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. III > Part 91
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Sullivan Taifor Ball, youngest son of Nixon and Betsey (Brigham) Bail. and grandson of Jonas and . Dofly (Taylor) Bail, was born in the town of Southboro, September 15, 1822, and has spent his life on the farm. As a boy he attended the common school of the district, and after leaving school turned his attention to farming. After the death of his father he succeeded to the ownership of the old family place. He has been a good practical farmer, therefore successful, and he also is a highly re- spected man in the town in which he has fived so long ; and having now reached the age of eighty- five years he has retired from work to pass his re- maining years in quiet and comfort. In politics Mr. Baff is a Republican, and has held some minor town offices. He is a parishioner of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
In 1849 he married Susan Maria Fay, born in Southboro, August 15, 1829, and died April 30, 1892. She was a daughter of Grant Fay, of Southboro, and Mary Littlefield, his wife, of Framingham, Massachusetts. Children of Sullivan Tailor Balt and Susan Maria Fay: Charles Sullivan. born in Southboro, October 18. 1851; Carrie E., born in Southboro, September 18, 1862, a florist : Mary Rice, born in Southboro, September 3, 1864, married Cles- son Lowell. of Fayville (Southboro), and has two children-Gladys and Ethet Lowelf.
THOMAS CHANDLER RICE, of Northboro, Worcester county, Massachusetts, is a member of the numerous Rice family of this portion of Massa- chusetts. He is the son of Samuel Ingersoll Rice, born at Northboro, Massachusetts. September II, 1821, died November 6, 1903. His parents were Benjamin and Lucy (Fay) Rice.
Samuel Ingersoff Rice obtained his education in the schools at Northboro, Berlin and the Munson Academy. He taught the Clinton public school when
but nineteen years of age, and he also taught at Northboro and the Munson Academy. At another time he was a teacher in New York, also at Shrews- bury and Boylston. He continued teaching during winters and farming in summer with his father until 1849. when, at the age of twenty-seven years, he was married. After that he carried on a place of his own and farmed to the time of his death. He was an able man and filled all the offices in his community. except that of town clerk. He was in the legislature when Benjamin F. Butler was gov- ernor of the state. He was a consistent Christian man and attended the Congregational Church. He was married three times; first to Eliza N. Bing- ham, of Berlin, who was a daughter of Thomas Bingham and wife. She was born September 12, 1824, died November 22, 1861. The children by this union were: Thomas C., born August 1, 1850; Samuel Wilson, March 27. 1856, married Jennie M. Moore and had five children. Mr. Rice married for his second wife Sarah Aurora Heath, who died April 7, 1873. She was the daughter of Jacob and Cynthia ( Pratt) Heath. His third wife was Julia A. Andrews, born in Boylston, May 30, 1835; by this union was one son, Benjamin W.
Thomas C. Rice, son of Samuel Ingersoll and Eliza N. (Bingham) Rice, was educated in the schools of Northboro and a course of three months at Howe's Business College of Worcester, Massa- chusetts. He then went to farming on his father's place, which he now owns. He is a Republican in politics; he has never sought or held office, pre- ferring to attend strictly to his duties as a farmer. He is an attendant of the Congregationat Church, and is highly respected in the community in which he lives. He is unmarried.
WILLIAM CURTIS BARNES, deceased, who throughout a residence of more than half a cen- tury in Southbridge, Massachusetts, became familiar to nearly every resident, and whose business and prominence in every move for the betterment of the town brought him into public notice. although he was particularly averse to publicity of any kind, was born in Arcadia, Wayne county, New York, February 22, 1825, a son of Jonathan and Eliza- beth (Taggard) Barnes. Mr. Barnes could trace his ancestry back several generations, as the original American Barnes, Thomas Barnes, came over from England in the ship "Speedwell." in May, 1656. He settled in Marlboro, Massachusetts, and later went to Brookfield, same state. The paternal grand- father of Mr. Barnes was a minister of the gospel, preached forty years under one settlement in Hilfs- boro Center, New Hampshire, and was buried under the pulpit he so long supplied. The maternal grand- father of Mr. Barnes had five brothers who partici- pated in the revolutionary war.
Until twenty-one years of age William C. Barnes remained at his parents' home, in the meantime at- tending school and working on the farm. He then went to Lowell. where fie learned the trade of watchmaker, serving an apprenticeship of three years, afterward going to Nashua, New Hampshire, where he remained six months more, perfecting himself. October 15. 1849, he came to Southbridge, Massachusetts, as watchmaker and jeweler for the late Sylvester Dresser, who had about that time purchased from the fate Robert H. Cole his stock of watches and jewelry, kept by Mr. Cofe at that time in a wooden building at the corner of Main and Central streets. In March, 1854, Mr. Barnes purchased a half interest in Mr. Dresser's book and jewelry business, and in July, 1857, became sole
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owner of the business. In 1860, when Mr. Dresser, his former partner. completed his second business structure, Mr. Barnes leased the building and oc- cupied the main floor for his business. The new store afforded ample room, and he maintained for years one of the largest stores of the kind in Worcester county, his stock then consisting of watches, clocks, jewelry, silverware, books, station- ery, musical instruments and general fancy goods. It was also the periodical store of the town. In 1871 Mr. Barnes built the present business structure at the corner of Main and Chapin streets, which yet retains the name of Barnes' block. it being one of the largest of its kind in the town, and in the designing of which he took an active part. The principal store in the building was taken for his own business, in which he continued until Novem- ber, 1892, when he sold out and retired from active life as a merchant, having been for forty-three years in business on Main strect.
In 1855, when only thirty years of age, and when he had been a resident of Southbridge for less than six years, Mr. Barnes was elected a member of the lower branch of the legislature. It was during that session of the legislature that Henry Wilson was elected United States senator. Mr. Barnes was a member of the board of selectmen of Southbridge from 1866 to 1871. In 1867 the present system of good sidewalks was inaugurated, and to Mr. Barnes the town is most indebted for this early improve- ment. Joshua Ballard, then agent of the Hamilton Woolen Company, was the first man Mr. Barnes consulted about a plan to unite Central and Globe villages by a good sidewalk as a starter. Mr. Bal- lard favored the project. and as the Hamilton Woolen Company paid about one-third of the town tax at that time. Mr. Barnes was encouraged to work on, and the fall of 1867 found the two vil- lages well connected by a good sidewalk. Mr.
Barnes was also an active factor in the introduction of gas for illuminating purposes, he being one of the originators of the gas company. of which he was president for thirteen years, from April, 1873, to April. 1886, and it was he that solicited most of the subscriptions to the stock. He also served the town as assessor, and was at one time prudential committeeman for district No. I. Mr. Barnes was active in the support of the Universalist Church and Society,and since the reading of Dr. Benjamin Frank- lin's rule to make money plenty in every man's pocket was in favor of the principles advocated by the Pro- tectionists. The rule of Dr. Franklin was to "Put in more than you take out." He was a member of Phoenix Council, Royal Arcantim.
On March 31. 1852, Mr. Barnes married Abby Frances Tatem, daughter of the Rev. Henry Tatem, of Southbridge. Their children were : Elizabeth H., who became the wife of Frank Edwards, of Southbridge, December 12, 1878; his death occurred in 1882. Their children are: George Barnes Ed- wards and Albert Vanderford Edwards. . \'lie Lee. wife of Eldridge C. Ellis. Frank Albert, deceased. WVillerette I. J. William, an electrician of South- bridge. After an illness of a little more than a week from bronchitis. Mr. Barnes passed away Feb- ritary 27, 1905, at the age of eighty years and five days. at his home on Hamilton street, Southbridge, which was built by him in 1861. The funeral serv- ices were conducted by the Rev. G. W. Penniman. of Peabody, formerly pastor of the Southbridge Universalist Church, and a personal friend of Mr. Barnes, and the Rev. Merrill C. Ward, the present . pastor of the church. The interment was in the family lot in Oak Ridge cemetery. Mrs. Barnes and the children aforementioned survive him.
BUCK FAMILY. Charles Buck, son of David Buck, was born in Connecticut, and died in May, 1870. His wife was Lucy Warren. of Westboro, born May 12, 1790, died August, 1869. They had children: I. Lucretia Larnard, born in Connecti- cut. married Joseph W. Forbes, of Westboro; no children. 2. John Warren, married Betsey Champ- ney Bingham, of Southboro, and had six children : Juliana, married Frank Brigham, of Westboro, had five children; Oscar, married, and had one child; Walter, married and now a widower : Delia, now dead; Leona, married Fred Bellows and has children; and Arthur, who died in infancy. 3. Edward Augustus, married Susan Augusta Rice and had these children : Mary, William, Edgar, who mar- ried Anna Wight, and had Charles. Ida and Her- bert Buck. 4. William Henry. married Sallie Maria Brigham, of Southboro, and had children: Frank, who married and had one daughter Helen, who married Edward Wright and had a son son Frank, who was a soldier of the late Spanish-American war: George Wilbur, who married Jennie Robert- son and had two children-Grace B., who married Abbott Tyler Stevens, of Lowell, Howard W., who lives in Framingham; and Wallace Brigham, mar- ried Ella Brewer, now deceased, and had Robert. Roland and David. 5. Arathusa, married Reuben Boynton, of Westboro, and had three children. Alden Lorenzo, Emily and Henry Boynton. Emily mar- ried S. O. Staples, of Westboro, had four children : Hattie, Mabel, George and Edward. Hattie Staples married George Eames, of Framingham, has two children. 6. Lucy Maria, married Erastus Bragg and had two children: Angie, who married (first) William Eaton and had one son, and married ( sec- ond) a Mr. Richards and by him had one son : Lucy, who died at the age of about eighteen years. 7 .. Charles, see forward.
Charles Buck, youngest son of Charles and Lucy (Warren) Bucy, born in Southboro, October 14, 1828 (?). and died there March 15, 1868. As a boy he attended the town schools, but left school quite early and began work as a teamster. At nine- teen he engaged in the cattle business, buying and selling, and much of the time made his seat of operations in Brighton. He engaged in this pursuit all his life and was looked upon as one of the best judges of cattle in Worcester county. He bought and sold with excellent judgment.
Charles Buck married Mary Elizabeth Jennison, born in Southboro. March 5. 1831, died April 9, 1906, daughter of Dana and Sallie (Howe) Jenni- son, the former a native of Southboro and the lat- ter of Marlboro. Children of Charles Buck and Mary Elizabeth Jennison: I. Francena Elizabeth. born in Southboro. May 17, 1850, now librarian of Southboro Public Library. 2. Harriet Maria, born in Southboro, February 20, 1852. 3. Fostina .\u- gusta, born in Southboro. January 8, 1854, married Fred F. Allen, of Gardner, and had two children- Anna Elizabeth and Ruth Buck Allen. Fred E. Allen died May, 1905.
GEORGE A. FITCH. George Fitch was a farmer of South Lancaster, Massachusetts, and lived and died in that town. He was brought up on his father's farm, attended the common schools of the district, and when he came to manhood under- took farming and made a success of it. In South Lancaster he was prominently identified with town affairs, a Republican in politics and frequently was chosen to office. He also was a member of the Unitarian Church.
Andrew L. H. Fitch, a son of George Fitch, was born January 28. 1837, at South Lancaster, and was
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brought up to farm work. He attended common school, but when quite young went to Hudson and engaged in shoemaking. Later on be removed to Sterling and carried on a butcher business with good success, but still later turned his attention to farming in Sterling, where he purchased what is known as the "Indian Field," so called from the fact that several battles were fought there with the Indians in early times. Mr. Fitch was a member of the organization known as "Pilgrim Fathers," which indicates something of the origin of his famn- ily in America. He also was an attendant at the services of the Unitarian Church. Andrew L. H. Fitch died November 2. 1904, at the age of sixty- seven years and ten months. He married Abbie F. Wheeler, now deceased, who was a daughter of Samuel Wheeler, a farmer of Berlin. Massachu- setts. Four children were born of this marriage : Nellie E., married Fred Kendall and has two chil- dren: Norman and Estelle Kendall. Caroline L., wife of John Craig, resides in St. Louis, Missouri. George A. Mabel A., died young.
George A. Fitch, son of Andrew L. H. and Abbie (Wheeler) Fitch, was born in the town of Sterling. in the house where he now lives, July 2. 1866. He was educated in the common schools and afterward took a course. in a Boston business col- lege. He then returned home and has since given attention to farming pursuits, in which he has been successful. The old homestead farm on which Mr. Fitch now resides contains about two hundred and fifty acres, and has been in the possession of the family for four generations, and is called the Elm Shade farm. It is one of the most productive farms in the town, Mr. Fitch giving his personal at- tention to the duties pertaining thereto. He also carries on quite an extensive dairy business. owning sixty head of cattle; he also grows large quantities of fruit, principally apples. He is one of the lead- ing Republicans of the town, and for several years has been a member of the Worcester County Repub- lican Committee. He also is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, is a Patron of Husbandry. and attends the meetings of the Uni- tarian Society.
In 1889 Mr. Fitch married Idella A. Childs, daughter of Calvin Childs, of Lancaster. Mr. and Mrs. Fitch have four children, all of whom are na- tives of the town of Sterling, namely: Marion A., born November 1. 1891: Andrew C., born February 24. 1895: Helen A., born March 20, 1897; Stillman G., born February 26, 1904.
THE PAIGE FAMILY. of Hardwick, Massa- chusetts. traces back in its history through several generations to the time of the Colony, but our present narrative begins with John Paige, of Hard- wick, who was born October 19. 1766. and whose wife. Anna Cl. k, also was of an old family in New England.
Clark Paige, son of John and Anna (Clark) Paige, was born in Hardwick about the year 1780 and died on either the 16th day of May or the 6tl1 day of June of the year 1831. He was a farmer, an honest. upright man in his walk in life and was much respected in the community in which he lived. His wife was Lydia Cutler, whom he married June I. 1813. She was a daughter of Joseph Cutler. of Western (now Warren). As a farmer Mr. Paige lived at one time on the Petersham road, near the town line. He afterward bought the General Warner farm at the south end of the Common. and lived there at the time of his death. Sometime afterward his widow purchased the Dr. William
Cutler estate, half a mile north of the Common, and she died there on the 4th day of May, 1878, at the age of eighty-six years. Children of Clark Paige and Lydia Cutler : John, born in Hardwick, May 11, 1814, died April 15, 1884. of whom later. Lydia, born in Hardwick, April 8, 1816, died in Newton, Massachusetts. August 26, 1876; married, September 30, 1841, Ansel Phelps, Junior, Esq., of Ware, Massachusetts, and at one time mayor of Springfield, a man of splendid attainments and high character. Ansel and Lydia ( Paige) Phelps had three children-Nellie, Charles and John Phelps. Joseph Cutler, born in Hardwick, December IS, ISIS, married, November 2, 1865. Nancy Gould, widow of Henry B. Gould and daughter of Joseph D. Dexter, of Hardwick. One child was born of this marriage-Joseph Calvin Paige, February 12, 1867. David, born in Hardwick. December 21, 1820, married Sarah Simmons and had two children- Annie and David Paige. Frazier, born in Hard- wick, July 16, 1822, married, March II. 1844, Wealthy, daughter of Theophilus Knight, of Hard- wick, and had children: A child born May 16, 1846, died unnamed, May 18, 1846; Fanny, born Novem- ber 26, 1847, married, June 15. 1876, Frank J. Brown- ing; Timothy, born July 16, 1851 ; Sarah, born Au- gust 8, 1853, married, January 20, 1874, Charles A. Potter. of West Newton, and had one child : Theodocia Knight, born August 1, 1860. Timothy, born in Hardwick, March 27. 1824, married Mary Warren and had three children-George, born in 1856, died August 22, 1857, Lydia and Cutler Paige. Calvin, born in Hardwick. October 25, 1827, 111- married and lives in New York city.
John Paige, eldest son and child of Clark and Lydia (Cutler) Paige, was born in the town of Hardwick, May 11, 1814. and died on his farm, April 15, 1884. He was about seventeen years old when his own father died and the care of the farm fell upon him and his mother. But he managed the property successfully from 1831 to 1836. In the latter year, upon the decease of his grandfather, he took charge of the latter's estate. cultivating . his farm and living with his grandmother until her decease in 1845. He then married and began life for himself. He always was a farmer and his en- deavors in that pursuit were rewarded with success. At one time he held the office of selectman. He was a Republican. a member of the local Grange and attended the Universalist Church.
On October 23, 1845. he married Harriet Stone, born in Hardwick, January 22, 1817, a daughter of Dr. Joseph Stone and Pattie Maynard, his wife, both of Shrewsbury. Dr. Stone was a physician of prominence in his time and practiced chiefly in Worcester county from 1814 to 1849. Mary Paige, born in Hardwick, January 13. 1847, died February 26. 1898, was the only child born to John and Har- riet (Stone) Paige.
HARRINGTON FAMILY. Martin Harring- ton was born in Shrewsbury. Massachusetts. Janu- ary 3. 1784, and was descended from the old New England family of Harringtons. His wife was Lucinda Temple, who was the daughter of Joseph S. Temple, of another Colonial family in New Eng- land. Martin and Lucinda Harrington had chil- dren, among them a son. Walter Harrington.
Walter Harrington, born in Shrewsbury, July 12, 1816, died in North Grafton, 1895. In his busi- ness life he was a contractor, a thorough business man and a man of influence. lle married Melissa Taber, of Topsham. Vermont, and she bore hiim two children : Walter, born in Grafton. died at the age
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of fourteen years; James Henry, born in North Grafton, January 24, 1840, sce forward.
James Henry Harrington, youngest child of Walter and Melissa ( Taber) Harrington, was born January 24, 1840, at North Grafton, Massachusetts, the original name of which place was New England Village. At the age of seventeen years he left school and went to Whitins, where he learned the trade of tool maker, and he became a thorough and practical workman. Later on he went to California and for three years worked at his trade in the city of San Francisco. He then returned east and was employed in different places in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. At one time he worked in the United States Arsenal at Watertown, Jefferson county, New York, and again at Springfield, Hampden county, Massachusetts. Still later he worked for the J. T. Hancock Com- pany of Boston and afterward for J. L. Whitin. He lived in Boston about twenty-two years. Mr. Har- rington was a Mason, and in his political preference was a Republican. In 1875 he married Ella J. Kirby, born in Worcester, Massachusetts, August 9, 1852, daughter of Frank A. and Rebecca ( Piper) Kirby. Mr. and Mrs. Harrington have two chil- dren : Mildred Ella, born in Worcester, Massachu- setts, November 29, 1876; Walter Alan, born in Bos- ton, Massachusetts, May 11, 1882.
LAWRENCE BOYLAN. Lawrence Boylan, Sr., was a farmer of County Carlow, Ireland. He was born there, married and raised a family. In 1846 he left the old country for America and settled first in New York city. In his family was a son Lawrence, then about twelve years old, a bright. active boy who was capable of doing work and who was willing to work.
Lawrence Boylan, Jr., was born in County Car- low, Ireland, in 1834. and now is seventy-two years old. Before coming with his father to America he was given a good early training in school, but when he began to work in New York city he also began study in another way, and by constant observation and reading he has acquired a good education, and today is a well-informed man, with an excellent un- derstanding of local and general affairs. He soon found a place in a large grocery house, where he was a clerk for some time and where he gained a good understanding of the business in general, and won the confidence of his employers as well.
Besides learning business methods while he lived in New York, Lawrence Boylan saved the money he earned, and in the course of a few years he had enough to start in business on his own account. It was then that he left New York and came to Black- stone, in Worcester county, Massachusetts, and opened a general store; and afterward for almost fifty years he was an enterprising, square-dealing and successful merchant in that town. However, during the past ten years Mr. Boylan has lived a comparatively retired life on account of an attack of paralysis, which, unfitted him for further active work. Besides this, a few years ago while on a hunting trip he had the misfortune to lose his left hand. But even in retirement he is provided with the comforts of life and can devote his time to the care and oversight of his various interests, for half a century of hard work and honest effort has given Mr. Boylan a deserved competency. He is one of the best known men in his section of Worces- ter county, and for many years has been one of the leading Democrats of Blackstone. He has been selectman, overseer of the poor, assessor and tax collector, and in whatever office he has been elected
to serve its duties have been performed with the same care as he has given to his private business affairs. The people of Blackstone know this fact and they respect the man for his honesty and his worth. He has been and still is interested in various enterprises in the town and at one time was a director of the Black-tone Bank. In religious preference both he and his family are Roman Catholics.
He has been twice married. His first wife was Mary Lankin, of Blackstone, by whom he had two children-Bernard, who died young, and Mary, who became the wife of Joseph Magee. After the death of his first wife Mr. Boylan married Maria C. Mc- Mullen, daughter of the late Dennis McMullen, of Blackstone.
MARTIN DAY, deceased, formerly an extensive oil merchant of New York city, was a native of Worcester county, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Johnson) Day. Born January 8, 1836, he acquired excellent educational advantages, having attended both public and private schools, and he was there- fore well fitted for a business career. The develop- ment of oil in Pennsylvania found him a young man full of energy and progress, and he readily foresaw in the handling of that useful commodity the basis of an extensive and profitable business. Establishing himself in the petroleum business in New York city he soon became prominently identi- fied with the marketing of that product in the metropolis and its neighborhood, including Brook- lyn, and for a number of years was .a well-known member of the Petroleum Exchange in the last named city. He was also a member of the New York Board of Trade, and in addition to his business prominence in the metropolis was well known as a leading spirit in the political circles of Brooklyn. where he resided, having officiated as president of the Republican Association of his ward. His death occurred in Mont Clair, New Jersey, July 24, 1888, at the age of fifty-two years.
In 1868 Alr. Day married Henrietta Walker, daughter of Samuel Walker, of Worcester. The children of this union are: David W., born in 1870. died in 1874; Samuel W., 1873, married Sarah Bush, who died in 1898; no children; Paul, 1875; Edward B., 1876; Lucy E., 1879; and Henrietta, 1882. Mrs. Henrietta Day is now residing in Hopedale.
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