Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. II, Part 38

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 732

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. II > Part 38

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(IV) Amos Foster, son of Benjamin Foster (3). was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, April 28, 1702. He married. October 8, 1725, Elizabeth Kitt- ridge, of Haverhill, and she died November 29, 1756. He removed to Boxford with his father and thence to Tewksbury, where he was living in 1730. His will was proved June 17, 1754. He died April 28, 1754, The children of Amos and Elizabeth Foster were: James, born August 15, 1736, married three wives whose given names were, Dolly, Betty and Lydia; Jonathan, born August 23. 1732, married Lydia Sarah Allen, Mrs. Olive Harwood ; Amos, born November 30, 1727, of whom later; Mary, born October 7, 1734, married, June 13, 1770, James Kittridge.

(V) Captain Amos Foster, son of Amos Foster (4), was born at Tewksbury, November 30, 1727. He died February 19, 1798, at Tewksbury. He mar- ried (first) Hannah He married ( second) Sarah -, died November 3, 1799. He was a soldier in the revolution, entering as ensign and be- ing promoted to the rank of captain. He was first of Captain Jonathan Brown's company ( Southeast company of Tewksbury), Colonel David Green's Middlesex regiment, in 1775. The following year he was second lieutenant in the company of Captain Joshua Baldwin (eighth or east Tewksbury) in Colonel Simon Spaulding's (seventh Middlesex) regiment. Later he became captain of his old (eighth) company under Colonel Jonathan Brown in 1780. lle was also captain in Colon.1 Cyprian llow's regiment, 1780, and marched to reinforce the Continental army, part of the regiment going to

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Fishkill, New York, the remainder to Rhode Island.

The children of Captain Amos Foster were: Amos, born May 23, 1753, was in the revolution; William, born April IO, 1756, married Olive How- ard; Hannah, born April 10, 1764; Nathan, of whom later; Jesse, born February 8, 1764, had guardian ; Elizabeth, born February 19, 1766; Susannah, born October 1, 1771; Alice, born September 29, 1778, married, July 31, 1798, Amos Blanchard; Orpha, born 1785; Stephen, born about 1780, had guardian. (VI) Nathan Foster, son of Captain Amos Foster (5), was born at Tewksbury, Massachusetts, May 14, 1762. He went to Maine before he was of age and located at what became the town of Nor- way, Maine. He was a farmer and became a promi- nent citizen. He died suddenly of apoplexy in his yard while at his usual work, February 5, 1836.

He married at Norway, Maine, May 17, 1791, (the first marriage in the town) Miriam Hobbs, who was born July 17, 1772, and died December 24, 1804. She was the daughter of Jeremiah Hobbs, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and Norway, Maine. Mr. Foster married (second) Sally Hobbs, sister of his first wife; she was born January 8, 1782. The children of Nathan and Miriam Foster were: Nathan, born April 9, 1794, married Mrs. Sarah (Gilson) Wheelock; Miriam, born May 18, 1791; Hannah, born October 14, 1792, died June 22, 1811; Amos, born March 31, 1796, died April 20, 1827; was a soldier in the war of 1812 in Captain Amos Town's company ; Jeremiah, born September 23, 1797, cor- poral in Captain Amos Noyes' "Aroostooc War" in 1839 in Maine; William, born April 5, 1799, of whom later. The children of Nathan and Sally were: Samuel, born February 15, 1804, died July 6, 1806; Sally, born August 31, 1805, died July 10, , 1806; Sally, born April 17, 1807, married, April 11, 1842, Hon. David Frost, school teacher, selectman, justice of the peace, legislator, etc .; Samnel, born January 27, 1809, married (first) Sarah - and ( second) Caroline Cross, resided in Norway; Serena, born December 11, 1810, married, November 13, 1838, Susan Frost; Hannah, born June 22, 1813, married Simon Frost ; Luther F., born March 3, 1815, mar- ried Emma B. Millett; David, born May 1, 1818, married Hannah ; Harriet, born October 5, 1820, died June 1, 1828; Lydia, born January 17, 1823, married, 1842, William Frost, Jr .; Clarissa, born January 27, 1826, married Fred Knight.

(VII) William Foster, sixth child of Nathan Foster (6), was born at Norway Centre, Maine, April 5, 1799, and died there January 26, 1884. He attended the district schools of his native town and was apprenticed at the blacksmith's trade, in the shop of the veteran Daniel Town, of Norway. When he became of age he left his native town and journeyed on foot to Boston, where he obtained employment at his trade in a shipyard. After a year or two Daniel Town, his former master, invited him to return to Norway and enter partnership with him. Mr. Town was getting old and the op- portunity seemed excellent to the young man. He returned and the business of Town & Foster pros- pered. In 1829 Mr. Foster erected a building at Frost's Corner and located his business there, fol- lowing his trade until 1844, when he turned to farmi- ing. He lived on his farm in Norway the remainder of his life, except for a few years at South Paris, Maine, whither he went so that his children could have the advantages of better schools. While living there he was postmaster. He returned 'to Norway in 1860. As a farmer he was progressive and pros- perous, as a citizen active and influential in public affairs. He was an earnest Free Mason, a member of Oxford Lodge for many years. He died January

26, 1884, at the advanced age of eighty-five years.

He married, May 26, 1830, Calista Wood, of Waterford, Maine. She was born July 16, 1809, and died October 19, 1881. The children of William and Calista Foster were: William Franklin, born January 14, 1833, married Almira H. Smith; Nathan Albert, born October 4, 1835, married Harriet N. Grover ; Olive S., born December 7, 1830, married, January, 1850, Theodore Lyman Laselle, who was born October 26, 1826; she died March 24, 1867, leaving son, George Laselle, of Norway, and William F. Laselle, of Leominster, Massachusetts; Miriam Hobbs, born July 23, 1839, married Levy M. Pierce, 247 Union street, Springfield, Massachusetts, who was born in West Boylston, Massachusetts, June 21, 1833; graduate of Colby, high school teacher, now a music dealer; his son, Rev. William Foster Pierce, is president of Kenyon College; Hannah Maria, born Jannary 17, 1845, died July 4, 1870; Charles C., born December 7, 1846, married Dora E. Wheeler ; George W., of whom later.

(VIII) George Washington Foster, youngest child of William Foster (7), was born in Norway, Maine, July 10, 1849. He acquired has early educa- tion chiefly in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and studied bookkeeping under private tuition. He was employed for a time as bookkeeper in New York city. He returned to Leominster and entered partnership with his brother in the boot and shoe trade there. In 1886 he acquired an interest in the F. A. Whit- ney Carriage Company of Leominster and became a director and treasurer of the concern. He directed its financial affairs with conspicuous ability and great success until his death in 1891. He built a handsome residence on Grove avenue in Leominster, and invested largely in Leominster real estate. He built and owned the Foster block there. In politics he was a Republican. He was well known in Ma- sonic circles, having taken the Knight Templar de- gree. He was a member of the Orthodox Congre- gational church. He died at Leominster, January 5, 1891.

He married, November 2, 1874, Elizabeth Por- ter Witt, daughter of Thomas and Rachel ( Porter) Witt. She was born April 26, 1850, at Norway, and her father was born there June 3, 1809, a descendant of Benjamin Witt, an early settler who came from Lynn, Massachusetts, and belonged to one of the old Essex county families. Mrs. Foster survives her husband. Their children are: Alice M., born at Leominster, September 14, 1876, married Edward Williard Blodgett, and has two daughters: Eleanor and Battina; Florence E., born at Leominster, Au- gust 26, 18SI, resides at home with her mother.

THOMAS E. THOMPSON is the son of Thomas and Margaret ( Fitzgerald) Thompson, of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was born in the city of New Bedford, May 6, 1864. He received his education in Ilinois, where his father located when he was very young. After graduating from the high school lie accepted a position as teacher in the public schools of Saxton River, Vermont. He taught later at Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, Sandwich and Lawrence, Massachusetts. While he was at Law- rence his good work and evident ability as a teacher attracted the attention of the school committee of Leominster, Massachusetts, and the position of su- perintendent of the Leominster schools was offered to lim. He accepted and since 1895 has filled the office with credit. To an exceptional degree lie has won the respect and co-operation of the teachers and the confidence and support of the parents of pupils. He is popular among the school children too. The secret of his success is his great interest in the work

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of education, his knowledge of human nature and his sympathy with the difficulties and pleasures of youth. He is in charge of about twenty-four hundred pupils. There are sixty-three teachers and ten sep- arate buildings in the town. Under his direction the standing of the Leominster schools has been high and the town has gained a reputation for its educa- tional facilities. When the rivalry between the progressive and wealthy towns and cities of Massa- chusetts is considered, all the more credit must be given the energetic superintendent to whose ex- ecutive ability the constant improvement and high standards are largely due.

He is a member of the Leominster Club and of the local council of the Royal Arcanum. He at- tends the Congregational church. In politics he is a stanch Republican, though his activity is limited by the nature of his office. There can be no politics as such in well-regulated public schools.

It may be appropriate to give a brief sketch of the public schools of Leominster, of which Mr. Thompson is in charge. The town was incorporated in 1740 and as soon as the meeting house had been provided for the pioneers turned their attention to the need of a school. In December, 1747, the first money was raised "for schooling." The church had been in use for several years, but was not actually completed until 1753. So the church and school grew side by side. There was no school house at first. In 1747-48-49 the sum of ten pounds annually was devoted to teaching. In 1748 it was voted "to build a school house and set it at the meeting house in said town, twenty-four feet long, eighteen feet wide and seven feet stud." It was probably built in 1749 at a cost of thirty-five pounds. Jacob Pea- body was the teacher in 1750. In 1767 the town was divided into three school districts and three new school houses voted. The annual appropriation had risen to forty pounds, but when the revolution brought its full measure of hardship it was diffi- cult to keep the schools open. In many places there was no school for several years. Leominster made no appropriation for schools in 1777. As the town grew better schools were provided. In 1850 the town paid $1,900 for schools and the high school was established. In fifty years the cost of schools in the town has increased ten fold and the value of the schools as increased porportionately. In 1883 the town voted to employ a superintendent of schools. The first superintendent was elected soon afterward. The committee selected William E. Pul- sifer, principal of the high school at Stoughton, Massachusetts. He remained in office until April, 1885, when he resigned to take a more lucrative position in a Boston publishing house. His suc- cessor and Mr. Thompson's predecessor was I. Free- man Hall, who had been in the same work at Ded- ham, Massachusetts. Mr. Hall was an excellent sup- erintendent and Mr. Thompson found the schools well organized when he began his work at Leominster.

Some mention should be made of Dr. Caleb Cles- son Field, for whom the Leominster high school has been named in grateful memory of a lifelong devo- tion to the schools. From 1838 until 1881 he was a member of the school board of Leominster and it is safe to say that during much of that period he was not only member but the whole board. All that a superintendent could do he did in the earlier days. To quote from his biography: "He labored with un- failing interest and zeal, with rare wisdom and suc- cess, for the wise and permanent development of our system of schools and after a service of over forty-three years left the schools among the best in the state. On the anniversary of his death the

teachers and pupils have been accustomed to cover his grave with flowers." "The schools of Leom- inster will always bear the marks of his wise care, faithful oversight and unfailing interest. As our modern life makes larger and larger demands upon the time of the individual and the system of public instruction becomes more comprehensive, special supervision by men who can devote all their time to the work must take the place of the old way. But in the years before this was possible, any town was most fortunate, if among her citizens there was one who had the will and the ability to do for her public schools what Dr. Field did for the public schools of Leominster." Jonas Horace Kendall was another great and good friend of the Leominster schools. He made large bequests for educational purposes to the town.

Leominster is an active growing manufacturing town with a large percentage of foreign population to be Americanized in the public schools. It re- quires a broad and versatile superintendent to man- age a public school system for the diverse elements to be found in the great mill towns and cities of New England. The success of the public school sys- tem is not the result of accident. It is the result of far-sighted planning, ceaseless labor and constant experiment and change.

Mr. Thompson married in 1891, Mary L. Hager, of Wellesley, Massachusetts. They have one child, Dorothy.

WOOSTER F. DODGE. Richard Dodge (I), son of John Dodge and his wife Margery, was born in Somerset county, England, probably in 1602. He was the emigrant ancestor of Wooster F. Dodge, of Leominster, Massachusetts. The lineage has been traced back further in the old country than is possible with most of the early emigrants to New England. Richard's father had three other chil- dren. Mary and Michael died in England, never emigrating to America. William was the first to emigrate. He was a passenger on the "Lion's Whelp" to Salem in 1629. He settled in Salem and died about 1692. Richard came to Salem in 1638 "desiring accommodation" and evidently got it, for he settled in the town where his brother was living, but later he removed to Wenham and in 1644 be- came a proprietor of Beverly. His brother William bought a two hundred acre farm that year in Salem bounds. Richard and his wife Edith Dodge be- came members of the Wenham church, and he was on the list of twenty-one subscribers to funds for Harvard College. He lived on what is known as Dodge Row and gave the land for the cemetery there. He left an estate valued after his death at one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four pounds, two shillings.

His children were: John, baptized December 29, 1631, in England, lived at North Beverly, died October II, 17II, aged eighty years; Mary, born 1632, married, 1653, Zechar Herrick, died August 18, 1710: Sarah, baptized 1644, died 1726, married Peter Woodbury, born 1640, died 1704; Richard, born 1643, resided at Wenham, died April 13, 1705; Samuel, born 1645, at Ipswich, died December 4, 1705: Edward, born at North Beverly, February 13, 1727: Joseph, born 1651, at North Beverly, died August 10, 1716.

(II) Richard Dodge, son of Richard Dodge (I), was horn at Beverly, Massachusetts, in 1643. He died April 13, 1705, at Wenham. He married, Feb- ruary 23, 1667, Mary Easton, born 1641, died No- vember 28, 1716. riis farm was in the southerly part of Wenham and he had a large estate. He gave his cider mill to his son Richard. He willed

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a negro slave Mingo to his oldest son. He and his wife are both buried and have gravestones in the old burying ground at North Beverly. Their chil- dren were: Richard, born July 12, 1670, died July 7, 1739, at Ipswich; Mary, born March 30, 1672, married Charles Gott, of Wenham; Martha, bap- tized June 7, 1674, married Dr. John Davidson, of Ipswich; Daniel, born April 26, 1677, graduated at Harvard College, 1700; William, born 1678, married, 1699, Prudence Fairfield.

(111) Richard Dodge, son of Richard Dodge (2), was born at Wenham, July 12, 1670, died at Ipswich, July 7, 1739. He was a prosperous farmer. He married, November 16, 1694, Martha Low, daughter of Deacon Thomas Low, of Chebacco in Ipswich. She died at the age of sixty-eight years. Their children were: Martha, born May 29, 1696, died at Beverly, October 5, 1721; she married Rev. John Conant, son of John and Bethiah Conant, born July 7, 1686; Nathaniel, born October 8, 1698, died young ; Lucy, born May 3, 1700, married Daniel Conant, January 23, 1716-17: Nathaniel, born De- cember 1, 1701, probably died young: Margaret, born September 2, 1702; Barnabas, born 1706 or 1707, died October 11, 1739; Paul, born 1709-10, died January 3, 1773; Richard, born at Ipswich, married Sarah Tuttle, died in Sutton.

(IV) Richard Dodge, son of Richard Dodge (2), was born in 1711 or 1712 in Hamlet parish, Ipswich. He inherited a third of his father's farm and in 1734 bought also the third of his brother Barnabas. Later he sold his Ipswich property and bought a farm at Sutton, where he settled. Their children were born at Ipswich, as follows: Rufus, born March 14, 1736, married Elizabeth Dodge, of Brookfield, published October 28, 1756, resided at Gageboro; Richard, born May 21, 1738, probably died young, in which case there was another son

Richard born later ; Nathaniel, born December 9, 1740, married Sarah Dodge, of Brookfield; Asa, imarried Lydia Buxton, February 9, 1779; James, settled in Gageboro, Berkshire county; Thomas, set- tled in Dudley in 1777; Sarah, married Reuben Town, July 7, 1767; Mary, married Enos Buxton, January 3, 1775.

(V) Richard Dodge, son of Richard Dodge (4), was born at Ipswich, Massachusetts, 1750 or 1752. With his son Stephen he bought, August 24, 1796, a farm at New Grantham, New Hampshire. He bought other lands there and moved with ox teams one hundred and twenty-five miles through the forests. There were no roads. He had lived first at Sutton after his marriage and there his children were born. In 1776 he bought his brother's in- terest in his father's farm there. He lived also at Charlton, Massachusetts. He and both wives are buried at New Grantham, New Hampshire, where they died. His children were: Ananiah, born No- vember 23, 1772, died December 8. 1846, at Palmer, Massachusetts ; Levi, June 22, 1772, died Decem- ber 8, 1835: Stephen, October 24. 1779. died May TI, 1872: Simon, February 22, 1781, died September 23, 1817, had son James S .: Lois. August 24, 1783, died September 13, 1872; John, December 11, 1785 ; Parly, March 24, 1788; Patty. August 10, 1700: Amasa. October 15, 1792; Joshua, November 23, 1795.

(VI) Stephen Dodge, son of Richard Dodge (5), was born at Royalston, Massachusetts, December 24. 1774. He moved with his father and other members of his family to New Grantham, New Hampshire, March, 1797, married Mary Dunbar, of New Grantbam, November 10. 1799. She was born at Bridgewater, Massachusetts, September 24, 1779. Stephen served in the war of 1812. His children

were: Salmon H., born July 31, 1800, in Croyden, New Hampshire ; Malynda, April 9, 1802, died No- vember 21, 1803; Ira, February 28, 1804; Lois, Janu- ary 27, 1806; Stephen, January 29, 1808; Azel Dun- bar. November 13, 1809, at Malone, New York, died November 6, 1857, at New York city; Still- man, December 19, 1811, died at age of eight weeks; Patty, June 1, 1813: Alven, June 23, 1815, died July 12, 1815: Susan, July 23. 1818, at Sand Lake, New York: Mary Jane. December 19, 1823, in Cavendish, Vermont, resided at Sand Lake and Lud- low, Vermont, where family settled October 15, 1820.

(VII) Stephen Dodge, son of Stephen P. Dodge (6), was born in New Grantham, New Hampshire, January 29, 1808. He was a pattern maker as well as a farmer at Ludlow, Vermont. Among his children was a son-Stephen, of whom later.

(VIII) Stephen Dodge, son of Steplien (7), was born at Ludlow, Vermont, 1808, died in Leominster, Massachusetts, June 26, 1855. He was brought up in Ludlow and received a common school education. He took up the comb making industry which he followed at Ludlow for a time, and then removed to Leominster, which is a centre of manufacturing of this kind. He was a Republi- can and held several town offices. He married Elvira Foster, of Worcester, Massachusetts. Their children were : Helena H., Wooster F., born March 28, 1841; Alice F.

(IX) Wooster F. Dodge, son of Stephen Dodge (8), was born at Leominster, Massachusetts, March 28, 1841. He was educated there in the common and high schools, At the age of twenty he en- listed in the First Massachusetts Infantry band. At his discharge next year he re-enlisted immediately in Company H, Fourth Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, and served till he was mustered out at the close of the war. He returned to his home in Leominster and entered the Jewett Allen Piano Case factory at Leominster. He went to Andover later to work in the same line. He finally went into business in Leominster, establishing a steam laundry. He sold the laundry later when he bought the box factory which has been in the hands of the Dodge family since 1857. He enlarged the capacity of the box factory and has succeeded admirably in the business. Mr.' Dodge is a strong and influential Republican. He represented his district in the gen- eral court in 1902 and 1903 with credit. He has been selectman of Leominster for seven years and has given the townspeople unusual satisfaction. He is a member of the Grand Army, a Mason and an Odd Fellow. He and his family attend the Uni- tarian church.

He married (first), 1867. Emma R. Brown, daughter of Lyman Brown, of Marlboro, Vermont ; she died in 1874. He married (second), in 1877, Sibelle E. Carter, daughter of Thomas Carter, a prominent citizen of Leominster. His children are : Flora E., married F. S. Farnsworth, and had two children-Beatrice and Florence: Fred, died in in- fancy.

FRED HARRIS DANIELS, mechanical en- gineer and metallurgist is a lineal descendant of Robert Daniell, who came from England and set- tled in Watertown, Massachusetts, previous to 1636. His home was not far from the present site of the United States arsenal. The line of descent is traced through his son, Joseph Daniels, to Eleazur, David, Darins, the three latter having been citizens of Men- don, Massachusetts. Darius had a son, Joseph, born in Mendon, Massachusetts, who married Lucy Har- ris, a daughter of David Harris, who was a son

PUL

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of Richard, a son of Richard, a son of Thomas, a son of Thomas, who. December I, 1630, accom- panied by his brother, William Harris, and Roger Williams, came to America from Bristol, England, in the ship "Lyon." Seven years later Thomas Har- ris and twelve others settled in Providence, Rhode Island. Joseph and Lucy ( Harris) Daniels settled in Worcester, east of the present Union Station, on a farmi of about one hundred acres.

The next in line of descent was William Pomeroy Daniels, father of Fred Harris Daniels, who was for many years a citizen of Worcester. His first occupation was that of contractor, and later for a number of years he was a lumber merchant, having yards on Grove street, Lincoln street and Lincoln square. He married H. Ann Stark, who was born in Lyme, New Hampshire, daughter of Nathan and Beulah (Wilmarth) Stark. Nathan Stark, a na- tive of Lyme, New Hampshire, was a son of Will- iam Stark, also of Lyme; William was a son of Moses Stark. of Groton. Connecticut; Moses was a son of William Stark, of Connecticut; William was a son of William Stark, of Connecticut, who in turn was a son of Aaron Stark, who settled at Mystic. Connecticut, 1653, and was a soldier in the Pequot and Narragansett wars. He was born in 1602, and died in 1685. Doubtless Aaron Stark. of Mystic, and Major General John Stark, the Ben- nington hero, descended from the same Scotch fam- ily. Beulah (Wilmarth) Stark, wife of Nathan Stark, was born in Rehoboth. Massachusetts, 1785, a daughter of Joseph Wilmarth, who assisted in establishing the American independence during the war of the revolution. Joseph Wilmarth was a son of Thomas, a grandson of Thomas, a great-grand- son of Thomas, who served in the Colonial wars, and a great-great-grandson of Thomas Wilmarth.

Fred Harris Daniels was born in Hanover Center, New Hampshire, June 16, 1853. When he was a year old his parents removed to Worcester, Massa- chusetts, which has since been his place of resi- dence. After leaving the public schools he entered the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in his sixteenth year, and graduated from there in 1873, receiving the degree of mechanical engineer, and at once en- tered the employ of the Washburn & Moen Manu- facturing Company at Worcester. In the winter of 1874 he entered Lafayette College as assistant pro- fessor in chemistry, at the same time being a special student under Dr. Thomas M. Drown, the head of that department. During the summer he was employed by the Glendon iron works at Easton, Pennsylvania, completing the plans of their blast furnaces. The same year he visited the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, making a close study of the engineering and metallurgical departments. Returning to Worcester, he resumed his connection with the Washburn & Moen Company, in the capacity of mechanical engineer and chemist.

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Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Vol. II, Part 38

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 732

Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 732