Joseph Henry Stickney was born in West Brookfield, Mass., August 6, 1811, and died at his residence in Baltimore, May 3, 1893. He began his mercantile career in Baltimore, where he afterwards continuou ly resided, in 1834, more than sixty years ago. He was seventh in descent from William Stickney, one of the earliest settlers who came from Lincolnshire, in England, to the Plymouth. colony. He was educated at Hopkins academy, Hadley, Mass., and when a youth served an apprenticeship to the hardware business in Bofton. Owing to the preponderance of English manufacturers at that time there was much hesitancy on the part of hardware dealers about establishing the sale of American hardware as a distinct branch of business. Mr. Stickney formed a partnership in November, 1834, with N. E. Noyes to conduct an American hardware business in Baltimore. The manufacturers were scattered throughout the northern states and were difficult of access, as private conveyances were in general use. Baltimore being farther from the factories than many other cities, many agencies were required. Mr. Stickney's firm represented more than one hundred and thirty manufacturers, and made sales in two-thirds of the United States, largely developing the hardware trade.

About 1840, at the age of 29, Mr. Stickney turned his attention to the production aud sale of iron and Cumberland coal. He was agent for several companies, in which he was part owner. 'His firm held agencies for two thirds of the blast furnaces in Maryland and for many bar, plate and sheet iron mills in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The firm also engaged in the importing of iron, and represented different steel and iron manufacturers in England and Scotland. In 1852 and 1853 Mr. Stickney went to Europe in the interest of his business. He was president of the Avalon Nail company from its organization until he sold his interest, a short time before the works were swept away by the flood of 1868. He was president for many years and principal owner and founder of the Stickney Iron company, whose works are on the north side of the Patapsco river,, in Lower Canton. He was also a director in the Merchants' bank, the Merchants' Mutual Insurance company and other institutions. In 1876 he withdrew from business and lived a retired but not inactive life.



Mr. Stickney was much impressed with the advantages of the township system in the eastern, middle and western states, and distributed a pamphlet in Maryland explaining the system. Many publications »:ere aiso distributed at bis expense on colonial and Congregational church history. Pilgrim hall, at Plymouth, Mass., which contains the relics of the Mayflower, was remodeled and made fireproof at his expense, at a cost of about $25,000. He was vice president of the New England Pilgrim's society, having declined the honor of an election as president to succeed ex Gov. Long, now secretary of the navy. When John Hopkins university was temporarily embarassed in 1889 Mr. Stickney contributed to the emergency fund, subscribing $5000. He also contributed largely for church work and helped to build several churches. To this city he gave a monment to his ancestor, Judge Blodget. He also built a monument to the memory of William and Elizabeth Stickney, his emigrant ancestors, at Rowley, Mass.

The gifts from his estate, which was estimated at over a million, were munificent. Seventy six bequests appear in his will, including one of $150,000 to the Congregational Home Mission society, and one of about $200,000 to the Church Building society, which by the methods of loans will thus be able to help in the erection of several hundred new churches in the West every year.

Mr. Stickney was descended from the best of New England Pilgrim stock and on the paternal side was related to MajorGeneral John Stark, whose daughter Mary married B. F. Stickney, a near ancestor. The Stark farm adjoins the estate of Samuel Blodget at Amoskeag Falls; and in adjusting the material and financial interests of Judge Blodget, his grandfather, who died in 1807, Thomas Stickney, the father of our subject, moved to Manchester and settled with his young family in the old Biodget homestead. His mother, Mary Ward, of West Brookfield, Mass., married Thomas Stickney in 1778, and though that town was the native place of Joseph H. Stickney, the home of the family was for many years in Manchester, and here the canals and farming interests of Judge Blodget occupied Thomas Stickney for a time