USA > Maine > Piscataquis County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 53
USA > Maine > Aroostook County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 53
USA > Maine > Hancock County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 53
USA > Maine > Washington County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 53
USA > Maine > Somerset County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine > Part 53
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Eben, who was the senior member of the firm Wyman & Cobb at Redstone, N. H., and after- ward a partner in the firm George B. Haskell & Co., of Lewiston, Me., until his death, which occurred Junc 7, 1898; Julia, who re- sides with her parents; George, who is a clerk in the store of Wyman & Cobb at Redstone; and Gracc, who died in infancy.
Mr. Wyman was a resident of Tremont, Me., during the war of the Rebellion, and, al- though never drafted, assistcd in making up Tremont's quota by furnishing a three years' substitute, and was nominated by his party, largely in the minority in Hancock County, and not elected, as follows: for Sheriff in 1869, 1873, 1875, and 1882; for Clerk of Courts in 1877; for Representative to legis- lature from Ellsworth in 1892. He has also served as a member of the Democratic State Committee.
OSEPH NYE, an extensive farmer and dairyman of Fairfield, Somerset County, was born in this town, Febru- ary 3, 1824, son of Joseph and Mary (Free- man) Nye. His parents were natives of Fair- field; and his paternal grandfather, Elisha Nyc, who came here from Sandwich, Mass., resided for a time in the village, but later lo- cated near the present Nye homestead. Jo- seph Nye, father of the subject of this sketch, settled upon the farm now occupied by his son in 1820, and tilled the soil industriously until his death, which occurred in 1865. He was the father of twelve children, namely: Sophronia, who died at the age of one year;
Sophronia, second, wife of Elisha Lawrence, a farmer in Fairfield; Joseph, the subject of this sketch; Lemuel, who is no longer living; Robinson, who is a resident of Illinois; James F., a farmer of Fairfield, who married Susan A. Ellis, and has two children - Mary C. and Earle L .; John, a resident of California; Mary and Daniel, who reside at the home- stead; Rebecca, wifc of A. B. Green, of Waterville, Me. ; and two others who died be- fore reaching maturity. The mother died in 1881.
Joseph Nye in his boyhood and youth at- tended the town schools and assisted his father upon the farm. He resided at home until 1852, when he went to Nevada City, Cal., where he was engaged in mining for over three years. Upon his return home he took charge of the farm, caring for his parents during their declining years, and has since given his entire attention to its cultivation. He owns about three hundred acres, which afford excellent facilities for the raising and pasturage of stock; and he carries on a large business.
In 1856 Mr. Nye married for his first wife Ruth, daughter of Sturgis and Ruth (Hinks) Nye, her father being a prosperous farmer of Fairfield. She died in 1860, and Mr. Nye married for his second wife Miss Sarah B. Allen, daughter of the late Major Daniel Allen, of this town. She also has passed away. Of his first union were born two chil- dren : Ruth, who died at the age of eighteen ; and Herbert E., who died at the age of twenty-two.
EDWARD E. WILLIAMS.
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In early life a Whig, Mr. Nye has voted with the Republican party since its formation. He takes no active part in public affairs be- yond casting his ballot. The only society with which he is connected is the Patrons of Husbandry. In religious belief a Methodist, he attends the Good Will chapel.
DWARD E. WILLIAMS, of Brown- ville, Piscataquis County, the super- intendent of the Brownville, Me., Slate Com- pany's quarries, son of Owen and Margaret Williams, was born here, September 4, 1855. The father, an enterprising Welshman, came to this country from his home in Wales, and was one of the early settlers of Brownville. As an employee of Hughes & Crocker he was one of the very first to engage in the work of opening the Brownville slate quarries. He continued in the employ of that company as long as they remained in business, afterward followed the same business for the rest of his life, and was considered one of the best au- thorities on slate in this locality. His death occurred at his home here in 1883. In poli- tics he was a Republican, in religion a Con- gregationalist. His widow, Margaret Will- iams, still lives here. They had six children, all now living, namely : Margaret S., unmar- ried and residing in Brownville; Edward E., the subject of this biography; Elias, of Brownville; Owen H., of Bangor; Mary J., the wife of P. M. Jones, of Monson; and Henry L., of Brownville Junction.
Edward E. Williams has always lived in
Brownville. He attended school for a time, but his opportunities for an education have been very meagre. When nine years old he began working in the quarry, performing the lighter tasks until able to take his place with the regular workmen. Finally, four years ago, he was promoted to his present position of superintendent of the entire plant of the Brownville Slate Company. This quarry, which was opened in 1843 by William Hughes and Samuel Crocker, and has always been known as the old Crocker quarry, is of special interest from the fact that it was the first slate quarry opened in the State of Maine. In 1890 the well-known firm, Norcross Brothers, of Worcester, Mass., bought the quarry ; and it has since been run by them. Their owner- ship of this vein embraces an extent of three miles lying east and west, and at the present time has been worked to a depth of two hundred feet. The vein is four hundred feet wide, while its depth is unknown. The company produces roofing slate exclusively, which is of a quality that is generally con- ceded to be the best in the world. The quarry is worked the year round, and gives steady employment to one hundred men. The slate is shipped to all parts of the United States, and has found a market in South Africa and other distant places.
On January 14, 1877, Mr. Williams married Anna E., daughter of Captain M. W. Brown. Three sons and a daughter have been born to them ; namely, Frank A., Stella E., Charles E., and Moses B. Mr. Williams holds liberal opinions on religious subjects. In politics
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he is a Republican. He served as Select- man for one term. Fraternally, he is a mem- ber of Pleasant River Lodge, No. 163, F. & A. M., of Brownville; and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Milo.
EORGE F. WEBBER, M. D., a prom- inent physician of Fairfield, Somer- set County, son of George and Rebecca (Mer- riman) Webber, was born in Richmond, this State, June 12, 1856. The father, also a native of Richmond, lived in that town during the greater part of his life, engaged in the trades of carriage-maker and blacksmith, and died there at the age of eighty-three. His wife, Rebecca, a native of Bowdoin, who now resides in Litchfield, had ten children, namely : Ruel and Adeline, both of whom re- side in Richmond; Mary and Rebecca, who are deceased; Arista, who resides in Lewis- ton; Thirza, a resident of Litchfield; George F., the subject of this sketch; Paulina, who resides in Beverly, Mass .; Charles, who re- sides on the old homestead in Litchfield; and Nellie, who resides at Milltown, N. B.
After attending the common schools for the usual period, George F. Webber fitted for col- lege at Litchfield Academy. Then he studied for three years at the Bowdoin Medical School, and also for a time at the University and Bellevue Hospitals in New York and at Tufts College in Boston. Having received his diploma in 1879, consequent upon his graduation at Bowdoin, he went to Lisbon Falls, Me., where he was engaged in practice
for three years. Subsequently he was in Clin- ton, Me., for nine years. From there he went to Waltham, Mass., where he remained until 1890. From that time until 1895 he practised in Burnham and Portsmouth. In 1895 he came to Fairfield. The Doctor's practice is largely in the adjoining towns and outlying districts, including Pittsfield, where he has a long list of patients.
Dr. Webber was married on November 28, 1878, to Allie M. Ham, who was born in Auburn, Me., in 1859, daughter of Joel and Maria (Maxwell) Ham. Mr. Ham, who was a farmer and lived in Wales, Me., was a prominent citizen and served as Postmaster, surveyor, and a member of the legislature. He is now deceased. His wife, who survives him, resides in Auburn, Me., with her chil- dren. Dr. Webber and his wife have two children : Millard Carroll, who was born on July 6, 1882; and Merlon A., who was born on November 2, 1884. The Doctor has al- ways shown a warm interest in public affairs. For two years he was Supervisor of Schools. Politically, he is a Democrat, and he invari- ably votes the straight Democratic ticket. He belongs to a large number of fraternal so- cieties, notably to Morning Star Lodge, No. 28, F. & A. M., of Litchfield, Me., of which he has been a member since he was twenty- one years of age; to Phlentoma Lodge, In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, of Pitts- field, Me .; to the Knights of Pythias at Lisbon Falls, Me .; to Lodge No. 26, Amer- ican Order of United Workmen, at Waltham ; and, with his wife, to the Ladies' Star Lodge
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of the Masonic Order for Ladies. Mrs. Web- ber is a member of the Baptist church at Auburn. Professionally, the Doctor is a member of the Massachusetts State Medical Society of Boston. He is well and widely known among medical men, and takes high rank among them.
REDERICK A. POWERS, of Houl- ton, a member of the well-known law firm of Powers & Powers, was born in Pitts- field, Somerset County, Me., June 19, 1855, son of Arba and Naomi (Matthews) Powers. He is a descendant of Walter Power, an early settler of Littleton, Mass. Mr. Powers's boy- hood days were passed upon his father's farm in Pittsfield, Me. He fitted for college at the Maine Central Institute at Pittsfield, graduat- ing there in the class of 1871 ; and he subse- quently graduated at Bowdoin College in the class of 1875. He then read law with his brother, the Hon. Llewellyn Powers at Houl- ton, and was admitted to the bar in Septem- ber, 1876. He has since practised his profes- sion in Houlton. A Republican in politics, Mr. Powers has taken an active part in public affairs. He was Representative to the Maine legislature in 1885 and 1887 and State Sen- ator in 1891. In 1893-96 he served as Attor- ney-general of Maine. Mr. Powers is a Free Mason, and also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He attends the Uni- tarian church. He was married January 9, 1879, to Miss May Hussey, a native of Houl- ton and daughter of Sylvanus H. and Mary J.
Hussey. He has two children - Llewellyn H. and Paul H. Powers.
LBERT S. PARSONS, the chairman of the New Portland Board of Se- lectmen, son of Albert and Mary (Hutchins) Parsons, was born here, March 7, 1843. His grandfather, Henry Parsons, moved from North Anson to Lexington, this county. The father, Albert Parsons, born in North Anson, left home at the age of twenty-one and settled in Lexington. Later he moved to Bray Hill, New Portland, and lived there for three years. During the twelve years following he resided at East New Portland; and the rest of his life was spent at Solon, Me. He died in July, 1859. His wife, a native of New Portland, subsequently married the Rev. Leonard Hathaway, of Har- mony, Me., and lived with him in this town until he died in 1874. She died at the home of her son, Albert S., in February, 1890. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Par- sons : Mary E., born February 11, 1840, who died at Harmony in November, 1863; Sarah A., born November 21, 1841, who died in April, 1864; Albert S., the subject of this sketch ; and Charles T., born in April, 1845, who died in 1887 at Chillicothe, Mo. Sarah A. was the wife of Eben N. Moody, who is now a resident of Dedham, Mass.
Albert S. Parsons acquired his education in the common schools of Solon and New Port- land and in the Maine State Seminary of Lewiston. Sixteen years old when his father
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died, he started out then to earn his own liv- ing, teaching in New Portland and working on a farm. From 1871 to 1879 he lived on a farm near the one which he now owns, and in the latter year he moved to his present home. He has a well-improved farm of about one hun- dred and sixty acres, with new buildings, and is engaged in general farming, stock-raising, and dairying. Mr. Parsons was a Republican at the time of the Civil War, and voted for Lincoln; but while still a young man he joined the Democratic party. He was first elected superintendent of schools here and then third Selectman. In 1881 and 1882 he represented this district in the legislature of the State and when his term in the house ex- pired he was elected first Selectman. He has been chairman of the Board of Selectmen nine years.
On May 28, 1871, Mr. Parsons was married to Rhoda F. Abbott, of New Portland, a daughter of Lewis and Angeline (Frederic) Abbott. Mr. Abbott, who was a farmer of New Portland township, died here. His widow is living in East New Portland. Mrs. Parsons died June 24, 1891. She was the mother of five children, namely: Ina Mary, born January 24, 1873, now a teacher in Clare- mont, N. H .; Cora Rhoda, born October I, 1874, now engaged in teaching ; Mabel Angie, born March 29, 1877, now the wife of Will- ard L. Whitten, who lives on the Tufts farm, near her father's; Charles Albert, born June 24, 1879, who was drowned in New Portland when thirteen years of age; and William Lewis, born November 1I, 1884, who is with
his father. Mr. Parsons's eldest daughter, Ina, graduated from Bates College in the class of 1896 as valedictorian. His second daugh- ter, Cora, graduated from the Farmington State Normal School in 1897. All the daugh- ters are members of the Free Baptist church.
LBERT HARRIS WARE, for many years one of the leading lawyers of Somerset County, Maine, was born on August 7, 1827, in the town of Athens, Me., and was the second son of Abel, Jr., and Elizabeth R. (Thomas) Ware.
Abel Ware, Jr., was born September II, 1798. He was the son of Abel and Sybil (Spaulding) Ware, of Concord, Me. His pa- ternal grandfather, Dr. Ephraim Ware, of Groton, Mass., who was a Revolutionary sol- dier, came to Concord, Me., in the latter part of last century.
Abel Ware, Jr., married Elizabeth Ross Thomas, daughter of Dr. Stephen Thomas, a surgeon in the English navy. Mr. Ware was for many years a prominent merchant in the town of Athens, Me. Subsequently he held for ten years a position in the United States Treasury Department at Washington, D. C. He died May 27, 1889. His wife died at Salem, N. Y., August 20, 1882.
Albert Harris Ware early showed great fondness for books and remarkable aptitude in learning. At the age of nineteen he entered Bowdoin College, from which he was gradu- ated in 1849. For several years following he was principal of Topsham Academy, reading
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law meanwhile. In 1854 he was admitted to the bar, and began the practice of law in North Anson, Me. His rare scholarship and thorough knowledge of the most intricate points of law soon placed him in the foremost rank of his profession. Strict probity of character and a ready sympathy with the wronged and oppressed won for him many friends and a large legal practice. In his early business life he held the office of Regis- ter of Probate in Somerset County for four years, also serving as Supervisor of Schools for several years. In politics he was a Re- publican. His death, which occurred April I, 1893, was widely regretted.
Mr. Ware married Harriet E., daughter of Dr. Isaac Palmer, of North Anson. Six chil- dren were born to them, of whom three -- Albert P., Robert C., and Lillian - died in early childhood. Three - Winifred, Isaac Palmer, and Mary Lillian - attained the age of maturity.
Winifred Ware was born December 19, 1861. She was graduated from Anson Acad- emy in 1880 and from the Maine Wesleyan Seminary in 1884. In the next ensuing years she was preceptress of Anson Academy and first assistant in the high schools of Wareham, Mass., and Skowhegan, Me. On January 19, 1890, she was married to David L. Bodfish, of Wareham, Mass. Their home is in Palmer, Mass., where Mr. Bodfish is a dry- goods merchant. They have two children : Elizabeth, born October 31, '1892; and Robert Ware, born September 8, 1895.
Isaac Palmer Ware was born March 2,
1867. He received his education at Anson Academy, Eaton School, Norridgewock, and Maine Wesleyan Seminary, graduating from the latter in 1884. In 1890 he was graduated as first honor man at Bellevue Medical Col- lege, New York. After a year of practice of his profession in Oelrichs, S. Dak., Dr. Ware returned to the East, and passed a suc- cessful competitive examination for the posi- tion of surgeon in the United States army, receiving his commission in June, 1892. He is now stationed at the Presidio, San Fran- cisco, Cal.
Mary Lillian Ware was born June 1, 1871. She was a member of the class of 1888 in Anson Academy, and was graduated from Maine Wesleyan Seminary in the class of 1890. She was married to Lester V. Bailcy, of Worcester, Mass., on August 23, 1893. She died May 1, 1897, leaving one child, Albert Ware Bailey, born January 19, 1896.
OHN W. SOMES, a contractor and merchant of Mount Desert, Hancock County, was born in the town of Mount Desert, May 16, 1838, son of John and Julia L. (Kittredge) Somes. His first ancestor of whom there is any authentic knowledge was Morris Somes. Born in Gloucester in 1714, Morris became the owner of a tract of land on the east side of Mill River in that town. It is not known how many wives he had, but he was the father of seventeen children. Abraham Somes, son of Morris and great- grandfather of John W., was the first settler
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of Mount Desert Island, to which he came on a vessel in 1762. After locating upon a tract of land now known as Somesville he built a log house upon the site of the present Hotel Somes. Besides farming he was engaged in the fishing industry, and was a master mar- iner. He resided here alone some time be- fore moving his family from Gloucester, and he lived to be over eighty years old. The maiden name of his wife was Hannah Herrick.
John Somes, grandfather of John W., was born in Mount Desert some four or five years after his father settled here, and always lived upon the island. He followed the trades of blacksmith and millwright in connection with farming, and manufactured lumber to some extent during his active period. At his death in 1849 he was eighty-three years old. Pre- vious to the setting-off of Maine he was a Representative to the General Court of Mas- sachusetts in 1812 and 1817, and took a lead- ing part in local affairs. He married Judith Richardson, and reared a family of seven chil- dren; namely, John, Judith, Jacob, Abraham, Benjamin, Emily, and Julia Ann. Julia was quite young when she died. John Somes, Jr., the father of John W., was born upon the homestead farm. When a young man he learned the trades of blacksmith and ship-car- pentcr. He and his brothers built and owned several vessels which were engaged in the for- eign trade. The ship-building industry car- ried on by them was continued by their boys up to the time in which steam took the place of sails and large vessels the place of smaller ones. John Somes was actively concerned in
the town government, and was Postmaster for a period of forty years. He lived to the ad- vanced age of ninety-three. Julia L. Somes, his wife, who was a daughter of William Kittredge, of Billerica, Mass., and died March 28, 1866, became the mother of four children - Judith, John W., Henrietta, and Sarah J. Judith is the widow of Herschel Heath, who left two daughters: Mrs. Catha- rine L. Pray, who has one daughter, Lucy Emmons; and Mrs. Julia S. Fernald, who has one son, Burton Allen Fernald. Henrietta married Roscoe G. Saulsbury, of Somesville, and has one daughter, Edith E. Saulsbury, who marricd Hollis Hyson, and has a son, Roscoe H. Sarah J. Somes resides with her brother.
John W. Somes attended the district schools. When a young man he engaged in ship-building, and afterward followed it steadily for about twenty years. The decline of the industry finally caused him to abandon it, and he has since given his attention to agriculture and the manufacture of lumber. His large farm, originally the Reed estate, was purchased by his father, who erected the present buildings. He married Lucy F. Allen, a daughter of Elijah M. Allen, of Ellsworth, Me. His only son, John Allen Somes, married Ada Mary Richardson, daugh- ter of Mark T. and Mary J. Richardson, and has one son, Mark Whiting Somes.
Every year since he was twenty-two years old Mr. Somes has held some town office, being Treasurer and Collector at the present time and a County Commissioner' for ten
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years. He has just been elected to the State legislature of Maine from the classic towns of Eden, Mount Desert, Tremont, and Cranberry Isles, receiving five-sevenths of all the votes cast. The election occurred September 12, 1898. He is a Master Mason and a member of the local grange, Patrons of Husbandry. His first Presidential vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, and he has since acted with the Republican party.
APTAIN CALVIN V. CORNING, commander of the bark "Gleneida " and the senior ship-master hailing from Eastport, Me., was born in Yarmouth, N. S., August 12, 1833, son of David and Bethia (Trask) Corning. His father was born in Yarmouth, July 13, 1803, and his mother was born in the same town. Jonathan Corn- ing, Captain Corning's grandfather, was born and reared in Massachusetts previous to the Declaration of Independence. He was a loyal subject of King George; and at the breaking out of the Revolutionary War he removed to Nova Scotia, settling in Yarmouth, where he resided for the rest of his life. He was a land surveyor and a man of sterling ability and worth. He lived to be about ninety years old.
David Corning, Captain Corning's father, followed the business of a ship-builder in con- nection with farming, and was closely identi- fied with the public affairs of Yarmouth in his day, serving with ability in various town offices. He was an earnest advocate of the temperance cause, being one of the seven men
who founded the first temperance organization in British North America, and serving as its president for a number of years. In his relig- ious belief he was a Baptist. David Corning died at the age of eighty-one years, and his wife died at sixty-eight. They were the par- ents of six children, namely : Jesse, who died at the age of twenty years; Captain Thomas Corning, a retired ship-master, residing in Nova Scotia; Samuel, a prosperous farmer of that Province; Calvin V., the subject of this sketch; Captain David W. Corning, of Yar- mouth ; and Mary S., who resides in Nova Scotia, and is the widow of Captain Lemuel Goudy.
Calvin V. Corning was educated in the pub- lic schools of his native town, and at the age of sixteen he began going to sea as ordinary seaman in the West India and European trade. Becoming master of the brig "Helen Mar " at the age of twenty, he continued a few years in the West India trade. In 1856 he started in the ship-building business, and built the full- rigged brig "Acma," the bark "Cora Linn," and the "Jane Young." From the date of his removal to Eastport, in 1858, to the present time, with the exception of a few years as chief mate of the brig "Waredale " with Captain B. Shackford and in the brig "Hobart" with Captain Jordan, he has been master. He has commanded the brig "Waredale," the brig "Emily Fisher," and the barks "J. H. Mc- Larlen," of five hundred and sixty-four tons; "Lyra," five hundred and fourteen tons; and "Gleneida," of seven hundred and eighty- three tons. For the last twenty years he has
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sailed mostly on long voyages, as to Europe, the Pacific, to New Zealand, South Africa, and India, and bas visited the principal ports of the world. That he has displayed unusually good seamanship is attested by the fact that he has never met with an accident of sufficient gravity to establish a claim against the under- writers, a record of which he has every reason to be proud.
On November 20, 1853, Captain Corning married for his first wife Catharine Goodwin, who was born in Yarmouth, September 9, 1839. She died September 13, 1864, and was buried at sea. On November 5, 1866, he mar- ried for his second wife Lucy S. Stevens, daughter of Samuel Stevens, of Eastport. Of his first union were born four children, namely : Jesse C., who died in infancy ; Hen- rietta, who died in Eastport at the age of two years; David W. Corning, a resident of Alls- ton, Mass. ; and Annie C., wife of E. R. Ben- ton, of Newton Centre, Mass. The children of his present wife are: Bessie F. and Alice M. Corning, still living; and a daughter Lulu, born June 4, 1871, who died March II, 1873.
Captain Corning is still actively engaged in the merchant marine service, and is about to depart from New York on a long foreign voy- age. The heat of the tropics and the chilling winds of the northern seas have had no visible effect upon his vigorous constitution, and he still retains the strength and agility of youth. He has many friends and acquaintances in different parts of the world, but their interest in his welfare and success can never exceed
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