USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Stafford and Belknap countries, New Hampshire > Part 4
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HARLES W. BICKFORD, Post- master at Rochester, was born in this town, January 20, 1843, son of John and Hannah M. (Demeritt) Bickford. He is a descendant of John Bickford, who emigrated from Sussex, England, about the year 1700, and was a prime mover in organizing the town of Rochester in 1722. John Bickford, Charles WV. Bickford's father, who is a native of this town, has spent the active period of his life in tilling the soil. An able and industrious farmer and a useful citizen, he served as a member of the Board of Selectmen in Roches- ter previous to its incorporation as a city. He is still residing here, and is now eighty-two years old. His wife, Hannah M., a native of Farmington, N. H., who was of English de- scent and a representative of an old and highly reputable family of Strafford County, lived to be seventy-three years old.
After attending the common and high schools of Rochester for the customary period, Charles W. Bickford completed his studies at the academy in Wolfboro, N. H. When twenty-one years old he went to New York City, where he became an employee at the Union Place Hotel, now the Morton House. There he obtained his first knowledge of the hotel business, which he was destined to fol- low as his principal occupation up to 1894. After leaving the metropolis he returned to Rochester, and was engaged in the grocery business until the store was destroyed by fire in 1871. He then resumed his connection with the hotel business, every branch of which he learned by a varied experience of twenty- five years. In this period he acquired the reputation of one of the finest stewards in this country. He has filled responsible positions at the Evans House, Coolidge House, United States Hotel, and Boston Tavern, of Boston, Mass. ; at Clifford House, Plymouth, Mass. ;
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Ocean View Hotel, Block Island; and the Narragansett Hotel of Providence, R. I. ; the Fort William Henry Hotel, at Lake George; Willard's Hotel, Washington, D. C. ; the Mag- nolia Hotel, Magnolia Springs, Fla. ; the Hotel Champlain, Clinton County, New York ; and he was for four years connected with the Hotel Ponce-de-Leon, St. Augustine, Fla., one of the largest houses in the United States. In May, 1894, having returned to this city at the urgent request of his numerous friends in Rochester, through their combined efforts he was appointed Postmaster by President Cleve- land.
On May 28, 1868, Mr. Bickford was united in marriage with Louise Henderson, a daugh- ter of Charles Henderson, of this city. In politics he is a Democrat. In 1870 and 1871 he served as Town Clerk ; and in 1895 he was elected to the City Council from Ward Five. In Masonry he has advanced to the Knights Templar degree, and is a member of Palestine Commandery. He is also connected with the Hotel Mutual Benefit Association. As a member of the St. Bernard Club of America and a great lover of dogs, he has given consid- erable attention to the breeding of these ani- mals, and was awarded both regular and special prizes for exhibits at the Boston Dog Show. Mr. Bickford is a member of the Unity Church.
OLONEL GEORGE A. SANDERS is one of the foremost men of Laconia, prominent in business, political, and social circles. He was born at Laconia, then called Meredith Bridge, December 10, 1846. His parents, Samuel WV. and Serena (Ranlet) Sanders, were natives of the Granite State, born respectively in the towns of Mason and Ossipee. His great-grandfather, Isaiah Sanders, was one of the New Hampshire
patriots who fought under Colonel Stark at Bennington, and lived to see the young repub- lic develop into a powerful nation, dying at the age of eighty. Joseph Sanders, the grand- father, who was a cabinet-maker and a farmer of Mason, married Sarah Mansur, and had a family of six children, three of whom are living.
Samuel W. Sanders, born in Mason, learned the tinsmith's trade, and established a hard- ware store in Laconia, which he managed from 1840 to 1887. A man of enterprise and strong character, he took a leading part in the finan- cial and political life of the town. He was one of the founders of the Laconia Savings Bank and a member of its Board of Trustees from 1868 up to the time of his death. He was Selectman of Meredith, was one of the prime movers in setting off the town of La- conia, and was Chairman of its first Board of Selectmen. In 1861 he was appointed Post- master of Laconia by President Lincoln, but did not receive his commission. He was sub- sequently first Associate Justice of the Laconia Police Court, serving until disqualified by age. He died January 16, 1892, aged seventy-three years. By his wife, who has also passed away, he was the father of three children, all of whom are living.
George A. Sanders received his education in the schools of his native town and at Gilford and New Ipswich Academies. He was after- ward employed in his father's store for a year, and then engaged as book-keeper with Priest & Marden, of Boston. On severing his con- nection with this firm he entered the employ of Bassett, French & Co., the founders of the far-famed Boston crockery house now con- ducted by Abram French & Co., and was travelling salesman for the house some twenty- one years. On January 1, 1887, he purchased his father's stove store in Laconia. Since
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then he has so enlarged the business that three times the original number of employees are now kept busy. Since 1892 he has been a Trustee of the Laconia Savings Bank. His natural business ability, of which he had a consider- able amount, has been highly developed by his long and varied commercial experience and his association with successful financiers.
Mr. Sanders has been twice married. In 1872 he was united to Miss Addie Currier, of Cambridgeport, Mass., who died in 1886, leav- ing three children. The latter are: Frank C., his father's assistant in the store; Emma L., who graduated from the Laconia High School in June, 1896, and is now attending the State Normal School at Plymouth, N. H. ; and S. Gertrude, attending the Laconia High School. Mr. Sanders was again married in 1889 to Ida M., daughter of John B. Chase, a well- to-do farmer of New Hampton, N. H. A pop- ular member of the Republican party, Mr. Sanders was in the State legislature in 1889, serving on the Committee on Corporations, and presiding as Chairman of the Committee on Mileage. He was Colonel for two years on Governor Tuttle's staff, having been appointed in 1891; County Commissioner of Belknap County for four years; and he has been Chief Engineer of the Laconia Fire Department since March, 1889. A thirty-second degree Mason, he belongs to Mount Lebanon Lodge, No. 32; to Union Chapter, No. 7, of the Royal Arch; and to Pythagorean Council, No. 6, Royal and Select Masters; is Past Eminent Commander of Pilgrim Commandery, K. T., Grand Standard Bearer in the Grand Com- mandery, and belongs to Edward A. Ray- mond Consistory at Nashua, N. H. He is a member of Mount Belknap Lodge, No. 20, Knights of Pythias; Laconia Division, No. 6, Uniform Rank; is Regent of Cyprus Council, No. 1062, Royal Arcanum; and is a member
of the Improved Order of Red Men, Pontau- hum Tribe, No. 18, of which he was first Sachem. He attends religious service at the Free Will Baptist church.
HARLES A. FAIRBANKS, M.D., a widely known and respected citizen of Dover, which he ably serves in the capacity of City Physician, was born in Portsmouth, N. H., December 17, 1849. He is a son of Albert A. and Lydia L. (Brock) Fairbanks. When he was two years old his parents moved to Portland, Me., in which city he spent two years of his childhood. Subse- quently he resided for a time successively in Mansfield and Boston, Mass. At the age of six he came to Dover with his parents, and here grew to manhood. Having received his elementary education in the city schools, he entered Dartmouth College, from which insti- tution he was graduated in 1871. Seeking employment after this, he secured a position as draughtsman with the National Bridge and Iron Works of Boston, Mass., and remained with them about one year and six months. He then went to East Saginaw, Mich., where he entered the service of the Flint & Mar- quette Railroad Company as mechanical draughtsman. After spending nine months in their employ he returned to Dover, and soon after was appointed station agent at this place for the Portsmouth & Dover Railroad Com- pany, being the first person to hold that posi- tion. After a service of one year as station agent he entered the office of Dr. John R. Ham, of this city, and began the study of medicine. He remained with Dr. Ham one year, and then entered Harvard Medical School, from which he was graduated with the class of 1877.
Locating at Fall River, Mass., he then
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began the practice of his profession. He had been but a short time in Fall River when, on March 18, 1878, he came to Dover, of which he has since been a resident. Later in that year he was appointed County Physician, and retained the position for four years. In 1882 he became City Physician, which office he has held since. From 1878 up to the pres- ent time he has been a member of the Strafford County Medical Association, was its President in the year 1889-90, and has been its Secre- tary in every year since 1879.
On October 21, 1884, he married Miss Emma Belle Caswell, daughter of Cornelius E. Caswell, of Dover. Dr. Fairbanks is not only prominent among his medical brethren for his skill, but he commands the respect and es- teem of all who know him. His large busi- ness capacity, sterling honesty, and devotion to the public interest make him a useful and valuable citizen. He was Moderator of Ward Three from 1878 to 1893, and he has been a member of the Water Commission since 1888. Since 1886 he has been a member of the Re- publican State Central Committee. In 1881 he was elected a member of the School Com- mittee, of which he has served as Secretary since 1884. The Doctor is also a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Moses Paul Lodge of Dover; and is besides affiliated with the I. O. O. F. and Improved Order of Red Men.
OHN ROBERTS LEAVITT, an enter- prising grocer of Lakeport, was born in Gilford, Belknap County, July 23, 1836, son of Taylor and Maria (Roberts) Leavitt. His paternal grandfather, Samuel, a native of Gilmanton, N. H., was a relative of Dudley Leavitt, the almanac editor. Samuel Leavitt followed the trades of carpen- ter, joiner, and wheelwright. He removed to
Gilford, where he owned and ran a saw-mill near Lakeshore Park for many years. He was Selectman for ten years, a Justice of the Peace for a prolonged period, and a Representative to the legislature for several terms. In re- ligion he was a highly respected member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Gilford Village. He married Nancy Chase, of Gil- manton ; and they had two sons, Taylor and Gilman, both of whom are now deceased. Gilman, who was a blacksmith by trade, served many years as foreman in Abbot's carriage shop in Concord, N. H. Samuel Leavitt died at the age of seventy-three years.
Taylor Leavitt, the father of John R., re- moved with his parents to Gilford while yet a boy. He worked in the saw-mill with his father, and also on the farm, subsequently becoming the owner of one hundred and forty acres of land. His wife, who was a daughter of John Roberts, of New Durham, N. H., removed with her parents to Gilford when she was but eight years of age. She had three girls and two boys, of whom the sons are living - Charles W. and John R. Her hus- band died when he was seventy-four years old, and she has also passed away.
John Roberts Leavitt acquired a common- school education in his native town, and re- mained on the home acres until he was thirty years of age. He drove a team for George W. Sanders in the lumber business for one year, served S. A. Piper for three years in the car- penter's trade, and was employed as carpenter in the Laconia Car Works. A copartnership was then formed with Albert D. Plummer, under the style of Leavitt & Plummer, in the grocery business. Three years later they dis- solved partnership, and E. P. Osgood was associated with him under the firm name of Osgood & Leavitt for the same period of time. Then he and A. E. Stanyon, forming the firm
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of Leavitt & Stanyon, conducted the business for a further three years. Since that time Mr. Leavitt has been the sole proprietor. In the fall of 1883 he built his present establishment. His business career here so far has lasted thirty-three years.
. Mr. Leavitt has been twice married. In September, 1861, he was married to Emeline M. Carr, of Gilford. She died September 15, 1875, leaving one daughter - Annie Maria, who died in 1877, at the age of fourteen years. In June, 1879, he married his second wife, previously Jennie M. Bunker, of Tamworth, N. H. They have two adopted daughters, namely : Blanche Ellen, who was born No- vember 22, 1891; and Flossie Emily, who is thirteen years of age. In politics Mr. Leavitt acted with the Democratic party from the time he first voted until 1894, when he became a Republican. He served as Overseer of the Poor for two years. He has succes- sively filled all the chairs in Chocorua Lodge, No. 51, I. O. O. F., and is a member of the Grand Lodge; and also belongs to Endicott Rock Lodge, No. 23, K. P., in which he has refused various offices. His religious senti- ments have led him to become a constant at- tendant of the Free Baptist Church of Lake- port.
OLONEL DANIEL HALL, attorney- at-law and a distinguished political leader, occupying an honored place among the foremost men of New Hampshire, is a citizen of Dover, Strafford County. He was born in Barrington, this State, February 28, 1832, a son of Gilman and Eliza (Tuttle) Hall, and is of good old Colonial stock. On the paternal side he is a lineal descendant of John Hall, who came to Dover with his brother Ralph in 1649 from Charlestown, Mass., and was very active in the early settle-
ment of the city, a Surveyor of Land, Commis- sioner to try causes, Town Clerk, and the Deacon of the Congregational church, having been appointed to the latter office in 1650.
Deacon John Hall was the father of Ralph Hall, also a farmer in Dover, whose son Ralph, the great-great-grandfather of the Colonel, was a pioneer settler of Barrington. On the farm which he partly cleared in that town was born Solomon Hall, the next in line of descent, whose son Daniel, first, a lifelong farmer of Barrington, was Colonel Hall's grandfather.
Gilman Hall, son of Daniel, first, was edu- cated in Barrington and Dover; and when a young man he spent some years in Boston, being engaged a part of the time as a clerk and a part in mercantile business. Subse- quently returning to Barrington, he opened a store for the sale of general merchandise, and as a merchant and farmer there passed the re- mainder of his life, dying on March IS, 1870, aged sixty years. In politics he was a strong supporter of the principles of the Democratic party; and, in addition to ably filling all the local offices of importance, he was a Repre- sentative to the General Court. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Tuttle, as above indicated, was born in Dover, and died in this city, November 9, 1888. She was a direct descendant of John Tuttle, who was a Judge of the Superior Court in Dover in the latter part of the seventeenth century. Mrs. Eliza T. Hall was the mother of nine children, two of whom died in infancy. The others may be briefly mentioned, as follows: Daniel is the subject of this biography; Lydia is the wife of John H. Parker, of Seabrook, N.H .; Clara married William H. Neal, of Dover; Eliza is the wife of Joseph L. Cater, of Princeton, Minn. ; Gilman is a resident of Haverhill, Mass. ; Mary Esther is the wife of William
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H. H. Twombly, of Madbury, N. H .; and David died December 10, 1885, aged thirty- nine years.
The life of Daniel Hall as a boy was devoid of any remarkable events and experiences. He first attended the district schools, then pursued his studies three terms at the Strafford Acad- emy and one term at the New Hampshire Conference Seminary in Northfield, now Til- ton, and between times assisted his father in the store or on the farm. Having ambitions far above the life to which he was seemingly bound, this persevering lad began the study of Latin and Greek by himself, spending his leisure minutes at his books, and made such judicious use of his time that in 1850 he entered Dartmouth College, where in 1854 he was graduated with honors, and standing at the head of his class as valedictorian. He being the eldest of a large family of children, his parents were able to give him but scant help in paying his way through college; and in order to defray his expenses Mr. Hall taught school winters, and at the same time kept pace with his class in his studies.
For three years after his graduation he was clerk in the New York custom-house, and while there he repaid from his earnings the money previously advanced him by his father. By birth and breeding Colonel Hall was a Democrat ; but by listening to the eloquence of such men as William Lloyd Garrison, Wen- dell Phillips, and Gerrit Smith, he had imbibed anti-slavery principles, and in consequence of publicly expressing his disapproval of the Lecompton Bill, for submitting to the peo- ple of Kansas a constitution favoring slavery, he was removed from his position. Returning to Dover, he entered the office of Daniel M. Christie, the most brilliant lawyer of his time, and in 1860 was admitted to the New Hamp- shire bar. He at once began the practice of
his profession in Dover, continuing until the autumn of the next year, when he went to Washington as Secretary of the United States Committee on Naval Affairs.
After serving a few months in this position he surrendered this office to participate in the war, and in March, 1862, was commissioned Aide-de-camp and Captain in the regular army, being assigned to the staff of General A. W. Whipple, then stationed at Arlington Heights, and in September, at the time of the Antietam campaign, with him joining the Army of the Potomac. On December 13, 1862, he was in the battle of Fredericksburg, and in the assault of Marye's Heights. On May 5, 1863, he stood by the side of General Whipple when that officer received the wound that proved mortal. Then appointed to the staff of General O. O. Howard, Commander of the Eleventh Corps, he was with him at the battle of Gettysburg and in later campaigns. In 1864 Captain Hall was made Provost Marshal of the First New Hampshire District, in which capacity he organized four thousand men for the army and navy, being stationed at Ports- mouth until the close of the war. Although in many engagements, he was but once wounded, receiving a slight injury at the battle of Gettysburg.
He resumed his practice in Dover after his return to civil life, but in 1867 was appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court, and the following year was made Judge of the Police Court of Dover, an office in which he remained seven years. He likewise held an official position under Governor Smyth, and later was on Gov- ernor Harriman's staff, holding the rank of Colonel. In 1874 he was elected Chairman of the Republican State Committee, he having long been a stanch advocate of the principles of that party : and he wisely conducted their campaigns for the next three years, in 1876
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being Chairman of the delegation sent by New Hampshire to the National Convention in Cincinnati. From 1875 until 1877 he was Reporter of the Decisions of the Supreme Court, and published volumes fifty-six and fifty-seven of the New Hampshire Reports. In 1877 Colonel Hall received the appoint- ment of Naval Officer at the port of Boston, and, being reappointed at the end of his first term, served until the ist of January, 1896.
Since returning to Dover at that time, Colonel Hall has been connected with various institutions in an official capacity. He is a Trustec of the Strafford Savings Bank of Dover, of the Dover Public Library, and of the Berwick Academy. In 1859 he was ap- pointed by the governor as School Commis- sioner for this county, and in 1860 he was re- appointed. . Colonel Hall is an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic, having been Judge-advocate, Senior Vice-Commander, and Department Commander, and at the pres- ent time is Trustee and Secretary of the New Hampshire Soldiers' Home, for the establish- ment of which he drafted the law. He be- longs to the Charles W. Sawyer Post, No. 17. He is likewise a member of the Loyal Legion, Massachusetts Commandery. He is an attendant of the Congregational church. Colonel Hall was married January 25, 1877, to Miss Sophia Dodge, daughter of Jonathan T. and Sarah Hanson Dodge, of Rochester, N.H. Their only child, Arthur Wellesley, born August 30, 1878, is a student at the Berwick Academy.
EORGE HENRY SMITH, a success- ful dry-goods merchant of Lakeport, 2 where he has been in business for a number of years, is a native of Moultonboro, Carroll County, N. Il., born June 18, 1847, son of Rufus and Nancy (Lovejoy) Smith.
Rufus Smith, who followed the trade of a machinist for thirty years, in early life worked at farming. After 1865 he was also engaged in lumbering and boating for a time. Then he settled in Laconia (now Gilford), where since about 1889 he has lived in retirement, being now seventy-eight years of age. Politi- cally, he is a Republican. Fraternally, he is a prominent member of Chocorua Lodge, No. 51, I. O. O. F., of Lakeport. He has served as a delegate to the Grand Lodge at different times; and when a member of Laconia En- campment, No. 9, he held all the different offices. His wife, Nancy, was a daughter of Caleb Lovejoy, of Meredith, N. H. Her ear- liest ancestors in this country came from Eng- land, and settled in Pembroke, N.H., which has been the home of the Lovejoys for four or five generations. She died in 1888. Rufus and Nancy Smith were the parents of a son and daughter: George H .; and Lucy J., who lives at home.
George H. Smith received his education in the common school of Moultonboro, a select school, and at Wolfboro Academy. He then went to work in the machine shop of the Cole Manufacturing Company, with whom he re- mained some ten years. During three of these years he was travelling for the firm, doing general repairs, and putting up new work. On leaving their employment, in April, 1874, he and Horace Bugbee opened his present dry-goods store in Lakeport, the style of the firm being Bugbee & Smith. They had conducted the store together for two and a half years when Mr. Smith bought out his partner, and has since carried on the business alone. He is also interested in the Lakeport Savings Bank, of which he is a stockholder.
Mr. Smith has been twice married. His first union was with Miss Eliza E. Gardner, of Boston. Harry Lincoln, his son by this
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marriage, and who assists in the store, was graduated from the Laconia High School in 1896, and after a year of rest from study will enter college. Mr. Smith's present wife was before marriage Miss Carrie Alice Bryant, of Tamworth, N.H. In political affiliation Mr. Smith, like his father, is a Republican. While not an office-seeker, he has served as Town Clerk, and has been a Justice of the Peace for several years. Since he was twenty- one years of age he has been a member of Chocorua Lodge, No. 51, I. O. O. F., the dif- ferent chairs of which he has filled.
OHN N. HAINES, a well-known man- ufacturer of Strafford County, who owns and operates a cotton and waste mill in Somersworth, was born here, June 15, 1848, son of John S. and Theodate (Nowell) Haines. The father, who was born in Greenland, N.H., came to Somersworth with his parents when about fifteen years of age. He first worked for the Great Falls Manufacturing Company, continuing with them until 1861. Then he established the business that his son now owns, and carried it on until his death, at the age of sixty-five. He was appointed Postmas- ter of Great Falls (now Somersworth) by Pres- ident Lincoln, and afterward held the office for about eleven years. He was also a mem- ber of the General Court, was County Treas- urer, and at various times filled several of the minor town offices. Though a poor boy when he started upon his business career, he achieved fair pecuniary . success, and was highly esteemed as a citizen. His widow, Theodate (Nowell) Haines, who was born in Sanford, Me., about seventy-four years ago, resides on the old homestead in Somersworth, · and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, with which her husband was identified.
Six children were born to them, namely : John N., the subject of this sketch; Leonora, now the wife of J. W. Bates, a merchant in Somersworth; Theodate, who married Charles H. Gridley, and lives in Elmira, N. Y .; Charles S., who died when two years old; Fred Sumner, who is engaged in business in Rochester, Minn. ; and Mary C., now the wife of the Rev. Sherod Soule, of Naugatuck, Conn.
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