Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume II, Part 41

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1008

USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 41

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In 1875, Albert Steiger, the prosperous Holyoke dry goods merchant, first entered the employ of Mr. Gillett. In 1886 Mr. Gillett took his son Ralph D. Gillett and Mr. Stei- ger into the firm, the firm name being Gillett & Steiger. Later Mr. Steiger withdrew from the firm to engage in business elsewhere, and the firm became D. L. Gillett & Son. The D. L. Gillett Company was formed in 1895, J. A. Kenyon becoming the active manager of the store, but after the fire the next year, the business was not revived. Mr. Gillett was a director of the Hampden National Bank, and one of the incorporators in 1871 of the Wor- onoco Savings Bank, of which he was a trus- tee until his death. He was president of this bank also for ten years, and had served on important committees. He was a director of the Woronoco Street Railway Company, and interested in a number of manufacturing con- cerns. He accumulated considerable personal and real estate, and aside from the Gillett block and his residence on Broad street he owned a large tract of land in the Highlands, and also property in the west. He had been a member of the First Congregational Church since 1842. He retired from active life sev- eral years before his death, which occurred May 16, 1901, from apoplexy. At the time of

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his death the local paper spoke in the follow- ing fitting terms of him: "Mr. Gillett belonged to a class of merchants that we call old-fash- ioned, because some characteristics of the type have almost passed from the life of the day. He was conservative, patient, plodding in busi- ness methods, but still alert to discover and pliant to adopt what was good in new things and new methods. In those respects he kept up with the times, while not becoming, like so many men in so many places, inoculated with the itch to sieze a fortune by some bril- liant stroke of genius or luck, and then re- tire to luxurious ease and sensational display. The sterling virtues of integrity, justice, fair play, considerateness, industry, * he possessed in eminent degree. Buyer and seller with whom he had to deal could de- pend upon his word without the supplement of formal contract or bond. In moral quality and business judgment he was a man to bank upon. The firm basis thus afforded for well- earned mercantile success was enlarged to no small degree by certain attractions of per- sonal manner that won and held friends among all classes and conditions in the community. Kindness as a principle and courtesy the act whereby it is made operative were habitu- ally manifest in a kindled eye and a face wreathed in smiles. This was no mask as- sumed to hide sinister designs, but the natu- ral expression of a gentle and generous spirit. Successive generations of young men have had abundent reason to be thankful to Mr. Gillett for personal interest and sympathy, for advice, for encouragement, for business training and for help in other forms. Many men who have reaped successes in different cities accord to him praise for starting their careers. From the time of his own youth through all his active life he was deeply in- terested in young men, not only in their mer- cantile affairs, but in their personal charac- ters. A former resident of the town recalls the fact that before Mr. Gillett reached his majority he was in the habit of inviting his young friends to a prayer meeting that he conducted after business hours in the back

* * part of the store when he was a clerk. *

While he shrank diffidently from public speech, his religious life was of a very prac- tical kind, applying principles of righteous- ness, faith and love to the life of every day. Hle sought with abiding fidelity to be right and to do right to help, to encourage, and sustain worthy people and worthy enterprises. An admirable citizen has spent here the ener-

gies of a long and useful life, and fallen on sleep. If it was not a life famous, brilliant, illustrious, it was no less valuable since it was honorable, upright, helpful, faithful unto death. If not in any sense dazzling, it was better since it was continuously luminous."

Mr. Gillett married (first ) September 5, 1850, Mary Eleanor Thayer, who died at Westfield, Massachusetts, January 3, 1857. Married (second) January 6, 1863, Sarah Jane Dickinson, born at Amherst, October 16, 1829, died June 20, 1904, daughter of Nathan and Mary (Taylor) Dickinson. Children: I. Ralph Dickinson, born November 28, 1865, mentioned below. 2. Edgar Lathrop, born November 8, 1868, died May 10, 1872.

(II) Ralph Dickinson, son of Darwin L. Gillett, was born in Westfield, November 28, 1865. He received his education in the pub- lic schools of his native town, and started in the dry goods business with his father. Soon afterward he former a partnership with Albert Steiger under the firm name of Gillett & Stei- ger, continuing for about five years, and then went into the real estate business. He was interested in developing the Highland section, which, under his direction, came to be one of the most delightful residential sections of Westfield, where he had his own residence. About this time he bought an interest in the J. L. & T. D. Peck Manufacturing Company of Pittsfield, and was active for a few years in the management of the mills. He became the treasurer, holding the office for fourteen years, and is now the sole owner of the plant. His first big undertaking at promoting street railway construction was in Berkshire county, where with others he succeeded in financiering and building the Berkshire street railway. He later took hold of a proposition to build a line from Westfield to East Lee under the name of the Western Massachusetts street railway, and the line is now in operation a part of the way, through Woronoco, Russell and Hunt- ington. Upon the sale of the street railways to the Consolidated system, Mr. Gillett with- drew from active management of the local and Berkshire lines. He was one of the first citizens active in giving Westfield its first street railway service. He was one of the officials of the Highland road, a short line from Pine Hill to Woronoco Park, and later served as director and an officer of the Wor- onoco Street Railway Company when the two local lines were merged. His activity was also apparent in the building of Woronoco Park and the fine half-mile track. It was

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while this track was being built that Mr. Gil- lett nearly lost his life. A terrific thunder storm burst over the park, killing several horses and prostrating several men, among whom was Mr. Gillett.

Mr. Gillett has not only been active in a business way, but has manifested to a marked degree great interest in local town affairs. He gave the golf club the free use of the big tract of land used for the links. In 1907 he presented to the Home for Aged People the family homestead on Broad street, in mem- ory of his mother. Under his personal super- vision a large addition was built to the house, . and the name of the institution was changed to the Sarah Gillett Home for Aged People. Some time ago Mr. Gillett's attention was called by prominent New York state men to the lack of satisfactory transportation facili- ties across New York state between Buffalo and the Hudson, and this led Mr. Gillett to investigate carefully the possibilities of a new railroad. He had previously given his at- tention to the building of street railways, but here was a steam railroad proposition, the size of which seemed staggering in compari- son to the street railways which he had built. The ground was gone over carefully; friends were consulted; trips were made in the ter- ritory through which it was proposed to build the road, and in fact everything was done to determine the demand for such a road, the probabilities of its being operated on a paying basis and a hundred and one other details were carefully worked out by experts. Sur- veys were made and careful estimates ob- tained of the cost of construction. The peo- ple all through the sections where it was pro- posed to build the line gave the promoters every assistance, and the hearings at Albany be- fore the public service commission were largely attended. The new road, the Buffalo, Roches- ter and Eastern, had the backing of boards of trade, chambers of commerce, big shippers, manufacturers and farmers all through the state. Even the State Grange of New York passed a resolution at the state gathering in favor of the road. The proposed road is to run from Buffalo to Troy, three hundred miles, and the estimated cost will be one hun- dred million dollars. In politics Mr. Gillett is a leading Republican, and in the spring of 1908 was elected alternate-at-large to the Na- tional convention at Chicago. He received the loyal support in the convention from the western Massachusetts delegates, and had it not been for a misprint on one of the ballots

he would have been credited with the second largest number of votes cast. Mr. Gillett is not only a big man physically, but mentally he is broad-minded and naturally generous- hearted. It has often been said that a man's personality has much to do with his success or non-success in life and this must be so when a man is constantly in touch with people. Mr. Gillett's uniform courtesy, thoughtfulness and democratic ways are qualities that win for him abiding friendships.

He married, November 3, 1886, Annie Lou- ise Sherman, born New York City, May 20, 1864, daughter of Robert T. and Nancy ( Van Deusen ) Sherman. Children : 1. Edgar Lath- rop, born January 30, 1888. 2. Sarah Dick- inson, February 26, 1889, died August 4, 1890. 3. Darwin Lathrop, July 1, 1890. 4. Mary Dickinson, February 1I, 1892. 5. Ralph Dickinson, August 17, 1893, died young. 6. Daughter, March 25, 1897, died March 27, 1897. 7. Annie Louise, February 20. 1900. 8. Ralph Dickinson, July 5, 1901. 9. Elizabeth, June 23, 1902.

FARR This surname appears in New England as early as the year 1629, when George Farr, shipwright, came in the fleet with Higginson, settled first in Salem and soon afterward went to Lynn, where he was made freeman in 1635. There was a James Farr at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1638, Barnabas Farr, inhabitant of Boston in 1654, but did not remain there; and there was a John Farr in Stow, Massachusetts, who is mentioned by Savage as probably a grand- son of George Farr, of Salem. It is from George Farr through his presumed grandson John, of Stow, that the family here treated probably descends, although an account of im- perfect records the connection cannot be clearly established at this time.

(I) Thomas Farr, of Hardwick, Massachu- setts, with whom our narrative begins, is sup- posed to have removed there from Stow or Littleton sometime previous to 1742, for his name appears as the owner of land there in 1719. In the year first mentioned his wife Elizabeth was admitted member of the church in Hardwick, but no further mention of the family is found in the records there, and it is presumed that he sold his lands and removed to some other town. The Hardwick records · mention two sons of Thomas, Thomas, Jr., and Jonathan.

(II) Jonathan, probably a son of Thomas and Elizabeth Farr, lived in Hardwick, but

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was of Chesterfield, New Hampshire, previous to 1767. The "History of Chesterfield" says that he probably went there from Massachu- setts, but from what town is not known. He was a selectman in 1777 and during the same year served as a soldier in the revolution. He married (first) June 5, 1751, Mary, daughter of John Wells; married (second) January 19, 1757, Mercy, probably a daughter of Thomas Winslow. The name of his third wife does not appear, but children were born of each marriage, as follows: I. William, March (or May) 5, 1752. 2. Jonathan, baptized April 14, 1754. 3. Joshua, born September 23, 1757 .. 4. Amos, March 9, 1759. 5. Mary, October 18, 1760. 6. Moses, May 18, 1762. 7. Mercy, baptized January 1, 1764. 8. Asahel, baptized March 23, 1766. The foregoing list of Jon- athan Farr's children is taken from the history of Hardwick, and is somewhat at variance with the account published in the history of Chesterfield, the latter being as follows: I. William, born 1751. 2. Jonathan. (By second wife) 3. Joshua, born 1757; died August 28, 1815; married Molly, daughter of Zerubbabel Snow. 4. Moses, 1761. 5. Asahel. 6. Maety, October 23, 1764; died December 16, 1839; married Jotham Brigham. 7. Abigail, died St. Johnsbury, Vermont, 1837; married, 1787, James Snow. (By third wife) 8. Susy, or Susan, July 21, 1779. 9. Sabrina, February I, 1782 ; died January 18, 1868; married ( first ) 1802, Francis Parks; (second) Wilder Brown; (third) 1837, Russell Farr. 10. Charlotte, February 9, 1799.

(III) Moses, son of Jonathan and Mercy (Winslow) Farr, was born in 1762, died in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, July 14, 1829. He married, 1784, Sabrina Hastings, daugh- ter of Josiah Hastings, who settled in Chester- field as early as 1770, and lived near the river in the southwest quarter of the town, on what has long been known as the Hastings farm. He was a soldier of the revolution and was in service in 1775 and 1777. He died De- cember 14, 1810. His wife was Mary Hart- well. Moses and Sabrina ( Hastings) Farr had eight children, all born in Chesterfield: I. Achsah, July 2, 1785, died November 21, 1824; married, 1803, John Snow. 2. Ora, July 25, 1786. 3. Mary, February 20, 1788; married, 1809, Ezra Church. 4. Roxana, Au- gust 21, 1789; died July 4, 1825; married Loring Farr. 5. Jason, 1794, physician ; died October II, 1825; married Rachel, daughter . of John Day. 6. Sally, 1796 or 1797; died

May 13, 1828 ; married, 1815, Roswell Powers. 7. Polly, 1799; died May 8, 1840; married, 1829, Roswell Powers. 8. Sabrina, 1809 or 1810; died December 10, 1829.

(IV) Ora, son of Moses and Sabrina ( Hastings) Farr, was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, July 25, 1786, died there June 30, 1828. He was a millwright and spent his life in the town. In 1814 he married Han- nah Harris, born Chesterfield, June 20, 1795, died Sutton, Vermont, July 31, 1852, daughter of John and Hannah ( Colburn) Harris, grand- daughter of Abner and Deborah Harris, and great-granddaughter of Abner Harris, senior, who is supposed to have removed with his family from Medford, Massachusetts, to Woodstock, Connecticut. Abner Harris mar- ried Elizabeth Lawrence, of Medford. He was a son of Isaac and Mary ( Dunbar ) Harris, and a grandson of Arthur Harris, who came from England to America and was of Dux- bury, Massachusetts, in 1640, and afterward one of the proprietors and first settlers of Bridgewater, Massachusetts. His wife was Martha Lake. Ora and Hannah (Harris) Farr had six children, all born in Chesterfield : I. Emily, April 25, 1815 ; married, 1834, Alfred Chamberlain. 2. Marshall H., January 16, 1817. 3. Hoit F., January 18, 1819; lived in California, but died in Sutton, Vermont, July 16, 1867. 4. Larkin L., November 4, 1821. 5. Norman H., April 16, 1824. 6. George R., July 27, 1826. After the death of Ora Farr his widow married (second) Luther Stoddard, and removed to Vermont.

(V) Marshall Howard, son of Ora and Hannah (Harris) Farr, was born in Chester- field, New Hampshire, January 16, 1817. He was a carpenter by trade and lived in Chester- field until 1854, when he went to Canada, West Ontario, and engaged extensively in the construction of railway and other buildings. On March 12, 1857, a train on which he was a passenger was precipitated into the Des Jar- dins canal, by the breaking of a bridge near Hamilton, Province of Quebec, and he received injuries which caused his death in a few hours. He married, May 8, 1839, Diana Randall, born June 7, 1816, daughter of Eleazer Randall, born August 4, 1796, died June 17, 1860; mar- ried, in 1815, Clarissa, daughter of Benjamin Wheeler. Eleazer Randall was a son of Elea- zer Randall who married Martha Staples, and a grandson of William Randall, who went from Cranston, Rhode Island, to Chesterfield, New Hampshire, about 1780 and purchased of

----

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Michael Wentworth the original share in the township of Chesterfield which had been set off to John Wentworth, Jr. Marshall H. and Diana ( Randall) Farr had four children : I.

Herbert Marshall, born May 28, 1841. Clara Wheeler, August 3, 1845; married at Hamilton, Province of Ontario, January 15, 1868, Joseph Metcalf, born in England and lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts. 3. Frank Howard, December 31, 1851; died Hamilton, May 7, 1858. 4. Charles Norman, April 5, 1856; died June 7, 1856.

(VI) Herbert Marshall, son of Marshall Howard and Diana ( Randall) Farr, was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, May 28, 1841, died November 25, 1900. He was about thir- teen years old when his father went to Canada to engage in the erection of railway buildings. Having a natural as well as an acquired taste for mechanics he early determined to engage in manufacturing pursuits and in 1864, in com- pany with his uncle, George Randall, and others, began the manufacture of knit goods and alpacas, having a place of business at the town of Hespeler, Canada ( Waterloo county ). The business was continued there with fair success for several years, but the proprietors felt that better markets might be secured if their principal place of manufacture could be trans- ferred to the states and the business conducted on a larger scale of operation than before. To this end the concern was removed to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and the Farr Alpaca Company was organized and incorporated with a capital of $250,000. The mills in Holyoke were start- ed in 1874 and have continued in successful operation to the present time, and today it is counted among the leading industries of the city, furnishing employment to from one thousand to twelve hundred workmen. Mr. Farr always was the active business man of the company and in the interests of the busi- ness visited Europe on different occasions. On one of his trips abroad he went into the dye- rooms of a large alpaca manufacturing con- cern in Bradford, England, and while there acquired a thorough and practical knowledge of the art of dyeing alpacas and similar fabrics. He was a capable and successful business man and a man of the strictest integrity of char- acter. He married, June 1, 1864, at Hespeler, Canada, Anna Hespeler, born December 3, 1843, daughter of Jacob and Lizzie ( Knowles) Hespeler, of Hespeler, Canada. Three chil- dren have been born of this marriage: I. Lennie, March 20, 1865 ; died August 16, 1873. 2. Flora A., September 6, 1868; married

Thomas J. Morrow, of Holyoke. 3. Bessie, December 8, 1881 ; married Edward S. Clark, of Springfield, Massachusetts.

SCOTT Benjamin Scott was born in Eng- land and settled at Braintree, Massachusetts, where as early as 1643 he and his wife Hannah were living. His widow married (second) September 21, 1647, John Harbor. Children: 1. John, born December 25, 1640. 2. Peter, March 6, 1643. 3. Benjamin, born perhaps in England. 4. Hannah, married Christopher Webb. 5. Will- iam, mentioned below. Others were probably born in England.

(II) William Scott, immigrant, was born in England probably before 1640, son of Ben- jamin Scott, of Braintree, mentioned above. He married, January 28, 1640, Hannah Allis, of Braintree, daughter of William Allis or Ellis, who settled in Braintree in 1639 and was admitted a freeman May 18, 1640, was deacon of the church, removed to Hadley and thence to Hatfield, was lieutenant, assistant in 1676 and died in September, 1678. William Scott also settled in Hadley, then Hatfield, in 1668. He was probably brother of John Scott, of Springfield. William Scott's home lot at Hat- field was twenty rods wide on the east side of the street near the north end of the street, opposite the homestead of Sergeant Benjamin Wait. It was lately owned by John Brown. William Scott had another grant January 16, 1671, and shared in the division of the com- mon lands, having lot 65 in the first division, lot 40 in the second, lot 6 in the third, lot 69 in the fourth. The last two lots are now within the limits of the town of Whately. When he settled there were already thirty families in the town. He fought in King Philip's war at Turner's Falls, May 19, 1676, when William Allis Jr. was one of the slain. The general court allowed him two pounds, sixteen shillings, for military expenses after- ward. His will was not proved, but a copy has been preserved at Memorial Hall, Deer- field, dated February 15, 1716. He died in 1718, aged about eighty-three years. He be- queathed in this instrument to wife Hannah, children Josiah, Hannah Broughton, Richard, William, Joseph and Abigail Bingham. Chil- dren : I. Josiah, born at Hatfield, June 18, 1671. 2. Richard, February 22, 1673. 3. William, November 24, 1676. 3. Hannah, August II, 1679, married Broughton. 5. Joseph, March 21, 1682, mentioned below. 6. John, July 6, 1684, died February 8, 1692.

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7. Mary, 1686. 8. Mehitable, September 9, 1687, died September 18, 1687. 9. Jonathan, November 1, 1688, died November 15, 1688. 10. Abigail, November 23, 1689, married, De- cember 14, 1710, Joseph Bingham, of Wind- liam, born January 15, 1688, son of Thomas and Mary ( Rudd) Bingham; married ( sec- ond) November 30, 1742, Mrs. Rachel Hunt- ington.

(III) Joseph, son of William Scott, was born March 21, 1682, at Hatfield. He suc- ceeded to his father's estate and resided on the homestead. His will was dated December 12, 1744, bequeathing fifty pounds each to seven daughters, residue to sons David and Joseph .. He died in 1762. He married, February 13. 1707, at Hatfield, Lydia Leonard, of that town. Children : 1. Lydia, born February 24, 1708, married (first) John Allis; (second ) John Field. 2. Miriam, December 14, 1713, mar- ried, December 14, 1735, Abel Allis; married (second) Joseph Benton, of Hartford. 3. Ebenezer, June 15, 1716, died December 25, 1735. 4. David, August 18, 1717. 5. Hep- zibah, January 12, 1719, married Moses Hart, born September 23, 1714, died 1784. 6. Jo- seph, about 1722, mentioned below. 7. Martha, married Ephraim Smith. 8. Leon- ard, born about 1726. 9. Abigail, married Aaron Smith and settled in Athol. 10. Sub- mit, died September 8, 1771 ; married Elijah Graves.

(IV) Joseph (2), son of Joseph ( I) Scott, was born in Hatfield in 1722, died June 4, 1776. He settled about twenty-five rods south of the Whately line, just below the mouth of the Mother George road, where it united with the Deerfield road, and where at a later period Elijah Belden lived, on the west side of the Deerfield road. Later he moved to the Straits, where he died. It is said that while living at Whately, Mr. Scott saw a fine large (leer one morning feeding where he had fod- dered his cows in the snow. His wife urged him to shoot the deer, as their supply of meat was very small. But he refused, saying that it was Sunday, and he would not profane the Lord's Day: and if the Lord intended him to have the deer he would send it another day. A few days later the deer appeared again, and the supply of meat was secured. His will was lated May 28, 1776, proved October i fol- lowing. He bequeathed to his wife Margaret and thirteen children. He was doubtless the Joseph Scott who was in the French and In- (lian war, at the capture of Fort Massachu- setts in 1746. Children: 1. Ebenezer, born

April 22, 1750. 2. Joel (twin), October 9, 1752. 3. Margaret (twin), October 9, 1752, married, October 2, 1782, David Blodgett, of Amherst. 4. Joseph, 1754. 5. Gad, 1756. 6. Lucius, 1758. 7. Abigail, about 1760. 8. Abraham, 1763. 9. Hepsibah, 1764, died May 18, 1788. 10. Isaac, 1766, died young. II. Lydia Leonard, 1768. 12. Submit, 1770. 13. Israel, mentioned below.

(V) Israel, son of Joseph (2) Scott, was born in Whately in 1771. He was a black- smith by trade and lived on his father's es- tate at what was known as the Straits, on the Captain William Fay place. He married (first ) January 27, 1795, Alice Sampson. He married (second) January 5, 1797, Hannah Cowles, born November 10, 1772, daughter of Eleazer and Hannah (Dickinson ) Cowles, of Amherst. He probably removed about 1815 to North Hadley. Children, born in Whately: I. Alice, November 23, 1795, mar- ried Horace Smith. 2. Clarissa, October 20, 1797, married S. Dean. 3. Rufus, February 9, 1800, mentioned below. 4. Hannah, Au- gust 24, 1803, married Andrew Lamson. 5. Aaron, February 14, 1806, died young. 6. Irene, September 10, 1808, died young. 7. Irene, February 15, 1812, married Isaiah W. Hibbard.

(VI) Rufus, son of Israel Scott, was born at Whately, February 9, 1800, died August 16, 1855. He was a mill owner and lumber dealer. He "rafted" timber for ship building down the river to Hartford. He was a col- lector of curios, and among his collection was a coach and harness which had been used by President Jackson. In politics he was a Dem- ocrat and in religion a Unitarian. He mar- ried (first ) May 10, 1825, Martha Dickinson, daughter of Ebenezer Dickinson. He married (second) September 18, 1846, Dorcas Hap- good, daughter of Benjamin Hapgood. She was a teacher at Mt. Holyoke Academy and as late as 1891 was living at Amherst. Chil- dren : 1. Martha, born January 20, 1826, mar- ried, June 3. 1856, Daniel Dickinson ; was a graduate of Mt. Holyoke and died in Wau- kegan, Illinois, about 1898. 2. Hannah C., May 27, 1827, married, January 16, 1868, Francis E. Clark, of Waukegan, Illinois ; graduate of Mt. Holyoke, died about 1900. 3. Rufus Porter, May 1, 1829, mentioned below. 4. Israel, April 9, 1831, died August 23. 1848. 5. Emily A., March 21, 1833, mar- ried, September 1, 1859, Charles W. Cleve- land; graduate of Mt. Holyoke ; died Septem- ber 27, 1860. 6. Aaron, October 28, 1835,

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume II, Part 41

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 1008

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 1008