USA > Massachusetts > Memorial encyclopedia of the state of Massachusetts > Part 15
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Mr. Woodman graduated from Bowdoin College in 1836, and in that year went to Boston and studied law in the office of Hon. Samuel Hubbard, and later in the office of Hubbard & Watts. During this period he shared quar- ters in an attic on Howard street with his schoolmate and life-long friend, John A. Andrew. In 1838, Mr. Woodman entered the Harvard Law School, and was admitted to the bar in Boston during the year 1839. He did not
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practice to any extent, however, and shortly afterward felt the lure of the West, and went there as assistant agent of the Boston & Western Land Com- pany, in whose employment he remained until the dissolution of the company in 1843. He afterward formed a partnership with the late Governor C. C. Washburn, of Mineral Point, Wisconsin, which association continued for elev- en years. He continued in business in the West until the year 1863, when he removed to Cambridge, Massachustts, where he made his home up to the time of his death. Mr. Woodman always took a deep interest in his Alma Mater, and for a number of years was one of the board of overseers, and was a generous benefactor of Bowdoin College. He was a member of the New England Historic-Genealogical Society, and took a lively interest in genealogi- cal and historical subjects, particularly those in reference to his native state and town, devoting much time to the collection of data concerning the history of Buxton, Maine, his birthplace, and of his immediate and distant rela- tives.
On January 5, 1842, Cyrus Woodman was united in marriage with Char- lotte Flint, daughter of Deacon Ephraim Flint, of Baldwin, Maine. Mr. and Mrs. Woodman were the parents of six children: I. Mary, born in Winslow, Illinois. 2. Frank, also born in Winslow, Illinois, died August 2, 1845. 3. Frank, born in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. 4. Walter, born in Mineral Point, died September 9, 1850. 5. Walter, born in Mineral Point. 6. Edward, born in Mineral Point. Miss Mary Woodman, the only daughter, resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A man of large heart and social nature, Mr. Woodman was always ac- cessible to his friends, and never neglecting any duty, he could at almost any hour find time for a social chat or a word of encouragement to the downheart- ed. Such a man leaves a memory that is cherished for many years after he has passed from earth. The business interests of Mr. Woodman became many and varied. His clear and far-seeing mind seemed to grasp the problems of the future, and his indomitable perseverance carried his undertakings to success. He had a capacity for judging the merits and motives of men, a large view of life, and an unfailing self-reliance. His sympathies were so broad that they extended to all with whom he came in contact, and it was the good of each individual that seemed to appeal to him. People of the most widely dif- fering dispositions, and the most opposite temperaments, were alike his friends. Large as was his mind, his heart was larger, and his sympathetic help was given in many ways. As a host, his hearty, genial manner, his unaffected pleasure in the society of his friends, was something to be enjoyed and treas- ured. Mr. Woodman was a man of strong domestic affections, finding his chief recreation and pleasure in the home circle. Truth-loving, fearless and fraternal, there was in his manner a certain warmth and geniality which were extremely winning and never failed to attract those with whom he was brought in contact. New England is proud to claim as her citizen such a man
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as Cyrus Woodman, one in whose character the qualities of enterprise and genuine conservatism were so well blended. He was an example of the man who wins the confidence and respect of his fellow-men by following the rules established, both in private and public life, by the unwritten laws of honor and integrity.
Rufus Gibbon dalalden
R UFUS GIBBON WALDEN, whose death occurred in North Adams, Massachusetts, March 5, 1891, was a business man of marked force and energy and well exemplified the fact that constant labor, well applied, especially when joined with ster- ling personal qualities, must inevitably win the respect and es- teem of his fellow-men. His methods in business were clear and concise, and the system of ability which he displayed would have been equally effectual if fate had decreed that he be placed in any other line of work. No visionary dreams of impossibilities ever filled his mind, and he was practical in all his ideas, ever building up instead of tearing down as he journeyed through life, benefiting his fellow citizens and seeking to leave the world all the better for his having been in it.
Rufus Gibbon Walden was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, Febru- ary II, 1836, a son of Arnold and Maholo (Wilburn) Walden. Arnold Wal- don was a farmer, and his farm, which was located in the "Notch," a part of North Adams, was called and was well known as the Old Walden Farm. Aft- er the completion of his education, Rufus Gibbon Walden started a career of great usefulness and success. He was a lifelong resident of his native town, in which he was honored with various positions of trust and responsibility. He served as chief engineer of the fire department, and as tax collector and se- lectman for several years. He had been treasurer of the Hoosac Valley Agri- cultural Society, and was a member of the executive committee of this or- ganization at the time of his death. Mr. Walden was appointed deputy sheriff for many years and filled this office with signal ability and the utmost suc- cess.
His energy, determination and thoroughness in whatever he undertook could not fail of splendid results, and for many years he was engaged in the insurance business, becoming a thorough master of this line of work and was not only successful but well known also. During the last years of his life he carried on an extensive business as a real estate and insurance broker, being particularly successful in the real estate calling and his transactions in that line for years amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was a competent auctioneer and received numerous calls to act in that capacity. His talents and time were devoted to every line of work which he undertook, which constituted the foundation of his success.
The death of Mr. Walden was a real loss to the community, not alone be- cause it cut short all the valuable activities in which he had been engaged so long, but also because it removed from his fellow-men a strong and winning personality, and the deep affection and feelings of the community were ex-
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pressed in the North Adams "Transcript" at the time of his death, as fol- lows: "This community was startled to learn of the very sudden death of Rufus Gibbon Walden, who, judging from all appearances, had been in the full flush of health and strength. He had been transacting business as usual dur- ing the forenoon, and at a little before twelve o'clock started to drive to his home on Cherry street. When very near his home he collapsed in the sleigh, and soon after expired."
On November 2, 1856, at the age of twenty-four years, Rufus Gibbon Walden was united in marriage with Lutheria Louise Sampson, of Troy, New York, a daughter of Lyscom and Cyrene (Davis) Sampson, of Williamstown, Massachusetts. Mrs. Rufus Gibbon Walden's grandfather on her mother's side was Joseph Davis, her grandmother was Sylvia (Wilburn) Davis. Her grand- father on the paternal side was Jacob Sampson, of New Salem, Massachusetts, and her grandmother was Alice (Clark) Sampson. On her father's side was an ancestor, by the name of Deborah Sampson, who masqueraded as a man and served for a long period in the Revolutionary War as a soldier. Her sex was not discovered until near the close of that conflict, when she was honorably discharged, and much praise was bestowed upon her. Her life forms one of the many interesting unwritten narratives of those trying days to the young Re- public. Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Gibbon Walden were the parents of two children, as follows: I. Eugenia Maria, now deceased, who became the wife of Clar- ence Wescott Gallup, of North Adams, Massachusetts, and they were the parents of two children, Eugenia Louise, deceased, and Clarence. 2. Her- bert Rufus, deceased.
Mr. Walden's life was one of great activity, being the possessor of nat- ural ability of a high order, and he was a man of energy, grit and persever- ance. His business and official career brought him in contact with all classes, among whom he had many and warm friends. He was himself kindly, friend- ly, accommodating and generous. He always had a cordial greeting for all and was never appealed to in vain to confer a reasonable favor. These admirable qualities drew men to him and bound them by firm and enduring attachments. Though not a believer in the idleness of club life, yet he derived pleasure in the intercourse with his brother members of Berkshire Commandery, Knights Templar. He was not a member of any particular church, but was in sympa- thy with the tenets of the Methodist faith. The manner of his death was not a surprise to himself and family. For years he had been aware that he was a victim of heart disease, and the attacks that at first seemed trivial increased in severity with the advance of age. He had consulted a specialist, who had in- formed him what he had reason to expect, and in kindness he communicated the sad intelligence to his family, but few, if any, others knew of the spec- ter that persistently followed him in his daily round of duties, through which he went with the same cheerful demeanor that had always marked his inter- course with men. The personal characteristics of Mr. Walden were wholly
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worthy and very unusually attractive, and no man could have performed the tasks that he assumed more admirably or with greater enthusiasm. He will be greatly missed and mourned by the many who esteemed him for his social nature, kindness of heart, and his true loyalty to friends.
George Ulashington Stinson
T "HE record of the business life of the late George Washington Stinson, who for a quarter of a century was a well-known resi- dent of the city of Melrose, Massachusetts, was one of great prominence and activity. He will long be remembered, not more for his achievement than for the "little nameless" remem- bered acts of kindness and love. No trouble was too great for him to take if a neighbor could be benefited, a sufferer relieved, a boy's ambition realized, or even a sick man's whim gratified. Out of the grateful love of the men and women, who were constant recipients of his lavish hospitality and friendship, shall his monument be built. He was a man of noble proportions, mentally equally well endowed, with a heart that quickly responded to every appeal. He would have won eminence in any field of labor, and was most genial, open-handed and friendly, while his life was a succession of good deeds. His death occurred in Melrose, Massachusetts, December II, 1916, and his funeral was the occasion of a great gathering of those who wished to manifest their respect and love.
George Washington Stinson was born in Deer Isle, Maine, May 26, 1849, the son of John and Olive Stinson, both highly respected natives of that place. His father, John Stinson, was the youngest son, and his first wife was Isabel (Dyer) Stinson, of Castine, now Brooksville, on Cape Rozier. After her death he was united in marriage with the widow of Thomas Trundy. Early in his manhood he gained the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens, and held many elective offices during his lifetime. He died in Rockland, Maine. The ancestor of the Stinson family was Robert Stinson, commonly called Cornet Robert Stinson, because he was cornet of the first horse company raised in Ply- mouth Colony, Massachusetts, in the year 1658. Tradition says that he came from England, and from the County of Kent, settling in Scituate, Massachu- setts, in the year 1634. His house stood on a sloping plain near the bank of the Scituate river, and the records show that he was able to bear arms in 1643, and in the year 1652 he became a freeman. In 1656 he erected a saw mill on what was then called "Herring Brook," which was burnt by the Indians in 1676. Robert Stinson died February I, 1702, at the age of ninety years.
Captain Isaiah Stinson, the great-grandson of the immigrant, Robert Stin- son, and the great-grandfather of George Washington Stinson, had a long service of distinction during the Revolutionary War, from January I, 1777, to April 13, 1780. He was commissioned as captain in Colonel Gamaliel Bradford's Fourteenth Volunteer Regiment. Captain Stinson, after the Rev- olution, returned to the sea and was lost on one of his voyages. Thus George Washington Stinson, a man of rare nobility of character and usefulness of
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life, was a representative of a family known and respected for its illustrious members. Mr. Stinson left his native State of Maine when a young boy, and grew to manhood in Charlestown, Massachusetts. During the year 1863 he enlisted in the army, when still only fifteen years of age, but was rejected because of his extreme youth, so he was forced to wait until he was a little older, when he again volunteered his services and was accepted. He was a splendid soldier, taking quite naturally to military ways and discipline. At the close of the war, Mr. Stinson returned to Boston, and being thrown out in the world on his own resources, he first was employed by Mr. Gillett, and later by A. R. Mitchell, wholesale tobacconist. It was there that he gained an introduction to the business world, and as this establishment was run on the best of business lines, the youthful clerk gained a wide understanding of methods and principles that were of the utmost value to him later in his life. By perseverance and natural ability and thrift, he soon gained the confidence of J. L. Richards, one of Boston's leading business men and capitalists, and he became Mr. Richards' partner, the firm being known as J. L. Richards & Company, wholesale tobacconists. Mr. Stinson continued actively engaged in this business, and died in the harness. He became one of the leading jobbers of the New England States, and although he gradually relinquished his interest in business affairs, he was the representative of the American Tobacco Com- pany. With his mental equipment to strengthen and make effective his natu- ral business ability, Mr. Stinson won success. He took a very keen interest in the affairs of Melrose, Massachusetts, his adopted city, and did much to pro- mote its interests, so that the community owed him a great debt for the as- sistance he gave in its development. His integrity in business was perfect and might justly be called unblemished.
That feeling of sympathy, which was so predominant in him, made him delight in intercourse with his fellow-men, and he was always quick to enter into the informal social gatherings of his friends, of whom he had a host. One of the organizations of which he was a member, and in which he was for many years very active, was the Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows. He was also a member of the Knights of Pythias, and keenly interested in the Grand Army of the Republic, being a member of United States Post No. 4, of Melrose, Massachusetts. The funeral services of Mr. Stinson were held at his late residence at No. 25 Batchelder street, Melrose, and were con- ducted by the Rev. Harold Marshall, of the First Universalist Church, in which Mr. Stinson had been an active worker for many years. Thus with imposing ceremonies his body was laid to rest, and no man will be more missed or longer mourned among the poor and unfortunate, to whom his sympathy and help were unfailing.
On April 23, 1872, George Washington Stinson was united in marriage with Sarah Bowman Frost, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, a daughter of Al- bert and Eliza Mitchell (Bell) Frost. Her father, Albert Frost, was one of the pioneer provision dealers of the city of Boston, and was a direct descend-
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ant of the old Puritan schoolmaster, Joshua Frost .- Mr. and Mrs. Albert Frost were the parents of two children, namely, Sarah Bowman, who became the wife of George Washington Stinson, and Martha Robbins, who became the wife of John E. Parker, of Charlestown, Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Stin- son were the parents of one child, a son, Albert Frost, who was born in Charles- town, Massachusetts, and received his education in the city of his birth. Mrs. Stinson has continued to reside at the Stinson home in Melrose, Massachu- setts, since the death of her husband.
The public spirit of Mr. Stinson was most notable, and no pains or effort were too great for him to take in the interest of the community or the welfare of those about him. He was a devoted husband and father, and in every re- lation of life his conduct was well worthy of being held up as an example to the youth of the community. Mr. Stinson was most generous in nature, kindly and considerate of all men, while his sympathies were quick and his af- fection strong and enduring. Of a genial disposition, he made and kept hosts of friends, and while his business integrity gained for him an enduring repu- tation among his associates, his sterling character made him a much-sought- after man, both in the business and social world. He was a man of kindly nature, a hater of sham, and most charitable in nature, few if any knowing the full extent of his benefactions. The great influence which George Wash- ington Stinson exerted in life was at once great and beneficent, and those who come after him should consider it both a task and a privilege to keep it alive in the future.
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The American Historical Society
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Johntothewall
ohn hopewell
N EW ENGLAND has acquired a well deserved reputation for the large number of keen, progressive business men that she has sent out in all directions, not a few of whom have come to the conclusion that the city of Boston, Massachusetts, of- fered in many respects advantages not to be found in some of the other larger cities of the United States. The late John Hopewell, until his death the head of the firm of L. C. Chase & Company, was a fine instance of this class. His name was well known in the highest business circles of the business world as that of a man to be trust- ed, and one with whom it was a satisfaction to transact business. His life was truly a happy illustration of the honors and rewards of business fidelity and industry, when combined with high principles and unswerving integrity. While up-to-date and progressive in all of his business methods, he gave care- ful and deliberate thought to every innovation which was proposed to him be- before he would allow its introduction, but when once convinced of its prac- ticability and benefit, there was no delay in making the required change. Like the majority of men who have risen to commercial prominence during the last half century of our Nation's history, Mr. Hopewell was emphatically self-made, cutting his way from the most humble walks of mercantile pursuits, inch by inch and step by step, relying upon his own good sense, until he gained the uppermost rung of the commercial ladder, and became a leader among the merchants who guided the destiny, along commercial lines, of Boston. Long years of hard work had told heavily upon the health of Mr. Hopewell, who passed from our midst in Washington, D. C., March 28, 1916, where he had stopped off for about three days previous for a visit, en route home from a pleasure trip to the South.
John Hopewell, who was for a long period known and is still remembered by many as John Hopewell, Jr., was born at Greenfield, Massachusetts, February 2, 1845, the eldest son of John and Catherine Hopewell. His father, John Hopewell, Sr., was a native of London, England, and came to the United States as a boy. He had many machine interests, and the family moved early to Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, where the son's boyhood days were spent. John Hopewell, Jr., obtained a good elementary education in the public schools, but left school at the age of fourteen years to take up the trade of his father. He then entered the employ of the Messrs. Lamson and Goodnow, who were manufacturers of table cutlery in Shelburne, and there he remained for three years, in the meantime continuing his studies when opportunity offered by at- tending night school.
During the year 1861, Mr. Hopewell, then nineteen years of age, went to
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Springfield, Massachusetts, where for a while he was with the Wason Manufac- turing Company, car builders, and when the Civil War broke out, he secured a position in the United States Armory, at Springfield, Massachusetts, manu- facturing rifles for the Government. Throughout these years of his youth Mr. Hopewell, while giving conscientious attention to his daily work, embraced ev- ery opportunity to read and study, and with the wish to fit himself for a larger career he took a course in the Burnham Business College, Springfield. His first experience in the mercantile business was as agent for a publishing house in Albany, New York, but misfortune overtaking the concern, he returned to Springfield and secured a position with Josiah Cummings, a manufacturer of saddlery. After two years, he made his most important change, went to Bos- ton, and associated himself with L. C. Chase & Company of that city, becom- ing a traveling representative for that firm, and in five years he became a mem- ber of the firm. He was identified with this concern up to the time of his death. This business was organized in 1847 by Lucius C. and Henry F. Chase, manufacturers of saddlery and horse clothing. This firm in 1867 joined with Thomas Goodall, of Sanford, Maine, and established the Sanford Mills for the manufacture of plush carriage robes, and from that time forward Mr. Hopewell became identified with the growth of these mills. In the year 1875 he was made a partner in the firm of L. C. Chase & Company and later Mr. Hopewell became the senior partner, also succeeding Henry F. Chase as treas- urer of the Sanford Mills.
Mr. Hopewell was a typical example of the self-made man, and was en- terprising and always prompt to see and take advantage of opportunities to enlarge the business. He was a firm believer in the infusion of "young blood" to keep a firm alive and active. Accordingly, in 1909, five younger members were added to the firm of L. C. Chase & Company, but he followed the affairs of the concern and the mill with continuing interest. In the last few years of his life, Mr. Hopewell was able to look back over his career and see how the business of his firm had developed from small beginnings on Sudbury street to what, in connection with the mills, is the largest plant for manufacturing horse clothing, plush robes, car and furniture plushes and so forth, in the United States, or in fact in the world, with branches in New York, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco, and London, England. In addition to their own man- ufacturing business, L. C. Chase & Company are the selling house of the San- ford Mills, the Troy Blanket Mills, of Troy, New Hampshire, the Reading Rubber Manufacturing Company, of Reading, Massachusetts, and the Holyoke Plush Company, of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Upon the retirement of the Messrs. Chase in 1885, the question arose with the remaining partners, namely, John Hopewell, his brother, Frank Hopewell, and O. F. Kendall, as to the ex- pediency of continuing the business under the old firm name, or to adopt a new name for future use, and it was decided to continue under the old firm name. But here they met an unexpected obstacle, as their lawyer discovered that there was still on the statute books an old, forgotten, and useless law, passed about
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seventy-five years before, which prohibited the use of any name in a business firm having a special partner when no person of that name was connected with the firm. Mr. Hopewell then applied to the Legislature and had this law re- pealed.
During the period that Mr. Hopewell and his family visited in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which covered a period of twenty-five years, he took a promi- nent part in its business and political affairs, serving as president of the Cam- bridge Board of Trade, then called the Citizens' Trade Association, and as president of the Cambridge and Colonial clubs. In 1890 Mr. Hopewell was a member of the House of Representatives, and six years later was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. He was also a dele- gate to the National Board of Trade conventions at Washington for four suc- cessive years. For several years Mr. Hopewell was a delegate from Boston to the National Board of Trade in Washington. He represented his district in the General Court of Massachusetts in 1892, and was a power in his congres- sional district. At one time he was offered the candidacy for the Republican nomination for Congress, which was equivalent to an election, but his business responsibility would not permit him to accept this honor. He was also a dele- gate to the Republican Convention, in 1896, which nominated William Mc- Kinley for President of the United States. For many years Mr. Hopewell was active in the National Association of Wool Manufacturers, serving repeatedly on its important tariff and other committees and speaking again and again for the industry before the committees of Congress in Washington. He was al- ways a welcome friend of President Mckinley, the Hon. Thomas B. Reed, and Chairman Nelson Dingley, Jr., and high in the esteem of these and other leaders of the Republican party. Years of intercourse with these and other public men, combined with the fact that he himself had been active in shaping some large and fruitful legislation, left its mark and made him interesting and resourceful in conversation and debate. He removed to Newton, Massachu- setts, eight years prior to his death, and for two years was the president of the Hunnewell Club, and a member of the Newton and Brae Burn Golf clubs.
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