USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Book of biographies. This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Grafton County, New Hampshire > Part 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76
192
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
widow with a son and daughter, both of whom are married. The mother lived with her daugh- ter in Jersey City, N. J., until her death. Bela, born July 8, 1798, married Elizabeth, daughter of Oliver Baker of Plainfield, and finally settled in Royalton, Vt. They had six children. Horace, the youngest son, born Oct. 25, 1802, married Mary Baker, a sister of his brother's wife; they lived some time in Albany, Vt., and finally removed to St. Johnsbury, Vt., where they both died.
WILLIAM P. BURTON, a resident of West Lebanon, and one of the town's selectman, was born in Norwich, Vt., Dec. 2, 1828. He is a son of Harvey and Salome (Burton) Burton, grand- son of Elisha Burton, and great-grandson of Jacob Burton.
Jacob Burton came from the State of Con- necticut in 1764 on a prospecting tour to locate a suitable place for a home, returning to Con- necticut the same year. In 1766 he came back and took up a large tract of land, cleared the timber off, and practically founded a settlement, as one-half of the village of Norwich, Vt., is located where he cut the timber and cleared the land. He became the first town clerk, and was one of the committee on rules and regulations of the new town government. He was also County Judge. Not only highly successful in his man- agement of his private property, but also promi- nent and influential in the carrying on of the early town affairs. He was born in 1715 and died in 1798.
Elisha Burton was born in 1779, and rounded out his career at the age of forty, in 1819. He was a large land-owner, and like his father be- came one of the leading men of the town and county.
Harvey Burton, our subject's father, built a set of buildings on a portion of his father's farm, but never followed the pursuits of agriculture, as he was engaged in the practice of law. He was elected to the State Senate from his county. In the Congregational Church, of which he was a member, he was an earnest and indefatigable worker. He was born in 1793 and died in 1868.
His wife was born in 1800 and passed away in 1830. She was a daughter of Pierce Burton, and, like her husband, was born in Norwich, Vt., where they always lived. The children born to our subject's father by this, his first marriage, were: Sarah J. and William P. He married as his second wife Harriet Brooks, born in 1804, and still living. Her children were: Charles H., Louis E., and Frederick J.
Our subject, after finishing his education, taught school in the South for two years and then came to West Lebanon and went into the mercantile business, which he followed some twenty years. He served as postmaster twenty- one years until Cleveland's first administration ; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1885; served in the State Legislature in 1891- 93-95; and has been auditor of the county for the past four years. Mr. Burton built the house where he lives; the location is very desirable, one of the chief beauties being the broad, open view that may be obtained of the Connecticut Valley. He also owns considerable tenement property. Although he is practically retired from business, yet he manages to find something to employ himself at, for he dislikes a life of entire idleness and prefers something to do, for he is naturally of a very active disposition.
Mr. Burton was married in 1854 to Miss Re- becca Blood, daughter of Levi Blood of Man- chester, N. H .; she was born in 1834 and died in 1860. One child was born to them, William Harvey, born in 1856. He married Miss Flor- ence K. Armstrong, and lives in Chicago, Ill., where he is associated with the Gorham Manu- facturing Co. William P. Burton married as his second wife Emily E. Craft, daughter of Samuel Craft of Lebanon, and has two children by this union. Samuel C., born in 1861, lives in San Francisco, where he is interested in the railroad business. Anna Maud, born in 1863, is a tal- ented music teacher, and resides at home with her parents. Our subject cast his first vote in support of the Whig party, and has been a Re- publican since the formation of the latter party. He takes an active interest in town and village affairs, and is a leading member of the Congre- gational Church. As a neighbor and citizen he has always been known as a man of strict in- tegrity, loftiness of spirit, and patriotism, whose influence has been ever exerted for the good.
/
J.S. Quirk PILILA
HON. ALONZO D. MUCHMORE, M. D.
193
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
HON. ALONZO D. MUCHMORE, M. D., of Campton village, Grafton Co., was born in Or- ford, N. H., April 4, 1840. He is a son of James and Sarah J. (Buntin) Muchmore, a grandson of James and Sally (Sherman) Muchmore, and a great-grandson of James Muchmore, who was born on the Isle of Shoals.
James Muchmore, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born at Northfield, N. H., where his father was one of the early settlers, and made farming his occupation. James Muchmore, the second, also adopted that vocation. He obtained an unimproved farm in Orford and set about to clear the timber from the fertile soil and then cultivated it with splendid results in the way of crops. He was a progressive man and very active in the interests of the community in which he had cast his lot.
He died in Orford at the age of eighty-eight, and his wife at the age of eighty-seven. His wife, Sally, was a daughter of John Sherman, a soldier of the Revolution, serving seven years in the cause of liberty. Her brother, Jacob Sher- man, served in the War of 1812; he also has the distinction of commanding the first steamboat that disturbed the blue waters of Lake Cham- plain. He commanded a privateer during the War of 1812. Mrs. Sally (Sherman) Muchmore was an aunt of General William T. and Senator Sherman.
James Muchmore, son of the foregoing and father of our subject, was born in Orford, N. H., Aug. 4, 1810, and was a farmer and a manufac- turer of lumber. He was a Republican in his politics. He passed a calm, peaceful life, not full of any striking incidents, and died at the age of sixty-six from a fatal attack of pneumonia. His wife was stricken down at the age of fifty- nine, also by pneumonia. Their children were: Henry, Alonzo D., Sarah J., and John.
Our subject spent his early life in the saw- mills and on the farm; however, he began the study of medicine very early, spending his leisure time in that manner. On Nov. 30, 1861, he en- listed in the 6th N. H. Vol. Inf. and served sev- eral months till he received his discharge papers April 9, 1862. His discharge was due to discase of the lungs, rendering him unfit for hard work. He returned home and persevered in his studies, doing as much as his health would permit; in 1879 he was examined by the State censors of the
New Hampshire Eclectric Medical Society and granted a certificate. He at once commenced the practice of medicine at Campton, and at this time enjoys a large and lucrative practice, which he takes pains to retain by doing his best work on every case. Since he received his certificate he has attended two courses of lectures in the Eclectic Medical College of Maine, where he graduated Feb. 8, 1883, receiving a diploma from that institution and took a post graduate course in 1889 at Burlington, Vt. He is a mem- ber of the New Hampshire Eclectic Medical Society and is one of its board of censors. He is a member of the Campton Village Baptist Church, and is one of its wardens. He is a member of the Penniman Post, G. A. R., and is also one of the Sons of Temperance. Socially, he is a member of the Olive Branch Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M., and also of the A. U. O. of Druids. In politics he is a Republican, and rep- resented the town in the Legislature of 1889-90.
On June 16, 1870, he married Effie L., daugh- ter of David D. and Lydia (Hill) Cross. Mr. Cross was a farmer and resided in Piermont; he died at about the age of seventy. His wife sur- vived him eight years, making her home with our subject's family until her death, Jan. 15, 1897. Dr. Muchmore has one son by this mar- riage, James Christopher, who was born April 4, 1871, and married Fannie G., daughter of Arthur Cook. Mr. Christopher Muchmore owns and operates a general store in Campton village, and is very popular among the village people. He and his wife are both members of the Baptist Church.
A portrait of our subject accompanies this sketch.
GEORGE FLETCHER ANDREWS, a dealer in marble in Enfield, and one of that town's most highly esteemed citizens, was born there June 19, 1838. He is a son of Jonathan and Sarah (Hoyt) Andrews, and grandson of Mark and Polly (Ross) Andrews.
Mark Andrews was born in Jabacco, Mass., and was a fisherman during his younger days; about the year 1800 he relinquished that occu- pation, and, after removing to Enfield, engaged in farming, having purchased a tract of land in
194
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
the town near the east end of East Pond, where a small amount of land was cleared, and a log- house standing. With horses and wagons he transported his wife and all of the children but the youngest, which he left with its grandparents. On this farm, which he had selected, Mark An- drews cleared the land and lived to a good old age; when he retired from active work he went to Wilmot, N. H., to live with his daughter, and there his end came at the age of eighty. His wife departed this life at the age of seventy-eight. Their sons numbered eight in all, as follows: Amos, who died young; Mark; John; Jonathan ; Timothy; Hezekiah: George; and Randall. There were five girls: Mary, Martha, Lucy, Nancy, and Prudence.
Jonathan Andrews early in life learned the shoemaker's trade, and became a very skilled workman in handwork. He lived at Marl- borough, Mass., six years, and then returned to Enfield, and, buying a farm on George Hill, car- ried on farming and shoemaking. He settled there about 1853, and after a few years sold the property and came to Enfield Center, going still later to Claremont, N. H., where he died at the age of eighty-seven. He was very active up to the last years of his life, looking much younger than he really was, and for all his work at the bench he was as straight as an arrow. He was a Democrat, and later a Republican in politics, and a member of the M. E. Church. His wife, who was a daughter of Moses Hoyt, died at the age of eighty-two, leaving three children, all of whom are living to-day: Arminda, 'George Fletcher, and Minerva S.
George Fletcher Andrews was educated in the district schools of Enfield and worked with his father at shoemaking until he was eighteen years old, when he went to Concord, N. H., and labored at cutting, polishing and marking marble two years. In 1862 he came to Enfield and set up his present business, being the only marble dealer in his section of the county. He has done a very good business since and handles a large variety of marbles, but at the present time deals in the product of the Sutherland Falls quarries most extensively. On Nov. 7, 1865, he married Miss Sarah N. Hartford, daughter of Benjamin and Calista (Cochran) Hartford.
Benjamin Hartford was born in Somersworth, N. H., Jan. 1, 1803, and was a son of Moses and
Hannah (Furber) Hartford, and grandson of Nicholas Hartford, who came from Hartford Co., England, to this country, and settled in Dover, N. H. His son Moses was a merchant and a farmer of Somersworth, N. H. Benjamin Hartford lost his father when a boy by the hand of death. His mother took some of the smaller of her children and joined the Shaker Com- munity at Enfield; Benjamin learned the me- chanic's trade, and happening to come to Enfield to visit his sister he took a fancy to the mode of life, and was enrolled as a member for nineteen years. While there he devoted much of his time to the invention of various articles of usefulness. He invented the first friction match, in 1832, and manufactured them; also the noted turned pails and tubs, revolving gun, a tin harness to weave broadcloth, and a water-wheel; all of these arti- cles are in use to-day. When he had left the Shakers, and married, he built a house and shop at Enfield Center, and ran a turning lathe for six years and a half; he then settled where our subject lives now, and died at the age of sixty- three. He married Calista, daughter of Robert and Sarah (Nichols) Cochran; Mrs. Hartford died at the age of sixty-nine, having borne her husband two children: Lucinda, who died at the age of twelve years; and Sarah, the wife of our subject.
Robert Cochran was born in Enfield and was a son of Jacob and Margaret (Webster) Cochran. Jacob Cochran was born on the ocean when his parents were coming to America, about the year 1751. He settled in Pembroke, Mass., and later in Salisbury; about 1774 or 1776 he came to En- field and settled on George Hill, farming there until his sixty-fifth year, and died at his son Robert's at the age of ninety. His son built in 1806, where our subject now lives, and ground flaxseed and manufactured linseed oil; he was also a farmer and had extensive land interests. He was born in 1776, and died in 1858; his first wife, Abigail Currier, was born in 1785, and passed away to the scenes beyond the river of death in 1820. She left two children: Albert and Emily. His second wife was Sarah Nichols; her children were: Calista, Sarah, and Augusta.
Our subject's union has been blessed with two children. Leon J., born May 15, 1867, married Elva Woodward, and lives at Claremont, N. H., where he is a dealer in marble; they have one
195
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
child, Harold. Carrie M., born Aug. 31, 1875. lives at home with her parents. After Mr. An- drews married he came to his wife's home and cared for her parents during the last years of their life; it is a matter of record that in the house where he lives twenty-six of the members of the families of his wife's ancestors died, most of them advanced in age. Mr. Andrews has lately put the house in excellent repair, and owns a finely cared-for farm of ninety acres. He is a Republican, and has taken a prominent and lead- ing part in the affairs of the town, serving three years as overseer of the poor, besides acting in other official capacities. He is liberal in his religious views. He is a member of the Grange, and of the Social Lodge, No. 50, F. & A. M.
-
WALDO W. WOOD, a descendant of one of the pioneer families of the town of Lebanon, and a standard and leading farmer of the same town, was born in the above town, Sept. 24, 1865. He is a son of Roger and Emily (Will- ard) Wood, grandson of Capt. Roger and Achsah (Tilden) Wood, and great-grandson of Joseph and Anna ( Palmer) Wood.
Joseph Wood was born in Mansfield, Conn., in 1725; his wife was born in 1728. He was one of the proprietors of Lebanon, and emigrated with his wife and children from his native place about 1765 or 1766, and took up a new residence at his adopted home. His good judgment and clear foresight secured for him and his heirs a large proportion of those beautiful interval lands lying on the east side of the Connecticut River and south of the Mascoma River, extending east- erly far back among the hills, including a fair portion of the uplands. His first house he erected on the south side of the King's Highway (so called), which was laid out by the proprietors of the town, and which ran casterly from the in- terval land through Lebanon, passing by the Porter place, the Aspinwall hill, the Abel Storrs and the Col. Constant Storrs farms to the Enfield line: the house was about seventy rods cast of the present residence of Oliver L. Stearns. It was on this section of his possessions that he be- gan to clear the land, and to prepare a new home for his family, where his younger children were
afterwards born. Joseph Wood possessed a strong constitution, was industrious and per- severing, and labored with a will and the power of a strong arm that rarely wearicd, to fell the monarchs of the forest and clear a farm; he stic- ceeded in a few years in the accomplishment of his purpose, with the assistance of some of his boys, who were old enough to help him. Addi- tions to his farm were made from year to year, which, with the increase in his own family, neces- sitated the making larger barns and the building of a new house. Coming to the conclusion that a site near the intersection of the King's High- way would be most desirable, he built a house there with the end in view to make it serve the double purpose of a tavern and a farm-house. This was probably the first tavern in the town, and, like other wayside inns of that day, was rude in its conveniences and unceremonious in its man- agement, but, nevertheless, it was the travelers' home, where the landlord was glad to welcome a customer and the foot-sore traveler was happy to find a resting place where he might recuper- ate his strength. Mr. Wood continued his farm- ing and tavern-keeping until 1789 when his son, Joseph, Jr., became associated with him until the former's death, Nov. 2, 1798, aged seventy- three years. He was active in town and county affairs. He was active in his promoting the re- ligious interests of the settlement. In 1769 he was appointed as a member of a committee to procure a minister, and was one of the first to join the Congregational Church under the pas- torate of Rev. Isaiah Potter. His wife, who possessed a strong, independent mind, was as much entitled to credit for her superior judgment and prudence in acquiring property as her hus- band. She died March 11, 1813, aged eighty- five years. Their children were: Rev. Samuel, born 1753: Marian, 1755: Jane, 1757: Capt. Joseph, born in 1759, who lived to celebrate his passing the century mark; Capt. Ephraim, 1761 ; Anna, 1764: Capt. Roger, 1766; Capt. John, 1768; Rev. Benjamin, 1770; and Rev. Luther, 1772.
Capt. Roger Wood, our subject's grandfather, was born in Mansfield, Conn., and was taken when a child to the family's new home at Leb- anon; on arriving at manhood he settled near where our subject now lives, and became a large land-owner and a prominent man in the town.
196
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
He was commissioned a captain in the State militia and thereafter known by that title. The children born to him and his wife were named: Achsah, Samuel, Rosamond, Luther, Hannah, and Roger.
Roger Wood, Jr., the youngest child of the foregoing family, was born in the house which our subject now owns, Sept. 4. 1811. He inher- ited the homestead, and later bought more land. Ile was a practical man and performed his work and duties with judicious carefulness, confident that "haste makes waste". His good judgment served him in good stead when called upon by his fellow-citizens to fill offices of trust in his native town. He was eighty years old at his death. His wife was born March 14, 1821, passed away to the realms of peace at the age of fifty-two. Their children were as follows: Roger B., born March 14, 1844; Samuel P., April 24, 1846; Achsah E., Feb. 12, 1849; Rosamond A., Sept. 9, 1852; Luther W., May 7, 1857; Dana S., born May 2, 1858; Hannah M., May 10, 1860; and Waldo W., the subject of this personal history.
Our subject being the youngest son of his parents, assisted and cared for them in their last days, and inherited the farm, on which he has since made many valuable improvements, both on the land and buildings, remodeling the house to suit his needs and desires. The farm com- prises some 300 acres, and supports twenty-five head of choice milch cattle and eighty fine sheep. He is both practical and enterprising in his methods of farming and has original ideas of his own how farming should be done. He deserves to rank among the first farmers of the town and county.
On Jan. 10, 1891, Mr. Wood was married to Miss Lizzie F. French, daughter of Russell B. and Helen A. (Smith) French. Russell B. French was born in Plainfield, N. H., and is a son of John and Harriet (Berry) French, and a grandson of Nathaniel and Alice (Back) French, who were among the early settlers of Plainfield, and lived to a good old age to enjoy the fruits of their toil. Six children were born to them, namely: Hezekiah, Lyman, Lucinda, Betsey, John, and Susan. John French succeeded his father on the farm and always lived in Plainfield engaged in agricultural pursuits, dying at the age of eighty-three. His wife lived to the age of seventy-six. Their children were: Almond,
John H., Melissa, Russell B., Charles, George, and Francis. When a young man Russell B. French, the father of Mrs. Wood, bought the Slack farm in the northern part of Plainfield, where he has carried on farming since and is pleasantly located at the present writing. . He married Helen A., daughter of Benjamin and Calista B. (Stone) Smith. To Mr. and Mrs. Russell B. French were born eight children, as follows: Luther J., Walter H., Bert E., Lizzie F., John W., Albert D., Herman E., and Leon C. Mr. French enlisted in 1862 in Co. E., 11th Reg. Vt. Vol. Inf., serving thirty-three months as a private. He was taken prisoner at Petersburg, and was held a prisoner in Danville Prison seven months and ten days; while thus confined his health suffered and was impaired to such an ex- tent that he has never fully recovered, and now draws a small pension from the Government.
Mr. Wood and his wife have had one child, Waldo Wendell, who was born June 17, 1894, and died Sept. 21 of the same year. Our subject is a Republican in politics. He and his wife are members of the Congregational Church.
LEWIS T. COLBY, not only one of the larg- est farmers of the town of Enfield, but also a descendant of one of the town's early settlers, was born in the house where he now makes his home, Nov. 26, 1834. He is a son of Thomas J. and Melinda (Jackman) Colby, grandson of Rowel and Lydia (Pettengill) Colby, and a great- grandson of Zacheas Colby. Zacheas descended from one of three brothers, William, Roger, and Rowel, who came from England to Salem, Mass., at an early date.
Rowel Colby was born in Salisbury, Mass., Nov. 22, 1758, and married Lydia Pettengill, whose father had settled in Salisbury and taken up a large tract of land in Enfield, and gave his daughter Lydia a farm, which was then a com- plete wilderness. About the year 1780 Rowel Colby and wife Lydia came to Enfield and made a permanent settlement on this property. The year before Mr. Colby brought his wife he made his way to their new possessions by means of the bridle path, whose direction was blazed on
1
197
BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
the trees, built a small log-house, dug a well, cleared a small field for cultivation, and planted winter rye. After four years of residence in the log-house, in 1784, he built a small frame house, used now by our subject as a granary, which sufficed for their wants until 1800, when he built the house, now the home of the subject of this sketch. It was at that time the largest and by far the best house in the town, and it was often remarked that Mr. Colby would be bankrupted, and his fine beginning end in complete failure. No such ending came, for he was a hard worker and exercised his judgment so well that he suc- ceeded in everything he undertook. To this new home he brought the first brass clock in the town, a standard instrument, costing $75.00, which is keeping good time to-day for our sub- ject. He was a soldier in the Revolution, and was one of Gen. Stark's soldiers at the battle of Bennington; he seemed to be devoid of anything like fear, and, single-handed, made a capture of a noted Indian, and turned him over to the author- ities; he preserved his powder-horn, which may be seen adorning the old brass clock. He brought 100 small apple trees on his back from Salisbury, N. H., and set them out, and thus came to have one of the first and best orchards in the town; some of these trees are living and bearing to-day. Later on he set out more trees, and his improvements are visible in all direc- tions, for before his death he had become owner of over 1,000 acres of land, extending through Enfield Center, and including farms in the ad- joining towns. He was a man of prominence in the town, and served as selectman and in other town offices. He was religiously inclined, and a member of the Free Will Baptist Church. He departed this life Jan. 22, 1832. His wife was born March 13, 1760, and passed away in 1854. Their children were: David, born March 13, 1782; Betsey, Dec. 27, 1783; Hannah, Oct. 19, 1785; Mary, March 12, 1788; Lydia, July 22, 1790; Sally, ()ct. 12, 1792; Rowel, Nov. 23, 1795; Zacheas, March 26, 1798. Lucretia, April 20, 1803; and Thomas J., May 24, 1805.
Thomas J. Colby, being the youngest of the family, remained at home and cared for his parents, inheriting the homestead of 275 acres at their death. He kept a large dairy and worked an extensive sugar bush. Faithfully taking to lieart the teachings and principles of a success-
ful farmer, and applying them in his work, he became a model farmer; he died in his seventy- seventh year. His wife, who was a daughter of Samuel Jackman, was born Feb. 27, 1807, and died Sept. 9, 1889. Their children were: Lewis T., the subject of this short biography; Mary C., who was born Oct. 8, 1839, married J. J. French, and lives in Everett, Mass., the mother of three children: Willie W., Lou F., and Rosamond. Our subject's father was a Democrat, and served as selectman, and as representative. He was a member of the M. E. Church.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.