Walter Richards Arrington, for many years a prominent merchant and contracting painter of Marblehead, was born in Salem, Mass. Dec. 9, 1841, son of Walter R. and Mary (Walsh) Arrington. He was educated in the Salem Public Schools. His mother's death, which occurred when he was fifteen years old, deprived him of her guiding influence at a time when such safeguard is most needed by the majority of youths. Happily, his upright character and natural inclination toward industry and self-reliance enabled him at an opportune period of his life to establish habits of regularity, which he ever afterward maintained. Having learned the painter's trade, he came to Marblehead at the age of nineteen to work as a journeyman. Here, early in the Civil War, on December 24, 1861, he enlisted in the United States Navy for two years' service on board the cruiser "St. Louis", which was afterward engaged in pursuing the famous Confederate cruiser "Alabama". He served a year in excess of his stipulated term of enlistment.
Returning to Marblehead after his discharge, he subsequently engaged in the hardware business, and also established himself as a contracting painter, managing both of these enterprises successfully for the rest of his active period, or until a short period prior to his death, which occurred June 2, 1898. His energy, integrity and business ability gave him prestige in mercantile and industrial circles, in each of which he acquired and maintained the esteem and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. As a citizen, he was ever loyal to the best interests of the community, earnestly striving to promote all measures tending toward developing the resources of the town. He was a director of the Marblehead Co-Operative Bank. In politics, he voted independently. He was a member of the Atlantic Lodge, I.O.O.F.; John Goodwin, Jr., Post, G.A.R. ; and the Knights of Phythias -- all of Marblehead; and of the Joseph Hooker Union Veterans' Union, of Boston.
On January 12, 1860, Mr. Arrington was united in marriage with Miss Mary Eliza Hamson, daughter of the late John C. Hamson and a representative of the old Marblehead family. Her paternal grandfather, John C. Hamson, Sr., is said to have been a Revolutionary soldier; and her father, who was identified with the public affairs of Marblehead for a period of fifty-two years, served continuously as Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Poor for about thirty years. Mr. Arrington was the father of five children, and is survived by three of them: Mary Elizabeth, wife of John Franklin Woodfin; Frank Goodwin; and Bertha Richards Arrington -- all of Marblehead, where the widowed mother is still living. Mrs. Arrington attends the Universalist church.
(Published in Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, p. 961)
Returning to Marblehead after his discharge, he subsequently engaged in the hardware business, and also established himself as a contracting painter, managing both of these enterprises successfully for the rest of his active period, or until a short period prior to his death, which occurred June 2, 1898. His energy, integrity and business ability gave him prestige in mercantile and industrial circles, in each of which he acquired and maintained the esteem and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. As a citizen, he was ever loyal to the best interests of the community, earnestly striving to promote all measures tending toward developing the resources of the town. He was a director of the Marblehead Co-Operative Bank. In politics, he voted independently. He was a member of the Atlantic Lodge, I.O.O.F.; John Goodwin, Jr., Post, G.A.R. ; and the Knights of Phythias -- all of Marblehead; and of the Joseph Hooker Union Veterans' Union, of Boston.
On January 12, 1860, Mr. Arrington was united in marriage with Miss Mary Eliza Hamson, daughter of the late John C. Hamson and a representative of the old Marblehead family. Her paternal grandfather, John C. Hamson, Sr., is said to have been a Revolutionary soldier; and her father, who was identified with the public affairs of Marblehead for a period of fifty-two years, served continuously as Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Poor for about thirty years. Mr. Arrington was the father of five children, and is survived by three of them: Mary Elizabeth, wife of John Franklin Woodfin; Frank Goodwin; and Bertha Richards Arrington -- all of Marblehead, where the widowed mother is still living. Mrs. Arrington attends the Universalist church.
(Published in Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, p. 961)
Walter Richards Arrington, for many years a prominent merchant and contracting painter of Marblehead, was born in Salem, Mass. Dec. 9, 1841, son of Walter R. and Mary (Walsh) Arrington. He was educated in the Salem Public Schools. His mother's death, which occurred when he was fifteen years old, deprived him of her guiding influence at a time when such safeguard is most needed by the majority of youths. Happily, his upright character and natural inclination toward industry and self-reliance enabled him at an opportune period of his life to establish habits of regularity, which he ever afterward maintained. Having learned the painter's trade, he came to Marblehead at the age of nineteen to work as a journeyman. Here, early in the Civil War, on December 24, 1861, he enlisted in the United States Navy for two years' service on board the cruiser "St. Louis", which was afterward engaged in pursuing the famous Confederate cruiser "Alabama". He served a year in excess of his stipulated term of enlistment.
Returning to Marblehead after his discharge, he subsequently engaged in the hardware business, and also established himself as a contracting painter, managing both of these enterprises successfully for the rest of his active period, or until a short period prior to his death, which occurred June 2, 1898. His energy, integrity and business ability gave him prestige in mercantile and industrial circles, in each of which he acquired and maintained the esteem and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. As a citizen, he was ever loyal to the best interests of the community, earnestly striving to promote all measures tending toward developing the resources of the town. He was a director of the Marblehead Co-Operative Bank. In politics, he voted independently. He was a member of the Atlantic Lodge, I.O.O.F.; John Goodwin, Jr., Post, G.A.R. ; and the Knights of Phythias -- all of Marblehead; and of the Joseph Hooker Union Veterans' Union, of Boston.
On January 12, 1860, Mr. Arrington was united in marriage with Miss Mary Eliza Hamson, daughter of the late John C. Hamson and a representative of the old Marblehead family. Her paternal grandfather, John C. Hamson, Sr., is said to have been a Revolutionary soldier; and her father, who was identified with the public affairs of Marblehead for a period of fifty-two years, served continuously as Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Poor for about thirty years. Mr. Arrington was the father of five children, and is survived by three of them: Mary Elizabeth, wife of John Franklin Woodfin; Frank Goodwin; and Bertha Richards Arrington -- all of Marblehead, where the widowed mother is still living. Mrs. Arrington attends the Universalist church.
(Published in Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, p. 961)
Returning to Marblehead after his discharge, he subsequently engaged in the hardware business, and also established himself as a contracting painter, managing both of these enterprises successfully for the rest of his active period, or until a short period prior to his death, which occurred June 2, 1898. His energy, integrity and business ability gave him prestige in mercantile and industrial circles, in each of which he acquired and maintained the esteem and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. As a citizen, he was ever loyal to the best interests of the community, earnestly striving to promote all measures tending toward developing the resources of the town. He was a director of the Marblehead Co-Operative Bank. In politics, he voted independently. He was a member of the Atlantic Lodge, I.O.O.F.; John Goodwin, Jr., Post, G.A.R. ; and the Knights of Phythias -- all of Marblehead; and of the Joseph Hooker Union Veterans' Union, of Boston.
On January 12, 1860, Mr. Arrington was united in marriage with Miss Mary Eliza Hamson, daughter of the late John C. Hamson and a representative of the old Marblehead family. Her paternal grandfather, John C. Hamson, Sr., is said to have been a Revolutionary soldier; and her father, who was identified with the public affairs of Marblehead for a period of fifty-two years, served continuously as Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Poor for about thirty years. Mr. Arrington was the father of five children, and is survived by three of them: Mary Elizabeth, wife of John Franklin Woodfin; Frank Goodwin; and Bertha Richards Arrington -- all of Marblehead, where the widowed mother is still living. Mrs. Arrington attends the Universalist church.
(Published in Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, p. 961)
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