USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 26
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Ever since the day he bid adieu to his native land he has dreamed of that time when he might return and live again the days of his boyhood ; but any shape of reality that dream might dare assume was always disorganized by the memory of those fourteen days of awful storm and seasickness experienced when he came to the country. During the winter of 1906 and 1907 he managed to get his courage up to the point of determination. On the 28th day of May he left Boston on the Cunard liner "Iverna," in partial realization of his long cherished dream, and according to all accounts a full realization of the nightmare of his sea- sickness forebodings. His visit abroad result- ed in an intensified feeling of endearment for the Mother Country, and more than ever is he enthusiastically appreciative of British culture, statesmanship, patriotism and hospitality, and it were safe to say that his continued residence · in America is attributable to the fact not that he loves Britain less, but the United States more. "I would that every one in America could visit England, and every one in England could visit America. I think the benefit would be mutual and far reaching in its international consequences," is a statement he made to many of his acquaintances on his return.
BROOKS Henry Brooks, the immigrant ancestor, was born in England about 1600. He appears to have been a brother or closely related to Thom- as Brooks of Watertown and Concord, and to Joseph Brooks, who was an inhabitant of Con- cord April 12, 1641. 'As many as ten immi- grants of this surname came to Massachu- setts before 1650. Henry. Brooks settled first at Concord, and was admitted a freeman March 14, 1639, but soon afterward settled in
Woburn. He became a prominent citizen; was selectman in 1669, 1671 and 1672. He married first Susanna- -, who died Sep- tember 15, 1681; second July 12, 1682, Annis Jaquith. He died April 12, 1683-4. His will was dated July 18, 1682; he left estate to his wife. Children: I. John, mentioned below. 2. Timothy, married, December 2, 1659, Mary Russell ; lived in Billerica. 3. Isaac, married January 10, 1665-6, Miriam Daniels ; he died September 8, 1686. 4. Sarah, married, May 13, 1650, John Mousal. 5. Lester. 6. Jo- seph, born at Concord, April 12, 1641.
(II) John Brooks, son of Henry Brooks (I), born in England, about 1625, died in Wo- burn, January 2, 1691; married December I, 1649, Eunice, daughter of Deacon John Mou- sall. She died January 1, 1683-4, and he married second, January 30, 1684-5, Mary Cranston, who died August 26, 1704. Chil- dren, born in Woburn: I. John, born No- vember 23, 1650, died November 22, 1653. 2. Sarah, born November 21, 1652; married Ephraim Buck. 3. Eunice, born October IO, 1655. 4. Joanna, born March 22, 1659; married David Roberts. 5. John, born March 1, 1664; mentioned below. 6. Eben- ezer, born December 9, 1666; died Decem- ber 31, 1686. 7. Deborah, born March 20, 1669. 8. Jabez, born July 17, 1673; died Jan- uary 30, 1746; married December 18, 1694, Rachel Buck.
(III) John Brooks, son of John Brooks (2), was born in Woburn, March 1, 1664; married February 25, 1683, Mary Richard- son, of Woburn, daughter of one of the founders of the town. Children, born at Wo- burn: I. Mary, born December 14, 1685, died young. 2. John (twin), born December 30, 1686, died young. 3. Ebenezer, (twin), born December 30, 1686, died December 31, I686. 4. Mary, born April 1, 1688; married May 26, 1712, Thomas Henshaw. 5. Sarah, born August 14, 1692; married October 18, 1742, Thomas Richardson. 6. John, born November 28, 1694. 7. Abigail, born Au- gust 19, 1697; died October 12, 1697. 8. Timothy, born February 14, 1699; married January 19, 1725, Abigail Wyman. 9. Isaac, born 1703; died August 26, 1719. 10. Na- than, born November 7, 1706; married 1726 Sarah Wyman who died February 21, 1747; died January 6, 175I.
(IV) Timothy Brooks, son of John Brooks (3), born February 14, 1699, at Woburn, died there October 13, 1686; married Abigail Wy- man, of Woburn, January 19, 1725, and set- tled in Woburn. His wife died March 16,-
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1780, and he married second, Sarah Con- verse, widow, of Woburn, who died February 22, 1789. Children of Timothy and Abigail Brooks: I. Timothy, mentioned below. 2. Abigail, born October 5, 1729.
(V) Timothy Brooks, son of Timothy Brooks (4), born in Woburn, November 3, 1726; married, 1748, Ruth Wyman, of the Wyman family of Woburn. Children: I. John, born July 19, 1749; died April 22, 1796. 2. Timothy, born October 24, 1751 ; died Sep- tember 27, 1810. 3. Ruth; born January 13, 1753, died September 6, 1807. 4. Abigail, born June 18, 1756; died January 7, 1840. 5 Samuel, born December 27, 1758; mentioned below. 6. Seth, born March 2, 17 -; died December 2, 1806. 7. Thomas, born March 31, 1767; died March 20, 1827. 8. Asa, born August 2, 1768; died January 24, 1825. 9. Luke, born September 23, 1782; died May 14, 1850.
(VI) Samuel Brooks, son of Timothy Brooks (5), born at Woburn, December 27, 1758, died there November 28, 1805; married December 22, 1791, Elizabeth Gill, of Salem. She died May 13, 18II. They settled at Sa- lem, where he died November 28, 1805. Chil- dren, born at Salem: I. Samuel, born July 5, 1792. 2. Eliza, born December, 1794; died October 9, 1813. 3. Nancy, born May, 1797 .; died July 28, 1813. 4. John Gill, born May, 1803, died July 8, 1851. 5. Edward, born September, 1805; mentioned below. (See Essex Inst. vol. 21, page 24).
(VII) John Edwards Brooks, son of Sam- uel Brooks (6), was born in September, 1805, at Salem. His name was originally Edward, changed to John Edwards. He was educated in the public schools, and for many years had a retail milk business in that city. He also learned the trade of baker and followed it sev- eral years. He married (intention dated Lynn, August 22), 1824, Dolly Butters, of Wilmington, October 10, 1824, born Febru- ary II, 1801, daughter of James, Jr., and Bet- sey Butters. Her father was born January I, 1777, son of James and Abigail Butters. James Butters, Sr., born February 22, 1746, was son of William Butters of Wilmington. Children: I. Susan Briggs, born September 24, 1825. 2. James Whittemore, mentioned below. 3. Mary Elizabeth, born December 28, 1828. 4. John Edwards, born April 8, 1831; died young. 5. John Edwards. 6. Josie Whittemore.
(VIII) James Whittemore Brooks, son of John Edwards Brooks (7), was born in Lynn, October 30, 1826. He was educated in the iv-16
public schools of his native town. He worked for the Hamilton Corporation when a boy and at the age of fifteen was made an overseer of the napping department. About 1856 he en- gaged in the undertaking business in Lowell, and for a period of fifty years was a suc- cessful and leading member of that line of business in his section. On account of fail- ing health he retired from active business in 1906. Mr. Brooks has an extensive acquaint- ance and a host of friends in Lowell. He has the utmost confidence and respect of his townsmen. He is very fond of flowers and plants, and has an expert knowledge of flori- culture. The poor and sick of the city have been for years the recipients of the choicest products of his gardens and greenhouses. Mr. Brooks attends the Universalist church.
He married, June 24, 1850, Lydia Bar- sheba Burns, of Andover, Massachusetts, born June 24, 1830, died in 1897. Children, born at Lowell: I. Addie Augusta, married Lucien K. Leach, of Lowell, a contractor and builder. 2. Josephine Maria, married John Bartlett Sawtelle; they live in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
General Henry Parsons was PARSONS born in 1842 and educated in the public schools. At the age of twenty years he enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment of New York Volunteers, at Waterloo, New York, in August, 1862, and was commissioned second lieutenant the following month. He was promoted to the rank of first lieu- tenant in October, 1863, and captain in December, 1864. He was in active ser- vice to the end of the Civil war and was at the McLean House and witnessed Lee's surrender. He was breveted major by the concurrent vote of both house and senate of the state of New York for meritorious service and gallantry on the battle field. He was mustered out with his regiment at Elmira, New York, July 2, 1865. He had learned the trade of machinist, and at the close of the war returned to Auburn, New York, where he formerly lived, and became foreman of the Halladay machine shop. In 1867 he came to Marlborough, Massachusetts, where he has resided ever since. He began the manufacture of steam engines, elevators and shoe machinery of his own invention and found a market for his product all over the world. He has built up a large and prosperous industry.
Mr. Parsons has been prominent not only
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Waldoborough, a German settlement. As early as 1739 a few German families located at the site of the present town of Waldoborough, coming in the summer or autumn. These two or three families, whose names even are lost to history, received accessions in 1740. The French and Indians devastated the plantation · in 1746, and the settlers left, not returning until . 1748. In 1751 twenty or thirty families came from Germany. In 1732 General Samuel Waldo sent his son to Germany to form a colony for this settlement, promising a hun- dred acres of land and many other inducements to each family. After the movement started, fully fifteen hundred Germans settled at Wal- doborough, or Broadbay, as the locality was then known. Some of them were killed in the French and Indian war. They suffered un- usual hardship in the early years of their life in Maine, and to cap the climax their titles to their homes given by Waldo proved worth- less. In 1763, when the titles given by Waldo were found defective, some of the settlers bought new titles, but others left in disgust, settling at Londonderry, New Hampshire, and in South Carolina, with a pious Moravian min- ister. At Broadbay a Lutheran and a German Reformed church (the Zwingli denomination) were established. Though differing in lan- guage and customs from the English stock, these thrifty Germans slowly but surely be- came assimilated in the population. Some of the settlers were from the Palatinate, Ger- many. Philip Christopher Vogler, one of the leaders, was born April 7, 1725, at Grundels- heim, in the Palatinate, came to Broadbay with his father in 1742, died in 1761, in North Car- olina. A contract between Waldo and Se- bastian Zouberlinger, of Switzerland, in 1741, indicates that at least three hundred of the families were from Switzerland.
Margaret Bornheimer married Charles Cast- ner, of the family given below. She was daughter of Godfrey and Catherine Elizabeth (Ludwig) Bornheimer. Her father was born in 1763, married, 1787, Mary Magdalena Hofses. Catherine Elizabeth Ludwig, only daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Kline), was born in Germany ; married Godfrey Born- heimer, about 1750, was a soldier in the French war and also in the Revolution. Joseph Ludwig, the pioneer, was born in Konderroth, province Dietz, Germany, in 1699; started with wife Katherine (Kline), three children and sixty others, in June, 1753, but died and was buried on the coast of France, on the voy- age.
(I) Ludwig (Louis) Castner, the immi-
grant ancestor of the Waldoborough family of that name, was a young man when he came with others of his family. He was born in the grand duchy of Baden, Germany, and settled in Broadbay before 1763. When the Waldo- borough settlers went to the Carolinas, both of his brothers went with them. According to family tradition one settled in North Carolina and married seven times; the other settled in Virginia. We are told that the three brothers were over six feet in height, and over two hundred pounds in weight each. Ludwig Castner remained at Waldoborough, cleared his farm, and became a farmer, industrious, frugal, temperate, and finally became well-to- do. He was a Lutheran in religion. He mar- ried Sarah Schwartz, born in Germany. Chil- dren : I. John, left home when a young man and never heard from. 2. Frederick. 3. George. 4. Daniel, died of yellow fever in Tennessee. 5. Jacob, born 1783; mentioned below. 6. Anthony. 7. Charles. 8. Lud-, wig. 9. Sally. 10. Peggy; married Adam Hight; son Gardner Hight.
(II) Jacob Castner, son of Ludwig Castner (I), was born in Waldoborough, Maine, March 5, 1783, and died in that town Decem- ber 2, 1842. He worked on his father's farm during his youth, and his schooling was of a primitive kind. About the time of his mar- riage in 1811, he bought a hundred acres of land about four miles northeast of the town, cleared away the forest, and built the first frame house in that section. There he spent his life in lumbering and farming. Although afflicted with lameness, he was an energetic and thrifty farmer. Much of the wool that he raised was carded and spun at home. He was a man of much force of character, fixed in his. opinions and influential in the community. In religion he was a Universalist, and very liberal in his views. In politics he was a Whig.
He married, July 10, 1811, Sarah Benner, born at Waldoborough, October 10, 1790, died there November 16, 1866, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Sherman) Benner of Waldobor- ough. Her father was a farmer at Filer's Corner in that town. Children: I. Calvin Haven, born January 23, 1812; died March IO, 1883; married October 21, 1832, Charlotte Cotton ; children: i. Josiah A., born March 22, 1833, died at Raleigh, North Carolina, in the civil war, August 20, 1865, (born with right arm ending at the elbow) ; ii. James Parker, born October 24, 1834, died at Val- paraiso, Chili, of small-pox, February 7, 1877; married first, July 14, 1863 ; married again at Liverpool ; iii. Algernon Enos, born July 12,
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1838; married first, October 3, 1863, Mary C. Teague, who died October 31, 1863; married second, March 24, 1867, Rosabelle Sproul, and had: Fred A., born December 21, 1867, died October 9, 1872, Charles F., born Septem- ber 9, 1871, died March 6, 1872, Mary Alice, born October 9, 1872, Ernest L., born Novem- ber 13, 1877, died July 13, 1880; iv. Sarah C., born July 27, 1840; married September 10, 1866, Joseph Porter Currell, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, and had: Addie Josephine Currell, born October 24, 1870, died April 4, 1897 (married first, 1888, Albert Bradford, second, 1892, Frederick Teel), Lottie May Currell, born May II, 1877, married, 1905, John Webber, and had Helen Webber, born May, 1906, and George Porter Currell, born October 21, 1886, married June 6, 1906, Effie Graham, and had Noble Currell, born March 4, 1907; v. Harriet Amanda, born March 21, 1843, died August 17, 1863, married April 17, 1860, Jotham Mink, and had Viola Allen Mink, born April 13, 1862, died January 28, 1863 ; vi. Mahala Matilda, born February 26, 1846, married Edwin C. Stevens ; vii. Calvin Henry, born December 10, 1848, died August 5, 1897, married first, June, 1870, Sarah Edna Young, died September 3, 1891, and had Eva A., born November 14, 1876, married second, January 3, 1893, Charlotte O. Smith. 2. Dan- iel, born June 30, 1814; died May 17, 1891 ; married June 16, 1855, Melinda Meserve, of Jefferson, Maine, who died March 9, 1906; . children : i. Daniel Ozra, born June 21, 1857 ; married November 26, 1886, Hannie Louise Hill, of Waldoborough, Maine, who died May 30, 1889 ; ii. Annie Frances, born March 24, 1860, married December 5, 1888, Dr. Judson True Sanborn, of Waldoborough, Maine, and had John True Sanborn, born April 2, 1895, died April 6, 1895. 3. Julia, born April 17, 1817; died April 14, 1887; married October 29, 1837, James Schwartz, of Waldoborough; children : i. Daniel Schwartz, married first, Delia Knowlton, second, , and of first marriage had Carrie, Gardner and Delia Schwartz; ii. Gardner Schwartz, died young; iii. Lucretia Schwartz, born May 8, 1840, died November 18, 1899, married January 5, 1860, Daniel Demuth, of Waldoborough, and had twins, Walter P. and Willis J. Demuth, born October 5, 1860, died young ; Gardner W. Demuth, born July 26, 1862, married Annie Winchenpaw, and had Evangeline and Marian Dernuth; Emma L. Demuth, born August 6, 1864, married Ellis H. Wade, and had Charles E. and Ralph L. Wade : Alice S. Demuth, born January 21, 1867, married November 24, 1887,
John M. Spear, and had Alice C. Spear, born January 21, 1889, Maynard J. Spear, born January 2, 1891, Mildred H. Spear, born Sep- tember 18, 1892, Edna S. Spear, born March 5, 1896, Raymond M. Spear, born February 25, 1898; Oscar C. Demuth, born September 13, 1870, married Winnie Kaler, and had Willis G. Demuth; Ernest A. Demuth, born January 15, 1874, married Ina Engley, and had Blanche Edna Demuth, died young; iv. Harriet Schwartz. v. Gardner Schwartz,
killed at Fairplay, in July, 1863, five days after Gettysburg; vi. Annie Schwartz, born Sep- tember 6, 1860, died June 2, 1881, married June 3, 1880, Shelton Simmons, and had Harry Schwartz Simmons, born May 14, 1881. 4. Miles Thomas, mentioned below.
(III) Miles Thomas Castner, son of Jacob Castner (2), was born at Waldoborough, Maine, April 9, 1824. He was brought up on his father's farm, being educated in the com- mon schools, and at the age of eighteen, when his father died, he took charge of the farm and . later bought out the heirs. He was a success- ful farmer, and kept a herd of ten to fifteen cattle and twenty-five to thirty sheep. The farm of two hundred acres was situated in the north part of the town, four miles from the village, and was considered desirable property. When he was nineteen years old he began to teach the district school in the winter months, and taught in this way for nearly fifty years in the schools of Waldoborough, St. George and Friendship, Maine. He and his son San- ford owned the Weaver saw mill, and manu- factured staves and heads for lime casks, which they sold in Rockland, Maine. After a number of years they sold the business to Barden Turner.
Mr. Castner is a man of large psysique, a typical New England farmer. He is a staunch Republican, and has served his party and town as assessor four years, tax collector twelve years, town constable thirty-four years, and deputy sheriff six years. He and his family attended the Methodist church.
He married, June 14, 1845, Margaret Mink, born at Waldoborough, September 22, 1825, died at Belmont, Massachusetts, December 14, 1892, daughter of Isaac and Lydia (Flanders) Mink, of Waldoborough. Her father was a farmer at North Waldoborough, and a manu- facturer of power mills. Children: I. Hec- tor, born September 7, 1846; married Septem- ber 26, 1867, Ella S. Hahn, of Waldoborough ; children : i. Alberti M., born February 13, 1868, died April 13, 1896, married March 13, 1891, Eldora J. Gross, and had Beryl H., born
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April 18, 1892, and Lynne Vernon, born June 5, 1895; ii. Lena B., born August 23, 1870, married first, May 7, 1887, Eli F. Havner and had Ethel A. Havner, born July 27, 1888, and married second, March 30, 1898, Eugene L. Vanner, and had Lisle J. Vanner, born Octo- ber 8, 1901; iii. Percy E., born June 7, 1872, died June 8, 1872; iv. Eva M., born May I, 1873; v. Ernest G., born April 25, 1875, mar- ried August 9, 1902, Ida I. Bailey ; vi. Alice L., born October 29, 1877, married August 7, 1899, Charles M. Hardy, and had Hector H. Hardy, born July 9, 1906; vii. Frank P., born January 3, 1880, married May 13, 1901, Sadie Fogg, and had Clyde O., born January 8, 1903, Mildred R., born December 17, 1904; died July 4, 1906, and Verna B., born August 21, 1907; viii. Addie E., born October 22, 1885, married November 29, 1905, Llewellyn E. Jackson, and had Eugene E. Jackson, born June 20, 1906; ix. Rosslyn E., born August 18, 1887; x. Miles Thomas, born April 15, . 1890; xi. Forest D., born February 2, 1892, died March 7, 1892; xii. Charles L., born June 28, 1893 ; xiii. Audrey M., born August 16, 1897. 2. Sanford Benner, born February 20, 1848; mentioned below. 3. Norman Benja- min, born July 21, 1850; married May 17, 1874, Bertha Miller of Waldoborough; children: i. Alma Lydia, born November 20, 1875, married December 22, 1897, Fred O. Jameson, of War- ren, Maine; ii. Sadie Bell, born April 29, 1884, married June 14, 1905, Willis A. Moody, of Warren, Maine, and had Ruth Alma Moo- dy, born June 6, 1906; iii. Hattie Mae, born May I, 1889, married November 27, 1907, Leon L .. Benner, of Waldoborough ; 4. Alman- za Sarah, born July 27, 1853 ; married Septem- ber 20, 1873, Robert Sukeforth, of Washing- ton, Maine; children: i. Lilla R. Sukeforth, born October 29, 1875, married January 7, 1897, Charles Finn; ii. Maud Sukeforth, born May 3, 1877, married September 23, 1902, A. L. Farwell, of Unity, Maine, and had Lilla M. Farwell, born November 15, 1904; iii. Perlie Sukeforth, born August 16, 1881, married May 1, 1901, Sadie E. Grinnell, of Liberty, Maine, and had Hazel Maud Suke- forth, born October 29, 1902, and Clyde Leroy Sukeforth, born November 1, 1904. 5. El- dorus Austin, born July 17, 1859; mentioned below. 6. Ulysses Simpson, unmarried. 7. Chester Isaac, born May 8, 1868; married July 6, 1889, Cora Weaver, of Washington, Maine, born November 5, 1867 ; children : i. Ina Mae, born August 29, 1892; ii. Susie Cudworth, born February II, 1893; iii. Sylvia Margaret, born June 23, 1895 ; iv. Donald Warren, born.
July 7, 1897, died 1904; v. Floyd Raymond, born April 30, 1900; vi. Shirley Mary Mink, born September 20, 1903; vii. Dorothy Ellen, born September 7, 1906.
(IV) Sanford Benner Castner, son of Miles Thomas Castner (3), was born in Waldobor- ough, Maine, February 20, 1848. He received his education in the schools of his native town, assisting his father on the farm, and chopping in the woods. He and his father bought some woodland known as Hunt's Woods, which they converted into lumber for the manufac- ture of lime casks. They owned the Weaver mill, and found a market for the casks in Rockland, where the lime was made, Mr. Cast- ner attending to the teaming and selling. At the age of twenty-three, having sold this busi- ness, he went to Waltham, Massachusetts, and found employment with Alden Jameson, driv- ing a milk wagon to Boston for two years. He then purchased the business of his em- ployer and was a member of his family in all four years. In 1876 he bought his present homestead and built a barn, building the house the following year. The place is situated in that part of Waltham known as the Trapelo district, and is near Mr. Jameson's. Until 1892 Mr. Castner devoted most of his time to his market in Boston. He sold it at that time to Albert Kendall who still owns it. Mr. Cast- ner then purchased a milk route in Waltham of Sidney Tyler. Two years later he bought the route of Oscar Hatch and added it to his business. In 1906 he purchased the route of Pierson Brothers, and at the present time he has nearly five hundred customers among the best families of Waltham. Mr. Castner is assisted in his business by his son Ervin. He owns considerable real estate in Waltham in the vicinity of his home.
Mr. Castner and his family are members of the Universalist church. In politics he is a. Republican, and he has been honored by his townsmen with many positions of trust and responsibility. He was a member of the Re- publican city committee 1890 to 1896; alder- man of the city of Waltham, 1899-1900-01, and chairman in the latter year. He was a member of the license committee for three years, chairman of the board in his second year, was also on the committee on nomina- tion and on the finance committee. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Isaac Parker Lodge of Waltham. He was made a member of Union Lodge, No. 35, Odd Fellows, at Union, Maine, in September, 1871 ; now a member of Prospect Lodge, No. 35, and has served in all the offices of that body ;
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and Waltham Encampment No. 50, and has 7, 1893. 2. served in all its offices. He is also a member 30, 1897. of the uniformed rank of Odd Fellows. Both. Mr. and Mrs. Castner are members of Haw- thorn Rebekah lodge No. 57, at Waltham. He was formerly a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a member of the Philedian Association of Waltham, and of the Sons and Daughters of Maine; and formerly belonged to the Old Farmers' Club. He mar- ried, June 19, 1878, Addie Maria Wellington, born at Waltham, October 6, 1855, daughter of Charles Lowell and Cecilia Webb (Dalton) Wellington, of Waltham. Her father was a farmer. Their only child: Ervin Sanford, born May 25, 1880.
(IV) Eldorus Austin Castner, son of Miles Thomas Castner (3), was born at Waldobor- ough, Maine, July 17, 1859. He attended the common schools of that town until eighteen years old, working in the meantime for his father on the farm. At the age of nineteen he came to Waltham, Massachusetts, and became associated with his brother Sanford in his milk business, first as driver and delivery clerk, in Boston, and continuing for eight years. He then began on his own account, establishing a milk route and driving his own wagons to the Boston market for two years. In 1890, at the time of his marriage, he bought his home- stead in Waverly, Massachusetts. He built a new stable and an addition to the house. He continued his milk business in Boston until about 1895, when he sold out to advantage, and later purchased a large route in Somer- ville. He remained in this business until Oc- tober, 1907, when he sold it and retired. He resides in a beautiful home at 616 Trapelo Road. He and his family attend the Waverly Unitarian church. He is a staunch Republi- can, has for a number of years been elected delegate to various nominating conventions of his party, and is a member of the Republican town committee. He was made a master mason in Belmont Lodge of Free Masons, November 4, 1897, and is a member of Trapelo Lodge No. 238, Odd Fellows, and a past noble grand and secretary of this lodge. He is a member of Hawthorne Rebekah Lodge of Waltham, is past regent and collector of Waverly Council, 313, Royal Arcanum ; and formerly a member of the Boston Milk Dealers' Association.
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