USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > Men of progress; biographical sketches and portraits of leaders in business and professional life in the state of Rhode Island and Providence plantations > Part 13
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CHAMPLIN, CHRISTOPHER ELIHU, was born at the homestead of his grandfather Rose on the easterly side of Block Island, September 24, 1860, the son of John P. and Lydia M. (Rose) Champlin. He comes from old Rhode Island families on both sides, his great-grandfather, Nathaniel E., being the first Champlain to settle on Block Island, and the Rose family having been long identified with its history. He received his education in the public schools of New Shoreham and at East Greenwich Academy, where he was prepared for Brown Uni- versity in which he studied. He adopted the law as his profession and received his early training in the office of Edward H. Hazard and Col. C. H. Parkhurst of Providence. He studied in the Boston University of Law, from which he graduated in the class of 1884, and was admitted to the Suffolk County bar of Massachusetts in July 1884, and to the Rhode Island bar the following year. Im-
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mediately upon admission to the Rhode Island bar he opened a law office in Providence, where he has acquired a valuable practice. Although practicing in Providence he has retained his residence in New Shoreham, and has been its Town Solicitor for the
CHRISTOPHER E. CHAMPLIN.
past ten consecutive years. In 1887 he entered in- to politics and was elected a Representative to the General Assembly from New Shoreham, and was unanimously re-elected the following year, serving upon the Judiciary Committee for both terms. In 1888 he was Secretary of the Democratic State Cen- tral Committee of Rhode Island. In 1890 he was elected a Senator to the General Assembly from New Shoreham, and has been continuously re-elected each year since, serving upon the Judiciary and Corpora- tion committees. From the beginning of his legisla- tive career he interested himself strongly in securing an appropriation for the construction of a harbor of refuge in the Great Salt Pond of Block Island, and it was due chiefly to his exertions that the work was accomplished. At the formal dedication of the new harbor, September 21, 1895, Senator Champlin made the address of welcome to the Executive, Judi- cial and Representative bodies of the State. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of New Shoreham, and of Atlantic Lodge of Masons. He was married, October 14, 1891, to Miss Joannah Hayes; they have no children.
CLARK, HENRY CLINTON, President of the Rhode Island Coal Company, Providence, was born in Providence, November 28, 1822, son of Sterry and Julia Ann (Morse) Clark. He came of good old New England stock, his grandfathers on both sides hav- ing been Revolutionary soldiers. His first American ancestors settled in Southbridge, Mass., where his father, Sterry Clark, was born. He received his early education in the public schools of Providence, commenced active business life in 1841 as a clerk in the employ of Jackson & Clark, and held that position until his admission into the firm, whose name was changed to Jackson, Clark & Company. The firm name underwent successive changes to S. Clark & Co., Clark & Coggeshall, Clark & Webb, H. C. Clark & Co., and later to the Providence Coal Company, as the head of which Mr. Clark has conducted one of the largest coal concerns in New England. He has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and has been influential with voice and pen both in and out of office. He was a member of the State Legis- lature, and of the Common Council of Providence from 1882 to 1885, and was a member of the Board
HENRY C. CLARK.
of Aldermen in 1876. In 1892 and 1895 he was an independent candidate for Mayor. In politics he was originally a Whig, later a Freesoiler, and then a Republican. He is not a member of any society or club, preferring to devote his time to business and
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his family. On February 27, 1895, Mr. Clark pre- sented to his native city a bronze statue of Ebenezer Knight Dexter, a philanthropist who gave his large property for the benefit of the homeless and the public. He was married, January 21, 1844, to Miss Martha E. Field, who died December 8, 1888 ; they had one child, a son : Harry C. Clark. He married, second, Miss Mary Caroline Phillips.
CLARKE, CHARLES KENDALL, physician and sur- geon, Fiskeville, was born in North Scituate, R. I.,
CHAS. K. CLARKE,
January 9, 1851, the son of Daniel A. and Mary E. (Harrington) Clarke. He received his early edu- cation at the public schools and at Lapham Institute. He adopted medicine as a profession, and studied at the Bellevue Hospital in New York, from which he graduated March 1, 1874, with the degree of M. D. He established himself as a physician at Fiskeville, in the town of Scituate, R. I., in 1875, where he has since remained in the enjoyment of a large practice. In addition to his professional work Dr. Clarke has been Superintendent of Public Schools and Assessor of Taxes in the town of Scituate. He is a member of the Rhode Island Medical Society and of the Royal Society of Good Fellows. In politics he is a Repub-
lican. He married, January 8, 1875, Miss Lizzie M. Manter ; they have had two children : Daniel A. and Mary M. Clarke ; the latter died in January 1888.
COLT, SAMUEL POMEROY, President of the In- dustrial Trust Company, Providence, was born at Paterson, New Jersey, January 10, 1852, the son of Christopher and Theodora (DeWolf) Colt. On his father's side he is descended from the Colts of Hart- ford, Conn., his grandfather being Christopher Colt, and his uncle Samuel Colt (for whom he is named) was the inventor of the Colt's Revolver, and founder of the Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Com- pany, Hartford, Conn. His grandfather's brother was Peter Colt of New York, and his son was Ros- well Colt of Paterson, New Jersey. On his mother's side he is of the DeWolfs of Rhode Island. His grandfather was General George DeWolf, who, in 1810, built the colonial mansion at Bristol, R. I., the present summer residence of the subject of this sketch. The DeWolfs were extensively engaged in East and West India trade in the early part of the century, and in privateering, in which they amassed large fortunes for those days. James DeWolf, his great-uncle, was United States Senator from Rhode Island in 1821, and drove from Bristol to Washing- ton with his own four-in-hand; the coach used is still preserved. Henry Goodwin of Newport, R. I., Attorney-General of Rhode Island, 1787-1789, was also a great-uncle. His great-grandfather was Gov. William Bradford, who was of the sixth gen- eration from Gov. William Bradford of Plymouth Colony, who crossed in the Mayflower. He re- ceived his early education from five to ten at New Hartford, Conn., ten to fourteen at Hartford, Conn., and afterward at Bristol, R. I., and Anthon's Gram- mar School, New York. At eighteen he entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated at twenty-one in 1873. He passed a year travelling in Europe, 1873-74. On his return he entered the Columbia Law School, New York, autumn of 1874, graduating in the spring of 1876, and was admitted to the New York bar May 1876. He was admitted to the Rhode Island bar January I, 1877. He was Aide-de-Camp on the staff of Gov. Henry Lippitt, with rank of Colonel in 1875- 76-77. He was elected a member of the General Assembly from Bristol 1876-77-78-79, was Assistant Attorney-General of Rhode Island 1879-80-81, he was elected as the Republican candidate for Attorney-General of Rhode Island 1882-83-84-35.
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After his term of office he again visited Europe. He founded the Industrial Trust Company, Providence, 1887, and reorganized the National Rubber Com- pany of Bristol, 1888. He has been President of the Industrial Trust Company and National India Rubber Company since their organization. He is President of the National Eagle Bank and Vice- President of the First National Bank, of Bristol, also a Director, member of Executive Committee and Legal Adviser of the United States Rubber Company. He married, January 12, 1881, Miss Elizabeth M. Bullock, daughter of J. Russell Bul- lock, Ex-Judge of Supreme and United States District Courts of Rhode Island; they have two children : Russell Griswold, born October 1, 1882, and Roswell Christopher, born October 10, 1889.
CONGDON, WILLIAM WASHINGTON, retired busi- ness man, Wickford, was born in North Kingston, R. I., February 22, 1831, the son of Stanton W. and Izette (Hammond) Congdon. He comes of old
WM. W. CONGDON.
Rhode Island ancestry, his grandfather being Daniel Congdon, and his grandmother Hannah Stanton. He received his early education in the common schools, and engaged in active business life when quite young. For thirty-five years he conducted a
livery business and stage route, and for fifteen years was conductor on the Newport & Wickford Railroad, retiring from active business in 1892. He has been a Deputy Sheriff of Washington county, member of the Town Council of Wickford in 1891-92, Repre- sentative in the General Assemby in 1894, and a Director in the National Bank and Savings Bank of Wickford. In politics he is a Republican. He married, in November 1856, Miss Frances A. Gardner, daughter of George and Mary A. Gard- ner ; they had one daughter, who died in infancy.
CONLEY, JOHN EDWARD, attorney-at-law, Prov- idence, was born in Warren, R. I., September 7,
JOHN E. CONLEY.
1868, son of Michael F. and Catherine (Dolan) Conley. His father died when he was about four- teen years of age, and he has been in a great measure dependent on his own exertions for success in life. He received his early education in the public schools of Warren and the Perry Business College of Providence. He attended Brown Uni- versity for two years, after which he was bookkeeper and clerk until November 1885, when he entered the office of the Hon. George J. West, Providence, for the study of law. He was admitted to the Rhode Island bar July 29, 1889, and has since been as-
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sociated with Mr. West in practice. He has taken an active part in politics and public life. Hc served as a clerk of the Committee on Corporations in the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1889-1890, and was elected Clerk of the House of Representatives for the political years 1893-94. He has been Sec- retary of the Democratic State Central Committee for the past two years and still holds the office. He has also been Chairman and Secretary of the Demo- cratic Town Committee of Warren for the past five years, and has held other offices of importance and responsibility in his party. He is a good speaker, and occasionally writes for the current magazines and newspapers. He served in the Rhode Island militia for over two years as First Lieutenant of Company A, Second Regiment, and was elected Captain in May 1892, resigning in February 1893. He is President of the Catholic Club of Warren, is a member of Burnside Lodge Knights of Pythias, Bristol, R. I., of Massasoit Council Royal Arcanum, Warren, and a member of the Democratic Club of the city of New York. He married, September 22, 1891, Miss Esther J. Murphy; they have two children : Gertrude and Esther Conley.
CONLEY, MARTIN JOSEPH, Postmaster at War- ren, was born in Warren, R. I., December 4, 1869, the son of Michael F. and Catherine (Dolan) Con- ley. His father was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, came to this country when a small boy and was engaged in the grocery business in Warren from 1871 until October 14, 1880, the date of his death ; he was well-known and highly respected, and a citizen who took a prominent part in town affairs. His mother was born in Longford, Leinster province, Ireland, and came to this country when a child. He received his education in the public schools of Warren and in Bryant & Stratton's Com- mercial College of Providence. His business ser- vice has been that of a bookkeeper and collector, and he was engaged in the boot and shoe and drygoods business for three years. He was ap- pointed Postmaster in Warren, February 10, 1895, and is one of the youngest, if not the youngest, ever appointed to that position. He served for seven years in the state militia and retired with the rank of Sergeant-Major. He has held office in Massasoit Council, Royal Arcanum. In politics he is a Democrat, and was a member of the town com- mittee of that party for some years previous to his appointment as Postmaster. He is a member of
Burnside Lodge Knights of Pythias of Bristol, of Massasoit Council Royal Arcanum and the Catholic Club of Warren. He is much interested in athlet- ics and at present holds the county championship
MARTIN J. CONLEY.
for bowling. Mr. Conley is a brother of Hon. John E. Conley, ex-Clerk of the Rhode Island House of Representatives and at present the Secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee of Rhode Is- land. He is unmarried.
COOPER, ROBERT WRIGHT, manufacturer, is a native of Manchester, England, born September 2, 1844, son of Francis A. and Maria (Wright) Cooper. His paternal grandfather, Francis Cooper, came from Ripon, Yorkshire, England, where his fore- fathers lived for many generations. On the maternal side, his grandfather, Robert Wright, was a Man- chester merchant, originally from Coventry, War- wickshire, England. His early education was ac- quired in private schools, principally Alms Hill Academy at Cheetham Hill, Manchester. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a large dry- goods firm in Manchester, where from the first his ambition to " get on " was manifested by diligence, punctuality - never being known to be late -- and by paying very close attention to business. When seventeen years of age he commenced taking short
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trips as a commercial traveller, and at nineteen he made his first journey to New York. After several years of hard struggle he succeeded in working up a valuable connection with leading firms in the largest American cities, in English full-fashioned hosiery, representing manufacturers of Nottingham, England, with whom he was associated, first as travelling salesman, later as partner, and finally establishing his own firm of R. W. Cooper & Co. He continued his American trips for twenty-one years, crossing the ocean about one hundred times, and travelling an average of nearly twenty-five thou- sand miles a year, without ever meeting with an
ROBERT W. COOPER.
accident. About the year 1880 he began to lose his trade, the German manufacturers coming into the market with the same class of goods, but made by their cheap " pauper " labor, paying wages about one-third what he was paying in England, thus en- abling them to undersell him in the American mar- ket. After several years of ineffectual struggling to meet the conditions arising from this German com- petition, he found that to save himself from ruin he must choose one of two things - move to Germany to secure the advantage of cheap labor, or move to America and get the benefit of the protective tariff. He decided upon the latter. With the aid of New York friends he removed his machinery and skilled work-people to this country, arriving with them
December 24, 1884, in the village of Thornton, R. I., where a mill and cottages had been especially built for them by Charles Fletcher of Providence. They succeeded in making exactly similar goods in their new home to those they had made for so many years in England, hence the appropriate change in the firm name to British Hosiery Company, which was incorporated under Rhode Island state laws in 1885. The industry thus brought here was entirely new in this country, and in their specialty- full- fashioned cashmere hosiery - they are still (1895) alone in it. The business has grown to four times the size of eleven years ago. When they came to Thorn- ton they found about two hundred inhabitants ; now the village contains about fifteen hundred prosperous and contented people, some of the most thrifty living in houses of their own. They have two churches, large public school, city water, macadamized roads and electric cars from Olneyville. Nearly all Mr. Cooper's people, with himself, have become Ameri- can citizens. He has never held public office in this country, outside of the different societies in his village, as he is too busy a man in his private affairs, which after all may be termed public in a measure, inasmuch as upon their successful conduct depend the welfare and prosperity of a large and growing community. In England he was prominent in church and temperance work, holding office as Deacon in the church and as Vice-President in temperance societies in Nottingham. In politics he is not active, but is an adherent of the Repub- lican party. His elder son, Oliver W., in his twenty- second year, is learning the business with him ; his other son Augustus, is at school in Europe.
COVELL, WILLIAM HENRY, of Providence, mer- chant, was born in Killingly, Conn., January 27, 1836, son of Willis and Lydia (Perrin) Covell. His grandfather, Ebenezer Covell, was in the Revolu- tionary war, serving as body guard to General Washington ; and his father, Willis Covell, was one of those who answered to the call for men in 1812. His early education was obtained in the public schools and academy of Thompson, Conn., and East Greenwich, R. I. In 1858 he commenced farming in Thompson, Conn., and continued until 1861, when he took up the meat, poultry and produce business, and carried it on until July 1866. He then removed to Olneyville, R. I., and entered the grocery trade, in connection with R. S. Rouse, under the firm name of R. S. Rouse & Company, continuing to
ยท
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May 1871. In October 1871 he opened a new store in Olneyville under the name of Wm. H. Covell & Company, continuing until obliged to close out on account of ill health. In 1878 he opened a store at No. 589 Atwell's Avenue, formerly the Cove Store, owned by the Richmond Manufacturing Com- pany, in connection with S. N. Davis, under the old name of Wm. H. Covell & Company, where the firm now carries on the hay, grain, wood, coal, grocery and market business. Mr. Covell was a member of the Town Council of North Providence in 1873-74, and for several years was trustee of North Providence School District No. 8, now the Tenth Ward of the
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W. H. COVELL.
city of Providence. He served on the School Com- mittee of Providenee in 1878-80, was elected to the Common Council in 1883 and again in the succes- sive six years 1888-93 ; was a member of the Com- mittee on Highways six years and chairman four years ; and served on the Railroad Committee three years, Finance three years, Lights one year and on Committee City Engineer's Department three years. He was appointed in 1888 on a committee to pur- chase land for sewerage purposes, and is still acting in that capacity. He has also served upon com- mittees to confer with owners of the shore between Hill's Wharf and Sassafras Point, relative to improved navigation ; to examine and report relative to taxa- tion upon special franchises ; to confer with owners
of real estate relative to the widening of Elmwood Avenue, and other important committees. He was elected a Representative to the General Assembly in 1886-87, 1891-92 and 1894-95, and in 1892 was appointed on a committee to examine into the con- dition of the roads and public highways of the State. Mr. Covell is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the Young Men's Republican Club of Providence, and the Mount Pleasant Republican Club of the Tenth Ward. He is also a member of the Butchers and Marketmen's Association of Providence, and President of the Olneyville Business Men's Associa- tion. He was married June 2, 1858, to Miss Mary Jane Davis; they have four children : Agnes M., Alice L., Lucy F. and William H. Covell, Jr.
COYLE, REV. JAMES, pastor of Saint Joseph's Church, Newport, was born in Abbeylara, County Longford, Ireland, September 9, 1850, son of Daniel and Mary (Reilly) Coyle. His ancestry on both sides is distinctively old Irish. He acquired his rudimentary education in the Irish national schools, and came to America with his parents early in 1863. After spending two years in Saint Joseph's College, Bardstown, Ky., going there in September 1869, he entered in September 1871 Laselle Academy, Prov- idence, where he taught Latin, at the same time con- tinuing his own studies under Rev. H. F. Kinnerney. In September 1872, with the purpose mainly of ac- quiring a knowledge of the French language, he went to Saint Laurent College, near Montreal, where he graduated in June 1874. While at Saint Laurent he was president of the leading literary society, editor of the weekly college journal, the Spectator, and class valedictorian. He entered the Grand Seminary, Montreal, in September following, and was there raised to the priesthood, December 22, 1877. Bishop O'Reilly of the Springfield diocese needing priests, he was sent temporarily to Springfield, and reported for duty at North Adams, January 19, 1878; and on the return of the pastor of North Adams, then in Europe, was appointed assistant at Millbury, Mass., remaining there until called by Bishop Hendricken to the Cathedral in Providence, February 11, 1880, where he labored until ap- pointed pastor of the new parish in Newport, Janu- ary 14, 1885. Father Coyle's first services in New- port were held in the old Unitarian Church on Mill street, January 25, 1885. The new parish had not then an inch of ground, nor a resting place of any
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description. The pastor bought the property of the Zion Church corporation, paying therefor $15,025, and celebrated the first mass therein on Sunday, March 8, 1885. He remodeled and beautified the church interior, and in January 1887 purchased the
JAMES COYLE.
adjoining property, known as the Young estate, at a cost of $28,500. In May 1887 he began the erec- tion of a rectory, which was tenanted the following October, the estimated cost being $9,000. A con- vent was finished and occupied by the Sisters of Saint Joseph in July 1889, and a private academy started the September following. Catholics and non-Catholics generously seconded Father Coyle's efforts, many rare and costly gifts testifying to their continued goodwill. On the 2d of August 1891, one of the finest school buildings in New England was dedicated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Harkins; the donor, till then unknown, being George Babcock Hazard, a non-Catholic. In this substantial manner one of Newport's oldest citizens proved his friend- ship for Saint Joseph's pastor. Ten teachers and five hundred and fifty children now utilize Mr. Hazard's beneficence. In the eleven years of his pastorate Father Coyle has collected and disbursed upwards of $165,000, aside from the Hazard gift, and Saint Joseph's, one of the finest church proper- ties in the diocese, is now entirely free from debt, a splendid showing, all things considered.
CROOKER, GEORGE HAZARD, physician and surgeon, Providence, was born in Providence, Feb- ruary 25, 1865, son of Josiah Whipple and Eliza (Hazard) Crooker. He is descended from old New England stock on both sides, the Crooker family of Richmond, New Hampshire, and the Hazard family of Wakefield, R. I., both very well known and distinguished for generations. He re- ceived his preparatory education in Mowry & Goff's Classical School, Providence, from which he graduated in 1883. He then entered Brown University, from which he graduated in 1887 with the degree of A. B., receiving that of A. M. in 1890. He adopted medicine as a profession and entered the Harvard Medical School, from which he gradu- ated in 1893 with the degree of M. D. In 1890 he went to Europe to complete his education and spent two years in studying in Heidelburg, Vienna, Berlin, Dresden and London. In the winter of 1892-93 he took a course of hospital work in Boston. He began the practice of medicine in Providence in the spring of 1894. He holds the positions of Externe of the Rhode Island Hospital
GEORGE H. CROOKER.
and House Physician of the Providence Lying-in- Hospital. Dr. Crooker is a member of the Rhode Island Medical Society and the Providence Medical Association, also of the Providence Art Club and the Providence Athletic Association. He is unmarried.
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CRUMB, ALEXANDER GREEN, of Westerly, gran- ite manufacturer, was born in Charlestown, R. I., November 2, 1830, son of Gardner and Hannah Hoxsie (Hazard) Crumb. His education was ob- tained in the common schools of his native town. He worked as a farm hand during his youth, after- ward learning the granite cutter's trade, embarking in the granite business for himself in 1857, and in which he has continued to the present time. With him are associated his three sons in the business, under the firm name of A. G. Crumb and Sons their quarry and works being located at or near Niantic, in the town of Westerly. Mr. Crumb has been vari-
ALEXANDER G. CRUMB.
ously honored by his fellow citizens by his election to public office. He was a member of the Town Board of Assessors for eight years, and in 1888 was elected a member of the Town Council, which office he has held continuously since, serving as president of the council in 1893-94. In April 1895 he was chosen to represent the town of Westerly in the General Assembly of the state, in which capacity therefore he at present serves. He is a member of the Business Men's Association of Westerly, but belongs to no other important social, business or fraternal organization. In politics he is a Repub- lican. He was married, January 15, 1857, to Miss Sarah Frances Hines; they have five children :
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