GEORGE RUSSELL LEAVITT of Laconia, New Hampshire The son of Almon Curtis and Mary Freeman (Russell) Leavitt, he was born in Laconia on 30 Nov 1857 [NH vr]. He was educated in the local schools, followed up by classes at the New Hampshire Conference Seminary in Tilton, and the Gaskell Commercial College in Manchester, NH. He was employed for sixteen years by the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad, working with his father, as a telegraph and ticket agent. While his biography in "New Hampshire Men" says he had begun working in the "wood, coal and lumber business" in 1890, he was actually doing so (in partnership with his father, as "A.C. Leavitt & Son") by 1884. His first wife, Lucy Ann Busiel, the daughter of Lewis Flanders and Annie (Lawrence) Busiel, of Laconia, NH and Boston, MA, died in Cambridge, MA on 16 July 1892, from cancer of the uterus [MA vr]. An article in the Boston Herald on Sun., 17 July 1892 (pg 18), wrote that her sudden death was the result of a surgical operation on Sat. She was buried in the Union Cemetery in Laconia, NH. They had married in Boston on 23 June 1879 [MA Marr Rec]. They had one child, son Harry Curtis Leavitt, born 23 Oct 1879 in Laconia [NH vr]. Two pictures of him were included among the Almon Leavitt photo collection. A Google search shows there was also a photograph of Harry's mother (and another photo of Harry) but, being sold in individual pieces, were already purchased by an unknown party. George R. Leavitt remarried in 1895, to Jessie Lyon Phelps (who was a step-sister of George's first wife). Having already worked in Boston as a banker, he moved there with his wife and son prior to 1897. With his second wife, he had two more sons: Roger Phelps Leavitt, born 30 Dec 1897 in Boston, and Jerome Rollins Leavitt, born 9 June 1904 in Lexington, MA. After 1910, they removed to Concord, NH, where George had taken a head bookkeeper job at the St. Paul's School.
Notes: Descendants of Samuel Leavitt, pg 132/159-160 (George and family) Northern Men: A Collection of Biographical Sketches...(bio of George on pg 175): note that he was a major in the New Hampshire National Guard at the time of this writing (1893). He held the rank of captain a year earlier, as mentioned in newspaper articles on his wife's death. 1895 Laconia City Dir: George R, banker in Boston, bds Pleasant, corner New Salem 1897 Laconia City Dir: George R, removed to Boston 1900 Boston, MA census (pg 7A): hh 81/140; liv 7 Adelaide St, a commercial traveller 1910 Lexington, Middlesex, MA census (pg 9A ): rented at 4 Upland Rd, George a travelling salesman for banking house 1911 Concord, NH Street Dir (pg 192): George head bkkpr at St. Paul's, bds do. 1920 Concord, NH census (pg 7A): George a book keeper at a book bindery; rented at 18 So. Spring 1926 Concord, NH Dir (pg 252): liv at 18 So. Spring (no occ listed) Find a Grave memorial for George R [#106077540]
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"Curtis Leavitt - Laconia" is written on the back of this photograph, in modern handwriting, copied from a photo album that contained over 40 images. They included several LEAVITT people, all members of the Almon Curtis Leavitt family. The son of Andrew B. and Eunice (Kelley) Leavitt, "A. C. Leavitt" was born in Washington, Vermont on 21 Jan 1831 [Descendants of Samuel Leavitt, pg 103/132]. He moved first with his family to Carroll, New Hampshire, later moving to Gilford by 1850, before settling in Laconia around 1853. He was station agent (depot master) for the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad (aka the Boston and Lowell RR, White Mountain Division, later part of the Boston & Maine), his home nearby on Pleasant Street. With son George Russell Leavitt, they also ran a coal, wood, hay and lumber company, "A. C. Leavitt & Son", in the 1880's. George would later become a banker, working in Boston, while Almon went into retirement. His home, at 121 Pleasant St in Laconia, still stands today (2019), overlooking the rail lines where he had worked forty plus years. Almon belonged to the "I.O.O.F.", Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and filled several officer positions at their Lodge in Laconia. He was also a selectman for the city (in 1871), and was a trustee of the Gilford Academy. Mr. Leavitt died at his home on the 28th of March 1913, aged 82 yrs, and was buried in Union Cemetery, Laconia, on the 31st. His widow, Mary Freeman (Russell) Leavitt, removed to Malden, MA after her husband's death, and lived with daughter Lizzie, where she died in 1915. Notes:
1850 Gilford, Belknap, NH: hh 447/497; "Curtis A", clerk, liv at hotel 1860 Laconia, Belknap, NH census (pg 72): hh 612/595; A.C. "depot master" 1870 Laconia, NH census (pg 19): hh 113/137; Almon C., "station agent" 1880 Laconia, NH census (pg 4 ): hh 37/49; Almon a coal dealer 1900 Laconia census (pg 3A): hh 54/60; 121 Pleasant, owned home, free of mortgage 1910 Laconia census (pg 25A) Laconia City Dir: 1884 (17 Pleasant, old street #), 1895 (now #121), 1897 Belknap County Deeds (full view on Family Search); 1858 looks like earliest deed in Laconia; Almon (sometimes w/ son George) has at least two dozen listed deeds, many wood lots for lumber Find a Grave entry for Almon: [memorial #106077534] 1888 testimony by A.C. Leavitt (in railroad lawsuit between the BC&M and B&M Railroads), in which he states his work history w/ the railyard 2019 Laconia Tax Assessor [for 121 Pleasant]; home listed as being built in 1885 |
A Leavitt Photo archivePhotographs of our Leavitt cousins, and brief write-ups about them Archives
July 2023
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