Edson Cummings Eastman 1832-1911

Edson Cummings Eastman

b. 9 Nov 1832 d. 9 Mar 1911

Info gleaned from genealogy books at Aunt Betty’s house in Oklahoma when me and my parents stayed with her. Elizabeth Hazelwood Styll Smith married to J. Leroy Smith 19 Jun 1923. He was a real estate bookkeeper and she was a teacher in public schools. 

Edson Eastman DuHamel Styll with Edson Cummings Eastman. Child was the brother of Elizabeth Hazelwood Styll Smith (Aunt Betty).

President of the Eastman Association in Concord. Married Mary Elizabeth Robinson February 14, 1855 and Mary W Whitemore is his second wife. Edson was a very successful businessman, respected by all with whom he came in contact with. He was the president of the Eastman association of Concord a number of times. He was a publisher and stationer of Concord and his establishment is one of the largest of its kind in the state.

From his obituary

In the death of Edson C Eastman which occurred at his home on N. State St., late on Thursday afternoon, the city of Concord suffers a loss of one of its oldest and best known businessman as well as a most popular, public spirited and every way for most useful citizen. Mr. Eastman was born in Concord November 2, 1832, the son of Seth and Sarah (Coffin) Eastman. His education was received in the public schools of the city and in the Gilmanton Academy. Mr. Eastman began his business career as a clerk in the office of former governor Joseph a Gilmore, who was at that time general manager of the Concorde and Claremont railroad.

After a few years of railroad experience, he decided to enter business, and with SG Sylvester of this city started a crockery store under the name of Sylvester and Eastman. About 50 years ago Mr. Eastman bought the entire stock in business of Mr. Crawford and enter the book and publishing business, the store being located on the present site of the bean needle craft shop. After engaging in the new business successfully for some years, he was unfortunate enough to be burned out, but nothing daunted, start a business again, and had continued in the same line up to the present time. Of late years, he had conducted business in a well-equipped establishment just north of the New Hampshire savings bank.

Sometime in the early 1850s Mr. Eastman married Mary Robinson of East Concord, who died in 1882, survived by her husband and two children Mary Isabell who married Robert Styll and is at present living in Oklahoma City Oklahoma and son Seth Eastman, who became a physician and died some years ago at age 33.

In 1888 he married Mary Whitemore a Bradford mass, who survives him. Mr. Eastman has always been identified with the Democratic Party and for many years had been active member of the first Baptist Church on North State St. Mr. Eastman‘s career has been a very successful one. He published the White Mountain Guide Book (in print for 110 years) which was so popular that it went through 13 or 14 editions.

He published the old reliable Leavitt’s Farmers Almanac (still available on Amazon 1875 Edition) and several law books, the last of these being a compiled edition of New Hampshire Public Statutes (still being made today Volume 29 as of 2021).

He bought the stock of G Parker Lyon and continued the publishing of well-known New Hampshire Register, afterwords purchasing the entire stock of Josiah W Sanborn which was the stock above mentioned, included the New Hampshire Reports which he published down to and including the 61st volume. He had been for many years and active member of the Eastman family Association, the New Hampshire Historical society and the Appalachian club.

Until recent years Mr. Eastman have been an enthusiastic and active member of the Concord Board of Trade. Mr. Eastman was in the old days an active member of the Peacock Engine Company No. 4 and had been for years an honorary member of the Concorde Veteran Firemans Association.

Another Obituary 

Mr. Edson C Eastman Thursday was a widely known publisher, most popular and patriotic citizen and a consistent Democrat. His heavily stocked Concord bookstore has more than half of the century seemed an indispensable institution. No business in New Hampshire is better known among the class of people appreciate the value of service it has rendered. THE PATRIOT will particularly miss Mr. Eastman because he visited it’s office with great frequency, having from boyhood love the smell of printers ink and he was in incorporator of the new Hampshire Patriot Company which now on this paper.