USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Book of biographies. This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Grafton County, New Hampshire > Part 28
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James Calhoun, Sr., was of Scotch-Irish de- scent, and carried on a business as a linen mer- chant before his emigration to this country. Upon his arrival in the United States he settled in Lyman, N. H., bought a farm, and devoted the remainder of his life to agricultural labors, becoming prosperous and well-to-do, and very much respected by his fellow-townsmen. His death occurred when about fifty years of age; his wife was called home to her well-earned rest at the age of seventy-four. Their children were as follows: Solomon, Rebecca, James, Isaac, Sally, Mary, and David.
James Calhoun, Jr., was born in Lyman, in 1799, and after the death of his father carried on general farming a few years on the homestead, which he had inherited. When he removed to the west part of the town of Littleton and bought a new farm, he sold the homestead and made his home in Littleton until 1861, when he went to Lisbon, and retired from active life, dying at the age of eighty. His wife passed away when seventy-seven years of age, being born in 1801 ; she was a daughter of Joseph and Lydia (Farr) Robbins. Mr. Robbins was one of the earliest settlers of Littleton; when he came to the town there was but one house, made of logs, standing on the present location of the village of Littleton. Mr. Calhoun in his years of early manhood taught many winter ternis of school. He was a
Whig and took a great interest in the cause of anti-slavery. He reared the following children: Isaac, Sarah J., Lydia, Clementine, Mary R., Luella, and Elizabeth.
Isaac Calhoun was the eldest child in his father's family ; in his boyhood days he attended the public schools and Newbury Academy to secure an education to better fit him to cope with the duties of life. As a farmer he started out to make his way in life; later on he went to Lisbon and went into the lumber business, adding after a time the produce and butcher business, carry- ing on a very extensive and profitable trade, which soon placed him in a state of entire inde- pendence. He also owned a large farm in Lisbon, but sold it when he disposed of his other business and came to Littleton. He bought the stand now known as N. Flanders's place in 1868, and for a few years carried on a successful busi- ness in Littleton as a butcher and produce mer- chant. As he had accumulated property of various sorts that demanded his time and atten- tion, consisting chiefly of farming land, both at Lisbon and at Littleton, he disposed of the butcher and produce business. He was at one time a part owner of the South Littleton Mills, which had a good run of business while timber was plenty. He was also financially interested in a starch manufactory in Maine, and owned several tenement houses in the town of Littleton. His own residence has one of the prettiest loca- tions in. Littleton, with beautiful grounds, car- peted with soft green verdure in the summer; the place was formerly known as the Whittaker resi- dence. Mr. Calhoun has made many useful improvements in the arrangement and the fitting of the house, and has built a large barn and car- riage-house. In 1884 he built the H. Libby house on Main Street, and disposed of it at a good price subsequently. Mr. Calhoun has always taken a deep interest in the welfare of Littleton, and has ever been ready to do what- ever lay in his power to advance its best inter- ests.
Mr. Calhoun married Miss Lydiaett Hildrith, daughter of Leonard and Hannah Hildreth of Lisbon, N. H .; he was called upon to mourn her sudden taking away at the age of thirty-seven, when in the very prime of womanhood; she left no children. His second wife was Flora Young, daughter of Prescott and Lucy Young of Lisbon,
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and have an adopted daughter, Alice M., age fifteen. In political struggles Mr. Calhoun has always supported the Republican party with his vote and all his wide influence; he has served as selectman three terms, and represented the town in the State Legislature of 1889-90. He is a Con- gregationalist. He is a member of the Masonic Order, being made a Mason in Lisbon, but is now a member of the Burns Lodge, No. 66, F. & A. M., of Littleton, N. H.
JOHN BURGIN, Postmaster at Pattenville, town of Littleton, N. H., was born at Lancaster, N. H., Jan. 17, 1820, and is a son of Samuel and Annie (Dunlap) Burgin, and a grandson of John Burgin.
Our subject's grandfather was one of the early pioneers of Lancester, N. H., where he entered upon the clearing of a large tract of rich timber land; he made many permanent improvements on his farm, erecting substantial buildings, and in other ways demonstrating his progressive and wide-awake nature, ever alive to the real needs of the hour. He was a veteran of the Revolu- tion, and after his death at an advanced age his wife drew a pension from the Government. Their family consisted of the following children: John. Samuel, Abigail, and Tryphena. Mr. Burgin and his wife were both popular members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Samuel Burgin bought a farm and located in East Lancaster, where he engaged in agricul- tural work and carpentry; the farm was located in the bottom lands of the river, and was inter- val of the best quality. He was a Republican and a regular attendant of the M. E. Church. He lived to be fifty-five years old; his wife was called home at the age of sixty-three. Following is the list of their children, fourteen in number: Rhoda, Samnel S., William, Mary Ann, Levi, John, Persis, David, Louise, Emily, Louisa, Abi- gail, Rebecca, and W. Bryant.
John Burgin started out in life as a farmer. but soon turned his attention also to stone work, consisting chiefly of dressing and moving large stones. He married Cordelia A., daughter of Albert and Harriet (Eastman) Millen: Albert Millen was a prominent farmer of Littleton, and a soldier during the Civil War. Their children
were: Cordelia A .; George F., died at the age of eight years; John W., died at the age of twen- ty-four. After our subject's marriage he took charge of his father-in-law's farm, and took care of the old folks till death relieved him; Mr. Millen died in his seventy-ninth year; his wife responded to the last summons at the age of seventy. In 1871 Mr. Burgin came to Patten- ville, his present residence, and bought the home he now owns. In 1891, upon the estab- lishment of a postoffice in Pattenville, Mr. Bur- gin was appointed the first Postmaster, and is still the popular incumbent of that office.
In the fall of the year of 1862, in response to a call for more troops, Mr. Burgin enlisted in Co. G., IIth Reg. N. H. Vol. Inf., and served three years, receiving an honorable discharge at the end of the war, June 10, 1865. He was called to the front at Fredericksburg, and received a wound in the hand while fighting before Peters- burg. Our subiect draws a pension of $16 per month for disability. Both Mr. Burgin and his wife are blessed with strong constitutions and excellent health; their many warm friends join in wishing them a continued state of joy, health. and prosperity. They reared a large family, and have lived to see them make good beginnings in life's struggle. Their first-born, George, died at the age of eleven years and six months. John E., born Dec. 6, 1855, married Mrs. F. Swett, and lives at Lisbon, N. H., where he is engaged in carpentry work: they have one child, Percic Edward. Edward S., born Oct. 9. 1857, is a pros- perous farmer of Cohasset, Minn. Hattie was born Dec. 7, 1863. Samuel A. was accidently killed by the railroad cars at the age of twenty- four, on May 10, 1892. William A., born Oct. I, 1868, married Catherine McRavia, who has borne him two children, Myrtle and James E. He is a farmer bv occupation, and resides at Waterford, Vt. Andrew G., born March 25. 1870, is also a farmer. Annie E., born Dec. 19. 1874. married Edward Gates of Littleton. In his political attachments Mr. Burgin is a stanch Re- publican, but with the exception of his present position, has never held office. During the years of his active life he was a member of the G. A. R. Post of Littleton, but when his age and infirmity would not permit him to attend the meetings so far away he took a demit. Religiously, he is a Universalist, and his wife a Free Will Baptist.
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GEORGE E. WALKER. Among the repre- sentative farmers of the town of Littleton there is no one more worthy of mention in this Book of Biographies than Mr. Walker. He was born at Apthorp, Grafton Co., N. H., Feb. 21, 1864; our subject is a son of Franklin and Martha D. (Gile) Walker, grandson of Simeon and Clarissa (Bacon) Walker, and a great-grandson of Simeon Walker.
Simeon Walker was among the early settlers of Peacham, Vt., coming from Middletown, Conn., with an ox team; he took up a tract of forest land, cleared it, raised crops, built himself farm buildings, and took a prominent place in the affairs of the new settlement, being selected on many occasions to fill positions of trust and honor, serving in most of the town offices.
His son, Simeon, was born in Peacham; he served in the War of 1812, and was taken a pris- oner by the British at Ticonderoga; with other prisoners of war he was transported to Nova Scotia, and there released upon the termination of hostilities. After his return to Peacham, he turned his attention to the carpenter's trade, and worked at it all his active years, either in his native town or in Cabot, Vt. He was the victim of a stroke of lightning seventeen years previous to his death, and thereafter could perform no manual work. He died at the home of our sub- ject's father at the age of eighty-one, in 1867. His wife lived to the very exceptional age of ninety-nine: she was a slight little woman, and never sick until the night before her death. Mr. Walker was a Whig in politics, and a Congrega- tionalist in religious belief and attachments. The following children made up the family: Frank- lin. Hiram, Emily, Caroline, Clarissa, David, and Philena.
Franklin Walker was born in Peacham, Vt .. Sept. 3. 1816, and obtained his education in the public schools of his native village; his occupa- tion through life was that of a farmer and a lui- berman. At twenty-one years of age he went to Littleton and worked in the lumber mills of that place until 1837. when he took charge of and ran the mills of Squire Brackett. He built himself a house at Apthorp, and afterwards owned several others in the same village. In 1865 he bought the J. Jones farm on Mann's Hill of 120 acres, running in debt for the pur- chase money to an amount approximating
$1,200.00. There was quite a quantity of lumber on the farm of very fine quality, but the fields were in a very poor state of cultivation. He cut off some of the timber and brought the arable land up to a better standard; in' 1877 he built a new house, tearing down the old structure, that was too far gone to attempt to repair it. The barn was remodeled to suit his ideas of what he desired, and the whole establishment soon took on an appearance of prosperity and thrift it had been totally foreign to; at the last, by very hard work, combined with upright, honest dealings, he had cleared the farm of all debt, laid up a good bank account and owned some twenty head of cattle and other stock. He died Jan. 23, 1895, of a mortal attack of pertinitus. His wife is still living and makes her home with our subject; she was a daughter of Noah and Elizabeth (Farr) Gile of Littleton. Mr. Gile was one of the lead- ing and most prosperous agriculturists of that town ; early in life he moved to Burke, Vt., where he died, agcd forty-two years, of typhus fever. Four children were born to them: Martha, Den- nis, Noah, and Elizabeth. Mr. Walker's first wife was Caroline Colton; she died in early womanhood, leaving three children: Henry F., Emma J., and Clara, all of whom are living. By his second marriage with Martha Gile, the fol- lowing children were the issue: George E., the subject of this sketch; Frank D., born June 30, 1868, and died July 11, 1869: Winfred N., born April 9, 1874, and died April 8, 1875. Our sub- ject's father was a very active member of the White Mountain Grange.
Our subject obtained his early education in the public schools of his native town, after which he attended the Hanover Agricultural College, graduating from it in 1888. For four winters he taught school, returning to farm labors in the summer. Since his father's death, with the co- operation of his mother, he has taken care of the farm in the most satisfactory manner. His education that he received in the Agricultural College has made him a leader in introducing better and more scientific methods of farming. He was the first in his neighborhood to build a silo, an example that has been widely followed since. A fine herd of graded Jerseys furnish his dairy with the richest of milk, and have proved a most profitable source of income; and has raised a number of fine horses. The question so
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often raised, "Can farming be made successful?" finds a convincing answer in the results he has brought about.
Mr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss Inez E. Herbert, daughter of Charles and Mary E. (White) Herbert of Bethlehem. One child, Herbert George, born Sept. 21, 1896, is the re- sult of this union. Our subject's father was an earnest worker in the cause of temperance, and so our subject espouses the cause of Prohibition. He was auditor of the school board in 1892-93- 94. and was elected a member of the school board in 1895. He is a Congregationalist in re- ligious belief, as all the family have been. He is a member of the White Mountain Grange, and has served as secretary and overseer of the same, and is now lecturer. He also served as secretary of the Pomona Grange for four years, having been elected December, 1889. He is a member of the Order of Foresters, and holds the office of treasurer and secretary at present.
HON. WILLIAM HENRY KENISTON is the senor member of the firm of William H. Keniston & Son, millers and manufacturers of square stock for bobbin and chairs, of the town of Rumney; it is the largest business firm in the town. Our subject was born in Northbridge, Mass., Nov. 23, 1833, and is a son of Jacob M. and Sylvia Ann (Croney) Keniston, and grand- son of William and Sarah (Morrison) Keniston.
William Keniston was born Oct. 10, 1760, and died Oct. 30, 1853. His wife was born March 25, 1770, and departed this life on the 6th of December, 1839. Their children were: Sally, William H., Agnes, Ebenezer, John, Samuel, David D., Lydia D., Abigail, Jacob, and George W. Mr. Keniston was a leading and influential farmer, and resided in Northbridge, Mass., and Sanbornton, N. H.
Our subject's father, Jacob M. Keniston, was born June 25, 1808, in Sanbornton, N. H., and assisted his father till the years of his majority, when he learned the stone-cutter's trade, and be- came a very skilled workman. He went to Northbridge, where he labored at his chosen trade, and married there his wife, who was Sylvia Ann, daughter of Henry Croney of Northbridge;
the ceremony took place Sept. 4, 1832. She was born in 1812, and is living in Rumney; she still is blessed with good hearing, and reads without the assistance of any glasses. She helps with many of the light household duties; she is a good conversationalist, and is able to entertain her ready auditors with stories of the early days with its many hardships; she is very much thought of by all of her large circle of acquaint- ances. After Jacob M. Keniston married, he bought a small farm, in Northbridge, but resided there but a short time, going from that place to Leicester, Mass., where he bought about 300 acres and carried on farming, and worked at his trade for eighteen years. He then came to Rum- ney, purchased a small farm on the south side of Baker River, where he lived until he retired, when he sold his farm property, and bought a home in Rumney Village. His political views were strongly Democratic; he held many minor offices in the various places of his residence. While living in Leicester, Mass., he had charge of the town farm for four vears. He was a Uni- tarian in his religious belief. He died Oct. 23, 1889. His children were: William H., the sub- ject of this sketch: Abigail, who died at the age of four years; and Annie C., who married C. D. Kellv of Rumney.
William Henry Keniston was educated in the district schools, and in Leicester Academy. He then worked at Worcester, Mass., for A. G. Mann, at granite work for seventeen years. At the end of that time he came to Rumney, bought a water privilege, and the Kelly place, and also the grist-mill of Mr. Colburn. He remodeled and enlarged the grist-mill, fitting it up through- out with new and modern machinery, and has since done a large milling business, besides cus- tom work. Previous to this he built a mill where he manufactures bobbin stock and shingles in large quantities. He purchased 250 acres of timber land on Rattlesnake Hill, where he opened a granite quarry: he also built a mill, ad- joining the grist-mill, where he finishes the granite for market-a business he carried on very extensivelv. The Henry Annis place, on which the house was burned down, he bought, and built a fine new house and barn, and has without doubt one of the very finest residences in town, with a beautiful lawn, well protected with many handsome shade trees; the property con-
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sists of some forty acres, adjoining the village property. Mr. Keniston has made a brilliant success of all his business ventures, and when his son grew to manhood he took him into part- nership; his son now ranks with his father as being among the foremost business men of the town. Energy and enterprise, with clear-headed business sagacity, have been the means of Mr. Keniston's flattering success. Our subject mar- ried Nancy M., daughter of Andrew March of Worcester, Mass. She passed away, in 1891, at the age of fifty-one, leaving one child to survive her, George H. They lost one daughter, Etta MI., at the age of nine. George H. married Rosa M. Elliott, and has one child, Gladys May ; he is a partner in the firm. Mr. Keniston is in his political views a Democrat, and served in the Legislature as a representative from the town. He is a member of the Mooselanck Lodge, F. & A. M., of Wentworth, N. H. He is also a mem- ber of K. of H. Lodge.
HON. JOSEPH W. BURLEY is a merchant of North Groton, and was born in the town of Dorchester, Grafton Co., N. H., Sept. 11, 1851. He is a son of Gilman and Sarah W. (Foster) Burley, grandson of Joseph and Louise (Dow) Burley, and a great-grandson of Joseph Burley, Sr., who was one of the earliest settlers of the. town of Dorchester. His son Joseph was born in that town, and educated himself for the life of a surveyor. He bought a farm and was engaged in the pursuit of agriculture, in addition to his chosen profession: many of the adjoining towns and farms have had their lines established by our subject's grandfather. He mar- ried as his first wife Miss Runlett, who (lied early in life, leaving these children: Joseph B., John, and Lois. The children by his second wife were: Benjamin, Noah, and Gilman. Joseph Burley died at the age of eighty-two; his wife was taken to her promised home in man- sions fair at the age of sixty-five.
Gilman Burley was born on the homestead in Dorchester and received a good public school education, and studied surveying and taught school for a number of years. He eventually learned the surveyor's art, and practiced it to
some extent. He inherited the homestead and bought a wooded tract near by, and carried on the lumber business. He was a very active man, and, to use a popular expression, "never let the grass grow under his feet;" he took a keen inter- est in all matters relating to the public welfare and good. He died at the age of forty-eight, from typhoid fever, brought on by overwork and exposure. In his political views he was a Demo- crat of the unflinching type; he served as repre- sentative in the Legislature for three terms; he was chairman of th board of selectmen for several years, and was also justice of the peace for a term extending over a period of several years. Religiously he was a Universalist. His wife was taken away to happier scenes at the age of sixty- three; she was a victim of pneumonia. Her father was James Foster. Two children were born to our subject's father: Joseph W., and Scott, who owns and resides on the homestead in Dorchester.
Hon. Joseph W. Burley, after attending the district schools, finished his education in the High School at Bath, N. H. His first start in life as an owner of real estate, was to buy a farm in Dorchester, which he sold in 1881. In that year he bought a store at North Groton and car- ried on a general store trade for eleven years, when the building was struck by lightning dur- ing a severe thunder-storm, and burned to the ground. He then bought the Kidder house, located at the Corners, which had formerly been a store in the early days, and rebuilt it, remodel- ing and enlarging it into a store and a residence. He has the largest store in the town, and has won a large patronage by his courteous manner and fair and honest dealing. He has purchased some 700 acres of land in the town, 100 of it being a nice farm near the village; the entire farm is given over to cultivation. The remainder of his estate is in forest, bought principally for its valuable deposits of mica. In company with G. W. Bailey he opened, in 1896, a very valuable mica mine, known as Tugg's Hill Mine, which produces some of the finest and largest leaves of mica in Grafton Co. His investment will prove exceedingly profitable some day, when the mines shall have been developed.
Mr. Burley married Georgia A., daughter of Albert and Roxanna Leavitt of Dorchester. Mr. Leavitt is a leading farmer and mill-owner; in
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SAMUEL R. MORRISON.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
early life he was financially interested in the manufacture of brick. Our subject is a Demo- crat, and has represented the town in the Legis- lature of 1889-90. He has been selectman for four years, and chairman of the board two years. He also served as selectman three different terms in the town of Dorchester, and collector of taxes one year ; he is at present justice of the peace and town clerk. He is a member of the Moosilanke Lodge, F. & A. M .; and Pemigewasset Chapter, R. A. M. In his religious beliefs he is inclined to be partial towards the Universalist Church.
SAMUEL R. MORRISON, who is a resident of the town of Orford, N. H., where he is en- gaged in farming and lumbering, was born in Fairlee, Vt., Oct. 6, 1833; the first thirteen years of his life were spent in Fairlee, and then his parents removed to Orford, where our subject attended the district schools and Orford Acad- emy until he was twenty-one years of age, teach- ing one winter term of school after he had completed his own education. He then became bookkeeper for a Mr. Tillotson, a large specula- tor in lumber and other timber products, and continued in this capacity for four years. Upon leaving his employer at the end of that time he became traveling salesman for the North Ameri- can Lightning Rod Co., remaining with them eight years; during that period he traveled over New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Con- necticut, Rhode Island, New York, and over large areas of Canada. He was located two years at Montreal, one year at Quebec, and one year at Three Rivers. Two years before he dis- continued his connection with the Lightning Rod Co., he bought the Mt. Cube farm at the base of the mountain of that name, in the town of Orford; this farm, consisting of 150 acres of valuable farming land, he still owns. After farm- ing there a while he went into the lumber trade in partnership with Mr. Tillotson, dealing in lum- ber and bark; their business became large and yielded most satisfactory returns to the investors ; in one year they sold the Passumpsic R. R. 7,000 cords of wood. Mr. Morrison was in this busi- ness some ten or fifteen years before the death of Mr. Tillotson, since which time he has car- ried it on alone.
The farm on which our subject and his son reside is a tract, comprising some seven or eight hundred acres of fine land, suitable for farming purposes; it is known as the old Marston home- stead, and is situated not far from Mt. Cube. Mr. Morrison joined his partner, Mr. Tillotson, in its purchase in 1875. subsequently acquiring the entire interest. It is one of the best con- ducted and best equipped farms in the county, the present owners having spent many thousand dollars in improving the place; in 1896 they built an unusually large and commodious barn, and it is their intention to erect another in 1897.
The Morrison family is of Scotch origin; their family-seat has been the Island of Lewis for more than a thousand years. Tradition affirms that they originated from a descendant of a Nor- wegian king, Moyres by name. One of the earliest Morrisons in America, and an ancestor of our subject, was Samuel Morrison, who was commonly known as Charter Samuel, because he was one of the grantees of the charter of the town of Londonderry, N. H. His wife was Marguerite Henry. John Morrison, his son, married Eliza- beth Alexander, and one of their children, Samuel Morrison, was the great-grandfather of our subject. Samuel Morrison married Mary Roach, and the next in the direct line of descent was their son, Samuel Morrison, Jr. This latter gentleman, the grandfather of our subject, mar- ried, in the year 1802, Elizabeth Rowe, who was from Pembroke, N. H., or some adjoining town. Daniel W. Morrison, our subject's father, was born in Fairlee, Vt., 1805, and died in 1864, in the town of Lyme, where he was making his home with one of his sons; he was a farmer all his life. In politics, he was a Whig, but very modest in accepting office. His wife, the mother of Samuel R. Morrison, was Bersha Gage, a daughter of Richard Gage, a farmer of Pelham, N. H., who came to Orford in 1803, when his daughter was three years old. His death took place in 1862.
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