The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-10-20
AFTER FIFTY
YEARS REVISIT
THIS CITY
TWO LADIES COME FROM MASS
WHO LIVED HERE AND
MOVED AWAY IN
1859.
Search for Grave of Father, VIM.
II. Tilton A Contractor on the
Pennsy. Ry. Find
Locations.

After an absence of over fifty
years, from Plymouth, Mrs. Albert
C.. Swain of Falmouth Mass, and
Mrs Charles Nj. Bumpus of New Bed
ford Mass. returned to this city,
Saturday night. They are sisters,
and are here on a reminiscent jour
ney for a two-fold purpose-frst, to
visit the scene of the formers birth,
and the grave of their father, and
secondly to celebrate the birthday OF
Mrs. Swain among the memories and
scenes of a bygone day. The ladies
who were very small children, when
with their mother, they removed
from Plymouth, back to their eastern
home late in the year of 1859, ar
rived in Plymouth, their one-time
home, and did not know a living per-
son here. With the assistance OF a
representative of the Tribune, the
ladies located the places where they
lived when in Plymouth. Mr.. Nor
man Woodward. our long esteemed
citizen, recollected the name of their
father, William Henry Tilton, and
thanks to his faithful memory, the
locations were determined. Mrs.
Swain. who was Miss Anna G. Til
ton, was born in a house which
stood just south of where the
Methodist church is now located.
The structure itself has been long re-
moved. Their father, eleven months
after the birth of his youngest daugh-
ter, died in house which was locat-
ed adjacent to, and south of the pre-
sent residence of DIR. J. S. Martin,
ON north Center street. This house
has also been replaced in the march
of time. by another dwelling. 1t
was with some difficulty, that these
two scenes were located, and Monday
the two ladies spent the afternoon at
the Oak Hill cemetery, seeking the
grave of their father which has been
unvisited in all of these fifty-one
years.
Building of Railroad.
The building of the Pittsburg, Fl.
Wayne and Chicago railroad brought
the Ti;ton family to Plymouth. Their
home was in New Bedford Mass.
Mr.. Tilton. was by occupation, con-
tractor, and in pursuance of his work
became located at Cincinatti, Dayton
and other points i'll Ohio. In the
latter city. he received the contract
for LAYING the steel rails for the new
railroad to be constructed between
Pittsburg and Chicago, which has
since become a part of the great
Pennsylvania System.
He first came to Plymouth in the
year 1850, and was joined by his
wife, and daughter Clara (Mrs.
Bumpus) and two sons, two years
later. They resided in the house
above mentioned, south of the pre-
sent Methodist church, which was be-
fore the construction of that ediface
In this house the youngest child Anna
was born. on Oct 23rd, 1858. On
Sept. 18th, of the next year. Mr.
Tilton died, and the widow with her
four children. returned to their old
homestead in Massachusetts, in Nov.
ember of 1859. The family has re-
sided in and about New Bedford
9th, 1895. =
The two sisters who grew j., to
womanhoOd in the Puritan state
throughout their entire lives cberisn-
ed the memory If their ''westcrn
home. the &C ...ee of their early child
hood, and the grave Of their father
and for wears planned :, r,'urn t.
Plymouth Indiana - r"v'ew the ~.
memories. Their final arrival here
Saturday night, was sn even If theil
lives. They have taken roonis at Tie
Emanuel Price home, and intend t.
spend several days here, as they sa,
they do not expect to very see Ply
mouth again. Mrs Swain, celebrates
her birthday on next Sunday Oct
23rd, when she will be in the vicin
ity of her nativity. which occurred
in Plymouth. ffty-two years ago.
Quaint Customs Recalled.
The return to Plymouth of the tw,
ladies, recalls quaint customs, whicl
were in vogue fifty years ago. TIL,
elder sister Clara, who is Mrs
Bumpus. was five years of age. wher
she came to Plymouth with her moth
er. She became a men ber of tn,
Presbyterian Sunday School here un
der the tutorship of the late A. P
Elliott. She recalls the kindly gen
tleman very clearly, and preserve
the recommendation written by tha
gentleman for her transfer, when sh
finally left Plymouth. 1t shows tha
she was "a good little girl, and i
plainly legible. There is some old
fashioned spelling in the letter whicl
was penned by an able scholar. Th
letter is as follows: To All whom
NAV Concern
I the undersigned in Complianc
with Resolution offered at our Sab
bath School, do earnestly recommen