History of Providence County, Rhode Island, Volume I, Part 9

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather), ed
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: New York, W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 1036

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Edwin Aldrich was born in Woonsocket, October 14th, 1836. He was the son of Captain Joseph C. and Aseneth Aldrich, both of whom died when he was a boy. His boyhood days were passed upon the farm and in the common schools. In the Woonsocket High School he was prepared for college. He entered Tufts College and passed the first year there, but at the beginning of the second year he en- tered Brown University. Ilere he remained until the end of the junior year, when failing health compelled him to give up the course there. He afterward studied law in the office of Honorable Wingate Hayes, of Providence, graduated and received the degree of LL.B. from the Department of Law in the University of Albany. He was admitted to the bar in 1863, and commenced the practice of law in Neenah, Wis., the same year. A few months later he entered a part- nership with Moses Hooper, at Oshkosh, Wis., where a lucrative prac- tice opened before them. In 1864 he returned to Providence, opened an office and began to build up a successful and lucrative practice. From 1868 to 1872 he was associated with Leland D. Jenckes, under the firm name of Aldrich & Jenckes. Since the death of Mr. Jenckes, which occurred in 1872, Mr. Aldrich has been alone in business. He

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

represented the city in the assembly in 1867, 1868 and 1869. Politi- cally he has been always a republican. He is a Free Mason, and for two years was eminent commander of Woonsocket Commandery of Knights Templar. He was married to Augusta C. Carter, of Nauga- tuck, Conn., on the 17th of June, 1870. Their five children now liv- ing and their ages are: Florence Augusta, 19; Alice May, 17; Paul Edwin, 14; Lotta Helen, 12, and K. Pauline, 10 years of age.

George Eldridge Webster, son of Clement and Catherine Packer (Littlefield) Webster, was born in Lowell, Mass., in 1843. His father was the original editor of the Providence Post, continuing in that posi- tion until his death in 1864, and through that connection George Eld- ridge became in his boyhood quite an adept in the printing business. He was educated in the public schools of Providence, finishing his course in the Providence High School, after which he was employed as a job printer in the office of the Post. In 1864 he was engaged by Senator William Sprague as private secretary, and went with him to Washington. There he was appointed clerk of the committee on manufactures of the U. S. Senate, and in that capacity served through the session, and through the special session immediately following. He was connected with the pension office from March, 1865, till his resignation in October, 1871. During that time he had occupied the positions of chief clerk, special service agent, chief of the branch office, secret service agent and pension agent at Fort Gibson, in the Indian Territory. In the last mentioned position he held a commis- sion under General Grant, then president, and was sent there to inves- tigate the " Wright Indian Frauds." While in Washington he gradu- ated with honors at the Law Department of Columbian Law College, and was admitted to the bar of the District of Columbia. In the fall of 1871 he went to Chicago, where he intended to establish himself in the practice of law, but three days after his arrival there the great conflagration took place which laid a great part of that city in ruins. He then returned to Providence, and edited the Providence Herald, the paper which succeeded the old Post, for a year or two. At the May session of 1875, he was elected clerk of the court of common pleas of Providence county, and has held the position to the present, with the exception of a single year being unanimously elected. He was mar- ried in 1864, to Mary Josephine Gale, of Providence, and has one sur- viving daughter, Grace Gale Webster, born in Washington in 1868, having lost another in 1876. In 1878 Mr. Webster took up his abode in East Providence, and since then has represented the town as com- missioner of the fire district, which introduced water into the town, and on the construction of the Seekonk River bridge and the town hall.

Amasa M. Eaton is the son of Levi C. Eaton, of Framingham, Mass., and Sarah Brown (Mason) Eaton. He was born in Providence, in a part of the present city then included in North Providence, May

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

31st, 1841. He was married September 15th, 1873, to Alice Maude Mary Dunnell, daughter of Jacob Dunnell and Amy (Brown) Dun- nell, of Pawtucket, R. I. He was graduated at Brown University, with the degree of A. M., in 1861, after three years' study in Europe, and at Harvard Law School in 1878, with the degree of LL.B. He was a member of the First Rhode Island Regiment under Burnside as colonel, during the first three months of the civil war. From 1862 to 1867 he was engaged in business. Mr. Eaton frequently represented his native town in the general assembly, and after the annexation of that portion of the town to the city of Providence he served as a member of the common council and as alderman from the Tenth ward. Since 1878 he has practiced law in Providence. The names of his children, with dates of their birth, are as follows: Amasa Mason, born September 24th, 1874; William Dunnell, February 26th, 1877; Sarah Brown, June 30th, 1878; Charles Curtis, January 16th, 1880; Lewis Diman. September 13th, 1881; Amey Brown, January 1st, 1885.

John F. Lonsdale was born in Providence, December 28th, 1844. His parents were John H. and and Sophia (Stowe) Lonsdale. He was educated in Providence, and graduated at Brown University, in 1867. After being admitted to the bar in 1870, he began the practice of law, and still continues in that profession, having an office at 28 North Main street. He was elected a representative from Providence in the state legislatures of 1889 to 1891. He was married at Providence, August 18th, 1874, to Anna C. Bucklin. They have no children.

Walter B. Vincent was born at Mystic, Conn., August 6th, 1845. His father was Ezra Vincent, of the town of Stonington, Conn .; and his mother was Ann Maria Denison, of Mystic, Conn. The first years of his life were passed in the village of Westerly. R. I., his mother dying when he was but three years of age, and his father but two years later. From that time until he was 14 years of age he lived with his father's relatives upon the ancestral farm at Stonington, and attended meanwhile the district school during his earlier years, and afterward a select classical school in Westerly. He afterward received a classical and military education at the Paulding Military Institute at Tarrytown, and the Peekskill Military Academy at Peekskill, both in the state of New York. He came to Providence in 1864, and en- tered upon the study of law in the office of Thurston & Ripley, and in May. 1866. received the degree of LL.B. from the University of Albany, being then admitted to the bar in the state of New York. He was admitted to the bar of Rhode Island in March, 1867. He was clerk of the senate of Rhode Island for four years from 1871, and was subsequently a member of the house of representatives for three suc- cessive terms. He also held the position of judge advocate of the Second Brigade, Rhode Island Militia, in the staff of General Fred- erick Miller, for three years from 1874. Mr. Vincent was married in Providence, December 16th, 1869, to Mary E. Wingate; and they have

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

one daughter, Edith, born September 30th, 1872. With the exceptions already noticed, he has devoted himself exclusively to the general practice of his profession. He is the Providence counsel for the Old Colony Railroad Company, and has recently edited a revised and en- larged edition of the " Rhode Island Book of Forms," for the use of lawyers and state and town officers.

C. P. Robinson, now practicing law at 55 Westminster street, is the son of Christopher Robinson and Louisa (Aldrich) Robinson, and was born at Woonsocket, October 28th, 1841. He was educated in the public schools of his native town up to 1858, then at Lyon's private school in Providence, fitted for college. He graduated from Brown University in 1863; from Harvard Law School in 1865; and was in that year admitted to the bar in Providence. He afterward attended law lectures at Heidelberg, Germany, and at Paris in 1866, 1867 and 1868. On his return from Germany he settled in Providence, and was clerk of the house of representatives of the state in 1869 and 1870, also a member of the city council in 1876-78, during two years of which he was president of that body. He has been practicing law since 1868. He married Annie C. Greene, December 7th, 1871. She was a daughter of Rufus Greene. They have had four children- Constance, Annette, Margant and Helen.

Dexter B. Potter was born in Scituate, R. I., August 23d, 1840, his father being Jeremiah Potter, and his mother's maiden name Mary A. Salisbury. Mr. Potter was born and reared on a farm belonging to his father, that had been in the family nearly or quite a hundred years. His ancestors have been in Rhode Island since 1636. He was educated at the common schools and at the River Point Classical Seminary, and at the East Greenwich Academy. He then read law for three years and was admitted to the bar December 8th, 1868. He immediately began practicing law, and has continued to the present time, his place of business during the time being the city of Provi- dence, though his political residence was in the town of Coventry from 1869 till 1883. He represented that town in the assembly for five years, during two years of the time being speaker of the house. He also represented the same town as senator for two years. He was married July 24th, 1883, to Emily H. Allen of Cranston. They have no children.

Francis L. O'Reilly of Woonsocket, was born in the province of Ulster, County Cavan, Ireland, June 24th, 1844. He is a descendant of a long line of Irish patriots, who for many centuries fought against British rule, for their liberties and their homes in their native land. He is distinctively Celtic, both by his father and mother, and no man feels more proud of his ancestry than he does. His father was Philip O'Reilly, his mother's maiden name was McEntee, and his grand- mother's name McMahon. Francis L. was educated under private tutorship until he was 17 years of age, when his father died and he

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

soon after came to this country, locating for a short time in Provi- dence. He went to Cincinnati and engaged in the dramatic profes- sion for a period of four years. In deference to the wishes of his mother he abandoned that calling. entered the field as a lecturer, and continued lecturing for eight months, but was obliged to discontinue public speaking, owing to bronchial trouble produced by too great strain upon his vocal organs, and he then commenced the study of law. After three years thus spent, he was admitted to the Rhode Is- land bar in 1870, being the first Irish-American ever admitted to the bar of this state. He immediately commenced practice, in Woon- socket, in which city he still remains in active and successful practice. He was admitted an attorney and counsellor of the supreme court of the United States, at Washington, in 1882. In politics he is a demo- crat, and while not personally ambitious of political preferment, he is an active worker in the political field in his own state. He represented his town in the state legislature in 1879 and 1880. In both civic and military circles he has been very active and prominent for the past 20 years, and for several years he commanded one of the military companies in his town. In 1874 he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Rhode Island Guards. He was married January 1st, 1878, to Mary C., daughter of M. Butler, Esq., of Newport, and has two children, a boy and a girl. His wife, a beautiful and accomplished young woman, died July 25th, after a brief illness.

Cornelius C. Plummer, attorney and counsellor at law, of the city of Providence, was born at New London, Pa., March 26th, 1849. His parents were Charles H. and Anna Britton Plummer. He was edu- cated in the public schools, and at Brown University. Previous to his admission to the bar he taught school and engaged in journalistic matters on local and others papers for a time. His office location is at 31 Market square.

Edward Church Dubois, the son of Edward Church and Emma ( Davison) Dubois, was born in London, England, January 12th, 1848. His paternal grandfather was Edward Church, of Kentucky, who while on his travels in France married Marie Dubois. His son Ed- ward Church was born at St. Germain, France, December 9th, 1806. The elder was afterward consul at L'Orient, France, from 1817 to 1832, and afterward returned to America. Edward, the father of our subject, came to America about 1844, and published the same year a grammar, called "Church's French Spoken." In 1847 he went to London, and remained there several years. He returned to America about 1854. About 1857 he, being about to publish another French grammar, concluded that a French name would prove more attractive and successful, adopted and used the family name of his mother - Dubois. This name he continued to use until his death, in 1885, and his family adopted and still continue to use the same name. Grow- ing up under average circumstances Edward, the subject of this no-

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tice, was educated at the high school of Pawtucket, and the Friends' Academy of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was clerk of the police court of Haverhill, Mass., from 1872 to 1877, and during the latter year removed to Providence, and in May, 1878, thence to East Provi- dence, where he has remained ever since. He was senator from that town in the general assembly of 1883 4 and in 1884-5. He also held the office of town solicitor about ten years. He was married to Jen- nie Roberts, February 24th, 1872. Three children have been born to them, two of whom died in infancy. The only surviving one is Désirée J. Dubois, born in Haverhill, Mass., April 5th, 1877. In poli- tics he is a liberal republican.

Charles Edmund Gorman, born in Boston, July 26th, 1844. is a son of Charles Gorman, born in Ireland, and Sarah J. Woodbury, a de- scendant of John Woodbury, one of the original settlers of Cape Ann, Mass., in 1623. Charles Edmund removed to Providence in 1848, and was educated in the public schools until he reached the age of 12 years. He was a newsboy from the tender age of five until he reached 15. In 1862 he entered the office of Richard Ward Greene and com- menced the study of law. He was admitted to the bar December 12th, 1865, and at once enjoyed a large and varied practice. He was a mem- ber of the school committee and trustee of schools from 1868 to 1873. He was a member of the general assembly in 1870, 1885 and 1887, be- ing elected speaker of the house in the latter year. He was elected a member of the common council of Providence in 1874, and alderman in 1878, 1879. 1880 and 1889. Mr. Gorman has been the democratic candidate at different times for the offices of secretary of state, at- torney general, and mayor of Providence. From his early manhood he began agitating and working for " equal rights " in Rhode Island, which meant the removal of the real estate requirement imposed upon naturalized citizens to admit to suffrage. After 25 years, during which he spent a great deal of time and money in advocating the cause, the reform was accomplished by an amendment to the constitu- tion. Upon the adoption of this amendment the citizens of the state presented Mr. Gorman with a solid silver tea service " in recognition of 25 years' service in behalf of equal rights." He was married to Josephine C. Dietrich, July 8th, 1874. Their children are: Charles Woodbury, Edmund Joseph and Clement Dietrich. Mr. Gorman has been one of the prominent democratie speakers, having spoken in every presidential campaign since 1864.

Nathan Whitman Littlefield was born May 21st, 1846, at East Bridgewater, Mass. His father, Rufus Ames Littlefield, was for many years a teacher in the East Bridgewater Academy and other schools in that and neighboring towns. His mother, Abigail Russel (Whitman) Littlefield, was born in Boston, Mass., and educated at the Charlestown Female Seminary. Both his father and mother are lin- eal descendants of the pilgrims. Through them the subject of this

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HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

sketch is related by blood to John Alden and Miles Standish. His early education was received at home and in the public schools of his native town. Aided by the advancement given him by his father, who was an accomplished mathematician, he at the age of 14 surveyed and platted land in his native town. He prepared for college at the East Bridgewater High School, and at Bridgewater and Phillips (An- over) Academies, graduating from the latter institution in 1865. The same year he entered Dartmouth College, where he was graduated in 1869 with the highest honors. He was soon after employed as sub- master of the Charlestown, Mass., High School; then master of the Newport, R. I., High School; and then master of high school and superintendent of schools at Westerly, R. I. In 1874 he began the study of law. His course was pursued at the Boston University Law School, graduating in 1876. He was admitted to the bar at Boston, in May of the same year. A few weeks later he located at Providence, where he has since practiced law. Avoiding all political entangle- ments, he has devoted all his energies to the practice of law, and has achieved that success which usually attends earnest, honest and per- sistent labor in that profession. Early in 1889 he formed a partner- ship with Warren Goddard, Jr., and has since practiced under the style of Littlefield & Goddard. He was married August 13th. 1873. to Arletta V. Redman, of Ellsworth, Maine. She died October 18th, 1878, leaving a son, Nathan W. Littlefield, Jr., born April 20th, 1878. He was married a second time, December 1st. 1886, to Mary Wheaton Ellis, of Pawtucket, and on December 19th, 1889, a son, Alden Llewel- lyn Littlefield, was born to them.

George Tilden Brown, born in West Greenwich. R. I., June 29th, 1848, is a son of Peter Tilden Brown and Roxalana Potter. The parents had ten children, and the father died when George was four or five years of age. The family was left with a small, encumbered farm, and hard work and close economy on the part of the mother were necessary. George attended the East Greenwich Seminary about eight or ten months, working during the vacation on the farm and in winter teaching country schools to defray expenses. He afterward attended Newport High School, where he was grad- uated in June, 1869, and entered Brown University in September of the same year, graduating in June, 1873. He studied law one year in Providence, then spent one year in the Albany Law School, grad- uating in May, 1875. He was then admitted to the bar in Albany, and to the bar in Rhode Island in October following. He was ad- mitted to the bar of the United States courts in 1879. He has prac- ticed law in Providence since October, 1875. He represented his native town in the general assembly in 1877, and the city of Provi- dence in the same body in 1887. He was elected a delegate to the democratic national convention at St. Louis in 1888, and was elected to represent Providence in the state senate in 1889. He is chairman

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

of the democratic city committee, having held that position in 1884 and 1885, and being again chosen to it in 1888 and 1889. He was mar- ried in Providence, August 29th, 1876, to Ida Rebecca Williams. They have two children-Gertrude Tilden Brown, born May 17th, 1877; and Bertha Brown, born April 10th, 1884.

Mr. J. E. Goldsworthy, now practicing law at Central Falls, was born in Kenosha county, Wis., December 9th, 1843. His father was Stephen S. Goldsworthy, and his mother's maiden name was Lavinia Eustis. His early life was spent on a farm, where he attended the district school, and later the high school at Racine, Wisconsin. He was educated further at Wisconsin University at Madison, and stud- ied law in the office of O. S. & F. H. Head, at Kenosha, and later took a course at Albany (N. Y.) Law School. He then went to Missouri to practice, and remained there six years. He was afterward engaged in journalism, publishing and printing with E. L. Freeman & Co. for twelve years. He resumed the practice of law in 1888. Mr. Golds- worthy was married to Sarah L. Stafford, at Central Falls, R. I., in 1872. They have four children.

George Lewis Gower was born November 6th, 1849, at New Sharon. Maine. His father, Tanison Bartlett Gower, was a Baptist clergy- man, and died in 1859, leaving his wife, Maria Susan (Dix), a widow, with three boys, aged respectively nine, seven and five. George, the eldest of the three, was educated in Abbott's School in Farmington, Maine, in grammar and high school in Providence, R. I., and Brown University, in the class of 1871. He studied law with Samuel Currey of Providence four years, and was admitted to the bar there in Decem- ber, 1871. He was clerk of the Rhode Island house of representatives from 1876 to 1886 and judge advocate general of the state from 1883 to 1888. He has been associated with his brother, Fred. A. Gower, in telephone affairs from 1878. He was never extensively engaged in legal practice, but was connected with Providence newspapers from 1867 to 1880, and has acquired interests in telephone affairs and other business connections in Rhode Island and in Washington state, and is largely interested in the growth and development of the city of Tacoma, in the latter state. He was married in January, 1873, at Providence, to Frances, daughter of Hon. J. M. Blake, of Bristol, R. I. They have two children-Hope, born in 1875, and George Lewis, jr., born in 1876.

Edmund S. Hopkins, son of Israel Hopkins, was born at Laurel Ridge, Burrillville, in this county, August 21st, 1849. His mother was Louise M., daughter of Dr. Jervis J. Smith. The father of Ed- mund was a woolen manufacturer, and lived in Burrillville until 1859, when the family removed to Providence, and Edmund entered the public schools of that city. After spending several years in them he entered the private school of Mowry & Goff, to prepare for college. He then spent a year in the law office of Samuel Currey, Esq., and an-

HISTORY OF PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

other year in the office of William W. Blodgett, Esq., at Pawtucket. He then attended lectures at the Albany Law School, and on gradu- ating was admitted to the bar of New York state, February 14th, 1870. One month later he opened an office in Binghamton, N. Y., and in September of the same year he removed to Corning, where he formed a partnership with Hon. Henry Sherwood. He remained there until December, 1872, when he returned to Providence, and on March 14th, 1873, opened an office in that city, where he has since remained in the practice of law. He was elected a member of the city council in 1877, representing the Eighth ward, and served four years; also a repre- sentative in the general assembly in 1876 and 1877. He was elected assistant attorney general of the state, and held that office for two years. He was married at Providence, and has one son, Albert S. Hopkins, now a student at law.

Charles F. Ballou, son of Henry G. and Sarah L. (Fales) Ballou, was born in Woonsocket in 1847. His parents moved to Bristol when he was 13 years old. He was educated in the public schools of Bris- tol, and from the high school of that town he went to Brown Univer- sity, where he graduated in the class of 1869. He then studied in the law office of Charles H. Parkhurst, in Providence, and began the prac- tice of law in Woonsocket, He was president of the town council two years, and was elected to the general assembly, where he served for

successive years. He was appointed trial justice to succeed Judge Wilbur, when the latter was elected to the supreme court bench. He was trial justice until the district court act went into effect, and since then has held the office of district court judge. He was also elected by the city council probate judge, on the formation of the city gov- ernment.

Warren Goddard, Jr., attorney and counsellor at law, of the firm of Littlefield & Goddard, was born in the town of North Bridgewater, now the city of Brockton, Mass., October 10th, 1849. His father was Rev. Warren Goddard, who had been settled over the Brockton church of the New Jerusalem, in 1839. It is worthy of remark here that the Reverend Warren Goddard remained in that pastorate over 50 years, and the 50th anniversary of his settlement was celebrated in his old church, in the fall of 1889, the city generally participating in the cele- bration. The mother of our subject was Sarah Eldridge, a sister of the brothers, John, Oliver and Asa Eldridge, well known names among seafaring men. Among the brothers of Warren, Jr., are Rev- erend John Goddard, a distinguished clergyman of Cincinnati, Ohio; Reverend H. E. Goddard, pastor of the Brockton church of the New Jerusalem; Asa E. Goddard, teacher in the St. Louis University; and James F. Goddard, vice-president of the A., T. & S. F. railroad sys- tem. Warren Goddard, Jr., followed his father's profession for 15 years, and was the pastor of the New Jerusalem church in Brookline, Mass., and afterward of a society of the same faith in Providence. His

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History of Providence County, Rhode Island, Volume I, Part 9

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather), ed Publication date: 1891 Publisher: New York, W. W. Preston Number of Pages: 1036

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather), ed
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: New York, W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 1036