USA > Maine > Maine; a history, Volume IV > Part 12
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John Arthur Nadean was born in Fort Kent, Maine, August 3, 1850, died there, February 3, 1904. He attended Fort Kent schools until fif- teen years of age, then entered St. Ann's Col- lege, Quebec, Canada, and completed his studies at St. Joseph's University, New Brunswick, there spending three years, but leaving before gradua- tion. After returning to Fort Kent from the University he entered mercantile life, and finally established a general merchandising business of his own, which he conducted until his death. He
was a man of intense public spirit, and he was always ready to venture his money in any new undertaking tending to increase Fort Kent's im- portance. He was one of the organizers and the first president of the Fort Kent Trust Company, was collector of United States Customs, town treasurer for three terms, and a member of the Maine House of Representatives. He was a Roman Catholic in religion, and a Democrat in politics.
Mr. Nadeau married, in Memramcook, New Brunswick, Canada, November 17, 1879, Sarah McSweeney, born July II, 1852, daughter of Pat- rick and Ellen (McGowan) McSweeney. Chil- dren: Arthur J. Nadeau, born September 9, 1880, an attorney-at-law, practicing at Fort Kent; Mary Theresa, born September 9, 1887; married Ken- neth A. Shorey.
IRA FISH HOWE-At Ashland, Aroostook county, Maine, on the Aroostook river, fifty miles north of Houlton, Ira Fish Howe was born, spent his years, sixty-five, and died, having be- gun and ended his life on the same farm. He was a man of energy, ambition, and progressive public spirit, and while his life was confined to a small arca, was a man of intelligence and vision, a natural leader, and highly regarded in his neighborhood. He led in the movements which tended to advance the good of the community, and many such movements can be traced to his public spirit and interest. He has now passed to his reward, but his memory is yet green, and a third generation now reigns in the old home- steam erected by Benjamin Howe, a farmer and lumberman, as was his son, Ira Fish Howe, who was succeeded by his son, Nathaniel C. Howe, the twentieth century representative of the Ash- land branch of the family. Benjamin Howe, the grandfather, married Mary Wells, and settled in Ashland, she the second woman to set foot in the town. When their tract of timber land was conveyed to them, and they were ready to begin clearing for a future home and farm, Grand- mother Howe took the axe and felled the first tree.
Ira Fish Howe, son of Benjamin and Mary (Wells) Howe, was born at the newly acquired Howe homestead in Ashland, Aroostook county, Maine, February 25, 1846, died there, August 25, 1911. His educational advantages were naturally limited in that new neighborhood, but he im- proved such advantages as Ashland offered and readily passed for a well informed man. This was due to keen, natural intelligence, and close
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observation and wide reading. He grew to man- hood, and bore his share of family labor and responsibility, following in his father's footsteps, and eventually becoming the owner of the home- stead, which he never left. He engaged in farm- ing and lumbering all his active life, then after a life of usefulness he passed away, aged sixty- five years. He was a Republican in politics, and for many years served the town of Ashland as road commissioner. Mr. Howe was a charter member of Ashland Grange, Patrons of Hus- bandry, took a deep interest in the special work of the Grange, and served in several of its of- ficial positions. While not affiliated with any church organization, he was a liberal supporter of all good canses. He married, in Ashland, July 24, 1870, Sophia S. Coffin, born October 13, 1841, who survives him, daughter of Artemus Wilder and Meribeh (Scribner) Coffin, of ancient New England family. Mrs. Howe is a member of the Congregational church. Children: Artemus Wilder, born June 11, 1871; Mary Ellen, born May 9, 1873; Ann Maria, born February 20, 1875; David Roger, born October 24, 1876; and Na- thaniel Coffin, of further mention.
Nathaniel Coffin Howe, youngest child of Ira Fish and Sophia S. (Coffin) Howe, was born at the old homestead in Ashland, Maine, July 9, 1878, and there resides. He has been connected with farming and lumbering ever since finislı- ing his school years, and has become one of Aslı- land's leading business men. He finished high school courses in Ashland, then attended school at Bucksport Academy, Maine, there ending his school attendance. He is vice-president and di- rector of the Ashland Trust Company, of which he was one of the founders; conducts his own farm, and is interested in several hundred acres more, handles agricultural implements, sells au- tomobiles, and has a large lumber business, maintaining ten camps in getting the logs out of the forest and into the water. He married (first) Luella D. Michel, now deceased, leaving a daughter, Thelma N. He married (second) Amelia Cameron, and they are the parents of three sons: Houghton, Frank and Benjamin. In politics Mr. Howe is a Republican, now serving as selectman.
CYRUS CHASE-In 1859 Cyrus Chase, then a young man of twenty-three, came to Aroostook county, Maine, purchased a tract of virgin timber land, which he cleared and improved until he had one hundred and ninety acres under cultivation. The years have converted that section of Aroos-
took county into one of the most prosperous portions of that State, and in this prosperity and development Mr. Chase has had a share. The lad of twenty-three is now the veteran of eighty- three, but still hale and hearty for his years. He keeps in touch with the business of his town, and conducts a general real estate business. His ac- quaintance is very extensive, and during more than sixty years which he has spent in this lo- cality he has borne his full share of the civil burden, and his own village or plantation of Westfield has benefited through his interest and public spirit. He is a son of Jonathan and Susanna (Jordan) Chase, his father a farmer and veteran of the War of 1812. At the time of the birth of his son, Cyrus, Jonathan and Susanna Chase were living at Danville, now South Auburn, a village of Androscoggin county, Maine, twenty-seven miles north of Portland.
Cyrus Chase was born in Danville, Maine, July 26, 1836. He attended the Union School in Dan- ville and early became a farm worker, an occu- pation he has followed all his life in different localities. He remained at the home farm until 1857. In 1859 went to Aroostook county, Maine, and availed himself of the opportunities that sec- tion offered the farmer and lumberman. He ob- tained a good tract of timber land in the West- fieid plantation, and this he cleared as rapidly as possible until interrupted by his military service in the Union Army. He enlisted in August, 1863, in Company C, Nineteenth Regiment, Maine Vol- unteer Infantry, and saw hard service with that hard fought but finally victorious Army of the Potomac. After the Nineteenth Maine was mus- tered ont, he transferred to the First Regiment, Maine Artillery, and became a corporal. He
fought at the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsyl- vania, Petersburg, and on through the Virginia campaign, which ended with Appamattox. In
all he was engaged in sixteen battles and skir- mishes, but was never wounded. After the war he was honorably discharged and mustered out, September 22, 1865. He then returned to West- field and resumed the broken threads of his life. He developed his property into a well improved farm of one hundred and ninety acres, and in addition has long conducted a prosperous real estate business. He has prospered abundantly, and although now an octogenarian he gives lit- the evidence of being in that class.
Mr. Chase is a Republican in politics, and in 1895 he represented his district in the State Legis- lature. In 1912 he again served in that body, having been appointed to fill out the unexpired
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Cyrus Chase
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term of a deceased member. For five terms he served the town as treasurer, and is probably the oldest town treasurer in the State, and per- haps in the Nation, and he has many times filled the offices of selectman, assessor and school com- mitteeman. He is a member of Aroostook Union Grange, and a charter member of Aroos- took County Pomona Grange, Patrons of Hus- bandry; of Wade Post, Grand Army of the Re- public; and in religious faith he is a Free Will Baptist.
On January 28, 1860, at Auburn, Maine, Mr. Chase married Abba H. Atwood, who died Oc- tober 7, 1910, daughter of Harrison Atwood. Children: Minnie G., born December 8, 1862; Kate E., born October 8, 1866; Elmar F., born March 2, 1868; Selden C., born September 24, 1869; Oscar F., born November 16, 1871; Norman W., born September 28, 1873; Annie L., born April 1, 1875; Ada M., born July 4, 1878.
HORATIO GATES FOSS-There are few names more distinguished among Maine families than that of Foss, which has been represented in the "Pine Tree State" for a number of genera- tions and which numbers many men prominent in the life and affairs of their respective commn- nities among its members. The name appears to have been either of Dutch or German origin and was originally Vos, a form which is still common in Holland. Its derivation was prob- ably from the word Vos, meaning Fox, used as a nickname for some ancestor who was par- ticularly noted for his shrewdness or cunning, or possibly because he used the Fox as a sign on his place of business. Other derivations are from the names Foot, Foste and Faust, but the balance of evidence is in favor of the first theory, although it is possible, of course, that these others are all modifications from the same root. In the form which we are considering, it was brought to New England at an early age and is now found widely diffused through the whole of that region, but more particularly so in Maine and New Hampshire.
It was founded in New England by one John Foss, of whom there is a tradition which seems to be capable of substantiation that he camc across the ocean on an English war vessel on which he was employed as a calker. He evi- dently did not enjoy his occupation any too much as he jumped overboard while the vessel was lying in Boston harbor and swam ashore. He was successful in escaping the detection of his superiors and not long afterwards settled in
Dover, New Hampshire, where there is a record of him as carly as May 14, 1661. He was twice married, the first time to Mary Chadburn, and the second to Elizabeth, presumably the widow of John Locke and the daughter of William and Jane Berry. His children by these two unions were: John, Humphrey, William, Hannah, Joshua, Hinckson, Mary, Benjamin, Thomas, Jemima, Elizabeth and Samuel.
While it has been impossible to trace definitely the line of descent from this John Foss to the Maine branch of the family which we are con- sidering, there is practically no doubt whatever that such a line existed and that the founder of the family in Maine moved into that State some time during the third quarter of the eighteenth century. We know that the grandfather of Horatio Gates Foss was born at Saco, Maine, May 4, 1785, and that he died at Wayne, in that State, July 13, 1863. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and while still young settled at Wayne, where the major portion of his life was spent. He married Mary Harmon, September 10, 1806, who was born at Saco, March 4, 1787, and who died there September 6, 1876, and they were the parents of nine children, as follows: Walter, born August 24, 1807, and was a member of the Maine Rifle Company in 1828; Lucy, born March 6, 1809, and became the wife of William Thorn- ton; Sally, born August 21, 1810, and became the wife of Josiah Norris; Jeremiah, mentioned be- low; Mary, born January 4, 1815, and died April 20, 1816; Mary (2), born June 24, 1817, and be- came the wife of Oliver Norris; Horatio Gates, born December 28, 1818; Oren, born October 6, 1821, died October 11, 1841; and Charles H., born December 28, 1827.
Jeremiah Foss, Jr., was born at Wayne, March 5, 1813, and there spent his entire life, his death occurring September 12, 1879. He was a man of unusual ability, who enjoyed a reputation sec- ond to none for integrity and upright dealing in his business as well as in every other relation of life. He was engaged in business as a shoc- maker and made a marked success in this enter- prise. He married Elizabeth N. Hankerson, of Readfield, Maine, where she was born March 24, 1814, a daughter of William and Thankfui ( White) Hankerson. They were the parents of twelve children, as follows: Lory Augustus, born November 15, 1834, died June 22, 1892; Lu- cretia Ann, born March 29, 1836, died April 29, 1888; John Fairfield, born March 6, 1838; Eu- phratha Sutherland, born March 3, 1840; an in- fant daughter, born July 9, 1842, and died Novem-
HISTORY OF MAINE
ber 15, of the same year; Glorina Smith, born September 20, 1843, died July 10, 1879; Horatio Gates, with whose career we are here especially concerned; Lizzic, born March 25, 1848, and died the following October; Mary Elizabeth, born August 22, 1849, died October 2, 1851 ; Oscarnella, born May 26, 1852, and died February 26, 1855; Ella Maria, born April 10, 1856; and Celia Han- kerson, born June 26, 1859, and died May 7, 1863.
Horatio Gates Foss, son of Jeremiah and Eliza- beth N. (Hankerson) Foss, was born February 22, 1846, in the town of Wayne, Maine. He passed his childhood and early youth in his na- tive place and for his education attended the local public schools, both the common and high schools. After completing his studies at these institutions, he remained in his father's house until the year 1875, assisting his father in the lat- ter's shoe-making business. In that year, how- ever, he came to Auburn, which city has con- tinued his home ever since, and there entered the employ of Dingley Stront & Company, the well known shoe firm. The following year he became a silent partner of this firm, which con- tinued to do business under its original name until 1887, when upon the retirement of Mr. Strout the firm became Dingley-Foss & Company. In 1891 the company was incorporated and be- came known as the Dingley-Foss Shoe Company. Mr. Foss became general manager of this great concern, and afterwards was given the office of vice-president which he holds at the present time. This company employs between five and six hun- dred people in its various departments and manu- factures men's, boys' and youths' leather shoes, and women's, misses' and children's canvas shoes. In addition to this great business, Mr. Foss is also interested in a number of important finan- cial interests and is a director and large stock- holder of the First National Bank of Auburn and of the Auburn Trust Company. He is also an extremely prominent figure in public affairs and represented his city in the State Senate in 1913. In social and fraternal circles Mr. Foss is conspicnons, and is a member of both the Ma- sonic order and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is particularly prominent in the former of these and is affiliated with numerous Masonic bodies, as follows: Asylum Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Wayne; Bradford Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Auburn; Lewiston Commandery, Knights Templar; Maine Consistory, Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret; and Kora Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. In
his religious belief Mr. Foss is a Unitarian and attends the church of that denomination in Au- burn. Mr. Foss' home in Auburn is one of the finest and most attractive in the State, and is a center of warm hospitality to all those who are fortunate enough to possess his friendship.
Horatio Gates Foss was united in marriage in 1878 at Lewiston with Ella M. Fletcher, a native of Solon, Maine, and a daughter of Ezra and Mary Fletcher, old and highly-respected resi- dents of that place, who are now both deceased.
Possessed of an excellent mind to begin with, Mr. Foss has made himself acquainted with the best thought of the world, and the achievements of art and letters. He is a man of rare culture and enlightenment and possesses a far larger education than the majority of those who have enjoyed greater opportunity than he. It can be honestly said that he is a self-made man in the broadest sense of that term, a man who, besides winning success in business affairs, made the most out of every talent that has been entrusted to him in the stewardship of this life. He is possesesd of an unusually judicial type of mind, the type that weighs opposing evidence impar- tially, and so great is his reputation in this mat- ter that lie is often constituted a sort of informal court by the choice of his friends who would re- sort to him for advice in all manner of emer- gencies and to compose their differences in case of dispute. He is devoted to his home, and finds his greatest happiness in the intimate intercourse about his own fireside. He is of a retiring dis- position and never seeks for any post of public power or any political preferment, although his talents admirably fit him to hold such. His busi- ness career might well serve as a model to the younger generation which they might follow.
BENJAMIN LOUIS BERMAN, while himself a native of this country, is by blood and parent- age a Russian, and exhibits in his own person the strong and capable traits of that great race. He is a son of Herman Isaac Berman, who was born in Russia, and who came to the United States when but five years of age with his par- ents, who settled at Portland, Maine. Here he passed the years of his childhood and early youth and gained his education. At the age of twenty- six years, however, he came to the city of Lewis- ton, where he continues to reside to the present day. Mr. Berman, Sr., is a man of strong per- sonality and has met with a marked success in the land of his adoption. He has been success- ful in business and prominent in public affairs,
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Clarence A. Baker, M.D.,
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BIOGRAPHICAL
and at the present time holds the position of manager of the Union Square Fruit Company. A number of years ago he was very active in connection with the Republican party, and was one of the delegates who nominated Charles Lit- tlefield, of Maine, to Congress. He married Bella Markson, who like himself was a native of Russia, and who came to this country as a child. She was but sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage and they became the parents of eight children, one of whom died in infancy. The seven who have survived are as follows: Eva D., who became the wife of Harry Seamon, of Boston, Massachusetts; Jacob H., who is now engaged in practicing law at Portland; Sadie E., who became the wife of Henry Ginsburg, of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Benjamin Louis, with whose career we are here especially concerned; Lillian, who lives at home with her parents, and is at the present time a student at the Lewiston Normal Training School, where she is taking a post-graduate course; Edward, a student at Bow- doin College with the class of 1920, and David, now a pupil in the High School at Portland.
Born November 28, 1892, Benjamin Louis Ber- man passed his childhood in his native city of Lewiston and there gained the preliminary por- tion of his education. He studied for a time at the Frye Grammar School, from which he grad- uated in 1907, and followed this up with a course at the Jordan High School, from which he grad- uated with the class of 1911 and where he was prepared for college. He then matriculated at the Law School of the Boston University, from which he graduated with the class of 1914, and in August of the same year was admitted to practice at the Maine bar. Since that time he has also been admitted to practice at the Massa- chusetts bar, in which State he handles con- siderable important litigation. Mr. Berman opened an office at No. 228 Lisbon street, Lewis- ton, which is still his headquarters, and during his comparatively brief career he has made a name for himself as one of the leaders of his profession in the region which he has chosen. Mr. Berman has not confined his activities en- tirely to the practice of the law, but has inter- ested himself in many important enterprises, among which should be mentioned the Union Square Fruit Company, of which his father is the manager, and which is situated at No. 169 Main street, Lewiston. Of this company he is the treasurer and belongs to the board of di- rectors, besides holding considerable stock there- in. His attention, however, is chiefly directed
to the law, an occupation which he himself chose, in which he takes the keenest interest, and in which it is his particular ambition to succeed. Mr. Berman is extremely interested in all sorts of out-door sports and pastimes, particularly baseball and football, and it is a great regret to him that he is unable to devote any time to them now. In his politics he is an Independent and has allied himself with no party, reserving for himself the entire right to exercise his own judgment on all political issues, including the choice of candidates, without reference to parti- san interests or considerations of any kind. He is a prominent figure in the social life of the city and is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Aerial Club of Lewiston. He is a mem- ber of Congregation Basc Jacob, and is active in support of its work. Mr. Berman is unmarried.
A few words concerning Mr. Berman's fore- bears will be appropriate here. His grandfather was Siah Berman, the first of the name to come to this country, who emigrated from Russia here in 1867. He settled in Portland, Maine, where his death occurred in 1915. For a number of years he was engaged in business as a dry goods merchant, in which line he met with consider- able success. He and his wife were the parents of three children, as follows: Rachel, who died in 1915; Herman Isaac, the father of Benjamin L. Berman; Aaron, who is now engaged in the fruit business in Portland.
CLARENCE ATWOOD BAKER, M.D .- Among the physicians of Portland, Maine, Dr. Clarence Atwood Baker ocenpies a distinguished position and is rightly regarded as one of the leaders of his profession in that part of the State. He comes of old New England stock, the Bakers having come into Maine from Massachusetts dur- ing the Colonial period, and sinee that time mem- bers of the family have occupied an important place in the life of the community and closely identified themselves with its affairs.
Dr. Baker's paternal grandfather, Snow Baker, by name, was born at Alna, Maine, and died at Boothbay in the same State. During his life he was engaged in business as a millwright. He married Abby Plummer, by whom he had the following children: Daniel, Elbridge, John P., mentioned below; Snow, Jr., and Wesley, all of whom are now deceased.
John Plummer Baker, the father of Dr. Baker, was born at Alna, Maine, May 16, 1816. Like his father he engaged in business as a millwright,
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and in later years removed to the city of Port- land, where eventually he died in the month of November, 1885. He married Abby Williams Ford, a native of Marshfield, Massachusetts, born June 30, 1820, a daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Nabby (Simmons) Ford. Benjamin Frank- lin Ford was a prominent resident of Marshfield, who lated moved to the State of Maine, where he settled at Bristol Mills, and there died at the age of eighty-six. He and his wife were the parents of the following children: Abby Wil- liams, who became Mrs. John Plummer Baker; Ann, Augustus, Frank, Elizabeth, Charles, Har- riett, Josephine and Eugene, all of whom are now deceased. The Ford family is of Irish origin and was founded in this country by Mrs. Ford, a widow, and her two sons, who settled in Marsh- field at an early date. To Mr. and Mrs. John Plummer Baker the following children were born: Augusta, who died at the age of fifty years; Ed- ward L., who resides at Somerville, Massachu- setts, where he is engaged in business as a car- penter; Clarence Atwood, of whom further; Charles W., of Needham, Massachusetts, who is engaged in business as a broker in Boston; and Annie H., who resides at Portland.
Born on January 3, 1852, at Newcastle, Maine, Dr. Clarence Atwood Baker, third child of John Plummer and Abby Williams (Ford) Baker, spent but the first two years of his life in his native place. At that age he accompanied his parents who moved to Bristol Mills, Maine, and it was at the latter place that he formed his early asso- ciations and was educated, insofar as his prelim- inary schooling went. At the local public schools he was fitted for entrance at Lincoln Academy, Newcastle, Maine, and matriculated at Bowdoin College, in the year 1874. Here he took the usual classical course and was graduated with the class of 1878, leaving behind him an excellent record for character and good scholarship. The year 1874 also marked the end of his residence at Bristol Mills. After graduating from Bow- doin College, with the degree of A.B., three years later receiving his degree of A.M., he began at once the study of medicine at the same institu- tion. After a four years' course he was grad- uated in 1882 with the degree of M.D. and at once made his way to Portland, where he be- gan active practice. This he continued with a high degree of success for a period of some five years, and then decided to supplement his studies with post-graduate work in Europe. Accord- ingly, he went to that country and for a time made his home in the city of Edinburgh, Scot-
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