History of Thornton, (Grafton County) New Hampshire United States of America

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Biographies:

Orison Swett Marden, author, was born at Thornton, N.H., in 1850; son of Lewis and Martha (Cilley) Marden, and of English ancestry. He prepared for college at the New Hampton, N.H., institute and was graduated from Boston university, A.B., 1877, A.M., 1879, LL.B., 1881, and from Harvard, M.D., 1882. He founded and became editor-in-chief of the magazine Success in December, 1897, and of The Success Library (10 vols., 1901). His published works, some of which came into use in the schools of Japan and America, include: Pushing to the Front (1896); Rising in the World (1897); The Secret of Achievement (1898); Success (1899); Character (1899); Cheerfulness as a Life Power (1899); Good Manners and Success (1900); The Hour of Opportunity (1900); Wealth in Economy (1901); The Iron Will (1901); How they Succeeded (1901); Talks with Great Works (1909).

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

Jeremiah Eames Rankin, educator, was born in Thornton, N.H., Jan. 2, 1828; son of the Rev. Andrew and Lois (Eames) Rankin; grandson of Andrew and Dolly (French) Rankin, and of Col. Jeremiah and Persis (Williams) Eames; great-grandson of James and Margaret (Witherspoon) Rankin, and of Col. William and Zilpah (Wilder) Williams. His great-grandfather, James Rankin, a native of Paisley, Scotland, emigrated from Glasgow to Salem, Mass., 1776, and subsequently settled in Thornton, and later in Littleton, N.H. he was graduated from Middlebury college, Vermont, A.B., 1848, A.M., 1851; taught classics in New London, Conn., 1849?50; in Warren county, Ky., 1848?49; at Middlebury, Vt., 1850?51; at Sanbornton, N.H., 1851?52, and was graduated at Andover Theological seminary in 1854. He was married, Nov. 28, 1854, to Mary Howell, daughter of Cyrus and Adeline (Frink) Birge of Middlebury, Vt. He was ordained to the Congregational ministry, Feb. 27, 1855; was pastor of Presbyterian churches at Potsdam, N.Y., 1854?55; St. Albans, Vt., 1855?62; Lowell, Mass., 1862?64; Charlestown, Mass., 1864?69, and at Washington D.C., 1869?84, serving as chaplain of the district senate; as trustee of Howard university, Washington, 1870?78, and as professor of homiletics and pastoral theology there, 1878?84. He was pastor of Orange, N.J., 1884?89, and in 1889 was elected president of Howard university, accepting the office on Jan. l, 1890; was a delegate to various Congregational national unions in the United States and Europe; a corporate member of the A.B.C.F.M.; a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and of the Society of the Cincinnati, three of his ancestors having served in the Revolution. He received from Middlebury the honorary degrees D.D., 1869, and LL.D., 1889. He statedly contributed to the Bibliotheca Sacra, the Independent and other religious papers; was editor of Pilgrim Press; contributor to Christian Thought; Our Day and Congregational Review, and wrote the hymns: God be with you till we meet again; God and Home and Native Land; Keep Your Colors Flying; Why Art Thou Silent, Bethlehem? and Droop Low To-day, Thou Banner Fair. He is also the author of: Auld Scotch Mither, Ingle-side Rhaims, and Other Poems in the Scotch Dialect (1873); Ingleside Rhymes (1887); Esther Burr's Journal (1901); translations from the German in "German-English lyrics"; and the sermons: Subduing Kingdoms (1881); The Hotel of God (1883); Atheism of the Heart (1884), and Christ His Own Interpreter (1884).

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