USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Book of biographies. This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Grafton County, New Hampshire > Part 41
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Our subject was married in Woodsville, July 16, 1867, to Miss Harriet F. White, a native of Wells River, Vt. She was the daughter of John G. and Susan (Sanborn) White, both natives of New Hampshire. Susan Sanborn was the daugh- ter of John Sanborn, a shoemaker of Grafton Co. John G. White was born in Lebanon, and was a drover and a farmer; he was a son of Jacob White, who was born at Old Haverhill, or Newburyport, Mass., whence he came to Grafton Co., with his parents through the woods, in 1774 or 1775, being carried on horseback by his mother. The family re- sided a few years in Lebanon, and then his father built a house and a mill in the coun- try, in 1779. The house is still standing, and the old hall clock, now in the possession of Charles Griswold of Woodsville, which was brought to the house soon after the house was built, is still ticking off the hours as well as if its age was not over one hundred years. Jacob White married Fannie, daughter of Jesse Cook, one of the early settlers of Lebanon.
To our subject and his wife have been born six children: Philip C., an engineer on the B. & M. R. R., married Jane Stevens of Woodsville, and has one child, Henry Foss Smith; George A., is a civil engineer in the employ of the B. & M. R. R .; Charles (). is bookkeeper and stenographer for the Burton Stock Car Co., of Chicago, Ill .; Mary E. and Harry S. are at home; Marguerite T. died Feb. 9, 1892; Phillip C. early developed a marked taste for art, in which he gave every
promise of making a success, had he not turned his attention to mechanical engineering. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are attendants at the Episcopal Church. He is a member of Kane Lodge, No. 4, A. F. & A. M .; Franklin Chapter, No. 5; St. Girard Commandery, K. T .; Edward A. Ray- mond Consistory of Nashua; and Mt. Sinai Shrine of the Eastern Star Chapter; and ment- ber of Moosehillock Lodge, No. 25, I. O. O. F. He is also a member of the Order of Railway Conductors, No. 157, of Boston. With his wife he is a member of the Mary A. Glidden Lodge, No. 45, of Daughter of Rebecca. In politics he is a Republican.
JOHN CURRIER, one of the leading farmers and business men of the town of Canaan, was born in the house he now owns, and where he resides, Jan. 8, 1841. He is a son of James and Louisa (Wier) Currier, and a grandson of John and Lois (Morse) Currier. John Currier was a son of Deacon John and Sarah (Clark) Currier of Hopkinton, N. H., the former of whom was a son of Nathan and Mehitabel (Silver) Currier; Nathan Currier was a son of Joseph and Sarah (Brown) Currier, the former of whom was a son of Deacon Thomas Currier, and a grandson of Richard Currier, the first Currier to come to the New World.
Richard Currier, a son of James Currier of Strawberry Bank, near Glasgow, Scotland, was born in 1617, and came to America some time prior to 1640. His first wife Ann left him several children at her death; his second wife, Joanna Rowell, widow of William Sargent, bore him two children: Hannah and Thomas.
Deacon Thomas Currier was born in this coun- try, March 8, 1646, and married Mary Osgood, Dec. 3, 1668, and was blessed with twelve chil- dren, as follows: Hannah, Thomas, Richard, Samuel, William, John, Benjamin, Joseph, Eben- ezer, Daniel, Mary, and Ann. They lived in Amesbury, Mass., where Deacon Thomas set- tled in early life. He died in 1712.
Joseph Currier was born in Amesbury, Mass., in 1674; married Sarah Brown Dec. 9, 1708, and reared the following children: Nathan, Josepli, Ephraim, Abner, Sarah, Hannah, Anna, Mary, and Mariam.
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The next in the line of descent was Nathan, who was born in Amesbury, Mass., Nov. 16, 1710; his children were: John, Seth, John, Sarah, Anne, Daniel, Hannah, and Nathan.
Deacon John Currier, a son of Nathan, and great-grandfather of our subject, was next in the line of descent. He was born in Amesbury, Mass., May 1, 1737, and in 1766 moved to Hop- kinton, N. H., where he followed farming till his death, which took place Dec. 23, 1804. His chil- dren were: John, Clark, Seth, Anna, Amos, Sarah, Hannah, Stephen, Priscilla, and James.
John Currier, our subject's grandfather, was born in Hopkinton, N. H., Jan. 6, 1762, and set- tled in the town of Canaan at what is known to- day as the west farms, in the spring of 1783, and was married in the following September; in 1804 he traded for the Jonathan Tucker farm, the one where our subject lives; on his farm he built for a residence a large two-story house, finely furnished with spacious halls. In addition to his work as. a farmer, he was also a lawyer, and held court in his large front rooms, and was always known and ad- dressed as Squire Currier. In his time he settled many of the estates of the early settlers. He was a prominent man, and served as selectman sev- eral years, and did considerable town and county business. He died May 10, 1826; his wife pre- ceded him to the better world Oct. 17, 1816, aged fifty-five years. Their children were: Anna, Sarah, Hannah, James, Lois, Permelia, and Clarissa.
Our subject's father, James Currier, was born in the town of Canaan, Nov. 2, 1791, and was married Jan. 4, 1837; being the only son, he bought out his sister's interests in the homestead, and always lived there, being a very successful agriculturist, keeping a large dairy and a flock of sheep. He died May 22, 1846. His wife mar- ried as her second husband Isaac W. Perkins, and died Sept. 22, 1855. Our subject's parents had only two children: Mary, born Nov. 20, 1838, married William Allen Wallace, now de- ceased, who was one of the leading business men of Canaan; his wife now resides on Canaan Street.
John Currier, the other child, and the only son, at thirteen years of age took charge of the farm, and has always lived there, and cared for his parents. He keeps a fine dairy, and owns a resi-
dence in the village, and other property; during his life he has bought and sold considerable real estate, and has been most active in business. He served in 1877-78-79 as third selectman, in 1886 and 1892 as second selectman, and in 1894-95-96 as first selectman, and was elected again in 1897.
He married Mrs. Mary Puffer, widow of the late C. H. Puffer, who died leaving three chil- dren to the care of his wife, namely: Jennie. M., Minnie B., and Elmer S. Mrs. Currier was a daughter of Daniel and Charlotte Richardson, `both of whom died young; Daniel Richardson was a farmer by occupation. Our subject has taken a great interest in schools and churches, and although not a professor of religion, he is a liberal supporter of each of the churches in the town, being clerk of the Congregational Society, and is trustee of the M. E. Church.
JOSEPH WILLIS, a contractor and builder of Woodsville, N. H., was born at Briar Hill, town of Haverhill, Aug. 9, 1841, and is a son of Jabez Rockwell and Louise A. (Ward) Willis, and a grandson of Jetholeal Willis, a native of the bonny land of Scotland. Our subject's grandfather was very short and stout, yet was an active man up to the age of eighty; his calling was that of a farmer. He died at the age of ninety-five, in 1862.
Jabez Rockwell Willis was born in the town of Haverhill, Grafton Co., Aug. 15, 1810, and died March, 1895. He was a carpenter and builder, and, as was the custom before the com- mon use of planing-mills throughout the coun- try, made his own doors, sashes, blinds, etc., dur- ing the winter months, in preparation for the next summer's work. About the year 1835 he was married to Louisa A., daughter of Simon Ward, whose first wife, our subject's grand- mother, died at an early age, Mr. Ward marry- ing a second time. Mr. Ward was of Irish de- scent; he was a minuteman in the Revolution, for which he drew a pension in his old age; he (lied at the age of ninety-seven, being a very active man to the very last. His daughter, Louisa A., was born in 1813, and departed this life in 1883.
Joseph Willis enlisted in the service Aug. 14, 1862, in Co. G., IIth N. H. Vol. Inf., five days
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before his majority, and was mustered into the service Sept. 2, 1862, serving until June 4, 1865. He was mustered out of the service at Annapo- lis, Md., and received his discharge at Concord, N. H., a few weeks later. He enlisted as a private, but after about six weeks it was found out that he was a musician, and there being a dearth of good musicians he was transferred to the Brigade Band. During the various cam- paigns through which he served, he traversed nineteen States. In the siege of Knoxville, he was nearly starved to death; for a time a handful of coarse cornmeal was their daily ration, and for two days they were not fortunate enough to receive even that; the fast was broken with two small ears of raw corn. He received one flesh wound, which was not serious, but very painful; at the time he was shot, he was within 100 feet of the rebel picket line.
After his service in the army he returned to Haverhill, and for the two ensuing years worked on his father's farm. In 1867 and 1868, he worked in Warren, at logging. He learned the carpenter's trade of his father, and in 1876 he came to Woodsville, which he has since made his home; his trade has given him the oppor- tunity of building many of the fine homes of Woodsville and the surrounding country. He was married Oct. 24, 1866, to Abbie F., daugh- ter of Isaac and Jane (Kimball) Stevens of Hav- erhill. Isaac Stevens was a son of Isaac Stevens, Sr., who lived to a good old age. Jane Kimball was a daughter of Francis Kimball, of Irish de- scent.
As the result of this union, our subject and. his wife have been made the parents of five chil- dren: Lizzie Belle is the wife of Nelson J. Miller, an engineer living in Woodsville; they have three children, Linn W., Harold R., and Pearl F .; Charles Simon is a brakeman on the B. & M. R. R .; Lena J. is the wife of Robert Park; they have one child, Mona M., a clerk in E. B. Miller's store; Louise A. married George Kendall, re- gistrar of deeds, whose sketch appears in full on another page of this volume; Ethelyn B. is at home with her parents. Mr. Willis is an attend- ant of the Universalist Church, while the rest of the family frequent the Methodist Church. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the G. A. R., Nathaniel Westgate Post, No. 50, of North Haverhill.
GEORGE H. GORDON, of Canaan, repre- sentative to the State Legislature, now serving his second term, and also station agent of the Boston & Maine Railroad, at Canaan, N. H., was born in the above town Sept. 27, 1859. He is a son of Capt. William and Augusta (Sleeper) Gor- don, and grandson of Simeon L. and Ruth (Cheney) Gordon. Our subject's grandfather early in life carried on the manufacture of paper and straw board, at Ashland, N. H. He was a very progressive man, and full of business to his very finger tips, retiring from active business at the age of seventy years, and leading a life not entirely devoid of activity for twenty-two years thereafter, dying at the age of ninety-two. He was held in the highest esteem by his many acquaintances, and was a kind neighbor to the poor, and not at all a harsh or exacting man to his employees in the factory, especially those who were learning the business. His wife died at the age of seventy-five. Their children were: Henry L., William, Mary L., Hannah, Sally, Emma, Ann, and Clemmie.
Capt. William Gordon was born in Ashland, N. H., which at that time was known as Holder- ness township, and upon arriving at a suitable age assisted his father in the management of the factory. He moved to Canaan and engaged in the manufacture of straw board; then at a sub- sequent period he went to Potter Place, Merri- mac Co., N. H., where he manufactured straw wrapping-paper two years, and then ran the hotel. and was postmaster for four years. He is now re- tired. He enlisted in 1861, in Co. F., 15th N. H. Vol. Inf., as its captain, and served thirteen months; at the end of that time he was dis- charged for disability, having been wounded. He married Augusta, daughter of David Sleeper of Augusta, Me., and eight children were born to them: Charles; Frank; Will; Clemmie A .; Frank L. (2nd); Ella; Mary E .; and George Henry, the subject of this sketch. All of them are living to-day with the exception of Frank, Mary E., and Ella.
George H. Gordon received his education at Proctor's Academy, Andover, N. H., and at six- teen years of age became assistant to the station agent at Danbury, N. H., and in 1877, was ap- pointed station agent of that place, and remained there until 1886, when he came to Canaan to suc- ceed A. M. Shackford, and has since filled his
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position with entire satisfaction to the B. & M. Co., and to the citizens of Canaan. So well has he won the respect of his fellow-citizens that in 1893 he was sent to the Legislature to represent the town of Canaan, and was re-elected in 1894 and 1895. Being a stanch Republican he was also a member of the school board, to which he has been a valued member, and is now serving his ninth term as town clerk. Socially he is a member of the Kearsarge Lodge, F. & A. M .; St. Andrews Chapter, R. A. M .; and also to the Mt. Cardigan Lodge, No. 31, K. of P.
Mr. Gordon married Miss Emma F. Noyes, daughter of Enoch Noyes of Canaan, and has had six children, namely: Ralph W., born Feb. 25, 1882; Leila M., born Dec. 15, 1883, died at the age of ten; Earl C., born Dec. 12, 1887; Harold, born Dec. 21, 1889; Vaughan, born May 7, 1892; and Mamie, born Oct. 7, 1893.
GEORGE H. KENDALL, a citizen of Woodsville, and registrar of deeds of Grafton Co., was born in Bristol, N. H., June 23, 1865; he attended school until he was thirteen years old; ever since that period in his life he has been practically self-sustaining.
At that age he ventured into business circles on a capital of six cents, which he invested in lemons, and conducted a lemonade stand in his father's front yard. This brought him profitable returns, and the next season he enlarged his facilities by erecting a booth, 5x7 feet, where the tent had formerly stood, and adding to his stock a line of candy, nuts, fruit, etc., and other such delicacies, that appeal especially to youthful fancies; for five or six seasons, he carried on his business in these small quarters. About 1886 he had prospered sufficiently to build a large store, and to do business on a very much larger scale, that amounted to such respectable proportions, that in 1894, when Mr. Kendall was elected to his present office, the business reached the suni of $5,000 a year. On assuming the duties of his office he sold the business and leased the build- ing.
Mr. Kendall's fight in the convention for his nomination exhibited more forcibly those ener- getic and forceful traits of character that have secured his present success in life, and made him
respected in all the trade circles of the town. Going into the convention as a man unknown to the political managers, and to most of the dele- gates, he received twenty-seven votes on the first ballot, and on the eighth came out ahead with fying colors, with votes to spare, receiving forty- nine. Since his election Mr. Kendall has made his home in Woodsville.
Our subject is a son of Hiram W. and Lucy A. (Hinman) Kendall, natives of Bristol, N. H., and Dorset, Vt., respectively. Lucy A. Hinman was born in Dorset, Vt., and resides at Bristol, on the old homestead. George Kendall's father was born June 21, 1828, and died Feb. 29, 1896; he conducted a tin business until his health failed him, when he disposed of it, and took an interest in a bedstead factory. He was a son of Ebenezer and Nancy (Allen) Kendall. The for- mer was a millwright by trade, and also an owner of mills. He built the first grist and saw-mill in what was known as Slab Village, bringing the brick, with which he built the chimney, seven miles across the lake in a row-boat, laying a boat-load each day, and returning at night to bring over a fresh supply in the morning. He also built and owned three-fourths of all the houses in the village, his own being the first house there. This Ebenezer Kendall, grand- father of our subject, was the third of that name in direct descent. The second Ebenezer was a cooper by trade, and made his home at Hebron. The first Ebenezer was a landed proprietor of early Colonial days; he was not a tradesman or craftsman, as evidenced by deeds, in which he is denominated Ebenezer Kendall, Gent. The family is of English descent, and settled first in Massachusetts.
George H. Kendall was married the first time, in the fall of 1886, to Miss Kate I. Hadley, a native of White River Junction, Vt. Her death occurred in Bristol, N. H., Nov. 1, 1894. To them were born three children: Nellie A., Georgia I., and Rupert H. On May 16, 1896, he was married to Louise A. Willis, Rev. Wal- cott officiating; Mrs. Kendall is a daughter of Joseph Willis, whose sketch appears on another page of this work. Mr. Kendall is a member of the Union Lodge, No. 79, I. O. O. F., in whichi he has filled all the official chairs. He is also at- tached to the Masonic Order, holding a member- ship in the lodge at Bristol.
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CHARLES M. HILDRETH.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
CHARLES M. HILDRETH, president of the National Bank of Lebanon, N. H., and senior member of the firm of C. M. Hildreth & Son, dealers in hardware, was born in the town of Plainfield, Sullivan Co., N. H., April 12, 1831. He is a son of Salmon and Lois (Robinson) Hildreth, and a grandson of Samuel and Zylphia (Gilbert) Hildreth.
Samuel Hildreth's native place was Ipswich, Mass., from which he came to Cornish, Sullivan Co., when a young man and took up some 300 acres of timber land, heavily wooded. He at once set about the laborious task of clearing it, and being a very hard worker and very indus- trious, he soon had a goodly portion cleared and ready for cultivation. In later life, after fortune had dealt kindly with him, he erected a fine set of buildings; one of his barns was 100 feet long, and the sills and the ridge-pole were hewn from one log; it is still standing as the best representa- tive of the pioneer carpentry. Having learned the millwright's and carpenter's trade, he did considerable work in that line for his neighbors; he became a leading man of his community, especially well known for his ability in making money and accumulating property. His energy and perseverance knew. no insurmountable obstacle; whatever he set out to do, that he was sure to do, and perform it well. He died in 1840 at the age of seventy-six; his wife had passed the octogenarian mark when the invisible summons came to her. Seven children were born to them, of whom the last five grew up to maturity, the others dying young. The record reads as fol- lows: Betsey, Salmon, James, Chloe, Manning. Samuel Hildreth was a Democrat in politics. He held a commission as captain of a company in the State militia, and took his men in the War of 1812 as minutemen to Portsmouth to protect tliat seaport from attack.
Salmon Hildreth was born in the town of Cornish, and there spent his boyhood days; he remained under the paternal roof till he had reached the years of manhood, when he went to Plainfield and carried on a small foundry for a while. Following this venture, he took up the manufacture of small woodwork, and was en- gaged at it at the time of his death at the age of sixty-six; death resulted from a tumor in his side. His wife, who was the daughter of James R. Robinson of Reading, Vt., died at the age of
eighty-five. Her father was a soldier in the War of 1812, his native place being Lexington, Mass. Mr. Hildreth was a public-spirited man and held some of the town offices, being elected on the Democratic ticket. He was a Universalist in his religious views. The following children were born of his union with Lois Robinson: Janies H., Samuel, Rosella, Charles M., Oscar D., and Eliza A.
Charles M. Hildreth obtained his schooling in the public schools of his neighborhood, and in Claremont Academy. After completing his edu- cation he went to Windsor, Vt., and entered the service of the armory, being engaged in making guns. He did not continue long in his labors at that place, but soon gave up his job there and removed to Hartford, Conn., to work for the Colts, manufacturers of pistols and guns. In 1856 he came to Lebanon, N. H., and purchased the Ingham interest in the firm of Ingham & Hildreth, our subject's brother being the other partner. Until 1862 the firm was composed of J. H. and C. M. Hildreth; the business was wholesale and retail dealing in hardware, the stock being mainly made up of agricultural im- plements. In 1862 J. H. Hildreth enlisted as lieutenant in the United States service as a sharp- shooter; later on he was on Gen. Gibbon's staff. Soon after he entered the army he disposed of his interest in the store, and his brother, C. M. Hildreth, continued in the business until 1878, when he took his son, Charles E. Hildreth, as partner under the firm name of C. M. Hildreth & Son. The firm of Hildreth & Son have built up one of the largest hardware business in the county, and are to be congratulated on their fine showing. Mr. Hildreth is well known in busi- ness circles as a man whose word is as good as gold, who was never known to shirk any obliga- tion, no matter how much it cost him.
Our subject became one of the directors of the National Bank in Jan. 8, 1884, and Jan. 14, 1890, was elected its president, and has held the same position ever since; he is also vice-president and trustee of the Lebanon Savings Bank. He has a fine residence on Bank Street, No. 31; the house was bought of Z. Huntington, and has been greatly improved by Mr. Hildreth. He also owns a summer cottage at Mascoma Lake, which makes a pleasant summer resort during the heated spell of the summer. Our subject
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may be always relied on to be a member of any movement looking toward the improvement of the town and village of Lebanon. In 1874 and 1875 he represented the town in the Legislature, and created a very favorable impression among other legislators as to his fitness for legislative halls. He is a Republican. He is a liberal sup- porter. of the Congregational Church, of which his wife was a devout member. He married Miss Dorcas White, daughter of Josiah White of Williamstown, Vt. She was born in 1831 and departed this life in 1889. Of the four children born to them, the eldest, Charles E., is a partner in the hardware business with his father; he mar- ried Miss Carrie M. Spencer, who has presented him with two children, of whom Florence B. is living. Helen M. died when an infant. Annie B. lives at home. Harry M. was born in 1858 and died in 1879. C. Frances has made a special study of music, and is now very accomplished in her art; she also lives at home.
The portrait of Mr. Hildreth, accompanying this sketch, will doubtless be welcomed by many of the people of Grafton Co., and especially of his town of Lebanon, and accordingly it is with pleasure that we present it.
SIMEON CURRIER, who is engaged in farming on his farm on the South Road, near the village of West Canaan, N. H., was born in Nor- wich, Vt., Feb. 23, 1839, and is a son of Samuel Quimby and Mahala (Blaisdell) Currier, and grandson of Abel Currier, the son of Simeon, the son of Gideon, the son of Benjamin, the son of Thomas, the son of Richard Currier.
Capt. Richard Currier, who was a son of James Currier of Strawberry Bank, near Glas- gow, Scotland, was born in 1617, and came to America some time prior to 1640, the exact date is now known. He had several children by his first wife, Ann. His second wife, Joanna Rowell, widow of William Sargent, bore him two chil- dren: Hannah and Thomas.
Deacon Thomas Currier was born in America, March 8, 1646, and married Mary Osgood, and was blessed with twelve children, as follows: Hannah, Thomas, Richard, Samuel, William, John, Benjamin, Joseph, Ebenezer, Daniel,
Mary, and Ann. They lived in Amesbury, Mass., where Deacon Thomas settled in early life.
The seventh son of the former, Benjamin, was next in the line of descent; he was born March 27, 1688, and lived in Amesbury, Mass., where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits all of his life, and reared a large family.
Gideon Currier, the former's son, was born in Amesbury, Mass., in 1712, and lived and died there.
Simeon Currier, the great-grandfather of our subject, was born on the homestead in Ames- bury, in 1745, and settled in Chester, N. H., where he reared a large family of children; he was a farmer by occupation.
Abel Currier, our subject's grandfather, was born in Chester, N. H., Feb. 14, 1782, and mar- ried Miss Quimby, by whom he had seven chil- dren: John, Samuel, Quimby, Abigail, Ann, Mary, Betsey, and James. Our subject's grand- father later settled in Dunbarton, N. H., where he died, and where many of his children were born. He followed blacksmithing all of his days, and owned a home and other property in Ches- ter; both he and his wife lived to a good old age.
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