USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Stafford and Belknap countries, New Hampshire > Part 42
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He was mustered out of the service with his regiment at the close of its term of enlist- ment, and was occupied in farming and lum- bering, a portion of the time in partnership with Gardner Cook, till 1879, when he engaged in the manufacture of knitting-machine needles, and for twelve years successfully con- ducted the business of the Wardwell Needle Company, now owned by W. Corey, which has become one of the leading industries of the city.
He was one of the incorporators of the Lake Village Savings Bank, established in 1867, and for twelve years one of the Trustees, and since 1890 has filled the position of Treasurer. He is also a Director in the Building & Loan Association at Lakeport. Politically, he acted with the Democrats till the Kansas-Ne- braska troubles in 1854, when he severed con- nection with them, and has affiliated with the Republicans since the organization of that party. He was a Representative from the town of Gilford in the legislature in 1855 and 1856, has served as Selectman in that town for four years, and Town Treasurer for three years, and has held other offices.
Mr. Aldrich has been identified with Ma- sonry for forty years, being a member of
Mount Lebanon Lodge, F. & A. M .; of the Consistory, thirty-two degrees; and also of Union Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. He is a member also of Chocorua Lodge, No. 51, I. O. O. F. He was Worshipful Master of Mount Lebanon Lodge in 1861 and 1862. He has been connected with various temper- ance organizations, and has been an advocate of total abstinence for over fifty years. He voted in the State legislature for the original prohibition law, which has remained on the statutes of New Hampshire since 1855.
Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich, though not commun- icants of any church, are regular attendants and members of the Free Baptist Society. They are without children, but have as a mem- ber of their family, Miss Edna M. Wardwell, who is a grand-niece of Mrs. Aldrich.
ON. WILLIAM H. MORTON, of Salmon Falls, son of William and Sarah (Griffith) Morton, was born in Portsmouth, February 14, 1814. His grand- father, John Morton, received a government pension for distinguished services as Captain of a company in the French and Indian War.
The father, a native of Boston, born in 1785, was quite young when he went with his parents to Portsmouth, where he was subse- quently educated. Afterward he learned the trade of a carpenter, and was in business for himself in Portsmouth until he came to Sal- mon Falls. Here, under the direction of James Randlett, he laid out one of the first woollen-mills in the State, and erected the original hotel, besides a large number of buildings in the town. The present road to South Berwick was laid out by him and some friends, who with him were joint owners of the land. He also built several of the mills at Great Falls, and for a number of years he
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RUFUS FELLOWS.
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had charge of the carpenter work in the Sal- mon Falls Mills. While he was earnestly interested in politics, he was never an aspirant to office. By his wife, Sarah, he was the father of nine children ; namely, William H., Albert, Edmund, Eliza Ann, Mary Hannah, James, John, Charles, and Isaac. Albert is now residing in Florida; Edmund, in Sacra- mento, Cal .; John, in Haverhill, Mass. ; and Isaac, in Tampa, Fla. Mary, James, and Charles, are deceased.
William H. Morton remained in his native town until 1823, when his parents removed to Salmon Falls. His education was begun in the Portsmouth schools, and finished at South Berwick Academy. He pursued his studies with diligence, and succeeded in acquiring an education that well qualified him for his sub- sequent successful business career. In 1830 young Mr. Morton went into the employ of the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company, to learn the art of wool sorting. In the course of the four years spent there he became a skil- ful workman. When the mills were destroyed by fire in 1834, he went to Grafton, Mass., and was there employed in a woollen-mill for two years. After that, in the same town, he conducted a general store in company with another party for a number of years. In 1845 he returned to Salmon Falls, and built the double house where he now resides. Using a part of this building for a store, he carried on for a time the only business in the town. Upon the organization of the Salmon Falls Bank in 1851, he disposed of the business, and became Cashier of the bank, in which ca- pacity he served until 1894. This is the only bank in the State now doing business under the old style charter. Mr. Morton was one of the incorporators of the Rollinsford Savings Bank, and was its Secretary and Treasurer until 1894. He has also transacted some in-
surance business. In politics he is a Repub- lican. Since the incorporation of Rollinsford in 1849, he has been Town Treasurer, and is probably the only man in the State who has held such an office for so long a time. He has been Town Clerk since 1853, and Justice of the Peace since 1857. Before Rollinsford was set off from it, he was Selectman of Somersworth for two years, and since then he has been Selectman of Rollinsford three years. In 1886 he was elected to the New Hampshire Senate, and while there he was Chairman of the Legislative Committee on Banking for two years. At one time the demands of his business obliged him to refuse a nomination for the legislature.
In 1841 Mr. Morton married Miss Sarah P. Merriam, of Grafton, Mass. Of the three children born to him, his daughter Etta is the only survivor. The first Mrs. Morton died in 1849, and in 1851 he married Armine Leavitt, of York, who was the mother of three children -- Frederick, William A., and Sarah J. She died in 1866, and in the following year he married Mary Shackford, of Portsmouth, N. H. Mr. and Mrs. Morton attend and support Christ Episcopal Church of Salmon Falls.
R UFUS FELLOWS, late a well-known citizen of Centre Harbor, Belknap County, N. H., was born at San- down, in this State, June 1, 1816 (the son of Captain William Fellows, of that town), and died May 23, 1889. His immigrant ancestor, Samuel Fellows, who was born in 1619, came to this county previous to 1647, and settled in Salisbury, Mass., where he died in 1698. Samuel's first child, Samuel, Jr., was born in 1647, and died in 1729. His grandson Thomas, representative of the fourth genera. tion in this line, born in 1718, moved from
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Salisbury, Mass., to Sandown, N.II. He married Sarah Muchmore, of the Isles of Shoals, and died in 1778. The son of Thomas and Sarah received the name of his grand- father and great - grandfather, Samuel. He lived in Sandown, and his son, Captain Will- iam Fellows, was the father of the subject of this sketch.
Rufus Fellows learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for a time during the winter season, working on the homestead farm through the summer. In 1850 he engaged in business with Mr. James Eaton, of Sandown. In 1856 he moved to East Weare, where he kept a general country store and was station agent and postmaster. He was later engaged in trade in Lancaster, Mass., in Manchester, N. H., and in Deerfield; and he settled finally in 1872 in Centre Harbor, where he carried on business until 1886. He then retired, leaving the store to his sons-in-law, F. H. Morse and F. B. Stanley. He was an energetic and up- right business man, and a citizen of more than ordinary ability. He at one time represented Sandown in the State legislature. His politi- cal principles were Republican. Ile was mar- ried April 30, 1839, to Sarah Ann Silver. They became the parents of six children, four of whom grew to maturity ; namely, Stark, Ella Maria, Henrietta Francis, and Emma Josephine. Stark Fellows, the only son, was born April 15, 1840. He was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1862, and he shortly afterward raised a company of volunteers in defence of the Union, attached to the Four- teenth New Hampshire Regiment as Company D. In the summer of 1863 he appeared before the Military Board of Examiners to be tested for promotion to the position of Major in a colored regiment. The examination was so satisfactory to the Board that he was made a Colonel, a happy surprise to him. He was
commissioned Colonel of the Second Regi- ment, United States Colored Troops at Key West, Fla., and was in command at Fort Tay- lor. He died May 23, 1864, when only twenty-four years old. He was'a brave officer, and was held in high esteem in military circles and elsewhere.
Ella Maria, the eldest daughter, was born July 12, 1849. She married Charles Plum- mer, of Rollinsford, N. H., April 8, 1876, and died December 5, 1884. Her sister, Henri- etta Francis, was born October 8, 1853. She married Frank H. Morse on May 11, 1876, and has one son, Howard.
Emma Josephine Fellows, the fourth child of Rufus Fellows to reach adult life, was mar- ried December 16, 1885, to Frank B. Stanley. He was born in Tamworth, N. H., October 10, 1850, son of Stephen and Nancy (Merrill) Stanley. His father was a son of Nehemiah Stanley, of Wenham, Mass. He was born August 15, 1818, and died March 25, 1887. His wife, Nancy Merrill, whom he wedded December 30, 1841, was the mother of four children ; namely, Lydia Ann., Lucy Jane, Julia Ann, and Frank B.
Frank B. Stanley acquired a common-school education in his native town, and resided there until reaching manhood. He then went to Rochester, N. H., where, except for a short period spent in Brighton, he lived until his marriage. He then settled in Centre Harbor, and since 1886 has been associated with F. H. Morse in mercantile business. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and politically he acts with the Republican party.
ILBRIDGE W. FOX, a prosperous gen- eral merchant of Milton Mills, was born in this town, December 3, 1834,
son of Captain Asa and Harriet (Wood)
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Fox. His grandfather, Daniel Fox, was a farmer and lumber dealer of Acton, Me. Cap- tain Asa Fox was born in Acton, and settled at Milton Mills in 1834. He established him- self in trade and carried on a thriving general mercantile business until his death, which occurred in 1887, at the age of seventy-eight years. At first a Whig, he followed the ma- jority of that party into the ranks of the Re- publicans. He was for many years identified with local affairs, and he served with ability as a Selectman, Town Treasurer, and legis- lative Representative. Prominent in military affairs, he held the commission of Captain in the State militia. His wife, Harriet, who was a daughter of Enoch Wood, a well-known resident of Acton in his day, became the mother of three sons. These were: Charles D., who died in 1852; Elbridge W., the sub- ject of this sketch ; and Asa A., who is resid- ing in Milton Mills. Mrs. Asa Fox died in 1882.
After attending the Wakefield Academy for a time, Elbridge W. Fox completed his schooling at the New Hampton Literary Insti- tute. He began his mercantile career in his father's store. With the exception of a year spent in the grocery business in Boston, he has been connected with his present business ever since. After the death of his father he and his son, Everett F., became the proprietors of the store, but the business is still carried on under the firm name of Asa Fox & Son. In the capacity of Justice of the Peace he trans- acts a large amount of legal business. He is widely known as a reliable and upright man. Since his first Presidential vote was cast for John C. Fremont in 1856, he has been an active supporter of the Republican party. He served as a Selectman and as Town Treas- urer for a number of terms, and he was Post- master from 1865 to 1885. He was elected
to the legislature in 1876, but his duties as Postmaster obliged him to resign. He was elected again in 1891, and afterward served for two years. He was one of the incorpo- rators of the Rochester Savings Bank, is Vice- President and Trustee of the Nute High School and Library of Milton, and he has been the statistical correspondent of the county or the United States Agricultural Department for the past quarter of a century. He was both State and United States Delegate to the first World's Sunday-school Convention held in London, England, in July, 1889; and he later made a tour of the continent of Europe, pro- longing his visit in the principal centres of France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. He has been Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the Check List since the enact- ment of the law creating such office in 1878; and he has held, almost without exception, all the courts in Milton for the trial of crimi- nal action, for many years. His confidential counsel is constantly sought by those in need of advice in regard to financial and other matters, and for years he has been the manager and investor of trust funds, both large and small, for neighbors, townspeople, and others.
Mr. Fox married Miss Sarah E. Buck, daughter of Dr. Reuben Buck, a prominent physician of Acton. Mrs. Fox is the mother of one son, Everett F., who is now connected in business with his father, as previously men- tioned. Mr. Fox is a Deacon of the Congre- gational church, and has been superintendent of the Sunday-school for the past twenty-five years.
EORGE F. KNOWLES, an extensive manufacturer residing in Barnstead, Belknap County, N. H., was born in this town January 25, 1849, son of Samuel B. and Olive Stevens (Bunker) Knowles. On
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the maternal side he is a descendant of Joseph Bunker, a native of Durham, N.H., who came to Barnstead when a young man, settled upon a tract of wild land situated a half-mile north- east of Parade. He cleared away the growth of pine and oak timber, and improved his land into a good farm. May 8, 1779, he enlisted as a private in a Battalion arised by the State, and served in the Revolutionary War under Colonel George Reid. As a reward for meri- torious conduct, he received on May 11, 1781, from the hands of Jedediah Jewett, a sum of money as a gratuity from the State, pursuant to an act of Congress passed March 18, 1780. He was a public-spirited man and an active member of the Congregational church at Parade, and his name appears among those who subscribed to defray the expenses of the first settled minister. He married a lady of French descent, who was described as active, small, sprightly, and tasty. His son, Enoch, was one of the founders of the Free Baptist church in Barnstead. Meetings were held at Enoch Bunker's house previous to building the church, and he became one of its first deacons. Later in life he moved to Maine. He married a Miss Wiggin, and his son Joseph, maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, con- tinued to reside in Barnstead. This son, Jo- seph Bunker, fell from a staging while assist- ing a neighbor to build a chimney on the Con- gregational church. His skull was fractured, and he lived but a few days after the accident. Ilis daughter, Olive Stevens, who was for sev- eral years a school teacher, married Samuel B. Knowles, the father of George F. Knowles.
Samuel B. Knowles came from Epsom, N. H., to Barnstead. He had three own sis- ters and two brothers; namely, Martha, Ruth, Frank, Josiah, and Esther. His half-brother, the Rev. Jonathan Knowles, preached in La- conia and Manchester for many years, and was
the highest-salaried minister in New Hamp- shire in his day. Martha became the wife of Aldo Thayer, a well-to-do business man of Worcester, Mass. Her husband was a promi- nent Baptist, and erected at his own expense a church edifice in that city. Ruth married Samuel D. Nutter, of Barnstead. Frank Knowles is living in Chester, N. H., and was eighty years old in November, 1896.
Samuel B. and Olive Knowles were the parents of the following children : Martha; John; Henry; Samuel P., who died young ; George F., the subject of this sketch; Jona- than A. ; Olive T. ; and Samuel Parker, who resides in Lynn, Mass. John Henry Knowles, who occupies the homestead, is a prominent Democrat, and has held various town offices. He has been twice married. Martha died young.
George F. Knowles's opportunity for obtain- ing an education was limited to eight weeks' attendance at school. When eleven years old, he began to learn the shoemaker's trade with Lewis Swain in Northwood, where he remained for six months. He was next employed by J. R. Towle for eight months, receiving one hundred dollars for his work; and he lived in Northwood four years, during which time his wages as a teamster averaged four dollars and fifty cents per week. At the age of sixteen he became ambitious.to better his circumstances, and going to Lynn, Mass., he was engaged at twelve dollars per week by the Rev. H. M. Bryant, a preacher and a shoe manufacturer. A year later he was engaged by Breed & Doake to do machine work at a salary of fifteen dollars per week, and after remaining with them two years he spent the succeeding three years in fitting stock by the piece for P. A. Chase. His last employment as a journeyman was for Luther Johnson, with whom he re- mained a short time at a weekly salary of
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twenty dollars per week. Being invited to become a partner with John H. Stevens, he accepted, and this investment proved success- ful, as from a small beginning the firm became extensive manufacturers, and when Mr Knowles offered to buy his partner's interest, or sell his own, his partner bought. Mr. Knowles then engaged in manufacturing women's shoes by contract, and in 1883 he patented a lady's sporting shoc. Although there was little encouragement offered at the start, he believed in the ultimate popularity of these goods, and erc long they were in great demand. Later he sold his business, which was valued at thirty-four thousand dollars, and, with a view to lessening his business cares, he took charge of J. R. Towle's factory in North- wood at a salary of five thousand dollars per year. Six months later, at the urgent request of Governor Tuttle in behalf of the citizens of Pittsfield, he established a shoe manufactory in that town in company with M. A. Poole. On November 1, 1891, this concern began business in a new building one hundred and fifty by forty-five feet and two stories high. Business increased to such an extent that more room was needed, and, taking possession of two-thirds of an adjoining building, two hundred by thirty-five feet and four stories high, they added this to their floor space. This factory has been open continously since its establishment, and has kept its output up to the average all through the recent dull times. An average force of three hundred and fifty hands are employed, and their business amounts to five hundred thousand dollars annually. Acting upon his father's advice, Mr. Knowles bought the widow Young's farm in Barnstead, consisting of one hundred and sixty-five acres, and he has erected a residence upon the place which cost him five thousand dollars. He makes a specialty of raising stock and horses,
and lately owned the finest herd of Jersey cows in this county. Many fine horses have been raised upon this farm, some of which have brought high prices, and its proprietor has at the present time a colt which promises to make a record for speed in the near future.
Mr. Knowles is a Republican, but, as he believe it impossible to attend to business and politics at the same time, and do justice to both, he has never aspired to public office. He has never known what a vacation is, and his capacity for hard work is still unabated. He is capable of operating any one of the different machines in the factory, and labors as many hours per day as any operative in his employ. He has never forgotten his struggle for prosperity, and is ever ready to assist any ambitious young man who is deserving of help.
P. WHEATLEY, M.D., one of the leading physicians of Farmington, N.H., was born June 3, 1857, in Brookfield, Vt., the home of his ancestors. His father, Nathaniel Wheatley, now seventy- four years old, is spending his declining days in Brookfield. His grandfather, Nathaniel Wheatley, was a son of Colonel Nathaniel Wheatley, who attained his title in the war of the Revolution, during which he commanded a regiment for several years. The father, who is a prosperous farmer, has been very promi- nent in local and county affairs. He was Se- lectman for many terms, County Commissioner for some years, and he was twice elected to the lower branch of the State legislature. His wife, whose maiden name was Betsey Wood, was born in Westford, Vt. They reared five children: Alice J .; Edith; Hannibal P., the doctor; Irving N. ; and Tenney H. The last- named is a physician in Brooklyn, N. Y.
H. P. Wheatley graduated from the academy
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at St. Johnsbury, Vt., in 1876. Three years later he received his diploma at the University of Vermont, and in 1881 he graduated from the medical department of the latter in- stitution. In the succeeding year, after begin- ning the practice of his profession in Brad- ford, Vt., he came to Farmington, where he has since gained a large patronage. His repu- tation for knowledge and skill is founded upon his successful treatment of difficult and stub- born cases of disease. He is a Republican in politics, and he has served as a member of the town Board of Health for the past two years.
Dr. Wheatley was married June 3, 1884, to Miss Josie Frost, of Brownfield, Me., daugh- ter of Larkin L. and Olive (Mack) Frost. He was made a Mason at the Eastern Star Lodge in Brookfield, Vt. ; and he is a member of Woodbine Lodge, No. 41, I. O. O. F., of Farmington; and of the Rebecca Lodge therewith connected. Both he and Mrs. Wheatley attend the Congregational church of Farmington, whose teachings harmonize with their religious beliefs. Both are well known in the social circles of this vicinity, and their hospitable home is an attractive centre for their hosts of friends.
ORACE NUTTER COLBATH, a farmer of Barnstead, N. H., was born in that town, October 13, 1834. He is the son of George and Ann (Nutter) Colbath. His great-great-grandfather, George Colbath, was the first one of the family to come to this country, and lived with his son Pitman in Newington, N. H. Pitman had four sons and five daughters. John Colbath, one of the four sons was grandfather of Horace, the subject of this sketch. In 1772, when he was thirty years old, he settled in Barnstead, where he owned about one hundred
acres of land. He married and commenced general farming, which he carried on for some time, and he was afterward in the lumber busi- ness, travelling between his own town and Portsmouth. He bought and sold land in Barnstead as the town became more thickly settled. He also speculated to some extent, and was always successful in his undertakings, and was considered a remarkable man for those times. He was a member of the First Con- gregational Church, formed in 1804. By his wife, Lettice, he had three children, as fol- lows: George, father of the subject of this sketch; Lucy; and Jane. Of these children Lucy married Daniel Drew, and resided in Barnstead until her death. Jane married Jerry Howard for her first husband, and for her second, Nathaniel Pickering, a soldier of the War of 1812. She lived to be ninety years of age.
George, father of the subject of our sketch, was born in 1804. The farm and property were willed to him. He did general farming to a large extent, but did not deal in real es- tate as did his father. He was a conscien- tious, retired, scrupulously honest man. He married Ann Nutter, daughter of Nathaniel Nutter, a farmer, and they had five children, as follows: John; George; Horace N., the subject of this sketch; James H .; and Helen M. Of these children, John was in the shoe business for years, but has now retired, and is living at present with his brother Horace. He married Augusta Wentworth, of Milton, N.H., who died about 1870. George went West to Minnesota, where he was a successful merchant, but died from injuries received at a fire. James also went West in 1857, and en- listed in the War of 1861 from Minnesota as Lieutenant in the First Cavalry. After the war he returned home, and for two years was engaged with his brother Horace in the manu-
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facture of shoes in Lynn, Mass. After a year in Springfield, he returned to Barnstead, N. H., where he built the first shoe shop. In 1871 he was Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives. He died at the early age of forty-four years, leaving a widow and five children.
Horace Colbath, the subject of this sketch, attended the Pittsfield Academy, where he was a classmate of exs-Governor Tuttle. Finishing his course there, he learned the shoemaker's trade and general farming, remaining at home on the farm until 1860, when he purchased a place at Centre Barnstead, and manufactured shoes there for one year. In 1861 he went West to look after his interests there, remain- ing in that part of the country for two years; and he is said to have accumulated property during that time by speculation. He returned to the homestead in Barnstead in 1863. He has added considerable to the original farm, and has dealt in real estate to some extent. He now owns about four hundred and fifty acres. In 1864 he was elected to the House of Representatives, and was on the Committee on "Apportionment of the State Tax." While there he favored allowing soldiers in the field to vote, and always had the courage of his convictions, which he followed without regard to results. In politics he is a Demo- crat. He has been Moderator for many years, and has also held other minor offices, having been a member of the School Committee for a number of years. He is very active in town meetings, and is a capable man and a useful citizen. He is a member of the First Con- gregational Church, of which he has been Clerk fifteen years, and Deacon for ten years. He is also a Mason, having become one at twenty-one years of age, and he was the first Master of the grange in Barnstead.
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