USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Troy > Historical sketch of the town of Troy, New Hampshire, and her inhabitants from the first settlement of the territory now within the limits of the town in 1764-1897 > Part 28
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III. MARY ANN, born Dec. 3, 1822; married E. P. Kimball.
IV. GEORGE, born Oct. 22, 1825; married, 1st, Jan. 1, 1846, Abby Wright, who died Ang. 27, 1848; married, 2d, October, 1849, Nancy Watkins of Walpole, who died July 27, 1858; married, 3d, - Children, I by 1st wife, HI by 2d wife, III, Iv by 3d wife. 1. Charles Henry, born March, 1847; died Nov. 29, 1848; 2. Charles Henry, 2d, born May 17, 1851 ; 3. Delos; 4. Sarah Jane. CHARLES, born March 15, 1827; died June 18, 1843.
V.
VI. WALTER A., born Jan. 5, 1830; married, Ang. 4, 1864, Mary Jane, daughter of Brown and Mary (Wheeler) Nurse; resides in Fitch- burg, Mass. Mrs. Fairbanks died Oct. 25, 1896. Mr. Fairbanks was for a time clerk in the store of Dexter Whittemore at Fitz- william. In the fall of 1863, he became a resident of Fitchburg, and for about eleven years, or until 1874, he was interested with L. J. Brown in the dry goods business, but at the latter date re- tired from active business, but has been connected with various enterprises. At the present time he is a trustee in the Worcester North Savings Institution; vice president and director in the Wachusett National Bank; director in Orswell yarn mills, Nockege print mills, and Lancaster mills of Lancaster, Mass .; is a director in the Fitchburg Park Association and trustee in the Fitchburg Real Estate Association. Was also a director of the Wachusett Electric Light plant, and president of the same when it was sold to another company.
VII. SARAH W., born May 8, 1832; married, June 28, 1865, Daniel II. Sawyer of Keene; died Oct. 26, 1895. One child, Walter Fairbanks Sawyer, born Feb. 5, 1868. Is a physician in Fitchburg.
VIII. CAROLINE A., born Jan. 6, 1836; married Daniel Farrar.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
FARRAR. Jacob Farrar and his brother Jonathan were among the original proprietors of Lancaster, Mass., and were there as early as 1653, and tradition says they came from Lancashire, England, and Jacob was probably between thirty and thirty-five years of age when he came to this country. His wife and children remained in Eng- land until 1658, when he had a residence prepared for them to live in. During King Philip's War he had two sons killed. He died in Woburn, Mass., Aug. 14, 1677. His eldest son, Jacob, was born in England, probably about 1642; married Hannah, daughter of George Hay- ward, in 1668. He was killed by Indians, Aug. 22, 1675. His second son, George, born Aug. 16, 1670; married Mary Howe, Sept. 9, 1692, and settled in that part of Concord, Mass., now Lincoln. He is said to have been a man of great energy and thrift. His second son, Daniel, born Nov. 30, 1696; married Hannah Fletcher, and settled in Sudbury, Mass., where he died about 1755. His eldest son, Josiah, born September, 1722; married, 1745, Hannah, daughter of John Taylor of Northborough, Mass., a man of considerable note and a Tory of the Revolution, whose name was borne by a former governor of New Hampshire, John Taylor Gilman. He died in Marlborough, Nov. 24, 1808; his widow died there Feb. 10, 1810. Daniel, a brother of Josiah, born 1724; married, 1748, Mary -, and resides in Lincoln, Mass.
PHINEAS FARRAR, son of Josiah and Hannah (Taylor) Farrar, born in Sudbury, Aug. 20, 1747; married Lovina Warren of Marlborough, Mass. He came to this region in 1768, purchasing several lots of land. He died April 1, 1841; his widow died Feb. 17, 1845.
I. PHINEAS, born Nov. 12, 1771 ; married, May, 1794, Abigail, daugh- ter of Eliphalet and Lydia (Goddard) Stone. He went to Michigan, where he died Sept. 24, 1855.
11. JOHN, born Ang. 24, 1773; married Cynthia Stone.
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III. BETSEY, born Jan. 18, 1776; married Elijah Frost of Marlborough ; she died 1830.
IV. CALVIN, born Jan. 11, 1778; married Bathsheba B. Bates of Brim- field, and resided in Waterford, Me., where he died Feb. 19, 1819. His eldest daughter, Caroline E., married Levi Brown of the same town, and who was the mother of Charles Farrar Brown, whose nom de plume was Artemus Ward.
LUTHIER, twin to Calvin, born Jan. 11, 1778; married Mary Whit- ing of New Ipswich; was a lawyer and settled in Norway, Me., where he died April 28, 1812.
VI. JOSIAHI, born April, 1780; married Betsey Prince of Waterford, Me., where he lived and died.
VII. BILDAD (who on becoming of age took the name of William), born Oet. 21, 1782; married, Nov. 12, 1812, Naney Whitcomb. He died Dec. 28, 1863; his wife died Sept. 3, 1861.
VII. DANIEL W., born Feb. 22, 1786.
IX. DAVID, born July 5, 1788; died in Waterford, Me., May, 1817.
x. NANCY, born March 16, 1792; died May 14, 1795.
X1. JAMES, born March 16, 1792; married, Feb. 22, 1816, Roxanna Frost; died Nov. 3, 1861.
DANIEL W. FARRAR was the eighth son of Phineas Farrar of Marlborough, and he became a resident of Troy in 1800, when he came here and was employed as a clerk in the store of Jonas Robeson, seven years. In 1805, Robeson moved to Fitzwilliam and left him in charge for a time; he then formed a copartnership with him and carried on the company business until 1813, when he bought out Mr. Robeson's share and took sole charge of the store. About this time he formed a partnership with Curtis Coolidge, which continued for about three years, when he took the entire business and conducted the same until about 1843, when he was succeeded by his son, David W. Farrar and John Whittemore, Jr., of Fitzwilliam. At this time he resided in the Garey tavern, but in 1835, he moved the old store built by Robeson, a little back and built the brick store now owned by C. W. Whitney. After giving up his store, he devoted the most of his time to farming, and lived in the house now owned by C. D. Farrar, and which was built in 1836.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
For more than fifty years he was one of the most enterprising men of the town, and probably no one exerted a greater influence. He was very active in the move- ment which led to the for- mation of the town of Troy, and it was mainly through his exertions that the aet was accomplished, as will be seen by referring to the account of its incor- poration. His name is iden- tified with almost every publie act, and although his position at times may have been violently as- sailed, yet all seemed will- ing to give him eredit for strict integrity and of act- DANIEL W. FARRAR. ing from the best of mo- tives. In some respeets he was a remarkable man, and few with the same early advantages would have made so conspicuous a mark in life. He possessed good native talent, an active mind, and was quick of apprehension, but his school advantages were very limited. But he had a mind for improvement and an energy which enabled him to overcome the most formidable obstacles and to make up in good measure the deficiency of his early school advantages. Every day was a practical school to him ; he kept his books by his side, but instead of gathering from them a few theories without a knowledge of their application, like many more modern scholars, he used them, as was once said by a noted divine, as soldiers to assist him in fighting the battle of life. He made his
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GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
books contribute to his business capacity, and in all his studies, "cui bono?" was his earnest inquiry. Thus his education was highly practical and this will account for his success in life.
DANIEL W. FARRAR, son of Phineas, born Feb. 22, 1786; married, 1st, May 24, 1812, Eliza, born Dec. 11, 1791, daughter of Dr. Ebenezer and Betsey (Bates) Wright; she died April 15, 1814; and he married, 2d, Aug. 17, 1815, Betsey, born Sept. 21, 1794, daughter of Deacon Samuel and Hannah (Bowker) Griffin. He died March 7, 1860; his wife died Nov. 6, 1858. All his children were by his 2d marriage.
I. DAVID WARREN, born Jan. 30, 1817.
11. ELIZA WRIGHT, born Sept. 26, 1818; married, Aug. 17, 1844, Rev. Alfred Stevens; died Dec. 8, 1844.
III. HELEN MARIA, born June 15, 1820, married, June 7, 1848, Rev. Abraham Jenkins, Jr. ; died May 22, 1851.
IV. EDWARD, born Nov. 14, 1822.
SARAH, born May 28, 1824; died March 27, 1838.
VI.
DANIEL, born May 29, 1836; married, Nov. 24, 1863, Caroline A., daughter of Cyrus and Betsey (Jackson) Fairbanks; died June 3, 1875; resides in Leominster, Mass. Children born in Leominster : 1. Edward Bird, born Oct. 24, 1866; 2. Gertrude Eliza, born Oct. 7, 1870.
DAVID W. FARRAR was the son of Daniel W. and Bet- sey (Griffin) Farrar, and was born in Troy, Jan. 30, 1817. His father was a merchant of the town for thirty-six years, and has been spoken of as a "man of strict integ- rity and acting from the best of motives." It will be seen that Mr. Farrar's business education began in early child- hood and he grew up to business life with an example before him of uprightness and honesty, and received instruction in the accurate and careful management of business affairs. Thus we see that the superior business ability he mani- fested, was in part, the result of long training in the work which he afterwards carried along so successfully alone. He inherited good native talent from his father, and having an active mind, quick of apprehension, and alert
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HISTORY OF TROY.
to discern advantageous openings, with a desire for improvement and progress, he succeeded.
His educational advantages were only those such as the town furnished, except a short time spent at an acad- emy in an adjoining town. As was said of the father, that to him every day was a practical school, so we may infer that the son received more instruction than the
DAVID W. FARRAR.
schools alone afforded him. We find him growing up to manliood under wise instruction in business, and with the practical duties of life placed before him in a practical manner. His time was occupied in his father's store, out
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER. 393
of and after school hours and school days, until 1843, in the service of his father. At this time he took charge of the store and conducted the business for twenty years, paying for the same and enlarging it quite extensively. This was before the railroad came as a factor in the trans- action of business. This store was the center of trade for all this region and presented a lively appearance all day long and sometimes far into the night. The main cause of this great activity was the making of palmleaf hats, which was commenced at first by Mr. Farrar's father, with some degree of fear and timidity, who purchased fifty leaf at one time and thought it a great venture. The business proved profitable, and instead of buying so many of the leaf, purchases were made by the number of tons. The business assumed its greatest magnitude under the management of Mr. Farrar. The store would be encircled all day with teams that came from all about within a circle of twenty miles, getting the leaf to take home to make into hats, and taking pay for the work done in goods from the store. But this business was injured by the advent of the railroads, and the center of trade for dry goods and groceries was taken from Troy. He sold out his store to Thomas Goodall, Dec. 1, 1860, but bought it back again Jan. 1, 1863, taking his son, Henry W., into partnership, who conducted the business for two years, when the business was purchased by Messrs. C. W. Whit- ney and W. G. Silsby. In his business as a merchant, Mr. Farrar was highly successful and acquired the means of purchasing real estate and of building the residence, in 1848, which was occupied by him as long as he lived in Troy. Soon after taking the store he engaged in the manufacture of wooden ware in addition to that of the palmleaf hat business. After relinquishing his mercantile pursuits he devoted his time to his real estate and the
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HISTORY OF TROY.
manufacture of wooden ware at the North end, where the business is now conducted by his son, Charles D. Farrar. He also, for about two years, about 1860, had a manu- factory at Swanzey.
These facts serve to show the activity of Mr. Farrar in his business career. A man so prominently connected with the business of the town, could not, of course, escape public duties. Turning to his public life he is found to have been much interested in town affairs. Having large interests in the town and paying large taxes, it would naturally be expected that he would be more or less inter- ested in its welfare and development. As soon as he had attained his majority he was elected town clerk; an office which his father had held from the organization of the town, until the year previous to the election of Mr. Farrar. This office he held for some six or seven years. Mr. Farrar was never selectman of the town because he was so busy with his own affairs that he always deelined to allow his name to be used for that position. He always manifested an interest in educational matters and served upon the board of superintending school committee. He was also one of those who took an active part in securing the remodeling of the room in the town house, recently used for school purposes, so that there might be high school privileges for the older children. After the establishment of the high school, he with others became responsible for the expenses of the school, guaranteeing to the teacher her pay.
In 1863, he was chosen representative to the state legislature. He was an active member, taking part in the work of the committees, as also in the general work of the house. Through him the town secured a reduction of the county tax, for when the apportionment was made he became convinced that the amount required from Troy was
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in excess of its valuation, and appeared before the commit- tee of apportionment, stating that they had not made the percentage of taxation equal, it being excessive in regard to Troy as compared with some other places. The com- mittee at first were unwilling to change the rate, but Mr. Farrar was so positive in his statements that he secured a reduction which made a saving to the town of about five hundred dollars. In 1856, he purchased some soldier land claims of the war of 1812, and in consequence of which he was several times obliged to go to the West to look them up and locate them. Some of them were found to be of value, others worthless. In the wild scenes in which this western country then abounded he took part and searched out and located his claims, and in doing so was led into scenes in which his courageous nature and active spirit found full scope. It is probable that others of a less adventurous spirit would have been deterred from so arduous a task and have lost all they had invested in these lands. During one of these western trips, in the spring of 1878, he came to the place now known as Britt, Iowa, in which vicinity he owned lands. Here two rail- roads crossed, and the promise of a large town was good. and, believing in the future of the place, purchased largely of its lands, and having obtained a business interest in the place, Mr. Farrar left Troy in the fall of 1880, and took up his residence in Britt, and began to labor for its advancement; his first effort for the public benefit of the town was the agitation of the building of a public school- house, which, through his influence largely, was built from designs made by him, it being a two-story frame structure about thirty fect by seventy feet, finished very neatly and making an ornament to the town.
Soon after the erection of the schoolhouse, a local preacher of the Methodist church commenced holding
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HISTORY OF TROY.
service there and Mr. Farrar urged the organization of a Sabbath school. The pastor of the Congregational church at Britt, at the time of his death, in speaking of him, says : "Sometime in May of that year, I met him and he urged me to come and spend a Sabbath and afterwards wrote to the same effect, and on the first Sabbath in the June following, I commenced to preach there and have continued to until the present, the result of which is a church of fifteen members and an edifice thirty feet by forty-five feet, finished except the belfry, and with a debt of only two hundred dollars. In all these enterprises he has interested himself and promoted. His last publie work was to meet the church officials to devise means for the payment of the minister's salary, and other indebtedness of the church. He had been quite sick, but getting better, on Satur- day, Sept. 30 (1882), anxious for the success of a county fair held at Britt, he went to that during the day and at night attended a church meeting in the church when there was no fire, taking cold. The next day he was worse and continued to fail until his death." He further wrote of him: "for two terms he was elected a member of the town council, and his wise counsel did much to shape the action of the board, and economically use the public monies in laying sidewalks, planting trees around the schoolhouse lot, and other public improvement, works that will bear his impress in time to come. There are but few men whose loss will be more seriously felt for years to come in the church and by the community than D. W. Farrar. During the past summer I have had many private inter- views in which he manifested an unusual anxiety to throw off the affairs of business scattered over seven states, and rest. What he was so anxious to accomplish was done for him in his removal from them all, and a rest we hope in the paradise of God."
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GENEALOGICAL REGISTER.
The church in Britt adopted resolutions in reference to Mr. Farrar, and speaking of him as "an active worker in the Lord's vineyard, one intelligent to plan and quick to execute, as well as a sympathetic brother." He was a man of great energy, good business qualifications, genial in personal intercourse, and a warm friend to his friends.
Mr. Farrar made a public profession of religion and became a member of the Congregational church in 1869, under the pastoral care of Rev. Levi Brigham, and after uniting with the church was called upon frequently for service. He was upon the Sabbath school committee for six years; was several times delegate to the county con- ference of churches; was temporary church clerk; and served four years upon the church committee. After he went to lowa we see that his interest in religious matters was prominent, and he thought it well to look after the educational and religious interests of his adopted town, and took a prominent part in securing it.
It was said of him, "that he was a man of great activity in business, yet in it all endeavoring to show himself a man; of whom one who knew him all through life testifies that he always regarded his word as equal to his bond; though of great energy and of a nervous tem- perament, yet usually holding it in restraint to that which was just; having a mind which was argumentative and judicial, and which looked to the superiority of right in the end, however he might differ in opinion from others; a man of strong friendship to his friends; with public spirit which considered not alone his own good, but also that of his fellow citizens; a man of progressive thought and improvement, and who, making progress himself, desired others to share it with him, thus seeking to give the young larger intellectual advantages; a man attentive to the worship of God in the sanctuary during all his life,
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HISTORY OF TROY.
becoming at length impressed with the duty owed to God and having the force of will to take up that duty after the habits of life had long been fixed, without attention to this duty as a personal matter; a man, who, in start- ing a new town after this period of his life, gives promi- nence to his estimate of the value of the religious element in the welfare of a town, asserting by his action that the mature judgment of his later years made the service of God a prime essential to personal, social and public life."
DAVID W. FARRAR, son of Daniel, born Jan. 30, 1817; married, June 29, 1841, Hannah, daughter of Stephen and Polly (Wright) Wheeler; died in Britt, Iowa. Oct. 7, 1882.
I. HENRY W., born April 21, 1842.
II. HANNAH M., born Sept. 27, 1843; died Oct. 10, 1843.
III. CHARLES DAVID, born Oct. 3, 1847.
IV. HELEN M., born Aug. 13, 1854; married George W. Baker; died at Bradford, Vt., Aug. 18, 1884.
HENRY W. FARRAR, son of David, born April 21, 1842; married, May 30, 1865, Leila B., daughter of Jerry and Ann Waterhouse. He received his education in the common schools and at Vermont Academy. For a time he was engaged in business with his father. Later was in business in New York city for some time. Upon the completion of his business there, he returned to Troy and was engaged in looking after his father's business, and held various town offices. Was town elerk and selectman in 1879, 1880 and 1881. After the death of his father he inherited real estate interests in Iowa and adjoining states and removed to Britt. He was mayor of the town one year and filled the office with credit, and was a leader in all matters of public interest. In his business relations he was prompt, rendering to every man his due and expected the same in return. Failing health compelled him to give up business, and he died at Minneapolis, Minn., Aug. 13, 1885. His widow resides, and is vice
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER. 399
president of the State Bank at Monte Vista, Colo- rado.
HENRY W. FARRAR.
CHARLES D. FARRAR, son of David, born Oct. 3, 1847; married, Sept. 6, 1877, Elizabeth A., daughter of Thomas and Susanna (Stocks) Birtwhistle. He at- tended the common schools of the town and took a course of instruction at Highland Military Academy, Worcester, Mass. He was a clerk for about two years in the dry goods store of L. J. Brown in Fitchburg. He returned to Troy, and in 1873 commenced the manufacture of wooden ware in the Sibley peg inill at
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HISTORY OF TROY.
the North end, and is a successful business man and the largest real estate owner in town. He was town
CHARLES D. FARRAR.
clerk in 1872 and 1873, but aside from this has always declined accepting any town office.
1. Daughter, born Nov. 5, 1878; died Nov. 8, 1878.
II. DAVID WARREN, born Oct. 13, 1882.
III. THEODORE BIRTWHISTLE, born Sept. 2, 1884; died Oct. 16, 1884.
IV. EDWARD HENRY, born May 12, 1886.
EDWARD FARRAR, a younger brother of David W., was born in Troy, Nov. 14, 1822, and after pursuing a preparatory course of study entered Dartmouth Col- lege, but on account of physical inability, he did not
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER. 4.01
finish the usual college course, but left without his degree. Soon after he commenced the study of law with Levi Chamberlain, Esq., of Keene, and entered Harvard Law School from which he graduated in 1847, and entered upon the practice of his profession in Keene, being admitted to the Cheshire County Bar in December of the same year. He held the office of Clerk of the Supreme Court for the County of Cheshire from December, 1857, until the time of his death. He also served as Mayor of Keene, and held many places of trust and responsibility. He married, Aug. 23, 1858, Caroline, daughter of Charles H. Brainard of Keene. Ile died Feb. 11, 1888. Children :
I. CAROLINE FRANCES, born Aug. 3, 1860.
II. SARAH BRAINARD, born Aug. 13, 1869; died Nov. 11, 1888.
RESIDENCE OF C. D. FARRAR.
MAJOR JOHN FARRAR Was a native of Framingham, Mass .; married, 1st, Oct. 13, 1740, Martha, daughter of Rev. John and Sarah (Tileson) Swift of Framingham. His wife died 1749, and he married, 2d, Oct. 4, 1750, Deborah, born Jan. 27, 1728-29; died Nov. 2, 1793, daughter of Thomas and Deborah (Gleason) Winch of Framingham.
I. MARY, born Jan. 8, 1742; married Gen. James Reed.
11. MARTHA, born Dec. 15, 1744; died April 3, 1775.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
III. JOHN, born and died May 5, 1749.
IV. MARTHIA, born June 7, 1749.
V. Joux, born Aug. 11, 1751; married, May 8, 1786, Ruth Davis; died March 20, 1809.
VI. DEBORAH, born Dec. 26, 1753; married, Sept. 12, 1776, Caleb Le- land; resides in Leominster, Mass.
VII. NELLY, born Nov. 4, 1755; married, Capt. John Brown of Fitchburg. VIII. JOSEPH, born April 3, 1758; married, 1st, Hannah Kimball of Fitchburg; married, 2d, Martha Nutting of Pepperell; married, 3d, Elizabeth Fletcher of Dunstable.
IX. WILLIAM, born June 30, 1760; married, July 6, 1780, Irena Boyn- ton; he died May 4, 1837: his wife died May 15, 1835.
x. DANIEL, born Feb. 19, 1763; died in Troy, Sept. 5, 1832, unmarried.
XI. ANNE, born Oet. 27, 1765; married Benoni Shurtleff.
XII. SAMUEL, born Jan. 22, 1769; married Mary Nutting of Pepperell. VIII. HETTY, born Oct. 14, 1771 ; married Joseph Haskell.
DANIEL FARRAR, born in Lincoln, Mass., March 25, 1755; married Lucy, daughter of John and Mary (Joslin) Bruce of Sudbury, Mass. He died Nov. 13, 1837; his wife died Aug. 20, 1838.
1. ELIZABETHI, born Jan. 23, 1776; married, 1st, Nathan Platts ; married, 2d, Samnel Roekwood; died Jan. 10, 1836.
II. DANIEL, born March 24, 1778; died April 29, 1781.
III. Lucy, born Oct. 31, 1780; married, Dec. 31, 1805, Caleb Winch.
IT. DANIEL, born Nov. 10, 1782.
v. SAMUEL, born April 15, 1785; married, Nov. 17, 1808, Lydia Cut- ting; settled in Vermont.
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