The Biographical Dictionary of America/Appleton, Francis H.

APPLETON, Francis H., agriculturist, was born in Boston, Mass., June 17, 1847. His family removed to Salem while he was still an infant, and he was there reared and educated, his home being with his maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Silsbee, an East India merchant. His paternal grandfather was William Appleton of Boston. Mr. Appleton entered St. Paul's school at Concord, N. H., in 1859, was graduated from Harvard college in 1869, and becoming interested in agriculture settled himself at Peabody, Mass., where he cultivated an extensive farm. He was reporter on agriculture for the Massachusetts commissioners at the Vienna exposition in 1873, and from 1873 to 1875 was curator at the Bussey institute. He became a trustee of the Peabody institute, of the Massachusetts society for promoting agriculture, and of the Massachusetts agricultural college, and president of the Essex county agricultural society; a member of the local farmers' club, of the state board of agriculture, of the board of control of the state experiment station, an active member of the Massachusetts horticultural society, of which he was vice-president, and secretary of the Bay State agricultural society. In 1887 he was elected secretary of the state board of agriculture, but declined the office. He represented the town of Peabody in the lower house of the state legislature of 1891 and 1892, and in the latter year was a delegate to the national Republican convention. In 1896, he became president of the New England agricultural society, and in the same year was appointed inspector of rifle practice by Governor Wolcott.