USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 43
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Mr. and Mrs. Harris have two children, James F. III, two years old and Susan V., one year old. Mr. Harris is employed by the Worcester Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
Francis J. Kane and family own the property adjoining that of Mr. Harris on the highway. They purchased it, in 1946, from Harold Stevens, who had bought the land from Mrs. Kamaitis and had built the house the year before.
Mr. Kane is employed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Works. The children are: William A. Ohrn, born in 1940; Carl Robert Ohrn, born in 1942 and Francis J. Kane Jr., born in Sutton in 1947.
Going south on the Worcester-Providence Turnpike, the first house on the east side, beyond the power line, is that of Eric Hafstrom. He purchased fifteen acres of land there, in 1936, from Harry Dodge and built a house, in 1939. The land was formerly part of the Mcknight property.
The Hafstroms have a daughter Mabel, fifteen years old, and a son Carl, who is in the Navy, stationed, at present in California. He attended Clark College for two years and then enlisted in the Navy, serving in World War II. After his discharge he attended a school of photography, but, in 1950, was called back in the Navy to serve in Korea in an Amphibious Unit, as Electronics Technician, 2nd Class. He was married, in 1949, to Joyce Banash of Wisconsin and they have one son, Daniel Roy. Mr. Eric Hafstrom is employed at Johnson Steel Co.
About a quarter of a mile from the Hafstrom's house, on the same side of the highway, is the partly finished home of Clarence J. White. In 1946, he bought
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eight or nine acres of land from William VanTwyver, who, in turn, had pur- chased it from Helen Kimball. They started living there in a Quonset Hut, in 1947; in 1950, he started building a house. Their children are Jean eight, Elaine five, and Ernest three. Mr. White is employed at Felter's Co.
The oldest house on the Worcester-Providence Turnpike was formerly the Rufus Harback House, located on the 1870 map of Sutton at the end of Harback Road, the only road leading to it.
After Rufus Harback's death, in 1878, Mrs. Harback lived here with her son Fred Harback. Fred married Jennie Hall, who taught at the Harback School. He conducted a grist mill in Saundersville for a short time. They came back to the farm and Mrs. Harback again taught the school in 1880 and 1881. She died in 1883. Her husband carried on the farm and did a teaming business for several years until his death in 1886. A nephew, Fred Harback, who also made his home here, married, in 1883, Alice, daughter of Daniel Hammond, and left Sutton.
The place was sold to a Worcester man, who, it is said, planted a garden and left it to grow, keenly disappointed when he came to harvest in the fall. Franklin E. Barnes owned and improved the farm for a few years about 1890. He sold in the early '90's to S. Parke, a native of Finland. The Parkes had three daugh- ters, Ida, Rosa, Lydia and a son Anselm; the children attended the Harback School. The Thomas Ahearns were the next owners for some years. They had a son Thomas and a daughter Jennie. Mr. Ahearn sold to Anthony Kamaitis.
Mrs. Anthony Kamaitis is the present owner, whose husband purchased the house and one hundred twenty-three acres of land, in 1912. The family came from Auburn. Mr. Kamaitis built a new barn and repaired the house. The chil- dren are: Margaret, who married George Lamothe; Peter, who served three and one half years in the Army Air Force, World War II, is married and lives in Worcester; Alphonse, who lives at home and operates the farm, and Helen, born here in 1913, who is married to Charles Brown and lives in Philadelphia. Mr. Kamaitis died in 1932.
The Worcester-Providence Turnpike cut the farm in half; a cattle pass under the highway connects the fields. This property has been operated as a dairy and fruit farm and now has only eighty-seven acres.
In the early days, this land was a portion of the farm of Freegrace Marble, one of the original settlers of the town. Edwin T. Marble of Worcester, at his death, left the sum of $1000 to the Sutton Public Library. At the next Town Meeting, March 17, 1913, Mr. James W. Stockwell read the following tribute: "The History of the Marble family genealogy has been of honorable distinc- tion from the first settlement of the Township; Samuel, Freegrace, Malachi, Royal Tyler, all honored residents of the Town and each fulfilling the duties of citizenship faithfully and well, in church, town, state and national affairs. The first marriage in the town was of Freegrace Marble to Mary Sibley.
"The fifth in this line of descent, Edwin T. Marble, the donor, was born at the so-called Harback place, in the easterly part of the Town. His father, Royal Tyler, was a prominent farmer and raised fine cattle, at the time Sutton was noted especially for its matched and well-trained oxen. He was a member of the Worcester County Agriculture Society, in its early days. His farm was well tilled and the surroundings of his home attractive.
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"These were the conditions under which the boy Edwin acquired his love of nature and of his native town. Early called to the city, where his life was crowned with success and honors, the memories of his early days were ever cherished. His pleasure rides were most frequent over the Sutton hills and his last ride out from the city, only a few days before his death, was to his native town.'
Edwin T. Marble was in the firm of Curtis and Marble, builders of textile machinery. This business was originated by the Marble family.
The "Motor-In," a drive-in theatre, is one of the best in the State. Wilfred Bernard is president and treasurer. He purchased ten acres of land from Mrs. Anthony Kamaitis, in 1946, developed it very skillfully and the theatre was opened in 1947.
The screen is of the finest, fifty feet by fifty feet, showing pictures, forty-two feet by thirty-eight feet. The theatre is equipped with individual car-speakers, and has an emergency power plant. There is room for five hundred cars on the natural, inclined area; ramps and roadways are so constructed that all traffic could be emptied in fifteen minutes.
Just beyond the Motor-In are two new houses built by Harry Rose on land he purchased from Alex Gwozdouski, in 1948. The first one was put up that year and is occupied by his son Raymond and wife. Raymond Rose was Sergeant in the Army Engineer Corps during World War II. He is now draftsman for Reed & Prince Co. of Worcester.
The second house is high on a ledge, built entirely of stone, and completed in 1950. Mr. Rose is a stone contractor. Mr. and Mrs. Rose live there with one son Roy, who is in business with his father. The youngest son Richard, is a Private in the U. S. Army.
Across the highway from the Rose property is a house built by Ralph J. Brown, in 1942, on land obtained from Alex Gwozdouski, in 1939. Mr. Brown lives there with his wife and daughter Beverly, born in 1947. They came from Worcester where Mr. Brown had a garage-auto repair business on Mechanic Street. He erected a filling station and repair garage near by, in 1946, which he operates himself. The property is a triangle with the new highway on one side, Marble Road on another and Marble's Pond on the third.
The first house in Sutton south of the Millbury line on the Burbank Hill Road is a new one, built and occupied by Michael Gribowski. He served four years in the army during World War II; he is now employed by American Steel and Wire Co. He married Viola Carlson of Worcester and they have one son, Michael.
The second house is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Silun. The Siluns were born in Poland, came to this country early and bought this place from Frank Kasputis, in 1919. He, in turn, had purchased it from George Phillips, in 1917. Phillips purchased it from Ray Hall a short time before. Mr. Hall had owned it since 1902, the house new at that time. Two of the Hall children were born there, Florence and Grace.
Five children were born to the Siluns while living here. They are Helen M. born in 1919, wife of Arthur Ordung, now living in Worcester; Julia born 1920, wife of Leodore Tebo, now living in Millbury; Louise, born 1921, wife of Joseph Botica, now living in Chicago; Francis, born 1923 and Stanley, born
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1925. Francis lives at home and is associated with William Crosby as contractors and builders. During World War II he was a sergeant, as Airplane Mechanic, in England. Stanley was in Europe five years, serving in a Medical Detachment. He married a German girl and lives in Millbury. Walter Silun is employed at the American Steel and Wire Co.
The third house on the road was built about 1900 by George Prigge, who lived there with his wife and daughter until 1918, when they sold to Alfred O. Alsten. The Alsten children were Everett, Anna, Gladys, John, Lillian, Edna and Alfred. In 1950, the place was sold to Wilburt M. Oelschlegel who came there with his wife from Grafton. They have two children, Wilburt Jr. and Linda. Mr. Oelschlegel is employed at Crompton Knowles Co.
The next place, known years ago as the Ebenezer Burnap house, later as the Sisson place or the Chris Hall place, is now occupied by the family of Michael Gribowski. They bought it from Ray Hall, in 1924. The children are: Michael Jr .; Alice, married and living in Shrewsbury; Vincent, married and living in Farnumsville; Joe, who married Elaine Bailey and lives at this place; Anna, who married Wallace Demaris and lives in Shrewsbury, and Pauline, at home, who works in Worcester.
Vincent was in the Air Corps during World War II. Joe was in England during the war as Tech. Sgt. in the Air Corps. He is technician for the Selective Breeding Association.
The house, known formerly as the John Francis Woodbury place, is now occupied by Alec Skowronski and wife, but owned by his daughter, Helen Danko, of Worcester. The Woodburys had two daughters: Jennie, who married Charles A. Morrison and went to live in Vermont; also Cora, who was a singer for years and married Lester Butler of Worcester. About 1900, the place was sold to Cyrus Eaton, who came there with his family from New Hampshire. His children were Hugh H., Minnie Vera, Gene Mae, Hazel and Harold. Another son, Oliver, was born here. Hugh married Loretta Moore of Worcester and lived in another part of town. His children were Hugh, who was born at this place, Paul, Alvin, Rita and Muriel. He died in Sutton, in 1949, having been in the meat business for thirty years. The son Hugh married Evelyn Maynard of Manchaug and is employed as supervisor for N. E. Tel. & Tel. Co. in Worcester. They have one son David, born in Sutton. At present, they are living at Millbury Womans' Club Building. Mrs. Eaton is president of the club. Paul, who served in England during World War II, married Thelma Lynch of Millbury and lives at Dudley Farm in Sutton with his wife and daughter Patricia. He is employed by Highland Dairy, Millbury. Alvin, who also served in World War II, married Alta MacLaren, has two children and lives in Sutton. He is technician for Selective Breeding Association. Rita married Paul Johnson and lives in Wor- cester. Muriel is employed by the Government and works in Washington.
Minnie was a secretary for several years and died in 1927. Gene Mae married William Louis and lived in New Hampshire, but later returned to Sutton. She died in 1944. Hazel married Arthur W. Johnson and had two children, Mildred and Wallace. Her husband died when the children were small. She later married Carl E. Tideman of Worcester and lives in Millbury. Harold married Caroline Stowe of Millbury and lives in Sutton. Oliver married Hazel Colby of Millbury
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and lives in Sutton. Mrs. Cyrus Eaton died in Millbury in 1946 and her husband died in Sutton in 1942.
In 1925, Cyrus Eaton sold the place to Andrew Zuidema, who had come from the Netherlands a few years before, but had been living in Whitinsville. He lived here with his family until 1929. The family included Sidney, now living in Northbridge; Frank, living in Manchaug; Peter, living in West Sutton; Albert, living in South Sutton; Maynard, living in Millbury; Grace, liv- ing in Worcester; Robert, who died early; Jennie, who is Mrs. Dykstra of Man- chaug and Ane of Manchaug.
In 1929, Walerian Gwazdowski bought the place and lived there with his wife and one daughter Olga. He sold the property to Helen Danko and moved to Worcester.
In 1910, Theodore Stratford and wife from Shrewsbury purchased a farm from Frank Barnes. They brought with them their children, Annie M., Lena, William, Thomas, Charlotte and twins, Dorothy and Doris. Lena died three years later, and Doris in 1921. Annie was married to Albert Wagner of Millbury and died in 1919, leaving three children; Alberta, now Mrs. Thomas Nelson, Albert, living in Worcester and Harold, who lives with his grandmother in Millbury.
In 1926, the Theodore Stratfords also bought the Forsythe place from Alex Gwozdouski, he having previously bought it from Ashley Forsythe, who had in turn, bought it from the Thomas Beaman Woodbury estate. They rented it out until 1929; then their daughter, Dorothy, with her husband, Frank Zona, went there to live. They have four children: Frank Joseph, born 1930; John Pasquale, born 1933; Irene, born 1936 and Dorothy, born 1939. Mr. Zona is employed at Felters Co. in Millbury.
Between the two homes just mentioned, on the other side of the street, Theodore Stratford built a stone house in 1929 for his son William. The latter had married Rose Joslin of Millbury and they had two children, John Francis, born 1929 and Rosealma, born 1932.
The James Barnes house was built some 200 years ago but Mr. Stratford repaired and improved it a great deal. In 1934, Theodore Stratford died and in 1936, Mrs. Stratford left to go to Millbury where she bought the Francis Rice place which she operates as a Rest Home. Since 1936 William Stratford has operated the farm and lives in the Barnes house with his family.
Later, the stone house was occupied by Walter Pierce and his family for two years; after that, by the Thomas Nelsons for two years. Then it was occupied for a few years by Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Roberts whose children, Sandra and Catherine, were born there. At present, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Louis live here, Mrs. Louis being Rosealma Stratford. They have one child, Judith Ann, born in 1951.
Charlotte Stratford married William Mathews in 1928 and they lived in a small house on the Barnes farm until 1936, when they moved to Millbury. Their children are Doris, born 1929 and Raymond, born 1931.
Thomas Stratford married Ruth Tobie of Millbury and went to live at West Millbury, where their five children were born. Mr. Stratford died there in 1950.
Sibley Reservoir was planned, in 1865, and completed, in 1868. The interested parties were E. W. Marble for the business at Marble Village, Samuel Prescott for his business at Aldrich 4-corners, Joel Houghton for his grist mill, D. T.
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Dudley & Son for the Shuttle Shop, H. N. Slater for the Sutton Mfg. Co., Eseek Saunders for Saundersville Cotton Mill, and H. D. Fisher for the Fisherville Mill. The purpose was to supply water, "when all other sources failed."
The land was purchased in four parcels; (1) from Mary Dudley, nine A., (2) from Austin Leland, three A., (3) from James Barnes, eight A. and (4) from Sylvester Sibley, forty A. When the wood was cut off from the area to be flooded, a sufficient amount was taken to make the Prescott flume, which remains to this day.
Victor Dona, in 1896, bought the Austin Leland place, at the intersection of Burbank Hill and Sibley Roads. He came there with his family from Canada. The children were: Georgiana, wife of Arthur Cazenault of Oxford; Roseanna, wife of Edward LaPain of Grafton; Delia, wife of Napoleon Renault of Wor- cester; Adelor, of Worcester; Flora, wife of Isaac Emond of Worcester and Eva, wife of Alfred Lambert of Worcester. Edmund was born there and he is the present owner of the property. He married Leona Cazenault and has two children: Florence, born in 1936 and Raymond, born in 1942. Victor died in 1922 and his wife in 1942. Edmund operates the farm but also works at Tele- chron in Worcester.
The house on Burbank Road, at the bend of the road, was owned by Simeon Stockwell in 1876. After his death in 1881, the place was occupied by Walter A. Lowe for a year or two and then by Joseph Beasley. Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Wal- lace were the next owners, who came there with their three sons and a daughter. Samuel was a Spanish War Veteran, later residing in Worcester; Arthur died in 1902; Leon remained on the farm.
In 1921, after the death of his father, Leon Wallace sold the place of some sixty-three acres to Albert Hall and went to California to live. The Halls came here from Worcester with their children, Signe, Agnes, Mabel and Everett. While at this place, Edith, Philip and Margaret were born. All except Philip and Everett have married and gone away. Mabel is the wife of Levi Chase, High- way Surveyor of Millbury. Philip, Everett and the father operate the farm together. Mrs. Hall died in December, 1951. Everett is a veteran of World War II.
The farm on Burbank Road, now owned by Harold Eaton, was the property of Alvin Stockwell in 1876, who lived here with his wife and their children, Calvin, Lena and Fannie. After Alvin's death, Mrs. Stockwell remained here until about 1896, selling to Newell Sherman. Mr. Sherman died in 1900 after an operation, leaving a widow and a young son. Mr. and Mrs. Willis Fay were the next owners. Mr. Fay died suddenly and the place was sold to Gustaf Carl- strom and his wife. Their children were, Sven, Hjalmar, Gustaf, Frank, Ruth, Hilma, George and Lillian.
Gustaf Carlstrom sold the place to J. Herman Tell, in 1913. Mr. and Mrs. Tell went there with two daughters, Elsie and Florence. In 1914, another daughter, Mildred, was born here. Mr. Tell operated the farm successfully and, in 1928, sold it to Cyrus Eaton who, a month later, sold it to his son Harold, the present owner. The Tells moved to Millbury where Mr. Tell died some years later. Mrs. Tell and daughters, Elsie and Mildred, now live in Quinsigamond. Florence is married to James Connor and lives in Millbury.
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In 1934, Harold Eaton married Carolyn Stowe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Stowe of Millbury. Two sons were born to them here: Lynwood in 1935 and Bradley in 1939. Mr. Eaton is one of the most successful dairy farmers in town.
Sidney Hutchinson's house on Burbank Road, next to the corner lot on Boston Road, was built in 1931. He had married Beulah Smith of Philipston, in 1912, and had worked as foundry foreman at Reed and Prince Co. before coming to Sutton. He built his house on land purchased from his father. He went into the business of carpentry as builder and contractor, being well-known for his fine work. He served on the building committee of the Memorial School until his death in 1950. The Sydney Hutchinsons had one son Raymond, born in 1917. He married Mildred J. Aldrich in 1948.
HOME OF SIDNEY HUTCHINSON
Directly across the street from the Sidney Hutchinson home, is the new house of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hutchinson, built on land purchased from Nelson R. Gerber. They have two children: Carl Ray, born 1949, and Paula Ann, born in 1950. Mrs. Hutchinson had worked for several years, previous to her marriage, as Welfare Department Social Investigator for the Town of Sutton. Mr. Hutch- inson is a contractor and builder. He served three years in World War II; first in the Army, then in the Air Corps. He was a pilot with rank of 1st. Lieutenant and saw action in the European Theatre.
The house on the left of Wedge Road, beyond the Howard Cemetery, was owned by John Cronin. Mr. Cronin was a stone mason and he did a great deal
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to improve the walls on the place. In 1892, an epidemic of diphtheria carried off all the six children who were at home at the time it broke out; four died in one week. Because of the tragedy, Mr. and Mrs. Cronin sold the property and bought a farm in Grafton where they lived for several years.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lovely became the next owners in 1893. Mr. Lovely car- ried on the farm in connection with a poultry business. He added the Coogan farm to his holdings about 1929, tearing down the house and barn and using the land for farming. The Lovelys had one daughter Beatrice, born in 1905. She married Earl Sanger. In 1928, the Sangers bought the place and continued to live there with Mr. and Mrs. Lovely. The Sangers originated and operate Eastern Bridge Supply Co. of Worcester. In 1948, they sold the farm property to Dr. Charles Manganelli of Whitinsville.
Dr. Manganelli had been a Major in the Medical Corps from 1941-1946, serving with Americal in the First Unit at Guadalcanal. His wife is also a physician, a specialist in Mental Diseases. She was Dr. Flora Remillard and form- erly Senior Physician at Danvers State Hospital. At present, Dr. Charles Mangan- elli is physician in Whitinsville and Dr. Flora Manganelli examines babies for adoption for Catholic charities of the Worcester Diocese. The Manganellis have six children: Charles, born 1941; Paul and Paula, twins, born 1945; Louise, born 1946; John, born 1947 and Marie, born 1948. They make their home both in Whitinsville and in Sutton.
The Coogan house, which stood next to the Cronin house, was owned in 1876 by Michael Coogan. He sold to Peter Simpson and moved to Millbury in 1886. Samuel N. Rogers was the next owner, who sold to Fred S. Smith. Mr. Smith repaired the house and had various tenants for several years. In 1909, it passed to Sutcliff and Windle; after them to Prov. Drapery Rod Co. and then to Peter Lovely, who tore down the buildings. After Mrs. Sanger bought the property, she made here an attractive formal flower garden.
Southeast on Wedge Road is the former Whitcomb farm. In the early 1870's, Bainbridge A. Whitcomb, at that time, running a retail and two wholesale men's furnishing stores in Providence, was warned by his doctor, that unless he dropped business and got into the country, his stay on earth was limited. In his search for a country home, he found, among other places, the Dr. John D. Brigham farm.
In the meantime, two mining experts, Dr. Carpenter, a geologist and Thomas Ralph, a practical miner from Australia, located a ledge in Sutton, crossing the Brigham farm east and west, supposed to be rich in gold. Mr. Whitcomb, having sold his three stores in Providence, was in a frame of mind to try mining and this was the deciding factor in his purchase of the Brigham farm. "The mine to be" was only a side issue and he started at once building a fine mansion on the hill and a very large barn on the road below. The Brigham house and barns he moved across the road, connecting the barn with the new one and making tie-ups for one hundred cows and eight horses. Everything was done on a big scale and for several years the farm employed a dozen men the year round, largely Nova Scotians and Rhode Islanders. The Brigham dwelling housed the boss farmer and the farm hands. The stock on the farm consisted of one hundred or more cows, three or four hundred hens and about five hundred pigs. Mr.
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Whitcomb sold milk, cream and eggs in Providence, shipping by express from Wilkinsonville.
The farmhouse adjoining the barns caught fire in 1886, at nine o'clock in the morning, and the house and both large barns were destroyed; the barns were never rebuilt by Mr. Whitcomb. No cattle or livestock were in the barns at the time of the fire. Later, Mr. Whitcomb used the numerous sheds on the place for sheep and had about two hundred for a few years. He had a large orchard just coming into bearing, at the time of the fire; six acres of peach trees, fifteen hundred pear and twenty-five hundred apple trees. The mansion was struck by lightning in 1890 with little apparent damage, but the next year the house burned, fire starting near the roof from what was supposed to be a defective chimney.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitcomb had two sons, Marcus and Bainbridge A. Marcus Whitcomb's children are Bainbridge G. and Gertrude (Mrs. John Gregory). Bainbridge A. Whitcomb married Mary A. Batcheller of Sutton. Their children are Dorothy (Mrs. A. C. Green), Natalie (Mrs. R. H. Parkhurst ) and Muriel.
The place was sold to Robert Northridge of Worcester. In 1894, Northridge sold to John Moe of Worcester, who built a cottage on the site of the Whitcomb mansion and a cement-walled barn on the same location as the one hundred foot-barn of Mr. Whitcomb. The Moe children were Annie, Gustave, Ellen, Arthur and Philip. Philip was married to Signe Olson of Worcester in 1908, and Arthur married Olga Johnson. In 1923, John Moe leased the place to these two brothers, but, in 1926, Arthur bought the Hoyle place in Sutton Center and Philip bought this farm. The Philip Moe children were: Phyllis, born 1909, married and living away; Laura, born 1910, married to William Fulton and still living in Sutton; Doris, born 1913, married and living in Millbury; Edna, born 1915, living away; Arthur, born 1916, living in Providence; Gladys, 1917, who died in infancy; Olive, born 1919, working in Framingham; Warren, born 1922, living in Worcester and Donald, born 1928.
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