USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > The story of Essex County, Volume III > Part 52
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Early in 1919 Mr. Gilson resumed his duties with the Boston and Maine Railroad and was appointed freight agent and later general agent at Lynn, Massachusetts, where he remained for eight years. In April, 1927, he was appointed director of railroad activities at Salem, since which time his efforts have centered in this city. He immediately effected an improvement in the railroad system and organization at Sa- lem, particularly in the handling of freight.
J. Gilson
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Old and unprogressive methods were swept away and in general the handling of freight was speeded up in a remarkable degree, to the great advantage of the business com- munity as well as the railroad. "Mr. Gilson gets results," wrote the Salem "Evening News" of him several years ago in com- menting on the changes manifested under his administration, "and the men under him like him. He is magnetic, human, dynamic and has an abundance of that quality called personality. There is about him that which makes one know instinctively that he is in command and makes things go. He is proud of his organization and those under him and is generous with praise of their work."
In addition to his home in Salem, Mr. Gilson continues the residence which he has always maintained at Farmington, New Hampshire, where he was born. He is a member of Fraternity Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, in New Hampshire, and is prominent in many higher bodies of this order, including Columbian Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of Farmington; Orient Coun- cil, No. 14, Royal and Select Masters ; Pal- estine Commandery, Knights Templar, at Rochester, New Hampshire; and Aleppo Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in Boston. He is a mem- ber of the Railroad Agents' Association of America, the Anchor Club and is a gold medal member of the Order of Railroad Telegraphers, by virtue of having been a telegrapher for more than a quarter of a century. Mr. Gilson has also been active in veterans' circles and enjoys the distinc- tion of having been elected commander of Overseas Post, No. 291, Veterans of Foreign Wars, at Lynn, a record in the Massachu- setts Department. Under his leadership the Lynn Post reached a high degree of devel- opment. In addition to these connections, he was an active member of the Lynn
Chamber of Commerce during his residence in that city and has continued at Salem the civic interests which mark the finest stand- ards of citizenship.
On February 4, 1903, Lewis F. Gilson married Lillian Chesley of Farmington, New Hampshire, and they are the parents of one daughter, Dorothy Louise, now the wife of Charles W. Webster of Farming- ton, who is associated with the United States mail service. Mrs. Gilson, like her husband, has taken an active part in the life of her home community. She is a mem- ber of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Daughters of Rebekah, and has been promi- nent in the work of Free Will Baptist Church in that town.
JOHN W. GOODHUE-The life of John W. Goodhue is a record of outstanding achievement. During his long and distin- guished career he rose from a modest posi- tion to become one of the foremost mer- chants in the town of Ipswich. Through his accomplishments in the commercial world he won the recognition and esteem of many of the leading business figures of this com- munity and as a citizen was known for his public-spirited activities on behalf of the welfare of his fellow-citizens.
John W. Goodhue was born in Topsfield, Massachusetts, April 10, 1858, the son of John and Sarah (Connery) Goodhue, and received a general education in the public schools of Hamilton. He was twenty-eight years old at the time he founded the hard- ware business he so ably conducted in Ips- wich. At the time he opened this store operating under his name, this enterprise was one of the smallest in the city. Under his careful and able management it grew and prospered until it was one of the finest establishments of its type in this section of the country. The unusual business ability he displayed in this venture established him
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as an able executive and he was frequently sought for advice by other leading enter- prises here. Though he had been asked to act in an official advisory capacity to vari- ous concerns here, he declined, preferring to center his attentions on the business he had built. It is interesting to note in this con- nection, that when he was requested to be- come a trustee of a local bank, he refused.
From the earliest days of his career in Ipswich Mr. Goodhue took a keen and ac- tive interest in the affairs of this community and through his activities became recog- nized as a leader. At one time he was elected representative from this town to the State Legislature and served with distinc- tion on many of the committees formed by that body. He is also credited with having held several town offices and generously lending his support to all those movements and projects designed for the betterment of the community.
Socially Mr. Goodhue was a member of the Ipswich Club and was a Mason. In his religious convictions he was a member of the Congregational Church, serving as a trustee for this institution and being a mem- ber of several of its boards. During the World War he served on practically all the Liberty Loan and Red Cross drives and made other patriotic contributions to the cause.
On September 16, 1897, Mr. Goodhue married Blanche R. Brown, daughter of Augustus and Susan (Russell) Brown. Mrs. Goodhue is very active in the affairs of the community and holds memberships in the Ipswich Women's Club, where she has oc- cupied the office of president ; the Republi- can Club, where she has served as secretary, and is one of the leading supporters of the Congregational Church. Mr. and Mrs. Goodhue were the parents of three children : I-2. Pauline B. and Paul R., twins. The former is a graduate of Mount Holyoke
College; the latter of Boston University where he was graduated in 1921, and he also had military service at Plattsburg, New York. On October 12, .1934, he mar- ried Gladys Richards, a daughter of Everet Brigham of Lynnfield. Paul R. Goodhue is now engaged in the firm organized by his father. 3. John R., a graduate of the Bryant and Stratton Business College.
Mr. Goodhue died at his home in Ipswich, July 5, 1925. News of his death caused deep sorrow throughout this vicinity and par- ticularly in the community of Ipswich where he had lived and labored with such success for nearly four decades. To all he was a man of sterling character, a leader of unusual ability and a citizen deeply con- cerned with the welfare of his fellows. The enterprise he built with such skill and care stands today as immortal tribute to his memory. Through his passing Ipswich has been deprived of one of its first citizens.
AMOS FRANKLIN BAILEY possessed a quality of leadership that manifested it- self in almost every field of endeavor he un- dertook. As a business man he became one of the outstanding designers and shoe pat- tern manufacturers of the industry and in his social and civic activities was promi- nently identified with many of the leading organizations of this section. Through his achievements and accomplishments he won the esteem and affection of a host of friends and associates who recognized his abilities and sterling characteristics.
Amos Franklin Bailey was born in West- port, Maine, December 10. 1859, the son of Hiram and Adaline (Jewett) Bailey. His father, who was a seafaring man throughout his life, was a master mariner. Amos Franklin Bailey was educated in the public schools of his native community and after completing his studies here entered the Bryant and Stratton Business College in
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Providence, Rhode Island. Possessed of a seafaring heritage he determined, shortly after finishing his scholastic training, to fol- low the sea. He shipped with his father and followed the sea until he became a cap- tain but he later gave up this vocation. He went to Boston, where he became a sales- man in a wholesale store and later acted as a traveling sales representative for a shoe firm. He engaged in this work for a few years and during this period acquired a practical and well-rounded experience in the industry. Determined to engage on a business career of his own he formed a part- nership with a Mr. Davis and established a children's shoe manufacturing concern in Lynn. His original operating site, which was on Market Street in this city, later was torn down to make way for railroad con- struction. He made many exclusive pat- terns for manufacturers and through his achievements in this field, coupled with ex- pert workmanship, won wide recognition among the leaders of the trade. On many occasions his services were sought and finally he was invited to take full charge of the shoe designing department of the Hood Rubber Company at Watertown, Massa- chusetts, a post he accepted and filled with distinction and success until his retirement.
Throughout his residence in this city he took a keen and active interest in social and civic affairs, lending his support to all those projects designed for the welfare and ad- vancement of the community. In this con- nection he held memberships in many of the local clubs and was prominent in fraternal affairs, being a member of the Mount Car- mel Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, where he held the thirty-second degree and was a member of Aleppo Temple of Boston, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He was also a Past Patron of Regis Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, and was
Watchman of the Shepherds in the Elzaban Shrine, Order of the White Shrine of Jeru- salem, No. 6. In addition to those, he be- longed to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
In 1895 Mr. Bailey married Alice F. Os- good, daughter of Joseph and Frances C. (Hanson) Osgood. Her father was a ma- chinist and later in life became a merchant. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey were the parents of one son ; Watson Osgood, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in the class of 1918, and now a lieutenant- commander on the U. S. S. "Raleigh" sta- tioned at San Diego, California. He married Lillian Hesse and they are the parents of two children : Amos and Ruth.
Mr. Bailey died at his home at No. 103 Burrill Street, Swampscott, November 24, 1933. He would have been seventy-four years of age on December 10, 1933. The passing of a figure who, for so many years, had played such an important part in the social, civic and business affairs of this vi- cinity, was learned with profound sorrow. His passing was particularly felt by the many friends and associates he had made during his long and distinguished career, who held him in high esteem and respect for his ability and sterling characteristics. Through his death the community has been deprived of one of its most upright and public-spirited citizens, a man whose life is a record of achievement and should serve as an inspiration to those who follow.
CARLOS P. FAUNCE, of Salem, presi- dent of the Holyoke Mutual Fire Insurance Company and prominently connected as an official with other similar corporations has been in the insurance business for more than fifty years. He has become known as one of the insurance authorities of New England. The Holyoke Mutual, it is worthy
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of note, was organized by Dr. Edward Au- gustus Holyoke, one of the most remark- able personalities in Salem history, who died at the age of one hundred years, four- teen years before the company was incor- porated in 1843.
Carlos P. Faunce was born at Abington, Massachusetts, on March 17, 1861, son of Elijah and Ellen S. (Partridge) Faunce, the father being a native of Massachusetts and the mother of Vermont. The Faunce fam- ily was originally English, one John Faunce arriving in the Massachusetts Colony on one of the three Pilgrim vessels in 1623, and settling in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Grandfather Faunce was a mason contrac- tor, a resident of Kingston, Massachusetts, where he was prominent in politics as a selectman, member of the legislature, etc. Elijah Faunce was also a contractor.
After being graduated from the Abington High School, with the class of 1877, Mr. Faunce went to Boston where he completed courses provided by the French Business College. His first employment was with the Abington Mutual Fire Insurance Company in June, 1879, starting as an office boy. He advanced through various positions until he was promoted to assistant secretary, and was later secretary and vice-president and treasurer of the company. In 1900 he ac- cepted the position of general agent of the Holyoke Mutual Fire Insurance Company in Salem. At that time the company was doing business in four states, now in eleven, and the amount of business has been quad- rupled. In 1914, two days before the great fire in Salem, he was made vice-president and manager, and in 1919 was elected presi- dent. In 1914 Mr. Faunce organized what is known as the Holyoke Insurance Part- nership for the handling of a general insur- ance business in Salem, and this has grown to be one of the largest agencies in Salem.
In 1934 Mr. Faunce is State Manager of the Abington Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany for the five New England states out- side of Massachusetts. He is also one of the managing directors of the Mutual Auto- mobile Insurance Exchange, a group of four companies which handle automobile busi- ness in New England, New York, New Jer- sey and Pennsylvania, and one of a firm which acts as general agent of The Utica Mutual Insurance Company, of Utica, New York, for the New England States. In 1908 there was organized a fire inspection service now known as the Mutual Fire Inspection Bureau of New England, of which Mr. Faunce has been the manager since its or- ganization. It now includes twenty-five companies. He is a trustee of the Salem Five Cents Savings Bank and is a member of the Boston City Club, Salem Rotary Club, and Salem Country Club.
On October 15, 1884, Carlos P. Faunce married Sarah A. King, of Abington, Mas- sachusetts, and they are the parents of two daughters : Margaret H., and Frances A.
HENRY CABOT LODGE, JR .- Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., a member of a family which has distinguished itself in the fields of art and government, is carrying on the cultural tradition of his forebears and he established himself in the field of literature and journalism since his graduation from Harvard.
Mr. Lodge was born in Nahant, the son of George Cabot Lodge and Elizabeth (Fre- linghuysen Davis) Lodge, his father a na- tive of Massachusetts and his mother from Washington, District of Columbia. His father, who died at the age of thirty-six, served in the navy in the Spanish War and was the author of four volumes of poems.
Mr. Lodge received his early education at the Middlesex School and after graduat-
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ing from there entered Harvard where he completed a four-year course in three years and graduated cum laude. While at col- lege he did summer work for the Boston "Transcript" and in 1923 after completing his collegiate education, he became a regu- lar member of the "Transcript's" staff serv- ing as general reporter and later covering municipal matters at the Boston City Hall. During this period he began the study of the practice of government and was able to see it function later when his paper as- signed him to the State House. Anxious to get a broader view of the social and civic problems that not only beset the United States but other countries of the world as well Mr. Lodge made the first of many journalistic travels in the spring of 1924, going to Europe, where, in the course of his work, he gained the distinction of obtaining the first statement on American immigra- tion from Signor Mussolini. Returning to this country he accompanied his grand- father, the late Senator Lodge, to the Re- publican Convention in Cleveland, and re- mained with him from that time until No- vember, when the Senator died. From this time until 1928 Mr. Lodge was one of the Washington correspondents for the New York "Herald Tribune," covering the legis- lative and executive departments of the government and devoting considerable time to studying army and navy problems and the Philippines. It was during 1928 that he was sent to Nicaragua to report the efforts of the Special American Commission to re- store peace and order in that little Central American country. Shortly before he em- barked on this trip he was transferred to the New York offices of the "Herald Tri- bune" and on his return from Nicaragua made a trip to the Philippines in order to study the colonial systems of government employed by Great Britain, France, Hol- land and the United States. His research
work took him to the Dutch East Indies, the Malay States, India, Indo China and Japan, giving him an opportunity of tra- versing the territory which has been the subject of dispute between Japan and China. Since his return from this trip in 1929, Mr. Lodge devoted the major part of his time to editorial work contributing to the "Herald Tribune," "Harpers Magazine" and "Fortune" on frequent occasions. Dur- ing this period he made a few short trips, one to the London Naval Conference and another to the Mexican border at the time of the army manoeuvers. In addition to his editorial work he is devoting considerable time to literary work of a more permanent nature, and in this connection has had a book published by Houghton Mifflin Com- pany entitled, "The Cult of Weakness," which was released in 1932. In this work he discusses the question of American pub- lic opinion in relation to the idea of a na- tionalistic United States.
In his active career Mr. Lodge has filled a prominent rôle in the civic and social life about him. He is a member of the National Press Club, a reserve officer, a representative to the general court from the 15th Essex District, for the second term ; a member of the Committee on Municipal Finance, and he has served on the contribution commit- tee of the Beverly Neighborhood Relief Committee. In 1930 he was awarded the Chevalier's Cross, order of Polonia Resti- tuta. He is also a member of the Naval Historical Foundation.
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In July, 1926, Mr. Lodge married Emily Sears of Beverly, and they are the parents of two sons: I. George Cabot. 2. Henry Sears.
HON. WALTER A. GRIFFIN-One of the youngest mayors in Massachusetts, Wal- ter A. Griffin was elected mayor of Law- rence in 1933 by a vote that was indicative
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of the respect and approval in which his work as a public servant is held. Since his college days he has been keenly interested in civic management and in questions of local government, and has been in politics almost from the time he cast his first vote. Honest and fearless, efficient and straight- forward in his official activities, the marked candor of his public utterances has won him the confidence of a large following.
Mayor Griffin is a native of Lawrence, born on September 3, 1901, the son of James J. and Mary A. (Sullivan) Griffin. James J. Griffin was of Irish birth and came to Law- rence as a youth, where he married a Law- rence girl. He established the meat and pro- vision business now operated by his son. Walter A. Griffin had been graduated from the Lawrence High School, and had com- pleted his sophomore year in Villanova Col- lege, when his father died on July 9, 1922. Duty required that he forego further formal education and take over the affairs of the family in Lawrence.
In 1928 Walter A. Griffin was appointed license commissioner of the municipality, and served five and a half years in this posi- tion or until the office came in conflict with the ideas of Mayor William P. White. In 1933 Mr. Griffin opposed Mayor White for election as the head of the city government, and on December 12, of that year, was elected mayor of Lawrence. Mayor Griffin is not only one of the youngest to hold so high an office in New England, but is the second youngest man ever to be elected mayor in the history of Lawrence. The mayor is a member of the Greater Lawrence Grocers' Association, and fraternally affili- ates with the Knights of Columbus, the Be- nevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. His rec- reations are those of the young man he is, football, baseball and golf.
On October 8, 1930, Walter A. Griffin married Grace C. Kelley, of Lawrence, and they have a son, Walter A., Jr., born May 3, 1932.
JOHN E. HEFFERNAN-In a career full of difficulties and hard work John E. Heffernan has risen to prominence among the business men of Salem. Early in life he determined upon the course he would pursue and with quiet forcefulness refused to be turned aside. In civic affairs he plays a constructive rôle. Although never aspir- ing to public office he has always been keenly interested in public affairs. He was born at Peabody, Massachusetts, March I, 1882, the son of William and Mary E. (Burns) Heffernan, the former a druggist of long standing.
After completing his education in the schools of Salem, John E. Heffernan be- came a clerk in the C. H. and J. Price Drug Store, Salem, where he continued for six- teen years. On December 13, 1914, Mr. Heffernan established his own drug busi- ness, and this, with its numerous allied lines of commerce, has met with constantly in- creasing success. He is a trustee of the Five Cents Savings Bank and a member of the Rotary Club. Fraternally he is affili- ated with the Knights of Columbus and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He is a mem- ber of the Immaculate Conception Church, and active in religious and humanitarian movements.
At Salem, on September 18, 1907, John E. Heffernan married Mary E., daughter of Edward and Catherine Fitzpatrick, and they are the parents of four children: I. John E., Jr., born in 1908. 2. Gerald F., born in 1909. 3. Mary A., born in 1910. 4. Philip L., born in 1912.
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JOHN J. DARCY-In his activities as attorney-at-law, and as a progressive citizen of Lawrence, John J. Darcy has achieved a place of prominence in the city, and is par- ticularly well known in the organizations of veterans of the World War which have hon- ored him with election to high offices. He was born at Lawrence on April 13, 1897, son of John and Agnes (Monahan) Darcy, both natives of Ireland who came to Massachu- setts many years ago. The father was for twenty-six years associated with the John Hancock Insurance Company, before retir- ing from active business life.
John J. Darcy was graduated from the Lawrence High School with the class of 1915 and then entered the employ of the United States Veteran's Bureau, in the Bos- ton office. At the same time he entered the Northwestern Preparatory School, and, when he was ready, the Northwestern Uni- versity School of Law, receiving his degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1925. In July, 1918. however, he became a member of the United States army forces, for service in the World War, and received the rank of sergeant in the 36th Infantry. He was one of the young- est men in his regiment.
In 1926 John J. Darcy was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law, and now maintains offices in Boston and Law- rence. He is a member of the State execu- tive Committee of the American Legion ; was county commander of Essex County serving two terms, 1922-23; and is a past commander of Lawrence Post, No. 15. American Legion. Mr. Darcy since 1927 has been State chairman of the Rehabilita- tion Committee of the American Legion, and is State judge advocate of the "40 and 8" Society. He fraternizes with the Be- nevolent and Protective Order of Elks and is a member of the Merrimack Country Club.
HAROLD W. LEITCH-The Pacific Mills, of Lawrence, have been fortunate in the character of their leaders and execu- tives. As general superintendent, Harold IV. Leitch has performed a valuable work in this city and State, and his contribution has been one of rare distinction and worth.
Mr. Leitch was born in North Andover, Massachusetts, on September 8, 1889, son of James W. and Elizabeth (Watson) Leitch, natives of Andover. His father was a tin- smith and plumber by trade, establishing his own business in 1891, and later becom- ing a hardware merchant and a master plumber, and so continuing until his death in 1932. Mrs. Leitch is still living. In the public schools of North Andover, Harold W. Leitch received his early education, later being graduated from Johnson High School, North Andover, completing his work there in 1908. In 1914 he took, at Lowell Tex- tile Institute, the degree of Bachelor of Textile Dyeing, having served two years as assistant instructor in chemistry, follow- ing graduation from the regular course, in 1912.
His first work was with the M. T. Stevens and Sons Company, with whom he re- mained for a short time. Then, joining forces with the Brightwood Manufacturing Company as a chemist, he continued with them until he became associated with the Stillwater Worsted Mills, at Harrisville, Rhode Island. In 1920 he returned to the M. T. Stevens and Sons Company at North Andover in the responsible position of chemical engineer, primarily organizing the control of dye houses and finishing depart- ments in their several mills throughout New England. He remained until 1928, when he joined the Pacific Mills in the ca- pacity of assistant superintendent of dyeing and finishing in the worsted division, was advanced to the position of superintendent,
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