By Muriel Bristol | June 30, 2024
Edwin L. Leighton was born in Milton, July 30, 1865, son of Cyrus K. and Sophia M. (Hayes) Leighton.
Father Cyrus K. Leighton died of fever in Milton, July 22, 1872, aged forty-seven years, nine months, and twenty-nine days. He was a married farmer.
Frank Leighton, works on shoes, aged thirty-two years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his mother, Sophia [(Hayes)] Leighton, keeping house, aged fifty-six years (b. NH), and his brother, Edwin L. Leighton, at school, aged fourteen years (b. NH). Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Charles H. Looney, postmaster, aged thirty years (b. NH), and Augustus Collamy, a shoe finisher, aged thirty-two years (b. NH).
Edwin L. Leighton married in Rochester, NH, May 30, 1891, Carrie B. Remick, both of Milton. He was a shoemaker, aged twenty-six years, and she was a shoe stitcher, aged twenty years. Rev. O.S. Danforth performed the ceremony. She was born in Milton, July 19, 1872, daughter of Charles D. and Susan J. (Smallcorn) Remick.
The Milton Selectmen of 1899 were F.H. Lowd, G.E. Nute, and E.L. Leighton.
Edwin L. Leighton appeared in the Milton directory of 1900, as a shoe operative, with his house at 50 So. Main street. Sophia M. Leighton appeared also, as the widow of Cyrus K., with her house at 50 So. Main street, opposite Farmington road.
Sophia [(Hayes)] Leighton, a home keeper, aged seventy-six years (b. NH), headed a Milton, household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. Her household included her son, Edwin L Leighton, a shoe laster, aged thirty-four years (b. NH), and her daughter-in-law (of eight years), Carrie [(Remick)] Leighton, aged twenty-seven years (b. NH). Sophie Leighton owned their house. She was the mother of five children, of whom two were still living. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Charles H. Looney, aged fifty years (b. NH), and Stephen Bean, a farm laborer, aged seventy-two years (b. NH).
Edwin L. Leighton was an officer of the local I.O.R.M (“Improved Order of Red Men”) society in 1900. It met twice monthly in the A.O.U.W. Hall in Milton village.
TRIBES. … Madokawando, No. 21, Milton, 1st and 3d Monday, A.O.U.W. Hall, Edwin L. Leighton, P.O. Box 123, Milton (General Council, 1900).
Edwin L. Leighton and James G. O’Laughlin, both of Milton, vouched for Arthur Marchand when he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in September 1900. (Marchand had arrived at Milton Mills, NH, in March 1886, at the age of thirteen years).
Edwin L. Leighton served as administrator of the estate of Elizabeth ((Peavey) Cook) Downing, in 1901. She had died of chronic nephritis in Milton, August 5, 1899, aged seventy-eight years, six months, and twenty-four days. John Wallace, M.D., signed the death certificate.
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. STRAFFORD, SS. – To the Judge of Probate for said County. Respectfully shows and represents Edwin L. Leighton, Administrator of the estate of Elizabeth Cook Downing, late of Milton in said County, deceased, that the personal estate of said deceased is not sufficient to pay the demands against the same by the sum of two hundred ninety-two and 20-100 Dollars; That said deceased, at the the time of her death, was seized of certain Real Estate, situate in said Milton, bounded and described as follows, to wit: Beginning on the main road leading from Farmington to Milton at the northwest corner of land of Elizabeth Cook; thence running northeasterly by said road six rods to land of David P. Downing; thence running northeasterly and easterly by said Downing’s land about forty-five rods to a stake and stones; thence westerly by said Downing’s land thirty rods to land of Elizabeth Cook; thence northerly by said Cook’s land forty-five rods to the bounds begun at. Containing four acres, more or less. Also another parcel of land situate in said Milton and bounded as follows, to wit: Beginning on the road leading from Farmington to Middleton on the corner of Elizabeth Cook’s land; thence running southerly by said Cook’s land to land of G.W. Plummer; thence easterly by land of said Plummer to land of Hussy Pinkham; thence northerly by said Pinkham’s land to road aforesaid; thence southerly by said road to bounds begun at. Also another lot of land on the westerly side of said road adjoining land of adjoining land of Moses Cook, estate Mark Goodall and Charles Downing, both lots containing eleven acres, more or loss. Excepting and reserving the right and privilege of going to and from the burying ground on said lot. That the same is not sufficient tor the payment of said demands, and is so situated that a part thereof cannot be sold without injury to the person interested therein; Wherefore he prays that he may be licensed to sell at public auction the whole of said Real Estate of said deceased agreeably to the statute in such case provided. Dated the third day of May, A.D. 1901. EDWIN L. LEIGHTON. The foregoing petition being presented, it it ordered by the Judge that the same be taken into consideration at a Court of Probate to be holden at Dover in said county, on the fourth day of June next, and that the said petitioner notify all persons interested therein, by publishing a copy of the same, with this order thereon, three weeks successively in the Farmington News, a newspaper printed at Farmington the last publication whereof to be one week previous to said day of hearing. WILLIAM W. MARTIN, Register (Farmington News, May 10, 1901).
Edwin L. Leighton appeared in the Milton directories of 1902, and 1905, as a shoe operative, with his house at 50 So. Main street. Sophia M. Leighton appeared also, as the widow of Cyrus K., with her house at 50 So. Main street.
Mother-in-law Susan J. (Smallcorn) Remick died of pneumonia in Farmington, NH, May 25, 1903, aged sixty-four years, one month, and six days. She was a married housewife. She had resided in Farmington, NH, for five weeks, with her previous residence having been in Milton. M.H. Hart, M.D., signed the death certificate.
Administrator’s Notice. The subscriber hereby gives notice to all concerned, that he was, on the sixteenth day of June, A.D., 1903, duly appointed and allowed to be Administrator of the estate of Susan J. Remick, late of Farmington, in the county of Strafford, deceased, and has taken upon himself that trust and given bond as the law directs. Dated this eighteenth day of June, A.D., 1903. CHARLES D. REMICK. 16 3 t (Farmington News, June 26, 1903).
The local I.O.R.M. (“Red Men”) fraternity elected Edwin L. Leighton as its Chief of Records (C. of R.) for 1904.
MILTON. At the last meeting of Madokawanda Tribe, No. 21, I.O.R.M., the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Sachem, H.F. Finnegan; prophet, James Leighton; senior sagamore, Harry Perkins; junior sagamore, G. Frank Davis; C. of W., Fred B. Roberts; K. of W., Fred S. Hartford; C. of R., Edwin L. Leighton; trustee for three years, Fred B. Roberts (Farmington News, January 8, 1904).
PERSONAL. Mrs. Edwin Leighton went to Portland, Me., last Tuesday, for medical treatment at the Maine General hospital (Farmington News, July 22, 1904).
Mother Sophia M. (Hayes) Leighton died of apoplexy in Milton, May 20, 1905, aged eighty-one years, twenty-eight days. She was the widow of Cyrus K. Leighton. M.A.H. Hart, M.D., signed the death certificate.
Father-in-law Charles D. Remick died of heart failure in Farmington, NH, August 5, 1905, aged seventy-two years, one months, and twenty-one days. He was a widower. He had resided in Farmington, NH, for one year, with his previous residence having been in Milton. E.C. Perkins, M.D., signed the death certificate.
Edwin L. Leighton appeared in the Milton directory of 1909, as a shoe inspector, with his house at 50 So. Main street.
SHOEMAKERS TAKE NOTICE. WE WANT pullers-over on Goodyear Welts, outside cutters, stitching-room help; to sober, industrious operatives we will guarantee 300 days’ work in a year at good pay; very cheap rents; best schools in New England. MILTON SHOE COMPANY, Milton, N.H. Sud7t n2 (Boston Globe, November 27, 1911).
Edwin L. Leighton appeared in the Milton directory of 1912, as foreman of making at the M.S. Co., with his house at 50 So. Main street. Milton Shoe Co. appeared also, on the Lebanon side of Milton at the Cocheco dam, with Frank J. Currier, as its president and treasurer.
(The Milton Shoe Co. went into bankruptcy in November 1915 and its assets went on the auction block, February 3, 1916 (See Milton in the News – 1916)).
Edwin L. Leighton appeared in the Milton directory of 1917, as foreman of the making department of the M.S. Co., with his house at 50 So. Main Street. The Milton Shoe Company had failed in the prior year and appeared belatedly as having been situated on the Lebanon side, at the Milton dam. (Its president was Frank J. Currier, who appeared as president of the Milton shoe company, a shoe manufacturer, rooming at 9 So. Main street).
Edwin L. Leighton appeared also in the Rochester, NH, directory of 1917, as a shoe operative for L.T.W. Co. in Rochester, resident in Milton. Linscott, Tyler, Wilson Co. appeared also, as shoe manufacturers, situated at 55R Wakefield street in Rochester, with their Boston office at 167 Lincoln street.
MALE HELP WANTED. CUTTERS wanted on Ideal Clicking Machine on men’s fine shoes. Apply to LINSCOTT TYLER WILSON CO., Rochester, New Hampshire (Boston Globe, February 16, 1906).
Edwin L. Leighton, a shoe inspector (shoe shop), aged fifty-four years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Fourteenth (1920) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Carrie B. [(Remick)] Leighton, aged forty-seven years (b. NH). Edwin L. Leighton owned their house on Lower Main Street, in Milton Village, free-and-clear. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Thomas H. Pinkham, a painter (navy yard), aged fifty-four years (b. MA), and Everett L. Hersom, asst. station agent (Boston & Maine R.R.), aged thirty-two years (b. NH).
Edwin L. (Carrie B.) Leighton appeared in the Milton directory of 1930, as a shoe operative, resident in Milton.
Edwin L. Leighton, an inspector (shoe factory), aged sixty-four years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Fifteenth (1930) Federal Census. His household included his wife (of thirty-seven years), Carrie [(Remick)] Leighton, aged fifty-four years (b. NH). Edwin L. Leighton owned their house on South Main Street, which was valued at $2,100. They did not have a radio set. Their household appeared in the enumeration between those of Lloyd H. Ellis, a laborer (fibre mill), aged thirty-three years (b. NH), and Ida M. Thurlo, a widow, aged forty-six years (b. ME).
Edwin L. Leighton was assessed for $38.00 in taxes on Milton real estate, which was valued at S1,200, in 1931. ($31.66 per thousand). Robert Page, Ruth L. Plummer, Edwin L. Leighton, and Edgar C. Hodges were paid $5 each as election “inspectors” in the election of that year.
Edwin L. Leighton was assessed for $39.00 in taxes on Milton property, i.e., real estate, which was valued at S1,200, in 1934. ($32.57 per thousand). Robert Page, Ruth L. Plummer, Edwin L. Leighton, and Edgar C. Hodges were paid $15 each as ballot clerks in the election of that year.
Edwin L. Leighton died of chronic nephritis on Main Street in Milton, February 19, 1935, aged sixty-nine years, six months, and nineteen days. He was a married shoemaker. M.A.H. Hart, M.D., signed the death certificate.
Carrie B. [(Remick)] Leighton, a widow, aged sixty-seven years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Sixteenth (1940) Federal Census. Her household included her boarders, Isabel H. [(McBride)] Garnett, a packer (shoe shop), aged thirty-two years (b. NY), and Mary E. Garnett, aged ten years (b. NH). Carrie B. Leighton owned their house in the Milton Community, which was valued at $1,200. They all resided in the same house in 1935. Her household appeared in the enumeration between those of Lloyd F. Ellis, a roller (leatherboard), aged forty-three years (b. NH), and Stanley C. Tanner, a real estate broker (real estate), aged forty-six years (b. NH).
Isabelle H. [(McBride)] Garnett, a repairer in packing room (shoe factory), aged forty-one years (b. NY), headed a Milton household at the time of the Seventeenth (1950) Federal Census. Her household included her son-in-law, Sheldon W. Damon, an odd shoe boy (shoe factory) , aged nineteen years (b. NH), her daughter, Mary E. [(Garnett)] Damon, aged twenty years (b. NH), her grandson, Sheldon W. Damon, [aged eleven months] May [1949] (b. NH), and her lodgers, Carrie B. [(Remick)] Leighton, a widow, aged seventy-four years (b. NH), and Ralph G. Condon, an edge setter (shoe factory), aged fifty-two years (b. Canada). They resided at the S.E. corner of Mill Street.
In the property valuations printed in the Milton Town Report of 1964, Carrie Leighton had a 2-acre homestead property, which was valued at $2,000, and a 10-acre woodlot property, which was valued at $50.
Carrie B. (Remick) Leighton died in Milton, in November 1972.
References:
Find a Grave. (2016, July 9). Elizabeth “Betsy” Peavey Cook. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/166678995/elizabeth-cook
Find a Grave. (2011, June 20). Edwin L. Leighton. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/228712518/edwin-l-leighton
Find a Grave. (2021, November 21). Sophia Martin Hayes Leighton. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/234210927/sophia-martin-leighton
Find a Grave. (2014, May 18). Charles D. Remick. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/129979710/charles-d-remick
Great Council. (1900). Record of the Great Council of the United States of the Improved Order of Red Men. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=-jVEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA880
Milton Observer 