News & Features
April 2005

A MOMENT IN TIME
Census shows Brookfield booming in 1870
By Pauline Merrick

If you were to imagine the town of Brookfield in 1870, what would the picture look like? A sleepy little farm town, where not much happens? Nothing could be further from the truth. Brookfield in 1870 was a thriving center of commerce and manufacturing, home to citizens noted here and abroad. A study of the federal census conducted in August of 1870 reveals some surprising details.

In 1870, East Brookfield was not yet incorporated as a separate town. Hence, we will see some overlap in this study. I will endeavor to point these occasions out as they occur.

Brookfield at that time consisted of 438 households, with a total of 2,532 residents. As of the 2000 census, the total of the two towns was 5,148, just over double. While today’s Brookfield could be termed a “bedroom town,” with most residents traveling out of town to work, such was not the case 135 years ago. Several large manufacturers located within the town borders provided employment for a large segment of the population. Shoe and boot manufacturers Parker H. Fales, James Montague, and Emmons Twichell not only lived in town with their families but also employed another 568 residents in their shops. Other employers included George Forbes’ wagon wheel factory, Warren and Willard Fay with their cotton mill (East Brookfield), and the brickyard of Jesse Moulton.

Support services, to provide for these workers, were provided right here in town. Grocers and tailors, a butcher and dentist, three physicians—Drs. Wilson, Fiske and Hodgekins—were backed by two druggists, and, in case their cures failed, four clergymen. Painters and paperhangers kept the homes tidy, while 85 farmers kept everyone well fed. The telegraph operator and railroad provided links to the rest of the world, and two hotels served the needs of travelers. Wagon and sleigh makers and four livery stables took care of the local transportation needs. George Bailey did not work for the Savings and Loan, as in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” but rather made his living as a jeweler.

The population was young, with 125 schoolchildren under the care of 10 teachers in six schoolhouses. Another 532 children were too young to attend school yet; the typical schoolchildren of the time were between 10 and 15 years of age. Those older than 15 were mostly in the work force, with a few young ladies listed merely as being “at home,” helping with the housework and preparing for marriage.

A mere 27 residents were in the 60-69 year old bracket, with most of them still in the workforce. Another 89 people were aged 70-79, mostly retired, with a few farmers still working, along with their housewives. One of the town’s blacksmiths, Parker A. Rice, was still busy at the age of 76, and one of the railroad laborers was of the same age. Of the 29 residents in the 80-plus crowd, John B. Duverger, born in France, was still plying his trade of wheelwright at the age of 82, two of the Adams brothers in East Brookfield were still farming at ages 82 and 83, and 84-year-old Frederick Blanchard was still making shoes and boots.

The oldest man in town was retired farmer, Amasa Stone, age 91. The oldest woman title involves a bit of a mystery. At first read, I picked out Alice Cooley, age 95 (Mrs. Cooley went on to reach the 100 year mark, dying in 1875). However, on further examination, I discovered Nellie Hunt. Nellie is listed as a mulatto servant in the employ of Francis Howe, a livestock dealer in the center of town. Nellie was born in Mississippi, and her age is given as 100 years old! If anyone reading this knows anything about Nellie Hunt, I would be very interested in learning her story.

The town was wealthy. Real estate values were enumerated, totaling $1,204,185. Total personal wealth (other than real estate) amounted to $1,274,271. Far and away the wealthiest was Albert C. Blanchard, who, while listing his occupation as “farmer,” made his fortune in international trading. His personal wealth in 1870 was figured to be $350,000. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $4.6 million today!

The poorest resident is harder to figure. Many of the shoe factory workers did not own their own homes, but a large percentage did and were comfortably well off. The town did have an Alms House, located on what is now known as Town Farm Road. Samuel Miller was the warden, with his wife Caroline acting as matron. They, with the help of one farm laborer, cared for 10 adult inmates and two school-age children.

Where did all these people come from? The majority of the 1870 population was born right here in Massachusetts. Not surprisingly, the next largest group (208 individuals) consisted of people born in Ireland (the Irish potato famine was a recent memory). One hundred forty-three residents were born in Canada, and 22 were English born. The other New England states, plus New York, account for another 253. Aside from those places already mentioned, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana, New Jersey, and even Switzerland are represented.

Did I mention Greece? Both the land of birth and the occupation of one individual caught my eye. A Greek author living in Brookfield? Strange, but—nearly—true. Samuel G. W. Benjamin was born in Argos, Greece in 1837, son of American missionaries Rev. Nathan Benjamin and Mary Gadding Wheeler. In 1863, he married Clara Stowell of Brookfield, and in 1870 was living with his wife and year-old daughter in a house facing Brookfield Common owned by his mother-in-law, Mary A. Stowell. Samuel was the author of several published books and also wrote articles on subjects such as European art for Harper’s New Monthly magazine. Clara died in 1880, and Samuel moved to New York City, where he was appointed in February of 1883 as the first American ambassador to Persia (now Iran). He died in 1914.

The census takers of 1870 asked a few other questions, one being whether the person could read or write (young children not counted). Of the 2,532 inhabitants of Brookfield, 104 were unable to read, while 126 claimed they could not write. Five residents were said to be insane (three of them in the Alms House), two were idiotic, one of them residing in the Alms House, along with one blind man. One woman, said to be deaf and dumb, was gainfully employed at the boot and shoe factory. Aside from the mulatto Nellie Hunt, there were 10 black residents, including one Dolly Hazard, 70 years of age, who owned her own home.

If you are interested in learning more about Brookfield in 1870, as chronicled by the census taker, please visit the Merrick Public Library.