Seward-Wood Family Papers, 1840-2002 Doc 507-509, MS Size D Introduction This collection contains consists of papers and photographs from four generations of the Seward family (and related families of Herrick, Russell, and Riley) and two generations of the Wood family from Highgate, Swanton, Alburg, and most recently, St. Albans, Vermont. Although there are a few pre-1900 Seward family papers, the collection focuses on Raymond Mayo Wood (1916-1996) of St. Albans, who married Merilyn Seward (1918-1989). The papers include Wood s writing on the history of the St. Albans area as well as his photographs, a collection of newspaper clippings, and his writing about and photographs of automobiles. The collection was given to the Vermont Historical Society by Elizabeth Wood, daughter of Raymond and Merilyn Wood (ms. acc. no. 2003.3) in 2003. The collection occupies three document boxes and one MS size D folder. Biographical Sketch: Seward family Among the earliest papers in the collection are legal documents signed by Daniel (b. 1813) and Luther Herrick of Highgate. First generation Alonzo Seward (b. 1813), son of John and Mary (Smith) Seward, married Phoebe (or Phebe) Herrick (b. ca 1820) of Highgate. Second generation Their son, Alonzo D. Seward (1850-1933) married Elvira Russell (1856-1924) in 1878. Alonzo D. and his father were farmers in Highgate. Third generation Leroy Deforest Seward (b. 1888), son of Alonzo D. and Elvira (Russell) Seward married Lucy Riley (1890-1976), daughter of Fred Eli Riley (1866-1900), in 1913. They lived in Highgate, Richford and Swanton. Lucy taught school in Richford in 1917. Leroy taught school in Highgate and then worked for U.S. Customs in Richford, Swanton and Highgate Springs. Fourth generation Their daughter, Merilyn (July 10, 1918-1989), married Raymond Wood. She graduated from Swanton High School in 1936 and from the University of Vermont in 1940. She taught in the public schools of Sheldon, Alburg, and St. Albans.
Seward-Wood Family Papers 2 Biographical Sketch: Wood family Wood family lore concerns Captain William Montgomery of Isle LaMotte, greatgreat grandfather of the donor, whose schooner, the General Butler, sank on December 17, 1876 with a load of marble en route from Isle LaMotte to Burlington Bay. All aboard were saved including the Captain s daughter, Ida Jane. There are several accounts of this tale in the collection. Robert Montgomery Wood, the son of Charles and Ida Jane Montgomery Wood, was born on a ranch in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1887. When they were teenagers, he and sister Margaret moved with their family to Randolph, Vermont. In 1915 Robert married Florence Mayo of Bethel and, in the same year, he became shop foreman for the St. Albans Foundry and Implement Company. In 1922 Wood opened an automotive service and machine shop in St. Albans, known as the Foundry Repair Shop, which his son, Raymond, took over after World War II. An article about Robert s sister, Margaret Wood, describes her teaching career and travel adventures world-wide prior to World War II. (Doc. 507:16) Raymond M. Wood, son of Robert and Florence Wood, was born March 16, 1916. By his own admission he became acquainted with the workings of automobiles at an early age. I knew every merchant in town and local farmer and their cars, trucks, and mechanical equipment by the late 1920s. When he was a Bellows Free Academy (St. Albans) student in the 1930s he won three Fisher Body Craftsman s Guild model coach contests that included cash awards as well as trips to Detroit and Chicago. One of his winning model coaches is in the Museum of the Vermont Historical Society. Ray attended Burlington Business College (now Champlain College). In 1941 Ray studied flying and received his pilot s license in 1942. He served in the U.S. Corps of Engineers rebuilding railroad lines and bridges in Europe during World War II. After the war, Ray joined his father in the automotive business and subsequently became the owner of the Foundry Repair Shop. The latter expanded to become successive dealerships for Franklin, Marmon, Reo, and Dodge vehicles. Ray Wood writes, One of the greater and often quite enjoyable hobbies in my earlier career was retrieving disabled vehicles. The bigger the vehicle or job the greater the challenge. His father acquired a tow truck for his automotive shop, a 1925 Reo 2 ton truck, nicknamed Tug Boat Annie. Wood writes of towing Cadillac, Packard and Lincoln cars that had been seized for smuggling Canadian liquor into Vermont during prohibition. (507:30) His photographs and writing from 1946 to 1965 document his company s towing service. The papers include biographical information about Robert Wood (Doc 507:13), his sister, Margaret (507:16), and his son Raymond (Doc 507:33). A history of the Foundry Repair Shop is included in Doc 507:33. An account of Captain Montgomery s disaster is in Doc 507:31.
Seward-Wood Family Papers 3 Scope and Content The collection consists of assorted papers from four generations of the Seward family (and related families of Herrick, Russell, and Riley) and two generations of the Wood family from Highgate, Swanton, Alburg, and most recently, St. Albans, Vermont. The oldest papers in the collection span four generations of the Seward and related families. Although many individuals are represented there are no extensive collections related to one person or one generation. The papers include Daniel and Luther Herrick s 1848 legal papers, Alzina Russell s 1866 diary (Alzina was the stepsister of Elvira Russell Seward), Alonzo D. Seward s 1872-73 and 1881-82 diaries, as well as the latter s miscellaneous documents and receipts. The collection also contains photographs documenting Leroy Deforest Seward s employment as a U.S. Customs officer from 1919 to 1939, including a photograph showing liquor seized by U.S. Customs during prohibition. The Wood family is the focus of the collection, specifically Robert M. Wood, (1887-1966) and more importantly, his son Raymond (1916-1996) both of St. Albans, Vermont. The latter was passionate about cars and local history. The collection includes Raymond Wood s writing on both subjects; a large collection of photographs that he meticulously annotated; and his collection of newspaper articles and pamphlets related to St. Albans and Franklin County towns from the 1950s to 1990s. The name of the Foundry Repair Shop was a reflection of the original operation of Robert M. Wood. Subsequently it became successive dealerships for Franklin, Marmon, Reo and Dodge vehicles. Raymond Wood was writer, editor and producer of the Reo Echo, a magazine serving Reo Club of America members. The collection includes issues from the magazine s inception to 2002. Organization I. Seward-Wood Families Genealogy II. Seward Family (includes Herrick and Riley families) III. Wood Family IV. Photographs and postcards V. St. Albans, newspaper clippings, etc. VI. Other area towns VII. Miscellaneous VIII. Reo Echo, v. 1, no. 1 (June 1973) v. 30, no 6 (Nov./Dec. 2002) Related Collections The prize-winning model coach made by Raymond Wood for a 1932 Fisher Body Craftsman s Guild is in the Vermont Historical Society Museum. The model, made by Wood when he was a high-school student, is a replica of a Napoleonic coach.
Seward-Wood Family Papers 4 Inventory I. Seward-Wood Families genealogy Doc: 507:1 Genealogy, miscellaneous, undated-1987 II. Seward Family (includes Herrick, Russell and Riley families) Doc 507:2 Daniel and Luther Herrick, miscellaneous legal papers, 1848 3 Alonzo (ca 1813) and Phoebe (Phebe) (b. ca 1820), Herrick Seward, miscellaneous receipts and her will, 1840-1889 4 Alonzo D. Seward, diaries, 1872-73 and 1881-82 5, miscellaneous papers found in 1881-82 diary. 6, miscellaneous, 1893-1912 6A Alzina A. Russell (1841-1876), diary 1866 7 Elvira Russell Seward (1856-1924), deeds, 1906-13 8 Fred E. Riley (1866-1900), miscellaneous, 1880-1927 9 Leroy Deforest Seward (b. 1888), miscellaneous, 1904-63 10 Lucy Riley Seward (1892-187?), teachers certificates etc., 1910-1938 11 Merilyn Mary Seward (July 10, 1918-1989), miscellaneous, 1918-70 12, University of Vermont memorabilia, 1936-39 III. Wood Family Doc 507:13 Robert Montgomery Wood (1887-1966), about his life, 1904-1966 14, receipts, deeds etc., 1903-46 15 Foundry Repair Shop, St. Albans, history, 1905-1977 16 Margaret M. Wood, (b. 1888), miscellaneous, 1927-40 17 Raymond Mayo Wood (March 22, 1916-April 13, 1996), correspondence, 1966-90 18, school essays, 1930 19, miscellaneous, 1927-42 20, Fisher Body Craftsman s Guild, conventions, 1931 and 1933 21,,, correspondence, 1931-33 22,,, coach photographs, 1931-33 23,, printed matter, 1931-76 24, his articles in St. Albans Messenger, 1970-1991 25, his typescripts on cars, 1967-70 26,, 1971-77 27, his articles in Reo Echo, 1973-96 28, 1938 Dodge-Holmes wrecker, manuscript, undated 29, miscellaneous manuscripts, undated and 1971 30, Tug Boat Annie, articles, 1975-90 31, Nautical Brass, Nov./Dec. 1995, article by Wood about his greatgrandfather, Capt. William Montgomery 32, typescripts of talks, 1970-1979 33, articles about him, 1930-1982 Doc 508:1 Ruth Wood, school work, 1927-31
Seward-Wood Family Papers 5 IV. Photographs and postcards Doc 508:2 Raymond Wood, winner Fisher Body Craftsman s Guild, 1932, and in army, 1942 3 Merilyn S. Wood (1918-1989), 1925-37 4 Seward family automobiles, 1917-38 5 Foundry Repair Shop, St. Albans, 1920-39 6,, 1931 7 Highgate schools, 1900-1910 8 Randolph, flood, 1927 9 St. Albans, 1916-1963 10, Wood home at 39 Congress St., St. Albans 1901-69 11, 8 th grade graduation, 1930 12 Sheldon Springs school, 1941 13 Swanton, miscellaneous, 1930-1934 14, Missisquoi Airport, 1930s 15 Central Vermont Railroad steam engines, 1938-63 16 U.S. Customs, Highgate, 1935-39 17, Swanton, 1919-23 18 Vermont, miscellaneous, 1947-58 19 Automobile wrecks, 1934-37 20, Dodge Holmes wrecker, 1938-42 21,, 1946-47 22,, 1948-49 23,, 1950-51 24,, 1952-53 25,, 1954-57 26,, 1958-59 27,, 1960-61 28,, 1962-63 29,, 1964-65 29A,, unidentified 30 Miscellaneous, 1937-41 31 Unidentified, 1934 32 Negatives, unidentified, undated 32A, Missisquoi Airport, early 1930s 33 Postcards, Vermont flood, 1927 V. St. Albans, newspaper clippings, etc. Doc 508:34 St. Albans, history, 1966-82 35, buildings, 1948-85 36,, residential, 1957-80 37, individuals, 1950-82 38, teams, organizations, 1965-86 39, trains, 1950-1993 40, trolleys, 1967-1993 41, miscellaneous transportation, 1955-89
Seward-Wood Family Papers 6 42, pamphlets, 1950s-60s Size D Miscellaneous newspaper clippings, St. Albans, etc., 1897-1988 1) St. Albans Daily Messenger, July 17, 1897, 100 th anniversary issue 2) Expo s Little Neighbor -- Swanton Summer Festival, July 1967. Supplement of the Franklin County newspapers. 3) Swanton Currier, Feb. 5, 1970. Special edition & supplement. Fire: the human story. 4) The Swanton Heritage, August 30, 1988. Published by the Buyer s Digest. 5) Vermonter, Sunday, Oct. 10, 1982. Sunken treasure by Louise Hedbor. 6) St. Albans Messenger, Wed. July 27, 1988. Bicentennial edition. 200 years, St. Albans, the railroad city. 7) Our city school situation is critical. (St. Albans) Date? Source? VI. Other area towns Doc 508:43 Aeronautics, including Missisquoi Airport, Swanton,dedication, pilot s log, license, Missisquoi Flying Club card and agreement, 1930-41 44 Highgate United Methodist Church, centennial, 1968 45 Swanton, newspaper clippings, 1957-88 46 Lake Champlain, newspaper clippings, 1953-94 VII. Miscellaneous Doc 508:47 Cookbook, ca 1922 48 Newspaper clippings, undated 49 Miscellaneous VIII. Reo Echo v.1, no.1, June 1973 through v.30, no. 6, December 2002 Doc 508:50 Reo Echo, 1973 51, 1974 52, 1975 53, 1976 54, 1977 Doc 509:1, 1978 2, 1979 3, 1980 4, 1981 5, 1982 6, 1983 7, 1984 8, 1985 9, 1986 10, 1987 11, 1988 12, 1989
Seward-Wood Family Papers 7 13, 1990 14, 1991 15, 1992 16, 1993 17, 1994 18, 1995 19, 1996 20, 1997 21, 1998 22, 1999 23, 2000 24, 2001 25, 2002 Priscilla Page April 2004 seward.doc