Biography of Ruel Whitcomb

Ruel Whitcomb, a resident of New London, Merrimack County, for nearly fifty years, was born December 20, 1822, in Newport, N.H., which was also the birthplace of his parents, Parmenas and Rua (Hurd) Whitcomb. His mother was a daughter of Samuel Hurd, a pioneer settler of Newport. His father’s father, Benjamin Whitcomb, removed from Henniker, this county, to Newport at an early period of its settlement. Parmenas Whitcomb was a farmer and lumberman, and helped build a saw mill in his native town, living in Newport until his death, at the age of eighty-five years. His first wife died at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Haven Powers

HAVEN POWERS, Son of Cyrus and Lydia Stow Powers, and grandson of Rev. Lemuel Powers, was born in 1817. After spending several years with his friends on a farm in Croydon, he studied law and settled at Milwaukee, Wis.

Biographical Sketch of Baruch Darling

Baruch Darling was born in Croydon, N. H., January 10, 1799, and came to this town in 1835, and settled upon the farm he now occupies. He married Martha Shaw and reared a family of six children, five of whom are now living, four in this town. Mrs. Darling died September 27, 1882, aged eighty-four years and six months. Of their children, Chester, Alden, Plumy and Sarah, wife of Solomon Goodale, reside in this town.

Biographical Sketch of Captain William Whipple

CAPT. WILLIAM WHIPPLE, son of Samuel Whipple, was an extensive farmer and the largest wool-grower in townat times kept a thousand sheep. He married Judith, daughter of Caleb Putnam, and lived on the farm since occupied by T. G. Powers, Esq. He died Dec. 5, 1852, aged 84 years.

Biographical Sketch of Orlando Powers

ORLANDO POWERS was born May 5, 1810. In 1832 he removed to Cornish Flat, where he now resides. He has been town clerk of Cornish seven years; was representative in 1844 and county treasurer in 1849-50. He has also been postmaster at Cornish Flat.

Biographical Sketch of David Whipple

DAVID WHIPPLE, son of Aaron, was a farmer and man of good judgment. He had an excellent memory, and retained his faculties almost unimpaired until the period of his death, at nearly eighty years of age. To him the editor is indebted for many facts relating to the fathers and mothers of the town.

Biographical Sketch of Williams Barton, M.D.

WILLIAMS BARTON, M.D. was born August 6, 1820. He attended Unity and Kimball Union Academies, studied medicine with Drs. Coburn, Hall and Nichols, graduated at the Medical Department of Dartmouth College in May, 1845, and soon after commenced practice at Croydon, where he now resides. He was three years commissioner of common schools for Sullivan County, and a teacher of elocution at the Teachers’ Institute.

Biographical Sketch of Ellen Putnam

ELLEN PUTNAM, youngest daughter of John Putnam, Esq., a fine scholar and successful teacher, married N. B. White, Esq., a lawyer at Omaha, Nebraska.

Biographical Sketch of Hon. Ruel Durkee

HON. RUEL DURKEE, born July 14, 1807, a farmer, was much in office at home. Shrewd, self-poised, with an instinctive knowledge of human nature, he was for nearly a whole generation one of the most conspicuous managers in the Republican party of the State. His presence was always required during the sittings of the Legislature and at all conventions It has been said that in caucus the lightning usually struck the aspirant towards whom his magnetic finger pointed. He died in July, 1885.

Biography of Captain Worthen Hall

CAPT. WORTHEN HALL, son of Darius, and grandson of Lt. Edward Hall, was born July 11, 1802. He had few early advantages ; until he was twenty-five years of age he struggled against all the embarrassments which a deficient education, poor health, poverty and ill-luck, could throw in his pathway. In 1827 he went to sea in a whaling vessel, before the mast, as a common sailor. He was adapted to the business, and was regularly promoted at the end of each successive voyage, until the fall of 1837, when he became Master of the ship, which position he held … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel French Putnam

NATHANIEL FRENCH PUTNAM, fourth son of John Putnam, Esq., was born February 2, 1839. He graduated at Bowdoin College in 1863; entered the General Theological Seminary, New York, November, 1863, graduated June, 1866; was ordained Deacon in the Protestant Episcopal Church at Claremont, May 27, 1866, by the Rt. Rev. Carlton Chase, D. D., Bishop of New Hampshire, and took charge of St. John’s Church, Poultney, Vt., July 1, 1866.

Biographical Sketch of Willard C. Kempton

WILLARD C. KEMPTON, son of Col. Calvin Kempton, was born Oct. 13, 1840. He labored on the farm at home until 1858. He then attended school at Newport and Kimball Union Academies until 1861, when he commenced the study of medicine with his uncle, Dr. W. Clough, of Pittsfield, Mass. He attended lectures at Berkshire and Hanover Medical Colleges. He went to the war as a hospital steward, but was subsequently appointed successively Assistant Surgeon of a colored regiment, of the second Reg. N. H. Vols., and of the Freedmen’s Bureau. He married Elvira M. Johnson, of Springfield, N. H., … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hiram Smart

HIRAM SMART, son of the preceding, has been a Representative from Plaistow in the Legislature, a School Commissioner, and Register of Deeds for Rockingham County, and is now in the Boston Custom House.

Biographical Sketch of Col. Otis Cooper

COL. OTIS COOPER, son of Dea. Sherman Cooper, was born in 1806. He worked on the farm during his minority, and from seventeen to twenty-one taught school during the winter season with much success. He took a deep interest in military affairs, and rose to the rank of Colonel. He was unanimously chosen deacon of the Universalist Church of Croydon at its organization in 1853. He held the office of Justice of the Peace for twenty years, and was one of the board of Selectmen. He resides on the old farm selected by his grandfather in 1772. He married Hannah, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ezekiel Powers

EZEKIEL POWERS, son of Ezekiel and Hannah Hall Powers, was born in 1771, and was the first male child born in town. At the age of nineteen he married Susan Rice, and subsequently Lydia Lane and Lois Barden, and had twenty-one children-four sons and seventeen daughters; fifteen of the latter grew to womanhood, and were characterized by those qualities which distinguish the Powers family. Like his father he was remarkable for great physical power. At the age of eighty he weighed 265 pounds. He had a great memory, and was a lover of fun.

Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah Newell

JEREMIAH NEWELL, one of the early comers to Croydon, settled at Ryder Corner, and was an extensive farmer, tidy, energetic and proud. His “Hack,” the first in town, was an object of great interest to the” little folks.” He was father to JEREMIAH, who was for a long time a popular sheriff at Newport, of PARKER N., merchant at Newport, and now at Princeton, Ill., of BENJAMIN, merchant and speculator, also at Princeton, Ill., and grandfather of THANKFUL M., daughter of David, a lady of uncommon energy and business talent-late wife of Shepherd L. Bowers, Esq., of Newport.

Biographical Sketch of Elijah Cooper

ELIJAH COOPER, an intelligent physician, was son of Horatio Cooper, and grandson of Nathaniel Cooper, the oldest son of Dea. John Cooper. He graduated at Dartmouth College. After completing his studies, he practiced for a while with decided success at Newport, N. H., but subsequently removed to Columbus, Ohio, where he had an extensive practice for two years, when he removed to Newark, in the same State, where he also had a practice extending over a large section of country, but which so wrought upon his health that he abandoned it altogether in 1833, entered into a large mercantile business, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hon. Lemuel P. Cooper

HON. LEMUEL P. COOPER, son of Dea. Sherman Cooper, was born July 1S, 1803. He has been one of the most scientific and thorough farmers in town. He was educated at Newport and Claremont Academies, taught school for more than twenty winters, and was long intrusted with the general management of the schools through town. In 1831, he was married to Laura Whipple, and had one son, Dr. Sherman Cooper, and two daughters, MARY and ELLEN. The sisters were educated at Kimball Union Academy, and studied French at St. Marys, Canada East. They became so proficient as to be able … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Sherburn Merrill

JOSHUA B. and SHERBURN MERRILL, sons of Samuel Merrill, spent the earlier part of their lives at the homestead, east of Spectacle Pond. To their early struggles with poverty they owe much of those resolute wills, which have enabled them to make after-progress in the business world. The former has for several years represented Barnstead in the Legislature, and the latter has represented Colebrook.