The Portland daily press., 1894-02-19
OBITUARY.
william G. Twombly.

forenoon. Few are the Portlanders who
did not know by sight at least the bluff,
but kindly old gentleman who looked so
much like Horace Greeley.
Z He not only resembled the great editor,
but was also great admirer of him.
This, however, belongs more properly to
the sphere of Mr.. Twombly's political
activities, which take second place to his
activities as a man of business.
was formerly a prominent figure in the
local business world. He was at the time
of his death the Oldest piano dealer IN
Portland, the only man living who hao
manufactured pianos in Portland, anu
he could date his activities-ln THIS pusl-
ness back to the time when there were
but three or four of those instruments in
the city. For over fifty years, almosG
constantly, he either manufactured or
dealt in pianos.
Mr.. Twombly was born in Poland, Me-,
August sth, 1871. His grandfather came
to Poland to become a member OF the
Shaker village. His father was one OF
three brothers that married three sisters
and settled on farms in the vicinity of
the peculiar community into which they
were born, but which they left when OF
proper age to do so. The father of
William occupied farm ON the beauti-
full and slightly hilltop that was after
ward purchased by the Shakers and be-
came the site of Upper Shaker village,
now wholly unoccup!ed. He died when
his son was but four years of age and the
widow moved to Portland. Eight years
after she married again and moved to
Elton, NH. From there when sixteen
years of age young Twombly came to
Portland and became an apprentice with
George Clark, cabinet maker, at salary
of s25 year. He remained with Mr..
Clark until he was about twenty-one
years of age, and had become a journey
man at his business.
An incident which occurred about
this time determined him to become a
piano maker. A new piano was to be
put into house on Free street, which
was then the fashionable street of the
city inhabited by the.leading citizens of
the old Portland. Pianos were not COM
mon here in the early thirties. there be-
ing but three or four. in town. and it is
doubtful whether or not the young
cabinet maker had ever seen one before.
At any rate, when sent for to assist in
putting the instrument into the house.
he examined it with delight, and deter
mined to be piano maker.
Acting upon this determination he
went to Boston and found work in
piano factory. He was here when, about
1885, Calvin S. Edwards, who had been
making reed organs at Gorham, came to
this city and in company with a Mr..
Howe, began the manufacture OF pianos.
The new firm sent for Mr.. Twombly, and
he came and entered their factory. With
the exception of period of two years he
remained in the business until he retired,
more than fifty years later. He soon be-
came a very skilful workman. as was
shown at the Mechanics fair in this city
in the latter part Of the thirties, when a
piano which he made carried off the
premium even when Chickering was in
the competition. That piano is yet in
existence. 1t was purchased by Nathaniel
Warren who subsequently sold it to the
late Joseph Walker. When the latter's
estate was settled the executors gave the
old piano to Mrs. Arthur Jordan of
Woodfords, a. granddaughter of the first
owner.
About the time of the fair Mr..
Twombly bought into the firm which
became Calvin S. Edwards & Co. The
factory was on the corner of Market and
Congress streets and about ten men were
employed. Mr.. Twombly was also agent
for the Steinway piano. When Mr..
Edwards died shortly before the fire of
$50 Mr.. Twombly became sole proprietor
of the business, but he was burned out
in the great fire and since then no pianos
have been manufactured in Portland.
The only other manufacturers were
William Andrews and the late E. B.
Robinson, who made few previous to
the war.
From 1866 until he retired four or five
years ago, Mr.. Twombly had large
business as piano dealer, his rooms in
later years being on the west side of
Exchange street, between Congress and
Middle.
1t may be Of interest to mention that
for two years in early life he was en-
gagged in the construction and exhibition
of a curious continuance called
"diarama," which gave an automatic
represen tation of the "Battle of Bunker
Hill.p There were marchings of soldiers,
rattling of musketry and music of fife
and drum. Lorenzo d. Cole was the
chief promoter of this enterprise.
Politically Mr.. Twombly began life as
Wing. He was out with the boys IN
the glorious campaign of 1910. anc his
Wing enthusiasm lasted until the slavery
question came to the front. Then he be-
came a strong Abolitionist. The New
York Tribune was his favorite paper,
and Horace Greeley his mentor. Mr.
Twombly continued Republican until
the Democrats nominated Mr.. Greeley in
1879. He went over, then, and remained
a Democrat thereafter. In the early days