Biographical sketches of representative citizens of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1901, Part 64

Author:
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Boston, Graves & Steinbarger
Number of Pages: 924

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Three years later Joseph H., a youth of six- teen, left the high school and took the initia- tory step in his business career, entering his father's employ. Ambitious and painstaking, occupying a responsible position from the very first, he acquired a practical and thorough knowledge of every department of the busi- ness, and in 1851 became his father's partner, the firm being J. Walker & Co. until some time in 1862. His mother died in 1850, and his father in 1879. In 1864 J. H. Walker and his brother, G. M. Walker, formed a part- nership for the manufacture of boots and shoes, which was continued till 1888, G. M. Walker retiring in 1870. This firm acquired a wide and enviable reputation as manufacturers of the "Walker boot," made of pliable leather on a last representing a composite foot-form, in- geniously derived from the different measure- ments of a large number of feet. In 1868 was established in Chicago the tanning and leather business by Mr. Walker subsequently known as Walker, Oakley & Co., Mr. Walker being the senior member.

The same energy, practical sagacity, and dili- gent application that have made Mr. Walker a successful man of business have characterized him in public life, in which his later years have been spent. A member of the Common Council of Worcester at the age of twenty- three, he was president of that body in 1869. He has also been a member of the School Board. In politics he is a stanch Republican and a strong advocate of the leading principles of the party, being a fluent and logical speaker, a clear and forcible writer. He served as Representative in the State Legislature in 1879, 1880, and 1887, in the latter year being chairman of the Committee on Labor and a member of the Committee on Finance and Expenditures. He has served five terms in Congress, to which he was first elected in ISSS. He has been chairman of the Commit- tee on Banking and Currency in the Fifty- fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses and member of it for ten years. At the election in Novem- ber, 1898, his district went Democratic. Ilis

acquaintance with financial questions has in the past been of great value to his colleagues and to his party generally, and his sterling honesty compelled respect even from his most bitter opponents.

Mr. Walker is the author of a monograph on "Money, Trade, and Banking," published by Iloughton, Mifflin & Co., a valuable contribu- tion to the literature of the currency question. Among his published addresses may be men- tioned "Perils of Wage-workers in Continued Silver Coinage," 1886; and "The Moral As- pects of a Protective Tariff : How it helps the Wage-worker and Farmer," 1888.

"It is as certain as experience can make it," says Mr. Walker, "that it is the quality rather than the quantity that is of the first conse- quence in the money of a people, and that an abundance in a country of what is called money does not indicate high wages or national pros- perity or national wealth. On the contrary, a large amount of so-called money may indicate a low condition of civilization and low wages."

For several years Mr. Walker was president of the Worcester Board of Trade, also chairman of the Committee on Foreign Trade and Ex- ports, of the National Hide and Leather Asso- ciation, a vice-president of the New England Shoe and Leather Association, and president of the trustees of the Worcester Academy for thirty years, and a trustee of Brown Univer- sity for twenty years.

Mr. Walker married in 1852 Sarah Ella, daughter of Jubal Harrington, of Worcester. She died in 1859, leaving one child, a daugh- ter, now the wife of Milton Shirk, a banker in Peru, Ind. Mr. Walker married in 1862 Hannah M. Kelly Spear, of New Hampton, N. H. They have two sons - Joseph, a gradu- ate of Brown University and Harvard Law School, and George, also educated at Brown - and a daughter Agnes, the wife of Adams I). Claflin, of Newton.

EORGE ALBERT KIMBALL, of Somerville, holds an important posi- tion as chief engineer of the Boston Elevated Railroad. He was born May 14, 1850, in Littleton, Mass., the son of William Kimball,

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and is a lineal descendant of Richard Kemball, the immigrant progenitor of the majority of the Kimballs now living in the United States.

Richard Kemball' on April 10, 1634, set sail from Ipswich, England, for America in the ship " Elizabeth," William Andrews master. On the shipping list he was described as a man of thirty-nine years, but he was probably somewhat older. He was, however, in the prime of life, and became an active and prominent citizen in the new settlement. Soon after landing at Bos- ton he located in Watertown, quite a distance from the centre of the town, his home lot being situated near what is now the corner of Huron Avenue and Appleton Streets, Cambridge, not far from springs of clear and sparkling water. He was made freeman on May 6, 1635, and a year or two later became one of the proprietors of the town. A short time after he was invited to remove to Ipswich, Mass., where there was great need of a competent wheelwright. Ac- cepting the invitation, he spent the remainder of his days in that town, passing away June 22, 1675. He married for his first wife Ursula, daughter of Henry Scott, of Rattlesden, Suffolk County, England. They became the parents of eleven children, seven of whom were born in England and four in America, Benjamin being the tenth child. He married for his second wife Margaret Dow, widow of Henry Dow, of Hamp- ton, N.H. She survived him, dying March 1, 1676. There were no children born of their union.

Benjamin Kimball 2 was born in 1637, about the time of the removal of his parents to Ips- wich, and died June 11, 1695. He was a car- penter by trade, and worked in various places, in 1659 being a resident of Exeter, N.H., whence he removed to Salisbury. In 1663 he was living in Rowley, Mass. ; and on February 20, 1668, at the first town meeting in Merrimac, after- ward Bradford, he was chosen an Overseer of the town. He married in Salisbury, Mass., in April, 1661, Mercy, daughter of Robert and Ann Hazeltine. She was born August 16, 1642, and died January 5, 1707-8. She was one of the first members received into the First Church at Bradford, being admitted with six- teen other women, January 7, 1682-3. Of the eleven children born of their union, Jonathan

was the sixth child. Benjamin Kimball and his brother Richard were soldiers in the years 1683 and 1684, serving under Captain Appleton.

Jonathan Kimball,3 born in Bradford, Mass., November 26, 1673, died September 30, 1747 (or 1749, both dates being given in the geneal- ogy). On July 15, 1696, he married Lydia Day, who was born March 18, 1676, a daughter of John and Sarah (Pengry) Day. She died Scp- tember 16, 1739; and he married for his second wife, November 3, same year, Widow Jane Plum- mer. His eleven children were all born of his first marriage, Benjamin having been the eldest child.

Benjamin Kimball + was born May 16, 1697, in Bradford, Mass., and died August 5, 1741, the date of his death being erroneously given " 1752" on the monument erected to his mem- ory in the graveyard in Plaistow, N.H. He married Mary Emerson, who was born March 21, 1696. She was a daughter of Joseph and Martha (Toothaker) Emerson and a grand- daughter of Robert and Ann (Grant) Emerson. He settled in the northern part of Haverhill, Mass. ; and, when the boundary line between the two provinces was fixed, his property fell into New Hampshire, and he became a resident of the town now known as Hampstead. Hc and his wife were members of the First Church in Plaistow, or North Haverhill, in November, 1730; and he served as its first Deacon, being elected to the office February 3, 1731.

Jonathan Kimball, the second child in this family, was born in Haverhill, Mass., April 14, 1720, and died in Plaistow, N.H., October 17, 1807. On August 22, 1738, he married Eliz- abeth, daughter of Daniel Little. She was born November 12, 1719, and died February 8, 1753, leaving five children, of whom Daniel was the youngest. He married for his second wife on November 29, 1753, Abigail True, of Salis- bury, Mass. She was born November 26, 1722, and died January 23, 1814, having borne him four children. On February 5, 1738, he united with the church, and on January 25, 1739, hc was elected Deacon. His wife, Elizabeth, joined the church May 18, 1740. Tradition says that he was one of the first to settle in the northern part of Plaistow, now Hampstead, N.H .; that he went into the woods, taking with him, to as-

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sist in building his log cabin, twenty men, two of whom stood guard against the Indians while the others worked. He subsequently returned to the town of Plaistow, where he served as Clerk from 1757 until 1778 and as a Deacon in the church for fifty-seven years.

Daniel Kimball6 was born in Plaistow, N.H., July 5, 1751, and died in Littleton, Mass., in 1813. Settling in Littleton in early life, he be- came a man of prominence in that town, and took an active part in the Revolutionary War. On April 18, 1775, he was serving as a Corporal in Reed's company, Prescott's regiment. On April 24, 1775, he was made Sergeant in Gil- bert's company, Prescott's regiment, in which he served ninety-eight days. On April 24, 1776, he was made First Lieutenant in Jewett's company, Sixth Middlesex Regiment, being chosen by the company and accepted by the Council. He married Lucy Dutton, daughter of Jacob and Rebecca (Hildreth) Dutton, of Billerica, and a grand-daughter of Thomas Dut- ton. She survived him, and on June 26, 1817, became the wife of Daniel Hartwell, of Little- ton.

James Kimball, 7 son of Daniel and Lucy, the third child in a family of nine, was born in Lit- tleton, Mass., October 24, 1782, and died there June 11, 1869. On June 27, 1807, he married Rachel Hartwell, who was born in 1785 and died September 6, 1845. On November 25, 1847, he married for his second wife Mary B. Harris, who survived him, dying March 24, 1874. He was the father of eleven children, all born of his first marriage. The youngest of these, Henry Dix, developed into a very large man, being more than seven feet in height, and was familiarly known as the " Littleton Giant."

William Kimball,s father of George A., was born in Littleton, Mass., December 2, 1817, and died there October 14, 1884. He was an act- ive, highly respected citizen, and for nearly thirty years served as Town Clerk. He married in 1845 Mary A. Lawrence, daughter of George and Rebecca (Merriam) Lawrence. She was born in June, 1827, and died May 9, 1864. Of the seven children born of their marriage four are now living, namely : George Albert, the special subject of this sketch ; William Lawrence ; My- ron Adams ; and Mary Eliza. He married for

his second wife Mrs. Lucy Maria Goldsmith Houghton, daughter of John and Zebiah (Kim- ball) Goldsmith. The only child of their union, Annie Dix, died at the age of four years.

George Albert Kimball º was educated in the public schools of Littleton and at Appleton Academy, New Ipswich, N. H. Coming to Som- erville in 1869, he entered the office of Frost Brothers, civil engineers, as a student, and there acquired a practical knowledge of the profession to which he has since devoted his attention. In 1876 he was appointed by Mayor Belknap city engineer of Somerville, a position which he held until his resignation in 1886. He then be- came consulting engineer for Brockton on its sewerage system, also for New Bedford, Haver- hill, and Brockton in regard to the abolition of grade crossings. He subsequently designed and built the Arlington sewerage system, designed sewerage works at Montpelier, Vt., Milton, Salem, and Peabody, Mass., built the Millis water-works, and was a member of the original Grade-crossing Commission appointed by Gov- ernor Ames in 1888. He was for seven years a member of the Somerville Board of Health. was an Alderman from Ward Two in 1889 and 1890, and for several years was a member of the Somerville Mystic Water Board. In Jan- uary, 1896, Mr. Kimball was appointed by Mayor Perry consulting engineer for the city of Somer- ville, and in November, 1896, was appointed by the Governor and Council a member of the Me- tropolitan Sewerage Commission, this appoint- ment being a deserved tribute to his profes- sional knowledge, ability, and judgment. In 1898 he became chief engineer of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, an office that he has since filled ably and satisfactorily.

On February 29, 1872, Mr. Kimball married Elizabeth Emily Robbins, who was born in New Ipswich, N.H., May 10, 1853, a daughter of Lewis and Emily (Winship) Robbins. Mr. and Mrs. Kimball are the parents of four children, namely : Herbert L., born July 24, 1874; Josephine M., born March 26, 1876; Ernest R., born October 8, 1880 ; and Elizabeth, born De- cember 1, 1895. Mr. Kimball is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Boston Society of Civil Engineers, the New England Water Works Association, the John

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Abbott Lodge, F. & A. M., of Somerville, and other Somerville organizations. He is a member of the Prospect Hill Church of Som- erville.

LBERT ALDEN, of Middleboro, a re- tired manufacturer of straw goods, was born October 24, 1817, in that part of Massachusetts, of that date, now included in the town of Jay, State of Maine. Son of Otis and Harriet (Adams) Alden, he is a representative of early-settled families of Massa- chusetts. On the paternal side he is a " May- flower" descendant, tracing his line from John 1 and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden, through their son Joseph,2 Deacon Joseph,3 Samuel,4 Samuel,5 Daniel,6 to his father, Otis,7 above named, he himself being of the eighth generation of Aldens.

Daniel Alden, son of Samuel, married in 1786 Sally, daughter of. Jonathan Cary. Otis Alden, son of Daniel, was born in North Bridge- water, Mass., in 1788; and his wife, Harriet Adams, was born in the town of Jay, Me. Her father, the Rev. Joseph Adams, was a pioneer preacher of Franklin County, Maine. He was ordained as pastor of the Baptist church in Jay in 1804, and he died there in 1844. (See His- tory of the Baptist Churches in Maine.) Otis Alden followed the shoemaker's trade in North Bridgewater, where he died September 9, 1825 : and his wife died December 7 of the same year. They were the parents of five children, namely : Sally, born September 29, 1810; Harriet, born March 4, 1812 ; Otis, born July 4, 1814 : Albert, the subject of this sketch ; and Joseph A., born in October, 1824.

When Albert Alden was six months old, his mother returned to her Bridgewater home. Left an orphan at the age of seven, he resided with an uncle in Plymouth County until thirteen years old. While still a youth he engaged in teaming, and prior to his majority was the owner of two express and baggage lines, one from Boston to Providence and another from Boston to Foxboro. During the construction of the Boston & Provi- dence Railroad he was engaged in distributing rails along that line. In those early days, as .well as at the present time, he was a vigorous opponent of the liquor traffic, and refused to

allow his teams to transport ardent spirits. Sell- ing out his express business in 1840, he turned his attention to the manufacture of straw goods in Foxboro, being one of the first to engage in that industry, and later becoming financially in- terested in several factories. On November 20. 1858, he purchased of the Pickens Brothers their straw factory in Middleboro, which he developed into one of the largest plants of its kind in the State; and, he having admitted others to partnership, the business was carried on for some time as the Bay State Straw Works. He subsequently sold his interest, but soon after- ward acquired possession of the entire plant, and in 1871 admitted as a partner his son. A. B. Alden. In 1876 a stock company was organized under the name of the Union and Bay State Manufacturing Company of Foxboro and Middle- boro; and Mr. Alden was associated with his son in the management of the Middleboro plant until 1882, when he retired from active business pur- suits. Purchasing the Middleboro factory in 1883, he retained possession several years. Apart from his regular business he invested quite largely in various financial and public im- provement speculations. He was a director of the Middleboro & Taunton Railway, now a part of the New York, New Haven & Hartford sys- tem ; a director of the Machinists' National Bank of Taunton ; and of the Middleboro Say- ings Bank ; also interested in Needle Company. He was one of the principal movers in securing the construction of the Middleboro water-works and the erection of the present town house, being a member of the building committee. He has contributed in no small measure to the beauty and attractiveness of the village by set- ting out numerous shade trees along the prin- cipal thoroughfares; and these, together with other improvements which can be traced directly to his instrumentality, are heartily appreciated by the general community.

Mr. Alden's marriage with Charlotte B. Comey took place May 14, 1837. She was a daughter of Aaron and Charlotte Skinner Comey, and was born in Foxboro. Of this union there were five children, namely : Charlotte L., who became Mrs. Vaughan (wife of Judge F. M. Vaughan ). and died March 13, 1884 ; Albert II., who died at sea, August 3, 1862; Harriet E., who died

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July 24, 1846; Leslie, who died April 5, 1847 ; and Arthur B., whose death occurred December 12, 1895. Mrs. Alden died April 29, 1849. There are living four grandchildren - John, Betsey, and Albert Alden, and Albert H. Vaughan, and two great-grandchildren, Alden and Dana Vaughan.

Mr. Alden was formerly a Whig and is now a Republican. He joined the Baptist church at Foxboro in 1842, and later transferred his alle- giance to the Baptist church at Middleboro.

AVID SULLIVAN COOLIDGE, for whom Coolidge's Corner, Brookline, was named, was born in Roxbury, Mass., July, 1817, son of David and Susan (Griggs) Coolidge. His parents were natives of Massachusetts, and both the Cool- idge and Griggs families are of Colonial origin. The Coolidges were Revolutionary patriots; and among their number was Joseph Coolidge, who fell at the battle of Lexington.

When a child David S. Coolidge accompa- nied his parents from Roxbury to Brookline, and he was educated in the public schools of that town. He was reared to agricultural pur- suits, which constituted his principal occupa- tion in life. He dealt quite extensively in live stock, and he also speculated in real estate. In company with William J. and Thomas B. Griggs, he purchased a large tract of land in the central part of Brookline; and, erecting a building, he established a grocery store at what subsequently became known as Coolidge's Corner, in which he was associated with his brother, William D. Coolidge, under the firm name of Coolidge Brothers. Five years after its establishment David S. Coolidge with- drew from active partnership in the business, and thenceforward devoted his attention to farming and cattle dealing, in each of which he was financially successful. He was one of the most prominent citizens of Brookline in his day, favoring all practical measures insti- tuted for developing the resources and attrac- tiveness of the town; and for a number of years he served with ability as a member of . the Board of Selectmen.

He married Miss Caroline Griggs, daughter

of Thomas Griggs and a member of the well- known Brookline family of that name. David S. Coolidge died in October, 1888. He is survived by his wife, now an octogenarian, and four children, namely : Henry S., who resides at 488 Harvard Street; Walter G., a resi- dent of Chicago, Ill. ; Harriet M. and Ellen G. Coolidge, who with their mother occupy the old homestead at 476 Harvard Street. The late Mr. Coolidge was a member of the Baptist church. In politics he was a Repub- lican.

Henry S. Coolidge was born in Brookline, January 6, 1842. Educated in the Brookline public schools, he displayed at an early age the progressive tendencies and desires for public improvements which are well-known character- istics of the people of that town; and he pos- sesses the highest esteem and confidence of his business associates. Politically, he acts with the Republican party. He married in 1872 Miss Harriet Russell, of Watertown, Mass. They have two children: Linda G., born in June, 1876; and Russell Coolidge, born in September, 1881.

OSIAH NELSON PRATT, treasurer and general manager of the Jarvis Engi- neering Company, Boston, was born in Freeport, Me., March 14, 1838, son of Ambrose and Lydia (Nelson) Pratt. Concern- ing the origin of the Pratt family in America. "there are known to have been at least ten persons bearing that surname who settled in New England between 1621 and 1650." Some of these persons were doubtless related to each other by ties of blood near or remote ; but from what places in England they came, or who were their immediate ancestors, or in what ship each arrived, are matters largely of tradition. Origi- nally the family is said to have been of Norman extraction, the name being frequently found in the old Norman records, even before the Con- quest.

The first American progenitor from whom the subject of this sketch is descended was Mathew Pratt, of Weymouth, who died August 29, 1672, and was survived by his wife, Elizabeth,

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and seven children. The ancestral line is as follows : -

Samuel, fourth son of Mathew, died in Wey- mouth, Mass., in 1678. He married July 19, 1660, Hannah Rogers, daughter of John Rogers, of Weymouth ; and she died October 16, 1715. They had seven children, of whom the youngest was Ebenezer, born in 1674, who died in 1752.

Ebenezer Pratt was a prominent man in Weymouth in his day, and took a leading part in town affairs. His name frequently appears on the records as officiating in some public capacity. " In 1714 he was identified with the establish- ment of the fishing trade between Weymouth and Cape Sable, being, with others, granted a piece of land called . Hunt's Hill' and the ' Beach' in North Weymouth, on which to prosecute the business." His first wife, Martha, died in May, 1720; and he married on Decem- ber 25, 1720, Waitstill Washburn. He had five children, of whom the youngest was Samuel, who was born in Weymouth, Mass., December 19, 1712, and died December 28, 1793.

Samuel Pratt married February 17, 1737, Betty Bicknell, who was born July 16, 1720, daughter of Benjamin and Susanna (Humphrey) Bicknell. He subsequently married a second wife, whose Christian name was Mary. He was the father of nine children, the third and fourth being David and Jonathan, twins.

David Pratt was born in Weymouth, February 12, 1745. He married on March 28, 1771, Rebecca Chandler, who was born at North Yarmouth, Me., April 30, 1753. They had a family of thirteen children, the eldest being Edmund, who was born at North Yarmouth, Me., January 11, 1772, and died September 27, 1864.

Edmund Pratt's wife, in maidenhood Sarah Talbot, was also a native of North Yarmouth. Born September 29, 1776, she died April 2, 1865, the period of her life thus embracing two of the most fateful wars in American history - that of the Revolution, which gave birth to the nation, and the great Civil War, which tested and proved its stability and permanency. They had eleven children. The eighth of these was Ambrose, father of Josiah N. Pratt ; and the only one now living is Rebecca, born in 1809, who is the widow of the Rev. Hosea Pierce.

Ambrose Pratt was born April 25, 1811, at Freeport, Me. He became a mason, and fol- lowed his trade in Freeport for many years, subsequently working at it in Methuen and Lawrence, Mass. He died in Freeport, Me., October 2, 1855. His wife, Lydia, was a daughter of John and Susan (West) Nelson. They had eight children : Josiah N., Abbie, Mary D., Susan, Charles, Julius, Sarah, and John E. Abbie, who married Charles Litchfield, survives her husband. Mary D. is the wife of Edmund P. Soule, of Freeport, Me. Susan is the widow of Henry Walker, of Iowa. Charles and Julius are now deceased. Sarah survives her husband, George Fogg, of Freeport, Me. John E. married Sarah Cornish, of Hyannis, Mass.

Josiah N. Pratt, the direct subject of this sketch, was educated in his native town of Freeport. At the age of eighteen he went to Portland, Me., and apprenticed himself to learn the mason's trade, which he followed subse- quently for three years, being employed on Fort Gorges, Portland Harbor, as a skilled mechanic. During the Civil War he enlisted in the United States Navy, and was assigned to the Gulf Squadron, stationed in Mobile Bay. His term of service expired September 1, 1865. After the great fire in Portland, in 1886, he had charge of the construction of some of the most promi- nent buildings in that city. In 1868 he re- moved to Lawrence, Mass., where he carried on the business of builder for a number of years. About 1882 he entered the employ of the Jarvis Engineering Company as an erecting superin- tendent, and after a short service in that posi- tion was given the agency for the company in the States of Maine and New Hampshire and in the Lower Maritime Provinces. He was subsequently transferred to the agency for the Middle States, with his office in New York City, and finally, in 1887, was appointed treasurer and general manager of the parent company, with an office at 61 Oliver Street, Boston, where he is now located.

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Biographical sketches of representative citizens of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1901, Part 64

Author: Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Boston, Graves & Steinbarger Number of Pages: 924

Author:
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Boston, Graves & Steinbarger
Number of Pages: 924