Worcester county; a narrative history, Volume III, Part 40

Author: Nelson, John, 1866-1933
Publication date: 1934
Publisher: New York, American historical Society
Number of Pages: 700

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester county; a narrative history, Volume III > Part 40

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Calvin Henry Andrews married, August 21, 1896, Martha Esther Reed, who was born in Boylston, November 20, 1876. Mrs. Andrews was graduated from the Clinton High School with highest honors in 1894. She returned to this school and took a post-graduate course in the classics. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews have one child, Martha Henrietta, who was born November 22, 1904, and who in 1917 was a student in the Adams Square School. After leaving the Adams Square School she entered the Worcester High School of Commerce, from which she was graduated in 1922 as a first honor pupil. She received a mark of "A" in every subject throughout her high school course, a record rarely made in any Worcester high school. She entered Simmons College in the fall of 1922 and was grad- uated in 1926. Since her graduation she has taught in the Holden High School and is now a secretary in the Norton Company of Worcester.

HENRY ODIN TILTON-The Worcester manager of the noted General Electric Company, Henry Odin Tilton, has been a resident of the city for a quarter of a century, during which period he has actively contributed to the progress and welfare of the community. He has a public- spirited attitude towards local affairs, and has always been ready to do his best to forward any movement which looked toward the benefit of

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the municipality and its people. He was honored by the mayor of Worcester by being delegated to represent the Massachusetts city at the dedica- tion in Worcester, England, on October 25, 1932, of certain public buildings by the Prince of Wales.

Mr. Tilton was born in Lexington, Massachu- setts, June 1, 1885, a son of Dr. Josiah Odin and Hattie A. (French) Tilton, members of pioneer New England families. Mrs. Tilton was a native of Peterborough, New Hampshire, while Dr. Til- ton was born at Limerick, Maine. His father is one of the oldest living residents of Lexington, and had practiced medicine there longer than any other member of his profession, having begun in 1883. He always had played prominent rôles in the affairs of the town, particularly those of a civic character, serving as chairman of the board of health for many years, and as a member of the Park Commission and holding other offices of trust.

Henry Odin Tilton received his preliminary edu- cation in the Lexington schools, being a graduate of the high school, 1902. Entering Harvard Uni- versity, he was graduated in 1907 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. His college fraternity is Kappa Sigma, and he retains his touch with the students of former and present days as a mem- ber of the Harvard Club of Worcester. In the very month that his college days came to an end, Mr. Tilton became associated with the General Electric Company, his first job being that of sales- man in the Boston headquarters. He was later assigned to the Lynn, Massachusetts, office, and returned again to Boston, in 1910, and came to Worcester in 1911, where he has continued since. He was made manager of the local office in 1918, and has won an enviable reputation as a business man. He is a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and other technical socie- ties of minor importance.

In addition to caring for the duties of his posi- tion, Mr. Tilton has always managed to give a great deal of his time and attention to many spheres of activity. He is a member of the Worcester School Committee from Ward Ten, serving during 1922 to 1926, and was a member of the city coun- cil from Ward Nine, during the years 1927 and 1928; was elected a member of the common coun- cil in 1929 and 1930 and was elected its president in 1932. He is also a member of the executive council of the Worcester Safety Council, and is a popular figure in the local Chamber of Com- merce. Numbered among his clubs are the Rotary, Harvard, University, Bohemian, and he is a mem- ber of the Worcester Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Fraternally he is affiliated with Quinsigamond Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; Worcester Royal Arch Chapter, Royal and Select Masters. He has served on the executive com- mittee of the Worcester Council, Boy Scouts of America. For many years a member of the Cen- tral Congregational Church, Mr. Tilton is the treasurer of the organization, and active in its religious and philanthropic work. Mountain climb- ing, bowling, fishing, and out-door sports furnish him with his chief recreations. He is fond of traveling, and knows his own country well, and in 1930 spent four months touring Europe.

On September 30, 1914, Mr. Tilton married Olive Northrop Fobes of Lexington, Massachu-

setts, daughter of Edwin Francis and Jessie (Bur- nell) Fobes. Mrs. Tilton is a graduate of Smith College, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and is active in civic, club and humanitarian circles of Worcester. Mr. and Mrs. Tilton are the par- ents of three children: Edwin Odin, born August 2, 1915; Harriet F., born March 19, 1918; and Deborah B., born January 25, 1924.

EDGAR LYON RAMSDELL-Vice-presi- dent of the National Bank of Worcester and widely known in business and financial circles of the city and county and in this part of the State, Edgar Lyon Ramsdell was born in Worcester, on March II, 1879. He is a son of Horace and Elizabeth (Pollock) Ramsdell, the former, whose death oc- curred in 1884, a native of Maine, and the latter of Massachusetts.

Edgar Lyon Ramsdell received his early aca- demic training in the public schools and was grad- uated from English High School, Worcester, in 1897. Following this he had his initial business experience, and in the meantime, 1896, a year before graduation from high school, had begun his con- nection with the banking world, as an employee of the First National Bank of Worcester, as messenger. He continued with this bank and advanced through the ranks to the place of teller, from which, in July, 1905, he resigned in order to become assist- ant to the city treasurer, Frederick W. White. In this office he was employed until January I, 1913, having been elected county treasurer in the fall of 1912. He resigned on July 1, 1925, to return to the banking business.

At this time he had become one of the well- known men in Worcester, in business circles and finance. He became vice-president and trust officer of the Mechanics National Bank, and this impor- tant office he has retained through the years suc- ceeding down to the present time and has contrib- uted largely to the business and standing of the institution.

Mr. Ramsdell's other interests, business, finan- cial and otherwise, are numerous. He is clerk of the board of trustees of the Worcester Five Cents Savings Bank. Since 1925 he has acted as a commissioner of the sinking fund for the city. He is treasurer of the Hospital Cottages for Children here; a member of all the York Rite bodies of Masonry and also a member of Aleppo Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Boston; is active in the Worcester Economic Club ; and retains various further affiliations. Since 1907 he has been a member of the official board of the First Church of Christ, and is now treasurer of the church corporation.

On October 3, 1891, Mr. Ramsdell was united in marriage with Mary Ethel Snyder, of Worces- ter; and of this union the following children were born: I. Elizabeth, born July 3, 1902; married Clarence R. Barrington, of Detroit; and they are the parents of two children: Wayne R., born April 13, 1924, and Gordon R., February 12, 1928. 2. Edward Snyder, born August 29, 1905; student at Tufts Medical College. 3. Eleanor, born Sep- tember 16, 1915. The family residence in Wor- cester is at No. 15 Algonquin Road. Mr. Rams- dell's office as vice-president of the Mechanics' National Bank is at No. 309 Main Street.

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HERMANN P. RICCIUS-During his entire active career, Hermann P. Riccius has been con- nected with the manufacture of woolens in the New England textile industry, serving as an execu- tive officer of the George E. Duffy Manufacturing Company of Worcester from the time of its organ- ization in 1910.

Mr. Riccius was born on October 4, 1883, at Millbury, Massachusetts, a son of Adolf Gustav and Ida A. (Barton) Riccius. His father, who was a native of Germany, but is now deceased, was a woolen manufacturer by occupation and was also a professional musician.

Hermann P. Riccius received his education in Massachusetts public schools. In 1900 he entered the employ of the late Edward D. Thayer, who at that time was owner and operator of the Ash- worth and Jones Mill and upon the incorporation of the business in 1907 became an executive of the company. After the death of Edward D. Thayer in 1907 the plant was purchased by the George E. Duffy Manufacturing Company and Mr. Riccius became secretary and a director of the corporation. George E. Duffy was president of the company until his death in 1927. Walter F. Duffy and Mr. Riccius were the other executives. Pres- ent officers are : Walter F. Duffy, president ; Ralph E. Duffy, treasurer and general manager ; Hermann P. Riccius, secretary and director. This is a lead- ing industrial concern of Worcester, its plant being located at No. 1511 Main Street. Total floor space available is in excess of 150,000 square feet, and about two hundred workers are employed. The factory is completely equipped with the most mod- ern machinery and conveniences. The products of the company consisting of heavy weight woolen cloakings and overcoatings find a ready market throughout the United States.

Mr. Riccius' services have contributed no little to the steady development and growth of the com- pany and he has taken an active part in the man- agement of its affairs. He is a member of the Worcester Club and is well known in other phases of the city's life. Mr. Riccius makes his home in Worcester and has many social interests here.

FRANK FARNUM DRESSER-Recognized as one of the leaders of the Worcester County bar and as an authority on the subject of employ- ers' liability, the late Frank F. Dresser left a deep impression upon his professional brethren, the law courts, and people of this city and State. An unusual man and gifted with mental powers be- yond many, he exercised his talents for the com- mon good.

Born in Southbridge, Worcester County, Octo- ber 10, 1872, Frank Farnum Dresser was the son of George Kelley and Maria Louisa (Farnum) Dresser. He attended the public schools and took college preparatory work at the Fish private school in Worcester. Then he entered Harvard Univer- sity and was graduated with the degree of Bach- elor of Arts in the class of 1894, after which he entered the law school and was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1897. In the same year he was awarded his master's degree at Har- vard.

Admitted to the bar at a sitting of court in Wor- cester County in 1897, Mr. Dresser began the prac- tice of his profession in the city of Worcester

that year, being associated with the firm of Hop- kins, Smith and Hopkins. This continued up to 1902, when he was admitted to a partnership as a member of this firm and the name then became Smith, Gage and Dresser, and with this firm he was identified in general law practice until his death. Altogether his legal activities covered a period of twenty-seven years. In this time he forged to the front rank of Worcester County law- yers, and he was known throughout the State, both as a successful practitioner and as a counselor whose breadth of learning and authoritative writ- ings commanded the respect of the bench and bar and also of many men in business and industrial life. He wrote several works, but the outstanding ones are : "Employers' Liability Acts and Assump- tion of Risks," published in 1902, and "Employers Supplement," 1908. Not only did his books carry the appeal for which they were designed, but they were accepted as unexcelled expositions of the fundamental laws of liabilities and risks devolving upon and assumed by employers.

On the organization of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Mr. Dresser was chosen general counsel of this body, and much of the success that attended its career during his lifetime was at- tributed to its following of the expert advice given by him. In 1898, the year after he left Harvard, he was appointed United States Commissioner for this district, and in the capacity of a Federal mag- istrate occupied the office with ability and distinc- tion until 1920, a period of twenty-two years. A Republican in politics, he was ever loyal to his party. He was a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention in 1917-19. His pro- fessional affiliations included the Worcester County Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association and American Bar Association. He was a trustee of the Worcester Institution for Savings, the Ban- croft School, the Memorial Hospital, and the Wor- cester Art Museum, and was also a member of the American Antiquarian Society, the Worcester Club and nearly all the important local clubs, including the Union Club of Boston. He was a member of the board of directors of several corporations, and his fellow-members and the companies with which he was associated profited greatly from his counsel and business capacity. His religious con- nection was with the Unitarian denomination.

Frank Farnum Dresser married, August 10, 1904, at Worcester, Josephine Rose Lincoln, daugh- ter of Waldo Lincoln, of this city. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Dresser are: I. Louisa, born October 25, 1907, graduated at Vassar College, and elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. 2. Rose Lincoln, born October 9, 1909, attended Vassar College. 3. Waldo Lincoln, born March 28, 1916, now at Exeter Academy. 4. Frances Merrick, born December 1, 1918, a student at the Bancroft School.

Bench and bar of Worcester County, and a large personal following of friends and associates mourned the loss of Mr. Dresser which came with his passing on September 9, 1924, when he lacked only a few days of his fifty-second birthday. He was in the very prime of his life and at the height of his powers, and it seemed that he had many more years of usefulness in prospect. His was a worthy record as a lawyer and citizen, and he bequeathed a precious and enduring memory to those who follow on.

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ERNEST PERKINS BENNETT, for thirty three years associated with the corset industry of Worcester, was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, February 25, 1874, the son of William J. and Orpha M. (Perkins) Bennett. Both the Bennett and Per- kins families were among the early settlers of New England. Mr. Bennett is a direct descend- ant of Michael Metcalf, the first schoolmaster of Dedham.

William J. Bennett, father of Ernest Perkins Bennett, was born in Worcester, Vermont. As a young man he joined the "49ers" and shipped on a sailing vessel for California by way of Cape Horn. Two years later, on his return in 1851, he was shipwrecked off the coast of Lower California, but made his way on foot across the Isthmus of Panama and later spent his active life in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the employ of the Boston and Maine Railroad Company.

After completing his education Ernest P. Ben- nett came to Worcester and in 1893 entered the employ of the Royal Worcester Corset Company, first in the office and later as traveling representa- tive. In 1897 he was made superintendent of the factory and later became general manager, from which position he resigned in 1926. Since then much of his time has been devoted to various civic and charitable organizations. For six years he was a trustee of the Worcester Public Library and served as president of the board. Always interested in the welfare of the Worcester Fire Department he is a charter member and ex-pres- ident of the Box Four Associates and in 1931 was elected by the board of engineers an honorary mem- ber of the department in appreciation of his ben- eficial and constructive efforts in behalf of the department. In 1918 he was appointed a member of the exemption board, division No. 4, of the city of Worcester. For twenty years he has served as a member of the board of directors for the Wor- cester Hahnemann Hospital and is at present pres- ident of the corporation. He is president of the Worcester County Mechanics Association and has served on the boards of the Associated Charities and the Memorial Home for the Blind and other similar organizations. At the present time Mr. Bennett is chairman of the board of Motion Pic- ture Review. Politically, Mr. Bennett is a Repub- lican and from 1928 to 1933 served as chairman of the city committee. Mr. Bennett is a Mason, being a member of the bodies of the York Rite, including the Worcester County Commandery, Knights Templar. He is also a member of Aleppo Temple. He is a member of the Worcester Club, Tatnuck Country Club, Boston City Club, and a member and ex-president of the Worcester Coun- try Club. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett attend the Old South Church.

Ernest Perkins Bennett married Mae Grace Winn, the daughter of Jeremiah and Mary A. (Allen) Winn, of Worcester. Mrs. Bennett is actively interested in various civic and charitable organizations. She is president of the Temporary Home and Day Nursery Society, on the board of which she has served for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett live at No. 38 May Street, in Wor- cester and have a summer home, "Grey Top," in Princeton, Massachusetts.

LESTER M. LINCOLN-Among business leaders in Athol and the vicinity, Lester M. Lin- coln, proprietor of the Millers River Laundry,

holds rank for progressiveness and the adoption of modern methods. He is interested in the civic and commercial advance of Athol and affiliates with important fraternal bodies.

Family records have it that the earliest member of the Lincoln family of this connection came from England in 1645. Tradition gives one Sam- uel Lincoln as arriving as early as 1638. There vas a Samuel Lincoln, who was great-great-grand- father of Lester M., and he had a son, Samuel (2). The latter's son, Thomas Lincoln, came to Peter- sham and later settled in Greenwich, Massachu- setts. He married Sarah Lyon and they reared a large family, of whom was Leonard. Leonard Lincoln was born in Greenwich and spent most of his life in Prescott, Massachusetts, where he was a farmer and an attendant of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. He married Harriett Carpenter, who like himself was a member of one of New England's old families. Their children were: I. Milton L., deceased. 2. Charles E., deceased. 3. Frank W., deceased. 4. Jennie A., deceased. 5. George W., deceased. 6. Myron L. 7. Fred W. 8. Lester M., of whom further.

Lester M. Lincoln, youngest child of Leonard and Harriett (Carpenter) Lincoln, was born in Pres- cott, March 27, 1873, and was educated in the public (district) school and at New Salem Acad- emy, where he had one term of study. On leaving school he followed the woodworking trade, becom- ing foreman of a sash and blind factory in Athol, holding the position for twenty-two years. In 1918 he engaged in the laundry business, having as a partner Harold Wheeler in the consolidation of the Exchange Street Laundry and the Athol Steam Laundries under the more comprehensive title of the Millers River Laundry, with their plant at No. 156 Marble Street, Athol. In 1919 Mr. Lincoln purchased his partner's interest and he has since been the sole owner of the business. He has developed the establishment successfully, ex- panding its services to cover a radius of seven miles from Athol. He handles all kinds of indi- vidual and family washing, and the workman- ship of the establishment is of the quality and promptness that give the business an excellent reputation. His laundry ranks among the first- class establishments of the kind, and it is his con- sistent purpose to maintain this standing. The employed staff consists of thirteen persons, vir- tually all of them being trained operatives.

He is deeply interested in the community life of Athol, being a member of the local chapter of the American Red Cross Society and affiliating with Athol Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; Tully Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is a Past Noble Grand; Mount Pleas- ant Encampment, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, of which he is a Past Chief Patriarch; and Athol Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. He is a former member of the Knights of Pythias, Young Men's Christian Association, and Pequoig Tribe, Improved Order of Red Men, of which he is a Past Sachem. From the time he was twelve years of age he has been a member of the Good Tem- plars organization and in the Athol Lodge has filled the chair of Chief Templar.

Lester M. Lincoln married, November 3, 1897. Lillian Chamberlin, of Erving, Franklin County, and their children are: I. Rex C., a member of the Athol Fire Department. 2. Earl R., associated with the Standard Accident Company at Detroit, Michi-

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gan. 3. Ralph D., attended the University of Ala- bama and now associated with his father. He is an athlete of record and was captain of his foot- ball team and pitcher on the baseball club at high school. The mother of this family passed away in 1929. The Lincoln family home and the Millers River Laundry Company's address are at No. 156 Marble Street, Athol.

ALFRED A. PARKER-During his entire active career, Alfred A. Parker has been associated with the Waite Hardware Company of Worcester, entering the employ of this company as an errand boy when it was a small retail store and rising within the organization as it continued to grow and expand. Today he is vice-president and gen- eral manager of the company, president of several of its subsidiaries, and is recognized as an author- ity on hardware merchandising.

Mr. Parker was born at Agawam, Massachusetts, on October 8, 1880, a son of Charles A. and Louise (McKee) Parker, both natives of Massachusetts both now deceased. They came to Worcester in 1895 and it was in January of that year that Alfred A. Parker, the son, then fifteen years old entered the hardware store of H. M. Waite as an errand boy. His education was limited to the common schools, but his ambition was unlimited and the ability he displayed soon won him promotion. In 1908 the Waite Hardware Company was formed. Mr. Parker had then been with them for thirteen years and was a valued member of the organiza- tion. He continued his rise through various offices and in 1918 became vice-president and general man- ager of the company. In 1929 he and his associates took over the business of Rosebrooks Company in Webster, forming the Waite Hardware Company of Webster of which Mr. Parker was elected pres- ident. In 1931 he also became president of the newly organized Waite Hardware Company of Southbridge. The growth of the Waite Hard- ware Company has been steady and consistent from the small retail store of years ago to its present size. The company now occupies two complete buildings and a warehouse on the Boston and Al- bany Railroad. They carry on a large jobbing business, delivering in their own trucks to store doors throughout Worcester County, and a large industrial supply business in addition to their mod- ern and up-to-date retail stores.

Mr. Parker has many other interests. He has been particularly active in promoting the Indepen- dent Cooperative Bank of Worcester, inducing a great many of his friends and acquaintances to become share holders in this institution, which has already come to play an important part in the busi- ness life of this section. In recognition of his services to the bank, his executive ability and sound- ness of judgment, Mr. Parker was elected vice- president of the bank in October, 1930. He has written numerous articles on commercial credit and has been widely quoted in various trade papers of the country. Mr. Parker is a member of the Wor- cester Chamber of Commerce. He joined the local Kiwanis Club in 1918, served as a director of that body in 1929-30, and has also served on various committees, being chairman of several. In addi- tion he is a member of the Hillcrest Country Club, the Worcester Light Infantry Veterans Associa- tion, and is vice-president of the American Shet- land Sheep Dog Association. Mr. Parker has

taken a very great interest in the Shetland sheep dog and breeds them at his own kennels. This is a rather small breed of sheep dog, somewhat re- sembling a collie, and comes originally from the Shetland Islands. Mr. Parker breeds them for recreation and has acquired a considerable reputa- tion as a fancier. In spite of the many demands which business makes upon him, he has always been ready to serve in the public interest, and has given freely of his time to many public projects. During the World War he was a member of the Massachusetts State Guard. He served in Boston during the Boston police strike.

On May 2, 1905, Alfred A. Parker married Jennie M. Bartlett of West Upton, Massachusetts. They maintain their residence in Worcester at No. 40 Midland Street.

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Worcester county; a narrative history, Volume III, Part 40

Author: Nelson, John, 1866-1933 Publication date: 1934 Publisher: New York, American historical Society Number of Pages: 700

Author: Nelson, John, 1866-1933
Publication date: 1934
Publisher: New York, American historical Society
Number of Pages: 700