USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. II > Part 13
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GEORGE W. BARTLETT
George W. Bartlett was a native of Bath, N. H., where he
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was born in 1836. He graduated at Dartmouth in 1856, and the next year was principal of the Deerfield Academy. He graduated at the Albany law school and entered the office of Alvord & Wells. When George D. Wells removed to Bos- ton, Mr. Bartlett became a partner with Mr. Alvord until his appointment as lieutenant in the 27th Massachusetts regiment, September 23, 1861. He was made captain May 2, 1863, and was provost marshal of Beaufort for a season. He was in the engagements at Roanoke Island, Newburn, Kingston, Whitehall, Goldsbury and the siege of Petersburg. He was a brave, active and efficient officer. After his discharge from the army he formed a partnership with Edward E. Lyman, which continued until Mr. Lyman became clerk of courts. He was a member of the legislature in 1865. He was a popular young man and his future seemed full of promise, but his health, undermined by his military service, gave way and he died February 4, 1873.
DAVID WILLARD
David Willard, son of Beriah Willard, was born in Green- field in 1790 and graduated at Dartmouth in 1809. He studied law with Judge Newcomb and was admitted to the bar in 1812. He had no affinity for the practice of law, and that profession was not his free choice, for in his " History of Greenfield," he says of himself, that no person could "ex- pect a man to succeed in a profession every way uncongenial to his feelings, especially of one of unconquerable diffidence and inclined to despondency and depression of mind. Par- ents should not choose professions for their children ; they should choose for themselves." He was a man of peace, and hated contentions of any kind. He was of benevolent dispo- sition, kindly sympathetic, and had no known enemy. He was town clerk and treasurer from 1817 to 1829, when he gave way to Hooker Leavitt. In 1845 he was again elected town clerk and held the office until his death, July 16, 1855.
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For fifteen years he was clerk in the office of the clerk of the courts.
He occasionally wrote articles for the village papers, which had much merit. His handwriting, almost like copper plate engraving, adorns the record books of the town and the county. His enduring monument will be his valuable "His- tory of Greenfield," published in 1838, the value of which increases as the years go by. The writer wishes here to ac- knowledge his indebtedness to its author for much material gathered from its pages.
DAVID BRIGHAM
David Brigham of Shrewsbury was graduated at Harvard College, was admitted to the bar, married Elizabeth F., daughter of Jerome Ripley, and removed to Fitchburg.
FRANKLIN RIPLEY, JR.
Franklin Ripley, Jr., born in Greenfield, January 10, 1824, graduated at Amherst and was admitted to the bar in 1845. He removed to Milwaukee (?) and became a successful law- yer.
ELIHU LYMAN
Elihu Lyman, son of Major Elihu Lyman, graduated at Dartmouth College in 1803, studied with Judge Newcomb and was admitted to the bar in 1806. He appears to have been the first county attorney, and was sheriff from Novem- ber II, 18II to June 20, 1814. He removed to Hampshire county, and practised law in Greenwich. He was senator from that county.
SAMUEL WELLS
Samuel Wells, son of Colonel Samuel Wells, born in Green- field, December 21, 1792, graduated at Dartmouth in 1813 ; studied law with Elijah Alvord, and was admitted to the bar in 1816. He settled in Northampton and was clerk of the
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Hampshire county courts for over thirty years. He died October 4, 1864.
HENRY CHAPMAN
Henry Chapman, son of Thomas Chapman, studied law with Judge Newcomb, and was admitted to the bar in 1826. He was representative in 1833, 1834, 1836 and 1837, and clerk of the courts from 1840 to 1852. Williams College con- ferred upon him the honorary degree of A. M. He was a man of brilliant attainments, but the latter part of his life was passed in hopeless insanity. He died in the insane hospital March 23, 1875.
DANIEL W. ALVORD
Daniel W. Alvord, son of Elijah Alvord, graduated at Union College in 1838, and studied law with Wells, Alvord & Davis, his father, his uncle Daniel Wells, and his brother James C. Alvord. He was district attorney of the North- western district from 1856 to 1862. Mr. Griswold said of him, " He had a fine legal mind, and had he devoted himself exclusively to his profession, he would have made one of the ablest lawyers in the state." He was state senator in 1854 and member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention in 1853, and was also collector of internal revenue in this dis- trict. After the close of the war he removed to Lewinsville, Virginia, where he died in August, 1871.
W. S. B. HOPKINS
W. S. B. Hopkins, son of Reverend Erastus Hopkins of Northampton, was born in Charleston, S. C., May 2, 1836, his father then being pastor of a Presbyterian church in that city. The father afterward removed to Northampton and was for many years president of the Connecticut River Railroad Company and was for several terms a member of the legisla- ture. W. S. B. Hopkins was educated by private teachers
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and at Williams College, where he graduated in 1855. He studied law with Judge William Allen in Northampton, and at Harvard law school, and was admitted to the bar in 1858. When the war opened he was practising at Ware, and enlisted in October, 1861, served as captain and lieutenant colonel of the 3 Ist Mass., commanding the regiment from November I, 1861 to April 8, 1864. He was in the first New Orleans ex- pedition, being on the ship which landed General Butler at Ship island. Captain Hopkins and his company cleared the levee at New Orleans for the first landing of Butler's army. He was for six months in garrison at Fort Jackson, then in the Teche campaign and participated in the siege of Port Hudson. When stationed at Baton Rouge he received orders to transform his regiment into cavalry and as such took part in the Red River campaign. At its close he resigned and was honorably discharged. Soon after the close of his army serv- ice, he came to Greenfield and resumed the practice of law. Later he became a partner of David Aiken, and after two years, Mr. Aiken said, " Hopkins, we are on one side of most all the jury cases in the county. I guess we had better dissolve and be on both sides." He became the foremost jury lawyer in the county. His fair presentation of his side of a case, without any attempt at oratory, but in a quiet con- versational manner, his fair and courteous treatment of wit- nesses and of his opponent, was very sure to engage the con- fidence of the jury and win a verdict, if among the possibilities. He had marked ability as an actor, and during his residence in town, the " Greenfield Dramatic Club," under his manage- ment, achieved remarkable success, and contributed much money to charitable purposes and to the Greenfield Library Association. He was an active member of the Grand Army Post, and delivered the first memorial address in this town. In 1871 he was elected district attorney for the Northwestern district. He went to Worcester in 1873, and became the leading member of the Worcester bar. He was city solicitor,
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and was district attorney for the Middle district from 1884 to 1887. Colonel Hopkins was a college mate of President Garfield and a delegate to the convention which nominated him, and though not publicly announced, was offered a place as attorney general in the Garfield cabinet. He died at Pine- hurst, N. C., January 14, 1900.
Senator Hoar said of Colonel Hopkins, " I mourn the loss of a dear friend. The public mourns a noble citizen. I re- gard Colonel Hopkins as the foremost advocate in New England-peer of the foremost anywhere. He was a model of the professional character, of great sagacity in taking his position, a champion, powerful alike in attack and defense, a favorite with courts, juries, clients and his brethren of the bar. The loss to the city, county and commonwealth is irrepar- able."
GEORGE L. BARTON
George L. Barton was born at the old Barton homestead in Gill, November 6, 1845. He was a pupil at Powers Insti- tute and at Exeter, New Hampshire, and graduated with honors at Harvard. He studied law at Madison, Wis., for two years, and was principal of the high school at Greenfield for two years, during which time his leisure hours were spent in the office of W. S. B. Hopkins. He was admitted to the bar in 1871, and began his practice at Turners Falls. He was appointed trial justice in 1872, and was fast taking rank as a sound lawyer, when his promising career was cut short by his early death, February 19, 1879.
GORHAM D. WILLIAMS
Gorham D. Williams was admitted to this bar in 1868, and practised here for several years. He became interested in the manufacturing enterprises which were not wholly successful, and went to Boston where he wrote several law books of great value.
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CHARLES G. DELANO
Charles G. Delano, son of Hon. Charles Delano of North- ampton, was admitted to the bar in 1870, and became a part- ner of Whiting Griswold. He was register in bankruptcy after the death of Wendell T. Davis, but upon the death of his father he returned to Northampton.
WILLIAM A. GILE
William A. Gile became a member of this bar in 1869, and was for a time with Whiting Griswold, but soon removed to Worcester where he became eminent in his profession. He was a member of the legislature for several terms and quite active and influential in political affairs.
HENRY L. NELSON
Henry L. Nelson was admitted to the bar in 1876. He never practised here, however, but gave his attention to literary work in which he became celebrated. He is (1903) a pro- fessor in Williams College at the present time.
HENRY WARE JONES
Henry Ware Jones, admitted in 1881, took up his residence in New York soon after his admission.
CHARLES F. A. EDDY
Charles F. A. Eddy was admitted in 1883, and the firm of Eddy & Martin was in practice for some years. Mr. Eddy, however, of late years has given more time to mechanical in- ventions than to the pursuit of his profession, and has re- moved to Connecticut.
FRANK J. PRATT, JR.
Frank J. Pratt, Jr., studied law with John A. Aiken and was admitted to the bar in 1890. He soon after removed from town.
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FREEMAN C. GRISWOLD
Freeman C. Griswold, son of Whiting Griswold, was ad- mitted to the bar in 1884, and for some years practised law in town ; was a member of the House of Representatives in 1888, and removed to New York city.
CLIFTON L. FIELD
Clifton L. Field, of Shelburne, son of Samuel T. Field, was admitted to the bar in 1885 and was elected clerk of the courts for Franklin county to succeed Edward E. Lyman, when he became judge of the District Court, so he is a citizen of Greenfield by adoption.
FRANCIS M. THOMPSON
Francis M. Thompson was admitted to the bar in 1876.
JUSTICE WILLARD
Justice Willard, son of Ruel Willard, was born in Greenfield in 1790, graduated at Dartmouth College, studied law with Elijah Alvord and Judge Newcomb, and was admitted to the Hampden bar in 1814. In 1815-16 he was deputy collector of internal revenue, and then editor of the Hampden Patriot, for some years. He was representative from Springfield in 1822, and two years later was in the Senate. In 1829 he be- came register of the probate court, and served in that capacity to the acceptance of all for twenty years. He died April II, 1864.
. AUSTIN DE WOLF
Austin De Wolf, son of Almon and Elvira (Newton) De Wolf, was born in Deerfield, April 29, 1838. He attended the district school and academies at Deerfield, Shelburne Falls and West- minster, Vt. He taught school in his native county and in Ohio, and while teaching school studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1863. He formed a partnership with Wendell T. Davis which continued some years. He was secretary of the
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Franklin County Agricultural Society for three years, chairman of the assessors of Greenfield one year, declining a re-election. He was often called to preside at town meetings, having given much study to municipal law, his book upon " The Town Meeting " being standard authority in such matters. He was for several years treasurer of the Turners Falls Company. In 188 I Trinity College conferred upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts.
October 17, 1866, he married Frances O. Oviatt of Litch- field, Conn., and had four sons. He removed to Marion, Indiana, in 1890, where he now resides.
EDWARD F. RAYMOND
Edward F. Raymond, son of Zebina L. Raymond of Greenfield, was admitted to the bar in 1854. He was secre- tary of the Franklin County Agricultural Society in 1855, but died in October of that year.
REJOICE NEWTON
Rejoice Newton, son of Captain Isaac Newton, was born in Greenfield, was a member of the Worcester bar, and became one of the leading citizens of Worcester.
HENRY K. NEWCOMB
Henry K. Newcomb, son of Judge Richard E. Newcomb, was also a prominent member of the Worcester bar, having studied law with Honorable Rejoice Newton.
JOSEPH WARREN NEWCOMB
Joseph Warren Newcomb, also a son of Judge Newcomb, was a member of the Worcester bar, and practised in Temple- ton and afterward in Arlington. He afterward became con- nected with the press.
BOWDOIN STRONG PARKER
Bowdoin Strong Parker, son of Alonzo and Caroline Gunn
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Parker, was born in Conway, August 10, 1841. When ten years old he came to Greenfield with his parents, and this was his home till his removal to Boston in 1881.
He graduated from the Greenfield High School in 1859, and later studied under private tutors.
He served in the Civil War and returning home was for some years engaged in manufacturing. He studied law with the late Honorable Wendell T. Davis, and with Colonel Thomas Clarke of Boston, and graduated with the degree of L.L. B. from the Boston University law school in 1876; he was admitted to the Boston bar in December, 1875, and subsequently to the bar of the United States Circuit Court, and has since practised in Greenfield and in Boston, prin- cipally in the branches of trade-mark, patent and equity law. In Greenfield he was a director of the public library, an engineer of the fire department, chairman of the board of assessors, etc. In Boston he served for three years as a member of the common council, was two years representative in the legislature; in 1893 being the chairman of the Com- mittee on the Judiciary for the House, and also a member of the Special Joint Committee for the investigation and re- vising the system of inferior courts of the Commonwealth.
He edited the Massachusetts Special Laws for the years 1889 to 1893, inclusive, and has contributed considerable to the press. He has served as an officer of the Mass. Vol. Militia continuously for over eighteen years, during which time he was promoted from the office of captain, to assistant adjutant general of the Ist brigade, and is now on the retired list with rank of colonel. He is a member of the Edward W. Kinsley Post No. 113, G. A. R., of Boston ; The Massachusetts Union of Knights Templars Commanders, etc.
Colonel Parker married Katharine Helen Eagen of New York on June 25, 1867. She died September 22, 1899. They have one daughter, Helen Caroline Parker, who resides in Boston.
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SAMUEL O. LAMB
·The time has not yet arrived for the publication of sketches of the lives of present active members of the Franklin bar re- siding in Greenfield, but in the case of Samuel O. Lamb, who has for fifty-two years been in active practice of his profession in this town, an exception may well be made.
Mr. Lamb was the son of Reverend Amherst Lamb, a Baptist minister who in the early years of the last century held pastorates in Whitingham, Vermont, and in Charlemont and Buckland in this county. As characteristic of the good sense and independence of the blood, it may be stated that upon one occasion Elder Lamb at the close of a morning service said, " As I came along to church I noticed that you have large quantities of hay out, and as the weather is threatening I shall have no service this afternoon, and I advise you to get in your hay, and if any of you need any assistance call upon me." Mr. Lamb had the usual school privileges of farmers' boys until he was of suitable age to help about the farm work in the summer months, when he was hired out to a neighbor. He was a great reader, an apt student, and easily learned by observation, and was qualified when he became of proper age to teach in the district schools. This he did for four winters, and without doubt learned as much during those seasons as he would had he spent the same time in attending school. Whit- ing Griswold of Buckland was admitted to the bar in 1842 and settled in Greenfield. Mr. Lamb coming to Greenfield the following year entered his office as a student at law. He was then twenty-two years of age, having been born in Guil- ford, Vermont, October 23, 1821. Later Mr. Griswold mar- ried Miss Jane Martindale and Mr. Lamb her sister, Miss Lucy Martindale, both of Greenfield. In July, 1845, while yet a student at law, he took the editorial and financial man- agement of the Franklin Democrat. In his first editorial he announced the principles which would guide him in his polit- ical career, and if ever a man stood by his early political belief,
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that man is Samuel O. Lamb. In the issue of the Democrat of June 13, 1848, Mr. Lamb announces himself the editor and proprietor of the paper, which condition continued until the concern was sold to Joseph H. Sprague in January, 1852.
Mr. Lamb's preparation for admittance to the bar was de- layed by his editorial duties, but at the November term of the Court of Common Pleas in 1850 he became a member of the Franklin County bar, and entered into partnership with Whiting Griswold. The firm of Griswold & Lamb continued for four years ; Mr. Lamb at the end of that time opened an office by himself. The firm of Davis and Lamb was formed in 1862 and continued until the removal of George T. Davis to Maine in 1866. Mr. Lamb continued his practice alone until 1895 when he admitted Frank J. Lawler as a partner and the firm of Lamb & Lawler is still in good standing at the Franklin County bar. During the term of James Bu- chanan as President, General James S. Whitney was collector of the port of Boston and Mr. Lamb served as his private secretary. He has twice served as representative to the Gen- eral Court, held the offices of register of probate court, and clerk of the courts. He also served with credit as savings bank commissioner, resigning the office because of weakness of his eyesight. He has been honored by the party of his choice by nomination upon the state ticket at different times. He has always taken a deep interest in municipal affairs, and has often served on important committees and for several years as a member of the school board of the town. Mr. Lamb has been president of the Franklin Savings Institution and was for many years its attorney. His advanced age does not prevent his daily attendance at his office, and his quick and elastic step, his wonderful memory, his cheerful conversation, his remarkable fund of interesting stories, and his kindly dis- position, all tend to mark him as a man who has learned one of the most difficult lessons of life, the way to grow old grace- fully.
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In recognition of the honor and esteem in which his brethren of the bar hold Mr. Lamb, upon his eighty-second birthday they tendered to him a complimentary banquet and pre- sented to him a valuable gold-headed cane. To the congrat- ulatory remarks of his fellows, Mr. Lamb replied in a reminis- cient speech characteristic of the man, and of intense interest.
FAYETTE SMITH
Mr. Smith was born at Warwick, in 1825, and was the son of Reverend Preserved and Tryphena (Goldsmith) Smith. who then resided in that town. Rev. Preserved Smith was a well known Unitarian preacher who had held pastorates in Rowe, Deerfield and Warwick, and was for some years a resi- dent in Greenfield. He was a descendant of Rev. Henry Smith who was pastor of the church in Weathersfield, Conn., as early as 1635.
Fayette Smith prepared for college at the old Deerfield Academy, then under the charge of Luther B. Lincoln, and was graduated from Harvard in the class of 1844. He studied law with his cousin John Wells of Chicopee, who became a justice of the Supreme Court. He came to the Hampden bar in 1847 and practised in Chicopee and Holyoke until 1851, when he located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here he practised with increasing success and reputation until in 1878 he was elected a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, which position he re- tained for the usual term of five years. From his retirement from the bench in 1883 until 1895, when he gave up the prac- tice of law and removed to this town, he was the head of the law firm of Smith & Martin who commanded a large and lu- crative practice.
It happened that while Judge Smith was upon the bench that he was the presiding judge of the District Court, com- posed of three judges of the Court of Common Pleas, before whom came the celebrated case of Archbishop Purcell,-one of the most important cases ever tried by the Ohio courts.
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Judge Smith wrote the opinion which held that the church property was held for religious and charitable uses, in trust, and could not pass to the assignee of the bishop. The opin- ion was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Ohio, and the writer of the opinion was complimented by the declaration of the court that it was " a very able and exhaustive presentation of the reasons which prompted the judgment."
Mr. Smith's first wife was a Cincinnati lady, and in 1875 he married Miss Mary P. Wells of this town, who has achieved renown as the author of juvenile books. Upon the death of Eunice, the widow of Rev. Dr. John F. Moors and sister of Mr. Smith, he came from Cincinnati and until his decease, which occurred January 4, 1893, he and his wife occupied the Moors' mansion which came to him by his sister's will.
On October 5, 1903, eleven ex-judges of the Court of Com- mon Pleas of Ohio, appointed a committee by that court, re- ported resolutions highly eulogistic of the life and services of Judge Smith, which were ordered by the court to be spread upon the records. He was held in high esteem by the citi- zens of Greenfield.
CHARLES FIELD
Charles Field, judge of the first northern District Court of Worcester county, that grand old man of Athol, deserves a notice in this work as his parents were residents of Green- field, and he was educated to the law in this town, but his modesty is so great that the editor has been unable to obtain memoranda sufficient for a worthy sketch of his career.
CHAPTER LVI
MINISTERS, NATIVES OF GREENFIELD
E DWARD BILLINGS, JR., son of Edward Billing, the first minister of Greenfield, was licensed by the Hampshire Association as a preacher but was never or- dained. He was born in Belchertown in 1750, and when only four years of age came with his father to Greenfield, where he resided until his death in 1806. He preached but a short time and then studied medicine. (See Physicians of Greenfield.)
REVEREND CHARLES C. CORSE
Mr. Corse, son of Asher Corse, Jr., was born in Green- field, May 23, 1803. He graduated at Amherst in 1830 and took a course in theology at Princeton, beginning to preach at Kingston, Pa., in 1834.
He preached in Wyoming valley until 1837 and was set- tled as pastor at Athens, Pa., February 27, 1838, where he remained about ten years. From that time until his decease, he resided at East Smithfield, Pa., where he preached as stated supply. He obtained his license from the Hampshire Asso- ciation February 5, 1834, and was ordained at Susquehanna, Pa., August 27, 1836. In 1884 Mr. Corse was present at the dedication of the monument erected to the memory of Mrs. Eunice Williams, which is located upon the ancient Corse farm, and was one of the speakers upon that occasion. He was for several terms principal of the old Deerfield Academy. Mr. Corse died May 20, 1893.
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REVEREND JOHN F. GRISWOLD
Mr. Griswold, the son of Reverend Theophilus Griswold, was born in Greenfield, April 14, 1795, and was graduated at Yale College in 1821. He studied theology at Andover and was ordained an evangelist by the Franklin (Congregational) Association November 8, 1825, the sermon being by Reverend Josiah Canning, of Gill. He was pastor at South Hadley Falls from December 3, 1828, to 1832; Newfane, Vt., from 1834 to 1839, and at Hartland, Vt., from 1839 to 1844. He was afterward a preacher at Washington, N. H.
REVEREND CHARLES P. RUSSELL
Mr. Russell was a son of Major John Russell, and was born in Greenfield April 3, 1801. He took a collegiate course at Amherst College, but did not graduate. His license came from the Franklin Association, bearing date August II, 1830. He studied theology at Andover, and his first pastor- ate was at Candia, N. H., where he settled December 25, 1833. In 1841 his health having failed he gave up his pro- fession and lived in Greenfield, Boston, and Washington, D. C. He was for some years connected with the post-office de- partment in Washington.
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