Josiah Bartlett Eastman Biography from History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire
From: Jody Goodson - kestrell@prodigy.net

Surname: EASTMAN
Source:  History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens
          by Charles A. Hazlett, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill., 1915

Page 998

     JOSIAH BARTLETT EASTMAN, a well known and substantial citizen
of the town of Hampstead, N. H., was born in this town, April 11, 1865, a
son of Dr. Josiah Calef and Mary Helen (Harris) Eastman. His father,
born in Louden, N. H., April 22, 1811, was a son of Dr. Joseph and Miriam 
(Calef) Eastman; grandson of Timothy and Abigail (Gale) Eastman, and of
Joseph and Miriam (Bartlett) Calef; and a great grandson of Colonel Gale
of East Kingston, and of Hon. Josiah Bartlett, a signer of the Declaration of
Independence, was president, 1790-'91, and first governor of New Hampshire,
1792-93. Joseph Eastman was graduated from Dartmouth Medical College
in 1806, and died at Meredith, N. H., at the age of thirty-three years.
Josiah C. Eastman, father of the subject of this sketch, obtained a pre-
iiminary education at the Kingston and the Atkinson (N.H.) and the Saco
(Me.) Academies, after which he taught in district schools. He commenced
the study of medicine in 1833 with Drs. L. S. Bartlett and T. Bassett, of
Kingston, N. H.; attended three courses of lectures at Dartmouth MediCal
College and was graduated M.D. therefrom in 1837.
     Dr. Eastman practiced medicine for a time at Newmarket, N. H., and
about 1839 located at Hampstead, where he was subsequently engaged in
active practice, when not in the military service. In August, 1861, he was
appointed hy Governor Berry surgeon of the Fourth Regiment, New Hamp-
shire Volunteer Infantry, with rank of major. He was in service with the
regiment at Washington, Annapolis, Port Royal, Hilton Head, St. Augustine,
and Jacksonville, until 1863, when he resigned his commission on account of
illness in his family, and returned to Hampstead. Soon after this he was
offered the colonelcy, which he declined. When a youth he was chosen by
Hon. Levi Woodbury for a cadetship at West Point Military Academy, but
the opposition of his widowed mother prevented its acceptance.
In 1845 Dr. Eastman was county treasurer of Rockingham County, de-
clining renomination in 1847. He represented Hampstead in the legislature
in 1847-'50, and was state senator in 1853-'54. In politics he was a Democrat.
At the time of his death, which took place November 27, 1897, Dr. Eastman
was one of the oldest members of the New Hampshire Medical Society, of
which he was president in 1860. He was a member of the Rockingham
Medical Society and president of the same; also a member of the American
Medical Association, and was one of the three representatives from New
Hampshire to the international Medical Congress held at Philadelphia in
1876. Dr. Eastman was twice nominated for councilor for his district, and
was a delegate to the national convention which nominated General McClellan
and Hon. Horatio Seymour for the presidency. In 1849, while a member of
the legislature, Dr. Eastman introduced the bill entitled, "An Act Providing
for the Estab1ishment of Public Libraries," which became a law under the
signature of Governor Dinsmore, and New Hampshire was the first state in
the Union to empower towns and cities to maintain free public libraries by
taxation, as a result of the passage of that bill. Dr. Eastman was largely
instrumental in the building of the Nashua & Rochester Railroad, and served
as a director after its completion.

Pages 999 and 1000 contained a portrait

Page 1001

     Dr. Eastman was first married, May 3, 1841, to Miss Ann A., daughter
of Captain Leonard (a pensioner of 1812) and Elizabeth Gregg (Warner)
Wilson. Their children were: Mary Bartlett, who married Lavosier Hill,
of New York City; and Ella. Dr. Eastman married secondly, February 5,
1860, Miss Mary Helen, daughter of Dr. Jerome and Mary (Tewksbury)
Harris, of Amesbury, Mass. She survived her husband about three years and
a half, passing away May 23, 1891. The children of this second union were
Josiah Bartlett, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; and Susie
Ann, who married Prof. Geo. S. Palmer of Derry, N. H., and had a son,
Mahlon Eastman, who died Aug. 9, 1910.
     Josiah Bartlett Eastman acquired a good practical education in the public
schools and high school of Hampstead. After completing his studies he took
up farming as an occupation and later operated a saw-mill, meeting with
success in both lines of industry. He served the town as selectman in 1897-8,
but othcrwise, aside from casting his vote, has not been particularly active
in politics. He, however, takes a good citizen's interest in everything calcu-
lated to promote the advancement and prosperity of the town. He belongs to
St. Marks Lodge, A. F. & A. M. of Derry; also to the Chapter, R. A. M., at
Derry ; to Sons of Veterans, Custer Camp, No. 9, in which he has held all the
important offices ; the Junior Order American Mechanics, in which also he has
held all the offices, and to Pomona Grange, P. of H. As a citizen he is widely
known and highly esteemed.

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