History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 157

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 157

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These institutions are in general intended for that elass of poor but industrious persons who deserve help by endeavoring to help themselves, the primary object not being for gain, but benevolence, and are for the benefit of the widow, the orphan, and the aged.

Many a penny that is now safely deposited in the vaults of these savings institutions in the country might have gone where the possessor would never have seen them again ; for this reason savings-banks are a great blessing to the community.

In the city of Broekton there were individuals that looked to the interests of others as well as themselves, and having at the same time an eye to the interests of the community generally, they petitioned for an aet of incorporation as a savings-bank, which was granted to Messrs. Franklin Ames, Edward South- worth, and George B. Dunbar, April 24, 1851, under the name of the North Bridgewater Savings-Bank. The following were the officers of the institution at the time of its organization in 1851, namely : Col. Edward Southworth, president; Franklin Ames, George B. Dunbar, vice-presidents ; Edward South- worth, Jr., secretary and treasurer; Edward Soutli- worth, Lorenzo D. Hervey, Henry V. French, Frank- lin Ames, Algernon S. Sylvester, Oakes S. Soule, George B. Dunbar, Edward Southworth, Jr., trus- tees.

By the death of Edward Southworth, Jr., March 3, 1877, Rufus P. Kingman, Esq., was elected treas- urer of the above bank, and after a careful examina- tion into the condition of affairs, it was found neces- sary to appoint receivers and close up the institution. On the 13th of November of that year, Rufus P.

Albert Keith

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HISTORY OF BROCKTON.

Kingman, Esq., of Brockton, and Ellis Ames, Esq., of Canton, were appointed by the Supreme Court to wind up the affairs, which has been done in a highly creditable manner to the receivers as well as pleasing to the depositors, resulting in a series of dividends amounting to ninety-four and forty-six hundredths per cent.

Brockton Savings-Bank .- On the third day of March, 1881, the Legislature of Massachusetts in- corporated the following persons into a savings-bank, viz. : J. J. Whipple, W. W. Cross, Davis S. Packard, L. F. Severance, E. H. Joslyn, D. S. Volman, Henry A. Ford, Henry E. Lincoln, George E. Freeman. Ziba C. Keith, George E. Keith, Loring W. Puffer, B. O. Caldwell, Sanford Winter, H. H. Packard, their asso- ciates and successors, were made a corporation by the name of the Brockton Savings-Bank, located in the city of Brockton. They commenced business May 1, 1881, with the following officers : President, Sanford Winter; Vice-Presidents, John J. Whipple, Ziba C. Keith ; Treasurer, Clarence R. Fillebrown ; Trustees, Sanford Winter, John J. Whipple, Ziba C. Keith, William W. Cross, Henry A. Ford, George E. Keith, George E. Freeman, Lorenzo F. Severance, Patrick Gilmore, Rev. Thomas B. McNulty, David S. Pack- ard, Sumner A. Hayward, Gardner J. Kingman, Bradford E. Jones, Charles W. Sumner, Elisha H. Joslyn, Henry H. Packard ; Board of Investment, Davis S. Packard, Sumner A. Hayward, Bradford E. Jones, Gardner J. Kingman, John J. Whipple.

The officers for 1884 are John J. Whipple, presi- dent; Ziba C. Keith and Bradford E. Jones, vice- presidents ; Enos H. Reynolds, in place of Sumner A. Hayward, deceased,-otherwise the same as at the commencement.

Security Co-operative Bank .- This organization was chartered as the "Security Savings Fund and Loan Association of Brockton." The title was changed by law in 1883. The original officers were as follows : Baalis Sanford, Jr., president ; Henry H. Packard, Francis B. Washburn, and Otis F. Curtis, vice-presi- dents; Daniel S. Howard, Lorenzo F. Severance, Brad- ford E. Jones, William H. Tobey, H. Herbert How- ard, Embert Howard, William H. Savage, Leonard C. Stetson, Sanford Winter, Emerson Goldthwait, John O. Emerson, John J. Whipple, Benjamin O. Cald- well, James H. Cooper, Augustus B. Loring, Harry O. Thomas, directors. William W. Cross, secretary ; Charles D. Fullerton, treasurer ; Gorham B. Howard, George H. Fullerton, Albert H. Fuller, auditors ; Hamilton L. Gibbs, attorney.

Campello Co-operative Bank (formerly Campello Co-operative Saving Fund and Loan Association),

organized Sept. 21, 1877; chartered Oct. 3, 1877 ; . authorized capital, $100,000. Albert Keith, pres .; Daniel Dunbar, vice-pres .; Warren T. Copeland, sec. ; Ziba C. Keith, treas. Charter members : Charles Henry Cole, Ziba Cary Keith, Minot Leonard Dan- forth, John Henderson, Hiram Alexander Monk, George Mortimer Skinner, Fred. Herbert Packard, Lucas Wales Alden, Lewis Delmar Stinchfield, Joshua Reed, Austin Gary Packard, Edmund Bar- clay Fanning, Albert Keith, Nathan Henry Wash- burn, Benjamin Loring Boomer, Stephen Merick Thrasher, Daniel Dunbar, Sylvanus Keith, Walter Chamberlain, Simeon Franklin Packard, William Snow Green, George Elden Keith, William Henry South worth, Warren Turner Copeland, Charles Au- gustus Dunbar, William Dexter Pierce, Preston Bond Keith, Gardner Josiah Kingman, William Richards, Isaac Stevens Emerson, Lyman Carlson, Howard Warren Reynolds, George Sawyer, Rufus Perkins Keith, Flavel Bailey Keith, John Harvey Cole, Ed- gar S. Putnam, Ernest Everett Emerson, Joseph Emery Merchant, Damon Kingman, Thomas Webber Child, Otis Cobb, Nathan Keith.

Present officers : George Elden Keith, pres .; Pres- ton Bond Keith, vice-pres .; Warren Turner Cope- land, sec .; Ziba Cary Keith, treas.

The president of this association from its organiza- tion to 1883, Albert Keith, one of the leading and honored citizens of Campello, was born in that village Dec. 31, 1823. He is the son of Arza and Marcia (Kingman) Keith. His mother was the daughter of Abel Kingman, Esq., who was commissioned justice of the pcace Feb. 22, 1811. The subject of this sketch is descended from Rev. James Keith, the first or- dained minister of Bridgewater, the line of descent being as follows : Timothy1, Timothy2, Levi3, Benj.‘, Arza5, Albert 6.

Arza Keith was one of the first shoe manufacturers in this town, and with him young Albert worked until about seventeen years of age, when he went to Foxboro', and entered the store of Otis Cary as clerk, where he remained five years. He then went into the mercantile business on his own account at Attleboro', which he conducted until 1851, when he sold out, and, returning to his native town, formed a copartnership with his brother, Arza B., in the shoe manufacture, and in the following ycar their factory was erected. Mr. Keith continued in this branch of business until 1871, when he disposed of his interest to his brother, and from that time until 1882 was en- gaged in the coal and grain trade. Mr. Keith's suc- cess has been largely due to his energy, industry, and determination, coupled with good judgment and clear

748

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

business foresight. He has been especially active in advancing the interests of Campello, and has labored industriously to that end. He was appointed post- master at Campello in 1873, and has held the office to the present time. He was seleetman one year, member of the school board seven years, assessor two years, and was commissioned justice of the peace in 1874, a position he still holds. He also represented the town in the General Court in 1880 and 1881. Upon the organization of the Co-operative Bank at Campello, in 1877, Mr. Keith was chosen its presi- dent, and continued in that capacity until 1883. He is Republican in politics.

In 1842 he became a member of the South Congre- gational Church, and has been prominently identified with it since, serving on the committee twelve years, and for ten years officiated as superintendent of the Sunday school.

April 1, 1847, Mr. Keith united in marriage with Charlotte Pearce, of Attleboro', and their family consisted of five children,-Marcia Adelaide (de- ceased), Alice Maria, Herbert (deceased), Charlotte R., and Lillian M. Mrs. Keith died May 29, 1874 ; and July 14, 1875, he married Cynthia Bonney, of Hadley, Mass., who died Feb. 12, 1876. March 13, 1878, Mr. Keith united in marriage with his present wife, Mrs. Susan J. Allen, of Springville, N. Y.

Home National Bank .- Prior to 1874 there had been no National Bank in the city. Feeling the ne- cessity of increased facilities for banking accommo- dations, the Home National Bank was chartered, and its existence authorized on Junc 8th of that year. Its first officers were Rufus P. Kingman, president, C. D. Fullerton, cashier. Its authorized capital was placed at $200,000. There have been but few changes in its officers, Mr. Kingman retaining the presidency to the present time (1884). Fred B. Howard is its cashicr. Its location is corner Main and Church Streets.

Probably no living resident has been more active in contributing to the advancement of the interests of Brockton, or more closely connected with its suc- cess, than Rufus P. Kingman, Esq., the president of the Home National Bank.

Rufus Packard Kingman is the son of Benjamin and Rebccea (Packard) Kingman, born in North Bridgewater (now Brockton), Mass., Nov. 4, 1821, and is in the seventh generation in a direct line from Henry and Joanna Kingman, who came from Wcy- mouth, England, in 1635, and settled in Weymouth, Mass. His education was in the schools of his na- tive town, and under the private instruction of Mrs. Nathan Jones, Miss Julia Perry, Deacon Heman

Packard, and Jonathan Coe. At the age of twelve ycars he entered upon the duties incident to life in a hotel, his father then being the only hotel-keeper in the town, which was from 1833 to 1837. Soon after this time, upon the retirement of his father from the hotel, he assisted in conducting his father's farm till he arrived at the age of eighteen. In 1840 hc en- tered the dry-goods and variety store of William F. Brett, then the leading store in the town, which was in the hotel building, where " Washburn's block" now stands. Here he remained till 1846, when he became a partner in the business, under the firm-name of Brett & Kingman, giving his entire time and energy to the business till 1854, at which time he retired on account of feeble health.

It was while engaged in the above business, in 1850, that Mr. Kingman erected the first brick block in the city, on the lot adjoining the hotel on Main Street, known as "Kingman's block."

During the year 1854, shortly after his retirement from the store, the first bank in the town was organ- ized, and Mr. Kingman was called to the position of cashier. In this he remained till the new banking law of the United States came into operation, which required a two-thirds vote of the stockholders to change it into a national bank. Failing to obtain the required vote, the bank closed its doors in 1866.

While acting as cashier, the town showed their confidence in Mr. Kingman by electing him to the office of treasurer in 1856, and their confidence in him was renewed for nine successive years, when he retired. In 1872 he was elected assessor of town taxes, and re-elected in 1873-74. In 1874 the busi- ness of the town had become so extensive that the wants of her many merchants and manufacturers were such that they felt a pressing need of banking facilities, and a new bank was chartered under the national banking law by the name of the Home Na- tional Bank, and Mr. Kingman was elected its first president, which position he now fills with honor to himself and for the interest of the stockholders.

Upon the death of Hon. Edward Southworth, in 1876, Mr. Kingman was appointed treasurer of the North Bridgewater Savings-Bank, and after a careful examination into the condition of the affairs of the bank, it was thought best to wind up its business. Accordingly Mr. Kingman and Ellis Ames, Esq., of Canton, werc appointed by the Supreme Court of Massachusetts as receivers to close the same, which, under their judicious management, has been able to pay the depositors 941% per cent.

In 1881, the last year of the town's existence, Mr. Kingman was elected one of the selectmen of tlie

hi Kingment

Eng ª by A. H. Ritchie.

Davis S. Packard

749

HISTORY OF BROCKTON.

town, and was prominent in arranging the affairs for the incoming of the new city government. During the year 1881, when the town of Brockton took on the robes of a city, Mr. Kingman was elected alder- man of Ward Two. and upon the organization of that board he was made president of the same, which position he now holds, very much to his credit; and his having been elected from the first to the same position, without opposition, speaks for itself. Upon the death of his father, April 13, 1870, Mr. King- man was immediately appointed to succeed him as the agent of the Hingham Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany. and afterwards. in 1871, was elected a director of the same.

Upon the establishment of the North Bridgewater Board of Trade. Mr. Kingman was elected director, and in 1874 he was one of the corporate members of Broekton Agricultural Society, and was chosen one of the first directors, and for two years treasurer of the society, and is now vice-president of the same.

At the organization of the Commercial Club, in January, 1883, he was elected its president.

As a man, Mr. Kingman is plain, honest, straight- forward, firm, and decided when decision is needed; a person of excellent judgment in all matters of busi- ness, and his large experience in financial affairs in which he has been so successful for himself has shown him to be the right kind of a man to be in the coun- cils of the city government. He has no ambition for public honor nor notoriety, and never active in the strifes of political life, although he is ever ready by his vote to promote the public good. In politics he has been a firm Whig as well as Republican, and be- longs to a family well known for their being prominent in all affairs of a local nature. Mr. Kingman has often been intrusted with matters of great import- ance, where honesty and integrity is needed, and has never been found wanting.

In his private life he is most genial and interesting, fond of company, possessing no small share of wit, always cheerful and buoyant, and is quick at repartee; naturally fond of home, he is the life of the social circle, tender and affectionate.

Mr. Kingman married Abby, only child of Capt. Winthrop Sears and Sally (Hawes) Baker, of Yar- mouth, Mass., Aug. 30, 1852.

Brockton National Bank .- The Brockton Na- tional Bank was organized in 1881, and was incorpo- rated with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. Davis S. Packard was its first president, and C. R. Fillebrown its first cashier. They are the present incumbents of their respective offices. The first board of directors were Davis S. Packard, president ;

William W. Cross, vice-president ; Henry E. Lin- coln, John J. Whipple, Sumner A. Hayward, George E. Keith, Ziba C. Keith, Charles W. Sumner, James C. Leach, I. N. Nutter, Gardner J. Kingman. Its location is in the City Block on Main Street.

The president of the Brockton National Bank is Davis S. Packard, one of the leading manufacturers and business men of Brockton, and was born liere June 24, 1826. He attended the common schools of his native town, and at an early age commenced the business of a boot-maker, which honorable vocation he followed with close application until 1858, when, in company with Aberdeen Keith, he commenced the manufacture of boot- and shoe-counters under the firm-name of Keith & Packard. This copartnership continued until 1876, when Mr. Packard purchased the interest of Mr. Keith, and conducted the business as sole proprietor until 1879, when he associated with him Veramus Filoon and Abbott W. Packard, under the firm-name of D. S. Packard & Co. The growth of this manufacture, of which Mr. Packard has ever been the moving spirit, has been almost phenomenal. From a product the first year amounting to about ten thousand dollars, the business has increased until at the present time the annual product amounts to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and where only about five persons were employed in the begin- ning, the pay-roll now shows twenty-five. This is one of the representative institutions of Brockton, and its success is largely due to the clear business foresight and executive ability of Davis S. Packard. Other interests also have received Mr. Packard's at- tention, and profited by his excellent judgment. Upon the organization of the Brockton National Bank, in February, 1881, he was made its president, and has remained in that capacity to the present time. He is also a trustee in the Brockton Savings- Bank, and president of the Board of Investment.

While Mr. Packard has been actively engaged in the management of large business interests, he has never shrank from the duties of citizenship, and has served his town and city faithfully and well, and dis- charged the duties of the various positions to which he has been called to the entire satisfaction of his fellow-citizens. He was selectman in 1875, 1876, 1878, and represented the city in the State Legislature in 1881 and 1882; and on April 8, 1884, was elected a commissioner of the sinking fund.

Oct. 1, 1849, Mr. Packard united in marriage with Minerva Bradford, a native of Plympton, and they had one child, Alice May, who married James T. Sherman, M.D., of Dorchester, Mass., and died April 13, 1878. Mrs. Packard died Sept. 11, 1857.

750

HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

In 1870, Mr. Packard married Emma S. Gurney, a native of' Arlington, Mass., and their children are as follows : Sumner T., born July 4, 1874; Ruth B., born March 9, 1876; and Emma S., born May 16, 1880. Mrs. Paekard died June 4, 1880.

The Packard family is one of the most aneient and honorable in the commonwealth. Davis S. Paekard traces his ancestry to Samuel Paekard, who came from Windham near Hingham, England, in the ship " Diligence." Hc first settled in Hingham, Mass., in 1638, and from thence removed to West Bridgewater. All of this name who have gone from the Bridge- waters were doubtless descendants of his, and nearly all of the name in this country can be traecd to that place. The line of deseent from Samuel is as fol- lows : Zaccheus, Capt. Abicl, Thomas, Capt. Par- menas, Appollos, and Davis S.

CHAPTER XXVI.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

Rev. James Thompson-Rev. John Porter, Jr .- Rev. Hunting- ton Porter-Rev. Eliphalet Porter-Rev. Thomas Crafts- Rev. Asa Packard-Rev. Hezekiah Paekard-Rev. Joshua Cushman-Rev. Naptali Shaw-Rev. Theophilus Packard, D.D .- Rev. Jonas Perkins-Rev. Eliphalet P. Crafts-Rev. Levi Paekard-Rev. Austin Cary-Rev. Zachariah Howard -Rev. Nathaniel Wales-Rev. Mathew Kingman-Thomas Jefferson Snow-Samuel Fuller Dike-Frederic Crafts, A.M. -Deaeon IIeman Packard-Rev. Abel Kingman Packard- Rev. Lysander Dickerman-Rev. Zenas P. Wild-Rev. Aza- riah B. Wheeler-Rev. Adelbert Franklin Keith-Professor Henry B. Nason-Hon. Otis Cary-Augustus T. Jones, A.M .- Rev. Heman Packard De Forest-S. D. Hunt.

REV. JAMES THOMPSON was the son of Archibald Thompson, who came from Ireland to America in 1724 ; graduated at the New Jersey College, Prince- ton, N. J., in 1761 ; became a clergyman ; preached only a short time ; was a preceptor of an academy at Charleston, S. C.

REV. JOHN PORTER, JR., was the son of Rev. John and Mary (Huntington) Porter; was born in North Bridgewater (now Brockton), Feb. 27, 1752; gradu- ated at Yale College, New Haven, Conn., in 1770; studied divinity, and became a minister. Soon after the war broke out between England and America, in 1775, he received a captain's commission and went into the army, where he is said to have been a su- perior officer. From captain he was promoted to major ; left the army but a short time before pcace was declared. He afterward went to the West Indies, and there died.

REV. HUNTINGTON PORTER Was the son of Rev.

John and Mary (Huntington) Porter; was born in North Bridgewater (now Brockton), March 27 1755; graduated at Harvard College, Cambridge Mass., in 1777 ; married Susannah Sargent, of Haver- hill, Mass. ; commenced preaching at Rye, N. II., in August, 1784, supplying the pulpit till Dee. 29 1784; he was ordained a colleague pastor with Rev. Samuel Parsons. He continued to preach in that place for upwards of fifty years. The people of this society were for a long series of years remarkable for their unanimity in their religious as well as eivil con- cerns, and for more than thirty years there was no division. All attended his church ; union and peace was the prevailing sentiment among the people. After that time other denominations sprang up; still he continued to labor until 1828, when the civil con- tract between him and his society was dissolved. He continued to preach occasionally for several years after that time, till near the elose of his life.

‹ REV. ELIPHALET PORTER, D.D., was born in North Bridgewater (now Brockton), June 11, 1758; was son of Rev. John and Mary (Huntington) Porter ; graduated at Harvard College, 1777; was settled as pastor of the " First Church" in Roxbury, Mass., Oet. 2, 1782. He was called to supply a vacancy caused by the death of Rev. Amos Adams, who died in 1775. Of his pastoral labors, we may say they were well suited to the times in which he lived. Frequent visits for social intercourse were not expected, and for these he had neither taste nor fitness ; his manners were grave and did not encourage familiarity, nor had he that easy flow of language so essential to sustain a conversation on the familiar topies of the day. But in the chamber of the siek, or wherever there was affliction which the sympathies of a pastor could alle- viate, he was a constant and welcome visitor. Says one who knew him well, " Few men ever spoke with more meaning or to so good a purpose. He did not dazzle, but he enlightened; and the weight of his influenee and character, and the remarkable purity and uprightness of his life, gave an influenee and interest to whatever he said, and impressed his sen- tentious remarks deeply on the mind." As a citizen, his influenee was widely and beneficially felt ; he had frequent ealls for assistance and counsel in the sccular affairs of the town. In the various offices of trust to which he was often called, whether for objeets of charity or for the promotion of education or religion, they were fulfilled with a characteristic caution, pru- dence, and fidelity, which obtained and justificd uu- limited confidence. In 1818 he was elected Fellow of Harvard College. The period of his connection with this institution was one of great difficulty, yet he took

751

HISTORY OF BROCKTON.

his full share of the labors and responsibilities incident to his official position. He was a warm, constant friend of the college, and the notices of his death on the records of the corporation manifest the strong sense of " the great loss our literary and religious community have sustained by the death of this learned divine and exemplary Christian, whose intelligence, fidelity. and zeal in support of the interests of litera- ture, and especially of those connected with the pros- perity of Harvard University, they have had uniform occasion to witness during the many years he has been one of the members of this board." As a preacher, Dr. Porter exhibited few, if any, of the characteristics of a popular preacher of the present day, although few modern preachers of to-day are listened to more attentively or regarded with more reverence than he was. He was not excitable; therefore he was not likely to produce excitement in others. There was a calmness and solemnity in his manner which gave to his discourses a peculiar impressiveness. He never was dogmatical or bigoted ; he had clear and settled opinions on the controverted points of theology, and was always ready to sustain them ; but he had no taste for controversy, and therefore rarely preached on sub- jects which occasioned it. He regarded the religious opinions of others without prejudice, and never allowed a difference of opinion to interrupt Christian fellow- ship. Dr. Porter died at Roxbury, Dec. 7, 1833, aged seventy-six years. The funeral was held in his church Dec. 11, 1833, Rev. Dr. Lowell offering the funeral prayer. Rev. George Putnam, D.D., preached the funeral sermon from Genesis xxv. 8: " He died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years ; and was gathered to his people." Rev. John Pierce, D.D., of Brookline, made the concluding prayer.

/ REV. THOMAS CRAFTS was the son of Dr. John Staples Crafts (from Newton); was born in North Bridgewater (now Brockton); graduated at Harvard College, 1783; married Polly, daughter of Rev. John Porter, Dec. 28, 1786; settled at Princeton, Mass., 1786, and dismissed in 1791, and settled at Middle- boro'. After remaining at Princeton several years, his physicians decided that his life depended on his leaving the ministry and engaging in more active or some out-of-door pursuit. He consequently removed to Weymouth, Mass., where he entered into commer- cial business, and was quite successful. After his health had become somewhat improved he received a call to preach from the Middleboro' and Taunton Precinct, and was installed in 1802, where he cn- joyed a happy ministry for many years, and there died, Feb. 27, 1819, aged sixty years. His family then removed to North Bridgewater.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 157

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1706

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706