USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 32
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The Central Square at Manchaug Four Corners was dedicated to, and named for, John Mateychuk and the Legion Post, 390, is named in his honor. He died in World War II in African Waters, May 30, 1943, at the age of twenty- three.
The last house on Third Street in New Village is owned and occupied by the Picard family. This was one of the B.B. and R. Knight houses which was sold in 1927. Mr. Joseph Minor of Wilkinsonville bought it at the auction and not long afterwards sold it to Joseph A. Decoteau and later to Stuart F. Johnson in 1935. In 1939, George E. Plante, who conducted the Manchaug store, on that side of the river, bought the property and, during the same year, sold it to Wilfred and Anna Picard. Mrs. Anna Picard lives on one side with her daughter Rita. A son George lived in the home until recently, when he married Elizabeth Paikos and now lives on Putnam Hill Road. The other son Wilfred, his wife Dorothy and their three children, Pauline Ann, Richard Wilfred and Edward Joseph, occupy the other tenement.
The house has been greatly improved and modernized. Two Picard brothers were in World War II; Wilfred, in the Navy and George, in the Army.
Just beyond the No. 3 Mill, and on the opposite side of Manchaug Road, are four houses, built by the mill owners for their overseers. In construction, they are very much alike, of the two-story type, and are situated on a short street known as "Maple Street."
At the auction in 1922, three were bought by Mr. John Brady of Uxbridge. The first one, now owned and occupied by Adelard LeMay, Sr. and his wife Mary, was owned by Alphidas Bessette and later by Winfield Schuster, from whom the LeMays bought it in 1939. The house now has two tenements. In the older LeMay family there were three children: Albertine Marie (1919), who married Barry Brooks Putnam; Adelard Joseph, Jr. (1921), who married Rachel Manosh, and Jean Francois (1924), who married Marie Harris. The upper tene- ment is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Adelard LeMay, Jr. and son Robert (1945).
Robert Manosh, who lived with the LeMay family, was killed in action in France in 1945. Other veterans are Adelard LeMay, Jr., who served in the Navy in World War II and Jean F. LeMay, who served in the Army.
The Stephen Censack family, the Tony Pitula family and that of Al. Blanchette have lived in this house.
The house beyond LeMay's, going west on Maple Street, is now owned by David and Barbara Greeno. They live there with their three children, Sharon, Patricia and Elizabeth. This house, like the LeMay's, was bought by John Brady from the Knight Co. It was later owned by Winfield Schuster, Roland Ross of Wilkinsonville and Stanley Kurtyka, before the Greenos became owners.
The upper tenement is now occupied by Anthony and Arlene Auger and son, Anthony Henry, Jr. Mr. Greeno is a veteran of World War II and Mr. Auger served in the Navy in World War II.
The third house on Maple Street is now owned by Wilfred and Gertrude Higgins, who live there with their children, Virginia and Richard. This house, like the others, was built by the mill owners and sold at auction in 1922. It
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was recently owned by Stanley Kurtyka and before that by Roland Ross of Wilkinsonville. Mr. Higgins is a veteran of World War II. The upper tenement is occupied by George and Eleanor Burdick and son Robert.
The fourth house is owned by Antoinette Picard, who came into possession of the property by inheritance. Her father bought the house and lot at the auction in 1922. She lives in the lower tenement and Mr. and Mrs. Girard Picard live in the upper apartment. Mr. Picard is a veteran of World War II.
These four houses, separate from the rest of the village, partly hidden by a maple grove in front-and bordered by the clear water of Stevens Pond in the rear, have an unusually beautiful location in Manchaug.
WHITINS ROAD
The house at the southeast corner of Putnam Hill and Whitins Roads is the home of Mrs. Pota Paikos. This property was bought by her husband, Thomas Paikos, at the auction, in 1927, from B.B. and R. Knight Co. A family by the name of Rogers was living there at the time. Other families that lived there were Mr. and Mrs. Harry Oakes and Mr. and Mrs. Leon Knight and their four chil- dren, Viola, Howard, Emma and Edwin. It was used as a tenement house until sold to Mr. Paikos. He made quite a number of improvements on his house, including a sun porch. The Paikos children were George, Helen, Henry and Bessie. All are living except Helen.
Mrs. Pota Paikos occupies the home with her daughter Bessie and son-in-law, George Picard. The Picards have a daughter Linda, born in 1951. George Picard was in World War II. He has served as Selectman for several years and is Director of Veterans Services in the town.
The second house, on the right of Whitins Road, was known as the old Boarding House and was run by Mrs. Amos Peckham about 1887. A son, Henry A. B. Peckham, married Lena Adams and they had a daughter Lila. Mr. and. Mrs. Joseph Picard lived there at one time. Their children were, Richard, Lor- raine and Patsy.
This house was bought by Thomas Paikos at the auction, in 1927. He made it into a three-tenement house. The families now living there are: Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Towle and their children, Michael Wayne (five years), Frank Olin (three years) and Kathleen Adelaide (fourteen months); Mrs. Adelaide Towle and her daughter, Florence Nadeau; Mr. and Mrs. Francis McDonald and her children, James Cimochowski, eighteen years, Carolyn, sixteen, Joan, fourteen, Stanley, twenty-two and Walter, twenty-one, now in the U.S. Navy. A daughter, Mrs. Catherine Carter, twenty-three, lives in Piedmont, Mo., Mrs. Patricia Besaw, nineteen, lives in Worcester and Sandra McDonald, is three years old.
The third house, on the right of Whitins Road, is owned by Mrs. Ernestine Vincent and was bought from the B.B. and R. Knight Co., in Aug. 1927. Mrs. Vincent, who is ninety-four years old, has lived here for many years. With her in the home are Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Elie and their five children, Gilles, four- teen, Aline, fifteen, Germaine, seventeen, Emile, eighteen and Marcel, nineteen. Cecile, twenty-one, another daughter, is married and lives on Main Street.
The fourth house, on the right of Whitins Road, is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bill Williams. The original house that stood here was bought at the auction, in
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1927, by Mrs. Ellen Colbert from Millville and, in 1932, was bought by William Conway. This house was destroyed by fire, in 1938.
The Conways had two sons, William Noel, born Dec. 25, 1923, and John J., born Feb. 7, 1927. During World War II, William Noel was in the Navy and in the Marines, stationed in the Pacific. John J. was in the Army of Occupation, stationed in Germany.
A new house was built on this site by Charles Pichette, about 1947, and sold to Mr. Williams. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have two children, Gordon and Robin.
East on Whitins Road is the house, bought by Fred Benoit from Mr. Green- wood of Worcester, about 1935. It is a three-tenement house and formerly belonged to B.B. and R. Knight Co. There are three families living there now: Mr. and Mrs. Albert Jolly; Mr. and Mrs. George Aspinwall with son Kenneth and Mrs. Fred Benoit and her two children, Raymond and Armand. Mr. Benoit has passed away and also the two children, George and Freddie. Minnie, Irene, Eugene and Marie are married and do not live at home.
The house just below the Cranska property, on the same side of Whitins Road, going east, is the property of Donald King.
This house was built in about 1885, for John Holt, the storekeeper. The eight- room house was later used for the first boss farmer, Franklin Putnam. Later occupants were a Higgins and an Austin family. Edward Littlefield was the last boss farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Littlefield had two daughters, Ruth and Dorothy; the latter married Robert Davis. Mr. Littlefield was greatly interested in town affairs and was Selectman for ten years (1913-1922). He will long be remem- bered in Sutton for his genial manner and hearty laugh.
Sometime later, Charles King bought the property. It included the house, barn and other buildings. He lived there with his sons, Donald and Robert Gordon.
Charles King was engaged in the wood and cattle business until his death in 1939. The house is now occupied by Donald King and his wife, who was Eliza- beth Kelley. Donald is a machinist in Whitin Machine Works. He served in World War II and was also in the Reserve and was a Tech. Sgt. at Tyndall Field, Florida. Mrs. King is a registered nurse at Wallum Lake Sanitorium. Robert Gordon King married Mary West and now with son Charles they live on Torrey Road at the old Holt place. He is a herdsman for his uncle, Arthur King. Gordon King was in the Army in World War II and took part in some intensive combat engagements in Italy.
The next house beyond the boss farmer's cottage is the property of Mr. and and Mrs. Earl Dutton of Wollaston, Mass. Mrs. Dutton was formerly Florence Holt of the Torreyville district. The Duttons bought at auction, Aug. 23, 1927, from the B.B. and R. Knight Co. The cottage was rented for a time to Mrs. Dutton's niece, Mrs. Olive Lindstrom, who has built a home near her mother's in the Torreyville district. She is the former Olive Peterson. Gilbert Allen lived in the cottage prior to the Lindstrom's residence. Improvements have been made inside but the outside remains much the same. The house is now used only as a summer home.
The next white cottage belongs to the Pristawa farm. Zachary Pristawa's son, Bogdan, and his wife Anna Yerka, live here. Others who have lived here are
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the families of Harry Fletcher, Gilbert Allen, Euclide Beaudoin. Bogdan Pristawa has no children.
The next place east of Bogdan Pristawa's is the farm of Zachary Pristawa. Zachary Pristawa bought the farm Nov. 17, 1919. Other owners of this prop- erty were Joseph H. Coggshall, Edward Adams, Pauline R. Peckham and John S. Frieswick. John Frieswick was a carpenter. He moved to Whitinsville. Zachary Pristawa and his wife, Anna Haczinski, had ten children: (1) John, married Anna Gorda, has two children and lives in Manville, R. I .; (2) Walter, mar- ried Anna Klara, has three children and lives in Woonsocket, R. I .; (3) Dimitry; (4) Bogdan; (5) Michael, unmarried and lives at home; (6) Alexander, unmar- ried and lives at home; (7) Mary, married Charles Rudick, has three children and lives in Manchaug; (8) Stefenia, married Andry Pryharski, has three chil- dren and lives in Blackstone; (9) Helen, married James Brosnihan, has one child and lives in Whitinsville; (10) Julia married John McDonough, has no children and lives in East Douglas. Michael and Alexander Pristawa served in the U.S. Army in World War II.
The next place is a small white cottage owned by Anna Pristawa, wife of Dimitry Pristawa. Other owners of this property have been the B.B. and R. Knight Co., Ellen Colebert and Regina McGrath. Tenants who have lived here include Wallace Laythe, Joseph Bruneau and Anthony Pitula. Dimitry Pristawa and his wife, Anna Kucharski, have one child, Mary Ann. Dimitry Pristawa works at Whitins Co. Mrs. Pristawa works at Haywood-Schuster's.
The new yellow cottage west of the John Kurtyka place was built in 1947 by Stanley Kurtyka on land bought from his father, John Kurtyka. Many years ago there was a blacksmith shop on this location. Stanley Kurtyka and his wife, Rita Daigle, have one daughter, Dolores. Stanley Kurtyka works at Whitins Machine Co.
The next house on the northerly side of Whitinsville Road is a large two- story house belonging to John Kurtyka and his wife, Mary. John and Mary Kurtyka have eight children: (1) Frank, married Anna Bombara, has no chil- dren and lives in East Douglas; (2) Stanley; (3) Helen, married Oliver Mar- shall, has no children and lives in Manchaug; (4) Josephine, a hairdresser by trade, married John Fleszar of Lawrence, Mass., has no children and lives in Manchaug; (5) Stella, unmarried lives on Main St., Manchaug; (6) John, Jr., married Doris Peloquin of Linwood, has two children and lives in Linwood; (7) Jennie, married Norman White of Webster, has one child and lives at home; (8) Edward, unmarried, lives at home. John Kurtyka bought of John Oles. Norman White and his wife, Jennie Kurtyka, live in the Kurtyka house. They have one son, Ronald.
The next place is a small house built by a Mr. Bennett who came from Vermont. Mr. Bennett purchased land from William Speck. Mr. Bennett moved with his family to Vermont and leased the place for a time to a Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore and his family moved to Worcester and Mr. Bennett sold the property to Samuel Hutchins of Manchaug. Mr. Hutchings was a first class fireman. He married (1) Lillian Hutchings and had two sons (1) Maurice, unmarried; (2) John, married, has two children and lives in Worcester. Mrs. Lillian died and Mr. Hutchings married (2) Anna Daigle of Manchaug. Samuel and Anna Hutchings had five children: (1) Samuel; (2) David; (3) Veda; (4) June;
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(5) Theresa. Mr. Hutchings died in 1951. Maurice Hutchings lives at home with his stepmother.
The next place on the southerly side of Whitinsville Road is the farm of William Speck. Mr. Speck's parents bought of Hubbard. This is the Hubbard place of 1876. The Specks had children (1) Michael, married and living on Main St., Manchaug; (2) William; (3) a daughter married and living in New York; (4) a daughter, Mrs. Rejko, married and living on the Manchaug to Douglas road on the old Potter farm. She has children. William Speck married Tartia Rejko and has two sons. William Speck farms, works on the town roads with his truck, and also works nights at the Whitins Machine Co. His brother Michael also has an interest in the farm land.
On the opposite side of the road in a grove of pine trees at the top of the hill beyond the William Speck farm four small homes have been built by the Laythes who formerly lived in Manchaug. Wallace Laythe, Sr., bought land of William Speck in 1941 and built a four room cottage house. Before the house was completed it was destroyed by fire in October, 1944. In November of the same year Mr. Laythe had the walls of a new house framed. Wallace and Edna (Gilbert) Laythe have nine children: (1) Clarence married (1) Avis Reid who died, m. (2) Marguerites Howard, has one child and lives in Worcester; (2) Derward; (3) Kenneth, married (1) Rita Prunier, no children, divorced; (2) Dorothy Butler, has two children and lives in Worcester; (4) Geraldine, married (1) Morris Pottie, had one daughter, married (2) Leon Rankin, has one son and lives in Rhode Island; (5) William, married and lives out of town, one son lives with grandparents; (6) Wallace, Jr., married (1) Beatrice Garand and had one daughter, divorced, married (2) Rose Mary Butler; (7) George, Corporal in U. S. Army; (8) Arthur, P.F.C., U.S. Army, married Lucille Crook of Tennessee, has three children and lives in Tennessee; (9) Kathleen, married Paul Rutana, has two children and lives in Manchaug Village. Wallace Laythe, Jr., and his wife, Rose Butler, live in a small house built at the rear of the parents' home. His daughter, Joyce, child of his first mariage, lives with the grandparents. Derward Laythe and his wife, Reba Earnest, live in an attractive small yellow house across the yard from the senior Laythes. Derward Laythe was a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force in World War II. He is employed at Whitins Co. There is another small house on the property which was formerly occupied by William Laythe but is now unoccupied. William's young son, William, Jr., lives with the senior Laythes. Wallace Laythe, Jr., was a sergeant of the Infantry, U.S. Army, in World War II, serving in the Japanese campaign. George Laythe, Corporal in the U.S. Army served in the Pacific arena and is now in the U.S. Army overseas. Arthur Laythe, Pfc., U.S. Army Infantry was in the force that made the landing at Normandie and fought that memorable battle. He was in the Battle of the Bulge and was one of the number who volunteered to drive the U.S. Army trucks out of the Bulge where they had been surrounded and were under heavy enemy fire. These three Laythe brothers were recipients of the Purple Heart and other meritorious awards.
Some distance beyond the Laythe homes on the same side of the road a small garage was built very close to the road in 1942 by John Marshall of Whitins- ville. Deeper in the woods on land bought of William Speck Mr. Marshall built a small camp-cottage. Mrs. Marshall died in 1950 and John Marshall sold
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to a Mr. Mateer of Whitinsville. The property has been rented but is at present unoccupied.
PUTNAM HILL ROAD and LEDGE STREET
At the intersection of Main Street, Whitins and Putnam Hill Roads in Manchaug, is the Memorial Square named for, and publicly dedicated to, the memory of John Mateychuck, lost in African Waters in May 1943, during World War II. For many, many years, the activities of the village have centered near this Square, known as the "Four Corners." A mounted Civil War cannon stood for a long time on the northwest corner, on land now owned by Odra F. Cook, a raiser of poultry. Attorney J. Fred Humes has submitted the following explanation of its being there:
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三多滋味
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JOHN MATEYCHUK TRIANGLE
"After the general upheaval which followed the Civil War had subsided a little, there was a strong sentiment in Sutton in favor of building a soldiers' monument in honor of the men who took part in that conflict.
"While nearly everyone favored a monument, opinion was sharply divided on the question of location. One faction wanted it at Sutton Center, another at Manchaug. Both factions were defeated in town meetings.
"Congress was asked for cannon to be used in the enterprise and passed an act (Chapter 179) approved March 3, 1879, which reads as follows:
Sec. 1 "That the Secretary of War be, and he hereby is, authorized to deliver, if the same can be done without detriment to the public service, to the town of
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Sutton in the State of Massachusetts, four condemned cannon, to be used in the erection of a soldiers' monument in said town.
Sec. 2 "That he be authorized to accept the receipt of the selectmen of said town for said cannon.'
"The cannon were delivered, but no monument was ever built.
"When the town hall was built in 1884 the town voted to place in the build- ing, memorial tablets for the civil war soldiers and that the hall should be a 'Memorial Hall'.
"Article 19 in the warrant for the annual town meeting held April 5, 1886 was:
"To see if the town will take any action in regard to placing the cannon donated to the town by Act of Congress in the Town House or act or do any- thing relating thereto.
"Under this article it was voted:
"That the town accept the cannon donated by Congress and hereby return a vote of thanks to the Senate and House of Representatives for them, and that two of the cannon be placed near or side of the entrance of Memorial Hall building in Sutton Center, one to be placed in Manchaug and one in Wilkinson- ville under the direction of the Selectmen.'
"This vote was carried out. The cannon at Manchaug was placed on land then owned by B.B. and R. Knight Co. (with the permission of the Co., of course). Around 1926, title to the land passed to the Knight Finance Corp. which on April 18, 1929 sold it by quitclaim deed to Odra F. Cook, who has since owned it."
The two cannon assigned to Sutton Center are still on each side of the entrance to the Town Hall. The Wilkinsonville cannon remained in Capt. Henry Dudley's barn for years and after his death was mounted on the hill in front of his house for a short time until his place was sold to the Bohanan family.
A few years ago, the Selectmen decided, on account of the metal shortage, to take the Manchaug and Wilkinsonville cannon to Sutton Center, where they would be carefully guarded.
The Cook house was the property of the Knight Finance Corp. at the time of the auction in 1927, and the B.B. and R. Knight owned it many years before. It was long occupied by the family of Clymer Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds was post- master and manager of the Company's store for an extended period. He served as Selectman of Sutton and was a School Committee Member. There were five Reynolds children: Mildred, Mr. Reynolds' daughter by a former marriage, who married Rev. A. E. Ribourg; Clymer Jr., who married Lucy Field of Berlin; Helen, who married Henry McWay, and Agnes, who married Preston Whitte- more, and now lives in Shrewsbury and Robert (deceased).
Mrs. Odra Cook, the present owner, bought the property from the Knight Finance Corporation in 1929.
Many families have lived in this two-family house. Among them are those of Charles Woodman, Civil Engineer, Dr. Paul F. Ela, Dr. Emile Fredette, Frank Green and Frederick Mongeon.
George Gould (1902) was killed in 1942 while he was serving in the Mer- chant Marine. Phillips Gould (1909) died in 1911.
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Repairs have been made to this house in recent years and the interior has been modernized. Mrs. Cook states that between her lot and the next house to the north, there is a fine well of drinking water, and that there is a trench in her cellar which, before the 1936 flood, connected with an underground pipe which ran diagonally across the street to supply water to Number One Mill from the former reservoir behind her house.
The next house, sometimes known as No. 37, of the B.B. and R. Knight property, is owned by Morton Carter. In 1906, the family of Rev. George B. Young, a pastor of the First Baptist Church, lived here and later, his successor, Rev. Chester Hyde, and his family lived in the house. Miss Bertha Nicolette from Switzerland also lived here. She was a well-known and devoted missionary of the French Baptist Church. George Kelleher of the American Supply Co. bought the dwelling and later sold it to Homer Flinton. He, in turn, sold the property to his son, Walter Flinton of Northbridge. Mr. Flinton was in the Navy for many years and also in the Naval Reserve. He was called back into service.
Homer Flinton occupied one part of the house for more than ten years with his wife Emma and their daughters, Dorothy and Pauline. Dorothy was a nurse in the Hospital for Crippled Children in Boston. Pauline married Carl Wunchel of Millbury. The sons, Chester and Harold and daughter, Mrs. Harold Johnson, also made their home there. At one time, the other part of the house was occu- pied by Colbert Fontaine, a painter, and his wife Margaret.
Morton Carter Sr. and his wife Luella bought the whole house and lived in one half. There are six Carter children: Morton Jr. (1921), a World War II veteran, who served in the Navy in the Pacific Area as Chief Warrant Officer, married Alina Bourdon of South Sutton; Austin (1922), who served in the Army as Pvt. in the Military Police in World War II, married Jeanette O'Brien; Norma (1923) married Edward Decouteau, who was in World War II; Leonard (1924) served as Pvt. in the Army in World War II and later settled in Douglas; Francis (1926) is now in service in Germany; Doris, who is mar- ried to Joseph Padula, now lives in Blackstone and Nancy, who is at home.
The next house beyond the Carter property is owned by Carl Baker, 1st. Class Fitter at Whitin Machine Works. This was one of the overseers' houses when the B.B. and R. Knight Co. owned the village. The family of Benjamin Townley lived here for many years. Mr. Townley was assistant superintendent at the mill and served the Town of Sutton in public office, being Assessor for a long period. Mr. Townley married Carrie J. Heathcote in 1888. Her father had been an over- seer in Manchaug and she had lived here many years. She attended Sutton High School. There were two Townley children, Ralph Edward (1890), unmarried, has had positions in Washington and New York since 1927. Marion (1892), the daughter, married Harold Lee and lives in East Greenwich. Rev. Charles N. Walker, pastor of the Manchaug Baptist Church, lived here and later went to Homestead, Florida.
William Baker bought the property at the Knight auction. Carl Baker, son of William, is the present owner. His deed is dated June 3, 1939. He lives in the house with his wife Gertrude and their children, Thelma Ruth (1932), Carol Greta (1940), Kenneth Carl (1944) and James Douglas (1946). The oldest son, William John (1930), married Nancy Smith, Dec. 26, 1951, and is serving in the Army Air Force at present.
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Recently, the family of Donat and Alice Gamelin and their children, Eleanor and Elizabeth, lived in one part of the house; and this is now occupied by Mrs. Bertha Howard and her daughter Carol.
The family of George Plante occupied one side of the house at one time and that of Alexander Clifford. The Hamm, Grove and Lindsley Hall families also lived here.
The next house, fourth from the Square, is owned by David Picard whose occupation is assistant foreman at Whitin Machine Plant in Whitinsville, Mr. Picard has owned the property since 1935.
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