BIOGRAPHY OF THE HON. EDWARD W. HARRINGTON 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 408
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THE HON. EDWARD W. HARRINGTON
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Edward Wetherbee Harrington was born June 21, 1816 in Acton, Mass. He
is the son of Edward and Polly (Wetherbee) Harrington, and has one
sister, Mary H., the widow of the late Eliab Grimes of Acton, Mass,
and one brother, Phinehas, who left this city for California in 1850.
He worked on a farm in the summer and went to the district school in the
winter until he was eighteen years old, when he went to Boston [MA] to
work in a grocery store, remaining there until 1838, when he returned
to his home in Action [MA].
  At that time his brother was engaged in brick-laying in some of the
mills then in process of construction in Manchester, and his prophecy
of the speedy growth of a large city induced Mr. Harrington to come to
this place on the first of January 1839. March 26, 1839 he opened a
restaurant in a building on Elm Street, near Lowell, now occupied as
a market by R.M. Miller, and which was the first house completed on the
eastern side of Elm Street. There were then no hotels and no other
restaurant, but there were a large number of people at work upon the
mills, and this gave him a large business. In the fall of 1841 he
removed to the basement of Union building now occupied by H.D. Corliss,
which was the first building finished on the western side of Elm
Street. Mr. harrington continued to occupy the restaurant until
October 1853, when the City Bank was organized and he became its
cashier, continuing such until its dissolution and becoming cashier
of the City National Bank which succeeded it.
  Mr. Harrington was foreman of the first hook-and-ladder company in
the city, whose house occupied the lot on the corner of Market and
Franklin streets where the Franklin street church now stands, and was
assistant-engineer of the fire department in 1856, 1858 and 1862.
He acquired the rank of captain from his long service as commander of
the "Stark Guards," a military company organized in 1840. He was
elected mayor by the Democratic party for the year 1859 and re-elected
for the succeeding year. In 1864 and 1865 he was the Democratic 
candidate for governor of the state and in 1867 and 1869 for 
representative to congress. He was a member of the national Democratic
convention at Charleston in 1860 which nominated STephen A. Douglas for
president and of the succeeding convention in 1864 which nominated
George B. McClellan. He was also a delegate to the "national union
convention" which was organized by Reverdy Johnson and which met at
Philadelphia in 1866. Mr. Harrington is a very prominent Free Mason,
having taken the thirty-third degree. He was Master of Washington Lodge
in 1857, the first year of its existence under a charter, Commander of
Trinity Commandry in 1865 and 1866, High Priest of Mount Horeb Royal
Arch Chapter in 1857 and 1858, and at one time Grand High Priest of
the Grand Chapter of the State.
  Mr. harring married in May 1843, Miss Frances M. Dearborn, who died
in November 1844, leaving one daughter, Frances M., the wife of
John P. Bartlett, city solicitor of Manchester.  In May, 1849 he
married Miss Margaret A. Bond, by whom he had four children, of whom 
two--Edward W. Jr. and Delana B.--are still living and reside at home
in this city.
  Mr. Harrington has been a leading man in the history of this city.
Self-made, relying upon his own judgment, he dares do what he thinks is
best. He is a man with what Lord Bacon calls "good roundabout common
sense." His mind is well balanced, his conclusions are better than his
reasons, and his instinctive ideas in reference to the values of
property or what is best for the city are generally worth more upon
their first expression that the judgments of others after long
reasoning. He made a good mayor, was the first to pave the streets and
the first who had the courage to introduce steam fire engines in the
face of large organizations who favored the old hand-engines. Liberal
in his ideas and liberal with his purse, he has done a great deal to 
help those who could not help themselves, particuarly young men.
Few men are better versed in the ways of the world or understand the
motives which actuate mankind.

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