Person:Rueben Belden (3)

BIOGRAPHY: History of the Town of Whately, Mass. 1661 - 1899 Printed for the Town By D. L. Crandall, Mann's Block, Orange, Mass. 1899 - Page 394 Reuben, son of Joshua, b in Whatley 3 Jan., 1778, d 27 June, 1854, ae 76 yrs, m (1) 26 Sept., 1802, Sally dau of Joseph and Mary (Nims) Locke, b in Shutesbury, 1774, d 12 Oct., 1806, ae 32 yrs; m (2) 2 April, 1807, Hannah, dau of George and Lydia (Allen) Hibbard, b 29 March, 1790, d 1 April, 1845, ae 55 yrs; m (3) Jan. 1846, Anna, dau of Reuben and Chloe (Fitch) Burnham, b at Hartford, Ct., 20 Sept., 1778, d 18 Sept., 1847; m (4) 25 July, 1848, Lura (Allis) Woodruff, who survived him. He was a very active man, full of business and occasionally some of his irons would burn a little. He had an immense amount of land, employing from six to twelve men through the summer season and in the winter a large number of men making brooms. He raised large crops of broom corn and in fact, of corn, wheat, rye and oats, and cut probably over two hundred tons of hay; had large herds of cattle and cows, fattening many head of cattle as well as hogs. He was a great worker, a very temperate man, conscientious and upright in his business relations, a strict observer of all religious rites, a power for good. When he started any project he seemed to use every effort to make it a success, as when he signed the first temperance pledge in 1828 he at once cut down his large orchard. He evidently meant business.