USA > Maine > Piscataquis County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 25
USA > Maine > Aroostook County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 25
USA > Maine > Hancock County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 25
USA > Maine > Washington County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 25
USA > Maine > Somerset County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 25
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born March 22, 1887; and Margaret E., born April 21, 1892. Mr. Hunter is connected with the Masonic order, being a member of the Blue Lodge at Danforth and of the chap- ter and commandery at Calais. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows in Bangor and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of Vanceboro; and he is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias of this town.
HARLES ALBERT HOLDEN, a well-known travelling salesman resid- ing in Sedgwick, Hancock County, was born in Portland, Me., February 1, 1857, son of George H. and Harriet M. (Currier) Holden. His paternal great-grandparents were William and Jane (Crosby) Holden, the former of whom was a native of Dorchester, Mass., and an early settler in Portland. . The grandfather, the Hon. Charles Holden, a na- tive of the Forest City, Me., for a number of years was prominently identified with the press of this State as the editor and proprietor of the Eastern Argus. He was a member of the legislature during the Civil War, was also in the State Senate, served in the Execu- tive Council for several terms, and at one time was Acting Governor. A lifelong resi- dent of Portland, he gained the sincere re- spect of his fellow-citizens by his public spirit and active interest in the city's institu- tions; and his death was the cause of general regret. He married Elizabeth G. Sampson, of Boston.
George H. Holden, the father, was born in
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Portland. In his earlier years he was a printer in the Argus office. Later he retired from active work, but engaged in occasional financial transactions. His last days were spent in Sedgwick, and he died here at the age of fifty-eight years. Harriet M. Currier Holden, his wife, was a daughter of Thomas and Maria B. (Jordan) Currier, of Sedgwick. Her grandfather was Richard Currier, a na- tive of Newburyport, Mass., who came to Sedgwick in the early days of its settlement, bought a tract of improved land there, and cultivated it throughout the rest of his life. He married Abigail Eaton, a daughter of the Rev. Ebenezer Eaton, who was a native of
Maine, one of the first Congregational minis- ters in this section and an extensive land- owner in this part of the county. Eben E. Currier, Harriet M. Holden's uncle, suc- ceeded to the Richard Currier farm, which was later purchased by George H. Holden. She became the mother of six children, of whom the only survivor is Charles A., the subject of this sketch. The others were: Henry Sampson, Elizabeth Godfrey, Jane Crosby, Richard Currier, and William Holden.
Charles Albert Holden was educated in the public schools of Portland. After completing his studies he acted as his father's clerk for a time. For the past nineteen years he has been a travelling salesman for a Portland mer- cantile house, being favorably known among merchants throughout the State. He resides with his mother at Reach View, a portion of the old Currier property, which he has im- proved into a handsome country estate. He
married Harriet Libby Towle, a daughter of David Towle, of Portland. She died in 1887, leaving three children - Elizabeth S., Charles, and Alice C. Holden. Charles died at the age of six years. Mr. Holden is a member of Unity Lodge, No. 3; and of Port- land Encampment, No. 19, I. O. O. F .; and a charter member of Portland Lodge, No. 188, Benevolent Order of Elks.
ORENZO G. DOW, who owns and cul- tivates one of the best farms in East Dover, Piscataquis County, Me., was born where he now resides, August 15, IS28, son of Benjamin and Sybil (Towne) Dow. His paternal grandparents were Lyford and Eunice Dow, who came from New Hamp- shire as early as 1804, and were among the first settlers of East Dover. Lyford Dow was an industrious farmer, and improved from the wilderness a good farm, which he carried on energetically for the rest of his life. He died in 1840, and his wife lived to an advanced age.
Benjamin Dow, father of Lorenzo G., was born in Sanbornton, N. H., in 1796. He grew to manhood in East Dover, and became a prosperous farmer and an able business man. He served as Tax Collector in the days when the State tax was payable in money, while the town and school tax was paid in grain. He was a Captain in the State militia. He died March 6, 1873, leaving a good estate. In politics he was a Democrat. Sybil Towne, his wife, is said to have been the first white child
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born in East Dover, where her birth took place in 1805. She became the mother of eight children, namely : Lorenzo G., the sub- ject of this sketch; Mrs. Lucretia Gould, of Dover; Benjamin, who died at the age of sixty-one ycars; Zebulon Dow, of Sebcc, Me. ; Maria Mayhew, who resides in East Dover; Increase K. Dow, of this town; Char- lotte and Gilman, who died in infancy. Mrs. Sybil T. Dow died March 25, 1896, aged ninety one years and seven days.
Lorenzo G. Dow was reared upon the farm he now occupies, and since leaving school has been engaged in its cultivation. He owns two hundred and seven acres of land, which is desirably located; and, as he believes in rais- ing every useful product that can be grown successfully in this climate, he harvests annu- ally excellent crops. He has made various improvements in the property since taking charge of it, and the fine set of substantial buildings give evidence of the industry and thrift which is characteristic of their owner. Politically, he supports the Democratic party.
In 1856 Mr. Dow was united in marriage with Maria Haskell, daughter of Eliphalet and Janet (True) Haskell. She was born in Guil- ford, Me., January 4, 1830. Her father was a native of New Gloucester, Me. ; and her mother was born in North Yarmouth. Mr. and Mrs. Dow are the parents of five children, namely : Frank L., a prosperous farmer of Sebec; Nellie A., who married Lewis J. Blood, and lives in Avon, Mont. ; John P., who married Hattie M. Hall and carries on a farm in Atkinson, Me .; George B., who is
unmarried and lives at the parental home; and Lewis HI. Dow, a resident of Montana. Mr. and Mrs. Blood have had three children: Ira Lewis; Edward L .; and Lewella C., who is no longer living. Mrs. Lorenzo G. Dow at- tends the Baptist church.
APTAIN JUDSON TORREY, a re- tired ship-master of Deer Isle, Han-
cock County, son of Daniel S. and Abigail (Eaton) Torrey, was born here, De- cember 25, 1842. Daniel Torrey, the grand- father, who was also a native of the island and a sailor, owned a farm located on the eastern shore, which property is still owned by the family. In 1803 he was married to Lydia Haskell, a sister of David Haskell, by Joseph Tyler, Justice of the Peace.
Daniel S. Torrey, likewise a native of Deer Isle, who became a master mariner, spent the greater part of his active period in com- manding his own vessels in the coastwise trade. He died at the age of sixty-seven years. Abigail, his wife, born in Deer Isle, was a daughter of William Eaton and a de- scendant of the first settler on the island. She became the mother of seven children; namely, Fred A., Judson, Adelia, Medora, Mary E., Lunette, and D. Wellington Torrey. Fred A. Torrey, who was a sea captain, died on shipboard while making the voyage from Mobile to New York in 1866. Adelia is no longer living. Medora married Samuel Pickering, and has one son, Emery Picker- ing. Lunette, who is the wife of John Bor-
JUDSON TORREY.
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den and resides in California, has one son, Fred A. Borden. Mary E. married Benjamin C. Smith, of Deer Isle, and has two children - Clyde and Allen Smith. D. Wellington married Lizzie Barbour, who has two children - Anita and Helen. Mrs. Abigail Torrey died July 12, 1898, aged eighty-one years.
Judson Torrey attended the district school, and studied navigation in Boston. At the age of ten years he began to follow the sea, and was afterward engaged in seafaring, ex- cepting the time devoted to study in Boston, for thirty-seven years. He received the com- mand of his first vessel at the age of twenty. As a ship-master he was engaged mostly in the foreign trade, making six trips across the Atlantic and two up the Mediterranean. His voyages were profitable, both to himself and his owners. A memorable incident of his career was his rescue of the crew of the bark "Hazard," eleven in number, who had been shipwrecked in a gale on the Atlantic. For this deed he received in February, 1870, through King Carl XV., representing the governments of Sweden and Norway, a gold medal valued at five hundred dollars. Retir- ing from the sea in 1889, he settled at North- west Harbor, where he had erected a fine residence in 1877.
Captain Torrey married Sarah E. Pickering, a daughter of Timothy Pickering and a de- scendant of one of Deer Isle's pioneer settlers. Mrs. Torrey is the mother of three sons - Fred A., Elvin J., and Guy E. Torrey. Fred A., who married Lillian Staples, and resides in Stonington, has one son, Norman.
Elvin J. Torrey is the president of a trust and safe deposit company in Fitchburg, Mass. The Captain is a Democrat in politics, and has ably fulfilled the duties of Town Treas- urer for five years. He is favorably known in shipping circles, and belongs to the Masonic order.
ON. CHARLES AUGUSTUS Mc- CULLOUGH, United States Consul at St. Stephens, N. B., and a mem- ber of the firm Mccullough & Tait, iron and brass founders of Calais, Washington County, was born in Calais, March 22, 1849, son of William and Eliza (White) Mccullough. The paternal grandfather, who was probably a na- tive of County Down, Ireland, emigrated to the Province of New Brunswick, and engaged in farming.
William McCullough, who was born in St. Stephens in 1827, came to Calais when quite young. After learning the shoemaker's trade, he followed it as a journeyman until he be- came the foreman of Sawyer & Robbins's fac- tory. Later he purchased the business of that firm, and carried it on successfully for the rest of his life. Though he served for one or two terms in the City Council, he had no political aspirations, preferring to devote what leisure time he could spare from his business to other interests, particularly to those of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, of which he was a member and which he served as a teacher in its Sunday-school. A Master Mason, he be- longed to St. Croix Lodge. Eliza, his wife,
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who was a native of St. John, N. B., became the mother of eight children, namely : Charles A., the subject of this sketch; Thomas, now Tax Collector of Calais; Itelen E., the wife of Thomas R. Mitchell, of St. Stephens ; Lemuel, who resides in Somerville, Mass. ; William F., a resident of Calais; Annie, the wife of Ernest G. Young, of this city; Fred- erick, who is no longer living; and Mary, who is also married.
Having obtained his education in the com- mon schools and at the Calais Academy, Charles Augustus Mccullough was employed as a store clerk for two years. He then served an apprenticeship at the iron and brass founder's trade, and afterward followed it for several years, for some of the time in the ca- pacity of foreman. After the burning of the foundry in which he was employed, he formed a partnership with Moses Tait, under the firm name of Mccullough & Tait, which has since carried on an extensive iron and brass busi- ness, now constituting one of the important industries of the city. Mr. Mccullough was an incorporator of and is interested in the Calais Savings Bank, and is also interested in other local institutions. As a Republican he served for five years in the Board of Aldermen. He was Mayor during the years 1889, 1890, and 1891, at the end of which period he de- clined a fourth nomination. Under his ad- ministration many public improvements were conceived and commenced, including the con- struction of macadamized roads, concrete side- walks, and an entirely new sewer system. In 1892 he represented the Fourth District at the
National Republican Convention held in Min- neapolis, Minn. As Representative to the legislature during the sessions of 1893 and 1895 he served in the Committees on Rail- roads, Telegraph and Express, and Highways and Bridges, being the chairman of the last named during his second term; and in the last session of the Senate he served in the first- named committee and in that on Claims. He was recently appointed United States Consul at St. Stephens.
Mr. Mccullough married Emma E. Leigh- ton, daughter of Almon Leighton, of this city. They have three children living, namely : Mary Helen, the wife of Scott P. Bradish, of Eastport, Me. ; Emma; and Sadie McCul- lough. Mr. Mccullough is a Past Master of St. Croix Lodge, F. &. A. M., of which he is now Treasurer; and he is serving in the same capacity St. Croix Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and Hugh de Payens Commandery, Knights Templar. He is also connected with Delta Lodge of Perfection, at Machias, and with Fellowship Lodge, I. O. O. F., of this city.
A UGUSTUS N. OSGOOD, a highly es- teemed resident of Blue Hill, Han- cock County, son of Isaac S. and Lois (Stover) Osgood, was born in this town, December 7, 1826. The grandfather, Phineas Osgood, who, it is thought, was born in An- dover, Mass., came from that town to Blue Hill, where he settled on a tract of unculti- vated land some one hundred acres in extent, cleared a large part of it, and built a frame
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house. He died at the age of eighty years. His wife, Mary Smith Osgood, was a native of Sedgwick, Me.
Isaac S. Osgood, born in Blue Hill, was by occupation a farmer. Public-spirited and a man of ability and character, he was chosen to fill many positions of responsibility. During twenty-five years, as Selectman of the town and the chairman of the board, he exercised a controlling hand in town affairs. He also served as County Commissioner and Deputy Collector of Customs at Castine. In early life he taught school for some time. Constantly residing at Blue Hill, he took much interest in his farm, which he enlarged and improved in many ways. At his death in 1877 he was eighty-three years of age. His wife, Lois, who was the daughter of Jeremiah Stover, reared eight children - Mary, Mehitable, Au- gustus N., Abbie, Luther and Ellen (twins), Rufus, and Fanny. Mary, who resides at Blue Hill, is the widow of the late Herbert Smith. Her first husband was George Allen. She has no family. Mehitable, now deceased, was successively married to Amos Varnum and Inglison MacIntire, and had three chil- dren : Clara by the first husband; and Edward and Harvey by the second. Abbie, who re- sides in Iowa, is the wife of David B. Lufkin and the mother of Charles, Mabel, Edwin, Earnest, and Cora Lufkin. Luther, who mar- ried Sarah Hinckley, of Blue Hill, lives in California, and has a daughter, Blanche. Ellen, who is deceased, married William Atherton, a resident of California, and bore him four children - George, Hattie, Clarence,
and Carrie. Rufus, deceased, who resided in California, married Carrie Jarvis, of Surry, who has four sons by him - Fred, Edward, Howard, and Willie. Fanny, whose home is also in California, married Joseph Angelotti, and has two children - Frank and Emma.
Augustus N. Osgood was still very young when he was obliged to leave the district school and become self-supporting. . After- ward he assisted his father on the farm, and worked in the woods until he reached his ma- jority. Then for the next fifteen years he worked at ship-carpentering, at the same time making Blue Hill his home. At the end of that period he settled permanently on the farm to take care of his aged parents, and subse- quently succeeded to the property. By his marriage with Augusta L., daughter of Joseph and Phœbe (Hinckley) Osgood, he has be- come the father of five children - George, Florence, Newton, Eugene, and Ernest. George married Emily (Eaton) Dority, of Sedgwick. Florence married George Morse, resides in Blue Hill, and is the mother of Isa- belle, Nora, Harold W., Rufus O., and Ida Morse. Newton, who married Myra Keene and resides at Haverhill, Mass., has one child, Beatrice. Eugene, also a resident of Blue Hill, married Blanche Wardwell, who has borne him four sons - Kenneth, Cecil, Howard, and Malcolm. Ernest married Nora Bowden, of Surry, and resides with his par- ents.
Mr. Osgood has worthily upheld the tradi- tions of his family by faithfully serving his townspeople in various official positions. For
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about five years he has been both a member of the Board of Selectmen and Deputy Sheriff. Also for many years he has been School Agent for Blue Hill, and he was one of the trustees of the fund for the building of the Stevens Academy. At one time he was Town Sur- veyor. His religious belief accords with the creed of the Baptist church, of which he is a member, and which he has served in the capacity of treasurer and that of the chairman of the Church Committee for many years. A stanch upholder of good government, he has never missed an election of any sort since 1848, when he cast his first Presidential vote for Zachary Taylor.
ON. ELISHA T. HOLBROOK, of Vanceboro, Washington County, was born in Farley, Vt., May 11, 1833, son of Henry E. and Clarissa (Lamb) Hol- brook. The grandfather, Parker M. Hol- brook, a native of Connecticut, was an early settler in Farley, where he tilled the soil for many years. His last days were spent in St. Lawrence County, New York, where he died at the age of seventy-nine years. He had five children, none of whom are living. Henry E. Holbrook, son of Parker M., born in Bradford, Vt., grew to manhood as a farmer. He fol- lowed that occupation in Vermont during the active period of his life; and he died in St. Lawrence County, New York, at the age of seventy-two. In his later years he was a Re- publican. His religious belief was the Con- gregationalist. Clarissa, his wife, who was
a native of Hyde Park, Vt., became the mother of eleven children. Of these, four are living - Elisha T., Calvin M., Mrs. Clara Austin, and Mrs. Almeda Bean - all of whom, except Elisha T., reside in Boulder City, Col. The others were: Sophia, Mary E., Mary A., Joseph, Edward, Harriet Austin, and another child that died in infancy. The mother lived to be eighty-five years old.
Elisha T. Holbrook resided at home until he was nineteen years old. Then he travelled through the Western States for two years in the interest of several leading insurance com- panies. After this he returned home, and completed his education at the Normal School. He was next engaged in teaching for about seven years. At the end of that time he went to Canada, where he acted as general agent for the sale of Miller's Extract of Hem- lock Bark for over two years, and was also en- gaged in trade for some time. Later he came to Maine as book-keeper for the Shaw Brothers at Jackson Brook, where he remained about two and a half years. He came to Vanceboro in 1873, to act in the same capacity in the new department store. On severing his con- nection with that concern nine years later, he established himself in a general mercantile business in this town. Starting with a large and varied stock, which afforded the people of the neighborhood sufficient opportunity to se- lect just what they wanted, he continued that policy, with the result that he won a large and profitable patronage. Some time since he withdrew from the active management of the store in favor of his son, and is now person-
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ally engaged in general farming. He owns and cultivates about five hundred acres of land, and is a registered cattle breeder, mak- ing a specialty of raising Holstein stock. Public affairs have absorbed considerable of his time. He has served with ability as a Selectman and in other town offices, was a Representative to the legislature in 1883, a State Senator in 1889 and 1890, Trial Justice for twenty one years, and he is now acting as a Notary Public. He is a member of St. Croix Lodge, No. 73, F. & A. M .; and of Lodge No. 78, Knights of Pythias, of Vance- boro.
On February 8, 1861, Mr. Holbrook mar- ried Mary A. Whitney, who was born in Abbotsford, Canada, in 1838. They have two sons: Edward A., born in Abbotsford, June 6, 1863; and Harry S., born in St. Lawrence County, New York, May 5, 1865. Edward A. Holbrook, who succeeded his father in the management of the store, is one of the most enterprising young men in the town. He has been Postmaster for four years, and is now first Selectman. On September 9, 1886, he married Louisa T. Sprague, of Princeton, Me., and now has three daughters - Mary L., Margaret A., and Ruth C. Holbrook. He is an advanced Mason, being a member of the Blue Lodge in Danforth, of St. Croix Chap- ter, and of the commandery in Calais. He is also connected with Friendship Lodge, No. 97, I. O. O. F., of that town; and with the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen in Vanceboro. Harry S. Holbrook, who is connected with his brother's
store, married Georgia Peava, of Week's Mills, Me., and has one son, George Thayer Holbrook. He has served as Town Clerk, and is connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is also a member of the Congregational church. Mr. Holbrook, Sr., is one of the best known residents in this section of the county, and his ability both as a business man and public official is highly appreciated. He and his sons are active supporters of the Re- publican party. Mrs. Holbrook died March 26, 1888.
ANIEL HARRIS, who is engaged in general farming and stock-rais- ing in Canaan, Somerset County, born June 18, 1858, is a native of Moose River Plantation, this county. His father and mother, who were born in England and Ireland, respectively, came to the United States when quite young. Richard Harris, the father, settled in Moose River Plantation, where he was engaged in farming for many years, and is now living in retirement in Skowhegan. . His wife died June 23, 1891. She was the mother of nine children, namely : Robert and Olive, who are no longer living; Lizzie, now the widow of Albert Douglas; Susie and Henrietta, both of whom are now residing in Skowhegan; Waymouth, who re- sides in California; Albert, who lives in Al. pena, Mich .; Daniel, the subject of this sketch; and Maria, the wife of Frank B. Nel- son, of Canaan.
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Daniel Harris acquired a common-school education. At an early age he began to as- sist his father in carrying on the home farm. He resided there until 1891, when he moved to the Robinson farm of one hundred acres in Canaan. Besides this property he owns the Harris homestead of seventy-five acres. He makes the most of his opportunities for carry- ing on general farming and cattle raising, and conducts quite an extensive dairying business.
On September 23, 1886, Mr. Harris mar- ried Carrie E. Robinson, who was born in Waterville, March 18, 1857, daughter of George W. and Hannah (Springer) Robinson. Mrs. Harris's father was at one time a boot and shoe dealer in Waterville and Skowhegan and later a cigar manufacturer in Lewiston. Afterward he devoted his time exclusively to agriculture in Canaan, where he died in June, 1886. Mrs. Robinson is now living with her son in Auburn, Me. She and her husband reared four children, namely: Carrie E., who is now Mrs. Harris; Mary S., the wife of Willis H. Bursiel, a street car conductor in Boston; Charles E., who married Carrie Butts, and is in the fruit business in Charles- ton, S.C .; and Leon P. Robinson, an opera- tive in a shoe factory in Auburn. Mr. and Mrs. Harris have had two children, one of whom died in infancy. Their only daughter, Hester, was born January 29, 1897. Politi- cally, Mr. Harris is a Republican, and is now serving his second term as a Selectman, hav- ing previously been a member of that body in 1890. He is a Master Mason and a member of Carabasset Lodge, Canaan.
UDAH D. TEAGUE was an able busi- ness man and a public-spirited citizen of Caribou, Aroostook County. Born in Turner, Me., July 18, 1821, he was a son of Richard and Lydia (Lombard) Teague. The father was an industrious farmer of Turner, where he died, after spending in it the greater part of his life. Lydia, his first wife, died in 1842. His second marriage was contracted with Betsey Briggs, of Turner, who is also deceased. The children of his first union were : Judah D., Daniel, Louisa, Rufus, and Naomi, none of whom are now living. Born of his second wife were: Herbert, who carries on a general mercantile business and operates a mill in Jay, Me. ; and Edward, who resides in Montana, and is a carpenter by trade.
At the age of twenty years, having acquired a district-school education, Judah D. Teague began the laborious task of clearing and culti- vating an unimproved tract of land. In 1855 he opened a general store in Turner, where he was in business for about five years. Then he came to Caribou, and kept a store here for the succeeding six years. After this he was prosperously engaged in general farming for the rest of his life, also dealing quite exten- sively in real estate. He sold to the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad Company the land near the river now occupied by the station engine- house and turn-table; and he subdivided a tract of land east of North Main Street into large building lots, reserving nearly six acres for a public park. His public services were rendered in the principal town offices, includ-
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