USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > The story of Essex County, Volume IV > Part 34
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Mr. Ellis holds fraternal affiliation with Merrimack Lodge, Free and Accepted Ma-
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sons; the Scottish Rite, thirty-second de- gree; and Aleppo Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in which he is Thrice Illustrious Master. He is a member of the Haverhill Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce of Haverhill, the Pentucket Club, Haverhill Country Club, and of a number of golf clubs.
Mr. Ellis married, in 1904, Helena F. Ma- honey, of this State, and their children are : I. Virginia G., a graduate of Haverhill High School, studied two years at Bradford Academy, and finished her education at the National Park Seminary, Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia. She married Lester F. George, and has two sons, Clifton Ellis and Donald Leslie. 2. Donald .D., a graduate of Phillips Andover Academy in 1930, and entered Yale University, where he was a member of the class of 1934, and a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The family home, one of the most beautiful in Haverhill, is situated on the site of the old Saltonstall homestead, and is regarded as one of the showplaces of the city.
BARTHOLOMEW GALVIN-Engaged in insurance work in Haverhill and the sur- rounding district of Massachusetts, as man- ager for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Bartholomew Galvin has taken an important part in the development of this city and its institutions, contributing liber- ally of his time and energies to the better- ment of Haverhill.
He was born on July 30, 1870, in County Kerry, Ireland, son of Dennis and Nellie (Welch) Galvin, both natives of that Irish county. His father was a prosperous farmer in his native land. Coming to the United States in boyhood, Bartholomew Galvin, of this review, attended the public schools of his adopted country. For several years he was an iron moulder, and afterward he worked until 1903 with the General Electric
Company. In that year he determined to take up life insurance work for his career, and accordingly became associated with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He represented them in Lynn, Nashua, Glouce- ster and Lawrence, and in 1917 came to Haverhill. In this city he accepted the managership of the company in this terri- tory of the Metropolitan, a district extend- ing from Newburyport on the north to the Methuen town line. In taking over this district, Mr. Galvin succeeded John J. Lynch, who had operated the office here from 1908 to 1917. Under Mr. Galvin's supervision, the district has been success- fully developed by the Metropolitan, and he has received frequent and hearty com- mendation for the high calibre of his work from the main office in New York City. He is also highly regarded by the office staff that works with him.
Along with his insurance activities, Mr. Galvin has participated in the affairs of sev- eral organizations. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Foresters of America. Also a leader in such groups as the Kiwanis Club and the Chamber of Commerce of Haverhill, he serves as a member of the chamber's board of directors and participates in every worthy enterprise for the advancement of prosperity or well- being in his city and State. His church is the Roman Catholic. By every possible means, he has sought to do what he could for the betterment of his community, and, as a result, he is widely and favorably known in Essex County. During the World War, he served his country through aiding in the War Savings stamp campaigns, and received a certificate of recognition from the United States Treasury Department at Washington, District of Columbia, for the contribution that he made in this connec- tion.
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His first interest has been home and fam- ily, and his wife and children have done much to aid him in his work. He married, in 1890, Nellie Wrenn, a native of County Kerry, Ireland. To Mr. and Mrs. Galvin were born : I. Mary Z., who is employed by the Merrimack National Bank. 2. Catherine A., who attended St. Mary's Academy, Hookset, New Hampshire, and lives at home. 3. Eileen, who is a sister in the Order of St. Joseph and teaches in the high school of Cathedral Convent, Boston. 4. Thomas F., who is a graduate of Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology, 1933, and is a construction engineer. 5. Margaret F., who is attending St. Regis College, Weston, Massachusetts. 6. Anna M., who is attend- ing St. James High School. All of these children are graduates of either high school or college or of both. Mr. Galvin is justly proud of them and their accomplishments and promise. He himself is widely known in his community, as well as in the insur- ance world, having attended many national conventions of his colleagues in this field of work.
The Galvin home is situated at No. 28 Eleventh Avenue, Haverhill, and Mr. Gal- vin has his offices at No. 191 Merrimack Street, this city.
WILLIAM ORNSTEEN-The name of Ornsteen is closely associated with the shoe industry of Haverhill. William Ornsteen is engaged in the manufacture of heels un- der the name of the William Ornsteen Heel Company, with headquarters in Essex Street, and his labors and achievements have won him widespread recognition as one of the city's foremost business men.
Mr. Ornsteen was born July 15, 1889, in Russia, son of Isador Ornsteen, who was a prominent agriculturist until his death in 1900, and his wife, Anna Ornsteen. In the schools of his native land William Ornsteen
received his early formal education, and when he came to America he took a course at Haverhill Business College, Haverhill, Massachusetts. He came to this city in 1907, and was employed for a time by his brother, Myer T. Ornsteen, who was en- gaged, and so continues today, in the busi- ness of shoe manufacturing. William Orn- steen withdrew from that enterprise in 1914 to form his own business for the making of heels. Setting up an establishment in Phoe- nix Row, he was associated with another brother, Benjamin Ornsteen, the two men operating as Ornsteen Brothers and man- ufacturing heels on an increasingly exten- sive scale. Their partnership was dissolved, however, in 1924, when William Ornsteen began independent handling of the business under the present style of the William Orn- steen Heel Company. This organization now has quarters in Essex Street, where Mr. Ornsteen employs more than sixty men in a plant covering 10,000 square feet of floor space. The heels made here are dis- tributed throughout the United States, and, as a result of his labors, the proprietor of the company is widely known and esteemed in the business world.
He is also active in other affairs. He is a member of several fraternal orders, includ- ing the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and some Jewish societies. He is active in the Cham- ber of Commerce, B'nai B'rith and other Jewish clubs, and the Jewish Synagogue of Haverhill. His business judgment and in- tegrity are widely recognized, and he is a man whose opinions on important matters are frequently sought by other leaders in his community. Those who have observed at close range the development of his career point out that his achievement was some- what unusual in that he came to Haverhill in 1907 and only seven years later was able to start his own business. Furthermore,
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beginning on a small scale, he was able to develop his enterprise to substantial pro- portions. A great deal of prestige has come to him as a result of his work, and he is prominently connected, not only with sev- eral business groups, but with different civic and social projects of significance in the Haverhill community.
William Ornsteen married, in 1925, Bes- sie Shipman, of Boston. To this marriage were born two children: I. Anita Lois, on March 17, 1926. 2. Edward Franklin, on March 5, 1929.
GEORGE A. McINNIS-A leader in the real estate field in Haverhill, George A. McInnis has been connected with this type of business practically all his life. His sense of values of property is unusually sound, enabling him to appraise present worth and anticipate with uncanny accuracy probable developments and trends.
Mr. McInnis was born November 3, 1866, in Boston, Massachusetts, son of Edward G. and Annie (Wright) McInnis, both na- tives of Scotland and both now deceased. His father was engaged in important real estate work. In the public schools of Bos- ton, his native city, George A. McInnis, of this review, received his early education, and early in life he associated himself with his father in the real estate business. He left this business to go to California, but re- turned after two years and has continued this same line of work at first in Boston only. Since 1914 he has had an office in Haverhill, where he has carried on a general real estate business, mostly brokerage work. He has also handled large estates, and be- cause of his special talents, has been se- lected to handle all forms of appraisal in Haverhill. In 1927 he organized the Haver- hill Real Estate Exchange, in which he has held the office of president since that time.
In addition to his business activities, Mr. McInnis has participated extensively in fraternal, social and civic affairs in his city. He is a Knight Templar in the Masonic Order and is affiliated with Aleppo Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He has, despite the fact that he is not a clubman or what is known as a "joiner" by nature, connected himself with a few small clubs in which he is espe- cially interested. He is an Episcopalian in religious faith. His interests have centered, however, about business and family. Since coming to Haverhill in 1914, he has gained, by virtue of his efforts and attainments in the real estate field, more than local notice. His handling of estates has given satisfac- tion, and his civic works have caused him to be known as one of Haverhill's public- spirited citizens.
In 1929 Mr. McInnis married Elizabeth P. Caverly, a native of Hill, New Hamp- shire, and of Colonial descent.
ALBERT UTSEN BOWDOIN-Con- nected with the shoe industry since he was eleven years of age, Albert U. Bowdoin has performed a work of importance in Haver- hill. He is today treasurer and general man- ager of the Bowdoin Shoe Company, as well as its chief owner.
Mr. Bowdoin was born April 21, 1878, at Rockport, Massachusetts, son of James W. and Addie (Perry) Bowdoin, both of Bev- erly, Massachusetts. The father, who died May 4, 1933, was a veteran of the civil War and widely known as a tree specialist, his work in this field winning him nation-wide fame. In the public schools, Albert V. Bow- doin received his early education, and at the age of eleven years, as noted above, he began his labors in the shoe industry. In 1908 he started the manufacture of women's hand-turned shoes, forming a partnership
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with Peter Tessier at No. 50 Phoenix Row, Haverhill. In 1921 they removed to No. 170 Washington Street, the present site of the company, and then, in 1927, the partner- ship was dissolved. Immediately the Bow- doin Shoe Company came into existence, with Mr. Bowdoin as treasurer and general manager and George W. Lawrence as presi- dent. Mr. Bowdoin is the major owner of the company, which occupies four floors and a total area of 40,000 square feet of space. Employing more than 500 people, they dis- tribute women's hand-turned shoes through- out the whole of the United States, doing more than $1,000,000 worth of business each year and operating the largest Haverhill shoe manufacturing establishment engaged in the making of turned shoes.
Mr. Bowdoin's untiring energy has been responsible for the upbuilding of the com- pany. Labor conditions are kept at a high level, with the result that there are no strikes at the plant and harmonious rela- tions prevail. Mr. Bowdoin has recognized at all times that harmony is essential to accomplishment and, in addition to work- ing hard and acquiring a complete knowl- edge of all departments and operations in the business, he has consistently fostered a cooperative spirit between employer and employees that has shown his desire to be fair and to be treated fairly in return.
In addition to his work as treasurer and general manager of the Bowdoin Shoe Com- pany, he has participated extensively in general civic life in his community. A mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce of Haver- hill, he belongs to several committees of this organization, and has been particularly active in NRA work. He is also a leader in fraternal affairs, being a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He has taken greatest pride, however, in
the building of his business, which, in point of quality, is second to none in its field.
In 1904 Mr. Bowdoin married Maria A. Little, of Newburyport, Massachusetts. The daughter of this marriage, Pauline H. Bow- doin, became the wife of Arthur A. Ham- mel, president of the L. H. Hamel Leather Company, and has two children, Stanley and Dana.
H. ASHLEY BOWEN was born May 23, 1881, at Lynn, and was named Herbert Ash- ley Bowen.
After completing public school courses at Lynn, H. Ashley Bowen studied for a time at Harvard University. In 1902 he was ad- mitted to the bar of Massachusetts, subse- quently to the bar of the United States Dis- trict Court, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
His practice has been unique for a law- yer having his headquarters at the city of Lynn, Massachusetts, in that its variety and territorial scope has been somewhat unusual. From the very outset of his admission to the bar and for about eighteen years it consisted of an active trial practice in the courts of Massachusetts, dealing extensively with damage suits. During this period he was associated with Starr Parsons (q. v.), in a partnership called Parsons and Bowen at Lynn, representing the Boston and North- ern Street Railway, the Bay State Street Railway, Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad, and Lynn Gas and Electric Com- pany, and many other corporate and indi- vidual clients. His firm were counsel for the town of Swampscott for a period of ten years, and the city of Lynn for about the same period of time.
About the year 1918 he took up a practice of a different character, dealing largely with corporate affairs, which took him frequently
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to New York City and to the National Capi- tal at Washington, practicing before the Federal departments to some extent, with occasional recourse to the Federal courts. At about the same time mining interests of his clients required his presence in the states successively of Nevada, New Mexico and California. During the last ten years he has had occasion to practice in the courts of each of the New England states except Vermont, and frequently in the State of New York. His practice has also taken him into Detroit, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. In character his practice of the law has been indeed general, for he has dealt directly or indirectly with almost every phase of the law and equity.
Never a candidate for public office, he has devoted himself entirely to the profession of the law. Mr. Bowen was elected pres- ident of the Lynn Bar Association in 1918 and has been reelected annually down to date. He is a member of the Bar Associa- tion of the County of Essex and of the American Bar Association.
FREDERICK L. COOPER-Through- out all of his working life Frederick L. Cooper has been identified with the shoe industry of Haverhill, Massachusetts. His large experience, integrity and sound judg- ment led to his choice as chairman of the Board of Haverhill Shoe Manufacturers, and the opportunity as an official and person, to be of great service to the shoe industry of the city. He was born on May 1, 1877, at North Andover, Massachusetts, son of Ed- ward and Sarah (Blackburn) Cooper, the former one of the oldtime country grocers of which there are now so few. He was a native of North Andover, who died in 1900; Mrs. Cooper, who lived until 1930, was also of Massachusetts nativity.
Frederick L. Cooper gained his education in the Johnson grade and high schools, working during vacations after he became fourteen years of age. He also completed courses in the Bryant and Stratton Business College. Although his first employment was in a textile mill, in 1893, he came to Haver- hill and went to work in the shoe factory of F. S. & H. H. Gage. His start was little different from that of any other young man in the footwear industry. He learned to stitch, cut, and perform most of the opera- tions that go into the making of shoes. In 1909 he went with the Knights and Perry Company as foreman of its packing and finishing department. Three years later he was salesman for the Austin H. Perry Com- pany, the successor to the above mentioned firm, and in 1914 was made treasurer and general manager of the company. In 1919 the Perry concern was consolidated with the Liberty and Durgin Company, under the name of Cooper, Liberty and Thomp- son, and factories were operated in Haver- hill and Marlboro, Massachusetts. In Jan- uary, 1921, Mr. Cooper went with the S. & S. Shoe Company, of Haverhill, as superin- tendent and in his official capacity appeared before the Massachusetts State Board of Arbitration, in connection with the wage difficulties of that time.
Mr. Cooper became associated with the Haverhill Shoe Manufacturers Association in March, 1922, chiefly because of the im- pression he had made upon manufacturers and wage earners in his activities before the State Arbitration Board. He was chosen manager of this association at that time and remained affiliated with the organization as chairman of the board. From January, 1923, to its abolition in December, 1928, he served as a member of the Shoe Board of Arbitration in the Haverhill industry, repre- senting the manufacturers. The Haverhill
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Shoe Manufacturers Association is among the strongest of its kind in the United States, and credit for that strength is frankly credited to the ability and indefati- gable labors of Mr. Cooper upon its behalf. He has devoted a decade to the best inter- ests of the shoe industry. This fact, and his unimpeachable probity and fairness has won the confidence of the labor unions as well as of the industrial leaders, as has been shown upon numerous occasions by co- operating in bringing amicable adjustments which neither party thought possible.
In his busy life Mr. Cooper has found little opportunity to be active in varied or- ganizations. Fraternally he is affiliated with Merrimack Lodge, Free and Accepted Ma- sons, and the Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. He is a popular figure in the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, and a member of a few clubs. His church is the North Con- gregational of Haverhill, and he has never been other than generous of his time and means in religious and humanitarian move- ments.
In 1904, Frederick L. Cooper married Grace M. Marsh, of East Kingston, Massa- chusetts, and they are the parents of three children : 1. Pauline A. Cooper, born Octo- ber 24, 1905. 2. Edward W. Cooper, born August 2, 1907. 3. John A. Cooper, born July 23, 1909.
SETH C. BASSETT-To hundreds of folk of two generations the name of the late Seth C. Bassett is held in grateful memory, if only because he introduced a new and valuable method of enjoying life. A native of Lovell, Maine, and from boyhood fa- miliar with the mountains and valleys, the winters and the summers of northern New England, he hit upon the idea of trying to get other people to know and appreciate the winters of the north country. In 1895 he
started the small tourist agency which later was to become so widely known, and he investigated the advantages of the various places he knew as possible headquarters for winter sports. He chose Intervale, New Hampshire, as the spot most suitable, ac- cessible and picturesque. Persuading a few to make up a party for a winter trip to his base between the mountains, he personally conducted the group and directed their sports. In this simple fashion was the win- ter sports idea born and Intervale made the Mecca of the winter sports lovers, particu- larly the girls of Bradford and Abbott academies, the Lasell, Rogers Hall, and Sar- gent schools, Radcliffe College, and many other groups which annually made their way to Intervale. When Mr. Bassett con- ducted his first parties, the stagecoach was the only method of transportation available, which perhaps made the journey more thrilling than today.
Besides being the pioneer in organizing and developing winter sports, Seth C. Bas- sett also established a travel bureau whose scope was the globe. In Haverhill he also carried on an extensive business in insur- ance, both of which activities are now under the management of his wife, Lillian Y. Bas- sett. At one time Seth C. Bassett was part owner of the Haverhill "Gazette," the lead- ing newspaper of the city, and was an im- portant factor in bringing about a rise in circulation from six hundred to nine thou- sand. After selling out his newspaper in- terests, for a time he was the proprietor of the Boston "Journal of Chemistry."
Seth C. Bassett died on July 4, 1930, sin- cerely mourned by the thousands all over the world with whom he had come in per- sonal contact. He had contributed to the sum total of the recreative pleasures of life, a mode of enjoyment that was entirely wholesome and beneficial. This is his true
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memorial. In Haverhill he had been a use- ful and public-spirited citizen who had won the respect and affection of its citizens. He was a popular figure in Merrimack Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and a Knights Templar and was a member also of the Pentucket Club. Mr. Bassett is survived by his widow, Lillian Y. (Bassett) Bassett, mem- ber of the Haverhill Women's City Club, and prominent in social, civic and humanitarian circles.
S. JOSEPH PEPE-Although one of the younger successful business men of Haver- hill, S. Joseph Pepe came into unusual prominence in the city as one of the leaders of its large Italian citizenry and by his val- uable contributions to the musical and cul- tural phases of the life of the community. He was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, May 7, 1910, son of Antonio and Josephine (Bevilacqua) Pepe, both natives of Italy. Mrs. Pepe died in 1933. Antonio Pepe, since his arrival in this country has been identi- fied with the shoe industry, and is a trustee of the Sons of Italy.
The grade and high schools of the city and the Haverhill Business College pre- pared Mr. Pepe for his career as much as any educational institutions can. Musically inclined and blessed with a fine tenor voice, he sang and studied music. While still in school he worked afternoons in the offices of the old Blanchard Insurance Company learning all he could about the insurance business. In 1931 he set up his own estab- lishment, at No. 158 Merrimack Street, Haverhill, representing a number of large national insurance companies, and also do- ing a bonding business. In one of the worst periods of the financial history of the United States, Mr. Pepe has been increas- ingly successful and has won a large clien- tele.
S. Joseph Pepe is especially popular with the people of Italian ancestry or birth. He is Chancellor of the Knights of Columbus, and a keenly active member of the Sons of Italy, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He is secretary of the Bradford Glee Club, and is the well-known tenor soloist of St. Rita's Catholic Church, of which he is also a member. Outstanding of his varied tal- ents is his ability to sing beautifully and his readiness to cooperate with others to ad- vance the musical activities of the city. He is a soloist of the Bradford Glee Club, and is usually one of the principals in the operas which are from time to time staged and sung in Haverhill.
RALPH EVERETT DANIELS-One of Haverhill's native sons who has risen to prominence in the industrial world, Ralph E. Daniels is a citizen who has always been ready to do his full share to promote the progress of the city which has been his home for more than four decades. He was born on February 7, 1890, son of George H. and Susan (Billings) Daniels. George H. Daniels who, for many years before his re- tirement was identified with the shoe in- dustry, was born in West Newbury, Massa- chusetts. Mrs. Daniels was a native of Saco, Maine, and died in 1931.
After receiving a public school education, Ralph E. Daniels went to work for the Bos- ton & Maine Railroad, and so continued for about ten years. He then turned his atten- tion to the laundry business and, in 1919, with his sister, Mrs. Arlene Smith, pur- chased the plant of the Individual Family Laundry, established by Laing & Westcott, a firm that had been in the trade for some seven years. The plant and headquarters are located on Middlesex Street, Bradford.
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