Keene New Hampshire

Biographical Sketch of Henry Coolidge

Henry Coolidge was born in Massachusetts, July 1.4, 1787, and married Calista Pond, who was born September 18, 1791. He came to Keene when quite young, and clerked in Fosters store at Ash Swamp, for a time. He was clerk of the court of common pleas for many years. He was very highly respected, and was often consulted on legal points, although not a lawyer. He was a surveyor, and did a great deal of that business. He died March 20, 1843. Only one of his six children is living, Jane F., who married Dr. A. S. Carpenter, and resides … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel O. Gates

Samuel O. Gates, son of Joel, was born at Hancock, August 5, 1827 and came to Keene in 1851, where he was engaged in mercantile business and in the manufacture of boots and shoes for fifteen years. He has been selectman, city marshall four years, deputy sheriff fifteen years, and still holds the latter position. He was chief of police in 1881, and represented Keene in the legislature in 1864-65. He married Sarah A. Randall, of Keene, June 29, 1854. She died September 14, 1877.

Military History of Keene, New Hampshire

During the period of the Revolution, Keene performed her part faithfully. In 1773 the foot company of Keene numbered 126, under command of Col.. Josiah Willard. The alarm list, numbering forty-five, seems to have been made up of the older men, including many of the original settlers; the selectmen of Keene, David Nims. Eliphalet Briggs, Jr., and Benjamin Hall, reported the following census for Keene : Unmarried men, from sixteen to sixty 65. Married men, from sixteen to sixty 96 Boys, sixteen years and under : 140• Men, sixty years and upwards : 1, Females, unmarried 217 Females, married 105. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. S. M. Dinsmore

Dr. S. M. Dinsmore was born in Antrim, N. H., June 22, 1836, graduated as an M. D. March, 1860, from Columbian university, of Washington, D. C., practiced medicine in Sullivan and Hillsboro counties for twenty years, and located in Keene in 1881, where he now resides.

Biographical Sketch of Captain Noah

Captain Noah, the father, was a man of great physical strength and endurance, and of sound common sense, a man strictly honest and upright in all his dealings and taught his children to be truthful, honest, and industrious, both by precept and example. His business in early life was farming till he was about thirty, when by an accident he lost one limb below the knee. After that, his business was mostly that of shoe making, and harness making, until his death. Seven of this family were living in January 1885. Silas, whose name stands at the head of this … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Farnum F. Lane

Farnum F. Lane, son of Ezekiel, was born in Swanzey, March 15; 1816, He studied law in Keene, with Thomas M. Edwards, and was admitted to the bar in 1843. He married Harriet E. Butler, of Winchester, and has had born to him three children, two of whom are living, Helen L. and Emily B. The latter resides at home, and Helen L. married Gustavus Luke, and resides in Sherbrook, P. Q. Mr. Lane represented the town of Walpole in the legislature, in 1847-48, and represented Keene in 1861-6z. He located in this town in 1849, and has since resided … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. George B. Twitchell

Dr. George B. Twitchell, son of Timothy, was born at Petersburg, Va., in 1820, studied medicine with his uncle, Amos Twitchell, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, in 1843. He entered the army in 1862, as surgeon of the 13th N. H. Vols., and was promoted that same year to brigadier-surgeon of the 3d Brigade. In April, 1863, he received the appointment of surgeon of N. S. V., by President Lincoln. He resigned in the autumn of 1863, on account of sickness, and has since practiced medicine in Keene. He married Susan E., daughter of Gideon F. Thayer, of … Read more

Biography of John Humphrey

John Humphrey, the founder and present general manager of the Humphrey Machine Company, was born October 12, 18$4, at Lyndon, Vt., from whence, at the age of nine years, his childhood home was changed to Rindge, N. H., and, with the exception of two years, he has since been a resident of Cheshire county. Not being exempt from enrollment in the great army of toilers for daily bread, he was early mustered into service in the conflict of life, and after some experience in the grist-mill and upon the farm of his step-father, he started out at the age of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hon. Peleg Sprague

Hon. Peleg Sprague became prominent in Keene, in 1792. He was born in Rochester, Mass., December 10, 1756, graduated at Dartmouth college, 1787, and settled in Keene. He was elected to Congress in 1797, to fill a vacancy, and was re-elect-l in 1799. He was taken sick, resigned, returned, and died April 20, 1800.

Biographical Sketch of Hon. Thomas Mackie Edwards

Hon. Thomas Mackie Edwards, son of Dr. Thomas Edwards, was born in Providence, in 1795, but was brought to Keene by his parents at an early age. He fitted for college with Rev. John Sabine, of Fitzwilliam, graduated at Dartmouth college, in 1813, read law with Henry Hubbard, of Charlestown, and commenced to practice in Keene. He was postmaster at Keene from 1817 to 1829, and was eight years a member of the state legislature, between the years 18J4 and 1856. In the latter year he was a presidential elector. In 1859 and 1861, he was elected a representative in … Read more

General History of Keene, New Hampshire

Even at this early date, however, a spirited controversy was in progress between the provinces of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, relative to the position of the boundary line between them (see page 64). The final settlement of this mooted question by King George II., in 1740, left the new township far within the limits of New Hampshire. On the third of October the proprietor held a meeting, to consider this grave subject of, which the following records of proceedings is left: “The proprietors being informed that, by the determination of his majesty in council respecting the controverted bounds between the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Solomon Woodward

Solomon Woodward came to this town, from Milbury, Mass., in 1797 and settled upon the farm now owned by his son Daniel. The latter resides here and is eighty-five years of age.

Biographical Sketch of Hiram Blake

Hiram Blake was born in Rindge, February 9, 1838, was educated at New Ipswich academy, graduated at Albany Law school, in 1862, and practiced in New York city two years. From that time Mr. Blake traveled extensively in the West, being located six years in Nebraska, and settled in Keene in 1873.

Biographical Sketch of John Holbrook

John Holbrook, son of John, was born in Uxbridge, Mass., August, 17, 1788. He married Mercy Hill, came to Swanzey in 1802, and located in the southern part of the town on the farm now owned by Israel Gun. He was a carpenter and wheelwright, and died in 1838. Five of his ten children are living, two of them, Sophia, widow of Carlistine Blake, and Daniel H., residing in Keene. The latter was born at Swanzey January 8, 1806. He received a common school education, and was engaged as a farmer and manufacturer of and dealer in lumber until his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah Pratt

Jeremiah Pratt, a native of Massachusetts, was an early settler in Winchester, N. H., married Sarah, daughter of Robert Newton, and reared seven children. Jeremiah, Jr., married Lucy, daughter of William and Lucy Richford, and had born to him nine children, five of whom are living. Robert W., the youngest son of Jeremiah, Jr., married Ruby W., daughter of Jacob and Ruby (Prindall) Moody, of Northfield, Mass., and resides in Keene, on Washington street. Their children are Mrs. Hattie E. Parks, Mrs. Abbie A. Conan, and Charles R.

Biographical Sketch of Massa Bassett

Massa Bassett, from Keene, N. H., came to Eden in the spring of 1808, locating near the western border of the town, where he reared a family of eight children, and was a leader among his townsmen for many years. George, his second son, born in z8 10, resided here until his death, in 1899, leaving a family of five children. George was for many years actively interested in town affairs, holding many of the town offices. Two of his children now reside here. William G., born in 1838, is a large real estate owner, located on road a1. He. … Read more

Everend J. Young Genealogy

Young, Everend J. b. in Croyden, 1850; son of Caleb J. and Eliza (Heath) Young; m (1.) Nora A. Butterfield; m. (2), Nov. 4, 1914, in Keene, by Rev. E. F. Miller, to Mrs. Eunice I. (Rumrill) Howard, b. in Weathersfield, Vt., 1868; dau. of Horace and Lucinda (Randall) Rumrill. Ch.: Harold L.2, b. Washington, N. H.; m. Feb. 28, 1903, in Marlow by Rev. F. O. Tyler of Marlow, to Grace A. Knight, b. in Marlow, Mar., 1883; d. there, Sept. 19, 1914; dau. of Milan A. and Vesta E. (Shelley) Knight. Ch.: Emory E.3, b. June 23, 1903. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Amos B. Tenney

Amos B. Tenney was born in New Salem, Mass., May 25, 1815, and at the age of fourteen years came to Marlboro and lived with his uncle, William Tenney, until twenty-one years of age. He married Relief L. McCollister, who was born in Marlboro, October 23, 1823. Mr. Tenney was superintendent of a pail shop in Marlboro several years, and in 1863 moved to Lawrence, N. Y., and carried on the pail and butter-tub business for nine years. He came to Keene in 1872. He has only one child, Oliver S., who resides here, a milk dealer.

Biography of John Colony

John Colony, son of a nobleman, was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1730, and came to Boston when he was sixteen years of age. He had with him a bag of gold which was subsequently stolen from him, leaving him but four cents. After paying the toll to Charleston he had two cents left and had had no breakfast. He, however, obtained a half cord of wood to saw, thus enabling him to buy himself something to eat. He prospered, being willing to do any kind of work he could get to do. He came to Keene in 1761, and … Read more

Keene New Hampshire Proprietor List

In March, 1732, a committee was appointed to lay out house-lots in the townships mentioned, who, in June, made a report of the house-lots in the Upper township. Of these, fifty-four were laid out on what is now the city plain, twenty-seven on each side of the Main street, and the other nine upon the plain on the Swanzey line. They were 160 rods long and eight rods wide, each containing eight acres. This committee, being also authorized to admit settlers, notified all persons who were desirous of taking lots to meet at Concord, Mass., June 26, 1734. A few … Read more