USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Stoneham > History of Stoneham, Massachusetts > Part 10
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POST OFFICE BUILDING OF 1861. (SITE OF PRESENT WHITTIER BLOCK.)
IOI
HISTORY OF STONEHAM.
Wright, Capt. Jonathan Green, Lieut. Jas. Hay, Josiah Green ; 1765-66, Capt. Peter Hay, Ensign Timothy Wright, Capt. Jonathan Green, Lieut. Samuel Sprague, Lieut. Jas. Hay; 1767, Gapt. Peter Hay, Ensign Timothy Wright, Timothy Taylor; 1768, Ensign Timothy Wright, Capt. Jonathan Green, Timothy Taylor, Lieut. Samuel Sprague, Jos. Bryant, Jr. ; 1769, Ensign Timothy Wright, Lieut. Samuel Sprague, Daniel Gould, Jr., Daniel Green, Edward Bucknam, Jr .; 1770, Capt. Peter Hay, Ensign Timothy Wright, Lieut. Jas. Hay, Peter Hay, Jr., Timothy Taylor; 1771, Timothy Taylor, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Edward Bucknam, Jr., Abraham Gould, Elisha Knight; 1772, Ensign Timothy Wright, Capt. Peter Hay, Josiah Green, Reuben Richardson, Abraham Gould ; 1773, Timothy Taylor, Ensign Jos. Bryant, Daniel Gould, Jr., Daniel Green, John Bucknam; 1774, Timo- thy Taylor, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Lieut. Jas. Hay, Jas. Hill, Lieut. John Geary; 1775, Lieut. Jos, Bryant, Abraham Gould, Jr., John Bucknam, Dea- con Daniel Green, Timothy Wright, Jr. ; 1776, Samuel Taylor, Capt. Sam- uel Sprague, Timothy Wright, Jr., Daniel Gould, Jr., Peter Hay, Jr. ; 1777, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Deacon Daniel Green, Lieut. John Bucknam, Timo- thy Wright, Jr., Caleb Richardson ; 1779, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Deacon Daniel Green, Lieut. John Geary, Lieut. John Bucknam, Ebenezer Lawrence ; 1780, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Timothy Wright, Jr., Oliver Richardson, Peter Hay, Jr., David Hay; 1781, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Deacon Edward Buck- nam, Deacon Daniel Green, Capt. Josiah Green, Lieut. John Holden; 1782, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Deacon Daniel Green, Deacon Edward Bucknam, Peter Hay, Jr., Oliver Richardson ; 1783-84, Elisha Knight, Ephriam Brown, Lieut. Timothy Wright, David Hay, Elijah Richardson ; 1785, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Deacon Edward Bucknam, Capt. Peter Hay, Jr .; 1786, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Deacon Edward Bucknam, Capt. Josiah Green, Lieut. Tim- othy Wright, Ephraim Brown ; 1787, Lieut. John Bucknam, Ephraim Brown, Capt. Peter Hay, Jr., Capt. Josiah Green, Capt. Samuel Sprague ; 1788-89, Capt. Jonathan Green, Capt. Abraham Gould, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Capt. David Hay, Thaddeus Richardson; 1790, Captain Jonathan Green, Capt. Peter Hay, Jr., Col. Jos. Bryant, Lieut. John Bucknam, Capt. David Geary, 1791, Jos. Bryant, Esq., Capt. Jonathan Green, Capt. Josiah Green, Capt. David Hay, Capt. David Geary; 1792, Col. Jos. Bryant, Jas. Hill, Capt. Peter Hay, Ephraim Brown, Caleb Richardson; 1793, Jos. Bryant, Esq., Capt. Peter Hay, Ephraim Brown, Capt. David Hay. Thaddeus Richardson ; 1794, Capt. Jonathan Green, Capt. Peter Hay, Capt. David Geary, Lieut. John Geary, Jas. Hill, Jr., ; 1795, Capt. Jonathan Green, Captain Peter Hay, Oliver Richardson, Capt. David Hay, Capt. David Geary; 1796, Eph- raim Brown, Capt. Peter Hay, Jas. Hill, Capt. Daniel Green, Ephraim Pierce ; 1797, Jas. Hill, Capt. David Geary, Jas. Hill, Jr., Ensign Thomas Green, Daniel Gould, Jr. ; 1798, Jas. Hill, Lieut. John Bucknam, Daniel Gould, Caleb Richardson, Jr., Timothy Matthews, Jr .; 1799, Jas. Hill, Ezra Vin-
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HISTORY OF STONEHAM.
ton, Timothy Matthews, Jr., Caleb Richardson, Jr., Peter Hay (3d) ; 1800, Jas. Hill, Timothy Matthews, Capt. David Geary, Peter Hay, Jr., Capt. Daniel Green ; 1801, Jas. Hill, Capt. David Geary, Capt. Daniel Green, David Geary, Jr., Phineas Wiley; 1802, Jas. Hill, Deacon Jabez Lynde, Capt. Daniel Green, Ezra Vinton, Lieut. John Bucknam, Jr. ; 1803, James Hill, Capt. Peter Hay, Ensign Thomas Green, Ezra Vinton, Lieut. John Bucknam, Jr .; 1804, Jas. Hill, Daniel Gould, Ezra Vinton, Lieut John . Bucknam, Jr., Peter Hay, Jr. ; 1805, Capt. David Geary, Daniel Gould, Lieut. John Bucknam, Jr., Capt. Daniel Green, 'Capt. Caleb Richardson, Jr. ; 1806, Capt. Peter Hay, Daniel Gould, Ezra Vinton, Jas. Hill, Jr., Elijah Richardson, Jr. ; 1857, Capt. Peter Hay, Daniel Gould, Ezra Vinton, Oliver Richardson, Jr., Benjamin Geary; 1808, Daniel Gould, Ezra Vinton, Ben- jamin Geary, Oliver Richardson, Jr., John Hay Wright ; 1809, Daniel Gould, Ezra Vinton, Benjamin Geary, John H. Wright, Lieut, Eli Starr; 1810, En- sign Thomas Green, Ensign Peter Hay, Oliver Richardson, Jr., John Hay Wright, Lieut. Abraham Hart; 1811, Daniel Gould, Esq., Benjamin Geary, Capt. Daniel Green, Lieut. Abraham Hart, Ephraim Pierce ; 1812-13, Dan- iel Gould, Esq., Peter Hay (2d), Captain Daniel Green, Ephraim Pierce, Peter Green ; 1814, Daniel Gould, Esq., Capt. Daniel Green, Lieut. John H. Wright, Capt. Jonathan Hay, Ensign Wm. Richardson; 1815, Capt. Daniel Green, John H. Wright, Lieut. William Richardson, Deacon David Geary, Jas. Steele ; 1816-17-18, John H. Wright, Deacon David Geary, Reuben Richardson, John Howard, Jesse Green ; 1819, Capt. Daniel Green, Capt. Nathaniel Cowdrey, Thomas Gould, Jr., Peter Green, Darius Stevens ; 1820, Captain Daniel Green, Captain John H. Wright, Captain Rufus Richardson, Darius Stevens, Reuben Geary; 1821, Captain John H. Wright, Reuben Richardson, Reuben Geary; 1822, Reuben Richardson, Thomas Gould, Jr., Deacon David Geary; 1823, Thomas Gould, Jr., Deacon David Geary, John Howard ; 1824, Peter Hay, Esq., John H. Wright, Deacon David Geary ; 1825, John H. Wright, Deacon David Geary, Alpha. Richardson; 1826, John H. Wright, Thomas Gould, Jr., Ephraim Pierce ; 1827, Thomas Gould, Jr., Ephraim Pierce, Reuben Richardson ; 1828, John H. Wright, Thomas Gould, Jr., Ephraim Pierce ; 1829, John H. Wright, Ephraim Pierce, Darius Stevens ; 1830, 1831 and 1832, Peter Hay, Esq., Darius Stevens, Capt. John H. Wright; 1833, Thos. Gould, Jr., Vincent Rowe; Chas. E. Walker : 1834, Darius Stevens, Reuben Richardson, Jr., Ira Gerry ; 1835, Peter Hay, Esq., Joseph Buck, Ira Gerry; 1836, Ira Gerry, Benjamin F. Richardson, John Wheeler; 1837, Benjamin F. Richardson, Levi Smith, Edward Bucknam ; 1838, John H. Wright, Geo. W. Dike, Edward Bucknam ; 1839, Ira Gerry, Amasa Farrier, James H. Gould ; 1840, Ira Gerry, Benj. F. Richardson, Lot Sweetser ; 1841, Benjamin F. Richardson, Luther Hill, Marcus Woodward ;. 1842 and 1843, Ira Gerry, Benj. F. Richardson, Luther Hill ; 1844, Warren Sweetser, Luther Hill, Jos. Buck; 1845, Ira Gerry, B. F. Richardson, Mar-
REV. JOHN H. STEVENS. (See Page 62.)
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HISTORY OF STONEHAM.
cus Woodward; 1846, Benjamin F. Richardson, Ira Hay, James Pierce ; 1847, Ira Gerry, James Pierce, George Cowdrey ; 1848, Benj. F. Richard- son, Warren Sweetser, Francis Hay; 1849, Darius Stevens, Joseph Buck, Benj. F. Richardson (resigned during the year), Amasa Fariier; 1850, Amasa Farrier, John Hill, Jr., Geo. W. Dike; 1851, Ira Gerry, Amasa Far- rier, Enoch Fuller ; 1852, Allen Rowe, Jr., Luther Hill, Ira Gerry; 1853, Ira Gerry, Amasa Farrier, Lyman Dike ; 1854, Luther Hill, Samuel Cloon, Daniel L. Sprague ; 1855, J. C. Slayton, J. W. Noble, Samuel Pierce ; 1856, Amasa Farrier, Jesse Curtis, Joseph B. Kittredge ; 1857, Amasa Farriee, Benjamin F. Richardson, Jesse Curtis ; 1858, Ira Gerry, Benj. F. Richardson, Jesse Curtis, Leander F. Lynde, J. W. Trowbridge ; 1859, Thomas J. Melbourne, Benjamin F. Richardson, George W. Dike ; 1860, Benjamin F. Richardson, Franklin Harriman, Lorenzo D. Hawkins ; 1861, Jesse Curtis, Franklin Har- riman, Albert R. Green ; 1862, Benjamin F. Richardson, Jesse Curtis, Henry H. French ; 1863, John Hill, L. F. Lynde, Onslow Gilmore ; 1864, John Hill, L. F. Lynde, M. L. Morse, George P. French, E. T. Whittier, Albert R. Green, Reuben Richardson; 1865, John Hill, L. F. Lynde, Onslow Gil- more ; 1866 and 1867, Onslow Gilmore, David B. Gerry, Benj. F. Richard- son, Jr .; 1868, Jesse Curtis, Benj. F. Richardson, Jr., Amos Hill (2d) ; 1869, Amasa Farrier, J. B. Weeks, Jos. W. Osgood; 1870, Amos Hill, J. W. Osgood, Myron J. Ferren ; 1871, Amos Hill, Jos. W. Osgood, Myron J. Ferren ; 1872, 1873 and 1874, Amos Hill, M. J. Ferren, J. B. Sanborn ; 1875, Amos Hill, Benj. F. Richardson, T. P. Smith; 1876, Jesse Curtis, Jos. W. Osgood, Sumner Richardson (2d); 1877, J. C. Chase, Sumner Richardson (2d), Geo. A. Cowdrey; 1878, Jesse Curtis, Amos Hill, Sumner Richard- son (2d) ; 1879, Amos Hill, Wm. F. Cowdrey, Jos. W. Osgood; 1880, Amos Hill, Wm. F. Cowdrey, Sumner Richardson (2d) ; 1881 and 1882, Amos Hill, Lyman Dike, Sumner Richardson (2d) ; 1883 and 1884, Amos Hill, Sumner Richardson (2d), Lewis Perry; 1885, Lewis Perry, Sumner Richardson (2d), Chas. Buck; 1886, Lewis Perry, Lyman Dike, James H. Murphy; 1887, Wm. H. Sprague, James H. Murphy, Leonard P. Benton ; 1888, Jas. E. Whitcher, Wm. D. Byron, Wm. H. Sprague ; 1889 and 1890, Wm. H. Sprague, Geo. F. Butterfield, Walter S. Keene.
TOWN CLERKS .- From 1726 to 1747, inclusive, Daniel Gould, Jr. ; from 1748 to 1758, inclusive, Jonathan Green; 1759, Peter Hay, Jr. ; from 1760 to 1769, inclusive, Capt. Jonathan Green; from 1770 to 1786, inclusive, Edw. Bucknam; 1787 and 1788, Captain Peter Hay, Jr. ; 1789 to 1791, in- clusive, Captain Jonathan Green; 1792, Col. Joseph Bryant; 1793, Joseph Bryant, Esq. ; 1794 and 1795, Capt. Jonathan Green ; 1797, Peter Hay (2d) : 1798 and 1799, Caleb Richardson, Jr. : 1800, Peter Hay, Jr. ; 1801 and 1802, David Gerry, Jr. ; 1803, Reuben Richardson ; 1804, Peter Hay, Jr. ; 1805, Capt. Caleb Richardson, Jr .; 1806, Elijah Richardson, Jr. ; 1807, Elijah Hosmer; 1808 to 1811, inclusive, Oliver Richardson, Jr. ; 1812 and
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HISTORY OF STONEHAM.
1813, Peter Hay (2d) ; 1814 to 1828, inclusive, John H. Wright; 1829 to. 1833, inclusive, Joseph Buck; 1834-36, Warren Sweetser ; 1837-39, Amasa Farrier ; 1840 and 1841, Solon Dike; 1842 and 1843, Alfred J. Rhoades : 1844, Amasa Farrier ; 1845, Alonzo N. Lynde ; 1846 and 1847, Solon Dike ; 1848, Cyrus Hay ; 1849 to 1852, inclusive, Silas Dean ; 1853, John Hill, Jr. ; 1854, Chas. Brown; 1855 and 1856, S. N. Richardson; 1857 to 1890, in- clusive, Silas Dean.
REPRESENTATIVES TO THE GENERAL COURT .- 1734, Capt. John Vin- ton ; 1775, Lieut. Joseph Bryant ; 1806, Daniel Gould ; 1809, '10 and '12, Rev. John H. Stevens; 1811 and 1830, Jabez Lynde ; 1816-17, '31, John H. Wright ; 1823-24, '32-33, Peter Hay ; 1825, Wm. Richardson ; 1828-29, Darius Stevens ; 1834, Charles E. Walker ; 1836, Ira Gerry ; 1837, Benjamin F. Richardson ; 1840, Wm. G. Fuller; 1841, Solon Dike; 1842, William Bryant ; 1843, Samuel I. Bryant ; 1844-50, '51, '52, '83, '84, '85, '86, Geo. Cowdrey ; 1846, J. Pierce ; 1854, A. V. Lynde ; 1855-59, J. Parker Gould ; 1856, S. Tidd; 1857, J. Dike; 1860, Lyman Dike; 1861, W. H. Pierce; 1862, John H. Dike; 1863-65, Leander F. Lynde; 1866, John Kingman; 1867, John Botume, Jr. ; 1869, Samuel Cloon; 1870, Samuel C. Trull; 1872- 73, Amos Hill; 1875, John Best; 1876.77, Onslow Gilmore; 1878, Geo. A. Cowdrey; 1879-80, John F. Berry; 1881, C. L. Gill; 1882, John W. Spen- cer ; 1887-88, Jas. E. Whitcher; 1889-90, Myron J. Ferren.
SENATORS .- 1852, Samuel E. Sewell; 1865-66, John Hill; 1883-85. Onslow Gilmore.
SPECIAL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS .- 1838 to 1841, Darius Stevens ; 1841 to 1844, Geo. W. Dike; 1890, about twenty years in all, Lyman Dike.
SURGEON WM. H. HEATH. (See Page 91.)
Biographical Sketches
OF
PIONEERS AND PROMINENT MEN
OF STONEHAM.
ILLUSTRATED.
PREPARED EXPRESSLY FOR THIS WORK.
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Pra Gerry
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
IRA GERRY.
Ira Gerry, the youngest son of Captain David and Sarah Richardson Gerry, was born in Stoneham, June 29, 1806, and was a descendant in the fifth generation from the original settler, Thomas Gerry. Captain Gerry was a leading man and kept a public-house on the corner of Central and Winter Streets, the old farm comprising a large part of what is now the most thickly settled section of the town. Losing his father when he was nine months old, he had the good fortune to grow up under the influence of a strong-minded and affectionate mother. His early advantages were limited, and he obtained only the meagre education afforded by the schools of his native town, and yet in after-life he became a man of large information, sound judgment, and possessed a well-trained mind. He had barely reached the age of majority when, in company with his brother Arad, he opened a store and commenced the manufacture of children's shoes, remaining with him, however, only a few years on account of his brother's failing health ; after which he continued for some years alone, till 1844, when his own physical weakness compelled him to close up his business and engage in pursuits which required less con- finement and application. About this time "Square" Peter Hay, as he was called, died. Mr. Hay for many years had been the principal conveyancer of the town, and after his death Mr. Gerry took his place, and gradually ab- sorbed almost all the business of this character. The deeds and wills and contracts which he wrote during the remainder of his life would have afforded a lucrative office practice to a well-established lawyer. In addition to his oc- cupation of conveyancer, and a considerable probate business, he engaged in fire insurance, and became a sound and prosperous financier. He was re- peatedly called to fill almost all offices within the gift of the town; and at the age of thirty was elected a Representative to the General Court.
When the Stoneham Five Cent Savings Bank was organized he became its first president, and, in 1862, its treasurer, which office he held for eleven
HISTORY OF STONEHAM.
years, and under his able and conservative management the deposits increased from nine thousand to a quarter of a million.
In financial matters and business Mr. Gerry was a man of rare judgment and sound sense. He was a safe counsellor and trusty friend. But few men in any community ever enjoyed a more universal confidence of his townsmen, which prompted them to constantly seek his advice and entrust to him the settlement of their estates. While not inclined to large public benefactions, or to much display, he was a man of scrupulous honesty and a lover of jus- tice. In politics he was a democrat, though a firm believer in equal rights. In the bitter anti-slavery agitation of 1837, notwithstanding his politics, he demanded for all parties the right of free speech. He was a large owner and dealer in real estate, inheriting from his father land which afterwards became some of the most valuable of the town. Like his brother, Col. Elbridge Gerry, he was an ardent sportsman, and from his gun and dog derived through life the greater part of his recreation. Such was Mr. Gerry's public character, which he bore to his townsmen. Another and a gentler side was that which characterized the relations to his family. Marrying, at the age of twenty-six, Paulina, the daughter of Robert Gerry, he lived with her forty- four years, and at his death left to her a memory made beautiful by the af- fectionate and indulgent devotion of a lifetime.
Thoroughly conscientious, he combined great natural courage with gentle- ness, and possessed feelings sensitive as those of a woman. He was reared a Congregationalist, but in mature life became liberal in his views, tolerant of the opinions of others and prone to examine all sides of a question impar- tially himself.
When first engaging in business, like most of their contemporaries, he and his brother kept a stock of liquor among their goods; but becoming con- vinced of the evils of intemperance, and the dangers attending the sale of intoxicating liquors, they closed them out and determined to have no further connection with such traffic.
Mr. Gerry never had any' children, and after a long and distressing ill- ness he died November 23, 1875, in his seventieth year, leaving behind him the reputation of an able, successful and upright man.
DR. WILLIAM F. STEVENS.
Dr. William F. Stevens, the son of Rev. John H. Stevens, was born at the parsonage in Stoneham, Jan. 7, 1807. He was the youngest son of twelve children, which consisted of four boys and eight girls. His early days were spent at home, and he obtained the rudiments of an education in the public schools of his native town. Losing his mother at the age of ten, two years later he was placed by his father in the dry-goods store of a Mr. Fos- dick, in Charlestown, where he remained two years. A delicate, sensitive
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HISTORY OF STONEHAM.
boy, with a constitution apparently fragile, he then began the struggle of life from which there was no cessation till its close. Thrown upon his own re- sources at this tender age, he learned habits of industry and close applica- tion. Remaining in Charlestown about two years, when he was fifteen he went into the drug store of Dr. Plympton, at Old Cambridge, a more conge- nial occupation, continuing there four years, studying the nature of medicine during his leisure time, and preparing himself for entering college. The con- dition of his health was such that he gave up the idea of a college education at Harvard, and in 1826 entered the Medical School connected with Dart- mouth College, spending his time, when not at Hanover, as a student of Dr. Daniel Gould, who then lived in Reading. Obtaining his medical diploma, he commenced the practice of medicine in Stoneham, before he had quite reached the age of twenty-one, where he continued to reside, and for over fifty years was the good and beloved physician. Devotedly attached to his profession, it absorbed the restless energy of body and mind for a lifetime. Law is said to be a jealous mistress. This is equally true of medicine, and she rarely bestows great success upon her disciples unless they serve her with absolute devotion. A more faithful servant never pursued a calling than Dr. Stevens. Of a reserved and retiring disposition, he filled but few positions of public trust, nor often did he take an active part in public affairs. His profession demanded all his time and attention. He never would consent to have his name used as a candidate for offices of emolument; and yet he was greatly interested in public improvements, as appeared when he became a di- rector of the Stoneham Branch Railroad, and by bis influence and exertion contributed so largely to its completion. After his death, a brother physician spoke of him among other things, as follows: "His was one of those rare natures which enjoy work for the very love of it. He did not seem to need a holiday, for every day with him was a holy day consecrated to duty. He was one of the most conscientious men I ever knew; manifesting no favorit- ism for either rich or poor, he did the very best he could for all, with a devo- tion which never swerved and a zeal which never tired. His skill in diagnosis was extraordinary. Within the last six months, three cases came to my knowledge, where professional experts gave one opinion, and he gave a differ- ent one, modestly, but clearly, and in all these he proved ultimately to be correct. The solution of one of them occurred on the very day of his death ; the other two I was privileged to apprise him of. In nothing was his true merit more marked than in the genuine humility which adorned his character. Many a time I have been astonished at the depth of this trait; for he was just as ready to follow the advice of a young physician commencing practice, as that of one of the magnates of our profession, if convinced he was in the right. More than any man I ever knew, he was guided by our fundamental principal of ethics-the welfare of the patient. All else was thrown aside, apparently without an effort-pecuniary interest and reputation-and he was
,
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
ready to brave obloquy and misconception, if the true welfare of the patient required the sacrifice. This was partly the secret of the unbounded confi- dence reposed in him by all who knew him well enough. He was so upright that he almost leaned b ckward in all cases where his own interests seemed to conflict with those of the patient. I never met a man possessed of more indomitable courage. Time without number, I have known him to go to see patients when any other man would have been in bed, and some of them were not half as sick as he himself was. As a man, his manners were refined and courteous, more like a gentleman of the old school than we often meet with nowadays. Those who did not know him intimately sometimes fell into the error of supposing him cold and distant, a very great mistake. Under the .outside crust ran a vein of quiet humor and warm human sympathy. He was deeply affectionate. He loved little children with an intensity which few were aware of, for he did not like to make a parade of his feelings. As a citizen Dr. Stevens was both public-spirited and liberal."
By nature he was a perfect gentleman, of absolute integrity, a lover of jus- tice and virtue, and possessed a delicate refinement of feelings which prompt- ed him to treat others with consideration and respect. In his character nat- ural humility was combined with great dignity. While his appearance was always modest and unassuming, there was something about his bearing that would have repelled any offensive familiarity. Pitying and sympathizing with the poor and unfortunate, a large portion of his life was spent in their ser- vice. But few men in his profession ever exemplified more of the spirit of the Great Master. He seemed to fill the place for which nature designed him. People who came into his atmosphere instinctively recognized the skillful physician, the wise counsellor and true friend. Beginning his life at a time when there was no other physician in the town, his practice gradually extended to the neighboring towns, till it became as large and probably larger than that of any other country doctor in Middlesex County. He was a most indefatigable worker. and hardly knew what rest was till the last years of his life, when his constitution had become undermined and his body enfeebled by the exhausting labors of half a century. After an illness protracted through many months, he died on February 16, 1879, in the seventy-third year of his age, leaving a memory cherished in many communities and numerous house- holds with mingled love and respect. After his death the following poem was written of him by Francis Durivage, of New York :
"No unexpected news, and yet it fell With mournful resonance-a funeral knell ! So good, so true, so gentle and so wise, I c. nnot write of him with tearless eyes. Memory recalls his venerable form, Less often seen in sunshine than in storm,
As it appeared beneath the sky's black pall, Through the wild snow and the rain's drenching fall, Hastening responsive to our urgent call,
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BIOGR. PHICAL SKETCHES.
Over my loved one's bed of pain to bend,
More than the man of skill-physician, friend !
Well did he win a pure and spotless name, Who might have won-but he disdained it-FAME!
For he was master of his sacred art, In its full scope and its minutest part, But to Ambition's voice he would not yield, The humble hero of Life's battle field.
What is fame worth to him who can secure
The blessings of the suffering and the poor? What academic laurels have the power To arch with rainbow hues the parting hour? He chose the better part and sank to rest
Conscious of duty done and truly blest "
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LUTHER HILL.
Luther Hill, son of James and Mary (Holden) Hill, was born in Stone- ham, Massachusetts, February 3, 1808. His ancestors were among the early settlers of New England. M1. Hill obtained his education in the public schools of his native town and at the South Reading (now Wakefield) Acad- emy, then in a flourishing condition, with Professor Heath as principal. After completing his studies there he taught school for a short time in Stoneham and Danvers, Massachusetts, but early devoted his attention to business com- mencing the manufacture of shoes at eighteen years of age, with a capital of twenty dollars. From this small beginning his business grew to be one of the largest in the State. In 1832 he formed a partnership with his brother, under the firm-name of "John Hill & Co ," John Hill, Jr., entering the firm in May, 1844. This firm was the first to employ power in the manufacture of shoes, using horse-power, then steam, for that purpose. Mr. Hill was also the first to apply power to a labor-saving machine or tool in manufactur- ing shoes, being the inventor of a aie for stamping out lappets or tongues, a great improvement upon the slow process of cutting them out with a knife. He then made dies to stamp out vamps, quarters and soles. In 1858 his firm erected a large factory, introducing steam as a power. This application of steam-power was the first of a series of wonderful changes in the shoe indus- try. Mr. Hill's brain teemed with positive and original conceptions, the re- sult of which was the invention of many machines used in the manufacture of shoes. Among them the first sole-cutter and counter-skiver machine, upon both of which he obtained patents. In 1857 Mr. Hill became inter- ested in, and put in practical operation, the first pegging-machine used in this country. In 1862 he placed in his factory the first heeling-machine ever used, developing it with improvements on which he obtained several valuable patents, and he successfully operated it until, with Gordon Mckay and others, he formed a stock company, known as the Mckay Heeling-Machine Associa- tion. This machine, with additional patents, is in general use to-day. Mr
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