what is called the Patten Hills for many years. He died in . Shelburne Falls, June 6, 1834. He had twelve children, Ira being his eldest son.
Ira Barnard was a carpenter by trade, the best in the town at that time. He was an energetic and successful business man, and bought the home farm in 1830, also purchasing land in other parts of the town. In politics he was a Whig, and later a Republican, and was Assessor of the town for several years. In religion he was a Congregationalist. He died in 1864. He was three times married, and had eleven children, five of whom are now
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deceased ; namely, Anna, Albert, Moses Allen, Clarissa, and John. The survivors are : Ira W., born January 18, 1815, living on the old homestead; Harriet A., born April 10, 1823, widow of Amasa Bardwell; Luthera, born November 11, 1828, widow of Charles Lee, both living in Greenfield; Jane, born October 13, 1832, wife of Thaxter Scott, of Hawley, Mass. ; Darwin, born January 6, 1835 ; and Franklin, born September 7, 1837, residing in Boston.
Moses Allen Barnard learned the carpenter's trade under the tuition of his father, Ira, and worked at it for a number of years. He was a good workman, as many of the old buildings in the town to-day silently testify. In 1841 he bought the farm now owned by his son, Clinton E., at first purchasing sixty acres, to which he added until the amount was doubled. He was a Republican in politics and a mem- ber of the Congregational church. He died at the old farm April 23, 1885. His wife, whose maiden name was Clarissa Long, was a daughter of William and Clarissa (Dole) Long, natives of Shelburne. An extended notice of the Long family will be found under the name of Ozias Long on another page of this volume. Mrs. Barnard's mother was a daughter of Parker and Anna (Trowbridge) Dole. Parker Dole belonged to one of the old families, and was one of the leading men in Shelburne. He built the brick house which is now the home of Walter Carpenter, and is one of the landmarks of the county, in which it was one of the best buildings at the time of erection, about 1800. Mrs. Clarissa Barnard lives at the old homestead with her son Clin- ton. She had but one other child, William L., who is a dry-goods merchant in Boston.
On finishing his education at the district school, Clinton E. Barnard gave his attention to the farm, living with his parents. He now
carries on general farming and keeps from twenty-five to thirty head of cattle - thorough- bred, short-horns, and grades - and raises large quantities of fruit. His farm is in a fine condition, the buildings are neat and substan- tial, and the house is very pleasantly situated, commanding a broad and beautiful view. Be- sides this estate, Mr. Barnard owns a farm of seventy acres in another part of the town.
He has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united on June 17, 1869, was Fannie M., daughter of Albert and Nancy C. (Darling) Peck. The Peck family came orig- inally from England, and the first of whom we find record located in Lyme, Conn. ; and from there the great-grandfather of Mrs. Barnard moved to Shelburne, where he was one of the early settlers. He had a farm and grist-mill in the southern part of the town, at Dragon Brook, and left his plough to take up the mus- ket at the time of the Revolution. He took part in some of the most stirring events of the war, and was one of the guard about Major André at the time of his execution. He lived to be ninety years old; and his wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Tinker, also lived to an advanced age. Their son Abner lived for a time in Leverett, Mass., where he learned the cloth-dresser's trade ; but he finally took up farmning, settling where the Pecks live to-day, owning here two hundred and fifty acres. He was a Republican in politics, and held office in the town, serving as Selectman for some time; and he was a leading member of the Congregational church. He died in 1839, survived many years by his wife, who passed away in 1877. Five of their seven children are yet living, namely: Albert ; Abner and Austin L., in Shelburne, the latter at the homestead; Aurilla HI., widow of Pliny Fisk, in Arlington, Mass. ; and Harriet M., wife of J. H. Tyler, in Napoleon, Ohio.
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Mr. Albert Peck, having acquired his educa- tion in the district schools of his native town, at the old Felenberg Academy in Greenfield, and at Shelburne Falls, taught school for some time and then took up farming. He bought the old Dr. Packard estate, and on it spent eighteen years, moving to his present abode in 1875. Here he has two hundred acres, and carries on general farming, fruit-raising, and dairying. Mrs. Peck is a daughter of Elipha- let and Martha (Brigham) Darling, of Shutes- bury, and has been the mother of seven children, two of whom are deceased, namely, Albert and Fannie, the latter, who was the wife of Mr. Barnard, having passed away on December 8, 1879. The five now living are : Julia D. Peck, in Shelburne, a well-known writer of stories for children; Martha R., in Conway, Mass., wife of Samuel Clary; Lucy O., a school-teacher in Shelburne; Austin L., a farmer in the same town; and Hattie F., wife of Llewellyn D. Crine in New York City. Mr. Peck is an ardent Prohibitionist. He and his wife rank among the oldest mar- ried couples in the town to-day, and have long been members of the Congregational church, in which he has been Deacon over thirty years.
Clinton E. Barnard's second wife, to whom he was married on February 22, 1881, is Har- riet M., daughter of John and Lucina (Tay- lor) Long, both deceased. Mr. Barnard has two daughters by the first marriage: Clara D., wife of James G. Barnard, a farmer in Shelburne; and Kate M. Barnard, who lives with her father. Mr. Barnard is a Republi- can in politics. He is a member of the Franklin County Agricultural Society, and he and his wife belong to the Congregational church, in which he has been Deacon for nine years. He was for five years superintendent of the Sunday-school.
J OSEPH WRIGHT KEACH, a success- ful and well-known agriculturist of Buckland, Franklin County, Mass., was born in the State of New York on January 19, 1847, son of Benjamin and Luthera (Packard) Keach, the former of whom was a native of Vermont. Mr. Keach's paternal grandfather followed for a lifetime the occupation of a farmer on the old homestead in Vermont. He died at sixty years of age, leaving three sons : Romain, Benjamin, and Charles.
Benjamin Keach, the second son, was natu- rally reared to agricultural labors, and, like his father, he continued to be thus employed throughout his life. In 1849 he removed to Massachusetts, first settling in South Deer- field, Franklin County, where he remained for nineteen years. At the expiration of that time, he went to Buckland, but a few years later changed his residence to North-west Buckland, to spend the remaining years of his life with his son. He died there at sixty- eight years of age. His wife, Luthera Pack- ard Keach, who was born in South Deerfield, Mass., daughter of Alvah and Fanny Packard, is still living. They reared six children, five sons and a daughter; namely, Sarah, Joseph Wright, Fred, Reuel F., Ellsworth, and Ce- phas. In political affiliation Benjamin Keach was a Whig up to the organization of the Re- publican party, after which he voted the latter ticket. He was a charter member of the Deerfield Valley Agricultural Society. Both parents were members of the Congregational church, of which the mother is still a regular attendant.
Joseph Wright Keach began when a lad of nine years to assist in gaining his own live- lihood. He first worked on a farm, where he received eight dollars per month during the best of the summer season. After that he was employed by various parties and at different
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kinds of work until he was twenty-two years old, when he purchased a farm in Ashfield, Mass. He afterward sold that and moved to Buckland Corners, where he purchased a farm which he still owns. In 1889 he was engaged to take charge of the town farm of Buckland, on which he is still employed as superintend- ent, and has given excellent satisfaction.
Mr. Keach was married in 1869 to Miss Ellen Jane Trim, a daughter of George and Jane Trim, the former of whom was a native of Connecticut. Mrs. Keach's father died at forty-seven years of age; and her mother, who was born in Rhode Island, reached the age of seventy-four. Mr. George Trim's father was drowned when but forty-five years of age. His wife, Jane Gertrude Chappell, daughter of Samuel and Penelope Chappell, long surviv- ing him, lived to the advanced age of ninety- two years. Mr. and Mrs. Keach's union has been brightened by the birth of a son and daughter, Joseph and Mary. Mr. Keach is a member of the Deerfield Valley Agricultural Society.
RS. MARIE L. HANSON, daugh- ter of Napoleon B. and Susan L. (Pierce) Coolidge, and widow of the late Albert A. Hanson, has spent a large portion of her mature life in Orange, where she is held in high esteem by neighbors and friends of many years. Mrs. Hanson was born May II, 1834, at New Salem, Mass., and comes from good old pioneer stock, her grand- father, Asa Coolidge, Jr., who was born in Natick, Mass., in 1772, having settled in Orange in 1810, buying the Orcutt farm of one hundred acres, mostly wild land, on May Ist of that year. He cleared a large portion of the land, built house and barns, and, in addition to tilling the soil, carried on carpen- tering, living here until his decease, at the
age of fifty years. He married Anna Jenkins, who died at the age of seventy-three years, leaving ten children : Faith, Almira, Napo- leon B., Hannah, Avery, Asa, Mary, Sarah, Orisa, and Benjamin.
Napoleon B. Coolidge was born June 18, 1809, at Natick, and came to Franklin County with his parents when an infant. On arriving at years of maturity, he bought the Cook farm of two hundred acres, on which he resided, and successfully carried on general farming during his years of activity. The twilight of his life was spent with his daughter, Mrs. Hanson, he living to the venerable age of fourscore and four years. He married Susan L. Pierce, who bore him seven children; namely, Marie L., William H. H., Charles P., Benjamin F., George O., Susan J., and Sarah A. Mrs. Susan L. Pierce Coolidge was a daughter of Barney Pierce, who settled in New Salem when a young man, and was for many years one of its most prominent and popular citizens, looking well after the welfare of his adopted town and serving faithfully in its various offices. He subsequently removed to Ohio, where he lived to the age of eighty years, likewise occupying an important position there, being a judge at the time of his decease. He married Susan Cook, and their children were : Susan, Henry, Charles, and Adeline.
Mrs. Pierce was one of those noble, whole- souled women who exert a beneficent influence on the world around them. She was the daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Derby) Cook, original settlers of New Salem, Mr. Cook hav- ing been born at Holden, Mass., migrating from there when a very young man. He bought unimproved land in New Salem, and there built a hotel, which he conducted with success. He became one of the most exten . sive landholders of that section of the county, and, in addition to the hotel, he erected a
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grist-mill, where he did a good business, and had the honor of being the first Postmaster of the town. His old homestead is still owned by the family. At his decease he left five children, as follows: Susan, Mrs. Hanson's grandmother; Lydia; Robert; Lucretia; and Hannah.
Albert A. Hanson, son of Asahel G. Han- son, was born January 7, 1833, in Shutesbury, Mass. His paternal grandparents were Elijah and Mary (Gunn) Hanson, lifelong residents of the town of Prescott, where the former was engaged in carpentering in early manhood, but later in life was a prosperous farmer. He was a stanch member of the old Whig party. The names of the six children born to him and his wife were: Asahel G., Mixter, Lucretia, Marilla, Warren, and Erastus.
Asahel G. Hanson learned the carpenter's trade when a young man, and, removing from Prescott to Shutesbury, continued in that occupation until his decease, at a good old age. He married Hopy Gray, who was a veritable helpmeet ; and they reared the following chil- dren : Albert A., Proctor, Mary, Forrest, and Viola. The father was a Whig in politics, inclined to liberalism in religion, his wife being a member of the Universalist church.
Albert A. Hanson in his youth began work- ing as a carpenter with his father, and later learned the cabinet-maker's trade. On leav- ing home he went to Dana, where he worked in a piano manufactory until 1859, when he came to Orange to accept a position in the Rodney Hunt works. When this concern was incorporated as a stock company, Mr. Hanson became a member of the firm, remaining with it until his health gave out; and, being then obliged to seek outdoor work, he disposed of his stock. In 1885 he bought the Darwin Merriam farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres, beautifully located on the elevation
known as Chestnut Hill, and here took up his residence, hoping to regain his physical vigor. He made various improvements on the place, remodelling the house, which is still the home of Mrs. Hanson, and which, though built one hundred and fifty years ago, bears few marks of its great age.
His life, however, was not greatly prolonged by change of abode and occupation. He died February 16, 1891. In his death the town of Orange lost one of its foremost citizens, a noble-minded, large-hearted man, and the Re- publican party a stanch adherent. Three chil- dren were born to him and his wife, Mrs. Marie L. Hanson. The eldest, Charles A., a mechanic, born September 4, 1856, is living in a house that he built on a portion of the homestead. He married Winona Crowl, and they have two children : Charles E. and Nyca M. Nellie M. Hanson, the only daughter, born August 23, 1857, married Charles H. Robins, of Orange; and they are the parents of four children: Harry C., Clifford A., Per- ley G., and Elmer G. Carl L. Hanson, an able and enterprising young man, born July 16, 1876, lives with his mother and has charge of the home farm.
EACON NATHANIEL A. BRIGGS, an extensive real estate owner and a prosperous farmer of Shutesbury, was born in this town December 30, 1824, son of Amos and Sarah (Fisk) Briggs. Deacon Briggs's grandparents were Nathaniel and Lucy (Marshall) Briggs, the former of whom moved from Connecticut to Massachusetts at an early day, and settled upon land in the eastern part of Shutesbury. He was industri- ous, energetic, and thrifty, and became the owner of a tract of five hundred acres. He died in Shutesbury at an advanced age. He
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and his wife reared four sons and one daughter, all of whom are now deceased. The mother lived to attain a ripe old age, and died at the homestead in Shutesbury.
Amos Briggs, Deacon Briggs's father, was reared to agricultural pursuits, and success- fully followed that occupation in Shutesbury during the greater part of his life. His de- clining years were passed in Pelham, where he died aged eighty-six years. He was originally a Whig in politics, but later supported the Republican party. He was a member of the Congregational church, and acted as Deacon for many years. Amos Briggs married Sarah Fisk, a native of Stafford, Conn., and she became the mother of five children, three of whom are now living, namely : Nathaniel A., the subject of this sketch; Olive F., who married Hiram Ballou, a fariner of Pelham ; and Samantha A., who resides in' Amherst, and is the widow of Simon Whitney. The deceased were : Charles A. and Lucy. Mrs. Sarah Fisk Briggs died at the age of eighty-six years.
Nathaniel A. Briggs received his education in the schools of Shutesbury, and resided with his parents until reaching the age of twenty- one years. After following the trade of a shoemaker for the next ten years, he engaged in agricultural pursuits, settling upon six acres of land located in the south-eastern part of Shutesbury, which he cultivated with good results. By energetic application and careful management he was enabled to add to his landed possessions ; and at the present time his farm property comprises eight hundred acres, he being the largest real estate owner in Shutesbury. His home farm, which consists of three hundred acres, is one of the most valuable in the town. Deacon Briggs has en- gaged to a considerable extent in lumbering, and his efforts in that direction have likewise been attended with satisfactory results. In
politics he is a Republican, and was for eight years in succession a member of the Board of Selectmen. He has also served as Assessor and Overseer of the Poor.
On October 13, 1852, Deacon Nathaniel A. Briggs was united in marriage with Cerintha E. Thresher, who was born in Shutesbury, June 24, 1834, daughter of William Thresher. They have had one daughter, Jennie E. Briggs, who died at the age of twelve years. Mr. Briggs has been a Deacon of the Congre- gational church at Shutesbury for twenty-one years, and Mrs. Briggs is a member of that church. He has always taken an active inter- est in religious work, and served as clerk of the church for nearly thirty years.
RS. ABBIE B. CLARK, widow of the late Andrew J. Clark, whose portrait is presented in connection with this brief and fragmentary family history, has been a resident of Orange nearly forty years, and is highly esteemed throughout this community for her kindness of heart and other excellent traits of character. She was born January 10, 1835, in Warwick, being the daughter of Cummings and Abigail (Jones) Lesure, active members of the thriving ag- ricultural community of that town. Mrs. Clark's paternal grandmother, a woman of unusual strength of mind and body, benevolent and charitable, attained the remarkable age of one hundred and one ycars and six months. Cummings Lesure was a practical man of busi- ness, and, in addition to farming, was engaged in teaming between Warwick and Boston be- fore the railways had been built, keeping sev- eral pairs of horses busily employed. He was born February 15, 1788, in Wardsboro, Vt., and lived to the age of fifty-three years. His wife, who died in her sixtieth year, bore
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ANDREW J. CLARK.
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him three children : Abbie B., Samuel C., and George J.
Abbie B. Lesure early became accomplished in the domestic arts, being well drilled by her mother during her girlhood at the parental home, of which she was an inmate until her marriage, in 1855.
Andrew J. Clark was born in the beautiful little town of Rutland, Mass., October 9, 1835, and was a son of Ira and Rebecca (Wood) Clark, the former of whom was a hard- working farmer, who died in the prime of life ; while his widow lived to a good old age. Mr. Clark was a self-made man in a very real sense, having been from the beginning the architect of his own fortune, His educational advantages were very meagre, his schooling limited to two terms in the days of his child- hood. When a little lad he was put to work in a cotton-mill at Millbury, Mass. ; and after- ward he was employed in a chair manufactory at Templeton, Mass. He had an active intel- lect, and, thirsting for knowledge, read the best books possible for him to obtain, pursu- ing his studies evenings, in this way acquiring a substantial education that fitted him for the responsible positions that he was later called upon to fill, and made him an influential and valued citizen. In 1857 Mr. Clark came to Orange, and first established himself in busi- ness with Mr. Alonzo White, in the manufact- ure of sleighs. He was afterward engaged in the grocery trade for a while, but gave it up to engage in the manufacture of a hand sewing- machine, in company with William Barker, and from that drifted into the manufacture of the New Home sewing-machine, being Presi- dent of the company from its organization to the time of his death, in 1882. He thor- oughly identified himself with the interests of the town, and, by his energy, industry, and honesty in his business transactions, fully
established himself in the confidence and esteem of the community. He was a steadfast Republican in politics, and served acceptably in the various local public offices, and was elected as Representative in 1864 and 1867, and as a member of the Senate in 1870-71 and 1875. Socially, he was prominent in Masonic circles, being a member of the Orange Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Crescent Chapter, Royal Arch Mason, and of the Orange Com- mandery.
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Clark, of whom the following is a brief men- tion : Abbie L. is the wife of Carl Jameson, a prominent shoe dealer, residing in Providence, R. I., having large stores in Providence and in Boston; Etta J. married John Atwood, for- merly engaged in mercantile business in Bos- ton, but now a resident of Orange; Gertrude L. is the wife of Harry Weymouth, who has a beautiful home in Orange, and is employed as book-keeper at Reynold's shoe manufactory ; Charlie Andrew died in early infancy; and Florence E., the youngest, lives with her mother. Mrs. Clark is greatly esteemed by her friends and associates. She is of liberal religious faith. Her pleasant home is on what was formerly the James M. Hill place; but the house, after Mr. Clark bought it, was practically`rebuilt, the grounds being graded and the beautiful lawn supported by a wall of granite, evidently built to last.
m® RS. ELLEN M. RUSSELL, widow of the late Nathaniel Edwards Rus- sell, of Greenfield, a refined and cultivated woman, whose sterling qualities of heart and mind have won for her the general esteem and respect, was born in Burlington, Vt., being the youngest, and now the sole sur- vivor, of a family of nine daughters born
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to Daniel and Mary (Porter) Farrand. Her father was a native of Canaan, Conn., born September 9, 1760. Having been admitted to the bar, he began the practice of law at Haver- hill, N. H., where he was married May I, 1794, to Mary Porter, a daughter of Colonel Asa and Mehitabel (Crocker) Porter, the latter having been a native of Newburyport. Colo- nel Porter, who was for many years a resident of Haverhill, N. H., was a strong Tory ; and his estate was confiscated by the government, but was afterward wholly or partly restored. Mr. Farrand subsequently removed to Bellows Falls, Vt., and was for some time a well- known lawyer of that village, going thence to Burlington, where he located June 29, 1804. He stood very high among the leading jurists of the State, and became a Judge of the Supreme Court, but was at length obliged to retire from active duties on account of failing health and eyesight. His death occurred October 13, 1825, at his home in Burlington.
Miss Ellen M. Farrand, who early developed a love of learning, received the best educa- tional advantages of her day, and was grad- uated in 1831 from the school established by the distinguished educator, Mrs. Emma Wil- lard, at Troy, N. Y. She afterward engaged in teaching, being in Brockville, Canada, one year, and subsequently an assistant in the academy founded by the Rev. Henry Jones at Greenfield, Mass. Being peculiarly adapted for the responsible positions she filled, she was very successful in her work, which she at length relinquished to become the wife of Mr. Nathaniel E. Russell. They were married on May 24, 1837.
Nathaniel Edwards Russell was born March 26, 1799, in the village of Greenfield. He was a grandson of John and Hannah (Sheldon) Russell, who were carly settlers of Deerfield, Mass., where their five children were born,
namely: Hannah, who died in 1801, aged forty-one years; William; Elijah; John ; and Lemuel. Grandfather Russell closed his eyes to carthly scenes August 17, 1775, his widow, who survived him nearly twoscore years, dying February 14, 1814, at seventy-six.
John Russell, the second, the father of Nathaniel E., was born in Deerfield, July 30, 1767, and died October 20, 1839. He was married at Northampton, January 8, 1795, to Miss Electa Edwards, a native of Northamp- ton, the date of her birth being October 29, 1776. She passed to the higher life March I, 1839, leaving a family of seven children, all grown to maturity, and all married with the exception of two daughters, Ruth Strong Rus- sell and Hannah Sheldon Russell. Both of these ladies became distinguished teachers, and for several years carried on a select school for young ladies in the city of Greenfield. Ruth, the elder, had previously won renown in her profession as principal of a seminary at Gorham, Me., and later as a teacher in Castle- ton, Vt. Mary C., the youngest child, became the wife of Dr. James Dean, a well- known physician and scientist, and the dis- coverer of the fossil bird tracks on the Con- necticut River bottoms.
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