Lucy Waters Phelps: First Sutton Woman Voter
by Pat Nedoroscik
The daughter of Henry and Julia Waters Phelps, Lucy Waters Phelps was born in 1876, the centennial year of our country. Her father and grandfather ran the saw and grist mills in West Sutton. Her mother, Julia, was a nurse and midwife. For much of her life she lived in the house known as the Samuel Waters Tavern (located on Central Turnpike) in West Sutton, Massachusetts. She was a teacher in the West Sutton School for more than twenty years. Each year she challenged her students to present poems from memory on Memorial Day.
After retiring from teaching, Lucy and her brother Charles S. Phelps ran a roadside stand known as “Paine Haven Park, the Pride of the Pike” selling ice cream and candy. She was an active member of the American Press Writer’s Association for twenty-five years and a founding member of the West Sutton Community League.
In 1873 women in Massachusetts won the right to vote in school committee elections. When Lucy turned 21, she realized that no woman in Sutton had registered or voted, and she proudly became the first woman voter in the town. She then became an ardent and active suffragette. Lucy was also a member of the Worcester Equal Franchise Club, which later became the League of Women Voters.
“Miss Lucy Phelps was, by two years, the first women voter in the town of Sutton, she having registered for the franchise at the age of 21, although she could vote for school committee only.”
History of Sutton volume 2
In order to remind voters to support the referendum on women’s suffrage scheduled for November of 1915, Lucy Waters Phelps and women across Massachusetts adopted the symbol of the bluebird with “Votes for Women Nov. 2” printed on the 12-inch-long tin bird. According to records, that bluebird symbol, representing cheer and hope, was displayed on each pillar in the front of her home. That 1915 referendum failed but the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote was ratified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on June 25, 1919, and nationwide on August 26, 1920, having obtained the ratification of three-fourths of all the states at that time.
She died in May of 1965 at the age of 88 and is buried in the family plot in the West Sutton cemetery.
Note: more information on Lucy Waters Phelps may be found in the Sutton Historical Society Bulletin January 25, 2004, Volume 42 No. 1.
More information on the women’s suffragist movement in our area is found in the video “Along the Blackstone: Episode 57, Developing Women’s Political Voice”
A “Votes for Women Nov. 2” bluebird sign is included in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
Wilding Waters Farm
by Brian Garrett
The Waters Farm property that many of us know and love is the circa 1757 farmhouse and historic outbuildings that come alive during special events like the Farm Days weekend festival in October. Those events take place on about 20 acres of rolling farmland that’s ringed with fieldstone walls and granite fence pillars. Those fields are home for all sorts of wildlife including woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, hawks, and bees that live in a hive towards the back of the Darling barn. But did you know that much more wildlife is thriving on another 100 acres of woodlands that stretches down the hill to lake Manchaug? Thanks to the vision of Dorothea Moran Waters and Bud Gurney, the Waters Farm property that was given to the town of Sutton more than 50 years ago includes that 100 acres of forested uplands, granite ledge, glacial features, and lakefront property that’s conserved as open space in perpetuity. Recently a pair of bald eagles have decided to investigate a home on that lakefront property thanks to the vision and leadership of Ed Ritzer who’s on the Board of Directors for Waters Farm Preservation, Inc.
Over the past two years, Ed worked with the Sutton conservation commission and volunteers including Josh Ritzer and Tom at Hayes Tree Care to build and install Wood Duck boxes and an eagle nesting platform on the shore of Lake Manchaug. We’re thrilled to report that a pair of bald eagles have already found the platform and are showing signs of making it their new home! The 80 foot tall eagle platform was built on top of one of the tallest pine trees on a point that overlooks lake Manchaug. The nest was set up with a video camera, and it’s working better than expected. Videos posted on the waters farm preservation website and Facebook show how the platform was built and the first bald eagle sighting. Stay tuned as we anxiously wait for Spring to see if the eagles build a nest and start a family
A New Stage at Waters Farm
by Brian Garrett
If you’ve visited Waters Farm over the past year or so, you may have noticed a new timber frame structure that’s being built in the field next to the Darling barn towards the Sugarhouse. That solid new timber frame pavilion with a cement foundation replaces an aging wood stage that was demolished in 2021.
The new stage at Waters Farm will be used for plays, historical/educational presentations, and agricultural demonstrations. Other uses may include our Back to School Movie Night and announcements for annual events including Easter egg hunts, and Farm Days festivals. Other possible uses for the stage include small outdoor community events and concerts.
The funding for this beautiful new stage was provided by a $150,000 grant that was sponsored by Massachusetts State Senator Ryan Fattman -Thanks Ryan!
Waters Memorial Visitors Center
by Brian Garrett
Waters Memorial Visitors Center is a multi-year project that is marching towards a grand opening during the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026. This new post and beam barn structure that’s located next to the farmhouse on Waters Road is different from most of the 18th and early 19th century themed buildings on Waters farm property. It’s a climate controlled state of the art Visitors Center with handicapped accessibility and indoor restrooms. The Visitors Center will be used for educational and community events and the display and preservation of six generations of Waters family artifacts and records.
More than $600,000 of donations and grants have been used to complete the foundation and the exterior of the Visitors Center. Unibank donated $30,000 and other local businesses and families made generous donations in 2024. ARPA grant funding that was allocated to the Town of Sutton is being used to build the Visitors Center septic system in the Spring of 2025. We’re coming down the home stretch as we raise money to finish and outfit the interior of the Center including meeting and display space, a climate controlled historical archive, and a ground floor workshop with additional space for storage.
Recently at Waters Farm
The History of Sutton Beauty Apples at Waters Farm
by Patricia Nedoroscik
One of the most popular attractions during the Annual Farm Days is the building selling warm home-made apple crisp. The apple crisp area is overseen by our long-time tireless volunteer, Norma Bedrosian, and her army of helpers. In addition to the delicious treat, visitors can also go home with a “Waters Farm: A Collection of Apple Recipes” cookbook.
Have you ever wondered why apple crisp is the Farm Days signature dish?
Waters family historical records, journals, and diaries tell us that the original builder of the main house, Stephen Waters, began planting apple trees on the slope heading down towards Manchaug Pond. Later he was assisted by his son John, and records tell us that the two orchards-The Rhode Island Orchard and the Connecticut Orchard-consisted of more than 1,000 trees.
Walter Waters’ diary tells us, “The Sutton Beauty apple was developed on Waters Farm, by grafting, by great-great grandfather Stephen Waters (a Revolutionary soldier and builder of our house) from an old tree, long gone by, down in the lower end of the Connecticut Orchard. Cousin Jason Waters told me this.” A firm, medium size apple, it was excellent for storage and shipping long distances. Apples were said to have been shipped as far away as England. The stencil used to mark the apple crates is displayed in the farmhouse kitchen.
Apples not used for shipping were made into apple butter and apple brandy. Apple cider was made at the cider mill on the property. Walter tells us, “The cider mill was a necessity, from the earliest occupancy of the place, owing to the large hillside orchards, and great apple industry carried on here. The Old home-made account books, carefully kept by Stephen and John, are full of records of many “bariels” of cider, sold to neighbors; as also of grinding apples, bro’t in by surrounding farmers, to be made into cider.”
Records confirm that “the orchards were the finest of any around” and that “so much cider was made there, that the ground was said to be soaked in it.”
John’s son Nathan later owned the farm and took over the care of the apple trees, although the orchards had been split during a family rift with Nathan and his brother Richard. Nathan’s grandson, Walter, relates “Grandfather Nathan usually drank cider with his meals. I have the small cider pitcher which he used at the side of his plate”. Among her other chores, Nathan’s wife Ulva also made “boiled apple cider applesauce”, stored in the coldest portion of one of the house basements. When Walter visited his grandparents, one of his jobs was to go into the basement with a large bucket and scoop out the frozen applesauce to be served for the next meal.
When the apple stock got older and diminished, the apples were sold locally and used for the family’s consumption. After Nathan’s death in 1878, his son Samuel left his coal business in West Newton and moved his family to Sutton to run the farm. During that time, he even planted a new orchard of over 100 apple trees. Samuel, however, was not a farmer, and returned to West Newton after only three years, renting the farm to various tenants. He moved back during the summers but was never able to return the farm to its former glory.
In 2004, during the 300th anniversary celebration of the Town of Sutton, several Sutton Beauty apple trees were planted near the Blacksmith Shop on the farm. In addition to those trees, many others were planted on private property throughout the community.
In Loving Memory
Waters Farm lost two good friends in 2024: Larry Leonard and Ken Ethier.
Larry Leonard was a teacher of Industrial Arts, which provided him the opportunity to share his knowledge with young people and foster an appreciation for working with their hands. He continued his trade as a machinist and a self-taught tinsmith, selling his creations and sharing his knowledge at fairs and gatherings with other craftsmen and enthusiasts. Dressed as a 19th century tinsmith, Larry’s friendly demonstrations at Farm Days festivals were appreciated by young and old alike.
Ken Ethier was a passionate historian and tireless volunteer at Waters Farm. Check out the Letter from the President to learn more about this wonderful man and the loving legacy he left for all of us at Waters Farm.
Letter from the President
Dear Members & Friends of Waters Farm,
On Sunday, June 30, 2024, Waters Farm lost a great friend and benefactor, Kenneth “Ken” Ethier. To say that he will be missed by his friends and his fellow Board members is an understatement. He leaves a void that will take a very long time to be filled.
When I first joined the Board of Directors, I was immediately amazed at his extensive knowledge of history, both locally and beyond, of equipment, agriculture, and early industry. Even more so, I was impressed with the ease that he shared his knowledge and experience. That he loved the Farm and what he was doing to support it was readily apparent.
As some of you are aware, I am a relatively newbie to Waters Farm. So my history with Ken is a short one, at times intense, at times divisive, but always, always, with the best intentions for the betterment of the Farm. On that point, Ken and I were in complete agreement. He was always there to lend me a hand, to patiently provide helpful advice and encouragement (sometimes loudly). As President, what I appreciated the most was that Ken would always question when the Board was discussing a matter that didn’t make sense to him.
I reached out to Pam Gurney Farnham to provide me with some historical context of Ken’s involvement. Pam writes, “When you talk about divine intervention, that describes Ken’s pilgrimage to Waters Farm. Ken met Bud Gurney at an Asa Waters Mansion event. They got to talking and Bud asked Ken why he wasn’t involved at the Farm. Then, Bud passed away and a little time went by. Coincidentally, the Thursday night coffee group at the Dunkin in Auburn included Mike & Rita Cammuso and Bob Anderson. Both of those guys were involved with the Farm and inspired Ken to volunteer. Then Bob passed away and Ken was asked to join the Board of Directors. Ken continued to serve faithfully until his passing.”
Ken was everyone’s go-to person, whether it was to identify an artifact, to locate a unique part, to inquire about the history of something, to track down a connection. He was our spider web and our glue. While his passing has left a void, he left us positioned to move forward without him. Looking back, it is almost prophetic in the way that he guided the Board and fellow volunteers to record his farm tours. Constantly networking with his friends and other historic groups, he brought others to the Farm to keep our legacy alive.
Ken was an honest and straight forward man. His word was his bond. He was a true friend and a fierce defender of what he believed. Ken was a true gentleman. If you were his friend, you were part of his family.
I don’t know about you, but for me, I will miss him greatly. Speaking for the Waters Farm Family, our hearts go out to his family and his many, many friends. May they know that when we remember Ken, yes, there will be an ache in our heart, a lump in our throat and tears in our eyes, and yet, a smile in our hearts.
Go with God, Ken,
Your Student and Friend,
Paul Schaefer
President
Waters Farm, Preservation, Inc.
