My Genealogy Hound

ORIVILLE W. PROUTY, a well-known mechanic of North Hadley and a veteran of the Civil War, was born in Worcester County, Massachusetts, October 5, 1844, and is a son of A. Warren and Hannah H. (Livermore) Prouty. Mr. Prouty’s father was a native of Spencer, Mass., and followed the occupations of farmer and shoemaker in his native town until 1860, when he purchased in New Salem a farm which he personally conducted for several years. After his wife died, he relinquished active labor, and resided with his children in Wendell, Mass., until his death. His wife, who was a native of Paxton, Mass., became the mother of eleven children, named as follows: Cleora D., Oriville W., Ariel H., Viola M., Oriana T., Halsey H., Helen A., Clifford H., Chester W., Marion, and Eva.

Oriville W. Prouty was educated in the public schools, and at the age of fifteen was first employed in farming. He later engaged in shoemaking, an occupation which he followed until 1862, when he enlisted in the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He participated in fifteen different engagements, some of them the most important of the Civil War, and received his discharge in Readville, Mass., July 6, 1865. Mr. Prouty then resumed attendance at a school in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., but was unable to continue owing to his feeble health and he returned to his home. After regaining his health he followed various occupations until the spring of 1867, when he went to Hadley, and for the succeeding two years was employed in a carriage shop. After this he resided for one year in Clarendon, Vt., and then went to Bennington, Vt., where he engaged in manufacturing chairs, and became the owner of some property, which was later destroyed by fire. He subsequently returned to Hadley, and after working again in a carriage shop until 1873, came to North Hadley, where he opened a wagon repair shop upon his own account. In 1876 fire again swept his property away; but he rebuilt and resumed the repairing business, which he continued, until visited some ten years later by a third conflagration. He then went to work in a manufactory of broom-maker’s tools. He is at present a carpenter and millwright.

Mr. Prouty is a Republican in politics, and has filled with marked ability several offices of public trust. Since 1888 he has been elected to the Board of Selectmen, and he has been chairman of that body since 1893. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in May, 1891, has served as Constable two years, and was a Trustee of the Smith Charities of Northampton for a like period.

On June 14, 1871, Mr. Prouty was united in marriage to Martha A. Hurd, of Hadley, daughter of Thomas D. and Zilpha (Crosier) Hurd, both of whom are now dead. Mr. and Mrs. Prouty are members of the Congregational church, and take an active interest in church work. Mr. Prouty is a Comrade of E. M. Stanton Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Amherst. He was chairman of the executive committee which perfected the arrangements for the Hooker reunion in Hadley, on May 7, 1895; and he delivered the address of welcome on that occasion.