Huntington Families from Walpole As It Was and As It Is (1880)

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Surname: HUNTINGTON
Source: Walpole As It Was and As It Is by George Aldrich, 
        The Claremont Manufacturing Co., Claremont, N.H., 1880, pages 291-293

HUNTINGTON, There appear to have been two families by the name of Huntington in town, about 
the year 1800. The Christian name of the head of one family was Guerdon, who was postmaster here in 
1802-3, and died, of consumption, July 24, 1804. His wife’s Christian name was Temperance, and at 
her husband’s death she was left with six children, who were baptized Sep. 6, 1804. Their names were 
as follows:
I. Mary Buckingham, who m. Ephraim Brown of Westmoreland, Nov. 9th, 1806
II. Ralph Ripley
III. Elizabeth Mason
IV. Nancy Amanda
V. Joseph Morgan
VI. Guerdon Williams.
They did not remain long in town after Mr. Huntington’s death. The Christian name of the head of the 
other family was Gamaliel, who was a brother of the foregoing and his wife’s name was Katurah, they 
came from Windham, Conn. to Walpole, about 1780. He was b. 1761, and d. Feb. 2, 1813; she d. 
July 5, 1831, aged 68. The family lived, late in life, in the neighborhood of the residence of Wm. 
Shipman, in indigent circumstances. Ch.
I. Abigail, b. 1784; d. 1848. She never married, but was long favorably known as the efficient 
housekeeper of her brother George, when he kept the village tavern.
II. Emeline, b. 1786; d. in 1808.
III. William, b. 1789; m. ---. Ch. whole number not known. When the family resided in town there 
were two daughters and one son, George, who married Rebecca, the daughter of William 
Mitchell, and went west.
IV. Lydia, b. 1791; d. in 1813, of spotted fever.
V. Oliver, b. 1795;d. 1857. For several years he was connected in business with his brother 
George. In 1835, Mar. 30, he married Sophia, daughter of Ephraim Lane, when he purchased 
the farm on which Geo. H. Angier now resides, and lived there till he died. His children were 
one son, who died in youth, and three daughters, two of whom are mutes and have married 
mutes.
VI. Laura, b. 1797, d. in 1800.
VII. Levi, b.1799; d. in infancy.
VIII. George, b. 1801; d. 1876. He m. late in life, Harriet, only child of Zephaniah Kidder, 
by whom he had one daughter, Mary. George commenced life at the bottom round of the 
ladder. His parents being poor, his early life was spent with Josiah Bellows 3d. At his majority, 
he had $75 which he could call his own. Soon after becoming of age he was employed as clerk, 
by Nathaniel Holland, in the village tavern. Mr. Holland’s health failing he was obliged to sell his 
establishment, and Mr. Huntington was the purchaser, and in a few years was able to pay the 
last cent due for it. At that time the business of the house was remarkably good, it being the 
place where stage passengers either supped, or stopped over night. The charge for a meal at the 
house was thirty-three cents and was considered an extortionary price. He, in company with 
Otis Bardwell and Peletiah Armstrong, controlled all the stage routes through the place, and 
some others, and they were enabled to secure the transporting of the mails, nominally at their 
own figures. In 1837 he leased the public house to Reuben Brown, and gave his attention holly 
to the staging business in which he continued till 1849-50 when the railroad was completed, and 
on some lateral routes, some time longer.
In middle life he was one of the most comely looking and best dressed men in town; standing six 
feet and more in stature, and straight as an arrow. He was early honored by his townsmen by 
being chosen to represent them in the State Legislature and in offices of the town. He was at 
one time Sheriff of the County, and later one of the directors of the Cheshire railroad, and also 
of one of the Keene banks At one time his friends urged his fitness as a candidate for the 
National Legislature. Within a few years he was considered one of the wealthiest men in town, 
at which time he paid the highest tax. Late in life, when surrounded by all the comforts and 
conveniences, and many of the luxuries of life, and still retaining a robust constitution, he, with 
many others in town, went heavily into tobacco culture. Holding his crops for higher prices, and, 
in the meantime, purchasing of others and paying high prices, in a short time, he found himself in 
such pecuniary embarrassment that he was unable to extricate himself; and at his death his estate 
was found heavily insolvent. Mr. Huntington was genial in nature, a kind neighbor, and a much-
respected citizen.
IX. Elnorah, baptized in 1813; m. Isaac F. Bellows, and lives in Lancaster, Mass. She has three 
children, George, Grace and Anna.