By Muriel Bristol | February 11, 2024
Edgar A. Wentworth was born in Milton, January 8, 1856, son of Mary E. “Elizabeth” Wentworth.
Levi Wentworth, aged fifty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Milton (“Milton Mills”) household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Mary [(Witham)] Wentworth, aged sixty-four years (b. NH), Mary E. Wentworth, aged twenty-five years (b. NH), and Edgar Wentworth, aged four years (b. NH). Levi Wentworth had real estate valued at $500 and personal estate valued at $200. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of David Jewett, a farmer, aged thirty-five years, and E. Wentworth, Jr., a farmer, aged thirty years.
Grandfather Levi Wentworth died of consumption in Milton, June 18, 1866. He was a married farmer. Mother Mary E. Wentworth died of fever in Portsmouth, NH, September 26, 1866 (reported in Town Records for year ending March 31, 1867).
Mary [(Witham)] Wentworth, keeping house, aged seventy-five years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. Her household included Sarah E. Wentworth, aged thirty years (b. NH), and Edgar A. Wentworth, works in felt mill, aged fourteen years (b. NH). Sarah E. Wentworth had real estate valued at $325 and personal estate valued at $140. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of William Brierley, works in felt mill, aged forty-two years (b. England), and Joseph Coleman, a carpenter, aged seventy-nine years (b. NH).
Edgar A. Wentworth married (1st) in Wakefield, NH, March 24, 1873, Sarah H. Platt, both of Milton. He was a cloth finisher, aged eighteen years, and she was aged nineteen years. Rev. Joseph Spinney performed the ceremony. She was born in North Andover, MA, May 7, 1853, daughter of William and Mary N. (Newton) Platt.
Daughter Carrie Etta Wentworth was born in Milton, January 7, 1875.
Grandmother Mary (Witham) Wentworth died of apoplexy in Wakefield, NH, February 20, 1878, aged eighty-two years. She was a widowed housekeeper.
Edgar A. Wentworth, works in woolen mill, aged twenty-four years (b. NH), headed a Milton (“Milton Mills Village”) household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included Sarah H. [(Platt)] Wentworth, keeping house, aged twenty-six years (MA). They shared a two-family house with the household of Lucinda A. Ricker, keeping house, aged fifty-two years (b. ME). Their house appeared in the enumeration between the households of Levi W. Ladd, a carpenter, aged thirty-seven years (b. NH), and Alpheus Remick, a farmer, aged sixty-five years (b. NH).
William Platt, works in woolen mill, aged sixty years (b. England), headed a Leicester, MA, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Mary [(Newton)] Platt, keeping house, aged fifty-eight years (b. England), his daughter, Sarah [(Platt)] Wentworth, aged twenty-seven years (b. MA), and his granddaughter, Carrie E. Wentworth, aged five years (b. NH). They resided “On Main Road in Cherry Valley.” Most of the neighbors on their page were also working in the woolen mill.
Sarah H. (Platt) Wentworth died November 13, 1888, aged thirty-three years.
Edgar A. Wentworth married (2nd) in Wakefield, NH, March 24, 1890, Cora A. Lord. She was born in Acton, ME, March 5, 1856, daughter of George W. and Dora (Perkins) Lord.
Daughter Dora May Wentworth was born in Milton, August 28, 1892. She was the second child. Her father was a carder. G.A. Allen, M.D., reported the birth.
Daughter Carrie E. Wentworth married in Milton Mills, June 20, 1895, Luther E. Wiggin, she of Milton and he of Wakefield, NH. She was a houseworker, aged twenty years, and he was a lumberman, aged twenty-nine years. Rev. E.N. Fernald performed the ceremony. Wiggin was born in Boston, MA, March 14, 1866, son of Luther P. and Margaret (McCully) Wiggin. (Her father, Edgar A. Wentworth, was a teamster and her mother, Sarah Platt, was deceased).
Father-in-law William Platt died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Leicester, MA, April 7, 1896, aged seventy-two years, two months. He was a farmer and native of Italy Bridge, Lancashire, England.
One of Milton’s town road agents, Moses G. Chamberlain, paid Edgar Wentworth $9.40 for performing road work (“Repairing Highways”) in 1897.
Milton town road agent Moses G. Chamberlain paid E.A. Wentworth $14.85 for performing snow work (“Breaking Roads”) in 1899. One might “roll,” i.e., pack or flatten down, snow to make way for sleighs. Other residents were paid 15¢ for one hour of such work, 45¢ for three hours of such work, 60¢ for four hours, etc. From which one might infer that E.A. Wentworth performed some ninety-nine hours work on “breaking” road snow in 1899.
Mother-in-law Mary N. (Newton) Platt died of gastro-enteritis in Leicester, MA, August 15, 1900, aged seventy-six years, eleven months. She was a native of Ashton, Lancashire, England.
Edgar A. Wentworth, a teamster, aged forty-four years (b. NH), headed a Milton (“Milton Mills Village”) household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of ten years), Cora A. Wentworth, aged forty-four years (b. ME), and his daughter, Dora M. Wentworth, at school, aged seven years (b. NH). Edgar A. Wentworth owned their farm, free-and-clear. Cora A. Wentworth was the mother of one child, of whom one was still living. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Llewellyn Robinson, a day laborer, aged twenty-eight years (b. Nova Scotia), and Hannah Stearns, a home keeper, aged sixty-eight years (b. NH).
Luther P. Wiggin, a farmer, aged sixty-seven years (b. NH), headed a Wakefield, NH, household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of forty-one years), Margarett [(McCully)] Wiggin, aged seventy years (b. Canada), his son, Luther E. Wiggin, a farm laborer, aged thirty-four years (b. MA), his daughter-in-law (of five years), Carrie E. [(Wentworth)] Wiggin, aged twenty-five years (b. NH), and his grandchildren, Margarett Wiggin, aged four years (b. NH), and Walter W. Wiggin, aged eight months (b. NH). Luther P. Wiggin owned their farm, free-and-clear. Margaret Wiggin was the mother of four children, of whom three were still living. Carrie E. Wiggin was the mother of two children, of whom two were still living.
E.A. Wentworth appeared in the Milton directories of 1901, and 1904, as a Milton Mills coal merchant.
The Milton Selectmen of 1906 were J.H. Avery, B.B. Plummer, and E.A. Wentworth. The Milton Selectmen of 1907 were B.B. Plummer, E.A. Wentworth, and H. Plummer.
The Milton Selectmen of 1908 were Edgar A. Wentworth, Hazen Plummer, and Charles A. Jones.
MILTON. The annual town meeting this year was an unusually quiet affair, no contest being made against any of the three candidates elected as selectmen. The only contest was on policeman, James H. Rines winning on the third ballot. The only matters outside the usual routine were the appropriation of $500 for a soldiers’ monument, of which there are already personal subscriptions and pledges of over $600. Five hundred dollars were appropriated toward the purchase of the machine for crushing rocks which they have been using this year. The officers elected are: Town Clerk – Harry L. Avery. Selectmen – Edgar A Wentworth, Hazen Plummer, Charles A. Jones. Treasurer – Everett F. Fox. Constable – Hazen W. Downs. Police – James H. Rines, Hartley A. Nutter, C.L. Stevens. Member of School Board – Joseph Boyd (Sanford Journal-Tribune (Biddeford, ME), March 20, 1908).
Selectmen – Edgar A. Wentworth, Hazen Plummer, Chas. A. Jones. Town Clerk – Harry L. Avery. Treasurer – Everett F. Fox. School Board – Dr. M.A.H. Hart, E.W. Fox, Harry D. Coles. Postmasters – Joseph H. Avery, Milton; E.T. Libby, Milton Mills. Deputy Sheriff, Chas. E. Remick, Milton Mills. Constable – Hazen W. Downs (Milton Directory, 1909).
Town warrant articles for the March 1909 Town Meeting dealt with highway and bridge repairs, matching a potential State highway grant, winter road breaking, i.e., snow plowing, sidewalk building and repair, street lighting in Milton, Memorial Day expenses, Brown-tail and Gypsy moth control, $450 for road machinery, Milton town clock maintenance, and raising fees for second-, third- and fourth-class liquor licenses. (See Milton Under “Local Option” – 1903-18). Also, F.L. Marsh and twelve others filed a petition warrant article for the town to pay for street lighting in Milton Mills village.
Edger A. Wentworth, a farmer (general farm), aged fifty-seven years (b. NH), headed a Milton (“Milton Mills”) household at the time of the Thirteenth (1910) Federal Census. His household included his wife (if nineteen years), Cora Wentworth, aged fifty-four years (b. ME), and his daughter, Dora Wentworth, aged seventeen years (b. NH). Edgar A. Wentworth owned their farm, free-and-clear. Cora Wentworth was the mother of one child, of whom one was still living. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of H. Powers Robbins, own income, aged fifty-one years (b. NH), and George H. Pall, a laborer (odd jobs), aged forty-two years (b. NH).
L.E. Wiggin, a millman (saw mill), aged forty-four years (b. MA), headed a Wakefield, NH, household at the time of the Thirteenth (1910) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of fourteen years), Carrie E. [(Wentworth)] Wiggin, aged thirty-five years (b. NH), his children, Margaret Wiggin, aged fourteen years (b. NH), and Walter W. Wiggin, aged ten years (b. NH), his mother (his father’s wife of fifty-one years), Margaret [(McCully)] Wiggin, aged eighty years (b. Nova Scotia), and his father, L.P. Wiggin, retired (own income), aged seventy-seven years (b. NH). L.E. Wiggin owned their farm, free-and-clear. Carrie E. Wiggin was the mother of two children, of whom two were still living. Margaret Wiggin was the mother of four children, of whom three were still living.
Strafford County paid Edgar A. Wentworth $30.60 for petit jury service in September 1911.
John W. Avery prevailed over Edgar A. Wentworth, in the NH State Representative election of November 1912 (for the 1913-14 biennium), by 207 to 179 votes. Avery was a Democrat, while Wentworth was a Republican (NH Secretary of State, 1912).
E.A. Wentworth was said in 1914 to have been one of the efficient men employed by John E. Townsend as mill superintendents. (See Milton Mills’ Miltonia Mill – 1872-14
As superintendents he has men well-known for their efficiency, including F.H. Simms, A.T. Loud, J.F. Archbold and E.A. Wentworth. This mill is classed as a 4-set mill and is equipped with electricity, the plant site covering two acres (Scales, 1914).
Daughter Dora M. Wentworth married in Chelmsford, MA, in 1917, Alvin H. Fletcher. He was born in Tyngsboro, MA, July 29, 1888, son of Alvin C. and Helen (White) Fletcher. (His father had died of typhoid fever in Tyngsboro, MA, September 10, 1888, aged twenty-eight years).
Edgar A. Wentworth, a house carpenter, aged sixty-three years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Fourteenth (1920) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Cora A. [(Lord)] Wentworth, aged sixty-three years (b. ME). Edgar A. Wentworth owned their house, free-and-clear. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Emma T. Lord, aged sixty-six years (b. ME), and Frank O. Googins, a laborer, aged seventy years (b. ME).
Luther A. Wiggin, a farmer (general farm), aged fifty-four years (b. MA), headed a Wakefield, NH, household at the time of the Fourteenth (1920) Federal Census, His household included his wife, Carrie E. [(Wentworth)] Wiggin, aged forty-five years (b. NH), and his children, Martin W. Wiggin, aged twenty years (b. NH), and Marion Wiggin, aged nine years (b. NH). Luther A. Wiggin owned their farm, free-and-clear.
Alvin H. Fletcher, a salesman (furnace pumps, etc.), aged thirty-one years (b. MA), headed a Chelmsford, MA, household at the time of the Fourteenth (1920) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Dora M. [(Wentworth)] Fletcher, aged twenty-seven years (b. NH), and his son, Bernard A. Fletcher, aged one year, ten months (b. MA). Alvin H. Fletcher rented their house on Wildwood Street.
Daughter Carrie E. [(Wentworth)] Wiggin of Rochester, NH, divorced her husband, Luther E. Wiggin of Rochester, NH, in Strafford County court, April 26, 1926. She alleged extreme cruelty (one had to allege something).
Daughter Carrie E. [(Wentworth)] Wiggin married (2nd) in ME, April 29, 1926, Chester Nason Norton, both of South Portland, ME. He was born in York, ME, August 6, 1873, son of Josiah H. and Sarah M. (Shelburne) Norton. (This was her second marriage and his third marriage).
Edgar A. (Cora A.) Wentworth appeared in the Milton directory of 1930, as residing in the Sanbornville R.D. [Rural Delivery] area.
Edgar A. Wentworth, aged seventy-four years (b. NH), headed a Milton (“Milton Mills”) household at the time of the Fifteenth (1930) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of forty years), Cora A. [(Lord)] Wentworth, aged seventy-four years (b. ME), and his sister [in-law], Emma T. Lord, aged seventy-six years (b. ME). Edgar A. Wentworth owned their house on Main Street, which was valued at $2,000. They had a radio set.
Chester N. Norton, an engineer (steam railroad), aged fifty-six years, headed a Scarborough, ME, household at the time of the Fifteenth (1930) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Carrie E. [((Wentworth) Wiggin)] Norton, aged fifty-four years (b. NH), and his stepdaughter, Marion Wiggin, a stenographer (auto sales room), aged nineteen years (b. NH). Chester N. Norton owned their house on the Portland-Biddeford Road, which was valued at $5,700. They had a radio set.
Alvin H. Fletcher, a traveling salesman (oil burner factory), aged forty-one years (b. MA), headed a Stow, MA, household at the time of the Fifteenth (1930) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of fourteen years), Dora W. [(Wentworth)] Fletcher, aged thirty-seven years (b. NH), his children, Bernard A. Fletcher, aged twelve years (b. MA), W. Malcom Fletcher, aged ten years (b. MA), and Miriam L. Fletcher, aged eight years (b. MA), and his mother-in-law, Cora A. [(Lord)] Wentworth, aged seventy-three years (b. ME). Alvin H. Fletcher owned their house on Crescent Street, which was valued at $8,000. They had a radio set.
Edgar A. Wentworth died of aortic regurgitation in Milton Mills, December 9, 1932, aged seventy-six years, eleven months, and two days. Frank S. Weeks, M.D., signed the death certificate.
Chester N. Norton, a locomotive engineer (steam railroad), aged sixty-three years (b. ME), headed a Dover, NH, household at the time of the Sixteenth (1940) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Carrie E. [((Wentworth) Wiggin)] Norton, aged sixty-three years (b. NH). Chester N. Norton rented their house, for $51 per month. They had resided in Scarboro, ME, in 1935. (He had “refused” to give information about his income).
Alvin Fletcher, a realtor (real estate office), aged fifty-one years (b. MA), headed a Stow, MA, household at the time of the Sixteenth (1940) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Dora M. [(Wentworth)] Fletcher, aged forty-seven years (b. NH), his children, Bernard A. Fletcher, a machinist (machine factory), aged twenty-two years (b. MA), Malcolm Fletcher, aged twenty years (b. MA), and Miriam Fletcher, aged eighteen years (b. MA), and his mother-in-law, Cora [(Lord)] Wentworth, aged eighty-four years (b. NH). Alvin Fletcher owned their house on the Great Road, which was valued at $2,200. They had all resided in the same place, i.e., Stow, MA, in 1935.
Cora A. (Lord) Wentworth died of mitral insufficiency and Bright’s Disease in Stow, MA, November 11, 1940, aged eighty-four years, eight months, and six days. She was a widowed housewife.
Son-in-law Chester Nason Norton died in Scarboro, ME, October 19, 1943, aged seventy years.
DEATHS. CHESTER A. NORTON. Private funeral services were conducted at 749 Congress street, Portland, this afternoon for Chester A. Norton, 70, widely known Boston and Maine railroad engineer, who died Tuesday while visiting at the home of his step-daughter, Mrs. Louis E. Larrabee, Black Point, Scarboro. Burial was the family lot in the Black Point cemetery. Mr. Norton, known to many officials and employes of the Boston and Maine Railroad company and among regular patrons of the road, was a native of York. He resided in that town for many years. For the past 17 years he had made his home at Green Acres, Scarboro. After being employed by the Boston and Maine Railroad company for over 40 years, he retired two years ago from active service. He was member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and of the Ancient Landmark Lodge of Masons, Portland. Besides his widow he leaves a step-son, Professor Walter W. Wiggin of the University of Ohio and two step-daughters, Mrs. Louis Larrabee of Scarboro and Mrs. Wilmath Jacobs of Mercersburg, Pa. (Sanford Journal-Tribune (Biddeford, ME), [Thursday,] October 21, 1943).
Daughter Carrie E. ((Wentworth) Wiggin) Norton died Portland, ME, November 6, 1949.
Obituary. Carrie Etta Norton. Scarborough, Nov 7 – Funeral services will be held at 1.30 p.m. Tuesday at 749 Congress Street, Portland, for Carrie Etta Norton, widow of Chester N. Norton, of Black Point Road, who died Sunday in a Portland hospital after a short illness. Interment will be in Black Point Cemetery, Scarborough. Mrs. Norton was born at Newton [Milton] Mills, N.H., Jan. 7, 1875, daughter of Edgar and Sarah Platt Wentworth. She had lived here for three years. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Marion Larrabee, Scarborough; a son, Walter W. Wiggin, Athens, Ohio; three grand-daughters, a grandson and a great-granddaughter (Evening Express (Portland, ME), [Monday,] November 7, 1949).
Alvin H. Fletcher, a salesman (own real estate), aged sixty-two years (b. MA), headed a Stow, MA, household at the time of the Seventeenth (1950) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Dora W. [(Wentworth)] Fletcher, a commercial teacher (public school), aged fifty-seven years (b. NH), his son, Wallace M. Fletcher, a builder (contractor), aged thirty years (b. MA), and his daughter-in-law, Marion M. [(Wetherbee)] Fletcher, a maid (private home), aged twenty-two years (b. MA). Their house was in Stow Center on the “Great Road going East towards Maynard line.”
Son-in-law Alvin H. Fletcher died in Stow, MA, May 31, 1967, aged seventy-eight years.
DEATHS. FLETCHER – Of Stow, suddenly, May 31st, Alvin H. in his 79th year, husband of Dora (Wentworth) Fletcher, father of Bernard A. and Wallace M. of Stow and Miriam Engebretson of West Concord. Funeral Friday at 2 p.m. from the Fowler Funeral Home, 42 Concord st., Maynard. In lieu of flowers memorials to the Heart Fund would be most appreciated. There are no calling hours (Boston Globe, June 1, 1967).
Daughter Dora M. (Wentworth) Fletcher died in Stow, MA, March 10, 1985, aged ninety-two years.
DEATHS. FLETCHER – Of Stow, March 10, Dora (Wentworth) in her 93d year. Widow of the late Alvin H. Fletcher. Mother of Miriam Engebretson of Concord, Bernard A. Fletcher of Hudson and Wallace M. Fletcher of Stow. Memorial service Sun., March 17 at 2 p.m. in the First Parish Church of Stow & Acton, Great Rd., STOW. Arrangements by the Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home, Maynard. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the First Parish Church (Boston Globe, March 12, 1985).
References:
Find a Grave. (2014, September 26). William Platt. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/136461904/william-platt
Find a Grave. (2020, August 20). Dora May Wentworth Fletcher. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/214619024/dora-may-fletcher
Find a Grave. (2013, April 11). Carrie Etta Wentworth Norton. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/108351927/carrie-etta-norton
Find a Grave. (2013, August 16). Edgar A. Wentworth. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/115565651/edgar-a-wentworth
Find a Grave. (2020, May 25). Luther E. Wiggin. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/210438119/luther-e.-wiggin
NH Secretary of State (1912). Manual for the General Court. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=WDktAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA311
Milton Observer 