USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887 > Part 41
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ence Manufacturing Co., manufacturers of hair brushes and hand mirrors ; Northampton Emery Wheel Co., and Florence Furniture Co. The firm of Hill & Hinckley merged into the Nonotuck Silk Co., and until the failure of his health he filled the position of treasurer and general manager. Born a Quaker, he afterwards joined the Baptist church, acting for some time as one of its deacons. He early joined the anti-slavery movement, and finding the church not in harmony with its doctrines, he preferred practical christianity to the theoretical, and dissolved his church relationship. His religious ideas gradually grew broader until he became an active worker in the free religious ranks, discarding ail dogmas and believing that earnest, true, conscientious lives can be lived, even though bound by no creed. He was one of the found- ers, in 1863, of the Free Congregational Society of Florence, and was its president for the remainder of his life. He was a large contributor towards the building of Cosmian Hall, which since 1874 has been the headquarters and place of meeting of the Frce Congregational Society of Florence. He always took a great interest in all educational matters and made large contributions of money and personal effort to increase educational facilities. He organized before his death the Florence Kindergarten, endowing it with a large fund and selecting its managers, as he was desirous of seeing its success before leaving his earthly life. He died in Citronelle, Alabama, where he had gone for his health, on December 13, 1882, leaving a good record as one anxious to benefit his neighbors.
Dr. Austin White Thompson was born in Hampshire county in 1834. Dr. Thompson was brought to Northampton on the death of his father, Peleg Pierce Thompson, and adopted by his paternal uncle, Dr. Daniel Thompson, at so tender an age that the county seat may almost be said to have been the place of his nativity, as it was of his nurture. The name of his father indi- cates his descent, through his paternal grandmother, Matilda Pierce Thomp- son, from the Pierces; a family whose founder in America was a member of the Pilgrim crew of the Mayflower. From the same ancestor descended, in recent times, Franklin Pierce, president of the United States, and Dr. David P. Smith, of Springfield.
Among the instructors of his childhood and adolescence were Principals Sheldon, Adams, E. A. Hubbard and L. J. Dudley, and he was finally fitted for college under the private tutorship of Rev. Dr. Rufus Ellis, of Boston, who was then pastor of the Second Congregational church in Northampton. He was graduated at Harvard college, a member of the class of 1854, achiev- ing the commencement honor of the salutatory oration.
He was, thereupon, cordially advised by Dr. Ellis to adopt the clerical pro- fession in view of his fondness and success inphilosophical studies and compo- sition while in college; but then, as now, he was strenuously given to free thought, agnosticism, or scientific religion ; and he held it not to be honorable to preach what he did not believe. Preferring the law, he pursued legal studies for a time in the office of Judge C. P. Huntington ; but finally, in
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deference to the evident wishes of his uncle, to whom he was so much in- debted, he entered upon the study of medicine, and was educated at the Medical school of Harvard university, graduating M. D. in 1857. A pleas- ant acquaintance with J. G. Holland and Samuel Bowles, while both of those journalists were in charge of the Springfield Republican, led to his employ- ment as special writer and correspondent for that paper at times during a number of years; and he contributed editorials and articles in prose and verse, as well as news items from Hampshire county. He has done literary work for other journals as well.
Having acquired his profession and begun its practice, he followed his pre- dilection and bent for the science of the mind, and accepted the position of second medical officer in the State Lunatic Hospital at Northampton when that institution was completed. As a preparation for the duties of the posi- tion, he resided a few months at the Taunton and Worcester state hospitals that he might thoroughly study their patients, a portion of whom were to be transferred to the new institution. This was in the time of Dr. Choate at Taunton and of Dr. Bemis at Worcester. Upon the death of his uncle, Dr. James Thompson, a brilliant physician, who, although a generation has gone by since his decease, is still gratefully remembered by many in Hampshire county-the subject of our sketch resigned from the hospital and resumed the general practice. He found at once an extensive business in medicine and surgery, which increased until he entered upon the enterprise with which he has been occupied for the past twelve years. While in general practice, however, he paid especial attention to the departments of his science to which Shady Lawn hospital is devoted. During the entire war of the rebellion he was on duty here as inspecting surgeon of United States volunteers, holding a commission for that service. He was also examiner of such drafted men as claimed to have disabilities precluding military service. There was no other inspecting surgeon at this point.
Samuel Bowles was once solicited by the historian of a work like ours for the facts of his career that would serve in preparing a sketch of his life. "Oh !" said Mr. Bowles, " Tell 'em I am so many years old ; I have so many young ones ; and I created the Springfield Republican ! That's the size of it." We are in debt to Dr. Thompson for this very interesting anecdote. And, in all respects, we may apply it to him. For notwithstanding his long and successful career as a general practitioner of his most useful profession, with all its hardships, competition and self-denial, we are well aware that he will in the future be remembered quite solely as the creator of Shady Lawn. And justly. For in this crowning work he has given proof of those tastes and abilities that are his own for use and for output ; and he has been of signal and exceptional use in his day and generation. Originality, self-reliance and staying power have been abundantly shown ; and an ineffaceable success, greatly to his credit, has been tallied and recorded in the history of his time.
In its appropriate place elsewhere we give some account of Dr. Thomp-
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son's sanitarium, which we are glad to state was never so well and widely patronized as this year of our publication. In taking personal leave of its superintendent, we set down the hope that he will enjoy the strength and the length of days to develope and perpetuate it in accordance with his ardent and honorable ambition and energy of character.
Samuel Wright was one of the early settlers of this town, having come to this country from England in 1636, settled in Springfield, and removed to this town in 1656. His father's and grandfather's names were both John, and lived at Wright's Bridge, in Essex, forty miles from London, England. Sam- uel's sons were three, Samuel, Judah and James, who also settled in North- ampton. James' son Preserved had a son Ephraim, he a son Ephraim, born 1747. His son, Martin, was the father of Dea. George L. Wright, who is a farmer at 42 South street. Martin Wright married Sarah, daughter of Josiah Parsons, June 18, 1818. They had a family of eight children, of whom four lived to manhood and womanhood. Isaac L. married Lydia A. Cobb, of Abington ; Sarah L. married Hervey Miller, of Williamsburg, and died in 1855, one year after her marriage; Mary married Othinel M. Clark, who lives in Illinois; George B. married Elizabeth Cobb, of Abington, sister of the wife of Isaac L., and has four children, Sarah, who married Silas R. Cooley, of this town, Henry, who married Harriet M., daughter of Enos Clark, now resident of Florida, Charles M. and Elizabeth A., the two latter living with their parents. George L. Wright was elected deacon of the First Congrega- tional church in 1878, for three years, re-elected in 1881 and 1884.
Joseph Parsons is the ancestor of that name in New England. He was sup- posed to have been born in England, and was first known in New England in 1636, in Springfield, then a boy. He married Mary Bliss in 1646, who died in 1712. Isaac Parsons, a descendant of the above, married Mindwell King, April 30, 1774. Josiah Parsons, a son of Isaac, owned and resided in the house now occupied by Mrs. Letitia D., widow of Lyman Parsons, a son of Josiah mentioned above. The house is probably the oldest in Northampton now inhabited. It was built as early as 1743, is in a good state of preserva- tion and a very comfortable dwelling. When built, inside shutters were a necessity to prevent the incursions of unfriendly savages, and grooves were made in the window sills for holding them. The house was of two stories with the large chimney in the center, customary in those early times, and is so much of a relic that Mr. Sheldon, an antiquarian of Deerfield, has recently taken a photograph of it for the museum at Greenfield. Josiah Parsons married Sarah Strong of Southampton, December 28, 1791, and reared thir- teen children. Lyman, the oldest son, succeeded to his father on the farm, and was born June 28, 1801. He married first, September 30, 1835, Olivia Wright, of Granville, O., who died October 6, 1842. His second marriage occurred April 24, 1846, with Letitia D., widow of Chauncey E. Parsons, of Rootstown, O., and has a family of four children. Chauncey E., the eldest son, married Annie A. Spaulding, of Saxton's River, Vt., is a resident of the 24*
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old homestead, and is a member of the common council of the City of North- ampton from the third ward. Josiah died at the age of fifteen years. Almira E. married Henry Moore, of Hatfield. Lyman, Jr., died September 12, 1855, at the age of six. Mrs. Parsons had two daughters by her first husband, Sarah D., now resident with her mother, and Diantha, who married Josiah H. Graves. The children of Chauncey E. Parsons are the fifth generation who. have resided in the house described above.
Joseph B. Parsons, a son of Capt. Samuel and Caroline (Russell) Parsons, was born April 10, 1828, was educated in the public schools of his native town, and spent his early life as a farmer. For ten years before the breaking out of the late rebellion, he served in the Massachusetts volunteer militia. At the commencement of the war, the roth regiment, state militia, to which he was attached, tendered its services to the government, which tender was accepted, and they were mustered into the United States service June 21, 1861, as the roth Mass. Vols. They participated in all the battles of the · army of the Potomac. Mr. Parsons was made captain of Co. C, when first mustered into the United States service, and rose by promotion through the several grades to colonel of the regiment, which office he held for the last eighteen months of the service. After the return of his regiment, at a call from Gov. John A. Andrew, he went to Fortress Monroe under a general order from the war department allowing states to recruit in rebel territory, where he recruited two regiments of rebel deserters and a regiment of contra- bands. After peace was declared he commanded the 2d Regiment Mass Militia, composed of veterans of the late war, for five years. At present Colonel Parsons is Chief of Police of the city of Northampton, and is also engaged in farming. He married November 20, 1849, Caroline, daughter of Jonathan D. Kellogg, and has had four children, of whom only the youngest is now living, Frank Bailey, engaged with the United Brass Co., being their Chicago agent. Ida married Joel Hayden and died in 1883. J. Dwight, after a few years in the Northampton Bank, went to California, and engaged in the same business. He died about six years ago. Carrie E. died at eighteen years of age.
Francis M. Cook was born in this town, April 29, 1834, and has always resided here, engaged in farming and at the mason's trade. His residence is on Massasoit street, and he has farming lands of 200 acres. He married in 1857, Mrs. Lucy Munwan, from Middletown, Conn., and has three children, now living. Mr. Cook's father, Horace, and grandfather, Enos, were born in this town, and in the same house in which he was born. The house in which they were born was in West street, on the ground occupied by Music Hall, and was built in 1754.
Charles C. Clapp is a descendent of Capt. Roger Clapp, who came to this country from England 250 years ago, and settled in Dorchester, Mass. His son, Elder Preserved Clapp, was one of the early settlers of Northampton. His son, Samuel, married Mary Shelden, who was taken captive by the
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Indians at Deerfield, in the time of the French and Indian war, carried to Canada, and afterwards redeemed and returned to her native town. His son, Ebenezer, was a resident on South street, in Northampton. His son, Sylvanus, married Charity Pierce, of Chesterfield, settled in Westhampton, and had two children, Bela P. and Ralph. Sylvanus, eldest son of Bela P., was an eminent physician, commencing practice in Chesterfield, and removed from there to Pawtucket, R. I., where he was president of the State Medical Society of Rhode Island. Mary, a sister of Sylvanus, married Elnathan Graves, a county commissioner for Hampshire county nine years. Franklin Clapp is a farmer in Williamsburg. Ralph was a farmer in the northern part of Westhampton, married Fanny, daughter of Cornelius Bartlett, of West- hampton, who was a Revolutionary pensioner, and had three children, Dexter, Esther and Charles C. Dexter, born July 15, 1816, married September 1, 1845. He graduated from Amherst college in 1839, studied theology at Cambridge Divinity school, and preached at Deerfield and at Savannah, Ga. He was installed in 1846 over the church in West Roxbury, Mass., from which Rev. Theodore Parker had lately removed to Boston. In 1851 he became colleague with Rev. Dr. Flint, in Salem, and remained at this post ten years, when he was obliged to retire on account of failing health. He died July 27, 1868. Esther, born January 6, 1820, died July 30, 1857. Charles C. married Sarah M., daughter of Asahel Bryant, of Chesterfield, and was a farmer in Westhampton on his father's homestead until 1868, when he removed to Bay State, still carrying on extensive farm operations. He has had born to him five children-Charles R., born October 6, 1863, Frederick D., born April 13, 1867, Ellery C., born October 2, 1871, Esther Fanny, born February 18, 1876, and Ellery C., born December 30, 1879. Of these, Freddie D. died February 28, 1882, and Ellery C. was drowned November 10, 1874.
Theodore Clapp was a native of this town, born in 1785, married in 1813, Betsey Newton of Northboro, Mass., and had born to him four children, one dying in childhood. Mary J., born in 1823, married Henry B. Graves, and died November, 1884. Elizabeth M. and Theodore, unmarried, and living at the old homestead, 47 South street. Theodore remembers making trips to Boston with his father driving cattle, when there was no railroad to North- ampton, and the Boston and Albany railroad extended only from Boston to Worcester.
Elijah Clapp married Jane Munroe of Northboro, had a family of two children, Harriet, who married D. W. Willard, and lived in Springfield, and Munroe, who married Lydia F. Rice, of Northboro, and occupied the home of his father as a farmer, until his death in 1875. His children were Jane B., Frederic C. and Harriet L. The two daughters are still living. Frederic died at home in 1883. He enlisted in Co. C, 52d Mass. Vol. Inf'try, and was engaged in the first and second assault on Port Hudson, and the battle at Jackson.
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Lyman Kingsley was a native of this town, born in 1800, was a carpenter and bridge builder. He built a bridge across Connecticut river between this town and Hadley, which was carried away by a flood, and afterward he re- built it. The latter was blown down about five years ago. He married Caroline, daughter of Capt. David Strong, who was a boatman on Connect- icut river, reared a family of eight children, all living, with the exception of Francis. Henry married L. Maria Clark, and is a carpenter and joiner, residing at 74 South street. Edward married Susan Shepherd for his second wife. William F. married Elizabeth H. Clark. George L. married Lizzie Jones, and lives at La Crosse, Wis. Robert M. lives in Black Hawk county, Ia., proprietor of a hotel. Albert H. is a dry goods clerk at J. E. Lambie & Co.'s. Calvin B. married Harriet Armo, and is employed in the freight de- partment N. H. & N. R. R. Co. Lyman Kingsley also built the fine bridge at Chicopee some thirty-seven years ago. While in process of building one- half of the bridge was carried away, incurring a severe loss. He also built the bridge at Bellows Falls, Vt., and some others across Connecticut river.
Lewis Smith was born in Great Barrington, and at the close of the Revo- lutionary war settled at Smith's Ferry. He married Eunice Judd, of South Hadley and raised a family of eleven children, who lived to manhood and womanhood. There were seven sons and four daughters. Five of the sons settled in the Smith's Ferry locality in five consecutive houses, and were all thrifty farmers. Of the eleven children only two now survive, Charles H., who, about five years ago, removed to Holyoke, and Eunice, who married Hiram Bagg, of West Springfield, is now his widow, and lives at Erie, Penn. Milo J., one of the five brothers mentioned above, born July 27, 1808, mar- ried Sally J. Street, of West Springfield, had a family of three children. Lurene S. married Solon N. Gould, of Charleston, N. H., who died October, 1874. Mrs. Gould now resides at Smith's Ferry. Josephine died in 1876, unmarried. Milo L. now resides on his father's homestead, carrying on a farm of over 300 acres, and also has a stock farm at West Liberty, Ia., where . he keeps on an average one hundred head of pure blood Short-horns. He also carries on the manufacture of pure cider vinegar. He married first, Luthera Meekins, of Greenfield, who died July 20, 1882, leaving two children, a son and a daughter. The son, M. Wilbur, married Emily Nash, of Williams- burg. The daughter, Luthera J., is a student at the Northampton High school. Two children died before their mother. His second marriage was with J. Maria Avery, of Easthampton, by whom he has had one child, now dead. Milo J. Smith was often entrusted with offices of honor and respon- sibility, and was representative of his town in 1844, in the state legislature. He was, for a number of years, on the board of selectmen. For two years he was president of the Hampshire and Franklin County Agricultural society, was a member of the State Board of Agriculture for three years, and was often called upon to administer the estates of his neighbors.
Abner Barnard, probably from Connecticut, located in Northampton at an
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early date, and was buried in the old cemetery at Northampton. His grand- son, William M., son of Israel, was born in the house now occupied by Mrs. Azariah Clapp, on South street. Here also Israel carried on a large clothier's business for those times. William married Maria Elizabeth Benson, who bore him seven children, of whom four are now living, Martha, Abner, Eliza and William. The two former now reside at West Farms, where Abner is post- master.
Nelson Loud was born in Northampton in 1815, where he lived until twenty-three years of age, when he removed to Ohio. Here he worked at the trade of a carpenter and joiner in Geanga county a number of years, and afterwards removed to Cuyahoga county, where he, in company with Edmund Clark, built a saw-mill and carried on the lumber business for four years. In 1862 he returned to this town. In 1846 he married Martha Clark, a native of Huntsburg, O. They raised a family of three children, Frank W., who died in infancy, Caleb E., engaged with the American Organ Company in Boston, and Lucy J., who carries on a large dressmaking business on South street. Mrs. Loud died September 19, 1884.
Jonathan Munyan came to this town from Thomson, Conn., in 1817, and settled at West Farms, where he resided until his death in 1846. He was married before he left Connecticut to Olive Stockwell, reared a family of thir- teen children, of whom only two are now living, Mary, who married Robert H. Aldrich, and James L., who resides on Bridge street. James L. married Nancy E. Church, of Middlefield, who bore him six children, three of whom are now living, Julia E., who married Milo L. Morgan, and resides in New York city, Fanny, who married Silas M. Wright, a farmer of Fruit street, and James C., who resides with his father. Mr. Munyan's second wife was Susan W. Williams, of Williamsburg.
James Collins came to South Hadley from England about 1775. He mar- ried and raised a family of four sons and one daughter. His son Horace married Lydia Ware, of Wilmington, Vt., and resided in Granby. They had a family of seven, of whom three are now living. Nathan G. who is a Bap- tist minister at Dodge City, Kas., has been influential in building a large number of churches in a number of different states, and was a chaplain in the army of the rebellion. Clark lives at Wolfsboro, N. H. Horace A. was born in Granby, December 9, 1813. When ten years of age he came to this town and resided with Chester Smith near where the railroad station is now located at Smith's Ferry. He made his home with Mr. Smith's family until 1832. In 1833 he married Mary A., daughter of the late Jonathan and Sub- mit (Clark) Parsons. Mr. Parsons being in poor health, Mr. Collins took the management of affairs on the farm, and with abundant success. He re- mained on the same farnı until 1854, when he removed to the present loca- tion at Smith's Ferry. Mr. Collins has been a successful grower of all kinds of fruit and a heavy grower of tobacco for twenty-two years past. They have had two sons and two daughters, one son died at the age of three years.
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Cornelia, born January 29, 1837, married William W. Ward, station agent of the Connecticut River railroad at Holyoke, Jonathan E., born September 29, 1840, and Laura P., who married Clarence C. Cogswell, station agent of Con- necticut River railroad at Smith's Ferry.
Frederick G. Richards was born in Stoddard, N. H., February 5, 1821. At the age of four years he, with his parents, removed to Gill, Franklin county, and shortly after went to Cummington. At the latter place his father carried on a general foundry business at the east village, where Frederick G. learned the trade of a moulder. Thirty years ago he removed to this town and worked for W. R. Clapp in his foundry fifteen years. The past fourteen years he has been on the police force of this town, and since it became a city has been janitor of city hall and lock-up. He married, in 1852, Emily Sherman, of Worthington, and has three sons and one daughter. The daugh- ter, Nellie E., is the wife of George H. Smith.
Rev. Albert C. Hussey, A. M., was born in Fairfield, Me., August 17, 1836. Although enjoying but limited advantages for obtaining an education, living a long way from a school-house, at the early age of seventeen he had qualified himself to teach a large and quite advanced district school. In the fall of 1857, he entered Waterville college, now Colby university, Waterville, Me. Here he remained only a year, but made such a record that by this in- stitution, at its annual commencement in 1876, was conferred upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts. In 1866 he began to preach, supplying the pulpits of the Baptist churches in Starks, Anson and Industry, Me. In the spring of 1868, he accepted a call to the management of Baptist mis- sions in Washington county, Me., was ordained pastor of the Baptist church at Princeton, February 18, 1869. He graduated from the Theological sem- inary at Newton, Mass., June 12, 1872. He became the pastor of the First Baptist church in Grafton, Mass, August 1, 1872, and in 1879 became pas - tor of the Baptist church in this city. The society under his administration have remodeled a handsome church edifice, built a new parsonage and greatly increased in social and religious influence.
Albert Waters was born at Oxford, Conn., February 22, 1831, and when sixteen years of age he went to Springfield, where he was employed in the Massasoit House and Union hotel. When twenty-one years of age he re- moved to Holyoke where he kept a restaurant. At Holyoke he married Mary Van Hoesen in July, 1854, whose ancestors were, on her father's side, of the Knickerbockers, of New York, and on her mother's side, the Jepsons, who were early settlers of Chesterfield and Ashfield In 1857 he removed to Tioga county, Penn. In the first year of the rebellion he enlisted in Co. I, 45th Penn. Vol. Infty., and afterwards re-enlisted in the same regiment, serving in the army until the close of the war. After the war he returned to Holyoke, and soon after settled in this town, on road 48, where he now resides.
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