Thomas Akeley Straw

   Cause of his death was heart disease.

  General Notes:

Name Thomas Akeley Straw Gender Male Birth date 02 Aug 1808 Birth place STOWE TWP,LAMOILLE,VERMONT Father name Jona. Straw Mother name Hannah Batch number 7450248 Record group Vermont-ODM Film number unknown

www.familysearch.com - pilot search: POD; occ: miller

Desc of Clement Moody
6 Thomas Akeley Straw b: 02 Aug 1808 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT d: 30 Apr 1887 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
+Phebe D. Wilkins m: 19 Aug 1829 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT d: 11 Apr 1844 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT (childbirth?)
7 John Straw b: Abt. 1832 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Harriet Straw b: Abt. 1835 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT d: in Stowe, Lamoille, VT (d. young)
7 Albert Straw b: 1836 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT d: in Stowe, Lamoille, VT (d. young)
7 Henry Straw b: Abt. 1838 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Phebe Straw b: Abt. 1840 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Rebecca Straw b: Abt. 1841 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Daric M. Straw b: 1843 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT d: Bef. 1850 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT (d. young)
7 Mary Ann Straw b: 1844 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT d: Aft. 1850 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
*2nd Wife of Thomas Akeley Straw:
+Caroline J. Rand m: Abt. 1848
7 Albert R. Straw b: Abt. 1848 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Hubert R. Straw b: Abt. 1850 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Rose D. Straw b: Abt. 1852 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Hattie Straw b: Abt. 1854 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
7 Jenette (Nettie) Straw b: Abt. 1856 in Stowe, Lamoille, VT
*3rd Wife of Thomas Akeley Straw:
+Harriet m: Aft. 1857

Research of B. Moody via e-mail July 2007 - Hannah Moody and Jonathan Straw named their first born child Thomas Akeley Straw B. Aug 2, 1808 after her sister-Lydia Moody's husband, Thomas Akeley that died 5 months prior.

This research from Stowe Cem records in Stowe, VT and census records; DOB DOD per headstone.

1850 census shows the following in his HH: Thomas A. Straw ae 42y; occ: millwright Caroline ae 33y John ae 19y female ae 15 Henry ae 11y Phebe ae 8y Reb (Rebecca?) age 7y Mary A. age 4y ; Albert age 1y All of above were born in VT

census 1860 Stowe, Lamoille County VT Thomas A. Straw c1808 Harriet c1810 Henry c1839 Thebe c1841 Rebecca c18 Mary A. c1846 Albert R. c1849 Hubert R. c1850 Rose D. c1852 Hattie c1854 Jennette c1856

census 1870 Lamoille, Vt Thomas A. Straw c1808 Harriet c1810 Albert R. c1849 Herbert c1850 Rose D. c1852 Hattie C. c1854 Nettie c1856

The Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont) 04 Aug 1875, Wed Page 3 "Thomas Strasw celebrated the sixty-seventh anniversary of his birth last Monday with Mr and Mrs John Straw where twenty-six of the children and grandchildren were assembled."

1880 census for Stowe, VT Thomas A. Straw Harriet age 70; parents born VT Albert R. single age 31 Rose D age 28 single Nettie G. age 24 single Name: Thomas A. STRAW Age: 71 Estimated birth year: <1809> Birthplace: Vermont Occupation: Mill Wright Relation: Self Home in 1880: Stowe, Lamoille, Vermont Marital status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Head of household: Thomas A. STRAW Father's birthplace: MAINE Mother's birthplace: MAINE

According to the history of Stowe, VT he owned and ran a grist mill in Stowe village built by the Raymond Mill Co. in 1823 and purchased by Thomas A. Straw in 1860. In 1870 he added a shop, 24 x 60 feet for dressing lumber and the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. The business directory of 1883 - 1884 for Stowe lists him as prop. of grist mill, shingle mill, planing mill and cider mill, manufacturer of sash and doors and general jobber and farmer.

Stowe Locations: (courtesy of B. Moody July 2007) Different sections of Stowe, VT printed the by Beers 1878 Atlas of Lamoille Co: Stowe, VT -"Center Village"; Lower Village-"Mill Village" ; Moscow -"Smith Falls" The Thomas A. Straw property and mill indentified , and the Lemuel B. Smith property at Moscow, Smith Falls in the 1878 Beers Atlas, Lamoille Co. Also: HISTORY OF STOWE pub. 1934, W.J. Bigelow pgs. 108, 109 ( "Smith Falls" location 2 miles south of Mill Village on same Waterbury River Moscow) Moscow Water Power To LEMUEL B. SMITH and family credit for the development of Moscow is largely due. ALEXANDER SEAVER is reported to be the builder of the dam at Smith Falls in 1822. He constructed and iron box stove manufacturing factory and a sawmill. Later he sold the porperty to LEMUEL B. SMITH and THOMAS A. STRAW. They added to the mill a potato starch factory, a gristmill and sash, blind, door factory. About 1860 LEMUEL B. SMITH bought out the interests of THOMAS A. STRAW. Lemuel Smith continued alone and then with his son, Fred. E. Smith . Fred Smith discontinued the potato starch factory, kept the sawmill and turned the milling factory into making parcel handles with machines he designed. Also: Village Gristmill [Lower Village- "Mill Village"] pg. 110 History of Stowe, pub. 1934 The old brick grismill at what was denominated as "Mill Village" constructed by Asa and Ashael Raymond in 1822-23 in what was then a forest. A brick house was also built near the mill and was called " the Mill House". The mill was equiped with three run of stone; one for wheat flour, one for rye flour and one for othr grain. Up until this time Stowe people had to go to Waterbury to get their grain ground. THOMAS A.STRAW purchased this property in 1860, and in a few years gave the mill a thorough overhauling, putting in an improved waterwheel, a set of stones for ginding feed and other implements. He lived at the "Mill House" and raised a large family and operated the gristmill until his death .[Thomas Akeley STRAW Mill Location: Just before you enter the (Center)Village of Stowe from Waterbury, VT, on RT 100, there are rock ledges that the road sharply curves around on the right, across the river from these ledges was where Thomas A. Straw had his mills and the brick houses. This area can be seen from the road]

In 1870 he constructed a large wooden building in which he conducted a custom business in matching and planing lumber. It being the first matcher in Stowe, Mr. STRAW did a large amount of work until sawmills began installing planers and matchers for their own use. After his death, his son, JOHN STRAW used the second story of the building for making sash, door, chairs and custom woodworking. JOHN STAW manufactured croquet sets from a pattern taken from a boarder from England at the Mt. Mansfield Hotel and sold them for $8.25. Later JOHN STRAW sold to Charles I. Robinson. [John Straw relocated c. 1900 to Center Village at the RT108 turn on the river built a dam and gristmill-different source] John Vearen purchased the gristmill of the THOMAS A. STRAW estate, put a stone and cement dam, a new aqueduct and installed a modern water wheel and grinding machinery necessary for custom work He delt with western feed and a general line of mill feed. HOWARD E. SHAW leased the property and finally purchased it continuing with the feed and grain business and he manufacturing of butter boxes in the old woodworking shop. In the Spring of 1921 the two mills, two houses and a storehouse burned and were not rebuilt.
www.familysearch.com
Name Thomas A. Straw Gender Male Death date 30 Apr 1887 Death place Stowe Age in years 78 Birth date 1809 Birth place Stowe Occupation Miller Father name Jona. Straw Mother name Hannah Moody Batch number B07556-5 Record group Vermont-EASy Film number 540150

[the family must have celebrated on the anniversary of his birthday]
Stowe Scribblings
Date: August 8, 1906
Paper: Argus and Patriot (Montpelier, VT)
Volume: LVI
Issue: 40
Page: 2
"the 98th birthday of Thomas Akeley Straw was observed on Aug 2 by the usual family picnic, ice cream, lemonade and a bountiful supply of more substantial foods were served under the butternut trees by the river in H. E. Straw's meadow. the children present were John Straw, Mrs M.A. Jenny, H. E. Straw. Miss Rose Straw and Mrs A. E. Douglass. the grandchildren were Mrs A. H. Cheney, W. M. Douglass, T. A. Douglass, Mrs H. W. Barrows. George Douglass, Miss Minnie Straw and Mrs C. L. McMahon. Others present were C. L. McMahon, A. H. Cheney, Dr. H. W. Barrows, Mr. W. M. Douglass, Mrs T. A. Douglass, Mrs H. E. Straw, Mrs John Straw, Mrs S. M. Brush, Miss Ethel Brush, Miss Myra Cheney, Misses Marjorie and Rebecca Burt.

Apparently this became a yearly event as the Burlington Free Press has several write-ups over the years indicating this.

The Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont)03 Aug 1910, WedPage 7
Annual picnic to celebrate the late Thomas Akeley Straw on the anniversary of his 102nd birthday...surviving children: Mr and Mrs John Straw, Mrs Mary A. Jenny; Mr and Mrs Albert R. Straw; Mr and Mrs Herbert E. Straw; Miss Rose Straw; Mr and Mrs Almon E. Douglass and Mrs. Lydia Straw a sister of Mr. Straw's; grandchildren: Mr and Mrs C. L. McMahon; Mr and Mrs A. H. Cheney; Mr and Mrs W. M. Douglass; Mrs H. W. Barrows; Mr and Mrs T. A. Douglass; Mr and Mrs L. H. Straw; George Douglass; Miss Lois Straw and F. A. Straw - 15 great grandchildren and one great great great? grandchild...

Find A Grave Memorial# 53265874

Thomas married Phebe Downer Wilkins, daughter of James Wilkins and Nancy, on 19 Aug 1829 in Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont. (Phebe Downer Wilkins was born on 25 Jan 1808 in Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont, died on 11 Apr 1844 in Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont and was buried in Old Yard Cemetery Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont, USA.)

Thomas next married Caroline J. Rand, daughter of Benjamin Rand and Sarah Robinson, on 19 Jan 1845. (Caroline J. Rand was born on 11 Aug 1817 in Bridgewater, Windsor County, Vermont, died on 20 Jan 1857 in Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont and was buried in Old Yard Cemetery Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont, USA.). The cause of her death was varioloid.

Thomas next married Harriet Wilkins, daughter of Ezra Wilkins and Susan Downer, in 1857. (Harriet Wilkins was born on 2 Mar 1810 in Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont, died on 2 Feb 1900 in Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont and was buried in Old Yard Cemetery Stowe, Lamoille County, Vermont, USA.). The cause of her death was pneumonia.