ti<in in that direction, lie joined his brother
l.oammi in the construction of the dr\ dock at
Charlestown Xavy 'N'ard. In 1828, he. with
two others, were appointed commissioners to
make the survey for a railroad to the western
jiart of the state, this being then a new and un-
tried enterjirise. and the survey was made from
I'lOston to Albany. Cpon this work he was en-
gaged for more than iwo \rars. It wa^ not
prosecuted at the time, but subsei|nenlly ilic
Western railroad, so called, was built U|)on the
location selected by him and his plans wi're
generallv adoiiteil. lie always looked u])on
this, ne.xt to the intro<luction of |)nre water into
I'loston, as the most important of his profes-
sional works. In 1832 he began the location
of the FJoston & Lowell railroad, which was
Constructed under his sujierintendence. He
was also emjiloyed on engineering lines by the
Ware .Manufacturing com])any, the Thames
com|)auy of Xorwich, Connecticut, and the
pr(]])rietors of the locks and canals at Lowell.
lie also determined the relative amount of
w ater power used by the mills of the different
ci mipanies at Lowell.
In 1825 the subject of the water supply of
r.oston attracted the attention of the authori-
ties, and an investigation of the sources for a
pure sup])ly was made, and in 1837 he was
a])pointed on a commission to int|uire still fur-
ther into the matter. He dissented from the
iiiajorit}- in the recommendation of Spot and
Mystic ponds, and recommended Long Pond
I Lake Cochituate). Others high in authority
diii'ered from his conclusion, but still he was
immovable in adherence to his recommenda-
tion, in spite of rejection by popular vote, to
which it had been submitted, and it was not
renewed till 1844, when he was again in a posi-
tion of influence on the commission. His plan
was, however, ado])ted March 30, 1846: the
ground was broken five months after, an4 on
C )ctober 2~,. 1848. he had the jjleasure of seeing
his plan, so long resisted, finallx' triumphant,
and the I'ublic fountain playing for the first
lime in the presence of a large concourse of
])eoide. He was for several years a senator
from .Suft'olk in the .Massacluisetts general
court, and the first president of the Boston
.S<>ciety of Civil F.ngineers.
The lioston l>(iily . Itli'crtiscr. in a notice
if him at the time of his death says, "He was
of a kindly and benevolent dis])osilion, affable
in his manners, warm and unfaltering in his
attachment to his friends. Ills sense of justice
and his fair a]ipreciation of the rights of others
showed to great advantage in many of his
|iul)lic works."
\ memoir tif llou. Jauu"- I'owle Baldwin, by
Dr. Cslier I'arsons, was published in 1865.
IVoin his memoir are gleaned the following
tributes :
â– "lie was a gentleman of liighl\- respectable
aiiainmeiits. and surpassed by none as a scien-
tific and ]iractical engineer. He was employed
b\- the .State to su])erintend the construction of
ii- gigantic ])ublic works. 1 le was a prominent
member of the .\merican .Academy of .Arts
and .Sciences, and during many years held the
|ii -ition in that learned society in the section
of Technolog\- an<l Civil Engineering." Upon
his decease a brief sketch of liis life and jjublic
massachlsi-:tts.
5«3
services was presented and read before that
society, and soon after published in its Trans-
actions.
lion. lames F. Baldwin had the care of the
affairs of Count Ruin ford's daughter, the
Countess Rumford a great part of her life, and
she at her decease left him a generous betiuest.
"It may be fairly claimed that the city of Bos-
ton is pre-eminently indebted to the forecast,
firmness, and professional skill of Mr. Baldwin
for the present abundant and constant supply
of pure water from Cochituate." Instead of
three millions of gallons daily for the first ten
years, the amount was actually fifteen millions
of gallons during that period.
â– '.Mr. Baldwin was of commanding presence,
being considerably about six feet in stature.
and remarkably well proportioned." His mind
was clear, but not rapid in its operation. He
came to his conclusions by successive steps,
carefully taken and closely examined: but the
results once reached, his confidence in them
was rarely shaken. Confidence in his integrity
enabled him to settle (|uestions of the transfer
of property with a facility that was surprising.
e.specially with those per.sons who had not the
clearest conviction of the invariable u])right-
ness of corporate bodies in their dealings with
individuals. Fie endeavored tr) encourage and
assist young students who were pursuing the
study < f civil engineering, and the lumiber
were many who remembered liini with affec-
tion and veneration.
I le was especially the friend and protector
of the ori)hans. His last illness was of short
duration. Returning from a walk on the day
of his death, he complained of indisposition,
and speaking a few words to his wife, he soon
e.vpired.
( \' I Clarissa Bal 'win. daughter of Loammi
( I ). born at W'oburn. December .^i. 1791. died
there May 27. 1841. aged forty-nine: married.
January 20. 1812. Thomas lirewster Coolidge,
of Hallowell. born December 8. 1785, son of
I'lenjamin and .Mary Carter ( Brewster) Cool-
iilge. of Boston and W'oburn. Children: t.
Benjamin, born at Hallowell. Maine. Xovcm-
ber 10. 1812, <lied at Lawrence, -Massachusetts.
.\ugnst 25. 1871 : married. October i, 1844,
Mary White, born at Med ford. Massachusetts,
January 14. t8io. died at l.awrence. .April ii,
1883. (iaughter of Jonas and Mary (Wright)
Manning, of W'oburn. Two children: Bald-
win, born at Wolnirn. July 7, t845: see ff)r-
ward. Brewster, born N'ovember 10, 1848,
died at Lawrence, June 21. 185.V 2. Thomas
Brewster, born at Hallowell. May 3, 1815. died
at W'oburn. unmarried. I'ebruarv iS, i8i;5.
Baldwin Coolidge. .son of Benjamin Coolidge,
and grandson of Clarissa Baldwin (5), was
born at W'oburn, July 7, 1845; was married, at
Lawrence, l-'ebruary 7. i8()6, to Lucy, born at
.Xewburyport, Masachusetts, November 24,
1844. died at W'oburn, .August 13, 1004. daugh-
ter of .\atlian Thomas and 1 lannali ( .\oyes )
i'huner, of .Xewburyport: was a soldier in the
.'^lixth Regiment Massachusetts X'olunteer Mili-
tia, campaign of 1864, in the civil war.* He
was band boy at the funeral of the first soldier
killed in the civil war. viz.: ."^uunier Henry
Xeedham, who was killed in the fight at Balti-
more, .\pril 19, 1861. !Mr. Coolidge was the
first city engineer of Law rence. Massachusetts,
and having inherited the Baldwin scientific
ingenuity and versatility of mind, he has be-
come distinguished by his mechanical feats in
photography, and for the artistic excellence
and niunber of his ])roductions in that line of
work.
( \' ) ( ieorge Rinnford ISaldwin. son of Col-
onel Loammi ( i ). was born in the Baldwin
mansion at Xorth W'oburn. January 26, 1798,
and died there October 11. 1888. "having de-
voted his lengthened life, with the fidl posses-
sion of his facilties till its close, to the pursuits
of practical science, as a surveyor, a civil engi-
neer, and a constructor." The lands of the
original Henry I'.aldwin held by his descendant
George R. I'aldwin at the time of his death in
1888. included betw'een five and six hundred
acres. The mansion is one of the noteworthy
survivals of our earliest times in size, arrange-
ment, adornment, and in its well-preserved
relics. Within it are to be foimd implements,
household utensils, paintings, ornaments, and
sundry furnishings, with luxurious appliances,
gathered by the generations which have occu-
pied it from birth to death. Piles of tnuiks
and boxes contain their private papers and
settlements of estates. Most interesting among
its contents is a large, select, and valuable
librarv of many thousand volumes, collected
princi|)ally by the father and brothers of Ceorge
R. I'.aldw in and by himself, giving evidence of
their scientific and literary tastes. Learned
tomes in many languages, costly ilustrated
works, series of scientific publications on con-
struction and engineering, and sumjjtuous edi-
tions of the best writers in various de|)artments
rif literature, are among its treasures. The
•The .sixth n<Klmcnt went to the front throe
times — In ISni. ISfi2. nn<1 1864. beInK the rail tpkI-
ment.
584
MASSACHUSETTS.
house and its contents is a memorial of one of
the oldest and most distinguished families of
its citizens.
His father was the earliest civil engineer in
this state, and on the projection of the first of
our public enterprises for more extended inter-
nal communication the connection of the waters
of the Merrimack with those of the harbor by
the Midlesex Canal, chartered in 1793, the
father of (ieorge R. Tialdwin was one of its
leading promotors. Its course lay through his
own estate, the several hundred acres belong-
ing later to George R. Baldw-in, and it was
completed in 1803. Of this then signal enter-
prise the father was surveyor, engineer, and
constructor under the supervision of an Eng-
lish engineer, Weston by name, who was then
a resident of Philadelphia. The canal served
its uses until superseded by the Lowell rail-
road. It is necessary to know these facts in
order to gain a background for the after career
of the .son, George Rumford Baldwin. He early
fcnmd o])portunity for the e.xercise of the
family ingenuity by engaging in the profession
of work of the older members of the family.
He was the son of his father's second wife.
His middle name recalled the friendly and
intimate relations which existed between his
father and the distinguished Count Rumford.
When the friend had attained rank and title
at Munich, a correspondence began between
the two which is of great personal and his-
torical interest. Tn a letter following the birth
of George Rumford I'.aldwin, the father writes
to the Count. "T have liad a son born to me
to whom I have given your name." The father
wished this ':oy. as he grew up. to enter Har-
vard College, but the son was disinclined to
scholarshij) in that institution as its standard
then was. and from his earliest years his bent
was for mathematical and scientific .studies.
])ursued by himself, anil for jjractical out-of-
door work in waterways, surveying and en-
gineering, in the examination of mills and
water-power, dams and raceways, lie. as we
have already noticed, had marked facilities
for practice of this sort, with preliminary train-
ing in a school kept by Dr. Stearns in Medford,
and by accomjianying his father and brother
in field and office work. In his fourteenth
year he made some sketches nf tlie furtitica-
tions of i'oston harbor in the w.ir nt i8ij. df
which hi> brother I.oaiunii ILildwin wa^ the
chief engineer.
.â– \ .series of his diaries f(^r more than fifty
years contain daily entries of his employments
and occupations. 1 le liveil a life of marvellous
industry, of wide travel, and useful service.
He was called upon as expert witness, referee
or examiner in many ways, at a period when
the develo])ment of our railroads and manu-
facturing enterprises made a demand for talent
and skill. He helped form the first associated
company of engineers. He was naturally shy,
modest, difiidcnt. and reticent, of most retiring
and undemonstrative ways, therefore when
called upon for any utterance in public before
many persons it was for him a serious strain.
His social intercourse was limited, and under
no circumstances could he have made a speech
in public of advocacy or argument. The follow-
ing were some of his early engagements: 1821.
built P. C. llrook's stone bridge: 1822-1823. in
Pennsylvania with his brother: 1823-25, at
factories in Lowell ; 1826, surveyed Charles-
tmvn Navy Yard: executed Marine Railway:
1831-33. in England; 1833-34, on Lowell rail-
road: 1834-3^, in Xova Scotia: 1837. in Geor-
gia, on Brunswick Canal. In 1845 he was chief
engineer on the route of the Bufifalo and Missis-
sippi railroad. In 1846 he was employed on
the examination of the water power of Au-
gusta, (Georgia, and by the national government
on the Dry Docks in Washington and Brook-
lyn. In 1847 he was summoned to Quebec to
engage on a professional task which occupied
him till he comi)leted it in 1856. This was the
introduction of water into the city. He was in
full superintendence, under the mayor and a
water board. In the course of the work he
sailed with his family to Euro])e to superintend
the casting of the jjipes. gates, etc., and to
arrange for their shipment.
In 1857-58 he was in Europe with his family,
principally in Paris and London, with many
excursions. With accom])lished .skill in draught-
ing and etching, his jiencil was ever busy in
sketching all the objects of special interest, and
his descriptions are illustrated by a mass of
draw ings. more or less jierfected.
He was ct)nnected as consulting engineer
with many more modern works, the most im-
portant, jierhaps. being the Boston. Hartford.
and Erie railrc>ad. His journals show how
fully every interval between these ]iublic works
was improved. He was skilled in all family.
horticultural, and agricultural labors, and his
pen was ever busy in his own alTairs, or for
the service of friends.
George R. Baldwin married. December h,
1S37. the ste|)daughter of his brother, Loammi
Baldwin, namely. Catherine Richardson Beck-
ford, daughter <if C"a|>tain Thomas and Cath-
erine ( \Vilder I I'eckford. of Charlestown.
MASSACHLSI',TTS.
585
.Massachusetts. Mrs. L>al<l\vin died in W'ohiini.
February 5. 1873. aged sixty years. They lia<l
oue cliild. a daughter, now Mrs. Catherine K.
('riftith. and residing in Quebec, Canada.
• By Arthur G. I.orlng. i
IJenjaniin Thc)nii>son, better
Rl'MFf )RD known asCount Runitord.was
a great-great-great-grandsnn
of James Thompson, one of tiie original settlers
of W'oburn, and i)rominent among those who
early fixed their residence in that part of that
town, which is now known as North Woburn.
The same difficulty which meets not a few who
search in vain for the details of the old Eng-
lish history of their ancestors, meets us at the
outset, says the family historian, in regard to
him: — but little is known of his English ante-
cendents. except that he was born in 1593;
married a wife wdiose only name known to us
was Elizabeth ; had three sons and one daugh-
ter, all born in England, and early in 1630,
when he was thirty-seven years of age joined
the company, who, under the lead of (jovernor
John W'inthrop landed in .\'cw England during
that year. The tradition is that James Thomp-
son landed at Salem in the early jiart of June.
The numerous individuals bearing this almost
universal name may be cijnsidered as befogging
the subject, and therefore, in s[)ite of vigilant
research, it seems to be impossible to ascertain
the place of his birth, .\bsolute proof is lack-
ing u]) to the present date on the subject. It
may ))C that he belonged to the numerous re-
lated families of Thompsons in London and
several of the nearest counties around that
metropolis. These families embraced a num-
ber that were eminent in the intellectual, social,
and religious world, including a number who
received the order of knighthood. The coats-
of-arms of some of them, though differing
slightly, are essentially the same. James Thomj)-
son first located himself at Charlestown, where
he anl wife were admitted to membership in
the church at that place, .\ugust 31, 1633. lie
was admitted a freeman later in the same year.
In December, 1640. he was one of thirty-two
who subscribed the tow-n orders or by-laws for
W'nburn. This town was incorporated in 1642,
and he was chosen a member of the broad of
selectmen and served the towji in that office
with occasional brief intervals for about twenty
vears. He held also various niinor offices. He
was twice married. His first wife. Elizabeth,
dying November 13, 1643, he married, Febru-
ary 15, i''>44, Susannah Rlodgett. widow of
Thomas Rlodgett, of Cambridge. She died
I'ebruary 10. 1661. Children: i. James, died
January 24, 1647, an uinnarried yoiuig man. 2.
.Simon, married .Mary Converse ( Edward, 1 ). 3.
Olive, married, September 3, 1630. John Cutler,
and died before her father's death. 4. Jona-
than, see forward.
James Thompson died i()S2. at lite age of
eighty-nine years. His will, dated the last day
of l-'ebruary, 1681 ( meaning, of course, i()8i-
2), s|)eaks of him as being greatly stricken in
years: names his son. Jonathan Thompson, the
onl\ child of his then living; Sarah Rednap
and Hannah Horn ( sisters ), his grandchildren ;
John Cutler and Susannah Eogee (or Logan),
his grandchildren, and his son Jonathan's six
children (not given by name I, James Thoni])-
son, "niy grandchild." and John .Sheldon. Sen-
ior ( who married his son .Simon's widow) : his
son Jonathan he a])points his executor; .Sam-
uel lUodgett, Senior, and John Mousall, over-
seers, and he gave .Mr. Blodgctt "Mr. Rogers
his book." and ^Ir. Mousall. "a pair of new
gloves."
(II) Jonathan riii)nii) - on, son of James
Thompson, burn in I'.ngiand : died at W'o-
burn. October 20, ifKji ; married, November
28. i()8^. .Susanna Rlodgett (Thomas), died
I'ebruary 6. ir)Q7-8. a daughter of his father's
second wife who bore her mother's name. He
inherited his father's homestead. He was the
first male teacher ever employed under the
authority of the town of \Voburn. He was
also in subse(|nent years a constal)le and town
sexton. Children: i. Susannah, born July 4.
1661 : married, March 7, 1700, .\braham Rob-
erts, of Reading. 2. Jonathan, born Sc|)tember
28, 1663; see forward. 3. James, born 1666.
died young. 4. James, born Jime 27. 1(567;
married. October 22. 1(195, Sarah Trask. 5.
Sarah, born June i, iC^/O: married, .April 11.
iCk)2. John .Swan. Ct. .Simon, born June 15.
i()73: married. Deceniber t2. ijoo. Anna
I'lUtterfiekl. 7. Ebenezer. born .\ugnst 18.
1676. died I'ebruary 19. i()97-8. unmarried.
( 111 ) Jonatlian (2) Thompson, sfni of Jona-
than ( I ), Thoiupson. born September 28. i6()3 :
dieil 1748; married Frances Whitmore. daugh-
ter of Francis Whitmore. of Cambridge. He
was a resident of W'oburn. in the part now
North W'oburn. Children: 1. Jonathan, born
I'ebruary 9. \f)8i()-<)0: married first. September
3. 1713. Fhebe Carter, of W'oburn: married
second. .Abiail I'owle. of W'obm-n. 2. Ilainiah.
liorn Jaiuiary 28. if^f)i-()2; married Josiah
Tierce. 3. Joseph, born October 20. ^Cv^ : mar-
ried. December 30. 1718, .Sarah Rradshaw. of
Metlford. 4. James, born November 14, iC^qft;
586
MASSACHUSETTS.
married Mary Hancock, of Lexington. 5. Sus-
annah, born Jul}- 6, 1699: married, March 21,
1722. Benjamin Mead. 6. Ebenezer, born
March 30, 1701 ; .see forward. 7. Mary, born
.\ngust 18, 1703; married first, WilHam Cow-
dry, of Reading; married second. January 20,
1736-7, Captain Isaac Hartwell, of Oxford.
S. Samuel. Ijorn Sc])tember <S. 1705; married
Ruth Wright, of Woburn. 9. Patience, born
October 25, 1713; married Timothy Lamson.
of Concord. 10. Esther, married, 1740, Amos
Lamson. 11. Jabez, married, November 13,
1735, Lydia Snow. 12. Daniel, died young.
(I\^) Ebenezer Thompson, son of Jonathan
(2) Thompson, born March 30, 1701 : died
1755; married, September 27. 1728, Hannah
Converse, born May 10. 1706. daughter of Caj)-
tain Robert and Mary ( Sawyer ) Converse,
of Woburn. He was ca])tain of the local mili-
tia company designated as the second foot
company of the second regiment of Middlesex
county, of which regiment Eleazer Tyng, Esq.,
was colonel. Thompson's commission was
dated July 3. 1753. He occui)ied the house
now standing, known as the Rum ford birth-
I)lace. ChiUlren : 1. Hcnjamin. born Xovem-
Ikt 27. 1729: see forward. 2. Ebenezer. born
.Se])tember 15, 1731, graduated Harvard Col-
lege, 1752, and became the pastor of the church
at York. Maine, where he died unmarried in
'755- 3- Hannah, born September 21. 1734.
married. March 8. 1753, P-enjaniin Flagg, of
Woburn. 4. Hiram, born May 17, 1743; mar-
ried. I'V-bruary 3. 1767, Rriflget Snow, of Wo-
liurn.
(\ ) llenjamin (21 Thom])sun. s<in nf Captain
Ebenezer Thompson, born November 27.
1729. died Xovcmber 7. 1755: married. May
30, 1752. Kuth Simonds, born October 10.
1730. (lied at Baldwin. Maine. June 18, 181 1,
daughter (jf Lieutenant James and Mary
(h'owle) Simonds; she married second, Janu-
ary I, 1756, Josiah Pierce, of Woburn. Ben-
jamin Thompson died before completing his
twenty-sixth year, and resided in the house
of his father, now known as the Rum ford
birthplace. His gravestone is standing in the
first burial ground of Woburn. Child: i. Bcn-
j;unin. born March 26, 1753; see forward.
(\'l) Benjamin Thoniijson, son of Ik'nja-
min Thonipson, bom March 26. 1753; died
in Paris. I'rance, .August 21. 1814: married
first, .\ovember, 1772. or December 25, 1772.
.Sarah (Walker) Rolfe, widow of lienjamin
Rolfe. and daughter of Reverend Timothy and
lumice ( Burbeen ) Walker, of Rumford. now
C"oncord, New Hampshire; she was born .\n-
gnst 6. 1739. and died January 19. 1792. He
married second, t >ctober 24. 1805. Marie Anne
Pierrette (Paulze) Lavoisier, born at Mont-
brison, January 20, 1758, died at Paris, Feb-
ruary 10, 1836, daughter of IVL Paulze, farmer-
general of the finances, and widow of Antonie
Laurent Lavoisier, the famous chemist and dis-
coverer of oxygen. Child: i. Sarah, born
(Jctober 18. 1774 (?l. died at Concord. New
Hampshire. December 2. 1852.
His Simonds ancestry is this: i. James
Simonds, of Concord and W'oburn. whose sec-
ond wife was Judith ( Phippen ) Hayward, to
whom he was married, January 18, 1643-4.
Their son, 2. James Simonds, born at Woburn,
November 1, 1658, died September 15. 1717;
married. December 29. 1685. Susanna Blodgett
(Samuel 2. Thomas i ), died February 9. 1714-
I 3. Their son, 3. Lieutenant James Simonds,
born .November i, 1686, died July 30, 1775,
in his eighty-ninth year ; njarried. June 17,
1714. Mary Fowle (Captain James 3. Lieu-
tenant James 2, George i ). born June 18, 1689.
died ^larch 9. 1762. Their daughter. Ruth
.Simonds, born October 10, 1730; married. May
30. 1752. Benjamin Thompson (5), and was
the mother of lienjamin Thompson. Count
Rumford.
His Converse ancestry is this : Deacon Ed-
ward Converse, of Woburn, son of Allen Con-
verse, was the father of Lieutenant James
Converse, who died at Woburn. May 10. 171 5.
aged ninety-five years ; married first. October
24, 1643, .Vnna f,ong. of Charlestown (Rob-
ert), born about 1625, died .August 10, 1691.
Their son. Major Jame.s Converse, born No-
vember 16. 1645. (lied July 8. 1706: married.
Tanuarv i. 1669, Hannah Carter (Captain
fohn). born January 19. 1651. who married
second. November 22. 1708. Henry Summers,
of Charlestown. Their son Captain Robert
Converse, born December 29, 1677, died July
20. 1736; married. December 19. 1698. Mary
Sawyer, daughter of Joshua and Sarah
(Wright-Potter) Sawyer. Their daughter.
Hannah Converse, born ^Lay 10. 1706; married.
September 27, 1728, Ebenezer Thompson (4).
(I!v WiUiani R. rultcr.)
.'^o nmch has been wriiten
RC.MI'nKI) concerning the life of Count
Rumfnrd that the principal
e\ents in the career of this remarkable man may
be summarized in a ctirsory manner geograph-
ically for the sake of convenient reference,
paying particular attention in passing, to a few
facts or incidents that are not generally known.
M. A SSACl us 1£TTS.
Replica of Statup of Count Rumford (Benjamin TIiompHon ) on r;ioiin(lM nf W,,l,uin Prihllc Mbiai
588
MASSAC Hl'SETTS.
\r WuKiKX. — \\"(il)iirn \\c'i> the place of his
birth. Aside from the date of the event and
tlie names of his parents, and the facts that his
father died soon after the birth of his (hstin-
gnished son, and that his mother soon married
again, almost nothing is actually known of his
early childhood. He was brought up in the
residence of his stepfather. Josiah Pierce ;
attended the Woburn grammar school, kept by
the celebrated master. John F'owle : was a play-
mate with younger members of the Baldwin
famih'. his stepfather's opposite neighbors:
attended scientific lectures at Harvard College
with i.oammi Fialdwin. later famous as a col-
onel under Washington in tlie revolutionary
war and a projector of tlie .Middlesex Canal
and as the namesake of the Baldwin apple.
Dr. (leorge E. Ellis, the author of the only
standard "Life of Count Rumford" (Memoir
of Sir Benjamin Thompson. Count Rumford,