George M. Austin of Salem, N.H. Biography from History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire

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Source:  History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens
          by Charles A. Hazlett, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill., 1915

Page 1297

     GEORGE M. AUSTIN, who comes of an old and respected family of
Salem, N. H., is engaged in the insurance business at Lawrence, Mass. He
was born in North Salem, N. H., October 17, 1878, and is a son of John
Austin, and a grandson of John W. Austin.
     John Austin, father of the st1bject of this record, was born in Salem, and
in his younger days worked in a grocery store. He was for some time with
John Wheeler in the manufacture of woolen goods at North Salem, and dur-
ing the last thirty years of his life engaged in the lumber business, His death
occurred in 1913. He married Josephine A. Duston, who came of an historic
old Colonial family.
     The Dustons trace their genealogy back to the hardy old pioneer Thomas
Duston (or Dustin) , whose wife was Hannah Duston, in whose memory
a life sized statue holding a tomahawk in an attitude of defense is standing
in the park at Haverhill, Mass. Their grandson, Thomas Duston, was founder
of the New Hampshire branch of the family. He purchased 300 acres of
land in North Salem on which he settled his three sons--Thomas, Obadiah

Page 1298

and Caleb. Obadiah Duston was born December 5, 1806, and lived at home
until he was twenty-five years old, assisting his father on the farm. He
attended the academy at Atkinson where he was a schoolmate of Rev. Jesse
Page and Dr. Coggswell. He was married in 1831 to Anne Whittaker of
Haverhill and they had six children: Hannah, wife of John Hollowell; Ruth;
Harriet, who marr1ed John M. Hunt and had four children; Thomas, who
was the only boy in the family; Elizabeth and Lorin. Mr. Duston's first
business was that of caring for the town poor and teaching school. He then
took up work on the farm on which he spent the remainder of his active days.
He also engaged in the manufacture of lumber. He served five years as a
selectman, and for more than forty years was justice of the peace. When
nineteen years of age, in 1825, he was made captain of the artillery of the
state militia. His first wife died February 10, 1870, and he later married
Fidelia Cook, widow of Edward Cook. Her death occurred August 24, 1876.
John and Josephine A. (Duston) Austin came parents of the following
children: Anna, John, and George M. Austin.
     John Austin, brother of the subject of this sketch, was born in Salem,
N. H., August 10, 1868, and is engaged in the real estate business there. He
married Hattie C. Kelly, who died leaving him one son, Millard Kelly, born
June 28, 1894. He formed a second union with Eliza A. Pike, and they have
a son, John D., born in April, 1911.
     George M. Austin was educated in the public schools at Methuen and after
leaving school was engaged as a bookkeeper for two years. He then went to
Dedham, where he was in the meat and produce business for one year, after
which he returned to Methuen. Two years later he came to Lawrence, Mass.
and worked one year in a grocery store. In February, 1900, he bought out
the insurance business of A. M. Fay, which he has since conducted. He is a
man of energy and ability, with a well developed faculty for making friends,
and his success had been continuous. He married Miss Angie Crepan, now
deceased. His second marriage was with Miss Harriet G. Dodson, daughter
of Richard and Ann Dodson, and they have one daughter, Shirley E., born
November 15, 1909.