USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Merrimack and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 29
USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Merrimack and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 29
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
245
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
known families of that locality. Mr. Hobart has retired from active work at his trade, but is still regarded as one of the useful and sub- stantial citizens of the town.
EORGE W. MERRILL, a well- known farmer of Loudon, N. H., is a native of this town, born March 31, 1855, a son of Bela C. and Sarah (Pickron) Merrill. His father was a native of Gilman- ton, N. H., and his mother of Barnstead, N. H.
Paul Merrill, the paternal grandfather of George W., was a New Hampshire man, and settled on a farm in Gilmanton, where he lived the greater part of his life. Bela Mer- rill was a farmer in the same town, remaining there until about 1854, when he came to Lou- don. Here he resided with his son, the sub- ject of this sketch, till his death, which took place in November, 1880. His wife passed away many years before, about 1859. Their family number eight children, as follows: Ar- villa, Alexander C., Eliza, Bela T., Maria, Lurana, Hollis R., and George W. The first of these, Arvilla, is the widow of Jona- than Brown, and resides with her brother, George W., as does also Alexander C. Bela T. married Eliza A. Young; and they live in Pittsfield, N.H. Maria became the wife of Eben Hayes, and they reside in Gilmanton. Lurana is the widow of Loren Coolidge; and her home is in Minneapolis, Minn. Hollis R. and Eliza are both deceased. The latter married Thomas Osborn, who now resides in Iowa. The members of this large family were all given the benefit of a common and high school education.
George W. Merrill, after the death of his mother, which occurred when he was about four years old, resided on his present farm with his father. After the latter's death he
took charge of the place. He carries on gen- eral farming, and also makes a specialty of fruit-raising. He now owns one hundred and twenty acres, and he has improved the property in a marked degree. Mr. Merrill was married February 25, 1880, to Aneda H. Smith, of Gilmanton. Mrs. Merrill is a daughter of Edwin and Jane (Evans) Smith, both natives of Topsfield, Mass., but who now reside in Gilmanton, where Mr. Smith is engaged in teaming and farming. His children were eleven in number, ten of whom are living. Their names are: Edward Everett (deceased), Aneda (Mrs. Merrill), Earlville L., William, Alice, Horace H., Ernest C., Lillian E., Berta M., Myrta B., and Daisy M. Mr. and Mrs. Merrill have five children - George E., Jennie I., Clarence C., Frank L., and Maud C. - all of whom still remain under the parental roof. Mr. Merrill is now on the Board of Selectmen, and holds other minor offices. In politics he is a Democrat, and has always voted the Democratic ticket.
THAN N. SPENCER, who is engaged in the fish business in Concord, was born in the town of Barton, Vt., Jan- uary 22, 1850, son of John C. and Mary (Knox) Spencer. John C. Spencer, the father of our subject, who was born in Peacham, Vt., removed from his native town to Barton, there bought a farm, and spent the remainder of his life occupied in its cultivation and improve- ment. He died when about sixty years of age. His wife, Mary Knox, had four children, namely : Adele, who died young; Ethan N., the subject of this sketch; Nancy, who died in infancy; and Wallace, who is a farmer in Charlestown, Vt.
After receiving his education in the district schools of Barton, Ethan N. Spencer was for
246
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
seven years employed as an attendant in the New Hampshire Insane Asylum, and subse- quently for one year with an undertaker. In 1877 he opened a market for the sale of oys- ters and other fish in the same town, and has successfully continued it ever since. Well regarded by his fellow-citizens, he was elected to represent Ward Six in the city government in the autumn of 1896. In 1872 he married Charlotte A. Perry, a daughter of Dr. Eli Perry, of Ryegate. They have two children : Fred E., who married the daughter of William J. Fernald; and Margaret Adele.
Mr. Spencer has always been a Republican in his politics, and he cast his first Presiden- tial ballot for General U. S. Grant in 1872. Filling a prominent part in the fraternal or- ganizations of Concord, he is a Mason of the thirty-second degree, Master of the Blazing Star Lodge, F. & A. M., of Concord, and an active member of the Order of Odd Fellows. He is a useful and much respected citizen.
HILIP SARGENT, a retired brick manufacturer of Allenstown and an ex-member of the New Hampshire legislature, was born in Allenstown, N. H., August 16, 1822, son of Sterling and Sally (Gault) Sargent. The Sargents are of Eng- lish descent, and the origin of the family dates far back into the Middle Ages. Its history is directly traced, however, through eight genera- tions to Richard Sargent, who is supposed to have been an officer in the Royal Navy of Eng- land. His son William came to America, and located in Ipswich, Mass., in 1633. From Ipswich he went to Newbury, Mass., and later to Hampton, N. H. He was a pioneer in the two last-named places, and was one of the first in each to receive land grants. He finally settled in that part of old Salisbury,
Mass., which in 1668, as a separate town, received the name of Amesbury. His first wife was Judith Perkins, and his second was Elizabeth Perkins; and it is supposed that they were sisters. His sons were by his second union. William Sargent, Jr., the next in this line, was born in Amesbury, Mass., January 2, 1646. On September 23, 1668, he wedded Mary Colby, who was born September 19, 1647, daughter of Anthony Colby. Philip Sargent, son of William Sargent, second, was born in Amesbury, August 12, 1672. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Tewksbury, and she was also a native of Amesbury. It is supposed that several children were born of this union, but Jonathan is the only child of whom there is any record. Jonathan Sargent and his wife Jemima had two sons - Jonathan, Jr., and Sterling.
Sterling Sargent was born in Salisbury, Mass., May 25, 1731. When a young man he settled in Allenstown, N. H., where he fol- lowed agricultural pursuits during the active period of his life; and he lived to reach a good old age. He was three times married. By his union with Lydia Coffin, his first wife, he had five children, his son Philip being the youngest. His second wife, Mehitable Davis, with whom he was united September 24, 1785, was a native of Amesbury. His third wife, Mary Andrews, of Pembroke, N. H., whom he married on February II, 1788, died in Febru- ary, 1820.
Philip Sargent, first, son of Sterling Sargent and grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Allenstown, March 21, 1765. He was a prosperous farmer and a lifelong resident of this town. On September 22, 1793, he married Sally Perrin, a native of Pembroke. The 'only child of this union was named Ster- ling. Philip Sargent, first, died February 21, 1820.
247
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
Sterling Sargent, second, was born in Al- lenstown, in 1794. He enlisted for service in the War of 1812, joining Captain Samuel Collins's company in 1814, and serving in John Montgomery's brigade, under Gen- eral Nathaniel Fiske. He was a good musi- cian, and is thought to have been commis- sioned a Drum Major. After his return from the army he engaged in the manufacturing of brick in Allenstown, and followed that busi- ness successfully for many years in connection with farming. He was one of the stirring business men and prominent citizens of his day, and as a stanch supporter of the Demo- cratic party he took a leading part in public affairs. For a number of terms he was a member of the Board of Selectmen, and he represented this district in the legislature for eight years. He was well advanced in Ma- sonry. Sterling Sargent died at his home in Allenstown at the age of seventy-four years. His wife, Sally Gault, whom he married De- cember 29, 1814, was a daughter of Matthew Gault, of Hookset, N. H., who served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. She be- came the mother of eleven children, and of these five are living, namely: Philip, the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Sally Hartwell; Mrs. W. F. Head; Warren Sargent; and Abbie, who is the wife of Nathaniel B. Emery, of Pembroke, N. H., and has two chil- dren - Frederick P. and Nathaniel B., Jr. Mrs. Sally Gault Sargent died at the age of sixty-seven years. Both parents were attend- ants of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Philip Sargent began his education in the common schools, and completed his studies at Pembroke Gymnasium. He assisted his father for a time, later becoming a partner in the business and being associated with him for a number of years. For a time he carried on a brick manufactory alone; and later, in partner-
ship with his brother Warren, he conducted a thriving and profitable business for a period of thirty years. In 1891 he retired from active pursuits, and has since been enjoying a well-earned rest.
On December 31, 1849, Mr. Sargent was united in marriage with Phobe A. Williams, daughter of Charles K. and Abbie (Emery) Williams. Mrs. Sargent is the mother of one daughter, Ellen F. Politically, Mr. Sargent is a Democrat. He has always been active in forwarding all measures conducive to public improvement, but has never aspired to any of the town offices. He was persuaded to accept the nomination for Representative to the legis- lature in 1878, and, being elected, served with ability for one term. Mr. and Mrs. Sargent attend the Methodist Episcopal church.
OLONEL CHARLES H. LONG, station agent at Claremont and a brill- iant military man, was born here, March 14, 1834, son of Charles F. and Caro- line J. (Hubbard) Long. The grandfather, Simeon Long, who was the captain of a whal- ing vessel, came to Claremont from Nantucket about the year 1810. His son, Charles, learned the printer's trade in New Bedford, but later followed the sea for the benefit of his health, employed on a merchant vessel for twenty-three years. In 1843 Charles returned to Claremont and took up farming. There- after he prospered in every way, taking a prominent part in local politics, and marrying into one of the leading families of the place. His wife, Caroline J., was a daughter of Isaac, who was a son of George Hubbard, a Lieu- tenant in the war of the Revolution and a pioneer of Claremont. Isaac died in Clare- mont in 1861, leaving four children - Amos C., the Rev. Isaac Hubbard, Caroline, and
248
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
Sarah. The old Hubbard estate descended to Caroline J. Hubbard Long, who left it to her son Isaac. The latter now resides there with his sister Charlotte.
Charles H. Long attended the district schools of his native town, and graduated from the Norwich Military University in 1855. He then went home to assist his father on the farm. In April, 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, and was at first employed to drill recruits at Newport, Concord, Dover, Portsmouth, and at other places in New Hamp-
shire. When the Fifth New Hampshire In- fantry was raised in the following September, he was made Captain of one of the regiment's companies; and in the ensuing year he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the Seventeenth New Hampshire Regiment. At the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, he was severely wounded by a minie ball; and he resigned November 6. On April 17, 1863, he was commissioned Captain of Company A, First New Hampshire Regiment, and was authorized to raise a company of heavy artillery to garrison the defences of Ports- mouth. During the summer of 1864 a full regiment was raised, and he was commis- sioned its Colonel. It subsequently served in the defences of Washington. In November Colonel Long was appointed to the command of the First Brigade, Hardin's division, Twenty-second Army Corps, a post which he afterward held until the close of the war. His regiment was mustered out June 15, 1865. Colonel Long made a high record during his four years of service, and his superior officers have always a word of praise for his bravery and ability. He was in Washington at the time of the assassination of President Lincoln. Since the organization of the Grand Army of the Republic he has been an honored mem- ber. He has been Junior Vice-Commander
and for one year he was Commander of the Post. In politics he is a Republican ; and he was for two terms in the State legislature, representing Claremont and serving on the Military Committee. He is now Eminent Commander of Sullivan Commandery, No. 6, K. T., having passed through all the chairs. At the opening of the Concord & Claremont Railroad, Colonel Long was appointed station agent, a position which has since grown to be one of much responsibility. He married Stella E., a daughter of James Cook. They have no children.
OHN T. TENNEY, an influential citizen of Concord, N.H., was born January 11, 1842, on the farm where he now resides, and is the son of the late Thompson Tenney, who was born at the same place.
Thompson Tenney followed the trade of carpenter for about twenty years. He also owned a farm of two hundred and fifty acres, and did an extensive farming business for thirty-five years, principally in the line of milk produce for the Concord trade. The fine set of farm buildings now owned by John T. Tenney were built by his father. Thompson Tenney was one of the Board of Aldermen of the city, and was Selectman of his ward. His wife was Harriet N. Corliss, daughter of John Corliss, of Concord. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson Tenney ; namely, Mary L., Abby Augusta, and John T. Mary L. is the widow of Charles H. Potter, the son of Judge Jacob Potter, of Concord; and she has one child - Hattie May, who is the wife of Frank Douglass, of Winthrop, Mass.
After studying in the public schools of . Concord in his early years, John T. Tenney attended the academies at Loudon and at Con-
2
1
SOLON A. CARTER.
251
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
toocook, also the academy at Boscawen Plains, thus acquiring a good education. He has al- ways been a farmer, and has devoted himself principally to producing milk. He keeps about twenty cows, and has some fifty acres of tillage land. Mr. Tenney and his wife, Hattie E. Phippin Tenney, have one son - Arthur H., who married Lillian Coon. In 1892 Mr. and Mrs. Tenney suffered a severe affliction in the death of their beloved daugh . ter, Gracie May, at the age of thirteen years.
Always interested in whatever concerns the general welfare of his native city, Mr. Tenney has devoted much time and attention to ques- tions of municipal progress and reform. He has been Selectman of his ward, and has served in both branches of the city govern- ment, having been Common Councilman and Alderman. He has always been a steadfast Democrat, and he cast his first Presidential vote in 1864 for General McClellan.
OLONEL SOLON AUGUSTUS CARTER, Treasurer of New Hamp- shire, is one of the busiest citizens of Concord; for, in addition to the duties of his responsible position in the executive de- partment of the State government, he is ac- tively concerned in a number of financial enterprises, and holds high office in several social organizations. He was born in Leom- inster, Mass., June 22, 1837. His parents, Solon and Lucretia (Joslin) Carter, were natives of the town of Leominster. Colonel Carter is seventh in descent from Thomas Car- ter, who left St. Albans, Hertfordshire, Eng- land, for this country in 1635, and was or- dained and settled in 1642 as the first min- ister in Woburn, Mass. The Colonel's father was a farmer of Leominster.
Solon Augustus Carter attended the public
schools of Leominster, graduating in 1855, when he was eighteen years old. For four years after leaving school, he divided his time between farm work and teaching, making his home in Leominster. In 1859 he removed to Keene, N. H .; and in September, 1862, he was appointed Captain of Company G, Four- teenth New Hampshire Volunteers. He was in command of this company until July, 1863, when he was assigned to recruiting duty in Concord, N. H., acting as Assistant Adjutant- general on the staff of Brigadier-general Hincks; and in April, 1864, he was made acting Assistant Adjutant-general of the Third Division, Eighteenth Army Corps (colored). This body of troops was organized at Fortress Monroe by General Hincks. In July, 1864, Mr. Carter was commissioned Assistant Adjutant-general with the rank of Captain; but he continued to serve with the colored division from the time of its organiza- tion till the close of the war. He was in the campaign before Petersburg and Richmond during the summer and autumn of 1864, in both expeditions to Fort Fisher, and in the campaign from Fort Fisher to Raleigh. Receiving his discharge July 7, 1865, he returned to Keene, N. H., and was employed there as a clerk until June, 1872. In 1885, on the organization of the Union Guarantee Savings Bank of Concord, he was elected Pres- ident. He still holds that office, and he is a Director of the First National Bank of this city. Colonel Carter has been a prominent figure among the Republicans of this district since the close of the war.
In June, 1872, he was elected State Treas- urer ; and so efficiently has he discharged his duties that he has been retained in office twenty-three years, losing but one year since 1872, from June, 1874, to June, 1875. He was nominated by ballot in 1872, and each
252
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
successive nomination has been by acclama- tion.
He was married December 13, 1860, to Emily A. Conant, of Leominster, Mass., and has two children: Edith Hincks; and Flor- ence Gertrude, wife of Edward P. Comins, of Concord. As a Grand Army man Colonel Carter is a member of E. E. Sturtevant Post, No. 2, of Concord, N. H. ; and he is a member of the Massachusetts Commandery of .the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. As a Mason he belongs to Social Friends Lodge, No. 42, of Keene, N. H. ; is Past High Priest of Cheshire Royal Arch Chapter; is a member of St. John's Council; is Past Eminent Commander of Hugh de Payens Commandery, K. T., of Keene; belongs to Edward A. Raymond Consistory, of Nashua; is Past Master of the Blue Lodge; Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire; and Past Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery. He is very popular as a society man, and has a multitude of friends.
RANKLIN J. PIERCE, a successful business man of Claremont in the eighties, was born in Chester, Vt., August 5, 1848, the seventh child of Joseph G. and Hannah (Hemenway) Pierce. At the age of eighteen Mr. Pierce entered busi- ness life in Windsor, Vt., in the capacity of clerk in one of the stores. Afterward, in Claremont, he followed in turn the business of clothier and that of shoe dealer. Later for a short time, he was a druggist in Lawrence, Mass. Ill beyond recovery, he was obliged to return home from Lawrence; and he died Feb- ruary 13, 1886. The maiden name of his wife was Martha E. Wheeler. She was a daughter of Sylvester and Persis E. (King)
Wheeler, of Claremont. Of his five children four died in infancy. The survivor is George R. W. Pierce, who was born November 28, 187S.
The first Wheeler of the Claremont family was Deacon Moses, who came from New Ips- wich, N. H. He was for some years the owner of a foundry. He also had land and houses, and at one time he was the butcher of Claremont. He first married Lydia Parker, of Lempster, N. H., and afterward one of the Dex- ters of Dexter Hill. The two children of his second marriage died in infancy. Those of his first wife were: Philena and Lucinda, who never married; Martha, who died young; Maria, who married Caleb B. Ellis; and Syl- vester, who married the daughter of Adolphus King, of Newport, N. H. Sylvester Wheeler, who is said to have been a typical Yankee, began trading at an early age. He kept a livery stable at the lower village for many years, and was engaged in buying and selling throughout the greater part of his life. He died in 1890, at the age of seventy-nine. His wife survived him until June 21, 1893. They had three children, namely : Orange S., who died in 1879, at the age of twenty-nine; M. Nellie, who, born in 1860, died in 1867; and Martha E., born May 30, 1854, who was educated in Claremont and attended the Stevens High School. Mr. Pierce is survived by his widow and their son, George. In life he was much attached to the Congregational church, of which he was an esteemed member. He was a charitable man and of sound prin- ciples.
EORGE OGILVIE, a substantial and well-known agriculturist of the town of Sutton, Merrimack County, was born March 21, 1815, on a farm in Newbury, N. H., about three miles from his present
253
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
home. His father, George Ogilvie, first, was born in March, 1776, in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, and died in Newbury, in September, 1865. When about sixteen years old, George Ogilvie, first, entered upon a sailor's life, and was sub- sequently impressed into the British naval service. While stationed at a port in Hol- land, he and forty others deserted, and, reach- ing an American vessel, were conveyed to New England. He located in Beverly, Mass., and for some years continued to follow the sea, serving successively as second and first mate. During his voyages he visited many foreign ports, including several in the East Indies and on the Baltic Sea. The embargo of 1812 crippled for a time the commercial interests of New England, and he accordingly gave up mari- time life. While in Beverly, he had married Joanna Thissell, a daughter of Richard This- sell and his wife, whose maiden name was Lovett. They having removed to Newbury, N. H., he followed them, accompanied by his young wife. Mr. Thissell's first wife died in Newbury; and he married Sarah Withington, and removed to Sutton, where both lived to an advanced age. One of his sons, William Thissell, was the former owner of the farm now owned and occupied by George Ogilvie, the subject of this sketch. He is the only survivor of the parental household, his sister Nancy, who was some years older than he, having died unmarried in Massachusetts.
George Ogilvie, second, started in life for himself at the age of twenty-one years, going to Henniker with but four dollars in his pocket as his sole cash capital. He worked as a farm hand for six months at twelve dollars a month,. and sent the money to his parents to assist in fying off the mortgage on the farm. His first employer recommended him to a widow who needed a trustworthy and competent man : take charge of her land, and he remained in
her employ two years. He subsequently en- gaged in work of various kinds, continuing to look after his parents; and he finally cleared off all indebtedness on the homestead, which he afterward sold. For ten years he lived in South Newbury, during a portion of this time being engaged in butchering. In 1866 he bought his present farm, which now con- tains one hundred acres of valley land ; and he has since devoted himself to the leading branches of agriculture. His estate is well improved, and under his wise management has become one of the finest farms in Sutton. After coming here Mr. Ogilvie engaged to some extent in slaughtering, but has repeat- edly declined to leave the farm to enter other lines of business. In politics he is a Repub- lican to the backbone.
On January 26, 1843, he married Miss Lucy Ann Gillingham, a daughter of John and Phebe (Peabody) Gillingham. Her mother was a native of Middleton, Essex County, Mass. Mrs. Ogilvie was born in Danvers, Mass., in 1818, and died in Sutton, October 7, 1895, after a happy wedded life of more than half a century. Mr. and Mrs. Ogilvie had no children of their own, but adopted a girl, Rozina E. Ogilvie, when she was a child of three years. She received a good educa- tion, and since seventeen years of age has been engaged in teaching. She has taught nineteen consecutive terms, in the meanwhile residing at home.
EORGE OSCAR DICKERMAN, the well-known wholesale grocer and provision dealer of Concord, was born in Loudon, N. H., February 13, 1847, son of Moses W. and Abigail (Tilton) Dick- erman, the latter of Alexandria, N. H. He is of German ancestry on the paternal side, and among his ancestors were some of the
254
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
minute-men of the Revolution. His father was for twenty-seven years a master mechanic of the Concord Railroad Company.
George O. Dickerman received his educa- tion in the public schools of Concord. At the age of seventeen he entered the employ of Ward Humphrey & Co., of this city, as book- keeper. Two years later he became assistant cashier for the Northern Railroad Company. For two years thereafter he was in a retail grocery store in this city. In 1871 he en- gaged as travelling salesman with Briggs & Shattuck, a prosperous business house in Bos- ton, with whom he remained for fifteen years. He then, in 1887, established a wholesale grocery and provision store in this city, which has become one of the largest houses in that line in the State. In politics Mr. Dickerman is a stanch Republican. He has officiated as Alderman two years, and has also served as Commissioner of Cemeteries since that com- mission was inaugurated, being also Secretary of the Board.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.