USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 45
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At present, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gendron live in the lower part of the house with Joseph Minor. The upper part has been rented by many families over the years; among them the Louis Gauvin, James Small, Clarence Gendron, and Stratton families.
At the intersection of Hartness and Boston Roads at Gendron Square is a house, on terraces, now owned and occupied by Roscoe and Lois Fisher.
Built in 1836, by a Mr. Hapgood, it still has the characteristics of a house of that period. Eight large rooms, four on each floor, with a wide staircase opposite the front door and a small finished room in the attic for storage or perhaps, the maid, comprised the living space for one family. A medium sized barn, with stalls for four horses and two carriages and a large connecting shed for fuel, etc., completed the buildings.
Surrounding the yard is a white picket fence with two gates, one for the front walk and a double gate for the horse-drawn vehicles.
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HENRY L. GENDRON SQ. VETERAN WORLD WAR II
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HENRY L. GENDRON SQUARE
After Mr. Hapgood, Mr. Sullivan Newton came into possession and he, in turn, sold the property to Capt. Hugh E. Boyd, in 1877. Captain Boyd, a Veteran of the Civil War had five children: Martha, who married George Wilson, Susan who married Sumner Dudley, Eliza and Sarah both unmarried and Joseph, un- married, a Veteran of the Spanish War. Capt. Boyd and his family lived here for a long time, Miss Eliza having this for her home for 45 years. At her death, Mrs. Eliza Bruton, daughter of Mrs. Martha Wilson, sold the property to Daniel S. Smith, in 1935. Mr. Smith and his wife, Evelyn, and their family, lived here until 1939 when they moved to the Eustace Bashaw Place. They had added some modern improvements. Roscoe and Lois Fisher rented this house until June 1945 when they bought the property and named it "Hurricane House."
Mr. Fisher is local sales and service representative for Bostitch, the World's largest manufacturers and distributors of wire stapling and stitching equipment. He has been a member of the Board of Public Welfare in Sutton for several years and is a charter member of the Fire Dept. His father, Rev. Oren Dennis Fisher, was Pastor of the Sutton Congregational Church for several years.
Mrs. Fisher is a writer of outstanding ability. Before her marriage, she pub- lished a book of poems, "Kiss O'Hollow Hours," and has continued this type of literature since that time.
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There are four Fisher children: Cynthia Lois, 1934, Roscoe Danforth Jr., 1932, Charmion Roxanne, 1930, Dennis Lombard, 1945.
The building, called "The Laundry Block," is on Boston Road opposite the Wilkinsonville Schoolhouse. Years ago, the part toward the north was a store.
About 1876, Fred C. Dudley operated this business, then A. P. Dyer and later, Louis Hall sold groceries and dry goods there.
Mr. Dyer built additions to the building and with Mr. Edward Dudley, con- ducted a grain business. After an auction, in 1891, the rooms upstairs were added by Dyer and Dudley. The section between the store and the main building has been used for various purposes. At one time it housed the Wilkinsonville Library and has been used for storage and, at times, for a garage.
When Eugene Bryant bought the property he started a laundry in the large room downstairs and continued for several years. He and his family lived in the apartment upstairs. He made many improvements, including a glassed-in porch on the second floor.
Mr. and Mrs. Emil Schellschmidt lived there in 1927 and their daughter Bar- bara was born there. The property was later sold to Harry Dustin and then to Emil Schellschmidt, in 1941. He made a great many changes and entirely re- modelled the building, making two apartments on the second floor, one large one on the ground floor and a barber shop and two tenements in what was formerly the mangle room of the laundry.
The tenants, at present, are Mr. and Mrs. Dexter Fitzgerald and son, Michael, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dufresne and son Christopher, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Flana- gan and five children: Joyce Ann, born Oct. 3, 1935, John Francis, April 4, 1937, Wm. Joseph, April 22, 1939, Elizabeth, Mar. 26, 1940 and Francis Ed- ward, Aug. 18, 1941. Mr. Flanagan is instructor of languages in Sutton High School and Mrs. Flanagan is the Sutton School nurse. The proprietor of the Barber Shop is Norair Ajamian.
This house, next to the Wilkinsonville School on Boston Road, is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Louis F. Rock. Mr. Rock has been employed by the D. T. Dud- ley Company for many years and Mrs. Rock, who was Rosanna Beaudry, always has a large garden of lovely flowers during the summer.
The house was built by VanBuren Dorr and belonged to the Sullivan Newton estate. In 1893 Joseph Rock bought the property at auction and lived here until his death. He improved the property and at a later auction of Joseph Rock's estate, in 1917, it was bought by the present owner, Louis Rock, who has con- tinued the improvement of the house.
There is a basement room with large windows and a door, opening close to the street. This room has been used at different times as a barber shop, poolroom, a meat market, a schoolroom for the lowest grades and a U. S. postoffice.
In the rear of the house is a small building, moved over from Pleasant Valley, put there for a jail but seldom used. An unusually large water supply is a great addition to this property.
Two boys went from this home into service in World War II. David, born in 1920, who went into the Navy, and Theodore, born in 1923, son of Arthur Rock, was in the Amphibious Forces.
The Nehemiah Chase place, across the Blackstone river above Pleasant Falls, on Chase Road, is now owned by George Bedrosian. It passed to Levi Chase and
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then to Delia, Mrs. Walter Chase. In 1898, she sold it to Silas and Joseph Bal- lard of Millbury, who operated the place as a dairy farm. The Joseph Ballard children were: Homer, born in Northbridge; Charles, born here in 1899; Exilda, born here in 1904 and Bernadette, born here in 1906. They are all married and live in Millbury. The mother died in 1918 and very soon afterwards, they sold the place to Henry Kimball and went to Millbury to live. In 1923, Mr. Kimball sold it to Krekor Der Bedrosian (George Bedrosian). The Bedrosians were na- tives of Armenia with one daughter Rose, born in Armenia and son Azariah, born in Lynn. Vaitkis was born here in 1923 and Paul in 1926. Rose is married to Hagop Nersessian and lives in Worcester.
Azariah received his B.A. degree from Clark University and also studied at Syracuse University. He had completed two years in Harvard Law School when a physical condition, which developed while in the Air Corps during World War II, returned and caused his death in 1947. Vaitkis is the present operator of the farm. He has also done a great deal of work, both in Extension Service and with 4-H Club work. Paul served three and a half years with the Navy in the Pacific and now works here at the farm. In 1930, a very severe fire occurred, burning the barn flat and the cows and other stock in the barn, as well. Half the house was also destroyed. A new barn was erected and the house renovated.
What is now known as Deerhill Farm and owned by Louis J. Boria and fam- ily, was formerly the Abraham Chase place, on the hill above Pleasant Falls, on Chase Road. It remained in the possession of the Chase family for some years. In 1898, Merick Cowden of Worcester purchased the property, operated the farm as a dairy and also used it as a show place with fancy horses and a herd of deer.
In 1906, he sold the farm to William C. McFarland, who was originally from the Leland Hill district. He had married and was living in Grafton. The Mc- Farlands had one daughter Florence, who died here in 1909 at the age of four. In 1910, they had another daughter Hope. Mr. McFarland conducted a dairy business here. In the winter of 1908, he met with a very bad accident, he and his milk wagon, being struck by a train at the Wilkinsonville station; he remained partially crippled from it the rest of his life, which was sixteen years. In 1911, he sold the place to H. A. Taylor and went to live in Millbury. Six months later, Taylor sold to Barney Dworman, and in 1923, he, in turn, sold to Louis J. Boria.
Mr. Boria has a large fruit and vegetable route which he covers in Worcester, five days a week. His son Henry carries on a dairy business here. The Borias came from Worcester with three children, Henry, Helen and Thomas. Freda was born here in 1926. Henry was married in 1946 to Tefta C. Joseph of Brockton. Their children are Donald, born 1949 and Janice, born 1950. Helen lives at home and works in Worcester. Thomas is a Veterinarian, serving a large area in southern Worcester County. He owns the Adams farm in Millbury, lives there and also maintains an animal hospital. Freda is married to Alex Pappas, a builder and contractor in Auburn. In the 1938 hurricane, the fine horse barn was destroyed. In 1946, the Borias took down the cow barn and built a new one hundred twenty foot cow barn.
A daughter, Mary Louisa, of Abraham Chase's was married, in 1851, to Ransom C. Taylor, who became one of Worcester's most successful real estate owners. Their children, Forrest W. and Agnes (Mrs. Harry P. Davis), have been frequent visitors at this place all through the years. When Forrest W. Taylor
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HISTORY of SUTTON
died in 1951, he willed two and a half million in reality to Worcester Polytech- nic Institute. Agnes, now over ninety, still comes to visit. She is the widow of Harry P. Davis, pioneer and inventor of radio devices, a former Vice President of National Broadcasting Company. Her son, Harry R. Davis, is an important realtor in Worcester.
On Chase Road, leading to Deerhill Farm, near Pleasant Falls, is the plant of Snyder Bros. Inc., dealers in meat. In June of 1945, they purchased twelve acres of land from DeFalco Bros. and the building was erected there in 1948. Jack M. Snyder is the president.
The area on Providence Road, where the Mulcahy house used to stand, and the entire stretch of land west to the Millbury Line has been opened and de- veloped for sand and gravel. It was first worked by Ralph Streeter, a contractor of Worcester. He took out gravel in horse-drawn wagons and had a small stone crusher there. In 1925, Thomas DeFalco bought the property and has steadily en- larged the business. As DeFalco Concrete Inc., they have their own railroad siding, and have equipment for washing, crushing and sorting. They maintain nine transit mixers and five trucks and their business is still increasing.
The steep hill behind Young's Poultry Farm has yielded a large amount of sand. It was first opened by John Braney in 1901, then sold, some years later, to Martin J. Roach of Millbury, who developed it very much more, installing con- siderable machinery. At Mr. Roach's death, in 1947, the business was sold to B. N. T. Sand and Gravel Co., who are still operating it.
In the area between Providence and Chase Roads, there was, for many years, a large old-fashioned dwelling, commonly known as the "Yellow House" or the "John Young House," named for the color of the paint and for one of its last owners. This house was a landmark in the vicinity on account of its bright color. Inside, it had nine rooms, seven fireplaces and a fifteen-foot chimney base. The eight by eight beams, the sills, rafters and laths were all hand-hewn chestnut and huge wooden pins fastened the beams together. The inside finish was of pine as were the floor boards and some of those were twenty-eight inches wide. It is said that Solomon Whipple built the house and it was later owned by the Sutton Manufacturing Co. John Young bought the place sometime later and lived there with his family fifty-four years. The children were Fred, David, unmarried, Annie, deceased, Sadie and Eliza (deceased). Fred married Eva Hunt and they lived in this house for a time. They have a daughter Barbara, who lives in Elmonte, California. Sadie married William Bannister and went to Springfield, Mass. John Young worked in Whitinsville and walked the distance to and from the shop there each day !
Thomas DeFalco later bought the place, using it as a tenement house. Next, the Snyder Bros. Co. purchased the property and tore down the old dwelling so that the "Yellow House" is now only a memory, not only to the neighbors, but to the former passengers on the railroad and electric cars.
A house, owned by John Young, was located where DeFalco's gravel pit is now, on the Providence Road.
Michael O'Mara Sr. and Annie (Shea) O'Mara lived there from 1893 until 1900 when the house burned. Born in that house were Annie T. O'Mara in 1894, Frank O'Mara and Mary O'Mara.
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Young's Poultry Farm is the first home in Sutton, going south on Providence Road or the highway known as 122A. The house was built by General Jonathan Chase and subsequently owned by March Chase, Joshua Hutchinson and Elijah Brigham. In 1889, Joseph Shambo bought the place. He was an experienced drop-forge operator and worked as such for fifty-two years at D. T. Dudley and Son Co. His brother John was the originator of Shambo Shuttle Co. in Woon- socket. In 1911, Mr. Shambo's daughter Jennie, whose husband, James Young, had just died, came here with her two children to live. They were Gertrude and George T. Young. When Mrs. Young died in 1922, Gertrude went to Ohio to live, but George remained at the home of his grandparents and married Margaret L. Lynch of Grafton that same year.
There were three children in the George Young family: Marion E., born 1924, George T. Jr., born 1927 and Gordon, born in 1929. Marion is employed in the accounting department of American Steel and Wire Co. George served fifteen months in the U. S. Navy, most of which time was in Korea. He is a graduate of Trinity College and has done graduate work at Princeton University. Gordon is in the poultry business with his father, who started the business more than thirty years ago.
The two-family house across the street from George Young's place was built in 1908 by G. Harry Dodge on the site of the old Benner home. It is said that the carpenters were paid fifteen cents per hour while building it. Various families have occupied the apartments: Albert Douglas and wife lived here until his death in 1933; Michael O'Mara's family were tenants for several years and the three children were born here, Joseph Francis in 1913, Arthur in 1914 and Bertha in 1917. The O'Maras left here to take up residence at the State Fish Hatchery house. Since 1940, Mr. and Mrs. William Fulton have occupied one of the apartments. Mrs. Fulton was the former Laura Moe and the Fultons had lived previously at the Moe farm. Their daughter Jane was born at the farm in 1932, Thomas, born at this house in 1941, and Christine in 1945. Jane is a very fine scholar, having received many scholarships and now is a graduate of Pembroke College. This house was purchased by George T. Young from the Dodge Estate in 1945. The other apartment has been occupied by John Mooskian and his wife, who was Rose Bushey. Their daughter Charlene was born here in 1947. At pres- ent the apartment is occupied by Gordon Young and his wife, the former Elaine Boucher of Millbury.
Situated on the east side of Providence Road just north of Cold Spring Brook, is the Dodge House, now owned by Job and Dora Vaillancourt. For several gen- erations this house, built in 1834 by Nathaniel Dodge, and the large barn with the gilded ox weathervane atop the cupola, was the home and business head- quarters of the Dodge family.
George W. Dodge and his wife, Sarah A., and their children, George H., born in 1875, Alice M., 1881 and Frank E., 1885, lived here.
Alice M. died in 1909, and her father George W. met his death in 1911, while fighting a forest fire on a neighboring farm. The sons, George H. and Frank E., carried on the business, which was broadened to include the operation of portable sawmills and dealing in wood, lumber and coal. Their prize-winning Dutch- Belted cattle were prominent at the various fairs, and both brothers held import- ant town offices.
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Mrs. Dodge, who was known and widely revered for her charity and compas- sion for those less fortunate, died in 1931.
George H., or "Harry" as he was generally known, served his town on the Board of Selectmen, and for many years as Assessor. He married Miss Fannie Williams of Sutton in 1935 and died in 1943. Mrs. Dodge later was married to Lewis H. Sherman.
Frank E. was a very public spirited citizen, who served his town during eighteen terms as a member of the Board of Selectmen, eight years as its chair- man. He married Miss Maude Morey of Uxbridge, in 1922, but was later di- vorced. A short time after the death of his brother he became despondent and died by his own hand on Oct. 18, 1943.
Most of the land now occupied by the Sutton State Fish Hatchery was sold to the Commonwealth from this farm.
At the time of Frank's marriage, several additional rooms were added to the north side of the house, making another apartment available. Fire destroyed the large barn, many cattle and much equipment in 1940.
After Frank's death, the farm was cut up and sold to several different owners. The buildings and land immediately surrounding them were sold, in 1945, to Job and Dora Vaillancourt, who have converted the farmhouse into four apartments. Among the tenants have been the families of Donald Boutiette, Roland Vaillan- court, Wilfred Richotte, Edward Witkofsky and Armand Remillard.
The first house on the left on Hatchery Rd. was built by John A. Cushing. Mr. Cushing bought the property from the Frank Dodge Estate in 1945. He built not only his house, but a large building suitable for poultry raising. He lives alone. Mr. Cushing served in World War II as Private, in the 96th Base Hq. Sq. at Columbia, S. C.
At the end of Hatchery Road, at the right, is Massachusetts State Fish Hatch- ery. There is a house, a barn and several other buildings, besides the pools for raising fish, all owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Michael O'Mara is the present Superintendent and he and his family have lived here since 1922. Michael and Ida O'Mara have three children, J. Francis, Arthur and Bertha. J. Francis is a graduate of Holy Cross College, has an M.A. degree in Education and is, at present, a Tour Escort for Thomas Cook and Sons of New York. Dur- ing the summer months, he travels in Canada, United States and Hawaii. He married Grace E. McPortland of Worcester and lives in West Springfield, where he is Principal of an Elementary School.
Arthur was graduated from Holy Cross College and is Principal of the Provi- dence Street School of Millbury. He married Marie J. Walsh of Millbury and makes his home in that town. Bertha is a graduate of Becker's Business College and is a private secretary.
J. Francis O'Mara served in World War II and is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve. Arthur was also in World War II, in the European Area and was a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. John O'Mara, brother of Michael, served in the Armed Forces in World War I.
Mrs. Pelletier, mother of Mrs. O'Mara, lived here for many years, as did Michael O'Mara Sr. and both have died.
The hatching of fish and their culture has been the principal occupation at this place for a long period. It is reported that a Mr. Lawrence from Worcester
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conducted some experiments here, first. Before that Massachusetts had joined with New Hampshire in a similar venture, but it was discontinued. The Massa- chusetts Division of Fisheries and Game decided to raise their own fish and bought a part of the Dodge Farm of Sutton with its brooks and pools for that purpose.
Arthur Merrill was appointed the first full-time field employee in the Massa- chusetts Division of Fisheries and Game, in 1898. He came to Sutton State Hatchery from Maine, where he had devoted years of study to the raising of fish. He was thoroughly interested in the work of this hatchery. He was a trained scientist in his line and he raised and distributed small trout in many parts of the State. He greatly improved the buildings and ponds and in 1908 and 1910, all work of an experimental nature was done under his supervision, at the Sutton Hatchery. Mr. Merrill was considered an authority on game breeding, also, and studied the food and habitat of different game birds. At one time, he had many pens of pheasants, quail, ducks, grouse and even the brilliant Chinese pheasants. He beautified the grounds with planting of native flowering shrubs and the beautiful pink border of swamp azaleas around the pond will not soon be forgotten.
In 1933, Michael O'Mara was made Superintendent of the Hatchery. At pres- ent, brook, brown and rainbow trout are raised and distributed from this station over a wide area. The raising of game birds was discontinued when Game Farms were established in other parts of the State.
Turning left, at the end of Hatchery Road, we come to Levi Chase's Gravel Business. The tract of land was bought from the Dodge Brothers' farm, in 1944, after the deaths of Frank and George Harry Dodge. Mr. Chase has much valu- able equipment for moving sand and gravel and supplies many local companies from his large plant.
Just beyond the D. T. Dudley Shuttle Co's Shop, on Buttonwood Avenue, is a two-tenement house, the "Shuttle Shop House." According to Volume I of the Sutton Town History, this was built in 1871, by D. T. Dudley. It was occupied for many years by his son, Henry Dudley, and family. Henry Dudley was a musician and his daughter Lucy often spoke of his organ in the front room which, with the pedals, occupied most of the floor space there. When the family moved into the new house on the hill, the instrument was placed in a wide hall, no doubt planned with the organ in mind. Both Mr. and Mrs. Dudley were organists and played at St. John's Church. In the days of two services, they often alternated; one playing in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Joseph Morin, a secretary of the Shuttle Shop, lived here for twenty years. He organized a band and they practiced in the basement. As time passed and en- thusiasm increased, the instruments doubled and perhaps tripled. The volume of sound increased proportionately, until the neighbors complained and the band had to find new practice quarters,
Many families have lived in this house: those of Charles Adams, Horace Burlingame, Alfred Molleur, David Lynch, Louis Rock, Philip Vigeant, Eugene Parent, and Ralph White. Mr. and Mrs. Jones and her children, James, Harold, Margaret and Ida Shore and Daniel Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, made this their home, and Mrs. Frank Barber and daughter Celia, also Mr. and Mrs. Albert Putnam.
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The present tenants are Harry and Thelma Drew and children, Joe (1935), Dorothy (1936), Betty (1937), Shirley (1938), Harry (1940), Elton (1943) and Nancy (1951). The other tenement is occupied by Moses and Leila Richford.
Going South on Buttonwood Avenue, on the right, is the Houghton place, now owned and occupied by Misses Marian and Flora Smith. The house was built in 1870 by Joel Houghton. In Volume I of the Sutton History it was re- ferred to as an "English Cottage." Before building this house, Mr. Houghton had lived in the adjacent David Dudley house, now the home of the John Dud- ley family, where all the Houghton children were born.
HOME OF MISSES MARIAN AND FLORA SMITH
Joel Houghton operated a batting factory and gristmill for many years. The story goes that the mill building was moved from Woodburyville and once belonged to Josiah Hall. During the flood of 1927 when the dam went out, the gristmill was undermined by the force of the water and collapsed. In John Dud- ley's words, "it went down like a pound of butter on a hot stove," a distressing sight.
In 1872, Mrs. Houghton died, leaving the children in their teens. Ella married Albert Hathaway and went to live in Chicago. She had one son Arthur. Albert was unmarried and died in 1903. Kate married Daniel E. Brown and had one son Wendell, who was an executive with the American Steel and Wire Co. Henry married Keziah Pickford and later became owner of the Joel Houghton property. Wellington and Augusta were the youngest and very fond of study. Wellington was graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Augusta
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was a member of the second class to be graduated from the Normal School in Worcester. This institution of learning has since been moved to another part of the city and is now the "State Teachers' College." While completing these courses of study, Wellington and Augusta took the 6 A. M. train from Wilkin- sonville to Worcester and returned, leaving Worcester at 6 P. M., every school day. Wellington later became a designer for Lord and Burnham, Tarrytown, New York, Conservatory Contractors. He died in 1877. Augusta married Louis E. Chase in 1883. Two sons were born to them at the Houghton house, Daniel M., 1890 and Wellington H., 1892.
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