USA > Massachusetts > Memorial encyclopedia of the state of Massachusetts > Part 16
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Mr. Hopewell was also identified with other interests outside his own business, and held many positions of responsibility and trust. He was a direc- tor of the Sanford Mills, the Reading Rubber Manufacturing Company, and of the First National Bank of Boston, and was president of the Electric Goods Manufacturing Company of Canton, Massachusetts. He was one of the organ- izers of the Home Market Club, and served as a member of its executive com- mittee or a director ever since its organization, and was influential in the shap- ing of its policies. He was interested in political subjects, especially those connected with the manufacturing interests of the New England States, and in all political matters gave his support to the principles of the Repub- lican party.
On October 20, 1870, John Hopewell was united in marriage with Sarah Warriner Blake, a daughter of Charles and Betsey Collins (Pease) Blake,
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both natives of Springfield, Massachusetts. The ancient and respectable fam- ily of Blake is of British extraction, and traditionally descended from Aplake, whose name appears as one of the Knights of King Arthur's Table. In a Gen- calogical History of William Blake, of Dorchester, appears the statement that the immigrant to New England was the son of Giles Blake, of Little Bad- dow, Essex, England. In 1833, her father, Charles Blake, married Betsey Collins Pease, a woman who combined great strength of will and moral pur- pose with a vigorous and engaging personality. Mr. and Mrs. John Hopewell were the parents of five children, as follows: 1. Charles Frederick, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and educated in the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology ; he was united in marriage with Vera Stiebel, a graduate of Radcliff College. 2. Frank Blake, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and received his education at the Chauncey Hall School; he married Helen Clarke, of Natick, and they are the parents of one child, John Clarke. 3. Mabel Gertrude, born in Cambridge, and educated in Gillman's Private School; she became the wife of Clarence Marmaduke Casselberry, M. D., of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and they are now residing in Brookline, Massachusetts. 4. Nellie Harriett, born in Cambridge, and obtained her education in Gillman's Private School; she became the wife of Clarence Conant Colby, a graduate of Harvard Law School; they are the parents of two children, Beatrice and Elizabeth. 5. Hen- ry Chase, born in Cambridge, and graduated from Harvard University; he is associated with the L. C. Chase & Company, and resides in Newton, Massa- chusetts.
Mr. Hopewell was a man of strong social instincts, and joined freely with his fellow-men in the common life of the community. He was included in the membership of many prominent organizations and clubs, where he met with his friends and associates in the most delightful relations. The order of Ma- sons was naturally one of those organizations in which his membership was especially valued by him, and he was a member of Hampton Lodge of Masons, of Springfield, Massachusetts. He served in the past as president of the Cam- bridge Republican Club, and at the time of his death was a member of the Al- gonquin Club of Boston, the Boston Art Club, the Boston Athletic Associa- tion, the Merchants Club, and the Boston Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Guernsey Cattle Club, and was the owner of one of the finest herds in the State, which he delighted in showing his friends and acquaintances on his modernly equipped farm, located two miles from Natick, Massachu- setts. He purchased this estate for a country house, and found much enjoy- ment in developing the farm and was an enthusiastic advocate of better herds of cattle and intensive farming.
Mr. Hopewell was a man who first saw possibilities, and then realized them. He possessed a keen analytical mind, and was quick to foresee the pos- sibilities of business investments and their ultimate worth. As a host, his hearty, genial manner, his unaffected pleasure in the society of his friends, was something to be enjoyed and treasured. He was a man of most generous im-
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pulses, and was held in closest affection by all who knew him well. He was a graceful and interesting speaker, with an unusual knowledge of public affairs. He was always outspoken in his manner, and there was no difficulty in know- ing just where he stood on any subject to be discussed. While not a native of Newton, Massachusetts, Mr. Hopewell was among the most loyal of her adopted sons, and one whom she is proud to number among her representa- tive men. He labored not for this day and generation alone, but for those who are to come after, and for the distant future. His work will endure, will pro- mote the world's progress in more ways than can now be foreseen, and will bring blessings to untold millions.
MASS .- 3-IO
Lebi Emery
B EYOND doubt Levi Emery, late of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was one of the most conspicuous figures in the general life of that community, having identified himself with well-nigh every department of its affairs during the many years which he made it his home. Although the influence of Mr. Emery upon the community, due to the part he played in the business world, was a great one, it was not by any means the sum total of that which he exercised, or perhaps even the major portion of it. This was rather the result of his character as a man, a character which, coupled with a strong personality such as that possessed by Mr. Emery, could not fail to have its ef- fect upon all those with whom he came in contact. At the base of his charac- ter, as it must be at the base of all worthy character, were the fundamental virtues of courage and honesty, and to these he added not only other virtues, but the graces of personality and manner, which made him at once the charm- ing companion and the most faithful friend. He was the possessor of a sin- cerity which rendered him incapable of taking advantage of another, and a courage that kept him cheerful and determined in the face of all obstacles. He always had a practical grasp of affairs, and an idealism which kept his outlook fresh and his aims pure and high-minded. In all the relations of life, in all his associations with his fellow-men, these same qualities stood out in a marked manner, and it was only natural that they gained for him the admira- tion and affection of all those who were so fortunate as to have known him in- timately. We are always duly interested and properly impressed by the suc- cess won by unusual talents and powers out of the common, it appeals to a very fundamental trait in all of us, the account of the exploits of others more gifted than ourselves. But it may be questioned if such matters are really of vital interest to us; certainly they are not so important as that other class of record which describes how worth has won its way upwards, through doubts and difficulties from humble beginnings to a recognized place in the re- gard of men, and trusted to no power but its own indomitable courage and indefatigable patience for the result. Such an example we may find in the life of the late Levi Emery, who by sheer perseverance and hard work grad- ually forced his way upward from a humble position to one of influence and control in the business world. His death, which occurred at his home in Law- rence, Massachusetts, on February 2, 1885, when he was sixty-seven years of age, was a distinct loss to the business and social circles in which he had been so prominent a figure.
A word here would be appropriate concerning the distinguished ancestry of Mr. Emery, the sterling characteristics of which were so well exemplified
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in his personal life. John Emery, the immigrant ancestor of this branch of the family in America, was born in Romsey, Hants, England, and with his brother he sailed from Southampton in 1635 in the ship "James," and landed at Boston. John Emery then went to Newbury, where he had a grant of half an acre for a house lot. It is from this old and honorable English house that Mr. Emery was sprung and his forbears in this country are not less to be honored than those of old England. Levi Emery was born of well-to-do parents in Salem, New Hampshire, in the year 1818, and his early life was spent at home in his native town. He attended the local schools, as he was of so ambitious a nature that he availed himself of every opportunity that arose, and he looked forward with a strong desire to the time when he could engage in an independ- ent business. For six years after he commenced business for himself, Mr. Emery lived in Malden, Massachusetts, and then removed to Chicago, Illinois, where he remained for about a dozen years, acting as agent for the Tremont Land Company. During the year 1864 he went to Lawrence, Massachusetts, and during his life there he carried on a large and profitable farming busi- ness, becoming familiarly known as "Farmer Emery," and held many positions of honor and trust in the community. He was a member of the Common Coun- cil in the years 1867, 1868, 1872, 1875 and 1876, and was a member of the Legislatures of 1877, 1878 and 1879. Every one who knew Mr. Emery joins in the statement that his life can be numbered with the great men described by the poet, who in departing leave "footprints on the sands of time." His strong points were his originality, his geniality, his enthusiasm, and his rugged hon- esty. In his private as well as his public walks of life his originality was ev- erywhere apparent. When he first went to Lawrence the land of the fifty acre farm on Tower Hill was all worn out, the buildings gone, fences decayed, and the property in part loaded with debt and unpaid taxes, but withal he foresaw great possibilities in the dilapidated old farm, and purchased for the sum of sixty-five hundred dollars, what in a few years was worth more than fifty thou- sand dollars. He erected new and commodious buildings, and raised a certain kind of produce for which that land was especially adapted and which found a ready market. For many years the garden truck of Mr. Emery, such as early cabbages, lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries, had almost a monopoly in the city. He saw the demand and was in time to supply it, and be it said to his credit that he was one of those men who knew how to make farming pay. He worked and he planned while others slept, and this originality contributed largely to his success in public life. When he spoke he always had something interesting to say; his phrases were not stereotyped rhetoric, but they had a newness that always commanded the closest attention. When in the City Coun- cil or in the State Legislature, if he saw a wrong or need that could be re- dressed or supplied by legislation, nothing could stand between him and duty. And one little circumstance will serve to illustrate the integrity of Mr. Emery. When in the Legislature urging forward a law to tax association property there was a strong lobby to oppose the measure. While the bill was pending
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a third reading in the House, a party who was interested in its defeat came to the city and disclosed a plan to a well known lawyer of the city to have Mr. Emery stop pressing its passage. The lawyer sent for Mr. Emery and, getting into the wagon beside the honest farmer, inquired of him if a money consider- ation would not persuade him to "let up." Mr. Emery, without hesitation, re- plied, "This old wagon wouldn't hold gold enough to have me stop urging the passage of this bill." Mr. Emery was one of those men who did nothing by halves, but in whatever he undertook his enthusiasm pushed it to a conclusion. Firm in his convictions, he was gentle in manner, genial in his nature and generous in his impulses, qualities which caused him to be respected and be- loved by all. He and his family attended the Elliot Church, to which he gave his time and means unsparingly. He was helpful and sympathetic with the pas- tors and the members, and his intense desire was for the prosperity of the church.
Forty-seven years prior to his death Levi Emery was united in marriage with Sarah Tenney, of Salem, New Hampshire, a sister of the Messrs. Ten- ney, of Methuen, Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Emery became the parents of one child, a daughter, Sarah E., who is now Mrs. Ebenezer Saunders, and who resides at the old homestead. She became the wife of Ebenezer Saunders, November 18, 1872, and was left a widow by the death of Mr. Saunders, Au- gust 24, 1909, at Methuen, Massachusetts. Mr. Saunders was born in Salem, New Hampshire, November 30, 1831, and had resided in Lawrence, Massa- chusetts, for about twenty years previous to his retirement from all active business life, when he went to Methuen. Mr. Saunders was chiefly engaged in market gardening, being associated with his father-in-law, Levi Emery, in conducting extensive farming operations on a fifty acre farm on Tower Hill, commonly known as the "Tower Hill Farm."
A tribute to the general affection and respect in which Mr. Emery was held was his impressive funeral, which was held from the old homestead, the Rev. J. L. R. Trask being the officiating clergyman. The house was banked with flowers, tokens of the esteem in which he was held, while many of the most prominent men of the city acted as his pallbearers. The interment was in Bellevue Cemetery. The bright sayings and fund of wit of Mr. Emery will long be remembered, and at his death all united in saying that a good citizen, a kind and generous neighbor and a valued man had been taken away. How- ever high our estimate of those with whom we are associated or however strong our attachment to our dearest friends while they are with us, when they are taken away and we know they never will return, then we realize as never before what they were to us, and how great our loss is, and so it is sometimes said that words of praise are spoken of the dead which would not have been .spoken when they were living. Enough cannot be said concerning the distin- guished gentlemen whose name heads this memoir, and he was always the hon- est and just man. If one had any claim where he was concerned, they were sure to have credit for all they were entitled to. He was generous, and many
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of his acts of kindness doubtless were known only to himself and those bene- fited by his kindness. Levi Emery has left a memory, fragrant with goodness, of a nature to be emulated by all in maintaining the high character and stand- ard of business principles. His loss, so serious to the community-at-large and to the business world, was felt by the general public more deeply than can be expressed.
Charles Hamilton Brown
T HIE life of Charles Hamilton Brown was so varied in its activi- ties, so honorable in its purpose, so far-reaching and benefi- cial in its effects, that it became an integral part of the history of Stoneham, Massachusetts, and also left its impress upon the annals of the State and Nation. He was a type of business man of whom any city or State might justly feel proud, whose enterprise and integrity not only developed the trade and commerce of the community, but gave it an enviable reputation for fair dealing and honorable methods. Probably the greatest compliment that can be paid him is that he made himself an honor to his Nation in the great commercial world, as well as a credit to the community in which he resided. As a man in society finds the most important feature of his life is his relation with his fel- low-men, so in the upbuilding of a State, perhaps the most salient feature to be considered is its commercial relations with other States, and as it is with States and Nations, so it is with cities, the foundations upon which they rest being their commercial activities and the qualities of their leading manufactur- ers. The importance to a community therefore, that its representative business men should possess the highest attributes of the race, cannot be overestimated, as it is in the hands of these chief citizens that its destiny lies, and with them its fortunes must rise or fall. In the list of her honored citizens, Stoneham can- not be other than satisfied with the record and useful career of Mr. Brown, who was a leather manufacturer. His death, which occurred in Stoneham, Massachusetts, March 24, 1904, marked the passing of one who was a business man of great force and energy, and who well exemplified the fact that constant labor when joined with sterling personal qualities must inevitably win the re- spect and esteem of fellow-men.
Charles Hamilton Brown was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, Febru- ary 27, 1839, the son of Alexander Hamilton and Adelia (Spaulding) Brown. His father, who was a son of Jethro Brown, was a native of the State of Ver- mont, and his mother a native of Massachusetts. In those days every youth was expected to earn his own living by his hands, and the educational advan- tages were not to be compared with what were afforded in later years. Mr. Brown attended the common schools of Leominster, where he obtained his only education, and at the early age of fifteen years, without waiting to com- plete his studies, he left home and went to North Woburn, Massachusetts, where he learned the currying trade, and served an apprenticeship with the firm of Bond & Tidd until he was twenty-one years old. On March 6, 1860, Mr. Brown moved to Stoneham, Massachusetts, where he was employed by the firm of Tidd & Bloomer, and remained in that position until they dissolved
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their partnership and closed their factory in 1861. He then went to Woburn, Massachusetts, where he became associated with General Abijah Thompson, Tidd & Blake, until February, 1862, when he returned to Stoneham, and gave his services to William Tidd, Junior, who was then just starting in business alone, after having closed up the business affairs of Tidd & Bloomer. Mr. Brown continued in the employ of Mr. Tidd, Junior, and afterwards when the firm name was changed to that of William Tidd & Company. In January, 1866, Mr. Brown was admitted as a partner in the firm of which he had worked his way to be master of the business. He remained a partner of the firm until November, 1890, when he withdrew and retired from all active business affairs, with a competency. His son, William Tidd Brown, now deceased, was admit- ted into the firm in 1887, and remained a member until his death. Mr. Brown was the possessor of a rare and distinctive business character, which seemed to impress one immediately, and was a keen and intuitive judge of men. He gave his whole soul to whatever he undertook, and allowed none of the many interests in his care to suffer for want of close and able attention. Through- out his entire life he always chose that which was worth while, never being satisfied with the second best, reaching always to the highest things in all the relations of life. He was a trusted and leading member of the Unitarian church of Stoneham, and fulfilled his duties in that relation with zeal and dis- cretion.
On November 27, 1862, Charles Hamilton Brown was united in mar- riage at Woburn, Massachusetts, by the Rev. R. P. Stebbins, to Oriana Tidd, a daughter of William and Harriett (Flagg) Tidd, both natives of Woburn, where Mrs. Brown was born, but she was raised in Stoneham, as her parents removed to the latter town when she was but six months old. Her father, Wil- liam Tidd, was a manufacturer of leather, his firm being the one for whom Mr. Brown worked upon coming to Stoneham. The concern is now owned by the Leather Trust. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were the parents of two children: I. William Tidd, who died at the age of thirty-one years, leaving a widow, who was Edith Dow, of Woburn; he was associated with the firm of William Tidd & Company, of which his father was a member. 2. Annie Hamilton, who lives with her mother in one of the finest homesteads in Stoneham, situated on the corner of Maple and Chestnut streets, where Mrs. Brown has continued to live since the death of her husband. Both Mrs. Brown and her daughter are attendants of the Unitarian church in Stoneham. Tender and loving in the home circle, the heart of Mr. Brown was no less filled with love and kindly feelings toward all humanity, and he was ever striving to make life pleasant and happy for the little family to which he was so devoted.
The well known integrity and ability of Mr. Brown gave him great influ- ence in private affairs. Those who were in trouble, the poor and the destitute, found in him a safe counselor and friend. He was patriotic, wise, liberal and kind-hearted. His beneficence kept pace with his means, belonging as he did to that noble class of men whose fortunes ministered not to themselves alone,
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but to all humanity. He was greatly valued in social life, having a host of friends, and it may truly be said of him that he was often a friend in need. Devoted as he was to the duties which his great responsibilities imposed upon him, Mr. Brown's interests were too numerous and his sympathies too broad to be confined within the sphere of commerce. His genial, social nature, which was one of the marked features of his character, led him to ally himself with the following organizations: The order of Masons, the Wyoming Lodge of Melrose, Massachusetts, the Hugh De Payens Commandery, also of Melrose, the Waverly Royal Arch Chapter of Melrose, and a charter member of the King Cyrus Lodge of Stoneham, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
Mr. Brown was a financier of unusually keen perception, and had been a director of the First National Bank of Woburn, and a director and one of the incorporators of the Stoneham National Bank. He belonged to that distinc- tively representative class of business men who believe that the good of the com- munity is best secured by advancing individual prosperity, and his private in- terests never precluded active participation in movements and measures which concerned the general good. His own achievements and services, both as a busi- ness man and as a citizen, worthily supplement the records of his forbears, and make his career and name a vital part of the State in which he was born and in the town of his adoption.
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John Carter Sargent.
John Carter Sargent
W ITH a realization of the fact that there is something better than making a living, and that is making a life, the late John Carter Sargent, of Lynn, Massachusetts, labored persistently and en- ergetically not only to win success in this world, but to make his life a source of benefit to his fellow-men. A list of the representative men of the city of Lynn and of the State of Massachusetts, who have made themselves notably conspicu- ous in public and private life by a combination of most excellent qualities, whose superior force of character has placed them in the front rank, would be de- cidedly lacking in accuracy were the name of Mr. Sargent not to be found. Not only did he rise above the standard in business life, but he was also the possessor in a high degree of those excellencies of character which make men worthy of the regard of their fellow-men. The memory of his upright life is a blessed benediction to those who were his associates, and whom he numbered among the representative business men of the city of Lynn, Massachusetts. It is impossible to estimate the true value to a city of such a man as Mr. Sar- gent, and his success was perhaps due to his far-sightedness, his exactness and promptness to the moment in all of his engagements, and his holding to his ver- bal promises as of absolute obligation, even in trifles. He belonged to that class of business men who promote public progress, and he exemplified the sturdy virtues and traits of the old stock from which he was descended, and which were transplanted to the genial and friendly soil of Massachusetts. The death of Mr. Sargent, which occurred at his home in Lynn, Massachusetts, June 6, 1907, caused genuine grief among a wide circle of his friends and busi- ness associates, who had recognized in him all the ideals of true manhood. The city mourned the loss of one of its most representative business men, and as his name ever stood as a synonym for all that was enterprising in business life, and progressive in citizenship, no history of the city would be complete without ex- tended reference to Mr. Sargent. He was possessed of a rare if not distinc- tive business character, and this was impressive upon one at the first meeting with him. His social position was among the highest, and there his many ge- nial traits of character made him ever welcome.
John Carter Sargent was born in England, October 9, 1835, and received his early education there in the local common schools. When he was seven- teen years of age, his parents came to this country and settled in the State of Wisconsin. His father followed farming, and became a prominent farmer in that section of the country. His parents spent the remainder of their lives in Wisconsin, where they both passed away, greatly respected and esteemed by all who had known them. Upon his arrival in this country, John Carter Sar-
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