Gustavus Swift

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 10:39 pm

I know Swift and the book, A Yankee in the Yards have been mentioned from time to time. The book is no longer copyright protected and is available online. You may want to take a look.

http://capecodhistory.us/books/GFSwift.htm

A less well-known but sometimes more informative piece is My Mother and My Father by Helen Swift.

http://capecodhistory.us/books/Swift-FatherMother.htm

They are both very one-sided writings about a very bloody industry which ultimately put hundreds of local butchers and slaughterhouses out of business when Swift & Co. started sending Chicago beef east.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:18 am

Thank you so much for the links. That is generous of you to share the info.
When Joe and I were working on our share of the Ruby Cameron story, he had to get hold of that first book, only to find a very minimal use for it as a reference to that story. (The Anthony connection). But still, I never got to see it.
I will go to your links and save the info when I get my computer back.

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:02 pm

Kat--the Helen Swift tribute to her parents gives more of an idea of how the family lived. It also tells how Gustavus sought out his younger brother Edwin (who was working on the railroads in the West) to come back and work for him.

Through other research--Edwin becomes head of Swift & Co. in Boston. (Charles W. Anthony & Harold M. Anthony (David's brother) end up working for "Boston"). Swift & Co. is sending Chicago beef East to undercut the local butchers.

Edwin's daughter is called Mabelle (the historical Swift family spelling back to the 1600 or 1700s) Florence Swift. Edwin builds a house called Swiftmoor (probably a summer house--needs more research) at Pride's Crossing, MA. Mabelle becomes quite the little socialite--marries, is widowed, marries again, is divorced, dies at the home of the Earl of Portarlington in England. See the reference for her first husband, Clarence Bloomfield Moore, then follow the links at the end of the Moore article for more info.

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/213/

Her primary home was Washington, DC. Wonder if Lizzie ever visited. It is now the Ubekistan Embassy.

http://www.uzbekistan.org/about/tour?print=1

Still looking for the Benjamin Anthony/David Anthony connection in Gramma's posts. You may have to send it to me or re-post. Will advise.

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:11 pm

Fairhaven Guy--sorry if I make you crazy posting to my own posts!

Kat--here's some more links:

Book includes Swiftmoor in Pride's Crossing.

http://www.crunruh.com/product/0926494287

Gustavus died in 1903. His son Louis made the Forbes 1st Rich List which also includes Swift competitor Armour and Edward H. R. Green (heir to New Bedford area's own Hetty Green).

http://markets2.forbes.com/2002/09/27/0 ... st_15.html

And as a bonus, my own Anthony Family favorite from Swansea Master Plan (SEE PAGE 7!!!). Note: the Borden Farm is listed as the Job Gardner house. The "N" initial may have been a miss-reading of the original deeds or something else going on (I probably won't be able to get to the Fall River Registry before school starts, and then it's a lost cause...). "Wannamoisett" is such a pretty name for Uncle Charles' house.

http://www.swanseamass.org/documents/ma ... %20swansea'

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 3:53 am

To what do you refer in your last paragraph, please?
"Swansea Master Plan", "pg. 7?"

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:13 am

nb, you're not making me crazy at all.

The person I mentioned in another topic wasn't adding new information. He would respond to each person's posts individually, but all in a row, so if Kat, Tracy, Audrey, Bob, and Harry each posted something, this guy would then post five separate posts in a row. It was sometimes hard to keep track of who he was answering unless you paid attention to the "Response to Post # ---" at the top of each of his posts.

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:12 pm

"Wannamoisett" Charles Anthony's house (built 1900) is at 945 Gardners Neck Rd. and is on Pg. 10 (National Historic District page, not the National Register page.)

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:18 pm

Kat--It's 10pm and I'm a little punchy.

Pg. 10 also shows the David M. Anthony Farm.

Pg. 7 shows the Borden lower Farm (Joseph Gardner, not Job) built in 1790.

To the best of my knowledge David N. and Harold Norton Anthony on Pg. 7 are David M. and Harold Horton Anthony. Bay Pointe is at the foot of Gardners Neck Rd. (part of a private enclave now).

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:23 am

Oh OK. Thanks!

Kashesan · Post by **Kashesan** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:19 am

These are great links Nb-Many thanks-

kash

joe · Post by **joe** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:47 pm

Kat @ Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:18 am wrote:Thank you so much for the links. That is generous of you to share the info.
When Joe and I were working on our share of the Ruby Cameron story, he had to get hold of that first book, only to find a very minimal use for it as a reference to that story. (The Anthony connection). But still, I never got to see it.
I will go to your links and save the info when I get my computer back.

The book is not worth reading. It doesn't tell much about Anthony. Just Swift. If you want to find out about the development of Swift & Co. in Chicago, you may find it interesting.
Joe

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:30 pm

Here are some August photos that might interest you (especially if you are at all interested in the David M. Anthony, Jr. connection.

If you take the Ocean Grove exit off of 195 West and follow the signs to Swansea, you cross this bridge just after the Quality Inn:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0169.jpg

Here's a current photo of the Borden farmhouse taken 8/4/05:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0164.jpg

These next two are views of Uncle Charles W. Anthony's house--Wannamoisett--built circa 1900. It is what I would call walking distance from the Borden Farm.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0247.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0246.jpg

While I had an opportunity to view David M. Anthony Jr.'s Bay Point home, built 1895, I was not allowed to photograph it at that time.

diana · Post by **diana** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:01 pm

nbcatlover notes:

"Wannamoisett" Charles Anthony's house (built 1900) is at 945 Gardners Neck Rd. and is on Pg. 10 (National Historic District page, not the National Register page.)

I notice Wannamoisett is referred to as the Charles Anthony Chace House in that register. Does this mean it formerly belonged to the Chace family, I wonder?

This site indicates the Anthony and Chace families intermarried over time.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/article49.html

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:09 pm

Were you out taking photos in August, Cynthia?
The Swansea farmhouse pic was taken the day after we met you?
These are really nice. Thank you!

Gramma · Post by **Gramma** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:47 am

Hi All,
Yes, I know I have been delinquent but Cynthia got my attention with an e-mail to my inbox and I just couldn't resist a bit of time with you again. Of any who have researched on this forum Cynthia is coming VERY close to everything. Especially with her chasing Gustavus and Edwin. Note that Edwin was sent to Fall River to keep and eye on things "back East". To spy on things in other words. Brother Gus must have made it well worth his while to uproot himself from a comfortable life in California and traipse all the way back!
Money is the root of all evil. Keep that in mind.
Kudos, Cynthia!

Nice to be back,
Gramma

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:46 pm

Welcome back, Gramma!
Yes, our Cynthia is very helpful!

nbcatlover · Post by **nbcatlover** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:39 pm

Yes, Kat. I was running around all by my lonesome...doing my Lizzie thing. Before I found this forum, I was the only person I knew who was interested in Lizzie. Now, like this evening, the Forum is my guilty pleasure (I've got to get off and study very soon for a major exam), but I just love coming to the Forum.

Here's another farm-house shot. I couldn't get a photo of the other side as there were people out there on the little side porch who nodded very tolerantly at me as I adjusted my telephoto lens from a polite distance across the street. The old stone walls from the farm go right to the water in the rear.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0165.jpg

The property is just looking so run-down to me. The first time I looked for the farm, I didn't even have an address. I just took my Rebello book and looked for a house that looked like the photo on pg. 43.

Here's an old photo from the Swansea Historic Society site:
http://www.swanseamass.org/history/old_ ... borden.jpg

They used to have a very old photo of an unidentified house which I thought was an early version of this same house before it got the big chimney, but the link is not working today for that pix.

And as far as a tie to the Anthony families and the Chace families, I have always wondered if the story that McHenry fed Trickey with the name of Frederick Chace in it wasn't actually a 'message' or warning to someone, and Trickey was just an over-ambitious patsy. (And did I ever point out that Mr. Trickey was a member of the Press Cycle Club?)

I also find the so-called Tilden/Thurber incident disingenuous.
Here's another link from that site:
http://www.gargaro.com/thurber/swansea.html

"We, those names are hereunder written, do fully, upon our admission to be inhabitants of this town of Swansea, assent to the above written agreement, made between the church now meeting here at Swansea and Capt. Thomas Willett and his associates, as the sd. agreement is specified and declared in the three proposalls above written, with the severall conditions and explanations thereof concerning the present and future settlement of this town. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed."

(Signed by fifty-five persons.)

First Signers Admitted to the Town: Thomas Willett, John Myles, John Allen, James Brown, Nicholas Tanner, Hugh Cole, Benjamin Alby, John Browne, Samuel Wheaton, Thomas Barnes, Thos. Estabrooke, Richard Sharpe, Wm. Ingraham, Thos. Manning, Wm. Cahoone, George Aldrich, Nathan'l Lewis, John Thurber, Jona Bosworth, Joseph Lewis, Wm. Hayward, Jno. Thurber, 2d, Gerard Ingraham, Zach. Eddy, Hezekiah, Luther, John Paddock, Samuel Luther, Obadiah Brown, Senr. Caleb Eddy, John Myles, Jr. Thomas Lewis, Joseph Carpenter, Robert Jones Eldad Kingsley, John Martin, John Cole, Joseph Wheaton, Nathan'l Paine, Stephen Brae, Gideon Allen, John Dickse, Wm. Bartram, Joseph Kent, Sam'l Woodbury, Nehemiah Allen, Sampson Mason, Job Winslow, Obadiah Bowen, Jr. Richard Burgess, Jno. Butterworth John West, Thos. Elliott, Timothy Brooks, Nathan'l Toogood, Jere. Child

There are Thurber links that go way back in Swansea. I had started doing some digging into Thurber genealogy but haven't gotten very far. Thurbers also have ties to Attleboro and the Gorham (of Gorham Silver) family. Please note there is an Obadiah Bowen Jr. listed above and the immediate Bowen family of Dr. Bowen is also from Attleboro. I think the so-called "shoplifting incident" was a message to Lizzie not to upset the status quo and not to renew certain old friendships. Right now, this is all speculation. But I can't wait to get back to digging through these seemingly uninvolved interested parties. For all that is wrong about Arnold Brown, I do believe he was right in intimating that there was a conspiracy going on behind the scenes.

Please excuse my pun, but I believe there were a number of people who has axes to grind (or whatever).

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:25 pm

You're really good at this stuff! When you get all the links tied up into a coherent story and write a book, I'll buy it!