Rev. Joseph Parrish Thompson was born in Philadelphia, August 7, 1819, and graduated at Yale in 1838. He became pastor of the Chapel street church in New Haven in 1840, and from 1845 to was pastor of the Broadway Tabernacle in New York. He was a prolific writer, and in 1856 received from Harvard the Degree of Doctor of Divinity, and died in Berlin, Sept. 21, 1879.
Major General Oliver Otis Howard was born in Leeds, Me., Nov. 8, 1830, and graduated at Bowdoin in 1850, and at West Point in 1854. In 1861 he was Colonel of a Maine Regiment, and commanded a brigade at Bull Run. He was made a Brigadier General in 1862, and lost his right arm at Fair Oaks. After the battle of Antietam he commanded a division, and was made Major General of volunteers Nov. 29, 1862. On the 27th of July, 1864, he took command of the army of the Tennessee, and commanded the right wing of Sherman’s army in his march to the sea. He was appointed brigadier general on Dec. 21, 1864, and brevet major general, March 13, 1865, and is still living.
Thomas Sterry Hunt was born in Norwich, Conn., September 5, 1826, and after studying medicine was in 1845, a student in chemistry with Prof. Benjamin Silliman, Jr., in New Haven, and later his assistant in the Yale laboratory. In 1847 he was made chemist and mineralogist to the geological survey of Canada, and held that position until his resignation in 1872. After retiring from his position in Canada, he succeeded Prof. Wm. B. Rogers in the chair of geology in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He published in 1874 a volume containing his collected scientific essays, and received from Harvard the honorary degree of LL. D., and of Sc. D. from the Universities of Montreal and Quebec. He was made a fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1859, and of the National Academy of the United States in 1873, receiving also an appointment as officer in the French order of the legion of honor. He died in New York, Feb. 12, 1892.
Hon. Henry Wilson was born in Farmington, N. H., Feb. 16, 1812. In 1829 he was authorized by the New Hampshire legislature to change his original name of Jones Colbath to that by which he was known through his public life. From 1822 to 1833 he was employed by a farmer in his native town, during which time he received only twelve months’ schooling. About 1833 he walked from Farmington to Natick, Mass., where he worked as shoemaker two years, and then returning to New Hampshire attended the academies at Stafford, Wolfeboro and Concord. In 1838 he returned to Natick and continuing shoemaking, entered politics in 1840, as a stump speaker in behalf of Harrison for President. He was three years a representative from Natick, and a state senator in 1850 and 1851, and president of the senate. He was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1853, and in 1855 was chosen U. S. Senator, and by re-election continued in that office until he was chosen vice-president of the United States in 1872, and died in Washington, Nov. 22, 1875.
George Stillman Hillard was born in Machias, Me., Sept. 22, 1808, and graduated at Harvard in 1828. He was admitted to the bar in Boston in 1833, and mingled with his professional labors literary pursuits. He was United States District Attorney from 1867 to 1870, and died in Boston, January 21, 1879.
Dr. Nathaniel Bradstreet Shurtleff was born in Boston, June 29, 1810, and graduated at Harvard in 1831. His father born in Carver, Mass., studied medicine with Dr. James Thacher of Plymouth, and settled in Boston. Dr. Nathaniel Bradstreet of Newburyport was a fellow student, and for him Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff named his son. The son abandoned practice and devoted himself to historic pursuits. He was a prolific writer, and one of his most important works was a topographical History of Boston. He also edited the publication of the Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Records, and was mayor of Boston in 1768-’69-’70. He died in Boston, October 17, 1874.
The Pilgrim Society again celebrated the anniversary of the Landing, on Wednesday the 21st of December, 1880. No attempt at display was made, and the observance was largely a domestic one. A simple service was held in the First Church, followed by a dinner in Davis Hall, furnished by George E. Patterson of Boston.
Thomas Russell, president of the Society, presided, and speeches were made by Hon. John D. Long, Hon. Alexander H. Rice, Hon. Thomas D. Eliot, Rev. Dr. McKensie, General Armstrong of Hampton College, President Drehan of Roanoke College, and Rev. Dr. Geo. W. Briggs. The next celebration held on Monday, December 21, 1885, was of the same character. A service was held in the church, and a dinner in Davis Hall, at which Thomas Russell, President of the Society presided. The other speakers were: Rev. Dr. George E. Ellis, James Russell Lowell, Rev. Dr. Henry M. Dexter, Hon. Charles L. Woodbury, Hon. Oliver Ames, Rev. Dr. J. T. Duryea, Rev. Adoniram J. Gordon, Rev. Dr. Brooke Hereford, Justin Winsor and Rev. Dr. A. A. Miner.
At a meeting of the trustees of the Pilgrim Society held March 23, 1889, a committee of twelve was appointed to make arrangements for a celebration of the completion of the National Monument on the first of August. The committee consisted of John D. Long, President of the Society, and Wm. T. Davis, Wm. S. Danforth, Charles G. Davis, Wm. H. Nelson, James D. Thurber, Charles C. Doten, James B. Brewster, Arthur Lord, Daniel E. Damon, Wm. Hedge and Winslow Warren. At a town meeting held April 2, the sum of $1,500 was appropriated in aid of the celebration, and it was voted that the Board of selectmen be joined to the committee of arrangements in the expenditure of the money. As Mr. Nelson and myself were already members of the committee, the other three members of the board, Everett F. Sherman, Leavitt T. Robbins and Alonzo Warren were added. At a meeting of the committee it was voted as the president would be unable to attend its meetings, that Wm. T. Davis be appointed vice chairman. At a subsequent meeting it was voted that the celebration consist of a procession and dinner and ball. Hon. W. C. P. Breckinridge of Lexington, Kentucky, was invited to deliver an oration, and John Boyle O’Reilly of Boston to deliver a poem, and both accepted. Myron W. Whitney was also invited to be a guest of the Society, and to sing the ode of Mrs. Heman’s. Col. Wm. P. Stoddard was appointed Chief Marshal who subsequently appointed Major George B. Russell, U. S. A., chief of staff, and Dr. James B. Brewster, Capt. Andrew H. Russell, U. S. A., William H. Drew, Dr. Warren Peirce, Wm. Hedge, Albert E. Davis and Elmer E. Sherman, marshals of divisions. Other marshals appointed were, George L. Osgood, George Russell Briggs, Dr. H. F. Copeland, Arthur Braman, H. L. Hayden, S. L. Parks, Isaac S. Brewster, Dr. Edgar D. Hill, Henry A. Atwood, Wm. F. Atwood, Capt. James L. Hall, Charles S. Davis, Col. Benjamin S. Lovell, Capt. James D. Thurber, D. Clifton Freeman, Charles A. Strong, Frank H. Holmes, Henry H. Fowler, Edward Manter, Joseph T. Collingwood, John W. Herrick and C. E. Small.
Other committees were appointed consisting of a committee on transportation, committee on decorations, committee on fireworks, committee on the dinner, committee of reception and committee on the ball, the last consisting of Wm. Hedge, George B. Russell, Howland Davis, Thomas Russell, Richard H. Morgan, Benjamin M. Watson, Jr., Charles S. Davis, Edwin S. Damon, Alfred S. Burbank, Wm. B. Thurber, Edward S. Emery, Henry H. Fowler, Joseph T. Collingwood, James Mullins, George R. Briggs, Harold Whiting and Charles B. Stoddard. Invitations were sent to the various Plymouth organizations of Masons, Odd Fellows, Standish Guards, Good Fellows, Pilgrim Fathers, Iron Hall, Good Templars, Royal Arcanum and the Fire Department, and liberal appropriations were made by the committee to enable them to entertain guests. The Independent Corps of Cadets of Boston and Battery A of Boston were invited to participate in the parade and accepted. A contract was made with A. Erickson of Boston for a tent two hundred and fifty feet long and eighty feet wide, which was pitched in the meadow between the house of Mrs. J. R. Lothrop and Water street, and arrangements were made with Harvey Blunt of Boston and David H. Maynard of Plymouth to furnish the dinner, and also the supper for the ball. It is unnecessary to mention the various associations and guests invited by the committee, but, including Masonic bodies, Odd Fellows, Military Companies and associations and individuals, they numbered about one hundred and fifty. It was arranged that a salute should be fired by Battery A at six o’clock a. m., and that at 9.30 a. m. the M. W. Grand Lodge should dedicate the monument, and that at 11 o’clock the procession should proceed through Court, Allerton, Cushman, Court, North, Water, Leyden, Market, Summer, High, Russell, Court, Brewster, Water, North, Main, Market, Pleasant, South Sandwich and Water, streets to the tent. From three to five o’clock it was arranged to have concerts in Shirley Square by the Lynn Cadet Band, on Training Green by the Plymouth Rock Band, on Cole’s Hill by the Silver Fife and Drum Corps, and on the Samoset lawn by Lindall’s band. The fireworks were planned for Monument hill, an electric illumination of the Monument, and a concert in Shirley Square from nine to ten by the Plymouth Band. With a ball in the Armory with music furnished by the Germania Band of Boston, seventeen pieces, the festivities were to close.