Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-04-08

No alarm was felt until Sunday when
pneumonia developed in the left side.
Dr. Reginald H. Fitz of Boston was sum-
moned Monday, but nothing could be
done further than to continue the treat
ment which DR.. Durham was then re-
ceiving. Mr. Durham was unconscious
practically all of the time after the be-
ginning of the attack of pneumonia.
Mr.. Durham was born in North Paris,
Me, July !, 1857. and was one of 10 chill
dren of Samuel w. and Rachel tAndrews)
Durham. He was of the ninth genera
ton in lineal descent from Deacon John
Durham of Plymouth. His boyhood days
were spent on his fathers farm, and he
attended the district schools and Paris
academy. After completing his course in
the academy he taught school in Sumner,
Woodstock and Deer Island, Me. Soon
after he became of age he took position
in his fathers general store, where he
remained two years. Afterwards he en-
gagged in the flour and grain business
with his father in West Paris under the
firm name of C. w. Durham & Co.,
continuing the business until 1885.
On July l of that year Mr.. Durham
came to Brattleboro to look over the
ground with a view to going into .busi-
ness He was accompanied by his Broth
er, George l. Durham, who was then an
instructor in the Portland high school,
and who had no intention of remaining
in town. A favorable business opportun-
ity was presented however, and the two
brothers bought Henry w Simonds's
shoe store which was the south section
of their present retail store on the east
side of Main street. They started in
business under the firm name of Durham
Brothers. About 10 years afterwards,
as the business increased, the adjoining
store on the north was leased and
wholesale business was started in
small way. About that time a younger
/ TOIpbam taken
into the firm. Through wise manage
ment the business increased constantly,
necessitatng the erection Of two six
| story brick buildings for their exclusive
| use in the rear of their retail depart
ment, after they had occupied all of the
| available space in the Hooker building.
| The firm, which was Incorporated as the
Durham Brothers company Jan. l, 1909,
| has become one of the largest wholesale
shoe and rubber concerns in the East,
| their trade in rubber goods exceeding
| that of any competitor.
| Outside his chosen business the prin-
| cipal enterprise with which Mr.. Durham
| was connected and for which he will be
| remembered best was the construction
| of the dam across the Connecticut river
! between Vernon and Hinsdale In the
| spring of 1902 the idea of developing the
| power Of the Connecticut river, for
| which a survey was made in 1888, was
again taken up by several Brattle-
| boro men who were discussing measures
| for the towns advancement. Money was
| raised for a preliminary survey and at
| a citizens meeting held to select a COM
| mittee to take charge of the movement
| Mr. Durham was one of the three men
| chosen on the committee, the others be-
| ing w II. Vinton and c. \. Harris.
| They with c. G. Fits as counsel, had
| SURVEYS made and interested men of large
| financial means with the result that the
| vast enterprise was pushed to success
| full completion the past year at an eX-
| penditure of from $20OO,OOO to S3,OOO'OOO.
The concern controlling the dam ana the
| water power, which is the largest cleo
| trically developed water power east of
Niagara Falls, is the Connecticut River
Power company, of which Mr. Durham
was president.
Mr. Durham was associated with many
financial, fraternal and social organiZa-
| lions in Brattleboro and elsewhere. He
was a member Of the board of trustees
| of the Brattleboro savings bank, a mem
Der of the manufacturing and new IN
| dustries committee of the Brattleporo
board of trade, president of the Elk
cheouer. a company of Brattleboro men
| organized for investment purposes a
member Of the Vermont Wheel club
| Columbian lodge, No SO, F. IL A. NJ
Fort Drummer chapter OF Royal Arch
Masons, Beauseant commandery' hhlght'
| Templar Wantastiquet lodge of Odd Eel
| lows. Dennis Rebekah lodge and the
| Rrattleboro Boat club, all of Brattleboro
| and of Mt Sinai Temple, Mobiles OF the
| Mystic Shrine, of Montpelier He was
mast noble grand of the lodge of Odd Eel
lows in West Paris and was member OF
the Iaurentian club of Canada, made VI
of prominent men who control large
fish and game preserve. He ATTENDED
the Unitarian church. and at one TINT
was superintendent of the SUNDAY schoo
there. ,a.
In the spring of 1908 Mr., Dunhan
| bought of the late oscar M, LaWton IN
I Dalton place on Linden street lie MAD
Z | some important improvements ABOUT IN
| place and built one OF the largest am
! | best equipped private greenhouses IN IN
state moving from North street TO nj
| new home last summer
Mr.. Durham married Miss Mary Allc
| Pratt of Brattleboro, daughter OF M
}. and Mrs. d. Stewart Pratt, Sept. 10, 1881
she survives with one son. Stewart MN
: years old. Mr.. Durham also leaves nj
father and mother, four brothers. Hlrar
J w of West Paris, George L. and Lyndo
T. of Brattleboro and Horatio X. 9
I Waterville, Me, and one sister, Fanni
e r. wife of Harry e. Hamilton OF Green
2 field Mass. 1T, i, a.,
I. mineral services will be held In tn
q home at 2.3O o'clock today, Rev 70. O.
Il osgood. pastor of the Unitarian churcl
e | oAiciating. The body Will lie IN stal
Il from 10 to o'clock. The burial WI
l. take place in Prospect Hill cemetery
Charles w. Durham was preemlnentl
business man, and as such he RANK
among the greatest ever developed