History of West Brookfield, (Worcester County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Daniel Henry Chamberlain, governor of South Carolina, was born in West Brookfield, Mass., June 23, 1835; son of Eli and Achsah (Forbes) Chamberlain. Until he was fourteen years old he worked on his father's farm and attended the common schools. In 1849 and 1850 he studied at the Amherst (Mass.) academy, and in 1854 studied at Phillips Andover academy. In 1857 he completed his preparation for college at the Worcester, Mass., high school, where he taught in 1857-58, and in 1859 entered Yale college. He was graduated in 1862 and entered Harvard law school, where he remained until the fall of 1863, when he left to enlist in the army. He received a lieutenant's commission in the 5th Massachusetts colored cavalry, and served until the close of the war. In January, 1866, he engaged in cotten planting on the Sea Islands, near Charleston, S. C., but was unsuccessful. In 1867 he was chosen a member of the constitutional convention called under the reconstruction acts, and took his seat in January, 1868. He was made attorney-general in 1868, and held the office four years, at the end of that time returning to his law practice in Charleston. He achieved distinction at the bar, and in 1874 was elected governor of the state. At the close of his term he returned to New York city. See Governor Chamberlain's Administration in South Carolina, by Walter Allen (1888).

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

Charles Merriam, publisher, was born in West Brookfield, Mass., Nov. 21, 1806; son of Dan and Thirza (Clapp) Merriam; grandson of Ebenezer and Margaret (Jefferson) Merriam, and a descendant of Joseph Merriam, Concord, Mass., 1638. Dan Merriam with his brother Ebenezer published a newspaper in West Brookfield, Mass., 1789-92, and they also conducted a printing business and book store, and became widely known as the publishers of law books, Perry's Dictionary and an octavo Bible. Charles attended the district schools of West Brookfield and worked on the farm until 1820; was apprenticed to William Goodwin, a printer in Hartford, Conn., 1820-23, and on his father's death in 1823, returned to West Brookfield and completed his apprenticeship with the firm of E. & G. Merriam. He attended the academies at Monson and Hadley, Mass., 1826-27, taught school in South Brookfield, and worked at his trade in Philadelphia, Pa., 1827-29, and was a journeyman printer and afterward foreman in the office of T. R. Marvin, Boston, 1829-31. In the latter year his brother George sold his interest in the West Brook field firm, and with his brother Charles established the book-printing and bookselling business of G. & C. Merriam in Springfield, Mass. Among other books they published Webster's Dictionary, having bought the copyright of J. S. and C. Adams, of Amherst, Mass., in 1845. They issued the dictionary first in 1847 and sold it for $6.00, and made such a success of the enterprise that between 1845 and 1895 the Webster heirs received nearly $300,000 as royalties. He sold out his share in the firm in 1877. He gave $50,000 to missions and other philanthropic subjects, a public library and book fund to West Brookfield, his native place, and contributed $5,000 toward the establishment of a public library in Springfield. He was married, Aug. 11, 1835, to Sophia, daughter of Col. Solomon Warriner, of Springfield, who died in 1858, and secondly, to Mrs. Rachel Gray, the widow of Dr. James Harrison Gray. He died in Springfield, Mass., July 9, 1887.

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