Biographies

(Source: History of Bath and environs, Sagadahoc Co., Maine, 1607 - 1894
Ortland, Me.: Lakeside Press, printers, 1894 - 556 pgs.

EDWARD K. HARDING.— From the Boston Traveller we take the following notice (published soon after his death) of our late respected citizen, who was well known, through commercial and social intercourse, in Boston, New York, and New Orleans:
     "Edward Kelloran Harding, son of Capt. Nehemiah Harding, was born in Bath, Me., in September, 1816. His father was an extremely energetic and successful ship-master, and sailed from that port over forty years. He attended the usual schools of the town, and at 13 entered a store at some trivial rate of wages, all of which, however, he saved for a year and expended in a silk dress for his mother (then and there an uncommon article, even among the wealthy families of the district). He then entered the counting-room of Messrs. Clapp & Boynton, ship-builders, where he remained four or five years, when, with letters of recommendation from Messrs. Clapp & Boynton, he went to New Orleans and entered, as clerk, in the ship-chandlery and cordage house of Messrs S. S. Green & Co. Here he rapidly rose to a position as one of the firm, and purchasing the interest of one of the partners, the firm name was changed to that of Green & Harding. Here his large Northern acquaintance and many friends increased the business to many times the original amount.
     "In 1841 he married Miss Louisa H. McLellan, daughter of Gen. James McLellan, of Bath, and in 1853 finally retired from the New Orleans house and permanently returned to his early home. Here he formed a partnership with C. S. Jenks, and commenced the building of ships which he continued until 1857 or 1858, under the name of Jenks & Harding, building a number of very fine ships and barques. Besides his ship-building he held very large contracts with the City of New Orleans for granite paving blocks, of which and pressed hay he shipped immense quantities.
     "For some years before his final retirement from his New Orleans firm he passed much of his time in the North, and in 1850 he organized the Bath City Grays, a company composed of leading citizens of Bath, which company held their organization as such until the breaking out of the war, when they became Company A, of the Third Regiment, Maine Volunteers. This company was uniformed similarly to the Boston Tigers, and were the "crack" company of the State. They participated in the great Boston Railroad Jubilee, in 1851 or 1852. Besides his commission as Captain of this company, in 1850, he was commissioned aide-de-camp to Governor Crosby in 1853, with rank of Colonel, and Colonel Second Regiment, Second Brigade, Fifth Division, Maine State Militia, in 1855.*
     "At the breaking out of the war he desired to offer his service to the government, which his fondness for and familiarity with military command would have rendered invaluable at that juncture, but yielding to the desire of the Governor and Adjutant-General of the State he accepted the position of Acting Quartermaster-General of the State of Maine, and equipped every regiment that left the state during the war, personally superintending all details and correspondence. To illustrate his business activity, in addition to his state duties at this time he was also the largest supplier to the general government of forage, and shipped largely from the ports of Bangor, Wiscasset, Belfast, Bath, and Portland, besides having buyers all over the state.
     "He was at one time president of the City Bank, president of the Marine Mutual Insurance Company, president of the Boston & Maine Steamship Company, president of the International Telegraph Company, Hinkley Knitting Company, Nequasset Lake Ice Company, and had been prominently identified with many other local interests.
     "He was the most energetic business man of his time — always prompt, always to his word, and although he was generally considered one of the most "wide-awake" business men, yet no person ever heard it intimated that he had ever over-reached to the amount of a single penny. He had not an enemy in the world.
     "As a husband and a father he seemed to his family perfection, — never even an angry word or look. The latter years of his life he was not actively engaged in business, except in occasional ventures. He died of dropsy, August 21, 1874, aged 57 years and 11 months, after an illness of three months."
Colonel Harding married Louisa, daughter of Gen. James McLellan, an estimable young lady, and still living. The children of Colonel Harding are: George Edward, who went through a course of education in the Bath schools, graduating at the High School, and graduated at the Columbia College, New York, became an architect and civil engineer, and commenced business in New York, where he has continued with the success that has placed him in the front rank of his profession. He married in that city and has two children. Mr. Harding was the architect of the Bath Public Library building, the drafting of which was a valuable gift to the city, and is a model of adaptedness and beauty of design.  Henry McLellan Harding, having received his early education at Bath, ending with the High School, graduated at Yale College in 1875, and is by profession an electrical engineer, was one of the first to introduce electric railways in the United States, being associated with F. J. Sprague, of New York, and George Westinghouse, of Pittsburg, Pa. He married Florence Agnes Powers, of Boston, Mass., and has one child, Marion Powers Harding. The daughters are Mrs. D. W. Russell, who lives at Brookline, Mass., and has three children; the younger daughter married Fritz H. Twitchell, of Bath, and they have one daughter.

NEHEMIAH HARDING was a life-long sea-captain, sailing in the vessels of William King, continuing as long as able to go to sea. He was born at Truro, Mass., and came, with his father, to the New Meadows to a farm when two years old. When old enough he commenced going to sea, and, working his way up, became a very successful commander. He married Miss Rachel Reed, at Pleasant Point, Topsham, and they had three sons and three daughters. He lived until 86 years old, dying August 2, 1865. His wife died January 19, 1834, aged 47 years. His descendants, in Bath and elsewhere, are numerous, taking high rank in business, society, and public positions.

C. B. HARRINGTON was born in Nova Scotia, in 1831, came to Bath in 1847.  He learned the joiner's trade and worked at it several years and when about twenty-two years of age began work in the ship-yard with his father who had been a ship-builder in Nova Scotia; learned drafting and the use of ship-carpenters' tools which, with his former knowledge of joiner work, made him a boat builder, at which he has worked ever since, and has built a great many boats of all kinds, as well as a large number of yachts for Boston parties.  He has built one hundred and ten vessels and boats that have been registered, viz.:  twenty-one schooner yachts, twenty-five sloops (most all yachts), twenty-five fishing schooners, and thirty-nine steamboats.  He married  at the age of twenty-one years and has had a family of nine children, seven of whom are now living, two sons and five daughters.  The sons are both iron workers.

DR. JOHN HART was born in Ipswich, October 13, 1751 ; studied medicine with the eminent Dr. John Calif; came to Bath at the age of 19, and secured a large practice.

B. W. HATHORNE was born in Wiscasset, August 28, 1839.  His early life was spent on his father's farm, when, at eighteen years of age, he went to sea three years, after which he was employed on a steamer on Lake Ponchartrain, Mississippi, until 1860, when he went to California and engaged in gold mining with success; returned to Bath in 1870; went into trade at Varneys Mills; in 1871 bought out the store of goods where he has conducted the grocery business to the present time.  He has served two years in the City Government.  December 31, 1876, he married Miss Eliza A. Morse, a sister of B. W. Morse, a very estimable lady, and their residence is on the site of the Old South Church, High street.

WILLIAM EDGAR HOGAN is one of a family of eight children, and was born in Bangor, August 1, 1849, and early found that his way in the world must necessarily be from his own exertions, and later in life became the stay of the family many years. He took to books and liked study, and, going through all the grades of the Bath schools, he graduated from the High School in the class of 1867. He then went to Phillips Academy, Andover, to prepare for a college course; remaining there two years he entered Dartmouth College in 1870; was admitted to the Sophomore class, and graduated in 1872. During his course in college Mr. Hogan taught school two winters, and, after graduation, taught in a Grammar School in Bath three years, studying law at the same time with Washington Gilbert. In 1876 he was admitted to the Bar, and has been in the practice of law in Bath ever since; was register of deeds four years; postmaster of Bath from January, 1882, until 1885, and was again appointed in 1889. He has ever been an active Republican in politics.

DR. MOSES HOLBROOK was, for some years, in practice in Bath, and had the reputation of skill in his profession, as he was also in the art of Masonry, and was Master of Solar Lodge in the years of 1813, 1814, and 1815. Subsequently he became a resident of Charleston, S. C.

GEORGE EVANS HUGHES was born in Boston, January 19, 1852. His education was commenced in the schools of Bath, graduating from the High School in 1869, and having fitted for college he entered Bowdoin in 1873. In 1874 he took charge of Bath High School and was principal of it until 1884, when he resigned to enter upon the practice of law, of which he had made a study during his years of teaching. In 1884 he was admitted to the Bar of Sagadahoc County, and opened an office in Bath.
     Although not entering largely into party politics, Mr. Hughes acceded to the wishes of the Democratic party of the city to run as its candidate for member of the Legislature in 1884, and for mayor in 1888, and at each election received a large complimentary vote in a city overwhelmingly Republican.
I     n July, 1884, Mr. Hughes married Miss Susan M. Nealley, daughter of L. S. J. Nealley, who was for many years collector of the Port of Bath.