USA > Maine > Oxford County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Oxford and Franklin counties, Maine > Part 20
USA > Maine > Franklin County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Oxford and Franklin counties, Maine > Part 20
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one child, a daughter, Isabelle by name, who was born November 2, 1892.
Mr. Andrews is one of the prominent citi- zens of Lovell; and, though he is not an aspi- rant for social or political distinction, he has served his fellows in several minor public po- sitions. In national politics he has always been affiliated with the Republican party, of the principles advocated by which he is a vigorous supporter. Mrs. Andrews is a mem- ber of the Christian Church of Lovell village. Mr. Andrews has ever been an enterprising, industrious man; and his efforts have been crowned by a gratifying degree of success. He enjoys a very numerous acquaintance, and commands the respect and trust of all.
HARLES D. HILL, M. D., of Bethel, Me., is an eminent and popular phy- sician, connected with the leading medical societies of the day. He was born in Fryeburg, Oxford County, Me., March 19, 1855, a son of Cyrus K. and Char- lotte S. Hill, and comes of an old family, dat- ing back to Colonial days in New England.
Cyrus K. Hill was born in Limerick, York County, Me., and, with the exception of the four years in which he served as a Union soldier in the late Civil War, passed his life in that place. He was a painter, and, besides working at his trade, followed the pursuit of agriculture for a number of years. He died at the age of sixty-nine. His wife, whose family name was Hill, but who, so far as known, was not of his kin, was born in Chat- ham, N.H. She lived to be seventy years of age.
Through his mother Dr. Hill traces his ancestry back to Peter Hill, planter, who came from Plymouth, England, in 1633, and settled on Richmond Island, belonging to Cape Elizabeth. In 1644 he removed to Winter Harbor (Biddeford Pool), and in 1648 he was a member of the court of Lygonia. His death occurred in 1697. Many of his de- scendants figured conspicuously in the early history of Saco and Biddeford, Me. Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus K. Hill were members of the Con- gregational church. They reared two sons - Erastus G. and Charles D. The elder is a
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real estate broker, residing in Bradford County, Florida.
Charles D. Hill, the younger son, acquired his early education in the common schools and Limerick Academy. He worked at book- keeping three years, and then took up the study of medicine with Dr. S. O. Clark, of Limerick. In 1880 he was graduated at the Medical School of Maine in Brunswick, Me. Before entering on private practice Dr. Hill had some valuable hospital experience, serv- ing, for eight months prior to his graduation, as steward in the United States Marine Hos- pital service, port of Portland, and subse- quently one year as house surgeon in the Maine General Hospital at Portland. In Sep- tember, 1881, he opened an office in Bethel; and since that time his practice has yearly in- creased. He has been surgeon for the Grand Trunk Railroad for a number of years.
Dr. Hill is a Fellow of the Maine Academy of Medicine, a member of the Maine Medical Association, charter President of the Oxford County Medical Association, and a member of the American Medical Association, and of the National Association of Railway Surgeons. He is interested in politics as a Republican, and was one of the original members of the South Paris United States Examining Pension Board, with which he was connected three years, the establishment of a Democratic ad- ministration ending his term of service. Dr. Hill is Chairman of the Bethel Board of Health. As a Mason he belongs to Bethel Lodge, No. 97; and he is an Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias. He is a very popular member of the community, his fine social qualities, as well as his professional excel- lence, attracting all with whom he comes in contact. Dr. Hill is unmarried.
EMUEL GURNEY, of Hebron, Oxford County, an extensive farmer and fruit grower and a manufacturer of evap- orated apple and maple syrup, was born in West Minot, Me., March 16, 1826, son of Samuel and Lucy (Bryant) Gurney. Samuel Gurney was a native of Bridgewater, Mass., who in young manhood settled in West Minot, where he was engaged in farming upon
shares for several years. His last days were spent in Hebron, where he died at the age of seventy-six years. He was an upright, indus- trious farmer and a worthy citizen. He acted with the Whig party in politics, and he was drafted for service in the Aroostook War. His wife, Lucy, who was a native of Hebron, bore him eight children, five of whom are living, namely : Eunice C., the wife of W. W. Hardy, of Paris; Ruth, the wife of Charles H. George ; Israel R. and Augustus D., who are residing in Natick, Mass. ; and Lemuel, the subject of this sketch. The others were: Eunice, Charles, and Ansel. The mother was about seventy-five years old when she died. Both parents were members of the Baptist church.
Lemuel Gurney passed his youth in Minot, where in the district school he received his elementary education. He subsequently at- tended the Hebron Academy for one term. For a time during his young manhood he was engaged in farming. At a later date he went to Natick, Mass., and was there em- ployed for several years in a large shoe manu- factory conducted by Henry Wilson, who at one time was a candidate of the Free Soil Party for the office of Vice-President of the United States. In 1846 Mr. Gurney returned to Maine, and, settling in Hebron, bought a farm of eighty acres, which forms a part of his present property. Since then he has added to his acreage by the purchase of more land, own- ing at the present time some one hundred and sixty-five acres. On it he erected his present residence with other buildings, and has other- wise greatly improved the property. His large fruit orchard, which he has brought into a fine condition, contains some excellent speci- mens of apple-trees, including some samples of grafting, besides forty different varieties of plums and small fruits. He is quite an exten- sive manufacturer of evaporated apple, which finds a ready sale in the home markets, and makes a specialty of producing cider and vine- gar of a superior quality, which are in great demand. In addition he markets from three to five hundred barrels of fancy grafted apples annually. Upon his premises are excellent facilities for the manufacture of maple sugar and syrup, which he produces in large quan- tities. These, together with his fruits and
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their products, have taken several premiums at the Maine State and Oxford County fairs.
On August 14, 1853, Mr. Gurney wedded for his first wife Calista C. Barrows, of He- bron. She died in 1881, aged forty-six years, three months, and twenty-three days, leaving no children. On January 19, 1892, he mar- ried for his second wife Mrs. Lovina J. Has- kell. She was born in Poland, Me., January 3, 1844, daughter of Nathaniel and Keziah (Hardy) Haskell. By her previous marriage with Freeman B. Haskell, who died February 10, 1879, she has two children, namely : Mary E., wife of C. D. Herrick, of Greenwood, this county ; and Edith L., the wife of F. S. Pike, of Hebron. Mr. Gurney has an adopted son, Fred E., who was born in Lewiston, Me., in November, 1866. He is now married, and re- sides in this town. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gur- ney attend and liberally support the Baptist church. In politics Mr. Gurney has acted with the Republican party since its formation. He is connected with Hebron Grange, No. 43, Patrons of Husbandry ; and he has been Secre- tary and Treasurer of both the Hebron and State Granges. His business reputation is high and widely extended, and he has fully earned the success he now enjoys.
OSEPH KEITH, a well-known wool- carder and formerly the Postmaster of North Chesterville, was born in this town, February 6, 1829, son of Joseph and Betsey (Cornforth) Keith. His grand- father, Adam Keith, who was a native of Middleboro, Mass., married Sally Morrison, also a native of Massachusetts. Her father, William Morrison, who settled in Maine in 1805, was the original possessor of the home- stead in Farmington, this county, now occu- pied by Mrs. J. B. Morrison.
Joseph Keith, Sr., resided with his parents until he reached manhood, at which period he applied himself to learn the trade of a wool- carder and cloth-dresser. In 1812 he went to Unity, Waldo County, where he remained for six years. Returning in 1818, he settled at the Keith homestead in Chesterville. Here he erected a house and other buildings, placed the land in a good state of cultivation, and
followed his trade as well as general farming throughout the rest of his active period. He died in 1869, aged seventy-three years. He was a prominent figure in public affairs, serv- ing as Selectman and Town Treasurer for many years. He was also the first Postmaster at Keith's Mills, a position which he held as long as his age permitted him to serve. In politics he was a Whig, in religious belief a Universalist. His wife, Betsey, whom he married in 1820, bore him four children; namely, Harriet, Leonard, Betsey, and Jo- seph. She died in 1872.
Joseph Keith was educated in the common schools of Chesterville and at the Farmington Academy. While still a youth he began to learn the trade of a wool-carder with his father, and, becoming an expert workman, has followed it to the present day. The old mill, which was destroyed by fire in October, 1884, was rebuilt in the following year, and thoroughly equipped with modern machinery. The present carding machine has a capacity of one thousand pounds of wool per week. Favoring the Republican party, Mr. Keith takes no active part in politics. For forty- two years he was identified with the post-office here as Assistant and Postmaster.
On January 18, 1854, Mr. Keith wedded Mercy B. Gale, a daughter of William R. Gale, of Palmyra, Me., who died when Mrs. Keith was a child. Her mother afterward be- came the wife of A. P. Haskell, of Chester- ville. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Keith have reared five children, namely: William G., born December 22, 1855; Linton J., born March 17, 1857; Irving E., born September 28, 1858; Leonard S., born February 7, 1862; and Alvin H., born March 20, 1865. Will- iam G. Keith, who is now a member of the firm of Keith & Hiscock, hardware dealers of East Brookfield, Mass., married for his second wife Mildred Fay, daughter of Warren D. Fay, of that town. Linton J. Keith, who car- ries on the home farm, married Laura Good- rich, daughter of David Goodrich, of Chester- ville, and has seven children ; namely, Georgie, Harriet A., Betsey B., Edith M., Marion G., Mildred, and Cony. Irving E. Keith, who learned the tailor's trade, and became a well- known salesman of Augusta, Me., is now trav-
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elling in the West. Alvin H. Keith, who was for four years station agent on the Bos- ton & Albany Railroad at Ware, Mass., and is now connected with large plumbing con- cerns in Manchester, N.H., married Emma Martin, a daughter of Emerson Martin, of Manchester.
Leonard S. Keith, who is a prominent busi- ness man and a civil engineer of Chesterville, received his education in the town schools and at the Wilton Academy. At the age of eigh- teen he went to East Brookfield, Mass., and there worked at the tinner's trade for two years. Returning then to Chesterville, he took up the study of civil engineering, and subsequently entered upon that business. His first work as a surveyor was upon J. W. Morse's farm in Jay, Me. Since that time he has surveyed land in Maine, Massachu- setts, and Florida, having remained in the last-named State for a season. He now man- ufactures carriage lifters and all kinds of wood work, runs the carding and grist mills here, and does custom sawing and planing at the saw-mills. The present mills were erected by him in place of the old ones which were de- stroyed by fire in 1884; and in 1893 he built a fine residence upon the site of the former one, which was occupied by Jonas Davis, while he was the grist miller at Keith's Mills. On February 16, 1893, Leonard S. Keith married Cora G. Fellows, of Fayette, Me., a daughter of Eugene Fellows, whose great- grandfather was one of the first settlers of Chesterville. She has one daughter, Geneva R., who was born June 16, 1895.
ANA O. COOLIDGE, Deputy Sher- iff and the proprietor of a thriving livery business in Jay, was born in Livermore, Me., October 12, 1852, son of Elisha and Celia B. (Bradford) Cool- idge, both natives of Livermore. His great- grandfather and grandfather, Thomas and Dan- iel Coolidge, who were natives of Watertown, Mass., settled in Livermore in the early part of the present century, and resided there for the rest of their lives.
Elisha Coolidge was born and reared upon a farm. From 1856 to 1859 he was engaged in
the provision business in Augusta, Me. ; but his principal occupation was farming, which he prosperously followed in Livermore. He was highly respected, and he took an active interest in the progress and development of the town. He died June 29, 1896. His wife, Celia B. Bradford, became the mother of eight children, as follows: Martha C., now residing in Sioux Falls, S. Dak., the widow of Joseph M. Merserve, who died in 1861; Charles, a resident of Jay, who married Angie M. Nick- erson, now deceased; Lizzie, who died at the age of twelve years; Edward, who died in in- fancy; Caroline M., now living in Jay, the widow of E. S. Kyes, who died in Washing- ton, D.C., in 1888; Hiram B., a prosperous agriculturist of Farmington, who married Emma C. Leland; Dana O., the subject of this sketch; and Frank W., who is married and resides in Portland, Me. Mr. Coolidge's mother died in March, 1891.
The school days of Dana O. Coolidge ended with a course at Westbrook Seminary. At the age of twenty-two he went to Boston, where he became a salesman in the cigar and tobacco trade, and remained there for seven years. In the spring of 1883 he returned to his native State, and, settling upon a farm in North Jay, was engaged in general farming there for ten years. In 1893 he moved to North Jay village, where he established him- self in the livery business, to which he has since devoted his attention. He keeps at an average fourteen good driving horses, with first- class equipments. In addition to furnishing the public with excellent turnouts, he buys and sells good horses at every favorable oppor- tunity.
Mr. Coolidge has been twice married. The first ceremony took place June 30, 1880, while he was residing in Boston. By it he was wedded to Ada C. Nickerson, daughter of the late Ensign Nickerson, of Cotuit, Mass., who died in Jay, March 10, 1887. His second marriage was contracted July 3, 1891, with Edith Idella Bean, daughter of George H. and Augusta (Bean) Bean, the former of whom is a well-known livery man and hotel-keeper at Jay Bridge. Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge have two children - Cordana E. and Georgia May. Mr. Coolidge was a Selectman of Jay in 1885, and
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has acted as Deputy Sheriff for the past four years. He supports the Republican party, and is a charter member of Franklin Lodge, No. 94, Knights of Pythias, of North Jay, and at- tends the Universalist church.
AMES M. FARRIS, who occupies the old Farris homestead in Hebron, and is one of the most able and successful farmers in this town, was born where he now resides, January 26, 1837, son of Jo- seph G. and Basha (Irish) Farris. The home- stead was originally settled by his great-grand- father, James Farris, who cleared a portion of the property, and spent the rest of his life there among the early settlers, prosperously engaged in farming. His grandfather, also named James, who was born upon the farm, inherited the property, and cultivated it during the active period of his life. He also did a large business in cutting timber by contract. He was a prominent man in Oxford County, which he served in the capacity of High Sher- iff. His death occurred when he was forty- four years old. He married Margaret Monk, who attained the age of eighty years, and had nine children. Of the latter, the father of James M. Farris was the second-born.
Joseph G. Farris came into the world at the homestead, and was a lifelong resident of He- bron. He succeeded to the ownership of the farm, which he carried on successfully for many years, keeping the soil in a fertile con- dition. He also had a very profitable business as stone contractor, supplying a great deal of material for public works. He continued in active occupation until his death, which oc- curred when he was sixty-three years old. In politics he was a Republican, and he was a member of the Baptist church. His wife, Basha, a native of Buckfield, Me., had six children, as follows: Olive, Saphronia, and Ellen, all now deceased; Alexander, who is a carpenter and resides in Minot, Me. ; Wash- ington, who lives in Boston, and is also a car- penter ; and James M., the youngest, and the subject of this sketch. The mother died at the age of forty-four years.
James M. Farris was educated in the district schools. In young manhood he became an op-
erative in a shoe manufactory, and continued in that occupation for eleven years. After his father's death he bought the homestead property, on which since 1874 he has carried on general farming very successfully. His improvements, which include a new set of buildings, have made the property one of the most desirable farms in this section. Besides the seventy-five acres comprising the original estate, he owns some outlying land. On Sep- tember 6, 1858, Mr. Farris wedded Eliza Ann Peterson, who was born in Oxford, this county, June 14, 1841, daughter of Andrew Peterson, of that town. Mr. and Mrs. Farris have three children, as follows: Fred. J., a resident of Minot, who is married and has two children - namely, Ida M. and Charles; Adel- bert L., of Auburn, Me., who is married and has one son, Roy; and Ada E., the wife of B. M. Pratt, of Oxford, having two sons - namely, Harold M. and Adelbert S.
None of the many progressive farmers of this vicinity are regarded with more respect than Mr. Farris. In politics he acts with the Re- publican party, while both he and Mrs. Farris are liberal in their religious views.
ENRY FOBES, who has been success- fully engaged as a tiller of the soil during the larger part of his active life, was born May 8, 1831, in Paris, Oxford County, Me., on the homestead which he now occupies. His grandfather, Daniel Fobes, was born in 1742, in Bridge- water, Mass., and was a great-great-grandson of John Fobes, who was one of the original proprietors of that town.
In 1802 the grandfather removed with his family to Maine, settling in Oxford County. He bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in what was then the new town of Paris; and, with the assistance of his children, he cleared quite a large tract, placing it in a state of cul- tivation. An industrious, law-abiding, God- fearing man, he won for himself a leading po- sition among the citizens of the place. In politics he was a representative Democrat and in religion a Baptist, serving for many years as Deacon of the first church of that denomina- tion established in Paris. His wife, whose
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maiden name was Hannah Standish, was a direct descendant in the fourth generation of Miles Standish, the stalwart Captain of Plym- outh. They had the following children : Azariah; Daniel; Sarah; Amasa; Seth; Han- nah; Luin, a soldier in the War of 1812, who died while imprisoned at Halifax, N.S. ; Beza; Mehitable; and Billings. Daniel Fobes lived until he was about seventy-three years old, and his widow attained the vener- able age of ninety-two years.
Billings Fobes was the youngest of the family. He was born August 7, 1792, in Bridgewater, Mass., but from the age of ten years lived at the present homestead, continu- ing throughout his life in the occupation to which he was reared. Among the substantial improvements that he made on the farm are numbered the present dwelling-house and other farm buildings. He carried on advan- tageously the various branches of general agri- culture. In politics he was a Republican, and in religion a Baptist. He was actively inter- ested in military matters, being for a number of years Commander of the Rifle Company of the Paris militia. His death occurred in 1866, at the age of seventy-three years. Cap- tain Billings Fobes was twice married. His first wife, before marriage Harriet Stevens, was a native of Paris. She died on the home- stead at the early age of thirty-five years, leav- ing an only child, Henry, the special subject of this sketch. The father subsequently mar- ried Paulina Robinson, also of this town, who lived to the age of seventy-seven years.
Henry Fobes grew to manhood in his native town. He was educated in the public schools ; and he learned to work on his father's farm, which eventually came into his possession by inheritance. He has one hundred acres of land, and carries on the various branches of his industry with signal success, reaping large crops of hay, potatoes, corn, and other farm products, and in addition supporting a small dairy and raising considerable fruit. Brought up, as it were, Republican, Mr. Fobes has never swerved from party allegiance. He is connected with two fraternal orders, namely : Mount Mica Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of South Paris; and Paris Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. He is a religious man
and is an active member and Deacon of the Congregational church, both he and his wife having united with it many years ago.
On November 4, 1857, Mr. Fobes married Frances P. Webster, who was born January 3, 1831, in Freeport, Me., a daughter of Captain Benjamin Webster, of that town. She died January 8, 1896, leaving three children, as follows: Hattie S., the wife of A. W. Pratt, formerly a sea captain, but now superintendent of the electric railway at Orange, N. J., who has four children - Harland A., Henry F., Margaret, and Ruth; Annie B., who is the wife of Walter H. Swett, a manufacturer of tin cans at South Paris, and has one child, Eva F. ; and Eunice W., a teacher.
THE ENRY D. PARKER, a prominent farmer of Jay, was born in this town, July 2, 1847, son of Henry and Nancy (Tuck) Parker. His great- grandfather was Jonathan Parker, who moved from Roxbury, Mass., to Jay; and he resided here until his death. His grandfather, Scar- borough Parker, who was born September 3, 1767, in Roxbury, Mass., and settled in Jay in 1789, owned a farm in the south-east part of the town, where he resided until his death on May 13, 1814. Scarborough Parker married Hannah Goding, and by her became the father of ten children, as follows: Hannah, who was born May 27, 1796; Susannah, born August 27, 1797, who died in 1889; Joel, born March 10, 1799; Henry, born May 8, 1801 ; Jona- than, born August 1, 1802; Abigail, born April 14, 1804, who died November 10, 1857 ; Cyrus, born August 17, 1805, who died Sep- tember 24, 1892; Rhoda, born June 6, 1808, who died in August, 1889; Harriet, born May 24, 1810; and Amos, born October 20, 18II.
Henry Parker was born in Jay. In early manhood he cleared and improved the farm now owned by his son, Henry D. An indus- trious and successful farmer and a worthy citi- zen, he had the sincere good will of his neigh- bors, and died February 18, 1872. His first wife, Nancy (Tuck) Parker, who was a native of Fayette, Me., died January 14, 1859. The only child of that union is Henry D., the sub- ject of this sketch. For his second wife he
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wedded Mrs. Patience (Sylvester) Harrington, of Durham, Me., now deceased, who was then the widow of the Rev. James Harrington.
Henry D. Parker acquired a common-school education in Jay, and resided at home until he was twenty-one years old. He then went to Lynn, Mass., where he was subsequently cm- ployed in a planing-mill for three years. At the end of that time he returned to Jay, and settled at the homestead. Since then he has given his attention to general agriculture, owning a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, which he has greatly improved, and shipping the fruit of his large orchard to Boston. He is also interested in the Livermore Falls Trust and Banking Company, of which he is a Di- rector.
On June 22, 1881, Mr. Parker was united in marriage with Clara Grinnell. She was born in Exeter, Me., May 19, 1851, daughter of William and Mahala (Irish) Grinnell, who were natives respectively of Exeter and Union, Me. William Grinnell resided upon a farm in Exeter until his death, March 19, 1876. His wife's death happened March 23, 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Parker have one son, Howard H., who was born September 19, 1889. A Republican in politics, Mr. Parker takes an active interest in public affairs, but has never aspired to office. He is a member of Oriental Star Lodge, No. 21, A. F. & A. M., of Liver- more Falls. Both he and his wife are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.
HARLES M. DORR, whose widow, Mrs. Charlotte Morse Dorr, a native of Waterford, owns and occupies a very pleasant residence in South Waterford village, Me., was at one time prominent in the lumbering industry in the Pine Tree State. He was born in Boston, Mass., June 2, 1799, the son of Captain Will- iam and Lucinda (Davis) Dorr, both of that city.
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