USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts .. > Part 66
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Rufus H. Fitts passed his boyhood and youth in Leverett and Saratoga, acquiring his education in the schools of these towns, and then went to work as a teamster for William B. Stetson, of Leverett, in whose employ he re- mained for ten years. Some time later, after working at different occupations, he engaged in farming; and he moved to the old Adams farm in Shutesbury in 1880. He now owns one hundred and sixty acres of vauable land, is a successful farmer and stock-raiser, also ex- tensively engaged in lumbering, and is at the present time one of the largest tax-payers in the town.
On August 3, 1873, Mr. Fitts married Laura Adams, daughter of Silas Ward Adams, of Shutesbury. Mrs. Fitts's father was born in Shutesbury, September 25, 1811, son of Asa and Clarissa (Eastman) Adams. His grandfather, Asa Adams, Sr., settled in Shutesbury in 1759. Asa Adams, Jr., was born in Shutesbury, and his wife was a native of Amherst. They had fourteen children, thirteen of whom lived to reach maturity. Silas Ward Adams followed farming and lum- bering, in both of which he was successful, and in company with his brother Dickinson he
operated a large saw-mill. He was a Repub- lican in politics, and occupies a prominent position among the leading citizens of the town, ably filling various town offices. He was a member of the Congregational church. Silas Ward Adams died in Shutesbury, Octo- ber 22, 1888. His first wife, Lucinda Blodg- ett, was the mother of four children, the only survivor of whom is Mrs. Oris Fitts, of North Amherst. His second wife became the mother of five children, namely : Emma L., who died aged five years; Dwight Ward, born November 19, 1851, and now residing in Windsor, Conn .; Laura, Mrs. Fitts, born August 4, 1853; Carrie, born October 23, 1855, and now the wife of William E. Roberts, of Florence, Mass. ; and John M., born No- vember 10, 1861, and now a resident of Athol, Mass. The mother, who still survives, resides with her daughter and son-in-law at the old Adams homestead in Shutesbury, the house, which was built previous to 1812, being one of the principal landmarks of the town.
Mr. and Mrs. Fitts have four children, as follows : Harry Ward, who was born February 8, 1875; Gertrude M., born July 8, 1878; Myrtie C., born August 18, 1885 ; and Bertha A., born December 13, 1890. Mr. Fitts is a Republican in politics, and is liberal in his religious views. Mrs. Fitts is a member of the Congregational church. The Adams fam- ily, as will have been gathered from the above, have filled positions in the community and have been for many years closely identified with the growth and development 'of Shutes- bury.
UTHER DUDLEY is an old resident and highly respected citizen of the town of Leverett, where he is en- gaged as a manufacturer and dealer in lumber. His birth occurred in this immediate vicinity
J. C. NEWHALL.
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on September 6, 1817. He is a son of Aaron Dudley, who was born in Framingham, Mass., and grandson of Nathan Dudley.
Mr. Dudley's father was engaged in agri- cultural pursuits at Leverett in his early man- hood, and later erected a saw-mill, in which he began the manufacturing of lumber, a busi- ness that he carried on successfully in connec- tion with his large farm until his death, at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife, whose name before marriage was Sophia Frail, be- came the mother of ten children, four of whom are still living; namely, Samuel F., Luther, Hannah, and Maria. She died at the age of seventy-one years.
Luther Dudley was reared to farm life; and, as his manly strength developed, he also learned to work in the saw-mill. Aside from a period of three years during which he re- sided in Wendell, he has always been a resi- dent of Leverett. He succeeded to the possession of a part of the home farm, also taking charge of the lumber business in com- pany with his brother, who soon retired from the enterprise, leaving him to carry it on alone. Having conducted it with energy and good judgment, his efforts have been attended with satisfactory financial results.
The marriage of Mr. Dudley and Miss Alsa- mena Clark, of Montague, daughter of Aaron Clark, who was an early settler in Leverett, took place in 1843. They have been blessed with six children, four of whom lived to reach maturity, and are as follows: Tremaine, who married Ellen Spear, and has one child, Ralph T. ; Clifford, who married Jessie Housten, and has three children, namely - William Herbert, Chandler C., and Luther L .; Mary, wife of John D. Holston, having one child, Leslie E. ; and Emmons L., who resides at home.
Mr. Dudley has always been a Republican in politics, and the town has availed itself of
his valuable services in connection with the local government for many years. He has served a number of years as a Selectman, hav- ing been chairman of the board a greater part of the time, and has also served as Overseer of the Poor and Assessor for several years, and as School Committee for two years. In 1866 he represented his district in the State legis- lature with satisfaction to his constituents. Mr. Dudley was Justice of the Peace for twenty- eight years, ten years of that time being a Trial Justice. Mr. Dudley and his family enjoy a pleasant domestic life, Mrs. Dudley's mother, who is now (1895) ninety-four years of age, residing with them. Mr. Dudley attends the Universalist church.
ABEZ C. NEWHALL, a highly intel- ligent and prosperous farmer and one of the most highly esteemed citizens of Conway, Franklin County, was born in this town, August 12, 1825, son of Jabez and Eu- nice (Livermore) Newhall, and grandson of Lieutenant J. Newhall. The latter was a native of the eastern part of Massachusetts, whence he removed to Conway as a pioneer settler, taking up a tract of land, on which he spent a long and useful life, engaged in its clearing and cultivation. He died at ninety- one years of age, and his wife at the age of ninety-three years.
His son, Jabez Newhall, was born on the old homestead; and there he grew to stalwart manhood. When he attained the age of thirty years, he left the parental roof, and purchased a place in the village of Conway, where he conducted a tavern for upward of forty-three years, and also successfully engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. He took especial interest in military affairs, and was connected with the State militia, in which he served in the
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various ranks up to and including that of Colonel. He dicd at eighty-one years of age. In politics he was a supporter of Whig princi- ples. His wife, Eunice Livermore Newhall, who was the widow of Josiah Tilton, was born and reared in the western part of Worcester County, Massachusetts. She bore him three children - a son and two daughters: Sarah S., Jabez C., and Emily. Her death occurred when she was eighty-six years of age.
J. C. Newhall, who is still living in the house in which he was born, received his edu- cation in the public schools. At an early age he became familiar with the methods and proc- esses of New England husbandry, in which throughout his life he has been successfully engaged, and, despite his seventy years, is still vigorous mentally and physically. A brief biographical notice of Mr. Newhall is given in the History of the Connecticut Val- ley, together with his portrait and a view of his residence. Mr. Newhall married Miss Adeline Parsons, who was born and reared in Conway, and is a daughter of Charles Par- sons. Their union has been blessed by the birth of five children, namely: Eunice L .; Tryphena; Ruth I .; Anna B., the wife of F. Willard Boyden; and Harry T., who is mar- ried, and resides at home, assisting his father in carrying on the farm. Tryphena died at the age of nine months.
In politics Mr. J. C. Newhall is a firm Re- publican, and has served his town acceptably as Selectman and Assessor. He is one of the large stockholders of the Conway Street Car Company, and is prominent and well known in agricultural circles, being a life member of the Bay State Agricultural Society and of the Franklin County Agricultural Socicty. He is a promoter, stockholder, and director of the Conway Co-operative Creamery and a long- time member of the Franklin Harvest Club, and
also having for six years, beginning with 1888, served as a member of the State Board of Ag- riculture. He is also one of the charter mem- bers of Morning Sun Lodge of A. F. & A. M. Mr. Newhall and his estimable wife are con- sistent members of the Congregational church.
The excellent likeness of Mr. Newhall on an adjoining page will be readily recognized.
RS. CATHERINE TUCKER, one of the oldest and most esteemed residents of Heath, widow of the late Edward Tucker, was born in this town on December 25, 1804, daughter of David and Prudence (Fish) Henry. Her paternal grand- father, Benjamin Henry, removed from Hali- fax, Vt., to Colerain, where he cultivated a farm and was known as an able and successful man. He had been, it is said, a soldier in the French and Indian War, and was commis- sioned a Lieutenant in 1776. His name is prominent in both the military and civil his- tory of Vermont, where he was a Justice of the Peace for many years, and several times a Representative for his district. He died at the age of seventy. His wife, whose maiden name was Martha Ayers, lived to be eighty- six. They were both members of the Congre- gational church.
David Henry, Mrs. Tucker's father, was the third of ten children, and was born in Halifax, Vt., June 16, 1773. He bought the Reed farm of one hundred acres in North Heath, and on it erected a small frame house, the first of the kind in the vicinity. The country was wild and sparsely settled, Mr. Henry's nearest neighbor being a mile away ; but he had plenty of room for his kine and other live stock, and thirteen of his fourteen children, thriving in the fresh, untainted air, reached a healthy maturity. In politics Mr. Henry was a Feder-
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alist, and at different times he acted in an offi- cial capacity in town affairs. He prospered in worldly matters, being one of the most exten- sive real estate owners in the vicinity.
Edward Tucker, to whom Miss Catherine Henry was married on June 14, 1853, was born in Phillipston, Mass., in 1798, son of Ebenezer and Hannah (Thomas) Tucker. Ebenezer Tucker was one of the pioneer set- tlers in Heath, where he tilled a farm, and was also proprietor of the first store in town. His life of eighty-four years forcibly illus- trated the adage, "It is worry, not work, that kills men." His wife, too, had a long, busy life, beginning her eighty-first year. They had five children: Ebenezer, Rachel, Han- nah, Edward, and Lydia Tucker.
Edward Tucker was active and enterprising from his youth, when he bought up fatted cat- tle and sheep and drove them to the Boston market, carrying also farm produce and bring- ing back merchandise, which he sold to the farmers. Each trip consumed ten days and was very tedious and trying; but the profit made on the transactions amply made up for the fatigue endured, and in course of time he became quite well-to-do in the world. He bought a large amount of real estate in Heath, including the one-hundred-acre farm which belonged to Robert Patterson, on which Mrs. Tucker now resides. The large house and barn were built by Mr. Patterson, and have been kept in such good repair that they are in much better condition than many modern houses. Mr. Tucker was a very public-spir- ited man. In politics he was a Republican, and held several important town offices, serv- ing for some time as Selectman. He was greatly interested in religious matters, and regularly attended the Congregational church. He died March 29, 1883, at the age of eighty- five.
Mrs. Catherine Tucker, who is ninety-one years old, is a highly intelligent and interest- ing lady. The burden of years sits lightly upon her, her health being good and her mem- ory remarkable; and she appears much younger than she actually is. She is an attendant of the Congregational church, and is well known and held in much esteem in the town. She has no children.
HESTER CLARK, an enterprising and prosperous farmer residing in Wen- dell, was born on his present farm, June II, 1832, son of Josiah and Annie (Pot- ter) Clark, the former a native of Royalston. Benjamin Clark, father of Josiah, was born in Bridgewater, Mass., and removed to Royalston about the year 1777, then a young man. Aside from being a farmer he was an old-time singing-school master, well known throughout the surrounding towns, and regarded as an expert in this vocation. His last years were spent in Royalston, where he died at an ad- vanced age, his wife living to the venerable age of eighty-eight. They were the parents of seven children. Both Grandfather Clark and Grandfather Potter were Revolutionary soldiers.
Josiah Clark was reared on his father's farm in Royalston, and, having grown to manhood, continued to follow agricultural labors. He earned a good deal of money for those days in working out for other farmers by the month, his specialty being the cradling and threshing of rye, and his record as a thresher in one winter, with the ordinary hand flail, having been eight hundred bushels. His active life was largely spent in this locality, he having removed to Wendell in 1817. He died in 1853, at the age of sixty-six. His wife, Annie Potter, was a daughter of Robert and Patience (Boynton) Potter, and a native of
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Wendell, her father being a farmer and one of the early settlers of the town. Mrs. Robert Potter, who had been previously married, spent her last years at the home of her grand- son, Chester Clark, where she died but little short of the centenarian mark, being ninety- eight years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Clark were the parents of seven children, five of whom grew to adult life, and three of whom - namely, Emery J., Mary Ann, and Chester -are still living on the ancestral farm, occupying two houses. The mother died in 1875, aged eighty-five years.
Chester Clark has spent his whole life on the old homestead, having been educated in the district school. After the death of his parents he became the owner of the farm, which consists of one hundred and forty acres. He has never married, preferring to live a life of single blessedness with his sister, who keeps house for him. They have several in- teresting family heirlooms, among them some books that were printed more than two hun- dred years ago, also some pewter plates and cups, the plates being of different sizes, from six inches in diameter to the huge platter - all over one hundred and fifty years old. In po- litical affiliation Chester Clark is a Prohibi- tionist, and he has served as Selectman two years. He is an attendant of the Baptist church.
EORGE MENDALL UNDER- WOOD, one of the leading mer- chants of Orange and proprietor of the largest retail grocery store in Franklin County, is one of the keen, brainy, and suc- cessful young business men of this vicinity. He is a son of Thomas R. and Lucy R. (Pond) Underwood, and was born March 11, 1860, in New Salem, where his paternal grandfather, Bealy Underwood, was a pioneer settler. The
latter was descended from the Underwoods that settled in Charlestown and Newburyport in the early part of the seventeenth century. He bought one hundred acres of timbered land at New Salem, and, having built a log house, cleared a part of the land, but was thenceforth principally engaged in teaming to and from Boston. He died at the comparatively early age of forty-five years, his wife, Nancy Rich, who survived him, living threescore years. The names of their eight children were: Al- fred, Mary A., Otis, Thomas R., Nancy, Sarah, Warner, and Jewell.
Thomas R. Underwood was bound out when a boy of eight years to Asa Coolidge, with whom he lived until attaining his majority. He learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed more or less for many years. After his marriage to Lucy R. Pond, on September 1, 1847, he moved to the Pond homestead and devoted himself to the care of his wife's par- ents till their death, and then bought the farm. Here he has since been engaged in general farming, and has made several im- provements on the place, including a new barn and other buildings, and is enjoying his twi- light years in most comfortable circumstances. In politics he is a sound Republican, and in religion a good Universalist. His wife was born July 16, 1826, in Somers, Tolland County, Conn., daughter of Prentice and Lucy (Haskell) Pond. Mr. Pond, who was an enterprising agriculturist, removed to the town of New Salem with his family in 1835, and there bought the eighty-acre farm of Silas Ellis. This farm was partially cleared and had a fine large house, which is to-day in excellent condition, being the one owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Underwood, and the birthplace of their children, of whom the following is a brief record : Prentice H., born July 10, 1848, a commercial traveller
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living in Orange, married Mary Moore, and they are the parents of three children - Clara M., Ralph P., and Gladys M. ; Emma V., born November 1, 1850, married George Ma- goon, and died leaving one child -G. Albert ; Frank A., born January 26, 1853, is in the livery business in Orange; Vera E., born Jan- uary 18, 1857, married William Morse, of this town, and they have two children -- Earl W. and Frank T. ; and George M., is the young- est of the family.
George M. Underwood was educated in the public schools of his native town, and after leaving the high school began his business life as a clerk, which occupation he followed for eleven years, the first five of them being in the employ of P. H. Underwood. He after- ward travelled in different States, representing the well-known seed house of D. M. Ferry & Co., of Detroit, Mich., and during the five years he was connected with them gave emi- nent satisfaction to his employers and their numerous patrons. In 1889 Mr. Underwood, in company with H. H. Adams, bought out the grocery business of C. A. Towne, in Orange, and carried on a thriving trade for some time. In February, 1895, Mr. Under- wood bought out the interest of his partner, and has since continued the business alone, having now one of the finest and best-equipped groceries in this section of the State, centrally located in the Putnam Block on West Main Street, Orange. Besides groceries he carries a good stock of "Amberline, " a washing fluid which he invented and manufactures himself, and which has a large sale here and elsewhere. He has also made and patented an advertising card for harness pad and a roll cover for deliv- ery wagons, both being useful and appreciated by all who have tried them.
Mr. Underwood is highly esteemed in social, political, and financial circles, and is a mem-
ber of the Board of Trade. He is a Republi- can in politics, and in 1894 was elected to the office of Selectman. He is a member of Orange Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of the Knights of Pythias, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, both Lodge and Encamp- ment, and of the Orange Lodge of Red Men. In May, 1888, Mr. Underwood was united in marriage with Agnes Tashro, a daughter of the Rev. Charles Tashro, of Windsor, Vt. ; and they have a pleasant home in Orange.
DWIN WILBER, the efficient Road Com- missioner of Erving, Mass., was born in this town January 18, 1839, son of Hananiah and Susan (Felch) Wilber. Mr. Wilber's grandfather, Hananiah Wilber, Sr., who was a resident of New Salem, married Esther Tyrrell; and Hananiah, the younger, was the only child of their union. He was born in New Salem, was reared to agricultural life, and in early manhood moved to Erving, where he purchased a farm in what is known as Stoneville, about one mile below the pres- ent village. Here he resided for some years, and then sold the property and moved to West Orange, where he remained until within two years of his death, when he returned to Erving and passed the remainder of his days. He died in 1885, at the age of seventy-nine years. His wife Susan was a daughter of William Felch, and was born at Fitzwilliam, N. H. She became the mother of two sons and four daughters, of whom Edwin, the subject of this sketch, and Adeline, widow of the late Dwight Woodward, a mechanic and lumber dealer of Erving, are the only survivors. The mother passed her entire life on the farm in Stone- ville, where she died at the age of sixty years.
Edwin Wilber received his education in the district schools, and resided with his parents
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until attaining his majority. Hc commenced life for himself working as a farm laborer by the month in the immediate vicinity of his native town, and later became employed at the chair factory in Gardner, Mass., where hc worked for a period of seven years. During the succeeding four years hc acted as clerk at the Erving Housc, after which he labored steadily for ten or twelve years in the chair factory at Erving. In 1888 he was elected to his present position of Road Commissioner, which he has since held by repeated re-elec- tions, his energetic and progressive manage- ment of this department having thus received the seal of general approbation.
In 1877 Mr. Wilber was united in marriage to Alice A. Lakin, a native of Hancock, N. H., and daughter of Moses Lakin, who was a prosperous farmer of that town, and is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wilber have had one son, named Leon, who died at the age of twenty-two months. Mr. Wilber was made a Free Mason at Orange in 1865, and is inde- pendent in politics. He erected his present beautiful residence in 1889.
UTHER W. CLARK is an influential citizen and representative farmer of South Deerfield. He was born at Cheshire, Berkshire County, Mass., Septem- ber 19, 1851, and is the only son of Ora Clark, a native of Newport, Herkimer County, N.Y. His grandfather, Jeremiah Clark, was a resident of New York State, following there the occupation of shoemaker the greater part of his life.
Ora Clark became an extensive real estate owner in Western New York, where he bought and sold farm property, also carrying on a farm himself. He later purchased a farm in Whately, Mass .; and there he resided until
his death, which occurred in 1884, at the age of seventy-one years. His wife was Nancy Loomis, daughter of Isaac Loomis, a clothier of the town of Cheshire, Mass .; and Luther W. Clark is the only child of their union. Mrs. Nancy L. Clark died in Cheshire, at the age of fifty-seven years. She was a member of the Baptist church.
Luther W. Clark, after acquiring the ele- ments of knowledge in the district schools of his native town, took a business course at a commercial college, after which he spent a year in the West. Returning to his home, he engaged in work upon the farm, assisting his father, who during the last five or six years of his life was rendered entirely helpless from paralysis. At his father's death he took charge of the farm, which he carried on until 1889, when he sold it and moved to South Deerfield, where he now owns two fine farms, besides having an interest in a third -all valuable pieces of property. He is exten- sively engaged in market gardening, which he finds a pleasant and profitable industry.
Mr. Clark is well advanced in Masonry, being a member of Republican Lodge, the Chapter, Council, and Commandery at Green- field, and is also connected with the Knights of Honor of South Deerfield. In politics he was formerly a Republican, but now supports the Democratic party. He invariably de- clined to serve in any public capacity until recently elected a Representative to the State legislature.
HARLES T. BARBER, Town Clerk of Heath, was born in Ashfield, No- vember 15, 1827, son of Samuel and Sarah (Barber) Barber. His grandfather also was named Samuel Barber and was an Englishman by birth. He came to this coun- try when about twenty-five years of age, set-
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tling first in Boston and later starting a tannery in the southern part of Ashfield. He went back to England in 1854, but subse- quently returned to Ashfield, where he died in 1862, at the age of seventy.
His son, Samuel, Jr., who was an active and enterprising man, conducted a tannery in South Ashfield, afterward settling on a farm and taking rank as one of the most progressive farmers in the vicinity. He belonged to the old Whig party during its existence and later was a Republican. He served as a Represent- ative in the legislature, was Town Clerk for sev- eral terms, and was a member of the School Committee. He and his family attended divine worship at the Episcopal church. Mr. Barber was twice married, his first wife, Sarah Barber, passing away in her thirty-third year, leaving five children, and his second wife, Lucinda G. Arms, bearing three children.
Charles T. Barber finished his education at Sanderson Academy in Ashfield. When he was twenty-one years of age, in company with Horace Sheldon, he opened a general store in South Ashfield, carrying on a fairly profitable business for some years. This business he finally disposed of and went on the road as a salesman, later taking the position of general manager of the Grover & Baker Sewing Machine Company, with headquarters in Lex- ington and Louisville, Ky., whence he re- turned to New York City. In 1861 he took charge of the export sales of the Grover & Baker Machine Company, his office being in New York City. In the same year he bought the old Maxwell homestead of thirty-five acres in Heath, as a place in which to spend his sum- mer vacations. In 1876 the Grover & Baker Machine Company closed out their business ; and Mr. Baker then went to the Wheeler & Wilson Machine Company, taking charge of their export trade, remaining with them until
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