USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Gazetteer of Hampshire County, Mass., 1654-1887 > Part 42
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B. DeForrest Sheedy was born in Norwalk, Conn., October 17, 1857, where
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he remained on the farm with his father, and attending district school until sixteen years of age. He then went to study medicine with Dr. C. G. Bohan- nan in his native town, where he remained two years. At that time he went to study with Dr. W. G. Hoyt, of New York city, who was house physician to the Charity hospital at Blackwell's Island, where he remained summers, until the spring of 1883, at the same time spending the winters at New York university, from which he graduated in the spring of 1885. He then com- menced the practice of medicine in company with Dr. Bohannan, of Norwalk, remaining with him till May, 1885, when he removed to Northampton and commenced the practice of his profession at 114 Main street, where he has acquired a lucrative and increasing patronage.
George Q. Terrill was born in New York city, September 28, 1865. His parents having both died, he removed to Northampton, Mass., when three years of age, to the residence of his uncle, James Quirk. He attended the public schools, graduated from the high school and subsequently entered Holy Cross college, Worcester, Mass., to finish his classical education. He began the study of medicine with his cousin, Dr. Quirk, at Ware, Mass., and afterwards pursued it with Dr. Sheedy, of this city, graduating from the Uni- versity of New York in 1886. He is now assistant to Dr, Sheedy.
Orson E. Train was born in Whately, September 24, 1820; was educated in the common schools of his native town, and, at seventeen, learned the carpenter and joiner's trade. He enlisted in 1862, in Co. G, 37th Mass. Vols., and served in the Sixth corps, army of the Potomac. He received a serious wound in 1864, in front of Petersburg. He is a United States pen- sioner ; married Eliza G. Bailey, of Lunenburg, in 1847, and has two children, Edgar R., at Holyoke, and Elva, who resides at home.
Charles H. Dickinson was born in this town, May 28, 1855, where most of his life has been spent, received his education here, graduating from the high school in June, 1874. He was graduated from the Columbia Medical college, New York city, March 1, 1878. He commenced the practice of his profes- sion here in 1879, and was that year town physician. In 1880 he removed to Faribault, Minn., where he remained about two years, when he located at . South Deerfield. In February, 1886, he resumed his practice in this town, with his office over Cook's jewelry store, Main street. In 1881 he married Clara C. Maynard, a native of Barre, in this state.
L. B. Parkhurst was born in Milford, in October, 1844, son of Ithiel Park- hurst. He received his early education at the schools of his native town, Worcester and Boston, and graduated from Boston University School of Med- icine in the class of 1877. He settled at Northampton in 1879 as successor to the late Dr. E. B. Harding.
Amos Sawyer was born in Bradford, N. H., December 9, 1830. His father, William Sawyer, was a drover in the days when cattle and sheep were bought up and driven to Brighton market, before any railroads were built in New England. Amos was engaged in this business with his father until twenty-
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two years of age, when he went to Cambridge, Mass., and engaged in the manufacture of soap one year, when he removed to this, then town of North- ampton, and engaged in the same business on the same location where he now carries on the trade. He married, in 1856, Cordelia R., daughter of James Tandy, of Cambridge, formerly from Newport, N. H. They have three daughters.
Willard M. Nichols was born in Halifax, Vt., July 30, 1820. When he went into business he engaged first in farming and afterwards in moving build- ings two years. For three years he manufactured wooden pumps at Waltham, Mass., and at Halifax, Vt. Afterwards for a number of years he carried on house building in Ware, Mass. He worked for H. L. James of Williamsburg, fifteen years, making planes. Mr. James's shop burned while he was in his employ, and burned more than a hundred dollars worth of tools. Since 1870 he has engaged in keeping boarding-houses at Williamsburg and Bay State. He married Caroline Wicks, of Halifax, Vt., December 9, 1843, and has had three children, two sons deceased, and a daughter, Alice T., who married Ed- gar G. Towne, a merchant on Main street, in this city.
Dr. Payson J. Flagg was born in Coleraine, January 22, 1858. His early life was spent in gaining an education, and in teaching in the public schools in Franklin county, in the town of Coleraine, Bernardston, Charlemont and Heath. He attended the Jefferson Medical college of Philadelphia, graduat- ing in April, 1885. He commenced practice with his brother H. H. Flagg, at Shelburn Falls, and in June, 1886, he located at Florence, with an office in Stone's block. For three years he was a student of Powers' Institute, at Bernardston, fitting for college. He has two brothers, physicians.
E. Brownell Coon was born in Cambridge, N. Y., May 8, 1841, where his early life was spent until the age of twenty-one. He at that time moved to Windsor Locks, Conn., where he remained one year, afterwards served an apprenticeship to the trade of a machinist with the Ames Manufacturing Co., at Chicopee, Mass., between four and five years. He worked at his trade as machinist and tool-maker in Boston the next three years. He pur- sued the same business at Springfield, Chicopee Falls, Florence, Hartford, Conn, Philadelphia and Illion, N. Y. In 188t he removed to Leeds and engaged as mechanical superintendent of the Mill River Button Company, and has served in that capacity since that date. In December, 1877, he married Hattie A., daughter of Julius Phelps, of Florence, and has one son. Their residence is on a fine elevation on Chestnut street, in Leeds.
Dr. Edward E. Denniston was born near Londonderry, Ireland, and was educated in Dublin and Edinburgh. For five years before coming to this country he was surgeon and physician to a hospital located on the estate of the Marquis of Abercorn, in the county of Tyrone, Ireland, town of Stra- bane. He immigrated to this country with his wife in 1833, locating in this town, where for twelve years he engaged a large practice, where he has remained since that date. In 1847 he opened a water cure and home for
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invalids under the aspices of the professional gentlemen of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Cincinnati, which he carried on for thirty - three years. This was very successful. Since 1880 he has been practicing his profession in Boston and along the seashore. The past three years he has spent in his farm home in this town. His first wife died in 1873. In 1883 he married Mary S. Dana, of Boston. By his first wife he had two children, a son and a daughter. Evans E. married Miss Helen Clark, daughter of E. W. Clark, of the firm of E. W. Clark & Co., bankers of Philadelphia. He died about 1862. His son, Edward E., is one of the banking firm of E. W. Clark & Co. at the present time. The daughter, Anna H., has a fashionable boarding-house in Providence, R. I.
Henry St. Lawrence was born in Canada, of French parentage, came to this town from Wallingford, Vt., in 1883, and engaged as foreman of Charles H. Maynard's hoe shop. Mr. St. Lawrence has made many improvements in the machinery at the works. He is inventor and patentee of St. Lawrence's power hammers and the H. St. Lawrence's forging machine, both of which have been introduced into the shop where he is foreman.
Erastus V. Lilly was born in Ashfield, April 22, 1834, where most of his life was spent until twenty-five years of age. In the meantime he learned the carpenter's trade, which he pursued for a number of years, and in 1858 he built the Parks House at Huntington village. He bullt a number of houses in Worthington, Ashfield and other towns. In 1862 he enlisted for three years in the civil war, where he remained until June, 1865. He was com- missioned captain in Co. B, 34th Mass. Vols. In July, 1862, he married H. Lizzie, daughter of Horace Smith, of Huntington, and had born to him one son, Charles A., now a resident of Northampton. Mr. Lilly died March 13, 1878. He was selectman of Huntington for three years, chairman one year, receiving every vote for the office but two, was deputy sheriff in Hampden and Berkshire counties before his removal to Northampton. While here he was deputy sheriff for the counties of Hampshire, Franklin, Berkshire and Hampden, at the same time.
Lewis L. Draper was born March 28, 1801, in Attleboro, and when he was five years of age his father removed to Pelham, where he remained on a farm till twenty-one years old. At majority he went to Quincy and learned the stone cutter's trade, and remained there three years. He then set up in the mercantile business at Pelham, where he remained seven years, and at Shutes- bury for three years. From there he went to Amherst and engaged in trade for the long period of forty two years, and afterwards sold merchandise and engaged in farming for three years in this city. He has always been more or less of a farmer in connection with his mercantile business. His business has been a successful one, and for the past few years he has retired from active business pursuits. His first marriage was with Margaret, daughter of Luther Henry, a noted merchant of Shutesbury, July 4, 1827. She died June 12, 1838, leaving a family of five children. November 28, 1839, he married
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Eliza, daughter of Martin Kellogg, of Hadley, who bore him one child, and died May 20, 1872, at the age of fifty-four years. Of his six children three are now living, Emerson H., who resides in California, Mary, who married William Gray, now living in Hadley, and John L., who is engaged in the livery business in this city.
Rev. Herbert W. Lathe was born at Worcester, graduated from Yale col- lege in the class of 1873, and from Andover Theological seminary, class of 1877. He located in Portland, Me., in September, 1877, where he remained until January, 1831. In April, 1882, he became settled pastor of the First Congregational church in this town.
Curtis W. Braman was born at Brighton, May 18, 1819. At fourteen years of age he came to this then town of Northampton, living with Samuel Whit- marsh, and engaged in the mulberry and silk-worm business for seven years. In 1840 he took up the trade of mason, which has occupied his attention to the present time. In 1839 he married Martha A., daughter of Jonas Clapp, of Northampton, and has had born to him a family of ten children, of whom five are now living. One died in infancy, and one at the age of seven years. James Henry enlisted in 1861, in Co. C, 10th Mass. Vols., became surgeant, and was killed at the battle of Fair Oaks, Va., May 30, 1862. His remains were buried in the cemetery in this city. Carrie married Freeman Taylor, and died in 1869. Mattie L. died in 1881. Maria married Louis Duplessis, and resides at Wallingford, Conn. Sarah married George Spencer, of Mer- iden, Conn. Hattie L. married Willard E. Lacom, of this city, and now re- sides at Willimansett. William W. married Mrs. Ellen Waite, and resides in this city. George A. married Mina Mann, and also resides in the city.
John B. Clark was born in Providence. R. I., January 26, 1847. He was for two years a student at Brown university, Providence, and graduated from Amherst college in class of 1872. He also pursued special studies at the universities of Zurich, Switzerland, and Heidelberg, Germany, from 1877 to 188i ; he was professor of history and political science in Carleton college, Minnesota, and, since 1881, has been connected with Smith college in a similar capacity. He is the author of a work on political economy and a number of review articles on the same subject. He married in 1875 Miss Myra A., daughter of J. G. Smith, Esq., of Minneapolis, Minn.
Charles M. Kinney was born at Sunderland, Vt., July 7, 1818, and re- mained with his father until he was sixteen years of age. The latter was a farmer, held the office of trial justice forty-five years, was twice representative of his town, and held various other town offices. Charles M. came to North- ampton forty-one years ago, and established the business of a manufacturer of marble cemetery work. The business is still carried on by his son Charles W. He married, June 1, 1842, Submit, daughter of Benjamin Walker, and has a family of five children, four sons and one daughter, Albert C., Charles W., Ella, Fred and Edward. Ella married W. H. Abbott and resides in Holyoke. Albert married Mrs. Haskins, of this city, and carries on monu-
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mental, marble and granite work at Milford. The other three sons are resi- dents of this city. Anna married T. L. Erwin of Natick, and died in 1883.
Rev. C. E. St. John was born at Prairie Du Chien, Wis., December 19, 1856, was educated at Harvard university, taking the degree of A. B. in 1879, and of B. D. and A. M. in 1883. He was ordained and settled as pastor of the Unitarian church in Northampton, November 1, 1883.
The Smith family of Northampton trace their genealogy to the sixteenth century. At the time of the breaking out of the Revolution the father of five brothers marched with his little band to Lexington and Bunker Hill. The family first settled on land here between Leeds and the river. Frank H. Smith, clerk of the common council, was born here November 24, 1859, was educated in the public schools and graduated from the high school at the age of eighteen years. He studied for the profession of dentistry, but ill health obliged him to relinquish it. He is engaged in the real estate and insurance business and the sale of foreign tickets.
Among others of the past and present residents of Northampton who are worthy of special mention, yet whom space precludes an extended notice are the following : Osmyn Baker, a descendant of one of the first settlers, a member of congress and president of the Smith Charities for several years ; conspicuous for force of character and sterling integrity ; his son William Law- rence Baker, a lieutenant in the regular army, was killed at the battle of An- tietam, at the age of twenty-three ; Benjamin Barrett, M. D., a member of both branches of the legislature, county commissioner and treasurer of North- ampton Institution for Savings ; Henry H. Bond, a lawyer and treasurer of the Florence Savings Bank ; Haynes H. Chilson, attorney at law, county commissioner, cominissioner of insolvency, postmaster and chairman of the school committee; married a daughter of Hon. Isaac C. Bates ; Josiah Clark, Jr., principal of Williston seminary, and professor in Smith college ; Charles Delano, member of congress and county treasurer, and an excellent lawyer and advocate ; Charles A. Dewey, district attorney and judge of the supreme judicial court ; Samuel A. Fisk, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society and lecturer on physiology and hygiene at Smith college ; Samuel Henshaw, judge of probate and also of the court of common pleas ; George S. Hilliard, teacher in the Round Hill school, and United States dis- trict attorney for Massachusetts, married a daughter of Judge Samuel Howe ; Samuel Hinckley, register of probate nearly thirty years, and judge of pro- bate seventeen years; Charles P. Huntington, law partner of Isaac C. Bates, represented the town several years in the legislature, and was a judge of one of the Boston courts; William Lyman, a soldier of the Revolution, member of congress and consul to London during Mr. Jefferson's administration ; Jonathan H. Lyman, a member of both branches of the legislature, district attorney, and chief justice of the court of sessions ; Benjamin S. Lyman, a geologist, and for some time in the service of the British government in ex- ploring the mineral resources of Hindoostan ; Lafayette Maltby, an able fin-
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ancier, and treasurer of the Northampton Institution for Savings ; Charles L. Seeger, a fine classical scholar and a skillful physician ; Samuel T. Spaulding, district attorney and judge of probate ; Daniel Stebbins, a physician, and county treasurer for thirty-five years, and greatly interested in the culture and manufacture of silk ; William P. Strickland, clerk of the courts and judge of the Hampshire district court ; Isaac Stone, United States consul at Singa- pore, representative in the legislature, and for a time superintendent of the Northampton Cutlery Company ; Oliver Warner, proprietor of the Warner House, a member of the state senate, and an influential citizen ; Samuel Wells, for thirty years clerk of the courts in Hampshire county; John P. Williston, a successful manufacturer ; John F. Warner, a prominent citizen and member of the legislature ; General John L. Otis, a soldier in the war of the rebellion, a member of both branches of the legislature, and a manu- facturer ; William M. Gaylord, largely interested in the iron business, and representative and state senator ; Oscar Edwards, member of the governor's council and president of the Northampton bank ; George W. Hubbard, formerly state senator and president of the Smith Charities ; Lucien B. Will- iams, a successful business man ; Luther Bodman, president of the Hamp- shire county bank, and recently president of the Smith Charities ; Lewis J. Dudley, for many years the conductor of a classical school, a representative and a senator, and a legislator of ability ; Enos Parsons, a lawyer, a man of practical talent, and a useful citizen ; William F. Arnold, often elected to the legislature, and a merchant ; Henry A. Longly, for a long term of years high sheriff of Hampshire county ; Luke Lyman, a descendant of one of the first settlers, a colonel in the Union army, and register of probate ; Harvey Kirk- land, register of deeds; Daniel W. Bond, one of the leading lawyers of Western Massachusetts, and district attorney for the northwestern district ; General Benjamin E. Cook, a merchant of fifty years standing; Mark H. Spaulding, a captain in the army, selectman and representative in the legisla- ture ; and Benjamin E. Clark, Jr., mayor of the city. This list might be ex- tended indefinitely, but lack of space forbids a further enumeration.
About one hundred and sixty natives of Northampton have been gradu- ates of colleges.
SUBURBS.
In several parts of the city's territory are located suburban villages and hamlets, giving it five postal stations outside the main office, as follows : Florence, Leeds, Loudville, Smith's Ferry and West Farms.
FLORENCE is located about three miles northwest of the main or business portion of the city, with which it is connected by a street railway. It has a somewhat remarkable history. It was known in the early part of the present century as the " Warner District," and contained some six or seven houses. It has, at different periods, been locally distinguished as the " Community,"
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" Bensonville " and "Greenville." In 1835 the late Samuel Whitmarsh, in connection with two or three other gentlemen, engaged in the manufacture of silk. The enterprise was unsuccessful from causes now unimportant to the public, and was eventually relinguished. In 1840 the property was purchased by Joseph Conant, of Mansfield, Conn., who in turn sold it to the Community Association, which was composed of one hundred and fifty members, whose avowed object was to "progress towards a better state of society and the de- velopment of a true social and moral life." The estate possessed by the association comprised 500 acres of land, a silk factory, a saw-mill and grist- mill and several houses. This association, composed mainly of earnest, sin- cere and intelligent men, was dissolved after an existence of five years. But it had existed long enough to assure the future growth and prosperity of the village. The Nonotuck Silk Company is an outgrowth of this enterprise of the "Community Association." In December, 1852, a postoffice was estab- lished here and the village given the name it now bears, taken from the famous silk producing city of Italy. The village subsequently became largely known through the extensive manufacture of the Florence sewing machine here.
LEEDS is a bright manufacturing village lying about a mile and a half north- west of Florence, in a deep and narrow gorge, on the banks of Mill river. It embraces a part of what was formerly known as the Rail Hill School District. Its present name was given after the city of Leeds, England, because of its large woolen manufacture, it having formerly borne the name of Shebard's Factory, till 1849, when the postoffice was established here. The village was almost entirely destroyed by the great Mill river disaster of 1874, an account of which is given on another page.
LOUDVILLE is a small village, noted for its paper-mills, lying in the south- western part of the city's territory, partly in Westhampton.
WEST FARMS is the name of a postoffice about a mile and a half north, located for the convenience of the farming community in that vicinity.
SMITH'S FERRY is a hamlet in the southern part of the town, on the Con- necticut River railroad. It originally bore the name of "Lyman's Farms," then "South Farms," later " South Harbor," and in 1835 or '36 was given its present name.
BAY STATE AND PAPER MILL VILLAGE are now localities in the city, but for- merly villages in the old township.
MANUFACTURES.
Williams Manufacturing Co .- In 1850 Messrs. Bartlett & Williams started in business as basket manufacturers at Huntington, and continued in business at that place until 1862, when they removed to Northampton, where the style of the firm was changed to L. B. Williams & Co. The latter firm continued in business until 1867, when there was another change, and the present cor_ poration of the Williams Manufacturing Company was organized. Starting in
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moderately, the business has increased and expanded until at the present time they own and operate the largest manufacturing establishment of this kind in the world, the works covering an area of more than 100,000 square feet, and have a capacity of upwards of 10,000 baskets per day. The dimensions of the main building of the manufacturing establishment is 40x250 feet, with an extension of 30x100 feet, all four stories in height, fitted throughout with the latest and most improved machinery and facilities for doing the best of work. For storing the goods large store-houses have been constructed, each 50x200 feet, and these are now filled with manufactured goods. The capital invested in this company is over $150,000.00. The firm is known in almost every state and territory in the Union. To endeavor to enumerate the different styles and various uses for which their goods are used would re- quire more space than we can give. We only mention a few of the well- known specialties and more noted of their goods. Perhaps the most promi- nent of all is their fruit basket, which is known to every large dealer and job- ber ; next to this style, and hardly less prominent, are the truck, market, laundry and corn baskets, which they manufacture. Their clothes baskets have a national reputation, while their satchel and covered baskets can be- found in every store in the United States or Canada that make any preten- tions of keeping first-class goods in this line. The extra heavy coal baskets are the best of the kind in the market. At times they employ 200 hands, and even in the dull seasons 150 skilled workmen find employment beneath the roof of this great factory.
Vonotuck Silk Co .- This great enterprise had its beginning in the early days of Florence, in 1838, a sketch of whose history we give above. The establishment took its present name in 1844, and in 1865 was incorporated under the laws of the state with a capital of $360,000.00, Ira Dimock, of Hartford, Conn., president, and Alfred T. Lilly, treasurer. When sewing machines were first introduced it was found that the sewing-silk then made was not in all respects suitable for its use. After spending much time in ex- periment, the Nonotuck Silk Co. succeeded in producing a machine twist which was found to be exactly the thing needed. The first lot of this new industrial product was made and spooled in February, 1852, and being tried by the Singer Sewing Machine Co., was found to be just what they had long de- sired. The company now have mills at Leeds, Florence and Haydenville, and give employment to 800 hands. Mr. Lilly has been treasurer of the company since 1853, when they only employed thirty hands. At Leeds the company have a customi saw-mill, where they also purchase and saw large amounts of lumber for their own use and for sale. They also have in connec- tion with this a planing-mill, and manufacture boxes for the shipping of silk, using for that purpose alone 200,000 feet of pine and basswood annually. It gives employment to a dozen men. L. B. Field is superintendent of the lum- ber department. They also employ fifteen hands at making spools for their silk.
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