Essex

HARTSHORN, John Willard & William H.

Biography of John Willard HARTSHORN (brother of William H.)

Men of Vermont: Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters & Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Company, 1894, p 184 
(portrait p 184)

John Willard HARTSHORN, of Lunenburg, was born 01 October 1815 in Lunenburg 
[Essex County, Vermont], son of Colburn and Elizabeth (FAY) HARTSHORN. The 
public schools of Lunenburg gave him his educational training, and when he 
arrived at man's estate he left his native town to seek his fortune in the 
world. He went to Sterling [Worcester County], Massachusetts, and remained 
three years, during which period he witnessed the completion of the first 
railroad from Boston to Worcester. Then he returned to Lunenburg, and 
purchased a large farm for $800 and a hundred barrels of cider, ten of the 
latter to be paid annually. At the time of the famous cider and log cabin 
campaign in 1840, the orchards of Mr. HARTSHORN manifested "active 
partisanship" by producing twenty-one hundred bushels of apples. For many 
years he was a noted farmer, drover and stock breeder, and he acquired some 
local reputation as an auctioneer, and satisfactorily settled many estates in 
the neighborhood. He was one of the original directors of the P. & O. 
[Portland and Ogdensburgh] Railroad, and retained that position until the 
road passed into the hands of a receiver.

From the time of his return until 1878, when he received an almost fatal 
injury from a fall, Mr. HARTSHORN was continuously in the service of the town 
as lister, overseer of the poor, moderator, and justice of the peace for 
fifty-one years. He has been chosen to both branches of the state 
Legislature, member of the House in 1852-1853, and senator in 1870-1871, and 
been honored by two terms as judge of probate in 1856-1857. For seven years 
he was one of the directors of the state prison. On 16 November 1840 Judge 
[John Willard] HARTSHORN married Ann, daughter of Chester and Betsey 
(HUTCHINS) SMITH of Lunenburg [Essex County, Vermont], and four children have 
been born to them: Hon. Elden J., of Emmettsburg [Palo Alto County], Iowa; 
Elizabeth (Mrs. George H. EMERSON, deceased); Harry C.; and Cora (Mrs. Edward 
LOWELL), of Lewiston [Androscoggin County], Maine.



Biography of William H. HARTSHORN (brother of John W.)

Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867, p 1008
(extracted from a section on the history of Guildhall, Essex County, Vermont)

William H. HARTSHORN, a son of Colburn HARTSHORN, of Lunenburgh [Essex 
County], Vermont, came to reside in town [Guildhall, Essex County, Vermont] 
about 1841. Studied law with William HEYWOOD, Esq., and practiced in that 
profession some fifteen years. He has been a man of much public spirit, and 
has enjoyed the confidence of his fellow citizens of this town and county in 
an unusual degree. He has constantly been in office [state's attorney 1847, 
1856], and has generally succeeded in meeting the approbation of his fellow 
citizens. He has represented the town and the county, each two years, in the 
legislature of the state [Senator 1854-1855], and held the office of county 
clerk fifteen years [1848, 1850-1863]. He gave up his practice to Mr. 
[George N.] DALE, and has been, for two or three years, a merchant. [Dates 
in brackets are from Child's history, and the following, also noted in 
Child's, may be related to John W. and William H.: George W. HARTSHORN, 
state's attorney 1874-1877; and Levi HARTSHORN, sheriff 1878-1879.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly