USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Book of biographies. This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Grafton County, New Hampshire > Part 30
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He married Effie A., daughter of Abel Bailey of Groton, and has six children: C. Edward, Perley A., Bertha M., Albert E., Cora M., and Theodora. Politically he is a strong Republican and takes a keen interest in the political affairs of the town.
HON. GEO. W. MANN, a retired contractor and builder of Benton, N. H., was born Feb. 20, 1821, in the town of Landaff, Grafton Co., N. H. He is a son of Samuel Mann of Landaff. The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was of Scotch extraction, and came to this country when quite young, settling in Hart- ford, Conn. His son, Solomon Mann, was born in Hartford. His active days were spent in the pursuit of agriculture. He was a very prominent man in his community, respected and admired for his many excellent qualities. In politics, he was a Whig, but took no very active part.
Samuel Mann, our subject's father, was born in New Haven, Conn., Oct. 20, 1773, and re- ceived his education in the private schools of his native town, which were all the educational ad- vantages afforded at that time.
When about sixteen years of age he removed to the town of Landaff, Grafton Co., N. H., where he worked on a farm for the small pit- tance of eight dollars a month. When about twenty-two years of age he purchased a farm, which he operated until 1835, when he sold out and came to the town of Benton, buying the farm now owned by his son, George W., the sub- ject of this sketch. He married Mary, daughter of Peter and Phoebe (Noyce) Howe. They be- came the parents of eight children, of whom George W. is the only one now living. The de- ceased are: Amos, Moody, Jesse, Peter, Samuel, James, and Edward.
Hon. George W. Mann received his early edu- cation in the public schools of his native place. At the age of fourteen he moved with his parents to the town of Coventry (now Benton). He then completed his education in Newbury Seminary, located in the State of Vermont. Returning to his home, he engaged in farming for a short period; but having learned the carpenter's trade, he finally devoted his whole time and attention
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to the latter occupation. He has been eminently successful at his calling ; his work as a contractor and builder has taken him to every part of Graf- ton Co. In Woodsville there are some very val- uable buildings that were erected under his supervision and management. He.was very con- scientious in his work; no one has ever had reason to complain of faulty work done by him. The best material that could be obtained, and the most skilled labor were used in all the build- ings, whose erection he has superintended.
He is a Democrat, and very prominent in local and county politics. He has served his town in many different positions with skill and general good results. He has been collector of taxes, superintendent of the school committee, and a member of the highway commission. He has occupied the position of justice of the peace for fifty years, and is still the incumbent of that office; he is also a notary public for Grafton Co. He has been a member of the State Board of Agriculture. He was a delegate to the Consti- tutional Convention of 1876. In county conven- tions Mr. Mann is invariably found as one of the most active delegates. He has represented the town in the Legislature for eight years.
On April 13, 1843, he was joined in the holy bond of matrimony to Susan M., daughter of William and Mary Whitcher of Benton. Five children resulted from this union: Ezra B., Ed- ward F. (deceased), George H., Osman C. (deceased), and Orman F. (deceased). The mother died Oct. 6, 1854.
He was again united in marriage, March 4, 1855, the bride being Sarah T., daughter of Gad and Lilla Bisbee of Haverhill. By this second union Mr. Mann became the parent of five chil- dren: Melvin J., Hosea B., Susan M., Minnie J., and Moses B.
Ezra B. and Edward Mann have served as members of the State Legislature. Edward was in the Senate four years. He held the position of superintendent of the B. & M. R. R. at the time of his death. In religious belief George W. Mann and family are Universalists, and support the church of that denomination in Benton. The publishers of this Book of Biographies of Graf- ton Co. take pleasure in presenting Mr. Mann's portrait, and thus include him in the number of the county's most prominent and representative citizens.
WILLIE H. GOODELL, manufacturer of heavy wagons and sleighs at Pattenville, N. H., was born at Barnet, Vt., Jan. 13, 1862; he is a son of Marshall and Cynthia (Bruce) Goodell, and a grandson of Timothy Goodell.
Timothy Goodell was of English descent, and lived at Waterford, Vt., where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits, and was accounted a man of considerable means; he died about mid- dle age, leaving the following children: Austin, Madeline, Emily, Martina, and Marshall. Mar- shall Goodell was born in Waterford, Vt., and while still a boy went into the mills to work, learning the millwright's trade there. After a period spent in the Waterford mills, he went to Barnet, Vt., and purchased the lumber mills of that place, and also a farm, and carried on a very successful business until he was stricken down with dropsy of the heart. His wife bore him two children : Willie H., our subject; and Austin M., who died at the age of twenty-five. Mrs. Goodell was of Scotch parentage. She married as her second husband F. Boutwell, and became the mother of two more children: Frank and Chas. J .; she survived her husband, and is still living.
Our subject attended the public schools, and finished his education in McIndoes Academy; he started out in life for himself at the occupation of farming. After a while he bought the William Moffett farm, and worked it for three years, and then bought the J. Bowman farm, and conducted it for four years. His next business venture was in his present employment; he bought the J. Moffett house and the large shop of L. R. Bag- ley; new machinery of special design was intro- duced into the shop, and a fair beginning was made in the manufacture of heavy wagons and sleighs. The Concord wagon has received some of his best work, and some remarkably fine jobs have been turned out.
Mr. Goodell married Miss Lorena H. Car- penter, daughter of Charles and Philena (Hurl- butt) Carpenter, the former a prominent farmer of the town. Their union has been blessed with the following children: Effie L., born Oct. 6, 1889; Ernest and Edith E., twins, July 2, 1893; and Harry, July 8, 1895. Mr. Goodell is a Re- publican, and as such has held some of the minor offices of the town, serving as state justice of the peace for five years. In respect of his re- ligious views, he is a Universalist.
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IRA M. ABBOTT, proprietor of the largest general store in the town of Rumney, was born in that town March 21, 1859, and is a son of Joseph and Mary A. (Barnum) Abbott, and a grandson of Moses C. and Sarah (Bliss) Abbott. Moses C. Abbott's grandfather was Nathaniel Abbott, born about 1765. He came from Con- cord as one of the first settlers of this part of the county, and settled on what is known as Abbott Hill. He was of a strong and rugged constitu- tion, and lived with his wife to a good old age; his occupation was farming. His children were: Catherine, Susan, Mary, Abigail, Joseph, and Chandler. His son Joseph was born on the Ab- bott Hill farm, and learned the trade of a black- smith, removing late in life to Thetford, Vt., where he finished his years about middle age. His wife was called to her rest at the age of sixty- six. Their union resulted in the following chil- dren: Rhoda, Hazen, Harriet, Moses C., and Caroline.
Moses C. Abbott, our subject's grandfather, was born in Rumney, Oct. 19, 1804, and learned the trade of a blacksmith at his father's forge; he settled in Haverhill Corners, where he labored at his trade. He then bought land and built a shop and house at Oliverian Brook, and carried on his business there for three years. At last desir- ing a change he removed to the Summit, where he built a tavern and ran it for four years; it is now known as Little's Tavern. He then went back to his trade at the Brook for a short time, from there going into business at Warren; later he sold out to his son-in-law, Paul White, and located at Haverhill, where he sold again to his son-in-law, finally settling in Rumney, where he was engaged in conducting a general store; he died there Sept. 17, 1881; his wife died Jan. 2, 1876. In politics he was an ardent Whig and a Republican, but never cared to aspire to any office. He was a member of the Free Will Baptist Church at Haverhill. The following children were born to him: Caroline S., born June 19, 1827; Harriet, born Nov. 17, 1828; Joseph, born April 11, 1831; Daniel, born May 19, 1834; Hannah B., born May 28, 1837; Sylves- ter, born Sept. 20, 1838; and Thomas H., born June 9, 1841.
Joseph Abbott, father of our subject, was born on the date above mentioned, in the town of Haverhill, and obtained a good, practical educa-
tion in the Haverhill schools. He then assisted his father in the store until 1852, when he went to the gold fields of California, and worked suc- cessfully for two years at mining. He then came home and was associated with his brother, Daniel, in the manufacture of rakes for a short time. In company with Daniel French, under the firm name of Abbott & French, he entered into mercantile trade in the building where Dr. Sprague's office is now located. A few years later they dissolved partnership, and Mr. Abbott bought the old Abbott blacksmith shop and altered it into a store, carrying a stock of general merchandise. Front time to time he has enlarged his store from a single room to one of the larg- est stores in this section of the county. His business was large and well-established; he car- ried a stock of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, drugs, hardware and crockery, paints, oils, etc. The stock was not only large and well- selected, but was also tastefully arranged. In 1888 he took in his son, the subject of this sketch, as a full partner, and a year later sold his interest in the store to his son-in-law, C. A. Chase, and retired from active business life. In 1891 he moved to Franklin, Mass., but soon longing for his old home, with its many old acquaintances and friends, he returned in 1896. Mr. Abbott occupies an enviable position in the esteem and respect of the community; his busi- ness life was characterized by the most upright dealing. He is a man of marked ability, and seemed destined from the first to make his mark in life. His first wife, our subject's mother, died at about the age of twenty-five. She left two children: Ida M. married C. A. Chase, de- ceased; Ira M. is our subject. Mr. Abbott was joined in marriage again to Miss Sarah M. Clark, and was presented with two children: Lee C., a teacher; and Julia A., who married W. C. Byrant of New York.
Ira M. Abbott was educated in the public schools of Rumney, and at the age of fifteen he began clerking in his father's store; at seventeen he left school and became head clerk. In 1888 he became partner, and as his brother-in-law, Mr. Chase, to whom his father had sold his one- half interest in the store, did not live but only six months after his entry into the firm, our sub- ject has conducted the business alone ever since as sole proprietor. He hokls the respect and
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confidence of his large patronage, as did his father by taking pride in not only having a well- stocked store, but also by being always ready to meet the calls of the people by a stock of up-to- date goods. He married Achsah O. Smart, daughter of C. C. Smart, of Rumney Depot. His wife has presented him with the following children: Julia S., born Oct. 14, 1887; Mary Belle, born Dec. 19, 1889; and Achsah Blanch, born Sept. 19, 1896. Mr. Abbott is a Democrat, and has served as Postmaster three years. He has been town treasurer, and has also been hon- ored with other offices of trust and responsibility. He is treasurer of the town library. Religiously he is a faithful member of the Baptist Church.
GEORGE C. CRAIG, Postmaster and a mer- chant of Rumney Depot, N. H., was born Aug. 18, 1865. He is a son of Byron M. and Lydia A. (Ramsey) Craig, grandson of Tappan W. and Harriet (Piper) Craig, and a great-grandson of David and Elizabeth Craig. David Craig was a farmer, and, to the best of our knowledge, was born in the town of Warren, where he passed his life. He was a large powerful man, with strong constitution, and lived to be over eighty years old. His wife almost became a centenarian, dying at the extraordinary age of ninety-nine years and seven months. She was strong and active, and in possession of all her faculties up to the last. Their children were: Anna, Stephen, David, Purcis, and Tappan W.
Tappan W. Craig was born in Warren, and when he arrived at manhood's estate was a large strong man; being an expert in the use of the ax, he would go into the woods alone, cut down large pine trees, saw them up, split them, and fashion out of them shingles. The shingles were of superior quality, and always found a ready sale. Later in life he came to Rumney and took charge of the Quincy farm, managing it with skill and judgment for a period of twenty years. Afterwards he bought a small farm, where he died at the age of eighty-two; his wife left mor- tal scenes and labors at the age of sixty-three. They were both members of the Baptist Church. His first wife was Sally Piper; she died at an carly age, leaving two children: Betsey and
Mary. His second wife, Harriet Piper, a sister of his first wife, bore him the following children: Rufus, David, Samuel, Emiline, Daniel, Harriet, Bryon M., father of our subject; Caroline; Simeon; and Abbie. Tappan W. Craig was a Democrat in politics.
Byron M. Craig was born in Rumney, May 19, 1833, and was educated in the old Brick School- House. At the age of twenty-one years he went to Dedham, Mass., where he secured a position at driving a team in the transportation of furni- ture from Dedham to Boston; he kept at this work for three years, when he gave it up and returned home, and with his earnings that he had saved he bought a farm, now known as the Per- kins place. After two years he sold it, so as to be able to take care of his wife's parents, James and Lydia Ramsey. After their death he was given the Merrill homestead for his faithful and almost filial services. The Merrill homestead is a valley farm with a large portion of it interval on the bank of the Baker River. The house was at once enlarged and remodeled, and the land improved in various ways. He is a resident on this property at the present time, and it suffices to say that there is no more model farmer than he in that neighborhood; he is one of the highly respected and well-thought-of citizens of the town. He married Lydia A., daughter of James and Lydia (Merrill) Ramsey, who were among the early settlers of the town. This worthy couple had four children: Nellie G., died at the age of fourteen; Mary C., born Feb. 26, 1862, married Luther E. Pierce of Plymouth; George C. is the subject of this sketch; Lizzie A., died at the age of twenty-two, in 1890, was a teacher in the public schools for a number of years. She . is sadly missed in the home circle. Our subject's father has always been a stanch Democrat; he served three years in the town as selectman, and also as overseer of the poor. He is an active member of the Baptist denomination, in which he is deacon.
George C. Craig is one of the distinctively self- made men of the town of Rumney, as he only had the advantage of a public school education, and his only start in life was a pair of oxen his father allowed him to raise and break. After he had trained them he sold the oxen for $80.00; this sum of money has served as a nucleus around which to gather a comfortable fortune, which has
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
placed him among the leading business men of the county. After he reached the age of twenty- one he found employment on the carpentry work of railroad bridges. The savings of three sea- sons of this work he added to his former savings, and purchased a horse power, and followed threshing and sawing wood for two years, sell- ing out at the end of that time, and, in company with Ralph E. Olney, opened a meat and pro- vision store at Rumney. After six months he bought out his partner and conducted the busi- ness successfully for two years alone. He then accepted an offer made him, and bought out E. A. Sawyer, owner of the old and well-known Quincy & Ward store, at Rumney Depot. He closed the sale Jan. 15, 1892, and commenced business with a small stock of goods to run a country store of a general nature. He gradually built up the business, until to-day he is second to none in this section of the county. He has a select stock of every sort of merchandise to be found in a country store. Some of the leading lines which he handles are as follows: groceries, dry goods, crockery, hardware, ready-made clothing, patent medicines, paints, oils, etc .; feed and flour-in short everything that can be kept in a general country store is kept by our sub- ject.
In 1894 he was appointed Postmaster by the Democratic administration. Mr. Craig owns a small piece of meadow land and a building lot at Rumney Depot; also a 150-acre farm in the town of Groton. He is a strict business man in every sense; his probity and business capacity go unquestioned; he is always ready to assist a neighbor in trouble. He occupies an enviable position in the esteem of his fellow-citizens as an upright, conscientious business man. He mar- ried Carrie E. Abbott, daughter of Daniel and Carrie M. (Phillips) Abbott. Daniel Abbott was a son of Moses C. and Sarah Bliss Abbott, and was born in the town of Rumney in 1834. After several years employment in the cotton mills of Lowell, Mass., and Bedford, Me., he returned and bought a mill and water power at Rumney and entered upon the manufacture of wooden rakes. After three years he turned his attention to truss pads. He built a new shop, built a new dam, and began to enlarge his business by add- ing the manufacture of crutches. His crutches grew in popularity, the truss pads were dropped,
and the whole business was centered in the pro- duction of crutches in wholesale lots, and in special orders, from maple-wood, lance-wood, and from rose-wood, in styles ranging from the plainest to the ones with patent spring tops, rubber bottoms, and nickel trimmings. The bus- iness having grown to such an extent, he took in partnership his two sons, Charles W. and George Bert, who after his death in 1891, of cancerous tumor of the stomach, continued the business under the firm name of D. Abbott & Sons. The business was finally bought by George Bert Ab- bott, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume. The articles made by this firm brought them a national reputation. Daniel Ab- bott was a Republican, and served as supervisor of the town for several years. He was a Method- ist in politics. His wife was Carrie M. Phillips. She still survives her husband, and is the mother of four children. Charles W. and George Bert are manufacturer of crutches, and residents of Rumney. Carrie E. is the wife of our subject. Elizabeth A. is a teacher.
Mr. Craig has been presented with one child, Lizzie May, born Aug. 16, 1893. Mr. Craig is a Democrat, and has served as town clerk. He is a Baptist in his religious views.
ELI D. SAWYER, proprietor of the Moun- tain Home House of Littleton, N. H., was born in the town of Bethlehem, Grafton Co., N. H., June 4, 1815; he is a son of William and Dolly (Burt) Sawyer.
William Sawyer was born in Roxbury, Mass., and learned the cooper's trade; when a young man he moved to Bethlehem, purchased a farm, and carried on his trade in connection with farm- ing; the farm was originally timber land, and Mr. Sawyer was forced to clear it before he could prepare it for crops. In his later years he moved to Littleton, and died there at the age of eighty- seven; his wife was sixty-three years old at the time of her death. Mr. Sawyer was a Federalist in politics, and then a Republican. He was lib- eral in his religious views. His wife bore him eight children, who were as follows: William H., Dolly, Sarah, Eliza, Eli D., Alphens, Mary C., and Lydia Ann.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
The subject of this sketch attended the public schools when a boy, and at the age of twenty bought the homestead of 140 acres, and made many valuable improvements thereon. Later on lie came to Littleton and bought a home on South Street, where he resided five years; the next five years were spent on a farm in the north part of the town, where he carried on general farming: after a series of changes in the arrange- ment of the buildings and other alterations he sold it; it is now owned by Mr. George. His next residence was on the Bowman estate of forty acres, situated at the west end of the village of Littleton; that place is still his home, although it has not much of the same appearance it had when he bought it. Mr. Sawyer remodeled the house and enlarged it to two and one-half stories with large, wide verandas on three sides. In 1878 he commenced to take city boarders, and with a capacity for the accommodation of twenty- five boarders has had all he could desire since. The immediate surroundings of the home, with its green lawns and splendid maple trees has been beautified in many ways so as to present a very attractive appearance. The view from the house includes many of the prominent mountains of the White Mountain range, and the valley of the Ammonoosuc River; this beautiful home is highly appreciated by those who are fortunate to be included among the number of Mr. Saw- ver's guests.
Mr. Sawyer married Miss Sarah O. Pierce, daughter of John Pierce of Bethlehem. She has not only been a kind and loving wife and mother, but has lavished a generous hospitality upon her boarders, that makes them feel thoroughly at home and united in praising her many excellent qualities. Six children have been born to them, namely: Elmer G., who died when an infant, aged eleven months; John P., who lives in the State of Texas; Frank, who died at the age of five months; Hattie G. married F. Tilton, and upon his death married Mr. Lindsley of Spo- kane, Wash .; Charles M. C. is an attorney and also interested in insurance in Alabama; William H. is a lawyer of Concord, N. H. Mr. Sawyer has always been active in his support of the Dem- ocratic party, and served as selectman of the towns of Bethlehem and Littleton. In his re- ligious views he is liberal.
ALFRED STANLEY, one of the proprie- tors of the Pulp Manufactory at Livermore Falls, N. H., was born at Barnet, Vt., Jan. 2, 1857, and is a son of Lyman and Laura (Way) Stanley, and a grandson of John and Lois (Currier) Stan- ley.
John Stanley was born in Lyme, Conn., and when a young man came to the town of Lyman, Grafton Co., N. H., where he bought a large farm. He was a surveyor by occupation, and laid out many of the town lines in the northern part of Grafton Co. His farm was largely cov- ered with timber; he cleared it and put it under cultivation. He held many of the town offices, and enjoyed the good-will of nearly everyone in that part of the county. He died when about seventy-eight years old. His wife was called to her rest at the age of seventy. Their children were: Lois, John, Lyman, James, Henry, Lav- ina, and Nancy.
Lyman Stanley, father of our subject, when a young man became the foreman of the water works for bringing water from Brookline, Mass., to Boston. He then ran a hotel at Barnet, Vt., until his health failed and he went to California in 1855. There he rapidly regained his health under the different climate and surroundings, and went to work in the mines, working claims. He did fairly well and returned to Vermont to manage a grain business and grist-mill at Bar- net, Vt. He remained in the grist-mill six years, and then bought a farm in the same town, and. retired from active business. He is eighty-two years of age, while his wife is seventy-five years old; both hale and hearty. They celebrated their golden wedding, Nov. 24, 1892, when their chil- dren, grandchildren, and friends, of whom there were several who attended the wedding fifty years previous, were there to congratulate them and remember them with many valuable and use- ful presents. Our subject's mother was the daughter of Amos and Sally Way of Lyman, N. H. They gathered about them the following family: John and James, twins, died at an early age; Edgar L .; Jennie; Charles; Alfred; Albert, who did not reach maturity; Herbert; Laura, who died in infancy. Lyman Stanley is a loyal Republican, and is a member of the Congrega- tional Church.
Alfred Stanley attended the St. Johnsbury Academy, where he graduated in 1878. He en-
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