Of the native clergymen, Leonard S. Parker is probably the oldest now
living. He has held several pastorates, and is now assistant pastor of
the Shepard Memorial Church, Cambridge, Mass. One of the early college
graduates was Isaac Garvin, son of Sam Garvin, whose name was a by-word
among his neighbors; "as shiftless as Sam Garvin" was a common saying.
Isaac obtained his education under difficulties which would have
discouraged most men, and at first even Dr. Harris thinking it not
worth while to help him. He probably studied divinity with Dr. Harris,
and was ordained in the Congregational Church, but late in life took
orders in the Episcopal Church in New York. There were two Rev. Abraham
Burnhams, uncle and nephew, and Rev. Amos W. Burnham, whose only pastorate
was Rindge where he preached forty-six years. Thomas Jameson held
pastorates in Scarborough and Gorham, Maine; he was blind during his
last years. Charles H. Marshall preached in various places in Indiana,
and died nearly thirty years ago. Ephraim O. Jameson held several
pastorates; he is now retired and living in Boston. He has compiled
several genealogies and town histories. Rev. George A. Putnam, son of
the second pastor of the church in Dunbarton, preached for several
years in Yarmouth, Maine, then went to Millbury, Mass., in 1871, where
he still resides--an unusually long pastorate in these times. John P.
Mills is preaching in Michigan.
Of the native Baptist ministers were Hosea Wheeler, Harrison C. Page,
who died at Newton Theological Seminary just before the completion of
his course, and who gave promise of great ability; and the brothers
Joel and Christie Wheeler who entered the ministry without a collegiate
education, and both preached in Illinois.
Though the people of Dunbarton are too peaceable and honest to need
the services of a lawyer, at least a dozen young men entered the legal
profession. One of the earliest college graduates, Jeremiah Stinson,
having studied law, opened an office in his native town, but devoted
the most of his time to agriculture. He met with an accidental death at
the age of thirty-six years. Among those who continued to practice law
were John Burnham in Hillsborough, John Jameson in Maine, John Tenney
in Methuen, Mass., Judge Joseph M. Cavis in California, David B.
Kimball in Salem, Mass., Newton H. Wilson in Duluth, Minn., and Henry
E. Burnham in Manchester. Only the three last named are now living.
The people of Dunbarton are proud of the fact that there has been no
resident physician in town for more than forty years. The last, a Dr.
Gilson, was here for a short time only. Dr. Dugall was probably the
first; while others were Doctors Symnes Sawyer, Clement, Mighill,
Stearns, and Merrill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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