



PHOTOS BV W. MAWLATT.WOODHUIL, K Y, 



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HENRY STEARNS. 



Henry Stearns was born in the town of Pramingham^ 

 Mass., Aug. 19, 1809. His grandfather Stearns, with two 

 brothers, emigrated from England during the early part of the 

 last century ; one settling in New Hampshire, a second in Con- 

 necticut, and the direct ancestor of Mr. Stearns in Massa- 

 chusetts, where he lived to be upwards of one hundred and 

 two years of age. His father, Timothy Stearns, was a native 

 of Massachusetts ; married Mary Look, of Framingham ; was 

 a shoemaker by trade ; in early life commenced carrying mail 

 between Boston and Worcester on horseback, and subsequently 

 ran a stage between those two places. He died in middle life, 

 and when the subject of this sketch was only three years of 

 age, leaving a wife and seven children, viz. : George, Mrs. Alvah 

 Curtis, Mrs. Nelson Stowe, Charles, William, Henry, and Tim- 

 othy. The mother survived her husband some fourteen years, 

 and died in Medford at the age of about sixty. Of these 

 children, only Charles, of New Jersey, and Henry are 

 living. 



Mr. Stearns spent the time from eleven to sixteen years 

 of age with Richard Fiske, of Framingham, on a farm, 

 receiving the opportunities of the common school and the 

 academy at Framingham for an education. He served an ap- 

 prenticeship in the cabinet and undertaking business with 

 Frederick Van Dorn, of Lowell, Mass., for five years, closing 

 upon reaching his majority, when he went to New York City 

 and worked as a journeyman for one year, and afterwards one 

 year in Cincinnati, Ohio, and two years in Newark, N. J. He 

 married, in 1833, Cordelia, daughter of Rev. Clark Robinson, 

 of Bath, this county. Her father was a native of Vermont, and 



was a grandson of Dr. Robinson, of Williams College, Mass. 

 He was a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was 

 minister for some fifty years, and died at the residence of his 

 daughter, in Jasper, Jan. 28, 1877, at the age of eighty- 

 five. Her mother, Celinda S., was daughter of Benjamin 

 Sprague, of Rhode Island, and died in Bath, at the age of forty- 

 seven. 



Mrs. Stearns was bom in the town of Bath, Sept. 2, 1816. 

 Their children are George, Charles, Mrs. Eugene H., Cramer, 

 and William H. After their marriage, Mr. Stearns spent a 

 short time in the town of Howard, in the cabinet business ; 

 was in Boston for ten years, and settled in Buffalo, where he 

 established the cabinet business, and with the exception of two 

 years, spent in the drug business in Newark, N. J., remained 

 in Buffalo for some fourteen years, when by fire he lost hi» 

 entire property. 



In the year 1857 he removed to the town of Jasper, and 

 began again in a small way, and after three years, by close at- 

 tention to business and strict economy, was enabled to estab- 

 lish himself as an undertaker and cabinet-maker, which interests 

 have gradually increased until the present time. Mr. Stearns 

 since his settlement here has been generally successful, yet often 

 called upon to favor the needy, which he does with a liberal 

 hand. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stearns are supporters of the church 

 and kindred interests; she being a member of the Second 

 Advent Church and Mr. Stearns an attendant of the service 

 of the Presbyterian Church. 



Mr. Stearns is identified with the Republican party, and in- 

 terested in all matters of local reform and improvement. 



