Trails to the Past

Kent County, Rhode Island Biographies

Men of Progress of Rhode Island and Providence Part 1
Source:  Boston New England Magazine 1896

ARNOLD, Warren Otis, of Chepachet, manufacturer, and Representative to Congress from the Second District of Rhode Island, was born in Coventry, R. I., June 3, 1839, son of Otis Whitman and Caroline M. (Sweetser) Arnold. He was educated in the common schools, and received his training for active life as an operative in a cotton factory and as clerk in a country store. In 1864 he entered into the cotton manufacturing business for himself, in which he continued two years, and since then has been engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods.   He was a Representative from the Second District of Rhode Island to the Fiftieth Congress, was re-elected to the Fifty-first, and was elected to the Fifty-fourth Congress in 1894. In politics he is a Republican. He was married, October 30, 1862, to Miss Mary Owen; they have no children.

EARLE, Charles Henry, physician and surgeon, East Greenwich, was born at the homestead of his family in Cranston, R. I., near Fiskeville, January 15, 1861, the son of Charles William and Cynthia Jones (Hawkes) Earle.   He came of good old Rhode Island stock, and is a relative of the late well known Dr. Pliny Earle.   He received his early education at a private school, at home and in the public schools of the village, and was graduated from the Friends' School in Providence, in 1883.  He was engaged as a teacher in the public schools of Rhode Island for five years, during which time he held the position of Principal of the grammar school at Auburn for three years.   He adopted medicine as a profession, and was graduated from Bellevue Medical College, N. Y., in 1889, and from Kings County Hospital, Flatbush, L. L, in 1890.  After graduating from the hospital he established himself in East Greenwich, R. I., where he has built up an excellent practice.   He has acted as examiner for various  life insurance companies, having been appointed Medical Examiner for the East Greenwich District in 1892, as successor to the late Dr. J. H. Eldredge. He is a member of the Rhode Island Medical Society. In politics he is a Republican. He married, October 13, 1893, Miss Jennie M. Pern' of Rehoboth, Mass ; they have no children

PECKHAM, Thomas  Clarke, woolen manufacturer, Coventry, was born in Westerly, R. I., December 21, 1836, son of Daniel and Olive (Kenyon) Peckham.   His education was acquired in the common schools, and at an early age he de-voted himself to woolen manufacturing, in which he has been engaged continuously from 1861 to the present time.   He was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1875 and served in that body two years, then served as State Senator three years, and was again chosen Representative in 1894, which office he now holds. He was also elected and served as delegate to the Republican National Convention of 1884 in Chicago, when James G. Blaine was nominated for president of the United States.   He has been a Free Mason for more than thirty years, and is a member of Manchester Lodge of Coventry.   He is also a member of the Pomham Club of Providence.   In politics he is a Republican.    Mr. Peckham  was married, March 7, 1858, to Miss Mary Vaughn Reynolds; they have had eleven children -two sons and nine daughters: Daniel W., Hannah A. F., Mary L., Grace G., Hattie V., Amy G., Susie E., Isabella B., Bertha V., Bertha E., and Charles H. Peckham.  Of these one son and five daughters are now living, viz., Hannah A. F, Grace G., Hattie V., Amy G., Isabella B. and Charles H. Peckham.

ROELKER, William Greene, counselor-at-law, Warwick, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 12, 1854, the son of Dr. Frederic and Catherine Ray (Greene) Roelker. Frederic Roelker became an American citizen in 1837, coming from the kingdom of Hanover, where he had succeeded his father as Rector and Master of a great public foundation school in his native city. On his mother's side the subject of this sketch is descended from Colonial and Revolutionary ancestry; his great-great-grand-father William Greene was Governor of Rhode Island during most of the period of the Revolution.  He received his early education in private classical schools in Cincinnati, and went to Europe in 1867, where he pursued his studies in the College of Freiburg, the University of Berlin, the Academy of Geneva and other prominent educational institutions, until 1873. On his return to this country he adopted the law as his profession and studied in the Harvard Law School, graduating with the degree of LL.B. in 1875. He then entered as a student the office of Browne & Van Slyck, Providence, and was admitted to the Rhode Island bar in 1876.  He formed a co-partnership with Francis W. Miner, one of the leading lawyers of the state, and since the retirement of Mr. Miner from active business has successfully managed a large practice, and is counsel for many large concerns. He was elected a Representative to the General Assembly in 1877, and was a Senator from Warwick in 1894 and 1895.  He was Chairman of the Commission to revise the General Statutes of Rhode Island from 1890-95, a Presidential Elector on the Republican ticket in 1892 and Chairman of the Rhode Island delegation in the Republican National Convention at Minneapolis in 1892. In 1894 he was favorably mentioned as a candidate for United States Senator, but with-drew his name in a letter recommending Hon.  George Peabody Wetmore. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Rhode Island Historical Society, Sons of the American Revolution and most of the leading social clubs of Providence as well as of others in New York and Washington. He was married, October 19, 1880, to Miss Ella Jenckes, daughter of Hon. Thomas A. Jenckes, the distinguished advocate of civil service reform, lawyer and statesman. They have had four children : William Greene, Thomas Jenckes (deceased), Eleanor Jenckes and Edith Goddard Roelker.

SMITH, Robert Morton, physician and surgeon, River Point, was born in Maitland, near Newport, Nova Scotia, October 12, 1863, the son of Bowden and Elizabeth (Faulkner) Smith. He is descended from New England ancestry, who settled in Hants County, Nova Scotia, prior to the American Revolution. His father's ancestors came from near Newport, R. L, and founded the town of Newport, Nova Scotia.   He received his early education in the public schools and at the Provincial Normal School and Pictou Academy. He adopted medicine as a profession, graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore, Md., in 1889, served as clinical assistant in the City Hospital of Baltimore and practiced in New Jersey for a short time. He settled at River Point, R. I., in 1890, where he has since remained in the enjoyment of a lucrative practice. Dr. Smith is a member of Washington Lodge I. O. O. F., of Warwick Lodge A. F. & A. M. of Phenix, R. I., of Landmark Chapter, of Providence Council, of Calvary Commandery, and of Palestine Temple A. A. 0. N. M.  S. He married, in April 1892, Miss Lizzie A., daughter of Arnold and Lizzie (Taylor) Parker.

TARBOX, Otho, Superintendent of Schools at West Greenwich, was born in West Greenwich, R. I., April 5, 1863, the son of David 2nd and Sally M.  (Cleaveland) Tarbox. He received his early education in the public schools of West Greenwich and attended East Greenwich Academy the fall and winter terms of 1883-84. He has followed the vocation of farming, and has been honored with a number of public offices at the hands of his fellow townsmen. He was elected, May 28, 1894, a member of the Town Council and of the School Committee.   On April 3, 1895, he was elected a Senator in the General Assembly, and May 27, 1895, he was elected Assessor of Taxes and re-elected to the Council. He has been Superintendent of Schools since June 1894. He was initiated into Exeter Lodge of Odd Fellows, Exeter, R. I., in 1887, and admitted to the Grand Lodge in 1891. In politics he is a Republican.   He is unmarried.

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