USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Vol I > Part 17
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September 20, 1837, Mr. Seeley was joined in marriage with Sarah Montgomery, who was born in Salisbury, Connecticut, December 2, 1813, daughter of John R. and Rachel Montgomery. The only child
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of this union is Laura E., who is now Mrs. Fuller, and resides in Hous- atonic. John Mark Seeley died November 16, 1888, and his wife sur- vived him less than two years, passing away October 13. 1890. He was noted for his genial disposition, and widely respected for his many admirable qualities, chief among which was his liberality in contribut- ing toward the support of all charitable objects to which his attention was called. For many years he was chorister in the Congregational church.
HON. ENSIGN HOSMER KELLOGG.
Hon. Ensign Hosmer Kellogg, counsellor-at-law, late a well-known and much esteemed citizen of Berkshire county, Massachusetts, long a resident of Pittsfield, prominent in business circles and in public life. was born in July, 1812. at Sheffield, a small country town a few miles farther south in the Housatonic Valley, where two or three generations of his family had made their home.
His parents were Elisha and Jane ( Saxton) Kellogg, and his paternal grandparents were Ephraim and Ruth (Hosmer ) Kellogg. all of Sheffield, the grandmother being a descendant of Governor William Bradford, of the Plymouth Colony. Ephraim Kellogg was a son of Silas and Ruth (Root) Kellogg, and grandson of Stephen and Lydia (Belding) Kellogg, who lived in Westfield, Massachusetts. The father of Stephen was Lieutenant Joseph Kellogg, who died at Hadley, Massa- chusetts, about 1707, having removed to that place from Boston about 1662. He had previously lived a few years at Farmington, Connecticut. Ephraim Kellogg. grandfather of E. H. Kellogg, was a soldier of the Revolution. in service in the expedition against Burgoyne in 1777.
Elisha Kellogg was a farmer and spent his life at the Sheffield homestead. He and his wife were members of the Congregational
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church. They reared five children, namely: Ensign Hosmer: Fred- erick, who went west; James, now living in Galesburg, Illinois; Mary, Mrs. Ward, of Geneseo, in that state: and Ruth (Mrs. Arnold), who died in Oregon.
At Amherst College, in the thirties of this century, Ensign H. Kel- logg was a classmate of Henry Ward Beecher, Alexander H. Bullock. and other men of later prominence. He received his degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1836. He then read law with L. Parker Hall, of Sheffield, and after his admission to the bar settled for practice in Pittsfield. in 1838 becoming a partner of Mr. Hall, who had removed to this city. Destiny, however, had not marked out for him a distinctively legal career. His interest in municipal, county and state affairs, his knowl- edge of governmental questions, his business ability. led to his being called to fill various offices of public trust and responsibility. He served a number of terms as a member of the lower branch of the state legis- lature in 1843, 1844, 1847, 1849, 1850, and other shortly succeeding years, also in 1870 and 1871, being speaker of the house in 1850; and in 1854 he was state senator. In 1861, buying out the interest of Socrates Squire in the Pontoosuc Woolen Manufacturing Company, the oldest concern of the kind in western Massachusetts, he succeeded him as its president, and continued in that position, in the conduct of affairs displaying signal business sagacity for many years, or until his death. He was also for a long period president of the Pittsfield Life Insurance Company, and of the Agricultural Bank of this city. He was one of the charter members and a trustee of the Berkshire Athenaeum. In his later years, while leading a life of comparative leisure, he gave some attention to real estate dealings, buying a large farm then a mile from town, and laying out streets, developing what is now the Morningside property.
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To mention only a few of his public services-it was Mr. Kellogg, who, after the burning of the Berkshire Medical College in 1850, se- cured from the legislature an appropriation of ten thousand dollars for the erection of a new building: he was one of the committee to super- intend the building of the new Congregational church, one of the com- mittee on the organization of the first fire officials, one of the first water commissioners of the city, and one of the most active citizens in secur- ing the removal of the county seat from Lenox to Pittsfield. During the war he did much by his patriotic eloquence and practical efficiency to promote the raising of troops in this vicinity, and after its close he was one of the committee to whom was entrusted the full charge of erecting a soldiers' monument. He was an attendant and supporter of the First Congregational church. His death, after a brief illness, oc- curred in February, 1881, in the sixty-ninth year of his age.
Mr. Kellogg was married in 1841 to Miss Caroline L. Campbell, who, with one daughter, Caroline, wife of William F. Cushing, of Cleveland, Ohio, survives him. They had two other children, daughters, both of whom died in early womanhood; namely, Elizabeth, the first wife of William R. Plunkett ; and May, Mr. Plunkett's second wife, who left three children-Elizabeth, Marion, and Thomas Fitzpatrick.
Mrs. Kellogg was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, daughter of David, Jr., and Nancy (Pepoon) Campbell, and on the paternal side is of Scottish descent. Her grandfather, Captain David Campbell, was the youngest son of Robert and Mary (Pierce) Campbell, of South- wick, Massachusetts, where he was born April 30, 1758. He married Lucy, daughter of Matthew and Lucy (Loomis) Laflin, of that town, and about the year 1787 removed to Pittsfield, where, with the excep- tion of a brief sojourn in Lenox, he lived till the close of his earthly days. The date of his death was February 27, 1836. " He was a man
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of strong character," we are told, and " of great enterprise, especially as a dealer in real estate." The exaggeration of tradition represents him as having been at one time or another the owner of almost every desirable piece of land in the vicinity of Pittsfield. For many years he was owner and landlord of the Pittsfield Coffee House, and in 1818 he was one of the incorporators of the Agricultural Bank. His children were Richard, David, Lucy, Winthrop, Mary, Electa, Elizabeth, Rob- ert, Matthew, and George Washington. David, Jr., Robert and George W. became prominent citizens of Pittsfield. Richard died at Bethle- hem, New York; Winthrop removed to the west; and Matthew died in St. Louis, Missouri.
David Campbell, Jr., was born in Suffield, Connecticut. December 12, 1782, and was about five years of age when his parents removed to Pittsfield. In 1805, forming a partnership with Ebenezer Center, under the firm name of Center & Campbell, he went into mercantile business. The next year he was one of the incorporators of the unfortunate Berk- shire Bank. On the incorporation of the Pittsfield Woolen and Cotton Factory Company, in 1814, he was one of its five directors, holding thir- teen shares of stock. The factory went into operation in 1815, he with Lemuel Pomeroy having general control of its affairs. In those years Mr. Campbell also engaged with much success in the manufacture and export of the oil of peppermint.
In 1825 the Pontoosuc Woolen Manufacturing Company was chartered and the building of the factory begun. It was completed and went into operation in 1827. At the formal organization Henry Shaw was chosen president of the company; David Campbell, Jr., general agent : Thaddeus Clapp, superintendent, and George W. Campbell, clerk and treasurer. Here power looms were first used in Berkshire. The " History of Pittsfield " thus speaks of Mr. David Campbell, Jr .. and
John Hleoffing
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the esteem in which he was held: " The confidence of his associates in his knowledge, sound judgment and integrity was unbounded, and his contemporaries paint him as shrewd. reticent, a close observer of men and things, strict in his dealings, but with a warm heart and a kindly manner for those who dealt fairly and frankly with him." He was active in business till his death. June 30, 1835. when he left an interest enjoyed by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren at this day.
He married. October 4. 1809. Nancy, daughter of Daniel and La- vina ( Phelps) Pepoon, and was the father of the following children : George: Caroline Lavina (Mrs. Kellogg) : David, third; Edward, who died in infancy: Edward Warner; and Robert Pepoon. Mrs. Nancy Campbell died at Pittsfield, June 8. 1823.
JOHN H. COFFING.
A strong man and of the type whose monuments are great thriv- ing industries, was he whose name introduces these memoirs. Like many other of the descendants of those rugged English colonists who sought an early opportunity to escape a tyrannous home rule, including religious persecution, and who eventually revolted against a slavish col- onial dependence. John H. Coffing proved to be a man of progress equal to the duty of the hour, a leader among his fellowmen, a man of ideas. and with the full courage of his convictions always.
Tristram Coffin, the Englishman who founded the . American fam- ily of Coffin (here Coffing-the terminal letter having been affixed by the father of the immediate subject of these memoirs), was located in the Island of Nantucket as its records show as early as 1660, and his rude habitation erected in 1686 still stands, a most interesting memorial of old colonial days.
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John H. Coffing was born at Salisbury, Connecticut, February 3, 18II. His father, Captain John C. Coffing, had an interest in the iron manufacturing of that locality, and conducted also a general store. The son received for the period an unusually liberal education, attending the famous Vermont military school conducted by Captain Alden Part- ridge, then entering Westfield (Massachusetts) Academy and being latterly under tuition of Dr. Mark Hopkins. His earliest employment was in his father's store at Salisbury, and it was there that he had early opportunity to familiarize himself with many of the details of iron manufacturing. Captain John C. Coffing having sold out his Connec- ticut interests and located in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, was largely instrumental in the erection in 1829 of the iron furnace at Richmond, and in 1833-4, with others, built the furnace for pig-iron manufacturing at Van Deusenville. With the operation of this latter plant the son became in 1836 actively identified: In 1844, upon the incorporation of the Richmond Iron Works, uniting the Richmond and Van Deusenville iron manufacturing interests, John H. Coffing became the manager and business agent of the company, a connection which con- tinued up to his practical retirement from active business life in 1867. It was largely through his personal technical knowledge of iron manu- facture that the product of the Richmond Iron Works was soon of the highest standard of excellence, and it was in large measure due to his business acumen that it speedily attained that reputation, finding favor with the United States government and being extensively used there- by, after the most heroic tests in the manufacture of cannon. Mr. Cof- fing was essentially a builder. Having established with his associates upon the firmest of foundations the iron making interests above referred to. he sought other fields for investment. He became a stockholder in the Monument Mills, still and for many years the great industry of
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Housatonic. He interested himself actively also in the promotion of the local railroad interests, particularly the Stockbridge & Pittsfield and Berkshire Railroads, serving for a number of years as president of the latter. He was on the directorates of the Mechanics and Savings Bank of Great Barrington, and the Housatonic National Bank, Stock- bridge.
His public spirit was evinced in many ways. It was he who fur- nished the model of the Soldiers' Monument, Great Barrington, and he contributed largely to the cost of its erection. He defrayed a large share of the expense of Trinity church building at Van Deusenville. He devised a sum for the building of the House of Mercy Mortuary Chapel at Pittsfield. Politically he was originally an old line Whig, and from its formation a member of the Republican party, serving as a dele- gate to the national convention which in 1860 nominated Abraham Lin- coln for the presidency. His patriotism found free vent during the dark days of the rebellion when voice and purse were ever at his country's serv- ice. A life-time associate of Mr. Coffing pays this tribute to his old friend: "In matters of business Mr. Coffing exercised sound judgment and great foresight, weighing carefully the subject presented, express- ing his views with originality and clearness and acting promptly and ef- ficiently. Open and frank, proverbially truthful and honest himself he would brook no duplicity or deceit in others. With more than ordinary mechanical skill, he combined good taste and an appreciation of the beau- tiful; he did well what he did; built well what he built, always with an eye to usefulness and durability, and benevolent and generous in his public contributions, he was ever ready to assist in a worthy object. His private gifts to the needy were numerous, unostentatious-often unsolicited. Many young men have profited by his counsel and many have received from him substantial pecuniary aid." His declining years
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were spent in improving his farm and beautifying his home at Van Deu- senville, where he died August 14, 1882. He married, February 27. 1833, Rebecca F. Bostwick, of Salisbury. She died October 16. 1903.
JAMES FESTUS MILLER.
James FF. Miller, deceased, who during a long and active life bore a most useful part in the community among whom his years were passed. was born July 30, 1825, in the town of Middlefield. Hampshire county, Massachusetts.
James Miller, father of James F. Miller, was born in Chester, Mas- sachusetts, in 1798. He was a man of strong mentality, business ability and unerring judgment, and for the long period of thirty-five years served in the capacity of superintendent of the Plunkett Woolen Manu- facturing Company's mills in Hinsdale, Massachusetts, this record speak- ing for itself. In 1824, by the Rev. Jonathan Nash, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Lucy Starr, born in Lanesboro, Massachusetts, in 1796, and the following named children were born to them: James Festus, mentioned hereinafter. Eliza A., who became the wife of Sum- ner Church, of Middlefield, Massachusetts. Emily, who became the wife of a Mr. Smith, and they with their two children reside in Chi- cago, Illinois. Ellen, who became the wife of Frank Sawyer, of Hins- dale, and they and their three children-Fred, Robert and Mary-make their home in Chicago, Illinois.
James F. Miller obtained a knowledge of the rudimentary branches of education in the rural district school, and this was supplemented by attendance for a few years at a private boarding school at Poultney, Vermont. After completing his studies he secured a position as clerk in the store of the Plunkett Woolen Manufacturing Company in Hins-
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dale, in whose service his father was also employed, remaining there for a number of years. At the breaking out of the Civil war, when the country was in sore need of the services of her loyal citizens, Mr. Miller went to New York city and enlisted in the One Hundred and Seventy- sixth Regiment, New York Volunteers. Throughout all the engage- ments in which his regiment participated he served creditably and faith- fully, and at the expiration of his term returned to the position he re- signed in order to serve his country. For about ten years he resided on the old Miller homestead, and in 1886 removed to Pittsfield, where for a period of six years he carried the United States mail from the depot to the postoffice. About the year 1895 he retired from active pursuits, and thereafter up to the time of his decease enjoyed the reward of a well spent life. He was an attendant of the South Congregational church, and in all worthy enterprises gave a strong and earnest support. He was a staunch advocate of the principles of Democracy, casting his vote with that party from the time he attained his majority. He was a member of Berkshire Post, Grand Army of the Republic. In 1876 Mr. Miller married Jennie E. Day, daughter of Alvin and Esther (Cross) Day, of Ilinsdale, Massachusetts, who were the parents of several children. among whom were: Carrie I., who resides with Mrs. Miller : Edward W., who is engaged in the printing business in Pittsfield; Homer I., who also re- sides with Mrs. Miller ; and Eugene A. Day, who resides in the neigh- boring town of Hinsdale. Mr. Miller passed away at his pleasant home. No. 22 First street, Pittsfield, February II, 1904. His widow, prior to her marriage, taught school in Hinsdale for a period of twelve years, and many of the residents of that town will recall the amount of per- suasive power she used in her endeavors to instill in their minds the knowledge she wished to impart.
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ALEXANDER KENNEDY.
Everywhere the sons of Scotia have proved equal to large respon- sibilities and the Berkshire Hill country has its share of men of that nationality or ancestry whose careers have made for progress. Of these the gentleman whose name introduces these memoirs is a generally recognized exponent.
Alexander Kennedy was born December 14, 1840, in Dumfries- shire, Scotland, quitting school and his country home to become appren- ticed for a four years' term to learn the dry goods business in the lead- ing house of Dumfries by which he continued to be employed for an additional four years. Thus initially well equipped for the business which was destined to be his life work, and ambitious to enter a field of broader and more promising prospects, he came to the United States in 1865 and secured immediate employment with the well-known Church- ill, Watson & Company dry goods house of Boston, Massachusetts, thus early becoming inducted to the best possible advantage into the new world business methods of his trade. Three years later he entered into business for himself in Worcester, Massachusetts, subsequently removing to Albany, New York, to engage in the same line, remaining in the last named cities for periods of three years and finding each alike well supplied with dry goods merchants of large means and abundant enter- prise. The proferred sale of the Smith & Wallace dry goods business at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, coming to the notice of Mr. Kennedy and Mr. W. D. MacInnes resulted in its purchase by them and the subse- quent building up of one of the largest mercantile establishments in western Massachusetts, drawing a constantly increasing and well satis- fied patronage from Berkshire and adjoining counties. The firm trans- acted business as Kennedy & MacInnes Company up to February 1, 1905,
alex Kennedy
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when it was incorporated as The Kennedy-MacInnes Company, Mr. Kennedy being its treasurer.
Mr. Kennedy is a valued and valuable citizen keenly interested in and contributory to all methods, measures and enterprises that appealed to him as calculated to advance the interests of the home of his adop- tion. He served with efficiency as president of Pittsfield's board of trade; is a director of Pittsfield National Bank, and Pittsfield Street Railway Company : president of the Pittsfield Electric Light Company and one of the founders and first president of the local branch of the Young Men's Christian Association. He is a member of the board of investment of the Berkshire County Savings Bank. He married Mary. daughter of the late John Rodgers, the well known machinist and builder of engines of Albany, New York. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy are : Ethel, Mary R., Alexander, Jr., and Isabel. The son is a Cornell University junior. The family are members of the First Congrega- tional church, Mr. Kennedy being one of its board of deacons.
FRED FOREST DOWLIN.
Fred Forest Dowlin, who is known as a man of high attainments and as one who has achieved success at the bar, was born in North Adams, June 19, 1868, being a son of Marshall R. and Sophia (Mc- Goon) Dowlin. The father was a native of Bradford, New Hamp- shire, and there grew to years of maturity and resided until 1861, when he removed to Concord, where he learned the harness maker's trade. About 1864 he took up his abode in North Adams, and with the excep- tion of about four years while engaged in business in Westfield he re- sided here until his life's labors were ended in death, passing away November 3, 1904. In addition to the success which he achieved as a
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harness maker, he invented several articles which proved valuable and brought him handsome returns, one of the most prominent of these being the Dowlin hook swivel for headstalls, while another was the Dowlin . double-purchase trunk strap. Some of the articles which he invented were manufactured by himself and some by others. he receiving royal- ties. He was an energetic and straightforward business man. a staunch Republican, and for many years a member of the Methodist church. As a citizen, neighbor and friend he was upright, kind and charitable, and as husband and father he faithfully fulfilled every obligation. At his death he left his widow and three sons, Ralph, who succeeded to his fath- er's leather goods manufacturing at North Adams; Dr. Winfred M., of Claremont, New Hampshire: and Fred F., whose name introduces this review.
Fred Forest Dowlin received his early educational training in the public schools of North Adams, this being supplemented by a course of study in St. Joseph's College, Ottawa, Canada, and subsequent atten- lance at Troy Conference, from which institution he was graduated. His professional studies were pursued in the Boston University Law School, where he received the degree of B. L. Returning to North Adams he entered into a partnership association for the practice of law with E. H. Beer, under the firm name Beer & Dowlin, and this was continued for twelve years, when the partnership was dissolved, June 1, 1903. Mr. Dowlin's especial value to the place of his nativity is in the extent and character of his building operations, which resulted in the erection of some of the most notable and beautiful of the business blocks and residential structures of North Adams. In the boldness of his con- ceptions and the vigor and success of his achievements in this direction Mr. Dowlin stands alone, having accomplished more than any other one man in this most substantial of all lines of progress. He built the Dowlin
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block, one of the handsomest buildings in the city. It is located on Main street, six stories high, eighty feet front and contains seventy-two thousand square feet of floor space, which is devoted to the use of stores, offices, clubs. society rooms and bachelor apartments. Its front eleva- tion is of Rutland blue and white marble; it is supplied with an electric elevator, electric lights and all modern improvements and is entirely fire proof. AAnother notable structure for which he is partly responsi- ble is the Beer & Dowlin block at No. 85 Eagle street, erected in 1893. It is a four-story granite structure fronting on Eagle and Luther streets, while still another is the Dowlin block on Holder street, built by Mr. Dowlin in 1896. It is a four-story brick building with white marble trimmings. Mr. Dowlin has also erected over one hundred and twenty- five dwellings in the city. The Dowlin block and other property are now owned by the Dowlin Realty Trust. Judge C. T. Phelps. Charles W. Ford and Fred F. Dowlin, trustees. In the line of his profession he has also achieved a high degree of success, and has been engaged on many trial cases. He was the junior counsel for the defense in the celebrated O'Neil murder case tried in Greenfield. Massachusetts, and of which the state published a complete report, this being one of the first cases of its kind so published.
On the 8th of September, 1892, Mr. Dowlin was united in mar- riage to Julia I. E. Royce, a daughter of George and Martha A. Royce, of Orwell, Vermont. She became the mother of one son, Marshall R., who died in infancy, and her death occurred on the 13th of October, 1893. On the 14th of September, 1898, Mr. Dowlin married Jennie Belle Bingham, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David B. Bingham, of North Adams, Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Dowlin have two children, Fred Forest, born June 13, 1899, and Glendore Marshall, born July 30, 1903 : a third son, Myrle, died in infancy.
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ANDREW J. WATERMAN.
Andrew J. Waterman, late attorney-general and leading attorney of the commonwealth, was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, June 23, 1825, son of William and Sarah (Bucklin) Waterman.
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