Information on Kimballs in Lebanon, NH
From newspaper clipping pasted into back page of Lebanon Town History, Library Copy.

The Kimballs of Kimball Place.
(Written for The Lebanonian.)

  The long steep hill of the highway leading from West Lebanon on the east, becomes "Kimball Hill" on passing the last village house.  Here the road runs through the Kimball estate, which stretches for far beyond.  Travelers are struck with the beautiful fields on either hand, and he who takes the trouble to step into the one on his left, is rewarded by a fine view of the White river as it flows into the Connecticut.  But the eye of every old resident turns involuntarily to the opposite side of the road, where he sees again in his imagination, a mansion that formerly crowned the hill top, until, in the winter of 1866, it was destroyed by fire.  To that colonial home, there came in the year 1802, Richard Kimball, with his wife, Abigail Huntington, and their family.  Mrs. Kimball was the only sister of Samuel Huntington, president of the first Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and governor of Connecticut for many years, and until his death.  The Kimballs had a large family of children of whom Richard was the only one who ever married.  Jesse, the eldest son, was taken prisoner by the British in the Revolutionary war, and was exchanged.  It required three exchanges, for he gave away the two first ones to suffering comrades.  The third was "not available for a substitute."  He lies in the old cemetery, shaded by the trees of Mount Lebanon.

  Richard kept up the Kimball place.  His wife was Mary Marsh, daughter of Joel Marsh, whose father was the first settler of Sharon, Vt.  Joel was the first boy born in that settlement.  For this distinction he received a deed of a hundred acres from the crown.  The land is still in the Marsh family.  Richard Kimball was a man of large brain and liberal views.  He took an active interest in the advancement of humane and educational enterprises.  His sons, Elijah Huntington and Richard Burleigh, received every educational advantage.  They traveled abroad, when to cross the Atlantic was a luxury confined to very few.  His daughters were educated at Mrs. Willard's famous school in Troy, New York, considered the best in the country.

    Mr. Kimball was a prominent civil engineer.  He constructed the Erie canal, and Governor De Witt Clinton of New York came to the Kimball homestead to consult him about it.  The governor drove all the way.  There were no railroads then.  Mr. Kimball laid out the "North New Hampshire Turnpike," running it over Kimball hill.  He died February 12, 1860, in the 92nd year of his age.  Mr. Kimball's house was renowned for its hospitality and numbered among its guests, Gov. Huntington, Gov. Hillhouse, Gov. Clinton of New York, Daniel Webster and Caleb Cushing.  His daughters married prominent men.  Lucy and Caroline married brothers, John and Robert Young, wealthy mine owners of Pennsylvania.  Both were early left widows.  They returned to the Kimball homestead where they spent six years.  From there, each married again.  Lucy was very beautiful, she counted among her suitors, the celebrated Caleb Cushing.  Her second husband was James Stewart of Philadelphia.  He drove from Philadelphia to Mount Lebanon in his private conveyance, and carried off his bride in state.

    Caroline married Charles B. Haddock, the only nephew of Daniel Webster, professor of Belles Lettres at Dartmouth college and afterwards United States minister to Portugal.  On their return home they resided at the Kimball homestead.  Mrs. Haddock was living there, a widow, when the house was destroyed by fire.

    Eunice, the eldest daughter lived at home.  She is remembered as Mrs. Hutchinson, a woman of rare cultivation, dignity, gentleness and strength of character.  Her father-in-law's colonial home was the only residence between Lyman's bridge and the Kimball homestead.  There was no West Lebanon.  The only road to Lebanon ran from the Mascoma river (the Masquama of the Indians) and passed on the south side of the Kimball place.  The Kimballs called their place, "Mount Lebanon."  Old letters, written nearly a hundred years ago, and in the possession of the writer, bear this address.  These letters are elegantly folded, without envelopes, and exhibit and enormous rate of postage.

    Elijah Huntington Kimball lived in New York.  His five daughters, (he had no sons), spent much of their childhood at the Kimball homestead.  Lucy, the third daughter, met there and afterwards married, Levi P. Morton, the successful financier; afterwards U.S. minister to France, vice-president of the United States, and governor of New York.  Mrs. Berdan, the second daughter, resided at the Kimball homestead during the War of the Rebellion.  Her youngest daughter was born there.  This daughter is now the charming and popular novelist, Marion Crawford.  Mrs. Fay, Mr. Elijah Kimball's fourth daughter, spent ten years on the estate after the homestead was burned.  She lived in a pretty, red cottage built from the remains of the homestead.  Her husband, Colonel Richard G. Fay, was recently United States consul general at Ottawa.  Their only son, Julius, is U.S. consul general at Barcelona, Spain.

    On the Kimball estate stands a colonial house, admirably built with an extraordinary amount of timber, principally oak, prettily carved by hand, within and without.  It is, at the present writing, the oldest house in the town, and is the residence of the Kimball family.  Richard Kimball gave it to his son, Richard B. Kimball, on the latter's marriage with Miss Julia C. Tomlinson of New York.  On her mother's side, Mrs. Kimball was a direct descendant of the Adams family, so renowned in the history of our country.  She was a great-granddaughter of Chief Justice Adams of Litchfield, Conn.

    No pains were spared to make this spot a delightful summer resort.  A wing was added to the house, giving it the extension of a villa.  This brought the building into too close proximity to the road, but a sweeping lawn was laid out in front, and privacy secured by a long row of pines, now grown to a hedge of magnificent proportions, having screened the lawn for nearly fifty years.  While the outside of "The Cottage" was allowed to retain its primitive simplicity, so perfectly in keeping with the wild beauty of the scenery surrounding it, the inside was luxuriously fitted up from the best stores in Paris, London and New York.  All barns and out-houses were removed to a desirable distance on the other side of the road, and a pretty farm house was added to them.  The farm house has always been occupied by someone having care of "The Cottage."

    Richard B. Kimball was known as a distinguished author, "an elegant scholar, an accomplished gentleman."  At his house were entertained the most brilliant literary men of the day.  He knew Dickens and Washington Irving well.  George William Curtis, N.P. Willis, Bayard Taylor, John G. Saxe, "Charlie" Leland, Rufus W. Griswald, are among the American authors whom the writer especially remembers as visiting "The Cottage."  Mr. Kimball was an extensive traveler and frequently resided in Europe.  He was a prominent railroad man.  He built the first railroad ever laid in Texas.  It ran from Galveston to Houston.  Mr. Kimball was its president until the outbreak of the Civil war.  He owned a large tract of land in Texas, the cream of which, "Kimball's Bend of The Brazos," is the property of his eldest son, Richard.  Mr. Kimball had a beautiful country seat in Westchester-county, New York, where he and his family resided.

    Although absent from New Hampshire, Mr. Kimball would never rent his house there.  He was firm in this resolve in spite of repeated offers from fashionable friends who were fascinated by the romantic situation and unique charm of "The Cottage."  Not even during the "hard times" during the war, could induce him to let strangers occupy his home as theirs.  In these hard times "The Cottage" was allowed to fall out of repair, but it was carefully watched, and in due time put in complete repair for the return of the family in summer.  Here, his daughters have lived since their father's death in 1892.

    Mr. Kimball was a graduate of Dartmouth college; graduating among the first six of his class.  He was for six years president of "The Dartmouth Alumni Society" of New York.  He always kept up his interest in the "Dartmouth boys," and all of them coming to New York as strangers, were sure of his aid and friendship.  Twice he lectured at Hanover for the benefit of the students.  For many years he offered to the graduating class a prize of fifty dollars for the best definition of the difference between man and animals.  His sons, Richard and Daniel Tomlinson, are both Dartmouth men.  Richard belongs to the society of Alpha Delta Phi, and, like his father, is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa.  He resides in Texas.  Daniel is a lawyer in New York.  Richard's eldest son, Richard Huntington Kimball, fifth Richard in direct descent on the Kimball place, has passed his examinations for admission to Dartmouth college.

                Eunice Marsh Kimball.
    Kimball Place,
      Feb. 16, 1900.