HomeMy WebLinkAboutdonations September 2026Enfield Town Historian Donations – Sue Thompson, Enfield Town HistorianNote: You may find files for the Bagley, Stoughton, and Bock information on: www.townofenfield.gov – For Residents
– Archived Documents-Laserfiche repository-historian.I recently received an interesting “sign” from Maureen Bolton, a resident here in Enfield. It was an old wooden sign that had been
stored in the “old Wilkin Barn” on Enfield Main Road. The name E.S. Bagley is painted on the sign, apparently over an earlier sign that we have been unable to read. However, we were
able to determine who E.S. Bagley was.
The home where the sign was found was once owned by Edwin Smith Bagley, who was born in Enfield in 1861. His parents were William D. and Phoebe Ann Chase Bagley, and he was one of 16
children in the family. The Bagleys lived on a farm in Enfield, which is shown on the 1866 Enfield Map as being located on Enfield Center Road.
In 1897, Edwin married Sarah J. Cornell. In November 1903, Edwin and Sarah purchased the “Curry Farm” at Applegate Corners. They remained there until January 1924, when they sold the
farm and moved to Enfield Main Road. Sarah died in September 1925, followed by Edwin in April 1926.
After Edwin’s death, the home was left to his brother, Zalmon Frank Bagley, who died in 1930. The property then passed to another brother, Ezra Bagley, who eventually sold it to Claude
Wilkin.
One question remains: why did Edwin Smith Bagley have a sign? I found no evidence that Edwin operated a business that would have required one. I did discover that from 1909 to 1915,
he was listed as being responsible for maintaining a water trough for the Town of Enfield, although it is unclear whether this had any connection to the sign.
Interestingly, Edwin’s father, William D. Bagley, was a lawyer and counselor who conducted business with the Town of Enfield during the 1860s and 1870s. Could the sign have originally
belonged to William D. Bagley and later been repainted with Edwin’s name? Or did Edwin have some business or occupation that has yet to be uncovered?
For now, the old wooden sign remains an intriguing piece of Enfield history—and perhaps there is still more to its story waiting to be discovered.A large collection of photo albums,
individual photographs, and genealogical records belonging to the Bock, Harvey, and Gray families was also recently donated by the Bock family of Enfield. The albums originally belonged
to Sarah Jane Harvey Gray (1855–1938). Her daughter, Martha Gray Bock, taught at the Woodard Schoolhouse, District 7, on Woodard Road in Enfield, from approximately 1930 until the school
closed in 1957.
One of the albums is particularly special. It was given to Sarah Jane by her mother, Martha Rumsey Harvey, as an 18th-birthday gift in 1873. Another album, dated 1883, contains photographs
of family members and friends. A picture of the Clarence Stoughton farm located on Hayts Road (863) was donated by Norman Smith. The picture is dated 1953. The farm was bought by Clarence
Stoughton in 1928 from Elizabeth Wallenbeck.