Keene New Hampshire

History of Free Masonry in Keene, New Hampshire

Keene, as is known to many through the sketches of Mr. Frank Whitcomb, has a very interesting Masonic history. A year had not elapsed after Free Masonry had been welcomed to New England before New Hampshire was blessed with its light. During the early days of Free Masonry in this country there were two Grand Lodges in Massachusetts, organized in Boston: St. Johns Grand Lodge, deriving its authority from the Grand Master of England, which held its first meeting July 30, 1733, and Massachusetts Grand Lodge, deriving its authority from the Grand Master of Scotland, which was organized December 27, … 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

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

Cephas Clark Family

1 CEPHAS CLARK, b Keene, N.H., July 17, 1784; d Glover, Vt., Aug. 8, 1858; s Cephas and Jemima (Griggs) Clark. m Sept. 26, 1805, Deborah Wilbur, b Westmoreland, N.H., Apr. 18, 1790; d Glover, Vt., July 23, 1850; d Rev. Nathaniel and Deborah Wilbur. Issue: 2 Caleb Aldrich, b Westmoreland, N.H., Dec. 14, 1807; d Glover, July 10, 1883. 2 Cephas Cheney, b Rutland, Vt., Sept. 30, 1809; d Glover, Oct. 23, 1869. 2 Amasa Ford, b Rutland, June 22, 1811; d Wilmington, Mass., Sept. 5, 1879. 2 Alvah Warren, b Keene, N.H., July 9, 1813; d Glover, June … 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.

Genealogy of Cephas Clark

Among the ambitious and adventurous spirits that sought homes in the northern part of Vermont were three sons of Cephas Clark, namely Silas, Samuel, and Cephas, all of whom settled in Glover. The design of this work is to treat from now on of the history of the three sons of Cephas Clark who emigrated to and settled in the northern part of Vermont.

Biography of Jacob Hart

Jacob Hart, son of Daniel, was born at Reading, Mass., January 19, 1776. During his early childhood, his father bought a farm at Groton, Mass., where he moved with his family. Jacob was one of ten brothers who subsequently became enterprising men, and settled in nearly as many different states. He married Rachel, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Ferrett) Haynes, who was born at Natick, Mass., February 2, 1786. They were married August 7, 1808. He soon after went to Lunenburg, Mass., where he remained untie 1821, when he bought a large farm in the western part of Keene, to … 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 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.

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 Ira French Prouty

Ira French Prouty, M. D., son of Willard and Sally Prouty. of Langdon, N. H., was born November 9, 1812, and came to Keene in 1863, After leaving the district school he attended the academies of Bellows Falls and Chester, Vt. He studied medicine with Dr. Lowell, of Chester, and later with Dr. Lawrence, of Saxtons River. He attended lectures at Woodstock and Dartmouth medical schools, graduating from the latter in May 1837. He immediately went to Illinois, where he practiced his profession about a year. Leaving the West, he came to Chesterfield Factory, and was afterward located in Alstead … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. A. Barrett

W. A. Barrett, son of Luther, was born in Stoddard, came to Keene in 1856, and worked that season for H. Pond & Co., at the brick-making business. He became a partner in the firm in 1857, and with the exception of three years he has been a member of the firm under various titles, until he engaged in the business alone in 1882. He served three years in the war for the Union, in Co. G, 14th N. H. Vols. He has been selectman of Keene, married Maria Fradenburg, October 23, 1850, and has a family of three sons … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. Eben Carpenter

Dr. Eben Carpenter was born in Coventry, Conn., in 1780, married Judith Green, and reared a family of nine children. He located in Alstead, N. H., where he had a large practice. His only surviving son, George H., is a physician, and resides in Cleveland, O.

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 Artemas Bailey

Artemas Bailey was born in Lunenburg, Mass., January 17, 1800, and married Clarissa Billings. He was a book-binder, and carried on that business in his native place for several years. He moved with his family to Keene, in 1830, and worked at the same business here for several years. He had three children, two of whom, Lizzie A. and Adaline S., live in Keene. He died November 7, 1865, and his widow died February 2, 1893.

Biographical Sketch of David Baker

David Baker, son of Thomas, was born in Keene in 1796, married Amanda H. Ellis, and reared a family of eight children. He located upon a farm on road 3, and lived there until his death, in 1868. His widow still resides on the farm.

Biography of Dr. Charles G. Adams

Dr. Charles G. Adams was born in Keene, N. H., March 7, 1793. He was educated at Dartmouth college, from which he was graduated in 1810. Though one of the youngest of his class his proficiency is highly spoken of by his associates. After leaving college he attended for a year or more the law school at Litchfield, Conn. He entered as a student the office of Samuel Prescott of Keene, in compliance with the wishes of his father, who sought to spare his only child a life like his of toil and exposure in the medical profession. But young … Read more

Biography of Lanmon Nims

Lanmon Nims was born in Sullivan, February 3, 18r 1. He is the son the late Asahel and Mary (Heaton) Nims, and great-great-grandson of David Nims, one of the first inhabitants of the town of Keene, the first clerk of proprietors, and the first town clerk. Mr. Nims had comparatively few e educational advantages, but such was his diligence as a reader of history an current items of event, that he became in his maturity, a man of very extensive information. Having served his apprenticeship at the carpenter trade, with Dexter Spaulding, of Sullivan, in 1831, he continued to work … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John A. Thayer

John A. Thayer came to Keene from Winchester, N. H., in 1866, opened a jewelry store, and continued as one of the leading jewelers here until ha death, November 12, 1881, at the age of sixty-three years. His widow, Fannie A. Thayer, still resides in Keene.

Keene Congregational (Unitarian) Society of Keene, NH

Keene Congregational ( Unitarian) Society. – The Unitarian Society was organized March 18, 1824. They had occasional preaching during the year. On the thirtieth of August, of the same year, a call was extended to the Rev. Samuel Barrett, to become the pastor, but he declined the invitation. Mr. Barrett was a graduate of Harvard, in the class of 1818, of the Harvard Divinity school, in 1822, and received the degree of 1)- D., from Harvard in 1847. He was a scholarly and cultivated gentleman. In 1825 he became the first pastor of the Twelfth Congregational (Unitarian) Society of Boston, … Read more