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The Life From The Roots blog topics have changed several times since I began this blog in 2009. I initially wrote only about the family history I had been working on for 20 years. Years later, I was into visiting gardens, historical homes, churches, libraries that had genealogical collections, historical societies, war memorials, and travel/tourism places. I also enjoy posting autographs and photos of famous people I've met or have seen.

Along with my New England roots, other areas include New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada.

Please check out the labels on the right side for topics (please note, they need work). Below the labels and pageviews is a listing of my top nine posts, according to Google. Four of them pertain to Lowell, MA. These posts change often because they are based on what people are reading.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

40 Nationalities of Lowell, Massachusetts

 Polish monument in front of City Hall, the Greek and Irish monuments are to the side of City Hall.


The Polish, Greeks, Irish, Portuguese, Cambodians, Indians, Canadian and French Canadians all settled or are now settling in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Follow-up for September 16, 2015:
Since I first posted the above in June 2012, I have seen quite a few more memorials, and will post them soon. In the meantime, I want to share a piece about 40 nationalities in Lowell, and I took it this weekend, shown below.
 This place card is located on the Northern Canal, near the Wannalancit Mills.
 From Forty Nations
"Lowell's residents have emigrated from all around the world. Soon after the city's factories began operations, mill agents looked beyond Yankee farms and villages for workers and increasingly hired new immigrants.

Beginning with the Irish before the Civil War, Immigrants arrived in waves, often settling into ethnic enclaves. So many French Canadians settled here during the second half of the 19th century that this section of the city become known as Little Canada.

A 1912 map identified Little Canada as well as Greek, Polish, Portuguese, and Jewish neighborhoods. School records from this era listed children from forty nations.

In the late 20th century, Latinos, southeast Asians, Africans, Brazilians and others settled in Lowell's old neighborhoods and introduced new customs to the city."

Canadian workers, 1900   Chinese immigrant, 1890s    Portuguese worker, 1910    Syrian couple, 1917    Vietnamese woman, 1980s         Russian Jewish couple, 1910
City Hall is located on the far left.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Boston from the Top of the Prudential Building

The Prudential Center
800 Boylston Street 
Boston, MA 02199

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.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

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 Wilcoxin 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 StephentownRensselaer 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 UniversityCourtesy 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.


Generation No. 1

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.


Generation No. 2

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.


Generation No. 3

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.


Generation No. 4

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.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

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.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

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."