Everybody Loves Ipswich, Massachusetts

Ipswich Museum and Historical Society (above).
Visitor Center (below).

The Whipple House to the left and below.

The small house on the right is the recently reconstructed 1657 Alexander Knight House. See HERE for my post.

To All Who Served Our Country.

Two Houses I love. The Baker-Sutton House,  ca. 1725.

Below is the historic Crane Estate at Castle Hill, and related photos.

This Doth Testify that I

Maskonomett Did Give To

Mr. John Winthrop All That

Ground That is Betweene the

Creek Commonly Called Labour

In Vaine Creeke and The Creek 

Called Chybacko Creek. For

Wch I Doe Acknowledge To Have

Received Full Satisfaction In

Wampampeace and Other Things

And I doe Hereby Also For The

Sume of Twenty Pounds

To be Paid Unto Me By The Said

John Winthrop I doe Fully

Restone Up All My Right OF The

Whole Towne of Ipswich

As Farre as the Sounds Thereof

Shall Goe All The Woods

Meadows Pastures and Broken

Up Grounds Unto The Said

John Winthrop In The Name

Of The Rest Of The English

There Planted And I doe Bind

My Selfe To Make It Cleere

From The Claims of Any

Other Indians Whatsoever.

            Maskonomett  {His Mark}

        1637

Obituary of Mrs. Farmon Scramlin of Momence, Illinois

Death of Mrs. Farmon Scramlin.

Mrs. Mary Scramlin, relict of the late

Farmon Scramlin, died at her

home in this city last Sunday evening

at 8:20 o'clock, after an illness of

several months.

Her maiden name was Mary Lamport

and she was born near Momence

on February 4, 1849, being at the time

of her death 57 years, 3 months and

18 days of age. On October 3d, 1872,

she was united in marriage to Farmon

Scramlin, who died June 30, 1904. To

them one child was born, Lura, now

the wife of Jay Sanstrom.

Mrs. Scramlin was a woman whom

everyone who knew her cherished with

high regard. She was possessed of a

true womanly spirit that never failed

to win her a place in the hearts of

those who made her acquaintance.

She was devoted to her home and family,

caring little for that which is called

society. The most of her life was

spent in or near this city, a few years

However, being spent in Grant Park,

where her husband was in business.

She leaves besides the daughter, one

Sister, Mrs. H. C. Reins of Kankakee,

And three brothers, Henry Lamport of

this city, T. V. Lamport of Kansas,

And Benj. Lamport of Stonington,

Colorado, besides many near relatives.

The funeral services were held from

The M. E. church on Tuesday after

noon conducted by Rev. Pittenger.

Those from out of town who came to

Attend the funeral were Mrs. Metta

Woollett and Miss Grace Scramlin of

Chicago, Mrs. O. B. Coleman of Brazil,

Ind., H. C. Reins, Mr. and Mrs.

John Wilkinson and Mr. and Mrs. E.

Dayton of Kankakee, and Mrs. Will

Dayton of Grant Park.

Copy of obituary from Gary Hanna (March 2013)

Mary was the wife of my first cousin, Farmon Scramlin, 4x removed.

Old Settler Gone -- Obituary

               Old Settler Gone.

Silas Scramlin died at his home in

this city Monday night, April 22, at

about 11 o’clock after a long illness.

His ailment was one of those that defied

medical skill, and all knew that

sooner or later it would end his life.

Yet during the years that he suffered

He bore his affliction bravely hoping

That something might be done to prolong

his life. He was not confined to

his bed until last Sunday.

He was born in Ostego county,

County, [sic] N. Y. Feb. 24, 1824, and was

83 years, 1 month and 28 days of age.

In 1849 he came to Momence and settled

on a farm in section 9 in Ganeer

Township, where he remained for several

years. Later he made an overland

trip to California, returning in

1859, braving the dangers of such a

trip those days. On July 4, 1862, he

was united in marriage to Miss Christina

Moe, and to them one daughter

was born, Alice Theresa, the wife of

Walter A. Brown of this city.

In August of 1862, Mr. Scramlin

heeded the call to arms and enlisted

In the 76^th Illinois volunteers and

served nearly three years. On May

28, 1863, while on picket duty at

Vicksburg he received a severe would

that caused him great suffering then

and in later years as well. Upon his

return home at the close of the war he

purchased a farm about three miles

southwest of Momence where he resided

until about seventeen years ago

when he gave up active farm life and

came into this city to live. Mr.

Scramlin was a man of a retiring nature,

Yet kind to his neighbors and

friends, and ever ready to assist when

occasion demanded.

He is survived by his wife and

daughter, two brothers who reside in

Minnesota, and a sister Mrs. Hanna of

Idaho. The funeral services were

held from the Episcopal Church on

Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock,

conducted by Rev. T. C. Eglin, and

the remains taken to the Momence

Cemetery for burial. The members of

the G. A. R. and W. R. C. attended

the services in respect to the memory

of their deceased comrade and brother.

Copy of obituary from Gary Hanna (March 2013)

Silas Scramlin was my first cousin 4x removed.

Frederick Law Olmsted's House -- A Dream of A Visit in Brookline, Massachusetts

I am posting this for two reasons, first, it is a National Historic site, and second, I always wanted to see it. Unfortunately, it was in the process of closing and we only saw one room in 2013. It was still closed in 2016. The park and house are now open, see HERE.

Walkway to the house. The tree by the rock was planted by Frederick Law Olmsted.

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Wikipedia

Frederick Law Olmsted's FindAGrave site.

"About the Olmsted Legacy

Beginning in 1857 with the design for Central Park in New York City, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), his sons and successor firm created designs for more than 6,000 landscapes across North America, including many of the world's most important parks.  Olmsted’s remarkable design legacy includes Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Boston’s Emerald Necklace, Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, Mount Royal in Montreal, the grounds of the United States Capitol and the White House, and Washington Park, Jackson Park and the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago.  Olmsted’s sons were founding members of the American Society of Landscape Architects and played an influential role in the creation of the National Park Service." The article is taken from the Olmsted website.

Great enclosed porch photos.

I was delighted to see Wisteria still growing, our visit was on June 30th.

Below is a page from the "The Master List of Design Projects of the Olmsted Firm 1857–1979," and the visitors center allowed me to copy the section for Lowell.
The last entry above is for Tyler Park, Lowell, MA, a 5-minute walk from my house. See photos below.

Brook Farm in Roxbury, Massachusetts and How it Relates to Me

When I discovered back in January that my 2nd great-grandfather surveyed a property in West Roxbury, Massachusetts for the city, I immediately became interested in learning more. Thanks to the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) in Boston for giving me additional information and confirmation that he indeed did a map of Brook Farm in Roxbury, June 1849, and it is in their collection. 

Fast forward to nine months, I just went to Brook Farm, now a Historic site, you'll see the photos below. The Farm consists of 179 acres of "rolling fields, woodlands and wetlands" and one lonely building. I love knowing that my ancestor, Charles H. Poole surveyed this land in the late 1840s as well as the town of Roxbury and Long Island, in Boston Harbor.

I'll quote what is written about the Farm in the brochure prepared by the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation for Massachusetts. "Founded in (October 11) 1841 at the height of the Transcendental movement, an experimental society of men, women and children had dreams of leading a more wholesome and simple life. The Farm's members and visitors included renowned authors and philosophers Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dana, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller."

"Utilized in later years for a poorhouse, Civil War training camp and orphanage, the site reflects a theme of social consciousness and reform." Visitors are free to roam around the Farm, and even picnic there. Since I had been waiting nine months to visit, I was terribly excited to be there, even though, it's less than an hour from home."

The Community disbanded six years after its inception. A loss of their residential building due to fire, and other reasons were partly to blame. In 1861 the Second Massachusetts Infantry Regiment used the land for military training. In 1872 Martin Luther Orphan's Home was opened, and remained there until 1943. Later, in 1948, the Brook Farm Home, a treatment center and school opened, closed in 1974.

The history doesn't stop here. The land has a much older past. In February, I read in the Boston Globe an article about the Farm and the "display of artifacts found during excavations in the 1990s at the historic Brook Farm site." On display at the lab are over 100 artifacts from Brook Farm highlighting the diverse uses of the property, including a 5,000 year old Native American spear point, colonial artifacts, painstakingly reconstructed ceramic serving dishes used by the Brook Farmers, the only physical remains of the massive Phalanstery building, as well as architectural elements and personal items from the Utopian community. The later use of the property is represented by Civil War-era items from Camp Andrew, and toys from an orphanage run out of the Hive building - the heart of Utopian-period community." I spoke with the City Archaeologist, and asked him some questions. Unfortunately some of the exhibit is being removed this weekend, so I won't get to see it.

"Brook Farm was one of the first sites in Massachusetts to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Site." There is quite about this Farm from Wikipedia.

The Print Shop was built in the 1870s for the Orphanage. Other buildings have burned.

Images from West Roxbury Historical Society and Google may be seen HERE.

 1861 -1865
Second Massachusetts Infantry
Recruited Mustered and Drilled
on These Grounds
Known as Camp Andrew
Left Here for the War for the Union
July 8, 1861

Some of the wetlands.

While looking at an exhibit at the Fruitlands Museum, in Harvard, Massachusetts, with a blogger friend, I noticed the mention of 1841 when Brook Farm was founded (above and below).

Also see:

MassMoments article titled: "Utopians Purchase Brook Farm"

Massachusetts Historical Society

From correspondence I had with the Society in January 2013.

"I found the following item which is directly attributed to Charles H. Poole:

Call number(s):      Mss. Large 1849 June

Contained in:     In Mss. Large Manuscripts.

Creator:     Poole, Charles H.

Title:     Manuscript map of Brook Farm, June 1849

Description:     Scale 1:3600.

    1 manuscript map : pen and ink and watercolor; 37 1/2 x 55 cm.

Scope:     A manuscript map of the property of Brook Farm.

Local notes:     From the Perry-Clarke papers."

From a facebook page I received, is the following interesting article.

City of Boston Archaeology Program

September 20 at 9:43am · 

One of the collections management features we added this year is a new system to convert our digital catalog data automatically into formatted archival tags. These tags not only will live with the artifacts themselves in their archival bags, but also serve as labels and scales in the photos we are now taking of every artifact we process. This year we have already taken over 20,000 artifact photos, and are actively uploading them into a searchable artifact database, which we will launch soon. #collectionsmanagement #archaeology #digbos

Old Mammy Redd, an Accused Witch, Recently Pardoned

The poem below, was found in my ancestor's manuscript located in the archives at the New England Historic Genealogical Society's Library. My photographed image came out well, and since it meant something to my ancestor, I've decided to use it for Bill West's Fifth Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge! as described on his blog, West in New England.

At first, I thought the author, Julian S. Cutler might have been related to the writer or even to me, since I have a long lineage of Cutlers. However, I find no connection.

Old Mammy Redd is based on a true but very sad story about Wilmot Redd. She was convicted of Witchcraft in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and was hung. I found some links explaining more about this event. They are listed below.

OLD MAMMY REDD.

[For the Transcript.]

In Salem's court-house the old crone stands,

With her wrinkled cheeks and her bony hands,

And pleads for her life on a summer's day,

The life which the maidens had sworn away.

No kind neighbor or friend is there

To urge the granting of her wild prayer,

And crushed she listens the sentence fall--

"Death on the gallows for witches all!"

Never again will her old eyes see

The fisher boats, when the winds are free,

Sail out of the harbor of Marblehead,

Or home when the evening skies are red.

No more will she watch the while gulls fly
With snowy wings; 'gainst the inky sky,
When in from sea, through the twilight gray,
The storm comes sweeping across the bay.

No more will she hear when the shadows fall

The sunset gun from Fort Sewall's wall;

Nor list at midnight the rythmic roar

Of flood-tides creeping along the shore.

Short are the days of Mammy Redd,

Old witch woman of Marblehead;

Vain her prayers; 'neath the autumn sky,

Up Gallows Hill she is led to die.

"Witch," her accusers called her there;

Scoffed at her tears and her broken prayer;

Naught was heard but the cruel cry--

"Hang her--so let the old witch die!"

So she perished on Gallows Hill,

And the days and the years went by, until,

They said, in the streets of Marblehead,

"No witch, but a martyr was Mammy Redd."

And I've been told, when the midnight tide

Creeps in to the short where the old crone died,

If you listen, borne on the midnight air,

Her voice comes wafted in wailing prayer.

JULIAN S. CUTLER.

Marblehead, Feb. 19, 1889.

Below are photos of Wilmot "Mammy" Redd's memorial in the Witchcraft Memorial, Charter Street Burying Ground, also known as The Burying Point, Salem, Massachusetts

Wilmot Redd

Hanged

Sept. 22, 1692

Note: Other good websites for additional information about Mammy Redd.

Find A Grave  "On October 31, 2001 Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift signed a bill pardoning Wilmot Redd along with four other victims of the witch trials."

Vast Public Indifference article