Hiram F. Snow was born in No. Berwick Me. on Jan. 28, 1826 the son of Hiram Snow. His parents died when he was a young child and he lived with an uncle in Tamworth N.H. for 16 years. He worked as an apprentice carpenter in Tamworth for three years before coming to Dover in 1845, when he went to work for Mr. Enos Bean, who had a reputation as the best builder in town. He soon went into business for himself as a builder and contractor and as a promoter of many business enterprises. He built the Sawyer school on Fifth Street.
Mr. Snow was married twice. First to Roxanna, the daughter of Joseph and Anna (Gray) Gentleman with who he had two sons, Frank C. Snow and George W. Snow. Roxanna died on July 6, 1882 and on June 20, 1883 Mr. Snow married Miss Fannie C. Pinkham and they had one daughter Bertha, who married Dr. Carl Godfrey, a dentist from Dover.
He served on the City Council, and as an alderman and trustee on the Pine Hill Cemetery. He served in the legislature in 1868 and 1869. He was a Mason, member of the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. He was also president of the Dover Building Association.
Mr. Snow lived for many years in the house at 11 Grove Street on the corner of Third Street, but in 1893 he purchased the home at 655 Central Avenue (later the location of Wiggin Funeral Home) from Henry Johnson. Fannie Snow died Dec. 29, 1897 and Hiram died July 29, 1899. His daughter Bertha inherited the house at 655 Central Avenue. She sold it in 1908 to Albert H. Winn.
Photograph from Dover Public Library archives, text from Marston, Robert, Dover, NH: People, Businesses and Organizations: 1850 to 1950. Dover, NH, 2004.