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

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Biographies:

Clarence Eddy, organist, was born at Greenfield, Mass., June 23, 1851. He was educated in music from early childhood, and in 1867 was sent to Hartford, Conn., where he studied the organ under Dudley Buck for one year. He was then appointed organist at the Bethany Congregational church, Montpelier, Vt., and remained there until 1871, when he went to Berlin, Germany, and studied piano under Loeschhorn, and organ under August Haupt. He gave recitals in the principal cities of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland; and on his return to America in 1876 made his home in Chicago, where he was appointed organist of the First Congregational church. In the same year he became director of the Hershey school of musical art, and in 1877 he was married to Sara, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Hershey. Miss Hershey was a well-known musician, having studied both voice and piano under the principal European teachers for many years. She was a teacher in the Pittsburg (Pa.) female college for several years, and in 1875 went to Chicago, Ill., where she rounded, with W. S. B. Matthews, the Hershey school of musical art. Mr. Eddy became organist of the First Presbyterian church, Chicago, in 1879. At the Centennial exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, he gave officially two concerts daily for one week. He was also organist at the Vienna exposition in 1883, and during the Paris exposition of 1889, by invitation of the French government, he visited Paris as the representative of America and gave official recitals in the Trocadero. During the World's Columbian exposition at Chicago in 1893, he was the official organist, and gave twenty-one recitals upon the great Festival Hall organ, his programs comprising one hundred and sixty-eight standard compositions. In 1899 he was in Paris for an extended visit. He is the author of: The Church and Concert Organist; The Organ in Church and Concert; The Organ in Church; Pieces for the Organ.

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

Charles Allen, jurist, was born in Greenfield, Mass., April 17, 1827; son of Sylvester and Harriet (Ripley) Allen. He was graduated at Harvard in 1847, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1850. He practised in Greenfield, and Boston, Mass., 1850-'82; was reporter of decisions of the supreme court, 1861-'67; attorney-general of the state, 1867-'72; chairman of commissioners to revise the general statutes of the state, 1880-'81, and judge of the supreme court, 1882-'98. He received the degree of LL.D. from Harvard in 1892. He published, "Allen's Reports" (14 vols., 1861-67); "Telegraph Cases," "Notes on the Bacon-Shakespeare Question" (1900).

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

George Grennell, representative, was born in Greenfield, Mass., Dec. 25, 1786; son of George Grennell. He was graduated from Dartmouth in 1808, and was admitted to the bar in 1811. He was prosecuting attorney for Franklin county, 1820-28; a member of the state senate, 1824-27, and a Whig representative in the 21st, 22d, 23d, 24th and 25th congresses. He was probate judge for Franklin county, 1849-53, and was subsequently clerk of the Franklin county court. He was an incorporator and the first president of the Troy & Greenfield railroad. He was a trustee of Amherst college, 1839-59. He died in Greenfield, Mass., Nov. 20, 1877.

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

Rufus Saxton, soldier, was born at Greenfield, Mass., Oct. 19, 1824; son of Jonathan Ashley and Miranda (Wright) Saxton; grandson of Rufus and Tirzah (Ashley) Saxton and of Ashel and Mercy (White) Wright, and a great-grandson of David and Rebecca (Barnard) Saxton and of the Rev. Jonathan Ashley and Capt. Salmon White of the Continental army of the Revolution. He entered the U.S. Military academy in 1845 and in 1849 was brevetted 2d lieutenant, 3d artillery. He served in the Seminole war and on Sept. 12, 1850, was commissioned 2d lieutenant, 4th artillery. He did frontier duty until 1853, when he was detailed to explore and survey a route for the Northern Pacific railroad, through the unknown Northwest, from the Mississippi river to the Pacific ocean. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, March 2, 1885, served on the coast survey, 1855?59, and was assistant instructor of artillery tactics, U.S. Military academy, 1859?60. In February, 1801, he went to the St. Louis arsenal, took part in its defense, was promoted captain, May 13, 1861, appointed quartermaster on General Lyon's staff, and under him commanded the regulars at the capture of Camp Jackson. Before the battle of Wilson's Creek, he was transferred to McClellan's staff in Virginia, and after McClellan took the Army of the Potomac, Captain Saxton was made chief-quartermaster of Thomas W. Sherman's expeditionary corps, which captured Port Royal, S.C., Captain Saxton remained at Port Royal as chief quartermaster of the department of the South, and on April 15, 1862, was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers and given command of Harper's Ferry, being there at the time Jackson made his attack upon it, to gain time to remove his captured property from Winchester to Staunton. General Saxton received a medal of honor for his distinguished gallantry and good conduct in the defense of Harper's Ferry, May 26?30, 1862. When General Sigel took command of the forces at Harper's Ferry, General Saxton was transferred to Washington and in July, 1862, was appointed military governor of the department of the South. He enlisted several regiments of colored troops, including Col. T.W. Higginson's regiment, the first colored regiment ever regularly enlisted in the U.S. service. General Saxton was made commander of the Beaufort district, February, 1863, and under protest superintended the colonization of the freedmen on deserted estates. He was married March 11, 1863, to Matilda Gordon, daughter of Lewis and Rosanna Thompson of Philadelphia. In January, 1865, he was relieved of his other duties and made assistant commissioner of the refugees, freedmen and abandoned lands for the states of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. He was brevetted major-general of volunteers, Jan. 12, 1865; and brevetted major, lieutenant-colonel and colonel, U.S.A., March 13, 1865, and brigadier-general, U.S.A., April 9, 1865. He was mustered out of the volunteer service, Jan. 15, 1866, and returned to the quartermaster's department U.S.A. He was promoted major July 29, 1866, and was chief quartermaster on the frontier, 1866?67, of the 3d military district and department of the South, 1867?69; of the department of the Columbia, 1869?73, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel and department quartermaster general June 6, 1872. He served in the department of the Lakes, 1873?75, department of Missouri, 1875?79, military division of the Pacific, 1879?83; was promoted colonel and assistant quartermaster-general, March 10, 1882, and was in command of Jeffersonville department of the quartermaster's department, 1883?88. He was retired by age limit, Oct. 19, 1888.

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