USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts .. > Part 70
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Mr. Pierce was united in the holy bonds of matrimony January 15, 1866, to Miss Ruth A. Paige, a daughter of Dr. Paige, of Chico- pee Falls. Mrs. Pierce is a finely educated and accomplished woman, being a graduate of the Chicopee High School, and for some time before her marriage was a successful teacher. Three daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, namely: Annie J., who was graduated from the Greenfield High School as valedictorian of her class; Alice R., a gradu- ate of Hamilton College; and Gladys, a child of ten years. Politically, Mr. Pierce has in- herited the views of his father, and is a sound Democrat. Socially, he is influential in the Masonic organizations, having been initiated
CHARLES A. TOWNE.
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as a Mason when twenty-one years old. He is an Episcopalian, his father having been one of the founders of the church of that denomi- nation in Greenfield and a vestryman.
ATHER W. BALTHASARD, who is a highly respected citizen of Shelburne Falls, but whose parish covers the towns of Colerain, Conway, and Shelburne, was born at Iberville, Canada, on December 4, 1861, son of Joseph Balthasard, who was also a native of that place. The history of the Balthasard family in Canada extends through ten generations, and the first repre- sentative of the family in America came from France. An account of ancestors of Father WV. Balthasard is contained in Mgr. Tangnay's Dictionary of Canadian Families. His grandfather was John Baptist Balthasard.
Father W. Balthasard pursued his early studies, or commercial course, in St. John's, Canada, and completed his education in the college of St. Hyacinthe, Canada, from which he was graduated in the class of 1886. He then remained in that institution for three years as professor. On May 30, 1889, he was ordained as priest for the Springfield diocese, after which he was stationed at Holyoke and Worcester until February 12, 1893, when he was appointed pastor of Shelburne, Conway, and Colerain. A parochial residence is now being built for him in the village of Shel- burne Falls. His time is now pretty thor- oughly employed with his duties in these different places, a good deal of travel by team being necessitated. His congregation at Shelburne Falls is composed of the members of fifty-five families. That at Conway in- cludes thirty families, and the one at Colerain represents about fifty families. These churches have prospered under his management.
ON. CHARLES A. TOWNE, who has recently been elected a member of the Governor's Council for 1896, is a highly respected and valued citizen of the town of Orange, which has long been his place of residence and the scene of his varied activities. Energetic and enterprising, admit- ting of no such word as failure, he has met with success in his ventures, and has attained a leading position among the most intelligent and capable business men of this community. He was born in Dana, Worcester County, Mass., on October 3, 1843, son of Ichabod, Jr., and Amelia (Doubleday) Towne, and comes from one of the old Colonial families of Essex County. The original ancestor in this country, William Towne, emigrated from Yar- mouth, County of Norfolk, England, with wife and six children about the year 1635, it is said, and in 1640 received a grant of land in Salem, Mass. In 1651 he bought land in Topsfield and removed to that town, where he died about twenty-one years later. His fifth child, Jacob Towne, married Catherine Sy- monds; and their son Jacob married Phebe Smith. John Towne, son of Jacob and Phebe, married a widow, Mrs. Abigail Stanley Towne ; and in 1748 they removed to Greenwich, Hampshire County. Their son Jonathan, who was born in 1719, was also an early settler in Greenwich, which place is said to have borne the name "Quabbin" before its incorporation in 1754.
This brings the record down to the grand- father of Mr. Towne, of Orange, Ichabod Towne (son of Jonathan by his first wife, Sarah Fowler, of Hartford), born in Green- wich, March 10, 1775. He was reared to agricultural pursuits; and, having purchased a farm in Dana, he made it his permanent abiding-place, carrying it on with excellent success, and continually adding to its improve-
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ments. Both he and his wife, Lydia Whipple, who was the descendant of one of the promi- nent pioneer families of that town, lived to advanced age. They reared a family of eight children : Lydia, Sarah, Fidelia, Ichabod, Edna, Mary, Alzina, and Jacob.
Ichabod Towne, Jr., was born in Dana, Jan- uary 21, 1810, but when quite young left home to work on his uncle's farm. Having a laudable ambition to possess a home of his own, he labored diligently, and, saving most of his earnings, in time secured enough money to warrant him in buying the old homestead, to which he was bound by so many pleasant remembrances. He conducted its operations successfully ; and, as the years rolled by, he purchased other land, his estate being one of the finest-improved in the vicinity. Although seemingly of a vigorous constitution, he did not live to complete the fifty-seventh year of his age. He was a man of influence in local affairs, and served acceptably in the offices of Selectman, Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor. In religion he was of the liberal faith, being a strong Universalist. He married Amanda Doubleday, a daughter of Joseph and Lucy (Towne) Doubleday; and she outlived him, dying in the sixty-eighth year of her age. They were the parents of the following chil- dren : Lucy, Mary, Jacob A., Charles A., Amanda O., and Ichabod F.
Charles A. Towne as a boy was gifted with good mental powers and acquired his educa- tion in the schools of his native place, spend- ing his boyhood days upon the farm with his parents. At the age of twenty years he en- gaged in mechanical pursuits, which he fol- lowed at Westfield and North Dana, in March, 1870, coming to Orange, where he was em- ployed for eight years by the New Home Sew- ing Machine Company. He then formed a partnership with Mr. Ballou; and under the
firm name of Towne & Ballou they opened a grocery store in Putnam's Block, and for two years were successfully engaged as dealers in groceries and grain. Afterward Mr. Towne bought out his partner and continued alone until 1889, when he sold out the entire busi- ness. Mr. Towne and Miss Emma C. Stone were united in marriage on February 18, 1869. Mrs. Towne is the daughter of H. E. and Fanny (Richardson) Stone, her father being now a resident of Springfield. The only child born to Mr. and Mrs. Towne died in infancy.
Mr. Towne is a member of the Universalist society of Orange. In political, social, and re- ligious circles he has always been prominent and influential, and has ably served to promote the best interests of his community. He is a stanch Republican, and in 1877, 1878, and 1880 filled the offices of Selectman, Assessor, and Overseer of the Poor. In 1883 and 1884 he was a member of the House of Representa- tives, and in 1887 and 1888 was a State Senator. In 1890 he was appointed by the governor to a position on the State Board of Gas and Electric Light Commissioners, where he served a term of three years. He is also prominent in Masonic circles, being Past Master of Orange Lodge, A. F. & A. M., a member of Crescent Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and of Orange Commandery, Knights Templars, also a member of Social Lodge of Odd Fellows. An excellent portrait of Mr. Towne is here given.
EORGE H. LAWRENCE, a promi- nent manufacturer of the town of Orange, and one of its most enter- prising and respected citizens, was born at Harvard, Mass., July 14, 1843, being one of a family of ten children of Andrew and Laura A. (Bridges) Lawrence.
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Abijah Lawrence, the father of Andrew, was a native of Bolton, Worcester County, Mass., where he was engaged in general farm- ing and stone-mason work during his years of activity. He lived to the ripe old age of ninety years, being at the time of his decease one of the oldest native-born citizens of the place. In politics he was a Jacksonian Dem- ocrat, and in religion was a Baptist. He reared seven children: Abijah, Alvaris, Kim- ball, Andrew, Martha, Lowiena, and Susan.
Andrew Lawrence was born in Bolton, and was initiated into the art of agriculture on the paternal homestead, where he remained until attaining man's estate. He started in busi- ness for himself as a lumber dealer, subse- quently removing to Harvard, and buying a saw-mill and a grist-mill, both of which he operated successfully for a number of years. On his retirement from the active pursuits of life he came to Orange, where he died, at the age of seventy-six years. His widow is still living, and makes her home with the subject of this sketch. She was born October 5, 1817, at Westboro, Mass., daughter of James and Johanna (Woods) Bridges, the former of whom, a well-to-do farmer, lived to the age of seventy-five years; while the latter completed very nearly a century of life, dying at the age of ninety-nine years, ten months, and eight days. Their three children were: Martin, Julia, and Laura A. (Mrs. Lawrence). The record of the children born to Andrew and Laura A. (Bridges) Lawrence is thus given: Alfred, who was for a time in the United States navy, and later was a soldier in the Civil War, a member of Company E, Sixteenth Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, was taken prisoner at the battle of Bull Run, and is now supposed to be dead, the last heard from him having been through a letter mailed at Washington, D.C .; Frederick, whose first
wife, Jennie Hodges, died, leaving one child, Herbert, by his second wife has one child, Lillian; Emory, deceased, married Lizzie King; Albert married Louise Kinsman, and both died, leaving two children, Arthur and Willie; George is further mentioned in the following paragraphs; Joseph is married ; Charles is a grain dealer in Orange, also mar- ried; Laura died at the age of twelve years; and two children died in infancy.
George H. Lawrence was reared to habits of industry and thrift, and, having great natu- ral ability as a mechanic, early turned his at- tention to pursuits of that character. When quite a young man, he came to Orange, where in 1872 he bought from Deacon Davis the old mill property located on East River Street, and, erecting a factory, continued his busi- ness of manufacturing toys, and introduced the manufacture of hair brushes, subsequently making his establishment the headquarters for manufacturing brushes of different varieties - an employment in which he was engaged for eight years. Since that period Mr. Lawrence has been an extensive dealer in lumber of all kinds, and has carried on a very large busi- ness in the manufacture of boxes and house finishings, being one of the leading manufact- urers of this line of goods in the county. In 1872 he built the pleasant residence which he occupies; and he has also advanced the growth and prosperity of the town by the erection of other houses, the larger part of which he has sold.
Mr. Lawrence's first wife, Lizzie Webster, a daughter of Henry Webster, died in early womanhood. The maiden name of his second wife, the present Mrs. Lawrence, was Maria Smith. She is a daughter of Sullivan and Laura Smith, and of their union three chil- dren have been born; namely, Nelson, Georgie, and Walter A., of whom the two
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first-named spent but a short time on earth. Mr. Lawrence is a stanch advocate of the prin- ciples of the Republican party; and, socially, he is a valued member of the Orange Lodge, A. F. & A. M.
TEPHEN C. NEWCOMB, a suc- cessful and respected farmer of Leyden, was born in that town, August 19, 1839, son of Charles W. and Mary (Shattuck) Newcomb.
His grandfather, William Newcomb, was one of the pioneer settlers of Bernardston, and made his living by tilling the soil. Of his eight children, all of whom attained maturity, Charles W. Newcomb and Mrs. Harriett Hinsdale, who resides in California, are now living. He died at about forty-five years of age, while his wife lived to be nearly eighty years old.
Charles W. Newcomb, born in Bernardston, November 30, 1806, worked for a time as a cloth-dresser, but spent the major part of his life in farming. He is one of the oldest citi- zens of Leyden, and is at the present time living with his son, Allen S. Newcomb. His political principles are Democratic. He has been twice married; and his last wife, before marriage Miss Mary Shattuck, died at the age of forty-four years. In religious belief both were Universalists. He was the father of eight children, six by his first wife and two by his second. They were as follows: Char- lotte, who died at eleven years of age; Susan, the wife of W. C. Pomeroy, of Northampton ; Jonathan S., of Bernardston; Stephen C .; Henry W., of Greenfield; Almira F., resid- ing in California; Alexander Harris New- comb, of Deerfield; and Allen S., of Leyden.
Stephen C. Newcomb, the subject of this memoir, grew to manhood in Leyden, receiv-
ing a good education in the schools of that town. At sixteen years of age he made a start in life by going to Newburg, N.Y., and securing the position of foreman in Sculptor Brown's place. When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted at Newburg with Company D of the First New York Rifles. He subse- quently took part in forty-five or fifty engage- ments, which included the siege of Suffolk, Va., Hampton Roads, siege of Petersburg, and the battle of Drury Bluff. In the course of his military service, while with his regi- ment at the front, three horses were shot under him; and he himself was disabled, in consequence of which he was confined in hos- pital for a time. He received his honorable discharge September 16, 1864. Fifteen years from the time he was first engaged by Mr. Brown he went to Northampton, Mass., and three years later to Leyden, where he has re- sided since. In November, 1874, he pur- chased the farm of forty-five acres which he now owns and very successfully cultivates.
Mr. Newcomb was married January 10, 1866, to Miss Rebecca J. Daley, of Newburg, N. Y. They have no children. In politics he is with the Republican party, in whose principles he is a firm believer. He is a member of the Edwin E. Day Post, No. 174, Grand Army of the Republic. In religious belief he is a Universalist, while his wife is a Baptist; and both are attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church. They reside in a comfortable home in a situation much favored by nature.
RS. MARGARET SLATER, a well-known and highly respected resident of Shelburne Falls, is the widow of the late John Slater.
Mr. Slater was born in Dublin, Ireland;
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and at the age of seventeen years he entered the English army as a private. He served be- tween nine and ten years, during which time he underwent many hardships and privations. His regiment was stationed for a time at Gibraltar, after which it was ordered to Mon- treal. Here Mr. Slater obtained his freedom from further military service by paying a sum equivalent to ninety dollars. He succeeded in obtaining an appointment on the police force in the following year. After this he went to Boston, and engaged in the plumbing business for several years. From Boston he came to Shelburne Falls, where he entered the employ of the Lamson & Goodnow cutlery firm. He was working at the latter place, when one day, as he was crossing a bridge with a heavily laden wagon, the timbers gave way; and both the team and Mr. Slater were precipitated through the bridge. On this occasion he received injuries from which he never recovered, and which eventually caused his death. After that he was unable to do much work; and in 1887 he died, being then sixty-three years of age.
His marriage with Miss Margaret Webb took place in July, 1854. She is a daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Keaton) Webb. Her father successfully followed the occupa- tion of steward. Both her parents lived to a good old age. Mr. and Mrs. Slater's union was blessed by the birth of five children, four sons and a daughter, as follows: Will- iam, who lives in Buckland, and is in the em- ploy of the Fitchburg Railroad; Margaret, the wife of A. J. Brooks, residing with her mother; John, a successful mechanic, living in Buckland, Mass .; Michael and Henry, both remuneratively employed as mechanics.
In politics Mr. Slater was a Democrat, and both he and his wife were consistent members of the Roman Catholic church.
UGENE BULLARD, a widely known farmer and lumberman, has lived in New Salem since the day of his birth, September 21, 1836. His parents were William and Faith (Coolidge) Bullard. His great-grandfather, Henry Bullard, was a man of prominence in the town of Medway, not far from Boston, his ancestors having been early settlers in the eastern part of the State. There Liberty Bullard, son of Henry, was born in 1776, and on his father's farm grew to manhood. He afterward purchased land, and was numbered among the progressive agri- culturists of that locality until 1816, when he sold out his possessions and came to this county, locating in that part of New Salem originally known as Orange. He bought one hundred acres of wooded land, cleared off the timber, and erected a comfortable set of build- ings, where he and his wife passed their re- maining years. He lived out the allotted threescore years and ten, while she attained the age of seventy-six. He was twice mar- ried, his first wife being Abigail Learnard, who died in Medway, leaving three children : Edward, William, and James. He afterward married Hannah Holbrook, who bore him five children : Abigail, Betsey, Hannah, Aaron, and Guilford. Politically, he was a strong adherent of the Whig party ; and he attended the Baptist church, of which his wife was a consistent member.
William Bullard was born in Medway in 1806. He came with his parents to New Salem, where he received his education, and, when a young man, bought the farm now owned and occupied by Mr. Turner. There he successfully carried on general farming and stock-raising until his death at the age of sev- enty-two years. He was known as an excel- lent citizen, a kind neighbor, and a faithful husband and father. In his younger days he
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was an uncompromising Whig, but on the for- mation of the Republican party became one of its stanchest supporters. He served in various minor offices of the town, and during the years of 1852 and 1853 was one of its Selectmen. He married Faithy L. Coolidge, a daughter of Asa Coolidge. Mrs. Faithy L. Bullard died at the age of sixty-eight years. Her chil- dren were: James, William L., Eugene, and Cooley J.
Eugene Bullard, having obtained a good edu- cation in the public schools and the academy of New Salem, taught school for three years. He next opened a country store at North New Salem, where for six years he was engaged in mercantile business, materially aiding in the advancement of the village interests, it being through his instrumentality that a post-office was established there in 1864. This was a great boon to the town, for the nearest office to that village was four miles distant. Mr. Bullard had the honor of being appointed the first Postmaster. Selling out his store, he bought the A. K. Smith farm of one hundred acres, which he has since cultivated with profitable results, besides carrying on a large business in lumber, buying wood lots from which he clears off and sells the timber, using in his business some of the finest draft horses to be found in the country. The house in which he resides was built by Eben Tenney about a century ago. It has been remodelled and is in excellent condition.
Mr. Bullard's first wife was Vira A. Curtis, a daughter of Ingalls A. and Susan (Eddy) Curtis. She was born in New Salem, May 30, 1834, was married May 12, 1863, and lived scarcely three years after, her death oc- curring March 6, 1866. She left one daugh- ter, Angie V., who was born March 26, 1865, is married to Elmer E. Davis, of Athol, and has one daughter, Gertrude I. On the Ist of
January, 1867, Mr. Bullard married Sarah E. Gill, a native of Barnet, Vt., who was born July 12, 1842, being a daughter of Willard and Sarah (Chamberlin) Gill. Her father was a carder and clothier in his younger days, but was afterward an employee in the Fair- banks Scale Works. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gill passed their last days in New Salem, he dying at the age of sixty-nine years, and she at sev- enty-nine. She was the niother of five chil- dren : Willard S., George, Joshua, Mary J., and Sarah E. . Mr. Gill was a Whig in poli- tics until the organization of the Republican party, when he joined its ranks. He served in many of the town offices. He was a mem- ber of the Congregational church, in which he served faithfully as Deacon for forty years.
Faithie L., the eldest of Mr. Bullard's three children by his second marriage, was born November 14, 1867, and died October 19, 1887, while a pupil at the Northfield Semi- nary. The two sons, William, born Novem- ber 26, 1871, and Robert, born October 18, 1873, are in the lumber business with their father. Mr. Bullard is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Democratic party ; and, although the town is decidedly Republican, he has served three times as Selectman, in 1866, 1893, and 1894, during the latter year being chairman of the board. For several years he has satisfactorily filled the office of Justice of the Peace, besides holding minor positions. Mr. Bullard is one of the enter- prising and substantial men of his town, and his busy life has yielded him a handsome competency.
HOMAS WHITE, senior member of the dry-goods firm of White Brothers at Greenfield, this county, stands con- spicuous among the successful merchants of this section of the State, and is everywhere
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recognized as a thorough-going and straight- forward business man, honest and upright in all of his transactions. He was born in Scot- land in 1856, and doubtless inherited those qualities of ambitious industry and wise thrift that have contributed so largely to his pres- ent prosperity. He is a son of James White, of Torphichen, Scotland, a carpenter and builder.
The father was a skilful mechanic, and, though he never amassed a fortune, he gave each of his children a good education; and before his death, which occurred at the ad- vanced age of eighty-three years, in April, 1894, he saw them all well settled in life. He married Ann Burns; and of the nine chil- dren born of their union - five sons and four daughters - all are living excepting one daughter, and all are married. The mother, now an active woman of seventy-seven years, still lives on the old homestead at Torphi- chen. Two of the sons are also living in their native country, Walter being an engi- neer in a shipping yard, where he served his seven years' apprenticeship, and James hav- ing succeeded his father as a carpenter and builder. The other three sons are living in Massachusetts, David being a dry-goods mer- chant in Boston, and Alexander a partner with Thomas in this village. David was the first to emigrate, coming to the United States in 1872, Thomas following the next year, and Alexander coming in 1876.
Thomas White began his career in mercan- tile business when twelve years old, serving an apprenticeship of four years in his native land. His earnings were meagre; but, hav- ing an object in view, he practised great econ- omy, and in a few years saved enough to pay his passage to America, having five dollars left when he landed at Point Leaver, Quebec, a stranger in a strange land. He made his
way to Portland, Me., thence to Boston, where he soon found employment in the old Scotch dry-goods house of Hogg, Brown & Taylor, the last-named gentleman having also been a native of Torphichen, Scotland. Mr. White began work for that firm at fourteen dollars per week, and was with them nine years, his salary being increased in the mean time to twenty-two dollars a week. In 1882 Mr. White came to Greenfield, and in com- pany with John Still opened a dry-goods store, the firm carrying on business for a year under the name of Still & White. Mr. Still retiring, Alexander White became the junior partner; and the firm has since been known as White Brothers. They have a spacious and well-furnished store in the American House Block, being one of the finest in this vicinity, and do a business amounting to seventy-five thousand dollars per annum, giving employ- ment to eleven clerks.
Mr. White married Miss Nellie Burus, a native of London, England, who crossed the ocean to become his bride. Their first-born, a son, Arthur, died at the age of fifteen months. Six daughters brighten their home at 54 Federal Street; namely, Lillian, Ma- rion, Margaret, Ann, Catherine, and Jessie. In politics Mr. White is a sound Democrat, and for seven years served as one of the Board of Registrars. His estimable wife is a con- scientious member of the Baptist church, in which she is an active worker.
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