Representative women of New England/Eliza Trask Hill
ELIZA TRASK HILL was born in the town of Warren, Mass., May 10, 1840. Her father, George Trask, a native of Beverly, belonging to that branch of the Trask family founded by Osmond (or Osman) Trask, an English immigrant who settled there about two hundred and fifty years ago, was a son of Jeremiah Trask and one of the youngest of fourteen children, all of whom lived to adult age and were noted for their piety and sobriety. After devoting his attention for some years in his early manhood to business pursuits, Mr. Trask took up his studies at Bowdoin College, to prepare for the ministry, paying his own way. While there he became conspicuous for his advocacy of the anti-slavery cause. He was graduated from Bowdoin in 1826 and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1829. His first pastorate was in Framingham, his next in Warren, and his third and last in Fitchburg, of the Trinitarian Church, a society that stood for the principles of anti-slavery and which disbanded as soon as the slaves were freed. The last twenty-five years of his life Mr. Trask spent in the effort tq abate the evil wrought by the use of tobacco. He suffered much persecution for his pronounced views, was forbidden the use of the churches, and ridiculed by his brethren in the ministry: but he grew more lovely in character day by day. He died in Fitchburg in January, 1875, in his seventy-ninth year.
Mrs. Hill's mother, whose maiden name was Ruth Freeman Packard, was a native of Marlboro anil daughter of the Rev. Asa and Nancy (Quincy) Packard. Mrs. Packard was born in the old Quincy mansion, Quincy, Mass., being a daughter of Josiah4 Quincy and cousin to Dorothy Quincy, wife of Governor Hancock.
The Rev. Asa Packard was a son of Jacob4 Packard, whose father, Solomon,3 was grandson of Samuel1 Packard, an early settler of West Bridgewater, Mass. Solomon^ Packard's wife, Susanna, mother of Jacob, was a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Mitchell) Kingman. Her mother was the daughter of Jacob2 Mitchell and grand-daughter of Experience Mitchell by his wife Jane, who was a daughter of Francis1 Cook, one of the "Mayflower" Pilgrims.
The Rev. Asa Packard (H. C. 1783) was for about twenty years minister of the town and church of Marlboro, being subsequently settled over the ^^'est Parish of Marlboro, where he remained till May, 1819. After his retirement he removed to Lancaster, Mass., where his daughter's marriage took place in 1831. Mrs. Trask was in complete sympathy with her husband in all his reform work, and was greatly beloved in the parishes where they lived. The Rev. George and Mrs. Trask were the parents of six children: George Kellogg Trask, now connected with the Indianapolis Journal as railroad editor: Brainerd Packard Trask, a Ignited States navy officer, who died before reaching the age of forty, from the effects of the war; Josiah (Jhapiu Trask, wliu at the age of twenty-six was killed in Quan- trell's raid in Lawrence, Kan.; Ruth (^uincy Trask, the widow of Lewis Bellows Powell, of Scranton, Pa.; Eliza Trask Hill; and William Dodge Trask, who died in infancy.
Mrs. Hill has vivid remembrances of the stir- ring words of 'illiam Lloyd Garrison, Wenilell Phillips, Lucy Stone, and other noble souls among the early reformers, who were freciuent visitors at her father's house in her childhood. The accjuaintance thus formed with Lucy Stone lasted until Mrs. Stone's death, and is a precious memory.
She received her education in the public schools of Fitchburg, and immediately after her graduation from the high school, in 1856, she be- gan to teach school in Franklin, Mass. A mem- ber of the school board imiuired if she had brought a certificate of moral character, to which she replied, "All the moral character I have, sir, I have with nie." A year later she was asked to take a school in one of the outlying dis- tricts of Fitchburg. The school was a hard one to discipline, and the first great test of her courage came at this point in her career. The war of the Rebellion was in progress, and in her district were a number of people who had been greatly opposed to her appointment be- cause of her father's abolitionist views, with which she was known to sympathize, (^n this account she was refused board in the neighbor- hood, hut was not thus deterred from taking the school. For three months she walked daily six miles to teach the school, and not only were the unruly children brought into subjection, but all the parents, including her l)itterest op- ponent, became her firm friends.
Going to Indianapolis to teach in 18G4, she went about with Superintendent Shortridge to grade the schools of that city. Later she taught for a year in Terre Haute, Ind. Two of her pupils while teacher of an intermediate grade in Fitchliurg were Maurice Richardson and Edward Pierce, the former now the well-known surgeon of Boston, and the latter recently a])- pointed Justice of the Superior Court of Massa- chusetts.
The R(n'. George Tiask was a man of very liberal ideas; and, when his daughter was asked to become a memix>r of a company of her town's people to give amateur theatricals for the ben- efit of the Sanitary Connnission, he readily gave his consent. With Mrs. Vincent of the Boston Museum as teacher, plays were given throughout the winter, which netted a large sum. Mr. Trask always attended, by his pres- ence giving sanction to the entertainments. The benefit of Mrs. Vincent's teaching has been felt by Mrs. Hill in after life. During the Rebellion Mrs. Hill (then Miss Trask) collectetl money to give a flag to the Washington Guards of Fitchburg, presenting it the night previous to their tleparture for the battle-field, urging the soldiers to fight cou- rageously for the freedom of the slave. At these woj-ds the colonel of the regiment took offence, and in a cruel way denietl that that was the issue. Brave men defended the young woman, and a victory for righteousness was scored that night.
AVhen the Soldiers' Monument in Fitchburg was dedicated, some years after the close of the war, Mrs. Hill with her two children was at her father's home. The company, much de- pleted, passetl by, bearing the tattered flag, which had been through many battles. The two children, one representing a soldier, the other the Goddess of Liberty, were stand- ing upon the porch of the old home- steatl. As the company reached the house, they halted, antl saluted the children; and Mrs. Hill, from behind the little ones, responded to the graceful tribute. The colonel before his death acknowledged his mistake, and apolo- gized for his rudeness at the time of the flag presentation.
At the age of twenty-six Eliza Trask became the wife of John Lange Hill, of Boston. Their children are: George Sumner Hill, a graduate of Harvard Medical School: Julia Annie Hill, a gratluate of Wellesley College, now the wife of Dr. Frank J. Geib, of A.shtabula, Ohio, a gratluate of Harvard; and Lewis Powell Hill, w'ho is in commercial life.
When the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized, over a quarter of a century ago, Mrs. Hill, who was then residing in Braintree, was chosen the first president for Norfolk County. Some official position in that society she has liekl ever since. For ten years she was superintendent of the prison, jail, and almshouse ilepartinent, and is now superin- tendent in this department for Middlesex County and president of the Winter Hill W. C. T. U. of Somerville.
When the Australian ballot system was in- troduced in Massachusetts, Mrs. Hill was ap- pointed by the Prohibition State Committee to go from town to town with the ap))aratus illustrating the process of voting under the new system; and large audiences composed of all parties came to see and hear. No ojiportu- nity was. lost by the speaker to remind her hearers of the inconsistency of allowing a woman to instruct men in the process of voting and denying her the right to vote herself.
In 1888 Mrs. Hill's residence was in Charles- town. For two years she had been president of the Ward and City Committee of Women Voters, and she was also president of the Bunker Hill Woman's Educational League, an organ- ization that was formed in February. Through the efTorts of this organization alone twenty- six hundred women were assessed, with a view to taking part in the school election; and a most vigorous campaign was carried on, women being stationed at the various registration places to watch proceedings. The result of the election was most gratifying. Not only was the whole school board ticket successful, but the women hatl much influence in bringing about a change at City Hall. The Independent Women Voters' party was the outgrowth of the struggle of 18S8, and until 1896 Mrs. Hill was the leader of this party. In 1889 the Woman's Voice and Public School Champion was first printed. Mrs. Hill became the editor and general manager, and still retains these offices.
In 1895 she was chosen State secretary of the Massachusetts Branch of the International Order of The King's Daughters and Sons, an organization having six thousand members in the State, comprising two hundred and seventy circles and two hundred and twenty-nine in- dependent members, and carrying on a most helpful charitable work. A vacation Home at Hanson, Mass., which acconunodates sixty peo- ple, among them many mothers and their little families, is a State work. The Vacation Home of The King's Daughters is Gordon Rest. For eighteen years Mrs. Hill has had personal supervision of this home. The work increases year by year, and is the largest undertaking of its kind in the State.
In 1885 the New England Helping Hantl Society was formed, its aim being to proviile at a moderate rate a comfortable home for young women earning low wages. Of this society Mrs. Hill was for several years the .secretary, and for ten years she was its president. She has aided in many ways in ameliorating the conditions of working men and women.
She has always stood finnly for free speech. On one occasion when a man was denied the privilege of answei'ing a s])eakei' who had, as he affirmed, made false statements, she mounted to the platform and asked that he be allowed a hearing. So intense was the excitement that threats of bodily harm were made, but, as she preserved a perfectly calm demeanor, the ex- citement was quelled and she was uninjured.
For eighteen years Mrs. Hill's voice has been heard in pul))it and on platform in the advocacy of good causes in Massachusetts and other States. The In(le])endent Women Voters of Detroit, Mich., were organized hy her efforts. In Mrs. Hill's evangelistic and Bible services a simple faith is taught, with a reliance on Christ as mediator and Saviour.
The result of labor in prisons and missions has been most gratifying in the reconstruction of broken-up homes, in the obtaining of employment for disheartened men and women, and in the redemption of those who have become victims of evil habits. Following in the footsteps of her belovetl father, .she has done much to help on the anti-cigarette movement, and has been instrumental in banding hundreds of young i^eople together to labor in Christian service. Naturally possessed of a very hopeful, cheerful temperament, obstacles which might seem to others very hard to overcome have not hindered or discouraged her in the least. She looks with the utmost faith toward the time when right shall triumph over wrong and her native land lie indeed a Christian nation.