Trails to the Past

Newport County RI Biographies

Men of Progress of Rhode Island and Providence Part 2
Source:  Boston New England Magazine 1896

 

 

 

 

ANTHONY, James, Sheriff of Newport County, was born in Middletown, R. I., November 6, 1840, son of George and Margaret (Hathaway) Anthony.  He was educated in the public schools, and was trained to the avocation of farming, which he has successfully followed. He has served in public life as a member of the School Committee and Town Council of Middletown. as Representative to the General Assembly,  and as  Sheriff  of Newport County, which office he now holds. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Anthony is a member of Coronet Council, No. 63, Royal Arcanum, and of A quid neck Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, of Middletown. He was married, February 24, 1869, to Miss Charlotte S. Coggeshall; they have two children : Arthur R. and Alfred C. Anthony. Biographie Index


BOYLE,Patrick Joseph, Mayor of Newport 1895 and 1896, was born in Newport, March 8, 1860, son of Patrick and Barbara (Conroy) Boyle.  He received his early education in the parochial schools of his native city, and pursued a classical course under the tuition of the Rev. P. Grace, D. D.   Since the age of seventeen, or from 1877, he has been engaged in business as bookkeeper and confidential clerk for the Newport Gaslight Company.     Mr. Boyle has always   taken an active interest in public affairs, and has served his city on all important committees in both branches of the municipal government.   He was a member of the Common Council for six years, 1885-92 inclusive, acting as President of that body in the latter year, served two terms as Alderman in 1893-94, and was elected Mayor in 1895 and again in 1896.   He is a Democrat in politics, and is serving his second successive term as Chairman of the Democratic City Committee.   Mayor Boyle is an active member of  the Newport Commercial  Club and the Robert Emmet  Association.    He was married, January 17, 1894, to Miss Anna Frances Gatzenmeier; they have one child : Patrick Boyle.Biographie Index


DAVIS, Franklin Jerome, physician and surgeon, Newport, was born in Saugus, Massachusetts, March 25, 1861, son of Jerome and Harriet A.  (Weeks) Davis. His father was a lawyer; his grandfather, Rodney Davis, was a farmer and a soldier of the war of 1812, and his great-grand-father fought in the Revolutionary army, in which he held a Lieutenant's commission. The names in the female branch of his paternal ancestry were Hyde and Rogers. On the maternal side he is descended from one of three brothers Weeks who landed at Plymouth in 1636; female ancestral names, Small and Collins.   He received his early education in the common schools, passing through the ordinary grades and entering the Saugus High School at the age of twelve, and left home when quite young to seek his fortune. At that time he was going to sea summers, and spending the winters at school. At the youthful age of eighteen he was mate of a bark on the Pacific, and later a mining superintendent in California for three years until 1883, when he went into the drug business in Arizona as clerk, and subsequently, in 1886, bought out the store. In 1887 he returned East and entered the Medical Department of the University of Vermont, from which he graduated July 3, 1891, at that time Vice-President of his class.   In December 1891 he came to Newport and entered upon the practice of medicine. Dr. Davis is a member of the Newport Medical Society, and of various fraternal orders and societies, including St.  Paul Lodge A. F. & A. M., Newport Chapter Royal Arch Masons, Washington Commandery Knights Templar, Redwood Lodge Knights of Pythias, Ocean Lodge A. 0. U W. and Court Wauton A. O. F. A., also a member of the Newport and Conanicut yacht clubs. He was married, November 29, 1891, to Miss Emma K. Varney; they have two children: Annie D. and Dexter Jerome Davis. Biographie Index


 

MASON, Arthur Livingston, Treasurer and General Manager of the Continental Steamboat Company, Providence, was born in Providence, February 24, 1852, son of Earl P. and Lucy Ann (Larcar) Mason. Mr. Mason's mother was descended from an old French family. His father, Earl P. Mason (March 10,1804 - September 21,1876), tenth child of Pardon Mason and Anna Hail, was identified with many of the important industries of New England. Pardon Mason (August 14,1758 - May 18, 1845) was eleventh child of Nathan Mason and Lillias Hail. He was the youngest of the six brothers whose names appear so frequently on the rolls of the Revolution.   The history of Cheshire, Mass., tells us that Pardon and four of his brothers were in the hot fight at Bennington and that they were so begrimed with powder they did not recognize each other when they met on the field after the battle. Pardon returned to Providence but the other brothers remained in the New Providence settlement, later incorporated with Adams. Nathan Mason (May 10, 1705 - May 1758) was one of the ten children of Deacon Isaac Mason (July 15, 1667 - June 25, 1742). He in turn was one of thirteen children of Sampson Mason and Mary Butterworth.  Sampson, a dragoon in Oliver Cromwell's army, and one of the famous Ironside Troop who received the trite advice to "Trust in God and keep your powder dry," emigrated to Boston about 1649, and later living in Dorchester about seven years, started with Obadiah Holmes in search of greater freedom and became a large proprietor of land in Rehoboth and one of the owners of the North Purchase, since Attleboro; he died September 15, 1876, respected by all. The subject of this sketch received his early education in private schools in Providence, until 1865, then three years in France and Germany.  In 1868 he returned to America, entered Mowry & Goff's English and Classical High School, and in 1870 took a special course in Brown University.  From 1871 to 1873 he worked in a woolen mill to learn the details of the manufacture of woolen goods, and about 1873 became junior partner in the woolen manufacturing firm of Needham, Mason &: Company.  A few years later Mr. Needham retired from the business and the firm name was changed to C. F.  Mason & Company. The new firm had hardly paid for Mr. Needham's interest when the manufactory, Farnum Mill Number Three, situated in Waterford, Mass., was totally destroyed by fire, involving a heavy loss. With a reduced capital the firm commenced business again in the Saxon Mills, situated in Putnam, Conn., and later purchased the property.  Through the failure of their commission house in New York the firm became financially embarrassed, and after making a satisfactory settlement of its indebtedness, went into liquidation. During the fatal illness of his father, Earl P. Mason, in September 1876, Mr. Mason was appointed one of the Trustees of the estate, which position he held for ten years.  When the property was merged into the Earl P.  Mason Land Company he was elected Vice-President of the corporation. He was also a Trustee of the estate of Isaac Hartshorn in 1877. In 1883, April 28, Mr. Mason was elected Treasurer and General Manager of the Continental Steamboat Company.  After getting an insight into the business he found that many reforms would have to be made, as well as great economies, before the business could be made remunerative to the stockholders. He found the position a most difficult one at first, as he knew but little of the details of the business and his efforts at reform and economy met with but little favor from his subordinates. Finding that it was impossible to do justice to his stockholders or to himself under the existing circumstances, he made a clean sweep of all the employees who were hostile to him and put in new men who would work in his interest. A change for the better soon became apparent, the business increased largely, and the fleet of boats had to be augmented. During his administration two lines of opposition steamboats have been satisfactorily disposed of, the entire floating indebtedness has been retired and the company put upon a permanent dividend paying basis. Mr.  Mason is also Secretary of the Rhode Island Locomotive Works, to which position he was elected May 1, 1883. He is a member of the Providence Art Club, Lincoln Library Association, Rhode Island Historical Society, New York Society Sons of the Revolution, and while in college was a member of the Psi Upsilon Society of Brown University. He resigned his membership in the Hope Club of Providence in 1895, having moved his residence to Newport. He is also a member of the corporation of the Providence Lying-in Hospital. Mr. Mason is the founder of the Providence Symphony Orchestra and has been its Business Manager since its organization about 1879. The orchestra numbers over fifty of the leading amateur musicians of the state, members coming from Newport, Bristol, Pawtucket and the suburbs of Providence to attend the weekly rehearsals held in the rooms of the Providence Art Club. The orchestra is strictly private, no public concerts being given. Mr. Mason was born in the Mason homestead on Benefit Street, and lived there until his marriage, spending his summers in Newport. Shortly after his marriage he purchased a residence on Keene Street, Providence, and in June 1894 removed to Newport, occupying Halidon Hall, the handsome residence formerly occupied by Dr. Isaac Hartshorn. He was married. June 30, 1875, to Miss Edith Bucklin, daughter of Dr. Isaac and Eliza Dayton (Gardiner) Hartshorn; they have had four children: Earl P., Edith Livingston, Marguerite Schuyler and Liona Gardiner Mason ; the last named died October 6, 1893, in Paris, France. Biographie Index


TALLMAN, Benjamin, Member of the Rhode Island Senate from Portsmouth, was born in Portsmouth, November 7, 1846, son of Benjamin and Sarah Ann (Dennis) Tallman. His paternal ancestors were German, and on the maternal side he is of English descent. His education was obtained in the common schools of his native town.   He has been master and pilot of sailing vessels six years and of steam vessels nineteen years, and for the past twenty-five years he has been engaged in the menhaden and fresh-fish business, combined with farming on a small scale. He was elected as Representative to the Rhode Island Legislature from the town of Portsmouth in 1893, was re-elected in 1894 and 1895, and elected Senator in 1896. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Tallman is a member of Eureka Masonic lodge of Portsmouth, in which he has held several of the offices. He was married January 17, 1875, to Miss Eleanor Ann Fish; they have no children living. Biographie Index


WILBOUR, Isaac Champlin, of Little Compton, President of the Tiverton & Little Compton Mutual Fire Insurance Company, was born in Little Compton, May 10, 1830, son of Philip Tabor and Eliza Penelope (Champlin) Wilbour. His paternal grandfather, Isaac Wilbour, was very prominent in Rhode Island official life, having served as Governor of the State, Representative to Congress, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court for nine years. His mother's ancestor, Jeoffrey Champlin, was a man of wealth who early settled in Kings Town (now Kingston) and lived on his two-thousand-acre farm in fine colonial style. His mother's father, Daniel Champlin, inherited the homestead, and lived and died there : he was an associate Judge of the Supreme Court for many years.  Isaac C. Wilbour was educated in the district school of his native town, and received his early training for active life upon the farm. He was one of the founders of the Tiverton & Little Compton Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and became its President, which office he still holds. He resides in Little Compton. In politics he is a Republican. He was married, November 5, 1854, to Miss Deborah J. Wilbour, who died in 1864, leaving two children: Philip H. Wilbour. and Dora J., who married F. M.  Patten of Boston. November 17, 1868, he married Miss Amelia K. French, by whom he has one son : William F. Wilbour. Biographie Index

 

 

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