History of Deerfield, (Franklin County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

William Whitney Rice, representative, was born at Deerfield, Mass., March 7, 1826; son of Benjamin and Lucy (Whitney) Rice; grandson of Caleb and Sally (Abbott) Rice and of Phinehas and Bethiah (Barrett) Whitney, and a descendant of John Whitney, who came to America from England in 1635, and settled in Watertown, Mass., and of Edmund Rice, 1638, who settled in Sudbury, Mass. He was educated at Gorham academy, Maine, and graduated from Bowdoin college in 1846. He was preceptor at the Leicester academy, Mass., 1847?51; studied law in Worcester, Mass., with Emory Washburn and George F. Hoar; was admitted to the bar in 1854, and began practice in Worcester. He was judge of insolvency for the county of Worcester in 1858; mayor of the city in 1860; district-attorney for the middle district of Massachusetts, 1869?74, and a member of the state legislature in 1875. He was elected a Republican representative from Massachusetts to the 45th congress, as successor to George F. Hoar, and re-elected to the 46th-49th congresses, serving, 1877?87. He then resumed the practice of law in Worcester, Mass. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Bowdoin college in 1886. He was married, Nov. 21, 1855, to Cornelia A. Moen, daughter of Augustus R. and Sophie A. Moen. She died in Worcester, Mass., June 16, 1862. He was married secondly, Sept. 28, 1875, to Alice Miller, daughter of Henry W. and Nancy (Merrick) Miller of Worcester, Mass. She died in Washington, D.C., in March, 1900, at the home of her sister, Mrs, George F. Hoar. William Whitney Rice died in Worcester, Mass., March 1, 1896.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Edward Hitchcock, scientist, was born at Deerfield, Mass., May 23, 1793; son of Justin and Mercy (Hoyt) Hithcock, grandson of Caleb Hitchcock, great grandson of Luke, and great4 grandson of Luke Hitchcock, who immigrated from England to America in 1635, and was one of the original members of the New Haven colony. Edwards father settled at Deer field, Mass., and became a hatter. Edward was obliged to obtain his education in the common schools of Deerfield, and by study at night. He prepared to enter Harvard, but failing health caused by overwork prevented. He was prinicipal of the academy at Deerfield, 1822-36 and while there, he became interested in botany and mineralogy. Deciding on the ministry for his profession, he enered Yale Theological seminary, where he was gradtuated in 1821. The same year he was married to Orra, daughter of Jarib White, of Amherst, Mass. She was an artist, and illustrated many of her husband's books. Mr, Hitchcock was ordained to the Congregational ministry, and was pastor of the church in Conway, Mass., 1821-25. During his pastorate, he made a geological survey of western Massachusetts, and studied chemistry and geology at Yale, under the elder Silliman. He was professor of chemistry and natural history at Amherst, 1825-45; state geologist of Massachusetts in 1830; and president of Amherst college, 1845-54 retaining the professorship of natural theology and geology, 1845-64. In 1835 trifid imprints upon sandstone found in the Connecticut valley were discovered and pronounced by Professor Hitchcock to be fossil footprints, a statement that was at first ridiculed, but on being referred to a committee of the American Association of Geologists in 1841, it was confirmed. Professor Hitchcock was state geologist for Vermont, 1857-61; a member of the Massachusetts board of agriculture, and was commissioned by that state in 1850 to examine and report on the agricultural schools of Europe. He was chosen president of the American Association of Geologists in 1840; and was an originator and founder of Mt. Holyoke seminary, and of the Massachusetts Agricultural society. Through his efforts, a chair of geology and natural theology was endowed in Amherst college, with the understanding that the science should always be taught from a religious standpoint. He received the honorary degrees of A.M. from Yale in 1818, LL.D. from Harvard in 1840, and D.D. from Middlebury in 1846. Among his published works are: The Dowllfall of Bonaparte (1815); Geology of the Connecticut Valley (1823); Dyspepsia Forestalled and Resisted (1830); A Wreath from the Tomb (1838); Elementary Geology (1840-60); History of a Zoological Temperance Convention held in Central Africa (1850); Religious Letters on the Peculiar Phenomena of the Four Seasons (1850); Religion of Geology and its Connected Sciences (1851); The Power of Christian Benevolence (1852); Religions Truths Illustrated from Science (1857); Reminiscences of Amherst College (1863). Among his reports are: Economic Geology (1832); The Geology, Mineralogy, Botany, and Zoology of Massachusetts (1832); Re-examinations of the Economical Geology of Massachusetts (1838); Geology of Massachusetts, four parts (1841); Geology of Vermont (1861). He died in Amherst. Mass., Feb. 27, 1864.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Cornelius Ambrose Logan, diplomatist, was born in Deerfield, Mass., Aug. 24, 1832; son of Cornelius Ambrosius and Elisa (Acheley) Logan. He was a student at Auburn academy and was graduated from the Miami Medical college, Ohio, in 1853; and from the Ohio Medical college in 1853. He was resident physician to St. John's hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio; assistant in chemistry in Miami Medical college, 1851-53, and a lecturer on chemistry in the summer school of that college, 1853. He removed to Leavenworth, Kan., in 1858, where he established with Dr. T. Sinks The Leavenwroth Medical Herald the first medical journal published in Kansas, and was its editor, 1861-73. He was also botanist on the first geological survey of Kansas and president of the state beard of medical examiners, 1861-65. He was U.S. minister to Chile, 1873-77; practised medicine in Chicago, Ill., 1877-79; was U.S. minister to the five Central American states with a residence at Guatemala, 1879-81; and again U.S. minister to Chile, 1882-86. He studied in the hospitals of London, Paris sad Berlin, 1886-87, and then resumed his practice in Chicago. During his service in Chile, he succeeded in obtaining recognition for all the genuine medical schools in the United States, as only applicants holding a diploma from Harvard were at that time recognized by the board of medical examiners of Chile, as eligible to practice in that country. In 1850 He was sent to Europe as the first commissioner to the World's Columbian exposition to be held in Chicago, Ill., in 1893. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Yale in 1868, that of M.D. from the Bellevue Hospital Medical college in 1868, and that of LL.D. from the National university of Chicago in 1885. He contributed to American and European scientific journals; edited The Works of John A. Logan (1886), and is the author of Reports on the Sanitary Relations of the State of Kansas (1866); On the Climatology of the Missouri Valley (1878); and Physics of Infectious Diseases (1878). He died in Los Angeles, Cal., Jan. 30, 1899.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

George Fuller, painter, was born in Deerfield, Mass., Jan. 16, 1822, of Puritan stock. He removed to Illinois with his parents in 1836 and studied painting under Henry Kirke Brown in Albany, N.Y., 1842-43. He then set up a studio in Boston, Mass., later removing it to New York. In 1857 he exhibited his portrait of his teacher Mr. Brown and this work gained him admission as an associate of the National academy of design. After eight months' study in Europe he retired to his boyhood home, Deerfield, Mass., in 1859, where he cultivated the farm and painted for recreation. In 1873 financial reverses obliged him to resort to his art for a livelihood. By 1876 his pictures had attracted wide attention, and he became a member of the Boston Art, St. Botolph and Paint and Clay clubs. His contributions to the National academy include: The Turkey-Pasture, Kentucky (1878); The Dandelion Girl and The Romany Girl (1879); and The Quadroon (1880). To the exhibitions of the Society of American artists, of which he was made a member in 1880, he sent Priscilla Fauntleroy (1882); and Nydia (1883). His studio pictures, most of which are owned by art collectors in Boston, include: Cupid (1854); Negro Nurse with Child (1861); At the Bars (1865); Shearing the Donkey (1877-79); And She Was a Witch (1879); The Gathering of Simples (1880); girl with a Calf; Winifred Dysart (1881); Psyche (1882); November (1882-84); Fedalma (1883-84); Boy and Bird; Arethusa (1884) and various portraits. A memorial exhibition of his works was given in the Art museum, Boston, in 1884. He died in Brookline, Mass., March 21, 1884.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor