Dorchester Illustration 2329 Grove Hall Universalist Church

Posted on December 3, 2017 by earltaylor

2329 Grove Hall Universalist Church

Grove Hall Universalist Church

The Holy Tabernacle Church is located at 70 Washington Street and has a legal address on the side street of 14 Bishop Joe L. Smith Way.  This section of Washington Street is between Columbia Road and Blue Hill Avenue.

The society that built the church was the Grove Hall Universalist Church, following the design of Francis R. Allen.

The following is from Parish Register of the Grove Hall Universalist Church, Dorchester, Massachusetts and Favorite Recipes.  1913.

“The Grove Hall Universalist Church came into existence March 3, 1878, being an off-shoot of the Roxbury Universalist Church, and in its inception received the cordial support of that parish.  On January 9, 1878, a meeting was held at the residence of Mr. Franklin S. Williams for the purpose of organizing a church.

Starting as a mission church, holding its first or preliminary meetings at the residents of various interested persons, it soon wanted a centrally located temporary home, and began holding its meetings in Wetherell Hall, at or near the junction of Washington Street and Blue Hill Avenue.  That served its needs for a time, but the desire for a home having more the churchly appearance prevailed, and the church on the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Schuyler Street was built.

This amply served the purposes of the society until about 1892, when the subject of a new larger church was agitated, resulting in the building of the present edified.  At about this same time it also ceased to be a mission church, and since then has been able to maintain services without calling upon the state Convention for aid.

The present edifice was completed in 1895, and cost, furnished, about $45,000: $25,000 of this was provided for by a mortgage; the balance was raised by canvassing our parishioners.  To our good member, kind and generous neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Ivers W. Adams, we are largely indebted, both for their liberality in subscribing for the building and in their continued liberality in contributing to the wiping out of the mortgage debt, which has lately been accomplished and made possible largely through their instrumentality.”

Ivers Adams, mentioned above, is described in George V. Tuohey (1897). A History of the Boston Baseball Club – A concise and accurate history of Base Ball from its inception. Boston, MA: M.F. Quinn & Co., 1897,  p. 64.  His house faced Columbia Road at the corner of Washington Street.

Ivers Whitney Adams (born in Ashburnham, Massachusetts in 1838) was an American baseball executive and businessperson, and founder of the first professional baseball team in Boston, the Boston Red Stockings.

Adams was the Founder, Organizer and First President of the Boston Base Ball Association, the legal corporation that operated the baseball club initially known as the Boston Red Stockings. The club was Boston’s first professional baseball team, continues to operate today as the Atlanta Braves, and is the longest continuously operating team in Major League Baseball. On January 20, 1871, the Boston Base Ball Association was legally organized by Adams with $15,000 raised from investors and the commitment of Harry Wright, manager of America’s first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, to manage the new Boston club. ”

 

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Dorchester Illustration 2328 Arthur, Gregory and William Desmond

Posted on November 26, 2017 by earltaylor

2328 Arthur, Gregory and William Desmond

left to right: Arthur, Gregory and William Desmond

Desmond Brothers

At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of World War I. Using a collection of photographs we have of World War I Dorchester residents, we will be featuring soldiers in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit which highlights these men and their service to our country.

Our next biography features three brothers: William, Arthur, and Gregory Desmond

William, Arthur, and Gregory were three of 10 children born to John and Annie (Quinn) Desmond. John was born in Dorchester but Annie was a Canadian immigrant, from New Brunswick. William John was born on October 6, 1893, Arthur Francis was born on November 27, 1894, and Gregory Timothy was born on January 8, 1900. William was born in East Boston, but by the time Arthur was born, the Desmond family was living on Sturbridge Street in the Lower Mills neighborhood of Dorchester, now known as Mattapan. John was working as a butcher and Annie stayed at home with the children.

William registered for the draft on June 5, 1917 when he was 24 years old. His draft card lists him as a ship carpenter at George Lawley & Sons in Neponset and is described as a tall, stout man with dark hair and blue eyes. He had already served as a private in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to his service record, William enlisted in the National Guard on April 10, 1917 and deployed to Europe on September 26, 1917. While in Europe, he participated in a number of engagements: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Chemin des Dames, Toul-Boucq, Pas Fini, Rupt, and Troyon. He was honorably discharged in April of 1919.

Arthur also registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. He was 22 years old and his occupation is listed as “plumber;” working on Washington Street in Boston for a V.A. Bolger. He is described as a tall, slender, young man with brown eyes and black hair. According to his service record, he enlisted at the Boston Navy Yard on June 29, 1917. He served on the U.S.S. Charleston as a plumber for almost a year, he was then transferred to a receiving ship at Norfolk, Virginia where he stayed until November 11, 1918. He was honorably discharged at the end of his enrollment period on June 28, 1921.

Gregory enlisted in the United State Navy at the Navy Recruiting Station in Charlestown on January 25, 1918. He was 18 years and one month old and entered as an Apprentice Seaman. His service record indicates that he was home awaiting orders for one month until he was sent to the Naval Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island during February of 1918. From there, he was sent to serve on the U.S.S. Arkansas from March 1918 until the end of the war in November of 1918. When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, the U.S.S. Arkansas was assigned to Battleship Division 7 stationed in Virginia; it’s primary responsibility was to patrol the East Coast and train gun crews. However, in July 1918, the Arkansas was sent to England and joined the Grand Fleet – the main fleet of the British Royal Navy. He was discharged as a Second Class Seaman from the Boston Receiving Ship on May 21, 1919.

After the war, William returned to Boston and is found living with his parents until his marriage to Esther Gray in 1920. William and Esther moved only two houses down to number 20 Sturbridge Street and had two children – William, born in 1923, and Virginia, born in 1926. According to United States Census records and Boston City Directories, William worked as a carpenter. William died on January 20, 1976 at the age of 82. His obituary indicates he was a veteran of World War I and had five grandchildren and three great grandchildren at the time of his passing.

Arthur had already been married a year by the time he was discharged from the Navy. He married Catherine Burke on November 11, 1917 and she appears to lived with her parents while Arthur was in the service. When Arthur returned from the war, he moved in with his in-laws on River Street in Mattapan. Arthur and Catherine welcomed their first child, a daughter named Josephine, in 1921, and Arthur Jr. was born in 1926. According to the 1930 census records, Arthur and Catherine have moved to nearby Duxbury Street and are living there with their two children. Arthur is working as a plumber for the City of Boston’s Public Works Department.  Arthur died suddenly on August 28, 1959 at the age of 64. His obituary lists him as being a loving husband, father, and sibling. He was the late past president of the Saint Gregory’s Holy Name Society and a Past Grand Knight of the Dorchester Lower Mills Knights of Columbus Council #180.

Gregory went on to marry and start his own family as well. He married Louise Noonan in 1924 and went on to have seven children together. Like many other men in the Lower Mills neighborhood, Gregory was employed by the Walter Baker Company where he worked as a millwright. Gregory and his family remained in Dorchester and were parishioners of Saint Gregory’s Church until their deaths. Louise died in 1962 and Gregory passed away on October 29, 1969 at the age of 69. His obituary indicates he was a late member of the Lower Mills V.F.W. #8699.

Do you know more about the Desmond brothers? We would love to hear from you! All material has been researched by volunteers at the Dorchester Historical Society, so please let us know if we got something wrong or you think a piece of the story is missing!

Sources

Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.

Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA:

Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013.

 

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Index, 1901-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA:

Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013.

Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.

“Desmond” obituary, Boston Globe, 30 Aug 1959.

“Desmond” obituary, Boston Globe, 31 Oct 1969.

“Desmond” obituary, Boston Globe, 22 Jan 1976.

Military, Compiled Service Records. World War I. Carded Records. Records of the Military Division of the Adjutant General’s Office, Massachusetts National Guard.

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Dorchester Illustration 2327 Salvatore Maradei

Posted on November 19, 2017 by earltaylor

2327 Salvatore Maradei

Dorchester Illustration no. 2327        Salvatore Maradei

Jane Pisciottoli-Papa is a faithful follower of our Dorchester Historical Society social media pages. When she heard about our World War I project, she contacted us to see if we might feature her great uncle in our exhibit. She sent us a wealth of information including documents and photographs from her own extensive genealogy of her family. We are happy to include Jane’s great uncle in our exhibit!

Salvatore Maradei was born in Boston on June 19, 1888 to Louis and Filomena (Marzano) who were both Italian immigrants. Louis was a barber who worked at South Station. Although the vital records record Salvatore’s name as “Mario Salvatore,” his parents intended for his first name to be Salvatore – named for his father’s father. He was baptized as such at St. Leonard of Port Maurice Church in the North End of Boston. However, to his family, he was simply, “Jack.”

In the 1910 United States Census, Salvatore was 21 years old and living at home with his father and his three siblings: Elvira (19), William (16), and Frank (14). Salvatore’s occupation is listed as “book binder.” The family lived on Coleman Street in the Meetinghouse Hill/Fields Corner neighborhood of Dorchester.

Salvatore registered for the draft at the age of 29 in June of 1917 and was described as being a young man of short stature, stout build, with brown eyes and black hair. He left for Europe from New York City aboard the RMS Mauretania, a British luxury liner that had been commissioned by Great Britain during World War I to carry American troops to the battlefields of Europe. Salvatore served as a private in the Headquarters Company of the 55th Coast Artillery of the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC). The CAC were designated to provide all US-manned heavy artillery, railway artillery, and anti-aircraft artillery and mostly worked alongside the French forces. Salvatore served in France in a number of engagements including: Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, and Vesle. He returned stateside from Brest, France in New York City on January 22, 1919, aboard the S.S. Cretic and was honorably discharged in February of 1919.

In the 1920 United States Census, Salvatore has returned from military service and is living with his sister, Elvira, and her family on Norton Street in Dorchester. He is, again, listed as a “book binder.” In 1934, Salvatore is still living in Dorchester but has moved to Delmont Street in the Neponset neighborhood. By 1936, Salvatore is living in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, on Westland Avenue, and working as a “forwarder” at the Boston Public Library.

Salvatore died unexpectedly on April 14, 1944 at the young age of 55. He is buried in Mt. Benedict Cemetery in West Roxbury, MA with his parents.

Sources:

Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.

Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA:

Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013.

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Index, 1901-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA:

Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013.

Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.

Military, Compiled Service Records. World War I. Carded Records. Records of the Military Division of the Adjutant General’s Office, Massachusetts National Guard.

Check out the Dorchester Historical Society’s online catalog at

http://dorchester.pastperfectonline.com/

The archive of these historical posts can be viewed on the blog at www.dorchesterhistoricalsocietyblog.org

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Dorchester Illustration 2326 Harold Davis Archer

Posted on November 12, 2017 by earltaylor

2326 Harold Davis Artcher Dorchester Historical Society

Dorchester Illustration no. 2326        Harold Davis Archer

At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I. Using a collection of photographs we have of WWI Dorchester residents, we will be featuring servicemen and women in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit which highlights these men and women and their service to our country.

Our next biography features: Harold Davis Archer

Harold Davis Archer was born 25 December 1888 to Frederick W. and Cora A. (Brown) Archer in Boston. In 1900, the family was living on Richview Street, Dorchester. Frederick was a druggist (Lower Mills) whose parents were born in Canada.  Harold was 12 years old now with a brother, Charles F., who was 9 years old. They also had a servant.

In 1910, the family was still living on Richview Street but now with a grandmother and a servant. Harold’s father owned his own drugstore and perhaps Harold worked with his father as he too became a druggist. In 1911, Harold joined the Masons and was a member of the Macedonian Lodge of Dorchester. His occupation was listed as druggist.

Harold married a girl from the neighborhood, Alfreda (Freida) H. Gore, on October 7, 1913. According to a news article in the Boston Globe on October 8, the wedding took place at the bride’s home on Adams St. and was attended by 300 guests including Mayor Fitzgerald. Rev. Ernest S. Meredith, pastor of the Third Religious Society (Unitarian) officiated.  The couple were to travel (New York and Canada included) and then to reside on Adams St.He is listed as a pharmacist.

He traveled to Havana, Cuba on business in 1916 as there is a record of his return to New York in July 1916, residence then given as 180 Hudson St., New York.

On July 5, 1917, he registered for the draft in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He and his wife were living there and he claimed her on the draft card. He was a Parke-Davis & Co. sales representative for Puerto Rico. He was short with regular build, green or blue eyes and reddish hair. Harold and Frieda sailed from San Juan to New York, 180 Hudson St. in November 1917.

His New York service record listed his residence as 168 Hudson St., New York. He was appointed 1st Lt. Inf (374th) on May 27, 1918 and principally stationed at Camp Las Casas, Puerto Rico (a U.S. military installation established in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1904). He was with the 374th Infantry until honorably discharged on January 18, 1919. On a passport application later in 1919, he listed his permanent address as Richview Street, Dorchester.

From 1919-1921, he traveled to Venezuela, Colombia, Trinidad, Mexico, Cuba, Vera Cruz and British West Indies. He had his passport stolen in Mexico and he had to reapply for a new one November 11, 1921 in New Orleans. He had to have it expedited by Parke-Davis.

In the 1920s and 30s, he also traveled to the Canal Zone (Cristobol), Havana and San Juan. His address in New York was given as 181 Hudson St. or c/o Parke-Davis. In May of 1935, his wife, Alfreda, died at age 46. They were living on Front St., Weymouth and she is buried at Mt. Auburn Cemetery.

Sometime between 1935 and 1942, Harold remarried to Evelyn Lee Meldrum.

In 1942, he registered for WWII, his residence then being 1284 Beacon St.,Brookline and his new employer being Sharp & Dohme of Philadelphia.Harold and Evelyn Archer, both of 1284 Beacon St., traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the next few years he still traveled to and from Mexico.

On a Puerto Rico Passenger Crew List (Pan American Airways Manifest) on February 28, 1947, Harold and Evelyn Archer of 563 W. 191st St., New York were destined for San Juan.

Harold died suddenly on February 8, 1950 at age 61. He was listed as white and widowed with his address as Leach Ave., Brockton, his occupation being Branch Manager, Sharp & Dohme, Argentina. The informant was his brother, Charles. He is buried at Forest Hills Crematory and is memorialized on a plaque from the Third Religious Society. The plaque is now located at the Dorchester Historical Society.

No records of children were found.

Do you know more about Harold D. Archer? We would love to hear from you! All material has been researched by volunteers  at the Dorchester Historical Society, so please let us know if we got something wrong or you think a piece of the story is missing!

REFERENCES:

Dr. Perkins’ records

Birth records, FamilySearch.org

Census records, federal, 1900, 1910, FamilySearch.org

Death records, State Archives, Columbia Point and Vital Statistics, Mt. Vernon St.

Draft registration cards, WW1 & WW11, Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org

Masonic membership card, Ancestry.com

Marriage record, FamilySearch.org

Marriage announcement, Boston Globe, Oct. 8, 1913

Passport and Ship Manifests, Ancestry.com

Service Card, Military Museum, Concord, MA

 

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Dorchester Illustration 2325 Magnet Theatre

Posted on November 5, 2017 by earltaylor

2325 Magnet Theater Dorchester Historical Society

Dorchester Illustration no. 2325        Magnet Theatre

The Magnet Theatre was located at 301 Washington Street, north of the intersection of Bowdoin, Harvard and Washington, on the west side of Washington opposite Mt. Bowdoin.  The site is now the home of a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Many neighborhood theaters used the spelling theatre, but in the US we now usually use the spelling theater.  In the early years of the 20th century moving pictures were shown in already-existing halls.  Then neighborhood theaters became part of the landscape and gave a sense of identity to  communities. Neighborhood theaters presented a full evening with a newsreel, cartoon, sometimes a sing-a-long or a giveaway, and often two features.  Demographic and economic changes forced most of the theaters out of business in the second had of the 20th century in favor of the multiplex.

Dorchester’s other neighborhood theaters included the

Codman Square Theatre at 635Washington Street

Fields Corner Theatre at 215 Adams Street

Franklin Park Theater at 616 Blue Hill Avenue

Hamilton Theatre at 256 Bowdoin Street

Ideal Theatre at 530 Dudley Street

Liberty Theatre at 726 Blue Hill Avenue

Mattapan Theatre at 512 River Street

Morton Theatre at 1161 Blue Hill Avenue

New Adams Theater at 735 Adams Street, near Adams Corner

Oriental Theatre at 1597 Blue Hill Avenue

Strand Theatre at 543 Columbia Road

Uphams Theatre at 568 1/2 Columbia Road.

 

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Dorchester Illustration 2324 Eddy Refrigerator Company

Posted on October 29, 2017 by earltaylor

2324 Eddy Refrigerator Manufactory 1888 and Dorch Hist Soc Eddy refrig

Dorchester Illustration no. 2324        Eddy Refrigerator Company

Darius Eddy founded the refrigerator company in 1847. After his death in the mid-1890s, the firm was in the hands of three of his sons: Darius, Lewis, Isaac H. and George.  They took in their uncle J. Lodge Eddy, and by 1898 the firm is listed in the Boston Directory as  D. Eddy & Sons (D.F., Lewis, Isaac H., George and J. Lodge), refrigerator manufacturers. 336 Adams Street, Dorchester.  The facility was located at on Adams Street at the corner of Gibson.

The illustration shows the manufacturing plant at the top and the Dorchester Historical Society’s Eddy refrigerator at the bottom.

The Eddy Refrigerator  was a wooden chest with metal lining.  There was a compartment to hold ice with a drain pipe for the melted water and another compartment for the storage of food.

In 1876 the Boston Daily Globe published a puff piece. “In the year 1847, Mr. D. Eddy, who is the oldest ice-chest manufacturer in this country, began the manufacture of ice-chests, as they were then called, n Boston, and in 1852 he removed to Dorchester, and since that time the manufacture under Mr. Eddy’s supervision has grown to mammoth proportions, and the improvements constantly added to the refrigerators … have made them the standard style throughout the United States, as well as in many foreign countries.  …  The best possible evidence for their freedom from moisture is found in the fact that matches can be kept in them for any length of time and ignite as readily as those kept in tin.”

The company manufactured many designs including a modest model that looked like a small freezer chest and very elaborate chests with separate compartments for wine storage.

On February 19, 1908, the Boston Daily Globe printed a report of a fire of suspicious origin at the plant.  “The fire started about 6 o’clock and was discovered by Samuel D. Averill, a conductor on an Ashmont and Milton car, who, as he was passing along Dorchester av, saw smoke issuing from the warehouse on Gibson st, near the avenue.  He rang in the alarm from box 993 at the Fields Corner car stables, and before the apparatus arrived the whole warehouse was a mass of flames. … During the last few months, there have been several mysterious fires on the premises of the company, and the firm has come to fear that it was harboring a firebug.  The last previous fire, which has not been explained, was that about  a month ago in the basement of the main factory on Adams st.”  The next day the Globe reported that a fireman who answered the alarm had found a broken window, and the fire department suspected a firebug.

The company never embraced electricity, and their ice boxes were overshadowed by electric refrigerators that do not require the constant delivery of ice to the home.

 

Check out the Dorchester Historical Society’s online catalog at

http://dorchester.pastperfectonline.com/

The archive of these historical posts can be viewed on the blog at www.dorchesterhistoricalsocietyblog.org

 

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Dorchester Illustration 2323 Tileston stoves

Posted on October 22, 2017 by earltaylor

2323 Tileston bill head Lower Mills

Dorchester Illustration no. 2323        Tileston stoves

Charles Tileston was born in Dorchester in 1817 and died here in 1894.  He conducted a business as a tin smith, selling tin & sheet iron ware, stoves, and hot-air furnaces.

The invoice is from 1878, and the advertisement comes from the 1870 directory of Dorchester and Quincy for 1868-1869.

The illustration shows the building where he lived and ran the business.  It is still located at 1141 Washington Street at the corner of Washington and River Streets.  The building still has it s 3 bay appearance.  The first floor is still used as commercial space, although it has been altered with brick facing surrounding the windows on the first floor facade.  Notice the 2 over 2 windows in the 1870s illustration.  Today there are shutters on the second-floor windows.

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Dorchester Illustration 2322 Henry J. Barry

Posted on October 15, 2017 by earltaylor

2322 Henry Barry

Dorchester Illustration no. 2322        Henry J. Barry

At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of World War 1. Using a collection of photographs we have of World War 1 Dorchester residents, we will be featuring servicemen and women in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit which highlights these men and women and their service to our country.

We are so excited to be sharing our next biography for Henry J. Barry. After seeing our posts about World War I Dorchester veterans, Henry’s daughter Marion Barry Callinan provided scans of photographs of her father.  We are happy to feature him and honor this World War I veteran!

HENRY J. BARRY

Mrs. Marion (Barry) Callinan found out about our World War I Dorchester servicemen project and asked if we would honor her father by featuring him in a short biography. She even came to meet us and brought some of her father’s medals for us to look at. We were happy to oblige and add Henry to our collective memory of Dorchester’s World War I veterans!

John Henry Barry was born on March 3, 1898 to parents Henry and Maria (Davis) Barry who were living at 3 Savin Hill Avenue in Dorchester. To his family, he was always known as Henry.

Henry enlisted in the National Guard in June of 1916 when he was 18 years old. This was shortly after Mexico’s attack on the United States by the famed general, Pancho Villa. Henry served with the Mexican Border Service as a part of Company “C” in the 9th Massachusetts Infantry of the National Guard. However, war with Mexico never came and Henry returned to Massachusetts only to get ready for an imminent war with Germany.

Henry mustered out on April 4, 1917 as a private, just two days before President Wilson and the United States officially declared war on Germany. He served in the 101st Infantry Division until he was discharged in April of 1919. While he was in the Army, he was involved in a number of engagements, all in France, including: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and St. Mihiel. When he was honorably discharged in 1919, Henry moved back home with his parents in Dorchester. He received commendations for his service from both Mayor of Boston, James Michael Curley, and Massachusetts Governor Samuel McCall.

Sometime in the early 1920s, Henry married Florence Raithel. In 1930, they were living at 192 Savin Hill Avenue in the Savin Hill neighborhood of Dorchester with their four children: John (6), Paul (5), Harold (3) “aka” Hap, and Arthur (0). Henry is listed on the United States Census as a “line-o-typer” in the newspaper industry and listed as a World War I veteran. In 1940, not much has changed; the family is still living on Savin Hill Avenue with Henry working in the newspaper industry. But now, the Barry’s are a family of seven, having had a daughter, Marion, who is now 6.

Henry stayed in Dorchester for the rest of his life, until he died suddenly on June 20, 1980 at the age of 82. His obituary indicates that he was a printer for the Boston Post and the Herald Traveler. He was a member of the Boston Typographical Union No. 13 and retired in 1965 from the Herald Traveler. He was a grandfather of 10 when he died and is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Mattapan. As of 2017, the Barry family house on Savin Hill Avenue had been sold and Henry’s children, Marion (83) and John (93) are still living in Massachusetts.

Sources:

Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.

Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA:

Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013.

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Index, 1901-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA:

Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013.

Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.

Military, Compiled Service Records. World War I. Carded Records. Records of the Military Division of the Adjutant General’s Office, Massachusetts National Guard.

“Henry J. Barry” obituary, Boston Globe, June 21, 1980.

 

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Dorchester Illustration 2321 Baker Chocolate Silos

Posted on October 8, 2017 by earltaylor

2321 Baker Chocolate silos

Dorchester Illustration no. 2321        Baker Chocolate Silos

Eighteen large silos and a grain elevator were built in 1941 as storage, in anticipation of World War II and expected difficulties in securing cacao beans. The “Baker Chocolate” painted silos remained a landmark in the Lower Mills for four decades. The silos were never filled to capacity, and in 1987 they were demolished.

The following is from:

Sweet History: Dorchester and the Chocolate Factory. Copyright The Bostonian Society, 2005.

A large grain elevator and nine pairs of concrete silos, originally located behind the Forbes Mill, stored cocoa beans for many years. The silos were built in response to the outbreak of World War II, when there was a high demand to supply chocolate rations for soldiers. Baker’s stepped up its production because “there must be no shortage of chocolate, which is a chief essential of emergency rations for an army in the field.”  The location of the silos near the Forbes Mill centralized roasting operations, simplified the manufacturing process, and saved on space and man power. The “Baker Chocolate” painted silos remained a landmark in the Lower Mills for decades. They were torn down in 1987.

Check out the Dorchester Historical Society’s online catalog at

http://dorchester.pastperfectonline.com/

The archive of these historical posts can be viewed on the blog at www.dorchesterhistoricalsocietyblog.org

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Dorchester Illustration 2320 Tristram Campbell

Posted on October 1, 2017 by earltaylor

2320 Tristram Campbell

Dorchester Illustration no. 2320        Tristram Campbell

At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I. Using a collection of photographs we have of WWI Dorchester residents, we will be featuring service men and women in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit which highlights these men and women and their service to our country.

Tristram Campbell

The card in the collection gives us these details: Lt. Tristram Joseph Campbell. 123 Ashmont Street. 3rd Aviation Instruction Centre, American E. F. France. Picture taken n France.

Tristram Joseph Campbell was born in Charlestown, February 4, 1895, to parents Tristram and Anna.  His mother died in 1901, and by 1910 Tristram was living in the house owned by his grandmother, Catherine Doherty, at 123 Ashmont Street, Dorchester.  The other people living in the house were his uncle James Doherty, a clerk; Tristram’s brother Robert who was two years younger; and Annie Flaherty, a servant.

Tristram registered for the draft at age 22, when he was a student at MIT.  He was single, slender, of medium height, with black hair and brown eyes.  The 1920 Boston Directory lists him as a student, so it is probable that returned to MIT after the War.  He married Dorothy Barnes Smith in Old Orchard, York, Maine, on August 8, 1922.  They had a daughter Dorothy and a son Tristram, and by 1930 they were living in Camden, New Jersey.  His World War II Draft Registration shows that he was working as an engineer at the Bendix Corporation.

Tristram died December 7, 1961, and is buried in the Hartford Cemetery, White River Junction, VT.

Sources:

All from Ancestry.com

Birth Record

Mother’s Death Record

1910 US Census (uncle James’ occupation undreadable)

World War I Draft Registration

1920 US Census

1920 Boston City Directory

Marriage Record

1930 US Census

1940 US Census

World War II Draft Registration

Headstone Application for Veterans

plus

List of the Residents of Boston, 1909 (shows uncle James as a clerk)

 

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