Worcester Massachusetts

Biographical Sketch of Harlan Fairbanks

Harlan Fairbanks of Tustin, was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1840. For twenty two years he was engaged in the drug business, and in 1861 he entered the army in the Fifteenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry; was acting Sergeant; was wounded at the battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, and discharged for disability at Philadelphia, in 1862. In 1886 he became a citizen of California, where he has since been eminently successful in the real-estate business. In 1889 he built a drug store at the corner of D and Fourth streets in Tustin, having bought out C. W. Smith & Co. of … Read more

Timothy Fuller

TIMOTHY FULLER, the fourth child and eldest son of Timothy Fuller Sr., attained distinction. The chief steps in his career may be thus summarily stated: He was born in Chilmark, Martha’s Vineyard, 11th of July, 1778; grad. at Harvard College with the second honors in his class, 1801. He was obliged to work his way through college, and be absent much in teaching; but such were his talent, industry, and scholarship, that it is believed he would have borne off the first honors bad he not countenanced a rebellion of the students, caused by certain college rules regarded as oppressive. … Read more

Biography of Ezra Brainerd, Jr.

Ezra Brainerd, Jr., has been an active representative of the legal fraternity of Muskogee for the past seventeen years, enjoying an extensive clientage that has connected him with much important litigation tried in the courts of the district. He was born in Middlebury, Vermont, on the 26th of August, 1878, a son of Ezra and Frances (Rockwell) Brainerd, the former at one time president of Middlebury College. Excellent educational advantages were accorded him, for his public school training was supplemented by a course of study in Worcester Academy of Worcester, Massachusetts, and in Colgate Academy of Hamilton, New York. His … Read more

Biography of Joseph K. Gill

Joseph K. Gill, one of Portland’s well known business men, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1841, and is the eldest of eleven children of Mark and Amelia Gill. In 1854 he accompanied his parents to America, locating in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he attended the city schools until he had reached the age of eighteen, when he entered Worcester Academy, continuing at this institution but spending most of his time at work to assist in the support of the family, until he had attained his majority. He then entered Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, a preparatory school, with the idea of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ezra Durand

Ezra Durand was born in Seneca Falls, New York, on March 8, 1833, and is the youngest of a family of thirteen sons and daughters of David and Betsey (Crowell), Durand. His father was a farmer and his early boyhood was passed on a farm. His opportunities for gaining an education were limited to a few winters at the district school. At an early age he left home and went to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he obtained employment in a musical instrument factory. This was followed by similar work in a factory at Norwich, Connecticut. He seemed to have a natural … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Windsor Thomas White

White, Windsor Thomas; pres. The White Co., auto mfrs.; born, Orange, Mass., Aug. 28, 1866; son of Thomas H. and Almira Greenleaf; degree of B. S., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Mass.; married, Cleveland, Sept. 14, 1892; Delia Bulkley Holden; issue, Thomas Holden, Aug. 4, 1894, Delia Elizabeth, Nov. 9, 1898, Windsor Holden, July 18, 1905; pres. White Co.; vice pres. White Sewing Machine Co.; pres. Park Drop Forge Co.; director First National Bank; member Union Tavern, Roadside, Country, Cleveland Automobile, Chagrin Valley Hunt and Gentlemen’s Driving Clubs, Cleveland; Engineers’ Club of New York; Green Spring Valley Hunt Club.

Biographical Sketch of Michael F. Healy

Michael F. Healy is a San Mateo County pioneer who has proved his confidence in the county and particularly in South San Francisco by the investment of his fortune in that city. Healy has resided in San Mateo county for 24 years, most of them being spent in South San Francisco where he is now the owner of a large grocery business and many other interests. Since coming to South San Francisco Mr. Healy has engaged in many lines of business. ‘He was best known as a lumber man, his yards supplying lumber and building material to South San Francisco … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dwight Goddard

Goddard, Dwight; mechanical engineer; born, Worcester, Mass., Dec. 27, 1861; son of Dorrance S. and Mary H. Williams Goddard; graduate Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1881, Harvard Theological Seminary, 1894; married, Nov. 27, 1895, Frances E. Nicberg, M. D.; issue, Dorrance, Theodore; treas. Goddard Machine Co.; asst. master mechanic American Steel & Wire Co.; missionary to China under the A. B. C. F. M.; mngr. Weyman & Gordon Co.; treas. The Park Drop Forge Co.; also director the same company; member American Society Mechanical Engineers; member Housing committee, Cleveland Chamber of Commerce.

Biographical Sketch of Hugo Pinkney Frear

Mr. Hugo Pinkney Frear, after about thirty years of residence in various parts of California, finally decided, eleven years ago, to go to Burlingame, then a little village. He was one of the first to build here; and so well pleased that he is still residing in this place. Mr. Frear’s profession is that of Naval Architect at the Union Iron Works where he has been associated with Mr. Geo. Dickie in the building of some of the greatest battleships and cruisers of the American Navy. He is a graduate of Oahu College, Honolulu and Worcester Polytechnic Institute at Worcester, … Read more

Biography of Edward J. Curtis

Among the eminent men of the northwest whose life records form an integral part of the history of Idaho was numbered Hon. Edward J. Curtis. In his death the state lost one of its most distinguished lawyers, gifted statesmen and loyal citizens. As the day, with its morning of hope and promise, its noontide of activity, its evening of completed and successful efforts, ending in the grateful rest and quiet of the night, so was the life of this honored man. His career was a long, busy and useful one, marked by the utmost fidelity to the duties of public … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Allen, Frank Dewey

Allen, Frank Dewey, son of Charles Francis and Olive Ely (Dewey) Allen, was born in Worcester, August 16, 1850. He was educated in the Worcester high school; was graduated from Yale in the class of 1873, and from the Boston University law school in 1875; was managing clerk in the offices of Hillard, Hyde & Dickinson, Boston, remaining with them until 1878, when he was admitted to the Suffolk county bar. Upon severing his connection with Hillard, Hyde & Dickinson, he opened an office for himself in Boston, where he has ever since been located as attorney and counselor-at-law. Mr. … Read more

Biography of Charles Gilkey

Charles Gilkey, a prominent resident of Cornish, who was formerly engaged in the gunsmith business, is a native of Plainfield, N.H., born September 29, 1826. Charles Gilkey, his grandfather, born in Connecticut, was the first of the family to come to Plainfield. He came originally as agent of a wealthy Connecticut family, and remained in their employ for some time. After failing in an attempt to buy a farm with the Continental money in which his salary was paid, owing to the depreciated value of that currency then, he succeeded in leasing one from the State for nine hundred and … Read more

Ancestry of Walter Ballou of North Attleboro MA

Walter Ballou

Walter Ballou, one of the representative citizens and well-known jewelry manufacturers of North Attleboro, where for upward of a half century he has been a member of the jewelry manufacturing firm of R. Blackinton & Co., is a native of the State of Rhode Island, born in the town of Cumberland Feb. 20, 1835, son of Preston and Harriet M. (Brown) Ballou. The Ballou family is among the oldest and most distinguished of Rhode Island. Of Norman-French origin, it is descended from Gunebored Ballou, who was probably a marshal in the army of William the Conqueror and took part in the memorable battle of Hastings, 1066.

Hartshorne-Hartshorn Family of Taunton, Massachussetts

One branch of the earlier Reading Hartshorne family, and the one to which this article is more especially directed, found its way into what is now the town of Foxboro, Mass., and a later generation removed to Taunton, Mass., where the name has long been representative of substantial men and women and useful citizenship. Reference is made to some of the posterity of Jeremiah Hartshorne, who was of Foxboro prior to the Revolution, and maybe the Jeremiah whom records of Reading show connected with lengthy service in that struggle. Notably at Taunton have lived and figured in its social and business life the late Charles Warren and George F., sons of the late Jesse Hartshorne, and of a still later generation the late George Trumbull Hartshorne, a liberally educated gentleman, who for a period was an instructor in his alma mater – Harvard – and later an analytic chemist of his native city, in fine, a cultured gentleman prominent in the social life of Taunton.

Barker Genealogy of Tiverton, RI

The Barker family of Tiverton, R. I., and vicinity, represented in that section by many prominent citizens, is one of the earliest settled families of New England. The first of the name of whom there is authentic record was Robert Barker, born in 1616, who came to New England at a very early day with John Thorp. In 1641, with others, he bought from Jonathan Brewster, son of Elder Brewster, a ferry and 100 acres of land at Marshfield. Later he located at Duxbury, where for several years he was a surveyor. His death occurred about 1691. He married Lucy Williams, who died March 7, 1681 or 1682.

Clifford Family of New Bedford, MA

Charles Warren Clifford

Among the most prominent law offices in southern Massachusetts is one which by lineal succession has existed for nearly, if not quite, a hundred years, and in which three generations of the Clifford family have been represented. The members of the Clifford family who have been such important factors in this old and prominent law firm came of a distinguished ancestry. The late John H. Clifford was a direct descendant in the eighth generation from George Clifford, who came with his wife Elizabeth and son John from Arnold village and parish, Nottinghamshire, England, to Boston in 1644.

Biography of Henry Harrison Edwards

Henry Harrison Edwards, a watchmaker of acknowledged ability, who is now residing in Allenstown, was born in Laconia, N.H., July 28, 1840, son of Nathaniel and Rachel (Ranlett) Edwards. His grandfather, Ebenezer Edwards, who in his earlier years followed the sea, subsequently learned the hatter’s trade, and followed it in Laconia for many years. Another source of income to him was the Martha Watson, a native of Dover, N.H., who also died at the age of sixty-eight. Of their eleven children David, William, Charles, Eben, Mary, and Pierpont are living. Nathaniel Edwards, father of Henry H., was born in Plymouth, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Aldrich, P. Emory

Aldrich, P. Emory, was born in New Salem, Franklin County. His ancestors came from England in 1635, residing at first in Dorchester and Braintree, and afterwards settling in Mendon, Worcester County. After obtaining his early education at the public schools, he fitted for college at the Shelburne Falls Academy, and in private study mastered a collegiate education. He studied law while engaged in teaching at the South, and later attended the Harvard law school. In 1845 he was admitted to the bar in Richmond, Va., but the following year returned to Massachusetts, and after studying for six months with Chapman, … Read more

Biography of John Brown, Sr.

John Brown, Sr., was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1817, and when but a boy came to St. Louis, Missouri, with his parents, where they died. He began rafting on the Mississippi and then went to New Orleans, and thence by ship to Galveston, suffering a shipwreck on his route. He returned to Fort Leavenworth by the Red River route. Was at the battle of San Jacinto, and first saw Santa Ana when taken prisoner. Remained two years at Fort Leavenworth; and then went to the Rocky Mountains and for fourteen years hunted and trapped from the headwaters of the … Read more