Henry S. Boynton, one of the prosperous merchants of Lamoine, Hancock County, was born September 21, 1820, in Wiscasset, Maine. His father, William Boynton, a native of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, removed to Wiscasset when a young man, and was there Deputy Sheriff for a long time and afterward acting High Sheriff for a number of years. William subsequently lived for a time in Lamoine and then successively in Bangor and Chicago, remaining in the latter place until his death, at the age of seventy-nine years. He married Mary Huckins, who bore him the following children: William A., Elizabeth, and Thomas, deceased; Warren, who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Ann, deceased; Henry S., the subject of this sketch; Alonzo K. and George, who make their homes in the West; and Hannah, also deceased.
Henry S. Boynton received the larger part of his education in the schools of Bangor. At the age of thirteen he began his mercantile career in that city as a boy-of-all-work in the store of C. & E. D. Godfrey, with whom he remained two years. He was subsequently employed as a clerk in different stores, including those of S. G. Turner and Young & Harriman, with whom he remained two or three years, and Fogg & Hersey, in whose employment he spent about the same number of months. Having acquired a practical knowledge of business, he then opened a store, in partnership with his brother Thomas, in Bangor, where he was profitably engaged in buying and selling goods for two years. In 1845 he came to Lamoine Point, then called Trenton, and, establishing himself as a merchant, has since built up an extensive trade. For a long time he carried on a lucrative business as a ship-chandler, making a specialty of fitting out fishing-vessels; but in recent years he has carried a complete stock of general merchandise. In politics be was formerly a Whig, and his first Presidential vote was cast in 1844 for henry Clay. Since the formation of the Republican party he has been an earnest advocate of its principles. For eight years he served as Selectman of Trenton, being the chairman of the board for seven years of the period.
In 1843 Mr. Boynton married Matilda Hodgkins, a daughter of Nathan Hodgkins. She died in January, 1895, leaving six children; namely, Frederic H., Nathan H., Henry, Ellen A., Abbie D., and Agnes M. Frederic H. married Emma Davis, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has two children — Grace and Frank. Nathan H. married Lizzie Bunker, who has borne him five children Earl, Hattie, Sadie, Chester, and Russell. Henry married Ida White, of Sullivan, and has one child, Henry S. Ellen A. is the wife of Winfield S. Hodgkins, of Lamoine, and has five children — Raymond, Addle, Maynard, Ruby, and Morris. Abbie D. is the wife of William F. Hutchins, of Lamoine, and has one child, Alice G. Agnes M. lives with her father.
Source: Biographical review: containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine. Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1898.