USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Stafford and Belknap countries, New Hampshire > Part 15
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IMON WENTWORTH, a skilful and influential agriculturist of North Rochester, was born October 13, 1823, on the farm which he now occupies, son of Beard and Sarah (Roberts) Wentworth. He comes of pioneer ancestry, his paternal grandfather, Elihu Wentworth, having pur- chased this tract of land when the district was
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covered with woods. Clearing a space in this wilderness, Elihu erected. a small house, prob- ably of logs, for himself and family, and here spent his remaining days.
Beard Wentworth assisted in clearing the land as soon as he was old enough to use an axe. Having inherited the old homestead, he continued to improve it, and lived here until his death at an advanced age in 1873. His body was interred in the family cemetery on the farm where he had lived and toiled. In politics he was a sound Democrat. With his wife, Sarah, who was a native of Rochester, he reared eight children, namely: Ira, of Rochester; Simon, the subject of this sketch ; Jonas, also of Rochester; Eliza A., the widow of Leonard Hayes, of Milton, this county ; George B., who was killed in an accident on the Bradford railroad in 1888; John F., of Rochester; Martin V. B., of Dover; and Sarah A., who makes her home in Milton with her sister, Mrs. Hayes.
In his boyhood Simon Wentworth attended the public schools of Milton, where he was well drilled in the elementary branches. Be- tween the school sessions he obtained a practi- cal knowledge of agriculture under the instruc- tion of his parents. Since coming into posses- sion of the ancestral acres, he has carried on general farming, lumbering, and dairying with signal success. Having acquired more land by purchase, he is now the owner of four hun- · dred acres lying in Rochester, Milton, and Lebanon. In 1853 he was appointed depot master at Hayes Crossing, a position which he still holds. He was also Postmaster at North Rochester for twenty years.
Mr. Wentworth married Miss Frances J. Cook, of Milton, and has three children. These are: Elmer E., of Springvale, Me. ; Walter S., who assists in the care of the home .
farm; and Fred B., of the city of Rochester.
Mr. Wentworth has voted with the Republi- can party since its organization, and for two years served his fellow-townsmen as Select- man. He was made a Mason in Humane Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Rochester, with which he has been connected several years. He attends the Congregational Church of Mil- ton, and is a willing contributor toward its support.
ILLIAM F. HARMON, a promi- nent liveryman of Somersworth, was born in Scarboro, Me., March. 15, 1845, son of Lorenzo D. and Mary (Hodsdon) Harmon. The father, also a native of Scar- boro, spent his life in that town chiefly en- gaged in farming, and died at the carly age of thirty years. The mother still survives him, and is now about eighty years of age.
When but six months old, William F. Har- mon was bereft of his father. About two and a half years later his mother came with him to Somersworth, where he afterward attended the public schools until he was about sixteen years of age. On February 18, 1862, when not quite seventeen, he enlisted for three years in Company D of the Fourth New Hampshire Regiment as a drummer boy. At the expira- tion of his term he re-enlisted in the same company and regiment, and served with them until the close of the Civil War. He shared in the action of Pokatalego, the siege of Charleston, the engagements of Morris Island and Cold Harbor, the siege of Petersburg, the fight at Deep Bottom, and the attack on Fort Fisher, passing through all without being wounded or taken prisoner. On receiving his final discharge he returned to Somersworth, and worked as clerk in a dry-goods store for three years. Ile next engaged in the news- paper and periodical business, which he had successively conducted for about fourteen years,
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when he sold out, to assume the duties of Post- master of Somersworth. He was appointed to this office in September, 1886, and served four . years and four months. Then he took up the insurance business, which he followed until 1882. In 1892 and 1893 he was Tax Col- lector for Somersworth. Also in 1893 he first engaged in the livery business, which he has since carried on with marked success.
On November 25, 1871, Mr. Hormon mar- ried Miss Lizzie Bracy, of Somersworth, by whom he became the father of five children. These are: Winnifred L., who is assistant in the Somersworth High School; William F., who is employed in the general ticket office of the Boston & Maine Railroad in Boston; Charles H., a resident of Somersworth ; Helen M., at home and attending school; and Marion, also at home. On national questions Mr. Harmon supports the Democratic party, but in local affairs he takes a liberal course. From 1876 to 1880 he served as Town Clerk, and in 1890 and 1891 he was a member of the School Board. He belongs to Littlefield Post, No. 8, G. A. R., of this city, and in 1883 was its Commander.
HARLES E. SMALL, a thrifty farmer and a highly esteemed resident of Bel- mont, was born in Canterbury, N. H., June 23, 1860, son of Darius and Susan (Heath) Small. His grandfather, Jeremiah Small, who was reared in Canterbury, married Hannah Young, of Upper Gilmanton (now Belmont), and was the father of nine children - William P., Eliza K., Darius, Jane, John, Andrew J., Gideon, Winthrop, and Caroline. William P., who is living in Canterbury, has four children, namely : Ella, the wife of Frank Merrill; Emma, a book-keeper; Walter, who married a Miss Langehy; and Almon, who
married Florence Bagley. Eliza K. married Nathan F. Foster, of Belmont, and has one son, Frank A. Foster, M.D., of Waltham, Mass. Jane, who is the wife of Enoch Pick- ard, of Canterbury, has six children, as fol- lows: Jane, now Mrs. Burbeck, of Concord; Frances, who married Charles Osgood, son of Edward Osgood, a prominent citizen of Can- terbury ; Louise, who married Hugh Tallent ; Ellen, who married a Mr. Dearborn, of Con- cord, and is now a widow; Grace, who married Harry Ray; and Warren, who married Alice Shaw, of Concord. John Small married Sarah Dennis, of Providence, R.I., and has two chil- dren, namely : Anna, who wedded Fred Cole, of Concord; and Linius, now a widower, who wedded Ida Lovering. Andrew J. Small mar- ried Calista Howe, who died leaving three children - Eva G., Alfaretta, and Charles H. Alfaretta is a trained nurse in Boston, and Charles H. is an engineer. Gideon died at the age of twenty-three. Winthrop died leav- ing one child. Caroline married Sylvanus Moore, of Canterbury.
Darius Small, Charles E. Small's father, born in Canterbury, was reared to agricultural pursuits. He moved to Belmont in 1860, and settled upon a farm of eighty acres, which he cultivated industriously, and died April 5, 1894. His wife, Susan, died May 3, 1884. Her father was Abraham Heath, of Northfield, N. H., who reared three other children ; namely, Rachel, Joseph, and Josiah. Rachel, now deceased, was the wife of Samuel Wyatt, of Northfield; Joseph married Caroline Grant, and has four children; and Josiah married Judith Hubbard, and has two children. Mr. and Mrs. Darius Small had three children, namely : Jeremiah, who died at the age of four years; John A., who married Sarah E. Max- field, and resides in Lakeport, N.II .; and Charles E., the subject of this sketch.
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When he went with his parents to Belmont, Charles E. Small was eight months old. He acquired his education in the public schools. Since completing his studies he has been engaged in carrying on the homestead farm, in company with his father. As a result of their thrift and good judgment the property now comprises two hundred acres. Mr. Small wedded Mary Jane Garmon, daughter of Nich- olas and Sarah S. (Bean) Garmon, respectively of Gilmanton and Belmont. Nicholas Garmon served as Selectman, Town Clerk, and County Commissioner. In politics Mr. Small is a Republican. He served as a member of the Board of Selectmen for four years, during two of which he acted as Chairman.
HARLES DAVIS THYNG, the La- conia jailer and the efficient superin- tendent of the poor farm, was born in Lakeport, Belknap County, August 4, 1845, son of Jeremiah B. and Hannah (Davis) Thyng. His grandfather, Jeremiah Thyng, who was a native of Brentwood, N.H., in his early manhood became a pioneer of Gilford, settling on Liberty Hill, and was an organizer of the Free Baptist church in this place. Jeremiah's wife, in maidenhood named Mor- rill, was also born in Brentwood. They reared six children, all of whom are now de- ceased.
Jeremiah B. Thyng, the father of Charles D., was born on Liberty Hill, and remained on the home farm until he was thirty-five years of age. He then went to Gilford, this county, where he managed a grocery store for four or five years. Subsequently he removed to Lake- port, where he was employed for a few years in a mill. The next four years were spent in business in Dover, N. H., after which he opened a general merchandise store in Alton,
this county. Three years later he returned to the old homestead in Gilford. In 1860 he re- moved to New Hampton, Belknap County, where he officiated as Selectman, and was prominent in the Free Will Baptist church. His wife was a daughter of Nathaniel Davis, who was a member of the Davis family on Governor's Island in Gilford township. Jere- miah B. had only one child, Charles D., the subject of this biography. He died in 1881, being then seventy-seven years of age.
After graduating from the New Hampton Academy in 1865, Charles D. Thyng estab- lished a drug, book, and stationery store in that town, and afterward managed it success- fully for thirty years. He then came to Laconia; and on January 1, 1895, he was ap- pointed superintendent of the poor farm and jailer. In politics he affiliates with the Re- publican party. He was Postmaster of New Hampton for eighteen years, its Town Treas- urer for a quarter of a century, and in 1887 he was its Representative in the legislature. While Representative he was on the Commit- tees of Mileage and Revision of the Statutes, and he was influential in securing the charter for the Gordon Nash Library of New Hampton.
On February 1, 1870, Mr. Thyng was mar- ried to Caroline R., daughter of Flavel Bow- ker, of Brunswick, Me. His children by the union are: Herbert M., Arthur D., Cora H., and Elsie B. Herbert M. was graduated from New Hampton Academy, and is now a Senior in Dartmouth College; Arthur D., who was graduated from the commercial department of the same institution in the summer of 1896, is assisting his father; Cora H., who graduated from New Hampton Institute in 1896, resides at home. Mr. Thyng has been identified with Cardigan Lodge, No. 38, I. O. O. F., of Bris- tol, since 1873. He is now Past Grand Mas- ter, having held all the chairs. He also
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belongs to the Daughters of Rebecca in the same town. In religion he affiliates with the Free Will Baptist church, in which he has officiated for four years as superintendent of the Sunday-school.
HARLES HENRY TRICKEY, for- merly engaged as a dealer in coal, wood, hay, and lumber in Dover, N. H., was prominently associated for many years with the mercantile interests of this part of Strafford County ; and his death, which occurred February 2, 1896, was deeply de- plored as a public loss to the community. Mr. Trickey was born August 14, 1833, in Brookfield, Carroll County, N.H., where his father, Lemuel Trickey, was prosperously en- gaged in general agriculture. His mother, Mrs. Maria Goodhue Trickey, is a descendant of Governor Thomas Wiggin. She is now living, at the advanced age of ninety-one years, with her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Georgie Trickey, at her home on Central Avenue.
Having diligently improved his opportuni- ties for acquiring an education in the district schools and in the academy at Wakefield, N. H., at the youthful age of seventeen Charles H. Trickey taught school in the adjoining town of New Durham, meeting with such suc- cess that the following year the school agent offered him five dollars a month more than they had ever paid a teacher before. In 1853, at about twenty years of age, Mr. Trickey left the old home farm in search of more congenial and remunerative employment. Making his way to Dover, he obtained a situation as clerk in the store of John Bickford, a merchant tailor, with whom, after remaining for a few years in a subordinate position, he subse- quently formed a copartnership, which con- tinued for some time. He then bought his
partner's share in the store and stock, and successfully managed the entire business until 1870. In that year Mr. Trickey, having dis- posed of his other interests, bought out the coal, wood, and lumber business of Mr. M. D. Page, at the same time purchasing an interest in the business of Mr. George Avery, a lum- berman, teamster, and dealer in hay; and from that date until his demise he was most profitably engaged in trade. In each depart- ment, under his energetic and capable manage- ment, growth was soon apparent; and in the matter of coal alone the sale was increased from six hundred tons each year to the large amount of ten thousand tons.
Mr. Trickey was interested in some of the enterprises most likely to advance the com- mercial interests of Dover, being the prime mover in the establishment of the Dover Navi- gation Company and in having the channel of the river deepened for the accommodation of vessels of a larger draft. In politics he was a stanch Republican, but steadily declined all offices, even refusing to accept the nomination as candidate for the mayorship of this city, although earnestly solicited to do so. He was not connected by membership with any relig- ious organization, but was a regular attendant of the First Congregational Church.
On December 25, 1869, Mr. Trickey mar- ried Miss Ada, daughter of ex-Mayor Albert Bond, of Dover. Two daughters were the fruit of this union, namely: Marion Gertrude, wife of the Rev. George Alcott, of Danielson, Conn .; and Lola Maud, now a student at the Normal College in Willimantic, Conn. On April 28, 1886, Mr. Trickey married Mrs. Georgie Hanson, daughter of Charles and Abbie A. Boston, of Wells, Me. Of this union two children were born, namely : Charles Lemuel, December 17, 1887; and Mabel Grace, April 13, 1891.
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CHARLES H. TRICKEY.
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At his death Mr. Trickey left a will ap- pointing Mrs. Trickey sole executrix of his estate, a high proof of the confidence he had in her practical ability and good judgment. Although she had never had any business ex- perience, Mrs. Georgie Trickey, who is a bright, active woman, has managed the inter- ests left to her care with a sagacity above comment, her business as a dealer in coal and wood comparing favorably with that of any firm in the city.
HARLES C. COOK, the proprietor of a large farm in Centre Harbor, was born in Moultonboro, N.H., Sep- tember 4, 1843, son of Nelson B. and Adeline S. (Moulton) Cook. His grandfather, Eben Cook, born on Red Hill in the town of Moul- tonboro, spent the active period of his life in tilling the soil. Eben was a natural mechanic, and was able to make any kind of a wooden tool or implement used in agriculture. The maiden name of his wife was Hannah Batchelder.
Nelson B. Cook, Charles C. Cook's father, was a native of Moultonboro, born November 14, 1814. He was reared to agricultural life, and for some years after coming of age he worked as a farm assistant. At the age of twenty-seven he took the management of the town farm, and carried it on for two years. He purchased a farm in his native town, and, having erected a house, was engaged in gen- eral farming on his own account until about the year 1.880. He then sold his property, and lived in retirement until his death, which occurred in July, 1895. His wife, Adeline, was a daughter of Thomas Moulton, a native of Moultonboro, who after his marriage settled in Greensboro, Vt., where the greater part of his life was passed. Mr. Moulton was a son
of Benning Moulton, and a grandson of Gen- eral Jonathan Moulton, the founder of the Moulton family in Belknap County. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson B. Cook had three children, namely : Charles C., the subject of this sketch ; Samantha P., who married Charles M. McCoy, of Littleton, N. H .; and George E. The parents were members of the Christian Baptist Church.
Charles C. Cook attended school in his native town, and resided at home until he was twenty-one. He applied himself to various pursuits for a time, and then went to Aurora, Ill. While there he was engaged in railroad- ing for nine years, six years of which were spent as a locomotive engineer. After a resi- dence of eleven years in Illinois he returned to his native State. In 1879 he bought a farm in Centre Harbor, where he has since resided. This property, which originally contained one hundred and forty acres, he has increased to two hundred and fifty acres, about thirty-five of which are under cultivation. He raises large crops of hay, corn, and potatoes, and keeps twelve head of cattle. In politics he is a Democrat, and he takes a prominent part in public affairs. He served as a Selectman four years, is now serving his third term as Super- visor, and he has been Highway Surveyor.
On August 20, 1873, Mr. Cook married Abbie A. Paine, daughter of James M. Paine, of Centre Harbor. Mrs. Cook's great-grand- father, John Paine, who came here from Rye, N.H., and was a resident for the rest of his life, lived to be ninety-five years old. Her grandfather, Jonathan Paine, accompanied his parents to Centre Harbor when he was twelve years old. James M. Paine, Mrs. Cook's father, was born February 14, 1803, upon the farm which is now owned by Charles C. Cook. He was one of the active farmers of his day and a leading spirit in local public affairs.
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He served as Representative to the legislature three or four terms, was a member of the Board of Selectmen about twenty-one years, and he was also Town Treasurer, County Com- missioner, and County Treasurer. In politics he supported the Democratic party. He mar- ried for his first wife Sally Towle, daughter of Levi Towle, and reared a family of two children - Arthur L. and Addie A. For his second wife he married Mrs. Linda S. (Sen- ter) Bailey, daughter of Samuel M. Senter, and widow of Dr. William Bailey. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have two children - Lillian May and James Nelson. Mr. Cook is a member of Chocorua Lodge, F. & A. M .; and of Win- nepesaukee Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, of Meredith.
LVAH T. RAMSDELL, a leading ar- chitect of Dover, who is devoting his attention almost exclusively to his profession, was born April 15, 1852, in York, Me., son of William Ramsdell. The latter, who was born in York in 1816, learned the carpenter's trade, and worked at it and gen- eral farming during the rest of his life, resid- ing in the place of his nativity until his death, which occurred February 6, 1869, at the age of fifty-three years. He married Phoebe A. Boston, who was born in Wells, Me., and is now living in South Berwick, Me. She bore her husband thirteen children, namely : Susan, Josephine, Mary, Clara, Phoebe, Etta, Emily, Albert, Alvah T., Alfred, Albion, Stora, and an unnamed daughter. The last two died in infancy.
Alvah T. Ramsdell lived beneath the paren- tal roof until eighteeen years of age, attending the district schools and assisting in the labors incidental to life on a farm. Being endowed by nature with a good mechanical talent, he then resolved to put it to use. With this pur-
pose he went to South Berwick, and served an apprenticeship of three years with William A. McIntire, a noted contractor, builder, and manufacturer of builders' finish. He spent the three following years as a journeyman carpen- ter in Berwick and vicinity, after which he located in Boston as a master mechanic. Here he proved himself so thoroughly conversant with his business that he was kept continu- ously employed by such well-known contrac- tors as William McKenzey, Whidden, Hill & Co., and B. D. Whitcomb & Co. Under his superintendence many of Boston's later struct- ures of note, including the Ames and Cyclo- rama Buildings, and the Boston Storage Ware- house, were completed. During this time, mindful of his ambition to perfect himself in his art, Mr. Ramsdell began the study of draw- ing and architecture at the Boston evening schools. In 1889 Mr. Ramsdell opened an office in Dover, where he has since built up a substantial business, and become prominently identified with the political and social life of the city. Some of the most attractive build- ings of Dover are alike creditable to him and ornamental to the place.
On April 15, 1877, Mr. Ramsdell was united in marriage with Miss Ida Florence, daughter of John S. and Joanna H. (Brewster) Hurd, of Dover. In politics Mr. Ramsdell is a decided Republican. He served as Coun- cilman from Ward One in 1894 and 1895, and in the latter year was President of the Council. He was elected Alderman in 1896 and 1897. For many years he has been prominent in Masonic circles, and has done much to promote the good of the order in New Hampshire. He belongs to Moses Paul Lodge, F. & A. M., of Dover; Belknap Chapter, R. A. M. ; St. Paul Commandery, K. T. ; to the Wechohamet Lodge, I. O. O. F., of this city; and to the Olive Branch Lodge, Crescent Division Uni-
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form, K. P., of Dover. In his Masonic lodge Mr. Ramsdell is Treasurer. He takes a deep interest in matters pertaining to the moral welfare of the community in which he resides, is a valued member of the First Parish Con- gregational Church, and an earnest worker in the Young Men's Christian Association.
RVILLE PARKER SMITH, one of Centre Harbor's most prosperous
farmers, was born here, March 31, 1861, son of Noah and Grace E. W. (Mudgett) Smith. The family is of English origin. Philip Smith, the great-grandfather of Orville P., and a prosperous farmer of New Hampton, N. H., married Nancy Jewell, a native of Stratham, N. H. He was a son of Benjamin Smith, who was a brother of the grandfather of Orville P. Smith's grandmother.
Parker Smith, the grandfather, was born in New Hampton, February 7, 1796. When a young man he came to Centre Harbor, and at the age of twenty-seven bought of the heirs of Joseph Cox the farm upon which his son and grandson now reside. Parker Smith died at the age of about forty years. He married Anna Smith, who was born in New Hampton, September 25, 1800. She descended from the same ancestry as her grandson on the paternal side. Benjamin Smith was the son of John, who was grandson of the first ancestor in America; and Christopher, grandfather of Anna, was son of Benjamin. Christopher Smith, born October 20, 1736, commanded a company in the Revolutionary War, although not a commissioned officer. His wife, in maidenhood Mary Page, was born March 20, 1739. Christopher died December 7, 1814, and his wife died March 7, 1778. John Smith, father of Anna, born in Hampton, N. II., January 25, 1760, also served as a sol-
dier in the Revolutionary War, and died July 17, 1842. He wedded Martha Drake, who was born August 30, 1767, daughter of Abra- ham Drake, and died August 14, 1841. Or- ville P. Smith's grandmother died September 2, 1858. She was the mother of six children, namely : John P., Martha A., Mary J., Noah, Charlotte, and Charles. Noah Smith, Orville P. Smith's father, was born in Centre Harbor, March 7, 1831. He has always resided at the homestead, which he inherited, and where he has been actively engaged in general farming. He served as a Selectman four years, and is a Democrat in politics. His wife, Grace E. W. (Mudgett) Smith, is a daughter of Levi Mudgett, of New Hampton. Orville P., the subject of this sketch, is their only child. Both parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Orville Parker Smith acquired a common- school education, and was reared to agri- cultural pursuits. After leaving school he began to help on the home farm. He has suc- cessfully managed the property for several years past. The estate contains sixty-five acres of land, thirty-five of which are used for tillage purposes, and are very fertile. Large crops of hay, corn, oats, and potatoes are raised. The pasturage facilities are excel- lent, and an average of eighteen head of cattle are wintered.
On May 31, 1888, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Anna L. Grant, daughter of Daniel B. Grant, of Moultonboro. He is prominent in the affairs of the town, to which he has rendered valuable services. For six years he was a member of the Board of Select- men. He was on the School Board for eight years. He represented this district in the legislature in 1892 and 1893. He was Road Commissioner for three terms, and he was Moderator at town meetings for a number of
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years. He is connected with Winnepesaukec Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, in which he takes a deep interest, and is a Past Master.
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