USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Leominster > Leominster, Massachusetts, historical and picturesque > Part 11
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GEORGE F. MORSE was born in Leominster Oct. 16th, 1835, in the house known as the Micah R. Ball house on West St. The following April his parents purchased what has been known for the past fifty years as the Gardner Morse place, on West street. Moving thereto brought them within School dis- trict No. 2, where the youth attended school until the age of twelve. In that year (1847) the Leominster High School was organized, with W. S. Phillips as its first teacher ; and the sub-
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LEOMINSTER, HISTORICAL AND PICTURESQUE.
ject of this sketch was admitted as a pupil at the first term. After finishing a four years' course at the High School, he commenced work in the importing house of Hill, Burrage, & Co., Boston. (Alvah A. and Chas. H. Burrage, of the firm, being natives of Leominster). After serving two years at this business, at a salary of fifty dollars the first year and one hund- red the second, he returned to Leominster and was in the em- ploy of G. & A. Morse, during the years of 1854-5-6, as book- keeper for the mill and manager of the grocery store connected with it. In 1857 the Morse Comb Company was formed, con- sisting of Gardner Morse, Wm. Booth, J. F. Goodhue, and G. F. Morse. The loss of the mill by fire caused the dissolution of this Company the year following. Later on, the firm of G. Morse & Son was formed, which continued until 1861, when G. F. Morse went into the army as clerk in the Quartermaster's Department. In 1862 he joined the 3d Division, 3d Army Corps, General Whipple, commanding. Continuing in the Quartermaster's department of this division from Harper's Ferry to Fredericksburg. He left the army in 1863, and, in company with General Morse, bought the city hotel property at Annapolis, Md. Disposing of his interest in the property the year following, he returned to Leominster, engaging once more in the comb business, until 1869, when he located in Bos- ton, as proprietor of the Creighton House, on Tremont street. After a year's experience, and proving to his satisfaction that he could "keep a hotel," he sold the business to Mr. F. E. Balch and returned to Leominster. In 1871 the firm of G. Morse & Co. was formed, consisting of G. Morse, G. F. Morse, and A. G. Morse ; for the manufacture of combs and dealing in horns. G. F. & A. G. Morse taking the latter branch of the business the year following, and under the firm of G. F. Morse & Co., continuing the same for twelve years. The prosecution of this business requird extensive travel, taking him, in 1875,
George It. Morse
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BIOGRAPHY BY FAMILIES.
to California, in 1880, to Cuba and Mexico ; going from Hava- na to the City of Mexico in company with Generals Grant and Sheridan, at the time Grant was completing his visit around the world.
In 1881 a trip was made to Europe. A portion of 1882 was spent in California, having been elected President of the South Spring Hill Gold Mining Co., of Amador, California, which office he continues to hold, spending a portion of his time at the mines. At the first annual election of Directors of the Wachusett National Bank of Fitchburg, held in 1876, he was chosen a member of the Board, which office he has been annually chosen to fill, up to the present writing. Upon the organization of the Hecla Powder Company, of New York, in 1881, he was chosen President, holding the office until 1888. He is, also, a director in the Leominster Gas Company, to which office he was chosen in 1884. He has held the office of Notary Public and Justice of the Peace since receiving his commission from Gov. Thomas Talbot, in 1874; and, also, fill- ed numerous minor offices ..
In 1859 he married Mary E. Tufts of Fitchburg, the result of this union being five children : Ralph G., the eldest, is the Sec'y of the Hecla Powder Co. of New York ; Alice A., is the wife of C. A. Joslin, Town Clerk and Treasurer ; Florence T., is the wife of W. A. Putnan. book-keeper, Leominster National Bank ; Margaret and Mabel, (the twins,) living with their par. ents on Church St.
ALBERT G. MORSE was born in Leominster in 1846, and be- gan business for himself, at the age of 21, in Boston. In 1869 he went West and engaged in business in Illinois and Kansas for two years ; returning to Leominster in 1871, he formed a partnership with his brother, under the name of G. F. Morse & Co., continuing for twelve years in the business of Comb Manufacturers' Supplies. Afterwards, he helped to organize
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the Hecla Powder Co. of New York, acting as Secretary of the Company for two years, with a residence in Elizabeth, N, J.
The year 1884 was spent as publisher of the Leominster En- terprise, the paper being turned over, at the end of that time, to the old proprietor, Mr. F. N. Boutwell.
In the spring of 1886, Mr. Morse organized the Bay State Shirt Co., of which Company he is at present Treasurer and Manager, employing some hundred and fifty hands. He was chosen a Director of the Northboro National Bank in February, 1880, holding the office until his removal to New York, in 1883.
In January, 1871, he married Emilia G. Christian of Detroit, Mich., having two children, Anna G. and Willard Ives. Their residence has been corner of West and Blossom Sts. for the past fifteen years.
AUGUSTUS MORSE was born in Worcester in 1817, (May 16,) where he lived 10 years, when he went with his parents to Fitchburg, where the next four years were spent ; part of the time in school and the balance working in the old stone mill. The year following was spent in Peterboro, N. H., working for his father, who was engaged in the manufacture of paper. He then re- turned to Fitchburg, at the age of 16, accepting a situation as second overseer in the mill owned by General Ivers Jewett, at- tending school that winter in the old brick schoolhouse on Blossom street ; Col. Ivers Phillips being the teacher. In 1832 he came to Leominster to learn the comb trade, serving an ap- prenticeship of four years to his brother Gardner, at $50 a year and board, at the end of which time the partnership of G. & A. Morse was formed. This partnership continued until the out- break of the war in 1861, when, as Major General of Mass. Militia, he was summoned by Gov. Andrew to take command, in Boston, of all troops which were reporting for duty, and to be despatched for the seat of war. He was chiefly instrument- al in placing General Butler in command of the First Brigade,
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BIOGRAPHY BY FAMILIES.
which left Mass. the 16th of April and cut through the blood- thirsty mob at Baltimore, securing the Capitol to the Union.
His military career began at the age of 18, when he joined the Leominster Rifle Company, holding the various offices, up all the grades, receiving his commission as Captain from Gov. Briggs. He was elected Major of 9th Regt., M. V. M., then Colonel, serving two years, when he was elected Brigadier Gen- eral. He was chosen by the Legislature of 1855-6 as Major General of 3d Division, M. V. M. He received his commission from the Secretary of State, and held the office until August, 1861, when he resigned and was made Col. of the 21st Mass. Regt. He was sworn into service of the U. S. on the 21st of that month and started, with his Regt., 1000 men, strong, with orders to report at Washington, D. C. He was stopped at Bal- timore by order of Secretary of War, Cameron, to report to Major Gen. Dix, then commanding the Dept. of Baltimore, and by him ordered to proceed with his Regt. to Annapolis, Md., to take command of that military post. Extending his command to Annapolis Junction and a part of Baltimore & Ohio R. R., (the only conveyance by rail from the North to Washington) to guard that railroad for six miles, and also extending some thir- ty miles on Chesapeake Bay and south toward the Potomac river. While there, in command as Col., he was appointed by President Lincoln, Military Governor of that section ; serving until the following summer in this capacity, when he resigned the office. In Sept., 1862, he was commissioned by President Lincoln, Quartermaster, with headquarters at Fredericksburg, filling the position with honor and ability until he retired from the service in the fall of 1863, since which time he has not had on a uniform ; preferring the peaceful walks of life to the blood and carnage of war, or the vain-glory of political office.
Col. Morse held numerous civil offices during his residence in Leominster, being chosen as one of the Selectmen at the
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age of 29; serving on the Board the year the brick town house (our present town hall) was built. He served, also, as Collect- or of Taxes, and in many minor offices ; holding the office of Justice of the Peace for 14 years. He married Caroline, daugh- ter of Manassah Willard, of Sterling, residing for many years near his brother, Gardner, on West street ; bringing up a fami- ly of eight children, two girls and six boys. Eliza J., wife of Abner W. Pollard, formerly in the clothing business in this town, but who is at present the head of the Butterick Publish- ing Company in New York City. This Company have in their immediate employ some 800 persons, besides having some 3500 branch offices in the United States and England. Harrison A., manager of the factory of the Butterick Publishing Co. in Brooklyn, N. Y. Julius T., who is located in Kansas. Jerome E., a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, was placed on the retired list, on account of his eye-sight, after serving the gov- ernment, in official capacity, for eleven years. He is at pres- ent Treasurer of the Hecla Powder Co. of New York City, and is, also, largely interested in mining in Colorado. Joseph H., is a lawyer in Brooklyn, N. Y., where he has recently located after some ten years in Kansas, where he was at one time a member of the State Legislature, also, U. S. Silk Commission- er. Elbridge W., resides in New York, and is a traveling sales- man. Carrie F. resides, at present, with her father in Brook- lyn. The youngest, Frederick E., after a short but promising business career, was cut down by an accident to his knee, while in bathing in Whalom Pond, which resulted in fever, causing his death.
THE BURRAGES.
The families of Deacon William and Capt. Josiah Burrage, of Leominster, are descended from John Burrage who was born in Norton Subcourse, a parish of Norfolk County, ( near Nor- wich,) England. According to the researches of Hon. A. A.
RUSSELL& RICHARDSON
HOUSE IN LEOMINSTER. BOUGHT BY WM. BURRAGE IN 1767 AND IN WHICH HE DIED IN 1820.
RUSSELL & RICHARDSON 5
OLD CHURCH IN NORTON SUBCOURSE, BUILT IN 1387.
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BIOGRAPHIY BY FAMILIES.
Burrage, we find by the parish records that he was baptized April 10, 1616, and that in all probability he was sixteen years old at the time of his father's death, remaining at home assist- ing his mother in the care of the farm until he attained his majority in the spring of 1637. Owing to the tyranical rule of Charles I, in forcing ship money tax upon his people and in other ways exercising an arbitrary authority over the Kingdom, many of his subjects, in 1637, abandoned their native land and following the example of the Pilgrim Fathers, emigrated to America and settled in the wilds of New England. Among this number was John Burrage of Norton Subcourse. It is not known by what ship he came, but his name appears on the town records of Charlestown, Massachusetts under the date of 1637, and from a description of his " possessions" in the same book, it is probable that the estate was located within the limits of the Charlestown Navy Yard, near the western en- trance, at the foot of Water street, and that he owned and operated the ferry between Boston and Charlestown in com- pany with Francis Hudson, who lived on the Boston side, the landing place being located on the premises of the owners. In addition to his duties as Ferryman Mr. Burrage served several years as "Clerk of the Market." The market place was in what is now Charlestown Square. He was also chosen "Salt Measurer," by the town. In 1662-4 he, in company with his son, John Burrage, Jr., were engaged in shipping horses to Barbadoes. Thus it will be seen that he was a busy and no doubt a prosperous man. He had been blessed with a large family of children and was an active and a useful citizen, but his last days were clouded by misfortune. In 1672, which was some thirteen years before his death, he met with an accident, being thrown from a horse, which occasioned the loss of his reason. In 1677 his eldest, and most promising son, John Jr. died of small pox, during the epidemic in Charlestown, in which
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ninety-one persons died during the year. Following immedi- ately upon this, the eldest of his two surviving sons, Jacob-like took advantage of his father's mental incapacity to get posses- sion of his property. This scheme was, however, only tempo- rarily successful and eventually the property was divided among all the rightful heirs.
DEA. WILLIAM BURRAGE, of Leominster, was born Sept. 2d, 1768. He was apprenticed at an early age to Benjamin Hawks, a tanner in Leominster. Having finished his appren- ticeship he commenced the tanning and currying business for himself in a small way in the north part of the town, where, through industry and frugality he succeeded in gaining a com- petency. In 1814 he was chosen a deacon of the First Congre- gational Church which office he filled until his death in 1844. He was for many years a prominent citizen, and was often chosen to fill offices of trust and responsibility. He was twice married. First to Mary Joslin of Leominster, by whom he had six children. His second wife was Roxanna Sanderson of Lan- caster, by whom he had eight children.
CAPT. LEONARD BURRAGE, was for many years one of Leominster's most valued and prominent citizens. Born March 14, 1797, he died April 18, 1888, in the house built by himself seventy years ago, directly opposite his birthplace in the North Village. As the eldest son of Deacon Wm. Bur- rage, he inherited a love for honest work and the belief that labor was honorable. Learning the trade of tanner in his father's shop, soon after his majority, he was admitted to a share in the business, and later became sole owner, building it up to a large and profitable position. Associated with his cousin, George S. Burrage, in 1836 he began the manufacture of shoes, being one of the pioneers in that industry in New Eng- land, and in 1844 retired with a fortune. Never blessed with children, with the cordial help of his wife, (Mira Allen) he
CAPT. LEONARD BURRAGE.
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BIOGRAPHY BY FAMILIES.
devoted himself to relieving the distress of the needy, and to broad works of charity. Most of his generous gifts remain unknown, save that they were almost countless. He contrib- uted largely to the building of every church in town, giving especially to the Congregational Church in the North Village, later giving a lot of land with a handsome parsonage building on it, and by will $6500 more. By will he gave large sums to various charities ; $5000 to the Town of Leominster ; $3000 to the worthy poor ; $2000 to the Public Library ; $20,000 to Olivet College, Michigan, without condition, which will be devoted to building the " Burrage Library. " Earnest, honora- ble, shrewd and clear headed, his ability and sterling character early commanded the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens, and he was often honored at their hands. He was a Captain in the militia at 21, then a most honorable position, and for many successive years was Moderator of town meetings. He took an active part in town affairs, serving in every important town office, being many years on School Committee and Board of Selectmen. Capt. Burrage represented the town with great ability in the General Court in the years 1833, 1843, 44, 45, and during a long series of years was interested in nearly every town matter. Until old age compelled his retirement he was President of the Leominster Savings Bank, also a director in the Rollstone National Bank of Fitchburg and other corpora- tions.
A great, brave and kindly heart is stilled, the weak, the aged and the poor have lost a friend who never failed them, by the passing on of Capt. Leonard Burrage.
GEORGE SANDERSON BURRAGE, the oldest son of Dea. Wm. by his second wife, was born May 15, 1823. At the age of 25 he moved to Ashburnham, bought a large tract of wood land and engaged in the manufacture of chairs. A few years after his brothers, William F. and Charles W., joined him in the
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enterprise, and built a large chair factory, and carried on a large business ; they gathered so much of a village about their works, that the Government granted a Post Office with the name of Burrageville. Unfortunately this enterprise did not continue many years, on account of the factory being destroyed by fire. Soon after, George Sanderson went with his family to San Francisco, Cal., and engaged in the furniture business, and later on, went into grape raising in Napa Valley, where he died May 16, 1876, at the age of 53 years. He was twice married ; his first wife was Martha G. Phelps, of Leominster, by whom he had two daughters, Clara and Ellen. By his last wife, Aure- lia Chamberlain, he. had a daughter, Cora C., who survived him but a short time. Charles D. and Albert C., are their only surviving children. Both entered the legal profession. Chas. D. is in the practice of his profession in Gardner, Mass., and is President of the Lithotype Publishing Co., of that place. Albert C. is in the practice of his profession in Boston.
WILLIAM F. BURRAGE, the second son of Dea. William, by his second wife, was born April 5, 1826. As has been said he joined his brothers, George Sanderson and Charles W., in the Burrageville enterprise under the firm name of Burrage Broth- ers, but sold out his interest not long before the Chair Factory was burned. While in Ashburnham he was Justice of the Peace and served the public in other ways. He held the office of Post Master and was also station agent until 1867, when he with his family, returned to Leominster, where he took an ac- tive interest in town affairs, was a prominent and valued citi- zen. He was for several years a director in the First National Bank of Leominster. In 1872 he took a journey to California and Oregon, on account of his health, which was much im- paired, and to visit his brothers. He returned without being much improved. He married, July 25, 1849, Eveline W. Law- rence, who survives him. He died Nov. 11, 1873, leaving three
GEORGE SANDERSON BURRAGE.
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BIOGRAPHY BY FAMILIES.
children, two daughters and a son. The daughters were Mary E. and Hattie M., very amiable young ladies of great promise, who survived him barely a year. The son, Leonard F., is in the Dry Goods business in Leominster.
CHARLES W. BURRAGE, the third son of Dea. William, by the second wife, was born Aug. 25, 1830. As has been said he was one of the firm of Burrage Brothers. After the Chair Fac- tory was burned he went to New Haven and completed his college course at Yale University. He, with his family, then went to Portland, Oregon, where he carried on a large business as Civil Engineer, for many years. He was a prominent and influential citizen. In 1886 he retired from active life and, with his family, went to Spokane Falls, where he now resides enjoying the fruits of his labor. He married Sarah J. Hills of Leominster. Their son Edward, a very worthy young man died in 1887. William H. and Charles F. are their two sons now living, both of whom are Civil Engineers and located in Washington Territory. Two daughters of Dea. William Bur- rage survived their father. Mary Jane, who was a young lady of great promise, died at the age of twenty-two years. The other daughter, Martha Ann, who married Porter M. Kimball, of Leominster, died November 4, 1863.
CAPT. JOSIAH BURRAGE was born Aug. 16, 1770. He re- mained at home working on his father's farm or for the neigh- boring farmers, until thirty years of age, when he married March 7, 1800, Ruth Kilburn, a daughter of William Kilburn, of Lunenburg. He probably had saved of his earnings up to that time five or six hundred dollars, barely enough to pay for stock and tools for a farm and scanty furniture for his dwelling. With the assistance of his brother William, who offered to be- come jointly responsible with him for the purchase money, he, in the spring of 1801, bought the intervale farm adjoining the homestead place. The young couple moved on to their farm
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LEOMINSTER, HISTORICAL AND PICTURESQUE.
and there for forty-five years they lived, rearing a family of thirteen children and paying for the place. During that time from fifty to seventy-five acres were added to the original pur- chase, another barn, cider mill and other outbuildings were erected, the house enlarged and finished in modern style, the whole paid for and the farm then entirely freed from debt. The magnitude of the task accomplished can be partially real- ized from the fact that the interest payable on the debt in- curred was fifty cents a day, and that it required the equivalent of two bushels of potatoes or four pounds of the best butter to pay one day's interest. It is evident that under the circum- stances he could not have supported his family and paid for his farm by any ordinary day's labor. He evidently did not be- lieve in the eight and ten hours a day notions of the present day. He was blessed with a compact, hardy and vigorous physical organization, and from his youth until he reached the age of seventy-five years, probably averaged fourteen or fifteen hours a day of hard work. In the winter he would leave his bed two or three hours before sunrise, and after making a fire in the kitchen, fill the tea kettle and hang it on the crane in the fire-place, then go to the barn and " fodder" his oxen and fifteen or twenty other cattle. Meanwhile his wife would rise and prepare breakfast, which was always eaten by candle light. After breakfast he would yoke the oxen to the cart or sled, take his dinner, put up in a small tin pail, and about an hour before the sun was up, start for the wood lot, about two miles distant, put on a load of wood and carry it to Lancaster village or Leominster, each about four miles distant from the wood lot. The day's work was usually the carting of two loads of a cord each, and then return home, travelling twelve to sixteen miles with an ox team, beside loading and unloading the wood. He would reach home two or three hours after susnet, put up and feed his team, eat a hearty supper, which he would find pre-
LEBELL& RICHARDSON.SC
BIRTH PLACE OF MRS. RUTH KILBURN BURRAGE 1780.
CHARLESTOWN FERRY AND RESIDENCE OF JOHN BURRAGE 1657.
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BIOGRAPHY BY FAMILIES.
pared for him by his good wife, and go to bed, to rise the fol- lowing morning to go through the same programme, without regard to the weather.
As Capt. Burrage was a good type of the old-time thrifty New England farmer, so was his wife a good example of the old-time farmer's wife. Although not as strong, physically, she was possessed of great vitality and probably averaged more hours of labor each day than her husband did. During the first twenty-five years of her married life she bore thirteen children, took care of them in health and sickness, prepared all the food for the family, which usually included one or more hired laborers, made butter and cheese, spun yarn from wool and flax, made the clothing for the younger children, and did the mending for the whole family, beside doing the numerous other things required in a farmer's household. She had but little, if any help in the house when her children were born, until her daughters became old enough to assist her.
Thus it will be seen that both husband and wife believed fully in the mission of work, and before they left home, except during the three or four months of the year they attended school, their sons were required to work steadily and continu- ously, a discipline to which they were doubtless indebted for whatever of success they afterwards achieved.
Capt. Josiah Burrage had little taste or leisure for public service, and held but few public offices. About the year 1800 he was chosen captain of the "Old North Company" of Light Infantry of Leominster ; the same that his nephew, Leonard, was chosen to command some twenty years later. He held the office several years, and retained the title as long as he lived. By will he left his estate to his wife during her life, after which it was equally divided among those of his children or their heirs who were living at the time the will was made, and to each of his forty-four grand-children a large Bible. This
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latter bequest was duly fulfilled by his executors Sept. 1875.
EMORY BURRAGE, second son of Captain Josiah, was the only one of nine sons who remained at home to assist his fa- ther on the farm until of age. When twenty three years of age he married Mary, the daughter of his uncle, Thomas Bur- rage, and the young couple took up their abode with her pa- rents, in the house bought by their grandfather, William Bur- rage, in 1767. (See engraving). They took charge of the farm and cared for the old people as long as they lived. In 1848, Mr. Burrage was chosen a deacon of the First Congregational (Unitarian) Church, and was also called upon by his fellow citi- zens to fill other offices of responsibility and trust. Owing to the infirmities of age, the labor of carrying on the place be- came burdensome, and Deacon Burrage and his wife disposed of the farm and moved into the North Village. The farm was bought by Mr. T. Dwight Wood of Westminster. The old house was torn down about 1835, and a more modern one built in its place, and a few years before leaving, Dea. Burrage built an addition, so that the house is now very unlike what it was.
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