USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Sutton > History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1876 to 1950, Volume II > Part 46
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In 1893, Joel Houghton died and Mr. and Mrs. Louis E. Chase with their two sons went to live at their home on Dudley Hill. This same year Henry Houghton, who inherited the place, came from Millbury to live here. Mr. and Mrs. Houghton had two daughters, Augusta H. and Lottie M., born in Mill- bury. Henry conducted the gristmill and also carried on the business, later known as Millbury Grain Co. Daniel Brown worked at the gristmill here. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Pickford lived here and also George Pickford, who was a salesman for Gorton Co. Augusta Houghton worked in Worcester and, in 1914, was married to George B. Millikin and went to Worcester to live. Lottie attended art school and, in 1917, was married to Irving L. Stowe and went to West Millbury to live. Henry Houghton died in 1914. His wife went with her brother, George Pickford, to live in Worcester.
After Henry Houghton's death, this property was sold to Allida Vachon, in 1918, and, in 1922, it was bought by Jennie Tyla Smith. At that time, Mr. and Mrs. Fred S. Smith and children, Channing W., Marian T., Wilder S., Flora L., Daniel S., Ellery B. and James A., came here to live, and this family is the only one that has resided here since the Houghtons left.
Mr. Smith was a maintenance man at Rockwood Sprinkler Co. of Worcester for many years until his retirement. He was a very public spirited citizen, and sincerely interested in the welfare of the town until his death in 1947. He contributed many important facts to this historical work and spent hours tran- scribing his memories for future generations. Mrs. Smith was a natural artist and painted flowers and landscapes. She was fond of music and literature and en- couraged her children to join the Worcester Music Festival Chorus. Four sons and two daughters of the Smith family live in Sutton.
Marian and Flora are graduates of the Worcester Normal School and teach in the Worcester Schools. They are the present owners of this Houghton place and came into possession in 1945. They added five acres of the Dodge property during the same year. An interesting fact is that the elm, at the north of the house, was planted there by Wellington and Augusta Houghton.
Service men from this house are Channing and Wilder Smith, both in the Army in World War I.
On Buttonwood Avenue, between Smith's and Dudley's, there is a small cellar -all that remains of a small dwelling and farm buildings. Sullivan Newton, in days gone by, built the house on land belonging to the Dudleys, and it was known as the "Bashaw place," because the parents of Eustace Bashaw lived there. Mrs. Bashaw was a short, stocky, woman and very strong. She did many washings for the neighbors. The story goes that she often helped at the Hough- ton mill and pulled the rope that lifted the heavy bags of grain up into the mill.
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At that time, the dam kept the water level near her back door and she would step into her boat and pole it around the edge of the pond and chop alders for her fires. Finally, Mr. Newton decided to move the house and it was carried down through the village to Blackstone Street where it is now a part of the old Lucien Henault house.
The Peter Dudley Place, John Dudley's home, for many years known as the "Peter Place," comes next, going south on Buttonwood Avenue. It was originally a very large farm, but had furnished additions for surrounding properties, until what was left was ingeniously divided into two farms. A property line had been so run as to divide the "Peter Place" into two practically equal parts, impartially allotting advantages of wood, water, pasture and tillage land. This line passed transversely through the center of the large barn. The one-story two-tenement house was so located that the division line could not be manipulated through it, therefore it was agreed that, as long as the house should stand, one tenement should belong to each section.
Some time about 1888, fire broke out in the tenement occupied by William Fitzgerald, and the house was destroyed. At this time the eastern section of the "Peter Place" belonged to John L. Dudley of New York and the western section to Mary W. Dudley. Previous to the burning of the house, which stood on the John L. Dudley section, Mr. Dudley had sold his half of the barn, and it was sawed away and removed. Joel Houghton bought the remaining half and re- moved it after it had been collapsed by a heavy wind. Subsequently, John L. Dudley's tenant, Peter Messier, built a barn for Mr. Dudley, which was locally known as the "Blue Barn." This was bought, in 1918, by Albert A. Metcalf, who removed it. The two sections of this farm have been reunited through the pur- chase of the John L. Dudley interest by John C. Dudley, who had already in- herited the adjoining part of the Peter Place from his mother, Mary W. Dudley.
The original Peter Place house was on the "Blue Barn Road," which led from Boston Road to Cold Spring Brook. David Dudley had a mill at an old dam there. There was no Houghton Road, at that time, and probably no road to Woodburyville. In a deed dated, Dec. 3, 1805, Peter Dudley reserved the right "to pass and repass from the premises from Boston Road where it is now (1805) and hath long been trod always reserving a privilege to myself my heirs and assigns of a passageway through the premises to my improvements."
David Dudley, who owned one half of the farm, married Phebe, the daughter of Peter Dudley, who was born in 1758. This was evidently the Peter for whom the place was named. Phebe Dudley, wife of David, sold her share of her father Peter's property to John Dudley Jr., who was grandfather of John C. Dudley. Phebe, who lived with her son David or Peter, reserved, however, her garden plot, a part of the field south of the John Dudley house, with the present bank wall as one boundary, "excluding the well". Years after she had gone, John C. Dudley, in 1919, bought from her surprised heirs the little garden spot they did not know they owned.
Peter Dudley, 1758, was a meticulous planner. In 1836, he conveyed his property to his grandson, Peter 2nd., son of Phebe, under the following condi- tions: "that he would carry on the farm during the life time of his grandfather Peter Dudley, the grantor, honorably support his said grandfather in all the com- forts and necessaries of life in sickness and in health and the said Peter, the
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grandfather, shall always have peaceable possession of said farm and occupy that part of the dwelling house he now occupies and said Peter 2nd. shall cause his board, washing, clothing and bedding to be furnished on his own expense in good season neat and good and his fire wood drawed up cut fit for his chimley and brought into his part of the house, find him a good nurse when he shall re- quire it being one of his own choice if they can be procured and a Dr. and medicine which he may choose if to be obtained, good wine and spirits at all times to be brought in to him of such sorts as he may choose all at the expense of said Peter 2nd. & his heirs and find him a horse and carriage at all times when he wants, to pay all his just debts and funeral charges ..... and do all other things for his said grandfather that he may have an honorable liveing and honor- able burial ..... and to pay his brother David T. Dudley five hundred dollars and pay to his mother Phebe Dudley sixty-six dollars per year each and every year during her life for her own use."
Peter 2nd. died four years later and the following year, his brother David T. sold to John Dudley Jr., father of Mary W. Dudley and to James Dudley, his brother and the father of John L. Dudley all the real estate "belonging to my grandfather Peter Dudley (deceased) which was conveyed .. . under certain incumbrances to his grandson Peter Dudley (deceased) by deed dated, May 1836" (just enumerated)
The David Dudley house, more often called the 'Peter Place," was rented for many years. The Joel Houghton family made this their home and all the children were born here. Later, in 1870, Mr. Houghton built his own house, now owned by Marian and Flora Smith. One of the Houghton daughters used to tell how her mother would dress her children on Sunday morning, before church, and put one after the other in a row on the kitchen dresser shelf to keep neat and clean. This shelf is three feet from the floor and the children soon found that shoving might mean a painful tumble.
The Morris family lived here for many years, also the Burnham and the Jones families.
After World War I, when John C. Dudley came home from France and his wife from Washington, in 1919, they improved the house and grounds and made this their permanent home. John Dudley was a naturalist and loved to watch the habits of the wild. He enjoyed the water behind the house and after the 1927 flood destroyed the dam and the pond, he made a pool of his own, using water from a spring on the property, and kept several kinds of ducks, geese and fancy fish there. One man, who believed solely in the utilitarian, amused John tremendously one day when he looked over the fence and said indulgently, as he peered into the water, "Everything that ain't good for nothin' you've got it, ain't you, Johnny?"
John Dudley took the Principal's prize for an original oration on graduation day at Worcester Academy. At Harvard University and Lawrence Scientific School he specialized in Electrical Engineering and also took courses in Civil Engineering. He was employed by the Westinghouse Co. in Pittsburgh, Pa. for five years. He then went to Montreal, Canada and for five years more was a sales- man for the Canadian Company. He married Flora Holbrook and they remained in Canada until the death of his father, in 1912. During that time, a daughter was born, Alice Holbrook Dudley, 1911, who died in infancy.
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HOME OF THE JOHN DUDLEYS
Mr. Dudley dealt in lumber for several years and, with William Bashaw, organized the Sutton Water Co. Mr. Dudley supervised the laying of the long pipe line and diversions through Wilkinsonville. He served the town for twenty- five years as Selectman, School Committee Member and Road Commissioner. He gave unsparingly of his time, strength and vigor until forced to withdraw from public service by ill-health. He died suddenly, Dec. 23, 1951. He served as a member of the Purgatory State Reservation Commission and later as its Super- intendent. He obtained several choice historic relics from the vicinity and then had them mounted in the Reservation: an Indian mortar, a stone watering trough, a stone from one of the locks of the Blackstone Canal and a grindstone from an ancient gristmill.
He was Vice President of Millbury Savings Bank and a Director in the Mill- bury Co-operative Bank. He was a Lieutenant in the 109th Engineers in World War I in Mesves Hospital Center, France and also had charge of Complaints and Repairs, including Road Making. Six hundred Chinamen were assigned to him as laborers. The language problem was soon solved when the Sergeants could un- derstand his French. John Dudley had a happy disposition and the inimitable ability to tell a good story at the right moment. He was calm and patient in try- ing circumstances and a fine example of honor at all times.
After graduation from Wellesley, Mrs. Dudley taught languages and music at the Pawcatuck High School in Westerly, R.I. and when the Dudleys came back to Sutton from Canada, was organist and choirmaster at St. John's Church in
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Wilkinsonville for twenty-five years and taught piano at the same time, empha- sizing two-piano work and theory of music. She has also given costume lectures on shawls and musical subjects.
John Holbrook Dudley was born in 1920. After attending the local schools, he was graduated from Deerfield Academy. When he got his license and the result- ing old Ford car, he and his friend Arthur Dumas started for Canada. By the time they were ready to go, the mudguards and top were removed as superfluous, but six or more old spare tires ornamented the rear. With much difficulty they made a trip of 1200 miles, visiting Quebec and Montreal. Rain dampened their overnight camps, but not their enthusiasm. They related in glowing terms stories of the kindness of garage men along the way, who loaned them tools for their frequent repairs. During an unusually heavy downpour, one garageman gave them some stakes and oilcloth and they came home with a top on the car, an onion, a little piece of pork and about seventy-cents. "We had a swell time!" Later he went to the Olympic Games in Berlin and saw Hitler across the Stadium. Little did he realize then that he was soon to be one of Hitler's victims. During Junior year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, he went into the Air Corps. He had previously spent part of a summer at Fort Devens in the Citizens' Military Training Camps where he received a medal for excellence and had taken two summer courses with the Marine Reserves.
On May 10, 1943, Staff Sergeant John Holbrook Dudley was shot down with all his crew-mates over Sicily in a B-17 bomber. Only one man survived. John Holbrook's personality and service record is best explained by the telegram, ad- dressed to the Citizens of Sutton, when the Air Medal with four clusters and the Purple Heart were awarded, posthumously. "Let it be known because it was definitely so, Red Dudley was a true American if ever I've seen one in this man's army. No better gunner have I ever known, not only because he was a good shot. It takes more than that to be a gunner on a Flying Fortress. In Army language, he had 'guts' and the uncanny ability to remain calm in the most perilous condi- tions. My admiration for him became unlimited after completion of a mission, Feb. 4., A terrific encounter with the enemy! Shell burst, through right elevator, tore holes all around R.D. His parachute behind him torn to bits; he did not lose his cool, red head. The continual vibration of guns blazing away was most com- forting. It meant Red was taking good care of the rear. Reliable men in our wing ships reported tail gunner in O'Reilly's Daughter downed 2 Messerschmidts. Red did not claim any. I asked him why. He replied, 'I want no glory. This is my job and I aim to get many more before they get me.' He, alone, knows how many more went down under his blazing guns. Let Red live in your mind as he does in mine! Let us never forget he gave his life so that you can go on living in our good, old American way. God bless you and Mr. and Mrs. Dudley.
Lt. H. M. Goldberg"
John Dudley gave a tract of seventy acres to the Purgatory Reservation for a recreation area. He dedicated it to the "American Boy," in memory of his son.
The refreshment stand at the intersection of Providence Road, Buttonwood Ave. and Old Providence Road is owned by Edgar and Ellen Gagne.
When the new Providence Road was laid out from Buttonwood Ave. to Hall's Corner, a triangular portion of one of Dodges' fields was cut off. Philip Moe of Sutton saw the possibilities of a successful fruit stand and bought the property.
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With painstaking care and artistic ability he built, almost unaided, the stone structure which could be seen a long distance in two directions. Mr. Moe planned the drainage and parking space but died before his undertaking became a success- ful venture. Edgar and Ellen Gagne bought the property from the Moe heirs and sold fruit, vegetables and refreshments. This stand became popular with the school-children and passing motorists and truck men, and soon the Gagnes found the quarters too small.
They bought additional space from Emil Schellschmidt and built a new, up- to-date, refreshment stand and later gave up the sale of fruits and vegetables. They intend to add living-quarters soon.
They notice that cars from many states stop at their door, especially trucks, from Georgia and other Southern States, bringing produce for the Providence market.
The first house going East from Hall's corner on Providence Road is now owned and occupied by Roland Ross and his family. For many years it was known as the "Little Ed House." Edward M. Dudley, father of the younger Edward, gave the land and built a house for his son, about 1878. "Little Ed" married Caddie Smith and they lived there for many years. Mr. Dudley was employed by the D.T. Dudley Shuttle Co., and was also associated with Mr. Dyer in the grain business in the block opposite the Schoolhouse.
After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, the property was inherited by Fannie and Arthur Blanchard, niece and nephew of Mr. Dudley. Several families lived in the house, including that of Horace Drew and Ralph Woodward.
In Aug. 1922, the property was bought by Roland Ross, textile manufacturer. His father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Ross, lived here, also his brother Hervey, sister Jessie and her husband, James T. Townsend.
Mr. and Mrs. Ross died here in 1935 and 1938, respectively. Hervey Ross mar- ried Mary Shaw in 1928 and Roland, the present owner, was married to Bessie Vandyke in 1933. They have one daughter, Carol V. Ross.
Mr. Ross has greatly improved the property, adding many modern improve- ments.
In 1930 Mr. Ross organized the Colonial Studios, a textile plant, for making material for slip covers for automobiles. From a two-loom shop in 1930, the fac- tory has expanded to seventeen looms and in 1936 was incorporated. It is now known as the Colonial Weavers, Inc., and the product is called "mechanical cloth." Mr. Ross has shown great perseverance in the conduct of his business and has become very successful in his venture.
Volume I of the Sutton Town History tells us that the home on Providence Road, at Hall's Corner now owned and occupied by Louis and Clara Small, was built, in 1860, by Edward M. Dudley, boss-farmer for the Mill Owners at that time. Certain it is that it was built with great care and choice of materials for it has withstood the rigors of weather and time and stands a sturdy example of careful carpentry.
After Mr. Dudley's death, it was rented to many families; among them are the names of Chas. E. Lowe, Joseph Kennedy, Ernest Ross and Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Small, Sr.
After the death of Edward, son of Edward M., and Edward's wife, the owner- ship passed to Arthur and Fannie Blanchard. They sold the property to the pres-
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ent owners, Louis and Clara Small in July 1922. Mr. Small has been an employe of the Wor. Sub. R.R. for over 35 years. There are two children; Ruth, 1921, who was graduated from Worcester State Teachers' College and taught in the Sutton and Grafton schools for three years. She married René Guilmette and lives in Grafton. Clare M., 1924, attended Becker's Business College and later married Chester Pieleski of Grafton.
On the hill, behind the Small House at the end of Church Street, is the four- apartment house which is the property of J. C. Dudley. It was formerly the Pres- byterian Church, which was badly damaged by fire about 1890, and was no longer used for church services. Its blackened walls stood for many years but its sturdy construction defied the elements until 1915 when Mr. Dudley bought the building from the Trustees belonging to the Associate Synod of North America. He divided the building into four apartments. Present tenants are the families of A. Bouvier, L. Jacques, N. Lapierre and Mrs. E. Taylor.
In World War II, Eli Girouard, Harold E. Louis, William W. Louis, Jr. went from here to serve in the Marine Corps; Francis J. Goderre was a Corporal in the Infantry and Hector B. Auger, a Sergeant in Field Artillery.
The first house on the right, going east from Hall's corner, on Providence Road, was long known as the Wm. R. Hill house. Mr. Hill bought a tract of land from Wm. Brown and Sullivan Newton, Feb. 24, 1848, and built the house during the same year. Mr. Hill was a prominent person in Sutton during his life, having served in the Mass. Legislature and senate and his Town as a loyal citizen. He was well known in Worcester County for his musical gifts, especially a superior singing and speaking voice and he was once the President of the Worcester County Music Association.
There were three Hill children: Caroline, the eldest, Ella, who married Albert Fisher of Grafton, and Emily who never married.
After Hon. Wm. Hill died, the property was inherited by the daughter, Caro- line. At her death, her executors, Albert Fisher and Ellsworth Howe, sold the house and part of the farm to Louis Morin and wife.
The Schoolhouse Lot, so called, was bought by Austin G. Kempton and wife, Apr. 27, 1893, and in the same year was transferred to Emily B. W. Hill, who is now deceased. The Town of Sutton bought a portion of this property to enlarge the playground for the Wilkinsonville School.
Mr. Morin was maintenance man at the Anco Mills for many years being an able and ingenious handy man until his retirement in 1933.
There were three Morin children: Josephine, the eldest, who married Eustace Demers of Millbury, Mary who married Arthur R. Smith, and Leona Blanche, who died Oct. 19, 1944.
Mr. Morin died in 1935 and the property came into possession of his wife, Josephine. After her death, Oct. 19, 1947, her daughter, Mary, and Arthur R. Smith became the owners. They have a large poultry business and have built an extensive henhouse, 109 feet by 24 feet. They have remodelled the house mak- ing a comfortable and modern structure with two tenements not sacrificing the beautiful old fireplace and brick ovens which are still in perfect working order after 100 years' service.
The owners state that they love their home.
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WILKINSONVILLE
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HOMES of SUTTON
The little house on Providence Road, between David Molleur's home and that of Arthur Smith, is reported to have been one of the tenement houses be- longing to the Sutton Manufacturing Co. In 1924, the property was taxed to George Paul, a railroad worker, who sold it to Alfred Plante, Oct. 25, 1937. Mr. Plante is employed at a lumber yard. Mr. and Mrs. Plante lived in this house for several years and with them Mr. Noel L. H. Charpentier made his home. Mr. Charpentier went into the service during World War II. After Mrs. Plante's death and Mr. Charpentier's return from the service, the latter was married to Mabel L. Noel, Nov. 6, 1948. They live in this home. There are two Charpentier children: Henry Alfred born in April 1950 and a son, born in January 1952.
Since the days of the tenement house, this home has had many improvements, making another cozy modern dwelling on Providence Road.
At the northwest corner of Providence and Pleasant Streets, is the home of the David Molleur family. In 1827, David Wilkinson, who established the village, organized banking facilities for the mill workers and for the protection of the funds, constructed a building with a very strong vault, deep underground, lined and surrounded by large and thick slabs of granite. The bank was discontinued after a few years and the building was owned by the Slater and later, by Anco Mills and used as a boarding house for the millworkers. In one section, also, in the early days, a store and dressmaking shop did thriving business.
About 1925, when the Anco Mills were sold, Alfred Molleur, Sr. bought this property. He tore down the main building and built a store and soda shop. A few years later this building came into the possession of his wife, Mrs. Caroline Molleur, who converted the store and shop into a four-room dwelling. This apartment was occupied by several families, including that of Joseph Ryzewski, Mrs. Annie Cameron, Arthur Mongeau and his mother Laura Mongeau until June 1947, when David and Dorothea Molleur bought the house for their home.
Mr. Molleur started to dig a cellar under the house for his heater, only to find solid layers of thick granite slabs, almost like a ledge, placed there over one hundred years before, to protect the bank vault.
One by one, Mr. Molleur moved these huge blocks out of his cellar and into a wide trench behind the house-a truly difficult undertaking. He then built three new rooms and a bathroom so to have all the modern conveniences. He has re- cently added a two-car garage. Much of this work he has done unaided.
Mr. and Mrs. Molleur have two children: Bruce John, born June 15, 1944 and Carolyn Jean, born March 14, 1946.
David Molleur served as Pay Officer, First Class, in the Coast Guard during World War II and is now employed as Automatic Screw Machinist by Brown and Sharpe of Worcester, Mass.
The "Green Block," so-called for many years is the six-tenement block on Providence St., opposite the St. John's Church Common. For a long time it pro- vided housing for the millworkers and may have been built by the Slater Co. The Anco Mills Co. is reported to have owned it and, at the death of John H. Meyers, it was bought by Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Molleur Sr. about 1924.
The Melleurs sold to Joseph Landry, and the next owner was Maurice Landry, his son. Arthur Kennedy was the next proprietor and he sold to James Hughes of Worcester who is the present owner.
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