USA > Massachusetts > Memorial encyclopedia of the state of Massachusetts > Part 12
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If the measure of life is in the character which one develops and the good that he does, then Charles Lewis Blakney may be said to have succeeded in rounding out a career of precious memory to all who knew him.
James Marshall Gleason
T seems that Nature intended the late James Marshall Gleason to be a hotel proprietor, so broad, jovial and generous did she create him. But Nature did not pave the way further than to so richly endow him. The road he traveled ere he could write "proprietor" after his name was long, rough and rugged, and the carlier part of the journey was made against adverse cir- cumstances. Certainly among all the communities of the State of Massachusetts, great or small, there is none that can point to a higher av- erage of good citizenship among its members than the town of Marlboro, Massachusetts, and none which can boast of a greater number of their sons, per unit of population, whose names deserve to be remembered as having had to do with the development and growth of the place. Among these names that of James Marshall Gleason stands high. Those who knew him tell of a man who rose to a position of unusual authority in business and community life. This in itself entitles him to high tribute, but it is only part of the story of a life that was notable for the spirit of brotherhood and human sympathy of which it was composed. In an extended search it would be very difficult in- deed to find one who better than Mr. Gleason gave substantial proof of the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, when he said, "There is something better than making a living, and that is making a life." With a realization of this truth, Mr. Gleason labored persistently and energetically not only to win success, but to make his life a source of continual benefit to his fellow-men. The death of Mr. Gleason, which occurred at his residence, "The Gleason House," July 19, 1906, meant the removal of one of Marlboro's most prominent men. In his death one of the best known and beloved members of the Marlboro Fire De- partment was taken away from all earthly environment. The sterling character of the man, his courage under trial, his fidelity to friendship, his loyalty to men and causes, his never-failing good fellowship, and his tenacious adherence to principle and honor endeared him to a host of good men and true, who learned to know him and to trust him implicitly. I
James Marshall Gleason was born in Marlboro, Massachusetts, in the Gale House, corner of Main and Bolton streets, August 17, 1843, the son of Dana and Mary (Rice) Gleason. The father died when J. M. Gleason was quite young, and the mother not long afterwards. Mr. Gleason obtained his edu- cation in the schools of his native town of Marlboro, but his schooling was never completed owing to the outbreak of the Civil War, at which time his youthful enthusiasm and ardent patriotism were the cause of his enlisting in Company I, Thirteenth Massachusetts Regiment, as a drummer-boy. Most of this regiment came from that section of the State of Massachusetts. Mr.
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Gleason served for three years, and at the close of the war he returned to Marlboro, where he sought employment. He soon became engaged in the stitching department of Boyd & Corey's Shoe Factory, where he remained for fifteen years. He then became interested in the hotel business, and not long after was the proprietor of the Gleason House, being the head of that well known hostelry for over a quarter of a century. This hotel had the reputation of being one of the most home-like hotels in that section of New England.
Mr. Gleason, being of an active nature, seemed to be drawn towards those things which partake of life and force. For twenty-nine years he was con- nected with the Marlboro Fire Department, serving in the days of the old vol- unteers, and filled many different positions up to first assistant engineer. In the days of the old hand engine contests he was foreman of Torrent Engine, No. I, and took an active part in the contests of that famous company. Mr. Gleason's last service as fireman was under Mayor George A. Howe's admin- istration. He was known throughout that section as a veteran fireman and was for several years foreman of the famous Charlestown Veterans. When he wished to resign from this position, the old time lads would not accept his res- ignation. Mr. Gleason also belonged to the Barnicoat Veterans, one of the best known fire organizations of this country, and which came to Marlboro, Massachusetts, as a tribute to Mr. Gleason, as also did the Charlestown or- ganization in 1903.
The Grand Army of the Republic was one of Mr. Gleason's dearest ob- jects. He was commander of John A. Rawlins Post, in 1904, and attended sev- eral National Encampments, among them being Washington, D. C., and Den- ver, Colorado. It was largely through his efforts, along with his comrades of the Civil War, that the John Brown Bell was brought to Marlboro, Massachu- setts, and hung in the Grand Army Hall. This bell, which hung on the engine house at Harper's Ferry, and which was to form the musical notes of the black man's freedom, was removed and buried in the ground. At the time of the Grand Army of the Republic's National Encampment, in 1893, Mr. Gleason visited the spot where it had been hidden, thirty years before, and had it brought to his native city. With proper services the old bell was hung on the exterior of the Grand Army of the Republic's Hall, there to remain as a signal of liberty and freedom the entire country over. The annual camp fire of the Grand Army of the Republic was an event Mr. Gleason looked forward to with great pleasure, and when that occasion arrived it was a grand day at the "Glea- son House." And likewise the Gleason House was a familiar name to mem- bers of the Grand Army of the Republic, all of the leading members of that organization having stopped there, at one time or another. Many a poor com- rade received hospitality at that hotel, and the little button worn by any vet- eran would always readily be recognized by Mr. Gleason. He was a very gen- erous man, and his heart was ever willing to respond to the cry of distress.
On December 31, 1865, James Marshall Gleason was united in marriage with Addie Eliza Gamage, who was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, the
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daughter of Joseph S. and Mary Thayer ( Taft) Gamage, both of whom were natives of Massachusetts. Joseph S. Gamage was a boot manufacturer of the olden days. Mr. and Mrs. Gleason were the parents of two children, as follows: 1. J. Henry, born in Marlboro, Massachusetts, July 8, 1867, and died January 20, 1915. He received his education in the schools of his native city, and then learned the barber's trade, conducting a barber shop in the Glea- son House, of which hotel his father was the proprietor for many years. When his father passed away, he became the proprietor of the Gleason House, and continued as such until the year 1914. Like his father, Mr. Gleason was much interested in the fire department, and for many years was a member of Hose Company No. 4, in which he became lieutenant, in 1898. He was appointed sec- ond assistant engineer by Mayor E. G. Hoitt, and served under Mayor Hoitt and Mayor Phinket. He was made chief engineer in 1901 by Mayor Walter B. Morse, and served in this capacity for three years. He was elected building inspector by Mayor Henry Parsons, serving for five years. He was a member of the Republican committee for twenty years, and was chairman of both ward and city Republican committee for four years. In 1911, Mr. Gleason was elected mayor of Marlboro, and served his native city as chief executive for two terms. He was a candidate for nomination for Congress in 1913. Mr. Gleason was prominent in the social life of the community, having been a member of the United Brethren Lodge of Masons, the Houghton Royal Arch Chapter, the Trinity Commandery, the Marlboro Lodge of Elks, the Marlboro Grange, and F. C. Curtis Camp, Sons of Veterans. He was a conspicuous figure in the Union Club, and a director in the Marlboro Cooperative Bank. In his religi- ous belief, he was affiliated with the Unitarian church. On the day of his fu- neral, Mr. Gleason's body lay in state from eleven o'clock in the morning un- til one thirty o'clock in the afternoon. His casket was literally buried in flowers, being the largest number seen in Marlboro for years. Members of the Benevo- lent Order of Elks, under direction of Exalted Ruler Ralph H. Milliken, marched from the Lodge room to bid farewell to the first member of their lodge to be borne away. The floral tributes from different organizations and his many friends were profuse and beautiful. On July 19, 1887, J. Henry Glea- son was united in marriage with Jennie Smith Howe, a daughter of Louis A. Howe, deceased, a former shoe manufacturer of Marlboro, Massachusetts. 2. Addie Josephine, who on December 6, 1905, became the wife of Alfred Lear Hastings. Mr. Hastings was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, March 21, 1876, and passed away at Merrimac, Massachusetts, September 6, 1912. He was a son of Horace N. and Augusta A. (Houghton) Hastings. Alfred Lear Hastings was the junior member of the firm of Hastings & Sons, a publishing company of Lynn, Massachusetts. His education was obtained in the Lynn public schools, supplemented by a commercial college course. From earliest boyhood he was interested in the "Lynn Item," and after the completion of his education, he took a very active interest in that organization. Mr. Has- tings possessed many fine qualities of head and heart, and these were combined
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with a keen and ready wit and quiet humor, together with a pleasant manner, which made him a very agreeable companion. His passing away at such an early age brought to an end the career of one who had looked forward to mak- ing a name for himself.
When still a youth, James Marshall Gleason's ambition was to become a hotel proprietor, so that when he came "into his own" he was thorough master of the hotel business, and became one of the best known, most popular and suc- cessful hotel men in the State of Massachusetts. His friends were legion, numbering many high in official and business life, who received the tidings of his death with great sorrow. In his boyhood, he obtained a few years of school- ing only, but he improved his opportunities well, and by self-study and read- ing became well informed. His life was spent in Marlboro, and no man in the town won more friends or was held in greater respect. While his home was the brightest and best beloved spot on earth to him, he had many outside as- sociations that brought him into contact with many people, all of whom loved him for his upright life and manliness.
Richard Summers
IT has fallen to the lot of a few men to exemplify, as was done by the late Richard Summers, both under conditions almost too alluring and under conditions tending to discouragement, that character of the sterling sort may rise superior to all sur- roundings. He was noted for his kindness and liberality, and his genial temper and unaffected manner won for him a very large circle of personal friends. There are some lives that, in their ceaseless, indefatigable energy, are the cause of wonder to their fellow- men and might well serve as a model to all those who seek the illusive goddess, Success. The long and varied career of Mr. Summers has displayed talents and abilities as varied as the scenes in which they have been displayed or the directions in which they have been expended, but most especially has it shown those first and cardinal virtues of courage, honesty and charity without which no normal or lasting achievement may be wrought. During his life time, Mr. Summers was brought into contact with many different classes of people, but he always proved himself in every sense a man among men, and was instinc- tively accorded a high place in their regard. The sudden death of Mr. Sum- mers came as a shock to the community in which he had resided for so many years. He was a type of citizen whose removal from earthly activities was a distinct loss, and his passing away at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 12, 1913, was mourned by a most unusually large circle of friends and business acquaintances. The due reward of merit, it has often been observed, is frequently or even generally withheld until death has rendered its payment all but vain. This, however, is less true in active democratic communities, such as are typical of the United States, which are ever on the outlook for ability of any kind, and where talent is recognized as the most marketable of all com- modities. The reward of justly deserved merit was not delayed until after death in the case of Richard Summers, whose character was in many ways a most remarkable one, and in all ways most commendable.
The birth of Richard Summers occurred in Devonshire, England, Febru- ary 9, 1846, the son of William and Harriett (Rutley) Summers. The Sum- mers family is one of the oldest in England, and came over with William the Conqueror. They were feudal Barons in Gloucestershire, in the reign of King Henry the Second. One of the first chief justices of the High Court of Eng- land was Sir Thomas Summers. At different times the Manor Houses of Wapley, Winterbourne, Eastington and Cherington have been seats of the Sum- mers family in Gloucestershire, with estates in other counties. William Sum- mers, the father of Richard Summers, belonged to the yeomanry branch of the Summers family, and was a native of Devonshire, England.
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Richard Summers spent his boyhood in his native country, England, where he also attended school in the city of his birth. When twenty-one years of age he came to America, in search of better opportunities than were afforded in his own country. Upon his arrival, Mr. Summers located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the remainder of his life was spent. His first employ- ment was as a coachman, and for many years he served in this capacity for private families, being for eleven years in the employ of Mr. and Mrs. George Abbott, of Concord avenue. In 1894, Mr. Summers engaged in the livery business, in which he was highly successful, and continued to conduct it until seven years prior to his death, when he retired from all active participation in business affairs. He was of an ambitious nature, and had looked forward with a strong desire to the time when he could engage in an independent busi- ness. His methods of transacting business were clear and concise, and he was known to be rigidly honest in his dealings with his fellow-men, and in fact in all his relations with life. The traits of character possessed by Mr. Summers were such as commended him to all men. His faithful industry, sound judg- ment and high integrity were qualities which they could not fail to recognize and appreciate. He was possessed of a natural aptitude for business and a fixed determination to succeed in his chosen calling. Ever energetic and zealous, his loyalty to America asd American ideas knew no bounds, and his life should act as an inspiration to our growing youth to maintain a constant devotion to our beloved country. Mr. Summers was not one of those men who devote their entire attention to their business interests, for on the contrary he was ex- tremely fond of informal intercourse with his fellow-men, and was a well known figure in the general life of the City of Cambridge, where he had been a resi- dent for more than forty-four years. He had no preference for political life of any kind, but his interest in the welfare of his adopted city was proverbial, and he did all in his power to encourage legitimate enterprise and business of all kinds.
On January 22, 1895, Richard Summers was united in marriage with Sophia Dorothy Von Steimker, a daughter of James Carl and Anna Maria (Busse) Von Steimker, both of whom were natives of Wernitz, Province of Magdelburg, Germany. James Carl Von Steimker's ancestors were of the House of Brunswick. He himself was paymaster in the German Navy, and was also interested in the flour milling business. Mrs. Summers was one of eight children, and came to America in 1861. She first settled in Burling- ton, Iowa, and later made Cambridge, Massachusetts, her home, where she has continued to reside since the death of her husband, in 1913. Besides his wife, Mr. Summers is survived by three brothers, George Summers, Fred Summers, and James Summers, and also three sisters, namely, Mrs. John Box, Mrs. Mary Ann Jordan, and Mrs. Frederick Cox, all of whom live in England.
The funeral services of Mr. Summers took place at his residence in Cam- bridge, the Rev. Mr. Walton, of St. Paul's Church, in Boston, being the offici- ating clergyman. The services were largely attended by Mr. Summers' nu-
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merons friends and neighbors, who came to pay their last tribute to the good man who had been taken away, at the age of sixty-seven years. The floral tokens were beautiful and many, which signified the respect and esteem in which he was held. Interment was in Cambridge Cemetery.
Mr. Summers was a member of Victoria Lodge, Loyal Sons of St. George. Without doubt the most striking quality about Mr. Summers was that magnetic enthusiasm which was at once attractive and compelling to those about him. His sterling integrity was just as fundamental, but this other was what men saw first and felt the power of. He was a man of impressive personality, broad-minded and possessed of the characteristics which always merit confi- dence and friendship. Viewing his life, none can fail to have an appreciation of his accomplishments, and as he himself was in life, so now should his mem- ory serve as an example of what can be done from small beginnings by con- sistent effort and unfaltering faith.
George Washington Warren
I N making a presentation to the public of the representative men of the city of Boston, and the State of Massachusetts, who have by a superior force of character and energy, together with a combination of ripe qualities of ability and intelligence, made themselves conspicuous and commanding in both public and pri- vate life, we have no example more fit to present and none more worthy a place in this volume than George Washington Warren. He possessed those excellencies of human nature that make men worthy of regard among their fellow-men, and was not only high-minded and liberal, but keenly alive to all the varied requirements of life. He was one of those men who represented the highest ideals of citizenship, while his influence was felt either directly or indirectly by all who came in contact with him, and his life has left a lasting impress upon the city of Boston. To all who knew him and therefore loved him, the memory of Mr. Warren must recall the no- blest and gentlest personality, all that constitutes the most essential human worth, the purest charm of character and the highest Christian manhood. He laid the sure foundation of an honorable and substantial life, and his success was the merited result and reward of industry, ability and honesty. In all his words and deeds he was ever faithful to all personal and public obligations, and his commanding influence among his many friends was the natural product of superior mental and moral qualities. In the death of Mr. Warren, which occurred at his home in Waltham, Massachusetts, January 4, 1907, a good man was taken away, and the community sustained a personal loss. The sorrow : of the public was universal, not only because the example of a good and use- ful life was gone forever from daily sight, but also because Mr. Warren was a public-spirited citizen of the highest type. He earned for himself the best eulogy that a man can receive from his fellow-men, and that is that he lived a useful life. He was a gentleman in the loftiest meaning of that term, and his life has shown what honesty combined with brains and hard work can ac- complish.
The birth of George Washington Warren occurred in Brookline, Massa- chusetts, January 18, 1820, the son of Charles and Persis (Weston) Warren. He was a descendant of General Joseph Warren, the Revolutionary soldier and hero of Bunker Hill. The surname Warren is derived from Garenne or Varenne, a small river in the old county of Calais or Caux, Normandy, which gave its name to the neighboring community and is only a few miles from Dieppe. There is at present a village called Garenne in the same district and it is here that the origin of the family has been fixed by historians. On the west side of the river, Garenne was the ancient baronial seat of the de War-
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rennes, and some of the ruins were still standing in 1832. The surname has assumed different forms from time to time, such as Wareyn, Warin, Waryn and Warren, the latter becoming the most common in use. The ancestors of perhaps all the English and Scotch families of Warren was William de War- renne, who came to England with William the Conqueror, and was related to him both by marriage and descent. He had a considerable command at the battle of Hastings, and on account of his valor and fidelity obtained immense grants of land from the Conqueror. The history of the Warren family has been written and is exceeded in interest and antiquity by none in England.
Early in his life George Washington Warren's parents removed to Wes- ton, Massachusetts, where he attended the public school and later a private school in Waltham for his education. As a lad he was of so ambitious a na- ture that he availed himself of every opportunity that arose, and while he could not take a formal course of studies in an advanced institution, he continued all his life an independent scholar, so that there were few men better informed upon general topics nor more widely cultivated than he. Upon leaving school, Mr. Warren started his business career as an auctioneer in Boston. In 1858 he was elected to the General Court as representative from the district in which the town of Weston, Massachusetts, was then located. Two years after he removed to Waltham, Massachusetts, and in 1861 was appointed by President Lincoln to a clerkship in the Boston Custom House, serving faith- fully and well for a period of twenty-five years in that same capacity. For two years prior to his death, Mr. Warren had been incapacitated for active work, but neither increasing age nor growing infirmities had appreciable ef- fect upon his cheerfulness and geniality, and the same cheery, sunny smile and cordial grasp of the hand greeted his friends to the last that they met in the earlier days. Wherever he was stationed, Mr. Warren proved to be the same willing, capable, conscientious worker, intent always upon the performance of his manifold duties, and genial and courteous with all and to all.
As a citizen, Mr. Warren was earnest, loyal and public-spirited. He felt a pride in the city of his adoption, and was ever ready to do what he could for its prosperity and good name. Originally a Whig in his political affilia- tions, and afterwards a stalwart Republican, Mr. Warren was justly proud of the fact that he voted for every president and every governor since the casting of his first presidential vote for Henry Clay. He was a definite force for good in the community where he lived, and one whose life story is in- separably interwoven with the history of its development. At different times he was chosen to hold various responsible positions of trust, all of which he filled with the most implicit fidelity. While never subservient nor lacking in firm convictions of right, he was pre-eminently charitable in his judgment of others and rarely spoke aught but kindly of any one. His was one of those happy natures that shed the golden glow of their sunny presence on all around them, and his later years bore evidence to this fact.
In the midst of his many tasks, Mr. Warren was possessed of strong so-
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cial instincts and greatly enjoyed the informal intercourse with his fellow- men. He was one of the most prominent members of the Masonic order, and thoroughly imbibed the spirit of this organization. In his Masonic life he was especially exemplary. Raised to the sublime degree of a Master Ma- son in Monitor Lodge, September 19, 1864, Mr. Warren was assiduous in his attendance at the communications of this lodge, and, so strong were his con- victions of his duty as a Master Mason, that, so long as he was able to go to the lodge room, he rarely failed to respond to the summons of the wor- shipful master to pay the last tribute of respect and affection to a deceased brother. Personal comfort or convenience was not weighed by him as an off- set to that brotherly duty he was under a solemn obligation to fulfill. Fra- ternity was not a fad with him but a principle, and any organized effort to bring men into closer relationship with each other always received his hearty support. To a fine natural business ability, Mr. Warren added the warmth of a deeply social nature and a desire to be useful of his fellow-men.
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