BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

THE LEADING CITIZENS OF MADISON COUNTY

CONTENTS
Preface
Names Index
Portrait Index

   GEORGE E. NASH, general merchant and popular orchestra leader of Poolville, was born in Hamilton, August 16, 1838. This town was also the birthplace of his father, Elijah F. Nash, who came into the world December 11, 1814, and was a son of Thomas Nash, a native of Plainfield, Hampshire County, Mass., born March 24, 1788. Elijah Nash, father of Thomas, and great-grandfather of George E., came from Massachusetts, of which State he had been a resident and was probably a native, to New York about the year 1797, accompanied by his wife, Hannah Thayer before marriage, and eight of their nine children, their eldest son remaining in Massachusetts. The entire journey was made with teams bringing all their worldly goods. Mr. and Mrs. Nash were among the pioneers of the town of Hamilton. Here they made their home, and here found their resting-place in death. The boy Thomas, one of those who came to Hamilton, was bred a farmer. Starting out for himself in early manhood, with two strong arms and hands inured to toil and with little else but a will to work, he invested in fifty acres of land near Poolville. After working on this tract a few years, he changed it for a neighboring farm.            Unfortunately, about this time by giving his name as security for another man's debt, he lost his property, and was obliged to begin anew. Later he bought a farm of sixty acres at Hamilton Centre. Here he died in his fifty-fourth year. The maiden name of his wife was Sally Fay. Her parents were Elijah and Martha (Robinson)Fay, of Massachusetts, where she was born. Surviving her husband some years, she died at the home of her son Clark at Hubbardsville, at the age of sixty-three. In the early days, when she was bringing up her family of eight children, the country people lived chiefly on the products of their land; and she used to card, spin, and weave wool and flax to make their clothing. While as yet there were no railroads or canals in New York, Albany was their principal market and depot of supplies. Later Utica was the market. When the Chenango Canal was finally built, it became the great highway for traffic. Elijah F. Nash lived with his parents until his marriage at the age of twenty-two. The first few years after that he worked on the farm of his wife's father, and next rented a farm in Brookfield two years, then one in Hamilton for one year. Going from there to Cayuga County, he rented a farm on shares two years. Afterward he bought seventy acres of land in Smyrna, Chenango County. Selling this farm at an advance three years later, he bought one of ninety acres, to which he subsequently added forty-five acres, and lived on it fifteen years, when he sold out again, and moved to Hubbardsville, where he purchased another farm, on which he lived until 1892, at which date be bought his present home in Norwich. He has been twice married, and has three children. George E., Charles B., and Almeron T. His first marriage was in 1836, with Lucina Blanding, who was born in Brookfield, a daughter of Franklin and Mary (Holbrook) B1anding. She died May 28, 1877. Late in the same year he married Mrs. Almira (Hall) Langdon, daughter of Aaron and Philinda (March) Hall, and widow of George Langdon. She was born in Oxford, Chenango County. For many years a Democrat, Mr. Nash joined the Republicans when that party was formed.
   George E. Nash received his education in the district schools and in the seminary at Whitestown. At the age of sixteen he became a clerk in the store of Theron Nye, at Hubbardsville, where he remained about a year. After a period of school life came another year of work behind the counter, in a store at Norwich. Coming to Poolville in 1861, he entered into mercantile business, in which he has since been continuously and successfully engaged. He married January 1, 1861, Henrietta Richmond, who was born in Hamilton, a daughter of Damon and Sophia (Thompson) Richmond, pioneers of the town. They have six children: Frederick R., Postmaster at Poolville, and a commercial traveller representing Mosher Brothers of Utica; Walter F., a graduate of Bellevue Medical College, and now practising at Irving, Chautaqua County; Gertrude L.; Jessie; George J.; and Etta. Musical talent is hereditary in the family, some of them being especially gifted. Gertrude is a teacher of the piano, Jessie of vocal music, while their father has for years been the leader of the well-known "Nash Orchestra," which is often called on to play on public holidays, at picnics, at Commencement exercises, and other occasions, and which has an enviable reputation in Madison and adjoining counties.
   Mr. and Mrs. Nash are prominent members of the Universalist church, holding the cheerful, optimistic views of life here and hereafter, and exhibiting the generous fraternal spirit characteristic of the followers of Murray and Ballou. In politics Mr. Nash affiliates with the Republicans. He was Postmaster at Poolville for sixteen years. He is a stockholder and Vice-President of the First National Bank at Earlville, a member of Hamilton Lodge, No. 120, A. F. & A. M., and of Mokanna Grotto, No. I, Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm.