Individual Details

Biographical Review, Volume XXX, Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Worcester County Massachusetts, Biographical Review Publishing Company, Boston, 1899. Images at ancestry.com 5 Sep 2010. Pages 770 and 773 [a blank page and a portrait of another man are on the two pages in between.]
Charles A. Rice, one of Northboro's best known residents, is a man of strong personality, outspoken and honest, and claimed as a friend by every man, woman, and child in this section of Worcester County. "Charley" Rice, as he is familiarly called, was born in Northboro, Mass., on the first day of May, 1826, son of Anson Rice and a grandson of Asaph Rice.
Asaph Rice was engaged in teaming between here and Boston for many years, his route being a paying one. Standing six feet and four inches in height and finely proportioned, he was a giant in physical strength as well as in intellectual powers. As an able and fearless debater he had few equals in the whole country side. It is claimed by the older residents of the vicinity that, if he had had the educational advantages freely offered to the boys of this day and generation, his powers of oratory, his clear-headed common sense, and his rare good judgment would have won him a national reputation. Anson Rice spent his life in Northboro, for the larger part of the time as a general merchant. He was prominent in town affairs, having served as Justice of the Peace most of the time, as Postmaster for many terms, and as Town Clerk for thirty years. To him and his wife, whose maiden name was Lucy Sherman, six children were born, namely: Martin, a hardware manufacturer, who died in Springfield, Ohio, in 1891; John A., a noted hotel man, who died in Chicago, Ill., in April, 1891; Myron Granville, of Saginaw, Mich., who is the general agent of the North-western Railway Company; Mary, whose first husband, Rasious Jones, died in Cincinnati, Ohio, and who is now the wife of W. M. Sherman, of Alabama; Solon Wood, who is in business in Leadville, Col.; and Charles A., the subject of this sketch.
Charles A. Rice really began his active career when but seven years old, as at that age he frequently drove an extra two-horse team to Cambridgeport for his grandfather, who used to tie him to the high seat and hand him the reins. At the age of twelve years he often took passengers to Boston in season for a late train, starting in the evening and returning before breakfast the next morning. In 1842 he became an express agent on the stage line owned by John Rice, with whom he lived much of the time, the stage route being a long one. He was an expert coachman, driving his team of two, four, or six horses with skill, and for some years was the only expressman doing business between this town and Fitchburg, Worcester, Providence, Boston, Keene (N.H.), and other places. After the establishment of the railway the stage started from Shrewsbury and went to Westboro, whence passengers, mail, and express continued the trip to Boston by rail. The last trip of the coach was made on Thanksgiving Day in 1856, but Mr. Rice continued to carry the mail until the following April. When the Northern Division of the Old Colony branch of the New Haven system was extended from South Framingham, he became express messenger on that road, and when the line was continued to Fitchburg he accepted the local agency of the Fiske Express Company. In 1897, after fifty-five consecutive years of service in the express business, he resigned, and has since devoted his time to the management of his livery stable, which he established in 1848 in the barn built by his late father. He now keeps comparatively few horses, a marked change in the livery business having taken place in the last half-century, the cause of which is not hard to determine when note is taken of the close proximity of the steam and electric cars and the number of bicycles that hourly pass the stable.
In politics Mr. Rice is a sound Democrat. As Selectman and Assessor for many years he has rendered valuable service to the town. He likewise served Worcester County as Sheriff for fifteen years. In March, 1849, he married Angenette M. Otis, a niece of Judge Mellen. They have two sons, namely: Edwin Fay Rice, who was a printer in Boston for a time, and has been employed in the Boston Public Library for the past thirteen years; and Charles Henry Rice, the Treasurer and Collector in Northboro."

Worcester County, Massachusetts Memoirs, Volume I-II, The Lewis Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1907, digitized at ancestry.com, pgs. 308-309:
"CHARLES A. RICE, of Northboro, Worcester county, Massachusetts, who is a well known liveryman, is from an old and honored family of Worcester county. Asaph Rice, son of Amos Rice, grandfather of Charles A. Rice, was born at Northboro, November 11, 1768, and there received his education. His forefathers were among, if not the first, to locate at the present site of the city of Worcester. He married and among his children was Anson Rice, father of Charles A. Rice, who was born at the old Rice homestead in Northboro, Massachusetts, October 25, 1798. He was educated at that place and after his school days had ended he followed farming for a livelihood for a time, and then entered into the mercantile business, in which he was very successful in his store at Northboro. In 1823, he erected a large barn, in which he conducted a livery business. Through his genial manners, he became popular over a large scope of country. He married Luch Sherman, of Northboro, by whom was born six children - five sons and one daughter. Among the sons in this family was Charles A.
Charles A. Rice was born at the old homestead of the Rice family at Northboro, Massachusetts, May 1, 1826. He received his education at the common schools, from which he went to farm life on his cousin's farm, remaining one year, and then went to Keene, New Hampshire, where he learned in part the trade of baker and completed it at Springfield, Massachusetts. Not liking that for a business, he returned to his old home and assisted his father in his livery business for a period of time, and later went to Ashland, where he conducted a stable for his father and grandfather. In 1845 he resided in Concord, Massachusetts, where he took care of the stage horses. In 1846-47 he resided in Ohio, where he dealth [sic] in horses, and being a good judge of such stock was quite successful in this line of work. In 1848, he returned to Northboro and purchased his father's livery staging business, which he has conducted ever since. In his political views, Mr. Rice is a pronounced Democrat. He has held all of the town offices with much credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the people of the town. He is a member of the United Brethren Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Houghton Chapter of Marlboro and Trinity Commandery of Hudson. He is an attendant of the Unitarian Church.
Mr. Rice married, March 17, 1849, Angenette M. Otis, who died September 2, 1905. She was the daughter of Henry Otis, of Westboro, Massachusetts. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Rice are: Edwin, born December 20, 1849; he has been connected with the Boston Library over twenty years; he married (first) Sarah E. Bartlett, of Warner, New Hampshire, now deceased; he married (second) Georgianna ----. Henry, born December 7, 1853, unmarried."

Birth	1 May 1826	Northborough, Worcester Co., Massachusetts
Marriage	25 Mar 1849	Northborough, Worcester Co., Massachusetts - Angenette Mellen READ
Death	Unknown

Spouse	Angenette Mellen READ (1829 - 1905)
Child	Edwin Fay RICE (1849 - 1919)
Child	Charles Henry RICE (1853 - 1920)

Father	Anson RICE (1798 - 1875)
Mother	Lucy SHERMAN (1790 - 1868)
Sibling	Martin Luther RICE (1824 - 1888)
Sibling	John Asaph RICE (1829 - 1880)
Sibling	Myron Grenville RICE (1830 - 1864)
Sibling	Mary Fairbanks Penny RICE (1832 - 1901)
Sibling	Solon Wood RICE (1835 - 1907)

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