USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Book of biographies. This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Grafton County, New Hampshire > Part 74
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
their own child. She was married in 1893 to George W. Morse of Cabot, Vt., and is now liv- ing at Warren. They have one child: Ethel L., born in 1894.
Mr. Jewett is a member of the M. E. Church. He is an ordained local minister, and has done considerable work in the years past in that line of work. He has always taken an intense inter- est in the Sunday-school, and was superintendent for thirteen years. He is a Republican, and has served as postmaster and assistant postmaster for about fifteen years in Warren. He has been a member of the school board for five years.
JOSHUA E. FOSTER, a prominent farmer of Wentworth, N. H., is the son of Joshua Fos- ter, Jr., grandson of Joshua Foster, great-grand- son of James Foster, and great-great-grandson of John Foster, who came from England, and settled in Reading, Mass., where he lived and died. He married Catharine Oragan; from this marriage resulted two boys: John, Jr., and James. John Foster, Jr., served in the navy dur- ing the Revolutionary War, and met his death there.
James Foster was born in Reading, Mass. Farming was his occupation. He married Me- hitabel Atwood, and in his later years came to Wentworth and lived there the remainder of his life. Their children were: John, James, Jr., Joshua, Jesse, Rebecca, Hannah, and Mehitabel. He fought three years in the cause of freedom in the War of Independence. He died at the age of sixty-seven.
Joshua, the third son of James Foster, was born in Pelham, N. H. He supported himself and family by agricultural labors. Soon after his parents came to Wentworth, Joshua followed and made it his home through life. He married Judith, daughter of John Nevens of Pelham, N. H. She was taken to her promised home on high at the age of fifty-seven; Mr. Foster died at the age of seventy-two. They reared the follow- ing children: Jeremiah: Joshua, Jr .; Abigail, died when young in years: John N .: Judith N .; James N .: Catharine R .; Joseph A .; Abigail; Rapha M .; and Moses.
Joshua Foster, Jr., was born in Wentworth, in 1815, and was reared and educated to the honor-
able occupation of farming, and followed it steadily throughout his career. He married, in 1848, Mary A., daughter of Aaron and Mary (Bryant) Ellsworth of Hanover, N. H. Their family consisted of six children: Anna, who married G. H. Brown, and has five children, George E., Ardella F., Charles H., Elma F., and Annia M .; Augusta died in her youth; Armanda died at the age of four; Joshua E .; Elma C .; and Emma J., who married J. B. Foster, and has one child, Louis M.
Joshua E. Foster, the subject of this sketch, was born in Wentworth, N. H., March 17, 1858. His life has been spent in the pursuit of agricul- ture. He makes his home on the old homestead; his parents are making the farm their residing place at the present. He married, in 1884, Arline F., daughter of Lyman P. Whitcher of Went- worth. He was bereaved of her comforting pres- ence at the age of twenty-six. Mr. Foster is faithful to the tenets of the Democratic party. He served very acceptably on the board of edu- cation for three years. He is now one of the town's selectmen. He is a member of the Went- worth Grange, No. 199, and is overseer of the same. 1
HON. JOHN JOHNSON, a prominent far- mer of Thornton, N. H., is the son of John Johnson, Sr., and the grandson of Ichabod John- son, who came from the lower part of New Hampshire to Campton. There he settled on a wooded tract of land and cleared himself a farm. He remained on the farm for the rest of his life, dying at an advanced age. He reared a family of six children: Samuel, Daniel, Elinor, Vashti, Susan, and John.
John Johnson, the father of our subject, was born in Campton. He was brought up to ma- turity and educated in his native town. He mar- ried Sarah, daughter of Joseph Moulton of Chi- chester, N. H.
Soon after marriage he removed to Ellsworth, purchased a farm, and made it his home until 1861, when he came to Thornton with his son. His wife died at the age of seventy-nine; and he was called to his reward at the age of eighty-two. Their children were: Eliza (Bowers); Annie
الصرع
WILLIAM LEVISTON.
ROBERT LEVISTON.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
(Hill): Sarah (Straw); Caroline (Moulton); Charles : John : Abigail (Cilley); Martha (Avery).
John Johnson, the subject of this sketch, was born in Campton, Jan. 9, 1819. He obtained his schooling in the towns of Ellsworth and Rum- ney. From the age of eighteen he supported himself, and cared for his parents in their old age, until their death relieved him. In 1840 he was joined in wedlock to Betsey, daughter of Ed- mund Moulton of Ellsworth. He moved to Thornton in 1861 and has been a resident of that town ever since. He has a good, interval farm of seventy-five actes, and has been continuously engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. His wife died at the age of seventy-seven. They reared three children: Austin, Romanzo, and Annette. Austin died at the age of twenty-two. Romanzo married Laura Sargeant. He died at the age of forty-nine, and left two children: Austin and Abby (Burleigh). Annette married Richard T. Carter of Newburyport, Mass. They live on the Johnson homestead with her father. Their union was blessed with one child, Mary, who married Charles A. Cook, and has one child, Nettie.
Mr. Johnson is a public-spirited man, and has never allowed his interest in town affairs to waver in the least. He has served as supervisor eight years, and as overseer of the poor ten years. He represented the town in the State Legislature in 1858-50, and also in 1881. He is an uncompromising Democrat.
LEVISTON BROTHERS, William and Robert, retired tanners of Enfield, who gained a wide reputation during the days of their commer- cial activity as tanners of upper leather, are sons of Robert and Sarah (Wilson) Leviston.
The father was a farmer in Lower Canada, but having been bereaved in 1843 of his wife, at the age of thirty-five, he married again, and moved to Upper Canada, where he died. By his first wife he was made the parent of five children: William, born March 15, 1830; Robert, born April 11, 1832: and Sarah J., Irwen, and Mary, who were not permitted to reach an age of ma- turity, but were gathered home by their Heav- enly Father.
William Leviston, the elder of the brothers. when a young man, went to Bradford, N. H.,
and served three years apprenticeship there to the tanner's trade, learning all of its branches, and becoming skilled in all of the manipulations of the trade; he worked in Bradford in the tan- nery of Martin Spaulding, in 1856, and, with his brother Robert, bought of Martin Spaulding the tannery, a saw-mill, and a small farm, and under the style of W. & R. Leviston ran a very success- ful business until 1865. In that year they dis- posed of all their property and went to Colorado to engage in the gold-mining industry ; at Central City, Colorado, William entered the business of dealing in hides, and continued in that branch of trade two years until 1869, when he came to Enfield. N. H., and with J. T. Young purchased the old Richardson tannery. In 1872 Mr. Young withdrew, and the firm has since been known as Leviston Bros. Messrs. Leviston later pur- chased the L. R. Stocker premises, adjoining their tannery, which premises had been formerly used as a woolen mill. All the property was re- modeled, and the buildings enlarged to suit the magnitude of their business, which flourished from the start. They made a specialty of wax, kip, and calf skins, turning out as many as 1,000 sides of leather a week, and giving employment to twenty-five men. Leviston Bros. used the noted Union Leather Splitting Machine, now used so extensively throughout the world, which was introduced in the tannery and first em- ployed by Alpheus Richardson, the former pro- prietor of the tannery and patented by him. Our subjects have also made many improvements on their other property, which consists mainly of valuable farming lands. In 1892 they closed up their business, putting their tannery on the market for sale, and retired from active life.
William Leviston married Miss Ornia Spauld- ing, daughter of Martin and Oriana R. Spaulding of Bradford, N. H. She was born in 1837, and (lied in 1871, leaving one child, Irwen, now the principal of the High School at Omaha, Neb. He graduated in 1882 from Dartmouth College, and received the much-coveted Grimes Prize, which so few have ever been so fortunate as to obtain. He married Nellie C. Currier, daughter of L. Wyman and Lydia (Kimball) Currier of Enfield, N. H., and has two children: Alice M. and Robert. William Leviston married as his second wife Miss Cordelia Center, daughter of Ganaw Center of Hudson, N. H. Mr. Leviston
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
is a member of the Episcopal Church. He is also a Mason, belonging to St. Peter Lodge, F. & A. M., of Bradford, N. H .; and Wood's Chap- ter, R. A. M., of Henniker, N. H.
Robert Leviston, the younger brother, mar- ried Phebe F. Spaulding, daughter of Willard Spaulding of Hudson, N. H. He is a Republi- can politically, and a member of St. Peter Lodge, F. & A. M., of -Bradford, N. H.
The portraits of William and Robert Leviston are shown on preceding page; these excellent likenesses will be viewed with interest, and will be of great value to this Book of Biographies.
GEORGE W. BOYD, a successful and well- known farmer of Wentworth, N. H., is the son of Hoyt S. Boyd, who was born in Dorchester, N. H.
Hoyt S. Boyd was a farmer during his younger days; later in life he worked as a watch-cleaner in the factories of Lyme, N. H. He married Mary Hurlburt of Lyme, who bore him a family of eleven children. Mary married Charles F. Worthen; they reside in Charleston, Vt., and have a family of twelve children. Charles L. married Ella E. Newcomb of Cherokee, Iowa. She was taken sick shortly after their marriage and died. Mr. Boyd married Maud Cicley of Battle Creek, Mich., as his second wife. They have one child. Julia A. married Daniel Chap- lin. They live in Charleston, Vt., and have a family of three children. George W. is the sub- ject of this sketch. Nettie J. married Edward Caskin, and bore him two children; they make their home at Puyallup, Washington. Lucretia S. married John Buzzard, and has made him the parent of five children. John H. married Carrie Palmer, and they have one child. Their resi- dence is West Charleston, Vt. Annie E. married A. J. Cudney, who was lost at sea. He left his wife and two children: they live at Springville, Tenn. Carrie R. married B. F. King. He died and left her three children; she lives at Mt. Ver- non, Ohio. Katie E. married John Capps. She died in February, 1896. Emma H. married Charles M. Snow. Their home is in Oakland, California.
George W. Boyd was born in Lyme, N. H., April 11, 1847. He was educated in his native
town. He has always been engaged in farming. and is one of the most progressive agriculturists in the town. He came to Wentworth in 1879, and has made that town his residence ever since. He is a Republican in politics, and has the ex- ceptional honor of being the first Republican se- lectman the town has ever had. He is a mem- ber of the Wentworth Grange, No. 199. He makes a specialty of dairying, and has a large herd of choice, blooded cattle.
On March 8, 1874, he was joined in marriage to Fanny B., daughter of Nahum Youngman of Wentworth. They have taken into their home a child, Katie B. Foster.
His wife's father was the son of Jabez, Jr., and his ancestry runs back through Jabez, Nicholas, Ebenezer, to Francis, who came from England and settled in Roxbury, Mass. Nahum Young- man was a native of Wilmont, N. H. He was the fourth child of a family of twelve. He mar- ried Elsie Hadley: she is still living, aged seven- ty-five years; and Mr. Youngman died March, 1892, at the age of seventy-five years. They reared three children. Wells C. married Mary McMannus of Dorchester, and has three chil- dren. Fanny B. is our subject's wife. Moses A. died at the age of six.
HENRY C. CURRIER, a farmer and retired glove manufacturer of Plymouth, is the son of Aaron Currier, who was born at Thetford, Vt. Aaron Currier came to Plymouth at about the age of twenty-one. He was a tanner by trade, and he followed that trade for many years; he was also engaged in farming, as he owned a forty-acre interval farm. He married Ann, daughter of Daniel Hoag of Grand Island, Vt. Mrs. Currier died at the age of fifty-one; her husband lived to the age of eighty-six, when he succumbed to the conqueror of all. They reared nine children: Phoebe (Reed); Daniel H .; Mary (Wells); James; Solon; Henry C .; Eliza A. (Sanford); Elmira (Fletcher); Emily (Moses). Aaron Currier was an old line Whig, and joined the Republican ranks upon the organization of that party. Although not actively engaged in politics, he was always thoroughly conversant with the issues; he was especially interested in town affairs.
DR. ZENAS F. LAMB.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
Henry C. Currier was born in Plymouth, Sept. 23, 1832. He attended the district schools, go- ing from them to take advanced work in New Hampton Institute and Plymouth Academy. He taught school during seven winter seasons. In the summers he would work in the glove busi- ness in the establishment of his brother. He was finally associated with him in business, the firm being D. H. Currier & Co .: this continued until 1880. Since that time Mr. Currier has been en- gaged in farming on a small scale.
In 1859 Mr. Currier was married to Florina, daughter of Peltiah C. and Louise (Cook) Blais- dell of Campton, N. H. Mrs. Currier was born March 19, 1836. Their children are: Perly S., Edward G., Amie B., and Fred A.
Mr. Currier is a Republican. He has served as supervisor for four years; and during the time that the town always went strongly Democratic he was a candidate on the Republican ticket five times for representative, being clected as repre- sentative in 1896 for the term of two years; he is also a member of the school board. He is a Master Mason, and a member of the Olive Branch Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M.
HORACE D. ABBOTT, a prominent and well-to-do farmer of Warren, is the son of Charles Abbott, and the grandson of Josiah Ab- bott, who it is thought was born in Andover, Mass., as he moved to Bath, N. H., from that place during his younger years. He remained in Bath about thirty-five years, and then went to Lcmington. Vt., where he died at an advanced age. Farming was his occupation. He served through almost all the War of the Revolution with the rank of lieutenant. His first wife left three children: Charles; Ruth (Holmes); and Fannie (Clough).
Charles Abbott was born in Andover, Mass., and went to Bath with his parents when a small child, and was there reared to manhood and edu- cated. He was a millwright by trade, and fol- lowed the same the most of his life. He and Joel Eastman invented a water-wheel of original de- sign, that promised much. They went to Wash- ington in 1831 and secured a patent upon it. Mr. Abbott then went to Virginia, where he placed some of the wheels in operation. His health be-
ginning to fail, he returned to his native State, and died there in 1833, aged forty-nine. He mar- ried Anna S., daughter of Deacon Samuel Lang of Bath, N. H. She died in 1873 at the age of eighty-five. Their children were: Samuel L., born in 1814; Hannah L. (Edwards), born in 1816; Nancy F., born in 1818; Martha M., born in 1820, married D. B. Cotton, and reared three children, Wilber F., married Ida Leet and has four children, Edward D. married Flora Pills- bury and has two children, Henry L. married Anna Blood, and has one child; Charles S., born in 1822; Edward D., born in 1823; Luvia C., born if 1825; Horace D., the subject of this notice; Myra H., born in 1831. Charles Abbott was a leading Mason, and traveled considerable in the Masonic interests. He was originally a Republican, but later joined the Jackson party.
Horace D. Abbott was born Nov. 24, 1827, in Bath, N. H. He was educated in the common schools and the academy of his native town. He took up school teaching as an occupation for a time. and taught thirty terms in the common schools and academy of Bath and Warren. He is now engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. He came to Warren in 1860 and bought a farm on Beech Hill, where he still remains. He is a Re- publican in his politics, and has served as select- man of the town, and is at present filling out his second term as a member of the school board. He is a great reader, and is a very well-posted man. He is always interested in discussions on living questions.
DR. ZENAS F. LAMB of Enfield, N. H., whose portrait appears on the opposite page, was born in Athol, Mass., March 5, 1865, and is a son of Zenas W. and Addie M. (Chase) Lamb. Our subject's father for many years was super- intendent of the shipping department of the world-famed New Home Sewing Machine Man- ufactory of Orange, Mass., where he resided for many years, and won the respect and highest esteem of its citizens by his many noble quali- ties.
Dr. Lamb attended the High School of Orange, from which he graduated in 1884, and began the study of medicine with Dr. Walter M. Wright ; he completed his professional education
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
in the Bellevue Medical College of New York City, where he graduated March 14, 1887. He at once came to Enfield, where he opened up a practice; as a physician he is well and favorably known throughout a very large circle of patrons, a reputation which he has won by an energy, determination and skill that have secured for him an extensive field for practice and have fairly given hini a leading place among the prac- titioners of his profession. He is gifted with a keen insight into the nature of disease, and with a coolness, decision, and nerve that are in- dispensable to the skillful surgeon. He bought a lot on Stephen Street and built a handsome cot- tage, fitted up in the most pleasing manner, and beautified the grounds to correspond with it; this building he rents to desirable parties. His office is fitted up in his residence on Wells Street, which is considered to be one of the finest, if not the finest, street in Enfield.
Dr. Lamb married Miss Jennie M. Heath, . prenticed to the carpenter's trade. Having mas- daughter of Horace D. and Julia (Morgan) Heath. Mr. Heath, now deceased, was a lead- ing business man of Enfield for many years, being a speculator in cattle and produce. His wife survives him, and lives in the handsome Heath home on Wells Street. One child, Ver- nice, who died in infancy, is the only child that has been born to our subject and wife. Dr. Lamb is a Democrat, and a loyal supporter of the party's men and principles. He is a Univer- salist in his religious preferences. Socially he is a member of Social Lodge, No. 50, F. & A. M., of Enfield: St. Andrews Chapter, R. A. M., of Lebanon; and Boston Consistory, No. 5.
JOHN FRANK SMITH. Of the excellent and substantial citizens of Grafton Co. and town of Campton, who have known no other occupa- tion than that of farming during their lives, and who have had far more than ordinary success in that line, Mr. John Frank Smith certainly de- serves an honorable mention. He was born in Meredith, N. H., May 22, 1844, and is a son of John M. and Fanny (Edgerly) Smith, grandson of Daniel and Molly (Mudget) Smith, and great- grandson of Paine Smith. Paine Smith was one of the early pioneers of Meredith, N. H., coming
from Gilmanton, of this State. He was a farmer of remarkably strong and rugged constitution, and both he and his wife lived to be over eighty years old at their decease.
Daniel Smith was born in Gilmanton, N. H., and remained with his parents through life, re- moving with them to Meredith, where he inher- ited the homestead. General agriculture con- tinued to be his vocation throughout life. In the War of 1812 he served as a private. He was a Whig in politics, and a Baptist in religious be- lief. The years of his life numbered about eighty, and his wife's were about seventy. The family of children, with which they surrounded them- selves to brighten their home and perpetuate their name and virtues, were as follows: Daniel, Hosea, William, David, John M., Mary, and Nancy.
John M. Smith, father of our subject, was born in Meredith, and educated and early ap- tered his trade he bought a small farm in New Hampton, near the village, and after two years he moved to Second Division of Meredith, and four years later to Laconia, and worked in the railroad shops as a carpenter. But he soon tired of the confinement, and being a lover of the out- door life and the pursuit of agriculture, he sold his home in 1853 and bought in the town of Campton the Daniel Avery farm of 160 acres. He later added more, making a splendid farm of 220 acres, not only surpassing in all the qualities that go to make up a good farm, but also ex- celling in its location. The farm is on Cook's Hill, and overlooks the Pemigewasset and Mad River Valleys, and a fine range of mountain scenery, including the defile leading to Mt. Washington, called the Notch. The farm was improved under his careful and judicious farm- ing, the buildings having been enlarged and modernized. Being a member and liberal sup- porter of the Free Will Baptist Church, he gave land and helped to build in the year 1853 the church which is now standing near by. He was . one of its prominent members, and was closely identified with all its work. He died in 1881, aged seventy-six years. His wife, our subject's mother, died at the age of thirty-seven, leaving three children: Clarinda J .; Horace W., ,who served in the late war, and is now a substantial farmer of North Dakota; and J. Frank, the sub-
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ject of this sketch. Our subject's father married the second time Sarah A. Watson, and had one child, Leah F., by this union. John M. Smith's education extended only as far as the common schools were able to teach him; he became a great reader, and was very well posted on all the leading topics of the day.
The subject of this notice was educated in the district schools of Meredith and Campton, and in New Hampton Academy, coming to Campton with his parents and caring for them in their last days. He inherited the farm, and to-day owns 200 acres of good timber, pasture, and arable land. Not the least important industry on his farm is maple-sugar making. He has 1,000 trees, and has all the latest facilities for boiling and evaporating the sweet sap; the sugar-house is new and commodious, and the evaporator is one of the best in the State; he makes a large quan- tity of sugar and syrup each year, getting a good price for all he can make. He takes a great deal of pride, which is very well placed, on his choice dairy of Jersey and Devonshire cows, and his flock of sheep: in many respects he is a model farmer, and his methods worthy of emulation.
On Nov. 6, 1878, he was united in wedlock with Fanny C. Smith, born in Lynn, Mass., and a daughter of Moody H. and Caroline (Warner) Smith. Moody H. Smith was born in Meredith, N. H., and was a son of Hezekiah and Polly (Sinclair) Smith of Brentwood, N. H. Hezekialı Smith was among the leading farmers of his part of the State; he met his death in 1816, at the age of forty, by being frozen while riding in a sleigh on a very cold winter's day. His wife lived to be eighty-two. The children born to them were: Ebenezer, Thomas, Moses B., Moody H., Sally, Mary, Lavina, Eliza, and Nancy. .
Moody H. Smith went to Lynn, Mass., and carried on a manufacture of shoes until 1851, when he came to Center Harbor, N. H., and bought a farm, still devoting much of his atten- tion to the manufacture of shoes, and especially of Ladies' Congress Boots, which he made a specialty. He moved thence to Laconia, remain- ing about seventeen years, then returned to Cen- ter Harbor. Later on he superintended a farm in Sandwich, where he lived eight years, after which he retired and lived with his daughter, Mrs. Smith, for two years, when he went to live with his sons in Meredith, where he died at the
age of eighty-one. His wife is still living, hale and hearty, at the advanced age of seventy-six. The children born to this worthy couple were: Augustus M., Charles B., and William E., all soldiers in the late war; Fanny C .; Horace W .; Lizzie M .; Frank W .; Fred H .; George S .; and Carrie E. Those deceased are Arthur, Ellen M., Albert E., and Arthur (2nd).
Our subject's children are: Arthur Linwood, born Oct. 3, 1880; Alice Warner, born March 12, 1882; Carrie Louise, born Aug. 30, 1883. In politics he is a Republican. Religiously he is a Free Will Baptist; his wife is a Methodist.
HON. JAMES JEWELL, the leading lum- berman of Warren, N. H., is the son of Levi F. Jewell, and the grandson of Samuel Jewell, who was born in Seabrook, N. H., and came to the town of Warren when a young man. He fol- lowed the pursuit of agriculture. He married Eliza Foote; they both died at the age of seven- ty-nine. Their children were: Fannie, David, Levi F., Dollie, Jacob, Alonzo, Betsey, Samuel, Jr., and Jonathan.
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