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 282 HANSON. HARDING. Mr. Hannum is always in the front in public matters, is a prominent and widely known member in the order of F. & A. M., a member of Amicable Lodge, Cambridge Royal Arch Chapter, and Boston Com- mandery. His church connections are with the Third Congregational church, Cam- bridge, where he has served for many years as chairman of the parish com- mittee. HANSON, Charles Henry, son of Charles and Mary Folsom (Copp) Hanson, was born in Barnston, P. Q., July 7, 1844. His educational training was received in the common schools of Lowell. His first connection in business was with Utley, Boynton & Pickett, wholesale pro- vision merchants, Boston, in 1862. Here he remained a number of years, and upon re- moving to Lowell, engaged in the teaming CHARLES H. HANSON. business. Later on he established the firm of C. H. Hanson & Co., dealers in horses, hay, straw and grain. On the 14th of June, 1866, at Nashua, N. H., Mr. Hanson was married to Ellen Jane, daughter of Samuel and Elmina (Hadley) Smith. Of this union were three children : Charles H., Jr., Fred and Mamie Hanson — the two latter deceased. Mr. Hanson is a member of William Norl h Lodge of Masons, chapter and coun- cil ; Middlesex Lodge of Perfection, Low- ell ; Joseph Cernean Lodge of Perfection, 14th degree; DeWitt Clinton Council of Princes, 16th degree; DeWitt Clinton Chapter of Rose Croix, 18th degree ; De Witt Clinton Council of Kadosh, 30th de- gree ; Grand Consistory of the State of Massachusetts, 32CI degree ; member of Merrimac Lodge, I. O. O. F., and of Wara- esit Lodge, K. of P., and Lowell Lodge B. P. O. Elks. In 1872 he was elected to the Lowell common council, and re-elected the follow- ing year. He was superintendent of streets in 1885 and '86, and a member of the lower branch of the state Legislature in 1888, serving as one of the committee on railroads. HARDING, ALPHEUS, son of Rev. Alpheus and Sarah (Bridge) Harding, was born January 12, 1818, at New Salem, Franklin county. He there attended the public schools and the New Salem Acad- emy, from which institution he entered Amherst College in 1832, where he re- mained but a single year, being compelled by ill health to abandon his studies. In the winter of 1834 he taught a district school in Warwick, and in the spring of that year entered the country store of Jonathan Haskell & Co., in New Salem, in which, and in the store of Wetherell &: Hamilton, of Petersham, he remained until the spring of 1841, when he bought the store in New Salem in which he first entered, where he remained as a trader and manufacturer of palm-leaf hats until 1856. During the fifteen years of his mercan- tile life in New Salem, he served as post- master, town clerk and treasurer, holding, a part of the time, also, the offices of chair- man of the boards of selectmen, assessors and overseers of the poor ; trustee of New Salem Academy (which he still retains). He represented the town in the Legislatures of 1 85 1 and '53, taking an active part in the long struggle which resulted successfully in the first election of Charles Sumner to the United States Senate. In August, 1856, he was appointed cash- ier of the Miller's River (now National) Bank of Athol, and removed to that place, where he still resides. In 1863 he was chosen to represent, in the Legislature, the 8th Worcester representative district, com- posed of the towns of Athol and Royalston, and again in 1867. During the session of 1867 he obtained a charter of the Athol Savings Bank, which commenced business in April of that year, of which institution