Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 34

Author: Arrington, Benjamin F., 1856- ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 406


USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Municipal history of Essex County in Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 34


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(III) Daniel Walker, son of Phillip (2) and Sarah (Bowden) Walker, was born October 10, 1706. He took part in the expedition that resulted in the taking of Quebec in 1759, but in civil life was a farmer. He married, January 1. 1729, Mary Perry, of Rehobeth, Massachusetts. Their children were: Mary, born Sep- tember 6, 1730, died August 19, 1777; Mehitable, born in 1731; Mehitable (2), born September 22, 1733, died


in Providence, Rhode Island; Sarah, born September 2, 1735; Daniel, born March II, 1736, died in 1777; Gideon, of whom further; Rebecca, born June 14, 1740; Esther, horn June 9, 1742, died in 1773; Nathan, born May 4, 1744, died October 19, 1823; Keziah, born January 6, 1745, died November 1, 1747; John, born September I, 1748, died October 15, 1748; Ichabod, born December 23, 1749, died March 21, 1832.


(IV) Gideon Walker, son of Daniel and Mary (Perry) Walker, was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, November 20, 1738, and died November 2, 1793, in Whiting, Vermont, where he moved in 1784. He was married to Rachel Foster, of Attleboro, in 1764-65. She was born April 21, 1743, and died March 31, 1815. Their children were: Jessie, born July 21, 1767, died February 17, 1822; Rachel, born August 4, 1769, died March 13, 1849; Lucy, died when one year old; Levi, born May 22, 1772, died July 27, 1822; Amos Elmore, born May 25, 1775, died January 19, 1850; James Otis, of whom further; Gideon, born in June, 1782, died March 7, 1859; Samuel Beach, born December 17, 1784, died October 10, 1842.


(V) James Otis Walker, son of Gideon and Rachel (Foster) Walker, was born at Whiting, Vermont, on August 6, 1778. He was a farmer, and became a prom- inent Mason. He died on November 27, 1857, survived by his second wife. He married (first) on October 12, 1798, Mary Olin, of Shaftsbury, Vermont. She died on February 28, 1806, and on December 4th of that year he married (second) Eunice Marsh, of Clarendon, Ver- mont. She was born on December 25, 1779, and died on December 22, 1858. There was one child born to him by his first wife, a son, Benjamin Foster, born June 14, 1800, died October 11, 1814. To the second marriage came : Henry Olin, born on August 13, 1807, died July 9, 1878; Daniel M., of whom further; and Juliet, born January 13, 1811, died May 27, 1900.


(VI) Daniel Marsh Walker, son of James Otis and Eunice (Marsh) Walker, was born at Whiting, Vermont, on February 10, 1809, died September 19, 1875. He married (first) Cornelia Austin Smith, at Whiting, Ver- mont, on November 11, 1830. Between 1835 and 1839 he married Marcia Polly Needham, also of Whiting, where she was born on October 13, 1815. His children by his first wife were: Cornelia Helen, born October 5, 1831, died August 26, 1888; Sarah Jane, born May 8, 1833, died December 26, 1917; Henry Olin (2) of whom further. Born to him by his second wife were: Lucinda Smith, born February 25, 1839, died July 23, 1905; Mary Anna, born January 24, 1841, died November 30, 1855.


(VII) Rev. Henry Olin (2) Walker, son of Daniel and Cornelia Austin (Smith) Walker, was born at Whiting, Vermont, October 15, 1835. He was a clergy- man for the greater part of his life. He retired from the ministry in 1886, and died in 1914. He married (first) Mary Adeline Coburn, November 26, 1863, who was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on October 13, 1843, and died on February 19, 1905. He married (sec- ond) Mrs. Jennie C. Wallace, of Merrimae, Massachu- setts, July 31, 1906, who survives him.


(VIII) Edson Cummings Walker was still in early boyhood when the family came to live in Merrimac, Massachusetts. In the public schools of Merrimac and Haverhill he was educated, and after leaving the public


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school he was for a further three years at the Whittier School of Merrimac. After his schooldays were over he applied himself to farming occupations, and has ever since held to that industry. He has been successful in dairying, and has a good farming property.


Politically, Mr. Walker is a Republican; fraternally he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and to the Rebekah auxiliary. In the former he has advanced as far as noble grand of Riverside Lodge of Merrimac. He is also a past master of the Merrimac Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. By religious convic- tion and observance he is a Baptist, a member of the local church.


Mr. Walker married, September 2, 1903, Grace Mabel Moser, daughter of Edwin Byron and Grace Lillian (Eaton) Moser, of Merrimac, Massachusetts. They have two children: Henry Phillip, born August 17, 1909; and John Olin, born October 3, 1913.


ALEXANDER MUNRO, JR., one of the successful merchants of Amesbury, Massachusetts, was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the son of Alexander and Jessie (Leslie) Munro, both of good Scottish fam- ilies and both of Scottish birth, the former born in Aberdeen in 1833, and the latter in Glen Livet, Banff- shire, in the same year. Alexander Munro, Sr., was a merchant tailor until his retirement in 1911; his wife died in Scotland in 1868.


Alexander Munro, Jr. was educated in the public schools of Aberdeen, Scotland, and there served his apprenticeship. Three years later, in 1876, he came to America, settling in Boston, Massachusetts, where he entered the employ of Gilchrist, Smith & Company. Later he was an employee of the Churchill Company. Three years were thus passed, and he next became con- nected with the Gilchrist Company, as buyer, beginning then a mutually profitable association, which continued for twenty-seven years. At the end of that time he became connected with the R. H. Stearns Company, only for a short period, however, leaving them to become merchandise man for the William H. Brine Company. Three years later he became superintendent for the Leslie Dry Goods Company of Haverhill. He held that responsibility for three years, leaving to become an employer himself. He acquired the branch store at Amesbury of the Simonds & Adams Company in 1911, and still owns it, having successfully conducted that business for the last ten years as the Munro Department Store.


Mr. Munro is one of the leading retail merchants of the town, and has been helpful in more than one public movement. He is a member and director of the Ames- bury Chamber of Commerce; and is a consistent mem- ber of the Amesbury Methodist Episcopal Church.


Mr. Munro married, in 1891. Ada G. Halliday, who was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, on July 7, 1871. They have four children : Alexander James, born Feb- ruary 19, 1893; Jessie A., born April 7, 1897; Donald L., born January 23, 1909; and Dorothy L., born Decem- ber 17, 19II.


JAMES T. GALLAGHER. the leading druggist of Amesbury, Massachusetts, was born December 20, 1883, in Portland, Maine, son of Hugh and Mary E. (Carlin)


Gallagher. His father was born in Portland in 1846, and was also engaged there in the drug business until his retirement from business in 1906.


James T. Gallagher was educated in the public and high schools and then entered Bowdoin College. On October 14, 1901, he passed the Maine Board of Phar- macy examinations, having the distinction of being the youngest man to pass this board. He then entered the employ of the Schlotterbeck & Foss Company, of Port- land, where he remained for five years. Mr. Gallagher then went to Boston, where he was manager for Melvin Badger, of that city. At the end of this period he engaged in the drug business on his own account in Boston, Massachusetts, and after seven years, removed to Amesbury, where he has since continued very suc- cessfully and at the present time owns the largest drug business in that town.


Mr. Gallagher is a Republican and takes a very active part in civic matters. During the different war drives at the time of the World War, he aided through his work and enthusiasm, and was manager of many of the campaigns. He is a member of the Chamber of Com- merce.


In addition to his local interests, Mr. Gallagher owns considerable land in Maine and Florida, where he engages in the real estate business quite extensively. In partnership with Mr. Price he purchased the property of the Amesbury Fair Grounds, and turned these grounds over to the use of the Amesbury Ball Team. Frater- nally, Mr. Gallagher is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Newburyport, and the Loyal Order of Moose, of which organization he is past exalted ruler. He also is a member of the Wachusett Club.


Mr. Gallagher married, May 20, 1901, Mary E. Tre- frery, born June 15, 1883, at Portland, Maine, and their children are: Frank E., born February 2, 1906; and Frederick K., born April 18, 1909. With his family Mr. Gallagher attends the Catholic church of Amesbury.


JACOB HASKELL, whose name will remain among the honored and prominent citizens of Salem, Massa- chusetts, long after the granite buildings built by him in that city have given place to newer and more mod- ern ones, was born in April, 1815, on a farm in Maine, and died at Salem, Massachusetts, at the age of ninety- three. Mr. Haskell's educational opportunities were extremely limited, and as was customary with country boys of his day, he worked on the home farm until he was about twenty years of age. At this time he came to Massachusetts and there learned the trade of a mason, which he followed as a journeyman for many years. In later years, Mr. Haskell engaged in business for himself as a contractor and builder and received many public contracts from the city of Salem. On the first Salem court house, built in 1841, he worked as a journeyman, and also worked on the second court house of this city, built just twenty years later, and he lived to see the completion of the third building. The Salem Reservoir, built in 1866, was also the work of Mr. Haskell, of which he was the contractor. Jacob Has- kell was also in the ice business in Salem many years. He retired more than twenty years before his death from all active business. In politics he was a strong


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Republican. He was prominent in the Universalist church, very charitable and public spirited.


Mr. Haskell married, in 1840, Cynthia R. Hood, and their children were: Mary P., born July 20, 1843, and died in March, 1912; George, born December 15, 1845; he was engaged in the wholesale produce business in Salem as a manager, but is now retired; and Cynthia R., wife of C. R. Wilkins, of Danvers. The family residence is on the old Sears farm, No. 269 Locust street, Danvers, Massachusetts.


PATRICK H. MORRIS, who was born in Ames- bury forty-six years ago, has held loyally to his home town throughout his life, and for more than a decade has been one of its successful merchants.


Mr. Morris was born on November 8, 1875, son of Patrick H., Sr., and Mary (Martin) Morris, both of whom were born in Ireland, the father in Galway and the mother in County Tyrone. After coming to Amer- ica and to Massachusetts, the father entered the textile business, and followed that line until his death, which occurred in 1901.


Patrick H. Morris, the son, received the whole of his education in Amesbury schools, public and parochial, and after leaving school began his business life in the employ of the John H. Clark Carriage Company. He served that company for ten years, and then became con- nected with S. S. Beloff, also of Amesbury, the line being entirely different, that of tobacco. He remained with Mr. Beloff for ten years, leaving to enter into busi- ness for himself. Since 1911 Mr. Morris has been a wholesale and retail tobacconist in Amesbury, with very satisfactory results. He is an energetic, enterprising and well known business man, belongs to the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce, and is interested in the progress of the town. Politically he is a Democrat. He is a good Catholic, and for many years has been a member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church of Amesbury. He is unmarried.


JOSEPH H. COMLEY, florist, of Amesbury, Mas- sachusetts, and an ex-service man of overseas record, was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, March 14, 1895, son of Joseph J. and Mary (McIntosh) Comley, both of whom were born in Massachusetts, the former in Worcester, in January, 1865, and the latter in West Newbury, in January, 1869. Joseph J. Comley is a florist, and for years has done a good business in his Newburyport and Amesbury stores. He was married in December, 1892, and five children were born to them. In order of birth the children are: Mary Ridgeway; Joseph H., of whom further; Winthrop M .; Gertrude E .; and Sylvia G. The home of the family was in Newburyport, and there Joseph H. attended school, passing through the public schools, elementary and high. Entering business life, young Comley associated with his father in the florist and nurseryman line of effort, and the business has gone well ahead since that time.


When the World War came in 1917, Joseph H. Com- ley was ready to go. He enlisted in the United States army on October 15, 1917, and soon thereafter was assigned to duty and instruction at Fort Banks, Boston harbor, where he remained until June, 1918, then sailing


for the French front with a casual company. In France he was transferred to the Sixth Cavalry, which was formerly General Pershing's own command. With that regiment of the Regular army he served for a year in France, and was held in France long after the cessa- tion of hostilities. Returning eventually to the United States, Comley was honorably discharged, at Newport News, Virginia, on July 22, 1919, with the grade of cook. Soon thereafter he returned to his home, and again entered business association with his father. He now has charge of the Amesbury branch of the busi- ness. Politically Mr. Comley is a Republican; by relig- ious faith he is a Baptist, a member of the Amesbury church.


ARCHIE SNOW McKEEN, photographic artist, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, an authority on matters of reproduction by photography, was born on January 23, 1874, at Phillips, Maine, son of William Henry and Nellie A. (Golder) McKeen. His father was a car- penter by trade, and lived the greater part of his life in the State of Maine, his death occurring on Septem- ber 3, 1903. His mother, who was of the Golder fam- ily of Strong, Maine, died in 1908.


Archie Snow McKeen attended the common school of his native place, and was of the class of 1891 in the Phillips High School, graduating from same. Even before he had left school, it was obvious that he was much interested in photography, and eventually he decided to make that his life work. He followed such work in various places in his home State, having studios at Phillips, Rangeley Lakes, Center Harbor, and Win- nepesaukee Lake, and did some good work in the lake country. Later he came to Beverly, Massachusetts, and eventually to Haverhill. In 1903 he succeeded to the photographic business of Mr. Anderson, of Haverhill, the business with the change becoming the McKeen Studios. It has always been at the same address, No. 66 Merrimac street, and it is obviously a lucrative busi- ness, made so perhaps by Mr. McKeen's excellence in photographic art. His work has been more than once favorably noticed in expert circles.


Mr. McKeen has no time to enter into public affairs, but is affiliated with some of the local bodies of fra- ternal orders, among them the Knights of Pythias, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.


Mr. McKeen married, on January 20, 1909, Florence J. Whittier, daughter of John and Hattie E. (Nealley) Whittier, the former a merchant of Methuen, Massa- chusetts. They have three children: Russell William, who was born in 1913: Philip Golder, born in 1915; and Edna Whittier, born in 1920.


CRAWFORD H. STOCKER-For many years identified with the business world of Saugus, Massa- chusetts, his native town, Crawford H. Stocker has won his way to a position of influence in the community. Mr. Stocker is a son of William M. and Ella A. (Hawkes) Stocker, long well and favorably known in Saugus. The elder Mr. Stocker was a merchant here for many years, and was a veteran of the Civil War, but died in 1910.


Crawford H. Stocker was born in Saugus, March 11,


Crawford H Stocker


THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY


ASTOR, LENOX ILDEN FOUNDATIONS


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1875, and received his early education in the public schools of his native town. Early ambitious to enter a business career, he then took a course at Bryant & Stratton's Business College, in Boston. His first posi- tion was with the Indian Mutual Insurance Company, where he remained for about one year, after which he became connected with the Boston Board of Marine Underwriters, where he continued for several years. Then coming to Cliftondale about 1900, Mr. Stocker established a coal and wood business here, under his own name, and has continued uninterruptedly until the present time. He has been very successful, and in every phase of his relations with the public has commanded their highest respect and esteem.


Mr. Stocker is a member of the Saugus Board of Trade and of the Lynn Chamber of Commerce. He is a director of the Saugus Bank, and is a chairman of the investment committee of that institution. Frater- nally, he holds membership in the Free and Accepted Masons, and in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.


Mr. Stocker married, in 1902, Louisa M. Hawkes, of Amherst, Massachusetts. Mrs. Stocker is a daughter of Walter R. and Nellie (Fisher) Hawkes, her father being a prominent florist of Westboro, Massachusetts, and her mother a native of Medway, also in this State. Mr. and Mrs. Stocker are the parents of two children: Crawford H., Jr., who was born in 1904; and Margery M., born in 1908. The members of the family are widely known and popular in social circles in this county.


ALFRED E. DEMERS was born in the city of Durham, Canada, on July 18, 1872, and is a son of Honore Demers, a carpenter by trade, and his wife, Adaline (Bournase) Demers, who was born in Quebec, Canada. His father died in 1909.


Mr. Demers was educated in the public schools of Manchester, New Hampshire. After his education was completed he obtained employment at a mill in Man- chester and worked there for five years. He then spent nineteen years in the service of the Craft & Green Shoe Manufacturing Company, at Manchester. During the last cleven years he spent with Craft & Green, Mr. Demers occupied the position of foreman, in charge of the making and finishing rooms. In 1909 he decided to leave Manchester and came to Haverhill. He became foreman for the E. Bottomley Company, remaining with that firm until 1919. He then, after ten years spent in the service of the E. Bottomley Company, entered into partnership with Mr. Crowell, establishing the Demers & Crowell Company, which specializes in the manufac- ture of ladies' turn slippers and comfort shoes. The factory, which is located at No. 203 River street, Haver- hill, has 2,700 square feet of floor space, and an aver- age production of 500 pairs of shoes a day. Mr. Demers is a Catholic. He is a member of the Catholic Forest- ers of America.


Mr. Demers married (first), in 1897, Julia Conlon, of New York State; she died in 1900. Mr. Demers married (second), in 1910, Mrs. Esther (Laramy) Frost, of New York State, she a daughter of Charles and Mary (White) Laramy, same State. Her father is a box manufacturer and farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Demers have no children.


ANDREW (3) NICHOLS was born at Danvers, now Peabody, Massachusetts, on September 17, 1837, and died September 18, 1921, and was a son of Dr. Andrew (2) and Mary Holyoke (Ward) Nichols. His grandfather, whose name also was Andrew, was born on Nichols street, in Danvers, Massachusetts, and was a farmer and one of the town officers. He married his cousin, Eunice Nichols, and they had four children : Elizabeth; John, from whom Mr. Nichols purchased the land upon which he built his homestead at No. 98 Preston street, Danvers; Andrew (2), of whom further ; and Abel.


Andrew (2) Nichols, Mr. Nichols' father, was born at the family homestead, Danvers. He was a physician and naturalist. He married (second) Mary Holyoke Ward, and they had two children: Andrew (3), and Mary W. Nichols.


Andrew (3) Nichols received his early education in the public schools of Danvers, now Peabody, Massa- chusetts. From Danvers he moved to Salem, where he became a pupil of the Bowditch High School, from which he graduated. He then accepted a position in the Insolvency Court. At the time he held this position, the registry of deeds was still housed in the old stone building, which was later abandoned when the Insol- vency Court was merged with the Probate Court. The indoor work at Salem proved too severe a tax upon Mr. Nichols' health and he was obliged to seek an open air occupation. Accordingly, he decided to take up farming, so bought the farm and built the homestead at No. 98 Preston street, Danvers, from his Uncle John, a son of the first Andrew Nichols. He directed the work of the farm for a number of years and then, in addition took up the profession of civil engineering. He had a natural aptitude for this profession and soon acquired a wide reputation as an engineer of uncommon energy and ability. He was the engineer in charge of the installation of the Danvers Water Works and later of the Peabody Water Works. He planned many of the finest roads in Danvers, and among others, laid out the Valley road which runs from Danvers to Topsfield. Mr. Nichols was for many years a member of the Dan- vers School Committee. He spent much spare time on local history and was an acknowledged authority on the history of Danvers, Salem, Peabody, Middleton and Topsfield.


He was clerk of the Unitarian Congregational Society of Danvers from its organization in 1865 until his death, a period of fifty-six years. He also was an expert on titles of real estate. In spite of his great age he con- tinued to lead an active life and to manage his various business enterprises until 1919, when he retired, owing to a severe illness.


Mr. Nichols married Elizabeth P. Stanley, of Salem. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols had eight children: 1. Andrew (4), who married Mary Ann Bill, and they had three children : Annie Bowlman ( Nichols) Brewster; Dr. Andrew (5) Nichols; and Marion Nichols. Both Andrew (4) Nichols and his wife are now dead. 2. Elizabeth Hunt, who died in her ninth year. 3. John Holyoke, M. D., who married Oda Howe; they have no children. He is the superintendent of the Tewks- bury State Infirmary. 4. Joshua Ward, who succeeded to the management of the family homestead at No. 98


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Preston street, Danvers. He married (first) Clara Louise Ballou, who was the mother of his two children : John and Florence Nichols; and (second) Maud Kim- ball. 5. Mary Eliot, a teacher. 6. William Stanley, who entered the ministry and is at present in charge of a church at Montpelier, Vermont. He married Nellie E. Johnson. They have two children: Edward Holyoke, and Nathan Paddock Nichols. 7. Nellie Chapman, who married Charles H. Preston, and they have three chil- dren : Ruth S., Charles P., and Stanley N. Preston. 8. Margaret Appleton, a teacher. Mr. Nichols had ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild, David Tree- man Brewster, 3rd.


WILLIAM D. GRAHAM was born November I. 1888, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, son of David W. Graham, a shoe worker formerly of Eastport, Maine, and Minnie (Brewster) Graham. The public and high schools of Haverhill afforded Mr. Graham his early education and he also received private instruction from Herman Williams of Haverhill., His first business ex- perience was obtained with Lawrence Lyons, of Boston, with whom he was employed as an advertising artist, and after a year went to work in the same line of busi- ness on his own account, under the name of William D. Graham Company of Haverhill and Boston, Massachu- setts, remaining four years in this line, and then became associated with the Raymond Syndicate of. Boston. After several successful years with this firm, Mr. Gra- ham returned to Haverhill and was with the "Telegram Press" until 1918, when he went in the art-sign busi- ness, and in this venture has been very successful; he makes his headquarters in Haverhill, and through his artistic and superior work has built up a large and thriving business.


Mr. Graham married, in 1913, Joyce E. Fletcher, daughter of Joseph Fletcher, of Nova Scotia, and Kezia (Daken) Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher was a carpenter and followed his trade in Foxcroft, Maine, where he died in 1914; his wife is now a resident of Boston. Mr. and Mrs. Graham are the parents of a daughter, Dorothy Fletcher Graham.


EDWIN S. LANE-One of the important industries of Amesbury, Massachusetts, for many years before the automobile succeeded the horse-drawn vehicle was the business of carriage building, and many prominent and influential citizens of the past generation were engaged in this line of work. One of those who attained suc- cess, both financially and other ways, was Edwin S. Lane, who for many years was one of the useful men of Amesbury; he was active in many ways outside of his business interests, and ever interested in all progres- sive movements.




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