Boston from the Top of the Prudential Building

The Prudential Center

800 Boylston Street 
Boston, MA 02199

Website: http://www.prudentialcenter.com/shop_detail.html?id=64

The Skywalk Observatory is Boston's only sky-high vantage point for sweeping 360 degree views of Greater Boston and beyond. I went here after a library visit on June 15, 2012. Although alone, I really enjoyed the view on the semi-hazy  day.

Red Sox display.

Fenway Park above.

There were numerous flower boxes throughout the building. Nothing could be nicer than pink orchids.

Out of the Blue came Julia Ann Jaquays and her husband, James G. Pell

James Gibbins Pell and wife, Julia Ann Jaquays

My great-grandparents

Julia Ann Jaquays parents were William Cross Jaquays and Lydia Johnson, both "brick walls." The photo was probably taken in Frelighsburg or Dunham, Quebec, Canada.

My 2nd cousin who lives in Quebec forwarded this lovely photo via her mother-in-law (her cousin's internet service is terrible). What a total surprise. You never know what you are going to get when you open an email.

Whiting Sweeting (Nothing Sweet About This Murderer)

I'm sure Mary Clara Worden Wilcox had no clue that one of her ancestors was a murderer when she applied for membership into the DAR*. Mary was my 3rd cousin 3 times removed. One of her ancestor's was Whiting Sweeting, and that name just demanded that I find out something about him. I'm not sure if it was just the name or the fact that I had a copy of Mary's DAR application (see online copy, page 16 for Mrs. Mary Clara Worden Wilcox) in my hand, obtained when I actually worked at the DAR in Washington, DC. We both shared the same Revolutionary War ancestor, but not used as our patriot.

Mary Clara's great-grandfather Whiting Sweeting, the murderer, was married to Sarah Kilborn, my 4th great aunt. Mary and I have Sarah's father, Jonathan Kilborn as our Revolutionary War ancestor.

Why would a young man of 27 years old from Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., New York  and from a good family kill Darius Quimby on January 3, 1791? From Wikipedia: "Constable Quimby was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man named Whiting Sweeting of Stephentown, Rensselaer County, N.Y., on a trespassing warrant. The suspect was found guilty of murdering Constable Quimby in the July session of the New York State Supreme Court and was hanged on August 26, 1791." From various records, his first name, Whiting, was his mother's maiden name, his father was a prominent doctor in the Revolutionary war, and much of the family left Massachusetts to settle in New York.

"While incarcerated, Sweeting wrote his book and was visited frequently by William Carter who thereafter authored a small book entitled: A Remarkable narrative of Whiting Sweeting; who was executed at Albany … for murder," written in 1791 and printed in 1793.(See 1791 timeline on New York State Executions by Hanging).

There are 40 pages with lots of rambling and include messages to his parents, siblings, wife and to her parents (my 5th great-grandparents). Along with the messages were poems to each of them. Obtained online as an ebook from Cornell University, Courtesy of Cornell University Library, Trial Pamphlets Collection.

"This is probably the most frequently reprinted murder pamphlet in American criminal history, with at least a dozen editions. The main interest in the story seems to have been the severe penalty for an unpremeditated murder. A small posse was pursuing Sweeting to serve a warrant for trespass. Cornered in the woods at night, he lashed out at his pursuers and struck one of them with a knife, inflicting a deadly wound." From The Bottom Up.

*DAR membership appl. of Mary C. Worden Wilcox (#41,034) on Jonathan Kilborn (1742-1807), Oct. 29, 1902.

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Generation No. 1

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1.	Whiting SWEETING (Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born ABT 5 AUG 1764 in Norton, Bristol Co., Massachusetts, and died 26 AUG 1791 in Albany, Albany Co., New York. He married Sarah KILBORN, daughter of JONATHAN KILBORN and HANNAH CHAPMAN. She was born ABT 1762.
	Children of Whiting SWEETING and Sarah KILBORN were: + 2   i. Abiah SWEETING was born 11 MAY 1785 in Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., New York, and died 8 OCT 1867. 3   ii. Unknown SWEETING.

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Generation No. 2

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2.	Abiah SWEETING (Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 11 MAY 1785 in Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., New York, and died 8 OCT 1867. She married Jesse WORDEN 1808, son of Walater WORDEN and Lucretia HICKS. He was born 14 OCT 1781 in Petersburg, Rensselaer Co., New York, and died FEB 1853 in Fayetteville, New York.
	Children of Abiah SWEETING and Jesse WORDEN were: + 4   i. Sweeting Whiting WORDEN was born 11 NOV 1809 in New York, and died 5 MAY 1880. + 5   ii. DeWitt Clinton WORDEN was born 1 MAY 1811 in New York, and died 29 AUG 1882 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. 6   iii. Thompkins D. WORDEN was born 24 MAY 1813. + 7   iv. Monroe P. WORDEN was born 1 MAR 1817 in Clinton, Oneida Co., New York.

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Generation No. 3

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4.	Sweeting Whiting WORDEN (Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 11 NOV 1809 in New York, and died 5 MAY 1880. He married Sally HALLETT. He married Charlotte BREED.
	Children of Sweeting Whiting WORDEN and Charlotte BREED\BLANCHARD? were: 8   i. Margaretta WORDEN was born ABT 1835. 9   ii. Julia? WORDEN. + 10   iii. Whiting Sweeting WORDEN was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933.

5.	DeWitt Clinton WORDEN (Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 1 MAY 1811 in New York, and died 29 AUG 1882 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He married Mary White WILD, daughter of Jonathan WILD and Nancy LINFIELD. She was born 15 MAR 1820 in Massachusetts, and died 19 FEB 1910 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. She was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.
	Children of DeWitt Clinton WORDEN and Mary White WILD were: 11   i. Monroe C. WORDEN was born 15 JUN 1840 in New York, and died 25 APR 1862 in Washington, District of Columbia. + 12   ii. Salter D.W. WORDEN was born MAR 1850 in New York, and died 26 JUN 1927 in San Francisco, San Francisco Co., California. + 13   iii. Mary Clara WORDEN was born MAR 1855 in Fayetteville, Onondoga Co., New York. + 10   iv. Whiting Sweeting WORDEN was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933.

7.	Monroe P. WORDEN (Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 1 MAR 1817 in Clinton, Oneida Co., New York. He married Susan NORTHRUP 1 FEB 1837 in Clinton, Clinton Co., New York, daughter of Daniel Peck NORTHRUP. She was born 1 MAY 1817 in Clinton, Clinton Co., New York.
	Child of Monroe P. WORDEN and Susan NORTHRUP was: + 14   i. Lester A WORDEN.

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Generation No. 4

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10.	Whiting Sweeting WORDEN (Sweeting Whiting WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933. He was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He married Hattie WAY, daughter of Peter B. WAY and Amanda E. BIGELOW. She was born 16 MAR 1864, and died 21 NOV 1923 in Japan. She was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.
	Children of Whiting Sweeting WORDEN and Hattie WAY were: 15   i. Albert Clarence WORDEN was born 19 DEC 1901 in Toyko, Japan. 16   ii. Theodore Griffin WORDEN was born 29 MAY 1904 in Yokohama, Japan. + 17   iii. Mary WORDEN.

12.	Salter D.W. WORDEN (DeWitt Clinton WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born MAR 1850 in New York, and died 26 JUN 1927 in San Francisco, San Francisco Co., California. He married Frankie ABT 1868. She was born ABT 1854 in New York.
	Children of Salter D.W. WORDEN and Frankie were: 18   i. Clara WORDEN was born ABT 1870 in New York. 19   ii. Dewitt WORDEN was born ABT 1877 in California.

13.	Mary Clara WORDEN* (DeWitt Clinton WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born MAR 1855 in Fayetteville, Onondoga Co., New York. She married Frank Z. WILCOX. He was born DEC 1850 in New York.
	Child of Mary Clara WORDEN and Frank Z. WILCOX was: 20   i. Milton W. WILCOX was born DEC 1877.

10.	Whiting Sweeting WORDEN (Sweeting Whiting WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1) was born 8 DEC 1858 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York, and died 17 OCT 1933. He was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York. He married Hattie WAY, daughter of Peter B. WAY and Amanda E. BIGELOW. She was born 16 MAR 1864, and died 21 NOV 1923 in Japan. She was buried in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.
	Children of Whiting Sweeting WORDEN and Hattie WAY were: 15   i. Albert Clarence WORDEN was born 19 DEC 1901 in Toyko, Japan. 16   ii. Theodore Griffin WORDEN was born 29 MAY 1904 in Yokohama, Japan. + 17   iii. Mary WORDEN.

14.	Lester A WORDEN (Monroe P. WORDEN6, Abiah SWEETING5, Whiting SWEETING4, Lewis SWEETING3, Lewis SWEETING2, Henry SWEETING1). He married Julie E. WELTON.
	Child of Lester A WORDEN and Julie E. WELTON was: 21   i. Frank WORDEN.

As a Baby -- Wordless Wednesday

My mother at six weeks and three months. Photos taken on the roof of 432 West 119th Street, New York City in 1919. The street is next to Columbia University. My grandfather lived in NYC several times while working as an architect there.

Dover Public Library, Dover, New Hampshire -- Genealogy and History Section

Dover Public Library, Dover, New Hampshire

We Remember Peter Fuller and his Horses -- Obituary

Who was Peter Fuller?

"A son of a former Massachusetts governor, he was born to wealth, but paid it little heed. Hobbled by illness as a child, Mr. Fuller willed himself into excellent shape and became a wrestler in college (Harvard). Stepping into the boxing ring, he won the New England Amateur Athletic Union and Golden Gloves heavyweight divisions.

Before becoming president of his family’s thriving Cadillac dealership, which his family founded in the early 1900s, Mr. Fuller joined the Marines, only to be discharged because of his flat feet. In the early 1950s, he turned to horse racing and groomed winners at his Runnymede Farm in New Hampshire." 
Quote taken from a Boston newspaper article about Peter Fuller. Unfortunately, the link is no longer available.

 Peter Fuller died May 14, 2012, my photo taken on the 20th.

All photos taken at Runnymede Farm in North Hampton, N.H., where Peter Fuller kept his horses.

If you lived anywhere near Boston or the coast of New Hampshire, you heard of Peter Fuller in the 60s. He was bigger than life, especially when his horse Dancer's Image won the Kentucky Derby. There aren't a lot of horse owners in this area, this area isn't like Kentucky or Virginia, even so, his farm is a little over a mile from the Atlantic Ocean, in full view from the end of his road. When I heard of his death almost a month ago, I was reminded of my very early visits to the barn and nice memories of seeing his horses about 40 years ago. But, most of all Peter Fuller, whom most of us believed his horse did win the Derby, and in the end, he is now listed as a winner on the official Derby chart.

To learn more about Peter Fuller, and his very interesting life, many details are in the death announcement article from The New York Times for Peter Fuller.

From Wikipedia to read about the 1968 Kentucky Derby winner Peter Fuller's Dancer's Image

"Dancer's Image won the 1968 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified to last after traces of phenylbutazone were discovered in the mandatory post-race urinalysis. Second place finisher Forward Pass was declared the winner. The controversy filled the sporting news of every media outlet in North America and was the cover story for Sports Illustrated magazine who referred to it as the sports story of the year. Owner Peter Fuller and the horse's handlers believed someone else may have been motivated to give the colt another dose of the drug and filed an appeal of the disqualification.

The Kentucky State Racing Commission examined the matter and ordered distribution of the purse with first money to Forward Pass. However, owner Peter Fuller took legal action and in December of 1970 a Kentucky Court awarded first-place money to Dancer's Image.^[5] That decision was overturned on appeal in April 1972, by Kentucky's highest court in Kentucky State Racing Comm'n v. Fuller, 481 S.W. 2d 298 (Ky. 1972).

As at 2008, the Churchill Downs media guide for the Derby includes the official chart showing Dancer's Image as the winner. Controversy and speculation still surround the incident even today and the New York Times calls the ruling the "most controversial decision in all of Triple Crown racing."

Egbert Ten Eyck and his wives -- Tombstone Tuesday

Egbert Ten Eyck

Born April  18, 1779

Died April 11, 1844

Rebecca

Wife of

Egbert Ten Eyck

Aug. 15, 1788

Died

Feb. 26, 1850

Ann Pearce

Born

Dec. 8, 1799

Died

June 8, 1870

Brookside Cenetery

Watertown, Jefferson Co., New York

Egbert was my 4th cousin 5 times removed, and the father of Anthony Ten Eyck, the "US commissioner to Hawaii 1845 - 1848"

Photo was a nice surprise taken by David Derrigo.

Historical Society -- Wethersfield, Connecticut

The Wethersfield Historical Society is located in the Keeney Cultural Center.

 View looking across the street (below).

Over the past two years, I've taken a lot of Historical Society photos. Sometimes I couldn't remember if I had, because I also do a series on Libraries with genealogy collections. Below, is a running list of all the societies with appropriate links. (The list will be applied to each new Historical Society photo I post.)


CONNECTICUT
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Windsor, Connecticut

MASSACHUSETTS
Acton, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Billerica, Massachusetts
Bolton, Massachusetts
W. Boylston, Massachusetts
Carlisle, Massachusetts
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Cohasset, Massachusetts
Dracut, Massachusetts
Groton, Massachusetts
Harvard, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts

Nahant, Massachusetts
No. Andover, Massachusetts
Townsend, Massachusetts
Westford, Massachusetts

MAINE
Brunswick, Maine
Wells and Ogunquit, Maine


NEW HAMPSHIRE

Ashland, New Hampshire
Cheshire, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire
Londonderry, New Hampshire
Nashua, New Hampshire
New Castle, New Hampshire
New Ipswich, New Hampshire
Rindge, New Hampshire


RHODE ISLAND
Newport


CANADA
Quebec
Missisquoi County Historical Society

Killingworth, Connecticut, We Helped Each Other

Isaac Kelsey

Joseph Wilcox

Josiah Hull

Daniel Buel

John Wilcox

Joseph Griswold

Nathaniel Parmelee

Ebenezer Hull

Samuel Stevens

Edward Rutty

Solomon Davis

Timothy Chittenden

Theophilus Redfield

I received this letter, "We live in Killingworth and my son is doing a history project. I have had a hard time finding some of the cemeteries in town. I am wondering if I can use the image I found on Google images of the Stone House Cemetery that you took. He would be putting it on a poster board that will be displayed in the elementary school til the end of the year." I wrote Mary back, gave permission for her son to use my image, and told her exactly where the cemetery was, across the street from a fire station. I also asked if she could take a photo of the Killingworth sign.


In reply, she wrote, "So I found out from talking to people that there are 2 working fire stations in town. I had no idea and have lived here for 9 years. The one you are talking about isn't the one I was thinking of. Learn something new everyday! Mary Frances Studzinski" I loved this exchange, and of course the moral is, if you are nice to a person, they will probably be nice to you. Thanks Mary for the Killingworth sign photo. This is a town of many of my ancestors. See HERE.

Historical Society -- Windsor, Connecticut

Windsor Historical Society, Windsor, Connecticut

Please see my post about the Founders of Windsor.