History of the city of Nashua, N.H., Part 75

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 652

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Nashua > History of the city of Nashua, N.H. > Part 75

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JOIIN CROSS.

Mr. Cross was united in marriage Nov. 15, 1838, with Sarah A. Sargent, daughter of Reuben and Eunice K. (Davis) Sargent of Hudson. (For ancestors, see sketch

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

of her brother, Dana Sargent.) Two children were born of their marriage : John Allen, April 24, 1844, married Mary Jane Currier; Mary Ellen, March 8, 1848, married James H. Tolles.

WILLARD CLARK TOLLES.

Capt. Willard C. Tolles was born in Nashua May 8, 1843. He is a son of Horace C. and Sophia C. (Wright) Tolles. (For genealogy see sketch of his father. )

WILLARD CLARK TOLLES.

Mr. Tolles was educated in the public schools of Nashua and in his youth learned the machinists' trade, which he followed until 1878, when he was elected assist- ant city marshal. In 1879, owing to a change in the ad- ministration, and notwithstanding the fact that his service was so satisfactory to the people that Mayor Holman offered him the commission of captain of the night watch, he returned to his former occupation. He de- clined the appointment through disinclination to serve nights, but the offer, being from a political opponent, was nevertheless a handsome compliment to him as an efficient, courteous and cautious officer. In 1884 he was elected city marshal. He served his year, and then came another change in the administration and he again re- turned to his trade. Jan 1, 1887, he was again elected to the same position, which he continued to fill till 1891- and in the administration of the business of which he won the respect of law abiding citizens and justices of the courts, receiving from them many words of compliment and approval on his retirement.

In 1891 and 1892 he was in the insurance business and Jan. 1, 1893, he was elected street commissioner for the whole city, a position in which, as in the police depart- ment, he proved efficient. Since Jan. 1, 1894, he has been in the real estate and safe business. He attends the Uni- versalist church and is a member of Pennichuck lodge, I. O. O. F., of which he is a past grand.

Captain Tolles was united in marriage Oct. 6, 1868, with Ellen F. Kendall, daughter of James and Betsy (Page) Kendall of Dunstable. One child has been born of their marriage : Edith K., born Aug, 3, 1888.

DANIEL FREDERICK RUNNELLS.

Daniel F. Runnells was born in Hollis, March 25, 1833. He is a son of Ebenezer and Lydia (Lawrence) Runnells. His immigrant ancestor (see genealogy of Runnells and Reynolds families, published in Boston, 1873) was Samuel Runnells, who was born near Port Royal, N. S., of Scotch parents, about 1674. He married Abigail Middleton, of Haverhill, Mass., about 1700. He settled in Bradford, Mass., about the time of his marriage, and is recorded as having a home in that place in 1710. The history of the times shows that he was a prominent man, and as his gravestone gives him the title of sergeant, it is evident that he was connected with the military of his times. He died Oct. 27, 1745, and of his eight children, Ebenezer, born in 1726, settled in Haverhill, Mass. He was engaged in ironing vessels, and was also a partner in ship-building at Newburyport. In 1777 he purchased a tract of land in Hollis, on the Nashua river, near what is now known as Runnell's bridge, which he afterwards gave to his son, Samuel Runnells, born in 1767, who settled there about 179I. Upon this estate the latter built the saw and grist mills, also a carding mill, known for more than half a century as "Runnells' Mills." He died June 5, 1834. His second son, Ebenezer, born 1794, the father of the subject of this sketch, inherited this property, the home- stead of which still remains in the Runnells family.

Mr. Runnells was educated in the schools of his native place and at the academies in Hancock and Francestown. When he was twenty-one years of age he entered a store in Hollis as a partner in the firm of Sawtelle & Run- nells, where he remained until shortly before he came to Nashua in 1858. During the year following he was engaged in mercantile pursuits, and in 1860 he estab- lished himself in the clothing business at the corner of Main and Water streets. In 1863 he admitted, as a partner in the business, C. H. Chase, under the firm name of Runnells & Chase. In 1865 the growth of the business had increased so that the firm took a larger store in Noyes block, where it remained until 1872, when Mr. Runnells built a section of Merchants Exchange and removed to it. In 1878 the firm was dissolved, Mr. Runnells continuing alone until 1883, when he admitted Luke A. Farly to the firm as a partner. A few years later Mr. Farly retired from the business and since then Mr. Runnells has conducted it alone.

Although a diligent merchant, with the cares of a large business on his hands, Mr. Runnells has found time to assist in many ways in the growth and prosperity of Nashua. In politics he is a democrat, and, while he is not an office seeker, he has represented Ward Seven in the legislature in 1874, and been honored by his party associates with a nomination for the office of senator. He is a member of Rising Sun lodge, A. F. and A. M., Meridian Sun Royal Arch chapter, Israel Hunt council, St. George commandery, K. T., and Edward A. Raymond consistory, Scottish rite, 32d degree. He is also a mem- ber of Pennichuck lodge, I. O. O. F. Mr. Runnells attends the Congregational church, and is a member of the New Hampshire club. He is one of the trustees of the Nashua public library and of Woodlawn cemetery, and has also been elected as one of the inspectors of the Hunt Home for Aged Couples.

Mr. Runnells was united in marriage Sept. 9, 1858. with Sarah E. Farley, daughter of Enoch and Abigail

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HISTORY OF NASIIUA, N. H.

business. Ile has served as administrator for several es- tates. Mr. Wood is a self-made man, a vocalist of high rank in the profession, a citizen who takes a lively inter-

EGBERT ORRISON WOOD.

est in everything that helps Nashua upward and onward. He is a member of Rising Sun lodge, A. F. and A. M., Meridian Sun Royal Arch chapter, Israel Hunt council and St. George commandery, K. T., and a Scottish rite mason of the 32d degree, and a member of Edward A. Raymond consistory. He is also a member of Penni- chuck lodge, I. O. O. F., and Nashua lodge, K. of P. He attends the Pilgrim church.

Mr. Wood was united in marriage Dec. 25, 1867, with Anstris B. Baldwin, daughter of William T. and Charlotte (Felch) Baldwin of Hudson. Four children have been born of this marriage: Egbert B., born July 8, 1869, mar- ried Annie Thomas of Portland, Me. Herbert A., born in December, 1871, died July 27, 1873; Marja A., born Sept. 2, 1873, died June 15, 1875; Karl D., born June 6, 1878.

WILLIAM HARVEY GREENLEAF.

William H. Greenleaf was born in Haverhill, July 24, 1839. He is a son of Seth Greenleaf and Ruth (Page) Stockwell. His father was born at Lancaster, June 28, 1812, and connected with the Boston, Concord & Mon- treal railroad from its beginning until his death in 1880. His mother, Ruth Page, was the first white woman settler in Lancaster; coming there on horseback from Petersham, Mass .; she was a woman of remarkable energy of charac- ter, and it was owing to her efforts, in a great measure, that the infant settlement was kept together. His grand-

parents on his father's side were David and Lydia (Burn- ham) Greenleaf, pioneers among the early settlers of Rumney. David Greenleaf was a Revolutionary soldier.

He was educated in the public schools of Concord and at a private school. Mr. Greenleaf spent his summers for many years as a mountain hotel clerk. In 1861 he was commissioned in the government mail service, and for nine years thereafter was a postal clerk between Boston and Littleton. In 1871 Mr. Greenleaf took up permanent residence in Nashua and entered the grocery business of his father-in-law under the firm name of W. H. Greenleaf & Co., continuing until 1883, since which time he has been in the hotel business. At the present time he is the popular clerk at the Laton house, a position he has held for ten years. He served the city as a mem- ber of the common council in 1879, and in the board of aldermen in 1880 and 1881, and assessor in 1885. He was a member of the legislature in 1883 from Ward Six. He is a member of the First Congregational church, Rising Sun lodge, A. F. and A. M., Meridian Sun Royal Arch chapter, Israel Hunt council in which he is now con- ductor, of St. George commandery, K. T., in which body he is junior warden, Edward A. Raymond consistory, 32d degree, Noble Mystic Shrine Aleppo (Boston) and the City Guards club.

In 1863 he was united in marriage with Lucy A. M. daughter of Col. H. F. Courser, and the children of this marriage are: Hattie M., wife of George F. Smith, and

WILLIAM HARVEY GREENLEAF.

Carrie T., who was united in marriage May 15, 1895, with Arthur N. Richardson of Lancaster, now residing at Portland, Me.

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

he was twenty years of age and entered the store of Francis Winch as a clerk. He remained in the employ of Mr. Winch five years, and after one year spent in the

REUBEN MARSH SAWYER.

mattress business went into the grocery trade for himself, 1855, and so continued until May, 1893, when he sold out and retired. Mr. Sawyer represented Ward Four in the common council in 1860 and in the board of aldermen in 1870 and 1871. He also served his ward a number of years on the board of selectmen, and the city four years on the board of assessors. He is an earnest and honest citizen, who has done his part to make Nashua a prosperous place. Mr. Sawyer is a member of Rising Sun lodge, A. F. and A. M., and a Scottish rite mason of the 32d de- gree ; member of Pilgrim church. He was united in marriage June 17, 1856, with Almira Bowers, daughter of Mark and Selina (Foster) Bowers of Hancock. One son was born of their marriage: Frank M., born April 21, 1861, died July 18, 1879.

WEBSTER CHENEY BROWN.

Webster C. Brown, son of Rev. Amos and Abagail (Cheney) Brown, was born at Bristol, Sept. 27, 1829. He was educated in the district schools of his native place and at the academies at Andover Center, Wentworth and East Andover. Mr. Brown remained on the home farm until 1854, when he came to Nashua and accepted a situ- ation as travelling salesman for J. C. Kempton, confec- tioner. He followed this occupation six or seven years, and then was engaged eleven years as proprietor and manager of an eating house on Main street. Mr. Brown served Ward Six three years on the board of selectmen, represented it in the legislature in 1867 and 1868, and as

inspector of checklists four years. He has served the city three years on the board of assessors.

In 1875 he was appointed assistant city marshal of Nashua, which position he held, by re-appointment three years, performing the duties with credit to himself and the entire satisfaction of the public. In 1884 he was nominated and elected county commissioner, and he has been re-elected biennially ever since, his present term of office expiring April 1, 1899. The county farm buildings at Goffstown were erected during his term of service on the board, and, with his associates, he is entitled to credit for the careful and prudent manner in which the duties were performed. In view of this record, it need not be emphasized here that Mr. Brown ranks among the most popular and public men in the county. He attends the Pilgrim church.

WEBSTER CHENEY BROWN.

Mr. Brown was united in marriage July 12, 1859, with Mrs. Sarah A. (English) Edmands, daughter of William and Sarah (Bond ) English of Nashua.", No children.

EGBERT ORRISON WOOD.

Egbert O. Wood was born in Cornish, March 5, 1841. He is a son of Arial K. and Emeline (Day) Wood, and on the paternal side is a descendant of Reuben Wood, a soldier in the Revolutionary War and a participant in the battle of Bunker Hill. On the maternal side he is a descendant of Rufus Day, who settled at Cornish in boy- hood and cleared a farm in the wilderness, where he lived an honest and upright life and died in 1838.

Mr. Wood was educated in the public schools of his native place. He began life as a carriage painter and worked at his trade at Grantham and Lebanon, and then went into the piano factory at Leominster, Mass., where he was employed until 1871, when he came to Nashua and purchased a half interest in the Nashua Till company, an industry that was founded by John C. Lund in 1859, and which is the oldest manufactory of money drawers in the country. In 1880 he bought out his partner, John F. Baldwin, and since then has been the sole owner of the

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HISTORY OF NASIIUA, N. H.

business. He has served as administrator for several es- tates. Mr. Wood is a self-made man, a vocalist of high rank in the profession, a citizen who takes a lively inter-

EGBERT ORRISON WOOD.

WILLIAM HARVEY GREENLEAF.

parents on his father's side were David and Lydia (Burn- ham) Greenleaf, pioneers among the early settlers of Rumney. David Greenleaf was a Revolutionary soldier.

In 1863 he was united in marriage with Lucy A. M. daughter of Col. H. F. Courser, and the children of this marriage are: Hattie M., wife of George F. Smith, and

WILLIAM HARVEY GREENLEAF.

Carrie T., who was united in marriage May 15, 1895, with Arthur N. Richardson of Lancaster, now residing at Portland, Me.

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

ROSWELL TENNEY SMITH.

Roswell T. Smith was born in Hanover, Jan. 7, 1825. He is a son of Ashbel and Lucinda (Tenney) Smith, and on the paternal side, a descendant in the eighth genera- tion from Lieut. Samuel Smith who, with his wife Eliza- beth, sailed from Ipswich, Eng., in April, 1634, on the ship Elizabeth and settled in Weathersfield, Conn., and later at Hadley, Mass. The descent is: Philip and Re- becca Foot of Hadley, Samuel and Mary Smith of Hadley and East Hart- ford, Conn., Timo- thy and Esther Webster of Wind- sor and Hanover, Edward and Ruth Porter, Edward and Hannah Chandler, Ashbel and Lucinda Ten- ney, all of Hano- ver. On the ma- ternal side he is a descendant of John and Anne Wighill, who came from Row- ley, Eng., and set- tled at Rowley, Mass., John and Mercy Parrott, Samuel and Abi- gail Burley, Jos- eph and Anne Wood, John and Olive. Armstrong, John and Lucinda Eaton, Lucinda Tenney.

Mr. Smith was educated at Thet- ford academy. He came to Nashua in April, 1852, for the purpose of painting a por- trait of a child of Charles Tarbell. In 1854 he opened a small book and stationery store in Noyes' block, and in various locali- ties, he remained in that business nearly all the time till 1891, when he sold out. In all those years Mr. Smith has been inter- ested in mechanical matters and has spent a good share of his time in mechanical engineering, many of his in- ventions having revolutionized the manufacture of the departments of industrial pursuits to which they have been applied. He invented and perfected the clippers and novelties manufactured by the American Shearer company, and was at one time an active partner in the company. The embroidering loom is considered the master production of his fertile brain. Mr. Smith visited

Europe a few years ago in pursuit of knowledge touching mechanism and on business connected with his patents, and has spent much time in Washington and elsewhere for the same purpose. During his absence in Europe, which extended over a period of several months, and the greater part of which was passed in Germany in con- nection with his business, he found time to exercise his powers of observation, and took ample notes of men and things as he saw and heard them; the result of which appeared in a series of extremely interesting and intel- ligent letters in the Nashua Tele- graph; these let- tersattracted more than ordinary at- tention at the time from his fellow citizens, both on account of their merit, and partic- ularly from the fact that they dealt chiefly with the manners and cus- toms, -the home life and its sur- roundings,-ofthe middle classes of the German peo- ple, and were therefore out of the ordinary ruts of American nara- tion of European travels. He is the author of a chap- ter in this work relative to Nashua industries. He is a member of the Pilgrim church, and one of Nash- . ua's most honored citizens.

ROSWELL TENNEY SMITII.

Mr. Smith was united in mar- riage Sept. 17, 1856, with S. Jen- nie Marshall of Pepperell. Mrs. Smith is a descen- dant on the pater- nal side of John and Sarah Mar- shall, who came to America from England in 1634 on the ship Hopewell; John and Mary Burrage, who settled in Billerica, Mass., in 1665; John and Eunice Rogers, 1695 ; Thomas and Mary Rogers of Tewksbury, Mass., 1740 ; Silas and Eunice Bailey, Tewksbury, Mass., and Hollis, 1767; John and Sally Fisk, Hollis and Pepperell, Mass., 1815. On the maternal side of Samuel and Elizabeth Parker, Pepperell, 1726; Eleazer and Esther Taylor, Dun- stable ; Nathan and Martha French, 1788; Sally Fisk. No children ; an adopted son, Charles E. P. Smith, who married Lizzie A. Fitzgerald.

·13.1

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

MANUFACTURES.

BY R. T. SMITH.

O UR picture gives three views : Dunstable, a staid old New England community ; Nashua, a village passing through an experimental or educational experience up to the Nashua of settled industries developed along true business lines and using true business meth- ods. The years 1822-5 mark the beginning of our mechanical age, and 1880 witnessed a serious trend of our various industries towards true economic development. To an extent, the same is true of trade. Old Dunstable had its "country stores" with their miscellaneous display of the grosser commodities. Nashua Village, its many small stores with their limited assortments, followed by the fine stores and better business methods of to-day.

As the manufacturing interests of Nashua enter into and form part of the progress of art the world over, it may be a matter of curiosity, and possibly of profit, to take a cursory view of the evo- lution of the mechanical arts leading up to art in Nashua.

In ancient times civilization was confined to warm climates. The people required but few arti- ficial comforts. There was no continued discomfort compelling mechanical provisions for the comfort of the many. The rulers were tyrants, the people slaves. A laborer's time was not an element of cost. Sad as this state of affairs was to our eyes, it had its purpose to serve and its advantages. From it came development of the artistic sense. When every chair represents an individual effort, we may reasonably expect to see many quaint and beautiful designs in chairs. The same is true in all lines of art; for artistic designs we look to this age of individual effort.

This state of things continued to a large extent until the German and Flemish tribes began to feel the influence of civilization, their colder climate and greater needs so modified the conditions of life as to result in classes devoted to certain lines of art. From this development sprang the free cities of northern Europe, the advance guards of modern industrial conditions.

In the eleventh century, William the Conqueror found England a land of pastures abounding in sheep. The wool of these flocks was the principal export of the country. He brought workers in wool from France and Flanders and thereby laid the foundation of England's commercial supremacy. England soon became the refuge from bigotry and tyranny of thousands of skilled workmen, and so in time the humble homes of the English and Scottish peasantry became workshops where the wool of her flocks was made into cloth to be sold wherever English ships were found.

Under the condition of the mechanical arts and of transportation which we find before the pres- ent century, this household production was the only method of manufacture which could have been obtained. In Germany we find free cities; in England, free homes.

In 1774 James Watt perfected the steam engine. This invention was followed rapidly by the development of machinery worked by power. The invention of the steam engine did not of itsel create the "Mechanical Age," but it made it possible. The growth of the mechanical instinct, slow to act, meeting bitter prejudice at first, has become an irresistible torrent in our day, and has given to the world a century such as it never saw before, and will never see the like again.

In 1825 most of the homes of the New England farmers contained a loom and most towns a card- ing and fulling mill for the manufacture of woolen goods, but the cotton mills had already begun to drive the linen looms out of the farmhouse.

For half a century a factory system had been slowly growing in England, removing the loom from the cottage to the factory, and the cotter from the farm to the city. This factory system was to invade and conquer New England.

The war of 1812-15 convinced the American people that their workshops and factories must be located where British gunboats could not interfere with their supplies, and that until such was the case they could not be an independent people.

In 1815 this was a land of farmers. The farmhouses were full of bright, energetic, ambitious, well-trained and educated young people, trained by circumstances to close economy, having great capacity for self-help (the mother of invention), but without especial mechanical instincts. They

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

were a host of free lances ready to attack the wild lands of the west, or the great mechanical problems which confronted them in the east.

Let us take a look at the Dunstable of 1822. We find a dam across the Nashua west of the bridge. At its north end stood the grist mill of James Patterson. At its south end stood William Marshall's saw mill. At the Harbor, and on the west side of the road and north of the brook, we find the saw and grist mill of Israel Hunt, Sr., where his sons John and Israel were workmen. On the south side of the brook stood quite a pretentious three-story shop, occupied by E. F. Ingalls as a blacksmith and iron-worker. This shop had a trip hammer, and he made axes, hatchets, hammers, the old fashioned heavy hoe with a ring for a handle, and such other iron work as was called for by the community. The scythe shop of Isaac March stood where the east mill now stands, and upon what was known as Dickerman's Location, just below the old Allds road bridge, was to be found the carding, fulling, pressing and dyeing shop of Enoch Dickerman. There was also a dam and shop below Dickerman's, occupied by Daniel Ingalls as a blacksmith shop, where he had a trip hammer and lathe. These shops supplied the wants of a limited community.

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History of the city of Nashua, N.H., Part 75

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company Number of Pages: 652

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 652