History of West Springfield, (Hampden County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Junins Spencer Morgan, banker, was born at West Springfield, Mass., April 14, 1818; son of Joseph and Sally (Spencer) Morgan; grandson of Samuel and Martha (Eells) Spencer. His parents removed to Hartford, Conn., in 1817, and Junius attended the public school, and was a cadet, 1825-28, at Capt. Alden Partridge's military academy (now Norwich university), Vt. He was employed as a clerk in a dry goods store in Hartford, and in the banking house of Morgan, Ketchum & Co., of New York, 1834-36. He was a member of the governor's foot guards, 1838-41. He was Junior partner of the firm of Howe, Mather & Co., dry goods merchants, Hartford, Conn., 1836-51, and then removed to Boston, Mass., where with James M. Beebe he founded the dry goods establishment of J. M. Beebe, Morgan & Co. He visited England in 1853, and in 1854 severed his connection with the Boston firm to enter into partnership with George Peabody & Co., bankers, in London. Mr. Peabody retired from the business in 1864, and the firm became J. S. Morgan & Co. While on a visit to the United States in 1877, Mr. Morgan was given a dinner in New York city in recognition of his action in upholding the foreign credit of American institutions. He gave large sums of money to charity and to educational institutions, including $50,000 to Trinity college, and $25,000 to the Orphan asylum, Hartford, in 1886, in memory of his mother; and subscribed $100,000 for a free public library in Hartford on condition that a building fund amounting to $400,000 should he raised. He gave a large painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York city in 1887; a collection of early editions of Virgil, valued at $50,000, to Princeton university in 1896, and a complete series of facsimiles of manuscripts in London, relating to America from 1768 to 1788, to Yale university. He left a fortune of nearly $10,000,000 at his death, and bequeathed large sums to relatives, partners and servants. He was married, May 2, 1836, to Juliet, daughter of the Rev. John and Mary (Lord) Pierpont, of Boston, Mass. He died in Monte Carlo, Monaco, April 8, 1890.

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

Benjamin Henry Day, journalist, was born in West Springfield, Mass., April 11, 1810. He learned the printer's trade and in 1830 removed to New York city where he was employed successively in the composing rooms of the Journal of Commerce, the Evening Post, and the Courier and Enquirer. In 1833 he established a printing office where he prepared the copy, set the type, printed on a hand press, and published the first copy of the Sun, the pioneer of one-cent newspapers. Later he established a system of newspaper delivery by boys and in 1835 introduced steam power for printing. In 1838 he sold the Sun to his brother-in-law, Moses Y. Beach, for $40,000, and afterward, in company with James G. Wilson, established the True Sun, then the Tatler, and finally Brother Jonathan, a monthly in which English fiction was reprinted. This was soon changed to a weekly and after Mr. Wilson's death Mr. Day brought out semi-annual illustrated editions, making Brother Jonathan the pioneer illustrated journal in America. He died in New York city, Dec. 21, 1889.

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

Edward Wade, representative, was born in West Springfield, Mass., Nov. 22, 1803; son of James Wade, and brother of Benjamin F. Wade . He removed with his father to Jefferson, Ohio, in 1821, where he helped on the farm until 1824; subsequently studied law in Albany and Troy, N.Y.; was admitted to the bar in 1827, and began practice in Jefferson, Ohio. He was justice of the peace of Ashtabula county; removed to Unionville in 1832, and to Cleveland, 1837; was a Free-soil representative from the nineteenth district of Ohio in the 33d congress; and a Republican representative in the 34th, 35th and 36th congresses, serving from Dec. 5, 1853 to March 3, 1861. He died at Cleveland, Aug. 7, 1862.

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

James Mudge, missionary, was born in West Springfield, Mass., April 5, 1844; son of the Rev. James and Harriet (Goodridge) Mudge, and grandson of James and Ruth (Atwell) Mudge. He was graduated at Wesleyan university in 1865; was teacher of Latin and Greek at Pennington seminary, N.J., 1865-67; joined the New England conference of the Methodist church, 1868; was stationed at Cambridge, Mass., 1868-69; was graduated at Boston university, B.D., 1870, and was stationed at Wilbraham, Mass., 1870-72. He was transferred to India conference, 1872, and traveled in Europe several months, 1872-73. He was married, April 29, 1873, to Martha M. Wiswell of New Haven, Conn., and three children, Mabel, James Wiswell and Ada, were born to them in India. He remained at Lucknow, India, as editor of the Lucknow Witness, 1873-81, and was stationed at Shahjehanpur, 1882. He returned to the United States and rejoined the M.E. conference in 1883, and was stationed at Whitinsville, 1884-86; East Pepperell, 1887-90; Clinton, 1891-93; Lowell, 1894-97; Natick, 1898-1900, and Webster, from 1901. He was elected secretary of the conference in 1889; secretary and treasurer of the Conference Missionary society in 1886, and lecturer on missions at Boston University School of Theology in 1888. He was a delegate to the general conference of the M.E. church held at Chicago in 1900. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Wesleyan university in 1891. He is the author of: Handbook of Methodism, prepared for and dedicated to the Methodist Church of India (Lucknow, 1877); and History of Methodism (Lucknow, 1878); and editor of: Good Stories for the Family Circle and Leisure Hour (1878); Good Stories and Best Poems (1879, 2d ser. 1882); Spiritual Songs (1880); Monitor (1897), and translation of Easy Lessons for Infant Scholars, all published in Lucknow. He is also the author of: Faber (1885); A Memorial Portraiture of the Rev. Z. A. Mudge (1890); The Pastor's Missionary Manual (1891); Growth in Holiness (1895); The Best of Browning (1898); Honey from Many Hives (1899); China (1900).

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