BIOGRAPHY OF HERMAN FOSTER of Manchester NH
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Information located at http://www.nh.searchroots.com/Manchester
On a web site about GENEALOGY AND HISTORY OF MANCHESTER NEW HAMPSHIRE 
TRANSCRIBED BY JANICE BROWN 
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however use of this text file, other than for personal use, is 
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SOURCE:
Manchester, A Brief Record of its Past and A Picture of Its Present, 
including an account of is settlement and its growth as town and city; 
a history of its schools, churches, societies, banks, post-offices, 
newspapers and manufactures; a description of its government, police 
and fire department, public buildings, library, water-works, 
cemeteries, streets, streams, railways and bridges; a complete list of 
the selectmen, moderators and clerks of the town and members of the 
councils, marshals and engineers of the city, with the state of the 
cote for mayor at each election; the story of its part in the war of 
the rebellion with a complete list of its soldiers who went ot the war; 
and sketches of its representative citizens; Manchester N.H.; John B. 
Clark; 1875
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page 406
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HERMAN FOSTER
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Herman Foster was born at Andover, Mass., October 31, 1800, and was the
son of John and Mary (Danforth) Foster. His mother died two years after
his birth, survived by one daughter, Sabra, who married Dr. Isaac
Tewksbury of Hampstead and since deceased. His father subsequently
married Miss Lucy Hastings of Bolton, Mass., by whom he had six 
children, of whom Charles, the eldest, died at Charlestown, Mass in 
1850; two others died at an early age; and there are now living Emily,
the wife of Ebenezer S. Badger of Warner, John a wealthy retired
merchant of Boston and formerly the head of the firm of Foster & Taylor,
and George, late state senator from this district and resident in
Bedford [NH].
  Mr. Foster's father was a merchant and moved, when the former was 
ten years old, to Nottingham West, now Hudson, this state [NH],
subsequently removing to Warner. Mr. Foster acquired his education in
the common schools and at the academy in Derry, intending to pursue a
collegiate course. This design he was compelled to relinquish by the
partial failure of his eyesight. Dartmouth College, however, conferred
upon him in 1861 the honorary degree of Master of Arts. He taught
school for a time in several places in Massachusetts and then 
established himself in a mercantile business in Boston. After following
this pursuit for some years he went to Warner, where his father then
resided, and began the study of law in the office of the Hon. Henry B.
Chase of that town and was admitted to the bar in 1839.  In November of
the next year he came to Manchester [NH] and began the practice of his
profession, continuing here from that time until his death and building
up a large office business. In 1851 he formed a partnership with the
Hon. Isaac W. Smith and subsequently with the Hon. B.F. Ayer, now of
Chicago, ILL, dissolving his connection with the latter in the early
part of 1857, since when he has practiced independently. He died
February 17, 1875, at his residence in this city, of a chronic
difficulty of the lungs. He married November 8, 1826, Miss Harriet Mary
Ann Whittemore, daughter of Amos Whittemore, of West Cambridge, now
Arlington, Mass., by whom he had two children, who died in infancy,
Mrs. Foster being thus the only surviving member of the family.
  Mr. Foster was treasurer of the town of Manchester in 1842 and 1843
and solicitor of the city in the 1857. He wsa sent to represent the city
in the house of representatives of the state in 1845 and 1846, and 
again in 1868 and 1869. He was state senator in 1860 and 1861, being
president of the senate in the later year.  In August 1862, he was
appointed by President Lincoln assessor of internal revenue for the
second district of New Hampshire, resigning in February of the next
year. He was the treasurer and clerk of the Manchester Gas-Light
Company from its organization in 1850 until his death. He was a director
of the Amoskeag Bank from 1853 until its books were closed in 1868,
a director of the Amoskeag National Bank from 1871 until his death,
and was a trustee and one of the committee of investment of the
Manchester Savings Bank from its organization in 1846. He was one of the
founders of the First Unitarian Society and ws its president in 1863 and
1864.
  Mr. Foster was a marked man, of positive traits of character. Coming
here when the town had just begun a new life, he grew up with it
in the confidence and respect of its inhabitants. His perception was
accurate, his judgment sound and trustworthy, his intelligence wide
and clear. He was a strong, decided, independent man. He had a
remarkable memory for dates and places, persons and things. In business
he was very methodical, cautious, painstaking, slow to make up his
mind but sure of it when he expressed it.  He was a safe counsellor,
an upright and honest man, and a good citizen.

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