Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 62

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Company, Printers
Number of Pages: 1266

USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886 > Part 62

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Mr. Parker was a man of great piety. The religious element in his char- acter imbued all his acts. In early life he was a Free Will Baptist, in later years an Adventist, but his house was open to all ministers of the gospel of Christ. The poor and needy always found in him a friend ; the stranger and wanderer was never turned empty from his door ; his roof sheltered and his fire warmed many a poor wayfarer ; and of such as he the Lord spoke when he said: "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat ; thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me. * *Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

The memory of this noble, patriotic, generous-hearted, whole-souled man, who was ever ready to promote and further any movement for the good of his fellowmen, is cherished and honored by his townsmen, and his christian character and counsel has left a strong impress upon his descendents.

Chandler Parker, son of Levi, was a member of the state legislature in 1864. Charles Parker, another son, was a member of the state legislature in

Lui Parker

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1862 and 1863. Eleazer B. Parker* was a state senator one term; and an- other son, Silas, was also at one time a member of the New Hampshire legis- lature.

Clark Dexter was born in this town August 3, 1799. He married Ruth Caswell and spent his whole life here. He brought up a family of ten chil- dren, five sons and five daughters, all of whom are living excepting Francelia Adams, who died in July, 1884, at the age of forty years.

Samuel Sherman removed to this town, from Rhode Island, with his wife, more than one hundred years ago, and lived on the farm now occupied by Hiram Aldrich, on road 52. Mr. Sherman and four sons had lots of 100 acres given them as an inducement to settle. He was great-grandfather to Reuben Sherman now living on road 34. At that date the country was a wilderness, bears and other wild animals holding undisputed the territory. Reuben relates an incident in the life of his grandfather Sherman which is worthy of preservation as a matter of history. About the year 1777 there was a great scarcity of provisions among the settlers. Then a lad of sixteen, he traveled to Barnet, Vt., through the wilderness, and procured three pecks of flour, without the sign of a road or anything to guide him. When he ar- rived almost in sight of home, his dog met him and barked vigorously at some object in a tall pine, which he discovered to be a bear. Crying lustily, he made himself heard by his mother, and ordered their family musket, which was without a lock, with ammunition and a fire-brand. The boy held the gun while his brother touched it off with the fire-brand and killed the bear. The body lodged in a fork of the tree, which obliged them to cut it down. The meat furnished by the bear was a God-send, and saved the family, with the flour which the boy had carried ten miles on his shoulder, from starvation.

Amos C. Elliott was born in Landaff, and removed to Lisbon sixty years ago, locating near Salmon Hole, and in 1850 he removed to Walker Hill. He married Rosanna H. Bedell, of Bath, and died in 1884, leaving four sons-Lyman A., Thomas N., William B., and James G. F. The latter lives at road 2 on Walker Hill. William B. lives in New York city, and Lyman and Thomas in Haverhill. James G. F. married Ella F. Brand, who was born in Boston but has been a resident of this town for the past seventeen years.

Hon. Augustus A. Woolson, son of Amos Woolson and of Hannah D. Temple, his wife, is a native of Lisbon N. H., and was born June 15, 1835. According to the family tradition, the ancestors of all the Woolsons in America were three Welsh brothers, who came to Massachusetts at an early date ; but no proof of their existence can be found. The name occurs, however, among the founders of the town of Lunenburg; and a list of graduates of Harvard college mentions Ephram Woolson as a member of the class of 1760, and as deceased in 1802.

* See biographical sketch on page 274, - Franconia.

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The family has not been a prolific one ; and those bearing the name are far from numerous. Although they had a representative dwelling in the near vicinity of Boston no less than two hundred and fifty years ago, the directory of that city makes mention to day of but two, Harry H. Woolson and James A. Woolson, the latter being a leading member of the well-known shoe and leather firm of William Claflin & Co., and of the banking house of Rogers, Wood, Loring & Co. Amasa Woolson, who has been for many years a successful manufacturer of Springfield, Vt., a man of probity and sterling worth, like the rest of his race, and Professor Moses Woolson, of Concord, N. H., a leading educator for many years, whose wife is the well-known writer Abba Goold Woolson, are good representatives of the stock. Constance Fennimore Woolson, the distinguished novelist, is also a descendent of the same family. The first of the name concerning whom we have any definite knowledge was Thomas, born about 1626. He lived on the south side of the river, in Cambridge, Mass., until 1666, when he removed to Watertown, where he died, April 5, 1713. As second, in the direct line from Thomas to Augustus A., we have Joseph, born November 16, 1677 ; then another Joseph, born December 13, 1699 ; Asa, born August 2, 1727, at Weston, Mass., died at Lunenburg April 18, 1789 ; Elijah, and Amos, the father of Augustus, who is thus of the seventh generation of the family in America.

Among the early settlers of Lisbon, N. H., was his grandfather, Elijah Woolson, who was born in Lunenburg, December 1, 1769. He learned the coopers' trade, came, when comparatively a young man, to Bethlehem, N. H., and thence removed to Lisbon, where he lived many years. His wife was Rebecca Batchellor. He died in Massena, N. Y., in April, 1836. He had a large family, eight sons and one daughter, of whom but three now survive. The sons were John, who died in Bristol, N. H., about 1830 ; Elijah Sabin, who died in Littleton, N. H., in 1874; Amos, father of the subject of this sketch ; James, who died in Missouri about 1855; Ira K., who died in Ohio (Castalia) about ten years ago ; Theron W., who died in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1872 ; Ezra, who died in California about six years ago ; and Silas B., now living in Newark, Ohio. The daughter, Mary, married John Magowan, and is now living in Massena, N. Y., at about eighty years of age. The sixth of these sons, Theron W., became a leading lawyer of Iowa, serving as mayor of his city, and as member of the State Senate, for several years. He left a son, John S., who has been president of the State Senate, of which body he is still a member ; while last year he lacked but seventy votes of an election to the Lower House of Congress.

The third son, Amos, father of Augustus A., is now living in Lisbon, at the age of nearly eighty-three. In early life he was a cooper ; afterwards he became a shoemaker ; then a tailor. He is known as a man of the strictest integrity and honor, and of more than ordinary intelligence and common sense. He was one of the charter members of the old Free Soil party, and later a Republican ; but his native modesty has kept him from aspiring to

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or holding public office. His children were a son, born July, 1831, and died the same day ; John, born December 19, 1832, died April 3, 1860 ; Au- gust A. ; Charles E., born December 5, 1836 ; Mary R., born September 30, 1838; Jennie L., born July 31, 1841, died April 12. 1874.

The third son, Augustus A., the subject of our sketch, had not, in his na- tive town, the opportunity for a liberal education ; but he attended the dis- trict school until he was sixteen, and afterwards went for a few terms to the academies at Meriden, and at Newbury, Vt. He was too active and enter_ prising to remain quietly at home after his school life had closed; and, ac- cordingly, on attaining his majority, he removed to Minnesota, where he passed a year and a half in various employments. But soon concluding that New Hampshire presented fully as good a field for successful business enter- prise as could be found in the west, he returned to Lisbon, where he has since continued to reside. In this, his native town, he has long been an ac- knowledged leader in every work which concerns the public good, so that he is considered by his townsmen as a public benefactor. He was one of the chief promoters of the Lisbon public library, established in 1864 ; and it was mainly owing to his persistent and untiring efforts that a fine new hotel was recently erected in the village. Everything, indeed, which tends to improve or benefit the community in which he dwells is sure of his earnest support.

Mr. Woolson's life has been a very busy one. He has filled the offices of notary public, deputy sheriff, justice of the peace, referee in cases of litiga- tion, assistant U. S. assessor of internal revenue from 1865 till 1873, deputy U. S. marshall for taking the census in 1870, town clerk for several years, and moderator of the annual town meetings from 1866 to 1878. He is president of the Lisbon village library association, a member of the school board, and a director of the Littleton Savings bank.

A prompt and energetic Republican, he has not only been chairman of the Grafton county committee, but for many years he served upon the Republican state committee, acting often as a member of their executive committee. In 1880 he went as delegate to the National Republican convention, at Chicago, which nominated General Garfield for president. He was elected to the lower house of the state legislature in 1875, and in the three subsequent years, and during his first and second terms, served as chairman of the committee on claims, proving himself an able and efficient legislator. He was several times called to the chair, and as a presiding officer displayed a tact and readi- ness which was not surpassed by members of much longer experience. At length, in 1877, he was elected speaker of the House, and re-elected to that position in 1878. The session of this latter year was a long and memorable one, and was the last held under the old constitution. The duties of the Chair, although laborious and at times difficult, were performed by Mr. Wool- son in a most creditable manner, and showed the possession of readiness, im- partiality and courtesy in a marked degree.

In 1872 Mr. Woolson, in company with Mr. Arthur C. Wells, established

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the mercantile house of Wells & Woolson, at Lisbon. This house does a very large mercantile business, besides being engaged at times in various kinds of manufactures. Added to this, Mr. Woolson transacts nearly all the pen- sion busine s for the surrounding country, settles estates, acts as guardian of minor children, and serves as general and special counselor to all his neigh- bors who may seek his aid.

In the transaction of business he is both prompt and methodical. His keen perceptions enable him to reach conclusions quickly and accurately, so that he is ready to act with energy and dispatch. No sooner has he decided upon a measure, than he begins to carry it out, bending every effort towards its accomplishment. Thus, while many would be engaged in considering whether the project were feasible, he has performed the whole work.

Such positive men will naturally make some enemies ; but Mr. Woolson has no opponents who do not give him the credit of engaging only in an open and honorably warfare. Strictly truthful and upright, he is a man whom his enemies respect, and his friends admire and love. In all public relations he is a typical representative of the wide-awake, successful American of the nineteenth century.

Mr. Woolson has never married. In general society he is pleasant and genial, able to give or take a joke with equal good humor. His kind and gen- erous heart prompts him to help others in bearing their unequal burdens ; and to the sick and the unfortunate his hand and purse are ever open. In the prime of life, with apparently many years of active usefulness before him, we may well anticipate for him a happy and honorable future.

David Smith, of Sugar Hill, married first, Durilla Priest, and second Katie Knight, and lives on road 46. His father, Samuel Smith, was born at Sand- wich, in 1800, and removed to this town when nineteen years of age. He married Phobe Noyes, who bore him eleven children-eight boys and three girls. Four of the sons and one daughter are still living in this town. The daughter is the wife of George Brummer. Mrs. Samuel Smith was born on the farm occupied by Leonard Smith, and lived on the same until her death, at the age of eighty-two years, without ever having had a day's sickness until the one which caused his death.

Daniel Jepperson was born in the town of Douglas, Worcester county, Mass., March 1, 1790. His grandfather, Wilber, came from England. Mr. Jepperson came to Lisbon in 1811. When he arrived his earthly possessions consisted of the clothes upon his back and three dollars in money; but he was young, ambitious and hopeful. The first two years were spent in working for different individuals. With James Carleton, of Littleton, he served a short apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade. In 1812 he married Betsey, daughter of David Ash, and in 1814 he built a shop where Lucius Cole now lives. The first experience in house-keeping, of the young couple was in one end of the shop in which he secured a livelihood by laboring at the anvil. He removed to Dorchester in 1869, where he died in 1882. His son Nathaniel, now lives

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at Sugar Hill. David Jepperson is believed to have been the oldest Mason in Northern New Hampshire, having joined that order at Bath prior to the Morgan excitement.

Smith Weatherbee was born in Manson, Mass., in 1803, came to Lisbon February 19, 1823, and settled in the portion now known as Georgeville. He married Sally Jesseman. Warren Wetherbee, his son, is a farmer on road 33. He served in the war of the Rebellion, in Co. G., 11th N. H. Vols, Inft., was severely wounded at the battle of Petersburg, June 17, 1864, on account of which he received an honorable discharge. Horace O. Wetherbee, another son, is a farmer on road 34. David Wetherbee lives in Middleboro, Mass. One daughter married Horace Aldrich and lives in Littleton, and another daughter married Francis Locke and lives at Oakland, Cal.

John Clark was born in this town in March, 1806, and has been a resident here nearly all his life. He followed the business of pilot on the Connecticut river for twenty years, when that river was navigated, after which time he fol- lowed farming on Walker hill. He married Harriet Whitney and has had eight children. Mrs. Clark died twenty-eight years ago and Mr. Clark is living with his son, Leonard W., on Walker hill.

Artemas Wells was born in this town in 1808, and always resided at Sugar Hill. After two years in the boot and shoe trade he commenced the busi- ness of a general merchant, which he pursued until his death, in 1880. He married Abigail Bowles, of this town, who died nearly twenty years ago. Of their family seven are living, and one, Climena, died in childhood. Phebe is the wife of George S. Pike, of Franklin. Franklin married Harriet Parker, of Littleton. Arthur C. married Emma R. Shipman, and is in company with A. A. Woolson doing a general merchandise business at Lisbon village. He has been postmaster at Lisbon for thirteen years. Curtis A. married Emma P. Wellman, and resides in this town. Alma married Henry Eastman, of Concord. George W. married Maria Bowles, and is in the boot and shoe trade at Sugar Hill. Flora married Phineas S. Gordon, who lives in Bath,

Human Pennock was born in Strafford, Vt., in 1791, and came to Lisbon sixty years ago, settling on Walker Hill, on road 2, residing on the same farm until his death, in 1874. His wife was Mary Barnes, of Haverhill. Of their . children, Elbridge now lives on road 3, Francis in Maine, Harley C. on the old homestead, and Mary, who married Charles W. Bedell, lives in Littleton.

Jonathan Hildreth moved to Lisbon, from Chesterfield, N H., in 1801, and located in the central part of the town. Eight sons and one daughter accompanied him. He died in 1825. Elkanah Hildreth, one of his de- scendants, lives on the same farm. Brigham, son of Jonathan, who was seven years of age when his father moved to Lisbon, was a shoemaker, and worked in the same shop and on the same bench for fifty-five years. His death occurred in 1872, aged seventy eight years. Six of his seven children are now living, of whom, Mrs. Phebe Howland, Mrs. Olivia Young, Mrs. Betsey Cox, David B. and Chester C. live in Lisbon, and Timothy T. resides in Bethlehem.

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Elkanah Hildreth came to this town, from Chesterfield in 1800, and set- tled in what is known as Center district, then called Bowen hill. He mar- ried Sally Whipple. Their son, Asa Hildreth, married Celia Quimby and is now living on road 25.

Jehiel W. Savage, now a resident of Lisbon village, was born in Rocking- ham, Vt., in 1798, came to this town when three years of age, and has lived near the Ammonoosuc river during all the intervening years. Mr. Savage's father was moderator of the meeting when the town voted to change its name to Lisbon. Mr. Savage, now eighty-six years of age, has been an active business man, engaged in farming and surveying.

Simeon S. Smith was born in Gilmanton, in 1799, and came to Lisbon in 1856, locating in the Center District. He married Rhoda Jesseman and they had a family of three, of whom Ezra G. is now on a farm in Georgeville and Lizzie married Charles Watson, of Franconia.

John W. Batchelder was born in Meredith, from whence he removed to Whitefield, and in 1856 to this town. He married Mehitable Noyes, daugh- ter of Timothy, and their children are Austin J., and two daughters, Mrs. Jasper S. Young and Mrs. David B. Hildreth, all residents of this town.

David Hildreth was born in this town, married, first, Levina Bowles, and afterwards Mrs. Almina Bowles. He is a farmer in the Center District, form- erly called Bowen hill, so-named from a man named Bowen having come into the locality with a view to its settlement soon after the close of the Revolu- tionary war.

John Y. Corey was born in Colebrook, in 1821, and removed to this town with his father when thirteen years of age, living near the village of Lisbon. His home has thus been in this town for over fifty years. He served in the Mexican war two years and three months. He married Sarah J. Corey and reared a family of eight children, one of whom died in infancy, and the others still survive.

Jethro Aldrich was born in Richmond, R. I., and removed to this town in 1820, settling at Sugar Hill. The first night of his residence was spent under his wagon, on the ground, where the cemetery now is. His son Peter lives near Mink pond, and his grandson, Foster M. Aldrich, resides with his father, and carries on a farm of 300 acres. Peter Aldrich married Theresa Morse, who died in 1881, at the age of sixty-eight years.

William Jackman was born in Landaff, removing to this town about fifty years ago. He died in 1876, aged eighty-three years. His son William is a manufacturer of butter firkins on Mill brook.

Chester Taylor came to this town, from Connecticut. He married Han- nah Sherman and reared a family of twelve-eight sons and four daughters. His son Chester always lived in town and married Clementine Stebbins, who bore him ten children. Carrie M. married Warren Wetherbee.

David Aldrich was born in Franconia, in 1806, and came to Lisbon about 1830. He married Mary, daughter of Rev. Joshua Quimby, the first Baptist

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minister of the town. Of his family, five are now living, four in this town, the oldest being in Detroit, Mich.

Hon. William Huse Cummings, a descendant of the old Cummings family of Dunstable, and the son of Joseph and Mary (Huse) Cummings, was born in New Hampton, N. H., January 10, 1817. His father was an agriculturist and removed to Wentworth when William was a mere lad. William passed his early days at home until he was sixteen, attending in the meantime the common and high schools. About 1833 he went to New Chester, and entered the store of Maj. Ebenezer Kimball as a clerk, receiving as salary $35.00 the first year, $45.00 the second, and $60.00 the third year, and out of this he was obliged to board and clothe himself. This sum would hardly seem sufficient to the young men of the present time for pocket-money, but to this very fact probably Mr. Cummings can attribute much of his future success, as he ac- quired habits of prudence, economy and thrift, which are the essentials to that end. In 1836 Major Kimball died, and William remained with the new proprietor about a year, when he purchased the business and engaged in merchandising for himself at the youthful age of twenty. After continuing in trade two years he came to Lisbon as clerk for Allen & Cummings a year. He then removed to Haverhill and went into business with John L. Rix, un- der the firm title of "Rix & Cummings," with whom he continued as partner for five years, then carried on business alone for three years, when, in the autunin of 1849, he disposed of his interests in Haverhill, returned to Lisbon and engaged in trade with "Allen & Cummings" in merchandising and lumbering ; the firm becoming "Allen, Cummings & Co.,"and from that time to the present (1886) Mr. Cummings has been closely identified with the commercial pros- perity of Lisbon. In 1849 there were very few houses in the village, and in 1853 there were not more than twenty on the east side of the river. Mr. Cummings purchased the real estate of Hamlin Rand from his heirs, and has since put up about fifty buildings. While laying the foundation for his own financial success, he has aided many a hard-working man to procure a home, by selling him a house and land and taking his pay in small installments. In this and in various ways he has been a prominent promoter of the growth of this thriving little village. Mr. Cummings was actively and successfully en- gaged in lumbering, manufacturing and other business enterprises until about 1875, when he practically retired from trade. He married, August 3, 1843, Harriet Sprague, daughter of Hamlin and Harriet (Sprague) Rand. (Mr. Rand was an early merchant of Lisbon, coming from Connecticut about 1815, set- tling, first, in Bath, then in Lisbon, where he became a prominent business man and a large real estate owner. He died in 1836.) The children of Mr. and Mrs. Cummings were Harriet Sprague (Mrs. O. P. Newcomb) ; William E. who died in 1869, when about twenty-one, and Mary Rand. In 1853 Mr. Cummings erected the fine house he now occupies, and since then he has developed from a rough pasture, by liberal expenditure of time, labor and money, one of the most beautiful homes in this section. He has been pres-

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ident of Wells River National bank, at Newbury, Vt., since 1873, and is a stockholder of the Des Moines (Ia.) National bank, and was an active agent in its organization. Unswerving in his Democratic principles, he has hewed to the line of an unshaken purpose, and has ever been prominent in the councils of his party. He went to Concord in 1856 and 1883 as a represent- ative of Lisbon, and as a state senator in 1877 and 1878, and was a delegate to the national Democratic convention that nominated Samuel J. Tilden. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and one of the organizers, promoters and charter members of Kane Lodge No. 64, of Lisbon, and has held all the offices. He has been a member of Franklin Chapter No. 5, R. A. M., for twenty years, and filled all the offices. He was also one of the original mem- bers of St. Gerard Commandery Knights Templar, of Littleton. Mr. Cum- mings is essentially a self-made man. Industrious, energetic, and endowed with business sagacity and foresight, he has met with merited success, and is- a cautious, safe adviser and counselor, and an able financier. His tempera- ment is active and positive ; his perceptions are in keeping with his tempera- ment, and he is a good student of character, rarely deceived in his judgment of men. Various public enterprises have received liberal contributions from him, and he is a good representative of the thrift and character of the best element of this section of New Hampshire.

Ephraim Cooley was born in Boston in 1785, and when a young man came to this town. He was twice married, first to Hannah Hall, in 1837, and two children were born to them, Ephraim and Alonzo; and second to Electa Young, of Landaff, in 1818, to whom one son, Alden, was born. Alonzo Cooley was born in this town July 1, 1815, and married, July 6, 1840, Eme- line Wallace, of Franconia, to whom ten children were born, viz .: Laura J., John F., Dennis W., Sarah E., Persis E., Hiram K., Edwin W., Orisa M., Alice M. and Elra M., all of whom are living except John F., who died Octo- ber 2, 1878, aged 36 years. Dennis W. Cooley is a practical dental surgeon, in the Association building, on Main street.

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Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 62

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Company, Printers Number of Pages: 1266

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Company, Printers
Number of Pages: 1266