USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Claremont > History of the town of Claremont, New Hampshire, for a period of one hundred and thirty years from 1764 to 1894 > Part 34
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Ellis was a lieutenant in the Continental army, was with Ethan Allen's expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point in 1775, and served as a lieutenant under Gen. Stark, in the battle of Bennington, August 16, 1777. He was one of the selectmen in 1796 and 1797, and held other minor offices in town.
WILLIAM ELLIS,
Youngest son of Barnabas Ellis, born on Town hill in 1807. At the death of his father he succeeded to the farm where he was born, always lived, and died August 29, 1880. He was a good farmer and reputable citizen. For many years he was warden of Union church, and was representative in the New Hampshire legislature in 1869.
CALEB ELLIS
Was born at Walpole, Mass., in 1767; graduated at Harvard College in 1793; read law in the office of Hon. Joshua Thomas, of Plymouth, Mass .; settled in Claremont about 1800. In 1804 he was chosen a member of congress from New Hampshire. In 1809 and 1810 he was a member of the executive council. In 1811 he was elected state senator; in 1812 elector of president and vice-president; and in 1813 he was appointed one of the judges of the supreme judicial court of New Hampshire, which office he held until his death, May 9, 1816. In February, 1816, he married Nancy, daughter of Hon. Robert Means, of Amherst, N. H. He built the house near the south end of Broad street, which was purchased by J. S. Walker in 1860.
At his death Judge Ellis left a will, in which he bequeathed "five thousand dollars to the Congregational society of Clare- mont, for constituting a fund, the interest of which shall be an- nually appropriated to the support of the Christian ministry." Rev. Stephen Farley, minister of the Congregational church, delivered a sermon on the occasion of the funeral of Judge Ellis, taking for a text Proverbs x. 7: "The memory of the just is blessed.". In the course of this eloquent and somewhat remark- able sermon the preacher said :
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Although he has left the world, his memory continues in it, and will long survive his decease. His memory is blessed. If there be any justice in the present and succeeding generations, the name of the man whose remains are now before us will be held in most cordial, grateful, and honorary remem- brance.
The Hon. Caleb Ellis was a man distinguished for native vigor and capa- ciousness of mind. The God of nature formed him capable of high mental attainments and great intellectual effort. For strength of intellect, accuracy of discrimination, soundness of judgment, and propriety of taste he attained an extraordinary eminence. His native superiority of mind was improved by very extensive cultivation. His learning was various, profound, and general. . . .
Concerning his professional character, I shall not attempt a particular delin- eation. It is sufficient that I say, as an attorney, as a legal counselor, as an advocate, as a statesman, and as a justice of the supreme judicial court, his worth is generally known, acknowledged, and admired.
In private life Mr. Ellis was eminently inoffensive, amiable, and exemplary. He wronged no one ; he corrupted no one; he defrauded no one; he slighted no one; he injured no one. His treatment and attention towards persons of dif- ferent classes were marked with the strictest propriety, justice, and liberal gener- osity. He gave them all satisfaction and enjoyed their cordial esteem. In freedom, not only from all vice, but also from common faults, he attained an eminent distinction. There were no censurable excesses, no despicable defi- ciencies, no unamiable habits about him. His moral integrity was like tried gold. Many of the most frequent imperfections of human nature were but faintly discovered in his heart and life.
At the opening of the trial term of the supreme judical court for Grafton county at Haverhill, in May, 1816, Chief Justice Jeremiah Smith read a sketch of the character of Judge Ellis, in which he said :
Since the commencement of the present circuit it has pleased the Almighty Disposer of all events to remove one of the judges of this court by death. If living, he would have filled the place I now occupy. It is believed that this is the first instance of the death of a judge of the supreme court, while in office, since the adoption of the present constitution, and, indeed, since the Revolution. Though the whole number who have served during this period has been nearly thirty, and more than half that number have paid the debt of nature, yet they have generally quitted the office before age had made retirement from the active scenes of life necessary.
Nature endowed Judge Ellis with a mind at once ingenious, discriminating, and strong. Without education he would doubtless have attracted no small
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share of the esteem and confidence of those within the circle of his acquaint- ance. But his great modesty would probably have concealed him from public notice. Fortunately, it was otherwise ordained; and he received the best edu- cation our country could give. He was graduated at Cambridge in 1793, and left that distinguished university with a high character for learning, morals, and general literature.
Perhaps no student ever left a lawyer's office with a larger and better stock of law knowledge. He commenced practice in this state. Soon after his admission to the bar of the supreme court, in the county of Cheshire, I well recollect his argument in a case of some difficulty and importance, and the remark of a gentleman, then at the head of the bar, and who seldom errs in his judgment of men, "that Mr. Ellis would soon be numbered among the most valuable and respectable members of the profession."
When the new judiciary system was formed, in 1813, the best informed of all parties named Mr. Ellis for the office of judge of this court. The merit of the executive of that day, in relation to this appointment, was in concurring in that nomination. Mr. Ellis was an independent and impartial judge. . . .
His mind was too lofty to enter into any calculations foreign to the merits of the cause in the discharge of his official duties; neither the merits nor de- merits of the parties nor their connections, however numerous or powerful, could have any influence with him. I am sensible that this is very high praise, - a praise which could not, in truth, be bestowed on all good men, nor even on all good judges. But it is praise which Mr. Ellis richly merited.
JOHN T. EMERSON,
Son of the late Jonathan Emerson, was born in Claremont, March 9, 1834. When eighteen years old he entered the store, at the south end of the upper bridge, of the late Charles Farwell, as clerk, where he remained a few months, when he went into a mill at Westminster, Mass., to learn the business of paper making. Soon after the completion of his apprenticeship he took charge of a paper mill at Leominster, Mass., in which position he con- tinued eight years, during which time he built a mill at Fitch- burg, Mass., where he furnished the plans, superintended the building of the mill, and had charge of both three years, until 1867, at which time the Sugar River paper mill in Claremont was being built. Mr. Emerson became a stockholder in the com- pany, and was given charge as superintendent and agent of the mill, which position he still holds.
JOHN T. EMERSON,
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HARRIET N. FARLEY
Was the sixth of ten children of the Rev. Stephen Farley, pastor of the Congregational church in Claremont from 1806 to 1819. When still a young girl she became an operative in a factory at Lowell. In 1841, while thus employed, she started and edited the Lowell Offering, or Factory Operatives' Magazine, subse- quently became its owner and publisher, and so continued several years. It had, under her management, a circulation of more than four thousand copies. She gave an autobiographie account of her early life, which was published thirty years ago in Mrs. Hale's " Woman's Record." Among other things she said :
My father is a Congregational clergyman, and at the time of my birth was settled in the beautiful town of Claremont, in the state of New Hampshire. Though I left this place when six years of age, I still remember its natural beauties, which even then impressed me deeply. The Ascutney mountain, Sugar river with its foaming falls, the distant hills of Vermont, all are in my memory. My mother was descended from the Moodys, somewhat famous in New England history. One of them was the eccentric and influential Father Moody. Another was Handkerchief Moody, the one who wore, so many years, " the minister's veil." One was the well known Trustee Moody, of Dumwell academy, who educated my grandmother. She was a very talented and esti- mable lady.
In 1848 Miss Farley published a volume chiefly made up of her contributions to the Lowell Offering, entitled "Shells from the Strand of the Sea of Genius." She married John Donelery, of Philadelphia, after which but little was known of her by her New England friends.
NICHOLAS FARWELL,
The first of the family in Claremont, was born May 5, 1781, and came from Packersfield - now Nelson -in 1802, settled on Town hill, where he had a shoemaker's shop and carried on the business in a small way until 1813, when he removed to the village, commenced manufacturing women's shoes, and sold them to country merchants. The business grew gradually under his
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management until he employed more than a hundred hands. He left it to his sons, George N. and William H. Farwell, about 1828, and engaged in manufacturing cotton and in other kinds of business. He was the first cotton manufacturer in town, and director in the first Claremont bank, and also in the one organized in 1848 by the same name. He married Susan Corey in 1803, by whom he had thirteen children, but two of whom, Russell W. Farwell, now living at Rutland, Vt., and the widow of George W. Blodgett, of this town, are now living. He built the house on Broad street, now owned and occupied by Hermon Holt, where he died, October 13, 1852. His widow continued to occupy the house until her death, which occurred September 25, 1860.
GEORGE N. FARWELL,
The oldest of thirteen children of Nicholas and Susan (Corey) Farwell, was born on Town hill, February 18, 1804. He had learned the trade of a shoemaker in his father's shop, and soon after reaching his majority went to St. Albans, Vt., where he commenced the business of shoe manufacturing, but after about fifteen months, in 1827, he returned to Claremont and went into partnership with his father and brother, William H. Far- well, in the shoe and mercantile business. After two or three years the firm was dissolved, the father retiring, William H. taking the mercantile business and George N. the shoemaking, in which, by himself and with Lewis Perry and his brother, Russell W. Farwell, as partners, he continued until 1858, a period of more than thirty years, when he sold out to Russell W. George N. Farwell was a director in the first Claremont bank, which wound up its business between 1844 and 1846. In 1848 a new bank, under the same name, was chartered, and Mr. Farwell was chosen a director and Uriel Dean, cashier. In April, 1851, Mr. Dean resigned and Mr. Farwell was elected in his place, which position he held until March, 1856, when he resigned, and his son, John L. Farwell, who had been assistant
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GEORGE N. FARWELL.
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cashier since March, 1853, was elected cashier. November 22, 1864, the organization was changed from a state to a national bank, and George N. Farwell was elected president, which po- sition he held until his death. He was representative in the New Hampshire legislature in 1868 and 1869. In 1854 he built the brick block on the east side of Tremont square, which bears his name, and subsequently extended it on the south side of Tremont street; in 1851 he built the brick house at the corner of Broad and Putnam streets, where he passed his last years, and several others in town.
Mr. Farwell married Sarah A. McDonald, of Middlebury, Vt., December 27, 1827, by whom he had three children-James H., who died February 26, 1889; John L., and Susan L., the widow of William Breck. Mrs. Farwell died February 11, 1876, and her husband survived her until February 24, 1887, when he died, at the age of eighty-three years.
JOHN L. FARWELL,
Second son of George N. and Sarah A. Farwell, was born in Claremont, March 1, 1834. When nineteen years old he was made assistant cashier of the Claremont bank, and succeeded his father as cashier in 1856, which position he held until Octo- ber, 1881, when he was elected vice-president, and his son, George N. Farwell, then second, succeeded to the cashiership. On March 15, 1887, on the death of his father, John L. Far- well was elected president of the Claremont National bank, which position he now holds. On January 2, 1856, his father having resigned that office, he was elected treasurer of the Sul- livan Savings Institution ; resigned February 7, 1874; was suc- ceeded by Albert Rossiter, who resigned December 27, 1882, and Mr. Farwell was again elected treasurer and has since held that position. He is also a director and treasurer of the Sugar River Paper Mill Company. In 1874 and 1875 he was a representa- tive in the New Hampshire legislature.
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
GEORGE N. FARWELL,
Named for his grandfather, is the oldest son of John L. Far- well. He was born January 3, 1858. When in his minority he entered the Claremont National bank as teller. On the election of his father vice-president, in October, 1881, he was chosen cashier, which position he has since held. He is also a director in this bank and in the Sullivan Savings Institution. In 1887 he built a large and handsome house on the west side of Broad street, where he now lives.
HARRY C. FAY,
Son of Nathan, and great-grandson of John Fay, who was killed in the battle of Bennington, August 16, 1777, was born in Richmond, Vt., November 30, 1830. He learned the printer's trade in Montpelier, Vt .; was editor and publisher of the Cou- rier and Freeman, Potsdam, N. Y., from 1849 to 1861; post- master from 1856 to 1861; commissioned captain in the Ninety- second Regiment New York State Volunteers in September, 1861, and served through the War of the Rebellion. He was in command of the regiment as senior captain when it was mus- tered out of the service, in 1865. He came to Claremont in 1872, has been editor and publisher of the National Eagle since 1880, and was representative in the New Hampshire leg- islature in 1887.
LEONARD P. FISHER,
Son of Josiah, and grandson of Abram Fisher, who came from Natick, Mass., to Claremont in 1785, was born October 6, 1807, in the house on Washington street, where he died December 6, 1892. His grandfather, Abram, was a cabinet maker by trade and pursued that avocation for years. He had a small farm and a cidermill, which was run by water power. He died February 3, 1851. Josiah, son of Abram, and father of Leonard P., died in York, Livingston county, N. Y., in 1854. Leonard P., when about ten years old, joined his father in what was
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FRANK P. MAYNARD'S RESIDENCE.
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then the wilderness of New York state, and was brought up in the lumber business. In 1829 he came back to Claremont, to make his home with his grandfather, remained with him until his death, and inherited his property, which was a moder- ate fortune for that time. Mr. Fisher was a busy man; built many houses for himself and others; was liberal in many things and encouraged by his means and in other ways everything tending to the growth and prosperity of the town. At his death he left a widow and five surviving children - four sons and one daughter.
SAMUEL FISKE,
Graduated at Harvard University in the class of 1793, came from Brookfield, Mass., to Claremont in 1794, and died December 30, 1834, at the age of sixty-five years. He was an active and enter- prising citizen for forty years ; was engaged in mercantile business and manufacturing of various kinds, among which was print paper, under the firm of Fiske & Blake, successors in that business of Josiah Stevens, the first paper-maker in the then Cheshire county. Mr. Fiske was selectman in 1800 and 1801; town clerk seventeen years, from 1800 to 1816 inclusive; representative in the New Hampshire legislature in 1814 and 1816, and state senator in 1815. He built the large house corner of Broad and Summer streets, and there died.
SAMUEL PHILLIPS FISKE,
Son of Samuel Fiske, was born November 17, 1800, and died in the house where he was born, February 8, 1879. His active life was spent in mercantile business in Claremont, in partnership with his father and others,- among them the late Amos J. Tenney,-under the firm of Fiske, Tenney & Co., and James P. Brewer, under the firm of Fiske & Brewer. He acquired by inheritance and in busi- ness a comfortable fortune, and having no children to inherit it, in his lifetime he founded a library which, by vote of the town, was named the Fiske Free Library, and by the conditions imposed by
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Mr. Fiske was to be for the free use of all the inhabitants of the town. By his will he bequeathed to the library five thousand dol- lars, to be expended for books,-any amounts that he might have so expended in his lifetime to be deducted from this sum,-the balance remaining at his death to be expended by the five trustees which had been named by him. In addition to this sum he left four thousand dollars, and his wife, Miranda Stevens Fiske, who died May 26, 1882, one thousand dollars as a permanent fund, to be invested and cared for by the trustees, the interest of which was to be used by them for the purchase of books. Thus Mr. and Mrs. Fiske have erected a monument bearing their name, which it is hoped will stand forever.
PHILANDER CHASE FREEMAN
Was born in Plainfield, August 27, 1807, and died in Claremont, April 20, 1871. He was a son of Benjamin Freeman, also a native of Plainfield. He graduated at Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, in 1825; read law with J. H. Hubbard at Windsor, Vt., and for a short time was associated with him in business. He removed to Claremont in 1835, where he was in active practice until within a few years of his death. He had for partners at different times A. B. Williamson, Samuel W. Fuller, and lastly Milon C. McClure. He was a representative in the New Hampshire legislature, and several years justice of the police court.
SAMUEL W. FULLER,
Son of Francis E. Fuller, was born at Hardwick, Vt., April 25, 1822, and died in Chicago, Ill., October 25, 1873. He read law in the office of Philander C. Freeman, in Claremont; was admitted to Sullivan county bar in 1849; was in practice here until 1852, when he removed to Illinois and settled in Chicago in 1856, where he became quite eminent in his profession and attained a high position in the state and United States courts by his legal learning and ability.
PHILANDER C. FREEMAN.
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
ALEXANDER GARDINER
Was born at Catskill, N. Y., July 27, 1833; fitted for college at Kimball Union Academy, Meriden ; studied law with Shea & Rich- ardson, New York city; admitted to the bar in that city in 1856; was in Kansas about two years during the political troubles there; came to Claremont in the spring of 1859, and opened a law office with Edwin Vaughan; continued in practice until September, 1862, when he was commissioned lieutenant in the Fourteenth Regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers ; promoted to major September 12, 1863, and to colonel of that regiment September 12, 1864. In the battle of Winchester, Va., September 19, 1864, Colonel Gardiner was mortally wounded; he remained in the hands of the enemy five hours, when the Union troops regained the ground and recov- ered the dead and wounded. He died of his wounds October 8, 1864, and his remains were buried in Claremont.
JAMES M. GATES,
Son of Abel Gates, born in Cornish, October 30, 1808, commenced the practice of law in Claremont in 1835, which he continued until his death, April 8, 1854. He had a considerable reputation as advocate, and good standing as a counselor. He represented the town in the New Hampshire legislature in 1845 and 1846, and was conspicuous on the floor of the house and in committees.
LEONARD AND HIRAM GILMORE,
Sons of Hon. Gawen Gilmore, of Acworth, came to Claremont in 1826, bought the Tyler mills at West Claremont, and from that time until 1841 carried on an extensive business in making axes and other edge tools, employing quite a number of men. Their tools had a good reputation and had a large sale. They also had grist and saw mills on the north side of the river. In 1858 Hiram removed to Montreal, and was engaged with his sons in the manu- facture of augers and bits at Cote St. Paul, near Montreal, Canada. He died November 12, 1862, and his wife, Mindwell McClure, died
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at Cote St. Paul, July 14, 1877. Both were buried at West Clare- mont. Leonard Gilmore was for several years engaged in mercan- tile business with Ilock Hills, and postmaster at West Claremont from 1847 to 1861. He died December 10, 1876, his wife, Sarah M., sister of the late Solon C. Grannis, having died January 10, 1875. The Gilmores were prominent and influential men in town in their time.
Hiram Gilmore's two sons, Hiram Gawen and Charles Homer, learned the edge tool business of their father and are engaged in manufacturing augers and bits at Cote St. Paul.
ERASTUS GLIDDEN,
A son of Jonathan Glidden, was born March 26, 1792, on that part of Bible hill which was then in the town of Unity, but was set off on to Claremont by act of the legislature in 1828. He lived upon the farm where he was born until 1838, which was afterward for many years owned by Joshua Colby and his son Henry ; came to the village and built the brick house on the west side of Pleasant street, where George H. Stowell's house now is, which was burned in 1864. He owned the tract of land west of Pleasant street, between Myrtle street and the Concord and Claremont railroad, and extending west to Mulberry street. This tract which he carried on as a farm is now covered by West Summer, Prospect, and Tyler streets, and fully occupied with dwelling-houses, all handsome, and some of them expensive and elegant. In 1830 Mr. Glidden was brigadier-general and commanded the Fifth Brigade of New Hamp- shire militia. He was elected cashier of the first Claremont bank on the retirement of James. H. Bingham in 1842, and continued until its business was fully closed up in 1846. He was a represent- ative in the New Hampshire legislature in 1835, 1838, and 1839, and was often called upon to preside over public gatherings. He is said to have had a remarkable memory, and could repeat verba- tim long speeches after having read them once or twice. He was a prominent and honored citizen. He died in November, 1866, and was buried beside the remains of his first wife, at North Charlestown.
ERASTUS GLIDDEN.
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CHARLES E. GLIDDEN,
The only son of the late Gen. Erastus Glidden, was born on the farm on Bible hill, December 4, 1835. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and settled in Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio. In 1861 he was elected judge of the court for his county for five years; was re-elected without opposition for another term of five years, at the end of which he was tendered a third nomina- tion, but on account of ill health declined it. He died at Rox- bury, Mass., June 14, 1882, at the age of forty-six years.
EDWARD L. GODDARD,
Son of Capt. Nichols Goddard, was born at Rutland, Vt., June, 1808, and died at Thomasville, Ga., March 30, 1880, where he went on account of impaired health. He was buried in Clare- mont. He worked as clerk in stores in Rutland, and Boston and New Bedford, Mass., from the time that he was fifteen until twen- ty-four years old, when he formed a copartnership with his brother- in-law, Simeon Ide, at Windsor, Vt., which continued a few years. In 1837 he came to Claremont and engaged as book-keeper for the Claremont Manufacturing Company, of which Mr. Ide was agent and treasurer. In 1858 Mr. Ide disposed of his interest, declined those offices, and Mr. Goddard, having bought of the stock of the company, was elected agent and treasurer, in place of Mr. Ide, and continued in those positions until 1867, when, after thirty years' connection with the company, he retired from the active manage- ment of its affairs. He was prominent as a business man in the town, in the Congregational church, of which he was for many years a member, and in many other ways, from 1837 until his death. In 1868 he was chosen one of the five electors for New Hampshire of president and vice-president of the United States, and was representative in the legislature in 1869. In July, 1833, he married Elizabeth Worth, of Nantucket, Mass., by whom he had seven children, four of whom survive, viz. : the Rev. Edward N. Goddard, rector of the Episcopal church at Windsor, Vt .;
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