USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 44
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For many years, the Moes sawed hoops for White, Peavy and Dexter Co. Later, they set out large apple orchards. In 1938, Philip Moe died and his widow and son Donald went to Millbury to live. Arthur V. is a veteran of World War II. Donald served two years in the Army, much of which time he was in Korea.
In 1942, the place was sold to Edward Karolkewicz of Worcester. He had two places of business in Worcester; Karolkewicz Insurance Agency and Karol- kewicz Funeral Home. There were two children, Valerie and Raymond. In 1946, the family came to the farm to live. Mr. Karolkewicz died very suddenly just a few months later, although only thirty-eight years old. His widow lives here and continues to operate the two business firms.
For many years the house recently occupied by Everett Minor was known as the "Plain House." It is situated on Burnap Road, near the south end of the Pleasant Valley Dam. This was the property of F. B. Smith.
Many families have lived there over the years. One of the first was that of Jerry Demars, who had eighteen children, including three pairs of twins. Among others were: Jewett Bassett, who was well known for his skill as an angler; the Clarence Hamilton family, who later moved to Douglas; George Dane and Tim- othy Waugh and family, who started for California in a one-horse carryall, and were later in the news, halfway to their destination.
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HISTORY of SUTTON
Hagop H. Malkasian bought the property, in 1913. He raised the roof of the house to make two stories and enlarged the building to accommodate more per- sons. It passed to H. A. Taylor, in 1935, and was occupied for a few years by Everett Minor.
Many years ago, the little village, Pleasant Valley, at the end of Pleasant Valley Road, off Worcester-Providence Pike and now owned by Herbert Taylor, was given this appropriate name. Nestled among the tall pines, was a mill, a barn, a mansion and a few tenement houses. Only the purr of the machinery and the splashing of the water over the wheel disturbed its peaceful tranquility.
In 1876, Frederick B. Smith owned the village, lived there with his family and operated the flocks and shoddy business. Mrs. Smith died in 1878 and Mr. Smith in 1882, leaving two sons: Fred S. aged 16, and Walter E., aged 14.
After the death of Fred B., in 1882, the mill was operated as "F. B. Smith's Estate," by the Administrators, D. S. and A. W. Southwick, until 1889. In that year, Fred S. bought W. E. Smith's interest and carried on as F. S. Smith until 1910. In 1885, the 'mill had burned with no insurance. It was rebuilt and was running again the following year. In 1887, an addition was constructed, and a two-story storehouse eighty-two feet by forty-four feet erected in 1892. In 1893, a new boiler was added at a cost of $3,000 and the Clark Reservoir Dam had to be rebuilt at a cost of $4,000.
Fred S. Smith married J. Tyla Holbrook in 1887 and their children were all born in the village, except the youngest.
Fred H. 1888, married Florence Smith and now lives in Oxford; Walter A. 1890, died in 1909; Channing W. 1892, married Ethel M. Trussell; Marian T. 1894, unmarried; Wilder S. 1896, married Gladys Johnson and now lives in Auburn; Flora L. 1899, unmarried; Daniel S. 1903, married Evelyn H. Free- land; Ellery B. 1905, married Faith A. Freeland; James A. 1907, married J. Belle Putnam and Jane H. 1910-died in 1912.
Walter E., brother of Fred S., married Lucy Stockwell and moved to Grafton. They had two daughters: Florence and Marjorie.
In 1910, H. O. Sutcliffe and A. D. Windle bought Pleasant Valley and the Coogan Mill Property. They installed heavy scouring machinery and ran the mill until 1912, when the mill and storehouse burned and were not rebuilt. One house was torn down and the barn was increased to double its former size.
In 1913, the Providence Drapery Rod Co. bought the property, and built a two-story brick mill, equipped for making round drapery and curtain rods. This business was very successful for several years. The flood of 1927 washed away the dam and it was never rebuilt. This, of course, wrecked the water power. Hagop Malkasian, the agent, had made many improvements on the place. He changed the "Plain House" into two apartments and repaired the other buildings. He also planted apple trees on twenty acres of the land near the "Plain House."
Mr. Malkasian died in 1932. The property was bought by H. A. Taylor of Millbury. He converted the mill into a large apple storage plant using electricity for power, and brought his trucking business down from Millbury, to Pleasant Valley.
His freight terminal here included a 60- car garage and office and the business was extensive. Mr. Taylor has since retired and has rented his storage and ter- minal to different companies,
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HOMES of SUTTON
One of the houses in the village was made into a poultry building and the other into a two-apartment unit. The Edward Colbeck family occupied one apartment. There are five Colbeck children: Kenneth, Edward, Richard, Ray- mond and Marilyn. Mr. Colbeck is a truck driver. Charles Kenzierski occupies the other, with his wife and children, Carol and Constance. He, too, is a truck driver.
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Taylor occupy a part of the former Fred Smith house and the other apartment has been rented to different families. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Taylor have lived there, Mr. and Mrs. George Dane, and son Francis, who served in World War II and the present occupants are Hilding Anderson whose children are David, Linda and Sandra.
Many people who have lived in Pleasant Valley are surprised at the changes they find when they make a visit there. The new Providence-Worcester Turnpike, Route 146, now runs behind the barn. Its traffic has taken away the peaceful quiet. The pines have gone, the water-wheel has gone and we hunt in vain for the old spring in the pasture. Progress has brought many changes to Pleasant Valley.
WILKINSONVILLE DISTRICT, No. 12
WOODBURYVILLE
M ANY years ago, this little village of Woodburyville, named for the owner of the mill, was affectionately called, "Petite Poche." (They pronounced it "chit-posh.") That is exactly what it was, a little pocket with its own mill, water power, homes, cows, hens, gardens and sometimes a little store. It was almost completely surrounded by woods, a little pocket, full of satisfied residents.
The first house on the south side of Boston Road, at the intersection of But- tonwood Avenue, is owned and occupied by Grace Townsend and her son, Richard. It has been given the name "Hickory House" by the Townsend family because of the delicious nuts borne each year by the tree in the yard.
From its construction, with wooden pins, the house is believed to have been built in the early days of manufacturing in Woodburyville. It is very near Wood- bury Pond and, until recently, the old blacksmith shop was also still standing at the water's edge.
When Theodore Chase owned the mill this house was occupied by James Washburn and family. He died in 1909. In 1912 it was owned by May B. Wash- burn. Later owners were Philip Bordeaux, C. T. Sherer and George Plouffe, who sold the house and land to Fred Cressey in 1921. Mr. Cressey built a barn and made other improvements.
In 1926 Mr. Cressey sold the property to James and Grace Townsend. Mr. Townsend suffered from sleeping sickness and died in 1927. There were three Townsend children: Richard born in 1919, David in 1921 and Sarah in 1922. Richard still lives at home and is employed in Worcester. David was killed in 1941 when he slipped off the runway while he was helping store Miller's ice. He fell on the rocks below the dam and injured his head. Sarah was married to Dr. John Soloperto and has three children, James, Jane and John. She is now living in Millbury where her husband is a dentist. The Townsends have made many improvements to the house.
Mrs. Townsend has taught in the Sutton schools for many years. She has keen artistic ability and has also given book reviews before clubs in Sutton and sur- rounding towns.
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HOMES of SUTTON
The Miller house is situated on the northeast corner of the intersection of Bos- ton Road and Buttonwood Avenue. It is reported that this house was once a boarding-house and a part of the Woodburyville mill property. Elias Crawford sold the place to Susetta Aldrich in 1890, who, in turn, sold to Theodore Chase. Later J. Blumenthal came into possession and after him Darmon and Mactaz. The last named sold the place to Charles Miller, Sr., in 1914.
Mr. Miller manufactured batts in the old Chase mill and also had an ice busi- ness. He built an icehouse in the mill yard and stored his crop by an ingenious succession of runs so that most of the ice was pushed under the bridge and deliv- ered into the icehouse by gravity from Woodbury pond. Ice was harvested for 33 years in this manner.
In 1927 a flood completely demolished the icehouse but Mr. Miller rebuilt the structure. He did a large wholesale business and his retail delivery once num- bered 227 customers in the vicinity. Charles Miller, Sr. died in 1934 and after- wards Mrs. Miller, Sr. and Charles Miller, Jr. carried on the business.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller, Sr. had two children: Charles, Jr., who married Sarah A. Judson in 1926 and Doris, who was a graduate of Becker's Business College, and later married George Cogswell. She died in Gardner in 1948. There were three Cogswell children: George F., Jr., Grace H. and Carol E.
Charles Miller, Sr. improved the house, adding a porch and new windows. Extensive repairs have been made recently, and the property is now owned by Charles Jr. and Sarah A. Miller.
Going east on Boston Road, the next house beyond Miller's was long known as the Lyman Pratt house. Vol. I of the Sutton History tells us that two Putnam sisters, Susan and Matilda, built the house and another sister, Mrs. Otis Pratt, lived there with her son, Lyman. The property came to Lizzie Putnam Pratt, sister of Lyman, from their aunt, and brother and sister lived there many years. Lyman Beecher Pratt, named for the father of Henry Ward Beecher, was, by trade, a painter and paper hanger. He was also a musician and played the fife and violin. He was much in demand for home dances, and a neighbor, who knew him well, said Lyman was driven to break a string on his "fiddle," now and then, to get a chance to rest during a dance.
He invented a mouthpiece for the fife which made it much easier to play for long periods. The neighbor said that the sister was nervous and could not endure the practicing and Lyman would go into the woods and play, incidentally com- posing original tunes.
He also had a store in the John Peter Stockwell gristmill building, just over the bridge towards Sutton Centre.
After Lyman's death the house was bought by Theodore Chase from the Town of Sutton. He sold it to a Mr. Hastings who worked for him. Mr. Hastings tore down a part of the house, including the kitchen, bedroom and shed, leaving eight rooms; one, unfinished. He cut down a huge pine tree which grew in the front yard and used the lumber to make clapboards and shingles sufficient to cover the house, sides and roof. The clapboards have since been covered with a new kind of shingles, put on by Charles Tebo, Sr.
Mr. Hastings had a bad fall off the roof and shortly afterward gave the house to his brother and his wife, Dr. and Mrs. Judson W. Hastings of Agawam. They sold the property to Mr. Charles Tebo, Sr. in 1910. He and his wife, who was
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HISTORY of SUTTON
Malvina Morris, occupied the property until Mr. Tebo's death, in 1951. Mrs. Tebo still lives there.
The Tebos have made radical changes in the house, making two tenements; the upper one with three rooms besides bath and kitchen and the lower tenement, four rooms and bath. They added an outside stairway and, in 1925, a front porch.
A daughter, Mrs. Robert Nelson, and her husband occupy the upper tenement. There are four Tebo children: Charles, Jr., born in 1902, married Elizabeth Molloy from Newfoundland; Esther, 1907, married George Westra and went to Cranston, R. I .; Lawrence, 1910, married Mary Lavin, a trained nurse; Hazel, 1914, married Robert Nelson.
Mr. Tebo, now deceased, formerly operated the Sutton Spindle Co. with his youngest son, Lawrence, who now carries on the business.
Going east on Boston Road, beyond the home of Chas. Tebo, one may see a cellar hole and a part of a hydrant. When Elias Crawford sold the Woodbury- ville mill, about 1890, to Susetta B. Aldrich of Cordaville, Massachusetts, her husband, Charles T. Aldrich, built a mansion on this spot. It was a beautiful home. He built a barn, also, and put a large tank on the second floor. From the mill he pumped water into this tank and piped it to most of the village houses. This tank also provided fire protection. Mrs. Aldrich owned the property and her husband, Mr. Aldrich, operated the Woodburyville mill and lived in the mansion with his family.
After Mr. Aldrich left, Theodore Chase bought the house. Several families lived here, including a Dalrymple family from Worcester, also J. Fred Humes and family and finally a Mr. Gaige of Worcester, who bought and occupied the house. In 1913 the mansion and barn were completely destroyed by fire; a great loss to the Gaige family. Charles Tebo now owns the site.
Almost opposite the Bassett House, on Boston Road, in Woodburyville, is the two-tenement house owned and occupied by David Tebo and his wife, Regina Morris Tebo.
It was built by Charles T. Aldrich on a strip of land bought from Mary W. Dudley by Mrs. Susetta Aldrich, wife of Charles T. Aldrich, in 1891. The build- ing was intended for homes of the employees in the Asa Woodbury mill. In 1907 Mrs. Aldrich sold the place to Henry A. Young of Worcester. She, mean- time, moved to Winthrop, Massachusetts.
Mr. Young was a millwright and was employed by Graton and Knight Co. of Worcester. He lived in this house for four years with his parents and, during his stay, made some improvements, including an extension which added a new kitchen to each of the tenements.
In 1911 the Tebos bought the property and have lived there since. Mr. Tebo was formerly employed by the D. T. Dudley Co. and is now retired. The Tebos had one son, David Jr., who died in Woonsocket. Mrs. Tebo has, for years, grown beautiful plants which are a joy to behold.
Among families who have lived in the other tenement are James Featherstone, David Lynch, Jr., Albertus Going, Joseph Minor, George Dennis, John Tebo, Jr., and their families.
East of the site of the Aldrich mansion is what was long known as the "Brick Bottom" or the "Bassett House." In this house, around 1860, lived Mr. and Mrs. David Waters and their son David.
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HOMES of SUTTON
The elder David was a stone mason, a carefree, rather eccentric man, who, in the course of his work, used to split underpinning slabs from large boulders or out-cropping ledges.
It is related that he used to erect an old barn door, at the scene of his work, as a protection from the sun but with a happy disregard of position, so that it often failed of its sun-protection purpose.
Mrs. Waters was a native of Ireland. The son David was employed at the trip- hammer shop in Marble Village, and was killed by the exploding of a grinding stone.
In 1876 this place was owned by Asa Waters of Millbury, and for years was occupied by many families that were connected with the Woodburyville mill. About 1890 Mrs. Susetta Aldrich bought the house, Theodore Chase owned it in 1902, Floretta Chase in 1905, and Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Paine from Providence bought the property about 1913. After Mr. Paine's death in 1924 Mrs. Rose Paine lived here until her death in 1931 with her two grandchildren, Catherine and Lester Paine; also Albert Metcalf, who worked for H. H. Malkasian for a time, after which he raised poultry and had a milk route. At his death, the heirs of Mrs. Rose Paine made the house into two attractive tenements and they still own the property.
Woodburyville ends at the intersection of Old Stone and Boston Roads.
At the intersection of Bashaw and Old Stone Roads is Bonniebrae, the home of Alice M. Holbrook. This Cape Cod cottage was built, in 1940, by John C. Dudley on a corner of his farm, which has been in the Dudley family since 1766.
HOME OF MISS ALICE M. HOLBROOK
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HISTORY of SUTTON
Miss Holbrook had made her home in Sutton Center until she went to Welles- ley College, and came here on her retirement, in 1940. She had taught over thirty years in the Philadelphia High School for Girls and had been Head of the De- partment of Mathematics. Upon her return to Sutton, she assisted in the editing of the Town History and has devoted much of her time to this project.
The home of Wm. and Lois Taft, on Boston Road, was named "Juniper Knoll" because of the trees of that species beside the house. John C. Dudley built the house in 1950 and 1951, and sold the property to the Tafts in Novem- ber, 1951. They had previously lived in the Leland Hill District of Sutton.
Mr. Taft is Assistant Foreman at the Paul Whitin Co. in Rockdale.
There are two children, Nancy, 1933 who is the wife of Henry Hickory, World War II veteran. They have one child, Wm. Joseph, and live in Shrewsbury.
Margaret, born in 1945 lives at Juniper Knoll with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Taft.
Continuing on Boston Road, next beyond the Taft house, you may find the Woodcome home. This house was built by John C. Dudley on land formerly owned by John L. Dudley of New York, and Arthur and Arlene Woodcome came into possession in August 1948.
Mr. Woodcome is a machinist by trade. He served in the Navy many months after buying the property, and was discharged in 1951. Since his return from service he has already enlarged the home and greatly improved the grounds.
The Woodcomes have two children, Susan Hough Woodcome, born Oct. 5, 1948, and Lawrence, born July 5, 1950.
The house owned and occupied by the Hector Auger family is at the corner of Holbrook Lane and Boston Road. The house was built by John C. Dudley, in 1947, on land owned by Mr. Dudley.
Hector Auger, auto mechanic, bought the property March 8, 1948. Mr. Auger is a veteran of World War II, being a Staff Sergeant in the Army. Mrs. Auger, the former Cecelia Hisoire, is a graduate nurse, and received her training at St. Vincent's Hospital.
They have two children: Sandra, 1948, and Donald, 1952.
On Boston Road, next beyond Holbrook Lane, is the home of Bernard and Olive Chase. This property was once owned by John L. Dudley who sold several acres to Dudley and Merrill. This tract was bought by Arthur and Agnes Dumas in 1924. They built the modern home and lived there with their two sons, Arthur and Gilbert. Both boys saw service in World War II. Gilbert is married and liv- ing in Worcester and has two boys. Arthur is unmarried and living with his par- ents in Millbury.
In July 1943 Bernard and Olive Chase bought the Dumas house where they now live with their two sons: Bernard A., Jr., 1940 and Robert F. 1943.
Mr. Chase is a mechanic and has a garage beside his house, on a lot he pur- chased from Joseph A. Minor, Aug. 27, 1947.
The next house on the left, on Boston Road, is owned and occupied by Her- bert W. and Eleanor Pierce.
They came into possession of the land in 1950, from J. W. Small. It was previously owned by Joseph Minor, who bought the property from Dudley and Merrill. The Pierces have named it "Oak Terrace."
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HOMES of SUTTON
Herbert Pierce married Eleanor Small in 1946 and they have had one child, Cynthia Ann, born in 1948 and died at the age of five and one half months.
The cottage type house in which the Pierces live is owner built, a comfortable and attractive home, completed in 1951. Mr. Pierce is a press operator at the Millbury Machine Co. Mrs. Pierce is interested in floriculture and has one plant that belonged to her great-grandmother. It is still thriving, although 87 years old. On Boston Road, next above Champ's Inn, what was formerly known as the "Old Ball Ground," a tract of several acres, is now owned by Joseph F. Beau- doin. He acquired this property from the Joseph Shambo Estate, June 4, 1923.
Mr. Beaudoin cleared a large part of the land and built the house by his own efforts. He has since sold a third of an acre to Mrs. Margaret Bowman for a building site, and a building lot to Clarence Chase.
Mr. Beaudoin raises strawberries and vegetables and does general work. He lives alone.
The house almost opposite Champ's Inn on Boston Road is owned and occu- pied by Mrs. Eva Bushey. Vol. I of the Town History tells us that Edward Anderson lived there in 1876. It was then owned by John Anderson, his brother. Subsequently, it was owned by Sumner Dudley, of Taunton, son of Tyler Dud- ley. The story goes that Tyler Dudley brought a part of the Sullivan Newton House at Hall's Corner over to this lot and that three rooms were thus added to the dwelling.
In 1939, there was an auction of the Sumner Dudley property and the house was bought by Roland Ross. In 1942, Mrs. Eva Bushey became owner of the property. She and her husband, Francis, had gone there to live in 1919. Mr. Bushey was employed by the D. T. Dudley Co.
The house has been greatly improved by the Bushey family. All the ceilings and fixtures were renewed and the roof and side walls were shingled.
Rose, 1918, the daughter, was married to John Mooskian. They have a daugh- ter, Charlene.
Edward Witofsky lives at the Bushey Home.
The Ernest Chase house is on Boston Road at Gendron Square between the Wilson and Sumner Dudley houses. It has been called the "Woodburn" House for many years and later the "Gauvin" House. It is a two-story building with a porch on the upper floor and an outside stairway.
A man named Hapgood built it about 1870 and sold it to Whiting Fisher. He, in turn, sold to George Woodburn Sr., who lived upstairs for many years and whose son, George, Jr., occupied the lower tenement. A daughter, Jennie Wood- burn, married a man named Peloquin. George Jr. had two sons George and Robert. William, son of Robert, lives in Fisherville and is a musician.
Miss Nellie McKenna owned the property about 1911 and in 1921 Louis Gauvin bought it. There were two Gauvin children, Louise, who married George Chadwick and Louis Gauvin Jr., who married Eva Gendron. The son's family lived in the lower tenement for a time before he died in August 1940.
Mrs. Chadwick's husband died and she came to live with her father. There are two Chadwick children: Marjorie, who married Armand LaPlante and Eileen, who married Wilfred Benoit. The Benoits have lived in the lower tenement and also Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Small.
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HISTORY of SUTTON
Mrs. Gauvin died in 1936 and Mr. Gauvin in 1950. Mr. Gauvin was a very loyal citizen and served the town as Constable for many years. He was public- spirited and interested at all times in the Welfare of his community.
In 1950, Ernest and Jessica Chase bought the home from the Gauvin Estate and live upstairs. The lower apartment is rented to a family named LaFlash.
The Wilson House is at the intersection of Hartness Road and Boston Road, near Gendron Square. The house itself sets back from the street with the garage near the travelled way. It is a two-apartment house owned by Mrs. Dorothy Webster. It was built by Whiting Fisher and Mr. Fisher sold the house and a part of the land to Robert Wilson in 1871. Mr. Wilson afterwards added to the house-lot by purchasing some of Sullivan Newton's land. Wm. T. Wilson came into possession at his father's death, in 1900. Mr. Wilson lived here 76 years and made many improvements while he was the owner.
In 1902 he married Mary Carter Watson. She brought her daughter, Dorothy Watson, to live in the home. In 1923, Dorothy Watson Wilson married Wesley C. Webster, an attorney, in Whitinsville. In 1947 Mrs. Dorothy Webster came into possession of the property. The house was made into two modern, heated, apartments in 1949, and has been rented to a number of different families since that time. The present tenants are Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Leighton and daughter, Susan and Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Ewell.
This two-tenement dwelling on Boston Road is almost opposite the Wilkinson- ville School. It is the only brick house in the village, was built in 1836, and is of very sturdy construction. In 1876 it was owned by John L. Dudley of New York. Later the son, John L. Dudley, Jr., came into possession. In 1916 Joseph A. Minor bought the property from Maria Garcia Dudley, wife of John L. Dudley, Jr., Joseph Minor is a farmer and competent wood chopper. Mrs. Minor died in 1918. There are three Minor children: Evelyn, wife of Edward Gendron, Ernest, who married Gabrielle Corbeil and Lena, who married Asa Stratton, and has a son William Vasalofsky by a previous marriage.
In 1945 Edward J. and Evelyn M. Gendron bought the place.
This house was occupied for many years by the Welcome Arnold family. Later both tenements were used by Samuel H. and C. Henry Arnold and their families. These men served as Postmasters in Wilkinsonville and conducted the general store in the center of the village.
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