USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 36
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What was known, in 1876, as the Kelly house has been the property of Hor- ace Batcheller, Stephen Fairbanks, Edward Barnes, John McEndy, Olaf Nestor Johnson and the present owner, Joseph P. Martin. Mr. Johnson bought the property in October, 1915. Olaf Johnson and his wife, Anna Kujala, had eight children: (1) Carl, married Ruth Keyes, has one daughter and lives in Whitins- ville; (2) Harold; (3) Olga, married Lawrence Gilmore, has four children and lives in Whitinsville; (4) Eino; (5) Selma, married Marshall Bailey, has three children and lives in Scotia, N. Y .; (6) Dagney, married Everett Haywood, has three children and lives in Scotia, N. Y .; (7) Ellen, married Francis Lowe, has three children and lives in Uxbridge; (8) Mabel, married Philip Larsen, Jr., has two children and lives in Douglas. Olaf Nestor Johnson died in 1943 and in 1948 his widow sold the property to Joseph P. Martin. Joseph P. and Mar- garet (Mahoney) Martin have one son, Joseph P. Jr. Mr. Martin has served five and a half years in the U. S. Navy. Veronica Mahoney, a sister of Mrs Martin, and Mrs. Galvin an aunt, live with the Martins.
The next house, the property of Harold and Evelyn Flinton Johnson, was built on the site of the schoolhouse which was later moved to its location on Barnett Road. Mr. Johnson is employed as a supervisor at the Whitin Co. Mrs. Johnson is employed in the time card department of the company. The Johnsons have one son James. Mrs. Johnson's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Flinton live in a trailer on land at the rear of the Johnson bungalow.
The Horace Batcheller cottage has been owned by George and Alice Peletier who sold to Felix and Gertrude Yongsma, April 27, 1923. Felix and Gertrude (DeVries) Yongsma have two children: (1) Herman, married Madeline Merrill, has no children and lives in Douglas; (2) Helen, married Robert McCallum, has five children and lives in East Douglas.
The next place is a new two-story house with double garage beneath, built by Percy Brewster, in 1947. In 1949. Mr. Brewster sold to Edward E. LeClair. Edward LeClair and his wife, Marguerite Bousquet, have three children: (1) Edward Jr., married Doris Girard, has one son and is a Ph.D. at Middlebury
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HISTORY of SUTTON
College, Vt .; (2) Louise, married John McManama, has two children and lives in Farmington, Conn., where Mr. McManama is principal of a high school.
On this same land, but somewhat to the west and to the rear of the LeClair home, is a cottage built by Peter Dykstra and his wife, Jennie Zuidema. Peter Dykstra died in 1940 and his widow lived here alone for a time. About 1942 Mrs. Dykstra sold to Percy Brewster. Percy Brewster and his wife, Maud Hen- drickson, have one daughter, Mildred, married to George Lamoreaux of Sutton. In 1947 the Brewsters sold the property to Morton Carter of Manchaug. Mr. Carter received many citations for his service in the U. S. Navy in World War II. Mr. Carter served seven and a half years in the Navy. He was discharged from service in January, 1946, with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer. Mr. Carter served in the Pacific engagement. Morton Carter and his wife, Celina Bourdon, have two children: (1) Elizabeth; (2) Bates. Mr. Carter is now em- ployed by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, State of Massachusetts.
The next house was built, in 1926, and occupied by Abraham Guyette until 1932 when he sold to Henry King. Several tenants have lived in one part of this house. Henry King sold to Mr. Thibodeau, in 1949. Mr. and Mrs. Thibodeau, the present owners, work out of town.
The next house was built by Isaac Guyette, brother of Abraham mentioned above. Isaac had a son, Louis, who married and left Sutton. Isaac Guyette sold to Earle Dandridge and his wife, Frances Andersen, about 1941. Earle and Frances Dandridge have two sons: (1) Franklin Butler, an adopted nephew of Mr. Dandridge's; (2) Martin. Mr. Dandridge is employed at the General Electric Co., in Lynn, Mass. Mrs. Dandridge is a comptometrist in the wholesale depart- ment of the Lincoln Pharmacy Co. (formerly Brewer's), Worcester.
The next place is the dairy farm of Sidney Frieswick. This has been called the Wheatley farm and is also known as the Geer place. Among former owners was Mr. J. J. Van Steinsburg. Mr. Van Steinsburg did not reside here but rented it for a number of years to tenant farmers. In 1905, Mr. Van Steinsburg sold the farm to Thomas Frieswick. Thomas had twelve children all born here. Thomas Fries- wick sold to his brother, Sjourke Frieswick, who carried on farming until his death in 1929. Sjourke Frieswick and his wife, Annie Boma, had nine children: (1) Theresa, married John DeVries, has three daughters and lives in Whitins- ville; (2) Tillie, married Henry Kooistra, has three children and lives in Whitinsville; (3) Sidney; (4) Annie, married Sidney Mantel, has no children and lives in North Uxbridge; (5) Winnie, widow of Gilbert Bosma, has five children and lives in Douglas; (6) Jennie, married Simon Bosma, has three children and lives in Whitinsville; (7) Dora, married Marshall Whitehead, has three children and lives in Uxbridge; (8) Hannah, unmarried, lives at home with her mother; (9) Jacob, died in 1924, at age of fifteen. Sidney, son of Sjourke and Annie Frieswick, bought the farm of his mother in the spring of 1935. Mr. Frieswick has a well-equipped modern dairy and sells milk in and about Whitinsville. Sidney Frieswick married Irene Cleland of Whitinsville in 1935. They have two sons: (1) Sidney; (2) Stephen. Sidney Frieswick and his family live in the upper part of the farmhouse. His mother and sister Hannah, have an apartment in the lower part of the house. Hannah Frieswick is employed at the Whitin Machine Co.
UNION DISTRICT, No. 8
A T South Sutton, Burdon Street runs in a southerly direction between Purgatory Road and Carr Street. Starting at the Northbridge Line, at the right on this street, was the George Cook Allen house, that was burned and another erected on the same site. After Mr. Allen's death, this house was sold by the administrator to Josephine E. Burroughs who sold to Mr. Feddema and he to the present owner, Simon Wiersma. Mr. Wiersma has improved the interior and the exterior to make an attractive bungalow.
The second place is on the left side of Burdon Street. It was the site of the Amos Burdon mill, which was taken over by his son Lucius of Hartford, Conn. for the manufacture of an amusement game called, "The Star Game." As this was not much of a success, he then added a splitting machine and sold sawed and split wood. He also conducted an ice business and had a chicken farm. After his death, his daughters, Mrs. Lura Blanchard and Mrs. Grace Hair, sold the machinery and tore down the mill. Richard Hair, one of Mrs. Hair's sons, has built a bungalow on this site. The children are: Robert, Beverly, twin daugh- ters Marilyn and Carolyn, Virginia, David and Charles.
The next house, on the left of Burdon Street, was bought by John Burdon of Hartford, Conn., a brother of Lucius, from Amos Whipple, who had purchased it from Henry Britton. Mr. Britton went to California to live and, not liking it there, came back and settled in Northbridge. Mr. Burdon had two daughters, Mrs. Emma Currie and Mrs. Cora Ocheltree. He lived here only a few years, then closed the house and returned to Hartford. Lucius later occupied the house until the death of his wife in 1898. Mrs. Ocheltree's son John next came into possession of the house and sold it to Arthur Ashworth. Mr. Ashworth remodeled it into a club and called it "The Riverside A.C.," later selling to the present owner, a Mr. Arakelian.
The house across the street was built by Amos Burdon, in 1848. After his death in 1881, his widow lived here until her death in 1900 at the age of ninety-two years. In the other half of the house lived her two sisters, Miss Annah Lackey and a widow, Mrs. Abigail Wakefield. They all died within a few months of each other.
The next owners were Amos Burdon's daughters, Alvira D. Burdon and Jeanette Simpson. After the death of Alvira Burdon, who, like her mother lived to be ninety-two years old, the property was sold to Cora Ocheltree. One Halloween, some boys living in the house set fire to a bundle of wallpaper in the attic and, between water and the fire, the interior was badly damaged. Mrs.
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HISTORY of SUTTON
Ocheltree's heirs sold the house to Arthur Ashworth. His son-in-law and daugh- ter, Mr. and Mrs. Armand Sansoucy, became the next owners. They have three children, Charlotte, David and Paul. Mr. Sansoucy is a veteran of World War II. Louis Foppema purchased the property and lives with his family in the other tenement. Their children are Jennifer and Suzanne. Mr. Foppema served in World War II.
On the left side of Carr Street, that runs in a southerly line to Whitinsville Road, is the house, which was built by James Richmond on the site of the old icehouse, owned by Lucius Burdon. James Richmond sold the house to Mr. Roberts of Whitinsville and he, in turn, sold to Mr. VanDyke of Canada, who later moved to Worcester, selling to Arthur Ashworth. Mr. Ashworth lived here a number of years and, in 1947, sold to Reinhart Born, who is the present owner. Mr. Born has added a large sun parlor and has planted new shrubs and trees, making the place very attractive. Mr. and Mrs. Born's children are Gertrude, Marion and a son Reinhart, now in the U.S. Army.
On the left, going north on Carr Street, is the house of Johnathan Coe Burroughs, a Civil War Veteran, who came here from Northbridge, bought and lived in the house until his death in 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Burroughs had nine children; five died very young. William E. married Josephine Ella Dorr; Fred married Alice Conant; Bertha married Vernon Johnson and Joseph married Lydia King. Mr. Burroughs was an old-time Democrat and many of the town candidates used to come to him for support in his district. He also served on the town School Committee. He was an ardent fisherman-and it was often said, "he could catch fish where there weren't any." After his death, the house was occupied by his widow and was purchased by Mrs. J. Ella Burroughs. She sold and moved to Whitinsville with Mrs. Johnathan Burroughs, who lived in the home until her death in 1907.
The property was sold to Mr. Crocket, to Mr. Kramer, to Mr. Benoit, to Mr. Foppema and in 1913 it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. S. Frank Fessenden. Mrs. Fessenden, a granddaughter of Johnathan Burroughs, had been born in this house and lived here until her death in 1941. Her son Everett Fessenden and his father now run a prosperous chicken business. Everett Fessenden is a World War II Army Veteran, is married and has a daughter June.
The next house is on the right of Carr Street and is built on the cellar hole of the "Old Davenport House." It was built for Wayland Johnson, grandson of Amos and Lorinda Lackey Burdon. There were stones enough from the old stone chimney to construct the cellar foundation. Mr. Johnson sold to Peter Opperwall, in 1911. His son, Taeke Opperwall, was the only young man to go to World War I from this District. Mr. Opperwall is deceased and the property is now owned by his daughter, Mrs. John Vandersea of Whitinsville.
North on Carr Street is the Philander Hewett house, bought at auction by a Mr. Gibson, who stayed only a few years, selling to Mr. Wood. Mr. Devlin bought from Mr. Wood and worked the land, greatly improving the farm, until he could make a good living by selling milk and produce. "It is said he raised potatoes so huge that eight would fill a peck basket." Ill health caused him to sell to George Bathrick, who willed it to his housekeeper, Sarah Carr. She lived here with her grandson, Louis Carr, until her death at the age of ninety-four years. She did all her own housework and sewing and, within three weeks of her
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death, kept up-to-date with the world's happenings. Her grandson sold to Arthur Ashworth, who, reserving the pasture across the road, sold the farm to William Visser. His widow, Mrs. Visser, lives there now with her son Joseph, who has a chicken business.
On the pasture land that is on the left side of Carr Street, Mr. Ashworth built one double house and four single cottages, each having a view of Lake Winona, more commonly known as "Meadow Pond." Mr. Ashworth then sold all of his holdings and went to live in Florida.
The double house, facing Carr Street on the left, was purchased by James and Richard Vanderbaan, who occupy the two tenements. Mr. and Mrs. James Vanderbaan have a son James. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Vanderbaan's children are Susan and Barbara. Richard Vanderbaan is a veteran of World War II.
The first cottage facing the lake was owned by Leslie Merrill, who lived there with his wife and two children. The Merrills sold to Mr. and Mrs. Peloquin and moved to Brockton.
The second cottage on the lake was purchased by Delmar Kidd, the proprietor of a laundry and cleaning establishment in Whitinsville. He lived there with his wife and three children. Mr. Kidd was a World War II veteran. The property is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ciukaj.
The third cottage on the lake was owned by J. Sullivan, World War II Army Veteran, who lived there with his wife and two children. It was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Bromley.
The fourth house faces Carr Street and is owned by Severin Laliberty. He is a Navy World War II veteran and lives there with his wife and two children, Kenneth and Allen.
The two houses on the right of Carr Street were built on the old Hopkins land by Ernest Boutilier, who purchased the land from a Mr. Aldrich. The wood had been cut off the property by Mr. Aldrich. The first house was moved here from Whitinsville and bought by a brother, Chester Boutilier, who added enough to make a good bungalow. He sold to his sister, Hildegarde, who resided there with her mother and two nieces, Joan and Elaine, until her marriage to Philip Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Boutilier live in the second house. It has a good view of the lake. The pine paneling, the shingles and most of the lum- ber in this home came from huge pine trees that were cut on the property. Mr. and Mrs. Boutilier's daughter was married to Robert Dion, a son Donald is now in the Navy.
The house, north on Carr Street, was built by Walter Burt on a small plot of land purchased from Alvira Burdon. It was later owned by Mr. Ruardi, by a Mr. Kramer, by Mr. Schat and by Mrs. Stienstra and her son, Arthur Stienstra. Arthur Stienstra was in the Army in World War II. He now is married and lives in New York. Mrs. Dorothy Stienstra lives in a new house, across the street. Ernest Vandal is the new owner of the Burt property.
On the left of Carr Street is a house built by another son of Mrs. Dorothy Stienstra, George Stienstra, who lives there with his English war bride. There are two children, Leslie and Christopher.
Robert Dion, Navy World War II veteran, built the house on the right of the street. Mr. and Mrs. Dion live there with their daughters, Marsha and Bev- erly. The children are in the eighth generation of descendants of the Johnsons,
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Lackeys and Burdons, all settling in and around this neighborhood.
The next house on the right stands back from the street on a hill. It was built as a tenement house by Walter Burt for Alvira Burdon. The present owner is a widow, Mrs. Jennie Foppema, who lives there with a daughter Flora and a son Charles, a carpenter.
North on Carr Street is the Valentine Hewett house and was bought by John Putnam. When Mr. and Mrs. Putnam were too old to live alone, they moved to Grafton to live with a son and sold the house to a Dutch family by the name of Bosma. The house caught fire from the woods in the rear of the house and was burned to the ground. Mr. Bosma erected a new bungalow, which later was sold to Mr. Sundtsra and then to Mr. Buma and, in 1942, to the present owner, Hessel Schotanus, who has made many improvements both within and outside the house. The Schotanus children are William, Viola and Peter.
The house on the left was built for Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Haringa by the Whitin Machine Works of Whitinsville, in exchange for the Lackey house and property, that was located on Mendon Road. Mr. and Mrs. Haringa had five children, three of the boys serving in World War II. Their son Edward was killed in Germany in the "Battle of the Bulge," and is buried in Margraten Cemetery in Holland. Harold and Martin were the other two sons in World War II.
The next house is at the end of Carr Steet and was formerly the "Red Brick School," also called the Union School. The building was sold at auction by the town, in 1948, to John DeHaan, who remodeled it into a cottage. It now faces Mendon Road. Mr. DeHaan owns and operates a garage in Whitinsville. The DeHaans have two children, Edward and Kenneth.
The first house on Mendon Road was taken down by Whitin Machine Works. This was the Lackey home which, after Mr. Lackey's death, was sold by his widow to Enoch Billington. It then was sold to Mr. Heslinga, to Mr. Foppema and to Mr. and Mrs. Haringa. After the Haringas moved to their new home on Carr Street, the buildings were torn down.
On the right of Mendon Road, running west from Carr Street, is the former Barnabas Hewett house, bought by Lewis Hopkins of Worcester. His son, Elmer Hopkins, lived here for a number of years before it was sold to a Dutch family. It was finally purchased by Peter Nydam, who raised chickens on the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Nydam both died within a month of each other and their son John lived here for some time. John Nydam is a veteran of World War II. On his return from the service, he married and settled in New York, but is the present owner of the property. Mr. and Mrs. Murray Andrews live here with their daughter Eileen and son Murray.
The next place on the right of Mendon Road is the George Cook Allen property which Mr. Allen inherited from his mother and father. He had a harness shop and also a cider mill. The latter was the old type that was propelled by a horse, hitched to a pole, and traveling round and round to operate the press. Later, the place was sold to Mr. Kroll and then to Mr. Heslinga, who tore down the old house and erected a new cottage. Mr. Heslinga's daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lawrence, now live in the house with their children, Gerald, Janet and Everett. All the other buildings have been taken down.
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The house on the left of Mendon Road was brought down from the old Breakneck road. It was owned by Mr. Hilton and by Lewis Hopkins and was moved to this site when Whitin Machine Works bought property along Break- neck for a reservoir. It was sold to Mr. Bosma, to Mr. Visser, to Mr. Murray Andrews and to Victor Racicot, the present owner. Mr. Racicot has recently remodeled it into a two-tenement house.
Across the street was the George Fletcher house. This was sold to Mr. Pelkey and to the Whitin Machine Works and taken down. The next house on the right was built by Mr. Baton. After Mrs. Baton's death it was sold by the son to the Whitin Machine Works, the present owner.
On the left of Mendon Road was a house, owned by a Mr. Casey, sold to the Whitin Machine Works and torn down. It was here that a son David Casey lived, who, afterwards, received a Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Cold Harbor in June 1864. During an assault by the enemy, the flag bearer was shot down and Private Casey heroically rescued the flag, which now is in the State House at Boston.
Near the site of the Casey home is the attractive ranch style house built by Voitto Oby. He lives here with his wife, who was Shirley Walker of Whitins- ville. Mr. Oby is a World War II Navy veteran.
Across the street was the Chamberlain place with a barn and a cider mill. This was sold to Peter Lemoine and to the Whitin Machine Works and the buildings removed.
The next house on the right is owned by Whitin Machine Works. It is on the property that is connected with the reservoir that supplies water for the town of Northbridge. Eugene Fuller, Superintendent, lives here with his family. His sons, Laurance and Jack, are veterans of World War II. Laurance M. Fuller served in the Navy on a P.C. Escort Ship and was in five engagement in the Pacific. After he was discharged from service, he taught in the University of California. Jack C. Fuller was in the Gun Crew of the Air Force and came out a Lieutenant. They attended the University of Virginia and both are now employed in Whitin Machine Works.
Farther along on Mendon Road is a large game preserve, owned by the Whitin Machine Works. This preserve is now fenced in and covers an area of approxi- mately one square mile, containing two streams and two ponds. Before this property was bought by the Whitin Machine Works, there were two houses on this land. These were moved away; one, bought by Mr. Hopkins, was taken to Fairlawn in Whitinsville and the other is owned by Mr. Racicot on Mendon Road.
Opposite the old Baton house is Barnett Road. Traveling toward the four corners in Quabbin district, the first house on the right is owned by William Lyman, a World War II Army veteran. He built this house and lives here with his wife and two boys, William and Charles.
On the Johnson Road, starting at the end of the property, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence, we travel northwest toward Purgatory Road. The first place is a small house, owned by Archie Burroughs, who lives alone.
At the end of Johnson Road, is the Old John Burdon place that has been the scene of many an interesting episode. Bought in the year 1813 by John Burdon fourth, the second John Burdon, having come from England in the early part of
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1700, the farm has been in the ownership of the family for seven generations. John lived in the small house, now called the "shop," until his son Salmon Burdon built the present house, which stands upon the opposite side of the road. This house had undergone many changes, but it is in a good state of preservation and bears witness to the old colonial architecture, within and with- out. The corner posts and the hand-carved molding at the ceiling are still there in the living room.
Wayland Johnson died here in February 1952, at the age of seventy-nine. He was born in Worcester, the son of Moses and Ann (Burdon) Johnson, and had lived in the community for forty-five years. He was employed at Whitin Machine Works for thirty years prior to retirement in 1932. For many years he was active in sportsman circles, as a hunter and fisherman, and was a founder and member of Meadow View Gun Club, Whitinsvville. His wife, Mrs. Alice (Burroughs) Johnson, died in 1944. She was a much beloved member of the church and of the community. There were three children: Philip, who resides here with his wife, the former Hildegarde Boutilier; Ralph of Alexandria, Va. and Lois, wife of Ernest Boutilier of Sutton. Philip, the present owner, has recently built a new modern barn and keeps registered Brown Swiss cows.
In the reshingling of the old "shop," a haircloth trunk was found stored away. Upon being opened, old books and papers of much interest were disclosed. We have heard it said, you can tell a family by the books they own. If that be true, then religion and education must have played a strong part in the upbuilding of the Burdon family. One of the books of most value was a copy of the New Testament, published in 1813, covered with thick leather hide, fastened by hand- sewing. Upon the cover, these words were written: "Presented to John Burdon by the Rev. Job B. Boomer in about the year 1818, with the will or desire that it should be left in this place." The edges of the first part of the gospels are worn with much turning. Between the leaves are tucked away copies of poems, choice bits of literature, indicative of the times, scraps of silk and calico, showing the feminine tastes of the family. Texts were marked that were used in funeral sermons for deceased members of the family. As a companion to this testament was the old Family Bible, found in a chest, after the death of Polly Taylor Burdon. It was bound in calfskin and yellow with age and is now in the hands of John Burdon Ocheltree, a former United States Consul to Costa Rica.
A sampler, made by Polly Taylor in 1794, when she was eleven years old, and one by Mary Burdon, born 1805, made when she was twelve, still showing clearly that she was born in Sutton, are in the possession of Mrs. Ernest Boutilier, daughter of Wayland Johnson; also a Lackey family register made by Annah Lackey in 1828 at the age of thirteen. Many fine old pieces of furniture and china are treasured by Mrs. Boutilier. The great-great-grandmother Burdon's "Grandfather Clock" has come back to the family in Sutton after being in the city of Worcester for some fifty years.
OLD STONE DISTRICT, No. 9
CENTRAL TURNPIKE
T HE house, now owned by Mrs. Emily Kuchinski, was long known as the Sam Hall Place and has an interesting history. This house is beyond Purgatory Road, going east on Central Turnpike. We are told that an early owner enlarged his dwelling to make a tavern for the travelers on the Turnpike, which had just been built (1790). The idea was evidently given up, but the house would certainly have been large enough for many guests. For a long time Samuel Hall owned the property. There were many tenants; among them, Joseph Cady and family. Mr. Cady was farmer for B. A. Whitcomb, who lived in the mansion, where the Moe place was.
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