Author: Laura Rankin

Nevins Hall …. We’ve all been there, perhaps to attend a town meeting, a holiday concert, a wedding, or a prom. In 1994, President Bill Clinton gave a speech there, and in 2016, author David McCullough capped off “Framingham Reads Together” with a talk about his book The Wright Brothers.  Political debates and early voting also have taken place in this space.  Ever wonder how it got its name?    

Our story begins in Methuen on July 30, 1839 with the birth of a son to David and Eliza (Coffin) Nevins.  David Jr. was the first of two sons.  His brother, Henry Coffin Nevins, was born four years later on January 10, 1843.  David Sr. (1809-1881)  was a successful businessman, banker, and textile mill owner.  He owned Nevins & Co., a dry goods house located in Boston,  the Pemberton Mills in Lawrence, and The City Exchange Banking Company of Boston.  The City Exchange Banking Co. eventually merged with the other Nevins businesses and became the Nevins & Co. Bankers & Negotiators of Business with offices on Devonshire St.

After completing his education in Boston and Paris,  David Jr. went to work with his father.  He was employed on the banking side of his father’s business and managed the City Exchange Banking Company for a time.   As his father aged, David, Jr. took a greater role in the running of these companies (Cutter 978).  After their father’s death in 1881, David and his brother Henry inherited the family businesses.  With the brothers at the helm, the Nevins’ concerns flourished. 

In April 1862, David, Jr. married Harriet Francoeur Blackburn (1841-1929), the daughter of one of his father’s business associates.  David and Harriet lived with her father, George Blackburn, at his home at 48 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.

In the spring of 1870 the couple purchased a farm formerly owned by H. G. White, Esq.  The property, near Park’s Corner in South Framingham, extended from Winter Street to Farm Pond.   Hillside, as it was called, became the Nevins’ primary residence, where they spent eight months each year.  For years, they also maintained a home at various locations in Boston for the winter season.  In 1885, David bought the Hotel Tudor, an elegant apartment building on the corner of Beacon and Joy Streets in Boston.  An apartment on the top floor became their permanent winter home.  

After purchasing Hillside, David extensively remodeled and added to the house and farm buildings.  Many modern features were added to the house including gas lighting and indoor plumbing. The gas for lighting was produced right on the Nevins’ property. Another innovation was the recycling of refuse from the house.  The refuse from the plumbing was piped to a reservoir where it was then used to fertilize the fields.  David had the cow stables remodeled to accommodate horses. A new stable and carriage house was built as well as a large house for the seven farmworkers who lived there in 1871 (Forbes).  

By 1871, Hillside encompassed about 175 acres of land.  Nevins employed a large number of landscapers to maintain the park-like grounds and gardens, and annually spent thousands of dollars on trees and plantings.  He opened the estate’s grounds to the people of Framingham to visit or to take a drive through the scenic gardens. In 1897, Nevins had a nine hole golf course built on his land for the Framingham Golf Club.  This was the first golf course in Framingham and it was called Pincushion Links (Herring 207).  The course was located south of Hillside and beyond the Sudbury River in the area of current day Pincushion Road off of Winter and Fountain Streets.  The following spring, he had a clubhouse constructed on the course.

Nevins, like so many of the men of his era, was a horse breeder.  He raised many award winning stallions at Hillside, including perhaps his most famous, Bay Fearnaught.  Bay Fearnaught was considered one of the best roadsters in New England at the time (Merwin 127).   His stallions were exhibited at the annual South Middlesex Agricultural Society fair and other New England fairs, winning prizes in 1871, 1872 and 1876.  David’s interest in horses went beyond breeding. In 1870, he served as the secretary in the Boston Trotting Association.  He was a member of the Boston Driving and Athletic Organization, a group of Boston businessmen interested in the sport of turf racing. In 1879, David was the group’s vice-president. And to round out his animal related activities, in 1877, he was one of the directors of the MSPCA.

By the summer of 1898, David was in poor health.  On the advice of his doctors, he and Harriet traveled abroad to the thermal baths at Bad Manheim to take advantage of the healing power of the mineral rich waters. Despite the baths and excellent care of his German physicians, his health continued to decline. On August 24, 1898, just six weeks after leaving America, David died of heart failure (“David Nevins” 6).  His funeral took place in the parlor at Hillside on September 10, 1898.  

Before the Nevins’ left for Germany, David completed his last will and testament.  In it he left the house and possessions to his wife for use during her lifetime. Upon Harriet’s death, their daughter, Elise Nevins would be the beneficiary.  If Elise died childless, the will provided that the personal property go to the Nevins Memorial in Methuen and the bequests be honored. The bequests granted $10,000 to the Home for the Aged in Framingham and $100,000 to the Town of Framingham for a new town hall.  In 1954, Elise Nevins passed away without heirs. After the bequests were fulfilled, the residual of the estate was divided equally and given to twenty Massachusetts charities selected by the executors. Framingham Union Hospital was one of these (Framingham Union 1955). 

And now you know why Nevins Hall is so named.

Facts

• Eliza Coffin Nevins was the daughter of Jared Coffin of Nantucket, one of the most successful ship owners during the island’s whaling days.
• “Methuen Duck Cloth” was manufactured by the Nevins’ and was used world-wide for sail cloth and tent for the tropics.
• David, Sr. was the co-owner of the Pemberton Mills when the north wall of the factory collapsed on January 11, 1860.  Fire then consumed the building.  A devastating industrial calamity in which 115 people were killed or missing and another 165 were injured.  He rebuilt the mill adding many safety features (The Lawrence).
• The name Pincushion Links is credited to Mrs. Nevins. She thought that Merriam Hill topped with tall pine trees looked like a pincushion. The golf course was built near “Pincushion Hill.” (Herring 207)
• Framingham Golf Club was organized in the early 1890s.  In the years following Nevins’ death, the club changed its name to the Framingham Country Club and acquired the William Temple estate on Gates Road.
• According to the 1880 Census, the Nevins’ adopted a son and a daughter after suffering two stillbirths in 1863 and 1865.  Only their daughter Elise survived them.

Bibliography

“Autumn Products.” Boston Daily Advertiser, 20 Sept. 1877. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3009244525/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=bookmark-NCNP&xid=7a198406. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.

“The Beacon Park Races.” Boston Daily Advertiser, 2 Sept. 1879. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3006600585/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=bookmark-NCNP&xid=e0d82f57. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.

City of Framingham.  Website.  https://www.framinghamma.gov/1052/Nevins-Hall. Accessed 17 Oct. 2022.

Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs: Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts.  Lewis Historical Pub., 1908.

David Nevins. Boston Daily Advertiser, 25 Aug. 1898, p. 6. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3007059877/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=book mark-NCNP&xid=158f0a6d. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.

“David Nevins Resident of Framingham 30 Years Before Death in 1898.” Framingham News, 29 Apr. 1954.

“The Farmers’ Fairs.” Boston Daily Advertiser, 21 Sept. 1876. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3006555123/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=bookmark-NCNP&xid=7b0e5cc4. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.

“FIFTH TO DIE.: CHARLES H. FRYE SUCCUMBS AT CITY HOSPITAL. ANOTHER IN THE LIST OF VICTIMS OF THE SHARON WRECK. HIS WIFE HAD ALSO LOST HER LIFE THERE. DOUBLE FUNERAL WILL BE HELD AT REVERE. BELLS TOLLED AND FLAGS AT HALF MAST IN THAT TOWN. BELLE TOLLED AT REVERE DIED FAR FROM HOME. DAVID NEVINS OF BOSTON AND SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, PASSES AWAY AT BAD MANHEIM, GER–WAS ABROAD SIX WEEKS. AT THE MARINE HOSPITAL SOLDIERS RECEIVING TREATMENT THERE ARE DOING FAIRLY WELL. OLIVETTE GOING TO FERANANDINA.” Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Aug 25, 1898, pp. 12. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/fifth-die/docview/498917569/se-2.

Forbes, A. A. “Framingham Farm Notes, No. 2.”  New England Farmer. 25 Nov. 1871.

Herring, Stephen W. Framingham, an American Town.  Framingham Historical Society, Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.

The Lawrence Tragedy.” Boston Daily Advertiser, 12 Jan. 1860. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3009813383/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=bookmark-NCNP&xid=d0358bd0. Accessed 20 Dec. 2022.

Merwin, Henry Child. Road, Track, and Stable.  Little Brown & Co., 1892

“MORGAN–NEVINS.: BOSTONIAN WEDS METHUEN HEIRESS, AND GUESTS ARE ENTERTAINED IN TENTS ON SPACIOUS LAWN.” Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jun 10, 1906, pp. 11. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/morgan-nevins/docview/500603436/se-2.

“Multiple Classified Advertisements.” Boston Daily Advertiser, 21 Apr. 1870. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3006458009/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=bookmark-NCNP&xid=e900cd92. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022. 

“New England Fair.” Lowell Daily Citizen, 6 Sept. 1871. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3001749385/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=bookmark-NCNP&xid=95d09fc6. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022. 

“The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.” Boston Daily Advertiser, 17 Nov. 1887, p. 4. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3006793082/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=bookmark-NCNP&xid=faad9284. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.

“SOME LARGE PUBLIC BEQUESTS.: WILL OF DAVID NEVINS FILED FOR PROBATC- S1OO,000 FOR FRAMINGHAM TOWN HALL -METHUEN REMEMBERED.” Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Sep 15, 1898, pp. 8. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/some-large-public-bequests/docview/498937451/se-2.

“TOWN CLERK 46 YEARS.: BENJAMIN F. BAKER OF BROOKLINE DIES AT HIS HOME-ONE OF THE TOWN’S WELLKNOWN CITIZENS. EULOGIZED BY PASTORS. DAVID NEVINS CARRIED TO LAST RESTING PLACE. MOURNED BY MANY.” Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Sep 11, 1898, pp. 5. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/town-clerk-46-years/docview/498933679/se-2.

Ralph T. Noonan (1909 – 1986) was born in Clinton, Massachusetts on October 27, 1909. His family was of Irish ancestry. And, like so many Irish, Ralph’s grandparents, the Foleys and the Noonans, came to America in the 1860s. On December 30, 1908, Catherine Foley (26) and Michael T. Noonan (33) were married by Reverend T. K. Heffernan at St. George’s Church in Saxonville. After their marriage, Michael and Catherine moved to Clinton where their four children were born.

It was a family tragedy that brought a young five-year-old boy to Framingham, Massachusetts. Ralph’s father died of pneumonia in 1914 while working on the campaign for David I. Walsh who was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Massachusetts. After Michael Noonan’s death, Catherine brought her four children to live in Framingham with her family. In 1920 she became head of the household at 1198 Worcester Road. To support a growing family, Catherine went to work at Travis Drug Store in Framingham Centre, just a short walk from home. Catherine’s children helped with finances by delivering papers, weeding gardens, mowing lawns, and picking blueberries and vegetables. The children attended Jonathan Maynard School, which had been recently built on the Centre Common in 1915. In those days organized recreation was not provided for youngsters. But the streams, the river, ponds, and fields around Framingham Centre provided plenty of fun for all the neighborhood kids. In the 1920s, baseball was America’s “National Passion” – it’s Golden Age! This passion was very much alive in Framingham as neighborhood kids organized and enjoyed pick-up baseball games in backyards and fields all around town.

In 1927 Ralph and his brother, Walter, graduated from Framingham High School. And perhaps as a preview of his civic involvement, Ralph was asked to give the class oration entitled, “The New Freedom.” In this mature young man’s oration, he spoke of wealth. Not that which is measured by material resources or silver and gold. But, the wealth of those Ralph calls, “the rank-and-file American, the toilers,” whose material gifts are limited. What is this wealth he speaks of? “It is the knowledge that they [the toilers] are individuals, persons free in body, mind, and heart; in a word, the one thing that constitutes their happiness is their freedom. That is the wealth dear to their heart…”

In the fall of 1928 Ralph entered the freshman class at Boston College. Finances would be a problem again for his family as a younger brother had just been accepted to the University of Notre Dame. Shortly after acceptance to BC, Ralph was asked to go to the rectory at St. Bridget’s Church to see Father Michael O’Connor. Provisions had been made to take care of his tuition if he could earn enough through the years to pay for clothes, transportation, and books. So began the years at Boston College as his family and country suffered through the beginning of the Great Depression. Ralph graduated from Boston College in 1932 and was one of the fortunate students who got a job. That first job was at the Finast Grocery chain. It looked like a career in the grocery industry might be for him. However, in the fall of 1934 Ralph was asked to fill in as a substitute teacher at the Memorial Junior High School. He was also asked to assist with a federally sponsored recreation program. At that time, the WPA (Works Project Administration) was part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal Program. This program created millions of jobs across cities and towns of the United States through public works projects. The many community projects under the WPA Program in Framingham included the building of athletic fields now known as Butterworth, Bowditch, and Winch Park, and the construction of tennis courts at the Anna Murphy Playground. Ralph decided to forget a career in the grocery business and was given a permanent teaching position at Lincoln Junior High School at a salary of $1,500 plus $50.00 for coaching Junior High football, basketball, and baseball.

The War Years

In 1937 prior to America’s involvement in World War II, Ralph joined Co. C 101st Quartermaster Regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard. In between his new duties as a soldier and teaching, Ralph married Louise McIlvene, a young lady he had previously met at the Framingham Normal School, on December 28, 1939. As war raged on in Europe, Ralph’s division was inducted into federal service on January 16, 1941. The now Lt. Noonan reported to Camp Edwards on Cape Cod. His division then moved to North Carolina to participate in First Army Maneuvers. Then on December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. America was at war! After the attack, Ralph’s regiment became part of task force 6814 heading toward New Caledonia in the South Pacific. When New Caledonia was secured, the task force was organized as a combat division called the Americal Division. This division, now attached to the First Marine Division, was then ordered to Guadalcanal to establish an advanced Quartermaster Base. Securing Guadalcanal was the turning point in the war. Ralph continued to serve in the South Pacific and was part of the preparations for the invasion of Japan if that was needed. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese surrendered bringing WWII to a close.

Return to Framingham

After 46 months in the Pacific, Ralph returned full-time to Lincoln Junior High School where he taught Bookkeeping and Latin. He settled down with his wife Louise and raised a family that grew to seven children. Ralph, now a Colonel, also continued his military career in the Massachusetts National Guard. In 1954 he resigned from his teaching position to accept a full-time position as State Quartermaster. In this position, he was responsible for all state-owned military facilities, construction of new armories, including Framingham, and the operation and maintenance of all existing armories. He held this position until 1969 and was also promoted to Brigadier General in the same year.

It was during these years that Ralph began to devote his talents to the town of Framingham. In 1957 he was appointed to the town finance committee and served as its chairman in 1962 and 1963. He was a member of the Police Station Renovation Committee and Fire Station Construction Committee. After retirement Ralph became maintenance chief at St. Patrick’s Manor. He was elected Town Moderator in 1969. Ralph served on many town committees and commissions during the 1960s and 1970s. Among his many awards for community involvement was the Jaycee’s Distinguished Service Award. Upon receiving this award, a speaker described Ralph as “a man who always honorably discharged his responsibilities – a just man in the highest sense of the word.” Ralph remained faithful to his original calling as a teacher. He often spoke at Memorial Day ceremonies at the schools in Framingham. In 1985 he gave the students at McCarthy Elementary School a lesson about the Muster Field and other parts of the town’s military history. He presented the third graders with a Japanese General’s sword which had been given to the Americal Division troops. The sword was then given to the Framingham Historical Society for safe keeping. 

Ralph’s final job in Framingham from 1973 to 1977 was the town executive secretary coordinator. In this full-time position, he worked for the board of selectmen and was responsible for all aspects of the town on a daily basis. Upon retirement from this position, the 1977 annual town meeting passed a resolution recognizing his many years of service, stating, “Ralph Noonan has devoted the greater part of his life to town service with the sole object of making Framingham a better place to live.” Ralph and Louise moved to Hyannis on Cape Cod. They are both buried in the Veterans National Cemetery in Bourne. In September of 1990, a ceremony was held at the National Guard Armory on Concord Street. To honor Ralph, a plaque with a picture was hung that listed his many accomplishments. Ralph’s memory to his family, the National Guard and the Town of Framingham will live on forever.

Facts

On the morning of September 8, 1945, just after the Japanese surrender, the first ships edged up to the shore of Yokohama and began unloading. The first unit ashore was the 125th Quartermaster Company under the command of Lt. Colonel Ralph Noonan.

Among Ralph’s many personal decorations were: Legion of Merit for outstanding service in the Pacific, the Bronze Star and a letter of Commendation from Douglas McArthur, May, 1945.

Noonan served as a member of the Youth Commission, Loring Arena Commission, the executive committee of the Framingham Union Hospital, the Algonquin Council of Boy Scouts, and the Danforth Museum. He was named “Light Bearer of 1973″ by the Marist Scholarship fund for “one who is dedicated and deeply involved in helping mankind.”

Bibliography

“Class Oration At High School, ‘The New Freedom’ Subject Treated By Ralph Noonan” Framingham News, July, 1927.

Herring, Stephen W. Framingham: An American Town. Framingham, Massachusetts: Framingham Historical Society, Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.

Leaning, John, R. “Accept historic sword for town, 3rd graders get ‘hands-on’ history lesson.” Framingham News, 31 May 1985. Framingham History Center Collection

The Living New Deal. “Projects in Framingham Massachusetts-The Living New Deal” Accessed 16 July 2022. https.//livingnewdeal.org.

Noonan, Ralph. “Geography lesson reflecting my experience in the South Pacific and the Solomon Islands.” Short presentation from abstract. Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, MA, Oct. 1944. Framingham History Center Collection.

Photos Framingham History Center Collection

Josiah Adams (1781-1854) was the fifth child and second son born to Moses and Abigail (Stone) Adams. While little is known of Josiah’s childhood, we do know that he was educated at home by his father (New 156).  Moses, a Harvard educated minister residing and preaching in Acton, was a firm believer in the value of education.  Beside his own children, Moses also prepared some of the local boys for admission to college.  

After graduating from Harvard in 1801, Josiah went on to study law with Thomas Heald, Esq. He was admitted to the bar in 1807.  In 1808, he came to Framingham and set up his legal practice in Central Square just east of Benjamin Wheeler’s store.  After several years, Josiah moved his law office into his home which was  located just south of High Street and up the hill from The 1812 House. 

One wonders why a highly educated lawyer would choose to move to Framingham at the beginning of the nineteenth century.  At that time, Framingham was a small community.  Central Square had a mere twenty seven houses within a half mile radius of the Meeting House, Nobscot was farmland, Saxonville was barely settled, and South Framingham was wilderness (Adams 2).   Perhaps it was family ties that brought him here.  For you see, Josiah’s mother was the daughter of the Honorable Josiah Stone of Framingham.  At any rate, he not only came, but stayed, and became an influential member of the community.

Josiah had quite the personality.  He was a man of strong likes and dislikes, detested hypocrisy, and spoke his mind.  He possessed a good sense of humor and loved to play practical jokes and tell funny stories. An example of his humor is found in a conversation with Chief Justice Shaw about a recent discovery of wheat kernels in a mummy case in Egypt.  When planted, these kernels actually sprouted and produced a crop …”of mummies?” exclaimed Josiah.  “No, of wheat!” responded the Judge (New 162).

Josiah was an old school lawyer skilled in real estate law.  He was endowed with a great deal of common sense, integrity, and a high sense of professional ethics.  As a tenacious and resourceful litigator, he never undertook unnecessary cases. He was not one to overcharge his clients.

Early in his tenure in Framingham, Josiah became involved in local politics.  This involvement would continue throughout his life.  He served as a selectman from 1812-1815. According to Herring (136), he was chosen by Town Meeting as its Moderator, a position he held for the best part of the next twenty-four years.   Josiah was selected as a delegate to the 1820 convention to revise the state constitution.  In 1827, he was elected to one term as a Representative to the General Court. Josiah replaced  the Reverend Charles Train who lost favor with the voters due to his fiery temperance sermons. From 1840-1842, he was appointed to the Governor’s Council.  He also served two terms (1844-1850) as County Commissioner of Middlesex County.  

Like his father, education was very important to Josiah.  He was a supporter of the public schools and took a great interest in the fledgling Framingham Academy.  He served as a trustee for the Academy from 1820 to 1852 at which time it was merged into the high school.  Josiah’s interest in education also extended to the library. 

In 1809, Framingham’s library was housed in Martin Stone’s tavern.  The tavern was located in Central Square across from Wheeler’s store in the vicinity of modern day Main Street and High Street (Herring 121).  A committee of leading citizens including Josiah Adams was formed in 1815 with the purpose of re-organizing the library.  Shares in the Social Library, as it was called, cost four dollars and the annual fee was fifty cents.  The library possessed four hundred and forty three books which were loaned out for sixty days at a time.  Through gifts and purchases the collection increased to approximately six hundred volumes.  This library eventually evolved into the Framingham Town Library in 1854, the predecessor to the current Framingham Public Library (Temple 378).

Among Josiah’s most important accomplishments is the part he played in founding the Framingham Bank.  In 1832, Massachusetts General Court issued charters for ten new state banks.  Framingham was awarded one of these charters.  This was a major event as the closest banks were located in Concord, Dedham and Worcester (Herring 138). This new bank not only served the residents of Framingham, but also the residents of the surrounding towns.  The Framingham Bank, which opened in 1833, was located in Central Square on the south side of the Turnpike.  Josiah was selected as President, an office he held for several years.  Charles Merriam was chosen as Secretary, and Rufus Brewer as Cashier. 

 As you can see, Josiah Adams was Framingham’s leading citizen in the first half of the nineteenth century.  Through his extensive involvement in the political, civic, and professional life of Framingham, he earned the moniker “Squire of Framingham”.  A title he inherited from the aging Jonathan Maynard.  Josiah died at the age of seventy-two years of paralytic shock and is buried in Church Hill Cemetery, Framingham, Massachusetts.

Facts

1. Born: November 3, 1781 in Acton, Massachusetts; died: February 8, 1854;  Married Jane Park (d. May 22, 1861) of Windham, New  Hampshire on February 8, 1810. The couple did not have children.  
2. Josiah Stone: Selectman, Town Treasurer, Town Clerk, Representative, Delegate to the Provincial Congress of 1775-6, State Senator and Counselor, Special judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
3. Adam’s first office is pictured in Captain Daniel Bell’s painting of Framingham Common in 1808. He is standing outside his office door talking to Isaac Fiske, a lawyer from Weston and Register of Probate for Middlesex county for many years.
4. Adams’ house has not survived, and was located on present day Adams Road.
5. Framingham Academy was incorporated March 1, 1799 (Temple 339).
6. Library committee members were: Rev. David Kellogg, Rev. Charles Train, Benjamin Wheeler, Nathan Stone, Major Larson Buckminster, Jesse Haven, Col. Jonas Clayes and others (Temple 378)

Bibliography

Adams, Walter. “Early Lawyers of Town.” Framingham Evening News. 24 May 1943, pp. 2.

“Josiah Adams.”  Find a Grave.  Memorial ID 58644585,  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58644585/josiah-adams. Accessed 20 March 2022.

Herring, Stephen.  Framingham: An American Town.  Framingham Historical Society.  The Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.

Merriam, John McKinstry.  Sketches of Framingham.  Bellman Publishing Co., 1950.

New England Historic Genealogical Society.  Memorial Biographies of the  New  England Historic Genealogical Society, Vol. 2, 1853-1855. The Society, 1881.

Temple, Josiah H.  History of Framingham, Massachusetts, 1640-1885. A special Centennial Year reprinting of the 1887 edition.  New England History Press, 1988.

The intersection of Edgell Road, Water Street and Edmands Road has always been a busy crossroads. In colonial times, today’s Water Street and Edmands Road formed the East-West path connecting Saxonville and Marlborough. In the mid-1700s, improvements were made to the South Path and Sudbury Road, which is today’s Edgell Road. These road improvements enticed more and more people to settle in the area. By the mid to late 1700s the intersection was home to many businesses, including Captain Isaac Clark’s carpentry shop, Ebenezer Boutwell’s tinsmithry, J. Winch’s brick masonry business and David Patterson’s blacksmith shop and tavern, as well as a school house.

David Patterson (1739-1809) built his blacksmithy and tavern in Nobscot in 1758 on the North West corner of Edmands and Edgell Roads. Patterson, a Revolutionary War veteran, also built a frame for a house in Nobscot which he sold to Jonathan Maynard. Maynard moved the house frame to Framingham Centre and finished it into a Georgian home. In 1794 Patterson sold his business and property to Solomon Brackett (1767?-1842) of Natick. Brackett, a blacksmith, moved his family into the tavern building while operating his business out of Patterson’s smithy. The tavern now became known as Brackett’s Tavern.

Several years later, Brackett went into business with Amos Parkhurst, a baker from Weston. A bakery in the area was greatly needed, as the nearest one was located in Westborough. Brackett and Parkhurst built their bakery on the western portion of the property. The bakery building contained plenty of storage space, a cracker machine, a meat chopper, and two thick walled ovens which were fueled by wood from tree trimmings and woodlot waste bought from the locals. The bakery made bread, crackers, cakes, and pies. Potato yeast was also fermented. The baked goods and yeast were delivered daily to surrounding towns by horse and wagon. In addition to the successful bakery business, many of the family settled in the immediate area. This busy commercial corner soon became known as Brackett’s Corner.

Solomon Brackett and his wife Lydia (Parkhurst) Brackett (1775-1851) had nine children. Ruby (1794-1867), Josiah P. (1797-1865), and Tapley (1799- ) were born in Natick. Ruby never married. Josiah P., a baker, married Susan Edmands.  Eliza (1802-1891 ) married Samuel Cutting and lived on the Cutting farm on what is present day Water Street.  Amos (1804-1866) was a veterinary surgeon. He and his wife Elmira Morse lived in Framingham and then Worcester. William (1807-1890) married Mary P. Smith of Sudbury and ran a store at Brackett’s Corner. David Kellogg (1810-1823) died at the age of 13 and is buried in the Church Hill Cemetery.  Mary W. (1811-1887) married Gilbert J. Child, a baker. They made their home just north of the bakery.  Lydia K. (1816-1903) married Elbridge G. Eaton, a carpenter, lived at Brackett’s Corner just east of Hop Brook.  

After Brackett’s death in 1842, the bakery was run by his son Josiah P. and his son-in-law Gilbert Childs. Later, his grandson David Kellogg Childs took over its management. Then in 1870, David Kellogg Childs closed Brackett’s bakery and moved to Marlborough. The bakery had been a mainstay in the area for 70 years.  

Today, if you travel a short distance west on Edmands Road from Nobscot, you will see Brackett’s Tavern, now a private residence. The building was moved to this location in the 1970s when the Edmands House apartments and a gas station were built on that corner.

Facts

• Brackett’s Corner was later called New Boston because of all the commercial endeavors which were located there.  When the railroad came through, and a Post Office was established, its name was changed to North Framingham.  Confusion between the North and South Framingham railroad stops lead to the area once again being renamed:  this time, Nobscot.
• The Brackett Tavern was located on the land now occupied by the Edmands House apartments and T. D. Bank at the corner of Edmands and Edgell Roads.  In the 1970s, it was moved from that corner to 175 Edmands Road.
• Lydia Parkhurst Brackett was the niece of Amos Parkhurst

Bibliography

Bacon, E. Eugene.  “Brackett Corner Bake Shop” Framingham News 17 May 1944.

—–. “Brackett Corner, New Boston, North Framingham, Nobscot.   Framingham News 11 Mar. 1934.

—— “The Old-Time Brackett Bakery at Brackett Corner, Nobscot.  Framingham News, 02 July 1937.

Herring, Stephen W. Framingham: An American Town.  Framingham Historical Society and The Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.

Map of Framingham, 1857.  Framingham History Center Collection. 1857.

Nixon, Warren.  Map of Framingham, from actual surveys taken by Jonas Clayes and Warren Nixon.  Pendleton’s Lithog., 1832.

Temple Josiah H.  History of Framingham, Massachusett, Early Known as Danforth’s Farms, 1640-1880.   A  Special Centennial Year reprinting of the 1887 edition. New England Press, 1988.    

In nineteenth century America, the exhibition of so-called “freaks of nature” was a popular and accepted form of entertainment.  These exhibits were promoted as being morally uplifting and educational (Fordham 208).  Audiences included not only the curious from all social classes, but also physicians and scientists interested in studying human anomalies. There were different kinds of exhibitions: small traveling shows, permanent museums, and sideshows attached to traveling circuses.  

There were three kinds of “human curiosities” found in the exhibitions: natural, man-made, and people with unusual talents or skills (Fordham 211).  Natural curiosities included conjoined twins, oversize or under-size humans, those with mental or behavioral differences, and armless or legless humans.  Man-made curiosities were people who had altered their bodies, such as those who were covered with tattoos, or the giraffe-necked women.  The third category featured sword swallowers, fire-eaters, and contortionists!

Though these shows are credited with providing employment to many who would have otherwise been ostracized from society and impoverished, they were also rife with examples of exploitation, racism, and ableism.  As such, the stories of the individuals who spent their lives starring in these shows are widely varied, with some finding their stardom to be enriching and empowering, while others were actively disenfranchised and abused.  The story of Dollie Dutton is, sadly, illustrative of the story of many other sideshow stars, as well as of the later vaudeville and motion picture child stars who followed her.

On June 28, 1853 in Framingham, a little girl was born destined for national fame as a “natural curiosity”.  Alice Marie Dutton (1853-1890), daughter of David and Ellen (Davis) Dutton, was a perfectly formed infant weighing only two and a half pounds at birth.  Her small birth weight was a harbinger of her future stature.  For you see, Alice suffered from proportional dwarfism. She was literally a miniature human being.  When she was seven years old, a newspaper article described her as:

 “Tiny as the smallest fairy, she is also as beautifully formed; the delicately rounded limbs, fair skin, waving ringlets, and large and lustrous eyes, making her stand forth a living impersonation of the ‘Queen of the Fairies’ (“Fairy”).”

People from all over the Dutton’s neighborhood and beyond came to see this very special little baby.  When Alice, who was called Dollie, was only six months old, her father decided to capitalize on his daughter’s uniqueness and the public’s curiosity.  He took Dollie into Boston and exhibited her in a tent at the Public Garden.   After doing this for eighteen months, another exhibitor convinced Dollie’s father to show her for a fee at the Boston Music Hall.  This was the start of her career in the entertainment business.  Dollie’s older sister Etta, was also a little person.  Dollie and Etta were exhibited together during this first stage of her career.

In 1857, Dollie’s aunt, Mrs. Sarah P. Davis of Salem, Massachusetts, assumed the management of her career from her father.  Sources don’t indicate why this change in her management was enacted.

To enhance Dollie’s performances, Aunt Sarah arranged for her to take dance lessons from Sylvanus Kneeland Jr., a popular instructor in Boston (Sansonetti).  As her manager, Sarah accompanied Dollie as she travelled around the country to performance venues.

Etta’s death at age ten in 1859 marked the beginning of Dollie’s solo career.  Despite what was likely the traumatic loss of her sister, Dollie — weighing thirteen pounds and standing two feet tall — charmed audiences in almost every state in the Union and Canada. In 1860, when Dollie was only seven years old, she entertained five hundred thousand people at her levees in New Orleans, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Burlington, Vermont, Boston, and New York City.   During her six week stay in Boston, forty thousand tickets were sold (“History”). With admission to one of her levees, costing fifteen cents for adults and ten cents for children, it was estimated that she earned about fifty thousand dollars that year (“Varieties”).  It is not clear whether Dollie herself actually benefited from her earnings.  Dollie was one of the most renowned child entertainers of her day, and was as big a draw as General Tom Thumb!

When touring, Dollie would perform two one hour long levees each day, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening.  In each performance she would sing solos, dance the polka, and perform alongside other entertainers and musicians.  These entertainers included other little people such as Miss Sarah Belton, a singer, and Miss Wilhelmina Kappas, a German dancer.  To highlight her smallness, she would stand beside either a “giant” like F. Decker, the Ossian Giant Boy who was seven feet tall and weighed 300 pounds, or an ordinary sized child her own age.   Dollie did have some singing talent as she was praised in the press for her clear, distinct voice (“Dollie Dutton”).  There was nothing more spectacular than Dollie’s entrance into the room.  Sometimes she would pop up out of a little basket used for carrying flowers.  Other times, she would be carried in while standing in the palm of her father’s or a manager’s hand.  In addition to her levees, Dollie also toured the United States with General Tom Thumb’s Troupe.

Dollie retired from public life when she was eighteen years old.  It was reported that she was difficult to manage, and sometimes would refuse to go on stage.  When this happened, her manager was required to give refunds to everyone in attendance (“Difficult”).  Though the sources don’t speak to Dollie’s perspective, it is little surprise that she began to assert herself as she finally reached adulthood.  One can only guess that she had tired of a performer’s life on the road, a career she had not chosen for herself.

On June 15, 1874 she married Benjamin Franklin Sawin (1856-1905) in Natick, Massachusetts.  Benjamin was of normal stature.  The couple had one child who survived only a few hours. The marriage did not last.  When Dollie left Benjamin, she moved in with her family in Natick.

Dolly was committed to Worcester Insane Asylum in 1882 suffering from dementia caused by domestic troubles (“Multiple” 1882).  What these “domestic troubles” were is not clearly stated in the historical record.  In that era, however, it was not unusual for “difficult” women to be hospitalized or incarcerated.  She spent the rest of her life in the Asylum.  She died on June 6, 1890 of dementia and epilepsy.   Dollie’s passing was reported in newspapers all across the United States.  Alice Marie “Dollie” Dutton Sawin is buried in the Dutton Family plot in The Main Street Cemetery, Hudson, Massachusetts.

Facts

• Siblings: George William, 1848-1935; Jeanette (known as Etta), 1849-1859; Ellen Frances, 1851-1858.  George and Ellen were normal in stature.

• Parents: David Dutton, 1825-1888,  a shoemaker; Ellen Davis Dutton, 1823-1900.  Married April 30, 1846 (Wayland 69)
• Levee: a formal reception of visitors or guests.
• Dollie’s age, height and weight were often inaccurately reported to portray her as older and smaller than she actually was for promotional purposes. Her year of birth appears as 1853 (Massachusetts birth records) and 1855 (Find a Grave).  Her full adult height is reported ranging from 22 to 29 inches.  
• Stage name: The Little Fairy.

Bibliography

Bogdan, Robert.  Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit. University of Chicago Press, 1988.

“Difficult to Manage.” The Hopewell Herald, 29 Nov. 1882.  Ancestry.com.  

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8599/?name=dollie_dutton&keyword=dollie+dutton. Accessed 14 Oct. 2020.

“Dollie Dutton.”  Cleveland Morning Leader, 21 Nov. 1860.  Newspapers.com.  

https://www.newspapers.com/image/75696082    Accessed 13 Oct. 2020.

“Dollie Dutton Dead.” Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, 12 Jan. 1890, p. 5. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3003062585/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=cb5f54d4  Accessed 1 Sept. 2020.

“Dollie Dutton’s Levees, at the Assembly Buildings, are every day and evening thronged with many hundreds of intelligent persons, who manifest the greatest interest in the little creature.” North American, 8 May 1860. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3009291828/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=86e95aa3  Accessed 1 Sept. 2020.

Dutton, David.  History of The Little Fairy, Dollie Dutton.  David Dutton, [1859?].

“Fairy Legends Becoming Verified.” Cleveland Daily Herald, 24 Nov. 1860. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3005091759/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=bc7ec864  Accessed 1 Sept. 2020.

Fordham, B. A. “Dangerous Bodies: Freak Shows, Expression, and Exploitation.” UCLA  Entertainment Law Review, 14(2). https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1g32z0dx  Accessed 10 Oct. 2020.

“Freak show.” Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 5 Nov. 2014. 

library.eb.com/levels/referencecenter/article/freak-show/609347. Accessed 13 Oct. 2020.

“History of the Little Fairy,” Miss Dollie Dutton.”  Burlington Weekly Sentinel 28 Sept, 1860. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=18277690&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM2NTE2NTU1OSwiaWF0IjoxNjAyNjEwMjYwLCJleHAiOjE2MDI2OTY2NjB9.KyynZVuXMe59XslTFCxodRMOXhg9YslSjauvPYc9eIY  Accessed 13 Oct. 2020.

In General.” Boston Daily Advertiser, 21 Nov. 1882, p. 2. Nineteenth Century U.S.  Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3006665024/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=a69f50cf.  Accessed 27 Oct. 2020.

“The Little Fairy,’ Miss Dollie Dutton.” Vermont Patriot and State Gazette, 6 Oct. 1860. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3008128629/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=b958ed02   Accessed 9 Oct. 2020.

“Multiple Classified Advertisements.” Cleveland Daily Herald, 17 Nov. 1860. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3005091288/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=9fe3466  . Accessed 9 Oct. 2020.

“Multiple News Items.” Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, 18 Nov. 1882, p. 8. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3002956263/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=875010cd   Accessed 1 Sept. 2020.

Robinson, John. “Little Folks on the Midway: Dollie Dutton.” Sideshow World. http://www.sideshowworld.com/43-Little-Folks/2014/Dollie-Dutton/Little-Fairy.html. Accessed 29 Aug. 2020.

Sansonetti, Anthony.  “Dollie Dutton.”  Ambassadors of Empire. http://childperformers.ca/dollie-dutton/  Accessed 29 Aug. 2020.

“Says Smallest Woman in the World Framingham’s Dollie Dutton.”  Framingham News. 9 July 1953.

“Varieties.” Cincinnati Daily Press, 28 July, 1860. Newspapers.com.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/186746232  Accessed 13 Oct. 2020.

Wayland, Mass.  Vital Records of Wayland, Massachusetts to the Year 1850.  New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1910.  Internet Archives.  https://archive.org/details/vitalrecordsofwa00wayl  Accessed 31 Oct. 2020.

Well Spring Boston. “Local and Maine News.” Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, 6 Aug. 1859. Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/apps/doc/GT3007219930/NCNP?u=mlin_b_bpublic&sid=NCNP&xid=cf7193ac   Accessed 1 Sept. 2020.

In the Nobscot section of Framingham there lies a hidden paradise, a forty-five acre garden of native wildflowers.  This garden, aptly called Garden in the Woods,was the dream of one man, Will C. Curtis (1883-1969).

Will, the eldest of three children, was born to Bryon C. Curtis and Emogene (Doughty) Curtis, in Schuylerville, New York.  Young Will and his mother shared a love of plants. At the tender age of ten, he planted his first garden of wild plants under a pear tree, and at the age of twelve worked for a local florist.

By 1908, both of his parents were deceased, and Will assumed the responsibility of raising his younger brother and sister. This put his plans to attend college on hold. In 1919 at the age of thirty-six, he graduated from the Cornell University School of Agriculture with a degree in landscape architecture. Will’s first professional job was in Schenectady, New York where he laid out the city’s park system.  He then went to work as a purchasing agent for a large leather company in Little Falls, New York.  Missing outdoor work, Will left this job and moved to Massachusetts where he was employed by Warren H. Manning, a landscape architect in Billerica. At the time, Manning was considered the “Dean of Landscape Architecture.”  Manning, who had previously worked for Frederick Law Olmstead, was a proponent of the informal, naturalistic school of gardening.  Will, also of the naturalist school, was an eager student of Manning‘s.  The naturalist school based their designs on patterns found in nature, and used native plants to create landscapes which seemed natural and not deliberately planned. 

Will left Manning’s employ and came to Framingham. He was hired as the general manager of Little Tree Farms, a large nursery on Pleasant Street. In 1931 at the age of forty-eight while out hiking, Will discovered a thirty acre tract of land in rural north Framingham. He bought the acreage from the Old Colony Railroad for one thousand dollars. The railroad had used the land as a gravel mine.  To Will, this naturally beautiful place with its eskers, brooks, bogs, pond, and varied woodland, was the perfect setting for a large wildflower garden.  

After acquiring the land, Will and his friend Ormond Hamilton began developing the Garden. First he built a rustic house, then cleared garden areas, and laid out trails.  While Will was a sensitive artist, he was also opinionated and brusque. This combination drove off many of the volunteers at the Garden.  There was, however, one volunteer who stayed.  In 1933, after losing his jobduring the Depression, Howard (Dick) Stiles joined Will and a lifelong partnership began. Although Stiles was not a formally trained horticulturist, he had a natural talent for landscape design and plant propagation.

The Garden was opened to the public in the early 1930s. It showcased Will’s talents in naturalist landscaping and native plants. By 1936, Dick became a full partner in the Garden. Under Will’s capable hands, the Garden evolved and flourished. Dick shared the workin the Garden, gave tours, sold plants, and developed a collection of exotic plants. Together, they created award winning exhibits for many flower shows.  These exhibits and awards proved to be great advertising, drawing many visitors to their Garden in the Woods.  

The Garden in the Woods was a sanctuary to protect native plant species. Over the years, Will took many expeditions to rescue plants, including one to the top of Mount Washington.  Will and Dick amassed a vast amount of information on wildflowers and native American flowers. They kept accurate records, and maintained seed and information exchanges with many botanical gardens worldwide.

By the 1960s, Will was feeling his age. He had to cut back on his landscape design business which had supported the two men and the Garden in the Woods.  Also, developers had discovered the northside of Framingham.  New neighborhoods were springing up where farms and woods once were.  When Will purchased the land, the closest neighbor was over a mile away.  Now, there were houses across the street.  With no direct heirs to take over the Garden in the Woods and ensure its survival, Will decided to turn it over to the New England Wildflower Preservation Society.  In May of 1965, with all the details worked out and a successful endowment campaign completed, the agreement was signed. Will stayed on as Garden Director and Dick as Curator.  

Will’s health began to fail.  In 1967 he endured three operations which left him bed or wheelchair bound. Will died on October 26, 1969 at his home at Garden in the Woods.  His ashes were scattered in his beloved garden.

Facts

• Curtis’ home at 180 Hemenway Rd. was demolished in 2017.
• $250,000 was raised for the Garden in the Woods endowment fund in 1965.
• Esker –  A long ridge of post-glacial gravel in river valleys.
• The Garden in the Woods contains approximately 1,000 native plant species.
• Today the Garden in the Woods encompasses 45 acres; 15 additional acres were added by the NEWPS.
• Curtis won many awards for exhibits at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Spring Show; The Garden Club of America Bulkley Medal at shows in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia; in 1935, a gold medal at the New York Horticultural Society Show.   
• For 5 years in the 1960s, Curtis was an advisor to the Hubbard Trail in Weston, Massachusetts

Bibliography

Ayres, James. “40 Years of Botany Saved from Bulldozer.” Boston Globe (1960-1988), May 08, 1965, pp. 14. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/docview/276135199?accountid=9675.  Accessed 12 July 2020.

Birnbaum, Charles A, and Julie K. Fix, editors.  Pioneers of American Landscape Design II: an Annotated Bibliography.  U.S. Dept. of Interior, National Park  Service, Cultural Resources, Heritage Preservation Service, Historic Landscape Initiative.  1995.  Google Books.  https://www.google.com/books/edition/Pioneers_of_American_Landscape_Design_II/iwFrlWNr6QkChl=en&gbpv=1&dq=warren+h.+manning+billerica+ma+obituary&pg=PA38&printsec=frontcover  Accessed 8 Aug. 2020.

“Byron C. Curtis.”  Memorial no. 98224306. Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98224306/byron-c_-curtis#source   Accessed 14 July 2020.

Cornell University.  Cornell Alumni Directory.  Vol. 13, no. 12.  Ithaca, N.Y. : Cornell University, May 15, 1922.  Google Books. https://books.google.com/booksid=Zn1y36bBlngC&pg=PP9&lpg=PP9&dq=cornell+alumni+directory&source=bl&ots=BeHSpdfWaq&sig=ACfU3U0cIUrBRd6I1gj5xrnnFFqz6HvXtg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizv4aT88fqAhUmlXIEHTn4BaIQ6AEwEnoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=cornell%20alumni%20directory&f=false Accessed 12 July 2020.

“Dream Comes True.” Boston Globe (1960-1988), Oct 30, 1966, pp. 1. ProQuest,  https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/docview/367033490?accountid=9675.  Accessed 12 July 2020.

“Emogene A. Doughty Curtis.” Memorial no. 98224351.  Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98224351/emogene-a_-curtis Accessed  14 July 2020.

Hotton, Peter. “Genius of Two Men Fashions Garden Gem: A Walk in Framingham 

Eden.” Boston Globe (1960-1988), Jul 07, 1968, pp. 1. ProQuest,  https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/docview/365815076?accountid=9675.  Accessed 12 July 2020.

Richardson, Mark.  “A Master Plan for Garden in the Woods.”  Ecological Landscape Alliance.  Oct.13, 2013. https://www.ecolandscaping.org/10/designing-ecological-landscapes/native-plant           s/a-master-plan-for-garden-in-the-woods/     Accessed 13 July 2020.

Stiles, Howard O. “Will C. Curtis – His Life.”  American Rock Garden Society Bulletin, Vol. 28, no. 2, Apr. 1970. pp 63-64.  https://nargs.org/sites/default/files/free-rgq downloads/VOL_28_NO_2.pdf Accessed 12 July, 2020.

Thayer, Lucien. “$250,000 Needed to Save Garden in Woods.” Boston Globe (1960-1988), Jun 21, 1964, pp. 1. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/docview/276425927?accountid=9675.  Accessed 12 July 2020.

“Will C. Curtis, Framingham Landscaper.” “OBITUARIES.” Boston Globe (1960-1988), Oct 27, 1969, pp. 26. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/docview/375411820?accountid=9675.  Accessed 12 July 2020.

Life in England had become unbearable under King Charles I due to heavy taxation and political and religious unrest. Like so many others, John, Bent, Sr. and his wife Martha, with their 5 small children, decided to emigrate to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in search of civil and spiritual freedom.  In April 1638, they set sail out of Southampton, England on board the ship Confidence.  At the time, John Bent, Jr. (baptized 1636-1717) was only two or three years old.  The family settled in Sudbury, a small Puritan village, where John, Sr. farmed the land. In 1640, he became a member of the Puritan Church and was made a freeman.  A freeman is one who can actively participate in town affairs.  

John, Jr. married Hannah Stone (1640-1689) of Cambridge on July 1, 1658.  John and Hannah began married life in Sudbury where their daughter Hannah was born in 1661.   In 1662, John, Jr. bought a tract of land from Henry Rice in Framingham.  This land was “…near the fordway over the Cochituate Brook, on the west side of the old Connecticut Path … (Bent 15).”  It was here in 1665 that he built one of the first houses in Framingham.  Twenty-one years later, it appears that John was doing quite well as he bought an additional 60 acres adjoining his farm from Gookin and How.

After his wife’s death in 1689, John married Martha Rice (1657-ca.1717) on November 29th.  She was the daughter of Matthew Rice of Framingham.  They had two sons, John (1689-will dated 1754) and David (1691-1730).

John, Jr. was an active member of the community.  He headed the first petition for incorporation of Framingham in 1693.  John’s petition failed. It would take several more attempts and another seven years before Framingham would become a self governing town.   At Framingham’s second annual town meeting on March 3, 1701, John was assigned the job of tithingman, a very powerful position in Puritan towns.  According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, a  tithingman is “an elected local official having the functions of a peace officer in various American colonies (as Maryland and in New England)  …”  Their duties included “preserving order in church during divine service and enforcing the observance of the Sabbath.”   During religious services, the tithingman carried a long staff with a heavy knob at one end and a feather or furry tail at the other. He was tasked with waking sleeping congregants and calming unruly children.  Men and boys were tapped on the head with the knob while women were gently tickled with the feather or furry tail.  Outside of church services, the tithingman was also charged with making sure that children received proper Bible study; keeping an eye out for drunks at the local taverns; and ensuring that everyone paid their fair share to the church.  

John, Jr. lived a long life, dying at the age of eighty-two.  In his will, dated August 1714, he left his estate to his two sons.  It was noted that he had previously given his daughter, Hannah, her share.

Facts

• Siblings: 
  – Robert (baptized Jan. 10,1625-1648)
  – William (baptized Oct. 24. 1626- died young)
  – Peter (baptized Apr. 14, 1629-1678)
  – Agnes (ca.1631-ca.1713)
  – Joseph (baptized May 16,1641-?)
  – Martha (ca.1643-1680)
• The original location of John Bent, Jr.’s house was on the west side of Old Connecticut Path at the intersection with Speen Street.  Around 1740, the house was moved to 1242 Concord St. where it still stands today.  The Bent House is the longest standing residence in Framingham.
• Gookin and How: Samuel Gookin and Samuel How bought about 200 acres of land from the Natick Indians in the area known as Indian Head Hill.  The wording of the agreement was a bit vague and Gookin and How took advantage of this loophole.  In time, they claimed and sold off nearly 1,700 acres (Herring 28).
• John Bent, Jr was the third person to settle in Framingham. He followed John Stone in 1645, Saxonville, and Henry Rice in 1659, the area between Old Connecticut Path, Speen St. and Concord St.

Bibliography

Badertscher, Vera Marie. “John Bent Jr. , Tithingman of Framingham.”  Ancestors in Aprons.  Accessed 27 June 2020.

Bent, Allen Herbert.  The Bent Family in America: Being Mainly a Genealogy of the Descendants of John Bent who Settled in Sudbury, Mass., in 1638, with Notes Upon the Family in England and Elsewhere.  Google Books.  https://books.google.com/books?id=BnwTHw-t-d0C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false     Accessed 27 June 2020.

Browne, Hetty S., Sarah Withers and W. K. Tate.  The Child’s World, Third Reader.  Johnson Publishing, 1917.   Project Gutenberg.  http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15170/15170-h/15170-h.htm#doll  Accessed 27 June 2020.

Evans-Daly, Laurie and David C. Gordon.  Framingham.  Arcadia Publishing, 1997.

Herring, Stephen.  Framingham: An American Town.  Framingham Historical Society, The Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.

MacDonald, Jan. “History Haunts Framingham House Tour.” MetroWest Daily News. 13 May 2009. 

“Tithingman.”  Dictionary by Merriam Webster.    Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tithingman  Accessed 27 June 2020. 

“THE TITHINGMAN AND HIS LONG STAFF.” New York Times (1923-Current file),    Jun 24, 1928, pp. 1. ProQuest, https://ezproxy.bpl.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/docview/104518553?accountid=9675.  Accessed 27 June 2020.

The man who gave the town of Framingham its name, never lived here.  Thomas Danforth (baptized 1623-1699) had a vision of establishing his own township.  His dream began when the General Court gave him two hundred fifty acres of land in the central part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s wilderness as payment for services to the colony.  Over time, Thomas received other land grants and purchased additional tracts of land in the area he came to call Framingham after his hometown of Framlingham, England.

In 1634, after the death of his wife, Nicholas Danforth and his children emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony from their home in Framlingham, Suffolk, England.  At the time, Thomas, the oldest, was eleven years old.  The family settled in Cambridge on what is now known as Kirkland Street.  Nicholas became active in the colony’s civic life and was a member of the colony’s General Court.  He died in 1638, leaving Thomas to care for his younger siblings.  

Thomas became a freeman of the colony in 1643. This meant that he could vote and participate in the political life of the colony.  And participate he did!  He was an elected representative from Cambridge in 1657-1658.  For twenty years, 1659-1678, Thomas was a member of the Court of Assistants.  The Court of Assistants is comparable to our present day State Senate.   From 1679-1686 and again, from 1689-1692, he served as Deputy Governor of Massachusetts. He was appointed president of the Province of Maine from 1679-1686.  In 1692, he was made associate Judge of the Superior Court, a position he held until his death in 1699. Thomas was also a selectman and town clerk in Cambridge for many years.

In addition to his political and civic duties, Thomas worked for Harvard College.  From 1650 to 1669, he was the treasurer of the college.  He continued to serve Harvard as it’s Steward and Inspector of Economical Affairs from 1669-1682.

It was in 1660 that Thomas began to acquire lands in the central part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  He received his first grant of two hundred fifty acres west of Stone’s land as payment for indexing and overseeing the publication of the blue laws. On May 7, 1662, he was granted two hundred more acres as reimbursement for money he paid out of his own pocket to the commissioners of the Province of Maine.  By October 27 of that year, the General Court had also awarded him all the land between the Sudbury River and Marlborough.  His total land holdings came to approximately 14,000 acres.  Thomas then went on to purchase the Wayte Farm and the Russell Farm which totaled 800 acres.  These farms were located to the west and south of Farm Pond. Thomas was now the largest landowner in the area, and dreamt of establishing his own township.  His lands were called Danforth Farms.  

In 1686, Thomas no longer held the office of Deputy Governor. He now had time to begin planning his town.  Rather than selling pieces of his land to settlers, he proposed 999 year leases.  This would allow the settlers complete control over the leased land, and also provide monthly income to Thomas and his heirs for life.  Thomas did not live to see Framingham incorporated as a town.  That happened in 1700, a year after he died.

It was during Thomas’ term as Deputy Governor that the witch hysteria engulfed Salem. Thomas, as Deputy Governor, was one of the magistrates who questioned some of the accused witches on April 12, 1692.  These included Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Proctor.  But before any of the trials actually began, Thomas was replaced as Deputy Governor by William Stoughton.  No one knows for sure what Thomas thought of the trials and executions of the Salem witches, but there are suggestions in the writings of some of his contemporaries that he disapproved of them.  It is also suggested that he worked behind the scene to aid Sarah Cloyes and her family escape and settle on the western part of his land in Framingham. The Nurse, Bridges and Towne families also sought refuge in the wilderness of Framingham.  This area near the Cowassock Brook became known as Salem Plain.  Today, it is called Salem End.

Thomas Danforth married Mary Withington (?-1697) of Dorchester on February 23, 1644.  The couple had twelve children.  Of his twelve children, six died before the age of three, three sons died in their twenties, and three daughters lived to adulthood.  Thomas died on November 5, 1699 in Cambridge. He was survived by his three daughters, Sarah Whiting, Mary Brown, and Elizabeth Foxcroft, sixteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.  

Facts

• Parents: Nicholas Danforth (1589-1638) ; Elizabeth (Symmes) Danforth (1596-1629)
• Siblings: Mary (1619-1674),  Elizabeth (1619-1680), Anna (1622-1702), Lydia (1625-1674), Samuel (1626-1674), Jonathan (1628-1712)
• Children: Sarah (1645-1645);  Sarah (1646-?), Mary (1649, died young);  Mary (1650-?); Samuel (1652-1676);  Thomas (1654-1675);  Jonathan (1657-1657);  Jonathan (1659-1682);  Joseph (1661-1663);  Benjamin (1663-1663);  Elizabeth (1662-?);  Bethia (baptized June 16, 1667- 1668)
• Served as Cambridge town clerk, 1645-1668
• Charles I, King of England, granted a royal patent giving Maine provincial status.  Sir Ferdinando Gorges was appointed to the position of proprietor of Maine.  In 1652, Massachusetts Bay Colony took control over the Province of Maine when Sir Gorges was ousted from his position after Charles I lost the English Civil Wars.  Maine separated from Massachusetts in 1820, when it was granted statehood.

Bibliography

Herring, Stephen.  Framingham: An American Town.  Framingham Historical Society,  The Framingham Tercentennial Commission, 2000.

“Maine.” Britannica Library, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Sep. 2018. library.eb.com/levels/referencecenter/article/Maine/111241#78092.toc. Accessed 22 Jun. 2020

Parr, James L. and Kevin A. Swope.  Framingham: Legends & Lore. History Press,  2009.

Temple, Josiah. History of Framingham, Massachusetts, 1640-1885.  A Special Centennial Year reprinting of the 1887 edition.  New England Press, 1988.    

“Thomas Danforth.” Dictionary of American Biography. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936. Gale In Context: Biography, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/BT2310015100/BIC?u=fpl&sid=BIC&xid=1f1f82ba.  Accessed 30 Apr. 2020.

“Thomas Danforth (20 Nov 1623–5 Nov 1699), Memorial 104689542.” Find A Grave.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104689542/thomas-danforth Accessed 18 May 2020.

Margaret E. Knight (1838 – 1914), a nineteenth century inventor, was born on February 14, 1838 in York, Maine to James and Hannah (Teal) Knight.  She had two older brothers, Charlie and Jim.  Mattie (as she liked to be called) was young when her father died.  In order to support the family after her husband’s death, Hannah Knight moved her family to Manchester, New Hampshire where she and her sons found work in the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company (textile mills).

Inventing had always been a part of Mattie’s life.  As a young girl, she was interested in machines and how they worked.  Her favorite “toys” were her woodworking tools, which she used to make and improve toys for her brothers and their friends.  One day when twelve-year-old Mattie was delivering lunch to her brother at the mill, she witnessed a worker get injured when a metal tipped shuttle flew off one of the looms (weaving machines).  Mattie knew that there had to be a way to improve this machine and  make it safer.  After much thought and sketching, she devised a metal guard that would stop a shuttle from flying off the loom when the thread broke.  The mill owner installed her guards on all of his looms.

After completing elementary school in Manchester, Mattie went to work to help support the family.  She worked in the textile mills, in engraving studios, and she even worked repairing houses.  She loved learning how to use new and different tools.

In 1867 at the age of eighteen, Mattie moved to Springfield, Massachusetts to work at the Columbia Paper Bag Company as a bag bundler. The bundler prepared the completed paper bags for shipment by collecting, stacking, and bundling them.  These bags were flat envelope style bags and were not good for carrying bulky items such as groceries.  Square bottom bags, good for larger items, had to be made by hand and were much more expensive.  Mattie spent two years designing a machine to make square bottom bags.  When her machine design was complete, she hired a machinist to make her machine out of iron and then another machinist to make improvements to it.

In February 1870, when she applied to the United States government for a patent on her machine, she discovered that someone else had already submitted her plans and had received the patent.  Charles Annan, a businessman who had visited the machine shop several times and learned all about her machine, built his own and got the patent.  Mattie hired a lawyer, gathered her diary, patterns, sketches, records, and witnesses and went to Washington, D.C. to prove that it was her invention and not Annan’s.  She won her court case and was given her patent on July 11, 1871 – Patent number 116,842.

With patent in hand, Mattie moved to Hartford, Connecticut and started the Eastern Paper Bag Company.  These machine-made square bottom paper bags became the most popular way to bundle and carry goods, and were used by large and famous department stores such as Macy’s and Lord and Taylor’s in New York City. 

In the 1880s, Margaret Knight moved again, this time to Ashland and then South Framingham, Massachusetts.  She set up a laboratory in Boston where she continued to invent.  During the 1880s and 1890s, she focused her inventing on household items, such as a dress and skirt shield (1883), a clasp for robes (1884), a barbecue spit for cooking meat (1885), machines used in shoemaking (1885), a sewing machine reel (1894), and a window frame and sash (1894).  In the last decade of her life, she became very interested in automobiles and worked on making devices for their rotary engines.

Mattie lived the last twenty-five years of her life in a house, called Curry Cottage, in South Framingham.  This house still stands at 287 Hollis Street.  She died at the Framingham Hospital of pneumonia and gallstones on October 12, 1914 at the age of seventy-six.  She is buried in Newton, Massachusetts.

Further Reading

 “American Artifacts preview: 19th Century Inventor Margaret Knight.”  American HistoryTV, C-Span3.  YouTube.  posted Sept. 12, 2011,    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM0ewutCMQ Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.

Michelle.  “Learning from InvENtors: Margaret Knight.”  Edison Nation blog,   posted Jan. 5, 2017, http://blog.edisonnation.com/2017/01/learning-from-inventors-margaret-knight/  Accessed 30 Apr. 2017

Petroski, Henry.  “The Evolution of the Grocery Bag.” American Scholar, vol. 72, no.4, Autumn 2003, p. 99+  www.teacherpage.com/cubslibrary/docs.evolution_of_the_grocery_bag.doc  Accessed 30 Apr. 2017.

Bibliography

Blashfield, Jean F.  Women Inventors 1. Capstone Press, 1996.

Brill, Marlene Brill.  Margaret Knight, Girl Inventor.  Millbrook Press, 2001.

“Margaret E. Knight.” Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 3 Feb. 2017. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Margaret-E-Knight/125831   Accessed 26 Apr. 2017.

“Margaret E. Knight.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 35, Gale, 2015. Biography in Context, libraries.state.ma.us/logingwurl=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631010308/BIC1?u=fp l&xid=7db94b2a  Accessed 20 Apr. 2017.

“Margaret Knight.” Notable Women Scientists, Gale, 2000. Biography in Context, libraries.state.ma.us/login?gwurl=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1668000218/BIC1?u=fpl&xid=dc7bc13a Accessed 20 Apr. 2017.

“Margaret E. Knight.” Paper Industry International Hall of Fame, Inc., 2008. http://www.women-inventors.com/Margaret-Knight.asp   Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.

“Margaret E. Knight.” World of Invention, Gale, 2006. Biography in Context, libraries.state.ma.us/login?gwurl=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1647000207/BIC1?u=fpl&xid=053b5050 Accessed 20 Apr. 2017.

McCully, Emily Arnold.  Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight became an Inventor.  Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006.

Thimmesh, Catherine.  Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women.  Houghton Mifflin Co., 2000.