New Hampshire WWI Military: Heroes of Wolfeboro

Pre-WWI postcard of view in Wolfeboro NH. Courtesy of J.W. Brown

At least one hundred and ten men by the count on the Wolfeboro WWI monument, went off to serve in the United States military in various branches during World War I. When the war ended, not all would return, for three died in service — Harry A. Harriman, Fred Pearson and Samuel Valley. Each of their names is marked with a star on the WWI Honor Roll.

Wolfeboro NH’s World War I Honor Roll monument. Photograph courtesy of Gene Denu, Director/Archivist Wolfeboro Historical Society.

When the war ended, the town of Wolfeboro, like other places in New Hampshire wanted to suitably honor and thank their heroes. According to the book, History of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, 1770-1994 by David Bowers, on 22 August 1919 the town held a celebration to honor all who served with a banner of two gold stars on display (honoring Harriman and Valley). A few weeks later on 4 August 1919 the Harry Harriman American Legion Post No 18 was chartered.  A WWI Monument was installed and dedicated in front of the Carpenter School on South Main Street, next to Wolfeboro’s Town Hall.  My thanks to Gene Denu, Director/Archivist of the Wolfeboro Historical Society for providing photographs, along with  a reference page of the Bower’s Wolfeboro History book. Please visit the Society when you are in the area.

The following is the inscription on the Wolfeboro WWI Memorial. Anything shown in brackets “[ ]” are my additional notes and are not part of the monument engraving.

Closeup of Wolfeboro WWI honor roll. Photograph courtesy of Gene Denu, WHS Director/Archivist.

✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★
TO HONOR THE MEN OF WOLFEBORO

WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WAR
1914 – 1916

/Column 1, Far left/
ABBOTT, CURTIS E.
ABBOTT, EVERETT W.
ABBOTT, TRACY L.
ABJUTANT, FLOYD B.
ANDERSON, LESLIE N. [Private, 3rd Unit, Battery D, 54th Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, Service No. 587876, Departed for Europe on 25 Sep 1918 on ship Scotian; returning from Brest France to Boston MA on 7 March 1919 on ship Vedic. Mother: Katherine Hersey.]

Photograph of M. Aspinwall, Co A, 101st Engineers from State Library of Massachusetts DigitalCollection, from the Boston Globe newspaper.

ASPINWALL, MERTON E.  [Sgt., Co. A, 101st U.S. Engineers, outbound 25 September 1917 ship Andania, mother, Mrs. I. Saltzman, Wolfeboro.]
BARRY, GEORGE J.
BEACHAM, HERBERT N.
BEAN, EDGAR L.
BREWSTER, GEORGE E.  [P1C, 201st Aero Squadron, Departing Hoboken NJ for Europe on 29 October 1917, ship America.]
BRITTON, HENRY W.
BROWN, EDWIN N.  [Private, Co E, 315th Ammunition Train, Horsed Section, 90th Division. Service No. 2460502. Departed NYC to Europe on 6 July 1918, on ship Louisville. Returned from St. Nazaire France arriving in Boston MA on 8 June 1919 on ship Edgar F. Lukenbach. Wife, Bessie C. Brown.]
CHAMBERLAIN, ASHTON R. [Private, Battery F, 318th Field Artillery, National Army. Service No. 1665028. Departed NYC for Europe on 8 August 1918 on ship Lapland. Returned P1C, from Brest France to Newport News VA on 11 June 1919, ship Saboney. Father, Robert D. Chamberlain].
CHAMBERLAIN, JOSEPH A
CHAMBERLAIN, LESLIE N.
CHARLES, THOMAS W.
CLOW, ARTHUR N. [Sergt. Co B, 103rd Machine Gun Battalion, 52nd Brigade. return from Brest France on 6 March 1919 on ship Leviathan]
CLOW, FRED E.
COLBATH, JOHN E.
CORSON, GUY W.  [Private, Co. F, 315th Ammunition Train, Service # 2460419, returned from France on 8 June 1919 arriving in Boston MA on ship Edgar F. Lukenbach]
COTTON, CURTIS H.
CRAIGUE, EDWIN R.
CRAIGUE, WILLIAM
CRONIN, FRANK G.
CROPLEY, BERTHOLD E.
CUNNINGHAM, LEAMAN E.
DAVIS, CHESTER T.C. [2nd Lieut., Co F, 309th Engineers, 84th Div., left for Europe on 30 Aug 1918 on ship Susquehanna; returned from St. Nazaire, France on 11 July 1919 at Hoboken NJ on ship Walter A. Lukenbach]
DENARS, JOSEPH
DORE, FRANK
DREW, WILBUR C.

/Column 2/
DUNFIELD, HARRY C.  [Private, Co B, 103d Machine Gun Battalion. Service No 110271. Returned from Brest France to Boston MA on 17 April 1919 on ship Patricia. Next of Kin, mother Millie Dunfield of Sanford, Maine.]
FISHER, ADELBERT S.
FOGG, AUSTIN E.   [Private, Co A, 303rd Regiment, 76th Division. Service No. 2724408. Departing Monstreal Canada for Europe on 6 July 1918 on ship Burma. Next of kin, wife Margaret Fogg. Returned from St. Nazaire France arriving in Hoboken NJ on 2 April 1919, Company L, 363d Infantry.]
FURBER, ELBRIDGE N.
GOODRICH, ARTHUR H.
GOODRICH, RANSON E.
GOODRICH, WILLIAM E.
HALE, HENRY M. [Wagoner Corp, Battery A, 66th Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps, sailed for Europe on 19 July 1918 on ship Lancashire, service number 587901; returned from Paulliac France on 17 Feb 1919 on ship Powhatan, Mechanic in Battery A., 66th Artillery C.A.C. Camp Devans].
HAMMOND, HOWARD W.
*HARRIMAN, HARRY A.
HARVEY, JOHN H.
HAYES, CARL D.
IRISH, ROBERT J.
JACKSON, ALBERT N. [Private, Co. L, 309th Infantry. Service No. 1752830. Returned from Bordeaux France on 31 Jan 1919 on ship Pastores]
JENKINSON, GEORGE B. 3RD  [2nd Lieut., 16th Infantry, serving in Panama].
JONES, PERLEY J.  [Corporal, Co H., 103rd Infantry. Service No. 68703. Returned from Brest, France on 5 Apri 1919 on ship America]
KELLEY, HARLAN B.
KENDALL, HERBERT B.
KENNEY, PERCY N.   [Private, Co F, 103d Infantry; Departed NYC for Europe on 25 Dec 1917 on ship Saxonia; returned from St. Nazaire France arriving in Hoboken NJ on 22 Jan 1919 on ship Manchuria. Service No. 68214.]
KIMBALL, EDWARD
KIMBALL, IRA C.
KING, NAPOLEON
LAMPRON, WILFRED L.  [Private 1C, Co H, 103rd Infantry. Service No. 68616; returned from Brest France on 5 April 1919 on ship America]
LANGILLE, JOHN S.
LEIGHTON, SAMUEL W.
LOCKE, JAMES W.
MCDANIEL, CURTIS H.   [Private, Troop C, Sixth Cavalry Regular Army, Service No. 1003491. Departed NY for Europe on 16 March 1918 on ship 501. Next of kin, mother Mrs. Emma (Clarence) Chandler. Departed for St. Nazaire France to U.S. on 16 June 1919. Had been promoted to Corporal, on ship Kroonland].
MCHUGH, FRANK S.
MCHUGH, THOMAS R.
MCINTYRE, LAWRENCE

Aviator Henry P. Pinkham from State Library of Massachusetts, World War I Soldier Photographs.

/3rd Column/
MANSFIELD, LEROY R.
MARDEN, GUY
MEADER, GORDON A.
MOODY, EDWIN W.
MOORE, NOYES M. [Gunnery Sergeant, Co H, 6th Marines. Service No. 122825. Returned from Brest France on 3 Aug 1919 on ship George Washington]
MORGAN, CARL L.
MORGAN, H. DEAN
PAOLUCCI, LUIGI
PARSONS, EBEN
*PEARSON, FRED [SEE BIO BELOW]
PERKINS, PERLEY C.
PHILBRICK, GEORGE L.
PINKHAM, HENRY P.  [Lieut., Mechanical Engineer, U.S. Aviation Corps. Enlisted U.S. Army 2 Aug 1917, Honorably discharged 3 July 1918 to receive commission in Aviation Corps.]
RAY, CHESTER M.
REED, ADDISON R.
REYNOLDS, SUMNER H.  [Corporal, School Advance Detachment, Headquarters Co., 303rd Field Artillery. Service No. 1665218. Departed NY for Europe on 28 June 1918 on ship Justicia.]
RHODES, PERCY B.  [Sergeant, Motor Supply Train 401, 301st Company, Quartermasters National Army. Departed Hoboken NJ for Europe 12 May 1917. Next of Kin, Spouse, Bertha Rhodes. Returned from Brest France arriving 19 March 1919 on ship Harrisburg, Rank Private. Service Number 215471.]
RICHARDSON, FREDERICK A.
ROBERTS, CLIVE M
ROBERTS, LEON F.
SANBORN, HARLAN P.  [1st Lieut, Transport Motor Corps, ship departing for France on 21 October 1918, on ship Pocohontas]
SARGENT, FRANCIS H.
SCOTT, NATT H.
SIMMS, CLIFTON
SMITH, CLIFFORD A.
SNITCHER, WARREN E.  [Private, Co D, 2nd Engineers, Service No. 1684002. Departed Brest France arriving Hoboken NJ on 8 August 1919 on the ship Great Northern. Next of

Photograph of Dr. Carlyle Summerbell from The Tampa Tribune, 1 October 1934. He was a U.S. Army chaplain during WWI.

kin, a sister Mrs. Hanna Mauser.]
STACKPOLE, FRED A.   [Private, Co E, 315th Ammunition Train, Horsed Section, 90th Division. Departed NYC for Europe on 6 July 1918 on ship Louisville. Service No. 2460485. Father, Albert L. Stackpole]
STITT, HAROLD T.  [Private, Co G, 103rd Infantry, Departed for Europe on 25 Dec 1917 aboard the ship Saxonia]
SUMMERBELL, REV CARLYLE  [1st Lieut. National Army Chaplain, Detachment Medical Department, 133rd Field Artillery. Sailed for Europe on 31 July 1918 from Hoboken NJ on ship Calamares. Buried Arlington National Cemetery.]
SWIFT, ERNEST H.

/4th Column, Far Right/
TETHERLY, EDGAR O.
TINKER, HERBERT B.
VALLEY, AUGUST E.
VALLEY, EUGENE
VALLEY, JOSEPH S.
*VALLEY, SAMUEL [Private, Co. H, 103rd Infantry, SEE BIO BELOW.]
WALCOTTE, SAMUEL E.
WALLACE, CLAYTON N.
WEBB, WALLACE
WENTWORTH, GUY H.  [Private, Battery D, 54th Artillery, C.A.C., departed Portland Maine for Europe on 22 March 1918 on ship Canada. Service No. 582222, next of kin, mother, Annie E. Wentworth. Buried Union Cemetery, Union/Wakefield NH]
WENTWORTH, LLEWELLYN H. [Lieut., United States Navy. Enlisted during the Spanish-American War. Honorably discharged September 1926.]
WHITTIER, JAMES G.
WHITTIER, SCOTT W.   [P1C, Co B, 103rd Machine Gun Battalion. Service No 110336; returned from Brest France on 17 April 1919 on ship Patricia]
WIGGIN, ALBERT W.
WIGGIN, PIERCE C.
WILLAND, HOWARD
WILLAND, EARL E. [Private, Battery F, 303rd Field Artillery. Service No. 1665104. Departed Boston MA for Europe on 16 July 1918 on ship Miltiades; Returned from Bordeaux France to Boston MA on 26 April 1919 ship Santa Rosa, then in Headquarters Co. 303rd Field Artillery].
WOODMAN, HARRY E.
WRIGHT, HENRY   [P1C, 233rd Co., Military Police Corps. Service No. 1662400. Returned from Bordeaux, France on 24 June 1919 on ship El Oriente]
WYMAN, GUY M.

✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★
Heroes of Wolfeboro
NH During WWI
Died in Service

✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★

Sketch of a Soldier and his gear from 8 June 1918 edition of the El Paso Herald newspaper, El Paso, TX.

Harry A. Harriman | Private | Killed in Action  17 July 1918 Bouresches, France  | Co. H, 103rd Infantry | Aisne-Marne American Cemetery | Cenotaph Pine Hill Cemetery, Wolfeboro NH

Harry Albert Harriman was born 16 Aug 1896 Wolfeboro, Carroll Co. NH, son of Albert W. & Ellen A. “Nellie” (Kimball) Harriman. He married 12 June 1915 in Wolfeboro NH to Louise Schilling, daughter of Josef & Mary (Huber) Schilling. In the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census records Harry A. Harriman is living with his parents in Wolfeboro NH, and also a sibling Mary P. Harriman [who m. 2 Sep 1909 in Rochester NH to Alexander H. Willey, son of Howard B. & Martha (Shalridge) Willey].

 

Panoramic view of the destroyed town of Boureshes [sic], France, on the edge of Belleau Woods, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington DC

Harry A. Harriman served as a Private in Co. H of the 103rd U.S. Infantry during WWI. He departed New York City on 25 September 1917 aboard the ship Saxonia.  While serving on on the battlefields of France, he was killed in action at Bouresches, France.  The Boston Globe of August 11, 1918 published the sad news: “WOLFEBORO–The town was saddened this week by the news that Harry Harriman, aged 22, married, of Wolfeboro Falls, the first man to enlist from this town, was killed in France, July 11.”

Harry A. Harriman was buried in France at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France. His family also placed a cenotaph at the family plot in Pine Hill Cemetery, Wolfeboro NH.   His name is inscribed on the Wolfeboro WWI Memorial and also on the New Hampshire WWI Honor Roll, Doric Hall, State House, Concord.  The local American Legion Post No. 18 was named in his honor.

✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★
Fred A. Pearson | Private | Died of Disease 20 November 1918 France | Battery E, 302nd Field Artillery | Norway Pine Grove Cemetery, Paris, Oxford Co. Maine |

Fred Almore Pearson was born 11 Sep 1886 in Hecla, Brown Co. South Dakota, son of James Victor & Nancy “Nellie” (Durgin) Pearson. He attended the University of Maine, and was listed as a student in the 1918 catalog.   He was born and raised in Maine. His official Maine service record shows: Name: Fred A. Pearson /  Birth Date: 11 Sep 1886 / Birth Place: Hecla, South Dakota, USA /  Serial Number: 2723831 /  Residence Place: Buckfield (Maine) /  Comments: Ind: So. Paris, Oxford Co., May 28/18. Private. Org: 22 Co 6 Bn 151 Dep Brig to June 22/18; Btry E 302 FA to disch. Overseas: July 16/18 to death Died of disease: Nov. 20, 1918.

I could not determine the disease attributed to his death. The most common one was influenza and pneumonia but it could have been measles, or a number of other ones. The Find-A-Grave web site for Norway Pine Grove Cemetery, Oxford Co. Maine where he is buried states: “He was 31 years old and a teacher at the Wolfeboro, New Hampshire town schools”–this would explain his connection to the town. Fred Pearson’s name is engraved on the WWI Honor Roll monument in Wolfeboro NH. His name does not appear on the New Hampshire official honor rolls as his service is credited to Maine.

✫★✫★✫★✫★✪🌟✪✫★✫★✫★✫★

Samuel Valley | Private | Killed in Action 18 Sep 1918 France | Co. I, 309th Infantry, 78th Division | Saint Ignatius Cemetery, Sanford,York Co. Maine |

Samuel Valley was born 8 Sep 1889 in Rochester NH, son of Michel & Rose (Grenier) Vallee. On 4 June 1917 living in Wolfeboro NH, and registered there for the WWI Draft. He was a shoemaker working for Sears-Portsmouth Shoe Factories of Springvale, Maine. He describes himself as single, with stomach trouble and fallen arches, of medium height and build with brown eyes and black hair. He married 14 Jan 1918 at Sanford, York Maine to Rosanna Perreault, daughter of Joseph & Lizzie (Kennedy) Perreault.

Ceremonies held in a Hoboken pier for the war dead in flag-draped caskets, Hoboken, 1921. Hoboken Historical Museum.

During WWI he served in the U.S. Army. He sailed to Europe from Brooklyn NY on 19 May 1918 on ship Mentor, Private in Co L, 309th Infantry, 78th Division. Service #1752839, residence Sanford Maine, NOK spouse Rosanna Valley. He was killed in action on 18 September 1918 in France. When the war ended, his remains were returned from Antwerp Belgium to Hoboken NJ arriving 2 July 1921 on ship Wheaton. Private Samuel Valley and his wife are buried in Saint Ignatius Cemetery, Sanford,York Co. Maine.

Samuel Valley’s name is engraved on the Wolfeboro WWI monument honor roll, and also on the New Hampshire WWI Honor Roll in Doric Hall of the NH State House, Concord. He is also on the official NH Adjutant General’s casualty list, credited to New Hampshire.


[Editor’s Note: this story is part of an on-going series about heroic New Hampshire men and women of World War I.  Look here for the entire listing].

Also SEE: Wolfeboro remembers the fallen on Memorial Day (2018)

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