Judith Wilson, re: Absalom Backus I believe that when my family was living in Pittsfield in the late 1930s, early 1940s, we had a landlord whose last name was Backus. (Stayed in my mind, odd name.) Houses we lived in were: Underwood Place, Bartlett Avenue, Dawes Avenue. Perhaps real estate/property tax records would give you some info, from which you could work back to your Absalom.