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F  U 

.LI  V3 

THE 


Illustrated  Laconian 


HISTORY  AND  INDUSTRIES 

OF  LACONIA,  N.  H. 


Descriptive  of  the  City  and  Its  Manufacturing 
and  Business  Interests 

Compiled  by  Charles  w.  Vaughan 

« 

CONTAINING 

AND    PROFESSIONAL     ,,KH,     BUILDINGS      I'.Hl    .  "s    rr  x  V  i        .^'^ 

HOMES     SUMMER    RESIDENTS   AND    THEIR    RESIDENCES     ITS  ^SSK?"*" 
TURING,     GROWTH,     PROSPERITY,     AND     FUTURE     POSSIBIUTIES 


PUBLISHED    BY 

LOUIS  B.  MARTIN 

1899 


y 


'01 
NTRODUCTION. 


In  the  publication  of  this  book  the  aim  has  been  to  give  a  truthful  and  correct 
glimpse  of  Laconia  as  it  has  been  in  by-gone  years  and  as  it  is  to-day,  feeling 
confident  that  a  perusal  of  its  pages  will  give  all  Laconians  a  feeling  of  pride 
over  the  growth  and  development  of  the  town  in  the  past,  and  impart  renewed 
confidence  in  the  future  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  city. 

LOUIS  B.  MARTIN,  Publisher, 


N 


*b 


1652-LACONIA-1899 


The  city  of  Laconia  was  chartered  by 
the  New  Hampshire  legislature  of  [893, 
is  located  near  the  geographical  centre 
of  Belknap  county,  of  which  county  it 
is  the  shire  town,  and  is  also  near  the 
geographical  centre  of  the  state  of  New 
Hampshire,  twenty-eight  miles  from 
Concord,  and  just  one  hundred  miles 
from  Boston,  Mass.  Laconia  is  upon 
both  sides  of  the  Winnipesauk.ee  river, 
while  Lake  Winnesquam  on  the  south 
and  west,  Lake  Opechee  near  the 
centre  of  the  city,  and  Lakes  Winnipe- 


Gilford  ;  and  previous  to  [813  this  por 
tion  of  the  city  was  included  in  the 
limits  of  the  original  township  of  Gil- 
manton.  The  portion  of  Laconia  south 
of  the  river  was  cut  off  from  Gilford 
and  annexed  to  the  town  of  Laconia  in 
1874,  and  when  the  city  charter  was 
granted  in  1893,  Lakeport  was  also 
taken  from  Gilford  to  form  a  pan 
the  city  of  Laconia. 

The  early  history  of  Laconia,  there- 
fore, is  identical  with  that  of  Gilman- 
ton,    Meredith,    and    Gilford,    and     the 


Endicott  Rock. 


saukee  and  Paugus  on  the  north  and 
east  boundaries,  well  entitle  Laconia  to 
be  known  as  the  "City  on  the  Lakes," 
which  title  is  inscribed  upon  the  city 
seal. 

Laconia  was  first  incorporated  as  a 
township  in  1855,  the  portion  north  of 
the  Winnipesaukee  river,  including  The 
Weirs,  being  set  off  at  that  time  from 
the  old  town  of  Meredith.  Previous  to 
this  date  Laconia  was  known  as  Mere- 
dith Bridge,  and  the  portion  of  the 
village  on  the  south  and  east  sides  of 
the    river    was  a  part    of   the    town    of 


future  historian  of  the  city  will  be  sadly 
hampered  by  the  fact  that  there  are  no 
town  records  of  Laconia  until  1855.  A 
brief  sketch  of  the  settlement  of  this 
territory  has  been  compiled  from  Lan- 
caster's History  of  Gilmanton,  pub- 
lished in  1845,  and  from  authentic  his- 
torical sketches  of  Meredith  and  Gil- 
ford. 

The  first  authentic  record  of  the 
appearance  of  the  white  man  in  Laconia 
is  found  upon  Kndicott  rock,  at  The 
Weirs,  near  the  outlet  of  Lake  Winni- 
pesaukee.   Strange  as  it  may  now  seem, 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


the  territory  of  Laconia  was  once 
claimed  as  a  portion  of  the  territory 
granted  to  the  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony.  In  1638  the  Massachusetts 
colonists  sent  a  party  up  the  Merrimack 
river   to   locate   the    northern   bound  of 


The  Old  Tucker  House,  formerly  on  Mill  Street 


their  grant,  which  was  understood  to 
be  three  miles  from  the  headwaters  of 
the  Merrimack  river,  but  was  afterwards 
decided  to  be  three  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  The  first  party  of 
surveyors  sent,  out  from  Massa- 
chusetts to  locate  this  bound,  as- 
cended the  river  and  ,  marked  a 
tree  near  the  junction  of  the  Pem- 
igewasset  and  Winnipesaukee 
rivers  fat  Franklin).  In  1652  the 
Bay  state  colonists  sent  out  a  sec- 
ond party  from  Ipswich,  with  in- 
structions to  find  and  mark  the 
headwaters  of  the  Merrimack  river. 
This  party  consisted  of  Captain 
Simon  Willard  and  Edward  John- 
son, commissioners,  accompanied 
by  Jonathan  Ince,  John  Sherman, 
and  two  or  three  Indians.  This 
surveying  party  reached  The  Weirs 
about  August  1,  1652,  and  the 
white  men  in  the  party  were  prob- 
ably the  first  white  men  who  ever 
set  foot  upon  Laconia,  or  gazed  at  the 
beautiful  Lake  Winnipesaukee. 

Captain  Willard  and  his  party  marked 
a  boulder  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  near 


the  outlet  into  Lake  Paugus,  and  re- 
turned to  the  lower  settlements  after  an 
absence  of  nineteen  days.  The  marks 
cut  upon  the  rock  were  the  initials  of 
Simon  Willard,  Edward  Johnson,  John 
Sherman,  Jonathan  Ince,  and  the  name 
of  John  Endicott,  governor.  In 
1740  the  bounds  of  Massachu- 
setts and  New  Hampshire 
were  established,  and  the  boul- 
der on  the  shore  of  the  lake 
was  forgotten  until  about  1S33, 
when  the  marks  were  discov- 
ered by  workmen  who  were  en- 
larging the  channel  at  The 
Weirs.  In  1885  the  legislature 
made  an  appropriation  for  rais- 
ing the  rock  and  surrounding  it 
with  the  substantial  granite 
memorial  which  will  undoubt- 
edly preserve  the  record  of  the 
white  man's  visit  to  Laconia 
for  centuries  to  come. 

The  portion  of  Laconia  south 
of  the  river  Winnipesaukee  was 
granted  to  one  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  persons  in  1727,  as  com- 
pensation for  services  in  defence  of  their 
country,  and  was  incorporated  as  a  part 
of  Gilmanton.  The  charter  was  signed 
by  His  Majesty's  colonial  governor,  John 


The  Old  Red  House,  formerly  on  Pleasant  Street. 

Wentworth.  The  upper  side  of  the  river 
was  chartered  by  the  governor  and  coun- 
cil in  1768  as  a  portion  of  the  township 
of  Meredith.    Both  Gilmanton  and  Mere- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


dith  were  granted  to  Exeter  and  Torts- 
mouth  people,  and  the  meetings  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  grants  were  held  in 
Exeter  for  some  time. 

The  French  and  Indian  wars  de- 
layed the  settlement  of  the  two  towns, 
and  although  it  appears  that  several 
parties  came  here  about  1750.  they 
came  as  prospectors  and  hunters,  and  it 
was  not  until  1761  that  any  permanent 
settlements  were  effected.'  In  1736  a 
party  of  men  cleared  a  path  to  The 
Weirs  and  constructed  a  blockhouse, 
fourteen  feet  square,  as  a  shelter  and 
defence  from  Indians.  About  this  time 
a  new  obstacle  to  settlement  arose    by 


by  order  of  the  general  court,  the 
Province  road,  so  called,  was  laid  out 
from  Portsmouth  to  Canada,  through 
Gilmanton  and  Meredith,  and  o 
quently  through  the  present  city  of 
Laconia.  "Meredith  Bridge "  was  first 
constructed   at  this  time,  b  m's 

Bridge"  at  Lakeport  was  not  built  until 
1782.  and  the  bridge  at  The  Weirs  was 
erected  in  1S03.  "Mosquito  bridge," 
leading  over  the  narrow  portion  of 
Lake  Winnesquam,  was  built  about 
1805,  and  "Davis  Bridge,"  leading 
from  the  mainland  to  Davis'  island, 
now  Governor's  island,  in  Lake  Winni- 
pesaukee,  was  erected  previous  to  1X20. 


1  nt  Building  after  the  Fii  - 


the  claims  of  John  Tufton  Mason  of 
Hampshire  county.  England,  who 
claimed  all  of  the  territory  embraced 
in  Gilmanton  and  Meredith,  as  con- 
veyed to  him  by  the  English  govern- 
ment. Mason  sold  his  claims  to  Ports- 
mouth people,  and  in  1752  the  Maso- 
nian  proprietors  made  a  trade  with 
those  who  received  their  grant  from  the 
governor  of  New  Hampshire,  and  took 
certain  shares  of  the  territory  for  their 
claims. 

Previous  to  1761  the  route  to  Gil- 
manton and  Meredith  from  Epsom  and 
Exeter  was  merely  a  path,  marked  by 
spotted  trees,  but  in  October  of  this 
year  a  cart-path  was  made,  and  in  1770, 


With  the  exception  of  lands  which 
were  cultivated  by  the  Indians  at  The 
Weirs  and  a  few  other  places,  the  terri- 
tory embraced  within  our  city  limits 
was  an  unbroken  wilderness  until  about 
1766.  At  this  time  Lhene/er  Smith 
and  Jacob  baton  built  their  log  houses 
and  commenced  clearing  away  the 
forest.  From  the  time  the  Endicott 
rock  was  marked  no  civilized  man 
again  appears  until  just  before  the  con- 
struction of  the  block  house,  which  was 
called  White  Hall,  for  some  reason 
unknown,  and  which  was  erected  in 
1736.  The  exact  location  of  Smith's 
first  house  is  not  known,  but  Eaton's 
house  was  built  when  llilliard 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


now  lives  near  The  Weirs.  Not  long 
after  Smith's  arrival  we  find  he  had  his 
house  near  where  Lowell  Cawley  re- 
cently lived.  The  first  road  to  The 
Weirs  was  from  near  Smith's  house  by 
Jacob   Eaton's  house,  about  where  the 


■ 


An  Old  View  of  Water  .Street. 

road  now  runs.  On  the  lot  where 
Eaton  built  there  were  several  apple 
trees  which  had  been  planted  by  the 
Indians,  which  were  so  far  as  known 
the  only  apple  trees  ever  found  upon 
any  Indian  lands.  At  this  ancient 
home  of  Eaton's  the  first  white  child  of 
Laconia  was  born,  and  the  little  girl 
was  named  Thamor  Eaton.  Where  she 
died  and  the  place  of  burial  is  un- 
known. Soon  after  the  birth  of  the 
Eaton  child,  a  male  child  was  born  to 
Ebenezer  Smith.  Mr.  Eaton  under- 
stood that  the  first  child  born  in  town 
should  be  entitled  to  a  certain  amount 
of  land  from  the  proprietors,  but  Smith 
claimed  that  the  "right  of  land"  was 
to  the  first  male  child.  A  friendly  com- 
promise was  arranged,  and  Eaton  took 
forty  or  fifty  acres  and  Smith  received 
the  lion's  share,  about  two  hundred 
acres.  Colonel  Smith  was  above  all 
others  the  principal  man  of  the  town 
for  many  years.  He  was  born  in 
Exeter,  N.  H.,  in  1734.  He  died  in 
1807.  He  was  proprietors'  clerk  and 
town  clerk,  justice  of  the  peace,  select- 
man, represented  his  town  in  both 
branches  of  the  legislature,  and  was  at 
one  time  president  of  the  senate. 


Mills  for  sawing  and  grinding  were 
commenced  at  Meredith  Bridge  soon 
after  the  Province  road  was  built.  The 
mills  were  first  built  on  the  Meredith 
side  of  the  river,  and  in  1775  were 
owned  by  Stephen  Gale  but  were  swept 
away  by  a  freshet  in  the  year  1779. 
The  mill  privilege  was  purchased  in 
1780  by  Col.  Samuel  Ladd,  who  rebuilt 
on  the  Gilford  side  of  the  river.  Col- 
onel Ladd  lost  his  milldam  three  years 
successively,  and  in  1788  his  mill  was 
burned,  but  it  was  immediately  rebuilt. 

About  this  time  Abraham  Folsom 
built  mills  both  for  sawing  lumber 
and  grinding  grain  at  Lakeport,  which 
was  then  called  Folsom's  mills.  These 
mills  were  also  destroyed  by  fire  but 
again  constructed  the  following  season. 
There  were  also  mills  at  The  Weirs  in 
1803,  called  Prescott's  mills,  but  these 
establishments  went  into  disuse,  while 
the  mills  at  Meredith  Bridge  and  Lake- 
port  did  an  extensive  business,  and  the 
community  around  them  rapidly  in- 
creased in  numbers  and  importance. 

One  of  the  first  houses  on  the  Gil- 
man  ton  side  of  the  river  was  the  mill 
house,  erected  by  Col.  Samuel   Ladd  in 


The  Old  1'erley  Corner  on  Main  Street. 

1780,  near  the  present  location  of  the 
Huse  machine  shops.  Colonel  Ladd 
purchased  the  land  of  Samuel  Jewett, 
who  settled  half  a  mile  above,  the  pre- 
vious year.  It  is  stated  that  Colonel 
Ladd   paid  but   seven   Spanish    dollars 


THE    II.!. I  STRATED    LACONIAN. 


for  this  lot  of  two  and  a  half  acres  of 
land  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  and 
previously  owned  the  territory  now 
known  as  Ladd's  Hill,  just  across  the 
city  line  in  Belmont.  The  land  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  was  first  owned 
by  Schoolmaster  James  of  Exeter. 
Stephen  Gale  next  purchased  this  terri- 
tory and  sold  it  to  Colonel  Ladd.  This 
land  commenced  near  the  present 
Church  street  bridge  and  the  bound 
ran  in  a  straight  line  to  Lake  Winne- 
squam,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Winnipe- 
saukee  river,  thus  including  all  of  the 
most  valuable  property  to-day  in  the 
city  of  Laconia.      Most  of  the  land  on 


disannexed,  and  by  an  act  of  the  \ 
Hampshire   legislature,   incorporated    as 
a  separate  town,  called  Gilford.      This 

town  included  not  only  the  portion  of 
the  present  Laconia  south  of  the  river, 
but  also  the  present  town  of  Gilford 
and  that  portion  of  Lakeport  and  The 
Weirs  east  of  the  liver  and  lake. 

About  the  year  i  790,  I  >aniel  .\\<-\v 
came  to  Meredith  Bridge  from  Strat- 
ham,  and  opened  a  store  in  a  small 
building  near  the  bridge,  lie  erected 
a  factory  for  a  cotton  mill,  where  the 
Belknap  mills  stand  to-day,  and  did 
much  to  enlarge  and  build  up  the  vil- 
lage.    Aaron   Martin   early  established 


Main  Street  before  the  Unitarian  Church  was  Built. 


the  south  side  of  the  river  was  first 
owned  by  James  Conner  and  John 
Lowe,  but  was  soon  afterwards  pur- 
chased by  Samuel  Jewett.  Daniel 
Avery  and  Dr.  Bowman  purchased 
some  of  this  property  about  1790. 

In  181 1  the  inhabitants  on  the  south 
side  of  the  YVinnipesaukee  river,  resid- 
ing in  what  was  then  called  Gunstock 
Parish,  petitioned  to  be  set  off  into  a 
separate  town.  The  voters  of  Gilman- 
ton  at  their  March  meeting  in  18 12 
declined  to  favor  the  petition,  but  voted 
not  to  oppose  it  in  the  legislature.  The 
application  was  therefore  successful, 
and  on  the  16th  of  June,  1812,  that 
part  of  Gilmanton  called  Gunstock  was 


a  paper  manufactory  at  Meredith  Dridge, 
which  was  destroyed  l>v  lire  some  years 
afterwards.  In  [820,  an  academy  was 
incorporated,  and  about  the  same  time 
a  term  of  the  supreme  court  began  to 
lie  held  here.  There  were  then  about 
thirty  dwelling-houses  in  the  village 
proper.  Other  traders  were:  Wood- 
bury Melcher.  George  I'.  Avery,  and 
Henry  J.  French.  A  post-office  was 
established  in  1 82  1,  and  I  [oratio  ( '•. 
Prescott  was  the  fust  postmaster. 

In  1813,  when  the  late  Timothy  1  >. 
Somes  came  to  Meredith  Bridge,  there 
was  but  one  church  in  the  village,  lo- 
cated just  south  of  the  present  Willard 
Hotel  property.      This  church  was  de- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


stroyed  by  fire,  in  February,  1836.  The 
Avery  mill,  owned  by  Daniel  Avery, 
Daniel  Tucker,  Stephen  Tucker,  and 
other  leading  citizens,  was  in  operation 
at  that  time,  but  burned  down  some  six 
or  eight  years  afterwards.  There  was 
a  clothing  mill  near  the  Mill  street 
bridge,  on  the  site  occupied  by  the 
J.  W.  Busiel  &  Co.  dye  house  at  the 
present  time.  This  mill  was  owned 
and  operated  by  Samuel  and  Nathan 
Bean.  Stephen  Perley  had  an  oil  mill 
for  preparing  oil  for  painters,  near  the 
Bean  mill.  Daniel  Tucker  owned  a 
blacksmith  shop,  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent Esty  mill,  and  manufactured  axes, 
scythes,    and    other    tools.      The    well- 


som  kept  a  hotel  on  Pleasant  street, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  tavern  keepers 
in  the  village.  There  were  but  thirty- 
four  houses  on  both  sides  of  the  river 
in  18 13,  and  some  of  these  were  mere 
shanties.  The  best  house  in  the  town 
was  the  John  A.  Harper  residence, 
where  Mrs.  Dr.  Prescott  and  L.  A. 
Ladd  now  reside.  Mr.  Harper  was  the 
only  lawyer  at  that  time,  was  a  very 
able  and  brilliant  man,  and  at  one  time 
a  member  of  congress.  The  mails  were 
brought  from  Concord  on  horseback,  and 
no  wagons  were  in  use  here  at  that  time. 
Dr.  Zodack  Bowman  was  the  only 
physician  in  town,  and  lived  where  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Tilton's  residence  now  stands, 


.  ii 


HUH  GUI 


'9     m 


The  Old  Mitchell  and  Mallard  Blocks 


known  Holbrooks,  who  afterwards  re- 
moved to  Massachusetts,  had  a  bell 
foundry  near  the  Tucker  mill.  They 
cast  the  first  bell  ever  rung  in  Meredith 
Bridge. 

The  bridge  across  the  river  on  Main 
street  at  this  time  was  a  small  and  nar- 
row affair,  with  no  railing.  A  man 
named  French  fell  off  the  bridge  and 
was  drowned  in  the  river  about  this 
time,  and  then  the  bridge  was  supplied 
with  a  railing.  On  the  Gilford  side  of 
the  river,  near  the  end  of  the  Mill 
street  bridge,  was  a  sawmill,  owned  by 
Dudley  Ladd,  while  Jonathan  Ladd 
operated  a  grist- mill  near  the  site  of  the 
present    Pitman    mills.     Jonathan    Fol- 


at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Court  streets. 
There  was  no  Main  street,  then,  above 
Mill  street,  and  a  little  brook  ran  through 
Bank  square,  where  the  present  Perley 
canal  is  located.  This  brook  was  crossed 
by  small  bridges  of  one  or  two  planks. 
In  1842  Meredith  Bridge  was  a  vil- 
lage of  considerable  importance.  The 
Belknap  Gazette  was  published  by  the 
late  Col.  Charles  Lane,  and  the  village 
boasted  three  cotton  mills,  a  woolen 
mill,  grist-mills,  sawmills,  a  large  tan- 
nery, sash  and  door  machinery,  a  large 
printing-office,  with  bookbindery  and 
bookstore  connected.  There  were  ten 
stores,  three  taverns,  three  churches, 
five  lawyers,  three    clergymen,  and   an 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


academy  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The     ladies  of  the  village  in  the  freight  depot 
regular  stage  went  through   from    Hoi-     which  stood    on   the  site  onia's 

derness   to    Boston   in  one    day,  leaving     beautiful    passenger   station    of    to-day. 


Meredith   Bridge   at   six  o'clock  in    the 
morning,  making   the    trip   via  Concord 


Paying  an  Election  Bet  Thirty-five  Vears  Ago. 

and  Manchester  on  three  days  in  the 
week,  and  via  Pittsfield  and  Exeter  on 
the  other  three  days. 

The  opening  of  the  old  Boston,  Con- 
cord &  Montreal  Railroad  between 
Concord  and  Meredith  Bridge  marked 
an  important  point  in  the  growth  of 
Laconia.  August  S,  1848,  was  the 
date  of  the  opening  of  the  railroad 
to  Meredith  Bridge,  and  a  year  after- 
wards the  road  was  extended  to  Lake 
Village.  The  opening  of  the  road 
was  the  occasion  of  the  biggest  cele- 
bration Meredith  Bridge  had  ever 
witnessed  up  to  that  date.  A  mam- 
moth cannon  was  located  near  Horse 
Point,  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Winne- 
squam,  and  when  the  special  train 
came  along,  a  salute  was  fired,  which 
was  the  signal  for  ringing  the  mill 
bells,  and  the  church  bell  of  the  old 
North  church.  There  was  an  im- 
mense throng  of  people  waiting  at 
the  depot  to  welcome  the  iron  horse, 
the  farmers  driving  in  from  miles 
around. 

The  locomotive  was  named  "Old  Man 
of  the  Mountains,"  and  the  train  was  in 
charge  of  Major  Jake  Libbey,  as  con- 
ductor. The  chief  feature  of  the  cele- 
bration was  the  collation,  served  by  the 


The  car  track  stopped  near  this  point. 
The  tickets  for  the  free  ride  on  the 
special  train  to  Meredith  bridge  are 
still   preserved    as    souvenirs,   and    read 

as  follows  : 

B.  C.&MONTREAL  RAILROAD. 

I  IP]  \l.\<;   TO    MERED1  I  II. 

The  directors  respectfully  invite  your  attend- 
ance upon  t he  opening  of  this  road  on  Tuesday, 
Augusl  8,  1 S  1 S . 

ARRANGEMENT. 

A  special  train  will  leave  the  Lowell  Depot, 
Boston,  at  6  o'clock,  a.  m.;  Lowell  at  63; 
Nashua  at  jl,  Manchestei  -  ! .  and  Concord  at 
9,  on  the  arrival  of  the  special  from  Boston. 

This  will  pass  you  free  over  the  Boston  iV 
Lowell,  the  Concord,  the  Northern  and  the  B. 
C.  &   M.  railroad  <>n   this  and  admit 

you  to  the  collation  at  Meredith. 

Stockholders  and  invited  guests  below  Con- 
cord will  be  particular  to  take  the  special  train. 

Previous  to  1855,  the  citizens  of 
Meredith  Bridge  went  to  Meredith 
Parade  to  vote.  At  the  March  meet- 
ing i  March  13,  1855)  occurred  the  great 
catastrophe  known  as  the  falling  of  the 
town  house.      Soon  after  the  opening  of 


Weirs  before  the  "  Boom  "  Arrived. 

the  meeting,  while  preparing  to  take  a 
vote  by  ballot,  their  was  a  rush  of  vo- 
ters, of  whom  there  were  from  six  to 
eight  hundred  present,  and  their  weight 
broke  down   the  floor  timbers  of  the  yet 


AVtf     J\r  ox ,Af  ^  0  £\AfV  s 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACOXIAN. 


unfinished  town  house  at  Meredith  vil- 
lage. The  floor  gave  way,  and  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  precipi- 
tated into  the  basement  of  the  building. 
Out  of  this  mass  of  struggling  humanity, 
over  sixty  men  were  carried  out  seri- 
ously injured  with  broken  bones,  dislo- 
cated joints  and  internal  injuries.  Four 
of  the  injured  men,  James  W.  Durgin, 
Washington  Smith,  Benjamin  D.  Rob- 
inson, and  Nathaniel  Nichols,  died  in  a 
short  time,  and  others  received  injuries 
from  which  they  never  recovered,  many 
being  crippled   for   life.     This  was  one 


and  first  division  of  lots  in  said  Meredith, 
thence  easterly  on  said  line  to  the  rangeway, 
thence  northerly  on  said  rangeway  to  the  corner 
between  lots  numbered  eight  and  nine  in  the 
sixth  range,  thence  easterly  on  the  line  between 
said  lots  the  length  of  two  lots  to  the  rangeway 
between  the  fourth  and  fifth  range,  thence  north- 
erly on  said  rangeway  to  the  corner  between 
lots  numbered  three  and  four  in  the  fourth 
range,  thence  easterly  on  the  line  between  said 
lots  the  length  of  two  lots  to  the  rangeway  be- 
tween the  second  and  third  range,  thence  south- 
erly on  said  rangeway  to  the  corner  between 
lots  numbered  three  and  four  in  the  second 
range,  thence  easterly  on  the  line  between  said 
lots  the  length  of  two  lots  to  the  Winnipesaukee 
lake,  thence  southerly  on  the  waters  of  said 
lake  and   the  line  between   the  towns  of   Mere- 


r 


M 


i 


Laconia  from  Vue  de  l'Eau  Hotel. 


of  the  immediate  causes  which  led  to 
the  setting  off  of  Meredith  Bridge  from 
the  mother-town,  and  in  July  of  the 
same  year,  by  act  of  the  legislature, 
Meredith  was  divided,  and  the  town  of 
Laconia  incorporated. 

The  act  to  incorporate  the  town  of 
Laconia  was  approved  July  14,  1855, 
and  signed  by  Gov.  Ralph  Metcalf. 
The  bounds  of  Laconia,  as  created  by 
this  act  of  the  legislature,  were  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  That  all  that  part  of  the  town  of  Meredith 
lying  southerly  of  the  following  line,  to  wit : 
Beginning  at  a  point  on  the  easterly  shore  of 
Sanbornton  bay,  on  the  line  between  the  lots 
numbered  three  and  four  in   the  seventh  range 


dith  and  Gilford  and  on  said  Sanbornton  bay  to 
the  bounds  begun  at,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby 
severed  from  the  town  of  Meredith  and  made  a 
body  politic  and  corporate  by  the  name  of 
Laconia." 

The  warrant  for  the  first  town  meet- 
ing of  the  new  town  of  Laconia  was 
signed  by  H.  N.  Burnham,  Stephen 
Gale,  John  C.  Moulton,  and  Samuel  \V. 
Sanders,  who  were  authorized  by  the 
legislature  to  call  this  meeting.  The 
first  meeting  was  held  in  the  Boston, 
Concord  &  Montreal  Railroad  freight 
station,  "near  the  residence  of  Stephen 
Gale,"  on  August  2,  1855.  The  town 
officers  elected  at  this  meeting  were  as 
follows :    Moderator,    Horatio  N.  Burn- 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


'3 


ham;  town  clerk,  Benjamin  1*.  dale: 
selectmen,  Samuel  W.  Sanders,  John 
Davis,  2d,  Ebenezer  S.  Gate  ;  town 
treasurer.  Elijah  Beaman  ;  superintend- 
ing school  committee,  John  K.  Young; 
auditors,  Joseph  YV.  Robinson,  Hugh 
Blaisdeil,  John  C.  Moulton  ;  surveyors 
of  wood,  Harrison  Sibley,  Thomas 
Wilder,  Moses  B.  Gordon,  and  Ben- 
jamin P.  Gale ;  surveyors  of  lumber, 
Nathan  B.  Wadleigh,  John  Davis,  2d. 
Joseph  Ranlet,  and  Moses  B.  Gor- 
don ;  town  agent,  Noah  Robinson ; 
weigher  of  hay,  Horatio  N.  Burn  ham  ; 
sealer  of  weights  and  measures,  James 
S.  Hoit ;  poundkeeper,  David  Blaisdeil: 


legislature,  and  dated  July  2.  1874,  and 
tin-  bounds  of  the  addition  are  given  as 
follows  : 

"That  all  that  part  of  the   town  .if  Gilford 
bounded   as    follow  s,   to   wil  :     1  ■  .it    a 

slake  and  stone  on  t he  easterly  side  "I  Round 
bay  on  a  line  with  the  noi  1  1  Thomas 

I'm  nil's  land,  and  running  easterly  to  and 
along   said    Durrell's  land  to  the  liw 

1  districts  No.  4  and  No.  [2,  thence  south- 
erly on  the  line  of  school  district  No.  4  to  the 
line  between  Gilford  and  Belmont,  thence  wesl 
erlv  on  the  line  between  Gilford  and  Belmont  to 
Sanbornton  bay,  and  to  the  line  between  Gil- 
ford and  Laconia,  thence  northerly  on  said  hay, 
Winnipiseogee  river  and  Round  Lav,  ben 
the  line  between  Gilford  and  Laconia,  to  the 
bound  begun  at,  be  and  the  same  hereby  is  sev- 
ered from  the  town  of  Gilford  and  annexed  to- 
the  town  of  I  .aconia." 


Main  Street, before  Smith's  Brick  !_» 1  •  ck  was  Erected. 


fence  viewers,  Ebenezer  S.  Cate,  Chas. 
Smith,  and  Joseph  YV.  Robinson  ;  hog- 
reeves,  Chas.  Gould,  Chas.  S.  Gale. 
Moses  Sargent,  and  Westley  Maloon  ; 
constables,  James  S.  Hoit,  Hugh  Blais- 
deil, Augustus  Doe,  Horatio  N.  Burn- 
ham,  and  John  C.  Davis ;  surveyors  of 
highways,  Edward  Bacon,  Lewis  W. 
Boynton,  Lucian  A.  Ladd,  Reuben  P. 
Smith,  James  R.  Gray,  John  C.  Eolsom, 
Nathaniel  Sanborn,  John  M.  L.  Swain, 
Jacob  Smith,  John  M.  Robinson,  James 
Gordon,  and  Ebenezer  S.  Cate. 

The  next  change  in  the  territory  of 
Laconia  was  the  annexation  of  the  por- 
tion of  Gilford  lying  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Winnipesaukee  river.  This  move 
was  heartily  opposed  by  the  old  town  of 
Gilford,  but  the  act  was  passed  by  the 


This  act  of  the  legislature  united  the 
two  portions  of  the  village  on  both 
sides  of  the  river,  under  one  town  gov- 
ernment, as  up  to  this  date  the  inhabi- 
tants on  the  south  side  had  been 
obliged  to  go  to  Gilford  village  t<>  vote, 
and  to  transact  all  their  town  business. 
But  at  Lake  Village  a  similar  stat( 
affairs  still  existed,  the  easterly  side  of 
the  river  being  in  the  town  of  Gilford, 
and  the  westerly  side  being  a  part  of 
the  town  of  Eaconia.  This  was  reme 
died  by  the  act  of  the  general  court, 
dated  July  13,  1876,  as  follows  : 

"That  all  that  part  of  the  town  of  Laconia 
bounded  as  follows,  to  wit:  Beginning  at  a 
stake  and  stones  on  the  westerly  shore  oi  Long 
bay,  so  1  ailed,  at  the  northeasterly  1  "iner  of  the 
farm  of  Enoch  B.  Prescott,  thence  westerly  on 
the  northerly  liue  of  said    I'tescott's  f.u  111   to  the 


14 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


highway  leading  from  Lake  Village  to  Mere- 
dith, thence  northerly  on  said  highway  to  the 
centre  of  Tilton  brook,  so  called,  thence  west- 
erly down  the  centre  of  said  brook  to  Round 
bay,  to  the  line  dividing  the  town  of  Gilford 
from  the  town  of  Laconia — be  and  the  same 
hereby  is  severed  from  the  town  of  Laconia  and 
annexed  to  the  town  of  Gilford." 

f  The  next  change  in  the  territory  of 
Laconia  was  the  annexation  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Lakeport,  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  and  the  consolidation  of  the  two 
towns  under  a  city  government.  Lake- 
port  had  outgrown  the  mother  town  of 
Gilford,  which  was  and  still  is  strictly  a 
farming  community,  and  there  was  little 
or  no  opposition  to  the  union  of  the  two 


lot  line  to  the  division  line  orrangeway  between 
ranges  two  and  three  ;  thence  northerly  on  said 
division  line  or  rangeway  to  Lake  Winnipiseo- 
gee — shall  be  a  body  corporate  and  politic  under 
the  name  of  the  City  of  Laconia." 

The  first  city  election  held  under  the 
charter  was  May  2,  1893,  and  the  first 
city  government  was  inaugurated  May 
3,  1893,  as  follows:  Mayor,  Charles  A. 
Busiel.  Councilmen,  ward  one,  George 
W.  Weeks,  William  J.  Morrison  ;  ward 
two,  Albert  C.  Moore,  Francis  H.  Davis  ; 
ward  three,  Charles  E.  Frye,  Joseph  M. 
Folsom ;  ward  four,  Edmund  Tetley, 
Charles  W.  Vaughan  •  ward  five,  Horace 
W.    Gorrell,    John    W.    Ashman ;    ward 


Avery  Dam,  looking  down  the  River. 


villages,  which  had  grown  so  closely 
together  that  it  was  hard  to  tell  where 
one  left  off  and  the  other  commenced. 

The  city  charter  was  granted  by  the 
legislature  of  1893,  and  dated  March  24, 
1893.  The  bounds  of  the  portion  cut 
off  from  Gilford  and  made  a  part  of  the 
city  (ward  six)  are  as  follows  : 

"  The  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Laconia,  in 
the  county  of  Belknap,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
all  that  part  of  the  town  of  Gilford  lying  west- 
erly of  a  line  described  as  follows,  viz. :  Com- 
mencing at  the  southeast  corner  of  School  Dis- 
trict No.  13  in  said  Gilford,  thence  northerly 
on  the  division  line  or  rangeway,  between  ranges 
one  and  two,  as  shown  by  the  Gilford  town  plan, 
to  the  south  line  of  lot  originally  owned  by 
Joseph  Libby ;   thence  easterly  on   said  Libby 


six,  Benjamin  F.  Drake,  Charles  L. 
Pulsifer,  Julius  E.  Wilson,  Romanzo  B. 
Priest. 

Meredith  Bridge  suffered  seriously 
several  times  in  its  early  history  from 
disastrous  fires.  Feb.  13,  1823,  the 
large  brick  factory,  factory  store,  and 
engine  house  on  Mill  street  were  burned. 
The  fire  started  in  the  picking-room, 
and  spread  so  rapidly  that  the  girls  in 
the  upper  loft  were  obliged  to  jump 
from  the  windows,  and  some  of  them 
were  seriously  injured.  Clarissa  Bean, 
one  of  the  operatives,  had  her  limbs 
broken.  They  were  amputated,  but  she 
did  not  recover.     In  December,   1833, 


THE   ILLUSTRATFD    LACONIAN. 


•5 


the  paper  mill,  sawmill,  and  grist-mill 
were  destroyed  by  tire,  and  in  February, 
1836,  the  only  meeting-house,  located 
near  the  site  of  the  Judge  Lovell  place, 
together  with  the  dwelling-house  and 
outbuildings  of  Lyman  B.  Walker,  were 
burned.  The  "big  fire"  of  Nov.  21, 
1S60,  was  the  most  serious  conflagration 
in  Laconia's  history.  It  started  in  the 
stable  of  the  Cerro  Gordo  hotel,  which 
was  located  just  below  the  present 
Moulton  opera  house  block,  swept  down 
the  street  and  across  the  street,  destrov- 


was  organized,  one  of  the  first  mills 
erected  in  the  country  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  woolen  goods.  The  mill  was  a 
wooden  building,  and  much  of  the  ma- 
chinery was  built  here.  The  stock  was 
luld  by  citizens  of  the  village,  and  the 
leading  spirits  in  the  enterprise  were 
Daniel  Avery,  Stephen  Perley,  John  A. 
Harper,  and  others. 

Later  enterprises  in  the  same  line 
was  the  establishment  of  the  Granite 
hosiery  mills,  in  1S47,  by  the  late  John 
W.  Busiel,  the  White  Mountains  hosiery 

1 


The  Cerro  Gordo  House,  burned  1S60. 


ing  practically  all  the  business  places 
in  the  village  at  that  time.  In  later 
years,  the  car  shops  have  twice  been 
nearly  wiped  out  by  conflagrations,  but 
in  both  cases  immediately  rebuilt  on  a 
larger  scale. 

Probably  nothing  has  contributed  so 
much  to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of 
Laconia  as  the  manufacturing  indus- 
tries. The  Bean  carding  mill  and  Mar- 
tin's paper  mill  were  the  first  enterprises 
of  this  kind,  both  established  about 
1800.  About  a  dozen  years  later,  the 
Meredith  Cotton  and  Woolen  Company 


mills,  established  by  the  late  Lewis  F. 
Busiel  a  few  years  later,  and  the  Cilford 
Hosiery  Co.,  incorporated  by  the  late 
John  C.  Moulton  in  1864.  The  Belknap 
mills,  the  Pitman  Manufacturing  Co., 
the  late  J.  S.  Tilton  hosiery  industry, 
and  the  Abel  machine  shops  should 
also  be  mentioned  among  the  industries 
which  have  furnished  employment  for 
large  numbers  of  workmen  and  helped 
build  up  the  town. 

The  Laconia  car  shops  are  now  and 
have  been  for  many  years,  perhaps,  the 
most  important  individual    manufactur- 


i6 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


ing  concern  in  Laconia.  These  shops 
were  started  by  the  late  Charles  Ranlet 
and  Joseph  Ranlet  about  1850,  under 
the  name  of  the  Ranlet  Car  Co.  Perley 
Putnam  and  the  late  John  C.  Moulton 
afterwards  came  into  the.  concern,  and  it 
was  known  as  the  Laconia  Car  Co.  until 
the  organization  of  the  Laconia  Car  Co. 
Works  in  1898,  of  which  Hon.  Frank 
Jones  of  Portsmouth  is  president  and 
the  principal  owner. 

Other  local  enterprises  which  have 
assisted  in  building  up  the  town  are  the 
old  Baldwin  peg  mill,  the  numerous 
machine  shops,  which  sprang  up  from 
the  hosiery  industry,  including  the  Abel 


lage  had  a  population  of  but  500.  In 
1890  the  census  showed  about  3,000. 
After  the  census  of  1890,  and  previous 
to  the  adoption  of  the  city  charter  in 
1893,  both  Laconia  and  Lakeport  in- 
creased rapidly  in  population,  so  that  it 
is  safe  to  state  that  the  population  of 
the  city  of  Laconia  at  the  inauguration 
of  the  city  charter  was  at  least  10,000. 

The  construction  and  opening  of  the 
Lake  Shore  railroad  between  Laconia 
and  Alton  Bay  was  an  important  event 
in  local  history.  As  far  back  as  1847, 
a  charter  was  granted  to  build  this 
eighteen  miles  of  road  to  connect  the 
Cocheco  road,   on    the   eastern    side   of 


Looking  up  the  River,  from  Main  Street  Bridge. 


shops,  the  Huse  shops,  the  Cole  Manu- 
facturing Co.,  the  J.  S.  Crane  shops,  the 
Wardwell  needle  shops,  and  scores  of 
others  in  this  and  similar  lines. 

The  lumber  mills  of  G.  Cook  &  Son, 
the  Laconia  lumber  works,  and  Laco- 
nia's  retail  stores,  especially  the  dry 
goods  establishments,  have  also  done 
much  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  the 
town,  and  make  it  a  trade  centre. 

In  1855,  when  Laconia  was  set  off 
from  Meredith  and  incorporated  as  a 
separate  town,  its  population  was  reck- 
oned at  1,200.  In  i860,  the  census 
gave  the  town  a  population  of  1,806, 
which  had  increased  to  2,309  by  the 
next  census  in  1870,  and  to  3,790  in 
1880.  The  census  of  1890  showed 
6,143  inhabitants.      In   1830  Lake  Vil- 


New  Hampshire,  with  the  old  Boston, 
Concord  &  Montreal  railroad  at  Mere- 
dith. But  lack  of  financial  means  pre- 
vented the  construction  of  the  Lake 
Shore  link  for  over  forty  years,  and  the 
original  charter  expired.  Attempts  were 
made  to  renew  the  charter  in  1868, 
1869,  and  1870,  but  it  was  opposed  by 
the  Boston,  Concord  &  Montreal  road. 
For  several  years  the  demand  for  this 
charter  was  made  a  political  issue  in 
Belknap  county,  and  in  1883  the  char- 
ter was  granted  by  consent  of  both 
the  great  railroad  corporations  of  New 
Hampshire,  with  the  mutual  under- 
standing, however,  that  neither  of  them 
would  assist  in  building  the  road.  The 
charter  was  in  the  hands  of  Charles  A. 
Busiel   and   his   associates,  and   in   the 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


'7 


big  railroad  fight  of  1887  a  condition  of  port   and    in    Moulton    opera    hous< 
affairs  was  reached  where  both  the  Con-  Laconia.      The   entire   four    train-loads 
cord   railroad   and  the   Boston  &  Maine  of  guests,  and  all  the  prominent  citizens 
road  offered  to  construct  the  Lake  Shore  of    Laconia    and    Lakeport,    were    ban- 
link.      By   a  wise   use   of  the    opportu-  queted   by  a  down-country  caterer  in   .1 


An  (  lid  View  oi  Main  Street. 

large  tent  erected  for  the  purpose  in 
the  rear  of  the  City  Hotel.  Hon.  ('.  A. 
Busiel  was  presented  with  a  gold- 
headed  cane,  as  a  mark  of  apprecia- 
tion from  the  citizens  for  his  long  strug- 
gle    for    the 


The  OKI  Messer  Bridge. 

nities  growing  out  of  this  railroad  fight 
in  the  legislature,  the  Lake  Shore  was 
constructed  by  the  Concord  Railroad 
corporation,  and  formally  opened  with 
a  grand  celebration  in  Laconia  on  June 
17,1890.  Four 

return,  accom-  |  -  ^B.         1-.  -M}Mfc;t}l    \Jy     <>f  Laconia  on 

road     officials,  (  |  I  W'\  \t\    ■*^J  I    erings  of  p,-o- 

the    governor,    ...\    |!|         ■  '  T  I  pie  ever  seen 

mill  and  in  the    &&*  -  --^    cent     railroad 

church  towers,  .'  passenger  sta- 

whistles    were  ,  ,,,,.,  ...  tion     on     .\u- 

.  .  ,  fewctt  Homestead,  One  oi  the  Oldest  llmiM-^  m   town.  n 

blown,  and  sa-  gusl  22, 

lutes  fired  from  cannon.  The  leading  cit-  was  another  event  of  historical  import- 
izens  of  Dover,  and  other  towns  in  that  ance.  l*p  to  this  time  Laconia  s  pas- 
section  of  New  Hampshire,  were  guests  senger  depot  had  been  a  mere  wooden 
of  Laconia  upon  this  occasion,  and  shell,  which  had  done  service  ever  since 
speech-making  was  indulged  in  at  Lake-  the  opening  of   the   railroad.       The  con 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACOXIAN. 


tract  for  the  erection  of  the  present 
station  was  signed  in  April,  189 1,  and 
S.  S.  Ordway  &  Co.,  of  Woburn,  Mas- 
sachusetts, were  the  contractors.  The 
Ordway  contract  and  the  heating  appar- 
atus involved  an  expense  of  $30,000. 
Before  ground  was  broken  for  the  new 
depot,  the  railroad  folks  invested  about 
$22,000  in  the  purchase  of  the  Vaughan, 
Lane,  Kelley,  and  O'Shea  properties, 
removing  the  dwelling  houses  thereon, 
so  as  to  clear  off  the  entire  square.  The 
town  of  Laconia  joined  with  the  rail- 
road in  enlarging  the  railroad  square, 
by  purchasing  the  Tibbetts  and  Wilcox 
properties  and  taking  a  slice  from  the 
Gale  property  opposite  the  passenger 
station.     The   dedication   of  the  depot 


the  best  structure  of  the  kind  to  be 
found  in  America."  Credit  for  the  sub- 
stantial and  beautiful  depot  largely  be- 
longs to  Hon.  Charles  A.  Busiel,  who 
was  at  that  time  one  of  the  managing 
directors  of  the  Concord  railroad,  and 
it  was  through  his  efforts  and  local 
pride  that  Laconia  was  granted  such  an 
expensive  and  magnificent  passenger 
station.  History  will  accord  to  Hon. 
C.  A.  Busiel  the  honor  of  constructing 
the  Lake  Shore  railroad  and  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Laconia  passenger  station, 
and  these  two  things  will  stand  as  mon- 
uments to  the  man  for  years  to  come. 

To  give  a  proper  history  of  the 
record  of  Laconia's  citizen-soldiers  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  War  of 


Depot  Square  before  the  Cc 


Depot. 


was  under  the  auspices  of  the  Laconia 
Board  of  Trade,  and  Gov.  Hiram  A.  Tut- 
tle  and  numerous  other  railroad  and  state 
officials  were  guests  of  the  occasion. 
A  brass  band  escorted  Ticket  Agent 
E.  S.  Cook  from  the  old  depot  to  the 
new  structure,  and  the  first  ticket,  good 
for  a  ride  from  Laconia  to  Concord, 
was  sold  at  public  auction,  and  bid  off 
by  Col.  F.  6.  Wallace  for  the  sum  of 
thirty  dollars.  The  Board  of  Trade  and 
their  guests  enjoyed  a  banquet  at  the 
Eagle  hotel,  and  the  depot  was  formally 
dedicated  with  appropriate  speeches  by 
the  governor,  the  railroad  officials,  and 
prominent  citizens.  The  Laconia  depot 
at  the  time  of  its  construction  was  pro- 
nounced by  competent  judges  to  be 
"without  doubt,  all  things  considered, 


18 1 2,  and  the  War  of  the  Rebellion, 
will  require  more  space  than  can  be 
afforded  in  the  pages  of  this  publica- 
tion. The  sturdy,  patriotic  settlers  of 
Gilmanton  and  Meredith  were  prompt 
to  leave  their  homes  in  1776,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  battles  of  Bunker 
Hill,  Bennington,  and  other  Revolu- 
tionary struggles.  Major  Stephen 
Gale,  Samuel  Jewett,  Jacob  Jewett,  and 
Captain  William  Gordon  were  among 
the  Revolutionary  soldiers  from  the  ter- 
ritory which  is  now  the  city  of  Laconia, 
and  whose  graves  are  decorated  each 
Memorial  Day  by  the  members  of  John 
L.  Perley,  Jr.,  Post,  No.  37,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic. 

In   the  War  of    18 12   were  James  S. 
Hoit,     Asa     J.     Bean,     Philbrook     R. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN, 


'9 


Lovett,  Dudley  Oilman,  J.  ];.  Pulsifer, 
Enoch  Osgood,  Josiah  Randlett,  fames 
Filgate,  Levi  Pickering.  Asa  Crosby, 
Josiah  Moulton,  Capt.  Win.  Heywood, 
Samuel  Oilman,  Capt.  Hugh  Blaisdell, 
J.  D.  Prescott.  and  many  others  who 
should  be  credited  to  Laconia.  The 
late  Col.  Thomas  J.  Whipple  took  an 
active  part  in  the  Mexican  War  and  also 
in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  his 
military  and  legal  fame  gave  him  a 
national  reputation. 

When  President  Lincoln  called  for 
volunteers  in  1861,  at  the  breaking  out 
of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  hundreds  of 
the   best  youths  and    men    of    Laconia 


In  1863  Laconia  voted  to  pay  a 
bounty  of  $300  to  those  who  might  be 
drafted,  or  their  substitutes,  and  the 
selectmen  were  authorized  to  advance- 
all  bounties,  town,  state,  and  national. 
to  volunteers,  to  the  amount  of  $500 
each.  In  1864  it  was  voted  to  pay  sol- 
diers a  bounty  of  5 100  for  one  year,  $200 
for  two  years,  and  S300  for  three  years, 
to  all  enlisted  men,  and  $200  to'  men 
who  might  be  drafted.  In  December  of 
the  same  year,  it  was  voted  to  pay  a 
bounty  of  $600  to  enrolled  men  who 
enlisted  for  three  years. 

When  the  first  call  for  three  months' 
men  came  from  Washington,  a  full  com- 


Laconia's  Passenger  Station,  Opened  Augusf   ■-'.  189  !. 


laid  down  the  implements  of  peaceful 
toil  and  took  up  arms  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  Union.  Laconia's  record  in 
the  Civil  War  would  require  a  larger 
volume  than  the  "  Illustrated  Laconian," 
and  some  future  historian  must  do  jus- 
tice to  our  brave  citizen-soldiers,  many 
of  whom  are  still  with  us,  although 
their  ranks  are  growing  thinner  and 
their  locks  are  growing  grayer,  as  they 
form  in  line  on  each  annual  Memorial 
Day.  The  two  Grand  Army  posts  of 
the  city  now  decorate  over  one  hundred 
and  fifty  graves  of  deceased  comrades 
of  the  war  of  i86i-'65. 


pany  of  ninety  men  promptly  volun- 
teered and  were  enlisted  at  the  old  Tor- 
rent engine  house  on  Water  street. 
These  men  served  the  three  months,  and 
forty-two  of  them  re-enlisted  for  three 
years,  at  Portsmouth,  and  were  attached 
to  the  Second  regiment.  Another  com- 
pany of  ninety  men  enlisted  in  the 
Fourth  regiment,  with  William  badger 
as  captain,  David  ().  Burleigh,  first  lieu 
tenant,  and  Timothy  W.  Chellis,  second 
lieutenant.  The  next  men  to  enlist 
were  a  detachment  of  twenty  men  who 
joined  the  Fifth  regiment,  and  were 
headed  by  R.  R.  Somes.    Captain  Plan- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


ders  next  raised  a  company  of  ninety- 
men  for  the  Eighth  regiment,  and  when 
the  famous  Twelfth  regiment  was  raised 
in  Belknap  county  in  ten  days'  time, 
Laconia  sent  another  company  of  one 
hundred  volunteers,  commanded  by 
Capt.  John  Whipple,  with  the  late 
Joseph  S.  Tilton  as  first  lieutenant. 
Another  company,  one  hundred  strong, 
with  John  Aldrich  as  captain,  went  out 
in  the  Fifteenth  regiment,  and  when  the 
New  Hampshire  Heavy  Artillery  was 
organized,  Laconia  sent  a  company  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  This  list 
does  not  include  all   the   men   who    en- 


marched  from  their  armory  and  took  the 
train  for  Concord,  where  they  were 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service 
for  two  years.  One  hundred  and  six 
men  was  the  strength  of  the  company 
which  left  Laconia,  and  this  city  had 
numerous  other  representatives  in  com- 
panies from  other  sections  of  New 
Hampshire.  Co.  K  was  a  part  of  the 
First  New  Hampshire  Volunteers,  and 
the  regiment  was  at  Camp  Thomas, 
Chickamauga  Park,  Tennessee,  durino- 
the  summer,  and  came  back  to  Concord 
in  September  to  be  mustered  out,  ar- 
riving   in   Laconia    on     Tuesday,    Sept. 


Ccmpany  K,  First  New  Hampshire  Volunteers,  ib'98. 


listed  from  Laconia  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  for  detachments  were  formed 
for  other  regiments,  and  quite  a  number 
of  Laconians  joined  the  regular  United 
States  army.  But  for  a  town  with  a 
population  of  only  1,800,  it  will  be  seen 
that  Laconia  was  not  lacking  in  patri- 
otism during  the  great  civil  war. 

In  the  spring  of  1898,  when  Presi- 
dent McKinley  issued  his  first  call  for 
volunteers  to  enlist  for  two  years,  or 
until  the  end  of  the  Spanish-American 
War,  practically  every  member  of  the 
Tetley  Rifles,  Co.  K,  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire National  Guard,  of  Laconia, 
promptly  signified  his  readiness  to  en- 
list.    On  the  second  day  of  May,  Co.  K 


13th,  for  a  thirty  days'  furlough,  pre- 
paratory to  being  discharged  from  the 
United  States  service.  There  were  four 
deaths  in  the  company  while  in  camp  at 
Chickamauga  Park  :  Capt.  William  A. 
Sanborn,  Lieut.  Joseph  L.  Morrill,  Cor- 
poral Alfred  Morrill,  and  Corporal 
Earle  Oilman.  All  died  from  typhoid 
fever,  which  prevailed  to  quite  an  ex- 
tent in  the  regiment.  Lieutenant  Mor- 
rill and  Corporal  Morrill  were  brothers, 
and  Corporals  Morrill  and  Oilman  were 
officers  in  the  Laconia  High  School 
Cadets,  and  members  of  the  graduating 
class  of  1898,  but  laid  aside  their  books 
and  gave  up  the  honors  of  graduation 
to  respond  to  the  call  of  their  country. 


LACONIA  TO-DAY 


*•...>' 


Laconia  to-day  is  a  city  of  10,000  or 
12,000  population,  beautifully  located 
among  the  famous  lakes  of  central  New 
Hampshire,  at  the  gateway  of  the  cele- 
brated White  Mountain  region.  It  is  in 
the  centre  of  one  of  the  most  fertile 
farming  sections  of  the  Granite  state, 
and  has  been  for  the  past  hundred  years 
the  trading  centre  of  the  surrounding 
farms,  villages,  and  towns  within  a  cir- 
cle of  twenty  miles.  Boston  can  be 
reached  in  three  hours,  either  over  the 
White  Mountains  division  of  the  Boston 
&  Maine 
railroad  sys- 
tem, or  by 
way  of  t  h  e 
Lake  Shore 
b  r  a  n  ch  of 
the  North- 
ern division 
of  the  same 
system. 

Lac  o  n  i  a 
is  bounded 
on  the  north 
by  Meredith 
and  Lake 
W  i  n  n  i  p  e  - 
saukee,  on 
the  east  by 
W  i  n  n  i  p  e  - 
saukee  and 
Gilford  on 
the  south  by  Belmont  and  Lake  Win- 
nesquam,  and  on  the  west  by  Lake 
Winnesquam  and  Meredith.  The  Win- 
nipesaukee  river,  having  its  source  in 
the  great  reservoir  of  the  same  name, 
runs  directly  through  the  heart  of  the 
city,  affording  valuable  water  privileges, 
which  have  helped  very  materially  in  the 
development  and  growth  of  the  city. 

Laconia  is  the  recognized  commercial 

centre    of    Belknap    county,    being    the 

shire  town   and  the  seat  of  the  county 

government.       The    voting    strength    is 

bout  2,^00,   and   the   latest  assessors' 


High  School  Buildin 


figures  give  the  city  a  total  valuation  of 
$4,500,000.  The  inventory  of  city  prop- 
erty, including  school  buildings,  fire  de- 
partment, street  department,  etc.,  foots 
up  over  $245,000. 

The  city  government  is  vested  in  a 
mayor  and  fourteen  councilmen,  the 
mayor  elected  annually,  and  the  coun- 
cilmen elected  for  two  years,  one  from 
each  ward  being  elected  each  year,  with 
the  exception  of  ward  six  (Lakeport), 
which  elects  two  councilmen  each  year 
and  has  a  representation  of  four  mem- 
bers in  each 
city  council. 
The  pres- 
ent city  gov- 
ernment is 
as  follows : 
Mayor,  Col- 
onel  E  d- 
m  u  n  d  Tet- 
ley;  council- 
men,  Ward 
1 .  Wil  liam 
A.  Smith, 
Frank  M. 
Sanborn: 
Ward  2  , 
Charles  F. 
Rich  ar  ds, 
Rufus  P. 
Dow:  Ward 
3,  John  T. 
Dodge,  Joseph  K.  Chase;  Ward  4.  John 
P.  Clay,  Charles  L.  Kimball:  Ward  5, 
Frank 'A.  Edwards,  Alfred  C.  Wyatt; 
Ward  6,  Julius  F.  Wilson.  Edwin  D. 
Ward.  John  R.  Leavitt,  George  F.  Hull; 
City  clerk,  Simeon  C.  Five:  City  treas- 
urer, Arthur  W.  Din'Smoor;  City  solicitor, 
Stephen  S.  Jewelt ;  Board  of  assessors, 
Edwin  F.  Burleigh,  Lewis  S.  Perley, 
Charles  L.  Pulsifer;  Collector  of  taxes, 
Fred  A.  Young;  City  engineer,  superin- 
tendent of  sewers,  and  street  commis- 
sioner, William  Nelson:  Overseers  of 
the   poor,  Arthur  Tucker,   Arthur  C.  S. 


*■+%■*> 


Ipv  ■# 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Randlett  :  City  physician.  Dr.  J.  ('.. 
Quimby;  Board  of  health,  I).  L.  Davis, 
Dr.  W.  H.  True,  Fred  A.  Floyd. 

The  police  department  of  the  city  is 
under  the  direction  of  a  board  of  police 
commissioners,  appointed  by  the  gover- 
nor and  council  of  New  Hampshire. 
The  present  commissioners  are  Frank 
F.  Busiel,  Fred  C.  Sanborn,  Charles  \Y. 
Vaughan.  The  police  force  consists  of 
a  city  marshal,  Henry  K.  W.  Scott ;  as- 
sistant marshal,  Frank  A.  Bailey;  and 
four  patrolmen,  Bert  M.  Hutchins. 
Charles  A.   Harvell,   Charles   E.   Small, 


nine  companies  of  firemen,  divided  as 
follows  :  one  steamer  companv,  two  hook 
and  ladder  companies,  and  six  hose  com- 
panies. In  connection  with  the  fire  de- 
partment is  the  latest  fire  alarm  telegraph 
service,  with  steam  whistle  and  gong  at- 
tachments. The  city  has  one  hunched 
and  six  hydrants,  including  seventeen 
private  hydrants,  supplied  with  water 
from  the  Laconia  water-works,  and  hav- 
ing a  powerful  head  of  water,  ready  for 
immediate  use  at  all  times.  In  addition 
to  the  modern  hydrant  service,  the  city 
owns  thirteen  large   reservoirs,  distrib- 


mill     --         ^^ 

,  i^*  W^  ^»--    *       f  ifi         *t3 

mm  rrlM  -  -  JJLJL— 

fill        -'  — -— —t*"  .  ^1  ^gii  stT^ 


- 


Masi  mil     I 


James  B.  Fernald,  who  patrol  the  streets 
of  the  city  both  day  and  night.  The 
police  court  of  Laconia  also  derives  its 
authority  from  the  state  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. George  H.  Everett  is  presiding 
justice,  True  W.  Thompson  is  associate 
justice,  and  Martin  B.  Plummer  is  clerk. 
The  Laconia  fire  department  is,  and 
has  been  for  many  years,  one  of  the 
most  efficient  volunteer  fire  departments 
in  New  Hampshire.  The  total  manual 
force  at  the  present  time  consists  of  a 
chief  engineer,  Albert  W.  Wilcox,  with 
three  assistant  engineers,  John  M.  San- 
born, Albert  Griffin,  William  Harris,  and 


uted  about  the  city,  which  can  be  used 
in  emergencies.  The  steam  fire  engine, 
ladder  trucks,  hose  carriages,  etc.,  are 
kept  in  good  condition,  with  plenty  of 
good  hose,  and  horses  are  available  al 
all  times  to  haul  the  apparatus  to  fires. 

Laconia's  public  schools  are  under 
the  management  of  a  board  of  educa- 
tion, elected  by  the  voters.  The  pre> 
ent  board  consists  of  Charles  L.  Pulsifer, 
William  A.  Plummer,  Albert  C.  Moore, 
Dennis  O'Shca.  Mrs.  I.ydia  I'..  Warner. 
Mrs.  Mary  Gale  llibbard,  Dr.  Clifton  S. 
Abbott,  John  G.  Quimby,  and  William  H. 
Flanders.     The  citv  owns  eleven  school 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


25 


buildings  and  hires  two  more,  employ- 
ing a  corps  of  thirty-six  teachers.  Joseph 
H.  Blaisdell  is  superintendent  of  schools, 
and  Hoyt  H.  Tucker  is  principal  of  the 
high  school.  The  annual  appropriation 
of  the  city  for  this  department  is  from 
$20,000  to  $25,000. 


Odd  Fellows'  Opera  House. 

Laconia  has  two  public  libraries,  one 
at  Lakeport  with  about  2,000  books,  and 
one  at  Laconia  with  7,000  books.  These 
libraries    are    maintained   by  an   annual 
appropriation    from    the    city,    and    are 
under  the  management  of  a  board 
of  library  trustees,  consisting  at   I 
the  present   time  of  Messrs.  \Y. 
J.  Morrison,  Chas.  C.  Davis,  John    ! 
T.    Busiel.    William    F.    Knight. 
Chas.  K.  Sanborn, Chas.  F.  Locke, 
and  A.  Stanton  Owen. 

At  the  present  time  the  libra- 
ries are  in  rented  rooms,  but  by 
the  generosity  of  the  late  Major 
Napoleon  B.  Gale,  the  city  will 
soon  have  a  magnificent  public 
library  building.  Major  Gale  be- 
queathed the  bulk  of  his  large 
estate  to  the  city  for  the  pur- 
pose of  purchasing  a  suitable  lot 
for  a  park  and  the  erection  of  a 
library  or  memorial  building.  It 
has  been  thought  best  to  com- 
bine the  legacies  for  the  two  purposes, 
and  with  this  end  in  view,  the  large 
property  of  the  late  John  C.  Moulton, 
located  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Church  streets,  has  been  purchased  as 
a  site  for  the  park   and    library   build- 


ing. The  executors  of  the  Gale  will  have 
nearly  settled  the  estate,  and  announce 
that  in  a  short  time  they  shall  have  a 
fund  of  about  $150,000  in  readiness  to 
lay  out  the  park,  beautify  the  grounds, 
erect  a  memorial  library  building,  and 
maintain  the  same,  which  probably  will 
not  be  excelled  by  any  struc- 
ture of  the  kind  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

Another  institution  in  which 
Laconia  takes  pride  is  the  La- 
conia Cottage  Hospital.  The 
late  Mrs.  Rhoda  C.  Ladd,  in 
January.  1893,  left  to  Laco- 
nia the  residue  of  her  estate, 
amounting  to  nearly  $10,000, 
for  the  establishment  of  a  hos- 
pital whenever  the  city  raised 
an  equal  amount.  This  fund 
has  been  increased  from  time 
*aSi  to  time,  and,  pending  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  permanent 
hospital  at  some  future  date, 
public-spirited  citizens  in  1898  fitted  up 
and  opened  a  cottage  hospital  in  the 
former  residence  of  the  late  Rhoda 
Ladd,  on  Court  street.  This  hospital  is 
most  excellently  equipped,  and  is   main- 


M  Building,  Lakeport. 

tained  by  charity  and   an   annual  appro- 
priation from  the  city  council. 

Laconia  is  well  supplied  with  churches 
and  religious  organizations.  There  is 
one  Congregational  church,  two  baptist, 
two   Methodist,  two  Free    Baptist,  two 


26 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Roman  Catholic,  one  Christian,  one  Ad- 
vent, one  Unitarian,  and  one  Episcopal, 
besides  Young  Men's  Christian  Associ- 
ation rooms  and  a  branch  of  the  Salva- 
tion Army.  Nearly  all  of  the  churches 
own  commodious,  and  in  some  cases 
magnificent,  church  buildings,  and  there 
are  numerous  missionary  societies,  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  societies,  and  kindred 
organizations  connected  with  nearly  all 
of  the  churches. 

Two  G.  A.  R.  posts,  one  military  com- 
pany, a  large  Masonic  fraternity  with 
elegant    rooms     in     a     recently-erected 


by  a  private  corporation.  No  city  in 
New  England  can  boast  a  purer  or  bet- 
ter supply  of  drinking-water,  and  the 
head  is  sufficient  for  fire  purposes  and 
light  manufacturing.  Laconia  has  a 
good  sewerage  system,  installed  a  few 
years  ago  at  an  expense  of  nearly 
$120,000.  But  few  cities  in  New  Eng- 
land of  Laconia's  size  can  boast  of  more 
concrete  sidewalks.  Large  amounts  of 
money  have  been  invested  in  good 
walks,  and  there  are  but  few  streets  in 
Laconia  which  have  no  concrete  side- 
walk, while   nearly  all   of  the  more  im- 


Masonic  temple,  the  most  pretentious 
structure  in  the  city,  Odd  Fellows, 
Daughters  of  Rebekah,  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias, Good  Templars,  Red  Men,  United 
Workmen,  Pilgrim  Fathers.  Knights  of 
Honor,  two  Building  and  Loan  associ- 
ations, a  Board  of  Trade,  Ancient  Or- 
der of  Hibernians,  Foresters,  New  Eng- 
land Order  of  Protection,  and  perhaps  a 
dozen  more  organizations  in  these  lines 
leave  but  little  or  nothing  to  be  desired 
in  this  direction. 

Laconia  has  a  splendid  water  supply, 
pumped  from  Lake  Winnipesaukee  and 
distributed   throughout   the    entire  city 


portant  streets  have  substantial  concrete 
walks  upon  both  sides  of  the  highway. 

Among  other  advantages  which  Laco- 
nia possesses  as  a  desirable  city  for  res- 
idential or  business  purposes,  might  be 
mentioned  two  telephone  exchanges,  the 
New  England  Co.  and  the  Citizens',  the 
latter  a  local  corporation,  both  having 
a  large  list  of  patrons.  An  electric 
street  railroad  connects  the  two  ends  of 
the  city,  Laconia  and  Lakeport,  and 
during  the  present  summer  of  1899  its 
tracks  were  extended  to  The  Weirs, 
affording  an  opportunity  to  ride  six  or 
seven     miles    entirely    within    the    city 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN, 


2  7 


limits,  and  along  the  lake  shore  among 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  scenery  of 
New  England.  Laconia's  streets  air 
lighted  by  electricity,  and  private  resi- 
dences are  illuminated  by  both  gas  and 
electricity,  while  gas  is  now  being  largely 
introduced  as  a  fuel  for  cooking  and 
heating  as  well  as  illumination. 

In  dry  goods,  clothing,  carpetings. 
furniture,  and  perhaps  some  other  lines, 
Laconia  boasts  the  largest  stores  and 
the  largest  stocks  to  be  found  in  New 
Hampshire,  and  these  establishments 
have  a  well-earned  reputation  for  selling 
goods  at  retail  at  lower  prices  than  can 
be  obtained  even  in  the  city  of  Boston, 
in  many  cases. 

Financially,  Laconia  is  the  headquar- 
ters for  a  large  territory  of  surrounding 
towns  and  villages.  There  are  three 
national  banks  in  the  city,  with  a  com- 
bined capital  of  5250,000,  besides  three 
savings  banks  with  aggregate  deposits 
of  over  one  million  and  a  half. 

Laconia  has  three  opera  houses,  one 
of  them  generally  conceded  to  be  one 
of  the  handsomest  in  New  Hampshire. 
All  of  the  best  theatrical  companies  visit 
this  city,  and  there  are  always  plenty  of 
attractions  in  this  line.  In  the  summer 
s  \ison  the  entire  surrounding  country, 
at  The  Weirs,  Lake  Shore  Park,  and 
other  points  easily  reached  by  the  shores 
of  the  lakes,  is  a  veritable  picnic  ground, 
most  of  the  shores  around  the  lakes 
being  open  to  all  comers,  while  hundreds 
of  summer  cottages  dot  the  islands  and 
shores  of  YVirmipesaukee  and  Winne- 
squam,  and  afford  a  quiet  retreat  for 
their  owners  in   the  city. 

The  foregoing  pages  give  but  a  hint 
at  Laconia's  many  advantages  and  at- 
tractions. Laconia  is  a  city,  with  all 
the  conveniences  and  facilities  of  city 
life,  for  business,  manufacturing,  and 
home  life,  and  at  the  same  time  offers 
the  enjoyment  of  country  life  in  its 
charming  location,  beautiful  shaded 
streets,  magnificent  views,  and  unsur- 
passed scenery  of  both  lakes  and 
mountains. 


A  Census  of  Laconia  in  1836. 


John   Farmer,  who  was  secretary   of 

the  New  Hampshire  Historical  Society 
in  1836,  compiled  a  census  of  Laconia, 
then  Meredith  bridge,  which  is  still 
preserved,  and  probably  very  nearly 
correct,  reading  as  follows  : 

••  Population  of  Meredith  bridge  Vil- 
lage, June  I,  1836,  embracing  the  ter- 
ritory one  mile  on  the  Main  road  lead- 
ing through  Meredith  to  Gilmanton,  the 
village  lying  in  Meredith  and  Gilford." 

The  heads  of  families,  the  names 
thereof,  and  the  number  in  each  family 
appear  as  follows : 

"  Smith  Jewett,  10  ;  Stephen  Boynton, 
4:  Nathaniel  batchelder,  7:  Mrs.  Rob- 
binson,  5;  Isaac  M.  Parker,  10;  the 
Rev.  J.  K.  Young,  4:  Salmon  Steavens, 
5;  Daniel  J.  Dinsmore,  3  ;  Ben  ning  Mug- 
ridge,  6:  Nicholas  Gilman,  2:  Charles 
Parker.  6:  Nathan  Bagley,  7:  Osgood 
Bagley,  2:  Mrs.  Cheney,  7  ;  Mr.  Dan- 
forth,  2  :  F.  W.  Boynton,  9;  Alpha  Ste- 
vens, 5;  Samuel  M  ugridge,  2  ;  Josiah 
Crosby,  7:  S.  ('.  Lyford,  1  ;  John  T. 
Coffin,  7  :  (leorge  Hopkiuson,  6:  Moses 
E.  Piper,  6:  Francis  Russell,  12; 
Thomas  Eastman,  13;  John  M.  Fitch, 
4  :  P.  \Y.  Downing.  5  ;  M.  J.  boynton.  3  ; 
Alfred  bean.  5;  Mrs.  Dow.  4 ;  John 
Wardwell,  5;  T.  D.  Sollies.  |:  1.  W. 
Mudgett,  6  ;  I.  1'..  Taylor,  j. ;  S.  1'erley. 
9;  J.  L.  Perlev.  1  ;  Daniel  Tucker.  3  ; 
Winthrop  Young,  6;  Hiram  bean..): 
Samuel  H.  Bean,  4:  Mr.  Dimond,  5  ;  A. 
Brigham,  5:  Widow  Allen.  31;  A.  T. 
Parker,  2;  Hugh  Wilson.  6;  Widow 
Quimby,  6  ;  Widow  Swasey.  32  :  Elijah 
Quimby,  15;  Jonathan  Hill,  8;  H.  H. 
Robinson,  10;  S.  Lawrence,  2:  J.  I*. 
Clough,  9  ;  George  L.  Sibley  7:  J.  San- 
born, 8;  J.  Cookson,  11  ;  Thomas  Piper, 
3:  M.  P."  Buzzell,  6  ;  Isaiah  Merrill.  8." 

The  above  includes  a  total  of  58  fam- 
ilies and  a  population  of  3S4.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  the  Widow  Allen  is  accred- 
ited with  31  members  in  her  household 
and  the  Widow  Swasey  with  32.  Both 
of  these  kept  boarding-houses. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


29 


The  Laconia   Car   Company   Works. 


The  Laconia  car  shops,  under  the 
management  of  the  Laconia  Car  Com- 
pany Works,  of  which  Hon.  Erank  Jones 
of  Portsmouth  is  president  and  principal 
owner,  with  Hon.  Edward  H.  Oilman  of 
Exeter  as  general  manager  and  treas- 
urer, is  the  largest  single  industry  in  the 
city  of  Laconia,  and  also  one  of  the 
laigest,  most  important  and  most  widely- 
known  in  New  Hampshire. 

The  or  ig  i- 
nal  Laconia 
car  shops 
were  started 
by  the  late 
Charles  Ran- 
let  in  1  S  4S  , 
and  was  first 
known  as  the 
C.  Ranlet  Car 
Manufac  till- 
ing Co.  In 
1849  Mr.  Jo- 
seph Ranlet 
was  taken  in- 
to partnership 
and  the  firm 
name  was  the 
Ranlet  Car 
C  o  m  p  a  n  y  . 
This  partner- 
ship con  tin- 
ued  until  the 
death  of  Mr. 
Charles  Ran- 
let in  Octo- 
ber, 1 85 1.  In 
December  of 
the  following 
year,  the  surviving  partner,  Joseph  Ran- 
let, formed  a  partnership  with  the  late 
Hon.  John  C.  Moulton,  continuing  the 
business  under  the  name  of  the  Moulton 
&   Ranlet  Car  Company.      In    January, 


Hon.  Frank  Jones 


under  the  corporate  name  of  Laconia 
Car  Company.  Messrs.  Moulton  and 
Putnam  still  being  the  principal  owners. 
In  1889,  the  late  Mr.  Moulton  sold  out 
his  interest  in  the  corporation  to  his 
partner,  Mr.  I'erley  Putnam,  who  carried 
on  the  car  building  industry,  practically 
alone  in  its  ownership  and  management 
until  1897,  when  the  entire  property 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Hon.  Frank 
Jones  and  his  assoc  iates. 

The  new  corporation,  chartered  under 
the  name  of 
The  Laconia 
( 'ar  ( lompany 
Works,  w  a  s 
organized  on 
Feb.  25th, 
1897,  and  the 
board  of  offi- 
ce is  of  the 
corpo  ration 
at  the  present 
time  a  r  e  as 
follows  : 

I 'reside  11  t  . 
Hon.  Erank 
Jones. 

Treasure  r , 
E.  H.  Gilman. 
Directo  r  s  . 
Hon.  Frank 
I  ones,  E.  H. 
Gilman,  B.  .\. 
Kimball.  C.  I  . 
Stone,  Dennis 
O'Shea. 

The  ori  g  i  - 
nal  plant  was 
comparativ  e- 
1  y  a  small 
concern,  with  cheap  wooden  buildings 
and  old-fashioned  machinery.  Put  the 
wooden  buildings  have  gradually  given 
way  to  most  substantial  structures  of 
brick,  equipped     with     the     latest    ma- 


1865,  another  company  was  formed  un-     chines  in  every  department.     The  plant 

now  covers  seven  acres  of  land  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  city  of  Laconia,  and  a 
large  proportion  of  this  property  is 
covered  with  the  foundries,  wood-work 
ing  shops,  setting-up  shops,  painting 
shops,  storehouses,  etc.,  including  the 
immense  four-story   brick  structure  de- 


der  the  name  of  the  Ranlet  Manufactur- 
ing Co.,  the  members  of  the  concern  be- 
ing John  C.  Moulton,  Joseph  Ranlet  and 
Perley  Putnam,  who  continued  in  busi- 
ness until  April  20,  1878,  at  which  time 
Mr.  Ranlet  retired. 

In  1882  the  company  was  re-organized 


3° 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


voted  to  the  malleable  iron  foundry  in- 
dustry, which  is  operated  in  connection 
with  the  car  construction  business. 

When  the  car  plant  was  started, 
nothing  but  freight  cars  were  manufac- 
tured, but  afterwards  facilities  were 
added  for  turning  out  all  kinds  of 
passenger  cars,  and  the  Laconia  car 
shops  soon  won  a  national  reputation 
for  building  first-class  cars  of  every 
description.  During  the  past  few  years 
the  introduction  of  electric  railroads  in 
all  parts  of  the  United  States  has  devel- 
oped a  new  branch  of  this  car-building 
industry,  and  to-day  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant departments  of  the  Laconia  car 


merit  is  pushed  to  its  full  capacity,  and 
there  are  prospects  of  plenty  of  work  in 
this  line  for  months  to  come. 

The  car  shops  now  employ  about  five 
hundred  men,  and  as  these  are,  of  course, 
in  many  cases  the  heads  of  families,  the 
importance  of  the  car  business  to  Laco- 
nia can  be  easily  seen.  Vast  quantities 
of  lumber  are  consumed  every  year 
(estimated  at  4,000,000  feet),  making  a 
ready  market  for  much  of  the  better 
timber  within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  of 
Laconia,  while,  of  course  large  quantities 
of  Southern,  Western  and  foreign  woods 
are  brought  from  a  distance. 

The   malleable  iron  foundry     depait 


*   St ■ 

■■-r^raf^            BET1*****^^" 

OCKET  -■    -rTrWS 

U0     ■S^g£25MtfVtt£^ 

■KSBBBBfi'S'"""— — — —         l^SiEE 

Car  built  for  the  Woonsocket  (R.  I.)  Street  Railway  Company. 


shops    is    the    construction    of    electric 
street  cars. 

In  the  manufacture  of  all  styles  of 
electric  cars,  this  concern  has  achieved 
a  reputation  second  to  no  car  company 
in  the  United  States  and  the  handsome 
and  substantial  products  of  the  Laconia 
shops  can  be  seen  upon  the  trolley  lines 
of  Boston,  New  York,  and,  in  fact,  nearly 
all  the  large  cities  of  the  United 
States.  The  demand  for  electric  cars 
appears  to  be  constantly  increasing  and 
there  is  evidently  a  great  future  for  this 
branch  of  the  business.  At  the  present 
time  the  electric  car  construction  depart- 


ment was  established  a  few  years  ago, 
and  this  foundry  is  one  of  the  largest  of 
the  kind  in  New  England. 

The  motive  power  for  operating  the 
machinery  in  the  plant  includes  steam, 
water  power,  and  electricity.  During  the 
past  two  years,  thousands  of  dollars 
have  been  invested  in  rearranging  and 
improving  the  plant,  adding  modern 
machinery  and  in  every  way  making  the 
facilities  up  to  date  for  turning  out  the 
best  possible  work  at  the  least  possible 
expense. 

The  Boston  office  at  No.  50  State 
street  is  the  general  headquarters  of  the 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


31 


corporation,  and  the  office  of  the  treas- 
urer and  manager,  Hon.  E.  H.  Gilman. 
Mr.  Peter  Walling,  formerly  connected 
with  the  Boston  <N:  Maine  railroad,  as 
master  bridge  constructor,  is  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  plant  at  Laconia.  Nearly 
all  the  foremen  in  the  various  depart- 
ments, and  in  fact  a  large  proportion  of 
the  employes,  are  men  who  have  grown 
up  in  the  car-building  business  and  have 
found  employment  in  these  shops  nearly 
all  their  lives. 

The  above  sketch,  of  course,  gives  but 


and  improvement  in  methods  and  pro- 
duction are  the  aims  in  every  depart- 
ment of  the  business  and  the  prospects 
for  future  success  and  a  large  increase 
in  business  are  most  excellent. 


Colonel  Edmund  Tetley. 

Colonel  Edmund  Tetley,  mayor  of 
the  city  of  Laconia,  and  colonel  of  the 
First  regiment,  New  Hampshire  Na- 
tional Guard,  was  born  in  Bradford, 
Yorkshire  county,  England,  October  26, 


Interior  uf  Car  built  for  the  Woonsocket  (R.  I.)  Street  Railway  Company. 


a' faint  idea  of  the  completeness  of  the 
Laconia  car  plant,  or  of  its  importance 
to  Laconia.  From  a  small  concern,  em- 
ploying less  than  one  hundred  men,  it 
has  grown  to  require  almost  a  regiment 
of  employe's  in  its  shops,  and  its  capac- 
ity has  been  increased  from  a  few  rough 
freight  cars  per  week,  to  a  palatial 
modern  passenger  car  per  day.  Under  its 
present  management  the  business  is  con- 
ducted on  a  substantial  basis;  excellence 


[842,  son  of  William  and  Mary  Ann 
(Brayshaw)  Tetley.  He  attended  the 
schools  in  England  until  he  was  twelve 
years  of  age,  when  with  his  family  he 
came  to  America.  At  the  age  of  nine- 
teen he  enlisted  in  the  United  States 
Marine  Corps  at  Portsmouth,  and  saw 
some  active  service.  He  was  at  the  at- 
tack on  Forts  Jackson  and  Philip,  and 
at  the  capture  of  New  Orleans  by  Ad- 
miral Farragut,  being  on  board  of  the 


32 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


United  States   sloop  of  war  Portsmouth,     and  came  back  to  New  Hampshire  in 
which    was    subsequently    stationed     at     September  as  the  lieutenant-colonel  of 


New  Orleans  for  nearly  four  years.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to 
Amesbury,  Mass.,  subsequently  going 
to  Appleton,  Wis.,  and  then  to  Utica, 
N.  Y.  From  LItica  he  went  to  Olney- 
ville,  R.  I.,  and  thence  to  Lowell,  Mass., 


the  command.  After  the  regiment  was 
mustered  out  of  the  United  States  ser- 
vice and  the  old  organization  of  the 
New  Hampshire  National  Guard  was 
resumed,  Colonel  Tetley  was  again  pro- 
moted   to    colonel    of    the    regiment,    a 


where    he     obtained     employment    in    a  position  which  he  now  holds, 
paper-box  factory.      Somewhat  later  he  Colonel    Tetley    has    held    numerous 
obtained    employment    in    a    paper-box  political  positions,   among  them   select- 
factory  in  Methuen,  from  which  he  next  man  of  Laconia,  high  sheriff  of  Belknap 


went  to  Haverhill,  Mass.  In  1S73  he 
came  to  Laconia, 
where  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Mr. 
Frank  P.  Holt,  a 
man  uf  acturer  of 
paper  boxes.  Five 
years  later  Mr.  Tet- 
ley succeeded  Mr. 
Holt  and  has  since 
carried  on  a  large 
and  successful 
business  on  h  i  s 
own  account. 

Mr.  Tetley 's  in- 
terest in  military 
affairs  did  not  end 
with  his  war  ser- 
vice. Soon  after 
coming  to  Laconia 
he  joined  Company 
K,  Third  regiment 
of  the  state  Nation- 
al Guard.  He  was 
made  lieutenant  in 
1873,  and  a  year 
later  was  promoted 
captain,  serving  in 
this  rank  until  his 

resignation  in  the  year  1883.  Some 
years  later  the  old  Company  K  was 
disbanded,  whereupon  Mr.  Tetley  or- 
ganized another  company  which  took 
the  place  in  the  same  regiment,  of 
which  he  was  chosen  captain.  He  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  May  8, 
1894.      He    held    this    position    at    the  When  men  of  small  means  found  out 

time  of  President  McKinley's  first  call  that  a  business  enterprise,  which  no 
for  volunteers,  and  the  Third  New  one  of  them  could  conduct  alone,  was 
Hampshire  regiment  was  selected  for  possible  for  them  by  uniting  their  labor 
duty  at  the  front.  Major  Tetley  went  and  their  capital  they  discovered  the 
to  Chickamauga  Park  with  his  regiment     secret  of  cooperation.  When  they  found 


V 


Col.  Edmund  Tetley,  Mayor  of  Laconia. 


county,  a  member  of  the  first  city  coun- 
cil, member  of  the 
state  legislature  in 
1894,  etc.  March, 
1899,  he  was  elect- 
ed mayor  of  the 
city  of  Laconia, and 
was  inaugurated  on 
March  21.  In  pol- 
itics Colonel  Tet- 
ley is  a  Republi- 
can. He  is  very 
popular  in  frater- 
nal circles,  and  is 
a  member  of  a  doz- 
en or  more  organ- 
izations. 

Colonel  Tet ley- 
was  married  De- 
cember 9,  1868,  to 
Ella  F.  Merrill  of 
Lowell,  Mass.  Of 
their  seven  chil- 
dren, five  are  liv- 
ing :  Edmund  B., 
now  a  student  in 
theology ;  Guy  M., 
superintendent  of 
the  Tetley  box  fac- 
tory ;  Gertrude,  a  resident  of  Lowell, 
Mass. ;  Blanche,  and  Charles,  now  at 
school  in  Laconia. 


Laconia  Building:  &  Loan  Association. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN, 


33 


out  that  by  uniting  their  surplus  earn- 
ings they  could  provide  themselves  with 
homes  of  their  own  instead  of  remain- 
ing subject  to  the  demands  of  land- 
lords, they  put  cooperation  to  one  of  its 
most  beneficent  uses. 

The  concentration  of  capital  is  daily 
going  on,  for  capitalists  have  learned 
that  by  this  means  (cooperation)  they 
can  conduct  great  enterprises  with  more 
certainty  of  success  than  by  any  other. 

Now  what  is  good  for  the  man  of 
large  means  is  equally  good  for  the  man 
of  small  means ;  but  the  latter  class 
seem  to  have  been  much  longer  in  find- 
ing it  out,  and  have  always  plodded 
along  because  they  believed  themselves 
too  poor  to  accomplish  anything.  Sin- 
gle-handed a  man  is,  but  when  he  is  af- 
forded an  opportunity  to  pool  his  sav- 
ings, though  small  they  may  be,  he 
should  not  hesitate  to  do  so,  for  by  such 
methods  he  receives  valuable  assistance 
and  is  enabled  to  raise  himself  much 
more  easily  from  the  financial  "slough 
of  despond  "  in  which  he  with  the 
ninety  and  nine  are  wallowing.  With 
the  object  of  cooperation  in  view,  and 
to  give  to  Laconia  an  institution  that 
would  be  a  benefit  to  its  people,  in  the 
year  1887,  the  formation  of  this  organi- 
zation was  begun  by  Walter  S.  Baldwin 
and  Charles  W.  Tyler,  who  worked 
assiduously  for  its  completion. 

On  the  14th  day  of  January,  1888, 
the  association  was  incorporated  under 
the  laws  of  the  state,  and  began  busi- 
ness January  31,  1888,  by  issuing  its 
first  series  of  shares,  five  hundred  in 
number,  which  were  promptly  taken. 

The  Laconia  Building  and  Loan 
Association  is  now  an  established  fact. 
It  has  a  large  membership,  and  offers 
both  depositors  and  borrowers  advan- 
tages unequaled  by  any  other  system 
of  banking  known  to  the  world.  It 
combines  the  principles  of  a  savings 
bank  and  a  stock  company.  It  is  au- 
thorized to  issue  shares  to  the  amount 
of  $1,000,000,  which  are  nominally 
worth  $200  each,  but  are  paid  for  in  in- 
stallments of  $1.00  per  month,  or  bet- 
ter, these  monthly  payments,  together 
with     the    dividends    which    they    have 


earned,  will    at   some  future  date  (usu- 
ally about  eleven  years),  equal  $200. 

If  the  shares  have  been  used  in  se- 
curing a  home,  it  is  then  the  borrower's, 
free  from  all  incumbrances.  (  >n  the  other 
hand,  if  they  have  been  held  for  invest- 
ment only,  they  will  then  be  paid  in 
cash.  During  the  little  more  than 
eleven  years  of  its  existence  the  asso- 
ciation has  met  with  deserved  success, 
and  the  many  homes  that  have  been 
built  through  the  assistance  given  to  its 
members  is  proof  positive  of  its  true 
worth  and  merit. 

Twenty-three  series  of  shares  have 
been  issued  during  the  time,  and  its 
membership  has  numbered  as  high  as 
425,  holding  an  issue  of  2,400  shares  of 
stock. 

The  following  named,  many  of  whom 
have  been  connected  with  the  associa- 
tion since  its  formation,  comprise  its 
management :  Edmund  Tetley,  presi- 
dent ;  Alburtis  S.  Gordon,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  Albert  C.  Moore,  secretary ; 
Charles  XV.  Tyler,  treasurer;  Stephen  S. 
Jewett,  attorney.  Directors,  Walter  S. 
Baldwin,  William  F.  Knight,  Charles  W. 
Yaughan,  Charles  F.  Richards.  Charles 
J.  Austin,  William  A.  Plummer,  Frank 
P.  Webster.  Louis  J.  Truland,  Stephen 
S.  Jewett,  Alburtis  S.  Gordon,  Charles 
W.  Tyler,  and  Albert  C.  Moore. 

The  assets  of  the  association  amount 
to  nearly  Si  Go, 000,  nearly  all  of  which 
are  investments  within  the  city  limits. 

The  office  of  the  association  is  lo- 
cated in  the  Masonic  Temple,  where  it 
occupies  a  handsome  apartment. 


James  McGloughlin. 


James  McGloughlin,  proprietor  of  the 

Belknap  brass  and  Iron  Foundry,  is  a 
native  of  England,  born  March  21, 
1&53i  >n  Manchester,  England.  He 
came  to  this  country  during  the  Civil 
War.  in  [863,  with  his  parents,  and  has 
lived  most  of  the  time  since  then  in 
Laconia.  Mr.  McGloughlin  received 
his  education  in  the  little  old  red 
schoolhouse   which    formerly  stood  near 


34 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


the  residence  of  Ex-Mayor  S.  B.  Smith 
on  Harvard  street,  and  which  was  for 
many  years  the  only  school  building  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river.  This  little 
one-story  schoolhouse,  with  two  rooms, 
sheltered  many  hundreds  of  Laconia's 
school  children,  forty  years  ago,  and 
was  finally  sawed  into  two  parts  and 
remodeled  into  two  tenement  houses 
which  still  stand  on  Middle  street.  Mr. 
McGloughlin  commenced  to  learn  the 
moulder's  trade  at  the  foundry  of  the 
late  Benjamin  J.  Cole  in  Lakeport,  and 
finished  with 
George  Rollins 
in  Laconia.  In 
1877  he  remov- 
ed to  Concord, 
N.  H.,  where  he 
was  employed 
at  his  trade  by 
W.  P.  Ford.  In 
1889  he  came 
back  to  Laco- 
nia and  bought 
out  Arthur 
Smith,  in  what 
was  known  as 
the  Belknap 
Iron  and  Brass 
Foundry.  This 
foundry  busi- 
ness had  pre- 
viously been 
con  ducted  by 
three  different 
parties,  but  the 
concern  was  a 
failu  re  finan- 
cially up  to  the 
time  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Gloughlin's  advent.  Under  his  careful 
management,  however,  the  concern  has 
prospered,  and  by  strict  attention  to  bus- 
iness and  enterprising  methods,  he  has 
built  up  a  large  and  prosperous  industry. 

Mr.  McGloughlin  was  married  to 
Mrs.  Anna  Greene,  March  24,  1879, 
and  they  have  one  daughter,  Miss  Flor- 
ence S.  McGloughlin. 

Mr.  McGloughlin  is  an  Episcopalian, 
and  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias, which  he  joined  in  Concord  in 
1879,    also    of    the    Ancient    Order   of 


James  McGloughlin 


United  Workmen,    which  he  joined  in 
the  same  city  in  1S87. 

He  has  held  several  public  offices,  be- 
ing elected  a  selectman  of  Ward  4  in 
1895,  and  a  councilman  from  the  same 
ward  in  1896.  In  1897  he  represented 
his  ward  in  the  legislature. 

As  a  business  man  and  manufacturer, 
Mr.  McGloughlin  has  been  very  success- 
ful. His  iron  foundry  business  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  this  section  of  New  Hamp- 
shire and  he  supplies  not  only  the  city 
of  Laconia,  but  the  city  of  Franklin,  and 
numerous  small 
towns  and  vil- 
lages with  the 
iron  ca  s  t  i  n  g  s 
required  in  the 
n  u  merous  ma- 
chine shops, 
mills,  and  fac- 
tories. Mr.  Mc- 
Gloughlin is 
p  o  pular  with 
his  em  p  1  o  y  e  s 
and  always  pro- 
vides a  Thanks- 
giving turkey 
for  every  family 
man  in  his  es- 
tabl  ishment. 
Mr.  McGlough- 
lin is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics 
and  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legis- 
lature and  in 
the  city  council 
chamber  always 
took  a  promi- 
nent part  in  all 
legislation.  He  is  a  public-spirited  citi- 
zen, is  interested  in  the  Laconia  board 
of  trade,  of  which  he  is  an  active  mem- 
ber, and  is  always  ready  to  assist  in  every 
way  in  his  power  in  any  movement  which 
promises  to  advance  the  interests  of 
Laconia. 

Recently  Mr.  McGloughlin  became 
interested  in  the  development  of  the 
McGloughlin  Positive  Friction  Clutch, 
of  which  he  is  the  proprietor  and  manu- 
facturer, handling  this  industry  in  con- 
nection   with  his  regular  foundry  busi- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


35 


ness.  For  the  uninitiated,  it  may  be 
well  to  explain  that  a  "  clutch  "  is  a  de- 
vice attached  to  a  line  of  shafting  in 
factories  and  shops,  whereby  a  portion 
of  the  shafting  can  be  cut  off  and 
stopped,  or  thrown  into  motion  again, 
without  resorting  to  the  manipulation  of 
beltings,  etc.  By  the  use  of  the  Mc- 
Gloughlin  Positive  Friction  Clutch,  for 
instance,  it  is  now  possible  by  the  sim- 
ple movement  of  a  lever  to  instantly 
start  up  a  heavy  piece  of  machinery 
like  an  electric  dynamo,  or  two-faced 
electric  machines.  The  McGloughlin 
clutch  is  conceded  to  be  the  best  in  the 
market,  for  electricians  have  always 
found  it  dif- 
ficult to  keep 
a  two-faced 
dynamo  in 
step,  but 
with  this 
clutch  when 
once  in  step 
it  can  never 
slip  or  strain 
u p  o  n  the 
shafting,  as 
would  nat- 
urally be  ex- 
pected from 
suddenly 
connecting 
a  dor  m  ant 
machine  to 
a  rapidly- 
revolving 
shaft.  The 
McGloughlin  clutch  starts  the  machin- 
ery by  friction  alone,  but  as  soon  as  the 
machine  or  shafting  is  moving  in  unison 
with  the  shafting  from  which  the  motive 
power  is  derived,  the  friction  clutch 
locks  automatically  and  becomes  a  pos- 
itive clutch,  which  cannot  be  shaken 
loose  or  slip.  In  the  same  easy  manner 
the  machinery  can  be  stopped  and  the 
motive  power  removed,  without  disturb- 
ing the  main  line  of  shafting  or  interfering 
in  any  way  with  other  machines  which 
may  be  in  operation  on  the  same  line. 

Inventors  have  for  a  long  time  sought 
for  a  device  of  this  kind,  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Gloughlin appears   to  have   hit  upon  a 


clutch  which  not  only  answers  every  re- 
quirement, but  apparently  cannot  be 
improved.  Manufacturers  and  mill 
men  everywhere  who  have  used  the 
McGloughlin  clutch  are  loud  in  its 
praise,  and  as  the  field  tor  its  usefulness 
is  almost  world-wide,  a  large  industry 
will  undoubtedly  be  built  up  from  this 
invention.  Although  the  clutch  is  com- 
paratively a  new  thing  upon  the  market 
it  is  called  for  by  manufacturers  in  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  and  is  everv- 
where  pronounced  the  best  device  of 
the  kind  which  has  yet  been  brought  to 
public  notice.  Of  course  the  clutch  i> 
protected     by    patents     and    competent 

judges  state 
that  the  in- 
vention is 
worth  a  for- 
tune if  prop- 
erly i  n  tr  o- 
duced. 


Carroll  & 
Crapo. 


Residence  of  James  McGloughlin 


One  of  the 
metro  po  1  i- 
tan  e  s  t  a  b  - 
lishments  of 
the  City  on 
the  L  a  k  e  s 
is  the  ton- 
sorial  estab- 
lishment of 
Michael  J. 
Carroll  and 
Joseph  Crapo,  located  at  No.  487  Main 
street.  This  shop  is  the  handsomest  and 
best  equipped  of  any  in  the  line  here  ; 
the  chairs  are  comfortable,  everything  is 
neat  as  wax-work,  and  the  razors  are 
always  sharp.  In  addition  to  Messrs. 
Carroll  and  Crapo  here  can  be  found  Mr. 
\i  (  ).  Cox,  who  has  a  reputation  second 
to  no  one  in  Laconia,  as  an  artist  with 
the  razor  and  shears.  This  establish- 
ment has  the  steady  patronage  of  many 
of  our  most  fastidious  citizens,  and  it 
surely  merits  the  success  which  it  re- 
ceives. Messrs.  Carroll  and  Crapo  are 
both  young  men,  but  they  pay  strict  atten- 
tion to  business  and  are  '-sure  winners."' 


36 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


The  Laconia  Hardware  Company. 


Until  within  a  comparatively  few 
years,  the  hardware  trade  of  Laconia 
was  handled  by  dealers  in  general  mer- 
chandise. In  1886  Messrs.  George  W. 
Riley  and  Farrar  &  Cilley  built  the  so- 
called  Belmont  block,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river,  on  the  site  formerly 
occupied  by  the  old  Tremont  Hotel. 
Mr.  Riley  put  a  small  stock  of  general 
hardware  into  one  of  the  stores  in  the 
block,  and  this  was  the  first  attempt  in 
Laconia  to  conduct  a  hardware  and 
paint  store.  In  1887  Messrs.  Leven- 
saler  &:   Smart  bought    out    Mr.   Riley, 


in  Belmont  block  was  too  small  to 
handle  the  increased  trade  of  the  store, 
the  business  having  thus  early  out- 
grown its  quarters.  Consequently, 
when  the  Masonic  Temple  was  erected, 
the  corner  store  and  basement  were 
leased,  and  the  Laconia  Hardware  Co. 
removed  to  its  present  location  in  Oc- 
tober, 1896. 

This  concern  can  boast  of  the  larg- 
est store  and  the  largest  stock  of  general 
hardware,  paints,  iron  and  steel,  mill 
supplies,  bicycles,  fishing  tackle,  and 
sporting  goods,  to  be  found  in  northern 
New  Hampshire. 

The    motto    of    the    firm    has  alwavs 


*fy 


■    • 


The  Laconia  Hardware  Sture. 


and  continued  for  one  year.  Mr. 
Levensaler  then  retired  from  the  busi- 
ness, and  Mr.  Albert  T.  Quinby  came 
into  the  concern.  This  was  in  1888, 
and  the  Laconia  Hardware  company 
was  born  at  that  time.  Quinby  &: 
Smart  continued  for  about  one  year, 
and  then  Mr.  Quinby  assumed  full  con- 
trol, employing  his  son,  Edwin  N. 
Quinby,  as  head  salesman  and  Charles 
Dearborn  as  assistant,  with  his  daugh- 
ter, Miss  Nellie  P.  Quinby,  as  book- 
keeper. 

The  business  increased  rapidly,  and 
in  1895  E.  N.  Quinby  was  admitted  to 
the  firm.     It  was  found  that  the  store 


been  :  First  quality  goods,  small  profits 
and  square  dealing.  This  motto  is  lived 
up  to  every  hour  of  the  day  and  every 
day  in  the  year,  and  it  has  built  up  a 
large  and  prosperous  business. 

There  are  now  employed  in  the  store, 
besides  the  members  of  the  firm,  two 
men  and  a  lady  book-keeper,  making 
five  persons  in  all.  Mr.  Edwin  N.  Quin- 
by is  the  buyer  for  the  concern  and  also 
the  traveling  salesman.  He  covers  the 
entire  northern  section  of  New  Hamp- 
shire and  by  constant  hustle  and  square 
dealing  has  built  up  an  immense  trade 
in  hardware  among  the  retail  dealers  of 
the  north  country. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


37 


Mr.  Albert  T.  Quinby  is  the  financial 
man  of  the  business,  having  charge  of 
the  whole  concern,  but  more  especially 
paying  attention  to  the  settlement  of 
accounts,  collection  of  bills,  and  other 
financial  matters. 


Albert  T.  Quinby. 

Probably  but  few  of  the  general  public 
are  aware  of  the  immense  stock  of 
merchandise  which  is  carried  by  the 
Laconia  Hardware  Co.  They  have  a 
large  storehouse  in  the  rear  of  the 
Masonic  Temple  which  is  filled  almost 
entirely  with  iron  and  steel  for  black- 
smith supply.  The  basement  under 
their  store  is  packed  full  of  paints,  oils, 
rope,  glass,  and  nails  galore,  of  every 
size  and  style.  Everything  in  the  line 
of  builders'  and  carpenters'  hardware  is 
carried  in  stock.  Cutlery  is  another 
department  which  receives  much  atten- 
tion. Bicycles,  horse  blankets,  lawn 
mowers,  garden  tools,  carpenters'  tools, 
brushes,  in  fact,  it  would  take  a  bigger 
publication  that  the  Illustrated  Laconian 
to  catalogue  the  stock  carried  by  this 
enterprising  concern. 

In  the  line  of  sporting  goods,  Messrs. 
Quinby  &  Son  are  the  headquarters  for 
this  section  of  New  Hampshire.  They 
always  have  a  choice  line  of  shotguns, 
rirles,  etc.,  and  every  kind  of  ammuni- 
tion and  hunting  supplies.  The  fishing 
tackle  department  is  a  treat  for  anglers, 


as  their  stock  in  this  line  includes  both 
cheap  and  costly  rods,  lines,  reels,  hooks, 
baskets,  landing  nets  and,  in  short,  every- 
thing used  for  brook,  river  and  lake  fish- 
ing at  any  season  of  the  year. 

The  Laconia  Hardware  establishment 
is  a  credit  to  Laconia  and  the  proprie- 
tors deserve  success  for  their  enterprise, 
courteous  treatment  of  patrons,  and 
square  dealing. 

Albert  T.  Quinby,  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm,  was  born  in  Portland, 
Maine,  in  1845.,  At  the  age  of  17  years 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  hardware 
concern  in  Searsport,  Me.,  and  after  six 
years  took  an  interest  in  the  concern. 
This  business  was  continued  with  vari- 
ous change  until  1S8S,  when  Mr.  Quin- 
by, who  was  then  the  head  of  the  con- 
cern, sold  out  his  interest  in  the  busi- 
ness and  removed  to  Laconia.  Mr. 
Quinby  has  always  been  prominent  in 
society  and  in  the  Masonic  fraternities. 
being  four  times  elected  W.  M.  of  his 
home  lodge.  Since  coming  to  Laconia 
he  has  joined  Pythagorean  Council  and 
Pilgrim  Commandery,  Knights  Templar, 


*»  *cr 


Edwin  N.  Quinby. 

in  which  he  has  taken  great  interest  and 
held  offices. 

Edwin  N.  Quinby  was  born  in  Sears- 
port,  Maine,  in  1867.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  at 
the  age  of  17  years  entered  the  employ 


3« 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


of  a  wholesale  hardware  concern  in 
Portland,  Maine,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1888,  when  he  came  to  Laconia  to 
enter  the  employ  of  the  Laconia  Hard- 
ware Co. 


The  Late  Daniel  S.  Dinsmoor. 


On  the  morning  of  March  24,  1S83, 
the  people  of  Laconia  were  shocked  by 
the  announcement  of   the  very  sudden 
death  of  Hon.  Daniel  Stark  Dinsmoor. 
He     was     stricken     instantly,     without 
warning,  when 
apparen  tly  in 
good  health,  and 
died  immediate- 
ly   without     re- 
turning to    con- 
sciousness. 

The  death  of 
Mr.  Din  s  m  o  o  r 
was  regarded  as 
a  public  calami- 
ty. He  was  a 
sch  ol  arly  and 
accom  p  1  i  s  h  e  d 
man,  of  fine  per- 
sonal appear- 
ance, and  uni- 
versally loved 
and  respec  ted. 
H  e  had  just 
reached  his  full 
and  promising 
manhood  when 
the  s  u  m  mons 
came    and    his 

earthly  career  

closed  forever. 

He  was  born 
in  the  village  of  Laconia,  Sept.  23,  1837, 
the  son  of  Daniel  J.  and  Caroline  (Stark) 
Dinsmoor,  a  descendant  of  John  Dins- 
moor, a  man  much  loved  and  respect- 
ed by  the  early  settlers  and  even  by  the 
Indians  as  well,  for  his  honesty  and  up- 
rightness ;  he  was  also  a  descendant  of 
Gen.  John  Stark  of  Revolutionary  fame, 
"the  hero  of  Bennington,"  whose  family 
name  he  bore. 

He  received  his  early  education  in 
the  village  schools  and  Gilford  acad- 
emy, where  he   exhibited   among  other 


The  Late  Daniel  S.  Dinsmoor. 


qualifications  a  marked  ability  in  decla- 
mation. After  the  course  at  the 
academy  in  his  native  village  he  went 
to  New  London  Literary  and  Scientific 
Institution,  at  that  time  one  of  the 
leading  institutions  of  the  state,  where 
he  graduated  with  high  honors  in  i860, 
his  address  before  the  society  receiving 
especial  commendation.  For  sometime 
after  graduating  he  read  law  in  the  offices 
of  Hon.  Wm.  Blair,  Geo.  W.  Stevens, 
Esq.,  and  Hon.  O.  A.  J.  Vaughan,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1864. 

In  1865  he 
was  united  in 
marriage  to 
Amelia  M.Whit- 
temore,  the  fririt 
of  the  union  be- 
ing two  sons, 
Arthur  W.  and 
A .  Jameson 
Dinsmoor.  Upon 
j  the  organization 
!  of  the  Laconia 
National  bank, 
in  1865,  he  was 
chosen  cashier, 
which  position 
he  held  until  his 
death.  He  was 
frequently  se- 
lected for  polit- 
ical honor,  hold- 
ing  many  im- 
portant offices, 
such  as  county 
treasurer,    regis- 

1    ter    of    probate, 

representative 
to  the  legisla- 
ture of  1875,  besides  other  minor  offices, 
and  was  a  member  of  Governor  Che- 
ney's staff.  In  November,  1882,  he  was 
elected  senator  from  the  Laconia  dis- 
trict, the  issue  being  the  Lake  Shore 
railroad,  although  the  district  was  con- 
ceded to  be  Democratic  while  he 
was  always  a  Republican  of  un- 
questioned integrity.  He  was  promi- 
nent in  Masonic  circles,  having  been 
master  of  Mt.  Lebanon  lodge ;  he  was 
also  a  member  of  Union  Chapter.  On 
the  year  previous  to  his  demise  he  was 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


39 


invited  by  the  local  post  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  to  deliver  the 
Memorial  Day  poem  which  he  complied 
with,  and  we  know  of  no  more  fitting 
manner  of  expressing  the  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held  by  his  associates, 
than  to  quote  a  few  lines  of  the  poem 
delivered  on  the  successive  year. 

Standing  to-night,  where  twelve  months  since 

He  who  has  served  yon,  as  a  prince 

Does  subjects'  service  till  his  sire 

tails  him  to  state  and  duty  higher; 

I  should  but  partly  voice  your  thought, 

Not  naming  him  who  held,  unsought/* 

Your  hearty  and  your  honored  call 

To  stand  in  senatorial  hall. 

And  thus  remind  you  of  the  claim, 

That  memory  has  on  Dinsmoor's  name. 

I  will  but  name  him,  any  words  of  praise 

Are  needless  here  to  you  who  knew  him  well ; 

The  memories  that  his  welcome  name  will  raise 

Are  more  than  tongue  or  pen  of  mine  can  tell. 

For  with  you  here  as  youth  and  man  he  dwelt, 

Gave  you  his  service  and  his  cordial  cheer  ; 

And  you  as  kindred  and  as  neighbors  felt 

When  he  was  from  you  borne  upon  his  bier, 

The  stroke  that  struck  him  down  in  manhood 

strong 
Reached  to  your  hearts,  reechoes  in  my  song. 


Rev.  J.  Franklin    Babb. 


Rev.  J.  Franklin  Babb,  although  now 
located  at  Ashland,  New  Hampshire,  is 
a  Laconia  boy,  as  he  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  in  Lakeport  and  was  edu- 
cated in  our  public  schools.  He  was 
born  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  May  20,  1S74, 
his  parents  being  John  W.  and  Josie 
H.  (Damon)  Babb.  His  mother  was 
the  daughter  of  Rev.  Joseph  B.  Da- 
mon, at  one  time  pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Lakeport.  Rev.  Mr. 
Babb  is  a  lateral  descendant  of  Gov. 
John  Hancock  of  Massachusetts,  and  a 
direct  descendant  of  the  famous  John 
Tufton  Mason,  who  was  granted  the 
region  now  known  as  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire,  in  the  old  colonial  times. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Lakeport,  academic  course,  and  then 
making  a  three  years'  special  study  for 
the  ministry.  He  was  ordained  in  Ash- 
land, Feb.  23,  1898,  as  pastor  of  the 
Free  Baptist  church,  his  present  charge. 

Rev.  Mr.  Babb's  father  died  when  he 
was  six  years  old,  and  the  young  man 


worked  in  factoiies,  etc.,  to  continue 
his  studies  and  prepare  himself  for  his 
chosen  work  in  the  ministry.  He  is  a 
self-made  man,  and  is  popular  not  only 
as  a  pastor  but  as  a  citizen,  and  highly 
esteemed  by  hundreds  of  friends  in  this 


Rev.  J.  Franklin  Babb. 

section  of  New  Hampshire.  Rev.  Mr. 
Babb  has  written  quite  a  good  deal  for 
the  press,  especially  in  the  line  of 
poetry,  and  articles  from  his  pen'  are 
frequently  seen  in  some  of  our  leading 
New  England  publications. 


The  Wardwell  Needle  Company. 


Among  the  many  industries  that  have 
contributed  so  much  to  the  development 
of  Laconia  as  a  manufacturing  city  is 
the  plant  of  the  Wardwell  Needle  Com- 
pany. This  company  was  established 
in  the  early  sixties  by  the  late  C.  P.  S. 
Wardwell  and  was  under  various  man- 
agements with  moderate  success  until 
the  year  1885  when  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  its  present  owners  who  imme- 
diately commenced  the  erection  of  new 
buildings  and  the  installation  of  modern 
labor  saving  machinery,  much  of  which 
is  protected  by  patents  and  used  ex- 
clusively by  this  company,  bringing  tin- 
whole  plant  to  a  state  of  perfection  that 
has  enabled  the  company  to  take  a  lead- 
ing position  in  the  manufacture  of  the 


4° 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


celebrated  Excelsior  needles  for  all 
kinds  of  hosiery  machinery.  These 
needles  are  used  exclusively  by  many  of 
the  largest  knitting  mills  in  the  country 
and  have  a  good  reputation  where 
known. 

The  constant  endeavor  of  this  com- 
pany to  give  its  customers  the  best  that 
can  be  produced  has  brought  them  a 
large  trade  from  all  sections  of  the  coun- 
try and  the  fact  that  the  owners  of  these 
works  manufacture  and  sell  more  latch 
needles  each  year  than  any  manufacturer 


cal  departments  are  under  the  personal 
supervision  of  Mr.  S.  A.  Whitten,  an 
expert  needle  maker,  and  the  whole 
business  is  managed  by  Mr.  Julius  E. 
Wilson,  the  treasurer.  He  came  to 
Laconia  with  the  parties  now  owning  the 
company  and  has  devoted  himself  to 
the  building  up  of  a  large  permanent 
industry  and  that  success  has  crowned 
his  efforts  goes  without  saying.  In  this 
connection  a  brief  biographical  sketch 
of  Mr.  Wilson  and  his  connection  with 
our  city  and  its  institutions  is  pertinent. 


^liiii 


The  Wardwell  Needle  Company. 


in  the  world  is  a  sufficient  endorse- 
ment of  the  popularity  of  their  goods. 
The  stock  room  is  filled  with  finished 
needles  for  all  the  different  knitting 
machines  in  use  and  orders  are  usually 
filled  upon  same  day  they  are  received. 
A  large  number  of  employes  are  given 
constant  work  and  the  weekly  disburse- 
ment of  wages  for  a  long  series  of  years 
has  been  an  important  factor  in  the 
growth  and  improvement  of  that  portion 
of  the  city.  A  liberal  policy  toward  its 
help  has  always  been  characteristic  of 
this  concern,  which  has  added  largely  to 
its  prosperity,  strikes  or  other  labor 
troubles  never  occurring.     The  mechani- 


Julius  E.  Wilson,  manager  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Wardwell  Needle  Co.,  was 
born  in  Swanzey,  New  Hampshire,  July 
16,  1849.  His  early  life  was  spent 
upon  a  farm,  and  he  acquired  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  and  acade- 
mies of  that  section.  In  1867,  after 
completing  a  course  in  the  Bryant  & 
Stratton  Business  College  in  Manches- 
ter, he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co., 
at  Manchester,  and  was  engaged  in 
the  insurance  business  for  many  years. 
Later  he  became  manager  of  a  large 
clothing  house,  where  he  remained  until 
he  came  to  this  city  in    1885,  to   take 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


4i 


charge  of    the    Ward  well    needle    busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Wilson  married  Morgia  M.  Por- 
ter of  Manchester. 
They  have  no  chil- 
dren. In  religious 
matters  he  is  a  Uni- 
tarian. 

In  secret    and    fra- 
ternal orders,  Mr.  Wil- 
son is  connected  with 
the  Masonic  and  Odd 
Fellows    fraternities, 
and  he  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Home  Mar- 
ket  Club.      He   is   an 
enthusiast  in   all  mat- 
ters pertaining  to 
hunting    and    fishing, 
and   was    one    of  the 
organizers  of  the  Bel- 
knap County  Fish  and 
Game  League,   which 
was  formed  about  two 
years  ago,  and  already 
has,  perhaps,  the  larg- 
est   and   strongest 
membership   of    any 
similar  organization  in  New  Hampshire. 
Mr.   Wilson  has  been  the  president  of 
this  league  from  the  start.      He  is  also 
president     of 
the  Mutual 
Building  and 
Loan  Associ- 
ation, Lake- 
port,    and    is 
also  a  trustee 
of  the  City 
Savings-bank 
at   the   Laco- 
nia  end  of  the 
city. 

In  politics, 
Mr.  Wilson 
is  a  staunch 
Republic  a  n  . 
He  was  elect- 
ed a  member 
of  the  first 
city  council 
of  Laconia,  in 
1893,  and  has  been  reelected  at  every 
subsequent  election,  being  at   the  pres- 


ent time  the  oldest  member  of  the  city 
govern* men t  in  point  of  service.  In 
the  city  council  Mr.  Wilson  has  served 
upon  the  finance  com- 
mittee, the  roads  and 
bridges  committee, 
and  other  of  the  more 
important  committees, 
devoting  much  of  his 
time  during  the  past 
six  years  to  city  affairs. 
His  long  service  in  the 
city  council  gives  him 
perfect  familiarity 
with  all  m  unicipal 
affairs,  and  he  has  al- 
ways been  one  of  the 
strongest  members  of 
this  bodv. 


John  W.  Ashman. 


Julius  E.  Wilson. 


Residen 


John  W.  A  s  h  m  a  n 
was  born  in  Barnston, 
(hie.,  Oct.  14,  1849, 
his  parents  being  Ed- 
ward and  Sarah  (Fol- 
ly) Ashman.  His  fath- 
er died  Sept.  1,  1852,  and  John  went  to 
Walden,  Caledonia  county.  Vermont,  to 
live.     In  the  public  schools  of  this  town 

he  rece  i  v  e  d 
his  education 
suppleme  n  t- 
ed  by  a  term 
at  Phillips 
academy  in 
Danville.'  Vt. 
Mr.  Ash- 
man came  to 
Laconia  Mar. 
22,  1871,  and 
entered  t  h  e 
employ  of  the 
late  Hor  a  c  e 
Whicher.  He 
remained  un- 
til November, 
iS75.when  he 
e  n  t  ered  the 
law  office  of 
E.  I'.  Jewell. 
Esq.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
March,  18S0,  and  continued  in  the  prac- 


42 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


tice  of  his  chosen  profession  until  Janu- 
ary, 1S85,  when  he  was  elected  treasurer 
of  the  Belknap  Savings  bank,  which 
position  he  now  occupies. 

Mr.  Ashman  is  a  Democrat  in  politics 
and  has  received  numerous  honors  in 
the  political  line.  He  first  entered  the 
public  service  in  March,  1880,  as  town 
clerk,  and  held  that  office  five  years. 
He  was  chosen  librarian  of  the  public 
library  July,  1879,  which  position  he 
held  five  years,  and  was  also  a  trustee 
of  the  library  for  ten  years.  Mr.  Ash- 
man was  one  of 
the  members  of 
the  board  of  ed- 
ucation in  1 88 1, 
1882,  and  1883, 
and  was  also 
clerk  of  the 
school  district. 
He  was  a  mod- 
erator at  the 
annual  town 
meeting,  in 
March,  1890. 
H  e  served  a  s 
register  of  pro- 
bate for  Bel- 
knap county  for 
three  terms. 
When  the  city 
government 
was  inaugurat- 
ed Mr.  Ashman 
was  chosen  a 
member  of  the 
first  city  coun- 
cil from  Ward  5, 
and  served  as  a 
member  of  the 
finance  committee, 
man  was  elected  as 
New  Hampshire  legislature  from  Ward 
5,  which  is  one  of  the  strongest  Repub- 
lican wards  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Ashman  is  treasurer  of  the  Laco- 
nia  Hospital  association,  and  First  Uni- 
tarian society,  also  of  the  Laconia  Land 
and  Improvement  Co.  He  was  a  charter 
member  of  Winnesquam  Colony,  No. 
14,  United  Order  of  Pilgrim  Fathers,  and 
has  held  various  offices  in  this  order. 

Mr.  Ashman  was  a  member  and  trea- 


surer of  Company  K,  New  Hampshire 
National  Guard,  when  this  company 
was  first  formed  by  Captain  Elbert 
Wheeler  (now  General  Wheeler),  and 
went  with  this  company  to  the  centen- 
nial celebration  at  Yorktown  in  1881. 

In  religious  affairs  Mr.  Ashman  affi- 
liates with  the  Unitarians.  He  is  still 
unmarried. 


O'Shea    Brothers'   Establishment. 


John  \Y.  Ashman 


In   1898  Mr.  Ash- 
a  Democrat  to  the 


O'Shea  Brothers'  is  perhaps  the  best 
known  mercan- 
tile estab  1  i  s  h 
ment  in  central 
and  north  ern 
New  Hamp- 
shire. The  firm 
handles  cloth- 
ing, dry  goods, 
and  furniture, 
and  has  grown 
from  a  small 
beginning  in 
the  year  1875 
to  one  of  the 
largest  stores 
and  largest  dis- 
tributors  of 
goods  in  their 
line  in  this  sec- 
t  i  o  n  of  N  e  w 
England. 

On  April  25, 
1875,  Dennis 
O'Shea  and  his 
oldest  brother, 
the  late  John 
O'Shea,  c  o  m  - 
menced  the  dry 
goods  business  in  a  little  store  in  a 
building  which  then  stood  on  the  site 
of  their  present  furniture  department 
building.  The  Laconia  Democrat  office 
occupied  the  second  floor  of  the  build- 
ing, and  Miss  Kate  Feeley  conducted  a 
millinery  store  in  one  side  of  the  ground 
floor  of  the  building,  leaving  about  1,100 
square  feet  for  O'Shea  Bros.'  dry  goods 
business.  Both  members  of  the  firm 
had  served  a  few  years  as  clerks  in 
similar  establishments  in  Laconia,  and 
consequently  had   a  fair  knowledge  of 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACOXI.W 


the  business.  Their  first  year's  trade 
was  an  immense  success,  actually  turn- 
ing the  entire  stock  over  seven  times. 
Encouraged  by  the  favor  which  their 
venture  received  from  the  public,  they 
decided  to  put  in  a  stock  of  ready-made 


O'Shea  Bros.*  Store  in  1S75. 

clothing,  and  in  December  of  the  same 
year  they  leased  the  portion  of  the  build- 
ing formerly  occupied  by  Miss  Feeley, 
and  in  this  addition  to  their  establish- 
ment put  in  a  stock  of  clothing,  engaging 
their  brother,  Eugene  O'Shea,  to  take 
charge  of  this  department. 

This  venture,  also,  proved  a  success, 


O'Shea  Bros."  Store  in  1S7S. 

but  in  a  short  time  the  firm  again  found 
itself  pressed  for  room  to  accommodate 
their  rapidly-increasing  trade.  In  the 
spring  of  1877,  the  late  John  C.  Moul- 
ton  built  an  addition  to  the  rear  of  the 
building,     which     increased     the     floor 


space  to  3,550  square  feet.  The  sto<  k 
of  goods  up  to  this  time  consisted  only 
of  dry  goods  and  clothing,  but  next 
came  a  demand  for  carpetings,  there 
being  at  that  time  only  one  small  stock 
in  town.  To  meet  this  demand,  O'Shea 
Eros,  leased  more  land  in  the  rear  of 
the  Moulton  building,  and  erected  an- 
other addition,  35  by  iS  feet,  for  a 
carpet  room. 

but  the  patronage  of  the  establish- 
ment and  the  consequent  demand  for 
a  larger  and  more  varied  stock  had  in 
the  meantime  increased  faster  than  the 


( I'Shea  Bros.1  Store  in  1882. 

accommodations,  and  ( >'Shea  Bros,  soon 
found  themselves  again  cramped  for 
room  to  conduct  their  growing  business. 
In  the  spring  of  1N7X  they  leased  the 
land  on  the  north  side  of  their  store, 
and  erected  a  block  of  about  thirty  feet 
front  and  seventy  feet  depth.  The  old 
and  new  stores  were  connected  and  the 
new  building  accommodated  the  cloth- 
ing department  on  the  first  floor,  while 
the  carpet  and  custom-made  clothing 
departments  were  upstairs. 

The   new   building  gave  about  4,000 
square   feet   more  floor  space,    making 


44 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


the  largest  store  in  Laconia  and  proba- 
bly the  largest  in  New  Hampshire  at 
that  time.  The  establishment  certainly 
appeared  large  for  a  town  the  size  of 
Laconia,  and  many  of  our  people  pre- 
dicted a  downfall  and  failure.  Pluck 
and  perseverance,  however,  won  again, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  1S82,  when  the 
Laconia    Democrat  vacated    the    rooms 


store    in    New    Hampshire,    containing 
seventeen  different  departments. 

No  further  changes  were  made  until 
the  spring  of  1886,  when  Mr.  Moulton 
decided  to  erect  the  present  Moulton 
opera  house  block.  At  this  time  O'Shea 
Bros,  purchased  the  Mrs.  J.  H.  Story 
property  on  Pleasant  street  and  re- 
moved their  own    building  there   (now 


Present  Store  of  O'Shea  Bros. 


over  the  dry  goods  store  and  moved  to 
Mill  street,  Messrs.  O'Shea  Bros,  leased 
the  vacated  premises  and  put  in  a  stock 
of  furniture.  They  also  induced  Mr. 
Moulton  to  add  a  third  story  to  the 
building,  while  they  put  a  third  story 
on  their  own  building  adjoining.  At 
this  time  the  original  store  of  1,100 
square  feet  had  grown  to  an  establish- 
ment of  13,000  square  feet,  the  largest 


the  Kirtland  House  property)  to  make 
room  for  the  opera  house  block.  The 
firm  up  to  this  time  had  consisted  only 
of  the  two  brothers,  Dennis  and  John, 
who  opened  the  original  store  in  1875, 
but  in  1887  Eugene  O'Shea,  who  had 
taken  charge  of  the  clothing  depart- 
ment, was  admitted  to  membership. 

When  the  Moulton  opera  house  block 
was  completed  in  August,  1887,  Messrs. 


THK  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


45 


O'Shea  Bros,  leased  the  entire  first 
fioor  and  basement,  in  connection  with 
the  wooden  furniture  building,  all  three 
floors  of  which  are  devoted  to  the  furni- 
ture and  carpeting  business.  The  floor 
space  now  occupied  by  this  concern, 
including  their  storehouse  for  furniture, 
near  the  passenger  depot,  amounts  to 
nearly  30,000  square  feet,  or  about  two 
thirds  of  an  acre. 

John  O'Shea  died  Oct.  26,  1890,  and 
the  business  has  since  been  carried  on 
by  Dennis,  Eugene,  and  Thomas  O'Shea, 
the  latter  having  the  furniture  and  car- 
peting departments. 

O'Shea  Bros.'  store  is  an  establish- 
ment of  which  all  true  Laconians  are 
proud.  Their  success  is  due  to  natural 
shrewdness  and  business  tact,  combined 
with  hard  work,  untiring  attention  to 
the  wants  of  the  public,  fair  dealing, 
and  liberal  advertising. 

From  young  men  in  limited  financial 
circumstances,  the  O'Shea  Bros,  built 
up  a  business  of  $250,000  per  annum, 
and  made  themselves  among  the  fore- 
most and  best-known  merchants  of  the 
Granite  state.  They  have  always  found 
time  to  interest  themselves  in  every 
movement  of  a  public  nature  which 
promised  to  assist  in  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  Laconia,  and  they  have 
been  important  factors  in'  nearly  all  our 
local  enterprises. 

Dennis  O'Shea,  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm,  is  a  director  of  the  Laconia 
National  bank,  a  trustee  of  the  City 
Savings  bank,  president  of  the  Laconia 
Electric  Light  Co.,  president  of  the 
Laconia  Board  of  Trade,  one  of  the 
promoters,  organizers,  and  president  of 
the  Casino  Building  Co.,  a  member  of 
the  board  of  education,  and  has  always 
found  time  to  devote  himself  enthusi- 
astically to  the  success  of  every  enter- 
prise and  public  position  with  which  he 
has  been  connected. 


Mutual  Building  &  Loan  Association. 


The  Mutual  Building  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation was  organized  June  3,  1890, 
with  the  following  board  of  officers  and 


directors  :  President,  Henry  B.  Ouinby  ; 
vice-president,  Henry  J.  Odell ;  secre- 
tary, Leroy  M.  Could:   treasurer.  Edwin 

D.  Ward.  Directors:  Benjamin  F. 
Drake,  Henry  Tucker,  Charles  E.  Buz- 
zell,  Stephen  B.  Cole,  Edwin  L.  Cram, 
Libbeus  E.  Hayward,  Elijah  U.  Blais- 
dell,  Samuel  R.  Jones,  Charles  J.  Pike; 
solicitor,  Joseph  L.  ( >dell.  The  asso- 
ciation commenced  business  June  10, 
1890,  with  a  membership  of  113,  fifteen 
of  whom  were  females.  Its  mission  has 
been  to  assist  mechanics  and  others  in 
getting  homes  of  their  own.  In  this  it 
has  clone  its  work  well.  It  now  has 
$30,000  assets  which  consist  of  loans  to 
its  members  who  are  monthly  drawing 
nearer  the  time  when  they  will  have 
homes  of  their  own  free  from  incum- 
brance, and  others  who  are  laying  by 
something  for  a  rainy  day.  Its  affairs 
have  been  successfully  conducted  at  all 
times,  and  as  yet  the  association  has  not 
lost  a  dollar  by  injudicious  investment, 
while  on  the  other  hand  its  members 
have  been  receiving  a  good  rate  of  in- 
terest on  their  investments.  From  the 
start  the  officers  and  directors  have 
been  very  careful  in  making  all  loans 
and  herein  lies  one  of  the  principal 
secrets  of  its  successful  career. 

The  business  of  the  association  is 
conducted  in  such  a  way  that  any  per- 
son desiring  to  build  or  purchase  a 
home,  lift  a  mortgage,  or  engage  in  bus- 
iness may  become  a  member  at  any 
time  by  paying  a  nominal  admission  fee 
and  taking  one  or  more  shares  of  stock- 
The  Building  and  Loan  Association 
offers  inducements  to  mechanics,  arti- 
sans, and  laboring  men  generally  that 
are  not  found  in  banking  and  other 
financial  institutions. 

The  present  officers  and  board  of 
directors  are  :  President,  Julius  E.  Wil- 
son ;  vice-president,  John  N.  Meader; 
secretary,  Leroy  M.  Gould  ;  treasurer. 
Edwin   I).   Ward.      Directors:    Libbeus 

E.  Hayward,  Charles  L.  Pulsifer,  John 
Aldrich,  Edwin  L.  Cram,  William  G. 
Cram,  George  B.  Munsey.  Albert  M. 
Read,  Charles  E.  Sleeper,  Charles  L. 
Simpson.  The  headquarters  of  the 
association  are  at  Lakeport. 


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THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


47 


, 


Cole  Manufacturing  Company. 

In  1S27  the  foundation  of  the  Cole 
Manufacturing  company  was  laid  by  the 
father  of  Benjamin  J.  Cole  who  moved 
from  Franklin  with  his  family  in  that 
year  to  Batchelder's  Mills,  now  Lake- 
port,  and  built  a  small  foundry,  doing 
his  melting  in  a  large  kettle  with  char- 
coal which  he  burned  in  the  neighbor- 
hood ;  prior  to  leaving  Franklin  he  had 
built  the  second  foundry  erected  in  the 
state  and  numbered  among  his  cus- 
tomers General  John  Stark  of  Hooksett. 

This  foundry 
w  a s  bought 
from  the  father 
in  1836  by  Ben- 
jamin J.  Cole 
and  two  of  his 
brothers,  but  in 
a  few  years  Ben- 
jamin J  .  Cole 
bought  the  in- 
terests of  his 
brothers,  con- 
ducting the  bus- 
iness under  the 
style  of  B.  J. 
Cole  <S:  Co.,  and 
the  firm  soon 
became  wide  1  y 
known  through- 
out northern 
New  Hamp- 
shire for  the 
manufacture  of 
parlor  and 
cooking  stoves 
and  agricultural 
implements,  be- 
ing in  fact  the 

pioneer  in  this  section  in  those  special- 
ties. 

In  1852  Mr.  Cole  acquired  land  and 
water  power  from  the  \Y.  L.  C.  &  W. 
Mf'g  Co.,  on  which  he  erected  an  ex- 
tensive iron  and  wood  machine  shop, 
and  in  1872  the  concern  was  merged 
into  a  corporation,  the  Cole  Manufac- 
turing company,  which  constructed  a 
steam  forge,  and  in  1873  began  the 
manufacture  of  car  axles  for  steam  roads 
in  which  they  have  ever  since  been  con- 


stantly engaged  and  the  quality  of  which 
is  unexcelled  in  the  country. 

The    concern     also    makes    hosiery, 
needle,  bobbin,  and  sawmill   machinery, 
forgings,  castings  of  all   kinds  and   iron 
work  generally,  including  Worrall's  fric- 
tion    clutches,     shafting,     pulleys,    and 
hangers.       Benj.  J.  Cole  was  from  1836 
treasurer  and  manager  until  [883,  when 
he  retired  from   the  latter  position,  be- 
ing succeeded  by  his  son-in-law,  Henry 
1!.  Quinby.     He  retained   the  treasurer- 
ship  until   his  death.   Mr.  Quinby  being 
assistant  treasurer.      Mr.  Quinby  is  now 
treasurer     and 
manager,    Hen- 
ry Cole  Quinby, 
President,  and 
A.     C.     Moore, 
clerk. 

Tli  is  com- 
pany has  been 
one  of  the  main- 
stays and  prin- 
cipal industries 
of  this  vicinity, 
having  had  a 
continuous  ac- 
tivity of  seven- 
ty-two years. 


The  Late  Hon. 

Benjamin  J. 

Cole. 


Late  H 


Benjamin  J  . 
(  ole  was  born 
in  Franconia. 
N.  H.,  Sept.  28, 
1 814,  and  when 
Benjamin  J.  Cole.  seven    years  of 

age  went  to 
Salisbury,  where  he  attended  the  village 
school  and  the  Noyes  academy,  then 
quite  famous,  and  later  went  to  tin- 
school  at  Sanbornton  Bridge,  now  Til- 
ton. 

In  1827  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Batchelder's  Mills,  now  Lakeport,  and 
made  it  his  home  until  his  death  which 
occurred  Jan.  15,  1899. 

June  17,  1838,  he  married  Mehitable 
A.  Batchelder,  whose  father,  Nathan 
Batchelder,     then      owned     the     water 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


power  at    Batchelder's  Mills  and  from 
whom  the  place  derived  its  name. 

In  1848  Mr.  Cole  was  an  incorpora- 
tor of  the  Winnipiseogee  Steamboat 
company  and  served  as  its  president 
more  than  forty  years  and  under  his 
supervision  was  built  the  first  passen- 
ger steamboat,  the  LaJx  of  the  Lake, 
ever  launched  upon  the  waters  of  the 
beautiful  lake  from  which  the  company 
was  named. 

He  was  an  incorporator  and  for 
many  years  president  of  the  Lake  Vil- 
lage Savings 
Bank,  and  was 
also  an  incor- 
porator of  the 
Laconia  Na- 
tional Bank  and 
for  a  long  pe- 
riod one  of  its 
directors. 

In  politics  he 
was  a  Demo- 
crat until  the 
outbreak  of  the 
Rebellion, when 
he  became  a 
Repu  b  lie  an  , 
and  in  1862, 
'63,  and  '64  he 
was  a  candidate 
for  state  sena- 
tor in  the  sixth 
sena torial  dis- 
trict. 

Mr.  Cole  was 
a  member  of 
the  governor's 
council  in  1866- 
'67  ;  was  a  del- 
egate to  the  National  convention  which 
renominated  President  Lincoln  ;  he  was 
a  member  of  the  state  constitutional  con- 
vention in  1876,  and  represented  the 
town  of  Gilford  in  the  general  court  in 
1849-50. 

During  his  seventy-two  years  of  citi- 
zenship in  Lakeport,  Mr.  Cole  was  a 
prominent  factor  in  its  growth  and 
prosperity  and  chiefly  instrumental  in 
bringing  the  village  from  a  total  of  sev- 
en houses  to  its  present  important  stand- 
ing in  the  state,  erecting,  himself,  more 


Col.  Hf 


than  sixty  buildings  and  was  ever  public- 
spirited,  benevolent,  and  mindful  of  the 
welfare  of  his  numerous  employes,  and 
the  citizens  generally,  by  whom  he  was 
held  in  the  highest  esteem. 

He  donated  the  land  for  a  church  and 
a  school-house,  and  gave  largely  to  both 
edifices.  In  1849  he  and  the  late  Sena- 
tor James  Bell  were  chosen  a  committee 
to  purchase  a  hand  fire-engine  for  the 
precinct  and  bought  in  Boston,  Niagara 
engine,  No.  1,  which  has  from  that  day 
to  this  been  ready  for  efficient  service 
and  is  cher- 
ished with  jeal- 
ous care  by  the 
veteran  firemen 
of  Lake  port . 
He  also  provid- 
ed at  his  own 
expense  a  house 
for  the  engine. 
His  unfalter- 
ing integrity 
was  such  that 
though  in  1876, 
when  business 
declined  and 
v  a  1  u  es  shrank 
all  over  the  land 
he  was  obliged 
to  go  through 
ban  k  r  upt  cy  , 
paying  such  a 
per  cent,  as  he 
and  his  credit- 
ors agreed  on, 
subsequen  tly , 
when  prosper- 
ity smiled  upon 
him,  he  paid 
with  interest  every  debt,  in  full,  from 
which  he  had  been  legally  released  ;  and 
that  he  was  able  to  do  this  afforded 
him  more  pleasure  than  any  other  act 
of  his  business  career. 


B.  Ouinbv. 


Col.  Henry  B.  Quinby. 


Colonel  Henry  Brewer  Quinby,  of 
the  Cole  Manufacturing  Co.,  at  Lake- 
port,  was  born  in  Biddeford,  Maine, 
June  10,  1846,  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane 
E.   (Brewer)  Quinby.     Colonel    Quinby 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


49 


conies  from  good  old  New  England 
stock  on  both  sides  of  his  family. 
Through  his  father  he  is  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  John  Rogers,  fifth  presi- 
dent of  Harvard  college,  of  Major- 
General  Daniel  Dennison,  the  famous 
colonial  officer,  of  Governor  Thomas 
Dudley  of  the  Massachusetts  colony, 
and  of  many  other  colonial  celebrities. 
On  his  mother's  side,  Colonel  Quinby 
is     descended     from      Major     Charles 


prison  board,  delegate-at-large  to  the 
Republican  national  convention  at 
Minneapolis  in  1893,  and  president  of 
the  state  Republican  convention  in 
1896.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 
He  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Asylum  for  the  Insane  in   1897. 

He  was  made  a  Mason  in  1S71  in 
this  city,  and  is  junior  grand  warden 
of  the  Grand   Lodge  of  Free  and  Ac- 


Frost,  the    famous    Indian   fighter,   and     cepted     Masons     of     New     Hampshire, 
numbers    among     his    great-great-great-     Rieht    Eminent    Grand   Commander  of 


grandmothe  r '  s 
two  sisters  of 
SirWilliam  Pep- 
perell,  the  co  1- 
onial  baro  net, 
who  won  r  e  - 
n  o  w  n  a  t  the 
siege  of  Louis- 
burg,  and  is  a 
direct  descend- 
ant of  Reverend 
Jose  Glover,  in 
the  ninth  gener- 
ation, at  whose 
charge  the  first 
printing  press 
was  established 
in  America.  He 
a  1 1  e  n  ded  Bid- 
deford  schools 
and  Nichols' 
Latin  school  at 
L  e  w  i  s  t  o  n  ,  as 
well  as  Bow- 
doin  college, 
Brunswick,  Me., 
being  graduat- 
ed from  the  lat- 
ter in  1869.  He  received  the  degree  of 
A.  M.  in  1872,  and  in  1880  was  gradu- 
ated in  medicine  at  the  National  Medi- 
cal college,  Washington,  D.  C.  He  is 
manager  and  treasurer  of  the  Cole 
Manufacturing  company  at  Lakeport, 
with  which  he  has  been  connected 
since  1869.  Colonel  Quinby  was  a 
member  of  Governor  Straw's  staff  in 
i872-'73,  a  member  of  the  legislature 
of  i887-'88,  state  senator  in  18S9-90, 
member  of  the  governor's  council  in 
i89i-'92.  being  chairman  of  the  state 
4 


Henry  Cole  Quinby. 


the  Grand  Com- 
m  a  n  d  e  r  y  o  f 
Knights  Tem- 
plar o  f  N  e  w 
1 1  a m p shire, 
and  an  active 
member  of  the 
Supreme  Coun- 
cil of  the  Scot- 
tish Rite  of  the 
North  ern  Ma- 
sonic Jurisdic- 
tion of  the  I  nit- 
ed  States  of 
America.  He  is 
vice-pres  i  d  e  n  t 
of  the  Laconia 
National  Bank 
and  the  City 
Sa  v  ings  Bank 
of  Laconia. 

Colonel  Quin- 
by married,  on 
June  22,  1870, 
0  c t a vi a  M  .  „ 
daughter  of  the 
late  Hon.  B.  J. 
Cole  of  Lake- 
port.  He  has  two  children, —  Henry  Cole 
Quinby,  a  lawyer  in  New  York  city,  and 
Candace  Ellen,  wife  of  Hugh  \.  Camp. 
Jr.,  of  New  York  city. 


Henry  Cole  Quinby. 

The  president  of  the  Cole  Manufac- 
turing company  is  Henry  Cole  Quinby, 
only  son  of  Henry  1!.  Quinby  and 
grandson  of  the  late  Hon.  Benjamin   J. 

Cole.      He    was    born    in    Lake    Village, 
now    Lakeport,    July    9,    1872.   ami    was 


5° 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


prepared  for  college  at  the  Chauncey 
Hall  school  in  Boston.  He  was  gradu- 
ated from  Harvard  college  in  1894 
with  cum  laude,  having  completed  the 
four  years  course  in  three  years,  and 
two  years  later  was  graduated  from  the 
Harvard  Law  school,  having  taken  the 
three  years'  course  in  two  years ;  he 
then  passed  the  examination  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Suffolk  County  bar. 
After  his  graduation  from  the  Harvard 
Law  school  he  entered  the  office  of 
Evarts,  Choate  &  Beaman,  New  York 
city,     by     whom     he     was     entrusted 


Mr.  Quinby  is  a  member  of  the  New 
York  Bar  Association  and  of  the  Union 
League  and  Harvard  clubs  of  New  York. 


A    Laconia    Landmark. 


How  long  the  site  of  the  "  old  cor- 
ner store,"  corner  of  Main  and  Court 
Sts.,  Laconia,  now  occupied  by  John 
Parker  Smith,  dealer  in  general  mer- 
chandise, has  been  a  place  of  business, 
is  not  known,  for  no  record  can  now  be 
found  in  regard  to  it  and  the  oldest  in- 
habitant always  has  this  answer  when 


The  Old  Corner  Store. 


with  the  preparation  of  some  important 
causes;  on  the  motion  of  Joseph  H. 
Choate,  now  minister  to  England,  he 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  supreme 
court  of  the  United  States  ;  he  began 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  the 
Hon.   E.   A.   Hibbard  of  this  city. 

February  1,  1899,  he  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  firm  of  Evarts,  Choate 
&  Beaman,  and  established  an  office  for 
himself  in  the  Continental  Building,  44 
Cedar  street,  New  York  city,  where  he 
is  now  located  with  a  large  and  rapidly 
increasing  clientage. 


asked  any  questions  concerning  its  his- 
tory, "There's  been  a  store  there  ever 
since  I  can  remember."  Mr.  J.  T.  Coffin 
(father  of  Mr.  John  T.  Coffin,  now  re- 
siding on  Lyford  St.,  Laconia),  and  one 
of  the  early  directors  of  the  old  Concord 
&  Montreal  railroad,  was  a  clerk  here 
about  the  year  18 12,  Daniel  Avery  be- 
ing then  the  proprietor.  An  old  account 
book  of  18 1 3-' 1 4  shows  that  a  tailoring 
business  was  being  done  there  by  one 
Starbird.  The  present  store  was  built 
about  1834  and  was  subsequently  oc- 
cupied by  Avery  &  Hazelton,  Melcher 


THE  ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


5' 


&  Erench,  French  &  Avery  and  H.  J. 
French  &  Co.  In  1859  James  H.  Til- 
ton,  who  had  entered  the  employ  of 
French  «N  Avery  in  1845,  assumed  con- 
trol of  the  business  and  was  closely 
identified  with  it  until  his  death  in  1894. 

Prominent  among  those  who  were 
associated  with  him  in  business  and  will 
be  remembered  by  many  Laconia  people 
were  Frank  Keasor  and  S.  S.  Wiggin. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Tilton,  the  pre- 
sent proprietor,  who  had  entered  the 
store  as  clerk  in  1879,  and  Mr.  R.  C. 
Dickey,  bought  the  business  and  con- 
tinued it  for  a  short  time  when  Mr. 
Dickey  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner, 
who  has  since  made  it  his  object  to 
maintain  the  reputation  of  the  store 
for  the  variety  and  good  quality  of  its 
goods. 

Another  feature  of  the  old  corner 
store  which  is  of  historic  interest  is  the 
large  building  on  Court  street,  imme- 
diately in  the  rear,  which  contains  the 
grain  and  feed  department  of  the  busi- 
ness. This  building  was  the  old  Gilford 
academy,  an  institution  of  learning 
which  educated  hundreds  of  brilliant 
and  successful  men  and  women  and 
which  has  a  reputation  throughout  New 
Hampshire  in  the  old-time  academic 
days.  When  the  Gilford  academy  was 
discontinued,  the  building  was  occupied 
for  the  High  school  and  Grammar 
school  departments  of  the  local  public 
schools,  until  it  was  finally  purchased 
by  the  late  James  H.  Tilton  and  moved 
from  its  former  location  on  Academy 
square  to  make  room  for  the  present 
brick  High  school  building. 


John  Parker   Smith. 

John  Parker  Smith,  proprietor  of  the 
Old  Corner  Store,  is  a  native  of  New 
Hampton,  born  Feb.  8,  1854.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  com- 
pleted his  studies  at  the  New  Hampton 
Literary  Institution,  coming  to  Laco- 
nia in  1879.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  Old  Corner  Store  since 
his  advent  in  Laconia,  serving  as  clerk 
until  Mr.  Tilton's  death,  and  now  being 
sole  proprietor. 


John  Parker  Smith  is  a  member  and 
deacon  of  the  North  (Congregational) 
church  and  is  also  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  at  that  church.  He  is 
a  member  of  Winnipiseogee  Lodge  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  is  one  of  Laconia's 
most  successful  merchants,  and  he  de- 
serves the  success  which  he  has 
attained,  for  he  follows  his  business 
very  closely,  and  is  noted  for  his 
square  dealing. 

Like  his  predecessor  in  the  same 
establishment,  Mr.  Smith  takes  pride 
in  keeping  in  stock  almost  anything 
and  everything  which  a  customer  could 
possibly  ask  for  in  a  general  store,  and 


John  Parker  Smith. 

the  establishment  can  always  respond 
to  a  qall  for  anything  from  gum  drops 
to  grindstones  or  yeast  cakes  to  a  bale 
of  hay.  Mr.  Smith  is  progressive  and 
up-to-date  in  his  methods,  is  a  liberal 
advertiser  and  constantly  improving  his 
facilities.  He  has  recently  remodeled 
the  interior  of  the  Old  Corner  Store, 
and  added  a  modem  plate-glass  show 
window  which  projects  from  the  front 
of  the  building  its  entire  width.  The 
completed  improvements  in  this  line 
afford  Mr.  Smith  an  opportunity  to 
boast  of  one  of  the  largest  and  best- 
equipped  general  stores  in  New  I  lamp- 
shire. 


52 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


The    Late  David   Batchelder  Nelson. 

David  Batchelder  Nelson  was  born  at 
Roxbury,  N.  H.,  June  7,  1823,  his  par- 
ents being  William  Nelson  and  Lucy 
Batchelder  of  that  town.  He  acquired 
the  preliminary  education  leading  up  to 
professional  life  at  Newbury,  Vt.,  and 
the  academy  at  Bradford,  Vt.,  finishing 
at  the  Harvard  Medical  School,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  '49. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  to  study 
medicine  with  Dr.  Fellows  of  Hill,  N.  H. 

After  leaving 
Harvard  he  be- 
gan the  practice 
of  medicine  in 
Boston,  where 
he  remained  one 
year.  In  1850  he 
came  to  Man- 
chester, N.  H., 
where  he  was 
engaged  in  prac- 
tice for  eleven 
years.  From 
thence,  in  1862, 
he  came  to  this 
city  and  engaged 
in  the  practice 
of  medicine,  con- 
stantly, up  to  a 
little  over  two 
years  ago  when 
he  retired  from 
active  work  and 
passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his 
life  in  enjoying 
the  pure  air  and 
beautiful  scenery 
with  which  the 
city  of  Laconia  is  so  bountifully  supplied. 

Few  men  have  been  better  known  or 
more  prominently  before  the  public  in 
this  section  of  the  state  than  has  Dr. 
Nelson  for  nearly  forty  years.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Harvard  Medical 
Alumni  Association,  the  New  Hamp- 
shire State  Medical  Society  and  a 
director  in  the  latter.  He  was  town 
physician  for  one  year,  county  physician 
for  three  years,  United  States  examining 
surgeon    for   invalid   pensioners,   acting 


The  Late  David  Batchelder  Nelson 


alone  or  as  secretary  of  the  board  for 
thirty-two  years,  member  of  the  local 
Board  of  Education  for  six  years,  pru- 
dential school  committee  for  four  years, 
chaplain,  surgeon,  and  commander  of 
John  L.  Perley,  Jr.,  Post,  No.  37,  G.  A. 
R.  He  was  appointed  colonel  on  the 
staff  of  Governor  Berry  in  1861,  special 
transportation  agent  for  the  Third  regi 
ment,  N.  H.  Vols.,  during  its  trip  to 
New  York,  special  mustering  officer  to 
raise  Troop  K,  New  Hampshire  cavalry. 
Early  in  the  year  1862,  the  First  battal- 
ion, N.  H.  Cav., 
joined  the  First 
R.  I.  Cav.,  and 
Dr.  Nelson  was 
made  major  of 
the  Second  bat- 
talion. He  was 
appointed  cap- 
tain of  Company 
K,  First  regiment 
New  England 
Cavalry,  Oct.  9, 
1 86 1,  and  was 
appointed  major 
of  the  same  regi- 
ment in  Decem- 
ber foil  owing. 
He  resigned  on 
June  3,  1862. 
During  his  mil- 
itary career  he 
was  in  command 
of  the  advance 
army,  four  com- 
panies of  Rhode 
Island  cavalry  at 
the  battle  of 
Front  Royal,  on 
May  30,  1862. 
He  was  associated  with  Dr.  William 
Buck  of  Boston  in  1849,  during  the  epi- 
demic of  Asiatic  cholera  in  that  city, 
and  was  also  present  in  the  Massachu- 
setts General  Hospital  in  October,  1846, 
as  a  medical  student,  and  witnessed  the 
first  surgical  operation  where  ether  was 
used  as  an  anaesthetic. 

He  was  twice  married,  in  the  first  in- 
stance to  Cornelia  C.  Weston  in  185 1, 
and  secondly  to  Susan  E.  Bridges,  who 
survives,  together  with  a  son  and  two 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


53 


daughters,  the  former  being  William 
Nelson,  city  engineer  of  Laconia,  and 
the  latter,  Miss  Alice  M.  and  Miss  Lou- 
ise H.  Nelson,  also  of  this  city. 

Dr.  Nelson  died  on  July  5,  189S, 
after  a  short  illness,  at  his  residence  on 
Court  street,  in  this  city. 


Dr.  Edwin  P.  Hodgdon. 

Among    the     many    well-known    and 
skilful    physicians    of    the    city   on    the 
lakes  is   Dr.   Edwin   P.   Hodgdon,    who 
has     been     i  n 
practice   here 
about  seven 
years,  and  who 
has    a    large 
and  steadily  in- 
creasing b  u  s  i- 
ness  in  his  pro- 
fession.     Dr. 
Hodgdon    was 
born  in  Barn- 
stead,    May   6, 
1867,  and    was 
educated  at  Gil- 
manton  acad- 
emy, gra  d  u  a  t  - 
ingin  the  class- 
ical course, June 
10,    1S86.     He 
pursued  his  pro- 
fessional stud- 
ies at  the   Bur- 
lington (Ver- 
mont)   Medical 
School,     gradu- 
ating   July    10, 
189 1.    Previous 
to    studying    at 
Burlington,  Dr.  Hodgdon  was  for  a  time 
connected    with    the     New    Hampshire 
Asylum    for  the    Insane,  where  he  had 
an  opportunity  to  study  and  investigate 
nervous  diseases  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent. 

Dr.  Hodgdon  married  Clara  E.  Han- 
cock of  Canterbury.  They  have  no 
children. 

He  commenced  his  medical  practice 
at  New  Hampton,  where  he  remained 
about  a  year,  and  then  came  to  Laconia, 
locating  in  Lakeport  in  July,  1892. 


]  )r.  Edwin  P.  Hodgdon. 


Dr.  Hodgdon  takes  considerable  in- 
terest in  secret  and  fraternal  organiza- 
tions. He  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  past 
grind  of  Chocorua  Lodge,  No.  51,  of 
Lakeport,  and  is  also  at  the  present 
time  I).  D.  G.  M.  of  Laconia.  He.  is 
also  a  member  of  Mt.  Lebanon  Lodge 
of  Masons  and  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  Chapter,  Council,  and  Com- 
mandery  of  Knights  Templar.  He  is  a 
member  of  New  Hampton  Grange, 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  the  New  Eng- 
land ( )rder  of  Protection  at  Lakeport, 
and  Hannah 
Frances  Lodge, 
Degree  of  Pe- 
bekah,  in  con- 
nection with  his 
Odd  Fellow- 
ship. 

Dr.  Hodgdon 
is  one  of  the 
board  of  physi- 
cian s  at  the 
Laconia  Cot- 
tage Hospital,  a 
member  of  the 
New  Hamp- 
shire Medical 
Society,  and 
also  the  YVinni- 
pesaukee  Acad- 
emy of  Medi- 
cine. He  was 
president  of  the 
United  States 
board  of  exam- 
ining surgeons 
for  pensions  at 
Laconia  from 
1893  to  1897. 
during  President  Cleveland's  adminis- 
tration. Dr.  Hodgdon  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics  and  an  attendant  at  the  Park 
Street  Free  Baptist  church. 


The  Late  Noah  Lawrence  True. 

Noah  Lawrence  True,  M.  !>..  only 
child  of  Abram  and  Mary  Brown  Law 
rence  True,  was  born  in  Meredith.  X. 
H.,  November  21,  1S2S. 

In  early  boyhood  he  was  thoughtful 
and   studious,   yet    full    of  energy    and 


54 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


ambition,  often  walking  several  miles 
over  rough  and  rocky  roads,  or  across 
fields  and  pastures  to  take  advantage  of 
extra  schooling  in  neighboring  districts. 
Later  he  came  to  Meredith  Bridge  and 
was  a  student  at  Gilford  academy,  where 
he  finished  his  preparatory  education. 

Having  chosen  the  medical  profes- 
sion he  studied  medicine  with  Wm. 
Leach,  M.  D-,  took  his  first  medical 
degree  at  Harvard  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Eclectic  Medical  college  at 
Worcester,  Mass.,  June  25,  1 S 5  r . 

Youthful  i  n 
his  appearance 
and  represent- 
ing an  unpop- 
ular school  of 
medicine,  he 
began  work  in 
Dover,  N.  H., 
full  of  courage 
and  e  n  t  h  u  s  i  - 
asm.  In  a  lit- 
tle less  than  ten 
years  a  severe 
illness  necessi- 
tated a  com- 
plete change 
and  he  left  a 
large  practice, 
purchased  the 
farm  adjoining 
his  boyhood 
home,  and  re- 
moved there  for 
rest  and  recu- 
peration. While 
residing  there 
he  represented 
Meredith  in  the 
legislature  and  served  on  the  board  of 
selectmen. 

He  came  to  Laconia  in  1S65  where 
he  practised  his  profession  until  two 
weeks  preceding  his  death,  June  21, 
1896.  He  was  a  member  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Medical  Society,  at  one 
time  holding  the  office  of  president. 
For  several  years  he  served  on  the 
board  of  education,  was  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  Laconia  Savings  bank 
and  was  a  member  of  Winnipiseogee 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  E. 


Unassuming  in  manner,  sympathetic, 
and  tender  as  a  woman  in  the  presence 
of  suffering,  he  possessed  keen  intuitive 
perception,  great  strength  of  purpose 
and  strong  self-reliance,  qualities  which 
cheered  every  sick  room  he  entered, 
inspired  confidence  and  courage  in  his 
patients  and  won  for  himself  an  exten- 
sive and  successful  practice. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary 
Elizabeth  Tucker  of  Meredith  Bridge, 
September  22,  1850.  They  have  four 
children  :  Emma  Frances,  wife  of  Hor- 
ace Emery  Dur- 
gin  of  Laconia; 
Jennie  Alma, 
wife  of  Joseph 
Hector  Gingras 
of  Laconia; 
Walter  H  a  r  r  i- 
son,  a  physician 
in  Laconia; 
and  George 
Lawrence,  a 
dentist  in  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 


Dr.  Walter 
Harrison  True. 


Late  Noah  Lawrence  True 


Walter  Harri- 
son True,  M.D., 
was  born  in 
Meredith,N.H., 
July  25,  1866. 
His  parents 
coming  to  La- 
conia the  fall  of 
that  year,  most 
of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in 
this  city.  He  was  a  pupil  in  our  public 
schools  until  1882,  when  he  became  a 
student  at  Gilmanton  Academy,  where 
he  was  graduated,  class  of  '85. 

The  following  two  years  were  spent 
with  Henry  Story,  pharmacist,  of  this 
city.  After  studying  medicine  with  his 
father,  N.  L.  True,  M.  D.,  he  entered 
Cincinnati  Medical  college  and  was 
graduated  in  June,  1S91,  also  receiving 
a  special  diploma  on  diseases  of  the 
eye  and  ear  under  Professor  McPheron, 
M.  D.,  of  Cincinnati,  O.,  now  of  Denver, 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


55 


Col.  While  at  that  college  he  took  two 
winter  courses  in  clinical  medicine  and 
surgery  at  the  Cincinnati  City  Hospital. 

He  came  to  Boston, 
Mass.,  and  was  house 
surgeon  at  the  Charter 
Street  Hospital,  and 
later  having  passed  the 
state  medical  board 
of  examiners  at  Con- 
cord, N.  H.,  he  com- 
menced the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  com- 
pany with  his  father  in 
this  city. 

He  is  a  member  of 
the  New  Hampshire 
Eclectic  Medical  Soci- 
ety, holding  the  posi- 
tion of  secretary  and 
treasurer  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1894,  he  took 
a  course  of  study  at 
the  New  York  Post- 
graduate school,  New 
York  city,  receiving  a 
diploma    on    diseases    of    the    eye,   ear 


Dr.  True  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mabelle  Hill  of  Lakeport, 
N    1 1.,  on  March  29,  1899. 


Julian  Francis  Trask. 


Dr.  Walter  H.  True. 


Julian  Francis  Trask 
was  born  in  Beverly, 
Mass.,  October  1,  1S49. 
He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools,  after 
which  he  thoroughly 
learned  the  trade  of  a 
machinist  at  the  Rhode 
Island  Locomotive 
Works,  in   Providence. 

Changing  his  r  e  s  i- 
dence  to  Laconia,  he 
continued  his  chosen 
vocation,  but  gradually 
drifted  into  newspaper 
work,  for  which  he  de- 
v  eloped  a  marked 
adaptation.  At  first  his 
evenings  only  were  de- 
voted to  writing  for  the 
press,  but  subsequently 


he  gave  his  whole  time  and  attention  to 
nose,  and  throat.  He  was  appointed  one  journalism,  being  employed  on  the  La- 
of  the  members  of  the  N.  H.  state  board     conia  Democrat,  Manchester  Union,  and 


of  medical  ex- 
am i  n  e  r  s,  by 
Gov.  Rams- 
dell  and  coun- 
cil, in  June, 
1897,  and  is 
the  youngest 
member  on 
the  board.  He 
is  a  member  of 
the  Winnipe- 
saukee  Acad- 
emy of  Medi- 
cine, also  of 
the  N.  H.  As- 
sociation of 
Boards  of 
Health,  and 
has  held  the 
office  of  secretary  of  the  Laconia  board 
of  health  ever  since  the  city  was  inau- 
gurated. He  is  a  member  of  Mt.  Bel- 
knap Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Laco- 
nia, and  also  of  Laconia  Grange. 


Residence  of  Dr.  \V.  It.  Tl 


represen  1 1  n  g 
the  Associat- 
ed Press  in 
the  lake  re- 
gion, doing  in 
ever_\-  assign- 
ment and  de- 
tail, pains- 
t  a  k  i  n  g  a  n  d 
commendabl  e 
work.  His 
generous  tem- 
perament and 
cheerful  dis- 
position led 
him  to  say 
kindly  things, 
and  his  inde 
fatigable  pen 
has  never  been  touched  in  venom.  He 
grew  into  the  good  graces  of  the  com 
munity,  as  he  did  into  favor  with  his 
employers,  and  his  career  as  reporter  is 
not  marred  by  any  mean  act. 


56 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


When  Hon.  C.  A.  Busiel  was  men- 
tioned for  the  mayorship  and  again  for 
the  governorship,  Mr.  Trask's  enthu- 
siasm and  enterprise  knew  no  limit,  and 
he  entered  the  canvasses  at  the  very 
outset  with  an  eager  devotion  that  never 
faltered.  He  was  the  governor's  choice 
for  messenger  to  the  council,  and  private 
secretary  to  his  excellency,  positions  of 
confidence  and  responsibility  which  he 
filled  with  remarkable  ability,  discre- 
tion, and  success.  His  reputation  as 
a  conscientious  and  versatile  newspaper 
man  extended 
throughout  the 
state,  and  his 
know  ledge  of 
legislation  and 
poli tics  con- 
duced to  make 
him  a  very  con- 
siderable factor 
in  public  affairs. 
His  appoint- 
ment as  labor 
commissi  oner 
was  r  e  c  e  ived 
with  general 
favor,  and  his 
service  in  that 
important  office 
during  the  three 
years  last  past 
won  him  many 
valuable  friends 
and  acq  uaint- 
ances,  and  have 
given  him  a 
merited  accred- 
iting in  popular 
sentiment  that  ensures  him  desirable 
prominence  in  whatever  field  of  labor  he 
may  now  choose. 

Whether  in  the  workshop,  or  on  the 
newspaper,  or  at  the  state  house,  the 
same  prepossessing  sunshiny  personal- 
ity has  characterized  him.  He  is  look- 
ing always  for  the  good  in  humankind, 
and  the  saying  of  charitable  things  has 
grown  to  be  a  habit  with  him.  Every 
fiber  of  his  nature  is  true  to  the  best 
interests  of  this  community,  with  which 
his  growth  and  welfare  have  been 
closely  associated. 


Julian  F.  Trask. 


Mr.  Trask  married  Vicklida  E.  Ander- 
son of  this  city  December  n,  1875,  anc' 
they  have  three  children,  Helen  G., 
Arthur  F.,  and  Marie  Louise. 

Mr.  Trask  belongs  to  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  the  Mt. 
Belknap  lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
is  an  active  member  of  the  White  Moun- 
tain Traveller's  Association,  and  is  also 
one  of  the  leading  lights  of  the  Coon 
Club,  the  state  organization  of  practi- 
cal newspaper  workers.  Outspoken 
honesty  is  one  of  the  sterling  qualities 
of  his  manhood. 
He  has  availed 
himself  of  a 
wealth  of  phil- 
osophy, soft- 
ened by  a  pre- 
vailing sense  of 
wit  and  humor. 
With  distinct 
ideas  of  right 
and  wrong,  he 
is,  nevertheless, 
deferential  and 
tolerant  of  the 
opinions  of 
others,  and  his 
desire  is  to  help 
and  to  serve 
and  in  all  ways 
possible  smooth 
the  rough  edges 
of  life.  In  re- 
ligion, he  is  lib- 
eral;  in  poli- 
tics, a  Republi- 
can ;  and  in  all 
a  public-spirited 
substantial  citizen,  worthy  of  the  high 
respect  and  fond  regard  in  which  he  is 
so  widely  held. 


Dr.  A.  H.  Harriman. 


Dr.  Alpha  Haven  Harriman,  one  of 
Laconia's  leading  physicians,  was  born 
in  Albany,  N.  H.,  October  14,  1857, 
son  of  Nathaniel  G.  and  Rhoda  (Allard) 
Harriman.  He  received  his  prepara- 
tory education  in  the  academies  at  Frye- 
burg  and  at  Bridgton,  Me.  His  pro- 
fessional studies  were  pursued  at  Bow- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


57 


doin  College  Medical  School,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1883.  He  commenced 
practice  in  Mercer,  Me.,  but  after  eight 
months  rem oved 
to  the  town  of 
Sandwich,  N.  H., 
where  he  remain- 
ed for  three  years 
and  a  half.  In 
November,  1S87, 
he  settled  in  La- 
conia,  and  has  re- 
mained here  up  to 
the  present  time. 
He  has  attained 
a  prominent  posi- 
tion in  his  pro- 
fession, and  has 
been  very  success- 
ful in  a  business 
way. 

He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New 
Hampshire  Medi- 
cal Society  and 
the  Winnipesau- 
kee  Academy  of 
Medicine,  a  con- 
tributor to  period-  l 
ical  medical  liter- 
ature and  to  "  the 
reference  hand-book  of  medical  sci- 
ences." He  was  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education  of  Laconia  for  four  years, 
and  for  three  years 
was  president  of 
the  board.  He  is 
a  member  of  Mt. 
Lebanon  Lodge, 
Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons, 
of  Union  Chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Ma- 
sons, of  which  he 
was  high  priest  in 
i897-'99;  of  Pyth- 
agorean Counc  il, 
Royal  and  Select 
Masters,  and  of 
Pilgrim  Comman- 
der y .  Knights 
Templar,  Laconia. 
commander  of  the  latter  in  i896-'98 

Dr.    Harriman    has    always     been 


Democrat,  but  has  never  taken  an  ac- 
tive part  in  politics.  He  was  married 
Feb.  10,  18S4,  to  Katherine  E.  Walker 
of  Lovell,  Maine. 
The\-  h  av  e  two 
sons  :  Haven  Wal- 
ker, born  Jul\-  26, 
1889,  and  Nathan- 
iel Joy,  born  Aug. 
i  7,  1892. 


Dow  &  Roberts. 


Dr.  Alpha  H.  Harriman 


t  Di.  A.  II.  II 


He    was    eminent 


The  Dow  &  Rob- 
erts meat  and  pro- 
vision market  is 
a  first-class  up-to- 
date  dispensary  of 
choice  meats,  veg- 
etables, pou 1 1  r y, 
canned  goods,  etc. 
The  es  t  ab  1  i  s  h- 
ment  was  started 
by  E.  L.  Dow,  one 
of  Laconia's  vet- 
eran market-men 
and  butchers,  in 
1878,  and  the 
present  firm  of 
Dow  &  Robe  r  t  s 
took  posse  ss  i  on 
in  1S94.  Herbert  E.  Dow  is  a  son  of 
E.  L.  Dow,  and  Fred  S.  Roberts  is  a  son 
of  O.  N.  Roberts  of  Meredith,  and  was 
employed  in  the 
grocery  business 
j  for  several  years 
before  embarking 
i  n  business  w  i  t  h 
Mr.  Dow. 

The  Do  w  & 
Roberts  market  is 
located  at  No.  605 
Main  street,  and 
handles  every- 
thing which  would 
be  found  in  a  first- 
class  city  market. 
This  is  the  only 
e  s  t  a  blishment  in 
the  state  equip- 
ped with  an  electric  plant  for  grinding 
bones  and  sausage  meats,  and  the  pro- 
prietors are  constantly  making  improve 


58 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


merits  in  their  equipment,  and  striving 
to  advance  the  standard  of  their  service. 
The  market  is,  of  course,  provided 
with  ample  refrigerator  room  for  the 
cold  storage  of  fresh  meats,  of  which 
they  purchase  the  choicest  and  best, 
both  domestic  and  Western,  which  the 
market  affords.  Home-made  lard,  home- 
cured  hams,  and  home-made  sausage 
are  some  of  the  special  features  of  their 
trade  upon  which  Dow  &  Roberts  pride 
themselves,  and  which  have  proved 
very  popular  with  the  public.  In  green 
goods,  they  always  have  the  earliest 
peas,  dandelions,  and  other  vegetables 
to  be  found  in  Laconia  markets.     They 


Gilford,  in  that  part  known  as  Lake 
Village,  May  20,  1865  ;  his  parents  be- 
ing Charles  and  Amanda  G.  (Hall) 
Flanders  of  Gilford.  His  mother  was  a 
native  of  Middletown,  Pa.,  whose  an 
cestry  were  of  Revolutionary  stock  and 
among  the  first  settlers  of  Pennsylvania. 
On  the  paternal  side,  his  remote  ances- 
try were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Gil- 
manton.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  four 
children,  three  of  whom  survive. 

Mr.  Flanders  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  at  Philadelphia,  and 
Franklin  Falls.  Later  he  completed  his 
education  in  the  Quaker  city,  partic- 
ularly   that    relating    to    business.  *  Al 


Dow  &  Roberts'  Meat  and  Provision  Market. 


make  another  feature  of  poultry,  im- 
porting large  quantities  of  Vermont 
turkeys  and  chickens,  grown  and  fat- 
tened especially  for  their  trade. 

Messrs.  Dow  &  Roberts  are  both 
young  men,  enterprising  and  wide-awake 
for  the  increase  of  their  business  and 
the  satisfaction  of  their  patrons.  They 
have  met  with  excellent  success  and  keep 
two  delivery  teams  hustling  all  the  time, 
in  addition  to  their  large  store  trade. 


William  Hall  Flanders. 


Prominent  among  the  rising  young 
legal  lights  in  Belknap  county  is  William 
Hall  Flanders  of  this  city,  residing  at 
Lakeport.      Mr.   Flanders  was  born    in 


though  many  years  covering  the  period 
of  his  early  life  have  been  spent  outside 
of  Laconia,  chiefly  on  account  of  busi- 
ness interests,  yet  during  all  these  years, 
he  has  never  renounced  his  allegiance, 
love,  and  kind  remembrance  for  his 
native  heath. 

He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Jewell 
&  Stone  in  this  city  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  March  4,  1890.  and  soon 
after  opened  an  office  at  Lakeport. 

Previous  to  this  Mr.  Flanders  spent 
about  two  years  in  the  south,  where  he 
was  associated  with  mining  companies, 
with  headquarters  at  Staunton,  Va. 
About  this  time  he  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  the  supreme  court  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  October  26,  1892. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


59 


Soon  after  he  returned  to  this  citv.  In 
1S98  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
United  States  district  court  of  New 
Hampshire.  Since  being  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  New  Hampshire,  he  has  con- 
ducted a  general  law  practice,  in  which 
he,  for  a  young  man,  has  been  eminently 
successful. 

Mr.  Flanders  is  a  member  of  the  Mt. 
Lebanon  lodge,  No.  32,  A.  F.  and  A. 
M.,  Union  Chapter,  No.  7,  R.  A.  M., 
Pilgrim  Commandery,  Knights  Templar, 
Mount  Washington  Chapter,  No.  13, 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star. 

He  is  also 
in  good  stand- 
ing as  an  Odd 
Fellow,  having 
become  a  mem- 
ber of  that  order 
in  Philadelphia. 
He  is  a  member 
of  several  other 
secret  societies 
and  holds  offi- 
cial positions  in 
all  of  the  Ma- 
sonic bodies. 
He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Bel- 
knap County 
Fish  and  Game 
League. 

In  189S  he 
was  elected  a 
member  of  the 
Laconia  board 
of  educat  ion. 
His  political 
affiliations  are 
with  the  I)  e  m- 
ocrats.  Octo- 
ber 25,  1892,  he  wedded  Miss  Carrie 
Morgan  of  Milford,  Delaware.  His  re- 
ligious affiliations  are  with  the  Episco- 
palians. 

Mr.  Flanders  was  a  resident  of  Prince 
William  county,  Virginia,  for  about  six 
years,  subsequently  he  resided  in  Phila- 
delphia, later  at  Franklin  Falls,  X.  H. 
In  all  Mr.  Flanders  has  resided  in  this 
city  about  twenty  years. 

Socially  he  is  ever  at  his  best,  in  con- 
sequence of  which   he  is  possessed    of 


numerous  friends  local  and  elsewhere. 
Though  modest  in  temperament  he  has 
a  keen  appreciation  of  the  eternal  fitness 
of  all  his  environments.  As  a  counselor 
he  is  conservative  yet  decided,  seldom 
vouchsafing  an  opinion  without  impart- 
ing the  most  careful  scrutiny  and  de- 
liberate consideration. 

In  domestic  life  he  is  much  attached 
to  the  home  circle.  He  resides  at  973 
Union  avenue, where  he  is  surrounded  by 
home  comforts  such  as  are  dictated  by 
liberal  tastes  for  enjoyment  and  other 
auxiliaries  conducive  to  happiness. 


Fred  B.  Rowe. 


William  H.  Flanders 


Fred  B.  Rowe, 

hosiery  manu- 
facturer, is  a 
native  of  Laco- 
nia, and  one  of 
our  younger 
manufacture  r  s 
who  has  made 
a  success  in 
this  line.  He 
was  born  Janu- 
ary 13,  1  87  2. 
and  received 
his  education 
in  the  public 
schools  of  this 
city.  In  1888 
he  commenced 
as  book-keeper 
for  the  Laconia 
Manufacturi  ng 
Company,  and 
continued  with 
this  concern  for 
three  years.  In 
1 89 1  he  started  in  the  hosiery  business 
for  himself  in  a  small  way,  and  two 
years  later  formed  a  partnership  with 
M,  P.  Marshall. 

The  partnership  continued  for  four 
years,  and  then  Mr.  Marshall  retired 
from  the  firm,  and  Mr.  Rowe  has  since 
carried  on  the  business  alone  with 
excellent  success.  He  now  employs 
about  one  hundred  hands  in  the  opera- 
tion of  his  industry,  and  has  a  pro- 
duction   of    two    hundred    and    twenty- 


6o 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


five  dozen  hosiery  per  day.  His  fac- 
tory is  located  on  Meredith  Court. 
He  manufactures  hosiery  for  ladies, 
gents,  misses,  and  infants,  and  makes 
a  specialty  of  medium  and  high-class 
goods.  Mr.  Rowe  disposes  of  his 
product  mostly  to  the  jobbers  and 
direct  trade. 

Mr.  Rowe  was  married  in  1893  to 
Miss  Annie  R.  Woodburn,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Elmer  W.,  six  years 
old  ;  and  Charles  M.,  aged  three  years. 

In  politics, 
Mr.  Rowe  is 
a  Democrat, 
and  in  the  se- 
cret orders  he 
is  a  member  of 
Winnipiseogee 
Lodge  of  Odd 
Fellows. 

Laconia  has 
always  taken 
pride  in  her 
hustling  young 
business  men 
and  man  ufac- 
turers,  and  to 
this  class  Mr. 
Rowe  undoubt- 
edly be lo  n  gs . 
He  is  w  i  d  e- 
awake  and  up- 
to-date  in  his 
methods,  and 
des erves  the 
success  w  h  i  c  h 
he  is  meeting 
in  his  business. 


Fred  B.  Rowe 


Col.    Benjamin    F.    Drake. 


Although  now  a  resident  of  Norfolk, 
Virginia,  where  he  conducts  a  large 
grocery  business,  Col.  B.  Frank  Drake 
still  claims  Laconia  as  his  home,  still 
owns  property  in  the  City  on  the  Lakes 
and  will  undoubtedly  return  here  for  a 
permanent  residence  some  time. 

Benjamin  F.  Drake  was  born  in  New 
Hampton,  Oct.  8,  1844.  When  he  was 
two  years  old  his  parents  removed  to 
Lakeport,  where  young  Drake  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  and  French's 


select  school.  At  the  opening  of  the 
Civil  War  he  entered  the  government 
employ  at  the  Springfield  armory,  where 
he  learned  the  machinist  trade.  He 
was  afterwards  superintendent  of  two 
manufactories  in  Massachusetts,  and 
later  was  master  mechanic  of  the  Mount 
Washington  railway.  In  1878,  return- 
ing to  Lakeport  he  became  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  J.  S.  Crane  &  Co.,  retiring  in 
18S5  to  assume  charge  of  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Lakeport  &  Laconia  Water 
Works,  resum- 
ing the  partner- 
ship at  the  com- 
pletion of  the 
contract,  this 
time  organizing 
the  Crane  Man- 
ufacturing Co., 
builders  of  knit- 
ting machinery. 
Of  this  corpor- 
ation, Colonel 
Drake  was  the 
treasurer,  a  di- 
rector, and  a 
moving  spir  i  t . 
A  year  or  two 
ago  he  sold  out 
his  interest  in 
the  Crane  Co., 
purchased  a 
large  farm  and 
mill  property  in 
M  assachusetts, 
but  soon  after- 
wards sold  out 
and  went  South, 
to  Virginia, 
where  he  is  now  located  and  conduct- 
ing a  very  successful  business. 

Colonel  Drake  has  not  limited  his 
attention  to  his  private  interests  solely, 
but  has  been  much  in  public  and  corpo- 
rate service.  He  was  aide-de-camp,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel,  on  the  staff  of  Gov. 
John  B.  Smith,  has  served  his  town  as 
selectman,  represented  Gilford  in  the 
legislature  in  1883,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  constitutional  convention  in 
18S9.  He  is  now  a  director  of  the  La- 
conia Water  Works,  has  been  a  director 
of  the    National   bank   of   Lakeport,  of 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


61 


the  Lake  Village  Savings  bank,  presi- 
dent of  the  Mutual  Building  &  Loan  as- 
sociation, a  trustee  of  the  public  library, 
and  a  member  of  the  local  board  of 
trade.  In  1887  he  was  appointed  steam- 
boat inspector  by  Governor  Sawyer,  a 
position  which  he  held  until  he  left 
New  Hampshire.  Colonel  Drake  is  a 
member  of  the  New  Hampshire  club,  of 
the  Lincoln  club,  of  the  Home  Market, 
and  of  the  White  Mountain  Travellers' 
association.  In  secret  society  life. 
Colonel  Drake 
has  always  been 
much  interested 
and  quite  prom- 
inent. He  is  a 
Mason,  Knight 
Templar,  and 
has  reached  the 
thirty -se  con  d 
degree,  he  is  an 
Odd  Fellow,  a 
Patriarch  Mili- 
tant, a  Red 
Man,  a  Knight 
of  Pyth  i  a  s  ,  a 
Knight  of  Hon- 
or, and  has  re- 
ceived honors 
in  all  of  these 
f ra  t  e  r  n  i  t  i  e  s  . 
Colonel  Drake 
is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and 
was  a  member 
of  the  first  city 
council  of  the 
city  of  Laconia. 
Few  Laconia 
men  have  been 
better  known  throughout  the  state  of 
New  Hampshire  than  Col.  Frank  Drake, 
and  he  is  popular  and  esteemed  wher- 
ever known,  for  he  is  always  genial  and 
agreeable,  and  a  good  companion  as 
well  as  a  good  business  man. 


Col.  Benjamin  F.  Drake 


Hon.  Charles  F.  Stone. 


Probably  no  member  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession in  New  Hampshire  is  more 
widely  and  favorably  known  than  Hon. 
Charles  F.  Stone,  of  Laconia,  ex-naval 


officer  of  the  port  of  Boston,  Mass. 
Mr.  Stone's  ancestors  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Vermont,  emigrating  to 
Cabot,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state 
as  early  as  1794.  Lawyer  Stone  was 
born  May  21,  1843,  son  of  Levi  II.  and 
Clarissa  (( )sgood)  Stone.  His  boyhood 
was  passed  upon  a  farm,  where  he 
acquired  a  vigorous  physique,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years  started  out  to 
secure  an  education  to  enter  a  profes- 
sion. He  attended  the  academy  at 
,  Barre,  Vermont, 
for  two  years, 
and  titt  e  d  for 
college,  enter- 
ing Middlebury 
in  1  S  6  5  ,  an  d 
graduating  in 
the  class  of  '69. 
He  paid  his 
own  w  a  y  both 
in  academy 
and  college  by 
teaching  the 
district  schools 
and  also  as  in- 
structor in  sing- 
ing-schools. He 
was  a  natural 
musician  and 
from  the  time 
he  was  nineteen 
years  of  age, 
until  his  voice 
was  weake  n  e  d 
by  an  attack  of 
pneumonia,  he 
was  most  of  the 
time  director  of 
a  church  choir. 
After  Mr.  Stone's  graduation  from  col- 
lege, he  read  law  for  a  year  in  the  office 
of  ex-Governor  J.  W.  Stewart  in  Mid- 
dlebury, Vt.,  and  at  the  same  time 
served  as  principal  of  a  graded  school. 
In  1870  Mr.  Stone  came  to  Laconia 
and  entered  the  office  of  Judge  E.  A. 
Hibbard,  where  he  continued  his  studies 
until  admitted  to  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  1872.  He  then  formed  a 
partnership  with  the  late  Col.  George 
W.  Stevens,  which  continued  for  one 
year.       For  the   next  seven    years    Mr. 


62 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Stone  practised  alone,  devoting  himself 
entirely  to  his  professional  labors  and 
meeting  with  much  success.  In  1880, 
a  partnership  was  formed  with  Lawyer 
E.  P.  Jewell,  which  was  continued  with 
some  changes  in  membership,  until 
1898,  when  Mr.  Stone  withdrew  from 
the  firm  and  formed  a  new  partnership 
with  Lawyer  Edwin  H.  Shannon. 

Mr.  Stone  was  reared  a  Republican  in 
politics,  but  about  twenty  years  ago  he 
became  dissatified  with  the  Republican 
policy  on  financial  and  revenue  matters, 
and  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  cam- 
paign in  1S80,  he 
took  the  stump 
for  Hancock  and 
English.  He  is 
one  of  the  most 
effective  cam- 
paign speakers  in 
New  Hampshire, 
and  he  has  been 
several  times 
chairman  of  the 
Democratic  state 
c  o  m  m  i  ttee,  the 
Democratic  can- 
didate for  govern- 
or and  also  for 
congress.  He  was 
a  member  of  the 
state  legislature 
from  Laconia  in 
i883-'S4  and 
again  in  i887-'88. 
He  was  commis- 
sioned naval  offi- 
cer of  Boston, 
July  3,  1894,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  returned 
to  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  La- 
conia and  also  opened  a  branch  office  in 
Manchester. 

Mr.  Stone  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  since  attaining  his 
majority,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
Laconia  grange  and  the  Belknap 
Pomona  grange. 

He  married  July  7,  1870,  Minnie  A. 
Nichols  of  Sudbury,  Vt.,  who  died 
September  22,  1875,  leaving  one  daugh- 
ter,  Flora  M.   Stone.      Mr.   Stone  mar- 


ried September  12,  1896,  Mrs.  Isabel 
Smith  Munsey  of  Laconia.  In  religious 
matters  Mr.  Stone  is  of  the  progressive 
and  liberal  type  and  has  long  been 
actively  connected  with  the  Laconia 
Unitarian  church. 


Edwin  H.  Shannon. 


Hon.  Charles  F.  Stone 


Edwin  Howe  Shannon,  of  the  law 
firm  of  Stone  &:  Shannon,  was  born  in 
Gilmanton,  March  8,  1S58,  son  of 
James  C.  and  Judith  W.  (Batchelder) 
Shannon.  He 
traces  his  descent 
in  the  paternal 
line  from  an  early 
settler  of  Ports- 
mouth, his  grand- 
father, George 
Shannon,  having 
been  born  in  that 
place.  In  the  ma- 
ternal line  he 
comes  of  the  fam- 
ily which  was  re- 
lated to  that  of 
the  famous  states- 
man, Daniel  Web- 
ster, his  great- 
grandmother  hav- 
ing been  a  cousin 
of  the  statesman. 
Mr.  Shannon  re- 
ceived his  educa- 
tion in  the  public 
schools  of  his  na- 
tive town,  and  at 
Gilmanton  Acad- 
emy. He  studied 
1  a  w  w  i  t  h  Hon. 
Thomas  Cogswell  of  Gilmanton,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1881. 

Mr.  Shannon  then  became  a  partner 
of  Colonel  Cogswell,  remaining  such  for 
about  a  year,  when  the  partnership  was 
dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  Mr.  Shan- 
non seeking  a  wider  field  for  practice 
than  was  afforded  him  in  Gilmanton. 
He  thereafter  practised  his  profession 
alone  until  1893,  having  offices  in  Farm- 
ington  and  Pittsfield,  where,  he  soon 
acquired  more  than  a  local  fame  for  his 
ability  in  the  trial  of  causes,  and  gained 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


63 


for  himself  a  considerable  clientage.  In 
1893,  Mr.  Shannon  came  to  Laconia 
and  entered  into  partnership  with  Law- 
yer W.  S.  Peaslee,  the  firm  subsequently 
becoming  Shannon,  Peaslee  «\:  Plack- 
stone.  In  1S94,  he  withdrew  from  this 
firm  and  practised  alone  until  1898, 
when  the  law  firm  of  Stone  &  Shannon 
was  established. 

Mr.  Shannon  is  counsel  for  a  number 
of  large  and  prosperous  corporations 
and  has  devoted  considerable  study  to 
this  especial  branch  of  the  law.  He  is 
also  considered 
an  authority  upon 
the  Law  of  Per- 
sonal Injuries, 
has  a  large  prac- 
tice in  that  branch 
of  his  profession, 
where  he  has  been 
successful  in  win- 
ning some  of  the 
most  imp  or  tan  t 
cases  which  have 
ever  been  insti- 
tuted in  Belknap 
county.  Mr.  Shan- 
non is  a  man  of 
s  t  r  ong  personal- 
ity, is  quick  to 
determine  and 
prompt  to  exe- 
cute. Fearless  in 
thought  and  ac- 
tion, with  strong 
common  sense  as 
a  guide,  he  does 
not  hesitate  to 
carve  a  way  where 
none    appears. 

Precedents   have  no   terrors   for  Mr 


stead.     They  have  three  children  :   Ella 
C,  Mildred,  and  Edwin  II.  Shannon,  Jr. 


The  Oberon  Ladies  Quartette. 


Edwin   II.  Shannon 


The    Oberon    Ladies    Quartette    was 
organized    by   Mrs.  O.  M.  Prescott    in 
1891,  and  they  have  won  a  reputation 
as    a    musical    organization    in    all    sec- 
tions of  New  England.     The  personnel 
of    the    quartette    is    as    follows  :    First 
soprano,   Mrs.  ().   M.    Prescott;  second 
soprano,   Miss   Minnie  O.  Woodhouse : 
first  alto,    Mrs. 
('.  K.  S  an  born  ; 
second  alto.   Mrs. 
George  B.  Cox. 

The  following 
will  indicate  to 
some  extent  the 
popular  favor  with 
which  the  ( >beron 
Ladies  Quartette 
has  everywhere 
been  received  : 

"It  has  been 
my  good  fortune 
to  be  present  on 
two  occasions 
when  the  Oberon 
Quartette  were 
the  vocalists  of 
the  evening.  They 
have  exquisite 
voices  which  har- 
monize admir- 
ably. They  sing 
with  expre  s  s  i  o  n 
and  distinct  enun- 
ciation, and  win 
the  favor  of  the 
audience  from  the  start.     They  have  a 


Shannon.  If  they  appear  to  be  right  he  charming  repertoire^  which  they  ren- 
follows  them,  but  if  wrong  he  fearlessly  dered  with  grace  and  melody.  I  found 
attacks  them,  and  some  at  least,  have  it  easy  to  lecture  after  being  stirred  by 
gone  down  before  the  logic  of  his  rea- 
soning. As  a  counselor,  wise  and  pru- 
dent, in  the  trial  of  causes,  strong  and 
tactful,  and  as  an  advocate,  earnest  and 
eloquent,  he  has  acquired  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican.  He  was  married  Oct.  18, 
1882,  to  Myra  E.,  daughter  of  Ira  L. 
and  Lavina    E.  (Drew)  Perry,  of   Barn- 


their  inspiring  music." — Mary  A.  Liver- 
more, 

"The  Oberon  Ladies  Quartette  of 
Laconia  made  its  first  appearance  in 
Concord  at  this  concert,  but  it  is  safe  to 
say  it  will  not  be  the  last.  In  all  the 
five  numbers  given  the  combination  was 
at  its  best,  and  the  result  was  the 
highest     satisfaction     of     an     audience 


64 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


composed  of  those  who  are  never  satis- 
fied with  anything  less  than  excellent 
work  in  this  line.  Two  numbers  were 
encored  and  the  responses  were  equally 
pleasing.  Each  member  of  the  quar- 
tette has  a  fine,  well-trained  voice,  and 
they  all  blend  harmoniously  together. 
The  young  city  of  Laconia  may  well  be 
proud  of  the  Oberon  Ladies  Quartette. 
— Concord  People  and  Patriot. 

"The  Oberon  Ladies  Quartette  made 
quite  a  hit  at  the  banquet  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts State  Board  of  Agriculture  at 
Dalton,  Mass.,  last  evening.  Governor 
Greenhalge  and  many  other  high  digni- 


most  prominent  and  active  business 
men  and  manufacturers  in  this  section 
of  New  Hampshire.  He  was  born  at 
Centre  Harbor,  N.  H.,  December  24, 
18 10,  son  of  Jonathan  Smith  and  Deb- 
orah (Neal)  Moulton.  The  Moultons 
trace  their  ancestry  back  to  the  Nor 
mans,  and  some  of  them  accompanied 
William  the  Conqueror  in  his  invasion 
and  conquest  of  England  in  1066.  As 
many  as  seven  Moultons  were  in  Amer- 
ica at  a  very  early  date,  one  in  the  set- 
tlement at  Jamestown,  Virginia.  Two 
of  the  Moultons  came  to  New  Hamp- 
shire in  1638.     Gen.  Jonathan  Moulton, 


The  Oberon  Ladies  Quartette. 


taries  were  present  and  had  only  words 
of  praise  for  Laconia's  fair  vocalists." 

"At  the  evening  concert  of  the  N.  H. 
Music  Teachers  association  the  Oberon 
Ladies  Quartette  rendeied  selections. 
The  quartette  did  very  fine  work,  their 
voices  blending  perfectly, — singing  in 
good  style.  In  fact  they  were  an  agree- 
able surprise." — Prof.  Henri  G.  Blais- 
dell  in  Granite  Monthly. 


The  Late  Hon.  John  Carroll  Moulton. 


From  the  year  1836  until  the  date  of 
his  death,  July  23,  1894,  the  late  Hon. 
John    Carroll  Moulton   was  one  of  the 


grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  state 
in  the  old  colonial  days.  In  1736,  the 
town  of  Moultonborough  was  granted 
to  him  and  sixty-one  others  by  the  Ma- 
sonian  proprietors.  Governor  Went- 
worth  granted  to  General  Moulton  "  a 
small  gore  of  land  adjoining  Moulton- 
boro,"  which  was  named  New  Hampton 
in  honor  of  his  native  town  and  which 
contained  nearly  twenty  thousand  acres, 
and  now  constitutes  a  part  of  the  town 
of  Centre  Harbor.  General  Moulton 
distinguished  himself  in  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  and  did  much  to  build  up  the 
early  settlements   around  the  lake,  actu- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


65 


ally  creating  the  three  towns  of  Moul- 
tonborough,  Centre  Harbor,  and  New 
Hampton. 

John  Carroll  Moulton  was  educated 
in  the  district  schools  in  his  native  town 
and  afterwards  attended  Holmes  acad- 
emy at  Plymouth,  N.  H.  Master  Dudley 
Leavitt,  the  world-famous  astronomer 
and  mathematician,  was  one  of  his  in- 
structors in  his  boyhood  days. 

Mr.  Moulton  commenced  his  business 
life  at  Sandwich,  where  he  entered  into 
trade  but  after  a  few  months  removed 
to  Centre  Har- 
bor, where  he 
continued  as  a 
merchant  and 
also  opened  a 
hotel, which  was 
the  pioneer  of 
the  mini  erous 
and  elegant 
summer  resort 
hotels  w  h  i  c  h 
now  abound  in 
the  lake  region. 

In  1836  he 
changed  his 
residence  to 
Lake  Vil  1  age, 
and  engaged  in 
merchandizi  n  g 
and  man  ufac- 
turing.  In  the 
year  1S41  he 
came  to  Mere- 
dith IJ  ridge, 
now  Laco  n  i  a, 
and  from  that 
time  until  his 
death  was  one 
of  the  formative  and  directing  forces 
in  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
town.  He  was  first  landlord  of  the 
popular  Belknap  Hotel,  next  a  book- 
seller and  druggist,  then  postmaster  of 
the  village,  appointed  by  President 
Tyler.  He  continued  as  postmaster  for 
about  six  years,  being  reappointed  by 
President  Polk,  but  was  removed  under 
President  Taylor's  Whig  administration, 
as  an  offensive  partisan.  He  was 
again  reappointed  by  President  Frank- 
lin  Pierce,  and  continued    in  office  by 


The  Late  Hon.  John  Carroll  Moulton 


President  Buchanan,  but  during  Presi- 
dent Lincoln's  term  was  succeeded  by 
a  Republican,  after  sixteen  years  of  ser- 
vice in  the  post-office. 

In  [861,  Mr.  Moulton  became  inter- 
ested in  the  Laconia  Car  manufactory, 
which  had  been  conducted  by  Charles 
Ranlet  &  Co.,  until  Mr.  Ranlet's  death 
in  i860.  Mr.  Moulton  gave  his  personal 
attention  to  the  car  building  business 
and  rapidly  developed  a  large  and  profit- 
able industry.  The  works  were  fre- 
quently enlarged,  extensive  buildings 
put  up,  and  the 
quality  of  work 
advanced,  until 
passenger  cars 
of  the  finest 
style  were  man- 
ufactured here 
and  the  Laco- 
nia Car  Com- 
pany had  a  na- 
tional reputa- 
tion. This  gave 
employment  to 
h  U  n  d  reds  of 
workmen,  and 
the  pay-rolls 
amounted  to 
eight  thousand 
dollars  a  month. 
The  entire  plant 
w  a  s  destroyed 
by  tire  in  1 88  1 . 
but  with  c  h  a  r- 
acteristic  ener- 
gy Mr.  Moulton 
began  work  on 
new  buildings 
before  the  ruins 
were  cold  and  work  was  resumed  in  the 
new  factory  in  less  than  a  month.  This 
was  done  by  Mr.  Moulton  when  most 
men  of  his  advanced  years  and  ample 
fortune  would  have  retired  from  active 
life  and  its  cares  and  responsibilities. 

In  1S65  Mr.  Moulton  turned  his  en- 
ergies to  the  establishment  of  a  national 
bank  to  accommodate  the  financial 
needs  of  the  business  interests  of  Laco- 
nia. which  were  so  rapidly  increasing. 
His  efforts  for  a  charter  were  finally 
successful,  and  he  founded  the  Laconia 


66 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


National  bank,  of  which  he  was  the  first  nected   with    the  Uniformed   Patriarchs 

president,  a  position  which  he  held  until  of  that  order. 

his  death.     Other    local    enterprises  in  Mr.   Moulton   married,  July   15,  1833, 

which   Mr.    Moulton    engaged    included  Nellie     B.    Senter    of     Centre    Harbor, 

the  Gilford    Hosiery  Mills,  of  which  he  whose  ancestors  were  among  the  early 

became  sole   owner   in    1S68,   and   con-  settlers    of    that  town.     They  had   five 

ducted  successfully  for  many  years,  fur-  children,  Edwin   C,  Samuel    M.  S.,  and 

nishing    employment     to     hundreds     of  William     H.,    all    three    deceased,    and 

operatives   and   having  an    annual  pro-  Horatio  F.,  now  located  in  Los  Angeles, 

duction  valued  as   high  as  one  hundred  California,    and    Ida    L.,    who    married 


and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  In 
company  with  the  late  Benjamin  E. 
Thurston,  Mr.  Moulton  owned  and  con- 
ducted the  La- 
conia  grist-mill, 
and  in  other 
and  various 
ways  he  was  in- 
terested and 
contributed 
greatly  to  the 
improve  m  ent. 
growth,  and 
p  r  o  s  p  e  r  ity  of 
Laconia.  He 
was  beyond  all 
d  oubt  one  of 
the  ablest  finan- 
cie  r  s  in  this 
section  of  New 
Hampshire. 

In  politics 
Mr.  Moulton 
was  always  a 
sterling  Demo- 
crat. He  rep- 
resented  the 
sixth  district  in 
the  state  senate 
in  187 1  and  in 
1872,   and  was 


Hon.    Joshua    B.     Holden     of    Boston, 

Mass. 

Mrs.  Moulton  died  November  18, 
i860,  and  in 
August,  1866, 
Mr.  Moulton 
married  Sarah 
A.  McDougall, 
who  s  e  death 
took  place  May 
10,  1894,  a  few 
weeks  before 
the  death  of 
the  sub  j  e  c  t  of 
this  sketch. 


The  Late 
William  Clow. 


The  I. 


William  Clow, 
for  nearly  twen- 
ty years  a  citi- 
zen of  Lake- 
port,  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  hos- 
iery man  u  f  ac- 
turers  of  the 
United  States. 
He  was  born  in 
Leicester,  Eng., 
but  came  to  this 
a  member  of  the  governor's  council  in  country  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  Mr. 
1874.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Dem-  Clow  was  located  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H., 
ocratic  national  convention  in  1S76.  and  where  he  first  engaged  in  the  hosiery 
a  candidate  for  presidential  elector  on  business,  and  he  manufactured  about 
the  Tilden  ticket.  the    first    full-fashioned    hose    made    in 

In  religious  affairs,  Mr.  Moulton  was  America.  His  goods  took  high  rank 
a  liberal  Christian,  and  he  was  one  of  among  similar  productions,  and  were 
the  organizers  and  principal  supporters  awarded  all  the  prizes  at  the  exhibitions 
of  the   First  Unitarian  church  in  Laco-     and  fairs. 

nia.      Mr.  Moulton  was  one  of  the  char-  Mr.  Clow  was  located  in  Portsmouth 

ler  members  of  Winnipiseogee  lodge  of  for  about  twenty-five  years,  and  then 
Odd  Fellows  which  was  founded  at  went  to  Manchester,  where  he  con- 
Laconia    in    1842,    and    was    also    con-     tinned   in  the   hosiery  business,  until  he 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    L  \CONIAN. 


67 


came  to  Lakeport,  which  was  about 
18S0.  At  this  time,  Mr.  Clow,  with  his 
son,  Henry  B.  Clow,  formed  the  firm  of 
Win.  Clow  &  Son.  and  reengaged  in  the 
hosiery  manufa  c tu r  e 
in  Lakeport.  Mr.  Clow 
died  in  January,  1S99. 
and  is  survived  by  a 
widow  and  six  chil- 
dren,— three  sons  and 
three  daughters. 


Wm.  Clow    &   Son. 

The  firm  of  Wm. 
Clow  &  Son,  located  a l 
No.  44  Bayside  court. 
Lakeport,  is  one  of 
the  successful  hosiery 
concerns  of  Laconia. 
The  business  was  es- 
tablished about  twelve 
years  ago  by  the  late 
William  Clow  and  his 


Henry  B.  Clow. 


son,    Henry    B.    Clow. 
The  industry  employs    about   one  hun- 
dred   and   twenty  operatives,    and    pro- 
duces between   four    and   five    hundred 
dozen  hosiery  per  clay.      Henry  B.  Clow     inence,   with   broad   fields,   fenced   with 


Henry  I!.  Clow,  manager  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  Win.  Clow  &  Son,  was 
born  September  30,  1863,  in  Ports- 
mouth, N.  H.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  that 
city,  and  came  to  Lake- 
port  when  a  young 
man,  about  eighteen 
years  ago.  Mr.  Clow 
was  married  to  Cora  B. 
Lane  of  Lakeport  in 
1  882,  and  lias  live  chil- 
dren, three  daughters 
and  two  sons.  Mrs. 
(  'low  died  about  live 
years  ago,  and  in  June, 
1898.  Mr.  Clow  mar- 
ried Nellie  E.  Judd, 
also  of  Lakeport.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Clow  reside 
on  a  magnificent  farm 
on  Lake  street,  lead- 
ing to  The  Weirs. 

This    farm   was  for- 
merly the  stock    farm 
of  Dr.  Joseph  C.  Moore,  and   is  one   of 
the  finest  country  places  in  New  Hamp 
shire,  situated  upon  a  commanding  em- 


Residence  oi  Henry  B.  Clow. 

is  the  manager  of  the   business,  and  the  substantial    split    stone    walls,   and    the 

firm  manufactures  ladies',  misses',  boys'  scenery    is    unsurpassed,    embracing     a 

and      infants'      hosiery,     in     wool     and  most  charming  and   magnificent  view  of 

worsted.  lakes,  mountains,  and   fanning  country. 


68 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


with   the   city  of  Laconia  in    the  back- 
ground. 

Mr.  Clow  is  connected  with  several  of 
the  secret  fraternal  orders.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Rebekahs,  and  Patrons  of 
Husbandry.  In  politics  Mr.  Clow  is  a 
Republican. 


Joseph  H.  Gingras. 

Joseph  H.  Gingras,  proprietor  of  the 
"  Gingras  Shoe  Store,"  was  born  in  St. 
Paul,  P.Q,  Sep- 
tember^,1863. 
A  little  later 
his  parents  re- 
moved to  Stan- 
stead,  P.  Q., 
where  he  a  t  - 
tended  the  pub- 
1  i  c  schools, 
coming  to  La- 
conia at  the  age 
of  seven  teen. 
Naturally  ambi- 
tious, he  per- 
severingly  ap- 
plied himself  to 
procure  the 
means  for  a 
course  at  the 
New  Hampton 
Literary  Insti- 
tution, upon  the 
completion  o  f 
which  he  en- 
tered the  em- 
ploy of  O'Shea 
Bros.,  where  for 
many  years  he 
had  charge  of  the  boot  and  shoe  de- 
partment. In  1888  he  opened  a  shoe 
store  in  Berlin,  but  soon,  having  an  ad- 
vantageous opportunity  to  sell,  he  re- 
turned to  Laconia  and  resumed  his 
former  position.  April  18,  1893,  he 
married  Jennie  A.,  daughter  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  N.  L.  True,  of  Laconia. 

In  1896  he  resigned  his  position  at 
O'Shea  Bros,  to  take  a  course  of  study 
at  the  Klein  Optical  school  in  Boston, 
Mass.  The  following  two  years  he 
devoted  exclusively  to  the  optical  busi- 


Joseph  H.  Gingras 


ness,  traveling  chiefly  in  northern  New 
Hampshire.  In  April,  1898,  he  estab- 
lished the  boot  and  shoe  business  at  548 
Main  street  and  has  since  then  limited 
his  optical  profession  to  home  practice. 
Having  a  large  experience  in  public 
trade  with  characteristic  enterprise,  Mr 
Gingras  has  supplied  the  demand  for 
finer  lines  of  footwear  than  have  ever 
before  been  shown  in  this  city.  His 
shelves  are  filled  with  the  latest  and 
most  noted  makes  of  boots  and  shoes 
for  men,  women,  and  children,  which 
cannot  be  found 
elsewhere  out- 
side the  largest 
cities.  He  also 
carries  medium 
and  low-priced 
goods.  Honor- 
able in  all  his 
transactions,  al- 
ways on  the 
alert  to  please 
his  customers, 
success  was  as- 
sured from  the 
first  and  in  a 
little  more  than 
a  year  the  Gin- 
gras shoe  store 
has  become  the 
leading  store 
of  its  kind  in 
northern  New 
Hampshire. 
Mr.  Gingras  is 
a  m  e  m  ber  of 
Mt.  Lebanon 
Lodge,  Free 
and  Accepted 
Masons  and  also  of  Granite  Lodge, 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  this  city. 


Joseph  P.  Morin. 


Among  the  enterprising  young  hosiery 
manufacturers  of  Laconia  is  Joseph  P. 
Morin,  whose  establishment  is  located 
in  a  portion  of  the  old  Belknap  Mills 
property.  Mr.  Morin  employs  about 
sixty  people  in  his  industry  and  his  mill 
has  a  capacity  of  two  hundred  dozen 
hosiery  per  day.     He  makes  a  specialty 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


69 


of  misses'  and  infants'  medium  and  high- 
grade  goods. 

Mr.  Morin  has  a  beautiful  residence 
on  Gilford  avenue.  He  married  Georgia 
M.  Jacques  in  1880,  and  has  a  family  of 
four  children,  two  boys  and  two  girls. 
In  religion,  Mr.  Morin  is  a  Catholic  and 
an  active  member  of  the  society,  at  the 
Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart. 

Mr.  Morin  was  born  in  Ham  Nord, 
P.  Q.,  June  26,  i860.  He  came  to 
Laconia  in  early  life  and  attended  our 
public  schools,  completing  his  education 
at  the  New 
Hampton  Li  t- 
erary  Institu- 
tion. He  is  a 
practical  hos- 
iery manu  f  a  c  - 
turer ,  and  i  s 
familiar  with 
every  detail  of 
the  industry. 

Mr.  Morin, 
although  not 
an  active  politi- 
cian, has  been 
honored  by  an 
election  as  one 
of  the  board  of 
su  pervisors  of 
the  city  of  La- 
conia, several 
times,  h  a  v  i  n  g 
held  this  posi- 
tion for  about 
ten  years,  up 
to  the  present 
time. 

Mr.  Morin 
has  also  been 
quite  prominent  in  the  order  of  Cath- 
olic Foresters,  and  at  the  present  time 
is  state  secretary  of  New  Hampshire  for 
this  order.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  of 
Laconia. 


Joseph  P.  Morin. 


The  Pepper  Manufacturing:  Co. 

The  Peppei  Manufacturing  Co.  was 
incorporated  in  May,  1890.  The  busi- 
ness dates  back   to    1857,  being  one    of 


the  oldest  industries,  in  the  line  of  man- 
ufacture of  knitting  machinery,  in  the 
United  States.  The  first  machines 
built  by  the  founder  of  the  business, 
Mr.  William  II.  Pepper,  were  of  the 
class  known  as  the  circular  rib  frame, 
which  were  constructed  and  intended 
to  produce  a  tubular  ribbed  fabric  which 
was  cut  to  the  required  length  for  the 
legs  of  stockings.  Subsequently  the 
Mat  heeler  and  footer  was  built,  on 
which  the  feet  of  the  stockings  were 
knit.  Later,  the  Pepper  fiat  frame  was 
invented,  w  i  t  h 
patent  welt  and 
slack  course 
device  for  the 
prod  uction  of 
shirt  cuffs  and 
drawer  bottoms 
with  finished 
ends.  From 
year  to  year 
improveme  nts 
were  made  and 
new  devices 
were  perfected 
and  patented, 
and  the  busi- 
ness enlarged 
to  meet  the 
increasing  de- 
mand for  the 
machines, which 
are  to  be  found 
to-day  in  nearly 
all  the  principal 
knit  goods  bus- 
iness towns  in 
the  United 
States.  ( 'anada, 
and  the  Provinces,  from  a  limited  bus- 
iness, it  soon  acquired  more  than  a  local 
reputation,  and  it  was  necessary  to  en- 
large and  broaden  the  industry,  and  from 
the  comparatively  few  kinds  of  machines 
built  the  company  are  now  producing 
machinery  for  the  production  of  all 
sizes  of  tubular,  plain,  and  ribbed  fab- 
rics, from  the  size  of  infants'  mitts,  to 
men's  jackets,  and  sweater  bodies, 
including  the  different  gauges  of  fabric, 
and  patterns  for  stripes,  blocks,  dia- 
monds,   etc.,  many    of  the  devices  for 


7o 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


producing  these  patterns  being  secured 
by  letters  patent. 

In  1887,  A.  T.  L.  Davis  and  G.  A. 
Sanders  were  admitted  as  partners  in 
the  business,  the  style  of  the  concern 
being  W.  H.  Pepper  &:  Co. 

Three  years  later  the  Pepper  Manu- 
facturing Co.  was  incorporated  with 
W.  H.  Pepper,  president,  A.  T.  L. 
Davis,  treasurer,  and  G.  A.  Sanders, 
secretary.  In  August,  1S97,  Mr.  Davis 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  company, 
retiring  from  the  business.  The  pres- 
ent officers 
are  president, 
W.  H.  Pep- 
per ;  secre- 
tary and  trea- 
surer, G.  A. 
Sanders. 

The  works 
and  office  of 
the  company 
are  at  No. 
25  Quinby 
street,  Lake- 
port,  N.  H. 


William    H. 
Pepper* 


William  H. 
P  e  p  p  er,  an 
esteemed  res- 
ident of  Lake- 
port,  and  the 
founder  and 
president  of 
the  Pepper 
Manufactu  r  - 

ing    Co.,    was  William  H.  Pepper, 

born    in    the 

year  1S30  in  Nottingham,  Nottingham 
county,  England,  son  of  Daniel  and 
Mary  (Parkins)  Pepper.  The  father  was 
a  lace  maker  by  trade.  Of  his  five  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  a  daughter,  Wil- 
liam H.,  is  the  sole  survivor.  Both  pa- 
rents are  also  deceased. 

Having  come  to  this  country  in  his 
early  boyhood,  William  H.  Pepper 
received  his  education  in  the  common 
and  high  schools  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H., 
where   his  father    was    enc-need    in    the 


manufacture  of  hosiery.  After  leaving 
school,  he  entered  his  father's  shop  and 
operated  a  hand  loom  until  he  was 
seventeen  years  old.  He  was  next,  for 
a  short  time,  employed  in  the  hosiery 
mill  of  Warren  &  Sanford  at  Ports- 
mouth. On  leaving  there  he  worked  in 
a  machine  shop  in  Lowell,  Mass.  While 
at  the  last  named  place,  Hosea  Crane 
sent  him  to  Philadelphia  in  charge  of  a 
knitting  machine  to  be  placed  on  exhi- 
bition. After  this  he  returned  to  Ports- 
mouth, but  subsequently  went  to  work 

in  the  Henry 
Marchant 
mills  at  Paw- 
tucket,  R.   I. 
Later  he  was 
employed   i  n 
Valley    Falls 
in    a    rubber 
lining    estab- 
lishment. He 
next   secured 
a  position  as 
overseer  in 
the  John  Nes- 
mith  mills   at 
Franklin, 
N.     H.,    with 
which  he  had 
been    con- 
nected   four 
years    w  hen 
the  plant  was 
destroyed  by 
fire    in     the 
spring    of 
1857.     Going 
then  to  Lake 
Village,  he 
became  su- 
perintendent   in   the    Thomas  Appleton 
mill,   where   he   remained   between   two 
and    three   years.     On  leaving  that  em- 
ployment  he    formed    a    co-partnership 
with  his    brother   and   engaged    in    the 
hosiery  business,  which  they  conducted 
under  the    firm    name    of    J.   &    W.    H. 
Pepper.      Later   on    he   was   associated 
with  J.   S    Crane,   forming    the   firm   of 
Crane    &    Pepper    in    the    manufacture 
of  knitting    machines    for    his    brother 
John.     John  afterward  joined  him  in  the 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


71 


enterprise,  once  more  forming  the  firm 
of  J.  &  W.  II.  Pepper,   which   lasted  for 
several   years.       After    separating  from 
his  brother  he  carried   on   the  business 
alone  until  1886  when   he  admitted  two 
of  his  workmen   to  partnership,  and  the 
style  of  the  firm  became  W.  II.  Pepper 
&    Co.      In    1890,  the  Pepper   Manufac- 
turing Co.  was  formed   with  William   H. 
Pepper  as  president,  G.   A.  Sanders  as 
secretary,  and  A.  T.  L.  Davis  for  treas- 
urer, Mr.  Pepper  being  also  a  director. 
He  has  also  served  as   a  director  of  the 
Lake  Village 
savings  bank, 
and    was    for 
a    number  of 
years  a  direc- 

tor    of    the  M 

Lakeport  Na-  * 

tional  bank, 
also  a  mem- 
ber of  its 
financial 
comm  i  tte  e  . 
Mr.  P  e  p  p  e  r 
has  been  mar- 
ried three 
times.  His 
first  marriage 
was  contract- 
ed with  Ellen 
A.  Jackson 
of  Cor  i  n  t  h  , 
Me.  ;  his  sec- 
ond with  Mrs. 
Addie  Chen- 
ey, of  Lake- 
port  ;  and  his 
thi  r  d  ,  wit  h 
Nellie  S  . 
Moulton,  daughter  of  William  P.  Moul- 
ton  of  Lake  Village.  1 1  is  daughter, 
Emma  M.,  by  his  first  marriage,  married 
George  A.  Sanders.  Mr.  Pepper  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  always  taken  con- 
siderable interest  in  political  matters. 
In  1890  he  was  elected  to  the  state  leg- 
islature, where  he  served  on  the  manu- 
facturing committee  and  gave  his 
support  to  the  passage  of  the  bill  for 
providing  buoys  for  the  lake,  and  for 
the  lighting  of  the  Weirs  channel.  Pre- 
vious to  entering  the  legislature  he  was 


chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors  for 
two  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Choco- 
rua  lodge.  No.  51,  [.O.O.  F.,  being  a 
P.  G.,  also  P.  C.  P.  of  Laconia  Encamp- 
ment, and  a  member  of  Canton  Osgood, 
P.  M. 

George  A.  Sanders. 


George  A.  Sanders. 


George  A.  Sanders,  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Pepper  Manufacturing 
Co.,  was  born  in  Gilford,  N.  II.,  Octo- 
ber 4th,    1S51,   son   of  George   W.  and 

Sarah)  Smith  i 
Sanders.  He 
received  his 
education  at 
the  sch  00  1  s 
in  G  i  1  f  o  r  d 
a  n  d  N  e  w 
Hampton. 

On  leaving 
school  he  en- 
t  e  r  e  d  the 
office  of  his 
father,  who. 
in  connection 
with  his  farm- 
ing interests, 
operated  the 
"  Lake  Co's  " 
s  a  w  mill  at 
Lake  Village, 
the  pr  od  u  ct 
of  the  mill 
being  dimen- 
sion lumber, 
shook,  h osi- 
ery  oases,  etc. 
Attn-  about 
two  years  he- 
gave  up  this  position,  going  to  Boston, 
where  he  secured  employment  as  sales- 
man in  the  retail  dry  goods  house  of 
Jordan.  Marsh  &  Co.,  remaining  there 
one  and  one  half  years,  subsequently 
returning  to  Gilford  and  was  engaged 
for  one  season  as  express  and  mail 
agent  on  the  steamer  '■  Lady  of  the 
Lake,"  ("apt.  S.  I'..  Cole,  commanding. 
In  the  fall  of  1875  m>  entered  the  ma- 
chine shop  of  W.  II.  Pepper  to  learn 
the   trade. 

In   the    year    [887    Mr.    Sanders  se 


72 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


cured  an  interest  in  the  business  of 
kniting  machine  building,  at  which 
time  the  firm  of  W.  H.  Pepper  & 
Co.  was  formed.  In  1890,  when  the 
Pepper  Manufacturing 
Co.,  was  incorporated, 
he  was  chosen  as  sec- 
retary of  the  company, 
which  position  he  still 
holds.  On  the  retire- 
ment from  the  business 
of  Mr.  Davis,  the  trea- 
surer, in  August,  1897, 
Mr.  Sanders  was  chos- 
en to  fill  the  vacancy. 
He  was  married  in  No- 
vember, 1875,  to  Emma 
M.,  daughter  of  W.  H. 
Pepper.  Mrs.  Sanders 
died  in  March,  1879. 
leaving  one  daughter, 
Ethelyn  M.  In  1884 
he  was  married  to  Ella 
E.,  daughter  of  Palmer 
A.  Wood,  of  Lakeport. 

In  political  views  and  affiliations  Mr. 
Sanders  is  a  Republican.  For  twenty- 
seven  years  he  has  held  membership  in 
Chocorua    lodge,    No.    51,  I.   O.   O.  F., 


F.  Geo.  H.  Osgood. 


F.  George  H.  Osgoo 


Osgood  &  Co.,  jewelers,  succeededfto 
the  business  of  S.  E.  Young  &  Co.,  on 
August  6,  1 888,  and 
although  Mr.  Osgood 
is  one  of  Laco  nia's 
youngest  business  men, 
he  is  at  the  head  of  a 
long-established  and 
successful  bus  i  n  e  s  s  , 
the  store  having  been 
conducted  by  the  late 
Samuel  E.  Young  for 
nearly  thirty  years  be- 
fore Mr.  Osgood  took 
possession.  F.  George 
H.  Osgood,  the  present 
proprietor,  was  born  on 
the  Gilford  side  of  the 
river,  which  is  now 
part  of  the  city  of  La- 
conia,  August  6,  1865, 
and  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of 
Laconia,  including  the  Laconia  High 
school.  He  was  married  July  21,  1896, 
to  Miss  Mary  A.  Sanders.  He  has  al- 
ways been  interested  in  secret  fraterni 


Jewelry  Store  of  F.  George  H.  Osgood. 

also  being  a  member  of  Laconia  encamp-  ties,   and  is  a    member  of  the  Masons, 

ment,  and  Canton  Osgood,  No.  5,  P.  M.,  Knights  Templar,  Odd  Fellows,  Knights 

having  passed   the   chairs   in    the  three  of  Pythias  and  Ancient  Order  of  United 

branches  of  the  order  named.  Workmen. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


73 


Osgood  &   Co.   always  carry  a   large     course  at  Tilton   seminary.     Almost  be- 


stock  of  watches,  clocks,  silverware. 
chains,  optical  goods,  and  trinkets  of  all 
kinds  in  the  jewelry  line.  They  handle 
reliable  goods  and  only 
ask  a  fair  profit.  Watch 
repairing  and  engrav- 
ing are  departments 
of  their  business  and 
square-dealing  is  the 
motto  in  every  depart- 
ment. In  these  days 
of  cheap  watches,  gold 
bricks  and  paste  dia- 
monds, it  is  pleasant 
to  deal  with  reliable 
merchants,  and  people 
who  trade  with  Osgood 
&  Co.  may  depend  on 
getting  their  money's 
worth,  whether  they 
invest  in  solid  silver 
and  gold  jewelry  or  in 
the  plated  goods. 


4    «»k 


I 


fore  he  left  his  studies  he  was  a  clerk  in 
the  general  store  of  his  father,  the  firm 
then  being  Pitman  &  Tilton.  Most  of  Mr. 
Pitman's  life  has  been 
spent  in  this  store, 
which  is  now  conduct- 
ed by  his  brother,  Jo- 
seph W.  Pitman,  and 
himself,  under  the  firm 
name  of  |.  P.  Pitman 
&  ( '().,  carrying  a  large 
line  of  hardware,  mill 
supplies,  cutlery,  small 
wares,  paints,  oils,  bi- 
cycles, field  and  garden 
seeds,  etc. 

Mr.    Pitman   is   also 
interested   in  the  man- 
ufacturing   business, 
being  a   stockh  older 
and    director    in    the 
well-known     Pitman 
Manufacturing    Co., 
one  of  the  largest  and 
oldest  hosiery  manufacturing   concerns 
in  New  Hampshire.    He  aiso  has  a  con- 
\\alter   H.  Pitman,   youngest  son   of     siderable  real  estate  interest  in  this  city, 
the  late  Joseph    P.  Pitman,   is  a  native     owning  numerous  cottaees  for  rental. 


Walter  H.  Pitman 


Walter  H.  Pitman. 


lEWM  *  M 1  LI  1 

®  tiiMiii  i  nit 


Residence  of  Walter  11.  Hitman. 


Laconian  and  has  always  resided  in  this 
city.  He  was  born  August  28,  1856, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Laconia.  supplemented   by  a 


In  religious  affairs,  Mr.  Pitman  is  a 
Congregationalist,  being  a  member  of  the 
North  church,  and  quite  active  in  all  the 
affairs  of  the   church  and  society.     Mr. 


74 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


Pitman  married  Elora  E.  Jackman,  and 
they  have  two  children  at  their  elegant 
and  pleasant  home  on  Pleasant  street, 
Florence  Ruth  Pitman  and  Joseph  Pres- 
cott  Pitman.  An  older  daughter,  Helen 
Elizabeth  Pitman,  aged  7  years,  died 
February  27,  1898. 

The  Huse  Machine  Shops. 

The   Huse  machine  shops,  under  the 
ownership  and  management  of  Warren 


to  six  men  being  employed  at  the  start. 
The  industry  has  grown  and  prospered 
during  the  twenty  years  of  its  exist- 
ence, and  now  employs  from  thirty-five 
to  forty  men. 

In  1896  the  old  shops  became  inade- 
quate to  handle  the  increasing  business, 
and  consequently  a  new  three-story 
building  was  erected  and  connected 
with  the  former  establishment,  giving 
over  ten  thousand  square  feet  of  floor 
space.     The    establishment  is  a  model 


'I  lie  lliibe  Machine  Shops. 


D.  Huse,  at  No.  117  Union  avenue,  is 
not  only  one  of  the  important  indus- 
tries of  the  city  of  Laconia,  but  is  also 
an  establishment  which  has  acquired 
much  more  than  a  local  fame,  being 
well-known  in  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  where  knitting  machinery  is 
used  to  any  extent. 

Mr.  Huse  is  a  manufacturer  of  circu- 
lar rib  knitting  machines,  yarn  wind- 
ers, and  other  knitting  mill  machinery. 
The  business  was  established  in  1878  by 
Mr.  Huse,  in  a  small  way,  only  from  four 


machine  shop,  fitted  with  all  the 
modern  improvements,  up-to-date  ma- 
chinery, etc.,  and  divided  into  separate 
departments  for  drawing,  pattern  and 
model  making,  experimental  work, 
blacksmithing,  etc.,  and  equipped  with 
much  machinery  especially  adapted  to 
produce  the  fine  machinery  for  which 
the  Huse  shops  have  a  well-earned  repu- 
tation, wherever  their  inventions  have 
been  introduced,  and  the  Huse  machines 
are  well  and  favorably  known  among  the 
knitting  mills  throughout  this  country. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


75 


Mr.  Huse  has  been  actively  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  and  operation  of 
knitting  machines  for  over  thirty  years. 
and  has  invented  quite  a  good  many 
improved  devices,  which  have  made 
his  machines  especially  desirable.  He 
has  associated  with  him  his  two  sons, 
who  have  both  taken  an  active  part  in 
the  management  of  the  business  for 
over  ten  years,  Leon  C.  Huse  taking 
part  in  the  construction  and  improve- 
ment of  the  machines,  and  Walter  L. 
Huse  takes  charge  of  the  office  affairs 
and  business 
end  of  the  in- 
dustry. Nearly 
all  of  the  men 
employed  in 
the  Huse  shops 
are  skilled  me- 
chanics and 
among  the  best 
workmen  to  be 
found  in  this 
section  of  the 
country. 

In  addition 
to  the  knitting 
machinery  bus- 
iness,which  was 
the  foundation, 
perhaps,  of  this 
indu  stry,  the 
concern  is  also 
engaged  exten- 
sively in  gen- 
eral job  work 
in  their  line, 
which  includes 
the  construc- 
tion and  repairs 


In  politics  Mr.  1 1  use  is  a  Republican, 
and  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
Laconia  city  council,  but  he  is  not  an 
active  politician,  preferring  to  spend  all 
the  time  he  can  spare  from  his  business 
interests,  in  the  enjoyment  of  life  on  the 
shores  of  our  lakes,  he  and  his  sons 
having  a  handsome  and  convenient  cot- 
tage on  Lake  Winnipesaukee. 


The  Late  George  Alvin  Sanders. 


Warren  D.  Huse. 


The  late  Col.  George  Alvin  Sanders 
was  born  in  La- 
conia, Decem- 
ber 10,  1846, 
and  was  educa- 
ted in  the  pub- 
o.  lie    schools     of 

this  place  and 
at  A  p  p  1  e  t  o  n 
academy  at 
New  Ipswich, 
N.  H.  He  be- 
gan his  busi- 
ness career  by 
entering  his 
father's  store 
as  a  clerk,  but 
shortly  after,  in 
1  S  6  4 ,  he  re- 
moved to  Bos- 
ton, where  he 
became  book- 
keeper for  a 
wholesale  firm. 
Relinquish  i  ng 
this  position  a 
year  later,  he- 
entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Abram 


of  all  kinds  of  machinery,  building  of  French  &  Co.,  by  whom  for  twenty-one 
engines,  the  furnishing  and  erection  of  years  he  was  employed  as  a  traveling 
steam  and  hot  water  heating  apparatus, 
in  both  private  and  public  buildings. 
Up-to-date  plumbing  is  a  special  branch 
of  the  Huse  shops  which  receives  much 
attention,  and  this  concern  is  the  recog- 
nized headquarters  for  work  in  this  line 
in  this  section.  The  advent  of  the  bi- 
cycle has  created  an  important  branch 
of  business  at  the  Huse  shops,  special 
attention  being  paid  to  repairs  of  all 
kinds  in  this  line. 


salesman,  canvassing  almost  the  entire 
New  England  states  in  his  routes. 

In  1886,  his  father's  failing  health 
drew  him  back  to  his  old  home  in 
Laconia,  where  in  company  with  his 
brothers  he  assumed  the  management 
of  his  father's  business,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Sanders  Bros.,  a  partnership 
which  terminated  in  [892,  when  Colonel 
Sanders  assumed  sole  charge. 

As    a     Republican.    Colonel    Sanders 


76 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


has  been  prominent.      In  the  legislature 
of    i88g-'9o    he    headed    a    successful 
legislative  ticket  in  Laconia.      In    189 1 
he  was   made    an   aide-de-camp   on    the 
staff  of  Governor  Tuttle,  with  the  rank 
of  colonel.      In    1892    he  was  chosen   a 
commissioner  of  Belknap  county.     Colo- 
nel Sanders  was  active  in  the  formation 
of  the  White  Mountain  Travelers'   asso- 
ciation, and  served  as  its  secretary  and 
treasurer.     In  the  new  city  government 
of  Laconia  he  held  the  position  of  chief 
engineer    of  the    fire    department.      He 
was    a    trustee 
of  the  Belknap 
Savings    Bank, 
and    a  director 
in  the   Laconia 
Gas  Co. 

In  secret  so- 
ciety circles  he 
ran  ked  as  a 
thirty-secon  d 
degree  Mason, 
Past  Em  inent 
Commander  of 
Pilgrim  Com- 
mander}' of 
Knights  Tem- 
plar, a  Knight 
of  Pythias,  and 
a  Red  Man.  At 
the  time  of  his 
death  he  was 
Senior  Grand 
Warden  of  the 
Grand  Com- 
m  andery  c  f 
Knights  Temp- 
1  a  r  ,  of  New 
Hampshire. 

Colonel  Sanders  possessed  a  wide 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 
He  was  generous  to  a  fault,  it  being  a 
prominent  trait  of  his  life  never  to  let 
the  needy  depart  wanting  any  of  the 
comforts  of  life  which  he  could  supply. 
He  was  faithful  to  every  trust  imposed, 
either  public  or  private,  and  everywhere 
he  ranked  as  a  whole-souled,  genial, 
companionable,  active  man,  the  best  of 
friends,  the  truest  of  comrades. 

Colonel  Sanders  was  twice  married, 
his  first  wife  being  Miss  Addie  E.  Cur- 


rier of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  his  sec- 
ond wife,  Miss  Ida  M.  Chase  of  New 
Hampton.  He  left  a  widow  and  three 
children,  Frank  Currier  Sanders,  Emma 
Louise  Sanders,  and  Serena  Gertrude 
Sanders. 

Colonel    Sanders    died    December   2, 

189S,  of  Bright's  disease,  and  his  death 

took    from    Laconia     one    of    our   most 

active  and  popular  citizens,  a  man  who 

was  always  promptly  interested  in  every 

enterprise    and    movement    of  a   public 

nature.       But    few    men    have   been   so 

prominent    in 

Laconia    social 

and  business 

life,    and    but 

few  men  would 

be  more  missed 

by  the  general 

community. 


Dr.  Charles  S 
Gilman. 


The  Late  George  Alvin  Sanders. 


Dr.  Charles 
S.  Gilman,  now 
located  at  Sun- 
cook,  N.  H., 
where  he  en- 
joys a  large  and 
lucrative  prac- 
tice,was  born  at 
Lake  Village, 
when  the  terri- 
tory was  a  part 
of  the  old  town 
of  Gilford,  Oc- 
tober 23,  1S71. 
He  is  the  son 
of  Noah  C.  and 
Mary  (Sleeper)  Gilman  of  54  Clinton 
Street,  Lakeport,  and  is  a  descendant 
in  his  paternal  line  from  Edward  Gil- 
man, who  came  from  Norfolk  county, 
England,  in  May,  1670.  Dr.  Gilman 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Lakeport 
and  Laconia.  and  then  went  to  Tilton 
seminary  at  Tilton,  N.  H.  After  grad- 
uating from  Tilton  seminary  he  did  re- 
portorial  work  on  the  Manchester  Union 
and  the  New  Hampshire  Republican, 
and  worked  at  Cram's  grocery,  Hub- 
bard's shoe  store,  and  Collins'  pharmacy 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


77 


at  Lakeport,  to  secure  funds  to  enable 
him  to  pursue  a  course  of  study  in 
medicine.  Dr.  Oilman  studied  medicine 
at  the  University  of  Vermont,  Burling- 
ton, and  at  Tufts  College  Medical 
school  at  Boston,  and  finally  at  the  Bal- 
timore Medical  college  at  Baltimore, 
Maryland.  Dr.  Oilman  graduated  from 
the  Baltimore  Medical  college  April  22, 

1896.  He  studied  the  practical  side  of 
his  profession  at  the  Boston  Dispensary 
with  Dr.  W.  T.  Slayton  of  Boston  ;  at 
the  Maryland  General  and  Lying-in 
Hospital  at  Balti- 
more,  and  at  the 

Baltimore  Medi- 
cal College  Dis- 
pensary. 

After  taking 
his  degrees,  Dr. 
Oilman  practised 
his  profession  at 
Lakeport  for  a  few- 
months,  and  then 
removed  to  Sun- 
cook  in  February, 

1897,  taking  the 
office  of  the  late 
Dr.  G.  H.  Lara- 
bee,  where  he  has 
been  u  n  u  s  u  a  1 1  y 
succes  sful,  and 
where  he  has  a 
steadily-incr  eas- 
ing general  prac- 
tice. 

While  at  Tufts 
college,  Dr.  Gil- 
man  was  editor 
from  the  medi- 
cal school  of  the 
"Brown  and  Blue,"  Tufts  junior  class 
annual,  a  member  of  Gamma  Chapter 
Alpha  Kappa  Kappa,  a  Greek  letter 
medical  college  fraternity.  He  is  also 
member  of  the  Winnipesaukee  Academy 
of  Medicine,  the  New  Hampshire  Medi- 
cal society,  and  of  Pembroke  grange. 
Patrons  of  Husbandry. 


Dr.  Charles  S.  Oilman 


Edwin    D.  Ward. 


One   of   the   most   active   and   promi- 
nent citizens  of   the    Lakeport   end   of 


Laconia  is    Edwin    D.  Ward,  who  at  the 
present    time    carries    on    a    successful 
undertaking  business,  and   also  carries 
a  complete  assortment  of  mouldings  and 
fixtures.       For   the    past    twenty-seven 
years    he    has   been    a   photographer,    a 
part   of    that   time    in    partnership  with 
George   1!.   Munsey,  but   he  now  leases 
the  photograph   studio,  though  still   de- 
voting   some    time    to    that    branch    of 
business.  As  a  photographer,  Mr.  Ward's 
rooms  have  always   had  a  good  reputa- 
tion, and  there  is  hardly  a  photographer 
in  N  e  w  II  a  m  p 
shire    w  h  o    has 
made    a  s    m  a  n  y 
pictures    as    M  r  . 
Ward. 

Mr.  Ward  is  a 
native  of  Brad- 
ford, X.  H..  where 
he  still  loves  to 
spe  nd  a  portion 
of  his  time.  M  r. 
Ward  was  a  great 
friend  and  admir- 
er of  the  late  Ma- 
son W.  Tappan, 
of  Bradford,  attor- 
ney-gene ral  of 
New  Hampshire. 
In  secret  soci- 
eties Mr.  Ward  is 
"a  j  oi  n  e  r."  1  It- 
is  a  member  of 
Chocorua  Lodge, 
No.  51,1.0.0.  F., 
a  n  d  o  f  Laconia 
encampment.  No. 
9,  and  Esther  Re- 
bekah  Lodge,  No. 
7,  of  the  same  order.  He  served  as 
the  grand  master  of  the  order  in  New 
Hampshire  in  the  years  1894  and  1895, 
and  was  elected  as  grand  representative 
from  this  state  to  the  Sovereign  Grand 
lodge  for  the  years  1896  and  [897. 
These  bodies  met  in  Dallas,  Texas,  and 
Springfield,  111.,  and  at  both  sessions 
Mr.  Ward  served  on  important  com- 
mittees. He  is  a  P.  C.  C.  of  Kndicott 
Rock  lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  a  mem- 
ber of  J.  A.  Greene  division,  No.  12, 
Uniform   rank,    K.   of    I'.      .Mr.  Ward    i.s 


4    _ 


78 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


also  a  member  of  Mount  Lebanon  lodge, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ward  is  a  firm  Repub- 
lican, and  he  has  been  honored  by  num- 
erous positions  of  responsibility  and 
trust  by  his  fellow-townsmen.  In  the 
old  town  of  Gilford  he  was  for  five  con- 
secutive years  chosen  as  treasurer  of 
the  town,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
New  Hampshire  legislature  in  the  ses- 
sion of  189 1.  At  the  present  time  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Laconia  city  coun- 
cil, from  Lakeport,  elected  in  iSqj  and 
re-elected  f  o  r 
two  years  in 
1899.  In  the 
council  he  has 
served  upon  the 
c  o  m  mittee  on 
accounts  and 
claims,  and 
other  of  the 
more  important 
committees.  In 
1898  Mr.  Ward 
was  appointed 
by  Go  vernor 
Ramsdell  one 
of  the  New 
Hampshire  bal- 
lot law  commis- 
sioners for  two 
years. 

Mr.  Ward  has 
not  only  been 
successful  in 
his  business, 
but  as  a  public 
servant  he  has 
proved  himself 
faithful,  effi- 
cient, and  conscientious.  His  public 
spirit  has  never  been  found  wanting, 
and  his  efforts  on  all  occasions  for  the 
best  welfare  of  the  community  have 
gained  for  him  the  confidence  of  the 
people  of  the  whole  city. 


Edwin  D.  Ward. 


Dr.   George   H,  Saltmarsh. 


Dr.  George  Harrison  Saltmarsh  of 
the  Lakeport  end  of  Laconia,  is  one  of 
the  best-known    physicians    throughout 


New  Hampshire  of  any  who  are  located 
in  this  city.  He  was  born  in  Gilford 
March  3,  1859,  the  son  of  Thomas  and 
Sallie  (Gilman)  Saltmarsh.  Dr.  Salt- 
marsh obtained  his  preparatory  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town,  and  also  attended  the  New  Hamp- 
ton Literary  Institution.  After  com- 
pleting his  course  of  studies  at  New 
Hampton,  he  commenced  to  read  medi- 
cine in  1879  with  Dr.  William  H.  Rand 
of  that  town,  and  then  attended  three 
courses  of  medical  lectures  at  Dart 
mouth  Medical 
College,  where 
he  gradu  a  t  e  d 
M.  D.  Novem- 
ber 3,  1883.  Dr. 
Saltmarsh  has 
been  in  prac- 
tice in  Laconia 
since  May, 
1884,  and  is 
one  of  the  bus- 
iest men  in  his 
profession.  He 
is  a  member  of 
the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical 
s  o  c  i  ety,  a  n  d 
was  honored  by 
an  election  as 
president  of 
this  organiza- 
tion for  the 
years  i898-'99. 
He  is  also  a 
member  of  the 
Winnipesaukee 
Academy  of 
Medicine,  and 
served  as  secretary  of  this  society  from 
its  incorporation,  July,  1895,  until  1898, 
and  is  now  the  vice-president  of  the 
society.  He  is  president  of  the  New 
Hampshire  pension  board  of  examin- 
ing surgeons  at  Laconia,  and  is  on  the 
surgical  staff  of  the  Laconia  cottage 
hospital.  He  is  also  surgeon  for  the 
Boston  &  Maine  Railroad  corporation, 
and  attends  to  cases  in  which  the  rail- 
road is  interested  in  this  section  of 
New  Hampshire. 

Dr.     Saltmarsh    is    a    Republican    in 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


79 


politics,  and  was  a  member  of  the  New 
Hampshire  legislature  in  iS95~'96. 

In  secret  societies  Dr.  Saltmarsh  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  the  New  England  Order  of  Protec- 
tion. 

In  addition  to  his  professional  duties 
and  the  official  positions  which  he  has 
held  in  political  and  medical  circles,  Dr, 
Saltmarsh  has  found  time  to  contribute 
some  to  the  medical  press. 

He  was  married  July  23,  1S91  to 
Miss  Mima,  daugh- 
ter of  Leonard  R. 
a  nd  Mary  C . 
Avery  of  Portland, 
Maine.  They  have 
two  children,  Rob- 
ert C,  and  Arthur 
Avery  Saltmarsh. 


John   F.  Merrill. 


J  o  h  n  Franklin 
Merrill,  general 
manager  of  the 
Laconia  Electric 
Lighting  Co.,  has 
been  a  prominent 
business  man  and 
leading  citizen  ol 
Laconia  for  half  a 
century.  He  was 
born  in  Holder- 
ness,  N.  H.,  Oct. 
31,  1833,  son  of 
William  and  Han- 
nah C.  (Batchel- 
der)  Merrill.  He 
traces  his  ances- 
try back  to  the  first  settlers  of  New- 
bury, Mass.  Later  on  the  members  of 
this  family  took  active  parts  in  the 
French  and  Indian  and  Revolutionary 
Wars.  Mr.  Merrill  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Laconia  and  at  old 
Gilford  academy.  He  then  learned  the 
marble  and  granite  business  with  the 
late  Albert  G.  Hull,  for  whom  he  worked 
a  year  after  completing  his  apprentice- 
ship. In  1856,  Mr.  Merrill  was  taken 
into  partnership  in  the  business,  the 
firm   name   being:  changed    to    Hull    & 


Dr.  George  H.  Saltmarsh. 


Merrill.  This  connection  continued 
for  twelve  years  and  then  Mr.  Merrill 
purchased  his  partner's  interest  in  the 
industry  and  carried  on  the  business 
alone  until  January,  1892,  when  he  sold 
out. 

When  the  Laconia  Electric  Fighting 
Company  was  organized  in  [884,  Mr. 
Merrill  became  associated  with  the  cor- 
poration as  one  of  its  directors,  which 
position  he  still  holds,  and  since  1893 
he  has  also  been  general  manager  of 
the  business. 

W  hen  Union 
Cemetery  associa- 
tion was  formed  in 
i860,  Mr.  Merrill 
was  elected  a  di- 
rector and  t  h e 
treasurer  of  the 
association.  These 
positions  he  h  a  s 
held  now  for  al- 
most forty  years, 
and  it  is  largely  to 
his  careful  atten- 
tion and  wise  man- 
agement that  Laco- 
nia takes  pride  to- 
day in  the  beauti- 
ful burial  grounds 
which  this  associa- 
tion owns  and  con- 
trols. 

Mr.  Merrill  is  a 
staunch  Republi- 
can and  h  e  has 
been  honored  by 
an  election  to  the 
city  council,  and 
has  served  several 
times  as  a  selectman  of  Ward  4. 

Mr.  Merrill  has  always  been  prom- 
inent in  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fel- 
lows' fraternities.  He  is  a  member  of 
Mt.  Lebanon  lodge,  I'nion  chapter, 
Pythagorean  council,  and  Pilgrim  com- 
mandery,  Knights  Templar.  In  the 
Odd  1'ellows,  he  is  a  member  of  Winni- 
piseogee  lodge,  and  has  tilled  all  of  tin- 
officers'  chairs  in  both  lodge  and  en- 
campment. 

Nearly  half  a  century  ago  Mr.  Mer- 
rill became  a  member  of  the    Free  Pap- 


8o 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


tist  society,  and  he  has  been  treasurer 
and  secretary  of  this  society  for  over 
forty  years. 

Mr.  Merrill  married  Miss  Flora  Abby 
Rowe,  Dec.  7,  1865,  daughter  of  Mor- 
rison and  Sarah  (James)  Rowe  of  Bel- 
mont, N.  H.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  sons  and  a  daughter :  Albert  R., 
is  junior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Hilliard 
&  Merrill,  wholesale  dealers  in  cut  soles 
at     Lynn,    Mass.;   Frank    Carleton    is   a 


nia,  which  was  formerly  Lake  Village, 
born  May  15,  1841,  and  died  May  12, 
1895.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Lake  Village,  a  pattern-maker 
by  trade  and  a  very  skilful  workman. 
April  21,  1S66,  he  was  married  to  Alice 
M.  Randlett  of  Belmont,  who  survives 
her  husband,  with  one  son,  E.  Roscoe 
Davis.  Mr.  Davis  was  a  veteran  of  the 
civil  war.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
the  Fourth  regiment  of  New  Hampshire 


lohn  F.  Merrill. 


piano  tuner;  Frederick  Dimock  is  em- 
ployed in  the  leather  business  with  his 
brother  in  Lynn,  Mass.;  and  Eva  Lil- 
lian, is  the  wife  of  Eugene  N.  Best,  a 
prominent  lawyer  of  Minneapolis,  Minn. 


The  Late  Francis  H.  Davis. 


The    late    Francis    H.    Davis    was   a 
native  of  that  part  of  the  city  of  Laco- 


Volunteers  on  July  12,  1861,  and  was 
discharged  Nov.  13,  1864,  as  first  lieu- 
tenant of  his  company.  Mr.  Davis  was 
a  Republican  in  politics  and  attended 
the  Free  Baptist  church.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  Chocorua  lodge.  Mr. 
Davis  received  numerous  political  hon- 
ors at  the  hands  of  his  fellow-townsmen, 
serving  as  selectman  in  1877,  and  as  a 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONTAN. 


member  of  the   board   of  education   in 
1881,  1882,  and    1S83.     When   Laconia 
was  made  a  city,  Mr.  Davis  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  first  city  council,  re- 
presenting   Ward    two,   and   served    so 
acceptably  that  he  was  re-elected  for  a 
second  term  in  1894  and  1895.     In  the 
council    chamber,     Mr.     Davis     always 
acted  for  what  seemed  to  him  the  best 
interests    of   the  city,   and   was    always 
ready  to  give  sound  reason  for  the  posi- 
tion he  took  upon   any  issue   under  dis- 
cussion in  the  city  government.      Other 
councilmen 
might     s  o  m  e  - 
times    forget 
the  taxpa yers 
and  vote  to  in- 
d  u  1  g  e    in    ex- 
travaga  n  c  e  s  , 
but  Mr.    Davis 
always  spoke 
and   voted  in 
the  interests  of 
the     men    who 
pay  the  bills, 
and    he    well 
earned  the  title 
of  the  "  watch- 
dog of  the  city 
treasury."  Mod- 
e  s  t  and    unas- 
suming, always 
genial    and    so- 
cial,   interested 
in   every  move- 
in  e  n t  f  o  r  the 
devel  opment 
and   welfare    of 
Laconia,  he  was 
a    good   citizen 
and  the  City  on   the  Lakes  lost  a  true 
Laconian  when  Francis  H.  Davis  passed 
away. 


The  Late  Francis  II.  Davis 


Chase's  Sporting:  Resort. 


Ethan  Allen  Chase,  proprietor  and 
manager  of  Chase's  Sporting  Resort 
and  Lunch  Rooms,  is  a  native  of  Mere- 
dith, N.  FL,  born  January  7,  1856.  He 
was  educated  in  the  Meredith  public 
schools  and  also  attended  the  New 
6 


Hampton  Literary  Institution  at  New 
Hampton.  He  married  Alice  Reed 
Sawin,  June  15,  1S82,  and  resides  in  a 
handsome  residence  on  Gilford  avenue. 
Mr.  Chase  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Uniform  Rank,  and 
is  an  attendant  of  the  First  Baptist 
church.  For  twelve  years  Mr.  Chase 
conducted  the  well-known  Round  Bay 
Farm,  a  couple  of  miles  from  the  centre 
of  the  city,  and  then  for  about  three 
years  was  engaged  in  the  carriage  busi- 
ness. 

At   the   pres- 
ent   time,    Mr. 
Chase    is    con- 
ducting a  sport- 
ing  resort   and 
lunch    room, 
in  the    Chase 
building,  on  the 
corner  of  Main 
street  and  Rail- 
road   square. 
The  groun  d 
floor    of    this 
block  has  been 
handsomely  fit- 
ted  up  for    the 
purpose,   w  i  t  h 
billiard     and 
pool  tables, 
sporting    publi- 
cations,    etc.. 
making  a    cosy 
and   comfort- 
able resort    for 
citizens    who 
desire    to    pass 
a  pleasant  hour 
handling    the 
cue,  or  discussing  sporting  events.   The 
premises  are   neat  and  clean,  and  there 
is  no  necessity  for  any  movement  in  the 
direction  of  maintaining  good  order,  for 
the  establishment  is  patronized  by  the 
best  cpf  people,  and  is  as  clean   in  this 
respect  as  a  private  club  room. 

In  addition  to  the  attractions  in  the 
sporting  line,  Mr.  Chase  has  provided  a 
neat  lunch  counter,  where  sandwiches, 
doughnuts,  tea,  coffee,  soda  water,  gin- 
ger ale,  and  other  similar  light  drinks 
can   be  obtained,  or  a   more  substantial 


82 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


repast  can  be  ordered  if  desired.  The 
location  of  the  establishment  near  the 
Boston  &  Maine  passenger  station 
makes  this  a  convenience  for  the  travel- 
ing public  as  well  as  the  citizens  of  the 
community.  There  is  no  restaurant  in 
connection  with  the  railroad  station, 
and  hungry  passengers  who  alight  from 
the  trains  or  who  go  to  the  station  to 
take  a  train  can  have  their  wants  in 
the  luncheon  line  supplied  at  short 
notice,  with  the  choicest  food,  neatly 
served,  and  at  reasonable  prices. 

Chase's    Sporting    Resort    has    been 
recently  opened,  but   it   is  receiving  a 


three  daughters,  Lillian  M.,  Ethel  W., 
and  Grace  L.,  at  his  pleasant  residence 
on  Gilford  avenue. 

Mr.  Moore  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  was  a  very  active  and  efficient 
member  of  the  first  city  council  of 
Laconia.  He  has  been  for  eight  years 
a  member  of  the  Laconia  board  of  edu- 
cation, and  with  exception  of  one  year 
served  as  secretary  of  the  board.  Mr. 
Moore  was  tendered  the  position  of 
city  clerk  of  Laconia,  by  mutual  con- 
sent of  both  political  parties,  but  de- 
clined the  honor. 

In  secret  societies,  Mr.  Moore  is  con- 


Chase's  Sporting  Resort. 


liberal  patronage,  and  will  evidently  be 
a  permanent  institution  and  a  success 
in  every  direction  under  Mr.  Chase's 
careful  management. 


Albert  C  Moore. 


Albert  C.  Moore,  clerk  at  the  Cole 
Manufacturing  Company  shops,  and 
secretary  of  the  Laconia  Building  and 
Loan  Association,  was  born  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  September  8,  1858.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Bos- 
ton and  at  Abbott  academy  (Little 
Blue)  at  Farmington,  Me.  He  married 
Clara  A.  Edgerly,  formerly  of  Tilton, 
N.   H.,  and    has   a   charming   family   of 


nected  with  the  local  branches  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  is  a  thirty- 
second  degree  Mason.  He  is  also  a 
Knight  of  Pythias,  and  a  member  of 
the  United  Order  of  Pilgrim  Fathers, 
and  New  England  Order  of  Protec- 
tion. 

Mr.  Moore  is  an  accomplished  elo- 
cutionist and  takes  great  interest  in 
theatrical  affairs.  He  is,  himself,  an 
amateur  actor  of  much  more  than 
ordinary  talent,  and  if  he  had  chosen 
this  profession  would  undoubtedly  have 
scored  a  success.  Mr.  Moore  and  the 
famous  Harry  Dixey  were  boy  friends 
and  companions  in  Boston  and  made 
their  first   appearance    upon    the   stage 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAX. 


83 


together  in  that  city,   in    their    juvenile 
days. 

Mr.    Moore    is  acknowledged   one   of 
the     most     efficient     book-keepers     in 


Albert  C.  Moore. 

Laconia,  and  in   addition   to  his  duties 
as    clerk   for    the    Cole    Manufacturing 
company   is    secretary   of    the    Laconia 
Building  and  Loan  Association,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  has  filled  since  the 
association  was  started  in   1888. 
Probably  no  man   in  New  Hamp- 
shire is  better  posted  upon  build- 
ing and  loan    matters  than    Mr. 
Moore,  and  it  is  due  to  his  skill 
and  care  that  the   books   of  the 
Laconia  association  are  frequent- 
ly cited  as  a  model  by  the  bank 
commissioners  of  the  state. 


Superintendent   Blaisdell  of   the 
City    Schools. 


given  as  good  an  education  as  was  in 
his  power  to  acquire,  and  with  this  end 
in  view  he  studied  Latin  and  Greek 
with  a  private  teacher,  and  entered  Gil- 
manton  academy  in  the  autumn  of 
1S78,  and  graduated  from  the  classical 
course  two  years  later,  fitted  for  college. 
During  the  following  year  he  taught 
three  terms  of  school,  and  entered  Dart- 
mouth college  in  the  fall  of  1881,  grad- 
uating in  the  class  of  '85,  with  the  de- 
gree of  A.  B.,  and  receiving  the  degree 
of  A.  M.  three  years  later.  During  his 
Sophomore  and  Junior  years  he  taught 
short  terms  of  school.  While  at  college 
he  was  connected  with  the  K.  K.  K. 
society,  of  which  he  was  a  prominent 
member. 

After  graduation  he  was  elected  prin- 
cipal of  the  Hamilton  ( X.  V.)  Union 
school.  Here  he  had  under  his  super- 
vision four  hundred  pupils  and  ten 
teachers.  As  Hamilton  is  the  seat  of 
Colgate  university,  it  was  a  very  im- 
portant position,  and  called  for  the  best 
efforts  of  any  teacher.  After  two  years' 
successful  work,  wishing  to  give  atten 
tion  to  teaching  the  classical  rather 
than  the  elementary  branches,  he  be- 
came    principal     of     an     academy     at 


Joseph  H.  Blaisdell,  superin- 
tendent of  the  Laconia  public 
schools,  is  a  native  of  Mere- 
dith, N.  H.,  the  only  child  of 
Daniel  S.  and  Sarah  (Potter) 
Blaisdell,  but  removed  to  Gilford 
at  a  very  early  age. 

He  attended  the  district  school  until 
he  was  about  16  years  of  age.  It  was 
the  desire  of  his    parents    that    he  be 


Lincoln,  Maine.  In  two  years  more  he 
became  principal  of  the  Whitcomb  High 
school,  Bethel,  Vt.,  where  he  remained 


84 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


five  years,  fitting  boys  for  college,  and 
girls  to  become  teachers.  It  was  here 
that  as  principal  of  a  small  high  school 
he  taught  Latin,  Greek,  German,  Eng- 
lish, history,  mathematics,  and  science 
daily  as  necessity  demanded.  In  1894 
he  became  principal  of  the  Peppered 
(Mass.)  High  school,  and  for  three  years 
taught  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  mathema- 
tics. In  1897  he  was  elected  superin- 
tendent of  the  public  schools  of  Laco- 
nia,  which  position  he  now  holds. 

Mr.     Blaisdell's     experience     as     a 
teacher    has 


Tucker  first  taught  school  in  Maine  at 
the  Free  High  school  at  Gray.  He 
then  went  to  Wolfeborough,  and  was  lo- 
cated there  for  three  years,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Maine,  and  was  princi- 
pal of  the  Hartland  academy  for  two 
years.  He  was  at  Fairhaven,  Mass., 
one  year;  at  Holbrook,  Mass.,  four 
years,  and  came  to  Laconia  in  1S94,  as 
principal  of  the  Laconia  High  school, 
succeeding  Mr.  W.  N.  Cragin.  Mr. 
Tucker  is  a  member  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Teachers'  association,  and  is  vice- 
president  of 


been  varied, 
having  tau  g  h  t 
in  every  state 
in  New  Eng- 
land, except 
Rhode  Islan  d, 
with  the  addi- 
tional state  of 
New  York. 
During  the  four- 
teen years  since 
graduating  at 
Dartmouth  he 
has  either 
taught  or  sup- 
ervised every 
grade  from  pri- 
mary to  college 
preparatory. 

He  was  mar- 
ried in  1S88  to 
Clara  L.  Brit- 
ton,  and  has  no 
children.  H  e 
is  a  member  of 
Beacon  Lodge, 
No.  175,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  Peppered,  Mass.,  Mount  Leba- 
non lodge,  No.  32,  A.  F.  and  A.  M., 
and  Union  Chapter,  No.  7,  of  Laconia. 


Joseph  H.  Blaisdell,  Superintendent  of  Sch 


Principal    Hoyt   H.    Tucker, 

Hoyt  H.  Tucker,  principal  of  the  La- 
conia High  school,  is  a  native  of  Ath- 
ens, Maine,  born  October  6,  1858. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
and  at  Somerset  academy,  Nichols 
Latin  school,  and  Bates  college.     Mr. 


this  orga  11  i  z  a  - 
tion  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  He 
is  president  of 
the  Wi  n  n  i  p  e- 
^'e-i  saukee  Tea  c  h  - 
ers'  Associa- 
tion, and  also 
president  of  the 
Laconia  Teach- 
ers' club,  and  a 
member  of  the 
N  e  w  England 
History  Teach- 
ers' Associa- 
tion. 

W  h  e  n  M  r . 
Tucker  came 
to  Laconia  he 
entirely  revised 
the  course  of 
study,  and  in- 
troduced one 
course  founded 
on  the  report 
of  the  commit- 
tee of  ten.  By 
this  means  the  standard  of  the  school  was 
raised  and  its  work  made  equal  to  that 
in  many  of  the  larger  and  better  schools 
of  New  England. 

Mr.  Tucker  takes  great  interest  in 
his  profession  as  a  teacher.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  our  Laconia 
schools  in  arousing  an  interest  among 
the  students  for  a  higher  education  than 
is  afforded  by  our  common  schools.  In 
years  past  a  very  large  proportion  of  the 
pupils  of  Laconia  have  been  content  to 
drop   their    studies    before   graduating 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


85 


even  from  the  high  school,  but  during 
the  past  few  years  the  graduating  classes 
have  been  larger,  and  many  of  the  grad- 
uates have  continued  their  education  in 
higher  schools  and  colleges. 

Mr.  Tucker  takes  considerable  inter- 
est in  school  athletics,  and  has  endeav- 
ored to  instill  some  of  his  enthusiasm 
into  the  students  under  his  charge.  He 
was  prominent  in  the  organization  of 
the  Laconia  Education  Society,  largely 
composed  of  citizens  of  this  city  who 
are  interested  in  our  schools  and  in 
education  gen- 
erally, and  the 
format  ion  of 
this  society  can- 
not fail  to  be 
beneficial  to  the 
public  schools 
of  Laconia. 

Mr.  Tucker 
was  united  in 
marriage  to  Vil- 
ette  Maud  Par- 
ker of  Wolfe- 
borough ,  in 
1893,  and  they 
have  two  daugh- 
ters, Bethania, 
aged  five  years, 
and  Sara  Jose- 
phine,  aged 
three  years. 


Fred  A. 


Young;. 


F.  A.  Young, 
tax-collector  of 
the  city  of  La- 
conia, and  manager  of  Young's  insurance 
and  real  estate  agency,  is  a  native  of 
Barnstead,  N.  H.,  born  August  4,  1866. 
He  came  to  Laconia  when  a  child,  and 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  here, 
and  at  New  Hampton  Literary  Institu- 
tion and  Commercial  College. 

Mr.  Young  was  employed  for  about  a 
year  as  bookkeeper  for  George  W.  Riley, 
and  afterwards  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Melcher  &  Prescott  Insurance  Agency, 
with  which  he  was  connected  for  about 
six    years,    and     then    engaged    in    the 


lliivt  H.  'J'uckcr,  Principal  of  High  School. 


insurance  business  for  himself,  after- 
wards adding  a  department  for  the 
handling  of  real  estate  transfer  and 
renting  of  property. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Young  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  he  has  held  several  positions 
of  political  honor  and  trust.  He  was 
register  of  probate  for  Belknap  county 
four  years,  being  elected  in  1892,  and 
held  the  position  for  two  terms.  He 
was  elected  tax  collector  of  the  city  of 
Laconia  in  1897,  [898,  and  1899,  and 
his  record  of  tax  gathering  is  the  best 
which  has  been 
made  by  any 
collector  since 
Laconia  be- 
came a  city. 

In  secret  or- 
ders, Mr.  Young 
is  a  member  of 
Mt.  Lebanon 
Lodge  of  Ma- 
sons, and  also 
of  Winnesquam 
colony,  No.  34, 
United  Order 
of  Pilgrim  Fa- 
thers. In  reli- 
gious affairs, 
Mr.  Young  affil- 
iates with  the 
Free  Baptists, 
and  he  is  pre- 
sident of  the 
society  at  the 
South  church, 
and  a  member 
of  the  commit- 
tee on  finance 
a  n  d  churc  h 
debt.  He  represents  an  excellent  line  of 
strong  and  reliable  insurance  companies, 
and  places  risks  against  lire,  accident, 
loss  of  life,  damage  to  steam  boiler  by 
explosion,  etc.  He  is  not  only  active 
in  the  interests  of  the  companies  which 
he  represents,  but  also  is  energetic  and 
enterprising  in  the  interest  of  the  pa- 
trons who  purchase  insurance.  Mr. 
Young  also  handles  investment  bonds, 
securities,  and  mortgages.  by  caret ul 
management  and  close  attention  to 
business,  he   has  succeeded   in   building 


86 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


up  a  good  line  of  patronage  in   Laconia 
and  surrounding  towns. 

Mr.  Young  also  makes  a  special 
feature  of  handling  real  estate  for  his 
clients,  and  always  has  a  good  line  of 
farms  and  village  and  city  property  for 
sale.  In  this  department,  Mr.  Young 
also  attends  to  the  renting  and  collect- 
ing of  rents  for  landlords  of  tenement 
property  in  this  city  and  vicinity.  He 
has  met  with  good  success  in  this 
branch  of  his  business,  and  now  has 
upon  his  books  a  larger  list  of  rental 
property  than 
can  be  iound 
elsewhere  in 
this  vicinity. 

Mr.  Young 
was  married  in 
189 1  to  Miss 
Carrie  B.  An- 
drews. They 
have  no  chil- 
dren. 


The  Late 
D.   A.  Tilton. 


Pro  m  i  n  e  n  t 
among  the  bus- 
iness men  of 
this  city,  ever 
contributing  to 
its  substant  ial 
prosperity  cov- 
ering a  period 
of  nearly  a  half 
century,  was 
Daniel  Atkin- 
son Tilton.  Mr. 
Tilton  was  one 
of  a  family  of  nine  children,  five  sons  and 
four  daughters.  These  were  children 
of  John  and  Eunice  Jacques  Tilton,  of 
Sanbornton.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  born  in  the  part  of  that  town  near 
what  is  now  East  Tilton,  November  16, 
1823.  His  early  boyhood  days  were 
spent  in  Sanbornton,  Tilton,  East  Til- 
ton, Meredith,  and  at  Pembroke,  and  it 
was  from  the  latter  town  that  the  family 
came  to  this  city  in  1842,  taking  up  its 
residence  at  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Willard     Hotel.     The    son,  Daniel     A., 


Fred  A.  Voun 


came  a  year  later,  having  secured  a  po- 
sition as  clerk  with  the  firm  of  H.  J. 
French  &  Co.,  at  that  time  conducting  a 
general  store  located  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Court  streets,  the  same  being 
now  occupied  by  John  Parker  Smith. 
At  that  time  the  firm  consisted  of  Henry 
J.  French  and  Woodbury  Melcher,  the 
latter  the  father  of  Hon.  Woodbury  L. 
Melcher  of  this  city.  Here  Daniel  A. 
remained  until  the  spring  of  1845,  wnen 
he  secured  a  similar  position  with  the 
late  Joseph  P.  Pitman,  who  conducted  a 
hardware  and 
grocery  b  u s  i - 
ness  on  Main 
street,  in  the 
store  now  oc- 
cupied by  J  . 
P.  Pitman  & 
Co.  A  few 
years  later  he 
formed  a  part- 
nersh  i  p  with 
his  empl  oyer, 
the  style  of  the 
firm  being  J.  P. 
Pitman  &  Co. 
With  this  union 
of  interests, 
combining  zeal 
with  bus  i  n  e  s  s 
tact,  the  firm 
soon  entered 
upon  an  era  of 
eminent  suc- 
cess and  pros- 
perity. About 
1868  the  firm 
engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of 
hosiery,  and  the  business  was  continued 
up  to  the  year  1875,  when  the  firm  of 
J.  P.  Pitman  &  Co.  merged  into  the  Pit- 
man Mfg.  Co.,  having  been  incorporated 
as  a  stock  company.  Mr.  Tilton  was 
made  its  treasurer,  holding  the  position 
of  treasurer  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
Nov.  25,  1889. 

As  previously  indicated,  Mr.  Tilton, 
from  the  time  of  his  first  coming  to  La- 
conia, had  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  the  town, 
being:  one  of  the   board   of   directors  of 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


87 


the  Laconia  Savings  Bank,  and  also  one     on  Main  street  in  this  city,  is  a  niece  of 
of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Laconia     Mr.  Tilton. 


and  Lake  Village  Street  Railway  Com- 
pany.    His  political  career  began  in  his 


■  1 

—  231 

"  1 

1                +v. 

* 

'4 

m>. 

To  those  who  were  accustomed  to 
the  every-day  routine  life  of  Mr.  Tilton, 
he  was  known  at  his  best.  He  was  of  a 
decided  philanthropic  nature,  constantly 
developing  a  sentiment  in  "the  greatest 
good  to  the  greatest  number,"  and  on 
that  account  it  was  the  cause  of  remark 
that  his  enemies  were  few.  Socially  he 
was  always  genial  and  courteous,  greet- 
ing one  and  all  with  a  happy  smile  of 
assurance  that  all  was  well,  and  these 
conditions  prevailed  as  well  within  the 
domestic  circle  and  financial  board  and 
the  threaded  thoroughfare  of  business 
life. 

His  religious  sentiments  were  liberal, 
yet  his  affiliations  were  with  the  Congre- 
gationalists  (the  North  church),  toward 
whom  it  was  his  wont  to  bestow  charity 
liberally  in  its  support. 


The  late  Daniel  A.  Tilton. 

election  as  one  of  the  board  of  selectmen 
of  the  town    of   Gilford,  which   he   held 
for  several  terms,  and  also   two   succes- 
sive terms  as  representative 
in    the  legislature   from  Gil- 
ford, at   the  time  when   that 
part  of  this  village  south  and 
east    of    the    Winnipesaukee 
river    was   a  portion  of  Gil- 
ford.   At   the    biennial    elec- 
tion in    1888  he  was  elected 
as  one  of  the  board  of  coun- 
ty   commissioners    for     Bel- 
knap county,  but  was  obliged 
to  decline  the  honor  confer- 
red, on  account  of  ill  health. 
March  8,  1855,  Mr.  Tilton 
married  Mary  Ann,  daughter 
of  the  late  David  and  Mar- 
garet Ann   Swazey  Bowman,     i-^- 
of   Laconia.     The   result   of 
the    union    proved    to    be   a 
most     happy    one,    covering 
many  years  of  mutual  devo- 
tion and  one  in  which   peace  and   hap- 
piness was  no  divided  condition  of  their 
domestic  life,  but  a  unit.     The  wife  of 
General    William     F.    Knight,    residing 


The  Late  Dr.  Oliver  Goss. 


Dr.  Oliver  Goss,  who  died  April  12, 
1896,  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
best  known  and  most  successful   physi- 


Ri    idence  of  the  late  Daniel  A.  '1  illon. 

cians  and  surgeons  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  lie  was  horn  in  Rye,  Oct,  26, 
1819,  son  of  Jonathan  Goss  and  Olive 
(Adams)  Goss.    His  father  removed  his 


88 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


family  to  Moultonborough  in  1822, 
where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  grew 
to  manhood.  His  education  was  com- 
pleted at  Sandwich,  Meriden,  and  Gil- 
manton  academies,  and  he  taught  school 
for  a  time  in  the  rural  districts  of  Moul- 
tonborough and  Gilmanton.  He  decided 
to  adopt  the  medical  profession,  and 
first  studied  with  the  late  Dr.  W.  H.  H. 
Mason,  of  Moultonborough,  in  1843, 
then  in  1S44  went  to  Boston,  where  he 
studied  under  the  late  professors,  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes,  Jacob  Bigelow,  and 
Henry  J.  Bigelow,  of  the  Harvard  Med- 
ical School. 


der  of  his  life.  He  was  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  New  Hampshire  Medical  So- 
ciety, joining  in  1853.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Winnipesaukee  Academy  of 
Medicine,  and  was  the  first  president  of 
this  association.  He  was  for  years  a 
prominent  Odd  Fellow,  ever  striving  to 
exemplify  in  his  daily  life  its  teachings 
of  "  Friendship,  Love,  and  Truth."  He 
was  always  interested  in  agriculture,  and 
was  a  valuable  member  of  Laconia 
grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry.  In  poli- 
tics Dr.  Goss  was  a  Democrat.  He 
served  for  years  as  a  member  of  the 
pension   bureau. 


The  late  Dr.  Oliver  Goss. 

He  returned  to  New  Hampshire,  and 
in  1845  graduated  M.  D.  from  Dart- 
mouth Medical  College.  He  commenced 
to  practice  at  Melvin  Village,  on  the 
shore  of  Lake  Winnipiseogee,  but  in 
1852  settled  in  Lakeport,  where  he  con- 
tinued in  practice  until  his  death,  a  con- 
tinuous practice  of  over  fifty  years.  In 
1846  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  H. 
Flanders,  who  died  June  2,  1891,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Flanders  of  Gilmanton. 
Four  children  were  born  to  them,  three 
of  whom  are  dead  ;  one  son,  Dr.  O.  W. 
Goss,  survives  them. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Lakeport,  Dr. 
Goss  became  a  member  of  the  Park 
Street  Free  Baptist  church,  of  which  he 
remained  a  worthy  member  the  remain- 


The  late  Elizabeth  Honor  (Flanders)  Goss. 

Dr.  Goss  as  a  youth  was  amiable  and 
steadfast  in  high  moral  principles.  He 
was  possessed  of  rare  mental  faculties, 
he  was  temperate,  frugal,  and  steadfast, 
immovable  as  the  granite  hills  in  his 
sense  of  right,  ever  quick  to  respond  to 
the  call  of  charity,  and  to  render  aid  in 
cases  of  destitution  and  suffering.  Dur- 
ing the  war  Dr.  Goss  attended  the  sol- 
diers free  of  charge,  accepting  no  recom- 
pense, deeming  this  service  a  sacred 
duty  he  owed  to  them.  Both  in  public 
and  private  life  Dr.  Goss  was  an  expo- 
nent of  high  moral  sentiments,  and  in 
his  death  the  medical  profession  lost  a 
valuable  member,  and  the  general  public 
will  long  miss  his  smiling  countenance, 
ripe  judgment,  and  professional  skill. 


THK  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


89 


The  late  Elizabeth  H.  (Flanders)  Goss. 


Elizabeth  Honor  (Flanders)  Goss, 
the  estimable  wife  of  Dr.  Oliver  Goss, 
died  at  the  family  residence  on  Elm 
street,  June  2,  1891, 
at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years  and  twenty- 
eight  days.  Inter- 
ment was  made  in  the 
family  tomb  in  the 
Hillside  cemetery. 
She  was  one  of  a  fam- 
ily of  six  children. 
Her  father,  the  late 
Joseph  Flanders,  was 
born  in  Belmont,  Jan- 
uary 15,  1790,  and 
died  May  6,  187  1,  in 
Laconia.  Her  moth- 
er, Sophia  (Hall)  Flan- 
ders, was  born  in  Ex- 
eter, N.  H.,  March  7, 
1793,  and  died  in 
Sanbornton,  October 
3  1.  1S62.  Mrs.  Goss 
was  born  in  Gilman- 
ton,  May  16,  1817.  She  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  and  Gilmanton 
academy.       April     1,     1845,     she     was 


Mrs.  Goss  joined  the  church  in 
Upper  Gilmanton,  and  after  coming  to 
Lakeport  to  live  she  became  a  member 
of  the  Free  Baptist  church,  in  which 
she  was  a  willing  worker  and  ardent 
supporter. 


Dr.  O.  W.  Goss. 


Dr.  Ossian  W.  Guss. 


Ossian  Wilber  Goss, 
M.  1).,  one  of  Laco- 
nia's  best  known  and 
most  successful  physi- 
cians, is  a  son  of  the 
late  Dr.  Oliver  Goss 
and  Elizabeth  Honor 
(Flanders)  Goss,  and 
grandson  of  Jonathan 
Goss,  was  born  March 
21,  1856,  in  Laconia. 
He  attended  the  com- 
mon and  the  select 
schools  until  1873, 
was  a  student  for  one 
year  in  the  N  e  w 
Hampton  Institution, 
an  d  was  graduated 
from  the  New  Hampshire  Conference 
Seminary  and  Female  College  at  Tilton, 
at    the    close  of  a  two    years'  classical 


Residence  of  Dr.  0.  W.  GoJS. 


united  in  marriage  to  Dr.  Oliver  Goss,  course  in  1876.      Haying  completed  his 

which     union    was     blessed     with     four  preparatory      education,      he      entered 

children,    two   girls    and    two    boys,  all  Bates     college,     Lewiston,     Maine,     in 

deceased  except  Dr.  O.  W.  Goss.  1876.      In    1NS0.  he  matriculated   in  the 


9° 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


medical  school  of  Harvard  university, 
and  was  graduated  M.  D.,  in  June, 
1882. 

In  1886  he  entered  the  Post-Gradu- 
ate  Medical  School  of  New  York  for 
special  courses  in  medicine  and  surgery, 
also  taking  up  at  various  times  special 
studies  at  Harvard  Post-Graduate  and 
Boston  Polyclinic. 

Dr.  Goss  is  a  member  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Medical  Society,  the  Winni- 
pesaukee  Academy  of  Medicine,  and  the 
American 
Medical  As- 
sociation. He 
has  been  in 
the  practice 
of  medic  in  e 
and  surgery 
since  June, 
1882,  in  La- 
con  i  a ,  and 
has  a  large 
and  lucrative 
practice.  In 
the  literary 
line,  Dr.  Goss 
has  contrib- 
uted variou  s 
articles  per- 
taining to 
medicine  and 
surgery,  that 
have  met  ap- 
proval in  the 
medical  pro- 
fession. 

Dr.  Goss 
was  marr  i  e  d 
in  1  S  8  2  to 
Miss  Mary 
P.  Weeks   of  Moigia  Por 

Sanbornton . 

Their  only  child  died  in  infancy  August 
15,  1883. 

Dr.  Goss  is  prominent  in  the  secret 
and  fraternal  orders,  being  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows,  Masons,  Pilgrim 
Gommandery,  K.  T.,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Red  Men,  Elks,  Royal  Arca- 
num, Pilgrim  Fathers,  New  England 
Order  of  Protection,  Masonic  Relief 
Association,  etc. 


Morgfia  Porter  Wilson, 


Morgia  Porter  Wilson,  so  well  and 
favorably  known  in  Laconia  as  a  lead- 
ing vocalist  and  teacher,  is  a  native  of 
Manchester,  N.  H.,  and  the  daughter 
of  Charles  C.  P.  and  Caroline  (Patch) 
Porter.  Her  voice  in  childhood  was 
noted  for  its  purity  and  compass. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  she  had  sung 
the  leading  roles  in  several  operettas 
with    marked    success,   and    soon    after 

began  her  ca- 
reer as  a  choir 
singer  in  the 
cities  of  Con- 
cord, M  a  n  - 
Chester,  and 
Lawrence, 
continuing  in 
that  capacity 
for  several 
years.  Mean- 
time, while  on 
a  concert  tour 
in  the  West, 
her  voice  at- 
tracted the 
attention  o  f 
the  late  John 
B.  Go  ugh, 
and  through 
his  generous 
assistance 
she  began  to 
study  u  nder 
Madam  J.  H. 
Long,  of  Bos- 
ton, subse- 
quently t  a  k  - 
ing  the  Ru- 
ter  Wilson.  dersdorff 

method  of 
other  teachers.  With  five  years  careful 
study,  she  attained  a  high  musical  rep- 
utation as  a  vocalist  throughout  New 
England.  She  married,  in  1873,  Mr. 
Julius  E.  Wilson,  now  of  Lakeport,  where 
they  have  resided  for  the  past  thirteen 
years.  She  is  the  only  recognized 
vocal  teacher  in  Laconia,  and  her 
ability  as  such  is  attested  by  the  rapid 
progress  of  her  pupils. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


91 


Charles  L.  Simpson. 

Charles  L.  Simpson,  who  was  one  of 
the  representatives  of  Ward  six  (Lake- 
port),  city  of  Laconia,  in  the  state  legis- 
lature of  iSgS-'99,  is  a  native  of  Can- 
terbury, X.  H.,  born  May  25,  1874.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Lakeport,  and  for  a  young  man  has  been 
very  prominent  in  social  and  fraternal 
affairs.  He  is  assistant  superintendent 
of  the  Park  Street  Eree  Baptist  Sunday- 
school,  and  is  on  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  the  society.  He  is  also  an  ex- 
president  of  the  Young  People's  Society 


and  is  a  director  in  the  Lakeport  Build- 
ing and  Loan  association. 

Mr.    Simpson     married     Miss     Clara 
Cyrilla  Sargent. 


Wellington  L.  Woodworth. 


Wellington  L.  Woodworth,  cashier  of 
the  Lakeport  National  bank,  has  been 
called  the  youngest  national  bank 
cashier  in  New  Hampshire,  and  we 
think  the  claim  has  never  yet  been  dis- 
puted. He  is  a  native  of  Lake  Village, 
born  May  18,  1873.  lie  attended  the 
public   schools   at    Lakeport   and     later 


Charles  L.  Simpson. 

of  Christian  Endeavor,  connected  with 
the  church. 

Mr.  Simpson  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
but  was  elected  representative  to  the 
legislature  from  a  strong  Republican 
ward.  He  is  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the 
grocery  business. 

Mr.  Simpson  is  a  past  grand  of  Cho- 
corua  lodge,  No.  51,  I.  ().  O.  E..  and  a 
member  of  Hannah  Frances  Rebekah 
lodge,  No.  41.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
Belknap  lodge,  No.  4S,  New  England 
Order  of  Protection,  and  treasurer  of 
the  Odd  Fellows'  Mutual  Relief  Asso- 
ciation. He  served  as  business  man- 
ager of  the  New  Hampshire  Philatel- 
ist  during  its   publication    in   this  city. 


Wellington  i..  Woodworth. 

Tilton  seminary.  Mr.  Woodworth  was 
at  one  time  public  librarian  of  Lakeport, 
and  for  several  years  served  as  assistant 
postmaster  of  Lakeport  under  his  father. 
He  is  a  member  of  Chocorua  lodge.  No. 
51,1.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  a  past  grand  of 
this  lodge. 

Mr.    Woodworth    married     Edith     M. 
Hull.  May  18,  1898. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Ereewill  Bap 
tist  church.  Although  a  young  man  l<< 
hold  so  responsible  a  place  as  cashier 
of  a  national  bank,  Mr.  Woodworth  has 
proved  himself  equal  to  the  position 
and  not  only  discharges  his  duties  with 
efficiency  and  fidelity,  but  is  very  p<>|> 
ular  with  all  the  patrons  of  the  bank. 


92 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


The  Laconia  Lumber  Works. 

Down  at  the  lower  end  of  Water 
street,  on  the  banks  of  the  Winnipesau- 
kee  river  and  the  shores  of  Lake  Win- 
nisquam,  is  located  one  of  this  city's 
most  prosperous  and  thriving  indus- 
tries, the  Laconia  Lumber  works,  of 
which  George  W.  Riley  is  president, 
manager,   and   proprietor. 

The  Laconia  Lumber  works  is  a 
model  plant  of  the  kind,  and  covers 
seven  acres  of  land,  including  the  saw- 
mill, sash,  door,  and  blind  factory,  office- 
building,    lumber    yard,    and    numerous 


the  lumber-yards  affords  facilities  for 
loading  the  sawed  and  finished  product 
of  the  concern. 

The  wood-working  factory  buildings 
are  all  equipped  with  the  latest  ma- 
chinery and  labor-saving  devices.  The 
boilers  are  supplied  with  fuel  from  the 
sawdust  made  in  the  various  depart- 
ments, which  is  sucked  up  into  pipes  by 
fans  and  blown  into  the  boiler-room, 
while  the  exhaust  steam,  after  operating 
the  big  engine  for  making  the  power 
which  propels  the  machinery,  is  run 
through  immense  coils  of  steam  pipes, 
heating  the  air  to  warm   the  work-shops 


The  Laconia  Lumber  Works. 


storehouses  for  sawed  and  finished  lum- 
ber. The  concern  carries  an  immense 
stock  of  material  in  the  lumber  line,  the 
amount  of  logs  in  the  river,  awaiting 
the  sawyers  at  the  sawmill,  being  reck- 
oned by  the  million  feet,  while  the  vari- 
ous sheds  and  storehouses  around  the 
lumber-yard  are  always  filled  with  the 
finished  product  of  the  mills,  besides 
large  stocks  of  sawed  lumber  imported 
from  the  Southern  states,  etc. 

A  substantial  elevated  railroad  track 
enables  the  car-loads  of  timber  from  the 
north  country  to  be  dumped  directly 
into  the  river  close  to  the  sawmill  slip, 
while  another  line  of   track  down   into 


and  dry  the  lumber,  the  heated  air  being 
also  distributed  around  the  premises  by 
powerful  fans. 

The  shops  are  lighted  by  electricity, 
the  concern  having  its  own  dynamo, 
which  requires  little  or  no  attention  and 
produces  incandescent  lights  at  very 
small  expense. 

It  is  something  of  a  conundrum  where 
all  the  lumber  and  other  material  goes 
which  is  turned  out  every  day  at  the 
Laconia  Lumber  works,  but  the  concern 
manufactures  everything  in  the  wood- 
working line  from  dimension  lumber 
down  to  shingles,  and  has  a  steady  run 
of  work  in  sash,  blinds,  packing-cases, 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


93 


etc.,   and    is    constantly   shipping   large  eral   associates   leased   the   property  of 

orders  of    building    materials  to  down-  the    Laconia    Lumber   works,   in    1890, 

country    customers.       During    the   past  which  he  purchased  outright  about  two 

season,    also,    considerable    lumber  has  years  ago,  having  bought  out  all  of  his 
been   sawed  out  for    the    Laconia    car- 
shops. 


George  W.  Riley. 

Mr,  George  W.  Riley,  the  proprietor 
and  manager  of  the  Laconia  Lumber 
works,  has  been  a  citizen  of  Laconia 
since  1883,  and  is  one  of  our  most  active 
and  enterprising  manufacturers.  He 
was  born  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town 
of  Northfield,  N.  H.,  Feb.  9,  1848.  He 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  near 
his  home,  and  when  seventeen  years  old 
started  in  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade. 
Before  he  was  old  enough  to  vote,  Mr. 
Riley  was  in  business  for  himself,  in 
Belmont,  as  a  contractor  and  builder. 
He  remained  in  Belmont  until  1S83.  at 
which  time  he  came  to  Laconia  and  con- 
tinued in  the  same  line  of  business, 
also  taking  the  wood-working  shops  for- 
merly conducted  by  Ralph  Merrill,  near 
the  Abel  machine  shops.  The  business 
was  not  a  success  under   Mr.  Merrill's 


Residence  of  George  \V.  Riley. 


management,  but  it  increased  rapidly 
and  prospered  with  Mr.  Riley,  and  in  a 
few  years  the  industry  had  outgrown 
its  quarters.     Then  Mr.  Riley  and  sev- 


s 


( .11. 1  ge  \V.  Riley. 

partners  in  the  concern  during  the  past 
few  years. 

Mr.  Riley  married  Emma  E.  Elkins, 

in  1874,  and  they  have  one  son,  Phil  M. 

Riley.      They    reside    in    their    elegant 

residence  on   Church  street, 

and   are   attendants    at    the 

Congregational  church. 

Mr.  Riley  is  a  man  whom 
Laconia  takes  pride  in  claim- 
ing as  an  adopted  citizen. 
He  is  quiet,  unassuming, 
and  easy  of  approach,  on 
business  or  any  other  mat- 
ters. He  carries  the  entile 
'"^  business  of  the  Laconia 
Lumber  works  in  his  mind. 
I  Hil  and  is  the  recognized  head 

,'u     and    director    of    every   de- 
~^~  .        partment  of  the  large  estab- 
lishment.     His    word    is   as 
good    as  his  bond,   and   he 
,     has  built  up  his    large   and 
successful  industry  by  square 
dealing,  enterprise,    hard 
work,  and  strict  attention  to  business. 

He  is  public-spirited,  and  ready  to 
lend  a  helping  hand  in  any  public  move- 
ment for  the  benefit  of  Laconia. 


94 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Winnipesaukee  Gas    and    Electric 
Company. 


The  Winnipesaukee  Gas  and  Electric 
Company  was  incorporated  March,  i  S97, 
and  was  at  that  time  the  successor  of  the 
old  Laconia  Gas  Company,  a  corpora- 
tion which  had  been  in  operation  for 
many  years,  and  had  perhaps  outlived 
its  usefulness,  as  the  plant  was  old  and 
out  of  date,  and  the  quality  of  gas  pro- 
duced was  not  satisfactory. 

The  Winnipesaukee  Gas  and  Electric 
Company  have  a  plant  which  was  put  in 
entirely  new  in  1S94,  at  an  expense  of 
$65,000,  and  which  is  one  of  the  finest 
and  best-equipped  gas  plants  in  New 
England.     The  factory  is  a  brick  build- 


sumers  and  thereby  extend  the  service. 
The  corporation  furnishes  gas  for  light- 
ing, cooking,  heating,  and  power  pur- 
poses. 

The  use  of  gas  in  Laconia  for  heating 
and  cooking  purposes  is  comparatively  a 
new  idea,  but  for  both  these  purposes 
there  is  a  constantly  increasing  demand 
for  gas  ;  and  these  features  of  the  com- 
pany's business  are  proving  very  popu- 
lar, both  on  the  ground  of  convenience 
and  cheapness.  There  are  now  in  use 
in  this  city  over  one  hundred  and  fifty 
two-oven  four-burner  gas  ranges,  besides 
many  smaller  gas  stoves,  both  for  cook- 
ing and  heating. 

The  officers  of  the  corporation  are  : 
President,   Charles   A.  Busiel  ;    superin 


Winnipesaukee  Gas  and  Electric  Company. 


ins:  of  ornamental  design,  located  on 
Messer  street,  and  equipped  with  all 
new  and  up-to-date  machinery,  while  a 
side  track  from  the  adjacent  railroad 
affords  facilities  for  unloading  materials 
for  the  manufacture  of  gas,  directly 
from  the  freight  cars  into  the  gas  fac- 
tory. During  the  past  two  years  two 
hundred  and  sixty  new  consumers  have 
been  added,  and  the  number  is  rapidly 
increasing.  About  twelve  miles  of  street 
mains  have  been  laid  up  to  the  present 
time,  covering  almost  the  entire  city; 
but  extensions  are  constantly  being 
made  in  every  direction,  both  at  Laco- 
nia and  Lakeport,   to  reach    new  con- 


tendent,  J.  H.  Bledsoe;  treasurer,  Na- 
thaniel J.  Edgerly  ;  directors,  Chas.  A. 
Busiel,  Albert  G.  Folsom,  John  T.  Busiel, 
Samuel  B.  Smith,  Henry  J.  Odell,  Edwin 
F.  Burleigh,  Charles  L.  Pulsifer. 

Under  this  strong  board  of  manage- 
ment the  Winnipesaukee  Gas  and  Elec- 
tric Company  has  succeeded  in  supply- 
ing a  first-class  gas,  of  very  high  illumi- 
nating quality,  in  place  of  the  old-time 
dim,  smoky,  and  offensive-smelling  prod- 
uct, and  the  innovation  has  met  with 
the  approval  of  the  citizens  of  Laconia, 
and  resulted  in  building  up  a  profitable 
business  which  promises  to  be  more 
successful  and  popular  from  year  to  year. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


95 


Herbert  S.  Sanborn. 


Herbert  S.  Sanborn,  familiarly  known 
as  "  Doc  "  Sanborn,  proprietor  of  San- 
born's drug  store,  is  a  native  of  Con- 
cord, N.  II.,  born  July 
27,  1869.  He  was  ed- 
ucated in  the  common 
schools  of  the  capital 
city,  and  learned  the 
drug  trade  with  H.  F. 
Wyatt  at  Plymouth, 
N.  H.  Later,  he  came 
to  Laconia  as  a  drug 
clerk  for  George  A. 
Hatch,  and  then  man- 
aged H.  F.  Wyatt 's 
Laconia  drug  store  for 
one  year.  In  1891  he 
purchased  Mr.  Wyatt's 
interest  in  the  drug 
business  in  this  city 
and  embarked  in  trade 
for  himself. 

April  28,  1S93,  Mr. 
Sanborn  married  Miss 
Lottie  A.  Chandler,  and  they  have  a 
bright  little  daughter  of  four  years  and 
a  son  of  two  vears. 


Herbert  S.  Sanborn. 


Amoskeag  Veterans  of  Manchester,  and 
a  Red  Man. 

Mr.  Sanborn  prides  himself  upon  the 
complete  stock  of  goods  which  he  car- 
ries in  his  drug  store,  including  the 
freshest  and  purest 
drugs  and  chemicals, 
articles  for  the  toilet, 
fancy  goods,  soaps  and 
perfumes  of  domestic 
and  foreign  manufac- 
ture, cigars,  and  drug- 
gists' sundries,  etc. 

In  the  "  patent  med- 
icine "  line,  Sanborn's 
drug  store  aims  to  carry 
every  reliable  concoc- 
tion which  is  placed 
upon  the  market,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  ask  for 
any  remedy  which  he 
cannot  imm  e  d  i  a  t  e  1  y 
produce  from  his  ex- 
tensive stock. 

A  specialty  is  made 
of  compounding  fam- 
ily recipes  and  physicians'  prescrip- 
tions with  accuracy  and  care,  only  the 
purest   drugs   being   used   for  this  pur- 


Drusj  Store  of  Herbert  S.  Sanborn. 


Mr.  Sanborn  attends  the  Episcopal 
church,  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
is    also    a    member    of    the    celebrated 


pose.  Pure  soda  and  mineral  waters 
are  dispensed,  all  syrups  being  the 
choicest  the   market  affords. 

Mr.  Sanborn   himself  is  a  thoroughly 


96 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACOXIAN, 


expert  pharmacist  and  always  employs 
skilful  assistants. 

Mr.  Sanborn  is  comparatively  a  young 
man,  but  the  Sanborn  drug  store  is  an 
old-established  pharmacy,  and  its  repu- 
tation for  carrying  a  complete  stock  of 
every  known  drug  and  every  patent 
remedy  that 
is  known  in 
the  market  is 
is  constantly 
in  mind  and 
ever  on  t  h  e 
increase. 


CityMarshal 
Scott. 


City  Mar- 
shal Henry 
K.  W.  Scott 
was  born  in 
Lebanon,  on 
September  6, 
1866,  and 
was  educated 
in  the  'Tittle 
red  school- 
house"  of 
Scytheville,  a 
suburb  of 
that  t  o  w  n  . 
After  leaving 
school  he 
served  an  ap- 
prenticesh  i  p 
with  the  Bax- 
ter  Machine 
Co.,  of  Leb- 
anon, and  af- 
ter several 
unsuccessful 
a  1 1  empts  to 
find  steady 
employm  e  n  t 
at  his   trade, 

in  Massachusetts  and  in   New  York,  he 
came   to    Laconia,   where    he    was    em- 
ployed with  the   American  Twist  Drill     consequently  Laconia  is  remarkably  free 
Co.,  the  Crane  Manufacturing  Co.,  and     from  pickpockets,  bunco  men,  and  pro- 
the  Eastman    Freight   Car   Heater  Co.     fessional  crooks  of  all  kinds. 
Later  for  a  short  time  he  was  employed         The  Laconia  police  department  is  ad- 
by  the  Eastman   Heater  Co.,  in  Boston,     mitted  to  be  a  model  organization,  and 
but  soon  returned  to  Laconia,  and  was     much  credit  is  due  to  Marshal  Scott. 


City  Marshal  Henry  K.  W.  Scott. 


with  the  Abel  Machine  Co.,  in  1S93, 
when  Laconia  became  a  city.  At  that 
time  he  was  elected  city  marshal  and 
has  held  the  position  continuously  ever 
since.  March  8,  1890,  he  married  Miss 
Nellie  I.  Shackley  of  Laconia,  and  has 
a  family  of  two  promising  sons. 

City  Mar- 
j  shalScottisa 
past  chancel- 
lor of  Mt.  Bel- 
knap Lodge, 
No.  20,  of 
Knights  of 
Pythias,  and 
also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  or- 
der of  United 
W  orkmen. 
He  was  a 
promotor 
and  organiz- 
er of  the  New 
Hamp  s  hire 
Chiefs  of  Po- 
lice Union  of 
which  he  is 
now  the  vice- 
president. 
As  a  public 
servant,  Mar- 
shal Scott  is 
not  only  effi- 
c  i  e  n  t ,  but 
faithful  and 
conscien- 
tious, and  en- 
joys the  hear- 
ty good-w  i 1 1 
of  the  com- 
munity. His 
reputation 
for  spotting 
crooks  and 
dealing  with 
a  1 1  habitual 
criminals  is  recognized  and  thoroughly 
appreciated  by  this  class  of  people  and 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 
The  Late  Levi    B.   Brown. 


97 


Tlie  late  Levi  B.  Brown,  who  died 
September  2,  189S,  was  one  of  the  best 
known  hotel  landlords  in  New  Hamp- 
shire.    He  was  born   in    Hartford,  Vt., 


compelled  him  to  retire  from  business  a 
short  time  before  his  death. 


The  late  Levi  1J.  Brown. 

Sept.  21,  1S22,  and  during  his  early  life 
was  a  stagecoach  driver.  He  after- 
wards engaged  in  the  wholesale  and 
retail  hardware  business  at  Claremont, 
N.  H.,  for  a  long  time,  and  then  went 
to  Providence,  R.  J.,  where  he  was 
again  interested  in  the  staging  business. 
In  1873,  Mr.  Brown  came  to  Laconia 
and  from  that  date  until  the  time  of  his 
death  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness. He  was  proprietor  of  the  Mt. 
Belknap  House  at  Lakeport  for  about 
twelve  years,  and  under  his  manage- 
ment this  house  was  generally  admitted 
to  be  one  of  the  most  popular  and  best 
patronized  establishments  in  New 
Hampshire  north  of  Concord.  When 
the  Eagle  Hotel  was  remodeled  at  the 
Laconia  end  of  the  city,  landlord 
Brown  was  its  first  proprietor  and  was 
again  successful  in  building  up  a  large 
business  and  winning  an  excellent  repu- 
tation for  the  hotel.  After  selling  out 
the  Eagle  Hotel.  Mr.  Brown  retired 
from  business  for  a  time,  but  afterwards 
purchased  the  City  Hotel  which  he  con- 
ducted successfullv  until  failing  health 


The    Late    Orison    Twombly. 

The  fame  of  Laconia  as  a  hosiery 
town  and  as  a  centre  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  knitting  machinery  of  all  kinds. 
is  largely  due  to  the  inventive  genius  of 
some  of  the  Laconia  men  who  grew  up 
in  the  hosiery  and  knitting  machine  in- 
dustries of  the  city.  Among  these  men 
was  the  late  Orison  Twombly,  a  native 
of  Portsmouth,  N.  II.,  born  Oct.  12. 
1828.  He  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  early  in  life  developed 
a  genius  for  mechanical  inventions. 
He  was  for  many  years  an  overseer  in 
the  Ashland  knitting  mills  at  Ashland. 
N.  H.,  and  later  came  to  Laconia  about 
the  year  1870.  After  coming  to  this 
city,  Mr.  Twombly  devoted  most  of  his 
attention  to  the  invention  and  develop- 
ment of  numerous  devices  for  the  im- 
provement of  knitting  machinery,  and 
he  held  letters  patent  on  various  inven- 
tions in  this  line,  some  of  which  were 
very  successful  machines  and  quite 
valuable.      He  was  located   in    Boston  a 


l  ';  i^ in  Twombly. 

large  part  of  the  time  during  his  resi- 
dence in  Laconia,  having  his  genera] 
headquarters  ami  business  office  in  that 
city.     Mr.  Twombly  died  Nov.  9,  1897. 


98 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


The  Waverly  Shoe  Company. 


The  Waverly  Shoe  Co.  was  started  in 
1883,  under  the  name  of  Waverly  School 
Shoe  Co.,  Bemis  <Sc  Fletcher,  proprietors, 
in  Crompton's  block,  13  Mechanic 
street,  Worcester,  Mass. 

At  the  end  of  two  years  the  business 
had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  was  necessary  to  secure  larger  quar- 
ters, and  the  concern  moved  to  Taylor's 
building,  154  Front  street.  Three  years 
later  it  was  necessary  to  occupy  a  part 
of  the  adjoining  block,  as  the  business 
was    still   increasing    rapidly.      In    1891 


rial,  and  to  make  a  shoe  that  would  give 
the  best  of  satisfaction. 

The  shoes  are  sold  direct  to  the  retail 
dealer,  and  in  almost  every  state  and 
territory  of  the  Union. 

The  demand  for  the  Waverly  shoes 
still  continues  to  increase,  and  the  com 
pany  have  had  a  steady  call  for  them  all 
through  the  hard  times,  doing  a  larger 
amount  of  business  at  the  start  in 
Laconia  than  they  did  in  Worcester. 

The  Waverly  Shoe  Co.  shops  in  La- 
conia were  erected  especially  for  this 
concern  and  are  generally  admitted  to 
be  as  good   as  can   be  found   in    New 


The  Waverly  Shoe  Company. 


it  again  became  necessary  to  have  a 
still  larger  factory,  which  was  secured 
in  the  Rice  building,  Franklin  square, 
a  five-story  building,  where  the  business 
was  carried  on  until  the  company  re- 
moved to  Laconia,  in  February,  1897. 

The  Waverly  School  Shoe  Co.  con- 
fined themselves  entirely  to  school 
shoes  until  they  moved  to  the  Rice 
building,  when  they  added  new  lines 
and  changed  the  name  to  Waverly  Shoe 
Company. 

The  reputation  of  the  Waverly  shoe 
has  always  been  of  the  very  highest,  as 
it  has  been  the  aim  of  the  company  to 
use  only  the  best  of  leather  and  mate- 


England,  all  things  considered,  for  the 
purpose.  The  shops  are  equipped  with 
electric  power,  elevator,  fire  sprinklers, 
and  all  the  modern  improvements  and 
conveniences.  The  business  is  under 
the  management  of  the  head  of  the 
concern,  Mr.  Gilbert  C.  Bemis,  who  is 
permanently  located  in  Laconia  and  a 
welcome  addition  to  our  enterprising 
business  men. 


John   L.    Roberts. 


John  L.  Roberts  conducts  the  largest 
wood,  coal,   ice,  and   brick  business  in 


THE    [LLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


99 


the  city  of  Laconia.  His  headquarters 
and  office  is  located  at  No.  19  Canal 
court,  his  wood  and  coal  yards  are  at 
the  lower  end  of  Water  street,  and  his 
ice  pond  and  ice  houses  are  located  on 
Durkee  brook,  near  the  Marsh  hill 
springs.  The  ice,  wood,  and  coal  busi- 
ness was  comparatively  new  in  Laconia 
a  few  years  ago,  and  at  first  was  limited 
for  various  reasons.  Ice  was  a  luxury 
a  few  years  ago,  but  is  to-day  almost  an 
absolute  necessity,  and  must  be  pure 
and  clean  to  meet  with  public  approval. 
A  few  years  ago, 
wood  was  near- 
ly all  purchased 
of  farmers  who 
hauled  the  cord- 
wood  into  town 
during  the  win- 
ter, and  waited 
in  the  streets 
for  customers. 
To-day  a  tele- 
phone message 
to  Mr.  Roberts 
will  bring  t  h  e 
desired  quan- 
tity of  wood  at 
short  notice, 
either  hard  or 
soft,  sawed  by 
machinery  any 
required  length, 
and  also  split 
by  machinery 
if  so  ordered. 
The  coal  busi- 
ness is  also  an 
industry  of  re- 
cent growth, 
and  the  amount  consumed  in  Laconia 
still  increases  steadily  from  year  to  year. 
In  all  of  these  departments,  Mr.  Roberts 
has  good  facilities  for  supplying  the 
public  promptly,  and  with  any  quality 
desired.  He  employs  nine  horses,  and 
about  fifteen  men  in  his  business,  and 
handles  more  wood,  coal,  and  ice  than 
any  other  concern  in  the  city.  Some 
three  years  ago  Mr.  Roberts  constructed 
one  of  the  best  ice  houses  in  New 
Hampshire,  near  the  Marsh  Hill  springs 
in  Belmont,  near  the  city,  where  he  also 


|nhn    I..  Roberts. 


built  an  artificial  pond  by  damming  the 
stream,  and  his  present  plant  for  cutting 
and  handling  ice  cannot  be  surpassed 
in  New  England,  for  the  waters  of  the 
Marsh  hill  spring  are  widely  famous  for 
their  purity  and  medicinal  qualities,  and 
there  can  be  no  better  ice  in  the  world 
than  Mr.  Roberts  delivers  to  his  pa- 
trons. 

Mr.  John  I,.  Roberts,  the  proprietor 
of  this  business,  was  born  in  Belmont, 
September  n,  1858,  and  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools.  He  started  in 
t  h  e  milk  busi- 
ness in  Gilford 
in  1  8  7  9  ,  a  n  d 
continued  for 
about  ten  years. 
He  came  to  La- 
conia in  iS,s<). 
and  started  in 
the  wood,  coal, 
and  grain  busi- 
ness alone.  In 
April,  1892,  Mr. 
Roberts,  w  i  t  h 
( '.  A.  I  )unn,  and 
frank  M.  San- 
born, formed 
theLaconia  lie. 
Coal,  and  Wood 
Co.,  and  contin- 
ued until  Octo- 
ber 22,  1896, 
when  Mr.  Rob- 
erts bought  the 
entile  business, 
which  he  still 
continues. 

Mr.  Roberts 
married  Ada  1'. 
Randlett  of  Belmont,  Oct.  3,  1880,  and 
they  have  one  son,  aged  fourteen  years. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Free  baptist 
church,  and  in  secret  orders  is  connected 
with  the  Ancient  (  trder  of  United  Work- 
men. 

The  traditional  jokes  regarding  the 
short  weights  of  the  average  coal  dealer, 
and  the  small  cakes  of  the  ordinary  ice- 
man, which  melt  before  they  can  be 
stored  in  the  housewife's  refrigerator. 
do  not  apply  to  Mr.  Roberts,  for  he  is 
square   and    upright   in    all    his   trans. 1, 


L.ofC. 


ICO 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


tions,  honest  to  the  last  cent,  and  gives 
good  weight  and  measure  every  time. 
These  principles  have  been  recognized 
by  the  public  and  have  resulted  in  a 
successful  and  steadilv-increasing  busi- 


George  B.  Munsey. 


George  B.  Munsey,  of  the  Depot 
square  clothing  and  furnishing  goods 
store,  was  born  in  Gilford,  NT.  H  .  Oct.  o. 
1861,  and  resid- 
ed there  until 
about  seven 
years  of  age, 
when  his  par- 
ents, the  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  J.  G. 
Munsey,  remov- 
ed to  the  town 
of  Gilmanton, 
and  lived  there 
four  years. 
They  then  re- 
moved to  East 
Tilton,  where 
they  remained 
five  years,  and 
during  a  portion 
of  this  time  the 
subject  of  this 
sketch  attended 
the  Tilton  sem- 
inary. His  pa- 
rents then  went 
to  West  Leba- 
non,  Maine, 
and  from  there 
to    A  ndover, 

N.  H.,  and  while  residing  in  the  latter 
town,  Mr.  Munsey  completed  his  educa- 
tion at  New  Hampton  Literary  Institu- 
tion. 

After  completing  his  education  he 
first  engaged  in  the  printing  business  at 
Tilton,  which  he  conducted  successfully 
for  some  time.  Later  he  sold  out  the 
printing  business  and  came  to  Lakeport, 
where  he  took  up  the  photographer's 
profession,  some  twelve  years  ago,  in 
company  with  Edwin  D.  Ward,  forming 
the    partnership    of    Ward    &   Munsey. 


Georare  B.  Munsey 


Mr.  Munsey  was  also  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Munsey  &  Heath,  the  well- 
known  bicycle  dealers. 

About  a  year  ago  Mr.  Munsey  dis- 
posed of  his  interest  in  both  the  photo- 
graph and  bicycle  business,  and  at  that 
time  purchased  the  clothing  and  gen- 
tlemen's furnishing  store,  previously 
conducted  by  R.  P.  Babbitt  &  Co.,  in 
Depot  square.  Mr.  Munsey  has  built 
up  a  good  trade  at  this  stand,  and  car- 
ries a  large  stock  of  reliable  goods,  in- 
cluding; all  the  latest  novelties  and  pop- 
ular styles  in 
gentlemen's 
clothing  a  n  d 
furnishings  of 
all  kinds. 

The  great 
advance  made 
in  the  manufac- 
ture of  ready- 
m  a  d  e  clothing 
during  the  past 
few  years,  ena- 
bles Mr.  Mun- 
sey to  carry  a 
line  of  goods 
which  will  com- 
pare favorably 
with  custom- 
made  goods, 
both  as  to  style, 
quality,  and  per- 
fection of  fit  ; 
while  in  the 
matter  of  price. 
of  course  the 
ready-t  o  -  w  e  a  r 
suits  are  much 
m  ore  popular 
with  all  classes  of  customers.  He  has 
a  line  of  goods  which  cannot  be  excel- 
led by  any  similar  establishment  out- 
side of  the  largest  cities,  and  his  busi- 
ness is  very  prosperous  and  steadily 
increasing. 

Mr.  Munsey  is  an  attendant  at  the 
Park  Street  Free  Baptist  church,  and  in 
secret  societies  is  connected  with  the 
order  of  Pilgrim  Fathers. 

He  was  married  in  18S3  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  Rollins,  and  they  reside  in  a  hand- 
some home  on  Union  avenue. 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


George  B.   Cox.  a  member  of  the  executive   committee 

of  the    Law  and   Order   league  of  New 

George  B.  Cox  was  born  in  Ashland,  Hampshire,  a  strong  temperance  organ - 
Grafton  county,  X.  H.,  July  16,  i860,  son  ization,  supported  by  many  of  the  most 
of  Benjamin  Franklin  and  Ann  (Currier)  influential  citizens  of  the  state.  In 
Cox.       His     paternal     ancestors     were      1895  he  was  retained  as  counsel  for  the 

league,  but  in  1897  he  severed  his  con- 
nection with  that  organization  that  he 
might  devote  his  entire  time  to  his  pri- 
vate law  piactice. 

Mr.   Cox    was    married    February  10, 
1897,  to  Nellie  M.   Hoyt  of  Laconia. 
The     Bristol     Weekly    Enterprise    of 
Jan.    30,     [896, 


among  the  first  settlers  of  Holderness 
(now  Ashland),  X.  H.,  and  his  mother's 
family  was  of  Scotch  descent. 

He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Ashland,  a  private  school  at 
Plymouth,  the  Xew  Hampton  Literary 
Institution,  and  YYesleyan  university. 
Previous  to  be- 
ginning his  pro- 
fessional stud- 
ies he  taught 
school  at  Can- 
dia,  N.  H.,  dur- 
ing one  year, 
and  was  twice 
chosen  as  su- 
perintendent of 
schools  in  the 
town  of  Ash- 
land. In  1S85 
he  began  the 
study  of  law 
with  Judge  E. 
A.Hibbard.  and 
two  years  later 
entered  the  Bos- 
ton University 
Law  school, 
where  h  e  w  a  s 
g  r  a  d  u  a  ted  in 
1 888,  with  the 
degree  of  bach- 
elor of  law.  He 
was  admitted 
to    the     New 

Hampshire  bar  in  July  of  the  same  year 
and  has  since  practised  law  in  Laconia 


makes  the  fol- 
lowing analysis 
of  Mr.  Cox's 
ability  as  an 
orator  :  "Mr. 
Cox  is  a  young 
man  who  uses 
sense,  reason, 
and  treats  fairly 
and  squarely 
f  r  o  m  e  v  e  r  y 
standpoint  his 
subject.  He  is 
logical,  clear, 
and  emphatic , 
takes  his  points 
well,  and  argues 
his  case  in  a 
manner  that 
carries  convic- 
tion to  his  lis- 
teners. He  dues 
not  rant,  but 
puts  cold  facts 
in  pointed  sen- 
tences with 
practical  illus- 
trations and  a  generous  spirit  that  rec- 
ommends him  to  the  consideration  of 
In  politics  Mr.  Cox  is  a  Democrat,  those  who  do  not  endorse  his  theories 
and  has  in   several  campaigns  stumped     or  accept  his   doctrines.      lie    indulges 


Ge  1  ge  B.  Cox. 


the  state  in  the  interests  of  his  party. 
For  three  consecutive  years  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
of  Laconia,  being  chairman  of  the 
board  during  the  last  year. 

In  1S90  the  Citizens'  Temperance 
union  was  formed  in  Laconia,  and  for 
four  years  he  was  retained  as  its  coun- 


ln  sarcasm  only  when  necessary  t<>  ex- 
pose the  fallacy  of  some  of  his  opposed 
claims,  and  bombards  men  and  matters 
only  when  he  deems  it  necessary  for 
the  welfare  of  the  public.'* 

The  Laconia  Democrat  of  March  19, 
1899.  says:  "  Mr.  Cox  fully  maintained 
his  invincible  position  as  one  of  the  best 


sel.      In  January.  1894,  he  was  elected     public  speakers  among  the  lawyers. 


I     j^>s^l 

;  \ 

^C\"z:^ 

;  <C  ' 

,  od; 

J»araB   / 

1      .TS^p      ' 

a 

i!^j 

u2 

«»*«{       , 

1 CL.        \> 

v  l  o ' 

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1  Q—  . 

THE  ILLUSTRATED  EACONIAN. 


103 


Laconia  Savings  Bank. 


The  handsome  engraving  of  the 
Laconia  Savings  Bank  accompanying 
this  sketch  of  its  history  shows  that  it 
is  not  behind  in  progress  of  financial 
stability. 

This  bank  has  been  in  existence  since 
1831.  It  was  organized  under  the  name 
of  the  Meredith  Bridge  Savings  Bank, 
by  John  T.  Coffin,  Daniel  Tucker,  John 
Sanborn,  George  L.  Sibley,  George  1'. 
Avery,  James  Molineux,  and  Benjamin 
Jewett,  3d,  the  original  incorporarors. 
Its  charter  was  signed  by  Samuel  Dins- 
moor,  governor  ;  Samuel  Cartland,  pres- 
ident of  the  senate  ;  Franklin  Pierce, 
speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives  ; 
and  approved  July  2,  1831. 

The  original  list  of  officers  was  as 
follows:  George  L.  Sibley,  president ; 
Stephen  C.  Lyford,  treasurer ;  George 
L.  Sibley,  John  T.  Coffin,  Woodbury 
Melcher,  Daniel  Tucker,  James  Moli- 
neux, E.  W.  Boynton,  John  L.  Perley, 
John  Sanborn,  and  Stephen  L.  Greeley, 
trustees. 

The  first  deposit  was  received  in 
March,  1832,  and  since  that  time  it  has 
paid  134  consecutive  semi-annual  divi- 
dends, amounting  to  about  one  million 
three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

None  of  the  original  incorporators 
or  officers  is  now  living,  and  since  its 
foundation  nearly  seventy  years  ago  it 
has  had  five  presidents  and  five  treas- 
urers, an  average  term  of  service  of 
nearly  fourteen  years  each. 

In  1869  its  name  was  changed  to  the 
Laconia  Savings  Bank,  and  its  financial 
soundness  has  been  maintained  through 
all  these  years. 

In  1884  its  quarters  were  remodeled 
and  a  new  vault  put  in  which  sufficed 
for  the  needs  of  the  institution  until 
1895,  when  the  banking  rooms  were  en- 
larged to  twice  their  former  size,  a  new 
safety  deposit  vault  and  bankers'  sale 
added,  till  now  it  has  fine  and  conven- 
iently-appointed banking  rooms. 

The  present  officers  of  the  institution 
are  A.  G.  Eolsom,  president,  and  Ed- 
mund Little,  treasurer.  The  board  of 
trustees    is   composed  of    the  following 


well-known  men  :  Albert  G.  Folsom, 
Ellery  A.  Hibbard,  Almon  C.  Leavitt, 
Samuel  B.  Smith,  W.  E.  Melcher,  Gard- 
ner Cook,  Frank  II.  Lougee,  George  A. 
Hatch,  Alburtis  S.  Gordon,  Alfred  W. 
Abbott. 

The  appended  statement  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  bank's  affairs  speaks  for 
itself: 

ASSETS. 

Loans,  $425,257.15 


State,  county, 

ci 

ty,  and 

district  bone 

Is, 

521,450.00 

Bank  stock, 

34,95°-00 

Railroad      bond. 

.      and 

stock, 

101,425  00 

Miscellaneous 

bonds, 

[60,  ;;;-co 

Real  estate, 

83,642.00 

Hank  fixtures, 

1 1 ,000.00 

Deposits      in 

national 

banks, 

40,215.76 

Cash  on  hand, 

7,067  64 
$i,385.364-SS 

LIABILITIES. 

Deposits, 

$1 

.  -77.937-  -0 

Guaranty    fun 

d 

and 

surplus, 

107,427.35 

^'o'oo'M  55 

This  old  reliable  savings  bank  has  al- 
ways been  noted  for  its  conservative 
investments,  preferring  security  of  prin- 
cipal and  moderate  rate  of  interest 
rather  than  large  interest  return  with 
proportionate  risk. 

Its  present  list  of  assets  is  composed 
of  first-class  securities  consisting  of 
home  investments  and  gilt-edge  bonds. 


People's  National  Bank. 

This  bank,  which  occupies  rooms  with 
the  Laconia  Savings  bank,  as  shown  on 
opposite  page,  was  organized  in  1889, 
and  has  already  passed  its  tenth  mile- 
stone. 

It  has  enjoyed  a  liberal  patronage 
and  a  prosperous  and  increasing  busi- 
ness from  its  organization  to  the  pres- 
ent time  ;  it  aims  especially  to  accom- 
modate its  patrons,  furnishing  unex- 
celled facilities  for  the  transaction  of 
every  branch  of  the  banking  business. 

The  People's  National  bank  quarters 
are  very  handsomely  fitted  with  tile 
floors,  elegant  directors'  room,  and  mod- 
ern safety  deposit  vaults,  and  in   all   its 


104 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


appointments  and  business  transactions 
the  establishment  is  a  model  of  the 
kind. 

The  officers  are  Albert  G.  Folsom, 
president ;  John  T.  Busiel,  vice-presi- 
dent; Edmund  Little,  cashier;  Albert 
G.  Folsom,  Gardner  Cook,  John  T.  Bus- 
iel, Samuel  B.  Smith,  Edwin  F.  Burleigh, 
Frank  H.  Lougee,  Frank  E.  Busiel,  di- 
rectors, and  the  following  report  of  its 
condition  at  the  present  time  indicates 
a  well  managed  and  successful  institu- 
tion : 


Story's  Drug:  Store. 


Story's  drug  store,  established  in  1880, 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  relia- 
ble and  best  conducted  establishments 
in  the  pharmacy  line  in  Laconia.  Mr. 
J.  Henry  Story,  the  proprietor,  is  him- 
self a  skilful  pharmacist,  and  he  em- 
ploys thoroughly  competent  assistants 
in  his  establishment.  The  Story  drug 
store  carries  a  large  and  complete  stock 
of  the  purest  and  freshest  drugs  which 
the    market    affords,    supplemented    by 


■■■Ms?    > 


Story's  Drug  Store. 


RESOURCES. 
Loans  and  discounts,  $111,750.07 
Overdrafts,  109.69 
U.  S.  bonds,  25,000.00 
Premiums,  1,50000 
Stocks  and  bonds,  5,672 .  =>o 
Real  estate  and  mortgages,  5,745.76 
Due  from  National  bank  re- 
demption, 25, 143.49 
Redemption  fund  with  U.  S. 

treasurer,  1,12500 

Cash,  9,702.83 


$185,749.34 

LI  A] 

ILITIES. 

Capital  stock 

$50,000  00 

Surplus, 

6,000.00 

Undivided  pi 

ofits, 

2,610.49 

National    bank    notes 

out 

standing, 

22,500.00 

Deposits, 

104,638.85 

Ns5>749-34 


patent  medicines  of  almost  every  kind 
and  nature,  including,  of  course,  all  of 
the  standard  prepared  remedies. 

In  addition  to  the  compounding  of 
physicians'  prescriptions  and  the  sale 
of  drugs,  herbs,  and  barks,  the  Story 
drug  store  always  carries  a  well-selected 
line  of  toilet  articles,  surgical  appli- 
ances, and,  in  fact,  all  of  the  small 
wares  which  are  usually  found  in  a  well- 
equipped  and  properly-conducted  met- 
ropolitan drug  store.  A  choice  line  of 
cigars  and  the  usual  line  of  summer 
drinks  from  a  soda  fountain  are  features 
of  the  business  at  this  establishment 
which  receive  proper  attention  from  the 
proprietor  and  a  liberal  appreciation 
from  the  public. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


io5 


Mr.  J.  Henry  Story,  the  proprietor  of 
the  Story  drug  store,  was  born  in  Hop- 
kinton,  N.  H.,  Nov.  8,  1857.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
learned  the  druggists'  business  at  the 
establishment  of  George  F.  Mallard, 
entering  this  store  in  1S76.  In  1880  he 
established  himself  in  business,  and  has 
been  very  successful  in  building  up  a 
first-class  trade  in  his  line.  Mr.  Story 
was  married  in  18S4.  to  Miss  Idella  J. 
Bean,  of  Laconia. 

In  politics  Mr.  Story  affiliates  with 
the  Democrats, 
and  he  served 
as  deputy  sher- 
iff of  Belknap 
county  from  the 
year  18S6  until 
1890.  He  is  a 
member  of  the 
Knights  of  Py- 
thias, the  Ma- 
sonic bodies, 
and  Pilgrim 
comma  n  d  e  ry  , 
Knights  Temp- 
lar. In  re  1  ig- 
ious  affairs  Mr. 
Story  is  inclined 
to  liberal  views, 
and  is  an  at- 
tendant at  the 
First  Unitarian 
church. 


Wffl,  Wallace. 


business.  Since  coming  to  Laconia  he 
has  handled  numerous  large  contracts, 
including  most  of  the  new  brick  build- 
ings and  the  immense  brick  chimneys 
at  the  Laconia  car  works,  the  magnif- 
icent Gordon-Nash  library  at  New 
1  [ampton,  etc. 

In  politics  Mr.  Wallace  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  while  at  New  Hampton  re- 
ceived many  political  honors  from  the 
hands  of  his  fellow-townsmen.  He  served 
as  tax  collector,  was  selectman  for  two 
years  and  also  represented  the  town  in 
the  New  1  [amp- 
shire  legis- 
lature. He  mar- 
ried F  a  n  n  i  e 
G.  Huckins  of 
New  Hampton 
a n  d  has  o  n e 
daughter.  Miss 
Clara  Bessie 
Wallace. 

Mr.  Wallace 
takes  consider- 
able interest  in 
secret  fraternal 
organizati  on  s . 
He  is  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Knights  of 
Pyth  i  as.  Uni- 
form Rank,  and 
the  Patrons  of 
Husbandry. 


Cottreirs. 


William  Wal- 
lace, the  brick- 
mason  and  con- 
tractor, came  to  Laconia  from  New 
Hampton  about  five  years  ago  and  by 
square  dealing,  faithful  work,  and  atten- 
tion to  business,  has  built  up  a  profit- 
able and  steadily-increasing  patronage. 

He  was  born  in  Epsom,  New  Hamp- 
shire, August  1,  1858.  When  four  years 
of  age  he  went  to  New  Hampton  with 
his  parents,  and  was  educated  at  the 
New  Hampton  Literary  Institution. 

In  New  Hampton  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer  in  connection 
with  the   brick-mason    and    contracting 


William  Wallace 


Laconia  has 
one  establish- 
in  e  n  t  which 
actually  runs  "full  time"'  the  year 
around,  twenty-four  hours  in  the  clay, 
from  one  end  of  the  year  to  the  other. 
Cottreirs  lunch-room,  on  Bank  square, 
Main  street,  is  always  open,  day  and 
night;  it  is,  perhaps,  the  handsomest- 
fitted  establishment  in  the  city  on  the 
lakes,  and  is  as  neat  and  clean  as  my 
lady's  parlor.  Cottrell's  lunchroom  is 
so  up-to-date  and  inviting  that  people 
go  there  and  eat  who  are  not  even  hun- 
gry, and  whether  the  patron  invests  in 
merely  a  sandwich,  a  cup  of  coffee  or 


io6 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


tea,  the  food  served  is  wholesome  and 
appetizing,  and  the  prices  are  all  right. 
Cottrell's  is  comparatively  a  new  insti- 
tution in  Laconia,  but  its  genuine  merit 
made  the  establishment  a  success  from 
the  start,  and  the  place  is  patronized  by 
our  best  business  men  and  a  host  of 
strangers  within  our  gates. 

Irving  M.  Cottrell  is  a  native  of  Bel- 
fast, Me.,  and  was  born  April  8,  1864, 
but  is  wide-awake  and  enterprising 
enough  to  be  easily  mistaken  for  a 
genuine  Laconian.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Belfast,  is  mar- 


efforts  in  this  line  also  have  met  with 
the  hearty  approval  of  the  public  in 
Laconia. 

As  a  rule,  it  is  said  that  a  jack  at 
all  trades  is  master  of  none,  but  there 
are  exceptions  to  all  rules,  and  Mr. 
Cottrell  has  not  yet  made  a  failure  of 
anything  he  has  undertaken  in  Laco- 
nia. 

He  finds  time  to  enjoy  membership  in 
the  fraternal  orders,  and  is  a  Mason, 
Odd  Fellow,  Knight  of  Pythias,  Red 
Man,  and  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen. 


Interior  of  Cottrell's  Lunch  Room. 


ried  and  has  one  child,  a  daughter  of 
about  three  and  one  half  years.  Mr. 
Cottrell  is  manager  of  the  Moulton 
opera  house,  proprietor  of  Cottrell's 
lunch-room,  manager  of  the  ice  skating 
rink,  and  for  the  past  two  seasons 
has  managed  the  Pearl  Street  baseball 
grounds,  besides  running  a  night-lunch 
cart,  erecting  a  neat  little  business 
block  on  Main  street  for  rental  pur- 
poses, and  officiating  as  bill-poster.  Inci- 
dentally, when  Mr.  Cottrell  is  n't  doing 
anything  else  he  caters  for  public  and 
private  parties,  excursions,  etc.,  and  his 


John   B.   Moore. 


The  old  established  firm  of  J.  L. 
Moore  &  Son,  at  532  Main  street,  is 
one  of  the  stand-bys  in  Laconia,  for  the 
undertaking  and  wall  paper  business  of 
this  concern  was  founded  many  years 
ago.  The  establishment  is  now  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  John  B.  Moore,  and  in 
addition  to  the  undertaking  business 
and  stock  of  caskets  and  burial  supplies, 
wall  papers,  picture  mouldings,  etc., 
the  store  now  handles  the  complete  line 
of  bicycles  manufactured  by  the  Pope 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACOXIAX. 


107 


Manufacturing  Co.  of  Boston  and  Hart-     was   married  to  Julia   M.  Redington  at 
ford,  and   also  has  the  agency   of   the     Cleveland,  Ohio,  Jan.  12, 1882,  and  they 

have  three  children,  two 
daughters  aged  fifteen  and 
ten  years,  and  a  son  of  four 
years.  Mr.  Moore  is  a 
member  of  Mt.  Lebanon 
lodge  of  Masons,  Granite 
lodge,  A.  O.  U.W.,  and  Cy- 
prus council,  Royal  Arca- 
num. He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  was  the  first 
city  clerk  of  Laconia. 


The  late  Maj.  N.  B.  Gale. 


John  B.  Moore. 

Standard  Rotary  Sewing  machine,  both 
bicycles    and     sewing    machines    being 
generally  admitted    the  best 
in  the  world. 

Mr.  John  Brackett  Moore, 
the  manager  of  the  business, 
was  born  in  Laconia  on  the 
Gilford  side  of  the  river,  July 
27,  1853.  His  parents  were 
Jonathan  L.  and  Lucy  San- 
born Moore  of  Sanbornton. 
He  received  his  education 
in  our  public  schools  and  at 
New  Hampton  Institution. 
Mr.  Moore  was  engaged  in 
the  hotel  business  for  twelve 
years  in  his  early  manhood, 
serving  as  clerk  and  cashier 
in  hotels  in  New  York  city 
and  other  places.  He  was 
also  a  traveling  salesman  for 
a  Chicago  firm  for  seven 
years,  previous  to  his  return  to  Laconia 
to  engage  in  his  present  business.      He 


The  late  Maj.  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  Gale  will  be  re- 
membered and  honored  for 
years  to  come  in  Laconia, 
not  only  from  the  fact  that 
the  Gale  family  have  al- 
ways been  strong  men  and 
prominent  citizens,  almost 
from  the  first  settlement  of 
this  region,  but  because  the 
late  Major  (iale  made  pro- 
vision in  his  last  will  and 
testament  for  a  permanent 
monument  to  his  memory, 
in  the  shape  of  a  memorial  building  and 
public  park.      Major  Gale   left  the  bulk 


Residence  of  John  II.  Moore, 
of  his  large  estate,   estimated   at  S150,- 
000,  to  the  city  of  Laconia,  for  the  pur- 


io8 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


poses  indicated,  and  this  magnificent  be- 
quest will  provide  this  city  with  a  hand- 
some and  substantial  memorial  building, 
which  will  be  utilized  as  public  library 
and  as  a  historical  museum.  The  large 
property  of  the  late  Hon.  John  C.  Moul- 
ton,  located  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Church  streets,  has  already  been  pur- 
chased as  a  site  for  both  the  park  and 
memorial  structure,  and  in  the  near 
future  the  trustees  and  building  com- 
mittee will  be  ready  to  procure  plans 
and  go  ahead  with  the  beautifying  of 
the  grounds  and 
the  erection  of 
the  bu  i  1  d  i  n  g, 
which  will  un- 
doubtedly be 
one  of  the 
handsomest 
and  most  suit- 
able structures 
of  the  kind  in 
New  Ham  p- 
shire.  The  Gale 
bequest  will  not 
only  complete 
the  work  of 
erection,  but 
will  provide  a 
fund  for  its 
care  and  main- 
tenance. T  h  e 
whole  matter 
is  in  the  hands 
of  Messrs.  John 
T.  Busiel,  Ed- 
win F.  Burleigh, 
and  Charles  F. 
Pitman,  who  are 
executors  and 
trustees  under  the  Gale  will,  and  also 
trustees  and  building  committee  for  the 
city. 

Napoleon  Bonaparte  Gale  was  born 
in  Gilmanton  (now  Belmont),  March  3 
1815,  son  of  Daniel  and  Abigail  (Page) 
Gale.  His  grandfather  was  Stephen 
Gale,  who  was  born  in  Exeter,  in  1739, 
who  figured  prominently  in  the  French 
and  Indian  wars,  and  who  settled  in 
Gilmanton  in  17S0.  Both  Stephen  and 
Daniel  Gale  were  influential  men  in  the 
colonial  days,  the  latter  being  a  select- 


I'lie  late  Maj.  Napoleon  B.  Gale 


man  for  twenty  years,  justice  of  the 
peace,  representative,  and  an  associate 
judge  of  the  Court  of  Sessions. 

Napoleon  Gale  passed  his  early  years 
on  the  Gale  farm,  attended  the  common 
schools  and  also  the  Sanbornton  and 
Gilmanton  academies.  When  eighteen 
years  of  age,  he  became  a  clerk  in  the 
store  of  his  brother,  Daniel  M.  Gale,  at 
Lakeport,  where  he  remained  for  a  short 
time.  In  August,  1835,  he  went  to 
Boston  and  was  a  clerk  in  a  grocery 
store  there  for  four  years,  then  went  to 
Meredith  and 
engaged  in  bus- 
iness with  Josh- 
ua R.  Smith, 
but  in  1840  he 
removed  to  his 
father's  h  o  m  e 
on  account  of 
ill  health,  and 
after  the  death 
3  I  of  his  father,  in 

1S45,  he  carried 
on  the  h  o  m  e 
farm.  In  Au- 
gust, 1S52,  his 
health  was  re- 
established, 
and  he  entered 
the  Belknap 
county  bank, 
as  a  substitute 
cashier  for  his 
brother,  Daniel 
M.,  who  was  ill. 
From  that  date 
Major  Gale  was 
ever  afterwards 
connected  with 
the  bank,  being  elected  cashier  in  1853, 
and  holding  the  position  when  the  char- 
ter expired,  in   1866. 

In  186S  Major  Gale  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  the  Belknap  Savings 
bank,  and  was  one  of  its  trustees.  He 
was  elected  president  of  the  bank,  at 
the  retirement  of  Dr.  Perley,  and  held 
the  presidency  until  his  decease,  Dec. 
21,  1894.  Politically,  Major  Gale  was 
a  Democrat,  and  he  represented  both 
Belmont  and  Laconia  in  the  legislature. 
He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  integrity 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


109 


and  conscientious  uprightness.  He  was 
a  man  of  great  strength  of  character, 
kind-hearted  and  generous,  public-spir- 
ited and  enterprising,  —  in  short,  one 
of  the  most  honored 
and  respected  of  La- 
conia*s  citizens. 


Dr.  J.  N.  Letourneau. 


Dr.  J.  X.  Letour- 
neau, physician  and 
surgeon,  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Phar- 
macie  Cannadien,  and 
also  has  an  extensive 
practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  this  city. 

He  was  born  in  St. 
Dominique.  C  a  n  a  d  a, 
May  12,  1  S  6  1,  and 
w  as  educated  at 
Jacques  Cartier  Nor- 
mal school  of  Mon- 
treal, and  Laval  uni- 
versity of  the  same 
city. 

Dr.  Letourneau  left 
Canada  in  1867,  and  went  to  the  state 
of  Maine,  where  he  resided  until  18S0, 
then  returned  to  Canada  and   remained 


Dr.  J.  X.  Letourneau. 


county  physician,  and  is  a  Knight  of 
Pythias,  a  member  of  the  Foresters 
of  America,  Catholic  Foresters,  Elks, 
Red  Men  and  the  Amoskeag  Veterans. 
In  religion  he  is  a 
(  atholic. 

1  le  married  C  lar- 
isse  Valois,  A  ugu  s  t 
28,  1893,  and  they 
have  one  child. 

1  >r.  Letourneau  is 
not  only  a  successful 
and  skilful  physician, 
but  he  conducts  the 
I  'harmacie  Can  n  a- 
dien,  a  popular  drug 
store. where  [Hire drugs 
and  all  the  standard 
patent  medicines  and 
remedies  are  on  sale. 
Physicians'  prescrip- 
tions are  carefully  and 
correctly  compound- 
ed, and  a  full  line  of 
toilet  articles,  cigars, 
etc.,  are  always  in 
stock. 

Dr.  Letourneau 
first  opened  his  establishment  on  Mill 
street,  but  his  business  increased  rapid- 
lv   and   he   soon   found    it   necessarv   to 


IntL-ri.ii  of  Dr.  J.  X.  Letourneau's  Drug  - 

there    until    he    came    to    Laconia    and     procure  the  more  convenient  and  corn- 
opened  his  drug-store  in  July,  1893.  modious  store  in   his  present  location  at 
Dr.  Letourneau  has  held 'the  office  of     No.  549  Main  street. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Daniel  Kellogg. 


Probably  many  Laconia  people  who 
never  visited  the  carriage  shops  of 
Daniel  Kellogg  on  Union  avenue  have 
but  a  faint  idea  of  the  size  and  import- 
ance of  this  business,  which  has  been 
built  up  by  Mr.  Kellogg  during  the  past 
ten  years.  He  carries  one  of  the  largest 
stocks  of  carriages  and  sleighs  to  be 
found  in  New  Hampshire,  and  can  sup- 
ply almost  any  variety  of  vehicle  called 
for,  from  a  costly  turn-out,  with  all  the 
modern  conveniences  and  improvements, 
down  to  a  cheap  road-wagon  or  a  dump- 
cart. 


until  he  now  has  a  mammoth  establish- 
ment, well  filled  at  all  times  with  a  well 
selected  and  thoroughly  reliable  stock. 
Mr.  Kellogg  was  born  in  Westville, 
Conn.,  in  1S51,  but  removed  to  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  when  very  young.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  carriage  painting, 
and  went  to  Vermont  in  1872,  and 
while  a  resident  of  that  state  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  T. 
Dealing,  at  West  Randolph.  In  1883, 
Mr.  Kellogg  came  to  this  city,  first 
locating  at  Lakeport,  but  he  soon  de- 
cided there  was  an  opening  here  for  a 
first-class  carriage  shop,  and  he  has  since 
proved  that  his  conclusions  were  correct. 


Kellogg's  Carriage  Manufactory. 


Mr.  Kellogg  located  at  269  Union 
avenue,  on  Casino  square,  in  1889,  and 
is  not  only  a  dealer  in  carriages  and 
sleighs,  but  also  manufactures  these 
vehicles  to  order.  Of  course,  repairing 
and  repainting  is  a  special  feature  of 
this  business,  and  Mr.  Kellogg  also 
deals  in  harnesses,  robes,  whips,  hal- 
ters, and,  in  fact,  in  supplies  of  all 
kinds  in  this  line.  The  original  build- 
ing in  which  Mr.  Kellogg  embarked  in 
business  proved  inadequate  for  his 
rapidly  increased  trade,  and  he  has 
erected   additions    and    other   buildings 


In  secret  orders,  Mr.  Kellogg  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
was  elected  to  the  Laconia  city  council 
from  ward  two  in  1884,  and  also  repre- 
sented his  ward  in  the  last  session  of 
the  New  Hampshire  legislature. 

Mr.  Kellogg  has  just  completed  a 
handsome  new  residence  on  Gilford 
avenue,  and  he  deserves  the  success 
with  which  he  has  met  in  Laconia,  for 
he  is  honorable  and  upright  in  all  his 
transactions,  and  enterprising  and  ener- 
getic in  his  business  methods. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Ex-Mayor  Charles  L.  Pulsifer. 


Ex-Mayor  Charles  Leroy  Pulsifer,  at 
the  present  time  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Assessors,  is  a  native  of  Lakeport, 
and  has  been  constantly  in  public  life 
for  the  past  twenty  years.  He  was 
born  Jan.  i,  1849,  son  °^  Lyman  B.  and 
Sarah  (Sawyer)  Pulsifer.  His  father 
was  for  many  years  a  manufacturer  of 
yarns  at  Lakeport,  and  was  a  native  of 
Gilmanton,  whither  his  grandfather 
removed  from  Brentwood  in  March, 
1795.  The  Pulsifers  are  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent,  and 
came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1766. 

Mr.  Pulsifer  at- 
tended the  public 
schools  of  Lake- 
port,  and  the  Til- 
ton  seminary,  and 
was  grad  uated 
from  Colby  acad- 
emy, New  Lon- 
don, in  1S74.  He 
graduat  ed  from 
Brown  university 
in  1  S  7  8.  From 
1879  to  1894  he 
w  a  s  principal  o  f 
the  Lakeport  High 
school  and  super- 
intendent of  the 
graded  schools  of 
Lakeport.  In  1895 
he  resigned  this 
position  and  en- 
tered the  Lakeport 
Savings  bank  as  assistant  treasurer,  and 
was  recently  chosen  treasurer.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion for  Laconia  and  Lakeport  almost 
constantly  since  1879,  his  present  term 
running  to  1901.  From  1886  to  1892 
he  was  a  selectman  of  Gilford,  which 
then  included  Lakeport.  He  was  a 
representative  in  the  New  Hampshire 
legislature  in  iSgo-'gi.  He  is  a  director 
in  the  Lakeport  National  bank,  Lake- 
port  Savings  bank,  Mutual  Building  and 
Loan  association,  and  Winnipesaukee 
Gas  and  Electric  Co. 

When   the  citv  of  Laconia  was   inau- 


Ex-Mayor  Charles  L.  Pulsifer. 


gurated,  Mr.  Pulsifer  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  first  city  council  and 
served  until  March  9,  1897,  when  he 
was  elected  mayor  unanimously,  having 
been  nominated  by  the  Republicans 
and  endorsed  by  the  Democrats.  He 
was  re-elected  the  following  March  by 
a  heavy  majority,  and  served  the  city 
so  faithfully  and  conscientiously  that  he 
won  the  approval  of  all  classes  of  citi- 
zens in  both  parties.  Upon  retiring 
from  the  mayorship  in  March,  1899, 
Mr.  Pulsifer  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Assessors,  which  position 
he  now  holds. 

Fraternally,  Mr. 
Pulsifer  is  a  past 
officer  in  Chocorua 
lodge,  No.  51,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  of  Laco- 
n  i  a  encampment, 
also  a  member  of 
Canton  ( )  sgoo  d  , 
Patriarc  h  s  M  i  1  i  - 
tant.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  several 
branches  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity 
in  this  city,  includ- 
ing Pilgrim  com- 
mandery,  Knights 
Templar,  and  Mt. 
Washington  chap- 
ter, ( >rder  of  East- 
ern Star,  and  he  is 
also  a  thirty-sec- 
ond degree  Mason, 
a  member  of  Ed- 
ward A.  Raymond 
Consistory  at  Nashua.  He  is  an  attend- 
ant at  the  Union  Avenue  Baptist  church, 
Lakeport.  He  was  married  July  30,  1  S S  ; . 
to  Susan  E.  Smiley,  daughter  of  Dr. 
J.  R.  Smile)  of  Sutton.  N.  H..  who  died 
April  2,  1S90. 

Ex-Mayor  Pulsifer  is  probably  more 
familiar  with  Laconia's  financial  and 
other  municipal  affairs  than  any  Other 
citizen  in  the  city.  He  is  a  man  of  the 
strictest  integrity,  fair-minded,  and  pro- 
gressive, and  has  the  good-will  and 
esteem  of  the  entire  community,  a  fact 
which  perhaps  his  long-continued  pub- 
lic service  fully  demonstrates. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Knight  &  Huntress. 


The  dry  goods  establishment  now 
conducted  by  Messrs.  Knight  &  Hunt- 
ress (William  F.  Knight  and  Hamlin 
Huntress)  is  one  of  the  oldest  mercan- 
tile establishments  in  Laconia.  In  the 
old  Meredith  Bridge  days  this  store  was 
conducted  as  a  general  store,  handling 
dry  goods,  groceries,  etc.,  by  Messrs. 
Rufus  K.  and  Charles  Parker,  both  now 
deceased.  William  F.  Knight,  the  sen- 
ior member  of  the  present  firm,  entered 
the  store  as  a  clerk  for  Parker  Bros,  in 
June,  1864,  and   in    1S67   he  was  practi- 


In  1873  Mr.  Knight  was  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Mansur&  Knight,  one  of  the 
oldest  concerns  in  the  furniture  trade  in 
this  place.  In  1S87  the  furniture  firm 
was  changed  to  Knight  cS:  Robinson 
(William  F.  Knight  and  Mark  M.  Rob- 
inson). 

Located  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Mill  streets,  one  of  the  busiest  spots  in 
the  city,  the  establishment  of  Mr. 
Knight  has  always  been  a  thriving  and 
prosperous  concern.  Strictly  reliable 
goods  and  moderate  profits  has  always 
been  the  motto  at  this  store,  and  has 
resulted  in  a  constantly  increasing  trade 


- 


Knight  &  Huntress's  Dry-Goods  Store. 


cally  in  control  of  the  business.  He 
eventually  bought  out  the  original  firm 
and  in  company  with  the  late  Mrs.  Mary 
T.  Hull,  under  the  firm  name  of  W.  F. 
Knight  &  Co.,  conducted  a  flourishing 
trade  for  ten  years.  During  the  follow- 
ing ten  years  Mr.  Knight  was  sole  pro- 
prietor, and  then  Mr.  George  Tetreau 
became  his  associate,  the  firm  name  be- 
coming W.  F.  Knight  &  Tetreau.  Mr. 
Tetreau  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Hamlin 
Huntress,  and  the  style  of  the  firm  was 
changed  to  Knight  &  Huntress,  the 
present  firm. 

In  addition  to  the  dry  goods  business, 
Mr.  Knight  is  also  interested  in  the 
furniture  business   in    the    same    block. 


during  the  last  half  century.  The 
Knight  &  Huntress  establishment  to- 
day carries  a  larger  stock  and  does  a 
larger  business  than  at  any  time  in  its 
history. 

William  Franklin  Knight,  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in  Hano- 
ver, N.  H.,  Oct.  13,  1847,  son  °f  Edwin 
Perry  and  Elizabeth  W.  T.  (Vaughan) 
Knight.  Mr.  Knight  comes  of  patri- 
otic stock,  and  numbers  among  his  an- 
cestors several  of  the  early  colonists 
of  New  Hampshire.  His  great-grand- 
father. William  Knight,  and  a  brother 
were  Revolutionary  soldiers,  and  the  lat- 
ter received  a  captain's  commission  for 
conspicuous  gallantry  on  the  bloody  field 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


JI3 


William  F.  Knight. 

of  Bennington  Capt.  Jabez  Vaughan, 
the  great-grandfather  on  the  mother's 
side,  was  also  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier, and  promoted  from  the  ranks 
for  long  and  meritoiious  service. 

Mr.  Knight  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Hanover  and  at 
West  Randolph  academy  He  came 
to  Laconia  in  1864,  and  has  been 
prominent  since  that  time  in  mercan- 
tile, financial,  political,  and  social 
life.  He  is  a  director  in  the  Laco- 
nia National  bank,  a  director  in  the 
Laconia  Building  and  Loan  Associa- 
tion, and  a  trustee  of  the  Belknap 
Savings  bank.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Laconia  Board  of  Trade,  and  has 
been  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
trustees  of  the  Laconia  public  libra- 
ry for  the  past  fifteen  years. 

Mr.  Knight  has  been  a  stanch 
Republican  all  his  life,  casting  his 
first  presidential  ballot  for  the  late 
U.  S.  Grant  in  1868.  He  was  elect- 
ed town  clerk  of  Laconia  in  1875, 
and  served  two  years.  He  was  elect- 
ed treasurer  of  Belknap  county  in 
8 


1883,  and  reelected  in  1885.  He  was 
in  the  New  Hampshire  legislature  in 
1889,  serving  on  the  railroad  commit- 
tee, and  also  the  committee  on  na- 
tional affairs.  He  was  Hected  state 
senator  from  district  No.  6,  in  1894, 
for  the  term  of  two  years,  and  in  1896 
was  quartermaster-general  on  the  staff 
of  Governor  C.  A.  Busiel. 

He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Ma- 
son, and  a  member  of  all  the  various 
branches  of  the  order  in  this  city,  as 
well  as  the  Scottish  Rite  at  Concord, 
and  the  Consistory  at  Nashua.  He 
attends  the  Unitarian  church  and  is 
active  in  the  management  of  this  so- 
ciety and  advancement  of  liberal  reli- 
gion. 

Mr.  Knight  was  married  in  1872 
to  Fannie  E.,  daughter  of  James  Tay- 
lor, ot  Franklin,  X.  H.  They  have  no 
children. 

Hamlin  Huntress,  of  the  firm  of 
Knight  &  Huntress,  is  a  native  of 
Sandwich,  New  Hampshire,  born  Au- 
gust 19,  i86i  .  He  was  educated  in 
the  town  schools  of  Moulton borough, 


Hamlin  Huntress. 


H4 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


and  when  he  first  embarked  in  business  lican.       He    served    as    town    clerk    of 

conducted  a  general   store  at    Moulton-  Moultonborough    from    1883    to     1890, 

borough  for  eight  years.      He    came  to  was   postmaster  of  the   town    for  eight 

Laconia   in     1893,  and   two  years  later  years,  and  represented  Moultonborough 


Court   Hi 


he  formed  the  partnership  with  William  in  the  legislature  of   1893.      Mr.    Hunt- 

F.  Knight  in  the  dry  goods  business.  ress  married  Amy  L.   Rollins  of   Moul- 

Mr.   Huntress    is   a  member  of  Cho-  tonborough,  and  they  have  one  son, — 

corua   lodge,    No.    51.    I.    O.   O.   F..   at  Ernest  Hamlin  Huntress. 


Belknap  County  Farm. 


Lakeport,  and  in  religious  affairs  is  a 
Methodist,  being  quite  active  and  much 
interested  in  church  work. 

Politically  Mr.  Huntress  is  a  Repub- 


Edwin  P.  Thompson. 


William  Thompson,  great-grandfather 
of    Edwin    P.   Thompson,   clerk    of    the 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONJAN. 


••5 


supreme  court  for  Belknap  county,  came 
to  Gilmanton  among  the  early  settlers 
and  located  on  a  farm  near  the  centre 
of  the  present  town.  He  died  in  1827, 
leaving  a  family  of  eight  children,  one 
of  whom,  William  Thompson,  was  the 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  settled  in  Gilmanton,  where  he  de- 
voted his  life  to  fanning,  at  one  time 
having  the  care  and  management  of 
Captain  Salter's  farm  in  Barnstead.  In 
1836  he  purchased  the  farm  adjoining 
the  homestead 
where  his  boy- 
hood had  been 
spent,  where  he 
lived  until  his 
death,  Dec.  6. 
1855.  He  mar- 
ried, first,  Ly- 
dia  Sanborn  of 
Gilford,  a  sister 
of  the  late  Dea. 
Levi  Sanborn 
of  Laconia,  by 
whom  he  had 
ten  children, 
among  them  be- 
ing Albert  G., 
at  one  time 
landlord  of  the 
Willard  Hotel 
in  Laconia,  for 
about  three 
years,  and  later 
steward  of  the 
Fifth  A  v  enue 
Hotel  in  New 
York  city,  from 
its  opening  July 
15,  1859,  to  his  death  August  12,  1889. 
Another  son  was  John  S.  Thompson,  at 
one  time  connected  with  the  Cerro  Gor- 
do and  the  Willard  hotels  in  Laconia, 
the  Pemigewasset  Hotel  at  Plymouth,  the 
Proctor  House  at  Andover,  and  the  Phe- 
nix  at  Concord  ;  he  was  also  a  deputy  un- 
der Sheriff  Hanson  Bedee  from  May  31, 
1862,  to  the  end  of  the  term,  January, 
1866.  Asa  T.,  another  son,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Co.  A,  Twelfth  regiment,  X.  II. 
Volunteers  in  the  Civil  War,  and  station- 
agent  at  Alton  from  the  time  of  his 
return    from    the    array   in    1 86 ^    to   the 


Edwin  P.  Thompson. 


spring  of  1S72.  Another  son,  William 
I!.  Thompson,  was  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  who  was  born  in  Gil- 
manton. July  28,  [852,  his  mother  being 
Luezer  J.  Thompson.  Edwin  I'.  was 
the  eldest  child  and  has  one  brother, 
Albert  W.  Thompson  of  Concord. 

He  spent  his  early  years  on  the  farm 
in  Gilmanton  and  attended  the  district 
schools  near  his  home,  and  later  Gil- 
manton academy.  At  the  age  of  twenty, 
in  September,  1S72,  he  commenced  the 
study  of  la  w 
with  I  lon.Thos. 
Cogswell  of  Gil- 
in  a  n  ton.  with 
whom  he  stud- 
ied three  years, 
and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1875,  came 
to  Laconia  and 
studied  with  E. 
P.  Jewell  until 
his  admissio  n 
to  the  Belknap 
Count  y  b  a  r , 
April  1 ,  1876, 
when  he  imme- 
diately returned 
to  Gilmanton 
Iron  Works  and 
commenced  the 
practice  of  his 
profession  in 
company  w  i  t  h 
Colonel  Cogs- 
well, with  whom 
he  remained  for 
a  year  and  then 
practised  alone 
until  the  fall  of  1879,  at  which  time  he 
removed  to  Belmont  where  he  has  since 
claimed  a  legal  residence. 

He  has  served  as  treasurer  of  the 
town,  and  in  March.  [884,  lie  was  elect- 
ed moderator  of  Belmont  and  has  since 
served  the  town  in  that  capacity  except 
when  prevented  by  sickness,  a  part  of 
the  time  being  the  choice  of  both  par- 
ties. 

In  January,  1SS5.  he  was  appointed 
clerk  of  the  supreme  court  for  Belknap 
county,  which  office  he  still  holds. 

Upon    the    organization    of    the   City 


u6 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Savings  bank  in  Laconia,  in   the  spring  family  of   Somersworth,    N.   H.     Imme- 

of  1897,  he  was  elected  one  of  the  trus-  diately  after  ending  his  school  days  he 

tees  and  has  been  re-elected  since.      He  engaged   in   teaching  suburban   schools 

is  also  secretary  of  the  Belknap  County  for   four  years,  for   which    the   trend  of 

Bar    association.      In    politics    he    is    a  his   efforts  was  always  in  the  direction 

Republican.  of  that  to  impart  knowledge  most  likely 

December    9th,     1896,     he     married  to  be  the  most  practical  in  future  years. 

Minnie   E.  James,  daughter  of  Orrin    F.  In    this  he   was   successful.     He  was  a 


and    Dora    James    of   Campton. 
have  no  children. 


They 


Judge  True  W.  Thompson. 


member  of  the  board  of  education  in 
his  native  town  in  1868  and  '69  for  a 
term  of  two  years.  In  March,  1872,  he 
became  a  student  at  law  in  the  office  of 
Charles  H.  Smith  at  Newmarket,  where 
he  remained  for 


The  subject 
of  this  sketch, 
True  William 
Thompson,  was 
born  in  the 
town  o  f  Dur- 
h  a  m  ,  N  e  w 
Hampshire,  on 
Aug.  15,  1841, 
in  that  part  of 
the  town  known 
as  "Loving- 
land."  His 
parents  were 
Jacob  Burleigh 
and  Ann  Carr 
Stilson  Thomp- 
son, natives 
and  lif  el  o  n  g 
residents  of 
that  town.  His 
parents  are  now 
deceased. Judge 
Thompson  was 
reared  on  a 
farm.  He  was 
educated  in  the 
public    schools 

of  his  native  town  and  at  Newmarket,  possessed  of  a  son  and  two  daughters, 
N.  H.,  closing  his  school  days  at  the  all  of  whom  are  married.  He  came  to 
Cartland  academy,  Lee,  N.  H.,  under  this  city  from  Newmarket  in  May,  1882, 
the  tutorship  of  that  well-known,  practi-  having  secured  a  situation  as  city  editor 
cal  educator,  Moses  A.  Cartland.  on   the   Belknap   Daily    Tocsin,  the  first 

Both  on  the  paternal  and  maternal  daily  newspaper  to  be  established  in 
sides  Judge  Thompson's  ancestry  were  Laconia.  Since,  from  time  to  time,  he 
Revolutionary  stock,  both  of  his  great  has  been  employed  in  every  newspaper 
grandfathers  serving  side  by  side  in  the  office  in  the  city.  During  the  past 
War  of  the  Revolution  at  Bunker  Hill,  dozen  years  he  has  also  acted  as  local 
His  paternal  ancestry  were  Scotch-Irish,  correspondent  for  the  Boston  Globe, 
while  those  of  his  mother  were  English,  and  Manchester  Union  for  several 
Her  less  remote  ancestry  were  the  Lord     years.      May     n,     1897,     he    was     ap- 


Judge  True  W.  Thompson. 


nearly  three 
and  a  half 
years.  He  nev- 
er made  appli- 
cation to  be  ad- 
mitted to  the 
bar,  preferring 
to  take  journal- 
ism as  a  profes- 
sion, he  having 
been  engaged 
in  that  calling 
to  some  extent 
for  about  fifteen 
years  previous, 
and  for  which 
he  still  retained 
a  great  liking. 
He  is  one  of 
a  family  of  two 
sons  and  a 
daughter  ;  the 
latter  resides  at 
Concord,  N.  H. 
Judge  Thomp- 
son is  not  mar- 
ried, although 


TIIK   ILLUSTRATED    LACOMAN. 


117 


pointed  associate  justice  of  the  Laconia 
police  court  by  Governor  Ramsdell.  At 
the  biennial  election  in  [898,  he  was 
elected  register  of  probate  for  Belknap 
county  for  a  term  of  two  years.  In 
politics  he  is  an  ardent  Republican, 
having  held  the  position  of  president  of 
the  Republican  club  in  Ward  4  since 
the  city  was  incorporated  in  1893. 

Judge  Thompson  is  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  as  a  newspaper  man.  Dur- 
ing all  the  years  of  his  extensive  literary 
work  he  has  served  the  public  with  con- 
scientious fidel- 
ity. No  jour- 
nalist ever  had 
greater  respect 
for  private  right 
than  has  Judge 
Thompson.  He 
has  never  rude- 
ly tresp  a  s  s  e  d 
upon  p  u  r  e 1 y 
personal  mat- 
ters to  gratify 
a  depraved  ap- 
petite for  scan- 
dal or  sensa- 
tion, always 
working  alo  n  g 
a  line  of  legit- 
imate journal- 
ism, incurring 
the  respect  and 
con  fidence  of 
the  people. 
Not  h  i  n  g  was 
ever  contribut- 
ed by  his  pen 
to    poison    and  Herman  C 

i  n  fl  a  m  e     the 

public  mind  ;  on  the  contrary  his  news- 
paper work  has  ever  been  clean  and 
praiseworthy.  Judge  Thompson  is  lib- 
eral, fair-minded,  companionable,  and 
unselfish.  His  purpose  as  a  man  and 
as  a  judge  is  to  do  right.  While  his 
judgments  are  all  tempered  with  mercy, 
no  real  offender  can  hope  to  escape. 


Herman  C.  Weymouth. 

Herman   C.   Weymouth,   superintend- 
ent   of    the    Belknap   county  farm    and 


jailer  of  the  county  jail,  is  a  native  of 
that  part  of  old  Gilmanton  which  is 
now  Belmont,  and  was  born  Feb.  9, 
1S46.  He  attended  the  district  schools 
and  also  the  academies  at  Gilmanton 
and  New  Hampton.  When  at  the  age 
of  twenty  years  he  engaged  in  the  meat 
and  provision  business  at  boston,  where 
he  remained  about  three  years  and  then 
returnedto  Belmont.  In  1S71  he  married 
Miss  Abbie  L.  Smith,  youngest  daughter 
of  Mr.  Daniel  P.  Smith  of  Meredith. 
His  family  consists  of  two  daughters, 
Misses  Maude 
and  blanche 
We  y  m  o  uth  of 
this  city.  When 
in  Belmont  Mr. 
Weymouth  was 
inter  ested  in 
the  Fre  e-w  i  1  1 
baptist  church 
and  worked 
hard  for  the 
support  of  mu- 
sic, which  was 
highly  appreci- 
ated. In  1880 
he  removed  to 
Meredith  where 
he  engaged  in 
the  s  u m  m  e r 
boarding-house 
business.  H  e 
later  en  g  a  g  ed 
with  Prof.  G. 
1 1,  brown  i  n 
extensive  farm- 
ing and  s  u  111  - 
mer  boarding. 
In  [885  he  pur- 
chased a  large  place  in  Andover,  N.  H, 
where  he  carried  on  a  prosperous 
dairy  business  in  connection  with  a  large 
boarding-house  for  summer  guests. 

In  1896  he  bought  and  built  a  resi- 
dence in  Laconia,  where  he  has  since 
lived.  In  1898  he  was  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  Belknap  count}-  farm. 
While  residing  in  Belmont  he  was  elect- 
ed superintendent  of  schools  and  also 
filled  the  offices  of  selectman  and  road 
agent  in  Andover.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Honor,  Aurora  lodge,  No. 


Weymouth. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


708,  of  this  city,  and  was  a  prominent 
member  of  Highland  Lake  grange  at 
East  Andover.  He  has  never  aspired  to 
political  fame,  but  has  rather  preferred  to 
attend  to  his  own  business  which  he 
believes  to  be  more  profitable.  He  has 
a  large  circle  of  friends  in  Belknap  and 
Merrimack  counties  whom  he  has  won 
by  fair  and  honest  dealing  and  attend- 
ing strictly  to  his  own  business.  As 
superintendent  of  the  Belknap  farm  he  is 
not  only  well  liked  by  the  inmates  of  the 
establishment  but  is  efficient  and  faith- 
ful as  a  public  servant  in  the  rather  try- 
ing duties  of  this  position. 


he  left  Laconia  and  went  West,  where  he 
enlisted  in  the  First  Illinois  Light  Ar- 
tillery, Jan.  4,  1862.  He  was  discharged 
in  April,  1864,  but  re-enlisted  March, 
1865,  in  A  Co.  of  the  Seventh  Illi- 
nois Cavalry,  and  was  mustered  out 
Nov.  20,  1865,  at  Springfield,  111.,  and 
immediately  took  the  train  for  Laconia, 
where  his  family  had  preceded  him.  He 
arrived  here  Nov.  23,  and  has  been  a 
resident  of  Laconia  since  that  date. 
Mr.  Baldwin  was  engaged  in  but  two 
battles  during  his  service  in  the  army, 
but  they  were  both  engagements  of  con- 
siderable importance,  Donaldson  and 
Shiloh.  He  is  a  charter  member  of 
John  L.  Perley,  Jr.,  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
also  a  charter  member  of  Pontauhum 
Tribe,  No.  18,  Improved  Order  of  Red 
Men. 

Mr.  Baldwin  married  Mary  E.  Bent- 
ley,  of  Mt.  Vernon,  111.,  and  has  three 
children,  Charles  G.,  Media  B.,  and 
James  S.,  the  two  former  born  in  Mt. 
Vernon,  and  the  latter  first  saw  the  light 
of  day  in  Laconia. 

Mr.  Baldwin  has  always  been  a  strong 
Republican,  and  has  been  honored  by 
his  party  by  election  as  supervisor  of 
check-lists  under  the  old  town  govern- 
ment, chairman  of  supervisors  for  two 
years  under  the  city  government,  select- 
man of  Ward  three  for  three  years,  and 
in  1898  was  elected  sheriff  of  Belknap 
county,  which  office  he  assumed  April  1, 
1S99. 

Mr.  Baldwin  is  not  a  member  of  any 
church,  but  believes  with  the  Unitarians, 
in  one  God. 


Sheriff  Charles  W.  Baldwin. 


Sheriff  Charles  W.  Baldwin. 


Martin  B.  Plummer. 


Charles  W.  Baldwin,  sheriff  of  Bel- 
knap county,  and  more  familiarly  known 
as  "  Warren  "  Baldwin,  is  a  native  of 
Hillsboro,  born  April  3,  183S.  He  came 
to  Meredith  Bridge,  now  Laconia,  when 
a  mere  boy.  and  was  educated  in  our 
public  schools.  Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  joiner 
by  trade,  and  was  for  nearly  thirty  years 
employed  by  the  Laconia  Car  company 
in  this  city. 

When  less  than   seventeen   years  old 


Martin  Bartlett  Plummer,  register  of 
deeds  for  Belknap  county  since  1892, 
was  born  at  Meredith  on  the  nth  day 
of  October,  1844,  and  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  that  town.  In  1863 
he  came  to  Lakeport  to  learn  the  ma- 
chinist trade  in  the  shops  of  B.  J.  Cole, 
and  worked  thereuntil  April  14th,  1864, 
when  he  went  to  Concord  and  enlisted 
in  Co.  A,  First  New  Hampshire  cavalry 
for  three  vears.     Mr.    Plummer  went  to 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


E19 


the    front   with   his    regiment    and    first  the  Belknap    County    Fish    and    Game 

served  under  Gen.  Wilson.  The  regiment  League. 

went  on  the  "Wilson   raid,"    and    was  Mr.  Plummer  married  Ellen  L.  Cook, 

then    sent   into  the   Shenandoah    valley  daughter  of    Danford  Cook  of   Gilman- 

under   Gen.   Sheridan   and   served   until  ton    Iron    Works.  Nov.  29,  1866.      Four 

the  close  of  the  war.  children    have   been    born    to    Mr.  and 

After    being     mustered    out     of     the  Mrs.  Plummer,  two  of  whom  died   while 

United    States    service,    Mr.    Plummer  quite  young;   Mabel  E.  married  Amber 

lived  in  Gilmanton  Iron  Works  until  the  R.    Connor,  and    is    now   clerk    in    the 


fall  of  186S,  when  he  removed  to  Mere- 
dith where  he  remained  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  year  in  Waterville  until  1872, 
at  which  time  he  came  to  Laconia  and 
has  resided  here  since  that  date. 

Mr.  Plummer 
was  empl  oy  e  d 
for  some  years 
at  the  shops  of 
Gardner  Cook 
&  Son,  also  at 
the  Laconia  car 
shops  and  the 
shops  of  George 
W.  Riley.  In 
May,  1S92,  he 
was  appointed 
clerk  of  the  La- 
conia police 
court,  which 
office  he  holds 
at  the  present 
time.  In  the 
November  elec- 
tion of  1892, 
Mr.  PI  u  m  m  er 
was  elected  reg- 
ister of  deeds 
for  the  county 
of  Belknap  and 
he  has  been  re- 
elected to  the 
same    office    by 

large  majorities  at  every  election  since 
1892.  Mr.  Plummer  is  a  Republican  in 
politics. 

Mr.  Plummer  is  a  member  of  John  L. 
Perley,  Jr..  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  having  served 
as   its  commander,   and   also   served    in  Judge  Frank  ML  Beckford,  one  of  the 

the  department  on  the  council  of  ad-  best-known  members  of  Laconia's  legal 
ministration,  and  was  in  1895  elected  fraternity,  is  a  native  of  Salem,  New 
by  the  department  a  delegate  to  the  Hampshire,  born  Oct.  [3,  1851.  He 
National  Encampment  which  was  held  was  educated  at  Tilton  seminary  and 
at  Louisville,  Kentucky.  He  is  also  a  New  Hampton  Literary  [nstitution,  and 
member   of   the    Pilgrim    Fathers    and     before  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the 


.Martin    S.  Plummer. 


register  of  deeds  office  of  Belknap 
county,  and  Fred  D.  is  a  student  in  the 
Pernin  Shorthand  school  in  Boston, 
Mass. 

Belknap  county  has  been  remark- 
ably fortunate 
in  having  care- 
ful and  popu- 
lar officials  in 
the  register  of 
deeds  office,  and 
••Mart"  Plum- 
mer is  surely  no 
exception  to 
this  rule.  He 
receives  m  a  n  y 
votes  from  the 
opposition  po- 
litical party  and 
always  leads  all 
other  candi- 
dates on  his 
party  ticket. 
Belknap  county 
people  are  evi- 
dently satisfied 
to  retain  Mr. 
Plu  m  m  er  as 
their  register  of 
deeds  and  he 
can  undoubted- 
ly hold  the  po- 
sition as  long 
as   he   desires  to  retain  it. 


Judge  Frank  M.  Beckford, 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


legal  profession,  was  connected  with 
various  mercantile  pursuits  and  the 
hotel  business.  He  first  entered  the 
dry  goods    house    of    Brooks    Bros.,    at 

Haverhill,  Mass.,  where  he  remained 
six  years,  and  then  went  to  Boston, 
where  he  was  head  salesman  in  the 
large  carpet  house  of  Judkins  &  Muc- 
cullough,  afterwards  with  the  well-known 
firm  of  Jordan  &  Marsh.  Later  he  went 
to  the  town 
of  Bristol, 
New  Hamp- 
shire, and 
engaged  in 
the  manufac- 
ture of  wool- 
en goods.  It 
was  here  that 
he  began  the 
study  of  law 
in  the  office 
of  George  A. 
Emerson, 
Esq. 

Judge  Beck- 
ford  came  to 
Laconia  in 
the  year 
i  S  8  4,  a  n  d 
pur  chased 
the  Laconia 
hotel  busi- 
ness, as  it 
was  then 
called.  He 
changed  the 
name  of  the 
house,  Hotel 
Wonolancet , 
and  conduct- 
ed the  establishment  successfully  for  a 
few  years. 

He  resumed  the  study  of  law  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  late  Col.  Thomas  J.  Whipple, 
and  after  being  admitted  to  practice, 
became  the  partner  of  this  widely-known 
attorney,  and  upon  Colonel  Whipple's 
decease  in  1SS9,  Judge  Beckford  suc- 
ceeded to  the  large  practice. 

Judge  Beckford  has  always  been  an 
active  Republican,  and  has  generally 
been    upon    the    stump  during   most    of 


Judge  Frank  M.  Beckford. 


the  political   campaigns  since  attaining 
his  majority. 

He  represented  Laconia  as  a  member 
of  the  last  constitutional  convention  for 
the  state  of  New  Hampshire,  was  ap- 
pointed justice  of  the  Laconia  police 
court  in  1892,  and  held  the  position 
until  1895,  when  he  resigned;  elected 
solicitor  of  Belknap  county  in  1896,  and 
re-elected    in    the    fall    of    1S98,    which 

office  he  now 
holds. 

Judge  Beck- 
ford is  prom- 
inent  and 
takes  gr  e  a  t 
interest  in 
the  vari  o  u  s 
fraternal  so- 
cieties. He 
is  a  member 
of  Mt.  Bel- 
knap lodge, 
K  n  ights  of 
Pythias  of 
Laconia,  and 
is  also  a 
m  e  m  b  er  of 
the  Supreme 
lodge,  and 
holds  the 
position  of 
supreme  rep- 
resenta  t  i  v  e 
for  this  state 
in  that  or- 
der ;  he  is  a 
m  e  m  ber  of 
C h ocorua 
lodge,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  of  La- 
conia, and  Pontahaum  Tribe  of  Red 
Men,  being  a  member  of  the  Great 
Council  for  New  Hampshire,  and  is  a 
member  of  Laconia  Commandery,  U.  O. 
G.  C,  Laconia  grange,  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, and  a  member  of  the  State  and 
National  Grange.  He  is  also  an  active 
member  of  the  military  branch  in  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  to  his  efforts 
is  largely  due  the  fact  that  New  Hamp- 
shire has  a  brigade  formation  of  the 
Uniform  Rank.      He  holds  the  position 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


of  assistant  judge  advocate-general  upon 
General  Hoyt's  staff ;  also  an  active 
member  of  the  Laconia  Board  of  Trade, 
and  is  interested  in  nearly  all  the  local 
enterprises  of  a  public  nature. 

Judge  Beckford's  law  practice  is  a 
large  and  lucrative  one,  he  being  an 
able  pleader,  and  one  of  our  most  suc- 
cessful lawyers. 

Judge  Beckford  is  married  and  has 
one  son,  Dr.  Henry  S.   Beckford. 


Mark  M.   Robinson. 


Mark  M.  Robinson,  of  the  well-known 
furniture  es- 
tablishment of 
Knight  &  Rob- 
inson, and  the 
treasurer  of 
Belknap  county 
since  1892,  was 
born  in  Mere- 
dith, N.  H.,  on 
August  2  2d, 
1853.  He  was 
educated  in  the 
public  schools 
and  at  Til  ton 
seminary.  In 
his  early  man- 
hood, Mr.  Rob- 
inson learned 
the  jeweler's 
trade  with  the 
old  firm  of  S.  E. 
Young  &  Co., 
and  he  after- 
waids  car  r  i  e  d 
on  the  jewelry 
business  for 
himself,  for  a 
period  of  about 
eight  years,  both  at  Lakeport  and  Laco- 
nia. 

About  twelve  years  ago,  Mr.  Robin- 
son bought  out  the  interest  of  the  late 
Franklin  Mansur  in  the  furniture  estab- 
lishment then  conducted  under  the  firm 
name  of  Mansur  lS:  Knight,  one  of  the  old- 
est furniture  concerns  in  this  section  of 
New  Hampshire.  He  formed  a  part- 
nership   with    Mr.    William    F.    Knight, 


Mark   M. 


under  the  style  of  Knight  &  Robinson, 
which  partnership  still  continues.  Car- 
petings  and  upholstery  departments 
have  been  added  to  the  business  in  re- 
cent years,  and  the  firm  carry  one  of 
the  largest  stocks  to  be  found  in  their 
line  in  this  vicinity,  and  have  always 
enjoyed  a  most  successful  and  pros- 
perous business. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  married  May  [3, 
1880,  to  Charlotte  L.  Moore.  They 
have  no  children. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows, 
Masons,  and  Royal  Arcanum,  having 
held  numerous  offices  in  all  of  these 
orders,  being  a 
Past  Master  of 
Mt.  Lebanon 
lodge,    No.    32, 

IF.     &     A.     M.. 
tk  a     Past    High 

Priest  of  Union 
chapter.   No.  7, 
F,  R.    A.   M.,  and 

T.  I.  Master  of 
Pyt  h  ago  re  an 
council,  No.  6, 
R.  &  S.  M. 

In  politics, 
Mr.  Robi  n  son 
is  a  Republi- 
can. He  was 
elected  t  r  e  .1  s  - 
urer  of  Belknap 
countv  in  the 
year  1S92.  and 
has  been  re- 
elected to  the 
same  office  at 
every  subse- 
quent    election 

Robinson.  since    that  cbte- 


County  Commissioner  J,  F.  Smith. 

Although  a  legal  resident  of  the 
neighboring  village  of  Meredith  Centre, 
County  Commissioner  Joseph  F.  Smith 
is  one  of  our  Belknap  county  officials 
who  makes  his  business  headquarters 
in  this  city,  and  lie  has  been  a  familiar 
figure  on  our  streets  for  several  years 
past,  and  will   continue  to  be,   since  he 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


is  again  chairman  of  the  board  of  com- 
missioners for  1899  and  1900. 

Joseph  Frank  Smith,  the  youngest 
son  of  Daniel  P.  and  Abigail  (Dolloff) 
Smith,  was  born  on  the  same  spot  where 
his  residence  now  stands,  in  the  year 
1848,  Sept.  12.  He  was  the  ninth  in  a 
family  of  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are 
now  living,  one  dying  in  infancy,  and 
one  brother,  Oilman  Smith,  was  killed 
in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  The 
father,  Daniel  P.  Smith,  is  still  living, 
at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  and  is 
remarkably  well 
preserved,  and 
appears  to  en- 
joy life. 

Joseph  F . 
Smith  left  home 
at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years, 
and  attended 
school  at  New 
Hampton,  and 
in  1867  went 
to  work  at  the 
New  Hamp- 
shire Insane 
Asylum,  under 
the  late  Jesse 
P.  Bancroft,  to 
w  h  o  m  he  is 
indebted  for  a 
great  deal  o  f 
good  advice.  In 
1872,  Mr.  Smith 
went  to  Nash- 
ua, and  was  em- 
ployed as  a 
clerk  in  a  store. 
The  folio  wi  n  g 
year  he  entered  the  employ  of  Bridge- 
man  &  Co.,  48  Bedford  street,  Boston, 
dealers  in  woolen  goods,  and  in  a  few 
weeks  was  sent  out  on  the  road  by  the 
firm  to  solicit  orders.  He  remained 
with  this  firm  one  year,  and  then  con- 
nected himself  with  the  Franklin  Woolen 
Co.,  of  Franklin  Falls,  N.  H.,  with  head- 
quarters in  Boston,  continuing  with  this 
concern  until  April,  1S93.  During  the 
time  he  was  connected  with  the  Franklin 
Woolen  Co.,  he  had  full  control  of  the 
selling   end   of  their   business,  and  per- 


Joseph  F.  Smith. 


sonally   sold   nearly  all   their  goods    in 
the  New  England  states. 

He  was  married  in  1881  to  C.  Isabel 
Robinson,  youngest  daughter  of  Thomas 
J.  and  Eliza  (Glidden)  Robinson  of 
Laconia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have 
been  the  parents  of  eight  children  : 
Rachel  Gertrude,  Daniel  Thomas  (who 
died  in  infancy),  Joseph  Frank,  Jr., 
Mary  Eriline,  Barbara  Eloise,  Robinson 
Wayland,  Frederick,  and  Maurice  Pres- 
ton. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  strong 
Re  p  u  b  1  i  c  a  n  , 
and  he  has  re- 
ceived numer- 
ous political 
honors.  He 
represented  the 
town  of  Mere- 
dith in  the  legis- 
lature in  1889, 
was  selectman 
of  Meredith 
in  1 S  9  3  and 
1894,  was  elect- 
ed a  commis- 
sioner of  Bel- 
knap county  in 
November, 
1894,  was  re- 
elected in  1896. 
and  elected  for 
the  third  time 
in  1  8  9  S  .  He 
has  served  as 
chairman  of  the 
board  since 
1896,  and  is 
chairman  of  the 
present  board. 
In  secret  societies,  Mr.  Smith  is  a 
member  of  Chocorua  lodge  of  Masons 
at  Meredith  and  Union  chapter  of 
Laconia.  He  is  also  a  Knight  of  Pyth- 
ias, and  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
fraternity.  He  is  a  member  of  Winni- 
pesaukee  grange  at  Meredith  and  of 
Belknap  County  Pomona  grange. 

Mr.  Smith  resides  on  the  Smith  farm 
on  the  shores  of  Wickwas  lake,  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  small  lakes  of 
New  Hampshire. 

As   a  public   official,   Mr.    Smith   has 


THE  ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


123 


evidently  given  satisfaction  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Belknap  county,  as  is  indicated 
by  his  re-election  for  a  third  term,  an 
honor  which  has  been  rarely  if  ever  be- 
stowed upon  any  candidate.  He  is  a 
strong  man  in  all  business  affairs  and 
an  officer  of  unusual  executive  ability. 


Commissioner   Oscar    Foss. 


County  Commissioner  Oscar  Foss,  of 
Barnstead,  one  of  the  most  wide-awake 
and  prosperous  business  men  of  Bel- 
knap county, 
was  born  in 
Barnstead,  N. 
H.,  Nov.  17, 
1845,  and  was 
a  son  of  Eli  H. 
and  Mary  A. 
(Furber)  Foss. 

Eli  H.  Foss, 
who  was  born 
in  Barnstead, 
July  16,  18 19, 
married,  in 
1S43,  Mary  A. 
Furber,  of  Al- 
ton, N.  H.  She 
was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Edmond 
Furber,  a  well- 
known  farmer 
and  bu sin  ess 
m  an,  a  n  d  a 
leader  in  church 
work,  and  w  ho 
lived  to  be  nine- 
ty-five years  old. 
She  died  in 
1888,  at  the  age 

of  seventy.  Eli  H.  Foss,  now  living  in 
Barnstead,  learned  the  blacksmith  trade 
of  Asa  Garland,  of  North  Barnstead,  and 
followed  that  business  most  of  the  time 
for  fifty  years. 

Oscar  Foss  was  the  only  son  and  the 
oldest  of  four  children.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Barnstead  and  at  Pittstield  academy. 
He  attended  the  latter  institution  in  the 
winter  season,  spending  the  remainder 
of  the  year  in  his  father's  blacksmith 
shop,  learning  the  trade. 


Oscar  Foss 


<  >n  Nov,  5,  187  1,  Mr.  Foss  was  joined 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  U.  Young, 
a  daughter  of  Oliver  H.  P.  and  Emily  J. 
(Tuttle)  Young.  Mr.  Young  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  and  was  born  on  Beauty 
hill.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Centre 
Barnstead.  He  enlisted  in  the  12th 
N.  H.  regiment,  and  served  three  years 
in  the  Civil  War. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  Mr.  Foss 
purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  water- 
power  sawmill  at  Centre  Barnstead, 
N.  H.,  in  company  with  Nathaniel 
Blaisdell.  At 
the  end  of  one 
year  his  partner 
died,  and  Mr. 
Foss  bought  the 
other  half,  and 
has  since  car- 
ried on  the  bus- 
iness alone,  re- 
c  e  i  v  i  n  g  the 
greater  part  of 
the  trade  from 
the  locality. 
Not  con  fining 
his  attention  to 
this  particular 
mill,  ho  we  ve  r , 
he  has  been 
quite  extensive- 
ly engaged  in 
buying  lots  and 
putting  in  tem- 
porary mills. 
and  pre  pa  r  i  n  g 
the  lumber  for 
the  market  and 
shipping  it  to 
different  large 
cities.  His  first  trial  in  this  direction 
was  the  purchase  of  a  timber  lot  in 
North  wood.  Since  then  the  business 
has  greatly  increased. 

In  1895,  '96,  '97,  '98  he  had  live  mills 
in  operation  most  of  the  time.  He 
handles  large  amounts  of  cord  wood, 
bark,  pulp  wood,  and  lumber.  When  he 
stalled  in  the  mill  business  he  was 
obliged  to  go  into  debt  for  the  most  of 
his  contracts  and  real  estate  purchases. 
At  the  time  the  barnstead  shoe  factory 
was   built,   he    was   one   of    the    leading 


124 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


promoters  of  the  enterprise,  and  he  is 
now  the  owner  of  the  plant.  When  the 
question  of  bringing  new  business  into 
town  arises,  he  is  the  one  chosen  to 
confer  with  and  to  influence  desirable 
parties  to  locate  here.  He  was  one  of 
the  prime  movers  in  getting  the  railroad 
and  telephone.  As  an  individual  he 
has  done  much  for  the  welfare  of  the 
town.  He  has  never  forgotten  his  strug- 
gle for  prosperity,  and  is  ever  ready  to 
assist  any  ambitious  young  man  who  is 
deserving  of  help. 

Mr.  Foss  has 
from  the  first 
been  a  staunch 
Re  publican, 
and  a  very  ac- 
tive worker  for 
the  princi  pies 
of  his  party. 
When  he  be- 
came a  voter 
the  vote  of  the 
town  was  three 
to  one  Demo- 
cratic, and  for 
the  first  time, 
in  1S96,  the  Re- 
publicans had  a 
majority.  Mr. 
Foss  has  been 
town  treasurer, 
and  in  1 S  9  6 
was  elected  su- 
pervisor, and  in 
1898  was  elect- 
ed one  of  the 
county  commis- 
sioners of  Bel- 
knap county, 
having  the  largest  vote  of  the  board.  As 
a  justice  of  the  peace,  he  writes  deeds 
and  mortgages  and  does  other  legal 
duties. 


Jonathan  C.  Shannon 


Commissioner  Jonathan   C.  Shannon. 


Jonathan  Coffin  Shannon,  the  Demo- 
cratic member  of  the  Board  of  Belknap 
County  Commissioners,  and  the  only 
Democratic  official  who  now  holds  office 
in   this  county,  was  born  in  Barn  stead, 


N.  H.,  Nov.  29,  1842,  the  son  of  Stephen 
and  Ann   P.  (Chase)  Shannon.      He  re- 
moved   to  Gilmanton   with    his  parents 
when  five  years  old,  and  was  educated 
in  the   public  schools  of  Gilmanton  and 
at   Gilmanton    academy.       When    nine- 
teen  years   of  age,   Mr.  Shannon   came 
to  Laconia  and  entered  the  employ  of 
Folsom    &    Smith,    general    merchants. 
He   went  into   business   for   himself  in 
1865    in    the    grocery    trade,    and    con- 
tinued under  various  partnerships  until 
about    1S94.       For   the   past  few  years 
Mr.    Sh  annon 
has    devoted 
himself    to    the 
auctione  e  r  i  n  g 
business,  with 
excellent    suc- 
cess,   and    has 
won  a  wide  rep- 
utation  for    his 
efficiency  in  this 
line.      He    also 
conducts  a  sec- 
ond-hand furni- 
ture   store    and 
auction    rooms, 
being  located  in 
Masonic  T  e  m  - 
pie  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Polit  i  c  a  1 1  y  , 
Mr.  Shannon  is 
a  Democrat, 
and  he  was 
elected  overseer 
of  the  poor  for 
seven  years.  In 
1890  he  was 
elected  to  the 
board  of  county  commissioners,  and 
served  one  term,  being  reelected  in  1898, 
at  which  time  he  was  the  only  success 
ful  candidate  on  his  party  ticket. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, including  Pilgrim  commandery, 
Knights  Templar,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men. He  is  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational church.  He  was  married  Jan. 
28,  1866,  to  Miss  Ella  A.  Jewett  of  Gil- 
ford, daughter  of  Samuel  S.  and  Edith  A. 
Jewett. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


I25 


As  a  county  official,  Mr.  Shannon 
has  always  been  popular  with  all  classes 
of  people,  and  at  the  same  time  he  has 
been  a  faithful  and  conscientious  pub- 
lic servant,  always  acting  as  seemed  in 
his  judgment  to  be  for  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  taxpayers  and  community. 


Dr.  Henry  C  Wells. 


One  of  the  most  public-spirited  and 
busiest  of  Laconia's  medical  profession 
is    Dr.    Henry    C.    Wells,    a    native    of 
Bristol,   N.   H., 
born  Feb.    2  4  , 
1856.  Dr.  Wells 
obtained    his 

preparatory  ed-  *_^ 

ucation    in    the  "V""* 

public  schools, 
and  then  at- 
tended New 
Hampton  Lit- 
erary Inst  it  u- 
tion,Tilton  sem- 
inary, and  Kim- 
b  a  1  1  Union 
Academy    at  .$S 

Meriden,  N.  H., 
graduating  from 
M e  r  i  d  e  n  in 
j  S74.  He  read 
medicine  with 
Dr.  J.  M.  Bish- 
op of  Bristol , 
and  graduated 
M.  D.  at  St. 
Louis  Hahne- 
mann Medical 
College,  of  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  in 
1876.  He  came  to  Laconia  in  1879, 
and  has  been  here  ever  since,  enjoying 
a  large  practice  not  only  in  Laconia  but 
in  nearly  all  the  surrounding  territory. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  was 
elected  county  physician  for  Belknap 
county  in  1890,  and  has  held  the  posi- 
tion with  the  exception  of  one  term 
since  that  time.  He  was  city  physician 
in  1896  and  again  in  1898.  In  secret 
orders  Dr.  Wells  is  an  (  >dd  fellow  and 
a  Red  Man,  a  member  of  the  Patri- 
archs   Militant    in    connection    with    his 


Odd  Fellowship,  and  also  a  member  of 
Ridgely  Association,  of  Worcester, 
Mass., 'and  X.  E.  ( >.  P. 

During  his  twenty  years'  residence  in 
Laconia,  Dr.  Wells  has  won  a  reputa- 
tion as  a  skilful  physician  and  surgeon, 
and  has  made  a  special  study  of  chil- 
dren's cases,  which  has  brought  him 
much  practice  in  this  line. 

He  is  an  active  worker  in  the  Repub- 
lican ranks,  taking  great  interest  in  all 
political  events,  both  local  and  national. 
He  is  also  interested  in  all  movements 
of  a  public  na- 
ture f  o  r  the 
growth  and  de- 
velopment of 
Laconia,  and 
generally  rinds 
time  from  his 
professional  du- 
ties to  lend  a 
helping  hand  in 
any  enterprise 
of  this  nature  in 
which  he  is  in- 
terested. 


Laconia 
Electric    Light- 
ing; Co. 


Dr.  Henry  C.  Wells. 


Laconia  has 
always  kept 
pace  with  the 
outside  world  in 
the  sp  e e d v 
adoption  of  all 
the  modem  in- 
ven  tions  and 
conven  iences 
which  have  been  introduced  with  such 
rapidity  during  the  past  fifty  years, 
including  the  telegraph,  telephone,  elec- 
tric cars,  gas,  and  electric  lights.  The 
Laconia  Electric  Lighting  Company 
established  the  first  central  electric 
lighting  station  in  the  state  of  New 
Hampshire.  This  company  was  or| 
ized  December  26,  1884,  with  Dennis 
O'Shea  as  president  and  treasurer; 
Frank  H.  Champlin,  clerk  and  general 
manager.  The  capital  stock  at  that 
time   was   but   84,000,   and   the  central 


126 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


station  was  in  the  basement  of  the  brick 
Belknap  mill.  The  electric  lights  were 
introduced  in  this  city  both  for  public 
street  lighting  and  for  commercial  light- 
ing, and  proved  popular  from  the  very 
start.  The  central  station  remained  in 
the  Belknap  mills  until  October,  1889, 
when  the  business  increased  so  as  to 
outgrow  the  accommodations,  and  the 
plant  was  removed  to  the  lumber  works 
of  Gardner  Cook  &  Son,  where  it  was 
operated  until  January,  1893,  at  which 
time  the  dynamos  and  other  machinery 
were  removed  to  the  new  power  station, 
fitted  up  by  the  corporation  at  Lakeport. 
The  power  station  at  Lakeport  is  one  of 
the  best  arranged  and  most  convenient 
for  the  electric  lighting  business  to  be 
found  in  New   Hampshire.     The  power 


■  Hill    1 1 1  r  l 

II  *  «  | 

Laconia  Electric  Lighting  Station. 


is  obtained  by  powerful  water-wheels 
which  are  located  at  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Winnipesaukee,  and  which  furnishes  the 
most  reliable  motive  power  possible  to 
be  obtained  anywhere.  The  increase  of 
business  has,  of  course,  made  it  neces- 
sary to  invest  in  new  machinery  from 
time  to  time,  and  the  corporation  has 
always  responded  promptly  to  all  de- 
mands for  increased  service.  They  now 
furnish  nearly  one  hundred  arc  street 
lights  of  2,000  candle-power  for  light- 
ing the  streets  of  the  city  of  Laconia, 
besides  many  commercial  arc  lights, 
and  a  large  number  of  incandescent 
lights  for  the  illumination  of  stores,  pub- 
lic   buildings,    and    private    residences. 


The  corporation  has  always  made  a  point 
of  furnishing  lights  of  standard  quality 
and  it  can  be  truthfully  stated  that  no 
city  in  New  England  has  better  electric 
lights  than  the  city  on  the  lakes. 

The  corporation  has  increased  its  cap- 
ital stock  from  time  to  time,  until  from 
the  small  beginning  with  only  $4,000 
capital,  it  now  has  a  capital  of  $45,000. 

The  present  officers  of  the  concern 
are  :  Directors,  Dennis  O'Shea,  [ohn 
F.  Merrill,  Jefferson  Gilbert,  Frank  P. 
Holt,  Addison  G.  Cook,  Gardner  Cook, 
and  Albert  G.  Folsom;  president,  Den- 
nis O'Shea  ;  clerk  and  treasurer,  Charles 
W.  Tyler ;  general  manager,  John  F. 
Merrill.  The  office  of  the  corporation 
is  at  No.  523  Main  street. 


Albert  G.  Folsom. 


For  the  past  fifty  years,  no  citizen 
of  Laconia  has  been  more  prominent 
in  financial,  real  estate,  and  business 
enterprises  of  all  kinds  than  Albert 
Gallatin  Folsom,  who  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  Laconia  Savings  bank  for 
over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  pres- 
ident of  the  People's  National  bank 
since  its  incorporation  in  May,  18S9, 
and  who  is,  also,  the  oldest  Odd  Fel- 
low in  Laconia.  Mr.  Folsom  was  born 
in  Laconia,  Oct.  12,  18 16,  son  of  Jon- 
athan and  Sarah  (Rowe)  Folsom,  and 
he  comes  of  an  old  New  Hampshire 
family.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Dover,  N.  H.,  and  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  but  he  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers in  Meredith  Bridge,  and  opened  a 
way-side  tavern  here  on  Pleasant  street 
as  early  as  1813,  which  he  conducted 
succesfully  for  a  number  of  years.  This 
house  is  now  known  as  the  Atkinson 
residence.  He  owned  the  land  on 
Main  and  Pleasant  streets  above  the 
present  railroad  tracks,  and  was  a 
prominent  and  popular  citizen.  He 
represented  the  town  in  the  legislature 
in  1832.  He  died,  in  his  ninety-fourth 
year,  in  1872.  He  and  his  wife,  who 
was  a  native  of  Gilford,  were  the  pa- 
rents of  eleven  children,  of  whom  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  only  sur 
vivor. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


127 


Albert   G.   Folsom   was    born    in    the  associated   with    Mr.  Smith    in    erecting 

Pleasant    street    home,    and    was    edu-  the  Smith  block  on  the  opposite  side  of 

cated    in    the  common    schools  of  this  the    street.       lie    opened    the     Folsom 

town.      He  was    not  robust    as    a    boy,  opera   house   in    1862,   and  was   one  of 

and  was  unable  to  attend  school  regu-  the  organizers  and   prime  movers  of  the 

larly,  and  when  about  eleven  years  old  Laconia  street  railway  corporation.     He 


his  parents  sent  him  to  Portsmouth  to 
enter  a  store  kept  by  an  older  brother, 
in  the  hope  that  the  change  would  bene- 
fit his  health.  Commercial  life  aroused 
his  ambitions  and  improved  his  health, 
and  his  brother  eventuallv  went  West, 
leaving  h  i  m 
in  charge  of 
the  store.  In 
1836  he  re- 
turned  to 
Laconia,  and 
entered  the 
store  on  Mill 
street,  kept 
by  J  a  m  e  s 
Moline  a  ux , 
which  he  pur- 
chased about 
three  years 
later.  He 
af  te  r  w  aids 
took  in  Geo. 
F.  Bosher  as 
a  partner, 
and  this  part- 
nership con- 
tinued until 
i860.  In 
1857  he  pur- 
chased and 
moved  into 
the  Gove 
block  on 
Main  street, 
and  subse- 


A I  In  it  G.  Folsom. 


has  been  identified  with  the  Laconia 
Savings  bank  nearly  sixty  years,  being 
a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees 
about  1 84 1. 

Mr.  Folsom   has    been  twice  married. 
His  first  wife  was  ( (live   1!.  Robinson  of 

Gilford,  and 
of  four  chil- 
d  r  e  n  o  n  1  y 
one  now  sur- 
vives, Mrs. 
S  a  m  uel  I!. 
Smith.  His 
second  wife 
was  Miss  Im- 
ogen e  F . 
Harris  of 
Franc  0 n i  a  , 
and  the  y 
have  one 
daughter, 
Miss  Alber- 
ta. In  secret 
societies, 
Mr.  Folsom 
has  been 
quite  promi- 
nent, lie  is 
a  thirty-sec- 
ond degree 
Mason,  a 
m  e  m  b  e  r  of 
Pilgrim  com- 
mandery  of 
Knights 
T  e  m  p  1  a  r , 


quently  had  a  clothing  store  at  Cerro     and    Edward    A.    Raymond    Consistory, 


Gordo  place.  In  186 1  ex-Mayor  S.  1!. 
Smith  became  his  partner,  and  eight 
years  later  Mr.  Folsom  sold  out  his  in- 
terest in  the  business  and  retired  from 
mercantile  life. 


the  latter  at  Nashua.      He  has  filled  al 
the    chairs    in    W'innipiseogee    lodge    of 
Odd    Fellows,  and    is  a  member  of  the 
Laconia  encampment. 

Although  in  poor  health  until    he  was 


Mr.  Folsom  has  a  well-earned  repu-  about  twenty  years  old,  Mr.  Folsom 
tation  as  a  sagacious  and  prudent  busi-  now  enjoys  excellent  health  for  a  man 
ness  man,  and  a  wise  financier.  He  of  his  years,  appearing  much  younger 
has  been  identified  with  many  of  Laco-  than  he  actually  is,  and  attending 
nia's  more  important  enterprises.  He  personally  to  his  large  busness  inter- 
built    Folsom    block    in    1861,  and  was  ests. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


The  Crane  Manufacturing:  Co. 


The  Crane  Manufacturing  Co.,  of 
Lakeport,  is  known  in  every  city  and 
town  in  the  United  States  where  hosiery, 
underwear,  and  web  goods  are  manu- 
factured, and  the  numerous  knitting  ma- 
chines furnished  by  this  concern  have 
aided  materially  in  developing  and  pro- 
moting the  knit-goods  industry  in  this 
country.  The  production  of  nearly  every 
one  of  the  most  familiar  articles  of 
everyday  use  involves  the  assistance  of 
mechanical  contrivances  of  which  the 
grandparents  of  the  present  generation 


mensions  are  36  by  80  feet,  with  two 
wings,  one  22  feet  by  26  feet,  the  other 
18  feet  by  20  feet,  of  two  stories  each, 
with  cemented  basement,  and  operated 
by  a  steam  engine  built  by  Payne  of 
Elmira,  N.  Y.  Everything  that  skill  and 
attention  to  detail  can  devise  is  to  be 
found  in  this  machine  shop,  which  has 
a  Thomson-Houston  electric  plant,  from 
which  all  the  departments  are  lighted, 
the  capacity  being  one  hundred  incan- 
descent lights. 

The  concern  manufactures  circular 
spring-needle  knitting  machines  for 
underwear,  jersey  cloth,  rubber  linings, 


The  Crane  Manufacturing  Company. 


were  entirely  ignorant,  and  the  manu- 
facture of  stockinet,  eiderdown,  jersey 
cloth,  shirts,  drawers,  or  hosiery,  affords 
a  good  illustration  of  this  fact. 

The  Crane  Manufacturing  Co.  was  in- 
corporated in  1890,  but  was  originally 
established  in  1870,  as  J.  S.  Crane  &: 
Co.,  and  the  concern  has  won  a  wide- 
spread reputation  in  knit-goods  circles 
for  furnishing  such  machines  and  im- 
provements as  would  most  readily  ac- 
complish the  desired  object  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  the  goods  mentioned. 

The  commodious  and  well-arranged 
factory  of  the  Crane  Manufacturing  Co. 
consists  of  a  main    building:  whose   di- 


stockinets,  etc.,  also  circular  spring 
needle  knitting  machines  for  hosiery, 
latest  improved  stockinet  feeds,  of  the 
W.  &  J.  H.  Osborne  patents,  which  are 
owned  by  the  Crane  Co.,  also  remova- 
ble hardened-blade  burr  wheels,  with 
self-oiling  brackets.  The  Crane  ma- 
chines are  constructed  of  any  gauge 
and  diameter  desired,  fitted  and  put  to 
work  in  their  shops  before  they  are 
delivered  to  customers. 

To  those  interested  who  may  be  unac- 
quainted with  the  firm  it  might  be  said, 
that  the  Crane  Manufacturing  Co.'s 
business  is  conducted  upon  the  broad- 
est  basis   of   fairness   and    good   faith. 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


1 29 


John   S.  Crane. 

Mr.  John  S.  Crane,  the  head  of  the 
concern,  is  one  of  the  pioneer  man- 
ufacturers of  knitting  machinery, 
having  devoted  over  thirty-five  years 
to  manufacturing  and  perfecting  this 
class  of  machinery,  and  his  experi- 
ence is  certainly  worthy  of  consider- 
ation by  manufacturers  of  knit  goods 
and  valuable  to  the  establishment. 
The  officers  of  the  company  are  : 
President,  John  S.  Crane  ;  secretary 
and  treasurer,  M.  L.  Crane. 

John  Summerfield  Crane,  the  foun- 
der and  president  of  the  Crane  Man- 
ufacturing Co.,  was  born  in  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  Feb.  3,  1S34.  son  of  Lu- 
ther and  Rebecca  (Manter)  Crane. 
Mr.  Crane  is  a  direct  descendant  of 
Governor  Bradford  of  the  Massachu- 
setts colony.  He  received  a  common 
school  education,  and  attended  the 
Berwick  academy,  in  Maine.  As  a 
young  man  he  possessed  a  craving 
for  a  life  at  sea,  and  after  leaving 
school  he  shipped  on  a  clipper  bound 
for  India.  The  voyage  lasted  twen- 
ty-two months,  and  gave  young  Crane 

9 


a  trip  around  the  world  and  at  the 
same  time  cured  him  of  any  further 
desires  in  this  direction.  For  a  year 
he  was  busy  learning  the  machinist's 
trade  at  Salmon  Falls,  and  then  re- 
moved to  Lawrence  and  afterwards 
to  Lowell,  where  he  had  charge  of  a 
sewing-machine  factory. 

Subsequently  he  resided  in  Man- 
chester for  a  time,  and  then  went 
West  in  search  of  a  promising  busi- 
ness opening,  but  returned  and  finally 
located  in  Lakeport  in  1857,  where  he 
was  employed  by  Thomas  Appleton 
in  the  hosiery  business.  In  1862  lie 
formed  a  partnership  with  William 
Pepper  to  build  knitting  machines.  In 
1864  he  became  superintendent  of  the 
Winnipesaukee  Hosiery  Co.,  in  which 
he  was  part  owner,  and  in  1865,  hav- 
ing bought  out  his  partners  he  sold 
this  business  to  R.  M.  Bailey.  In  [879 
he  was  connected  with  the  late  Walter 
Aiken  of  Franklin  in  the  proprietor- 
ship of  the  Gilmore  revolving  diamond 
stone  dressing  machine.  In  1^7-  Mr. 
Crane  engaged  in  the   manufacture  of 


Mnzellah  L.  Crane. 


i3° 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


circular  knitting  machines,  the  firm  be- 
ing Crane  &  Peaslee.  The  following 
year  he  patented  a  machine  for  making 
shirts  and  underwear,  and  this  industry 
was  added  to  the  business.  In  1878  the 
firm  became  J.  S.  Crane  &  Company, 
and  in  1890  the  Crane  Manufacturing 
Co.  of  to-day  was  incorporated. 

Mr.  Crane  represented  Laconia  in 
the  New  Hampshire  legislature  in  1875, 
and  Gilford  in  the  legislature  of  1878. 
He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the 
Lake    Village    Savings    bank,    is    vice- 


tution.  after  which  he  entered  the 
machine  shops  of  his  father  and  ac- 
quired a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
machinist's  trade  and  a  familiarity  with 
the  business  by  labor  in  the  various  de- 
partments. In  1885  he  became  asso- 
ciated in  the  business  of  manufacturing 
knitting  machines  with  his  father,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Crane  Manufacturing 
Co.  Both  John  S.  Crane  and  Mazellah 
L.  Crane  are  men  of  recognized  com- 
mercial ability,  who  have  built  up  a 
large    industry    and    are  upon   a  sound 


m&£>***g&0Mj'W 


Residence  of  J.  S.  Crane. 


president  and  a  director  in  the  Lake- 
port  National  bank.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican.  He  is  a  thirty-second 
degree  Mason.  Mr.  Crane  married  in 
1856,  Clara  J.  Smith  of  Nashua.  He 
has  one  son,  Mazellah  L.  Crane,  who  is 
associated  with  him  in  business. 

Mazellah  L.  Crane,  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Crane  Manufacturing 
Co.,  was  born  in  Lakeport,  April  27, 
1858,  son  of  John  S.  and  Clara  (Smith) 
Crane,  the  only  child  of  his  parents. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Lake- 
port  and  New  Hampton   Literary  Insti- 


and  successful  financial  basis.  On  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1S96,  Mr.  Crane  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Fannie  E.  Taylor  of  La- 
conia. There  are  two  daughters  by  a 
previous  marriage.  Mr.  Crane  is  a  mem- 
ber of  PIndicott  Rock  lodge,  No.  20, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Lakeport. 


The    Melcher    &    Prescott    Insurance 
Agency. 


The  Melcher  &  Prescott  Insurance 
Agency  of  Laconia,  with  offices  at 
Smith    block,     rooms    6    and    7,    Main 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


'3i 


street,  and  Morgan  block,  766  Union 
avenue,  is  one  of  the  largest  and  oldest 
established  insurance  agencies  in  this 
section  of  New  Hampshire.  This 
agency  was  founded  in  1S62  by  Hon. 
Woodbury  L.  Melcher,  who  at  that  time 
represented  the  Phoenix  Fire  Insurance 
company  of  Hartford,  Conn.  The  in- 
surance business  rapidly  increased,  and 
in  1SS6  Mr.  True  E.  Prescott  was  taken 
into  the  concern  as  a  partner,  since 
which  time  it  has  been  known  as  the 
Melcher  &  Prescott  Agency.  In  189 1 
Mr.    Melcher's    private    business    inter- 


following    list  of  well-known    insurance 
companies  : 

Aachen  &  Munich  Fire  Ins.  Co.  of  Germany. 
.l.tna  Ins.  Co.  of  Hartford,  Conn. 
Agricultural  Ins.  Co.  of  Watertown,  X.  V. 
Commercial    Union   Assurance  Co.  of  London, 

England. 

Continental  Insurance  Co.  of  New  York. 

Insurance  Co.  of  North  America  of  Philadel- 
phia. 

Lancashire  Insurance  Co.  of  Manchester,  Eng- 
land. 

Magdeburg  Fire  Insurance  Co.  of  Germany. 

National  Fire  Ins.  Co.  of  Hartford,  Conn.' 

Niagara  Fire  Ins.  Co.  of  New  York. 

Palatine  Ins.  Co.  of  Manchester.  England. 

Phcenix  Assurance  Co.  of  London,  England. 


Residence  of  M.  L.  Crane. 


ests  became  so  great  that  it  was  neces- 
sary for  him  to  be  away  most  of  the 
time,  and  consequently  the  entire  busi- 
ness and  management  of  the  insurance 
agency  was  turned  over  to  Mr.  Prescott 
who  has  since  conducted  the  affairs  of 
the  concern.  This  agency  does  not  mix 
any  other  line  of  business  with  insur- 
ance, but  devotes  entire  attention  to 
this  branch  alone. 

From  the  one  insurance  company 
with  which  Mr.  Melcher  started  in  1862 
the  agency  has  gradually  and  carefully 
increased  its  facilities  until  the  Melcher 
&  Prescott   Agency  now   represents   the 


Phoenix  Ins.  c<>.  of  Hartford,  Conn. 

Phenix  Insurance  Co.  of  Brooklyn,  X.  V. 

Queen  Insurance  Co.  of  New  York. 

Springfield  Fire  &  Marine  Ins.  Co.  of  Spring- 
field, Mass. 

Williamsburg  City  Fire  Ins.  Co.  of  New  York. 

Boston  Insurance  Co.  of  Boston,  Mass. 

Greenwich  Ins.  Co.  of  New  \" < m  k . 

Traders  and  Mechanics  of  Powell,   Mass. 

Merchants' and  Fanners'  Ins.  Co.  of  Worcester, 
Mass. 

Concord  Mutual  Insurance  of  Concord,  V  II. 

Manufacturers' and  Merchants'  Mutual  Ins.  Co. 
of  Concord,  N.    II. 

Capital  Fire  Insurance  Co.  of  Concord.  N.  II. 

Fire  Underwriters'  Association  of  Concord, 
X.  II. 

( rranite  State  Fire  Insurance  <  )o.  of  Poi  tsmouth, 
N.  II. 


132 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


New   Hampshire   Fire  Ins.   Co.  of  Manchester, 

N.  H. 
Lloyd's  Plate  Glass  Ins.  Co.  of  New  York. 
Fidelity  and  Deposit  Co.  of  Baltimore,  Md. 
Maryland  Casualty  Co.  of  Baltimore,  Md. 
Employers'  Liability  Assurance  Corporation  of 

London,  England. 
Northwestern    Mutual    Life     Insurance    Co.    of 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 

This  long  list  of  strong  companies 
enables  the  agency  to  place  $200,000  or 
more  insurance  on  any  one  risk,  facili- 
ties which  are  unsurpassed  by  any  other 
agency     in     New     Hampshire.       Their 


vative  methods  of  the  Northwestern 
Mutual  have  won  the  admiration  of 
everyone  seeking  this  line  of  insurance, 
and  has  enabled  the  Melcher  &  Prescott 
Agency  to  establish  a  very  good  busi- 
ness in  this  line. 

The  accident  and  liability  depart- 
ment, which  was  hardly  known  a  few 
years  ago,  is  now  one  of  the  leading 
features  of  this  agency,  which  represents 
the  Employers'  Liability  Assurance 
company  of  London,  and  the  Maryland 
Casualty  Co.   of   Baltimore,  Md.,   which 


Melcher  &  Prescott's  Insurance  Office. 


business  is  not  confined  to  Laconia  and 
vicinity,  as  their  arrangements  with 
their  companies  allow  them  the  entire 
state,  and  their  largest  lines  of  insur- 
ance are  carried  outside  of  Belknap 
county. 

The  business  of  the  Melcher  &  Pres- 
cott Agency  is  divided  into  five  depart- 
ments, viz.  :  Fire,  life,  accident  and 
liability,  plate  glass,  fidelity  and  bond. 

In  the  life  insurance  department,  the 
Northwestern  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
company  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  is 
the  company  represented.     The  conser- 


issued  policies  for  employers,  public 
landlords,  elevator,  horse,  and  vehicle 
liability,  and  individual  accident.  The 
agency  has  paid  many  losses,  and  re- 
lieved some  of  our  citizens  from  law- 
suits which  they  would  have  had  forced 
upon  them  if  it  had  not  been  for  this 
line  of  insurance. 

In  the  plate  glass  insurance  depart- 
ment the  Melcher  &  Prescott  Agency 
represents  the  Lloyd's  Plate  Glass  In- 
surance company  of  New  York,  the  old- 
est institution  in  America  doing  this  line 
of    insurance.      This    company  has    ad- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


L33 


justed  every  loss  sustained  since  its  or- 
ganization, without  a  single  lawsuit. 

In  the  fidelity  insurance  line  this 
agency  represents  the  Fidelity  and  De- 
posit Co.  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  this 
branch  of  their  business  includes  the  fur- 
nishing of  bonds  for  salesmen,  agents, 
secretaries,  treasurers,  officers  of  bene- 
ficial and  building  and  loan  associations, 
appointees  and  employees  of  the  United 
States  government,  contractors  for 
building  or  other  operations,  clerks  of 
courts,  sheriffs,  cashiers,  administrators, 
guardians,  in 
fact  every  posi- 
tion of  trust. 

The  Melcher 
&  P  r  e  s  c  o  1 1 
agency  repre- 
sents besides 
their  other  fire 
insurance  com- 
panies many  of 
the  leading  mu- 
tual fire  insur- 
ance concerns, 
thus  giving 
their  patrons 
who  are  partial 
to  this  kind  of 
insurance  an 
opportunity  to 
select  from  the 
best,  which  is  a 
very  important 
consider  at  i  o  n 
in  a  mutual  in- 
surance com- 
pany. 

The  Melcher 
&      Prescott 

agency  is  not  only  one  of  the  oldest  in- 
surance agencies  in  this  part  of  the  state, 
but  it  has  a  well-deserved  reputation  for 
settling  losses,  which  reflects  unlimited 
credit  upon  its  management.  During 
all  its  years  of  business  the  agency  has 
never  been  known  to  falter  ;  not  a  sin- 
gle loss  has  ever  occurred  but  the  com- 
pany insuring  has  been  able  to  pay  one 
hundred  cents  on  the  dollar.  No 
agency  can  have  a  better  record  for  fair 
and  honorable  dealing  than  the  Mel- 
cher &  Prescott  concern. 


Col.  S.  S.  Jewett. 


Col.  Stephen  S.  Jewett,  of  the  law 
firm  of  Jewett  &  Plummer,  has  not  only 
won  a  reputation  throughout  New 
Hampshire  as  a  successful  lawyer  but 
probably  no  man  of  his  age  is  better 
or  more  widely  known  in  Republican 
political  circles.  He  is  the  son  of  John 
G.  and  Carrie  E.  (Shannon)  Jewett, 
born  in  that  part  of  Gilford  which  is 
now  included  in  the  city  of  Laconia, 
September  i85  1858.  He  comes  of 
English  stock, 
and  his  great- 
gra  ndfather, 
Samuel  Jewett, 
who  was  one  of 
the  Revolution- 
ary patriots  at 
Bunker  Hill, 
resided  fur 
some  time  in 
Hollis,  N.  H., 
whence  he  re- 
moved to  Laco- 
nia, he  and  his 
brother  being 
practically  the 
first  settlers  of 
this  place. 

Stephen  Shan- 
non Jewett  ac- 
quired his  early 
education  in  the 
public  school  s 
of  Laconia  and 
under  p r  i  vat  e 
tuition  by  his 
father,  who  was 
for  some  years 
a  schoolmaster.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  Mr.  Jewett  entered  the  law  office 
of  Hon.  Charles  F.  Stone  and  was  pre- 
pared for  examination  to  practice  law  in 
1S79.  but  being  under  age  was  com- 
pelled to  wait  a  year.  I  [e  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  March,  1880.  and  at  once 
commenced  to  practice  his  profession  in 
Laconia.  conducting  an  independent 
business  until  L889,  when  Lawyer  Wil- 
liam A.  Plummer  became  his  partner. 
During  his  twenty  years  of  legal  prac- 
tice, but   few   important  cases   have   ap- 


True  E.  Prescott. 


J34 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


peared  on  the  Belknap  court  docket 
without  his  name  in  connection,  either 
for  plaintiff  or  defendant.  In  1884,  he 
accepted  the  position  of  clerk  of  the 
supreme  court  for  Belknap  county,  as 
an  accommodation  for  the  convenience 
of  the  court,  and  served  for  a  short 
time.  He  drafted  and  secured  the 
passage   of  Laconia's   city  charter,  was 


Mr.  Jewett  has  a  wide  reputation  as 
a  successful  manager  and  leader  in  po- 
litical campaigns.  He  first  actively  en- 
gaged in  politics  in  1876,  when  a  youth 
of  seventeen,  and  was  soon  recognized 
as  a  leader  in  political  matters.  He 
conducted  the  affairs  of  the  Republican 
town  committee  from  1880  to  1890,  and 
becoming  a  member   of  the  Republican 


Col.  Stephen  S.  Jewett. 


the  first   city  solicitor    and  has  held  the 
position  ever  since. 

Colonel  Jewett  is  actively  interested 
in  numerous  local  enterprises  outside  of 
his  professional  duties.  He  is  a  direc- 
tor in  the  Laconia  National  bank,  in  the 
Laconia  Building  and  Loan  Association, 
in  the  Laconia  Land  and  Improvement 
company,  the  Standard  Electric  Time 
company,  the  Masonic  Temple  associa- 
tion, etc. 


state  committee  in  1884  was  elected 
secretary  of  that  body  in  1890.  His 
capacity  has  been  tried  in  several  hard- 
fought  campaigns,  and  he  served  as 
chairman  and  manager  of  the  Republi- 
can canvass  in  1892  and  1894,  winning 
signal  victories  in  both  instances. 

In  the  New  Hampshire  house  of  rep- 
resentatives he  has  served  as  clerk,  as- 
sistant clerk,  and  engrossing  clerk.  In 
1894  he  was  elected  as  a  representative 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


*35 


from  Ward  2,  and  served  as  speaker  of 
the  house,  in  which  capacity  his  long 
public  service  in  political  matters  and 
extensive  acquaintance  peculiarly  fitted 
him. 

Colonel  Jewett  was  a  member  of  the 
staff  of  Governor  Goodell  in  1889,  and 
he  was  a  member  and  chairman  of 
the   New  Hampshire   delegation   to  the 


and  was  the  leading  member  of  that 
body  during  the  session,  directing, 
to  a  large  extent,  the  action  upon  most 
of  the  important  measures. 

Colonel  Jewett  was  married  June  30, 
1SS0,  to  Annie  L.  Bray  of  Bradford, 
England,  and  he  insists  that  most  of  his 
success  in  life  is  due  to  his  wife.  They 
have  one  son,  Theo  S. 


William   A.    Hummer. 


Republican  national  convention  which 
nominated  President  McKinley  at  St. 
Louis  in  1896.  He  is  still  a  member  of 
the  executive  committee,  of  the  state 
committee,  and  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  the  Republican  national  league. 
At  the  last  state  election  Colonel 
Jewett  was  elected  to  the  New  Hamp- 
shire   senate    from    the     sixth    district, 


Colonel  Jewett  is  a  thirty-second  de- 
gree Mason,  has  been  an  officer  in  all 
of  the  local  Masonic  bodies  and  -rand 
master  of  the  Grand  council  of  New 
I  [ampshire. 

He  served  as  a  member  of  old  Com- 
pany K.  New  Hampshire  National 
Guard,  and  is  connected  with  several 
other  social  and  fraternal  organizations. 


136 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


William  A.  Plummer. 


one    of    whom    is    the    subject    of    this 
sketch. 

William  A.  Plummer  of  the  well-  William  Alberto  Plummer  was  born  in 
known  law  firm  of  Jewett  &  Plummer,  Gilmanton,  Dec.  2,  1865.  His  father, 
and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Belknap  Charles  E.  Plummer,  was  born  in  Gil- 
County  bar,  is  a  native  of  Gilmanton  manton  and  still  resides  there,  a  large 
and  can  trace  his  family  back  to  the  landowner,  his  property  covering  over 
very  first  settlers  of  New  England,  a  thousand  acres,  and  he  is  extensively 
The  Plummers  were  among  the  early  engaged  in  farming,  stock-raising,  and 
settlers  in  Newburyport,  Mass.,  in  1635,  lumbering.  William  A.  Plummer  was 
and  Governor  Plummer  of  New  Hamp-  educated  at  Gilmanton  academy,  Dart- 
shire  was  of  the  same  stock.  On  the  mouth  college,  and  Boston  University 
maternal  side,  William  Moody  came  School  of  Law.  He  was  admitted  to 
from  England  to  Ipswich,  Mass.,  in 
1633,  and  settled  in  Newbury,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1635.  John  Moody  of 
Kingston  is 
a  collateral 
line  from 
William,  and 
was  the  fath- 
er of  Capt. 
John  Moody 
who  lived  in 
Gi  1  m  an  ton. 
He  m o  v e  d 
to  Gilman- 
ton from 
Kingston. 
Nov  e  m  b  e  r 
15,1764.  He 
settled  on 
No.  5  of  the 
u  p  per  one 
h  u  n  d  r  e  d 

acres  in  the  first  parish.  At  that  time 
he  had  no  neighbors  within  four  miles 
on  the  south  and  none  nearer  than  the 
Canada  line  on  the  north. 

In  1776,  Capt.  John  Moody  enlisted 
twenty  men,  joined  the  army,  and 
marched  under  Washington  as  a  cap- 
tain to  New  York.  They  were  out 
three  months  and  eight  days.  He  had 
seven  children  ;  one  son,  Elisha  Moody, 
was  born  Sept.  28,  1773,  and  died  Sept. 
21,  1833.  He  had  twelve  children; 
one  son,  Stephen  S.  Moody,  was  born 
in  Gilmanton,  June  25,  1S06,  and  died 
April  27,  1893  ;  he  had  six  children. 
Mary  H.  Moody,  a  daughter,  was  born 
in  Gilmanton,  Dec.  5,  1830,  and  now 
lives  in  Gilmanton.  She  married  Chas. 
E.  Plummer.     They  had  three  children, 


Residence  of  William  A.  Plummer. 


the  bar,  July  26,  1889,  and  previous  to 
this  date  he  read  law  with  J.  C.  Story 
at  Plymouth,  G.  W.  Murray  at  Canaan, 

and  was  also 
in  the  office 
of  C.  T.  & 
T.  H.  Rus- 
sell of  Bos- 
ton. Sept. 
2,  18S9,  he 
became  the 
partner  of 
Col.  S.  S. 
Jewett,  and 
the  law  firm 
of  Jewett  iSc 
Plummer  i  s 
one  of  the 
best  known 
in  the  state, 
and  it  has 
gained  much 
legal  prestige  from  the  ability  of  both 
members  of  the  firm. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Plummer  is  a  Demo- 
crat, but  not  what  is  known  as  a  Silver 
Democrat.  He  was  a  representative  in 
the  legislature  in  1893,  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Laconia  board  of  educa- 
tion since  1893,  and  president  of  the 
board  for  the  past  three  years.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  na- 
tional convention  at  Chicago  in  1S96. 

He  is  a  director  of  the  Laconia 
board  of  trade,  a  director  of  the  La- 
conia National  bank,  a  trustee  of  the 
City  Savings  bank,  and  a  director  of 
the  Laconia  Building  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation. 

Mr.  Plummer  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight 
of   Pythias,   and   a   member  of  the  An- 


TH  E    ILLUSTRATED    LAC<  >X  I A  N . 


137 


cient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  He 
was  master  of  Mt.  Lebanon  lodge, 
i8g5-'96,  and  is  an  officer  in  Union 
chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  and  in 
Pilgrim  commandery,  Knights  Templar. 

Mr.  Plummer  mar- 
ried Ellen  F.  Murray, 
daughter  of  George 
W.  Murray,  Esq.,  of 
Canaan,  N.  H.,  a  well- 
known  and  able  law- 
yer, who  has  achieved 
great  success  in  his 
chosen  prof  e  s  s  i  o  n , 
and  during  the  active 
years  of  his  profes- 
sional life  enjoyed  as 
extensive  a  law  prac- 
tice as  any  lawyer  in 
the  state.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Plummer  have 
one  son,  Wayne  Mur- 
ray Plummer,  and 
their  residence  on 
Pleasant  street  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful 


Dr.  William  A.  King. 


and  elegant  homes  in  the  city  of  Laconia. 
Dr.  William  A.  King. 


Although  a  resident  of  Laconia  for 
co  m  para- 
tively  a  few 
years,  D r . 
'William  A. 
King  h  a  s 
practised  his 
prof e  s  s  i  o  n 
h  e  r e  long 
enough  to  be 
reco  g  n  i  z  e  d 
as  a  skilful 
and  profi- 
cient dentist, 
and  to  ac- 
quire a  wide 
re  pu  t  a  t  i  o  n 
for  scientific 
work    in     his 

line,   w  h  i  c  h 

.  .      ,  Residem  1     FDr. 

has    resulted 

in   building  up  a   large   and   prosperous 

practice. 

Dr.  Kin°:  was    born    in    Leeds,  P.  Q., 


Aug.  6,  1863,  son   of   Henry  and   Mary 
Ann    (Kirtland)     King.      He    went    to 
Littleton,    N.   H.,  in    18S1,  and    thence 
came   to     Laconia    in    iSSS,   where    he 
studied  dentistry  in  a  local  office,  then 
took  a  course  at   the 
Boston    Dental    col- 
lege,  and    afterwards 
attended    the     Balti- 
more Dental  college, 
graduating   from    the 
latter     institution     in 
1890. 

Upon  completing 
his  professional  stud- 
ies, Doctor  King  re- 
turn  ed  to  Laconia, 
and  has  been  in  suc- 
cessful practice  here 
since  that  time.  He 
is  located  at  No.  79 
Main  street,  where  he 
has  handsomely  fitted 
apartments  for  his 
office,  while  his  resi- 
dence on  Lincoln 
street  is  generally  admitted  to  be  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  and  comfortable 
homes  in  the  city. 

He    was   married     in     1S93    to    Miss 
Helen   Abbott  Martin,  daughter  of  the 

late  H  enry 
Martin  and 
Mrs.  Lucy  J. 
Martin  of 
Canaan,  N. 
H .  They 
have  one  son, 
Martin  Ro- 
nald K  ing, 
who  is  four 
vears  old. 


The  Laconia 
Grist-mill. 


One  of  the 
very  first   in- 
^£m      dust  r  ies    in 
Laconia    was 
/Mian.  A.  King.  g    grist-mi  1 1 , 

which  was  established  very  soon  after 
the  Province  road  was  built,  about 
1770.      The  grist-mill    was   first   erected 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


on  the  Meredith  side  of  the  river,  but 
was  swept  away  by  a  freshet  in  1779, 
and  then  rebuilt  on  the  Gilford  side.  In 
1775,  the  grist-mill  was  conducted  by 
Stephen  Gale,  and  afterwards  by  Col. 
Samuel  Ladd,  and  from  him  handed 
down  to  one  person  and  another  until 
the  present  day. 

The  mill  building  has  been  several 
times  destroyed  by  fire,  but  always  im- 
mediately rebuilt,  and  the  location  of 
the  Laconia  Grist-mill  to-day,  conducted 
by  Miller  J.  S.  Morrill  is  not  very  far 
from  the  first   location   on   that  side  of 


passed  away,  and  Miller  Morrill  still 
makes  a  special  feature  of  custom 
grinding,  although  this  is  now  a  small 
part  of  the  grist-mill  business.  The 
Laconia  Grist-mill  carries  a  large  stock 
of  all  kinds  of  grain,  feed,  hay,  straw, 
etc.,  and  handles  a  larger  quantity  of 
Hour  than  any  other  concern  in  this 
section  of  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  Mor- 
rill is  agent  for  the  well-known  Pills- 
bury  mills,  which  are  the  largest  flour 
mills  in  the  world,  and  produce  the 
standard  bread  flour.  During  the  past 
few  years,  the    Laconia    Grist-mill    has 


—I  ~      _2     r_     rr     *!? 

£"'*-  "l    EH     Li     L      sn     HI 


The  Laconia  Grist-Mill. 


the  river,  the  grist-mill  which  was 
erected  in  1780  being  built  a  trifle  nearer 
the  Mill  street  bridge. 

A  century  and  a  quarter  of  time  has 
made  considerable  change  in  the  grist- 
mill industry,  but  the  Laconia  Grist- 
mill has  always  managed  to  be  classed 
as  an  up-to-date  establishment,  and  is, 
to-day,  equipped  with  modern  machin- 
ery and  conducted  on  modern  princi- 
ples. In  the  olden  times,  the  principal 
branch  of  this  business  was  the  grind- 
ing of  corn  and  grain  for  the  farmers, 
and    this   feature   has    not    yet   entirely 


built  up  a  good  trade  in  entire  wheat 
flour,  graham,  bolted  meal  for  cooking 
purposes,  etc. 

Joseph  S.  Morrill,  the  present  pro- 
prietor of  this  long-established  industry, 
is  a  native  of  Canterbury,  N.  H.,  born 
April  22,  1S69.  He  completed  his  edu- 
cation at  New  Hampshire  Conference 
Seminary,  from  which  institution  he 
graduated  in  1SS9,  and  soon  after  com- 
menced learning  the  grain  business  and 
miller's  trade.  Mr.  Morrill  came  to 
Laconia  in  April,  1890,  and  formed  a 
partnership    with    Mr.    W.    L.    Melcher 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONTAN. 


L39 


and  G.  G.  Brown,  and  engaged  in  busi- 
ness at  the  Laconia  Grist-mill.  Mr. 
Melcher  retired  from  the  concern  in 
[892,  and  three  years  later,  in  1895,  Mr. 
lirown  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  busi- 


Juseph  S.  Morrill. 

ness  to  Mr.  Morrill,  who  has  since  con- 
ducted the  mill  alone.  Mr.  Morrill 
married  Tna  M.  Stone  of  Webster, 
N.  H.,  September  7,  1S92.  He  has 
been  quite  successful  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  grist-mill  business,  and  has 
built  up  a  large  trade  in  all  depart- 
ments of  the  business.  Grist-mills  in 
many  parts  of  New  Hampshire  have 
been  abandoned  and  rendered  almost 
useless  by  the  march  of  progress,  but 
the  Laconia  mill  has  always  kept  up 
with  the  procession,  and  under  the 
enterprising  management  of  Mr.  Mor- 
rill bids  fair  to  be  a  necessary  and  prof- 
itable industry  for  a  century  or  two 
longer  at  least. 


The  Late  John  O'Loughlin. 


The  late  John  O'Loughlin,  who  died 
in  lioston,  October  26.  1  S96,  was  a  young 
Laconian  who  rose  by  his  own  enter- 
prise and  ability,  from  a  poor  boy,  start- 
ing in  life  without  a  penny,  to  be  post- 
master of   Laconia,   and  recognized  as 


city.  He  was  the  son  of  Martin  and 
Nora  O'Loughlin.  who  were  industrious 
and  excellent  people,  but  very  poor.  At 
an  early  age,  John  O'Loughlin  found 
employment  in  the  Pitman  mills,  and 
later  on  was  a  clerk  in  the  Pitman  gro- 
cery and  hardware  store.  He  then  en- 
tered the  store  of  Lougee  Brothers,  and 
after  several  years  was  with  the  O'Shea 
Brothers  for  some  time,  until  he  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  late  Hon. 
John  C.  Moulton,  who  made  him  mana- 
ger of  the  Moulton  opera  house,  and 
finally  employed  him  nearly  all  the  time 
in  looking  after  the  Moulton  real  es- 
tate and  other  interests.  It  was  largely 
through  Mr.  O'Loughlin's  efforts  that 
the  old  gas  company  was  merged  into 
the  present  YVinnipesaukee  Gas  com- 
pany, and  the  new  modern  gas  plant 
constructed.  In  March,  1895.  Mr. 
O'Loughlin  was  appointed  postmaster 
of    Laconia,  after    one    of    the    hardest 


The  late  John  O'Loughlin. 

contests  in  the  history  of  Laconia.  He 
went  into  the  fight  with  almost  no 
prospects  of  success,  and  but  very 
little   influential    backing,   and    that   he 


one   of  the   active    business  men  of  the     was  successful  was  due  almost  entirely 


140 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


to  his  own  energy  and  persistency. 
He  took  much  pride  in  moving  the 
post-office  from  its  old  quarters  to  the 
handsome  quarters  in  Masonic  temple, 
and  in  having  the  establishment  fitted 
in  metropolitan  style.  Mr.  O'Loughlin 
worked  hard  with  the  department  at 
Washington  for  the  free  delivery  sys- 
tem, and  was  finally  successful  in 
securing  this  service  for  Laconia. 

Light-hearted,  jovial,  loyal  to  his 
friends  and  generous  to  a  fault,  ten- 
denly  caring  for  his  widowed  mother 
and  trying  to  keep 
the  family  togeth- 
er after  the  death 
of  his  parents, 
Johnny  O'Lough- 
lin was  a  young 
man  with  many 
commendable 
t  r  a  its  of  charac- 
ter. He  was  but 
twenty-eight  years 
old  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  but  had 
ace  o  m  p  1  i  s  h  e  d 
more  in  his  brief 
business  career 
than  most  m  e  n 
similarly  situat- 
ed would  have 
achieved  in  a 
whole  lifetime. 


Dr.    Alfred    W. 
Abbott. 


Dr.  Alfred  Wells 

Abbott    has    prac-  Dr.  Alfred  W.  Abbott. 

tised    his    profes- 
sion in  Laconia  for  nearly  twenty  years, 
and  has  won   a  wide  reputation    as  an 
able  physician. 

He  was  born  in  Concord,  N.  H.,  May 
7,  1842,  son  of  Alfred  C.  and  Judith 
(Farnham)  Abbott.  He  studied  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  S.  S.  Emery  at  Fisherville 
(now  Penacookj,  and  graduated  with 
honor  at  Dartmouth  Medical  college  in 
1868.  He  commenced  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  but 
soon  returned  to  New  Hampshire,  locat- 
ing at  Suncook,  where  he   remained   un- 


til July,  1870,  and  then  removed  to  San- 
bornton,  where  he  remained  ten  years, 
acquiring  a  large  and  lucrative  practice, 
and  gaining  a  host  of  friends.  Runnells's 
history  of  Sanbornton,  published  while 
Dr.  Abbott  was  a  resident  of  that  town, 
says  of  him:  "He  has  won  much  es- 
teem for  his  social  qualities,  and  as  a 
well-read,  scientific  physician,  enjoying 
an  extensive  practice  in  this  and  ad- 
joining towns." 

In  1S80  he  came  to  Laconia,  and 
here,  preceded  by  his  reputation  for 
skill  and  knowl- 
edge, he  made 
rapid  strides  in 
his  prof  ess  io  n  , 
and  to-day  he  oc- 
cupies an  assured 
position  among 
the  leading  practi- 
tioners of  New 
Hampshire.  His 
practice  i  s  large 
and  lucrative,  he 
has  acquired  a 
competency,  and 
is  considered  one 
of  Laconia's  best 
financiers.  He 
has  long  been  a 
trustee  of  the  La- 
conia Savings 
bank,  and  has 
been  president  of 
the  Citizens'  Tel 
ephone  company 
since  its  organiz- 
ation in  1896. 

He  was  the  first 
vi  ce -president  of 
Winnipesaukee  Academy  of  Medicine, 
and  its  second  president.  In  his  politi 
cal  affiliations  Dr.  Abbott  is  a  staunch 
Republican,  but  has  never  sought  poli- 
tical preferment,  and  has  steadfastly  re- 
fused official  positions,  although  often 
urged  by  his  political  friends  to  accept 
positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  is 
distinctively  a  professional  man,  and 
devotes  his  whole  time  and  attention  to 
the  calling  which  he  loves  so  well  and 
in  which  he  has  been  so  successful. 
He  was  married  December  30,  1869, 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Mi 


to  Julia  Ann  Clay  of  Manchester,  N.  H., 
by  whom  he  has  had  three  children  : 
Clifton  Smith,  born  Jan.  16.  187 1,  a 
graduate  of  the  Dartmouth  Medical  col- 
lege in  the  class  of  1893.  Dr.  Clifton 
Abbott  is  now  in  partnership  with  his 
father  and  has  a  well-deserved  reputa- 
tion as  a  learned  and  skilful  physician. 
Blanche  Newall  Abbott  was  born  April 
10,  1872,  is  a  young  lady  of  many  ac- 
complishments, and  a  teacher  in  our 
Laconia  public  schools.  Carl  Benning 
Abbott  was  born  August  29,  1877,  and 
died  M  arch, 
18SS. 


cine,  Winnipesaukee  lodge,  1.  < ).  ( ).  F., 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Order 
of  Golden  Cross.  He  is  unmarried, 
and  an  attendant  at  the  Congregational 
church. 


The  Laconia  Democrat. 


Dr.   Clifton   S. 
Abbott. 


Dr.  Clifton 
S .  Abbott  i  s 
one  of  the 
youngest,  but 
by  n  o  means 
the  least,  of 
Laconia's  phy- 
sicians. He 
was  born  in 
Sanbornton, 
Jan.  16,  187 1. 
the  son  of  Dr. 
A.  W.  and  Julia 
Abbott,  and  is 
one  of  a  family 
of  physicians. 
He  was  educat- 
ed in  the  public 
schools  of  La- 
conia, and  stud- 
ied the  medical 
p  r  o  f  e  s  sion  at 
I  >artmouth  Medical  college,  where  he 
graduated  in  1894,  afterwards  taking  a 
post-graduate  course  at  Harvard  Medi- 
cal school.  Dr.  Clifton  Abbott  com- 
menced practice  in  this  city  in  the  office 
of  his  father,  witli  whom  he  is  still  asso- 
ciated. 

He  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education  in  March,  1S99,  and 
is  county  physician  for  Laconia  and 
Sanbornton,  also  surgeon  at  the  Laconia 
Cottage  hospital.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Winnipesaukee   Academy  of   Medi- 


Dr.  Clifton  S.  Abbutt 


Laconia  has  had  numerous  news- 
papers during  the  last  sixty  years,  but 
with  the  exception  of  the  Laconia 
Democrat  at  this  end  of  the  city,  and 
the  Belknap  Re- 
publican at 
Lakeport,  none 
of  them  h  a  s 
surv  i  v  e  d  the 
journalistic 
storms  for  more 
than  a  dozen 
or  fifteen  years. 
The  Demo crat 
was  founded  in 
1  S  49  ,  and  is 
conse  q  u  e  n  1 1  y 
half  a  century 
old,  and  it  has 
always  been  a 
thriving  and 
progressive 
newspaper. 
The  paper  was 
started  by 
Keach  <\-  Seav- 
er,  and  among 
its  editors  and 
proprietors 
have  been  the 
late  S.  C.  Bald- 
win, the  late 
Joseph  Batchelder,  the  late  O.  A.  J. 
Vaughan,  William  M.  Kendall,  and  Col. 
Edwin  C.  Lewis,  with  his  partners.  Col. 
Lewis  was  connected  with  the  Laconia 
Democrat  for  about  eighteen  years,  and 
under  his  editorship  the  paper  was  ex- 
ceedingly prosperous. 

In  the  year  1 S97  Colonel  Lewis  sold 
his  interest  in  the  concern,  and  the 
Laconia  Press  Association  was  organ- 
ized, with  Ex-Gov.  Charles  A.  Busiel  as 
president  and  a  frequent  contributor  to 
the   editorial   columns,  and  Charles  W. 


14: 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Vaughan  as  general  manager.  As  an 
advocate  of  state  reform  and  the  devel- 
opment of  New  Hampshire,  during  the 
past  two  years, 
the  circ  u  1  a  t  i  o  n 
and  influence  of 
the  Laconia  Dem- 
ocrat have  largely 
increased,  and 
from  a  merely  lo- 
cal paper  cover- 
ing only  Belknap 
county  the  paper 
now  enjoys  an 
extensive  circula- 
tion in  all  parts 
of  the  Granite 
State. 


E.  P.  Jewell 


Erastus  P . 
Jewell  was  born 
in  the  town  of 
Sandwich,  N.  H., 
March    16,   1837. 

He    Came    to     La-  Erastus  P.  Jewell 

conia  in  1859  and 

studied  law  with  the  late  Col.  Thos.  J. 
Whipple.  The  law  firms  of  Whipple  & 
Jewell,  Jewell  &  Smith,  Jewell  &  Stone, 


The  foregoing  is  the  full  extent  of  the 
information  which  Lawyer  Jewell  was 
willing  to  furnish  to  the  Illustrated  La- 
conian,  for  a 
sketch  of  himself, 
but  the  publishers 
take  the  liberty  to 
add  that  Mr.  Jew- 
ell has  a  wide  rep- 
utation as  a  safe 
and  careful  coun- 
selor and  has  won 
especial  fame  in 
argument  and 
pleading  before 
the  jurymen  of 
Belknap  county 
and  in  fact  in  all 
the  courts  of  New 
Hampshire.  He 
has  always  been 
intensely  interest- 
ed in  matters  of 
history,  especially 
pertaining  to  the 
early  settlement 
of  this  section  of 
New  Hampshire, 
and  probably  but  few  men  in  New  Eng- 
land can  talk  so  intelligently  and  in- 
terestingly of  the  Indians  of  the  Granite 


Residence  of  Erastus  P.  Jewell. 

Jewell,  Stone,  Owen  &  Martin,  have  been  state  as  "Perry"  Jewell.  In  this  con- 
well  and  widely  known.  Mr.  Jewell's  law  nection,  he  has  made  a  large  and  valu- 
firm  is  now  Jewell,  Owen  &  Veasey.  able    collection  of  Indian  relics,    stone 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


M3 


implements,  arrow-heads,  hatchets, 
knives,  etc..  which  he  treasures  highly, 
but  which  will  probably  some  clay  be 
turned  over  to  the  custody  of  the  city 
for  preservation  for  future  generations. 


The  Late  Nathaniel  Edgerly. 


Nathaniel  Edgerly  was  born  in  the 
Iron  Works  village  in  Gilmanton,  Sept. 
22,  1802,  and  died  in  Laconia,  Sept.  26, 
1874.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  ten 
children  of   Da- 


Mr.  Edgerly  was  married,  Nov.  9, 
1830,  to  Lucy  Thurston  of  Gilmanton, 
who  died  in  1858.  Eight  children  were 
born  to  them,  of  whom  four  survive. 

In  religion.  Mr,  Edgerly  was  a  Uni- 
versalist:  in  politics,  a  Democrat. 


Laconia  Water  Company. 


No  city  or  town  in  the  United  States 

can    boast    of  a  better,   purer,   or  more 

inexhaustible  water  supply  than  the  city 

on   the  lakes. 


vid  and   A  n  n  a  X  e  w    Ha  m  p  - 

(Lougee)    Ed-  shire    is    noted 

gerly.  for    its    clear 

After   receiv-  lakes,   ponds, 

ing  such  educa-  and  the  largest 

tion    as    could  lake     in     the 

be    obtained  at  state,    and    one 

the  com  m  on  of    the    purest 

schools  and  dffc"  "1jF££:  and  clearest-  is 
at  Gilmanton  Lake  Winnipe- 
academy,  and  saukee,  from 
serving  for  a  '  whence  the  city 
time  as  a  book-  /— —  of  Laconia 
keeper  in  Bos-  "**  draws  its  entire 
ton,  he  learned  *v  ,  water  supply, 
the  clothier's  ^  «,.--/  The  matter  of 
trade,  at  which  ■*■•*?'  ""^W  a  city  water  sup- 
he  worked  in  ^k  $*•— ^^  $  !■■  ply  had  been 
his  father's  mill  f  *=■£...  agitated  for  sev- 
in  Gilmanton.  I  f  eral  years,  and 
and  later  car-  J  a  survey  was 
ried  on  the  made  as  f  a  r 
same  business  j.  back  as  [869, 
on  his  own  ac-  M  but  largely 
count.   He  also,  IB     JIHMMMHHHi     through 

for  a  time,  kept  The  late  Nathaniel  Edgerly.                                J01"1*     °*     P°n- 

a  general  store  W.  L.  Melcher 
in  Gilmanton.  Subsequently,  he  was  em-  and  Col.  B.  F.  Drake,  a  charter  was 
ployed  in  the  Strafford  county  registry  obtained  in  1883,  and  a  company  organ- 
of  deeds  at  Dover,  X.  H. 


He  served  two  terms  as  one  of  the 
selectmen  of  Gilmanton,  and  in  1S40  was 
elected  to  the  legislature  from  that  town. 

In  1841,  the  county  of  Belknap  hav- 
ing been  recently  organized,  he  was 
appointed  register  of  deeds,  to  which 
office  he  was  annually  re-elected  until 
1859.  Eor  a  short  time  after  his  retire- 
ment from  the  register's  office,  he  was 
engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  trade. 


ized  in  August.  1884.  as  the  Laconia 
and  Lake  Village  Water-Works,  with 
a  capital  of  S6o,ooo. 

The  plant  was  constructed  in  [885, 
and  water  was  first  let  on  in  December 
of  that  year.  The  pumping-station  is 
located  on  Union  avenue,  at  Lakeport, 
and  the  reservi  >ii  is  upon  the  high  hill 
overlooking  Lake  Paugus,  on  the  eas- 
terly side  of  Union  avenue.  The  sys- 
tem has,  of  course,  been  extended  from 


M  + 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


year  to  year,  and  the  capital  stock  has 
been  increased  to  $100,000.  The  total 
cost  of  the  plant,  up  to  date,  is  about 
$175,000.  The  name  of  the  corpora- 
tion was  changed  to  Laconia  Water 
Company,  by  the  legislature,  in  1897. 

The  original  officers  of  the  corpora- 
tion were :  President,  Hon.  John  C. 
Moulton  ;  treasurer,  Hon.  W.  L.  Melch- 
er  ;  clerk,  John  W.  Ashman  ;  superin- 
tendent, Benj.  F.  Drake ;  directors, 
John  C.  Moulton,  Woodbury  L.  Melch- 
er,    Benj.   J.  Cole,   Ellery    A.   Hibbard, 


tion  are:  President,  Hon.  Woodbury  L. 
Melcher ;  clerk  and  treasurer,  Edmund 
Little  ;  superintendent,  Frank  P.  Web- 
ster ;  directors,  Woodbury  L.  Melcher, 
Ellery  A.  Hibbard,  Benjamin  F.  Drake, 
Gardner  Cook.  John  S.  Crane,  William 
B.  Fellows,  Geo.  H.  Roby,  Frank  E. 
Busiel,  Wm,  H.  Pepper. 


The  Late  Samuel  H.  Martin. 


The  untimely  death  of  the  late  Sam- 
uel  H.   Martin,    on   April    26,    1S98,  re- 


... 


Laconia  Pumping  Station. 


Benj.  F.  Drake,  Gardner  Cook,  Henry 
B.  Quinby. 

The  total  amount  of  pipe  laid  at  the 
present  time  is  twenty-three  and  one 
fourth  miles,  and  there  are  now  1,489 
consumers  taking  water  from  this  sys- 
tem. The  corporation  can  supply 
3,000,000  gallons  of  water  per  day  if 
necessary.  There  are  about  ninety-two 
hydrants  for  fire  purposes  attached  to 
the  system.  The  capacity  of  the  reser- 
voir is  2,750,000  gallons. 

The  present  officers  of  the  corpora- 


moved  from  the  Belknap  Bar  associa- 
tion one  of  the  brightest  and  most 
promising  young  lawyers  of  Laconia. 
Mr.  Martin  was  a  native  of  Bangor, 
P.  Q.,  and  the  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  A.  Martin.  His  age  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  thirty-one  years  and 
nine  months.  He  came  to  Laconia 
with  his  parents  when  a  mere  boy,  and 
obtained  his  education  in  our  public 
schools.  He  studied  law  with  Jewell  & 
Stone,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
July,  1S92,  entering  the  office  of  Stan- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


J45 


ton  Owen,  the  firm  being  known  as 
Owen  &  Martin.  About  a  year  later, 
the  partnership  of  Jewell,  Stone,  ( hven 
&  Martin  was  formed,  and  continued 
until  broken  by  Mr.  Martin's  decease. 

Mr.  Martin  never  enjoyed  robust 
health,  and  on  several  occasions  during 
the  few  years  previous  to  his  death  his 
life  was  despaired  of,  but  he  was  ambi- 
tious and  possessed  of  great  will  power, 
which  enabled  him  to  fight  against  dis- 
ease, and  he  persisted  in  attending  to  Charles  William  McDaniel  was  born 
his  professional  duties  long  after  most     in  South  Berwick,  Maine,  May  5,   1 8 5 _r . 

father 


was  always  cheerful  and  hopeful  regard- 
ing his  physical  condition,  and  per- 
sisted in  going  to  his  office  and  devol 
ing  himself  to  his  professional  work 
just  as  long  as  he  had  the  physical 
strength  to  get  out  of  doors. 

In    1892    he   married   Miss    Nellie   A. 
Schoffe,  who  survives  him. 


Charles  W.  McDaniel. 


men  would  have 
given  up  t  h  e 
fight  and  mere- 
1  v  waited  for 
death. 

Mr.  Martin 
was  admitted  to 
be  one  of  the 
most  studious, 
logical,  and  elo- 
qu  en  t  young 
lawyers  w  h  i  c  h 
the  city  on  the 
lakes  ever  pro- 
duced. He  was 
popular  with 
his  associate 
members  of  the 
bar  and  highly 
respected  by 
the  entire  com- 
munity. Strict- 
ly honorable 
and  upright  in 
all  his  dealings 
with  clients  and 
opponents,  his 
conduct  of  le- 
gal affairs  was  a  model  of  professional 

etiquette.  He  was  easy  and  convincing  the  machinist  trade  in  North  Andover, 
in  his  address,  and  at  times  rose  to  gen-  Mass.,  where  he  worked  about  one 
uine  eloquence.  He  was  a  self-made  year,  completing  the  trade  of  tool  mak- 
man,  for  he  carried  himself  along  to  ing  two  years  later  at  the  shop  of  Frank 
success  by  his  own  unaided  efforts,  by  Perkins  in  Lowell.  In  1 S7 7,  he  went 
pluck  and  ambition,  in   spite  of  the  dis-     with    a    large     prospecting    party    from 


The  late  Samuel    II.  Martin 


His 

was  Charles  S. 
McDaniel,  who 
was  a  descend- 
ant fro  m  t  h  e 
Scotch  McDan- 
iel brothers , 
who  we  re  among 
the  first  settlers 
of  Maine.  His 
mother,  Sarah 
Minerva  Frost, 
was  closely  re- 
lated to  the  In- 
dian fighter 
Charles  Frost, 
and  Prophet 
Frost,  whose 
names  w  e  r  e 
household 
words  in  Elliott 
and  other  parts 
of  M  aine,  in 
their  day.  I  le 
was  ed  u  c  a  t  e  d 
in  the  schools 
of  his  native 
town.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  he  began  to  learn 


ease  which  fastened  itself  upon  him  in 
his  early  manhood  and  hampered  him 
from  pursuing  his  studies  and  in  his 
professional  life. 

With  a  full  knowledge  that  he  was  to 
be   an    early  victim   of  consumption,  he 


Franklin,  N.  II..  to  the  Black  Hills. 
This  was  before  the  railroad  went  into 
the  hills,  and  Mr.  McDaniel  covered  the 
entire  distance  from  Cheyenne  to  Dead- 
wood  City,  about  350  miles,  on  foot, 
and  was  the  only  one  of  the  party  that 


146 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


held  out  to  walk  the  entire  distance. 
He  remained  in  this  section  about  a 
year  and  then  he  and  three  others  went 
down  the  Missouri  river  from  Fort 
Pierre  to  Sioux  City  in  a  flat-bottomed 
boat  of  their  own  manufacture.  Re- 
turning east  he  resumed  his  trade  as  a 
machinist  in  Franklin  Falls. 

June  26, 1879,  he  married  Ida  Frances 
Sanders  of  Bristol,  N.  H.,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  and  Priscilla  (Blake)  Sanders. 
Her  father,  Benjamin  Sanders,  was  a 
member  of  the  Twelfth  New  Hampshire 
regiment,  and 
was  in  the  battle 
of  Fr  e  d  e  r  i  c  k  s  - 
b  u  rg,  December, 
1862  ;  battle  of 
(Jhancellorsvill  e  , 
May  2,  1863.  He 
was  wounded  in 
the  right  arm  at 
this  battle  and 
was  captured  by 
the  C  o  n  f  e  d  er- 
ates,  and  held 
eleven  days  and 
then  exchanged. 
After  being  con- 
fined in  the  hos- 
p  i  t  a  1  several 
weeks  he  was 
discharged  in  Oc- 
tober, 1863,  for 
d  i  s  a  b  ility.  He 
enlisted  again  on 
March  16,  1864, 
in  Company  A, 
First  New  Hamp- 
shire Cavalry,  was 
taken  prisoner, 
and  died  at  Andersonville.  Her  moth- 
er, Priscilla  Rundlett  Blake,  was  great- 
granddaughter  of  Maj.  Joseph  Prescott 
of  Bunker  Hill  fame. 

This  union  has  been  blessed  with 
three  children  :  Harry  Sewal,  who  is 
a  clerk  in  Plummer  &  Thompson's  drug 
store  in  Laconia ;  Jessa  Saunders,  who 
is  a  student  at  the  Laconia  High 
school,  and  Charles  Stanley,  a  bright 
little  fellow  of  nine  years. 

Mr.  McDaniel  resided  in  Bristol  from 
1879  to  1887,  where  he  was  engaged   in 


the  paper  mills  of  Mason,  Perkins  & 
Co.,  and  as  assistant  superintendent  of 
of  the  Train,  Smith  &  Co.  paper  mills. 
In  1887,  after  the  death  of  Mrs.  McDan- 
iel's  mother,  they  removed  to  Lakeport, 
where  they  now  reside.  Mr.  McDaniel 
was  made  a  Master  Mason  at  Franklin, 
and  is  now  a  member  of  Mt.  Lebanon 
lodge,  Union  chapter,  and  Pilgrim 
commandery  of  Laconia,  and  also  a 
member  of  Chocorua  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

He    was    appointed    by    Gov.    C.   A. 
Busiel,  in  1S96,  as   inspector   of  steam- 
boats for  the  state 
of  New   H  a  m  p  - 
shire,  which   posi- 
tion he  still  holds. 
Although   not 
an    aspirant    for 
political  honors 
he  is  in  principles 
a  staunch  Repub- 
lican. In  religious 
faith,  Mr.  McDan- 
^Fiftl  iel    is    a    Baptist, 

and  the  family  at- 
tend the  Union 
Avenue  Baptist 
church  at  Lake- 
port. 


Gordon  &  Booth, 
Jewelers, 


Charles  W.  McDaniel 


Gordon  &  Booth, 
jewelers,  are  pro- 
prietors of  the 
oldest  jewelry  es- 
tablishment in  the 
city  of  Laconia, 
the  business  hav- 
ing been  started  by  the  late  Richard 
Gove,  who  came  here  from  Boston  in 
1833,  and  opened  a  store  in  this  line 
in  a  little  one-story  wooden  building, 
which  stood  just  below  the  Main  street 
bridge,  on  a  portion  of  the  site  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  Smith  brick  block. 

Mr.  Gove  built  up  a  very  prosperous 
trade  and  erected  several  large  business 
blocks  on  Main  street,  one  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Folsom  block,  and  another 
fine  fire-proof  building  near  the  location 
of  the  present  Gordon  &   Booth  store 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


M7 


The  building  did  not  prove  to  be  fire- 
proof, however,  and  was  destroyed  in 
the  great  conflagration  of  i860.  Mr. 
Gove  was  one  of  the  most  public- 
spirited  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Ids 
day,  and  lie  fitted  up  Gove  Point,  which 
projects  into  Lake  Winnesquam,  at  his 
own  expense  and  at  great  cost,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  public,  as  a  common  pleas- 
ure resort  free  to  all. 

Under  Mr.  Gove's  management  and 
under  its  present  management  by 
Messrs.  Gordon  &  Booth,  the  jewelry 
establishment  has  always  been  one  of 
the    leading   stores   in    this  line  in   this 


River  and  Bradford,  Vt.  He  came  to 
Laconia    in     1874    and    was    with    Mr. 

Gove  (his  uncle)  in  the  store  from  that 
time  until  Mr.  Cove's  death  in  April, 
1883.  Since  that  date  he  has  con- 
tinued the  business  himself.  Mr.  booth 
entering  the  partnership  in  the  summer 
of  189S.  Mr.  Gordon  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics  and  served  as  selectman  three 
years  under  the  old  town  government. 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Laconia  build- 
ing and  Loan  Association,  a  trustee  of 
the  Laconia  Savings  bank,  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Laconia  Land  and  Improve- 
ment   company.       In    fraternal     orders 


Gordon  &  Booth's  Jewelry  Store 


section  of  New  Hampshire.  It  carries 
a  large  stock  of  gold  and  silver  jewelry, 
watches,  clocks,  optical  goods,  silver 
and  plated  ware,  china,  and,  in  fact, 
everything  which  can  be  found  in  an 
up-to-date  metropolitan  jewelry  estab- 
lishment. 

Mr.  Alburtis  S.  Gordon,  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm,  is  a  native  of 
Hebron.  X.  H.,  the  son  of  Levi  S.  and 
Mary  (Gove)  Gordon,  born  May  17, 
1848.  He  was  ■  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  and  then  learned  the  tinsmith's 
trade  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  and 
worked  at  this  trade   five  years  in  Wells 


Mr.  Gordon  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor,  and  a 
thirty-second  degree  Mason,  being  a 
member  of  the  local  branches  of  Ma- 
sonry, including  Pilgrim  Commandery 
Knights  Templar,  and  Raymond  Con- 
sistory of  Nashua. 

John  booth,  the  junior  member  of 
the  firm,  was  born  Sept.  ii>.  [871,  in 
Aberdeenshire,  Scotland,  his  parents 
being  George  ami  Annia  (Mellis)  booth. 
He  has  been  employed  at  Danville, 
P.  Q..  and  St.  Johnsbury.  \'t.,  and  was 
in  business  at  Windsor  Mills,  I'.  Q. 
lie  came  to  Laconia  in  June,  1898. 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


149 


Pease's  City  Band. 


Pease's    City  Band    of    Laconia  was 

reorganized  in  the  spring  of  1893,  with 
Charles  R.  Pease  as  leader  and  direc- 
tor. This  organization  was  composed 
of  some  of  the  best  musicians  in  the 
city,  and  at  once  sprang  into  popular 
favor.  It  has  progressed  rapidly,  and 
to-day  ranks  with  the  best  bands  in  the 
state.  It  is  in  a  very  prosperous  condi- 
tion, having  two  sets  of  uniforms,  and 
has  had  a  new  band-room  built  for  its 
especial  con- 
veni  ence,  and 
f  urn  ish  ed  in 
modern  style 
throughout.  It 
also  has  a  large 
library  of  music. 
Its  present 
membership  is 
twenty-five  mu- 
sicians, with  the 
following  in- 
s  t  rumentation  : 
Director  and 
leader,  Charles 
R.  Pease ;  cor- 
nets, Ernest 
Ringer.  William 
F.  Sanborn, 
Harry  W.Smith, 
HenryTurcotte, 
Albert  B.  Ladd ; 
flute  and  picco- 
lo, Robert  S. 
Foss;  clarinets, 
Clarence  R. 
Davis,    William  . 

H.    H  a  wk  i  ns, 

Geo.  Ringer,  John  Webber,  Leon  Ladd  ; 
altos,  Sidney  H.  Smith.  Ceo.  R.  bow- 
man. Austin  Folsom  ;  baritone,  Archie 
L.  Bean;  trombones,  ("has.  H.  Hoyt, 
John  H.  Swain.  James  Harder;  bassos, 
fas.  Ringer,  F.  A.  Clement.  J.  B.  Morrill ; 
drums,  Leon  Hale,  H.  P.  Dimond,  I'.  A. 
Carleton  ;  drum-major,  I.  M.  Cottrell. 


Albert  S.  Glidden. 


Albert  S.  Glidden,  manager  and  pro- 
prietor of  the   concern   known   as   A.  S. 


Glidden  «N:  Co.,  brass  founders,  is  a 
native  of  Lynn,  Mass..  born  Sept.  26, 
[859,  the  son  of  Levi  and  Emily  (Cole- 
man) Glidden,  both  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  He  removed  to  New  Hamp- 
shire with  his  parents  when  only  two 
years  old.  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Laconia.  Mr.  (Hid- 
den learned  the  foundry  business  at  the 
shops  of  the  late  George  Rollins,  which 
were  located  on  Gove  Point  in  this  city. 
After  learning  his  trade.  Mr.  Glidden 
removed  to  Manchester  and  remained 
there  about 
t  h  r  e  e  y  r  a  r  s  . 
then  returned 
to  Laconia.  and 
has  been  con- 
nected with  the 
various  foun- 
dries in  this 
city.  He  went 
into  b  u  s  i  n  e  s  s 
for  himself  in 
Boston,  in  part- 
nership with 
W.  H.  Wilkin- 
son, under  the 
firm  name  of 
W.  H.  Wilkin- 
son &  Co..  but 
retired  from  this 
business  to  re  - 
turn  to  Laconia, 
where  he  start- 
ed a  brass  foun- 
dry of  his  own. 
located  o  n 
Somes  court,  in 
a  new  building 
which  was  erect- 
ed especially  for  this  purpose. 

The  concern  does  business  under  the 
linn  name  of  A.  S.  Glidden  &  Co..  and 
manufactures  all  kinds  of  brass  and 
composition  castings.  It  is  the  only 
concern  in  this  line  in  this  city  and  the 
work  turned  out  is  considered  of  high 
quality.  The  business  has  been  very 
prosperous  and  is  constantly  increasing, 
Mr.  Glidden  is  an  Odd  bellow,  and  a 
Knight  of  Pythias.  He  was  married 
in  [882  to  Miss  Ida  J.  Davis  .,1  L.u  o- 
nia.     Thev  have  no  children. 


!5° 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Laconia   National   Bank. 


The  Laconia  National  bank,  with  a 
capital  of  $150,000,  is  the  largest  and 
easily  the  most  important  banking  in- 
stitution in  this  section  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. The  bank  was  organized  Decem- 
ber 28,  1865,  and  commenced  business 
May  1,  1866,  with  the  following  board 
of  officers  :  President,  John  C.  Moulton  ; 
cashier,  Daniel  S.  Dinsmoor ;  directors, 
John  C.  Moulton,  Ellery  A.  Hibbard, 
Samuel  T.  Thomas,  William  N.  Blair, 
Benjamin  J.  Cole,  Samuel  C.  Clarke, 
Hanson  Beede.     The  bank  hired  vault 


building.  The  explosion  alarmed  the 
citizens  in  the  vicinity,  but  the  robbers 
boldly  reentered  the  bank,  hastily  gath- 
ered up  the  booty  and  escaped.  The 
windows  in  the  entire  block  were  shiv- 
ered, the  plastering  torn  off,  and  one 
side  of  the  entire  building  started  from 
its  fastenings.  The  securities  were 
afterwards  recovered,  being  found 
where  the  burglars  discarded  them  as 
of  no  value,  and  the  loss  of  the  cash 
and  bonds  did  not  of  course  cripple  the 
bank. 

In    1889  tne  bank  was  moved  to  its 
present  location  at   Bank  square,  where 


Interior  of  Laconia  National  Bank. 


room  of  the  old  Belknap  County  bank, 
and  occupied  rooms  in  the  same  build- 
ing. This  bank  has  always  transacted 
a  large  and  profitable  business,  and  has 
always  been  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  reliable  and  soundest  financial  es- 
tablishments in  this  vicinity. 

April  25,  1879,  the  bank  was  burglar- 
ized, the  safe  blown  open,  and  $3,500 
in  cash,  and  $2,600  in  bonds,  besides 
securities  to  the  amount  of  nearly  $145,- 
000.  were  taken.  The  burglars  forced 
the  front  door,  drilled  into  the  safe,  and 
opened  the  steel  chest  with  an  explo- 
sion   which   almost   wrecked    the   entire 


it  owns  and  occupies  a  handsome,  three- 
story,  brick  block,  handsomely  and  ele- 
gantly equipped,  and  furnished  in  mod- 
ern style,  with  tile  flooring,  mahogany 
finish,  steel  ceilings,  fire  and  burglar- 
proof  vault,  etc. 

The  present  officers  of  the  establish- 
ment are  :  President,  Charles  A.  Busiel ; 
vice-president,  Henry  B.  Quinby  ;  cash- 
ier, Orran  W.  Tibbetts;  assistant  cash- 
ier, Charles  W.  Tyler  ;  directors,  George 
H.  Clark,  Meredhh  ;  Ellery  A.  Hibbard, 
Charles  A,  Busiel,  Charles  F.  Pitman, 
Henry  B.  Quinby,  Dennis  O'Shea,  Wil- 
liam F,    Knight,    Stephen    S.   Jewett,  all 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACOMA.V 


JS1 


of  Laconia  ;  J.  Alonzo  Greene,  Moul- 
tonborough;  Orran  W.  Tibbetts,  Wil- 
liam A.  Plummer,  Laconia. 


City    Savings    Bank. 


The  City  Savings  bank,  which  occu- 
pies rooms  with  the  Laconia  National 
bank,  is  the  youngest  banking  establish- 
mentin  the  _ 
city,  being  char- 
tered in  1895. 
An  organ  i  z  a- 
tion  was  effect- 
ed, and  the 
bank  commenc- 
ed business 
April  1,  1897, 
and  from  the 
date  of  opening 
the  increase  of 
deposits  has 
been  rapid  and 
steady.  The 
bank  has  been 
enabled  to  in- 
vest its  depos- 
its in  first-class, 
gilt-  edged  se- 
curities, nearly 
all  its  money 
being  loaned 
upon  valuable 
real  estate  in 
Laconia  and 
vicinity.  The 
aim  of  this 
bank  is  to  in- 
vest the  money 
of  its  deposit-  |fr^^^ 
ors  carefully 
and  conserva- 
tively, pa  y  i  n  g  ^  N> 
as   high    a  rate 

of  interest  as  can  be  earned  from  strict- 
ly safe  investments.  Local  real  estate 
is  given  the  preference  in  all  cases  over 
Western  or  Southern  securities. 

Judging  from  the  increase  of  bus- 
iness during  its  two  years  of  exist- 
ence, the  City  Savings  bank  bids  fair 
to  soon  become  one  of  the  strongest 
and  most  popular  savings  banks  in  the 
state. 


!T33H{B 


The  present  officers  of  the  City  Sav- 
ings bank  are  :  President,  Charles  A. 
Busiel  ;  vice-president,  Henry  B.  Quin- 
by ;  treasurer,  Orran  W.  Tibbetts  ;  sec- 
retary, Charles  W.  Tyler;  investment 
committee,  Charles  A.  Busiel,  William 
A.  Plummer,  John  F.  Merrill,  Julius  E. 
Wilson ;  trustees,  Charles  A.  Busiel, 
Thomas  Cogswell,  Henry  B.  Quinby, 
Stephen  S. 
Jewett,  William 
A.  Plummer, 
John  F.  Mer- 
rill, Dennis 
O'Shea,  Julius 
E.Wilson,  Chas. 
F.  Stone,  Addi- 
son G.  Cook, 
Edw.  P.Thomp- 
son, Charles  W. 
Vaughan;  mem- 
bers of  the  cor- 
pora ti  on  and 
associate  trus- 
tees: Willi  am 
F.  Knight,  La- 
conia ;  Joseph 
W.  Pitman,  La- 
conia ;  Horace 
H.Wood,  Lake- 
port  ;  Henry  F. 
Dorr,  Centre 
Sandwich  ;  Oli- 
ver J.  M.  Gil- 
m an,  Alton; 
William  B.  Fel- 
lows, Til  ton  : 
HerbertJ. Jones, 
Alton  ;  Edwin 
C.  Be  a  n  ,  Bel- 
mont ;  Chas  W. 
Tyler,  Laconia; 
Orran  W.  Tib- 
betts,   Laconia. 

City  Clerk  Simeon  C.  Frye. 


Simeon  Cheney  Frye  was  born  in 
Sanbornton,  \.  II..  April  26,  1865,  son 
of  Jonathan  J.  Frye  of  Grantham,  and 
Ruth  II.  Leavitl  (Frye)  of  Sanbornton. 
He  is  a  descendant  of  some  of  the  oldest 
families  in  New  England,  and  is  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Thomas    1  Hidley,  second 


I52 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


governor  of  the  Massachusetts  bay  col-  Mr.   Frye  is  connected    with  several 

ony.  His  great-grandfather  was  a  sol-  of  the  secret  and  fraternal  orders.  He 
dier  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  was  is  a  member  of  Mt.  Lebanon  lodge, 
engaged  in    the    battle    of    Bennington.      No.  32,  A.   F.   &:    A.   M.,    of    which    at 

the  present  time  he  is  junior  warden. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  Chocorua  lodge, 
No.  51,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  Granite 
lodge,  No.  3,  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  of  which  latter  organization 
he  has  been  recorder  since  1892. 


Street  Commissioner  William  Nelson. 


Simeon  C.  Frye. 

Another  great-grandfather,  George  Av- 
ery, also  served  in  the  same  war. 

Mr.  Frye  was  educated  at  the  New 
Hampton  Institution,  and  came  to  La- 
conia  in  January,  1SS7,  as  bookkeeper 
for  O'Shea  Bros.'  store  and  hosiery  mill. 

He  left  this  firm  in  March,  JS90,  to 
engage  in  the  "  ice  harvest,"  caused  by 
a  famine  of  frozen  water  down  country, 
which  resulted  in  a  boom  in  this  indus- 
try in  Laconia  and  vicinity.  From  Jan. 
1,  1S91,  he  was  with  Coburn  cS:  Leavitt 
as  bookkeeper  until  the  firm  went  out  of 
business,  and  then  entered  the  office  of 
the  Crane  Manufacturing  Co.,  Septem- 
ber, 1893,  as  bookkeeper,  and  remained 
with  them  until  elected  city  clerk  March 
29,  1894.  Mr.  Frye  has  been  re-elected 
city  clerk  at  each  subsequent  election 
annually  and  still  holds  the  position, 
for  which  it  is  but  justice  to  say  he  is 
admirably  equipped  and  thoroughly  effi- 
cient. His  books  and  records  are  mod- 
els of  neatness  and  correctness,  and  in 
the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  he 
has  no  superior  in  this  line  in  New 
Hampshire.  He  was  auditor  of  the 
state  treasurer's  accounts  in  1897,  ap- 
pointed by  Governor  Busiel. 


William  Nelson,  street  commissioner 
of  the  city  of  Laconia,  and  also  super- 
intendent of  the  sewer  department  and 
city  engineer,  is  a  native  Laconian,  born 


William  Nelson. 

April  20,  187 1,  his  parents  being  Dr. 
David  B.  and  Susan  E.  Nelson.  He 
was  educated  in  our  public  schools  and 
graduated  from  the  Laconia  High 
school  in  the  "  Class  of  '87."  The  fol- 
lowing year,  Mr.  Nelson  commenced 
the  study  of  civil  engineering,  and  he 
is  generally  admitted  to  have  acquired 
a  very  proficient  education  in  this  pro- 
fession. He  was  appointed  superin- 
tendent of  the  Laconia  sewer  depart- 
ment in  1892,  city  engineer  in  1894, 
and  street  commissioner  in  1897,  and 
still  holds  all  three  positions,  managing 
these  three  important  departments  of 
municipal  work  very  acceptably.    In  ad- 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


*53 


dition  to  these  official  positions,  Mr. 
Nelson  has  served  several  times  as 
moderator  of  Ward  4,  is  sealer  of 
weights  and  measures  for  the  county  of 
Belknap  and  city  of  Laconia,  and  a 
justice  of  the  peace. 

He  is  an  attendant  at  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  and  member  of  Golden 
Rule  lodge,  I.  O.  G.  T.,  Granite  lodge, 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  Senior  Warden  of  Mt. 
Lebanon  lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
a  member  of  the  Boston  Society  of 
Civil  Engineers. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  to  Mina  L. 
Flint  of  Danville,  F.  Q.,  May  17,  1S92. 
They  have  three  children:  Thomas  L., 
Arthur  R.,  and  Marion  Ruth. 


City  Treasurer  Arthur  W.  Dinsmoor. 

Arthur  W.  Dinsmoor,  city  treasurer 
of  Laconia,  is  a  native  Laconian,  the 
son  of  the  late  Hon.  Daniel  Stark  Dins- 
moor    and     Amelia     M.     (Whittemore) 


Arthur  \V.  Dinsmoor. 

Dinsmoor,  born  Jan.  1  r,  1870.  Mr. 
Dinsmoor  is  a  descendant  of  the  famous 
Gen.  John  Stark,  the  Revolutionary 
hero,  while  the  Dinsmoors  are  descend- 
ants of  John  Dinsmoor,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  New  Hampshire,  who 
was  noted  for  his  honesty  and  upright- 
ness both  by  white  men  and  Indians  in 
the  old  colonial  days. 


Mr.  Dinsmoor  was  educated  in  our 
public  schools  and  at  New  Hampshire 
Conference  seminary  at  Tilton.  For 
ten  years  he  has  been  a  faithful  and 
trusted  attache  of  the  Laconia  National 
bank,  and  he  also  holds  several  other 
positions  of  trust  and  honor.  He  was 
elected  city  treasurer  in  March,  1894, 
and  has  held  the  office  ever  since  that 
time,  being  reelected  at  each  subse- 
quent annual  election.  He  was  one  of 
the  New  Hampshire  state  auditors  in 
1895,  is  treasurer  of  the  Belknap  County 
Fish  and  Game  League  and  also  treas- 
urer of  the  Laconia  Fress  Association. 

He  is  an  attendant  at  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  holding  the  office  of 
junior  deacon  in  Mt.  Lebanon  lodge 
at  the  present  time.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen. 

Mr.  Dinsmoor  married  Amy  W. 
Hatch,  June  21,  1893,  and  they  have  two 
sons,  Daniel  S.  and  Theodore  Weston. 


Frank   S.  Peaslee. 


Frank  S.  Peaslee,  dealer  in  fruit,  con- 
fectionery, tobacco,  cigars,  and  periodi 


Frank  S.  l'easlee. 

cals,  is  a  native  of  this  city,  born  at 
Lake  Village,  April  i<),  1S71.  Mr. 
Peaslee  received  a  common  school  edu- 


54 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


cation,  and  is  a  knitter  by  trade,  being 
employed  in  our  local  hosiery  mills  in 
his  boyhood.  He  started  in  business 
in  March,  1888,  with  a  small  stock  of 
goods,  in  the  room  occupied  by  the 
Lakeport  post-office.  He  met  with  fair 
success,  but  sold  out  the  business  in 
December,  1S92,  and  then  worked  in 
the  hosiery  mills  three  years,  as  a  knitter. 
In  July,  1895,  he  again  embarked  in 
trade,  at  No.  47  Elm  street,  where  he  is 


Mr.  Peaslee  is  married,  and  resides  at 
No.  60  School  street.  He  has  two  little 
daughters,  aged  three  and  five  years. 


The  Late  Hon.  John  W.  Busiel. 


The  late  Hon.  John  W.  Busiel  was 
the  founder  of  the  hosiery  establishment 
in  Laconia,  which  still  bears  his  name, 
and  one  of  the  pioneers  in  this  industry 


The  late  Hon.  John  W.  Busiel. 


still  located,  and  has  built  up  a  succes- 
ful  and  prosperous  business. 

He  carries  a  large  stock  of  all  the 
popular  cigars  and  tobacco,  supple- 
mented by  a  choice  line  of  pipes  and 
other  smokers'  goods.  Fresh  fruits  at 
all  seasons  of  the  year  are  a  specialty 
with  Mr.  Peaslee,  and  he  handles  large 
shipments  in  this  line.  In  periodicals, 
Mr.  Peaslee  sells  the  daily  and  weekly 
newspapers,  all  the  popular  magazines, 
and  literature  usually  found  at  a  first- 
class  newsstand. 


in  the  United  States.  He  was  born  in 
Moultonboro',  N.  H.,  March  28,  18 15. 
His  parents  were  Moses  F.  and  Relief 
Busiel,  and  he  was  the  eldest  of  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Only  three  of  his  brothers  are  now  liv- 
ing, Albert  H.,  of  Laconia ;  Harrison 
M.,  of  East  Andover,  N.  H.,  and  George 
H.,  of  Providence,  R.  I. 

Mr.  Busiel's  education  was  obtained 
in  the  country  district  schools,  at  a 
time  when  schooling  was  limited  to  a 
few  weeks  per  year,  but  he  was  quick 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


lSS 


to  learn  and  made  the  most  of  his  lim- 
ited opportunities.  In  his  early  youth 
he  determined  to  be  a  woolen  manufac- 
turer, and  started  out  at  the  age  of  only 
twelve  years,  with  his  scanty  wardrobe 
tied  up  in  a  handkerchief,  to  walk  to 
Loudon,  N.  LL,  where  he  entered  the 
mill  of  his  great-uncle,  Lewis  Flanders, 
who  carded  rolls  and  made  flannels  and 
cloths  used  at  that  period.  A  boy  of 
unusual  energy  and  determination,  he 
remained  with  his  uncle  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  old,  improving  every  op- 
portunity to  learn  the  business,  and  at 
the  same  time  proceeding  methodically 
with  his  studies  while  his  companions 
were  at  play.  At  nineteen  years  of  age, 
with  a  new 
suit  of  clothes, 
and  one  hun- 
dred dollars 
in  his  pocket, 
young  Busiel 
left  his  uncle's 
roof  and  went 
to  Amesbury, 
Mass.,  where 
h  e  w  a  s  em- 
ployed in  a 
woolen  mill 
and  complet- 
ed his  trade. 
Many  times 
during  his  stay 
in  Amesbury, 
he     walked 

home,    and    out   of  his  scanty  earnings 
assisted  in  maintaining  the  family. 

From  Amesbury,  Mr.  Busiel  returned 
to  New  Hampshire  and  located  at 
Meredith  where  he  remained  ten  years 
in  business  for  himself,  as  a  manu- 
facturer of  satinet  cloth,  knitting  yarns. 
etc.  In  1846  he  came  to  Laconia  and 
founded  the  J.  W.  Busiel  mills,  which 
he  continued  very  successfully  until  his 
death  which  occurred  July  26,   [872. 

On  December  23,  1841,  he  married 
Julia  M.,  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Julia  Tilton,  of  Meredith.  Of  this 
union  were  born  three  sons  and  one 
daughter.  The  daughter  died  in  in- 
fancy, but  the  sons  have  lived  to  be  an 
honor    to     their     father's    name.       The 


Residence  of  Mrs.  J.  W.  Busiel. 


eldest  is  Hon.  Charles  A.  Busiel,  ex- 
governor  of  New  Hampshire.  The 
other  sons,  John  T.  and  Frank  E.,  now 
carry  on  the  hosiery  business  founded 
by  their  father. 

Mr.  Busiel  was  a  strong  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  represented  Laconia  in  the 
legislature  in  iSyo-'yi.  He  was  a  man 
of  public  spirit,  enterprise,  and  pro- 
gress. He  manufactured  the  first  gas 
burned  in  Laconia,  and  laid  the  first 
slate  used  here  for  roofing  purposes. 
He  also  put  in  the  first  boiler  and 
steam  heat  in  the  town.  He  took  great 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  Laconia,  and 
gave  generously  to  public  buildings  and 
all  plans  for  the  advancement  of  Laco- 
nia's  prosper- 
ity. Me  was 
a  liberal  sup- 
porter of  the 
C  ongregation- 
al  church,  of 
w  h  i  C  h  M  r  s. 
Busiel  is  a 
member,  and 
assisted  mate- 
rially in  re- 
modeling the 
church  edifice. 
He  w  a  s  kind- 
hearted,  gen- 
erous, and  de- 
voted to  the 
inter  ests  of 
town. 


Ex-Governor  Charles  A.  Busiel. 


Probably  no  man  has  been  more 
prominently  and  actively  identified  with 
the  manufacturing,  business,  financial, 
and  social  life  of  Laconia,  during  the 
past  thirty  years,  than  Ex-Governor 
Charles  A.  Busiel.  In  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Lake  Shore  railroad,  the 
erection  of  the  new  passenger  station, 
the  establishment  of  a  city  hospital,  the 
inauguration  of  the  city  government, 
and  in  a  thousand  and  one  other  enter- 
prises, all  in  the  direction  of  progress 
and  advancement,  Mr.  Busiel  lias  made 
his  mark  and  built  for  himself  a  monu- 
ment as  a  public-spirited,  broad-minded, 


i56 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


progressive    Laconian,    which    will    do 
honor  to  him  for  centuries  to  come. 

Charles  Albert  Busiel  was  born  in 
Meredith,  N.  H.,  Nov.  24,  1842.  He 
was  the  eldest  son  of  the  late  John  W. 
and  Julia  (Tilton)  Busiel.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Laconia    and    at    old  Gilford  academy, 


his  attention  has  been  given  to  electric 
roads  which  he  believes  are  destined  to 
supersede  less  advanced  means  of  trans- 
portation, and  to  greatly  assist  in  the 
progress  and  development  of  New 
Hampshire. 

In  politics  Ex-Governor  Busiel  is  an 
Independent,  but  has  always  supported 


and    after    graduating    he    entered     his     the  party  which  he  believed  represented 


father's  hosiery 
mill  and  ac- 
quired a  prac- 
tical knowledge 
of  the  entire 
business  by 
actual  labor  in 
each  depart- 
ment. In  1863 
he  engaged  in 
business  on  his 
own  account, 
but  within  a 
few  years  sold 
his  interest  in 
the  establ  ish- 
ment  which  h  e 
had  put  i  n  t  o 
operation,  and 
with  a  brother, 
in  1 8 6  9 ,  he 
entered  into 
partnership  and 
engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of 
hosiery.  Anoth- 
er brother  joined 
the  firm  in  1872, 
and  the  n  a  m  e 
became  J.  W. 
Busiel  &  Co. 
This  business 
is  still  contin- 
ued and  ranks  as  one  of  the  most  im 
portant  industries  in  Laconia. 


Ex-Governor  Charles  A.  Busie 


the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  peo- 
ple upon  local, 
state,  and  na- 
tional issues. 
He  represented 
Laconia  in  the 
legi  slatures  of 
1878  and  1879  ; 
he  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the 
Democratic  na- 
tional conven- 
tion in  Cincin- 
nati in  1880 ;  as 
a  Rep  u  b  1  i  c  a  n 
candidate  he  be- 
came the  first 
mayor  of  the 
new  city  of  La- 
conia, although 
at  that  time  the 
city  was  strong- 
1  y  Democratic. 
He  was  reelect- 
ed mayor  for  a 
second  term  by 
a  largely  in- 
creased major- 
ity.  In  1895  he 
was  the  Repub- 
lican candidate 
for  governor  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  was  elected  by 
one    of    the  largest   majorities   ever   re- 


Ex-Governor    Busiel    is    president   of     ceived  by  any  candidate  in  this  state, 


the  Laconia  National  bank  and  also 
president  of  the  City  Savings  bank. 
He  has  attained  much  prominence  in 
railroad  circles  by  his  investments  in 
this  kind  of  property,  by  his  success  in 
organizing  and  constructing  the  Lake 
Shore  railroad,  and  as  one  of  the 
managing  directors  of  the  old  Concord 
&    Montreal    railroad.       In    later    vears 


about  10,000  majority  and  13,000  plur- 
ality. For  the  first  time  in  history,  every 
county  in  New  Hampshire  returned  a 
Republican  majority  at  this  election. 
As  governor  of  the  state  he  advocated 
and  even  compelled  retrenchments  and 
reforms,  which  saved  the  treasury  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars,  and  it 
was  universally  admitted  by  opponents 


the  illustrated  laconian. 


!57 


as  well  as  friends,  that  Governor  Busiel 
was  one  of  the  best  governors  who 
ever  held  the  position  of  chief  execu- 
tive in  this  state.  He  was  prominent 
as  a  candidate  for  United  States  sena- 
tor in  1896,  and  was  undoubtedly  the 
choice  of  his  state  for  a  secretary's 
portfolio  in  President  McKinley's 
cabinet. 

Ex-Governor  Busiel  attends  the  Con- 
gregational church.  He  is  very  promi- 
nent in  Masonic  circles,  as  well  as  in 
the  Knights  of  Pvthias  and  other  bene- 


Preston,  daughter  of  Worcester  Pres- 
ton. They  have  one  daughter,  Frances 
E.  Busiel,  who  is  the  wife  of  Wilson 
Longstreth  Smith  of  Germantown.  Pa., 
and  they  have  one  son,  Charles  Albert 
Busiel  Smith,  born  March  1.  1895. 


John  T.  Busiel. 


John  T.  busiel,  of  the  firm  of  J.  W. 
Busiel  <.\:  Co.,  woolen  hosiery  manufac- 
turers, was  the  second  son  of  John  W. 
and  Julia   M.  (Tilton)  busiel,  born  Oct. 


Residence  of  Hon.  Charles  A.  Busiel. 


facial,  social,  and  charitable  organiza- 
tions. 

During  his  administration  as  gov- 
ernor he  paid  $200,000  of  the  state 
debt,  and  $75,000  to  defray  expenses 
left  due  by  previous  administrations, 
by  his  vetoes  of  the  unnecessary  meas- 
ures passed  by  the  legislature,  Governor 
Busiel  practically  saved  the  state  a  mil- 
lion dollars,  and  when  he  retired  from 
office  he  left  in  the  state  treasury, 
$590,706.07  according  to  the  report  of 
the  state  auditing  committee. 

In  1S64  he  married   Eunice  Elizabeth 


12,  1847,  i'1  that  part  of  the  old 
town  of  Gilford  which  was  afterwards 
annexed  to  the  town  of  Laconia,  and 
now  forms  a  part  of  the  city.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools,  gradu- 
ated at  Phillips  Exeter  academy,  class 
of  '64,  and  at  Harvard  university,  class 
of  '68.  Since  completing  his  educa- 
tion, Mr.  Busiel  has  been  engaged  in 
the  hosiery  industry  in  Laconia,  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  J.  W.  busiel  & 
Co. 

Mr.  busiel  was  a  member  of  the   New 
Hampshire   legislature  in  1SS3.      He  is 


i58 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Laconia    public   library;    vice-president 


Frank  E.  Busiel. 


John  'J'.  Busiel. 

of  the  People's  National  bank  ;   trustee 
of  the   Belknap   Savings   bank;    and    a 
director  in  the  Win- 
nipesaukee    Gas   & 
Electric  Co. 

He  is  active  and 
aggressive  in  public 
matters  pertaining 
to  the  welfare  of 
Laconia,  and  he  is 
one  of  the  trustees 
and  building  com- 
mittee under  the 
will  of  the  late  X.  B. 
Gale,  to  lay  out  pub- 
lic grounds  for  a 
park,  and  erect  the 
Gale  Memorial 
building  for  a  pub- 
lic library  and  his- 
torical museum. 

He   married    Nel-  ^to^*"^«>. 

lie  M.,  daughter  of 
James  E.  and  Sarah 
(Brock)     Pinkham, 

July  6,    1S70,    and    has    one    daughter, 
Helen  J.  Busiel. 


Frank  E.  Busiel,  of  the  well-known 
concern  of  J.  W.  Busiel  &  Co.,  woolen 
hosiery  manufacturers,  is  a  native  Laco- 
nian,  born  Oct.  31,  1852.  the  youngest 
son  of  the  late  John  W.  and  Julia  (Til- 
ton)  Busiel. 

Frank  E.  Busiel  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Laconia  and  at  Gilford 
academy.  His  father  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  hosiery  manufacturers  of  this 
country,  and  after  completing  his  edu- 
cation, Frank  E.  entered  his  father's 
factory  to  thoroughly  learn  the  details  of 
the  industry.  He  worked  several  years 
as  a  second  hand,  and  was  then  given 
charge  of  the  knitting  department  of 
the  factory,  a  position  which  he  filled  at 
the  time  of  his  father's  death,  in  1S72. 
He  was  then  admitted  to  partnership  in 
the  concern,  which  still  continues  in 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  W. 
Busiel  &  Co.  Mr.  Busiel  is  a  natural 
mechanic,  and  assumes  the  oversight  of 
the  entire  mechanical  department  of  the 
business.  In  politics  Mr.  Busiel  is  a 
Republican,  and  while  he  has  no  ambi- 


Residence  of  John  T.  Busiel. 

tion  for  political  honors,  he  consented  to 
serve  as  a  member  of  the  Laconia  police 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


J59 


commission,  and  has  been  chairman  since 
its  organization,  in  April.  1895.  Under 
his  direction  the  police  department  of 
Laconia   has  been    thoroughly   reorgan- 


Frank  E.  Busiel. 

ized  and  put  upon  a  model  metropolitan 
basis,  and  it  is  generally  admitted  that 
the  police  department  of  the  city  is 
to-day  one  of  the  best,  most  efficient, 
and  most  economically  sustained 
of  any  in  New  Hampshire.  On 
.Nov.  19,  1874,  .Mr.  Busiel  mar- 
ried Hattie  A.  Sanborn,  and  he 
has  two  children.  Grace  and 
Edith,  both  residing  at  home. 


satinet  cloth  and  knitting  yarn.  When 
he  first  came  to  Laconia,  he  continued 
this  business  in  the  old  Bean  mill,  which 
then  stood  upon  the  site  of  the  present 
dye-house  of  the  J.  W.  liusiel  Co.  Dur- 
ing the  great  fire  of  the  Strafford  mill 
this  old  one-story  wooden  structure  was 
partially  burned,  and  in  1853  Mr.  lius- 
iel purchased  the  land  and  water-power 
formerly  used  by  the  Strafford  com- 
pany. On  this  site  he  erected  the  first 
of  the  buildings  now  used  by  |.  \Y. 
liusiel  &  Co.  He  here  added  to  his 
list  of  manufactures,  Saxony  and  Ger- 
mantown  yarns.  At  the  Crystal  Palace 
exhibition  in  London.  Mr.  liusiel  re- 
ceived a  gold  medal  for  the  best  mix- 
ture of  cotton  and  woolen  varus. 

The  invention  of  the  circular  ribbed 
knitting  machine  by  Jonas  and  Walter 
Aiken  in  1856  led  Mr.  liusiel  to  intro- 
duce the  manufacture  of  Shaker  socks 
and  underwear.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  Civil  War,  the  mill  started  upon  the 
production  of  army  socks,  and  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  manufacture  of  the 
different  varieties  of  hosiery  became 
the  sole  product  of  the  mill,  and  in  this 
line  the  J.  W.  Busiel  hosiery  mills  have 
achieved  a  national  reputation  in  knit 
goods  circles.  Since  the  death  of  John 
W.    liusiel    in     1S72    the    business  has 


The  Busiel  &  Co.  Hosiery  Mill. 

The  J.  W.  liusiel  &  Co.  hosiery 
mill  is  the  largest  industry  in  this 
line  in  the  city  of  Laconia,  and 
was  founded  by  the  late  John  W. 
Busiel  in  1846.  Previous  to  com- 
ing to  Laconia,  then  Meredith 
Bridge,  Mr.  Busiel  was  engaged 
in  business  as  a  woolen  manu- 
facturer at  Meredith  Village,  card- 
ing woolen  rolls  for  hand-spinning,  and  been  continued  and  enlarged  by  the 
finishing  the  cloths  which  it  was  then  three  sons,  Charles  A.,  John  T.,  and 
the  custom  for  farmers'  wives  to  weave.  Frank  E.  The  Busiel  mills  are  the 
He  also  began  there  the  manufacture  of     most  substantial   and  modern  structures 


Kesidi  ace  1  il  Prank  E.  Busiel. 


i6o 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


of  the  kind  in  this  vicinity,  are  equipped 
with  all  the  modern  improvements  and 
labor-saving  devices,  and  employ  the 
largest  number  of  operatives  when  run- 
ning at  their  full  capacity.  The  firm 
has  a  long-established  reputation  with 
the  trade  throughout  the  country  for 
manufacturing  a  superior  quality  of 
hosiery,  and  some  of  the  specialties  of 
this  concern  have  been  very  popular 
with  the  public  and  profitable  to  the 
manufacturers. 


Mass.,  to  wind  up  the  financial  affairs 
of  a  dry  goods  house,  and  after  remain- 
ing there  one  year  came  to  Laconia  in 
1862,  and  became  associated  with  Al- 
bert G.  Folsom  in  the  clothing  and  dry 
goods  and  millinery  trade,  carrying  on 
two  stores,  under  the  firm  name  of  Fol- 
som &  Smith.  When  the  Folsom  brick 
block  was  completed  in  February,  1863, 
the  firm  moved  into  the  store  now  occu- 
pied by  Patsey  O'Shea  and  continued 
until  1S69,  when    Mr.    P'olsom    sold  out 


The  Busiel  Hosiery  Mili. 


Ex-Mayor  Samuel   B.  Smith. 


Although  now  retired  from  mercan- 
tile pursuits,  in  which  he  was  active  for 
many  years,  ex-Mayor  Samuel  B.  Smith 
is  still  prominent  in  financial,  political, 
and  real  estate  circles  in  Laconia,  and  is 
one  of  the  largest  owners  of  rental  prop- 
erty in  the  city. 

He  was  born  in  West  Newbury, 
Mass.,  May  n,  1837,  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  town  and 
at  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover,  Mass. 
After  completing  his  education  in  1855 
he  started  to  learn  shoe  manufacturing 
and  worked  five  years  as  a  cutter  in  this 
industry.      He  then   went   to   Lawrence, 


his  interest  to  Mr.  Smith,  who  continued 
the  business  alone.  In  1875  he  took 
Messrs.  Frank  and  Oscar  Lougee  into 
partnership,  and  soon  afterwards  the 
firm  occupied  the  entire  first  floor  of  the 
whole  block,  carrying  clothing,  dry 
goods,  carpets,  boots  and  shoes,  millin- 
ery and  custom  tailoring.  In  1884  Mr. 
Smith  commenced  to  withdraw  from 
mercantile  business,  selling  a  part  of 
the  establishment  to  Lougee  Bros.,  and 
later  other  departments  to  W.  D.  Micl- 
dleton,  retaining  the  boot  and  shoe  bus- 
iness for  several  years,  but  finally  sell- 
ing this  branch  to  Messrs.  Donovan  & 
Stoughton. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  large  real   estate  own- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


161 


er.  Besides  his  handsome  residence  on 
Harvard  street,  he  together  with  Mr. 
Folsom  erected  the  substantial  Smith 
block  on  Main  street,  built  the  rive 
tenement  block  on  Beacon  street,  re- 
modeled the  seven-tenement  building 
on  Hanover  street,  erected  another 
large  block  for  stores  and  tenements  on 
Mill  street,  besides  other  work  in  the 
same  line  on  a  smaller  scale. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  director  in  the  Peo- 
ple'  s  National 
bank  and  a  trus- 
tee in  the  La- 
conia  Savings 
bank,  being 
quite  prominent 
in  the  manage- 
ment of  both 
these  i  n s  t  i  t  u - 
tions.  He  has 
been  a  large 
stockholder  and 
a  leader  in  the 
management  of 
the  L  ac  o  n  i  a 
Street  railway 
most  of  the  time 
since  the  road 
w  a  s  construct- 
e  d  .  It  was 
largelv  through 
Mr.  'Smith's 
efforts  that  La- 
conia's  ad  mi  r- 
able  system  of 
sewerage  w  a  s 
con structed  , 
and  he  served 
as   chair  m  a  n 

of  the  construction  committee  in  this 
great  public  improvement.  He  is  a  di- 
rector of  the  Winnipesaukee  Gas  and 
Electric  Co.,  has  been  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trade,  which  was  organized 
largely  through  his  efforts,  and  he  is 
also  interested  and  active  in  numerous 
other  local  enterprises  of  a  public  na- 
ture. 

One  of  the  recent  public  improve- 
ments which  ex-Mayor  Smith  has  taken 
a  leading  part  in  promoting,  is  the  lay- 
ing-out and  construction  of  the  new 
boulevard  from  Lakeport  to  The  Weirs, 
ii 


Largely  through  his  efforts  the  city  of 
Laconia  was  induced  to  build  the  high- 
way and  he  also  arranged  the  deal  by 
which  the  electric  road  was  extended 
over  this  boulevard,  which  will  be  the 
pride  of  the  city  for  many  years  to  come. 
Mr.  Smith  has  always  been  an  active 
Republican,  and  represented  Laconia  in 
the  legislature  of  iSSS-'Sq.  He  was 
elected  the  second  mayor  of  the  city  of 
Laconia,  in  1895,  and  was  re-elected  in 
1S96,  devoting 
h  i  s  v  a  1  u  a  b  1  e 
k  n  o  w  1  e  d  ge  of 
financial  matters 
to  public  affairs 
during  his  two 
years  of  service, 
with  good  re- 
sults. Mr.  Smith 
married  A  d  a  . 
d  a  ug h t e  r  of 
Hon.  A.  G.  Fol- 
som, and  they 
have  three  chil- 
dren :  Katherine 
(  Hive,  wife  o  f 
Harry  S.  Chase. 
James  S.,  con- 
nected with  the 
People's  Nation- 
al bank,  and 
Louise  C,  who 
resides  with  her 
parents  on  Har- 
vard street. 


Ex-Mayor  Samuel  B.  Smith. 


The  Late 
Stephen  Perley. 


The  city  of  Laconia  owes  to  the 
Perley  family  many  of  its  important 
enterprises,  and  the  late  Stephen  Perley 
was  the  father  of  the  industrial  life  in 
this  place.  He  was  born  in  Ipswich, 
Mass.,  Oct.  7,  1770,  a  son  of  Allen 
Perley.  The  Perley  family  is  said  to 
have  had  its  origin  in  Wales,  and  Allen 
Perley  (first)  came  to  Massachusetts 
from  England  in  1630,  and  settled  in 
Ipswich. 

Stephen  Perley  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Ipswich, 
and  then  worked  for  a  time  in  a  store 


62 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


in  Salem,  Mass.  He  came  to  Laconia 
when  still  a  young  man,  and  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers,  and  for  many  years 
was,  perhaps,  the  most  important  citi- 
zen in  town.  At  one  time  he  owned 
most  of  the  land  on  which  the  city 
stands  to-day.  He  was  a  large  farmer, 
raising  some  years  six  hundred  bushels 
of  corn.  He  managed  a  general  store, 
which  was  the  centre  of  trade,  not  only 
for    the   village,    but    for    those    in    the 


shops,  and  which  furnishes  power, 
to-day,  for  a  portion  of  the  car  indus- 
try. He  was  a  man  of  great  enterprise 
and  foresight,  and  many  of  his  plans 
have  been  adopted  and  carried  out  by 
the  wise  men  of  to-day. 

Mr.  Perley  was  a  Jeffersonian  Demo- 
crat, and  quite  active  in  politics.  He 
was  one  of  the  electors  for  Van  Buren, 
a  representative  in  the  state  legislature, 
and  was  postmaster  here  for  thirty  years. 


y^V 

■fte***   .«*£** 

1  •"                 »*. 

\      £    _ 

Hft         >£ 

J^M, 

^ "  i 

H&     v? 

A 

BKtf^jfl 

jal 

A 

M 

The  late  Stephen  Perley. 


entire  farming  country  around.  He 
had  a  number  of  sawmills,  where  he 
converted  the  lumber  into  marketable 
shape  from  the  lands  which  he  cleared. 
As  the  town  increased,  he  established  a 
nail  factory,  a  starch  factory,  a  cotton 
factory,  and  a  linseed  oil  mill.  The 
cotton  mill  was  subsequently  sold  to 
Daniel  Avery.  Mr.  Perley  dug  the 
present  Perley  canal,  which  connects 
the  Winnipesaukee  river,  near  Church 
street,  with  the  same  river  near  the  car 


He  was  a  strong  Universalist,  and 
his  house  was  always  a  home  for  minis- 
ters of  his  faith.  He  invited  such  men 
as  Rev.  Father  Ballou  of  Boston,  Rev. 
Messrs.  Sebastian  and  Russel  Streeter, 
to  come  to  this  place  and  preach,  and 
in  this  way  he  was  instrumental  in 
forming  what  was  for  many  years  a 
strong  and  zealous  Universalist  society, 
which  erected  the  church  building  on 
Union  avenue  now  occupied  by  the 
Methodists. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


163 


Mr.  Perley  married  twice.  His  first 
wife,  Abigail,  died  young,  leaving  one 
daughter.  Sarah,  who  married  Dr.  John 
Durkee  of  this  place,  a  prominent  phy- 
sician at  that  time.  His  second  mar- 
riage was  with  Mehitable,  daughter  of 
Colonel   Samuel   Ladd,  who  was  one  of 


months.  Mr.  Perley  died  April  13, 
1 S 5  5 ,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-four 
years  and  six  months,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren :  John  Langdon,  Louisa,  Abigail, 
and  Martha  Maria.  A  resident  of  the 
town  for  sixty  years,  he  was  a  most  essen- 
tial  factor   in  its  growth  and  prosperity. 


s 


The  late  John  L.  Perley. 


the  first  settlers,  and  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Gilmanton,  now  Belmont.  He 
was  a  large  landowner,  and  Ladd  Hill 
was  named  for  his  family.  Mrs.  Me- 
hitable Perley  was  a  most  worthy,  chari- 
table woman,  and  an  exemplary  wife 
and  mother.  She  died  October  25, 
1834,     aged     fifty-one    years    and    six 


The  Late  John  L.  Perley. 


One  of  the  most  prominent  and  best 
known  men  of  Meredith  Bridge  and 
Laconia  in  its  early  days  was  Dr.  John 
Langdon  Perley,  who  was,  in  fact,  one 
of  the  leading  men  in  this  part  of  New 
Hampshire    in    financial    and     political 


164 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


matters,  in  the  early  years  of  the  present 
century. 

He  was  born  in  Laconia,  then  Mere- 
dith Bridge,  June  10,  1805,  the  son  of 
Stephen  and  Mehitable  (Ladd)  Perley. 
His  father  was  a  very  prominent  man 
in  the  early  history  of  this  community, 
and  the  Ladd  family,  of  which  his 
mother  was  a  member,  figured  exten- 
sively in  the  settlement  and  develop- 
ment of  Laconia. 


unsettled  country,  returned  to  Laconia 
with  renewed  interest  in  its  welfare. 

He  was  for  many  years  extensively 
engaged  in  farming  and  the  manufac- 
ture of  lumber,  owning  a  large  extent  of 
woodland  in  this  section.  At  East  Til- 
ton  he  owned  a  sawmill,  grist-mill,  and 
valuable  water  privilege,  but  this  prop- 
erty he  finally  sold. 

Dr.  Perley  was  much  interested  in 
banking,  and    was   one   of   the   incorpo- 


The  late  Lieut.  John  L.  Perley,  Jr. 


John  L.  Perley  studied  medicine  with 
Dr.  Durkee,  one  of  the  first  practitioners 
at  Meredith  Bridge,  and  graduated 
M.  D.  from  Bowdoin  college,  Bruns- 
wick, Me.,  in  1829.  He  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  until 
about  forty  years  of  age,  and  then 
retired  to  give  more  attention  to  other 
matters  in  which  he  became  interested. 
He  went  West  in  1837,  but  after  spend- 
ing some  time  in   that  then   lawless  and 


rators  of  the  Meredith  Bridge  Savings 
bank,  a  member  of  its  board  of  trustees, 
and  its  president  for  some  time.  He 
was  also  one  of  the  incorporators  of 
the  Belknap  Savings  bank,  and  its 
president  until  about  ten  years  pre- 
vious to  his  death,  when  he  resigned. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  old  Whig 
party,  and  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
Meredith  Bridge  during  President  John 
Quincy  Adams's  administration  in  1S29. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


165 


He  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Benjamin 
Pierce,  surgeon  of  the  Twenty-ninth 
regiment  of  New  Hampshire  militia,  in 
1S29.  In  1834  he  was  elected  to  the 
state  legislature,  and  distinguished  him- 
self as  a  champion  of  the  people's 
rights.  He  introduced  and  secured  the 
passage  of  the  bill  reducing  the  salary 
of  the  governor  of  New  Hampshire 
from  two  thousand  to  one  thousand 
dollars,  on  the  ground  that  the  honor  of 


gusta  Perley,  wife  of  Jacob  Sanborn  ; 
Mary  A.  Perley,  who  married  Josiah  T. 
Sturtevant;  Lewis  S.  Perley,  who  re- 
sides upon  the  ancestral  farm  to-day  ; 
and  Clara  E.  Perley.  who  married  I  >r. 
A.  L.  Norris,  and  resides  at  Cambridge- 
port,  Mass. 

I  >r.  Perley  was  one  of  the  strong  men 
of  early  Laconia,  a  man  of  excellent 
judgment,  strict  integrity,  and  much 
financial  sagacity. 


Lewis  5>   I;trlt> . 


being  governor  of  the  state  should  sat- 
isfy the  chief  executive,  and  that  the 
salary  should  be  merely  nominal. 

He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Mary 
A.  Eastman,  of  Eranklin,  N.  H.  His 
second  wife  was  Dora  P.  Kandlett.  of 
Gilmanton,  N.  H.,  and  this  union  was 
blessed  with  five  children  :  John  L. 
Perley,  Jr..  who  died  from  the  exposure 
of  his  military  service  in    [862  ;   I).  Au- 


The    Late  Lieut.  John  L.  Perley,  J". 


The  late  Lieutenant  John  L.  Perley, 
|r..  in  whose  honor  the  Laconia  Post  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  is 
named,  was  a  native  of  Laconia,  bom 
at  Meredith  Bridge,  Dec.  10.  1859,  the 
eldest  son  of  John  L.  and  Dora  (Rand- 
lett)  Perley.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public   schools   of   this   town,  and   com. 


i66 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


pleted  his  education  at  Gilford  academy, 
New  Hampton  Institution  and  the  Law- 
rence Scientific  school, Cambridge,  Mass. 
After  completing  his  education,  he 
commenced  to  study 
law,  with  the  intention 
of  adopting  this  pro- 
fession in  life,  but  on 
the  breaking  out  of 
the  Civil  War,  he  laid 
aside  his  books  and 
enlisted,  August,  1S61, 
in  Troop  M,  New  Eng- 
land cavalry,  and  the 
following  No vember 
was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  second  lieuten- 
ant. He  was  taken  ill 
in  May,  1862,  and  re- 
turned home,  and  died 
shortly  after  from  the 
effects  of  exposure 
during  his  mil  i  tar}' 
service,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years. 


also  engages  quite  extensively  in  lum- 
bering and   clearing  wood  lots.     He    is 
a  Republican  in   politics,  and  a  liberal 
in  religion.      He  is  a  member  of  Winni- 
piseogee  lodge,  No.  7, 
L    O.    O.    F.     At    the 
present  time,  Mr.  Per- 
ley  is  a  member  of  the 
Laconia  board  of  city 
assessors,    elected    by 
the    city    council    in 
March  of  the  present 
year. 

In  t888  he  was  unit- 
ed in  marriage  with 
Clara  L.  Knowlton  of 
Meredith.  They  have 
two  children,  Lew  K., 
and  Marion  Louise. 


Charles   F.   Richards. 


Charles  F.  Richard 


Lewis  S,  Perley. 


Lewis  S.  Perley,  son  of  the  late  John 
L.  Perley  and  Dora  (Randlett)  Perley, 
was  born  in  Laconia,  August  22,  1845. 
He    was    edu- 


Charles  Francis  Rich- 
ards, member  of  the 
Laconia  city  c  o  u  n  c  i  1 
from  Ward  2,  was  born 
in  Lebanon,  Me.,  Nov.  11,  1S50.  He 
was  educated  in  his  native  town,  and  in 
Rochester,  N.  H.  In  1S79,  he  started 
in  the  planing  mill  and  box  business 
with  his  brother,  Geo.  O.   Richards,  at 

East    Roches- 


cated  in  the  ter.  Mr.  Rich- 
public  schools  A  ards  came  to 
in  this  town,  -'a  Laconia  in 
and  then  at-  :\  April,  1883, 
tended  Gilford  ,.r*  ^»  and  has  been 
academy,  af-  »  >  ■  '  e  m  p  1  oyed  in 
terwards  tak-  ^J :i  WT^k  4  the  several 
ing  a  course  of  P#  B  j£"'v  \ -  "A  wood-work- 
special  study  ^r^^^P^^^  1  \ ,  ing  establish- 
in  Boston,  and  ~fr  PL  L3  "^T  -r^  ments,  and 
completed  his  ^^^^  j|  !  H  ■  jJJ  1 1  ]  -i  ^">  also  as  a  con- 
educational  HBglL^^r^. - t— ~l    I  tractor    and 

training     at  fef;  ^  Wil  I*    jZl       ~]     [  ]  J5l  i^^builder- 

Professor   Hy-  |||      II       |   A    I       J     JUW  \  '       M,        He  held  the 

att's    academy  ~^|L   -  •■;-     -— - _— .  .^_  ^'f  1 1  WMJ1IU    "ffice    of    tr'al 

VI 1     Pei  ***^Bn                    HS  ■     county,Maine, 

ley    is    a    civil  IBM*** »-,.,.   ^^^^^™^^^S!  HB   from    1S79    to 

engineer  bv                          v    ■,         c  /-n.    1     u  «•  i.„  a  1883.       He 

&         v,  v.      uj                                     Residence  of  Charles  F.  Richards.  ° 

profession,  served  as  se- 
but  has   devoted   much   of  his   time   to     lectman  in  Ward  2  of  Laconia,  and  was 

managing    the  large   Perley  farm,   and     elected  to  the  city  council  in  1896,  and 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


167 


reeelected  in    1898,  being  a  member  of 
the  present  city  government. 

Mr.  Richards  is  a  member  of  C'o- 
checo  lodge,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  also  of  Laconia 
encampment,  I.  ().  ( ).  F.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  and  a  director  of  the  Laconia 
Building  and  Loan  Association. 

Mr.  Richards  married  Etta  Maria 
Morton,  of  South  Xorridgewock,  Me., 
June  1,  1 88 1,  and  they  reside  in  their 
comfortable  and  handsome  home  on 
Gilford  avenue. 
Mr.  Richards  is 
an  attendant  at 
the  Congrega- 
tional church, 
and  one  of  the 
reliable  citizens 
of  his  adopted 
city. 


published  poems  have  been  widely 
copied  and  circulated.  He  is  a  good 
French  scholar,  and  speaks,  reads,  and 
writes  that  language  with  ease  and  flu- 
ency. He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  was 
county  solicitor  from  189]  to  [893,  and 
was  chairman  of  the  Democratic  city 
committee,  this  city,  in  1896 --'97.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  Winnesquam 
colony,  No.  14.  U.  0.  P.  I'.,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  Pontahum  tribe.  No.  18,  Red 
Men.  of  Laconia.  Resides  a  father  and 
brother  already  mentioned,  Mr.  Peaslee 
has  one  sister. 
Mrs.  Jennie  ( '. 
Johnson,  form- 
erly of  Lake- 
port,  who  now 
resides  in  Low- 
ell. Mass. 


W.  S.  Peaslee. 


The 

Late  Joseph  S. 

Tilton. 


W  a  1 1  e  r  S  . 
Peaslee  was 
born  inWilmot, 
N.  H.,Nov.  14. 
1854.  His  pa- 
rents were  Geo. 
YY.  and  Caro- 
line T.  (Bur- 
bank)  Peaslee. 
He  received 
his  education 
in  the  p  ubl i  c 
schools  of  this 
state  a  n  d  a  t 
Colby  acade- 
my. New  Lon- 
don, and  at  the  Symonds  High  school, 
YVolfeborough,  where  his  father  and  one 
brother.  Eugene  L.  Peaslee.  now  reside. 
He  taught  in  the  public  schools  of  this 
county  for  five  years,  and  was  for  two 
years  teacher  of  the  old  South  Grammar 
school,  in  this  city.  He  studied  law 
with  Col.  Thomas  J.  Whipple,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  at  the  July  law  term, 
1885,  and  has  since  practised  his  pro- 
fession in  Laconia.  He  has  found  time 
to  cultivate  the  literary  side  of  his  pro- 
fession to  some  extent,  and  many  of  his 


Walter  S.  Peaslee. 


The  late  Jo- 
seph Sullivan 
Tilton.  one  of 
the  pioneers  of 
the  hosiery  in- 
dustry in  this 
city,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Loudon, 
X.  H..  born  on 
June  13.  1S18, 
the  son  of  Ste- 
phen and  Julia 
( B  a  c  h  e  1  d  e  r  > 
Tilton.  His  pa- 
rents removed 
to  Mere  dith, 
where  the  early  years  of  his  life  were 
passed,  mostly  on  the  farm.  His  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  public 
schools,  and  was  very  thorough.  Mr. 
TiltOI)  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  ol 
California,  moving  there  with  his  family 
soon  after  the  discovery  iA  gold.  He 
located  in  San  Francisco,  and  followed 
the  business  of  a  dairyman,  also  taking 
an  active  part  in  the  politics  of  the  rap- 
idly-growing city.  During  the  troubles 
with  the  turbulent  and  law-breaking  ele- 
ment. Mr.  Tilton    was    an   officer   of   the 


i68 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


famous  Vigilants,  and  saw  much  service 
in  those  clays  of  riot  and  trouble.  In 
1857  he  returned  to  New  Hampshire, 
and,  locating  in  Laconia,  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  hosiery  in  1859,  in 
a  mill  which  stood  where  now  stands 
the  dye-house  of  J.  W.  Busiel  &  Co. 
In  1862  Mr.  Tilton  suspended  business 
at  his  mill  to  assist  in  raising  the 
Twelfth  regiment  of  New  Hampshire 
Volunteers  for  the  Civil  War,  and  he 
went  into  the   service  as  first  lieutenant 


risen  to  high  command,  for  he  had,  in 
an  eminent  degree,  the  dash  and  cour- 
age which  go  far  to  make  the  success- 
ful soldier.  His  record  in  the  army 
was  above  reproach,  courageous,  and 
unflinching  to  a  fault.  In  camp,  or  on 
the  battlefield,  he  was  ever  the  same 
bright,  active,  intelligent  soldier, — one 
to  whom  his  men  could  always  look 
with  strong  confidence,  and  from  whom 
they  always  received  kind  and  just 
treatment.      Lieutenant  Tilton  was   one 


The  late  Joseph  S.  Tilton. 


of  the  Laconia  company.  At  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville,  while  in  command 
of  his  company,  he  was  badly  wounded. 
For  some  time  after  receiving  his 
wound  he  remained  with  his  command, 
but  loss  of  blood  finally  obliged  him  to 
leave  the  field.  After  a  season  in  the 
hospital,  he  was  returned  to  New 
Hampshire,  and  finally  was  obliged  to 
resign  on  account  of  disability.  But 
for  the  unfortunate  wound  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Lieutenant  Tilton   must    have 


of  the  original  members  of  John  L.  Per- 
ley,  Jr.,  post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  this  city. 

When  his  health  was  sufficiently  re- 
covered, Mr.  Tilton  again  resumed  the 
hosiery  business,  retiring  in  1877.  and 
he  died,  Nov.  G,  1879,  at  tne  a§e  °^ 
sixty-one  years.  He  was  of  a  warm- 
hearted and  kind,  though  impulsive  and 
impetuous,  nature,  and  was  a  man  of 
most  profound  and  sincere  convictions. 
He  was  frank  and  outspoken  in  his 
opinions  on  all  subjects,  and  when  once 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


169 


his  mind  was  made  up  was   never  slow 
to  act. 

Mr.  Tilton  married  Betsey  Ham.  Feb. 
5,  1S42,  and  they  had  four  children  : 
George  Henry.  Frank  S.,  Emma  Susan, 
who  married  Horace  W.  Gorrell,  and 
died,  April  20.  1890,  and  Nancy  A.,  who 
married  C.  W.Gilman,  of  Emporia.  Kan. 


George  Henry  Tilton. 


Geor<re  Henry  Tilton,  the  well-known 


of    Volunteers,    and    served    for   three 
years. 

In  the  employ  of  his  father,  he 
learned  the  details  of  the  hosiery  manu- 
facturing industry,  which  business  he. 
for  many  years,  carried  on  in  Laconia. 
In  [89]  he  purchased  the  mills  known 
as  the  Jeremiah  Tilton  mills  at  Tilton. 
which  he  with  his  son,  Elmer  S.  Tilton. 
are  running  at  the  present  time  very 
successful!}',  producing  hosiery  in  large 
quantities,  and   employing   several  hun- 


George  Henry  Tilton. 


hosiery  manufacturer  of  Laconia,  was 
born  in  Dorchester,  N.  II.,  May  13. 
1845,  son  of  Joseph  Sullivan  and  Betsey 
(Ham)  Tilton.  His  early  life  was  passed 
in  California,  returning  with  his  parents 
to  New  Hampshire  in  1857.  Mr.  Til- 
ton was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  at  Gilford  academy. 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  in 
1861,  young  Tilton  enlisted  Sept.  14, 
in  the  Laconia  company  (Company  D), 
of  the  Fourth  New  Hampshire  Regiment 


dred  hands.      Mr.  Tilton  also  has  large 
manufacturing  interests  in  the  South. 

Within  a  few  weeks  Mr.  Tilton  has 
leased  the  large  brick  mill  on  Mill  street 
in  Laconia.  owned  by  the  Belknap  Mills 
corporation,  and  has  purchased  most  oi 
the  hosiery  machinery  formerly  owned 
and  operated  by  the  Hodgson  &  Holt 
Manufacturing  Co.  This  industry  was 
originally  equipped  at  an  expense  of 
about  #75,000,  and  the  mill  has  a  capa- 
city  of   six    hundred    do/en    hosier}'    per 


170 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


day,  employing  nearly  two  hundred 
operatives.  When  purchased  by  Mr. 
Tilton  this  industry  had  been  suspended 
for  several  months,  but  under  his  man- 
agement operations  were  at  once  re- 
sumed, and  the  mill  is  now  run  in  con- 
nection with  the  mills  at  Tilton  and  in 
the  South.  As  this  hosiery  industry  is 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  city,  the  re- 
sumption of  business  under  Mr.  Tilton's 
management  is  a  matter  of  no  little 
importance  to  the  welfare   of  Laconia. 

Although  of  late  years,  until  recently, 
devoting  most 
of  his  time  to 
the  hosiery 
business  at  Til- 
ton and  in  the 
South,  Mr.  Til- 
ton has  retained 
his  residence  in 
Laconia. 

He  is  still  a 
resident  of  La- 
conia, never 
having  lost  his 
interest  in  this 
town,  which  has 
been  his  home 
for  more  than 
forty  years,  and 
which  he  repre- 
sented in  the 
legislature  in 
1891  and  1892. 

Mr.  Tilton  is 
a  member  of 
the  New  Hamp- 
shire Society  of 
Colonial  Wars, 
of  John  L.  Per- 
ley,  Jr.,  post,  No.  37,  G.  A.  R.,  of  the 
New  England  Society  of  California  Pio- 
neers, and  of  the  Masonic  fraternities, 
as  follows :  Mt.  Lebanon  lodge,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  Union  chapter,  Pythagorean 
council,  and  Pilgrim  Commandery,  K. 
T.,  also  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason, 
being  a  member  of  Edward  A.  Raymond 
Consistory  of  Nashua,  N.  H. 

He  was  married  at  Laconia,  June  19, 
1866,  to  Marietta,  daughter  of  Osgood 
and  Mary  (Lamprey)  Randlett  of  Upper 
Gilmanton,  now  Belmont,  who   died  Au- 


gust 15,  1874,  leaving  one  son,  Elmer 
S.  Tilton.  He  married  the  second  time, 
April  11,  1883,  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  Ca- 
lista  E.  Brown,  daughter  of  David  and 
Hannah  (Fox)  Brown  of  Sanbornton. 


Elmer  S.  Tilton. 


Elmer  15.  Tilton. 


Elmer  Stephen  Tilton,  who  is  asso- 
ciated with  his  father  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  hosiery  in  Tilton,  is  a  native 
Laconian,  born  Oct.  n,  1869,  the  son 
of  George  Henry  and  Marietta  (Rand- 
lett)Tilton.  He 
was  educated 
in  the  public 
schools  of  this 
city,  and  grad- 
uated from  the 
Laconia  High 
school  in  the 
class  of  '87. 
A 1 1  h  o  u  gh  en- 
gaged in  the 
management  of 
the  hosiery  in- 
dustry in  Til- 
ton, he  resides 
in  Laconia.  In 
politics  Mr. 
Tilton  a  f  f  i  li- 
ates  with  the 
Repub 1  i  c  a  n s , 
and  he  repre- 
sented Ward  3 
in  the  New 
Hampshire  leg- 
islature during 
1897-98. 

In     1892    he 

was    united    in 

G.j  daughter    of 

Mr.  and 

Charles 


marriage  with    Lillian 
E.  B.  Harrington  of  Laconia. 
Mrs.    Tilton    have    two    sons 
Henry  and  Elmer  Harrington. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Tilton  is  a  member 
of  the  various  Masonic  fraternities,  and 
of  Mt.  Belknap  lodge,  No.  20,  Knights 
of  Pythias.  He  is  a  past  master  of 
Mt.  Lebanon  lodge,  No.  32,  A.  F.  and 
A.  M.,  and  eminent  commander  of  Pil- 
grim commandery,  Knights  Templar. 
Mr.  Tilton  is  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason,  being  a  member  of  Edward  A. 


TH  E    ILLUSTRATED    LACON I  A  N 


171 


Raymond  Consistory  of  Nashua.  X.  H.,     then    entered    his 
and  also  a  member  of  Aleppo  Temple,     traveling   salesman 
Mystic    Shrine,    of 
Boston,  Mass. 


Harry  S.  Chase. 


Harry  S  u  m  n  e  r 
Chase  was  born  in 
New  Hampton,N.H., 
July  17,  1S59,  son  of 
John  B.  and  Sarah 
A.  (Marston)  Chase. 
He  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public 
schools  and  at  New 
Hampton  Lit er ar y 
Institution,  where  he 
graduated  in  the  com- 
mercial course  in  the 
class  of  '82. 

Mr.  Chase  came 
to  Laconia  when 
about  twenty-f  our 
years  old,  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of 
O'Shea  Brothers,  as  clerk,  remaining  with 
this   firm    about  three    years.     He  then 


Harry  S.  Chase. 


He  is  a  Democrat, 
he  is  a  member  of 


present  position  as 
for  Wise  &  (  1  >oper, 
of  Auburn,  Me., 
shoe  manufacturers, 
covering  the  princi- 
pal cities  in  New 
England  for  this  con- 
cern. 

M  r  .  Chase  w  a  s 
married  in  1895  to 
Miss  Katherine  Olive 
S  m  it  h,  daughter  of 
Samuel  B.  and  Ada 
(Folsom )  Smith. 
They  have  a  little 
daughter,  Olive  Lou- 
ise, born  April  22, 
1899.  Mr.  Chase 
located  here  for  a 
permanent  residence 
in  1895,  and  resides 
in  an  elegant  home 
on  Harvard  street. 

Mr.    Chase    is    an 
attendant  at  the  Con- 
gregational church, 
and  in  secret  orders 
Mt.  Lebanon  lodge. 


Residence  of  Harry  S.  Chase 


went  to  Boston,  where   he  had  charge  of      A.    I'.  &    A.    M..  Union   chapter,  and   of 
a  shoe  store  for  about  three  years,  and     Pilgrim  Commandery,  Knights  Templar. 


it : 


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t    - 


M 


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r  .   / 


r 


l  ■ 

El      & 

m\ 

■ESL'&J 

m  i 

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•  , 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


*73 


Lougee  Brothers. 


Almost  from  the  date  of  the  building 
of  the  old  Province  road  from  Ports- 
mouth to  Canada  over  a  century  ago, 
first  Meredith  Bridge  and  then  Laconia 
has  been  recognized  as  a  trading  centre 
for  nearly  all  the  necessities  of  life. 
That  the  city  on  the  lakes  is  an  impor- 
tant trade  centre  to-day  is  amply  dem- 
onstrated by  the  fact  that  it  boasts  of 
several  mercantile  establishments  which 
are  among  the  largest  in  their  line  in 
New  Hampshire.  During  the  past  twenty 
years  no  retail  establishment  in  the 
Granite  state  has  had  a  wider  reputation 
than  the  dry  goods,  clothing,  carpet,  and 
furniture  store  of  Lougee  Bros.,  of  La- 
conia. Although  a  comparatively  young 
concern,  the  firm  of  Lougee  Bros,  has 
always  done  an  immense  amount  of 
business,  and  has  handled  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars  worth  of  goods  every 
year. 

The  firm  started  in  the  store  in  Fol- 
som  block,  now  occupied  by  Baker 
Shannon,  in  1S77.  This  store  was  per- 
haps one-tenth  the  size  of  their  present 
establishment  in  Smith  block.  Frank  H. 
and  Oscar  A.  Lougee  were  at  that  time 
the  junior  members  of  the  firm  of  Smith. 
Lougee  Bros.  &  Co.  This  firm  was  dis- 
solved in  1885. 

Taking  in  Orman  T.  Lougee  as  a 
partner  at  this  time,  the  firm  of  Lougee 
Bros,  was  formed,  and  they  at  first  con- 
fined their  business  to  their  original 
quarters,  where  the  bakery  now  is.  Their 
business  increased  very  rapidly,  and  the 
necessity  of  larger  and  more  convenient 
quarters  was  soon  apparent.  In  1886 
the  Smith  brick  block  was  built,  and 
Lougee  Bros,  moved  into  what  is  now 
their  dry  goods  department.  The  rapid 
increase  of  their  business  and  enlarging 
of  their  stock  in  trade  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  they  now  occupy  the  entire 
first  floor  and  basement  of  the  Smith 
block,  besides  a  large  two-story  wooden 
addition  in  the  rear  of  the  Smith  block 
and  connected  therewith,  giving  them 
nearly  thirty  thousand  square  feet  of 
floor  space,  or  about  ten  times  the  space 
required  in  1886. 


At  first  the  linn  carried  only  dry 
goods  and  carpets,  but  from  time  to 
time  other  departments  have  been  added 

to  meet  the  public  demands,  and  to-day 
the  concern  handles  dry  and  fancy 
goods,  garments,  ready-made  clothing, 
carpets,  furniture,  stoves,  bicycles,  cur- 
tains and  window  shades,  hoots  and 
shoes,  men's  furnishings,  underwear  oi 
all  kinds,  and,  in  fact,  everything  which 
can  be  found  in  a  large  department  store 
in  any  of  the  large  cities  of  the  United 
States. 

The  firm  of  Lougee  Bros,  is  a  pro- 
gressive one.  as  their  success  indicates. 
They  were  the  first  to  put  in  a  pneu- 
matic cash  carrier,  and  they  have  always 
been  liberal  advertisers,  not  only  in  this 
city  but  throughout  the  entire  northern 
portion  of  New  Hampshire,  in  their 
efforts  to  draw  trade  to  Laconia. 

The  Lougee  Bros,  personally  are  in- 
fluential and  public-spirited  citizens. 
They  are  not  only  promptly  interested, 
but  always  ready  to  assisl  by  contrib- 
uting their  time  and  money  to  any  at- 
tempt to  locate  new  industries,  or  to 
inaugurate  any  movement  to  help  build 
up  Laconia.  They  are  shrewd  buyers, 
upright  and  honorable  merchants,  and 
they  hold  the  strict  confidence  of  the 
entire  community.  Their  establishment 
furnishes  employment  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  clerks,  and  by  purchasing  their 
goods  in  large  quantities  they  are  en- 
abled to  retail  their  stock  at  lower  prii  es 
than  can  be  obtained  in  many  of  the 
larger  cities  of  New  England,  —  a  fact 
which  is  generally  admitted  by  those 
in  a  position  to  know,  and  a  fact  which 
frequently  causes  surprise  to  summer 
visitors  who  come  here  from  Boston  and 
New  York,  and  are  astonished  to  find 
that  they  can  purchase  dry  goods  and 
other  wares  in  this  line  fully  as  cheaply 
here  " in  the  country  "  as  they  can  at 
home. 

Frank  H.  Lougee,  the  senior  member 
of  Lougee  Bros.,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools,  supplemented  by  a  leu 
terms  at  Gilford  academy  and  one  term 
at  Tilton  seminary.  He  was  employed 
for  a  year  with  White  Mountain  b< 
Cream  Freezer  Co.,  but  in    1870  he  en- 


J74 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


tered  the  employ  of  S.  B.  Smith  to  learn 
the  dry  goods,  clothing,  and  carpet  busi- 
ness, and  has  continued  successfully  in 
this  line  from  that  date,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  about  two 
years,  when  he  took 
a  commercial  course 
at  Comer's  Commer- 
cial college,  at  Los- 
ton,  and  was  sales- 
m  an  at  J  o  r  d  a  n  , 
Marsh  &  Co.'s  for 
about  a  year  and  a 
half. 

Since  1S90  Mr. 
Lougee  has  given 
much  attention  not 
only  to  the  Laconia 
store  but  to  the  Lou- 
gee Bros.  &  Smythe 
store,  which  was 
opened  at  St.  Johns- 
bury.  Vt.,  and  has 
also  proved  very  suc- 
cessful. 

In  public  life   Mr. 
Lougee  has  served 
as   president    of    the 
Laconia  board  of  trade  for  one  or  two 
years,   and  was  also    a   member    of  the 


but  found  time  to  serve  a  term  as  a 
member  of  the  Laconia  city  council, 
where  he  proved  himself  a  valuable 
member,  and  just  the  kind  of  citizen 
who  is  needed  in 
such  a  body. 


Hotel  Picard. 


Frank  H.  Lougee. 


Hotel  Picard  is  the 
new  name  of  the  well 
known  hostelry  on 
Pleasant  street,  for 
many  years  known 
as  the  Kirtland 
House,  and  more  re- 
cently as  the  Victo- 
ria Hotel.  The  en- 
tire estab  1  i  s  h  m  e  n  t 
has  been  thoroughly 
repaired,  remodeled, 
and  newly  furnished 
by  the  new  proprie- 
tor, Mr.  George  Pi- 
card, and  is  now  as 
neat,  clean,  hand- 
some,   a  n  d   comfort- 


able as  could  be  de- 
sired.    The  location  of  Hotel  Picard,  at 
28  Pleasant  street,  makes  this  hotel  very 
board  of  education  for  two  years.    He  is     desirable,  as  it  is  convenient  to  the  bus- 


a  director  in 
t  h  e  People's 
National  bank, 
and  a  trustee 
in  the  Laco- 
nia S  a  v  i  n  g  s 
bank.  He  has 
always  been 
especially 
prominent  i  n 
the  board  of 
trade,  and  has 
ta  ke  n  an  ac- 
tive p  art  i  n 
every  effort  of 
this  organiza- 
tion to  pro 
mote  the  wel- 
fare of  the 
city. 

Oscar    A. 


mess  portion 
of  the  city, 
and  close  by 
the  rai  1  r  o  a  d 
station,  the 
telegraph  and 
the  telephone 
offices,  electric 
cars,  etc.  Un- 
der the  man- 
agement of 
Landlord  Pic- 
ard the  guests 
will  be  sure 
of  exc  e  1 1  e  n  t 
food,  comfort- 
able beds,  and 
all  the  conve- 
niences of  a 
first-class 
hotel. 

Lougee  has  devoted  himself  more  close-  George  Picard,  the  landlord  and  pro- 

ly  to  the  business  of  the  establishment,     prietor  of    Hotel    Picard,  was   born    at 


Residence  of  Frank  H.  Lougee. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


*75 


St.  Charles,  P.  Q.,  Aug.  20,  i860.  He 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools, 
and  was  in  Quebec  for  five  years.  Ik- 
came  to  Laconia  in  1880,  and  was  cm- 
ployed  in  some  of  our  hosiery  mills  for 
three  years,  and  thru  engaged  in  the 
confectionery  and  cigar  business  on 
Mill  street.  Later  he  added  dining- 
rooms  to  the  business,  and  has  been 
very  successful  as  caterer.  In  1897 
Mr.  Picard  removed  his  business  to  159 
Main  street. 

He    was    married    in     1883    to    Miss 


place  in  his  early  manhood  in  1830, 
entering  into  the  employ  of  the  Gilford 
Manufacturing  and  Mechanic  Com- 
pany, at  their  store,  then  known  as  the 
"Company  Store."  but  now  called  the 
"Old  Corner  Store,"  situated  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Court  streets. 

The  Gilford  Manufacturing  and  Me- 
chanic Co.,  chartered  in  1828,  owned 
all  of  the  water  power  on  the  south,  or 
Gilford,  side  of  the  river,  and  were  then 
operating  a  sawmill  and  a  grist-mill, 
located   near  the   dam.  about  where  the 


Hotel  Picard. 


Emma  Morin,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren. In  secret  fraternities  Mr.  Picard 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Order  of 
Foresters,  and  also  of  the  Foresters  of 
America  and  the  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men.  He  is  an  attendant  at  Church 
of  the  Sacred  Heart,  and  a  member  of 
the  Society  St.  Jean  the  Baptiste. 


The  Late  Woodbury  Melcher. 


The  history  of  "  Meredith  Bridge  " 
would  be  incomplete  without  mention  of 
Woodbury    Melcher.      He    came   to  the 


Hodgson  machine  shop  now  stands. 
They  afterwards  built  a  new  grist-mill 
and  a  machine  shop  further  down  the 
river.  They  contemplated  the  erection 
of  a  mill  for  the  manufacture  of  cloth, 
and  recognizing  in  Mr.  Melcher  business 
qualifications  which  they  believed  would 
be  of  advantage  to  them  in  their  future 
operations,  the  proprietors  proposed  to 
him  to  take  an  interest  with  them,  and 
become  their  managing  agent.  He  ac- 
cepted the  proposition,  and  thus  became 
associated  with  some  of  the  leading  men 
of  the  growing   village.     Amos    Smith. 


176 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


Charles  Morgan,  Alvah  Tucker,  Thomas 
Babb,   James    Mollineaux,    Stephen    K. 
Baldwin,  and  John  T.   Coffin,   his  asso- 
ciates, are  names  which  are  still  familiar 
to  the  older  citizens  of  Laconia.     The 
mill    was   built,    and    is    the   same   now 
owned    and     operated    by    the     Pitman 
Manufacturing   Co.     The   company  en- 
gaged   in  the   manufacture  of  tickings, 
making     a     superior     grade    of    goods, 
which  became    almost  world-renowned, 
a  considerable  part   of  the    production 
being  exported.     This  company   had   a 
long,  honorable, 
a  n  d  successful 
career.     As  one 
and  another   of 
the  owners,  for 
various  reasons, 
disposed     of 
their  stock,  Mr. 
Melcher  was 
always  ready  to 
buy,  until  at  last 
he  became  own- 
er of  the  entire 
property.       H  e 
built   the    brick 
buildi  ng  now 
known     as     the 
Gilford  Hosiery 
Co.  mill.     It  be- 
ing comple  ted 
about   the   time 
the    Civil    War 
broke  out,  with 
characte  r  i  s  t  i  c 
foresight  he  de- 
termined  to  go 
into    the  manu- 
facture of  army 


for  a  while  connected  with  its  manage- 
ment. He  was  always  adverse  to  hold- 
ing public  office,  and  save  the  represent- 
ing of  his  town  in  the  legislature  for 
two  years  and  the  accepting  of  an 
appointment  as  a  trustee  of  the  asylum 
for  the  insane,  he  declined  to  contest 
for  political  honors.  He  died  Nov.  10, 
1870,  lamented  by  the  entire  community. 


Woodbury  L.  Melcher. 


The  late  Woodbury  Melcher. 


Woodbury  L.  Melcher  was  born  Oct. 
7,  1  S3 2,  in  the 
house  on  Main 
street  next  be- 
low the  "old 
corner  store," 
and  has  always 
resided  wi  thin 
almost  a  stone's 
throw  of  the 
place  of  his 
birth.  He  was 
fitted  for  c  o  1  - 
lege  at  Gilford 
academy,  which 
was  then  in  a 
very  flourishing 
condition  under 
the  instruction 
of  Prof.  Ben  j . 
F.  Stanton,  and 
w  a  s  graduated 
from  Bowdoin 
college  in  1856. 
After  teaching 
elsewhere  a 
short  time,  he 
was  elected  the 
principal  of  Gil- 


goods.     The  mill  was  speedily  equipped  ford  academy,  where  he  taught  for  two 

with  hosiery  machinery,  and  during  the  years.       But     not     intending    to     make 

whole  war  it  was  run  almost  constantly,  teaching  a  profession,  he  entered  as    a 

day  and  night,  in  the  manufacture  of  hos-  student   the    law-office    of    Hon.   E.   A. 

iery  for  the  soldiers.   This  was  the  begin-  Hibbard,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 


ning  of  the  hosiery  industry  in  Laconia. 
He  was  for  many  years  a  trustee  of 
the  Meredith  Bridge  Savings  bank,  now 
the  Laconia  Savings  bank,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  its  president.     He 


in  1S62.  Mr.  Melcher  still  retains  his 
connection  with  the  Belknap  County 
bar,  although  not  now  in  active  prac- 
tice. In  186 1  he  was  appointed  register 
of  probate  and   held  the  office  for  ten 


was  an  earnest  advocate  and  worker  in  years,  when  he  felt  compelled  to  resign 
connection  with  the  building  of  the  Bos-  on  account  of  the  pressure  of  other 
ton,  Concord  &   Montreal  railroad,  and     business.      In  1864  he  was  elected  treas- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


77 


urer  of  the  Laconia  Savings  bank,  which 
position  he  held  for  twenty-one  years, 
when,  feeling  the  necessity  for  a  more 
active,  outdoor  life,  he  resigned.  He 
then  engaged  extensively  in  the  insur- 
ance business  and  was  the  founder  of 
the  Melcher  &  Prescott  Agency,  now 
one  of  the  largest  insurance  agencies  in 
the  state.  He  did  not,  however,  give 
up  his  interest  in  the  savings  bank. 
Being  elected  one  of  its  trustees,  he  has 
been  intimately  connected  with  its  man- 
agement ever  since.  For  a  few  years 
he  was  a  direct- 
or and  vice- 
president  of  the 
Laconia  N  a- 
tional  bank.  He 
was  a  member 
of  the  constitu- 
t  i  o  n  a  1  con- 
vention of  1889. 
Mr.  Melcher 
has  always  been 
i  n  t  e  r  e  sted  in 
promoting  the 
material  inter- 
ests of  Laconia. 
He  drew  the 
original  charter 
for  the  street 
railway  and  as- 
sisted in  procur- 
ing its  passage 
through  the  leg- 
i slat ure.  He 
aided  material- 
ly in  procuring 
subscription  s 
for  stock,  and 
was    the    first 

treasurer  of  the  corporation.  In  these 
days  of  electrics  it  is  interesting  to 
note  some  of  the  rebuffs  he  met  with, 
being  laughed  at  for  being  so  sanguine, 
and  told  that  "  the  income  would  not 
pay  for  the  oats  which  the  horses  would 
eat."  "the  rails  would  rust  out  before 
they  would  wear  out,"  and  many  other 
similar  remarks.  He  was  also  largely 
interested  in  establishing  the  Laconia 
water-works,  another  enterprise  which 
was  looked  upon  by  many  as  a  doubt- 
ful  investment.      He,    however,    showed 


Wuodburv  L.  Melcher 


his  faith  in  it  by  a  larger  subscription 
to  its  stock  than  that  of  any  other  indi- 
vidual. He  became  one  of  the  first 
board  of  directors,  and  since  the  death 
of  the  Hon.  John  C.  Moulton  has  been 
its  president.  He  was  interested  in 
organizing  the  Laconia  Hospital  Asso- 
ciation, and  was  elected  its  first  presi- 
dent, which  position  he  still  holds.  For 
a  long  series  of  years  Mr.  Melcher  was 
connected  in  an  official  capacity  with 
the  public  schools,  being  a  member  of 
the  school  committee  when  his  district 
was  annexed  to 
Laconia.  and  a 
member  of  its 
board  of  edu- 
cation a  f  ter- 
wards.  until. 
feeling  that  he 
had  done  h  i  s 
whole  duty  in 
this  respect,  he 
declined  further 
service.  For 
eleven  years  he 
was  pres  i  d  e  n  t 
of  the  board  of 
education. 

Although  re- 
cently circ  u  m  - 
stances  have 
compelled  h  i  111 
to  be  away  from 
home  during  a 
cons  iderab  1  e 
portion  of  each 
year,  he  is  still 
proud  of  his 
birthplace  and 
deeply  interest- 
ed in  everything  tending  to  its  progress. 


The  Late  Rev.  A.  D.  Smith. 


The  late  Rev.  Alpheus  I).  Smith, 
who  died  at  Canterbury,  N.  H.,  Feb. 
9,  1886,  was  pastor  of  the  Free  Baptist 
church  in  Laconia  from  July,  1857.  to 
the  spring  of  1873,  and  was  one  of  the 
most  forcible  preachers  and  strongest 
Christian  characters  who  ever  officiated 
in  this  city. 

He   was    born    in    Lebanon,    N.    H., 


i78 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


Aug.  25,  1813,  but  was  brought  up  in 
Vermont,  where  he  was  "bound  out" 
until  he  was  twenty-one.  He  became 
converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and 
felt  called  to  hold  meetings  and  preach. 


bury.     He  is  survived  by  one  daughter, 
Mrs.  Josie  Sanders  of  Laconia. 


The  late  Rev.  A.  D.  Smith. 

As  soon  as  he  was  of  legal  age  to  act 
for  himself  he  became  an  itinerant 
preacher,  and  traveled  nearly  all  over 
the  state  of  Vermont,  visited  various 
towns  in  Maine  and  New  Hampshire, 
holding  revival  services  and  meeting 
with  great  success.  On  the  second 
Sunday  in  July,  1857,  he  commenced 
his  labors  in  Laconia  at  the  Free  Bap- 
tist church,  and  remained  here  four 
years,  gathered  a  large  congregation, 
and  saw  a  glorious  work  of  grace.  He 
then  went  to  East  Tilton  and  did  excel- 
lent work  there,  and  came  back  to 
Laconia  at  the  end  of  three  years,  re- 
maining here  until  1873.  He  died  at 
Canterbury,  Feb.  9,  1886,  in  the 
seventy-third  year  of  his  life. 

Rev.  Mr.  Smith's  preaching  was 
largely  emotional,  intensely  interesting 
and  convicting,  thoroughly  evangelical. 
Few  men  saw  so  great  immediate 
results  of  labor  as  he  did,  and  many 
will  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed. 

He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
who  died  Oct.  10,  1872,  being  Emily 
B.  True  of  Corinth,  Vt.  Jan.  14,  1874, 
he  married  Mary  E.  Clough  of  Canter- 


The  Late  Samuel  W.  Sanders. 

The  late  Samuel  W.  Sanders  was  one 
of  the  marked  characters  of  Laconia, 
so  few  of  whom  now  remain,  one  of 
the  sturdy,  wide-awake,  pushing  citi- 
zens of  the  old  times,  who  believed  in 
Laconia  and  worked  for  the  advance- 
ment and  prosperity  of  the  town  in 
every  way. 

He  was  a  native  of  Mason,  N.  H., 
and  learned  the  tinsmith  trade.  He 
came  here  in  1841  and  embarked  in 
business  with  no  capital,  but  built  up  a 
successful  business,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  retirement  from  trade,  about  six 
years  before  his  death,  was  one  of  the 
oldest  merchants  on  the  street.  His 
establishment  was  burned  in  1846,  and 
again  in  the  big  fire  of  i860,  and  the 
present  Sanders  brick  block  on  Main 
street  was  erected  by  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  after  the  last  conflagration. 


The  late  Samuel  W.  Sanders. 

He  was  an  ardent  Republican,  took  an 
active  part  in  the  setting  off  of  Laconia 
from  Meredith,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
selectmen  of  the  new  town.  He  was 
twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Serena  Ranlet,  who  died  in  1871. 
His    second    wife,    Mrs.    Josephine    E. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


179 


Prescott,  daughter  of  the  late  Rev. 
A.  1).  Smith,  survives,  together  with 
two  sons,  J.  Warren,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
Charles  F.,  of  San  Francisco.  Another 
son,  the  late  Col.  George  A.  Sanders, 
died  in  1898. 

Mr.  Sanders  died  Jan.  16,  1S92,  and 
his  death  removed  a  good  and  valuable 
citizen,  one  of  the  solid,  substantial 
men  of  the  town. 


Hampshire.  Mr.  Tilton  was  a  leader 
in  financial  circles  in  Laconia,  was  vice- 
president  of  the  People's  National  bank, 
and  a  trustee  of  the  Belknap  Savings 
bank,  besides  holding  numerous  other 
positions  of  trust  and  taking  an  active 
interest  in  nearly  all  the  public  enter- 
prises which  tended  to  improve  and 
build  up  Laconia.  In  secret  orders  he 
was   a    Mason,  and   he  was  also  a  mem- 


The  late  James  H.  Tilton. 


The  Late  James  H.  Tilton. 


The  late  James  H.  Tilton  was  for 
half  a  century  engaged  in  mercantile 
life  in  Laconia,  first  as  a  clerk,  and 
then  for  many  years  as  proprietor  of  the 
Old  Corner  Store  on  Main  street.  Mr. 
Tilton  entered  this  store  as  clerk  for 
H.  J.  French,  and  from  a  boy  he 
worked  up  to  clerk  and  assumed  con- 
trol of  the  business  in  1859.  He 
largely  increased  the  business  and  was 
for  many  years  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful   merchants    in   this    section    of    New 


ber  of  the  board  of  trade.  Mr.  Tilton 
did  considerable  to  beautify  Laconia 
by  improving  his  real  estate  and  erect- 
ing one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the 
city.  Mr.  Tilton  was  a  native  of  San- 
bornton  Bridge,  N.  1 1.,  born  April  1, 1828, 
and  died  in  Laconia,  March  15.  1894. 


Rebecca   Weeks   Wiley,  M.  D. 

It  was  in  the  dreamy  old  town  of 
Gilford,  in  a  large  two-story  house,  a 
typical  New  Hampshire  home  of  the 
better  sort,  that  she  of  whom  we  write 


i8o 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


first  opened  her  eyes  upon  the  light  of 
this  world.  The  ancestral  lines  through 
which  she  is  able  to  trace  her  kindred 
stretch  back  through  families  distin- 
guished for  education,  patriotism,  and 
statesmanship.  These  include  Horace 
Greeley  and  Daniel  Webster.  She  was 
named  for  her  great-grandmother,  Re- 
becca Webster,  who  was  a  cousin  of 
Daniel  Webster.  For  the  sake  of  brevity 
and  euphony,  at  marriage,  she  dropped 
the  Webster,  and  has  since  been  known 
as  Rebecca  Weeks  Wiley. 

Her  immedi- 
ate relations 
were  character- 
ized for  quick 
disce  rnment, 
executive  abil- 
ity, and  sterling 
integrity.  Her 
father,  John 
GaleWeeks,was 
a  successful 
manufacturer  of 
hats  and  caps  at 
the  time  of  her 
birth.  She  was 
educated  at  La- 
conia  academy, 
New  Hamp- 
shire Female 
college,  and 
Boston  Univer- 
sity School  of 
Medicine,  grad- 
uating from  the 
latter  with  the 
class  of  '82. 

Dr.  Wiley  at 
once  began  the 

practice  of  her  profession  at  Laconia, 
being  the  first  woman  physician  in  the 
state  north  of  Concord.  Her  reception 
by  the  people  of  Laconia  was  most  cor- 
dial, and  the  circle  of  her  friends  and 
patrons  has  steadily  widened.  She  has 
a  large  office  and  correspondence  prac- 
tice, in  addition  to  regular  outside 
work;  all  of  which  perfect  health  ena- 
bles her  to  heartily  enjoy. 

Several  of  Dr.  Wiley's  ancestors  and 
an  older  sister  were  successful  physi- 
cians, and  she   has  marked  hereditary 


tendencies  towards  the  profession.  The 
dream  of  her  youth  was  a  prophecy  of 
which  the  practice  of  medicine  is  a  ful- 
filment, and  she  is  an  enthusiast  in  her 
profession.  She  has  from  the  first  been 
a  close  student,  and  is  up  to  date  in  all 
that  pertains  to  both  medical  science 
and  practice. 

Dr.  Wiley  is  a  member  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Homeopathic  Medical  soci- 
ety and  the  American  Institute  of  Home- 
opathy. In  church  relations  she  is  a 
Free  Baptist.  She  is  sympathetic  and 
cooperative 
with  her  hus- 
band, the  Rev. 
F  r  e  d  e  r  i  ck  L. 
Wiley,  in  his 
literary  and 
philanth  r  o  p  i  c 
pursuits.  Their 
only  son,  Mau- 
rice G.  Wiley, 
after  a  four 
years'  course, 
was  graduated 
from  a  medical 
college  in  '94, 
and  is  practis- 
ing his  profes- 
sion in    Boston. 


Dr.  Rebecca  Weekb  Wiley 


H.  D.  Glley. 

Harry  D.  Cil- 
ley,  carbonater 
and  wholes al  e 
dealer  in  malt 
liquors,  is  a  na- 
tive of  that  part 
of  Gil  manton 
which  is  now  Belmont,  and  was  born  on 
Oct.  7,  1857,  the  son  of  Joseph  Plum- 
mer  Cilley,  a  prominent  citizen  of  that 
town.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  came  to 
Laconia  about  twenty  years  ago.  He 
is  a  carbonater  and  manufacturer  of 
light  summer  drinks,  such  as  bottled 
soda,  ginger  ale,  pear  cider,  and  other 
liquid  refreshments  in  this  line,  and  is 
also  a  wholesale  dealer  in  malt  liquors. 
Mr.  Cilley  manufactures  his  beverages 
at  No.  489  Main  street,  and  has  a  well- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIA  X. 


established  reputation  for  using  the 
purest  syrups  and  flavors,  and  manu- 
facturing wholesome,  healthful,  and  de- 
licious summer  drinks.  He  has  built 
up  an  excellent  bus- 
iness in  this  line, 
and  there  is  a  con- 
stant  demand  for 
his  goods  at  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year, 
and  especially  in 
the  summer,  during 
the  hot  weather,  his 
e  sta  bli  shment  is 
driven  to  its  full 
capacity. 

In  politics,  Mr. 
Cilley  affiliates  with 
the  Republican  s, 
but  should  perhaps 
be  classed  as  an  in- 
de pen  dent,  as  he 
always  acts  and 
votes  with  that  par- 
ty which  he  consid- 
ers to  be  advocat- 
ing the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  people. 
He  served  as  a  deputy  sheriff  of  Bel- 
knap county  in  1891  and  1892,  under 
Sheriff  William  P.  Lang  of  Tilton. 

In  fraternal 
societies  Mr. 
Cilley  is  a 
member  of  the 
Order  of  Elks 
at  Man  Ches- 
ter, N.  H.,  and 
he  is  also  a 
member  of 
New  Hamp- 
shire's historic 
military  organ- 
i  z  a  t  i  o  n ,  the 
Amoskeag 
Veterans,  the 
headquarters 
of  which  are 
atManchester. 

Mr.  Cilley  is 

an  active  mem-  Residence  of 

ber  of  the  Bel- 
knap County   Fish    and   Game   league, 
and  takes  great   interest   in   all   matters 


pertaining  to  fishing  and  hunting.  He 
has  a  comfortable  and  convenient  sum- 
mer home  on  the  shores  near  the  head- 
waters of  Lake  Winnesquam,  and  de- 
votes most  of  his 
spare  time  to  en- 
joyment out  of 
doors  with  gun  and 
rod. 


Laconia    Board   of 
Trade. 


Harry  D.  Cilley. 


During  the  past 
ten  years  the  Laco- 
nia Board  of  Trade 
has  been  an  impor- 
tant factor  in  deal- 
ing with  many  ques- 
tions of  town  and 
municipal  gove  r  n  - 
ment,  railroad  mat 
ters,  and  the  loca- 
tion of  new  indus- 
tries. The  board 
wa  s  first  per  ma  - 
nently  organized 
May  27,  18S9.  as  the  Laconia  and  Lake 
Village  Board  of  Trade.  The  first  offi- 
cers were  :    President,  John  C.  Moulton; 

vice-presi- 
dents,  Henry 
J.  Odell  and 
James  H.  Til- 
ton;  s  e  c  i"  e  - 
tary  and  treas- 
u  re  1" .  Samuel 
1!.  Smith  ;  di- 
re* i'  irs,  J  oh  n 
T.  Busiel,  E.( '. 
Lewis,  1  >ennis 
O'Shea,  H.  l\. 
Quinby,  1'-.  F. 
Drake.  Dr. 
Henry  Tuck- 
er, and  H.  H. 
Wood. 

The  present 
officers  of  the 
arry  D.  Cilley.  board    are: 

President,   D. 

O'Shea;  vice-president,   W.    K.    KLnight; 
secretary.    S.    C.    Five ;    treasurer.    Fd- 


l82 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


mund  Little ;  directors,  Oscar  A.  Lou- 
gee,  Frank  P.  Holt,  S.  B.  Smith,  James 
McGloughlin,  and  W.  A.  Plummer. 


Edwin  F.  Burleigh, 


Edwin  F.  Burleigh,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  assessors  of  the  city  of  La- 
conia,  has  been  a  prominent  figure  in 
mercantile  and  financial  circles  here 
for  the  past  thirty  years.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sanbornton,  N.  H.,  born  Jan. 
24,  1 84 1,  son  of  James  M.  and  Harriet 
G.  (Kentfield) 
Burleigh.  H  e 
was  educ  a  t  e  d 
in  the  common 
schools,  and  at 
the  old  Wood- 
man and  San- 
born academy 
at  Sanbornton 
square,  and  also 
attended  the 
New  Hamp- 
shire Confer- 
ence Seminary 
at  Sanbornton 
Bridge,  now  Til- 
ton,  N.  H. 

After  comple- 
ting his  educa- 
tion, he  remain- 
ed on  the  home 
farm  in  San- 
bornton for  a 
few  years,  and 
came  to  Laco- 
nia  in  March, 
1864.  In  1865, 
he  engaged  in 
the  boot  and  shoe  business  in  the  store 
in  Burleigh's  block,  now  occupied  by 
McCarthy  Bros. 

He  continued  in  business  very  suc- 
cessfully for  about  thirty  years,  always 
remaining  at  the  same  stand,  where  he 
retailed  boots,  shoes,  hats,  caps,  and 
men's  furnishing  goods.  He  was  a 
shrewd  buyer,  and  handled  reliable 
goods,  which,  perhaps,  accounts  for  his 
success,  and  it  is  a  fact,  that,  when  he 
retired  from  the  shoe  business  in  1892, 
he  was  the  oldest  merchant  in  the  town 


Edwin  F.  Burleieh. 


in  point  of  service,  and  had  continued 
his  trade  without  any  change  of  firm  or 
location  for  almost  thirty  years. 

In  1894  Mr.  Burleigh  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  board  of  city  tax  asses- 
sors, a  position  for  which  his  excellent 
judgment  and  knowledge  of  business 
affairs  and  real  estate  admirably  fitted 
him.  He  has  served  as  chairman  of 
the  assessors  since  that  time,  and  still 
holds  the  position.  Since  the  retire- 
ment of  the  late  Major  N.  B.  Gale,  Mr. 
Burleigh  has  served  as  president  and 
trustee  of  the 
Belknap  Sav- 
ings bank,  and 
he  is  a  director 
in  the  People's 
National  bank. 
He  is  also  one 
of  the  execu- 
tors of  the  will 
of  the  late  Mai. 
Gale,  and  a 
trustee  of  the 
estate  unde  r 
the  will ;  also  a 
trustee  and  a 
member  of  the 
building  com- 
mittee for  the 
city  of  Laconia 
to  manage  the 
Gale  bequest, 
and  erect  the 
forthcoming 
Gale  memorial 
building.  He 
was  one  of  the 
committee  that 
erected  the 
High  school  building  in  18S7. 

Mr.  Burleigh  married  Clara  Richard- 
son of  Reading,  Mass.,  Dec.  23,  1867, 
and  they  have  one  son,  Harry  T.  Bur- 
leigh, a  law  student  in  this  city. 


Vtie  De  l'Eau  Hotel. 


The  Vue  De  l'Eau  Hotel,  under  the 
efficient  management  of  H.  H.  Caldon, 
proprietor,  is  one  of  the  ideal  summer 
resorts  in  New  Hampshire.  The  hotel 
is  located  on  an  eminence  on  the  shores 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


183 


of  Lake  Winnesquam,  is  only  three 
hours'  ride  from  Boston,  and  is  but  a 
short  distance  from  the  end  of  the  elec- 
tric railroad  system  of  Laconia,  connect- 
ing with  The  Weirs  and  Lake  Winnipe- 
saukee.  The  Vue  De  l'Eau  is  most 
beautifully  situated,  commanding  a  mag- 
nificent view  of  Lake  Winnesquam  and 
the  city  of  Laconia,  with  the  Sandwich, 
Ossipee,  and  White  Mountain  ranges  in 
the  distance,  and  the  Belknap  moun- 
tains only  a  few  miles  away  on  the  east. 
The  hotel  is  connected  with  the  outside 
world  by  long-distance  telephone,  and 
offers   all  the  charm  of  country  life,  to- 


curves,  and  all  the  scenes  are  of  natural  loveli- 
ness not  to  be  described.  This  tortuous  coast- 
line multiplies  little  bays  and  inlets  throughout 
the  basin  occupied  by  these  waters,  and  affords 
a  succession  of  scenes  not  often  surpassed  in 
beauty  in  any  section  in  New  England." 


Central  House. 


The  Central  House,  at  No.  603  Main 
street,  Laconia,  is  a  first-class  hotel, 
open  all  the  year,  and  under  the  man- 
agement of  H.  H.  Caldon,  proprietor. 
It  is  centrally  located,  near  the  railroad 
station,  electric  cars,  and  business  por- 
tion    of    the     city,     and     the     hotel     is 


Vue  De  l'Eau  Hotel. 


gether  with  the  facilities  and  conven- 
iences of  the  city  close  at  hand.  Lake 
Winnesquam  is  a  widely-known  sports- 
men's resort,  these  waters  abounding 
with  lake  trout,  salmon,  bass,  pickerel, 
and  smaller  fish.  The  lake  is  nine 
miles  long,  and  from  half  a  mile  to  two 
miles  in  width.  A  prominent  writer 
and  admirer  of  New  England  scenery 
says  : 

"  The  scenery  of  which  it  is  a  part  is  primitive 
and  wonderfully  attractive.  Its  shores  rise 
abruptly  in  many  parts  to  hills  often  of  consid- 
erable height,  these  being  usually  well  wooded, 
the  forest  growth  coming  down  often  to  the 
water's  edge.  The  shore  winds  inward  and  out- 
ward  among   these  hills    in  graceful  lines    and 


equipped  with  every  convenience,  such 
as  steam  heat,  electric  lights,  baths,  etc. 
Rates  are  from  Si  to  S2  per  clay,  and 
this  hotel  is  very  popular  with  commer- 
cial travelers,  on  account  of  its  good 
service  and  excellent  location. 


Judge  John  G.  Jewett. 

For  nearly  half  a  century,  Judge  John 
G.  Jewett  has  served  the  public  in  vari- 
ous positions  of  trust  and  honor,  and  he 
has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the  best 
known  citizens  in  this  section  of  Bel- 
knap count}'.  He  was  a  son  of  Smith 
and    Statira    ((dines)  Jewett.  born    Sept. 


i84 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


4,    1829,   in    Laconia,  then,  of    course, 
known  as  Meredith  Bridge. 

His  grandfather,  Samuel  Jewett,  was 
the  first  permanent  settler  in  Laconia  on 
the    east    side    of    the    Winnipesaukee 
river,   coming    here    in    1782,  when   the 
land   was   covered  with    heavy    timber. 
He  owned  more  than  half  of  the  land 
which  now  comprises  Ward  5,  and  sold 
the  water  privilege  and   seven  acres  of 
land  on  the  east  side  of  the   river  for 
seven  dollars.     His   first   dwelling  was 
near  the  present  site  of  Judge  Jewett's 
residence,  a  nd 
a   part  of    the 
estate  is    still 
owned     by    the 
Jewett  fami  1  y  . 
He  was  in  the 
Battle  of  Bunk- 
er  Hill,   and 
served  through 
the  war. 

John  G.  Jew- 
ett was  the  sixth 
child  of  his  pa-  I 
rents.  He  at- 
tended  the 
public  schools 
of  Meredith 
Bridge  and  the 
Gilford  acade- 
my, and  a  f te  r 
completing  his 
education  he 
taught  school 
in  this  vicinity 
for  ten  years. 
In  1855  he  went 
to  South  Amer- 
ica as  a  gold- 
hunter,  returning  in  March,  1857. 

He  was  employed  for  eight  years  in 
the  Laconia  car  shops,  and  in  1876  was 
appointed  judge  of  the  Laconia  police 
court,  a  position  which  he  filled  with 
dignity  and  justice  for  sixteen  years. 
In  1 89 1  he  resigned,  and  was  appointed 
postmaster  by  President  Harrison.  He 
resigned  the  postmastership  in  May, 
1895,  and  since  that  time  has  been  re- 
tired from  public  life.  Besides  these 
two  positions  mentioned,  Judge  Jewett 
has   held    numerous   other   offices,   both 


Judge  John  G.  Jewett 


town  and  county.  He  was  register  of 
probate  for  two  years,  was  collector  of 
taxes  in  1859,  was  a  selectman  of  Gil- 
ford for  three  years,  and  in  1863  was 
recruiting  officer  for  that  town.  He  was 
in  the  New  Hampshire  legislature  in 
1867  and  1868,  was  a  member  of  the 
Laconia  board  of  education  for  twelve 
years,  and  was  superintendent  of  the 
school  committee  in  Gilford  back  in 
1858. 

In  December,  1855,  he  married  Caro- 
line E.  Shannon,  a  native  of  Barnstead. 
They  have  three 
children  :  Ste- 
phen S  . ,  t  h  e 
well-known  law- 
yer, John  B .  , 
and  Katie  B. — 
all  married. 

Judge  Jewett 
has  been  a  Free 
Mason  for  over 
thirty  years, 
having  joined 
Mt.  Lebanon 
lodge  in  1864, 
and  he  is  past 
master  of  the 
lodge.  H  e  i  s 
also  a  member 
and  past  officer 
of  Union  chap- 
ter, and  be- 
longs to  Pilgrim 
C  o  m  m  andery, 
Knights  Tem- 
plar. In  relig- 
ious affairs  he 
affiliates  w  i  t  h 
the  Congreg  a  - 
tionalists,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  staunch 
Republican. 


Col.  Edwin  C.  Lewis. 

As  editor  of  the  Laconia  Democrat 
from  June,  1878,  to  January,  1897,  Col. 
Edwin  C.  Lewis  has  been  an  important 
factor  in  all  phases  of  Laconia  life.  He 
came  here  from  New  Hampton,  with  no 
journalistic  training  and  no  knowledge 
of  the  newspaper  business,  but  with  an 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    BACONIAN. 


i»5 


abundance  of  "  horse  sense,"  a  good 
education,  and  the  ability  to  write 
tersely  and  interestingly  of  current 
events  and  to  indite  editorials  which 
compared  favorably  with  those  in  news- 
papers of  much  greater  pretensions. 
In  fact,  it  has  been  frequently  and  truth- 
fully said  that  for  good  English,  good 
common  sense,  and  good  judgment,  the 
editorials  of  Colonel  Lewis  were  not  ex- 
celled by  any  newspaper  published  in 
New  Hampshire. 

Edwin  C.  Lewis  was  born  in  New 
Ham  pt  on  ,  N. 
H.,  Nov.  28, 
1836,  the  son 
of  Col.  Rufus 
G .  and  Sally 
( Smith)  Lewis. 
His  father  was 
for  many  years 
the  prominent 
man  of  New 
Hampton,  a 
large  property 
owner  and  in- 
fluential citizen, 
a  n  d  w  a  s  a 
leader  in  ob- 
tain i  n  g  t  h  e 
charter  for  and 
esta  blishing 
New  Hampton 
Literary  Ins  t  i  - 
tution. 

Edwin  C.  Lew- 
is fitted  for  col- 
1  e g e  at  New 
Hampton  Insti- 
tution,and  grad- 
uated at  Har- 
vard in  the  class  of  '59.  He  read  law  for 
a  time  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  but  the  sickness 
of  his  father  called  him  home  and  caused 
him  to  abandon  this  profession.  In  1878 
he  came  to  Laconia  with  Fred  W.  San- 
born and  purchased  the  Laconia  Demo- 
crat. The  Arm  of  Lewis  &  Sanborn  was 
changed  at  the  end  of  two  years  by  the 
retirement  of  Mr.  Sanborn,  and  the  con- 
cern continued  as  Lewis,  Yaughan  & 
Co.,  with  Charles  W.  Yaughan  and 
Albert  P.  Brown  as  the  junior  partners, 
until    Colonel    Lewis    disposed     of     his 


interest  to  Gov.  C.  A.  Busiel  in  January, 
1897. 

Politically  Colonel  Lewis  is  a  Demo- 
crat. He  served  two  terms  as  treasurer 
of  Belknap  county,  was  in  Governor 
Tuttle's  executive  council  in  1890  and 
1 89 1,  was  a  member  of  the  Laconia 
school  board  for  some  time,  and  was 
for  many  years  a  trustee  and  member  of 
the  executive  committee  of  New  Hamp- 
ton Institution.  Colonel  Lewis  is  a 
member  of  the  several  Masonic  frater- 
nities in  this  city,  including  Pilgrim 
Command  e  ry , 
Knights  T  em  - 
plar.  In  1890 
Colonel  Lewis 
married  E 1  i  z  a 
1!.,  daughter  of 
David  and  Sally 
(Wallace)  Hil- 
ton of  Sand- 
wich, who  died 
April   15,  1899. 


Postmaster 
F.   L.  Gilman. 

Postmas  t  er 
Frank  L.  Gil- 
man  is  a  Laco- 
nia boy,  though 
born  on  the  Gil- 
ford side  of  the 
river,  and  he 
has  perhaps 
served  the  pub- 
lic in  one  ca- 
pacity or  anoth- 
er more  than 
any  other  man 
of  his  years  in  the  city.  He  was  born 
Sept.  29,  1858,  his  parents  being 
Lyman  \V.  and  Dorothy  E.  Gilman. 
His  education  was  obtained  in  the 
public  schools  of  Laconia,  and  he  then 
entered  the  Laconia  passenger  depot  as 
telegraph  operator  and  ticket  seller, 
holding  these  positions  from  1S76  to 
1SS0.  He  went  to  Old  Orchard  beach 
in  the  summer  of  1S81,  where  he  held  a 
position  as  telegraph  operator,  and  in 
October  of  the  same  year  went  to 
Boston,  where   he   was  employed  in  the 


Edwin  C.  Lewis 


i86 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


Western  Union  Telegraph  company's 
office  on  State  street,  until  July,  1882, 
when  he  resigned  his  position  to  return 
to    Laconia    and    accept   the    assistant 


Frank  L.  Gilman. 

postmastership  under  Postmaster  Per 
ley  Putnam.  Mr.  Gilman  held  the  assis 
tant  postmastership  during  Mr. 
Putnam's  term,  and  when  Post- 
master Nath'l  Edgerly  took  the 
office  in  March,  1887,  he  contin- 
ued as  assistant  until  October  of 
the  same  year.  During  the  next 
year  or  two  Mr.  Gilman  was  col- 
lector for  the  Laconia  Democrat, 
clerk  for  Geo.  R.  Leavitt  in  the 
wood  and  coal  business,  and 
agent  for  the  Singer  Manufactur- 
ing Co. 

In  the  fall  of  1S88,  Mr.  Gil- 
man was  elected  register  of  prob- 
ate for  Belknap  county,  which 
office  he  filled  for  two  years,  from 
July,  1889.  In  1891,  he  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  postmaster  by 
Postmaster  John  G.  Jewett,  and 
held  the  place  until  Postmaster 
John  O'Loughlin  came  into  office  in 
May,  1895,  remaining  with  the  latter 
until  October,  1895. 

He  was  elected  tax  collector  of  the 
city  of  Laconia  in  1895  and  again  in 
1896,  acting  as  agent  for  the  New  York 
Life    Insurance  company    at   the   same 


time.  Mr.  Gilman  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Laconia  by  President  Mc- 
kinley, July  2,  1897,  a  position  which 
he  still  holds  to  the  general  satisfaction 
of  the  patrons  of  the  office,  for  in  his 
long  service  of  the  public  in  the  various 
positions  he  has  held,  Mr.  Gilman  has 
always  been  a  popular  official,  courte- 
ous to  all,  and  in  short,  an  ideal  public 
servant. 

Mr.  Gilman  married  Miss  Ruth  Bar- 
ber of  Lewiston,  Maine,  Dec.  31,  1881. 
She  died  April,  1883,  leaving  one  son, 
R.  Frank  Gilman,  a  member  of  the 
Laconia  High  school,  class  of  1900. 
Mr.  Gilman  married  Miss  Emma  Jones, 
of  this  city,  June  16,  1896. 

He  is  a  member  of  Winnipiseogee 
lodge,  a  past  chief  patriarch  of  Laconia 
encampment,  is  at  the  present  time 
lieutenant  of  Canton  Osgood,  No.  5, 
Patriarchs  Militant,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Mr. 
Gilman  is  also  connected  with  the 
Laconia  Lodge  and  Chapter  of  Masons. 
He  has  served  as  president  and  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  managers  of  the 
First  Free  Baptist  church  of  this  city. 


Residence  of  Frank  L.  Gilman. 

Laconia  Post-office, 

The  Laconia  post-office  is  in  every 
respect  a  model  institution,  and  is  the 
largest  and  best-equipped  office  in  New 
Hampshire  north  of  Concord.  For  many 
years   the   post-office  was   kept   in  drug 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


187 


stores,  bookstores,  etc.,  and  then  for 
about  twenty  years  in  old  Post-office 
block,  so  called,  near  the  river,  in  quar- 
ters which  answered  well  enough  for  the 
times,  but  which  finally  proved  inade- 
quate. When  the  handsome  Masonic 
temple  was  erected,  in  1895,  the  most 
desirable  quarters  in  the  building  were 
leased  and  fitted  up  in  elegant  and  con- 
venient shape  for  the  handling  of  the 
United  States  mails,  and  for  the  accom- 
modation of  patrons  of  the  office.  It  is 
equipped  with  all  modern  improvements, 
including  a  Bundy  time  recorder,  fire 
and   burglar    proof   safe,   and    stamping 


1889;  a  native  of  Laconia,  born  March 
31,  1867.  Mrs.  E.  Gertrude  Sanborn, 
appointed  May,  1894;  a  native  of  La- 
conia, born  July  16,  1870.  Charles  F. 
Shastany,  appointed  September,  1895  ; 
a  native  of  Laconia,  born  Nov.  1^. 
1877. 

The  regular  letter-carriers  are  :  John 
M.  Guay,  appointed  April  1,  1896;  a 
native  of  Canada,  born  Sept.  jo,  1861. 
Eben  P.  Merrill,  appointed  April  1 ,  1896  ; 
a  native  of  Laconia,  born  July  10,  1863. 
Oliver  F.  Griffin,  appointed  Aug.  9, 
1898;  a  native  of  Attleboro,  Mass., 
born  Dec.  12,  1858.     Arthur  F.  Turner, 


machine.  Frank  L.  Gilman,  the  present 
postmaster,  was  appointed  by  President 
McKinley,  July  2,  1897,  and  was  already 
admirably  fitted  by  several  years  of  sub- 
ordinate service  in  this  office  for  the 
more  responsible  position  of  postmaster. 

The  office  was  removed  to  the  Ma- 
sonic temple  in  September,  1895.  The 
free  delivery  service  was  established 
April  1,  1896. 

The  present  force  of  clerks  in  the 
post-office  are  as  follows :  Edward  S. 
Cook,  chief,  appointed  July,  1897  ;  a 
native  of  Laconia,  born  May  6,  1864. 
Miss  Belle  V.  Dixon,  appointed    March, 


appointed    April    1,    1896;    a  native   of 
Chelsea.  Mass.,  born  Sept.  28,  1869. 

The  employe's  of  the  post-office  are 
in  the  classified  service,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Civil  Service  Examining 
Board  (local)  are :  Edward  S.  Cook, 
chairman;  Belle  V.  Dixon,  secretary; 
and  Arthur  F.  Turner. 

The  Late  Col.  Thomas  J.  Whipple. 


The  late  Col.  Thomas  J.  Whipple, 
who  died  Dec.  21,  1889,  was  perhaps 
the  most  noted  citizen  who  has  ever 
resided   in    Laconia.    having   a    national 


i88 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


reputation  as  a  brave  soldier — the  hero 
of  two  wars — a  brilliant  lawyer,  and  a 
strong  character,  whose  like  we  shall 
not  look  upon  again. 

Colonel  Whipple  was  born  in  Went- 
worth,  N.  H.,  Jan.  30,  18 16.  His 
father  was  one  of  the  noted  men  of 
his  time.  Young  Whipple  was  educa- 
ted at  the  academies  in  New  Hampton, 
Bradford,  Vt.,  and  at  the  Norwich  uni- 
versity, where  he  developed  his  early 
taste   for   military  affairs.      At  the   age 


made  adjutant-general  on  the  staff  of 
General  Lewis.  Returning  from  Mex- 
ico he  opened  an  office  in  Laconia  in 
1849,  and  was  until  his  death  one  of 
the  most  prominent  figures  among  the 
lawyers  of  New  Hampshire.  At  the 
breaking  out  of  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion he  served  as  lieutenant-colonel  of 
the  First  New  Hampshire  regiment  and 
as  colonel  of  the  Fourth  regiment,  re- 
signing the  latter  March  18,  1862. 
Later  he  was  prominent  in    raising  the 


The  Late  Col.  Thomas  J.  Whipple. 


of  seventeen  he  had  been  aide-de-camp 
on  the  staff  of  General  Cook  of  the 
New  Hampshire  militia,  and  he  organ- 
ized a  company  known  as  the  Went- 
worth  Phalanx,  which  had  quite  a  bril- 
liant reputation.  He  read  law  with 
Hon.  Josiah  Quincy  of  Rumney  and 
Salmon  Wires  of  Johnson,  Vt.,  and 
commenced  practice  in  his  native  town. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist  in  the 
Mexican  War,  was  taken  prisoner  at 
Vera   Cruz,  afterwards   exchanged,  and 


famous  Twelfth  regiment,  and  was 
elected  its  colonel,  but  did  not  serve. 
Although  for  years  recognized  as 
one  of  the  trusted  and  foremost  leaders 
of  the  Democratic  party  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, he  filled  but  comparatively  few 
offices.  Almost  any  place  in  the  gift 
of  the  party  could  have  been  his,  but 
he  steadily  refused  them  all.  He  was 
assistant  clerk  and  clerk  of  the  house 
of  representatives,  secretary  of  the 
constitutional  convention   of   1850,  and 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


189 


a  member  of  the  convention  of  1876. 
He  was  once  moderator  of  the  old  town 
of  Laconia. 

Colonel  Whipple  married  Belinda 
Hadley  of  Wentworth,  and  he  is  sur- 
vived by  one  granddaughter,  Mrs.  C.  O. 
Downing  of  Laconia. 

Colonel   Whipple    was   a   man    of   re- 
markable ability,  a  profound  and  origi- 
nal thinker,  and  a  most  effective  orator. 
His  manner  and  bearing,  the  erect  form, 
the  flashing  eye,  the  resolute  tones  of 
his  voice,  and   his  personal  magnetism, 
seemed     like 
special     gifts 
of  his  own.  The 
place    of    this 
brilliant  man  is 
likely  to  remain 
forever  unfilled. 


ing  surgeons  at  Laconia,  and  a  member 
of  Laconia  board  of  education. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Medical  society,  and  Winnipesau- 
kee  Academy  of  Medicine;  a  Knight 
of  Pythias,  past  chancellor  of  Endicott 
Rock  lodge,  and  member  of  grand  lodge 
of  New  Hampshire;  a  member  of  J.  A. 
Greene  company,  U.  R.  K.  of  P.  ;  a 
member  of  Mount  Lebanon  lodge, 
A.  F.  A.  M  ;  of  Pilgrim  commandery, 
and  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

He  married 
May  I.  Davis 
on  June  28, 
1888.  The  y 
have  one  child, 
Havene  M  a  y 
Quimby. 


Dr.    John   G. 
Quimby. 


Laconia  Street 
Railway. 


John  Grant 
Quimby,  physi- 
cian at  Lake- 
port,  was  born 
at  San  d  w  i  c  h  , 
N.  H.,  April  8, 
1862,  son  of 
Joseph  H.  and 
Nancy  J.  (Fogg) 
Quimby.  H  e 
was  educated 
at  New  Hamp- 
ton Literary 
Institution,  and 
Nichols  Latin 
school,  Lewis- 
ton,  Me.,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  at  the  head  of 
his  class  in  June,  1S85.  He  then  be- 
came a  student  of  Bowdoin  university, 
medical  department,  and  obtained  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  on  June  27,  1888. 

He  began  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  July,  1 888,  at  Lakeport,  and  has 
since  been  a  resident  of  Ward  6,  except 
the  years  i892-'93  when  he  was  at 
New  Hampton,  N.  H.  For  several 
years  he  has  been  city  physician,  and 
holds  that  position  at  present.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  U.  S.  board  of  examin- 


Dr.  John  G.  Quimby 


The  Laconia 
Street  Railway, 
w  h  i  c  h  n  o  w 
sends  its  hand- 
some and  com- 
fortable electric- 
street  cars  from 
the  lower  end 
of  Laconia,  al- 
most at  the 
Belmont  line. 
throu  g  h  the 
heart  of  Laco- 
nia and  Lake- 
port's  business 
and  residential 
streets,  and 
thence  along  the  shores  of  Lake  Paugus 
over  the  magnificent  boulevard  just  com- 
pleted from  Lakeport  to  The  Weirs,  was 
chartered  in  1881  by  the  New  Hamp- 
shire legislature  as  the  Laconia  and 
Lake  Village  Horse  Railroad. 

The  grantees  were  Albert  G.  Fol- 
som,  J.  P.  Hutchinson,  James  II.  Til- 
ton,  and  Richard  Gove.  The  capital 
stock  was  only  5.15,000,  and  the  first 
car  was  run  over  the  road  August  18. 
1882.  Bela  S.  Keniston  was  the  first 
superintendent,  and  the  tracks  extended 


190 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


only  from  the  Willard  hotel  in  Laconia 
to  the  steamboat  wharves  in  Lakeport. 
The  road  was  always  a  successful 
institution,  but  for  the  past  ten  years 
there    has    been    a   public    demand    for 


President  H.  L.  Pierce. 

electricity  to  replace  the  old-fashioned 
method  of  horses  for  motive  power. 
Dr.  Joseph  C.  Moore  obtained  control 
of  the  road  in  1889,  and  planned  to 
introduce  electricity,  but  in  1896  the 
control  came  back  into  the  hands  of 
A.  G.  Folsom  and  his  associates,  who 
built  and  operated  the  road  at  first. 

In  the  summer  of  1898,  a  controlling 
interest  in  the  corporation  was  pur- 
chased by  Messrs.  Harry  L.  Pierce  and 
Charles  T.  Foster,  of  Leominster,  and 
George  H.  Cook  of  Athol.  These  gen- 
tlemen at  once  proceeded  to  equip  the 
system  with  electricity,  and  in  Septem- 
ber, 1898,  the  electric  cars  were  run- 
ning over  the  road,  and  the  system  was 
kept  open  for  traffic  during  the  winter, 
while  in  previous  years,  with  the  horse- 
motors,  the  track  was  usually  aban- 
doned at  the  first  heavy  fall  of  snow, 
and  transportation  furnished  during  the 
winter  in  cumbersome  and  inconvenient 
sleigh-barges. 

In  the  spring  of  1899,  Messrs.  Pierce, 
Foster,  and  Cook  extended  their  tracks 
from  Lakeport  to  The  Weirs,  a  distance 
of  about  five  miles,  over  one  of  the  most 


beautiful  routes  for  an  electric  ride  to 
be  found  in  New  England.  The  tracks 
follow  the  shore  of  Lake  Paugus  very 
closely,  and  command  a  most  beautiful 
view  of  water  and  mountain  scenery 
over  the  entire  route,  while  at  The 
Weirs,  the  summer  resort  of  central  and 
northern  New  Hampshire,  the  system 
crosses  the  outlet  of  the  famous  Lake 
Winnipesaukee,  and  has  its  terminus 
near  the  camp-grounds  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Veterans'  Association,  and 
the  Winnipesaukee  Campmeeting  Asso- 
ciation (Methodists),  where  musical  fes- 
tivals, religious  and  social  gatherings 
and  reunions  are  held  every  week  dur- 
ing; the  summer  season. 


Treasurer  C.  T.  Foster. 

Thus  the  little  horse  railroad  has 
grown  from  a  small  system,  merely  con- 
necting the  business  centres  of  two  ends 
of  the  city,  to  an  electric  system  which 
runs  practically  from  Belmont  on  the 
south  to  Meredith  on  the  north,  through 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  cities  of 
New  Hampshire,  while  the  new  exten- 
sion affords  an  opportunity  for  a  ride 
through  the  world-famous  lake  region  of 
New  Hampshire. 

The  motive  power  is  supplied  by  an 
equipment  of  the  latest  pattern  of  gaso- 
lene engines,  located  at  the  car  stables 
on  Union  avenue,  and  the  road  is  sup- 
plied with  modern  and  elegant  cars,  and 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


191 


everything  to  make  the  service  first-class, 
and  just  what  an  electric  road  should 
be.  Messrs.  Pierce,  Foster,  and  Cook 
are  entitled  to  much  credit  for  their 
enterprise  in  giving  Laconia  such  a 
desirable  service,  and  they  certainly 
deserve  the  success  with  which  their 
efforts  seem  likely  to  be  rewarded. 

The  present  officers  of  the  road  are  : 
President,  Harry  L.  Pierce  ;  treasurer. 
Charles  T.  Foster;  superintendent, 
Lewis  S.  Pierce ;  directors,  H.  L. 
Pierce,  Charles  T.  Foster,  Geo.  H. 
Cook,  S.  B.  Smith,  A.  G.  Folsom,  Ed- 
mund Little,  Chas.  F.  Stone. 

President  H.  L.  Pierce,  of  the  Laconia 
Street  Railway,  was  born  in  Somerville, 
Mass.,  June  9,  1865,  and  entered  the 
electric  business  in  1889,  when  he 
started  in  the  manufacture  of  electric 
supplies  at  Leominster,  Mass.  In  1890 
he  formed  the  Pierce  Construction  Co., 
and  has  since  built  about  two  hundred 
miles  of  electric  roads,  from  Bath,  Me., 
to  Austin,  Tex.  In  1887  he  gave  up 
the  construction  business  to  devote  his 
entire  attention  to  his  several  railways 
and     his    real    estate    interests,    among 


Superintendent  L.  S.  Pierce. 

which  is  the  Fitchburg  &  Suburban  of 
Leominster,  Mass.,  and  the  Laconia 
Street  Railway,  in  both  of  which  con- 
cerns Mr.  Pierce  is  president. 

Charles    T.    Foster     of      Leominster. 


Mass.,  was  born  in  Canterbury.  N.  H., 
July  22,  1869,  His  father,  Moses  A. 
Foster,  was  a  farmer  and  breeder  of  hue 
blooded  horses.  Mr.  Foster's  early  ed- 
ucation was  acquired  in  the  district 
schools  at  home.  At  sixteen  years  of 
age  he  entered  Tilton  seminary,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1889. 

The  following  fall  he  was  admitted  to 
the  Bryant  &  Stratton  business  college 
in  Boston,  and  at  the  completion  of  his 
course  he  was  offered  a  position  in  the 
Leominster  National  bank  at  Leomins- 
ter, which  position  he  accepted,  and 
held  for  four  years,  resigning  to  connect 
himself  with  the  Whitney  Reed  Chair 
Company  of  that  place.  During  the 
past  few  years  he  has  been  an  active 
real  estate  dealer,  and  has  been  fortun- 
ate in  purchasing  unimproved  land  in 
advance  of  the  rapid  development  of  the 
city  where  he  lives,  and  has  built  a 
great  many  new  streets  and  houses  in 
connection  with  his  land  improvement. 
He  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the 
Fitchburg  &  Suburban  Street  Railway, 
and  at  the  present  time  is  one  of  the 
managing  directors  and  treasurer  of  that 
road.  He  is  also  one  of  the  managing 
directors  and  treasurer  of  the  Laconia 
Street  Railway  of  Laconia,  and  has 
other  railway  interests  where  he  is  not 
an  active  officer. 

At  the  present  time  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Leominster  board  of  selectmen. 
and  previously  one  of  the  town  auditors. 

Superintendent  L.  S.  Pierce  was  born 
August  4,  1863,  and  became  connected 
with  the  electric  railway  business  in 
T887,  at  which  time  there  were  but  two 
roads  in  operation.  He  was  at  that 
time  electrician  on  the  Belt  line,  in 
Lynn,  Mass.  The  next  year  he  become 
superintendent  of  overhead  construction 
and  electrician  for  the  Pierce  Construc- 
tion Co.  In  the  past  ten  years  he  has 
superintended  the  setting  of  poles, 
stringing  of  wires,  etc.,  for  twenty-two 
different  lines  of  electric  roads,  on  most 
of  which  he  has  been  the  first  to  start  a 
car.  Superintendent  Pier<  e  became 
connected  with  the  Laconia  Street  Rail- 
way on  August   1 ,   [898. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


J93 


Hun.  E.  A.  Hibbard. 

Hon.  Ellery  A.  Hibbard. 

Hon.  Ellery  A.  Hibbard,  senior  mem 
ber  and  president  of  the  Belknap 
County  Bar  Association,  is  one  of 
the  most  widely  known  of  Laconia's 
legal  fraternity.  He  was  born  in  St. 
Johnsbury,  Yt..  July  31,  1826,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Ply- 
mouth, N.  H.,  in  Jul}-,  1S49.  In 
January,  1853,  he  came  to  Laconia, 
and  in  course  of  time  won  a  place- 
as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  suc- 
cessful lawyers  in  New  Hampshire. 
He  was  appointed  judge  of  the  su- 
preme court  in  March,  1 S 7 3 ,  but 
retired  after  being  on  the  bench  a 
little  over  one  year.  In  politics 
Judge  Hibbard  has  always  been  a 
firm  and  consistent  Democrat.  He 
served  Laconia  as  moderator  from 
1862  to  1873  inclusive,  has  been 
assistant  clerk  and  clerk  of  the  leg- 
islature, represented  the  town  twice 
in  the  general  court,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  forty-second  United 
States  house  of  representatives. 
Judge  Hibbard  was  a  member  of 
the  original  board  of  directors  of 
the    Laconia     National     bank,    and 


still  retains  his  connection  with  that  in- 
stitution ;  lie  is  a  trustee  of  the  Laconia 
Savings  bank,  and  has  been  prominent 
in  numerous  local  enterprises,  besides 
holding  man)-  other  positions  of  trust 
and  honor. 

December  5,  1  s 3 3 .  he  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Jacob  bell  of  Haverhill, 
N.  1L.  and  they  have  had  four  children  : 
Charles  1!.,  his  father's  law  partner; 
Jennie  Olive,  wife  of  ( )rman  T.  Lougee  ; 
Walter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  ; 
and  Laura  1!.,  who  resides  with  her 
parents. 


The  Late  Hon.  "Warren  Lovell. 


Quarter  of  a  century  ago  the  late 
Hon.  Warren  Lovell  was  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Laconia.  and  a  man 
who  was  largely  in  public  life.  He  was 
a  native  of  Rockingham,  Yt.,  born  Dec. 
3,  1802,  and  died  Aug.  iS,  1875.  "L' 
read  law  at  bellows  Falls,  Yt.,  villi 
Judge  Kellogg,  and  was  a  student  in 
the   same   office  with  the   late  Chief  Jus- 


Tin-  late  Hun.  Warren  Lovell. 


i94 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


tice  Bellows.  Admitted  to  the  bar,  he 
came  to  Meredith,  N.  H.,  in  1825, 
where  he  remained  in  practice  until 
1843,  at  which  time  he  changed  his 
residence  to  Laconia.  He  was  several 
times  elected  representative  from  Mere- 
dith, was  state  senator  from  this  dis- 
trict two  years,  and  was  solicitor  and 
afterwards  judge  of  probate  for  Straf- 
ford county.  When  Belknap  county 
was  set  off  from  Strafford  county,  Judge 
Lovell  was  appointed  judge  of  probate 
and  held  the  office  until  he  attained  the 
age  of  seventy, 
and  thereby  be- 
came disquali- 
fied. He  was 
qu  i  t  e  promi- 
nent in  local 
financial  circles 
and  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Bel- 
knap C  ount  y 
bank  from  its 
organ  i  z  at  ion 
until  it  closed 
up  its  business. 


a  two  years'  course  of  lectures  at  Hah- 
nemann college,  of  Philadelphia,  where 
he  graduated  M.  D.  in  1881.  Dr.  Wris- 
ley  remained  in  hospital  practice  in 
Philadelphia  for  one  year,  and  came  to 
Laconia  in  August,  1894,  purchasing 
the  practice  of  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Roby. 

Dr.  Wrisley  is  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Institute  of  Homeopathy,  the  New 
Hampshire  Homeopathic  Medical  soci- 
ety, Winnipesaukee  Academy  of  Med- 
icine, and  an  honorary  member  of  the 
Homeopathic  Medical  society  of  Phil- 
adelphia. 

Dr.  Wrisl  ey 
has  been  very 
successful  in 
his  practice  in 
Laconia  and 
vicinity,  and 
has  been  fav- 
ored with  t  h  e 
liberal  c  1  i  e  n  - 
tage  which  his 
success  has 
merited. 


Dr.  John  Alson 
Wrisley. 


The  Late 

Jonathan   L. 

Moore. 


Among  the 
skilful  physi- 
cians for  which 
Laconia  has  al- 
ways been,  and 
still  is,  noted,  is 
Dr.  John  Alson 
Wrisley,  who  at 

the     present  Dr.  John  A.  -y> 

time  is  the  only 

homeopathic  physician  at  the  Lakeport 
end  of  the  city. 

Dr.  Wrisley  was  born  in  Stafford 
Springs,  Conn.,  son  of  John  J.  and  Me- 
lissa S.  (Franklin)  Wrisley.  He  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools,  sup- 
plemented by  courses  at  Tilton  semi- 
nary, and  Fort  Edward  institute,  of  New 
York.  His  professional  studies  were 
commenced  with  Dr.  W.  E.  Keith,  of 
Franklin  Falls,  N.  H.,  after  which  he 
took  his  first  course  of  lectures  at  Bos- 
ton University  Medical  school,  and  then 


A  1 1  h ough  a 
native    of    San- 
bor  nton,   t  h  e 
late   Jonathan 
Love  joy  Moore 
was  for  almost 
half    a    century 
a    most    promi- 
nent, most  reli- 
able,  and  es- 
teemed   citizen    and    business    man    of 
Laconia.      He  was  born  at  Sanbornton 
Square,  Dec.  13,  1828,  and  was  educat- 
ed  at    the    Sanbornton    academy.      Mr. 
Moore  was  a  blacksmith    and    machin- 
ist by  trade   in   his  early   days,  and  first 
settled  in   Wolfeborough,  where  he  en- 
gaged  in  business  and  remained  there 
three  years.      He  moved  to  Laconia  in 
1852,  and  for  many  years  conducted  a 
blacksmith  shop  on  the  Gilford  side  of 
the  river.      He  sold  out  this  business  in 
1876,  and  went  into  the  machinist  busi- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


195 


ness.  being  one  of  the  firm  of  Moore, 
Diamond  &  Co.,  at  what  is  now  the 
Huse  machine  shops. 

In  1SS7,  he  became  the  senior  mem- 
ber  of  the   firm  of  J.  L.  Moore   &    Son. 


lily  known  in  Belknap  county  from  the 
first  settlement  of  tin's  region.  At  the 
first  town-meeting  held  in  Meredith,  the 
name  of  Ebenezer  Pitman  appears 
among  the  officers  elected,  and  he  after- 


undertakers  and   dealers  in  wall    papers,  wards  served  the  town  as  representative 

etc.,  continuing  in  this  business  success-  and    town    clerk.      His    son,     Ebenezer 

fully  until  his  decease.  Pitman.  Jr..  was   also   a    prominent  man 

Mr.  Moore  was  a   Republican  in  poli-  in    colonial    days,    serving  the  town   as 

tics,  and  was  selectman  of  the  town  of  clerk  for  many  years,  and  also  as   repre- 

Gilford    from    1871    to    1876,   and  was  sentative  to  the  legislature  several  terms. 

chairman  of  the   Laconia  board  of  city  He  was  the  legal  authority  in  his  section 

assessors  for  rive  years,   from   the  time  of  the   town    and   for   many  years  made 


the  city  was  in- 
corporated until 
his  death.  May 
27.  1898. 

In  his  leisure 
hours,  the  busi- 
ness  laws  of 
X  e  w  H  a  m  p  - 
shire  were  his 
continual  study 
and  he  was  an 
unusually  well- 
informed  m  a  n 
upon  m  atter  s 
in  this  line,  and 
many  estates 
were  placed  in 
his  hands  for 
settlement. 

H  e  w  a  s  a 
charter  member 
of  the  [.O.O.  F.} 
and  was  treas- 
urer of  that  so- 
ciety for  over 
thirty  consecu- 
tive years. 


The  late  Jonathan  L.  Moore. 


The  Late  Joseph  P.  Pitman. 


The   late   Joseph    P.    Pitman    was  for 
more   than    half  a    century  an   honored, 
prominent,  and  influential  citizen  of  La- 
conia.    He  was  not  only  a  leading  figure      still    later    tor    more    than    thirty   years, 
in     financial      and     manufacturing     cir-      with  his  intimate  friend,  the  late    Daniel 


out  most  of  the 
legal  d  o  c u - 
ments  for  his 
fellow -t  o  w  n  s  - 
men. 

Jose  p  h  P. 
Pitman  was  the 
second  son  of 
Ebenezer  P  it- 
man,  Jr.,  born 
on  the  old 
homestead  in 
Meredith,  Jan. 
12.  1809.  ^e 
passed  his  early 
years  upon  the 
farm,  attended 
the  common- 
schools,  and 
then  entered 
the  academy  at 
New  Hampton. 
lie  fore  he  was 
twenty  years  of 
a  g  e  he  h a  d 
taught  several 
terms  of  school 
and  sen ed  two 
years  as  a  clerk  in  Concord.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  began  business  for 
himself  in  Laconia,  in  connection  with 
the  late  Daniel  M.  Dale,  and  afterwards 
with  his  bicther.  John   M.  Pitman,  and 


cles,  but  as   one   of   the  managing  direc- 
tors of  the  old    Boston.  Concord  &   Moil 
treal  railroad,  he  saved  the  corporation 
from  financial  ruin  and  secured  its  pros- 
perity. 

The    Pitman    family  has   been  favora- 


A.  Tilton.  This  business  has  not  vet 
passed  from  the  Pitman  family  and  is 
now  conducted  by  Ins  sons.  Messrs.  Jo- 
seph W.  and  Walter  II.  Pitman. 

from   [836  to   iSp   he  was  agent  and 
treasurer    of    the    Winnipesaukee     Lake 


196 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


Cotton  and  Woolen  Manufacturing  Co., 
and  during  a  part  of  this  time  was  also 
engaged  in  business  at  Lake  Village  in 
company  with  the  late  John  V.  Barron. 
Mr.  Pitman  at  this  time  was  only 
about  twenty-five  years  old,  and  as  agent 
for  the  Lake  Co.  (a  position  afterwards 
held  by  the  Hon.  James  Bell),  he  was 
superintendent  and  manager  of  all  the 
mills  at  Lake  Village,  and  sold  all  of  the 
goods  manufactured.     These  mills  were 


At  this  time  he  held  the  controlling  in- 
terest in  the  firm  of  Pitman,  Tilton  & 
Co.,  which  was  in  1S74  incorporated  as 
the  Pitman  Manufacturing  Co.,  and  in 
this  corporation  Mr.  Pitman  was  presi- 
dent and  principal  owner. 

In  railroad  affairs  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, Mr.  Pitman  was  especially  promi- 
nent. He  was  a  director  of  the  Winni- 
pesaukee  Steamboat  Co.,  of  the  Con- 
cord railroad,  and  president  of  the  Pemi- 


The  late  Joseph  P.  Pitman. 


owned  by  Mr.  David  Pingree,  and  Mr. 
Pitman  was  agent  for  him. 

He  was  a  director  in  the  old  Winnipe- 
saukee  bank,  and  during  the  twenty 
years  of  its  existence  a  director  of 
the  Belknap  County  bank,  and  subse- 
quently in  1876  he  was  chosen  a  trustee 
of  the  Belknap  Savings  bank,  an 
office  which  he  continued  to  hold  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Pitman  was  the  founder  of  the 
Pitman  Manufacturing  Co.,  commencing 
the  manufacture  of  knit  goods   in  1868. 


gewasset  railroad,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  senior  director  of  the  Boston, 
Concord  &  Montreal  railroad,  having 
been  elected  in  1858.  It  was  largely 
through  Mr.  Pitman's  financial  tact, 
energy  and  foresight  that  this  corpora- 
tion was  restored  to  prosperity  when 
failure  of  the  enterprise  seemed  almost 
unavoidable. 

Mr.  Pitman  was  a  life-long  Democrat, 
but  never  cared  for  political  honors,  al- 
though he  represented  Meredith  in  the 
legislature   in  185 1  and    1852.      He  was 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


197 


for  forty-three  years  an  active  member 
of  the  Congregational  church,  and  prom- 
inently identified  with  all  its  affairs.  He 
was  the  principal  member  of  the  build- 
ing committee  under  whose  direction  the 
church  was  rebuilt  in  1S74,  making  it  at 
that  time  one  of  the  finest  church  edi- 
fices in  New  Hampshire. 

Perhaps  no  better  estimate  of  Mr. 
Pitman's  character  and  of  his  impor- 
tance to  the  growth  of  Laconia  can  be 
given  than  to  quote  the  following  reso- 
lutions which  were  adopted  by  his  towns- 


and  combining  energy  with  prudence  to 
a  rare  degree.     No  one  has  contributed 

more  Largely  to  give  Laconia  its  envia- 
ble rank  as  a  business  center  than  Mr. 
Pitman,  and  his  loss  will  be  long  and 
severely  felt  far  beyond  the  immediate 
circle  in  which  he  moved.'" 

Mr.  Pitman  was  married  May  <;, 
1841,  to  Charlotte  Abby,  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Abigail  Parker.  The  Par- 
kers were  also  prominent  people  in  old 
Laconia.  and  Mrs.  Pitman  as  a  young 
lady  was  noted  for  her  great  beauty ,  and 


Charles  F.  Pitman. 


men  who  were  called  together  for  that 
purpose  immediately  after  his  death. 
which  occurred  Pel).  16,  1883  : 

••  We  deeply  lament  the  loss  which  we. 
in  common  with  others,  have  sustained 
by  the  death  of  one  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  substantial  history  and 
prosperity  of  our  town.  Mr.  Pitman 
was  widely  and  most  favorably  known 
as  a  strong  business  man.  of  undoubted 
integrity  and  great  sagacity,  always 
punctual  in  meeting  every  engagement, 
and   faithful    in    performing   every  duty. 


she  was  a  woman  of  great  strength  oi 
character  and  many  estimable  qualities. 
Their  children  were   Elizabeth  W.  (now 

the  wife  of  Hon.  Charles  P.  Bell  of 
Lawrence,  Mass.,  associate  justice  ot 
the  superior  court  of  Massachusetts); 
Helen  M..  deceased  (the  first  wile  ol 
Mr.  Pell);  Charles   I-'.,  the  present    ni.it. 

ager  of  the    Pitman    Manufacturing  Co.; 

Joseph  \\\,  and  Walter  I  P.  who  continue 
the  mercantile  business  of  their  father 
under  the  established  partnership  name 
of  P  P.   Pitman  ,\:  Co. 


igS 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


The  Pitman  Manufacturing:  Co, 


The  Pitman  Manufacturing  Co.  was 
incorporated  in  1874.  but  was  estab- 
lished in  1 868  by  the  late  Joseph  P. 
Pitman,  and  has  always  been  one  of  the 
most  important  industries  of  Laconia, 
furnishing  employment  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  operatives,  and  having  a  wide- 
spread reputation  among  the  trade  for 
the  manufacture  of  hue  hosiery.  Both 
woolen  and  cotton  hosiery  are  produced 
at  the  Pitman  mills,  and  their  output  at 
the  present  time  is  larger  than  that  of 
any  similar  concern  in  the  city.  The 
present  officers  of  the  corporation  are : 
President  and  manager,  Charles  F.  Pit- 
man ;  clerk,  Joseph  W.  Pitman. 

Charles  F.  Pitman,  the  present  head 
of  the  Pitman  Manufacturing  Co.,  is  a 
native  of  this  city,  the  son  of  Joseph  P. 
and  Charlotte  Abby  (Parker)  Pitman, 
born  Oct.  6,  1S47.  He  was  educated 
at  New  Hampton  academy  and  Phillips 
academy  at  Andover. 

Upon  leaving  school  he  entered  the 
store  of  Pitman  &  Tilton,  with  which  he 
was  connected  from  1865  to  1870.  He 
then  turned  his  attention  to  the  hosiery 
manufacturing  business,  and  was  in 
company  with  his  father  and  Daniel  A. 
Tilton  from  1870  to  1874,  thoroughly 
mastering  the  details  of  the  manage- 
ment of  the  concern.  In  1874  the  Pit- 
man Manufacturing  Co.  was  incorpo- 
rated, and  he  has  been  general  manager 
from  the  start,  and  president  of  the  cor- 
poration since  his  father's  death  in 
1883.  Mr.  Pitman  applies  himself  very 
closely  to  the  management  of  the  con- 
cern, is  thoroughly  familiar  with  every 
detail  of  the  industry,  and  is  considered 
one  of  the  best  and  most  successful 
hosiery  manufacturers  in  this  section  of 
the  country. 

He  is  a  director  in  the  Laconia  Na- 
tional bank,  trustee  of  the  Belknap  Sav- 
ings bank,  trustee  of  the  Gale  fund  for 
a  city  library  and  park,  one  of  the  man- 
aging trustees  of  the  Laconia  hospital, 
president  of  the  Congregational  society, 
and  a  deacon  of  this  church.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  New  Hampshire  Society 
of  Colonial  Wars,  his  ancestors  in  Essex 


county,  Massachusetts,  having  served 
with  distinction  in  the  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  Wars. 

In  politics  Mr.  Pitman  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  although  never  an  aspirant  for 
any  political  honors  he  takes  great  in- 
terest in  public  affairs,  and  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  public-spirited  citizens  of 
Laconia,  always  ready  to  assist  in  any 
enterprise  or  charity  for  the  benefit  of 
the  community. 

He  married,  Oct.  15,  1890,  Grace 
Anna,  daughter  of  the  late  O.  A.  J. 
Vaughan.  They  have  had  two  children  : 
Ruth  Marion,  who  died  in  infancy,  and 
Charles  Joseph,  born  Jan.  22,  1895. 


Station  Acrent  C.  E.  Leavitt. 


Charles  E,  Frye. 


Charles  E.  Frye,  general  foreman  at 
the  Laconia  car  shops,  is  a  master  car 
builder  who  has  grown  up  with  the  car 
industry  in  this  city,  and  has  been  for 
many  years  an  important  man  in  this 
concern.  He  was  born  in  Sandwich, 
N.  H.,  Oct.  6,  1846,  and  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools.  He  came  to 
Laconia  in  1S70,  and  worked  at  his 
trade   as   carpenter   for  two   years    and 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


199 


then  entered  the  car  shops  under  the 
old  Ranlet  Manufacturing  Company. 
He  has  been  connected  with  the  car 
shops  ever  since  that  time,  and  was 
superintendent  of  the  works  under  the 
old  Laconia  Car  Co.  lie  is  now  gen- 
eral foreman  under  the  present  man- 
agement, the  Laconia  Car  Company 
Works. 

He  is  not  only  a  skilful  workman 
and  thoroughly  efficient  car  builder,  but 
he  is  a  man  of  much  executive  ability, 
and  understands  the  business  of  con- 
structing cars  in  all  its  branches  and 
various  departments.  In  politics  Mr. 
Frye  is  a  Democrat  and  represented 
Laconia  in  the  legislature  in    1S92.  and 


. 

;4           ^dP"/ 

^H^S^ 

( 

w*^^ 

Charles  E.  Five. 

also  served  one  term  in  the  council  as  a 
member  of  the  first  city  government  of 
Laconia  in  1893. 

In  secret  orders  Mr.  Frye  is  a  thirty 
second  degree  Mason,  a  Knight  Tem- 
plar, a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine, 
and  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men. He  is  an  attendant  at  the  Con- 
gregational church. 

Mr.  Frye  married  Olive  M.  Vittum, 
on  June  5,  1870,  and  they  have  three 
sons. 


Adelbert  Clark. 

Adelbert  Clark.  New  Hampshire's 
young  poet,  whose  verses  have  at- 
tracted much  attention,  both  in  the 
Granite  state  and  throughout  New  Eng- 
land, and  who  is  also  a  short  story 
writer  of  no  mean  ability,  is  a  native  oi 
Laconia,  born  Feb.  27,  1870,  and  has 
spent  nearly  all  his  life  in  this  city.  He 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  at  Lakeport,  and  even  at  an 
earl}-  age  his  thirst  for  books  was  ap- 
parent, caring  more  for  his  studies  and 
reading  than  for  sports,  games,  and  out- 
of-door  amusements.  He  left  school  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years,  but  continued 
to  devote  all  his  spare  time  to  the  read- 
ing of  standard  works,  both  poetry  and 
prose. 

He  commenced  writing  both  stories 
and  poems  at  an  early  age  merely  for 
his  own  amusement  and  gratification, 
but  some  four  years  ago  he  submitted 
one  of  his  poems  to  the  Waverley  Mag- 
azine of  boston.  The  poem  was  ac- 
cepted, and  since  then  he  has  written 
many  verses  for  that  publication.  All 
of  his  poems  are  of  a  serious  nature, 
and  are  noted  not  only  for  the  beautiful 
thoughts  expressed  in  them,  but  for  the 
way  they  are  handled.  He  has  con- 
tributed for  Godey's  Magazine,  the  Mid- 
land Mont  lily,  the  Army  and  Nary 
Journal,  the  Philadelphia  Times,  the 
Saturday  Globe,  the.  Manchester  Union, 
and  nearly  all  of  the  local  newspapers. 
His  short  stories  have  also  been  very 
favorably  received,  possessing  good 
plots,  interesting  characters,  and  line 
descriptions. 

Mr.  Clark  is  an  enthusiastic  collector 
of  the  autographs  of  famous  men.  and 
has  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  collec- 
tions in  this  line  to  be  found  in  New 
England,  comprising  the  signatures  of 
celebrated  poets,  authors,  statesmen, 
musicians,  actors,  army  and  navy  1 
cers,  presidents  of  the  United  States, 
etc. 

When  the  Laconia  company  went  to 
Chickamauga  Park  with  the  First  New 
Hampshire  Regiment  during  the  sum- 
mer of  [898,  Mr.  Clark  took  great  inter- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


est  in  their  welfare,  and  when  many  of 
the  company  were  sick  with  fever  and 
lacking  home  comforts  and  luxuries, 
Mr.  Clark  worked  steadily  night  and 
day  in  their  behalf,  arranging  a  booklet 


Adelbert  Clark. 

of  appropriate  verses  which  was  placed 
on  sale  for  the  benefit  of  the  boys  of 
Company  K,  and  which  netted  a  snug 
little  sum  for  their  relief. 

Mr.  Clark  is  a  great  lover  of  nature, 
very  sympathetic,  and  his  pleasant  dis- 
position and  pleasing  manners  win  him 
a  host  of  friends  wherever  he  is  known. 
He  is  acquiring  much  more  than  a  local 
reputation  as  a  poet,  and  his  work  thus 
far  gives  promise  of  a  brilliant  future. 


George  F.  Mallard. 


Although  comparatively  a  young  man, 
George  E.  Mallard  can  claim  to  be  the 
oldest  merchant,  in  point  of  service,  at 
the  Laconia  end  of  the  city,  having 
established  his  drug  business  in  its  pres- 
ent location,  No.  537  Main  street,  in 
186 1,  and  he  has  continued  in  the  same 
store  and  with  no  change  of  firm  until 
the  present  date. 


Mr.  Mallard  is  a  native  Laconian, 
the  son  of  the  late  Ephraim  and  Mercy 
(Barker)  Mallard  of  this  place.  He 
was  educated  in  our  public  schools  and 
has  always  resided  here. 

Mr.  Mallard's  drug  business  is  not 
only  the  oldest,  but  the  largest,  estab- 
lishment in  this  line  in  the  city.  He 
carries  everything  in  the  way  of  drugs, 
herbs,  and  barks,  and  all  the  standard 
patent  remedies  ;  besides  cigars,  toilet 
articles,  sponges,  and,  in  fact,  every- 
thing usually  found  in  a  first-class  drug 


George  F.  Mallard. 

store.     Mr.  Mallard  also  carries  a  large 
line  of  trusses  of  all  the  different  makes. 


Dr.  Helen  L.  Story. 


Dr.  Helen  Louise  Story  was  born  in 
Campton,  N.  H.,  April  16,  i860,  the 
daughter  of  Hazen  D.  and  Lydia 
(Walker)  Smith.  Her  parents  moved 
to  Plymouth  when  she  was  five  years  of 
age,  where  she  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  finally  graduated 
in  the  Belles  Lettres  course  at  Tilton 
Female  college.  Fitting  for  a  teacher 
at  the  State  Normal  school  at  Plymouth, 
she  continued  the  work  until  the  fall  of 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


1881,  when  she  married  Jos.  ( 'lenient 
Story,  a  young  lawyer  practising  at 
Wentworth,  who  with  his  family  after- 
wards removed  to  Plymouth,  where  he- 
became  known  as  one  of  the  brilliant 
men  of  the  Grafton  county  bar,  and  con- 
tinued in  active  practice  until  overcome 
by  disease,  and  died  Jan.  27,  1894,  after 
a'  lingering  illness,  leaving  the  wife  and 
two  "children,  Charlotte  Louise  and 
Marion  Walker, 

It  was  during  her  husband's  illness 
that  Mrs.  Story  conceived  the  idea  of 
following  the  medical  profession,  and 
she  thus  began  the  study  of  medicine  at 
that  time  with  Dr.  Haven  Palmer  of 
Plymouth.  In  the  fall  of  1894  she 
entered  the  Woman's  Medical  college  of 
Pennsylvania  at  Philadelphia,  remaining 
two  years,  when  she  went  to  Boston  to 
accept  a  position  as  assistant  surgeon  in 
the  Boston  Dispensary,  and  continued 
her  studies  at  Tufts  Medical  college, 
from  which  she  took  her  degree  of  Doc- 
tor of  Medicine  in  June,  1897.  She 
passed  the  Massachusetts  State  Board 
the  following  July,  and  commenced 
practice    at   23    Dartmouth    St.,    Boston, 


R.  Peabody.  Dr.  Story  continued  in 
these  several  capacities  until  May.  1898, 
when  on  account  of  failing  health  she 
was  forced  to  seek  rest  and  change, 
joining     her     family     at     Laconia,     and 


with  a  position  of  assistant  physician  at 
Trinity    Dispensary.      She    also   opened 

an    office    in    Lowell    for    a    few  days  in 
each  week,  in  company  with    Dr.  Sophia 


Dr.  Helen  L.  Story. 

opened  an  office  for  practice  in  Masonic 
Temple  on  July  1,  1898,  having  passed 
our  own  State  Board  of  Examiners  the 
previous  year  with  the  highest  record  of 
any  candidate  during  1897. 

Dr.  Story's  present  place  of  business 
and  residence  is  at  395  Main  St..  where 
she  resides  with  her  two  daughters. 
Dr.  Story  makes  no  specialty  in  her 
profession,  but  is  of  the  regular  school 
of  practice  and  has  had  large  experi- 
ence and  opportunities  in  the  diseases 
of  women  and  children,  while  she  has 
done  some  creditable  work  in  general 
surgery. 

Miss  Marion  Walker  Story,  youngest 
daughter  of  Dr.  Story,  has  won  a  wide 
reputation  as  the  smallest  lady  cornetist 
before  the  public,  having  made    her  fust 

appearance  in  Montreal  three  years  ago 

at  the  age  of  seven.  She  has  appeared 
in  Boston  and  many  of  the  large  cities 
of  New  England,  and  her  ability,  execu- 
tion, tone,  and  expression  have  received 
the  warmest  praise  from  the  press  and 
musical  criti<  s  wherevei  she  has  been 
heard. 


T.  H.  Worrall's  summer  residence,  Lake  Shore  Park,   Lake  Winnipesaukee,   N.  H.     This  property  includes 

sixtv  acres  of  land  and  live  buildings. 


T.  H.  Worrall's  steam  yacht  Grade.     Fifty  feet  long,  ten  feet  wide. 


T.  H.  Worrall's  winter  residence,  Laconia,  N.  H. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


2°i 


Shannon's  Bakery. 

During  the  past  half  a  century,  Laco- 
nia  has  had  bakers  and  bake  shops 
galore,  some  good,  some  bad,  and  some 
indifferent,  but  none  of  the  bakers  ever 
appeared  to  make  a  financial  success  of 
their  industry,  until  the  advent  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  Mr.  William  P. 
Shannon. 

Mr.  Shannon  was  born  in  Hamp- 
stead,  N.  H.,  Jan.  i,  1862,  and  he  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Hav- 
erhill, Mass.  He  came  to  Laconia  in 
18S6,  and  in  189  1  started  a  bakery  in  a 
small  way  on 
North  Main 
street.  The  fame 
of  Shannon's 
bakery  spread 
and  the  bake 
shop  prospered 
and  outgrew  its 
original  quarters 
in  a  very  short 
time.  He  then 
removed  to  Mill 
street,  where  he 
continued  very 
successful  1  y. 
constantly  in- 
creasing his  pro- 
duction and  ca- 
pacity for  goods 
in  his  line,  until 
in  1897  he  se- 
cured still  more 
convenient  quarters  at  501  Main  street, 
where  his  establishment  is  now  located. 

Mr.  Shannon  has  always  devoted  his 
personal  attention  to  the  supervision  of 
the  business  and  his  baked  goods  are 
recognized  as  first-class  and  always  re- 
liable. He  has  the  patronage  of  the 
best  people  of  the  city  and  manufac- 
tures everything  in  the  line  of  breads. 
cakes,  pies,  and  fancy  cooking  known 
to  the  trade. 

He  married  Miss  Emma  M.  Griffin  of 
Gilmanton  in  18X2,  and  they  have  one 
child,  a  son  of  three  years.  Mr.  Shan- 
non is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  is 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 


Lake  City  Laundry. 


Will  I'.  Shannon  ami  sun.  Dana  P. 


The  Lake  City  Laundry,  on  (anal 
court,  is  one  of  Laconia's  metropolitan 
establishments,  conducted  by  Frank  R. 
Folsom,  and  equipped  with  all  new  and 
up-to-date  machinery.  This  laundry 
was  established  by  Mr.  Folsom  about 
four  years  ago.  Previous  to  this  time 
numerous  attempts  had  been  made  to 
establish  and  maintain  a  first-class  laun- 
dry in  Laconia,  under  various  manage- 
ments, but  until  Mr.  Folsom's  advent 
in  the  business  none  of  the  ventures 
was  verv  successful.  Mr.  Folsom, 
however,  w  i  t  h 
modern  m  e  t  h  - 
ods,  hard  work, 
and  close  atten- 
tion to  the  de- 
tails of  the  laun- 
dry business  has 
built  up  a  large 
trade  and  creat- 
ed a  successful 
business  in  this 
line. 

Branch  offices 
have  been  estab- 
lished in  the 
prin  c  i  p  al  sur- 
rounding towns 
in  this  vicinity, 
a  n  d  1  a  u  n  d  r  y 
work  from  all 
sections  of  1 '.el- 
knap  count  y , 
from  the  Pemigewasset  valley  and  even 
as  far  north  as  Vermont,  is  now  sent  to 
this  establishment.  Mr.  Folsom  has  won 
a  reputation  for  turning  out  first-class 
work,  and  the  fame  of  the  Lake  City 
Laundry  has  spread  throughout  north- 
ern and  central  New  Hampshire  and  in 
many  adjoining  towns  in  Vermont. 

The  establishment  employs  only 
skilled  help,  and  with  the  improved 
machinery  of  the  present  day  is  en- 
abled to  turn  out  the  very  finest  work. 
Goods  are  collected  and  delivered  in 
all  parts  of  this  city  by  the  laundry 
teams,  and  out-of-town  work  is  collected 
by  the  local  agents  in  each  town  ami 
forwarded  and  returned  by  express. 


204 


THE  ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


Mr.  Folsom,  the  proprietor  and  mana-  ness,  which  was  then  conducted  here 
ger  of  this  industry,  is  a  native  of  Bel-  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Toof,  a  Concord  laundry- 
mont,    born   Oct.    21,    1857.       He   was     man.     Since  that  time  Mr.  Folsom  has 


The  Lake  City  Laundry. 

educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Bel-  devoted  his  entire  time  and  attention 
mont  and  Laconia,  and  started  in  the  to  building  up  a  successful  business  in 
piano  and   organ   retail  business  about     this  line,  and  his  efforts  have  been  re- 


111 


r 


.4       El       111! 

n I  .  H     ¥■    |p|  lafel 

t  ..„_   I 


«■*» 


McCarthy  Bros.'    Stores. 

twenty  years  ago,  following  this  line  of  warded  with  a  liberal  patronage  and 
business  until  about  four  years  ago,  the  establishment  of  a  prosperous  busi- 
when    he   purchased    the    laundry  busi-     ness. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


205 


Mr.  Folsom  is  connected  with  several 
secret  societies,  being  a  Mason,  Odd 
Fellow,  and  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen. 


The  Esty  Sprinkling;  Company. 


McCarthy  Bros. 

Although  one  of  the  latest  established 
of  Laconia's  large  retail  dry  goods  and 
clothing  firms,  McCaithy  Bros,  are  rec- 
ognized as  the  proprietors  and  mana- 
gers of  one  of  our  most  successful  and 
reliable  concerns.  The  firm  of  McCar- 
thy Bros,  started  in  the  dry  goods  busi- 
ness in  April,  1S91,  with  a  store  eigh- 
teen feet  wide  by  sixty  feet  deep.  In 
June,  1896,  owing  to  the  constant  and 
rapid  increase  of  their  trade,  they  were 
obliged  to  add  a  second  floor,  twenty 
feet  wide  by  sixty  feet  deep.  Their 
business  still  continued  to  grow,  and  it 
again  became  necessary  to  add  more 
space  to  afford  facilities  for  their  in- 
creasing trade  and  larger  stock  of 
goods,  and  in  December,  1896,  they 
bought  out  the  Laconia  One-Price 
Clothing  Co.,  and  added  to  their  busi- 
ness a  clothing  department,  with  a  floor 
space  thirty  feet  wide  by  ninety  feet 
deep.  But  the  increase  in  trade  still 
kept  pace  with  the  increase  in  accom- 
modations, and  in  November,  1898, 
they  leased  the  Burleigh  shoe  store, 
which  is  twenty-two  feet  wide  and  sixty 
feet  deep.  This  store  they  annexed  to 
their  dry  goods  department,  and  the 
establishment  is  now  as  modern,  con- 
venient, and  well-lighted  a  store  as  will 
be  found  in  New  Hampshire. 

The  members  of  the  firm  are  Stephen 
J.  McCarthy,  John  E.  McCarthy,  and 
Dennis  W.  McCarthy,  all  of  whom  are 
Laconia  boys,  who  were  educated  in 
our  public  schools,  and  who  have 
grown  up  to  manhood  in  the  dry  goods 
and  clothing  trade  in  this  city,  thor- 
oughly understanding  every  detail. 

By  close  and  constant  attendance  to 
their  business,  and  by  merchandizing 
only  strictly  first-class  goods,  they  have 
gained  the  confidence  of  the  public, 
and  built  up  a  splendid  business  in 
their  dry  goods  and  clothing  depart- 
ments. 


The  protection  of  property,  especially 
that  consisting  of  mill,  factory,  and  bus- 
iness buildings,  against  lire,  lias  been 
and  is  still  receiving  the  closest  atten- 
tion by  the  most  skilful  engineers  of  the 
present  day.  Efforts  are  being  made 
constantly  to  render  such  buildings 
more  fireproof,  and  endless  contrivances 
have  been  made  and  improvements  have 
been  effected  whereby  the  disastrous 
effects  of  fire  may  be  lessened. 

One  of  the  best  known  and  most  SUC- 
1  essful  of  these  devices  ever  placed  up- 


The  Esty  Sprinkler,  full  size. 

on  the  market  is  the  "  Ksty  "  automatic 
sprinkler,  a  full  sized  cut  of  which  ap- 
pears above.  This  sprinkler  is  univer- 
sally approved  and  accepted  by  insur- 
ance companies,  and  where  installed, 
lowest  rates  are  secured. 

The  '•  Esty  "  sprinkler  was  invented 
and  patented  by  Mr.  William  Kstv  of 
Laconia.  N.  II..  and  in  1893  a  stock 
company  known  as  the  Esty  Sprinkler 
company  was  formed,  with  Mr.  Esty  as 
president  and  general  manager.  This 
company  is  located  in  the  Esty  mill,  59 
Mill  St..  Laconia.  X.  11..  and    its   works 


2o6 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


have  been  in  constant  operation  since 
the  date  of  its  incorporation,  and  is  one 
of  the  few  concerns  in  this  city  not 
forced  to  shut  down  at  any  period  dur- 
ing the  recent  "  hard  times."  Through 
this  trying  period,  the  company  con- 
tinued doing  a  good  business,  and  dur- 
ing the  few  years  they  have  been  in 
business,  have  manufactured  and  sold 
over  300,000  sprinklers,  an  average  of 
over  ^0,000  each  year,  furnishing  steady 
employment  to  its  employes. 

The  "  Esty  "  sprinkler  is  well  known 
not  only  in  this  country,  but  is  in  use  in 
many  of  the  most  progressive  foreign 
countries,  including  England,  Australia, 
Japan,  Sweden,  France,  Belgium,  and 
Austria. 

The  officers  of  the  Esty  Sprinkler 
company  are :  President  and  general 
manager,  William  Esty ;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  Fred  A.  Phelps ;  directors, 
William  Esty,  Fred  A.  Phelps,  and 
Henry  Richardson. 

The  company  is  ever  ready  to  furnish 
any  information  at  its  command  relative 


Fred  R.  Adams. 


Fred    Russell    Adams,    proprietor    of 
the    West  End   Grocery  and  Provision 


West  End  Grocery  and  Provision  Store,  Lakeport 

to  sprinkler  protection,  and  respectfully 
solicits  correspondence  from  all  parties 
contemplating  the  installation  of  a  first- 
class  sprinkler  equipment. 


Fred  K.  Adams. 

Store  at  Lakeport,  is  a  native  of  Gil- 
man  ton  Iron  Works,  born  March  24, 
1859,  son  of  Albert 
A .  and  Mary  A . 
(McNeal)  Adams. 
He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of 
Concord  and  Lou- 
don, and  then  at- 
tended the  Til  ton 
seminary.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he 
commenced  to  serve 
an  apprenticeship  at 
the  carpenter's  trade. 
Mr.  Adams  came 
to  Lake  Village  May 
1,  1SS2,  and  until 
the  spring  of  1887 
was  employed  in  the 
Boston  &  Maine  rail- 
road shops.  He  next 
engaged  in  the  con- 
tracting and  building 
business  and  erected 
several  fine  residences  in  Lakeport. 

Mr.  Adams  was  employed  at  his 
trade  for  about  two  years  at  differ- 
ent times  by  Boulia,  Gorrell  &:  Co.,  of 


THE    ILLUSTRATED   LACONIAN. 


207 


Laconia,  and  afterwards  by  J.  Boulia  & 
Co.,  at  Lakeport.  In  the  fall  of  1889 
he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with 
George  P.  Colby,  and  the  following  year 
formed  a  partnership  with  E.  L.  Hadley 
in  the  grocery  and  provision  trade  in  the 
"Brawn  store."  In  1893,  Mr.  Adams 
erected  his  present  home  and  store, 
known  as  the  West  End  Grocery  and 
Provision  Store,  E.  R.  Adams,  pro- 
prietor. 

He  joined  Harmony  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F., 


They  have  had  two  children  :  Bertha 
Blanche,  born  August  20,  1S79,  who  re- 
sides at  home,  and  Eva  May,  born 
August  21,  1 88 1,  who  died  April  13, 
1892. 


Capt.  Stephen  B,  Cole. 


On  March  24,  1633,  there  landed  on 
these  shores,  one  Thomas  Cole  who 
came  in   the  Mary  and  John.     He  was 


Capt.  Stephen  B.  Cole. 


at  Tilton,  in  1882,  and  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  Chocorua  lodge  of  Lakeport,  and 
has  served  as  secretary  since  June, 
1898.  Mr.  Adams  was  elected  secre- 
tary of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Mutual  Relief 
association  in  March,  1898,  and  he  is 
also  a  member  of  Hannah  Frances  Re- 
bekah  lodge,  No.  41.  Mr.  Adams  is  a 
special  officer  on  the  Laconia  police 
force. 

Mr.  Adams  married,  November  13, 
1878,  Emma  E.  Abbott,  daughter  of 
G   W.   and    Annie    (Lorimer)    Abbott. 


an  original  proprietor  of  Hampton,  and 
is  mentioned  as  there  in  1638.  He  was 
at  Salem  in  1649  '50,  and  is  recorded 
as  a  husbandman. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Stephen 
B.  Cole,  is  the  eighth  generation  from 
the  above-named  Thomas  Cole.  Stephen 
B.  Cole  was  born  in  Gilford,  or  that  por- 
tion of  this  city  now  known  as  Ward  6, 
April  30,  1S40.  His  father  was  the  late 
John  A.  Cole  of  Gilford,  and  his  mother, 
Abigail  Davis  of  Canterbury.  X.  11. 
His  early  education  was  obtained  in  the 


2  08 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


public  schools  of  Gilford,  later,  he  at- 
tended the  seminaries  at  Tilton  and 
New  Hampton.  Captain  Cole  has  been 
interested  in  numerous  business  enter- 
prises from  time  to  time  in  all  of  which 
it  is  understood  he  was  quite  suc- 
cessful. 

He  was  wedded  No- 
vember 8,  1876,  to  Miss 
Caroline  A.  Sanborn, 
daughter  of  the  late  John 
Jervis  Sanborn,  well 
known  in  railroad  cir- 
cles. He  has  one  daugh- 
ter, Miss  Virginia  L. 
Cole,  fifteen  years  of 
age,  now  taking  the 
classical  course  in  the 
Laconia  High  school. 

Captain  Cole  was  com- 
mander of  the  steamer 
Lady  of  the  Lake,  on 
Lake  Winnipesaukee,  for 
a  number  of  years,  was 
representative  from    the 


rua  lodge.  No.  51,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  in  poli- 
tics is  a  Republican. 


W.    D.   Heath's   Jewelry   Store. 


The  jewelry  store  of  W.  D.  Heath  at 
Lakeport    was   established    in    1S90,   at 


W.  D.  Heath's  Jewelry  Store. 

town  of  Gilford  in  1869  and  1870,  one 
of  the  board  of  selectmen  in  1889  and 
1890,  and  also  county  treasurer  for  two 
years.  He  has  been  cashier  of  the 
Lakeport  National  bank  until  recently, 
and  is  treasurer  of  the  Citizens'  Tele- 
phone company. 

Captain  Cole  is   a  member  of  Choco- 


that  time  occupying  one 
side  of  the  clothing 
store  of  Waldo  H.  Jones, 
in  the  Osgood  block  on 
Union  avenue,  then 
Main  street.  The  jew- 
elry store  was  at  first 
something  in  the  nature 
of  an  experiment,  but 
finding  that  a  success- 
ful business  could  be 
carried  on  in  this  place, 
Mr.  Heath  added  musi- 
cal instruments  to  his 
stock,  and  then  put  in 
a  line  of  bicycles.  He 
finally  found  his  space 
in  the  store  too  small 
for  his  increasing  trade 
and  larger  stock,  and  to 
remedy  this  lack  of  room  he  purchased 
the  clothing  stock  of  Mr.  Jones,  and 
remodeled  the  entire  premises. 

Mr.  Heath  now  occupies  the  entire 
store,  which  is  twenty  by  fifty-five  feet, 
and  equipped  with  fine  modern  fixtures. 
He  carries  a  large  stock  of  watches,  dia- 
monds, clocks,  silverware,  jewelry,  musi- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


209 


cal  goods,  bicycles,  etc.  The  Heath  jew- 
elry store  has  won  a  reputation  for 
reliable  goods  and  square  dealing,  and 
this  well-deserved  reputation  has  se- 
cured for  the  proprietor  a  profitable  and 
constantly-increasing  patronage. 

Mr.  W.  D.  Heath  was  born  in  Groton, 
Vt.,  and  learned  the  jewelry  and  watch 
business  with  A.  J.  Stone  of  Montpelier, 
Vt.,  after  which  he  worked  as  a  journey- 
man in  Waltham,  Mass.,  with  an  Eng- 
lish watchmaker,  and  there  attended  the 
Waltham  Horological  school. 

After  attending  this  school,  he  se- 
cured a  position  as  watchmaker  with 
J.  R.  Murdock  of  Woodstock,  Vt., 
where  he  was  employed  four  years,  then 
he  was  with  E.  E.  Cheney  at  Nashua, 
N.  H.,  until  he  came  to  this  city  and 
engaged  in  business  for  himself. 

Mr.  Heath  is  a  member  of  Chocorua 
lodge,  No.  51,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Endicott 
Rock  lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
Hannah  Frances  lodge,  Degree  of  Re- 
bekah. 

He  married  Maud  Fuller,  daughter 
of  A.  E.  Fuller  of  Woodstock,  Vt.,  in 
188S.  They  have  one  son,  Lewis  Heath. 


Jan.  18,  1S42,  the  son  of  Major  Samuel 
and  Hannah  (Wells)  Pike.  He  was 
educated    in    the    common  schools   and 


Residence  of  Charles  J.  Pike. 
Charles  J.  Pike, 


Charles  J.  Pike,  foreman  of  the  Crane 
Manufacturing  Co.  shops  at  Lakeport, 
is    a    native    of  Franklin,   N.   H.,    born 


Charles  J.  Pike. 

remained  at  home  on  the  farm  until 
Aug.  13,  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co. 
E,  Tenth  regiment.  New  Hampshire 
Volunteers.  This  regiment 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  and  remained 
in  this  department  of  the 
army  until  discharged,  June 
12,  1865. 

On  returning  to  New- 
Hampshire,  Mr.  Pike  ob- 
tained a  situation  in  the  ma- 
chine shop  of  the  late  Walter 
Aiken  at  Franklin,  and  re- 
mained there  two  years.  In 
1867  he  came  to  Lake  A'il- 
lage  and  was  employed  by 
the  late  B.  J.  Cole  in  the 
machine  shops  until  the 
spring  of  1S72,  when  Mr. 
Pike  formed  a  partnership 
with  the  late  E.  F.  Wood- 
man and  removed  to  New- 
ark, N.  J.,  where  they  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  light  ma- 
chinery. Having  sold  out  his  interest 
in  this  business,  Mr.  Pike  returned  to 
Lake  Village  in  the  spring  of  1SS2.  He 
entered  the  machine  shop  of  J.  S.  Crane, 


14 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


assembling  and  testing  machines.  He 
remained  in  this  position  until  Jan.  i, 
1898,  when  he  was  appointed  foreman  of 
the  shops,  which  position  he  still  holds. 
Dec.  30,  1865,  Mr.  Pike  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Mary,  a  daughter  of 
Horace  Carlisle  of  Hartford,  Vt,  and 
has  one  daughter,  E.  Eva  Pike,  residing 
at  home.  In  politics  Mr.  Pike  is  a 
Republican.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  Chocorua  lodge,  No.  51, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  its  first  presiding  officer 
and  representative  to  the  state  grand 
lodge.  H  e  i  s 
also  a  member 
and  P.  C.  P.  of 
Laconia  en- 
campment, No. 
9,  I.  O.  O.  F. 


The   Late 
O.  A.  J. 

Vaughan. 


From  1  8  5  7 
until  his  death 
on  April  30, 
1876,  the  late 
Orsino  A.  J. 
Vaughan  was 
an  active  citi- 
zen, in  many 
ways  prominent 
in  Laconia  life. 
He  was  born  in 
Hanover,  N.H., 
on  March  11, 
1819,  son  of 
Silas  T.  and 
Polly  (Ingalls) 
Vaughan.  He 
studied  law  with  Judge  Kittredge  of 
Canaan.  He  was  admitted  to  practice 
and  became  a  member  of  the  Belknap 
county  bar  in    1846. 

He  located  in  Gilmanton,  and  prac- 
tised there  until  1857,  when  he  came  to 
Laconia  and  was  for  a  time  associated 
with  the  late  Col.  George  W.  Stevens, 
and  in  1868  he  became  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Laconia  Democrat,  con- 
tinuing in  this  capacity  until  his  death. 
He  was  register  of  probate  from  1S49 
to  1856  ;  he  was  clerk  of  the  supreme 


The  late  0.  A.  J.  Vaughan. 


court  for  Belknap  county  at  his  decease, 
and  also  the  first  justice  of  the  Laconia 
police  court.  He  became  identified 
with  the  militia  system  of  New  Hamp- 
shire ;  in  August,  1S41,  was  ap- 
pointed adjutant  of  the  Thirty-seventh 
regiment;  and  in  1S44  was  promoted 
to  lieutenant-colonel.  He  represented 
the  town  in  the  legislature,  and  the 
sixth  district  in  the  state  senate  in 
i866-'67.  He  was  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  state  com- 
mittee. In  1S66  he  received  the  de- 
gree of  A.  M. 
from  Dart- 
mouth college. 
He  was  twice 
married, his  first 
wife  being  Julia 
Cogswell  of  Gil- 
manton, who 
lived  but  a  few 
years  after  her 
marriage.  June 
1  1  ,  1855,  he 
married  Mary 
Elizabeth  Park- 
er of  Laconia, 
who  died  on 
December  1  8 , 
1898.  The  sur- 
vivors of  the 
family  are, — 
Charles  W. 
Vaughan,  man- 
ager of  the  La- 
conia  Press 
asso  ci  a  t  i  o  n  ; 
Grace  Anna, 
wife  of  Charles 
F.  Pitman,  and 
all  of  whom   yet 


Mary  Alice   Vaughan, 
reside  in  Laconia. 


Leon  J.  Merchand. 


Leon  Joseph  Merchand,  for  quite  a 
number  of  years  an  active  young  busi- 
ness man  of  Laconia,  but  now  located 
in  Boston,  where  he  conducts  a  pros- 
perous business  in  the  handling  of 
patented  machinery,  is  still  a  resident 
of  Laconia.  He  is  the  son  of  the  late 
Lewis   Merchand,   born    in    Champlain 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


P.  Q.,  April  8,  1868.  He  came  to  La- 
conia  with  his  parents  when  a  hoy  of 
eight  years,  and  was  educated  in  our 
public  schools. 

Mr.    Merchand    started  in    life   as   a 
cash-boy   for   O'Shea    Bros.,   and    later 
was  employed  in  a  similar  capacity  for 
Smith  &  Lougee  Bros.     He  then  worked 
as  clerk  in  S.  B.  Smith's  shoe  store  for 
seven    years,    and    in    1891    went    into 
business  for  himself  as  a  boot  and  shoe 
merchant,   and    conducted    one    of    the 
finest    equipped    shoe    stores    north    of 
Boston     until 
N  o  v  e  m  ber, 
1898,  when   he 
sold    out    to 
E.  L.  Hearn. 

M  r .  Mer- 
chand then  pur- 
chased  the 
Model  M  e  n  u 
Maker,  a  new- 
ly-patented 
printing  device, 
a  n  d  a  1  so  sev- 
eral other  pa- 
tents ,and  took 
up  head  q  u  a  r  - 
ters  in  Boston 
at  220  Devon- 
shire street, 
where  he  has 
finely-appo  i  n  t  - 
ed  office  rooms 
and  is  conduc- 
ting a  large  bus- 
iness in  the 
sale  of  m  e  n  u 
makers.  T  h  i  s 
machine  w  a  s 
the  invention  of  a  Laconia  boy,  and  en- 
ables hotels,  restaurants,  summer  board- 
ing-houses, etc.,  to  make  their  own  menu 
cards  in  first-class  style,  handsomely 
printed,  at  comparatively  no  expense, 
except  for  the  blank  cards  or  paper  on 
which  the  menu  is  printed. 

Mr.  Merchand  was  married  in  the 
year  1894  to  Miss  Abbie  S.  Heywood, 
daughter  of  the  late  Harrison  O.  Hey- 
wood of  Lakeport.  and  they  have  one 
child,  a  bright  little  girl  of  four  years  of 
age. 


Maher's  News  Stand. 


Leon  J.  Merchand. 


Maher's   News  Stand  is   the   popular 

periodical  establishment  in  Laconia  and 

is  located   at   No.  497  Main  street,  "On 

the    Bridge."     This    store    handles    the 

New    York,    Boston,  Manchester,    and 

Concord,  daily  and    weekly  newspapers, 

as   well    as    the   local    weekly  papers,  all 

of  the  popular  magazines,  latest  novels, 

sheet  music,  etc.     In  the  line  of  reading 

matter   Maher's   stand    carries    a    larger 

and  more  complete  stock  than  any  other 

establish  m  e  n  t 

in    this   section 

of  the  state. 

In  addition 
to  the  periodi- 
cal business, the 
Maher  store  has 
the  sole  agency 
for  the  celebrat- 
j/~]  ed  Baker  choc- 

olates and  bon- 
bons, and  also 
carries  a  choice 
line  of  confec- 
tionery, cigars, 
soda-water,  and 
summer  drinks. 
*!t  Charles  Ma- 
her, the  propri- 
etor, is  a  native 
of  Bos  ca  wen, 
N.  H.,born  July 
1  7  ,  1850.  H  e 
was  educated  in 
the  c  o  m  m  0  n 
schools,  and 
learned  the  ma- 
chinist's trade, 
being  employed  in  Brown's  machine  shop 
at  Penacook  for  about  nineteen  years. 

Mr.  Maher  came  to  Laconia  in  the 
year  1886,  and  opened  a  billiard  and 
pool  room  which  he  conducted  success- 
fully for  twelve  years.  In  1895  he  pur- 
chased the  news  stand  of  Hutchinson  & 
Lord,  and  last  year  disposed  of  the  pool 
and  billiard  room  business  to  devote  his 
entile  attention  to  the  news  stand  and 
confectionery  store,  this  business  having 
been  very  successful  and  largely  in- 
creased within  the  past  year  or  two. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


Mr.  Maher  was  married  in  1S74  to  from  printer's  devil  he  became  local  re- 
Miss  Mary  A.  Thornton  of  Penacook,  porter.  Mr.  Browne  has  been  employed 
and  they  have  two  children  :  Mamie  E.  upon  the  Laconia  Press  and  Lacofiia 
Maher  and  Fred   Maher.      In   secret  or-  Democrat;  was  at  Dover,  N.  H.,  as  cor 


Maher's  News  Stand. 


ders,    Mr.    Maher    is   a    member  of  the 
local  lodge  of  Knights  of  Pvthias. 


Lewis  Allen  Browne. 

was    born     in 


Lewis  Allen  Browne 
North  Sandwich,  Jan. 
18,  1875,  but  came  to 
Laconia  w  h  e  n  five 
years  old,  in  1880, 
where  he  has  since 
resided  with  the  ex- 
ception of  three  years 
spent  in  Virginia  and 
the  South.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Laconia 
and  a  private  school 
for  boys  in  YVythe- 
ville,  Va.  He  gradu- 
ated from  the  Laconia 
High  school  in  1S93, 
with  a  class  of  fifteen, 
the  first  class  to  grad- 
uate after  Laconia 
was  made  a  city.  Mr. 
Browne  was  president 


respondent  of  the  Manchester  Mirror 
and  Concord  papers,  and  at  the  present 
time  is  Laconia  correspondent  of  the 
Manchester  Union,  and  covers  the  lake 
region  for  the  New  York  J Tor  Id.  He 
entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  F.  M. 
Beckford  as  a  law 
student,  a  short  time 
ago,  but  will  continue 
in  the  newspaper  work 
also  for  a  while.  Mr. 
Browne  married  Miss 
Minnie  Mae  Breck. 
Oct.  8.  189S,  and  they 
reside  at  123  Church 
street. 


Eagle  Hotel. 


Lewis  Allen  Browne. 


The  Eagle  Hotel, 
located  at  the  junc- 
tion of  Main  and 
Pleasant  streets,  on 
Bank  square,  is  Laco- 
n  i  a  '  s  most  popular 
hotel  for  commercial 
travelers    and    others 


of  the  class  and  president  of  the  L.  H.  S.  who  desire  strictly  first-class  accomnio- 
alumni.  He  first  learned  photography  dations.  The  Eagle  Hotel  is  under 
and  later  entered  a  printing-office,  where     the  successful   management  of  "the  two 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


-'3 


Franks,"  Messrs.  Farwell  &  Gilman, 
and  accommodates  one  hundred  guests. 
The  table  is  superb,  the  rooms  and  beds 
are  clean  and  comfortable,  the  house  is 
illuminated  with 
electricity,  sup- 
plied with  a  pool 
room  and  barber 
shop,  while  the 
location,  directly 
in  the  business 
centre  of  the  city, 
makes  the  Eagle  a 
very  convenient 
and  desirable 
home  for  "the 
stranger  w  i  t  h  i  n 
our  gates." 

Frank  E.  Far- 
well,  the  senior 
landlord,  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  Lon- 
don, N.  H.,  but 
resided  in  Farm- 
ington  nearly 
twenty-five  years, 
coming  to  Laconia  about  three  years 
ago.     He  is  a  Red  Man,  a  member  of 


Ri  sidence  of  Eugene  ( I'Shea. 


the   Knights   of   Pythias,  and   the    Elks 
He  is  married  and  has  one  child. 

Frank  A.  Gilman  is  a  native  of  Gil- 
ford. He  has  been  connected  with  various 
hotels  in  this 
vicinity,  having 
been  connected 
with  the  late  Levi 
B.  Brown,  a  vet- 
eran hotel  land- 
lord, for  about 
six  years. 

Messrs.  Farwell 
&  Gilman  took 
possession  of  the 
Eagle  Hotel  in 
1897,  and  as  both 
of  them  are  men 
of  experience  in 
the  business  and 
have  an  extensive 
acquaintance  with 
the  traveling  pub- 
lic, they  have  al- 
ways enjoyed  a 
very  liberal  pat- 
ronage, the  Eagle  being  often  tilled  with 
guests  to  its  full  capacity. 


LACONIA  CHURCHES 


Congregational  Church. 


The  Laconia  Congregational  church 
was  organized  June  28,  1824,  with  a 
membership  of  nine  persons,  and  on  the 


Congregational  Church. 

same  day  Mr.  Francis  Norwood  of  An- 
dover  seminary  preached  his  first  ser- 
mon. A  parish  society  was  organized 
May  2,  1825,  and  united  with  the 
church  in  inviting  Mr.  Norwood  to  the 
pastorate.  Having  accepted  the  call, 
he  was  ordained  July  5,  1825,  and  con- 
tinued in  service  until  June  8,  1830. 
On  the  29th  of  November,  1831,  Rev. 


John  K.  Young,  D.  D.,  was  installed  as 
pastor  of  the  church,  and  after  serving 
for  thirty-five  consecutive  years  was  dis- 
missed Feb.  12,  1867.  In  the  earlier 
part  of  his  ministry  the  church  edifice 
(the  only  one  in  the  village)  was  burned 
to  the  ground.  But  on  the  6th  of  June 
of  the  same  year  (1836),  a  new  house 
of  worship  was  erected  on  what  is  now 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Church  streets, 
and  with  various  modifications  has  been 
preserved  until  the  present  time.  Rev. 
Harvey  M.  Stone  was  pastor  from  Feb. 
11,  1868,  until  Dec.  20,  1870,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Win.  F.  Bacon,  who 
began  his  labor  as  acting  pastor  Nov.  1 , 
187 1,  and  resigned  Dec.  31,  1876. 
During  his  ministration  the  church  edi- 
fice was  rededicated  after  it  had  been 
greatly  beautified  by  essential  changes 
in  its  structure.  At  the  public  service 
the  building  committee  received  a  vote 


Rev.  Chas.  A.  G.  Thurston. 

of  thanks  from  the   church  for  keeping 
within  the  limits  of  the  appropriation. 

Rev.  J.  E.   Fullerton,  the  next  pastor, 
was   installed   Oct.    17,    1S77,   and    dis- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


'5 


missed  Feb.  15,  1881.  Among  other 
good  works  he  established  a  Young  Peo- 
ple's meeting,  which  held  its  session 
every  Sunday  evening  a  half  hour  be- 
fore the  regular  service  began.  Some 
of  the  valued  results  of  that  organiza- 
tion are  seen  at  the  present  day.  On 
the  1  st  of  December,  1881,  Rev.  Chas. 
A.  G.  Thurston  began  his  labor  as 
acting  pastor.  In  1889  the  edifice 
was  again  repaired  and  rededicated, 
the  people  in  the  meantime  worship- 
ing for  the  most  part  with  the  con- 
gregation of  the  South  church.  On 
the  28th  of  June  occurred  the  seventy- 
fifth  anniversary  of  the  formation  of  the 
church.  Its  present  membership  is  one 
hundred  and  eighty-two. 

REV.    CHAS.    A.    G.    THURSTON. 

Rev.  Chas.  A.  G.  Thurston  was  born 
in  Fall  River,  Mass.,  July  23,  1S41,  and 
received  his  earlier  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  city.  He  was 
fitted  for  college  by  the  late  Chas.  B. 
Goff,  principal  of  the  English  and  Class- 
ical High  school  of  Providence,  R.  I. 
Entering  Brown  university  in  Septem- 
ber, 1862,  and  taking  the  full  classical 
course  he  graduated  in  1866  with  the 
philosophical  oration  and  the  degree  of 
A.  B.  and  in  1S69  received  from  the 
same  institution  the  degree  of  A.  M. 
The  next  week  after  his  graduation 
from  college  he  entered  the  Theological 
seminary  at  Andover,  Mass.,  complet- 
ing the  course  and  receiving  the  full 
diploma  in  August,  1869.  After  eight 
years  of  mission  work  in  several  places 
including  Bradford,  N.  H.,  Danbury, 
Conn.,  and  Wakefield,  Mass.,  he  was 
ordained  and  installed  Oct.  17,  1877, 
over  a  Congregational  church  which  he 
had  organized  in  North  Raynham, 
Mass.,  and  in  a  new  edifice  built  during 
the  same  year. 

In  1872  he  married  Miss  J.  Anna 
Moore  of  Barnet,  Vt.,  a  graduate  oi 
Abbott  academy,  Andover,  Mass.  He 
has  three  sons, — Frederick  H..  now  in 
Brown  university,  and  Arthur  1  >.  and 
Everett  S.,  both  residents  of  this  city. 

During  the  last  eighteen  years  Mr. 
Thurston  has  been  the  acting  pastor  of 
the  Laconia  Congregational  church. 


First  Baptist  Church. 


The  First  baptist  church  was  organ- 
ized May  30,  1888.  Previous  to  this 
time  religious  services  had  been  held  for 
a  few  months  in  Smith's  block  hall,  with 
Rev.  D.  M.  Cleveland,  state  missionary. 
as  preacher.  At  the  meeting  called  to 
form  the  church,  twenty  persons  pre- 
sented letters  of  dismission  from  their 
various  churches.  In  accordance  with 
the  call  of  the  church,  an  ecclesiastical 
council  convened  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
rooms  on  June  11,  1888,  and  it  was 
voted  to  recognize  the  organization  as  a 
regular  Baptist  church,  under  the  name 
of    First     Baptist     church    of    Laconia. 


First  Baptist  Church. 

The  church  thus  organized  worshiped 
for  some  time  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms 
in  Smith  block,  until  their  own  building 
on  Union  avenue  was  completed. 

The  church  has  been  unusually  fortu- 
nate in  its  pastors.  Rev.  Tillman  1!. 
Johnson  was  the  first  regular  pastor. 
from  December  id.  [888,  to  April  5, 
1 89 1.  Rev.  Woodman  Bradbury  was 
pastor  from  May  3,  [891,  to  April  8. 
1S97.  Rev.  Joel  B.  Slocum  was  in- 
stalled pastor  June  6.  1897,  and  re- 
signed the  pastorate  November  27.  [898. 
The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Charles  I.. 
Pierce,  who  assumed  charge  of  the 
church    May  1 .   1  899. 

Through  wise  and  vigorous  leader- 
ship, faithful  and  unremitting  coopera- 
tion, the  present  commodious  and  beau- 
tiful house  of  worship  was  erected,  and 
on    June    25,    [895,   dedicated   with    tier 


2  l6 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


seats.  The  celebration  of  the  tenth 
anniversary  on  June  3,  5,  and  6,  1898, 
was  an  occasion  of  deep  gratitude.  At 
no  time  had  the  membership  exceeded 
114,  all  of  whom  were  working  people, 
and  only  a  small  number  of  whom  were 
male  members  or  heads  of  families,  yet 
at  an  expense  of  $12,000  a  house  of 
worship  had  been  secured,  and  the  last 
dollar  of  its  indebtedness  removed.  The 
average  growth  of  the  church  has  not 
been  rapid,  but  sure  and  hopeful.  For 
nine  years  the  average  increase  was 
eight   members    per   year.      During   the 


Rev.  Charles  L.  Pierce. 

past  year,  twenty-three  members  have 
been  added  to  the  church,  fifteen  of 
them  by  baptism. 

REV.    CHARLES     L.     PIERCE. 

Rev.  Charles  L.  Pierce,  the  present 
pastor,  was  born  in  Salem,  Mass.,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1865.  His  early  education 
was  received  in  the  public  schools,  for 
which  the  old  historic  city  is  noted. 

Converted  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
he  was  at  once  impressed  to  fit  himself 
for  the  Christian  ministry ;  to  this  call 
he  did  not  at  first  respond,  but  entered 
business  life,  going  west  where  a  bright 
business  future  was  before  him. 

While  absorbed  in  the  desire  to  make 
money  he  heard  the  call,  "  Woe  is  me  if 
I  preach  not  the  Gospel,"  and  returning 
to  New  England  he  served  seven  years 
as  general  secretary  of  the  Young  Men's 


Christian  Association  in  the  cities  of 
Brockton,  Mass.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and 
Middletown,  Conn.  During  these  years 
he  was  burning  the  midnight  oil  study- 
ing under  competent  teachers.  Twice 
he  resigned  as  secretary,  to  enter  the 
seminary  at  Newton,  Mass.,  but  each 
time  his  plans  were  frustrated  and  the 
pastorate  was  open  for  him. 

His  experience  was  so  peculiar  and 
positive  he  finally  concluded  that  it  was 
God's  plan  for  him  to  accept  the  call 
from  the  country  parish  of  Eastor,  Conn., 
and  was  ordained  November  4,  1891. 
The  church  in  Yalesville  called  him  to 
be  their  pastor,  and  he  served  there  for 
two  years,  when  a  unanimous  call  from 
the  Kingston  church  called  him  to  Mas- 
sachusetts. After  a  successful  pastorate 
of  nearly  four  years  he  responded  to  the 
call  extended  from  the  church  in  La- 
conia,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  as 
its  pastor  May  1,  1899. 

While  general  secretary  of  the  Brock- 
ton, Mass.,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Mr.  Pierce 
was  married  June  15,  1889,  to  Julia 
Woodman,  daughter  of  Granville  Pack- 
ard of  Salem,  Mass. 


Free  Baptist  Church  of  Lakeport. 


The  Free  Baptist  church  at  Lakeport 
was  organized  through  the  influence  and 
labors  of  Rev.  Nahum  Brooks,  at  that 
time  pastor  of  the  Free  Baptist  church 
at  Laconia,  on  July  13,  1838,  at  the 
house  of  Isaac  Cole,  father  of  B.  J. 
Cole,  and  consisted  of  the  following 
named  persons :  Isaac  Cole,  his  son, 
Isaac  Cole,  Jr.,  Daniel  Davis,  Elihu 
Davis,  their  father,  John  Davis,  William 
Brown,  Richard  Martin,  Hannah  San- 
born, and  Arvilla  Sanborn.  Rev.  John 
Pinkham  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship. The  new  church  invited  the  Rev. 
Nahum  Brooks  to  take  pastoral  charge 
of  it,  and  at  once  applied  for  admission 
to  the  New  Durham  quarterly  meeting, 
which  request  was  granted,  and  it  be- 
came a  part  of  that  body  in  August, 
1838.  The  meetings  of  this  church 
were  held  in  private  houses,  and  in  the 
only  schoolhouse  in  the  village,  for 
nearly  two  years,  when  a  room  was  fitted 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


217 


up  in  what  has  been  known  as  the  Grif- 
fin   mill.      Up   to   this   time   no  regular 


Free  Baptist  Church,  Lakeport. 

preaching  services  were  held.  Rev. 
Mr.  Brooks  came  as  often  as  he  could 
be  spared  from  his  work  at  Laconia, 
and  a  supply  was  occasionally  obtained 
from  other  sources.  Several  new  mem- 
bers had  been  received,  and  the  ser- 
vices of  Rev.  John  Pettingal  were  se- 
cured for  every  other  Sabbath.  He 
was  followed  by  Rev.  William  Johnson. 
Rev.  Uriah  Chase  became  regular  pas- 
tor in  1843,  ancl  tne  church  increased 
in  numbers.  A  new  chapel  was  built 
on  Main  street  by  B.  J.  Cole  and  John 
Davis,  father  of  Olin  S.  Davis, 
where  for  several  years  the  meetings 
were  held,  or  until  1852,  when  a  meet- 
ing-house was  erected  on    Park  street. 

During  the  time  the  church  occupied 
the  chapel  the  pulpit  was  occupied  by 
Revs.  W.  H.  Waldron,  Smith  Fairfield, 
Kinsman  R.  Davis,  J.  L.  Sinclair,  and 
K/ekiel  True.  It  was  largely  through 
the  instrumentality  of  Ezekiel  True  that 
the  old   church   edifice   on    Park    street 


was  built  in  1852.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Revs.  J.  A.  Knowles,  S.  D.  Church, 
Hosea  Quinby,  C.  B.  Peckham, 
M.  C.  Henderson,  1 1.  S.  Kimball, 
J.  W.  Scribner,  Carter  E.  Cate, 
E.  W.  Ricker,  E.  W.  Porter,  and 
the  present  pastor.  Rev.  YV.  11. 
Getchell.  The  first  church  edi- 
fice was  destroyed  by  tire  on  the 
morning  of  Dec.  15,  1890,  and  the 
day  following  was  a  blue  day  in 
the  annals  of  this  church.  It  had 
been  burdened  by  debts  which  had 
just  been  lifted,  and  was,  at  the 
time  of  the  fire,  building  an  exten- 
sion to  the  edifice  to  enlarge  the 
seating  capacity  of  the  auditorium. 
There  was  but  very  little  insur- 
ance, and  the  people  felt  rather 
poor  in  purse,  but  they  were  rich 
in  faith,  and  with  such  a  leader  as 
the  Rev.  William  H.  Getchell  they 
were  bound  to  succeed,  for  it  was 
through  his  earnest  efforts  largely, 
backed  up  by  a  faithful  church 
membership,  and  attended  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  that  the  present 
beautiful  and  commodious  edifice 
was  erected.  Mr.  Gurnsey,  of 
Montpelier,  Yt.,  was  its  architect 
and  builder,  and  its  cost  was  about  $20.- 


Rev.   William   II.  Getchell. 

000.00,  including   fixtures.      The  beauti- 
ful   memorial    windows    on    either    side 


2l8 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


were  presented  by  Mrs.  Daniel  Davis, 
Olin  S.  Davis,  and  his  mother,  and  the 
front  windows  were  given  by  the  Sun- 
day-school in  honor  of  Joseph  L.  Odell, 
who,  for  more  than  thirty  years,  had 
been  the  much-loved  and  highly-es- 
teemed superintendent  of  the  school. 
Other  beautiful  furnishings  were  do- 
nated by  private  individuals.  The  se- 
lection of  colors,  for  the  interior  fur- 
nishings, was  under  the  direction  of 
Pastor  Getchell  and  wife,  and  the 
money  for  carpets  and  cushions  was 
raised  by  the  ladies  of  the  church.  All 
worked  together  with  a  will,  and  in 
perfect  harmony,  and  felt  repaid  for 
their  labors  when  the  chairman  of  the 
building  committee,  Hon.  H.  B.  Quinby, 
presented  the  keys  to  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  church,  and  declared  the 
society  to  be  free  from  debt.  It  was  a 
memorable  day  when  the  present  church 
edifice  was  dedicated.  May  27,  1892. 
May  it  stand  long  to  beautify  and  bless 
the  city ! 

REV.  WM.  H.  GETCHELL. 

Rev.  William  H.  Getchell,  present 
pastor  of  the  Park  Street  Free  Baptist 
church,  Lakeport,  was  born  in  North 
Berwick,  Me.,  Sept.  6,  1854.  He  be- 
came a  Christian  at  the  early  age  of 
fifteen,  and  from  that  time  on  was 
actively  engaged  in  Christian  work,  and 
a  great  helper  in  his  home  church.  From 
counter  to  pulpit  has  run  the  line  of  his 
life.  His  training  or  education  for  the 
ministry  was  obtained  in  the  schools  at 
Saco,  Pittsfield,  and  Lewiston,  Me.,  he 
being  a  graduate  of  the  Cobb  Divinity 
school,  Lewiston.  He  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry  July  15,  1886,  but  had  been 
licensed  to  preach  some  years  previous, 
and  had  had  a  pastorate  at  Sabattus, 
Me.,  three  and  one  half  years.  After 
remaining  in  Sabattus  another  year  after 
his  ordination,  he  accepted  a  call  from 
the  Park  Street  church,  where  he  has 
served  as  pastor  more  than  eleven  and 
one  half  years,  during  which  time  many 
changes  have  taken  place.  A  new 
church  edifice  and  a  beautiful  parsonage 
have  been  built.  In  this  time  Mr. 
Getchell      has     married     one     hundred 


sixty-nine  couples,  attended  three  hun- 
dred fifty-five  funerals,  baptized  one 
hundred  twenty-four  persons,  and  re- 
ceived one  hundred  seventy-two  to  church 
membership.  Not  only  his  church 
has  his  willing  care,  but  he  endeavors 
to  help  build  up  the  cause  of  Christ 
all  about  him.  He  has  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  New  Hampshire  yearly 
meeting  of  Free  Baptists,  also  as  vice- 
president,  missionary  superintendent, 
and  president  of  the  New  Hampshire 
State  Christian  Endeavor  society  ;  and, 
as  has  been  truly  said  of  him,  "  With 
old  and  young  alike  he  is  a  magnet  that 
never  fails  to  draw,  in  the  pulpit  and 
out  of  it." 


First  Free  Baptist  Church. 


This  church  was  organized  March  17, 
1838,  by  the  Rev.  Nahum  Brooks,  who 
was  for  the  six  ensuing  years  its  pastor. 
It  worshiped  in  the  court-house  till  Jan. 
6,  1 84 1,  when,  considerably  increased 
in  numbers  and  material  substance,  it 
was  able  to  dedicate  a  meeting-house  of 
its  own,  on  Court  square.  This  was  a 
substantial  structure,  with  seating  ac- 
commodations for  about  three  hundred. 
It  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1873, 
at  a  cost  of  nearly  $12,000.  Four  years 
later  it  was  reduced  to  ashes,  with  no 


Rev.  John  B.  Jordan. 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


2  19 


Freewill  Baptist  Church. 

insurance.  But  "  the  people  had  a  mind 
to  work,"  and  in  just  thirteen  months  — 
November,  187S  —  the  present  edifice 
was  dedicated,  free  of  debt.  It  stands 
on  the  original  site,  with  seating  capacity 
for  seven  hundred,  has  modern  furnish- 
ings, and  represents  $15,000. 

The  church  has  encouraged  long  pas- 
torates. That  of  the  Rev.  Lewis  Mal- 
vern was  in  two  installments,  which 
aggregated  about  twenty  years,  during 
which  the  new  sanctuary  was  built  and 
the  working  power  of  the  church  greatly 
increased.  His  immediate  successor,  the 
Rev.  John  B.  Jordan,  began  his  pastor- 
ate with  September,  1897.  He  is  not 
only  sustaining  the  congregation,  which 
frequently  taxes  the  full  capacity  of  the 
auditorium,  but  is  adding  families  to  his 
parish,  members  to  his  church,  and  effi- 
ciency to  all  departments  of  Christian 
work.  He  is  also  a  potent  factor  of  the 
religions  commonwealth  at  large. 

The  church  is  a  fair  exponent  of  what 
a  Congregational  clergyman  once  as- 
serted of  the  denomination  which  it 
represents:  "It  is  on  the  right  side  of 
all  moral  questions,  and   on   the   evan- 


gelical   side    of    all    contro- 
verted doctrines." 

REV.    JOHN"    B.    JORDAN. 

Rev.  John  1!.  Jordan,  pas- 
tor of  the  first  Free  Bap 
tist  church,  spent  his  boy- 
hood and  school-days  in 
Auburn.  Me.  In  1X6S  he 
entered  the  employment  of 
the  First  National  hank  of 
Auburn,  in  which  institu- 
tion he  was  bookkeeper  and 
teller  for  six  years,  when  he 
was  elected  cashier.  He 
held  this  position  for  more 
than  eight  years,  when  he 
resigned  in  order  to  give 
his  whole  time  to  the  min- 
istry. He  was  ordained  in 
May.  1SS2,  and  has  held 
pastorates  in  Lewiston,  Me.. 
Minneapolis.  Minn..  Augus- 
ta, Me..  Pawtucket,  R.  I., 
and  in  this  city.  For  two 
years  before  coming  to  La- 

conia    he  was    engaged    in    evangelistic 

work. 


St,  James  Episcopal  Church. 


St.  James  Episcopal  church  on  Pleas- 
ant street  was  built  in  1894  by  Rev.  Dr. 

Lucius  Waterman,  who  came  here  from 
Littleton,  erected  the  church  building, 
and  organized  an  Episcopal  church. 
The  building  and  lot  cost  between   $1  1  .- 


st.   James   Epi        a    I  hurch. 


220 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


ooo  and  $12,000.  Dr.  Waterman  re- 
signed his  pastorate  about  a  year  ago, 
in  order  to  devote  more  attention  to  lit- 
erary work,  and  the  church  at  the  pres- 
ent time  is  without  a  regular  settled 
pastor. 


First  M.  E.  Church. 


The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
is,  as  an  organization,  thirty-eight  years 
old.  The  building  occupied  by  this 
society  is  older  still,  having  been  origin- 
ally the  property  of  a  Universalist  church. 
The  Methodists  bought  the  building. 

On  the  1st  of  April,  1861,  the  first 
quarterly  conference  of  this  church  was 
held,  with  James  Pike,  presiding  elder, 
in  the  chair.  The  original  members  of 
the  church  and  quarterly  conference 
were  :  Hiram  Gilman,  S.  C.  Gilman,  and 
R.  T.  Martin.  At  the  annual  confer- 
ence, which  met  a  few  clays  thereafter, 
Rev.  G.  W.  H.  Clark  was  appointed  by 
the  bishop  as  pastor  of  the  new  church 
at  Laconia.  Of  the  persons  here  named, 
only  R.  T.  Martin  is  now  living.  At  an 
advanced  aire,  he  maintains  the  keenest 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


Rev.  A.   L.  Smith. 

interest  in  all  the  affairs  of  the  church, 
of  which  he  is  the  only  surviving  char- 
ter member. 

This  church  has  been  served  by 
twenty  different  pastors,  whose  average 
term  of  service  has  been  about  two 
years.  The  present  pastor  has  just 
commenced  his  fourth  year. 

It  may  truthfully  be  said  that  few 
churches  have  met  graver  obstacles,  or 
passed  through  severer  reverses  than 
has  the  First  Methodist  church  of  this 
city ;  yet  it  has  maintained  an  uninter- 
rupted activity  from  its  birth  to  the 
present  time,  and  is  stronger  to-day 
than  for  several  years  past.  All  its  bills 
are  paid  up  to  date,  its  membership  is 
steadily  increasing,  it  has  a  large  body 
of  children  and  youth,  its  several  de- 
partments of  work   are   well    organized 

and  officered,  and  it  feels  the  pulse- 
beat  of  a  true  Christian  hope  and 
purpose. 

REV.    A.    L.    SMITH. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Salisbury, 
Mass.,  a  town  that  falls  within  the 
limits  of  the  New  Hampshire  Con- 
ference of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  His  father  was  a  member 
of  that  conference  for  fifty  years, 
and  was  pastor  of  the  Methodist 
church  in  Salisbury  when  the  sub- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


ject  of  this  sketch  was  horn.  A.  L. 
Smith  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Concord,  N.  II.  (at  a  time 
when  his  father  was  the  chaplain  of  the 
New  Hampshire  state  prison),  and  later 
was  graduated  from  the  Wesleyan  uni- 
versity of  Middletown,  Conn.  He  taught 
in  Connecticut  for  three  years  following 
graduation,  and  then,  after  brief  ser- 
vice as  a  "  local  preacher,"  joined  the 
New  Hampshire  conference  in  1887, 
and  has  been  an  active  member — /.  e., 
an  itinerant  preacher — in  that  confer- 
ence ever  since.  His  stations  have 
been  Rumney,  Auburn  and  Chester, 
Newfields,  and  Laconia.  Mr.  Smith's 
ministry  here  commenced  in  April,  1896, 
and  he  has  just  been  appointed  for  the 
year  ending  in  April,  1900. 


Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart, 

Early  in  the  history  of  Laconia  many 
French  Canadians  came  here  to  live, 
and  they  formed  so  large  a  part  of  the 
Catholic  population,  that  in  July,  1891, 
the  bishop  organized  them  into  a  sepa- 
rate parish.  Rev.  John  Monge  was  ap- 
pointed pastor,  and  services   were   held 


for  a  short  time  in  Moulton  opera  house. 
Rev.  Father  Monge  at  once  began  to 
raise  money  fur  the  erection  of  a  church 
building,  and 
in  1892  the 
present  paro- 
chial residence 
and  five  acres 
of  land  on  Un- 
ion a  v  e  n  u  e 
were  purchas- 
ed, at  a  cost  of 
$10,000.  In 
1893  the  pres- 
ent church  edi- 
fice, the  Sacred 
Heart,  was 
completed  at  a 
cost  of  S30,- 
000,  an  Lmposin 
brick,  and  handsomely  decorated  in  the 
interior.  This  parish  has  a  membership 
of  about  two  hundred  families. 

Rev.  Father  Monge  was  born  in 
France,  in  1838.  He  was  educated  at 
Nimes  and  Paris,  and  ordained  to  the 
priesthood  in  Paris,  before  coming  to 
Laconia  he  was  curate  at  St.  Augustine's, 
in  Manchester,  and  also  at  Salmon  Falls. 
He  was  for  some  time  parish 
priest  at  Marlborough.  N.  H. 


Rev.   Father   Monge. 


structure,    built    of 


French   Catholic  Church. 


First  Unitarian   Church. 

The  First  Unitarian  church 
of  Laconia  is  the  outgrowth  oi 
the  First  Universalist  church  of 
Meredith  bridge,  which  was  or- 
ganized July  19,  1S38. 

In  1  867,  after  the  parish  had 
been  served  l>y  several  Unita- 
rian  ministers,  and  as  Unitari- 
ans constituted  the  majority  of 
its  membership,  the  corporation 
name  of  the  parish  was  changed 
to  that  of  the  First  Unitarian 
Church  of  Laconia.  The  par- 
ish continued  to  worship  in  the 
old  Universalist  meeting-house 
(now  the  Methodist  church 
building)  until  the  completion 
of  the  present  edifice  in  Bank 
Square,  which  was  dedicated 
Nov.   11.  [868.    The  new  church 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


building  was  completed  during  the  bril- 
liant ministry  of  Rev.  Thos.  B.  Gor- 
man, and  among  those  associated  with 
him  in  the  work  of  advancing  the  inter- 
ests of  liberal  religion  were  Woodbury 
Melcher,  Joseph  Ranlet,  John  C.  Moul- 
ton,  Jos.  S.  Tilton,  Col.  T.  J.  Whipple, 
Woodbury  L.  Melcher.  E.  P.  Jewell, 
Geo.  W.  Stevens,  S.  T.  Thomas,  Benj. 
P.  Gale,  Perley  Putnam,  Harriet  Gale, 
Mary  T.  Hull,  G.  V.  Pickering,  Hor- 
ace Whitcher,  D.  J.  Dinsmore,  H.  E. 
Brawn,  Rev.  J.  P.  Atkinson,  Thomas 
Sands. 

Mr.  Gorman's  successors  in  the  pas- 
torate were  C.  Y.  De  Normandie  in 
1869,  Clarence  Fowler  in  1873,  James 
Collins  in  1874,  Enoch  Powell  in  1878, 
John  D.  Wells  in  1SS1,  John  N.  Pardee 
in  1884,  N.  S.  Hill  in  1888,  James  B. 
Morrison  in  1890,  Geo.  Heber  Rice  in 
1896. 

This   church    accepts   the   religion   of 


Unitarian  Church. 


Rev.  George  Heber  Rice. 

Jesus,  holding  in  accordance  with  His 
teaching  that  practical  religion  is 
summed  up  in  love  to  God  and  love 
to  man.  While  imposing  no  credal 
subscription,  it  believes  in  the  father- 
hood of  God,  the  brotherhood  of  man, 
the  leadership  of  Jesus,  the  immortal- 
ity of  the  soul,  the  progress  of  man- 
kind onward  and  upward  forever. 

Its  object  is  to  seek  and  proclaim 
truth  along  the  highest  lines  of  the 
spiritual  consciousness ;  to  keep  in 
step  with  the  advancing  hosts  of  schol- 
ars and  scientists  and  of  all  gifted, 
honest  men  and  women  who  are  striv- 
ing to  aid  humanity  in  its  efforts  to 
grow  in  knowledge ;  to  interpret  the 
Bible  as  the  supreme  literature  of  the 
religious  life ;  to  emphasize  the  dig- 
nity of  human  nature  as  the  highest 
manifestation  in  this  world  of  the  Cre- 
ator's love  and  wisdom  ;  to  affirm  the 
priceless  worth  of  the  soul  and  the 
impossibility  of  its  ever  becoming 
lost  or  separated  from  God.  It  wel- 
comes to  its  fellowship  all  who  are  in 
sympathy  with  these  high  aims,  all 
who  believe  in  intellectual  and  spir- 
itual freedom  as  the  highest  outcome 
of  the  religious  life. 

The  present  officers  of  this  church 
are  :  Rev.  G.  H.  Rice,  minister  ;  W.  F. 
Knight,  president;  John  Ashman, 
treasurer ;   Miss  Carrie  B.  Cooke,  sec- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN 


retary ;     Geo. 
Gorrell,  Chas. 


H.    Everett,    Horace    H. 
F.  Stone,  trustees. 


REV.  CEo.    HEBER    RICE. 

Rev.  Geo.  Heber  Rice  was  born  in 
Elmira.  N.  V..  Dec.  28,  [858.  On  the 
paternal  side  he  is  of  Welsh-English 
ancestry  and  on  the  maternal  of  Eng- 
lish. 

His  father  was  born  at  Meriden, 
Conn.,  in  181 7,  and  his  mother  at 
Springfield,  Mass.,  in  1S22.  Upon 
their  marriage  they  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  Elmira.  N.  Y.,  where  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  attended  the  graded 
schools,  preparing  for  college  at  the 
Elmira  academy.  Upon  being  gradu- 
ated from  Hamilton  college,  N.  Y.,  he 
entered  the  Auburn  (N.  Y. )  Theological 
seminary,  and  upon  graduation  from 
that  institution  went  to  Texas  and  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  San  An- 
tonio. 

In  1 889  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Clara  Ree  Baldwin  of  Columbus,  Ohio. 
They  have  one  son,  Heber  Baldwin 
Rice,  born  May  5,  1892. 

In  1890  Mr.  Rice  decided  to  enter 
the  Unitarian  ministry  and  was  received 
into  its  fellowship  at  Denver,  Col.  He 
has  held  three  Unitarian  pastorates,  the 
first  being  at  Marietta,  Ohio;  the  sec- 
ond at  Stockton,  Cal.,  and  the  third  at 
Laconia,  N.  H.,  to  which  place  he  came 
in  1896. 

To  be  a  good  teacher  and  leader  of 
liberal  thought  means  hard  work.  Mr. 
Rice  has  a  strong  and  courageous  mind 
and  a  keen  insight  into  the  deep  things 
of  life.  He  is  gifted  as  few  men  are 
with  the  power  of  expressing  his 
thoughts  upon  whatever  subject  he  may 
be  engaged,  and  is  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  true  spirit  of  Unitarianism. 
He  has  done  a  great  work  for  the  lib- 
eral church  in  Laconia,  especially  in  re- 
organizing and  placing  the  society  in  a 
stronger  and  healthier  condition.  No 
work  is  ever  too  great  for  him  to  under- 
take, and  no  one  can  fail  to  find  in  him 
a  true  Christian  gentleman  and  a  faith- 
ful follower  of  the  master.  Whether  his 
stay  may  be  long  or  short,  his  ministry 
here  will  live  forever  in  this  community, 


and  it  is  hoped  the  day  is  far  distant 
when  he  will  be  called  to  other  fields  of 
labor. 


Baptist  Church  in  Lakeport. 

This  was  the   first   religious  organiza- 
tion  in   this    community.     The    organi- 
zation was  effected   in    181 1.     The   first 
meeting-house      of    the 
body,  of  a  simple,  barn- 
frame  construction,  was 
erected  in  1833,  on  the 
site    occupied    by     the 
present   edi- 
fice.     In    [850 
a  vestibule  and 


Baptist    Church. 

tower  were  added  to  the  primitive  struc- 
ture. Between  the  years  of  1868  and 
187  1  the  present  edifice,  with  its  archi- 
tecturally beautiful  front  and  tower,  re- 
placed the  old  house  of   worship. 

Among  the  members  of  this  body  well 
deserving  of  honorable  mention,  there  is 
one  who,  on  account  of  her  timely  and 
munificent  gifts,  may  not  be  omitted 
from  an  historical  sketch  of  the  organi- 
zation. We  refer  to  Mrs.  Emeline  S. 
Taylor,  recently  deceased.  Of  the  sev- 
enteen pastorates  within   its   history,  the 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


two  of  K.  S.  Hall  are  most  notable.  The 
present  incumbent,  the  Rev.  Geo.  F. 
Babbitt,  is  the  sixteenth  who  has  served 
this  body,  he  being  its  acting  pastor 
since  September,  1897. 


St.  Joseph's  Church. 


Among  the  first  Catholic  residents  of 
Laconia  and  Lakeport  were  John  O'Shea 
who  came  here  in  1858,  and 
Michael  Scott,  also  a  family  by 
the  name  of  O'Neil.  At  Lake- 
port  at  that  time  there  were  sev- 
eral Catholic  families,  among 
whom  were  the  Dunlaveys,  Mur- 
phys,  Harringtons,  and  the  Leav- 
itts.  Ever  faithful  to  their  relig- 
ion, these  Catholic  settlers  held 
meetings  whenever  possible.  At 
first  the  services  were  held  at 
the  home  of  some  of  these  famil- 
ies, the  first  meetings  being  held 
at  the  residence  of  John  O'Shea, 
who  at  that  time  resided  on  Water 
street.  Rev.  Father  Daley  was 
the  first  priest  who  visited  here, 
and  after  185S  meetings  were 
held  in  Folsom  hall  until  a  church 
was  built.  In  1866  land  was  purchased 
on  Messer  street,  and  in  1867  work  was 
commenced  on  the  building,  which  was 
dedicated  by  the  Right  Rev.  D.  W.  Ba- 


con, as  St.  Joseph's 
church.  This  was 
during  the  pastorate 
of  Rev.  Isadore  Noi- 
seux.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1S77,  during 
a  terrific  thunder- 
storm, the  spire  of 
the  church  was  struck 
by  liirhtnincr.  and  the 


Kev.  Charles  R.   Hennon. 


St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church. 

entire  edifice  destroyed  by  fire.  Rev.  J. 
L.  Schakers  was  pastor  at  that  time,  and 
by  his  energy'  and  the  loyal  assistance 
of  the  members  of  the  parish,  a  new 
building  was  erected  upon  the  founda- 
tions of  the  old  one,  at  an  expense  of 
$10,000.  The  following  pastors  have 
officiated  at  St.  Joseph's  church  :  Rev. 
Isadore  Noiseux,  who  was  the  first  resi- 
dent priest.  He  was  followed  in  1871 
by  Rev.  John  W.  Murphy.  In  April, 
1872,  Rev.  M.  J.  Goodwin  was  appointed 
to  Laconia,  and  he  served  until  October, 
1S77.  In  December,  1877,  Rev.  J.  L. 
Schakers,  or  Father  Lambert  as  he  was 
called,  came  here  and  served  until  his 
death,  March,  1895.  He  was  followed 
by  Rev.  John  R.  Power,  who  took 
charge  in  April,  1895,  and  remained 
here  until  his  death,  April  16,  1898. 
The  present  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  is 
Rev.  Charles  R.  Hennon,  who  came 
here  January  20,  1899. 

The   church  now   has   a   membership 
of  about   150  families,  and  besides  the 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


church  edifice  also  owns  a  parochial 
residence  and  lot  on  Messer  street,  as 
well  as  the  convent  and  school  property 
on  Beacon  street. 


People's  Christian  Church. 

The  People's  church  was  formally 
organized  July  3,  [892,  with  seventy- 
five  members,  and  the  court-house  was 
obtained  for  the  place  of  worship.  After 
maintaining  a  successful  existence  in- 
dependent of  all  ecclesiastical  bodies 
until  it  was  no  longer  considered  an 
experiment,  in  October,  [893,  it  united 
with  the  Christian  denomination  and 
became  the  People's  Christian  church. 

A  large  majority'of  the  original  mem- 
bers had  formerly  been  Methodist  Epis- 
copal, but  among  those  who  soon  joined 
by  letter  were  representatives  of  eight 
distinct  denominations,  with  creeds 
somewhat  dissimilar,  hence  it  seemed 
very  appropriate  to  belong  to  a  religious 
body  discarding  all  creeds  and  accept- 
ing the  Bible  as  its  only  standard. 

In  the  spring  of  1894,  the  society 
purchased  from  the  county  the  court- 
house, and  moved  it  to  the  present  site, 
where  it  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of 
God;  thus  the  old  temple,  where  justice 
was  so  long  dispensed,  is  rounding   out 


Rev.   (ohn   E.  Eveiingham. 

its  years  with  the  vibrations  ol  the  gos- 
pel within  its  sacred  walls. 

Rev.  J.  11.  Haines  was  the  lust  pas- 
tor, and  remained  in  that  capacity  until 
his  death;  Rev.  1''..  K.  Colburn  main- 
tained a  pastorate  for  a  little  more  than 
a  year;  and  Rev.  J.  E.  Everingham,  the 
present  pastor,  is  the  third  shepherd  of 
the  Mock.  The  church  has  a  present 
membership  of  150.  maintains  three 
Christian  Endeavor  societies,  senior, 
intermediate,    and   junior — and    has    an 


l'.  ople's  Church. 


•5 


22b 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


average     attendance     in     the     Sabbath- 
school  of  about  eighty-five. 

The  Christians,  as  a  denomination, 
had  their  origin  about  a  century  ago. 
Three  little  companies  of  ministers,  far 
remote  and  unknown  to  each  other, 
separated  from  their  respective  and  dis- 
tinct denominations  for  conscience  sake, 
and  finally  came  together  in  one  body, 
organized  upon  the  broadest  principles, 
having  no  creed  save  the  holy  Bible,  no 
qualifications  for  membership  save  faith 
in  the  vicarious  atonement  and  a  con- 
sistent Christian  life,  and  no  name  save 
that  authorized  by  Scripture — Christian. 
Its  motto  is  :  In  essential  things,  unity ; 
in  non-essential  things,  liberty ;  and  in 
all  things,  charity. 

REV.    JOHN    E.    EVERINGHAM. 

Rev.  John  E.  Everingham,  pastor  of 
the  People's  Christian  church  since  Sep- 
tember, 1896,  has  been  in  active  minis- 
try for  fourteen  years,  and  was  settled 
over  the  Christian  Church  of  the  Evan- 
gel, Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  before  coming  to 
Laconia.  He  was  born  in  Kiswick, 
Ontario,  Oct.  7.  1861,  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and  after- 
wards spent  nearly  four  years  in  the 
Christian  Biblical  institute,  Sanfordville. 
N.  Y.,  the  principal  theological  school 
of  his  denomination.  Mr.  Everingham 
married  Miss  Florence  M.  Coleman  of 
Portsmouth,  nine  years  ago,  and  two 
children  bless  their  union.  Since  com- 
ing to  Laconia,  twenty-eight  have  united 
with  the  church.  As  a  preacher,  he  is 
earnest,  faithful,  and  fearless,  preferring 
to  please  God  rather  than  man.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Prohibitionist,  and  in  all 
things  Christian. 


Trinity  M.  E.  Church,  Lakeport. 


The  M.  E.  church  of  Lake  Village 
was  organized  June  15,1872.  On  this 
date,  Rev.  B.  W.  Chase,  pastor  of  the 
Laconia  M.  E.  church,  granted  church 
letters  to  the  following  persons,  in  order 
that  they  might  be  organized  into  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Lake 
Village  :  Henry  H.  Buzzell,  Mary  A. 
Buzzell,   Almira   P.  Homan,   Lizzie   Ho- 


Rev.   Jonathan    R.   Dinsmore. 

man,  Lorenzo  W.  Downing,  Martha 
Downing,  Lizzie  Dame,  Sarah  Gaskill, 
Jeremiah  Homan,  Abigail  Kimball, 
Sarah  Palmer.  Albeit  Whitten,  Elmira 
Whitten,  Ebenezer  Woodman,  Harriet 
Woodman. 

These  persons  were  formed  into  a 
church  and  the  quarterly  conference  or- 
ganized on  the  above  date  at  the  house 
of  Albert  Whitten  by  Rev.  S.  G.  Kel- 
logg, presiding  elder. 

This  organization  continued  with 
varying  fortunes  until  March  7,  1S77, 
when,  for  the  time  being,  the  last  quar- 
terly conference  was  held. 

The  pastors  for  this  period  were : 
1872,  W.  C.  Bartlett  ;  i873-'74,  C.  W. 
Tebbetts  ;    1S75.  ( ).  T.  Lovejoy. 

In  response  to  an  invitation  by  the 
Methodists  of  Lake  Village,  they  were 
reorganized  into  a  church,  March  31, 
188 1,  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Adams,  presiding 
elder. 

The  church  re-cords  show  a  contin- 
ued growth  in  numbers  and  financial 
strength  until  1896,  when  the  member- 
ship is  reported  as  112,  and  the  Sunday- 
school,  1 10. 

Since  that  time  until  the  present,  the 
membership  and  financial  strength  have 
decreased,  resulting  chiefly  from  the 
continued  financial  depression  which 
has  been  felt  with  great  severity  in  Lake- 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACOXIAX. 


■7 


port,  making  it  necessary  for  many  of  our 
people  to  seek  employment  elsewhere. 

Prior  to  May  17-.  1891,  the  meetings 
were  held  in  what  had  been  the  Advent 
chapel  on  Cold  street.  In  18S9  the 
people  said.  "  The  place  is  too  strait  for 
us,  let  ns  arise  and  build."  According- 
ly, in  the  quarterly  conference  held 
.March  15  of  that  year,  the  pastor, 
1 ).  W.  Downs,  reported  that  a  lot  of 
land  upon  which  to  build  a  church  had 
been  secured.  After  more  than  two 
years  of  heroic  struggle,  a  church  build- 
ing, which  is  a  credit  to  Methodism. 
was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy. 
The  first  service  in  the  new  house  of 
worship  was  held  Sunday.  May  24. 
1 89 1.  The  dedicatory  service  was  held 
on  February  16,  1892. 

The  following  have  been  the  pastors 
during  this  period:  t88i-'82,  N.  ('. 
Alger;  1883,  A.  C.  Hardy;  1884.  J.  H. 
Trow;  1885-87,  William  Woods;  1888- 
'90,  D.  W.  Downs:  1891  '92,  L.  R. 
Danforth;  i893-*9v  W.  J.  VVilkins; 
1896,  G.  W.  Farmer;  1897  '98,  C.  E. 
Eaton;    1S99,  J.  R.  Dinsmore. 

REV.  JONATHAN    RO\    DINSMORE. 

Rev.  Jonathan  Roy  Dinsmore  was 
born  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  Oct.  20.  1870.  His 
father.  Charles  C.  Dins- 
more,  and  his  mother.  Vi- 
ola Hanscomb,  were  na- 
tives of  New  Hampshire. 
He  was  the  youngest  of 
four  children,  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  The  old- 
est is  now  living  in  ( Hare- 


,"• 


tffS  A 

;*  <■«■..       .. 

llliillllllllll 


mont.  N.  H.  Mr.  Dinsmore  took  his 
academic  training  in  the  Claremont 
(X.  I  l.i  High  school,  at  the  Pittsfield 
(  Mass. )  High  school,  at  Dow  academy, 
Franconia,  and  in  the  N.  H.  Conference 
seminary  at  Tilton. 

In  the  fall  of  1890  he  began  preach- 
ing as  a  supply  al  West  Stew  artstow  n. 
N.  H..  and  continued  in  ministerial 
work  in  connection  with  his  schooling. 

In  [895  he  joined  the  X.  H.  confer- 
ence, having  served  four  years  prior  to 
that  as  a  local  preacher.  His  appoint- 
ments have  been  :  Swiftwater  and  ben- 
ton,  1 895 -'96  ;  North  Haverhill.  1897— 
'98  ;  Trinity  church,  Laconia,  1899. 

In  June.  1894,  he  united  in  marriage 
with  Man-  A.,  youngest  daughter  of 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Babcock,  now  of 
I  )over. 


The  Laconia  Y.  M.  C.  A. 


Methodist  Church,  Lakeporl 


The  Association  was  organized  in  the 
parlors  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  church. 
Feb.  26.  1886.  Its  first  quarters  were 
on  the  second  floor  in  Smith's  blink. 
In  several  years  it  took  rooms  on  the 
third  floor  in  the  first  National  Bank 
building. 

Two  years  ago  the  needs  of  the 
work  led  the  board  of  directors  to  en- 
gage the  Inst  and  second  floors  in 
Edwards  block  on  Mill  St. 

A  gymnasium  and  reading-room 
are  on  the  first  floor.  I  >n  the  second 
floor  you  will  find  a  library  and  so- 
cial rooms  with  a  kitchen  for  use  at 
suppers. 

The  presidents  who  have  served 
the  Association  in  tlie  order  of  their 
election  are  Dr.  A.  II.  ( '.  fewett,  G. 
II.  Mitchell.  ('.  A.  Dunn.  H.  W.  Ca- 
rey, and  R.  ( '.  1  lickey. 

The  general  secretaries  were  Thom- 
as Johnson,  I  I.  W.  ( 'a rev.  |.  M.  Ropes, 
W.  R.  Goddard,  A.  ( '.  'Hunt. 

The  Woman's  Auxiliary  have  per- 
formed able  sen  ii  e  in  the  Associa- 
tion. 

They  have  purchased  an  excellent 
piano,  furniture,  crockery,  silverware, 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


and   other  useful   and   ornamental   arti- 
cles. 

The  membership  of  the  Association 
has  averaged  some  over  a  hundred. 
Seventy  boys  were  at  one  time  mem- 
bers of  the  boys'  branch. 


Rev.  Frederick  L.  Wiley. 


By   so     much     as     pure    Scotch    and 
English  ancestry  are  of  worth,  the  subject 


Rev.   Frederick   L.   \Yilev. 


of  this  sketch  entered  at  birth  upon  a 
goodly  heritage.  He  was  born  in  New 
York,  spent  a    portion    of   his   youth   in 


Boston,  and  was  educated  at  New 
Hampton  Institution,  Hillsdale  college, 
and  what  is  now  Cobb  Divinity  school. 
He  has  held  important  Free  Baptist  pas- 
torates in  Vermont,  Maine,  and  New 
Hampshire.  As  a  pastor,  Mr.  Wiley 
has  been  specially  successful  in  the  or- 
ganization of  church  forces,  the  pay- 
ment of  church  debts,  the  improvement 
of  church  property,  and  the  increase  of 
church  membership.  He  has  retained 
his  studious  habits  and  his  pulpit  efforts 
have  been  well   sustained. 

Since  failing  health  incapacitated  him 
for  general  parish  work  he  has  been  a 
permanent  resident  of  Laconia.  No- 
ticing that  the  young  men  of  the  city 
had  no  common  place  where  they  might 
spend  a  bit  of  spare  time  except  in  re- 
sorts of  "  lewd  fellows  of  the  baser  sort," 
he  suggested,  and  helped  organize,  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of 
Laconia.  He  was  for  a  term  its  treas- 
urer and  has  always  given  it  practical 
support.  For  the  last  ten  years  Mr. 
Wiley  has  been  secretary  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Ministers'  Conference  of  this 
city.  He  has  conducted  religious  ser- 
vices as  a  pulpit  supply,  as  health  would 
allow,  and  has  spent  most  of  his  secular 
time  in  literary  and  benevolent  work. 
For  years  he  has  held  important  eccle- 
siastical secretaryships  and  is  now  de- 
veloping biographical  and  historical  work 
in  the  interests  of  his  denomination. 


Profile  Rock,  The  Weirs. 


THE  WEIRS- 


■■-  ■ 


The  Weirs  and  vicinity,  which  is 
within  the  city  limits  of  Laconia,  at  the 
outlet  of  Lake  Winnipesaukee,  has  been 
famous  as  a  summer  resort,  further  hack. 
undoubtedly,  than  any  historical  or  trad- 
itional records  exist.  Long  before  the 
Massachusetts  colonists  sent  the  first  par- 
ty of  white  men  to  the 
shores  of  the  lake,  the 
W  i  n  n  i  p  e  s  a  u  k  e  es, 
a  branch  of  the  Pen- 
acook  tribe  of  Indians, 
built  and  maintained  a 
permanent  fish-weir  in 
the  channel  at  the  out- 
let of  the  lake,  and 
here  in  the  spring  and 
fall  of  each  year,  all 
the  red  men  in  this 
section  of  the  state 
would  gather  to  par- 
take of  the  shad  which 
ran  up  the  river  from 
the  ocean  into  the  lake 
in  the  spring  and  re- 
turned to  salt  water  in 
the  fall.  Large  num- 
bers of  these  fish  were 
taken  in  the  rude  weir, 
and  dried  and  smoked 
for  winter  use.  The 
weir  was  maintained 
for  many  years  after 
the  white  men  came 
here,  and  large  loads 
of  these  fish  were  used 
to  enrich  the  land  of 
the  early  farmers.  The  numerous  dams 
on  the  Merrimack  river 
the   annual    run    of  sha( 


menced  holding  summer  camp-meetings 

at  The  Weirs,  and  in  1879  the  New 
Hampshire  Veterans'  Association  held 
their  first  annual  reunion  here.  The 
first  hotel,  or  rather  boarding-house, 
was  erected  on  the  Methodist  grounds, 
on  the  present  location  of  the  Lakeside 
House.  It  was  prin- 
cipally for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  Meth- 
odist people  and  there 
were  but  eight  sleep- 
ing rooms  at  fust. 

T  h  e  establishment 
was  inadequate  to  meet 
the  constantly  increas- 
ing demands,  and  fi- 
nal 1  y  the  Lakeside 
House  was  erected  by 
L.  R.  &  ('..  W.  Weeks. 
Then  the  late  ('apt. 
W.  A.  Sanborn  pulled 
down  the  old  hotel  at 
1  )iamond  island,  f  a  r 
down  the  lake,  and 
used  a  portion  of  the 
material  to  construct 
Hotel  Weirs,  which 
hostelry  has  g  r  o  w  n 
into  the  magnificent 
new  Hotel  Weirs  of 
to-day,  one  of  the  larg- 
est and  most  elegant 
hotels  in  the  entire 
lake  region. 

The  progress  of  The 
Weirs  during  the    past 


Soldiers'  Monum<  nt, 

Presented  to  the  city  by  Mis.  |.  F.  Zebley. 

,  ■  ,  ....  ,.  ^..  ...&  v. 

ten  or  fifteen  years  has  been  exceed- 
inally  stopped  ingly  steady  and  substantial.  The  state 
and'  then  for  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  railroad  cor- 
y ears  The  Weirs  was  merely  a  stopping  poration  have  assisted  the  Veterans  As- 
place  for  the  steamer.  Lady  of  the  Lake,  so<  iation  in  fitting  up  their  grounds  and 
which  connected  at  this  point  with  the  erected  suitable  structures  for  then- 
old  Boston,  Concord  &  Montreal  Rail-  annual  gatherings  in  August.  Many  of 
road.  the  regimental  associations  have  large 
Soon  after  1S70.  the  Methodists  com-  and  handsome  buildings  for  the  use  oi 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


23 


their  members.     Over  in  the  Methodist 

grove,  on  the  shore   of  the  lake,  there 
are    hundreds     of    handsome    cottages 

which  are  occupied  during  the  summer 
by  their  owners,  while  the  Winnipesau- 
kee  Camp-Meeting  Association  has  laid 
out  streets  and  avenues,  provided  a  sys- 
tem of  water  works,  etc.  The  Metho- 
dist grove  and  the 
Veterans'  grove  are 
occupied  nearly  all 
the  time  in  the  sum- 
mer season  by  vari- 
ous religions  associ- 
ations.while  the  New 
Hampshire  Musi  c 
Teachers'  Assoc  i  a  - 
tion  have  a  tine  large 
pavilion  for  their 
annual  musical  festival,  which  is  one  of 
the  summer  attractions  at  The  Weirs. 
An  electric  railroad  now  connects  The 
Weirs  with  Lakeport  and  Laconia,  while 
the  place  boasts  of  numerous  other  ad- 
vantages and  attractions  .such  as  tele- 
graph and  telephone  facilities,  hundreds 


Steamer  Mt.  !  I  'ashington 


and    numerous    boarding-houses,  where 
good  accommodations  can  he  obtained. 

A  lew  words  on  beautiful  Lake  Win- 
nipesaukee  may  not  he  out  of  place  in 
connection  with  The  Weirs.  The  lake 
lies  in  the  counties  of  Belknap  and 
Carroll,  and  is  about  twenty-five  miles 
long,  and  varies  from  one  to  seven 
miles  in  width.  Its 
a  r  e  a  .  exclusive  oi 
two  hundred  a  n  d 
seventy-four  islands, 
is  upwards  of  sev- 
enty- one  squ a  r  e 
miles,  and  the  dis- 
l  a  n  c e  around  i  t  s 
shores  is  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-two 

miles.  There  are 
ten  islands  which  have  an  area  of  more 
than  one  hundred  acres  each,  and  Long 
Island  has  an  area  of  one  thousand 
acres.  The  lake  is  four  hundred  and 
seventy-two  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
Atlantic  ocean.  The  waters  of  the  lake 
are  very  clear  and  pure,  abounding  with 


lb 


Railroad  Station,  The  Weirs! 

of  row,  sail,  and  steamboats,  excursions  fish  of  all  kinds,  and  Winnipesaukee  is 

to  all    parts   of  the  lake,  good   train   and  becoming   more    noted    every   year    as    .1 

steamboat  service,  etc.  resort    for   fishermen   from   all   parts   of 

besides  the  two  hotels  mentioned,  the  New  England. 
New  Hotel  Weirs  and  the  Lakeside,  there         Nearly  all  of  the  islands  have  one  or 

are    half   a    do/en    other    smaller   hotels  more    summer    cottages.    man_\-   of    them 


232 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


substantial  and  in  some  cases  elegant 
structures,  and  The  Weirs  is  the  centre 
for  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  sum- 
mer cottagers,  fishermen,  and  tourists. 
For  many  years  the  old-fashioned  horse- 
boats  were  in  frequent  use  on  the  lake 
to  transport  wood,  grain,  and  other 
merchandise,  the  hrst  of  these  curious 
craft  being  constructed  in  1838,  but 
the  advent  of  the  steamboat  in  1842 
gradually  drove  the  horse-boat  into  dis- 
use, and  to-day  transportation  is  fur- 
nished by  hundreds  of  beautiful  steam 
and  naphtha  craft  of  all  sizes. 

From   the    red   man's   fishing  ground 
and  a  mere  camp-ground  for  a  week  or 


account  of  the  beautiful  grove  of  health- 
giving  pines,  its  convenience  to  station, 
steamboat  landing,  etc.  Its  nearness  to 
the  shore  of  the  lake  suggested  its  name. 
The  first  hotel  contained  eight  sleeping 
apartments  as  an  addition  to  a  rough 
unfinished  Methodist  boarding-house, 
and  was  built  by  Levi  R  Weeks,  brother 
of  the  present  proprietor,  and  run  by 
him  very  successfully  for  three  years. 

In  1880  George  W.  Weeks  united 
with  his  brother  and  the  present  house 
was  erected,  which,  constantly  growing 
in  popularity,  has  each  year  been  en- 
larged or  improved,  until  at  the  present 
date  it  stands  one  of  the   most   popular 


^BHHJHBni 


The  Lakeside  House. 


ten  daws  in  the  summer,  The  Weirs  has 
grown  to  be  one  of  the  most  important 
and  widely  known  summer  resorts  in 
New  England.  It  is  constantly  increas- 
ing in  valuation  by  the  erection  of  new 
cottages  and  other  improvements,  and 
the  place  is  undoubtedly  permanently 
established  as  a  summer  home  for  thou- 
sands of  the  tired  and  overworked  resi- 
dents of  our  larger  cities. 


The  Lakeside  House. 


In  the  earliest  history  of  The  Weirs  as 
a  summer  resort,  the  site  of  the  Lakeside 
House  was  chosen  as  the  most  desira- 
ble  location   for   a   hotel,  principally  on 


summer  homes  to  be  found  in  New 
Hampshire ;  noted  for  its  cleanliness, 
excellent  service,  and  homelike  attrac- 
tiveness, equipped  with  modern  con- 
veniences, electric  bells,  bath  rooms, 
perfect  sanitary  arrangements,  and  re- 
freshing spring  water.  One  remarka- 
ble feature  and  a  delightful  wonder  to 
all  sojourners  is  the  absence  of  mosqui- 
toes and  flies,  which  so  often  trouble 
the  summer  guest.  One  can  sit  on  the 
broad  verandas  of  the  Lakeside  House, 
day  or  evening,  in  perfect  tranquility. 
Malaria  is  also  unknown  ;  air,  pure  and 
invigorating. 

"  In  the  Lakeside  pines  there  lurks  no  ill, 
But  fragrant  balsam  all  pain  to  still." 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


233 


The  house  contains  seventy-five  sleep- 
ing rooms  and  a  spacious  dining  hall, 
and  with  its  several  adjoining  cottages 
can  easily  accommodate  two  hundred 
guests.  The  property  accumulated  by 
Mr.  Weeks  in  these  years  of  prosperity 
includes  in  addition  to  the  hotel :  Five 
cottages,  casino,  with  pool  and  billiard 
tables,  two  restaurants,  grocery  store, 
barber's  shop,  printing  office,  meat  mar- 
ket, and  livery  stable. 

In  1882,  the  late  L.  R.  Weeks  gave 
up  to  the  disease  which  had  been  prey- 
ing upon  his  constitution  for  a  number 
of  years,  leaving  the  business  in  which 
he  had   taken    such    a   deep    interest   to 


continued  in  the  same  business  live 
years,  since  which  time  his  summer  res- 
idence has  been  at  The  Weirs. 

Always  prominent  as  a  worker  in  pol- 
ities and  voting  in  Gilford  or  Laconia 
with  the  exception  of  three  years,  he 
was  postmaster  three  terms  and  repre- 
sented Ward  1  in  the  fust  city  council. 
He  belongs  to  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

In  1867,  he  was  married  to  Lizzie 
Sinclair,  daughter  of  Jonathan  M.  Sin- 
clair of  Brentwood,  N.  H.  Mrs.  Weeks 
is  by  profession  an  artist,  and  the  work 
of  her  brush  and  her  artistic  taste  have 
contributed  much  to  the  charm  and 
attractiveness   of    the    hotel,  besides  the 


Mrs.  George  \V.  We 


George  W.  Weeks,  Jr.,  who  has  since 
been  sole  manager  and  proprietor  of  the 
Lakeside  House.  This  pioneer  of  The 
Weirs,  son  of  George  William  Weeks, 
was  born  in  Gilford,  removing  at  twelve- 
years  of  age  with  his  father  to  Lake- 
port.  Here  he  received  his  early  edu- 
cation and  also  attended  Tilton  semi- 
nary. G.  W.  Weeks,  Sr.,  was  an  active 
business  man  and  engaged  in  various 
pursuits,  and  here  the  son  acquired  his 
first  knowledge  of  hotel  keeping;  also 
the  grocery  business.  Later  he  was 
engaged  with  brothers  in  the  dry  goods 
business  at  Laconia  for  twelve  years, 
removing  to  Concord  in  1875,  where  he 
16 


Georee  W.  Weeks 


many  hundred  souvenirs  which  have 
been  taken  away  into  all  parts  of  the 
country  in  the  form  of  oil  and  water 
color  pictures  and  decorated  china.  A 
delightful  exhibition  of  ait  is  constantly 
going  on  at  the  Lakeside  House,  and 
Mrs.  Weeks  finds  there  a  ready  sale  for 
sketches  of  surrounding  landscape  and 
flowers,  which  are  made  in  the  early 
and  later  part  of  the  season  and  per- 
fected at  the  winter  residence  in  the 
capital  city.  No  one  person  has  con- 
tributed so  much  for  the  building  up  of 
The  Weirs  as  George  W.  Weeks.  Hotel 
keeping  is  his  chosen  profession,  and 
The  Weirs  his  ••  Paradise  on  Earth." 


234 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


The  New  Hotel  Weirs. 


Situated  upon  a  commanding  emi- 
nence, overlooking  the  world-famous 
Lake  Winnipesaukee,  at  the  gateway  of 
the  White  Mountain  region,  stands  Dr. 
J.  A.  Greene's  "  New  Hotel  Weirs,"  the 
most  commodious  and  best  hotel  in  the 
lake  region.  This  hotel  has  been  en- 
larged, improved,  and  entirely  reno- 
vated and  refurnished,  with  eighty  new 
rooms,  thirty  of  which  are  supplied  with 
baths.  Its  sanitary  arrangements  are 
perfect.     The  proprietor.  Dr.  J.  Alonzo 


is  pure  and  bright,  coming  directly  from 
the  mountain  springs,  and  a  second  sup- 
ply, for  sprinkling,  bathing,  and  fire 
protection,  from  the  lake  itself.  The 
table  is  supplied  daily  with  fresh  vegeta- 
bles, milk,  butter,  and  eggs  from  the 
famous  Roxmont  Poultry  Farm  and 
from  the  neighboring  farmers.  Spa- 
cious piazzas  encircle  the  entire  hotel, 
from  which  views  of  lake  and  mountains 
of  unsurpassed  magnificence  are  ob- 
tained. Electric  cars  leave  the  hotel 
grounds  at  frequent  intervals  for  a  five- 
mile   ride   to  the   city  of   Laconia. 


' 


New  Hotel  Weirs. 


Greene,  and  the  manager,  the  ever-pop- 
ular and  experienced  landlord,  Col. 
Freeman  C.  Willis,  spare  no  pains  or 
expense  to  make  the  New  Hotel  Weirs 
a  model  of  comfort  to  its  guests.  It  is 
fully  equipped  with  electrical  appliances 
and  connected  by  telephone  and  tele- 
graph with  the  direct  lines  to  various 
points.  Its  cuisine  is  excellent  and  up- 
to-date  in  every  particular.  A  never- 
failing  mineral  spring  is  constantly  flow- 
ing from  a  ledge  of  rocks  on  the  hotel 
grounds.     The  water  used  in  the  hotel 


All  trains  and  steamboats  arrive  at 
and  depart  from  the  station  and  wharves 
directly  in  front  of  the  hotel  grounds. 
The  New  Hotel  Weirs  has  a  fine 
billiard-room  and  tennis  court  con- 
nected, and  an  excellent  orchestra  fur- 
nishes good  music.  The  climate  is 
conceded  by  all  to  be  the  best,  the 
mountain  breezes  being  tempered  by 
the  moisture  from  the  waters  of  the 
lake.  Lake  Winnipesaukee  abounds 
with  game  fish  of  all  kinds,  and  has 
been  very  properly  christened  the  fish- 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


235 


ermen's  paradise,  all  varieties  of  fresh- 
water fish  being  taken  by  anglers,  in- 
cluding landlocked  salmon,  lake  trout, 
black  bass,  pickerel,  perch,  etc.  Steam 
yachts  and  row-boats  can  be  engaged  at 
the  hotel  office,  and  the  lake  affords 
excellent  and  safe  bathing.  Lake  W'in- 
nipesaukee  is  unmatched  in  all  the 
mountains  for  variety  and  picturesque- 
ness,  and  the  New  Hotel  Weirs  is 
unparalleled  in  New  England  for  its 
comfort  and  great  variety  of  attractions. 
The  view  obtained  here  is  pronounced 
by  travelers  to  be  superior  to  anything 
of  the  kind  to 
b  e  found  i  n 
the  world. 

Four  express 
trains  leave  the 
Union  station 
on  Cause  w  a  y 
street,  Boston, 
every  day  for 
The  Weirs,  with 
parlor  and  buf- 
fet cars  attach- 
ed, thus  ensur- 
ing perfect 
comfort  in  trav- 
el. Steamboats 
leaveTheWeirs 
every  few  hours 
for  Centre  Har- 
bor, Wolfebor- 
ough,  Alton 
Bay,  and  all 
points  on  the 
lake,  affording 
many  delight- 
ful excursions. 

Lake  YYinnipesaukee,  on  whose  match- 
less shores  Hotel  Weirs  is  situated,  is 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  lakes  in 
the  world,  surpassed  by  no  American 
waters  and  rivaling  in  scenic  beauty  the 
far-famed  Italian,  Swiss,  and  Scottish 
lakes.  Winnipesaukee  is  the  name 
bestowed  by  the  Indians,  whose  mean- 
ing, "  The  Smile  of  the  Great  Spirit." 
shows  that  even  the  untutored  abo- 
rigines recognized  that  Omnipotence 
had  placed  the  seal  of  its  crowning 
glory  upon  this  sparkling  lake  whose 
pelucid    waters    lave    the     foothills,    an 


? 


Dr.  J.  A.  Greene,  Proprietor. 


advance  -mud  of  the  picturesque  White 

Mountains. 

Perhaps  we  can  give  the  reader  no 
better  idea  of  this  summer  paradise 
than  to  quote  from  a  letter  written  by  a 
guest  of  last  season  : 

"I  had  taken  rooms  at  the  famous  Hotel 
Weirs  and  descended  from  the  hot  and  dusty 
train  into  cool  and  delicionsly  fragrant  air.  It 
was  night,  and  such  a  night  !  Never  through 
life  will  the  memory  of  that  wondrous  scene 
fade  from  my  mind.  Weir>  was  en  file,  and  the 
spectacle  was  transcendent,  dazzling,  beautiful. 
It  was  as  if  I  had  been  suddenly  translated  into 
fairyland.  At  the  back  rose  the  great  hotel,  its 
hundred  windows  aglow  with  the  cordial  light 
of  welcome  ;  fes- 
toons of  myriad 
flags  and  stream- 
ers waved  in  the 
soft  breeze,  while 
thousands  of  Chi- 
nese lanterns 
gleamed  and  twin- 
kled among  the 
trees  and  up  and 
down  the  long, 
wide  pia/zas,  fill- 
ed with  bevies  of 
radiantly  dressed 
women,  groups  of 
men,  and  prome- 
naders.  The  soft 
strains  of  aStrauss 
waltz  floated  out 
upon  the  air  from 
the  hospit  able, 
wide-open  win- 
dows of  the  hotel 
parlors,  and  the 
laughter  of  merry 
dancers  echoed 
the  music  ol  the 
orchestra 

"  All  this  was 
pleasure  in  its 
highest  personifi- 
cation, but  a  cool- 
ing zephyr  from 
the  water,  upon 
my  heated  brow,  caused  me  to  turn  toward  that 
famed  lake,  the  lake  of  the  poet,  Whittier,  the 
lake  artists  rave  over,  the  ideal  lake  of  the 
sportsman — Winnipesaukee — which  I  then  saw 
for  the  first  time  and  which  was,  indeed,  the 
Smile  of  the  Great  Spirit.  Never  shall  I  for- 
get the  shuddering  ecstacy  with  which  I  drank 
in  that  wondrous  scene.  The  hotel,  the  music, 
the  life,  the  light,  and  gayety  were  instantly 
forgotten — lost  in  that  amaze  and  reverent  awe 
into  which  the  human  atom  is  plunged  when 
brought  face  to  face  with  the  stupendous  gran- 
deur of  the  Creator's  mastei works  of  nature. 
"  What  pen  can  describe  the  sublimity  of  that 
picture,  what  pen  portray  its  ineffable  and  trans- 
cendent beauty!  For  miles  upon  miles,  in  all 
directions,  spread  that  marvelous  sheet  of 
water,  dotted  all  over  by  the  greenest  isles  that 


lfc&. 


236 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


ever  studded  a  blue  sea ;  the  moon  at  her  full 
rode  high  in  a  heaven  unflecked  by  cloud  or 
shadow,  dropping,  as  it  were,  the  diamonds  of 
her  light  in  brilliant  reflection  down  upon  the 
distant  bosom  of  the  lake,  at  first  in  a  narrow 
streak  of  sniveling  silver,  ever  widening,  ever 
growing  as  in  broadening  band  upon  the  shim- 
mering waters  it  approached  the  beholder  in 
corruscations  of  living,  liquid  light,  tossed,  glow- 
ing and  gleaming  and  glittering  from  myriad 
tiny  waves  like  untold  millions  of  limpid,  re- 
splendent jewels;  the  soft  air  was  cool  and 
fragrant  with  pine  and  hemlock  from  every 
heavily  wooded  isle,  bearing  in  every  deep- 
drawn  breath  the  balm  of  health  ;  at  my  feet  the 
gentle  ripples  lapped  musically  upon  the  shore. 
Far  away,  glancing  athwart  the  moonbeams  on 
the    water,    were    tiny    pleasure    yachts,    their 


Tavern  at  The  Weirs.  David  B.  Story 
is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  tav- 
ern-keepers in  New  Hampshire,  and 
has  also  figured  prominently  in  political 
and  other  circles  of  Laconia  for  many 
years. 

David  B.  Story  is  a  native  of  Hop- 
kinton,    N.    H.,   born   January  19,  1836. 

He  was  educated  at  Hopkinton  acad- 
emy, and  was  married  in  1857  to  Sarah 
J.  French,  and  has  four  children  living : 
J.  Henry,  Fred  W.,  Charles  F.,  and 
Benjamin  F.  A  daughter,  Ada  S.,  died 
in  1877. 


West  End  of  Dinin?-Room,  New  Hotel  Weirs. 


lights  now  showing,  now  lost  to  sight.  Nearer 
land  some  young  people  in  boats  were  idly 
drifting,  the  faint  echoes  of  their  joyous  laugh- 
ter floating  across  the  waters,  while  just  off 
shore  a  great  fish,  belated  by  nightfall,  broke 
water  and  disappeared,  leaving  only  the  rapidly 
widening  circle  where  a  moment  before  he  had 
risen  to  some  luckless  fly.  Such  a  scene!  such 
a  night!  such  a  place  !  I  felt  that  here  at  last  I 
had  found  the  vacationist's  paradise." 


Story's  Tavern. 

Everybody  who  ever  stopped  long  in 
Laconia  knows  "  Dave  "  Story  of  Story's 


Mr.  Story  is  a  Unitarian,  and  a  mera- 
of  the  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Honor, 
and  the  Amoskeag  Veterans  of  Man- 
chester, New  Hampshire's  famous  mili- 
tary organization. 

He  is  a  veteran  Democrat,  and  has 
served  as  sheriff  of  Belknap  county, 
deputy  sheriff,  justice  of  the  peace, 
selectman,  member  of  the  city  council, 
and  representative  in  the  legislature. 

Mr.  Story  has  been  a  hotel-keeper  for 
thirty-six  years,  having  been  landlord  of 
the  Perkins  House,  Mt.  Belknap  House, 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LAC  "ON  IAN. 


237 


Laconia  House,  Hotel  Weirs,  and  at  the 
present  time  welcomes  his  patrons  at 
Story's  Tavern,  on  Lakeside  avenue  at 
The  Weirs. 

Story's  Tavern  is  located  on  the  shore 
of  Lake  Winnipesaukee,  and  situated  in 
a  grove  directly  facing  the 
lake,  and  within  two  hundred 
feet  of  it,  and  having  one  of 
the  finest  views  of  the  lake 
and  mountains  to  be  had  at 
The  Weirs.  This  hotel,  al- 
though small,  has  all  the  com- 
forts of  a  larger  house. 

The  steamboat  landings 
and  depot  are  but  one  min- 
ute's walk  from  the  hotel  and 
in  full  view  of  the  same. 

Nice  fishing,  boating,  ex- 
cursions on  the  lake  every 
day,  and  splendid  drives. 

The  motto  is:   "  Small  but  Good." 

Terms    from     $7    to    $10     per    week. 
Transient  $2  per  day. 

Mr.  Story's  long  connection  with  the 


stantial  food  and  all  the  comforts  whirl 
can  be  desired. 


Lake  View  House. 


D.  B.  Story 


The  Lake  View  House  at  The  Weirs 
is  open  from  June  15  to  Sep- 
tember 15,  Robert  C.  Dickey, 
proprietor.  The  Weirs  is  the 
principal  summer  resort  on 
the  shores  of  the  beautiful 
Winnipesaukee  lake,  thirtv- 
five  miles  north  of  Concord, 
on  the  Boston  &  Maine  rail- 
road. There  are  seven  trains 
daily  each  way  from  Boston 
through  to  Plymouth  and  the 
White  Mountains.  The  Lake 
View  House  is  pleasantly  lo- 
cated on  quite  an  elevation 
but  a  short  distance  from  the  railroad 
station  and  steamboat  landing. 

The  house  is  neat,  clean,  and  newly 
furnished,  every  room  is  pleasant,  and  the 
house  accommodates  twenty-five  guests. 


Story's  Hotel. 

hotel  business  has  given   him   an   exten-  Everything  is  made  homelike  and  cheer- 

sive     acquaintance     with    the    trawling  ful.      The  location   makes    it    cool    and 

public,   and  his  honest  welcome  to  the  comfortable  even  in  the  hottest  weather. 

weary  traveler  or  the  sojourner  from  the  There  is  a  fine  grove  near  by,  also  the 

city  seeking  a  quiet  rest  in   the   country,  G.  A.    R.    grove,    speaker's    stand,  etc., 

is    a   guarantee   of   good    lodgings,   sub-  where  band  concerts  and  many  interest- 


sJBFcM" 

r           |:if 

■Bff 

I 


240 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


ing  outdoor  gatherings  are  held  during 
the  summer.  The  spring  water  with 
which  the  house  is  supplied  has  special 
medicinal  qualities,  as  very  many  have 
testified  after  using  it  freely  for  a  short 
time,  when  they  could  not  drink  ordi- 
nary city  water  without  injury.  Particu- 
lar pains  is  taken  to  have  a  first-class 
table,  supplied  with  fresh  milk,  fruit, 
vegetables,  etc.,  from  the  farm  daily. 
Boating  and  fishing,  with  the  opportun- 
ity for  carriage  drives  through  delightful 


even  by  a  bush  or  rock.  On  either 
side  of  this  avenue  many  islands  ar- 
ranged themselves,  as  if  to  adorn  with 
a  finish  that  could  be  given  only  by 
their  glowing  verdure  and  graceful 
forms.  That  the  successive  beauties  of 
the  Winnipesaukee  strongly  resemble 
and  equal  those  of  Lake  George,  I  can- 
not entertain  a  doubt,  and  from  various 
elevations  the  scene  is  superior.  The 
Winnipesaukee  presents  a  field  of  twice 
the  extent  of  Lake  George.    The  islands 


Lake  View  House. 


scenery,  make  this  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable places  to  spend  a  quiet  summer 
vacation  at  a  small  expense.  Prices  are 
from  $7  to  $10  per  week. 

Dr.  Dwight,  a  noted  traveler,  has  said 
of  this  lake  :  "  From  a  delightful  eleva- 
tion a  short  distance  from  the  highway 
could  be  seen  the  Winnipesaukee  lake, 
an  immense  field  of  glass.  In  the  cen- 
tre, a  noble  channel  spread  out  twenty- 
two  miles  before  the  eye,  uninterrupted 


in  view  are  more  numerous,  of  finer 
form,  and  more  happily  arranged.  The 
shores  are  not  inferior.  The  expansion 
is  far  more  magnificent,  and  the  gran- 
deur of  the  mountains  can  scarcely  be 
rivaled."  A  few  minutes'  walk  from  the 
Lake  View  House  the  above  can  be  at 
once  verified,  and  no  finer  view  of  lake 
and  mountain  can  hardly  be  conceived. 
Descriptive  circular  and  other  informa- 
tion sent  on  application  to  R.  C.  Dickey. 


INTERLAKEN  PARK 


Interlaken  Park,  located  on  the  shore 
of  beautiful  Lake  Winnipesaukee,  just 
across  the  channel  from  The  Weirs,  is 
already  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
charming  and  convenient  summer-resort 
locations  in  the  whole  lake  region  of 
New  Hampshire. 


White  Mountains  in  the  background, 
while  the  facilities  and  conveniences  for 
business  and  professional  men  who 
make  this  Mecca  of  tourists  a  place  of 
summer  resort,  give  it  a  special  advan- 
tage over  the  majority  of  towns  and  vil- 
lages   catering    for  summer    patronage. 


Looking  down  the  Channel  from  the  Park,  Endicott  Rock  in  the  Distance. 


Lake  Winnipesaukee  is  everywhere 
acknowledged  to  be  the  most  magnifi- 
cent summer  resort  in  the  Granite  state. 
It  is  the  largest  lake  in  the  state,  contain- 
ing an  area  of  seventy  square  miles,  and 
its  hundreds  of  islands,  natural  bays,  in- 
teresting inlets  and  picturesque  shores, 
are  the  theme  of  universal  praise  by 
both  press  and  public.  The  Weirs  is  the 
chief  port  of  the  lake  and  the  most  im- 
portant junction  of  railroad  and  steam- 
boat travel.  The  view  from  this  point 
combines  the  lake  scenery  with  the  moun- 
tain ranges  of  Ossipee,  Sandwich,  and  the 


Railroad  and  steamboat  communication 
is  prompt  and  frequent.  The  running 
time  between  Boston  and  The  Weirs  is 
only  about  three  hours,  and  the  Boston 
&  .Maine  system  runs  several  express 
trains  each  way  every  day  between  these 
points;  the  White  Mountain  region  can 
be  reached  in  a  few  hours ;  steamboats 
run  between  all  the  harbors  and  towns 
around  the  lake;  while  the  conveniences 
of  telegraph  and  telephone  are  the  same 
as  can  be  obtained  in  any  of  the  large 
cities.  Electric  street  cars  make  twenty- 
minute    trips  between  The    Weirs    and 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


2  43 


the  thriving  city  of  Laconia,  five  miles 
distant,  the  electrics  running  directly  by 
the  entrance  of  Interlaken  Park. 

Interlaken  Park  is  actually  the  coolest 
spot  on  the  shores  of  the  lake.  By  care- 
ful  temperature    tests,  under  like  condi- 


tions, made  in 
August  by  Mayor 
Adams  of  Frank- 
lin, the  thermom- 
eter registered 
from  6  to  16  de- 
grees cooler  at 
his  cottage  at  the 
park  than  at  The 
Weirs  station. 
Four  consecutive 
days  showed  a 
difference  of   12    degrees  on   each  daw 

Interlaken  Park  includes  forty  acres 
of  shore  property  which  has  been  sur- 
veyed and  is  laid  out  into  lots  for  sum- 
mer residences.  A  substantial  driveway 
or  avenue  has  been  made  at  consider- 
able expense  along  the  whole  lake  front- 
age, and  sub-avenues  or  broad  streets 
intersect  at  regular  and  convenient  dis- 
tances. Running  water  is  supplied  from 
The  Weirs  water-works,  and  can  be  car- 
ried to  any  portion  of  the  park,  thus 
securing  a  bountiful  supply  of  pure 
drinking  water. 

It  is  designed  to  make  the  park  a 
summer  resort  for  those  who  appre- 
ciate the  beautiful  attractions  and  the 
health-giving    properties    in    which   this 


region  abounds.  The  scheme  of  allot- 
ments secures  to  each  cottager  immunity 
from  the  annoyances  of  arbitrary  privi- 
leges which  are  sometimes  the  bane  of 
allotment  summer  parks,  and  everything 
has  been  carefully  planned  and  consid- 
ered so  that  each  purchaser  feels  that 
his  personal  purchase  secures  to  himself 
comfort  and  security  during  the  months 
of  summer  leisure  and  occupancy. 

The  park  property  is  on  a  gradual 
rise  (the  back  lots  being  one  hundred 
feet  higher  than  the  lake  level),  and 
commands  one  of  the  most  extensive  and 
magnificent  views  to  be  obtained  any- 
where around  this  celebrated  lake.  Some 
of  the  best  fishing  grounds  in  the  lake  for 
lake  trout,  salmon, 
bass,  and  pickerel 
are  within  easy  dis- 
tance of  the  park,  a 
feature  which  is  ap- 
preciated by  many 
summer  visitors. 

Combining  as  it 
does  all  the  charm 
of  shore  and   moun- 


w.c*' 


Summer  I  tomes  at  the  Park. 

tain  scenery,  superbly  located,  free 
from  excursion  crowds  and  picnics,  and 
yet  within  immediate  communication  of 
railroad,  telegraph,  and  city  life.  Inter- 
laken Park  offers  attractions  which 
cannot  be  found  elsewhere,  and  ran 
hardly    fail    to    rapidly    become    one    of 


244 


THE    ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


the  most  popular  resorts  on  Lake  Win-  the     Winnipesaukee     Lake     Company, 

nipesaukee.  at  Lakeport,    N.    H.,   or   at    the    Hotel 

For    further    particulars    inquire    of  Weirs,  The   Weirs,  during  the  summer 

Harry    W.    Daniell,    superintendent    of  season. 


Plan  of  I  titer  lake  n  Park. 


Harry  W.  Daniell,  Agent  of  the  Winnipesaukee  Lake  Co. 


THE  ILLUSTRATED  LACONIAN. 


2  45 


Charles  W.  Vaughan. 

Charles  W.  Vaughan,  manager  of  the 
Laconia  Press  Association,  and  editor  of 
The  Illustrated  Laconian,  is  a  na- 
tive Laconian,  born  June  30,  1862,  in 
the  old  Vaughan  homestead,  which 
stood  on  Main  street,  just  below  the 
railroad  tracks,  and  which  was  removed 
to  make  room  for  the  new  passenger 
depot  and  railroad  square.  His  parents 
were  the  late  O.  A.  J.  Vaughan,  for 
many  years  a 
well-known  law- 
yer, and  also 
editor  of  the 
Laconia  Demo- 
crat, and  Mary 
Elizabeth  (Par- 
ker) Vaughan. 
T  h  e  ancestors 
of  these  fami- 
lies were  not 
only  among  the 
early  settlers  of 
America,  but  if 
the  family  rec- 
ords had  been 
properly  kept 
the  pedigree 
could  have  been 
traced  back  to 
the  late  M  r. 
Noah,  who  con- 
ducted a  very 
successful  ferry- 
boat bus  i  n  e  s  s 
at  Mt.  Ararat  at 
the  time  of  the 
big  freshet,  and 
whose  menagerie  of  wild  and  domestic 
animals  was  at  that  time  universally  ad- 
mitted to  be  the  biggest  show  on  earth. 

Quite  a  number  of  the  Vaughan  fam- 
ily were  among  the  early  colonists  of 
Massachusetts,  and  while  some  of  them 
acquired  fame  in  the  Erench  and  Indian 
wars,  and  the  Revolution,  others  had 
fame  thrust  upon  them,  one  being  tried, 
convicted,  and  hung  as  one  of  nineteen 
witches  in  Salem,  while  another  served 
a  term  in  jail  for  speaking  very  disre- 
pectfully  of  one  of  the  colonial  govern- 


Charles  \V.  Vaughan. 


ors   of   Massachusetts,  which    might   or 
might  not  have  been  discreditable. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  distin- 
guished himself  at  the  tender  age  of 
three  years  by  burning  his  father's  barn, 
thereby  satisfying  a  vindictive  anti- 
pathy towards  a  certain  gentleman 
sheep  with  whom  he  had  some  previous 
misunderstanding.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Laconia,  and  at 
the  age  of  thirteen  years  entered  the 
Pitman  mills  with  the  intention  of  be- 
coming a  hosiey 
man  uf  act  u  rer. 
A  violent  disin- 
clination for 
work,  however, 
induced  him  to 
a  b  a  n  d  o  n  this 
e  n  t  e  r  prise  for 
the  newspaper 
business  after 
one  year,  and 
since  1877  he 
has  been  con- 
nected with  the 
Laconia  Demo- 
crat in  various 
capacities. 

In  polities  he 
is  an  Indepen- 
dent, but  always 
votes  the  I  )em- 
ocratic  ticket. 
He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first 
city  council  of 
Laconia.  In 
religious  mat- 
ters he  is  a  Con- 


gregationalist. 

He    married    Florence    N.   Elliott 
Bradford,  Vt.,  October  16,  1882. 


of 


Louis  B.  Martin. 


Louis  E.  Martin,  publisher  of  The 
Illustrated  Laconian,  was  born  in 
Providence,  R.  I..  May  24,  1874,  only 
son  of  the  late  Walter  A.  Martin  and 
Ilattie  A.  (brown)  Martin.  His  father 
died  March  S.  187N,  and  young  Martin 
with   his   mother    removed   to    Laconia. 


246 


THE   ILLUSTRATED    LACONIAN. 


where    they    have    since    resided.      Mr. 
Martin  attended  the  public  schools,  and 
learned  the  printer's  trade  and  has  been 
employed    on    the    various     papers     of 
I  aconia       He  conducted  the  street  car 
advertising  service  in   Laconia  for  four 
vears     has    published   various  advertis- 
ing  novelties  and   illustrated  souvenirs 
in"  different    parts     of    the    state.  _    Mr. 
Martin     recently    invented     a     printing 
press,  and   was 
allowed    a    pat- 
ent on  the  same 
last    March, 
which    is    now 
being     success- 
fully placed  on 
the    market    by 
a  Boston  house. 
He  was  married 
on  October  21, 
1895,    to    Miss 
Mary  L.Twom- 
bly  of  Laconia, 
and    they    have 
a    little    daugh- 
ter, Esther.  ^^ 


Publisher's 
Note. 

The  publisher 
of  The  Illus- 
trated Laco- 
nian  takes  con- 
siderable pride 
in  present  i  ng 
this  publication 

to  the  public,  believing  the  work  to  be 
the  most  complete  and  representative 
souvenir  of  the  city  ever  issued.  The 
publisher  does  not  claim  that  the  book 
faithfully  presents  every  man  and  every 
industry  which  has  helped  to  build  up 
Laconia,  but  it  is  claimed  that  in  this 
respect  the  publication  is  complete  with 
but  very  few  exceptions,  and  these  ex- 


ceptions  through   no  fault   of   the   pub- 
lisher.    The  facts  and  dates  in  the  vari- 
ous articles  have  been  obtained  so  far 
as  possible  by  personal  interviews  and 
are  so  far  as  known  absolutely  correct. 
The    publisher    is    deeply    indebted     to 
quite    a   number    of    our  public-spirited 
citizens  for  valuable  assistance  in  com- 
piling The  Illustrated  Laconian  and 
in    making    the    publication    a    success, 
and  would  also 
express  his  ap- 
preciation   for 
the  court eous 
treatment   and 
generous   sup- 
port re  c  e  i  v  e  d 
from    the   num- 
erous   people 
and  concerns 
who   appear    in 
the  book. 

For    the    ex- 
cellence of  the 
engravings  and 
the     fine    typo- 
graphical ap- 
pearance of  this 
publication, 
credit   should 
be  given  to  the 
Rumford  Print- 
ing Co.,  of  Con- 
cord,  N.  H., 
which    concern 
is   not    only  by 
far    the    largest 
engraving    and 
printing    establishment   in   New   Hamp- 
shire, but  which  also  stands  second  to 
none  in   New  England  for  fine  work  in 
this     line.     The     half-tone    engravings 
were  all  made  by  the  Rumford  Printing 
Co.,  and    the    book   was    printed    and 
bound  complete  in  their  establishment. 
LOUIS   B.    MARTIN, 

Publisher. 


Louis  B.  Martin 


INDEX. 


Abbott,  Dr.  Alfred  \V 140 

Abbott,  Dr.  Clifton   S 141 

Adams,  Fred   R 206 

Ashman,   John  W 41 

Baldwin,  Charles  W 1  iS 

Babb,  Rev.  J.  Franklin 39 

Beckford,  Judge  Frank  M    119 

Blaisdell,  Joseph  II 83 

booth,  John 147 

Brown,  the  late  Levi  B    97 

Browne,  Lewis  A 212 

Burleigh,  Edwin  F 1S2 

Busiel,  the   late  Hon.  John  \V 154 

Busiel,  Ex-Gov.  Charles  A 155 

Busiel,  John  T 157 

busiel,  Frank  E [58 

Busiel,  J.  W.  &  Co   1 59 

(  arroll  &  Crapo 35 

Central   House 1S3 

Chase,  Harry   S 171 

Chase,  Ethan  A 81 

( 'hase's  Sporting  Resort 81 

Churches  : 

baptist,  Lakeport 223 

Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart 221 

Congregational 214 

First  Free  Baptist 21S 

Free  Baptist,  Lakeport 216 

First  Baptist 215 

First  Methodist  Episcopal 220 

First  Unitarian 221 

Peoples'  Christian 225 

St.  James'  Episcopal 219 

St.  Joseph's 224 

Trinity  M.  E.,  Lakeport 226 

Cilley,  Harry   D 1S0 

City  Savings  Bank 151 

Clark,  Adelbert 199 

Clow,  the  late  William 66 

Clow,  Henrv  1! 67 

Clow,  William  &  Son 67 

Cole  Manufacturing  Co 47 

Cole,  the  late  Hon.  Benjamin  J 47 

Cole,  Capt.  Stephen  B 207 

Cottrell's 105 

Cottrell,  Irving  M 106 

Cox,  George  B iot 

Crane  Manufacturing  Co 1 2S 

Crane,  John  S 129 

Crane,  Mazellah  L 130 

Daniell,   Harry  W 244 

Davis,  the  late   Francis  H So 

Dinsmoor,  the  late  Daniel  S 38 

I tinsmoor,  Arthur  W 1  53 

Dinsmore,  Rev.  Jonathan    R 227 

Dow  &  Roberts 57 

Drake,  Benjamin   F 60 

Eagle  Hotel 212 

Edgerly,  the  late  Nathaniel 143 

Esty  Sprinkler  Co 205 

Everingham,  Rev.  John  E 226 

Flanders,  William   H 58 

Folsom,  Albert  G 126 


Folsom,  Frank  R 204 

Foss,  Oscar 123 

Foster.  Charles  T [91 

Five,  <  harles  E 1 . >.S 

Frye,  Simeon   C 151 

Gale,  the  late  Major  N.  B 107 

Getchell,  Rev.  William  11 218 

Gilman,  Frank   L i.S^ 

Gilman,  Dr.  Charles  S.  .  . 76 

Gingras,  Joseph  II 68 

Glidden,  Albert. S 141) 

Gordon  &  Booth 1 46 

Gordon,  Alburtis  S 1  j- 

Goss,  the  late  Dr.  Oliver 87 

Goss,  the  late  Elizabeth  H.  (Flanders) 89 

Goss,  Dr.  ( )ssian  W 89 

Greene,  Dr.  J.   A 235 

Harriman,  Dr.  A.  II 56 

Heath,  W.   D 208 

Hennon,  Rev.  Fathei 224 

I  libbard,  Hon.  Ellery  A 193 

Hodgdon,  Dr.  Edwin   P 53 

Hotel  Picard 174 

Huntress,  1  lamlin i  1  ■> 

Huse  Machine  Shops 74 

II use,  Warren  D 75 

Interlaken  Park 241 

Jewell,  Erastus  P 142 

Jewett,  Judge  John  G iN} 

Jewett,  Col.  Stephen  S [33 

Jones,  I  Ton.    Frank 29 

Jordan,  Rev.  John  B 219 

Kellogg,  Daniel no 

Ring,  Dr.  W.    A 137 

Knight  &  Huntress 112 

Knight,  Gen.  William  F 112 

Laconia,   1652-1S99 ^ 

Laconia  Board  of  Trade 181 

Laconia  Building  and    Loan  Association. . .  32 

Laconia  Car  Company  Works 29 

Laconia,  Census    of,  in  1S36 27 

Laconia  Electric  Lighting  Co 125 

I  .aconia  Democrat 141 

Laconia  Grist-mill [37 

Laconia   Hardware  Company 36 

Laconia  Lumber  Works 92 

Laconia  Landmark 50 

Laconia  National    Bank 150 

Laconia  Post-office 1S0 

Laconia  Street  Railway 189 

Laconia  Savings  bank 103 

I  .aconia  To-day 21 

Laconia  Water  Company 143 

Lakeside  I  louse 232 

Lakeview  I  louse 2  ^7 

Lake  City  Laundry 203 

Leavitt,  Charles  E    [98 

Letourneau,  Dr.  J.  X 109 

I  ,ewis,  <  !ol.  Edwm  C 1S4 

Lougee  Pros 1  -  3 

Lougee,  Frank  H 173 

Lovell,  the  late  Judge  Warren 193 


248 


INDEX. 


Maher's  Newstand 211 

Maher,  Charles 211 

Mallard,  George  F 200 

Marshall,  Residence  of  William  C 192 

Martin,  the  late  Samuel  H 144 

Martin,  Louis  B 245 

Mayor  and  Council 24 

McCarthy  Bros 205 

McGloughlin,  James ...  3, 

McDaniel,   Charles  W 145 

Melcher  &  l'rescott  Insurance  Agency 130 

Melcher,  the  late  Woodbury 175 

Melcher,  Woodbury  L 176 

Meredith  Bridge,  Map  of  in  1S53 10 

Merrill,  John  F 79 

■  Merchand,  Leon  J 210 

Moulton,  the  late  Hon.  John  C 64 

Morin,  Joseph  P 68 

Moore,  Albert  C.    82 

Moore,  the  late  Jonathan  L 194 

Moore,  John  B ' 106 

Morrill,  Joseph  S 13S 

Monge,  Rev.  Father 221 

Munsey,  George  B 100 

Mutual  Building  and  Loan  Association.  ...  45 

Nelson,  the  late  David  B 52 

Nelson,  William 152 

New  Hotel  Weirs 234 

.Oberon  Ladies'  Quartette 63 

Old  Corner  Store 50 

Osgood,  F.  George  H 72 

O'Loughlin,  the  late  John 139 

(  >'Shea  Bros 42 

(  )'Shea,  Dennis 45 

O'Shea,  Residence  of  Eugene 213 

Pease's  City  Band 149 

Peaslee,  Walter  S 167 

'  Peaslee,  Frank  S 1 53 

Peoples'  National  Banki 103 

Pepper  Manufacturing  Company 69 

Pepper,  William  II 70 

Perley,  the  late  Stephen 161 

Perley,  the  late  John  L 163 

Perley,  the  late  John  L.,  I  r 165 

Perley,  Lewis   S 166 

Pierce,  Harry  L 191 

Pierce,  Lewis  S 191 

Pierce,  Rev.  Charles  L 216 

Pike,  Charles  J 209 

Pitman,  the  late  Joseph  P 195 

Pitman,  Charles  F 198 

Pitman,  Walter  H 73 

Pitman  Manufacturing  Company 198 

Plummer,  William  A 136 

Plummer,  Martin  B 1  iS 

Post-office 186 

Prescott,  True   E 1 33 

Pulsifer,  Ex-Mayor  Charles  L in 

Quimby,  Dr.  John  G 189 

Quinby,  Col.  Henry  B 48 

Quinby,  I  lenry  Cole 49 

Quinby,  Albert  T y] 

Quinby,  Edwin  N 37 

Richards,  Charles  F 166 

Rice,  Rev.  G.  Heber 223 


Riley,  George  W  . . 

Roberts,  John  L.  . . 

Robinson,  Mark  M 

I   Rowe,  Fred  B 


Saltmarsh,  Dr.  George  II ... . 
Sanders,  the  late  Samuel  W.. 
Sanders,  the  late  George  A.  . . 

Sanders,  George  A 

Sanborn,  Herbert  S 

Scott,  City  Marshal  H.  K.  W. 

Shannon,  Edwin   H 

Shannon,  Jonathan  C  

Shannon,  Will   P 

Simpson,  Charles  L 

Smith,  Ex-Mayor  Samuel  B.. 

Smith,  John  Parker 

Smith,  Joseph  F 

Smith,  Rev.  A.  L. 

Smith,  the  late  Rev.  A.  D .  .  . . 

Stone,  Hon.  Charles  F 

Story's  Drug  Store 

Story,  J.  Henry 

Story's  Hotel 

Story,  David  B 

Story,  Dr.  Helen   L 

Story,  Marion  W 


Tetley,  Mayor  Edmund 

The  Weirs 

Thompson,  Edwin  P 

Thompson,  True  W 

Thurston,  Rev.  Charles  A.  G. 
Tilton,  the  late  Daniel  A .  . .  . 

Tilton,  the  late  James  H 

Tilton,  the  late  Joseph  S 

Tilton,  George  Henry 

Tilton,  Elmer  S 

Trask,  Julian   Francis 

True,  the  late  Noah   L 

True,  Dr.  Walter   H 

Tucker,  Iloyt  H    

Twomblv,  the  late  Orison 


Vaughan,  the  late  O.  A.  J. 
Vaughan,  Charles  W  . . . . 
Vue  de  L'Eau 


Wallace,  William 

Wardwell  Needle  Co 

Ward,  Edwin  D 

Waverly  Shoe  Company 

Weeks,  George  W 

Weeks,  Mrs.  George  W 

Wells,  Dr.    Henry  C 

Weymouth,  Herman  C 

Whipple,  the  late  Col.  Thomas  J 

Wiley,  Dr.  Rebecca  W 

Wiley,  Rev.  Frederick  L 

Wilson,  Julius  E 

Wilson,  Morgia  Porter 

Winnipesaukee  Gas  and  Electric  Co. 

Woodworth,  Wellington   L 

Worrall,  T.    H 

Wrisley,  Dr.  J.  A 


Young,  Fred  A. 
Y.  M.  C.  A.... 


93 

98 

121 

59 

78 
178 

75 
7i 
95 
96 
62 
124 
203 

9i 
160 

51 
121 

220 

177 

61 

104 

I05 
236 

236 
200 


31 
229 

1  r .; 
116 

-15 
86 

'79 
167 
169 

170 
55 
53 
54 
84 
97 


245 
182 


105 
39 
77 
98 

233 
233 
125 

117 
187 

179 
228 

40 
90 
94 
9i 
202 
194 

85 

227 


Zebley,  Summer  Residence  of  Mrs.  John  F.  238 


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