USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Vol. III > Part 22
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He married Addie Randall, of Manchester, New Hampshire, and they were the parents of two sons, Henry R. and Edgar L. Mr. Godfrey is survived by his widow and his sons.
A man of strong personal magnetism, genial and affable, he won for himself many friends in all walks of life, and the place he leaves in the commercial, social, civic, and fraternal life of his city will long remain un- filled. The firm he established more than half a century ago he built upon so solid a foundation of character that it stands to-day an edifice, honoring his memory in all its varied activities.
HENRY R. GODFREY, as treasurer of the G. R. Godfrey Company, manufacturers of harness and leather goods, holds a leading position in the business world of Gardner, Massachusetts. This firm, which is nationally known and is a leader in its field, was founded in 1869 by George R. Godfrey, Mr. Godfrey's father.
Henry R. Godfrey was born in Gardner, Massachu-
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setts, February 18, 1892, elder son of George R. and Addie (Randall) Godfrey. His education was begun in the public schools of Gardner, and he was graduated from the Gardner High School in the class of 1909. Subsequently entering Clark University, at Worcester, Massachusetts, he was graduated from that institution in the class of 1912, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Thereafter for two years Mr. Godfrey was identified with the New England Telephone and Telegraph Com- pany, working out of the Boston office, but in 1914 he associated himself with his father in the present busi- ness. Beginning at the bottom and familiarizing him- self with its various departments by the practical method of active work in each, he fitted himself for the execu- tive responsibility which was placed in his hands upon the incorporation of the firm in 1919, when he was made president of the company. This office he held until the death of his father, when the present officers were elected : Edward L. Godfrey, president; Henry R. God- frey, treasurer; and Addie (Randall) Godfrey, clerk; Henry R. Godfrey taking over the responsible office that his father had held before him.
Mr. Godfrey now stands among the influential and successful men of the day in Gardner and is counted among the most progressive young men of this section. He is a member of the Gardner Chamber of Commerce, and fraternally is identified with Hope Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; Gardner Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Ivanhoe Commandery, Knights Templar; and Aleppo Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. His chief recreations are those of the outdoor, and he is a member of the Gardner Boat Club. His religious affiliation is with the Congregational church, which he serves as a member of the board of trustees.
Henry R. Godfrey married, in 1915, Blanche Carlton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Carlton, proprietor of the Carlton Engraving Company of Worcester, Massa- chusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey have two children : Margery L. and Eleanor C.
Associated with Henry R. Godfrey in the manage- ment of the G. R. Godfrey Company is his brother, Edgar L. Godfrey, younger son of George R. and Addie (Randall) Godfrey, who was born in Gardner, Massachusetts, May 27, 1894. He attended the grammar schools of his native town, and graduated from the Gardner High School, class of 1912. He then went to Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, and followed this by attending the Wharton Schools of the University of Pennsylvania. At this time, 1917, the World War was entered by the United States and he enlisted in the Navy Officers' Training Camp, at Pelham Bay, New York. After the war he went with the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, taking charge of their promotional and advertising work in Brazil, South America, and in May, 1921, he entered the firm of G. R. Godfrey Com- pany, as sales manager. In 1923, after the death of his father, he was made president of the company, in which position he is to-day. Mr. Godfrey is affiliated with the First Congregational Church of Gardner. He is a member of the Gardner Boat Club; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Hope Lodge, Free and
Accepted Masons; and is also a member of the Theta Delta Psi fraternity.
HON. AUGUSTUS E. WRIGHT-A leading fig- ure in public affairs in mercantile advance and in fra- ternal activity in Southboro, Massachusetts, is Hon. Augustus E. Wright, whose interests center in Boston, but who for many years has been identified with the local affairs of Southboro, the town in which he was born. Mr. Wright has been interested in various lines of commercial advance, and is influential in this com- munity in every progressive endeavor. He is a son of Francis and Clara (Stevens) Wright, long esteemed citizens of this community. His father was for more than fifty years the owner and proprietor of a general store in Fayville, and continued in this interest until 1916, when he retired. His death occurred April 20, 192I.
The Wright family has been identified with Worcester County for several generations. Mr. Wright's paternal grandfather operated shoddy and woolen mills at Far- numville and Barre. His son, Francis Wright, was born in Farnumville.
Augustus E. Wright was born at Fayville, town of Southboro, Massachusetts, February 25, 1878. Receiv- ing his early education in the local public schools, he prepared for college at the Phillips-Andover Academy, at Andover, Massachusetts, from which he was gradu- ated in the class of 1896. He pursued a course of study at Harvard University in the class of 1900. Mr. Wright's first business experience was in association with George H. Newton, of Boston, a leading archi- tect of that time, but he remained in this connection for only a comparatively short period. In 1902 he be- came associated with his father in the conduct of the general store at Fayville and remained in this connec- tion for a period of fourteen years and more. From 1917 until the early part of 1923 Mr. Wright was in the employ of the Standard Steel Motor Car Company of Boston, as manager of their retail department. In March, 1923, he associated himself with the firm of Rand & Crane, Inc., jewelers, silversmiths, and watch- makers, of Boston, and in this affiliation he is winning a' large success, his long experience in other lines of commercial advance contributing in a marked degree to his present prosperity. In the public life of the town of Southboro, Massachusetts, of which Fayville is a part, Mr. Wright has for many years been active, although only at times in an official capacity. For sev- eral years he served on the Advisory Committee of the town, and in 1911 he was made Representative of South- boro in the Massachusetts State Legislature. His pub- lic activities have been such as to give his name broad significance to the people and reflect honor upon him- self, and his townsmen feel that he has contributed in a large degree to the local prosperity. Fraternally, Mr. Wright is affiliated with St. Bernard's Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and he is a member of the South- boro Golf Club, also the Harvard Club of Boston.
Hon. Augustus E. Wright married, on January 28, 1903, at Southboro, Massachusetts, Helen M. Buck, daughter of Francis H. Buck of this place, and they
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are leading figures in the social life of the community, the family residence being at Oak Hill Road, Fayville, Massachusetts.
LINCOLN RUFUS WELCH-It is said that peace of mind and a sense of security are the necessary con- ditions of creative work. If that be true, then those business organizations which devote their resources to the economic protection of their patrons render a service which extends far beyond the values which can be estimated in dollars and cents, and help to lay the foun- dations and protect the growth of all that is best in human development and achievement. Disaster in the form of loss by fire has caused much suffering and crippled or wrecked many plans for business, social and moral advancement, and to those well-managed or- ganizations which for a moderate consideration assume the risk, and in case of loss indemnify the policy holder, society is indebted for the success of many enterprises and projects which are daily adding to the sum of human happiness and well being. One of the well-known cit- izens of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, who is devoting his energy to the protection of the public from losses by fire is Lincoln Rufus Welch, president and treasurer of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Company, who has been actively associated with the insurance business since 1883.
Mr. Welch was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, April 19, 1865, and received his education in the public schools of that city, graduating from Lowell High School in June, 1883. In July, 1883, he entered the employ of the Traders' and Mechanics' Insurance Company, and dur- ing the four decades which have passed since that time he has been devoting his time and his energy to the ad- vancement of the interests of two insurance enterprises. He maintained his first connection for fourteen years, handing in his resignation to the Traders' and Me- chanics' Insurance Company June 30, 1897, in order to accept the official position of secretary of the Fitch- burg Mutual Fire Insurance Company, to which he was elected by the directors of the latter concern July 1, 1897. For thirteen years he discharged the duties of that offi- cial position in such a manner as to greatly advance the interests of the organization, and at the end of that period of notably effective service, he was elected in August, 1910, president and treasurer of the company. For the past thirteen years he has guided the business policy of the enterprise from one triumph to another in the line of progress and expansion. The Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Company is at the present time (1923) one of the best known and thoroughly es- tablished fire concerns of New England, and its field of operation extends far beyond the limits of that sec- tion of the country. As a good citizen, Mr. Welch is deeply interested in local public affairs, and has been willing to contribute his share to the active duties of citizenship. He was elected a member of the City Council of Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1897, and in 1923 was made a member of the Board of Health, of Fitch- burg, the last-named official position being one in which he is still giving active and able service. Fra- ternally, he is a member of all the bodies of the Masonic fraternity, and is also a member of Fitchburg Lodge,
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is well known in club circles, being a member of the Fay Club, and of Oak Hill Country Club, both of Fitchburg, Massachusetts; of Vesper Country Club of Lowell, Massachusetts; and of the City Club of Boston, Massa- chsetts. His religious affiliation is with the First Uni- versalist Church of Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
He married (first), at Lowell, Massachusetts, May 15, 1891, Sadie L. Joyce, daughter of James H. and Alletta F. (Gibbs) Joyce. He married (second), at Lincoln, Nebraska, May 22, 1915, Mrs. Mary C. Hitchcock.
FREDERICK WHITCOMB PORTER-The suc- cessful conduct of any large business enterprise is de- pendent upon the ability and faithfulness of many. Each official incumbent and each departmental executive, as well as each of the many "men in the ranks," must meet the duties of his position faithfully and ably, if the enterprise is to reach its highest development and render its maximum of service. One of those who is serving ably as an official in the insurance field is Frederick Whitcomb Porter, secretary of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Company, who, like the president and treas- urer of that concern, has been identified with the busi- ness of protecting the public from fire losses from the beginning of his active career.
Mr. Porter is a descendant of one of the oldest Massa- chusetts families, tracing his descent from Richard Porter, who was in Weymouth, Massachusetts, as early as 1635, the line being traced as follows :
(I.) Richard Porter settled in 1635 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, where he was one of the prominent cit- izens of that place, serving in most of the local public offices and upon numerous committees, and where he died between December 25, 1688, and March 6, 1689. His children were: John, of further mention; Ruth, Thomas, and Mary.
(II.) Sergeant John Porter, son of Richard Porter, lived in Weymouth, Massachusetts, where he received many land grants. He also purchased much land in ancient Bridgewater. He married, February 9, 1660, Deliverance Byram, daughter of Nicholas and Martha (Shaw) Byram, and their children were: Mary, Susanna, John, Samuel, of further mention; Nicholas, Ruth, Thomas, Ebenezer, and Sarah.
(III.) Samuel Porter, son of Sergeant John and De- liverance (Byram) Porter, was a town officer in Wey- mouth in 1709, and probably removed to Abington soon after that date. He married, about 1698, Mary Nash, daughter of Jacob and Abigail (Dyer) Nash, of Wey- mouth, and died August 31, 1725. Children : Samuel, of further mention; Mary, David, Jacob, Hannah, John, and Abigail.
(IV.) Samuel (2) Porter, son of Samuel (1) and Mary (Nash) Porter, was born May 14, 1699, and lived in Abington and Bridgewater. He married (first), July 2, 1722, Sarah Josselyn, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Ford) Josselyn; (second), May 31, 1764, Widow Ruth Reed. His children, all of the first marriage, were: Sarah, Mary, Samuel, Joseph, of further mention ; Ebenezer, Mary, Adam, Hannah, Batterius, Noah, Jon- athan, Deliverance, Abigail, Tabitha, and Sarah.
(V.) Lieutenant Joseph Porter, son of Samuel (2)
charlithe Sender
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BIOGRAPHICAL
and Sarah (Josselyn) Porter, was born in Abington, Massachusetts, June 10, 1730, and died January 15, 1803. He removed to Bridgewater about 1765, and in 1777 removed to Stoughton. He was a lieutenant in the militia during the time of the Revolutionary War. He married, January 25, 1753, Elizabeth Burrill of Wey- mouth, daughter of Samuel and Content (Whitcomb) Burrill, and their children were: Elizabeth, Joseph, Hannah, Robert, Isaac, Content, Mehitable, Lebbeus, of further mention, and Cyrus.
(VI.) Lebbeus Porter, son of Lieutenant Joseph and Elizabeth (Burrill) Porter, was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts, April 22, 1771, and died April 17, 1848, aged seventy-seven years. He lived in Stoughton and in' Wrentham, and is recorded as being an "upright Christian, father, husband, citizen." He married (first), December 4, 1794, Polly Brastow, daughter of Thomas and Susannah (Fisher) Brastow, of Wrentham, Massa- chusetts. She died June 2, 1810, and he married (sec- ond), April 23, 1812, Nancy Hall. She died February 27, 1815, and he married (third), August 19, 1816, Nancy King, daughter of Samuel King. She died De- cember 31, 1822, and he married (fourth), November 28, 1839, Roxa Day, who died January 8, 1852. Children of the first marriage were: Polly, Martha, Whitcomb, of further mention; Joseph, William Glover, Elizabeth Burrill, Caroline, Thomas Brastow, and Susannah Fisher. Children of the second marriage : John Hall, Nancy King, Harriett Everett, and Samuel King.
(VII.) Whitcomb Porter, son of Lebbeus and Polly (Brastow) Porter, was born in Stoughton, Massachu- setts, March 10, 1799. He was a carpenter by trade, but was also engaged in business as a merchant and an insurance agent. He went to Weymouth about 1820, then to Quincy, where he was a highly esteemed citizen. He married, December 7, 1826, Susan Bowditch Hunt, daughter of Ebenezer and Betsey (Nash) Hunt, of Wey- mouth, and their children were: John Whitcomb, of further mention; George Edward, born in Weymouth, November 4, 1828; Henry Thomas, born in Weymouth, July 13, 1832; Susan Brastow, born July 17, 1836; Ann Marie Hunt, born October 26, 1838, died January 23, 1842; Charles Hunt, born in Quincy, April 3, 1843; and Helen Maria, born in Quincy, March 15, 1847.
(VIII.) John Whitcomb Porter, son of Whitcomb and Susan Bowditch (Hunt) Porter, was born in Wey- mouth, Massachusetts, August 2, 1827, and died Novem- ber II, 1890. He was engaged in business as an insur- ance agent at No. 27 State Street, Boston, and was for several years a member of the Boston School Commit- tee. He married, July 17, 1851, Ellen Howland, who was born May 10, 1832, daughter of Jabez and Dorcas (Jenkins) Howland, of West Parish, Barnstable, Massa- chusetts, and a direct descendant of John Howland, who came over in the "Mayflower." They were the parents of : Francis Howland, born June 4, 1854; John Ilsley, born August 16, 1856; William Wallace, born March 24, 1859; Ellen Wild, born July 23, 1861; Henry Herbert, born March 23, 1865, died January 13, 1866; Frederick Whitcomb, of further mention ; and Arthur Butler, born November 16, 1873.
(IX.) Frederick Whitcomb Porter, son of John Whit- comb and Ellen (Howland) Porter, was born in the
family home at No. 34 Port Norfolk Street, Dorchester District, Boston, Massachusetts, July 14, 1867. After receiving his early education in the schools of his native city and Minot Grammar School, he became a student in the English High School at Boston, where, after completing the regular course, he took a post-graduate business course. When his special business course in the English High School was completed he at once en- gaged in the insurance business, taking an agency for the Dorchester Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Bos- ton, the First National Insurance Company of Worces- ter, Massachusetts, and the Glens Falls Fire Insurance Company of Glens Falls, New York, and locating at No. 27 State Street, Boston. Mr. Porter was able and en- ergetic, and deeply interested in his work, and after a time was made secretary of the Dorchester Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which position he continued to maintain until the time he was made secretary of the Lynn Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In all of these connections he demonstrated his ability both as a sales- man and as an organizer and administrator. His ability to get new business and to inspire others to more ef- fective efforts in the securing of new business was rec- ognized and greatly appreciated, and in 1917 he was made Secretary of the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany, which official position he continues to hold at the present time (1923). His long experience in the insur- ance field, as well as his natural ability, has made him one of the recognized authorities in his line, and also enables him to contribute a valuable share to the ad- vancement of the interests of the concern with which he is now identified. With all his business responsibil- ities and activities he has found time for club affiliation. He is a member of the executive committee of the Fay Club, and derives out-of-door recreation as a member the Oak Hill Country Club. He is a member of the Fitchburg Chamber of Commerce, Mutual Insurance Association of New England, and the National Fire Protective Association. His religious interest is with the First Unitarian Church of Fitchburg Massachusetts, of which he is a member. He votes the Republican ticket. Mr. Porter is well known in the city of Fitch- burg and vicinity, and has many friends who esteem him not only as a successful business man but as a valued personal friend and a worthy citizen.
On February II, 1892, at No. 46 Port Norfolk Street, Dorchester, Massachusetts, Frederick Whitcomb Porter married A. Louise Bowker, daughter of Henry and A. Louise (Miers) Bowker. Mr. and Mrs. Porter are the parents of three children: Marjorie Whitcomb, born March 31, 1893; Jeannette Howland, born May 25, 1894; and John Whitcomb, born September 10, 1898.
CHARLES W. PENDER-In the business life of Worcester County, Massachusetts, Charles W. Pender is a well-known figure as a leading real estate dealer in the city of Worcester. With experience in other lines of endeavor, and the practical ability which counts for success in every field, Mr. Pender has won his way to an enviable position and is counted among the influ- ential and significant men of the day in the city of Wor- cester. A member of a family identified with the progress of the industries in the State of Massachusetts
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for many years, he is a son of James Maxwell Pender, who was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, but re- sided in the western part of the State for many years. James M. Pender was active in the textile industry until his death, which occurred in Worcester in 1921. He married Nancy Ann Croft, who was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, and died in Worcester in 1920.
Charles W. Pender was born in Pittsfield, Massa- chusetts, February 9, 1874. Educated in the public schools of that city, his early years were spent in the textile industry there, and he followed this general line of endeavor for about twenty years, during the greater part of the time in an executive position. In 1909 Mr. Pender definitely severed his connection with the in- dustrial world to enter the real estate business in the city of Worcester, and his success has proved the wis- dom of the step. He has not only gained a high posi- tion in his chosen field of activity, but has contributed much to the general advance of the city and its environs. Mr. Pender was one of the organizers of the Fairview Improvement Society of Worcester, which he served as president for three years. He built the Community Hall, which with its land cost $30,000. This is located in what is called New Worcester, and the fame of this community undertaking has spread throughout the country. With offices at No. 1034 the Slater Building, he handles large interests in real estate, and is also active in the various branches of insurance which make up the present day protection available against all forms of loss and damage. His judgment and ability are so highly prized in the business world that he is retained as appraiser for the Merchants' National Bank of Wor- cester, also the Clinton Savings Bank, the Five Cent Savings Bank, and the Worcester County Institute for Savings. He is a member of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce; was one of the organizers and a charter member of the Worcester Real Estate Exchange; is president of the Fairview Improvement Society, and is a leading member of the Exchange Club and the Wor- cester Automobile Club. He attends the First Baptist Church of Worcester.
Mr. Pender married, in 1898, Cora E. Lee, who was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, and they are the parents of the following children : William W., now as- sociated with his father in business; Anna L., also con- nected with the business ; Cora M., a student at the Wor- cester High School; Robert R., a student at the Worces- ter Trade School; Burton B., attending Gates School; and John J., also in the Gates School. The family home is at No. 2 Abington Street, Worcester, and is the center of a delightful social group.
JOHN H. JOHNSON was born at Dana, Massa- chusetts, December 9, 1864, the son of Hon. Nathaniel L. and Margaretta (Harsha) Johnson. Mr. Johnson is a member of a very old family of this section, his great- grandfather, Stephen Johnson, having come from Marl- boro, settled in Dana in 1763, and became the first chair- man of Selectmen of the new town of Dana, and was largely instrumental in founding the town. He was a Magistrate under the King, a soldier of the Revolution, and again a Magistrate under the Commonwealth. He represented the town in the General Court, and his
son, Nathaniel Johnson, was also a member of the Gen- eral Court and Trial Justice, as was his grandson, the Hon. Nathaniel L. Johnson.
John H. Johnson, following his early studies in the local district schools, attended New Salem Academy, at New Salem, Massachusetts, then Cushing Academy, at Ashburnham, Massachusetts, after which he entered Dartmouth College with the class of 1888, later leaving that institution to take up the study of law at the Boston University with the class of 1889, with which he was graduated. Within the year, Mr. Johnson was ad- mitted to the bar of his native State, and entered upon the practice of law in association with W. A. Gile, of Worcester, Massachusetts, where he was active for two years. He then entered upon the general practice of law independently, in Worcester, following along this line of activity for about ten years. Thereafter, Mr. Johnson returned to the homestead farm at Dana, Massa- chusetts, where he still resides and is active in practice at the present time. He has, until recent years, carried on the manufacturing business of which his father was for many years the head, producing palm leaf products. During the World War he was unable to procure the necessary materials, so simply discontinued the business and has not resumed it.
Mr. Johnson has for many years been a leading figure in the public life of Dana, and has served as Selectman for ten years, during all but the first year of which period he acted as chairman of the board. He has been an Assessor for nine years, and for five years was active as town auditor, and for a similar period served on the School Committee. This breadth of usefulness in the public service led to Mr. Johnson's nomination for dis- trict Representative on an independent ticket, in the year 1922, and his popularity in the community was well demonstrated by the fact that he carried the town by a vote of one hundred and eighty-one to thirty-four. The activities of the World War commanded much of Mr. Johnson's time and energy, and he served on the local Draft Board, and also supported every home war ac- tivity of. that period. Mr. Johnson's time is now almost wholly devoted to his public services of a local nature. He is a member of the Theta Delta Chi of Dartmouth College, and attends the Universalist church.
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