USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and representative citizens > Part 65
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and uplifting in the life of their city and they are members of the First Parish Congregational church.
JOSEPH GAGNER, a well known citizen and enterprising and success- ful agriculturist, residing on his farm of 125 acres, located on the Drew road, in the town of Dover, was born on the St. Lawrence river, in Kamoraska county, Province of Quebec, Canada, May 15, 1850, and is a son of Peter and Margaret M. (Hudon) Gagner, the parents of whom were early settlers in that county.
Joseph Gagner remained in his native county until he was nineteen years of age and then spent a short time near Ottawa, and from there, in the spring of 1871, came to the United States and located at Horseheads, N. Y., at first, but soon afterward continued his travels until he reached New Hampshire. After a short season at Manchester he went on to Exeter, and in 1876 came to Dover. Here he was employed for a number of years in the print works of the Cocheco Mills, but in 1887 he turned his attention to agri- cultural pursuits and settled on his present farm on which he has lived ever since and which is regarded an excellent property.
Mr. Gagner was married February 4, 1875, to Miss Margaret Cavanaugh, who was born in the north of Ireland, a daughter of John and Catherine (McConnell) Cavanaugh, both of whom died in her childhood. She was ten years old when she accompanied her brother Edward and sister, Mary Cav- anaugh, on the sailing vessel, the Isaac Webb, out of Liverpool, for New York. After a voyage of 25 days they were safely landed in New York. harbor and from there came to Dover, where she was educated in the parochial schools. Mr. and Mrs. Gagner have had three children, one of whom sur- vives, Frederick P., while both John and Joseph H. are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Gagner are members of St. Mary's Catholic church at Dover. In politics he is a Republican but takes only the interest of a good and law-abiding citizen. He and family are highly respected in their neighborhood.
GEORGE A. TRIPE, who is one of the older residents, in point of settle- ment, on the Cocheco river, town of Dover, came to his present farm of 30 acres over a half century ago and thus is one of the best known men in this neighborhood. He was born in York, Me., January 31, 1853, and is a son of Robert H. and Alice D. ( Bridges) Tripe.
Robert H. Tripe, father of George A., was born in the town of Dover, a son of Sylvanus Tripe, who was also a native of Dover. While the greater part of his life was spent in Dover, for some years he lived in York, Me., his occupation being farming. His death occurred in 1901. He married Alice D.
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Bridges, who was born at York, Me., and they had one son, George A. George A. Tripe was five years old when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Dover and here he was reared and educated.
BENJAMIN MASON NEALLEY died at his residence on Washington street, Dover, N. H., July 29, 1888, aged 77 years; he was born in Notting- ham and received his education in the schools there, but came to Dover in 1824 and commenced work as bobbin boy in the Upper Factory Cotton Mill, the first cotton manufacturing mill that was built in New Hampshire. He remained in the business more than half a century, and for many years was master of the work in which he began at the lowest grade. Mr. Nealley re- mained in the employ of the Cocheco Manufacturing Company up to 1834. Then being offered a more lucrative position in the mill of the Portsmouth Manufacturing Company at South Berwick, he went there and remained as overseer in one of the departments a score of years, and during that time raised a family of two boys and two girls who made him proud and happy in his old age, as he had married, August 8. 1836, Miss Abby Pray, daughter of James and Annie (Fogg) Pray, descendants of the early settlers of Old Kittery. She was born May 1, 1817, and died in Dover, January 29, 1895.
In 1858 Mr. Nealley was offered a good position as overseer in one of the departments of the Laconia Cotton Mill at Biddeford; he accepted and resided there in charge of that department ten years, having become an expert in the use of the best, up-to-date machinery then available for cotton manufacturing. In 1868 he resigned his position with the Laconia Com- pany and accepted the position as agent of the Jute Mill at Salem, Mass., which agency he held with success until he was obliged to give it up, on account of failing health, in 1877. He then removed to Dover, N. H., where his sons were in business ; purchased a residence and quite a lot of land on Washington. street, where he spent the remainder of his years in comfort and ease. He could not be idle, however, so all the spring, summer and fall of each year, he cultivated his land and raised good crops of fruit, vegetables, and garden produce, thus showing he well remembered the training his father gave him on the farm in Notingham, when he was a boy.
In politics Mr. Nealley commenced voting with the Whig party, in 1832; being a cotton manufacturer he believed in protection of home industries and he held to that belief to the end of life and taught his boys to stand by the same principle in politics. He remained a Whig until the Republican party was formed, then he joined that, because it was a protectionist party, and he supported that party as long as he lived.
Mr. Nealley was a strong anti-slavery man and during his residence in
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South Berwick was "conductor" on the underground railroad which ran from New Hampshire to Maine and up into Canada. He believed in equal rights and the principle of the Declaration of Independence adopted July 4, 1776. He was equally radical on the temperance question, not only practicing total abstinence from the use of intoxicating liquors himself, but advocating prohibition of its manufacture and sale for others to use to their ruin.
Mr. Nealley and his wife were church-going people; previous to coming to Dover to reside they attended the Congregational Church; during the closing decade of his life they attended the Washington Street Free Baptist, where they were liberal givers, ever ready to lend a helping hand to all good causes.
Mr. Nealley was fortunate in his ancestors and in his children : they were all well born and well bred. His father, Benjamin Nealley; was a well-to-do farmer who was born and lived at Nottingham, except a few of his later years which were spent with his sons at South Berwick, Me., where he died in 1859, aged 77 years. He was a highly respected citizen in both towns. His wife, Sally Ford, died at South Berwick, in 1849, aged 65 years. She was daughter of Capt. Eben Ford who served in the Revolutionary army, and his ancestors were among the early settlers of Newbury, Mass. Captain Ford was one of the early settlers in Nottingham.
Benjamin Nealley was son of Sergeant Joseph Nealley and his wife Susannah Bowdoin of Exeter. Sergeant Nealley served three years in the Revolutionary army, and had a distinguished career; he was a participant in two of the most important events in the war, the surrender of Burgoyne's army, in October, 1777, and the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781. Susannah Bowdoin was daughter of John Bowdoin of Exeter, a kinsman of the founder of Bowdoin College.
Sergeant Joseph Nealley was son of Matthew and Margaret (Beverland) Nealley, of Nottingham, and grandson of William Nealley, who was born in Londonberry, Ireland, in 1690, emigrated to New England in 1718 with the company that settled Londonderry, New Hampshire. Mr. Nealley with his family came to Nottingham and settled near The Square, where he pur- chased a farm from one of the Boston proprietors of Nottinghom, about 1725. He and his descendants cover a period of residence in that town of nearly 190 years.
Benjamin Mason Nealley received his double name from Benjamin Mason, uncle to his father Benjamin, who esteemed his kinsman very highly; Ben- jamin Mason married Polly Nealley, sister of Sergeant Joseph. Benjamin Mason Nealley's children were all born in South Berwick, and were educated in the public schools and the academy of that town. His eldest son, Benjamin
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Franklin, was born October 30, 1839, and died in Dover, March, 1910. At the age of 18 he engaged in the dry goods business and continued in its 36 years, with marked success. For many years he was officially connected with the Strafford Banks and various public institutions. He was prominent in the Masonic Fraternities and in the First Church. He was mayor of Dover in 1889 and 1890; Representative in the Legislature and State Senator.
The younger son, John Haven Nealley was born August 4, 1853. He was clerk in his brother's dry goods store several years previous to 1893, when he purchased the entire business and his brother retired. Mr. Nealley continued in the dry goods business twenty years, retiring in 1913. He was Representative in the Legislature in 1889-1890; he was mayor of Dover 1904-1905 and State Senator in 1907. Mr. Nealley made good in business and in his official position. He is member of Strafford Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and St. Paul Commandery, Knights Templar, of which he was Recorded 27 years. He is also a 33d degree honorary member of the Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, and Secretary of the New Hampshire Chapter, Rose Croix.
On September 12, 1877, Mr. Nealley married Miss Emma C. Cushing, daughter of the late Thomas H. Cushing of Dover. They have no children.
The eldest daughter became the wife of J. G. Deering, Esq., a lumber merchant in Biddeford. The younger daughter became the wife of Hon. Robert H. Foss of Chicago. Mr. Foss died several years ago and his widow now resides in Dover, N. H.
FRED A. SYLVESTER, one of the leading business men of Rochester, with office and coal and wood yards at the foot of Silver street, was born in 1862, in what was then Clifton, Ill., a village long since absorbed by the city of Chicago, a son of Alonzo Sylvester. The latter formerly lived at Dover, N. H., but now resides at Haverhill, Mass., where he is manager of the Beach Soap Company.
Fred A. Sylvester attended school at Dover and after his parents moved to Haverhill was with the Beach Soap Company there for three years and afterward, for thirty years was manager for this company, at Lawrence, Mass. In 1912 he purchased the Moore Bros.' plant at Rochester and is num- bered with the aggressive and prosperous business men of this city. Mr. Syl- vester handles coal of all kinds, wood of all kinds, lime for builders, lime for the land, pine cone hydrated lime, Atlas Portland cement, Rutland pulp plaster, cattle hair, sand, bricks hard and red, fire bricks, fire clay, land drain- age title, Akron sewer pipe, Essex fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, land plaster, Surety roofing, sheathing papers, ceil board, Taylors' Anchor Edge
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flashing and cement blocks, operating under the style of the Rochester Coal Company.
Mr. Sylvester married Miss Clara Chadwick of Bradford, Mass., and they have four children: Ethel, who is her father's bookkeeper; Berthia, Burton and Florence, the last two being pupils in the Rochester High school. Mr. Sylvester and family attend the Congregational church. His fraternal connections are as follows : Monadnock Lodge, No. 145, I. O. O. F .; Kearsage Encampment, No. 36; Canton Agawam, No. 17; Crystal Rebekah, No. 85; Lawrence Council, No. 17, R. A .; Mass. Council, L. A., No. 80; and Phoeni- cian Lodge, F. & A. M., all of Lawrence, Mass. Mr. Sylvester votes accord- ing to his own judgment. Mr. Sylvester has always been credited with having . ligh ideals of business honor and his integrity is no more doubted than is his commercial stability. He was a member of the city council of Lawrence, Mass., in the year 1893-4.
ARTHUR H. KING. Contracting and building are very important adjuncts of the business life of a community and men of unusual energy and enterprise are those who engage in this line of work. Dover has reason to be proud of her capable and far-seeing builders, and one of these, who has been a resident since childhood, is found in Arthur H. King, who is established at No. 3 Atlantic avenue. He was born at Kennebunkport, Me., May 30, 1869, and is a son of Samuel and Sarah (Daney) King.
Samuel King was born in Maine but now lives in New Hampshire, being in his sixty-sixth year. Formerly he was engaged in building and contracting, for a time in Ashland, Mass., and afterward at Dover. He married Saralı Daney, who was born in New Hampshire and died in 1881.
Arthur H. King was an infant when his parents moved to Massachusetts and was yet young when they located at Dover, N. H. Under his father's supervision he learned the carpenter trade and for a short time was his partner in contracting and building, under the firm name of Samuel King and Com- pany. Afterward, for a number of years he was superintendent for E. H. Frost, of Dover, a well known contractor, subsequently going into business for himself. He is a man of well known stability of character and is one of the leaders in his line in Strafford county.
Mr. King married Miss Eugenia Ransom, who was born in Durham, N. H., and is a daughter of Reuben Ransom, a well known former resident of Dur- ham. Mr. and Mrs. King have four children: Mildred F., Elsie L., Roscoe B. and Thomas L., the last named bearing his great-grandfather's name, Thomas L King, who was a native of England. Mr. King has been active and useful as a citizen and has served two terms as a member of the Dover
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city council, representing the Second Ward, and also for six years was a delegate from this ward to the Republican county convention. He is a mem- ber of Olive Branch Lodge, No. 6, Knights of Pythias of Dover ; a member of Crescent Company, Uniform Rank, being lieutenant of the same; and is a member of the Pythian Sisters, all of Dover. He belongs also to the Improved Order of Red Men, Dover, and to Strafford Lodge, A. F. & A. M., Dover and Belknap Charter, and also to Orphan Council at Dover.
JOHN WINSLOW TIBBETTS, owner and proprietor of the Glendon House, the leading hotel in East Rochester, N. H., was born in Dover, N. H., January 5, 1831, a son of Samuel H. and Belinda (Cross) Tibbetts. The father, Samuel H. Tibbetts, was born at Heath House, this county, February II, 1807, of Scotch ancestry. He was a farmer and hotel keeper by occupa- tion, but sold out his property in 1852 and took up his residence on North Main street, Dover, where he died at the age of 53 years. He married Belinda Cross, who was born on the shores of Lake Champlain, April 23, 1808, their wedding taking place in. Dover. She died in that city at the age of 35 years, having been the mother of six children, namely : Hannah, born Nov. 12, 1827, who married a Mr. Hodson and is now deceased; J. W., the direct subject of this sketch; Mary H., born October 10, 1833; Ira, born July 18, 1836; Deh- orah, born September 8, 1838, now deceased; Esther J., born November 9, 1841.
John W. Tibbetts had but limited educational advantages, attending school in his boyhood about ten weeks in a year. He learned the carpenter's trade under Woodby S. Maines, of Dover, and in 1850 came to East Rochester, where he followed his trade for a while and also engaged in the lumber busi- ness, and at various times in other occupations. In 1854 he bought the lot on which his present hotel stands and erected a small house on it. He built the hotel about 1880, since which time he has been its proprietor. He is now the oldest hotel man in the county and has been engaged in the lumber business 40 years. In politics he is a Republican, but in 1852, before the Republican party was organized, he voted for Gen. Winfield Scott, the Whig candidate. In the seventies and later he took an active part in local affairs, serving two years, 1874-1876; was a member of the New Hampshire Legislature ; he served on the common council the first two years after the town was organized, and also served two years in the town government as selectman. He has advanced in Free Masonry as far as the council, and has taken all the degrees in Odd Fellowship, belonging to the local lodges.
Mr. Tibbetts has been twice married : first to Charlotte F. Chamberlain, who died eight months after marriage : secondly to Clara Blaisdell, who died
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19 years ago. Of this second union there were two children: Cora Belle, wife of Joseph Hayes, who had one son, Harry T .; and Avie, who died in 1893. Mr. Tibbetts has been a director of the Rochester Loan & Bank Com- pany for many years, and is widely known as one of the sterling citizens of East Rochester and has a host of friends. Though now in the evening of life he is still hale and hearty for one of his years and keeps well posted on current events. He has lived to see many wonderful inventions that were not dreamed of in his youthful days, but notwithstanding that, he knows that the old times had their own peculiar charm and that people enjoyed life then just as well as they do today, if not more so.
DR. CHARLES WHITMAN HILLS, osteopathic physician, of Dover, N. H., is a native of Springfield, Mass., and son of Charles D. and Emma J. (Martin) Hills, his father being a Methodist minister. Beginning his educa- tion in the public schools, Dr. Hills subsequently entered Union College, where he was graduated in 1892. He then became a student in the New York Law School, graduating there in 1896. On the breaking out of the war with Spain he was a member of the Brooklyn Naval Reserves and went with that organization into the United States auxiliary navy, serving as acting quarter- master during the war, finally receiving an honorable discharge. He was then for two years in the employ of the New York Telephone Company at New York City, after which he began the study of osteopathy and was grad- uated in that science in 1902. In the following year he came to Dover, of which city he has since been a resident, having successfully practiced his pro- fession here for the last ten years. He is a member of the American and the New Hampshire Osteopathic Associations.
Dr. Hills married Miss Gertrude Newhall Sullivan of Boston, Mass. They have had two children-Charles Whitman, Jr., who died in infancy, and Jeanne Champlain. Dr. Hills is a member of the Psi Upsilon college fraternity and is an active and up to date citizen, a good representative of the town in which he has made his home.
JAMES B. EDGERLY, cashier of the Farmington National Bank, of Farmington, N. H., was born at Farmington, January 29, 1834, and has practically spent his entire life in his native place. He is a son of Josiah B. and Cordelia (Waldron) Edgerly, the father coming of Irish ancestry and the mother of English. Both parents are deceased, their place of burial being Pine Grove cemetery at Farmington.
James B. Edgerly was the eldest of seven children. He was afforded excel- lent educational advantages, attending the public school at Farmington and
JAMES B. EDGERLY
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afterward Gilmanton academy, at Gilmanton, N. H. From the close of his school period to 1879, when he became associated with the Farmington National Bank, he was engaged in the shoe business, both as operative and owner. In September, 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil war as a musician in the Fifth New Hampshire regimental band and continued a member of this organi- zation until 1862, when all regimental bands were discharged by an act of Congress, following which he returned to his home. As above mentioned he became identified with the Farmington National Bank, of which he has been cashier since 1880. This institution was organized in 1872, on a solid, con- servative basis, and at present is operated with a capital of $50,000, and a surplus of $15,000.
Mr. Edgerly was married in 1863 to Miss Maria J. Fernald, now deceased. She was a daughter of Robert and Aphia Fernald, natives of South Berwick, Me. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Edgerly: Agnes A., who died at the age of twelve years, and Annie M., who married Elmer F. Thayer, and resides at Farmington.
Mr. Edgerly has always given his political support to the Republican party and as a substantial citizen has frequently been called upon to serve in local offices, at different times being moderator of the town, town clerk and town treasurer. He is identified with the Blue Lodge, A. F. & A. M., at Farmington. Mr. Edgerly attends the Congregational church.
NAPOLEON H. GILBERT, one of the leading business men of Somers- worth, senior member of the firm of Gilbert and St. Hilaire, wholesale bottlers and soda manufacturers and agents at Somersworth for the products of the Frank Jones' Brewing Company, of Portsmouth, N. H., sole agents at both Somersworth and Salmon Falls. He was born at St. John's, Quebec, Canada, October 16, 1859, and is a son of Paul J. and Soulange Gilbert.
Napoleon H. Gilbert was nine years old when he accompanied his parents to Somersworth, where his father died five years later and thus heavy respon- sibilities were thrown on the shoulders of the youth before he was hardly able to bear them. For a number of years he worked in the mills of the Great Falls Manufacturing Company at Somersworth but before this he had been employed on farms. For a time he conducted a restaurant and in later years went into the hotel business at Somersworth, for four years conducting the Hotel Somersworth, which excellent property he yet owns. In 1896 he estab- lished his present bottling business, which he conducted alone until May, 1912, when he admitted Alfred St. Hilaire as a partner. They conduct their business at Nos. 23-25 Myrtle street, Somersworth, giving employment to
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from eleven to fifteen people, and sales are made all over New Hampshire and Maine. In his youthful days Mr. Gilbert was called upon to face many hard- ships and endure many deprivations but, through honesty, pluck and perse- verance, he advanced himself and now is numbered with the substantial and representative business men of this county. He is a Democrat in politics and in 1896 was elected a member of the legislature of New Hampshire and served one term as representative from the Third Ward.
Mr. Gilbert was married to Mrs. Annie Demers, of Somersworth, her maiden name having been Annie Charette. She married Alfred Demers and they had one daughter, Benedette. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert have had one son, Napoleon G., who is deceased. Mr. Gilbert belongs to the Elks at Dover and to numerous organizations at Somersworth.
CHARLES E. LORD, chief of the Fire Department of Salmon Falls, of which he has been a member for many years was born at Salmon Falls, July 31, 1850, and is a son of Temple and Silvina (Snow) Lord.
The Lord family was founded in what is now South Berwick, Me., by Nathan Lord (I), who came from County Kent, England, in 1652, and Charles E. Lord is in the eighth generation of descent from this ancestor.
Temple Lord, father of our subject, was born in South Berwick, Me., a son of Nathan Lord, also of South Berwick. He came to Salmon Falls, N. H., in 1843 with his family and remained here until his death, which occurred in April, 1882. He was a prominent member of the Republican party here and served in many offices with efficiency, was selectman of the town of Rollinsford and in 1871 and 1872 served in the New Hampshire legislature. He belonged also to the Masonic fraternity and was well known in many circles.
Before his school days were over Charles E. Lord exhibited unusual musi- cal talent and has ever since been connected with musical organizations in this section. He was identified with the Union Cornet Band of Salmon Falls from 1867 to 1870; then, upon that organization disbanding, he organized the Salmon Falls Cornet Band in the summer of 1870 and was leader and director until 1878. He then joined the South Berwick, Maine, Cadet Band of that year and afterward joined the Salmon Falls Military Band, of which today he is an active member. The organizations with which he has been connected have met with popular favor and their music is a pleasing part of both public and many private entertainments. Since April, 1866, Mr. Lord has also been a member of the Salmon Falls Volunteer Fire Department and through efficiency earned his place as assistant chief in 1877, serving until 1882, when he was elected chief engineer. He has held that office, with the
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exceptions of the years 1898 to 1901, up to the present year 1914. At his present age 64. Mr. Lord is an active, energetic, and progressive fireman and he believes in all modern improvements to fight fires. He lias been a delegate to the N. H. Firemen's Relief Convention for the past ten years.
Mr. Lord was married first to Miss Sarah A. Hardy, of Brushton, N. Y. They had two children, neither of whom are living. His second marriage was to Miss Lena Boule, of Salmon Falls, and they have had eight children, the survivors being : Lena M., who is the wife of A. C. Parlow, of Taunton, Mass. : Charles N., who is a resident of Salmon Falls; Ethel E., a graduate of Boston University who is a high school teacher in Mexico, Me .; Florence A. and Helen F., both of whom are students in the South Berwick Academy, Me. : and George T., who attends school at Salmon Falls.
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