USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Hampshire County, Massachusetts > Part 13
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Council from his ward. Climena Belle Tower, the wife of Fred Sweet, of Wilming- ton, Vt .. has three children. Lizzie Tower married Caleb Hill, of Wakefield, Mass. Perley D. Tower, who is unmarried, is a farmer.
In September. 1888, Mr. Tower was again married, his second wife being Mrs. Evaline Rogers, who was left a widow with three chil- dren. namely: Sophia, a widow residing in Buffalo, N.Y .; and twin daughters - Cora and Carrie -both of whom are married. Mrs. Tower has one grandchild and two great-grandchildren, all living in Buffalo, N. Y. Mr. Tower formerly voted the Whig ticket, but since the organization of the Re- publican party he has been affiliated with the latter. He was reared in the Presbyterian faith. His portrait is herewith presented.
ON. JOHN A. MORTON, deceased, formerly a prominent resident of Hadley, was born in Ware, Mass., March 8, 1804, son of Thomas and Eunice (Gray) Morton. The late Mr. Morton's par- ents were natives of Massachusetts. Thomas Morton, who followed agriculture his entire life, died at the age of thirty-two years. His wife became the mother of five children : Thomas; Mary; Caleb; Jonathan; and John A., the subject of this sketch.
John A. Morton at the age of fifteen com- menced to learn the trade of a dyer and cloth dresser, an occupation which he subsequently followed for some time. After his marriage he purchased the farm where his son, George W., now resides. It originally comprised but one hundred and twenty-five acres; but he kept adding to it as opportunities offered until it embraced three hundred acres. He was a very successful farmer. His declining years
were passed with his children, and he died December 27, 1878. Mr. Morton was promi- nently identified with public affairs, served as a Selectman in the town of Hadley for several years, and represented his district in the legis- lature with distinction.
Mr. Morton's wife became the mother of twelve children, namely : George W .; Elmira S., wife of Henry M. Marsh ; Sarah Ann, who died at the age of eighteen years; John A., Jr., who married and is now residing in Iowa; Thomas D., who married Annie Tuttle, and now resides at the old homestead; Horace B., who married Jennie B. Underwood, and resides in Hadley; Hattie, who married Henry L. Cook, and is now dead; Edward C., who mar- ried Alice Wilber, and is now residing at the old homestead; Francis, who died in infancy ; Clara, who died in 1859, aged ten years; Cyrus, who died at the age of nineteen years ; and Jennie W., wife of Henry S. Shipman, a resident of Hadley. The mother died No- vember 14, 1888.
George W. Morton married for his first wife Ellen B. Boynton, of Springfield, and his three children by this union were: Emma R. ; Kate F., deceased; and Arthur B. His first wife having died, he wedded for his second wife Dency M. King, of Amherst, who died, leaving four children; namely, Nellie O., Thera S., May L., and Edna B. Mr. Morton was formerly a Whig in politics, and is now a Republican.
HARLES A. PUFFER, one of the oldest citizens of Amherst, where he has been for years successfully en- gaged in farming, was born in Franklin, Nor- folk County, Mass., May 27, 1824, son of Stephen and Sally (Fosgate) Puffer, both natives of Berlin, Mass.
Stephen Puffer spent the early part of his
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life in Norfolk County, working as a tanner, currier, and finisher. He owned the farm now in the possession of Charles A. His last years were passed successively in Belchertown and Amherst. He was an industrious and competent workman, very successful in busi- ness, a Republican in politics, and a member of the Congregational society. He died in North Amherst, February 4, 1859. Mrs. Puffer died April 3, 1871, leaving four chil- dren, namely : Reuben G., residing in North Amherst ; Sarah E., widow of J. C. Hastings, residing in South Amherst ; Stephen P., resid- ing in North Amherst; and Charles A. All of these are now over seventy years of age.
Charles A. Puffer received the greater part of his education in Amherst. When a boy he became familiar with the duties of farm life, and on attaining manhood took to farming as an occupation. He has a fine estate of fifty acres, on which he has made many improve- ments, and carries on general farming. His buildings are in good condition, and the whole property bears evidence of thrift and prosperity.
On March II, 1846, Mr. Puffer was united in marriage with Caroline E., daughter of Earl and Nancy (Oliver) Johnson, a native of Hadley. Mrs. Puffer's grandfather, Silas Johnson, was born in Woodstock, Conn. The greater part of his life was devoted to farming ; but for some time he kept a tavern in Dover, Vt. His last years were passed in South Amherst, where he owned a farm that yielded him an ample income. He was a veteran of the Revolution, having enlisted in the Conti- nental army when only sixteen years of age. In politics he was an old-time Whig, and, with his wife, attended the Congregational church. His span of life embraced eighty- six years. His wife, whose maiden name was Clarissa Bugbee, also lived to an advanced
age. They had two sons and five daughters, all of whom lived over sixty years.
Earl Johnson, the father of Mrs. Puffer, was the elder of the two sons. He also was engaged in agriculture, owned a good farm in Amherst, and was quite wealthy. He was a stanch Republican, an active and worthy citi- zen, and lived to the age of seventy-eight years. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Oliver, was born in Scotland, and came to America when seven years of age. She and her husband were members of the Congrega- tional church at South Amherst, and she died at the age of sixty-three. Their union was blessed by two daughters and a son. Of these two are now living, namely: Clarissa, wife of Reuben Puffer, of North Amherst; and Silas O., a farmer in Amherst.
Mrs. Puffer, the wife of Charles A. Puffer, died June 12, 1895, aged seventy-one. They had several children, but the father is now the sole survivor of the family. Mr. Puffer cast his first vote in support of the Whigs, and is now a Republican. He is a member of the Congregational Church at South Amherst, which was also attended by his late wife, and is held in the highest esteem by his townsmen.
HEOPHILUS EDWARDS, a promi- nent and well-known agriculturist of Westhampton, was born November 9, 1826, in the house where he now lives, and which was also the dwelling of his father, Samuel Edwards, during his entire life.
The annals of Hampshire County show that the Edwards family were among its earliest settlers. Samuel Edwards, Sr., the paternal grandfather of Theophilus Edwards, was born and reared in Southampton. After his mar- riage he located in Westhampton, buying the homestead property on which his children
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were born, and on which he and his wife, for- merly Silence Judd, spent their remaining days. She passed away in 1840, and his death occurred two years later.
Samuel Edwards, father of Theophilus, suc- ceeded to the ownership of the home farm, which he managed successfully, placing much of the land under cultivation. He was a man of good mental attainments, and had much practical sagacity, duly appreciated by his neighbors. He represented the district in the State legislature during the year 1854-55. He married Betsey Ludden, a native of Williamsburg, Mass., and brought her to the home of his boyhood ; there they reared their family and spent their declining years. His wife died in 1857, and he died in 1869. The record of the ten children born to them is as follows: Mrs. Maria Thayer died in Amherst in July, 1895; Asa C. resides in Springfield ; Samuel F. died at the age of twenty-one years ; Betsey lives in East Amherst ; Eli Ludden died at the age of seventy-four years; F. Worster died in 1860; Almeron is a resident of West Springfield; Theophilus is the subject of this article; Sarah, wife of Joel Burch, resides in Sunderland; and Henry B. is a well-known merchant of Amherst.
Theophilus Edwards acquired a good educa- tion in his youthful days. Having completed his studies he began working with his father in tilling the soil. Finding the occupation congenial to his tastes Mr. Edwards has con- tinued in it to the present day, and, with the exception of eighteen months in his early man- hood, has constantly lived on the family home- stead. He has added one hundred and sixteen acres to the original farm, so that now it con- tains two hundred and sixty acres, making one of the most valuable estates in the vicin- ity. He is a skilful and practical farmer, being thorough and systematic in his methods.
Firm in his convictions of justice and honest in all of his dealings, he is held in high re- spect. He is a stanch adherent of the Repub- lican party, and served his fellow-townsmen as Selectman in 1869 and 1870, holding at the same time the office of Assessor.
On March 16, 1853, Mr. Edwards was united in marriage with Sarah A. Dole, a native of Shelburne, Mass., and a daughter of Levi and Emily (Rudd) Dole, neither of whom is now living. Mr. Dole was a prosperous farmer; while Mrs. Dole, who survived him, passed the twilight years of her life with her daughter, Mrs. Edwards. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards six children were born, namely : Sarah Alice, born in 1854, who died January 12, 1878; Emily Amelia, wife of Clark F. Thayer, who is engaged in the dry- goods business in Chicago; Ella A., de- ceased, who married H. J. Chapman ; Clara E., also deceased, who was the second wife of H. J. Chapman; Levi W., now a resident of Galesburg, Ill., who married Frances Pierce, of Monmouth, Ill., October 4, 1892; and Arthur T., who lives at home. Mr. Edwards and his wife are active workers in the cause of religion, and belong to the Congregational Church of Westhampton. He is now one of the standing committee of that society, and has been superintendent of its Sunday-school.
UBERT M. CONEY, a successful attorney-at-law possessing the esteem and confidence of his neighbors, was born on his father's farm in Ware, March 18, 1844, and is a son of John and Sophronia (Allen) Coney, and a grandson of William Coney.
His great-grandfather was a descendant of Nathaniel Coney, who came from Coney Green, England, in the latter part of the
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seventeenth century and settled in Stoughton- ham, now the town of Stoughton, Mass., where he spent the remainder of his life. His de- scendants were among the best-known resi- dents of that place for many years. However, as time went by, they gradually scattered throughout New England and Western New York. William Coney, son of Nathaniel, who was born in 1764, removed when ten years of age to Coy's Hill in Ware, where he afterward became a practical farmer. He reared a family of six children, namely : Nathan; John; Calvin; Mrs. Caroline Goff ; Theodosia; and Galacy, who married Darius Eaton. Nathan, the eldest, lived over eighty years; and, with the exception of Calvin, the youngest son, the rest enjoyed long lives. Their father's death occurred in 1847, at the age of eighty-three.
John Coney, who was born in 1809, grew to manhood on his father's farm. As his parents were in humble circumstances, his start in life was made without any capital. Beginning in a humble way, but with a resolute spirit, he advanced step by step until he was able to buy his father's farm. Thereafter he gave his attention to the cultivation of the land, at which he was very successful. In 1871 he retired from his farm to the village of Ware, purchasing a home at 63 North Church Street, where his last days were spent. He died in 1884, seventy-five years of age. His wife, Sophronia Allen, to whom he was married in 1841, was a daughter of Chester and Anna (Rice) Allen. She bore him three sons, as follows: Hubert M. ; George H., a successful carpenter and builder in Ware; and Charles E., who died unmarried in 1876, at twenty-six years of age. She still resides on North Church Street.
Hubert M. Coney acquired his early educa- tion in the public schools. With the purpose
of entering Amherst College, he (although fitted for college) attended the Ware High School, working for one year of the period on the farm. The Civil War had, however, then begun; and his plans were changed by his enlistment, October 11, 1861, in Company I) of the Thirty-first Massachusetts Infantry. He served as a private in the ranks until the summer of 1864, when he was sent on detached service as clerk at Cavalry Corps Headquar- ters, Department of the Gulf. He was honor- ably discharged November 20, 1864, and at once returned to his home. On March I, 1865, he entered the hardware store of George Robinson, by whom he was employed until September, 1866, when he purchased the busi- ness. After carrying it on for six years he sold it to Robinson Brothers, and then en- gaged in the fire and life insurance business for a time. While so employed he studied law; and in March, 1876, he was admitted to the bar of Hampden County. He followed his profession in Springfield, Mass., until 1882, and afterward in Boston until 1889. Equipped with the knowledge and experience he had so acquired, he then opened an office in Ware. He was soon in possession of a large clientage and is now doing a prosperous business.
He was married on April 17, 1867, to Miss Eleanor Brainerd, of Ware, a daughter of Edwin L. and Eleanor (Lawton) Brainerd. They lost their only son, Edwin B., when he was fourteen years of age, his death occurring on the anniversary of their marriage, April 17, 1889. Mr. Coney has always taken a prominent part in political affairs, and served most acceptably in various official capacities. He was sent as a Representative to the State legislature in 1881 from Ward Two, Spring- field, Mass. ; and in 1872 he was chosen Town Clerk of Ware, serving in that position until
ALBERT R. HOUSE.
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IS76. He is a member of Eden Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Ware, and Springfield Com- mandery Knights Templars, in which he has passed all the chairs except that of Eminent Commander. He belongs to the J. W. Law- ton Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he was a charter member and is now a Past Commander. He is Judge Advocate of the Department of Massachusetts, and has been an aide on the staff of Commander-in-chief Lawler. Aside from being a leading lawyer of the town of Ware, Mr. Coney is a most genial and obliging gentleman, and has won many warm friends. He and his wife reside in their pleasant home at 16 Church Street.
LBERT R. HOUSE, a progressive agri- . culturist of Enfield, owns one of the most pleasantly located farms in this beautiful town, the view from his resi- dence being one that the lover of nature never tires of looking upon - the picturesque moun- tain side with its rocks and trees on the west, and green fields sloping toward the south and east. Mr. House was born in the town of Chesterfield, in the western part of Hamp- shire County, on June 12, 1842, and is a son of Samuel and Clarissa (Root) House. His grandfather, Gresham House, was also a native of Chesterfield, son of an early settler of that town. He became the owner of a good farm and spent his active life in its cultivation. His earthly years were about threescore and ten, and his wife Mary also lived to attain a good age. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are still living.
Samuel House, the second child of his par- ents, was born in Chesterfield on April 8, 1810. After having been for many years there successfully engaged in farming, he has now retired from active business and is living
at Haydenville in this county. He has always taken a keen interest in town affairs, and at the time of the Civil War, while a resident of Chesterfield, served as Selectman. In politi- cal affiliation he is a Republican, and in relig- ious fellowship a Congregationalist. His wife, Clarissa Root, was born April 15, 1815, in Westfield, Hampden County, and is now in her eighty-first year. Of the four children born of their union, three grew to years of dis- cretion and still survive, namely : Ellen, the wife of Samuel Thayer, of Westfield; Albert R. ; and Edwin J., who served as a private in the First Massachusetts Cavalry, and now resides in Williamsburg. Frank died when but three years old.
Albert R. House grew to manhood in Ches- terfield, acquiring his education in the district and high schools and at Westfield Academy. On attaining his majority he left home, and in 1864 purchased a farm in Enfield, the one on which he now resides, a well-improved estate of one hundred and seventy-four acres. He is a hard worker and carries on general farming with good success, keeping his barns and house and other buildings in good repair, and his land in a good state of cultivation, the fat and sleek cattle that graze in his pastures showing that they receive due attention and care.
On May 8, 1862, Mr. House was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Bryant, a daughter of Eli and Mary (Simmons) Bryant. She was born in Suffield, Conn., November 27, 1842. Her father, who spent many years of his life in Chesterfield, where he was a suc- cessful farmer, was drowned in the freshet that visited that town in 1874, he being then sixty- three years old. Mrs. Bryant is still living in Warren, Ill. She is a member of the Con- gregational church. She and her husband had five children, namely : Nelson J. and Ella L.
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(now deceased) ; Elizabeth (Mrs. House) ; Willard C., living in Wyanet, Bureau County, Ill. ; and Mrs. Isabella M. Hayden, of South Framingham, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. House have an interesting family of six children, of whom a brief record follows : Alice C., born Septem- ber 10, 1862, lives in Haydenville, Mass., with her grandparents; Samuel, born March 12, 1864, is engaged in the tin and plumbing business in Springfield, Mass .; Agnes E., born April 12, 1866, married Dwight Tillson, of Enfield, and has two children, Raymond A. and Ralph B. ; Annie I., who was born Febru- ary 12, 1871, married Thomas Sanderson, of Enfield, and has a son, Roy E. ; Mary L., born August 28, 1872, is the wife of William Metcalf, of Enfield, and has a daughter, Ger- trude E. ; and Albert R., Jr., who was born March 25, 1876, still lives with his parents.
Mr. House casts his vote with the Republi- can party. He interests himself in whatever conduces to promote the welfare of his town; and among the positions of responsibility and trust filled by him have been that of Selectman for several terms and that of Assessor for upward of fifteen years. He is a member of Bethel Lodge, A. F. & A. M. Mr. and Mrs. House are a genial couple, and the doors of their pleasant home are often open for the reception of their many valued friends and acquaintances. A likeness of Mr. House will be found on another page of this volume.
SMYN WATTS, a progressive farmer of Worthington, was born in that town, May 30, 1828, son of John and Philura (Anable) Watts. Mr. Watts's grand- father was John Watts, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to the United States and settled in Worthington, where he engaged in farming. John Watts, Jr., Mr. Watts's father, followed
the same occupation through life. He also erected a saw-mill, which he operated success- fully for several years. He was a well-known and highly esteemed citizen, a Whig in poli- tics, and was a member of the Board of Select- men. He and his family attended the Congregational church. He died May 3, 1853. His wife was the mother of fifteen children, eleven of whom survived, and were nanied : Eliza, Martha, John, Jane, Mary, Lucy, Samuel, William, Alonzo, Henry, and Osmyn. The others died in infancy. The mother's death occurred in August, 1869.
·Osmyn Watts resided with his parents and assisted his father upon the farm. At his father's death he purchased the homestead. He sold it later, and after residing for a time first upon the farm which he now cultivates and then with an aunt, he moved to Chester, Mass. In 1853 he bought a farm in Middle- field, Mass., where he resided for fourteen years. At the expiration of that period he sold the property there, and in 1868 moved to his present farm in Worthington. He now carries on general farming, stock-raising, and dairying, and personally attends to a major part of the farm duties. He is a Republican in politics.
On January 20, 1851, Mr. Watts was united in marriage to Eunice D. Barnes. She was born in Southampton, February 18, 1833, daughter of Stephen C. and Delana (Gorham) Barnes. The father, a native of Connecticut, died January 16, 1873; and the mother, who was born in Montgomery, Mass., died March 27, 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Watts have one daughter, Eunice P., who was born October 29, 1851. She is the wife of B. G. Blake, of Williamstown, Mass., and has had four chil- dren : Osmyn B., Walter, Winnifred, and Margaret (deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Watts are members of the Congregational church.
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MBROSE CUDWORTH, a prominent citizen of Chesterfield, who owns and conducts a farm in that town, was born there July 16, 1832, son of Charles and Roxy (Witherell) Cudworth, both natives of Chesterfield.
Charles Cudworth's chief occupation was general farming, but he sometimes worked on the roads. He conducted a farm in Savoy for a while, subsequently entering the one of which his son is now proprietor. This he sold later, and removed to another. His last days were spent in Chesterfield, where he died May 2, 1883. His wife survived him something over eight years, passing away October 20, 1891. They were the parents of three chil- dren, namely: Ambrose, the subject of this sketch ; Arabella, who passed away some time since; and Electa, who married Alvin M. Burt, and lives in South Hadley.
Ambrose Cudworth received a good common- school education, remaining with his parents until twenty-one years of age. He then hired out as a farm hand, working for different em- ployers until he was twenty-seven, when he bought an interest in his father's farm. Since that time he has resided on the homestead, which under his wise and capable manage- ment improves yearly. He carries on general farming in an intelligent and progressive way, and has attained prosperity through his own unaided efforts.
On November 13, 1859, Mr. Cudworth was married to Elvira Dwight Damon, a native of Chesterfield, born April 29, 1841. Mrs. Cud- worth is the daughter of Reuben and Dimis (Dwight) Damon, the former a native of Ches- terfield, the latter of Williamsburg. Mr. Damon was engaged in farming in Chesterfield up to the time of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Cudworth are the parents of two children, namely : Ada M., wife of Albert Damon, who
resides near her parents and has two children, Viola Elvira and Raymond Calvin ; and Nellie E., wife of U. F. LeDuc, who resides with her parents and has two children, Ashley C. and Lester Charles. Mr. Cudworth gave his children a good education, having sent them to the best schools in the county.
In politics Mr. Cudworth is a Democrat. He has served as road surveyor and in other offices, but has never been anxious to hold a public position. Mrs. Cudworth is a member of the Congregational church. The family have a pleasant home in Chesterfield, and are esteemed among the old residents of the town.
ORENZO H. TOWER, a successful carpenter and builder, and a highly respected citizen of Cummington,' Hampshire County, in which place he was born on August 14, 1830, is a son of Warren and Rhoda (Tower) Tower, and a grandson of Nathaniel and Leah (Tower) Tower.
Nathaniel Tower, who was born in Hing- ham, Mass., settled in the town of Cumming- ton about the year 1780. He was a successful farmer and land-owner. During the Revolu- tionary War he served as a patriot soldier. He is also known to have taken a prominent part in town affairs. He died in 1810, sixty- five years of age. His wife, Leah Tower, died in 1847, at the advanced age of ninety- nine years. They were the parents of six children : Leah, Nathaniel, Peter, Ambrose, Roxy, and Warren.
Warren Tower, father of Lorenzo H., was a native of Cummington, where his birth occurred on January 9, 1789. He received only a common-school education; and, al- though he learned the trade of a carpenter, agriculture was his principal occupation. The first farm he owned was that which is now the
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property of Mr. Shipman. He had lived there but a short time when he sold it and purchased the B. B. Lyman farm. After he had settled on the latter, he devoted a part of his time to his trade. He was making a success of his farming when he was taken ill, and died May 26, 1834, while yet in the prime of life. His wife, Rhoda Tower, who was a daughter of Stephen and Anna (Bowker) Tower, was born on November 26, 1795. She bore her hus- band six children, as follows: Salome, born October 9, 1817; Mariam, born January 5, 1819; Sabrina, born May 29, 1820; Elmina, born October 6, 1822; Warren E., born April 5, 1824; and Lorenzo H. Mrs. Tower died August 23, 1833. Her husband was a Whig in politics, and in religious belief he was a Universalist.
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