The Somerset reporter., 1908-02-27
Death of George B. Stafford.

HcaiGu, dSOEkc ID. odllOTu ulou dJ DD0
home of his daughter, Mrs John w.
Steward, on Madison avenue, on Sun
day afternoon last, aged sixty. four
years. Funeral services were OBJ
served at the home of the daughter
just mentioned, yesterday forenoon,
conducted by the Rev. B. B. Merrill,
Pastor of the Island Avenue Congre-
gational Church. The funeral rites
of the order were conferred by
Somerset Lodge, Free and Accepted
Masons, and among those in atten-
dance were many of the comrades of
the deceased, members of the Grand
Army of the Republic.
Early in the year of 1883 citizen
of this place CHANGED to meet, in the
city of Hartford, Conn, where he was
stopping for the night, a gentleman
who was then in the employ of Keen
Brothers, shoe manufacturers of
Lynn, Mass. In the conversation
which followed it developed that this
firm was looking for a chance to
carry on part of their business at
some point more or less remote from
the city of Lynn and that they had
thought of finding a suitable location
in some town of five to ten thousand
inhabitants in New Hampshire or
Maine. The Skowhegan gentleman
talked Loyalty of his home as de-
sirable location for such an enter
prise and, on his return, wrote his
chance acquaintance that citizens of
this place we're ready to meet the
requirements to induce the Keenes
to come here. But few weeks later,
Mr.. George B. Stafford, the gentleman
who had the chance meeting in Hart
ford, with the Skowhegan citizen, as
above mentioned, arrived here on the
morning train and, in company with
Mr.. b. +. Eaton, of whom he made
some inquiry at the station, and two
other Skowhegan citizens, drove out
on the Waterville road to the present
location of the Commonwealth Shoe
factory. The fate of the enterprise
was virtually settled that morning.
Mr.. Stafford returned to Lynn but was
in Skowhegan again before many
days, remaining to superintend the
erection of the factory and to conduct
the business carried on therein for
nearly a quarter of century. 1t
was upon Mr.. Safford's Judgment of
our community that the keenes made
their decision to establish their bust
ness here and he was an important
factor In cooperating with others in
keeping the business up after that
firm drew out of the Skowhegan fac
tory and concentrated their business
at Lynn.
Mr.. Stafford was born i'll Yarmouth,
Maine in 1914. In his youth he was a
tanners and shoe makers appren-
tice, thus gaining early the knowledge
of leather and its manufacture with
which he was to have 30 much to do
throughout his life. Mr.. Stafford was
engaged in the manufacture of shoes
at Hallowell and Richmond, Me-, and
in Pittsiield, N. H., before coming to
Skowhegan. He served in the Union
army in the war of 6165 and was a
member of Russell Post. Mr. Stafford
is survived by one daughter, Mrs.
John w. Steward, and by one sister,
Mrs. J. S. Thomas of Augusta. Mrs.
Stafford, formerly Miss Nellie f.
Libby, to whom he was married in
1856, died last November.
MIR. Stafford took up the work which
called him to Skowhegan with enthu-
siasm and the energy which he applied
to the manufacturing business car
ried on under his direction was avail
able in other ways to forward the
best interests of the town. He was
for several years president OF the
Board of Trade and was always ready
to assist in movements of any kind
which were undertaken for the
building up of the community or the
benefit of its citizens. He was an
especially pleasant man to meet and
his pleasure in the companionship of
his friends was always 80 manifest as
to make the large number of those
who were always welcomed to asso-
citation with him very appreciative
of the privilege. The grief which the
daughter sustains is general through
out the community.