Charles Ryan was born in Boston. Mass., and was left an orphan at the age of about three years, or about the time he was brought to this town. He lived here until twenty-one years of age, when he went to Massachusetts and remained about twenty-one years, then came back to Marlboro. He married Arvilla Farrar, and occupies the farm upon which she was born.
Clark Mason was born here April 16, 1794, removed to Oswego county, N. Y., in 1817, remained until 1824, then came back to Marlboro, and diedk here in August, 1861. 1. His grandson, Warren W., son of William C., is superintendent of Hale’s chair factory, at South Keene.
The Trinitarian Congregational church, located at Marlboro, was organized by a council convened for the purpose, with eight members, in 1778. The first pastor was Rev. Joseph Cummings. The first church building stood near what is now called Meeting -house pond, and was raised November 21, 1990, though it was not completed until 1774. The present brick structure was dedicated October 29, 1834. It will seat 400 persons, and is valued, including grounds, etc., at $12,000.00. The society now has 228 members, with Rev. John L. Merrill, pastor.
The first settler in the town was William Barker, a native of Westboro, Mass., who located in what is now Westhill, in Troy. He came on in 1761, selected the place for his future home, and came back again in 1762, and commenced a clearing. He seems not to have done much from that time until 1764, however, when he again came on from Massachusetts, enlarged his clearing, built a log house, and made arrangements for bringing on his family, which he accordingly did that autumn, arriving here on the 17th of September. Soon after, Isaac McAlister, who had previously … Read more
Ziba Mason settled at an early date upon the farm now occupied by George F. Wise, where he died about 1845. His son Ziba, born on the old place, died here about 1862, aged sixty-three years. The latter’s son, William M., born on the old homestead, is now a merchant of Marlboro and represented the town in 1865-66.
William White, a native of Boston, Mass., and a rope-maker by trade, came to Marlboro in 1778 and located where his great-grandson, Thomas, H., now resides, and died here at the age of eighty-four years. Of his family of eleven children the youngest died first, at the age of fifty-two years, while the oldest died at the age of 102 years- Thomas, son of Thomas, a native of this town, reared six children, two of whom died in infancy, and one, as mentioned above, occupied the homestead. He has been a traveling salesman for twenty-five years.
Elijah Fitch, a blacksmith by trade, and a native of Marlboro, married Eliza Josly, and died August 4, 1876, aged sixty-four years. His widow survives him, a resident of the village, where their son Murray also resides.
Isaac Davis, the seventh son of a seventh son, and hence called Doctor, immigrated from Massachusetts to Roxbury while that town was still a wilderness, residing there until his death, in 1840. His son Joshua was born there in 1796, and died July 2, 1862, while Joshua’s son, George G., born in Roxbury, August 28, 1842, has been a resident of Marlboro since 1859. He is engaged in mercantile pursuits, has served as state senator from the 14th District, and was in the late war a year and a half.
Jedediah K. Southwick, a native of Danvers, Mass., and a potter by trade, came to Dublin at an early day, and died there in 1843. His son Augustus came to Marlboro in 1854, and now resides on road r, where he and his son J. Kilburn are dairy farmers.
The Frost Free Library.-The town has a fine public library, founded by Rufus S. Frost, in 1865, who donated $15.000.00 for the purpose. Of this amount $7,000.00 were devoted to the erection of a substantial granite building, $3,000.00 more were used in the purchase of books, and the remainder placed at interest, the revenue therefrom to be used in sustaining the library and in the purchase of new books, The Cheshire Blanket Co., whose mills are located at the village, was organized in the spring of 1873, the proprietors being C. O. Whitney and AV. H. Clark. Their main building … Read more
Elijah Gates was born in Stowe, Mass., in 1765, came to Marlboro in 180o, settled where his son Elijah how resides, and died here in 1824. The latter was born here June 17, 1801, in the house he still occupies.
Dolphus Bixby, born in Hillsboro, N. H., in 1790, has resided with his son Russell for the past sixteen years. Russell came here in 1870. In the spring of 1881 he made 240 pounds of sugar from seventeen maples.
The Methodist Episcopal church, located at the village, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. Thomas L. Fowler, with sixty members, in 1859. Their church building will seat 250 persons, cost $1,300.00, and is now valued, including grounds, etc., at $3,000.00. The society now has ninety-eight members, with Rev. C. W. Dockrill, pastor. The church also has a Sabbathschool with 107 member and an average attendance of sixty-four.
Martin Chase was born in Unity, N. H., and came to this town in 1869. He represented the town of Washington in the legislature of 1840, and now holds the office of justice of the peace.
Jedediah Putney, a native of Charlton, Mass., located in Fitzwilliam about eighty years ago, and from there came to Marlboro, where he died in 1866, aged eighty-one years. His son Moses, born in Fitzwilliam, came to Marlboro in 1864, but returned about seven years ago.
Levi Gates came to Marlboro with his father, from Massachusetts, about the year 1805, locating in the southern part of the town. He died about 1860, aged sixty-nine years. His son, Winslow L., is still a resident of the town.
MARLBORO is a small irregularly outlined township, lying in the central part of the county, in lat. 24° 54 and long. 4° 49′, bounded north by Roxbury, east by Harrisville, Dublin and Jaffrey, south by Troy, and west by Troy, Swanzey and Keene. It was originally granted by the Masonian proprietors, under the name of Monadnock No. 5, to James Morrison, Jr., and thirty-one associates, May 20, 1752. This charter granted to these gentlemen a tract of 20,000 acres, bounded as follows: “Beginning at the northwest corner of the township called North Monadnock No. 3, [Dublin]. thence north 80° west … Read more
Phineas Farrar, son of Josiah and Hannah Farrar, was born in Sudbury, Mass., came to Marlboro in 1768, and died here at the age of ninety-four years. His son William, a native of the town, died at the age of eighty-one years. Calvin, son of William, resides on road 9.
As early in the Revolutionary contest as 1775, at least six of Marlboro’s scanty population joined the continental army, viz.: Moses Tucker, Timothy Rogers, Robert Worsley, Daniel Collins, Lieutenant James Brewer and Pearson Newell. In a report made by the selectmen on the 3d of October of that year, however, the number is given at sixteen, “out of which number two are dead.” Among the others who went to the war were the following: William Barker, Richard Atwell, Daniel Lawrence, Benjamin Goodenow, Abel Woodward, Peter Tozer, Daniel Goodenow, Jonah Harrington, Colvin Goodenow, Frederick Freeman, Reuben McAlister, Adine Goodenow, Jabez McBride, … Read more
Rev. Sullivan H. McCollester, son of Silas and grandson of Isaac, was born in this town December 18, 1826, and is now a resident of Dover, N. ii, though he still owns a part of the ancestral estate, He is a graduate of the Cambridge Divinity school, and was given the degree of D. D., by the St Lawrence university, in June, 1874. Mr. McCollester has traveled extensively and is widely known as an educator.