History of Salisbury, (Wicomico County) Maryland United States of America

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Biographies:

Robert Laird Collier, clergyman, was born in Salisbury, Md., Aug. 7, 1835. He became a clerk in a drug store at an early age and later a Methodist exhorter in the Salisbury circuit. He was transferred to the Philadelphia conference, where he preached until 1856, when he entered the Methodist general Biblical institute at Concord, N. H. He was graduated in 1858 and held various pastorates in the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1866 he became a Channing Unitarian, and was pastor at Davenport, Iowa, Chicago, Ill., and Brooklyn, N.Y., 1866-76; Boston, Mass., 1876-80; Leicester, Bradford, and Birmingham, England, 1880-85, and Kansas City, Mo., 1885-88. In 1888 he purchased a country home, "Everglades," near Salisbury, Md. He was U.S. consul at Leipzig under President Garfield, and with Dr. Gould of Johns Hopkins university, was sent to Europe by President Cleveland to gather labor statistics. On this mission he visited nearly every country of continental Europe. In 1888 he retired from the ministry and devoted himself to preparing for the government the statistics thus acquired. He was married to a daughter of Hiram Price of Davenport, Iowa, and had one son, Hiram Price Collier, who became a Unitarian clergyman. Iowa university conferred upon him the degree of D.D. in 1865. He published Everyday Subjects in Sunday Sermons (1869); Meditations on the Essence of Christianity (1876); and English Home Life (1885). He died suddenly at "The Everglades," near Salisbury, Md., July 26, 1890.

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

Robert Laurenson Dashiell, educator, was born in Salisbury, Md.. June 25, 1825. He was graduated from Dickinson college in 1846, and engaged in the work of the Methodist ministry, joining the Baltimore conference. He was afterward transferred to the Newark conference, and held various pastorates until 1868 when he was elected president of Dickinson college. This office he resigned in 1872 to become corresponding secretary of the Missionary society of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a delegate to the general conference in 1872 and 1876. Wesleyan university and Dickinson college conferred upon him the degree of D.D. in 1866. He died in Roseville, N.J., March 8, 1880.

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

Wilbur Fisk Gordy, educator, was born near Salisbury, Md., June 14, 1854; son of Elijah Melson and Martha (Sheppard) Gordy; and grandson of William and Elizabeth (Melson) Gordy and of Benjamin and Sarah (Lloyd) Sheppard. He attended Dickinson college, 1876-77, and then entered the sophomore class at Wesleyan university where he was graduated in 1880. He was vice-principal of the high school, Middletown, Conn., 1881; superintendent of schools, Ansonia, Conn., 1882-84; and supervising principal of the North school, Hartford, Conn, after 1884. He was elected president of the Connecticut state teaciders' association in 1891, and of the Connecticut council of education in 1894. He was married, July 9, 1889, to Isabel, daughter of John and Mary (Begg) Hunter. He lectured extensively before institutes and summer schools on the teaching of American history and is the author of A School History of the United States (1898) and co-author of the Pathfinder in American History (1892). He made a thorough study of all problems affecting modern school management and wrote largely for educational journals.

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