It’s funny how one thing leads to another. Case in point. I was reading the June 1, 1954, Vol. 9 No. 1 JCGS Bulletin and on page 2, the Editor makes reference of locating two Clough obituaries in the November 1920 issue of a publication titled “The Granite Monthly.” One was William Rockwell Clough, while the second was the Hon. Jeremiah Abner Clough.
According to Paratex, an independent library information company based in Northern Virginia that produces authoritative research databases in History, Major Reference Works and U.S. Government Documents, “The Granite Monthly” was a New Hampshire publication that covered news, issues of import to the society of the time and general interest articles from 1877-1930.
So why does this matter? Well, for those of us interested in history (family or otherwise), these publications are a rich source of genealogical data (see link at the end of this post).
Which brings us to Edward H. Clough. I decided to see if there were other Clough references in the other volumes, so I pulled up the first Granite Monthly I could find on Archive.org, which happened to be the January 1926, Vol. 58, No. 1 issue.
Doing a search for “Clough” within the publication, I stumbled across a wonderful story about Edward H. Clough by Mary Blake Benson on pages 163-167. Here’s a PDF of just those pages (Rocks, Rocks, Rocks).
As the article states:
“After trying for several years, Mr. Clough succeeded, in the fall of 1924, in purchasing 240 feet of neglected shoreline directly opposite his old home. An examination of the lake bottom showed that it consisted of solid clay, and after removing a vast amount of debris, Mr. Clough set about the self-imposed task of transforming the ragged, unkempt lake front into the attractive little park it is today.”
This led to a quick search of Clough Park in Meredith, NH. Here are a few pictures…
The article continues to surprise, as on page 166 it’s revealed that President Roosevelt was a personal friend of Mr. Clough and “through the kindness of Mrs. Roosevelt…that a beautiful rock specimen from Sagamore Hills found its way to Clough Park. This stone bears the inscription “T.R.” and with the Coolidge stone occupies a prominent position beside the walk leading to the water’s edge.
Naturally, I wondered where Edward fell on the Clough family tree. After a little digging, I came across a reference to an Edward H. Clough, born May 2, 1860 in Meredith, NH, and son of John K. and Ellen (nee Libby) on WikiTree (http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Clough-542). Taking it a step further, I cross referenced this to the The John Clough Genealogical Society Volumes 1 and 2 and started going through the index. Edward’s father, John K. (#807), was eventually located on page 294 of Vol. 1. Edward H. (#1592) was the youngest of seven children and the following outline was found on page 415 of the same volume:
#1592- Edward Hamlin (John K., Oliver, Daniel, Samuel, Thomas, John) Born May 2, 1860 in Meredith, NH. In 1880, he went to work in Manchester for Clough and Towle, wholesale provision dealers. Four years later he was admitted to the firm with George S. Clough. In 1891, the firm was sold to Swift & Co. Edward Hamlin was the youngest of seven boys. He established Clough Park in Meredith, on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee.
There’s much more to Edward’s life waiting to be discovered. More information on the park and Edward can be found at the following links:
http://www.lwhs.us/waterfrontparks.htm
(See #14 of this PDF)
Other Granite Monthly issues are available at this University of NH link.