Herbert M. Kimball, a skilful, intelligent, and highly successful farmer of Hopkinton, was born in this town, December 20, 1862, a son of Moses T. and Mary F. (Smith) Kimball, and a grandson of Nathaniel Kimball. A more extended history of his ancestors may be found on another page of this volume, in connection with the sketch of Gilman B. Kimball, his brother.
Mr. Kimball has been engaged in agricultural pursuits from early youth. Since arriving at man’s estate, he has also, in partnership with his brother, carried on a large business in lumbering and dairying. He lived on the old homestead until his marriage, when for a time he occupied the old Charles Merrill farm. Since selling that he has occupied the John Page estate, which the brothers purchased at a bargain three or more years ago. He has a dairy of twenty cows, and runs a large milk route; and he keeps two men busily employed on the farm. He sells a considerable amount of hay each season, and often raises a good deal of corn, his 1896 crop amounting to nine hundred bushels. Mr. Kimball is a firm Democrat of the Cleveland type, and is usually a delegate to the party conventions. In 1894 he was elected a Representative to the State legislature for 1895 and 1896, defeating the Republican candidate, E. D. French, his election in a Republican stronghold showing his great popularity. He is interested in the grange, having been a member of the State organization, and is a member of Union Grange, No. 58, of which he was Master two years.
Mr. Kimball was married October 6, 1886, to Miss M. Abbie Colby, daughter of Francis W. and Paulina P. (Wheeler) Colby, the former of whom was born in Bow, the birthplace of Mrs. Kimball, and the latter in Dunbarton. Mr. and Mrs. Kimball have two children-Edgar Herbert and Grace Paulina.