Merrimack County NH

Biography of Jesse W. S. Moon

Jesse W. S. Moon, a retired farmer, living in the village of Bradford, was born in Hopkinton, St. Lawrence County, N.Y., August 12, 1845. His parents, Jesse and Sophia (Barker) Moon, are well known in Bradford through their frequent visits to their son. Mr. Moon was reared on a farm, living with his parents until December 30, 1863, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War in the Eleventh New York Cavalry as a recruit, joining his regiment in Washington soon after. He served in the South, mostly in New Orleans. In the spring of 1864 he did guard … Read more

Biography of Albert P. Davis

Albert P. Davis, attorney-at-law and one of the most active, prominent, and pushing citizens of Warner, was born May 2, 1835, in the village of Waterloo, Merrimack County, N.H. The Davis family originated in Wales, from whence the first ancestor in this country emigrated in 1638, settling in Amesbury, Mass. Gideon Davis, the great-grandfather of Albert P., and a nephew of Francis Davis, who led in the early settlement of the town, was born in Amesbury, where he lived until after his marriage with Mary Cheney. In 1784 he came to Warner, and, taking up a large tract of timber … Read more

Biography of Alger, William Rounseville

Alger, William Rounseville, son of Nahum and Catherine Sampson (Rounseville) Alger, was born in Freetown, Bristol County, December 28, 1822. He attended the common schools from the age of four to ten, then began to work for a livelihood; he worked five years in a cotton mill at Hookset, N. H., studied attentively in all available house, educating himself in the various branches of an academic course. He attended an academy in Pembroke, N. H., two years, and one year at Lebanon, N. H. He entered the divinity school of Harvard University in 1844, and was graduated in the class … Read more

Biography of Francis W. Blake

Francis W. Blake, one of Pittsfield’s successful farmers, was born in Hampton Falls, N.H., September 3, 1837, son of Enoch and Lydia (Smith) Blake. The family is of English origin. Its founder, Jasper Blake, who came from England in 1640 and settled at Hampton, N.H., was a relative of Robert Blake, the famous British admiral of that period. The great-grandfather of Francis W. was Jeremiah Blake, son of Joshua. He was a native of Hampton Falls, and a farmer by occupation. He was the father of five children, of whom Enoch (first), the grandfather, was the eldest. Enoch Blake (first) … Read more

Biography of James Yeaton

James Yeaton, a well-known farmer of Epsom, Merrimack County, was born in this town, January 11, 1832, son of John and Sarah (Bickford) Yeaton. His ancestors for several generations were prosperous farmers in this State; and his great-grandfather, John Yeaton (first), was a pioneer settler in Epsom. John Yeaton, second, grandfather of James, was a native of this town, and resided here his entire life. A successful farmer, he accumulated considerable property. He was a Democrat in politics and a Congregationalist in his religious views. At his death he was about eighty-one years old. He was three times married. His … Read more

Biography of Lester L. Collins

Lester L. Collins, a prosperous dairy farmer and milk dealer of Franklin, was born in this town, September 21, 1868, son of Jonathan L. and Hannah K. (Floyd) Collins. Jonathan L. Collins, who is a native of Grafton, N.H., moved from that town to Franklin, and settled upon the farm which is now occupied by his son. He improved the property, and occupied it until 1890, when he removed to another farm in this town, and is still actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. His wife, Hannah, who was a native of Franklin, died March 4, 1896, leaving three children, Vina … Read more

Biography of Edmund Silver

Edmund Silver, a thriving farmer of Boscawen, N.H., was born in Bow, this State, September 10, 1834. His parents, Edmund and Sallie (Dow) Silver, who resided in Bow for the greater part of their lives, died when their son Edmund was quite young. They had nine children-Lewis, Laura, Cyrene, Leonard, Gideon, Sullivan, Daniel, Edmund, and George. Lewis died in March, 1897. Daniel is engaged in farming in Salisbury, N.H. George is in Penacook; and the others, except Edmund, the subject of our sketch, are deceased. Edmund Silver received his education in the district schools, remaining at home with his parents … Read more

Biography of Charles A. Huber

Charles A. Huber, an energetic and successful farmer of Northfield, was born January 12, 1846, in Melun, France, near Paris, son of Melheur and Katherine (Farney) Huber, both also natives of Melun. His father, who followed the sea during the active period of his life, died in France, August 21, 1855. Mr. Huber’s mother, having survived her husband but three days, died August 24. Melheur and Katherine F. Huber were the parents of fourteen children, as follows: Petre Paul, who died in the army; Joseph, who resides in Pennsylvania; Louis, who lives near Manchester, N.H.; Alexander, a bricklayer of Concord, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Stevens

John Stevens, from Newbury, N. H., immigrated to Hyde Park in 1827, and died in Johnson about 1858, aged seventy-five years. Mehitable, his wife, died in Johnson in 1878, aged ninety-five years. Horace, son of John, came to this town in 1857, where he still resides, as a carriage maker.

Biography of Elder John G. Hook

Elder John G. Hook, of Concord, N.H., was born in Chichester, this State, February 13, 1820, the son of Jacob Hook. Elder Hook’s grandfather, Francis Hook, was born in Salisbury, Mass. He was a fisherman by occupation, and he also ran a horseback express from his native town to Newburyport. He finally bought a large tract of land in Chichester, and started all his five sons in life with a comfortable farm. Jacob Hook, father of Elder Hook, was the eldest of the family. He was educated in the Salisbury public schools, and was engaged in farming all his life. … Read more

Biography of Eli A. Boutwell

Eli A. Boutwell, a farmer and lumberman of Hopkinton, N.H., son of Samuel P. and Lydia A. (Allen) Boutwell, was born in Barre, Vt., February 25, 1833. His lineage has not been traced; but a little research would probably show that he belongs to the old New England family of Boutwells, of which the Hon. George S. Boutwell, ex-Secretary of the Treasury, is a representative. Its founder, James Boutwell, said to have been made a freeman in Lynn, Mass., in 1638 or 1639, died in 1651, leaving a wife Alice, sons James and John, and a daughter Sarah. The sons … Read more

Biography of Frank Henry Carr

Frank Henry Carr, one of the patriotic men who periled his life in the cause of the Union during the late Civil War, now an enterprising mill-owner of West Hopkinton, was born in West Hopkinton, February 8, 1841, son of Thomas W. and Caroline (Connor) Carr. The grandfather, John Carr, removed from West Newbury, Mass., to Concord, N.H., where he kept an inn for a short time. From Concord he came to West Hopkinton about the year 1821, making his residence on a farm which had been presented to his wife by her brother, Thomas Williams. While a carriage-maker by … Read more

Biography of George West Flanders

George West Flanders, who lives on a small farm in West Concord, was born there, November 9, 1831. The great-grandfather was an extensive land-owner at Millville, and had possession of the water-power privilege of that section. His residence stood on the site now occupied by St. Paul’s School. At the close of his active life he left his land to be divided among his sons. His wife’s maiden name was Fowler. The grandfather, Richard Flanders, was engaged in interests connected with a mill. Afterward he purchased a farm in the west part of the town, and became a farmer. At … Read more

Biography of Charles Horace Fletcher

Charles Horace Fletcher, one of the prominent farmers of his native town, Canterbury, Merrimack County, was born August 3, 1837, son of John and Nancy (St. Clair) Fletcher. John Fletcher was born in Loudon, N.H., March 16, 1795. He married Miss St. Clair, of Canterbury, born October 2, 1799, and settled on St. Clair Hill in Canterbury township, where he became a prominent farmer. His wife’s father, Noah St. Clair, was, it is said, a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He had ten children. Some of them spelled the name St. Clair, and some spelled it Sinclair. If the same … Read more

Biography of Samuel Choate

Samuel Choate, a prominent farmer of Boscawen, was born here, February 24, 1830, son of Royal and Hannah (Sawyer) Choate, who were natives respectively of Boscawen and Salisbury, N.H. His great-grandfather, Thomas Choate, who came from Ipswich, Mass., to Boscawen about 1788, settled on the same farm and occupied the same house where the present Mr. Choate now resides. Samuel, a son of Thomas and grandfather of the present Samuel, born March 18, 1769, in Ipswich, came with his father to this farm; and the two lived King George, dated October 29, 1761, and another signed by John Langdon, bearing … Read more

Biography of Robert W. Hoit

Robert W. Hoit, of Mast Yard, Concord, N.H., son of Robert B. and Hannah (Goodwin) Hoit, was born July 15, 1859, on the ancestral estate on Horse Hill, Penacook, where he still makes his home. His great-grandfather, Oliver Hoit, born in November, 1747, married first Rebecca Gerald, and second widow Rhoda Hoit Whittier. He had by his first wife fifteen children, thirteen of whom lived to maturity. Mrs. Rebecca G. Hoit died in 1808, aged fifty-eight years; and Mrs. Rhoda Hoit died in 1851. Oliver Hoit died September 11, 1827. Oliver Hoit settled in 1772 on Horse Hill in the … Read more

Phillips, Freeman H. – Obituary

Joseph, Oregon Freeman H. Phillips of Joseph died June 4, 2007, at the Wallowa Valley Care Center in Enterprise. He was 81. Mr. Phillips was born Dec. 27, 1926, at Wilmot Flats, N.H. to Freeman S. and Christabel chamberlain Phillips, the second of 14 children. In 1927, the family moved to Alexandria where he attended grammar school and spent his early years working on the farm and for neighboring farmers at the going wage of fifty cents per day. Following his seventeenth birthday, in 1943, he entered the U.S. Navy and served on ships in the Atlantic Fleet before being … Read more

Biography of Samuel Smith Page

Samuel Smith Page, who for more than forty years was one of the most esteemed residents of Hopkinton, was born September 30, 1822, in Dunbarton, N.H. He is a descendant of Benjamin Page, who was born in 1640, in Dedbam, fifty-seven miles north-east of London, England. In 1660, on account of religious differences, Benjamin came to America, locating in Haverhill, Mass., where on September 21, 1666, he married Mary Whittier, who belonged to the family from which the poet, John G. Whittier, sprung. Their son, Jeremiah, the eldest of a family of sixteen, born September 14, 1667, was the next … Read more

Biography of Charles N. Clough

Charles N. Clough, Selectman of Canterbury and a well-known farmer, was born here, January 15, 1849, son of Colonel David M. and Almira (Batchelder) Clough. He belongs to an old and prominent family. His great-grandfather, Leavitt Clough, Sr., was likewise born in Canterbury, where he also lived and died. Leavitt Clough, Jr., was a farmer and a Justice of the Peace in his native town. Colonel David M. Clough, popularly known as “Corn King,” who belongs to the third generation of Cloughs in Canterbury, was born June 9, 1805. He was educated in the district schools of his native place … Read more

Biography of Albert Stevens

Albert Stevens, a farmer of Concord, was born at Canterbury, N.H., January 24, 1833, and is a representative of the third generation of the Stevens family born in this town. His paternal grandfather, whose name, it is believed, was Simeon Stevens, was a farmer and lifelong resident of Canterbury. He attained an advanced age, and was the father of six sons and four daughters. Three of the sons-Moses, John, and Thomas -went West, and settled in Princeton, Ill., where they grew prosperous and married. John Stevens had a son who became extremely wealthy, and two of the sons of Simeon … Read more