Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-08-25
CHARLES L. MEAD.
Member of an Old BrattlebOrO
Family.

Sketch or his Life---an Historical
Note Touching the Family History.
Charles L. Mead, 60, of New York, for
merly prominent resident Of Brattleboro,
and a member Of one OF the towns best
and most widely known families, died from
sudden stoppage Of the hearts action Sat
urday afternoon In Norfolk, Conn. Ac-
companied by one of his daughters Mr..
Mead left his summer home at that place
TO attend a picnic about three miles
away. With no premonition, except a
sudden attack of indigestion during the
| first of the week, for which he had been
treated and to all appearances cured, he
fell into his daughters arms and died in
stantly. The body was brought to Brat
tleboro at 5:45 Tuesday afternoon, accom-
panied by his sister Mary, his brothers-in-
law, William Dean Howels and A. d.
Shepard, Rev. DIR. Jefferson, pastor of
the Broadway tabernacle church Of New
York city, and his widow, son and two
daughters. The burial was in the Pros
pect Hill cemetery, Rev. DIR. Jefferson and
Prof. Williston Walker officiating.
Charles Levi Mead was born in Chester
| field, n. H., Jan. 81, 1888, and was the
son Of Larkin G.. Mead and Mary Noyes
Mead. His father was the founder of the
Vermont Savings bank, was for many
years its treasurer and was chosen its pres
ident in 1869. Mr. Mead came to Brattle-
boro with his parents in 1886, at the age
of three years. When a young man he
went TO Springfield, Mass, and for a short
time he was clerk in the book store of G..
81 G. Merriam. Returning to Brattleboro
he spent some time assisting his father in
keeping books, but later went TO Provi-
i I l,a L.,
the same business.
In 1857 Mr.. Mead bought an interest in
the rule business of E. A. Stearns & Co.,
whose factory stood near the Vinton paper
mill. The company was then making
rules which excelled because of the use Of
special machinery which was operated in
rooms to which outsiders had no access.
The Stanley Rule and Level company, be-
ing DESTROYS of securing the special machin-
cry, bought the plant of Stearns e Co. and
moved it to New Britain, Conn. About
| this time Mr.. Mead received commission
on the staff of the adjutant general of Yer
mont.
At the close of the war the Stanley rule
and level company secured his services,
making him director and electing him
! treasurer, which position he held continu-
! ously up TO his death. On the death of
the president of the company, some 10
years ago, Mr.. Mead was elected to fill the
vacancy, which position he also held at
lifetime of his death.
Mr.. Mead married Miss Isabel Martin
of Walpole, n. H., May u, 1864. Mrs
Mead survives with two daughters, Kath-
crime and Mabel, and one son, Larkin.
Mr.. Mead also leaves three sisters, Miss
Mary Mead, Eleanor, wife of William Dean
Howells, the novelist, and Joanna, wife of
A. ID. Shepard, vice president of the
American Bank Note company of New
York, and two brothers, Larkin G. Mead,
the noted sculptor, who lives in Florence,
Italy, and VIM. r. Mead, of the firm of
McKim, Mead & White of New York, one
OF the leading architectural firms in this
country.
Mr.. Mead united with the Congregation
al church of Brattleboro Nov. 10, 1857, by
letter from the church in Providence, r.
|. He was dismissed Dec. %, 1868, TO
the church in New Britain. He was the
first superintendent Of the Centre church
Sunday school, and for about two years he
was one of the church trustees. At the
time of his death he was a deacon and
member of the board of trustees of Broad
way tabernacle church in New York city,
vice president of the American missionary
association and a trustee of Hampton agri-
cultural institute in Hampton, Va.
Mr.. Mead was a man of peculiarly
gracious and winning personality. He
had breadth of view and a grasp of af-
fairs which gave him an assured place
among the men of strength and standing
with whom he found himself associated
either in business or in the religious and
benevolent enterprises in which he was so
sincerely interested. He retained through
life genuine love for BrattleborO, and in
the large circle of old "Brattleboro boys''
there was none whose frequent visits his
friends have more cordially welcomed
or heartily enjoyed.
1t is of interest to note in this connec-
ton that the old Mead home in Chester
field was in the two-story house opposite
the Methodist Westinghouse and next
north of the tavern now standing in Ches-
terrified village. Larkin G. Mead, the
father, was born in Lexington, Mass. i'm
1895 and came TO Chesterfield with his
parents in 1900. He was educated at
Dartmouth college. His wife was Mary
Jane Noyes, daughter of Hon. John Moves
of Putney, and sister of Horatio S. Moves.
for many years cashier of the bank of
Brattleboro. When in later years the fam
lily moved to Brattleboro, their home was
in the house afterward known as the
David Miller house which stood next
north Of the present residence of Mrs. f.
A. Whitney. The Brsttleboro home of
Mr.. and Mrs. Chas. L. Mead was In the
house on North Main street now owned
by A. T. Eddy.
Historical Note.
Larkin G. Mead often related that his
father (the grandfather of Chas. L. Mead)
was boy of IA, in Lexington, Mass,
when the British troops entered that town
on the eventful morning of April 10, 1775.
on their way to Concord for the purpose
of destroying the colonial munitions of war
stored at that place. The boy, with a
comrade little older followed the troops
up to the common, thinking that it was
"training day." and they only discovered
their mistake when the firing began, A
few days later the affidavit of these bows
was taken as one item of proof to show who
was the aggressor in the Revolutionary
conflict. A copy of the affidavit follows:
Lexington, april 25,l775.
We, Levy Mead and Levy Harrington, both of
Lexington, in the county OF Middlesex and col
ony OF the Massachusetts Bay in New ENGLAND
and or lawful age, do testify and declare tbat IN
the morning OF the nine teenth Of April, being on
Lexington common as spectators, we saw a large
body OF regular troops marching up towards RE
Lexington company, and some Of the regulars on
horses, whom we took to be officers fired nistol
or two on the Lexington company, which was