Keene New Hampshire Genealogy

Biographical Sketch of Dea. Luke Joslin

Dea. Luke Joslin, born in Stoddard, December 22, 1797, married Lydia, daughter of Samuel Foster, of Stoddard, November 24; 1824. They lived in `Leominster Corner” until 1840, when they moved to a farm near the village. He held many offices of trust while in town, and was a deacon of the Congregational church for some years. They sold their farm and moved to Keene in April, 1855, where he died June 3, 1875. His widow is still living, at the age of eighty-four years. They had three children born in Stoddard, Gilman Joslin, born December 4, 1825, married Susan Wilson, … Read more

Fair Grounds And Trotting Park of Keene, NH

The Cheshire County Agricultural Society has grounds here, twenty-six acres in extent, with all the buildings and accessories necessary to a firstclass exhibition, which annually is made. In laying out the grounds the forest trees were permitted to stand along the avenues where the cattle pens are located, so that visitors may view the specimens and be well protected from sun or rain. The grounds are about a mile and a half distant from the cityhall. The Agricultural Society was organized January 16, 1850, when Salma Hale, of Keene, was chosen president; A. B. Hodskins, of Walpole, Edmund Jones, of … 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

Keene, Cheshire County, New Hampshire History

Keene, the county seat, lies in the central part of the county, in lat. 42º 55 and long. 4º 47, bounded north by Westmoreland, Gilsum and Sullivan, east by Sullivan and Roxbury, south by Swanzey, and west by Chesterfield and Westmoreland. The boundaries thus roughly given enclose a beautiful territory of about 22,010 acres, all included within the corporation limits of the charming little city of Keene. We say “little,” for it must be borne in mind that the city is yet in the swaddling clothes of infancy, and despite its large area has a population of less than 7,000 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Houghton Fuller

John Houghton Fuller was of a family which, during his childhood, emigrated from Lunenburg, Mass., to Walpole in this county, sometime during the last decade of the last century. He passed his youth in Walpole, and began active life in a country store, first in Chesterfield, then in Winchester, and then in Keene, where he soon engaged in wool-dealing, which became the main business of his after life. While living at Winchester, he was called to act as adjutant-general of the government forces stationed at Portsmouth during the closing season of the war of 1812, and it was then, too, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John W. Prentiss

John W. Prentiss, whose son, W. H. Prentiss. is now one of the Sentinel company, died August 17, 1863, aged fifty-eight years. The following paragraph appeared in the Sentinel of that date: ” John W. Prentiss, whose death is announced in another column, was a son of Hon. John W. Prentiss, the founder of the Sentinel establishment, and probably the oldest editor now living in New England. The son was the junior proprietor and editor of the Sentinel for many years previous to 1847, when he became sole proprietor, and s me five years afterwards disposed of his interest in … Read more

Biography of David Nims

It has been ascertained by the old records of the proprietors of the town of Keene, that David Nims, the subject of this sketch-was chosen their scribe as early as July 25, 1737. The town of Keene having received a charter, he was elected first town clerk and town treasurer, at the first legal town meeting, held Wednesday, May 2, 1753, and continued to hold office as clerk, treasurer, selectman or moderator, almost every year till 1776. He was honest, courageous, firm and discreet, and consequently a man of great influence in the town, his simple word possessing almost the … Read more

Biography of Hon. John Prentiss

Hon. John Prentiss, the founder of the New Hampshire Sentinel, and for forty-eight years its editor, died at his residence in Court street, Friday noon, June 6, 1873, at the age of ninety-five years and three months. He came to Keene in March, 1799, at the age of twenty-one years, and established the Sentinel under many embarrassments, and with a list of subscribers numbering only seventy. His first printing office was in a low building standing where S. W. Hales house now stands, and for some time afterwards in the new building south of Dr. Edwardss tavern. Subsequently (in 182 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ebenezer Bigelow

Ebenezer Bigelow, a native of Winchendon, Mass., moved to Weathersfield. Vt., married Sally Wales, and reared nine children, five of whom are now living. His son Enos married Emily B., daughter of Amos and Lucretia (Buffum) Bennett, has three children, Charles, Marion, and Frederick, and resides in Keene. The father of Mrs. Sally Bigelow served as a captain in the Revolutionary war, and thereafter drew a pension.

Biographical Sketch of Ralph J. Holt

Ralph J. Holt, son of David, was born in Alstead, September 29, 1812. He taught schools winters and was engaged in farming during the summers. He married Sallie A. Towns, in 1844, and has three children. He moved to Keene in 1846, and was engaged in farming until 1848. He was then elected constable and policeman, holding the latter position for thirty years. In 1854 he was appointed deputy sheriff, which office he held until 1866, when hewn elected sheriff, holding that position for several years, and was again appointed to the office of. deputy sheriff, which he still retains.

James Wilson Genealogy

I. The ancestor of the Daniel2 Wilson family came from Tyrone, Ireland, in 1737, with the famous Scotch Irish emigrants. These emigrants were a hardy, industrious, long-lived, honest and sturdy race of people. A great proportion of New Hampshire’s most distinguished sons are found among their descendants. One of these emigrants was James1 Wilson. The history of Peterborough gives his name as WILLIAM. Later researches favor JAMES, but we are not positively sure of the name. Nor do we know who was his wife. They brought with them from Ireland a son, Robert2, and a daughter, Lettuce2. In this country … Read more

Phineas Wright Genealogy

Phinehas Wright of Hartford, Conn., m. Zilpha Cooper of Westmoreland, N. H., settled at Walpole and removed to Keene abt. 1796. Caleb2 Wright, son of Phinehas, b. Feb. 15, 1794, d. Keene, Nov. 21, 1869; m. Dec. 7, 1815, Sarah Reed, b. Surry, July 14, 1796, d. Keene, Nov. 16, 1838. Among their fifteen children, was: Calvin3, b. Keene, Mar. 13, 1816; d. Gilsum, Feb. 16, 1907; m. Diantha Leborveau of Keene, and had six children. Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Wright lived in S., on the Old Kemp or John Dunn place for a few years, and had born here: … Read more

Biography of William Hall

William Hall, the enterprising proprietor of Langdon Creamery, Langdon, N.H., and dealer in butter, cream, milk, eggs, chickens, pork, and other farm and dairy products, was born in Claremont, this State, March 23, 1850. He is a son of Jonathan and Caroline L. (Leet) Hall and a descendant of one of the oldest families in Sullivan County. Both his grandfather and his great-grandfather Hall bore the Christian name of Jonathan. Grandfather Hall was born August 25, 1776, in Spencer, Mass., whence he came to Langdon when a young man. He afterward removed to Claremont, where he died in 1854. In … Read more

Descendancts of John Remington of Haverhill, MA

As early as 1661 John Remington and his wife Abigail were at Haverhill, where their children, Daniel and Hannah, were born. John Remington is credited by one writer as being the emigrant ancestor from Wales of the Rhode Island Remingtons. He appears of record as early as 1669 at Jamestown, R. I., where Aug. 28th of that year he and two others were ordered to assemble inhabitants of Conanicut Island to consider what might be most suitable for defense and preservation against any invasion or insurrection of the Indians. He had been earlier at Haverhill, Mass. (1661), and Andover. He was one of the grantees in 1677 of what became East Greenwich, R. I. He and his sons were taxed in 1680. In 1695 he gave his son Thomas Remington, of Warwick, a deed for his Haverhill interests, and redeeded to him the same in 1709, he then being apparently of Warwick, R. I., the former deed having become “damnified through disaster.”

History of Education in Keene, New Hampshire

Although Keene is divided into eleven school districts, No. i is the metropolitan, called Union district, and includes the schools of the city proper. The suburban districts partake largely of the characteristics of rural schools. The following table gives a fair idea of the citys buildings and school facilities :- School House Pearl street 72 $ 525 00 1,$-3,500 00 $ 4,025 00 116 School street, old building. 41 400 00 2,000 00 2,400 00 112 School St., new building.. 141 125 00 3,111 00 3,236 00 98 Fuller school 5A 300 00 4,155 00 3,455 00 112 Washington street … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nathan Wood

Nathan Wood, son of Joshua, who was one of the early settlers of Keene, was born here May 31, 1800. He was a blacksmith and farmer, married Lorinda Ruggles, of Rutland, Vt.. and bad born to him four children, as follows: Susan E.. widow of Hon. J. J. Allen, Jr., lives in town; Nathan, died December 4, 1861; Julia R. W., widow of Levi Porter; and Sarah L., both in Keene.

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 Augustus M. Rice

Augustus M. Rice was a soldier in the Rebellion, serving first in the 1st Mass. Cav., second in Co. I, 92d N. Y. Vols.. third in Co. F, Mass. H. A., and fourth in Co. C, 53d Mass. Vols. He was honorably discharged after having been in the army four years and three months. He married Mrs. Julia Foss, daughter of Timothy and Hannah Ellis, of Keene, and now resides in this town.

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

Biography of Hon. James Wilson Sr.

Hon. James Wilson, Sr., the oldest son of Robert, was born in Peter borough, August 16, 1766. His opportunities for an education were very limited in his native town. He remembered the alarm given at his fathers house April 19, 1775, and the great stir among the farmers as they were getting their weapons ready to march to the scene of action. He remained at home, working with his parents, until the close of the Revolution. His mother -as a lady who appreciated the importance of a good education, and she finally prevailed upon he somewhat reluctant husband to allow … Read more