Prior to 1897
Roslindale's early history (up to 1920s) can be understood if one regards it as a crossroads for major streets leading to Dedham, Boston, Hyde Park and West Roxbury. As such, there was a lot of farming, fields and open land around the area at the time. But, because of this the area would have had a 'country' appeal to it, and therefore attracted construction of houses local laborers as well as for grand almost country houses. It wasn't named Roslindale until 1874.
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The section of the map shown to the right, is taken from a hand-drawn map of the town of Hyde Park in 1879 - in fact from the very upper right hand corner of the map. Tucked away and spreading into the distance are the fields, the woods, a few scattered houses. These all emanate from Hyde Park and pass through the area of Clarendon Hills (and its train station), where the house at 318 Met Ave is today.
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Even by 1890 - as shown in a second hand-drawn map of Hyde Park, the only significant building is the Clarendon Hills train station (marked 5). There may be fewer trees drawn, but the land is still open and minimally developed. You get the feeling this area is regarded more as the outskirts of Hyde Park, rather than West Roxbury. Indeed, there were continuous attempts to get a vehicle crossing/subway to join Met Ave, which was broken by the railway. Albert Fox and his family were main drivers of this, and the reason 'to be more connected with Hyde Park'.
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From an 1874 land map of the Clarendon Hills area, it is clear to see the land speculation is occurring - the Metropolitan Land Company has bought lots of land aligned along "Metropolitan St." A few lots have been purchased already, with the 318 lot assigned to William E Weeman, and a relatively modest structure in place already: an L-shaped house and stable. These buildings lie in the same approximate position as the house today. Other lots that exist are know recognizable as road names, such as Mansur and Grew.
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Note also, one of the few houses nearby, on Poplar street, near the intersection with Metropolitan, is owned by Daniel (marked Dl) Dunn - the father in law of Patrick Albert Fox, and father of Isabella Dunn, who built the house as it stands today (in two halves). The whole family was living there during this period.
1879
1890
1874
William Weeman
William E Weeman was born in Standish, Maine in 1821, and married Amelia B Haskell (born 1820) of Boston in 1844. What brought him down to Boston is not clear - his mother Phebe Spencer died in 1836 and his father in 1843, both in Cumberland ME (and are buried in the Weeman Family Cemetery).
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What we do see in William's story is one reasonably typical of the time and area: movement to a city with work, the involvement of the Civil War, manual labour, and the railways.
The 1850 census shows they were living together, aged 26 & 28, with Nancy (Haskell) (Amelia's mother) aged 73. They lived in a house with 7 other non-family members in Ward 5 of Boston, and therefore were likely lodging there until they could find their own spot. William is listed as a Blacksmith (other lodgers were teamsters, leather workers etc., which gives you a flavour of the neighborhood).
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The 1860 census shows the Weemans living on Met Ave (although the census actually lists them as inhabitants of Dorchester on Met Ave), and William was now a Master Carpenter. Also listed in the house were Amelia, Nancy aged 82 and Orin Weeman aged 18, their son. Orin worked as a Farm Laborer (indicative of the labor demands close to the house). William had a brother (12 years older, also called Orin).
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William was within the recruitment age for the Union in the Civil War (around 40), especially towards the end of the war. There was a William HH Weeman, recruited in 1864, but although the date of birth is close, it's unlikely our William.
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Orin was a prime age for recruitment; the Civil War records show an Orin Weeman aged 20, enlisted in Boston, Mass on 3rd May 1861, mustered on 15th June 1861 into E Company of the 7th Infantry at Taunton, MA. On 5th Aug 1861 in Washington DC, he was discharged due to disability, an inguinal hernia (protruding intestines). Orin's Civil War was over very quickly. His residence is marked Dorchester, with an occupation as a carpenter so we can be reasonably sure that this is our Orin. Oddly, Orin is not mentioned at all in William's will (see below), and later information is lacking, death etc.
1850
1860
1844 Marriage
In 1870, the Weemans were still on Met Ave, according to the census, although Orin is no longer mentioned (see above). Nancy had presumably died and three new names appeared. Two were likely lodgers, Sylvannes (26) and Florence Hollbroke (22), both women born in MA. Sylvannes working as a clerk in the railway office and Florence not working. To round out the house, Lizzie Williams (22), a black female Domestic Servant born in Virginia was now presumably free, and newly eligible for the census. William, now 49, is listed as an Iron Fence (?) maker. Lizzie, the house servant, is another snap shot of history related to the Civil War. If she did, as is likely, head north from her birth place of Virginia, it is a mirror of many young black Southerners. I have tried to find more information on Lizzie Williams, to fill out more of her story, but so far my research has turned up only connections which may be her, but I have nothing concrete. There are, as you can imagine, many Elizabeths, or Elizas, and even Liz's, but Lizzie is very a specific record to have struck in the census. Yet, mentions of Lizzies who are in or around Boston/New England in that period are few, and it is hard to connect back to Virginia specifically, and of the (approximate) age. Records of a specific 'Lizzie' are not joyous - a single Lizzie Williams, with no husband mentioned, born in Richmond VA, is noted as the mother of a Frank Williams, a baby boy who dies at 3 months old, on October 19th 1900, in Boston.
Similarly, the census of the infirm in Boston in 1880, reveals a Lizzie Williams with lung disease, staying in the House of the Good Shepherd; and a Lizzie Williams has a recorded death in 1881. Or perhaps, it is Lizzie Williams, found in an 1864 marriage record who lived in Plymouth, but she is a few years too old (and not mentioned as married in the 1870 census).
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It is sad how easily people can disappear without a trace, when we can only imagine the tremendous life story that they would have to tell.
Frank Williams death
In 1877, aged 55, William Weeman died, in Summer Place, Boston, although he lived in Malden at the time [Boston record of Deaths 1877]. Reading through numerous Probate Court entries, it seems that his land and wealth (about $3000) became a source of tension (he appears to have left Amelia at some point after 1870). A link to the entirety of the Weeman wranglings can be found here (since they're not directly relevant).
Throughout this 1850 - 1880 period, three other families, with ties to the house were coalescing into the area: the Dunn's, the Fox's and the MacDonalds. And it is the MacDonald family which appears next in the story of 318 Met Ave.
1870
The Macdonald Family
Land maps from 1884 and 1890, show the new owner of the land was Lizzie Macdonald (note Daniel Dunn is still on Poplar St). The shape of the house is very different from that in 1874. Also, if you look closely throughout the period, the structure of the house seems change: in 1884 the structure's shape seems like a crucifix; whereas in 1890 the house shape is a lot more elaborate and includes a second building. One would presume that this is a stable, yet it is not marked with the usual hatch mark for a stable.
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Subsequent land maps dated 1896 and 1899, get more and more detailed, as time goes on, show that the building in 1899 is very similar to that of the Fox's (in 1900). The stable is correctly marked. We even get to see the Macdonald's entry/drive way (which lies at least partially in the same place today). There is another small, wooden shed/stable at the far north of the property, which is no longer standing. It is likely that these differences in structure are due to the map drawing, rather than the structure changing itself throughout this time.
1896
1884
1890
1899
The first connection with Lizzie and Met Ave is seen in 1877, where her father Levi F Babbidge, is listed as boarding at Met Ave, and works in 'vegetables'. It is unclear whether this indicates 318 Met Ave or just nearby.
1877
Lizzie F Macdonald was born in 1848 in Cambridge to Levi and Mary (Nancy) Jane Babbidge (née Cummings). Levi (originally from Deer Isle in Maine) and Mary married on Oct 4th, 1848 at 24 & 23 years old respectively. Levi was working as a farmer, and together they lived in East Cambridge (according to their marriage license). In 1856 (according to the Cambridge directory), Levi lived at 45 Gore St and was a milk dealer, and in the 1860 census he lives with Mary (36) and Eliza (Lizzie, one presumes) aged 10 and another child M E Babbidge (F) aged 5. We think this is Mary, but no more mentions of her can be found (including death certificates). Levi was drafted into the Union Army in the Civil War on 27th June 1863 (for the 4th Massachusetts regiment). At this point, he lived on Winter St Cambridge and was working as a watchman. Presumably, the family waited for him to come home alive before moving, since in the final Cambridge connection, the 1874 Directory, he is a carpenter.
By 1880, aged 55, he was living on Met Ave, as the 'Father in Law'.
1856
1860
1880
1863
In 1880, Levi, and Lizzie (aged 31) lived with her husband Edmund A Macdonald (36), her son Albert E (5) and daughter Florence L (18), as well as Delia Welch, an 18 year old servant of Irish descent. All at 318 Met Ave. Lizzie married Edmund (from Boston) on Oct 8th 1873, when Edmund was a clerk at 158 Broadway, Boston.
By 1878, Edmund had become the paymaster for the Boston criminal court, and still lived on Met Ave, according to the Boston Directory of that year, and in the census of 1880, he is now the paymaster of the Massachusetts Superior Court.
The 1890 census was mostly destroyed in a fire, yet we have one snippet which states the Levi still lived at Met Ave, and was now trying a new career as a lamplighter. Levi seems quite the irrepressible character!
Albert, the son, was at Boston College, and making a name for himself in the Athletics Dept., as well socially, being declared the 'toastmaster' in 1893. In May of the following year, the seemingly limitless Levi died. His death certificate stated "cerebral softening (senile)" as cause of death, and the location 669 Cambridge St, Brighton. The Boston Directory also shows that Edmund had now moved to 669 Cambridge St as well. However, the family still had one foot in the door at Met Ave, since on July 3rd of 1894, Albert's friends held a big party for his 19th birthday at 318 Met Ave.
After 1894, we start to see Edmund finalizing his move to Brighton - in 1896 he bought the lands of the estate at 669 Cambridge St, total price $5200. In May 1896 318 Met Ave was sold to Thomas H Cummings, a publisher who lived at a beautiful extant house at 198 Met Ave (at the top of the hill between Poplar and Washington). There is a 'frame house' and stable, assess for $5900.
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Quite quickly, in August of the same year, Thomas sold the house to Isabella H Fox.
198 Met Ave
677 Cambridge St
By 1900 the whole family was now on Cambridge St in the new house at 677 (the new 669). Edmund (56), Lizzie (51), Albert (24 and now a messenger in the Navy office) and Florence (21), along with they Irish servant Julia Harrington (21). Edmund was still working his way up the City, and now he was paymaster in the treasurer's office at City Hall.
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In 1902, Edmund was selected by Mayor Collins to be the Collector of City Taxes, and he seemed to have some importance, freely giving his views (on Poll Tax for example), or pro-actively helping the Carney Hospital as a board member..
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Florence married in 1904, in quite the ceremony it seems, to George Oswald of JP - attended by City dignitaries (reflecting Edmund's importance).
He worked in City Hall until April 1906, when a sudden and unexpected heart attack took him. Shockingly, June 3rd of the same year, Lizzie died of a stroke.
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The story of the Macdonalds at Met Ave closed with these two deaths, but the next family of our story were already close by. The Dunn's and Fox's were making names for themselves in the Clarendon Hills, and these would get louder over the next 20 years.
