Historical Data Services - Local Histories, Chester, MA and Eugene, Missouri, chester, Massachusetts

Town Histories Offered by Historical Data Services:

CHESTER FOLKS: THE FOUNDERS OF THE TOWN,
THEIR ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS

Compiled by William S. Mills, 1923
Edited by Charles B. Moore, 1996

The First Congregational Church of Chester, MA.
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     This is a genealogical history of the settlers of the Town of Chester, Hampden Co., Massachusetts which was opened for settlement in the 1750s as Township No. 9 and was first called Murrayfield.

     William S. Mills of New Jersey visited the Town of Chester, MA in November 1901. He was so charmed by the village and its people that he made Chester his retirement home. For the next 20 years he researched the genealogy of the early settlers, keeping his findings in a hand-written journal which was later typed up and placed on file at the local library.

     Charles B. Moore first visited Chester in 1991 to research his Moore and Elder ancestors who were among the earliest settlers. He became acquainted with Mr. Mills' work and received permission to edit and index it for publication.

     Chester Folks gives a genealogical sketch of each of the early families, listing their children and spouses, giving birth and marriage dates in most cases. Often their places of origin were included. Many came from Massachusetts villages and cities to the east and from Connecticut. Also, Scotch-Irish immigrants from Londonderry, NH and Rutland, MA made up a significant number of the newcomers. When possible, Mr. Mills traced the family back to the first pioneer to American shores, giving the name of the ship in some cases. The book contains 546 surnames. It also discusses the division of the Town into farms and homesteads, early churches, schools and old roads. An appendix to the book includes several important letters and the Samuel Quigley local history articles from an early newspaper.

     The book contains 105 pages, 8½x11, soft cover, spiral bound, and indexed. Price: $22.00 plus $3.00 shipping/handling.

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"EUGENE, MO.: THE TOWN THAT LIVED (AND DIED) WITH THE RAILROAD,"

by Bonnie Spalding Jenkins, 1992.

Book cover of Eugene, MO.
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This nostalgic memoir centers on a hand drawn map of the village of Eugene, Cole Co., Missouri in the 1920s, with commentary about structures and people. The book was inspired by the slow decline of the town after the Rock Island Railroad stopped running. This stimulated the author's recollections about what a bustling little commercial center it was in her youth. Her father was a railroad worker, and many of the men in town helped lay the tracks in the first decade of the 20th century. Since the book was published, Eugene figuratively breathed its last gasp in the spring of 1998, when its citizens voted to disincorporate so that the county would be required to keep up the roads. Thirty-five photos depict people, buildings and work crews. Genealogical notes are provided.

The book is 8½x11, 56 pages, 2 maps, soft cover, spiral binding, and indexed. Price: $12.00 plus $3.00 shipping/handling.

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