USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 41
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The Putnams sold to Cyrus Eaton and he, in turn, sold to Mrs. William Bul- lard in 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Bullard lived here with their family. Their children were: Winifred, a trained nurse, now Mrs. Richard Bergstrom of Worcester; Lena, Mrs. John Dermody of Holden; Laura, a trained nurse, Mrs. Henry Wright of Worcester; Edna, Mrs. Fred Girard; Alice, Mrs. Napoleon Lynch of Millbury and Frank, who married Miss Juanita Brown of Millbury.
The Zuidemas rented the house from Mrs. Bullard; the Andrew Zuidemas from 1917 to 1918 and the Sidney Zuidemas from 1918 to 1920.
Mrs. James M. Bullard, mother of William S. Bullard, died at the home in 1922. The house was made over into two apartments in 1924. Mr. and Mrs. William Clarkson were the first tenants and while here their son, Norton, was born Nov. 22, 1928. The Sheridan Halls lived in the apartment a few years. William S. Bullard died in 1924 and his wife in 1937.
Frank H. and Juanita Brown Bullard bought the house in February 1938. The hurricane in the fall wrecked the barn. Their children all were born while they lived here; William S. on Feb. 6, 1934, Marcia E., April 22, 1938 and Vance H., Oct. 19, 1943.
Mr. and Mrs. John Henn recently lived in the apartment and during that time their two children were born, Judith R. in 1946 and John R. in 1948. At present, the Henn's family are in an apartment at Wedgewood but have purchased a lot in the vicinity where they expect to build a house.
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HOMES of SUTTON
In 1950, Frank Bullard sold the house and two acres of land to John Jeffrey of Grafton who is living here with his wife. He is employed at the American Steel & Wire Co. The Frank Bullards built a house nearby on Boston Road, which the family is occupying. Mr. Bullard died suddenly on Dec. 25, 1951.
The Odion place on Boston Road, below Sibley Road, was sold, after Mr. Odion's death in 1879, to Joseph Beasley Jr. and Then to Frank E. Barnes, who made many improvements in the house and grounds. The property then passed to Mongeon and a partner. Mongeon was in the laundry business later with Peter Lynch at the Prescott mill. Mr. Mongeon sold to James O'Connell, the present owner. Mrs. O'Connell endeared herself to the neighborhood, especially to the younger members. Though quite an invalid, she gathered the children about her and taught them needlework and useful types of sewing. She died in 1939. Mr. O'Connell is a steel worker and carries on a trucking business.
HOME OF MRS. PHOEBE LAMOUREUX
The Phoebe Lamoureaux house was formerly owned by George Lackey. It stands on an elevation at Boston and Marble Roads. Mr. Lackey was a master of several trades; clock and watch repairing, shoemaking and general repairing. He had a flock of about three hundred white leghorn fowls of which he was justly proud. After his death in 1911, there was a succession of owners: Frank E. Barnes, Edna Chandler of Oxford and, in March 1912, Mrs. Celia Clark and family. Mrs. Phoebe Lamoureux purchased the property in April 1918.
George and Phoebe Lamoureux came here to live with their son George Put- nam, who was born in Worcester. A daughter Jane was born here in 1923.
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George Putnam Lamoureux was married, in 1939, to Mildred Brewster, daughter of the former Maud Hendrickson, who had lived with the Alfred Putnams. Jane Lamoureux was in the Woman's Army Corps eighteen months during World War II, stationed mostly at Florida and Dayton, Ohio. She was married, in 1945, to William Furlong, a veteran of World War II. They have one child, Barbara Lee, and they live in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Lamoureux died in 1947.
In 1935, Joan and Paul Lamoureux, children of Mr. Lamoureux' brother came here to live; they were four and three years old then. Now they are employed, Joan at Brown Shoe Co. and Paul by Roberts Motors. Mrs. Lamoureux is on the staff of the cafeteria at Memorial School.
Mr. and Mrs. George Lamoureux were interior decorators and made many improvements in the two hundred year old Cape Cod house with much apprecia- tion of its fine old features. There are wooden latches and H. L. hinges on many doors and a quaint latchstring on the cellar door. The Lackey shop has been moved to join the house.
The Kroll house, east of the Jeffrey home, was built by Oren Walker on land he purchased from Laura Wright in 1939. This land was formerly in the Alfred Putnam farm. The Walkers came from Marlboro, but had lived in Smith Village just before coming here. Their children were Jean and Roger. In 1945, the Walkers sold the place to Mr. and Mrs. Donald I. Kroll of Spencer and moved to Oxford. The Kroll family includes Marilyn Wells and Charles Wells, children of Mrs. Kroll by a former marriage, Donna Kroll, born in Spencer and twins, Stuart and Harland, born here in 1945. Marilyn expects to train for a nurse and Charles is attending Trade School. Mr. Kroll is mechanic at Mumford Sales in Whitinsville.
The house, at the southwest corner of the intersection of Boston Road and Worcester-Providence Turnpike, was built in 1825 by Avery Ward and occupied by him and his family, the dwelling doubtless becoming none too large for his flock of twelve children. His land extended over the four corners of the inter- section. He died, June 10, 1879, at the age of 84. Quoting from the Worcester Spy of that date, "Avery Ward resided in Sutton 55 years, 40 years engaged in teaming between Worcester and Boston, and did an extensive business."
After Avery Ward's death, James Ward, a son by his first marriage, took over the property and came here to live. With him were his wife, who was Mrs. Annie Sullivan, her daughter Mary and his children, Almon and Nancy. Mary Sullivan married Chester Beasley; their children, Mary, born in 1886, Eugene 1887 and Grace 1889. Almon Ward married Eliza Young and their children, born in Sutton, were Annie, 1886 and Mary, 1889. Nancy Ward married John Sylvester.
James Ward had a very productive farm for several years and sold exception- ally good fruit and vegetables and other farm products. He ran a peddling route in Worcester and helped his neighbors on the farms in the vicinity. In a dark moment in 1888, he passed out by suicide. His widow married Jewett Bassett and moved to Marble Village. Jewett Bassett was well-known locally as a most persistent and successful fisherman.
Peter Beasley and his wife, who was Emily Undergraves, were the next occu- pants. Their children were Josephine, born in 1882, Alfred Charles 1887, Eva
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1892 and Mary Emma 1896. Mr. Beasley worked in the Pleasant Valley mill for many years, starting in as a boy in 1870 and leaving in the early 1900's.
Following the Beasleys, there were several tenants. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Barber resided here about ten years with their daughters, Cecelia and Florence, now Mrs. Albert Putnam of Millbury. Among the short-time tenants were the families of John Sweeney, Fred Petit and Albert Plouffe.
The title to the property finally passed to George W. Rice, who sold to Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Cressey (Hazel Hough), in 1926. They came here to live with their children, Warren, born Dec. 24, 1922, and Alice Arline, Mar. 13, 1924. A son, William E. was born Feb. 9, 1927, while they were at this home.
After a few years, the Cresseys sold to Leroy Taft and moved to Saundersville. Mr. Taft built a small house on the property which had to be moved for the new Worcester-Providence Highway. Henry Beaudoin bought the house and moved it to the present location on the Turnpike.
Ernest Allen, in 1935, purchased the farm from Leroy Taft and lived here with his wife. Much gravel used in the new highway, which was started in 1939, came from this property. A nephew, Theodore Allen, who made his home here for a time was in World War II.
Mr. Allen died in 1944. Mrs. Allen still lives here and for nine years has been employed by the B. S. & G. Manufacturing Co. of Worcester.
The former Sweet house is on the northwest corner of the intersection of Boston Road and the Worcester-Providence Turnpike. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Young and family, the occupants in 1876, continued to live here many years. Their children were: Charles; Edward, who married Ellen Bashaw; Joseph, who married Eliza Tebo, their son, William, now postmaster at Millbury; Eliza, wife of Almon Ward; Elmira, wife of Angus Martin; Henry; Mary, who married Robert Ludwick, their daughter, Ida, now living in Wilkinsonville and Fred, who married Mary Hilton.
Mrs. Matilda Young, wife of Charles, sold to Mrs. George Sweet (Mrs. Mary Abel Ford) on Dec. 3, 1907. A daughter, Emma Ford, who lived here with Mr. and Mrs. Sweet, was one of the first operators at the Millbury Telephone Ex- change. For several years, even when attending high school, she walked back and forth to Millbury daily to her work, returning after ten o'clock at night. Mr. Sweet was an expert drummer with perfect rhythm and accent. He also instructed pupils in the art. He gave his services generously many times, especially for the Memorial Day exercises, drilling the corps for weeks. On one occasion he was the only musician and accompanied the veterans to all the cemeteries. Mrs. Sweet, much beloved by her neighbors, died in 1934. Emma Ford was married to Clar- ence L. Wells of Providence in 1915. Mr. Sweet continued to live here until shortly before his death in 1946.
Frank S. Gustafson, in 1947, bought the property from Emma Ford Wells, remodeled the house and moved in with his family. In 1948, he built a two-story brick building at the corner of Marble Road and the new Worcester-Providence Turnpike. He sold the original Sweet house and a small piece of land, in 1949, to Anthony Norris, and moved into the upper floor of the brick building where there are two apartments. One is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Gustafson and son Warren and wife; the other is occupied by a son George F. and wife. At present he is completing four small houses, south of the brick building, on Marble Road.
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Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Norris live in the Sweet house, which they purchased from Mr. Gustafson. Mr. Norris is employed at the Brown Shoe Co. in Worcester.
East of the Worcester-Providence Pike, on the left, is the home of Ralph White. He purchased land from Walter Gustafson, in 1948, and built his house there, in 1949. The family had previously lived in the D. T. Dudley and Son tenement house. Mr. and Mrs. White's children are Ralph, Lee, twins, Joan and June, Shirley, Janice and Barbara; the last two were born in Sutton. Ralph served three years in the Signal Corps, is married to Edna Hicks and lives in Washing- ton, D. C. He is a bus driver. Lee is married to Aldea Budreau and lives in Graf- ton. He is employed at Felters Co.
The house, at the northeast corner of the intersection of Boston and Dudley Roads, was being enlarged and improved at the time of the publication of Vol. I of the History of Sutton. Mr. Prescott continued in the mill business and he and his wife lived in the dwelling. With them were her brother, Merrick White, his son Clinton and their mother, Mrs. White. Mrs. White died in 1892.
Clinton White married Louise Kimmel in 1886 and they occupied the second- floor tenement. Their children were: Prescott, born in 1889, Stanley, 1891 and Doris, 1894, now Mrs. Ralph Johnson of Worcester. Clinton was associated with Mr. Prescott in the business and carried it on after Mr. Prescott's death in 1900.
After Clinton White's death in 1904, Mrs. White and family and Mrs. Pres- cott moved to Worcester. For many years, Mrs. White was librarian at the Mech- anics Library in that city.
Peter Lynch and his wife, Josephine Leonard, were the next owners. They came from Woonsocket, R. I., and Mr. Lynch brought with him his spindle works business. Their children were: Mary, Mrs. Joseph Caplette; Isabelle, Mrs. Thomas Connors; Hudson, now deceased and Napoleon, who married Alice Bullard. Mr. and Mrs. Caplette and daughter Doris occupied the tenement and, in 1915, their daughter Marjorie was born while they were here. During the Lynch's occupancy, Pollander and Mongeon operated a laundry in the basement of the mill. In 1918, Mr. Lynch and his family moved to Millbury and the prop- erty was sold to two men by the names of Stayman and Nestor.
Perley E. and Van R. Aldrich purchased the property, Jan. 1, 1920. They operated the P. & V. Aldrich Chair Co. which had been started in Princeton, Mass. Van, his wife, Ruth (Fletcher), and daughter Marian moved into the house first. About 1928, Van and his family moved to Florida. He was hit and killed by an automobile at Daytona Beach in 1938. His widow and daughter, Mrs. Lester Elks, reside in Florida.
Perley E. and Marion (Rawson) Aldrich moved to this place in March 1921. Mr. Aldrich has completed fifty-five years in the Chair Co. He makes wooden chairs and stools of about twelve varieties. There are three children; Mildred J., Elizabeth G, and Pearl L. All three daughters attended the David Hale Fanning Trade School for Girls after graduating from the local high school.
Pearl L. Aldrich was married, in 1941, to Roland Maranda. They lived first in the D. T. Dudley Shuttle Shop house, then later in part of the Perley Aldrich house. In 1946, they purchased land from her father, on Dudley Road, just north of the home. They built a house there and occupy it with their three children,
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Barry C., born in 1941, Janet B., born in 1943 and Linda C., born in 1947. Mr. Maranda is employed by N. E. Grocers Co.
Elizabeth G. Aldrich married Raymond L. Hill in 1940. He was in service in the Navy for three years in World War II, as Ship's Cook, 1st Class, stationed in Virginia and North Carolina. Their children are Carol Ann, born in 1942, Sandra Joan, born in 1944, and Patricia Gail, born in 1947. Mr. Hill is truck driver for New York Dispatch, and they live in part of the Perley Aldrich house.
The Fred Girard house on Boston Road, east of the Aldrich home, was used by J. P. Stockwell for men in his employ. Mrs. Joseph Beasley lived here after her husband's death. Her children were Mary, Frank, Chester, Rosanna and Joseph. After she moved away, there were several tenants. Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Leonard came here, in 1903, from the J. P. Stockwell place. Mr. Leonard died in 1914. Mr. and Mrs. George Clapp purchased the house from Mrs. Leonard and lived here a short time. They sold, in June 1926, to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Girard. They made this their home with their sons, Frank and George, until 1947. Frank was born at the former Bullard place and Robert was born here.
Mr. and Mrs. Rex Lewis and family occupy the house at present. Their chil- dren are Barbara (1936), David (1939) and Nancy (1943). Mr. Lewis is a veteran of World War II.
East of the Girard property is the former John P. Stockwell farm, previously owned by Captain Asa Woodbury, Mrs. Stockwell's father. Mr. and Mrs. Stock- well had a daughter Louie. They lived here until after the marriage of their daughter to Clifford Bullard in 1891.
Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Leonard bought the place, in 1894. Their children were: Josephine, wife of Peter Lynch; George, who married Nellie Young and moved to New Jersey; Alfred, who married Mrs. Diana Girard Mathieu; Emma, de- ceased; Sarah, wife of William Germaine and Rosanna, wife of Henry Cofsky, who lives in Millbury.
In 1904, Mrs. Marie LaPlante purchased the farm from Mrs. Elijah Leonard and came here with her sons and daughters to live and operate the farm, team- ing, raising vegetables, apples and producing milk. The sons and daughters were Joseph, Marie, Oliver, Phoebe, Elise, Delphis, and Edward (or William).
Oliver lived upstairs with his family, including one son Theodore. Other chil- dren born to them here were Armand (or Norman), Cecile, René (or Irene) and Raoul. Phoebe died in 1912. Delphis married and went to live in North- bridge. Elise married Emery Douville and lives in Northbridge; but two of their children, Leo and Arthur, were born here. Edward married Claudia Roux of Millbury in 1929 and built the addition at the back of the house where they made their home. In 1933, both Edward and his mother died, only three weeks apart. A great deal of credit is due to Marie, the mother, who was suddenly widowed in Canada when her husband was killed by a falling tree. She came with her seven children, the eldest of whom was twelve, to the United States and worked in a mill to support the children until they were old enough to work themselves. Before coming here, they lived in Woonsocket. Her children were, in turn, strong, hard-working people. At present the daughter Marie still lives in the part of the house built by Edward. Her brother Joseph died very recently here.
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HISTORY of SUTTON
HOME OF FRANK W. GIRARD
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HOMES of SUTTON
In 1947, the LaPlante place was sold to Frank W. Girard, who had been living with his parents at the Fred Girard house. Frank is a veteran of World War II, serving twenty-six months in Germany with the Observation Battalion Field Artillery as Staff Sergeant. He was in the Battle of the Bulge. Frank started operating the farm, in 1946, right after his discharge and, when the pur- chase was made, he and his parents and brother Robert came here to live. Frank and Robert are operating the farm and have built up a good herd of dairy cows. Frank is Town Clerk, having served since the death of Arthur Putnam in 1950.
A few of the original well-known buttonwood trees of the locality are still standing; two, in the yard of Perley Aldrich, were planted in 1812 and one, in the yard of Frank Girard, was set out in 1800. This last tree is one hundred feet high and eighteen feet in circumference.
Going east on Boston Road from Pleasant Valley Road, the Frank Girard house is the first dwelling on the right. This house has changed ownership only twice in ninety-six years. It was originally a weavers' shop, which was moved here and finished by Captain Asa Woodbury for his daughter, Mrs. Silas Servey, in the year 1854. The Serveys lived here forty-one years. A daughter, Fannie Servey, was married in 1886 to Arthur Linton of Sutton Centre.
Mr. and Mrs. Servey sold the property in 1895 to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Girard, who came to live here with their children, Frank, Olive and Fred. Three children were born here, Diana, Emma and Minnie.
When the Girards first moved here they made many improvements. Mrs. Girard, who was very handy with carpenter's tools, remodeled the kitchen and other rooms. In later years she learned taxidermy and was noted for the life- like way in which she preserved birds and animals. Many of the specimens which she mounted from 1908 to 1913 are still well preserved.
Frank, the oldest son, died here during the Influenza epidemic of October 1918, on the day which he was to have reported for service in the U. S. Army. Olive married Melvin McIntosh and lives in Worcester, Fred married Edna Bullard and Minnie married Welcome Marshall and lives in Whitinsville. Diana, Mrs. Oliver Mathieu, after her husband's death in 1917, made her home here for some years with Mr. and Mrs. Girard. She had two children, Irene, a graduate nurse and supervisor at Hahneman Hospital, married to George Pierce of Wor- cester and Fred, who married Viola Benoit. Mrs. Mathieu was married to Alfred Leonard and they live in a new house on the Worcester-Providence Highway. Mrs. Girard died Feb. 2, 1941; Emma remained at home with her father. Mr. Girard died Feb. 2, 1948, at the age of ninety-two, having lived in this house over fifty-two years.
Emma was married to Harold Swenson in May 1950. Mr. and Mrs. Swenson now own the property and have made improvements in the house. From the front door of this dwelling to the street is a series of stone steps, down the ter- races. One step in the second series bears this inscription, "1771-45 M-To Boston," giving evidence that this had been one of the Benjamin Franklin markers for the Post Road from Hartford to Boston. The other milestones now remaining are "46 M" at the Clarence Hutchinsons, and "48 M" at the Edward MacLarens.
Close to Miller's Pond, on the south side of Boston Road, there was for many years a sawmill, owned and operated by Napoleon Messier. The building was
HOME OF HAROLD E. SWENSON
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HISTORY of SUTTON
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later converted into a house and was occupied by Oliver LaPlante and family, who moved from the Stockwell house. They lived here from 1926 to 1933, when they went back to the farm. There were five children: Norman married Marjorie Chadwick of Wilkinsonville and lives in Providence; Theodore married Gladys Haynes of Millbury and lives in Lowell; Cecile married Albert Mercure and lives on Old Stone Road; René and her husband, Gene Casey, live in Rhode Island; Raoul married Edith Kershaw and lives on Providence Turnpike.
There were formerly two houses just before the bridge, almost opposite John Peter Stockwell's grist mill. They were a part of the Woodburyville mill property for many years and were burned in 1890. A fine spring, which is still running, was undoubtedly the reason for their location.
The one nearest the bridge was occupied by the Tebo family. There were eight children; Henry, who lived in Millbury, Charles and George, twins; Charles lives in Woodburyville and George lived in Millbury and was a veteran of the Spanish War, Joseph, who went to Woonsocket, David, who married Regina Morris and lives in Woodburyville, Mary married David Lynch. - There were three Lynch children; David, Arthur and Walter. Arthur and Walter were veterans of World War I. After Mr. Lynch's death, Mrs. Lynch married Philip Bordeaux. Eliza, a Tebo daughter, married Joseph Young and went to Millbury and Malvina, another daughter, was wife of William Connors.
The other house was called the "Piazza House" which is self-explanatory. The Charles T. Aldrich family lived on one side of the tenement house until the mansion was built, and Henry Tebo was one of the tenants on the other side, also a family named O'Neil and Mr. Cunningham, engineer for Elias Crawford.
The first place in Sutton, on the road from Millbury by way of South Main Street, known as Dudley Road, is owned by Joseph Caplet. This property consisting of twelve acres with buildings was formerly the Mcknight place. It was occupied in 1876 by Welcome Aldrich with his wife, his son Allie and daughter Cora. Mr. Aldrich died in 1877 and his widow and children lived here for some years following. The place was owned by Abbie VanDusen, sister of Welcome Aldrich. She also lived here with her son William.
In 1891, Mrs. VanDusen sold the property to Joseph Caplet, father of the present owner. The Aldrich family went to Shrewsbury to live. Mrs. Aldrich and her son died not many years later; the daughter Cora was married in 1922 to Jefferson Dean of Shrewsbury and died there in 1935.
Mr. Caplet moved to the farm with his wife and their four children, Fred, Mabel, Lily and Joseph. George Caplet was born here in 1893. Later, these sons and daughters married and left home. Mrs. Caplet died in 1905. Joseph Caplet died in 1924, and his son Joseph bought out the other heirs. Joseph Jr's wife was Mary Lynch, daughter of Peter Lynch, who operated the Prescott mill for some years. They have two daughters, Doris and Marjorie. Doris was secretary at the Felters Co. of Millbury for fifteen years, during which time she was in the Waves for a year and a half, serving at Pensacola, Fla. In 1948, she was married to Roland Gould, Treasurer of the Felters Co., and lives in Medford. Marjorie is a graduate nurse, is married and lives in Gardner.
Mr. Caplet is a machinist with Watson-Williams Mfg. Co. of Millbury, but also operates his farm successfully. He has greatly improved the house and also built a new barn. He has named the place "Homestead Farm."
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HISTORY of SUTTON
The George J. Dudley place on Dudley Road was taken over by Mr. Dudley at the death of his father in 1870; he, later, purchased his sister's half-interest. He operated and conducted the business of the farm in a successful and credit- able manner, adding to the property from time to time. He was a man of many interests and versatilities. He held town office and untiringly served the town and community for over fifty years in the capacity of Assessor, Overseer of Poor, Auditor, Selectman, School Committee and Moderator. He was active in Repub- lican politics, serving as member of House of Representatives for the year 1899- 1900. He was connected with Millbury Savings Bank for over forty years; on the Board of Investment for many years and its President for fourteen years. Mr. Dudley was very active in Masonic circles, having received the thirty-second degree. He was always interested in education and was a scholar. He could translate Latin or prove a difficult problem in mathematics up to the time of his death in 1933. Mr. Dudley kept a diary with daily entries from the time he was nineteen until he was eighty-three.
His wife, the former Jenette Phipps Daniels, was born in Franklin, a descendant of Sir William Phipps. She was very active in many ways, especially in church work. She died in 1916.
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