Tiistorv of NASH&L4, Az. H. JOHN M. HUNT
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zo6 tIISTORV OF NASH&L4, Az. H. JOHN M. HUNT. which position of trust he held until the bank closed its business in October, 866. Hon. Isaac Spahting was John M. Hunt was born at Dracut, Mass., March 3, president of the bank (luring its entire life, and it was a I797: died at Nashua, Oct. 3 I885 He was a son of matter of pride with him and Mr. Hunt that the institu- Israel Hunt, born Aug. 27, I758 (tied March 2, 85o, tion never lost dollar by bad investment, and that and Catherine (Nowell) Hunt, born June I5, I765, died when its affairs were liquidated it paid its stockholders May 15, i85o. Their ancestors came from England iu the their principal and a handsome dividend in addition to seventeenth century and were among the early settlers in the dividends paid yearly when it did business. As a Massachusetts Bay colony. Their descendants have been citizen, neighbor and friend, no man of his generation among the pioneers in near and remote sections of this stood higher in the regard of the comnmnity. He was continent and democratic in all many of them his ways and deal- havedistinguished ings man whose themselves in the iuflueuce in the service of their commuuity was country, in the always on tile side professions and of justice, morality employtue,ts that and religion. Mr. have developed Hunt was regu- the civilization lar attendant at whichis thecrown- the Unitarian ing glory of tile church and a mem- nineteenth cen- ber of Rising Sun tury. lodge, A. F. and A. Mr. Hunt ob- M., of which be tained eoulnlon was senior warden school education, in 1826 and wor- and beyond that, shipful master in for he was a well I827. January 28, informed man on I823, Mr. Hunt topics of geueral was united in mar- interest, was self- riage with Mary taught. From 8o3 Anu Munroe, who till the time of his was born in Lex- death ill 885 he ington, Mass., Oct. was one of the 3, 8I: died at best known resi- Nashua, Dee. 1, dents of Nashua. I894. She was a In the beginning daughter of Thom- of his honorable as Manroe, born career he was in March 3 1785, trade at tile Harbor died July 8, 854, in store that and Elizabeth stood in tile south (Jewett) Munroe, triangle where the born Sept. 8, I785 l,owell aud Dnu- died Nov. 23, i88. stable roads form Mrs. IIunt's ances- junction. He was tors were anlong also interested in the first English lineu manufactur- settlers in Massa- ing enterprise, the chusetts, aud a nfill of which was great uumber of located on the site JOIIN M. IIUNT. their descendants of the present Vale have made their ufill. The business was not successful. In i82o he was mark in the world and have served, and are still serving appointed postmaster of Nashua, which office he held in houorable professions and callings. Mrs. Hunt came until July, 84I. During all these years, and in fact to Nashua with her parents when she was a child and during his active career, he took part in town affairs and her llome was here until her death. She was a constant performed the duties of citizenship with fidelity to every attendant at the Unitarian church and very much inter- trust, being town clerk and chairman of the board of ested in its work. In fact she left a bequest to the selectmen in 183o i833 ]834 835 and 1836 and instru- society. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hunt mental in causing the first town report to be issued to The first, born April 8, 839 died in infancy; second, tile taxpayers in printed form. When the Nashua State Mary lg., born April m, t842, unmarried. Mrs. ttunt was bank, chartered at the June session of the legislature in a woman of retiring disposition, of modest deportment 1835, was organized in 836 he was appoiuted cashier, and domestic tastes. [-[[STOR Y OF 2VISZ-[U.4, W. [7". lO7 HORACE CLARK TOLLES. THOMAS PEARSON, Jr. Itoraee C, Tolles, son of Henry and Azubah (Nichols) Hon. Thomas Pearsou, fourth by the name in direct Tolles, was born at Veathersfield, Vt,, May 3 l, 1811, died line of descent, was born in Tyngsboro, Mass., Dec. 25, at Nashua, March 21, 1878. 182% died. at Nashua, March 5, 1891. (For ancestors, see sketch of his father, Thomas Pearson, Sen.) He attended the public schools of Nashua and was fitted for college at Crosby's Literary institution; read law with Abbot & Fox, and a graduate of Harvard Law school, was admitted to the bar in 1843, and subsequently opened an office in Shattuck's building, then standing on the site of the Main street railroad station. Meanwhile, Charles J. Fox, with Samuel D. Bell, was engaged in revising and codify- ing the laws of the State, and, as Mr. Fox was in con- sumption, young Pearson assisted considerably in the work and also devoted much of his spare tilne to the completion of Fox's History of Dunstable. After prac- tising law awhile, the state of his health forced hinl to out of door work. As railroading was just coming into great prolninence, he decided to take up civil engineering as profession. His first work was with General George Stark on one divisiou of the Concord railroad. After the completion of the work he superintended the laying of the second track of the Lowell road worked as an engi- neer under Chief Engineer Stark, on the laying out of the Old Colony railroad to Plynlouth, Mass., and on the Stony Brook railroad out of Lowell; also on the Boston, Concord & Montreal railroad. He engaged, with Harry \Voods, to do the engineering and building of the Wilton ItORACE CLAIIK road from Danforth's Corner to East Wilton; also sur- His imnligrant aucestors came froul England early in veyed, in company with his cousin, Ambrose Pearson, the eighteenth century and settled in Connecticut. Cap- and built the Edgeville canal. Soon afterward he was tain Henry Tolles, and four of his six sons, became offered and accepted the situation of engineer of the North- pioneers at Weathersfield, Vt., sometime before the Revo- ern division of the Marietta & Cincinnati railroad, with lution. Clark Tolles, one of these four sons, grandfather river line from Greenfield to Windsor, Vt. from Nashua of the subject of this sketch, was a soldier in the Conti- to Concord, on the west side of the Merrimack river; nental army. He married Sally Proctor, by whom lie had eight children, Henry, the ehtest, being the father of Horace C., who married Azubah Nichols of Weathersfield. Mr. Tolles obtained a common school education in his native town and renlained there until 1832 when he came to Nashua and settled on a farul in the south-west section of the city near the Dunstable line. He was a prosperous and Well-to-do farmer; a umu of excellent judgment, prudent, industrious and highly regarded by the com- munity. Mr. Tolles served his ward the board of selectnlen, as highway surveyer, on tile board of assessors and in other capacities. In 1862 and 863 he represented \Vard eight as menlber of the board of aldermen, and in 1864 and 865 as representative in the legislature. Mr. Tolles was united iu nlarriage Dec. o, I835, with Sopha A. Wright, daughter of Joel and Sally Wright of Westford, Mass., of which place her ancestors were early settlers and among the first fanlilies. Nine chihtreu were born of their nlarriage Horace W., born April 26, i838 nmrried Caroline L..Newton, Nov. 7 1867; Franklin N., born July 25, 1839, xnarried Edla F. Kempton, May IO, 187o Itenry J., born Aug. 24, I841, married Sarah L. Davis, Oct. 24, 1867 Willard C., boru May 8, I843, married Ellen F. Kendall, Oct. 6, I868; Hannah S., born Feb. 6, TIIOMAS PEARSON, Jtl. I845, died March IO, I866; Jalnes H., born Oct. I7, 1846, nlarried Mary E. Cross, July 8, 872 Sarah A., born Nov. headquarters at Wheeling, Va. Later he rau nunlerous 3o, I848, married Frank Wilkins, Oct. i, 1868, died Nov. railroad lines, sonle of which were afterward built wholly m, i869; Jason E., born Jan. 5, 852, married Sadie S. or in part; from Plymouth to Sandwich, Mass., from Chase, Aug. ii, I874 Xenophon D., born March 23, 1858, Franklin to Bristol on the Northern road from Meredith married S. Jennie Eaton, July 29, 1885. village through Centre Harbor to Conway; the Forest o8 HISTORY OF N.4SIIUM, N. ll. from Groton to Winchester, Mass. from New Ipswich to United States mail agent. Iu I835 lie came to Nashua Hast Wilton fronl Tyngsboro to Brookline from Green- and eutered the dry goods trade in one of the storesin fiehl to Keene; froulNashuatoEpping; from I)aaforth's the first Baptist church edifice, where heremained until Corner through Anlherst, Mont Vernon and Oil Mill lie was burned outin 848. During the next five yearshe village to New Boston to meet the Manchester & Keene was iu lmsiuess in Boston. Returning to Nashua, his road, and the Texas & Great Western railway. next alld last busiuess veuture was ill tlle grocery trade Judge Pearsou's profession kept him away from the with his son-iu-law, the firm beiuK William H. (;reeuleaf city months at a time, but lie always kept a honle iu & Company, in the uliddle store of tile Telegraph block. Nashua. He entered politics early in life, was a delegate Tile firm closed out its busiuses iil 882, at which time from Nashua to the first abolitiou conveutiou at Concord, lie retired from active pursuits.