Please pardon the off topic posting, not only am I upset, but Earthlink has clearly undergone some changes that make it not a service anyone would want at the moment - though until I think a short time ago they were a really excellent company with a great reputation! Also, I would really like any feedback from people, though it is possible that people who have plain old dial up service, have not recently made changes to their service, and never call customer or tech support have seen no reason to be dissatisfied. Other than I guess a steep price increase. It sure is higher than the $15 it used to be when everyone loved it! This is a copy of a response I wrote to an article at PCnet, by someone who is an assistant editor at PCWorld.com. The PCnet response form didn' twork so I had to track him down at PCWorld.com and e-mail him. Dan: I tried to use the response form to your article at cnet.com, but it appeared not to work. When I clicked send I kept getting a sorry can't fin this page notice, and eventually I discovered that cnet.com has its servers down for the weekend to switch to a new server. I am responding to your piece on problems with Earthlink service. I want to report my own horrible experiences with Earthlink, and also to ask for several specific small forms of help. I am having serious problems with Earthlink. We just signed up for home networking with cable (through our local cable provider) about two and a half months ago. Before that I had Earthlink phone service for one month. First of all, it almost invariably takes 30 minutes to 45 minutes to get through to tech support on the phone an dnear that long to reach customer service. Service via chat is often quick but sometimes you get someone who is competent and sometimes you don't. I had one last night repeatedly tell me to call Time Warner, our local cable provider, about a question about my home networking service ( billed each month by Earthlink) and my home networking router rebate! Another time my housemates couldn't figure out how to add their e-mail accounts, and neither could I. The places to click to do that are literally hidden on a page full of meaningless advertising and phrased in such a way that they don't look like what they are, such as "maintain your mailbox" for "add more mailboxes to your account". I used chat tech support. I wrote out my complete problem and what I had done. The guy kept asking me what page I was trying to get to and what i had put in. Finally I just copied and pasted my original question that explained everything all over again. He never did tell me how to get to where to add e-mail addresses! I was so angry after weeks of such experiences that I wrote Charles Betty, Lee Adran, Linda Beck, I think, Karen Gough, and Mike Lunsford, and I expressed my general dissatisfaction with our service. A couple of weeks later, by which time we've finally figured out how to add e-mail addresses, someone calls back form one of these offices to talk to me. I call him back, he only wants to know if we have our e-mail working yet. I tell him how dissatisfied we are in general, he didn't listen to one word, and kept explaining, for instance , "it isn't broke" and starting to explain just why the billing confusion is just fine. I finally said, well if it isn't broke I'm done talking and hung up on him. I wish I knew who I'd talked to but I didn't at that time see a reason to keep it. It was clearly who they asked to contact me, it was a young man, he was in one of the executive offices, and I called the toll free number for Earthlink headquarters in Florida and entered an extension to reach him. I spent literally days, usually three to five hours at a time, on the phone just getting set up for home networking. Every single thing we got told turned out at al later point not to be true. No central place for people with home networking to go with customer service and tech support issues exists yet and I typically get batted around for hours. When I wanted to know the status of my router order I got batted around all morning, even to Time Warner twice, before someone whose job it wasn't took pity and got her supervisor to look up the information. We got told different things about what equipment we needed, how things were to be set up, who was to do it. We consistently got charges tacked onto what we had agreed to that we hadn't been told about, such as the service charge when I finally placed the order for the router. I had already put the amount they first told me on my netspend card. We kept getting told different thigns about literally what equipment we needed and how things needed to be arranged at our house. We got told different things about whether my housemate's notebook computer could be used with it right through when they installed it. We got surprised at the last minute by Time Warner telling us we wree paying them up front for a first month's service when they came to install it and it must be in cash. After when I checked several times Earthllink repeatedly assured me that they would bill us after cable service was installed and my month's phone service bill that I was to have paid them five days before the cable installation was to take place was to be deducted from what they were to bill us. They finally waived that amount, after several hours on the phone. We got the router, got the cable service, but half of it won't work on my computer becasue the software won't work on Windows 95. They say that is on their web site. We only talked with their people. Their people, including home networking sales and home networking tech support, talked with each of the three people at our house twice and asked us in detail what we have, told us what we would need. They asked me what operating system I had and learned Windows 95 several times. Never said anything about the whole thing not workign on Windows 95. Basically, we have continually run into what looks like Earthlink has grown into a larger organization than they are prepared and willing to support, ie, by providing enough customer service and tech support lines and employees. Further, they are clearly very disorganized. Home networking doesn't even have its own home department with a clear cut way to get to it with any kind of issue, whether tech support or customer service, though reaching their sales department took only a small amount of getting transferred around form the available options, which are cable, DSL, and modem access, and customer service or tech support. Now the router has stopped working, after being used for less than two months. Tech support worked on it with me, determined that it is kapoot. An electrical storm or power failure may have contributed, we aren't sure. Surely covered by warranty. Not that the paperwork I have contains a warranty. When that went, we decided we are through with Earthlink, we just want to return the router that has stopped working, get our money back. After half an hour I got customer support someplace, never did learn where. Guy said no way that isn't how it is going to work. They refuse to refund the router, though they will replace it with another one that is going ot konk out and more poor service. That is dishonest, but there is more. We signed up under a special offer that included a rebate of $99 for the $99 home networking router, sent to us by Earthlink, but if we stopped service before 12 months we have to pay a $99 fee. That is how the literature on the deal put it. We have had such questions about continuing Earthlink service that I never put through the rebate, thus I never took advantage of the special offer that the way it was presented I took to mean if you stop service within 12 months you pay for the router, which is the only interpretation that makes any sense. He said we don't get our rebate, since it just expired, and I have to pay the $99 if we end service. I said, we're ending our service, I'll sue you for my refund and you can come after me in court for your disconnection fee, and he said, no, that isn't how it is going to work, and I hung up on him, and that is where it sits at this time. I tried to talk back to talk to someone else, but I never knew exactly where I got sent except one of the customer support numbers, and I tried both numbers on the papers that came with my router, and both times after punching in several numbers for several choices I got a message saying that I was being transferred to customer service and then nothing at all on the line, no message, no music, no nothing. Then I tried Earthlink Chat. The woman there kept telling me to call Time Warner and then disappeared. She also said, before disappearing, that she didn't have access to my account - though it was customer service chat and I've gotten account problems resolved via customer service chat before. Earthlink has always had a very good reputation. It isn't only your organization giving them high marks, I've known alot of people who have used Earthlink and enjoyed it. They liked the fee, too, whihc used to be a reasonable $15. Now it's $24 a month just for modem access, and I can for some reason only get 26 baud with a 56 baud modem. The experience that I am having with them right now is flat out dishonesty, and I'm picking up signs on the web that perhaps Earthlink has met a similar fate to Worldcom in that some dishonest people have gained control of that company. My housemate wants to just go back to AOL! She previously had an AOL account. That is something, when people would rather deal with AOL. She says she never had any problems with them. I formerly lived at a house where our ISP was Time Warner. There are things I seriously don't like about Time Warner, but we never had a single problem with service, tech support or billing. I would really very much appreciate it if not only can you get the word out about the sorts of problems I gather you are hearing that people are running into with Earthlink, but give me some specific help. Do you happen to know the specific names and phone numbers of anyone in Earthlink's executive offices that I can contact about my billing and rebate problem? Clearly no low level customer service agent is going to be able to clear this up for me. I would be willing to pay the $99 disconnect fee if they would agree to give me my rebate and write off the cost of the router itself. Second, can you possibly tell me where I can file formal complaints about this incident? I know the local Better Business Bureau, but with a national company I need a federal place to make a complaint for it to have clout. I do fully intend to file such complaints once I find out how and where. Third, do you know of anyone else who is actively tracking the problems customers are having with Earthlink? I would really like to get in touch with them. Thanks very much! Yours, Dora __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com

New at The Genealogy Searching Center * Lawrence County, Ohio Civil War Veterans * Obituary Index, Kings County, New York : Indexing obituaries of individuals born in Brooklyn, NY * 1850 Federal Census Oxford County, Maine * Cambridgeshire, England Baptism Index (1801-1837) * Labrador, Canada Genealogical Records Go to: http://genealogysearch.org/index.html

Ludwig Von Beethoven MOONEY, my grandfather, according to RI census was b. abt 1865, probably in Providence; d.1905 at Leominster, MA where he lived his whole married life. Parents were Robert H. Mooney, b. abt 1843 in Providence, and Sarah Elizabeth xxx, b. abt 1842 at unknown location. They had a dau, Emily M b. abt 1855 and a first son, Nelson H, b. abt 1858. No other data on parents. LVBM m. Hattie L. FORBES 17 June 1886 at Boston, then lived at Leominster where they had 5 children, including my mother. Searching for dates, locations and lineage data on LVB Mooney. TIA for any information or suggestions! Regards, Tom Journeay in Katy, TX

Tom, It was a nice visit. I hope the tone of my e-mails was not too confrontational. As you can see from meeting me, I am, much like you, a gentleman with an interest in the history of the Irish in and about Worcester. Last year, I was prepared to ruffle some feathers to attract the interest of the average reader of Dempsey's column. There is no such thing as bad publicity. Any objection to honoring Boland and his ilk would have drawn attention to the need to honor the canal. It may have failed to live up to expectations, it was unreliable, unprofitable, and brought wharf-rats and Irishes to the area, but it changed Worcester, from a town halfway between two navigable waters, into a commercial center...a seaport. With this waterway; bulk goods like agricultural lime and white wheat flour could, with less expense, travel inland; the natural resources of the interior could be exploited and exported; and the manufacture of goods in the region was more economically feasible. The Blackstone Canal also forced Boston merchants to expend some capital to try to regain the business lost to Providence. This brought the rails to Worcester, which reaffirmed her role as a commercial and transportation hub, and secured her a place as a major manufacturing center. At one time the Blackstone River was called the hardest working river in America and Worcester stood at its head. Little good that did her. The river moved waterwheels not boats, and Worcester was a little too north to benefit greatly from it. Though there were some manufactories and textile production in the town, Worcester never became a mill town, it lacked the substantial flow of water to power waterwheels that would, in turn, power textile machinery. Worcester didn't attract the eye of the Waltham Group, nor receive the attention that Lowell did. Worcester waited, waited for a connection to the world. The Blackstone Canal established that connection. The canal brought more than bulky good to the region, it brought change to Worcester, forced change on Worcester. Your ceremony will honor Tobias Boland and his 500 Irish workmen. Your speaker will praise the immigrants that dug and blasted, that toiled and died. The humble beginnings of the Irish in Worcester County will be eloquently retold. Someone may even broach the subject of prejudice, and remark upon the challenges faced by a young Irish Catholic laborer in 1820s America. Your speeches may address the ethnic changes that Worcester saw during the canal's two decades of operation. "The way was paved," they will say, "for the coming of the poor Irish souls, chased by hunger from their homeland, during the Great Famine." No one will mention that some of the Irish already settled in Worcester in the mid 1840s would have been happy to have blended into, or at least to have been left alone by, the greater community. Many would have been happy just to have a job. The Irish in Worcester paved the way for Nativists and Know-Nothings. Their in-fighting stifled them. It would be more than fifty years, two generations, before Worcester would see its first Irish mayor. No one will ask us to look too closely at the Irish that dug the canal, or worked the waterway, or lived in and around Worcester from 1828 to 1848. We will instead be asked to remember these "pioneers" that changed the face of Worcester. I think it is fitting to leave it to the people of Rhode Island to honor, with their own sign, John Brown and the other Providence money that built the canal. Let others memorialize the railroad builders that connected Providence and Worcester. With this sign let us remember the Blackstone Canal. A financial disaster, frozen for a quarter of the year, subject to idleness due to flood or drought, always loosing in court, and crawling with vermin, the Blackstone Canal could easily be dismissed as an idea who's time had passed by the time it was acted upon, but it was more than that. The Blackstone Canal succeeded in many ways. It help make Worcester an important city instead of the out of the way shire-town for an out of the way county. It helped make Worcester a culturally and religiously diverse community, and it connected Worcester, if only for a short while, to the ever shrinking world. I know I don't always site my sources in our e-mail exchanges, but I should have thrown in yhere somewhere an "According to Tom Kelleher's piece on the Blackstone Canal 1997 museum training document." In it he makes many valid points. Some I've already heard (unprofitable like most canals), some I had not heard made (did more for the public than the bondholders), and all without a mention of T. Boland. A real Yankee look at the realities of the canal. He of course has a bibliography (unlike my e-mails) and I have a copy for you. Powers, Meagher, Murphy, Kelleher, O'Flynn, et. al. they guide me. Please forward to anyone who might have read "another long note," John [I went to the unvailing, smiled a lot, applauded a little. Tom is now a friend of mine. John]

John, It is after mid-night and at my age it is difficult to think straight. The name Rejoice Newton (spelling) pops up in his deeding the cemetery land in Tatnuck (Newton Square) over to Bishop Fenwick. I have a copy of the deed. Speaking of fantasies...I have written a paper about the day that the first barge or lake boat arrived in Worcester and I have Tobey and his wife attending the ceremony. (half truth and part fiction) It is not very good but I hope to improve upon it when I have time. I will add to it and write more later. I wonder if you could find out if Tobey did build the house at 42 Green St, in Worcester. Also, the location of his burial should be easy to obtain by going to the obits on the day after he died. I noticed that the Worc. Library has a new Web site and perhaps it will be easier to research items now that they are in the new building. I will write more later. Tom Dear Tom, Newton was an attorney as was Lincoln. I wonder how much land was being traded with lawyers, or bankers, as the agents. There is the oft told tale of how the Temple St. property came to be in the hands of a Catholic, for a Church no less, only after an attempt to purchase land for that purpose was thwarted by an inquisitive Yankee. If William wasn't a Lincoln his name would have been mud for what he did to the town. What we need to look at is the purchases of these lands by Newton to see what the agents cut is. They could have been buying land to sell to anyone with the money or it could be that they were 'holding the note' in the role of lenders (privately or as agents for a bank) . My understanding of the monetary system during the Federal period is not perfect, but I have picked-up a few things during my few years at the museum. Good luck with your story. The latest incarnation of the story I want to tell is in the form of a play. Not a word written yet, but the research is fun. As for the house at 42 Green St.; you could do a search on the property at the courthouse. You might find it easier to start with a map that lists the property owners names over the parcel. The copy of the 'Boland buys from Geo. Denny et al. deed registration describes all that land southward along Green St. Does the mansion fit in that parcel? Was it already there? If yes and no, I guess you could work forward instead of back. Look for sales of property by Boland until you find when he sold that particular piece of land. If there is a house on it than it will be mentioned in the deed registration. Have you seen his will? His death certificate? His obit? The last two would say where they dumped the body. Write soon, John John I did visit the Reg. of Deeds last month and obtained book and page numbers of many of Boland' s transfers but the copy of the deeds are on microfiche. I am unable to work the rolls on the machines but will go back there soon and get help. When I was in banking we would obtain the date that Worcester's houses were built by phoning the water department to see when the water was connected. I did this and found that 42 Green St, had the water installed in 1877 (Boland was still alive at that time). I did further reseach and found that two doctors occupied the property. I knew the last doctor (Dr. Hollaran) but have been unable to tie in Boland with ownership of the house, yet time and again I read about the "Mansion" at the corner of Green and Temple streets built by Boland. Then, I find property owned by Boland listed on Jefferson St. I have what looks like a Mass card that lists Tobey as having lived at 11 Jefferson St. Written on the card is the following "Tobias Boland, I knew him well...a grand old man." The other writing on the card is difficult to read.Amen I will keep writing. Tom Dear Tom, The reels of film are very easy to use at the courthouse. I was under the impression that Boland built a house for himself and moved another building forward on the lot. This, I thought, was a lot earlier than 1877. The building could have been standing long before it got water. I went by the building today. Something old is under all that aluminum. Is that the building you mean? I would have expected Boland's mansion would have been set back from the road. Where is Jefferson St.? What year was a Tobias Boland living there? Wasn't his son was it? Anyway, we must start from a known owner of the lot, and work backwards, or forwards. One more thing... What is the story of the paper Dr. Powers tore up? J John I used the term "tore apart" meaning that he picked Fr. McGrail's paper apart. He referred to the late Fr. McGrail as a poor historian in referring to a railroad bridge over Green Street when it was not actually there at that time. But you of course referred to McGrail's piece as illusory "fantasy." He did not tear up the paper. Tom. Letter to the Editor: Your story pertaining to Monahan & Co. Ltd. Jewelers (12/26/01) was indeed interesting reading. I point out the date of 1815 in which it is reported that Jeremiah Monahan opened his first jewelry store in Worcerster, MA. Although this is perhaps a correct date, it is interesting that history buffs, such myself, always refer to the year 1826 when Tobias "Tobey" Boland and the first Irish entered Worcester with 500 workers to construct the Blackstone Canal. It seems remarkable that the Monahan family could have bucked the prejudice that prevailed in Worcester at that time against the Irish and during that same period of time open a jewelery store. I do hope that your current coverage of that period does not fall into the category of "revisionist" history reporting. Thomas [Name] Dear Tom, Careful historians are careful to qualify their "1st's" statement with "of any great number" or first Irish (or Catholic) "community." The first Scotch-Irish attempt to settle in Worcester was tolerated, until they tried to build a meetinghouse. Though they did not consider themselves "Irish," they were not the right kind of Protestant, so one night some citizens of Worcester dismantled the offending structure. Nativist sentiments certainly prevailed for a long time before the Know-nothings swept to power in the early 1850s, however, individuals (especially skilled craftsmen) posed little threat to most Yankees prior to the 1820s. I imagine more than a few would have viewed a Catholic as a curiosity, surprised they didn't have horns. In fact I have heard of native Americans (as the Yankee population referred to themselves) traveling to Worcester to see the papist celebrate Christmas Mass. Granted this was in the late 1830s, at a time when many ambivalent Yankees had grown concerned with the problems associated with immigration. Real, united, hatred would come with Irish workers taking textile mill jobs from the farmer's daughters, and the sheer numbers of them by 1850. The people of Worcester County, prior to 1820, were aware of the presence of Catholics in America through newspapers, but they didn't know how bad it was going to get. So, was it a misprint? Were they non-Catholics or living as ones? Were they the exception? I don't know. "I do hope that your current coverage of that period does not fall into the category of 'revisionist' history reporting." I didn't read the story. Did they fail to mention that Worcester was populated with bigots at the time? I hope it didn't distract from the story. Keep those grudges alive, John John Vic Stevens is the retired naval officer of "Old Ironsides" and is also a history buff. He visits the Cape and knows the Monahan Brothers who claim that their great grandfather opened the jewelry store in Worcester in 1815. Vic has made sort of a big thing out of this and asked me to write the letter to the Cape Cod Times (which I did) Jake Powers, 5 years ago, wrote a long rebuttal to Vic about the newspaper article that appeared at that time. The recent article caused Vic to go at it again and thus the letter to the editor. As you explained, they very well could have taken over an Yankee jewelry shop at that time. Page D9 of the Sunday Telegram has an interesting article by nature writer Roger Leo. He also brings out the fact that the Blackstone River "proper" begins at Mill Brook and Middle River rather than Salisbury Pond. I will have to send him an invitation to the unvailing on the 30th. Tom

Dear Tom, I have read your material as well. Wow, I didn't realize that Jake felt so strongly about Boland. Its like he read only genealogical material and obits. Of course, he has read much more. He knows more about this stuff than I do, but still I can't help but think he must be related. I saw some maps today. There was, on the 1829 map, a pond where Pond Street would be. By 1844 the pond was gone. I suspect Boland did lay out Temple St. as it was unnamed but present in 1829, but did not buy the land from Temple to Vernon Sq. until the purchase in 183? (you've got a copy of the sale). Still he made money on it. I guess I was under the impression that he got in earlier. 1844 directory says Levi Lincoln and Rejoice Newton were officers of a Worcester bank. I would like to learn more about the land deals that took place 'round about the time the canal was coming into play (>1824). but... One sheet you gave me says Boland's school "was called St. James Seminary after a time." I am not so sure. There was probably more of a connection than the church lets on (his school served the same community, possibly before the Christ's Church basement school), and less than his descendants think. The same source says a subscription paper was circulated (doesn't say Boland did this), and that he build the first building and gave it to Holy Cross. This sounds funny. I thought he gave it to the Bishop or to Fitton as the college simply isn't until Fenwick brings in the Jesuits (of course he could have built the first building for the Jesuits, too). Mt. St. James Seminary's first building is credited to Boland. Donated too. But no land, yet. I am still willing to keep-up that sign if Boland donated any land or even sold any at a loss to anyone. The Fr. McGrail paper is fantasy, conjecture and has a twisted timeline (It is what it is, not a scholarly report). He used the same reference material you have, and I don't trust those sources. I think Boland's crew did drain the pond and fill the space and Boland may have gotten rich selling the new land. If he kept some men employed making improvements to this land, I give him credit, it was a good financial decision. As for Powers' paper; he makes a good argument. I can't find any purchase of land on Bogachoag Hill under Boland's name. I don't know where he got that, the rest ... too glowing. The man was a contractor/builder, why does it impress everyone that he built the first church here or railway there. Powers' says he "created the community's first ethnic settlement," the paddy camps were nothing to brag about, the first tenements (Boland's the landlord) were nothing to write home about either. Except for the fact that these people were Irish and home was no better, and about to get much, much worse. What bothers me is Boland's treatment of the new-to-america Irish (not limited to the famine Irish, his trouble with labor dates to at least 1845), his wife's feelings toward them (expressed in letters to her brother), and the fact that he had lace curtains (I imagine). That community Boland created was divided. To be despised by a Yankee was akin to being despised by an Englishman, a badge of honor, but these immigrants were being exploited by Irishmen and they knew it. Have you ever heard of Irish Alztimers?...You forget everything but the grudges. I am (just trying to keep the grudge alive), John

Listers, I recieved an e-mail from Tom, it was an invatation to the unvailing of a sign memorializing Tobey Boland and his crew of Irish labors for their work on the Blackstone Canal] Who are you? Private citizen? Historian? Did you arrange this memorial? How does one go about getting a memorial sign dedicated to someone? Who paid for this sign? Below is a e-letter with very few changes) that I sent to Jim Dempsey when he wrote about your attempts to honor this man. “Dear Jim, Yes, Tobey Boland’s name rings a bell with me. I know him for the scoundrel that he was. Mr. Rooney’s admiration is misplaced and his trips to the area libraries evidently did not uncover the truth about this man. I don't begrudge Boland for having the foresight to buy land on speculation, in fact I think its great that some bigoted yankees got taken by an Irishman. However, Mr. Boland took advantage of everyone. In the mid-1840’s, when the workmen complained to their priest, Rev. Gibson, about the treatment they were receiving from the contractors and the Irish merchants they were told to go home and to be thankful to have work. The parishioners took their complaints to the brother of Boland’s wife, Bishop Fitzpatrick, who, likewise, told them to drop it. Shortly after, the contractors used deceit to drive down wages for the 1847 construction season. This was at a time when money was needed to help relatives suffering the great famine back in Ireland. There is a lot more to the story of the day the mob chased the “landlords priest” from the city. The intended targets were Boland and other contractors. The parishioners of Christ’s Church refused to allow Boland to get the contract to build St. John’s. These were the people who knew Boland and they would not honor him in any way, nor should any of us. I was not surprised to find Boland’s hand in the mess that was the construction of St. Paul’s. Bollard left the area but kept up his unscrupulous ways. On Dec 30 1850 Rev. William McDonald wrote a 3 page letter to Bishop Fitzpatrick to inform him of the“...details of the agreement between him and Tobias Boland to build a church in Manchester; claims that he did not read the written agreement that he signed; states that the written agreement was fraudulently obtained; informs Fitzpatrick that Boland has not completed the church according to the specifications” [from An Index to the Papers of John Bernard Fitzpatrick, available at WPL. The only thing more ridiculous than honoring Boland would be to honor Fr. Gibson. John” Tom, I don't begrudge you for wanting to honor the Irish that built the Blackstone Canal, however, the men that built it worked for Boland and people like him. The contractors do not represent the laborers any more than the Shamrock Society represents the Irish community in Worcester at the time. I don't know how I made it on to your e-mail list. I am glad I did. I may even go to your dedication, if you can convince me that Boland was worthy of this honor. Reply please, John [He replyed. This e-mail and a few others from him are lost. You’ll get the gist of his short letters from my replys. He offered to send me some material] Dear Tom, I am John [name and address]. However, I would rather meet you someday at the Worc. Public Library. We could exchange info. I would like to see what you have and why Boland's finial resting place is a mystery. You've got a few details wrong. The "Catholic Institute" located in the old Christ's Church building was established after 1845, with the removal of the building off the foundation and the building of the new brick church...St. John's. A church history says there were two schools established, by Fr. Fitton. in 1837 "one for children in the basement of the [Christ's] church; the other for the instruction of boys in the higher branches of education. The later was situated on Packachog Hill, and called Mt. St. James Seminary. In 1842, Fr. Fitton presented to Bishop Fenwick, Mt. St. James Seminary together with sixty acres of land in the vicinity. ...[Fenwick had long wanted to establish a Catholic school of higher secular education] Here was his opportunity, and today, owing to his zeal and the generosity of Fr. Fitton Holy Cross rest 'like a beautiful coronet on the queenly brow of Packachog Hill above our busy city.' The corner stone of this splendid institution was laid June 21, 1843." so says the Golden Jubilee Souvenir Historical Sketch St. John's Parish 1895. The Canal was built from 1825 to 1828. By 1847 Boland was married to his second wife, the sister of Bishop Fitzpatrick, (Fenwick had died in Aug 1846). Boland's 'School,' as I remember, was a thing of the days of the canal workers, making it older than any thing the church established. There was free public school in this state, so Boland may have provided the first alternative to or supplement to public school. Unless you are right about the students, "the canal workers" (though I doubt many of those men were being tutored to by Mrs. Boland), in which case he should be credited with opening the first Adult Ed program for immigrants. I don't doubt he made the students supply the candles. With the decision to build a new church on the old one's (only 10 years old) foundation came the need to choose a contractor. Fr. Gibson wanted to give the contract to Boland but the parishioners would not have it. He was there at the cornerstone laying ceremony (May 27th 1845). He was probably there at the solemn dedication on June 24th 1846. It was, I think, 1847 that a contractor was beaten by Shamrocks and an angry mob descended on Bolands place and they harassed Fr. Gibson and Bishop Fitzpatrick came to town and, and, and Boland was familiar with what happens to land prices when a town becomes connected to the world by water (and later by iron). He bought land on speculation and as investment property. He sold some and ran tenements on some. You are the banker, this is a legit way to make money. I think its great that he was making money. Does that make him a "Great Irish Contractor" worthy of note? He was Irish, he was a contractor (as well as a land speculator & landlord), and I understand him to have been rather large, but what had he done to distinguish himself or better the lives of his countrymen. These men, these Irish contractors dealt in the purchase and sale of human labor. Buy low and sell high. When done right the laborers are happy to have work and the company shows a profit. This may have been true for Tobias Boland, Canal Contractor. An honest living, though I would love to know what he got for rent for a flat in one of his 'up and downs.' However, when men conspire or are perceived to conspire to drive down the value of labor there are riots. Tobey Boland, Railroad Contractor was believed to have done just that. I'm not siding with the Shamrock Society, I'm just saying that the people who worked for the man didn't think he was so great. Boland didn't settle here for long, he didn't establish any scholarships, fund any civics projects, or pioneer any social changes in Worcester. He was a businessman. A successful businessman. I don't want to 'dis' the dead. I didn't want Jim Dempsey to write about how John says T. F. Boland was a scoundrel. I'll go to the dedication and clap my hands and smile, but I still ain't convinced. I guess I could find out what Boland paid for the land he sold to Fitton, and the price he got for it. If he didn't turn a profit on that property... I'll wash that sign every year on Boland's birthday until ,like you, I'm a 74 year old local Irish historian. But, if he made one red cent on that deal then I don't want to hear another word about Tobias Boland, Founder of Holy Cross College. Your Friend, John Dear Tom, I am not yet convinced. I haven't heard Boland's side of anything. It will take more than a rumor of a school for me to speak well of Tobey Boland. At best he established a school for the immigrant's children. I had heard this was above his offices on Milbury St. in the Scalpintown area of the town. If this school was free, then Boland spent a bit of his wealth on candles. This does not seem to be part of any pattern of philanthropy. Its not as though he built a school on some of that property. As for background information: I don't know any more about Boland than you should. I am familiar with some of Dr. Timothy J.Meagher's work. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Jake Powers [I since have], but I have read his Invisible Immigrants a couple times and have thumbed through some of his other stuff. I went to the source of much of his information, that is I have read much of what O'Flynn wrote/collected. I have found some of the relevant articals/books cited in Powers' works. There are others out there that I have not yet located (haven't looked lately). I have found things that Jake Powers may not know (Gibson's own troubles with the church. You want to talk about someone's name not being mentioned. Fr. Gibson spent ten years at St. John's and barely gets a mention in any of the Histories since written.) but I don't know the story of the land purchase on Mount St. James. Did Boland donate this land? Now that would be something to note. As for me: I am a 36 year-old Worcesterite. My Irish ancestors came to Worcester in the middle of the 19th century (I don't think any of them were here with the pioneers i.e. canal builders). There may have been an ancestor or two of mine here in the spring of 1847 but I don't know if any of them threw stones at Tobey Boland's house. John Dear Tom, I stand corrected. I said Boland purchased land on speculation and inferred that that was prior to the completion of the canal and in the Worcester area. I had read that in Invisible Immigrants by Powers and in the article by Dempsey. I have found no evidence of this. Unless Boland went unnamed in prior purchases he did not buy any land here (Worcester Co.) until 1836 (Two tracts on the south side of Temple St. from Denny and Bancroft for $3,750, as well as an adjacent lot form Lewis Bigelow for $1,250. Lewis had purchased this tract only 14 months before from Bancroft and Denny, I didn't look at the 1835 sale price but I'll bet Bigelow turned a profit.) I found that in 1822 John Lincoln acted as an agent on a land sale his clients were three men one of them unnamed (Boland?). The land was sold by Rejoice Newton and was called the "lower swamp pasture." This might have been too early for speculators, but... Rejoice Newton sold a lot of lots including an 1835 sale to Benedict Fenwick (ring a bell) and an 1836 sale, (for $2,000) to Fr. Fitton, of land on the northerly side of Packachog Hill. Now then, Newton also sold land to Levi Lincoln in 1824 and 1825 This would have been the time for speculators and Lincoln could have been acting on behalf of someone else (as William Lincoln had done for "the Catholics"), but I doubt it. I don't know where Jake Powers got the idea that Boland got rich buying up wetland and selling it after the canal dried it out. (I know where Dempsey got the idea.) Somebody with inside knowledge bought some swampy land in the early 1820s. Powers may be right but I wasn't able to see it in the primary source. I should admit that I didn't search for land deals made by a company or other entity that Boland was in control of. Nor did I check for land purchases outside of Worcester Co. Boland did sell land, after 1840, to a number of Catholics but not to Fitton, Fenwick, or to any Jesuits ... not for $1.00, not for profit. Now in response to your E-mail. You didn't tell me where you got this information. Even if your information is correct: The schoolhouse on Temple Street could not have existed before 1836 (Boland first buys land there then.), and was likely the school established by Fr. Fitton in 1837. The subscription/money would have been raised by the church. The local Catholic contractor, and member of the Parish, would have been the logical choice to build the building on the Packachog Hill land purchased by Fitton in 1836. A builder credited with building a building ("erected the first main college building") does not suggest that he owned it or that he built it for free. The school established by Fitton, Mt. St. James Seminary, was not the institution that was envisioned by Fenwick nor did it educate canal workers as the canal had long been built. The Mt. St. James Seminary building and land was not Boland's to give. To give land a deed must be transferred. I can't find anything in the register. Holy Cross begins with the arrival of the Jesuits. If there was a school established by Boland prior to the school in the basement of Christ's Church on Temple St. (that was established by Fr. Fitton in 1837) and it happened to be on Temple St., then you will have to prove it to me. Jake Powers (I think) said Boland's school was in his construction company's building, Green St., students brought their own candles. For this to have been for the canal workers this would have had to be late in the construction of the canal (The Irish arrived in Worcester on or about July 4, 1826), but before the completion (1828). Of course Boland's workers could have benefited from such a school after 1828, but they weren't canal workers. Boland was in the railroad building business by 1832, according to Powers. So, exactly when and where was this school? As for the construction of St. Paul's; I thought you were defending Boland. The construction of that beautiful building was a mess. Lets look at the History of St. Paul's together. I don't think it was all the contractor's fault, the Diocese divided the cities Catholics up according Parish, this restricted J. J. Powers' fund raising. But we will see if any contractor would want to put St. Paul's on his resume. One other thing: Dempsey said the gang of angry Irishmen went after Boland for hiring French-Canadians to build St. John's Church. I didn't think Boland was allowed to build the church, that is to say the parishioners wouldn't have it. Of course the landlord’s priest [Fr. Gibson] could have overruled them. If that was the case, then there is another reason they turned on Fr. Gibson. There is a lot to that story. So what do you think? John Dear Tom, If / when you have a moment, please answer any questions I have about Boland and Holy Cross property. Meet you soon, John Dear Tom, Received your letter. I look forward to meeting you & learning more about your next project too. Looks like this Thurs. afternoon and again on the 18th I am available. We can talk about anything you like. Let me know when. The best, John John How about Thursday the 10th. at 2:00 p.m. at the Worcester Library? I will bring along all my material. Dear Tom, How about 2:30, and even then you'd better sit. I am apt to be running late. My wife will be relieving me of child care duties after her Drs. appointment 2:30 should be plenty of time to get there, unless the Dr. is running late. See you then. John John I will be standing at the information desk upstairs. Tom Tom, I went to the reference desk on the 3rd floor, sorry to hear you were just downstairs (where I guess I should have been.) I will call you. John John I did not know that there was third floor. I will mail you the material that I have. Tom [I sent him some material] John I just spent 4 hours reading over the material. Great stuff. I duly noted that there is bits of criticism of Boland. I will make copies of what I need and return your whole packet to you. The reason that I waited so long today was that just before Christmans I had a doctors appointment and had to wait an hour for treatment. I was 45 minutes late for the Christmas AARP dinner. I thought that you may have been detained the same way at the doctor's office.Tom [More to follow, John]

Don Barnes, < http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/service/gallery/fact_sheets/general/goddard/goddard.htm > It took place 16 March 1926 at Auburn, MA. Next ones were: 1929, Auburn, MA 1932, New Mexico 1932, New Mexico 1937, whereabouts ?? You're showing your age.... David

Don, I'm unclear from your posting below exactly what facts in your family legend you're trying to confirm. I can tell you where Dr. Goddard fired at least some of his first rockets. (I don't know his career detail for detail.) The property is now the Packachoag Hill golf course, located on Upland Street in Auburn just over the Worcester-Auburn town line. There is a small monument there paying homage to his launch of the first liquid-fuel-fired rocket there, I think in 1926. The monument is close to the road. Back in that era, the property was a farm owned by Dr. Goddard's sister, sister-in-law or some female relative. Being on a hill might have made the site attractive for his purposes. There's a nice view there. I grew up within walking distance of the site, off of the Worcester end of Upland St., and used to walk there quite often when I was growing up. Incidentally, my father was an auto mechanic in the 1930s and a definite highlight of his early life was working on Dr. Goddard's car at his home. My dad said Dr. Goddard had a lift in his garage for working on cars, which he thought was pretty spiffy. (I think they're called lifts ...) You can probably identify the date of the historic launch and get the Worcester Telegram, Evening Gazette or Worcester Post through interlibrary loan for that date. Good luck! Barbara > Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 15:52:26 -0400 > From: Don Barnes <dbarnes6@triad.rr.com> > To: MAWORCES-L@rootsweb.com > Message-Id: <l03130300b94a579195de@[192.168.1.100]> > Subject: [MAWORCES] Family Legend > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > I have a Family Legend that I would like to check out. Before his death, > my father on several occasions said that he saw Dr Goddard fire his first > rockets and that I was with him at the time. It is possible, but I was only > two at the time and have no memory of this. > > Here are the facts. Dad's mother died when he was nine and her sister, > Bertha F. Albee, took in and raised his two sisters. I remember visiting my > great-aunt and my two aunts on many Sunday afternoons. > > Aunt Bertha had married Louis A Spaulding and they lived on a farm at 320 > or 322 Oxford Street in Auburn, Mass. > > Dad also said that Aunt Bertha has seen the liftoffs and as a stringer > (reporter) had filed a story with one of the Worcester newspapers > describing what she saw. > > I have tried, over the internet, to find out whose byline was on the > initial news report. No luck. If it was Bertha Spaulding that reported the > account of what happened at Dr. Goddard's aunt's farm it would remove any > doubt that Dad saw what he claimed he did. > > I live in North Carolina and my health will not let me travel to Worcester > to check the facts myself. Any volunteers? >

Hi, > 1 Michael Walsh Ireland >.. +Bridget Ireland >......... 2 Thomas L Walsh 1847 Ireland - ?? Mass. My grandfather was Thomas Francis WALSH, b. 19 Mar 1888 - 26 Oct 1938 in Gardner, MA. He m. Yvonne MORENCY 9 Aug 1920, So. Ashburnham, MA. His father, my great-grandfather was Thomas A. WALSH b. 1853 in County Cork, Ireland. He migrated to US and married Mary LANE 24 May 1876, Winchendon, MA. >......... 2 Thomas L Walsh 1847 Ireland - ?? Mass. My great-great-grandfather was Daniel or Michael WALSH. His wife was ??? ALLAN. Tom Tom Towle - Computer and Internet Consulting Services towle@sbcics.com - http://www.sbcics.com (805) 969-4517 - P.O. Box 5448, Montecito, CA 93150 Corporate Member - HTML Writers Guild

I have a Family Legend that I would like to check out. Before his death, my father on several occasions said that he saw Dr Goddard fire his first rockets and that I was with him at the time. It is possible, but I was only two at the time and have no memory of this. Here are the facts. Dad's mother died when he was nine and her sister, Bertha F. Albee, took in and raised his two sisters. I remember visiting my great-aunt and my two aunts on many Sunday afternoons. Aunt Bertha had married Louis A Spaulding and they lived on a farm at 320 or 322 Oxford Street in Auburn, Mass. Dad also said that Aunt Bertha has seen the liftoffs and as a stringer (reporter) had filed a story with one of the Worcester newspapers describing what she saw. I have tried, over the internet, to find out whose byline was on the initial news report. No luck. If it was Bertha Spaulding that reported the account of what happened at Dr. Goddard's aunt's farm it would remove any doubt that Dad saw what he claimed he did. I live in North Carolina and my health will not let me travel to Worcester to check the facts myself. Any volunteers?

Don: Well, I should think I'd want to see this piece, too! Your relative must have been an interesting woman whether she saw Mr. Goddard shoot the rockets or not. Call the local public library, give them the dates on which this article would have been written, and ask if they can please send you a copy. They might ask you to send a written request and a fee, but they probably will do it. Since the piece your relative wrote concerned a specific event, it should be easy to pinpoint when it would have been written. The only hangup I can see would be if you don't know when Mr. Goddard fired his rockets, and that should be easy enough to learn, though resources in the town where Mr. Goddard lived may not be where you're going to instantly find it out. You might also try the local historical society. They could even have a copy of your relative's piece! Local historical societies often have very old newspapers or keep clipping files. I was hearing all kinds of things my father's cousin had done, and I called the local historical society and they sent me copies, and what they had on her including an obituary. I even got two pictures of her. If that should fail call the newspaper, they should have some sort of a library, but I've seen that fail and the library should work. You may also be able to get a microfilm of that newspaper for that month via interlibrary loan, most papers are available this way. There is a big system through which it is available, catalogued and everything, but I've never used it. I've even seen people get copies of specific articles for free via interlibrary loan! Dora --- Don Barnes <dbarnes6@triad.rr.com> wrote: > I have a Family Legend that I would like to check > out. Before his death, > my father on several occasions said that he saw Dr > Goddard fire his first > rockets and that I was with him at the time. It is > possible, but I was only > two at the time and have no memory of this. > > Here are the facts. Dad's mother died when he was > nine and her sister, > Bertha F. Albee, took in and raised his two sisters. > I remember visiting my > great-aunt and my two aunts on many Sunday > afternoons. > > Aunt Bertha had married Louis A Spaulding and they > lived on a farm at 320 > or 322 Oxford Street in Auburn, Mass. > > Dad also said that Aunt Bertha has seen the liftoffs > and as a stringer > (reporter) had filed a story with one of the > Worcester newspapers > describing what she saw. > > I have tried, over the internet, to find out whose > byline was on the > initial news report. No luck. If it was Bertha > Spaulding that reported the > account of what happened at Dr. Goddard's aunt's > farm it would remove any > doubt that Dad saw what he claimed he did. > > I live in North Carolina and my health will not let > me travel to Worcester > to check the facts myself. Any volunteers? > > > > ==== MAWORCES Mailing List ==== > Have you visited the ARCHIVES lately? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~maworces/wo-gen.htm > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com

Hi. I have had a complaint from one of the list members about my posting sites which have nothing to do with this list.. so, I shall stop. Thanks. Paul of San Diego

New at The Genealogy Searching Center * Confirmed Spanish Land Grant Claims in Florida. Land grants from 1763 to 1821 confirmed by the Board of Land Commissioners established in 1882. * 1881 census of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. A new web site launched 27 June 2002. * Arizona's war dead in World War I * Windham County, Connecticut Marriages 1651 - 1799 * Hickling, Nottinghamshire, England Parish Records : Marriages 1646 - 1812 Go to: http://genealogysearch.org/index.html

Anyone with connections to any of these families below?? Please contact me, Audrey Orlando, FL Descendants of Michael Walsh 1 Michael Walsh Ireland .. +Bridget Ireland ......... 2 Thomas L Walsh 1847 Ireland - ?? Mass. ............. +Winifred Carmody 1845 MA- ?? Mass. .................... 3 Mary J Walsh 1873 - ........................ +Conde Bousquet .................... 3 Anna Walsh 1875 - ........................ +Unknown Lynch .................... 3 John Walsh 1878 - .................... 3 Margaret Walsh 1880 - .................... 3 Thomas Walsh, Jr 1882 - 1904 .................... 3 Manfred Walsh 1885 - .................... 3 Winifred A Walsh 1887 - 1919<<<my line ........................ +Francis Sylvanus Gravlin 1882 - 1954 ............................... 4 Francis Winfred Gravlin 1905 - 1989 ................................... +Virginia Gorden White 1916 - ............................... 4 Lester Oral Gravlin 1908 - 1970 ................................... +Irene Russell Conklin 1902 - 1980 ............................... *2nd Wife of Lester Oral Gravlin: ................................... +Gladys Adams ............................... *3rd Wife of Lester Oral Gravlin: ................................... +Margaret Kennedy ............................... 4 Kenneth M Gravlin 1910 - 1985 ................................... +Carlota V Hernandez 1917 - 1995 ............................... 4 Wendell George Gravlin 1913 - 1917 ............................... 4 Earl Winston Gravlin 1915 - 1973 ................................... +Margaret Horre 1915 - 1985 ............................... 4 Burton Thurston Gravlin 1917 - 1918 Descendants of Michael Carmody 1 Michael Carmody Ireland .. +Mary Ireland ......... 2 John Carmody 1806Ireland - 1864 Mass. ............. +Winnifred O'Keeffe 1810Ireland - 1873Mass .................... 3 Mary Carmody 1834 - .................... 3 Margaret Carmody 1837 - .................... 3 Bridget Carmody 1841 - .................... 3 Hannah Arissa Carmody 1844 - 1864 .................... 3 Winifred Carmody 1845 - ........................ +Thomas L Walsh 1847 - ............................... 4 Mary J Walsh 1873 - ................................... +Conde Bousquet ............................... 4 Anna Walsh 1875 - ................................... +Unknown Lynch ............................... 4 John Walsh 1878 - ............................... 4 Margaret Walsh 1880 - ............................... 4 Thomas Walsh, Jr 1882 - 1904 ............................... 4 Manfred Walsh 1885 - ............................... 4 Winifred A Walsh 1887 - 1919 <<my line ................................... +Francis Sylvanus Gravlin 1882 - 1954 .................... 3 Jane Ann Carmody 1848 - ........................ +John Manning 1841 - ............................... 4 John Manning 1870 - ............................... 4 Edward Manning 1873 - ............................... 4 William Manning 1877 - ............................... 4 Frederick Manning 1879 - ............................... 4 Anna Manning 1880 - ............................... 4 Agnes Manning 1882 - ............................... 4 Daniel Manning 1887 - Descendants of John O'Keeffe 1 John O'Keeffe Ireland .. +Mary Ireland ......... 2 Winnifred O'Keeffe 1810 Ireland - 1873 Mass ............. +John Carmody 1806 Ireland- 1864 Mass .................... 3 Mary Carmody 1834 - .................... 3 Margaret Carmody 1837 - .................... 3 Bridget Carmody 1841 - .................... 3 Hannah Arissa Carmody 1844 - 1864 .................... 3 Winifred Carmody 1845 - ........................ +Thomas L Walsh 1847 - ............................... 4 Mary J Walsh 1873 - ................................... +Conde Bousquet ............................... 4 Anna Walsh 1875 - ................................... +Unknown Lynch ............................... 4 John Walsh 1878 - ............................... 4 Margaret Walsh 1880 - ............................... 4 Thomas Walsh, Jr 1882 - 1904 ............................... 4 Manfred Walsh 1885 - ............................... 4 Winifred A Walsh 1887 - 1919 << my line ................................... +Francis Sylvanus Gravlin 1882 - 1954 .................... 3 Jane Ann Carmody 1848 - ........................ +John Manning 1841 - ............................... 4 John Manning 1870 - ............................... 4 Edward Manning 1873 - ............................... 4 William Manning 1877 - ............................... 4 Frederick Manning 1879 - ............................... 4 Anna Manning 1880 - ............................... 4 Agnes Manning 1882 - ............................... 4 Daniel Manning 1887 -

Please help me locate the following people. Stephan Fawer (Faber), m. Mary Krawczyk, b. in Russian Poland, m. 11/21/03 in Worcester, MA. Stephan's father was Stanislaus Fawer (Faber); mother was Mary Poliwarczyk. Mary's father was Francis Krawczyk, mother was Rose Ladroga. I realize that there is scant information here but any additional information will be appreciated. Thank you. Emily

Can anyone give me information on Boylston, Mass? I just found out that my great grandfather came over from Italy to Boylston nd then ended up in Worcester. No wonder why I couldn't find him in the Worcester 1890 census. Thanks. Jackie

Free Online Publications: - The Scottish Royal Lineage, courtesy of Burke's Peerage & Gentry. - William Warren, History of the Ojibwe Nation This database is a volume published by the Minnesota Historical Society discussing the history of the Ojibwe (or Chippewa) Nation of Native Americans. Willliam Warren provides a detailed history of the tribe based upon a variety of records, personal accounts, and his own experience as a member of the tribe. He also includes detailed descriptions of religious beliefs, customs and tribal legends. Go to: http://genealogysearch.org/free/index.html

My late father-in-law disappeared after his marriage in 1909, he isn't in the census records for 1910, 1920 or 1930 for the area his family settled in, Sturbridge. I suspect that he may have ended up in prison as there is an old family story about his being a rum runner before he turned up in Canada in 1942. Any ideas where I could look to see where he might have ended up. I should probably mention that once he married and settled in Canada, he kept the family moving (often late in the night) and bounty hunters appeared at his door in the mid 1950's. The family always assumed it was because he was a bigamist but I suspect that the crime was something more serious. Any help would be greatly appreciated.......Susan Vilandre Searching: Vilandre and LeBoeuf

The Grafton History site now finally has the North Grafton Mill & Brockelbank family section up. Its a turn of the century story with lots of photos. Dick & Steve of Grafton History site. http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~history/grafton/Brocklebank.html