Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/355

 LAPHA^I

LARCOxM

include: A Catalogue of the Plants and Shells found in the Vicinity of Milwaukee (1828); A Geographical and Topographical Descripjtiun of Wisconsin (1844); Grasses of Wisconsin (1853); Antiquities of Wisconsin (1855); the chapter on the Geology of Southeastern Wisconsin in Foster and "Whitney's "Reports on the Geology of Lake Superior " (1852); and numeious contributions to scientific periodicals. He died at Lake Oconom- ONvoc, near Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 14, 1875.

LAPHAH, Oscar, representative, was born in Burrillville, K.I., June29, 1837; son of Dutee and Lucinda (Wlieelock) Lapham. He attended the seminary at Scituate, the academy at Pembroke, N.H., the University Grammar school. Provi- dence, and studied the classics under the direc- tion of Dr. Merrick Lyon. He matriculated at Brown university in 1859, but at the close of the junior year left college to enlist as a private in the 12th Rhode Island Infantry. He was com- missioned 1st lieutenant and served with his regiment as aide-de-camp, captain and adjutant. He was present at the battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862. and in the spring of 1863 as part of the 9th army corps, was transferred to the De- partment of Ohio, and served in Kentucky till his regiment was mustered out, July 29, 1863, wlien he re-entered Brown university and was graduated with honor, A.B., 1864, A.M., 1867. He taught school, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1867. and practised in Providence. He became identified with the Democratic i)arty and was an unsuccessful candidate for attornej'-gen- eral, mayor of Providence and representative in congress. In 1887 he was elected state senator, and in 1890 a representative in the 52d congress, the first Democratic candidate elected from his district in thirty-seven years. He was re-elected to the 53d congress, serving. 1891-95. He was made a trustee of Brown university in 1890, of the Rhode Island hospital, and of the Butler asylum.

LAPHAM, William Berry, genealogist, was born at Greenwood, Maine, Aug. 21, 1828; son of John and Lovicy (Berry) Lapham and a descend- ant of Thomas Lapham, who emigrated from Kent, England, in 1635, and settled in Scituate, Mass. William attended Gould's academy and Waterville college; studied medicine in Bruns- wick, Maine, Hanover, N.H., and at the New York medical college, and practised in New York city, 1856-61. He enlisted as a private in the Union arm\', was promoted 1st lieutenant and captain and brevetted major of the 1st Maine mounted artillery. He was a representative in the Maine legislature in 1867; U.S. examining surgeon. 1867-94, trustee of the Maine Insane hospital, 1867-74, and president of the board of directors, 1869-74; chairman of the publication committee of the Maine Historical society, hon-

orary member of the Maine Genealogical society, and of the Old Colony Historical society; treas- urer of the Maine Press Association, ami a mem- ber of the Royal Society of Great Britain. He re- ceived the degree of A.M. from Colby university in 1871. He edited the Maine Farmer, 1871-83; the Maine Genealogist, 1875-79, and the Farm and Hearth, 1885-87, and puldislied the local his- tories of Woodstock (1882), Paris (1884), Noricay (1886), and i??<Ht/ord (1890); the Bradhui-y Gene- alogy (1890); the History of Bethel (1891); the Lapham, Ricker, Chase, Chapman, Webster. Hill and Knox genealogies, and Personcd Recollections of the War of the Rebellion (1892). He died in Togus. Maine, Feb. 22, 1894.

LARCOn, Lucy, poet, was born in Beverly. Mass., March 5, 1824; daughter of Benjamin and and Lois (Barrett) Larcom; granddaughter of Jonathan Larcom; great-granddaughter of David Larcom, and a descendant of Mordecai Larcom, born in 1629, who appeared in Ips- wich in 1655, and soon after removed to Beverly where he obtained a grant of land. Her father, a retired sea-captain, died in 1835, and with her mother, sis- ters and brothers, she removed to Low- ell, Mass., where her mother conduct- ed a boarding house

for mill operatives, tZ^.^t^u-.-t^i^^"^^'^^^*^ who at this time

were almost exclusively intelligent New Eng- land girls. She attended school for two years and then worked in the Lawrence mills, first in the spinning room and after five years as bookkeeper in the cloth room. Her sister Eme- line while in the boarding house issued a fort- nightly paper, made up of contrilnitions from factory girls, which finally developed in 1842, into the Lowell Offering, which was continued for five years and at one time had a subscription list of four thousand. Lucy contributed articles and poems to periodicals, and in 1843, while reading one of her poems, " Sabbath Bells," at a meeting of the "Improvement Circle" she attracted the attention of Jolin G. Whittier, tlien conducting a Free-Soil paper in Lowell, with whom she then formed a friendship which was permanent. She removed to St. Clair county, 111., in 1846, with her married sister, and taught district schools in Waterloo, Lebanon, Sugar Creek and Woodburn until 1849, when she entered Monticello Female seminary at Alton, 111., as a student and teacher.