USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Merrimack and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 57
USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Biographical review containing life sketches of leading citizens of Merrimack and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 57
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tain Edward Johnson and Captain Symon Wil- lard, which had remained unnoticed and sub- ject to elemental conditions for one . hundred and eighty-one years. The State of New Hampshire has erected a substantial stone canopy upon this historic "Endicott Rock," thereby protecting the ancient inscriptions for all time. Jonathan Staniels, the grandfather of Charles Eastman, was a native of Chichester, and followed the occupations of farmer and builder. He lived to a very advanced age, and left a family of twelve children. Judge William M. Chase, of Concord, is one of his descendants. The original surname of this family was Stanyan, and its annals are inter- woven with those of Rockingham County.
Charles Eastman Staniels was educated in the Boston grammar schools and in the Rox- bury Latin School. In the latter institution he was prepared for college, but the outbreak of the Civil War diverted him from the pur- pose of pursuing a collegiate course. He had enlisted in the Fifty-sixth Massachusetts Regiment of Volunteers when his parents had him discharged on account of his extreme youth. He then went to work in a wholesale furnishing house in the city of Boston. Sub- sequently, in 1865, he became a commercial traveller for the same concern, and has been more or less on the road ever since. In those mid-century days, Western travel was an en- tirely different affair from the convenience and even luxury that attend it to-day. The incon- venience, hardship, and even suffering in- volved in a long western mercantile trip in those days can hardly be comprehended to-day. "Staging," as it was called, and steamboating on Western rivers were then common factors in a travelling man's experience. Before the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad and the consequent development and growth of large business centres, the commercial travel-
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ler in the extreme West was subject to diver- sions not known to the present generation of mercantile agents. A buffalo hunt, an Indian scrimmage on the frontier, or a few nights in a snow blockade in the Rockies were not con- sidered unusual or especially unmixed bless- ings. Following the war, it was hog, hominy, and cockroaches in the South; spiders and keno in Texas; alkali, Indians, and snowdrifts on the plains; lime water, lager beer, bed- bugs, and poker on the Mississippi ; and brag, bluff, and bunco in Chicago and St. Paul.
In 1869 Mr. Staniels assumed the charge of a manufacturing establishment in Boston, and thereafter managed its affairs in the South and West for a number of years. At length, his health becoming somewhat undermined by his devotion to business matters, he removed to New Hampshire and took two years of com- plete rest. Then he engaged in the fire in- surance business in Concord. To this he has since added life insurance, and has now been engaged in both very successfully for the past twelve years, highly esteemed by his business associates. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the National Life Underwriter's Association of the United States since its organization, and has also served as President of the New Hampshire Life Un- derwriters' Association. He married Eva F. Tuttle, of Boston, Mass., whose parents were natives of New Hampshire, and they have a family of three children ; namely, Charles T., Mabel R., and Roscoe E.
A deservedly popular man in his com- munity, Mr. Staniels has been elected to mem- bership in numerous associations. He was twice chosen to fill the presidential chair of the New Hampshire Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and left that organiza- tion in fine condition when he retired from the office. He has also been President of
the White Mountain Travellers' Association. During its continuance he was the Secretary of the Chautauqua Assembly of New Hampshire, and also served the Eastman Family Association in a similar capacity. Wherever he has made his home, he has taken a keen interest in the local military matters. While living in Bos- ton, he was a commissioned officer of the Bos- ton Tigers. On one occasion, at the time of the "draft riots" in that city, he was in command of a detachment of that organization, guarding the arms and ammunition of the State stored in old Boylston Hall. Since com- ing to New Hampshire, he has served as a com- missioned officer in the old Amoskeag Veterans. In politics Mr. Staniels is a Republican, and he cast his initial ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. He is a member of the East Con- cord Congregational Church.
LDER JOHN G. HOOK, of Concord, N. H., was born in Chichester, this State, February 13, 1820, the son of Jacob Hook. Elder Hook's grandfather, Francis Hook, was born in Salisbury, Mass. He was a fisherman by occupation, and he also ran a horseback express from his native town to Newburyport. He finally bought a large tract of land in Chichester, and started all his five sons in life with a comfortable farm. Jacob Hook, father of Elder Hook, was the eldest of the family. He was educated in the Salisbury public schools, and was engaged in farming all his life. At the time of his death he was exactly ninety-two years and six months old. He married Hannah Griffin, of Northwood, N. H. Six children were born to him : Esther B. ; Asa J. ; Mary A. ; Elvira, who died at the age of five; John G., the sub- ject of this sketch; and William P.
Elder Hook is the only survivor of this
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family. His life has been one of unceasing effort for the uplifting of humanity, and of many and varied experiences. The son of a poor man, he received only a limited education in his youth, and early worked at the printing- press on Bibles for Roby, Kimball & Merrill. After this he was travelling salesman, and sold Yankee notions. In 1839 he started for the Far West. On the way he met some kinsfolk, among them an aunt and several cousins, and stayed with them in the town of Marcellus, N. Y., where he was providentially converted to the Christian religion, largely through the influence of his devoted aunt. Word reached his parents in the East that he had been mur- dered, and his mother was saved from dying of grief through the timely arrival of a letter from her son.
After his return to Concord he attended some religious meetings conducted by Elder Joshua B. Hines, of Boston, who came here with a mammoth tent, the largest then made in the United States, costing eight hundred dollars. Its maker, James Martin, pitched the tent and cared for it. Those were wonder- ful meetings, awakening great interest, and people came to them from all parts of the country. Here Elder Hook heard for the first time the Advent doctrine, which he ac- cepted ; and, laying aside all else, he went at once to spreading the tidings of the second coming of Christ. Since that time he has devoted his life to this work, and during all these years has never preached for a living. He has travelled over two hundred thousand miles without aid from any missionary society or backing from any church, and has never had a salary or fixed price for his services. He has preached in many of the States and Territories and in the British Provinces, and has been able, with what the Lord has moved others to help him, to pay his own expenses by working
in different lines. He has dealt largely in real estate. He bought the land on the hill in Concord where he now lives, and laid out Auburn Street at his own expense. At one time he labored independently in Hawaii. His preaching has extended through fifty-five years. He once held meetings in San Fran- cisco under his tent, three services a day for eighty consecutive days, his audiences being composed of people from many lands and of various nationalities. Later in the same year his tent was destroyed by a storm. A series of revival meetings, held by him in Concord in Phoenix Hall and in Eagle Hall, indepen- dently of any of the churches, resulted in the greatest revival that has ever been experienced in this city. It lasted for two months, and Elder Hook baptized one hundred and fifty converts by immersion ; and on one occasion four of the Concord clergymen assisted Elder Hook at a river baptism. About two thousand souls have been baptized by Elder Hook, and fourteen of these have become ministers.
Elder Hook married Celinda H. Ingersoll, daughter of Cornelius Ingersoll, who was named by an Indian chief and was the first male white child born in Onondaga County, New York. Elder and Mrs. Hook have two children - Eunice and Alice. Eunice C. is the wife of Captain E. F. Gordon, a veteran of the Civil War and brother of the late Rev. Dr. A. J. Gordon, of Boston. Alice married Abner Blodgett, a relative of Judge Blodgett, of this State.
Elder Hook has never meddled with poli- tics, confining himself to the spreading of the gospel. He has never voted for a governor or a President. He is the maker of a healing balm for all kinds of inflammatory diseases. It is for internal and external application. It is in common use in Concord; and the testi- monies are many from lawyers, doctors, minis-
£
2
JOSEPH COUCH.
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ters, and leading citizens. The balm is said to be particularly valuable in bronchitis, and if used oftener it is thought there would be less necessity of clergymen going to Europe while their flocks suffer at home.
NOCH COUCH was a prominent farmer of Webster in his time. He was born in Webster, April 12, 1793, son of Joseph and Sarah (Pillsbury) Couch. His grandfather, Joseph Couch (first), who emi- grated from Wales in 1748, settled in New- buryport, Mass. In 1768 the grandfather moved to Webster, and there improved the farm now owned and occupied by his great- grand-daughter. He resided here for the rest of his life, and died in 1984. The first of his three marriages was made with Elsie Rowell, the second with Mary Webster, and the third with Mrs. Muzzey. Born of the first were four children - John, Elsie, Benjamin, and Joseph; and of his second, one daughter, Mary.
Joseph Couch, the father of Enoch, was born in Massachusetts, and accompanied his parents to Webster. He succeeded to the possession of the homestead, which he carried on for the rest of his life; and he died February 7, 1821, aged sixty-five years. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, enlisting from Newbury- port, Mass. His wife, Sarah, a native of Newburyport, whom he married February 10, 1785, died March 16, 1846, aged seventy-six years. She was the mother of six children, as follows: Enoch (first), born November 23, 1785, who was accidentally killed August 18, 1789; Sally, born August 23, 1787, who mar- ried Samuel Little, and died June 5, 1852; Captain Joseph, born May 23, 1789, who died in Nashua, N. H., in 1851; Enoch (second), the subject of this sketch ; Phœbe, born July 2,
1798, who married Herschel Green, of Salis- bury, N. H., and died September 22, 1854; and Eunice J., born July 4, 18to, who married Peter Coffin, and died December 4, 1888.
Enoch Couch was reared to farm life, and always resided at the homestead. He was an industrious and successful farmer. He im- proved the fertility of the soil, bringing it to a high state of cultivation. Although a man of much natural ability, he never aspired to political prominence, but preferred instead to enjoy the comforts of home and the society of his family. He was highly esteemed for his many commendable qualities; and his death, which occurred at his home, April 23, 1867, when he was seventy-four years old, caused general regret. He married for his first wife Nancy Eastman, of Salisbury, who died Sep- tember 26, 1828, aged thirty-two years, leav- ing no children. For his second wife, on April 2, 1834, Mr. Couch wedded Jane O. Stickney, of Brownfield, Me. Her parents, John and Mary (Evans) Stickney, both of whom were natives of Concord, N. H., moved from that place to Brownfield, Me., where they resided for the rest of their lives. The chil- dren of Mr. Couch's second marriage were : Nancy E., born February 12, 1835, who now occupies the homestead; Joseph, born March 22, 1837, who died March 14, 1872; and Mary S., born June 12, 1844. Joseph was for some years engaged in teaching school, and later assisted in carrying on the farm. Mary S. married Orlando Whitney, and died April 17, 1876. She left one son - Herbert C., born November 16, 1867, who is now residing with his aunt. Mrs. Enoch Couch died Au- gust 31, 1877. Miss Nancy E. Couch, who now owns the homestead of sixty acres, to- gether with other real estate, is a lady of much ability and worth, and is loved and re- spected by her many friends and acquaintances.
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ILLIAM E. CHADBOURNE, a prominent resident of Cornish, was born here, July 31, 1823. His grandfather, William Chadbourne, who was born in Maine, had six children - Humphrey, Jabez, William, Thomas, Benjamin, and Electa. Humphrey married Abbie Peck, and had three children. Jabez went to Canada, where he married and died. William, who was an extensive farmer in Canada, had a large family. Thomas was a butcher in Salem, Mass., and died there. Electa, now deceased, married Mr. Cross, of Canada.
Benjamin Chadbourne, the father of Will- iam E., was born at Moultonboro, N. H., Jan- uary 28, 1792. He was prominent in town affairs, and was Tax Collector and Deputy Sheriff for a number of years. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Cady, of Cor- nish, bore him seven children - Curtis, Mi- randa, William E., Hannah, Gratia, Ruth, and Alfred. Curtis, born September 12, 1819, was educated in the town schools, and after- ward became a tailor in Charlestown, N. H. He married Adeline Fogget, and had five children. His death occurred in 1890, on November 26. Miranda, born May 23, 1820, married Alamanda Powers, of Charlestown, this State, a shoe manufacturer, and died Jan- uary 4, 1889. Hannah, born June 6, 1826, is now Mrs. John Ferguson, and lives in Canada. Ruth, born September 18, 1829, who lives in Somerville, Mass., married Lafayette Smith, of Cornish, a drover, and had four children. Alfred, born February 21, 1832, married Elizabeth Demming, of Cornish, had six children, and died June 26, 1891.
After receiving his education in the public schools, William E. Chadbourne engaged in farming, which has since been his principal occupation. He has never aspired to public office, while he has always taken a prominent
part in town affairs and has served as Highway Surveyor. In politics he is a Republican. He married on June 15, 1858, Rosella Stone, of Plainfield, N. H., daughter of Solomon and Betsy (Reed) Stone.
Mr. Chadbourne's children are : Angie L., William Lucius, Gratia S., Emma E., Lu- ther E., and James B. Angie, born October 19, 1862, is now Mrs. Earl Westgate, of Cor- nish. William L., born February 24, 1865, was married April 21, 1887, to Minnie Wood, and has one child - Daphna W., born July 9, 1888. Gratia, born May 27, 1867, was edu- cated at Windsor, Vt., and is a teacher of fine ability, well known and very popular in Clare- mont, Cornish, and other places. Emma, born December 1, 1869, was educated at Windsor, and is employed in one of the large mercantile establishments of that town. Lu- ther, born April 8, 1872, who was a pupil of Kimball Academy at Plainfield, joined his. father on the farm. James, who was educated at Windsor High School, also assists his father.
Solomon Stone was born in Plainfield, No- vember 6, 1811, and died January 12, 1892. His wife, born in Cornish, June 11, 1813, still lives in Plainfield, enjoying good health and able to do nearly all her own work with- out assistance. Mr. Chadbourne's mother, Sally Cady, was born in Cornish, August 29, 1790, and died December 16, 1864. Grand- father Cady was the first of the name to come to Cornish. He was born in 1743; and his wife was Hannah Hutchins, born in 1746. Grandfather Cady rode from Connecticut by marked trails. For a riding whip he had a willow stick; and when he alighted from his horse in Cornish he stuck the whip into the ground by his future home, and there has al- ways been a willow-tree there since. When he came here, he brought with him a silver
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dollar that he always carried as a pocket piece. At one time he unknowingly sent it with some other silver coins to be made into spoons. On missing it he immediately took means to get it back. The dollar had already been cut, but he had it soldered together again, and it is still preserved in the family as a valuable relic. It bears the date of 1750. Mr. Chad- bourne received at his birth from his grand- father Cady a silver dollar bearing the date of 1780.
J F. MERRILL, M.D., a well-known physician of Franklin Falls, Merri- mack County, was born in Gilmanton, . N. H., June 5, 1856, son of Jacob D. and Sarah (Sanborn) Merrill. His parents are farming people of Gilmanton. Their six children are all living, and are as follows: Ida, who is the wife of Alonzo Caverly, and resides in Lynn, Mass. ; George and Frederick, who are engaged in shoe manufacturing in Lynn, Mass., under the firm name of Merrill Brothers; Charles, who still remains with his parents; Addie, who is the wife of George Blanchard, and a resident of Lynn; and J. F., the subject of this sketch.
After acquiring a fair amount of elementary knowledge in the common schools of Gilman- ton, the subject of this sketch completed his general studies under a private tutor. He then studied medicine for about four years with Dr. Young, of Pittsfield, preparatory to entering Dartmouth Medical College, where he attended a course of lectures. He was sub- sequently graduated at the University of Ver- mont, receiving his degree of Doctor of Medi- cine from that institution, August 19, 1886. After graduating, he bought out the practice of Dr. J. P. Elkins, of New London, N. H., in which town he remained nearly nine years. He came to Franklin Falls in 1894, and has
since been successfully engaged in the prac- tice of his profession here. On January 1, 1879, Dr. Merrill married Miss Elma Perkins, of Pittsfield, N. H., a daughter of Samuel R. Perkins; and she bore him a daughter -- Edna, born in August, ISSO. Mrs. Elma P. Merrill died December 21, 1882. On June 8, 1885, the Doctor married for his second wife Mrs. Abbie Pillsbury Foss, a daughter of John C. Pillsbury, of Strafford, N. H.
Dr. Merrill is a Republican in politics. While a resident of New London, he served three years as a member of the School Board of that town. He is a member of the New Hampshire Medical Society, and also belongs to Suncook Lodge, No. 10, I. O. O. F. Highly successful in his profession and popu- lar as a man, he may be regarded as a repre- sentative citizen of his county. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church at Franklin Falls.
LFRED FITCH, a prominent farmer of Cornish and a descendant of one of the old families of the town, was born May 12, 1861. The first of the family to settle in Cornish was James Fitch, who came from Connecticut. He was born in 1712, and died October 25, 1805. His son, James, was father of Samuel, who was the great-grand- father of the present Alfred. Hezekiah, a brother of Samuel, and who was born in Cor- nish in 1746, died September 30, 1830, built the house owned by the Fitch family of to-day. Samuel Fitch was born in Cornish, October 15, 1757. He married Thankful Royce, who bore him eleven children. His son, James, born in Cornish, November 16, 1784, married Bethena Bartlett, of Cornish, who bore him four children. These were: Chester, the father of the subject of this sketch; Maria,
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born November 16, 1820; James, born No- vember 1, 1825; and Edwin, born July 21, 1827.
Chester Fitch was born in Cornish, April 23, 1818, and was educated in the town schools and at Windsor, Vt. The Hon. William E. Evarts was one of his teachers. He was a Free Mason, Patron of Husbandry, and a consistent member of the Congregational church. He had great musical ability, and was the organist and a chorister at the church for many years. He married Amy, daughter of John Westgate, of Plainfield. She was born April 13, 1835, and is still living at Clare- mont, enjoying the best of health. Her six children were: James, Alfred, Willis, Elmer, Jennie, and Frank. James, born April 13, 1859, who is now a farmer, married Almina Demming, and has two children - Chester and Morris. Willis, born September 26, 1864, now a shoe-cutter and living at North Adams, Mass., successively married May Peters and Susan Bryant, both of North Adams. Elmer, born November 16, 1867, now a farmer and milkman, lives at Clare- mont. Jennie, born August 23, 1871, died July 31, 1873. Frank, born October 8, 1872, died January 15, 1881.
Alfred Fitch received his education in the schools of Cornish. After leaving school, he went to work in a general merchandise store for a short time. He then came to his father's farm, where he has since been en- gaged in agriculture. He has held a number of town offices, and is known by his fellow- townsmen as a man of unimpeachable integ- rity and sterling. worth. A religious man, like his father, he is a member of the Congrega- tional church.
On March 27, 1884, he married Ida Will- iams, who was born at Plainfield, January 11, 1863. Her father, Orville B. Williams, a
native of Morristown, Vt., was a farmer on an extensive scale; and her mother was a native of Bradford, N. H. Her sisters, Carrie and Nettie, are school-teachers in Windsor. Four children have been born to them - James B., Bernice A., Harold A., and Frank W. Mr. Fitch is a very enterprising farmer, and his estate is one of the few remaining ones that are still in possession of the families who originally owned them. All of the farms of this part of the town have beautiful situations and fine views. Mr. Fitch's place is pleas- antly located on Dingleton Hill, and the resi- dence is surrounded with spreading meadow and pasture lands.
R UFUS VIRGIN, a prosperous farmer and well-known citizen of Concord, -was born on the Virgin homestead, where he now resides, January 7, 1818, son of Isaac and Susan (Batchelder) Virgin. He is a descendant of Ebenezer Virgin, second, one of the old proprietors of New Hampshire. The Virgin family has been closely identified with the history of Concord since the town was first settled. Jonathan Virgin, grandfather of Rufus, took up new land here, cleared it, and became the owner of a large farm. He died at about sixty years of age. His wife, in maidenhood Sarah Austin, was the mother of four sons and one daughter. Isaac Virgin was brought up to agricultural pursuits, and received his education in the district school. The school-house was a long distance from the farm; but, not discouraged by that, he was a regular attendant as well as a diligent student. When he came into possession of the farm, which he did previous to the War of 1812, he built a substantial set of buildings, which are standing to-day, but little the worse for the ravages of time. He died June 12, 1870,
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having been Selectman, Captain in the State militia, and for many years a member of the city government. His wife, Susan, was born March 4, 1790, and died in 1876. She was the mother of four children - Susan C., Eliza J., Rufus, and William H. Susan C. mar- ried the Rev. Caleb Fales, a Methodist min- ister, and died not long after her marriage. Eliza J. became the wife of W. K. Holt, of Loudon, but is now deceased. William died at the age of seventeen.
Rufus Virgin received a public-school edu- cation, and also studied at a select private school. He has been a farmer since he was old enough to work, and has always resided at the old home. Notwithstanding the busy life he has led, he has found time to interest himself in town affairs. "He was in the City Council in 1864-65, and was sent to the legis- lature as Representative in 1881. Politically, he is a Democrat, and first voted in 1836. In 1840 he married Mary Ann Stevens (see sketch of Albert Stevens), who was born Jan- uary 12, 1818. Mr. and Mrs. Virgin have had six children, whose names are respec- tively : Ellen A., Emma A., Frank P., Esther A., Fred P., and Fales P. The oldest son, Frank, died August 10, 1871, at the age of twenty-three years. The remaining five are married, and Mr. Virgin has quite a number of grandchildren. Mr. Virgin is well known locally as an historian and for the collection of historical facts in his possession. He has a complete record of events that have occurred in Concord and vicinity for over fifty years.
RA C. DAVIS, an esteemed resident of Plainfield, was born in the town of Hartford, Vt., March 8, 1847. His great-grandfather, Jeremiah, was a native of Sutton, N. H. Jeremiah and his father were
the first of the name to settle in the part of Grantham, N. H., now called Plainfield. He was a farmer by occupation, and had a family of nine children. The grandfather, Samuel Davis, also a native of Sutton, born in 1776, married Maria Hadley, daughter of Simeon Hadley, and had a family of nine children. These were: Lucy, Isaac, Samuel, Charles, Martin, Alfred, . Louisa, George W., and Alvan. Lucy married Norman Hadley, a farmer of Canaan. Isaac was twice married, the first time to Elsie Tyler, who bore him two children. On the second occasion he married a widow. He was a farmer, and en- gaged in the meat business at Canaan. Charles, also a farmer of Canaan, married Caroline Miner, and had four children. Mar- tin, who was employed in a mica mine, and was killed by an explosion over thirty years ago, had one son. Alfred, now a wealthy farmer, married Abigail Aldrich, of Concord, and has no children. Louisa married Will- iam Aldrich, of Concord, a farmer and active granger, and has one son. George W., a suc- cessful farmer of Canaan, N. H., owns the largest farm in that town, is a leading man in the grange, and has represented Canaan in the legislature. He married Emma Kilton, of Grafton, N. H. ; and they have four children. Alvan, also a farmer of Canaan, and who is said to raise more fruit than any other man in this section, is Chairman of the Board of Su- pervisors of the town. He married a Miss Richardson, and has seven children living.
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